Opening

Jason's eyes fell shut as he let the emotions go. His hand moved gently against Katie's, his fingers tracing in and out of hers. A thin smile crept onto his lips.
How did I ever want to get rid of this? 

His eyes opened again, and he looked at Katie a moment before pulling her into a tight hug. Tears welled in his eyes and he just held her close. 
I'm so sorry about all this... and so glad you're okay. 

He held her for a few minutes until his own emotions were back under control, and he eased back again, placing a hand to her face. 
"It does feel different... stronger... more stable. Almost like... it's more controllable somehow. Not so erratic."


Zan just shook his head at Ryan. "You're crazy. The whole lot of you."

Hunter grinned and threw her a wink.

Zan finally tossed the borrowed car keys on the bench and came closer, next to Ryan. "Yeah, I noticed that yesterday." He shook his head. "This is about as bad as I've seen her. It's gonna take weeks before she's drivable again."

"Weeks?" Eli gestured at them all. "With this crew? Days, my friend. Days."

Zan squinted at him, then returned his gaze to Ryan before a grin quirked his mouth. "Alright... You guys are so full of yourselves... Show me what you got."

For the next several hours, all five worked together. It took a little time to settle into a groove, but surprisingly enough, once they did, they made a good team. Zan proved to be a very good mechanic, keeping up with Ryan and Axel both. Caught up in their element, time slipped right on by, and it was Eli who finally ordered some pizzas. 

The evening sun shone orange into the open garage, the radio played, and the five sat around eating pizza, chatting and drinking soda pop. Nobody cared how tires or dirty they were - they'd accomplished a lot today. There was still a lot left to do, but Zan was finally convinced it would get done. 

"...so now I'm just holding a part time job at a gas station til something better comes along." Zan shrugged as he took another bite of pizza. He'd answered Eli's question as to what kind of work he did, and had explained his mechanic experience. 

Hunter quirked an eyebrow. "Ever thought of selling your services at the races? Lots of drivers but not everybody can fix their engines."

"Eh. Maybe."

Axel sat on the floor, leaned back against the bench. He was the quietest in this bunch by far, but really had enjoyed the afternoon. "Want another job in a garage?"

Zan nodded. "That would be my first pick, yeah."

"Mm." Axel nodded and chewed his mouthful before speaking again. "Might check out J&J's... they're... gonna have an opening here pretty soon."

Eli arched an eyebrow at Axel's tone. How'd he know? Wait... was he talking about himself?

Axel's eyes drifted over to Ryan. His expression was one of simple defeat. He knew his days at the garage we're numbered... he just hadn't told anyone yet that he would be giving Darrel his notice.


Morning. Aaron glanced at the clock. He knew Sam was going to be coming in to work any minute. Getting up from bed, he was still in his bare feet, but didn't bother putting socks and shoes on. He strapped the brace to his knee and tucked his t-shirt into his jeans. After running a hand through his hair, he heaved a sigh and opened the bedroom door.

Instead of leaving though, he returned to sit on the edge of the bed. And he stayed until he heard the familiar footsteps. She had a lighter step than the others, and s longer stride than he'd imagine for her height.

"Sam." He called to her so she'd stop as she passed by. He bit his lip, giving her a somewhat humble look. "I um... I've been waiting for you," he admitted. "I just... I wanted to tell you..." He cleared his throat. "That I'm sorry. About last night, I mean. You... we're just being nice and... I pretty much ruined it. Stupid since I prolly also ruined any other chance at getting our again."

He shrugged lamely. "So yeah. Can... can maybe I have a do-over?"