Living with the Club

Timing

"He's going to Vancouver?" Veronica asks.
"Yeah."
"With Abel?"
"Probably," Juice says.
"Shit."
"Yeah."
"How sure are we?"
"Pretty sure."
"What can I do?"
"Nothing right now."

Veronica approaches Clay as Rosen's partner slips into her car.
"What was the about?"
"We may be going back in."
"Why?"
"Trying to put the retaliation on us."
"What are you gonna do?"
"We have to find Abel but court hearing is scheduled for Friday."
Roni runs her hand through her hair.
She was terrified at the idea of Juice going back in.
"We're all on edge, sweetheart," Clay says, reading through her.
"I know. Can I help in anyway with Abel?"
"For now no. Thanks though, Roni."
She nods.
"We'll let you know if we need a hand. For now why don't you just relax?"
"I'll try."
Veronica drove home.

She wasn't home for more than an hour when Juice came home.
"Heading to Belfast to look for Abel. Thought I'd spend some time with my old lady before I left."
"Juice are you going back in?" She asked.
"In?"
"Jail--prison. Are you going back?"
"Probably."
She stares at him.
She walks by him, going to the kitchen and pours herself a glass of wine.
She was gonna break.
She takes a big sip before Juice wraps his arms around her from behind.
"Everything is gonna turn out just fine. I'll be fine inside."
"Juice, I'm not worried about you! I'm worried about me!" She turns to look up at him.
"What do you mean?"
"I've become so dependent on you, I'm not sure how I'll handle you being inside for an extended amount of time."
"Oh baby," he rubs her back.
She feels tears run down her face.
"I'm not in yet, baby. I'm right here."
She puts her hands on either side of his face.
"For how long? How long will you be right here?"
"I may not be right here always, but I'll always be yours."
She sighs, hardly comforted by that.
"Don't believe me?"
"I want you physically here."
He pulls away, "hold on."
He start walking away.
"Where are you going!"
"Just wait a second. Stay there."
"Juice? Should I be scared?" She jokes through her tears.
"Yes. Very very scared," he returns, and she smiled because he was smiling.
His face lit up, and his teeth glistened.
"What?"
"This isn't the way I wanted to do this. Nor the time but I love you more than the world itself. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he goes on one knee, "My old lady, my queen, Veronica May Fugal. Love of my life. The woman who drives me. Drives me to be better. Drives me insane of how much I think about her. Roni, will you marry me?"
She was already crying again, covering he mouth.
"Yes, a million times yes!" He stands up as she says this.
She crosses the short distance between them and jumps into his embrace.
He spins her around a few times.
She kisses every part of his face.
He holds her up for a few minutes, without exchanging words.
"Baby?"
"Is this fucking real? Did you just ask?"
"Yes, baby. It's fucking real."
"I love you," she murmurs.
"And I love you," he says, pulling away.
She sees the ring box in his hands.
"It was my great grandma's ring but I tweaked it for you because I wanted this to be special."
He opens the the box and her hands immediately cover her mouth in surprise.
She could see it was once a simple ring with her birth stone to the sides of the medium sized diamond.
"This is absolutely stunning. You are.." she couldn't even find words to say that he was wonderful but more, great but more, the definition of life.
"I am..?"
"A truly extraordinary man. Who would have thought that I would be so lucky?"
He smirks.
"What?"
"I had a thought," he replies.
"A dirty thought?" She raises an eyebrow.
He nods devilishly.
"What is it?" She smirks.
Instead of replying, he kisses her deeply for a moment before turning her around and taking advantage of their first moment of being engaged to one another.