NOLA HAD BEEN dreading this very moment, having to face Alden. Old wounds were ripped open, letting her live through the whole trauma again. Nola, still traumatized by all the things he had done to her, was already a nervous wreck before the trial, even though she had a good chance. But when Alden entered the hallway, his stride full of confidence, and stopped in front of her, she felt her heart pounding in her throat.

"I knew we'd see each other again", he mocked, sarcasm dripping from his tongue as his gaze slid further down, then back up again. "You really think you can take my child away from me? Then you're fuckin' pathetic, but that's nothing new", he spat, taking a step closer.

"Back off", warned Bobby, who immediately stepped in front of his daughter and shoved the man back, having a hard time not to lash out. "You're lucky we're in a courthouse, otherwise you'd have a bullet between your eyes by now."

Nola's eyes widened briefly. Did her father really mean that? Would he kill someone for her? On the other hand, if she thought about her daughter ever being in such a situation, Nola wouldn't hesitate for a second to protect her.

"Bobby, no threats", Ally sighed, leaning toward him to place a hand on his arm. "We don't want a second trial involving you anytime soon, do we?"

"No, we don't", Nola insisted, putting a hand on her father's other arm. "He's not worth it, dad. Let's just get this over with."

"You really think it's that easy?" Alden snorted an amused laugh, the click of his tongue echoing through the hallway. "I'm not letting my child grow up with a whore who runs off with a stranger and cheats on her husband. I'm going to get my child, with or without you."

"How about you shut your fuckin' mouth before I do it for you?!" Happy seethed, suddenly darting forward, his face just inches from Alden's, total menace in his stare. "Better pray you get sentenced todayᅳ you're safer inside than out."

"He's right about that", Bobby interjected, grinning as he saw Alden's face falter for a second. "You're not getting near Nola or my granddaughter ever again."

"Dad, Hap", Nola pulled both men back by their sleeves, flashing them a pleading look. She needed both of them with her, not in jail. "Don't let him provoke you, please."

"Awe, how sweet", Alden mocked again, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets as he looked at his wife disparagingly. "I'm not going to sign shit. You want a divorce? Over my dead body."

"You can have that", Happy growled lowly, instinctively pulling Nola closer, his hand resting against her lower back.

"The fuck are you, huh?" Alden's eyes narrowed as they met Happy's again. "Are you her new guy? Better teach that bitch some manners."

"No, he's not. But unlike you, he knows how to treat a woman", Nola spat back, all of her pent-up anger finally coming out. "As soon as I tell the judge the whole truth, I won't need your fuckin' signature anymore, then the divorce will be approved anyway! And hopefully you'll end up in jail, you stupid piece of shit!"

The hallway went silent, everyone surprised by Nola's little outburst of anger; although it was entirely appropriate after Alden had put her through hell for years.

And then something happened that was painful at first but would probably seal Alden's fate. The back of his hand connected with Nola's face, the sound cutting through the silence as her head jerked to the side, drawing a gasp from not only her but also from Ally. Oh, how much she hated the stinging, throbbing pain after getting slapped across the face.

"You're not telling them shit, you hear me?!", Alden barked aggressively, spit flying from his mouth with every word he spoke, his finger shoved in her face. "I'm not doing time because of you!"

"You bastard!" Bobby shot forward, Happy right after, ready to fight. "You're not hitting or threatening my daughter!"

But Nola reacted quickly and rushed in front of the two, placing one of her hands on each man's chest while Ally made sure to keep Alden away from her by threatening him to call security.

"Don't. He just sealed his own fate", the blonde said firmly, tilting her head slightly towards the courtroom, an older man standing in front of it.

His robe revealed that he must be the judge, his features hard and stern. "The hearing starts in ten minutes. I don't want to see this again!"

"Excuse me, sir", Ally apologized for everyone, still standing next to a seething Alden, which she eyed with judgement. "Looks like you have no chance of winning the case anymore. Especially with a lawyer who can't even show up on time."

And with that, she turned on her heel and nodded to Nola and the two men, motioning them to follow her in the courtroom, mainly to avoid further arguments.

"You're going to pay for this", Bobby hissed as he passed Alden, his voice carrying something threatening before he stepped into the room.

Happy's hand still against Nola's back, he led the blonde past Alden, making sure the bastard kept his hands to himself. Still, the anger rose again as Nola flinched when Alden took a step in her direction.

"You'll regret this, Nola", he threatened, his voice deep and low and filled with nothing but hate and mockery. "Remember my words and think carefully about what you say in there."

"Sweetheart, come over here", Bobby held out his hand, finally pulling Nola into the room and away from that psychopath. While he made sure his daughter had enough distance from Alden, Happy stopped in his tracks for a moment.

An almost sick, haunting grin was now carved into his features as he shoved Alden into the nearest wall. "As I said, prison is the safer place for you. If I see you near Nola again, I'll fuckin' kill you."

"She's mine, just like the child", Alden spat back, but the man still swallowed the big lump that had formed in his throat, a few drops of sweat forming on his forehead.

"No, you lost that privilege a long time ago", Happy said casually before stepping back, giving the man another menacing look before joining Bobby, who was sitting directly behind Nola and Ally.

ᅳ

A HUGE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT was lifted off Nola's shoulders when the judge finally made his decision, announcing it to the small group. For the first time in months she could actually feel her tense muscles relax. She had really made it; for the next three years she and her daughter were safe.

With Alden's verdict, the custody issue was also settled. Nola was granted sole custody without having to give Alden regular reports on how her daughter was doing. The man literally had lost any right to his daughter for the time being.

While Nola was finally able to make peace and start to work through her trauma, Bobby, on the other hand, was just about to fall in a deep hole. What his daughter had told the judge, how she had described in detail what Alden had done to her, how it had left deep scars, hurt him, causing him to feel extremely guilty for never noticing anything.

He would probably never fully forgive himself for that, even if Nola wanted him to.

Happy, on the other hand, scoffed aggressively as Alden was led past him, the man already handcuffed. He shot the fucker one last look that spoke volumes, sending a shiver down Alden's spine. Happy didn't have to say it, he would kill Alden as soon as he was free.

There was one thing Happy couldn't stand. Violence against women or children, and in the last hour he had heard more than he would've liked to hear. There was so much that Nola had never mentioned in the last few monthsᅳ which was understandable, the trauma just ran too deep.

Tears had streamed down her cheeks the whole time, soaking her white blouse before the end of the trial. She had also barely been able to finish a sentence without choking on her tears and sobs, only receiving a dirty grin or a dark look from her now ex-husband, who had finally admitted everything, not even trying to deny things anymoreᅳ which led to an hardship divorce.

Happy wasn't sure if there was a strategy behind it, but he would definitely keep an eye on Alden even while he was inside. Considering that Alden only got three years for all the domestic violence and even attempted murder was a joke anyway, but it was still better than nothing.

"Come on, let's get you home", Bobby said calmly, even though he was seething inside as he placed a protective arm over Nola's shoulder. "Ginny's coming at the weekend, right?"

With a thick lump sitting in her throat, Nola leaned into Bobby's arm while Ally and Happy followed the two quietly. "Yeah, she planned to be here today too, but her boss didn't give her the day off. Can she really stay with you? If not, I'll just share my bed with her."

Bobby waved her off, smiling weakly. "Ginny is always welcome at my place, and besides, I'm staying at the clubhouse anyway, so she has the house to herself."

"Thanks, Dad", the blonde mumbled on the way outside the courtroom. "Is it really okay if I head home? I just wanna sit on the couch and do nothing."

"No, that's okayᅳ  you should do what feels good today", Bobby assured her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before slowly letting go of her. "But you call me if you need anything, okay?"

"I will, don't worry", she promised with the slightest of smiles before looking over at Happy, his grim, stoic look showing how dissatisfied he was with the verdict. "Are you coming home with me? I'll make us something to eat if you want."

Despite the warm weather, the air was nowhere near as stuffy as in the courtroom, so she took a deep breath, her hand resting steadily on her bump, holding onto it as if something could still happen to her little babygirl.

"You're not doing shit today, little girl." As Happy slowly approached her, she let her hand drop slightly and froze as the SAA wrapped his arms around her, just holding her. And boy did she need that. It took everything in her not to burst out in tears again as a feeling of absolute security overwhelmed her.

"You're safe with me, I promise", he croaked against her hair, pulling her petite body flush against his chest. "He won't hurt you againᅳ and he'll never hurt that baby, not as long as I'm around."

Nola nuzzled her face into the hoodie under his Kutte, letting out one last quiet sob while her arms were closed tightly around his torso. Of course there was still fear left of what would happen after the three years, but for the first time she didn't feel alone in this scary situation.

"I'm sorry for crying again", she choked out after pulling away from him to wipe her cheeks dry with the sleeves of her white blouse. "It's just..so much."

"Don't apologize, it's a miracle you even pulled through and actually told the judge everything", Bobby chimed in, slapping Happy's shoulder before squeezing Nola's arm. "Can I leave you two alone? I still gotta get the guestroom for Ginny ready."

The question was unnecessary, he knew that his daughter was safe with Happyᅳ and apparently the Tacoma Killer was already pretty soft when it came to Nola, which surprised Bobby. No one knew him to be so caring. Not that he was complaining, he liked it.

"Sure, we'll be fine, dad." Rubbing the tip of her nose, her eyes still red and puffy, Nola wrapped her arms around her father, whispering her next words with sincerity. "Thanks for coming here today. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"That's nothing you have to thank me for, sweetheart", Bobby mumbled into his daughter's blonde hair before he let go of her again. "See you tomorrow", he said, his heart heavy at having to leave Nola alone now, which he wouldn't do if Happy wasn't there.

He bid Happy and Ally goodbye before he strode over to his bike and shortly afterwards drove down the street, leaving Happy and Nola alone with Ally.

The former Munson turned to the woman with a grateful expression. "Thank you, Ally, I think I might not have gotten this far without your determined efforts."

Ally just waved it off, her grip on the handle of her bag firm as she smiled at Nola. "I couldn't let a guy like that actually get custody of a helpless child. Although I would've preferred him to spend a lot more time inside."

"Hey, better than nothing. Three years is longer than I ever thought he'd get", Nola replied with a smile despite the difficult situation. "I'll let you know if I need help again."

"Please do. I'll be there for you if Mr. Greene causes problems when he gets out again", the lawyer promised before gently squeezing Nola's shoulder and nodding to Happy. "Try to relax a little, it's been a long day", and with that she left the two of them alone, her heels clicking against the concrete until she got into her car.

"Come on, let's go home", Happy croaked as he gently pushed the blonde towards the car, a used but still good SUV that her mother had gifted her a month ago after she had gotten a new car.

"Yes please, I just want something to eat and crawl under my blanket", she said eagerly and threw the car keys to Happy as he walked around the car to the driver's side.

With the slightest smile, knowing that she wouldn't be alone tonight, she slipped through the door and sank into the dark leather seat with a deep sigh, gently rubbing her belly as the little girl inside her actively kicked against her stomach as if she wanted to signal that everything would be okay now.

ᅳ

HOURS HAD PASSED since the trial and only now did the realization sink in that she was safe, and above all, free. Just the thought that she had her maiden name back made her smile.

But the way Happy had taken care of her was also something she couldn't get out of her head. When they got home, while she was getting changed and calming down a bit, Happy had made sure that dinner was cooked and she didn't have to lift a fingerᅳ she wasn't allowed to do the dishes afterwards either, instead he had banished her from the kitchen and turned on her favorite show.

Which she was still watching, now together, and had now reached the next season while the sweet scent of the candle provided a calming side effect. And yet Nola just couldn't seem to find the right position.

While they were watching the last episode, Nola let out a soft whine, rubbing her stomach while shifting from one position to the next, moving the pillows as if there were no tomorrow.

When Happy got up with a grunt, he caused the blonde to look after him with a sigh. Maybe she had whined too much and had gotten on his nerves. When she was about to get up to check on him a few minutes later, Happy came back with a plate of peeled tangerines and chocolate; another thing Nola loved at the moment.

"Maybe that'll help", he grumbled as he sank back into the well-used cushions of his brown couch and fluffed up the pillow behind Nola to make it more comfortable for her. "And if not, we'll try the bed."

Nola, amazed and speechless at the same time, stared at the plate that was now in her lap and then up at Happy. "Why are you doing all this for me, Happy?"

"Why not?", he asked simply, shrugging his shoulders as he locked eyes with hers. "I just wanna show you that not everyone's like that fucker, that you deserve better in the futureᅳ and I hope you find someone who appreciates you and your daughter."

Secretly, he didn't want her to find anyone else. It was strange, but all he wanted was to be there for her, to take care of her and even the kid; as if he had developed a certain need to care for her in the last few months. But spending so much time with her, watching the little bundle grow inside her, had awakened all of his protective instincts.

His eyes grew a little as tears filled Nola's eyes, but she didn't look sad, more full of melancholy. When she put the plate down on the coffee table with a quiet thud and slid closer to him, he watched every little movement she made, but he still hadn't expected what happened next.

Nola climbed onto his lap, her body snuggling against him before she tentatively placed her hands against his cheeks and without further hesitation pressed her lips down onto his, nervously waiting to see how he'd react.

When Happy didn't react at first at all, every single muscle suddenly tense, she pulled back a little, looking down at him apologetically. "I'm sorry. Iᅳ I just..I don't know what I expected to be honest. But it felt right."

No answer, just silence and his sharp gaze examining her, every inch of her beautiful face which he then finally scooped into his hands and pulled Nola's head down again so he could claim her soft lips this time; and fuck did that feel good.

He felt Nola's surprised look on her, grinning slightly into the kiss before she closed her eyes and practically melted against him as their lips found the perfect rhythm and moved in sync, tongue and everything as nothing but pure passion and desire flowed into the kiss, leaving both of them breathless within minutes.

"Bedroom, please..", whispered Nola, gently biting Happy's lower lip. "I need this, I need you."

She would understand if Happy didn't want to go any further, didn't want to tie himself down to a pregnant woman, but her doubts vanished into thin air as Happy stood up with her as if she weighed nothing, one arm placed under her ass and his other wrapped around her waist.

"You sure you want this?", Happy asked in a croak, his lips already traveling down her neck on the way to his bedroom.

"Yes, absolutely sure", she breathed eagerly, letting out a soft moan as he let his lips wander back up again and pushed his tongue back inside her mouth, making her wet within seconds.

This is exactly what she needed right now, to be touched without having to be afraid of doing something wrong and getting the shit beaten out of her for it, to be satisfied without the other party only thinking about their pleasure. She was just human after all and had needs. 

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