A/N : Thank you to hvnsllbbygrl, mbite7, namelessxx, MELYLOOP and wifey2212 for your reviews! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!

Chucky had a long list of errands that needed doing in preparation for the Mayan/Sons party that was happening tonight, so Izzy had volunteered us to help. I didn't mind; I was trying my best to stay distracted after what had occurred between me and Angel this morning.

I was still in shock that he had ended things between us, and basically told me he didn't care if he never saw me again. I knew I had hurt him by keeping EZ's secret, but I had done it to try and protect him.

I didn't want to think about what he was doing now – had he caught up with EZ? Had they followed through with their task? I knew these questions would eventually drive me mad, and on top of that I had the trepidation of potentially meeting my brother tonight. What would he be like? I could tell there was more to 'Happy' Lowman than what the guys were telling me. I had quizzed Chucky a few times over the past weeks, once I found out that he had once worked with the sons of anarchy before coming down to be with the Mayans, but he'd remained pretty tight-lipped about the whole situation. My mind felt like it was going to explode, so keeping busy was the best thing right now.

Izzy and I were currently waiting in the car, whilst Leti went to pick up some parcels for the club. Izzy could tell something was wrong – she knew me better than anyone – but she had yet to ask me about it. Maybe she sensed that I didn't even know where to begin. I knew it wouldn't be long though; my girl was nothing if not inquisitive, especially when it came to my love life.

"Dare I ask what happened between you and lover boy?" She asked, and I smirked at her timing, before frowning at her question. My heart ached with every thought of Angel.

"Let's just say I fucked up," I replied. I was always ready to hold my hands up when I was in the wrong and this situation was 100% on me. She sighed, nodding to herself thoughtfully.

"Is it worth fixing?" She asked quietly and I looked at her, my eyes welling up.

"Everything with Angel is always worth fixing. I just don't think I can," I whispered, my voice cracking on the last word.

"Oh hun, never think that!" She cried, pulling me in for a hug. "Shit can always be fixed. It's never that broken."

"You have no idea," I told her, burying my head into her mass of curls as she hugged me. Leti must have gotten back whilst we were hugging because, the next thing I knew, I was being hugged from behind too.

"Not sure what this shit is about but… I'm here. You know, if you wanna talk and…stuff," Leti said in her usual awkward manner, as we all pulled away from each other. I laughed embarrassedly at my outburst, smiling at them both.

"Thank you," I told them honestly, wiping my eyes. "I'm just being stupid. Besides, it's probably just my nerves about meeting Tom, I mean Happy, later." Leti nodded at that.

"Yeah I get that, I felt the same way when I met Coco," she said before grinning, "at least there's no chance he's actually going to turn out to be your dad!" We all laughed at that.

"Come on!" Izzy declared, taking the keys out of my hand. "We've done what we needed to do for Chucky, and we aren't needed back at the clubhouse for a couple of hours. I say we hit the mall – shopping fixes everything!" I knew that shopping definitely wouldn't fix the situation I was in, but I was grateful to have these two girls in my corner. I agreed, earning a loud cheer from Izzy, and the three of us headed to the mall.

After 2 hours of Izzy being in charge, both Leti and I had new outfits for tonight's party, complete with accessories. Izzy was feeling a personal triumph that she had actually found a dress for Leti that she didn't hate on-sight, and was now rewarding herself in the food area with a large cookies 'n' crème milkshake to celebrate. Leti had chosen a salted caramel coffee, and was sitting next to us, rather quietly.

"Everything ok, Letz?" I asked her, not wanting her to feel forced into telling us if she wasn't ready to.

"Oh yeah," she nodded, smiling gently. "I was just thinking about shit."

"Thinking about what?" Izzy asked, ever the inquisitor. I couldn't hate her for it though, I also wanted to know what was bothering our friend.

"It's just nice to be here," she shrugged, "like I told you before, I've never really had real friends before or a family. Now I've got both. It's nice." We both smiled at her.

"We're pretty lucky too, Let," Izzy assured her. "There was way too much testosterone living in the club house before you came along." She grinned at that.

"How are you things going with you and Coco?" I asked, wanting to check in. We hadn't really talked about her family since what happened with Celia.

"Things are good," she nodded. "I know he's stressed out because he doesn't really want me living at the club, but there's no room for me at his and Angel's place. I don't mind living at the club, honestly, but I know he just wants somewhere more settled for me. We're still getting used to each other, you know? I don't know if I want to live with just him all the time. I've never had someone in my business so much and, let's be honest, he doesn't want me in his either. Not that I'm complaining… it's nice to have someone who cares. I've never had that. But it's all just a bit weird." She looked suddenly embarrassed that she'd admitted so much, but I smiled at her, understanding completely.

"Yeah, we get you. We feel totally under everyone's feet at the clubhouse," I told her. "We need to decide what the fuck we are doing. Bishop has been real kind, letting us crash, but we can't rely on his hospitality forever."

"I guess it all depends on what happens tonight with ol' Happy, doesn't it?" Izzy agreed and suddenly, Leti looked shocked.

"Oh… are you leaving then? Are you going to go with your brother… if he's your brother?" She looked sad at the idea, though she was trying to hide it. This afternoon I had started to think maybe a fresh start away from Santo Padre was a good idea, especially if Angel really meant what he said. I couldn't imagine being around the clubhouse if me and Angel were really over, my heart couldn't take that. But, her sudden question made me realise that I had a lot more in Santo Padre than just Angel, and I felt sad at the prospect of leaving. Somehow, Santo Padre had become my home.

"I honestly don't know," I told her truthfully. "God even knows if Happy is my brother at this point." Izzy sighed dramatically between the two of us.

"Do you know what would be great?" She said, suddenly grinning. We both looked at her confused.

"What?" I asked.

"If the three of us got a place together. Fuck all the boys….except my man Gilly, of course. He's not causing any drama right now," she declared, winking and I laughed.

"Your man, huh? When did that happen Miss I-don't-want-to-be-involved?" I teased and she mock-punched me.

"That would be nice," Leti agreed, smiling.

"Come on!" Izzy said suddenly, dragging us both up and away from the food court, "We are going to look at what is on the market! Sod all the guys, I've had enough of them anyway."

This is what I loved most about Izzy. When the whole world turns to shit, I can always rely on her to put a smile on my face.

*** Mayans MC *** *** Mayans MC *** *** Mayans MC ***

We made it back to the clubhouse as the sun started to set. I noticed EZ was back in the yard, working on one of the bikes. He smiled gently at us as we pulled in. Taking a deep breath, I left Izzy and Leti carrying the parcels into the clubhouse, and went over to talk to him.

"Are you ok?" I asked quietly, not wanting to give too much away to anyone who may be listening. The lot was deserted, but all the bikes were here, which told me Templo was probably going on. EZ nodded, focussing on the bike he was working on for a second, before looking up.

"It's done," he told me, and my heart clenched. I nodded, unsure what to say.

"Did… um… did you?" I asked, unsure how to word it. He looked at me for a second before shaking his head.

"Angel," he answered, and tears filled my eyes. I had no idea how many people Angel had killed before I knew him, or if he ever had, but I knew that this would forever change him. You can't shoot your cousin and feel nothing.

"He knows," I whispered, embarrassed as the tears began rolling down my cheeks. "He knows that I knew. He called me a traitor and said that we were done." I don't know why I was opening up to EZ about it but I couldn't help it. He was the only one who knew the truth and I couldn't keep in the hurt I was feeling.

"Shit," he said, as I let out a sob and suddenly, he was hugging me tight. "I'm so sorry, Hope. This is my fault." I clung to him, not caring that I was soaking his shirt with my tears.

"No, it's not," I said, wiping my eyes as he let me go. "We were both just trying to keep him safe. What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know," he replied, honestly. "He wants me to go and tell Bishop that I made a mistake and I'm done prospecting."

"And is that what you wanna do?" I asked. "I got the impression that this life was never what you wanted for yourself."

"Not at first," he admitted, "but things are different now." I nodded, understanding completely. The Mayans had a way of infiltrating your life, in both the best and worst ways. One minute, they were strangers. The next minute, they're your family and you can't imagine a life without them.

"He's my sponsor," he continued, shaking his head, "if he doesn't want me here, there's no way I'll make full patch anyway. Even if I did want to stay." Which you do, I silently added, knowing it was true. EZ was a Mayan at heart, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

"ok.. so… change your sponsor?" I suggested, not even knowing if that were possible. I continued regardless. "Don't let Angel run your out of town. Besides, you and I both know if you leave now, you'll never patch things up between you. I know things between me and Angel are fucked but… you're brothers. You can work this out. But not if you're 1000 miles away." His brown eyes met mine, and I could see he was seriously considering it.

"But how do I get someone else to sponsor me? They're not going to think it's cool that I'm turning my back on my brother, when he helped me get into the club in the first place," he questioned and I thought about it for a minute. An idea suddenly came to me and I snapped my fingers in triumph.

"You don't play it that way," I shook my head. "You go to Bishop. You go to him and you tell him that the conflict between the club and brotherhood is fucking with both of you, and that you ask Bishop to sponsor you instead. He will appreciate that you're coming to him and that you don't want the club to suffer."

"That's… actually not a bad idea," he admitted and I grinned. "You think he will say yes?"

"It's worth a shot. What have you got to lose?" I replied and he shrugged.

"Fair point. Thanks Hope… hey look. Don't give up on Angel," he told me, his eyes kind. "I know he's hurt but he will come around, especially for you. He loves you." I smiled, getting teary again. I hoped everything he was saying was true.

I was saved from replying by the rumble of a truck pulling into the lot, and I spotted Felipe in the driver's seat. Both EZ and I hurried over to help him with the meat order.

I nodded to Felipe, taking the bags from him so he could have a private conversation with EZ. I guessed they had a lot to talk about. Felipe smiled at me in return.

I was just handing the bags over to Leti, when the clubhouse doors burst open and Coco and Gilly fell out, dragging Angel with them. The three of them were laughing and joking, pointing to a piece of cloth in Angel's hand.

"Hey yo, Hope," Coco called in my direction. "Come and greet our new secretary!" I guess Angel hadn't passed on the memo that we were over.

"He's enjoying the new post," Gilly continued, "even Adelita was pleased for him. Joking about buying him a typewriter and shit when he went by earlier." I froze at his words. Had he really gone to Adelita today? After what he had done to save EZ, and after telling me I meant nothing… he had gone straight to Adelita? I didn't want to believe it.

Gilly and Coco were oblivious to my pain, still joking around, but Angel looked up, locking eyes with me. He tried to look nonchalant, like he didn't give a fuck, but his eyes betrayed his guilt. I knew without having to say a word that something had happened between them.

My eyes filled with tears as I took a deep breath, walking up the stairs to take the meat into the clubhouse. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

As I passed the guys, Angel reached out and grabbed my arm.

"Hope…" he started, and I could see the struggle in his eyes. I couldn't believe how far we had fallen in the space of a day.

"Congratulations, Angel," I said softly, shrugging out of his grip. "You've got everything you wanted." I walked into the clubhouse without looking back, dumping the bags with Chucky, who was in the kitchen, before running to my dorm room.

I hid in there for a good couple of hours, the door locked tight. There were exactly 3 knocks on my door, all of which I ignored. I don't know how long it took for me to stop crying, but eventually I pulled myself together and decided to take a shower. I knew I needed to get ready for the party, and I couldn't focus on Angel right now. My fucking 'brother' was about to get here.

I had just got out of the shower and was straightening my hair when I heard a scuffle behind my door. Before I had a chance to open it, there was a click and the door flew open, revealing Izzy and Leti looking triumphant, with what looked like a credit card in her hand.

"Still got it," she grinned, pleased with herself as she pocketed the card, before glaring at me. "You're ignoring us."

"I'm not ignoring you, I just needed some space," I grumbled, as they both closed the door behind them and got comfortable on my bed.

"You know you're gonna have to tell us what is going on eventually, H," Izzy said, helping herself to my eyeliner.

"Yeah, we've got each other's backs, remember?" Leti added and I couldn't help but giggle at them both.

"Honestly, I don't want to talk about it. Happy is going to be here at any moment and, somehow, I've got to work out if he's my brother or not. So, whatever is going on with Angel is taking a back seat for tonight," I growled. Even if he is a cheating little bastard, I couldn't help but think. Although… technically we weren't together. But that wasn't the fucking point right now!

"Touche," Leti agreed.

"Look, I say we get you all dolled up, looking pretty. Show fuck boy Angel what he is missing. Whatever it going on between you, he should still think you're hot. Then we can suss out this Happy guy and, if he turns out to be a complete asshole, or just not your brother, we can just get well and truly wasted. Deal?" Izzy commanded and I nodded.

"Deal," I agreed, "let's do this."

Within half an hour, we were ready to go. We headed out of the dorm together, finding the party already in full swing. We walked out of the clubhouse into the yard, only to be greeted by wolf-whistles and hollering of approval. We did look pretty hot to be fair, and it felt damn good that people noticed. It gave me a spring of confidence as I walked over to where EZ was serving drinks, walking straight past a gobsmacked Angel without a second glance. EZ grinned when I approached.

"Nice," he said, appreciatively and I winked at him, giggling.

"It's always good to remind a guy what he's losing," I laughed and he shrugged, not offering any comment on that. "You speak to Bishop yet?"

"Not yet," he shook his head. "Waiting for the reaper first."

"You and me both," I murmured.

"You nervous?" He asked, as he slid a shot in front of me.

"You have no fucking clue," I responded, cheers-ing him before knocking it back in one. "It's not like I'm overflowing with family right now." He stared at me, taking the shot glass away and offering me a vodka and coke, with a bottle of water on the side.

"Family doesn't end with blood, Hope. You've got more family than you realise. Maybe even more family than you asked for," he reminded me, before moving away to serve someone else.

I stood there for a few minutes, enjoying the music and the party. Looking round at everyone, Riz and Creeper over by the cage, Gilly making out with Izzy, Angel chilling with Hank, Coco hanging with Leti; it made me smile. Despite the emotional rollercoaster that came with being involved with the Mayans… they were my family.

I was thrown out of my thoughts by more bikers pulling into the lot. These definitely weren't Mayans. Their kuttes depicted the grim reaper, holding a giant scythe and an anarchy sign with the words 'Sons of Anarchy California' surrounding it. I suddenly understood why everyone called them 'the reaper', before my stomach was suddenly in knots. This was it. They were finally here.

They parked their bikes a few feet in front of me, so I had a good view of them but they weren't looking my way. I watched as the 2 patched members dismounted their Harleys, followed by a young prospect who stepped out of the van that accompanied them. The first guy was tall, with long brown hair. He looked pleasant enough but something in my gut told me it wasn't who I was waiting for. Which just left the other one.

He was shorter, with a clean-shaven head and was heavily tattooed. I watched as Taza and Hank stepped out to meet them, with Taza embracing the one I was beginning to suspect was Happy.

"My Reaper brothers," Taza greeted them, before the second guy moved over to hug Gilly, who had come over to greet our visitors. Taza caught sight of me, raising his eyebrows, but I shook my head vehemently. I wasn't ready to meet them just yet.

"Heard you got a visitor I'm supposed to be meeting?" The second guy growled, confirming my suspicions. His eyes were dark and cold, and he gave off distinctive animalistic vibes. Let's just say I wouldn't want to be trapped in a cage with him. I was starting to understand why the other guys were weary of him, though they seemed pleasant enough now.

"Yes, Hope," Taza nodded, looking over at me again subtly. "I'm sure she's around here somewhere. Says she's your sister?" He asked questioningly.

"Does she?" He grunted, pulling a face. "Well that can wait for later. I came here for one reason and one reason only; to get absolutely fucked!" He declared, following Hank to the bar. Taza pulled an apologetic glance my way before following suit.

I couldn't help but feel offended. I knew I hadn't jumped up to greet him; my nerves had got the better of me. But it seemed to me like my 'brother' didn't want to know me at all. Tears pricked in my eyes as I looked around the lot, pausing when I caught sight of Angel sitting by the fire, with a sweet butt in his lap. The sick feeling in my stomach turned into a pit of fire as Bishop sat down next them, and I caught Angel dismissing the girl by kissing her, before tapping her on the ass as she got up.

I turned away before he could see me cry.

A/N: Next chapter: Happy