Hello my darlings! So here's chapter four! This chapter is basically nothing but sassiness and fluff so enjoy! I'd like to say thank you for all the reviews I've been getting! They legit make me smile like an idiot, please keep them coming! I love to know what you think!
Disclaimer: I only own Beth!
~ crownedinvictoryx
It was a busy day in the cop shop apparently. Every seat was filled, paper was strewn across desks and phones were ringing non-stop. And yet, throughout all of the frantic rushing around that seemed to be going on, Roosevelt had still found time to pick him up under the pretence of a bullshit drug charge. He had a damn card, he should've known something was up when they cuffed him anyway. God, he felt so stupid!
Roosevelt, on the other hand, was very clever, it seemed. Juice didn't know how he had found the information on his father, but he sure as hell wanted to know! Especially since the smug ass sheriff had made it evident, in not so many words, that he planned to use it against him. This was not a good situation to be in. It had never been actually confirmed, but every member knew that by unspoken law, the Sons of Anarchy did not accept black members. There was no prejudice or anything, he knew that, just outdated rules that were never discussed and thus, still upheld.
He left Roosevelt's office as quickly as he could. He needed to get the hell out of there and figure out what he was going to do in his current predicament. It was less than favourable, to say the least.
He rounded the corner a little quicker than perhaps he should have and his body collided hard against someone. Long, dark hair flew around his face as a result of the crash and he reached out quickly, grabbing at the smaller person, whom he had identified as female. He pushed against her softly, simultaneously stepping back himself in order to create some distance between them. His eyes were down and so he didn't see the face of girl before him, but he didn't need to. The colorful roses wrapped around her ankle and the black stilettos gave her away.
"Fuck!"
He heard her call out but still did not look up. Instead, his eyes trailed slowly up the lily white skin of her exposed legs. She was wearing that tight, black, pencil skirt again. He wondered how good her ass looked in that skirt. Great, he'd bet. She wore a deep red colored shirt today, as opposed to the white one she had worn yesterday, when he had last seen her. He liked this shirt better, he decided, as he eyed her subtly exposed cleavage. Well, that certainly took his mind off of his shitty day.
"Juice?"
Her voice was loud and she was clicking her fingers in his face. He blinked repeatedly before looking up. He still had his hands on her, gripping tightly just above her elbows. She hadn't pulled out of his grip though, which confused him a little. It couldn't have been comfortable on her skin. He released her slowly and chuckled nervously. He rubbed a hand over his head and raised his eyes to meet hers.
"Sorry, guess I just couldn't wait to get through that door." he apologised shyly, dropping his eyes
"Correct me if I'm wrong but, didn't you just get out of trouble?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.
"It's uh, a long story." he answered her.
He didn't really want to have to explain that he'd just been picked up on a drug charge, regardless of how bullshit it was or not. His eyes raised from the floor to meet hers, expecting to see judgement in the pretty blue. Instead, he saw amusement. Amazing! First off, she'd watched as he was released from prison. Then she'd pulled him up on his annoying cop shadows and his parole. Now, she'd literally run into him in the sheriff's station and after all of that, she remained totally unfazed. Any sensible man would question that even without Juice's level of paranoia. He made a mental note to look into Beth's background. Just to make sure she wasn't a total psycho or anything. No sane girl would want anything to do with him along with his criminal record and club. It occured to him then that, she was in th sheriff's station. Why?
"Wait, why are you here? Did something happen? Are you alright?" he asked, a worried undertone in his voice, making her laugh.
"I'm fine, Juice. I'm just dropping off some," she paused and waved a stack of papers at him. "Order lists and receipts for the past month. After everything that happened with my brother and the shop, Lieutenant Roosevelt," he did not miss the snarky way she said his name. "Wants copies everything I order in. Making sure I don't pick up where my brother left off or something like that."
Juice nodded in understanding. Truthfully, he could relate to Roosevelt's request on this one. Although, it must be shit for Beth to have to trail in and out with records of everything she did. It was like being bugged only she was cooperating. Kind of like the situation he was about to get himself into.
"Miss Ryan. Mr Ortiz."
The voice came from behind him. He could see Beth lean to the side slightly, a little too small to see over his shoulder. He followed her gaze to find Roosevelt standing by the corner Juice had previously raced around. The sheriff was eyeing them both curiously, a disturbing little gleam in his eye.
"I wasn't aware you two were acquainted." Roosevelt spoke, eyeing Juice in particular.
"It's one of the things that isn't actually your business Lieutenant. Now come on, I want this over with, I have things to do."
Beth's voice caught the attention of both men. Did that actually just happen? Juice eyed her appreciatively whilst Roosevelt simply glared at her. She was a fiery little thing now, wasn't she? He knew there was a reason he had liked his pretty prison girl. She looked up at him, smirking softly as she noticed his blatantly amused expression.
"You can call me later. Tell me your long story." she spoke quietly.
She took a small step towards him and tiptoed, pressing a gentle, fleeting little kiss to his cheek. When she pulled back, he could only nod. He watched, still amused as she made her way past Roosevelt and towards his office, the sheriff following her, his annoyance evident.
With a cocky smile, Juice turned back towards the door. His bike was still at Clear Passages, so he'd need to walk back and pick it up. Not that he minded. It gave him time to think. Beth was a strange girl. She didn't seem too fazed by anything and he liked that, even if he questioned it. It would work well for her in the club. Plus, he really did like that work outfit of hers. It certainly didn't hurt the situation. Still, he would read into her. He felt that it was necessary. He didn't want to be surprised by anything. And if he was already feeling an attraction to her, he especially didn't want there to be anything wrong with her. One thing he'd been right about though; her ass did look great in that skirt.
The words were glaring up at her angrily, as if trying to intimidate her. She was twenty-five essays deep into marking Senior work and still had another five to go. Truthfully, she was slowly losing the will to live. Most of the essays were basically the same. Clearly some sharing of information had happened. Beth didn't mind that, to be honest. She just wished the kids at least had enough savvy to reword the copied sections and make it a little less noticeable.
Juice had called five or so minutes ago and asked to see her. As she had glared down at a sentence she had already read nine times, she had happily invited him over. Maybe his presence would make her less inclined to start drinking at only quarter to five in the afternoon.
Three quick raps sounded from the door. Setting down her pen, Beth got to her feet and made her way over. She peeked through the peephole to find Juice standing on the other side. Tugging the door open, she greeted him with a smile. But he wasn't looking at her. Instead, his eyes were floating all across her body. She suddenly felt rather self-conscious. She hadn't made much of an effort after getting home. She'd thrown on a stripey pair of cotton pyjama shorts and an old grey vest top with an oversized hoodie zipped up over herself. She reached up and began to pull at the side of the hoodie which had slipped down her shoulder when his hand stopped her.
"Having a lazy day?" he asked, a cocky smirk coming to his lips.
Her self-consciousness disappeared immediately at that smirk. She dropped her hand from the hoodie and instead crossed her arms over her chest. She stepped back slightly to let him enter. He did so, not once taking his eyes off of her.
"I don't have to be at the coffee shop until eight so I figured I didn't have to make too much effort. I am sitting in my own house after all." she responded, a teasing tone to her voice. "Then you called."
She closed the door and took a moment to look him over. He wasn't paying attention to her now, his eyes instead inspecting her home. It wasn't particularly grand but it was homely and that was what she liked. She liked it even better with Juice standing there. He had removed his hoodie and now held it in his hand. She could see the giant Reaper on the back of his cut, reminding anyone who saw it that, despite the soft brown eyes and killer smile, he wasn't a man to be messed with.
"You're working again?" his voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Aye." she stated plainly, shrugging one shoulder. "I like money."
He laughed and turned to face her at last. He had that wide smile on his lips and she couldn't help but smile in return. This was all very surreal. She was standing in her brothers home, which she had bought, with a man who was considered a gang member and was also a convicted felon, and they were discussing her hectic work schedule. It felt so normal yet so abnormal all at once.
"You want a coffee or something?" she asked, making her way to the kitchen.
She could hear him following her down the hall, his boots heavy on the laminated flooring. It was somewhat comforting. As they entered the kitchen, Beth made her way towards the kettle whilst Juice situated himself at the little island counter in the middle of the floor area, setting his hoodie beside him.
"These your essays?" she heard him ask.
She pulled two mugs from one of the top cupboards before glancing at him over her shoulder. His eyes were focused on the papers spread across the countertop, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
"That's them." she responded, flicking the switch on the kettle to let it boil.
"What the-" he trailed off, an essay in each hand and he looked up at her. "What is this supposed to be?"
"To Kill A Mockingbird." Beth answered nonchalantly.
She moved towards the counter, standing opposite him. She reached out and took the essay from him, returning them to their original place. She noticed the slight smile he gave her but didn't comment on it. Instead, she lifted one of the essays yet to be marked and placed it in front of him.
"They were supposed to write about the theme of race throughout the novel with reference to historical events. Have a read, tell me what you think."
She had noticed the way he tensed at the mention of the essay topic. Clearly a touchy subject. She didn't ask about it. Instead, she turned back towards the kettle and prepared the coffee. By the time she turned back, Juice had flipped over onto the second page of the essay. She placed the coffee in front of him and he glanced up, setting the essay back in its place and giving her a soft smile.
"Thanks." he nodded, taking a sip.
"Give up?" she asked, nodding her head towards the essays.
"I don't know how you do it. I don't even wanna read one of those things never mind thirty." he scoffed, making her laugh.
Setting herself in one of the stools around her little island counter, Beth didn't miss the way he watched her. His eyes were focused but dull, as if he was upset about something but trying not to think about it. She wondered if it had something to do with the reason he had been in the police station. She knew she shouldn't ask, but she couldn't help herself.
"So, fancy telling me your long story now?"
He frowned slightly, clearly confused by her question. After a second or two though, his features relaxed in understanding before quickly tensing up again. She got the feeling he didn't want to talk about it.
"You know the weed shop downtown?" he asked, and she nodded. "I own 20%. Was there helping out a friend. They picked me up on some bullshit drug charge."
He didn't explain any further, which let her know that there was something he wasn't telling her. She didn't push it though. She had been in town long enough to know that if the Sons of Anarchy wanted something to remain a secret, it would go to the grave.
"They let you go though, so it's not gonna hold, right?" she asked softly.
"Nah, it won't hold. But what about you?" he asked. "It must be shit to have Roosevelt up your ass about the coffee shop all the time."
"He's a wanker." Beth rolled her eyes. "Thinks he's showing everyone who's in charge by keeping everyone in line. He needs a good kicking."
Juice laughed loudly, causing Beth to look up. His eyes had lightened a little and he was clearly amused. She frowned at him, confused as to his reaction, which only made him laugh more.
"You're an aggressive little thing, aren't you?" he teased.
Beth rolled her eyes again and picked up her cup, taking a long sip of her coffee. His laughter had subsided a little and his eyes were focused on her once again. He looked much happier than when he'd first entered her home. He'd been there ten minutes and she'd aready brightened his mood. She took that as a win. It made her smile.
"I'm sorry, you're just funny. And the accent just makes it funnier." he smiled.
"You think my accent's funny?" she asked, raising an eyebrow mockingly, daring him to say yes.
"Among other things." he answered, a suggestive tone to his voice.
She couldn't read his expression and that annoyed her. She wanted to know what he thought of her! Beth had never been good with secrets. She knew when to push and when to leave it alone, any sensible girl did. And she knew this was something she could push. She opened her mouth to ask him what he'd meant but he spoke first.
"So, back to your ridiculous work life. How often do you actually work?" he asked, curiosity in his eyes as he sipped from his cup.
"Well, I only work weekdays. I work from five til eight at the shop and then come back here to change. Then I work nine til half three at the school. Back here, usually for a quick nap or to finish off some markings. Then back to the shop from eight til midnight. Then bed."
Beth ticked off the job sections on her fingers, watching in amusement as Juice's eyes widened considerably. He looked genuinely shocked by her answer.
"You weren't kidding when you said you liked money, huh?" he asked.
She laughed and got to her feet, picking up her cup. His eyes followed her and she nodded towards the door of the kitchen. He slowly got to his feet and picked up his own cup.
"Come on, I've got three hours before I start work again and I can't look another essay. You can keep me company for a while."
His eyes flicked over to her. She was sitting neatly at the opposite end of the couch, her legs curled up beside her. Over the course of the hour and a half he had been keeping her company, he had noticed that her body had slouched continually. In another half hour or so, she'd be lying down, probably asleep. He could tell that she was tired. She was leaning against the arm of the couch, her head resting against her hand. Her eyes would flutter rapidly every now and then, before snapping open wide. He didn't blame her. She hadn't been in Charming long which probably meant she wasn't used to the long shifts she had undertaken. He spoke to her consistently, which he believed she appreciated, as she always replied in length. A film played on the television but neither of them were paying particular attention, both too busy trying to keep Beth awake. But she was beginning to lose the battle.
"Are you tired? he asked for the third time.
She merely nodded, her eyes drifting to a close, finally admitting defeat. Her hair was falling across her back and over her shoulder, exposing her face to him. When she was sleepy like this, she was cute as hell. Her hoodie had fallen practically all the way down on one side, exposing the pale skin of her arm and shoulder. Her long legs were curled comfortably up on the couch, hiding anything her shorts could not. Her shorts were pretty damn short, and he had noticed earlier when he'd followed her to the kitchen that they didn't exactly cover much. She wore fluffy little socks, decorated with tiny koala bears that covered up the pretty colors around her ankle. In her current state, he had been attempting to spy any other tattoos which she had previously stated, he could not be shown in public. So far however, he had come up short. Whatever else she had, had to be on her torso, he had decided. It was the only main part of her body he had yet to see.
"You're on my side."
Her voice was soft and quiet, dripping with sleep. God, he had never heard anything so attractive before in all his life. She was beginning to get under his skin. Still, he was confused as to what she meant. He frowned softly and tilted his head. She must've known he was confused because she continued.
"I usually lie there."
"Nothing stopping you. It's your house." he responded cheekily.
He hadn't expected her to take him seriously, however. She moved slowly, her actions carefully thought through. She uncurled her legs and pushed herself away from the arm of the couch. She slid into the middle of the couch before repositioning herself. Her legs returned to their previously curled position, this time on the other side of her body. She began to lay down and Juice barely pulled his hands out of the way before she rested her head in his lap. From his position above her, he could see the cocky smile on her face, and that made him smile in response. Carefully, he lowered his hands. He placed one hand gently on her waist and slid the other into her hair. She hummed quietly in response and his smiled widened. It was such a simple moment. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary. He was sure that this was a position couples all across the world often found themselves in. Movies had lead him to believe so, at least. But for him, an outlaw biker who was generally feared and looked down upon, this was entirely unusual. His pretty prison girl was laying against him without a care in the world, her smile growing as he played gently with her dark hair. For the first time that day, he felt a genuine contentedness fill him.
"That feels nice."
Her voice was barely above a whisper. She had one hand resting on his thigh, the other curled around her body to let her fingertips graze his against her waist. She felt so tiny beneath his touch. So delicate. God, he was fucked. Five days. He'd known her less than a week and in that time, she had shown him more interest and affection than even his own mother. He was a needy person, he knew that and wouldn't deny it. And what he needed now, was Beth. He had always thought it was stupid when people cried love at first sight. So he wouldn't say it. What he would say, however, was that this was definitely a crush. A real, adult sized version of a high school crush. And by God, it was strong.
"You gonna fall asleep on me?" he asked quietly, smiling wide.
He felt her push against his thigh. Her body turned slowly until she lay flat on her back. She blinked rapidly before opening her eyes and looking up at him. Her pretty blue eyes were desperate to close again, he could see that. But she simply smiled and shook her head. He felt her fingers curl against his and she raised his hand in hers, tangling their fingers together before letting their hands rest carefully against her stomach. His free hand returned to her hair.
"Talk to me. Keep me awake." she spoke softly.
"What do you want me to talk to you about?" he asked her.
"Tell me about your club? Ellie's told me some. You get patches and stuff. What do you do?" she quizzed, and he hesitated.
"I'm the Intelligence Officer. I take care of anything to do with technology." he answered after a moment or two.
"So you're a computer geek?" she asked, continuing before he could answer. "I knew there was something geeky about you."
He tugged gently on her hair and narrowed his eyes at her in mock annoyance. She laughed lightly and pushed at his chest with her free hand. He noticed that she didn't move away immediately though, but rather let herself move slightly into this new position which let her touch him.
"You're a cute geek, so it's all good." she offered with a smile. "So, what about the rest?"
He hesitated again. He really shouldn't be discussing the club. She was an outsider. Club business was club business and no one on the outside was allowed to be involved. A thought occured to him then. Beth wasn't just any outsider, she literally knew nothing about the club. And the fact she was here with him let Juice know that she obviously hadn't been paying too much attention to rumors of the town. It would be easy to explain the hierarchy and generally used terms of the club without actually having to go into any details about club business. And so that's what he did. For the next hour and a half, Juice told Beth lay together on her sofa, and he told her all about his club.
