Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs...

She Will Be Loved

Chapter 3: Making Plans

By Love Ink

Angela tapped her fingers on the dining room table anxiously as she listened to the phone ring. She knew Kozik and Hap would be heading to her Aunt's house soon, and she wanted to pre-heat them before they met Juice. For a moment, she regretted not introducing them to Juice sooner. They'd been to New York a couple of times for club things, and she'd made sure to keep Juice away. She knew they'd like him. Knew they would see what an asset he could be to the club in New York with his technology skills and his connections. Even though he wouldn't have the same connection in California, Juice's tech skills were invaluable. They would be stupid not to accept him into their club. Which is why she'd kept him away from Koz and Hap as much as she could. She didn't want Juice to be a part of that shit. Didn't want the stupid outlaw motorcycle club to change her happy, goofy friend into some tough, sad outlaw biker. He was better than that, smarter. It pained her to send him across the country to her killer cousin and his friends.

"What's up, Angie-pie?" Kozik's happy voice came over the line as she expected it to. She'd called Koz knowing he'd be with Hap. Those two were usually together.

"Hey Kozi. You with Hap? Got a favor to ask you two," she said on a sigh, raking her hand through her hair.

"Sure thing, kiddo. Let me figure out how to put this thingy on loud."

She cringed as she heard him pressing buttons and cursing to himself. She rolled her eyes exaggeratedly; Juice was definitely going to be a godsend to these clueless dummies. "Koz?"

"Yeah! Yeah, we're here," he said, too loud and too close to the speaker. "What's up?"

Angela twisted her ring around her finger, blowing some hair out of her face. "I um...remember the friend I told you about? Juice?"

Hap answered with a 'no' while Kozik said, "Oh yeah."

"Okay, well he's kind of my...closest friend here. He's the one that showed me around New York when I was by myself? Helped me with that mugger the first day? Tutors me in math?" she explained, trying to make him sound as good as possible.

"Nerd," Happy muttered. "What do you want?"

Angela smirked; he wasn't wrong. "He's um...he got in trouble with the mob up here, so he had to leave, and I kinda...sent him your way. Was wondering if you guys could kinda take care of him for me?"

There was a long pause before Happy asked, "You want us to kill him?"

"No! No, God no. What the hell is wrong with you?" she exclaimed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I mean like...make sure he's okay. Just get him a job at the garage and let him work there. Watch after him. He's...he's really smart with computer shit. Think he might be able to bring you cavemen up out of the Stone Age. He doesn't need to prospect, just let him hang out and be safe."

"You vouching for him?"

"Hap, he's my best friend. I trust him with my life. He's a good guy who just needs a family. He's loyal as hell. He'll do whatever you guys need. Think you'll like him a lot if you give him a chance."

Kozik sighed into the phone. "Well, shit. You really like this guy, huh? There somethin' between you two? What ever happened to the other dude?"

"No, there's nothing...," she trailed off, remembering the day Juice had left. The way his touch had sent butterflies stampeding through her stomach, the way she'd wanted to kiss him, touch him... "Nothing between us. A guy and a girl can be just friends."

"Not really, kiddo. Not for long. Usually one of 'em's got feelin's. If it ain't you, then it's definitely him," Kozik said, chuckling softly.

Angela was thankful she was speaking to them on the phone and not in person so they couldn't see her blush. "Whatever. Are you going to help me or not? He's at my Ma's place being spoiled by Lena."

"They safe with him there?" Hap asked.

"Yeah. Totally. Juice got into some deep shit over a dispute between two mob families, but they're only on the east coast. Plus, they got his buddy already and they probably only needed one of 'em for retribution," she explained, hoping she hadn't made things worse. "Please, guys. I don't ask for much, and I'll owe you something big too!"

"We'll give him a shot," Kozik agreed, as she knew he would. She'd been the sole person responsible for getting him clean during his druggie days. He rarely denied her something when she asked.

Angela sighed in relief, smiling a little to herself. "And be nice to him too. He needs some good friends."

"One thing at a time, kid," Happy put in. "We don't even know if he'll make the cut."

She cringed a little. How did she tell them she didn't want them to let him prospect without raising suspicion about his character? It wouldn't work. "Just let him hang around. For me. Please."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Kozik said, and she could picture him rolling his eyes. "Hey, you coming home soon, kid? We miss ya here."

Angela smiled to herself; Happy would never say he missed her, but Kozik did it with ease. She knew Hap missed her too, but she appreciated Koz saying so. It was why they made such a good duo. "Miss you guys, too. I'm almost done with school, and then I'll be back. Promise. No way I'm staying over here. It snows too much."

He chuckled in response. "We'll find ya somethin' close. Outta Oakland. Ain't no way you're getting close to those Mayan dicks again."

She rolled her eyes, glad that he couldn't see her do so. "Whatever, Kozi. It was just one dick, by the way."

" 's one too many," Happy put in. "Need anythin' else? Know you got Ham there to help with anythin' you need."

She smirked at the name. Ham was one of the Sons from the New York charter. He was a thin guy, tall, not the type you'd think would be called 'Ham'. After weeks of bugging him for an explanation, Koz finally explained the guy's last name was Hamilton, and they called him 'Ham' for short, which was a way less exciting story than she had thought it was going to be. Ham was a one of the nicer Sons. Had stopped by every month to make sure she was doing all right and give her the number to his new burner since the disposable cell phones were easily bought now. She knew if shit hit the fan, he'd be there in a heartbeat. Luckily for both of them, she didn't get into much trouble. The only times she'd been close had been after a few parties she'd gone to with Juice. "I know, thanks."

"We'll see you soon, kid. Stay safe over there," Koz told her as he did whenever he hung up the phone.

"All right. Love you guys," she said, waiting for both of them to grumble a 'me too' before hanging up the phone. She sighed as she tossed the little burner onto the seat cushion next to her. She walked around her apartment, her heart feeling heavy. It felt like something was missing, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what.

Her front door opened and Raj strode in with a smile. Leaning over the couch, he kissed her cheek. "Hey babe!" he greeted, sitting down on the couch next to her. "Couple of our friends are meetin' down the road to get some drinks. Want to go?"

"God, yes," she said on an exaggerated nod. A drink sounded like just the thing she needed to erase the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Casual or business casual clothes?"

"Whatever you want. I'm wearing this," he said, gesturing to his nice shirt and dark jeans. "Some of the lawyer girls are goin' though. You know how they always dress."

"I certainly do." She rolled her eyes as she walked back into her room. Raj's friends from NYU lived in their little blazers and fancy office dresses. She had bought a couple herself to wear for job interviews, but she wasn't going to wear those tonight. Instead, she settled on a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, her leather jacket, biker boots, and big silver hoop earrings; a look she knew would make those girls roll their eyes. She didn't give a shit, though.

When Raj saw her, he grinned. "There's my beautiful biker girl," he said, a look of pride in his eyes. God, she liked being with him. He was so different from the other men she'd been with. He just wanted her to be happy. Raj held out his hand to her, pulling her in close to give her a kiss. "C'mon, love. Let's go, so I can show you off."

She kissed him again, happy to join him. It was a good crowd, and the bar was fun, yet she still couldn't shake the feeling she didn't belong there. Usually, she looked forward to calling Juice to go over every eye-roll every snarky comment the girls said, and they'd laugh about it together. But she couldn't do that now. Not with the time difference between them. Calling him for something so trivial felt...wrong. Her smile faded just a bit as she stared down into the wine in her glass and wondered if the empty feeling she felt would ever go away, or if she'd just get used to it and move on...

Juice's stomach was in knots as he set the table for dinner. Angela's cousin was going to be there, and this was his make it or break it moment. If he didn't impress him, then the whole trip to California would be for naught. He'd have to find some other way to find safety. There was a knock on the door and Elena practically sprinted to answer it. Juice's heart was in his throat as he heard two lower voices join Elena's. He stood up straighter, puffing out his chest a bit to try and look tougher.

Two men in matching leather vests entered the small dining room, and Juice stopped what he was doing. There was no doubt which of the two was Angela's cousin. He had the same dark brown eyes as Angela and Elena, except there was a coldness to them that gave Juice chills. While Angela had only told him good stories about her cousin, Juice had no doubt her cousin was one mean motherfucker who was not to be messed with. The blonde biker on his other side seemed a little less intense and more carefree. His blonde hair was slightly messy and spiked in the front, a big grin on his face as he surveyed the room. Juice had heard Angela talk about the two of them so many times it was strange to meet them in person. They definitely didn't look anything like he'd imagined them.

"Juan, this is my son, Happy," Elena introduced with a proud smile. "And this is my adopted son, Kozik. You two, this is Juan, Angelita's friend. He is a good boy. Has helped me out a lot around the house and even fixed the TV so I got three more Spanish channels!"

If Happy didn't look so damn scary, Juice would've laughed at the name as it seemed to be the polar opposite of everything the man was. "Nice to meet you guys," he said, shaking Kozik's hand. Happy did nothing but glare at him. "Most people call me Juice."

"Right. That's what the kid said," Kozik stated, taking a seat at the table. "So how'd you fix the satellite, Juicer? Me 'n' Hap have been tryin' to do it for months now."

Juice didn't sit, and wouldn't until Elena did as he knew was respectful. "I um...I've been messing around with computers for awhile now, and I...I found a way to hack into the system and find the right angle to get more channels."

"Smart guy. Ang mentioned that."

He felt a flush creep up into his cheeks at the mention of her name. What the hell was wrong with him? Did he really miss her so much that just the mere sound of her name had him feeling hot all over? "Oh yeah. She's...she's great," he managed to get out lamely. "Best friend I got."

Kozik smile widened as he raised an eyebrow. "Best friend, huh? How's she doin' over there?"

"Oh um...g-good. She hates the snow, but she works real hard at school. I'd been helping her with math and sh-stuff, but she's really smart. She's doing really good."

"What's with the lawyer?"

"Raj? He's cool. Treats her right," Juice explained, shifting uncomfortably. "You guys meet him yet?"

Kozik nodded, fidgeting with his sleeves a bit. "Seems boring as fuck if you ask me. Dunno what she's doin' with him."

"Least he keeps her outta trouble," Happy muttered, playing with his utensil.

Juice kept his mouth shut, knowing that to say anything more might show his hand a bit, show them his feelings for Angela were more than just friendly feelings. He was relieved when Elena walked in with plates of food balanced on her arms. She placed them in front of the two bikers, kissing their cheeks and patting their heads like they were young boys. "Here you are, Juancito," she said to him, doing the same to him. He waited until she sat down before sitting himself. She smiled at the action, pleased. "Are they asking too many questions? Ridiculous! Angelita's not a baby anymore. Leave her be."

"Sorry, Lena. We're just seeing what the guy knows about her. Y'know she don't tell us anything but that she's okay," Kozik replied around a mouthful of food. "So what do you know about cars?"

He grimaced in response. "Not a whole lot."

"But he fixed out satellite," Elena reminded them, patting his hand lovingly. "Good picture too. Not fuzzy at all."

Kozik leaned forward a little, intrigued. "What else can you hack into?"

"Got pretty good at getting into all the law enforcement shit. Plans, records, all that shit. Erased some warrants for some of the guys back in New York. Saved 'em from some jail time," he explained, trying to make it sound more complicated than it was so he'd seem like an asset to them. "I can get into banks too and fix money problems. I try to stay away from that shit, though. Too risky."

Happy and Kozik exchanged glances before the blonde cleared his throat. "Think Gemma could use some help with the computer at TM. If you're willin' to learn the car shit, think we might be able to get you a gig there."

"Temporarily," Happy put in.

"Temporarily," Kozik agreed on a nod. "That sound good?"

"Yeah, yeah! That sounds...great! Thank you!" Juice replied trying not to sound too overeager. "I um...I'll figure out the car stuff. I'm a quick learner, I swear."

"Yeah, we'll see," Happy muttered, going back to his food.

Elena winked at him discreetly before clearing her throat about to say something when Graciela breezed in. She smiled at them all, letting out a small, content sigh. She was still in her maroon scrubs, her tied back in a braid. With her hair pulled back like that, she looked just like an older version of Angela, though her eyes were not quite as warm and her smile decidedly less friendly. "Look who came to visit," she said, going over to kiss Happy's cheek, then Kozik's. "How was your ride?"

"Long," Happy answered curtly.

"Have you heard from your cousin at all?" she asked, sitting down at the table with a full plate.

He narrowed his eyes at her and shrugged a shoulder. "You could call her."

Graciela clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "She should be calling me! She always calls you, doesn't she?"

"She doesn't call anyone," Elena, ever the referee, stated. It was a total lie. Juice knew for a fact Angela called Elena every day. Those two spent hours on the phone together, talking in Spanish and laughing. He had listened to many of the conversations on Angela's end; her voice soothing and warm as she spoke in the language he still didn't understand. "How was work?"

Graciela didn't say much about her day, and the rest of the meal was spent in relative silence with a few comments made from Koz and Elena throughout. It still was weird to Juice how quiet Angela's family was when she was such a talkative, happy person.

Kozik's phone went off as they were all finishing with their meals. He grabbed it from his pocket, excusing himself from the table for a moment and disappearing into the backyard to answer the call. Juice strained his ears to see if he could catch a hint of what he was talking about, but he didn't catch anything. Minutes later, he walked back in, hitting Hap's shoulder. "We gotta go," he said, frowning a bit. Happy stood up, and they both went to kiss the two older women goodbye. Happy walked out the door without another word, but Koz hung back.

Juice stood up clumsily, extending his hand to him. "Nice to meet you."

He chuckled, shaking Juice's hand. "Likewise, Juicer," he said, turning to leave before pausing in the doorway. "Tell Ang we miss her, will ya? She don't call us enough. Think it's cause she's got you."

His cheeks flushed as he scratched at the back of his neck and nodded. "I um...yeah, will do. I'll let her know."

"Good. We'll call ya for a meet up soon," he said before closing the door behind him.

Juice let out a long breath of relief, feeling himself relax when he heard the motorcycles take off. Graciela left next, going upstairs to rest after a long day at work. Elena appeared next to him, patting his shoulder lovingly. "That went well. You will be one of them in no time. Vas a ver." (You'll see.)

He chuckled awkwardly and nodded. "Yeah, guess so," he muttered, starting to clear the dishes for them. He finished cleaning with a sigh, drying of his hands. "I'm gonna go call Ang. Let her know how it went."

There was a hint of mischief in Elena's eyes as she nodded as if she knew something he didn't. "Good. You should. I'm sure she would love to hear from you. I'm going to go to bed."

"Night, Lena," he said, kissing her cheek. "Thanks for dinner."

"You're very welcome, mijo. Its nice to have someone who appreciates it." She kissed his cheek before pushing him out of the kitchen. "Go. Say 'hello' to her for me, please."

Juice nodded, climbing the stairs towards Angela's old room slowly. He took the phone off of the small desk, dialing the numbers he knew by heart before pressing it to his ear. Her phone rang a constant beat for a moment, before he got her answering machine.

"Hey, you've reached Angela Ruiz. I'm not here right now, but please leave me a message with your name and number, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Have a great day! Bye!" her cheery voice came over the speaker, the sound of it making him miss her like crazy.

"Hey Angel," he said on a sigh, hating not being able to talk to her. "It's me...Juice. Which you probably knew but...whatever. I just...I met your cousin and his friend. Think it went well. Either that or they're planning to kill me next time they see me, which judging by the look of Hap, isn't too much of a stretch. Koz said they'll be in touch, so I guess I'll have to wait to hear from them. Hopefully it all works out. Anyways, I'm sure you're with Raj partying it up or something. Guess I'll talk to you soon. Miss you. Bye."

He cringed at how awkward the ending was. He had the urge to call her back and apologize, but if he did that, he'd sit there all night trying to say the perfect thing, and she'd run out of space on her machine. Sighing, he got undressed and put on a pair of boxers and a shirt before getting into the small bed. His mind was racing with questions and doubts. What if they didn't accept him? What if he'd taken such a long trip only to have it blow up in his face? If it didn't work out, what was he supposed to do? Where was he supposed to go?

He wished Angela had answered the phone. She was the only one who could calm his mind. Without her soothing words, he was likely to stay up all night. He missed her. So much it made his chest ache. Rubbing at his heart, he stared up at the ceiling, not even a little tired. He hoped like hell she'd call him back soon. Maybe then he'd be able to get some sleep.

Happy sat at the bar in the SAMCRO clubhouse with Kozik at his side. They'd just finished Church, and while the other brothers were busy shooting the shit; Hap had one thing on his mind, his little cousin. He nudged Kozik's arm with his own. "So?" he asked, knowing Kozik would know what he was asking about.

Kozik smirked, picking at the label of his beer. "Seems harmless enough. Ang likes him. She's usually a good judge of character. What'd you think?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "Dunno. Doesn't look like much. If he's as good with the tech shit as the kid says, could be useful."

"He's got feelings for her though," he stated on a smirk. "She moves back 'n' that might be a problem."

Happy sighed, rubbing a hand over his shaved head. His little cousin was always stirring up shit in one way or another, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't want her to come back. To come home. He missed the kid. Yet he knew her moving back was slightly conditional on the guy she was currently seeing over there. The guy was a chump, though. Sure, he was a nice guy, treated her right, but Hap had a feeling that wasn't enough for Angela. She needed excitement and fun. Not some asshole who worked all the time. If they did break up and she moved back, he had a feeling Juice would be first in line to get in her pants. And if he hurt her, Hap would have to kill him. It could work to his benefit, though. He knew the Alvarez kid was still sniffing around Angela, waiting for a second chance. If she was in a relationship with Juice, it would mean she wouldn't go anywhere near that asshole again. "Would keep the Mayan away."

"True," Kozik agreed on a nod. "You really think she'd go back to that asshole?"

"Yeah," he answered, honestly. It'd been hard as hell to pull Angela away from Esai. She'd seen the light eventually and had even thanked them for taking her away, but there was never any real closure between them. None that he knew of, at least. Even he could see the Mayan was a big part of her past, and while he hated the guy, he knew Angela still had feelings for him buried deep down inside. "He hears she's back, and he'll be on her in a second. Dunno what it is about that asshole that has her so twisted."

Kozik sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So Juicer might be our best option to keep him at bay."

"Least he'll be one of us," Happy conceded, still not liking the idea a lot. "If we don't kill 'im first."

He chuckled, bobbing his head as he did so. "You want to bring it to Clay or you want me to?"

"You."

"Hey Clay!" Kozik shouted, catching the President's attention. He waited until Clay made his way over before clearing his throat. "We got a new guy we think might be useful around her. A computer nerd. Can hack his way into all sorts of shit."

"No kiddin'," Clay said, eyebrows raised in interest. "Where'd he come from?"

Happy shrugged a shoulder. "My cousin's friend from New York."

"Got into some trouble with the mob over there, so he's layin' low over here," Koz explained honestly. "He's a smart dude. Hap's cousin trusts him, and we trust her. Couldn't hurt to have him hang around a bit, update our shit, if we like him, we'll keep him."

Clay thought it over for a minute before nodding. "Bring him by TM tomorrow. We'll see how he fits in. Gemma's computer's on the fritz anyway. Maybe this guy can fix it."

"Sounds good," Kozik said, exchanging a glance with Happy. "I'm sure we can at least get that outta him."

Clay nodded before walking away to talk to Tig. Happy watched him walk away for a moment, taking a large pull of his beer before setting it down on the bar. "Hopefully we don't live to regret this."

Kozik chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, I got a feeling Juicer's gonna do just fine here."

I love writing Kozik alive and well. Hopefully y'all like reading him 'cause there's going to be a lot more...

As always, let me know what you think!

~Love Ink