Kenny stared out the window as the scenery whipped by him. Chloe was driving a little fast, nowhere near as fast as Angela would drive, but fast enough that they'd probably get to their destination earlier than expected especially since Ellie was currently behind the wheel of the U-haul following them. He glanced at Chloe out of the corner of his eye wondering how long it would take for her to break the silence. Angela had warned him Chloe was one for deep questions and meaningful talks, but she'd yet to say a word to him other than ask what kind of music he liked. But that had been hours ago, and he could tell she was getting antsy.

Finally, she cleared her throat. "So, how'd your friends take your big move?"

He shot Angela a quick text, telling her they'd made it four hours before Chloe decided to talk. Angela's immediate response was: Be nice. Talk to her like you talk to me. The added smiley poop emoji making him smile a bit. Sighing, he raked a hand through his hair and decided to do just what his new mom told him to. "What friends?"

Chloe grimaced, her thumb tapping nervously on the steering wheel. "Oh, I'm sure a nice guy like you had a bunch of friends."

That's where she was wrong. He might be a 'nice guy', but everyone at his old school only saw one thing when they looked at him, biker trash. "I got Bones, El, and Piper. But Pipes is Lyla's kid, and we lived together so he doesn't really count."

"Really?"

He sighed again, messing with the large ring on his finger that had once belonged to his real dad. "Yeah. Everyone at school knew who my family was. Knew what happened to my mom, to my dad, to my grandpa. People either weren't allowed to hang out with me or only wanted 'cause they thought I'd take 'em to the clubhouse or 'cause they wanted to be SAMCRO when they grew up," he explained, shaking his head. "Pipes buys into it. Him and his friends talk about joinin' the club all the time, but I hate that fake bullshit. Boner was the first guy I met who had no idea who I was. Shit, he didn't even know anything about the Sons 'cept that they ride bikes and wear matching uniforms, which is what he called their cuts."

Chloe snorted a laugh. "Yeah, he's a little oblivious."

"Yeah. Think that's why El likes him too."

"Their whole thing doesn't bother you?"

He smirked, remembering when Ellie had asked him if it was okay if they started seeing each other. He'd been prepared for the question seeing as Bones had already asked him. To be honest, he didn't give a shit. He just wanted Ellie to be happy. After all the heartbreak they'd been through, she deserved it. And he knew Bones wouldn't hurt her. Ever. It was more likely she'd end up hurting him, which he knew wouldn't happen either. They were a good fit for each other and knowing they were together made it that much easier to leave her behind in Charming. "Nah. She's happy. 's all that matters."

"You're a good brother, Ken."

Kenny shrugged again. Being a good brother wasn't hard. In fact, it was Ellie who should be praised for being such a supportive sister. She hadn't batted an eye when he'd told her he wanted Angela and Juice to adopt him. She'd even helped him talk to Lyla about it. He'd tried like hell to convince El to get in on the adoption, but she'd refused; she liked the independence that living with Lyla provided her and wanted to finish her last year of high school in Charming since she actually had friends there...not to mention Bones was there too. But she'd understood his need to get away and had helped in every step of the process. "Thanks."

He looked out the front window, staring at the Reaper on Happy's back as he rode in front of them. "Why Uncle Hap?"

Chloe coughed and sputtered at the seemingly random question. "What?"

He bit back the urge to laugh. "Hap and the club...you really want to jump into that?"

Regaining her composure, she shrugged. "Surprisingly, Hap's a really good gu--"

"I know he's a good guy," he cut her off quickly; he'd heard more then enough stories from Angela to prove that. "What I mean is...you saw what Ang went through with Juice and the club and all. Why would you want to be a part of that?"

"That's a really good question, and I don't have an answer for it," she replied, fiddling with her AC control. "I'm not actually a part of it, anyway. Not really. I mean, Hap brought me in just as everything was falling apart. He keeps me pretty separate from them. Kinda like he did with Ang."

Kenny wanted to warn her against it, tell her all the dangers that came with being an Old Lady, but he knew it was useless. Chloe had to know them already, she'd seen Angela fall apart, gone to a few lockdowns, probably knew all about what happened to the SAMCRO Old Ladies who went before her. If she still wanted to be with Happy after all that, who was he to stop her? "Whatever," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Just don't get killed."

"You are a ball of sunshine, Kenny Ortiz," she teased, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

He grinned at his new name, loving the sound of it. It sounded like freedom. Like a fresh start. Guilt hit him hard; did loving his new name mean he loved his old family less? "Is it bad that I like the way that sounds?" he asked. He'd talked about it with Angela before, but he had a feeling his new mom would say whatever she could to make him feel better. Chloe might give him a straighter answer. "Like, I loved my real Mom and Pops and grandpa, but after everything that happened to them, Winston feels like a fucking curse."

Chloe bobbed her head. "I get it," she stated simply. He turned his head to look at her, expecting more of an answer. Most adults tries to sympathize by telling him a story about how they could relate. She smirked at him. "Yeah, I don't have some bullshit anecdote to add on to that. Nothing I've been through relates to what you have other than the fact I have stupid siblings that make me wish I had a different last name some times...but that's not the same at all."

He let out a sigh of relief, thankful for her response. "Not even close." His text message alert went off, and he glanced down at it. "They're boarding now. Hopefully Monk does better on this flight for Ma's sake. I did my best on our flight there and back, but she hates it."

She smiled warmly at him. "I'm sure she'll be missing her big brother on this flight."

He grinned, looking out the window for a moment. "You know what I'm most excited about?"

"Hm?"

He bit at the inside of his cheek, hesitating a bit at revealing one thing that had been on his mind since he'd signed the adoption papers. "Having parents again," he admitted, feeling a little stupid for it. Chloe's responding smile encouraged him to continue. "Like real parents. The kind that give a shit about my grades and go to my sports games and yell at me when I do stupid shit and throw birthday parties and...all that. My real mom was like that. She always made sure we were happy, that we knew she was there supporting us."

"Be careful what you wish for. I got a feeling Ang will be on your ass about grades 'n' I can guarantee her and Juice will be at every single game and event you got. Both of 'em cheering obnoxiously with Evie dressed up like a little cheerleader or somethin'."

Kenny grinned widely at the thought of it. "I can't wait."

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

Juice couldn't stand still as he waited in the baggage claim area of the airport. Dino stood beside him looking every bit as anxious as Juice felt. Neither of them had fared well without their wives. Dino wasn't much of a cook so Donnie and Mikey were living off of pizza and takeout for a few days. Juice had tried to cook for them, but they'd taken one look at his organic meal and begged their dad for pizza. He hadn't taken offense to it, just asked what they liked and decided to work on his chicken nugget and handmade pizza recipes. The boys loved them, and he couldn't wait to test them out on Ken and Evie...as soon as she grew enough teeth to enjoy them.

"When does their flight get in again?" he asked his brother-in-law.

Dino didn't even have to check his watch before he answered, "Five minutes. Ten minute walk from the plane through the terminal, five minutes to get to the baggage claim, maybe another two for them to find us."

Anyone else would've thought Dino was crazy for having the time down so perfectly, but Juice understood; he couldn't wait to see his wife either. "Hope Evie was fine on the plane."

"I'm sure she was fine. Josie's like the baby whisperer or somethin'."

"Hope so," he said on an exhale. He rocked up on his toes to see over the crowd. "I just want them to be okay."

Dino chuckled, slapping him on the back. "Crying or not, they're gonna be okay. Just relax, bro. You're stressin' me out."

"Sorry. It's just...this is it, y'know? They get here and everythin' I've ever dreamed of is...its real. I won't ever be alone again. I got a wife, a real family," Juice trailed off, swallowing hard at the idea of his dreams finally being realized. "It's all I ever wanted."

"And you're gettin' it. Chillax. They'll be here any minute."

He nodded quickly, his nerves still on edge. "What if they hate it here?"

"We already played this game, Jay. 'm not doin' it again," Dino said patiently.

Juice sighed, running a hand through his hair. Poor Dino had listened to him go through every 'what if' scenario he could think of on their way to the airport and had shot down every single one in the calmest, smartest manner. He was a nervous wreck as it was but without Dino there to calm him down, he would've been bouncing off the walls. "Yeah. Right. I got this."

"How you managed to do anything remotely criminal without getting an ulcer is beyond me," Dino mused around a laugh.

He smirked, shrugging a shoulder. "Its different. Was surrounded by brothers for that shit."

"Ah, and you're worried that after all the crazy stuff Ang has been through with you, its this final trip that's going to make her realize you're not worth it and throw the towel in?" he questioned sarcastically. "The guns, the kidnappings, the bombing, and the fake death were okay, but fuck this Texas bullshit. 's too much."

"Fair point," Juice gave in on a chuckle. "Where the hell are they?"

He heard Evie crying before he saw them. His baby girl was wriggling around in her mother's arms, screaming like a banshee. Angela looked exhausted, almost to the point of tears as she did her best to calm her daughter down. Her braided hair was an absolute mess, the braid coming apart, dark bags under her eyes, yet she still looked just as beautiful as she had the day he'd met her, still made his heart skip a beat. "Angel!" he shouted to her, waving furiously while Dino whistled to catch their attention.

Jo spotted them first, a small smile appearing on her face as she winked at Dino. She took Evie from Angela's arms, nodding her head towards them as she did so. A look of relief passed over Angela's face when she saw him, her lips moving in the familiar way they did when she said his name. Slowly, she worked her way through the crowd, picking up speed as she headed towards him. He could see the cheesy reunion coming a mile away and couldn't help but grin as she launched herself at him.

He laughed, catching her easily her and spinning her around while she laughed with him. He set her on her feet, happy to see her dark eyes sparkling with excitement as she looked up at him. Framing her face with his hands, he kissed her quickly, smiling when she leaned into him, her hands on his chest and kissed him back with just as much passion. "Missed you," he breathed, kissing her again just because he could.

"Missed you too, goof," she answered, a little breathless.

He put his forehead to hers, looking into her eyes as he tried to keep his cool. "Welcome home, baby."

"We did it!" she exclaimed, sniffling a bit as happy tears filled her eyes.

He swallowed back the lump in his throat, feeling tears of relief stinging his own eyes. After all they'd been through, having her back in his arms was the best prize he could ever dream of. "Can't believe it," he choked out, a tear escaping his hold.

Angela smiled warmly, reaching up to brush away his tears. "Believe it, baby." She kissed him again. "Its all over. We're going to be okay from here on out."

"Yeah," he croaked, sniffling a bit. "I love you, Angel. So much."

She wrapped her arms more tightly around him, leaning into his chest. "Love you too."

He held her close for a minute, burying a kiss into her hair before glancing over to where Jo and Dino were doing their absolute best to calm a still crying Evie. "Monk do all right?"

Angela laughed, pulling away from him a bit and shaking her head. "Not at all. The flight there? Totally fine. This flight? She was insane! I don't know what it is about the flight to Texas that pisses her off."

Juice frowned a bit, feeling suddenly sad. Why did his daughter only cry on the way to Texas? Could it be an omen? Maybe Evie didn't want to live there. Maybe it was a sign she was going to hate it. "What if she doesn't like Texas? Maybe that's why she's crying, y'know? She just...hates it here."

"She's not even a year old yet, goofy. It's more likely she just missed her daddy this time," she assured him with a warm smile. "She's going to love it here. I promise."

"And you? Texas is a hell of a lot different than California."

Angela gave him a nervous smile and shrugged. "I'll be fine, Juice. I got you, don't I?" she asked, kissing him again.

There was something in her gaze that made him think she was unsure, and it planted a seed of doubt in his head. What if she started to resent him for moving them away from her home and family? What if that resentment grew so much they fell apart in the process? "Angel, you--"

"Hey bro! Take your kid already so I can kiss my husband," Jo interrupted, her big grin taking the bite out of her words.

Juice grinned, dropping his arms from around Angela and stepping closer to Evie. His little girl reached her little hand out to him, smiling when he got close enough for her to grab his nose. "Oh now she smiles," Angela scoffed, rolling her eyes at her daughter. "Cried her eyes out the whole way over, but she sees her daddy, and she's all smiles. Typical."

He took his daughter into his arms with a chuckle, kissing her chubby cheek. "Hi Monk," he greeted, breathing in her lavender scent. "I hear you were a little monster on the plane, baby girl. Gotta be nicer to your Mama."

Evie smiled at her mother as she lay her head on his shoulder, her little hand going to her mouth, the picture of innocence. Angela smirked, brushing a hand over her daughter's dark hair. "Yeah, yeah. You're real cute now that your Daddy's here, ya little stinker."

"Da-da-da," Evie babbled, her fingers grabbing onto the front of Juice's shirt.

Juice laughed, kissing her head softly. "Yeah, Daddy's here, baby girl. You're home now."

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

Angela stood in the entryway of her new house unsure of what to do. Juice was up in their bathroom, taking a shower with Evie in the way he'd done ever since he learned he could. He'd said he wanted to catch up with her. Evie went along with him excitedly, chanting, 'Da-da-da' as she went.

So there she stood alone in her new, big house. Slowly, Angela started walking around the place, familiarizing herself with it. It felt huge. Bigger than any place she'd ever lived in before. Two stories, four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and a pool with a hot tub attached right in the middle of suburbia. It was the kind of place she'd always dreamed of having as a kid, a place she was happy to raise Evie in, even happier to have Ken spend the rest of his teenage years in. A nice, stable environment would be a good change for him. For all of them.

Shouldering her carry on bag, she made her way to their master bedroom where she could just make out Juice talking to Evie in the shower. While they were occupied, she started emptying the bag. There, tucked deep into the corner, she found a small, blue velvet jewelry box. "Weird," she muttered, trying to think of when she'd put it in there. She opened it, gasping softly at the gold bracelet that lay inside. It was tiny, definitely not made for her, with an ID band that had Evangeline, inscribed on it in beautiful script with a little heart cut out at the end of it. On the back was another inscription that read: Love, your Uncles HKT&Q. Tears came before she could stop them. After all they'd done for her, Evie's uncles had still gone to the trouble of giving her one more precious gift. She made a mental note to call and thank those stupid, sentimental bikers she'd left behind in Charming.

"Angel?" Juice's voice broke through her thoughts. Angela lifted her head, a shiver going through her at the sight of Juice's bare chest. She bit her lip, and he raised an eyebrow at her. "See somethin' you like, baby?"

Angela nodded, her eyes falling on Evie who was perched on his hip, wrapped up in a pink and white polka dotted robe with little Minnie Mouse ears and a bow on the hood she had pulled up over her head. "Just my precious little Minnie Mouse," she cooed going over to kiss her daughter's chubby cheek.

"Just Minnie Mouse?" he asked, reaching his free hand down to grab a handful of her ass.

She laughed, pecking his lips quickly. "Goofy too." She lifted the box, showing it to Juice while keeping it out of Evie's grasp. "Check out what Evie's Uncles got her."

Juice squinted his eyes as he read the back of it. "H, K, T, and Q. Hap, Koz, Tig, and Quinn. Shit, Monk, you got all the crazy ones lookin' after you. Lucky girl."

Evie grinned back at him, showing off her tiny bottom teeth. "Da-da-da," she babbled happily.

"I'm starting to think she doesn't know what that means," he muttered, a little crestfallen.

Angela smiled warmly, shaking her head. "Evie, where's your Da-da? Who's Da-da?" she asked her daughter.

Evie's dark eyes immediately went to Juice, her hand reaching in the air to slap his face. "Da-da."

"See? She knows. She just doesn't know much else. Jo said she'll probably say 'no' next, and then we're in for some trouble."

"Nah, Monk's never gonna say 'no' to me. Huh, baby girl? You'll never say no to Daddy," Juice said, bouncing Evie a bit so she giggled.

Angela rolled her eyes, gently pushing him away. "Go get her PJs on and then come talk to me, Daddy."

Juice gave her a quick kiss before going to do just that. She knew he was trying to make up for lost time with his daughter, and she was glad to give him every opportunity to do so. While he was gone, she grabbed the little lock box she had filled with her jewelry and opened it up, setting it on the bureau by the new jewelry box Juice had bought for them. She unlocked it easily, smiling a bit at the wad of cash and the check sitting on top. She picked up the cash, unrolling it and fanning it out in her hands.

"Woah," Juice voice's came from the doorway. "Lotta dough you got there. You rob a liquor store on your way over?"

She smiled a bit, remembering when they'd done just that. "Not this time." She handed him the check first. "From Tig and Quinn. They pawned off your tools. Told me to give this to you."

He read studied the check for a moment, cursing under his breath. "Damn, baby. This is a shit ton more than I paid for 'em."

"I'm sure Quinn helped influence the price if you catch my drift."

He chuckled softly. "He's one scary fucker. And the cash?"

She folded it back up and handed it over to him. "SAMCRO guilt money."

His eyes widened as he took it from her. "Guilt money? Shit, there's gotta be at least a grand in here."

She leaned against the bureau, watching him stare at the cash in wonder. "None of them feel right about what they did to you, Juice," she told him, choosing her words carefully. "You were a good brother to them, and they gave you nothing but crap in return."

"I'm not innocent in all of it either, Angel. You know that. This is too much."

Angela did her best to keep from getting angry at him. "Juice, they murdered you."

"Not really. I'm here aren't I?"

"You wouldn't be if they'd had their way."

"Not them. Just Jax," he pointed out, fiercely loyal to the very end.

"And Chibs."

Juice winced at the Scot's name, shaking his head a bit. "That one hurt the most," he admitted softly. He sniffed a bit before meeting her gaze and forcing a smile onto his face. "But that's in the past now. No use dwellin' on it. 'm not goin' back there."

She couldn't help the feeling of pride that came over her. The fact he wasn't defending Chibs was a big deal for him, bigger still was him wanting to leave it in the past. Juice had always been big on the "what ifs", but it seemed he was done with them where SAMCRO was concerned. With those final words, it felt like the SAMCRO chapter in their lives was finally over. He was working towards healing his own wounds and quickly moving on. It was something she hadn't expected but was happy to see. "That's right," she affirmed, grabbing his free hand with her own and giving it a squeeze. "And, hey, maybe you can put that money towards buying yourself a newer, fancier bike."

His dark eyes lit up with excitement for a moment before it quickly faded. "Baby, I don't need a new bike. We can put this towards a new car or the kids' college funds or something."

"I don't need a new car, Ken's got a huge college fund already thanks to Ope and Donna, and Evie's got eighteen more years before we even have to consider it. If you want a bike, now's the time to get it," she encouraged with a grin. "Unless you don't want one...I mean, if it reminds you of...everything, you don't have to get one..."

He smiled a little sadly, his eyes still on the cash in his hand. "Loved motorcycles before the club, actually. Ever since I was a kid. Me 'n' Jo did. Guy on our block had one 'n' me and Jo would run to the window every time he rode by. It was like the ultimate symbol of freedom. Bein' able to leave our shitty neighborhood and just...ride everywhere. No worryin' about traffic and shit. She was actually the first one to get one. Dino's dad gave her his old piece of shit Honda CBX. She 'n' one of D's brothers worked on it, fixed it up. Then, she gave it to me when I needed a way outta Queens. Thing lasted me all the way to California 'fore it broke down." He paused a bit, lost in his own memories before he sighed. "You sure you don't mind me usin' it on a bike?"

"Positive." She kissed his cheek quickly as she let go of his hand and went back to organizing her jewelry. "Just make sure it's got a comfy bitch seat for your Old Lady."

"Wife," he corrected, setting the cash on the bureau before leaning back against it so they were facing each other. At her questioning look, he explained, "Donna was an Old Lady, Tara was an Old Lady, Gemma was an Old Lady. You are my wife. My equal. 'm not gonna keep things from you anymore, baby. No more MC bullshit. We're just a normal family now."

"Weird," she murmured, more to herself then to him. She started putting things in the jewelry box, pausing only when his big hand covered hers, stopping her from moving. She glanced up at him, surprised by the worried look on his face. "What?"

"Are we gonna work without all the MC stuff?" he asked, fear in his dark eyes. "I mean...we've never been normal before...what if we can't make it? What if, as bad as it was, the club shit was what kept us together? Made this whole thing exciting?"

Angela understood where he was coming from; she'd briefly had the same fear but then realized quickly that it wasn't the excitement that kept them together. It was something else, something stronger. "Do you love me?"

Juice's eyes widened as if he were offended by the question. " 'course I do. More than anything. You know that."

"Now ask me."

"Ask you what?"

She smiled, knowing he must be confused as hell, but she had a point to get across and was trying to do it the simplest way she could. "Same question."

His brows furrowed together as he swallowed hard. "Do you love me?"

Angela smiled at him, taking his face in her hands, her thumbs dragging over cheeks. "I do. More than anything. That's all that matters," she repeated, kissing him softly. "Okay?"

He smiled at her, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her into him. "Okay." His hands slid down, grabbing her ass again as he bit his lower lip. "Monk's down for a nap, you know."

The dark, lustful look in his eyes made her cheeks flush; she knew exactly what he meant by that. "Oh really? Maybe I should do some laundry then," she joked, letting him walk her backwards towards the bed, her fingers already teasing the waist of the swim trunks he'd put on to shower with Evie. "Practice being boring and normal."

He captured her lips in a rough kiss, pushing her back onto the bed and climbing over her. "Can practice some baby making instead."

She laughed, running her fingers through his short hair. "No new babies yet, Juan Carlos. Not 'til Evie's at least walkin' on her own," she told him, seriously. "Let's get settled first, have some fun with her and Ken before we add another crazy Ortiz to the mix, yeah?"

Juice nodded, dipping his head down to kiss her. "Good plan," he agreed, his hand going for the hem of her shirt. "Doesn't mean we can't practice, though."

"Practice does make perfect."

"I know. Can tell by lookin' at Evie."

"Goof!" Angela laughed as he blew raspberries into her neck. Her heart felt like it could fly when his laughter joined hers, his nose nuzzling against her skin while his fingers tickled her sides. It felt like they were going back to the beginning of their relationship. Back to teasing each other, laughing together, and just enjoying each other's company without the club and all its bullshit looming over their heads. This was the start of something new, a new chapter in their crazy saga, and she couldn't wait to see where it took them.

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Only the epilogue to go! But don't worry the sequel and prequel/side stories will be coming soon!!
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