A/N: Once again, thank you for all of those who are reading and reviewing, and to those who are reading and not reviewing.It's good to know that people are reading even if they're not leaving feedback, but I would love to hear what you have to say.

BabyDoll824- I do have a beta, but there are some things that still go under the radar. Me, personally, I can read through pretty much anyone's spelling/grammar mistakes. One of my friends and I joke when we're on messenger at the mistakes that we make, because we read it the way it's meant to be, not what the other actually typed. Even going through this chapter after getting it back from my beta, who is wonderful, and has helped me a great deal in just encouraging me to post this on the internet, I still find things, little things like something not being capitalized, etc. Sometimes the spell checker doesn't find them either, especially if you type like "form" when it's supposed to be "from". So, if there's any of that, I want to know so that I can correct it. )

LadyOfThePlains, wildpiratecelt, h sloanx16, and Snape's Opera Rose- Thank you for the compliments. I'm very glad that you're enjoying this, I look forward to your reviews! (Ok, I look forward to reviews period, but still...)

Ever onward...

Vince was nervous as all hell on the ride back to Mazzy's house, he wouldn't look at Mazzy, keeping his eyes on the road. The knuckles on both of his hands were white on the steering wheel and the gear shift from gripping them so tight.

Mazzy glanced at him, noticing the tension set in his jaw, "What's wrong Vince?"

Vince sniffed, his lip twitching, "Nothin' Mazzy." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, "We need to talk."

"You said that earlier," she said sadly.

Vince sighed. "Yeah," he said in a soft voice.

At Mazzy's house, Snickers settled in near the couch, Mazzy tucked a leg under her as she sat on the couch. She grabbed a pillow, holding it against her, as if it were a shield.

Vince sat facing her on the couch, his left arm resting on the back of the couch.

Mazzy toyed with the seam of the pillow and slowly met his gaze, mixed emotions playing in her eyes. "So…?" She asked hesitantly.

Vince took a deep breath, "Before I tell you this, I just want you to know that what I'm about to tell you, I haven't- well, none of us have… that I know of, no one knows but the people who were involved, and well… my sister and Jesse's mom."

"Oook," Mazzy said apprehensively.

"And I'm telling you because, no matter what Mia has said, or what she may say in the future, I don't want you to be a fling, that'd be up to you- after you hear what I have to say."

"Is it that bad?" Mazzy asked, hugging the pillow closer to her.

Vince laughed nervously and shrugged. "I'll leave that up to you," he said, and began telling her about the heists, how Brian came into play, about Jesse being shot after race wars, the hospital, and everything that lead them to settling into Athelstane.

Mazzy sat quietly digesting everything Vince had just told her. "So Brian just let you guys go?"

Vince nodded, they had never gotten the full story of how he did it, just that evidence had disappeared, along with the files, and the truck driver.

"Wow," Mazzy laughed. "Do you regret what happened?"

Vince cocked his head, he'd never really thought about it. "Yes and no. You that saying about hind-sight bein' 20/20? It's true. I knew it was wrong when we were doin' it, I do have a conscience, but at the time it was just there- an option to get out of debt. The store, garage, and house were going to be taken away. Mia was going to school, Dom just wanted her to be able to finish." Vince chuckled, "Sounds like I'm tryin' to justify it, don't it?"

"Are you?"

Vince shrugged, "I guess so. It was incredibly stupid. Even more stupid to think that we'd get away with it completely unharmed. Mia tried to talk us out of the last one, so did Letty, shit, Leon too. Dom wasn't hearin' it tho. I just wanted it to be done with. I could've died. Brian saved my ass, must've been the cop in him… protect and serve 'n all. Letty could've been more seriously hurt than she was, could have been killed too." Vince sighed and ran a hand through his already mussed hair.

"And the scar on your arm?" Mazzy asked.

"Yeah, that was from the cable getting wrapped around my arm. I guess it coulda been worse tho, I had a leather wrist band, sorta like this one," he said pionting to the thick leather band on his arm. "Only it was wider, took up more of my arm. I imagine it could have been worse if it'd wound around my wrist," he told her with a shudder.

"I'm having trouble understanding… maybe the lack of sleep is clouding my mind. You thought this was a good idea?" Mazzy asked, her face clearly showing her confusion.

How could he make her see that at the time it seemed like the only choice?

"Well, yeah, at the time. Mazzy, we were desperate… I mean, ok…" Vince stopped to take a deep breath and sort out his thought before again explaining about the store, garage, and house, how Dom and Mia's dad had left all of it to them and they'd been in danger of loosing it all.

"Yet ya'll just up and left it anyway?"

"There's friends running the garage and store, the house was rented out right before we moved here. I don't know how long we'll be here, I mean- it'll be awhile, but I'm sure everyone is gonna wanna go home at some point."

Mazzy nodded, "How would all this change my mind in wanting to be with you?"

It was Vince's turn to be confused. "I just told you that I'm a criminal!"

Mazzy laughed, "Are you still a criminal? Gonna pull shit like that again?"

Vince made a face, "HELL NO!"

Mazzy smiled, "Good."

Relief washed over Vince's features, happy to have everything out tin the open. He quickly changed the subject. "So, how'd you get your scar?"

Mazzy sighed deeply, while her story wasn't nearly as dramatic as Vince's, it hurt her to talk about it. "You want the long or the short?"

"Let's do the short first."

"My friend Brad and I were in San Antonio, he found some pretty co-eds who were having a party out in B.F.E., talked me into goin', on the way we got munched by a UPS truck." Mazzy took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "I was in a coma for, like 5 days. In the mean time Brad was buried, and I wound up with this lovely reminder of how stupid people shouldn't breathe." Mazzy grinned, nearly laughing so she wouldn't cry.

Vince cocked his head to the side, staring at her in fascination as her shoulders shook and a hand went up to cover her mouth. "You ok?"

Mazzy nodded, unable to speak, she put her face in the pillow, hoping the fit would pass. "Sorry," she mumbled, picking her head up off the pillow. She sighed heavily as if willing it to go away. "You ever laugh- just 'cuz you'd rather not cry?"

Vince shook his head, he was a man, he didn't cry- unless it was something major.

"Yeah, well, I do," she told him, releasing the pent up laughter. "Terrible, isn't it?" She asked, still laughing.

Vince stared in amazement as she doubled over. Strange, was all he could think, he'd never understand women, he'd seen them cry, but not… this.

Mazzy snorted, unable to control the hysterics. "I'm… so… sorry…," she said between breaths. She looked to the ceiling, gulping in the air, she slowly got under control.

"So, this… friend, was he a boyfriend?" Vince asked.

Mazzy shrugged, "No, well, maybe… I don't know. He was my best friend in high school, met him senior year after he moved to town. He always told me that, one day, you know… when we were both single, maybe we'd get together." Mazzy sighed, and looked at Vince, "I held on to maybe for a long time. I started fuckin' him, thought that if I gave it up, he'd realize that he wouldn't need the other chicks, but-yeah- that day never came."

Vince raised his eyebrows, "Did you love him?"

"I don't know. Could've just been lust 'er somethin'. Maybe I just wanted him because I knew that I couldn't have him in that way."

"And they don't know what caused the scarring?"

"I could only guess it's from the metal, or glass, other than that, I'm pretty clueless," she answered with a yawn. "Damn I'm tired!"

Vince smirked, "Maybe you shouldn't stay up so late."

"Yeah, well, I had help with that," Mazzy said with sly grin, tossing her pillow at him.

"But you started it!" Vince defended himself, tossing the pillow back at her.

Mazzy caught the pillow. "I didn't hear you complainin'." Mazzy tried to throw the pillow again, but Vince caught her wrist, pulling her to him.

"Won't hear me complainin' either," he told her, planting a gentle kiss on her lips. "It's only 6 ya know."

Mazzy nodded, staring into his deep blue eyes, "Sure could use a nap, tho."

"No one's stoppin' ya, sweetie."

"Actually, you are… this position is doing nothing for my back," Mazzy told him, sitting up. "You gonna hang around or go home?" Mazzy asked, hoping that he would stay.

"You know, a nap might not be such a bad thing."

An evil grin formed on Mazzy's lips. "Want a pillow?" Mazzy asked, hitting him square in the chest with the pillow she still held in her hand. She quickly retreated, crawling backwards on the couch as Vince advanced on her.

Vince pinned her to the couch. "Think I'll just use you as a pillow," he told her, resting his head on her stomach.

"Mazzy giggled, "Great! Give me the pillow back!"

"I'll give you the pillow, but ya gotta scoot up some, my legs are longer than yours… shortie."

"Lookin' for another fight, V?"

Vince batted his eyelashes, "If it'll end like last night's did, then yes, YES I am!"

Mazzy laughed and shook her head, "Different fight V- never know." She crawled back to the bend in the couch, Vince moving with her as she went, staring her down along the way. The corner of Mazzy's mouth twitched up, before Vince could even begin to wonder what she was up to, Mazzy cupped the sides of his face and kissed him deeply.

"I'll take that pillow back now," she told him, pulling the pillow out of his hand and stuffing it behind her head. "Ahhhhh, much better."

Vince stared at her in disbelief as she closed her eyes. How can she kiss me like that and just go to sleep? He asked himself, the kiss had left him half hard. He nuzzled against her neck, "You're evil, you know that?"

Mazzy enjoyed the scratchy feeling of his beard on her skin, "Hmmm? Why's that?"

"You can't just kiss me like that and then- nothing!"

Mazzy sighed and rested her cheek against his forehead, "Let's just say that's a preview for later… if I get a nap now."

Vince opened his mouth to say something smart assed, but decided against it. "Are you comfortable? Need a blanket? A massage? Anything?"

"Shhhh," Mazzy whispered. She put her arms around his shoulders as she drifted off.

Vince buried his nose in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. He wrapped an arm around her waist, he was half on her, half on the couch and had one of his legs between hers, not the most comfortable position, but he managed to fall asleep.