This was originally one long, half-written chapter, but I'm splitting it into two so I can update faster and finish the second part the way I want to! :) Sorry to keep y'all hanging! Thank you so much for all of you patience! Y'all are the best!

THANK YOU! To everyone who has taken the time to read, review, favorite, and follow! I appreciate every review! 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Angela, Bones, and Chloe

Note: I'm not a doctor, so if the medical stuff doesn't make sense, I'm sorry. I researched as much as I could, so I'm hoping it comes off making some kind of sense!

Overexposed

Ch. 22 Questions

by Love Ink

Chloe's hands hovered over the parallel bars as she took a step forward, moving slower than she would've liked as she struggled to walk without the bars to aid her. Her back was on fire, but she was determined to walk. Her doctor had been shocked when she'd wanted to get out of bed and on her feet the day after her back surgery. Shocked when four weeks later she was able to walk a few steps unassisted. Now, six weeks later, she was still stuck in her brace but walking with minimal aid. She was pushing herself. Probably a lot harder than she should've been, something she was reminded of by the way her brace was digging into her skin as she moved the wrong way.

"Take your time, Chloe. Hold the bars if you need to," her physical therapist said, her blue eyes concerned as she looked her over. "You'll only hurt yourself more if you fall."

Angela rolled her eyes from her seat next to the doctor; something the doctor couldn't see, but it made Chloe feel a lot better. Her best friend had been at her side for every step of her recovery, cheering her on. At eighteen weeks pregnant, Angela's belly was round and bigger than it had been with Evie at this time, but it was still manageable; she still acted as though she wasn't pregnant. "You got this, Chlo."

Chloe couldn't take it though; the pain was overwhelming. She grabbed onto the bars and hung her head in defeat. "Shit," she breathed, gripping the bar as hard as she could.

"Why don't you sit down, Chloe. Rest," the physical therapist urged, a concerned look on her face. Chloe glanced at Angela who looked worried, one hand rubbing over her belly. She knew her friend wouldn't tell her to stop, but the fact she wasn't encouraging her meant Angela was worried too. Sighing, she let the physical therapist help her back into the chair beside her friend. The therapist gave her an encouraging smile. "You're doing great. You'll be back on your feet with no walker in no time."

Chloe frowned, she knew she was making great progress, but it wasn't fast enough. She wanted to go back to work, back to feeling useful. The therapist stepped out, going to get some other torture device, no doubt. Chloe waited until she was gone before sighing. "This sucks," she muttered, looking over at Angela who nodded in agreement. She smacked Angela's arm. "Distract me. How's my goddaughter?"

Angela smirked, contemplating her request for a moment. "She's good. Oblivious just like her dad. She hasn't said a word about this big ole belly I got yet."

"You still haven't told her about the babies? You're like halfway done!"

She held up her hands and nodded. "I know, I know! I don't know how to do it! She's barely three years old! How the hell do I explain the concept of how I got not just one but two babies inside of me?"

"You mean you don't want to tell her about all the sex you and Juice have had in the most inappropriate places?" she teased with a grin.

Angela scowled at her. "I dunno what you're talkin' about," she said, playing dumb.

"Where was Evie made?"

"At our house here in Charming, after Juice got back from prison," she said on a shrug. "Not weird at all."

"And these monsters?" she asked, nodding to her pregnant belly.

Angela smirked, rubbing her hand over her bump again. "I'm not really sure, to be honest. Juice and I have been trying for so long, it coulda really been anywhere. Probably our bedroom."

"Except you said you've been having more sex at your office since you're both there, and Evie can't intervene."

A guilty look passed over Angela's face. "That's the last time I tell you anything," she muttered, though the small smile on her face told Chloe she didn't mean it.

Chloe laughed, smacking her arm as she did so. "C'mon! You're the only source of entertainment I got right now! I miss out on all the hospital drama!"

Angela's smile faded a little bit as it usually did when she brought up how different her life was after all the craziness that had happened. Chloe knew her friend blamed herself for it just like Happy did. Knew that guilt was weighing heavily on her shoulders. "Yeah," Angela agreed with a sad laugh. She looked down at her hands for a long moment. "Do you...they think you're going to be able to go back to work, right?"

"Well, yeah, eventually. I'm getting better and better every day, Ang. This isn't going to be permanent," she assured her, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. "I'm gonna get better. This is nothing. I'm gonna get through this and be helping you with your little monsters by the time they claw their way out of your uterus."

Angela snickered, scowling at her. "And I won't feel it because I'm gonna be high as fuck and these little things are just gonna slide out one right after the other."

"That, I didn't need to hear," Juice said, walking into the room with his nose wrinkled. "Is that a thing?"

Chloe laughed, shaking her head at him. "No, dude. You'll probably have to have a C-section, anyway, and we'll cut them out of you," she explained. She knew she'd mentioned it before, but she wanted to repeat it so Angela understood and didn't fight against a C-section when it was brought up. The more comfortable she was with the idea of not delivering naturally, the easier it would be should it come to that.

"Lovely," Angela muttered, non-too-happily.

Juice's eyes were wide as he looked between them. "Cut them out?"

"Relax. It's something they've done for hundreds of years. Better for you that way anyway, less stretching," Angela informed him with a wink. "Otherwise I'd be stretched out like the Grand Canyon down there."

"Doesn't matter," he said, leaning down and wrapping his arms around her shoulders from behind. He nuzzled his face into her hair before kissing her temple. "Still would want to go explorin' all up in there. No matter what."

Chloe looked between them with disgust, though she had to admit it was a sweet thing to say. Weird, but sweet. The love between them made her yearn for the intimacy of a relationship. Sure, Happy had never been cuddly in public by any means, but he had been sweet with her in the privacy of her bedroom. Even in public, he'd started to touch her a little more. He'd press his hand to her lower back to guide her places, throw an arm around her shoulders if he felt the need to stake his claim, or lay a kiss on her just because he could. She missed that now, and though she'd never say it out loud, she missed him. Despite everything that happened, she missed him even though he terrified her now. She was scared of getting hurt again, scared of getting in too deep. The outlaw life wasn't ever something she wanted, yet she found herself yearning for Happy and all he brought with him.

He'd been good. Had stayed away, though she had a feeling Angela was filling him in on her progress. The only time she saw him was when they happened to cross paths while visiting Elena. Even then, all he did was nod at her, his dark eyes boring through her as if they saw straight to her soul. In the beginning, Elena had tried to convince her to give Hap another chance, but she had a feeling Hap mentioned something to her, because she eventually gave up. Chloe kind of missed her pushing, though. It gave her hope Happy wanted her back. If Elena had given up on them being together again, maybe Hap had too. She didn't like the thought of that. It made her feel incredibly empty inside. She'd been feeling empty a lot lately, and try as she might, she couldn't quite shake it. Something was missing, and she knew exactly who it was and how to fix it. She just wasn't sure she was strong enough to dive back into it again.

Bones' palms were sweaty as hell as he walked up the steps to his little apartment. He was well aware of the motorcycle and the familiar rental car parked out front. Opening the door, he wasn't surprised to find Piper and Kenny sitting on the floor in front of the couch, immersed in a game of Goldeneye, open beer cans beside them. Ever since Lyla's passing, the two spent a lot of time together, which made Ellie incredibly happy; she loved having her two brothers close. Bones had to admit, he liked having Kenny back in town too; he'd missed his best friend. "You guys know neither of you are twenty-one, right?" he asked them.

"So?" Piper asked on a scoff, taking a sip of his beer. "You are."

"And we were thirsty," Kenny finished off on a shrug. "No one likes that La Croix shit you and Ell have stocked in the fridge."

Piper nodded slowly in agreement. "Beer was the only option."

"You guys are the worst," he said on a sigh as he undid his bowtie. "Anyways, I got a question for both of you."

"Hold on," Piper muttered, clicking away at the buttons.

Kenny, however, paused the game on him, making the blonde whine in annoyance. It was something Bones had seen Angela do several times when she was in the middle of something and one of them asked her a question. Clearly, Kenny had picked it up from her. "What's up, Boner?" he asked, looking up at him.

Bones ran a hand over his head before sticking his hands in his pockets. "I um...I really like Ellie like a whole lot...I mean, I love her. And we've...been together for like two years now, and she's...she's going to apply to law school soon, and we...I..." he let out a long breath, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I want to...to ask her to marry me, and I...I wanted to ask you guys first because sh-she doesn't have a Dad and you guys are the only guys in her life, so I thought I-I should ask you two instead. So...c-can I ask her to marry me?"

They were both silent for a moment, staring at him with their mouths hanging open. Bones felt a cold sweat start to break out across his neck. Their silence couldn't be a good sign. Were they mad? He wished he'd been more suave about the way he'd asked. Maybe that's why they were being quiet. They didn't know how to tell him 'no'. It took them both a minute to process it before Kenny grinned. "Wow," he said flatly as they both got to their feet. He and Piper looked at each other with amused glances. "He was actually nervous to ask us."

Piper smirked, shaking his head with a snort. "Like we were gonna say no."

"Wait...so...its okay?" Bones asked, confused.

"Yeah, man! Of course!" Kenny said, pulling him into a hug and slapping him on the back. "This has been a long time coming!"

Piper nodded in agreement, hugging Bones after Kenny was done. "Couldn't think of a better guy for her. No matter how nerdy you are."

"For real?" Bones asked, looking between the stepbrothers.

"Yeah, man. You've been my brother for a long time. Now, we can make it official," Kenny said, still grinning like a mad man. "You got a ring?"

"Y-yeah, yeah," he replied, digging in his pocket for the box inside. He opened it and handed it to Kenny with shaking hands. It was a small Art-Deco styled ring, its square diamond had a light pink color to it with smaller diamonds around it in a pretty design. "It um...It was my Mom's. She wasn't...she wasn't really into fancy stuff. She liked more practical things and while my stepdad had like...crazy money, he got her this because that's what she liked."

Kenny smiled warmly, closing the box and handing it back to him. "She's going to love this, Boner. Have you told my Ma yet?"

"Not yet. I wanted to ask you guys first 'cause you're her brothers. A-and I wanted to get some kind of blessing?" he stammered, repeating what he already said.

"Dude. Relax. Its over. We said yes," Piper said, slapping him on the back hard. "You hurt her, you die. You might be Ken's best friend, but I got no problem taking care a you if it comes down to it."

Bones paled, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. "I-I'm not gonna hurt her. Ever. I swear."

Kenny smirked, rolling his eyes at Piper. "Ignore him. He thinks he's gotta make threats 'cause a that dumb cut on his back."

Piper punched Kenny's arm, though he didn't look remotely offended by the comment. "Shut up, Ken. You're just jealous."

Bones listened as they continued to bash each other back and forth as brothers did. It was something he knew they hadn't done in the past. Ellie had told him the stepbrothers weren't close when they were growing up mostly because they were both so different. Piper with his obsession with the Sons, Kenny with his hatred for them. They never really saw eye to eye. It seemed as though they understood each other now. Lyla's unfortunate death had knocked Piper's arrogance down a peg and brought the two closer than before. So much so that sometimes Bones felt a little left out. Kenny was his best friend after all, and lately Ken had been spending more time with Piper than anyone. He'd even heard them mention going to the clubhouse to party, something Bones knew Kenny would never have done before.

"Grab a controller, brother-in-law," Kenny said, handing him one of the controllers. "Let's see if we can kill some punks."

He took the controller from him with a grin, sitting down on the floor between them. Piper handed him a beer. "Cheers," Piper said, clinking his own can against Bones' as Kenny did the same. All three took a drink together just as Piper's phone went off. He cursed under his breath, answering the phone quickly. Bones didn't hear the other end of the conversation, but he had a feeling it was time for Piper to get back to Prospect duties. The blonde hung up the phone with a scowl. "Club shit. I gotta go."

"All right. Ride safe," Kenny said, taking Piper's beer before he could finish it.

Piper nodded, getting to his feet with a grunt. "You got it. And congrats again, Boner," he said, rubbing a hand over Bones' head. "Can't think of a better guy for my sister."

"Thanks, dude. Means a lot," Bones replied with a small smile. "You sure you're okay to ride?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Fine. Only had like two beers. Don't worry about it. See you guys!"

Bones watched him walk out before turning to Kenny. "He's going to be okay, right? Two beers is like..."

"Nothin' to him. Relax," Kenny said on a shrug. Piper's Harley engine was loud as he rode away making Kenny sigh. "Hearing his bike makes me miss mine. Was supposed to ride it over for school with my Dad, but with all this bullshit goin' on, I'm gonna have to find a way to get it shipped."

"And you're going to the clubhouse tonight for a party, right?"

Kenny looked down at his hands for a moment before shrugging. "I dunno. Was thinking about it. Spend some time with Pipes and let loose a little. Ell thinks it might be a good idea. Might help me feel closer to Ope."

"Is that something you want?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "I dunno."

"Y'know Ang is gonna be pissed."

He moved a hand through his hair before shrugging. "If I explain about wanting to be closer to Ope, she'll get it. There's a lot of these...holes in my life that are just...open. I need closure. Need to understand what was so great about the club that both of my Dads were willing to sacrifice their lives to be a part of it."

Bones sighed, hanging his head a bit. "Does Jazzy know?"

He grew silent again, staring at the beaded bracelet around his wrist. The one Jazzy had given him. Letting out a long sigh, he shook his head. "No. Not because I don't want to tell her, but 'cause...'cause she doesn't get it. She doesn't know anythin' about the MC. She'd probably wonder why it was such a big deal for me to go and why I was even botherin' to bring it up."

"You don't think its important for her to understand stuff like that?"

Kenny shrugged a shoulder. "How do I explain it all to her? Hell, you don't know half the shit that went down."

"Yeah, but I know enough to get the gist. Jazz knows nothin'. This whole thing is a part of you, Ken. Don't keep her out of it. Especially if you'e planning on giving her that ring you asked Ellie for."

A blush colored his cheeks as he bit his lip. "I'm not gonna pop the question anytime soon. Don't want to steal your thunder, but she's the one, Boner. I know it. Knew it since the moment I met her."

"So open up a little more. Talking to her might give you more closure than going to some dumb club party."

He let out a long sigh. "Maybe," he agreed, his thumb aimlessly going over the controller's joystick.

"You're still gonna go, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I need to," he said, determination in his voice. "You better not fuckin' tell my Ma."

He held his hands up in the air. "I won't say anything. Just don't do anything stupid."

Kenny smirked at him. "No promises. Now c'mon, let me beat you at this game. If you lose, you can marry my sister."

Bones felt a pang of nerves for a moment. Was he serious? Did he really not approve of him asking Ellie to marry her? "Wait...you said..."

"Kidding, Boner. Just play the damn game."

Setting up some stuff for next chapter and for the future... I'm hoping to have the next chapter up faster than usual!

As always, let me know what y'all think! Love hearing from you!

- Love Ink