Bent Out of Shape

Seeing how upset Bree was getting, JT slid closer and put his arm around her shoulders. "Hey, hey... it's okay. You don't have to do anything, alright? And Gunner's not gonna hate you." He reached down and picked up her hand, looking at her engagement ring. "See this? That's not gonna change, okay? If he's cranky or pushes you away, it's only because he feels he's not good enough, and he hates putting you through this... not because he hates you or doesn't love you." 

He wiped away one of her tears and kissed the top of her head. "I'll take care of this. I'll go and talk to him myself about the tests, okay? I really think it should be done... if anything shows up, there could be some real answers for him." 


Zan dropped his hand... reluctantly, as he smiled. "Goodnight." Finally he turned and wandered back to his car and headed home. Instead of getting there though, he ended up stopping off at The Griller where Jett and some other race buddies were. 

"Hey, man... you're alive!"

Zan grinned as he joined them at the bar. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Jett smirked as he sipped his beer. "Well I's just been textin' ya all evenin'. I's 'bout ready t' come an' look fer ya."

Zan quirked an eyebrow and glanced at Tim. "How long's he been here?"

"Eh. Couple hours, I guess."

Zan sighed. Not that he could judge. He enjoyed a good fun evening with the boys every once in a while, but usually he tried to avoid getting tipsy just because he always hated himself the next morning. Jett, on the other hand, just wouldn't learn. "Want me to give you a ride home?"

"Naw." Jett shook his head. "I dunno where I'ma end up anyhow." 

"Ronnie again?"

Jett shrugged and downed the rest of his beer. He waved for another one, but Zan shook his head at Leroy before looking back at his friend. "You can crash with me," he relented with another sigh. This had to stop at some point. He nodded a thanks to Leroy who brought him his usual vanilla pepsi. 

"So where ya been?" Jett questioned. 

"Oh. Just hanging with Destiny. I left my phone in the car all evening. Sorry." 

Jett quirked an eyebrow and stifled a belch. "Dang. Surprised yer here at'll and not still with her." He elbowed Zan suggestively. 

Zan just shook his head. There was no point in explaining yet again that Destiny was a better woman than that. Besides, Jett wasn't thinking straight anyway. 

"So who's this Destiny?" Tim questioned, grinning.

Zan swiveled on the bar stool and smiled. "A girl."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Well, details, man! You got the smile of a guy who's on cupid's list."

Zan chuckled and took a sip of his pepsi before he shook his head. "We just met." Had it really only been a few days? A week maybe? It seemed like so much longer. "But she's an amazing woman."

Tim kept grinning, but knew better than to prod for more information. 

Zan stayed a while longer, more to keep an eye on Jett than anything, and did convince him to let him drive him home. It was late by the time they were back at his apartment and Jett was flopping down on the couch to sleep off his evening excitement. Zan took his time getting ready for bed, eventually sinking his head down in his pillow to stare up at the dark ceiling. He couldn't help it that his mind wandered back to Destiny again. Or that it put a smile on his face. Cupid? That was hogwash. But there was definitely something about her he liked.


"Yeah, maybe." Jason ambled slowly next to Katie, and gave her hand a squeeze. "Feels kinda odd that he'd want this out of the blue. But maybe he's right. Maybe there aren't many places he really wants to go. Maybe he's thought about this longer than we think." He couldn't imagine Mick giving his approval though. For multiple reasons. 

As they reached the ranch yard, he came to a halt again and sighed. "Well... I know my mom is feeling left out... and I'm pretty sure your dad is too... think we ought to part ways and go spend time with them before they get too bent out of shape?" 


"You did what?" Mick's voice was calm, but his eyes flashed as he looked at his son. They stood in the break room in the barn and Dylan had just told him that he'd asked Katie and Jason about joining the Elite.

Dylan held his head high. "They're going to talk to Reese and put in a good word for me."

"What are you thinking?" Mick blinked and crossed his arms with displeasure. "What ever possessed you to even suggest something like that?"

Dylan swallowed hard. "I'm tired of feeling stuck."

"Stuck? Here? Since when?"

"Since coming here!" Dylan threw up his hands. "I don't know if I can stay here the rest of my life. But where else am I going to go? College? What, with a bodyguard? Where else? You know as well as I do, there is nowhere else."

Mick shook his head stubbornly. "That is no reason to go gallivanting off to the Elite! You can't just decide to go into law enforcement because you think there aren't any other options. It's something you have to really want to do."

"You just don't want me to be out of your sight."

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it?"

Mick took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "You are not old enough to-"

"To what?" Dylan's eyes narrowed. "Make up my own mind? Be a man? Drive? Get off drugs? Take a woman? How about-"

"That's enough!" Mick barked. It pained his heart more than he would ever be able to express to think about all his son had been through, and how much more quickly he had grown up than he should have. He took a moment to try and calm himself down, glancing at the floor as his hands went to his hips. "Do you seriously want this, or are you just trying to find a way out of here?"

Dylan's jaw tightened. "Both. I don't expect you to like it, support it, or even give a grudging blessing. All I ask is that you don't right Reese if he accepts me. If he doesn't, you don't have a thing to worry about. But if he does... just let me go."

Mick stared at his son for several long, silent moments before he shook his head and simply left the room.

Dylan remained a while longer to calm down before leaving. But instead of going back to the stalls he was cleaning, he went to the tack room. Finding it empty, he sat down on a bench in the dark and simply sat... feeling even more alone.