Juice sat on his bike, watchng Chibs say goodbye to his family the next day. They were heading to Dungloe to help the SAMBEL boys with the guns shipment, but their main priority was to grill Jimmy about Abel.
Happy was next to him, on his own bike, and he scoffed.
"All this goodbye shit. Glad I ain't got a woman to bring into this," he said, tossing his cigarette on the ground.
"Yeah, you live on that bachelor high, old man," Juice said, turning his gaze onto McGee and O'Neill. They were talking to each other and kept passing glances at Jax and the priest. "Hey Hap?"
"Yeah?" Happy asked.
"The Irish. You trust them?" Juice asked nodding over to the Irish president and Sgt at Arms. Happy followed his gaze and scoffed again.
"Hell no," Happy said. "Every word about Jax's kid has been bullshit. I don't trust them at all. I know Jax doesn't either."
Juice nodded and kicked on his bike at that. He knew at least he wasn't alone in thinking that these assholes had something up their sleeves. He was just hoping that they would stay whole as it played out, because he definitely had a bad feeling brewing in his gut.
Ana was finally reaching the end of the mountain of invoices on the desk when Tig knocked on the door.
"Hey, Lewis," he said. "Need a favor."
"What's that?" Ana asked, filing the last invoice for the day. She was still wary around Tig. Sure, he'd been thankful when he bailed her out, and started treating her like she actually existed rather than passing her by as if she was an object. She still didn't like how he treated people in general. The only people he seemed to have real respect for was Gemma and Clay.
"Lumpy, guy who owns the gym? Need you to go check out the gym and get his paperwork. Take it to him at the hospital," he said. "He said it's under the cash register."
"Alright," Ana said, grabbing her keys. "Don't kill Koz while I'm gone, please."
"No promises," Tig replied as she left.
She drove to the gym and gasped when she saw the police tape.
"A little heads up would have been fucking nice, Tig," she said to herself as she ducked under the tape and entered through the broken window. Glass was everywhere, and she could see a blood puddle on the floor. She was definitely going to kill Tig when she saw him, because this was ridiculous.
Taking her eyes off the blood, she spotted the cash register and walked over. She moved it over and saw the folder Tig had mentioned. She grabbed it and put it in her purse, shaking her head at the damage in the gym. She left quickly, having seen enough.
On the way to her car, she spotted a familiar face. The guy Juice had jumped was in a car with some chick, watching her. She saw he had a broken nose, still, and a cut on his cheek from Juice's beat down. He narrowed his eyes as she gave him an evil smirk. They drove off before she got in her car.
Ana took one more look at the gym. Her heart broke for the old man who owned it, because she knew he would end up selling it. She was starting to wonder why she even came here.
Meanwhile, Juice had his own problems halfway across the world. They were at the barn with the weapons, and something wasn't smelling right. He was tasked with watching O'Neill, so he had Hap come with him. O'Neill mentioned taking a shit, and they were waiting for him to return when they heard yells coming from the barn.
Juice and Happy turned in time to see the kids Jimmy had recruited chain the doors shut. They took off after them, but the kids were faster. They piled into the car and sped off. Juice, cursing, headed to the doors and began trying to shoot the lock off the chain.
Happy had just joined him when he heard the truck inside start and his heart dropped. He knew these Irish pricks dealt with car bombs, and in that moment he heard Ana's voice in his ears.
Take care of him.
"Juice, move!" he said, not hesitating to grab Juice. He had just finished pulling him away from the barn just as the truck rammed through the doors. Juice started to get up but Happy didn't let him.
"Stay your ass down, I promised her you'd be safe," he growled at Juice.
"What the fuck, man?" Juice asked, just as the truck exploded.
"Holy shit!" they yelled, covering their heads as the debris flew everywhere.
Once everything had settled, Happy helped Juice up.
"You alright?" he asked. Juice nodded, breathing heavily and giving himself a once over.
"You?" he asked, and Happy nodded, looking around for everyone. First thing they saw were body parts everywhere. They could see most of SAMCRO standing, at least. Juice sighed in relief, then almost got sick when the smell of burning flesh hit him. Clay got Jax up, then walked over to them.
"You guys alright?" he asked, looking them over.
"We're good. We whole?" Happy asked as Juice tried to get his nasuea under control.
"SAMCRO is," Clay said. "Can't say the same for SAMBEL."
"It was those kids Jimmy recruited," Juice said. "They chained the doors and took off before we could catch them."
"I don't know where O'Neill went," Happy continued. "Our first priority was getting those doors opened-"
"You guys did good," Clay said. "Come on."
Juice shook his head and stepped over an arm to follow Clay. This had to have been Jimmy, and he knew without a doubt this just became more than getting Abel. This was war.
Ana was walking back from Lumpy's hospital room where she saw Tara walking with some redheaded lady.
"Hey!" she called, catching up with them.
"Oh, hey, Ana," Tara said with a smile. "Um, Ana Lewis, Margaret Murphy."
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Lewis," Margaret said, shaking Ana's hand.
"Likewise," Ana said. "I was dropping off some paperwork for Lumpy, and was going to head back to the garage. You need a lift home?"
"Um, no. Actually, I was wondering if you could come with me and Margaret," Tara said. "I'll explain on the way there, but I could use another friend with me, if that's okay."
"Sure," Ana said. "That okay, Ms. Murphy?"
Margaret nodded, and together, they walked out, not knowing that they were being watched by Hector Salazar.
Juice was sitting at the table as Chibs smoked a cigarette. He knew that Chibs was grieving, but he had some stuff he needed to get off his chest.
"Hey, man, sorry about your nephew," Juice said.
"Thanks, brother," Chibs said. "You talked to your girl today?"
Juice shook his head. "Happy did. I just can't talk to her right now without losing my shit. I need to ask you some shit, though."
"What is it, boy?" he asked.
"It's about Fi. And Ana," Juice said, slowly.
Chibs looked confused.
"I don't follow."
Juice bit his lip, and decided it was now or never.
"I want what you have with Fi. I want it...with Ana."
Chibs laughed a little. He knew where this was going, and relief flooded through him.
"Saw this coming from the first time the lass entered your vision, Juicy. Can't say I'm surprised."
Juice grinned a little as he looked up at Chibs.
"I just need to know. How do you make it work?"
Chibs sighed. This was hard to explain, but Juice would probably follow. He was smarter than he let on. For fucks sake, the guy could have gone to MIT if he'd wanted to.
"Fi and I are estranged, brother. To be honest, I wish we were like you and Ana. You know, that first love, pussy whipped shite."
Juice scoffed in protest.
"I'm not-"
"Boy you've only fucked her maybe twice, and you're already talking long term. Brother, you are whipped."
Juice laughed a little and Chibs grabbed his shoulder.
"You love her, lad?"
Juice nodded, smiling while doing so. He could still hear Ana's laugh, and when he closed his eyes he could see her face, with that playful grin he loved so much.
"Yeah, man, I do."
"She know that?"
"Yeah," Juice said with a grin. "She loves me, too."
Chibs rolled his eyes, but gave Juice an understanding smile.
"No shit, brother. I don't know why, but anyone can see that she does. Do what you gotta do. Ask her to be your Old Lady. She's got the stuff. She's got Clay's respect. Jax's. Gemma's. Everyone likes her, and everyone definitely respects her after the Weston thing."
Juice nodded. He knew how the club felt about Ana. Even Tig was warming up to her, which was rare for him. There really was nothing stopping him from making her his for real. Well, except one thing.
"Do I...do I crow her?" Juice asked. "She doesn't have any tattoos, and I haven't asked why. What if she doesn't believe in it or something?"
Chibs laughed.
"Only if she wants one, and then you get Happy to do it," Chibs said. "He'd kill both of you if you don't ask him."
Juice laughed out loud, picturing Happy's face should Ana get a crow by anyone else, and Chibs joined in. After they composed themselves, Chibs heaved a sigh.
"I am so proud of you, Juicy. We're the men we are because of the women behind us. Ana's been good for you. You got someone other than the club to think about now. Remember that."
"I will," Juice said as the priest and Fiona came in. Chibs went to talk to them and Juice went back to his book, knowing he was going to be here a while. He kept Chibs's words in mind. He would definitely be having the Old Lady talk with Ana when he got back.
Ana hung up the phone and Tara looked back with worry.
"The guys okay?" she asked as Margaret drove. Ana nodded, not knowing if she should tell Tara what Happy had told her.
There had been a bomb and a bunch of the Irish were killed. The Charming guys were whole, and Juice was watching Chibs's family now, but he was shaken up a lot. Happy made sure to tell her that Juice was fine first.
"They're fine," Ana said, sitting back. Tara had told her she was getting an abortion, and although Ana didn't think it's something she could do herself, she wasn't about to judge Tara for choosing it.
They had just stopped to turn when Ana felt a jolt from behind. She turned to see a car behind them, and Maragaret said "Damn it" before she and Tara got out. Ana decided to get out, too, and she recognized the girl immeadiately just as she asked Tara if she was Jax Teller's Old Lady. Before she could stop Tara, she said yes and Hector fucking Salazar got out of the car.
"Check their ink," he spat. He looked at Ana suspiciously, and Ana thanked God she had her hair up in a bun. She hoped he wouldn't recognize her.
Luisa checked Ana after it was seen that Margaret had the ink of a MC on her back.
"This one's inkless, papi," she told Hector.
"Nah, she's one of them," Hector said darkly. "She was there when that Rican got me."
"We can't fit three hostages in the car, Hector!" Luisa said angrily.
As they started to argue, Ana made eye contact with Tara. She mouthed for Tara to run. Tara shook her head.
"They want me. You two go," she whispered.
"I'm not leaving you," Margaret said hotly.
"Fine, Ana, go. Now," Tara said.
Ana looked around. She saw the wood line not too far from the road, and she didn't think Hector would stay long enough to look for her. So, as they were distracted, Ana bolted.
She heard Hector and Luisa yelling, and then she heard a gunshot. She felt a bullet whiz by her ear and she picked up the pace. She counted the shots, and dropped at the fifth. The sixth one rang out and she heard Hector curse when he realized he was out of bullets.
"It's okay, babe, you probably got her," she heard Luisa say in the distance. "Either way, she won't be found for a while. Let's just go."
Ana stayed on the ground as she heard the cars pull away. When she determined all was safe, she got up, then cried out when she felt a pain in her leg. She dabbed her hand and felt wetness. It seems as if the wound from the drive by had opened up on her fall.
"Fuck," she hissed, ripping a piece of her shirt off and wrapping it around the bleeding felt her pockets for her phone then a horrifying realization dawned on her. She left her purse in the car, and it had her phone and her gun in it. She had no way of calling Tig or Piney or anyone to let them know what had happened, and they were literally in the middle of nowhere. Ana had no idea where she was.
Yep, I went there. Cliffy and all.
Don't worry, I am working on the next chapter now!