That night, after the shock of seeing Charlotte, Angel cancelled his plans with Katie and rescheduled for two days later. He couldn't face her so he dove into things with the club. The side of them she didn't know, or he thought she didn't know about, was slowly imploding and needed his attention. He gave it all even in the most menial tasks just so he wouldn't have to think about Katie and Charlotte
When he picked her up for the overdue dinner there was a sense of excitement between them.
"Hey," she said, getting in behind him. "Ready?"
"Yep," he said, before driving off down the street.
They sat, the tiny mom and pop restaurant was full with the dinner rush, and ordered their dinner and drinks.
"How've you been?" She asked casually.
"Busy," he told her.
Katie smiled and nodded. "All that scrap," she laughed.
"Copper brings in good money," he explained.
"I know," she assured him.
They chatted as they always did, casually, and ate their dinner downing drink after drink. Finally, Angel worked up the nerve to say what he has been aching to.
"How long we been doing this?" He asked, his intense eyes locked onto hers.
"Doing what? Having sex?" Katie looked at him and pouted as she thought. "About 7 months."
"Nah," he shook his head. "Pretending like this ain't more than hanging out, drinking,-"
"And tacos?" She said suggestively as she pushed her half empty plate aside.
"I was trying to be serious," he sat forward and leaned on the table. "But you said it," his smirk appeared and disappeared quickly. "How long we gonna pretend that we don't care?"
"I'm not pretending," Katie said casually.
"Now you're just lying," he huffed, sitting back again. "I see the way you look at Coco and EZ, like you wanna hug em' and cook em' some big old white girl meal, and you play all sweet with Bish. You're always right there with your lil kit when we get banged up, checking up and checking in."
"And do you see the way I look at you, Angel Ignacio Reyes?" She asked before abruptly standing and hurrying out of the tiny Mexican restaurant.
"Shit," Angel didn't expect it. He clumsily got up, tripping over his own feet, then threw what cash he had down on the table and ran after her. "Where you going?" He hollered down the street. "You don't have a ride."
"I got feet," she said over her shoulder. Katie stopped, a face catching her attention from the front page of a paper at the newsstand.
"They found him."
"They did," Angel jogged toward so they could talk quietly. "IRA, Kate." She just silently nodded, her back still to him. "Let me in. I trust you, all your fucking secrets and shit." He suddenly softened and leaned closer to whisper into her ear. "I wanna protect you, mi dulce, but I can't do that if you don't tell me what's unraveling and what could be coming at you and me and my club."
Turning, Katie touched his cheek and whimpered softly. "We should go back, we can, uh, stop pretending and talk."
—
They arrived back at the yard, much to Katie's dismay, so Angel could check in with Bishop and clear his night. He knew he was in for a long one.
"Where's everyone?" He asked Chucky rather curtly.
"I don't know," he said awkwardly. "They all left together."
The rumble of countless Harleys alerted Angel of their return to the yard. Heading back out he saw Bishop, Hank and the others with Marcus Alvarez and a bunch of his guys from Oakland.
"Shit," he hissed. Angel greeted them all, Katie watching casually from his bike. "Bish, I got some shit," he said, pointing over to his bike. "Think I could skip out on this?"
"All night?" Bishop asked with a chuckle.
"Yeah," he huffed, "We gotta talk."
Bishop nodded, "About time. We gotta have a sit down, that shit in Base Town. Galindo and Alvarez are getting nervous."
"I know but," Angel said low, "I gotta do this. Now."
"Trouble?"
Angel shook his head. "I don't know yet."
"I'm gonna need to know," Bishop told Angel. "Everything."
"I got you," he said with a nod.
"I need you here this week with your head in the game. Figure your shit out."
"Will do," he said, jittery and eager to leave. "I'm out." Angel jogged back to Katie and his bike and took off.
It wasn't too surprising for most of them, they all knew things with Katie would come to a head eventually. The Oakland Mayans were less informed but also less interested.
"Where's he off to?"
Bishop rolled his eyes at Alvarez. "To talk," he said with a chuckle. "It's fine, he'll get his head cleared tonight. No use to us if he's in it with her."
"Who is she?" Alvarez asked cryptically.
"Good question," Bishop laughed. "Just a girl, she doesn't know anything."
Alvarez looked back at the gate and nodded. "Let's head inside."
—
On the way to Angel's, Katie tried to organize her thoughts but it only felt more jumbled than before in her head. They arrived and Katie wasted no time.
"Who was that?"
"Alvarez," Angel told her. "Godfather, down from Oakland."
"El Padrino?" She asked.
He sucked his bottom lip in and nodded. "You heard?"
"I did," she admitted. "I also learned to speak Spanish fairly well."
"I figured, you're not dumb," he shrugged. "Come on, tell me." He looked at her with puppy dog eyes, bags and dark circles more prominent from his added stress and exhaustion. "Everything"
"I don't even know where to start," she laughed ruefully.
"Start with the goddamn IRA," he said forcefully.
She nodded, understanding his anger, and took a deep breath. "My kids," Katie started. "Their fathers are outlaws, they were in the gun business, I guess you could say. They got fucked, roped into some shit, and Ryan flipped."
"Ryan, with the IRA," he scoffed. "You brought the goddamn IRA down here with you and you didn't think to tell me?" His voice raised slightly each word but he was quick to check himself. "I killed him for you, it woulda been nice to know."
"I'm sorry," she whimpered.
He looked away from her. "How'd you get down here with him?"
"He took me and my daughter," she said sadly. "He flipped but he told his bosses it was me. He told them I ratted because he was pissed, couldn't handle rejection or he was too much of a coward to do what he had to so he sold the Irish and my guys out but blamed it on me."
Angel's mouth hung open. "A rat?"
"I'm not a rat," she snapped at him. "I know the rules and I loved my guys, I would never do that. I hated my husband when I left but I still wouldn't do it."
"Fuck," he moaned. "This is bad, Kate."
"Yeah, I know," she said. "Ryan came for me, I don't know what he planned but he told me he was going to make sure the Irish didn't get to me. I wouldn't go so he took my Charlotte," she could barely speak her name. "I wasn't going to go until he had that gun to her head," Katie broke down and began to sob.
Angel grabbed her, holding her tight as she sobbed, her body shaking. "Charlotte," he repeated knowing now that Charlie was Katie's child.
"I had to leave my boys, my babies," she cried even harder.
"What happened to Charlotte? Where is she?"
Katie stepped back and shook her head. "I don't know. He caught me trying to contact a friend, a lawyer in LA," the memory physically hurt her. "He beat me, he almost killed me," she spoke barely above a whisper. "I told her to run. I thought he was going to kill me and then her. She ran out that door so fast and I never saw her again."
Angel felt himself growing overly emotional, his eyes burning with tears, as he watched her sobbing. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"I don't know where she is," Katie said. "I've tried to find her. It's part of why I wouldn't leave Mexico with you right away. I can't. I don't know if she's safe, if she's even alive."
"The Dominicans are everywhere in Santa Madre," he said, "Some nun probably picked her up. She's safe, she's probably in good hands." The lie burned his stomach.
"Yeah, that's what I tell myself," she said, "Every single fucking night. Charlotte and my boys are the only people I ever pray for."
"Where are the boys?"
"With their father," she explained. "Better up there than here. I just hope he's alright, he's fucked in the head to say the least. Actually Coco reminds me of him a little," she laughed a bit.
"Ryan's dead," Angel said. "Why not go back?"
"I can't. It's too dangerous. I don't even know if I want to go back there. He cheated," she explained. "They probably think I ratted them out too, because I knew he was fucking around. Revenge or spite or something. Even if they don't, the IRA is gonna be watching them all, I turn up and a lot of people I love are gonna get hurt."
Angel sighed heavily, sinking down to his couch, trying to make sense of the massive amounts of information she'd just unloaded on him.
"I'm sorry," Katie said. "I didn't want this, more outlaws, more danger, but you are relentless and you're cute and you're," her voice cracked. "I thought by hiding this I kept all of us safe, I thought I could keep things separate."
"You remember when we first hooked up?" He asked her, finally looking up from the dingy floor.
"I do," she nodded. "It was nothing, then you put music on and we danced and I finally felt something other than sadness. With you the pain and the drama and danger was so far. You guys are the most peaceful outlaws I have ever known," she laughed in disbelief. "It's...nice here with you."
"I love you," he said sadly. "I can keep you from all that."
Katie swallowed hard. "Angel, everything I love I lose."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm married," she said. "Technically."
He looked at her and blinked, hit with more news that left him dumbfounded. "Anything else you wanna tell me?"
"I know about the MC, I married into one. I know your little dress operation is more, your long rides are more, your scars are more."
Angel hung his head. "Then you know I gotta tell Bishop."
"I know," she nodded. "I know how it all works."
"You really think they want to hurt you?" Angel asked somberly.
"My guys? I wouldn't know for sure until there was a bullet in my head," she explained. "The Irish? Probably, but with Ryan dead I might be off their most wanted list. There was so much shit and pain before. If I could just get my babies back maybe I would just stay here."
"Or you'd leave," he said.
Katie shook her head. "I'm too tired and too old to be doing this shit over and over."
"Come here," he stood and offered her his hand. Katie took it and let him pull her to stand. "We'll clean this up," he pulled her into his chest. "No more secrets, Katie."
"Katherine Lowman," she said quickly. "My maiden name is Feldstein, married name is Lowman. The club, SAMCRO, Sons of Anarchy. Alvarez knows them well, actually. Just not me."
He was silent for a minute, looking at her with a goody confused expression. "Let's just dance," he finally said, reaching over to flick on some music.
Katie smiled, "I don't know who this is. It all kind of blends together but I love it."
"Yo, that's racist," he joked as they began to sway to the music.
"No, no," she said defensively. "I just don't know all the artists or much about Spanish music." The song sped up as did their dancing, Angel led as usual and Katie swooned. "You were raised with this music, I was raised with rock and synth pop." They danced a little more before she looked up at him and spoke again. "I'm sorry for everything."
"We all keep secrets," he said sadly, thinking about Charlotte.
"Not anymore," Katie said, slowly relaxing after re-living so much sorrow.
"Yeah," he agreed. "I got a protection run tomorrow night. When we get back we'll sit down with Bish and lay this shit all out."
"Okay," she huffed. "You be careful."
"I will," he said as they kissed briefly. "Shit ain't popping with you right now so it can wait but stay close, Hank and Riz and my brother will be around."
"Yeah, okay," she agreed. "I'm tired."
"Me too," he said as he scooped her up. "I'm kind of hungry again too," he joked as they entered his bedroom.
—
*About Two Days Later*
Angel, Coco, Bishop met with Alvarez and his men on the ride up north. It was long, as expected, and 12 hours in everyone was excited to stop. It was a planned break as well as a meet up point. It was far, further than usual, and with the heat on Galindo it was dangerous. They needed bodies the Mayans didn't have so Alvarez had to call in some favors.
"Jax," Marcus greeted him warmly. "Good to see you. I appreciate the help."
Jax nodded. "We owe you, you got us the only leads on the girls."
"Still cold?"
"Nothing on them in months," he said sadly. "That Irish prick turned up, dead, just over the border."
"Did he?" Alvarez knew that but he couldn't let Jax know he was holding anything back in the interest of protecting his club.
"That's your turf, if you hear anything, I'd appreciate it a head's up."
"Always," Marcus lied. Bishop and the others strolled up and joined the discussion for introductions
"You gotta be shittin' me," Angel said quietly to Coco. "These assholes?"
Marcus started proudly, "My cousin Obispo."
"Bishop," Bishop said. "My guys, Coco, Angel and Gilly."
Jax introduced himself and he and Bishop shook hands. "These are my guys, Happy and Tig."
They all shook hands but Angel tried to avoid Happy until he couldn't any longer without it being obvious. Finally, he shook Happy's hand and the two nodded at each other.
"When we heading back out?" Angel asked, pushier than usual.
"I think we all need a breather," Bishop said. "Let's relax. It's been a long ride."
"What? You don't wanna make new friends?"
Angel gave Coco a look out the corner of his eye. "This is some bullshit."
"Alvarez said he had someone to help the night you skipped out," Coco explained. "I thought it was Packer and the guys outta San Dino."
"Course it ain't," Angel huffed. "I'm up to my eyes in shit, why not pile more on?"
"Mayan gods?" Coco asked jokingly.
"The fucking devil," Angel sighed.
—
I had to make myself cut this one short, it was getting so long! Next chapter you get SAMCRO hanging out with Angel, Coco and Bishop! Not awkward at all, right? Vote and comment pllleeaasseeeee! I love to hear how you're feeling about all this!