Juice heaved a sigh of relief as he walked out of the clubhouse. Jax hadn't said a word about what he'd done. Hadn't once mentioned his name while sitting at the table. The current president had been solely focused on Clay. Frankie had been right when he said Clay was behind the break ins. He'd explained about Rita, how it was an accident. No mention was made about the break in at the funeral home, but Juice knew it was the reason why Hap had voted for him to lose his patch and his life. No one messed with the Tacoma Killer's baby cousin and got away with it.

He wasn't surprised when Jax attacked Clay after. The animosity between them had been brewing for years. The break-ins had been the straw that broke the camel's back. It wasn't until both men had calmed down that Juice headed outside to make a phone call. He knew the pattern of numbers by heart, without even looking at the keypad. One ring went by before her voice came over the shitty speaker. "Hey. Is everything all right? Should I start packing?" Angela questioned, nervously.

"No, baby. I'm okay," he said, smiling slightly. Her sigh of relief was audible, and he found himself relaxing with her. "It's Clay. He was behind the home invasions. They're strippin' his patch."

"Holy shit," she muttered. He was sure she was running a hand through her hair. "But you're okay?"

"I'm whole for now," he replied, leaning against the ring, watching as Jax and Chibs headed to their bikes. Neither of them paid him any mind. "How are you?"

" 'bout to take Rigs for a run. He's getting antsy."

Juice frowned at that, unsure of how much she was supposed to be running with a baby in her belly. "Angel..."

"I cleared it with Chlo," she interrupted. "I'm fine to exercise as long as I don't overdo it. My stomach is the size of a soccer ball, and I don't want to get any bigger than I have to. If I wanna run, I'm gonna run."

"All right, baby," he said on a chuckle. "I gotta go help Clay pack up all his Reaper shit."

Angela's heavy sigh told him she did not approve of him helping Clay. "Really? He's out of the club. Why do you have to help him?"

"Because he's still my brother, Angel," he replied, trying not to get annoyed with her. "Patch or not, Clay's always been there for me. Plus, I might get some cool stuff out of it."

Her disappointed sigh had him feeling like what he was doing was a big mistake. "Just...be careful, Juice," she said after a moment. "Hey, see if you can find something for the baby room."

Juice chuckled, shaking his head as he pictured his daughter's room decked out in reapers. Only Angela would be okay with that. "You don't think the reaper will scare the shit outta Monk?"

"Her father is a Son and her mother is an undertaker. The only thing our kid is going to be scared of is normal, white-collared people," she answered on a laugh.

He laughed along with her. "I love you, you know that?" he asked, a fond smile on his face.

"I do," she answered. He could hear the smile in her voice. "Love you too, goof. See you later?"

"You know it," he said before hanging up the phone. He let out a sigh of relief; things were starting to look up.

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

Angela peeled off the sheet of the body that was lying on her table. There was blood crusted in her hair, the Y-incision from the autopsy had been re-stitched tightly by her apprentice, something that made her proud to see. Bones was getting better at his job every day. The woman was young, pretty. Her red hair tangled and knotted from autopsy. With a heavy sigh, Angela grabbed the hose and wet it down, gently massaging soap into it to get out the blood.

There was a knock at the door; Angela lifted her head, calling for whoever was there to come in. Bones was working the front desk, keeping an eye out for new clients, so it had to be someone she knew that he sent down. The door opened and there stood Tara, looking paler than usual. "Hey T," Angela greeted, trying to keep the confusion out of her voice. It was very rare the doctor stopped by her work, rarer still that she came down to her work room. Usually she asked Bones to come get her. "What's up?"

Tara's eyes lingered on the woman laid out on the table before being drawn to Angela's concerned face. "She looks good."

"Came from Stockton. Some crazy guy stabbed her in the neck with somethin'," she explained on a sigh as she tilted the woman's head to reveal the stitched up puncture wounds. "Gonna put her hair over 'em. Nobody'll notice."

"I was there," the doctor admitted softly. At Angela's questioning look, she elaborated. "At Stockton. You remember how I was looking for stuff for Otto? He did this."

Angela nodded, swallowing hard as she put two and two together. Whatever she'd given to Otto had ended in this young nurse's demise. "Shit, Tara. What happened?"

"I was...I was trying to help the club and I...God, I just wanted to keep them all from going inside again," Tara explained, running a hand through her hair. "I didn't think he'd go crazy like that. I didn't think..."

Stripping off her gloves and tossing them into the bio-hazard bin with a practiced ease, Angela walked over and took Tara by the arm, carefully leading her out of the room. It probably was unwise to have her there with the body of a woman whose death she was responsible for. "It's okay, T," she assured her, rubbing a hand over her back. "It'll all work out. It always does."

"Ang, I could go to jail as an accomplice," Tara said on a breath. She was trying her best to keep her cool, to appear strong like she had with Jax, but she quickly felt herself falling apart in front of her friend. Seeing Pamela lying dead on the table had made the consequences of her actions all too real.

"Yeah, but you won't," she said, though she wasn't sure of that herself. "I mean, Jax wouldn't let that happen would he?"

Tara shrugged, shaking her head. "He doesn't really have a choice, does he?" she asked rhetorically. "I just...I want to know that if something happens to me that...that you'll be there to take care of my boys."

"Of course I will. I'll check in. Make sure they're doing all right," Angela replied, smiling warmly at her friend.

"Not just that. I'm trying to get all the legal stuff in line for what would happen to them if something should happen to one of us," she explained, wringing her hands nervously. "I want you to have custody of them."

She had to admit, that one threw her for a loop. Why on Earth would Tara want her and Juice to have custody over their children when Grandma was perfectly able to take care of them? "What about Gemma?"

"No. I don't want her near my boys, Ang. She's hurt them enough. You're the only one I can trust to take care of them."

Angela sat back in her seat, letting out a long breath. "Jesus Christ, T. I got a baby on the way, and Juice is..." she let that statement dangle. Juice was not in good standing with Jax. Even if she agreed to put her name on that paper, Jax would never allow it. "I'll be there for them, of course I will be, but I can't be their guardian, Tara. I can't...I don't think Jax would want that."

"Jax isn't thinking straight right now," Tara murmured, shaking her head. "You're the only one I have, Ang. The only one I can trust with my boys."

She shook her head in response. Not only would agreeing to take over the boys put Gemma against her, but she wasn't entirely sure she could handle three kids at once should anything happen. She didn't need the drama that was sure to ensue if her name ended up on that paper. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

Tara glared at her, shaking her head. "You're scared of Gemma," she accused, a shocked look on her face. "You act like you're some tough Old Lady, but you're scared of what she'll do to you!"

"I'm not scared of anything, T," Angela seethed, angry at the accusation. "I got a lot a shit on my plate right now, and as much as I love your boys, I'm not gonna kid myself into thinking I can take care of three kids and my Old Man. So no, I do not want be their legal guardian. Not when they have a perfectly viable grandmother that would kill for them"

"Perfectly viable?" Tara repeated in indignation. "Jesus Christ, Ang! She almost killed them and she'll do it to your kid too! She'll try and take her over just like she's trying with my boys! That's why you need to get them and your baby out of here, Angela. This place is poison! Do you really want your daughter growing up in this...this cesspool? Look at what has happened to the women of this club! Donna and Luann were murdered, we were kidnapped, Gemma was beaten and raped, and Tig's daughter was burned alive! Is that the kind of life you want for your daughter?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then take her and leave! And if I'm not around, take my boys with you."

Angela shook her head stubbornly. "I'm not going anywhere, Tara. Not without Juice," she said, her tone even and serious. "I'm sorry I can't help you, but I'm sure you'll find someone else who can."

"You're making a mistake, Angela," Tara seethed, her usually bright green eyes dark with anger. "And I really hope it doesn't come back to bite you in the ass later."

She watched stunned as the doctor shouldered her bag and stalked out of the funeral home, slamming the door behind her as she left. Standing from the couch, she whistled for Rigor waiting for the pup to trot over before heading to the front where Bones was sitting at one of the desks, typing away on the computer. "I'm heading out to the cemetery for a bit," she stated, raking a hand through her hair. When Bones started to push away from the desk, she held up a hand. "I'll finish her when I get back. Go back to your World of Warcraft and chill. Just keep an ear out, all right?"

"Yes ma'am," Bones said, saluting her before pulling himself back towards the desk.

Rigor ran ahead of her as she headed down the familiar path she knew by heart. She needed to clear her head, needed to talk it out with someone even if they couldn't talk back. "Hey Kozi," she greeted, carefully lowering herself onto the soft grass in front of the familiar headstone. It was the whitest in the line of military headstone. The only one that was consistently clean; she made sure of it. Tilting her head back against the stone, she stared at the blue sky. "You think Tara's right? You think I should get outta here? I don't think I can. It's...it's the only place that's really felt like home since Dad died."

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

Bones was deep into his own fantasy world when the buzzer for the front door rang. He cursed, rubbing at his eyes underneath his classes as he pushed away from Skeeter's computer and headed for the door. He walked into the front room, stopping in his tracks when a Reaper patch glared back at him. The man was standing by one of the show caskets, his hand on top of it as if he were about to open it. "Uh...that's empty," Bones said, scratching nervously at the nape of his neck.

The Son spun around, his electric blue eyes looking him over. "Knew that. Angela around? ," he asked, smirking as Bones hesitated. "I ain't gonna hurt her, kid. Need to take her to the clubhouse to protect her. Scout's honor."

Bones studied him for a brief moment, wondering if he should tell him. He remembered this Son, though. It was the one Angela had called Tig. The one who's daughter they'd gone to get that one night. He had to be trustworthy or else she wouldn't have worked so hard to find his daughter a good plot for almost nothing. "Out in the cemetery. By the veterans."

"Ah. Koz?"

"Yeah. Want me to get her?"

Tig shook his head. "Nah. 'bout time I visit that asshole," he replied before heading to the door. He left without another word, taking a deep breath of the fresh air as he started his trek towards the cemetery.

The dog spotted him first, lopping over to him with his tongue hanging out. Tig smiled, crouching to pet him and letting the pup lick his face. "Hey Rigs," he greeted, scratching him behind the ear as he stood. The pup's coloring reminded him of his beloved dog, Missy, the reason why he and Koz had ever had beef in the first place. That lemonheaded idiot had let her out while he was on one of his drug binges and some asshole had run her over before Kozik even noticed she was gone. He'd never forgiven him for that. A part of him regretted it now that his brother was six feet under while another part still held that resentment.

He spotted Angela sitting against a stone, her head tilted back, eyes closed, one hand on her round belly. She looked peaceful, happy even. " 'ey, preggo," he said, kicking her booted foot with the toe of his own boot.

Angela opened one eye, saw him, and closed them again. "What?"

Tig liked the kid; she had spunk. He liked that she never asked the club for anything. Never caused trouble or stirred up shit with the Croweaters. She rarely visited the clubhouse save for if they needed her or if Hap or Juice needed something. And she'd helped him with Dawn. All it had taken was one phone call, and she was there, ready to help, no questions asked. "Club's on lockdown," he stated simply. "We gotta go."

She sighed, hanging her head down for a moment before she looked back up at him. "You ever regret staying here? Raisin' your girls here?"

"They weren't here long. Their Ma got them outta here," he explained, opening up to her only because she'd helped him so much. If there was something she needed, he was going to help her. At her frown, he ran a hand over his face. "Look, kid, my psycho ex taking my girls had nothin' to do with the club or safety. It was to spite me. That gash wanted a title I didn't want to give her. Ain't no safer place for your kid then right here where she's got a clubhouse of uncles watchin' out. You think Juice or Hap'll let somethin' happen to her? Hap ever let anythin' happen to you?"

Angela sighed, processing what he said for a moment before shaking her head. "No."

"Then what're you worryin' for? C'mon. I got other places to go."

She sighed again, holding up her hands to him. "I'm big and fat. Help me up?"

Tig grabbed her hands, pulling her to her feet, revealing the stone that was behind her. He draped an arm over her shoulders, staring at the white headstone. "Nice rock. Y'know I never thanked you for...for Dawnie."

"Not needed," she said, looking up at him with a small smile. "Thanks for comin' to get me."

He ruffled her hair lovingly. "Your cousin woulda killed me if ya didn't show up. Your Old Man, I can handle, but Hap? Now that'd be a fair fight."

"He'd kick your ass," Angela said confidently.

She let out a shriek of surprise as Tig pulled her into a headlock. "You think so, Preggo?" he asked, rubbing his knuckles into her head. "Here I was bein' nice and comin' to get you 'n' you tell me your cuz would kick my ass. Very nice. Last time I ever help you."

Laughing, she slapped his hands away, elbowing his side as he let her go. He stood by the side of her car, waiting for her to get in. "Thanks again for comin', Tig," she said, sitting in the driver's seat.

"You're family, kid. Gotta stick together," he replied before closing the door behind her. He knocked on the roof, dipping his head so it was even with hers. "Drive safe."

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

Angela walked into the bustling clubhouse, surprised to find Chloe sitting at the end of the bar, a stein of beer in front of her. Raising an eyebrow, she headed her way. The nurse nodded to her greeting, though her whole demeanor told Angela she was not happy about being there. "Your cousin is a fucking lunatic," she stated without a formal greeting.

Angela grinned at that; so Happy had been the one to bring her over. "What else is new?"

"I have one day off every couple of week or so. Just one, and I like to spend it with my two best friends: Netflix and Merlot," she said, her hazel eyes blazing, "and this fool barges in, scares the shit outta me, makes me spill my wine, and tells me we're leaving. No disclosure as to where we're going or why just that I should get my ass dressed and on his bike. That's it. Then he brings me here where I don't know anyone, doesn't introduce me to any of these...women who, I'll tell you, are not very friendly, and leaves. And you? You're fuckin' amused by all of this."

She chuckled, nodding her head in agreement. "Pretty much," she replied. She looked at V-Lin who was behind the bar. The prospect nodded to her before setting a red Coke can in front of her, the sides dripping with condensation. "Thanks, V."

"No problem," he said as he started pouring more shots for the other brothers at the bar.

Chloe watched the whole exchange in fascination. This whole world was completely new and different to her. She didn't understand it. Some of the women were walking around in little to no clothing, serving drinks and taking away empty glasses, while others were dressed more conservatively, their kids at their side. There was definitely a hierarchy going on that she wasn't privy to and from what she could tell, Angela ranked closer to the top. Where she landed in that order, Chloe had no idea, but she wasn't about to start serving these men like some waitress. "This place is bizarre."

"You'll get used to it," Angela replied on a shrug as she took a sip of the soda. "So what's the deal with you and Hap anyway? Must be somethin', he doesn't usually bring the girls he fucks to lockdown. Most are already here."

Her eyes looked over the different women, wondering aimlessly which Happy had slept with before her. "I dunno. He wouldn't tell me. He just said I had to come down here. I don't know what that means, and I don't want to start labeling shit that doesn't need labels. We have mindblowing sex pretty regularly and that is just fine with me."

"Gross," she replied, wrinkling her nose in disgust. The last thing she wanted to hear about was her cousin's sex life. "That really fine with you?"

"The last relationship I had was back in medical school. I was almost out of Columbia, he'd just made detective in New York. We were in love, engaged. I had my whole fucking wedding planned, my dress, the names of our kids, the whole she-bang."

Angela cocked her head to side, her eyebrows raised in surprise; she'd never heard this story before. "What happened?"

Chloe's eyes grew misty for a brief moment before she swallowed hard. "He had the nerve to catch a bullet on his last night of patrol," she said softly. "After he died, I couldn't...I left. I went travelling, everywhere we said we'd go, did a year of nursing school, and decided a place like Charming couldn't be half bad. A hell of a change from New York."

"Any guy since?"

She snorted and shook her head. "One night stands, nothing significant. Love 'em and leave 'em."

"So this thing you have with Hap is..."

"Perfect," Chloe finished with a sigh. She straightened up as Gemma headed towards them, a curious look on her face. "Shit."

"Who're you?" Gemma asked, her dark eyes fierce as they landed on Chloe.

Angela reveled in the awkwardness for a minute before she cleared her throat. "She's with me, Gem. My nurse. Been feeling a little...off lately. Thought it'd be a good idea to have her handy since Tara's a little...pissed with me."

Gemma appraised Chloe one finally time before her eyes were on Angela, a concerned, almost motherly look softening her face. "You all right, preggo?"

"She's paranoid," Chloe teased with a smile. "First baby jitters."

"Been there. Take care of yourself, sweetheart," she said, running a hand lovingly over Angela's hair. She nodded to Chloe. "You busy later, nurse? Might need you take a look at someone in a minute if our John Doc doesn't pull through."

"Yeah, 'course. Whatever you need," Chloe replied, bobbing her head up and down. She waited for Gemma to leave before letting out a sigh of relief.

Angela laughed at the way Chloe's shoulders relaxed now that Gemma was gone. "You're welcome," she sang, chuckling at Chloe's grimace. "You'll get used to her. Just listen, keep a straight face, and once she's gone, do whatever you were going to do anyway."

"This place is wild, Ang. The women, they're...crazy. A feminist would blow a gasket if they saw this shit."

She nodded in agreement. "You want to back out, now's your chance," she said, taking a sip of her Coke to hide her disappointment.

"That mean we'd still be friends?"

Angela nodded, her eyes drifting over to Happy who was messing with his tattoo machine as he talked to one of the brothers from out of town. "Yeah, of course," she said on a shrug. It was true too. Whatever happened between Chloe and Happy, it wouldn't change her friendship with the nurse. She wasn't the first friend Hap had slept with. "I don't think you should though. It might be my own selfishness, but I think you'd fit in here. I mean, you're smart and we could always use another medical person around."

Chloe dragged her finger over the rim of her glass pensively. "I'm not going to be an Old Lady."

"Probably not," she agreed on a laugh. "But you're the first girl he's brought to a lockdown. 'sides me, of course. And if it does get to that point, you'd be damn lucky to have him. Those words around his neck? I live. I kill. I die for my family. Those are no lies. Once he considers you family, that's it. You need him, he's there."

"You realize Juice is just a watered down version of him, right?" the nurse asked, watching Juice walk towards them.

"I guess." Angela's eyes met Juice's from across the room, a slow smile spreading across her face. She knew what Chloe was coming from. Both men were incredibly loyal to their families, both willing to kill for them. But Juice was lighter than Hap, at least, he had been when she'd first met him. She'd fallen for the goofy guy with a heart of gold and a blinding smile. He was darker now, everyday getting closer to being more like Hap and less like the goof she loved. She was worried about him, worried about what would happen if that light was ever completely extinguished. She prayed that whatever Jax had asked him to do wouldn't take him to that place, and if it did, that she'd be able to pull him out of it.