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Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs and storyline

She Will Be Loved

Chapter 61: Down

By Love Ink

Juice woke up to the smell of coffee and the low sound of music coming from the kitchen. It took him a moment to realize he was alone on the air mattress. True to her word, Angela must've woken up and managed to get out of bed without waking him. He groaned as he sat up, scrubbing a hand over his face as he tried to wake himself up. It was a struggle to get off the sagging air mattress, but he managed to do so after a minute. His back cracked as he straightened up, stretching his arms over his head. He reached over to his go bag and pulled out a pair of sweats, pulling them up over his boxers. He went to grab his hoodie off the couch but found it wasn't there, so he grabbed a shirt instead. He had a good idea where his hoodie had gone. Slowly, he made his way towards the kitchen, smiling to himself when he heard Angela and Elena talking softly in Spanish. Leaning against the kitchen entryway, he took a moment to enjoy the sight before him. Angela was wearing his hoodie, as he figured she would be, shaking her hips to the music as she cut up some strawberries. Elena was beside her, flipping pancakes and watching bacon frying in a pan. He didn't understand a word they were saying, but he loved listening to them, loved watching them move around the kitchen the way they must've done for years.

Elena glanced over her shoulder at him, a smile spreading across her face. "Buenos dias, Juancito," she greeted.

"Buenas dias," he replied, going over to kiss her cheek. "Lena, how do you say 'beautiful' in Spanish?"

"Bonita," Elena answered on a smirk.

Juice turned towards Angela, who was already grinning at him, a sparkle in her dark eyes. "Buenas dias, bonita."

"Buenos dias, guapito," she greeted, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Did you sleep well?"

Elena nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! How was the air mattress? Good, no?"

"Was great," he replied, grabbing a piece of strawberry and popping it into his mouth. "Slept like a baby. Little lonely though."

Angela's mouth turned up in a smirk, and he leaned in to kiss the corner of it just because he could. "Same," she agreed on a soft sigh.

"Then get married, and you can sleep together all you want," Elena stated on shrug. Clearly, she did not feel guilty about making them sleep apart.

Juice's heart sputtered in his chest as he looked at Angela, who'd gone a little red. They hadn't talked at all about marriage. Despite knowing each other for years, they'd only just gotten together romantically. He knew he wanted a future with her, that someday he'd like to start a family with her, but talking about it so soon was a little overwhelming. "I um..."

"Stop," Angela said, quickly holding up a hand. "Tia, we just got together, let's not talk about marriage just yet. Can't we just enjoy where we're at right now?"

He let out a sigh of relief while Elena just shook her head. "I'm just saying..." the older woman trailed off with another shrug.

"Well stop," she shot back, cutting the strawberries with a bit more fervor. She said something in Spanish that made Elena scowl, but just as Juice was about to ask what she'd said, there was a loud crash from the living room.

All three ran towards the front of the house to find the big front window broken, a brick laying on the ground. Angela bent to grab the brick when the sounds of automatic gunfire filled the air coupled with a loud engine. Juice ran at Elena, instinctively tackling her to the ground, making sure to roll in the process so that his back hit the ground, not hers. The back of his head struck the adobe tiled floor, hard, and for a second he saw stars. Blinking them away, he rolled over so he was on top of Elena, shielding her from the gunshots. Something heavy fell off on top of his head, and he grimaced in pain, aware of the way Elena was clinging to him, her eyes squeezed shut.

He waited a few minutes after the shots had subsided before he carefully pushed himself off the older woman. "You okay?" he asked, helping her to her feet.

Elena nodded quickly. "I think so. Are you, mijo?"

Juice nodded, though his stomach was turning, head pounding. Looking to his left, he saw a large wooden antique clock that been hanging on the wall. That must've been what had fallen on his head. Slowly, he got to his feet, the world spinning around him. "Where's Ang?" he asked, trying to focus on what had happened. His brain was starting to feel a little fuzzy. "Angel!"

Angela appeared in the doorway, breathing hard with Happy behind her. When had Happy come down? Had they chased after the gunman? What had she been thinking? She could've been hurt! "Juice!" she replied, a concerned look on her face. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he said, rubbing at his eyes. Why was it so hard to focus? "You see anythin'?"

He didn't hear her response though. Before he could stop himself, he leaned over and threw up onto the floor. "Juice!" Angela's voice was panicked as she ran to him. The last thing he saw was her concerned face as he fell over.

"Juice!" Angela screamed, falling to her knees beside him. She was aware of blood on the ground beneath his head as he lay limp on the ground. This was all too familiar. Terror filled her as she smacked his cheek, praying for him to open his eyes. "No, no, no, you're okay, baby. Please. Come on. Wake up. Wake up for me."

The sound of sirens was loud in her ears. She didn't know who had called them, didn't know how much time had gone by. All she could see was Juice lying in front of her, eyes closed, his hand lifeless in her own just like Raj's. No. She refused to let her mind go down that path. He was going to be fine. He had to be fine. She couldn't lose him. "No. Juice, please," she begged, bringing his hand to her face. "Wake up."

She was aware of someone grabbing her around the waist, trying to get her off of him. "No!" she shouted, struggling against them. "No, stop!"

"Kid! Gotta get off! Let go!" Happy shouted as pulled her off of him, restraining her while the paramedics assessed Juice.

Juice still hadn't moved, hadn't regained consciousness. Her eyes were focused on the smallest movement of his chest rising and falling as he breathed. That was different. She couldn't remember seeing Raj breathing after the accident. It had to be a good sign. She fought against Happy's hold, tears clouding her vision making it hard to see his breathing. Had he stopped? "No! Let me go! Let me go!"

"Mija, breathe," Elena said, trying to calm her down while simultaneously explaining what had happened to the paramedics.

"No! No! Stop! I need to be there! Stop!" she screamed, digging her nails into Happy's arm as she struggled against him. He didn't let go, though, lifting her off of her feet and physically carrying her to the kitchen as the paramedics started moving Juice into the ambulance. "No! I want to go! He can't be alone! Don't let him be alone!"

Happy ignored her screams, stepping in front of her and taking her face in his hands. "Angela! Stop!" he shouted, finally getting her attention. He never used her full name, and the use of it now pulled her out of hysterics. "Calm the fuck down! They're not gonna let you anywhere near him screamin' like that! Breathe!"

She struggled to catch her breath, still trying to get around him despite the fact they'd already moved Juice from the living room. "You don't understand! The last time I saw...I saw Raj he was...ambulance...and he couldn't hold my hand and Juice couldn't and...I can't lose him. I can't...Please."

Her words were barely coherent, but Happy seemed to understand them. "We're gonna tail the ambulance, all right? Won't let it out of our sight. Can you hold on?"

Relief flooded through her; she could do that. As long as she was close to him. She nodded quickly, wiping away her tears. "Y-yeah. Let's go. Now," she said, heading for the door.

Happy turned to look at his mother. "Call Vivica. She'll help with the pigs. Ain't no way this shit didn't get called in. Hide his cut. Hide my cut. Call Koz and explain. He'll get the boys over here to help with all this shit."

"Hap!" Angela exclaimed, impatiently. The ambulance had already started pulling away from the curb. "C'mon!"

"Yes, yes," Elena said, shooing him away. "Go, mijo. Take care of her. I can handle this."

Happy nodded, heading for his bike just behind his cousin. They rode behind the ambulance, getting to the Oakland hospital just a few seconds after. Angela barely waited for him to stop his bike before she jumped off and ran towards the ambulance. A paramedic intercepted her before she could get to Juice, standing between her and the ambulance.

"Miss, let me take you to the waiting room. I'm going to need you to answer a few questions to help us, okay?" the nurse asked, diverting her towards the waiting room of the hospital. "Are you a family member of his?"

"Please. I need to see him," Angela begged, her voice shaking. "I need to know he's okay."

"Are you family, Miss?"

"She's his wife," a voice said from behind her as her mother appeared. She was in her scrubs, her hospital ID hanging from around her neck. Angela stared at her in disbelief. Was she insane? She wasn't Juice's wife. Graciela didn't acknowledge her look and continued on, answering most of the nurse's questions. She grabbed Angela's arm and guided her through the emergency room towards the waiting room. "Angelita, can you please answer Kristy's questions? She needs them for Juan."

Angela nodded numbly. She knew this drill. She'd been in this place before. The whole situation made her sick to her stomach. She answered all of the questions robotically. No one had given her any updates about Juice, but before the nurse left, she promised she'd be back with more information. Leaning forward, she let her head fall in his hands, fighting against a sob.

To her surprise, her mother placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it lovingly. "He's going to be okay, mija. They would tell you if he wasn't. I know the looks. I know the questions they'd be asking if he wasn't," she assured her. "And you are his wife. Don't correct that. If you want to get the information and the access to him, you have to say that it is true. This hospital is very strict about that. Family only."

She swallowed hard. She'd never been so thankful for her mother being a nurse as she was at that moment. "Thanks, Mama."

Graciela nodded, patting her back one more time before pushing herself out of the chair. "I'm going to see what I can find out. You stay."

"Okay," she rasped, rubbing at her eyes. She sat back in the chair and said a silent prayer. It had been hard losing Raj, but she couldn't imagine what it would be like to live without Juice. She and Raj had been slowly falling apart when he died. Not like her and Juice. There was little doubt in her mind that she loved him. That he was who she was meant to be with. She couldn't lose him. Not after they'd finally gotten together. This couldn't be happening.

Kozik walked into Juice's hospital room, his head sinking at the sight before him. Angela was seated beside the hospital bed, her hand on Juice's, trails of tears evident on her face. She was hyper-focused on the rise and fall of Juice's chest. So much so she didn't even notice he'd walked in, so he took a minute to assess the situation. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and she was wearing some kind of sweats with a large sweatshirt. Not a trace of makeup on her face. It brought him back to the first time he'd met her. She'd been a precocious seven year old, all smiles and laughter and just a little sass...until Happy told her they had to go, and then she'd folded in on herself. Gone quiet, her dark eyes growing big and watery. She'd tried to hold her tears, but some had slipped through, and every damn tear had hurt Koz's heart just like seeing them now did. He wondered if this was how she was after Raj had died. Guilt churned his stomach; he wouldn't know. He hadn't been there for her then. He'd be there for her now. No matter what.

Juice looked fine, though. There was a bandage around his head, and he had some lines and tubes attached to his arm and in his nose, but he looked all right. Elena had described him as much worse off than he was. Kozik was just glad no one in the house had caught a bullet. Angela was well-trained and had ducked the second she'd heard the gunfire, and Juice had apparently tackled Elena to the ground to protect her. He knew the move had been instinctual, but he was grateful the idiot had chosen to protect Elena over Angela. He knew it would have Happy pushing hard for the guy to get his top rocker, and Kozik would second that motion right away.

"Hey kid," he greeted, catching her attention. "How's he doin'?"

Her eyes darted to him for a quick moment before looking back at Juice. She sniffled, swallowing hard as she wiped away a few stray tears with her free hand. "I...I don't know. He's...he's..."

"Well, he's breathin'. That's somethin', right?" he said, sitting on the arm of her chair. He reached out a hand to wipe some tears from her cheek.

Angela swallowed hard as she nodded. She leaned her head against his arm, letting out a shaky breath. "He has some kind of head trauma. A subdural hematoma or somethin'. I dunno. My mom explained it, but I just...tuned it out. They have to wait for him to wake up to assess better...if he wakes up. If not, they're gonna take him into surgery or something or he might...I can't lose him, Kozi."

He moved his arm around her shoulders, leaning over to drop a kiss to the crown of her head. "You won't, kiddo," he told her, squeezing her shoulder.

She didn't look so sure. "Hap tell you I got a partial plate?"

"Uh-huh," he said, bobbing his head. He wasn't going to tell her that the partial plate didn't mean shit when the only guy who could really run it was Juice. They'd given what little information they had to Unser to see if he could do something with it, but he wasn't as fast as Juice. "Workin' on it. Happy said there were two guys. Looked brown."

She nodded, sniffling a little bit. "This was Esai."

Kozik raised his eyebrows, shocked by her theory; they hadn't really considered it. They'd thought it might've been a Niner or something. "You think? We got a lotta shit stored there. Probably had nothing to do with you."

"Koz, they threw a brick through the window to get us to come to the front and then proceeded to blast the shit out of the place and drive off. No one stopped to see the aftermath or tried to get in to steal whatever you guys are storing. What would the purpose of it be other than to kill who's inside?"

"You think the Mayan wants to kill you now?"

"I dunno. Maybe," she answered on a shrug. "Maybe...maybe he thinks he can't have me so no one can. I dunno. Some psychopath bullshit."

"Maybe he was out for Juice," he put out there. "Raj died, you ran back to him. Maybe he thought if the idiot goes..."

Angela looked up at him now, eyes wide. "Holy shit," she breathed, a flare of anger crossing her face. "Is he insane?"

"I mean, we can't prove that. Not until we have more information."

She let her head fall in her hands, a soft curse escaping her hold. Slowly, she lifted her head, raking a hand through her hair. "Doesn't matter what the fuckin' reason is, I just want him to wake up."

"He will."

"You don't know that. His brain is bleeding," she repeated, her voice catching in her throat.

"So? Ain't like he had much up there anyway."

Angela scowled at him, smacking his arm. "Stop! He could die."

"He won't."

"But he could!"

"Kid, he's not gonna die. I'm tellin' you," he assured her on a chuckle. "No way. You two just got together. He ain't gonna leave you so easily."

Angela's bottom lip quivered for a moment, another tear sliding down her cheek. "I didn't think Raj would either," she admitted softly. "And he...he was on the ground just like him, and I was holding his hand and squeezing and he didn't squeeze back and neither did Raj, and I just...it feels like its my fault all over again."

Kozik's heart ached as another tear escaped her hold. It seemed like she was barely holding it together. "Thought we talked about how Raj wasn't your fault," he told her, squeezing her shoulder. "This isn't either."

She shrugged, wiping at her face. "I feel like a fuckin' curse, Koz."

He chuckled, shaking his head at her. "Don't be stupid. Shit happens. You're not the center of the universe, y'know. Everything doesn't revolve around you. Sometimes bad shit happens. Can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"Hey Jude," she muttered, shaking her head at him. "Don't carry the world upon your shoulders. You just fuckin' quoted a Beatles song at me."

He actually knew the reference and shrugged. "I'm fuckin' brilliant. You should know that by now," he said before kissing her temple. "Stay strong, kiddo. Idiot loves you. He'll come back to you, promise."

He hoped he was right. Hoped the idiot would wake up more for Angela than anything. He had a feeling if she lost him, she'd never recover, and Koz couldn't bear to see that happening to her. He wanted to see his kid happy. Whoever had done this, threatened their strange little family in this way, had to die. Like a lot.

As always, let me know what you think! :)

~Love Ink