Kittie's music blasted through the house on Friday morning. A freaky parody of the Beastie Boys' 'Girls' entitled 'Squirrels' with men singing like Alvin and the Chipmunks. The song was reather cruel all around, but it was funny, just like the other music Kittie listened to. She'd started blasting it around the house at seven that morning as she rushed about, cleaning for Allana's homecoming. Dom had come thundering down the stairs and stopped in his tracks, causing Jesse to run into him. Reighn chucked a shoe down the hall with a shout of, "Shut that crap off Kittie!!"

Kittie stuck her tongue out at the stairs, "Oh go suck an egg!"

Letty joined Dom and Jesse on the stairs as Reighn shouted, "Shut up! I've had to live with this crap since you were ten! I have the right to not have to listen to it at seven in the freaking morning!"

"Whatever!" Kittie yelled back, "It's motivational!"

The song changed to an equally strange one as Kittie turned the vaccum cleaner on and ordered Jesse into the kitchen to do the dishes. She ordered Dom to take the trash out and asked Letty to help her with the cleaning. It was like open house on spring cleaning, even if it wasn't even spring yet. Vince bounded down the stairs with Mia and they rushed out the door before Kittie could put them to work, Vince's Maxima roaring off down the street.

~ * ~

Reighn groaned and crawled back into bed, buyring her head in Leon's chest and pulling the blanket over her head with a whimper. Leon laughed a little and Reighn whacked him with a pillow, "Don't laugh at me."

Leon grinned evilly and rolled them over, straddling her waist and tickling her. She let out a shriek and tried to fend him off. Leon laughed as stoped tickling her, rolling over onto his back. She followed and smiled at him, "You know I love you right?"

He grinned, "I love you to Ray."

Reighn smiled and then rolled out of bed, pulling on some clothes and began hunting for her shoes. She found one of them and a perplexed look crossed her face as she emerged from under the bed, "You seen my shoe Sadie?"

The dog looked at her, head cocked to one side. Reighn sighed, "Didn't think so..."

"You chucked it out the door at Kittie this morning babe." Leon supplied, looking up at her with a smile. She stared.

"Oh."

~ * ~

"Yo Hector! You in man?!"

Vince wove his way through Hector's garage to the red Silvia as Mia followed, her mouth dropping open at the sight of the car. Hector appeared out from behind the car, "Right here esa."

"She looks great man."

Hector grinned, "She's ready to go man. I'm still getting my money right?"

"Of course." Vince said, giving the man a look, "Expect it tonight. Now, I promised to take Allana for a drive when I checked her out of the hospital today, so if you'll excuse us."

He took the keys from Hector and gave his own keys to Mia and got into the Silvia, starting the car and backing out of the garage. Mia went over to the Maxima and before getting in, "You have three hours till you gotta pick her up, where you goin' boy?"

Vince grinned, "Don't worry about it, we'll be home for dinner Mia."

"Whatever." Mia replied, starting Vince's car and zooming off in the direction of home.

Vince watched her go before he turned the car toward the motel Relec was staying in with Puck and Devra. He'd spoken with Allana's brother last night, and had realized just how bad the tension was between Relec and Puck. So now, he was headed out there to have a go at Puck and show the new Silvia to Relec to get his stamp of approval on the car before he gave it to Allana. He stopped at a red light and sat back in the seat with a sigh, waiting for this day to be over with.

The revving of an engine caught his attention and Vince looked out his window to see a kid in a mustang with a pair of guys. He sighed and looked at the high schoolers over the top of his sunglasses, "Back off kid, you don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"I'll bet you can't even drive that thing old man." the kid replied.

"Have you even ever raced in your life boy?" Vince questioned with an eyebrow raised.

"Best drag racer in LA man."

Vince let out a roar of laughter, "That's it? You playin' in the big leagues now boy. Drag racing's a lot different than street racing, belive me."

"Whatever man." the kid replied, "I'll bet you a hundred that I can outrace you."

"A hundred? That's it?" Vince really laughed, "That ain't a solid bet kid. You wanna race the big boys it'll be two large, right here, right now."

He held up the roll of money and the kid's eyes went wide, "T-two thousand dollars??"

"Wonderful deduction kid. Gimmie a call when you're ready to play with the big dogs." Vince said before hitting the gas at the light changed. He pulled up into the motel parking lot and stopped the Silvia next to Relec's RX-7 and watched as Relec stomped down the stairs with his bag over one shoulder. The other man looked up and grinned at the sight of the car as Vince got out and leaned on it, "Whatcha think man?"

"You just won Allana's heart with that thing. Damn man, where'd you get it?" Relec asked as he walked over and threw his things in his car.

"Hector had her, didn't know what to do with her so I bought her, had him to the paint job and lights." Vince replied, "Where's Puck?"

"They ditched town bro." Relec said, "They'll be back in time for Race Wars though. That's where everything with go down."

"Great." Vince said, "Well, at least he can't try killing anyone."

"You irritated? What happened?"

"Some kids thought that a hundred was a good bet."

Relec burst out laughing, "You're kidding?"

"Nope."

"Shit man." Relec said, "I'm gonna head to the house, you headed out to the hospital?"

"Yeah man." Vince replied, "Kittie went on a cleaning spree, just thought you should know. She's been playing that freaky shit she calls music ever since seven this morning."

"Ouch."

~ * ~

The phone was ringing. That and she was the only one in the house, which mean she had to find the phone - wherever Kittie had put it. Mia padded around the house searching as it rang and found it under a large pile of bridal magazines that she, Allana and Kittie had bought on a whim. She turned it on, thankful that it was cordless and lifted it to her ear, "Hello?"

"Mia?"

She nearly dropped the phone as the voice sounded on the other end, "B-brian?"

"Yeah."

"W-what are you calling for?" she asked shakily.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Us - "

"Us? What us?" Mia asked, "There is no us!"

"Mia - "

"No. Listen to me Brian." She cut in fiercely, "You broke my heart. You didn't even say goodbye. Now you just expect to waltz back into my life and expect everything to be all fine and dandy? I think not. I won't let you back into my life, I refuse to be hurt by you again."

"Mia! Please just listen."

"Dom's gunna break your neck, and I'm gonna watch, and I think I'll even let Vince, Leon and Jesse help. Maybe even Reighn and Letty too." she said into the reciever, "It's so wonderful having brothers that love you so much that they'll kill for you don't you think?"

The question was rhetorical, Brian knew it. Mia's eyes narrowed in thought as she heard tires sqeaul in the driveway, "Don't call back here again Brian."

Then she hung up, just as Dom, Letty, Jesse and Kitty entered the house, "Where're Ray and Leon?"

"Getting Ray's car ready to go out tonight." Dom replied, "Who was on the phone?"

"Oh, no one." Mia replied nonchalantly, heading back into the den where she'd been working.

~ * ~

"All right Miss O'Riely, before you go I have a few instructions that you need to follow." Dr. Thomas said, looking up at Allana, "First, you have to use the crutches for at least two more weeks before you even think about trying to walk on your leg. You need to keep your stomach cleaned and warpped, and I'll be giving you a prescription for an ointment I want you to put on all your stiches so that they don't dry over and irritate you skin, it will also help keep them clean."

"Okay." Allana said as the doctor handed her a slip of paper and shook his hand, "Thanks Doc."

"No problem Allana. I don't want to see you back in here unless it's for a checkup or to get the stiches or cast removed, okay?"

"Yes Moi Capitian!" Allana said, giving him a mock salute. Dr. Thomas chuckled and left the room right as Vince entered. Allana smiled brightly, "Hey babe!"

"You're in a good mood." Vince said as he gave Allana a hug. She held on to him, "C'mon, let's get you outta here."

"Kay."

Allana got up and grabbed her crutches, heading for the door and Vince took that moment to look at her. Adorning one foot was a black shoe. She was wearing shot black cutoffs and - much to his amusement - one of *his* red wifebeaters. Reighn must have packed for her. Her white blonde and red hair was up in a loose ponytail, some of the red falling to frame her face. Vince followed her out the door and to the elevator, pressing the button. They climed on and Vince pressed the button for the lobby.

"So when do I get that promised drive?"

Vince grinned, "As so as we get to the car."

Allana grinned and led the way out of the building, stopping abruptly at the sight of a red and gold Silvia parked across the way, "V?"

"You like it?"

She looked up at him, biting her lip, "Like it? I love it!" She hugged him, "When? How?"

Vince laughed, "Slow down babe. It's all a secret. Now, let's go for a drive."

"'Kay." Allana said and allowed Vince to help her into the passenger side of the car. He got into the driver's seat and stuck the key in, turning the engine on and watching as Allana beamed at the sound of the purring engine. He pulled out of the parking lot, heading for the highway.

The wind flowed through the car, bringing with it the salty scent of the sea. Allana sat back, closing her eyes behind her sunglasses and enjoying the feel of the wind playing over her face. She cracked an eye open to look over at Vince, who was concentrating on the road, though he seemed more relaxed than she had ever seen him before. She smiled softly and reached for his hand, twining their fingers together. Vince looked over at her and smiled before turning his eyes back to the road, squeezing her hand lightly in his own.

It was a good day.