Kenny stood outside Angela's room, his heart beating fast. She'd already been in the hospital for almost three days, and he hadn't gone in to see her. His excuse was first that he was busy trying to find whoever had done this to her and later that he'd been too busy making sure Jasmine got on her flight home safely, but he knew it was all bull shit. He was scared as hell to see his Mom laid up in a hospital bed like he knew she would be. He'd been avoiding seeing any of his adoptive family, trying to keep to himself as best he could to avoid having to face the reality of Angela being seriously hurt.

He knew Evie was hanging out with Lino today, protected by the Mayan while also having fun with Tessa. As much as he hated the Sons and everything they stood for, he had no problem with the Mayans and was thankful they were there to protect them. If only Piney and Opie could see him now, what would they think, he wondered. They certainly wouldn't have approved of him thinking of Dia and Marcus as grandparents. Then again, they probably wouldn't have approved of him not prospecting either. He frowned to himsef, shaking his head; those thoughts were useless. He didn't know how they would feel nor did he really care. They were gone. He missed them, of course, but he had to admit his future was a lot brighter since he wasn't in their shadows. He knew he had Angela and Juice to thank for that. If it hadn't been for them, he'd have stayed with Lyla and would no doubt be wearing a Reaper just like his father and grandfather before him.

Taking in a deep breath to calm his nerves, he pushed open the door and found the blank Prospect cut he'd just been thinking about hanging off the shoulders of a tall, dirty-blonde boy, the blue letters on the lower rocker bright against the stark white background. The person wearing it was standing at the foot of Angela's bed talking to Juice who was seated next to her. His arms were braced on the side rail of Angela's bed, clean and free of any tattoos. Kenny didn't recognize the young prospect until he turned around. "Piper?" he asked, slightly surprised to see him in Angela's room.

Piper gave him a sad little smile and nodded. "Hey Ken. How's it goin'?"

"I um...good," he answered awkwardly. He felt guilty as hell that Piper of all people had gone to visit Angela before him. Worse that he hadn't known who he was. Piper was his stepbrother; how could he have not recognized him? "You?"

"Been better," he replied on a shrug, his hands digging into the pockets of the new leather.

Kenny saw the patch on the bottom that read: "In Memory of 'OPIE'" and felt his heart sink; Piper had clearly taken the spot that had once been meant for him in SAMCRO. "Nice cut. Ellie mentioned you were prospectin'."

"Yeah, Rat's sponsoring me."

"Cool. That's...awesome, bro," he replied, burying his own hands in the pockets of his jeans. He looked over Piper's shoulder to see Angela and Juice talking quietly to each other, doing their best to give them some privacy despite being stuck in the same small room. He appreciated that, but he also wished they'd interject and end this already awkward conversation. "W-what are you doing here?"

Piper looked hurt for a brief moment before he quickly hid it. Again, Kenny grimaced; Piper had every right to visit Angela. She and Lyla were close, and while Piper wasn't as close to Angela as he and Ellie were, it made sense for the younger blonde to stop by to visit her. "Checkin' in on Ang and seeing if there were any updates about my Mom," he explained smoothly.

Kenny mentally smacked himself. He'd forgotten about Lyla being taken too. He grimaced again; he must sound like a real selfish dick. "Right! Shit. Anything new?"

He shook his head before shrugging. "No news is good news, right? I mean, that Mayan chick got her fingernails ripped off and shit. We haven't gotten anything from our side so..."

"Right, right. Good."

"Yeah. Well, I gotta go do some bitch work," he muttered with a tired sigh. He looked over his shoulder at Juice. "You'll text if there's an update?"

Juice nodded. "Of course, Pipes. I'll keep you posted."

"Thanks. Feel better, Angie," Piper replied, giving her a gentle hug and smiling when she mussed his hair. He turned back to his stepbrother, nodding his goodbye. "See you around, Ken."

Kenny watched him go, hating how awkward that exchange was. He and Piper may have lived under the same roof, even shared a room for a year or two, but they were two totally different people. Piper was never home. He had no idea what his step-brother did, but he was always out and about. Once he moved out of Lyla's house to live with Angela, he hadn't made much of an effort to keep in contact with him. What he knew of Piper usually came second hand through Ellie. Ellie and Piper were close, though, like real siblings should be.

"Well, that was awkward," Angela quipped, breaking the ice with a small smile. "Almost as awkward as my son not coming to visit me for three days."

He grimaced, scratching at the back of his neck. "Yeah...I'm sorry about that."

Juice looked between them for a moment before slowly getting to his feet. He stretched his arms into the air, his back cracking loudly as he did so. He winced, groaning as he rubbed at his back. "I fuckin' hate hospital beds. I'ma get some coffee," he said, leaning over to kiss Angela. "You guys want anything?"

"Coffee sounds amazing," she replied, her dark eyes lit up as they looked up at him.

"Yeah, none for you, though," he told her, kissing her nose. "I'll be back, baby."

Kenny watched him walk around the bed, nodding awkwardly at his adopted dad. Their eyes met, and Juice gave him a reassuring smile before gesturing to the door. "Let's talk for a minute," he stated, waiting for him to step outside the door before he put his hands on his shoulders. "She's all right, Ken. She's got a boob tube, though so watch out for that. Try not to move around on the bed too much 'cause it hurts her. And yes, she's in pain, but she won't use the drip they gave her so if you think it's bad, just grab it and do it yourself. She'll be pissed, but it's better than her suffering."

"Yeah, got it," Kenny said on a nod. "Sorry I haven't been around. I was just...scared. Don't like seeing her like that."

Juice pulled him into a tight hug. "Don't worry about it. I get it, she gets it. She's gonna give you shit for it, but she understands."

"Okay," he replied, feeling incredibly relieved. "Thanks, Dad."

He squeezed Kenny's shoulder. "Love you, Ken. I'm gonna go check on your sister. Text me if you need me."

"Yeah," he stated, going to mess with the ring on his finger and frowning when he realized it was gone. He'd given it to Jasmine to take care of, so she'd keep him in mind. She was wearing it on a chain around her neck, and in return had given him one of her gem-bead bracelets, saying the tiger's eye beads would give him strength. He ran his finger over the round beads instead as he stepped into the room. "Hey Mama," he greeted, hanging his head guiltily.

"Hey kiddo," Angela replied, her voice warm and filled with motherly love. "Good to finally see you."

Kenny approached her bed, sighing softly, his heart tightening painfully in his chest as he looked at her. She had a few scratches on her face, but her color was normal, so she couldn't be that bad. His eyes fell on the tube coming out of her side, grimacing at the reddish liquid coming out of it. That didn't look so good.

"Ken," her voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He lifted his head to meet her eyes, feeling his cheeks heat up in embarrassment as he muttered an apology. She just smiled at him and patted the bed beside her. "Come sit. I heard you sent Jasmine home."

He sat down next to her with another sigh. "Yeah. With all the shit goin' on. I didn't need one more person to worry about. She's got orientation soon anyways."

Angela reached out to grab his bandaged hand, a worried look in her dark eyes. "Please don't tell me you smacked the Scot."

"Think at this point, I'm the only Ortiz who hasn't. 'sides Evie of course," he answered on a shrug. "I uh...I punched a wall a couple times. Chibs told me about Lyla 'n' I just...lost it. It was all too much. First Dia, then you, now Lyla. I couldn't...handle it. I needed to hit somethin' 'n' I wasn't about to deck Chibs in the cafeteria, so I..."

"Used a wall," she finished on a frown. "Just a tip, Chibs' head? A lot softer than a wall, though just about as thick. You're less likely to crack a knuckle on too."

Kenny smirked at that. Only Angela would suggest hitting a person rather than a wall. "Seriously? You allowing that?"

"He killed my husband. He deserves more than a punch to the face."

He smirked knowing the hatred Angela had for Chibs would never fade. There was never going to be a moment where either of his parents were going to be okay with the Scot, and he couldn't say he blamed them for it. "Right. I'll remember that for next time," he murmured, looking at the machines that surrounded her. There were so many of them, beeping and whirring. Why did she need so many? What were they all doing?

As if sensing his thoughts, Angela squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I'm okay, Ken."

"You don't look it," he admitted on a sad laugh as he felt his eyes well up with tears. He'd almost lost her. He still couldn't wrap his head around that. After losing his biological mother, he knew just what it would feel like to lose his adoptive one, and he never wanted to go through that kind of pain again. "Mama..."

"Hey, I got some good news," she cut in, changing the subject despite the way her own eyes were glassy with tears.

Kenny wiped at his eyes, grateful for her subject change. "Oh yeah? What?"

"Turns out that bug I was complaining about is really just a baby. Well, two babies, actually," she said, her hand settling on her stomach. "And they're...they're healthy and growing. The accident didn't hurt them at all."

He couldn't help but smile at the news. Angela and Juice had been trying to get pregnant for awhile, and he was happy to hear they'd finally succeeded. He was a little bummed he wouldn't be living in the house while they were growing up though. The huge age gap between them meant he would miss a lot of their lives while he was at college. "So it takes not one but two babies to fill my shoes," he teased, not really meaning it.

Angela scowled at him, swatting his arm. "Don't be stupid. That's not true and you know it. No one could ever replace you. Are you really worried about that?"

"Nah," he replied on a shrug. "Just sucks I won't be there while they're growin' up. I mean, I know I'm missin' a lot of Monk's life too, but at least she knows me. These kids won't. Not really."

"Ken. You are still our son. Their brother. There is no way in hell these little bugs won't know who you are," she assured him with a small smile. "Plus, you're coming home for holidays and summers. You're not leaving us forever. Unless there's something you're not tellin' me."

He laughed and shook his head, feeling relieved. "Nope. I'll be home for those. Probably with Jazzy in tow. Just wish it wasn't so far."

"Nah, you'll be good back in Cali. I know you missed it. Plus you'll be closer to El and Boner now," she reminded him. "You'll be okay."

"Will you be?" he asked, turning the conversation back to her and her health. "Dad said you were in a lot of pain. That you won't take the pain meds."

She frowned, a guilty look on her face. "I don't need them. He's exaggerating. I'm totally fine. I don't want the twins to be exposed to that shit so early on. No matter what they say, it can't be good for them. I'll grin and bear it 'til they let me out of this place."

"Which is..."

"Soon, I hope. Know Juice and my Ma and everyone are trying to make it as long as possible. They think I'll hurt myself once I'm out."

Kenny smirked; he agreed with them wholeheartedly. She tended not to admit when she was hurting or sick until she was on her death bed. "Well, you don't really have a great track record of taking care of yourself."

Angela rolled her eyes, scoffing softly. "You're s'posed to be on my side, kiddo."

"I am. 's why I want you to take care of yourself. Obviously. Want you around a lot longer," he explained, smiling when she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Love you, Ken."

"Love you too." He tilted his head against hers, squeezing her hand before reaching for the remote. "Any good channels here?"

"Mm. Not really. Just Animal Planet," she murmured around a shrug. Her hand went for the little button connected to her pain medicine. He raised an eyebrow, and she gave him a bashful smile. "Don't tell Dad. He worries too much."

He kissed her forehead, more relieved that she'd been the one to administer her own pain drugs than him forcing her to. At least she was taking better care of herself than she usually would. "Your secret's safe with me, Mama Bear."

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

Happy stared at the statue of St. Thomas from his seat in the small hospital chapel. A few pews in front of him, Chibs and Marcus Alvarez were talking in low voices, trying to figure out what was going on. Alvarez was hungry for answers, ready to kill whoever he could to get back to his wife while Chibs was a little more cautious, something that frankly pissed Hap off. If it'd been his own wife or daughter, he'd be up in arms, ready to kill anyone who dared take them, but since it was just Chloe and Lyla, he was taking things slower. Hap had to respect his decision, but inside, he was furious. Those fuckers had taken his girl, and they needed to be found and dealt with. Fast.

"We need to wait. See what we're dealin' with," Chibs stated, leaning back in his seat.

"We know what we're dealin' with. Gotta be someone related to the Niners and Lin," Marcus said, shaking his head. "Niners got the shit end of the stick in Teller's deal, then he had one of my guys take care of Lin in county, finished off the rest of them in some bullshit driveby. Ain't surprised they're after us now."

"Yeah, but they're all dead," Tig pointed out. "Who's left to come after us now?"

"Y'all got more charters, don't you?" Lino stated from his spot beside Marcus. "Like who's to say they don't either? I mean, they gotta have some kinda family, right?"

Marcus looked surprised that Lino had spoken up in such a serious meeting. Hap knew Lino's rank in the club was similar to what Juice's had been when he was in good standing. Not the lowest spot on the totem pole but somewhere in the middle. Hap had known the little shit since the kid was three years old and never would've thought he'd grow up and join the Mayans; he'd been an all star athlete once upon a time. His Mom must be furious to see him in a cut and riding a motorcycle. "That's what Juan's lookin' into right now," the Mayan President added with a nod.

Happy noticed Chibs straighten up when he said Juice's name as if it irked him. "Ye got him workin' on it then?" Chibs asked calmly.

Alvarez nodded, a small smirk barely visible beneath his mustache. "He's not wrong. We got charters all over. Friends, family. Someone is going to care. Taking our women? Feels like revenge to me."

"Right, right," Chibs mused, leaning back again. "But why the women? Marks took our men. Killed Bobby. The Niners have never done anything like this. Lin's crew either."

Happy raised an eyebrow, glancing at Tig who was staring at his feet. Clearing his throat, he decided to voice what Tig wasn't going to. "Pope killed Dawn," he put in, knowing he'd done the right thing when Tig gave him a nod of appreciation. "Niners worked closely with Marks and Pope. Could be taking a page from their book."

"By why leave Angela behind then?" Chibs asked, raising an eyebrow. "She's important to us, to you. Seems like she'd be the one targeted."

"She's been gone a long time, 'mano. Whoever this is hasn't been watching us long," Marcus explained easily.

"Yeah, me 'n' Lupe have only been a thing for like two months," Raffa put in with a frown. "Shit, I just started calling her my girl."

"Least that gives us some kind of time line. Hap 'n' Chlo only just started going out publicly," Rat Boy added from his spot in the very back of the chapel.

Happy turned to glare at him, fighting the urge to smirk when his eyes widened in fear and he took a step back. Chibs didn't comment on it and changed the subject instead, "So we wait for demands. Find out what they want and then find a way to get our girls back."

Marcus nodded and stood, shaking Chibs' hand before they headed to the door together. "Sounds like a good plan."

"Ye don't have to stay here, y'know. Can head back to Oakland. Lock your club 'n' family down there. We'll do the same at our clubhouse."

"No disrespect, but some of my guys are gonna stay here with Angela," Marcus stated, though the idea showed his distrust for the Sons. "I lost my son once. I won't lose my daughter."

Happy clenched his teeth together, his hands forming fists. How could he think Angela wouldn't be protected? That he wouldn't protect her? "She ain't goin' anywhere," he ground out.

"That's true. Not on our watch," Marcus agreed before walking away.

Happy went to follow him, but Tig held him back. "As much as I'd love to see you give that beaner a beat down, we can't afford to break that tie right now," he explained, one hand on his chest, holding him back. "Let 'em stay. Who gives a fuck? The more help we have to take care of Ang and Lena, the better, right? You got enough shit to worry about 'n' we don't got the numbers they do."

"Fuckin' bullshit," he muttered, shaking his head. He hated that Tig was right. Hated how he knew the Sons weren't as strong as the Mayans were at this moment. The Mayans were unified under Alvarez. Had been for years. While SAMCRO was still scrambling to unify their charter, the Mayans were only growing stronger. "We gotta get our shit together. Now."

Tig chuckled, clapping him on his shoulder. "You're not wrong, brother."

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

Juice rubbed at his tired eyes, the letters on the screen blurring in front of him. He'd been at it for too long, running through database after database in search of some link, someone who would want revenge against the Sons and the Mayans. He glanced over at Kenny who was on the other side of the couch, asleep with his head tilted back against the back seat of the couch, Evie passed out with her head in his lap, the bulldog Kozik had given her tucked under her arm. She was beautiful, his littlest angel. Just like her mother.

He moved his glance over to Angela who was sound asleep in the hospital bed, her chest rising and falling slowly. The movement was soothing for him, and he found himself trying to sync his breathing with hers. God, he missed her. She was right in front of him, but she still felt so far away. She was hurt, fragile, breakable. He felt like he couldn't touch her without causing her more pain. He missed just being able to hold her without worrying about hurting her.

She was in pain. He knew she was. The doctors had told him the pain could be excruciating at times, but Angela never complained once. He could see it in her eyes though, in the way she'd randomly clench her fists or pause while talking. At first, he let it slide; if she wanted to be strong, he'd let her. But it came to a point where he couldn't take it anymore. He'd reached over and pressed the button to give her a dose of the pain meds to stop her from hurting. The look of betrayal in her eyes had cut him deeply, but he'd known she needed it. His unborn twins needed it. If she was going to get better, she needed to rest and grinning and bearing the pain like she had been was only going to prolong her hospital stay.

"You're thinkin' too loud," Angela groaned, her brow furrowing for a moment as she shifted a little. He moved to help her, but she held up a hand. "Don't I got this. Just gotta raise the bed a little."

He watched the head of the bed rise while she did her best to get comfortable, wincing as she tried to get comfortable. "Angel, let me..."

"Sshh, don't worry so much," she said, waving away his concern. "Come sit with me. Want you closer."

Juice smirked, gently sitting on the edge of the bed, his laptop in his lap as he settled in next to her. The nurses had tried to tell them they shouldn't be sharing the bed since she could pull her tube out if she moved too much. But he didn't care; he'd learned through the years that just been physically close to his wife was enough to ease his nerves, make him strong. She'd told him his presence made her feel the same. If being near her made her feel better, there wasn't a person in the world who could stop him from doing just that. He kissed her forehead, breathing in the scent of her hair and wrinkling his nose at the dirty smell of it. "You need a shower," he murmured, smiling when a soft laugh escaped her lips.

"Ugh. I know. I'm so gross," she agreed on a frown. "I'd honestly kill for a shower right now."

"They say anything about when your boob tube is coming out?"

She nodded, her head moving against his shoulder. "Tomorrow, hopefully. Depends if any more of this junk comes out of my lungs tonight."

"Maybe they should keep it in a little," he stated, knowing she'd hate it. "This shit is bad, baby. Your lung literally collapsed. If it happens again..."

"It's not gonna happen again," she cut him off, covering his hand with her own and squeezing it. She looked up at him with a small smile. "Not if I can help it."

He dipped his head to catch her lips in a quick kiss. "You can. Just gotta take care of yourself."

Angela scowled at that. "I do take care of myself."

"Says the woman who I've had to drug because she'd rather grin and bear the pain then rest and heal."

"Whatever," she murmured, rolling her eyes at him. "Show me what you're searching for."

Juice sighed, bringing up the list of known family members he'd found using a law enforcement database he'd gained access to years ago. "I got a lead on who might be in it for The Niners crew, but I'm at a loss for Lin's side. All his family members are super old or dead."

"These are all dudes," she pointed out, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What about the women?"

"I didn't...you think a woman could be behind this?"

Angela shrugged a shoulder. "Right after you died, I thought about killing Jax and Chibs. If it weren't for Evie and Ken, I would've done it too. I had a gun in my hand and it was pointed at Jax, ready to go and I just...couldn't do it. I knew what would happen if I did. Club would come after me, and where would that leave Evie 'n' Ken. With my Ma? I don't think so. Jax and Chibs deserved to die, but no way was I going to sacrifice my life, my kids' life for that kind of revenge, but I did consider it."

Juice stared at her in shock. He'd known his wife was a badass, that she would do crazy things for the people she loved, but he didn't think she'd actually kill someone. "Shit, Angel. You really almost kill him?"

"Yeah," she rasped, taking his hand and playing with his fingers. "Not my proudest moment, but...I thought I'd lost you forever. Do you know how much it hurt to think I'd never see you again?"

He thought back to the two moments he'd thought he'd lost her. First when she was taken by Salazar, second when Mel took her. "Yeah," he admitted, his voice rougher than he thought it'd be. "You've been taken from me twice, remember?"

She laughed lightly and nodded. "Hard to forget."

"That second time, me 'n' Hap were literally fighting over who was going to take care of Mel," he told her, his mind going back to that night. He'd been fueled with adrenaline, ready to kill anyone who got in the way of him finding her. "Then we heard the gun go off, and I just...I've never been so scared or angry in my life. I don't know what I'd do if he'd...he'd won that night. He definitely wouldn't be left standing."

Angela squeezed his hand, leaning over to kiss him. "It didn't happen, though," she reminded him. "But you understand that anger, the need for...for revenge."

He nodded, sighing softly. "Yeah. I do. A lot."

"So let's look at the ladies," she encouraged, nodding towards the computer and letting go of his hand. "Do your magic."

Juice chuckled, kissing her forehead. "I love you so much. You know that, right? You're not allowed to leave me. Ever," he murmured, saying a silent prayer that it would never happen. She laughed for a moment before grimacing in pain. He cringed at her expression, reaching over her to grab the magic button that gave her the pain meds.

Angela swatted his hand away. "Dude, it only works so many times. I'm fine. I wanna watch you work, not be in some drug-induced sleep. Gives me weird dreams."

"What do you dream about?" he asked, already beginning to click away.

"Little of everything. Saw Koz the other night. That was weird," she murmured, her voice slow and sleepy.

He knew he was going to lose her to sleep soon, but he didn't mind. "Oh yeah? What'd he have to say?"

Angela yawned, covering her mouth with her hand and cringing when the movement pulled at her side. "Not much. Just that he's proud of me. Of us. Loves Eves. Forgives me for Mel. Woke up and cried for like twenty minutes."

"That's impossible. You haven't been alone that long. I woulda seen you," he stated, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Mmm, you were sleeping," she said, blinking slowly as her eyelids grew heavy. "S'okay. I needed that. Felt good. Knew he wouldn't be mad about Mel, but it was good to hear it from him. Dream or not."

Juice frowned, hating to hear she'd been upset, and he'd slept through it. "You shoulda woke me."

"You need sleep too."

"I need to be here for you more."

Angela tilted her head back to look up at him. "I'm pregnant. I'm gonna cry. Rather do it alone than with you here suffering with me."

He grinned, still in disbelief that she was pregnant, with twins no less. "I'll happily suffer with you, baby," he said, looking through Lin's family tree. When she didn't respond, he glanced down to find her sound asleep. He relaxed a little more into the pillows, thankful she was allowing herself to rest. Cracking his fingers, he started sorting through the different family members until one in particular stood out. With a smirk, he dug deeper and deeper. "Looks like you were right after all, Angel."