Juice watched as Angela got dressed in her usual work clothes: black slacks and a blouse with a cami underneath. She was all in black today, save for the royal blue cami that barely showed; a tribute to the club's colors. Her shoulders sagged as she sat down heavily on the bed, leaning over to tie on her black work boots. "You gonna be okay?" he asked, reaching out a hand to touch her back.

"Yeah," she replied curtly. She'd visibly tensed at his touch, practically jumping to her feet to get away from it. Standing at their bureau, she stared down at her hands instead of at his face. It hurt just to look at him. The Claddagh ring he'd given her glinted at her mockingly in the early morning light. Just a few days ago she'd decided the symbolism of the ring was perfect for their relationship: friendship, loyalty, and love. Now, that view was tarnished. After what she'd seen at Diosa, she questioned his loyalty to her, his love. She still couldn't believe it. Closing her eyes, she started twisting the ring off. Just looking at it and thinking of all that had been damaged made her sick to her stomach.

Setting it delicately on the dresser, she caught Juice's wounded look in the mirror. Good, she thought, he should be hurting. She sure as hell was. She weaved her hair into its usual braid, easily tying it off before sucking in a deep breath. "Okay," she said to herself. "I got this."

Juice knew she was trying to give herself confidence, but he didn't hear it in her voice. The pain in he could hear worried him. He didn't want her to have to prepare Opie without some kind of support. "You want me to..."

"Hap'll be there," she replied, cutting him off. The last thing she wanted was to spend more time in an enclosed room with him. She needed time away from him to sort through her thoughts, figure out where they were headed. At least Happy would stay quiet.

Taking in a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and headed for the door. His hand shot out as she passed, grabbing her wrist gently to stop her. He looked up at her from his seat at the edge of their bed, searching her face for some hint as to what she was feeling. She'd let him hold her the night before as they both cried. Had put aside her own feelings to tend to his. He didn't know how she found the strength to look past his mistake and comfort him, but she had and he was grateful for it. That woman who had been his rock the night before was gone now. She was replaced with a harder looking one, that familiar, almost dangerous black look was in her eyes as they met his. "Angel..." he started, keeping hold of her wrist knowing that if he let her go, she'd leave.

"I need to go," she said trying to pull her wrist away, but he held strong for a second longer.

"Okay," he said, releasing his grip and standing up. "I'll see you later?"

She shrugged a shoulder, her eyes focused on the door. "I'll be around," she said, moving towards the exit.

He grabbed her wrist again, pulling her into him. "Angel..."

"I need to go, Juice," she repeated, her voice wavering.

"Just...just give me something. Tell me we're going to be okay."

She swallowed hard before shaking her head. "I can't right now," she said, softly. "I have to go prep Ope."

He nodded slowly, feeling a lump rise in his throat. "Okay," he said, his voice rough. He leaned down to kiss her lips, but she turned away so his kiss landed on her cheek instead. The move was like a dagger to his heart. Pulling her hand from his, she quickly made her way out, taking Rigor with her.

Juice heard the front door shut and sat down on the bed again, letting his head fall into his hands. He'd royally fucked up, and he was scared as hell that he wouldn't be able to fix it.

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

Angela walked into Ellie and Kenny Winston's middle school's front office, her stomach in knots. It wasn't the first time she'd picked them up from school, but it was the first time she was doing it this early and with terrible news to boot. "Hi, I'm Angela Ruiz, here to pick up Ellie and Kenny Winston," she greeted the secretary, trying her best to smile at the older woman.

"Are you on their anytime pick up list?"

"Yes ma'am," Angela said, digging in her pocket for her ID and handing it over.

The woman glanced at the ID card before going to the filing cabinet to retrieve their files. "Is there a reason you're pulling them from class?"

"Their father passed away late last night. Apparently, no one has told them yet," she answered on a frown. She was pissed as hell when Tara told her the Winston kids had gone off to school that morning without anyone telling them about their father. So much so she insisted on picking them up herself. There was no way she was going to leave them at the clubhouse where they'd probably be ignored while the Croweaters prepared the clubhouse for the wake. "I'm here to take them to the funeral."

The secretary frowned, returning Angela's ID card. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'll call them up. You can take a seat in the waiting room right there if you please, Ms. Ruiz."

"Thank you," she said, choosing to stand instead so she could see Rigor who was seated in the hatchback of her car. She'd left the hatchback door up, knowing he wouldn't jump out. Juice, Happy, and even Tig had had a hand in training him, and they'd done a good job of it.

The Winston kids walked in together, both looking a little curious as to why Angela was there to pick them up so early. Kenny seemed to perk up a little when he saw her while Eli frowned. "Something happened to Opie, didn't it?" she asked, looking just a bit upset.

Angela was thrown off by the use of Opie's name rather than 'dad' or 'pops'. She blinked at the girl before swallowing hard and nodding. "C'mon, let's go. I'll explain in the car."

Kenny followed after, but Ellie held her ground. "No," she replied stubbornly. "Kate's party is tonight. It's a sleepover and I really want to go."

"Sweetheart, your dad...he...he didn't make it out of county. We're having a wake tonight at the clubhouse. You should be there with your family."

The young girl didn't seem particularly surprised by the statement, but Kenny had visibly tensed. "They aren't my family," she seethed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Where have they been the last couple of years, Ang? The only one who talks to us is you."

Angela grimaced at the bitterness in the girl's voice. At fifteen, she was too young to sound so jaded. Again her thoughts drifted to her future child. Would it eventually hold that same feeling? "I'm sorry about that, El, but I think you'd regret not going. He's your dad."

Ellie shrugged again. "I don't want to go. He's gone. That's not going to change. This party is only going to happen this one night, and I want to go," she insisted, her eyes glassy with tears. She didn't want to be in a place that reminded her of her grandfather, her mother, her father. She needed a distraction. "Please," she pleaded, her voice breaking.

Angela felt a lump rise in her throat. She swallowed it back and nodded. "Okay, El. You can stay," she relented, gently ruffling Ellie's hair. "You call me if you change your mind, all right? I'll come right over and pick you up. Anytime you want."

Ellie nodded, wiping quickly at her eyes. She hugged Angela tightly, feeling a slight weight ease off her shoulders. "Thank you, Angie," she breathed, letting go quickly. "Love you."

"Love you too, El," she replied, kissing Ellie's forehead. "Remember, you call me, and I'm there all right? Always."

"Got it. I'll see you later, Ken," she said, wiping at her eyes and hugging her brother quickly before leaving the front office to go back to class.

Angela watched her go, letting out a long sigh while raking her hands through her hair. She turned to Kenny. "What do you want to do, Ken?"

Kenny's eyes met hers for a brief moment. He didn't look sad or angry just...lost as if he didn't know what to feel. After taking in a deep breath, he sighed. "Let's go. Math sucks anyway," he said, hitching up his backpack.

She draped an arm over his shoulders, moving to kiss his head before they started walking to her Mazda. After spotting Rigor in the hatchback, he sat down in the back seat, draping his arm over the back of the seat to pet the puppy. "Hey Rigs," he murmured, softly. He waited for Angela to close the back door and start driving before he cleared his throat. "What happened to my dad?" he asked, his voice rough.

"From what Jax told me, there was a fight and he went down defending his club. Apparently, he was a hero. Saved them all."

Kenny nodded, a tear slipping down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly. "Good. That's...that's a good way to go," he rasped out, sniffling slightly. He liked the idea of his dad being a hero, it was comforting in a strange way. "The rest of the guys okay?"

"Yeah, they're good."

"Okay," he said, biting at his lip, trying to hold in his tears. The last time he'd seen his dad was when he'd dropped them off at Lyla's before he was indicted. He'd given them both kisses on the head, said he'd loved them and to be strong, and then bailed. He was always bailing. "Are we...are we going to the clubhouse?"

"Yep, I'm supposed to drop you off there first," she said on a sigh. The clubhouse was the last place she wanted to go at the moment. Not only was Juice there, but she was sure the place was a madhouse as they prepped for the wake.

"Are you staying there?" he asked hopefully. He didn't want to be surrounded by the rest of the Old Ladies and Croweaters without anyone to talk to.

Angela shook her head. "I gotta go to work, kiddo."

Kenny nodded sullenly. "Can I...can I stay with you? I just...I don't...I don't want to be stuck in that clubhouse all day. I won't bother you, I swear! I'll keep Rigs entertained for ya."

She smiled at him in the rearview mirror. Against her better judgment, she nodded. Though having the young man around while she was preparing his father wasn't her brightest idea, she hated the thought of him alone and ignored in the clubhouse. "Of course, Ken. Rigs would love that, and I'm sure my apprentice, Bones, would love to play some video games with you. He's got quite the arsenal."

Kenny looked visibly relieved. "Thanks, Angie."

"No problem. You've just got to do one thing for me."

"What?"

"Beat Bones on Mario Kart, please?" she asked, feeling better when she saw the smallest hint of a smile on Kenny's face. " 'cause I can't, and he's a terrible winner. Just give him a good ass kicking. Please. Deflate that ego of his a bit."

Kenny agreed on a nod, his smile growing bigger. "I can do that," he answered, getting out of the car. He walked into the mortuary beside Angela, feeling a bit better when she draped an arm over his shoulders and hugged him to her side. "Thanks for pickin' me up, Angie."

"Anytime. I'm here for you, kid. You know that."

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

Bones watched with wide eyes as Angela walked into the office, Rigs at her heels, a young teen at her side. The kid looked familiar, though Bones couldn't put his finger on where he'd seen him before. "Bones, Kenny, Kenny, this is Bones," she introduced, taking a seat at her desk.

"Nice to meet ya," Bones said, nodding to the kid who nodded back.

"Hey Ken, you mind taking Rigor for a walk? He likes walking through the cemetery. Just make sure he doesn't go on the stones and clean up after him," she instructed, pulling a leash out and tossing it to Kenny. She never used the leash when walking the pup since he was pretty good at voice commands, but Kenny didn't know them and Rigor didn't know Kenny well enough to listen to him.

Kenny caught it easily, a small smile crossing his face as Rigor's tail started wagging enthusiastically. "Sure! C'mon, Rigs," he said, disappearing towards the front of the house.

Once the front door closed behind him, Angela sat down heavily in her chair, propping her elbows on the desk, and letting her head fall into her hands. Bones had never seen her look so tired. "You okay?" he asked softly.

She lifted her head and nodded, letting out a long breath. "Yeah, fine," she lied, wiping at her eyes. "Ope come in?"

He nodded in response. "He's on the table. I loosened him up, but I can't...I can't reconstruct like you yet. I mean, I'm learnin' but this is one I don't want to mess up," he answered, his voice shaking nervously.

Angela nodded, sucking in a deep breath as she looked over Opie's paperwork. "There a Son in there with him?"

"Yeah. Scary lookin' dude too," Bones replied. "Tats everywhere. Including his head. Do you know how painful that must be to get a tattoo on your head?"

She shrugged a shoulder, thinking of another man with tattoos on his head. "Very," she answered softly, looking back down at the desk.

"You get in a fight with Juice?"

Her head snapped up to meet his eyes. How could he possibly know that? "What?"

"You got all mopey. I mean, I know your friend died and that sucks, but something tells me that's not what you're hurt about," he said confidently. "What'd he do?"

Angela let out a long sigh, pushing away from the table and standing up. "Don't worry about it, Boner."

He watched her walk out of the room, a little hurt by the brush off. There was something wrong with his mentor, but he wasn't about to push to find out. He knew from experience how volatile pregnant women could be. He chased after her, not wanting her alone in the room with the tattooed villain.

Angela stared at the large body laying on her table, naked save for a modesty towel that covered his privates. Bones had put it there because he knew his mentor had some kind of a friendly relationship with the man on the table. "I started the process and made the incision in the head for you 'cause its all broken up back there, but I didn't want to mess with him too much. Skeeter said it has to be perfect, and I can't do it like you. Especially not the cut on his face," Bones rambled, his hands waving as he talked. He was nervous as hell and kept sneaking glances at Happy who was sitting in the corner, watching him like a hawk.

"Thanks, Boner. Skeet said Jax didn't want us to close up that cut anyway," she said flatly, reaching out a gloved hand to touch the edges. She mentally made note of everything that needed to be fixed. The cut on his nose, his hair, the bruises on his body. It was an excellent case to teach Bones with, but she wasn't going to take advantage of that. Opie was a friend of hers, not a teaching instrument. "I got this from here. You should go find Ken. I bet he can kick your ass at Mario Kart."

He hesitated, glancing at the scary man in the corner as if he was worried to leave them alone together. "You sure?"

She looked back at Happy who looked a little amused at Bones' protective tone. "Yeah, we're good, Boner. Go hang with Ken, this is his dad so he needs a distraction and he's pretty good at video games," she explained softly. "Think he might have you beat."

Bones shook his head. "No way, dude. I'll smoke him," he said, casting one more nervous glance at Happy before heading out the door.

Once they were alone, she let out a small breath, finally letting what she was feeling show on her face. "He do all right?" she asked Happy.

Happy nodded in approval. The kid had been fine. Had listened to movie scores while working which he'd only realized because he'd heard the Indiana Jones theme. "Slower than you."

"He's still learning," Angela explained on a shrug as she looked through her makeup for the right colors. "You don't have to stay."

"Yeah, I do," he said, sighing as he tilted his head against the wall. "You all right?"

She sighed as she got to work. "After what happened to Koz, none of this shit surprises me anymore. I was bad last night, but I'm more sad for Kenny and El than anyone. El wouldn't even let me take her out of school. She wanted to stay to go to a party. How awful is that? Poor girl."

"Ain't easy losin' someone," he replied vaguely. "Girl lost a lot 'cause a the club. I get it."

The fact that Happy understood a fourteen year old girl didn't surprise her. He was more in tune with people's feeling than he'd ever let on. Plus, he'd been through stuff like this with her before. "I just...I'd hate for her to regret this later."

"Not your decision." Happy watched her move, nothing the slump to her shoulders, the bags underneath her eyes. This was not what a pregnant woman should look like. She should be light, happy, glowing. That's what her mom was like when she'd been pregnant. Always laughing and smiling. And Angela had been that way when she'd gotten back from the trip. It slowly started to fade as events progressed. First with what happened to Dawn, now with Opie. "You all right?"

"You already asked that," she stated, ignoring the deeper question. There was no way she would open up to him about what happened with Juice; he'd kill him.

If he noticed her dodging the question, he didn't comment. "You look tired."

"I am tired," she admitted on a lengthy sigh. She knew he was trying to get her to talk, to help her release her worries, but she just couldn't. He was no Kozik. If she confided in him the way she would with Koz, things would get violent between him and Juice fast. At least Kozik wouldn't have killed him.

Happy wasn't good at this prying shit. He wasn't used to it. Since she'd been small, Angela usually told him everything. When she was younger, it would all come out in one big rush of words that he'd learn to tune out. Growing up, her school teachers had thought she was mute, but he never could get her to shut up. She grew out of it eventually. Now, she waited to be asked; he just had to ask the right question. He had to admit, sometimes he missed her incessant chatter; it was a hell of a lot easier than thinking of questions. "Things all good with the idiot?"

She stiffened a bit at the question, swallowing back the word vomit that she was dying to spew. She needed to vent, to tell someone, but Hap was not the right person for it. "Yeah. Fine. You guys have been busy lately, huh?"

Happy nodded in response. He cracked his knuckles, trying to think of a better question. "Surprised he's not here."

"Yeah," she said softly. "He wanted to be, but...he's distracting."

"Ain't ever bothered you before."

"This is...different. It's Ope, y'know," she explained, lying through her teeth. "Too personal."

There was a knock in the door. "Might be him," he commented, surprised when her whole body tensed in response. The door opened and Phil poked his head in, Angela's shoulders sagged in relief. Happy raised an eyebrow; there was something going on with her and Juice, he was sure of it. It probably wasn't good if she was keeping it to herself.

"Uh...Hap, Jax needs you. Said I should take your place," Phil explained looking nervously between Hap and the body on the table.

"Give me a minute," Happy replied, waiting until Phil left before getting up and and heading over to his cousin. "Gotta tell me what's going on, kid."

Her dark eyes stared at the body in front of her, staring at Opie's tattoos. "Ope is lying dead on my table," she replied sadly as tears gathered in her eyes; she hated lying to her cousin. Hated that there was no one else she felt comfortable turning to. Kozik was dead. Mel was dead. Bones was too young and Chloe too out of the loop to understand. Sure there was Tara, but the poor doctor had too much on her plate as it was. Suddenly, Angela felt very alone. Swallowing hard, she lifted her head to meet Happy's questioning gaze. "That's what's going on."

He knew she was lying, but he didn't have time to push anymore. His club needed to him. "Stay strong," he said, kissing her temple and ruffling her hair. "Love you, kid."

"Love you, too," she murmured around the lump in her throat. She watched him leave, sucking in a deep breath as she tried to keep it together.

As soon as Happy closed the door behind him, he turned to Phil. The larger man was leaning against the wall reading a comic book. At the sound of the door closing he looked up. "I don't have to go in there, do I?" he asked, his voice shaking. At Happy's dark glare, he backpedaled. "I mean, of course I will. I was just...checking."

"Watch her. Anything she needs, get it. She starts cryin' you call me, got it?" Happy ordered, still glaring at the newest patched member.

"What about Juice?"

Happy remembered the way his cousin had tensed when she thought Juice was at the door. No way in hell was he going to have Phil call the idiot over when she so clearly didn't want him there. "What'd I say?" he asked on a growl.

"C-call you," Phil stammered out watching Happy's back as he headed out the door. It wasn't until after he heard Happy's Dyna pull away that he headed inside the workroom.

Angela lifted her head and gave him a small smile. "You can sit outside if you want, Phil," she told him as if she'd heard the exchange he'd just had with her cousin. "I won't tell Hap."

His shoulders relaxed as he nodded. "Thanks, Ang. I'd stay but...dead people freak me out."

"I'm not surprised. All those zombie comics and what not," she said, looking back down at what she was doing. "Go 'head get back to your comic book."

Phil smiled before stepping outside the door and leaving Angela alone. She sighed, stripping off her gloves and wiping quickly at her eyes. Taking in a deep breath, she pressed play on her stereo and got back to work, letting the music drown out her thoughts. She worked quickly but carefully, making sure everything was perfect. Tears kept blurring her vision, but she worked through them. She had to for Ope.

"Ang?" Phil's voice drew her from her concentration.

"Hmm?" she asked, wiping at her eyes with her forearm.

Phil hesitated at her tears, remembering Happy's words. "Should I call Hap?"

"No. God no," she said shaking her head. The last thing she needed was for Happy to come back. "I'm fine. What do you need?"

"Chibs is on the phone. Wants to talk to you," he replied, holding out the small black burner.

Angela furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She rarely got calls from any of the brothers besides Juice and Hap. Stripping off her gloves, she took the phone from him. "Hello?"

"Hey Angie-girl," Chibs' strongly accented voice replied. He sounded thoroughly exhausted. "Need a favor. Ye happen to be burnin' any ladies anytime soon?"

She walked over to the schedule and ran her finger down it. "Yeah. Got one on the list for tomorrow. Why?"

"Need a tiny tittie and a thumb. Preferably female, preferably young."

Angela grimaced at what that could possibly mean. Spare body parts wasn't an unusual request; she'd gotten various body parts for Hap in the past, usually fingers used to leave false prints at a scene. "I'll see what I can do," she replied, making a mental note to take the parts before Bones put the body in the oven. "When do you need 'em by?"

"Soon as ye can," he replied on a relieved sigh. " 'preciate ye not askin' why."

"There are some things I don't want to know," she answered honestly. "Tell Jax we should be over with Ope in an hour or so. I'll bring Kenny by. Ellie wanted to stay at school with her friends."

Chibs let out another, heavier sigh. "Aye, poor lass. I'll let 'im know."

"Need anythin' else?"

"Nah, Angie-girl. We're good, thanks," he answered. "See ye tonight, love."

"See you then, Chibbies," she replied, hanging up the phone and handing it over to Phil. She eyed the big man warily; she'd seen men his size faint before and it wasn't pretty. "You all right, Phil?"

The large newly patched member had his eyes glues to Opie's still form, an incredulous look on his face. "Yeah...its just...he looks like he's sleepin'," he stated softly. "Good job, Angie."

"Thanks," she replied, putting her gloves back on. " 'm almost done. I'll have Boner dress him and he and Skeet will put him in the box. He already bought the plot next to Donna's so they'll be together."

"That's real sweet," he said on a small smile. "Hope you're around to do this for me when the time comes."

She gave him a dark look, a scowl twisting her pretty features. "Don't talk like that," she chastised. "The last thing I want is for another one of you on my table."

Phil looked from her face to Opie's. "Dying like Ope is an honor. Y'know? He's...he's a hero. I hope when my time comes, it's for somethin' good. Something to make the club proud."

It wasn't the first time Angela had heard one of the Sons talk like that. Kozik and Hap had always mentioned how they wanted to go out fighting for the club. Kozik had gotten his wish. She was terrified Happy or Juice would be next. "Don't go throwing yourself in front of bullets, Phil."

"Nah. I can't really throw myself anywhere," he said on a shrug looking down at his girth. "You think you could make me thinner when I die?"

She fought the urge to laugh, knowing it was an inappropriate time to do so. "Jesus Christ, Phil. No! And you're not going to die anytime soon!" she exclaimed, hitting his arm. "Now get out of my workroom!"

"I'm just saying...everyone dies sooner or later."

"Get outta here, Phil," Angela said on a scowl. She tossed her gloves at his back as he walked away.

Once the door closed behind him, she sat down on the stool in the corner and stared at the body on the table. Propping her elbows on her knees, she let her head fall in her hands. She still couldn't believe Opie was gone. That the club had finally taken away the only person his kids had left. Would her child be in a similar situation as the years passed? God, she hoped not. Even if she and Juice didn't stay together, she wanted him in her kid's life. Hell, she wanted him in her life. A lump formed in her throat just thinking about a life without him. Closing her eyes, she tried to control her tears. How had everything gone so wrong?

The soft clunk of footsteps made her look up. She was half expecting to see Juice standing there, ready to apologize again, but she was wrong. Kenny stood in the doorway, his hazel eyes wide as he stared at his father. Angela swallowed hard, sucking in a deep breath to keep her tears at bay. He needed her to be strong for him now. "Hey Ken," she greeted casually. Making a big deal of his intrusion would only make it worse. "You can come in if you want."

"Hi," Kenny said, his voice rough. He took a few steps closer to the table, his eyes never leaving his dad. His eyes met Angela's briefly, waiting for her to tell him to get lost. She didn't though. She just sat there patiently, waiting for him to make the first move. He reached out a hand, glancing again at her as if asking for permission. At her nod, he set his hand on his dad's. His dad's skin felt cold to the touch. "He has a lot of ink."

"He does," she agreed on a nod. "That something you're interested in?"

He nodded in response. "There's a big gash in his forehead. Are you going to close it?"

"No. Jax doesn't want me to. He wants everyone to see it, to know how he died," she replied honestly.

"Is that...is that how he died?"

Angela struggled with the choice of whether to sugar coat the truth or not. "Not really, kiddo. He had a pretty bad fracture on the back of his head."

"Someone cracked his skull?" he asked, his voice soft, eyes wide.

"Yeah. But his hands were pretty battered and bruised up," she told him. "Means he went down fighting. Protecting his club, his family."

Kenny looked up at her again, tears brimming his eyes. "I know. He gave up everything for them."

"For you too."

He nodded, though he didn't really believe her. Tears clouded his vision, distorting the image of his father's face. His dad would still be alive if it weren't for that damn club. He hated it. Hated that it had taken everything from him. He knew he should be eagerly waiting to join its ranks, but he didn't want to. Not anymore. It didn't feel right to be a part of something that had taken so much away from him. "Angie, do you think I have to be a Son when I get older?"

"You don't have to do anything," she answered carefully. "Do you want to be a Son?"

Kenny shrugged a shoulder. "I used to. I thought it would be cool to ride with my Pops like he did with his but now...I don't know," he replied, sniffling a bit. "I just...don't want to let my dad down."

"I don't think he'd be let down if you didn't join, Ken. Being a Son is...its not easy or safe. Its not necessarily the kind of life parents want for their kids," she explained, knowing firsthand exactly what she was talking about. She was praying her child was a girl to avoid even having to consider the idea of her child taking on the Reaper.

"If you had a kid, would you want it to be a Son?"

Angela smiled a bit as she shook her head. "When I have my kid, if its a boy, I really would rather not have him follow in his father's footsteps. Its not really my decision, though. If he wants to be a Son, who am I to stop him? It's in his blood."

Kenny looked at her with a surprised expression. "You're having a baby?" he gasped, a look of dread on his face. He was worried Angela having a kid of her own would make her forget about him. "That's...that's cool. Congrats, I guess."

She could see the worry in his eyes and felt her heart sink. He was worried she'd dismiss him once she had a kid of her own. There was no way that was ever going to happen. Slinging an arm over his shoulders, she slowly turned him and walked with him towards the door. "You know that means I'll need a big cousin baby sitter, right? One that can show my kid the ropes on all the cool games that I suck at," she said, closing the work room door behind her.

He rolled his eyes at her, a small smile turning up the corners of his lips. "You're not that bad," he complimented, feeling relieved by her subtle way of tell him she wouldn't forget about him. "But I guess I could help."

Angela squeezed his shoulder before ruffling his hair lovingly. "Good," she said with a smile.

"I beat Bones, y'know," he commented as they walked back up to the apartment. "That's what I went in to tell you. It was tricky, but he doesn't know the Rainbow Road trick so I got him on that one. Then he kept picking the heavier characters, so I balanced it out with a lighter one like you told me, and I kicked his ass."

"All right, Kenny!" she exclaimed, giving him a fist bump. "I knew you could do it!'

Kenny smiled back at her, giving her a quick hug. "Thanks, Ang...for everything. Its...its nice not to be forgotten every once and awhile."

She smiled back at him, touched by his words. "How could I forget someone who repeatedly kicks my ass at my favorite video game? Love you, Ken."

"Love you too, Angie."