A/N: I do not own any of Kurt Sutter's character. I just enjoy expanding on them.
Thanks for the support guys. Much appreciated. I think Juice and Marley's story is about to draw to a close. No worries, they won't be gone, just in the background of tadan gan iarrcht. :)
Enjoy!
One of these days letters are gonna fall from the sky
telling us all to go free
But until that day I'll find a way to let everybody know that you're coming back,
you're coming back for me
'Cause even though you left me here I have nothing left to fear
These are only walls that hold me here
-Civil Twilight
The world slipped in and out of focus as Marley tried to keep herself afloat. The blackness kept threatening, and for brief moments she would slip away. She tried to speak but her tongue was heavy and her voice weak. She tried to lift her arm but was exhausted from the effort.
She watched Juice pace back and forth beside her bed; calling probably everyone in his phone book with an insane, goofy grin on his face, in exhausted silence until her eye muscles became weak and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
"She's okay Juice, she's just sleeping." Tara said in calm reassurance to Juice who was standing behind her with wide frightened eyes.
"You sure doc?" he asked asked quickly.
"Absolutely." she said as she moved around the bed checking Marley's vitals and reflexes. She was pleased with the response and sent up a quick prayer of thanks that her friend seemed to be pulling through. She turned and smiled at Juice.
"You did it."she said as she rubbed his arm.
"I did what?" he asked in confusion with his eyes glued to Marley's chest, checking for breathing.
"You pulled her through this."
He finally looked at her, some of the fear had faded from his eyes but they were still wide. "It was you Tara, you did more than I could ever dream of."
"No Juice. You took care of her, made sure she had what she needed, and what she would want. You believed in her recovery when no one else did. It was you."
He shook his head and walked over to Marley's side.
"I was scared that I was losing it when her hand moved." he said quietly.
"Why?"
"Because I've wanted her to be okay so bad, I thought I started imagining that she was okay. Thought that my mind was playing tricks on me."
"No, you're perfectly sane. From her response and vitals I can tell that her neurons are firing the way they are supposed to, that her brain stem is active. We'll have to run tests to see if there has been any damage, but for now she's alive and conscious."
He walked over to Tara and hugged her. He put everything that he couldn't put into words in that hug. He held back tears as he felt her arms wrap around his waist. He kissed the top of her head and she won an even bigger part of his heart.
"Boyfriend stealing bitch." Came the hoarse, whispered voice that they both had been longing to hear for seven months.
They turned and found her staring at them, her beautiful eyes sparkling, her mouth twisted into her trade-mark smart-assed grin.
They broke apart from each other and flew to the side of her bed. She lay on her side with a maternity wedge tucked under her back and a folded body pillow tucked under her belly. Tara watched as her hands slowly twitched toward her belly. She covered Marley hand with her own. Their hands were the same size, their fingers were both thin and nimble, a perfect contrast. Dark on light, chocolate on porcelain.
Tara's warm hand closed over her friend's and she moved it toward to her belly and then rested it there. Marley's hand slowly curved over her belly and then stopped her expression went blank and understanding dawned in her eyes.
Marley's eyes widened, and then flew to Juice's. He squatted beside the bed as Tara left the room. He put his hands on either side of Marley's face and kissed her forehead and then rested his against hers.
"I love you" he whispered.
"I love you" she said slowly. Her voice sounded odd to her own ears, and she spoke slowly but she was happy. Happy to be alive, happy that he was alive, and happy that her baby was alive.
He opened his beautiful eyes much too soon and leaned back from her. He didn't speak he just looked at her. He stroked his thumb over cheek.
"I knew you would come back to me." he said quietly.
Her eyes filled with tears and her already strained throat closed over. She couldn't speak, so she tried to communicate with him with her eyes. She felt one hot tear slide down her cheek and he brushed it away.
"Oh baby, you are so strong. You have been so strong. I love you, don't cry. We have everything now. You, me, Mackenzie we're going to be okay."
"Mackenzie?" she whispered.
He smiled at her confused expression. "You remember how I said it was going to be a girl? Well, when they did the last ultrasound they still couldn't see, so I decided that she is just being modest and doesn't want to show off."
She grinned crookedly at her, but did not reply.
"Well, I figured no one could be 100 percent sure, and I like the name Mackenzie. It's gaelic, means born of fire, and it can be used for either a boy or a girl." He was suddenly anxious and worried about her reaction. He had technically named their child without her, he didn't know how she would react to that.
The light in her eyes and her slow smile was almost startling for him to see. He had gotten used to forming her replies in his mind.
"I like it." she said roughly.
He kissed her hand, and then put a hand over hers on her belly. "You hear that Mac? Mama likes it, told you she would."
Marley laughed, and then drew in a sharp breath as they both felt their child respond to Juice's voice.
Marley's eyes were wide and filled with wonder. She tried to move her hand, but was having little success, so Juice moved it around for her. He pushed her hand down for her and let her feel the outline of their child's body. The baby kicked again and pressed her foot hard, and Juice stroked Marley's hand over the imprint of their child in the middle of her belly.
Juice felt a tear slide down his face. Even though he had faith that she would wake up, he had never thought she would have this. He constant ache of missing her was lifting from his chest slowly, and for the first time in seven months he felt light and happy.
He rested his head just below Marley's hand on her belly. She looked down at him and he looked back at her. He felt their daughter kick his cheek and he smiled.
"Mama's back baby girl. She loves you, be nice and don't hurt her from the inside out." The baby kicked him again, but this time it was so hard that Marley gasped out loud. Juice laughed and Marley smiled at him.
"Just like her mother, stubborn and hardheaded." he said as he sat up and got back into his kneeling position by the side of the bed. "Do you want me to turn the monitor up? It was on when you opened your eyes."
She nodded her head and he stood up and walked around the bed. Less than a minute later the sound of their baby's heartbeat filled the room, and Marley immediately burst into tears. Her body shook with the force of her sobs and she squeezed her eyes shut and simply listened to her child.
When she opened them she found Juice sitting on the side of the bed, his hand on her belly and his eyes on her face.
She laughed. "I love her."
Juice nodded in understanding and stroked his child through her skin. "I know."
Tara was speaking quietly with Marley's night nurse when Jax walked into the kitchen. She looked up at him in surprise, he gave her a weary grin and pointed his thumb over his shoulder.
"Whole cue is here." he said quietly.
Tara frowned and walked out into the large family room. When she entered she found a pacing Gemma, a and stoic Clay. The front door opened and Tig, Happy, Bobby, Opie, Lyla, Kozik and John who carried Tommy in his arms and held the hand of Abel.
"Jesus christ! Did he call everyone?" Tara asked.
"So, what's going on Tara? Is Juice okay...Marlene she isn't..." Gemma asked Tara as her pacing picked up. Tara thought she might burn a whole through the carpet.
"No! Marley is fine. As perfect as a person can be after being shot in the head and laying a coma for 7 months. She's talking, trying to move, reflexes are excellent. Most important thing is that she is aware, can focus on conversation and respond appropriately..-"
"So," Gemma said cutting across Tara's doctor babble," what's you're saying is Juice's incoherent screaming into the phone was because she woke up?"
"Yea." Tara said with a big grin.
"Well thank god." Gemma said and she flopped down into an arm chair.
Tara smiled at her and turned as the door opened again. Marlene's OBGYN and physical therapist walked in. "Join the party. I'll tell Juice everyone is here."
Tara was making her way down the hall when Juice came running out of Marley's room with a panicked expression on his face. Her heart dropped at his expression and she ran the last few feet to him.
"There's a problem! She's in pain! It's the baby!" he screamed at her. Tara pushed past him into Marley's room. She found her on her back in the middle of the bed. Her arms were spasming out of control as she tried to get a grip on her belly.
"Tara! Tara! The baby...ahhhh!" Marley said to Tara when she spotted her. Tara raced to Marley's bedside and flung the bed sheet and blanket off of her. The was a large wet spot under her friend and Tara pulled back her nightgown and checked for blood. Her heart rate slowed and she walked over read the print out from the baby monitor. She could see where Marley's contractions began and she could see that the baby's heart rate stayed level and then bounced back afterward, which indicated that it handled the stress of the contraction well.
"She's in labor." Tara said as she turned to Juice, " Dr. Conway is out in the living room, get her."
Juice turned and ran down the hallway. He came back with the OBGYN in tow. The older doctor walked over to Marley and smiled down at her. "Well, it's nice to finally see your eyes Dr. Samson."
"I'd love to say the same, except I don't know who the hell you are." Marley said as another contraction hit her hard.
The doctor laughed at her. "You are exactly as Mr. Ortiz described. Now I am going to check your cervix, see how much time we have before this little bugger comes out."
Marley moaned in response and Tara laughed at her. "This part of being a mom sucks. No way around it. Sorry Mar."
"Druggggggggggs." Marley ground out.
"We'll get you everything you need soon baby." Juice crooned to her as he stroked her now soaked forehead and hair. "I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I'd take the pain if I could."
"That's a good guy you've got there Dr. Samson." the OBGYN said quietly. She felt Marlene tense as she slid three fingers deep inside of her to check her cervix. "I need you to relax dear, or it's going to be more painful."
Marlene shook her head, but relaxed anyway. The doctor smiled at her and slipped her fingers out. She whipped off her gloves and threw them on the bed. She felt around Marlene's stomach and then went and observed two contractions.
"You're 6 centimeters dilated. Contractions 3 minutes apart. Looks like we're going to have a baby tonight."
"My effacement?" Marley asked quickly.
"50 percent."
"Are the baby's heartbeats rebounding appropriately?"
"Yes, and it's nice to know that your brain is functioning well."
"It's a special treat for me as well doctor." Marley replied sarcastically.
"Dr. Conway, we need to move her. This baby has to be born c-section." Tara offered quickly
"Not necessarily Dr. Knowles. She is awake now, has a measure of control over her muscles. She could push without it being a huge strain on her body. Let the labor progress, if she can't make it we'll do the c-section. We'll just get the OR ready for both, okay?"
Tara hesitated. The doctor made sense. Tara knew this woman was a leader in her field, that she had delivered two of the four comatose births that had been done in the last twenty years in the United States. She looked at Marlene and saw her friend nod slightly.
"Alright, let's get her out of here. Baby will need the neonatal unit standing by."
Mackenzie Tara Ortiz came screaming into a world on a record cold and windy night a St. Thomas community hospital in Charming, California. She was 9 pounds 10 ounces, 21 inches long and extremely healthy. She had light brown skin and her mother's eyes. Midnight black curly hair covered her head and the tips of her ears.
The first face she saw was that of her Aunt Tara's as she waited for Marley's body to release her into the world. After she was cleaned, weighed and thoroughly checked by her Aunt Tara it was her father's arms that were the first to wrap around her and fold her into peaceful warmth. He walked her over to Marley and laid Mackenzie across her chest. Marley raised her arms with tremendous effort and curled them around her baby girl. She wept openly for the miracle she held in her arms, for the man hovering above her. She looked down at her daughter and vowed to soon have enough muscle control to heft her weight in her arms.
"I want to feed her." Marley said to Juice, "Open my shirt and help her get my nipple."
Juice didn't hesitate to follow Marley's orders, he helped his daughter have her first meal, his hand gently placed on the back of her fragile neck as she snuggled into her mother and suckled her first meal.
"She doing okay?" he asked Marley without taking his eyes off of his daughter.
"I think she's sucking perfectly." she replied.
"You did wonderfully Dr. Samson." Marley's OBGYN said as she disposed of the after birth and repaired Marley's vaginal tears.
Tara walked over to Marley and kissed her on the forehead, she stroked a hand down Mackenzie's back and looked at her friend. "She's perfect Mar."
"I know." Marley replied without looking away from her daughter.
Tara stood back from the family with a smile on her face. It filled her heart that her friend was having her happy ending after coming so close to tragedy so many times. She walked over to Mackenzie's patient chart and made notes in it and then left the room to allow her friends some privacy.
Marley let Mackenzie suckle until she fell asleep, she stroked her back and then asked Juice to hold her over his shoulder and burp her. He followed her direction perfectly and Marley watched him with envy. He saw the look and smiled at her.
"You'll be able to do this soon." he said to her quietly.
"Yea." she replied
"You can already move your arms more than just a few hours ago. A little bit of work and we'll get you there." he told her with confidence. Mackenzie burped softly next to ear and he smiled at Marlene.
"All done. You want her back?" at her nod he gently laid her on Marley's chest and then waved her nurse over.
"I'm going to go talk to our family real quick, stay close to her in case she needs any support." he told the nurse before heading out of the door. He walked down the hall quickly and a pushed open the double doors that lead to the family waiting room. His brothers lined the hallway leading into the waiting room, some were sitting some were standing, when he saw them he raised his hands above his head and yelled, "IT'S A GIRL!"
Every member of his family let up a deafening roar. His brothers slapped him on the back and a few hugged him. Clay walked over to him and handed him a cigar. "Congrats brother." he said with a smile.
Gemma walked over to him and hugged him hard. "Can we go back?" she asked. Juice noticed the three bouquets of flowers, 15 balloons and assorted wrapped presents at the table she had just stood up from.
"Thank You." he said quietly, "They want to move her to recovery, so you guys will have to wait a bit before you come back. She'll be in room N-38, there's a waiting room not far from that."
"So what are you going to name her?" Bobby asked as Juice started inching toward the door, anxious to get back to his family.
He smiled thinking of his daughter, "Mackenzie Tara Ortiz" he replied.
"That's a good name brother. Strong." Bobby said.
"Yea." Juice said as his mind drifted back to his girls. "I'm gonna go back, um, I'll come get you when she is moved." He turned quickly and made his way back down the hall, all but running to get back to Marley and Mackenzie. Some of his brothers understood what he was going through and they laughed at his retreating back, the rest of them stared after him with confusion in their eyes and envy in their hearts.
Marley and Baby Mac (as her Uncle Jax so lovingly called her) stayed in the hospital for one week, at the end of which they both were pronounced to be in good health. Marley was cautioned to take it easy and come in for her check-ups every three weeks, and to come to her physical therapy appointments regularly.
Although baby Mac was given a clean bill of health, it was required that she check in with the pediatrician once every three weeks to make sure she was making the necessary progress.
Marley listened to the doctor's orders with a half ear, her world was centered on her daughter. She stayed up all day and night watching her. The slight smile that curved her lips when she was asleep, the way her eyes scrunched up before she was about to cry for milk, the cute sound of her baby sneezes, all of these amazing things about her daughter permanently imprinted themselves on her brain.
Mackenzie was three weeks old when she smiled her first real smile. Marley was laying on the floor doing her physical therapy and Mackenzie was laying next to her on her back. Marley looked at her and smiled, and Mackenzie smiled back, her tiny pink lips curving upward slowly and her dimples flashing. Marley screamed out loud and grabbed Mackenzie, lifted her up for the first time and brought her in for a kiss.
Juice came running with his camera and his gun, not sure of which he would need to use. He snapped a picture Marley holding baby Mac in her arms, both of them smiling.
Marley's grandfather came to visit one month after Mackenzie was born. Marley still could not walk on her own, but her arms were strong enough now that she could maneuver around the house in her wheelchair.
To his surprise and awe, she greeted him at the door.
"My love, I never thought to see your beautiful eyes again!" Vaslay exclaimed as his eyes roamed over his granddaughter. He leaned down and hugged her and was surprised at the strength in her arms.
Marley held onto her grandfather, inhaling his scent and enjoying being surrounded by his strength. She pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes.
"Thank you Dedyshka for not giving up on me. I am alive because of you." Her throat closed over as she thought of the consequences for being pregnant and comatose.
Vaslay gave her a shocked look, then he turned and spoke in rapid russian to his guards. They moved past Marley, respectfully averting their eyes from her grabbed his granddaughter's hands and looked down at her knuckles.
"Asha, it was not me who believed. It was your love." he took a deep breath and looked up at her, searching for forgiveness for abandoning all hope in her time of need. "The doctor's thought you had little hope, that there was no hope for your little one. It was Juan who held out for you, and Juan that took care of you this entire time. He provided for you and never used a dime of my money to do it."
"How do you know that?" she asked him quickly. She was confused, she thought Juice had been a caretaker, but not that he took the entire burden of everything on himself.
"I have checked on him. How you have been cared for, what the money was used for. He put all of your money into savings and bonds, and only provided you with top notch care. This house, your doctors and therapist. It was all him and your friend Tara."
Marley was shocked and felt tears rise to her throat as she thought of all Juice had endured for her; for Mackenzie.
"Come in grandfather, I think I hear my little miracle stirring." she said as she pushed her wheelchair backward and allowed him space to enter her home.
She led him down the short hallway to Mackenzie's nursery. She rolled over to her daughter's crib and smiled as she watched her eyes light up with recognition.
"Oh my, Asha, she looks exactly like you." Her grandfather said quietly.
"Oh yea?" she asked as she lifted her daughter from her crib. "There's no way I was as perfect as this. Is there little Miss Mac? Is there baby?"
Vaslay ran a hand over his great granddaughter's head and kissed the top of Marley's. "You were just as perfect my love."
He picked Mackenzie up and cradled her in his arms. She stared up at him with unblinking eyes. Vaslay ran a finger over her soft pink cheek and she grabbed it with her flaying hands.
"Ohhhh!" he said on a laugh, "She is a strong one! Just like your mother, little darling, aren't you?"
Mackenzie smiled at him and won his heart forever.
Vaslay set up a permanent residence in Dublin, California one week after visiting Marley. He only told her that his new business interests with SAMCRO required his full attention; but Marley knew better. She was sure that he just wanted to be a presence in Mackenzie's life. That did not bother Marley, she was thrilled to reestablish her relationship with her grandfather.
Vaslay and Clay got together in a sit down meeting in Marley's old hospital room. It had been behind shut doors, with only Clay and Vaslay in attendance. They both seemed to leave the room happy though, so Marley had to assume that the relationship between SAMCRO and her grandfather was good.
Marley progressed rapidly in her recovery, moving from her wheel chair to a walker in a matter of a month. She could stand on her own now, but only for short periods of time. She often tested herself when Juice wasn't around by holding onto the walls and walking around the house.
She was at her physical therapy appointment with Tara in attendance when she walked 20 feet across flat surface unaided for the first time in almost a year.
Tara screamed and hopped over to her, excitedly bouncing against Marley's side as she hugged her feet. Marley cried big, heaping sobs into her friend's shoulder. There wasn't a dry eye in the clinic; her therapist cried, the patients cried and the assistants cried.
Marley was shaking when Tara released her. She tried to get a hold of her emotions but couldn't manage it. She walked over to the bench and sat down. Tara sat next to her and held her hand.
Marley was back.
They looked at each other and smiled. They had won the battle, and victory was sweet.
"Bet Juice is going to be super excited about that leg control, huh Mar?" Tara jested.
Marley looked away from her friend and sighed. Juice had not touched her. Only a quick peck on the lips or a forehead kiss her and there. At first it had been sweet, he was willing to wait. Eventually Marley had started to worry, why didn't he even hint at sexual desire? There could only be one reason for that and she couldn't wrap her head around that.
Tara frowned at her friend, "What's wrong Marley?" she asked quietly.
Marley traced circles on the bench and kept her eyes away from Tara. "He probably won't care much about the leg control. He doesn't touch me anymore, who would want a cripple?"
Tara was completely shocked by Marley's response. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Juice loves you Marley."
Marley looked at her, "He's a man, they have needs. All the extra shit that he's done for me, I think he's lost interest in me like that, you know? He's probably fucking someone else now."
Suddenly Marley felt angry, and rose to her feet. Her muscles screamed at her, but she walked across the floor and began collecting her exercise equipment. Tara followed her.
"You need to talk to him Marley. I think you're wrong. That man loves you. You, Mackenzie. You guys are all he has besides the club. I don't think he'd let a piece of pussy come between that."
Marley looked at Tara and smiled. A big part of her thought her friend was just being naive, but a small hopeful part; the part that had looked into Juices eyes for the first time and knew that he already owned a part of her heart, believed her.
"Okay, can you take me to TM? I want to show the whole family my new surprise."
Tara sighed with relief. She was glad that Marley was taking her advice. She helped her gather up her equipment and carried it outside. The physical therapist came out of the the building as they were getting into the car, yelling that they forgot Marley's walker.
Marley smiled at the woman and told her to donate it to another patient. She then turned and hugged the therapist and got in the car.
Tara drove to Teller Marrow quickly. She was excited to see everyone, and for everyone to see Marley. She knew everyone loved Marley and took pride in her rapid physical improvement.
Tara turned the cutlass into the parking lot and pulled into a parking space across from the clubhouse. Marley looked over at her and gave her a huge smile. They got out of the car together. When Marley and Tara began to walk across the lot everyone came to a standstill. Kozik walked out of the garage across from them and let out a shrill whistle and began to clap. Everyone else began to clap as they watched Marley walked across the lot.
She revealed in the attention, running in a small circle with her arms above her head. Tig walked out behind Kozik and quickly walked over to Marley. He picked her up, spun her in a circle and kissed her on the neck.
"I am so happy that you are apart of this family." he said to her as he released her.
Marley smiled at him and stood on her tiptoes. She kissed him on the cheek and then gently slapped the spot where her lips landed. "Thank you Tig." she said quietly.
She turned back to the door of the clubhouse and finished walking across the lot. Tara hung back with Tig to give her some privacy with Juice.
Just as Marley's hand touched the door knob it came flying open, nearly knocking her off her feet.
Juice stood framed in the doorway, a short, bleach blond with sleeves of tattoos and skin tight jeans and an almost non-existent tank top stood next to him. Juice had his hand on the small of her back and was smiling down at her. His eyes were lit happily and the blond was looking up at him with lust in her eyes.
Marley stood there in shock at what she was seeing. Suspicions aside, she had never expected to find Juice in such a compromising position.
When he finally saw her shock and then guilt played over his face. The blond looked her up and down, taking her measure.
"So this is her?" the blond asked. Marley brought her hand back and slapped the blond across the face. The force of the blow knocked her to the ground.
Everyone in the immediate area came to a standstill as they watched the scene unfolding in front of them.
Marley threw an accusatory look at Juice and then turned to flee the scene of her heartbreak.
"Marley!" he yelled as he grabbed her hand and tried to pull her back into the clubhouse.
She brought her fist around and punched the side of his head. He released her and she quickly stepped back from him.
"YOU DONT EVER PUT YOUR FUCKING HANDS ON ME! I'LL FUCKING END YOU, YOU SONUVABITCH!, she screamed as she backed away from him. Every muscle in her body was screaming at her to stop, but she did not listen as she ran across the lot to Tara's car.
She heard Clay's voice booming behind her, heard Tara calling her name, but she did not stop. She jumped into the cutlass, started the engine, and sped away from the man that held her heart in her hands.
Juice ran behind the black car as Marley sped out of the Teller-Marrow parking lot. As he watched her make a hairpin turned onto the street he felt his throat close, he knew exactly where she was going. He turned and started to run toward his bike but was brought up short when Clay grabbed his shoulder.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He raged in Juice's face, "You're going to blow our relationship with the Russians over a piece of ass?"
Juice shrugged his hand off of his shoulder and stepped back from the older man. He was not in the mood for a lecture.
Jax stepped in between them and turned to Juice. "Go after her bro." he told him in a quiet voice.
He turned back to Clay, "We'll deal with the fallout later, in private."
Juice turned and continued to his bike, his mind on Marley. He had to get to her before she could do anything stupid.
He sped through Charming to the little house he had so hopefully bought for his family. He saw Tara's car parked in the driveway. He let out a sigh of relief that he had guessed right and found her.
He parked his bike directly behind the car and walked into the open front door. He heard movement in the back of the house and walked toward it. He stopped in the doorway of Mackenzie's nursery and watched as Marley frantically stuffed clothes and diapers into a large, black duffel bag. He stood there watching the woman that held his heart in her hand gather her things to walk away from him.
"It's not what you think." he said quietly. She didn't pause, didn't look back at him, she simply kept packing at the same frantic pace.
"Damn it Marlene! It's not what you think!" he said loudly. She paused and turned toward him, the hatred and pain pouring out of her eyes hit him harder than her punch had.
"I can't believe, that for a minute, even a second I believed that you could actually be different." she said in a low dead voice. "You are the only man I have willingly given myself to, the only that I..." her throat closed and she couldn't finish. She turned back to Mackenzie dresser and began packing again.
"I can't deal with cheating. It's my deal breaker." she said as she viciously pulled the clothes from the dresser.
"I didn't sleep with her." Juice said quietly.
Marley laughed at him and pushed past him out of the room.
"I didn't sleep with her Marley." he repeated, but she didn't stop, simply continued down the hall to their room.
Walked up behind her, he didn't touch her, simply stood behind her. She stopped and hung her head. "I'm not stupid. I know what I saw, and even a blow job is considered cheating for me." she said quietly.
"God damn it!" He grabbed her arm and swung her around to face him. "I did not cheat on you! I have not fucked, slept with or been inside of any part of any woman since the last time were together almost a year ago!" he raged in face.
She tried to pull away from him but he held her firm, when she began to struggle he pinned her arms. They were face to face, nose to nose. "I love you, you Marley. I would die for you." he said quietly.
Marley began to sob, she did not know if she could believe him. Her heart was screaming at her to believe him, but her head was telling her to run. She shook her head as tears poured out of her eyes and onto his face. "I can't live this life. I can't be the in the dark girlfriend. I can't, I can't. I love you too much. I can't do it. Please just let me go, let me go Juice, please?" she whispered
"No, I'm never letting you go." he said roughly "Cry if you need to, get it all out, but know that I will never let you go."
"Please...-"she cried out.
"No Marley. I am going to tell you why I was there with Susan, and you are going to listen."
She continued to cry, she knew she couldn't fight him and win, she was exhausted from the running and the frantic packing.
"First she is an artist. She is taking over for Ralph as the club tattoo artist. Second she designs jewelry. I put her under commission 6 months ago to design your engagement ring." he said while looking into her eyes.
She sniffled as he continued to talk, "I got a new tat today, and she dropped off your ring. That's it, end of story."
"But you were touching her."
"I was ushering her out of the door."
"You were smiling at her."
"Because your ring turned out to be beautiful and totally unique, just like I wanted for you."
"She was wearing come fuck me heels and smiling at you like she knew what your cum tasted like." she said harshly.
He laughed, "Come fuck me heels? Are those real?"
She began to struggle against him, his story sounded plausible, and the tiny voice of hope in her heart grew to a roar in her head.
"Yes they are real! And that slut was wearing them." she hissed at him.
He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed, he had seen the light of forgiveness in her eyes, but obviously she needed a bit more convincing.
He dropped her onto the bed without a word and fell on top of her.
He began to kiss down her body as she struggled against him.
"We can't ..mmmm... we, we can't fix our..mmm oh yes." she said.
Juice chuckled against her panties and then ripped them off with his teeth. She stroked her fingers down his short mohawk and arched her back; all verbal ability completely lost on her at the moment.
Juice used his tongue, teeth and fingers to set a fire to her body. He climbed on top of her and used his body to bring her's back to life. They both fell over the cliff, clinging to one another in the aftermath of their love.
Marley lay on her side curled around Juice. She was tired and could feel sleep trying to take over her mind and body. She slowly stroked a hand down his chest, her fingers tracing around large white bandage on his chest, and looked up into his eyes.
"Where's my ring?" she said abruptly.
Juice laughed at her, and she punched him weakly in the side. He pretended to be hurt but rolled out of bed and walked over to his discarded cut. He pulled out a red leather box and walked over to her, and in all his naked glory knelled down next to bed and grabbed her hand.
"You are the single best thing to ever happen to me." he began while looking directly into her eyes, "I will never let you go. I will always be with you. I love you. Marry me."
Marley stared back at him and her eyes filled with tears. He was flawed, lacked manners, sometimes even lacked common sense; but he was perfect in one way. The most important way. He was perfect for her.
"Yes." she said.
Juice smiled and let out a pent up breath. He unlatched the box, pulled back the split top and revealed a large emerald shaped white diamond ring surrounded by round black diamonds and set in white gold. He pulled it out of the box and slipped it on to her finger.
Marley stared at the ring in awe. It was perfect, absolutely perfect. She looked back at Juice and smiled.
"I love you." she said and leaned over and kissed him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into bed with her.
This time he made slow, sweet love to her. He drew out every kiss, every touch. He did not rush her climax, but let her savor the building of it until she tumbled into herself sweetly, he followed her shortly after, moaning her name while he looked into her eyes and pumped his life seed into her body.
Marley fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her, his heart thumping against her ear.
When she woke up he was playing with her hair and staring off into space.
He looked down at her with tears in her eyes, she stroked his cheeks as one tear tumbled down his cheek.
"What's wrong baby?" she asked him worriedly. She was afraid something had happened to one of their family members.
He started sobbing and she sat up and held him to her. He clung to her, his body shaking with the force of his despair.
"Baby, please, talk to me. Talk to me." she begged him.
"You." Juice strangled out.
Marley frowned, did this mean everyone was okay? "What about me baby?" she asked him quickly.
"There was blood everywhere, you were laying on the ground, and gone from me." he began and Marley realized he was reliving her shooting, "I was shot, but I couldn't even feel it. I thought you were dead, and then I woke up and they told me you were as good as dead and that they were going to kill Mackenzie. What else was I supposed to do?" he asked as he squeezed his eyes shut. "I had to fight for you. You deserved it. I was so stressed out, so worried about you that I didn't even think about it all. I just did it. I've never felt so attached to someone outside of the mc since my sister." Marlene nodded and remembered when he had shared stories of his kid sister, and growing up and taking care of her himself.
He pulled away from her and grabbed her face. "There has never, never been a woman that holds my heart the way you do. You are in my veins. You and Mac are everything to me."
Marley wrapped her arms around him and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "I just couldn't figure out why you wouldn't touch me. Mackenzie is 4 months old, I've been cleared by the doctor to resume normal activities. I just thought you didn't want to touch some cripple."
Juice looked up at her, " Is that why you pushed yourself so hard to walk?" he asked.
She looked away from him, "Apart of the reason."
He grabbed her face and turned her eyes back to his. "I was afraid to hurt you. I'd just spent seven months listening as doctor after doctor told me of the low odds against you recovering. I watched as your muscles slowly deteriorated, and your body became weaker with every passing day. I thought a stiff wind would slice you in half, so I waited until I thought you would be ready."
Marley kissed him again; hardly believing that her knight in shining amour turned out to be a biker in shining chrome.
Marley walked through the back door of Tara's house and into the kitchen without knocking. She saw Tara sitting at the island bar with a cup of coffee in her hand and faraway worried look on her face. She dropped her bag on the table and walked over to her friend.
"Came to pick up Mackenzie." she said softly. Tara jumped when she touched her back and then looked around the room quickly."What is wrong with you?"
"I just...I'm just tired, need a nap." Tara said quickly. "I guess you got Juice to "touch you"."
"Oh yea he touched me alright. I like the bed, but nothing will ever compare to the bike." Marley said letting Tara change the subject for now.
"Okay, I give up; what does a bed have to do with a bike?"
"The first time we hooked up. We did it on the bike."
"You have got to be shitting me? Jax and I tried that once and I nearly broke my leg when we laid the bike over"
"What can I say? Sometimes it just doesn't pay to be uncoordinated and white." Marley said at an attempt to lighten Tara's mood. She looked back down at her coffee and Marley's internal worry alarm went through the roof.
"Are you going to tell me, or do I have to beat it out of ya?" she asked with a hand on her hip.
"I told you Marley, I'm just tired."
"Bullshit, what's wrong?"
Tara looked down at her cup again and then back up at Marley. Tara knew that if there was a choice, Marley would always be on her side and if there was ever a person she could confide in, it was the woman standing in front of her.
"I'm pregnant Mar." Tara said as tears began to fill her eyes.
Marley's heart lifted and she smiled and hugged her friend, Tara did not hug her back. Marley pulled back from her and frowned. "Well what's wrong with that? You're successful, Jax is successful and about to take over Teller-Marrow. Why would a new mini-you be an issue?"
Tara jumped up from her perch and began pacing back and forth across the kitchen floor.
"It's not the baby. The baby is wonderful, fabulous, incredible. I'm starting to feel like a bit of a baby machine; and are seriously considering birth control, but that is neither here nor there." Tara said quickly as she twisted her hands together and paced faster.
Marley tapped the toe of her shoe against the stone tile floor. "Well? What is it?" she asked in frustration.
Tara stopped pacing and faced her friend. She held up a hand and ran from the room, leaving Marlene alone staring at the wall.
"Must be morning sickness." she mumbled while staring out of the window. Tara walked back into the room holding a stack of papers. She shoved them into Marley's hands and gestured to her to read them.
Marley quickly scanned through the first photocopied letter and then looked up at Tara with big round eyes.
"Are these from Big John Teller, as in dead-father- Teller?" she asked quickly and at Tara's nod Marley felt her heart beat speed up. "How did you get these Tara?"
"I found them in Jax's overnight bag the day he got locked up."
Tara gave Marley a frantic look, "I dont know what I'm going to do. Gemma found the originals and even though we burned them together I think she still thinks I'll tell Jax. Big John was like a father to me, but I would never rip our family apart with these letters."
"Do you think Gemma is planning to hurt you?" Marley asked.
"Yes. She shares less with me, has been distant. I don't know how to say it but she's just different now."
"We can't let that bitch hurt you, and we can't let this destroy the club. We have to figure out a way to make this work to our advantage." Marley said as she paced back and forth in the kitchen.
Tara grabbed Marley's arm with a scared look on her face, " You can't get involved. I won't have you involved! I just needed someone to unload on."
Marley looked Tara in the eye and for the first time in 13 years Tara saw the devil staring back at her through Marley's eyes.
"Tara, this is who I was. I've been here before, the ground is familiar, and I'm good at my game. Let me work."
"You can't take on Gemma. She's the queen-bee, she has the whole club at her disposal."
"Tara, if Jax is the heir apparent, then you are the queen apparent; that makes me your hand maiden-at-arms, so to speak. You are my sister, the reason I'm alive. I would never let anyone hurt you."
"Marley, I...-"
"Shhhhh...it's okay baby." Marley said with a sly, evil smile and a wink. "I've got a plan."