Been meaning to update for awhile! :) Thanks to everyone who is still reading! :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs and storyline...

She Will Be Loved

Chapter 59: New Developments

By Love Ink

Angela was sitting at her desk in the funeral home, thankful to have an excuse to be out of Oakland. Esai's visit the day before was still weighing heavily on her mind, and she knew nothing good would come of her being at her family's home in Oakland. It made her too accessible to him. She'd been anxious that whole morning knowing Esai was stupid enough to try it again. If he did, Happy or Koz would surely intervene, which would fuck up whatever peace the Mayans and Sons had. She glanced at Juice, who'd finally fallen asleep in the little office chair across from her. She knew Esai's appearance had thrown him for a loop. He'd been acting a little on edge and nervous ever since. He'd jumped to his feet and drawn his gun at the sound of her last client's car. Thankfully, Angela was able to calm him down a bit before the client walked inside the foyer. It'd taken some convincing, but he'd agreed to stay in the main office while she finalized things in the family room with St. Thomas Hospital's newest baby doctor, Tara Knowles.

She'd been surprised by Tara when she walked in. After talking to her several times on the phone, she had an image of her in her mind. The doctor who'd walked in wearing jeans, a tank top, and motorcycle boots was not exactly what she was picturing. The boots had piqued Angela's curiosity. What was she doing with motorcycle boots that looked well-worn and used? In a normal town, she wouldn't have thought twice about them; they could've easily been a fashion statement, but in a town like Charming where SAMCRO was so prevalent, it usually signified a tie to the club in some way. When Angela asked her about them, she'd said she'd found them in the closet of her childhood home and they were from "a past life". Apparently, the box with her usual shoes had yet to arrive from Chicago. Along with the boots came an aura of strength and intelligence. As kind as she'd been, Tara didn't seem to be the type to let people walk all over her.

After finalizing Tara's father's arrangements, they'd exchanged numbers with a promise to get coffee together some time soon. Angela was already looking forward to it; she needed more female friends around her age in Charming outside of her grief counseling group. A group, she realized, she hadn't gone to in a long time. She made a mental note to go next week or at the very least, check in with Chloe. Hopefully, after the meeting she'd run into Wendy and confirm that she was making good on her promise to seek help and get back to being sober again.

The sound of a motorcycle woke Juice up with a start. His hand instinctively went into his cut, but he stopped himself before drawing his gun. "You expecting someone?" he asked, pushing himself out of the chair.

His chest was puffed out, shoulders tensed, ready to protect her. She bit her lip, feeling a bit turned on by the stance. "No. Someone might be here to visit the cemetery, though," she answered, hoping it was so she they could have a quickie in the bathroom...or maybe even in the hearse since Skeeter had taken the van. "Hey Juice..."

The bell over the front door sounded and held her breath for a moment. There was no way Esai would be stupid enough to visit her in Charming. Oakland made sense, that was Mayan territory, but he'd be a fool to try to see her in Charming. Juice's shoulders relaxed as Jax walked in, looking a little worse for wear. "Can I get a minute?" he asked, glancing at Juice.

Angela started moving away from her desk, gathering a few papers to peruse while they talked. "Yeah, I'll just..."

"With you," Jax said, nodding towards her.

Juice's brows furrowed in confusion. "Um...sure?" he said, the word coming out more of a question than an answer. "You good, Angel?"

She nodded quickly, her heart warming when Juice walked around the desk, dropping a kiss to the crown of her head and giving her shoulder a quick squeeze before leaving. She wondered if she'd ever get used to his little displays of affection, if they'd ever stop giving her butterflies. She hoped they wouldn't. "To what do I owe the honor of the SAMCRO Vice President gracing me with his presence?" she asked teasingly. Jax didn't seem to be in a joking mood, though. In fact, he looked pretty grim. He sat down with a heavy sigh in the chair Juice had vacated. Inhaling deeply before pausing a moment as if he smelled something strange. It wasn't Juice. She knew because he hadn't had his usual cologne or aftershave to put on after his shower at her Ma's house that morning. Tara had been wearing perfume, though. Maybe that's what he was smelling. "Sorry. It's my last client's perfume, I swear. Juice isn't wearing any cologne, and the only perfume I had at my mom's is from high school, and I'm not about to smell like Victoria's Secret 'Love Spell' all day. No matter how good it smells. Too many old memories."

"Memories. Right," Jax muttered, scratching at his eyebrow with his thumb. "Perfume smells familiar, that's all. Sorry. Got a lot goin' on in my head right now."

That didn't sound good. Angela hoped whatever was weighing him down wasn't something that would affect Juice, Hap, or Koz in anyway. "You okay?"

He ran a hand over his face, messing with the bottom of his beard for a moment like he wasn't quite sure how to word it. Then he cleared his throat and said, "Wendy's pregnant."

She clenched her jaw to keep it from dropping. That was the last thing she'd thought he'd say. No wonder he looked so bent out of shape. "Shit. How?"

That got him to smirk. "I mean, if I have to explain how, I feel really bad for Juice."

She scowled at him. "Shut up. Not what I meant. How could this possibly happen?"

"She um...apparently, when she's high, she's not great at taking her birth control, which I didn't know, and when I got my patch, I..."

"Didn't wrap it," she finished with a grimace. "Smart move."

"She told me she was on something," he insisted, raking a hand through his hair. "And 'm sorry to come to you with this shit, but I tried callin' Ope and couldn't get through and if I tell anyone at the clubhouse, they'll tell my mom..."

"And your mom..."

"Is going to go insane."

Angela wasn't so sure about that. "Is she? I mean, she might be kinda...thrilled at the idea of having a grandkid. I know my Mom would be. Plus, Gemma and Wendy did seem pretty chummy at the party, and she doesn't know Wendy's using. She might be a little excited about the idea of you settling down. She certainly didn't want me getting in the way of the two of you."

"She'll be happy it's Wendy and not fuckin' Tara," he muttered miserably. "Wendy at least goes along with what Gemma wants."

Tara. She did her best not to let the recognition of the name show on her face. There was no way the Tara he was talking about was the Tara that had just walked out of her office hours before. Still...the motorcycle boots and mention of a "past life" involving motorcycles...it could very well be that Angela had just coincidentally met Jax Teller's "one that got away". A part of her wanted to ask while another knew telling him at this moment wasn't a smart idea. There was already way too much going on in the poor guy's head, she didn't want to add another element to it all. "Yeah. Easy to manipulate too," she offered on a frown.

His shoulders sank as he leaned forward, letting his head fall into his hands. "Shit, I'm not ready for a kid. The fuck kind of father am I gonna be?"

Angela felt for the guy. He'd just gotten the VP patch, something she had a feeling he'd been wanting for a long time. He'd been flying high for about a month and now, he was being torpedoed down. "I dunno. Do you like kids?"

"Haven't really been around many 'sides Ope's. They're all right," he conceded with a shrug. "I just...didn't want this right now, and I definitely didn't want this with Wendy. Wasn't in my plan."

"Doesn't really matter, does it?"

Jax shook his head, cursing softly under his breath. "How could she let this happen?"

"Dude, that's what happens when you don't wear a condom. She wasn't the only one participating. Takes two to tango," she reminded him. She wasn't sure if Wendy had intentionally gotten pregnant or if it was accidental. Either way, it wasn't fair of Jax to put the blame on her when he was also a willing participant.

He was quiet for a beat, considering her words as he nodded again. "I don't mean to sound like an asshole, but...what if she did this on purpose?"

Angela stared at him for a moment. A part of her wanted to smack him for being such a jerk for assuming the worst, but she also had just had the exact situation happen to her, so his thought wasn't so far-fetched. "To keep you?"

He nodded slowly. "Somethin' like that. Am I crazy thinkin' that way?"

"Not really. It's a really shitty thing to do to someone, but it happens," she said, looking down at her papers with a frown. She glanced back up at him, hesitating for a moment before admitting, "Esai tried to do it to me, actually."

Jax's eyes widened a bit. "You gotta be kiddin' me. Are you...did you..."

"No! No," she answered quickly lest his mind start to wander down that path. "No, it didn't work. I'm not, but it wasn't for lack of trying on his part."

"He wanted you to be stuck with him."

Angela nodded slowly. "Somethin' like that," she said, echoing his previous words. "Wouldn't have worked though. I mean, just because we'd share a kid, doesn't mean we had to stay in a relationship. We could co-parent without getting married. Think he thought I was more traditional than that. That I'd stay just to make sure our baby had a healthy family, but I...I don't think it'd be a healthy family. Not with him sleeping around on me. So he'd a been fucked. Wouldn't've gotten me back and woulda had a kid to help take care of 'cause there's no way his dad would let him skip out on his kid. Marcus would kill him first."

"Shit," he murmured, raking a hand through his hair. "I'm not gonna abandon my kid either, Didn't even consider that. But I...I dunno where Wendy and I are goin'. How long it's gonna last."

"She's having your kid, Teller. Better start figuring that stuff out," she reminded him. "Don't feel trapped by it though. Like I said, co-parenting is a thing and totally doable. Don't let anyone pressure you into shit you don't want. It's just gonna make you angry and...sad. Two things that aren't great in a father figure."

"Yeah," he said on a frown as if he knew from experience.

Angela shifted in her chair a bit, playing with her papers as she figured out how to ask her next question. "I um...she's not still...getting high is she?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Took her to a meeting last weekend 'fore she dropped this on me," he explained as if going to a meeting would solve everything. Angela bit back a comment about it, knowing Wendy's sobriety was the last thing on Jax's mind at the moment. He shook his head slowly. "Still can't believe she's pregnant. Been so careful with all that shit."

"That's what happens when you don't wrap it."

"I was drunk!"

"And she was high," she pointed out with a roll of her eyes. "Plus, how drunk could you have possibly been if you could still get your damn dick up to impregnate her?"

Jax stared at her, a look of disbelief on his face that made her re-think what she'd just blurted out. She was talking to him like she talked to Lino, and she was starting to think maybe she'd crossed a line and insulted him. He blinked at her for a moment before a smile cracked across his face. "Jesus Christ," he chuckled, shaking his head at her. "Really?"

Angela shrugged her shoulders, feeling a little better about the joke now that he was laughing. "Yeah, really."

He sat up a little straighter, leaning towards her. "I'll have you know, I don't get whiskey dick. Why? Does Juice?"

She grimaced, wishing she hadn't opened that door. If she wanted to comment on his sex life, hers was fair game. "No, asshole," she scowled, though she honestly didn't know since she'd never been with Juice when he was drunk.

"The Mayan get whiskey dick? Or is it tequila dick for him?"

"Shut up," she said glaring at him.

Juice chose that moment to walk in. His brow furrowed in confusion as he looked between the two of them. "Whiskey dick?"

Angela groaned, rubbing at her temples. She really did not want to explain it to Juice. "Really regretting this conversation," she muttered, feeling her cheeks heat up in a blush.

Jax chuckled, clearly amused by her embarrassment. "I don't get it, and she said you don't get it either."

Juice's confused look intensified as he quickly shook his head. "No, no, I don't," he confirmed, catching her gaze for a moment. He had the cutest perplexed look on his face, and she knew it was because she had no way of knowing the truth.

"Lucky girl," Jax said, pushing himself to his feet. He slapped a heavy hand against Juice's back, giving him a bit of a jolt. He grabbed his buzzing phone out of his pocket and showed it off to the two of them. "I'm a grab this. Soon as she's done with work, go back to Happy's Ma's place. Relieve Sack; he's getting lonely sittin' on the porch all day. Hap won't let him inside."

"Y-yeah. Will do," Juice said on a quick nod as he sat in the chair Jax had vacated.

"See you later, Ruiz," he said, winking at Angela in a way that made her want to throw something at him.

Juice watched him walk out before turning back to her. "Whiskey dick?" he repeated, one eyebrow raised.

"He's an idiot," Angela replied, shaking her head. "Between me and you, he got drunk and knocked Wendy up."

He raised his eyebrows in shock, his mouth dropping open just a little bit. "No shit," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Poor guy."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why? You don't want kids?"

"No! No...no, I...definitely do...with...I mean, I like kids, but I don't think he really loves Wendy, so I don't think it's what he wants," he stammered out, rubbing nervously at the back of his neck. "I always liked the idea of kids. Of a family. Just didn't think Jax did. I mean, do you? Know Esai tried to but..."

"Yeah. Yeah, with the right person for sure," she replied with a little smile as she met his eyes. A flash of a little baby with Juice's bright smile went through her mind, and her heart skipped a beat. Quickly, she banished the thought form her brain. They'd only just gotten together. Thinking about babies seemed to be a little premature.

"Hey. We gotta go. Church meetin' now," Jax said as he burst into the room, phone at his ear. "Clay wants you there, prospect."

Juice nodded, practically jumping to his feet. Excitement rolled off him in waves, and she could see him trying to hide a smile. Another invitation to the table meant he was one step closer to a full patch, and while the idea of that made Angela a little sick to her stomach, Juice was obviously thrilled. "Yeah, 'course."

"I'll stay here, thanks," Angela tried, already knowing they'd never let it slide.

"Fat chance," Jax said, shaking his head. "Wrap things up here, and let's go."

Angela narrowed her eyes at him before sighing. "Fine," she conceded, closing a few windows on the computer. "I'll wrap it up. Unlike you, Teller."

Juice's jaw dropped at the dig, but Jax just chuckled. "Wow," he drawled, shaking his head at her again. He nodded at Juice. "Your girl's got jokes."

Juice looked a little relieved at Jax's reaction. "Yeah, yeah, she does."

"You know what's gonna be hilarious? You bein' stuck with Gemma while we're all in Church," Jax said on a smirk before he headed towards the door. "See you there!"

Angela felt the blood drain from her face; she hadn't considered that. "Goddamn it. Can't I just stay? Please? I'll be fine, I swear," she pleaded, looking at Juice desperately.

Juice's face fell as he ran a hand over his head. "Think Hap and Koz would straight up murder me if I let you stay. That, and I don't think you being alone in a place where the Niners and that asshole know you work is the best idea ever."

She exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "Guess you're right," she conceded on a frown. "Hopefully this goes fast. Would much rather be with my aunt than Gemma."

"It will," he said, going over to kiss her cheek in the sweetest way. "Promise."

Juice sat in the corner of the chapel, watching as Clay puffed on his cigar. Most of the men at the table were smoking something save for Piney, who was playing with a pack of cigarettes at the end of the table; his oxygen tank safely tucked into a bag at his side. Juice loved being in the room with them. Dreamed of the day when he'd get to occupy one of the empty chairs there. For now, all he was allowed was to sit and listen. He'd been given strict orders not to speak unless spoken too. He wasn't a part of them yet. He was there to listen and learn. It had never been a problem for him. He was eager to do whatever they wanted if it meant some day he'd get his full rocker and a seat at the table.

Clay cleared his throat, waiting until all eyes were on him before stating, " I got a call from Laroy last night."

"What the hell did he want?" Jax asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

Clay gave a little facial shrug, clearly enjoying having all of the information and revealing it piece by piece. "Wanted to give me some...new information about a recent Mayan development," he said before leaning forward.

"Mayans are starting to push in on Charming's borders with their H-trade," Kozik said on a shrug. "We already knew that."

"There's more," Clay replied, his blue eyes falling on Hap. "Seems a certain Mayan decided to leak information about where we're storin' our guns. Said it wasn't protected as well as it should be. Gave very detailed information on how to get in and steal our shit. Said all they had to do was kill the prospect, and they'd have access to the goods. The only caveat was they couldn't touch the women inside."

Esai, Juice thought, anger bubbling in his veins at the idea of the asshole intentionally putting Angela, Elena, and Graciela in danger because he thought it would somehow win Angela back. "The fuck?" he muttered under his breath, though no one heard him. Everyone around the table was making sounds of disapproval and outrage.

Happy's jaw was clenched, his hand in a tight fist on the table. "Fuckin' bullshit."

" 's what I said. What they said too," Clay replied, leaning back in his chair. "Like you said before, Hap, Miss Vivica's got quite a presence on the block, and Niners don't want to mess with her. Apparently, they got some kind of business deal with her and they don't want anything ruining it."

"So what happens now?" Jax asked, looking a little angered himself.

Clay sighed, setting his cigar in the ash tray. "That's where it gets tricky. Niners want retribution for the guys that were killed. All four of 'em. Said they'll take it in blood or guns. Laroy is willin' to offer us more cash for our guns than the Mayans are and want to help us with pushin' the Mayan drugs out of Charming. For good."

Bobby frowned in response. "Sounds like the start of a war."

"I dunno. Extra cash wouldn't be so bad," Tig put in on a shrug. "Mayans are goin' behind our backs anyway. At some point, it's gonna come to a war. Might as well start it on our own terms."

Piney cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "What happens to the girl? She took out four of their guys. Not somethin' they're gonna let slide."

"Technically, it was only one," Kozik said with a shrug. "Hap got one, one was in the car crash, and Juicer over there got one, so...

Angela's bruised and battered face flashed through Juice's head as he remembered pulling her out of her totaled car. Remembered pressing his fingers to her neck to feel for a pulse while she lay limp on the side of the road, her head in his lap. He'd shot the Niner who dared approach them after that. Without blinking an eye. And he'd do it again to keep her safe. He'd do anything to keep her safe. No way would anyone hurt her again. He bit his tongue though; he wasn't allowed to have an opinion in club matters.

"They don't give a shit. They want Ang, don't they?" Tig stated a knowing look on his face.

"No! No way!" Juice exclaimed before he could stop himself. They all looked at him in various expressions of surprise and annoyance. He didn't really give a shit though; he wasn't going to let them have Angela for some stupid gun deal. "I'm sorry, but we can't..."

"Anyone hear anything?" Tig interjected, hand at his ear as if he was listening hard. "Sounded to me like a prospect was speaking without being spoken to."

"Thought I heard it too," Chibs agreed, a disappointed frown on her face. "Ye know what that means, Juicy."

"Out!" Several members shouted in unison.

Juice looked around the table for help; he didn't want to leave yet. Not when whatever decision they were making could put Angela in danger. "N-no, I'm sorry, I just...she's my..."

"Get out, prospect! Now," Clay said, nodding to the door.

Juice kept his head down as he got up and walked out of the chapel, making sure to close the doors behind him. His heart was beating fast in his chest at the idea of anyone hurting Angela for revenge. There was no way it'd happen. Not on his watch. If it was even a possibility, he'd take her on his bike and get the fuck out of Charming. He glanced around the room, his anxiety kicking up a notch when he didn't see her. Half Sack was at the bar, a glass of water sitting on top of it. "Hey Sack, you seen Ang?"

"She saw Gemma coming on the security cams and went to the roof," Half-Sack explained, nodding to the large TV's around the bar. "I'm s'pposed to text her when Gemma leaves."

He glanced around the bar, noting that Gemma was not there. "So..."

"And I didn't text her so...I'll do that," he said, taking out his phone.

Juice shook his head, a little relieved that he'd be able to talk to her alone. Maybe he could convince her to leave before any kind of deal went down with the Niners. "Don't bother. I'll go get her." He headed down the hallway, climbing up the ladder and pushing himself onto the roof. Angela was lying against the sloped roof, sunglasses on, sweatshirt off, soaking up the sun. Her skin seemed to glow in the sunshine. She was beautiful, and she was his. He was going to keep her safe even if it killed him. "You know, Gemma can probably see you up here. 's not much of a hiding place."

Angela didn't startle when he spoke which meant she probably already knew he was there. "True, but she'd never climb up here in those heels," she said, propping her upper torso up on her elbows.

He sat down on the electrical box and looked back at her. "That even stable enough to lay on?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Haven't fallen through the roof yet," she replied on a shrug. Her dark eyes looked him over for a moment before her brows pulled together in worry. "What's going on?"

He let out a long breath. He didn't even know where to begin. "They kicked me out for talkin' without a full patch," he explained, hanging his head a bit.

"That's stupid," she said on a scowl. "What's the point of inviting you in if they didn't expect you to contribute?"

"Think I'm s'posed to be watching and learning."

"Ridiculous," she muttered, shaking her head. "So what happened? 's not like you to break the club rules."

Juice stared at his hands for a moment, not wanting to even look at her. He didn't know whether to let her in or brush her off and tell her it was nothing. He knew he could trust her, but if Hap and Koz found out, that might prevent him from getting his top rocker. Still, she was his best friend, and he trusted her with everything; she'd never say anything to Hap or Koz if she knew it'd hurt him. "I um...they were talkin' about makin' a deal with the Niners, and your name came up, and I just...couldn't stop myself."

"My name?"

He nodded slowly, glancing back at her. "Yeah."

"What'd they want with me?"

He looked away from her again, his eyes falling on TM across the way. "Mentioned something about Niners wanting you as part of the deal. Blood or money," he muttered miserably. He turned to look at her again and found she had gotten up and was moving towards him. She stood in front of him, a precarious position since it meant she was very close to the edge of the roof. He set his hands on her hips, wanting to keep a hold on her in case she somehow fell backwards. " 'm not gonna let it happen, Angel. I'll...we can leave. Go somewhere new. Maybe like Hawaii or somethin'. Far from everythin'."

She smiled warmly at him. "Hawaii, huh? Like the sound of that," she stated, her fingers tracing over his cheek. "You'd give up your top rocker for me?"

He nodded, closing his eyes at the feel of her touch. It was addicting and distracting. Would he give up his top rocker for her? He knew the answer instantly. He would. Absolutely. Having the top rocker would mean nothing without her at his side. "Yeah, 'course I would."

"Thank you, but that's not necessary," she told him, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. "It's not gonna happen."

He opened his eyes to glance up at her. "What?" he asked. Hadn't she heard what he'd just said? They were considering giving her to the Niners to make up for some stupid blood debt.

"What did Hap say?"

He was confused by her question. "What?"

"What did my cousin say when it was brought up?"

Juice stared at her, feeling his gut sink. Why hadn't he thought of that? Even if the Niners did want a trade, Happy would ever allow it. Never put his kid at risk like that. It was stupid to think the Sons would even consider it. "I dunno. Tig mentioned it, and I kinda...blurted it out. Didn't really think about what Hap would say. Feel kinda stupid now."

Angela smiled at him, leaning into kiss him lovingly. "I appreciate the sentiment regardless."

The more she moved, the more nervous he got about her falling backwards off the roof. He looped his fingers through the belt loops of her pants, securing his hold on her. "I got you, baby. Always gonna keep you safe."

"That why you're holdin' on so tight?" she asked, tracing her finger over the tattoos on the side of his head. "Am I making you nervous, Ortiz?"

He smirked, nodding a bit. "A little. You're really close to the edge of the roof."

Angela smiled, setting her hands on his and gently tugging so he'd let go before moving to sit at his side. He hadn't noticed how tensed he'd been until she was safely sitting beside him. "Better?" she asked on a smirk.

"Much," he said moving an arm around her shoulders. Not to keep her safe but because he just liked to have her close. He thought about telling her about Esai. While most of the club didn't seem to put two and two together, Juice wasn't fooled; it had to have been Esai who'd told them. Who else would've specifically mentioned for them to take whatever they wanted but keep Angela safe? Still, he knew the new knowledge would stress her out, and he didn't want that. Esai wasn't a threat. He'd made a stupid try to get what he wanted, but it wasn't going to work. The Niners were apparently smarter than anyone had given them credit for. He glanced down to see Happy squinting up at them and grimaced.

" 'ey idiot! Get down here!" Happy barked, waving them down.

Angela sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "You're being summoned."

"Yeah," he said on a grimaced. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, letting it linger there for a moment as he breathed in the smell of her shampoo. Lately, she'd been using the same shampoo she'd used back in New York, and the scent of it was comforting to him. Reminded him of all the good times they'd shared back then. "You stayin' up here?"

She sighed again and shook her head. "Guess I should go down too."

"Or just wait up here for Jax to inevitably come and you can have one of your deep talks," he teased. It still kind of bothered him how close the two of them were getting. Especially after Jax had gone to the funeral home just to talk to her. The SAMCRO VP clearly needed other friends.

Angela rolled her eyes, elbowing him lightly. "Shut up," she said, smirking at him. "He's just missing his buddy, and apparently, I'm a good replacement. Once Opie gets out of jail, I'm sure our little talks will stop, and he can go bother someone else. You're not...jealous are you?"

"Of Jax?" he asked, scoffing at her as he opened the little door. "Nah."

"Good. You shouldn't be," she said, waiting for him to go down and following after him. He grabbed her hips to help her down, smiling when she turned in his arms. Her hand went to mess with the little pocket on his cut as she caught his lips in a kiss he felt all the way down to his toes. "I only want you."

He grinned at her; he couldn't help it. He'd wanted her for so long that hearing her say those words made him feel like he could fly. He kissed her again, enjoying the taste of her. Chibs shouted his name from down the hall, and he broke away from her with a grimace. "Shit. Sorry, baby. I'll be right back and we can get outta here."

She rolled her eyes. "Promises, promises," she said, pecking him quickly. Chibs' voice grew louder, and she pushed him towards the sound. "Go. I'll find somethin' to do around here while I wait."

He nodded, kissing her once more. "Be good," he shouted as he jogged down the hallway.

Angela walked towards the bar area at a slower pace, looking at the framed photos on the wall. She stopped in front of a photo of her Uncle Chico with Piney and a man she didn't recognize. They all looked so young and happy dressed in their Teller Morrow mechanic shirts. She smiled to herself, making a mental note to ask Piney about the picture; she loved hearing stories about her uncle. She walked into the bar area, expecting to see Half-Sack behind the bar but finding a blonde there instead. Hannah. Her stomach churned a bit when she remembered her last conversation with the Croweater when she'd told her Juice was "gentle" and "kind" inferring they'd slept together. Something Juice then confirmed. She wondered if she could sneak by without Hannah noticing. Maybe she could find a shady spot outside and nap for a moment.

"Angie! Hey!" Hannah greeted loudly, a friendly smile on her face. "Want a drink?"

She fought the urge to grimace and nodded instead. Swallowing her jealousy, she took a seat at the bar. Hannah had been nothing but kind to her, so she had no reason other than her own possessiveness to be rude to her. "Sure," she replied, returning the smile as best she could. "Got any Coke?"

"Powder or can?" she asked, smirking a bit. She laughed at Angela's look of surprise and set down a can of Coke. "Totally kidding. I just restocked them. Got Pepsi too. Apparently one of the guys prefers it. Can't remember which, though."

Angela raised an eyebrow, wondering which heathen liked Pepsi over Coke. "Huh."

"Anyway," Hannah said awkwardly, going back to her magazine. "Saw you and Juice at the carnival the other night. All official now. You guys are too cute."

"Thanks," she replied, running her thumb over the side of the can. She noticed the magazine was a Fredrick's of Hollywood catalog. "That for this season?"

She nodded, flipping the page. "Managed to get it before the guys started slobberin' all over it."

"Lucky you," she said, fighting a laugh at the idea of grown men slobbering over a catalog. Though, knowing what she did now about Juice's love for panties, she wondered if he was among them. "Anything good?"

"Lots of stuff. Little expensive for my taste though," she said on a wistful sigh. "Usually just wait for the sales. You a big spender on panties?"

Angela was almost embarrassed to admit how much she spent on lingerie. "Oh. Um, yeah. It's a guilty pleasure of mine. Strangely enough, it makes me feel confident."

"Oh, I get it. Nothin' like showin' your mans a pretty lingerie set and having him start drooling," Hannah agreed, stopping on a page and pointing it out to her. "This color would look great on you with your tan skin. I could never pull it off, but it'll make you fuckin' glow. Trust me."

The set she was pointing to was a golden yellow color that Angela would never pick for herself. "Yellow?"

"Trust me, in the summertime, when you get a little tanner, it'll look bangin'," she said, nodding emphatically. "You ever try crotch-less panties?"

Angela almost choked on her sip of Coke. This was definitely not a conversation she expected to have with Hannah of all people. Still, she'd always been curious about the underwear style, and who better to talk to about it than a Croweater? "Nope. Sounds uncomfortable."

"Nah, you get used to it. Total confidence booster too, and so fuckin' sexy. You're walkin' around with this big secret, and then you can just surprise your man. Anywhere. In the car, on his bike, bathroom, garage, wherever. Don't even gotta get undressed," she explained, biting her lip a bit. "Getting turned on just thinkin' about it."

For some reason, the way Hannah described it made a flush creep up her neck. She had no doubt Juice would love that kind of surprise. All of a sudden the fantasy of letting him take her in one of the TM garage bays popped into her mind, making a fire slowly start to build inside of her. "I um...do you wear like a skirt?"

"Most of the time. Skirt or a dress. You want to get revved up before, wear some jeans. The friction is delicious," she said with a wink. "Look at you gettin' all red!"

Angela could feel the heat in her cheeks and looked away from Hannah in embarrassment. "Sorry, not really used to talkin' about this stuff in a public setting."

"Oh sweetheart, the guys don't give a shit. They don't pay attention to us girls anyway. Not unless they're trying to get into our pants," Hannah said, waving a perfectly manicured hand towards the door. "And just so you know, I only slept with your man like twice, and definitely not with crotch-less panties. Think that shit would drive him wild."

She flinched at the new information Hannah shared. She wasn't wrong, Angela had the same exact thought, but she didn't enjoy hearing it from the other woman. "Oh. I know about you guys, he um...he told me."

Hannah set her hand on top of hers, squeezing. "Sweetie, he called me 'Angel' more times than I can count. We might've been gettin' it on, but it wasn't me in his head," she assured her. For some odd reason, that detail made Angela feel just a little better. It was still hard for her to believe Juice had had feelings for her for so long. Stories like that just confirmed what he'd told already told her. Hannah smirked. "Felt like I was in a threesome or somethin'...which I'm not opposed to, of course. 'specially with the two of you."

Angela's mouth fell open as she shifted awkwardly in her seat. This conversation was getting a little out of hand. "Oh," she said, messing with her ring. She already knew there was no way it would happen. She'd never be able to watch another woman put her hands on him and not want to knock her out. There would be absolutely nothing sexy about it. "I um...thanks? But no thanks. You're...great, but I..."

"Don't want to share, I get it," she said with a wide grin. "Pretty sure Juice wouldn't be too keen on it either. He's sweet, but he doesn't strike me as the sharing type."

Juice draped his arm around Angela's shoulders, looking a little less worried than he had before. "Who?"

An amused grin spread across Hannah's face as she winked at him. "I offered her a threesome, Angie passed. She doesn't like to share either," she explained simply. She tapped at the lingerie catalogue again. "Get the yellow, Ang, in that style we talked about. You won't regret it."

Juice furrowed his brow as he watched Hannah walk away. "What just happened?"

Angela laughed at the perplexed look on Juice's face. "Don't ask," she said, shaking her head slowly. She did make a mental note to buy what Hannah had recommended, though. "You didn't want to..."

"No! No," he said quickly, shaking his head. "Unless you want to..."

"Not at all," she replied, leaning in to kiss him quickly. "Want you all to myself, goof."

His smile made her heart flutter. He pulled her in closer to him, catching her lips in a hot kiss as he moved his arms around her. "You need anything from our house? We can stop before headin' to Oakland."

Angela loved hearing him refer to the small house they shared as "ours". She leaned into him, enjoying the feel of his body against hers. "Think I need more panties," she told him, pressing a kiss to his neck. "Two pairs have already disappeared."

He swallowed hard, his hand moving to her ass and giving it a firm squeeze. "Well, we can't have that. Guess we should go get you some more, 'cause I got a feeling the ones you have on are also gonna disappear soon as we get home."

She laughed, shaking her head at him. "I do want those back, Ortiz."

Juice shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, you'll get 'em back...eventually."

Tara's back and Wendy's preggers which means we're comin' close to S1!

Lots more to go before then though! ;)

Let me know what you guys think!

~Love Ink