Gah! It's been WAY WAAAAY too long since I updated! I apologize for that. This chapter was a crazy struggle probably because my real life has been a little insane as well. Next chapter should be up a little faster!

HUGE THANKS to everyone who reviewed! I know I didn't answer reviews like I usually do, but I wanted to get this chapter up as soon as possible! Just know that I love you all and really appreciate each and every review! You guys are awesome!

Its been a rough couple of weeks so any kind of comment or encouragement is very much appreciated! Love you all!

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

Overexposed

Chapter 14: Brothers

By Love Ink

Juice listened to Angela point out different places that were a part of her childhood as they drove through Oakland. It was strange to see the city he'd only known as "Mayan Territory" through her eyes. Her face was all lit up and beautiful, excited to point out different things to him. Her old street, her high school, her favorite places to eat, and the cemetery where her father was buried. He recognized that place. She'd brought him there once to 'meet' her father. He loved that memory. Loved that she'd trusted him enough to let him more into her world, to give him a glimpse of her past. It was one of the few memories he had with her that wasn't tainted by the club. No cuts, no bikes, hell, he'd even worn a hat. It was just the two of them acting like a totally normal couple in a cemetery of all places.

"You love this place, don't you?" Juice asked, reaching out to grab her hand.

A soft blush colored her cheeks as she ducked her head. "Nah. I just love the memories I have here," she answered, moving her fingers between his and squeezing his hand when they passed Alvarez's warehouse, a frown turning down the corners of her mouth. "Well, some of them."

He brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles as he pulled into Alvarez's house. He was already dreading spending another night in Esai's room surrounded by old memories. "What do you think about getting a hotel somewhere?"

"Think our shadow would have a problem with that," she said, looking into the rearview mirror at Lino. "As would the rest of these guys."

Juice grimaced at the sight of the motorcycles lining the sidewalk in front of the Alvarez house. "I hate this."

Angela leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I know. But they're keepin' us safe," she pointed out, pushing open the door. "C'mon, let's go."

As soon as she got out of the car, a wolf whistle broke through the quiet night before slow clapping joined it. Juice watched an oily haired Mayan move to greet her, giving her a hug that lasted a little too long. "That's Angel," Lino stated, opening Evie's door and carefully taking the sleeping girl out of her carseat. "See the hair cut? Fancy, huh?"

Juice raised an eyebrow, taking in the guy with the plaid Pendleton and cut. His hair was long in the middle and shaved on the sides. "Fake ass mowhawk if you ask me," he muttered, taking Evie from his arms. "Least I had a real one."

"No you didn't. You were missin' the spikes," Lino commented, gesturing to his head.

"Shut up," he said, shaking his head at him.

He nodded his 'hello' to the rest of the Mayans, shaking their hands as best as he could with Evie asleep in his arms. After meeting them all, he quickly excused himself from the group to put Evie to bed. Angela offered to go in with him, but he told her it was fine if she stayed to catch up with them for a bit. Of course, he made sure to give her a good, long kiss and a quick swat on the ass before he left to show them who she belonged to first. He carried Evie up the stairs and to Tessa's room, not at all surprised she didn't wake up on the way over; she was a heavy sleeper like him. He could just make out the Tessa's light eyes as she peered at them from where she was sitting on the top bunk. Juice lay Evie down in the lower bunk, tucking her in and kissing her forehead. He straightened, giving Tessa a small smile. "How you doin', T?" he asked the littlest Alvarez.

She sniffled a bit, wiping at her eyes. He wondered if she'd been crying long. "I miss Mami. She used to tuck me in and gimme a kiss. Soli said I was too high and she couldn't reach because her feet hurt."

He cringed; he couldn't blame Soli for not wanting to scale the bunk bed ladder in her pregnant state, but poor little Tessa didn't understand that. "Well, I don't have that problem. You want me to tuck you in, sweetheart?" he asked her. At her nod, he climbed the first two rungs so he could reach her then tucked her in, kissing her forehead the same way he did to his own daughter. "Good night, princess."

He went to move away, but her voice stopped him as she asked, "Juan? If Angela is my sister, what're you?"

He chuckled, smoothing her hair back from her forehead. "Think I'd be your brother-in-law."

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "A brother? I had a brother a long times ago. Esai."

"Yep, he's your brother," he replied awkwardly, unsure of where to go with this.

"You're my new brother now 'cause he's gone?"

Juice shrugged a shoulder. "Not new. Just other," he explained, not wanting to step on anyone's toes, dead or alive. "But I'm here to help take care a you like a brother. All right?"

"Okay," she replied around a yawn. "Buenas noches, 'mano."

"Night, sweetheart," he replied, stepping off the ladder. He leaned in to kiss Evie's cheek once more before heading across the hall to Esai's room.

He hated that tiny room more than he could put into words. Sitting down on the bed, he wrinkled his nose at a picture of Angela and Esai that was on the nightstand, opening up the nightstand drawer to throw it inside only to find that it was already full of stuff. Raising an eyebrow, he rifled through it curiously. Most of it was bullshit guy stuff. A lighter or two, cigarettes, hair gel, lotion, some tissue, and a box of Magnum condoms. "Gross," he muttered, quickly moving them aside before he dwelled on the idea of Angela being one of the girls Esai had used those condoms with.

Underneath all that bullshit was a small stack of greeting cards and letters with a string tied around them and a leather bound journal. He picked them up, setting him in his lap. He recognized Angela's handwriting on one of the letters and frowned, thumbing the edge of the envelope that was yellow with age. He knew he shouldn't read them. That the journal and the letters were not meant for his eyes and no good could possibly come from reading the musings of a dead man, but he couldn't stop himself. Taking in a deep breath, he opened up the journal to the first page. "All right, Esai. Let's see what you got."

Angela yawned as she trudged her way up the stairs, rubbing at her aching back. As much fun as catching up with the Santo Padre boys had been, she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to get in bed with her husband and sleep. Maybe if she asked, he'd give her a back rub; she could sure as hell use one and was a little excited at the thought of having his hands all over her once again without the hospital wires and tubes getting in the way.

After checking in on Evie and Tessa, she slid into Esai's room with a sigh, happy to find Juice sitting on the bed, his back to her. "Hey you," she greeted, closing the door behind her. His whole back tensed at the sound of her voice. Almost as if he was mad at her. But he had no reason to be mad at her; she hadn't done anything wrong. She stepped around the bed so she was in front of him. "Everything okay?"

Juice lifted his head slowly, a book in his hand. There was anger smoldering in his eyes as he thumbed the corner of the book pages. "When was the last time you saw Esai?"

She raised an eyebrow, confused as to why he was asking her that and what had triggered his anger. "I dunno. Its been a really long time, baby. Long before I met you. Why?"

"You sure it wasn't at Dubrowski's?" he asked, an accusation in his tone. He held up the book to her. "Esai's journal. Said he went to the funeral home the night before he died. That he was the one who hit you, not some client like you told me."

Her eyes widened a little as she remembered that night. Esai had approached her out of nowhere after work one night, smacked her across the face when she hadn't given in to his advances. He'd been on edge and scared about something he'd done, and he'd come to her for comfort. She'd lied to Juice about it purely out of convenience and fear of him leaving her if he found out she was still in contact with the Mayan. "Shit. Yeah."

"So you lied to me," he stated, frowning at her.

Angela sighed softly, thinking of the best way to explain it to him. "Juice, I lied to you because I didn't want to lose you. I didn't want you to push me away or do something stupid like go and kill him."

He shook his head slowly. "You shoulda told me. He thought…he thought he was gonna win you back, Angel. He was gonna try. If Hap hadn't killed him the next day, he woulda come back for you. Then what?"

"Then nothing. I am yours," she insisted, taking his face in her hands with a small smile. "Have been since the moment I found you in that damn diaper and you came over to watch me embalm someone. And if Esai was still around, he'd have to deal with that. There was no way he was going to win me from you."

"You don't know that," he murmured, hanging his head.

"I do," Angela scoffed, taking the book from him. She flipped through it to a specific date, running her fingers over the handwriting there as she searched for something and slightly surprised when she found it. The fucker had written about it and how sorry he was for it and how stupid he'd been to do it. She pointed to it as she handed it back. "This was the first time he hit me. Literally slapped me across the face. Not hard enough to bruise, and I was in so much shock that I…I couldn't hit him back. I just left. Ran. Straight to Lino's house. Ask him if you want. The next day E came to my house. Got on his knees to apologize, and I took him back because I didn't want to lose him or his family. I was terrified that we'd break up, and I'd be alone again."

Juice's dark eyes were sad as the lifted from the book to her face. "Baby…"

She flipped to another date, remembering it as if it'd been yesterday. Just skimming over the words brought back the feeling of fear, anger, and humiliation. She hated the way reading about it made her feel, but she had to show Juice; he had to know why he was a thousand times better than Esai. Why she appreciated him so much. "This was the second time," she explained, showing him another date. "It was at a party. Actually in front of people. He was drunk and I was talking to one of his brothers, and he didn't like it. He called me out on it, and I mouthed off. Another slap. Always open handed but hard. Hard enough that people turned to look. So I punched him back. Knocked him on his ass. Told him if he did it again, we'd be over."

Angela cleared her throat, shaking her head. "He didn't do it again. Probably because Hap came home and got me outta there," she continued, flipping to another date. The date Hap had physically picked her up and taken her out of Esai's apartment. Away from the life that had been threatening to suffocate her. As much as she'd fought against her cousin then, she'd forever be thankful for him now. By forcing her away from Esai and his family, he'd opened new doors that led her to the life she was living now. A life she loved. "There was a reason I never went back to him, Juice. I grew up and realized I deserved to be treated better."

"Angel, I…"

"So, would I have gotten back together with him?" she interjected, needing to finish her thought. "After all that? And after being with you? You who always treated me so well, who appreciated what I did and took care of me when I needed it. Who never put me down or humiliated me. Do you really think I'd give all that up for him?"

Juice took the journal from her, putting it back in the bedside drawer before meeting her gaze. "Jesus Christ, Angel. Can't believe he put you through all that."

She nodded solemnly. "I let him. I was young and didn't know better."

"Still doesn't make it right," he pointed out, getting to his feet and moving his arms around her.

She tilted her head back to look up at him, brushing the back of her hand over his cheek. "It doesn't matter now because that all changed when I met you. I understood how a man should treat a woman because of the way you always treated me. Sure, we've had our ups and downs, but I have never felt unsafe around you or worried about you abusing me verbally or physically. My history with E just made what I have with you even more special. Made me feel even luckier to have you. So you have nothing to be jealous of because he's super dead, and I love you. So. Much. You gotta know that by now."

He dipped his head to kiss her softly. "Love you too, Angel."

She smiled, feeling a little better when she saw his shoulders relax. "No more of this Esai shit, Juice. We got bigger things to worry about."

Juice sighed, rubbing a hand over his face as he did. " 'm sorry. Dunno where my heads been at lately." At her worried look, he gave her a small smile. "Think I just need some sleep."

She nodded, giving him a quick kiss. "Gotta agree with you there. I'm ready for a real bed."

He pulled his shirt over his head, going over to his suitcase and changing into a fresh pair of boxers. "Need help changin'? Know you gotta be hurtin'."

Angela appreciated the offer, but she wasn't an invalid. Injured or not, she was totally capable of dressing herself. "Nah, I got this."

She could feel his eyes on her back as unbuttoned her shirt and slid out of it, wincing as the movement tugged at her stitches. Moving by him, she went to his suitcase to grab one of his shirts to sleep in. He moved behind her, his rough fingers moving over her arms, tracing the outline of the bandages on her side. Shivers went down her spine at the feel of his touch. His lips traced over the tattoos on her back as he unclasped her bra with practiced ease. "Let me," he murmured, against the skin of her shoulder.

She closed her eyes, leaning back into him, and enjoying the feeling of his fingertips as they caressed her skin. "Feels good," she murmured, closing her eyes as she slid off her bra.

He chuckled, kissing her shoulder. "Can't go much farther than this. No excercisin' 'til you're all healed up."

"That was just a suggestion," she stated, turning around to face him. His eyes instantly went to her face, his fingers playing with the waistband of her panties. She knew he was doing his best not to look down at her bare chest, to control himself. "I'm okay, Juice."

He shook his head slowly, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. "No, you're not," he rasped, his voice thick with lust. "Don't want you poppin' any stitches."

"So go slow," she suggested, pressing herself against him.

He closed his eyes letting out a long breath. "You're killin' me, smalls. You gotta stop, baby. If I hurt you…"

Angela pulled away knowing where he was going with that thought. If she pushed him to do what she wanted, and he accidentally hurt her, it'd kill him. He'd never touch her again. "Okay," she said softly, pulling one of his shirts over her head. She started walking to the door, so she could go brush her teeth when he called her name. She turned, eyebrow raised in question.

"You gonna just walk outta there with no pants on? You know how many guys there are around here?" he asked in disbelief.

"Juice, Tig and that Scottish asshole walked in on me wearing nothing but panties and your cut once and you had no problem with it; what's going on with you now?"

Juice shrugged a shoulder as he leaned against the dresser. "I dunno. I just…I trusted them then. I knew they weren't after you. I don't know these guys."

She smiled warmly, crossing over to him and taking his face in her hands. "You know and trust me, though, right?" she reminded him, smirking when he nodded begrudgingly. "But if it makes you feel better, gimme a pair of your boxers."

He looked relieved by her reply, turning and handing her a clean pair. "Thank you."

"You need to relax, 'mano," she told him, doing her best to sound like a cholo. "I'm yours and only yours, Papi."

He laughed, shaking his head at her and smacking her ass as she walked by him. "Love you, Mamacita."

The intense pain in Angela's side woke her up in the middle of the night. She sat up with a quiet groan, doing her best not to wake Juice who was still snoring away beside her. As soon as she got to her feet, the urge to vomit came over her. She quickly made her way to the bathroom and emptied what little she had in her stomach into the toilet, grimacing as the action pulled at her stitches. "Fuck me," she muttered, sitting back on her ass. Her eyes caught the little orange container sitting on the edge of the sink. Her pain meds. Carefully, she got up, holding her side as she did so. The nurse had warned her that it was going to hurt like a bitch, but she hadn't truly believed her. Now, she understood what she'd meant. She brushed her teeth quickly and grabbed the bottle, deciding to get something to eat before she took one. Pain meds on an empty stomach never worked out well for her.

As she headed towards the kitchen, she noticed the light was on, something she usually associated with Dia being there. When she was younger, the older woman would stay up late waiting for Marcus to come home, a mug of tea cupped in her hands. On the nights she spent at the Alvarez household, Angela tried to stay up and sneak away from Esai to spend time with her, ask for advice, and learn what she could. A lump formed in her throat when she realized it wasn't going to be Dia down there; she was gone and while they were working their asses off to find her, they hadn't yet. It was yet another worry weighing heavily on her mind.

With a sigh, she rounded the corner into the kitchen, surprised to find Soli standing there, a mug of tea in her hands, a pan with a tortilla warming in it on the stove, and an open jar of peanut butter next to her. She was wearing a cute pajama set, her pregnancy bump just barely visible.

Angela bit back a laugh as she watched her take the tortilla out, smear on some peanut butter, roll it up, and take a big bite while putting another tortilla in a skillet. "Pregnancy craving?" she asked, alerting Soli of her presence.

Soli froze like a prey who'd seen a predator. She swallowed what was in her mouth, taking a sip of tea as she nodded. "Peanut butter. Been puttin' it on everythin'."

"Can you spare a tortilla? Gotta put somethin' in my stomach before I take these," she said, shaking the pill bottle. Soli nodded, handing her a plate, a nervous look on her face. She took it from Soli with a quiet thanks, ripping off a bite and putting it in her mouth. "Peanut butter's not a bad cravin'. With Eves, I craved tequila. My assistant bought me those margarita flavored jelly beans to see if it'd help. It didn't. Just made me crave the popcorn jelly beans."

She smirked a little, shaking her head. "That's a lot of sugar."

Angela fought the urge to roll her eyes. She was doing her best to be nice to Soli despite their history, she didn't appreciate being scolded in return. "The baby wants what it wants. Hopefully, these two bugs take after their Dad and crave healthier shit."

"Right. You're pregnant too," Soli muttered, staring back down in the pan as if she was disappointed. "With twins to top it off. Angela Ruiz, always gotta best me, huh?"

She scowled, shaking her head. "Don't be ridiculous. I didn't plan to have twins just to piss you off or best you. Trust me, one would be a lot easier," she said, trying her best to sound light and kind. "And its Ortiz now. Haven't been Ruiz in years."

"Whatever."

Angela let out a long breath, chewing on the tortilla pensively. "Congrats, by the way. Lino is so excited about the baby. He and Juice were comparing ultra-sounds. Lino's convinced you got a soccer star in there."

That got a warm smile from Soli. She rubbed a hand over the small bump of her belly. "He's such a good guy. All sweet and supportive. Not like those other Mayans. Never woulda guessed I'd end up with him. Always thought it'd be…"

"Esai?" Angela filled in, eyebrows raised.

Soli had the decency to look a little guilty. "Well…yeah, actually," she answered on a sad shrug. " 's what my mom always wanted, at least. Said it'd make me royalty."

She snorted at that ridiculous idea. "That's bullshit. He was no prince, I can tell you that."

"Wouldn't know. All he ever talked about was you," she said bitterly. "He'd fuck girls all the time, sure, pero he didn't do more than that. Half the time he called them by your name."

"You know this from experience?" she teased.

"Yeah, unfortunately. My Mom kept pushing and pushing, and you were finally gone, so I went for it."

Angela raised an eyebrow; that was news to her. "How'd that work out for you?"

"I mean, the sex was…good, but then he called me your name, so I punched him as hard as I could. I split his lip and everything."

She laughed, knowing well what Esai's reaction was when he got smacked in the face; she'd done it a time or two herself. "Good."

"Yeah, well, you're not the only one with a strong right hook anymore," she said, dipping her head to hide a proud smirk.

Angela smirked right back. "You finally get some boxing lessons then? 'cause last time I checked, you were all about hair-pulling and scratching."

"Lino's into it. Got into a fight with a pulga and he saw the hair-pulling and decided to teach me how to box. That's how we got started, actually," she explained, nervously tucking a hair behind her ear. "He told me he could teach me how to fight better. Surprised me. Never really had a guy interested in spending time with me outside the bedroom."

"He's a great one. Good heart, loyal."

"Yeah," she agreed around a laugh, a blush rising to her cheeks. "Is…are you okay with me being with Lino? I know it must be weird for you since you love him like a brother and you hate me…"

Angela shrugged a shoulder. "I don't hate you, and you don't need my approval to be with Lino. As long as he's happy, I'm happy. Plus, you saved my daughter. Hard to hold any grudges against you after that."

"You were always better at that turn the other cheek shit," Soli commented on a soft sigh. "Your daughter is adorable, by the way. So sweet."

"I know, right? Thanks," she said around a bite of tortilla. "Well, thanks for this. I'm gonna…head back up there."

Soli nodded slowly. "I um…I just wanted to say I'm sorry for all the shit I did back in the day."

"Are you really or does Lino just really, really want us to be friends?" she asked, slightly amused by the apology.

"Little of both. Lino does really want us to be friends," she replied with a smirk.

Angela nodded slowly. "That he does," she said on a laugh. "We're cool, Soli. Just don't hurt him. He's a good guy, and he likes you a lot for some reason. I'm willing to look past all our shit as long as he's happy."

"Think I can handle that."

"See you tomorrow, Sol," she said, popping open the pill bottle and shaking one out into her hand. She smirked to herself as the conversation with Soli ran through her head again; she really hadn't changed all that much from high school. The biggest difference was Esai was no longer there for her to try and win over. Soli didn't see her as competition anymore which pretty much removed the only thing Soli really hated about her. With that gone, it seemed she was ready to at least try to be cordial. Angela didn't mind; she'd play nice as long as Soli did.

Kenny sat at Angela's old desk in the funeral home going through the pictures she had on her laptop of all the decedents she'd taken care of. He was still in awe of his adopted mom's reconstruction skills. She could make anyone look good, no matter how bad they looked when they came in. He looked across the way to Bones' desk where he was busy ordering shit for the funeral home. Skeeter was rarely there lately. He swore he was going to retire the moment Kenny graduated from school or if Angela moved back to Charming. The latter was never going to happen, so he was going to have to wait four years until Kenny graduated. "You see this one? Guy blew his face off. Ma made it look perfect," Kenny mused to his best friend.

"Dude, there are so many like that, it's not even funny. I don't know how she does it. I try and I try and it never looks as seamless as when she does it," Bones commented, shaking his head in defeat. "She's amazing. Kinda nice to have 'em home, y'know? Feels like old times."

"Yeah, drama and danger included."

Bones frowned, pushing his thick glasses back up his nose. "Yeah. That part sucks. Ellie can't sleep at night. Thinks that 'cause they grabbed Ly, they're gonna get her too," he explained on a frown. "I'm not one of the big, tough SAMCRO guys with the vest. I don't really know how to use a gun or anythin'…I don't know how to make her feel safe. It sucks. She should be with someone who can make her feel safe."

"Its got nothin' to do with you," Kenny said around a sigh. "She doesn't want a douche in a cut. Her whole life has been filled with those, and they've all been hurt or killed. Plus, she knows how to use a gun. It ain't you that's the problem. Its her head. Too many memories."

"Hmm," he mused, leaning back in his chair. "That why you sent Jazzy back home?"

Kenny tensed at the mention of his girlfriend. He still felt embarrassed for sending her away the way he did. She probably thought he was insane. "Yeah. Just don't want her to get hurt."

"Think you're also a little afraid she's going to see everything and run away screaming."

He chuckled and nodded. "Didn't even tell her I was adopted 'til we were at the airport. No one in Texas knows."

Bones raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Seriously? I mean, you don't exactly look like Juice or Ang, and for you to really be Angela's, she'd have to have been like…fifteen when she had you or something."

"I know. That's exactly what people think too. That I was an accident she had with some other dude and Juice adopted me," he explained, running a hand through his long hair. "The other moms whisper behind her back and talk shit. She never corrects them, though. Just ignores it. I told her she can tell them, but she refuses. Says she doesn't give a shit what they say as long as I'm happy."

"You like it over there, right? You're happy?"

Kenny gave him a quizzical look. It felt weird for him to be asking him something like that. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…you're moving back here for college and stuff. Are you planning to stay or go back or…" he trailed off, before scratching nervously at the back of his neck. "El wanted to know. She really liked the idea of havin' you back home."

"Oh. I um…I haven't really thought it through yet. I mean, it depends what happens with Jazzy and my parents and Eves…" he trailed off, not wanting to mention the new Ortiz twins since he wasn't sure if Angela had told him about them yet. "Just taking it day by day, I guess."

Bones bobbed his head, typing away at the computer. "Good plan." The front door bell chimed, signifying someone was there. Kenny glanced over at Bones who shrugged. "Go for it, dude."

Kenny smirked, pushing away from the desk and going to the front room. He was surprised to find Piper there in his cut, hands in his pockets. "Hey Pipes. What's up?"

"Hey. I uh…is Ang or Juice here?"

"They're on their way. Should be here in like half an hour or somethin'," he explained, scratching at his elbow. "Why? What's up?"

Piper bit at his nail for a moment, shifting from foot to foot. "The guys who took my Mom…they're setting up a meet for this afternoon. Club just wants to know where they'll be so we can put Quinn on 'em. Prez also said we'll give 'em guns and shit if they feel like they need extra protection."

Kenny was still perplexed as to why Piper was there when the information could've been exchanged with a simple phone call. "Oh good. Dunno if they have guns just yet."

He looked down at his feet before sighing. "I don't know why I came here," he stated on a sad laugh. "This thing with my Mom threw me for a loop, y'know? I mean, I always knew the Sons were dangerous and shit, but…"

"It sucks. Makes you question wantin' that top rocker, huh?"

Piper smiled a little and nodded. "Yeah," he rasped on a frown. "Thought I'd talk to Juice or Ang about it. Think they'd help me out a little. Think if I mentioned it to the Sons, they'd send me packin'."

"Dude, get out while you still can."

"Knew you'd say that," he muttered, shaking his head. "But you don't get it. You got this…this perfect little family who loves you. Nice place to live. A fuckin' college scholarship with a job ready for you to walk into. I don't got shit but my Mom. Didn't finish high school, only job I was ever offered was to help out at TM. But with the club, I at least have a family. People who care about me and a good way to earn. The Sons are that for me. You have the Ortiz's and I have the club."

Kenny couldn't fault his logic there; it was the reason Juice had joined in the first place. No wonder Piper wanted to talk to him. "Don't think my parents will tell you anything different then I just did."

Piper shrugged a shoulder. "Probably not," he said on a small smile. "Still need someone to listen. To understand."

"Fair enough," he replied.

There was an awkward pause; both of them unsure of what to say or do. Piper ran a hand over his head, clearing his throat. "They talk about your Dad, y'know. All the time. Call me his son," he said on a frown. "They know I'm not. I'm just a stand in for you right now. Think if you wanted to prospect, they'd forget all about me."

Kenny messed with the heavy ring on his finger; Opie's ring. He couldn't count how many times he'd dreamed of prospecting while growing up. It wasn't until they'd killed Opie that he decided it wasn't something he wanted anymore. Still, the idea he was disappointing his father and grandfather by not wearing the cut like them made him feel guilty. The club was in his blood, yet he wanted nothing to do with it. Some days, he felt like he was being a dishonor to the Winston name, other days, he realized that wasn't even his name anymore. "I don't think that's true. You don't gotta worry about that anyway. I don't plan on prospecting anytime soon."

"You still ride, though, right?"

Kenny smirked, thinking of the beautiful Harley he'd left behind in Texas. "Hell yeah, I do. Wanna see my ride?" he asked, pulling his phone from his pocket.

Piper grinned and nodded, stepping in closer to look at the phone he was holding. "She's a beaut," he commented with a smile. "Ope's old ride, yeah?"

"Yeah. Juice and I put on some new mods, re-did the paint job and everythin'," he said, showing off the designs. "You get the other one he fixed up?"

He nodded, handing him the phone back. "Yeah, actually. Guy he sold it to trashed it. Brought it back to the shop to see if we could fix it. Turns out the damage he did would cost almost double the amount he paid to begin with, so I made him an offer on it. Gave it to me half price 'cause he just wanted to be done with it. Wanna see her?"

"Hell yeah," he answered, following him out the door.

Piper gestured to the beautiful bike, a proud smile on his face. "It was totaled when he brought it in, so it doesn't really look like Ope's old one, but the bones are there."

Kenny nodded, looking over the motorcycle appreciatively. "The matte black paint job with the black rims is sick. Could use some graphics or somethin'."

"I know. Gonna put a Reaper on it like Ope's," he said, bobbing his head. "Need my top rocker first, though. I'll get that, pimp this out, and then get Hap to do my tats."

"That why you don't have ink yet?"

"Yeah. You got any?"

Kenny nodded. He had a few pieces but none that were easily visible. His largest was across his chest; angel wings with a Dia de los Muertos skull in the middle. The letter's 'D' and 'A' hidden in the designs on the skull's forehead. A tribute to both of his mothers. He also had 'Ortiz' in huge tribal style letters across his back and shoulders, 'Winston' on the inside of one of his upper arms, and a North star with an 'E' in the middle tattooed on the back of his calf for Evie and Ellie. His newest was a sprig of jasmine tattooed on the inside of his other upper arm for Jazzy. She'd flipped out when she'd seen it, practically attack him with kisses. "A couple here and there," he replied on a simple shrug. "Family shit."

"Cool. Hap do 'em?"

He shook his head. "Just one. Got 'Winston' tattooed on my arm. Felt wrong havin' someone else do it. He's a good artist though. Did all my Ma's."

Piper nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Can't wait to get some ink. The guys give me shit about not havin' any all the time. Keep callin' me, White Board. 'Cause I'm white and clean."

Kenny laughed. He had to admit, it was nice to get reacquainted with Piper. He'd forgotten how easy it was to talk to him, how well they got along. "Don't listen to 'em. Wait 'til you find somethin' you want forever, 'cause this shit doesn't go away. You seen my Dad's big ass black rectangle. It's not the coolest looking thing ever."

"Noted," he said on a chuckle. His burner went off, and he frowned. "Shit. I better go. See what the hell is going on. Good catchin' up, though. We should go grab a drink some time."

"Sounds good, brotha," he said, going in for the bro-hug. It was strange to him how easily the term of endearment came to him. Piper was his real stepbrother after all. True, he'd been a shitty brother in the past, but he wanted to change that. With Lyla gone, Piper needed a shoulder to lean on now more than ever especially if he was questioning if he wanted to prospect. "I'm here if you need anything, all right? Even if its just to like...play video games or whatever. Think its time we start acting like actual brothers and shit."

Piper gave him a friendly smile and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Ken. See you around."

Bit of a filler, I know, but I'm moving things along a bit. The big meet will be in the next chapter! More action in that one, I swear! :)

Thanks again for being patient and bearing with me! If you get the chance, please leave me a review! I love hearing from y'all!

~Love Ink