It had been a long, long night.

Juice unlocked the front door and kneeled down to greet Reaper as he rushed to see who was coming in. The house was dark except for a soft swath of light coming from the hallway. He followed the light to see it coming from the room across from the master bedroom.

The nursery.

He peeked around the doorframe to see Ally putting another coat of paint on the walls. "Ally?"

She stopped what she was doing and set down the long roller she was using. "Hey. Um, how's Chibs?"

Juice shrugged and stepped into the room. Ally had chosen a soft gray for the walls. He hadn't been sure of it when they were picking it out at the store, but it wasn't a day for him to argue or deny her. In the end, Ally knew what she was doing because the nursery was coming together nicely.

"He's critical. Got him in ICU at St. Thomas. Tara told me you saw the baby."

Ally nodded and finally looked Juice in the eyes. Her jaw dropped and she rushed forward. She carefully turned his face so she could see the deepening bruise forming on his jaw. "Jesus. Is this from the explosion?"

He chuckled dryly in response and pulled his jaw from her grasp. "Yes and no. I didn't get it at TM. Tig punched me when he exploded, you could say."

"What? Why did Dad punch you? What happened?"

"Tara needed me to name the baby," he told her quietly, his hands running down her arms before curling his fingers with hers. "And I did. I named him Gabriel Trager Ortiz."

Ally was quiet. "You . . . you gave him my family's name? My name. Dad's name."

Juice nodded slowly, not sure how this was going to turn out. "I did. I wanted you to have a claim on him."

"You mean that?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Tell me what you want, Ally. What do you want us to be?"

"I want him," she admitted, her voice trembling with emotions. "When I held him, I knew he was supposed to be with me. He's my baby. My son."

"Then he's yours," Juice answered simply, cupping her cheeks and relishing the softness under his fingers. He missed being able to touch her. The feel of her skin and the almond vanilla scent that he always identified with her that always soothed him after a rough day. "I love you."

Ally placed her hands over his and sighed. "I love you, too. Did you get to see him?"

Juice nodded, a smile spreading on his face. "Yeah. Got to hold him and everything. He's so fucking tiny. I was so afraid I was gonna drop him or hurt him or something."

Ally chuckled, leaning into his chest and pulling him into a hug. "There's still so much to do," she whined. "We gotta get this finished. Get a carseat. Diapers. Bottles. Shit knows what else."

"Yeah, I know," Juice mumbled. "Just kinda figuring all that out now that I've seen him. He's beautiful," he gushed at the end, his eyes shining in the dim light.

"He gorgeous," Ally agreed. "He looks just like you. Even has your ears, poor thing." She giggled as she traced his ears with her finger.

"Ha, ha," Juice replied dryly. "Mama."

Ally bit her bottom lip. "Daddy," she replied softly, her fingers moving to his face as she traced his jawline. "This is real, isn't it? It's not a dream?"

He shook his head and placed his forehead against hers. "It's real, baby. We're gonna do this."

"We're doing this," Ally replied, letting her hands go to his waist and curl through his belt loops. Their hips instinctively pressed closer together. "I'm with you."

"I need you," he murmured, kissing her cheek. Then her nose. Then gently pressing his lips to her mouth. "I love you, pretty girl. I need you so much."

Ally stepped back and took his hand in hers. She smiled softly at his confused look before leading him across the hall into their bedroom. She led him to the bed and pushed him down so he was sitting on the edge.

Slowly, Ally undressed while keeping eye contact with him. When she kicked her panties away, Juice reached out to her but she stepped back and shook her head. She waited until he lowered his hands to strip him of his clothes one by one.

When she had him completely naked, they crawled onto the center of the bed. Ally straddled his waist and leaned down to kiss him. Her hair created a curtain around them as their lips moved against each other. Juice's hands roamed over her skin as if reconnecting physically with it.

They weren't rushed. They took their time re-experiencing one another with every kiss, every stroke and every touch. Ally moaned his name with the lightest of sighs as she came.

When they were both satisfied, Ally laid on Juice's chest while his fingers skimmed up and down her arm. "Shit, I missed you," she sighed, snuggling into his warm chest.

"Me too, baby. I love you."

"Love you, too," she replied. "You know, this is probably one of the last nights where it's just the two of us. That's so weird."

"I know," Juice agreed, shifting underneath her. "Gabe'll be home soon and keeping us up all night crying and shitting and spitting."

"Kind of like living with Piney," Ally quipped, earning a chuckle from Juice.

Juice pushed her curly tendrils out of her face and pulled her in for a deep kiss. "Marry me," he whispered against her lips.

Ally rolled her eyes and pulled back. "Juan Carlos, we've been over this. I don't care about a piece of paper. I mean, we're committed to one another. We have a family now. Why do we need it?"

"Because we have a family," Juice argued carefully. "That shit means so much more to me than a piece of paper. It binds us together. All three of us. I haven't pushed it and followed your lead on this, baby. But, I need you to rethink it. I want to marry you. I need to marry you. Will you do that? Will you just think about it?"

"Fine," she relented. "I'll think about it. But," she started carefully, knowing she was about to ruin the light atmosphere, "what are we gonna do about Jessica?"

Juice sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know, baby. I don't know."

"She's gonna use that baby against us," she worried out loud. "He's just a pawn in her game. He's just a baby. He doesn't deserve that."

"How do you think she'll do it?"

"I dunno. Probably use him and bait us for money. Fuck, we just had a baby. Babies are expensive. We're gonna be tapped out for awhile, you know. I'm just afraid she's gonna run and take him with her and we'll never see him again."

"Not gonna happen, baby," Juice assured her. "She ain't going nowhere with him. I don't care what I have to do, but it's not gonna happen and we're not paying her a fucking dime, Ally. Not gonna happen."

"I know," she murmured, "but I'm still worried. And, we still don't know if she's still using or not."

"Gabe's healthy," Juice reminded her. "That's all that matters. Jessica can fucking overdose now for all I care."

Ally didn't respond. She kissed his chest before resting her cheek against his warm skin.

"I didn't want to leave him." Juice's voice rumbled under Ally's cheek.

"I know," she replied. "I didn't either but there were just so many emotions. I just felt so overwhelmed and I didn't know what to do. I had been struggling with what to do this whole time. Do I stay and fight or what? When I held him, though, all that uncertainty went away. I knew where I was supposed to be and nothing will take him away from me. But," she lifted her head so she could look Juice in the eyes. Her features were as stern as her tone, "don't you ever do this to me again, Juan Carlos. I mean it. Never."

"I won't," he promised her. "I'm sorry, baby."

"It worked out in the end overall, but if you ever disrespect me like that again I won't be so understanding or accepting," she warned.

"I know. I'm sorry. This shit won't ever happen again. I promise."

"Are you coming to the hospital?"

"Yeah," Juice answered as he tugged his shirt on. "I don't have long. We got a lot of shit to do today, but I at least want to see him. Even if it's just a few minutes."

Ally nodded and tied her hair into a messy bun. "Um, can you just give me a lift over there and I'll wait for you to come back or I can ride home with Tara?"

"Yeah, baby. That's fine." He kissed the top of her head and went to fix a cup of coffee before they left. Ally slid her boots on and followed. "Are you gonna be able to handle being there all day with Jessica?"

"I'll survive," Ally muttered. "Oh!" She dashed into the nursery and came back out with a soft black teddy bear that had a blue bandana wrapped around his forehead. "Didn't want to forget this. Got it yesterday when we were shopping. Cute, right?"

Juice nodded as Ally tucked the bear into her bag. "He'll like that." He kissed her forehead as he passed by her to put his mug in the dishwasher. "We're gonna get through this," he told her as he took his cut from the back of the chair and shrugged it on. "And we're gonna be better than ever."

"Yeah," Ally murmured in agreement, slinging her purse across her body. "We will."

Ally snuggled into Juice's back as they rode towards the hospital. When they walked into St. Thomas's his fingers curled into hers as they made their way to Jessica's room. They could hear her and Gabriel screaming from outside.

"He never shuts up! Why doesn't he just shut the fuck up?"

Ally and Juice entered the hospital room to find Jessica screaming at a nurse; Gabriel screaming high pitched baby screams in her arms as he cried.

"You have to actually hold him," the nurse attempted to explain, exasperation evident in her voice. "Babies need to feel secure and safe." She looked up to find Ally and Juice walking into the room. Ally glared at Jessica and immediately scooped Gabriel out of her arms.

"No," Jessica shrieked, holding onto him. "He's my baby."

Ally scratched Jessica's wrist, resulting in Gabriel becoming free. She pulled him close to her chest and placed a hand on the back of his head. He had lost his little hat during the struggle and she smoothed down the messy hair on the back of his hand. Gabriel immediately began to quiet down.

"It's okay Gabe," she said softly, kissing the top of his head. "Mommy's got you, baby. Mommy's got you."

"What," Jessica spat, glaring at her. "No. You are not his mom. I am. Give me Zachary back."

"Shut up," Juice snapped, giving Jessica a hard look. Gabriel whined at the noise and Ally took him to the corner of the room to sit in the chair with him. "And his name is Gabriel. Not fucking Zachary," he continued in a more quiet tone. "I don't want to hear another fucking word out of you."

"Language," Ally scolded, keeping her eyes on Gabriel, who was holding onto her finger with his tiny fist. She looked up with Juice with the most content look on her face. "Look at him. He's perfect."

Jessica scoffed and crossed her arms. Both Juice and Ally shot a cold glare at her. Juice moved his attention back to Ally and their son. He knelt down in front of them and ran his fingers over the top of Gabriel's head. Gabriel turned to look at him while Ally kissed Gabriel's tiny fist still clasped around her finger.

"Hey, buddy," he greeted softly as Gabriel watched him with wide eyes.

"You want to hold him?"

Juice nodded in response to Ally's question and she stood so he could take the chair. She took a perch on the arm of the chair once Gabriel was placed securely in his daddy's arms. She put her arm around his shoulders and kissed the top of his head as he quietly talked to Gabriel.

Ally chanced a glance over at Jessica, who was watching them with an icy expression on her face. Ally smirked. There was no way Jessica was ever going to win this battle. She was going to make sure of it. Juice's phone rang and Gabriel's face scrunched up at the sound.

"Here," he said, handing Gabriel over to Ally. "It's Clay." As he stepped outside to take the call, a nurse came in with a small bottle.

"It's feeding time," she announced, her eyes flickering naturally to Jessica in the bed, who was staring at the ceiling with a pout on her face. When she saw the baby in the arms of Ally Trager, her eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Ally?"

"Hey, Brandy," Ally greeted. Brandy had been a friend of Cho's in high school. She was a year younger than Ally and Cho and had stayed in Charming after finishing school and getting married. "Isn't my son beautiful," she gushed.

Brandy's eyes shifted between Ally and Jessica. She looked over her shoulder where she could see Juice on the phone through the small window in the door. "I'm not going to ask questions," she murmured. "Congratulations, Ally. All the nurses agree he is the most charming in the nursery. I think everyone takes turns holding him. He doesn't cry and he just coos."

"Excuse me," Jessica snapped from her perch on the bed. "I gave birth to him. He's my son."

Brandy sighed and turned to Jessica. "And how are you? Any more pain?"

As Brandy distracted Jessica with mundane medical questions, Juice slipped back in and saw Ally feeding Gabriel. His big brown eyes were trained on her as his chubby arm kept reaching for her hand. He spent a few moments watching them.

Ally could feel his eyes on her and looked up to find him watching them with a smile on his face. Ally's lips curled in a matching grin. "I love you," she mouthed.

Juice kissed both of their foreheads and knelt in front of them. "I gotta go," he told her quietly so they wouldn't be overheard. "Your'e gonna stay here, right?" At Ally's nod, he sighed. "Good. You'll be safe here. Wait until I come get you or someone comes to ride with you. And," he leaned up to whisper in her ear, "don't kill her. Don't let her get to you. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Promise?"

"I promise," she swore flippantly with a wink.

"I love you, Ally. And I love you, Gabe."

"I love you, too, Juan Carlos," Ally replied, shifting Gabriel to her burp clothed shoulder. She began to gently rub his back. "Please be careful today. We need you."

"I will. I'll see you tonight." He kissed her before placing a gentle kiss on the top of Gabriel's head.

"Bye."

Juice winked at her and squeezed her hand before leaving room without sparing Jessica a second look. Gabriel had spit up and was getting comfortable with Ally's hand soothingly rubbing circles over his back.

Ally turned her head and breathed in the powdery distinct scent of babies. It was such a wonderful scent. She used a spare pillow to lay him on her lap. His eyes were closed and his red lips were squished together, as were his cheeks. He looked perfectly angelic.

"This isn't fair," Jessica muttered, watching the sickening display in the corner.

"Why? Because your plan backfired? You didn't expect someone like Juice had someone like me at home, did you?"

"You never came up."

Ally shrugged. "Wouldn't of mattered. Never has before, has it? You see any idiot in the room and latch onto them. Just like you did with that businessman and that barista and that married high school teacher. He knocked you up, right?" Ally didn't even look at Jessica as she spoke. She kept her gaze on Gabriel. "Then you blackmailed him with an abortion for a payout so his wife wouldn't find out. You make me sick. Trapping guys and then using your pregnancies and STDs to make some cash."

Ally finally looked up and saw Jessica staring back at her. Her expression was cold and blank.

"You finally messed with the wrong crew," Ally finished softly.

"I'll never give that baby up," Jessica insisted venomously. "He'll never be yours. Every time you look at him you'll see me and remember that your Old Man crawled into my bed and fucked me and knocked me up while you sit there all high and mighty and can't get pregnant at all. Some woman you are."

Ally's jaw twitched and her face began to turn red from her blood boiling. Before she could open her mouth to respond, Gemma entered the room with a wrapped box in her hands. Her eyes shot between the two girls. "Am I interrupting something?"

Neither Ally nor Jessica answered. Ally broke off her stare with Jessica and turned her attention back to Gabriel.

Gemma knew that look on Ally. Her shoulders were tense and her face was flushed. She was angry and couldn't do anything about it. Ally's fingertips stroked Gabriel's belly softly as he slept. "Hey, sweetheart," she greeted, taking a seat next to Ally. "He is beautiful."

Ally nodded and sniffed. Her nose tended to run when she was upset or angry. "He is, isn't he?"

"Looks just like his daddy."

Ally grinned tightly and looked at Gemma. "Seen Chibs?"

Gemma nodded and set her purse down on the floor, the package still in her hand. "Yeah. He's still sleeping. I'll check on him again later. You okay?"

Ally shrugged and Gemma nodded and flicked a glance to Jessica, who was channel surfing the television, her face clear with irritation, too. "Brought a present for him."

Ally glanced at the present and a slight grin ticked on her lips. "What is it?"

"Hand him to me and you can open it." Ally hesitated, but relented and handed a sleeping Gabriel to his pseudo-grandmother and took the flat box that was prettily wrapped and opened it.

"Gem," Ally sighed when she pulled out a small blue beanie with the Sons of Anarchy emblem stitched on the front. It was just like the one Abel had when he was born. "I love it, thank you." She gave her a one armed hug and kissed her cheek. "Let's put it on him."

"You know, your Old Man can lick a pussy like a champ," Jessica quipped from the bed, ruining the moment.

"What?" Ally's head shot up and her eyes narrowed coldly.

"And his dick just murdered my pussy in the best," Jessica couldn't finish her sentence because Ally launched up and slammed her hand into her throat, squeezing it.

"You. Keep. Your. Skanky. Gash. Mouth. Shut," she growled. Gabriel stirred and began to fuss during the altercation. Gemma shushed him and started to bounce him on her shoulder.

"Ally, that's enough," she said quietly. Ally squeezed once more before letting go. Jessica sputtered for air. "Be careful, little girl," Gemma warned. "You are not in a good position right now."

Jessica scoffed and ignored the dark look Ally shot at her. "You have no idea how good of a position I'm in."