I didn't say this when I updated my other story "Another Day Gone" but HAPPY HOLIDAYS! It's been a while, a LONG while, but thank you all for hanging in there! It's a bit short, but hope you enjoy this chapter!

"Dreamers" by Savoir Adore.

I do not own Sons of Anarchy.

Emily had fallen asleep on the couch in Abel's nursery the night the club had been released.

The next morning, Jax had told Emily what happened to Juice. At first, she was furious. Why didn't he wake her up when he arrived home to tell her? Out of everyone in the club, Jax knew how much she cared about Juice. Jax had enough problems going on for him, so instead of letting out her rage on him, she cried. She cried and cried as Jax comforted her, telling her that Juice was going to be okay. That the men who did this were going to regret ever crossing their path.

It was a relief knowing that the club was out of jail. Sure, there was obvious tension between everyone, but Emily was glad the men were home.

Everyone except Juice.

It had become routine for Emily to go out for an early morning run, drink her coffee, and visit the wounded men in the hospital. It was something she didn't want to get use to.

"Morning, Sue." Emily greeted the nurse at the front office.

"Good morning, Emily." The older lady smiled at her. "When are you officially joining us?"

"Soon. But for now, I'm just a regular visitor." Emily smiled as she walked passed her, giving her a small wave. "I'll see ya later."

She walked down a few hallways until she reached a certain door. She walked in and quietly shut the door.

"Flowers?" Juice raised an eyebrow at her. "Really?"

"You know I can't sneak in a bottle of tequila." She smirked, setting down the vase on the stand next to his bed. He let out a light laugh, patting his hand on the mattress.

Emily carefully sat down next to him, making sure the sudden dip in the mattress didn't put any strain on his wounds.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm ready to get out of here." He reached out to hold her hand. His thumb traced small circles on her skin.

"Yeah, I could imagine." She smiled at him. It had only been a few days since the incident but it had felt like an eternity. Knowing he was in the hospital, all alone and in pain, made her sick to her stomach. If he wasn't behind bars then he wouldn't have been shived. But then that just meant that someone else from the club would've gotten hurt. Her smile faltered. She hoped he didn't noticed.

"We need you to get better."

"I'm fine." He shrugged his shoulder. Trying to act all tough, huh? "And besides," He grinned at her. "I'd rather you be my personal nurse."

"You think you're ready for that nurse outfit?" She teased him, leaning closer to him.

"Definitely." He met he half way, pressing his own lips onto hers. It was a light kiss. She was almost too afraid to touch him. He noticed this. "I really am fine." He tried to reassure her.

"You've been shived. Twice. I don't consider that being fine." She tried to keep her voice leveled, but it didn't work. "I'm sorry, I just..." She sighed, taking a second before looking back up at him. "I wish you weren't in here."

"It could've been worse."

"That doesn't make me feel better." She let out a laugh.

"I know what would."

"Oh yeah?" He let go of her hand and brushed it up against her face, drawing her nearer. The second kiss was more passionate. Emily was still scared to hurt him but, by the way he was going for second base, she thought he would let her know if he couldn't handle it.

They heard the click of the door being open, causing them to rip apart from each other. Juice groaned in pain at the sudden movement.

"Juice!" Emily stood up off the bed, feeling guilty.

"Shit." He mumbled, leaning back onto his bed.

"Are you okay, Mr. Ortiz?" The nurse who had walked in rushed to his side.

"Yeah." He breathed out. "Fine. Just fine." He groaned some more.

"I'll get you some more medication for the pain." The nurse quickly disappeared.

"Some more medicine?" She eyed him. "You lied to me. You're not fine."

"I am fine." He sighed, trying to get comfortable on his hospital bed. "Some days are better than others. But I'm-"

"Do not say 'fine'." She growled at him. Emily knew he was putting up a tough act for her.

"Sorry, ma'am." The nurse appeared again. "I think he needs to get some rest."

"Yes, you're right." Emily turned back to face Juice. "I'll see you later?"

Juice nodded his head, looking a bit disappointed. She placed a light kiss on his cheek before turning back around and leaving his room.

She didn't want to let her short time with Juice bother her too much, but it did. All she wanted was to spend time with him alone but that never seemed to happen. She couldn't wait for him to leave the hospital so she could be with him as much as possible. Or as much as the club will let her.

Emily walked down the hall way and turned around a few corners before getting to Chibs' room. She pushed the door open but stopped dead in her tracks once she saw a woman sitting next to Chibs.

"Uhm, hi." Emily stood there awkwardly. Who was this woman? "May I help you?"

"I'm Fiona. His wife." Emily felt her heart skip a beat. "And you are?"

"Oh, I-I'm sorry. I didn't..." She trailed off. Emily didn't know Chibs was married. This was the first time she had heard of her. "My name is Emily."

"So you must be the one saying your his daughter, huh? The doctors tell me you've been visiting him everyday."

"Yeah." Emily was stunned and didn't know what else to say. She stood still under Fiona's stare. Not daring to move.

"As you can imagine, I was a bit stunned when they said this. Our daughter has always been under my care and to be told she has been here for the past few days?" She chuckled to herself. "I'm guessing you're with the Sons of Anarchy?"

Emily simply nodded her head. "I-I'm a friend."

"A friend of the club?"

"I'm Piney Winston's daughter."

"Ah." She smiled, almost mockingly. "First nine. Must be proud of your pa. For everything that he's done." That was a backhanded compliment. Emily flinched. "Mind if I have some time alone with him, love?"

"Y-yeah, of course." Emily looked over to see Chibs, deeply asleep. Fiona smiled at her as she left the room. A chill ran up her spine. That woman was beautiful but very intimidating. She didn't know Chibs' story from when he was in the True IRA or SAMBEL. She never bothered to ask.

On her way to the lobby, Emily bumped into Gemma. A smirk on her face.

"Came to see the Pureto Rican?"

"Yeah." Emily ignored whatever it was that Gemma was hinting at. She had other concerns. "Uhm..."

"What is it?" She put a hand on her hip.

"There's a woman in Chibs' room. Fiona? Says she's his wife?"

"Jesus Christ." Gemma waved her bangs out of her eyes. "She still there?"

"Yeah. She said she wanted some time alone with him."

This seemed to throw her off but she tried to pretend like it didn't bother her. "Thanks for letting me know." She took another second before sighing. "Oh, before I forget. I'm having a potluck tonight at my house. Starts at 8. Bring whatever you want."

"Okay, I'll see you tonight then." Gemma gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before walking down the hall.

That's weird. Emily had never seen Gemma so off her game. Was this woman trouble? She didn't wonder for too long as her phone started to vibrate in her pocket. "Yeah?"

"Hey, you busy?" Her brother answered on the opposite line.

"No, I'm about to leave the hospital. Why?"

"Was wondering if you can pick up Lyla at CaraCara. Gemma is having a dinner tonight."

"Yeah, so I heard." With everything going on, maybe this dinner was a chance to relax and enjoy everybody's company. "I can pass by."

"Thanks. I'll see you tonight." They exchanges goodbyes and hung up.

It didn't take long for Emily to show up outside of the building. She recognized a few of the cars that stood still in the lot. It was her first time at CaraCara since the grand opening. She never bothered to visit the porn studio before. She never thought that she had to. She didn't know if she should be excited or scared of what she was about to see.

It was nothing Emily hadn't expected; half naked men and women walking around with cameras everywhere. But there was one thing she didn't think she'd see.

And it smelled of something awful.

"Jesus Christ," Emily heaved. "What is that?"

"The dog Jax got us." Luanne shook her head as she walked over to her. "It's a damn shame."

"May I ask why there's a dead dog here?"

"Georgie Caruso. He broke in here, stole our cameras, stole our laptops and..."

"Killed this dog." Emily said in disgust. "Poor baby."

"Tell me about it. He's a sick man."

"Is Lyla here?" Emily asked, trying to change the subject. "Opie asked me to pick her up." As if on cue, Lyla walked out of the building. Her eyes were red and a bit swollen.

"Everything will be okay, sweetie." Luanne gave her a hug, rubbing her back to comfort her.

"Yeah, I know." Lyla sniffled, wiping her eyes. "Sorry, Emily. I must look like a mess."

"You're still beautiful." Emily smiled at her. "C'mon, let's go get you cleaned up."

"I'll see you girls later." Luanne gave them both a kiss on the cheek before retreating back to her duties.

"Can we pass by my mom's house? I just want to make sure Piper is okay. And to get some extra clothes. I don't think a halter top and jean shorts are appropriate for a dinner." Lyla laughed.

"Yeah, it's no problem." They walked towards Emily's car.

"What should we make? I'm not the greatest cook." Lyla admitted.

"I was thinking...maybe Lasagna? I have all the ingredients back at Ope's house. It shouldn't take too long."

"Sounds great."

"Okay, let's get to it." Emily turned on the engine and drove out of the CaraCara lot.

The two woman cooked the dish with the help of Ellie and Kenny. The kids had fun cooking with Lyla and it wasn't until then that Emily seemed to noticed how much they need a mother figure in their lives. They both stayed quiet most of the time, so to see them laughing and talking while Lyla was around? It made Emily happy.

"See? It's perfect!" Emily said as she pulled it out of the oven. "Thanks to you guys."

"Really?" Ellie asked shyly.

"Yeah! I think we have a chef in the family!" Emily praised her niece.

"Maybe we can do it again?" Kenny asked the two women. "And maybe Piper can come over and try it?"

"That sounds like a great idea." Lyla smiled at him. "C'mon, let's go get you guys dressed." The two kids walked with Lyla down the hall and into their bedrooms.

Emily took advantage of the quiet and dialed Opie's number. She hadn't heard from him since earlier that day. She thought he would have been home by now. After a few rings, the line went dead.

"Damn it." She stared back the her phone. "Hope everything is okay."

"Was that Ope?" Lyla asked when she walked back into the room.

"He didn't answer." Emily put her phone back into her pocket. "We'll just meet him at Gemma's?"

"Yeah, sounds good. Okay, kids. Let's go." They all jumped into Emily's Impala and drove to the Old Lady's house. There wasn't any motorcycles lined up down the street like they usually would be. Emily found this weird but didn't mention it to Lyla. The boys would get there soon.

"Ready?" Emily asked Lyla, knowing how bad her last encounter with Clay's and Jax's Old Ladies was.

"Guess I have to be."

The front door was unlocked so they let themselves in. The smell of fresh food greeted them, making Emily's stomach growl. She expected a warm welcoming but that didn't happen.

"This could cost me my god damn job!" They heard Tara's voice ring from the dining room as they walked further in.

Lyla looked over to Emily in confusion. She merely shrugged. Great, now what's happening?

"The club is the club, my life is my life. Stay out of it!"

"Hey." Their eyes turned to Lyla.

"Perfect. Serving hand jobs for desert?" Tara stormed off into kitchen.

"That's real nice in front of the kids." Lyla's voice wavered. She slammed the dish onto the dining table and sprinted for the door.

"Shit." Emily sighed, looking up to Gemma.

"Go." She said to Emily. "Kids, come over here." Once the kids were with Gemma, Emily turned around and followed Lyla out the door.

"Lyla, wait!" She followed her down the set of stairs.

Emily was blinded as the headlights of three motorcycles showed up in the driveway. It was Bobby, Jax and Opie. Her brother jumped off his motorcycle the second he saw Lyla walking away from the house.

"Lyla, where are you going?" Opie caught up to her in two strides.

"Home. I am tired of taking abuse, Ope. That doctor's an arrogant bitch." Lyla had just insulted the VP's Old Lady right in front of him, making Bobby laugh. "Sorry." She apologized immediately.

"Thanks brother." Opie said to Jax, who merely shrugged.

"Jesus Christ." Jax wrapped an arm around Emily's shoulders. "Here we go. Dinner with mom." Both Bobby and Emily laughed. She looked over her shoulder, glancing at Opie and Lyla. He'll take care of her.

There was obvious tension in the room. Tara stood by the dining table, a frown on her face.

"Mind giving me a second with her?" Emily asked Jax. After thinking about it for a second, he nodded his head in agreement. He walked off with Bobby to greet everyone who was in the kitchen.

"Hey." Emily walked up to the doctor.

"That was really bad, wasn't it?" Tara asked in a low voice.

"Yeah, it was." Emily answered honestly. She liked Lyla. She made Opie and the kids happy. But her efforts of trying to get along with the club and their Old Ladies were unappreciated. "She didn't deserve that."

"I know." She admitted. "It's just...it's been a long day. and it sorta just came out." Tara sighed, rubbing her temples. "Sorry, after today both of us might end up jobless and I lost it for a second."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." It took a second for Emily to register what Tara had just said. "Wait. What?"

Tara glared over Emily's shoulder. She didn't need to turn around to know who that angry stare was for. "Gemma tried to intervene with Chibs' transfer to Stockton. I have a Hostile Work Environment Claim against me."

"Intervene?" She knew Tara was trying to be careful with her words. "How?"

"She gave her opinion to Margaret Murphy."

"Oh god. I could imagine how well that went."

"My recommendation wont be any good with that claim." Tara mumbled.

"Great." Emily ran a hand through her hair and sighed. Before she could say anything else, she felt a hand clamp her shoulder.

"Give us a second?" Jax appeared next to the women.

"Yeah, sure." She mumbled. Emily hadn't started her new job yet and she was already in jeopardy of losing it? You've got to be kidding me. She retreated back to join Opie and Lyla, both who looked uncomfortable to be in the same room as Tara.

"I'm glad you decided to stay." Emily whispered to Lyla.

"Yeah, well, that makes one of us." She sighed in frustration. "But I'm here for Ope."

Emily couldn't help but smile when she heard this. Her brother was going through a lot and if he didn't open up to her, then maybe he would open up to Lyla.

"C'mon, everybody. C'mon, let's sit down!" Gemma announced, ushering everyone to the dining table.

Emily and Lyla pulled the chairs out for Ellie and Kenny. Just as the children sat down, Clay stormed into the room, glaring at Jax.

"Where the hell were you?" He growled.

"What are you talking about?"

"I've got two guys in hospital beds and the rest of you decide not to pick up your god damn phone?"

"We were neck deep in our own pile of shit." Bobby intervened.

"Well, we almost got killed trying to take back our guns, man." Tig hissed back to the club's treasurer. Thankfully, Kenny was distracted by his video game and didn't seem to hear Tig. Ellie, on the other hand, looked up to her aunt in confusion. Emily rubbed her niece's shoulder, trying to distract her from what she just heard. Bobby glanced at Emily, noticing what she was doing.

"Club business. Not here, asshole!" Tig shoved Bobby, taking everyone by surprise. Bobby shoved back as Opie reached over to try and stop their fight. Happy and HalfSack held onto Tig as he tried to lunge at Bobby again.

"Hey! They were helping me, Clay!" Opie exclaimed, trying to take the blame.

"We had some payback to deliver at Caracara." Jax defended him.

"Well hopefully it went a little better than the Trammel task." Tig hissed.

"Blow me, shithead!" Opie barked back.

"Excuse me!" A sudden voice stopped the fight. Everyone's eyes turned to David Hale, who had just walked into the kitchen. "Sorry to interrupt. I figured I should tell you this in person." He paused for a moment before he spoke again. "We just found Luanne Delaney off County 18. Beaten to death."

Emily's heart stopped. Her eyes darted towards Gemma. "There's no other details right now. I'm sorry." Hale finally said as he turned back around to leave.

"Did you cause this?" Clay asked Jax, daring him to answer.

"What are you talking about-"

"Payback at Caracara?"

"This is on me, Clay." Opie tried to take the blame, but the President had his eyes on the VP.

"And me too." Bobby chimed in.

"What did you idiots do?" Tig growled.

"I'm not talking to you, asshole." Tig lunged at Bobby again, causing the guys to pull them away from each other.

"Do you see what you're doing to this club?" Clay shouted at his stepson.

"I was risking my ass for this club!"

"Bullshit!"

"You're as blind as you are crippled."

"No. The blind guy is in jail with no wife because you just got her killed!"

Jax shoved Clay. "I'm not the one murdering women!" The two men started to go at it, the club members holding them back from each other.

What tore them apart was Gemma, who lifted the dish full of meat and slammed it down on the table. Breaking the platter. Everyone looked at her, shocked. They all stayed still, letting the news sink in as silence filled the room.

Luanne Delaney was dead.