A/N: I own nothing you recognize, all credit for existing SOA characters goes to Kurt Sutter.

Enjoy! - WIP

The Blacker The Berry

by: Writing In Purple

Chapter 1

I was standing out in front of the bar smoking around 2 a.m. when there wasn't a soul in the place. Every night around then it was completely quiet and I used the time to think before I closed down the bar. I thought about how fun it would be to pay yet again to have my car fixed. I thought about how good it would be to go home and take a bath. I thought about maybe going to Vegas with Michaela for the weekend if I could convince Candy to give me the days off. I thought about what I was doing with my life which at the moment was nothing. I thought about not wanting to walk home alone at 3 a.m. even though Charming, CA wasn't all that dangerous at night. Finally, I let myself think about the conversation I had earlier with Juice. I thought about how good he looked and tried to shake the image from my memory. I put my head against the wall I was leaning on and tried to take my mind off him. My eyes were still closed when I heard the unmistakable rumble of a Harley engine. The noise got louder as it got closer but didn't get softer and when I opened my eyes I saw Juice backing his bike up to the curb 6 feet away from me. I shook my head and flicked the cigarette into the street where it landed right next to Juice's foot.

"What are you doing here?" I asked when he finally cut the engine and I put my hands on my hips.

"You didn't think I was going to let you walk home alone this late, did you?" He asked and got off his bike which was almost as good-looking as he was.

"Are you serious? It's not your job to LET me do anything! You can get back on that little bike and go back where you came from." I gave him a little wave and turned around, knowing well enough that he was behind me when I walked back into the bar.

"I didn't mean it like that. I meant I didn't want you walking home alone at this time a night. Why you gotta give me such a hard time?" He took a seat at the bar in front of where I usually stood behind it.

"I'm still a little confused about why you think anything I do has anything to do with you. While you explain it to me, get to work." I threw him a wet rag and nodded my head towards the tables around the bar.

"Huh?" He followed my eyes behind him and looked blankly at the tables.

"You're here, you might as well do something useful instead of just standing there looking 16 kinds of sexy…" I felt my face get hot with embarrassment and my eyes went wide.

"Excuse me, what was that?' His eyebrows knit together in confusion and he just stared at me.

"Oh dear Lord nothing! Those tables aren't going to clean themselves! Get!" I waved him away with my left hand and slapped my right hand over my mouth when he turned his back to me.

"So, busy night tonight?" I was standing at the bar with my hand still over my mouth when he bent to put a chair up on the table he just finished wiping down.

"Lord help me." I whispered to myself and then said… "Not really. It was pretty slow, at least it seemed so. I was a little distracted so I was kind of on auto-pilot."

"I guess that's good. If you've got stuff on your mind it's good to keep busy." He finished putting the chairs on the table and moved to the next one. I just nodded and walked around the bar to do the same thing.

When we finished it was just after 3 a.m. and I . I wasn't in the mood to argue so when Juice insisted on giving me a ride home I accepted and said nothing else. It had been years since I'd ridden on a motorcycle let alone on the back behind a strong and muscular man. When I wrapped my arms around him and he took off from the curb I nearly passed out. The mix of his cologne, the vibrations of the Harley and the wind against me face were almost too much. I took a deep breath and flashed back to the last time I rode a motorcycle. For a moment I could have been back there in that same situation, everything was so similar. But this time I wasn't in Phoenix and I wasn't with Frankie and I wasn't going to end up in the hospital at the end of this night. I shook the memory away and rested my head between Juice's shoulder blades. I could have fallen asleep there it was so comfortable, too comfortable. Before I knew it we were in front of the house I shared with Michaela. A brief thought entered my mind and then it was gone. How does he know where I live?

"Should I ask how you know or just leave it alone?" I got off his bike in the driveway and looked at him with my hands on my hips and my head cocked to the side.

"You can ask but I doubt I'll tell you." He got off the bike and I handed him his helmet which he rested on the handle bar.

"It's probably best that way." I turned around and walked a few feet before I realized he wasn't following me. "You comin'?" I raised an eyebrow and he just stood there.

"Uh… I… um... inside?" He asked with a confused look on his face.

"Well I can't very well make you something to eat out here, can I? I mean it's the least I can do, to repay you for the ride home, right?" I gestured for him to follow me and he did. Albeit confused, he followed.

I woke up on the couch in the living room. I was flat on my stomach with my hair in my face and my right arm hanging off the side off the couch. I opened one eye to look around when I felt my right arm draped over a hard chest that was slowly moving up and down. I gently and cautiously tried to remove my arm from over Juice's shoulder when he grabbed my wrist in his sleep. He was sleeping sitting up with his back against the couch. I laughed quietly when I saw the PlayStation controller in his left hand and sucked my teeth when I noticed he still held my wrist with his right. I was trying to figure out how to get out of his grip without waking him up when his phone broke the silence. His eyes popped open and he looked around, remembering where he was.

"It's right there, on the floor next to your leg." I was counting on him freeing my wrist to pick up the phone. Instead he just grabbed it with the other hand and gave me a sideways glance. "Yeah."

"I can't move." I said and he held a finger to his lips.

"Alright. I got a few things to do but I'll be there. Uh huh… No. Yep. Bye." He hung up the phone and placed it gently on the table next to him.

"So… if you wouldn't mind letting go of my wrist…" I rolled my eyes when he slightly moved his head to show that he would not let me go.

"Juice." I tried being serious but couldn't help the giggle that escaped when he turned his head and brushed his mouth and nose on the inside of my arm.

"I like the way my name sounds when you say it." He closed his eyes and brushed his mustache up and down my arm.

"Juice!" I half laughed half squealed and tried to pull away.

"Hmmm… I might like that better." He smiled but it only lasted a second before we both heard the screen door creak open.

"Greaaat." I rolled my eyes when he let go of my arm and got up off the floor. "What time is it anyway?" I turned over on the couch and sat up.

"It's 10:15. Why, you gotta be somewhere?" He cocked an eyebrow at me, his head tilted a little to the side.

"If I did?" I asked him while I stood up and stretched.

"Yeah I know, it's none of my business." He half smiled and shook his head.

"Riiight." The dead bolt turned over and the front door opened slowly. "Don't worry, we're awake. We are also clothed. Thank you." I waved when I saw Michaela's head gingerly peek past the door.

"Aw man! We thought you guys would at least still be in bed!" She waltzed into the room and pulled Chibs in with her. They both looked like they hadn't slept much.

"We were never in bed. So chase that thought right out of your head!" I gave her a wide-eyed look and she stuck her tongue out at me.

"I see, so you just fooled around here in the living room?" She gave me a wicked smile and my face flushed.

"Oh my God shut up! You know what I meant!" My eyes widened which didn't seem possible. I was all of a sudden hyper aware of the fact that I probably looked like Medusa.

"Is her head 'bout to start spinnin'?" Chibs asked from behind Michaela. "Let's get outta here 'fore that happens." He grabbed her around the waist and walked her down the hall to her room.

"I have to get in the shower." Was all I could think to say and my voice sounded too loud. "I have a half shift at the diner at noon." I scraped my long brown curls into a pony-tail with the hair tie I spotted on the coffee table.

"You have two jobs?" The look on his face was respect mixed with worry.

"I help at the diner sometimes when I need extra cash. I need a lot of extra cash now because my car decided to die again." I played with a curl in my pony tail and tried to figure out how to say goodbye without being rude.

"If you need a ride just call me, ok?" He looked good just waking up with a little stubble on his chin, his head too.

"I can handle the couple of blocks to the diner, but thanks." I caught myself staring at him and him staring at me with a satisfied look on his face. "Shit."

"I'll see you later." It wasn't a question.

"If you're lucky." I smiled and moved to walk toward the door.

"If I have anything to say about it we'll both be pretty lucky next time." He caught my hand as I passed him and pulled me toward him.

"You…" I was going to say that he was too sure of himself and the fact that eventually he'd get me to fall for him. I was going to protest but before I knew it I was flat up against him. I was speechless.

"You'll catch on soon I think, but this is happening whether you like it or not." He touched his lips to mine for just a few seconds. He laughed when he heard my sharp intake of breath.

"Juice…" I couldn't think of anything else to say. If I was being honest I couldn't think of anything else period.

"It doesn't sound as good when anyone else says it." He kissed me on the cheek and walked straight out the door before I was even half way recovered.

"Shit." I blinked and stared at the door until I felt like I wouldn't fall on my face if I tried to walk. "Shit."

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A/N: I will post the next chapter after I get to 9 reviews!