A/N: I have been writing so much other stuff, my heart was craving my first love, Juice. Enjoy!


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Relief.

Pulling onto his street, Juice felt relief flood his body as it did every day now when his house came into view. He could see the light from his porch getting closer and closer. Parking his bike, he climbed the three steps to his door - ever on alert, looking around for hidden dangers while unlocking it using the keypad.

Exhaustion.

As soon as he crossed the threshold into the house, the weight of the club's activities tonight took residence on his shoulders, making his normal bouncy gate a lumbering shuffle. Standing in the bathroom peeling off clothes, he took account of his injuries, his bruises. Not too bad considering at one point he had to tackle a man almost twice his size to the ground. Taking the pain medication he had skipped earlier to be able to ride home safely with a handful of water from the sink, he turned on the shower. Standing under the searing hot water he watched the soapy sludge, briefly tinged pink with blood, flow down the drain. The washcloth in his hand found spots so tender he winced, little points of pain that weren't discolored yet, that were sure to speak up at full volume in the morning. When the water started to lose its steamy benefits, he turned it off and tucked a towel around his waist. Picking up his clothes from the floor, he headed for the washing machine, feeling more himself now that he was clean. Grateful that the hot water was as soothing to his injuries as he had hoped.

Pouring soap in the washer, he examined his hoodie and t-shirt, noting that they took the brunt of soaking up his adversary's blood, his pants were spared any major stains. He'd have to wait until the morning to check his boots. If he started cleaning them now, he wouldn't stop until they were spotless and tomorrow was coming, with more demands, whether he liked it or not. His body needed to rest. His mind needed to rest.

Padding down the hall for bed, he stops, drawn to the door of the second room on the right. Pushing the door open, the smell of the room alone releases all of the night's activities from his mind. As soon as he steps onto the thick, floor rug his body fully relaxes - its plush threads silencing his footsteps. At the bed's edge, he is careful not to bump into it, wanting to just watch the beauty of peaceful sleep for a while. It has been so long since he had it for himself.

Love swelled his heart and a deep gratefulness that he'd made it home another day brought a sting to his nose, a warning for coming tears. He started to turn away, considering playing a video game to help ease him toward sleepiness. He knew he shouldn't, but he returned to the crib and picked up his daughter. In the transition into his arms, her pudgy hand reached for him, blindly patting at his chin and lips. He kissed her hand, drawing in a deep breath of her fresh scent. Lowering himself into the glider they had shared many a night together, he pressed her pacifier to her lips and she opened her plump mouth to take it. Her chubby cheeks hallowed in and out instinctively wanting to feed, until the slow motion of the chair carried her back to sleep. Before she returned to the kind of deep slumber that God only offered children, her huge brown eyes fluttered open and then back closed. Dark, thick eyelashes lay like a fan on her sun-kissed skin and a faint, sleepy smile ghosted her lips once, then again. Juice's heart twisted in his chest at the sight, his turned-up lips mirroring hers.

At inception she had his heart, at birth she stole his soul - at almost three months old, she took his breath away daily. This dark-haired, sweet, giggling golden child was the only thing keeping him steady - his own flawless 12 pounds of peace.

Gently brushing his finger over her tightly closed fist, knowing she would grasp it even in her sleep, he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Hey, Giavana." Juice murmured low, still enamored with the way her name felt leaving his mouth. "What did I tell you, huh? Daddy's always coming home to you."