"Tara!'
Tara knew that voice. She knew even before she turned and saw Charlotte racing down the hallway toward who it was. Crouching down she caught Charlotte in her arms and held her tight.
"Oh my god," she whispered, "Charlotte. I've missed you."
"I missed you too!" The girl said cheerfully. Coming slowly up behind them was Angel, watching the reunion with a smile. "This is Angel," Charlotte announced. "He's Mom's new boyfriend!"
"Mouth," Angel huffed.
"He calls me Mouth," Charlotte said proudly. "I talk too much."
"And you say too much," he added.
"That's the same thing!"
"No," Tara laughed. "It's not."
"I'm Angel," he said to Tara, offering her his hand.
"Tara," she said, shaking his hand. "I'm Charlotte's step-mom."
"Jax's old lady," he nodded. "How is he?"
"He'll never recover from his own stupidity," Katie said, joining the conversation, "But physically he'll be fine."
Angel turned, beaming, and kissed her cheek. Hey, beautiful, you all right?"
"I'm fine," she sighed, her heart heavy. "Charlotte, do you wanna spend some time with Tara?"
"Yeah," she grabbed Tara's hand. "Can I tell her about Adelita and camping?" She asked Angel, rather than Katie. "It was exciting!"
"Yeah, you can," Angel said to her with a wink.
"We should talk," Katie said somberly.
Angel knew what that meant, his stomach was already in knots as she took his hand and led him back to where she and Tara had spoken earlier. He turned his body toward hers, taking her hand in his now that she had let go. "Talk."
"I have to go back to Charming."
He shook his head. "No, you don't, not if you don't want to."
"I...want to, Angel," she said sadly.
The words were a slap to the face, he looked at her dumbfounded. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "It's not even about not loving you enough, or loving him more," Katie explained. "Because I love you, I really do but, he's my husband."
"We can fix that," he said with a shrug.
Katie laughed a bit. "You're funny, that is one of the things you have that he doesn't but it's not about that either."
"What's it about?" He asked, giving her hand a little squeeze.
"Hap and I never really had a chance," she explained.
"A chance? You were together for years, baby. What's that got you?"
"Scars," she said immediately. "Misery, pain, trauma, my children, a giant family of murdering motorcycle gang bangers," she shrugged. "The thing is, we never had a chance to just be together, there was always waves of shit coming at us, coming between us, we got a raw deal from the start and I can't just walk away for the prettier picture without knowing what life really looks like with him. It's not fair to me, or him or my boys."
"You really think I'm pretty?" Angel joked purposely to hide the crushing blow.
"The prettiest," she whispered, pressing her lips to his cheek. "Please don't think this is easy for me, it's not. I wish I could cut myself in two, send one half up north and have the other stay here."
"Can I get the bottom half?" He joked again.
"Angel," she chided.
He nodded, knowing it was time to shelve the act. "There's nothing I can do to make you stay?"
Katie shook her head, her chin trembling as she fought back sobs. "No."
"I don't know what kind of a chump you think I am, like Imma sit here waitin' for him to fuck up or catch a bullet, and take your ass back," he said with a shake of the head. "But I am that kind of chump, you ever change your mind, mi dulce, I'll be here."
"I love you," Katie sputtered. "I'm so sorry, Angel."
"Don't be," he said, a few tears finally escaping and rolling down his cheeks. "You're alive, you got Charlie back, sucks you're leaving but it wasn't all bad."
"None of this was bad," she said, this time pressing her lips to his. "Stop being so stupid, be careful, please. I don't want a phone call from EZ or Coco, okay?"
He nodded, somber and shocked, and kissed her again. "I'll see you, Katie," Angel said as he got up and left her without looking back.
