Angela didn't sleep that night. She couldn't. Her brain was on overdrive. Flashes of Donna on the ground bleeding from the head brought with them flashes of Raj on the ground after the accident. There'd been so much blood. She moved in closer to Juice, setting her ear against his heart and letting the sound of its strong beating soothe her. He was asleep, yes, but she knew it wasn't deep; his usual snore was missing. His arm tightened around her waist, the feel of its weight on her hip familiar and comforting. She knew if she said his name, she'd wake him up, but she didn't want to do that. He needed sleep, no matter how bad the quality of it was. His heartbeat lulled in her into a light doze, but she woke up soon after, the sun shining in her face. Groaning, she untangled herself and sat at the edge of the bed, legs dangling over the side. She inhaled deeply before exhaling and getting on her feet. Turning, she pulled the comforter up higher over Juice's shoulder before heading towards the kitchen. She went through the motions of starting the coffee pot. Opening the fridge, she considered her options before grabbing a few eggs, some cheese, and spinach to make omelets.
She zoned out a bit, lost in her own thoughts while she went through the familiar motions of making the omelet. A familiar warmth spread through her when she heard Juice's clumsy footsteps near. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him look her over as he leaned against the kitchen entry way. "Mornin'," she greeted, smiling a little to herself when she saw the surprised look on his face. "You walk like an elephant."
He smirked, stepping up behind her and sliding his arms around her waist. "Mornin', beautiful," he murmured, kissing her shoulder. He nuzzled his nose against her neck for a brief moment. "You sleep at all?"
She shrugged in response, her shoulders rising and falling as she sighed. "Here and there," she answered honestly. She leaned back into him, his warmth soaking into her bones giving her strength. "Waiting for Skeeter to call. Coroner's are doin' their exam today. Skeet pulled some strings to get her released same day. He's gonna pick her up, and I'll prep her later today so she'll be ready for tomorrow."
"Maybe you should let him do it," he suggested, his voice soft and hesitant.
Angela knew he didn't mean to offend her, and he hadn't. She knew he was confident in her skills; his worry was about how it affected her head. She turned in his arms to face him, moving her arms around his neck. "I'll be okay. I want to make sure things are done right for her. Skeet's good at what he does, but he..."
"Isn't as good as you," Juice finished with a look of pride. He tucked a stray hair behind her ear, brushing his thumb over her cheek before catching her lips in a quick kiss. "You want company?"
She smiled faintly, shaking her head. "I'll be fine, thanks. You got biker buddy stuff anyway."
"Biker buddy stuff," he repeated, wrinkling his nose in distaste. She smiled and kissed the little wrinkle. She loved teasing him about said 'biker buddy stuff' knowing it only mildly annoyed him. "You call it that in front of Hap?"
"Just once," she replied on a grimace. That had earned her a headlock and one hell of a noogie from Happy. Just thinking about it made her scalp ache. She turned back around when she heard the food start to sizzle. "Not about to do that again."
He stepped behind her again as if he wasn't ready to let her go. She didn't mind one bit, enjoying the feeling of having him wrapped around her as she went about flipping the omelet. She plated it with a little smile. "For you."
"Thanks, baby," he murmured, kissing her temple before letting her go. He grabbed a fork, digging into the omelet. "Think I'm gonna have someone go to the funeral home with you. Make sure you're safe."
She poured herself a cup of coffee, shaking her head at him. He'd mentioned the day before that he wasn't going to let her be alone, but she didn't think he was serious; the Sons didn't have enough people to do that. "Not necessary," she said, fixing her coffee the way she liked.
Juice shook his head, scowling slightly. "We don't know who's behind this. Could be someone who thought Donna was Ope, could be someone tryin' to make a point with Donna. 'Til we figure it out, you're not gonna be safe."
Angela frowned at the idea of having a babysitter again. Unless, of course, it was one of her boys, which she knew it wouldn't be; they were all too important to be spared to watch her. "Unless it's you, Hap, or Koz, I think I'm good. You guys are spread too thin right now. Focus on figurin' out who did this shit."
"I'll see if I can swing it," he said around a bite of food. "Want me to make you an omelet?"
She shook her head, smiling at the offer. She loved how he always made sure she was well taken care of. He routinely asked if she ate, if she slept, if she needed anything. "I'm good," she repeated, taking a long sip of coffee.
Juice inhaled what was left of his omelet, going to the fridge and grabbing the sliced deli ham they had knowing she liked it in her omelets. "Nah, you gotta eat," he said, heating up the pan again. "Breakfast is important."
Her heart did a little flip as she watched him start cooking. It never ceased to surprise her how skilled Juice really was in the kitchen. He was a little clumsy and usually made a mess in the process, but he was also quick to clean it up, and he'd yet to fail on any recipe he tried. Probably because he was so meticulous when it came to following directions. She moved in closer to him, pecking his cheek. "I love you."
He didn't need to reply; what he was doing was action enough to prove how he felt about her. "Ta-da," he said, presenting her with a perfectly made omelet. He grabbed a fork for her, presenting it to her as if it was sword with a little bow. "M'lady."
She laughed, rolling her eyes at him. "Goof," she said, kissing his nose. She took a bite of the omelet and shimmied a bit at how delicious it was. "It's perfect. Thank you."
The proud grin on his face made her melt just a little. He loved getting praised, sought out validation in a way that made her wonder if he'd ever gotten any as a child. She knew so little about his childhood. Now wasn't the time to ask, though. They both had too much going on to deep dive into their pasts. "Good. Gotta take care of my lady," he said, starting to clean up after both of them.
"You've been doin' that for a long time," she told him, moving behind him and sliding her hands up his torso. She nuzzled her nose against the warm skin of his back, breathing in the smell of his clean skin; he must've showered before he'd met her in the kitchen. She couldn't get enough of the feel of his velvety skin against hers.
He set his hands on top of hers, bringing one to his lips to kiss. "Just returnin' the favor. No one's ever taken care a me like you. 'cept your Aunt maybe."
Angela smirked, kissing the nape of his neck before untangling herself from him. She started drying what he'd been cleaning. "I'm in good company then," she said, bumping her hip against his.
He chuckled and nodded, handing her the last plate. The sound of his phone ringing in their bedroom made him sigh, his shoulders sagging a bit. "I gotta get that," he murmured, leaning over to press his lips to her forehead before he disappeared down the hall.
Juice reappeared a few minutes later, shrugging his cut on. She couldn't help but check him out, biting her lip as she took in his tight dark red shirt and his baggy pants cinched with a belt and the skeleton hand holding up a middle finger belt buckle she'd given him for his birthday. He also had the knife she'd given him on his hip. She loved that he always carried a little piece of her with him be it the knife, the buckle, or even the panties he'd stolen from her that she knew were in his pocket. He'd told her once that he loved having little reminders that he had someone to come home to, someone who cared about him with him at all times. She wolf-whistled at him, and he grinned at her again, stopping to do a little turn for her. "Goof!" she shouted again, crossing the room to throw her arms around him.
He caught her easily, slanting his lips across hers in a soft kiss. He pulled away first tapping his forehead to hers. "I'll see you later?"
"Yeah," she said, feeling a little breathless. "Be safe out there."
He nodded, pecking a kiss to her lips once more. "You too," he said opening the front door and walking towards his bike. He turned around to look at her, still walking backwards. "Love you!"
"Love you too!" she called after him. She had a feeling she'd be seeing him or one of the other SAMCRO guys sooner rather than later. The way he'd just given in to her saying she didn't need anyone was too easy. Knowing Juice, someone was already on their way.
She was right. When she pulled into the funeral home, she spotted her cousin sitting on his bike at the back entrance. Rolling her eyes, she got out of her car and nodded her greeting to him. "Let me guess, Juice called you," she stated, trying not to smile. She didn't mind one bit that her cousin was there; she loved spending time with him.
Happy nodded, getting off his bike and stubbing out the cigarette he was smoking. "He ain't wrong," he said, hugging her quickly as was custom. "We don't know shit about anythin'."
"Surprised the club could spare you," she said, opening the door and walking into the workroom. She knew Donna was already laid out on the table, ready to be embalmed. Skeeter had already warned her about it. She'd told him to waive her usual embalming and reconstruction fee, and even though there'd be no viewing, she'd decided to at least make Donna look as good as she could.
"They don't know 'm here," he answered on a shrug. "Came in last night. Wasn't meant to be here 'til later today."
"Fantastic," she muttered, taking in a deep breath as she approached the body bag on the table. "I um...I have to prep her. You don't gotta be in here for it if you don't want to be. You can sit outside."
Happy took a seat on the same little rolling stool Juice sat in when he visited. "Nah, 'm good. Let's see what you got."
Angela sighed heavily putting on gloves before she started to unzip the bag. She could feel Happy's dark gaze on her as she pulled back the flap. The sight of Donna, covered in blood, autopsy stitches haphazardly zig-zagging across her chest and torso, was jarring. She cursed under her breath, glancing at Happy. The brutality of the act hit her harder now that the evidence of it was staring her directly in the face. This was no accident. Whether it'd been meant for Opie or for Donna, someone had meant to kill whoever was driving Opie's truck. She wasn't a stranger to this type of danger; she'd gotten hurt already because of her connections with the Mayan and the Sons. What if it happened again?
"Ain't gonna happen to you, kid," Happy's rough voice interrupted her intrusive thoughts before she got deep into them. "Deal we made with the Niners protects you. Mayans won't touch you. 'n' 'm here if any other fucker gets too close."
She smiled a bit at the protective note in his voice; it showed how much he cared about her. "You can't always be there."
"Can try. You got the idiot too."
The small comment showed just how much Happy trusted Juice, something he would never say out loud. It was strange to have Happy approve of her boyfriend. He'd hated Esai and tolerated Raj, but hearing he trusted Juice to keep her safe was something new. "I know. He takes good care a me."
Happy shrugged a shoulder as if he was indifferent, but she knew he agreed with her. "Do your thing," he encouraged, nodding towards Donna.
Angela nodded, putting on her headphones and picking a rock playlist from her iPod before she got to work. She did her best to go through the motions, focusing on the task at hand rather than on who she was working on just like she had with Raj. She heard Happy's phone go off and took an ear bud out of her ear as discreetly as possible to eavesdrop. He was talking to someone about safe houses and witnesses. She ignored him for the most part, uninterested in his conversation until the very end when he said, "Yeah, I'm with the kid. I got her. Don't worry 'bout it."
He hung up without a goodbye as was usual with him. "That Juice?" she asked, fighting a smirk.
"What'd I tell you 'bout listenin' to my shit?" he said, not answering her question.
She rolled her eyes at him as she put in her earbud again and went back to work. His eyes stayed on her, watching her every moment. Most people would feel nervous under his gaze, but she was used to it; she'd been under his watchful gaze for years. It took almost an hour, but she finally finished what she was doing. Stepping away, she looked down at her work, startled to see it appeared as if Donna was just sleeping on the table. There was no sign of her injury and other than the neat stitches Angela had done to replace the autopsy technician's, she looked normal. Angela's breath caught in her throat for a minute, her eyes filling with tears. "Shit," she murmured, stripping off her gloves and wiping at her eyes.
She heard Happy's stool scraped back, and she held up a hand. "I'm good, I'm good. Give me a sec," she said before inhaling deeply and letting it out. She wiped at her eyes again, grabbing the sheet she'd covered Donna with and pulling it over Donna's head to cover her. "Skeet can dress her. I need...need some air."
Happy nodded in understand, getting up to follow her out of the room. She sat down heavily on the mortuary steps with a sigh. "First time you did someone you knew?" he asked, sitting beside her.
Angela shook her head slowly. "No," she breathed, swallowing hard to get rid of the lump in her throat. "Raj was."
"Shit, kid. That shouldn't a been on you," Happy said with a scowl. "Who the fuck let you do that?"
She shrugged a shoulder, staring at her hands for a moment. The same hands that had cleaned the blood out of Raj's hair. Had painstakingly brushed it so it fell just right. "I asked to. Just like with Donna," she admitted softly. "Not my best idea, but I dunno, I wanted to. Wanted to take care of him, of her. When you do what I do...it's like...I know how he liked his hair styled, what products he loved, what he hated. That he liked his part better on one side than the other. How he liked his facial hair. All of it. I prepared him the way he would've wanted, and it felt good to say goodbye that way."
"Okay. Didn't think you knew Donna so well."
"I didn't. Not really, but I still...I've seen her around, y'know? More than Skeeter, at least. And I care about her and her family, and I want them to know she was well taken care of. I can tell her kids if they ask that I took care of her like I would my own best friend," she explained, wiping at a stray tear.
He nodded his head slowly. "I get it."
Angela leaned her head against his shoulder. She knew he wouldn't push her away, but he wasn't about to move his arm around her like Kozik might. Happy stayed solid, strong. He didn't coddle her or sympathize. He called it like it was and was there to remind her of her own strength in his own silent way. She appreciated that. "You goin' back to your Ma's tonight?" she asked, changing the subject to think of something, anything else.
"Nah. Got shit to do. Probably end up in the clubhouse," he explained on a shrug.
"We got an extra room if you need it," she offered, already knowing he'd say no.
Happy raised an eyebrow as he shook his head. "Don't think the idiot'd like that."
She wasn't so sure about that in all honesty. Juice was all about family. If Happy needed a place to crash, he'd never deny him. He'd be on his best behavior, too. If anything, she would be the one that wouldn't want him there because it meant Juice would keep his distance, and she loved having him all over her in the privacy of their home. "He wouldn't mind. You're family. Juice'll do anything for our family."
He nodded his head slowly in agreement. " 'm good for tonight, kid. Thanks, though."
It took her a minute to connect the dots as to why he'd choose the clubhouse over the comfort of her house. She smirked, elbowing him lightly. "Which sweetbutt you aimin' for tonight?"
He smirked, mussing her hair with one of his large hands. "Don't worry 'bout it."
Angela swatted his hand away with a laugh. Feeling a little lighter than she had before. Happy, in his own way, had helped distract her, soothe away her worries. She leaned her head against his shoulder again, letting out a soft sigh. "Love you, Hap."
She could feel him relax just a little. His body shook slightly as he nodded. "You too, kid."
~'~'~'~'~
Juice's mind was spinning as he walked towards his house. He'd just sent two of the deadliest Sons off to kill a seventeen year old girl. True, she was the sole witness that identified Bobby and Opie in port commissioner's murder, but she didn't deserve to die. Not at the hands of the Tacoma killer. What had he done? He barely registered that he'd opened the door and was now just standing in the doorway until he heard her voice. He looked up to find Angela in living room, a concerned look on her pretty face. "Juice?" she repeated, worry in her voice. She crossed the room towards him, reaching out a hand to stroke over his cheek. "What happened, baby?"
Her voice was like a warm hug, soothing the ache in his heart just a little. He swallowed hard, shaking his head slowly. He didn't even know where to start. What would she think of him if she learned what he'd done? "I um...I dunno..."
Her dark eyes scanned over him as if searching for some kind of trauma. She was doing her best to read him, but there was no preparing her for what had actually happened. "Talk to me, Ortiz. You're makin' me nervous."
He inhaled sharply before shaking his head again. He didn't want to tell her. Not there in their little living room where it felt like the walls were closing in around him. He wanted to get out. Go somewhere different. Somewhere he could breathe. "Not here. Want to...want to go for a ride?"
She must've seen how serious he was because she didn't even crack a joke. "Y-yeah. Let me put on some real pants and grab my jacket. Two minutes."
He hadn't even noticed she was in a pair of his boxers and his sweatshirt until she was practically running towards their room. She came back out in jeans, his hoodie zipped up all the way, hopping on one foot as she tugged on her other boot. He didn't know why the sight of her provided him with some kind of relief. He reached out to take her hand, wordlessly leading her back out to his bike.
His brain was still spiraling as he steered the bike out of town. Usually, the feel of Angela wrapped around him was enough to calm his mind, but it wasn't working now. His mind was on overdrive. Should he tell her what he'd done? Would she think less of him for doing it? No, he'd fixed it. He'd told Jax. Jax had gone out after them, defying the club by going to stop them. Jax had even thrown his cut at him to show he didn't give a fuck what the patch meant; he wasn't going to put a hit out on a child. Juice still had that cut tucked away safely in his saddlebag. He'd take care of it for him until he asked for it back...he just hoped he asked for it back.
It didn't take long for him to find the spot he liked and pull his bike to a stop there at their little hidden spot. He killed the engine, waiting for her to climb off before getting of it himself. She took off her helmet, setting it on the bike before meandering towards the edge of the mountain. He stared at her back, watching her shoulders rise and fall as she breathed in deeply, exhaling the breath through her mouth. The moonlight was just bright enough that he could see her outline. She stayed quiet, allowing him to make the first move. He couldn't believe her patience.
He moved beside her, his hands tucked deep into his pockets. "I um...remember how I explained about Ope? How someone had dimed out Bobby, and it was looking like it was him?" he started, his voice cracking as he spoke. Angela only nodded in response, her dark eyes scrutinizing his face, waiting for more. He cleared his throat and continued, "Today, I got the address where they were holdin' the real snitch. Your cousin was...alarmingly good at comin' up with a plan for gettin' in there to take 'em out. Gave him, Tig, and Chibs the address. They got the whole thing ready so we could help Bobby and Ope stay out of prison, y'know? No witness, no one to say it was them. Didn't want Ope to have to leave the kids."
"That's good," Angela stated cautiously. "Right?"
Juice bobbed his head in agreement then let out a long sigh. This was the part he was dreading telling her. The part where he was a coward. He'd known the girl was seventeen and did nothing but tell Jax, letting the VP take care of it when he could've tried to stop them himself. "Yeah, but...they were already on their way when I found out the snitch was....she's a seventeen year old girl."
She inhaled sharply, her eyes widening slightly. "Holy shit."
It wasn't the best reaction, but she didn't look angry at him. She wasn't running for the hills. "Yeah, and then I told Jax, and I think...I hope he went after 'em. To stop them, I guess. Hopefully convince the kid not to rat or whatever. Send her packin' without killin' her," he explained, running a hand over his head. "I shoulda gone soon as I found out. Should tried to stop 'em. I woulda gotten there faster. What if he doesn't get there in time?"
Her brows furrowed for a moment before she shook her head. "You wouldn't have been able to stop them, Juice," she told him, reaching her hand up to stroke over his cheek again. Her fingers were warm since she'd tucked them into the sleeves of his sweatshirt before. "Jax is VP. He has that sway. They'll listen to him. You goin' there would just make you a witness to that horrific scene."
She wasn't wrong. It made sense. Juice could've been there earlier, but he didn't hold the office of VP. Chibs would probably hesitate in killing the kid, but he had a feeling Tig and Hap would ignore him. Tell him to get lost. Get mad at him for not wanting to help Ope at all costs. Jax was the vice president. He had more authority. They respected him more. Still...she was a seventeen year old girl. She was innocent. He felt tears prick at the corner of his eyes. "Yeah, but what if Jax doesn't get there in time? What if I just put a hit out on a girl?"
"Don't start with that, Juice," she said, her voice soft and caring. Her thumb smoothed over his cheek as she set her other hand on his chest. "He'll get there. He'll fix it. And if he doesn't, then yeah, that sucks, but it wasn't your fault. You didn't know when you sent them away that they were goin' after a kid. It is up to them to make that decision. Not you. You did nothing wrong. Okay?"
He sniffled, leaning his cheek into her hand while resting one of his hands over her other one on his chest. Again, she wasn't wrong. The name of the witness hadn't been released when the guys had left, and Juice had tried to call Chibs to tell him, but he hadn't answered. Sending men to kill another man was wrong, that was a fact, but he knew what she meant. He let out a breath, relief flooding through him as he nodded, "Yeah, okay."
She looked relieved too. "You're still one of the good guys, Juice," she stated, moving in closer to him. Her dark eyes met his, the love in them making him feel even better. She wasn't saying things just to placate him; she honestly believed what she was saying. "This is a shitty situation, but it doesn't make you a shitty person. You were trying to help Ope, his kids, and that is admirable."
He dipped his head a bit, tapping his forehead to hers, his nose nuzzling against hers. The sad ache in his heart was gone, replaced with the warmth of her love. He didn't know what he would've done without her there to set him straight. How he would've coped with the guilt of what he'd believed he'd done. She'd saved him from himself, and he couldn't be more grateful to have her in his life. "I love you," he murmured, connecting their lips in a sweet kiss. "So much, my angel."
Angela laughed, smacking his chest playfully as her cheeks turned a little pink. "Goof," she said, her hands framing his face and kissing him again. "I love you more."
"Not possible," he replied, meaning it wholeheartedly. Tilting his head, he caught he fused their lips together. Her arms moved around his neck as he slid his arms around her torso, drawing her in even closer. He let the feel of her against him, the taste of her mouth, soothe his worries away. He had her. She loved him. He'd done something horrific, but she was still there by his side to support him like she had for years now. He didn't know why he'd ever doubted what her reaction would be. How he could even think she'd be upset with him. It was his own insecurity bleeding into his brain. It'd taken them so long to get together that he was afraid of the smallest thing coming between them be it the club or some random act of violence like what happened to Donna. No, he was going to protect their love, protect her at all costs.
~'~'~'~'~'~
I love writing Hap and Angela together. :) They get each other.
As always, let me know what you think! :D
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