Angela was relieved when she finally saw the cemetery at the end of the road. She'd gotten it in her head that she needed to visit Kozik despite the fact that she was supposed to stay off her injured leg. It'd been a few days since she'd been abducted and her stitches were due out soon so she figured she'd be fine. The throbbing pain in her calf told her she had been wrong.

Gemma had spotted her on the road and had tried to give her a ride over, but she'd refused it. She'd seen the woman's red eyes, smelled the liquor on her breath. There was no way she was risking her kid's life by getting into a car with an intoxicated person no matter who it was or how far she had to go. She'd embalmed one too many drunk driving accident victims to take that risk.

Pushing open the gate, she limped into the quiet cemetery, her eyes drifting over the names etched into the different stones. Donna Winston. Luann Delaney. Kip "Half-Sack" Epps. All deaths that were linked to the club...and those were only the ones she'd known personally. She'd seen the Reaper decorating a few other graves bearing names she didn't recognize. The club had taken so many lives it was almost scary. As safe as she felt with Juice, walking through the cemetery was a cruel reminder of how dangerous the life he led, the life they led really was.

She lingered a moment at Half-Sack's grave, frowning at how dirty it had gotten. It wasn't often that club members came to visit their fallen brothers. Usually when she heard the roar of a Harley, it was Piney coming to visit the other seven members buried there that bore the title of "First Nine". On occasion, she'd even seen Jax visiting his father or brother. Rarer still was Opie going to visit his deceased wife. Bending over, she pulled out the dead flowers and tossed them aside before brushing away some dirt from the lettering wiping the residue on her jeans leaving behind dirty finger trails. She stared at the black lines thinking about the way her fingers had left similar trails in red only a few nights before.

Dirty hands. She had dirty hands figuratively and literally. The idea made her skin crawl. Dirty hands had killed Half-Sack and even Kozik. After all, someone was responsible for placing those damn mines in that field. She was still struggling with the aftermath of killing Mel. Some days she was proud of herself for doing it. Others, she felt like a monster. Today was one of the latter days. It wasn't the act itself that made her feel guilty, though. It was how she envisioned Kozik feeling about it. Crazy or not, Mel was still his little brother. She couldn't see Koz being very happy about his brother's murder. Sighing, she looked down a few rows to where dehydrated lilies were hanging over the rim of a crystal blue vase. Obviously, she'd been the last one to visit Koz too.

Carefully, she limped towards the headstone before sinking to her knees in front of it. Tears filled her eyes, blurring the words before her: Herman Evan Kozik. God, she missed him. "Hey Kozi," she greeted, wiping at her eyes. She thought she'd come to apologize, but while she was sitting there faced with the opportunity, she found she couldn't bring herself to do it which made her feel just a little bit worse.

"I'm not sorry for what I did," she stated confidently. "I tried to be, but I'm not. Mel was...he went crazy, Koz. I had to stop him before he hurt me or the baby. That's what you always taught me to do, isn't it? Defend myself at all costs? Bet you never thought I'd use it on your brother, huh?"

She frowned as she went over what she just said. "That was a bit...much, sorry. This whole thing has me a little...twisted," she admitted, sucking in a deep breath. "You know I love you, Kozi. I'm so sorry if I let you down. I can't...I wish you could be here to tell me its okay or even to say it isn't okay. Just so I would know how to feel about it because right now, I don't know if what I'm feeling is wrong or if I'm the crazy one here."

It took a moment before it hit her. She knew exactly what Kozik would say when given that choice. She could almost picture him, his hair a mess, that permanent smirk on his face as he said, 'You are crazy, but you ain't wrong, kiddo.'

She smiled at the image not knowing if it was some paranormal message or if it was her own crazy head trying to make her feel better. Either way, she felt the weight of her guilt ease. He would be proud of her for standing up for herself; he always was in the past. What made this time any different? Looking up at the sky, she let out a shaky breath. "Love you, Kozi," she whispered, kissing her fingers before pressing them to the cold stone.

Happy watched his cousin from a distance. He knew she was struggling with what she'd done, could see it in the tired lines on her face. He wasn't surprised to find her in the cemetery talking to Kozik. He was surprised she hadn't gone sooner. His little cousin was a firm believer that the dead could hear their loved ones when they talked to them. When she was little, she'd spend hours sitting in front of her father's headstone, talking to him. Her mother and aunt had tried to get her to stop, stating that it was inappropriate for a young girl to spend so much time in a cemetery, but Happy understood it. Kid just needed someone to talk to most of the time.

Angela struggled to get to her feet, teetering awkwardly for a minute on her good leg. He stepped in, offering his arm to help stabilize her. She looked up at him, her dark eyes surprised for a brief moment and then relieved. If he was there, that meant she didn't have to worry about walking back home, a feat she didn't think she could do at the moment. "Hey," she greeted, her voice rough and tired.

He draped an arm over her shoulders as she leaned into his side, taking the weight off her injured leg. "Figure shit out?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Workin' on it," she answered, her hands fiddling with the chain around her neck; Kozik's dog tags. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to warn ya," he explained, reading over the wording on the stone. "Ma's on her way."

He felt her tense under his arm, her dark eyes widening as she looked up at him. "Just your Mom?" she asked, knowing it was a stupid question; it'd been years since Elena could drive.

He shook his head. "Told 'em about Koz. Said he laid down his bike 'n' they want to see 'im."

She raked her hand through her hair. "And you had to do this now?" she asked, annoyed with her cousin.

"Yeah," he answered simply. His face showing he did not appreciate her tone. He would've called her on it, but he didn't want to deal with whatever mood she was in. Sometimes, it was easier to just let things go. Now that she was older, a look was all it took to make her check her attitude. "Ain't gonna do it when you're a fuckin' whale. Least now you can tell 'em you're knocked up before ya start showin'."

Angela scowled at him, hating that she saw his logic. Her stomach was slowly twisting itself into knots. Not only did she have to tell both her mom and aunt that she was pregnant, but she had yet to tell her mom about Juice. She'd been meaning to do it for awhile but something always got in the way. "I guess so," she murmured.

"Gotta tell 'em, kid," he stated, sensing her hesitance. "This shit's gotta end. You ain't sixteen anymore. Can't keep this shit from 'em like you used to 'cause it's gonna end up blowin' up in your face."

She nodded in understanding, her hands shaking as she played nervously with her rings. "But we're not...I mean...she's going to be pissed."

"You really think your Ma's gonna be pissed 'cause you ain't married?" Happy asked flatly. He was almost a hundred percent sure Graciela would be over the moon about finally being a grandmother like she'd always wanted. It was his mother that would be a little irked about it.

"Not my mom I'm worried about," she muttered under her breath.

He shrugged a shoulder, knowing exactly what she was concerned about. "Ma'll get over it," he said, knowing it was true. His mother was going to be pissed for awhile, but he was sure she'd see the light. It was better than forcing marriage on two people who clearly weren't ready for it. "Graci's gonna go crazy. Buyin' baby shit 'n' pickin' names."

Angela groaned in response. That was exactly what she wanted to avoid. Her mother was going to be a monster of a grandma. "Fantastic," she muttered, her tone revealing she thought the idea was anything but.

"She likes the idiot already," he offered, trying to ease his cousin's nerves. "Always asks about him when I'm home."

"I can only imagine all the lovely things you have to say," she said sarcastically.

Happy shrugged a shoulder in response. It was true Graciela had asked him dozens of questions about Juice, but he didn't answer most of them. When he did, he didn't say anything negative; Juice was still his brother after all. "He ain't bad, kid. You could've done a hell of a lot worse."

"Hmm," she hummed pensively. "You think dad would've liked him?"

He chuckled at that one, remembering what Victor Ruiz had once said to him about Angela and dating: 'You'll know he's the right one if he's got the balls to stand up to you. To fight for her.' Hap hadn't thought Juice would be capable of doing such a thing, but the idiot had stepped up on more than one occasion. Guy had balls, he had to give him that. "He wouldn't a liked anyone who tried to take you away, kid," he answered honestly. "But I think he'da at least approved of the idiot."

"Do you?"

He shrugged again, uncomfortable with admitting that he did, in fact, approve of the idiot. Juice wasn't always the smartest of guys, but he'd done all right with Angela. Honestly, he wasn't a big fan of sharing her. It'd been hard enough learning to deal with Koz being in the mix, and they hadn't even been dating. At least with Kozik, he was still assured of his number one spot in her heart. Now with Juice, that position was blurred. She'd asked him before not to make her choose between them but he wondered what her choice would have been if he'd pushed for it.

Angela's eyes narrowed at his silent response, a frown forming on her face. "I hate when you answer in gestures."

He smirked and nodded. "I know," he said, squeezing at her shoulder. They both turned when they heard the sound of tires on gravel. "Don't start shit here."

"I won't," she said on a scowl, a little hurt that he thought she'd disrespect the dead like that. "Not just gonna sit back and take it either," she added in under her breath.

He ruffled her hair lovingly before leaving her there to head over and help his mother out of the car. Angela glanced back at the grave and sighed. "I know you're laughin' wherever you are, Koz," she said softly. Kozik was a notorious shit disturber, and she knew she was his favorite person to rile up. He'd often start little tiffs with her and Mel or Hap just because he was bored then step in to quell it before it got out of hand. "Stupid ass."

-----------

Graciela's heart warmed at the brief image of her daughter standing with Happy's arm around her shoulders. Their relationship went far beyond the confines of being just cousins. Happy had been the only man in her life since she was three years old and for that, Graciela was thankful. It would've been easy for him to write her off once he'd gotten into his motorcycle club, but he hadn't. He'd made a promise to her father to be there for her, and he had kept it. He'd taught her the little things every father taught his daughter and more. Though he spent most of his time in Tacoma or traveling the country, Happy called her once a day. The only birthdays he'd missed had been when he'd been in jail and even then, he'd managed to send her a present or two. She'd forever be grateful to him for making her little girl into a strong, intelligent woman.

She approached Angela slowly, standing between her daughter and her sister with Happy on the other end of his mother. The white headstone was a great tribute to the man buried beneath it. Graciela could remember the first time Happy had brought Kozik to their house ten years before. Both of them had been fresh out of jail and looking for a home cooked meal. Since then, Kozik had come in and out of their house as though he was part of the family too. And they loved him as such. She'd had selfish dreams of seeing him married to Angela so that he could really be part of their broken, little family. Deep down, she knew it would never work out, though. Kozik was a man that was born for leaving just like Happy. To them, women were for fun, not to settle down with.

And now her daughter had a new man. Juan Carlos. Why Angela felt the need to hide him from her, she'd never understand. Elena had reminded her countless times she'd also hidden her relationship with her now deceased husband for years from her parents. It wasn't until he proposed that Graciela had decided to tell her mother the tattooed man who had been visiting her was more than just a friend. But this was different. She was more understanding than her mother had been. There was no reason to hide this from her unless she was embarrassed by him or worse, embarrassed by her.

The four of them stood at the foot of the grave in silence; each immersed in their own thoughts. The silence made Angela uneasy. The three other people in her small family all handled death the same way. They dug a deep hole and buried the dead in their hearts only speaking of them in passing. Once her father passed, Angela had begged for stories about him from both her mom and aunt, but neither gave in. When she was little, Happy would oblige her with them as bedtime stories but those stopped when he deemed she was too old for bedtime stories. It was like the dead were pushed into tiny compartments where they should be seen only in the pictures that littered the walls and never heard of. Her heart ached with the pain of missing Kozik, brought up again by seeing the sadness on her Aunt's face, the tears in her mother's eyes. Despite the presence of her family, Angela suddenly felt like she was all alone.

She felt something brush against her shoulder and the feeling lessened. Lifting her head, she was surprised to see Juice standing beside her. His eyes were on the stone as though he was trying not to call too much attention to himself. She tilted her head against his arm, relaxing as he slid an arm around her waist, fingers curving around her hip and pulling her in closer to his side. She moved her arm around his torso, leaning on him both literally and figuratively. His lips brushed against her forehead making her heart skip a beat. Just being close to him eased the pain of everything she'd gone through in the past weeks. Losing Kozik, killing Mel...it was all easier to bear with him at her side.

-----------

Elena was the first to turn around, looping her arm through Happy's and pulling him along with her towards the car. "Enough of this sadness. Let's focus on something happier," she said, nodding to the other three people standing there. "Vamos." Graciela followed them, walking towards the cars leaving Angela and Juice standing behind. (Let's go.)

Juice waited until her mother, aunt, and Happy had walked away a bit before squeezing Angela's hip to catch her attention. "Ready to go?"

She nodded, waiting for his hand to fall from her waist so she could lace her fingers through his. Juice headed straight to Graciela, his shoulders back confidently. "Mrs. Ruiz, I don't know if you remember me," he started, one hand still holding tightly to Angela's the other gesturing as he spoke.

"Yes,of course, I remember you, Juancito," Graciela interrupted with a small smile. "You are the man who has my daughter's heart."

Angela rolled her eyes at her mother's overly dramatic statement, fighting the urge to laugh at the confused look on Juice's face. "Uh...yeah," he replied awkwardly.

"I'm not as blind as I look," Graciela stated, looking at her daughter briefly before her dark eyes settled back on Juice. "And you two are not good at hiding it. I knew the night I met you that you were not just her friend."

"Ma..." Angela started, but her mother's look cut her off.

"And I am so glad she finally found someone who will put up with all her craziness because I was starting to think she would be alone for the rest of her life," she said, smiling at Juice before reaching up a hand to pat his cheek lightly. "And we'd be left with no grandchildren. Huh, Elena?"

Elena smiled warmly at them and nodded, "Angelita's our last hope."

"And you wonder why I didn't tell you," Angela muttered in response, earning herself a smile from Juice.

"Happy, mi amor, can you show us to a grocery store? Lena and I wanted to make dinner for us all since I'm pretty sure my daughter would not be very successful at it," Graciela said flippantly. "We can meet you two back at Juancito's house." (My love)

Juice nodded, his jaw clenched at the small dig at Angela. If that was a habit, he understood why Angela avoided visiting. "Yeah, sure. Angel just made some awesome cupcakes for dessert. Best I've ever had."

Angela's heart skipped a beat at his subtle way of getting back at her mother's rude comment. She squeezed his hand thankfully while Elena grinned her approval. "Angela's a great baker," the older woman commented.

"Ay, but where is that going to get her? Her children can't eat cookies and cupcakes their whole life!" Graciela exclaimed on a scowl.

Happy watched Angela's hands curl into fists, her lips pressed together in an effort not to explode. "Let's go," he said, helping his mother over to the passenger's side of Graciela's maroon Honda Accord. "C'mon Tia. Follow me to the store. We'll meet up with them later."

Graciela spared her daughter one last look before getting in the car. Once the car pulled away, Angela stuck her tongue out at its tail lights. "So that went well," Juice said on a sigh as he let go of her hand and draped his arm over her shoulders instead. "She know about the baby or was that just..."

"Oh no, that's just her," Angela said, slipping an arm around his waist and squeezing his side. "See why I didn't tell her earlier?"

Juice nodded emphatically. If he'd been faced with baby mentions like that earlier in their relationship, it would've seriously freaked him out. "She's...somethin' else."

"Yeah, a monster," she muttered as they walked towards her Mazda. "You drove?"

"Gemma called me while I was at the hospital visiting Clay. Said she saw you walkin' over. I figured you'd have to be hurting, so I didn't ride."

Angela sighed, glancing up at him with a tired look on her face. "I had to see him, Juice. I had to figure shit out."

He nodded in understanding; he'd done something similar after he killed Miles. "I get it, Angel. Just call me next time. I was just hangin' with Clay, I woulda picked you up."

"I know, but I needed to do this on my own," she said softly, smiling as he opened the door for her. "Thanks, though."

Juice leaned into the doorway as she got in, his head level with hers. "I'm here for you, baby. You know that."

She took his face in her hands and kissed him quickly before he walked around the front of the car and got into the driver's seat. "Nice line about the cupcakes, by the way."

"Just stickin' up for my girl," he said on a shrug. He started the car, taking off with a roar of the engine and a squeal of the tires. The move earned himself a grin from Angela as she rolled down her window, the wind blowing her hair all around her face. "You going to tell them about our little monkey?"

Angela let her hand drift on the wind outside the window, a pensive look on her face as she watched the town go by. "Hap thinks I should."

"What do you think?"

"I think it'll cause an onslaught of craziness," she answered honestly. "My mom will be thrilled for a minute before she starts with the questioning about...certain things. My aunt will be upset."

Juice sighed, running a hand over his Mohawk. He knew exactly why Angela was expecting those reactions and it all had to do with the lack of a ring around her finger. She'd moved the Claddagh ring back to its original spot on her right hand citing that she hated having to explain why it was on her left ring finger when she was neither married nor engaged. He thought it was a wise decision; the guys were likely to start giving him crap if they heard he'd given his girl a promise ring.

He'd been toying with the idea of proposing for awhile now. There was no doubt in his mind he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Angela, but the idea of putting a ring on her finger, binding them together for life was a bit daunting especially since her big, bad cousin would have his head should he ever hurt her. Dating her had been hard, but if he fucked up while they were married, he'd be on the business end of Happy's Glock in seconds. And he fucked up a lot. It wasn't just that, though. Marriage was a big commitment, and he wasn't sure he was ready for it. Angela had been the only person he'd been with for three years now but how much longer until he slipped? All it took was one drunk night.

But not taking that step, not committing could possibly mean losing her. Sure, they'd always have the kid to tie them together, but the thought of someone else with his hands on her made him physically ill. She was his Old Lady. Ring or not, crow or not, Angela would always belong to him. "I'm sorry, Angel," he murmured as he pulled into the drive.

"For what?" she asked on a light laugh, her eyes glittering with amusement. She honestly couldn't care less about getting married. The fact Juice was still with her after all that time meant something more than any ring could. To her, getting married meant an unbreakable bond. Once they took that step, there was no going back, no easy way out. The club lifestyle didn't make that any easier. The loose women, the constant runs, and countless "club rules" that justified cheating all made it hard to be truly faithful. She knew he hadn't strayed yet, but she was also aware that out of the three years they'd been together, he'd been in prison one, and the other two had been during that infamous "honeymoon" period where their relationship was still new and exciting. She worried what would happen once they passed that stage, if he'd get bored of her and start wandering especially when she started getting bigger. "Its not like I would've said yes."

"Oh, really?" he shot back, getting out of the car and going to open her door. When he got it open, he dropped down to one knee. Angela's heart kicked into over drive; no way was he going to propose on the fly like this. Her eyes widened in surprise, but then he lifted his head, giving her a shit eating grin. "What? Just tying my shoes."

She groaned, waiting for him to stand before punching his arm. "Shit, you almost gave me a heart attack, asshole!"

Juice laughed as they walked up to the front door together. "Stress is bad for the baby, Angel," he teased, his grin at full wattage.

"I'll stress you in a minute, Juan Carlos," she shot back, fighting a smile. She opened the door and sighed happily, as usual, the house was pristine. The only thing out of place was the juice box she'd left sitting on the coffee table.

"Where the hell did this come from?" Juice asked, grabbing the small juice box and inspecting the label. He was happy to see it was one hundred percent juice which meant she was at least trying to be healthy.

"Went on a Costco run with the Prospects earlier today. Remind me not to do that again," she said on a laugh. She'd been forced to go since Juice and Hap insisted a prospect stay with her at all times and both V-Lin and Rat were needed for the shopping trip. They'd made her a little seat on one of the flat orange carts and wheeled her around which was a lot more fun than she thought it would be. "They had a list a mile long and no idea how to pack the carts. The only helpful one was Phil...as usual, and he wasn't even supposed to be there."

"Startin' to get worried he's got a thing for you," Juice headed towards the kitchen to throw away the trash, opening up the fridge to see a whole pallet of juice boxes. He smiled to himself wondering if they were one of Angela's pregnancy cravings.

Angela snorted at the idea of it. After hearing how Phil had found her, she'd gone and bought him the full set of Walking Dead comics. Ever since then, he'd been the most helpful of all Juice's brothers. Hap included. "Nah, he just likes the samples. I took advantage and got some food for us too."

"Like juice boxes?"

"I had a craving," she stated simply, a smirk on her face as she entered the kitchen. He was digging around through the fridge, looking for a beer, no doubt.

"For juice?" he asked, head almost all the way inside. He felt her warm arms wrap around his waist, hands sliding under his cut and t-shirt.

"I always have a craving for Juice," she murmured suggestively, pressing an open mouthed kiss to his neck before moving around him to grab a juice box.

His arm slid around her waist, pulling her into his side before capturing her lips with his own. He pulled her away from the fridge, shutting it closed behind her. His hands move over the curve of her ass, grabbing just underneath it to lift her off her feet. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he headed towards the bedroom. "Let's see if I can satisfy that craving," he teased, grinning when she let out a breathy laugh.

"You've never let me down before."

-----------

Juice leaned back in his chair, his eyes locking on Angela's from across the table. Her mom and aunt had made plenty of food for all of them to eat, and he'd eaten way too much of it. He grinned at her, feeling completely happy for the first time in a while. Having a family had always been something he'd yearned for. It was the reason he'd joined the Sons, the reason he'd never missed one of Gemma's family dinners. The sense of community, the feeling of love was something he'd always felt was missing from his life. Sitting at his own table with Angela's family around him gave him that sense of family that not even Gemma's dinners had. Graciela doted on him as if he were her own son, constantly making sure his plate was full, pestering him about not eating more the same way Elena was doing to Happy. His heart felt full and warm at the idea of being accepted into this little family.

"Juancito, tell me about your family," Graciela said, patting his hand affectionately. "Do they live nearby?"

"Um...my Ma and sister live in New York. Don't really talk to either of them all the much," he answered honestly.

"And your father?"

He glanced across the table at Angela who was glaring daggers at her mother. Sucking in a deep breath, he shrugged. "Never met the guy."

"But he's Puerto Rican too? That's where Ortiz comes from, right?"

Angela's shoulders tensed, a scowl crossing her face. "Mama," she chastised. She glanced at Happy out of the corner of her eye noticing the bored look on his face. He didn't sense anything was wrong, which was good. She'd thought from the get go that the race of Juice's father wouldn't be as big of a deal as he thought to his club, but at the same time, she didn't want to risk it either.

"What? I need to know these things!" Graciela exclaimed as though her prying questions were no big deal.

Juice shrugged again in answer. "Never met him. Ortiz is my Ma's name," he explained. Not a lie but not the whole truth either.

"And you don't speak Spanish?"

He shook his head in answer. "Nope."

She looked slightly disappointed. "Do you want children, Juan?"

Angela locked eyes with him, a small smile tugging at her lips as she winked at him. He grinned back at her, nodding his response to the question. "Well...," he started but was cut off quickly by a sharp gasp at the end of the table.

Elena had her hand over her heart, her eyes narrowed at Angela. "No me vas a decir que estas embarazada!" (Don't tell me you're pregnant.)

"No te digo entonces," Angela drawled out on a shrug. It was better to face the issue head on. (I won't tell you then.)

"Sin casarte?" Elena put in, disapproval written all over her face. (Without getting married?)

"It's okay, Tia," she shot back, rolling her eyes.

Juice watched with wide eyes as Elena yelled something back in Spanish. Then all of a sudden, all three women were shouting at once, a mixture of Spanish and English words combining into one loud argument. Happy caught his attention and nodded towards the backyard doors. "Let's go. Give 'em some space," he said in a low voice, nodding towards the door. Juice hesitated briefly, trying to catch Angela's eyes, but she was too locked in a staring contest with Elena as the older woman berated her in Spanish...or at least that's what it sounded like since Juice couldn't understand them. Hap's voice cut through his thoughts. "Now, idiot."

Sighing, he followed Happy to the backyard taking a seat in the vacant Adirondack chair next to the Tacoma killer. He ran a hand over the strip of hair on his skull. "I don't understand Spanish, but I'm guessin' that could've gone better."

Happy nodded his head as he lit a cigarette. "Ma's old school. Graci didn't give a shit though. Was tryin' to keep from smilin'."

"One down, one to go," he muttered sarcastically.

He smirked and shook his head at the idiot. "You thinkin' of doin' it?"

Juice didn't need to ask what he was implying. He knew what Elena was upset about; Angela had already warned him she would be. "Can I?"

Happy's eyebrows lifted briefly in surprise. "Askin' my permission?"

"Guess so," he said on a nervous laugh.

Happy took another drag off his cigarette, staring down at the smiley face lighter in his hand. The one his little cousin had given him. "Don't do it for the kid. Ma'll get over it."

"I'm not...it's not about the kid, Hap. I've been thinkin' about it for awhile now," he admitted, glancing over at Happy. "I love her, and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. It's the right thing to do."

The words irked Happy. He didn't think it would change anytime soon? What the hell was that supposed to mean? How could he trust him with his little girl with some wishy washy bullshit like that? If Juice wanted him to give away his little cousin, he'd have to have a stronger argument then that. He shook his head. "Don't think it's a good idea."

Juice felt like someone had punched him in the gut. He'd never thought his brother would say no to him. "Hap, I..."

"Have the kid, take care of the kid, but if you ain't sure about the way you feel about her...don't take that step 'cause it's something you can't take back," he explained, flicking the ash off his cigarette. "That ring goes on, and she's yours. That's it. No gettin' out of it. That shit is for life."

The threat was laced through his words. Once he was married, the only way to leave her would be in a box. ''Til death do us part' was clearly no joke in Happy's book. He had a feeling Angela felt the same way which explained her hesitance and why she never pushed for it. Did she really not trust him enough to stay true to her? Or was she just scared of what would happen to him if he messed up? Either reason bothered him. He'd never given her reason to doubt him, and he'd proved he was capable of handling himself. "I know," he said softly. "And I'm ready for that."

Happy just shook his head in response, looking over his shoulder through the glass pane door as it slid open, hitting the other side with a loud smack. Angela stepped out, slamming the door closed behind her, her hands clenched into tight fists. "Fuck. That. Shit," she practically growled, pointing back at the kitchen. "I'm so tired of being the fuck up! I can't do anything right, damn it!"

"Calm down, kid," Happy said on a scowl as he got to his feet.

"No! Fuck that! Do you have any idea what I just went through? The shit I have to deal with on a constant basis? No! Of course not! Happy can do no fucking wrong, but I get pregnant and they have a shit attack!" she shouted, all in one breath. Juice's mouth hung open in shock; he'd never seen her so upset nor had he ever seen anyone yell at Happy like that. "I swear to God, Ma has been asking, begging to be a fucking grandma and she was fine until your Mom has to butt in with her stupid old school crap and now it's all fucked up! I can't do this anymore, Hap! I'm not some stupid teenager they can order around! I'm almost thirty fucking years old! This babying shit is ridiculous! I can make my own damn decisions!"

Juice stood, ready to protect Angela should Happy make a violent move out of his anger. The Tacoma killer surprised him, though. Instead of shouting back at her, he set a hand on her shoulder and nodded. "Relax. I got them," he said, squeezing her shoulder. He kissed her temple before nodding at Juice. "Take care a her."

"Yeah," Juice answered, already moving towards Angela. As soon as Happy was gone, she slid her arms around him, nuzzling her face into his neck. He held her tightly, turning his head to kiss her temple while running his hand up and down her back. "I'm sorry, Angel. This is all my fault."

She pulled away to look up at him. "No, it's not," she said, a stubborn look on her face. "They're just awful."

He chuckled, brushing the hair out of her face gently. He was glad to see she wasn't crying; she just looked pissed. "They love you and they're scared I'm going to leave you high and dry with a baby to boot. That's what this is about. It's got nothing to do with you being a fuck up. It's got everything to do with them not knowing me. It'll get better."

"Promise?" she asked, her eyes hopeful.

He nodded, kissing her softly. "How 'bout that beach trip?"

A smile broke out across Angela's face, her eyes lighting up in excitement. "Really?"

"Soon as you get your stitches out, we'll go," he said, chuckling as she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Already got the okay from Jax 'n' everythin'."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said, pressing a kiss to one of the thunderbolts on his head. He squeezed her tightly, lifting her off her feet. As crazy as the day had been, she felt like she won the lottery wrapped in his arms. Tears stung her eyes as her heart started beating fast in her chest. God, she loved this man.

He took her face in his hands, swiping his thumbs under her eyes to catch her tears. "These are happy tears, right?" he asked, his eyebrows knit together in concern.

"Yes, goofy," she said on a content sigh. "Very, very happy tears."