Fate Misunderstood

He couldn't wait to get back home.

Juliette had walked over to him as he sat at the bar on his laptop doing some intel for the Club and she'd carefully glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching before she slid her hand up his thigh, leaning down a bit so that her lips were mere centimeters from his ear and he could feel her warm breath fanning out over the side of his face. She only whispered, "I'll be waiting," before removing her hand and giving him a small smirk as she walked away just as Chibs approached.

It was over two hours after that before he actually got to leave the clubhouse and he was beyond ready to be back with her, just the two of them. Seeing her around the clubhouse all day in her tiny blue jean shorts and the tank top with open sides had done a number on his mental state; ever since the first time they slept together, he found it difficult to think about anything but her.

He drove carelessly through town, not even bothering to put on his helmet or obey the speed limit signs. Her car was there when he pulled into the driveway of his house and he jumped off his bike in a hurry, practically running for the front door. When he shoved it open roughly and stepped inside, he was met with nothing but silence. The living room was empty, no trace of her anywhere, but when he walked down the hallway to his bedroom, he found her lying on her stomach in the center of his bed, fast asleep with her arms folded over her head. He smiled to himself as he sat down on the edge of the mattress, gently rubbing his palm over the small of her back.

Juliette stirred then, her arms moving down under her upper body to prop up on her elbows as she turned her head to look over her shoulder at him with sleepy eyes. "You just gettin' home? What time is it?"

"Almost 8. You're not too tired, are you?"

"Are you kidding me? I've been waiting all day. After your little performance this morning, I almost just dragged you into the clubhouse bathroom."

He laughed, running his hand up the back of her leg. "Let me ask you something then."

"Yeah?"

"Why in the fuck are you still wearing these?"

She grinned when she felt his fingertips slide just under the frayed edges of her blue jean shorts. "That's a good question. We should fix that." She rolled over onto her side to unbutton them before moving back onto her stomach and he quickly tugged them down her legs, dropping them to the floor. He kicked off his boots before he stood up on his knees and maneuvered himself between hers, nudging them further apart. His hands ghosted from her ankles all the way up her legs and when he reached the bottom hem of her tee shirt at her waist, he pushed it all the way up until she raised up just enough to pull it off over her head. He leaned over her, his chest pressed flush against her back as he planted kisses across her shoulders and the back of her neck, and his hand slipped into the space between her body and the mattress, pressing his fingers into her core and rubbing slow circles.

She inhaled sharply and bit down hard on her bottom lip as her eyes fluttered shut and he continued his movements, agonizingly slow at first but gradually adding more speed and pressure. He smiled in satisfaction when she began to squirm beneath him, already feeling the fire building in the pit of her stomach. He planted a kiss to the center of her back in the dip between her shoulder blades before he pushed himself up and sat back on his knees, pressing his palms to the backs of her thighs and pushing them up until her lower half was raised off the mattress.

She let out a gasp of surprise when his tongue flicked against her center and her hands clutched the black sheets under her as he slowly slipped a long finger inside her. He worked it in and out at an almost immediate rapid pace, making her moan, and his other hand went up to rub her clit simultaneously. It was almost too much pleasure at one time; her hips bucked involuntarily and he stopped to grab her ass with both hands, leaning back down to pleasure her using only his mouth. To say he was talented in that department was an understatement.

"What the fuck," she groaned when he suddenly pulled away completely. She was extremely close to release and she didn't appreciate that he had stopped right before she got there. She looked over her shoulder to give him a glare but he was too busy pulling his tee shirt over his head and removing his jeans to see it. He placed his palm against the small of her back and pushed her back down flat against the mattress before carefully guiding himself into her. It obviously didn't matter how many times they had done it before, she probably wouldn't ever get used to his size completely. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as he moved in and out very slowly a few times to allow her body to adjust to him. He leaned forward to grab ahold of her just above her hips at the base of her back, and he quickened his pace, pulling almost all the way out before he slammed himself back in.

A string of curses and gasps left her mouth as his hips moved quickly against hers, hitting the spot deep inside her and the climax she'd been so close to before was returning with a vengeance. She moved to slip her hand under her body to rub herself but he caught her arm, pinning it to the mattress at her side. "Let me," he said lowly, giving a few more hard thrusts before he pulled out and rolled onto his back, pulling her with him.

She threw her left leg over his right to straddle his hips and she reached down to grab him and guide him back in, her eyes closing and a quiet moan falling from her lips as she sank down onto him. She rested one hand against his strong chest and wrapped the other around the back of his neck as she began to move above him and he slid one hand up to firmly hold her hip while the other went to her clit, rubbing in circles. She inhaled sharply and moved faster, grinding herself against his fingers. "Holy fuck," she hissed. "I'm gonna cum."

"Don't," he commanded, immediately removing his hand and letting it slide down to rest on her thigh instead. "Not yet. Jules, look at me." Juliette opened her eyes to meet his, dark and clouded over with lust, and she bit down hard on her lip. "Wait for me."

"Mmmmkay," she moaned, giving a barely noticeable nod. "Fuck."

Her eyes snapped shut as she tried to concentrate on not reaching her release just yet and she reached behind her to massage his balls as she continued to move. He let out a groan as his hands went up to touch any part of her he could reach. His fingertips ghosted over her sides and up her stomach to the only piece of clothing she was still wearing. He tugged the black strapless bra down until the fabric pooled at her waist, giving him access to her breasts. He brushed the pads of his thumbs over her nipples before grabbing her by the neck and pulling her down over him so that he could put them in his mouth.

She was having a hard time doing what he asked when his hot mouth felt so amazing as he licked over the sensitive skin before lightly sucking on it. She slid one hand under his chin and pushed his head up to look at her so that she could crash her lips onto his. One of his hands slid over her hip to the small of her back while the other reached up to cup her face. She broke the kiss to leave a trail of kisses down the side of his neck and across his chest and she felt his hands grip her thighs when she started to bounce up and down faster on top of him.

He watched her hands as she ran her fingertips down his chest to his stomach, tracing the outlines of each muscle and she felt them become tense as he cursed loudly, dropping his head back against the pillow. "Okay," he said breathlessly. "You can let go now." He reached his hand between them to rub her clit again, but much faster this time, and she continued to rock her hips against his, keeping her eyes locked with his as the fire in the pit of her stomach built up even more. "Come on, baby, let go. Cum for me," he encouraged.

She couldn't help the moan that left her lips as the fire inside her finally exploded, flooding her entire body with waves of intense pleasure. Her hips bucked against his over and over as her lower body tensed so tightly that she could feel her muscles pulsing around him as he reached his own release, his fingertips digging painfully into her hips as he spilled himself inside her.

Juliette rolled off of him, letting her head drop onto the pillow next to him as she let out a contented sigh. Her chest was still heaving as she tried desperately to catch her breath and her limbs suddenly felt like they weighed a hundred pounds as she moved to rest her arm over her stomach. Juice turned onto his side to face her, sliding one large hand over her hip and pulling her closer into his side even though their skin was still hot and sticky. She rested her head on his outstretched arm and closed her heavy eyes, feeling his fingers trace the outline of the ink on her ribs just under her left breast. It wasn't much, just a few simple letters and numbers.

SR 2005

"I got it for Silas," she mumbled. "Few months after I moved to Seattle."

He gave her hip a comforting squeeze before placing a gentle kiss to the pink scar on her shoulder that she'd received from the same people who'd taken Silas from her. She turned her head to look at the scar then his knowing stare before she looked back at the ceiling. "Still hurt sometimes?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah. Yours?" She reached up to run her fingertips over the faint scar that resulted from the gunshot wound he'd received from the very same man who'd shot her.

"Mm, sometimes. But mine wasn't as big of a deal as yours. Chibs surgery was enough for me. You had to go to the hospital."

"GSW wasn't my only wound," she muttered. He brought a hand up to her face, gently brushing the back of his finger over the smaller, lighter scar on her cheek. She was obviously self conscious about the mark, even though it wasn't even noticeable unless you were looking for it. She reached up to grab his hand and pull it away from her face, lacing her fingers with his and resting it on her stomach instead.

"What about these?" he asked, letting go of her hand to press his finger into the design on her left hipbone and then the ink on her upper right thigh. "Any stories on them?" He'd been curious about what had made her decide to get the tattoos ever since he saw her naked for the first time a few days before, but he hadn't had a chance to ask until now.

"Nope, no stories. Just liked the designs."

"When'd you get 'em?"

"This one was a college graduation present to myself," she said, running her fingers over the colorless flowers on her hip. She pulled her right leg up, bending it at the knee to plant her foot flat against the mattress so that she could see the black and white sugar skull on her thigh. "This one I got about six months ago."

"You know, I thought you were incredibly hot before I even saw the tattoos, but they're a damn good look for you."

"You think so?"

"Definitely," he chuckled.

"Well thanks," she grinned. "They're a damn good look for you too." Juliette sat up to pull the dark comforter up over their bodies before she settled back into his side and she kissed his cheek before nuzzling her face in his neck and sighing contentedly as she let her heavy eyes close.

"You know, this is our last night together before I'm in Belfast for a week."

"Don't remind me," she mumbled. "Just hold me."

"I can do that," he said softly, smiling to himself as he wrapped both arms around her body and hugged her tightly to his side, kissing the top of her head. "Night, Jules."

Wake-up calls were apparently going to be the norm with Juice and Juliette. The prepaid phone in the pocket of Juice's jeans on the floor was ringing shrilly and as badly as she didn't want to move, she knew it had to be answered. Juice begrudgingly let go of her so that she could roll over to reach over the side of the bed to grab it and she handed it to him while he scowled at having to answer it. She laid back down against him while he talked to whoever was on the other line, leaving a trail of kisses down one side of his chest and back up the other side to his neck.

When he finally hung up, he rolled over on top of her, grabbing both her wrists and pinning them to the mattress while she just smirked at him. "Good morning."

"That was your stepfather, you know. You coulda got us in big trouble."

She shrugged nonchalantly and he just rolled his eyes before leaning down to connect their lips for a brief few moments. When he pulled away, he got up completely, walking over to his dresser to pull out some clean clothes while she slid up into a sitting position, throwing her legs over the side of the bed as she reached for the shirt she'd been wearing the day before, yanking it over her head. "Where you goin'?" he asked as she stood up to pull her underwear and shorts back up her legs.

She buttoned her shorts before leaning down to pull her boots on. "I'm gonna go home and shower then stop by the hospital to see Mom."

"Right well, I'll see you later then. To say goodbye before we leave."

"Yeah," she nodded, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "See you later."

She left his house to go back home while he went into his bathroom to take a shower. Once she returned to her house and had a shower, she changed into a pair of jeans and a simple tank top. She did her best makeup work to cover the dark purple marks littering the exposed skin of her neck and chest and she left her long dark hair down to provide further coverage.

Traffic was unusually busy in Charming for the time of morning it was, but eventually she made it to St. Thomas, going straight up to the floor her mother's maximum security room was on. There was still a federal officer posted outside the door, but the man didn't try to pat her down for weapons this time. He stepped aside to let her through and Gemma looked up from where she was sitting on the edge of her bed at the sound of Juliette's boots on the tile floors. "Hey Mom. How're ya feeling?"

The older woman scrutinized her for a long moment before giving her a mischievous smirk. "You've been having sex," she said bluntly.

"W-what?"

"Oh, don't play innocent with me. Who is it? Someone in the Club I'd assume?"

"Mom, let's not do this now," Juliette sighed.

"It's Juice, isn't it? Christ, that kid's had the hots for you since before you were even legal."

She opened her mouth to protest, but Gemma's intense stare prevented her from actually forming any words of denial. Finally, she just shook her head and sank down into the chair right across from her mother, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. "You're not gonna tell Clay, are you?"

"It's none of my business."

"Since when has that ever mattered?"

Gemma smirked, knowing her daughter was right. "I won't tell Clay. But maybe if you don't want everybody finding out, you should tell that idiot not to make such obvious marks." She leaned forward and reached out to brush a strand of Juliette's hair off her shoulder, revealing the dark purple bruises, just about quarter sized on the side of her neck and one just peeking out from the green fabric of her shirt.

"Yeah," she agreed, letting out a heavy sigh. "Um, what about you? Do you know what's going on yet?"

"I'm supposed to be transported to County today. That's about all I know."

Juliette nodded her head, awkwardly clearing her throat as she leaned back in the stiff burgundy chair. Only a beat or two of silence passed before the door to Gemma's room opened and Juliette noticed her brother's blond head peeking through the small window in the door. He stepped inside the room, stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets as he walked further into the room and sat down on the bed next to his mother. "We talked to Oswald," he said lowly. "We're all set. We leave this afternoon. We're gonna find Abel."

Juliette knew it was a huge thing for Gemma to cry so when her mother started to tear up, she got up from the chair and sat down on her other side, rubbing her back soothingly. "I'm gonna miss so much of his life. Oh God, I don't wanna go to jail."

Jax gave his sister a look she couldn't decipher before he grabbed Gemma's hands in his. "Listen to me, Mom. I'm gonna protect you. You're not going to jail."

"I don't know what you're doing with Stahl, but I do know what happens to you if the Club finds out."

Juliette's eyes widened as she glanced between her mother and her brother. This was the first she was hearing about Jax doing something covert behind the Club's back, and if it involved the fed bitch, then it couldn't be good. He had to be making some kind of deal. The thought made her stomach turn and she raked a hand through her hair nervously, dropping her gaze to the stiff, scratchy sheets of the hospital bed she was sitting on. "I got it covered," Jax reaffirmed. "You don't have to worry about me."

"I always worry about you."

All three of their heads turned when the door opened again and this time it was Clay who was walking into the room. He shut the door behind him and crossed the room to stand beside Gemma, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she cried a little more. Juliette glanced over at her brother and he gave her a somewhat apologetic look, probably because he'd left her out of the loop, not telling her anything about what was going to be happening. "Do you need me to do anything?" Gemma asked, looking at him.

"Yeah actually. We need to let Maureen Ashby know we're coming. I think she's our best shot at finding Abel."

"You want me to reach out?"

"Yeah, maybe you can push her for more information. You know, mom to mom."

"Okay," she agreed after a nervous glance to her husband. "I got the number."

Clay dug his prepaid phone from his pocket and handed it to her, kissing the top of her head. "Ride to County happens at 4. We'll come back to say goodbye."

Once Jax had given her a tight hug and Juliette a kiss on the forehead, he got up from the bed and followed Clay out of the room, leaving the mother and daughter alone again. Juliette could tell just by looking at her that she was close to breaking down as she took a few breaths to try and calm herself. "Well, I guess I should get out of your hair now. Let you make that call." Gemma nodded, looking down at the phone in her hand as Juliette got up from the bed. "You know you're gonna be fine, Mom. If Jax says he's gonna protect you, then he will. Whatever he has up his sleeve-.......Everything's gonna work out." She leaned down to wrap her mother in a hug and she was almost surprised when she felt Gemma kiss her cheek and mutter "I love you, baby" in her ear.

"Love you too, Mom." She let go of her, giving her hand one final squeeze before she walked out of the room, leaving her mother to make that phone call. Once she left the hospital, she wasn't sure where she should go. Everyone was getting prepared to leave for Belfast and the ones who weren't going to Belfast were doing all the routine Club shit that had to be done on top of everything.

Eventually she ended up back at Juice's house. His motorcycle was in the driveway so she got out of the car and went inside where she found him in his back bedroom, digging through the chest of drawers for some clothes which he then tossed onto the bed carelessly. She walked further into the room, picking up one of the tee shirts from the bed and folding it neatly before putting it into the black backpack that was set out.

He paused to glance over his shoulder at her and he immediately noticed the deep frown on her face. He shut the drawer and walked over to her, tugging the next shirt from her hands and tossing it back onto the bed before grabbing her by the shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, it's just-.....Everybody's gearing up to leave and I guess it's just now hitting me that this is actually really dangerous. You're all leaving the country before the hearing, which is enough to get you in deep shit by itself. But going to Belfast is a whole other level. There's so much shit going on over there and this O'Phelan guy has just been stringing Jax along with all the fake intel on Abel. I feel like there's a really good chance you guys are walking into a trap and now I'm starting to panic a little bit. I'm totally freaking myself out."

He chuckled at how rapidly the words fell from her lips before he pulled her into him and wrapped both arms around her tightly. "Jules, it's okay. We're gonna be fine over there. We'll have SAMBEL to back us up just in case but we're not going to stir shit up. This is just to find Abel."

"I know," she mumbled into his chest. "But you'll be so far away and if something were to happen to all of you-......"

"Nothing's gonna happen to us, babe. We're gonna be alright. And when we get back, you're gonna finally get to meet your nephew."

"Yeah," she sighed, her fingers grasping the fabric of his black tee shirt as she nodded weakly. "Thank you."

He kissed her temple before he let her go and turned back to his bag, where he began stuffing the unfolded clothes inside it hastily. She shook her head and snatched the pair of jeans he was holding, folding them properly before she handed them back. She picked up every item and folded it before she let him put it into his bag and once he was completely packed, he zipped up the bag and threw it over his shoulder. "You comin' to the garage to say goodbye to everyone?"

She only nodded, but when he turned to head out of the bedroom, she grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "I, um....We have to do it here."

"Oh. Right." He chuckled as he dropped his bag at his feet and moved closer, grabbing her by her hips and pulling her flush against his body. "Clay probably wouldn't be too happy if I kissed you in front of him."

"Honestly, you should probably be more worried about Jax. Oh, and that reminds me, Mom knows I'm fucking you."

"She's in the hospital. How could she possibly know that?"

"She said to tell you to stop leaving such obvious marks." Juliette grinned, craning her neck to show off the dark purple mark on the side of her throat, and he bent down to press his lips to the discolored skin.

"Well, you're lucky she didn't see me then. Cause you leave some pretty obvious marks yourself." Juice raised his tee shirt to show off the multiple purple marks that littered his skin from his belt to the top of his chest at the base of his throat.

"Uhh, sorry?"

He dropped his shirt and smirked as he wrapped one arm around her back and grabbed the back of her neck with his other hand. "Yeah you sound real sorry." Without giving her a chance to respond, his lips crashed down onto hers and she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. From there, his hands slipped down to her hips before running back up her sides to cup her breasts. She sighed into his mouth as she gently dragged her nails down the back of his neck before pulling away and giving him a simple peck on the cheek.

"Promise me you'll be careful."

Juice smiled, taking her face in both hands. "I promise. Now promise me you won't get into any trouble while we're gone."

She scoffed, smacking his hands away. "You know I can't do that."

"Then promise you'll at least try."

Juliette picked up his bag from the floor and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together. "That, I can promise." They left the house, Juliette taking his bag and climbing into her car while he hopped onto his bike and they both drove to the clubhouse, where the rest of the guys were gathering to load up. They were all still inside doing some final things when the two arrived on the lot. Juliette quickly shoved Juice's bag into the open door of the Club's black van while he went inside to see if he needed to do anything last minute. Juliette sat down on the back bumper to wait for everyone to come out but it was only a few minutes before they did. She saw Clay hand off her mother's pet bird to one of the prospects; apparently he was in charge of taking care of the feathered demon while everyone was away. Clay knew better than to even think about suggesting that Juliette take care of it. She hated that bird with every fiber of her being and she was honestly surprised the beast was even still alive after all this time.

Juliette moved off to the side so that the guys could throw their things into the back. Jax, Tig, and Clay told the others that they were going to go and say goodbye to Gemma before meeting everyone else at Oswald's plane. She hugged each of them, telling them to be careful and that she loved them before moving on to Bobby and Opie. Opie disappeared when a very pretty blonde pulled into the lot and Bobby went back into the Clubhouse to get some more stuff, leaving her alone with Juice.

"Hey, uh...." He moved away from the back of the van over to where she was standing a few feet away, shoving his hands into the pocket of his cut. "You can stay at the house while I'm gone. If you want."

Juliette smiled but shook her head. "Wouldn't be the same without you. Honestly, with everyone being gone, I'll probably just end up sticking around here 24/7."

"Well, just in case." Juice reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver key, holding it out to her and she just stared at it in his large hand for a moment before sliding it out of his palm.

She glanced up to see that Chibs was headed back their way again with two more bags so she slipped the key into the front pocket of her jeans and wrapped Juice in a quick friendly hug. She figured not hugging him at all would be more suspicious. Chibs pulled her into a tight hug after she let go of Juice and he kissed the top of her head. "Ya stay outta trouble, Julie girl. Ya hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah. More worried about you stayin' out of trouble." She said it in jest, but truthfully, she was worried about them, Chibs especially. He had come to SAMCRO from Belfast when she was only about ten years old, and he'd been freshly scarred and stripped of his wife and daughter before being driven out of the country by the very man who was supposedly helping them find Abel now. Chibs had a very dark personal history with Jimmy O'Phelan and the rest of the people that SAMCRO would be encountering on this trip and that made her very nervous.

Happy joined them at the van a few minutes later, but she didn't hug him, feeling that she really didn't know him well enough for all that yet; plus he didn't really seem like the type to appreciate a hug. Once Bobby, Opie, Piney, and two of the prospects all returned to the van with the last of their things, they finished packing up the van and all piled in, leaving the lot after one last quick wave goodbye. Juliette teared up as the van disappeared from view, already worried about the men before they'd even left Charming. Piney and the prospects were just dropping them off at Oswald's, but the rest would be making the treacherous journey all the way to Belfast.

The pretty blonde that Opie had been talking to was still standing by the Clubhouse doors when Juliette finally moved from her position in the middle of the lot and she smiled politely when she reached her. Juliette had seen her briefly at Kip's wake and she knew (obviously) that this woman was Opie's girlfriend, but she didn't yet know how she felt about that. Juliette had had an attachment to Donna since she was just a child and she automatically felt a loyalty to her even though Donna was gone.

"I'm sorry, I don't think we've met. I'm Lyla."

"Juliette," she replied, shaking the woman's outstretched hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Are you Juice's old lady?" Of course Opie had filled her in on who exactly Juliette was and he hadn't mentioned any connection to a particular member, but Lyla was sure she'd seen something between the two of them just before.

"Um, no," Juliette chuckled awkwardly.

Lyla's brows furrowed and she sort of tilted her head to the side as she looked at the younger girl. "Are you anybody's old lady?"

"Nope, no one's."

"Oh," she muttered. "Well listen, I was just about to go and pick up the kids and take them for some ice cream. Would you maybe like to come?"

Juliette glanced around at the empty lot before looking back at Lyla, who was watching her curiously. She might as well; there was no one else there except for a few mechanics she didn't know in the garage and a couple of crow eaters in the clubhouse who hated her guts. "Um, sure. Okay."