Juice stared worriedly at Angela. She was laying on her side, her legs pushed up to her tummy as her hand stroked over it, a pained look on her face. He gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear, his brows furrowed in concern. "Baby, are you okay?" he asked, pushing aside the noise in his head left over from the day before to focus on her. "What's wrong? Is it Monk?"

"Mm," she groaned, grimacing in pain. " 'm fine. Just that Braxton-Hicks shit again. It hurts."

"I'm sorry. Can I get you anything?" he asked, his thumb brushing over her cheek. His heart broke as a soft whimper left her lips. His phone went off, but he ignored it. "Should I call Chlo? Should we go to the hospital?"

She shook her head and gave him a weak smile. "Go. I'll be fine."

"I'm not goin' anywhere, Angel," he said, stretching out next to her. He settled his hand on her belly, feeling better when he felt his daughter kick it. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, ignoring the phone vibrating on the nightstand behind him. He knew who was calling and did not want to answer it. He didn't want to leave her like this.

Her brows pulled together in pain as she set her hand over his. "Baby, just go. Please. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine, baby. I mean...you look beautiful, you always do, but..."

"Nice save, slick," she muttered, grimacing a bit. "I'm okay. Get outta here before one of prospects show up. I don't feel like being nice to those knuckleheads."

Juice chuckled, kissing her forehead before reaching for his phone. The conversation was quick, just Chibs yelling at him to get to the clubhouse. He ended the phone call and sighed softly. "You sure you're okay?"

"Mm-hmm. Just tired and pregnant," she sighed, snuggling closer into the pillow. "Go. Club needs you."

"Do you need me?" he asked, knowing she would say 'no.' A part of him hoped she'd say 'yes' so he had a reason not to show up at TM and take a mental health day. "I'll stay, Angel. You just say the word."

Angela smiled tiredly at him, touched by his offer. A part of her wanted to say yes, but she knew his loyalty to the club was being called into question, and she didn't want to make it worse by having him skip out on them if they needed him. "You don't have to, Juice. I'll be fine. I'll play some video games or somethin'."

"You sure you don't want me to stay?"

She laughed, starting to realize he was asking for a reason to stay. "Juice, if you want to stay, and you think the club will be okay with it, then stay."

He already knew the club wouldn't be okay with it. They didn't make allowances for members with sick Old Ladies. The club always came first. "I should go," he said on a sigh. "I'ma call someone to stay with you."

"No prospects, Juice. Please. I don't have the patience for that shit," Angela muttered miserably. "They need too much attention."

"Okay. Bones or Ken'll be over in a bit then," he said, feeling better about leaving her when she smiled in response. She really did love her two apprentices, and he was happy she had those goons around to help her both at work and at home. "That okay?"

"Much better than one of your whiny prospects," she said on a sigh.

Juice chuckled, tucking a stray hair behind her ear before leaning over to give her a kiss. "I love you, Angel," he said, rubbing a hand over her belly. "You too, Eves."

"Love you," she replied, smiling at he pulled the covers over her shoulder, effectively tucking her in. Sometimes, he really was a mush head, and she loved him all the more for it. "Be safe, Juice. Come home to us."

" 'course. See you later, Mama," he said on a shrug, kissing her once more before heading out the door.

"Bye." Angela closed her eyes as she heard his Dyna start up, silently praying that whatever was in store for Juice today would not hurt him as badly as what he'd done the night before.

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

Bones used the key Juice had given him to let himself into their house, Kenny close behind him. He stepped inside, surprised to find the couch empty. Usually Angela set herself up there with her laptop and books so she could relax. "Ang?" he called, a little nervous. She'd been taken once before, what if it happened again?

"Here," a soft voice called from the bedroom.

He walked back, waving for Kenny to follow him. Opening the door, he frowned when he saw Angela curled up on her side in the middle of the bed, her eyes on the TV hooked up to the wall as her hand rubbed over her belly with Rigor at her feet. "Hey Mama," Bones greeted sitting on one side of her.

She sat up with a groan, making room for Kenny. The younger boy sat down next to her without any hesitation. "Hey dudes," she greeted, smiling when Kenny leaned his head against her shoulder. "How goes it?"

"Good. Skeeter kicked us out of the funeral home," Bones explained, leaning over and grabbing Angela's laptop. "Juice called him. Said we were needed here since apparently, he couldn't stay. "

"Club comes first," Kenny said, his voice cracking slightly. "No matter what."

Angela's heart dropped at the broken look on the young man's face. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. "Luckily, I have you two boneheads to keep me company, huh?"

That got a smile out of the younger man. "Yup. Do you need anythin', Ang?"

"Nope. I'm good," she said, pressing play on the remote. "Just found a Star Wars marathon on TV, actually."

"Yes!" Bones exclaimed, clapping his hands together loudly and startling Rigor.

The dog lifted his head, looked at Bones for a moment, decided he wasn't a threat and laid back down. Angela was too big to lean over and pet him with her hand so she rubbed her foot along his side instead. "Good boy, Rigs. Bones isn't scary at all," she cooed to him before hissing in pain. She waved off the concerned looks of the boys. "I'm fine. Monk's practicing. It happens."

Bones' brow furrowed briefly, and he checked his watch but made no other comment. Midway through A New Hope, she groaned again. "Jesus, Monk. Calm the fuck down."

"Oh good. Swear at the kid in utero," Bones quipped.

Angela elbowed him in the side. "Shut up," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You're not in labor, are ya?"

"No. I have a few more weeks, Bones," she said rolling her eyes at him. "These are those Braxton Hicks contractions. I told you, Monk is practicing and it hurts like a bitch."

Bones studied her face for a moment before nodding and checking his watch again. "Whatever you say, Ang."

It wasn't long before another pain shot up her spine. She sat up, clutching at her stomach. "Ow! Ow! Shit!"

Bones paused the movie and looked at her. "Ang, I think its baby time."

She looked scared for a brief moment before she shook her head. "Its too early, Boner. I'm fine. Just cramps. Play the damn movie."," she said through gritted teeth as she tried to hide her pain. He checked his watch, something that was starting to drive Angela crazy. "Are you under some time crunch, Boner? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothin'," he lied, unpausing it. He was checking the time between her contractions, but he wasn't about to tell her that, not after the way she just jumped down his throat for checking his watch. When a soft gasp escaped her lips again, he checked his watch once more. "That's three minutes apart. Last one lasted about 45 seconds," he said pushing his glasses up his nose before he stood. "Let's go, Ang. Time to meet Monk."

"It's too early," she groaned, refusing to take the hands he was reaching out to her. "I'm fine."

But Bones didn't back down. He had a feeling in his gut that his mentor was in labor, and he was not about to let her give birth in her house without someone who knew what they were doing. He may have been her pregnancy guru, but he didn't know how to deliver a baby. "Either you let me take you to the damn hospital or I will do something you really won't like."

Angela raised an eyebrow at him as Kenny hid a chuckle behind his hand. "Boner, sit," she instructed, but he stood strong. Another cramp hit, and she grimaced again.

He didn't sit. Instead, he glared at Kenny who stood and joined in on the argument. "Ang, maybe you should listen to him. I mean," Kenny scratched nervously at the back of his head. "What if he's right?"

She shook her head. "You both are wrong. Sit, watch the movie, I'm gonna pee," she said, standing up with a grunt. Bones and Kenny exchanged glances as she waddled her way to the bathroom. The door had barely closed behind her when she exclaimed, "Oh fuck!"

Bones ran back towards the bathroom knocking on the door. "What? What is it?"

She opened up the door, a large wet stain on the front of her sweatpants. "My water just broke," she said in disbelief.

"Hospital time! Now!" he ordered, going for her drawers and throwing a fresh pair of pants at her. He waited impatiently for her to change, grabbing her hand the second she came out of the bathroom and pulling her towards the door. "Ken, there's a bag in her closet with clothes and stuff in it. Grab it and meet me by the car. C'mon, Ang. Nice and easy."

Angela marveled at his calm, wondering how he knew about her hospital bag and where it was. Another contraction hit, and she stopped on the way to the car, squeezing his hand tightly. "I can't have this baby now. Juice isn't..." she groaned again, bracing herself against the car door.

Bones squeezed back, helping her into the car. "It's okay. Ken's going to call Juice over and over again until he picks up, and if he doesn't, I'll have him call your Bane doppelganger cousin and then that scary lady that comes by every so often," he said, looking in his rearview at Kenny who nodded in agreement. "And Chlo will be there too. We've got you, Ang. You're not alone."

She smiled a little at him, squeezing his hand once more. "Thanks, Boner," she said softly before gritting her teeth again against another contraction. "Now let's go before Monk comes out in your ugly ass car!"

"It's not ugly! It's a Jetta! They're cool!" Bones defended, starting up the car.

Kenny snorted from the back seat. "Yeah, back in 2001 when that dude in the Fast and the Furious had a cool one."

"What do you know? You weren't even born!" Bones shot back.

"I still saw it," Kenny muttered indignantly, his phone at his ear as he redialed Juice again. He'd already called three times and kept hitting voicemail. Wherever Juice was, his personal was off which meant it was impossible to get a hold of him. Kenny didn't tell them that though, he didn't want to upset Angela.

Angela clutched the door handle as hard as she could as another contraction hit. "Oh my God! This hurts more than being shot!"

Bones looked over at her, eyes wide as he sat at a stoplight. "You've been shot before?" he asked, his mouth agape.

"Light's green, Boner! Focus! I'm having a baby here!" she shouted, glaring at him.

"On it!" he said, pressing on the gas. "Just breathe. We'll be there in like five minutes."

"Goddamn, Boner. Drive faster, please," she said, trying to breathe. "I need some drugs, stat!"

Bones smirked, pressing a little harder on the gas as he weaved through traffic, heading straight for St. Thomas. "No natural birth?"

"Fuck off!" she growled, holding her belly. He chuckled, biting back another sarcastic comment as he pressed harder on the gas.

Kenny peeked his head between the seat. "Juice isn't answering," he said after calling twenty times. "Want me to leave a message?"

"I got it," she said, taking the phone from him. "Juice! It's time! I'm going to try and wait-shit this hurts-but I don't know if I'll be able to wait for you! Shit, Bones! Drive faster!"

"I'm going, I'm going," he said, pressing his lips together the keep himself from laughing. "Tell Monk to stay in there!"

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

Chloe bit back a laugh as she heard Angela's loud cursing from her wheelchair while Bones wheeled her down the hall, Kenny chasing after him with his phone pressed tightly to his ear. She was impressed by how calm and collected both boys were. "Hey guys. What's up?" she asked casually.

"I'm about to have this fucking baby early, that's what's up," Angela replied through gritted teeth. She doubled over, gasping in pain. "Jesus Christ this hurts!"

"Told ya you'd know," Chloe said, patting her shoulder and ignoring Angela's fiery glare. "All right, let's get you a room and let's get this baby out! Bones, Ken, either of you get a hold of Juice?"

Kenny shook his head as he jogged alongside Chloe. "No. I've been tryin' since we got in the car!"

Chloe looked frustrated for a moment before she pulled out her own phone. "Call Hap. First number on the received calls list. If he doesn't answer, keep trying Juice, and then go for Gemma," she instructed. He nodded, already going through Chloe's contacts. Chloe turned to Bones. "You're up, buddy."

Bones swallowed hard, hesitating for a moment before following them into the hospital room. He was iffy about the whole situation until Angela cried out in pain. The moment he heard that, he was at her side in seconds, her hand in his, all fear erased. "Let's do this, Ang! Let's have this baby!"

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

Bones would've laughed if Angela wasn't holding his fingers in a vice grip. He'd heard his mentor swear before, but not like this. The words that were coming out of her mouth were enough to make a sailor blush. He locked eyes with Chloe who also seemed to be fighting back laughter. "C'mon, push, Ang," Chloe coaxed in her calm way. "You got this."

"Drugs! Give me the fuckin' drugs! Goddamn it, Chloe! I don't care if Monk is high as fuck when she gets out, I need the damn drugs!" Angela shouted, gasping as another contraction hit. "Holy shit!"

"You're almost fully dilated, Angela. Too late for that," the actual doctor replied.

"Oh fuck me," Angela said breathing in deeply. Bones went to look but her sharp words cut him off. "You look and so help me God, Boner, I will cut your fuckin' head off."

Bones squeezed her hand in response. "Got it, boss," he said, moving closer to the head of her bed. "C'mon, breathe and push. In and out."

"Fuck off, Boner!" she growled, grunting again as she pushed harder. "Jesus Christ! Where's Juice?"

Chloe looked over at Bones who shrugged in response. "Ken's calling him, Ang. That's all he's doin' out there. Callin' him and Hap and Gemma. They'll be here soon. Juice wouldn't miss this."

"Baby's crowning, Angela. You're doing great," the doctor urged, a small smile on her face. "Just a few more pushes okay. One big one. Ready? One, two..."

Angela pushed, screaming with the effort of it. "Shit! Fuck!"

"Ease up on the language, Ang. You don't want Monk's first words to be 'shit fuck'," Bones teased, regretting the decision immediately when her grip on his finger tightened. "Ow, ow, ow. Just kidding. Swear away!"

"One more push, Angela. C'mon!" Chloe coaxed, her hazel eyes alight with excitement.

After one last, hard push, the sound of the baby's cries filled the air. Chloe beamed at her best friend. "She's out, Ang! You're all done, Mama," she assured her before looking to Bones. "You want to cut the cord, Uncle Bones?"

Bones looked back at Angela who shrugged a shoulder in indifference. She wasn't about to do it, and Juice was nowhere to be found. Plus, Bones had stood at her side the whole time. If anyone deserved the honor, it was him. "Go 'head," she said on a nod. Smiling to herself when he beamed back at her.

"This is so cool," he said under his breath as he cut the cord. "She's...kinda gross lookin', Ang."

Angela slumped back against the bed, a breathless laugh escaping her lips. "Is she okay, Chlo?"

"She's beautiful, Ang," Chloe answered, glaring at Bones. She held out the baby to Angela. "See?"

Angela took her daughter from her best friend and grinned. As soon as her baby girl was in her arms, all the pain she was feeling went away. All she could see was the precious little girl in her arms. "Hi beautiful girl," she said around the lump in her throat as she touched her daughter's cheek. "Nice to finally meet you, Monk."

"I gotta take her and clean her up a bit," Chloe said, holding out her arms for the baby. "Run some tests, and then I'll give her back, okay?"

She nodded, biting at her lip nervously as dropped a kiss to her forehead before handing her over. Bones squeezed her hand and gave her a smile. "I'm sure she's fine, Ang," he assured her. "Did you hear her screamin'? With lungs like that, she's gotta be healthy."

Angela smiled at him, wiping at her eyes. "Yeah," she said on a nod, her stomach churning with worry. She glanced up at Bones who looked about as tired and sweaty as she felt. "Thanks for being here, Boner."

Bones' grin widened as he shrugged a shoulder. "I'm your pregnancy guru. 'course I'd be here for you. And as gross as Monk looked covered in all the gunk, I'm sure she cleans up well."

She laughed, reaching out a hand to smack him. "Don't talk about my little girl like that."

"Sorry, sorry," he said, falling heavily into the chair next to her bed. "That was exhausting."

"You're exhausted?" she asked on another laugh. "Try pushing a baby out of you."

Bones smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, you win. That was awesome," he said holding out his fist for her to bump. She rolled her eyes and bumped her fist against his. He sat back in the chair and reached for the remote. "You think that Star Wars marathon is still on?"

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

It took awhile before Chloe came back carrying a little white bundle in her arms. "She's perfectly healthy and absolutely beautiful," she reported, carefully handing her over to Angela.

Angela beamed as she held her little girl close. "Hi pretty girl. How you doin'?," she cooed, smiling when her daughter's eyes opened. "You look much better all cleaned up."

"Told you she'd clean up well," Bones said, chuckling at his own joke.

"Just like her daddy," Chloe commented on a laugh. She set her hand on Angela's arm, giving it a loving squeeze. "You did a great job, Ang. And you didn't need the meds!"

Angela had some choice words for her friend about the pain meds, but she kept them to herself. She was holding the little being she'd grown inside of her. It'd been painful as hell to get her out, but it had been worth it. "She's so little. Is she supposed to be this small?"

"She's a little light, but she's healthy. Promise. Kid just couldn't wait to get out," Chloe assured her.

"Yeah. My sister was smaller," Bones said on a nod as he peeked over Angela's shoulder. He knew better than to ask to hold the baby. Juice should have the honor of being the first man to hold her. "What are you gonna name her?"

"Evangeline," she said, pressing a kiss to her baby's forehead. "Evangeline Victoria Ortiz."

Chloe wiped at her eyes before smiling and nodding. "Now that is a good name."

Angela smiled, bringing Evie up to her face to kiss her cheek. The love she felt for the little girl in her arms was instant and overwhelming. She lifted her hand and gently touched her daughter's hand smiling when Evie's little fingers curled around hers. "I love you, Evie. So much."

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

After being shot at and spending most of the day with Collette, Juice was ready to go home and relax with his Old Lady. They pulled into TM, and he swung his leg off of his bike, determined to ask Chibs to give him some time off to go check on Angela. She hadn't looked good that morning, and he was worried as hell. He turned on his phone as he headed towards the garage bays, surprised when it came to life with an influx of messages. Panic gripped at his heart when he read who they were from: Angela and Chloe. That couldn't be good. "Shit," he breathed, his hands shaking as he dialed his voicemail. He prayed nothing had happened to her, that she was okay, but the pile up of messages was disheartening. He waited nervously for the first message to play.

Angela's voice came over the other line, fast and shaking, "Juice! It's time! I'm going to try and wait-shit this hurts-but I don't know if I'll be able to wait for you!"

He furrowed his brows. Time for what? What the hell was going on? Why was she hurting? Than it clicked. "Oh shit!" he shouted, turning and sprinting for his bike.

Happy blocked his way. "Where you goin'?"

"Angela's havin' the kid. I gotta..."

He stepped aside and nodded in approval. "Go."

Juice nodded, starting up his motorcycle and pulling out of the lot. He wasn't surprised when he heard the roar of Happy's bike behind him. In fact, he was glad for it. At least he wasn't the only one ditching his brothers. He caught up with him quickly when they hit a red stoplight. Juice looked over at him, his brown eyes wide with panic. Hap nodded, smirking at him and revving his engine. Juice nodded back and did the same. They blew through that red light together and didn't stop once after that until they got to St. Thomas.

Juice stopped the bike in front of the hospital and got off, throwing his helmet at the handlebars and not bothering to check if it landed as he sprinted through the front doors. Happy shook his head at his brother, picking up his helmet and putting it back on the bars. He followed at a much slower speed, knowing the idiot would be held up at the elevators. And there he was, pressing rapidly at the button as if it would make it come faster. "God damn it," Juice cursed, pushing at it frantically. "How many goddamn floors are there?"

Happy chuckled, looking over at the stairs. He pushed Juice towards them. "Go."

Juice nodded, running towards the stairwell despite the ding of the elevator behind him. He took those damn things two at a time until he finally reached the maternity ward floor. Bursting through the door, he found Kenny Winston sitting in the hallway. "Ken! Where is she?" he asked, his breathing hard as he looked around the hallway.

Kenny nodded towards the end of the hallway. "She's down there. They just changed her rooms because..."

Juice didn't listen to him. He'd already spotted Chloe and took off in her direction. The nurse smirked at him, her arms crossed over her chest. "Took ya long enough," she said by way of greeting. Her eyes looked over his shoulder to where Happy was heading towards them.

"Is she okay? Did...is my...is my kid..." Juice stammered, his brown eyes wide with panic. He was out of breath and freaking out. He'd missed it. He'd missed it all. "I didn't...my phone was off and I didn't know...I didn't...I shoulda been there."

"Hey, relax, dude," Chloe said with a light laugh. If Juice could see the murderous look on Happy's face, he would've been infinitely more nervous, but she could tell the younger Son was only focused on one thing. "Your girls are fine. Both of them. You didn't miss anything. It was gross, and she was...swearing like a sailor, but Bones was there for her and she got through it just fine. No drugs."

"And the baby? Is Monk okay?" Juice asked, eyes wide. "She's like...a week or two early, right? I mean, that's not okay..."

"She's fine. Technically, she's a little on the early side, but your daughter is lucky and passed all of our tests with flying colors," she informed him smiling at his concern. "And now, she's resting with Mama."

Juice relaxed a bit at the explanation. He looked at the teal colored door and took a deep breath. "Can I..."

Chloe nodded, gesturing to the closed door. "Of course you can," she said on a laugh. "She's absolutely beautiful."

"Which one?" Juice replied, his hand on the handle.

"Good answer," Chloe acknowledged, her eyes darting to Happy who looked like he was going to punch Juice as the mohawked man disappeared into the room. He made a move to follow the new dad, but she stopped him. "Give him a minute to meet his daughter alone before you go in there."

Happy tried to ignore her, but she stood firm. "Hey, Lowman," she said, trying to get his attention. His dark eyes flicked to her face and then back to the closed door. "Relax. I know that's your little girl in there, but that's his little girl in there too. Let them have their moment."

He took a step back, not because she told him to but because he knew she was right. As much as he wanted to make sure his little cousin was okay, Juice's daughter was in there. He should be the first one to see her, to hold her. Happy wasn't concerned about his new "niece"; he just wanted to make sure Angela was all right. "She okay?"

Chloe didn't have to ask which girl Happy was talking about. "Ang is strong as hell with a mouth that would make a sailor blush. You should be proud of her. I know I am."

Happy shifted as he took in that information, studying Chloe's face to make sure she wasn't telling the truth. He could see that the nurse wasn't lying; she was truly proud of Angela. Without thinking, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Thanks."

She smiled back at him, tugging on his cut affectionately. "I'm a nurse here, Hap. It's my job."

He shook his head slowly. "You're more than that to her 'n' you know it."

Chloe smirked, shrugging it off like it was no big deal. "Ang is family. Has been for awhile now. More of a sister to me than my own."

"Good," he said, the smallest smile on his face. "I'ma call my Ma. Let her know what's goin' on."

He didn't go far, just a few feet away from the door, his finger pressing the speed dial button as he brought the phone to his ear. She knew he programmed all of his burners the same way. The first speed dial was his Mom, the next Angela. He went through those things daily, but he always did it. She'd asked him why, and he told her because sometimes there's not enough time to dial. The way he'd said it gave her chills. It was almost as if he'd done it so he could call them in the event he was hurt, or worse, dying. She didn't like to think of that. She'd grown quite attached to the rough man leaning against the other side of the hallway.

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

Juice closed the door behind him, taking a deep breath before he turned around to face what was waiting for him. He was still in disbelief this was happening. That after eight months of waiting and worrying about never being able to see her, he was finally going to meet his little girl. Turning around, he felt tears rise to his eyes at the sight before him; Angela sitting there with a tiny pink bundle in her arms. He was walking towards them before he even told his feet to move. Angela lifted her head, her dark eyes meeting his as a bright smile crossed her face. "Hey you."

Her greeting was so normal, so nonchalant that it eased his nerves. The smile that graced his face came naturally. "Hey baby," he replied, as was custom. The whole situation didn't feel real. He was in total shock.

"Look who's here, Evie. It's your daddy," she cooed to the small baby before her eyes met his again.

He sat down on the edge of her bed, peering over at the little tan face peeking out from the bundle. "Jesus Christ, Angel," he said around the lump in his throat. "She's...she's..."

"Perfect, right?" Angela filled in with a smile. She carefully shifted Evie over so that she was closer to Juice. "You want to hold her?"

He nodded slowly, allowing Angela to help him get her situated. "Holy shit," he whispered, blinking back his tears. He lifted a hand to touch her little cheek. "She's real."

"Of course she's real, goof," she said on a laugh. "I didn't get that huge belly for nothin'."

Juice smiled a little, his eyes never leaving his little girl's face. "No, it's just...I didn't think I was gonna be able to meet her."

Angela smiled softly, leaning her head against his arm. "I told you would," she said on a happy sigh.

"Hey Monk," he greeted, rocking her slightly. He leaned over, brushing a kiss to her forehead. Her eyes opened at the sound of his voice, searching for him. Her eyes were dark, but not as dark a brown as her mother's. She'd obviously gotten his lighter brown eyes. "Hey, hey there, pretty girl. Holy shit, Monk, you're beautiful. You look like your Mama, lucky girl. And I'm...I'm sorry I wasn't there to see you come out. Daddy was an idiot and didn't turn on his phone. Just didn't think you were comin' so soon."

"Me neither," she said on a tired sigh. "Boner caught it. He timed out my contractions and everything."

Juice chuckled at that, wishing he'd been there to see it. He leaned over and kissed Angela's temple. "I am sorry I wasn't here, Angel. I shoulda been."

" 's okay," she replied sleepily. "I'm just glad its over, and she's out and healthy."

Juice nodded in agreement, his eyes on his daughter. He couldn't believe she was his. That this was his life. He'd been searching for a family since he was old enough to understand what one was. The one he was born into wasn't so great to him, neither were the two he'd joined, first the mob family in New York, then the Sons, but there, in that hospital room, was his real family. One he'd started for himself. He felt a surge of pride in his tiny family: his tough as nails Old Lady and his beautiful baby girl. His heart was so filled with love; it felt like it was going to burst. For awhile, he thought he wouldn't be there for this moment. That he'd never see his daughter. But he'd done it. He made it. In that moment, his whole world existed in one tiny hospital room. "I'm always gonna take care of you, Evie," he promised the little girl, his voice rough and sincere. "Daddy's always gonna be here for you. You and your Mama are everything to me and I love you both. So much. Don't ever forget that."

Angela set her hand on his arm, the light catching the diamond on her engagement ring. "Love you too," she said, tilting her head back to look at him.

He met her lips in a soft, sweet kiss. Pulling away as Evie wriggled against him, her tiny lips pursing a bit. "What? What's wrong, Monk? What'd I do?"

"Relax, Juice," she said on a laugh. "She's just hungry."

"Oh." His eyes widened as he looked over at Angela who was adjusting her hospital gown. "Oh. Have you..."

Angela rolled her eyes. "Yes. She eats a lot just like her dad," she commented, taking Evie from him.

He chuckled, smiling a bit as she got situated, his eyes on Angela's chest. "So that's why they got so big!"

"Juice, if you're gonna be gross, you can get out," she said, the laugh in her voice telling him she didn't mean it.

He kissed her temple, sliding his arm around his shoulder so he could be closer to her. "I'm here, Mama. Not going anywhere. Nothin's gonna take me away from my angels."