New chapter! Finally! I'm so sorry it took so long! Life's been a little crazy and this story hits a little close to home for me so it's harder to work on than the others.
Thank you so much for sticking with me!!
I'll try to be better about updating!!
💙
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"I want to go home," Elena said, looking more tired and frail than ever in her hospital bed.
Happy froze at the words, his whole body going rigid. Before, when she'd first been admitted to the hospital, he had wanted his mother to go home. Had asked Chloe countless times if they could take care of her there instead of in the hospital. It wasn't until Chloe had carefully explained to him that her going home most likely meant she'd go on Hospice care. That it meant she was going to slowly decline until she eventually died. He'd stopped pushing then. He'd rather have his Ma alive in the hospital than slowly declining in the comfort of her house. "Don't think that's a good idea, Ma."
"Mijo, I'm not going to get any better here. I don't want to die in this hospital. I want to be at home in my bed with my family. Not here. Por favor," she asked, her voice rough. (Please)
He glanced across the bed towards his cousin, who was strangely silent. She had one hand on her big, pregnant belly, the other holding tightly to Elena's. He could see the tears in her eyes as she battled whatever was going on in her head. Catching her eye, he willed her to agree with him. If they put on a united front, maybe his Ma would see reason. "With hospice care?" Angela asked, her voice thick with tears.
"Yes, mijita. If that will make you feel better, I'll do that," Elena agreed, squeezing Angela's hand.
Happy glared at Angela as he shook his head. Traitor. She was supposed to be on his side. "Don't think it's a good idea. You're good here. Got people watchin' you."
"Graciela can take some time off and take care of me," she explained, her breathing labored. "And Chloe can stay with me too. She'd like that. Give her something to do."
"No," he insisted stubbornly. "Ain't lettin' you just give up."
"I'm not in a battle," Elena stated with a sad smile. "I'm not giving up. I'm old. It's my time."
A single tear fell down Angela's cheek as she nodded slowly. "Hap..."
"No," he repeated, hating the lump he felt in his throat. "Not happening."
"I do not need your sign off or approval. I may be old pero I am not going crazy," his mother explained sternly. "I just want to go home, once and for all. I'm going to do it, whether you like it or not."
Happy hated that she was right. Hated that Angela agreed with her. "I don't," he muttered, pushing out of his chair and walking out of the room. He couldn't deal with that at the moment. Didn't want to even think about losing his mother after fighting to keep her for so long. He headed out the door and around the corner, shoving a hand in his pocket to grab a cigarette. He didn't have any. In his own anger, he'd forgotten he'd quit because Chloe had wanted him to. Deep inside his cut, he found a small ball of foil, another remnant of Chloe and the chocolate Kiss candy she routinely enjoyed. He pulled it out of his pocket, rolling it between his fingers.
Damn Chloe, he thought to himself. Damn Chloe for making him feel. For inserting herself into his life, into his family as if she'd always belonged. He had no doubt his Ma's crazy idea to go home had come from her! She was the only one who would suggest something like that. Who else would know his Ma could sign herself out without anyone else giving her permission! How could she do that to him! How could she just let him go?
Grabbing the stupid ball of foil tight in his hand, he launched his fist into the side of the building. Waves of pain went up his arm, but it felt good. At least he could feel something other than the immense emotional pain tearing him apart. He hit the wall again a couple of times before leaning against it and sinking down to the floor. His knuckles were bleeding, but he didn't give a shit. Closing his eyes, he tried his best to breathe, to calm down. He'd figure something out. Find a way to force his Ma to stay. Whether she liked it or not.
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Chloe had just pulled into the parking lot of St. Thomas when she saw Happy smash his fist into the wall. She sat frozen in her car while she watched him do it over and over again until his knuckles bled. Then he just sunk down to the floor, his long legs bent, arms draped over them as his head hung. She got out of her car and careful made her way over to him on her crutches. She didn't say anything as she clumsily lowered herself beside him. She wanted to put her hand on his arm, check out his knuckles and make sure he was okay, but she wasn't sure he'd let her touch him. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to keep them from reaching for him.
If he noticed she was there, he didn't say anything; he was probably so angry, he didn't know how to express it without potentially hurting her. She had a feeling she knew exactly what he was upset about. "She told you she wants to go home, huh?" she asked softly.
She saw his body tense, his hands form fists. "Your idea?" he asked, so much hate and bitterness in his words she recoiled a bit.
"No, actually," she said, deciding to ignore his tone. "I told her she should stay."
His head lifted this time, dark eyes going to her face as his brow creased in confusion as if urging her to explain. She'd never met a man who could communicate so much with minor facial expressions and looks. Or maybe she'd just never met a man she could read so well. She sighed heavily, fidgeting a bit with her ponytail as she tried to come up with the right words. "I um...my family's real shitty. You know that. My parents are gone, and I have two siblings who, after hearing about what happened, just texted me to check in. That's it. No phone call, no visit...nada. I could've died, and they wouldn't have even cared," she explained on a frown. It'd hurt like hell when she'd gotten those texts. She almost would've rather they didn't contact her at all that way she could at least pretend they didn't know. "Ang and your Ma...they're the closest thing I've had to family in a very long time. I know what'll happen if Elena goes home 'n' I...I don't want that either."
He didn't know why, but hearing her say that made him feel relieved. He wasn't the crazy one. It was Angela and his Ma who were wrong. "Kid is okay with her going home."
"She's more comfortable with death than most. Still talks to the people she's lost like they're alive."
He nodded slowly, shrugging a shoulder. "Thought I was."
You're comfortable killing people, she corrected in her head. "You're more comfortable with a different kind of death," she said instead. "This is personal."
He swallowed hard, extending his fingers and looking at his bruised knuckles. "Guess so."
"Let her go home, Hap. Her staying here...it's not going to help her very much. I want to say it will, because I want it to, but...medically speaking, I know it won't, and she'll die here uncomfortable and unhappy," she said, hating the way he flinched at her blunt words. "You don't want that, do you?"
Happy shook his head, letting out a long sigh. "This fuckin' sucks."
Chloe nodded solemnly in agreement. "Couldn't agree more."
He stood up with a grunt before offering his hands to help her up. She considered them for a moment before putting her hands in his. His strong arms pulled her to her feet slowly. She wobbled a bit, grabbing onto his forearms to steady herself. His dark eyes met hers for a moment, concern written all over his face. "You good?"
Her heart sputtered in her chest. God, why did he have to be so goddamn attractive? "Y-yeah. I'm good. Thanks," she said, straightening up a bit and standing on her own.
"Here," he said, grabbing her crutches and handing them to her.
Chloe thanked him softly before shifting a bit. She held in her breath for a moment and looked up at him. "I can...I can clean up your hands if you want," she offered quickly.
The corner of his mouth moved just the slightest bit, threatening a smile, and she blushed. One of their first solo interactions had been when she patched up his hands after he'd gone a round in the ring with Juice. He'd kissed her forehead and thanked her then. The first time she'd seen the smallest hint of interest from him. She'd taken care of him so many times after that, it was hard to count, but she'd never forget that first time. Clearly, neither had he. "Okay," he rasped in reply.
"O-okay," she repeated with a nod. "Okay, good. Let's...let's go get you patched up."
They found a small, open exam room on Elena's floor, and she quickly pulled out what she needed from the cabinets. Turning around to face him, she realized a little too late that it was a mistake to offer to clean him up. It put her too close to him and in a situation that was all too familiar and comfortable. She focused on the kit in her hand, opening it up and gesturing for him to sit on the plastic chair in the corner while she eased herself down onto the doctor's stool.
She held out her hand to him, and he placed one of his in it. His palms were rough as they usually were, well-calloused from years of work as a mechanic. She tried not to think of the way those hands felt on her, the way his fingertips would trace patterns across her skin, invisible tattoos he created as he lay beside her. Clearing her throat, she began her work, trying to focus on the task and not on Happy.
She could feel his eyes on her as she worked and had to force herself not to look. In the past, she would've looked up, and he'd lean down and surprise her with a kiss, a look of pride in his face when he pulled away. He was proud of the work she did. Always had been. He never said it out loud, but she knew he was by the way he told everyone she was a nurse. By how often he called her to the clubhouse to treat his brothers, a look of pride on his face as he stood beside her and watched her stitch up wounds and pull out bullets. She loved those moments. Loved that he'd let her in to his life for them.
Those memories brought with them a painful reminder of how dangerous his life was. As much as she loved him letting her in, that's what had gotten her hurt in the first place. No, she couldn't give in to him. As good of a man as he was, he lived a dangerous life, and she'd gotten hurt because of it. She wasn't ready to jump into that again. Wasn't sure if she ever would be. "All done," she said, dropping his hand quickly. She wouldn't look at him because if she did, instinct would take over, and she'd lean in for a kiss.
"Thanks, Braun," he muttered as he stood. The smell of him surrounded her as she sat beside him. Still, she couldn't look at him. As if giving up, she felt his lips press into the crown of her head; something she'd seen him to do Angela many times before. It wasn't an act of romance nor was it meant to be something to entice her to kiss him back, it was a kiss meant for family. To show appreciation for what she'd done and to show her he still cared about her. Her shoulders tensed a bit as she heard him walk away; had he given up on her? Was she just family now? She hadn't closed the door on her relationship with Happy just yet, but had he? She had never considered that. For some reason, he thought he was waiting on him to put the final nail in the coffin and end it, but maybe...maybe he'd already done it. She didn't like the thought of that. She wasn't ready to give up on loving him for good just yet.
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Juice loved the sound of Evie singing along with the Princess music blasting from his speakers. She was in her car seat behind him, singing her heart out, only getting every other word right as her feet bobbed along. She waved her mermaid doll along as she sang. He chuckled to himself, shaking his head at her as he drove to St. Thomas. "Daddy!" Evie screamed over the music.
He turned it down, still smiling to himself. "What, Monk?"
"We go see Tommy today? He with Abuela and Tio Neo?" she asked, mispronouncing Nero's name in the sweetest way possible.
Juice grimaced at the question; his daughter wanted to play with Thomas Teller, son of the man who had him killed. The idea of it made him sick to his stomach. He hadn't seen the Teller boys since he'd been in Charming, had been avoiding it at all costs because he honestly didn't know how he'd react. They were children and had nothing to do with their father, but he still wasn't sure if he could separate them. "I dunno, Eves. If they're at Abuela Graci's house then, yeah."
"Yay! He's so nice, Daddy! He my boyfriend!" Evie said before bursting into giggles.
He almost crashed the car at those words. There was no way Evie understood what that meant at her age. It had to be something she'd learned from Tessa. Still, Evie with a boyfriend was definitely something he wasn't ready for. Evie with a boyfriend who was Thomas Teller was absolutely not happening. "I don't think so, Monk," he said, remaining as calm as he could. "You're a little too young for that."
"No, I'm not! He my Prince Charming like Cinderella!"
Juice cursed under his breath, tightening his grip on the wheel. "Not happening, Eves. Not 'til you're like fifty and not with him! Boys are yucky. They have cooties or somethin'."
"You're silly, Daddy! Cooties not real! Auntie Coco said so, and she's a nurse!"
He scowled, shaking his head. Damn Chloe for teaching his daughter real medicine. "Still...no monkeying around with Tommy."
She made loud, monkey sounds as he pulled into his old driveway. Nero's flashy lowrider was parked in front, which meant the Teller boys were probably there. Taking a deep breath, he parked the car and got out, walking around to get her out. She jumped out of the car seat excitedly before throwing herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He caught her easily, chuckling to himself as he kissed her cheek. "Love you, Daddy," she told him, smacking a kiss on his cheek.
Juice felt his heart warm, and he squeezed her a little tighter. "Love you too, Monk. Am I still your number one guy?"
"Number one!" Evie confirmed, holding up one finger in front of his face. "Daddy number one!"
"Good." He blew a raspberry into her neck, grinning as her laughter filled the air as he walked towards the front door.
She squirmed in his grasp as they neared the door. "Down, Daddy! I want to ring the bell!"
He set her down, already missing having her in his arms as she ran to the doorbell. She stood on her tip toes and rang it over and over again. Graciela opened the door, a huge smile on her face as she leaned over so they were at the same eye-level. "Hola preciosa!" she greeted, wrapping the little girl in a hug. "Como estas?" (Hello precious! How are you?)
"Bien!" Evie answered, kissing Graciela's cheek. "Is Tommy here?" (Good!)
"Ay, yes, mija. He's back in your room if you want to go play," she replied, rubbing her hand over Evie's head. Evie ran inside without even glancing back at her father. Juice felt the brush off like a punch to the stomach. Graciela gave him a warm smile. "Veni, Juancito. Come have somethin' to eat. I have cookies." (Come)
Juice followed her inside, more because he knew she'd insist on it if he said 'no' anyway. It was faster to let her feed him than to try and get out of it. A blonde little boy approached him shyly, and Juice felt a pang in his chest as Abel's big blue eyes landed on him. Damn, he looked like his father. He took in a deep breath and smiled at the kid. "Hey buddy. Remember me?" he asked him.
Abel nodded slowly. "Uncle Juice."
"Yeah," he encouraged on a nod. "How are you, dude? Havin' fun with Graci?"
"Yeah, we made cookies."
"Good, great!" Juice said, shifting awkwardly.
" 'ey, Abel, how 'bout you go see what Tommy and Evie are up to, okay?" Nero asked as he walked into the room.
Abel nodded, running down the hall. Juice watched him go, feeling a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Looks just like his old man."
Nero nodded solemnly. "Got lots of Jax's traits too. The good ones," he clarified with a fond smile. "Smart kid. Tommy's got a little more of him, but he looks a lot like his Ma."
"Oh. Okay," Juice commented awkwardly. He didn't know what else to say to that. It was a weird thing to say to begin with.
Graciela handed him a Tupperware container of cookies and two juice boxes. "For you and my daughter. You're going to look at houses today, no?"
"Yeah. In Danville. My brother's company is lookin' for a new office in San Jose 'n' Danville puts us between there and Charming and Oakland so..."
"You guys can visit without diving back in," Nero finished, a proud look on his face. "That's good, mijo. Smart move for all of you."
"And I will finally have all my grandbabies close!" Graciela explained with a big smile.
Guilt turned Juice's stomach again; it was his fault Graciela hadn't been able to be with Evie as she'd grown. He looked down at his feet for a moment before clearing his throat. "Yeah. We...we'll need all the help we can get with the twins 'n' all."
"Twins! Can you imagine! Two beautiful new babies I can spoil!" Graciela proclaimed, clapping her hands with excitement. She patted Juice's cheek lovingly. "My daughter is so lucky you're so handsome and give her these beautiful children!"
A flush burned Juice's cheeks, and he scratched at the back of his neck. "I'm the lucky one," he murmured on a nervous laugh. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and knew it was probably Angela wondering where he went. "I um...I'm gonna say bye to Eves and then I gotta pick up my wife."
"Yes! Go! Leave Eva here as long as you want!" she replied, shoving him towards the hallway.
Juice almost tripped over his feet as he headed back towards the room they'd designed for Evie so long ago. The room he'd attempted to overdose in. He'd been in there briefly the night they saved Chloe just to tuck Evie in. His senses were on overload then, and he was so anxious about saving Chloe, he hadn't paid much attention. He was on high alert now, though. He could hear them all chattering as he walked inside. Thomas looked up first, his eyes looking him over quizzically. His coloring was more like Tara's, but he could see Jax in the boy's eyes. Again, it threw him for a loop, and he hesitated, clearing his throat as he thought of something to say. Thankfully, Evie saw him and waved. "Hi Daddy!"
"Hey Monk," he greeted, squatting down. "I'm gonna go meet up with Mama. You good here?"
"Yeah," she answered, walking over to him. "We're playin' store!"
He nodded, glancing awkwardly at the Teller boys again. "Fun," he commented, looking around the room that was covered in toys. His OCD itched to start cleaning them up, but he refrained, knowing it was something Evie would have to do with the boys when they were done playing. "Beso before I go?" (Kiss)
She kissed his cheek, hugging him tightly before letting go. He kept her in the circle of his arms for a moment, tapping his forehead against hers. "Be good for Abuela," he told her, his eyes looking into hers.
She giggled, kissing his nose as she nodded. "I be good!" she said, wriggling away from him and back to the boys who'd resumed playing without paying much attention to him. "Bye Daddy! See you later!"
He stood up straight, ignoring the ache in his back as he did so. "Good to see you, Abel. You too, Thomas."
Abel waved at him, but Thomas regarded him with a curious but serious look as though he was analyzing him. It was a look he'd seen on Jax Teller's face more than once. He nodded again before stepping away. As he walked away he heard Thomas asking Evie who he was. Juice didn't stick around long enough to hear her reply.
After saying a quick goodbye to Nero and Graciela, he headed back out to the rented SUV and climbed inside. He put his forehead to the wheel, letting out a long breath. "You got this. You're good," he told himself. He breathed in deeply again, and exhaled. "It's all good."
He started the rented SUV, grimacing when the princess music filled the car at full volume. "Yeah, fuck that shit," he muttered, grabbing his phone and queuing up some Wu-Tang instead. He rolled down the windows, enjoying the music and the warm California air as he drove towards St. Thomas. When he ignored the bad memories, even he had to admit he missed living in California. Missed the weather, and the atmosphere. It was kind of nice to be back there
The drive to St. Thomas was a short one, and he found a parking spot easily enough. He spotted Happy's bike and Chloe's little Audi. He wondered who would be in Elena's room since it seemed they both were unwilling to be in the same room for long. He took the elevator to the Intensive Care Unit, nodding a greeting to the nurses he recognized on the way. His family spent way too much time at the hospital. Opening Elena's door, he was shocked at the sight before him. Elena was asleep, which wasn't that shocking, she slept a lot more lately; what was shocking was Happy and Chloe were sitting on either side of the bed, neither of them making a move to leave, seemingly enjoying each other's presence. Chloe was reading through Elena's chart while Happy was flipping through channels on the TV. Every so often, they seemed to glance at each other, though they didn't seem to be speaking to each other.
"She's in the cafeteria," Happy stated, his eyes fixed to the TV.
Juice looked between the two for a moment. Happy caught his look and met him with a glare that told him not to question it. "Everything okay?"
"Ask your wife," Happy stated, his entire body tensed.
It was obvious Angela and Happy had butted heads about something, otherwise Happy would have called her "the kid". He reserved telling Juice she was his wife or his girl for moments when he was irked with her as though it was somehow Juice's fault. "Yeah, I'll go...do that, I guess," he said, nodding towards Chloe when she finally looked up from the medical records. "All good here?"
"Yeah," she said on a breath, looking surprised by the question as if she hadn't been avoiding Happy for months. "Lena's been waking up intermittently, and I just want to talk things through with her since she's decided she wants to go home."
"Oh...okay. That's good, I guess," he stated, awkwardly putting his hand in his pocket. Happy glared at him again, and he cringed. "Or not. I guess I um...I'm going to go find my wife, and I'll...see you guys later."
Both of them muttered pathetic goodbyes, and he headed out of the room, walking towards the small cafeteria. Angela was seated at a table in the far back corner, Styrofoam cup in front of her that had steam billowing up from it. She was staring out the window, a glazed over look in her eyes as if she was deep in thought. He slid across the bench across from her, surprised himself when she jumped. "Shit. Sorry, didn't see you come in," she murmured, the tension easing from her shoulders.
He leaned over the table and caught her lips in a quick kiss. "You okay?" he asked, a little concerned about her demeanor. She was distracted, which meant she was anxious or worrying about something.
"Fine," she said, a little too quickly. He gave her a look that told her he didn't believe her, and she sighed. "Lena wants to come home...which I think is a really, really good idea and Hap...is pissed about it because he wants to keep her here since it's basically what's keeping her alive."
"Ah. That makes sense. He was not in a great mood when I walked in."
Angela nodded slowly, her eyes staring down at the cup in her hands. "He um...she's going to die. It's inevitable. I know that sounds blunt and harsh, but I know how this shit goes, and I...I don't want her to die here. This place is shitty and there's so...so many bad memories and bad ju-ju here. I want her to...to go home where she's comfortable. Happy doesn't get it. Thinks I'm betraying him by siding with her."
"I'm sorry, baby," he murmured, setting his hand on her arm. "Anything I can do?"
"Bash some sense into his thick skull?"
"Okay," he said, getting up from the table as if he was going to go do just that.
She laughed, grabbing his arm and pulling him back down so he was sitting beside her on the bench this time. "Stop! Goof!" she said, shaking her head at him. "That's a re-match I never want to see."
"Hey, I held my own the last time!" he said, feeling triumphant as she smiled at him. It wasn't a great memory. He and Hap had gone into the ring after Hap found out he'd cheated on her. He'd deserved every hit Hap had landed, and while it sucked, it also helped heal his relationship with Angela in some strange, twisted way. "Broke his nose, didn't I?"
She nodded, leaning over to kiss him again. "That's my man."
He looked down at the cup on the table, surprised to see the light brown liquid inside. "Coffee?"
Angela sighed, moving the little stirrer around the cup's rim. "I'm not drinking it. I'm just...smelling it. It's weirdly soothing? I dunno. My hormones are fuckin' everywhere right now. Last week the smell of it made me want to throw up, this week, its comforting."
He put his hand on her big belly, rubbing over the soft fabric of her top. "C'mon, bugs. Stop fuckin' with Mama."
She smiled, setting her hand on top of his. His eyes went over her hand, falling on the black 'J' she had tattooed on her ring finger. Her ring finger that looked awfully naked. His stomach clenched; she promised him she would always wear her wedding ring. He'd even bought her a black silicone wedding band for her to wear when she wanted something simpler. She'd gotten him a matching one. The only time she'd ever taken the off was before bed, and when she was mad at him. The last time he checked, she wasn't mad at him so where were they? "Angel, where are your rings?"
"I um...I didn't tell you I wanted a divorce?" she joked on a smirk. "This twin shit is too much. Your penis is too magic. I can't handle it any more."
"That's not even remotely funny," he muttered, scowling at her. "What's going on?"
"I um..." she hesitated, looking as if it pained her to answer his question. "I couldn't get my rings on this morning since my fingers are...gross and swollen."
He picked up her hand, noting the way her usually thin fingers looked larger than usual. A red flag went up in his head, and he tried to remember if this was something normal he'd read about in baby books or if he had to worry. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed over her knuckles. "They're not gross," he murmured. "You tell Chlo or your Mom?"
"No. Haven't seen Chloe today. Why? Is she here?"
"Yeah. In your aunt's room...with Hap."
"Shut up," she said in shock, a small smile on her face. "They're in the same room together."
He nodded, smirking. "They're on opposite sides of the room, but...she didn't leave. Think they might even be talking to each other."
"Really?" she asked, overly excited about such a small thing. "Was she okay with it?"
He shrugged a shoulder. "Didn't seem bothered."
Angela grinned, her dark eyes sparkling as she did so. "Well that's some good progress, I guess. Maybe she'll talk some sense into Hap."
"Don't hold your breath. I doubt they're talking that much," he said on a laugh. "You ready to go check out some houses?"
She nodded, though her smile faded a bit. "You're sure you want to move all the way out here?"
Juice knew she was worried about the big move, but he was slowly becoming more confident about it. He liked the idea of Evie growing up near Angela's family, liked the California weather, but most of all, loved how happy it made Angela to be back on the west coast. "Yeah, baby. I'm sure," he said, getting up and extending his hand to her to help her up. "Your family's here. Ken's gonna be here, and I talked to Jo, and she said to keep an eye out for places with houses for sale close to each other 'cause she's always wanted to live in California."
She put her hand in his, allowing him to help her to her feet. It took her a minute to steady herself with her beg belly, but she did with a smile. "Are you serious?"
"Yup. Dino's been textin' me. They were actually thinkin' of comin' over to visit next week. The boys are on summer break, 'n' they promised them a Disney trip, so they figured they'd go to SoCal then drive north to us," he explained, keeping hold of her hand as they walked out of the cafeteria. Their hands didn't fit quite so perfectly together, further evidence of how swollen her fingers were.
"Oh Evie's gonna be so jealous," Angela said, swinging their hands back and forth. "We should probably take her too."
Juice loved the idea of taking her to Disneyland He'd been there once before when Angela had decided to take Kenny and Ellie for their birthdays and Piney had paid for them all to go. It'd been an absolute blast. More recently, they'd gone to Disney World with Evie, Ken, and Jo's family; which has just as fun. Seeing his daughter's eyes light up as she met the princesses was something he'd never forget. He knew it wasn't a good idea now though. Angela loved all the big rides and she wasn't in any state to do any of that. That, and he knew she shouldn't be on her feet for so long. "Baby, you can't do shit at Disneyland. You'd be miserable."
"You're not lying. Guess we can wait 'til the bugs are born," she agreed, squeezing his hand. "How was Evie? Excited to be at her Abuela's house?"
"She was excited to be with her boyfriend, Tommy," he said, still incredibly uncomfortable with the idea.
Angela stopped walking, staring at him with wide eyes as if she hadn't heard him correctly. "I'm sorry. What?"
"Oh yeah. Our daughter is calling Thomas Teller her boyfriend."
"She can't understand what that means," she said as she started walking again.
Juice laughed and shook his head. "Oh I think she kinda does. Said he was her Prince Charming...like Cinderella."
Angela laughed in disbelief. "That's...wow. That's...ridiculous."
"Yeah, I know," he said, frowning. "Not really sure what to make of it."
Her smile disappeared and a look of worry replaced it. "You know she doesn't understand what that means, right? Our daughter is not going to date Thomas Teller. I'm sure Tessa put that idea into her head."
"Her growin' up here means the Teller boys are gonna be part of her life, though," he said on a frown. " 'specially if Graci and Nero continue being a...thing."
She grimaced, raking a hand through her hair. "I can tell my mom we don't want them playing together. She'll make sure Evie's not around when they are."
Juice scowled at that. As much as he hated Jax, he didn't want to mess anything up for his kids. Abel and Thomas weren't their father. "Nah. Seems like being with Graci is good for the boys. I don't want to fuck with their schedule. They deserve some normalcy," he said on a sigh. "They're kids. 's not like they're club members or whatever."
She kissed his cheek. "Very big of you, Ortiz."
"Mm-hmm, as long as Tommy doesn't touch my daughter," he muttered, opening the car door for her. " 'cause that shit ain't fuckin' happening. They can be friends. Just friends. That's it. It progresses to anythin' else, and I'll beat his ass."
Angela laughed again, shaking her head at him. "He's like four."
He nodded, starting the car. "Guess I'll kick a four year old ass then. Evie's not dating. Not until she's like fifty. Promise you that."
"Whatever you say, goofy," she said, placating him. She grabbed a hold of his hand again. "I love you, you know."
Juice absolutely loved when she said those three words. He knew she loved him, but everytime she said it out loud was further confirmation that he'd gotten everything he wanted. Despite all the shit he'd been through, he'd come out on top with his family. Abel and Tommy's family had gotten ripped away from them, much like Kenny and Ellie's had. As much as he didn't want Tommy anywhere near his daughter, a part of him wanted to help give those boys a stable kind of life. If it meant accepting them into a part of their patchwork family, he was okay with that. As long as his little family was happy, he would be happy.
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Some fluff, some development. Some hints at bigger things to come. ;)
Let me know what you think, and if there's anything you're curious about/want to see!
You all inspire me with your comments so don't hesitate to ask questions and leave suggestions!!
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