Juice looked over at Angela from where he was standing along the aisle of bikes; he and the rest of the SAMCRO brothers were greeting the guests as they slowly filtered in. The girls of the club had no such duties, so Angela was standing a little ways away with Marcus Alvarez and his Old Lady, Diana, her hands waving about as she talked to them in rapid Spanish. He'd never heard her have a full blown conversation in Spanish. Sure, he knew she could speak it, and every once in awhile, she'd humor him by saying a sentence or two, but it was always simple shit, never this rapid fire talking. He loved the way the foreign language sounded on her lips and, for the first time ever, he wished he'd listened to his mother when she told him he should learn the language of his ancestors.

He watched as the Mayan president laughed, patting her cheek in a loving, almost fatherly manner while Diana looked at her with pure love in her eyes. Juice wondered if this was a quick peek into Angela's past. The way they were conversing with each other, their smiles, it was like a mini family reunion. For a moment, he hated himself for trying to keep her away from them. She met his eyes, winking at him discreetly as she hugged Marcus and Diana. When they left with the rest of the Mayans went to go find their seats, she stayed there, waiting for him to be done with his greeting duties.

"Your girl looks gorgeous tonight," Kozik teased, elbowing him in the ribs.

" 'course she does," Juice replied, shrugging a shoulder nonchalantly. He didn't need another man to point that out to him; he already knew he had one of the most attractive women at the party. "She's beautiful."

Kozik nodded in agreement, a little impressed with his response. He clapped the younger man on the shoulder. "Good answer, dude," he said, grinning as Angela approached. "Idiot's not as dumb as he looks."

"Shut up, Koz," Angela said on a scowl as she walked by.

To both of the men's surprise, she walked right past them and headed towards Happy. The Tacoma killer stretched out an arm, draping it over her shoulders and pulling her into a side hug. "Hey kid," Happy greeted, squeezing her shoulder before dropping his arm.

"Hey Hap," she greeted, looking up at him. "I have a question for ya."

He nodded as stepped away from the aisle, going to lean against his Harley, out of the way of the newcomers so he could give her his full attention. "Don't you always," he teased, smirking down at her.

She gave him a small smile in return."Juice's new ink...was that you?"

Happy nodded slowly. As her smile got bigger, he scowled, knowing where her head was going; she probably thought it was some sort of blessing for Juice. It wasn't. He just liked the idea of having his little cousin's name tattooed on the idiot so other girls didn't get any ideas, so they'd know who he belonged to and stay away. "Don't read into it, kid. Did it 'cause I wasn't about to let some other asshole fuck it up. Spell your name wrong and shit."

"Yeah, okay, sure," she said, her tone one of disbelief. "I'm thinkin' of gettin' new ink myself actually."

He looked down at her, studying her face. Memories of when she was turned eighteen ran through his head. She'd begged him to ink her for weeks, each time coming up with a new idea that was even dumber than the last. He wasn't about to have some dumb butterfly tramp-stamped across his little cousin's back. To him, tattoos were about more than just art; they branded you, told the world who you were. It wasn't until she turned twenty and had approached him with the idea of a koi fish and had explained the meaning of it that he agreed to do it. He knew what tattoo she was hinting at now. The crow. A symbol that would tie her to Juice, to the club for the rest of her life. "You tell him you love him?"

"No."

"Then no," he said softly. Her face fell making him sigh. "A crow ain't just ink, kid. That shit means somethin'. Got to be in this for the long run. Hell, you don't even think of yourself as an Old Lady."

"I'm not," she replied automatically; she'd gotten so used to denying it that it was almost reflexive. A brief look of disappoint passed over her cousin's face. "Am I?"

"Dunno. Not my call," he said, shaking his head. "Idiot talked about you nonstop inside. Asked all kinds of questions and shit. I know where he's at. Ain't got a clue where you are."

Angela pressed her lips together, her eyes focused on her feet. "I'm right here."

"Yeah, ya are," he rasped, turning away from her to get back to the aisle signalling the end of their conversation.

"What does that even mean?" she muttered to herself. She hated when he did that; drop some deep bullshit on her and then turn away before explaining it further or giving her advice. Happy always made her sort through shit like this by herself. Sighing, she raked a hand through her hair, pushing herself off Happy's bike and towards where Gemma was gesturing for her to come over.

"Lookin' good there, Little Miss Undertaker," Gemma said, pulling Angela in for a hug. "Lyla said you got out of bed to go help her makeup emergency. Quite a sacrifice."

Angela sighed, raking a hand through her hair. "You have no idea."

"Well, she looks good," Gemma complimented on a smirk. "A little too much black for a wedding, but I'm guessin' that wasn't your choice."

"She's the bride. It's her wedding, if she wants a smoky eye, she gets a smoky eye," she explained with a grin. "Tried to make it as tasteful as possible."

The Queen smiled at her, reaching to set a hand on her arm. "You did good, undertaker," she said with a proud look on her face. "And not just with this makeup shit, but while the guys were inside. Helpin' out with Abel, the Winstons, Thomas. Stayin' true to your man. Didn't expect that from you."

Angela felt frustration bubble up inside her. When was Gemma going to realize that she was in this for the long run? That when took care of the kids and did things for the club, it was because she wanted to not because she wanted to get in good standing with the club or with its Queen. "Yeah, of course," she said awkwardly. As frustrated as she was with Gemma, she wasn't about to give her any lip; she knew better. "Not much else I could do."

"Yeah there was," Gemma replied. She'd seen the way some of the younger mechanics looked at Angela when she'd drop off the kids at TM. Most weren't discreet about showing their interest; they knew about the prison clause and what it meant for the women of the club. To her credit, Angela never gave them a second glance. "Don't act coy with me, sweetheart. You knew there were other options. Guys weren't being subtle. 'Specially Miles. Dumbass practically broadcasted it."

She shrugged a shoulder in response, a knowing smile on her face. "Yeah, but they got nothin' on Juice. Trust me, Gemma. He was well worth the wait."

Gemma chuckled, shaking her head at Angela. She looked towards Juice who seemed to be scanning the crowd for his girl. All the guests had arrived and the Sons had started taking their seats. "Well, he's waitin' for you now."

Angela looked over her shoulder, grinning at Juice who looked very confused. "Guess I should go, then," she said, excusing herself from the conversation and heading towards him. She tapped his shoulder, smiling when he spun around. "Lookin' for someone?"

"Not anymore," Juice said, draping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her down the aisle towards their seats.

She took the seat next to Happy, content to be seating between her two favorite men. She felt someone squeeze her shoulder and looked around Juice to where Tig was sitting. The wild haired man grinned at her. "Nice dress, doll."

Angela bit back a laugh at Juice's scowl. "Shoulda never let you outta the house in that," Juice murmured, his warm hand resting on her bared thigh as a silent claim on her.

Leaning over, she pressed a kiss to his scruffy cheek. "It's yours to take off," she whispered, her lips moving against the skin of his ear.

He swallowed hard as he pictured pushing her up against a wall, his hands sliding over the soft lace, pushing the skirt up. "Damn, baby."

Angela felt shivers slide down her back as he started to move his hand up her thigh, that lustful look in his eyes telling her that he was up to no good. She grabbed at his wrist, pulling his hand off her thigh and slipping her fingers through his. "Juice," she scolded , a blush coloring her cheeks; she hoped to God that Happy hadn't seen that little move.

He feigned innocence, the Cheshire cat grin on his face giving away his real intentions. "What?" he asked. At her scowl, he brought her hand up to his lips, brushing a kiss across her knuckles. "You started it."

Angela rolled her eyes at him about to contest his statement when the soft music started up, signalling the start of the ceremony. He winked at her, squeezing her hand briefly before letting go so he could turn and watch Lyla make her way up the aisle. The ceremony was short and sweet. Everyone cheered, hooting and hollering as Opie and Lyla made their way back down the aisle towards the reception where a delicious feast, a live band, and a large dance floor were waiting. Angela didn't know which of the three she was most excited for.

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

Juice watched Angela dance on the stage with Kenny Winston. She was grinning from ear to ear, laughing with Kenny as she made him spin around. The young boy seemed to be having just as good of a time as he awkwardly danced with her. "Got some competition there," Kozik teased, nodding towards the dancing pair. "Those two spent a lot of time together while you were inside."

"Did they now?" Juice asked, playing along. "Maybe I should go cut in."

"You got time," Happy said on a nod of approval. "Might as well."

"Yeah, she'll be happy with ya," Kozik put in, grinning from ear to ear. "Ang likes to dance."

"I know." Juice smiled, pushing away from the table and heading up to the dance floor just as a slow song started up. He hopped up onto the stage easily before setting a hand on Kenny's shoulder. "Mind if I cut in?" he asked the boy.

Kenny looked a little relieved someone had stepped in since he had no idea what to do on a slow dance. "Yeah, sure," he said stepping away. "See ya, Angie."

"Save me a dance for later, kiddo," she called after him. He gave her a thumbs up in response before jumping off the stage.

Juice took her hand in his and pulled her in close, his other hand finding its place against her lower back. "Thought he was tryin' to steal my girl for a minute there."

"He was close," she teased, setting her hand on his muscular arm. "He's a real cutie."

"I believe it. Seems those Winston men are quite the charmers," he joked, glancing over at Piney who was dancing with a Croweater about half his age. She laughed, her whole face lighting up and making his heart do flips. Even after all this time, he was finding little things like that still had an effect on him. He couldn't believe how long it'd been since they'd met that first time at the funeral home, since he first laid eyes on her. "You remember the day we met?"

"How could I forget?" she asked on a laugh. "You guys needed a body. It was one of the weirdest things I've ever seen."

"You said you'd seen weirder," Juice pointed out.

She smiled at him, a mischievous glint in her dark eyes. "I lied."

He chuckled, shaking his head at her. "Trying to play it cool, huh?"

She nodded. "Not every day a bunch of hot bikers and a tattooed goofball walk into a funeral home."

Juice raised an eyebrow at her. "Are the tats the first thing you noticed?"

"About you?" she questioned. At his nod, she shook her head. "Nah, it was your smile. You have the best smile."

He grinned at her in return making her laugh. "Want to know what I first noticed about you?"

Angela rolled her eyes. If memory served her correctly, there was only one place he'd been looking when he'd strolled into the funeral home. "My chest?"

Juice chuckled, looking down her dress for a brief moment as if contemplating his answer before shaking his head. "No, actually. Don't get me wrong, I love your tits, they're...awesome. But it was Chibs who pointed them out actually."

She glanced over at the Scot who was currently smoking a cigar and laughing with some of the other brothers. After getting to know Chibs, it was a little strange to hear he'd made a comment about her chest; he was always so respectful. "Oh did he now?"

"Yeah, the perv," he joked, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "I, on the other hand, noticed you. Like all of you. From the bubble gum you were smacking to those big shit-kickin' boots...I didn't pick a feature I just saw all of you and thought, 'Damn, can't wait to get my hands on her'."

She laughed, rolling her eyes again thinking how only Juice could go from turning what could've been a romantic comment into a sleazy one."You are so romantic, Juice" she teased, smiling when he pulled her in closer to his chest. "Can you believe that was almost three years ago?"

Juice shook his head. It was crazy to him how long they'd been together, how long she'd stuck by him despite everything that happened. Three years was an unprecedented amount of time for him to be in a relationship, yet he found he couldn't wait to add more years to it. "That's crazy," he said on a breath.

"Mm-hmm," she agreed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as she leaned her head against his shoulder. The scent of jasmine hung in the air, mixing with Juice's usual smell of leather and cologne, the heavenly mix of scents relaxed her and she wished the moment could last forever. "Are you guys workin' tonight?" she asked softly. She felt him nod against her head and sighed lengthily in response. Of course they couldn't enjoy one night in peace; the club always had to interrupt.

He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Don't stress about it, Ang," he murmured against her skin. "It ain't anythin' big."

She knew he was lying to keep her from worrying, and though she appreciated the effort, it didn't help much. "All right," she said, softly as she let go of his hand and draped her arms over his shoulders in an effort to pull him even closer. His hands slid down to her ass, gently squeezing it as he felt her smile against the skin of his neck. "You're gonna get in trouble," she teased.

"Worth it," he murmured, turning her to face the back end of the dance floor so they were out of view from her cousin and his brothers. The song ended and Angela pulled back, tilting her head and waiting for the kiss she knew was coming. Juice smiled at her before connecting their lips in a sweet kiss. He took her hand and led her to the edge of the stage, hopping down before reaching up to help her. To her surprise, he grabbed her hips, easily lifting her off her feet as she braced herself on his shoulders. He beamed up at her as he slowly spun her around, sliding her body against his until she was on her feet in front of him. "There you go, beautiful."

Angela reached up and took his face in her hands, her fingers gently brushing over the scruff of his jaw. She wanted to tell him then, wanted to say those three little words right there. Sucking in a deep breath, she was about to say it when a whistle cut her off. She looked to see Chibs gesturing that it was time to go.

"I gotta go, baby," he said, pulling her in for a hug. "If I don't get here in time, Koz'll take you home, all right?"

She nodded, pecking his lips quickly. "Be safe, Juice."

"Of course," he said, taking her hand and squeezing it before heading towards where Chibs, Happy, and Bobby were all standing.

Angela waved at the other three men who gave her nods in return. She watched them all leave with a sigh, the Reapers on their backs slowly disappearing into the night.

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

Angela was sitting at one of the tables chatting with Tara when some of the boys came back. She scanned the group for Juice and frowned when she found he wasn't among them. The only reason she wasn't freaking out was because the other three he'd left with weren't there either. The DJ called for last dance and Jax interrupted their conversation to take Tara to the dance floor.

She sighed as she watched Tara and Jax dance, wishing Juice could be there too. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to find Kozik there, a wide smile on his face. "C'mon, kiddo, can't have you sittin' out the last dance," he said, offering his arm out to her. "Plus, it's our song."

She stood, rolling of her eyes at him as she looped her arm through his. "We don't have a song, Koz."

"So what?" he asked on a shrug as they made their way to the dance floor. "This one sounds good."

Angela laughed, setting a hand on his strong shoulder while he held the other one. "It's very My Best Friend's Wedding," she commented when she recognized it as 'The Way You Look Tonight'.

"Never saw that one," he said honestly. He rarely got Angela's movie references, but she never really minded. "Any good?"

"It's got your girl Julia Roberts in it."

Kozik grinned, nodding his head in approval. "Sweet."

"Juice isn't coming back, is he?" she asked after a moment. She'd noticed the Prospects had loaded his bike along with the others' onto the flatbed.

He shook his head, feeling bad the club business had to ruin her night. "Sorry, kid. I'll take ya to him, though," he assured her. "Idiot gave me a pair of pants for you to slip under that dress just in case. Make you more comfortable on the ride."

She smiled slightly; that was her man, thinking of everything. "Not such an idiot after all."

"I like seein' him take care of ya," he commented honestly. "It's about time you found someone who did, 'sides my kid brother of course. Mel would've treated you real good."

"You have got to let that go, man," Angela said with a roll of her eyes. "It's not going to happen!"

He chuckled as he pushed her out to spin her around before pulling her back in. The only reason he teased her about his little brother was because he knew it annoyed her. "I know, I know. I see the way you look at that idiot, way he looks at you."

"Goin' soft on me, Kozi?" she accused with a smirk.

"Shut up, kid. You talk too much," he said though he knew well he was the one who usually monopolized their conversations. Angela, like Happy, was a woman of few words unless she really had something to say or someone asked her a question that favored a longer answer.

Angela grinned up at him. As the song ended, she pressed a sisterly kiss to his cheek. "Love you, Kozi," she said, ruffling his blonde hair.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said, swatting her hand away. "Let's go, kid."

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

Angela held on tightly to Kozik's hips as he sped down the highway. At the speed they were going, she could just barely make out the landmarks around her, but she knew they weren't heading back to Charming. They'd have been there by now. "Koz!" she shouted into his ear. "Where are we going?"

"Don't worry about it!" he yelled back at her.

She frowned; she was really starting to hate that sentence. They'd only been riding for a few minutes when she started recognizing their surroundings. They were in Bakersfield. No, she thought as she watched him pull up to her mom's house. The flatbed with the guys' bikes on it was already there, Filthy and Miles standing beside it looking nervous. As soon as Kozik got off of his bike, they approached him. "We didn't want to go in 'cause we don't know 'em and shit," Miles explained.

"They're two old ladies who are expectin' you. What the hell do you think they'd do to you?" Kozik asked, aware Angela was still sitting on his bike staring wide eyed at the house as she slowly started making connections.

"Yeah, but its Happy's mom," Miles stated as if that would explain their hesitance. "She's gotta be nuts!"

Kozik chuckled, shaking his head at what an idiot the newly patched member was. "If I were you, I'd be more scared of Angie's," he quipped before looking at the undertaker. "Am I right?"

"What the hell are we doing here, Koz?" she asked instead, glaring at the simple house.

"Your Ma and Aunt are gonna keep the goods safe for us. The boys are on their way, should be here any second," he replied as if it were no big deal. "You should probably go in first."

Angela felt a sense of dread fill her. Juice was on his way over to her mother's house. Juice was going to meet her mom. She doubted even Juice had made that connection. If she had known this was where they'd end up, she'd have never have agreed to let Kozik give her a ride home. "I hate you so much right now, Herman," she spat at Kozik, swinging her leg off the bike and heading towards the front door.

"Herman," Miles snickered under his breath.

Kozik glared at him. "You got somethin' to say, Miles?"

He straightened up quickly. "No, no, it's a great name. Real strong."

"Moron," Kozik muttered, pushing by him and going to stand by Angela. "I'm sorry, kid," he said, setting a hand on her shoulder.

She pulled a teenager move and slapped it away. "Don't touch me," she ground out between clenched teeth before taking a deep breath and plastering a smile on her face. She turned the doorknob, stepping inside and raising an eyebrow as the smell of coffee assaulted her nose. Neither of the older women drank coffee anymore. "Ma?"

Graciela rounded the corner, a huge smile on her face when she saw her daughter standing there with Kozik of all people. "Angelita! Come in, come in. Hap said you'd be coming," she said practically pushing her daughter inside. "Kozik! How nice to see you!"

Kozik grinned at her, leaning over to hug the older woman. "Good to see you too, Graci. These idiots are Phil and Miles," he introduced waving to each in turn.

"Nice to meet you boys. There's room for your stuff down in the basement. Just push Angela's stuff aside," she explained, gesturing down the hall. "Would you all like some coffee?"

"That'd be great, Graci. Thanks," he replied, answering for all of them.

"Angela, go get them some coffee," Graciela said waving her off to the kitchen before turning back to the attractive blonde biker. "Elena's watching TV over here. Come, I have cookies."

Angela felt her stomach turn at the thought of Juice showing up there with her mother in full matchmaker mode. She headed slowly into the kitchen, serving herself a cup of coffee instead of the boys. She wasn't about to wait on Kozik, not after the stunt he pulled. "Asshole," she muttered to herself as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

"No hello for me?" Elena's rough voice asked, making her jump a little.

She smiled at the older woman, unhitching herself from the counter and wrapping her aunt in a tight hug. "Hi Tia," she murmured pressing a kiss to her temple. "It's good to see you."

"You look beautiful in that dress, mi amor," Elena said, gesturing to the black dress she was wearing. "Those pants ruin it a bit, though." (My love.)

"Thanks. Needed the sweats for protection while riding," she explained, grabbing a cookie from a nearby plate. "So Hap and his brothers are coming over..."

Elena nodded. "He wants to keep some things here," she said, wondering why Angela didn't know already. She caught the panicked look on her niece's face and smiled a bit. "Your boy is with them, isn't he? That's why you look like you've seen a ghost."

Angela sighed, raking a hand through her hair as she nodded. "You know how she gets, Tia. She goes crazy."

Elena smiled warmly, reaching up a wrinkled hand to gently pat Angela's cheek in a reassuring manner. "You need to tell her, mija. She loves you. She wants you to be happy. This Juice boy, from what I hear, he's got a good heart. You'd be surprised by her."

"Mmm," she hummed pensively in response. "We'll see."

"Ay, I know that means 'no' with you, mi Angelita," Elena said with a roll of her eyes. That response was as good as a 'no' in her book. "Your mother is the same way."

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

Juice felt the weight of his first real kill settle heavily on his shoulders as they tossed the bodies of the Russians into the construction site. He felt sick to his stomach as he sat down on one of the crates in the back of the car, tilting his head back against the metal side and trying to keep calm. He couldn't wait to drop the guns off and go back to Angela; she'd know what to say to make him feel better. "Where we droppin' the guns off anyway?" he asked his brothers. He'd been so involved with Angela that day he'd forgotten to ask about the finer details of the plan.

"Bakersfield," Bobby said, an amused glint in his eyes. "With Hap's mom."

He nodded slowly in response. "Oh, cool," he said, bobbing his head up and down. He wondered what Happy's mother's house would look like before it hit him. "Wait. Happy's mom and aunt's house?"

"That'd be the one."

Juice's eyes widened as the back of the truck grew hot all of a sudden. He was about to meet Angela's family. Something neither he or Angela wanted to happen just yet. "Shit," he breathed.

Chibs chuckled at the scared look on Juice's face. "Looks like you're finally gonna meet Angie's Mum afterall, ey Juicy-boy?"

"Shit," he repeated, pulling off his beanie and raking a hand through his hair. "I didn't even...does Angel know?"

Bobby shook his head. "Koz said he's gonna meet us there with her. Said it'll make things less awkward."

"How'd he get her to agree to that?" Chibs asked no one in particular.

"I don't think he told her," Bobby replied on a chuckle.

Juice didn't find anything funny about the situation. He was already feeling sick, adding on the fact he was about to meet his girlfriend's monster mother for the first time ever, had him ready to throw up the delicious dinner he'd wolfed down at the wedding. "Shit."

"Oh relax, Juicy-boy," Chibs said on a chuckle as the truck slowed to a stop. "How bad can it be?"

Once they got to Happy's mom's house, Juice hopped down from the truck, following behind Happy, Bobby, and Chibs as they headed around the truck and up the front walk. Taking in a deep breath, he entered the small house. He glanced briefly around the small living room, taking everything in. As his eyes swept over the couch, he found Angela stretched out across it, her head in the lap of an older woman who was currently raking her long fingers through the younger girl's dark hair as they watched some Spanish telenovela. Juice had a feeling the woman sitting with his girl was not her mother, mostly because of the easy way the two seemed to be talking. Angela had told him once before she was a million times more comfortable with Happy's mom than with her own.

Angela glanced at him quickly before going back to the television, a silent signal to play it cool. Happy's mother, however, was looking him over with a knowing smile. He could've sworn she'd even winked at him.

"How you doin', Ma?" Hap asked, catching her attention and affirming Juice's guess. Happy waited until Angela sat up before pecking her cheek quickly, an unusual show of affection in front of his brothers, but he knew that's what his mother expected of him.

"Good, mijo," she said, struggling to get up. Angela moved so she could subtly offer her shoulder to give Elena leverage. Both she and Hap knew better than to actually offer to help her stand; Elena was much too proud to accept someone else's help. "Introduce me to your friends."

"Bobby, Chibs, Juice, this is my Ma, Elena," he said pointing to each one in turn before going to the kitchen to greet his aunt.

"Hello, Ma'am. Angie," Bobby said, shaking Elena's hand before nodding to Angela and heading towards where Happy had gone.

"Good to meet ya. Nice to see you too, Angie-girl," Chibs said, shaking the older woman's hand as well. He gave Angela's shoulder a loving squeeze before following after Bobby.

"So you're Juice?" Elena asked, once the other boys had cleared out. "Que guapo! I can see why you like him." (How handsome!)

Angela bit back a laugh as she watched Juice shift uncomfortably in front of her, his hands dug deep into the pockets of his cut. "Thank you, ma'am," he muttered awkwardly, his eyes looking over towards where the other guys had disappeared. "It's nice meeting you."

"You too, mijo," she said, patting his cheek lovingly.

Juice glanced at Angela who just shook her head, an amused smile on her face. He relaxed a little when he saw her smile, feeling more comfortable with the whole situation. It was clear her aunt knew of their relationship, so he leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek. "Hi Angel," he greeted, grinning at her before heading the direction the other boys had gone.

Angela stared after him, her cheek tingling from where he'd kissed it. Even after being with him for so long, his touch still gave her tingles. "Goof," she murmured, gently touching her cheek.

"That smile, mija," Elena whispered, squeezing her niece's hand. "Wow."

She laughed in response, tucking a stray hair behind her ear as she felt those familiar butterflies flutter in her stomach. "I know."

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

Graciela looked over the rough and tumble men her nephew had brought into her house as Happy brushed a kiss to her cheek. "Tia," he said in greeting.

"Happy, so good to see you! I have coffee and snacks for you and your friends," she exclaimed sounding very much like the mother of a five year old rather than the aunt of a grown man.

"Made some good eats," Kozik said around a mouthful of cookie.

"Thanks, Tia," Happy said, grabbing a cookie himself. He waited until the other boys had all filtered in before waving towards them. "My Aunt Graci. Graci, this is Bobby, Chibs, and Juice."

Graciela eyes fell on the youngest of the men standing there. He seemed nervous, skittish; she could only imagine the horror stories Angela had filled his head with about her. "Good to meet you all," she said, shaking each one's hand in turn.

Juice gave her a nervous smile. "You too, Mrs. Ruiz," he said on a nod. He hesitantly grabbed a cookie and took a bite before following the guys out towards the backyard.

Once she saw them all disappear out the back door, Angela gravitated in that direction. She leaned against the doorjamb, watching as the men unloaded huge wooden crates from inside. She loved the way the muscles in Juice's arms moved as he worked. They were more defined now than before he'd gone inside.

"Move," Happy grunted, breaking her out of her thoughts. She stepped back, allowing him and Kozik to walk by, a crate held in between them. Bobby and Chibs came after, followed closely by Filthy and Miles who were struggling more than the others. Juice was left outside to guard the cargo.

She smiled as she headed his way, loving the feel of the cool grass underneath her bare feet. "Hey you," she greeted with a small smile.

"Hey baby," he said on a tired sigh, holding out an arm to her.

Angela frowned, he didn't look good. There was something off about him. His shoulders were slumped and his big doe eyes looked sad. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching before she moved closer, reaching a hand up to touch his cheek as his arm snaked around her waist. "You okay?" she asked softly, her thumb stroking over his warm skin.

He sighed again and shrugged, his fingers gently wrapping around her wrist as he turned his face to press a kiss to her palm. He was struck by how well she knew him. It took her just seconds to see something was off, to get that worried look in her eyes. He loved that she cared so much.

"Juice?" she questioned, her worry increasing with his silence.

His answer was to lean forward and kiss the little worry wrinkle between her brows. "I'm all right, baby," he whispered as he pulled her in close. She nuzzled her face against his neck as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Her hands slipped under his shirt, palms sliding up his back with just a hint of pressure. He knew she could feel all the knots twisting up in his back. She rubbed a little harder at a spot just between his shoulder blades making him groan.

He felt her smile against his neck. "You sure?" she asked, not at all convinced.

"Sorta," he said, groaning again as she added a little more pressure, using her knuckle to really press in. He loved when she worked his muscles like that. Leaning forward, he caught her lips in a quick kiss. "Feelin' a little better now."

"Good," she murmured, happy to at least start making him feel better. She knew once they got home he'd want to vent whatever had happened to her and wondered if she'd be getting the real story or just the bare minimum. She never knew with him.

Juice glanced over her head to where Chibs and Bobby had just appeared. He pressed a kiss to her temple, unwinding his arms from around her and taking her hand instead; he wasn't ready to let her go just yet.

"You plannin' to help us anytime soon?" Bobby asked as he walked by.

"I can't carry one of those things by myself. They're fuckin' heavy. I'm not Superman," he defended, rolling his eyes at them before walking back to the truck.

Bobby chuckled as he watched Juice and Chibs pick up the next crate. "Don't s'pose you'd be willing to help out, 'ey Angie'?"

Angela laughed as she shrugged. "Sure. I'd have to change out of this dress first though."

"Don't worry about it, darlin'. Somethin' tells me Juice was lookin' forward to helpin' you with that and I wouldn't want to spoil his fun. 'preciate the offer, though," he said, grinning at her. "Go on inside. Don't want to look too suspicious out here, do ya?"

She wondered how much Bobby knew about her current situation with her mother and if someone had told him or if he'd just picked it up upon walking in. She wouldn't put it past the club secretary to have a sixth sense about that kind of stuff, he always seemed to know more than he let on. "Can't have that."

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

Watching her daughter with the slick-haired biker brought tears to Graciela's eyes. The way they were with each other was so...familiar. It was like she was looking into the past where she was the young woman with the very attractive, dangerous man. Angela's father, Victor, was no saint and her grandfather had hated him, but it never stopped Graciela from loving him with all her heart until his very last breath. She saw that love reflected in her daughter's eyes whenever Angela looked at the dark haired biker. "She's in love," she murmured to Elena who was at her side helping her clean the dishes.

Elena nodded in response. "And you thought it wouldn't happen."

Graciela chuckled to herself, shaking her head. "They look happy, no?"

"Claro que si," she replied with a fond smile. "They've been together for some time now." (Of course.)

"A few years," Graciela said on a nod, completely surprising her sister. At Elena's surprised look, she smirked. "I'm not as blind as I seem, Lena. The minute she stopped fighting against me, I knew something was off."

"You're not upset?"

Graciela shrugged a shoulder. "How could I be upset when she's smiling like that?" she asked her older sister. "I was at first when I found out she'd told you and not me. Pero...I can't be mad at her. Not when I kept Vic away from our parents for so long. Lo entiendo. I haven't been easy on her." (But...I get it)

Angela walked in from outside, leaving the boys to pick up the rest of the guns. She stopped when she walked by the kitchen to find both her mom and aunt staring at her, weird looks on their faces. "What?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

"Nothing, mija," Graciela said, giving her a warm smile.

"Okay," Angela murmured, looking a little creeped out by her mother's sweet reply.

"Que guapo es ese chico, Juice," her mom stated with a knowing smile. "Nice thick hair. Reminds me of your father. Lástima que su nombre es medio estúpido." (That boy, Juice, is very handsome...Too bad his name is sort of stupid.)

She fought the urge to laugh. If her mother only knew how Juice usually had his hair, she would be singing quite a different song. "His real name is Juan Carlos," she explained with a roll of her eyes.

"That's much better. Is he single?"

Angela rolled her eyes again. "Jesus, Ma. You don't have to set me up with every Son that walks in here," she said incredulously.

"Not every man, mija," she said with a small smile. "That Irishman or the fat one would be no good for you. Too old."

"He's Scottish," Angela corrected on a laugh. It was moments like these when she wasn't nagging that made her realize how much she loved her mother.

Graciela rolled her eyes. "Who cares? So what about this Juan Carlos?"

"Don't worry about him," she replied grabbing her mug of coffee and a cookie. She kissed her mother's cheek before heading back to the living room.

"That's not an answer, Angela!" Graciela called after her.

"Love you, Ma!" Angela called back, smiling to herself as she stretched across the couch. She turned the channel back to the telenovela she'd been watching with her Aunt and felt her eyes grow heavy as she watched the ridiculous drama on the screen.

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

Juice smiled when he found Angela asleep up on the couch while characters from a Spanish soap argued loudly with each other in front of her. Chibs chuckled, setting a hand on his shoulder. "Better wake her," he said, pushing him towards the couch before going over to the kitchen to get one last cookie.

Juice crouched down so his face was even with hers and brushed a hair out of her face, his fingers lingering on her warm cheek for a brief moment. She looked so peaceful, he hated to wake her, but he couldn't carry her all the way to Charming. Quickly, he looked over his shoulder to make sure his brothers were out of the room before leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

Angela's eyes fluttered open, a sleepy smile spreading across her face and making his heart skip a beat. "Hey you," she murmured around a yawn. "All done?"

He nodded, his thumb brushing across her cheek. "Ready to go?"

"Mm-hmm." She sat up on a sigh, stretching her arms above her head with a groan. He chuckled offering his hands to help her up. She took them with a smile, allowing him to pull her to her feet. "I got to say bye to my family first."

"They went to bed already," he said, keeping hold of one of her hands. "The others are in the kitchen. Phil left with the truck already and Bobby and Chibs are gonna ride back with us. Hap, Koz, and Miles are staying here."

"Mom's gonna love that," she said on a laugh as they headed towards the kitchen. She knew her mother would treat the boys that were staying over like kings.

"Ready to head out then?" Bobby asked the couple. At Juice's nod, he and Chibs said their goodbyes and walked out of the kitchen.

Angela let Kozik swept her up into a tight hug, lifting her off the ground a little. "I'm sorry 'bout not tellin' ya, kid," Kozik said as he set her back down. "You understand why though, right? You'd a never gotten on the bike."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said, rolling her eyes at him. "You're forgiven, asshole."

He ruffled her hair. "Love ya, Angie-pie."

"Whatever," she said, her smile telling him she didn't mean it. She turned to Happy and gave him a quick hug. "I'm glad you're home, cuz." She knew she'd already told him, but she felt the need to say it again because she really was happy he was finally back so she wouldn't have to deal with their crazy family on her own.

Happy hugged her tightly, kissing her temple. "Me too," he answered honestly. He let her go before clapping a hand on Juice's shoulder. "You did good today, brotha," he told him, a proud look on his face.

Angela raised an eyebrow as she looked from her cousin to Juice, wondering what the hell Happy was referring to and if whatever he'd done was troubling him now despite Happy thinking he did a good job. She held back the question, knowing it wasn't wise to ask. If Juice wanted her to know, he'd tell her.

Juice shrugged a shoulder as if it was no big deal. "Yeah, thanks."

"Ride safe. Take care a her."

Juice fought the urge to roll his eyes; he hated that Happy felt the need to repeat his veiled threat over and over again. With a sigh, he nodded and replied in the same way he always did, "Always."

"Bye, kid," Happy said letting her hug him one more time.

Miles stretched out his arms waiting for a hug of his own, but Juice pushed him away. "Don't even think about it, dumbass," he muttered, shaking his head at him. It was one thing for her to hug Happy and Kozik, it was quite another for her to hug Miles. He'd seen the newly patched member checking out Angela more than once at the wedding and had not appreciated it. He held out an arm to Angela. "C'mon, baby."

Angela laughed, winking at Miles as she slid an arm around Juice's back and leaned into his side. "See ya later, Miles," she said, walking with Juice towards the front door. Once they were out of the kitchen, she heard two loud smacks followed by Miles' whine of pain; apparently Juice wasn't the only one who had a problem with Miles' offer.