FINALLY finished this chapter! I'm sorry its taken me so long, but life has been a bit crazy and work had me super busy! :( Thank you so much for your patience!

Thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read, review, favorite, and follow! I got back to most of you but thanks also to: Guest 1, Guest 2, and Sabrina!

Thanks to TeamBlaus4ever for helping me out with this chapter! She's got a great Juice/OC story you should check out!

Shout out to Ang R too! You said you were feeling down, so I hope this makes you feel a little better! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Angela, Lino, and Evie. The rest is all from the mind of the brilliant Kurt Sutter. :).

Overexposed

Chapter 11: Hope

By Love Ink

Angela woke up from her drug induced slumber at the feel of Evie patting her cheek, shouting her name despite Juice telling her to be quieter. She smiled, slowly opening her eyes to see her daughter's big brown ones staring back at her. Her eyes were light like Juice's, beautiful and expressive. "Hi Mama!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly at her. She touched the little tube in her nose. "You got a tube like Nana Lena! You sick, Mama? You need medicine?"

She laughed lightly, slowly moving her hand to muss Evie's hair. "No, baby girl. I got a little hurt, but I'm gonna be okay. Sure could use some cuddles though," she assured her, her heart warming as Evie snuggled into the side opposite her chest tube. She looked over at Juice while playing with Evie's soft hair, noticing how tense he was, his eyes fixed to a point on the wall as if he was lost in his own head. "You okay, baby?"

Juice blinked for a moment, shaking himself out of his thoughts. Reaching over, he grabbed her hand and leaned in to kiss her lips quickly. " 'm fine."

"Daddy talked to the bad man Scar," Evie said, propping her feet up on Juice's thigh. "He scary."

Angela's felt her heart beat kick up a notch. "Bad man Scar" could only be one person, Chibs. The machines around her started beeping a little louder, as her heartrate elevated. "Chibs?" she asked him in disbelief. "Juice…"

"Hey, hey, calm down, Angel," he said, squeezing her hand tighter. "Nothing happened."

Evie covered her ears as she sat up, a panicked look on her face. "Mama? Why so many beeps?"

"Because Mama's angry at Daddy because he did something really, really stupid," she said, soothing Evie as she took a deep breath, trying her best to slow her heartbeat. Closing her eyes, she focused on her breathing for a moment while she gathered herself. Opening her eyes again, she continued more calmly, the beeping slowing and fading to its normal rhythm again. "See? All better. No more loud beeps."

Evie looked appeased and relaxed again into her mother's side. "That was a little scary," she admitted, snuggling her face into Angela's side. "I don't like it."

"It's all good, Evie-doll. I'm okay," Angela murmured, kissing the top of her head. She looked up at Juice, shaking her head at him. "Explain. Now."

She watched Juice's Adam's apple bob as he swallowed hard, his thumb rubbing over her wedding and engagement rings. He'd helped her put them on as soon as she was conscious, not liking her to be without them for too long. "Tig told Chibs what they did. How they let me go. Brought it to the table. No Mayhem for me."

"Tig told him? Is Tig okay?" she asked, clenching her fist as she tried to keep calm. "Is Hap?"

Juice furrowed his brows together in confusion before nodding. "Yeah. They're fine."

A wave of relief rushed over her. "Jesus Christ. You scared the shit out of me," she murmured, relaxing back against her pillows.

"You didn't seem to have a problem with it earlier," he pointed out, leaning over to her side table and grabbing the Jell-O cup off of it, making sure the cup part was covered so Evie couldn't see what color it was.

Evie's eyes lit up, her hands clapping excitedly. "Jell-O! It green, Daddy?"

"I was high off pain meds! That doesn't count," Angela replied incredulously.

"Daddy!" Evie insisted getting up and kneeling closer as Juice popped the top off. "Daddy, what color?"

"It counts. I know it does. Huh, Monk?" he shot back, holding the cup away from her, taking pleasure in teasing her a little.

Evie reached for it, nodding her head in response to the question, willing to say anything for the Jell-O in Juice's hand. Angela smiled at the two, loving watching them mess around. She knew Juice was trying to distract both of them, and while she played along, she wasn't about to let it go either. After Evie got her Jell-O, Angela was going to get right back to it. "Evie-doll, do you think it's the color of bananas?" she asked, trying to make it a learning moment since they had just started teaching her colors.

Evie looked from her mother to her father. "Daddy, it banana colored?"

Juice pretended to peek at it before shaking his head. "No, not yellow. Guess again. Three guesses."

She pouted a bit, reaching for it again only to have it taken away. She sat down, thinking for a moment, her expression the same as her father's when he was deep in thought. "It grass colored? Geen?"

"It is! You're so smart!" he exclaimed, showing her the green Jell-O cup. She clapped excitedly in response, patiently waiting for the cup and spoon. "What do we say?"

"Please!" Evie replied, already bouncing on the bed.

Angela winced as the movement pulled at her stitches. She tried to mask it quickly, but Juice caught it. With a frown, he picked Evie up and set her on the chair next to the bed handing her the Jell-O and spoon and murmuring a quick 'you're welcome' after she thanked him. Once she was settled, he sat back down on the bed, looking at his wife with worried eyes. "You all right?"

"Yeah," she answered on a shrug. "Totally fine. Just pulled on my stitches a little. She can come back up."

Juice shook his head. "Nah, think she's good with her Jell-O. Time for some Daddy time," he told her, leaning forward to kiss her.

She blocked him with a hand to the face. "Nuh-uh. I'm mad at you. You weren't supposed to come to Charming. That was the deal."

His face fell a bit as he leaned back. "Baby, you were in surgery. I couldn't just leave you here. Plus, it all worked out. Now we don't got to worry about the club and their bullshit any more. We're a hundred percent free to do whatever the fuck we want. Shit, we could even move back if we wanted. "

Angela hated how much she liked the sound of that. Sure, she loved their perfect life in Texas, but she couldn't deny how much she missed her family and working at the funeral home. "That something you want?"

Juice raised his eyebrows in surprise. Clearly he hadn't meant it as an option, he'd just putting it out there to show how safe they were. "Do you?"

"I don't know," she hedged, shrugging a shoulder.

"Baby, our whole lives are back in Texas. Rigs and our family and the company…" he trailed off, his brow wrinkling in concern. "Do you really want to move back? Look at everything that's happened, and you've only been here like a week."

Angela shook her head. "No, no, I don't. I was just…asking."

Juice didn't seem appeased by her answer. He frowned in response, raking a hand through his hair. "I'm helping Dino find a spot for a satellite office out here. Wants to put one out in Silicon Valley or somethin'. Be where the tech shit is. So if that's something you really want…we can talk about it."

"Juice, I wasn't saying…"

"Just get better, Angel. That's it. Focus on getting better and growing our little bugs. We'll figure the rest out later, all right?"

She leaned forward, taking his face in her hands, and placing a long kiss to his lips. "Okay," she replied, kissing him again. "Love you."

Evie wrinkled her nose. "Ew! Kissy face!"

Juice chuckled, pulling away to look at his daughter, who's face was covered in lime Jell-O. "I'll show you kissy face," he said scooping her up and peppering her face with kisses while she squealed in delight. "Mm, you taste like green Jell-O!"

Angela couldn't help but laugh along with them. Words couldn't describe how thankful she was that he was there, that he was safe there. With her laid up in the hospital, the kids needed him to help them stay strong. To distract them from the craziness that was going on. Evie needed him to protect her little bubble of safety from bursting.

Marcus Alvarez had only been in St. Thomas a handful of times, none of which were to visit anyone. This time, however, he was walking in there with a large bouquet of flowers in his hand. Lilies for the girl he'd always thought of as a daughter. His heart felt heavy with every step he took towards the room. His wife had been taken, his youngest daughter traumatized, and his pseudo-daughter seriously hurt all within hours of each other. Yet he had to remain calm, strong, hold himself together so that his Mayan brothers didn't see the cracks in his armor.

Lino met him in the hallway, giving him a nervous nod. Marc knew it was because he felt responsible for what happened to Dia. "Hey Pres," he greeted, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "H-how are things?"

"Just came to visit Angelita," he explained with a shrug. He was trying to act as if it was business as usual. This was a casual visit. One he would make if everything was normal. "Soli and Tessa are riding over with Raffa. I beat 'em here pero they should be up soon. Tryin' to keep everyone close to their familia."

The younger man looked relieved to hear it. "Gracias, Marc."

Marcus slapped him on the shoulder, nodding proudly. "You did good, mijo. Protecting my daughter like you did. You made the right choice."

"The right choice would've been to stay with Dia. Dunno what I was thinkin' leavin' her behind to get tickets. I could've killed 'em before they even touched her."

He shook his head. Though he appreciated Lino's enthusiasm, the guy wasn't a killer. Had yet to earn his "Asesinos de Dios" patch like most of the others. He had no doubt if it came to it, Lino would step up, but it sounded wrong to hear him say it. "You were outnumbered, Lino. Only way that ends is with you dead and all four girls gone. We'll get Dia back, te lo juro." (God's Assassins...I swear)

"Hope so," he muttered in response, walking down the hallway with him. "Juan's workin' on the lead you got. Ken on the lead the Son's have. We're just waitin' on whoever's got 'em to make their move. Give us their demands. They gotta want somethin', right?"

Marcus nodded, sighing heavily. "We'll find out soon enough," he answered before jerking his chin towards the door. "How are the girls doin'?"

"Angelita's fine, of course. The little one…think she's still trying to process what happened. She has to be held. Freaks out anytime anyone puts her own on her feet. Think she's scared someone will take 'em away like Dia," he explained with a frown. "How's Tessa?"

He shrugged a shoulder, though on the inside, he couldn't be prouder of his young daughter. The strength and smarts she'd shown by memorizing the plate, by trying to think of the smallest details of the men who'd taken her mother had astounded him. He knew Dia had been teaching her how to handle different situations, but at eight years old, Marcus was impressed she'd remembered any of it. "She's good. Handling it. 's been keepin' close to anyone with a cut. Drivin' Raffa nuts."

"I got her. She can chill with me all she wants. I'll keep her safe."

Marcus nodded, patting his cheek lovingly. "I know that. Go downstairs and wait for them. She and Soli will be happy to see you."

He looked through the window before he headed into the room and smiled a bit. Juice was sitting at Angela's side, his laptop open on his lap, an intense look of concentration on his face as he typed away. Evie was asleep on the bed beside her mother, curled into a little ball while Angela played with her hair. For a moment, he tried to picture his son sitting there in Juice's place. He knew it was what Esai always wanted, what he'd dreamed of. But he'd ruined his chances with Angela time and time again. He'd loved his son, but he'd been a real idiot when it came to his relationship with Angela. Marcus hadn't been blind to his antics. He'd wondered where he'd learned them because he had never ever treated Dia like that. Maybe if he'd given him more advice, he could've saved that relationship, saved Esai because he knew if his son had kept her by his side, he would never have put himself in the position he had with Darby and the Sons. She would've stopped him. Closing his eyes, he shook his head; that was the past, he couldn't change it. Best to focus on what was in front of him.

Angela smiled at him the second he walked in, the same smile she'd always had for him since she was fourteen. "Hey Marc," she greeted, her dark eyes worried and tired.

"Angelita," he replied, setting the flowers on her bedside table. "Tessa picked these flowers out for you."

"They're beautiful. Thank you," she replied, squeezing his hand as he leaned over to kiss her forehead. "How's Tessa doing?"

"Good," he said curtly. He nodded over to Juice who was still immersed in his computer. "Anything new?"

Juice looked up and let out a heavy sigh. "Vans were old. Plates were from different cars. One registered to Henry Lin, one to August Marks. That's who we're dealin' with."

Marcus raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Can't be. They're both dead, mijo. Teller made sure of that, remember?"

The younger man looked surprised for a moment before shaking his head. "Think I was kinda dead around that time, so…no, no, I didn't hear about that," he explained as if it were no big deal that he'd been theoretically 'killed'. "Who was next in line?"

"No se. From what I heard, Teller killed all of Lin's crew, shot Marks point blank in front of some courthouse. Niners have been laying low, Triads, non-existent."

"So there's an empty power position," Juice murmured, rubbing at his chin as if in thought.

"Two," Angela corrected softly. "Two empty power positions and one reason to align them."

"Jax fuckin' Teller," Juice spat out, scowling with disgust. "Looks like he left a fuckin' mess behind when he offed himself."

Angela smirked. "Literally. Man versus truck, and all," she pointed out, smirking as her eyes met Juice's.

"God, I love you," he chuckled, reaching out his fist for her to bump.

Marcus looked between the two of them in disbelief. "That ain't right. Don't speak ill of the dead. 's bad luck."

Juice smirked in response, typing away at his computer with renewed vigor. "Well, I was dead so…"

Angela snickered, shaking her head at him. "Goof," she murmured lovingly, her fingers playing with her sleeping daughter's hair.

Marcus had seen Angela with Esai many times. Had seen the loving, adoring look in her eyes when she was with him, but it was nothing like the way she looked at Juice. The love between them was stronger, truer almost. You could feel how much they loved each other just in the way they acted and talked to one another. "So what's the next step?"

The younger man sighed heavily, rubbing at his eyes. "I'll dig into their family trees. See who'd want revenge."

"Smart," he complimented with a nod of approval.

The door burst open, waking Evie with a jolt as Raffa ran in, a panicked look on his face. "We got a package in the mail," he quavered, eyes wide with fear. He came closer, holding the box in his hand. "Was for me. Look! Lupe's hair and her nails and it"

Alvarez looked from his right hand man to the little girl on the bed, noticing how frightened Evie looked. "Callate," he ordered, glaring at his second. "La nena no tiene que oir eso. Go outside. Wait. Juan, you come with us." (Shut up. The little girl doesn't need to hear that.)

Juice shut the computer and stood, moving to press a quick kiss to Evie's forehead. "It's okay, Monk. Raffa's just messin' around," he murmured to his daughter. "Right, Mama?"

"That's right," Angela agreed on a nod, playing with Evie's hair again to soothe both her and the little girl. "How 'bout we find something good on TV, yeah?"

Evie wasn't convinced. She looked at Marcus with her big brown eyes. "Abu?"

Marcus' heart-melted with that simple word that was short for the Spanish word for Grandfather, Abuelo. He didn't think he'd have a child call him that until Tessa was older, so he took delight in the little girl using it. He moved in closer, touching her cheek lovingly. "Everything's okay, tesoro. You stay here with your Mama and let the grown ups talk, okay?"

She nodded, appeased by her grandfather's words. "Okay, Abu. You come back?"

"Por supuesto, mi amor," he said, kissing her cheek and smiling when she giggled in response as his mustache tickled her face. He mussed her hair before following the rest of the men out of the room. Once the door was closed behind him, he gestured to Raffa. "Let me see." (Of course, my love)

Raffa's hands shook as he opened the box to show the blood stained hair and fake plastic nails. Inside it was an iPhone with a post it note that said 'play me'. "I haven't touched it," he said, swallowing hard. "Pero these are Lupe's. I know it. I paid for those nails!"

Marcus pushed the box back towards him. "Play it."

The video was filled with screaming and Lupe's crying as they pulled off her nails and yanked out her hair. The men doing it wore all black, their faces and hands covered so as not to show their race. Then they tossed her into another dark room, the camera moving to show the three other women left inside. "This is just a taste of what will happen if we don't get what we want," a female voice stated. "Our demands will be met or we start killing them one by one."

Lupe's crying was loud as the camera showed her on the ground, bleeding and writhing in pain. Marcus waited until it panned around the room again, landing on Dia. His wife looked just as calm as ever. She made a few quick movements with her hands, trying her best to make them look natural when in reality, she was signing something to him. "They're okay. Black and yellow have them," he decoded before sighing at the last one; the sign that meant 'I love you'. He and Dia had taken sign language classes for just this purpose; to communicate to each other when they couldn't speak. He'd thought it was stupid when she was forcing him to take the classes, but he was thankful for it now.

"You got all that from that video?" Juice asked in disbelief. At his nod, he shook his head, clearly impressed. "We know their demands?"

Marcus raised an eyebrow at the younger man, surprised at how easily he jumped back into the outlaw life. He knew he wanted to help, but he wondered if Angela would approve of him getting so into it. "We don't know anythin'," he told him. "You keep trying to find a connection. Nothing else is your concern. Remember, you don't have a patch anymore."

His hand rubbed over the dark square tattooed on his arm, nodding in agreement. "Right."

"You get a good lead, you let me know," he said, dismissing him. "Tell Eva everything's all right 'n' I'll come visit later. Gonna go talk to SAMCRO. See if they got anything."

Juice tensed at the mention of his old club but nodded slowly. "Yeah. I got it."

"Good," he said, waiting until Juice went back into the room before turning to Raffa. "We get anything else?"

"N-no pero it don't look good. You don't think they'll kill her do you?" Raffa asked, his eyes wide with fear.

Alvarez gave him a grim look; things didn't look good for Lupe. "We'll find out."

Juice stared at the parking lot from the window in Angela's hospital room. He knew he was supposed to appreciate that they had a window in the room, apparently it was a luxury Graciela had to trade a few favors for, but he had to admit he hated the view. All he could see when he looked outside were the two rows of motorcycles lined up neatly on both sides of the parking lot. One row of chromed out Harleys with ape-hangers that sparkled in the sun, the other row was darker, more subtle. Juice knew for a fact that up close, those bikes were just as beautiful as the Mayans'. For the Sons, it was the artwork on the gas tank and little details and parts that gave their bikes personality. From the skulls on Tig's handle bars to the Scottish flag on Chibs' seat, each Son had a bike that fit their rider. Before his bike had gotten jacked for parts by crooked cops, he'd had an iPod docking station with speakers and some other techie shit that had taken forever to hook up. The artwork on his had been pretty standard, but he'd had planned to re-do the tins, paint some angel wings and the North star on them for his two girls. He'd never gotten the chance.

His new bike was different. It was a sparkling gunmetal grey paint, similar to the color of Angela's Mazda, with intricate black wings painted on the gas tank. His tribute to his wife. She was the reason for everything he had; he couldn't pay tribute to her enough. She was his everything, and he loved her more than anything. He loved her and their little family so much that he'd risked everything by coming back to California to take care of them.

But now he understood why she hadn't wanted him to come back. True, it was to protect him from Mayhem, but a part of him thought it was also to protect him from himself. Just being in that place was bringing back old ghosts, slowly pulling him back into the outlaw life he'd left behind. It'd been too easy to slip back into the role of intelligence officer only for the Mayans this time. It was the same shit, though, and he took to it like a duck to water. He'd referred to himself and the Mayans as 'we' as if he was a patched member, as if he was a part of their family, and Alvarez had been quick to correct him. He was thankful for that, he'd needed it; otherwise he'd be put right back into the situation he'd worked so hard to get out of.

"What's going on between those two tats?" Angela asked, her voice sleepy from her pain drugs. "You're thinking too hard. Got steam comin' out of your ears."

He turned around to face her, trying to give her a smile and failing. "Just…being here, helpin' out Marc, gettin' back to old habits. Its…messin' with my head," he told her honestly. After everything they'd been through, he didn't keep things from her any more. "Feel like I'm gonna get pulled under."

Her brows furrowed in concern as she stretched a hand out to him. "C'mere," she said, wiggling her fingers at him despite the heart monitor on one of them. He grimaced, hating seeing her hooked up to all those machines. Carefully, he sat at the edge of the bed, holding her hand in his own. She moved his hand to her lower stomach. "Feel that?" she asked, her dark eyes earnest as they looked at him.

He couldn't feel much, just the smallest hint of a bump that he only noticed because he knew every curve and bump of his wife's body. "Yeah," he murmured, rubbing over the bump.

She smiled warmly at him, setting her hand on top of his. "Remember they're the reason you came here. Not the Mayans or the Sons. And you're not helping the Mayans, you're helping find Dia. Dia the woman who's been sending Evie and Ken presents since we left Charming and treats you like a son even though you're not. And you're not helping the Sons, you're helping me," she said, her voice catching in her throat. "Because Chlo's my best friend, and if somethin' happens to her…"

She trailed off, a tear sliding down her cheek as she let out a soft breath. He used his other hand to wipe the tear away. It physically hurt him to see Angela crying. "Nothin's gonna happen to her," he assured her, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "We're gonna find her. I'm gonna find both of them. Promise."

Angela nodded, sniffling a bit. "Okay," she said on a breath. "Do we know anything more?"

"Do you want the truth?"

She considered his question for a moment, her hand dropping down to her stomach as though she was worried how the information would affect her stress level. He watched her take in a deep breath, strengthening herself. "Yeah. Let's hear it."

"Looks like they got Dia, Chlo, Lyla, and this other Mayan chick held hostage in some…underground dungeon. They pulled the Mayan girl's fingernails off, ripped out some of her hair, 'n' they sent them to us...well, to them," he corrected with a grimace. "They got sent a video of the girls. Some woman has them. Marcus said Dia somehow communicated to them that it was black and yellow that's got 'em. Not sure who."

Angela let out a long breath, nodding slowly. She was trying to keep it together, be strong like she'd been taught to all of her life. "Shit," she breathed, trying to rake a hand through her hair and slamming her fist on the railing when she realized the stupid monitor on her finger meant she couldn't. "Fuck!"

"Hey, woah, easy, Angel," Juice cut in, grabbing her hand.

"This is bullshit! I hate being stuck here. I hate…I should be out there helpin'! Not here just…doing nothing. Dia and Chlo are family! How can I lie here and do nothing while they're in trouble?" she asked, feeling frustrated as hell. Her heart monitor started beeping like crazy, freaking Juice out.

"Angel, relax! You're gonna tear your stitches!"

"I'm fine! I'm fine," she said, pressing her hand to her heart as she tried her best to breathe. "I just…hate this."

Juice nodded slowly as he sat down on the edge of her bed, his hand going moving to cup her cheek. "I know, baby, I know. And you'll be outta here soon, hopefully."

"Hope so," she said on a breath, frustrated tears leaking from her eyes. "This sucks."

He wiped the tears from her eyes, leaning forward to kiss her. "It does, but hey, at least we're together, right?"

She nodded, a small smile turning up the corners of her lips. "Right."

Happy had been at the hospital room door when he heard Angela's alarms go off. Had been ready to go in and calm her down like he always had when he saw Juice step in. The idiot had her calmed down and had her smiling again in minutes. A part of him hated watching the scene unfold, hated that another man was taking care of her the way he used to while another part was thankful for the idiot. Him taking care of her so well took a weight off of his shoulders; at least he knew that if something happened to him, she'd always have someone who loved her to watch out for her and keep her safe.

That was something he hadn't been able to do with Chloe. They'd been living together ever since Angela left, both of them enjoying their weird little life together. Some days, he'd get home and she'd be there on the couch with a glass of wine, reading. Other days, he got home before her and stayed up all night until she got off her shift. His feelings for her ran deep. Deeper than they had for any other girl who wasn't blood related to him. Their relationship was just easy. Chloe didn't expect anything from him, and he didn't expect anything from her. It just worked. She kept him sane. Shouldered the burden that used to be Angela's. She listened to him without judgement, eased his mind, and helped talk him through the harder times. She'd become his rock and now someone had taken her. Snatched her when he wasn't even looking and injured his cousin to boot. When he got his hands on whoever did it, they were going to die. Like a lot.

He rolled his shoulders, hating how light they felt without his heavy cut on. He'd had to leave it in his saddle bag so he could spend time with Evie and his Ma. He had to admit, he felt a little unprotected without it. So much of who he was resided in that leather, that it was weird not to have it on his shoulders. But he understood why Angela was so insistent about the 'no cut' rule, and he respected it. It was worth it to be able to spend time with his little niece.

He stepped into the room slowly, unsure of what to do, what to say. It felt as if he was intruding on a very private moment. He scowled to himself, hating feeling like an intruder in his little cousin's life. She was the first to see him, a look of guilt in her dark eyes that saddened him. He nodded to her in greeting. "Hey kid," he stated, hanging back a bit. "Idiot."

"Hey Hap," Juice replied with a sad smile. He leaned over and kissed Angela quickly before getting off the bed with a grunt. "Evie with your Ma?"

"Yeah. Tig and V are with 'em too."

"Good. I'ma go check in," he stated, excusing himself. He looked from Happy to Angela. "She's got stitches in her side, and a tube draining out the shit in her lungs. Make sure she doesn't do any sudden movements. Take care a her."

Happy clenched his fists as the words he'd said countless times to the idiot were thrown back at him. He moved by Juice, slamming his shoulder into his on his way towards Angela. He heard the other man grunt in pain and smirked to himself as he approached his cousin's bedside. Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead. "How you feelin', kid?"

"Fine," she answered with a soft sigh. She bit her lip for a moment before blurting out, "Look, Hap, I'm so sorry about Chlo. I should've seen them comin'. I heard the bikes, knew they weren't Harleys. Knew something was wrong. I shoulda…shoulda…grabbed the gun out of glove and shot some of those fuckers. Maybe we could've gotten away. Maybe…maybe then Chlo would be here instead of…wherever she is."

" 'ey, 'ey easy. You did what you could. Pullin' that shit woulda meant a bullet for you. Fuckin' lucky they left you the way they did," he told her. If it'd been him, he'd have killed the survivor. The less witnesses the better. The fact that they'd left Angela without knowing whether she would live or die meant they were working with rookies. "What's your damage?"

Angela sighed, running her hand through her hair. "Got a few bumps and bruises and my lung collapsed, but other than that, I'm good."

"You in a lot of pain?"

"No," she answered, an obvious lie. At his look, she shrugged. "I'm fine. It hurts, but I can handle it. I don't want anymore drugs than necessary."

Happy smirked, knowing she had to be in a lot more pain than she was letting on. But that was his kid, always acting tough even when she didn't need to. "And the baby?"

"There's two, actually," she told him with a small smile, her hand rubbing over her lower belly. "Twins."

Happy did his best to hide his surprise. He'd heard all about their struggle with conceiving from Chloe and was secretly happy Angela finally got what they'd been trying so hard for. "No shit. Look like the idiot's Little Rican works after all."

"Yeah," she agreed around a soft laugh. She reached out a hand to grab his and squeeze it; a rare move that told him she knew he wasn't there to bullshit about her health. Her dark eyes searched his face for a moment, before she asked, "Where's your head at, Hap?"

The question threw him off guard. He wasn't used to her asking him so brazenly; she usually waited for him to talk. "I don't fuckin' know," he muttered, running a hand over his head. "Can't focus on anythin' right now. Ma's not doin' good, you're laid up, 'n' she's…gone with no one to fuckin' kill to make it right. Got no footin' here."

She frowned a bit, looking down at her hands. "Know the feelin'," she murmured, going to mess with the heart rate monitor on her finger. "At least she's alive, right? There's hope."

"Don't feel like it," he muttered, staring down at his own rings.

"You never do. 's why it's my job to remind you."

He nodded; she was right. She'd always been the light at the end of the tunnel for him. Always knew what to say to keep him going, to make him feel stronger. Chloe had been a good substitute for her while she'd been away. Better even because she could comfort him physically as well. "Yeah," he rasped, a strange longing feeling tugging at his heart. He rubbed at his chest for a moment, frowning to himself and hating the strange new feeling.

Angela smirked at him. "You miss her."

"Guess so."

"Because you love her," she added knowingly.

Happy glared at her. She was right, and she knew it, but for some reason, it felt wrong admitting it to her without ever having said it to Chloe. He knew she knew, though. Girl wasn't stupid, and he knew his Ma had probably mentioned it as well. Now that someone had taken her from him, he regretted never say it out loud. It was something she deserved to hear. But he wasn't about to tell his little cousin that. "Don't push it, kid," he muttered. Her responding grin made him roll his eyes. "Stop."

"I didn't say anythin'," she replied innocently. She reached out for his hand, grabbing it and squeezing it. "We're gonna find her, Hap. Juice won't stop 'til he does, promise you that. And when we do, you're gonna do what you do best."

Happy couldn't help but smile at her confidence in both him and her husband. Every word she said made him feel just a little better, stronger. He'd needed that. "Damn straight," he stated on a nod. He stood, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "Missed you, kid."

"Yeah, well, you never called so…that's your fault," she shot back, sticking her tongue out at him.

He smirked, using his two fingers to make a scissor motion. "You better stick that in 'fore I cut it off," he threatened as custom.

She laughed lightly, rolling her eyes. "Some things never change."

Next chapter will have more action in it, I promise! Slowly but surely this story's coming along!

Thank you all for sticking with me! Any comments, suggestions, ideas, etc. are welcome and loved!

~Love Ink