Angela knelt in front of the white headstone, a beautiful bouquet of fresh white roses and blue daisies in hand. She set the flowers down in front of the stone, running her hands over the soft, newly laid grass underneath her. "Hey Kozi," she breathed, reaching a hand out to brush her fingers over the dark lettering that spelled out his full name. There were supposed to be more people, it was supposed to be a proper memorial service, but so far, she was the only one there. "You got prime real estate here. Right in the sunshine like you like, lemonhead."

She sighed looking around to see if someone else was coming. The cemetery was empty though. "Sorry about the turnout. Guess your club brothers were busy and I punched your real brother last night, so he's probably avoiding me. You know how he is. Weirdo."

"I love you, Kozi," she said, looking at the silver Reaper inlaid into the white marble. Tears slowly slid down her cheeks, but she did nothing to wipe them away. Koz never cared if she cried. Unlike Happy, he understood. "And I miss you so incredibly much. I wish...I wish you'd be around to meet the baby, Koz. I know she...he...whatever...would love you. But I'll tell them about you. All your stupid stories and fish analogies. They'll love 'em."

She sat there for a few more minutes, memories going through her head on repeat. They'd both known he was going to be the first to go. He was older than her, had been a hardcore addict, and put himself into dangerous situations on a daily basis. But knowing it was going to happen and having it actually happen were two different things. She'd never thought it'd be so hard to lose him. They spent so much of their lives apart anyway; she figured she'd just move on. It wasn't that easy, though. The thought she couldn't call him when she needed advice or someone to listen to her made her cry all over again. He'd been her 'go to' person since she was eighteen. They'd been through drug addictions, break ups, moves, and all sorts of dangerous situations together. She still couldn't believe he was gone.

"Nice stone," a familiar voice said from behind her. She craned her head back to find Mel standing above her, a sad smile on his face. He was wearing a pair of nicely tailored jeans and a light blue button down dress shirt unbuttoned just enough to show the white undershirt underneath. His hair was neatly styled, face freshly shaven to the point where she could see the dark bruise she'd inflicted on his cheek. This was the put together Mel she was used to. He didn't sit, instead holding out a hand to help her up. She didn't take it, just looked back at the stone, ignoring him. "You still mad?"

"You still an asshole?" she countered, her jaw clenched tightly.

Mel smirked, he knew that was coming. He couldn't count how many times she'd called him an asshole throughout their whole relationship. It didn't bother him much anymore. "Look, Gee, I'm sorry. I don't know him or how he is with you. I just lost my head for a minute. It won't happen again."

"You need to lay off, Mel. We're not in Tacoma anymore. Me and you...that's never going to happen," she said bluntly. "I don't know how many times I have to say that before it gets through."

"I'm going to do my best, all right? No promises," he said on a breath. His eyes fell on the tombstone in front of them. "Just like you said, bro. She's been caught. Hook, line, and sinker."

Angela laughed, the first real laugh she'd let out in awhile. She could honestly see Kozik saying something like that, completely serious about it too. "Koz and his fishy crap. What is that about?"

"He told you about the fish?" Mel asked, finally taking a seat next to her in the grass. "Did he say you don't need a fish, you need an octopus?"

"Octopus?" she repeated, her nose wrinkled in distaste.

Mel nodded emphatically. "Because, apparently, they're really smart and pretty. Why? What'd he say to you?"

"Said I needed a damn shark because I'm a pain in the ass and only a shark is tough enough to put up with my crap," she said rolling her eyes. She sniffled, wiping at her nose as a few tears slipped down her cheeks. "Obviously we both need different things."

He sighed, digging in his pocket and handing her a miniature pack of tissues. "Obviously," he scoffed, watching her as she took the tissue and wiped at her nose. He wasn't so sure that was true, but he didn't want to say so. He'd already dug himself a pretty deep shit hole with what he'd said to her earlier, he didn't need to make it any deeper. "Sorry for being such a dick, Gee."

"You said that already," she pointed out, surprising him by leaning her head against his shoulder. She honestly just needed the contact, needed to know someone was there. With Juice in holding and Kozik gone, she felt so lonely that it was nice to have someone else there. Someone who understood her pain.

Mel shrugged a shoulder. "It merits repeating," he said on a sigh. He wanted to put his arm around her but stopped himself. She'd willingly made contact, and he knew trying to pull her in closer would only push her father away.

They were silent for a moment before she spoke. "You gonna disappear on me, Mel?" she asked, a hint of worry in her tone. "I mean, I'd understand if you had to but..."

"I'm still taking the position in Sacramento. It's a good program, and I could learn a lot there so no, I'm not disappearing," he answered on a small smile. He liked that she wanted him to stick around, that the idea that he might disappear worried her. "Maybe I'll make friends with your idiot or something. We can go fishing. Hap can come too."

Angela snorted at that idea. Happy didn't do boats unless he was dumping a body. They were too claustrophobic for his taste, not that he'd ever admit it. Juice, on the other hand, would not be able to sit still enough to catch anything. She had visions of him jumping to his feet in excitement as he caught something, the boat flipping with his movement. "Good luck with that."

"You don't think we can be friends?"

She rolled her eyes. The concept of Juice and Mel ever being friends seemed a little far-fetched. Juice would never trust him enough for that bond to form, and she really couldn't blame him. "No, no I don't," she said on a laugh. "Do you?"

"Not really, no," he replied honestly. They were silent for a moment before he sucked in a long breath. "I'm going to ask you something that may or may not piss you off."

Angela grimaced at the statement before sighing. "What?"

"In another life...one where this guy didn't exist...you think we would be together?"

The answer to that one was easy, but she knew where it would lead. It'd give him hope, something to hold onto and that was something she didn't want to do. In another world, another time, they might be able to be together, but they'd never be truly happy. They were too different for that. She'd realized that when they'd been dating. He wanted to change little things about her that she just didn't want to change. "No, I don't think so. You need that octopus, Melly. Not me. I'm...I'm like whatever eats the octopus. We'd end up killing each other. We're meant to be friends, siblings. That's how we work well together. Not the other way."

Mel knew she was lying and was silently glad for it. Turning his head, he placed a kiss to the top of her head. "Whatever you say, Gee."

She lifted her head from his shoulder, scooting away to put some space in between them. At one point in their lives, they'd been okay giving each other little kisses like that, but after hearing him berate Juice and offer to raise his child, she wasn't so comfortable with the action anymore. It almost felt like a betrayal to Juice, though she'd done nothing wrong. A hurt look flickered across his face, but he didn't say anything, just turned his head back to the headstone. "Mel..." she started but was interrupted by the shrill ring of her phone. She pulled it out, getting to her feet as she answered the call. "Angela Ruiz."

"Ms. Ruiz. It's Lieutenant Roosevelt. I just wanted to let you know I'm on my way to release Mr. Ortiz from holding. I suggest you come to pick him up. I'd hate for him to show up on your doorstep in a cop car."

A sigh of relief escaped her lips. Juice was coming home. Everything was going to be okay. "Thank you, sir. I'll be right there," she said on a quick breath before hitting the end button. She glanced down at Mel who was staring ahead at the white stone obviously in deep thought. "I've got to go pick something up."

He looked up at her, squinting in the sunlight. "All right. I'm headed back to San Diego tomorrow. Is it all right if I swing by to see you before I go?"

Angela hesitated briefly. Was it all right? Juice would be home then. If Mel said anything remotely similar to what he'd said the night before, she couldn't guarantee Juice wouldn't beat the shit out of him...and she couldn't guarantee she'd stop him. At Mel's downtrodden look, she softened a bit. "Of course it is, Melly. See you tomorrow," she said, squeezing his shoulder briefly before heading out.

Mel watched her go before heaving a long sigh. He looked at the headstone and shook his head. "I can't let her go, Hermy. I just can't do it. I don't give a shit what you say. She is my octopus."

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

Eli Roosevelt watched as Juice hooked his wallet chain onto one of his belt loops before tucking the wallet in his pocket. All the while his eyes kept flitting to the window overlooking the parking lot, his shoulders tensed. He'd assured him that he'd gotten a hold of Angela and she was on her way, but he obviously didn't believe him. Roosevelt watched as he took special care in shining one ring in particular; a heavy looking ring with wings and SAMCRO stamped across it. His best guess was the ring was from Angela which would account for the way he gingerly slid it on his finger, his thumb rubbing over one of the wings on the side. A dark silver Mazda pulled up in front of the building and the young man's shoulders relaxed, the smallest hint of a smile appearing on his face. He thought briefly maybe Juice had doubted she was going to come. Maybe their relationship wasn't as strong as he'd thought. "You didn't think she'd show?" Roosevelt asked him, eyebrows raised.

Juice shook his head. He never doubted Angela, not for a second. The mere knowledge she was close helped alleviate the pressure he'd been feeling on his shoulders. His girl was there, everything was going to be okay. "She always shows," he said, his voice holding anger and annoyance that had nothing to do with Angela but everything to do with the bald Lieutenant in front of him. "Can I go now?"

"Go right ahead," he answered on a nod. "Enjoy your day."

With one last glare, Juice turned and headed towards the exit moving as fast as he possibly could without running. He practically ran into Angela as he opened the front door. She took a step back, allowing him to get completely out of the building, the heavy metal door shutting behind him with a loud clang. And then she was wrapped up in his arms, every inch of her body pressed tightly against his. He buried his face into her neck, inhaling her warm scent. After only having the pillow to hold onto for the past two nights, it felt good to have her in his arms. She clung to him tightly, her hands smoothing over the back of his head. "Missed you," she whispered, kissing his head.

"Missed you too," he replied, his words muffled by her skin. He pressed a kiss to the crook of her neck before pulling away, just enough to see her face. He brushed a stray hair from her cheek, his fingers curling around the back of her neck. "You look tired, baby."

"I'm exhausted," she admitted, sighing and leaning into his chest, her head tucked under his chin. "There's just too much going on."

Juice nodded in understanding, one hand smoothing over her soft hair and down her back before coming to rest lightly on her ass. "Want me to drive?"

Despite the fact she loved driving, especially her car, she nodded. She really was thoroughly exhausted. It'd been easy to stay awake when she was on pins and needles waiting for Juice to come home. Now that he was there and safe, she felt the heavy cloud of fatigue fell on her shoulders. She wasn't sure if she could keep her eyes the whole drive home. "Please," she answered around a yawn as she handed him the keys.

He held the passenger's side door open for her, handing her the folder Roosevelt had given him before heading to the driver's side. As he adjusted the seat to fit him, he noticed her looking curiously at the folder, though she hadn't opened it yet. He knew she wouldn't open it unless he told her to; she wasn't nosy like that. It wasn't that he didn't want her to see his file, he just didn't want to explain it to her quite yet. He pulled out of the parking lot slowly, rolling down the windows as he picked up speed on the freeway.

Angela loved watching him drive almost as much as she loved riding on the back of his motorcycle. He always looked so sexy with his one hand on the wheel, his muscles outlined by the sun streaming in through the open window. His other hand was free to either move around as he talked or to hold hers as they drove. At the moment, he'd taken her hand in his, loosely entwining his fingers with hers. Despite being the badass biker he was, he liked holding her hand and did it often. He always seemed to be touching her in one way or another when they were together. Sometimes it was innocent like holding hands or an arm draped across her shoulders. When he could get away with it, it was a bit more naughty. She couldn't count how many times Happy had smacked him for putting his hand in the back pocket of her jeans, or her personal favorite, dipping his fingers under the waistline of her jeans to see what underwear she was wearing. She didn't mind any of these. In fact, she craved them. The feel of his hands on any part of her body was like a drug, and she was a complete addict.

"What'd I miss?" he asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

She sighed lengthily, running a hand through her hair. "Koz's memorial was today and no one but Mel came, Clear Passages was raided to give you a cover story, and Clay was shot in the chest last night," she told him on a single breath. "That's about it."

He grimaced, cursing softly under his breath; he'd missed a lot. "Clay all right?"

"Yeah. Doctors say he'll live," she replied, frowning. That hadn't been the outcome she'd wanted. When it came down to it, she held Clay responsible for Kozik's death. After all, he'd been told to protect the President. For that as well as a long laundry list of other things, she decided it was totally fine by her if he died. Especially if it was Opie who killed him.

"We know who did it?"

Angela shrugged a shoulder. "I'm not exactly privy to that information," she answered vaguely. It wasn't exactly a lie. Had she not been at the funeral home, she wouldn't have known, and no club member would ever tell her. She kept that secret to herself to protect Opie more than anyone. He needed someone to look after him since everyone else didn't seem to care.

He let out a long breath and nodded. "Right. Doc and Haze pissed about the raid?"

"Nope. Doc headed to his place in Tahoe for the weekend and Hazer went down to visit family in Marin. DA didn't arrest 'em, just made it look like they did," she answered, shrugging again. Like his brothers, he didn't seem to care about missing Kozik's memorial or what it meant to her. She had to admit, she was disappointed in him for that. He knew how much Koz meant to her, and she'd thought he'd be a little more sympathetic. "Scared Beth a bit though. She called me in a panic."

"Got to make it look real, otherwise the club won't buy it," Juice explained, distractedly. "They didn't bother you, right?"

She shook her head. "Nah. I wouldn't even have heard of it if Beth hadn't called."

"Good," he said, relieved his careful paperwork had kept her safe. She was quiet for a few moments, lost in her own thoughts as she stared out the open window, wind whipping her hair into her face. He squeezed her hand, catching her attention. "How have you been?"

"Fine," she lied. She didn't feel like telling him about the turmoil she'd gone through in his absence. The sleepless nights, crying over Koz, losing Piney, fighting with Mel. Those were all things that would just make him worry. She could handle it all on her own. "My first doctor's appointment is tomorrow."

He smiled slightly and nodded. "I know. I was worried I wouldn't get out in time," he admitted. "My little sea monkey treating you better?"

"Mmm," she hummed indifferently. She stared back out at the scenery, still a little hurt he hadn't asked about Kozik. Closing her eyes, she tried to let the sound of the wind blowing in her ears drown out the painful thoughts going through her head, but it wasn't helping much. Juice had just gotten out of holding to learn that his club president had been shot and his store had been raided. Obviously those were more pressing matters than a ceremony he'd missed only because he was locked away. A part of her wondered if he'd have missed it anyway like the rest of his brothers.

She was quiet, too quiet, Juice decided as he turned his eyes back to the road. Though she was never a chatterbox, she usually started up some kind of conversation or asked him a question to get him talking. The fact she hadn't actually answered his last question told him there was something she was holding back. "Say it, Angel. Whatever it is you're keeping in, say it."

A small smile turned up the corner of her lips as she looked down at his hand that was still holding hers. He knew her too well. "Koz's memorial was today. Mel was the only one that came," she repeated.

"Shit," he cursed, feeling incredibly guilty. He'd heard her say it the first time and had meant to apologize for it but had been distracted with the new information about Clay and the shop. No wonder she'd been so quiet; she probably thought he didn't care. "I'm sorry, Angel. I would've been there if I could've."

She tried for a smile but failed miserably. "I know," she breathed, swallowing hard at the lump rising in her throat. She hated these damn pregnancy hormones that had her crying at the drop of a hat. "I don't know why I expected there to be more of your brothers or at least Hap or someone. I don't know. It just felt...wrong."

"I'm sure this thing with Clay threw them all off, baby," he assured her, squeezing her hand again. He also knew the Irish meet had been set for that morning which meant most, if not all, of his brothers would be there. Koz's stone would always be there to visit, the meet with the Irish was a bit harder to reschedule. "Had nothin' to do with Koz."

"I know. I don't know what I was expecting anyway," she said on a laugh as she wiped away a tear that had escaped her hold. "I just...I see so many funerals packed with people who hated the person that died. I mean, despised. It's surprising what people will say once you're dead. I thought Koz's would be crowded with people who loved him, you know? He was a great friend, a good brother. He deserved that."

Juice nodded in agreement. "Sounds like the people he loved the most were there, Angel. You and Mel," he said, squeezing her hand as another tear slid down her cheek. "We all had a drink for him the day he died. That's how we usually say goodbye. Everything else is just extra. It's rare that we do up something big because it's a risk. Getting all of us together in one place is dangerous. I mean...look what happened at Sack's wake. Rivals see us vulnerable and take advantage."

Angela sighed, relieved by his words. She brought his hand to her lips to dot kisses across his knuckles in a silent thank you. She hadn't thought of it that way before. What had happened at Half-Sack's wake had been awful. Three innocent people had been left dead in the streets. She understood why the Sons wouldn't want to do something like that again. The anger and frustration that had been swirling around her head for days eased, and she felt she could breathe just a little easier. "Didn't think about that," she said smiling sheepishly at him. The way he eased her worry reminded her of just how lucky she was to have him in her life...which reminded her of why she'd gotten so mad at Mel for all the crap he'd said the night before. "I punched Mel last night."

At his curious look, she elaborated. "He was being an ass. Saying all sorts of shit, and I couldn't take it anymore so I punched him to get him to shut up."

"That's my girl," he said, pride in his voice. He took his eyes off the road to briefly glance down at her right hand. Her knuckles looked a bit bruised, nothing too serious. He was more worried about how it would affect her wrist. She never said a word about it, but he knew it bothered her sometimes. Every so often, he'd catching her flexing her fingers or rolling her wrist as if she was trying relieve the pain. "Your wrist okay?"

"I'll survive," she answered on a shrug. Yeah, punching Mel had done a number on her wrist, but it was worth it if it got the point across. Nothing a little ice and ibuprofen couldn't cure anyway. "He apologized for it this morning. Said he wanted to be friends with you."

Juice didn't like the idea of that too much, but if it made Angela happy, he was willing to give it a shot. "That what you want?"

"It doesn't matter what I want," she said on a laugh. "I can't make you be friends with anyone. He'll always be my friend and yeah, it'd be easier if you two liked each other, but I don't expect it. I'm not going to force anything on you. Just...be civil."

He wasn't at all surprised by her answer. Angela was never one to make him do things or order him around. Sometimes, she'd suggest something, but it was always up to him. Its one of the things he liked most about her. She gave him space to do what he wanted, and he did the same. "I can do that. He sticking around much longer?"

"He's moving to Sacramento," he said, watching as his jaw clenched briefly.

"For you?"

"For a job," she corrected, though she knew Juice was right in a way. "A fellowship at a hospital."

Juice shook his head. That was bullshit. He'd seen Kozik kick a brother's ass in the ring to win over a chick. If Mel was anything like his older brother, he wasn't going to go down without a fight. "I don't believe that."

Angela shrugged a shoulder; he could believe whatever he wanted to. It wouldn't make Mel change his mind. "Does it matter?"

"Does it?" he asked right back.

"No," she said on a scowl. She unlaced her fingers from his and moved his hand to her lower stomach. "This is your baby. Our baby. Its going to be you, me, and this little monkey for the rest of our lives. Mel can move next door for all I care and it wouldn't mean anything except we had one hell of a babysitter to watch our kid while we practice making more."

Juice grinned at her, flexing his fingers against her belly and making her smile. "I like the sound of that," he admitted, pulling into the driveway of their house. "Home sweet home."

She handed him the folder as he pulled the keys out of the ignition. He tucked it gingerly under his arm before he got out of the car. "Do you have to go to the clubhouse?" she asked, smiling as his arm slid around her waist, his fingers dipping under the waist of her jeans.

"Not yet," he said pulling her into his side and pressing a kiss to her temple. He moved to stand behind her as she opened the door, pressing himself up against her so she could feel just how much he wanted her. His lips made a trail down the soft skin of her neck, making her shiver in delight. "Thought we could get some practice in now while we don't have to worry about our little monkey."

"I like the sound of that." She turned in his arms, grabbing his hands with her own and pulling him into the house. Once the door was closed, he grabbed her thighs, lifting her up so she could hook her legs around his hips. She laughed as she draped her arms over his shoulders, dipping her head to press a smacking kiss to his lips. "You know I love you, right?"

He squeezed her ass in response, grinning up at her. His folder slid to the ground, forgotten, just as it had been "forgotten" from the government record. As far as he knew he was free, and it felt so good. She laughed again, throwing her head back as he walked them back to their bedroom, his nose buried in her chest. How he managed to walk there blindly, without hitting anything, she'd never know, but he did so just fine. He laid her down on the bed, his eyes raking over her body appraisingly."Love you too, my sexy lady."

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

Angela smiled when she heard the blender whirring. It wasn't an unusual sound by any means; Juice loved to make his own healthy smoothies. To be honest, she loved that sound; it meant her man was home which was rare nowadays. After going at it for a few hours, he'd gotten out of bed, said he needed replenish his energy and promised he'd be back with a cup of coffee for her. Now she sat with her back against the headboard, flipping through the latest Victoria's Secret catalog while she waited for him to get back. The catalog was covered in big red circles; Juice's suggestions for what to buy next, he'd even gone so far as to circle which colors he thought would look best on her.

After a few minutes, he walked in with two matching glasses of some kind of green shake, the folder he'd brought back with him from the station tucked under his arm. Angela wrinkled her nose at the color of the shake. "That's not coffee," she said, eyeing the glass warily as she set down the catalog.

"Nope," he said, putting one glass on the bedside table and extending the other one for her to take. "Health shake."

She took it hesitantly, looking over the rim of the glass and smelling it. She wrinkled her nose. "It smells like grass."

"It's got wheat grass in it," he replied on a shrug. "Just try it. It's got all your pregnancy needs. Vitamins A through C, Folic acid, Zinc, Riboflavin, Thiamin."

"And you have the same one?"

He nodded, shrugging. "Vitamins are vitamins. It's good! Try it," he coaxed, taking a sip himself. It wasn't the best shake he'd ever made, but it tasted fine. Her eyes studied the glass, a hesitant look on her face. "It's not going to bite. Just try it."

Angela took a deep breath and put the glass to her lips. She took a small sip and wrinkled her nose. "Juice, I love you, and I appreciate what you're trying to do here, but this is gross," she said, too put off by the grainy texture to drink more. "How much vitamin powder did you put in this thing? It's like drinking sand."

"It's not that bad. Plus, it's good for you and the sea monkey," he insisted, taking a big gulp of his own to prove his point. He pulled a face at the grittiness of it, maybe he had been a bit heavy handed with the powder. "Yeah, its pretty bad. Next time I'll add more juice. It'll be less sandy."

"You know I love my Juice," she teased, watching in mild amusement as the double meaning slowly dawned on him.

He smirked. "I see what you did there," he said, kissing her cheek. He leaned his back against the headboard, sighing as he looked at the folder in his lap, thumbing the edge. "The reason you hit Mel...it was because of me, right? He doesn't think I'm good enough?"

Angela could hear the insecurity in his voice and frowned. When was he going to get over this? How many times did she have to tell him she didn't want Mel before he got it through his thick skull? "Mel's a dumbass," she said on a scoff.

Juice nodded in agreement, still looking at the folder in his hands. "He's a doctor."

"Yeah. So?"

"I'm not. I'm a criminal, Angel. I got a record," he replied, his fingers rubbing over the embossed insignia on the folder. "This is everything I've done. Sheriff said the DA purged the information about my dad."

Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"He has no leverage over me anymore," Juice said on a sigh. "I'm clear. There's no record of what I did except this file right here."

Angela smiled up at him, a sense of relief filling her. It was all over. Finally, they'd be able to have some peace without worrying when Roosevelt was going to drop in next to fuck things up. "Really?"

He nodded, a small smile gracing his face at the excitement in her voice. "I want you to read it," he said, handing it over to her. At her curious glance, he sighed again. "I'm no doctor. Hell, I barely got my GED. While you were goin' to college and gettin' your shit together, this is what I was doin'. This is the kind of example your kid will have to follow."

"Juice..." she started, but he shook his head cutting her off.

"I just want you to read it, Angel. Please," he insisted, sighing as he swung his legs off of the bed. "I'm going to...get some air"

She watched him with worried eyes as he pulled on his boxers and walked across the bedroom, disappearing out the door. The sound of the back door opening and closing told her he went to toke up. He'd been being more conscious about not doing it around her since he found out she was pregnant.

Sighing, she flipped open the file. The first thing she was met with was an old picture of an African American man standing in front of some type of oven. It had to be Juice's father. The smile on his face was eerily similar to Juice's. This was the picture that had been wreaking havoc on their lives for the past couple of weeks. She wondered if the man in the picture even knew about his son, about the strong man Juice had become without him.

On the other side of the file was Juice's mug shot, more recent than the one hanging on the walls of the clubhouse. His chin was lifted just a bit as if he was trying too hard to appear tougher than usual. She smirked at the picture, her fingers tracing over his face. This was not the man she was familiar with, the goofy guy who slipped Star Wars references into their daily conversations. She loved this tough side of Juice too; loved how he could be dangerous when he wanted to be, that she felt safe when she was with him. He'd proved more than once he had what it took to protect her.

The rest was just a laundry list of arrests and convictions. Ten days for vandalism, thirty for illegal use of a motor vehicle, six months for hacking and identity theft, and the most recent, fourteen months for federal automatic weapons charges. She closed the file and tossed it aside wondering what about it had bothered him so much. Happy's record was a lot longer and a lot scarier than any of Juice's charges. Did he really think he was going to scare her off with hacking and identity theft charges? She was more impressed by those than anything. It took skill to hack into something well enough to earn six months of jail time for it. It was further proof that Juice wasn't the idiot that everyone took him to be. There were some serious brains between those two lightning bolt tattoos.

Juice sat on one of the two big, wooden Adirondack chairs out in the back yard, a joint pressed between his thumb and forefinger. He sucked in a toke, holding the smoke in his lungs as he flicked some ash off into the tray that was conveniently set on the large arm of the chair. His thoughts were on the events of the past couple of hours. Technically, he was free. His record had been purged, there was no physical proof that he'd helped the feds, but a part of him knew just because he had the file in his hands, didn't mean what he did couldn't come back to bite him in the ass. Roosevelt still knew he had ratted out his club and that information was just as dangerous as the file itself.

As if that stress wasn't enough, Mel's presence was driving him insane. He'd never encountered that kind of jealousy over anyone. He hated to think Mel had been alone with Angela, probably using every weapon in his arsenal to try and win her back. He had a strong case too. He was a fucking doctor, after all. He could give her the comfortable, happy life she deserved. If Mel was offering her a way out, a life away from the club, how could he compete with that? He wouldn't blame her at all if she took it.

He exhaled the smoke as he shook his head. That idea in itself scared him. He didn't want to lose her. Didn't want to lose the family that was just within his reach. He knew it was selfish to want her there with him, that it might hurt her in the long run, but he couldn't lose her. She was a big part of his life now, the best part of his life. He'd never loved anyone the way he loved Angela. It was an easy kind of love that came naturally, like they were meant to be together. Losing her would be like losing a piece of himself.

He set the joint down in the ashtray and ran his hands over his head, feeling the prickliness of his scalp on either side. The day and a half he'd spent away from home had left him all out of sorts mentally and physically. He needed a break, some time away from Charming. Maybe once this was all over with, he'd ask for a week off and take her on a trip somewhere. He knew she needed the escape as much as he did what with all she'd had to go through. That is...if she stuck around after reading that damn file.

He was so wrapped up in how own thoughts, he didn't hear the door open, didn't know she'd joined him until he felt her warm hand rubbing circles on his back. He lifted his head to find her perched on the arm of the chair dressed in his big black hoodie as she usually did when she didn't want to bother with changing into normal clothes. Her dark eyes glittered in the light of the fading sun as they regarded him with an curious look. "You read it?" he asked, looking up at her.

"I skimmed through it," Angela admitted on a shrug. "I don't understand why you wanted me to read it so badly, goof. Doesn't change anything."

"I'm a criminal, Angel."

"I know. I visited you in jail, remember?" she reminded him. He didn't look too pleased with that statement, if anything it seemed to make him feel worse. She rolled her eyes in response, leaning forward so her forehead touched his. "I love you, Juice. I don't care about your past. All that file tells me is that you are an insanely good hacker which means our kid is going to be smart as hell just like their old man."

The smallest hint of a smile traipsed across his face. Her reassurance was just what he needed to hear. It was obvious she'd known exactly what he'd been getting at when he asked her to look over his file and, like always, she'd found the perfect words to say to make him feel better. He slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her down gently so she was sitting sideways across his lap, her legs draped over the arm of the chair. "Love you, too," he said, kissing her forehead as she settled against him, her head on his shoulder. He let one hand trail up and down her bare leg while the other stubbed out his joint in the ash tray. "You off this weekend?"

It was hard for her to think while his hands were on her like that. "Mmm," she answered noncommittally. "I think there's a funeral, but I can send Boner instead. He can handle it. Why?"

"I want to get away for a few days," he replied, knowing he'd made the right choice when a shocked gasp escaped her lips and her dark eyes lit up with excitement. "Yosemite, San Francisco, Carmel, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Diego...you pick. I just want to be away from Charming."

The idea of leaving behind all the shit that was going down in Charming sounded heavenly. She couldn't think of anything she wanted to do more than get the hell out of this damn town. Hell, he could want to take her to the snow, and she'd jump at the chance. They needed some alone time, away from the club drama. Time to relax and gather their thoughts. "The beach sounds so good right now."

Juice nodded in agreement. "Anything to see you in that bikini."

"Better enjoy it before I get whale sized," she said, her smile widening as his hand settled over her stomach. She could see the cogs turning in his head, coming up with a corny response, no doubt. "Don't you dare say there'll be more of me to love, you cheesy ass."

"Well, there'll be two of you to love. Two in one beautiful package," he said, giving her an extra cheesy grin. "Like that better?"

She laughed as she nodded. Her face grew serious again as her fingertips trailed over his cheek. He was smiling at her, but it wasn't the same as it had been the first time she met him. In the three years they'd known each other; it seemed he'd aged ten. He'd been through so much just in the past couple of weeks alone. They both had. "We're going to be okay, right?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "This...craziness, it's going to end, right? We'll be okay?"

Juice sighed. He couldn't promise her the craziness would end. They were still neck deep in the cartel shit. With Clay out of commission and Jax at the head of the table, things were going to be rocky at best. Jax wanted change but change always came with a price. There was one thing he could promise her, though. "You and me, we're going to be just fine, baby," he said, sealing his oath with a kiss. "I promise."