Angela sat on the crinkly paper that covered the exam table, her hands curled around the edge. Margaret had smuggled her in through the back entrance of St. Thomas at Tara's request and now, they were just waiting for Chloe to turn up to check her out. It was lucky for her that Chloe had actually gone to med school, though she hadn't finished it, something she never explained. Regardless, it meant Chloe could do most of the things that regular doctors could which meant they could keep things totally private especially with the hospital supervisor's blessing.

Juice was holding a compress to the wound on her back, trying to staunch the bleeding. It was the most she'd let him touch her. Happy stood at her other side, arms folded over his chest, hands clenched into fists. Angela wondered what he was angrier about, the fact she'd gotten the kill or that she'd chosen Juice to take care of her over him. She hadn't seen it that way at the moment, though. Looking at Hap had brought back old, happy memories of Mel that had scared the shit out of her. She didn't want to remember Mel as anything other than the man who had taken her from her home and tried to force her to love him.

Juice had tried to get her to talk on the way to the hospital, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything. There was nothing to say. She just kept staring at her hands. Hands that had touched dead people hundreds of times but now were the reason someone lay dead. Not someone: Mel. She'd killed Mel and she couldn't bring herself to feel bad about it. A sick part of her was actually proud of what she had done. She never thought she had it in her to take a life, that had always been Happy's thing. If she ever needed anyone gone, he took care of it. Now, she'd stepped up for herself, for her kid and there was not a single shred of regret in her for doing that. What kind of sick psychopath did that make her?

"Ang?"

Hearing her own name pulled her from her thoughts. She lifted her head, blinking a bit at Chloe who was looking at her expectantly. The nurse had obviously asked her something, but she'd been too absorbed in her thoughts to hear it. She raised an eyebrow in silent question.

"You need to tell me your injuries," Chloe repeated, meeting Angela's glassed over stare. It worried her how out of touch her friend was being. She attributed it to her being in a state of shock, but Angela seemed too relaxed for that. It was like she was numb to everyone and everything. That was even more troubling than if she'd been crying or in shock. "I can't take care of you if I don't know what I'm dealing with."

Angela sucked in a deep breath, clearing her throat and wincing as the action made it burn; she could steal feel Mel's hand around her throat, his grip slowly tightening and cutting off her air supply. Shaking her head, she banished those thoughts and punted to her calf. "Bullet," she croaked simply before pointing to her lower ribs were. "Knife."

Chloe sighed. She'd hoped to get her friend talking a bit more, but if she wanted to play the quiet card, she would play along. "Deep or shallow?" she asked. Angela just shrugged in response. Chloe sighed again. "Bullet still in there?"

She nodded, nervously kicking her other leg against the drawers. For some reason, it hurt to talk. Her mouth felt dry, her tongue too big and awkward. She'd kill for a glass of water. The irony of the statement made her want laugh, though she knew laughing at that moment might mean a trip to the psych ward. Maybe she should go. That seemed like an appropriate place for her at the moment.

"You know the caliber?"

Angela turned to look at Happy. He was the one who'd given her the gun. It was a smaller replica of his own, and she knew he knew every little detail about it. Happy glared back at her for a moment, wanting her to say it. He knew she knew the answer. She held his gaze, shrugging a shoulder indifferently. He finally gave in, shaking his head at her. "Forty five."

Chloe nodded in response. She knew her next question would be a hard one, but she had to ask so she knew what she was dealing with. "Did he...did he try to..." she stopped for a moment, trying to relax. She'd asked this question a few times before, but it'd always been to strangers. The fact she was asking a friend made it significantly harder. "Did he sexually assault you?"

Juice waited on baited breath for Angela's response. Considering the state they'd found her in-- her torn top, ripped pants, bruises all over her neck and chest--it was a possibility. He glanced at Happy whose hands were clenched into white knuckled fists, his jaw ticking angrily at the idea of someone violating his little girl.

Angela swallowed hard, trying to think of an answer she could give in just a few words. Technically, he had. His forced kisses and groping fell under that category, but she knew the question Chloe was getting at. She shook her head. "Stopped him."

"Jesus," Juice whispered, his eyes wide. That must've been what had led her to kill him. Angela wouldn't kill him for no reason. His hands on her must've been the driving force behind her pulling the trigger. He understood now why she'd cringed away from him, why she didn't want other people to touch her.

"Okay," Chloe said nodding slowly, going to the cabinet. She pulled out a bottle of local anesthetic and grabbed a needle.

Angela stared at the needle and shook her head. "No."

"It's approved by the American Pregnancy Association. I checked," she assured her. At Angela's stubborn look, she sighed. "Ang, I have to probe the stab wound to see how deep it is, then I have to find the bullet in the mass of tissue that is your calf muscle and pull it out. It is going to hurt like a bitch."

"Good," was all Angela said in return. Maybe feeling that type of pain would be a wakeup call. Shake up some remorse or something. All she knew was she didn't want to be numb anymore.

Happy took in the blank look on his cousin's face and understood. Sometimes after a kill the need a release, something to show he was still alive, that he could still feel. It was why he sought out the Croweaters. "Let her."

Angela turned to look at him, her dark eyes meeting his for the first time since she'd held the gun at him. He gave her a nod of understanding and she nodded in return, her shoulders sagging in relief.

Chloe let out a long breath, exchanging a worried glance with Juice. "All right. Lie down on your stomach. Let's get to this."

-----------

Angela let the hot water run over her, watching as it turned pink before swirling down the drain. The wound on her back was throbbing a steady beat, it hadn't needed many stitches since the blade had struck a rib and hadn't gone very deep. She'd lost feeling in her calf, though. Chloe had ignored her wishes and shot in a local anesthetic after just a few minutes of probing the wound. Apparently, she'd screamed so loud it'd scared the shit out of her friend, and she'd decided to end her pain as quickly as possible. Tilting her head back, Angela let the water run over her face, running a shaking hand over it before raking it through her hair.

"Angel? Chloe wanted me to bring you some scrubs," Juice's voice came from the other side of the shower curtain. "I'm here if you need me unless you want to be alone. I don't know. I'm not good at this shit. I'm just...I'm glad you're okay."

She smiled slightly at his rambling. Peeking her head out, she found him sitting on a chair nearby, his head in his hands. He stood when he caught her looking. "You want me to go? I'll go," he offered quickly.

She shook her head. "Stay," she answered before looking pointedly at the towel on the chair next to him.

"Oh," Juice said, grabbing the thin blue towel and opening it up for her. It was something he did often whether they shared a shower or if he just happened to be close by when she was getting out of it. He'd hold open the towel and wrap it around her when she stepped into it. He thought she might shy away from such an intimate act now, but she surprised him, stepping into it and letting him envelope her in his arms. He held her close for a brief moment before she moved away to dry herself off.

He sat down again, watching her face for any sign she was in pain as she moved. She had to feel something. Her cries of pain from when Chloe was stitching her up were still echoing in his head. He knew she'd tried her best to keep quiet, but she hadn't been able to stay silent long. Watching her now, he could seem she was still hurting; he just couldn't tell if it was mental or physical.

What kind of shitty Old Man couldn't read what his Old Lady was feeling, he wondered. And she could read him so well...too well at times. All it took was just one glance, and she knew exactly what to do, what to say to make him feel better. He didn't have that ability.

He watched her struggle to get her arm in one the scrub top and got to his feet, helping her out. Once he was done, he tugged down the top, his face just inches from hers. Slowly, he brushed a strand of wet hair from her face. He wished he could think of the right words to say to make her feel better. His mind drifted back to the night he'd killed Miles. He tried to remember what she had said to him to make him feel better about it. It'd been perfect then, as her words usually were when he needed them. He swallowed hard, clearing his throat. "I live, I die, I kill for my family," he said solemnly. A sense of relief washing over him when he saw the smallest hint of a smile tug at her lips; she remembered. "That's what you did today. You were protecting yourself, our baby, and I am so...proud of you."

His thumb brushed over her cheek as he held the side of her face. "And I love you so much, Angel," he said, his voice low and rough. "Nothing's ever gonna change that. Okay?"

Angela nodded slowly as a lump formed in her throat. God, she loved this man. "Okay," she managed so say, her words choked as tears leaked down her face. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist, her thumb stroking over the inside of it, feeling the steady pulse underneath his warm skin. He moved his head in closer, his lips just inches from hers. She knew he was waiting for her to close the space, giving her the option to pull away since she'd pulled away from everyone else's touch. But she wanted his kiss. Needed it. Mel's rushed, forceful kisses had left her lips feeling swollen and bruised in the worst way. She needed something good now.

She closed the distance between them. A sense of peace coming over her as his lips molded to hers. His hand slipped into her hair, fingers tangling into the wet locks as she grabbed the front of his cut to pull him in closer. He dotted kisses across her cheek, hugging her close to him. He didn't want to let her go. Not now, not ever. He'd been terrified when he'd heard that last gunshot. Losing her was something he couldn't handle. The fact he'd come so close to it had him thinking about that tree all over again. He was a coward, he knew, but he didn't know what life would be like without her, and he sure as hell didn't want to find out.

Angela slipped her arms around his waist, turning her head so her ear was pressed to his heart. Even through the thick leather of his cut, she could hear its steady beating. It reminded her of what they were about to do. What they had yet to find out. Chloe had gone into full nurse mode when she'd prepared her for the next step in her treatment. Her tone was calm, soothing, but Angela could see the real fear in her friend's eyes. Fear that when she turned the ultra sound on and finally put the probe on her stomach, there'd be no heartbeat answering back.

The bathroom door opened just a little. "I got the equipment set up when you're ready," Chloe called through the door.

Angela looked up at Juice, fear in her dark eyes. Now this was an emotion he knew. He took her face in his hands again. "Whatever happens, we're going to be okay," Juice assured her. "Okay?"

She nodded, swallowing hard. "Okay."

-----------

Chloe stood in front of the door to Angela's room, blocking Happy's path. He looked her over. Girl was taller than most, her almond shaped eyes an interesting shade of hazel that seemed confused between gold and green. Her short black hair barely brushed her shoulders. There was a subtle strength about her, something all of Angela's friends had in common from Tara to even Lyla. The porn star had to have balls to leave Opie the way she had. Angela surrounded herself with women who could handle themselves. Chloe didn't seem to be any different. "Give 'em a minute," she told him, disguising her order as a suggestion. "She needs him right now, and I know that bugs you 'cause you raised her and you think he's taking your place, but he's not."

Happy raised an eyebrow in response. He would never admit how well she had him pinned. He took another step towards the door and Chloe moved in his way again. "This is their moment. Their baby. I know she's your blood and you want to be there holding her hand, but this is for them. For better or for worse, whatever happens in there is between them," she explained passionately. "You have to give it to them."

He hated the hokey bullshit she was trying to sell him, though he knew there was truth to it. The only reason he was willing to sit outside and wait was because seeing baby shit like ultrasounds made him uncomfortable. He'd been to one of his Aunt's appointments when she was pregnant with Angela and had hated every minute of the weepy, sentimental crap that went along with it. "You think she lost it?" Happy asked, his voice a low rumble.

"I didn't say that," she answered, though her eyes told him what he needed to know. Though the nurse was hopeful, it didn't seem likely that the baby would be okay. "She's been through a lot of trauma, though, and it's still early in her pregnancy so the embryo is very fragile. Miscarriages are common for the smallest things."

He rubbed a hand over his skull. "Shit," he muttered, shaking his head. Angela had already been through so much, losing the kid was something he couldn't see her coming back from. "It'll crush her."

"He can handle it," she assured him.

"He's an idiot," he growled at her, his dark eyes blazing with a black fire. He was angry at himself for not taking care of her. For not seeing the signs before. Mel had always had a crazy possessive streak in him, Hap had seen it once or twice while the two were actually dating. He honestly didn't think Mel would ever have the balls to do something like this. He'd underestimated the little fucker.

Chloe smiled softly, not really afraid of him, though she knew she should be. Angela had told her many stories of his softer side and despite the black glare he was leveling her with now, she didn't get the feeling he was going to hurt her. For the moment, they were just two people talking about someone they both cared about in their own way. "Maybe," she agreed on a shrug, "but he loves her. You can feel it when they're together. Whatever happens, this is something they're going to have to get through together. And I know that sucks, trust me, I get it. I've been there with my baby sister and her husband, but it'll be worse if you get between them. She'll come to you eventually, but right now, they need to be left alone."

"Not movin' from here."

"That's fine. Perfect even. I'm sure she'll want to see you soon after whatever the outcome," she replied with a nod. "Let's hope for the best, yeah?"

He nodded back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah."

"You pray?"

He looked at her like she was crazy. "I look like someone who prays?"

"Can't judge a book by its cover," she answered on a shrug. "Now would be a good time to start though."

She stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. The sight before her made her wish she'd waited a moment more before stepping inside. They were kissing, his hands on her face, her hands holding onto his wrists as if she didn't want him to move any farther. He dotted kisses across her cheek before Chloe heard him whisper an 'I love you' that was so honest, it brought tears to her eyes.

He turned to face her, draping an arm over Angela's shoulders and holding her hand with the other hand. "Hey Chlo," he greeted, nodding to the nurse.

"Hey guys," she replied, starting to get herself situated. She grabbed the special gel bottle and glanced back at Angela. "Lie back as best you can, Ang. You know the drill."

Angela nodded and got as comfortable as she could given the stitches sewn into her back. She shivered as the cool gel hit her bare stomach. Her eyes focused on the screen while Chloe began to move the probe back and forth across her belly. The room was completely silent, all three of them holding their breath as they waited for the sound. It took a second but then it started, quietly at first then, as Chloe moved the probe just a little bit, the heartbeat came over loud and strong before the picture came up.

It looked like some strange alien with a big head and tiny little arms and legs. Angela let out a long breath while Juice's jaw dropped. "That's...it has a head," he said, gaping at the little image on the screen. "And arms and feet and...fingers. Holy shit, it has fingers. Angel, our kid has fingers!"

Angela smiled at his soft rambling, squeezing his hand as tears blurred the screen. "And toes," she choked out, a sense of relief coming over her.

"Does it...can we see if it's a boy or a girl yet?" he asked glancing at Chloe.

The nurse shook her head, a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips. "Not yet. Few more weeks," she answered, freezing the image and waiting for it to print out. She looked over at Angela who was watching Juice instead of the screen, a look of love in her eyes that was almost palpable. "Here's some print outs for you."

"He's going to show anyone with eyes," Angela said on a smile, watching as Juice excitedly took the two print outs from Chloe.

"Damn straight. My little sea monkey has fingers!" he said proudly, waving the pictures in her face as if she hadn't seen them already. He moved so he was standing next to her, one arm draped over her shoulders as he held one picture out to her with the other hand. She took it from him, looking at it closely while he pressed a kiss to her temple. He stabbed his big finger at the tiny hand in the picture. "Look! There they are!"

Despite what she'd been through, Angela couldn't help but feel lighter in Juice's presence. He was so ecstatically happy about seeing their future child's fingers that it was hard not to smile. "Yeah," she said wiping at her tears. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she glanced at Chloe.

"Kid's already a strong one," Chloe commented, smiling widely and winking at her friend. "I'm gonna slip out for a bit. Let you two marvel over its toes for a minute."

She headed out into the hall and spotted Happy leaning against the wall nearby. He straightened up when he saw her. "You been praying?" she asked, tilting her head back to get a good look at his face.

The look of relief passed over his features before the smallest hint of a smile turned up the corners of his lips. He had, but he was sure it was not the prayer Chloe expected. He hadn't prayed for the baby's well being, though it did concern him. Instead, he prayed that no matter what happened, Angela was happy. That, somehow, despite all the shit she'd gone through, all the death and destruction, she found happiness. That's all he wanted for his little girl. "Maybe," he answered on a shrug.

"The Big Guy upstairs must've heard ya," she said on a smile. "Don't tell her I said anything, though. She'll kill me."

Happy smirked at the idea of it. Before, he'd doubted whether his cousin could kill anyone, now he knew. "I won't."

"Good. I'm Chloe, by the way," she said, extending her hand for him to shake. "With all the craziness, I don't think we properly met. You're Angela's cousin, right?"

"Happy," he replied, shaking her hand.

"Right. She talks about you all the time, y'know," Chloe said on a small smile. "You're like a superhero."

"I look like a superhero to you?"

Chloe smirked as she shook her head. "Neither does Clark Kent, and he's Superman."

Happy was about to reply when the door opened, and Juice stepped out. He could tell the idiot was trying his best to hide his grin, but he wasn't particularly good at it. "She wants to see you," he said, jerking his thumb back at the door.

Happy shook his head at his brother's exuberance before pushing by him into the room. He closed the door behind him before turning to look at his cousin. Her cheek was badly bruised and her lip still slightly puffy, but she was smiling. Not a big smile, but a smile nonetheless. His girl was a fighter. He'd known that from the minute he'd held her in his arms for the first time so many years ago. Her tiny little fist had smacked him in the face, and he'd decided then that having a kid in his life wouldn't be so bad. "How you feelin', kid?"

"Good. Really, really good," she answered, holding out a picture to him. It was the most she'd said in hours. She found it easier to talk now that she knew everything would be all right, and the easiest person to talk to had always been Happy. He'd sit and listen to her go on for hours about the stupidest things. She never understood how he could have such a short fuse with other people, but managed to stay patient with her. "My baby is alive, Hap. I didn't think that could be possible, but it is. Alive and showing off fingers and toes. Check it out."

He looked at the little image in his hand briefly. "Got a big head like its old man," he said handing it back to her and taking a seat next to her. "Poor kid."

"Shut up," she said, nudging her shoulder against his. They were quiet for a moment before she spoke up, "I thought karma was going to take the baby."

"What karma?" he asked on a scoff. The idea of it was ridiculous. She had done nothing wrong. Even by legal standards, she'd killed in self defense. There was more than enough evidence to show that. Not that her case would ever see a courtroom, but there was absolutely no reason for her to think karma would come after her. "Asshole fuckin' abducted ya, shot ya, stabbed ya, and tried to get in your pants. Karma was after him. Not gonna touch you."

Angela nodded slowly before letting out a long sigh. "I hope you're right."

"Always am," he said draping an arm over her shoulders. He pressed a kiss to her temple. "Proud of ya, kid. Didn't think you had it in you."

She smiled a little before it slowly faded. "I don't feel bad about it," she admitted after a minute. "I've been trying to, and I just can't. He was trying to hurt me, my family, and I took care of it. For once, I didn't need anyone else to handle my shit. I did it on my own, and it feels...kinda good. Which is scary. I feel...good about killing someone, about killing my friend. What kind of a person does that make me?"

Happy mulled over her words, understanding every single one of them. He knew the feeling, knew deep satisfaction that came with killing someone who deserved it. Liked it even. "Dunno," he answered honestly. "Feel the same way most of the time."

"Does it scare you?"

He glanced at her and shrugged again. "First time it did," he admitted, knowing it would make her feel better. "You remember that night?"

" 'course. I was visitin' you in Tacoma. Guy came in tried to steal your shit, and then used me as a shield. I told you to shoot, you shot. He died. You saved me and let me stay up watching TV with you," she explained, slightly confused by his answer. "I don't remember you being scared."

Happy smirked. He'd done his best to appear strong for her, and apparently, he'd done a good job of it. That night, they stayed up watching some bullshit TV show, and she'd fallen asleep cuddled next to him with her head on his chest. To this day, she was the only girl he'd ever cuddled with. "Felt the same way you do for a minute or two."

"What made you feel better?"

"You," he replied, sticking to honest answers. He knew this story would die with his little cousin and if it eased her worry, he was more than happy to share it with her.

Angela waited for him to explain, but he didn't say anything more. "Because I still loved you?" she asked, trying to make sense of it.

"Somethin' like that," he said on a shrug. It was one of the reasons he always told her about his kills. If some part of her still loved him after his confessions, he couldn't be all that bad of a person. She was his moral compass in a strange way. If there ever came a day when something he did made her think less of him, he'd know he'd gone too far. She'd always been able to justify his kills, his torture sessions, anything he came to her with, she always provided a logical explanation for why it had to be done, how it benefited her or the club. Her reasons, no matter how far-fetched they were sometimes, always made the guilt of his violent acts just a little easier to bear.

She tilted her head back and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Love you, Hap."

He smiled a little, lifting his arm from her shoulders to ruffle her hair. "You too, kid," he said, standing up from the table and moving to get the wheel chair. She gave him a glare in response; already making up her mind she could walk just fine. "Two options here."

The second option didn't need to be said out loud. It was either she sat down, or he'd carry her out. It wasn't the first time those options had been offered to her. He was all about letting her chose the easy way or the hard way. Once or twice, she'd chosen the difficult way and found herself thrown over his shoulder and being hauled to wherever he wanted her to go. "Fine," she muttered, sitting down in the chair. "Where we goin'?"

"Downstairs. Got the club waitin' on ya. Sure the idiot's shown that ugly ass picture to all of 'em by now."

Angela scowled at him, waving the picture in his face. "Kid's got six percent of your genes. Maybe that's the ugly part," she shot back.

"Smart ass." He grabbed a piece of her hair and tugged on it gently. It was nice to hear her joking again, to see that she was starting to move past what had happened. He had a feeling she wasn't nearly close to being done with the issue. After the excitement over the baby faded away, it would came back to her full force and Juice would be the one that had to deal with it. That was what worried him the most.

Happy knew Juice loved her, but the guy was an idiot when it came to dealing with people. Hap wasn't much better with most people, but he knew Angela like the back of his hand. She'd internalize everything, lashing out at other people as the darkness inside her grew. It had happened before when he'd gone inside in her teens. She'd kept in all the anger she was feeling over his leaving and it fueled her rebellious streak. Once he got out and she'd made peace with it, she'd gotten back on track. He was worried something like killing Mel could knock her off again.

As if sensing his worry, Angela glanced up at him. "I'm going to be okay."

"I know," he lied, wheeling her towards the elevator. He thought back to the celebration his brothers had shared when they'd learned of Opie and Jax's engagements, of Tara's pregnancy. The brother's had surrounded the happy couples with excited hugs and laughter. Angela didn't like being the center of attention on a normal day. He had a feeling she wouldn't appreciate it now either. "The guys are gonna be all over you. Can you handle that?"

She sighed as she shrugged. "Not like I have a choice."

But there were no brothers in the waiting room when he pushed her out. It was just Juice sitting alone in one of the plastic chairs, the little picture in his hand. He stood when he saw them, grabbing crutches from the seat next to him and using them to swing over to her. At Angela's questioning look, he shrugged. "Told the guys to go home. Didn't want you to get overwhelmed. It's been a long day," he explained simply. He got off the crutches and held them out to her. "Figured you might not want the chair. Chlo said it'll hurt 'cause of your stitches, but I told her you'd want 'em anyway."

Happy stared at him, trying to keep from looking too surprised. The idiot had done everything right. From sending their brothers home to the crutches, he'd thought of everything. Bending, he dropped a kiss to Angela's head. "I'ma head back to TM," he stated before giving Juice a nod of approval. "Take care a her."

Juice was a little surprised Happy would just leave like that. He was all ready for him to follow them home, possibly even sleep at their house. A part of him thought Happy blamed him for what happened to Angela. He'd spent too much time at the clubhouse after church and hadn't been home in time to catch him, to protect his girl. At Happy's look of approval, he relaxed a little. It felt like he'd gotten some kind of blessing. As if, up until that point, the Tacoma killer had been unaware of how much he cared about her. "Always," he replied, nodding back.

Happy patted his shoulder before heading out the door leaving Juice and Angela staring at his back, both curious about what had just occurred. "I will never understand him," she murmured, shaking her head.

"Agreed," Juice said on a breath, balancing his weight on the crutches and swinging his legs back and forth. "Ready to go?"

Angela smirked up at him; he was such a kid sometimes. "Yeah."

He got off the crutches and held out his hand to her. Helping her to her feet, he let her use his arm for balance as he got the crutches under her arms. She winced briefly as it pulled at the stitches in her back. To her surprise, he didn't tell her to sit down or try to stop her. He just waited, hands held out and ready to catch her. She thought it was impossible to love him even more than she already did, but when she walked out of the elevator and saw just him sitting there with those crutches, the love she felt for him took her breath away. Now looking at him, waiting patiently for her to get situated and deal with the pain instead of treating her like a China doll and making her sit back down, she felt it full force.

"Got it?" Juice asked as she balanced and slowly lifted up her injured calf.

"Yeah," she replied, giving him a smile. "I love you, you know. So much."

He smiled back at her, his full megawatt smile. "I know," he replied, laughing as she tilted her head up, her lips slightly pouted. He knew what that meant. Dipping his head, he pressed his lips to hers. "Love you too, my badass Old Lady."