Angela was at St. Thomas to for a late pick up. The body was set to be cremated and Skeeter wanted it to be picked up as soon as possible. Since everyone else was busy with other things, she offered to go get it for him so he could set up with oven. She rolled the body towards the back exit, taking her time since she really didn't have anything else to do. She'd just barely gotten out of the elevator doors when a voice stopped her dead in her tracks. "Angelita?"

It was a voice she would've been able to recognize anywhere. It brought back memories of her carefree and crazy teenage years. It'd been too long since she'd last seen the owner of that voice; too long for her to decide whether seeing him again was a good thing or a bad thing. She turned around and smiled when she saw the mustached Mexican man standing at the other end of the hall. "Marcus," she greeted, nodding to him. She pushed the gurney to the side and met him halfway down the hall.

Marcus Alvarez gave her a curt nod, the corners of his mouth turning up with just the slightest hint of a smile as he pulled her into a quick hug. "Look at you, mija," he said, holding her out at arms length. "All grown up. I'd heard you were in Charming. Working?"

She nodded, looking back at the gurney. "Mm-hmm."

"Good for you," he said, pride in his voice. This was the little girl he'd watched grow up. The little girl he'd bailed out of jail when she and his son had been caught with alcohol as minors not once but twice. He was proud of her, though seeing her pained him; it reminded him of his son, the one he'd let go for the good of his club.

"I heard about Esai, Marcus. I'm sorry," she said, though she knew Esai's blood was on his father's hands despite the fact that Happy had killed him. "How's Dia holding up?" she asked, thinking back to his Old Lady. Diana Alvarez was one tough woman; a lot like Gemma in a lot of ways. Diana had taught Angela to cook, to sew, and most importantly, how to deal with men.

Marcus shrugged a shoulder. "Thanks. She's all right, mija. Just had a new baby. Little girl, Tessa."

"Congratulations!" Angela exclaimed with a bright smile. "I bet she's beautiful!"

"She is," he said, bobbing his head. "Listen, we're having a party down in the barrio on Sunday. You should stop by, mija. The crew would love to see you."

Angela sighed, twisting her ring around her finger nervously as she thought. She'd love to see her old friends again, but she knew the price that would come with going to a Mayan rally. "Maybe."

Marcus' dark eyes narrowed as they studied her. "Esai told me you were involved with the Sons now."

She looked down at her feet and shrugged. "Not with the club just...a member."

He understood what she meant; it was similar to what her relationship had been with the Mayans when she was dating Esai. He clapped her on the shoulder, squeezing it gently. "The Mayans and Sons are good now, mija. Think about it," he said, kissing her temple. "Good to see you, Angelita."

"You too, Marcus," she said. Her eyes followed his back as he headed back down the hall and slipped into the chapel.

Jax walked down the hall soon after, pausing when he saw her standing there. "You see a Mexican guy with a cut come down here?"

Angela blinked at him before nodding slowly. "Mustache? Slicked back hair?"

"That's the one," he said giving her a smile.

"Went in the Chapel," she replied gesturing in the direction Marcus had disappeared.

Jax clapped a hand on her shoulder as he headed past her towards the chapel. "Thanks, Ang."

"Yeah," she said, turning to head back to her gurney. Slowly, she pushed it out the door, her mind going over Marcus' invitations; weighing the pros and cons. She knew she shouldn't go, that it wasn't wise to start mixing the two different clubs into her personal life. Truces between rival MCs were fragile and easily broken; she'd hate to get caught on the wrong side. But she wasn't an Old Lady. She wasn't tied to the Sons nor was she tied to the Mayans. The fact that attending the rally made her feel like a traitor was sickening. She didn't want to be shackled by the Sons because of her relationship with Juice. Being Happy's cousin had never stopped her from anything. If she wanted to go and see her old friends, she was going to go.

Later that night, she stood with Happy at the foot of a gravestone in Oakland. The next day marked the anniversary of her father's death, but they'd kept to the tradition of going the night before since their mothers usually went the day of. Happy had started it. He hadn't wanted his young cousin growing up seeing the two dominate females in her life crying over a gravestone.

Angela stared at the headstone before looking back up at Happy. "Is it weird that I miss him? I mean, I only have like a handful of memories but...I miss him. It hurts to think he could be here right now and he's not."

Happy shrugged a shoulder. He wished she had known her father. Her dad had been as close to a father figure as Happy had ever had. He'd taught him everything he knew, and Happy had passed on that knowledge to Angela. "He's your old man. That hurt don't go away no matter how long you knew him," he said softly, draping an arm around her shoulders. "He woulda been proud a you, kid."

"You think?"

"Yeah. You survived growin' up with your crazy Ma."

Angela laughed, shaking her head at him. "Yeah, well, I had you and your mom to help me."

Happy smirked as he nodded, squeezing her shoulder. "Did my best."

A minute passed by, both cousins deep in their own thoughts. She looked up at Happy, admiring his stoic strength. "Thanks, Hap. For everything," she said, her voice just barely above a whisper.

He shifted, uncomfortable with the mushy turn the conversation had taken. "Don't worry about it, kid."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes at him, choosing instead to stand on her toes and press a quick kiss to his scruffy cheek. "So I ran into Alvarez in St. Thomas today," she stated, effectively changing the subject. "He told me the Sons and Mayans are friendly again.

Happy nodded. "For now. You two talk?"

Angela shrugged a shoulder, trying her best to play it off as no big deal. "Yeah," she replied honestly. She sighed at his disapproving look. "Hap, he was a big part of my life for awhile."

He could count the things he regretted in his life on one hand. One of them was going inside for that long stretch of prison time at the exact moment Angela needed him the most, allowing her to fall in with the Alvarez's and establish some type of familial relationship with them. "I know, kid," he muttered, dropping his arm from around her shoulders and fishing in his pocket for a cigarette as he headed back to the parking lot. He had a feeling there was something else she was working her way up to, and it felt disrespectful to discuss such mundane things in front of her father's headstone. "So?"

"There's a race and rally in the old barrio tomorrow. I know you and Juice are busy, Ly and Tara work, I love the Winston kids, but...I need some grown up fun," she explained, raking a hand through her hair. "I want to go."

Happy wasn't sure if she was asking for permission or for his opinion. Either way, he knew she was going to go. He was glad she'd decided to bounce the idea off of him first though. It was a consideration she had never made in the past. "Go," he said simply. He knew she was in no danger there. He'd seen the way some of the Mayan men protected her; they wouldn't let anything happen to her. He didn't see any harm in her going. "We're good with the Mayans. Just stay away from the Calaveras."

She gave him a confused look. She'd never once heard of any MC called the Calaveras. "Why?" she asked before she could stop herself.

"Don't worry about it," he said, dismissing her question with a wave of his hand. "Bring protection."

"Will do. Lots of condoms," she joked, smirking triumphantly when he cracked a smile.

He ruffled her hair with one of his large hands. "You know what I meant, dumbass," he said handing her his extra helmet. Another part of the tradition was to ride there together on his Harley. Though not an MC member, her father had loved motorcycles. "Don't think the idiot would be all right with that."

"He's got nothin' to worry about. I'm very satis..."

"Stop!" Happy exclaimed, a look of disgust on his face. "You want him to live?"

Angela laughed as she put on the helmet. "Knife all right? I'd rather not cart around the Glock."

"Yeah. Still got that folding knife I got ya?"

She grinned at him. He'd gotten her the black-bladed folding knife when she turned thirteen. It was a beautiful knife with angel wings etched into the black handle; Happy always got her the coolest shit. " 'course I do. It's in my glove compartment."

Happy shook his head at her, frowning in disapproval. He thought she should always have that knife on her. It was the easiest, most inconspicuous weapon for her to use to protect herself; he didn't believe in pepper spray. "Doesn't do you much good there," he said, getting on his Dyna.

"I know, I know," she replied, sliding on the bike behind him. "I'm not Buffy. I can't just carry weaponry around with me."

He pulled a face. "It ain't a stake. Thing fits in your pocket."

"It's still a annoying to have that thing pokin' me everyday."

"Get used to it."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she muttered, rolling her eyes at him.

He started up his Harley and whipped out of the parking lot. Riding on the back of Happy's Dyna was a lot different than riding on the back of Juice's. Instead of wrapping her arms around his waist and cuddling into him, Angela just held onto his sides or onto the seat, whichever was more comfortable. It was left her freer to watch the world whip by in a blur around her.

It was a long ride to her place from Oakland, but it was nice and relaxing. Once in the drive, Happy turned off the bike, waiting for her to get off but making no move to do so himself. He was aware of Juice's bike in the driveway and knew the idiot would be waiting for his girl. Since they were probably leaving for Belfast the next day, he wasn't about to interrupt them. "See you later," he said, watching her take off her helmet.

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Bye, Hap. Love you."

"You too, kid," he said, the roar of his bike almost drowning out his words.

Angela waited until his taillights disappeared before heading inside. Juice was sitting on the couch they'd managed to move over from the funeral home, his laptop in his lap, feet kicked up onto the coffee table they'd also nicked from Skeeter. He turned his head to look at her when she walked in, holding out an arm to her. "Hey baby," he greeted.

"Hey you," she said, sitting on the couch next to him and leaning her head against his shoulder. Her hand smoothed over the soft leather of his cut and she grinned up at him as she sat up, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "You got it back! I knew you would!"

He gave her that goofy grin of his, his hand slipping under her shirt at the small of her back and brushing across the warm skin there. "Beat the crap out of the guy who stole it from me too," he stated proudly, showing off his bruised knuckles.

"Watch out. We got a badass over here," she teased, giggling when he tickled her sides. She leaned forward, giving him a smacking kiss on the lips before settling back onto the couch next to him. She glanced at his lap top screen curiously. "Watcha lookin' at?"

"The weather in Belfast," he explained, gesturing to one of three windows that were open. The other two were for parts for his Dyna and some techie website. "We're probably leavin' some time tomorrow afternoon. Don't have the specifics yet."

"Okay," she said, her eyes falling on the screen of his laptop. "Hap goin' with you?"

Juice nodded. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about leaving her behind. "You need anythin', you go to Piney, all right?"

Angela glanced up at him, a small smile tugging at her lips at his concern. "Don't worry about me, Juice. I'll be fine," she assured him.

"I know you will be. Just in case though. I wouldn't want anythin' to happen to you."

She smiled at him, moving to press a sensual kiss to his lips as she sat up straighter so she was taller than him. Without breaking the kiss, he set his laptop on the coffee table at his feet and set a hand on her lower back, pushing her closer to him. She slid a leg over his, straddling his lap as she tugged on the sides of his cut. The top button opened with a satisfying pop, making her smile. She broke the kiss, pulling away from him when he went in for another one and teasing him by pressing a soft kiss to his neck, just below his earlobe instead.

He swallowed hard, his fingers raking though her hair, tugging on it lightly to gain access to her lips. "Tease," he breathed, before claiming her mouth with his.

"You love it," she accused on a laugh as she lay back on the couch.

Juice loomed above her, holding himself up with an arm on either side of her body. Her eyes were dark with lust as she looked up at him, fingertips tracing over his belt buckle. Her words tripped him up, made his mind travel down paths he'd never expected it to go. Did he love her? He couldn't. He didn't even know what love was. But he knew he liked being with her, that it would physically hurt him to lose her, that he cared for her more than he cared for almost anything else in his life.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. What was he waiting for? "Juice?" she asked, her voice unsure.

"Sorry, baby," he said, leaning down and kissing her gently. "Spaced out for a sec."

She laughed, her fingers trailing over his cheek. "Come back to me," she whispered before pulling his head down for another kiss. "I want some big Rican lovin' before you leave."

He chuckled, lowering himself onto her and sliding a hand under her shirt. "I can do that."

----------

Angela pulled up to the park in Oakland the next afternoon, smiling as soon as she stepped out of the car and heard the loud Tejano music. The smell of grilled meat filled her nose, making her stomach rumble. She surveyed the scene before her, taking in the two different types of cuts: Mayans and Calaveras. The Calaveras had their own table and weren't mixing much with the Mayans though some of the younger members were mingling. She rubbed her thumb nervously over the grip of the knife she had tucked into her pocket, remembering Happy's warning to stay away from the other MC.

A loud whistle made her turn around. She smiled when she saw who the whistle belonged to. "Raffi," she greeted, nodding to him. He'd been Esai's best friend while they were growing up. He'd been one of their partners in crime and had sat right alongside them in the cell when they got caught underage drinking.

"Get over here, stupid," he said, pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her cheek. " 'mana, it's been too long." ('mana is short for hermana which means sister.)

She nodded in agreement, looking him over. "Look at you, Raf! All grown up with your cut 'n' everything!"

"Livin' the dream," Rafael said on a nod. He slung an arm around her shoulder. "Vamos. Family's been waitin' on ya." (Let's go)

"I told Marcus I wasn't sure I was comin', though."

"Angelita, we're your family. We knew you'd be comin'. You got no reason not to anymore," he explained as they walked towards where the Mayan charter from Oakland's spread was. "Dia, look who I found."

Diana Alvarez turned around from where she was standing at a stroller. "Angelita, mi amor!" she exclaimed, pulling Angela into a warm embrace. "Como estas?" (Little Angel, my love. How are you?)

She spent most of the day catching up with her old crew. Most of the punks she grew up with were fully patched Mayans and Old Ladies. If she'd stuck around, she had no doubt she'd be living the same life. For the most part, a lot of them knew about her ties to the Sons and to her surprise, a lot of the men knew about her relationship with Juice. No one seemed to bothered by it though which made it easy to slip right back into the old friendships as if she'd never left.

Angela was cooing to the precious baby girl in her arms when Diana interrupted. "Mijita, looks like your boys are coming."

Angela's heart dropped down to her stomach when she saw the Sons pull up. "Oh shit," she murmured. She had told Juice she was going to hang out with some friends, but she'd left out the part about them being Mayan.

"Veni," Diana said, moving her behind the stroller. "Blend in." (Come)

Despite her efforts to blend in, Happy spotted her right away, his eyes locking on hers briefly. He gave her an up-nod, a silent question as to her well-being. She nodded once in response. Her eyes darted nervously to Juice who was walking a bit behind with Tig and Bobby. She watched as Alvarez and the rest of the Mayans approached, making sure to keep her head down.

While Clay and the Grim Bastards took a "piss" with Alvarez and some of the Calaveras, Juice, and Happy waited on one side of the bathroom while the other brothers waited on the other, keeping watch. Juice's eyes raked over the rally, taking in all the sights. He stopped on the Mayans' picnic table, smiling when he saw a cute chubby baby looking at him from over the shoulder of a dark haired beauty.

Juice couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was wearing a simple black wife beater with a pair of short shorts that showed off long tan legs. Her dark hair tumbled down her back in a mess of waves. She turned slightly, pressing a kiss to the baby's head. His breath caught in his throat when he realized he knew every inch of that body, every inch of her face. "Angel?" he breathed, glancing at Happy. The Tacoma Killer shrugged a shoulder indifferently, neither confirming nor denying it.

He headed towards her, his legs working faster than his brain. His gaze caught hers, her eyes widening slightly. She handed over the baby and went to meet him halfway not wanting whatever conversation they were about to have to be heard by those around her. When she was close enough, he took her by the arm, leading her over to an isolated corner. "What the hell are you doing here?" Juice demanded.

Angela shrugged a shoulder. "Visiting some friends."

Juice stared at her, dumbfounded. "Are you serious? Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?" he seethed, anger in his eyes.

She sucked in a breath, trying to remain calm in the face of Juice's anger. "Hap said the Sons and the Mayans are good now."

"That deal is like a minute old, Ang!"

Her eyes darted towards where Happy was standing, arms crossed over his chest, glaring daggers at them. Though Juice's hold on her arm wasn't painful, Happy couldn't see that, and she was sure it would only lead to trouble. "Can we talk about this later?" she asked, moving her arm so he'd let her go.

Juice ran a hand over his hair, reigning in his anger. It wouldn't do either of them any good to have a fight in the middle of a Mayan rally. "Go home, Angela," he ordered, pointing towards the parking lot.

"I will," she said, though she didn't plan to leave immediately.

He knew better than to leave it there. She was stubborn when she thought she was right. "Now, Ang."

She shook her head. He didn't own her. She wasn't his Old Lady or some croweater he could order around. If she wanted to stay, she was going to stay. "I'll see you at home, Juice," she said calmly turning to leave.

Juice grabbed her arm once again, pulling her in close. "See those guys over there? The Calaveras?" he hissed into her ear. To anyone else, it would look like they were having a sweet moment, but the feeling of his hand gripping her arm and the anger in his voice made it anything but. At her nod, he continued, "They are responsible for shooting up the funeral home. Your funeral home. Go the fuck home. Now."

Angela swallowed hard as she pulled away from him. Happy hadn't told her that. One hand instinctively went to the knife she had stashed in her pocket, her thumb rubbing over the top of it as she took a deep breath. "Yeah, okay," she agreed. She kissed his cheek quickly before heading back towards the Mayans.

"Everythin' all right?" Happy asked as Juice stalked back towards him.

Juice nodded in response, his teeth gritted together as he fought against an angry slew of words he wanted to shout at the Tacoma Killer. How could tell Angela it was okay to go? Didn't he see the danger there? He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. His eyes stayed on Angela though, watching her as she hugged everyone goodbye. Her eyes caught his once more before she headed to her Mazda, a look of irritation in them that bugged Juice a little.

Happy saw the tightness in his little cousin's shoulders as she walked away, her head down. From the back of her head, he couldn't tell whether she was stressed or pissed. Either way didn't bode well for Juice. "What's up?" he asked Juice as his mowhawked brother stood by his side.

"You said she could come here?"

"Yeah."

"With the Calaveras here and everything?"

He shrugged a shoulder, indifferent once again. "You don't got to worry about her. Kid knows how to defend herself."

Juice hated his indifference. It made him wonder how much Happy really cared about Angela if he'd give her permission to go to a rival club's rally that included the club that had only days before shot up her work place. "She's not bullet proof," he muttered.

Happy nodded in agreement. "She needs this kind of shit," he stated, watching his cousin drive away. "Needs to get out."

"Yeah but with the Mayans?"

He nodded again. "You cage her in and she'll fight against you. Wrong, right, she don't give a damn. Kid doesn't follow rules she don't understand."

Juice could see where that made sense. "How do you deal with that then?"

"Explain shit to her. She ain't dumb, man. She gets it pretty quick."

Juice nodded. He'd seen Happy use this strategy on Angela before when she was angry about going into lockdown. "She pissed at me?"

"Can't tell."

He ran a hand over his face and sighed. "Great."

----------

Juice was surprised when he got back to the house and Angela wasn't there. It was a Saturday, she didn't have work, she didn't have any other obligations. Where could she be? He sat down on the couch, pulling out his cell phone, expecting to see some sort of explanation from her in a text or a message, but there was nothing. Sighing, he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, head in his hands, waiting. His mind went through the possible places she could be, each time circling back to the rally. Maybe she'd gone back once they'd left, despite the inherent danger he'd warned her of. The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he got.

Angela walked into the house to find him pacing the floor. She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head to the side as her eyes followed him. "What's going on?" she asked, biting back a light laugh at his pacing.

"Where you been?" he asked, stopping his pacing and staring her down.

She was a little put off by his aggressive tone. It was clear he hadn't gotten over the whole Mayan incident. "St. Thomas. Tara wanted to talk," she replied honestly. The doctor had called her while she was on her way home from Oakland to ask her to do something incredibly illegal, something she probably shouldn't have agreed to doing.

"Really?"

She looked slightly taken aback at his question. "I wouldn't lie to you."

Juice shook his head at her. "You sure about that? 'Cause you did today."

Angela clamped her jaw shut, afraid that it would drop open if she didn't. She didn't lie to him. She'd never once lied to him. Sure, she may have not told him some things but lying was something she didn't do lightly. "I told you I was going out with friends," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "What part of that was a lie?"

"You forgot to mention they were Mayans, Ang."

She scoffed at him, rolling her eyes. "I grew up with those guys, Juice. Before the patches and the fighting and the drugs, they were my friends. I went to school with most of the younger ones. The older ones, I had sleepovers with their daughters and tutored their sons. I don't see them as Mayans because I knew them before the cut on their back ever mattered."

"It matters now though!" he put in, his voice a little louder than he wanted it. "Who you're associated with...all that shit matters now, Angela!"

"Why?"

"Because you're with me. Because I'm a Son. They are my family. You gotta respect that!"

"The Mayans and Sons are good now," she stated, trying her best to remain calm. Yelling at him wasn't going to solve anything. "I made sure of that before I went."

"Just because we're on good terms, doesn't mean you gotta go runnin' to hang out with 'em! Our deals never last. If somethin' had gone wrong between us or with the CL, you'da been stuck in the crossfire with no one to protect you!"

"I can take care of myself!" she shouted before she could stop herself.

Juice scowled at her. "Oh yeah? Can you? You can't even shoot someone!"

His words were a figurative slap to the face. "Fuck you, Juice!" she shouted, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. She'd told him in confidence that she didn't think she could ever shoot someone. She never thought he'd throw that back in her face. "I didn't sign up for this shit! I don't have a cut on my back; I don't have to bow down to your club's stupid rules like you do!"

"Then you should find another guy!" he blurted out without thinking.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. They stood there staring at each other in silence, both too shocked to say anything more. He watched her suck in a deep breath, raising her chin up as she did so. She was trying to be strong, trying to build a wall against the wave of pain his words had brought on. "Maybe I will," she shot back, her voice low and angry. She pushed passed him, hitting her shoulder with his as she headed towards their room.

Juice didn't chase after her just stood there, eyes focused on the spot she'd just been in. The sound of the closet door slamming shut pulled him from his thoughts and he rushed back in the direction she'd gone. She'd just thrown her suitcase on the bed and was busy pulling open the zipper when he walked in. "Angel..."

The shrill ring of his phone cut him off. She stopped what she was doing, her eyes lifting from the leather duffel to meet his. Part of her hoped he wouldn't answer it, hoped he'd continue what he was going to say, and hoped to God he was about to tell her he didn't mean what he'd just said. She didn't want to find another guy. Didn't want to even try because she knew none of them would make her feel the way Juice did.

His eyes never left hers as he dug into his pocket for his phone. He pulled it out, flipping it open and putting it to his ear. "Yeah?"

She stared down at the suitcase in an effort not to listen to his conversation. The bag was empty, as she expected it to be. For some reason, though, it made her stop short in her packing mission. She couldn't do it, couldn't leave Juice just like that. It wasn't that easy.

Angela took a seat on the bed next to it, raking her hand through her hair. This whole thing was so ridiculous. It was a stupid little fight they could easily work through. Both of them were making mountains out of molehills. They just needed some time to sort it out...

"I gotta go." His voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Gotta find Abel."

No, she thought, her heart sinking in her chest. He couldn't leave like this; not in the middle of this fight. "Shit," she whispered. Though she wanted them to bring Abel home, she cursed the timing of it all. Normally she could deal with the club interrupting them, but this time, this time it could lead to something awful.

"Yeah," he agreed, his voice rough as he looked at her. "You gonna be here when I get back?"

Her dark eyes met his, a mixture of hope and sadness etched into them. "Do you want me to be?"

He narrowed his eyes at her as he thought of the question. The decision was up to her. He couldn't handle her hanging out with Mayans like it was nothing, and it was obvious that it was something she didn't want to give up. "Up to you. You know what I want, Angel. I'm not askin' for much."

Angela hung her head down, feeling tears gathering in her eyes. He wanted her to give up her past. Her old family. Could she do that? She knew she could, she'd done it before when the Mayans and Sons were on bad terms. But seeing them that day...it felt good. It made her feel happy. On the other hand, Juice made her happy in a way no one else ever had. The fact he'd asked her to give up something that made her happy put her ill at ease; she wasn't some mindless croweater that would just follow whatever he said because she wanted to be with him. Healthy relationships didn't work that way.

Before she could respond, he walked over to her, gently curling his fingers under her chin to tilt it up so he could see her eyes. "We'll be back soon."

"Okay," she said on a nod. "Good luck finding Abel. Be safe."

"Yeah. You too," he murmured, his thumb trailing over her cheek. He pressed a soft, sweet kiss to her lips, pulling away when his phone went off again. He sighed before grabbing his pack off the floor and heading out the door.

She pressed her fingers to her lips that were still tingling from his kiss. Could that have been the last kiss she'd ever get from him? Was this thing with Juice over for good? That decision rested on her shoulders and the weight of it made her feel like she couldn't breathe.

----------

Angela leaned against the brick wall of the funeral home. Tipping her head back against the wall, she closed her eyes, sucking in a long breath as she tried to keep herself together. She couldn't make a decision like this without him there to talk through it with her. The situation wasn't just black and white; she was more than willing to compromise on it. They just needed time. Time they didn't have. Time they never had because SAMCRO always seemed to interrupt them somehow.

She raked a hand through her hair, her eyes looking skyward as if she could find some kind of answer there. The sound of a car pulling into the parking lot made her look down again. "Hey T," she said, walking around the Cutlass and slipping into the passenger's seat.

"Hi Ang," Tara replied with a small smile. She studied her face for a brief moment as she waited to get on the main street. There was something wrong; the girl was unusually serious. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Angela replied quickly, pushing a stray hair behind her ear and trying for a smile. "Totally fine."

Tara gave her a skeptical look before nodding. "You get Gemma's bag?"

She held up the black leather bag filled with Gemma's things she'd gotten from her house. "Right here. You get the med's together?"

"Got 'em stashed in the room," Tara replied before sighing. She couldn't believe what they were going to attempt to do. Gemma had been surprised when Tara had brought up asking for Angela's help in the escape plan. The Queen of SAMCRO had been skeptical at first, but they needed a back up plan in case the guys couldn't provide an escape car and Tara couldn't leave without looking majorly guilty. Adding a third person made the risk less. No one would ever suspect the undertaker to be a part of the plan. "I'm gonna park the Cutlass in the back. Gemma will text you for a pick up and meet you out by the service exit."

Angela nodded, rubbing her palms across her jeans. She still couldn't believe she'd agreed to be involved in Gemma's escape. What had convinced her was the desperate look in Tara's eyes and the explanation that this was her way of making up for what happened to Abel. Angela rarely turned down a friend in need, and she'd do anything to help Abel even if it meant breaking a law or two. "Sounds good."

"Be careful, okay?"

"I'll be fine," she said with a reassuring smile. She was confident in her driving skills. Even though the Cutlass looked like it was on its last legs; Tara had assured her that it would hold up going high speeds. "Does she know where we're going?"

Tara shrugged a shoulder. "We'll find out."

"Awesome," Angela said sarcastically.

The doctor looked her over. "You sure everything's all right?"

"Juice and I had a...disagreement," she answered honestly, her eyes on her boots. "We couldn't figure it out before he had to go which left our already weird relationship in limbo."

"I know how you feel," Tara said on a sigh. At Angela's questioning look, she elaborated, "Jax fucked Ima."

Angela scoffed, shaking her head. "Shit. You win."

"Yeah," she agreed, pulling into the parking lot. It was not a game she was happy to win. "Yet I'm still here. Putting myself on the line for Gemma."

She sighed in response, laughing lightly at the strange situation. "Funny how that works out."

Angela waited in the Cutlass for Gemma's text, her leg bouncing up and down nervously. Her heart was racing in her chest as she waited eagerly for the rush that came with speeding down the street. She needed it, needed something to get what happened with Juice out of her head.

She got the text and sped towards the back of the building, smiling at the kick the Cutlass had. Turning into the service lot, she pulled up in front of where Clay, Jax, Tig, Gemma, and Unser were standing just outside the entrance. "Hi," she greeted with a small smile, giving Unser a two-fingered salute. "Chief."

Unser looked over his shoulder at her, his hands still holding his gun pointed at the others. He'd seen the young undertaker before, but had no idea she was one of Gemma's little minions. Clay and Jax both looked slightly surprised while Tig just grinned at her. Oh, she was definitely going to be hearing an earful from Happy later, she thought with a grimace.

Gemma nodded to her in greeting, a proud look on her face. She pointed at the black car, looking at Tig. "Tig, you take the Cutlass with Ang."

At Tig's eyebrow raise, Gemma shrugged. "Don't want her goin' to jail, do ya?" she asked glaring at Unser. She hadn't been sure Angela would pull through, but now that she was there, she wasn't about to get her arrested by Unser just because Tig didn't want her to be involved. If she went with them, she'd at least have a chance to get out of spending a night in jail.

Tig sighed as he nodded. "Whatever you say, Gemma," he said, walking around the car towards the driver's side. He waved his hands at Angela in a shooing motion, not about to let her drive. "Outta the way, doll."

Angela scooted over to the passenger's side, buckling herself in as she watched the other three get into the tow truck. "I don't really have to go with ya you know," she said as he put the car in gear. "He can't arrest me for driving a car around."

"Can for aiding and abetting," he pointed out, pulling out of the parking lot. " 'nd I ain't gonna be the one responsible for putting Hap's little cousin in jail."

She chuckled, sliding her sunglasses onto her face and rolling down the window. "Fair enough."

"Surprised you're a part of this, undertaker. Thought you liked to stay outta club stuff."

Angela shrugged a shoulder. "Doin' it for Gemma and Abel. Not the club. Plus, I like driving fast. I'd make a killer wheelman if I got the chance."

Tig chuckled, shaking his head at her terrible joke. "I'll keep that in mind," he said looking over his shoulder to where the towtruck was following behind him. "They're lookin' for the fuckin' truck."

"Switcheroo?" she asked feeling the adrenaline rushing through her veins as Tig pulled over into an empty parking lot. The towtruck followed suit.

"You got it, doll," he said, getting out of the car and going to explain the situation to the others. She followed after him, leaning against the front of the truck and waiting for Tig to finish his explanation. "Backtrack through town, I'll lead them up the thirteen. Go!" Tig ordered, pointing to the Cutlass.

Jax clapped Angela on the shoulder while Clay nodded his goodbye. After saying a few words to Tig, Gemma pulled her into a tight hug. "You take care of Tara."

"Will do," she said, pulling away and getting into the passenger's side of the tow truck with Tig. He gave her a questioning look. He thought she'd bail and save herself some jail time. She smirked in response, unbraiding her hair and starting to fashion it to look like Gemma's. As Tig called out orders to Clay and Jax.

He started up the truck, pulling out of the parking lot. "You want me to pull over and let you out somewhere?"

"They're not gonna chase after you if they see just one person in the truck."

Tig grinned at her as he pushed down on the accelerator. "You're smarter than you look, undertaker"

She rolled her eyes at him, fighting a smile. "Thanks." She held on tightly as he made his way towards the highway, weaving through traffic expertly despite the huge bulk of the truck. It was clear he'd done this before.

He glanced over his shoulder quickly. "They close?"

Angela spared a quick glance over her shoulder. The cops were visible, but they had yet to come close enough to be a real threat. "Not too close, not too far. They're keeping up."

"Good," he said on a nod. "How many?"

She smirked and looked over at him. "I'm pretty sure all of Charming PD is on our tail."

"Even better," he said tapping on the steering wheel excitedly. "Stay with me little piggies. C'mon stay with me P-I-G-G-I-E-S."

Angela chuckled, rolling down the window and letting her hand hang out. "Where we goin'?"

"I'm thinkin' Modesto. You like Modesto?"

"Just get me outta Charming," she said, kicking her feet up on the dash. She left everything that had happened during the day behind her as she relaxed, letting the loud sound of the wind rushing through the window and whipping her hair out of her face drown out the thoughts in her head.

If it was Kozik driving, he'd have asked her where a statement like that had come from and bugged the crap out of her until she told him. Then, of course, he'd go straight to Happy. To her relief, Tig just nodded, cranking up the stereo and flooring the truck. "You got it, doll."