Happy helped his mom into bed, his heart hurting at how easy it was to lift her. She was thin, but he'd never call her frail. Not his mother; she was the strongest woman he knew. She stretched out on the hospital bed with a tired sigh. "Hand me my oxygen, mijo," she said, gesturing to the large canister.

He did as he was told, helping her put it in her nose and watching as she adjusted it. "You good, Ma?"

Elena nodded, breathing in deeply and only wheezing a little bit. "Chloe takes good care of me."

She'd said it earlier, but he liked hearing his mother was being well taken care of. It didn't surprise him, either. Chloe was a natural caregiver. She was patient and kind but could be strict when she needed to be. It was one of the things he liked about her. "Yeah."

"She's a good girl, Happy. You need to fix things with her," she stated, her tone chastising.

Happy sat down heavily on the chair beside his Mom's bed. There was a stack of books on the bedside table. Some in English, some in Spanish. His mom's eyesight was too bad to read, which made him think Chloe was probably reading to her. His heart did that weird extra beat thing when he thought of her sitting with his Ma, reading to her. He wanted to fix things with her. "Don't know where to start."

"Open up to her, mijo. Let her in."

"Talk to her all the time about the kid. Don't talk to anyone else about her. Not since Koz."

Elena scowled at him, shaking her head. "Enough talk about Angelita. Find something else. Dig deeper. She knows you love your family. We all do, but there's more to you. Tell her."

"She don't care."

"Yes, she does," she replied stubbornly. "She asks about you, you know? Wants to know what you were like when you were younger. I don't tell her much pero she likes it. Let her in. Show her who you are without that club stuff. She loves that man, not the tough guy."

Happy swiped a hand over his face; he didn't even know where to begin. "What am I s'posed to say? Just start tellin' her shit?"

Elena smiled shrugging a shoulder. "She'll give you a sign," she stated on a heavy sigh. "Now go. Help her clean. Let me sleep."

He got up with a grunt, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "Love you, Ma."

"Te amo, mi vida," she replied, her soft hand patting his cheek lovingly. "Go. Help her. Open up to her. No funny business, though." (I love you, my life)

He chuckled in response, shaking his head as he headed towards the door and gently closing it behind him. Taking a deep breath, he decided he was going to do his best to tell Chloe something new. Show her he trusted her with that side of him. That had to be a step in the right direction.

~'~'~'~

Chloe was just about halfway through doing the dishes when Happy walked out of his mother's room, closing the door behind him. She could sense his presence as he walked into the kitchen, large and looming. While that presence scared most, she'd grown accustomed to it. It made her feel safe and somehow stronger. She missed it. Missed him. He leaned against the counter beside her, arms crossed over his chest. "Your mom okay?" she asked without looking at him. She knew he was studying her, could feel the intensity of his black stare.

"Yeah. Likes the bed a lot," he replied, his rough voice making her stomach do little flips. "Need help?"

"You can dry," she said, nodding towards the stack of plates. He nodded, grabbing a dish towel and getting to work.

They worked in silence for a while before he cleared his throat. "How worried should I be about the kid?"

Chloe was caught off guard by his question. Mostly because it was one that would actually lead to a conversation, something they hadn't had in months. Even stranger was that he'd started it. Happy was always comfortable in silence and usually waited for her to talk. The fact that he'd asked the first question showed some initiative on his part. The fact that the question was about Angela didn't bother her; that's how their relationship had begun. They'd started opening up to each other because of her. Angela was his vulnerable spot, and he was exposing it to her on his own accord. That was huge. It showed he still trusted her, that he wanted to let her in. "Not really sure," she answered honestly. "She's got some symptoms I don't love, but she wouldn't let me take her blood pressure, so I don't know. If she's got high blood pressure along with them, it's not good. If not, then she's okay."

"You got one of the machines?"

"Yeah, 'course," she said, fighting a smirk; she could see where his brain was going. "It's too late to go over there now, Hap. She also needs sleep. You bustin' in there to force her to take a blood pressure test isn't going to do anything but get her blood pressure to sky rocket 'cause she'll be pissed. She's got an appointment coming day after tomorrow, so that's good. We'll know more then."

He nodded slowly. "Okay," he said, his shoulders still tensed. What she wouldn't give to be able to read his mind. "Are you...okay?"

She met his gaze, her heart sputtering in her chest at the real concern in his eyes. It was rare to get any emotion out of him unless it was about family. Seeing that he was worried about her made her want to throw her arms around him and hug him as tight as he'd let her. "Oh. I um...I'm good," she answered, focusing on the plate in her hands. "Finally able to walk up the stairs to my room so...that feels good."

"It still hurt?"

"Sometimes," she admitted, sneaking another glance at him. She didn't want to tell him about the nightmares she had. The way she didn't feel truly safe in her house anymore. How she slept with the gun he'd given her locked and loaded inside her nightstand instead of in the safe where it used to be. Her back might've healed decently well, but the trauma of it all still lingered. "Handful of yoga poses I can't do as easily anymore, but for the most part, I'm okay."

"Good." He nodded again, drying the last plate and stacking it on the others and putting it away. "Thanks again for all this. Means a lot."

"You don't need to thank me, Lowman. Your family's kinda my family too," she replied, feeling a blush creep into her cheeks.

He nodded in agreement. Happy was all about nods and quiet gestures. She was used to it and appreciated the nod. "I should go," he said on a sigh.

Chloe considered him for a moment, wondering where he was going to go. It wasn't too late; if there was a party at the club house, he still had plenty of time to go and enjoy it. "Big party tonight?"

"Nah. Was just gonna see if a room was open and crash. Been a long day," he explained on another tired sigh.

Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "You could stay here."

His eyes met hers, a flash of hope in them. "Here?"

For a moment, she regretted the decision, but the idea of having him close felt so right. "Sure. I mean...not with me," she clarified quickly, "but I can...I'll make up the bed in my office. It's nothing fancy, but at least you can rest without the clubhouse craziness."

He almost smiled but ducked his head to hide it. "Sounds good. Thanks, Braun."

"Yeah. 'course," she said, patting his arm. Her gaze caught his, holding it for a long moment. She felt a blush creep into her cheeks as she looked away. "You check on Hades, and I um...I'll go get the blankets."

She turned away from him and headed up the stairs, holding tightly to the rail for support. Her back was aching from being on her feet longer than she had been in a long time. It was a good kind of ache, though; it reiterated the fact she was healing.

Her office was pristine as it usually was; she hadn't used it in quite some time. There was a small, cheap futon in the corner that she knew was too small for Happy's long legs, but it had to be more comfortable than finding a spot at the clubhouse where a bed wasn't guaranteed. She fixed the futon so it was flat before going to the closet to get out fresh bed linens. She turned around and ran right into Happy's chest.

"Holy crap!" she exclaimed, taking a step back. She'd forgotten how quiet he could be. The man was all stealth. "I gotta put a bell on you if you're gonna be here more."

That earned a rare chuckle from him. Her heart fluttered at the sound of it. "Sorry," he said, taking the linens from her. "I can do it."

She let him take charge, knowing better than to fight with him. He was surprisingly good at it, making sure all the sheets and blankets were perfectly tucked in and smoothed out. "Not the military, Lowman. Not gonna ask you to bounce a quarter off it."

She caught another small smile of his and triumphed in the fact she could still get him to smile. He shrugged a shoulder, fixing the pillows a bit. "Should be done right."

"Your Mom teach you how?"

He nodded slowly. "Used to work housekeeping at a hotel when I was a kid. I'd help."

Chloe was surprised by the insight into his past; it was something he'd never offered up before. She'd run with it, though. "Your mom did a lot of odd jobs, huh?"

Happy nodded again. "Whatever she could. Her and Vic, the kid's dad, they did all sorts a shit. Tryin' to keep us floatin' while Graci went to nursin' school. Then she had the kid, and Vic died, and Ma worked even harder to send the kid to fuckin' Catholic school. Didn't want her to be with gangsters and shit."

"Yet she still got involved with the Mayans."

"Mayan daughters go there too. Same reason," he explained on a shrug.

Chloe smirked, that seemed ironic to her. Mayan girls going to private school to keep them away from gangsters like their fathers. "Ang must've been so cute in that uniform. Can only imagine the bows and shit Graci put in her hair."

That got her another smile. "Graci didn't do shit. Was all my Ma. Kid was good with the braids, not the bows. Always took 'em out. Hid 'em in my truck. Find 'em when I was cleanin' it out."

The story was adorable, and she could picture a younger Happy with less tattoos and more hair with a handful of colorful bows his rebellious little cousin hid in whatever car he had. She was willing to bet it was a classic car. Something he'd worked hard to restore. Happy seemed the type. "What kind of car?"

"Old Chevy truck me and her dad restored," he said, frowning a little. "Regret sellin' it now, but we needed the money. Once the kid was good riding on the Harley, I let the truck go."

Chloe leaned against the doorjamb, watching him fold down the sheet over the blankets as if he wasn't just going to get right in bed the second he was done. "Why you lettin' me in, Lowman? Never heard you talk so much before."

He shrugged a shoulder. "Dunno."

She had a feeling she knew. "Your mom suggest it?"

"Maybe," he replied with another shrug. That was as good of a confirmation as she was going to get. "Want me to stop?"

"No, definitely not. I like hearing that you're more than just the Tacoma Killer," she stated, crossing her arms over her chest. He tensed at the nickname, his jaw clenching; she already knew he didn't like when she called him that, and she did it now for emphasis. "I've heard stories from Ang, but she's got some serious hero worship with you, so I never know if she's exaggerating. She loves you so much, you know."

Sitting down heavily on the edge of the bed, he sighed. "Yeah. She's a good kid. Got dealt a shit hand with her old man dying young 'n' her Ma being crazy, but she turned out all right."

Chloe had heard multiple times about how rocky Angela and Graciela's relationship was. How her mother mostly ignored her after her father died. Thankfully, she'd had Happy and Elena to fill in for both of her absent parents. " 'course she did. She had you."

Another small smile pulled at his lips; she was on a roll. There was a long silence between them before Happy sighed. "You workin' tomorrow?"

"Nah, I'll be hanging with your Ma all day. Took some time off. Not like I could go on vacation anywhere anyway," she explained on a shrug. "Though a beach vacation in Tulum sounds amazing."

Happy raised an eyebrow. "That in Mexico?"

"Yeah. You been?"

"Not for fun," he said, shaking his head. "Don't vacation much."

That made her kind of sad to hear. The way he took care of his family had to leave a weight on his shoulders. If anyone needed a vacation, it was Happy. "What about when you were a kid?"

"Ma doesn't fly. Not since we left Miami. I used to take the kid to that rat place."

"The rat place?" she parroted under her breath. "You mean Disneyland?"

Happy nodded, shrugging a shoulder. "She loved that shit. Annoying as fuck, but it made her happy. Went almost every year 'til she started goin' with friends instead."

Chloe laughed, trying to picture the tattooed biker walking through the theme park with a little girl holding his hand doing his best to look tough to everyone but his little cousin. She'd gotten a sneak peek at the way he must've been with Angela through his interactions with Evie. The tough guy practically melted the second Evie grabbed his hand. "You ever been outta the country?"

"Went to Ireland few years back. Also been to Canada."

"Love Ireland. Where'd you go?" she asked, enthused by the idea of him traveling. The responding look on his face told her he hadn't been there for fun. "Oh. Club shit?"

He nodded. "You travel."

It was a statement, not a question. Her house was filled with knickknacks and photos from around the world, which Happy, the most observant person she knew, obviously noticed. "Love to travel. Been all over the place. I miss it."

"Why'd you stop?"

She shrugged, she hadn't really thought about it. After losing her fiancé, she'd travelled all over the world, almost as if she was searching for something. She'd landed in Charming by chance, and right when she'd gotten the travel bug, she'd met Angela and had been absorbed into her family. After that, the urge to travel had dissipated some. "Think I'm just happy with my life here. Think I found what I was searching for. This weird little family."

"Nice to have ya," he admitted, messing with his ring just as Angela did when she was nervous. "Good to have someone trustworthy around."

The urge to hug him again was strong, but she stayed rooted in her spot, though she did give him a smile. "Thanks," she replied, looking him over. He was thinner than before, his shoulders slumped down more than usual with the weight of all of his worries. Slowly, she walked towards him leaning over to kiss the top of his head right on top of the head of the snake tattooed there. "Get some rest, Lowman."

He glanced up at her, a slightly confused look on his face before he nodded. "Night."

"Night," she replied as she walked away. She went through the motions of getting ready for bed, aware of the smile that she couldn't quite wipe off her face. The conversation she'd had with Happy played through her mind. The normalcy of it was surprising. They'd never talked like that before. Sure, she'd share bits and pieces of her past with him, but this was the first time he'd ever shared so much with her. He'd given her an insight to him she'd never had before. She'd always known there were layers to Happy and now, he was finally letting her see them. She wanted to know more. Wanted to peel all of them back, get to know every layer, and love him for them. It was going to take time, but she was willing to put in the time if he kept letting her in.

~'~'~'~

Happy was barely asleep when he heard her scream. He threw the covers off of himself, grabbing his gun and practically sprinting towards Chloe's room, ready to inflict pain on whoever was hurting her. She was alone, though. Tossing and turning in the covers as she struggled against an invisible adversary that was very real to her. His heart did that painful squeeze thing it had taken to doing anytime he saw Chloe in pain. He'd caused this. Before him, she didn't have fuel for her nightmares. Now, she had too much of it. "Braun," he murmured, dropping his gun on the nightstand that he'd once claimed as his before going over to her side of the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed, grabbing her shoulder and shaking it gently. "Hey! Chloe! Wake up!"

She came to with a gasp, sitting straight up. Her breathing was heavy, skin shining with sweat. "Oh shit," she breathed, pressing a hand to her heart. "I was...I was there, and she was gonna kill...and then I just..."

She wasn't making sense, but he didn't really expect her to. "Just a dream," he assured her. Angela had nightmares as a kid, and he knew what always helped her. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand in his and squeezed so hard, he knew it had to hurt. Just a little. "Feel this? This is real. Right here. You're okay. Breathe."

Chloe swallowed hard. "Y-yeah," she said nodding quickly. She squeezed his hand back before letting it go, her hand coming to rest in her lap. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he muttered, standing from the bed. Out of pure instinct, he leaned over and dropped a kiss to her forehead. " 'm here. Just down the hall. Gonna keep you safe."

He went to leave, but she caught his wrist. "Stay," she whispered so quietly he wasn't sure he heard her at first. "Please, Hap. Just...stay here. With me."

"Okay." Slowly, he walked around the bed to what had been his side. The side closest to the door, so he would be the first line of defense. He pulled back the covers, aware of her hazel eyes following his movement. He lay down on his side, facing her waiting for her to make the first move. To his surprise, she grabbed his arm and pulled it over her as she turned her back towards him, scooting in closer so her back was against his chest. He moved his arm more tightly around her, pulling her towards him and forming his body to hers. "This good?"

A shaky sigh escaped her lips as she nodded. Her hand came to rest on top of his as she relaxed into him. "Thanks."

"I got you, Braun," he murmured, breathing in the scent of her hair. The scent was strangely comforting as was the feel of her fingernails lightly trailing over his arms. "You're safe with me."

~'~'~'~
Couldn't resist a Hap/Chloe chapter.
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