I own nothing you recognize. All original characters and storylines are my own.
Settling Into Place
"Hi there, Milla right?" Milla looked up from her seat in the waiting room and smiled when she recognized Sheriff Roosevelt's wife.
"Hello Mrs. Roosevelt, having a nice day?" Milla asked as the other woman sat next to her and nodded.
"It's a good day, even my first bit of morning sickness is great. It means this thing is real." She smiled wider and Milla grinned with her.
"You're having a baby? That's wonderful! How far along are you?" Milla asked excitedly, always willing to talk baby talk with other expectant mothers.
"Not very far, Eli and I are trying to keep it secret but sometimes I'm just so excited!" Rita exclaimed happily and Milla reached over to pat her hand.
"You have every right to be excited, nothing fills your heart like a child." Milla grinned then continued. "Don't worry about me blabbing, my lips are sealed."
"Thank you for that. What brings you here?" She asked and Milla smiled.
"Just a checkup. I just hit ten weeks and she wants to make sure everything's good." Milla smiled wider and Rita squeezed her hand.
"Congratulations, how does your husband feel about being a father?" She asked and Milla chuckled.
"Well, he loves it. We have a little girl, a little over a year old and we're raising my best friend's kids. They lost both of their parents so Juice and I stepped up." Milla explained and Rita's face turned sympathetic.
"The Winston kids...I heard about that. I'm glad they found a place with someone who obviously loves them a great deal." She continued to hold Milla's hand and Milla found her touch comforting, rather than annoying.
They continued chatting for a few moments before they were joined by a slightly panicked and out of breath Juice who walked up to his wife and leaned down to kiss her.
"I didn't miss anything, did I?" He asked and Milla shook her head.
"Nope, I was just chatting with Mrs. Roosevelt. Dr. Nior had an emergency so we're just going to have to wait a little longer. Sit with me?" Milla asked as Rita withdrew her hand and Juice nodded as he took the seat next to her, studiously avoiding Rita's gaze. He had enough problems with her old man, he didn't need to add offending her to his plate.
While Juice and Milla talked Rita was called in and Milla wished her luck. She may have hated Eli Roosevelt with a passion that rivalled the sun for heat but she was happy for his wife. At least their kid would have one good parent.
"You think you can get a referral?" Juice asked as he played with Milla's fingers before he lifted them to his lips and kissed.
"I'm sure of it. Have you heard back from Bruce yet?" She asked and he shook his head.
"Nope, not yet. I'm waiting until I talk to Jax and Clay before I press him." He explained and Milla nodded.
"Talk to them soon, otherwise they'll nail you to the wall. I don't want them thinking you're going AWOL baby." She told him and he squeezed her fingers tighter.
"Don't worry babe, I'll talk to them before it's too late. I'm gonna be with Clay a lot today anyway." He said as he kissed her hand again, but he didn't miss her eyeroll. "I'm just takin him grocery shopping then to the clubhouse. No doing stupid shit, I promise."
"Ok, I love you." Milla whispered as she ran a hand over Juice's Mohawk.
"Love you too." He told her as he leaned in for a kiss which she happily returned.
…
"You're late Juicy." Clay greeted Juice as he came out the door and Juice shrugged.
"I was with Milla at her OBGYN appointment. You in a rush?" He asked as Clay shook his head.
"Naw, how's my new grandbaby doin'? Know if it's a boy or girl yet?" He asked as he walked to the truck with Juice who smiled and shook his head.
"Nope, but I'm hopin for the boy, complete the set. Wanna see the sonogram?" Juice asked and Clay nodded so once they were in the truck he handed it over and Clay smiled.
"I'm happy for ya Juicy." Clay said as he continued to look at the picture and they pulled out. "Everything good this time?"
"Much better than expected. Milla's pacemaker is doing its job and the baby is growing at a good rate. Dr. Nior just wants Milla to get more sleep, she's not rested enough." Juice explained then he glanced at Clay and decided it was now or never. "I need to talk to ya about somethin' important."
"What's been botherin' ya lately?" Clay asked and Juice nodded. "Go on son."
"I'm plannin' on transferring out of Charming to Thief River. Bruce's writing the letter, I should get it soon, then I just need you guys to vote." Juice said it all while fear gripped his throat and Clay gave him an unreadable look.
"You just come up with this, or you been stewin' for a while?" Clay asked and Juice glanced at him again.
"Been thinking it over for weeks. Milla needs out and the kids need a stable home without all the drama and pain. We'll be far enough away to give them that chance but close enough that we can visit every once in awhile. I know you need me Clay, but my wife and kids need me more." He explained and Clay looked thoughtfully at him.
"Milla's gettin' spun out?" He asked and Juice ducked his head.
"She's not handling this shit well. Opie dying was her breaking point and I don't blame her. We've already talked to the kids, even took them to a counselor and they want to move. They need a fresh start, away from ground zero." Juice said sadly and Clay looked ahead.
"How long you gonna stick around after the vote? If you get the transfer?" Clay asked and Juice shrugged.
"Milla's moving in a month, with or without me. She's gotta get the new house set up and the kids in school. She's also gotta start her new job at the Thief River Courier. I'll join her as soon as Ipossible. If I can't I'll just try again when things are more settled, visit Milla and the kids whenever I can." Juice explained and Clay nodded.
"That gives us some time to work this shit out. You sure Milla won't stay?" Clay asked and Juice nodded.
"She's already got one foot out the door and I wanna be with her. We have a family Clay, I have to think about them right now. I'm not abandoning the Club, but I refuse to abandon them." His voice held a resolve that Clay hadn't heard in Juice for months. His backbone was getting stronger and he had Milla to thank for it. As Clay looked at his son in law and let his eyes go to the ring on his finger he realized the only way to keep Juicy's loyalty and his daughter's love would be to grant this request. It just meant that he'd have to speed up his plan. It just didn't work without Juicy.
…
Milla walked with trepidation into the building, she didn't know how welcome she'd be but what she had to do was more important than her nerves. She stopped near the front desk to get her bearings when footsteps grabbed her attention.
"Can I help you?" A handsome Latino man asked as he walked up to her and Milla stood straight.
"Hello, I'm here to see Gemma. She doesn't know I'm here." Milla exlained and he looked at her skeptically.
"Who should I tell her is here?" He asked and Milla gave him a small smile.
"I'm Milla Ortiz, Gemma's daughter. I don't know if she's even told you she had a daughter or not." Milla said and immediately cursed herself. She didn't know this man, he didn't need to hear her bitter tirade.
"I'm Nero Padilla, Gemma's...friend... It's nice to put the face to the name. Your Ma talks about you all the time." He told her and Milla shook her head. Her Mom caught another one in her trap.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Nero. My brother and husband have nothing but good things to say about you. Is it possible to talk to Gemma?" She asked and Nero nodded, but before he could go to get her the unmistakable sound of her heels clicking against the floor.
"What do ya need to talk to me about Milla? I thought I was persona non grata to you?" Gemma asked and Milla gave her a steasdy look.
"That's what I want to talk to you about. Can we go somewhere private? I won't take a lot of your time." Milla requested and Nero nodded.
"Yeah, follow Gemma, she'll take you to my private rooms." Nero explained and Milla smiled at him.
"Thank you Mr. Padilla." Milla thanked him before she walked to her Mother who gave her a look then walked on with Milla following behind. Once they were in a nicely decorated room Gemma shut the door behind her and turned back to her daughter.
"I'm sober if that's what you're here to check." Gemma crossed her arms and Milla sat on the couch and looked at her with sad, but loving, eyes.
"That's great to hear. Please join me, I really need to speak with you." Milla requested and Gemma nodded as she walked to the couch and joined Mills. "Thank you... First of all I want to apologize for how things went down between us. I never should have lost control like that and allowed things to get physical. It wasn't smart and I'm sorry. Secondly, I want to rescind my declaration. You can see Espy BUT, only if you follow my guidelines."
"Let me guess, you want me sober when i see my grandbaby?" Gemma asked and Milla nodded. "What brought this change of heart?"
"First tell me if you agree to my terms." Milla requested and Gemma reached over and tucked a stray lock of dark hair behind her daughter's ear.
"I agree, I'll be sober as a church mouse when I come to visit or when you bring her to visit. Now tell me what brought this on." Gemma lightly commanded and Milla took a deep breath.
"In a month the kids and I are moving to Thief River. I already have a job there and we found a nice, big house to rent that's in our price range and the kids are enrolled in school. It's an opportunity for us to move past everything, start over again." Milla explained and Gemma felt like the air had been knocked out of her.
"Moving? What about Juice, the Club, your family?" Gemma asked and Milla bit her lip.
"Juice is requesting a transfer to Thief River to be with us. Bruce is writing the letter now and Juice is talking to the guys. This is the best thing for us Ma, it really is." Milla explained as she took Gemma's hands and Gemma lightly squeezed, pleased that her daughter wanted the contact.
"You sure this is best. A lot of shit's goin' down, we need each other." Gemma started to spin the situation in her favor but one look at the hope and determination in her daughter's eyes stopped her. She may have let Milla down a hell of a lot growing up but she could give her this one thing she needed. "I guess there's no talkin' you out of it, huh?"
"Nope, it's happening. I just want you to know that as long as you make a genuine effort to stay sober my door will be open to you and you can be with your grandchildren. Thief River's only two hours away, not the other side of the country." Milla smiled and Gemma took a deep breath and squeezed Milla's hands.
"I think this is a bad idea, but if you're man agrees with ya then I guess I just have to let you go. Will you let me visit every once in awhile? Maybe bring a friend?" Gemma asked and Milla felt something in her gut twinge but she saw her Mother's actions for what they were. She was apologizing.
"I guess things are pretty serious between you two." Milla sighed then she leaned over and kissed Gemma's cheek. "We'll discuss friends later. Right now let's just put you on the visitor's list. Can you live with that?"
"Yeah I can and I'll be stoppin' by tonight. I owe my granddaughter a few stories and wanna see that sonogram." Gemma said and Milla gave her a small smile.
"I'm sure Espy will love that." Milla stood up and took her hands from her Mother's before shebent down and kissed Gemma's cheek. "I love you Mom. I may not like the path your life is taking but I love you."
"I love you too baby." Gemma smiled as Milla left then sat back on the couch as Nero walked in.
"Everything good? She didn't lay hands on you again, did she?" Nero asked as he walked in and sat down next to Gemma while she shook her head.
"Nope, she told me that as long as I'm sober I have access to her family. I was invited to her house tonight. I guess that means I need to pump myself full of coffee to get this shit outta my system if I wanna see Espy." She grinned the grin only a proud grandma could and Nero smiled with her.
"I'll have Lyla put on a pot." He leaned over and kissed her before he stood up and walked out while Gemma continued to smile. She hadn't lost her daughter and that felt damn good.
…
"Hey Jax, ya busy?" Juice asked as he walked into the Chapel and saw Jax looking at a folder.
"Not really, what d'ya need Brother?" He asked and Juice walked in and closed the door behind him while Jax raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"Can I talk to you? It's about something really important." Juice requested and Jax nodded. Taking the invitation for what it was Juice sat in a chair near him and looked steadily at the new President for a few moments as he worked out what he was going to say in his head. "Things aren't goin' well for Milla here and, if I'm honest, things haven't been goin' well for me for a long time. In a month Milla's movin' to Thief River. She has a job, the kids are already enrolled in the school there and we have a house. I wanna go with her and start fresh. Ellie and Kenny need that right now."
"Do you have the letter from Bruce?" Jax asked and Juice shook his head.
"Not yet, I wanted to talk to you, see where you landed before I pressed him for it." Juice told him and Jax nodded.
"Thiswas the right thing to do Juice. I'd be lying if I said you leaving wouldn't be a blow to us. I'd also be lying if I said I hadn't noticed Milla's mood lately. She's goin' off the rails and it kills me to see it. She needs to leave, for her sanity and for the sake of the kids. She also needs you to balance her out. There's no question that you belong with your family. I just have one question before we work this out. Do you think Phil could take over your duties?" Jax asked and Juice nodded.
"Yeah, I've been workin with him and he knows the financial programs like the back of his hand. I can also commute between Thief River and Charming if I'm needed." Juice explained.
"Good, as long as we got that covered we'll be good. No man should have to choose between his families. Be sure to let me know when you get your letter. We'll bring it to vote next week." Jax said and Juice rose,
"Thanks Jax." Juice moved to the door but Jax stopped him before he opened it.
"One more thing, what does Clay have to say about the move?" Jax asked and Juice gave him the fidgety smile.
"No idea, haven't talked to him about it." Juice lied as he tried to keep Jax from getting pissed off. He really should've gone to Jax first but the fates conspired to make Clay the first of the duo to get the news.
"Ok, why don't you go home for the rest of the day Juice? Talk to Milla about this some more. I'll talk to you later." Jax told him and Juice nodded before he went out the door as Jax leaned back. His shifty little smile proved that he'd went to Clay first but that didn't bother Jax, in fact it was a good thing. Now that Clay's monkey was leaving he'd be unbalanced and either have to show his hand early or regroup. Either worked for Jax. It also gave them the added benefit of stopping a certain Sanwa Sheriff from snooping around. Yeah, it would be a blow to lose their Intelligence Officer, but it would also be a blessing in disguise.
…
Juice smiled to himself as he pulled into his driveway. Phil was going to help Clay with his errands so that was one less thing to worry about. As he stopped in his customary spot his attention was drawn to another bike parked near his. He grinned wider as he recognized the tank and custom handlebars. This had to be the news he was waiting for so he parked his bike and took off his helmet before he quickly went into the house and saw what he knew he'd see.
"There he is!" Bruce's booming voice moved through the house as he stood and enveloped Juice in a hug. "It's good to see you Brother."
"Good to see you too. My old lady treatin' ya right?" Juice asked and Bruce turned a warm smile to Milla who was cutting Bruce another piece of her zucchini bread.
"You know it man. If I was twenty years younger and in better shape you'd have some serious competition." He nodded his thanks at Milla as she handed him his late then she got out another plate and plated Juice up a small piece. Bruce watched as she took care of her man before he waved her over. "Juicyboy and I have to discuss some Club business sweetheart. You mind leavin' us for a few minutes?"
"No problem, I have to wake Espy up from her nap anyway, otherwise she won't sleep tonight." She said before she rounded the table and kissed Juice's cheek then nodded at Bruce. "Its great to see you Bruce."
"Feelin's mutual darlin'." He continued to smile at her as she walked out of the room before he turned to Juice and took an envelope from his cut. "I guess I don't have to tell you what this is."
Bruce handed the envelope to Juice who opened it and read Bruce's request. It was finally getting real. He had a way out, his family had a chance to be happy. He choked up for a second before he put the letter back and looked at Bruce, his eyes full of gratitude.
"Thank you Brother, you have no idea what you've done for me and my family." He said as he placed the envelope in the pocket of his own cut and Bruce just nodded. It was done and if the vote went Juice's way he'd be going to Thief River. He'd be able to finally do right by his family.
…
Author's Note: First of all, this story is going to be longer than intended. I realized that I needed more buildup before the conclusion so expect a few more chapters before I tie things up. Secondly, I'm cutting the Nomad thing. Too many people get hurt and Juice is too drawn into that. There's no way he could leave. Third, I'm keeping Rita Roosevelt alive. I like her character and need her around for a later plot point. Now we're really going AU and after the conclusion of the last episode I really need this positive scenario. In all honesty I don't think Juice is going to die for a while but the threat is enough to make me tear up. Also, I'm sure there's a Thief River somewhere in this country but the Thief River I'm mentioning is a creation of my own. I wanted to create a place that's the opposite of Charming. Thank you all for reading and reviewing.