Thanks everyone for reading! Let me know what you think! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own OCs!

She Will Be Loved

Chapter 62: Soft

By Love Ink

Gemma didn't love going to Oakland. Worse still was having a damn shadow with her. Tig had said he wanted to go visit the prospect, but she wasn't buying that for a minute. Especially since the first thing he did when they got to the hospital was go to the cafeteria for something sweet. She was being followed because whatever idiots had shot up Happy's mother's house could easily go after her too. Clay had tried to get her to stay behind, but she'd insisted. Juice was one of her boys now. She wanted to make sure he was being treated right. She didn't really trust Angela to fight for him. They'd only just gotten together, and to her, it seemed the young idiot loved Angela a hell of a lot more than she loved him.

Or so she thought. The second she stepped onto the floor, she could hear someone arguing loudly. To her surprise, when she rounded the corner, it was Angela speaking with one of the nurses at the nurse's station. The girl was dressed sloppily in sweats and a sweatshirt that was much too big for her, though her hair was in two pristine braids going down either side of her head. The braided look always made the undertaker look tougher than she was. Like she was ready for some kind of battle. It reminded her of the tattoos on Juice's head, inked there to make him look hard, like a warrior, when he was really just a sweet kid. Gemma wasn't a fan of either look; she liked to exude her strength in subtler ways.

"He can't stay here." Angela's voice was insistent, passionate with just a hint of desperation. "Can we please just figure out a way to move him to St. Thomas? He can't stay in Oakland."

When Gemma got closer, she could see the girl was speaking with an older Latina women beside her clad in light blue scrubs. The woman was slightly shorter than her and had her hands on her hips, a scowl on her face. "We can't just move him because you are stubborn and want him to be close to home. That is ridiculous."

"It has nothing to do with my stubbornness," Angela shot back on a scowl that was quite similar to the other woman's. "He's not safe here!"

"He's plenty safe here. We have security guards, and he will be monitored."

Gemma took a step closer, catching Angela's eye. She was ready to help with the fight if needed, but Angela ignored her and pushed forward. "I don't think you understand the kind of danger he's in. I want him home."

"Do you know how expensive it is to move a patient without a reason? You're crazy!" the nurse replied. Gemma was surprised Angela didn't look at all offended by the nurse calling her crazy. They had to know each other somehow.

Angela crossed her arms over her chest, squaring her shoulders. "I don't give a shit. I'll...I'll sell my car, dip into my savings, whatever I need to do. He can't stay here."

"Club will help too," Gemma added, earning a confused look from the nurse.

"And who are you?" the nurse asked, crossing her arms over her chest in the same way Angela had. That's when Gemma saw it. The two had to be related. They had the same dark eyes, the same facial expressions. Was this Happy's aunt?

"It doesn't matter," Angela said, ignoring Gemma's offer in a way that stung a little. "Mama, I have never asked you for anything. Not once. I am asking for your help. I need you now. I need him to be safe. Please. You heard what they did to your house. How can you think he's safe here?"

So she was Angela's mother and there were clearly some issues between them. Gemma could relate to that; her mother had been great to her either. A sadness crossed the other woman's face as she sighed. "It won't be cheap," she said on a frown.

"I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes. I just...I want him to be safe," Angela insisted.

The woman nodded before she breathed in deeply. "I'll see what I can do, mija."

Angela's shoulders relaxed as she nodded. "Thank you."

The woman said something to her in Spanish before walking quickly down the hallway. Gemma watched as Angela dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, though she saw a tear slip down her cheek. As strong as the girl was trying to look, she was hurting something fierce. Gemma set her hand on her shoulder. "You all right?"

"I'm fine," she replied, shrugging her hand off.

Again, Gemma was a little offended by the brush off, though she couldn't blame her; they'd never been very friendly with each other. "That's a real sweet thing you're doing. Club'll chip in. You're not alone in this."

She nodded slowly, her jaw clenched though her eyes were glassy with tears. "Yeah, thanks," she rasped before sniffling a bit. "I'm gonna...go back in there. I don't want him to wake up alone."

"Okay, sweetheart. Mind if I come in with you?"

"Not at all," she answered, leading her inside.

Juice's head was wrapped in a bandage, his eyes closed in sleep. He looked so young lying there attached to multiple machines. Angela took a seat in a chair beside him, taking a hold of his hand. Her dark brown eyes went to his chest, watching its rise and fall.

Gemma knew she hadn't been exactly kind to the girl, but she felt the need to be now, especially after she saw the harsh brush off from her mother. Not much love was apparent there. No comforting words or willingness to help. Gemma would move heaven and earth to help her kid. No hesitation, no fighting. If she'd been in Angela's mom's shoes, it wouldn't even have been a discussion. The minute she'd asked, it would've been done. No way would she let her child suffer like Angela clearly was. Not if she could prevent it.

"You really love him, don't you?" Gemma asked, sitting down beside her. She could see Angela's jaw clench and knew she'd annoyed her. She leaned back in her chair, glancing over at Juice. "It isn't going to be easy, y'know. Shit like this? Happens all the time. St. Thomas should name a wing after us."

She heard the girl sniffle a bit, though she remained silent, staring at the young man in the bed. "But they're tough guys. All of them," Gemma continued, as if the conversation wasn't one-sided. "Thick skulls are hard to crack and my boys all have got the thickest skulls. 's why I know Juice is going to be just fine. Those lightning bolts on his head will keep his brains in there."

That earned her the smallest hint of a smile. "Hope so," she rasped, so softly Gemma almost didn't hear it. "Sorry you had to see that shit with my Mom."

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. I know all about mommy issues. Practically got my PhD in 'em," she said on a smirk. "She doesn't approve of the two of you?"

"No, that's not it at all," Angela said, scowling slightly. "She loves Juice. Has since before we got together, but she's stubborn and cheap and thinks she's always right, and that I'm just a big drama queen who's here to make her life difficult. But I'm not. This is Mayan territory. Half the nurses here have Mayan ties. It's not safe. I'm going to stay here, but what can I do if a nurse decides to fuck with him? Give him the wrong meds? I don't understand that shit. My mom's taking care of him during her shift, but what about when she's off? I can't protect him from shit I don't understand. She thinks I'm being dramatic with it all, but she doesn't get the club shit. She thinks I'm crazy, and I am being a little crazy, but I just...I can't lose him."

Gemma was surprised by her intelligence, as she usually was when she got more than one sentence out of Angela. She hadn't even considered the nurses being the ones to intentionally harm Juice. "You're not crazy. Not with this shit, at least. Think what you're doing is completely justified, to be honest. I'd be doin' the same thing if you weren't here."

"Thanks."

"Has he woken up yet?"

"No," she answered on a soft breath. "But the nurses seem optimistic."

"Good," she said, patting Angela's shoulder. She got a feeling the young girl was on the brink of tears and decided to change tactics before she started crying; she didn't want to deal with a sobbing girl. "Love these braids. Very chola."

Angela's shoulders tensed again; clearly, she'd didn't find the little dig funny. "My aunt braids when she's nervous."

It was intriguing to Gemma that Happy's mother's way of releasing nervous energy was braiding hair. She wondered how that manifested when Happy was a kid. She'd wanted to meet the woman since the first time she'd met Happy. The way the Tacoma Killer could do heinous, violent acts yet was still so respectful to women spoke volumes about the woman who raised him. "Your aunt here?"

"Made her go home a few minutes ago. This is the third hairstyle she's done," she muttered with a small smile. "Was driving me crazy."

Gemma chuckled at that. "Understandable. You gonna kick me out, undertaker?"

"No," she said softly. "It's good for him to have people here. He's always wanted a big family. He deserves that kind of love and support. Think that's why he wants to be a part of SAMCRO so badly. He wants the family. My aunt loves him; he knows that. But...having a piece of the club here will mean a lot to him whenever he wakes up."

She was struck by the way Angela knew Juice. She could see the love in the young girl's gaze, feel it in the air between them. Maybe she'd been wrong in thinking Juice cared more for her than she did him. These were two people who knew each other incredibly well and cared a lot about each other. Ride or die. Like she'd once been with JT. "You'd be doin' this even if you weren't together, huh?"

"He's my best friend," she replied by way of answer. "Has been for years. I'll always be there for him."

Gemma nodded slowly. "Good. He needs that. SAMCRO can only do so much for him. Gonna be on you to support him. Can't just disappear when the going gets tough, you know. Not gonna be good for anyone for you to leave him and go runnin' to another club when he messes up, 'cause he will mess up. They all do."

Angela's jaw clenched again, and Gemma wondered if she'd pushed too far. If the girl was going to tell her to shut the hell up and get out. She stood by what she said, though. JT had only been loyal to her for so long until the little tart in Belfast caught his eye, and while she'd already been flirting with Clay during that time period, that betrayal stung. If Juice did something stupid like that, and Angela decided to go jumping back in with the Mayan, all hell would break loose for the club.

Angela finally met her gaze, anger smoldering in her dark eyes. "I'm not going anywhere."

For some reason, Gemma could tell she meant it. At least at that moment, she did. So for the moment, she'd believe her. "Whatever you say, sweetheart."

Angela couldn't look away from the rise and fall of Juice's chest. She counted his breaths, matching her breathing to his as though that would somehow keep him breathing. Her mind kept going back and forth between that street in New York with Raj and the moment in the kitchen with Juice. The way their hands had both been so limp in her own. The blood. The destruction around them. The sirens and the people pushing her further and further away until she was left alone in a waiting room. But she hadn't had this moment with Raj. He had never been transferred to a hospital room, had never started breathing again. His chest hadn't moved once on its own since he was loaded into the ambulance. Not like Juice's. Juice had never stopped breathing, and she hung her hopes on the visual of his chest rising and falling. He was breathing. On his own, no less. The doctors said that was a great sign. He just had to regain consciousness.

Hours had passed since they'd moved him to the intensive care unit. Visitors had come and gone. She was glad to be rid of them. Especially Gemma and her judgmental comments. She knew the older woman saw her as a traitor. Probably always would. Angela didn't care, though. Not at that moment, at least. She had bigger troubles on her mind...like when he was going to wake up.

She scooted her chair closer to the bed, taking his hand in her own and kissing his knuckles before laying her head on the bed beside it. Her eyelids were growing heavy, the craziness of the day catching up with her. She let them close for just a moment, overcome by exhaustion.

"Angel." His hoarse voice paired with the way he was squeezing her hand slowly woke up her from her slumber.

She lifted her head, blinking at him for a moment as she realized he was awake. A wave of relief came over at the sight of him, and the tears came before she could stop them. "Hey you," she managed to get out around the lump in her throat.

He squeezed her hand again. "Hey, hey, no tears. I'm fine."

She shook her head, a tear sliding down her cheek. "You weren't."

"But I am now," he replied, the smallest smile turning up the corner of his mouth. He groaned as he used his other hand to hit the button on the bed and lift the back of it so he could see her better. "Feel real good actually. Woke up to a beautiful girl. Makes me sad that she's cryin' though."

"Goof," she said on a light laugh. She cupped the side of his face with her hand, her heart fluttering when he leaned into it, turning his face to kiss the heel of her palm. "How's your head?"

Juice shrugged a shoulder. "Still on my shoulders. Hurts a little. How's Lena?"

Angela couldn't help but smile at the question. She loved how much he cared about her family. He'd put himself in danger to save her without thinking twice. "You wake up in a hospital bed, and the first thing you ask is how my aunt is?"

He shrugged again. "I tackled her pretty hard. Want to make sure I didn't hurt her."

"She's fine," she assured him. "More worried about you than anything. Her and Gemma and my mom and all the guys have been in and out during visiting hours. I kicked them out a bit ago, so I could stay."

Juice nodded and tugged on her hand a bit as if he wanted her closer. Leaning in, she gave him a long, slow kiss. She pulled away slowly, tapping her forehead to his. "You really scared me," she admitted on a whisper. "Thought I'd lost you."

He moved a hand to the back of her neck, his short fingernails scratching at its nape as his thumb brushed against her jaw. " 'm sorry," he murmured, kissing her again. "I'll try not to do it again."

She laughed softly, rolling her eyes. "Goof," she said, wiping at her eyes again. She was relieved to hear him joking again; he couldn't be that injured if he was cracking jokes and smiling at her like he was. Still, she had to know for sure. Slowly, she straightened up, going to reach for the remote beside him. "We gotta call the nurses. They need to check you out. Make sure your brain still works."

He moved it away from her, frowning just a little. "Not yet," he said stubbornly, reaching for her hand again. "They'll make you leave 'n' I'm not ready for that yet. Want you here. Closer, though."

She smirked at him and nodded. How could she deny him anything when he was looking at her with those puppy dog eyes? "Whatever you want, goofy."

She was about to climb into bed with him when the door opened and a nurse strode in. Angela had been a little nervous around some of the nurses, knowing some of them had Mayan connections and unsure who had ordered the attack on her family. Thankfully, this nurse was an older woman she didn't recognize. The nurse had a big, relieved smile on her face. The door opened and a nurse walked in, a relieved look on her face. "Good to see you awake, Mr. Ortiz," she replied with a bright smile. "How are you feeling?"

Juice looked disappointed when Angela moved away, but he didn't let go of her hand as she thought he might. " 'm fine," he stated simply.

"Mrs. Ortiz, I'm going to ask you to step out for a moment so I can run him through a few tests, okay?" the nurse stated, giving her a warm smile. "Maybe go get a coffee downstairs?"

Angela saw the way Juice's eyebrows shot up when the nurse called her 'Mrs. Ortiz' and prayed he wouldn't correct her and blow their cover. She hesitated for a moment until the doctor walked in as well. "Right," she said under her breath. "Be right back, baby."

He nodded, a curious look in his eyes which she answered with a little shrug; she'd explain later. She headed out the door, surprised to find Kozik leaning against the nurse's station, flirting with a pretty blonde nurse. He grinned when he saw her, gesturing for her to come over. "Hey," she greeted with a tired sigh.

Kozik threw his arm around her shoulders. "Just the woman we needed. Stephanie here needed Mrs. Ortiz's signature to finish off the paperwork for Juice's transfer. Got the check for it in my pocket," he explained, patting at the front of his cut.

"Thanks." Angela smiled as Stephanie handed her the paperwork. She looked it over before her eyes almost bugged out of her head at the price. "Holy shit," she whispered, glancing up at Kozik. Her mother hadn't been kidding.

"Sign it. Club's got it. Don't worry," he assured her with a wink.

With a sigh, she signed the paperwork, making sure to distort her last name a bit so it was difficult to tell if it said 'Ruiz' or 'Ortiz'. "Sorry, my signature's a mess," she said, handing the clipboard back to Stephanie. "My nerves are shot."

"Understandable," Stephanie said with a kind smile. "Think its real sweet y'all are getting him moved closer to home. He's a lucky guy."

"Just glad it all worked out," she replied on a shrug. "I'm gonna grab a cup of coffee. I'll be right back."

Kozik nodded, bringing her in for a side hug. "Want some company?"

She caught the disappointed look that flashed across the nurse's face and shook her head. "Nah, you stay. I could use a little breather," she said, feeling better about her decision when the nurse smiled.

Pushing away from the counter, she headed towards the elevator, hands in her pockets. She was relieved Juice was going to be moved. This hospital was all too familiar to her. Not only because she'd grown up going to the small daycare they had when she was young and her mom, aunt, and Hap had to work but also because she remembered running through its hallways when her dad was sick. Remembered exactly which waiting room she'd been in when Happy pulled her into his lap and explained that her dad had died. That he was never coming back. With all the craziness that had gone on with Juice, she hadn't had time to stop and take in her surroundings. Walking through the hallways now, knowing he'd be all right, the painful memories were starting to creep back in.

She took the stairs down to the little cafeteria, thankful that it had least been remodeled since the last time she'd been there. It barely resembled the place where she'd blown out the candles on her third birthday, her father nearby in a wheelchair looking so sick and feeble. He refused to allow them to do the celebration in his room; he'd wanted a change of scenery...or so her Uncle Chico had told her before he died. She didn't really remember details like that anymore.

The coffee looked more like brown water than coffee, but she did her best to make it drinkable before paying for it and heading back to Juice's room. The nurse and doctor were just walking out the door. The nurse gave her a warm smile. "He's doing well, sweetheart. Gonna let him rest a bit then do a few scans, then we'll get him sedated and transport him to Charming. I'm fairly certain he'll make a full recovery."

A weight lifted off of Angela's shoulders at her words. "Thank you," she said on a breath. The nurse nodded before heading down the hall. She let herself into the room, smiling at the sleepy look on Juice's face. Clearly, they'd given him some additional pain drugs. "Hey you."

"Hey Mrs. Ortiz," he replied with a stoned smile.

Angela felt her cheeks heat up in a blush; she should've explained that to him before the nurse brought it up. "Oh. Yeah. I um...my Mom told them we were married so that I could stay here with you and...make decisions. I know its super weird, and I should've told you earlier, but I was so glad you were okay that I didn't really think about it. 'm sorry."

He shrugged a shoulder, reaching a hand out to her. "Don't be sorry, baby," he said, grabbing her hand when she was close enough. "Like the sound of it."

Her heart did a little spasm in her chest; he liked the sound of her being his wife. He might be high as hell on pain medicine, but the idea he liked the sound of them being married gave her butterflies. Was that kind of future a possibility? Getting married was probably very far off, but she had to admit, she loved the sound of it. Getting married, starting a family, the idea of it didn't suffocate her like it had in the past. For once, she found herself wanting that kind of a future. "Yeah?" she asked softly, hoping he wasn't messing with her.

"Hope so...someday," he muttered drowsily. " 'm tired, baby."

"Go to sleep then, goof," she said, squeezing his hand.

"You need sleep too. 's what the nurse said. Said my wife was gonna worry herself sick," he murmured, tugging on her hand. "Can't have that. Not my wife. My wife's gotta sleep but also be closer to me."

Angela laughed, carefully climbing onto the hospital bed with him. She leaned up to kiss him quickly before laying her head down on his chest. His heartbeat was strong, steady, and she found herself grateful for each beat. "Better?"

"So much better," he replied, his arm slipping around her back, hand sliding under her shirt. "You're so warm, Angel. Warm and pretty and mine. Right?"

His words made her feel warm and fuzzy all over in a way no one else's had. She used to hate when Esai said she was his as if he owned her, but for some reason, it felt different coming from Juice. She was his, and he was hers. There was a strange feeling of equality there that she couldn't quite explain. She liked it, though. "Yeah, baby. I'm yours. Always."

Juice sighed contently. "Good. Not for life. For always. No prison sentences."

She got the reference to the stupid thing Esai used to tell her and chuckled. Of course Juice would be stuck on that. "No prison sentences," she confirmed, hiding a laugh as he yawned. "Go to sleep, baby."

"You'll be here when I wake up?"

"Absolutely."

"Because you're Mrs. Ortiz?"

Angela laughed, tilting her head back and kissing his jaw. "Yes, baby."

"Or I could be Mr. Ruiz if you want. That's not bad."

"Sure. How about you go to sleep?" she suggested on a laugh. "We'll discuss last name changes when the time is right."

Juice nodded slowly. "All right, Mrs. Ortiz. Night."

Angela settled against his chest again. "Night, Mr. Ruiz."

Happy walked into Juice's hospital room, surprised to find Angela in the bed with the idiot, his head on her shoulder as he snored softly. She was awake, her eyes on the shitty TV screen. She looked better rested than the last time he'd seen her, but still stressed. He sat down in the chair beside Juice's bed, nodding his greeting to her. "Hey Hap," she rasped, sitting up a little. "He was just awake, but I think this plant show put him to sleep."

Happy looked over his shoulder to see a slow motion plant growing in the screen. He didn't blame the idiot; he'd fall asleep watching that shit too. "How's he doin'?"

"Nurses say he'll make a full recovery," she answered with a relieved smile. "How's the house?"

"Got it cleaned. Window patched. Pigs didn't even come to question it us. Vivica took care of it," he explained, thankful Vivica had been able to swoop in and smooth things over with law enforcement. He had no idea who she had on her payroll, but she must be paying them a lot considering not a single photo was taken and not a single report was made. "Idiot did good. Protected Ma instead a you. Wouldn't a expected that."

Angela smiled proudly as she nodded. "He's not an idiot. Think he figured I'd move faster than her," she explained, looking down at their entwined hands. "He really cares about her and my mom. They're his family too, regardless of our relationship."

Happy nodded slowly. He'd seen how close the idiot had gotten with his family. At first, he'd been suspicious that he was kissing ass to get on Angela's good side, but then he saw how he acted with his Ma and Aunt. There was no ass kissing. The idiot genuinely wanted to help them because he cared about them. No ulterior motive. Happy got the feeling the guy just wanted their approval and their affection, and the two old ladies ate it up; they weren't used to having a softer guy around. He wondered if Juice's softness would dissipate once he got that top rocker. Once he was let into the secrets of the club, encountered the violence of it, would it change him? How would that change affect his little cousin? There was a reason she didn't want Juice involved in the club. Was it because she thought he couldn't handle it?

"His year's almost up, you know. He's gonna get his top rocker," he stated, knowing it was true. He was going to vote for it, especially after the idiot saved not one but two of his family members. First Angela, then his mom. Despite being soft, Juice was worthy of the cut, and he'd be proud to call him his brother.

Her brows furrowed in concern. "You think?"

"Yeah. He's got a lotta good ideas and skills that none of us do. The shit he does on the computer? None of us know how to do that. He's an asset. Be stupid not to let him in," he explained, knowing the better he explained it, the more open to it she'd be. "You gonna be able to handle that?"

Angela frowned slightly as she fell silent for a long time. "I don't get why people keep doubting the way I feel about him. Why everyone thinks I'm gonna give up when the going gets tough. You really think I'm that weak?"

Happy knew his cousin, had helped raise her. Weak was the last word he'd ever use to describe her. "No, just know it wasn't somethin' you wanted for him."

"It wasn't," she agreed, still frowning. "But its what he wants, and I want him, so...I'll deal."

"Ain't gonna be easy."

Angela rolled her eyes at him, scoffing quietly. "I've had this conversation with Gemma already. I know it's not going to be easy. I grew up with you, didn't I?"

"He ain't me, kid. Ain't gonna be easy for him. He's soft."

"He's not. He's stronger than you think. Look at the way he's protected our family, Hap. Every chance he's gotten, he's put his life on the line to protect us. How can you call him soft? He's the reason me and Elena are alive," she insisted, just a hint of anger in her eyes as if she was offended he'd called Juice soft. "Is he softer than you? Yeah, he is, but most men are so it's not really a fair comparison."

Happy let her words sink in for a minute. He had to admit, he was proud of her for sticking up for her man. For being selfless enough to recognize how much Juice wanted to be a part of SAMCRO and not wanting to get in the way of it. He nodded a bit before leaning back in the chair. "Fair enough." He pushed himself out of the chair, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "You need anythin'?"

"Non-hospital coffee would be nice," she requested with a little smile.

He smirked and nodded. "I'll make it happen."

"Thanks, Hap. Love you."

The warmth that filled him every time she said those words to him never stopped surprising him. It was something he'd felt ever since she was a kid. He didn't know why she loved him so much. What he'd done to deserve it, but the constant reassurance that he was worthy of love from her always made him think that he wasn't such a bad guy. Sure, he'd done unspeakable things, but at least he had his little cousin and his family's love. He nodded back to her. "Love you too, kid. Be good."

He walked out of the room towards the nurse's station where his aunt was standing looking over some paperwork. Graciela looked up from it and nodded to him. "How's Juancito?"

"Sleepin'," Happy answered on a shrug.

"Good. She still sleeping in the bed with him?" she asked, looking a little relieved. Happy wasn't really sure how to answer that. He knew she probably wasn't supposed to be, and that if he told Graciela she was, the older woman might go in there and kick her out. He also knew Angela needed rest and probably wouldn't get any if she wasn't lying beside the idiot. Graciela scowled at him. "I want to know so I can keep the nurses away, mijo. She needs to relax, or she's going to make herself sick."

Happy wished Angela could hear the way her mother was fussing over her. The two went at it so often, he knew Angela thought her mother didn't like her. Had felt that way since she was little. It wasn't the case, though. Graciela did love her; she just wasn't great at expressing it. "She's fine. Looks a lot better now that the idiot woke up. Just wants a coffee that isn't the shit in the cafeteria."

"Okay. I'll get her some from the break room. She'll like it much better," Graciela said, closing whatever chart she was looking at. "Wait here. I'll go get it."

"You bring it to her."

Graciela shook her head. "No, she's mad at me because I didn't want to move him. You do it. I don't want to fight with her anymore."

"Then don't."

"Happy," she drew out, her tone chastising. Just like his Mom, she was the only one who dared scold him. "Would you please just do what I asked?"

He knew his options were to stand there and keeping fighting with the brick wall that was Graciela Ruiz or give in and do what she said. "Fine."

Graciela grinned, disappearing for a moment before reappearing with a big travel mug of coffee. "Here. I fixed it like she likes it," she said, handing it to him. "Go. Give it to her."

Begrugingly, Happy took the mug and went back into the room. The idiot was still sleeping, and Angela was flipping through channels on the remote. She raised an eyebrow when he waslked in. "That was fast."

He handed her the travel thermos. "Your Ma got it. Said its good shit."

Angela hesitantly took the mug, wrinkling her nose a bit. "It's not poisoned is it?"

Happy smirked at her, shaking his head. "Nah. Just drink it and shut up," he said, already heading for the door. "Don't forget to thank her later."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I will if she hasn't poisoned me to death."

He snickered; God, he loved his little cousin. "I'll tell Koz to check in on you later. Make sure you're still breathin'."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Angela took a little sip, and he saw her fight against a smile. Clearly, it was good coffee just like Graciela had said, but she didn't want to let on that her mother had been right. He chuckled at her stubbornness; Angela and Graciela were more alike than either woman would ever care to admit. Strong, stubborn, and smart. Qualities his mother shared with them. If he ever settled down with a woman, she'd have to have the same qualities —minus some of the stubbornness— or it would never work. They were hard to find, though, and he didn't see himself settling down anytime soon.

Stay tuned...big things comin'!

Let me know what you think!

~Love Ink