Back at it again! Got a little distracted, but I'm back! Hopefully posting here on a more frequent basis! :)

Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own characters and storyline ;)

She Will Be Loved

Chapter 46: Friendship

By Love Ink

Jax pulled up to the front of the funeral home with a smirk; he knew Angela was going to be surprised to see him. When Clay had mentioned pulling Koz from guard duty for something, Jax had volunteered to take his place. He had nothing better to do and hanging out with Angela seemed as good of an idea as any. Much better than working at the garage at least. He figured there wasn't going to be much hard work to do at a funeral home.

He took off his helmet, surprised to see Angela was outside with a bucket and gardening gloves in her hand wearing a dirty white t-shirt, jean shorts, and dirty Adidas tennis shoes, her dark hair tied up in a messy bun. She was attractive in a simple way. No over-done makeup or scandalous outfits. Just simple, basic, pretty. In that way, she reminded him of Tara. Tara had never been one for the heavy makeup or high fashion, either. Angela smirked at him. "Back for more shadowing, huh? This one isn't gonna be as fun as the last time."

"Told you I was up for the challenge. Can't be that hard," he stated on a shrug. "Where's Koz? Shouldn't he be..."

"He's comin'," she said, nodding to where Kozik had just appeared with another bucket and what appeared to be some kind of gardening tool. "Need to pull some weeds in the cemetery. Figured I'd put him to work."

Kozik grinned widely as he handed Jax the bucket and the tool. "Here. Your turn."

"What's this?" he asked, suddenly regretting his decision to take Kozik's place.

Angela smirked at him. "It's a hoe. Surprised you're not familiar with one, you see them all the time."

"Not as fun as the ho's he's used to. This one's for gardening. Don't get 'em confused, could be messy," Kozik teased, giving Jax's shoulder a hard slap and telling him good luck before kissing Angela's cheek and heading over to his bike.

"You really gonna make me work?" Jax asked, leaning against the gardening hoe.

"Really, really," she replied, gesturing for him to follow her. "C'mon. Let's go clear out some weeds."

Angela brought him to the first few plots, the headstones dirty and covered with weeds. "So you're gonna help pull the weeds, and I'm going to scrub the headstones."

Jax nodded, letting her instruct him on how what to do. They worked for hours before they got to a very familiar row of graves. He glanced down the row of headstones towards where his little brother was buried. He hadn't visited the stone in a while and wondered if it was one of the ones they were going to have to pull weeds from and clean. He guessed it probably would be since his Mom didn't seem to visit often either. "Why we doin' this? Shouldn't families be in charge of this shit?" he asked, leaning against the hoe.

She grunted as she tugged at a particularly stubborn weed. "They should be, but some don't come," she explained, wiping at her forehead. Glancing around the area, she sighed. "And these people don't deserve to be covered in weeds and dirty. Everyone deserves to be remembered in some way. Even if it's just taking a minute to read their epitaphs while I clean their stones."

"You're seriously into all this dead people shit, huh? It's not just a job for you," he said, surprised by the passion she seemed to have for such a weird profession. He knew Skeeter wasn't one for going out there and pulling weeds; he was too lazy for that.

"You could say that," she said, sitting back on her heels. "I mean, wouldn't you want someone to pull the weeds out from your loved ones graves if they were buried out here?"

Jax scratched awkwardly at the back of his neck. "I um...my little brother and old man are out here. Thomas is a couple stones down. Pops is out there with the veterans."

"Sorry to hear that," she said on a frown. "Club shit?"

"Nah," he replied, shaking his head. It was strange to him that she didn't know how his father or his brother died. Charming was such a small town, and the club was such a tight circle, everyone he talked to always knew about his past. He had to remind himself she had hadn't grown up there. She was an outsider for now. Brand new and still learning the club and Charming's history. He kind of liked that. "Thomas had a heart condition. Pops got in a bad bike wreck...not club related."

Angela's brown eyes were warm with just a touch of sadness as she looked at him with a look not of pity but of empathy. "Cancer got my dad. He's buried out in Oakland."

"You visit a lot?"

"Not as much as I should," she replied on a sad smile. "And Raj was spread over the ocean, so I guess I just gotta go to the beach to visit with him. My Uncle Chico is out in the veterans somewhere here too. His stone had gotten cracked somehow, so I put in a new order for him not too long ago."

He knew a Chico back when he was a kid. "Chico Villanueva was your uncle? He was First Nine."

She bobbed her head, going back to work at scrubbing the older headstone of someone unknown guy who died fifty years before. "Yeah. He was my Dad's cousin, so not really my Uncle but...I didn't know that growin' up," she explained, scrubbing particularly hard at a spot on the stone. "He's always just been Uncle Cheeks."

"So that's how the club found Hap," Jax mused, shaking his head. "Always thought they found him out in a cornfield somewhere, covered in blood and guts after killing someone."

Angela laughed, shaking her head at him. "Nope. All Chico. After my dad died, he spent more time with us, and Happy started...getting into all that violent shit. Dunno where that came from, to be honest. Chico wasn't like that."

The Chico he remembered had been like that. Not as intense as Happy, but just as lethal. He'd been a little scared of him when he was a kid. Clearly, Angela had never seen that side of him, and he wasn't about to ruin that image for her. "No idea."

She stood, wiping her hands on her shorts. "There you go, Rueben," she said, patting the top of the stone affectionately. "All clean."

Jax raised an eyebrow; she was definitely a little on the weird side, but he didn't mind. "So I never asked, but what happened at the bike show that made you run like that? Seems like a pretty stupid thing to do," he stated, trying to change the subject and stop her from having a full on conversation with a dead dude.

Angela grimaced, hesitating as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Oh it was just...nothing."

"Oh c'mon. You don't run off like that in the middle of the night when you know there are people trying to hurt you for nothing. What the hell happened?" he asked, smirking at her. Clearly, she didn't trust him yet. "You don't tell me 'n' I'll just ask the prospect. He'll tell me. The Mayan do something?"

She considered him for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "He cheated. Again. I found out that night, and I just couldn't stand to look at him anymore. To be there, so I just...left," she explained. Jax honestly didn't know how something like that would feel. That kind of betrayal. He was usually the one who cheated. He went to say something, but she held up a hand. "Don't! I know I should've told someone before I left, but I wasn't really thinkin' straight."

"Tequila will do that to you," he teased on a smirk.

"Yeah," she laughed, staring at the grave for a beat. "Saw the nice bruise you left on Juice's face. Pretty extensive damage for a steering wheel."

Jax could hear the disapproval in her voice and shrugged. "His idea. Didn't want you to get hooked for a DUI."

"Dummy," she murmured affectionately.

"You scared the shit outta him."

"I know." Angela sighed heavily again, picking up the bucket with the soapy water and going to the next grave.

He trailed after her, dragging his feet; he really didn't want to pull anymore weeds. "What happened with the Mayan then?"

"It's complicated," she answered, her shoulders tensing. At his encouraging look, she rolled her eyes. "This your way of trying to get out of pulling weeds? Having some deep ass conversation about my love life?"

Jax dug in his cut, grabbing a lighter and a cigarette. He lit one as he nodded. "It working?" he asked, eyebrows raised. Angela shook her head, pulling her gardening gloves back on and forcefully pulling at a weed. He scoffed at her. "Aww c'mon, Angie. Give me somethin' good. Make this babysittin' shit worth my while."

"You know what, you're a lot like that dumbass. How about you answer this for me, why would he cheat? Huh? He told me he loved me. That he wanted me to be his wife and have his kids. And I believed him like a fuckin' idiot."

He was mildly offended at being compared to the Mayan; she didn't know him that well. "I'm not like that asshole," he stated on a scowl. "And I dunno how to answer that. He's the idiot for doin' it. Only way you'd be an idiot is if you took him back. Did you?"

"Yeah. I'm a fuckin' idiot," she replied on a dry laugh, pulling hard at a particularly stubborn weed. "Told him I wanted space. If he could stay faithful, I'd give him another chance. Then I found out he hadn't been. This asshole had been fuckin' this chick while I was laid up in the fuckin' hospital."

"Fuckin' prick," he sneered, feeling slightly disgusted. An urge to beat the shit out of the Mayan rose up in him. The protective feeling was unfamiliar and strange for him to feel about a girl he wasn't fucking and who wasn't blood related to him, and he wondered briefly where it had come from. It hadn't been the first time he'd felt that way, though. When he'd seen her bloodied and unconscious in Juice's lap after her accident, he'd felt the same way. He'd wanted to hurt the fuckers who hurt her. He wondered why that was. Why he felt so connected to some chick who routinely reminded him she wasn't going to fuck him. Maybe that's what being friends with a girl was like. "Still giving him that space then?"

"No," Angela grunted, pulling at another weed. "We're fuckin' done. That's it."

"So you're single?" he asked, knowing what her answer to it would be. It was beginning to be a bit of a thing between them.

She didn't disappoint. "Still not gonna fuck you, Teller."

Truth was, he didn't really want to fuck her. The more he got to know her, the less romantically attracted to her he was. The dead people thing was a little too weird for his taste. Still, she was surprisingly easy to talk to and wasn't afraid to be honest with him; he wouldn't mind having her around as a friend. "Nah. Not me. I got a date tonight," he said flicking some ash off his cigarette. "Think the prospect would be up for the challenge though."

She glared at him. "Don't start."

"C'mon, Angie," Jax drawled, thinking of just how smitten Juice was with her. The dude was almost embarrassingly in love with her, something that was obvious to everyone except, apparently, Angela. "Why the fuck not? Guy cares a lot about you."

Angela wiped at the sweat on her brow, blowing a stray hair out of her face. "Because he's my best friend and that's it. He's not interested in me like that."

"Bullshit. You're telling me you never thought about it?"

"I dunno. Not really," she muttered, a lie if he ever heard one.

Jax sighed, shaking his head. "C'mon. Don't lie. We all know you two are into each other. A blind guy could see it. Dunno why you won't give him a chance."

"Maybe because I saw him make out with two different Croweaters that first club party I went to, and you yourself told me he was a favorite of theirs," she stated bluntly. "He's into them not me. I mean, he was even with one of 'em at the road show. He's having fun now. He doesn't want to be tied down, and I don't want a one night stand. Not with him."

Guilt sank like a rock in Jax's stomach. He was the one responsible for the two Croweaters that night at the party, for putting ideas into Angela's head of Juice being some type of playboy. Hell, he'd even sent Hannah his way at the bike show in an attempt to make Angela jealous. And while it seemed to have worked in making her jealous, it had also worked against the prospect making her think he didn't want her. He hadn't done it on purpose; he didn't have anything against the two of them getting together. In fact, he thought he'd been helping! Clearly, he'd misread the situation. He scratched at the back of his neck. "Yeah...about that...that might've been my fault."

"What was your fault?" she asked, distractedly.

"The Croweaters," he clarified, at her questioning look, he sighed. "The details aren't important, but I thought it'd make you jealous and put a little pressure on you to make a move. Make you come to him!"

Her eyes widened as it slowly sank in. "Wait...what?"

"Yeah, I mean, Chibs said he should just tell you how he felt, but I suggested makin' you jealous might work..."

"Are you serious?" she asked, sitting back on her heels looking stunned. "What kind of asshole move is that? Making girls jealous? Has that ever worked for you?"

"Yeah, actually."

"Like on a real human girl?"

"Yes, on a real human girl! Many real human girls!" he exclaimed, scowling at her. She threw him a murderous glare, and he held up his hands. "Hey! I was trying to help!"

"Yeah, well, you didn't," she muttered, pulling particularly hard at a weed. "Your stupid plan was the reason I got involved with Esai to begin with! If it wasn't for that, I was gonna...gonna...tell him I had feelings for him."

The sadness in her voice made him feel even worse. "Shit," he muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Look, I'm sorry, Ang. I didn't know you then, and it'd worked for me before. I thought I was helping. Thought girls liked it! And Juice has no game, so I was trying to push him in the right direction."

She scoffed at him. "I know Juice has no game. That's what I like about him."

"Yeah, but see, most girls don't think like that. They wouldn't give him the time of day," he explained, hoping she saw his point. "Didn't know you were...different."

Angela rolled her eyes at him. "You're so dumb."

Jax cringed, sticking the hoe into the ground and pulling it back to slice through the weeds in an attempt help her because he really did feel bad about what he'd done. "I'm really sorry, Ang. I shouldn't a butt in. Thought I was doin' something good."

"I know," she muttered, sitting back again. "He really say he was going to make a move?"

"Said he was going to try," he replied with a smirk. "Hence why we tried to give him some advice. Guy really likes ya, Ang. Think he has for a long time now."

Angela let out a long breath, the corners of her mouth twitching as she did her best to hide a smile. "Really like him too," she admitted, before a blush colored her cheeks. "That doesn't leave here."

He made a motion of zipping his lips, and she shook her head at him in response. "So what's the next move? He comes home, you gonna throw yourself at him?"

"No! Not right away at least," she said, smirking a bit. "I um...I'm supposed to fly solo awhile because apparently jumping straight into bed with an ex is not the healthiest way to grieve."

"How long is it going to take for you to "properly grieve"?"

Angela shrugged a shoulder. "No idea. Feel like it involves crying, weed, and a lot of tequila, though."

"You need any help, lemme know. I can get the booze and the grass," he offered with a smirk. "Just don't take too long. Dunno how long Juice will hold out hope for, y'know? Think you got him pretty convinced you're just friends."

"Kinda your fault. Was pushin' him away, 'cause I thought he thought we were just friends."

Jax grimaced, taking a long drag of his cigarette before smoothly blowing out the smoke. He honestly felt bad for coming between them. He hadn't meant to. "I'll try not to fuck things up this time."

"Promise?"

He nodded in confirmation. "Pinky promise," he said, holding out his pinky to her.

She smirked, shaking her head at him as she hooked her pinky around his. "Now get back to work, Teller, don't just stand there and look pretty."

"That mean you think I'm pretty?" he teased around the cigarette in his mouth. That earned him a clod of dirt to the face. He laughed it off, wiping the dirt off his face and pushing her over.

She laughed, kicking out at him playfully. "Fuckin' asshole."

Jax laughed along with her, glad she wasn't angry with him. He liked the undertaker. Could see her being a good friend. He liked her for Juice, too. Thought they'd be good for each other. She'd help even him out a bit. Still...he wasn't going to meddle with them again. No way. If things with Wendy went well that night, he was going to have his own girl to deal with.

Happy walked out of the SAMTAC clubhouse to take a breath of fresh air. He'd just been going at it with one of the Croweaters in a dark corner, and he need the chill night air to cool off a little. He was surprised when he stepped out to see the prospect sitting in one of the deck chair, flipping his cell phone open and closed. Over and over again. "You all right?"

"Huh?" Juice murmured, lifting his head. His eyes were heavy lidded and red; he was either insanely high, drunk, or both. "Oh. Hey Hap."

"You all right?" he repeated, sitting down in the Adirondeck chair beside him.

He shrugged a shoulder. " 'm fine," he murmured, playing with his phone again. "Can I ask you somethin'?" he asked, contemplating his screen.

"What?" Happy replied, knowing he'd live to regret it.

"Why is she with him?" he slurred, leaning back in the chair. "I don't get it."

Happy ran a hand over his face; he had a feeling Juice's question was going to be about Angela. He really didn't want to have this conversation. "Couldn't tell ya."

"She deserves so much better. Someone who could treat her good...I could treat her good," he murmured, flipping the phone open again. "Don't worry, though. She don't want me. We're friends, and y'know what? I love that. She's my best friend. She takes care a me, and I can...I can deal with that, but for her to get back together with that Mayan that treated her like shit? Fuck that. Rather she get together with anyone but him. She needs someone good. Someone like Raj. He was a good dude. He'd never cheat. I'd never cheat. Do anything for her, Hap. Always."

If he was honest, Happy liked the way Juice talked about his little cousin. Deep down, he'd always liked the guy. Even before he'd met him, he'd heard the way Angela had talked about him. Had told him all about the way Juice took care of her when she was in New York. He hated that both of her exes got between them. Hated it because he knew she'd never really been happy with Raj, and Esai definitely didn't make her happy. Maybe Juice would. But losing Raj the way she had had knocked her off her center. Made her vulnerable, which gave the slimy Mayan an easy in. If shit hadn't gone done the way it had, it was entirely plausible Angela would've dumped the lawyer, moved back to California on her own, and hooked up with Juice, something Happy honestly would've preferred. He hated having to deal with the fucking Mayans. Hated that his little cousin was in double the amount of danger because of it. "Yeah," he rasped, lighting up a cigarette. "Kid's got a lot goin' on right now. She's lost."

"I know, I know," he said softly. "Just want her to find herself again. She's...she's fuckin' amazing when she's happy, y'know? She's funny and smart and just...I just want to be around her all the time. She's like the fuckin' sun, y'know? Shining and warm."

Happy snorted at the cheesy, unoriginal line. "Fuck that cheesy ass shit. She ain't perfect. Love her, but she ain't the sun, and she don't want anything revolvin' around her like it. She's a fuckin' person. She wants an equal. Deserves that."

"Nah, we ain't equal. She's better than me."

"That's why it hasn't worked," Happy said, flicking ash off of his cigarette. "Keep thinkin' you're not good enough, and it ain't gonna happen. Fuck what you deserve. Gotta know what you want and get after it."

Juice seemed to let the words sink in for a moment. "You sayin' you'd be okay with it?"

He shrugged a shoulder, not wanting to admit to him that he would be. "Better than that fuckin' Mayan."

"I'd treat her right, Hap. Promise I would."

Happy stood slowly, crushing the cigarette under his boot. He slapped him on the shoulder. "Know you would," he assured him. "'cause if you didn't, I'd kill ya."

The look on Juice's face was priceless. The poor prospect's eyes had grown the size of saucers, his skin paling slightly. Happy smirked at him in response, walking away without another word; he'd wanted to scare him. It was his own way of preemptively protecting his little cousin. He knew the two of them hooking up was inevitable. Whether it lasted days or years, they'd get together eventually, and he wanted Juice to know what would happen should he ever hurt his little cousin.

I really love playing with the relationships and friendships in this story! Jax and Angela especially!

As always, let me know what you think! :) Hope you all are staying healthy and safe!

~Love Ink