Going to try uploading this chapter using the app on my phone! My apologies in advance if it doesn't turn out well! I'll re-upload tonight if it fails!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs and storyline!

She Will Be Loved

Chapter 9: Complexities

By Love Ink

Juice was bone tired as he rode back to Oakland. Chibs had been on his ass for the past couple of weeks, giving him different tasks to do. Not just mechanic shit either; he'd asked him to help clean the club house, a task he'd be dying to do for weeks! The place was filthy. His hands were cracked from the chemicals he'd used and his muscles ached, but he felt a small pang of satisfaction knowing he'd impressed a good half of the SAMCRO brothers. After seeing his work, Chibs had even slapped him on the back and said, "A fine prospect you'll be." He was one step closer to that prospect's cut he so wanted. He couldn't wait. They just had to ask him to hang-around first. Once he got over that period, he'd get his cut just like he wanted.

Pulling up to the front of Angela's Ma and Aunt's house, he was surprised to see Koz and Hap's bikes parked out front and an unfamiliar car parked in the driveway. Then it hit him; Angela was coming home that day. He'd been so busy with all the tasks he'd been given, he'd completely forgotten. God, he was filthy. He didn't want her to see him like this, to smell him like this. "Shit," he muttered, wondering if he should just get on his bike and go back to Charming. Surely they'd allow him to crash on the couch in the garage.

"Are you going in anytime soon, mijo?" a voice said from behind him, scaring the shit out of him. He jumped and turned, surprised to see Graciela standing there in her scrubs, a smirk on her face.

"I uh...no...I dunno. I-I'm...not really...clean."

Graciela's smile widened, a knowing look in her dark eyes. "And you want to look good for my daughter?"

"What? N-no! No. I just...haven't seen her in so long, and I...probably smell," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Was just gonna head back to Charming. See if I can convince someone to let me crash somewhere. I can see her tomorrow or somethin'."

She clucked her tongue at him, slipping an arm through his. "Don't be crazy. If I know my Angelita, she's going to want to see you dirty or not," she stated, starting to pull him towards the front porch. "And despite that ridiculous hair, I think you look very handsome. A hard worker. Not like that lawyer boy who's probably never had a speck of dirt underneath his fingernails."

"You don't like him?" Juice asked, amused by Graciela's most likely correct observation. "Have you even met him?"

"Eh. I like him. What's not to like? Pero he's not for her. She needs someone stronger. A real man, like you," she said, squeezing his arm. "You'll see. I know my daughter."

Juice felt a blush creep up his neck and color his cheeks. He wondered if Graciela had any idea about his feelings for Angela. "He's nice, Graci. Smart. About to make a lot of money someday."

"If you think Angela cares about money, than you do not know my daughter."

She was right, of course; Angela didn't care about money. It was yet another thing he loved about her. "Yeah. Just wish I could look a little cleaner."

"I think you look just fine, Juancito," she told him, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Come. Let's go meet this mysterious Ross."

"Raj," Juice corrected as he followed her up the porch steps.

Graciela waved off his correction. "Whatever," she muttered, walking into the house. Juice stepped in after, his stomach grumbling as the smell of Elena's cooking hit his nose; he was starving. The sound of voices coming from the kitchen made him smile. And then, he heard her laugh and his heart sputtered in his chest. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face at the sound of it. He hadn't realized he'd slowed his pace until Graciela turned around and raised an eyebrow at him, a smile on her face when she caught his gaze. She winked at him. "Relax."

Juice swallowed hard, trying to tone down his smile a bit. He was nervous. Why was he nervous? He'd talked to Angela so many times before; why was this any different? "Right."

Taking in a deep breath, he walked through the kitchen into the small dining room. Raj saw him first and grinned, nodding to him in greeting. Angela turned her head to see who he'd acknowledged and the biggest smile bloomed across her face. "Juice," she breathed, her eyes sweeping over him, no doubt taking in his dirty work shirt and the new hairstyle and tats. Her eyes seemed to darken a bit in a way that made all the blood rush to one part of his anatomy. Then she stood up, rushing around the table to throw her arms around him in a tight hug.

He hugged her back just as tightly. The smell of her perfume was intoxicating, and he found himself turning his head to bury his nose into her hair. Without thinking, he kissed her temple, something he'd never done before. She pulled back quickly as if he'd shocked her, her eyes searching over his face. Electricity crackled in between them for a moment before she reached out, placed her hand at the base of his neck, and pulled his head down. "Holy shit! What the hell did you do to your head?" she asked before looking over her shoulder at Happy. "Did you do these?"

Happy nodded slowly. "Couple days ago."

Juice rubbed at the back of his neck nervously, trying to figure out whether her reaction was a good one or a bad one. "Wanted a different look. You like 'em?"

She reached up her hand and traced a finger over one of the designs slowly. A spark spread across his skin again as she touched him, his mouth going slightly dry. Her dark eyes looked almost lustful as they studied his tattoo, and he found himself wishing he could grab her by the hips and kiss her. Right there. In front of everyone. "Y-yeah," she murmured, her cheeks a little flushed as her finger kept moving across his scalp. "Definitely a different look."

"A painful one," Raj put in, inserting himself into their conversation and reminding them he was there. She pulled away as if she'd been burned, a bashful smile on her face. Juice hadn't even noticed the other guy had stood up. Raj held out a hand to him. "Juice, good to see you again."

Juice shook his hand with a small smile. "You too, man."

The three of them stood there awkwardly, unsure of what else to do. Juice heard Kozik chuckle before Elena cleared her throat. "Go wash up, Juancito. I'll make you a plate when you're all clean."

He was relieved for the direction and nodded slowly. "Right. Good plan. I um...I'll be right back, I guess. I mean, I will be right back 'cause it smells delicious Lena, and I'm...hungry."

Angela smiled a little at his awkwardness. "Goof," she said, shaking her head at him. She pushed him away gently. "Go shower."

He nodded, grinning at her. He knew he must look like a total idiot, but he couldn't help but smile; it'd been far too long since he'd seen her. "Glad you're home, Angel," he told her, his heart skipping a beat when she smiled back at him.

"Ang, sit back down so we can eat already!" Kozik shouted from behind them. "I'm starving!"

Angela rolled her eyes, turning away from Juice and heading back to the table. "You could stand to skip a meal, tubby," she teased, ruffling Kozik's hair as she took her seat next to Raj again.

"Who you callin' tubby?" Kozik asked, slapping her hand away.

Juice walked out just as Hap started in on their banter, chuckling to himself as he headed back up the stairs to the bathroom. Elena had already told him Angela and Raj would be staying at a hotel, which saddened him a bit; he kind of liked the idea of being under the same roof with her. Stepping into the shower, he let the hot water rain down on him, groaning as it relaxed his aching muscles. His mind drifted to Angela. She'd looked good. Damn good. Better than he even remembered. He thought about the moment that happened between them just minutes before. The heat in her dark eyes, the sparks he felt every time she touched him, and her smile...her smile was so beautiful. He felt himself start to harden the more he thought about her. "Shit," he murmured, reaching out and quickly changing the temperature of the water all the way to cold; he had to keep his thoughts in check or he was going to embarrass the hell out of himself.

Angela couldn't shake the way seeing Juice again made her feel. He'd looked handsome as hell in his dirty Teller Morrow Garage work shirt, grease apparent on his arms which had been thick with newly gained muscles. And that hair style, those tattoos. Holy shit. She hadn't been able to take her eyes off of him. And then he'd kissed her temple. Something so simple, but the feel of his lips on her skin for even just that brief moment of time, set her body on fire. Thankfully Raj had intervened or else she might've given into her feelings and kissed Juice right then and there.

And now they were all seated together at dinner. Raj was charming the hell out of her Aunt and Mom while Juice stayed surprisingly quiet. He was letting Raj have his moment, and Angela kind of loved him for that. She loved him even more when he stood and helped clear the table after dinner. She walked with him, grabbing a few plates along the way. Juice had already started washing the dishes as if it was something he did every night. "Need a dryer?" she asked, grabbing a clean dishrag.

Juice gave her a little smile and nodded. "Thanks," he said, his forearms already covered in soap suds. He handed her a plate, their fingers brushing for a moment, their eyes meeting. A blush rose to his cheeks as he looked away, clearing his throat and staring down into the sink. "I um...you guys have a nice flight over?"

"I guess. Long, but it was all right. Raj upgraded us to first class 'cause he felt bad about cutting the trip short," she explained on a frown.

He lifted his head, eyes wide. "You cut the trip?"

"Oh, um...yeah," she answered awkwardly. "Raj needs to be back for his internship, so we're only staying for like four days instead of ten. Thought I told you."

"You didn't," he muttered, clearly disappointed. "That fuckin' sucks."

Angela nodded in agreement, setting the dried plate aside. "I'll take what I can get at this point," she stated honestly. "Least we finally made it over here."

"Guess so."

She could tell he was pissed, though he didn't really have a right to be. "How's work?" she asked, trying to change the subject before she stuck her foot in her mouth and pissed him off.

"Good. Learning a ton. Guys are startin' to respect me more and shit," he said, his shoulders relaxing a bit. "Chibs has been helpin' me with boxing. Tryin' to bulk up a bit, look like someone they might want in their club."

Angela raised an eyebrow at him. The newly gained muscles in his arms had not gone unnoticed by her, but she hated the idea he was doing it all to fit in. Hated that it was working. Despite how badly he wanted to prospect, she desperately hoped they wouldn't want him. That they'd see how kind and goofy he was and think he wasn't club potential. He was better than that. Smarter. He deserved more than some stupid outlaw lifestyle that was sure to get him into more trouble than the mob shit he'd been into in New York. Of course, she knew the club would be foolish not to ask him to prospect. Someone with his technological skills would be useful to help bring the club into modern times. "There's nothing wrong with the way you looked, Juice."

He smiled a little, shrugging a shoulder. "I looked like a kid."

"And you think the tattoos and mohawk make you look like a badass?" she teased on a smile.

His face fell a little, and he shrugged a little. "Kinda. You don't like it?" he asked, shifting on his feet. "Was Koz and Hap's idea to put the tattoos on my head."

"I didn't say that. I like it. Think you look really good," she told him, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks. She wished she could tell him how sexy she thought he looked. How just the sight of him had made a wave of heat rush over her body, but she kept that to herself. The designs looked familiar though, like a drawing she'd done a long time ago, but she doubted they were the same. "Hap design it?"

"Nah, I actually um..." he hesitated, focused on the water instead of her. "Don't get mad, but I found one of your old sketchbooks, actually. You had a bunch of tribal shit, and I just...thought this one was cool. Looked like a lightning bolt or somethin'."

Angela stared at him in shock. She was flattered by his choice, but it still seemed crazy. Why would he do something so permanent with one of the silly doodles in her sketchbook? There were so many better designs out there! Why would he pick hers? "You got one of my doodles on your head? Are you insane? That's permanent you know!"

He chuckled, making her stomach do a little flip. "That why they haven't washed off yet?" he asked, his nose scrunched, the most adorable confused look on his face.

She flicked some water from her wet fingers onto his face with a laugh. "Goof!"

"Hey!" He splashed her back, laughing as the soap suds landed on her cheek.

"Juice!" she exclaimed, splashing him again. "Stop!"

"You first!" he challenged with another splash.

She couldn't help but smile at him. For the first time in months, she felt light, happy. She felt at peace and at home. The feeling she was missing something was gone. She was whole again, something that was a little bittersweet. She loved Raj so much, but being with Juice made her feel full, made her feel complete. Eventually, she would have to choose, but at the moment, she was going to enjoy every moment she had with her best friend knowing it'd be awhile before she would see him again.

A throat cleared from behind them, and they both stopped what they were doing. Juice had one of those goofy grins on his face, his light brown eyes warm and happy. The instinct to lean in and kiss him over came her, which made her take a small step away from him. Turning, she found Raj standing in the entry way, his hands deep in his pockets, a strange look on his face. It was almost as if he'd known what she'd wanted to do, sensed it somehow. He cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly. "You almost ready to head to the hotel?" he asked, casually.

"Shit! What time is it?" she asked, looking at the microwave. It was almost midnight, and they were supposed to wake up early the next day. "Damn. We should go. I'm gonna show him around San Francisco tomorrow."

"You're welcome to join us, if you'd like," Raj offered kindly. She loved him for that. Loved how much he trusted her. How he wasn't jealous of Juice or her friendship with him like other men might be.

Juice was about to answer when Kozik cut him off. "He's busy," he stated with a smug grin. "Got shit for him to do around the clubhouse. Updating our computers and shit."

"What?" Juice questioned, eyes wide. "I don't...that's for hangarounds and prospects and I'm..."

"Hangin' around," Kozik said on a shrug.

"No shit?"

Angela's heart sunk as she dried her hands with a dishrag. She knew Koz telling him he was "hanging-around" was one step before they asked Juice to prospect. "What? No. Juice, I'm only here for a couple days. Come with us."

" 's now or never, idiot," Happy stated, an amused glint in his eyes that was, frankly, pissing her off. It was like they knew she didn't want him to prospect and were doing it on purpose to fuck with her.

Juice looked from Hap, Koz, and Raj, then back to her. A pained look crossed his face before he nodded. "Yeah, all right," he said to the other men before turning to her. "Angel, I'll go hang-around and catch up with you and Raj later."

Angela felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. He was choosing the club over her. A wave of anger washed over her, her hands clenching into fists out of instinct as her whole body tensed. No one seemed to notice, though. Raj set a hand on her lower back, anchoring her to him, and she found her anger lessened just a little. "Sounds like a good plan," Raj said with a nod. "Right, love?"

She let out a long breath and nodded slowly. Turning, she caught Raj's dark gaze, her heart doing a little flip at the love she saw in his eyes. God, she was so lucky to have him. "Sure. It's been awhile since we've had some one on one time," she said, kissing him quickly. "Be nice to actually spend some time together."

Juice looked away from them, suddenly interested in the floor while Raj smiled. Kozik looked between the two of them with a smirk, his arms folded over his chest. "So Juicer will come do our bitch work while you two lovebirds explore San Fran, and then we'll all meet back up here for dinner. Sound good?"

No, it didn't sound good, Angela thought miserably. She'd wanted to spend more time with Juice, Hap, and Koz. Now it seemed they were all blowing her off. Even her Ma and Aunt were busy with work. What was the point of even visiting if they couldn't hang out with her family and friends? Reluctantly, she nodded. "Yeah, sure. Good plan. We should head out. Got an awesome day planned for tomorrow."

She hugged Koz and Hap goodbye, kissing their cheeks. Juice approached her slowly, giving her a sad little smile. "Good to see you again, Angel," he said, pulling her in for a hug before repeating, "I'm really glad you're home."

"Me too," she said smiling and nodding. As pissed as she was that he was ditching her to go play outlaw at the clubhouse, she had to admit, it'd been good to be back in California with her family and with him. Especially him. She wasn't going to deny how much she'd missed him, how good it felt to be near him again.

Raj took his eyes off the road in front of him to look over at Angela. She'd been quiet since they got in the car and left her Mom's house. Her arms were folded over her chest, lips pursed together, silently fuming. He knew she'd been annoyed when Juice had brushed her off to go "hang-around" with her cousin and his friend, but he hadn't expected her to pout about it. He had to admit, it'd been hard to watch the two of them together. To see the look in her eyes, the flush to her cheeks when she'd first seen Juice again. As much as she denied having feelings for the other man, it was clear they were there and strong, which probably made Juice's decision that much harder to bear.

He reached out a hand, using his finger to run over her lower lip. "Stop pouting, love. Thought you'd be happy to be home."

She smacked his hand away with a scowl. "I am happy, and I'm not pouting."

"You are so pouting. Your lip was out and everything," he teased, happy when it earned him a hint of a smile. "This because Juice isn't going to be joining us tomorrow?"

"No," she muttered, though it felt like a lie to him. "I think I'm just tired and a little frustrated. Thought Hap and Koz would give us some more time too. I forgot how much time this bullshit club takes up."

Raj frowned a little, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. "Are you upset because Juice wants to be a part of it?"

She sighed heavily, raking a hand through her hair "A little," she admitted, turning her head to look out the window. "He's too good for it. They'll chew him up and spit him out. He deserves better than that. He should find an actual job doing tech shit somewhere safe. In an office. Designing video games or something like that. Not out riding Harleys and causing trouble. That's exactly what got him in trouble in the first place!"

Her passionate rant betrayed her feelings even more. "He'll be fine, Ang. If it makes him happy, you should be happy for him. After all, you sent him here. You had to know this was going to happen."

A guilty look crossed over her face as she hung her head. "I thought he'd wisen up after what happened with the mob. They almost killed him."

"So you're saying the Sons are like the mob on Harleys."

She shrugged a shoulder. "Kinda."

"Seems like he's drawn to trouble," he muttered, taking a quick glance at the GPS built into the rental car. They weren't too far from the Claremont Hotel, where he'd gotten a room. It was a luxury hotel, and she'd fought him tooth and nail about staying there, insisting they'd be fine at a simple hotel around the corner. He'd gone against her wishes and booked the hotel in Berkeley. They deserved a nice getaway, and she deserved to be spoiled a bit.

"Yeah," she said around a sad laugh. Two motorcycles pulled up next to them, loud and obnoxious. Angela's whole body tensed when she saw them, making brief eye contact with one of the riders. She slumped down in her seat a little, a soft Spanish curse word escaping her lips.

Raj furrowed his brows in confusion. "Who's that?"

"No one," she muttered, rolling up the window just as the man dipped his head to get a closer look. "Green light, Raj."

Raj accelerated, surprised when the motorcycles followed them for a moment. She cursed again, rolling down the window and sticking her hand out of it to flip them off. They revved their engines before falling back. "Okay, now you have to explain."

Angela rolled up the window with a smirk. "They're from another, rival motorcycle club. Mayans," she explained, looking over her shoulder as the headlights disappeared. "That one there is my ex's best friend."

He hadn't been expecting that. Angela was fiercely loyal to her cousin; he couldn't see her dating one of his rivals. "Seriously? Was your cousin okay with that?"

She grimaced after a moment. "No, but he was kinda in...prison, so he couldn't really do too much about it."

His eyes widened in shock; he knew Happy wasn't an angel by any means, but Angela hadn't mentioned he was a criminal. "What?"

"Yeah," she said, nervously tucking a hair behind her ear. "He um...him and the club got caught doin' some shit and went to prison for like...five years. I was in high school, and I did not handle it well. I went through this like...chola phase. Fell in with the wrong crowd. Hap got out, made me apply to college, and dragged my ass to New York once I got in."

Raj hadn't heard that story before. Had never thought to ask. There seemed to be a lot he didn't know about his girlfriend and her past. "I feel like I'm seeing a whole new side of you, and we've only been here for a few hours. Like I don't know you at all."

Angela smirked, shrugging a shoulder. "All you gotta do is ask, Raj. I'm not hiding anything."

"I know, I know. I just don't know what to ask," he said lamely. "I kind of just assumed you went to high school, applied for college, and went to college. Just like me. I didn't really think too much about the other stuff."

"Oh," she said, looking disappointed for a moment before she disguised it with a smile. "Guess I'm a little more complex than you thought."

Raj couldn't help but feel guilty at the disappointment he'd caught a glimpse of. He didn't know why he assumed she'd had a normal upbringing. Maybe it was the way she carried herself or, even worse, maybe he just saw her the way he wanted to. Maybe there was a whole other side to his girlfriend he hadn't gotten a chance to know. That made him feel like absolute shit. What kind of asshole doesn't get to know the woman he loved? He let out a long breath, reaching out to take her hand. "Guess so," he said, kissing her knuckles lovingly. "Can't wait to learn about all your little complexities then."

That earned a real smile from her. She squeezed his hand back, winking as she said, "Careful what you wish for."

She's back in California and things are getting stirred up a bit! ;)

Let me know what you guys think!!

Also let me know if things come out wonky. I'm uploading this from my phone for the first time!

~Love Ink