Juice walked down the street of downtown Austin. The Texas city was new to him, but it still felt familiar. He was alone and taking in all the different store fronts and neon lights on 6th street. Couples surrounded him. All holding hands and smiling at each other, making his heart ache with longing for his wife. That's when he saw her. She was as beautiful as she'd been the day he met her, her dark hair shining in the sun, a wide smile spreading across her face when their eyes met. "Juice!" she shouted, running at him.

He caught her easily, sweeping her up into his arms and spinning her around the way they did in romantic comedies. Her legs wrapped around his hips, arms circling his neck as her lips came crashing down on his. He clasped his hands under her ass, supporting her as they kissed, his tongue delving into her mouth to taste her. "Missed you, baby," he told her as they pulled away, both a little oxygen starved.

"Wake up, Wonka!" came her reply.

His brow furrowed in confusion; she'd never called him Wonka before. "What..."

He jumped awake as an ice cold spray of water hit him in the forehead. Sitting up quickly, he wiped at his face. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide as he looked at whoever dared spray him.

His nephews stared back at him, each with their own super soaker in hand, both laughing hysterically while their Mom smirked from her spot against the doorjamb. "Mama says wake up, Uncle Wonka!" they screamed in unison, darting away before he got a chance to respond.

Jo high fived them as they ran by, smiling warmly at her boys. Once they were gone, she settled him with a glare, her arms crossed over her chest. "Get up, lazy ass."

Juice ran a hand over his face, looking at the clock on the nightstand. "Shit! Its like six am!" he exclaimed in disbelief. A month ago, it wouldn't be early for him. A month ago, he'd be up at four am ready to do whatever the club wanted him to, but that was the past. He couldn't go back there. "What the fuck?"

"You're goin' to the office with D today. He's gonna see if he can put your ass to work," she explained on a shrug. "Got you an outfit yesterday. Don't wrinkle it. Gotta look presentable for the nerds."

He looked over at the chair, cringing when he saw the button down shirt and slacks. The nice dress shoes. "Seriously, Jo?"

"Seriously, Wonka. Get up," she stated before turning around and heading. "And take a cold shower. Get your little man to stand down!"

Juice looked down at the tent in his sheets and fell back down to the bed with a groan. Damn, he missed his wife. Just kissing Angela in a dream had gotten him all worked up. He threw back the covers, getting out of bed with a grunt and dragging his feet on the way to the bathroom. After a really cold shower, he wrapped a towel around himself and stared at the clothes his sister had laid out for him. A dark blue dress shirt, black slacks, shiny black dress shoes, and a dark green tie. He touched the soft fabric of the shirt knowing it was expensive. He hadn't worn something that nice since his wedding. At home, his whole wardrobe consisted of SAMCRO T-shirts, Dickie's or jeans, his work boots, and his cut. He had two black dress shirts and one tie for nicer events, but they were rarely used. He didn't even know how to tie the tie. With a deep breath, he started unbuttoning the shirt. It was time for a change.

Staring at himself in the mirror, he tried knotting the silk tie a few times, growing frustrated each time. "Fuck it," he muttered, tossing it to bed. He stared at his reflection for a moment. His hair was just as long as it'd been when he'd gotten out of county, his beard grown in just as much. The irony was not lost on him. The longer hair seemed to signify his freedom. First from prison, now from SAMCRO. He smirked as he raked some gel through his hair to tame it a bit. He turned his head to the side, feeling as if a piece of him was missing when he didn't see the tribal lines inked there. A bit of sadness swept through him. His tattoos were hidden but the ones on Angela's back would forever be there, tying her to him in a way only they would know from now on. Anyone they met would think she got them tattooed on a whim; no one would know it was their link unless they saw old pictures of him. Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts away; he had to get used to this new version of himself. Taking a deep breath, he nodded to his reflection before heading to the kitchen.

They applauded him as soon as he entered the room. His brother-in-law raising a fist for him to bump his against. "Lookin' good, brother," Dino greeted, around a bite of cereal. It still tripped Juice out to see his brother-in-law had grown into his tall, gangly stature and had filled out some. Gone were his nerdy glasses and spaghetti arms. Juice wondered if his sister made him get rid of the specs and bulk up some and then dismissed the idea; Jo had loved Dino long before he'd changed.

"He cleans up well, no?" Jo asked, from where she was standing behind Mikey's chair, her hand rubbing over his prickly head while she drank her coffee. Mikey didn't seem to care that his mom was literally petting him; he seemed to like it actually.

Juice bumped his fist against Dino's, grabbing a bowl off the counter and staring at the cereal choices. Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops, and Fruity Pebbles. He grabbed the Fruity Pebbles with a grimace; he had to do some grocery shopping for something healthier since his extended family didn't seem to care about their sugar intake. He shook the colored flakes into a bowl, smiling sadly at them. Angela always had a box of them lying around; she liked to put them on her ice cream. A toy fell out into his bowl and out of nowhere, three sets of eyes were on him. "What?" he asked, fishing the plastic baggie out.

"Ease up, boys. You know the rules. Came out in Wonka's bowl, he gets to keep it," Jo reminded them all.

Dino scowled, shaking his head. " 's my cereal," he muttered bitterly.

Juice stared at the small Star Wars toy, knowing Angela would've loved it. He briefly considered keeping it to give her later but decided against it. "Heads up, D," he said, tossing him the bag when he looked up.

Dino caught the toy easily, giving his sons a cheeky grin when they whined in response. He glanced at the bag before handing it to Donnie. "Vader."

Juice was a little surprised that Dino gave it to just one of the boys. It seemed a little unfair. But Donnie grabbed it up and showed it to Mikey with a grin. "Cool! We don't have this one yet! Heads up, Mikey!" he exclaimed, opening it up and throwing the toy to his brother. Clearly, the boys shared their toys. Something that surprised Juice; he thought kids weren't good at that shit.

It sailed over his head, but Jo caught it with a practiced hand. She sighed tiredly, handing it to Mikey. Her son looked up at her in awe while Donnie clapped his hands. "Mama has the force!"

Jo smirked, dropping a kiss to Mikey's head while shooting Juice a glare for starting it. "No more throwing stuff at the breakfast table! Your Uncle's a bad influence."

Dino chuckled, finishing off his cereal before standing and putting his bowl in the sink. "You ready, man?" he asked, wiping his hands off on his slacks.

Juice sighed and nodded, his hand shaking with nerves as he spooned a bit more of the cereal in his mouth. "This an interview or what... 'cause I ain't gonna lie, my resume's shit."

" 'ey! Watch your fuckin' mouth!" Jo shouted, throwing a dish rag in his face.

The boys' eyes grew wide while Dino seemed to be biting back a laugh. "Watch out boys. Uncle J is bringin' the Queens girl outta your mother."

The kids burst into laughter, and Juice couldn't help but smile. It seemed all the boys ever did was laugh. His sister and brother-in-law were clearly doing something right in raising them. "My bad," he said, chuckling himself as he used the dish rag to wipe his mouth.

Dino leaned against his kitchen counter, arms crossed over the front of his light blue button down shirt. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans, something Juice envied him for. "I think I'll be able to get you a job," he said, shrugging a shoulder. "C'mon, let's head out. I'll explain in the car."

Juice nodded, standing to put his stuff in the sink. He watched as Dino dipped his head to press a quick kiss to Jo's lips. "Love you, babycakes," he murmured, kissing her forehead again. The sweetness of the action made Juice's heart ache with longing for his own wife.

Jo smiled up at her husband before reaching behind her and handing him a Star Wars travel mug. "Keep 'im in line," she ordered, nodding to Juice.

"Roger that," Dino replied, moving to kiss each of his kids. "Give 'em hell, boys."

"Turtle power!" the boys replied together as if it was a tradition.

Juice went over to kiss his sister's cheek. Much to his surprise, she handed him a Ninja Turtle travel mug, a warm look in her eyes. That was his sister, always taking care of him. He pulled her into a tight hug. "Thanks, Jo," he murmured.

She picked an invisible piece of lint off his shirt when he pulled away, smoothing down the arm of his shirt in her motherly way. "You be good. Show 'em what you're made of," she told him. "Boys, wish him good luck!"

"May the force be with you!" Mikey shouted while Donnie nodded in agreement.

Juice shook his head at both of them as he headed out the door after Dino. He stopped short when he saw what Dino was driving. A Mazda. A newer model than Angela's, but the body design and color were close enough that it gave him pause. The only thing different were the blacked out rims, the dark window tints, and the little Star Wars sticker family in the back window. Taking a deep breath, he walked around the nose of the car and pulled open the door. "Your family are all nerds," Juice said as he settled into the seat.

"Your family too," Dino reminded him with a huge grin as he started the car.

He smiled a bit at that; he'd always wanted a big family. "Guess so," he said softly, buckling his seatbelt. "Thanks for puttin' me up, D."

"Don't worry about it. I got a feelin' you're about to make my company a shit ton of money," he said on a shrug. "Regardless, I woulda put you up. You're my kid brother, Jay. You should've come to us before you got in so deep."

Juice nodded, swallowing hard as he did so. "Didn't even think about it," he admitted with a bashful smile. "Was so concerned on keepin' my girls safe and bein' loyal to my club family that I...I didn't even think about my actual family."

"No worries, man. I get it. We were on the other side of the country. Outta sight outta mind," he replied on a shrug. "Jo never forgot though. Had me keeping tabs on you and your club."

"Crazy lady," he muttered, shaking his head. "So what am I getting into here?"

Dino's hazel eyes stared at the stoplight in front of him, his long fingers tapping on the dash. "Developing a game. Action-adventure, role-playing type inspired by...motorcycle gangs."

"Clubs," Juice corrected, a knee-jerk reaction that he couldn't stop himself from doing. He blinked a second when what Dino said sunk in. "Wait...really? A video game?"

He nodded slowly. "I was actually inspired by keeping tabs on your ass. Grand Theft Auto is a big seller, and from what I gather, a lot of the crap you did wasn't too different."

"A video game about an MC," he mused, tilting his head to the side as he gave it some thought. "It's not a bad idea."

Dino nodded in agreement. "Right?" he asked, shifting in his seat, excitement in his voice. "Thing is, the nerds in story development don't know shit about that world. They wanna make it just like GTA where you go around town killing stuff and sleeping with hookers, but I thought...why not make it into a story?"

"Earn your way up from a hangaround, choices could affect game play," Juice muttered, nodding slowly. It wasn't a bad idea, but it was one that could get them in serious trouble with other MC's. He shook his head. "Wouldn't work. MC's from across the nation would be on our asses."

He waved off his concern. "Nah. We'll put warnings and shit on it, toss a profit to any gan-clubs that put up a stink. We'll make it really, really different from any other MC you know. They've got movies 'n' shows about bikers. Why not a video game?"

Dino wasn't wrong, but there was another thing that worried Juice. "D, this goes live, with my name on it...I'm as good as dead. You know every MC member will want to play it."

"So we won't put your real name on it. Give you some pseudonym or whatever. It'll be years 'fore this sees completion if it sees completion. This is your in. I'll put you on as a story developer or technical advisor, then you can grow. Move over, move up, make some cash. You're good at this shit, dude. You've got potential."

Juice felt a little overwhelmed by the praise; he wasn't used to having anyone but Angela praise him like that. "You think?"

"I know," he answered, pulling into a parking lot right in front of the building.

He glanced at the little placard where he'd parked, his eyes wide. "You're the CEO?"

Dino shrugged a shoulder as if it were no big deal. "QueBro Arts is my baby. Me and my college boys put it together. Half of us from Queens, half from Brooklyn: QueBro. Means "to break" or "to go bankrupt" in Spanish and we were a bunch of shit out of luck punks with no money but some decent skills. We thought it was fitting."

Juice chuckled, shaking his head at Dino. "Wow. And to think you were a nerd who was more interested in comic books than my sister."

"Nah, I was always interested in your sister," he said on a chuckle. "She just didn't give me the time of day 'til I got her that 'A' in bio. Thank God for mandated tutoring."

He nodded, taking in a deep, nervous breath as he looked up at the imposing building. He hadn't had this kind of excited nerves since his first day as a prospect. "You think I'll fit in here?"

Dino set a hand on his shoulder as he nodded. "I think you're gonna find its where you always belonged."

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

After a long day at work, Juice followed Dino back into the house, dragging his feet as he went along. He never would've guessed that office work would be so damn exhausting. It'd been years since he last had to use his brain to do anything for more than an hour. Being a Son was a mindless trade. Sure, he'd use his intellect every so often to hack into different databases or to work on cars, but those moments were few and far between. Sitting in the middle of the bustling office, Juice was overwhelmed by the kindness of the people around him. All of the employees responsible for the MC game flocked to him, showering him with questions and ideas. It was crazy. He'd loved every second of it, but it had drained his energy. He wanted nothing more than to fall into bed and dream about his wife.

That was until he stepped into the house and heard her laugh. Dino grinned at him, shrugging a shoulder as he headed into the kitchen. Jo was sitting at the kitchen island, talking to her laptop. He sat down at the island across from her, staring at the little apple lit up at on the back of the screen.

"Where's the little one at?" Jo asked, her dark eyes falling on him briefly before going back to the screen. She was doing this for him. He could not love her more.

Then Dino pulled up his own computer, typing away quickly before sliding it over to him along with a pair of headphones. He'd managed to mirror Jo's computer onto his meaning he could see the video chat on her screen without Angela knowing he was there. Juice nodded his thanks, not trusting himself to speak even a little. His girls were in front of him, and his daughter, his beautiful baby girl had gotten so big in the weeks since he had last seen her! She had more than just the two tiny teeth she'd had when he'd seen her last. Her hair was longer now too and a total mess.

Angela seemed to notice too because she smoothed a hand over Evie's head, smiling down at her daughter. "Sorry. This little monkey was just rolling all around the bed. Huh, baby girl?" she asked, and Evie, ever the clever baby, grinned back at her and cooed. "Say 'hi' to your Auntie Jojo!"

Evie waved a hand at her before sticking it in her mouth. Juice reached out a finger to trace over her chubby cheek. He could feel Jo's eyes on him but couldn't look away from the image on the screen. "She's beautiful, Ang," Jo told her, that warm, motherly note to her voice. "That smile is all Wonka."

"I know, right?" Angela replied on a laugh. Juice smiled back at her, analyzing her every feature. God, she was beautiful, but he could see the pain in her eyes. Pain that he had caused. Pain that he would remedy as soon as he could. She sniffled a bit, wiping at her eyes. "Evie surprised Mama with something new today. Didn't you, Monk? Broke Mama's heart into pieces, you little stinker."

Jo raised an eyebrow. "What'd you do, baby girl?"

Juice watched as she reached behind her, grabbing a picture off the unfamiliar nightstand and showed it to Evie. "Who's that, Monk? Is that your Daddy? Who's that?" she asked, her voice excited and encouraging despite the tears in her eyes. "Is that Da-da?"

Evie giggled, her chubby fingers wrapping around the picture frame. "Da-da!" she exclaimed, waving it about. "Da-da-da! Da-da-da!"

Juice felt like he couldn't breathe. His little girl knew who he was. He wasn't there, hadn't been for days, and yet she still knew. Angela had promised him his daughter wouldn't forget him, and she was clearly making good on that promise. Anger churned in his stomach. He should've been there. His daughter should've been calling him 'da-da' not a picture. He should've been there to freak out with his wife. To tease her about Evie saying his name first. It should've been a joyous occasion, instead, Angela was fighting off tears. This was all his fault. He closed the computer and pushed away from it, his hands clenched into tight fists at his side. Turning away from the sight before him, he headed for the front door. Ripping it open, he stepped out into the humid night, his hands on his knees as he took in deep breaths trying his best not to have a full blown panic attack.

"What's going on, Jay?" Dino asked as he closed the door behind him.

He straightened up, his chest rising and falling as he tried to control his anger. He pointed back at the house. "That's fucked up! My baby is talking and Angel is...she's in so much pain, and I'm here. I'm here doing fuck all while they suffer! It ain't fair to them!" he exclaimed, raking his hands through his hair and tugging at his longer locks. "What kind of father am I, huh? What kind a husband? Letting them hurt like that when they don't have to!"

Dino's hands fell heavy on his shoulders before he gave him a quick shake. "Hey! You're a good man, Juan," he assured him. "A good dad, good husband. All this shit you're doing is for them. You know it."

Juice shrugged him off, turning his back on him. "I don't know how much longer I can last. I don't...I want them back! I need them back!"

"And you'll get them back, but if you're in deep enough shit that you have to fake your own death, telling Angie you're alive is only going to make this harder for you. For both of you. She's suffering now, but you got to think of the end game," he explained, trying to calm him down. "Two weeks, Jay. That's it. Two weeks. Fourteen days, and they'll be here. You gotta keep it together 'til then, all right?"

He shook his head, swallowing hard at the lump in his throat. "I miss them. Seeing them like that fucking hurts. Knowing I can make it all better and not being able to? I can't..."

"You can!" Dino interrupted, his voice full of conviction. "You been through worse, man. Fourteen months in the pen, right? That couldn't a been easy."

"Least I got to talk to her then. Watching them and knowing I can't talk to her is fuckin' torture," he muttered, rubbing a hand over his head.

His face softened as he set a hand on his shoulder again, giving it a squeeze. "Then stop. Just for now. Do your shit and hold out for fourteen days. That's it. Can you do that?" he asked, waiting for Juice to nod before giving him a little shove towards the door. "C'mon, bro. Go to bed. We gotta get up early for work tomorrow."

Juice nodded numbly, trudging back into the kitchen. He could still hear his sister talking to the computer, though the volume was off now. She cast him a worried glance when he walked by, but he ignored it and continued on to his room. Once inside, he sat heavily on the bed and let his head fall into his hands. "I'm sorry, baby," he choked out, tears clouding his vision. "I'm so sorry."

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

Jo finished off her conversation with Angela, closing her laptop with a heavy sigh before she got up to join her husband in the living room. She sat down on the couch with another sigh, looking up at his face. He was a handsome man, something she hadn't seen when she'd first met him at sixteen. He'd been awkward and gangly then with thick glasses that covered half of his face. But they hadn't hid his dimples, and ultimately, those were what made her reach over the table that one tutoring session and take off his glasses. Now, her sons had those dimples, those same, warm hazel eyes that she loved. She'd been lucky she'd almost failed biology her sophomore year of high school. Lucky that her teacher had a soft spot for rebels and threw her and Dino into a room together so he could tutor her, and she could help pull him out of his shell. It'd been a success on both levels. They'd sent that teacher an invite to their wedding with a very expensive bottle of champagne and a long thank you card.

Dino reached out a strong arm and draped it over her shoulders, pulling her in closer to him and pressing his full lips against her forehead. "He did good today, Josie," he told her softly, his hands stroking through her hair. "Not a single person questioned why he was there. Nerd squad welcomed him with open arms."

She smiled sadly. She'd known her brother would fit in, had thought about him the second her husband had started his company. She just wished it hadn't taken so long to get him over there and working. " 'm worried about him," she admitted, softly. "This whole situation is so fucked up, and its killing him. I can see it on his face. That boy is a mess, and I hate that there's nothin' I can do to fix him."

He grunted in what sounded like agreement, scratching his thumb at the scruff on his jaw. "Nothin' anyone can do. Can't imagine how it would feel to be separated from my boys. From you. They come back, and he'll be better," he assured her. "Its just two weeks, right?"

"I fuckin' hope so," she muttered, picking at the fraying edge of her sweatshirt sleeve. "I like Angela. She's a strong girl. A fighter. Putting on a brave face for everyone, but she's hurting too. And their baby girl is so fucking cute. Little mini Wonka. Killin' her Mama with those smiles."

Dino smiled warmly. "Make you want a little girl?"

Jo contemplated it for a millisecond. They'd tried to conceive after the boys were born, but nothing they'd tried worked. "Nah, I'm happy with my little Ninja Turtles. Plus, we're about to get a little niece we can spoil rotten."

He chuckled at that, pressing loving kiss to her forehead. "You excited?"

"I'm excited for him. He'll get to be normal for once, have a family," she admitted on a nod. "He went from workin' with the mob to workin' for a fuckin' motorcycle gang. Doin' time. I mean, shit, that's my nerdy little brother! What the hell was he thinkin'?"

Dino shrugged a shoulder. "He got lost. Was searchin' for a family."

"And what am I chopped liver?"

"You had me," he explained easily. At her resentful look, he shrugged again. "Baby, you were always with me. At my house, at the shop, going out. Once we got together, it was like we were attached at the hip. Shit, you had a room in my house. My Ma thought of you as a daughter years before we got married. You had a family, he was stuck at home. Alone with your Ma. Can't blame him for wanting something more."

Jo frowned, pressing her lips together. "Well thanks for makin' me feel like shit."

"Just stating the truth, sweetheart," he answered matter-of-factly.

That was her Dino; always honest. Just another reason she loved him. He was right, though. Once his family had welcomed her in with open arms, she stopped spending so much time at home and spent every minute with his family leaving her little brother behind to do God knows what. She'd tried to step in once he started working with the mob, but it'd been too late by then; he'd been in too deep. "I gave up on him," she admitted softly. "After all that crap with the mob and juvie then him bein' run outta New York, I gave up."

"Baby, you gave him a grand and your motorcycle 'fore he left. That's not giving up," Dino reminded her. "What more could you do from across the country?"

She smiled at him, comforted by his words as she usually was. Leaning up, she kissed his cheek. "Love you, Dean."

He grinned down at her, his eyes holding that same bit of wonder they always did when he looked at her. Like he still couldn't believe she was with him. "Love you too, Josie," he replied, catching her lips in a warm kiss. He pulled away slowly, looking around the room as if expecting to get interrupted.

Jo laughed; their boys had a sixth sense when it came to their parents being mushy. It never failed that one of them would pop up when they were mid-kiss and make a grossed out comment. "The Turtles are with the rest of their squad."

Dino chuckled at the mention of his best friend's kids. Both wives had been pregnant at the same time with twins, so they made a pact to name all four after the Ninja Turtles. They'd called dibs on Donatello and Michelangelo, and Dex and Patricia decided on Leonardo and Raphaela, since they ended up with a baby girl. "Poor Patty," he said, shaking his head. Their two boys were a handful by themselves, put the whole squad together and it was just madness. "So its just me 'n' you 'n' your brother."

"Wonka's either asleep or doing some crazy internet stalking on his wife," she stated, sitting up on her knees and giving him one hot kiss, her tongue sliding into his mouth. She pulled away and got to her feet, holding her hand out to him "C'mon, caro mio. Bed time." (My darling)

He gave her a wide, dimpled grin. "I love sleepovers."