You Are My Sunshine

Chapter 21 - Loose Lips and Glass Houses

"All great changes are preceded by chaos." - Deepak Chopra

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*Later that night...*

"We're doing it," Amelia whispered as she quickly changed Alice's diaper. The party rolled on in the living room but it was peacefully quiet in the nursery. "Jax thinks Vegas will be good for us."

"What?" Juice stopped, stunned, with his beer bottle against his lips. "You're actually going?"

"We're trying." She beamed as she scooped Alice up again. "It's not easy, all the arrangements and that's without even bringing it to the club. There are a lot of ifs but Jax isn't one of them."

"Wow."

Seeing his reaction Amelia giggled a little and sat in the glider rather than take the baby back out. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he forced a laugh. "Jax know who he's asking to go?"

"Chibs," Amelia said as she slowly rocked the baby, "My brother obviously but he's not sure if he's going. Jax said he wants to ask Happy and Kozik, too. He's not totally sure."

"I'll go." He offered eagerly, not wanting to lose their friendship or even just the chance to see her every so often. "My only ties to Charming are under this roof right now so if he needs bodies, I'm there."

"I'd miss you if you didn't come, actually."

"I'd miss you too." Timidly he smiled at her. "He wants Chibs to go?"

"Oh yeah, Chibs and Ope were his number ones but my brother is hesitant, shit with Donna and everything." Amelia gazed lovingly at Alice as she and Juice spoke in hushed tones. "He loves this town too and my dad will be pissed if both of his kids leave. It's touchy. He said he'd think about it but me and Jax aren't pushing it."

"You hear that?"

Juice's beer bottle clanked on the dresser as a few raised voices bellowed out from the living room. He stepped into the hall to see Chibs, his arm around a petite brunette, and Donna rambling on in the woman's face.

"You think you can come around here?" Donna snapped as she stood threateningly close to Mae and gave her a rough shove. "Meels is MY friend, Alice is MY niece, you don't get to be here, home wrecker."

"Meels, Donna is losing her shit." Juice announced before rejoining the party as Gemma got involved.

"I'm going." Mae fumed, eyes narrowed on Gemma, as she wriggled out from Chibs' touch and headed toward the door.

"My Martha Stewart is wearing real thin," Gemma warned Donna. "She's with Chibs, you should want that. Keeps her clear of Opie."

Opie wasn't even there. He had decided to stop by Mae's before the party for a visit but Chibs has shown up not too long before and, under Gemma's direction, coerced Mae into joining him.

"I'm not WITH anyone!" Mae couldn't help it as tears filled her eyes. "This mess was manufactured. I'm not playing the game."

"What the hell is going on?" Opie growled when he walked into the door to see Mae and Donna face to face with Chibs and Gemma standing close while the rest of the party watched eagerly.

"Nothing." Mae looked at him with sorrowful eyes. "I was just leaving."

"Why are you even here?" The annoyance was unintentional but it was heavy.

Mae's eyes locked on the woodwork along the floor. "I don't even know."

"I invited her," Gemma said with little shame or embarrassment.