Chapter One:

a time to reflect

The day seemed to drag on.

First the service, then the procession out of the church into the drizzle of rain The cold wind blew in the late winter air, it was early December. And although it was in California there was a dead chill in the air.

Then finally to the cemetery, young Alex Kinkade stood in the rain, his short blond hair and young boyish features unshielded from the elements of the earth brandishing a cut above his head. A solemn reminder of the horror of the accident that left him an orphan, the accident that left him alone. The priest spoke kind words about the family. Friends and relatives cried and held each other but Alex stood there, alone.

In cold shock still numb from that night a week earlier. His father and mother had picked him up from driving school, he was so proud that he had gotten his driver license on his first try. And the driving school was to make his insurance cheaper for when his dad would buy him his first car.

The day had been clear and the roads in the area dead of traffic. A blur of motion dad panicking mother screaming, the car squealed out of control. And rolled over 3 times. Alex awoke in the hospital the car's brakes had failed, coming around a sharp bend the car accelerated suddenly and spun out hitting the rear on the side of the mountain.

It then flipped over end over end front seatbelts failing and flinging both parents out of the vehical. Alex went the facts over in his mind. As he had time and time again. He knew his father was a good driver, and couldn't see him making any mistakes. The police report had sited a defective seatbelts and that it was a miracle that Alex wasn't thrown from the vehical himself.

Alex came out of his sleepy haze to hear the priest finish the ceremony.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust."

He looked on in awe as his parents we're lowered into the earth. A hand touched him on the shoulder, the first human contact since the service began. A soft woman's voice.

"Come on Alex its done, I can drive you home." Alex turned to see a very attractive young woman in her late 20's.

Alex asked in an almost numb voice "Who are you?"

The woman responded "A friend of the family, come along. I think we need to talk"

The drive home was silent. The mysterious woman knew exactly where Alex's home was. She pulled up and Alex got out. Alex turned to the woman and asked

"So who exactly are you?" The woman responded as she fixed her long brown hair.

"You can call me, aunt Nikki" Alex squinted his eyes at her.

"I don't have an aunt." the woman known as nikki merely said

"Well you do now, come on its cold out your gonna catch a cold" She motioned towards the house

Once inside Alex hung up his sport jacket, he was wearing a nice suit that was rented for him by one of his friends at school, because he had no clue on these kind of things. He sat down at the kitchen table and buried his head in his arms to hide the tears which we're finally welling up from inside him. Nikki sat across form him and held him close

"Your father and mother we're good people. I knew them when your dad used to work in Bayview" Alex perked up

"I remember that, it was about 10 years ago" he whipped the tears from his eyes. "What's going on?"

Nikki let out a long sigh "Your dad, your mother, and myself we're very close. Your dad put me in your will as your guardian if anything we're to ever happen to him" Alex was taken back the fact that his parents even HAD a will even baffled him.

"So... your...gonna take care of me?" Nikki nodded in return

"I am also the trustee of the money from the sale of your parents estate, life insurance policy and from the settlement from Mercedes-Benz. All that money has been put into a trust fund until you turn 18," Alex nodded

"Mercedez-Benz?" he asked, still numb from all the events that have happened so far

Nikki nodded "That's right, Mercedes has deemed the seatbelt failure as there fault, they have recalled all c class cars in order to refit all their cars with improved safety equipment. Do you know how much money you have when you turn 18?" Alex wave his hand up

"I don't care... I just don't care..." he started to cry again. Nikki went to move her hand towards his and he pulled it away, yelling "So what now? Will that money bring my parents back?" Nikki herself started to want to cry, but she fought back the tears. To look strong in front of the young teen

"No, nothing will ever bring back your father. He was a great man." she stood up "uhm, I run a business over in Bayview, I have made all arrangements for you to move... I am sorry but I don't think I could live here..." Alex nodded in agreement

"I knew the minute that you said you we're gonna be my guardian that I would have to move..." Nikki smiled and said

"Don't worry kid you will love Bayview, lots of stuff to do" Nikki's cell phone began to ring she picked it up out of her pocket and looked at saying to Alex "Sorry this is very important, I must take it" she went out into the porch, out of sight of Alex, her blue eyes showing fierce intent. Speaking in fluent Japanese.

Nikki: "Hello?"
Voice on telephone: "what the news?"

Nikki: "I am with Alex now."

Voice on telephone: "Good, anything on my father yet?"

Nikki: "No, Sayuki. But I am sure that something will turn up. A great street racer like your father, doesn't die in car accident for nothing"