Angela carried the trays of perfectly made cornbread towards the little tent that Gemma was setting up with some of the Croweaters for the fundraiser. Juice had called her earlier to apologize profusely for not being able to make it in time for the fundraiser. He apparently had more shit to do in Indian Hills and wouldn't be back with the rest of his brothers. That'd soured her mood. It meant she'd have to spend the whole day with Gemma with no excuse to leave. At least this time, she'd had enough time to actually make the cornbread she'd been asked for from scratch, so Gemma wouldn't be able to get on her case about that.

She set the trays down on a table, fighting the urge to grin cockily at Gemma. "Home-made cornbread," she announced, gesturing to the trays.

Gemma looked from them to her and smirked. "Looks much better, undertaker," she commented with a nod of approval. Her hazel eyes swept over her judgingly making her thankful she'd decided to dress modestly in a simple navy ribbed tank top, light jeans, and her classic Adidas Super-stars. A blonde woman she didn't recognize headed over. "Luann, have you met the undertaker? This is Angela, Juice's girl. Undertaker, this is Luann, the porn queen."

The blonde looked her over with bright green-blue eyes and smiled. "Nice to meet you, undertaker."

"Nice to meet you too, porn queen," she replied on an awkward laugh. She had no idea if Gemma was kidding or not about the porn thing.

"I don't star in the movies anymore, I make 'em. Got my own studio," Luanne explained with a wink. Her eyes fell on Angela's chest, making her a little uncomfortable. "You should check it out sometime, sweetheart. A rack like yours, could make some real money. Can do a sexy undertaker thing. Necrophilia is a forgotten niche."

Angela's jaw dropped, then she heard Gemma's low chuckle behind her. "You're fucking with me."

Luanne grinned and nodded. "Big time. Juice is a real good kid. Can't see him wanting his girl takin' her clothes off in front of a camera."

"Yeah, no," she replied, shaking her head. Not to mention what her cousin would think. She was pretty sure whoever was responsible would be murdered if they ever put her in one of those movies. "I did work the makeup counter at the mall for a few years if you ever want that type of help."

"Hey, thanks. I'll keep that in mind," she replied, patting her on the back appreciatively.

Gemma looked between the two of them, and Angela could practically see the wheels turning in her head. "Speaking of makeup...undertaker, 'm sure they could use some help in the face painting booth."

Angela honestly didn't hate that assignment; she liked the idea of not having to stand in the SAMCRO booth all day with just Gemma and whatever sweetbutts showed up to help. "On it," she said, quickly dipping around and heading towards the little tent.

She was thoroughly enjoying painting all sorts of shit on the kids' faces. Her favorite so far had been a little girl who demanded a rainbow handlebar mustache that started a trend of other little girls wanting the same thing.

Kenny Winston walked towards her hands in his pockets. He approached her awkwardly as if he wasn't sure she'd remember him from their interaction at the clubhouse during the last lockdown. "Hey Ken!" she greeted, clearly surprising him. "Want me to paint your face?"

"Hi Angie," he replied, looking a little shocked she remembered him. He shrugged, "I don't have a ticket."

Angela looked around as if checking if the coast was clear before whispering, "I won't tell anyone if you don't."

He grinned, sitting down in front of her. "Can you draw a skull on my arm? Like a tattoo?"

"Oh hell yeah." She grabbed his wrist and got to work on his forearm, aware of his eyes on her. "How're things, Ken? Happy your dad's home?"

"Yeah. It's weird, but kinda good. Mom's happy about it, but they fight a lot. Mom doesn't like the club," he explained, frowning a little. "I just wish they'd get along."

Angela tried not to look shocked at the admission. It was his honesty and openness that was shocking, not what he was saying. Clearly, the kid needed someone to talk to. "Oh. I'm sure they'll figure things out. Your Mom's just gotta get used to him being home."

"Guess so," Kenny replied, not convinced. He looked down at the art on his arm. "This is awesome, Angie. My dad's gonna love it! Can I go show him?"

  She nodded, pushing him towards where Donna and Opie were chatting. He ran away, showing off his new design to his parents. They glanced over, and she gave them a little wave. Donna gave her a nod of appreciation in response before beaming down at her son. 

"Undertaker!" Gemma shouted, and Angela got to her feet with a groan.

She stretched her arms over her head, her back popping as she did so. "Yeah?"

"Get over here and help!"

She cleaned up her little station, nodding to the teenage girl who had come to take over before heading towards the chili spot where Gemma provided very specific instructions on how to properly serve the chili. She fought the urge to tell her she wasn't an idiot but held her tongue and started serving.

She noticed Tara stop dead in her tracks as she scoped out the Charming PD booth. Stop and turn tail as if she was afraid of something. Of course, Gemma noticed too and asked Unser who he was. The Chief explained the guy was an ATF agent. Angela grimaced; that wasn't good. There had to be something big going on if ATF was being called to Charming of all places. She pretended to busy herself with cutting cornbread, but she felt Gemma hovering behind her. "You hear that, undertaker?" the queen asked.

" 's not like you were being quiet," she answered back with a little more sass than she meant to.

Gemma's eyes narrowed slightly, her head tilting to the side. "You and the doctor are getting close, huh? You know anything about her and the fed?"

"We only got coffee twice, Gem. Not exactly having sleepovers and telling each other our deepest darkest secrets," she answered honestly. "She hasn't said anythin' about a fed much less that one."

"Huh. Wonder what that's all about," Gemma murmured, her hands on her hips.

Angela shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"You talk to your boy at all?"

"Every day," she replied flatly, mentally cursing said boy for not being there. If he was, she'd have been excused from the booth by now. Probably be going over to where Bobby was singing to listen to their song together, get a dance in as Juice had promised. Her phone went off, and she couldn't help but grin. "Speak of the devil."

She could see the corners of Gemma's mouth twitch just slightly as if she were fighting a smile. "Go 'head and get it. Tell him I say hi."

Angela nodded, scurrying off before Gemma could change her mind. She headed towards the steps of the high school where she and Juice had sat not so long before watching the fireworks. "Hey you," she greeted, lounging back against the stairs.

"I am so sorry, Angel," he stated foregoing his usual greeting. "Did everythin' I could to be there."

She sighed softly, pulling her knees up to her chest. "It's fine, goof. Had a feelin' you weren't gonna make it when you went on that run."

"Yeah," he said on a sad sigh of his own. "How's the day goin'?"

Angela noticed Jax walking over to the gym with another guy, both of them heading inside. She raised an eyebrow before shaking her head to herself. "Fine. Gemma seemed to approve of my homemade cornbread. Made me paint faces for a good half of the day, which was kinda fun."

"Sure the kids look great."

"Some of 'em," she answered on a shrug. "How're you?"

"Bored 'n' tired. Drinkin' in my room. Missin' you."

Her heart fluttered at the sweetness in his tone, though he sounded a little tipsy, the sentiment was there. He hadn't been gone long, but she missed him too. "Know how you feel. Was lookin' forward to a dance."

"Oh we'll dance, Angel. When I get back, I'ma sweep you off your feet."

She laughed at that, remembering the night she'd taught him to salsa dance in the crematory after he'd seen her dancing with Esai. He wasn't the best dancer, but she'd much rather dance with him than anyone else. "Can't wait," she replied, grinning like a fool. "When you comin' home, baby?"

"Not soon enough," he replied on another heavy sigh. "Is it almost firework time?"

"Almost," she said, watching the sky slowly start to change colors as the sun began to set. She saw Jax, Opie, and the random guy walk out of the gym, surprised to see the other guy had some bruises he didn't have before. "Hap still over there?"

"Oh yeah. He's definitely here. Think he's waitin' for me to start talkin' to one of the hookers here, 'cause I swear he's watchin' every move I make. It's like I can feel his eyes boring into my skull."

Angela laughed; she knew exactly how it felt to have Happy laser focused on her. "Sounds like fun."

" 's fine. 'm not doin' anythin' wrong," he stated, and she could practically see him shrugging. "Not interested in anyone else. Think he might be disappointed. Get the feelin' he's lookin' for any excuse to beat the shit outta me."

She had no doubt Juice would be faithful to her, but she still liked to hear it from him. "He better not."

"I can take him."

"Don't start, goof," she warned, picking at the fabric of her jeans. She knew very well a fight between Happy and Juice would not be fair. Juice might be heavier than her cousin, but Hap was all stealth and speed. He could dodge and throw a fist before Juice even knew what hit him.  "Never want to see that."

Juice's rough chuckle sent shivers down her spine. "Nah, don't worry, I got no plans to get in the ring with your killer cousin."

"Good." She got up slowly from the stairs, wondering if she could get to her car without being seen by Gemma. "How much trouble do you think I'd be in if I just...left?"

"Just tell her you went home to have some phone sexy time."

She laughed loudly at the idea of being so honest with the SAMCRO Queen. She'd probably get a kick out of it. Angela was beginning to think Gemma was a little more fun than she let on seeing as her close friend was the so-called 'porn Queen'. "Oh is that what's gonna happen when I get home?"

"Sneak away and find out."

"Juice, isn't my cousin there?" she asked, amused by the suggestion. They'd tried phone sex a few times before, and it usually ended with them laughing at each other's idea of dirty talk rather than actually doing anything sexual. She honestly didn't mind; she loved hearing his rough chuckle on the other end of the phone. "Think if he heard you talkin' like that, he'd cut out your tongue."

"Nah, he's...occupied."

Angela knew exactly what he meant by "occupied" and wrinkled her nose. "Gross," she muttered, standing from the stairs and walking around the back of the school gym, out of Gemma's sight. "Are you somewhere...private?"

"Yeah, baby. Jury gave me a dorm room. Door locks 'n' everythin'," he said, excitement in his voice. "Give me colors."

She smirked; he wanted to now what color underwear she was wearing. She looked down her own shirt and frowned at the dark green lace bra. "Dark green lace on top. Black and simple on the bottom."

"Hate that color," he muttered just as she knew he would. She only wore the dark green underwear when he was on a run because she knew he didn't like it. Knew it reminded her of her Mayan past. "Even though I know you look fuckin' gorgeous in it."

She got in her car, shouldering her phone as she started it. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. You look gorgeous in all the colors, baby."

"What's your favorite though?" she asked, though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer. She started the drive to their house, thankful for how close they were

"For you? Love you in cerulean or cobalt. Makes your skin look fuckin' glowy," he answered, the slightest slur to his words. "The contrast with your tan is just...wow."

While she'd expected him to say 'blue', she couldn't help but laugh at how specific he'd been. He had to be tipsy. "Glowy, huh? Juan Carlos, are you drunk?"

"A little. Nothin' else to do here. Just drink and miss you," he answered on a sigh. "You driving? You shouldn't talk on the phone and drive, baby."

"Too late. I just got home."

"Home. I want to be home with you," he stated, sighing again. "Remember that night the power went out?"

Angela laughed as she opened their front door and stepped inside. She kicked off her shoes and hung up her purse. "Which one?"

"First one."

She smiled warmly, trailing her finger along the wall as she made her way back to their room. Of course, she remembered that night. She'd been sitting in the dark with just one prayer candle for light since she had no idea where the flashlights were. "Raj was gone at the library, and you panicked because you couldn't get a hold of me and ran all the way to my place with your piece of shit flashlight, a blunt, and a bag full of more of those tall prayer candles."

"Was all they had," he replied on a chuckle.

"We lit the candles and put them all over the living room, got high, and made up stories for all of the saints on the candles," she continued, feeling warm all over at the memory. She lay back on their bed, closing her eyes and picturing the way the candlelight lit up Juice's handsome face. God, they'd laughed so hard that night that the next day, her cheeks hurt from smiling, abs hurt from laughing. Her smile faded when she remembered what happened the next day. "Stayed up laughing all night and then you disappeared for a whole two weeks after. Radio silence. And then you came back, outta nowhere. No explanation."

"Cause I almost kissed you. Again," he told her as if that was explanation enough. "There were so many moments when I was gonna, and I...it freaked me out because I didn't want to do it and ruin our friendship, y'know? I got really good at pushin' away those feelin's, but sometimes I couldn't help it, so I'd disappear on ya. Try and figure out a way to keep everythin' in."

Angela's heart ached at explanation. That was the first time he'd disappeared but not the last. She'd always thought he'd just gotten tired of her, or he'd found someone else to occupy his time. It never crossed her mind that he was trying to put distance between them to reign in his own feelings. Ironically, when Juice would disappear, Raj tended to up his game a bit and do his best to romance her. Fancier dates, flowers, little presents. Everything to impress her. It was those moments that had strengthened her relationship with Raj, had helped her push away her feelings for Juice. It was strange how it all seemed to work out. "Well, I hated when you were gone then, and I hate it now."

"Yeah, but now, I'm gonna come home and kiss you all over."

She grinned, imagining the feel of his lips on her skin, the tingles the feeling never failed to spread through her body. His kisses were electric, made her feel buzzy, alive. "Can't wait," she said, biting her lip. "How ' bout you tell me where you're gonna start?"

"Um...probably you're lips, I guess," he said as though it'd taken him a great deal of thought.

"Yeah? Then where?" she murmured, trying to make her voice lower, sexier so he'd get the hint.

There was a long pause before he must've realized what she was getting at. "Oh, is it sexy phone time now?"

She laughed, rolling her eyes at him. "Yes, goofy. Please proceed with sexy phone time."

~'~'~'~'~

Some fluff-n-stuff! :) Bit of a filler, but I kinda wanted to show Angela having to deal with the club without Juice around...and Gemma slowly starting to warm up to her too... ;)
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