Another one! :) I think I've got about twenty chapters pretty much ready to go, so they'll be flying in steadily... ;)

It Was Always You

Ch. 5 Impressions

By Love Ink

~'~'~'~

Angela was beginning to regret letting the boys take the two bodies as she went through her story for what felt like the fiftieth time with Deputy Chief Hale. He was nice enough, but he was having trouble getting all the facts straight, and Skeeter was proving to be a bad storyteller. They'd even brought in a crime scene technician from Lodi PD that had to have better things to do than dust the prep room for fingerprints. That's what Hale was waiting on now. Skeeter had gone to do a removal, and Hale refused to leave until the crime scene was thoroughly processed. Angela sighed softly, tapping the desk with her pen for a moment, trying to think of something to break the awkward silence. She fought the urge to smirk when a question came to her. "Can I ask you something?"

Hale raised an eyebrow at her from where he was leaning against the side of the doorway to her office. "Shoot."

"You're a part of Charming police department, right?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

He looked at her like she was an idiot. "Yes."

"Two questions then. One, why aren't you in blue? Two, why is your title deputy? Thought it was only sheriffs and CHP that did the tan duds. Police usually are in blue, and they're usually Corporals and Lieutenants, not deputies," she said, not entirely sure she was right. "So what gives?"

Hale looked torn between being amused and impressed. "You seem to have quite an extensive knowledge about law enforcement."

"Just curious is all," she replied on an innocent shrug.

He smirked at her, shaking his head. "You're not entirely wrong. 's just how it's always been. Not all departments follow those rules. San Joa sheriff's actually wear black."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Huh. That's actually kinda interesting."

"If we're asking questions," he started, sitting down in the chair across from her desk. "What brought you to Charming?"

Angela hesitated, unsure of how best to answer the question. She knew Happy didn't like when she told people outside of the club they were related, so she figured she'd go with a half truth. "This job. Grew up in Oakland, saw this job opening, and I applied. Technically its close to home but not close enough that my Mom will show up unannounced for dinner. You?"

"Grew up here. Born and raised," he said with an embarrassed blush to his cheeks and a bob of his head.

"Seems to be a trend around here," she commented, a little intrigued as to why anyone would stay in the small town their whole lives. "Did you leave for college?"

"Yeah, Sacramento State," he answered on a little smile. "Came back to serve my community."

"How admirable," she replied with a smirk.

He was about to answer when Juice came running in through the door, Chibs hot on his heels. "Came as soon as I heard. You okay, baby?"

Angela stood up from the chair, moving around the desk to hug him. It was all a show, of course; they'd planned this the night before. Juice's fingerprints were all over the mortuary, and his prints were definitely on file, so his connection had to be established. It also helped exonerate the Sons. She kissed him quickly. "I'm fine," she said, on an exaggerated sign of relief. "No one was here, thankfully. And they didn't break anything too expensive."

"Ms. Ruiz?" Hale's voice came from behind them. She turned in Juice's arms, though he kept one around her waist. The deputy was looking between them curiously. "I apologize, I wasn't aware you were associated with SAMCRO."

Angela nodded, trying to look as innocent as possible. "Oh. Yeah. Juice and I are...seeing each other," she said, hating how awkward the words came out. She saw his jaw clench and knew he was fighting off a laugh at how ridiculous that sounded. They were doing a hell of a lot more than seeing each other. "Didn't think that was a necessary detail for you. Does it change something about the investigation?"

Deputy Hale sighed heavily and nodded. "Changes a lot," he muttered, shaking his head. "Least we know to rule him out as a suspect, I suppose. You boys think this has anything to do with SAMCRO?"

"Now, why would it have anythin' to do with us?" Chibs asked, looking offended.

"Because usually when trouble happens, it has something to do with you guys," Hale replied, acid dripping on his words.

Angela could see Juice and Chibs starting to puff up their chests a little bit. She needed to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand. "It's probably a bunch of teenagers. They didn't even take anything of value. Probably just messin' around like a prank or somethin'."

"Maybe," Hale conceded, though he didn't look entirely convinced. "I'm going to go check on the investigators. Let them know we have more people to rule out."

Angela nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Deputy Chief Hale."

"David is fine," he said, giving her a nod before walking out of the room. "Be back in a minute."

Juice waited until he was gone before scowling. "Why you gotta be so nice to him? He's an asshole."

She shrugged a shoulder; she knew it was within the biker culture not to be compliant with law enforcement, but also she knew coming off aggressive from the get-go wasn't going to earn her any favors. If she got on Hale's good side, he was more likely to listen to her and trust her when she said SAMCRO wasn't to blame for shit. "It's a lot easier than being rude," she explained, sitting down at her computer to check the electronic death registry system to see if her death certificates had been registered by the state. "He's trying to be helpful."

Chibs shook his head, clearly in agreement with Juice. "That prick has never been helpful to the club."

Angela shrugged again. They had their way of dealing with things, she had hers. "Well, I think he at least believes you guys didn't have anything to do with it."

"Least there's that," Juice agreed on a sigh. She could feel him standing behind her and smiled when he dropped a kiss to the back of her head.

Chibs' phone went off, and he headed outside to answer it, leaving her alone with Juice. She glanced up at him, noting the way his shoulders and jaw were still tensed. "Relax, baby," she stated, leaning back in her chair so her head hit his chest. "Everything's good. No one suspects anything."

"Don't like them here for whatever reason," he replied on a sigh. He set his hands on her shoulders, massaging them gently. "Gonna drop off a...meal tonight. Two actually. Need some...cookin'."

Angela wrinkled her nose; she knew what he was implying, the Sons needed to cremate two people, but she didn't appreciate the comparison to food. "Do they need separate containers?"

"Nope. They can be cooked together. Same temp, same time. Think it can work?"

"Of course," she replied without looking up from the computer as she started inputting information. "Just let me know when you're on your way over."

"Will do," he replied. Seeing her attention diverted from him, Juice's fingertips dug into a particularly hard knot on her neck. She closed her eyes at the heavenly ministrations, letting her head fall forward as a soft curse escaped her hold. His rough chuckle in response ignited a fire in her veins. "Like that?"

"Mmm-hmm," she hummed, relaxing underneath his hands. "Feels good."

Juice continued what he was doing, sliding one of his hands down the front of her shirt to cup one of her lace-covered breasts. "What color you got on, baby?"

Angela smirked; he'd been sleeping when she got dressed that morning so he hadn't seen the maroon bra and panty set she was wearing. "That's somethin' you'll have to find out later."

"Can't wait." He nuzzled her neck sweetly before he pressed a kiss into her skin. He sucked on it lightly, making her shiver against him.

The idea of closing the office door and showing him exactly what color she was wearing passed through her head. She moved a hand up, her nails raking down his mohawk as his lips continued their assault on her neck, sure to leave a mark. There was a loud knock on the door, and Juice pressed one last kiss to her throat, his hands slowly sliding out from underneath her blouse to settle on her shoulders as he lifted his head. She immediately missed their presence and hoped whoever was responsible for the knock left quickly.

Hale stood in the doorway, his cheeks a little pink as he dipped his head down. "We're uh...all done. Didn't find much though. Whoever did this knew what they were doin'. Everything's been wiped. We'll let you know if we find anything new."

Angela gave him a smile as she nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Deputy Chief Hale."

"Anytime, Ms. Ruiz," he said, dipping his head. If he had a hat, she was sure he'd tip it like a good ole cowboy. The act almost made her laugh. "You two have a good day."

Juice nodded his dismissal while Angela gave him a little wave. Hale walked away without another word. Once the front door closed behind him, Angela let out a sigh of relief. "Mission accomplished."

"Surprised we didn't even get questioned," Juice said on a laugh.

"Guess it pays to be nice," she stated on a shrug.

"Does it?" he asked, his hands sliding down her sides before his fingers dug in, tickling her.

She shrieked with laughter, squirming in her chair. "Juice!" she squealed, trying so hard to get away from him that the chair rolled out from under her, and she ended up on the floor. Her ass hitting the ground rather hard.

Juice cursed under his breath. "Are you okay?"

Angela was silent for a beat before she started laughing, nodding her head in answer to his question. "Goof!" she exclaimed through her laughter, shaking her head at him. She couldn't stop laughing as the look of concern left Juice's face, and he started laughing as well. He held out a hand to her, pulling her to her feet and into his chest in one quick motion. His arm banded across her lower back as they came face to face. Their eyes met, their laughter slowly fading as his nose brushed against hers just for a moment before he captured her lips in a kiss that sent butterflies fluttering through her stomach. His hand settled on the back of her neck, thumb tracing over her jaw. His tongue slid into her mouth, massaging hers as she clung to the front of his cut, drawing him in closer. His hand slid down her back to her ass, giving it a gently squeeze.

A slow clap and wolf whistle made them pull apart, albeit slowly. "C'mon you two lovebirds, knock it off," Chibs teased with a wry grin. "Save that shit for another time."

Juice pulled away, pressing his lips to her forehead in the sweetest way as he pinched her ass. She pushed him away, shaking her head at him. "Cops are done. No questions asked, no evidence found," she told the Scot. "You guys are free to go."

"Thanks, Angie-girl," Chibs said on a nod. "You tell her about our..."

"Meals! Meals that need cooking," Juice interjected, smirking.

Angela chuckled at the look of confusion that passed over Chibs' face before he made the connection. "Ah yes, meals," Chibs repeated, amusement in his dark eyes.

"She knows. She'll get 'em cooked. Well done," Juice said with a snicker.

Chibs let out a loud laugh. "Aye, real well done. Charred."

She shook her head at them. "You two are hilarious," she muttered sarcastically.

Skeeter came in, looking a little out of breath and shifty. "Po-po's all gone," he said, nodding his greeting to Chibs and Juice before stepping around them to sit at his desk. "Left a mess of fingerprint dust and shit everywhere. Need to prep that old dude. Hate to break this up, but I need ya, Ang. Mind getting him ready while I call his wife?"

"Of course," she answered, turning to Juice and tugging on the front of his cut. "See you later, goofy."

He leaned in to kiss her sweetly, keeping his hands to himself in front of her boss in a way he wouldn't had it been just Chibs in the room. "Bye baby. Call you when we need your cooking."

"I'll be here!" she called over her shoulder as she walked away from him. "Be safe boys!"

Angela was just finishing up cleaning the mess the cops had left in the prep room when her phone rang. It was Juice letting her know they were on their way. Quickly, she ran into the little bathroom of the funeral home to check herself out in the mirror. She frowned at her reflection; her dark hair was a mess, eyeliner smudged under her eyes, and she was pretty sure she stunk like formaldehyde. Sighing, she swiped away the eyeliner before taking out her braid and pulling her dark hair into a messy bun instead. She looked a bit better, though not by much. Checking her watch, she headed out of the mortuary and toward the retort, frowning at the time. "Gonna be late for Gemma's dinner," she said as Juice approached, meeting her halfway. As they neared the crematorium, she spotted all of his brothers standing around the door smoking and chatting in low voices by their bikes and the club van.

"I'll stay with you," he said, moving an arm around her shoulders as they walked. "Can watch a movie or somethin' while we wait. She can't be mad at both of us."

His logic was terrible, but she couldn't help but smile; they'd spent so much time apart, she was happy to spend some time with him alone. "Oh, she definitely can be, but at least we can suffer through her wrath together."

He chuckled and nodded. "You need me to get anything before we start cookin'?"

"Umm...maybe one of the cardboard caskets and the gurney," she requested, knowing he knew where those were and how to set them up. He nodded, dropping his arm from around her shoulders and doing a little skip hop before jogging towards Sack and getting the prospect to help him.

Tig approached her first, setting a hand on her shoulder. "Thanks for doin' this, doll."

"Of course, Tigger," she said, walking with him towards the van. The group seemed to be in a somber mood, something that was strange if they were burning someone they'd killed. "Everything okay?"

He nodded, looking down at his feet for a minute before walking away. She watched him go, intrigued by the way he was acting. With a sigh, she walked into the crematorium to start heating up the oven. Juice and Sack came in with the box, the rest of the guys trailing after them. It was a small space, but they somehow managed to fit. She opened the door, allowing them to lift the box inside the retort before she closed it and turned to Juice. "You know what to do. I'll be in the apartment."

"Thanks, baby," he replied, kissing her temple. "Be right up."

Angela nodded, saying her goodbyes to the rest of the guys before walking out of the room. She headed to the small apartment over the funeral home. It had originally been meant for her to live in, but she was happy living with Juice, so it served as a little break room for her and Skeeter on their downtime. She showered quickly before heading to the fridge to pull out the cookie dough she'd made earlier. She started breaking off chunks and laying them out in little balls on a cookie sheet, hoping they'd cook into perfect shapes though somehow doubting it. With a sigh, she put them in the oven and said a little prayer that they'd meet Gemma's standards. Grabbing two beers from the fridge, she stretched out on the couch and started flipping through channels, already feeling her eyelids grow heavy.

Juice followed his brothers out of the crematorium, setting a timer on his phone as he did so. He closed the doors behind him and turned to find Tig standing there. The Sergeant at Arms had a small white envelope in his hand. "Give this to Angie for me, would ya?" he asked.

He pushed the envelope back, knowing it was the cash Tig had gotten for the guns after the Niner deal went through. He knew Angela wouldn't accept the payment,; they'd already bought the new oven for her. She thought that was payment enough. "Oh, we don't have to..."

"Nah, this one was on me. Least I could do is pay for it," he said handing it back to him. "If she won't take it, buy her something nice."

Juice took the envelope from him, wondering how much was still inside of it from what they'd been paid earlier. He knew fighting him on it would only piss him off, and he preferred to avoid that; an angry Tig never led to anything good. "Will do," he said tucking it into his cut.

Chibs slapped him on the shoulder. "Tell Angie, thank you, yeah?" he said with a solemn nod. "See you at Gemma's?"

He couldn't help but be a little proud of his girl for the way she took care of his family. "I will. Yeah, might be a little late, but we'll be there eventually. You mind tellin' Gemma we got club shit makin' us late so she don't get mad at Ang?"

"Good plan, Juicy," he said with a chuckle, smacking his shoulder before heading to the bikes. One by one, his brothers rode off into the night.

Once they were gone, Juice headed towards the outside stairs that led to the apartment. The door at the top was unlocked, so he let himself in. He didn't love the apartment and honestly thought it was creepy as fuck, but it was clean and, at the moment, it smelled like freshly baked cookies. The TV was on so he headed in that direction, peering over the back of the ancient leather couch. There were two beers sitting on coasters in front of the TV. His heart warmed when he realized she was sound asleep on the couch dressed in one of his sweatshirts and a pair of dark jeans, her long eyelashes fanned against her cheeks. Leaning over the back of the couch, he kissed her forehead. She stirred, her dark eyes opening slowly. "Hey you," she greeted around a yawn.

He walked around the couch, throwing himself onto the space beside her feet. "Hey baby," he said, kicking his feet up on the table. "C'mere."

She flipped over, setting her head in his lap and stretching her legs in the other directions. Her hair was damp and freshly braided. He trailed his palm down it, pulling out the hair tie gently. Slowly, he combed his fingers through her hair to undo it. The smell of her shampoo was familiar and comforting. He rubbed her scalp with his fingertips, smiling at her soft moan of approval. "Feels good," she breathed, her eyes closing.

He leaned over to kiss her temple. "Busy day?"

She nodded, sighing softly. "Yeah, after you left, I had to prep a couple bodies then clean up after the cops," she explained with a little smirk. "Then dug another hole since I couldn't get the stupid machine to work."

He felt bad about the mess with law enforcement, though she'd handled it well. Further proof that she could handle the twists and turns that came with the lifestyle he'd chosen. He moved his hand down to her arm, massaging it as best he could from the awkward angle he was in. "Sorry. 'm gonna fix that excavator tomorrow. Promise."

"You're the best," she murmured on a sigh. "Everything all set in the oven?"

"Yep. Set a timer for an hour. Tig gave me some cash. Told me to buy you somethin' pretty," he told her, sliding his hand back into her hair knowing how much she loved a good head scratch. "Anything in mind?"

The smallest smile turned up the corners of her mouth, and he dipped his head to kiss the corner of it. "Nah, I got everythin' I want. My panties have been disappearing though."

He knew exactly where they were. Some were stuffed in his pockets, others in his saddle bags, one in his locker, and random ones in other places only he knew about. He loved having her close to him wherever he went. "Funny, so have my sweatshirts."

"I have no idea where those are," she lied, despite the fact she was wearing one of them. A timer went off on her phone, and she got up with a heavy sigh. "Cookies."

He watched her get up and followed after, hoping to get a taste. He recognized them as the lime shortbread cookies Elena made from time to time and was pleased she'd decided to go with her instinct and do something a little different than the standard chocolate chip cookie. "You went with the torticas then?"

"Yeah. I told you, Gemma asked for dessert, and I'm sure she wants like chocolate chip or apple pie or some shit, but I like these better, and they're easier to make and travel easier so she's gonna have to deal because I'm not carrying a damn pie on the back of your bike, and I'm definitely not driving there on my own again," she said, pulling out one of the cookie sheets.

He smiled at her rambling, letting her continue without interrupting as he watched her drizzle some icing over the finished cookies, something her aunt didn't do. She handed him one. "Here, try this."

He took it and took a bite, the sweet icing enhanced the lime flavor with just a hint of tequila. He nodded in approval and she smiled for a minute before grabbing a nearby lime and zesting it violently over the cookies. "See? It's good! So she's just gonna have to deal. Not that'll I'll ever tell her that, but you know these are good. They're better than any fuckin' basic chocolate chip cookies. Anyone can do those! And it wouldn't kill her to try a little Cuban flavor, right? Or maybe it would? I dunno. I just want to get on her good side once and for all because she's important to you, and I want you to be happy. Feel like I'm trying to impress my mother in law or somethin'."

He loved listening to her ramble. Loved that she was working so hard to impress Gemma not because Gemma was the matriarch of SAMCRO but because she was important to him. Angela cared about him, so she was working hard to get in Gemma's good graces for him. He loved that she had somehow gotten lime rind on her face, loved that her hands moved emphatically as she talked. Loved that she didn't seem to notice that he hadn't spoken once since they'd gotten off the couch. He loved her. Had loved her for years now, and the feeling only intensified the more time they were together.

She finally noticed his silence, stopping what she was doing to look up at him quizzically. "What?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "Nothin'. I just...love you." The three words left his mouth before he could stop them, but he didn't regret saying them. It was how he felt. What was the use in keeping it to himself?

Angela froze, her eyes widening just a little. While they'd both admitted to loving each other the first time they'd kissed, they'd hadn't said those three little words since. But he felt them. Felt them with every fiber of his being. He loved her. She blinked at him. "What?"

He shrugged again and repeated. "I love you. Have for a long time. Seein' you ramblin' about doin' somethin' you don't want to do but are doing to make me happy made me think of how much I appreciate you and that I...love you."

The smile that spread across her face took his breath away, her dark eyes sparkling. "Are you serious right now?"

He nodded, feeling an embarrassed blush creep up his neck; he'd said it to her, but she'd yet to say it back. "You don't have to say it now, but I couldn't..."

"I love you too, goofy," she interjected, moving in closer to him. She framed his face with her hands as she caught his lips in a sweet kiss. His insides turned to mush at her words, the feel of her lips on his.

He pulled her in closer, wrapping his arms around her, moving his hands into her back pockets. "Say it again," he implored softly, needing to hear it one more time to know that it was real.

She smiled, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. "I love you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she confirmed, tapping her forehead against his.

He smiled, trying to take it all in. The feel of her fingertips on his skin, the scent of her body wash that still clung to her skin mixed with the smell of the freshly baked cookies. He wanted this moment seared into his memory. He kissed her softly, trying to convey his own feelings through the action. There was no lustful heat behind the kiss, no pushing for more, just love. A love that filled that lonely void he'd had in his heart for what felt like his entire life. She drove away that loneliness, made him feel whole and ridiculously happy. He knew some would say he was a sap for thinking like that, but he didn't give a shit. She loved him. That was all that mattered.

Gemma looked through the peephole of the front door to see Angela and Juice standing on the other side. Juice was dressed in his usual garb, and Angela was nicely dressed in dark jeans, a maroon scoop neck shirt, a pair of short leather boots, and a leather jacket Gemma had seen her wear before. Her hair was out of its usual braid and was perfectly straight, hanging just past her shoulders in nice layers. She looked clean, classy. Like a girl about to meet her boyfriend's parents. Gemma appreciated the extra effort.

Juice was holding a Tupperware container in one hand and Angela's hand in the other. They were leaning into each other, both of them with coy smiles on their faces. If she wasn't annoyed by how late they were, Gemma would think they were cute. She opened the door, ushering them in. "Finally," she said, standing back to allow them to walk by her.

"Sorry, club shit took a little longer," Juice explained with a blush. She'd heard all about the club shit Juice was talking about, and while she appreciated his honesty, she still didn't love him using it as an excuse. The rest of the boys managed to be there on time. He could've just let Angela come in on her own, though she had a feeling it was his way of protecting her somewhat. Proving that it wasn't her fault they were later and trying his best to make her look good. Gemma appreciated the sentiment; she liked that Juice was protective of his girl.

He handed Angela the container as he shrugged out of his cut, hanging it up beside the others before helping her out of her jacket and hanging it up beside his cut. "Made some cookies. They're like a lime zest tequila shortbread," Angela explained handing her the tupperware. "Homemade, I promise. My aunt's recipe."

Gemma opened the top and took a whiff of the shortbread cookies. They looked neat, pretty, and smelled divine. "Thanks. Go sit down, food's almost ready."

"Do you need help with anything?" she asked, hands in the pockets of her jeans.

Smart move, Gemma thought on a smirk. "No, already got too many cooks in the kitchen. Thanks, though," she said, nodding to the full table. There were several seats open at the end of the table; she'd added all the extra leafs in hope that Opie and his family would show up. At the moment, it was just the usual SAMCRO boys, Bobby's kids, and his on again, off again ex-wife. "Go 'head. Sit down."

Juice moved an arm around his girl's shoulders, kissing her temple as they walked to the almost full table. Tig stood up as she approached, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug and gesturing to the chair beside him. Juice pulled the chair out for her to sit, and she settled in between both men with a smile, nodding her greeting to the rest of the table. She seemed to join in the conversation seamlessly, teasing Jax about something or other while Juice grabbed the bottle of wine from the center and filled her glass.

Gemma looked around her packed dinner table, loving every minute of having her big family all in one place and doting on her husband and son. Dinner finished, Bobby's ex making some excuse and leaving with the kids before the plates were even cleared. This wasn't unusual; she'd known it was going to be time to clean soon, and she wanted out before it happened. Angela didn't say a word, just stood and grabbed as many of the boys' plates as she could balance, carrying them to the kitchen. Juice started to follow suit, but Gemma gestured for him to sit down. She grabbed a few other plates, obliging Clay with a quick kiss before heading to the kitchen where Angela was already scraping food into the trash.

"You don't have to do that," she told the younger girl.

Angela barely concealed a smirk; she knew well she was expected to help. "Happy to help out. Least I can do. Dinner was delicious, by the way."

"Thanks, sweetheart," Gemma said, starting the coffeemaker and putting the tea kettle on. Dessert was Angela's cookies and a pie she'd made just in case the undertaker failed to do what she asked. She took the Tupperware out and started plating the cookies. "These cookies look great. You said they're your aunt's recipe?"

"Oh. Yeah. They're a traditional Cuban dessert, apparently," she answered with a quick nod. "I added the tequila icing for a kick, though. Lena would kill me if she found out. She hates when I mess with her recipes."

Gemma took a bite of one and was surprised by how good it was. She kept that to herself, trying not to look too impressed. She did have to smile at the idea of Angela's aunt killing her for messing with a traditional recipe; she could see where Hap got some of his habits from. "She seems very...particular."

"Have you met Happy?" Angela asked with a smirk as she began loading the dishwasher.

She chuckled, nodding. "Can't imagine what he was like as a kid," she asked, baiting her just a little; she'd always been curious about Happy and his family life. Of all the SAMCRO boys, Happy was the one who played things closest to his chest. The only background she knew about him she'd gotten from his "uncle" Chico when he'd first joined. The rest she'd managed to piece together by little tidbits he'd say now and again.

"I'm not really sure what he was like as a little kid. We're thirteen years apart, so I really only knew teenage Hap," she explained with a shrug.

"Must've been one hell of a big brother," Gemma commented, starting to put the leftovers away so she could clean the trays.

Angela nodded emphatically. "Yeah. Cousin, big brother, dad sometimes. He...he was everything to me growing up. Didn't have a lot of male figures around when I was a kid. Just Happy and my Uncle Chico."

Gemma had a feeling the girl was giving her a little more insight than she normally would in an attempt to ingratiate herself a bit. She appreciated it much more than the ass kissing some girls did even though she was name dropping slightly. Chico Villanueva was First Nine. A force to be reckoned with, he enjoyed the fast life, and it ultimately caught up with him. His heart went out on him after a lengthy cocaine binge. He was a good guy, though. Had a deep love and respect for his family. He loved Happy and worked hard to raise him right. Chico also mentioned his "little girl" quite often. Gemma had seen many a school picture of a little girl in perfect braids with just the smallest hint of a smile. Chico would laugh, and say she'd refused to smile because Happy didn't in his pictures. It just clicked in Gemma's mind that the little girl in those photos was Angela. "You're Chico's little girl," Gemma murmured with a little smile. "God, did he love you. Must've showed me dozens of photos of you. Had 'em all up in his locker."

She grinned, though her dark eyes were slightly sad. "Loved him too. Miss him a lot. 's weird to think he had this whole other life here. He kept it so separate."

"Hap is the same. You seem more...open," Gemma pointed out, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes a bit.

Angela dried the last plate and turned to her with a little shrug. "I grew up alone. My dad and Cheeks died when I was young, and then my Ma, Aunt, Hap all worked like crazy to make sure I had a somewhat stable life," she explained, fidgeting with her ring as she did so. "I'm grateful for that, but it meant a lot of alone time especially when Hap went inside. I learned letting certain people in meant I wasn't by myself so much. A weird found family. And I'm telling you all of this so you can make whatever judgements you want based off the truth instead of assumptions."

"Noted," she replied, because she couldn't think of anything else to say. Her honesty was bold and could've easily blown up in her face, but Gemma appreciated it anyway. "Go give the boys their cookies. I'll grab the coffee for them."

Without another word, Angela grabbed the plates and headed back to the dinner table with them. Juice's dark eyes followed her every move, a proud smile on his face. When she sat back down beside him, he leaned in and whispered something in her ear before she turned to kiss him quickly. It was a sweet interaction that warmed Gemma's cold heart. She didn't entirely trust her, but she was going to be easier on her, especially since she was making an effort without brown-nosing. Maybe Angela wasn't so bad after all.

This one was a fun one to write. I contemplated waiting a little longer for those three little words to be said, but it just felt right. ;)
Please let me know what you think!
~ Love Ink