Juice felt like he couldn't breathe as he stood there between Tig and Chibs, listening while Jax and Marcus negotiated a deal centered around them handing him over. It was always business with those two. Never mind that his family's life hung in the balance. He didn't give a shit what Jax did to him once he got him, but he was scared as hell for his wife, for his daughter. He wouldn't put it past the SAMCRO president to hurt him by hurting his family. The deal they were currently making was about drugs and guns as their deals usually were. Both SAMCRO and the Mayans benefited from it. There was no mention made of him or Angela, not until the very end. Marcus cleared his throat. "One last thing," he stated, shifting a bit in his seat. "Your traitor came here with his Old Lady. You can take him, but she stays. Not going to make the same mistake with her that I did with my son. She'll be safer here, with us."

"What?" Tig and Quinn's responses were whispered in unison. Tig looked shocked while Quinn's fists were clenched in outrage.

The rest of his brothers said nothing. Their silence pissed Juice off more than anything. He grit his teeth together, a black rage filling him. "Don't fuckin' touch her!" he spat, lunging for Jax only to have Chibs and Tig hold him back. Angela was the one who was constantly putting her job on the line for them! Anything they needed, she was there! She'd buried their brothers without once complaining about losing money or every turning them away. She'd given whatever she could to the club, and they'd done absolutely nothing to thank her.

Jax ignored his outburst as he thought over the deal. "Easy there, Jackie," Chibs warned, holding onto Juice despite the way he was struggling against them. "Idiot's not the only tie she's got."

Happy. A flicker of hope bloomed inside of Juice. He'd forgotten all about the blood tie Angela shared to the club. For the deal to go through, Jax would have to put it to a vote. He did the math inside his head, trying to figure out how the votes would land. It was impossible to tell. Montez and Rat were both unpredictable, but if Happy had anything to do with it, it might just mean his girls got to stay in Charming.

But was that what he wanted? For his girls to go on living in that dangerous town with no one to protect them? He knew for a fact once they took care of him, Angela and Evie would be excommunicated, left to their own devices in a town that was controlled by SAMCRO. No. He didn't want that. As much as he hated the idea of her being traded as part of a deal, he had to admit, he wanted it to go through. The Mayans genuinely cared for her. He'd seen it first hand in the look on Marcus' face when they'd first walked in. There was no doubt in his mind Alvarez and his Old Lady would take care of Angela and Evie. Much better care of them than anyone in Charming, that was for sure. Just like that, he was praying like hell the vote would go through. That his girls would be safe and out of Charming.

Jax seemed to consider Chibs' warning for a moment. "We'll take it to the table. Be back when we got all this shit figured out," he stated, standing to hug Alvarez. He pulled away, glaring at Juice once more. "Take that cut off of him."

Juice didn't fight against the Mayans as they grabbed him by the arms, driving their fists into his stomach. He would've handed the cut over willingly if they'd asked; it didn't mean shit to him anymore.

He felt numb to it all as they dragged him back towards the storage closet they'd so rudely shoved his wife in before. He took in a deep breath as he stood up straighter and tried to think of everything he wanted to tell Angela before they took her away. Before he met his end. He hated that he was going to have to leave her, that everything they'd been through had been for naught. That the vows he'd shared with Angela on their wedding day wouldn't come true. They wouldn't grow old and gray together. This last moment in the storage closet was all the time they had left.

The Mayans opened the door, shoving him inside non-too-gently. He stumbled a bit, quickly regaining his footing and straightening up. Angela scrambled to her feet, her dark eyes filled with worry as she looked up at him, stretching out a hand to caress his cheek. He tilted his head into her touch, closing his eyes and trying to swallow the lump in his throat. Saying goodbye to her was not going to be easy. "I love you," he croaked out, wanting to get that out before anything. He didn't know how much time they had left, and she had to know. "So much, baby. You gotta know that."

Her brows furrowed in confusion as her thumb brushed over his cheekbone. "What happened?"

"Marcus called Jax," he choked out, setting his hands on her hips. "I'm...he's handing me over to them for some business deal."

"No," she gasped, anger flared in her dark eyes as she shook her head. She took her hand away from his face, grabbing hold of the front of his t-shirt instead. "He can't do that! Who the fuck does he think he is? Trading us like cattle for a fucking deal. This is insane!"

"Not us, Angel. Just me. Club votes the deal in and Alvarez is keepin' you," he explained softly, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "Said he wants to keep you safe."

"Are they serious? Do they think I'm just going to go along with it? Let them take you and--"

"You are," he interjected, knowing if he didn't stop her, she'd ramble on for hours about how stupid this whole thing was. She was right, of course, but he didn't know how much time they had, and he didn't want to waste it. "You're going to go with Alvarez 'n' he's gonna keep you safe."

"What?" she questioned, blinking at him in disbelief. "Juice, don't be ridiculous. I'm not going anywhere without you. We're going to get out of this, okay? We're going to be fine."

He smiled sadly at her optimism. "Not this time, baby. This is it for me. End of the road."

"Don't be stupid, Juice," she started to protest.

"Listen to me, Angel. I don't know how long we got 'fore they take me away, and I got a lot to say before then," he begged, stroking the back of his knuckles over her soft cheek. He waited for her to nod before he cleared his throat and told her what he wanted. "I want you to go with Alvarez. Take Evie and Kenny and go live in Oakland for a while 'til you can figure out somewhere else to go. Stay out of Charming as much as you can. It ain't safe for you anymore, baby. You'll be safe with the Mayans. Alvarez'll protect you. He loves you. 's written all over his face."

"And what about you?"

He swallowed hard again, trying to rid himself of the lump in his throat. "They'll take me to the table as a traitor. This time for real. They'll be a Mayhem vote and then..."

"No," her breath caught in her throat. "No. This...this can't be the end, Juice. This is...its just a bump in the road. We'll get through it. We always do."

"You really think Jax is going to forgive me? After everything he thinks I did? You really think he's just going to give me a pardon?"

He could see in her eyes she didn't; she was too smart to believe the SAMCRO President would forgive him so easily. She nodded anyway, trying to be strong for him. "Yes. I think he'll have you do some terrible thing, and then...then he'll let you go and you'll come back to me and we'll live happily ever after. That's what's going to happen."

"Not this time, baby."

Her eyes grew glassy with tears as she stepped closer to him. She ducked her head, pressing her forehead to his shoulder. "Don't say that," she quavered, a tear spilling down her cheek. "Don't give up, Juice. Please. I can't lose you."

Juice put his hands on her cheeks, gently tilting her head back so he could meet her eyes. "You're going to be fine, Angel. I know it. You're strong and smart and you'll be able to move past this. Start a new life somewhere far away without the club and all its bullshit. Somewhere safe where you two can be happy."

"You expect us to be happy without you?" she croaked, a tear falling from her eye and catching on his hand.

He nodded, leaning down to kiss her lips softly. "Yeah, I do," he answered, kissing over her cheek. "I want you to be happy. That's all I want for you and Evie."

Angela shook her head stubbornly. "I can't do that without you," she breathed, holding onto his wrist.

"You can, and you will," he insisted, touching his forehead to hers. Her image was blurred through his tears as he struggled to keep it together. "Make sure to tell Evie about me, okay? Make sure she knows how much I love her. That I'll always be there for her like your dad is for you."

"Stop that. You're not going anywhere, Juice," she choked out, shaking her head. "We're going to be okay. We're going to Hawaii or Mexico with the beach and sex on the beach the drink and the act and we won't care about sand because then we'll shower and it'll be...perfect. We're gotta have more babies and get old together. That's what we said. Remember?"

He nodded, smiling a bit at her rambling. "Yeah, I do," he said, kissing her again. He wanted to kiss her as much as he could. "And you can still move to the beach, baby. Collect seashells for me. I'll still be there just...not physically there. You believe in heaven, right? That's where I'll be. With Koz and-and I'll finally meet your dad! We'll hang out and drink beer and shit while we watch you 'n' Eves."

Angela laughed lightly, shaking her head at him. "Goof."

His heart warmed at the nickname; it was something she'd called him for as long as they'd known each other. "I love you," he murmured, enveloping her in his arms and holding her as close as he could. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Honest. You've given me this...amazing life, and I just...I wish I could spend the rest of it with you."

A soft sob escaped her lips as she clung to him, her face buried in his neck. He held her tightly, smoothing a hand over her hair and breathing her in. "I'm sorry, Angel," he whispered, his voice cracking. "So sorry. I love you so much, baby. Don't ever, ever forget that, okay?"

She nodded against him, sniffling slightly as she lifted her head. "Love you too," she replied meekly. She caught his lips with hers in an ardent kiss, her hands sliding under the back of his shirt to caress his skin. He closed his eyes at the feel of it, trying to commit her touch to memory. He pushed her up against the door, his hands sliding under her shirt to touch her soft skin. He wanted to have his hands all over her once more before he met his end.

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

Happy stood as the rest of SAMCRO walked back into Redwoody after their meet with the Mayans. He headed straight to Quinn knowing the other man would tell him the truth. "What's goin' on?" he asked, nodding to where Jax and Chibs were deep in conversation just outside the chapel doors.

"Mayans got Juice 'n' Angie," Quinn explained, a grim look on his face. "Those two pulled a Bonnie 'n' Clyde. Went there wanting to trade some stolen money, an SUV, and SAMCRO secrets for a trip across the border. Alvarez called Jax wanting to make a trade. A traitor for a slice of the guns."

Happy nodded. That made sense. Juice was good leverage especially if he was offering to trade club secrets. If Marcus wanted a deal, he certainly would have Jax's attention using the idiot. There was one person Quinn hadn't mentioned in the deal, though, and it made Happy uneasy. "What about the kid?"

"She's alive. Pissed off, but alive, the little spitfire," he said with a smirk. After a moment, he frowned. "We got a problem though."

Happy raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Alvarez wants to keep her."

He blinked at that sentence for a moment, trying to comprehend what Quinn was saying. "What?" he asked, narrowing his eyes as he cocked his head to the side. There was no way he'd heard him right. How could she be a part of the deal? She had nothing to do with the Sons or the Mayans. Keeping her wouldn't benefit either side. It was just Alvarez throwing his weight around, trying to make up for what he'd done to his son by bringing back the girl he use to think of as a daughter.

"Part of the deal. Alvarez wants to keep Ang," he explained, frowning slightly.

"What'd Jax say?" he questioned, his fists clenched tightly as he tried to control his anger.

"Hap--"

"What did Jax say?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Quinn frowned, shaking his head. "We're going to vote on it."

Happy was off in seconds, stalking over to Jax and Chibs. In one swift movement, he lifted Jax by the collar of his cut and pinned him against the wall. "The fuck you think you're doin' with my kid?" he growled. He was aware of Chibs calling his name in warning, but he didn't give a shit. Jax wanted to use his kid for club business. It was Tig who finally had the balls to haul him off. Happy went willingly but not before he gave Jax a hard shove, giving him a look of disgust.

Jax righted his cut with a roll of his shoulders. "I didn't do shit!" he argued, puffing out his chest in a move to show dominance. It didn't work; Happy would never be afraid of him. The SAMCRO President took in a deep breath through his nose, letting it out slowly to try and contain his anger. Good, Happy thought. At least he wasn't dumb enough to get back in his face. "Told Alvarez we'd put it to a vote. Just like we do with everything else, all right?" Jax explained, keeping calm. He looked around at the rest of SAMCRO. "So let's vote. Chapel. Now."

Happy glared at him as he walked by, his hands still clenched into fists. A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, and he turned to find Tig standing at his side. "With you on this one, brother," the wild haired man proclaimed.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise; everyone knew Jax had Tig's balls in a vice after what went down with Pope. Going against the President could put him in serious shit. The fact he was willing to do that for Angela spoke volumes for their friendship. He nodded slowly. They were the last two to vote, though, and by the time it got to Tig, it'd be easy to see which way the vote was leaning. "Don't do it if it won't change anythin'. No reason to fuck yourself over."

Tig nodded, squeezing his shoulder before heading into the makeshift room they used as a chapel. Happy stared at the doors as they closed behind him, taking in a deep breath. This was the moment Chloe had warned him was coming. He'd have to choose between his kid and his club. He was surprised by how easy that choice came to him. His kid. From here on out, his kid came first.

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

Angela held tightly to Juice, her arms wrapped around his waist as they both stood in the small storage closet. He held her close, one hand stroking her hair while the other was tucked into the back pocket of her jeans. He turned his head to press his lips to her forehead, letting them linger for a moment before he cleared his throat. "What do you think she'll be like?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Evie. I mean, I know she'll be beautiful, but what do you think she'll be like? Smart? Funny?"

She felt a lump form in her throat at the idea that he'd never know for sure what their daughter would be like. That Evie would never know him. "She's going to be smart as hell. She already is for her age. Probably on the quiet side. A Daddy's girl," she finished, her breath catching in her throat at the end. She didn't know where it came from, but it felt right. If Evie had the chance to grow up with Juice, there was no doubt in her mind the little girl would have her daddy wrapped around her finger and she would adore him. "She would love you so much."

Juice swallowed hard, sniffling a bit as a tear slid down his cheek. "Goddamn, Angel. Don't-don't do that. I can't...you know how much I want to be there."

"I know. I'm sorry," she rasped, putting her lips to his in a quick kiss. She stroked her hand over his cheek, wiping away the tear. There was so much she wanted to say to him, so much she wanted him to know, and yet, she couldn't find the right words to say it. "Do you know how much you mean to me?"

He nodded, sighing softly. "Yeah," he choked out on a nod. "Sorry we got dealt such a shit hand, baby. Would've given you the world if I could've."

Angela smiled softly. "You did. You gave me the best years of my life and a beautiful daughter. I wouldn't trade any of it. Not a single moment. Well, this...this, I'd change, of course. But you and me? Never."

"Love you," he rasped, dipping his head to kiss her. "Don't ever forget that, Angel. Don't let Evie ever forget that."

A soft sob escaped her hold as she nodded. "I won't," she promised, kissing him again. "I love you, Juice. So much. And she'll know it. I promise she'll know it. How could she not?"

"Yeah. Maybe this isn't goodbye, y'know?" he said on a sad chuckle. "Maybe I'll be able to earn my way back. Figure somethin' out with Jax or somethin'. Right?"

Angela knew he was bargaining now, and she was more than willing to go along with it. "Yeah. Exactly," she agreed on a light laugh. "Maybe we're going through all of this sappy shit only to have you come back."

The look in his eyes told her even he didn't believe it, but his lips curved into a small smile anyway. "Yeah, maybe," he murmured, pulling her in closer to his chest again, her head tucked under his chin so that their bodies fit perfectly against each other the way they always had.

They could hear voices getting closer, and she tensed in his hold as the door knob turned. "No," she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest. "Not yet. They can't..."

He squeezed her tightly to him, his nose buried into her hair. "Dame un beso," he requested with a sad smile. (Give me a kiss.)

Her breath caught in her throat at the request. 'Beso' was the first word in Spanish she'd ever taught him. The phrase, one of the few ones he got down pat and used often. She tilted her head back to look at him, hating the resigned look in his eyes. He wasn't sad anymore. He'd accepted his fate, and he was going to go out like the strong man she'd always known he was. There'd be no fighting on his part; there was nothing more he could do. She grabbed onto his shirt, holding onto it tightly. "No. Not yet. I don't..." she started, but he cut her off, his lips crashing down on hers. She held on tightly to him, pouring everything she had into that kiss as tears streamed down her face. His tongue slid in her mouth as his hand raked through her hair.

A cool draft came in as the door opened behind her. Juice pulled away, stroking a hand over her cheek, the ghost of a smile on his face. "I love you, Angel," he whispered, prying her hands from the front of his shirt and squeezing them lovingly. "You're going to be okay."

Angela took in a deep breath, nodding her head. "Love you, Juice," she choked out. When Juice went to walk away, she grabbed his wrist, pulling him back in. She recognized one of the Mayans right away, and if they weren't in such a shitty situation, she'd be shocked to see him. She'd known him since she was three years old and had no idea he'd become a Mayan."Lino, un momento mas, por favor," she begged knowing he'd say yes. (One moment more, please.)

Paulino hesitated before nodding. "Bueno." (Fine)

She put her hand on the back of Juice's neck and stood on her toes to press her forehead to his. He smiled a bit at the action, touching his nose to hers as he took a deep breath. "Be strong, Angel," he told her, his voice shaking a bit. "Be strong and be happy. Take care of Monk."

Angela swallowed hard as she nodded. "Always," she promised with a sad smile. She pressed her lips to his in another kiss. "I love you. I love you, I love you," she repeated as many times as she could. "Be strong."

Juice nodded, kissing her forehead before wiping a stray hair from her cheek. "Love you," he said once more before he looked at Paulino. "Take care of my girls."

Paulino straightened up, puffing out his chest a bit before nodding. "You don't got nothin' to worry 'bout. Was watchin' out for her long before you came around."

He bobbed his head in approval, looking at Angela one more time before starting his walk towards the Sons. Angela's heart felt like it was breaking in two as she watched him walk away. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she kept them at bay; no way was she letting Jax or any of those other assholes see her cry. She stood strong, knowing if she fell apart, Juice would too. She was being strong for him, for their family. Her dark eyes met Jax's ice cold stare as he lingered behind. She glared right back at him, her arms crossed over her chest as she put all her anger into that glare. Coward that he was, Jax looked away first, turning to join his brothers as they took Juice away.

As the sound of their motorcycles faded off into the night, Marcus approached her. He reached out a hand to touch her but she ducked away from his touch. "No me toques," she ground out, glowering at him. "Take me to my daughter." (Don't touch me)

"She's on her way to my house. Dia will take care of you," he told her, putting his tough guy mask back on. "Lino, why don't you take her over? You can take our new car, no?"

Paulino nodded before looking over at Angela. "C'mon, chiqui. Vamos."

Angela bristled at the old nickname but followed him anyway. The short car ride to Alvarez's home was awkward as hell. She was doing her best not to keep it all together while he shifted nervously in his seat. Finally, he cleared his throat. "Missed you at the funeral," he stated finally. Her brows furrowed together in confusion; she had no idea what he was talking about. He sighed softly, running his hand through his hair. "E's. Thought you'd a been there. Know he saw you the night before."

"Lino, really?" she asked incredulously. "My husband just got taken away and you want to talk about Esai's funeral?"

He shrugged, chuckling a bit. "Shit, chiqui. Husband? Damn, its been a long time since I seen you!" he exclaimed, shaking his head. When he realized she wasn't laughing along with him, he frowned. "Look, I'm sorry for all this, Angie. Your man's a strong dude, though. Might pull through. You don't know. That gringo biker never said he was goin' to kill him, right?" (White boy)

"You know how this biker world works. You make one wrong move 'n' its over," she replied sullenly. "Look at E! Marcus killed him! For what?"

"Who knows?" he asked, though she was sure he did. It was club business, though, and she wasn't privy to it. "So you got a husband that ain't E and a kid that ain't E's, what happened to your guys' dream? Por vida and all that bullshit." (For life)

Angela raised an eyebrow at him in surprise. "How'd you--"

"You didn't think I'd know about the baby?" he asked on a scoff. "Please, our Mama's gossip on the daily, Angie! Graci won't shut up about her new nieta. Ma has pictures and everything. Eva, right? She's real cute." (Granddaughter)

"Thanks," she replied with a sad smile. "What about you? Wife? Kids?"

Lino shrugged a shoulder. "Currently sleeping with the lovely Tiffany. No kids. Just us."

"No shit. Jay's Tiff?" she asked in surprise. Jay had been part of their crew back in the day. He was gorgeous and smart as hell. Tiffany had been his girl for years until he decided to leave for college, and she'd stayed behind and got in with the Mayan chicas.

"Ain't Jay's any more, girl! All mine now," he exclaimed, smiling proudly. His smile faded a bit as he pulled into the driveway. "You gonna be okay?"

Angela shrugged a shoulder as she stared at the familiar house. She breathed in deeply, a lump forming in her throat as she shook her head. "No," she rasped, tears blurring her vision. She stared at the house, trying her best not to let her tears show. "I don't think so."

Paulino sighed sadly. "You really loved him, huh?"

"Yeah," she breathed, hating the tear that escaped her hold. She wiped it away quickly and opened the door. "I'll see you around, Lino."

With that, she slammed the door in his face. There was nothing he could say to make her feel better. She walked quickly towards the house, pulling Juice's hoodie tightly around her shoulders and crossing her arms over her stomach. Ringing the doorbell, she wiped furiously at her cheeks, trying to staunch the tears. "Keep it together, Ang," she murmured to herself.

Diana opened the door, her dark eyes already worried. "Oh, mija," she said, stretching out her arms. "C'mere."

Angela's strength crumbled as Dia enveloped her into her arms. "They took him," she sobbed, her shoulders shaking as the sadness overtook her. "He's gone."

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

Marcus walked into house feeling a heavy weight on his shoulders. He'd hated seeing Angela fall apart like that. Hated seeing her cry, but he knew it had to be done. Her idiot husband had been rumored to be a rat before and had removed all doubt about his status once he'd offered up information about the Sons in exchange for safe passage to Mexico. As much as he wanted to help Angela, he couldn't in good conscience help her traitorous Old Man. So he'd sold them out. Kept her to protect her from the wrath of SAMCRO. He knew what became of Old Ladies who's Old Men betrayed the club. They were excommunicated, shunned from a family who once loved them so much. He didn't want to see that happen to Angela and her daughter. Not when his family was ready and willing to take them in.

His house was quiet when he walked in, which was fine with him. It was too late for his daughter to be up anyway. He side stepped around Tessa's toys as he stripped off his cut. Diana didn't allow it in the bedroom any more. Not since Esai had died. Once he was gone, she wanted home life and club life separate. No Mayan symbols were allowed upstairs unless they were already in Esai's room. He climbed up the stairs as quietly as he could, trying to think of a good argument for Diana; she was bound to be pissed about the way he'd hurt Angela.

He paused in Esai's doorway, surprised to see the door was slightly ajar. Diana hadn't let him touch it after their son's death. She'd left it as some sort of shrine to him. The door was never opened unless Dia was dusting inside or Tessa was on his bed looking through old photo albums. Peeking inside, his heart twisted painfully at the sight before him. A small crib sat next to Esai's big bed; the same one that anyone with the last name Alvarez had used for decades. From his place at the door, Marcus could just make out the small baby inside. He'd yet to meet Angela's daughter, but Diana fawned over her like she was her own granddaughter whenever they got back from their meet ups in San Jose.

Angela was sitting up against Esai's headboard, dressed in his clothes, with Tessa sleeping on her lap. She was awake, her fingers gently stroking over Tessa's hair as she stared at the little crib. If she noticed him there, she ignored him, so he backed away, not ready for that conversation just yet. How could he explain why he'd chosen to turn Juice in but save her? She wouldn't understand.

He walked down the hall to his own bedroom, opening the door to find Dia sitting up in bed, reading. " 'ey," he greeted, catching her attention.

She looked at him over the top of her reading glances, a disapproving look on her face. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Marcus," she stated, setting her book aside. "Que paso?" (What happened?)

Marcus sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed by his wife's hip. "I couldn't help them both, Mama. He was a lost cause pero Angelita, I could save. Knew it was something Esai'd want if he was here. Couldn't save him pero ella si." (I couldn't save him, but I could save her.)

"Y su marido? What's to become of him?" (And her husband?)

"No se," he answered honestly as he pulled off his rings. "He's a rat. He'll get what's coming to him." (I don't know.)

Diana frowned slightly as she leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "Pobrecito," she murmured, shaking her head. (Poor thing.)

Marcus shrugged a shoulder. " 'ey, he signed up for this life, Mami. It ain't no joke," he stated calmly. "How's she doin'?"

"Not good. Eva was here when Lino dropped her off, and she just picked up her daughter and cried. She kept telling the poor baby she was sorry como si fuera her fault," she told him sadly. "And there was nothing you could do?" (...as if it was...)

"No. Soon as the idiot offered up club secrets, wasn't anythin' I could do. That shit ain't right. A traitor is a traitor, sabes? Figured saving Angelita was the best I could do to help them. Keep her away from those pendejos. Make sure she and the little one stay safe." (You know?...dicks.)

Diana leaned over and kissed his cheek again, stroking a hand over it. "You have a good heart, Marcus. Pero esa pobre nena is not going to get over this. She's going to hate you for a long time." (But that poor girl...)

"I know," he said with a bob of his head. He studied her face for a moment, thinking about when he told her about Esai. About the cold nights he'd spent on the couch for months while she got over the way her son had been killed. If Dia could forgive him for that, Angela would surely come around eventually. "Sorry if we ain't got room for her. I'll find her another place to stay if you want to keep her outta that room."

She scowled at that, shaking her head. "Space isn't the problem. Having her here is like...its like having a piece of mi hijo otra vez. Y tu hija! Tessa could not be happier that her 'mana is here. She's convinced Angelita's her sister and that she's Eva's Tia, la loca." (My son again...and your daughter!...sister, crazy girl.)

Marcus chuckled softly at his five year old's antics. "In another life, could've turned out that way. Te imaginas?" (Can you imagine?)

Dia smiled sadly as she nodded. "I think about it all the time."

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

Happy stood in the corner of the dingy hotel room where they were holding Juice, listening while Jax explained what the idiot had to do the next morning. The President planned to send him back to Stockton so he could take care of Lin from the inside. It was a shitty idea that Hap was almost positive wouldn't work out well. Rats didn't fare well in prison. Juice, however, seemed to be considering it. "I do this and get out, what happens?" he asked, his voice rough, resigned. "I get back to my girls?"

Jax shrugged a shoulder. "Sure," he said as if it was an easy feat. "You do this, as soon as you get out, you can get back to your girls, and get out of Charming."

"If I don't?"

"Then you'll never see them again," the President replied, a threat in his voice, "and your little girl will grow up knowing her father was a rat and a coward who pussied out on his one chance to get back to her."

Happy clenched his jaw angry at the idea that Jax would poison his niece's thoughts about her father once he was gone. He wouldn't let that happen. Juice was an idiot, but he loved his daughter. No way would he trash his name to her. "Take the deal, Juice," he suggested, hoping his input would convince him. If Juice didn't take the deal, he'd be responsible for killing him. Angela would know that, and she'd never forgive him for it. Happy knew if she lost Juice, he'd lose her, and he wasn't ready for that. "For them."

Juice smiled a little, a soft chuckle escaping his hold as his light brown eyes met his gaze. Clearing his throat, he looked back at Jax, squaring his shoulders in a show of strength. "Yeah, okay," he agreed, bobbing his head.

"All right. This goes down first thing in the morning," Jax said, looking pleased with himself. "Tig, Hap, you stay with him. He runs, you know what to do."

"Roger that," Tig said on a nod as he took a seat on the arm chair in the corner.

"Got it from here, boss," Hap assured him, resting his hand on the hilt of his knife. He had a feeling Juice wasn't going to run, though, not if this deal could lead to him getting back to his family. The rest of SAMCRO filed out after Jax, Chibs lingering behind to give Juice one last, disgusted glare before he closed the door behind him.

Once they were all gone, Juice's shoulders sagged, his elbows resting on his knees as he let his head fall into his hands. He ran his fingers through the short hair on his head, the light in the room making the tattoo and ring on his left hand stand out. He let out a soft sigh before lifting his head again and getting to his feet. He took a step towards the chair where his cut was, his hand reaching out for the leather.

Happy blocked him. "Ain't yours to wear anymore."

Juice nodded in agreement. "Don't want to wear it," he answered sadly. "There's a few pictures in the inner pocket. Just want a reminder of why I'm doin' this. You mind?"

Tig was the one who stood to grab it. He dug his fingers into the inner pocket, pulling out a small stack of pictures and a lacy pair of panties. "Here," he muttered, handing all of them to him. The situation they were in was too severe to joke about the panties, so he stayed quiet.

Happy watched as the idiot quickly tucked the panties into his pocket before he sat back down on the bed. From his place in the corner, Hap had a clear view of the pictures in his hand. All of them were of Angela. Juice traced his finger over her smile, a small one crossing his own face. "You remember the first day I met her?" he asked Tig sadly.

Tig humored him, chuckling a bit. "Yeah. You wouldn't shut up about her. 'member Hap? I called you to tell you we'd made contact with her. That the idiot was interested."

Happy remembered that phone call well. Tig had told him it wasn't a big thing. That it wouldn't last. Neither of them believed she'd give Juice the time of day, and if she did, they'd all assumed it'd be a one night stand. That they'd get sick of each other. Kozik was the only one who said otherwise. The blonde had been positive Juice was just her type. They'd met a bet on how long it'd last and everything. Hap had lost within just a few days. "Told you not to worry about it. Thought the kid wasn't interested in SAMCRO."

"I don't think she ever was," Juice mused as he flipped through the rest of the pictures. "That first time I saw her, I thought she was the most beautiful person I'd ever seen. And then we started talkin' and I realized she was smart and witty. Always ready with a one liner, callin' me on my shit. And strong. So fuckin' strong, my Angel. Always there when I needed her. Always had some rose colored way of looking at whatever shit situation I got myself in. And I fell for her without even realizing it. One minute she was just this hot girl leanin' against a hearse and the next...the next she was my girl, my family. Then Evie came into the picture and...that was it. They're what I'd been searching for my whole life."

Juice swallowed hard as he ended on a picture of Evie and Angela. He looked up at his two brothers, his eyes glassy. "Take care of them, please. Protect them," he requested, staring beseechingly at Happy. "Just make sure they're happy. I don't care what happens to me, but make sure they're happy. That's all I want for her. For Evie. Please."

Happy straightened up a bit. Juice's words were eerily similar to Angela's father's the moments before his death. The request was the same. It was as though it was some kind of sign from Victor himself telling him to do the right thing. Gritting his teeth together, he grabbed his gun and aimed it in Juice's face. "Go."

Juice's eyes widened as he stared, slackjawed, at the Tacoma Killer. "What?"

"Run," he growled, nodding to the door. "Bikes in the back, keys are on the table. Take 'em and get out."

"But...Jax, the deal. I can't...my girls...I just want to get back to them. I can do it, Hap. Don't do this."

Happy slid a bullet into the chamber with a click, taking a step closer to Juice. "You'll hurt her more by goin' through with it and gettin' taken out in the process. You go now, you save her a lot of hurt. So start runnin'."