Chapter 10: Baptism By Fire

When Juice got a hold of Raniyah he wasn't exactly surprised to find out about Gemma's visit. "I'm surprised it took her this long," he confessed.

"What?!"

"That's just…Gem."

Juice rubbed his hand over his face as the silence on the line stretched out. Waiting it out, he paced in a circle. He knew Raniyah was highly annoyed about not getting any kind of a head's up but he hadn't been absolutely certain that Gemma would go find her, so why say anything?

"What does that even mean? She normally asks girls you talk to if they're fucking you? And what do they want from you?"

Juice stopped pacing, eyes wide, "What?"

"Yeah. All of that! It was really fun."

Juice's mind was going a mile a minute from that bit of information, needing a nervous energy outlet, he nudged his toe into the table leg repeatedly.

"And she knew you stayed here last night. I thought you said that they were cool. That I wasn't a problem."

"They are! You aren't!"

"Then why is somebody watching me?!"

Fuck! Realizing he had raised his voice he looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was paying him any mind, then lowered it to continue. "I swear, it's not like that. I swear." Exhaling hard into the phone he explained, "I told you Charming is small." And my bike was outside and she knows where you are staying 'cause I had to tell Clay and Clay doesn't trust anyone, not even his own stepson.

When she didn't respond, his mouth opened and all kinds of malarkey fell out, "Some of the guys knew I was going over to see you and then when I didn't come back. They probably put two and two together. If Gemma asked where I was then-," he let his sentence die out at the end.

He hated to lie but he needed to smooth things over. He was sure there was no way the guys had an inkling of where he had spent the night because not a single one of them said a word about it when he came in. And this bunch did not miss out on the chance to press for details on how a night with a new chick went. Ever. Juice was certain they didn't know, this was all Gemma.

The second round of silence on the other end of the line made him nervous. They had just gotten on a really good foundation and he didn't want anything to mess that up before she had to leave. "But you're okay, right? I mean…I don't know. You're good?"

The tone of his voice, the concern she heard there - cooled off her irritation some. "I'm fine, Jay. She didn't stab me or anything."

"No?"

"Shut up."

"I mean, I can call an ambulance if-"

"Shuuuut uuuuup," she giggled.

It felt good to hear the smile in her voice and knowing he was the cause triggered a broad, radiant one on his end. Sitting down on a bench, he pressed his luck, "So, uh…there's a thing on Friday. She wants you to come."

"She wants me to come?" The disbelief was obvious in her tone.

"Well, I do, too! But she kinda invited you. And it was after she talked to you so…"

Raniyah could hear the shrug without seeing it, "I don't know, Jay. What kind of thing?"

"A party."

A quick memory brought her shoulders up to her ears, "Like that first night I came?"

Juice snorted correcting her, "Naw, that wasn't a party. That was just a Tuesday night."

"Are you kidding me?" she squeaked. "No. No way. No thank you very much."

Juice laughed outright at her high-pitched response, "You chicken, Ronnie?"

"No, but…"

Juice proceeded to do exactly what he used to do when they were younger and try to talk her into some fun. "C'mon Ronnie, it won't be like last time. This time I'll be with you. I swear I won't leave your side. Just come." Part of him was getting excited that his brothers were going to meet her. Then he had a thought, "Look, maybe it would be easier if you already knew some people before then, come by the shop today."

Technically that was a great idea but Raniyah had to pass. "I better not, have a client call today and then a check-in with the editors. I have to be on time for those. This isn't exactly a no-obligations vacation for me remember? I'm working."

Juice turned around to Chibs' raised eyebrows and his what-the-hell-are-you-doing face. Shit. "Think about it. I uh, gotta get back to work."

"Okay, call me later?"

"Yeah!" Juice stood up to go back into the garage, hesitated, then blurted out, "But you're good, right? Still gonna stick around till next week?"

The way he kept making sure she was staying in Charming tugged on her heart. "Jay? You're stuck with me."

Juice's infectious grin spread wide, unashamed of being happy about her answer, "Cool…cool. Okay."

Chibs rolled his eyes so hard before he walked away Juice's ears went hot.

"Talk to ya later?"

"Yeah."

0.o.0.o.0

Juice and Raniyah had talked until late that night and texted all morning until he went to work. She had told him she had a deadline she was working on, so he wasn't expecting her when at a quarter to eleven she pulled up to the garage. Juice slid out from under a car to see why everyone had suddenly gone quiet. Looking around at his brothers he realized that they were staring at an unfamiliar truck whose occupant seemed hesitant to get out. Ronnie. He ignored the flip-flop his stomach did and wiped his hands as he jogged out to her truck, leaning into the driver's side window with an ear-splitting grin, "Hey! What are you doing here?"

"Seeing about you," she grinned back, dimples on full display.

"Yeah?" Juice peeled out of the top of his coveralls, exposing the black ribbed tank he wore underneath and tied the sleeves around his waist, leaning back into the window.

"Something like that." Her smile was as exuberant as his, fueled by his obvious pleasure in seeing her. "So, it's okay then? For me to be here?"

"Yeah!" He stood back opening the door for her to slide out. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she grabbed him up for a hug and he folded himself into it happily. Now they had the full attention of everyone in the garage who were now standing in audience in the frame of the roll-up door, shamelessly watching the two.

Thumbing over her shoulder at the box in the passenger seat and the one floor, she shrugged, "Figured I'd bring lunch. Nobody hates the girl who brings food, right?"

Juice's smile deflated a little. "No one is going to hate you."

"Except Gemma."

"Not even Gemma, okay?" He gave her another squeeze and moved her out of the way so he could slide the first box to him and carry it for her. All it took was hollering 'Food!' over his shoulder for his brothers to come to life. Now that she was out of the truck, Tig and Chibs shared a look, both of them remembering why she seemed familiar and hustling over first.

Raniyah stood by Juice's side waiting for an introduction but Tig's face was buried in the large cardboard box he was holding. "Sandwich shop off Miller?" Taking a long sniff of the goodness inside, Tig groaned, "Baby girl, I think I love you."

"Really?" Juice banged him under the chin with the box, "You don't even know her name."

Rubbing his chin with a look of I'll-get-you-back-for-that, Tig smiled and held out his hand to Raniyah. "Tig, sweetheart. And I'll call you whatever you want me to as long as we're naked." Tig wriggled his eyebrows at Juice, loving the scowl that appeared on his young brother's face.

Raniyah smiled at his antics, shaking his hand. She remembered him from her first night in the clubhouse but he was far less intimidating in broad daylight. He still had the face of a deviant but his leering and commentary were far more amusing without the backdrop of half-naked women, billowing smoke and pounding rock music. "Raniyah. And I think I'll keep my clothes on, okay?"

"If you insist."

She leaned into the truck for the second box hearing a low whistle behind her, followed by a 'Don't be gross' from Juice. Seeing that these guys were probably going to test her mettle, she shoved the second box into Tig's chest, "Take the box, mister."

"Oof!" Tig grinned, his dirty mind latching on to the word box and all the ways he could use it for a comeback. "She's leaving it wide open for me, Juice. How am I supposed to be a gentleman?"

Juice settled his mouth into a straight line. "Come on, man."

Chibs, who had been silent so far, stepped behind Tig giving him a deft smack to the back of his head. "Away with ye! M'lady?" Chibs offered his arm to Raniyah with a smile, watching Tig head to the tables. "Don' mind tha' one. One too many blows ta tha head, love."

She smiled at his knights-in-armor act, looping her arm in his, "M'name's Chibs, Raniyah, love. And if he gets out o' hand again just give me a holler."

Half-Sack, having been shoved in their direction, trotted over to the truck, red-cheeked, offering Raniyah his assistance. "I can carry something."

"Hey, thanks," she smiled easily at him, remembering him, too from her first night in the clubhouse. "There's a cooler in the back."

"Got it."

Juice walked with Raniyah and Chibs to the tables carrying the box of food - rolling his eyes at the way he was fawning over her, but truly glad she was there. Proud that she had swallowed her fear and showed up even though he knew she was still worried about her run-in with Gemma.

Leaning a little closer to Juice she asked, "Why do you call him Half-Sack?"

"Later."

"Really?"

Juice gave her a closed-mouth smile, his Adam's apple dipping in a snicker. She mouthed 'wow, okay' back at him, determined to remember to get that story out of him later. Jax, Opie, Bobby and a few others stood around Tig, getting the first choice of the wrapped goodies while he was unloading his box onto one of the tables outside.

"Savages! The lot of 'em," Chibs said in response to the way they were tearing into the containers, then let her arm go to join in the free for all himself. Juice put his box down and dug into the cooler. The clink of beer bottles got the attention of the others and a cheer went up at seeing the drinks on ice. Juice grinned wide as the sky as his brothers crowded around snatching up cold ones and introducing themselves to Raniyah.

While they settled down and started to plow through the chips and sandwiches, Juice tugged on the back of her shirt, directing her to sit next to him. She shook her head no, "I wasn't gonna stay."

Juice's face screwed up in confusion, "Why? You can't go now."

Chibs joined the campaign to get her to stay. "Ya canna' leave us, ya jus' got 'ere."

"I didn't wanna stop you guys from working."

At that, they all looked at each other and laughed. "C'mon darlin' you gotta stay," Jax insisted.

Convinced they weren't just being nice, Raniyah sat on the bench wedged between Chibs and Juice, grabbing one of the bags of chips. Once she sat, Jax gave her a sneaky look, his blue eyes dancing, "You can tell us all about young shithead."

"I can't imagine him younger," Bobby muttered around his sandwich.

"Or dumber," Opie put in, causing a ripple of laughter.

"Hey!" she squinted in mock anger at him. "That's my guy you're talkin' about!"

Jax wiped his mouth, cutting a sly look at Juice, "Come on, we need at least one story, darlin'. A good one."

Raniyah made a show of thinking about it. He beat down a homeless guy for trying to rob me. He's a ping-pong champion. He slept in my bed for 3 years. He's smarter than everyone at this table and the sole reason why I can't date stupid men. His hair used to be down to his shoulders. The first hard-on I ever saw was his….

"Not a lot to tell, gentlemen. There's no juicy bits, we were twelve and he was adorable," she shrugged holding her shoulders up high, trying to hold her lips down on the grin that kept popping out.

Jax leaned forward with a grin to match hers, shaking his head. "Liar."

"Awww, he was a widdle baby," Tig leaned across the table and pinched Juice's cheek, earning himself a solid smack on the hand.

"Tha's shite! Lass, not one thing?" Chibs pressed. "Somethin' we can hold over his head till he dies?"

"Well," Raniyah looked at Juice and smiled her best angelic smile, dimples popping, "there was the time we dressed up for Fright Night and Jay wore-,"

"Nope!" Juice yanked her into his chest and clapped his hand over her mouth, "No! Ronnie!"

Raniyah squealed under his palm, laughing. Yanking his hand away, she squawked out, "I have pictures!" before Juice could muffle her again. Still trapping her giggling, squirmy form to his chest he issued his own threat, "I'll tell a worse one on you! I swear to god!"

A second later Juice yelped and almost rolled Raniyah onto the ground jumping up from the table. "Uuuugh! You licked me!"

Tig exploded in laughter before anyone else at the table had a chance to react. Juice made a disgusted face, pouring bottled water on his hand and rubbing it on his coveralls. "Fuckin' gross!"

Wiping her mouth and cheeks with a napkin, Raniyah grinned, "Well, keep your nasty BBQ chip hands off my face!"

There was boisterous laughter all around and that sealed the deal - Raniyah was officially welcome.

Clay pulled in, his eyes on the happy gathering while he shed his helmet. He walked up, scanning the table, his eyes eventually falling on Raniyah. "What's goin' on boys?

"Food," Chibs tossed out, popping the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth. "An' plenty of it, come on."

He patted his stomach. "Yeah. Gotta see mama first," he said, thumbing toward the garage where Gemma was holed up in the office.

Jax jumped up, looking over what was left on the table, "Shit, I forgot ma!"

Raniyah looked to Juice, eyes questioning, "Gemma."

Leaving the table, she dug into the cooler, handing Jax a deep bowl from a bag that had been tucked under the ice. Inside was a large salad with three different kinds of salad dressing. "I didn't know what she'd like, so…hmmm. Here." She put a half tuna sandwich and a half turkey sandwich on top. "And take these just in case."

Mentally Raniyah winced, she was going to take that salad back to the room for herself, so saying that she brought it for Gemma was a big lie. Huge. She wasn't even thinking about her, but maybe it would make Ol' Cruella ease up a little bit. That alone was worth having to find herself something else to eat for dinner.

Clay took it from Jax, "I'll take it up. Let's act like we got work today, boys. We need these outta here." With a nod to Raniyah, he disappeared into the clubhouse. You're welcome, rude ass.

"You heard him," Tig grumbled, getting up. Unzipping his coveralls, he dug into his jeans pocket and dropped a twenty-dollar bill on the table, the others immediately followed suit.

Raniyah was confused, "No, wait! It was my treat!"

Opie waved her off with a soft smile. "Thanks. Good to meet you."

Raniyah looked to Juice to do something but he was digging in his pants pocket, too, adding to the growing pile. "You guys, seriously. I wanted to."

"And we're grateful, darlin'." Chibs put his arm around her shoulders and dropped a kiss on her temple, pointing at Juice. "Make sure we see her again, an' soon."

Leaving a mess of wrappers and containers, not to mention an obscene amount of money on the table, they headed back into the garage with thank you winks and see you later squeezes. Raniyah was stunned. "This is too much money."

Juice shook his head and shrugged, "If you don't take it they'll kill me so just take it." He said it so casually she didn't know what else to do but gather it up and join him in getting all the trash into a box. She put the leftover sandwiches and chips into the other box for them to keep for later.

Having learned Half-Sack's actual name was Kip during lunch, she was much more comfortable in asking him to keep the drink cooler till it was empty. Piling the box of extras on top, he took it with a sweet closed-lipped smile and a nod, back to the garage.

Juice took the box of trash to the dumpster and even though he knew he had to get back to work, he didn't want her to leave yet. He stood with her at the truck talking about nothing and collecting a healthy portion of the seven years' worth of hugs he had missed out on until Tig's voice rang out from the lift door. "Hey, Shithead! Stop dry humpin' my new girlfriend and move your ass!"

Raniyah burst out laughing and climbed into her truck. Juice could have died a thousand deaths from the embarrassment. Jogging back to the garage with his ears flaming, he could help but chuckle at Tig who was waving goodbye to Raniyah, wearing a shit-eating grin. Juice had known payback for earlier was going to be coming and Tig delivered in spades. Asshole.

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A/N: Welp, she walked into the lion's den and got out unscathed but it's just the beginning of being exposed to SAMCRO. So much more to come! Thank you for reading...I appreciate y'all so much! See you next chapter...kjx ;)