Ana had just finished helping the hangarounds and crow eaters clean up when her phone rang.
"Yeah?" she asked, knowing it was either Juice or Gemma.
"Babe," Juice said, his voice cracking. Ana could hear a lot of noise behind him, including what sounded like a wounded animal. "I need you to go to Tara's. You remember where it is?"
"Yeah. What happened, Juan? Do I need an escort or something?" Ana asked, giving the broom to a crow eater and heading to his room to grab her keys and bag.
"No, no escort. Someone kidnapped Abel. Killed Half Sack."
Ana stopped in the doorway, and leaned against the frame. Half Sack was dead? What the fuck? She didn't spend much time with him, but he was nice to her, and was loyal to the club. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.
"Wait, you said Abel...someone kidnapped him?" Ana asked suddenly, realizing that the wounded animal sounds were actually from Jax. "Oh Jesus."
"Yeah," Juice said. "Just get to Tara's, okay? She needs a friend right now, and all that's there right now are police."
"Okay. Are...are you okay?" she asked, walking out to her car. Her entire body felt like it was on autopilot as she got behind the wheel.
"No. I don't think I am, babe," he said softly. "This shit is bad."
Ana wiped her eyes, and let out a ragged breath. "Okay. I'm headed to Tara's. Meet me there?"
"You got it," Juice said before hanging up. Ana took a few calming breaths before starting the car. She drove to Tara's, quietly crying the entire way.
Tara's house was a complete wreck. She had to deal with a police officer trying to stop her from coming in until the deputy chief, Hale or whatever his name was, let her through. Ana looked around until she saw the blood stain in the kitchen. Half Sack's body was already gone, and Tara was in the living room, sobbing.
"Shit, Tara," Ana said, sitting next to her, taking her hand. Tara leaned into her shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably, Ana crying along with her.
"I couldn't save him...either of them," Tara sobbed. "God, I am so sorry!"
"Hey," Ana said reassuringly. "It's okay. Abel is fine, they're going to find him. And it's not your fault that happened to Sack. There was nothing you could have done."
"Excuse me."
Ana looked up to see some chick in a suit, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Can I help you?" Ana asked, icily. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."
"I'm Agent Stahl, ATF. We need to talk to Ms. Knowles about what she saw-"
"Does it look like she's in any shape to talk to you vultures right now? Have some compassion, her kid was just kidnapped and a man died in front of her. How about trying to find the asshole that did it!" Ana retorted angrily. Agent Stahl looked as if she was going to reply, but was interrupted by Hale.
"Miss Lewis is right. Let Ms. Knowles take a breather, Stahl. When she's ready, I'll take the statement," he said firmly. "MC is starting to arrive, and we're clearing out. Ladies."
Tara composed herself as Opie and Chibs came in, half dragging Jax.
"Let go of me!" he roared, making Ana and Tara jump. He stormed to the nursery, and slammed the door so hard the windows shook. Ana touched Tara's shoulder as she let out a quiet sob, and Chibs sat down in the loveseat, processing his own loss.
"Clay's on the way," Opie said, putting his arm around Tara and the other around Ana. "Rest of em are finding out what they can about Cameron before coming back here. We need to talk about Gemma."
Juice pulled up to Jax and Tara's house, reeling from what had happened. Abel was kidnapped. Sack was dead. Zobelle got away. Gemma was wanted for capital murder.
Juice just sat on his bike for a moment, letting it all sink in as the others helped Jax into the house. He looked in the window and saw Ana at the sink, looking over her shoulder every other minute as she did dishes. He knew she was looking for him to walk through the door, but Juice needed a moment to regroup.
As he watched Ana doing dishes for Tara, he knew what Jax always meant by having that steady when it came to an Old Lady. Sure, Ana was still just a girlfriend for now, but she'd gone above and beyond for the club today. She was ready to be there for him, she'd definitely proven that time and again. He took a deep breath as he removed his helmet, and he walked up to the house, ready to face whatever was going on inside.
Ana looked over her shoulder to see Juice walk in. His face was so full of sadness as his eyes reached hers. She wiped her hands on her jeans as she walked over to him, and she took his hands in hers. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers. Ana stroked the back of his neck, not saying anything. She kept hearing Gemma's words in her head. If you fall apart, so will he.
So this is what it meant to be strong for your man. This life certainly took no prisoners, and today proved it. It didn't care if you were a baby, or a man who served in Iraq. Everyone seemed to be a casuality of war around here, and Ana was now in active duty.
Juice opened his eyes and kissed Ana softly.
"Let's go," he said. "I don't care where, let's just get out of here."
Ana looked up at him and saw the circles under his eyes. He was dead on his feet, and shouldn't be in any position to drive. She still nodded, and kissed him again.
"I'll drive?" she asked. He sighed and nodded gratefully. She squeezed his hands and went to find Clay. She told him that she was taking Juice to get some sleep, and to call her cell if they got news.
"I'll do that, sweetie. Thank you, for today. You're going to be a great Old Lady," Clay replied, kissing her forehead affectionately. "Just bring him over to get his bike tomorrow-"
"Nah," Happy said, holding the keys. "I got his bike. I'll take it to the club tonight."
"Thanks, Hap," Ana said appreciatively, standing on tiptoe to kiss the killer's cheek. She grabbed her hoodie, bag, and keys, and she and Juice left without another word.
Ana showed Juice into her house quietly, and locked the door as he sat on the couch. He looked around as she put her stuff away, and she hung his kutte on the hook by the door.
Juice admired the way she decorated. She was another one who liked things neat. He remembered something being said about most of the artwork on her walls being her own, and he made a game of it in his mind, trying to figure out which piece was hers and which wasn't. It was harder than it looked, and he stopped completely when he saw the sketch of him at the garage on the bookcase, framed along with photos of Gemma, him, and Happy, along with a self taken picture of him and Ana. He remembered that day. It was right after she got back from Seattle, and he'd visited her after school. He looked at their smiles, and couldn't stop his from spreading on his face. She truly made him happy. Even now, when all the world was going to shit, he was at peace in her house as she messed around in her room, probably cleaning it or something. His eyes fell down to a book on her coffee table and he laughed a little as he saw the title.
"Gone with the Wind, babe?" he asked.
Ana stood in the doorway to her bedroom, already in black stretch pants and a purple tank top. Her hair was up in a pony tail and she raised an eyebrow as she looked at the book in question.
"You got a problem with that?" she asked back.
Juice shook his head. "Nah. Now I know where you got that manipulative charm from, what with the thing with Polly, then Weston today. Jax told me you were great" he said, getting up and stretching. "Am I sleeping in here?"
Ana looked taken aback, and for a brief moment, he thought he'd hurt her feelings. But then she smiled a little, and that worry faded away.
"You can sleep wherever you want," she said softly. "As long as you actually sleep. I just don't want you exhausted and trying to do club shit."
"As awesome as sleeping with you last night was," he said, looking her up and down hungrily, "I'm actually quite the gentleman. I'll stay in here tonight. I don't trust myself to sleep next to you without being turned on."
"I trust you," Ana said simply.
"You shouldn't, babes. I'm turned on enough because you look hot as hell," he said matter of factly, gesturing to her outfit. She actually blushed at that, and Juice felt a boost to his ego. He was pretty good at this flirting shit. "I'll stay here. I promise I'll sleep." He sat on the couch and began taking his boots off.
"Okay, Juan," Ana said, walking over and kissing him. She smiled against his lips as he ran a hand down her spine and ended up cupping her ass lightly. "No fondling, mister," she said against his lips, not meaning a word of it.
He kissed her again, pulling her into his lap so she'd be more comfortable. "You know you don't mean that, baby," he said huskily, trailing his fingers up her back sensually. Ana shivered as he kissed a spot just above her collarbone.
"Juice, baby, we can't-"
"We won't," Juice promised, kissing her lips again. "I'm perfectly fine with just this." He pulled away and gave her that heart melting smile of his that she loved so much. "You were so awesome today. From start to finish. And I'm really glad we figured out what we were doing. And now I want to show my intelligent, beautiful, sexy girlfriend how much I appreciate her."
Ana sighed as his kissed her neck again, and then gasped as he maneuvered her to where her back was on the couch and she was under him, and he was kissing her like she'd never been kissed before.
Kissing him was like drowning, except that instead of wanting more air, she wanted more of him. His lips were soft yet demanding on hers, and her tongue danced with his hungrily. She moaned as he placed another kiss on the same spot he'd discovered in the elevator, and she felt him smile before doing it again.
All too soon, he was pulling her up to a sitting position, and with one last, sweet kiss, he sighed.
"We really should get some sleep," he said regretfully. Ana nodded, her lips still burning with excitement and he caressed her face softly, running his thumb across her swollen mouth. She touched his hand softly and smiled.
"Sure you don't want to come with me?" she asked. He smiled and kissed her again.
"I'm good here, nena," he said, surprising her with his Spanish. He chuckled at her startled look. "Happy taught me the words to get into a chick's pants, but I never used them. Until now."
"To not get in my pants," she said, laughing as she stood up. She stretched and Juice's mind almost exploded as he watched the tank creep up her stomach, showing the exposed skin underneath. "Night, Juan."
"Night, Ana," he called after her, laying down where he could see into her room. She left the door open, and the bathroom light on, which was weird but not too disturbing. He'd ask about that later.
Sighing in contentment, he finally allowed himself to fall asleep.
Told you it'd be a two chapter day.
We're at the end of season 2, and we're starting season 3! Hands down my favorite sons seasons, and the last season this story covers. This also means that after this story we're taking a huge step away from Juice canon, because I've got another plotline set up for him. No hanging tree, no killing Miles, so that shit won't be a problem for our beloved Juicy boy.