Angela had never been so glad to be on land before in her whole life. While Evie had slept like the little angel she was while they waited to board their plane, the second the plane's wheels left the tarmac and they gained altitude, she turned into a little hellion. She'd cried for three hours nonstop. Nothing she or Kenny could do would soothe her. People glared and made faces as she walked up and down the aisle. One lady had the gall to tell her to shut her up, and Angela had almost snapped. Her free hand had gone for the glass of tomato juice in front of the woman, ready to throw it in her face, when Kenny stopped her. Reminding her that she really didn't need to be arrested for assault mid-flight.

Even now while they were standing in front of the baggage claim, Evie would not stop fussing. She wouldn't sit still in her stroller nor would she stop wriggling when held. She was unhappy no matter where they set her down. "Evangeline, parrar de una vez! Come on, baby girl. Behave for Mama! Please," Angela urged, trying to bounce her on her hip while handing her a pacifier. Evie wasn't having it though, she wanted to be free. "I'm not puttin' you down, Monk. This floor is disgusting and we're just getting our bags then you'll go meet Auntie Jojo, okay? Just calm the fuck down." (Stop already!)

Kenny came with one of his bags, a small smile playing on his face. She gave him a murderous glare. "Laugh all you want, but you might be short a baby sister in a minute," she threatened, still trying to appease Evie with a stuffed animal. She caught a stranger glaring at her, and she glared right back. "I'm joking, asshole! You try holding a screaming baby for three hours!"

"Ma, relax. Where are we meeting Aunt Jo?" he asked, hauling their last bag back to her and putting it on their cart.

"I don't know. I don't know anything right now," she said, obviously frazzled.

A rough chuckle from behind them made Angela whip around, ready to murder whoever dared laugh at their misfortune. "Looks like someone had a nice flight over," Jo drawled as she approached them, a wry smile on her face.

Angela felt a rush of relief take over her as she balanced the crying, squirming baby on her hip. "Man, am I glad to see you," she said, smiling as Jo gave her a one armed hug. "Evie, this is your Auntie Jojo. Can you stop crying and say 'hi'?"

"Hey pretty girl," Jo cooed, gently touching Evie's fist.

Evie quieted, her dark eyes big as they looked over Jo's face. She put her fist in her mouth, burying her face into Angela's neck, suddenly too shy to make any more noise. Angela laughed a bit, feeling a little crazed at the total change in her daughter's personality. "Now you're quiet, you little monster," she muttered to her baby.

Kenny chuckled as he stepped closer to Jo, shifting from foot to foot nervously. "Hey Jo. I'm..."

"I know who you are, Kenny," Jo said with a big smile. Juice's smile. She gave the young boy a tight hug, mussing his hair lovingly. "Welcome to the family. All three of yous. C'mon, let's go 'fore I get in trouble. I parked like shit."

He chuckled in response, exchanging an excited glance with Angela. She smiled back at him, thanking God for whoever put the young kid in her path. He'd helped her through the whole trip. Taking turns walking Evie up and down the aisle, lugging their bags without complaining once. She loved him for that. "Thanks, kiddo," she murmured as they followed Jo. "Couldn't have done this without you."

He grinned back, a soft blush coloring his cheeks. "Anything for my family."

Angela fought the urge to laugh when she saw the big purple SUV parked halfway on the curb with Jo standing behind the open back door looking proud as ever. "You weren't kidding about the parking job," she teased on a laugh.

"Those back up cameras can only do so much," Jo explained on a dismissive shrug of her shoulder. She nodded to Kenny. "Why don't you put your sister in the car seat and take a nap? She'll konk right out as soon as she's sitting. Watch."

"I sure as hell hope so. I swear to God, she's been the perfect baby since she was born. Always smiling and happy," Angela explained, helping Jo pack while Kenny did what he'd been told. "This is the first time she's flipped on me like that."

"Over stimulation," Jo explained, closing the back door. They both went to their respective sides of the car. She jumped in at the same time Angela was buckling up. "Way too many things happening at once. Trying to process it all can make an adult's head spin, and she's a baby. Plus the pressure change wreaks havoc on their ears. They don't know what's going on so they freak out."

She raked her hands through her hair, looking over her shoulder to where Evie was sound asleep in her car seat, Kenny sleeping peacefully with his head against it. "Yeah, guess so," she commented around a yawn. She was too tired to stop herself. Not only had she gotten minimal sleep before the flight; she hadn't been able to sleep at all on the plane. She was thoroughly exhausted and felt guilty as hell for not being as awake and alert for Jo, especially since they'd just met for the first time in person. "Sorry. 'm usually more...awake."

Jo gave her a warm smile. "Nothin' to be sorry about, sis," she said on a laugh. "I know a thing or two about baby meltdowns. I have twins, remember?"

Angela laughed a bit and nodded. "Mikey and Donnie, right?" she asked, hoping she got the names right. It was strange to her how easy it was to fall into conversation with Jo; it was like they'd know each other forever.

"Yup! My Ninja Turtles," she answered proudly. "They're at an overnight for nerd camp, so you won't meet 'em 'til tomorrow which will give you some time to get used to all this 'fore they come in and drive you crazy with questions. Inquisitive little shits."

Her smiled faded a bit, that familiar ache filling her heart. Juice should've been there. He would've loved to meet his nerdy nephews. "I'm sure they're great."

"They're somethin' all right," she muttered in response before sighing. "So here's the situation. D and I just bought the house next door. Guy lived with his Ma, his mom died so he wanted to move somewhere smaller. The place's got beds and furniture, everythin'. You guys can stay there instead of the craziness that is my house."

Angela was touched by the offer, but it was too much. She hadn't expected for her to have a whole house for them to stay at. "You don't have to do that, Jo. We'll be fine at your place," she assured her. "Don't want to make a mess of the house if you're going to sell it later."

She waved off her concern. "It's already set up. Got Mikey's old crib in there since my other little monster's has teeth marks in it. Is Eves teething yet?"

She smirked at the quick change in subjects; Juice tended to do that when he was done talking about something too. His transitions were never as smooth as Jo's, but it was a trait they shared. She mentally cursed herself; she had to stop thinking about him, or she was going to burst into tears. "Yeah," Angela replied, sighing as she ran a hand through her hair. "Which might be another reason she was flipping out on the plane. I swear to God, I'm already dreading the ride home. I'm going to have to knock her out."

Jo chuckled, her dark eyes lifting to the rearview mirror. "So don't go back."

"Jo..."

"Nah, c'mon Angie. Don't act like you aren't thinkin' about it," she said on a scoff.

Angela looked at the window, watching as the world flew past. She took in a deep breath and shrugged a shoulder. "My family's in California. My job. Everything."

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind you moving away from a place that causes you more shit than its worth. As for work, Austin's got funeral homes. Plenty of 'em. I'm sure they could use a hand," she encouraged, smiling at her. "You don't gotta suffer, Ang. Get outta there 'fore you get more hurt than you are already."

"I'll keep it in mind," she gave in, smiling a bit herself as the burden on her shoulders lightened just a bit. It felt good to make plans for the future. Plans that didn't involve Charming or the chaos that SAMCRO wreaked on her life. At Jo's fist pump, she quickly added, "No promises though."

"Just think about it. 's all I ask."

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

After settling into the beautiful house next door to Jo's, Jo took them all on a quick tour of the city. Showing them the ropes and making sure they had a hearty barbeque meal at one of the best places in town. Angela couldn't help but laugh at the excitement on Kenny's face. The teen was obviously enjoying being out of California and experiencing new things. It was the first time she'd seen the young "kid" in him come out since his father had passed away. She had to admit, she could see them living there; it looked like a fun town. A good, safe place for her kids to grow up in, far away from the toxicity of Charming.

They'd come back to Jo's place thoroughly exhausted but armed with groceries. Jo insisted on making her mother-in-law's famous cannelloni, and Angela was more than happy to help her out while Evie and Kenny napped on the couch. A bottle of wine sat open on the kitchen's island between the two women. They were drinking while they cooked, pouring more and more into their glasses as they went. It was damn good wine, and they both were buzzing happily as they got to know each other. They had a lot in common, and while Angela knew Jo would eventually bring up Juice, she was glad she hadn't done it yet. She was happy to just enjoy talking about nothing for a while, her hands busy washing whatever cooking utensils Jo dirtied.

Jo looked at the clock in the kitchen, a small smile on her face. "Dean will be home around five. He's excited to meet you. Wonka told him how much of a Star Wars geek you are."

"Did he?" Angela questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, I'm not a crazy fan like some people, but I love those movies."

"My husband is one of those crazy fans," Jo told her on a laugh. "Man's got the Rebel Alliance and the Jedi logo tatted on his forearms. I almost killed him for those. D wouldn't get matching tats 'cause he said they'll hurt too much, but he'll suffer through the pain for Star Wars."

She laughed in response, shaking her head at Jo. "What a wuss!"

"You and Wonka have matching tattoos?"

Angela bit the inside of her cheek, looking down at her ring finger as she thought of the night they got married. The night he'd inked his own initial into her skin. It'd been one of the sexiest things she'd ever seen him do. "Yeah," she rasped, swallowing hard. She held up her hand, showing off her ring finger. "He did this one himself."

Jo grabbed her hand and grinned. "Look at that! My baby brother, tattooing! And that rock! Holy shit! Guy knows how to pick a ring, huh? That black diamond is slick."

"Thanks," she said, trying to smile despite the awful tears pricking at her eyes. "I got his head tats on my back. Those things hurt."

"Let's see 'em," Jo said, smirking when Angela wiped her hands and pulled up the back of her shirt. "Look a hell of a lot better on your back than on that idiot's head, that's for damn sure. Gorgeous design, but I gotta tell ya, when I saw them on his head, I was fuckin' pissed," she said, shaking her head. "My brother's a good lookin' kid, y'know? But those tats...changed his whole look. I hate 'em."

"I loved 'em. Thought they were sexy as hell. 'course he could've bleached his hair, and I still would've thought he was handsome."

Jo smiled a bit, a secret behind her eyes. "You really love 'im, don't you?"

"I do," she murmured, appreciative that Jo didn't use the past tense when referring to him. Her phone went off then. The loud Star Trek theme filling the room telling her it was Bones. "Sorry, its my assistant. I gotta get this. Hopefully he hasn't blown up the funeral home or anything."

"Sure thing. Why don't you take it next door? Get some privacy. I can watch the kids for a sec," Jo answered, nodding towards the living room. When she hesitated, Jo pushed her wine glass towards her. "Take the wine and go figure your work shit out. The kids'll be fine. They're passed out. How much trouble can they make?"

Angela laughed before sighing. "All right. I'll be right back. This shouldn't take long," she told her before heading towards the door, answering the phone as she went. "What's up Boner?"

"Hey! How's Texas?" Bones replied, though something in his voice told her that wasn't why he was calling.

Angela walked into the neighboring house, still feeling weird that she was staying at the empty house instead of with Jo and her family. It didn't really make any sense to her, but she wasn't going to turn it down. She didn't want to have to make Jo and her family suffer through Evie's crying. "Its good, Boner. Just like I told you when we landed. What's going on?"

"I don't really know how to say this," he started on a sigh. "And y'know, it might be good news to you. I don't know."

She didn't like the sound of that. Happy immediately jumped to the front of her mind. Had something happened to him? She might be pissed as hell at him for everything he'd done, but she didn't want anything to happen to him. "You're scarin' me, dude. What happened?"

He sucked in an audible breath, letting it out slowly. "Y'know Jax Teller?"

"Yeah," she drawled out, kicking her shoes off as soon as she stepped through the front door. "What does that asshole want now?"

"Nothing," he blurted out. " 'cause he's uh...he's dead."

There went her happy buzz. She felt like someone had knocked the wind out of her. Jax was dead. Jax--the source of every bad thing that happened to her--was dead. "H-how?"

Bones cleared his throat, and she could picture him shifting from foot to foot. "He ran into a semi...or the semi ran into him. Cause of death isn't up yet, but I heard it was a suicide. That he went into incoming traffic with his arms wide open while police were chasing him down for something. Crazy, huh?"

"Goddamn," she murmured, trying to wrap her head around it. After all he'd done to protect his sons, he went and killed himself. What were the kids going to do without him? "Selfish motherfucker. What kind of shape is he in?"

"He's a freakin' mess, Ang. I mean, you could probably fix it, but its way beyond me. You want pictures? You can coach me through it if you want. Wendy said she only wants an open casket if I can do it. She's not picky though."

Angela ran her fingers through her hair, closing her eyes as she took in a deep breath. The weight she'd shed when they got to Austin fell heavy on her shoulders again. She felt like she was drowning; it was all too much. Juice was dead because of Jax. Now Jax was dead which made Juice's death even worse; how could he have taken Juice away from her, from his famly, and then go and kill himself? It wasn't fair! "What a selfish fucking asshole! How could he do that to his boys? How could he...I just got away Boner. I don't want anything to do with him. I don't want to have anything to do with SAMCRO ever again! I'm done with them and all of this shit!"

"I know, Ang!" Bones interjected quickly as if he knew she was about to rant. "I'm sorry! I just...thought you should know!"

She let out a long breath, feeling horrible for exploding on Bones for something that wasn't his fault. "Sorry. It all just hit me at once."

"No, its good to hear you angry. Most emotion I've heard from you since you lost Juice, to be honest," he said on a chuckle. "So I take it you don't want me to send you the pictures."

She laughed a bit, feeling a little crazy as she looked out the kitchen window at the peaceful backyard. "No. No pictures please. Just embalm and bury his ass."

"Surprised you even want that for him."

"I don't. I want that for his kids. They deserve to have a place to visit him. If it weren't for them, I'd tell you to cremate him and throw him in the nearest trash can," she explained with a smirk.

Bones laughed, the sound of it lifting her spirit some. "Just toss him in some septic tank."

"Flush him straight down the toilet," she chimed in, laughing a bit before sighing. "We're going to hell for that."

"Nah. After everythin' he did to you, he deserves it," he scoffed. "So how are you really? Are things as bizarre there as Kenny makes it seem? He says you guys are staying in a house all to yourselves? One that's eerily set up like you could move in at any moment."

Angela looked around at the house, thinking about Jo's suggestion. "I think that's what Jo wants, to be honest."

"Was afraid of that," he admitted softly. "But, hey, if it makes you happy, then you should do it."

"I'm coming back, Boner. You have my dog, remember?"

Bones chuckled and sighed. "He's such an awesome dog too. You sure you don't just want to stay there? I'm more than happy to keep Rigs here with me. We make an awesome team!"

She smiled, already picturing Rigor running around in the spacious backyard. "Funny joke. I'm taking my dog back. He's my first baby, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fun sucker."

"Uh-huh. How's Ellie?"

"Oh. Um. She's...well...y'know..." he sputtered.

She could practically see him turning bright red. "Tell her I say 'hi', and that we're all good here."

"Yeah. Totally. Will do," he replied quickly. "So I gotta go work, but I'll talk to you later, yeah?"

"Good luck, kiddo. Try to fix Jax up, Bones. I know you can do it. You got more skills than you think you do," she encouraged him, running her finger around the rim of her wine glass. "I got total faith in you."

"Thanks, Ang," he said, a smile in his voice. "Good luck over there. Have fun with them cowboys!"

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

Juice got out of Dino's Tesla Roadster with a grunt. He knew carpooling with his brother in law was good for the environment, but he hated the days Dino drove his sports car into work to "make a good impression" on clients. As cool as the car looked, it was way too small for Juice's comfort. He didn't trust anything that was so closed up and road so low to the ground, he needed something more substantial. God, did he miss his Dyna. He missed the freedom of riding, the wind whipping around him as he sped around. There was nothing else like it. As soon as he got his family back, he was going to buy himself a Harley. Maybe something a little showier than his black Dyna this time since he didn't have the club's guidelines to hold him back.

Dino stretched his arms over his head as he got out of the car, cracking his back in the process. "Jo said she wants you to come over 'fore you head home. Somethin' she wants to ask you," he said, gesturing for Juice to follow him to his house.

He cast a glance at his own house, frowning at the light that was on. That was odd. He was meticulous about turning his lights off. He hated wasting electricity and hated paying extra for it especially if it could be prevented. "I'll talk to her tomorrow, D," he answered distractedly. He was ready to go home, turn off all the lights and just get in bed. "I'm fuckin' beat."

"Dude, don't make her come after you. You know she will," he insisted, running a hand through his thick hair. "Just come and get it over with so you can go home. My boys are at a sleepover, and I'd like to spend some 'quality time' with my wife if you catch my drift."

He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Oh gross, man."

"C'mon, if your wife was here, you'd think the same thing."

"If my wife was here, I wouldn't be making you come over, that's for damn sure," he muttered, following him up the walk. "Gotta make up for lost time 'n' all. I miss her like crazy."

Dino chuckled, shaking his head. "It's a wonder you only have one kid."

"Two," Juice corrected on a shrug. He'd been elated when Jo told him Kenny's adoption papers had gone through, and he was officially a dad again. It was yet another moment he'd missed, and he'd be damned if he missed anymore.

"You know what I meant," he replied on a scoff as he opened the front door. "Josie?"

"Kitchen!" her voice came back in reply.

Juice trudged back to the kitchen, mentally preparing himself for whatever his sister wanted to talk to him about. Lately all she seemed to do was lecture him. He was starting to remember why he'd stopped talking to her to begin with. She was always on his ass about something or other. He knew it came from a place of love, but, man, could that woman nag. She practically had her PhD in it. "Look, Jo, can you make this fast? I'm fuckin'--"

"Holy shit! Juice?" a voice interjected from the living room.

He froze at the exclamation; he hadn't been called 'Juice' in weeks. The only people who called him that were still in Charming. Unless...he looked over to the living room, shocked to find Kenny standing there, his hazel eyes wide. "Holy shit," Juice echoed, crossing the room towards him. "You're here!"

Kenny nodded, standing awkwardly with his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, we um..."

Juice didn't let him finish as he grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug. "Can't believe you're here," he said pushing him away and holding him at arm's length. "Look at you! You must've grown like a foot since I last saw you!"

"And you're alive!" Kenny exclaimed, at ease now after receiving such a warm greeting. "Holy shit! Ang is gonna freak! She's been...and you've been here the whole time?"

"Yeah, I...I've been here. Waitin' on you guys," he answered on a nod, his heart hammering in his chest. If Kenny was here, that meant his girls were there too! "Heard you're officially my son now, too! That's fuckin' awesome, Ken!"

"Thanks," he replied, a blush coloring his cheeks. "Changed my name too. Hope you don't mind too much. Know you didn't really get a say."

Juice grinned widely at him and shook his head. "Couldn't be happier to have another Ortiz."

"Speaking of Ortiz's," Jo said from behind him. "Look who's here, Eva. Is that your Daddy? Is that your Da-da?"

His heart rose in his throat when he heard the little voice babble back. "Da-da-da."

Turning around, he felt his eyes water when he saw Evie perched on his sister's hip. His little girl looked like she'd grown up a lot since she'd last seen her. Her dark hair was longer now and pulled up in two adorable pigtails with bows and everything. No longer was she a silent newborn, she was a talking almost-toddler! He couldn't believe it. Her dark eyes looked him over curiously as he took a step towards her. "Hi Monk," he greeted softly, wanting desperately to hold her but not wanting to freak her out if she wasn't ready. "Hey baby girl. Remember me? I'm your Daddy. I'm your Da-da."

Evie reached out tentatively, her little fingers touching his nose. "Da-da," she repeated, grinning back at him. She reached her other arm to him, grabbing at him. "Da-da-da."

Juice smiled as he took her into his arms, pressing a big kiss to her cheek as he held her close to him. "That's right, Eves. Da-da. That's me. I'm here, baby girl," he murmured, nuzzling his nose against her temple. She gripped onto the front of his plaid button up, looking back up at him with a huge smile. He kissed her chubby cheek again, smiling when she giggled in response. "Love you so much, Monk. You have no idea."

"Hey Eves," Kenny said, catching the baby's attention. "Give Daddy besos."

He raised an eyebrow at the younger man and then chuckled as Evie pressed a slobbery, open mouthed kiss to his cheek. "You giving kisses now, Monk? Wow! Your kiss is almost as good as your Mama's," he cooed to her, laughing through the tears in his eyes. He scanned the room, searching for the one person missing from the equation. She had to be there for this to be real. For this to be complete. He looked to his sister for a moment. "Where's Angel?"

Jo wiped at the tears on her cheeks, sniffling a bit as she leaned into her husband. "She's next door. She had a work call, so I sent her over there for some privacy."

His heart started beating faster in his chest. His wife was next door. He was finally going to be able to see her face to face, finally going to tell her he was alive and chase away the sadness he'd heard in her voice those times he'd listened in on her calls with Jo. "She's just...holy shit. Can I..."

"Go," Jo ordered with an encouraging nod.

He didn't need to be told twice. He started heading towards the door with Evie still in his arms. "Let's go see Mama, Monk. I think she's going to be excited, huh? Not mad. Mama's not going to be mad at Daddy, I hope," he talked to Evie, grinning when she babbled back.

"Hey Jay!" Dino called after him, just before he got to the door. " 'member what you said about your wife? Makin' up for lost time 'n' all that?"

Juice paused at the door, fighting the urge to grin as Evie's little hand made it way to his mouth. He kissed her little fingers lovingly. "What?" he asked, so entranced by his daughter that he didn't quite understand what Dino was implying.

"Leave the princess here. Trust me on this one. You're gonna want some alone time with wifey," he explained, winking at him as he held his arms out to Evie.

Evie looked at him curiously but didn't reach for him; she was too busy loving on her Daddy. Juice hated to let her go, but he had a point; he needed some alone time with his wife especially since he didn't know how she'd react to seeing him. The last thing he wanted was for Evie to have to witness her Mom having a total freak attack. "Guess you're right," he mumbled, kissing Evie's forehead. "Baby girl, go to your Uncle Dino."

"C'mon princess," Dino coaxed, easily taking her from Juice.

He immediately missed her warmth. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest as she fussed a bit, reaching back for him. "D..."

"She's fine. Relax. Get outta here and go see your wife! Make up for lost time!"

Juice chuckled and nodded. "See you guys in a few hours," he said winking at his brother-in-law.

Dino waved him away with a big grin on his face. "Go, ya scoundrel!"

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

Angela hung up the phone with a small smile. Despite the heaviness of the call, Bones always had a way of making her smile. With a sigh, she took a long sip of her wine, closing her eyes as she savored the taste. Now that the initial shock had worn off, she could feel her buzz creeping back in.

She looked around mostly empty kitchen, taking in all the little details. Modern electric stove, dark granite counters with an island in the middle just like she'd always wanted. The house itself was beautiful. A nice two story place with four bedrooms and a huge living room complete with dark red, leather couches and a big flat screen. It was spotlessly cleaned and screamed "model house", but she could fix that with a few homey accessories. Jo's idea of moving out there was starting to look better and better. If she sold the house in Charming and dipped into some of her savings, she could definitely put a down payment on the place. It was a good place for a fresh start for all of them. She liked the idea of being close to Jo and her family. It'd be nice to have them right next door so their kids could grow up together. Juice would've loved it. He'd have had the family he'd always wanted with the house they'd always talked about. And they'd have more kids. Fill the place with them. She could practically see them running around the pool, laughing as they splashed around.

Tears blurred her vision, marring the imaginary scene in her mind. "Fuck," she murmured, wiping at her eyes. What she was picturing would never happen. It couldn't. He was gone. There'd be no more kids. It was just the three of them now. Kenny and Evie were the only two kids she'd have running around for the rest of her life. As much as Chloe and Lino tried to convince her to move on and find someone new, there's no way she'd ever be able to do it. Juice was her soul mate. No one else could fill the hole in her heart he'd left behind. She'd have to do it all alone.

"Angel?"

The familiar voice sent shivers down her spine. She smiled to herself as a wave of calm washed over her. For weeks, she'd been trying to find his presence, and for the first time, she felt it. Felt it as though he was right behind her. It was like a sign encouraging her to make the move. He wanted her to be there. That was why he was coming to her now. Either that or she'd had way too much wine.

"Angel."

She opened her eyes; there was that voice again. Louder this time. Just how much wine did she have? It must've been a lot to make her hear Juice's voice like she was. Her lack of sleep could've contributed to it too. She'd hadn't had a full night's sleep since he'd died. Maybe she was delirious. She had to be. There was no other way to explain it. A part of her wanted to turn around and double check that he wasn't actually there, but a stronger part wanted to continue the charade. If she turned around, she knew she'd find an empty hallway. At least this way, she could pretend he was actually there.

A warm hand settled on her shoulder, gently forcing her to turn around, forcing her to face reality. She kept her eyes closed anyway, knowing she must look like a crazy person to whoever was there but wanting to keep the illusion going just a little more.

"Angel, open your eyes, baby," his voice urged.

Taking in a shaky breath, she opened her eyes and was met with his light brown eyes staring back at her. Her breath caught in her throat. It was him. Really him. Looking just as handsome as he had the first day she'd seen him. More hair and nicer clothes this time, but it was him all the same. "Juice?" she breathed, saying his name for the first time since she'd lost him.

He dropped his hand from her shoulder, nodding slowly, a smile spreading across his face. "Hey baby."

A jolt went through her; she was either hallucinating or her dead husband was not so dead after all. She raked her hand through her hair, her heart beating quickly in her chest as she struggled to make sense of what she was seeing. There was no way this was real. "Shit, I drank a lot of wine," she murmured, closing her eyes again to see if he'd disappear when she opened them. He didn't.

He chuckled, his smile causing butterflies to flutter in her stomach. " 's not the wine, Angel. It's me. I'm here," he stated, reaching out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. "This is real."

Angela was surprised by how quickly anger swept through her. He was alive. She'd been through hell and back thinking he was dead, had practically starved herself, and he'd been here. Alive and breathing in Texas happy as can be whilst she'd been suffering in pure agony thinking she'd lost him. How could he have put her through that? He had to have known how much she was hurting; why had he let her suffer like that?

She pushed him away forcefully, suddenly not wanting him anywhere near her. For weeks, she'd thought of nothing more than him coming back to her. Now that he was actually there, she was furious. "Don't touch me," she seethed, trying her best to control her anger. It was overwhelming though, making it hard for her to breathe. "Don't...you've been here! You've been here happy and alive while I've been...I've been slowly dying on the inside thinking I'd lost you!"

"Angel, I..."

"How could you do that to me?" she demanded, hating the tears of frustration that had sprung to her eyes. "How could you...do you have any idea how much that hurt? To live without you? Thinking I'd lost you forever?"

Juice's mouth hung open, clearly this was not what he'd expected. She couldn't blame him, her own anger surprised her. "Angel, I'm sorry. You couldn't know. Jax would know I was alive, and he-he would do anything to keep you away from me," he explained, his eyes big and glassy. "I wanted to tell you! You gotta know that! I've been beating myself up over leaving you there alone. Hated that you were hurtin' without me. But I couldn't change it, Angel. I didn't want to jeopardize our shot at a happy ending."

Angela wiped at her eyes, taking in a deep breath as she tried to calm down. "Goddamn Juice," she murmured, his name getting caught in her throat. The anger was quickly fading as relief took its place. It was all over. He was there. He was safe. She didn't have to suffer any more. "Do you have any idea how much I missed you?"

He moved closer to her, reaching out to grab her left hand, his thumb smoothing over her wedding ring. "Yeah, I kinda do," he rasped, his eyes meeting hers. He smiled a bit, looking at their hands. "Killed me to be away from you. But I knew it was for the best. You got no idea how hard it's been for me to stay dead to you. Wanted to call every day, but I knew I couldn't. Not if I wanted this to work. Not if I wanted to give us a chance. I love you, Angel. This is our chance to start over again. Away from Charming, away from SAMCRO, just you, me, and the kids. You gotta understand why I did it."

She nodded slowly, using her free hand to wipe away her tears. "Love you too," she croaked, squeezing his fingers with hers. She reached out to touch his cheek, enjoying the warm feel of his skin, the prickle of the scruff around his chin. She let go of his hand, putting her hand on his chest, just over his heart needing to feel his heartbeat just to make sure she wasn't dreaming. "This doesn't feel real."

"I know," he said on a chuckle, his hand settling over hers. "But it is. I promise."

A small smile graced her face as she looked from his hand up to his face. "I saw the blood, I...they gave me your rings," she murmured in disbelief. "What happened?"

"Hap 'n' Tig let me go."

"Hap?" she repeated softly, still trying to comprehend everything. Happy had told her he was dead, Tig had confirmed it. Neither of them had ever let on that he was alive. They'd let her suffer through losing him, missing him, and had never said one word. Why would they do that? It didn't make sense. Happy would never go against the club's wishes. He was loyal to a fault. Him letting Juice go was incomprehensible. He didn't do shit like that. "How did they...Hap just...let you go? Just like that? Why?"

"They let me go," he affirmed, brushing a stray hair from her cheek. "For you. Hap let me go for you. He loves you, Angel. He just wants you to be happy."

A twinge of guilt filled her; she'd treated Happy like shit for weeks, yet he'd been the one to save Juice. For her. The whole thing felt surreal. "I can't believe it," she admitted on a soft chuckle, a tear escaping her hold and sliding down her cheek. "He just...and you're here. If this is some wine-induced dream, I'm gonna kill Jo when I wake up."

Juice gave her a full fledged smile, making her heart do flip flops. " 's not a dream, baby. Promise," he assured her, wiping away the tear. "Can't get rid of me that easy."

A light laugh escaped her hold as she stared at him in wonder, still in disbelief he was really there. "Thank God," she rasped, her eyesight getting blurry. She blinked quickly, not wanting to distort the sight of his face.

"Love you, Angel," he said pulling her in closer. "Never gonna leave you again."

She crumpled against him as it all sunk in. The tears she cried into his chest were not out of sadness but out of pure relief. He was there. He was alive. Every weight that had been sitting heavily on her shoulders since his supposed "death" melted away, leaving her feeling utterly weightless. He was there now. They were together again. Everything was going to be okay. They were going to be okay.

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

Juice held onto her tightly as she cried into his chest, nuzzling his nose into her hair and breathing in her warm, comforting scent. Tears of his own fell steadily down his face as he held her close. He felt like it'd been years since he'd last gotten to hold her, since he'd last gotten to feel her heart beating against his chest. "I'm sorry," he whispered, stroking his hand over her hair as he kissed her temple. "I love you, Angel. So much."

She pulled away just a little, tilting her head back so their eyes could meet. "Love you, too," she murmured, reaching up to hold his face in her hands.

He wanted to kiss her, wanted to so badly, but he also wanted her to make the first move. He knew her brain was on sensory overload, and he didn't want to rush her into anything. Her dark eyes studied his face, taking it all in for a brief moment before she gently brushed her lips against his. A test, he was sure. He kissed her back just as softly. She pulled away, a tear slipping down her cheek as she smiled.

"Un beso mas," he pleaded, smiling when she laughed. (One more kiss.)

Her hand moved to the back of his neck, pulling him towards her again, her lips crashing against his in a stronger, hotter kiss. Her lips molded to his in the way they always had, giving him that warm, fuzzy feeling inside. He traced his tongue across her lower lip before sliding into her mouth. She tasted like heaven, like home. Her tongue met his, massaging it gently, and he couldn't help but moan into her mouth. It'd been far too long since they'd last been together.

He smoothed his hands down her side, grabbing at the hem of her button down shirt and easily tearing it open without breaking the kiss once. She did the same, ripping open his shirt and pulling away to laugh as the buttons rained down around them. He slid his hand around her back, pressing on her lower back to urge her closer as he caught her lips in another kiss while she pushed his shirt off his shoulders. He moved his mouth to her neck, slowly pushing down her own shirt while he put his hands over one lace covered breast. "Goddamn, Angel," he murmured against her warm skin.

"Bedroom," she ordered, her hand slipping under his undershirt, fingernails scraping over his abs in a way that was driving him crazy.

He grabbed at her thighs, lifting her up easily and allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist. Their room was upstairs, but there was no way he was going to wait that long. He carried her to the nearest guest room, gently laying her down on the plush bed before climbing on top of her. They were a jumble of limbs, their hands all over each other as they familiarized themselves once again.

She was thinner than before, he realized. Her ribs more prominent under her skin in a way that worried him. Had she been eating? It certainly didn't look like it. He ran his hands over them, kissing his way between the valley of her breasts. He was making her eat a huge plate of Jo's spaghetti and meatballs as soon as he could.

"Juice?" she breathed, her fingernails raking through his hair as she looked up at him, a hint of insecurity in her gaze.

"You're beautiful, baby," he told her, kissing her deeply. "Missed you so much."

Angela's hands dropped down to the waist of his jeans, her hand deftly undoing the button with practiced ease. "Missed you too."

"We're safe here, Angel. Promise you that," he promised, kissing her again. "Gonna finally be a family. Gonna give you the life you deserve. We're gonna be happy."

Angela smiled back up at him, her eyes dark with lust as she brushed her fingers across his cheek. "You have no idea how good that sounds."