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Chapter Text

At sixteen years old, the thought of college and going out of state sounded like everything a teenager your age could want. You looked at schools, as expected, and even found a few you were interested in. It was exciting and you couldn't wait to start the application process and graduate from your highschool.

But then the time came and went, and you'd never done a single thing. By the time you graduated, the thought of leaving home terrified you. The thought of leaving your parents was a no-go and you ended up staying home. You had a few paid under the table jobs, but nothing concrete. Then your mother was diagnosed with cancer and you spent years watching her battling it, going through chemotherapy and just constantly being sick. And when she could no longer fight it, you watched with your heart in your stomach as she took her last breath.

Watching your mother pass made you the most paranoid you'd ever been, and you took your father's health seriously after that. So serious, in fact, that you enrolled into community college and took the proper classes to get into a nursing program.

The nursing gig was your first real job and you loved it. Not only did you get to take care of people at work, but if anything ever happened at home then you were more than prepared for it. But then your sister got divorced and decided to move back home, and the two bedroom house you lived in with your dad wasn't big enough anymore. So since you were the one with a steady job, you decided to move out and let your sister take care of your dad.

Finding a house in the same town you grew up in was impossible, but you ended up finding one in Bakersfield. It wasn't too far from your dad and the hospital in the town you were moving to was in need of nurses, so it was perfect for you.

On moving day, your two brothers and one brother-in-law packed all your belongings into a moving truck while you drove ahead of them in your Dodge Challenger. The two bedroom house you had found was perfect, but this was the first time you were going to be on your own and you were kind of nervous. Your brothers did all the heavy lifting and reassembling of your bed as your dad sat on your porch watching them, and you and your sisters carried the boxes of all the rest of your belongings.

The entire time you were back and forth, you noticed an elderly woman next door sitting on her porch, fanning herself while watching all the commotion taking place. You didn't want her to think it was going to be a daily occurrence, the loudness your family was currently creating, so you offered her a friendly wave and vowed to introduce yourself on one of the upcoming days. And after having a couple of pizzas delivered and an impromptu dinner on your front lawn, your family planned a bar-b-cue at your own place in two weeks before taking their leave.

In the next couple of days, you spend it putting everything in its proper place and washing clothes. You were grateful that your brothers had friends who were getting rid of some furniture, so all you really had to purchase were your washer and dryer. One friend was getting rid of a living room set, another was getting rid of their dining room table, and another had a spare refrigerator that they got rid of for a very cheap price.

It was currently Friday and you started work on Monday, so you decided to do your grocery shopping now. Plus you wanted to finally greet your neighbor since you realized she lived on her own, but you needed something to take over. And what better way to introduce yourself than with some fresh pan dulce? Nearly every Mexican elder loved their sweet bread with coffee and you were hoping it was the same for this lady.

So the following morning, you wake up extra early to make the pan dulce from scratch. It's a little time consuming, but nothing too terrible and around eight in the morning you find yourself packing up four sweet breads and heading next door. The elderly woman is already on her porch, a cup of coffee sitting next to her on a little table. You exit your gate and make your way towards hers, waving as you hesitantly push through her gate.

"Good morning!" You call out.

And to your great relief, she smiles. "¡Buenos días!" (Good morning!)

So she speaks Spanish, but understands English. Good to know. "Hola. Mi nombre es YN. I, um, I just moved in and thought I'd introduce myself," you say while approaching. You hand over the tupperware container in your hands. "Te hice pan dulce." (I made you some pan dulce.)

"Ah. Gracias. Mi nombre es Elena." (Ah. Thank you. My name is Elena.) She opens the container and takes a whiff of the sweet bread, and your heart warms as she immediately breaks apart one of them to eat. She closes her eyes as she takes a bite, humming. "This.. this is really good, mija."

You chuckle. "Thank you." She takes another bite before taking a sip of her coffee and you smile at her. "I used to make it for my mom all the time, then my dad, but he's a really bad diabetic so I hadn't been able to make it recently. I'd hoped you liked it, so I woke up this morning to make you some as a friendly neighborly gesture."

"Bueno, lo aprecio." (Well, I appreciate it.)

You smile before hooking a thumb over your shoulder. "Well, I should get going. I have a bit more paperwork to fill out at the hospital before I start my job there Monday morning. If you want any more pan dulce, just let me know and I'll make you a fresh batch."

"Sí, lo haré. Gracias de nuevo." (Yes, I will. Thank you again.)

You and Elena wave at one another, and you get on with the rest of your day.

During the first week of starting your new job, you find yourself falling into a routine of waking up, going to work, going home, eating, showering and bed. But Elena apparently took a great liking to you and started inviting you over as soon as you got out of work. She did it when she saw how exhausted you were one night, making you dinner since you had made her pan dulce. And when she found out you were on your own and working diligently as a nurse, she wanted you over at her house so she could have dinner waiting for you. You had told her it wasn't necessary, you didn't want her doing so much at her age since she was on her own as well, but she only compromised with you when you suggested ordering take-out and eating it with her so she could make sure you were eating.

Elena had told you about some of her life- how her husband had passed when her son was only eight. Her son was a troublemaker and was in and out of jail, but recently he'd been doing okay even if he was part of a motorcycle club. However, she couldn't complain too much because she had a few health issues and the club helped her son take care of her.

You had smiled at her storytelling and then told her about yourself- how you came from a decently sized family that was close, but something had fractured when your mother passed. You took care of your dad, paranoid about his health which made you want to become a nurse, and then moved out of his house when your sister moved back in after a nasty divorce. And in talking about your family, you tell her they had planned a cook-out at your house the following week and you would like it if she would attend.

It took some convincing, but eventually Elena agreed to meet your family.

The day of the bar-b-cue, one of your brothers showed up early with a pit on wheels. You helped him situate it in your front yard before he helped you put up a canopy for a bit of shade. Your brother had a 152 quart cooler in the back of his truck, and the two of you went halfsies on ice and the different types of beer your family enjoyed. Another smaller ice cooler was used for sodas and water, and you waved him off as you set up a couple of tables and chairs.

A little after two, your dad and siblings started showing up. Only one brother didn't show up, but you pushed aside the hurt it caused. The invitation was there for him to take and it wasn't your fault he didn't take it. But there were still more than enough people and your eldest nephew was excited to get the pit going.

Your younger nieces and nephews were set up in a small inflatable pool out of everyone's way, and several tables with chairs were set up- tables to sit at and tables to hold the food once it was done. A large speaker was off to the side, an iPod plugged into it and playing music to keep all entertained. Your dad sat under the canopy and you made sure there were a few extra chairs in the shade so Elena could sit there too.

"Alright, I'll be back. I'm gonna go get Elena. Please.. don't be yourselves."

Your siblings and sibling-in-laws all laugh, and you know full well it's going to be chaos as soon as the beer starts flowing. You just hope Elena can deal with them.

Jogging over to her yard and up her porch steps, you knock on the wooden paneling surrounding her door. Elena, dressed casually, greets you with a smile. "Hola cariño." (Hello, sweetheart.)

"Hola, Elena," you say. "Ready to go?"

"Si."

Elena walks out of her house and you offer her your arm so you can help her down the steps. She holds onto your arm as you lead her to your property and then you wave at your family, garnering their attention. "Everyone, this is my lovely neighbor Elena. Elena, esta es mi loca familia. (Elena, this is my crazy family.)

"Hola, Elena!" They all shout and you shake their head at them as Elena chuckles.

"Hola."

You guide her to an empty chair and quickly introduce her to your dad, the two of them easily falling into a conversation with one another. "¿Te portarás bien aquí, Elena? I need to see what my nephew needs help with." (You going to be good here, Elena?)

"Si, si. Go help."

"Okay. If you need anything, have my dad yell for me. We also have drinks if you'd like one right now."

"No, estoy bien." (No, I'm fine.)

You smile before heading inside your house, seeing what your nephew needs help with. He's seasoning the meat already and he asks for help carrying out the trays of food. You do as you're asked, carrying out platters of meat and placing them where you're told to place them. The kids are running around, somehow having gotten a hold of water balloons, and you yell at them to keep close to the pool so your dad or Elena don't get caught in the crossfire. And speaking of Elena, you glance over at her and smile to see that she's carrying on a conversation with your sisters and that your sisters have gotten her a bottle of water.

Over the speaker, a Spanish song comes on and your brother grabs your hand to start dancing with you. You laugh, obliging him for a bit before pushing him away. You're lured to the inflatable pool and make a bit of a splash with the kids, chasing them around and having some quality time with your family.

Eventually you've had enough and you walk over to the cooler, grab a beer, and take a seat next to Elena. When she looks over at you, smiling, you ask, "Are you enjoying yourself? I'm sorry I abandoned you."

"Don't apologize." She lightly swats at your hand. "I am enjoying this. I have missed family functions."

"I'm glad," you tell her. "And whenever we do this again, you're more than welcome to come. Even if we have it at one of my other siblings' houses, you and I will take a road trip together."

"Si. I think I'd like that."

The conversation between you and Elena drops, and you sit back to watch as she interacts with your family. Every now and then you get up to help your nephew with the food or get up to run around with the kids, and all in all it's turning out to be a good day.

A little while later, you're still sitting around when the sound of motorcycles gets closer and closer. You glance up and down the street looking for the source since the entire time you've been here you've never seen a motorcycle pass by. But then you spot them, two men sitting atop motorcycles as they creep up the street.

And then they park directly in front of Elena's house.

You watch the men from your spot, taking note of their no nonsense expression. One man is completely bald, whereas the other has a mohawk shaved nearly down to his scalp and tribal tattoos on either side of the mohawk. As they walk around their bikes, ruffling through some bags, you catch sight of the back of their kuttes and the reapers on the back. Sons of Anarchy. The bald one wears a plain white tee under his kutte, arms sleeved out in tattoos, whereas the other one has on a plain black tee and a few tats here and there.

Elena grabs onto your hand, smiling as she points at the men. "Ese es mi hijo y su amigo." (That's my son and his friend.)

"Happy?" You wonder. You've heard a few stories and seen a few pictures, but the Happy you got to know through pictures had a head full of hair.

"Si. El guapo." (Yes. The handsome one.)

You chuckle. "'Lena, they both look handsome from here." Her eyes immediately gain a sparkle and you narrow your eyes at her. "Don't. Don't tell either of them I said that." She laughs along with you then and you ask, "Want me to bring them over?"

"¿Por favor?" (Please?)

Taking a sip of your beer, you push up to your feet and make your way towards the fence that separates your yard from Elena's. You whistle sharply at them as they turn to make their way up the pathway leading to Elena's porch and mentally flinch when both sets of dark eyes land on you. "Whichever one of you is Happy, your Ma's over here. Food's almost done, so if you guys wanna pull up a chair you're more than welcome to."

Both men glance at one another before the one with mohawk smirks and shrugs, and then both men are making their way towards your front gate. You meet them there and the one with the mohawk hasn't lost his smirk. "Name's Juice."

"YN." You grin at him before your gaze travels up towards the other guy. "Which means you're Happy." His gaze, which had been looking over your head, most likely at his Ma, slides down to you and he nods. "Alright then. Food will be done in about twenty more minutes. Beers are in the cooler. Help yourself." As you turn your back on the two men and lead them towards Elena who's patiently waiting, you roll your eyes at your family who can't help but stare. "Chill. One's Elena's son and the other is his friend."

The tension breaks and your family calls out a few welcomes before going back to what they previously were doing. Happy takes the chair you'd previously been sitting in and Juice takes the chair next to him. You ask them for their beer preferences before grabbing one for them when they realize they really are welcomed there, and then grab another for your dad who's excusing himself from Elena's side. You pass him his beer, then the other two to Happy and Juice, and then take a seat in your dad's vacated seat.

As Happy and Elena have a hushed conversation, Juice glances around the chaos happening around him. You sip your beer, relaxing in your chair as you watch your family as well.

Moments later, your sister approaches. "Hey YN, can you set up the tables and chairs for the kids?"

"Nope." You pop the 'p', grinning. "Not my crotch goblins, not my responsibility."

You hear a snort but don't bother looking for the source. Your sister grins, shaking her head at you. "You're a bitch."

"You say that as if you hadn't already known." You take a sip of your beer, pointing the mouth of the bottle in another direction. "The parents aren't doing anything. Have them do it."

"Fine. Can you at least start bringing out the plates and utensils, and start setting up the table?"

"Sure."

You head inside to grab paper plates and plastic utensils, taking them outside to the spare table that had been set up for this purpose. Your nephew and your brother start pulling the meat out of the pit, placing foil atop of it until they're ready for everyone to eat. You also bring out all the sides- rice, beans, potato salad and macaroni salad. And on one of the back and forth trips, your brother pulls you into another impromptu dance that leaves you laughing and punching his arm so you can get away.

After your nephew's cut up the pork ribs and the fajitas, he hollers for everyone to start eating.

You set your beer aside, smiling at Elena. "Querías pollo, ¿verdad?" (You wanted chicken, right?)

"Si."

"¿Arroz? ¿Frijoles? ¿Ensalada de papas?" (Rice? Beans? Potato salad?)

"Un poco de todo." (A little bit of all.)

"Okay." You then glance at Happy and Juice. "Well? You boys coming or am I serving you too?"

Juice smirks. "Well, if you're offering.."

Happy slaps him upside the head. "Shut Up, idiot. Come on."

You make Elena her plate, biting back a smile when you hear Juice exclaim his hunger at the sight of all the meat your nephew had cooked. She asks for a soda and a water, and you happily get that for her while grabbing two more beers for Happy and Juice as they take their seat at the table. Once they're settled, you go and make your own plate before taking your seat and eating.

The meal is loud and filled with laughter, and you're glad Elena got to experience this. Happy is too if the look he keeps gracing his mother with when she laughs is anything to go by.

You're not surprised at how easily Juice gets along with your family, laughing and joking with them as if he'd been doing it for years, but Happy is. He keeps a keen eye on everyone, shaking his head at his friend who feels a little too comfortable surrounded by new people.

Afterwards, the trash is gathered and then tossed as everyone sips on their drinks and lets their stomachs settle. As you get up to check on the kids who were lazily sitting in the inflatable pool, your brother catches you in a side hug before you can sit down again.

"What are you doing?" You ask, chuckling as he rocks you side to side.

"So, for those of you who don't know, I'm looking at you scary motorcycle dudes," your brother says, nodding at them and completely ignoring you, "this whole cookout was for our darling baby sister who finally got off her ass and moved out of dad's house." You roll your eyes, elbowing him, and he squeezes you tighter to his side. "We are so proud that you're living on your own for the first time ever and now our fingers are crossed that you can get dick on the regular."

"¡Hijo de puta!" (Motherfucker!) Your family and Juice all roar with laughter, Happy smirks and Elena is doing her best to look disappointed, but you can see the amusement in her expression. "Not in front of the guests, jerk!"

"I'm sorry. I had to," he says. "But for real, we're proud of you, kid."

"I haven't been a kid in a while, jerkface."

"Uh huh. Whatever. You're still the baby." He tucks you under his arm once again. "And now that we've had our serious moment, it's time for something a little more lighthearted."

"Oh no. What do you have planned now? I told you to behave in front of Elena. This is not you behaving."

Your brother slowly smirks and you have a terrible feeling about this. "At our get-togethers, there's always some sort of fight. Our last one was that food fight at Easter, but we can't exactly chuck bones at each other without taking an eye out."

You tense. "What are you-" His free hand comes up and quickly slams something atop your head and you gasp, eyes closing and shoulders hunching when you realize it's a water balloon. Only.. the liquid running down the side of your face isn't as thinned out as water. It's.. "Is this paint?" You grit out through clenched teeth.

Your brother shakes with suppressed laughter before he takes off and you're right on his heel. Your sister-in-law is by the gate, a bucket of paint filled water balloons waiting for you as if she expected this. "Get him," she says.

"Holy shit. She's gonna murder him," Juice mumbles as he watches the siblings disappear down the street.

"You get used to it." One of YN's sisters tells him. "I can guarantee you though that one, if not both, will come back injured."

Everyone's chuckling and glancing down the street where YN disappeared off to, and then Elena claps her hand as her laugh rings out a little louder. "I.. am so happy she moved in. I have a feeling I'm going to be entertained for years."

"That you will, señorita."

A handful of minutes later and you stumble back into your yard, hands empty as you bend over with your hands on your knees and panting heavily.

"Did you at least hit him?" You hear your dad ask.

"What.. do you think?" You pant, grimacing as a stitch in your side bothers you.

"Aim's still shit?"

"Aim's still shit," you gasp out. Everyone chuckles as you do your best to regulate your breathing. "Ow. Fuck," you grumble. "I'm too out of shape to be running down the street like that."

"Why is there a scrape on your knee?"

"Huh?" You glance up at your sister who'd asked the question and then glance down at your leg. "Oh, uh, I ran out of balloons and then a German Shepherd chased us. I scaled a tree and dumbass kept running."

"What did I tell you?" Your sister laughs. "Someone was gonna be injured."

Feet slapping against pavement has you standing tall and whirling around, and you laugh at your brother as he nearly collapses in front of you. "You left me, you asshole."

"Not my fault you can't climb trees anymore."

"I got nipped in the ass!"

"Better you than me."

Your brother lunges for you and the two of you end up rolling around in the grass. Eventually he finds a ticklish spot and you call uncle before you can pee yourself.

The kids start getting fussy and your siblings slowly take their leave, but not before helping you clean up. When you see Happy helping his mother up, you head on over towards them. When she sees you approaching, she beams at you.

"Thank you for coming, Elena. I'm so sorry it ended up getting crazy there in the end." You lean in, kissing her cheek.

"Thank you, mija. Esto fue lo más divertido que tuve en mucho tiempo." (This was the most fun I had in a while.)

You smile at her once more before glancing at Happy and Juice. "Sorry for roping you guys in. I hope you at least had a decent time."

Happy shrugs. "Free food and beer. It was fun. Thanks." His stoic expression makes you crack a grin, but it's Juice who has you full on smiling.

"Sweetheart, anytime you wanna invite me over, feel free to. Just have Hap's Ma give me a call."

"We'll see."

You walk the trio up to your gate, thanking them once more for putting up with your family. You watch until they're walking up the steps to Elena's porch and then turn around to finish cleaning up.

As it turned out, Elena absolutely adored your family. She loved how playful you and your siblings were, and how everyone- even you- were involved with the children. She loved how close you were, even if your other brother and his family decided not to show, and that your family took the time to have meals with each other every now and then.

You've become such a fixture at Elena's house, and probably even the subject of many phone calls with her son, that you're not surprised to find him pounding on your front door in a panic one night.

"Hey," you frown, "what's going on?"

"It's Ma," Happy says. "Something's wrong."

"Okay. Let me grab my bag."

Having just gotten out of the shower, you're in nothing but a tank top and sleep shorts. But in the few times you've met Happy, you've never seen him look so rattled, so you rush over to your hall closet and pull out the first aid bag you've put together for such emergencies.

Barefoot, you rush to meet Happy who has remained right outside your door. "What are her symptoms?" You ask while jogging towards Elena's house.

"She's, uh, she's clammy. Kind of confused," he tells you. "Says she feels tired and weak."

You run over her symptoms in your head and it sounds more than a little familiar to you. "Is your Ma a diabetic?"

"Not that I know of."

"Did she forget to eat today?"

"Don't know. I got in maybe twenty minutes ago." Happy pushes open the door to his Ma's house and you enter right behind him.

Elena's sitting on her sofa, a little paler than normal. You crouch in front of her, setting your bag down and opening it up. "Hey, Elena," you start talking to her. "It's YN." She hums, eyes closed. "Do you know who I am?"

Her eyes open and she smiles faintly. "Si. Mi hermosa vecina." (Yes. My beautiful neighbor.)

"That's right. Happy tells me you're not feeling well. He listed off some symptoms and it sounds familiar so I'm gonna go ahead and take your blood sugar right now." As you'd been talking, you'd been setting up a blood sugar meter. "Did you eat today?"

"I forgot to eat lunch."

"Ma.." Happy rumbles from somewhere above you and you bite back a smile.

"And dinner?"

"Solo sopa." (Only soup.)

You tut at her as you use an alcohol pad to clean off one of her fingers. "That's not good, 'Lena. You need to eat." She hums again. "I'm gonna prick your finger now. Just a little pinch."

You prick Elena's finger, apologizing when she hisses, and then gather the blood droplet onto the test strip. As the little machine figures out Elena's sugar level, you hold the alcohol pad to her finger to stop the bleeding.

When the machine beeps and her sugar level is displayed, you sigh and hold it up so Happy can see. "Sixty-seven?" He mumbles. "Is that good or bad?"

"It's on the verge of being bad," you tell him. "Does she have orange juice in her fridge?"

"I'll check." You quickly start gathering the trash and you hear him call out, "She has some."

"Good. Pour her a glass and then mix in a spoonful of sugar."

Happy doesn't respond so you get started on checking Elena's blood pressure. Happy returns before you're done and patiently waits to see what the verdict is of whatever you're doing.

"Blood pressure is fine. It's just her blood sugar." He grunts and then passes you the glass of orange juice. You push everything aside and then take a seat next to Elena on her sofa. "Okay, Elena, I'm going to need you to wake up a little more. I need you to drink this."

Elena doesn't argue and you help her take a drink of the orange juice since her hands are a bit shaky. She takes one drink and then grimaces. "Está demasiado dulce." (It's too sweet.)

"That's the whole point. We need your blood sugar to be higher." You push the glass back towards her mouth and she takes a smaller sip before pushing it away. You sigh. "Elena, you either drink this right now or Happy calls an ambulance to take you to the hospital. All they're going to do is do the same thing I'm doing, only they're gonna charge you hundreds of dollars instead of doing it for free."

"Ma, drink the damn juice."

You bite your bottom lip when she starts swearing at her son in Spanish and then prompt her to drink some more. It takes a few minutes, but she eventually drinks it all.

"Give it a few minutes and I'll check her sugar levels again. If her status doesn't improve, then I suggest a trip to the ER." Happy doesn't say anything and you take the empty glass to the kitchen. There are a couple of dishes in the sink and you take your time washing those. Then when that's done, you pour her another glass of orange juice with some sugar mixed in and head back out to check her blood sugar.

When you get the meter prepped again and warn her that you're going to prick her finger, you place the drop of blood on the test strip. A few seconds later and it's beeping with the results.

You let out a sigh of relief and show it to Happy. Ninety-three.

"She should start feeling a bit better soon." Happy nods, his shoulders relaxing. Then smiling at Elena, you place the glass in her hands. "'Lena, you need to drink one more glass. I'm gonna be right outside and when I come back in, I want this glass to be empty. Okay?"

"Si. Bueno." (Yes. Okay.)

As Elena takes the glass of juice and slowly sips it, you pack everything in your bag and set it aside before heading outside onto the porch. And once outside, you take a seat on the porch steps, hugging your knees to your chest and laying your forehead atop your knees.

You quietly groan, willing your heartbeat to slow and the churning of your stomach to go away. You knew Elena had health problems, but seeing her just as you had brought on a slew of memories of when your dad was in the same position Elena was in just now.

The screen door creaks open and you steel yourself for whatever Happy has to say. Something warm drops across your shoulders and you pick your head up, realizing it's a jacket hoodie. You hadn't realized you were trembling so you eagerly put your arms through the sleeves and wrap the jacket around you.

"How'd you know it was her sugar?"

"My dad's a diabetic," you tell him. "If he takes too much insulin, it drops his sugar and he- he gets like your Ma just was."

"That what made you get into the nursing gig?"

"Yeah. After watching one parent die, it made me paranoid about the other." You chuckle, turning so your back rests against the column of her porch. "And now I've become incredibly fond of your Ma, and seeing her like that brought back some memories. Scared me for a moment."

His lips twitch and you huff a laugh. "I'm glad she has you for a neighbor."

"Yeah. Me too."

A moment of silence falls and then his next words make your eyes fly open. "Juice is gonna be pissed I practically saw your tits before him."

"Jesus Christ, Happy!" He smirks. "Keep your voice down before your Ma hears. I mentioned one time that you and Juice were hot, and she was looking at a bridal magazine a week later."

Happy snorts. "Kid's been buggin' me if you've had another cook out. He's angling for an invite and a way into your panties."

You groan. "Please don't say panties. I hate that word."

Happy chuckles, but it's cut short when the screen door opens and Elena walks out. You quickly scramble up to your feet. "I'm okay. I'm okay," she assures you and Happy. "I'm just going to grab a shower and go to bed, but I wanted to thank you."

Elena grabs onto your hands, pulling you down so she can kiss both your cheeks. "It's no problem. Are you feeling better then?"

"Much."

"Good."

Elena kisses her son's cheeks and then she heads back inside her home. You follow her inside, grab your bag and then shed the jacket Happy hand lent you.

"Thanks," you tell him as you hand his jacket back.

"Don't mention it." Just as you make your way to the door again, he asks, "If this happens again, is there any way I can get a hold of you?"

"Yeah. Of course." He readily takes out his phone and you rattle off your number for him. He shoots you a quick text and tells you to reach out should something happen when he's not there. "See you around, Hap."

"See 'ya, nurse."

Chapter Text

You'd been living in Bakersfield for a little over six months now and you couldn't picture being anywhere else. Your neighbors, especially Elena, were all lovely and friendly. You got to see a hot biker or two every now and then, and even made friends with said bikers.

Happy had taken full advantage of you being friends with his mother and having your number and texted you every Sunday afternoon to see how she was doing.

It's Friday night, after you've had dinner with Elena, and you've just finished helping her clean up before you take your leave. And after one too many yawns, she swats at you with one of her dish towels.

"Ve a casa y duerme un poco. Has estado trabajando toda la semana." (Go home and get some sleep. You've been working all week.)

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going." You walk towards the door, hesitating before you push it open. "I have errands to do tomorrow, but Sunday I'm driving over to my dad's for dinner. Do you want to go with me?"

"No sé.." (I don't know.)

"Well sleep on it. If you want to get out of the house, you're more than welcome to tag along." You smile at her before pushing open the door, brow furrowing when you spot the vehicle sitting directly in front of her house. For some reason warning bells immediately go off and your heart drops into your stomach when you see the window roll down.

There's a glint in the moonlight and you quickly backpedal into Elena's home.

"Gun! Elena, get down!"

Gunshots ring out, aimed right where you were standing, and you fall backwards as Elena screams. You roll around on your back, kicking the wooden door closed as splintered wood falls on you. It seems like it goes on forever, as you crawl towards Elena who'd knocked over her coffee table and laid behind it, but really it's only a handful of seconds before you hear tires screeching and the sound of a car's engine driving away.

"Elena, ¿estás bien?" (Elena, are you okay?)

When she glances up at you, your heart aches for the woman with a tearstained face. She nods, but her gaze drops down from your face. "Mija, estás sangrando." (You're bleeding.)

When you glance down and see blood dripping down from your chest, the pain kicks in. You know panicking never helps a situation, but you can't help it. "Call 911. 'Lena, call 911!"

You see the dish towel Elena had moments ago, grabbing it and moving so you're laying on your back. You immediately press it to your wound, trying to regulate your breathing since you can actually feel it getting shallower and shallower.

As Elena makes her way to her phone that's hanging on the wall, you pull out your own from your pocket. Quickly bringing up Happy's contact, you send him two texts back to back before setting your phone aside and resting your eyes.

-X-

The Sons down in Charming are enjoying their Friday night to the best of their ability. Ever since Clay had been taken out, and Gemma not that long after him since her botched attempt on Tara's life, Jax got the club on a semi-decent path. They still dabbled in some pretty illegal stuff, but they were a lot more calculated about it to prevent any more brothers doing time.

A few of the patched brothers are drinking some beers, talking about random shit as some sweetbutts try to entice a few of them back to their dorms when Happy's phone beeps from inside his kutte. No one thinks anything of it, at least not until he pulls out his phone and then promptly shoves the sweetbutt who'd been walking her fingers up and down his thigh away from him.

"What's up, Hap?" Jax asks, having felt the change in atmosphere the moment Happy read whatever was on his phone.

"My Ma's neighbor texted." He pushes a button before pressing his phone to his ear.

Juice immediately looks up from his laptop. "You got her number before I did? Damn."

"It's not like that," he immediately says. The ringing phone goes to voicemail before he tries it again. "She sent two texts- three words. Shooting and Ma's house."

"Oh fuck."

Immediately, Chibs and Tig are shooing away the rest of the sweetbutts as they wait with bated breath for whoever Happy is calling to pick up. And just when he thinks it's gonna go to voicemail again, it clicks over.

"HAPPY?!"

"Ma? Ma, where's YN?"

He puts the phone and speaker so he doesn't have to explain this to his brothers as soon as it's over, mentally cringing as they all listen to his hysterical mother. He doesn't have a good feeling about this. "They shot her, mijo. They shot her and now her eyes won't open."

"Who shot her, Ma?" He stands- Juice, Jax, Opie, Chibs and Tig following suit and pulling on their kuttes.

"I don't know! They were waiting outside my house and.."

"And what?" No words are spoken as Elena cries. "And what, Ma?! What's going on?"

"Happy, there's so much blood."

"Fuck. I'm on my way."

-X-

Elena Lowman sits in the lobby of Memorial Hospital with YN's entire family, rosary gripped in one hand and her other hand holding tight to YN's father's. She hadn't had the number for YN's family, but the hospital had her emergency contact so they were the ones to make the call. Her father, siblings, sibling-in-laws, and nieces and nephews all showed up, and Elena felt horrible for the family who was scared to death to hear any type of news.

She told the family everything that had happened and felt like it was her fault, but YN's family assured her it wasn't. They made sure she was okay before the sisters dragged her to the bathroom, cleaning their sister's blood off of Elena's hands and arms. There was nothing to do for her clothes, but hopefully they wouldn't be there too long.

One moment the waiting room is eerily quiet with the occasional ping over the hospital's intercom, and the next several bikers are stomping their way through the halls. One of YN's brothers and his wife tense, but everyone else smiles weakly at the sight of Happy and Juice, and nods at the rest of the men who are obviously part of some motorcycle club.

"Ma?" Happy's jaw clenches when he sees the blood soaked into his mother's pants.

Elena glances at him, sniffling. "I'm fine, mijo."

Juice rubs a hand over his mohawk, exhaling roughly. "What happened? Have they said anything?"

No one says a word and Elena is quick to comfort YN's father when he hides his face in the palms of his hands and starts crying again.

YN's brother, the one Juice and Happy had seen at the cookout, gestures them over to the side so he doesn't have to rehash everything in front of his father again. Alone, he sighs. "She took a bullet to the chest."

"Fuck," Juice swears.

"She lost a lot of blood and the bullet clipped her lung. They took her back for surgery, but that was a while ago. We haven't heard anything since."

"Do the pigs have any leads?" Jax asks when he sees how tense his brothers are.

YN's brother shrugs. "Couple of co-workers mentioned that YN got into it with a couple of thugs. One of their crew got gunned down and died before he made it to the hospital. YN was on call that day and they blamed her."

"Juice, you still got my Ma's place hooked up with cameras?"

"Yeah."

"Find the fuckers who did this."

Juice nods and before they can stomp away, YN's brother grabs onto Happy. When Happy tenses, YN's brother is quick to let go. "If my baby sister dies, they die."

"They were dead the moment they decided to stalk your sister and park outside my Ma's house."

"Good."

The Sons raise a surprised eyebrow at the brother's easy agreement to killing those responsible for shooting his sister, but say nothing as they let Happy take the lead.

Your eyelids feel heavy when you're finally forced back into the land of the living and you begrudgingly do everything the doctor and nurse tell you to do in order for them to pull the tube from your throat. You feel completely exhausted even though you know you just woke up and everything hurts. They ask the usual questions of what you remember and what you don't, if you know what day it is, and then fill in the blanks for you when you fail to answer correctly.

They sit you up and let you have a sip of cold water for your sore throat, and then ask if you're up for any visitors. When you tell them visitors are fine, you're not surprised when your entire family tries to fit in there all at once before they're told only to go in a few at a time. They tell you that you'd been under for two days so they could make sure your lung properly healed, and that Happy and Elena were daily visitors. They also tell you that the men responsible for the shooting had been found, but they didn't live long. Apparently their car had been tampered with which resulted in quite a fiery explosion after they ran from the police.

Oh well. At least you didn't have to worry about them in the future.

It wasn't long before Elena and Happy showed up, and your family left to give you some time with them. And as soon as your family exited, Elena was by your bedside, sobbing and apologizing for something that was not her fault. You assured her of such and it took a moment for her to calm down, and when she did she asked how you were feeling.

Eventually Elena excuses herself to use the bathroom and then you're left with Happy. He pulls a chair up to the foot of your bed and relaxes into it. "Pigs found the little punks that took a shot at 'ya. They're dead."

"I know." The corner of your lips curl upward. "I'm glad."

"Really? Aren't nurses supposed to be all about helping others and shit? Wishing them well and all that bullshit."

You shrug, wincing when it pulls at the stitches in your chest. "I could probably forgive being shot, but your Ma was standing right behind me, Hap." You sigh and shake your head. "Now I know she's your blood, but I've come to see her like family. And I don't appreciate anyone putting my family in danger."

He slowly smiles as he nods. "Good."

You nod back and shift against your pillows. "So what have you been up to, Mr. Badass Biker? Any entertaining stories you can and are willing to share?" He merely continues to smile and then shrugs. "Oh come on. I just woke up this morning and I'm already bored out of my mind."

"You got my boy all twisted up, worried for your well being. Jumps for his phone every time it pings, only to realize he never gave you his number. It's hilarious."

"Poor Juice," you mumble.

Happy quietly chuckles before reaching inside his kutte, pulling out a familiar cell phone before tossing it onto your lap. "Ma gave it to me for safe keeping. Went ahead and added the idiot's number for you and a couple others in case you can't reach me."

"Thanks."

"Now please do me and my brothers a favor, and text the idiot. Put him out of his misery."

"I will, but not while your Ma's here. She'll never let me hear the end of it."

Happy smiles again. "Fair enough."

At Teller-Morrow Automotive, a few of the Sons are working on vehicles while a few others are loitering around the lot. Happy's on his lunch break, sitting at the picnic table outside and keeping an eye on Juice who's sitting in the clubhouse, typing away on his laptop while completely ignoring the sweetbutt trying to press up on him.

Two individuals take a seat across from Happy, and he glances over to nod at Jax and Opie.

"Man, what's up with Juice?" Jax wonders. "He still all twisted up over that nurse neighbor of your Ma's?"

Opie huffs. "She must be quite the lay in bed. I haven't seen him take a bitch to his dorm in a while."

Happy's lips twitch. "He's only ever met her once. I gave her his number, but since he's still moping I'm assuming she hasn't called or texted."

"She out of the hospital yet?" Happy nods and Jax smirks. "Call her. Tell her to put our boy out of his misery. I wanna see his reaction."

Happy shrugs and pulls out his phone, pressing on YN's contact before setting the phone on speaker and laying it on the table so he can continue to eat.

After the fourth ring, the line clicks over. "I was napping. This better be good."

"Thought I told you to put Juice out of his misery?"

"Well hello to you too, Happy." Jax and Opie snort. "And whoever else is apparently listening."

"Hey. It's Jax and Opie," Jax muses.

"Hey guys."

"Doin' alright, sweetheart?" Jax asks since Happy's gone back to eating again.

"Peachy. The hospital weaned me off the good stuff before they released me and my siblings' crotch goblins have formed an attachment issue. Today's the first day I'm on my own."

Happy grunts. "Call Juice, YN. We're watching him now and the poor bastard's moping. We wanna see his reaction."

"Fine. Give me a minute."

The phone beeps, signaling she's hung up and the three men immediately stare in Juice's direction. They wait, rather impatiently, and then chuckle when they see Juice jerk as he reaches for his phone that had been on the bar next to his laptop. He frowns at the phone, answers it, and then that goofy ass smile they're all used to makes an appearance.

"Jesus Christ," Jax murmurs. "He's done for."

"How'd you even rope this girl in?" Opie asks.

"We didn't," Happy says. "Apparently her and my Ma hit it off when she moved in."

"And the Tacoma Killer just accepted her like that?" Jax wonders.

Happy shrugs. "When Juice and I went to talk to my Ma about using her place as storage, YN whistled and told us my Ma was with her. She invited us over, told us to take a seat, handed us a beer and then let us eat at their table. That girl that Juice is so obviously infatuated with became important the moment I saw my Ma talking and laughing. I'd never seen my Ma like that."

"And you're okay with Juice chasing after her until he grows bored?" Opie asks.

"Juice has proven himself time and time again in this club," Happy starts, "but we all know he wasn't really cut out for this life. He's grown accustomed to it, but you guys didn't see him with YN and her family. YN's type of life is the life our brother has been craving. And now that Jax is at the head of the table and the club's changed drastically, I think Juice might actually be serious. He just doesn't know how to go after it."

A moment of silence passes and then..

"Well shit." Jax chuckles. "We got one brother looking to settle down and another brother having a full blown conversation." Happy scowls at his President and the other two men laugh. "We've got to meet this girl, man. 

Finally all healed up, you decide to drive down to Charming and buy lunch for your boys. You knew, without a doubt, that they had something to do with the thugs meeting their untimely demise, but you never questioned it. You just let it be. And over the last week, you'd been calling and trading texts with Juice, and since they were busy at the shop you figured you'd buy them lunch.

So here you are, driving into the lot of Teller-Morrow Automotive and parking. Happy knew you were coming, he being the one you were more intimidated by, so you made sure to clear it with him before you showed up out of the blue. And when he found out the purpose behind your visit, he texted you a handful of orders for burgers and fries.

Climbing out of your car, you grab the box of food from your backseat and then head towards a set of picnic tables where you spot a familiar bald head. On your way over there, however, you're intercepted by a blue-eyed blonde, hair pulled back into a small bun and automotive shirt left unbuttoned atop a plain white tee.

"Can I help 'ya, darlin'?" He asks, wiping his hands on an oil rag.

"Oh, um, not really. I'm here for Happy," you say while gesturing behind him.

The blonde raises an eyebrow at you before he glances over his shoulder, then glances back at you, and then comes to a realization. "Holy shit. You the nurse? Hap's Ma's neighbor?"

"Yeah?" You nervously chuckle. "You've heard stories or are you one of the ones who rode out when I had my little accident?"

"Rode out, darlin'. Jax Teller." He introduces himself with a very charming smile.

You introduce yourself with a smile and nod. "Then I guess one of these burgers are for you. Kind of bought everyone who rode to Bakersfield lunch, so.."

"Perfect fuckin' timing." He takes the box for you, gesturing for you to follow. "Come on. The other guys are workin', but me and Hap are on break. I even think your other boy is around here somewhere."

"My other-"

"Juice."

"Oh." You can't help the blush that stains your cheeks and you roll your eyes at Jax when he chuckles. "Shut up."

As you make it to the table, you nod at Happy who flashes you a brief grin.

"Hey Ope! Juice! Get your asses over here," Jax hollers.

Several other men stop and stare to see what the commotion is about, and you quickly take a seat to use Happy as a shield. "How 'ya doin', kid?" He asks while digging into the box Jax was already rummaging through.

"I'm good. Hardly any pain now," you say while moving around your right shoulder.

"And Ma?"

"She's good too." You smile as he finds his burger and takes a carton of fries for himself, readily digging in. "I still have one week off from work, so I'm gonna take her out for a drive come Tuesday. My nephew has a pee-wee football game coming up and she's been expressing interest in seeing the kids play sports."

He huffs. "Good. That's the closest thing she'll ever have to grandchildren." You snort and he glances at you. "Unless you pop out a few. She thinks of you as a daughter."

"Nuh uh. This is a crotch goblin free zone," you say while gesturing down to your lap. "Don't jinx me."

This time, Jax snorts, shaking his head at the two of you. "Jesus. You two are something else."

Before you can ask him what he means, another individual walks up to the table- over six feet tall, full beard, and a black beanie pulled down over his head despite the warm weather. "What's going on, brother?"

"YN, this is Opie. Opie, this is Juice's girl YN."

"What?" You squeak and Happy chuckles at your side.

"YN brought lunch to all of us who rode out when she was shot," Jax explains, completely ignoring you.

"Nice." Opie looks at you, smiling. "Thanks for lunch."

"Er- no problem."

Opie takes a seat next to Jax, digging into the box for his food.

"Hey Jax, the prospect said you were- YN?"

You glance around Happy at the sound of your name and smirk at a surprised Juice. "Hey."

"W-What are you doing here?"

"Feeding you guys. Have a seat if you're hungry."

It takes Juice a moment for his brain to catch up and then he's beaming before throwing himself into the empty space next to you. He slings an arm around your shoulder, kissing your temple. "Alright. Feed me."

Jax throws a wrapped burger at Juice and he easily catches it, laughing. Jax and Opie take turns asking questions- where you're from, what you do for a living, how you're healing and how it is that you can put up with Juice. Eventually their lunch break is over and it's time for the next batch to take their break, but before anyone can head off, you stop them.

"Hey, so.. my family's having another cookout to celebrate me no longer being an invalid- their words, not mine- on Saturday," you say. "You guys are more than welcome to come."

"Hell yeah," Juice exclaims. "That kid nephew of yours gonna cook again?"

"Yes. Elena requested chicken and potato salad, so we're doing chicken, pork ribs and fajitas again."

"I'm in," Happy immediately says.

"Me too." Juice's goofy smile practically makes you swoon.

Jax and Opie still haven't said anything. "There's, uh, there's gonna be a bouncy house for the crotch goblins if you guys have any. My family just likes to sit around and talk shit, catch up. There's music, beer, good food.."

"Hey, you guys think that bar-be-cue place down in Lodi is good?" Juice says. "They have nothing on YN's nephew. Kid knows how to cook. It's insane."

Jax slowly smiles. "If Tara doesn't have anything planned, I'm in."

"Yeah, me too," Opie says. "I think the wife might be busy, but I got two kids who don't get to hang around other kids much."

"Just have Juice or Happy text me when you're really sure you're going to show up," you tell them. "We're not going shopping until Friday, so I need to know how much food and beer and drinks for the kids to get."

"Alright, sweetheart, will do," Jax says.

The day of the cookout dawns bright and early, and you're excited for it.

Your entire family was going to be in attendance, along with Elena, Happy, Juice, Jax and his family, and Opie and his kids since his wife was in fact busy. You had to purchase two more tables and a handful more chairs, but it didn't bother you one bit. Even your dad and brothers chipped in, helping buy even more food when you explained you had more friends coming in.

Later in the afternoon, when your entire family has shown up, your nieces and nephews are running amok in the bouncy house that's been situated on the side of your house where you can still keep an eye on them from your position in the front yard. The pit and food table are on the opposite side of the yard so the kids don't have a chance of running into them, and your dad and Elena share a gliding bench situated next to the tables where everyone is sitting.

As the music plays, the kids screech, and the pit smokes, the sound of motorcycles fill the air. You perk up and Elena smiles knowingly at you, and you playfully roll your eyes at her before chuckling at your own reaction. Four motorcycles park in front of Elena's house while a large SUV parks in her driveway. The four bikers dismount and wait near the SUV, and you smile as Jax greets his wife before helping Opie with the kids. Then when they all make their way towards your front gate, you get up to greet them.

Happy is the first one through and you grin at him. "You know the drill. Beer's in the biggest cooler."

"Yeah, yeah." You and him bump elbows in greeting as he passes.

Juice is next, but he has no issue pulling you into a hug. Laughing, you pinch his side when his hug lingers, but he merely releases you just enough so he can stand next to you, hip to hip, while looking at those you've yet to greet.

Still tucked under Juice's arm, you smile at Opie and Jax as they smirk knowingly at the two of you. You shake your head at them. "Hey guys. I'm glad you could make it."

"Us too, YN." Jax then glances at his side, smiling at the beautiful brunette at his side. "YN, this is my wife Tara. Tara, this is YN."

"Hi," Tara tells you, a toddler hitched on her hip. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you."

"Lies. All lies," you blurt and she laughs.

Jax and Opie then introduce you to the kids, and you introduce their kids to your nieces and nephews. The kids of your family were a little nuts and you made sure to make it clear to them they were to tone down their energy levels so the new kids felt welcomed. Then once it seems that Opie's kids and Jax's oldest have become comfortable and rush to take off their shoes for the bouncy house, the adults get comfortable.

You lead them over to the coolers first, letting them grab a drink if they want before everyone takes a seat.

"You really weren't kidding when you said a kid cooked," Jax muses. "How old is he?"

You glance in the direction of your nephew standing at the pit, grinning. "Eighteen. He graduates later this year."

"Nice."

"YN! I need a hand."

You sigh and take a gulp of your beer. "Sorry, boys. Duty calls."

Juice watches as YN rushes off to speak with her nephew working the pit, sipping his beer and then laughing at something her sisters say. He gets pulled into a conversation with her siblings, so he's not paying attention to his brothers or Tara who don't bother smothering their awe at how more open and happier he seems in the family setting.

The music changes and a shriek pulls everyone's attention towards the source. YN's brother has caught her up in an impromptu dance, the two of them laughing before it's broken up by one of the kids pushing their way between them. YN then picks up the kid, hitching them on her hip as she twirls them along to the music.

Juice's eyes sparkle and Elena nudges her son. "Mijo, when is Juice going to say something? YN needs a man like him."

Happy snorts. "Juice is workin' on it, Ma."

Breathless, you fall back into your chair and pick your beer right back up.

"Hey YN," Tara calls out. "Is there a place I can change Thomas here?" She asks, bouncing her son in her lap.

"Yeah. Follow me." You stand right back up, leading Tara into your house and into your bedroom. "Just use the bed. All the kids have been changed on the bed."

"Thanks."

As Tara changes her son, you take the time to use the bathroom. By the time you're walking out, she's closing up his diaper and pulling up his little shorts. "Do you mind watching him real quick while I use the bathroom?"

"Not at all." You walk over to your bed, sitting near Thomas' feet. "So long as I can give the kid back at the end of the day, I adore babies," you say. Tara laughs on her way to the bathroom and you tickle Thomas' tummy and thighs until you pull a toothy grin from him. "Look at those cheeks," you coo. "So freakin' adorable. You're gonna be a heartbreaker, aren't 'ya? Your mother and father are hot."

You can hear Tara's laughter from the bathroom, pulling faces at Thomas to make him giggle. You hear your floorboards creak and look up, a grin forming when you see it's only Juice.

"You really have a soft spot for kids, huh?" He asks, leaning against the door jamb.

"Only if they're not mine." You glance back down at Thomas and lean down, fake biting his tummy while making a noise as if you'd taken a bite. He giggles some more and you laugh, pleased with yourself.

Juice continues to watch you playing with his brother's kid. "So, after all this is done, do you have plans?"

"Nope. Why? What'd you have in mind?"

When you glance up at him, his smile nearly has you blushing. It was so not fair for him to be that good looking. "Thought I'd take you for that ride we were talkin' about." You can't help it. You blush this time. "At least one of them."

His smile widens as your blush burns. "Jesus Christ. Not in front of the baby."

Juice laughs as you try to will your blush away. While the two of you had been texting, more often than not it led into a flirtatious territory that had Juice promising things that left your insides clenching in anticipation. And it seems he wasn't as shy as you and you just knew he'd continue teasing you in the future.

"Okay," Tara muses. "And that's my cue to take my baby and go."

The three of you chuckle and you bite the corner of your bottom lip when she winks at you. Then left alone with Juice, you stand up and nervously fidget under his stare.

"Nervous?"

"Maybe."

Juice pushes off the door jamb and you gulp. "You shouldn't be."

"It's the anticipation. It always-"

But your words are cut off as Juice swoops in, lips slanting over yours. His hands plant themselves on your hips as yours twist into the front of his shirt, and you groan when you feel his tongue sweep across your bottom lip. As the kiss deepens, his hands slide back over your ass before he reaches down to grab the back of your thighs and hoist you up.

Your legs wrap around his waist and he turns so your back is against the wall. You groan, pulling your mouth free so you can catch your breath and then swallow down a curse when his teeth sink into the side of your neck. You let him explore, licking and biting, until you grab his face between your hands and bring his mouth back to yours.

When the kiss slows, Juice pulls back just enough to brush his nose against yours. He says something, but you're still in a bit of a daze from making out with him.

"Hmm?" You hum.

"I said I'm really sorry."

"For?"

"For this." One of his hands leaves the back of your thigh and your brow furrows as he reaches behind him. His smile has you distracted so you don't see anything in his hand until he's popping something over your head.

You grimace at the feeling of a thick liquid dripping down your forehead and the sides of your face, and glance down when it lands on your chest. It's paint. "In the house, Juan Carlos? Really?!"

He's shaking with suppressed laughter as he wipes the paint from your forehead so it doesn't fall into your eyes and then presses a brief kiss to your lips. "Your brothers dared me."

You drop your legs from around his waist and narrow your eyes at him. "You better run."

Juice makes a break for it and you rush to your closet, pulling out your newly purchased paintball gun. You bought it in case your brothers did something stupid and were more than prepared to shoot them, but since Juice did the dirty work he was just as guilty.

Marching through your house and out the front door, everyone glances at you.

"Oh fuck. You did it in the house!" One of your brothers exclaims. "You're dead, man."

"From what I hear, all three of you assholes are guilty." Immediately you take aim at your brother, shooting his thigh. He yelps, your other brother laughs and then you manage to clip his bicep as well.

Everyone's laughing, with the exception of Juice who's staring at you with wide eyes. Glaring at him, you slowly toe off your shoes.

"Aw shit. Bro, you better run! She runs faster without her shoes on."

Your glare suddenly softens and Juice seems to relax, even going as far as chuckling when you blow him a kiss. "Run."

"Shit."

You tear after Juice, aiming as best as you can and pulling the trigger as he runs from you down the street and around the corner.

Opie shakes his head as his brother disappears. "Is it always like this at these cookouts?"

Happy smirks as he takes a sip of his beer. "Last time YN and her brother got chased by a neighborhood dog. She scaled a tree and cut up her legs, and her brother got bit on the ass."

"Am I the only one who noticed that Juice hoovered our baby sister's neck?" One sister asks.

Everyone laughs and Tara sheepishly says, "I didn't want to say anything, but before I came back out the tension in that bedroom was thick. I got Thomas and got out quickly. I'm not surprised he left her with a souvenir."

Another sister muses, "Enough about Juice defiling our sister, who wants to bet one or both come back injured?"

Tara, Jax and Opie can only watch in amusement as Happy, his Ma and YN's family start pulling out bills. Some say both will come back injured, some say they'll be chased by the dog, one says they'll come back covered in more hickies and one says only YN will be injured.

For a moment, everyone forgets about YN and Juice as they get dragged back into a conversation and check on the kids to make sure they haven't beat each other up.

After chasing Juice and running out of ammunition, you limp back to your house. Everyone quiets as they realize it's you, smirks blossoming all around.

"Did you get 'im?" Your dad asks.

"Aim's still shit, but he will have a nice tramp stamp for the next few days."

Your dad chuckles. "Good girl."

"What happened?" Tara asks, gesturing to your ankle.

Blushing, you limp towards one of the chairs and fall into it. "I, uh, I might have sprained it?"

"How?"

"By laughing so hard that I didn't see the small drop from the curb to the street?" You wince in embarrassment.

"Where's Juice?" Jax asks.

You shrug. "I dunno. He got chased by Muffin which is why I was laughing so hard."

"Who the hell is Muffin?"

"The neighborhood German Shepherd." You smile. "He hates strangers, so I've been feeding him treats so he knows me. He wasn't a fan of Juice."

Tara gets up, handing her son off to Jax while she asks if you have any ziploc bags. You tell her you do and where they're at in your kitchen, and you smile when she walks back out with a makeshift ice pack. "Here. Ice your ankle," she tells you.

"Thank you."

You pull another chair in front of you to prop your foot up, setting the ice pack on your ankle.

One of your brothers soon spots Juice jogging down the street. He's sweaty and looks like there's a bit of dirt and grass on the knees of his jeans. And when he makes it into your yard, he points a finger accusingly at you. "You sicced the dog on me!"

"You popped a paint balloon in my house!"

Everyone glances between the two of you, exploding with laughter a moment later. You and Juice finally crack a grin at each other and he makes his way towards you. When he sees your ankle, his eyes subtly widen. "What happened?"

"Karma," you tell him. "I was too busy laughing at you that I stepped wrong off the curb."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." But Juice doesn't care. All he knows is that you're hurt and he's partially to blame. You try to push him away, but he's not having it as he lifts your foot, sits in the chair, and then places your foot on his lap. "You're annoying."

He looks up at you, slowly smirking. "You weren't saying that when I had you against the wall."

"We figured the two of you weren't saying much given that hickey you left on the side of her neck."

You and Juice both freeze at the sound of Happy's voice- at the fact that every adult had fallen silent and heard his words too. You groan in embarrassment when you hear everyone start to laugh once more, but Juice is rather proud of himself when he realizes none of your family is against whatever this is between the two of you.

For the next half hour, the two of you endure teasing from your family and Juice's friends- all the while Elena watches on in perfect contentment.

When the food is done and all the sides have been brought out- Happy and Juice won't let you get up. Happy serves his Ma and Juice serves you, and then everyone's settling down after making sure the kids have food and drink.

Jax bites into a pork rib and you can hear his groan from a few chairs away. "Holy shit, kid."

"Told you." Juice smirks proudly.

Opie devours one pork rib within seconds and you shake your head at him. "Breathe, Opie. There's plenty of ribs to go around."

Tara, Jax and Opie try everything they can, congratulating your nephew on being such a badass cook once they're full and relaxing once more.

You're not surprised that when you get up to go inside your house, Juice follows you. You flip off your siblings when they wolf-whistle, but laugh nonetheless. And then once in your room, you drop on your bed with Juice by your side.

"Are you still up for that ride later?"

"Hell yes," you muse. "You promised a ride, I want a ride."

He chuckles. "Mind if I stay over tonight?"

"Nope." Your lips twitch. "But as much as everyone outside is rooting for us to seal the deal, I'm not having sex with you. At least not yet."

"That's fine by me, sweetheart." He leans in, chastely kissing your lips. "You're gonna be tired after we go for that ride anyway."

"Mmm. We'll see." You kiss him in return, chuckling as he chases your lips. "Now let me go to the bathroom so we can get out of here. They're gonna be suspicious when we head back outside."

"Mhm." He kisses you again, not being able to get enough, and you laugh as you shove him back.

"And while I'm in the bathroom, you get to clean up the paint from my floor." Juice pouts, but you peck his lips one last time. "Happy cleaning, Juan Carlos."