Angela stared at the ugly green house in front of her, holding Evie close to her chest. Her stomach was churning with indecision as she shifted from foot to foot. She had a busy day ahead of her, chock full of funerals and appointments. Bones was busy, Kenny said he had plans with some new friends, and Ellie had work. Her mother had been overjoyed when she'd called, something that worried her just a little bit. Evie let out a loud fart making her laugh. "I know exactly how you feel, Eves," she said with a grin. "This is real shitty, but I don't have a choice. Wasn't about to leave you with Gemma."

She pressed a kiss to Evie's head, laughing as Evie tugged on the necklace around her neck, a huge smile on her small face. Juice's smile. "You think you could be quiet during a funeral? Because smilin' at me like that makes it really hard to leave you, Monk," she told her daughter, only half joking.

"Angie Ruiz as I live and breathe!" a French accented voice said from behind her.

She turned around and grinned as Vivica came up the walk flanked by her two huge sons, a huge basket of tomatoes in her arms. Angela had always admired and secretly feared Ms. Vivica. She was a strong woman, known for selling electronics and other things that had "fallen off the back of a truck". What most people didn't know is that along with growing some awesome tomatoes, Viv grew some killer marijuana too. Juice was obsessed with her shit. Paid top dollar every time they came to visit, even bought some stuff to sell out of Clear Passages. Vivica adored him. "Hey Ms. Viv. Boys."

"Look at this little one!" she exclaimed, touching Evie's head lovingly. "She is so cute! Looks just like you and Mohawk Man! Congratulations!"

She smiled a bit, holding Evie a little closer at the mention of her husband. "Thanks."

" 'ow is your man? 'appy to be blessed with two beautiful girls, no?" Vivica asked, setting her hand on Angela's cheek.

Angela sighed softly, shrugging a shoulder. "He's...lots of shit is going on with that whole club and stuff. He's busy a lot."

Vivica frowned, shaking her head as she clucked her tongue at her. "That's no good. You two are young! You need to make more of these babies!"

She laughed incredulously. "Let me deal with this one first, Ms. V. Then we'll see."

"All righ'," she conceded with a nod. She held out the basket to her. "Here, tomatoes for your Aunt. I'll let you two go in there. I know the two of 'em will want to spend all the time they can with their babies. You let me know if you need anything, Angie."

Angela's smile widened as she balanced Evie to take the bag of tomatoes from the older woman. "Actually..." she started, glancing over to where Luther and Vandross were standing at attention. They were Viv's soldiers. Always ready to protect their mother. "Eves is staying over here for the day so I can work. I uh...her dad's in some deep shit, and I'm worried it'll..."

"Overflow to your family. I'll have my boys keep an eye out, 'chere," she promised, kissing her cheek lovingly. "Vandross! I want you and Luther scoping Lena's house every half hour. Undastand?"

"Yes, Mama," both boys answered in unison.

A wave of relief flooded through Angela. She wasn't worried about her daughter by any means, but it made her less anxious about leaving Evie behind knowing people that weren't affiliated with the club were keeping an eye out. Luther and Vandross might be Mama's boys, but they were also cold, hard killers. And they weren't the only members of Viv's crew either. She had a group of men at her disposal, ready to do what she said, when she said it. If she told them to protect Evie, then that's exactly what they would do. "Merci," she thanked Vivica with an appreciative smile.

"Don't butter me up with French, 'chere. I already said I'd do it," Vivica stated, waving away her thanks. "You have a good day. Work hard and don't worry about the bebe. She'll be fine with her grandmas and her Aunt Viv."

--------------

Juice felt dread fill him when he pulled up to the little cop-stop diner and saw Angela's Mazda sitting in the parking lot. He knew Kenny and Angela were close, but he thought he made it clear that she should not be involved in this whole endeavor. He walked in to find Kenny sitting at one of the tables with a cup of coffee in front him. He didn't look nervous. In fact, he looked a lot like Opie as he sat there playing aimlessly with a butter knife. He even had the black beanie on his head just like his Old Man. Juice knew that beanie got passed back and forth between Kenny and Ellie. When one wasn't wearing it, the other usually was. The sight of Kenny in that beanie made Juice miss the old days. Days before all the shit went down. When the club was still intact, when his family was still whole.

Kenny greeted him with an up nod. "Sup, Juice?" he asked, his hazel eyes betraying the nervousness that his body language did not.

"Hey Ken. Angel here?"

"No. You told me not to tell her," he replied, a confused look on his face. "Was I supposed to..."

Juice shook his head rapidly. "No. No. You did good! I just...the Mazda's here..."

Kenny scratched at his head under his beanie. "Uh...I kinda...stole it."

"You stole her car?" he repeated incredulously. The kid had a lot of nerve pulling a stunt like that. "She loves that thing more than me!"

"Well, that's not true," he muttered, scowling slightly. "I needed a ride 'n' she 'n' Bones are out on a body pickup with the van. How else was I supposed to get here?"

Juice chuckled, shaking his head at the balls on little Kenny Winston. "Do you even have a license?"

Kenny shrugged a shoulder. "Not yet, but I know how to drive. 's not hard. As long as I drive safely, I should be fine. Probably drive the Mazda slower than its been driven since she got it."

"Probably," he conceded with a nod.

He shifted a bit in his seat, rubbing his chin for a moment before asking, "You sure this is a good idea?"

"Need to know what I'm up against, Ken. Only way for me to figure out an exit strategy for us," Juice answered confidently.

"It could go badly. Like really, really badly."

He sighed, knowing he was right. "I'm well protected, Ken. Nothing's gonna happen," he assured the young teen.

"I got a gun too, but still--"

"Woah, woah, woah, where'd you get the gun from? You shouldn't have a gun. Angel would kill me if she knew I let you out with a gun," he interrupted, doing his best to keep his voice at a low volume despite how irked he was.

Kenny shrugged again. "Grabbed Angela's spare outta the safe. I know how to use it. 'sides, what she doesn't know won't hurt her," he explained, playing it cool once again. Juice wondered where he'd hidden the gun and if it was the reason he was sitting up so straight. The young teen sighed and messed with his beanie again. "Should be here any time now. You should go sit over there. Let me prep him for this...thing."

Juice nodded, sliding out of the booth. He reached out and set a hand on Kenny's shoulder. "Thanks for doin' this, Ken."

"Just..." he hesitated for a second, sucking in a deep breath before continuing. "When you leave with Ang and Eve...promise me you'll take me too, okay? I don't...I don't want to lose my family again."

For a moment, Juice felt a lump rise to his throat. He knew exactly how Kenny was feeling. Knew what it was like to lose a family. He'd lost a few "families" in his lifetime. Now, he was working as hard as he could to keep his own family close. " 'course," he answered, tugging the kid's beanie down over his face. "Wasn't about to leave you behind, kid."

Kenny nodded, fighting against a smile as he righted his beanie. "Okay, okay. Go away."

Juice slid into a booth, careful to keep his back to the door, his hat tugged low over his face. He'd put his cut on but only to show that he still felt as if he was a part of that brotherhood. Maybe if Chibs saw him in the cut, he'd remember all the good stuff he'd done as a Son. The records he'd changed to get them out of jail, files he'd hacked to give them a heads up about the feds, the little things that the club used to depend on him for. The reason why he was given that cut and those patches in the first place. If Chibs could remember him as the intelligence officer he used to be, maybe he'd hear him out. He tugged on the leather collar of it, wincing a bit. The edge of the caller kept brushing up against the hickey Angela had left behind, annoying him like no other. It was another reminder that his two worlds no longer worked well together. That the more he tried to make them fit, the more likely he was to get hurt.

He heard Chibs' sound of surprise when he finally spotted Kenny sitting there and buried his hands deep into the pockets of his sweatshirt, his adrenaline pumping while he listened for Kenny's cue. As soon as he got it, he got up and walked over to the table, taking a seat next to Kenny across from the Scot. His brother's dark eyes looked over him, the hatred in them surprised Juice a little. He hadn't done anything to deserve that hate. Not a damn thing.

"Jesus Christ. You dumb bastard. Got a lot of nerve usin' Ope's kid to get to me," Chibs stated, venom dripping from his words.

"Only way I could get you to come alone. I need to talk to you," he explained, hating how desperate he sounded. Chibs was his last hope. His last way to get an easy, safe out for him and his family. The Scot was unsympathetic though. Told him he should've run when he had the chance. It was then he knew without a doubt that he was stuck. That his last sliver of hope was not going to prevail. He was going to have to fight to get his girls out of Charming."I got no place to run to. My family's in Charming. I need to get back to my girls."

Chibs didn't look happy, but he also wasn't pulling out his gun to shoot him. At least it seemed like he was going to hear him out. "What do you want?"

"Did the club vote for Mayhem or is Jax doin' this on his own? Is my family in danger?"

He scoffed softly. "That's none of your business."

Juice sat forward slightly, getting annoyed by Chibs' vague answers. He needed to know if his family was in danger; if Jax was going to go after them to get to him. "I need to know if there's something I can do to get back to my girls. I'll do anything, man. Please. Just let me get back to my family."

Chibs leaned forward, his voice deathly low as he replied, "If I were you, I'd take that gun, put it in my mouth and pull the trigger. Ain't no way you're ever gettin' back to those girls."

Kenny stiffened beside him, his hand reaching behind him. Juice knew what he was going for and put a hand on his arm to stop him. This was between him and Chibs; he didn't need the teenager getting in on it too. His fate was officially sealed. He'd thought better of the Scot. Thought he'd understand since his own girls were taken away from him once before. He was wrong, though. Chibs would rather him dead than allow him and his family to escape to freedom, to the life they deserved. He'd been naive in thinking that he'd be different. That he'd go behind Jax's back to help him. Bobbing his head, he grabbed his keys out of his pocket. "You follow me out, I'll put a round in your tires," he threatened Chibs softly. "I'm sorry, brother. I never meant to hurt the club. I just want to get back to my girls, my family."

Chibs didn't say anything, wouldn't even look at him. He stared at his scarred face and realized the man sitting across from him wasn't his brother anymore. It was the man who'd beaten him within an inch of his life. Who'd hit him again and again without mercy. He'd taken it then. Taken every punch, every cruel word tossed his way because he felt he deserved it. This new isolation, the Mayhem vote, Jax going after him personally, were things he did not deserve. He knew it in his gut. Whatever old sins he had in the past, he had made up for them already. Jax had said so. When had Jax changed his mind? When had they all turned their backs on him?

He nodded his goodbye to Kenny before standing and walking quickly towards the door. He knew Chibs wouldn't follow him. Not with all the police that surrounded them and with Kenny sitting right there across from him. No, he'd tell Jax and find another way to get back at him. He just hoped it didn't affect his girls.

He jumped into Bones' parents' Escalade, starting it quickly and pulling out onto the main road. He made sure not to pass the windows on the side where Chibs and Kenny were sitting. Though there wasn't a single Son who knew how to run his plates—that had been his job--they could easily reach out to another crew who did have someone with the know-how, and that was a risk he wasn't willing to take.

Grabbing his burner, he dialed the ten digits he knew by heart. The phone was picked up quickly. "Angela Ortiz," came her tired voice, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe.

Sucking in a shaky breath, he let it out slowly. "Hey baby," he rasped around the lump in his throat. How could he tell her what he'd done? That his fate had been sealed. That he'd just put them all in danger.

"Hello sir. What can I help you with?" Angela replied in her most formal voice.

He grimaced; she wasn't alone. He wondered which Son was there with her. "Are you at the funeral home?"

"Yes. We'll be here until six."

"Are you...are you alone?"

Angela sighed softly. "Hold on one minute, sir. Let me head inside," she told him. "Hey Quinn! I'm going to go work on something in the morgue, okay? Tell Bones to come down if he needs anything!"

Shit. She was with Quinn. That wasn't good. Jax wouldn't give up Quinn's muscle for him to guard just anybody. "Leave the side window open, baby. I'm comin' to you."

------------------

Angela quickly locked the door to her workroom, drawing the shade, and sprinting across the concrete place to open up the window she'd just used to escape a few days before. She turned on her speakers, turning the volume up and turning it towards the door so that it was even louder if anyone tried to listen in.

She heard the sound of boots hitting the concrete floor behind her and turned slowly. Juice straightened up from his crouch looking very pale despite his tan skin. His dark eyes were wide with fear, breathing hard as if he'd just run a mile. "Juice," she breathed, running to him. She threw her arms around his neck, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "What are you doing here? You're not supposed to--"

He pressed his forehead to hers, his arms slipping around her waist. "We gotta go, baby. I met with Chibs..."

Her eyes widened in shock, her heartbeat kicking up a notch. He'd met with Chibs! How could he be so stupid? What had he been thinking? "Juice..."

"He told me I was better off dead. That I would never...I would never get back to you, Angel," he explained, his voice a low croak as he fought back tears. "I can't...we gotta go. Now."

A loud bang was heard in the funeral home before someone pounded on the door. The accented voice told her it was Chibs, and he sounded furious. "Shit," she cursed, looking desperately around the room. They were trapped. The only place Juice could hide was... "Get in the casket."

Juice looked at the black casket and then back at her. "What? Are you crazy?" he asked, not fighting against her as she pushed him towards it.

"No. Get in. He is going to find you here and kill you, Juice. Please," she begged. He nodded, kissing her once more before getting into the casket. He lay down, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. Angela felt sick to her stomach because, for a moment, he looked as if he belonged there. As if she'd lost him already. She smacked, jolting his eyes open. "Don't do that!" she threatened quietly.

His eyes opened, and the smallest hint of a smile turned up the corners of his lips. Sitting up, he put his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her in for another kiss. "'m sorry. 'm here. I love you, Angel," he murmured, his thumb swiping over her lower lip. "So much."

She nodded, taking a deep breath as Chibs' banging continued. "Love you," she whispered, closing the lid on him. She carefully lifted the end of the casket, sticking a piece of wood there to let some air in. Sucking in a deep breath, she made sure to calm herself before turning off the stereo and opening the door. "Hey Chibs," she greeted on a tired sigh.

"'ey there, Angie-girl," he replied, nodding to her. His dark eyes surveyed the room before looking back at her. "He here?"

"Who?"

"Ye know who I'm talking about."

Angela felt that overwhelming frustration she'd been feeling for weeks now take over. "I'm going to tell you what I told the DA, what I told Roosevelt, and what I've told every fucking person who has come through that door to ask me that damn question. I. Don't. Know."

"Angie..."

"I don't know where he is!" she shouted, angrily. "And it kills me not to know! Every day I wake up with this empty feeling that doesn't go away! If I knew where he was, I wouldn't be here. I'd be with him. I'd...I'd do anything to get to him."

She felt tears slip down her cheeks and ducked her head to hide them. Honestly, she didn't know where that outburst had come from, but it seemed to be convincing since Chibs' look had softened a bit. He reached out a hand and hooked his fingers under her chin, lifting it so their eyes could meet. "He ain't comin' back, lovey," he said softly. "Saw him today, though."

Her breath caught in her throat. She'd already known that, but the surprise was real; she didn't think he'd tell her. "What?"

"Idiot used Kenny Winston to set up a meet," he explained, his hand dropping from her face and going into his pockets as if he knew he shouldn't be touching her.

Angela fought against the pride threatening to show on her face. That was her boy. Kenny Winston, always willing to help out his family. She'd wondered where he'd taken the Mazda. "Is he...how is he? Is he okay?" she asked, swallowing hard. "How'd he look?"

Chibs frowned, his dark eyes sad as he shook his head. "Not good, love. Misses his girls. Wants to get back to ya," he told her, regret in his voice. She gave him a hopeful look which he quickly shot down. "Ain't gonna happen, Angie-girl. He's done too much."

She shook her head. "Why? Why can't you just let him be? Let him come back, and we'll leave, Chibs. I swear it. We'll go...fuck, we'll go anywhere! You won't hear from us again. We just want to get out. Just want to get our daughter out of this...this mess. Please just let us go!"

"He had a chance to run. He didn't."

"Because of us!" she interjected loudly. "You and Jax have had me and Eves shadowed by a fucking Son every day since he left. He won't leave without us, Chibs. You've got to give him the chance to find us. For us to leave with him. Please."

Chibs shook his head again. "Can't. APB is going to go live. Juicey-boy's going to be wanted across the country. He's dangerous, love."

Angela felt helpless as she took a step away from him. She ran a hand through her hair, trying her bets to keep her frustration and anger at bay. She did not need to give Chibs' anger any more fuel. "Why are you even here, Chibs?"

" 'cause I thought you'd be his first stop. He left 'fore I could follow, but I thought for sure he'd come straight to his girls."

"Evie's in Bakersfield. You got someone goin' out there?" she asked sarcastically.

"Aye. Hap just went up to check in on the wee one. Make sure she's safe at her gram's."

"Make sure she's safe or make sure she's there?"

Chibs shrugged. "Bit of both. Can't have her goin' anywhere now can we?"

Fear gripped at Angela's heart. They were sending someone after her kid? True, it was just Happy but still...she didn't like how they were involving Evie. She was just a baby; she didn't deserve to be hounded. "Leave her out of this," she demanded, her hands closing into fists. "She needs her dad, Chibs. Don't take him away from her. She deserves better than to grow up without him."

Chibs leaned in closer to her. "Then I suggest ye find a replacement. I love ye, Angie-girl. Club loves ye. We'll always be here for the two of yous. But Juicy's not long for this world. He contacts ye, ye best tell him that."

"No," she growled, narrowing her eyes at him. "He contacts me and my daughter and I are getting the fuck out of Charming and going wherever he is."

The Scot's eyes darkened as he looked her over. "Ye should rethink that plan, love. 's only going to put the two of you in danger."

"Is that a threat?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

He gave her a half smile, shrugging his shoulders. "Is what it is. You have a nice day, love."

Angela watched him walk away, her hand curling around the trocar sitting on her instrument tray. The end was sharp as hell, and if she threw it with just the right amount of force, she could pierce that stupid Reaper on his back right through its smiling face. The door slammed closed behind him, and she dropped the trocar, practically running to lock the door. She leaned against it, closing her eyes as she waited for the sound of his motorcycle to start up. Once she heard him drive away, she flicked the stereo back on before opening the casket. "Juice?"

He sat up quickly, scrambling out of the coffin. Clearly, he didn't like being in there any more than she liked seeing him in there. "Holy shit, Angel," he breathed, his chest heaving up and down. "That was--"

She silenced him with a searing kiss, her hands fisted in the front of his hoodie, pulling him towards her. It didn't take him long to kiss her back, his hands tangling in her hair. She pulled down the zipper of his sweatshirt, pushing it off of his shoulders. And then stopped, jumping back as if she'd been burned. "The fuck?" she asked, her dark eyes glaring daggers at his cut.

"Angel..."

"Why are you wearing that?" she spat, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "After everything they've done, after what they're doing, how can you--"

Juice shook his head rapidly, cutting her off. "Needed it to talk to Chibs," he interjected, closing the distance between them with a kiss to her lips. "Soon as we're safe, its being burned. Promise. I'm done with it, Angel. Didn't do shit for me. Hasn't done shit for me in a long time. Just one more thing for you to take off, right?"

"That's what I always thought," she replied on a smirk. She let him pull her into his chest, sliding her arms around his back as she leaned into him. "What do we do now?"

He turned his head to kiss her temple, swaying a little to the music in the background. "Now, we figure out a way to get the fuck outta here," he said on a sigh.

"Get a hotel somewhere outta county," she told him, closing her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat. "Text Ken the address, and we'll find a way to get to you, baby. We'll figure this out. Bones 'n' Ken are apparently masterminds at this shit."

Juice chuckled at that, and she felt the vibration of it through her chest. "I love you," he murmured, kissing her temple. "We're going to make it, Angel. Promise."

She leaned into him, breathing in the scent of leather that still clung to his skin despite the absence of his cut. Leather, soap, and weed. That was Juice. "Mmmm," she hummed noncommittally. Getting away was getting harder and harder every day. "Juice--"

The door unlocked and both of them froze. Juice instinctively stepped in front of Angela, pushing her behind him as he went for his gun. Kenny opened the door, not even flinching at the gun pointed at him. "Just me," he said calmly.

"Shit, kid. Scared the crap outta us," Juice breathed, tucking his gun back into his pants.

"Sorry," he replied on a shrug. "Quinn is...hovering closer to the front door than normal. Think Chibs told him to come in. Scope the place. Can tell he doesn't want to though. Bones is chatting him up. Explaining who Gigantor is."

Angela laughed shakily, leaning her head forward so her forehead was between Juice's shoulder blades. "You should go," she said softly.

Juice turned around, taking her face in his hand and gently rubbing his thumb over her cheek. "Yeah, I know. Its temporary, okay? We're going to figure this out."

"Right, of course. We'll...we'll figure it out," she repeated, though she didn't really believe it. It was becoming too hard, too much. She felt like she was drowning with no way out. Trapped in a town where it felt like everyone was against her.

"Angel..." he said, worry creeping into his light brown eyes. "Don't do that. Don't go there. We're going to get out."

Angela shook her head slowly. "And what if we don't?"

"Don't do that. No 'what if's', remember?" he said determinedly. "That's what you always say."

She sucked in a breath and managed to give him a smile as she thought of all the times she'd reminded him of that. "Right. You're right."

He pulled her in close then, kissing her softly. "I love you, okay? Remember that."

Angela nodded, letting out a slow breath. She drew strength from his embrace, trying to absorb as much of it as she could to hold her until she saw him again. "Love you too."

"You should go," Kenny said, glancing at his phone as he shifted nervously from foot to foot. "Bones says he's running out of material and Quinn is getting impatient."

"Yeah, okay. Fine," she replied, swallowing the lump in her throat. She pecked Juice's lips once more before nodding to the window. "Go."

Juice smirked back at her. "You gonna watch me shimmy out the window?"

"You know it," she said on a laugh.

He kissed her again before jogging over to the window and hopping up onto the counter. He nodded to her once before pulling himself out with a grace she didn't know he had. Kenny went over to the window, sliding something through it to Juice before closing it. He turned to Angela. "Go talk to Quinn. I'm gonna text Juice when we got him distracted so he can make a run for it."

"Thanks, kiddo. Love you," she told him. She started walking away before turning around to face him. "Don't think you're off the hook for stealing my car and gun, Mister. You 'n' me are going to have a nice chat about trust and stealing."

Kenny rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I did it for my family," he muttered, smiling when she pulled him into a side hug as they headed out of the morgue. "You woulda done the same thing."

She kissed his temple. "You're totally right, Kendo. Still gonna make you clean out the morgue disposal for that, though."

He stuck out his tongue. "Ugh. Gross."

----------------

Angela got to her mom and aunt's house completely exhausted. As she walked in, the smell of food hit her hard. Her mouth watered as her stomach growled. "Ropa vieja," she murmured, walking into the kitchen. A plate filled with shredded steak over rice doused in tomato sauce was waiting for her on the countertop with a note explaining how long to put it in the microwave. She stuck the plate in and went to the fridge, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw the Pacifico lined up neatly in the fridge. It was her and Hap's favorite beer. "Fuck yes," she whispered, popping the top before grabbing the small tupperware container filled with cut limes. She watched the numbers tick down on the microwave as she sipped on her beer, pulling open the door just before the timer went off. As soon as it was out, she grabbed a fork and dug in.

"Slow down, kid. No one's gonna take it away from you."

She tensed at the sound of Happy's voice but ignored him, continuing to eat like he wasn't even in the room. After their last conversation, she wasn't feeling too loving towards him.

"Chibs saw the idiot today," he baited, waiting for her to react. She didn't take the bait, just grabbed her beer and took another pull of it before putting more food in her mouth. He took a step closer to her, leaning against the kitchen counter. "You saw him too."

Angela jerked her head up, meeting his gaze for a moment and raising an eyebrow in question.

He reached out to touch the light mark on her neck. "Think I wouldn't see that?"

She looked away, back at her food, fighting the urge to take the plate and launch it at his face. The mark on her neck was barely noticeable to the naked eye. Throughout the day, she'd been able to cover it make up, but she'd spent the last few hours at work in the room with the ovens and it was hot as hell. She must've sweated off the concealer. Her fault for using the cheap shit.

"He's in deep shit, kid," he told her.

She snorted in reply, as if she needed the reminder. Grabbing her beer, she finished it off before setting the bottle down and walking away.

"Ang!" his voice called after her. "You gonna clean your shit?"

Angela answered him with a one fingered salute thrown over her shoulder. She trudged up the stairs to her room, closing the door behind her and smiling at the little crib in the corner. It had been passed down through a few generations in dad's family. He, Chico, Hap, and she had all used it when they were babies. Evie was no exception. She peered over the edge of the crib, that familiar warm and fuzzy feeling taking over her heart at the sight of her baby girl asleep, that ugly bulldog Kozik had won for her tucked into the corner of the crib. She stretched out a hand and ran it over Evie's chubby cheek. "Hey Monk," she murmured. A part of her wanted to wake her up so she could hold her, but she knew better than to mess with Evie's sleep cycle like that; she'd be awake soon to eat anyway. "Hope you're having sweet dreams, baby girl."

She switched off the baby monitor before kicking off her work boots and going to her drawers to see if she could find something that fit her to sleep in. What she found there made her laugh. An old Mayan t-shirt that was Esai's and a pair of Happy's old basketball shorts that she'd stolen when he'd gone to county. Items from what felt like another lifetime. Smirking, she changed into them, knowing the dark green t-shirt was likely to piss off Happy the next morning.

With a sigh, she climbed into bed and stared up at the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling, counting them like she used to the nights she actually slept there. Nights when Esai was away or when she'd come home from Tacoma for holidays. The number never changed, but she'd still count them, over and over again until they stopped glowing or she fell asleep. It was surprisingly easy to fall asleep, though. Her stomach was full and after a stressful day, she was exhausted. What she didn't expect was the nightmare that invaded her sleep.

She was walking right down the middle of the main highway that led out of Charming at night. Looking around, she noticed people lining the street. The first person she recognized was her father looking gaunt as he stood next to her Uncle Chico who was clutching his chest. "Papi? Cheeks?" she asked approaching them cautiously. They said nothing, just pointed farther down. Donna was next, the wound in her forehead open and bleeding, then bruised and beaten Luann, Half Sack with a bleeding abdomen, Piney with a gunshot wound to the chest, Opie with his bloody and bleeding head, all of the pointing down the road. She started walking faster, the 'Welcome to Charming' sign growing closer and closer as she passed by V-Lin and Phil, Greg the Peg, Gogo, Frankie, and Clay. Each one of them alive though the way they died was clear, their wounds still fresh.

Then came Esai, his blue eyes sad as he stepped forward. "We can't help him, chiqui. Just you."

Angela shook her head; she didn't want his help. She just wanted to get out, wanted to get free. She started running, running straight into Kozik. Her heart ached as she stared up at his familiar face. He hugged her as best he could with his one arm, kissing her forehead. "You gotta go. Run. Get out of here. It's not safe for you," he whispered urgently in her ear, pushing her towards the sign.

Angela hesitated, staring up at him while she tried to convey to him how much she loved him. How much she missed him. He pushed her harder though making her stumble a bit before she took off. Mel caught her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back as he tried to convince her that she'd be safe with him. "No! Let go!" she shouted, kicking him away before sprinting farther down.

She stopped short at Tara. Her bright hazel eyes were filled with tears as she shook her head. "I told you," the doctor said, her voice cracking. "I told you. She'll kill everything you love."

"What? Who?" she asked, but Tara had already disappeared.

"Angel." His voice caught her attention, and she looked up to find Juice waiting just beyond the city limit, arms outstretched, a huge smile on his face.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she walked towards him, he was safe. He was whole. As her foot crossed the city line, she spotted three figures standing behind him. Jax, Chibs, and Happy. All three had guns leveled at Juice's head. "No! Juice!" she screamed as the gun shots went off. "Juice!"

She held him in her arms, watching as blood slowly seeped through his shirt and onto her hands. There were only two wounds though. Looking up, she noticed Chibs' and Jax's guns were smoking while Happy had taken a step back, his gun lowered. She looked back down at Juice who was struggling to breathe. "Juice!" she cried, holding him close to her. "Don't go. Don't...don't leave me. We're almost out, baby. Almost out."

Jax took a step closer to her, his blue eyes glinting with malice as he leaned over to whisper, "He'll never get out alive."

"Kid! Wake up!" Happy's voice broke through as she was viciously shaken awake. "Angela!"

She jolted awake, breathing hard as she sat up. Happy was sitting on her bed, a concerned look on his face. "They killed him, Hap! They just killed him. I couldn't...we were almost out. We were almost safe, and they..." she trailed off, pressing her hand to her chest as she struggled to breathe. It was too much for her to take. Seeing all the people she'd lost, seeing the light leave Juice's eyes as she held him.

Happy moved in closer, putting his arms around her and letting her lean into him. "Breathe, kid. It ain't real. Just a dream," he assured her. Angela's shoulders shook as she cried into his chest, fisting a hand into the front of his wife beater and holding onto him for dear life. He ran a hand over her hair, smoothing it down like he had when she was younger and had a nightmare. "You're okay. Idiot's not dead."

The unspoken 'yet' hung in the air. She tensed, pulling away from him. "Did you vote Mayhem?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, his jaw clenched as if he was considering his answer carefully. "Can't vote 'til we can bring him to the table."

"That's bullshit, and you know it," she said on a scoff. She sniffled a bit, running a hand through her hair and letting it out. "Koz was in my dream. Told me its not safe for me here."

"It was a dream," he reminded her. "You think I'd let anythin' happen to you?"

Angela swallowed hard, feeling helpless. She wondered if he knew about Jax coming to visit, about her brief conversation with Chibs. Both were threats. Subtle, of course, but there. "I don't think you'd have a choice," she replied honestly. "The only way Jax will ever get to Juice is over my dead body."

Happy nodded, a flicker of pride in his eyes. "Made a promise a long time ago to keep you safe. Not backin' out of it now," he told her before kissing her forehead. He stood, squeezing her shoulder lovingly. "Change outta that shirt, kid. 's fuckin' ugly."

She stared at his back as he walked out of the room, trying to make sense of what he'd said. Was he implying that he was going to help Juice if it meant keeping her safe? A flicker of hope filled her as she realized Happy was on her side. That he would not let any harm come to her or Evie. Maybe, just maybe, they'd make it out of Charming safe and sound.