Juice stared down the barrel of Happy's gun, his heart pumping in his chest. Though Hap was telling him to leave, the gun pointed in his face was unnerving and made him reluctant to listen. What he'd done was unforgiveable in Happy's book. He wouldn't put it past him to make him run and then shoot him in the back while he was escaping to spare Angela the heartache of having to wait for him while he was in prison only for him to get killed inside. But he wasn't going to die inside, not when he had so much to live for. He'd do what Jax wanted him to do and get out. "Hap, don't. I can do this. I know I can. Just let me prove it to Jax."

But the Tacoma killer wouldn't listen. "Take off your rings and get the fuck out of here," Happy insisted, gesturing to the table with his gun. "Your bike's outside, keys are on the table. Take it 'n' get outta here."

"No. Hap, please. I got this chance. Don't..."

"Ain't fuckin' killin' you, idiot," he growled in response.

A knowing look filled Tig's eyes as he looked between them. "I get it," he stated with a sly grin. "We'll let him go. Tell Jax 'n' the rest of the guys that he ran and we killed him. Put a bullet through the cut, maybe some blood. Rings'll be proof you're dead, and you'll get away. Get you back to those girls."

Juice still couldn't wrap his head around what they were saying. Had they both gone crazy? Staging his death just to let him go free? It didn't feel right coming from the most loyal member of the club and the one Jax had enough blackmail on that he could be brought to the table for a Mayhem vote at any time. Betraying Jax like this was one hell of a risk, and he was having a hard time believing either of the men would take it just for his if they were sincere in their offer, Angela couldn't convincingly play off his death to Jax. She wasn't that great of an actress, and Jax knew the agony that came with losing his other half first hand; he'd know she was faking it right away. "Angel's not a good actress. She may be able to convince the others, but no way will she fool Jax or Chibs."

"So we don't tell her," Tig shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing. "We let her think you're a goner 'til all this shit's blown over. Once Jax gets off her ass, we'll find a window and get her and the kids out to you. It'll hurt her, of course, but think of the end game, brother. You'll all be together."

He raised his eyebrows at the term of endearment. How could Tig call him his 'brother'? Didn't they all see him as a traitor? What sort of sick game were they playing, giving him hope only to kill him later. "I don't...the APB..."

"Ain't no APB," Happy interjected with a scowl. "Fuckin' cop lady throwin' her weight around. Tryin' to spook ya. If it was legit, cops woulda got you already. You ain't that slick."

"Plus with all that damn hair, you're unrecognizable," Tig put in, gesturing to Juice's full head of hair. "They'll be lookin' for the tats. You ain't got 'em."

Juice shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting towards the door. He didn't like this idea. Not one bit, but if it meant he could avoid jail time and eventually get back to his girls...maybe it was the best option. "So what, I just leave? Then what? Where do I go?"

"Somewhere far, far away," Happy replied.

He breathed in deeply, running a hand over his short hair. He couldn't comprehend why they were doing this. Tig had never showed him any kindness, and he'd been under the impression Hap wanted him six feet under a long time ago. "Why are you guys doing this?"

Happy lowered his gun, jerking his head towards the pictures of Angela still lying on the top of the bed. "For her," he stated simply. " 'n' for the brat. They deserve better."

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

Angela drove to Charming with her window down, the music playing at a lower volume than usual since Evie was sitting in the back seat. If the situation was different, she'd have the music blasting with all the windows down to drown out the noise in her head as she drove at breakneck speeds. But she couldn't do that now, not with Evie in the car. She looked up at the rearview mirror, checking on her daughter. She was staring out the window, her toes wiggling along to the music while she sucked calmly on her pacifier. "Daddy's gonna be okay, Evie-doll," she said, catching her attention. "He'll find a way back to us. He always does. Then we'll move far, far away from here."

She wasn't supposed to go back to Charming. Dia had tried to stop her, but she insisted. It'd been a few days since she'd last talked to Bones, Kenny, and Ellie, since she'd last seen her dog. Even Marcus couldn't argue with that one. He'd told her to be safe and to come back as soon as she could, reiterating that Charming wasn't safe. As much as she hated him for what he'd done, she couldn't deny he was right. Like Dia had said, his heart was in the right place and honestly, Angela didn't have anywhere better to go. Her mother's house was out of the question. Staying there meant she might run into Hap and that was a risk she didn't want to take. Not after everything that had happened the day before.

Her heart rose to her throat as Dubrowski's came into view. It was the place that had started it all. It was where she'd met Juice, where she'd buried Koz, where she'd started her own little family. "We're home, Monk," she proclaimed, getting out of the car. Once she opened Evie's door, she smiled as the baby held out her hand to her. "Hi beautiful girl! You ready to go visit with your brother and uncle?"

Evie kicked her legs out in response, cooing happily as Angela picked her up. She ran a hand over her daughter's soft hair. "You have no idea what's goin' on, huh Monk?" she asked, pressing her lips to Evie's forehead. "Lucky girl."

She heard Rigor barking excitedly and grinned as her beautiful dog came bounding towards her, happy as can be. "Hi Rigs!" she exclaimed, rubbing a hand over his head. "Hey handsome boy. Were you good for Boner?"

Kenny walked out of the garage behind him, his hands tucked deep into the pockets of his black jeans, his dad's black beanie on covering most of his hair save for a bit of his bangs. "Why are you back?" he asked, his brows furrowed in confusion. "You're supposed to be with Juice. Getting out. Ms. Viv said she'd get us out to you when she got the chance."

Angela smiled sadly. She wasn't surprised Vivica had reached out to him; she probably offered him a place to stay as well. Despite her intimidating behavior, Vivica had a heart of gold when it came to her family and friends. "Didn't work out," she told him softly.

He frowned, his expression looking so much like Opie's that it made Angela even sadder. Kenny had already lost so much because of the club; she hoped he wouldn't have to lose anymore. "Shit. Sorry, Mama," he said, fussing with his beanie. Evie reached for him with an excited squeal, and he took her easily from Angela, giving her a big kiss on the cheek. "Sup, Monk? You're gettin' bigger on me, sis."

Her heart warmed at the sight of the young teenager with the baby girl. There was no doubt in her mind that Kenny was going to be one hell of a big brother as Evie grew up. "How're the adoption papers comin' along?" she asked as she stooped down to give Rigor more attention.

"Lyla says they're almost done. Apparently, they had to send out letters to all my family's close friends so...Gemma got one," he replied, shifting nervously. "She uh...she wants to talk to you."

Angela clenched her teeth together; Gemma was the last person on earth she wanted to talk to. "Awesome," she replied flatly. "We busy here?"

"Nah. Pretty dead. Boner's been spinning around in his desk chair for an hour," he answered on a shrug. He shifted nervously, ignoring Evie as she grabbed for his beanie. He let her tug on it without a single comment. Clearly, he had other things on his mind. "Is um...what happened with Juice?"

She sighed as she straightened up, giving him a sad smile. "He's uh...not so good. The Sons got him so...I don't really know what's going to happen, but I uh...I'm stayin' up in Oakland with some of my Mayan friends, so I'll only be here for work. Thinks its best we stay out of Charming for now."

"Well, that sucks," he muttered as they headed inside. "Can I come?"

Angela furrowed her brows in confusion. As far as she knew, he still thought the Mayans were responsible for his mother's death. "You want to come?"

"Mayans didn't kill my Mom. I know that. Pop told me 'fore he died that it wasn't them," he explained on a shrug. "He wouldn't say who did it, though, and I don't want to know at this point. 's not going to bring her back."

She looked him over for a moment, feeling proud as hell of him for having such a mature outlook on what had happened. "You're amazing, kid. You know that?" she asked, kissing his cheek.

Kenny shrugged again, a small blush rising to his cheeks. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said, waving her off. "I'm with you on this, though. If you 'n' Monk are there, then I should be too. We're a family, right?"

She gave him a warm smile as she nodded. "Yeah, kiddo. We're family."

After making sure everything was running smoothly at Dubrowski's. Angela decided to pack up her kids and head home to pack more items she and Evie needed if they were going to be spending mre time in Oakland. As she pulled up to the front of her house, a sense of foreboding filled her. Something had happened; she could feel it in her gut. Kenny was at her side in the passenger's seat. She'd taken the short time from the funeral home to her house to explain exactly what had happened the day before deciding not to sugar coat anything so he would understand it fully. She could feel his eyes on her as she stared up at the house, reluctant to get out of the car and go inside. "It'll be okay, Ang," he said, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "Just a house. No one's there."

She smiled at him as she inhaled deeply. "Thanks, Ken. Why don't you get Rigs out 'n' I'll grab Evie?"

He nodded, opening the Mazda's car door and jogging around the back. Angela got out slowly, moving over to the back seat to pick up her daughter. Evie smiled up at her, that smile of hers breaking her heart just a little more. "You look so much like your Dad, Eves," she murmured, kissing her chubby cheek. "Love you. C'mon, baby girl. Back home we go."

Her hand shook as she put her keys in the door. Rigor sped in before here, his tail wagging excitedly. She watched him run around, a lump rising to her throat. It all just looked so normal. Everything was where she'd left it as if nothing had changed. As if, at any minute, Juice would walk right back through the door to greet them. Even Evie seemed happy to be home, her legs kicking out, head turning this way and that as if she were looking for him.

Kenny reached out his hands out to the baby girl, and she immediately reached back, arching her body towards him, a huge smile on her face. He took her easily, blowing a raspberry into her cheek to make her giggle. "I'ma take her back to her room. Let you...process."

Angela mussed his beanie lovingly. "You're the best, Ken."

She followed them down the hall, walking by Evie's room on her way towards hers, her finger slowly dragging along the wall. Juice had chased her down this hall countless times after he came home from a long run, catching her around the waist when he was close enough, and carrying her back to their bed, both of them laughing between kisses. A few times they didn't even make it to the bed; he'd taken her right there in the hallway. But that had been before everything had turned to shit. When Juice still smiled at the drop of a hat, when anything could make him laugh, and when they still felt happy and safe in their small little Charming home. They'd never have that kind of easy, spontaneous relationship again. He'd never come home again.

Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath trying to steel herself against those thoughts. She couldn't lose hope. Not yet. There was still a chance he'd come home. She opened the door to her room and let out the air in her lungs slowly. It'd been awhile since Juice had actually slept there, but the memories still lingered. Her stuff was all over the place in a way he would've hated; she was always messier when he wasn't home.

Taking another deep breath, she went to their bathroom and washed her face in an attempt to ward off tears. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, trying to ignore how tired she looked. Sleep had eluded her the night before, not because she wasn't tired or because she was uncomfortable in Alvarez's house but because she was afraid of what might be waiting for her in her nightmares. She'd seen Juice die in one before, and she hadn't wanted to see it again. Not when it was so close to being reality. "You can do this," she told herself. "Be strong. For Evie, for Kenny."

Nodding, she went back in the room and pulled out her old suitcase. She stuffed things inside of it at random, not paying that much attention to what she was doing but avoiding Juice's drawers at all costs. It wasn't until she opened her underwear drawer and saw the brightly colored panties inside of it that it all really hit her. Juice's obsession with her panties made it hard for her to even look at them, let alone touch them. Quickly, she slammed the drawer shut, running a hand through her hair as she walked back and forth in front of the bureau. "Fuck!" she exclaimed in frustration, her breathing harder than usual. "I can't..."

Her words were cut off by the sound of motorcycles pulling up to the front of the house. She grimaced at the noise knowing it couldn't mean anything good. Slowly, she opened one of Juice's drawers and unlocked the gun safe inside to pull out the Glock Happy had given her on her sixteenth birthday. She looked over the handle of it in her hand, running her thumb over the details in the grip. It was a beautiful piece, to be sure, something she'd always treasure even if she was gradually starting to despise the man who'd given it to her.

Gritting her teeth together, she slid a bullet into the gun's chamber and walked out of the room with it clutched tightly in her hand, taking care to keep it low and aimed at the ground. She wasn't in the mood to deal with the Sons.

She checked through the peephole to find Tig, Chibs, and Happy walking towards the door. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door just as Tig was raising his hand to knock. She raised her gun, aiming it directly at Chibs' heart. Everything that happened was his fault. If he'd only just been there for Juice, if he'd helped guide him a little more, none of this would be happening. "The fuck do you want?" she growled, glaring at them.

"Put the gun down, Angie-girl," Chibs said admonishingly, not even bothering to put his hands up. "We mean ye no harm."

"Fuck you," she replied, not moving a muscle. She was damn serious about shooting him, whether he believed it or not. "What do you want?"

Though Chibs didn't think she'd shoot him, Happy seemed to understand she wasn't joking around. He stepped in front of the Scot, something clutched tightly in his blood-stained hand. Her eyes widened as he lifted his hand, unfurling his fingers to reveal two blood stained rings sitting in his palm. Juice's rings. Rings he swore he'd wear until his dying day...yet there they were in Happy's hand, covered in blood. Her breath caught in her throat at what that could possibly mean. Shaking her head, she refused to believe it. "Where did you get those?" she demanded, hating the tear she felt slipping down her face.

"Put down the gun, kid," Happy coaxed softly, taking a step towards her. "Won't tell you shit 'til you put it down."

Angela's hold on the gun faltered for a moment as she considered her options. Tell them to get the fuck out or lower it and actually hear them out. Deep down, she already knew what they were going to tell her, but it wouldn't be real until Happy told her himself. She lowered the gun slowly, her hands shaking as she set it on the side table beside the door. Taking in a deep breath to steady herself, she met the Tacoma Killer's gaze. "What happened?" she asked, sounding calmer than she felt.

Chibs cleared his throat, to catch her attention. Her eyes met his and his once cold brown eyes softened just a little bit, a glimmer of sadness in them. "He ran, Angie-girl," the VP explained in his Scottish drawl. "Gave him a chance to redeem himself 'n' he chose to run. Had to put him down 'fore he could do any more damage."

"Put him down," she repeated slowly, the words leaving a bad taste in her mouth. How could he talk about Juice like he was some sort of unwanted dog they put out of his misery?

"He ran, we chased after him, 'n' he laid down his bike on the road," he elaborated as if it would help her understand.

Happy held out the rings to her in an offer, but she took a step away. If she took them from him, it made it all real. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying her best to stop the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "No. That's not...where is he?" she asked, hating the way her voice shook.

"He's gone," Happy replied. If the rings and Chibs' explanation hadn't confirmed it, Happy sure as hell had. He'd never lied to her.

He reached out a hand to touch her, and she slapped it away. "Don't touch me," she growled through clenched teeth. She pressed a hand to her chest, willing her heart to slow down. She took in a deep breath, wiping furiously at her cheeks, cursing her traitorous tears for escaping her hold in front of the Sons. Happy had killed Juice. The man who'd worked tirelessly to ensure she was safe, that she was happy since the day she was born had singlehandedly caused her whole world to cave in. "Where. Is. He? I need to see him. I need to...to take care of him."

" 's not happenin', love," Chibs stated, a cold look in his dark eyes. " 'e was burned 'n' buried like the traitor he was."

Before she could stop herself, she launched a fist into Chibs' face. "You fucking asshole!" she roared, going to swing again only to be restrained by Tig. She struggled against him, ready to claw Chibs' face off. "He came to you for help! He wanted to get out! You were his sponsor! You were supposed to help him! You were supposed to..." She couldn't finish her sentence, she could barely breathe. A sob caught in her throat as she shook her head. "You were supposed to be his brother."

Tig let go of her then, setting his hand on her shoulder instead. "I'm sorry, doll," he murmured, squeezing her shoulder. " 's not how I wanted it to go down."

"Get out," she told them softly. Happy took a step forward now, reaching out to touch her only to have her slap his hand away. "Don't fucking touch me! Just get the fuck out!"

Chibs nodded his head, taking a step out of the house without so much as a sorry. Happy lingered behind, his dark eyes holding just the smallest amount of sadness. "Kid, listen--"

She gritted her teeth together, lifting her head to meet his gaze, anger surging through her veins. "No! You killed the man I love and burned and buried him somewhere that I can't get to," she ground out furiously. Happy knew how much it meant for her to have a gravesite to visit. Not only had he killed the man she loved, he'd robbed her of the closure that would've come with preparing him, with laying him down to rest peacefully. "How could you do that to me? To Eves? How could you take him away?"

Happy looked as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He blinked at her for a moment before the pain left his face and that familiar cold as stone mask of the Tacoma Killer appeared. "Had to be done, kid."

His words hurt like a stab to the chest. Tears slid down her cheeks as she stared at the man she'd always loved. After everything they'd been through, she expected some sort of remorse from him. Some kind of apology for how badly he'd hurt her, but she got nothing. That hurt worst of all. "Get out," she spat in disgust. "I don't want you anywhere near me or my daughter. I don't want to see you ever again. Just get the fuck out and never come back."

He paused, his dark eyes studying her face. For a moment, she thought he might apologize, but instead, he set the two heavy rings down on the side table before turning his back on her and walking out the door. A pained gasp left her lips as the door closed behind him, leaving her alone in the living room with Tig. She turned to him, trying to swallow back her tears. "Why are you still here?" she asked, wiping at her eyes.

Tig lifted a metal lockbox from the couch. She hadn't even noticed he'd come in with it. He must've tossed it there when he went to grab her. "He uh...he left this in his saddlebag. Rest of his stuff is in his locker, but I thought you'd want this soon as possible," he explained, sniffling a bit as he ran his hand over the silver surface. He lifted his head, his clear blue eyes meeting hers. "I'm really sorry, doll. This ain't what I wanted."

She stared at the box knowing exactly what was in it. Kozik had just an envelope; Juice had a whole box. "Thanks," she sniffled as she took the box from his hand. It was lighter than she expected it to be. "Was it fast?"

"Aww, dollface, don't go there. Best you don't know."

Angela shook her head slowly, holding back a sob. "How could this happen? He didn't deserve this," she said, sinking down onto the couch. "He deserved so much better."

Tig sat down next to her, rubbing a hand over her back. "I know, baby girl. I know," he said, trying his best to soothe her. "But you're gonna be okay, y'know? You're a strong lady, Angie. 's why he loved you. You gotta keep it together for the kid."

"I know," she gasped, struggling to breathe. "God, I know. Poor Evie."

"Ang?" Kenny's voice came from the hallway. "What's going on?"

Angela quickly wiped at her face, looking over her shoulder to see him holding Evie. "Shit, sorry, kiddo," she mumbled, sniffling a bit. "I uh...he's..."

Tig kissed her temple quickly before getting to his feet. He headed over to where Kenny was, gesturing a hand down the hall. "C'mon, kid. I'll explain. Give her a minute."

She looked back down at the rings in her hands, rubbing her thumb over their wedding ring. "I'm sorry, baby," she murmured, her heart breaking as tears fell down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry."

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

Tig's eyes followed the youngest Winston as he set Evie down in her crib. The boy could only be around fourteen years old yet he had the air of someone who was much, much older. The deaths of his loved ones at such a young age had made him grow up long before he was supposed to. His boyhood was not the carefree one of riding around on bikes and melting things with magnifying glasses. No, his childhood was shadowed by the deaths of three people he loved the most. Two of which Tig blamed himself for. He'd shot Donna accidentally and was the reason Pope had indicted him, Chibs, Jax, and Opie. If it wasn't for him, the young boy in front of him would still have both his parents. He'd get a normal childhood. Now, here he stood, ready to tell him that yet another one of his loved ones was dead. Tig wasn't sure how close Kenny and Juice had gotten, but if their bond was anything like the boy's bond with Angela, this death was going to hit him hard.

Kenny turned to him, his hazel eyes meeting his gaze briefly. Tig grimaced and looked away; he had Opie's eyes both in color and expression. The kid shifted nervously in front of him, tugging down on his beanie before clearing his throat. "So? What's goin' on? Where's Juice?"

"He's...he's not comin' back," Tig replied carefully.

He blinked at him, clearly trying to process what he'd just said. "He ran away?"

"Club gave him a chance to redeem himself, he chose to run. Had to take him out."

"What?" he snapped incredulously. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Tig sighed as he nodded. "Sorry, kid."

Sadness filled the young man's features for a brief moment before he clenched his jaw, anger replacing it. "That's bull shit! You killed him? Just like that?" His breathing was coming faster now as he continued, "You fucking...he ran away to get to his family and you fucking gunned him down like...like some asshole gangster! Like what happened to my Mom?"

Tig's heart broke at the way the kid's voice cracked at the end. He hadn't thought of how similar Juice's so-called death was to Donna's. It had never crossed his mind. Briefly, he wondered if Kenny knew who killed his mother, but he ruled it out in that same instant. There was no way he'd be even talking to him if he knew. " 'm sorry. Didn't want it to go down this way, Ken. Club's--"

"Fuck the club!" Kenny spat, his whole body tensed. "Your fuckin' club just destroys everything! Juice was a good guy! He didn't do anything wrong! He...he wanted to get us out! All of us! How could you just kill him like that? Wasn't he your brother? Didn't you love him?"

He hung his head, the weight of his words settling on his shoulders. "I did," he admitted on a small nod. A part of him wanted to tell Kenny how they'd let him go. How, for once, he'd made the right decision, but he stopped himself, unsure of how trustworthy the teenager was.

"Then why? What was the reason to take a father away from his daughter?"

Tig swallowed hard as he felt tears creep up on him. This poor kid had already been through so much, and yet he still was more concerned for Evie than anyone. "Just the way it is."

"Was that why they killed my mom? My dad? Grandpa? 'cause that's 'just the way it is'?" he mocked with a scowl. "That's bullshit! God, I used to worship you assholes! I wanted to be one of you, but all you do is cause pain and destruction everywhere you go! You're supposed to be a family! You're supposed to watch each other's backs! Not kill each other! What kind of a brotherhood is that? What kind of monster did my Grandpa create?"

"You're right, Ken. You're absolutely right," Tig conceded with a frown. "But the club Piney started ain't what it is now. What he started was good. This shit...this shit is far from the idea he had in mind."

Kenny shook his head slowly. "Juice was a good guy. He didn't deserve this," he repeated softly, a tear escaping his hold. "He just wanted his family. He wanted out. Just like my mom and my Pops. They wanted out 'n' you guys took them out 'fore they even got a chance to try. It's not right. It's not fair. This fuckin' club ruins everything."

Tig nodded in agreement. It'd been a long time since he'd seen the good in the club. A long time since he believed in what it stood for. With Jax on his revenge warpath, every little rule and everything they were supposed to be went flying out the window. Before, he'd corrected anyone who'd deigned to call SAMCRO a 'gang', now, he was starting to agree with them. What they were doing was less outlaw motorcycle club and more gangland warfare. Sure, they'd had their moments with Clay at the helm, but it'd never been this bad. "I'm sorry, Ken. Not much more I can say. Wasn't what I wanted."

"Then why didn't you stop it?"

The question hung heavy in the air for a moment. Again, Tig was tempted to confess what had happened with Juice, but he kept quiet. " 'cause I've done some shitty things too, 'n' followin' my president is the only thing keeping me breathing," he answered honestly. "Don't got much, but I ain't ready to die yet."

"That's fucked up," he muttered, his hazel eyes falling on Evie for a brief moment.

Tig looked over his shoulder at the baby girl who'd pulled herself up in her crib and was holding onto the railing, bouncing slightly. She grinned at him, showing off two tiny teeth. There was no doubt about it that her smile was Juice's. Seeing it made him remember why he'd let the idiot go. Getting that little girl back to her daddy was the end game, and he was going to work like hell to make that happen. "Yeah," he agreed, reaching out a hand to touch Evie's hair.

"Don't fucking touch her," Kenny seethed, getting up to go over to the crib. He scooped her up into his arms and stepped as far out of his reach. "You killed her dad! Killed him before he could even really be her dad! Just get the fuck out. Leave us alone so I can go take care of my family."

Tig nodded slowly, his hands held up in defeat. "Sorry," he apologized, his heart heavy as he looked from Kenny to Evie. He could see the bond between them as Evie held on tightly to his t-shirt, her little head resting against his shoulder. "You need anythin', call me, Ken. Know you're mad now, but you tell me anythin' they need, 'n' I'll get it."

"Fine," he ground out, rocking Evie against him. "Just go."

"All right." He gave them both one last look. If only Opie could see his son now. He'd be damn proud of him. There was no doubt in his mind that Ken would take care of both Evie and Angela. They were in safe hands with him around. "Ope and Piney, they'd be proud a ya, kid. Thought you should know."

Kenny seemed interested for all of a second, before that mask of anger clicked back into place. "Yeah, well, thanks to your fuckin' club, I'll never know for sure. Now leave 'fore I grab a gun and make them really proud."

Tig bit back a chuckle at the idle threat. That fire was all Donna. Opie could get riled up and angry, but he wasn't one to make snide remarks like that. Donna was the one who was always threatening something or other. He'd heard her fighting with Opie more than enough times to recognize it. Backing out of the room, he looked to Evie once more. "Take care a her and Angie, all right? They need you."

Kenny set him with a glare as he pushed by him, heading down the hall to Angela's room. Tig watched him disappear inside the room and shook his head. He hoped Hap's crazy plan would work out. Not just for Angela and Evie's sake, but for Kenny's too. That kid deserved a happy ending more than anyone and Tig was going to make sure he got it. It would be his way of saying sorry for the sins he committed in the past.

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

Angela's room was dark save for the soft light coming from the laptop on the bed, illuminating her face. She was wearing one of Juice's sweatshirts, his pillow cuddled closely to her chest. Kenny could see the trails of tears on her face, the numb look in her eyes. It was a look he recognized. For days after his mom was killed, he'd find his dad staring numbly at pictures of her, blind to everything and everyone around him. It wasn't until his Grandpa came in and all but forced him to go on a run that Opie even showed he was still alive.

Evie whined when she saw her mother, squirming in his arms as she reached out for her. Angela's dark eyes left the screen and settled on her daughter. "Hey," she rasped, wiping at her eyes quickly before beckoning him in with her hand.

Kenny walked in, handing Evie to over Angela. His eyes stayed on his guardian's face, watching as the numb look faded away and was replaced with a loving, sad look. It relieved him somewhat; his dad could never pull himself out of his numb state. "Hey Mama," he replied, sitting down on the edge of her bed. He looked over at the laptop's screen and frowned when he saw a paused video of Juice's face. "How're you?"

She shrugged a shoulder, dropping a kiss to the top of Evie's head. "He left me over fifty videos," she stated, dodging his question as she gestured to the computer screen. "Fifty. Each with an explanation of when to watch. Evie's sixteenth birthday, her graduation from all the different schooling levels, her wedding day. All perfectly labelled and edited on that thumb drive. There's a whole other memory stick for Evie, too."

Kenny looked at the lockbox sitting open next to the computer. "Wow, busy guy," he said, trying to play it cool. If she wanted to have a normal conversation, he'd go along with it. He didn't want to talk about his feelings either.

"Don't know when he found the time to do it all," she commented softly. She reached out and grabbed a stuffed bull dog, giving it to Evie to play with before reaching into the lockbox and handing him an envelope. "He wrote you something."

He stared at the envelope in her hand for a brief moment, a sudden sadness washing over him. He hadn't thought he was even a blip on Juice's radar. All of the Sons ignored him. Always had. And while Juice would talk to him sometimes, he was never overtly interested in him for more than just a video game partner.

With a shaking hand, he took the envelope from her. Carefully, he stuck his finger under the lip of the envelope, opening it up gently so as not to rip anything. He unfolded it slowly and stared at the neat handwriting. It started off simply enough. Him apologizing for what had happened to his parents and Piney, giving instructions for how to access his online crap and get money out of his bank accounts. The last few lines were what got him, though. His vision blurred as he read:

You're a great kid. I'm sorry I didn't get to see the adoption shit through. Take care of my girls. You're the man of the house now. Love you, dude. I would've been proud to call you my son.

Kenny laughed sadly, a tear falling from his face onto the paper. Wiping at his eyes, he looked over at Angela who was busy making the stuffed bull dog dance along Evie's chubby thighs while the little girl giggled. "Angie?"

"Hmm?" she asked, meeting his gaze, a worried look in her eyes. She was worried about him. She'd just lost everything, and she was worried about him.

It was moments like these that he knew asking her to adopt him was the right choice. It might not have been what his dad wanted for him, but he had a feeling his mother was smiling down on them. "We're going to be okay," he assured her, trying to give her a smile.

Angela sighed sadly. "You really think so?"

"I know so, Angie," he replied, kissing her cheek. "We'll move somewhere and make a new life away from all this bullshit."

"I hope so, Ken. I really, really hope so."