For the first time in a long time, Angela's phone woke her up instead of Juice's. She grabbed it, quickly untangling herself from the sleeping man at her side as she answered, "Angela Ruiz?"

"Hey kid. You busy?" Happy's gruff voice came from the other end.

She smiled, tossing back the covers and leaving Juice behind in bed. "Nope. C'mon over, cuz."

She pulled on a pair of sweats and a tank top before piling her hair a top her head in a high bun. For a brief moment, she considered waking up Juice, but he looked so peaceful lying there snoring away and it was rare he got to sleep in without the club bothering him so she let him be.

Going over to the kitchen, she unlocked the front door before flicking on the coffee pot and taking bacon and eggs out of the fridge. She hadn't been cooking long when she heard the front door open. "Hey Hap!" she called from the kitchen just as he rounded the corner.

"Hey kid," he greeted, leaning against the counter where she was working. He paused for a second, picking up on a strange sound coming from the other side of the house. It took him a brief moment to realize what it was; snoring. "The idiot here?"

She glared at him for the insult but nodded. "Yep."

"Heard he got you helpin' with porn," he stated, arms crossed over his chest. He hadn't been too thrilled when he'd found out; the idea of his little cousin anywhere near Cara Cara bothered him. He knew his cousin wasn't a virgin, but he liked to think she wasn't as experienced as other women and that was hard to do when he pictured her helping out at a porn studio where they did things like 'anal rain-dances'. "Better not be in front a camera."

Angela rolled her eyes at him. "Nah. Doin' make-up," she explained as if it was no big deal. "So which of your brothers has eyes on me?"

"That idiot in your bed."

"I know that. But which one is fillin' you in the details? I know Juice didn't tell you I was helping out at CaraCara."

Happy shrugged a shoulder. Of course, he had one of his Charming brothers keeping track of her starting the minute she'd set foot in Charming. But he was the only one who knew of their connection...well him and Juice now. "Does it really matter?"

"No, just curious," she said flippantly. After a minute, she asked, "Is it Chibs?"

He shook his head. As much as he liked the Scotsman, he didn't know him well enough to trust him with the task of looking after Angela. "Nah."

"Piney?"

"No."

Then it hit her. In Tacoma, Kozik was in charge of keeping an eye on her while Hap went out on his jobs. Though Kozik was sweet on the outside, there was a reason he was Tacoma's Sergeant at Arms. He was a born killer just like... "It's Tig isn't it?"

Happy nodded. He didn't need to keep it a secret anymore. It was good for her to know which of his brothers she could turn to in case of emergency. "Been doin' a good job, too."

"Guess so," she said on a shrug. She hadn't even given Tig a second thought when she'd met him. If he was getting intel about her, he was stealthy about it, a lot better than Kozik who would just ask her. Happy went to grab another piece of bacon and she pushed his hand away. "Stop, Hap!" she said, elbowing him out of the way. She was one of the few people who could get away with something like that and still be breathing after. "Go sit at the table and I'll bring it to you."

Happy grabbed the piece of bacon he'd been trying to get anyway and went to go sit at the table. She rolled her eyes at his little display of power before putting the eggs and bacon onto serving plates and heading over. She set the food down in front of him and gave him an empty plate before sitting down. She sipped at her coffee and ate just the bacon. "Hows your Mom?"

"Same," he replied around a bite. "You make the payment on the house?"

"Yeah, 'course I did," Angela replied on a scowl. Since she was the only one of them with the stable home and cash flow, she made the payments on their Moms' house.

Happy nodded. "You should visit. Ma wants to see you. Doesn't believe you're all right here."

"Yeah, but if I visit your mother, I have to see my mother," she pointed out. "And I don't want to do that."

He chuckled, shaking his head at her. "Would you just go? It'd mean a lot to Ma."

Angela sighed, raking a hand though her hair. His mother, Elena, had raised her since her father died and her mom, Graciela, went into zombie mode. After that, Graci threw herself into her job as a nurse leaving Angela with Elena who cleaned houses for a living. Angela would spend hours playing in strangers' houses while her Aunt cleaned or Happy would take her out when he had the time. She owed Elena a lot; the woman practically raised her.

"All right, all right, I'll think about it," she conceded on a sigh.

He nodded, pushing away from the table and dumping his plate into the sink before heading towards the bathroom. She shook her head at him as she went to go clean off her plate as well. Seconds later, a pair of warm arms slipped around her waist. "Mornin' Angel," Juice's low voice whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

She froze as he started trailing kisses down her neck, his hands snaking under her shirt. He didn't know Happy was there. "Juice," she hissed, turning to find him shirtless. "Baby, you need to put some clothes on."

He gave her that silly grin she loved so much. "Why?" he asked, grabbing her hips and pulling her into his chest again. "Thought we'd have a little more fun before I gotta go."

Angela pushed him away as she heard the toilet flush. "You need to go put some clothes on now," she insisted, turning him around and pushing him back towards the bedroom. "Hap's here."

Juice's eyes widened and he started walking faster. He almost made it to the bedroom when Happy stepped out of the guest bathroom. The Tacoma killer gave Juice a dark look, his arms crossed over his chest. Juice stopped, making Angela run into his bare back. "Uh...hi...Hap," he greeted awkwardly.

"Put some clothes on," Happy ordered, brushing past him and heading back to the table.

"Right," Juice said under his breath.

Once he had disappeared in his bedroom, Happy gave Angela a cold glare. She shrugged a shoulder. "What? You knew he was here." He shook his head at her in response. A small smile turned up the corners of her lips, a little relieved that his only response to seeing Juice half-naked was to tell him to get dressed not to beat the crap out of him. "So what are you in town for anyway?"

"Goin' on a charity ride," he replied on a shrug.

"Fun," she commented with a smile. "Bring me back somethin' pretty."

Happy rolled his eyes, leaning over to kiss her temple. "Yeah, kid," he said, ruffling her hair before heading to the door. "Tell the idiot he's got an hour."

"Got it," she said with a grin. "Bye."

He knew what a smile like that meant; had seen it on many a Croweater. Shaking his head at her, he opened the door, deciding to leave before he felt the need to castrate his brother for making his little cousin smile like that. He gave her a quick nod goodbye before shutting the door behind him.

Angela let out a sigh of relief, running her hands through her hair. Crisis averted, she thought with a small smile. She skipped back towards the bedroom and laughed when she saw Juice just sitting on the bed, still in his boxers. "What happened to changing?"

"Figured he was leaving soon," Juice answered on a shrug, reaching out a hand for her. She stepped towards him, moving to stand between his legs. His hands wrapped around her hips, pulling her closer to him before he slid his hands up under her shirt. "And I'm not done with you yet."

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

Angela watched Juice get dressed for the day, loving the way his muscles moved under his tanned skin as he pulled his shirt over his head. She sat up in the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest and draping her arms over them. "How long will you be gone for?" she asked him.

Juice glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She was stark naked underneath the cream colored sheet that was pulled up over her chest. Her hair was a mess of waves that tumbled over her shoulders and onto the smooth span of her back. "A day or two," he answered with a shrug of his shoulder.

"Hmm," she hummed, thinking of all the girls he could bed in that span of time. She wrinkled her nose at the thought, better not to think of it.

"What?"

"Nothing," Angela replied quickly, knowing the protective feeling she was experiencing was one that belonged to a girlfriend, not just a friend and if she talked about it, he was likely to go running for the hills. "Just be safe."

He chuckled, shaking his head at her as he put his rings on. "Nothin' to worry about, baby. Only thing I got to worry about is your cousin kickin' my ass."

"I told you to put more clothes on," she reminded him.

"Probably would've been better if you told me he was here first."

She laughed, nodding in agreement. "Probably."

"So what are you going to do without me around?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe I'll find myself a nice doctor, have some fun with him," she teased, fighting against a triumphant grin when she saw a jealous look pass over her face.

"Better not," he warned, turning around to face her.

"Why not?" she asked, feigning ignorance. She wanted to hear him say it. Just once. Tell her he didn't want her to be with someone else because she was with him or even if he called her his; she could handle being called his property as long as he didn't treat her as such.

Juice cocked his head to the side, thinking about how to answer that. His knee-jerk reaction was to tell her she was his and then push her back onto the bed to make sure she understood but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to do it. "I don't know," he answered lamely.

"Okay." She rolled her eyes, unsatisfied with his answer. Getting up from the bed, she brushed by him and pulled open her underwear drawer. Her hands raked over the lacey fabric before she picked up a matching set and some casual clothes before heading to the bathroom, sparing him a small smirk on her way.

He mentally smacked himself for being such an idiot. Taking a deep breath, he rapped his knuckles on the closed wooden doors. "Angel?"

"Yeah, Juice?" she called back, pulling on her jean shorts with a grunt.

He hesitated briefly before asking, "You're not really gonna sleep with some doctor when I'm not here, are ya?"

She chuckled to herself, pulling her shirt over her head before opening the door to find Juice leaning against the door jamb. "Nah. The only man I'll be hanging out with is Mr. Kenny Winston," she assured him with a teasing smile. "Piney needs help since Ope'll be out on the ride."

Juice nodded slowly, sensing she still wasn't very happy about his previous answer. "Hey Ang..." he started, ready to tell her what he'd wanted to originally. That she was his and that no other man should lay hands on her while he was gone. She raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to continue when his phone went off. "Shit," he mumbled, turning away from her to grab his cell of the bedstand.

He sat down on the bed as he answered the phone, surprised when Angela set a hand on his shoulder before leaning over to press a kiss to his head just over the start of his tattoo. His eyes followed her out of the room as he barely registered what Chibs was saying on the other line. He was thoroughly confused by the whole interaction. What could it mean?

He hung up the phone before sliding on his cut and heading out to the living room. Angela was in the kitchen again, the sound of sizzling bacon reminded him he had yet to eat. "Hungry?"

"You know it," he said, wrapping his arms around her slim waist and dropping a kiss to her shoulder.

"You have time to eat?"

Juice nodded. "I'm not goin' on the run. Clay wants me to hang back. Help Piney out." Clay had actually ordered him to stay behind and dig deeper into Zobelle, but he wasn't about to disclose that to Angela; it was something she didn't need to know.

"Oh nice!" she exclaimed, a bright smile on her face. Having him stay in Charming meant one less thing for her to worry about. She handed him his breakfast and served herself another cup of coffee before following him to the kitchen table.

She sat down across from him, pulling her long hair over her shoulders and raking her fingers through it. Juice watched entranced as her fingers weaved the strands into some kind of fancy braid. He loved those fingers, loved her hands. They looked so delicate and feminine but held a hidden strength to them. Those fingers could work a sore muscle like you wouldn't believe causing pain at first and then gently brush over said muscle so softly it sent shivers down his back.

Angela looked up, her dark eyes catching his. "What?" she asked, feeling a little self-conscious under his intense gaze.

"Nothin'," he replied, shrugging one shoulder. He wasn't about to admit to give her some mushy line about how much he liked her hands.

"Goof." She rolled her eyes at him, pushing away from the table and rubbing a hand over his mowhawk. She kissed his cheek quickly. "I gotta go pick up Kenny and Ellie. See you."

Juice bobbed his head, giving her a quick wave. He heard the door close behind her and sighed. He wondered how she found the strength to put up with him. His stupid replies to questions he knew the answers to. She'd given him the golden opportunity to stake his claim on her, all he had to do was tell her he didn't want her to be with other people because she was his and that'd be it. It was easy! He didn't even have to say it front of other people! But no, his idiot brain stopped him before he could even get the chance. It was no small wonder his brothers often referred to him as an 'idiot.'

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

The sound of a bass thumping pulled Juice from his research. He rubbed at his tired eyes, sighing as he leaned away from the computer screen he'd been staring at all day. He'd hacked into every place he could think of and still found no dirt on Zobelle. The bass got louder, and he could make out some music. Classic rock. A few seconds later, he recognized the tune, as "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC. A smile crossed his face before he could stop it as he pushed away from the desk.

Her dark gray Mazda was covered in dust as it pulled to a stop in one of the parking spaces of TM. The music was blasting but not loud enough to drown out the sound of three voices screaming along to it. He chuckled from where he was standing, leaning against the clubhouse entrance.

Ellie got out of the car first, laughing and skipping around towards the driver's side where Angela was slowly getting out. Kenny kicked open the door and stepped out also laughing. All three headed to the clubhouse, both kids talking a mile a minute at Angela who seemed to be handling both conversations surprisingly well.

She was wearing hiking boots that were covered in mud. The same mud streaked her bare legs, a lighter color than her tan skin. There was mud on her arms, mud on her face, mud everywhere including covering the two kids. Her hair was pulled back from her face in it's usual braid, but she was wearing a red bandana tied across her forehead, as were the kids. He raised an eyebrow, what had they been doing?

Ellie spotted him first, hitting Angela's arm and pointing him out. A bright smile spread across Angela's face, making Juice's stomach do that awful flip thing he hated. "Look! It's the Goonies!" he teased, pushing off the doorjamb and heading towards her.

Ellie giggled, obviously understanding the reference while Kenny grinned. "Angie let us have a mud fight!" he exclaimed, the mud in his hair making it stick up a little over his bandanna.

Angela laughed, ruffling his hair lovingly. "We hiked up to that waterfall and I let them put their feet in. One thing led to another and..."

"It was awesome!" Kenny exclaimed on a laugh.

"Looks like it," Juice commented on a nod. "Piney's not back yet guys, but you can go chill inside."

The Winston kids nodded and ran by him into the clubhouse, chattering excitedly about their day. Angela took a few steps towards him, waiting until the kids were all the way inside before draping her arms over his shoulders. "How was work?" she asked.

He didn't answer her, just leaned his head down and captured her mouth with his own. She kissed him back hungrily, her fingers smoothing over the end of his mowhawk. His hands slipped into the pockets of her jeans, pulling her hips flush against his own. They were so involved in each other, they didn't hear the tow truck pull in behind them.

Piney watched the two lovers, slightly intrigued by the whole exchange. He loved having Angela around. It saved him a lot of work and made his grandkids happy. The fact that she was with Juice, however, unsettled him. If that idiot messed up, as was inevitable, his favorite babysitter would be gone.

He cleared his throat, effectively making them jump apart. Angela had the decency to look embarrassed, but Juice looked rather annoyed. "Every time," he mumbled under his breath.

Angela chuckled, pushing away from him and smiling at Piney. "Hey Piney."

"Hope that's not what you're teachin' my grandkids," he teased her as he approached them.

"Was I not supposed to?" she shot back at him, mock grimacing as though she hadn't realized what a mistake that would be.

Juice glanced at the old man, nervous as to what his reaction would be. He might not appreciate her teasing about his grandkids. To his surprise, Piney clapped her shoulder, chuckling at her. "Kids gotta learn sometime, don't they?" he replied. "They inside?"

"Yep," she chirped. "Sorry they're a little dirty. We went on a hike."

He waved off her apology. "Kids are kids. Long as they're happy, I don't give a shit," he said walking with Angela towards the clubhouse.

Juice stared after them wondering when the two had gotten to be such good friends. Shaking his head, he chased after. "How's Tig?" he asked Piney as Angela rounded up the kids.

"He'll live," Piney answered curtly. "You get all your stuff done?"

"Didn't find much more," he replied with a frown. He rubbed at his tired eyes. "Got a few more databases I can try, though."

The old man shook his head. "Relax. Take her home. Have some fun. That's what all the others are doin' up in Oregon. Go 'head. She deserves it after spending a whole day with those kids."

Juice smiled and shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe I will."

The kids came running out with Angela behind them. They each gave her a quick hug and said thank you before heading towards Piney's car to go home. "You'll be all right lockin' up?" Piney asked, glancing at Juice.

"Yeah, 'course," Juice answered, glancing back at Angela who was standing by the pool table, pool stick in hand. "We'll be all right."

Piney nodded his goodbye to them both. As soon as the doors closed behind him, Juice made sure the door was locked. He heard the clack of pool balls and turned to find Angela starting up a game by herself. "Finish your work," she told him with an understanding smile. "I'll keep you company."

Juice walked over to her, taking her face in his hands and giving her one, long kiss. She melted into him, letting the pool stick in her hand fall to the floor with a smack. He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue into her mouth as he lifted her onto the edge of the table. His lips trailed down her neck, teeth scraping along the soft skin there. "Got better things to do," he murmured, pushing her back down onto the red felt table and trying to get on it with her.

One of his hands landed on a ball, and he slipped falling straight down on her, his face buried in her chest. She tilted her head back as she laughed. "Are you okay?" she managed to ask through her laughter.

"Yeah," he mumbled against her skin before looking up at her. Her laughter was contagious and he soon found himself laughing along with her. Reaching out a hand, he pulled her up into a sitting position. "How 'bout we take this somewhere...less dangerous?"

"Sounds good to me," she said with a light laugh, one of her fingers tracing over his jawline. "Next time we should make sure the balls are out of the way. Those things are dangerous."

Juice nodded as he grabbed her hips, lifting her off the table and setting her on her feet. "Well, they were out of the way before you decided to break the rack."

"Hey, I thought you had to work more," she shot back playfully. He grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the door. "I needed something to entertain myself."

"Uh-huh, sure. You just wanted me to motorboat you," he teased as he swung their hands between them. Once out the door, he turned and locked it behind him.

She rolled her eyes. "Please. If I want that, all I have to do is ask."

Juice grinned at her, she knew him too well. "That is true."

"C'mon goofy. I need a shower," she said, tugging him towards his bike. "Take me home and maybe we can share one."

"A shower sounds nice." He didn't need to be told twice. Handing her his extra helmet, he swung one leg over his bike. He never used to carry the extra helmet, though he'd had one laying around his room at the clubhouse just in case. Now, with Angela around, he always had it with him, not wanting to risk her safety even for just a short amount of time. He waited until her arms were securely wrapped around his waist before driving off into the night.