Serenity: Transition

Chapter 36

A/N: Hey guys! Hope you had a great holiday once more, and just wanted to let you know that the insanity of work kicks back in tomorrow. So, please bare with me and I'll try to keep with the normal update schedule, but I have also decided I want to go back to school, so I am also studying for the GRE as well... but I will try my best :) Just please be patient with me, thanks!

kmhappybunny240: I am too! I figured that our Grace wouldn't sit still for long and she did want to get her degree after all! Haha yeah I love Barry a lot, he is so much fun to write.

Arkytior's Song: Haha you have great timing then! I am glad that you didn't have to suffer long then :) Haha yeah, Barry is like that hyperactive, quirky friend they wish they had! Haha, yeah you may want to watch it so you know what will happen, plus, i don't want to spoil anything for you!

LMarie99: So am I! I love Barry as a character in JL and just knew that he had to be Grace's friend!

monkeybaby: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

CJ/Oddball: Thank you! My holidays were very nice, thank you for asking! I hope yours were good as well :) And don't worry I have a whole plan of when Arthur and Grace meets again and it is interesting to say the least. It is at least "interesting" in my head :P Haha I like the Spongebob idea, it cracked me up! Maybe I'll incorporate your idea here in the future :)

gryffindorgal13: I am so glad that you like the foreshadowed friendship with Grace and Barry. Ohhhh I see a story here about your class... granted, I guess everyone has their own version of a horrible group work story :P I know I do, especially going through chemical engineering like I did... ANYWAY... the most important question... I guess you will have to find out now, won't you?

Love. Fiction. 2019: Thank you!

Daryl's Lady: I really loved him in the movie too, that is why I am trying to write him as close to the JL movie version as possible! Thank you for the wonderful compliments and I am so happy that you like the story :)

Guest: I am done with the "first part" of it, and now I am transitioning into the JL movie plotline... eventually.

barrenmoons: Haha I am so glad that you liked it! It always makes me happy to know that this story is good enough for someone to spend so much time on it and binge it like you have! Haha I will try to get things up Sunday/Monday but please be patient with me since I do hold a full time job and I'm studying for the GRE right now!

candyappleredd: Haha I am glad you liked it so much! WOW! That is quite a lot of reading and I am so happy to hear that you liked it enough to read it so quickly like that! Fun fact Benny is actually my favorite character in this series, but I can't lie because I really like Grace too... Grace is probably a close second for me if not tied... :P

mrs. morgan 35: Here is one fresh hot update coming your way!

Red red red ribbon: Thank you and I am happy to hear that you like it so much! Here is your next update :)

Grace cleared her throat, not being able to get a word in edgewise with the apparent conversation she was having with this Barry character. Paradoxically, she wasn't listening to him in the first place. She realized that the brunet was one that had no issue carrying on a conversation himself, even if one wasn't completely listening. Every so often Grace would respond with a yep or nod her head, but that just triggered Barry to continue with his hyperactive self. Grace thought that her soon-to-not-be partner needed to have some sort of off-switch. This kid had to have some form of ADHD. Not that she was thinking it was bad or anything, but that could honestly be the only explanation to his behavior of oh my gosh something shiny.

If the blonde learned anything in the past fifteen minutes, Barry loved to talk. Even if she was only half-listening, Barry was actually telling her a lot about himself, maybe that's what good partners do, but Grace knew that this, whatever this was, wasn't going to last long, so why bother talk about herself, when Barry was easily filling in the gaps for both of them. In the short walk they were on nearing the parking lot where her bike was, she learned that Barry liked to do some web designing and play the viola in his free time. Grace wondered if he was just saying that and if he was any good, but usually boys like Barry think it is a turn off to women that they play a classical instrument like the viola. In Grace's opinion, she always liked it better than the violin. The violin was always over rated to her.

On another note, she also learned that the brunet had a secret passion for K-pop and could pretty much sing the lyrics to any hit K-pop song on the market nowadays. When presented with the question on if she ever listened to it, Grace just shrugged her shoulders and Barry then gave her a list of bands to check out. Well, she thought they were called bands, maybe groups were the better term for K-pop people? Anyway, before she could follow up with a question of her own, Grace still couldn't get in a word edgewise. Then again, it didn't really bother her anyway. She was always the soul to keep quiet, hell, at least she was now. After six months and sometime arguing with doctors, physical therapists, Benny and Egil, and a slew of others, she liked not having to fight with anymore.

She deserved to have some peace and quiet in her life. Granted, it just sucked ass since she and Benny left off on a bad note when she went to university. Benny wanted her to wait another year and go through more physical therapy, see another doctor or so, but Grace couldn't handle it anymore. She and Benny got into a big fight and one morning, Grace just decided to pack up her bags and leave. Every so often the two would talk, but not really talk. Say a few short words. But, she was happy that Egil was with Benny. Benny needed someone, and Egil, as unfortunate as it may sound, was acting as the bridge or glue that held the Sanibel family together. Grace knew it wasn't right to but Egil in this position, but Grace felt smothered by Benny.

The blonde was always her own person and highly spirited, but with everything that happened, and with Benny breathing down her neck about trying to fix her, getting her the best treatment and trials, she had enough. They didn't have the money for it, and, she had come to accept her own fate. It was time to move on. Put one foot in front of the other. She may never have a normal relationship with someone, given her circumstances, but that doesn't mean she couldn't become one of those rich bitches that are single in television shows. Grace knew that she was going to die alone, but she would probably have a cat or dog by her side when she kicked the bucket—and she was okay with that.

"You still with me here?" Barry asked, cutting into Grace's head space.

Nodding her head absentmindedly, Barry continued with the conversation, getting the clarification he was looking for. Finally, after what seemed like a long walk in which was the same one she always made, Grace walked up to her motorcycle and straddles it, all the while Barry kept talking. She held her helmet in her lap and shook her longer-than-usual hair back. She wanted to cut it all off, but as girly and cliché as it sounds, she saw a chick on Pinterest with long blonde hair in which the tips faded to blue in some sort of ombre affect. Grace thought it wouldn't be too hard, so she decided to try it out. She was glad she did, and after her hair got out of the weird growth stage, it doesn't take much to put it up into a ponytail. As Grace made a double check on her hair, making sure none of it would get in the way of her helmet fit properly, she lifted it up and was about to put it on but stopped halfway when Barry asked her a question that got her attention.

"That is a nice bike you have there," Barry remarked, taking in the bike and Grace in an uncreepy way.

"You know about bikes?" Grace asked, giving him and inquisitive look.

"No! I mean… Yes? I mean… no…"

"Well which one is it?"

"Not really."

Barry shuffled his feet and looked down at them, slightly embarrassed by the turn of the conversation.

"Ah." Grace responded, not knowing what else to say.

She knew that the kid was just trying to make small talk with her, but at this point she was ready to leave. It was getting awkward now. Grace again, flipped back her hair and was about to put on her helmet but stopped once more as Berry spoke. Even if she was ready to leave, they got out of lab early, meaning that she didn't have to be at work until later. Even if she didn't want a partner, she had been given no reason to be rude to the brunet, even if he was a chatty-kathy.

"I didn't mean it like in a negative way… it's just… your bike looks really cool, and kind of unusual…"

"It should, I did it myself. There shouldn't be another one like it on the market."

"Wow. Really?"

Grace was ready to give her whole, women can be mechanics and do everything men can do, feminist speech but taking one look at Barry's face, she knew that wasn't what he meant. He didn't mean a wow as in he was surprised a woman could build a motorcycle from the ground up, it was more of a shock that someone had the ability to do such a thing. A small smile found itself on Grace's lips. Barry's energetic attitude rubbing off on her some. It was like the whole show based on the Indiana park system and the one couple was so much like a cat and dog, and different it was uncanny. That is what she thought of with Barry next to her. He was clearly the happy go lucky puppy, and she was more of a grumpy cat.

"Yeah, I uhh… I bought the bike frame myself and formatted it to match an old Harley, with plenty of upgrades and nice surprises. I mean I could probably get a ton, based on the street value and I always have someone looking at it. But I'm not planning on selling this baby any time soon. That is for sure. Plus, those crotch rocket shit of a bike are a pain in the ass. Those things are fucking stupid and the only thing those are good for is landing you in the hospital. People think that they go faster, but let me tell you, I could probably double their speed on my ride if I wanted to. However, I may be biased since I built this baby… Sorry, I'm talking your ear off about this, aren't I?"

Barry just smiled ear to ear, a laugh in his eyes knowing that he finally broached a topic that Grace was willing to talk more than he was. It took everything in the blonde not to roll her eyes at Barry. She knew just as well what trap she just fell into and decided to shut up about her creation. But, to her, it did feel nice to talk to someone who was interested in how she came up with all the mechanics and pretty much designed the bike for what she needed. It was a nice change of pace.

"Anyway, I don't think I asked you, but what's your major?"

"ME."

"ME, as in—"

"Mechanical Engineering."

Barry gasped at the knowledge, as if Grace told him some juicy gossip or a secret she had been keeping all of her life. Grace's eyes widened as she looked behind her, making sure there was nothing there to cause Barry to have such a reaction. Usually people just tell her that they were sorry for her, or that she must really be smart to be able to be in engineering. It was none of the above. She was only in it because it was the closest thing to a mechanic. She didn't want to go to trade school, there was nothing wrong with that, but it just wasn't for her. Like her bike, she wanted to go and design the components to engines, bikes, cars… name it, she wanted to do that. So, being a mechanical engineer was the easiest way to get her there.

"Why the heck are you in a non-STEM version of stats then? Like don't get me wrong and everything I'm glad you are and also sorry for the language—"

Grace cut off Barry before he could break loose on a tangent of his own.

"Because of my fucking work schedule. Two jobs and a side gig sometimes takes up pretty much all of my time here. And don't worry about the language, I swear like a sailor."

Barry nodded his head and his face held knowledge as if he understood how it felt to have little time to do anything else but go to one job after the other. Based on his shoes alone, wrapped with duct tape and patches on his coat, the blonde assumed Barry was in the same boat as she was. It almost made her wonder if he even worked more than she did. On closer inspection, the kid looked tired and overworked.

"Again, I'm just lucky that you're my partner, Grace. I mean who would have guessed little ol' me a criminal justice major would have a class with an engineer," Barry laughed, keeping the conversation light.

"you're not lucky to have me as a partner."

"Hmm?" Barry hummed, cocking his head to the side like a dog would if you whistled at it or if the animal didn't understand a command.

However, Grace never had the chance to respond, because the college radio broadcast, that the communication majors, started to sound off, and on a near building, a large projector lined the side of a building giving the presenter an actual audience as the audio started to play through the campus wide speaker system.

"Rumor has it that, yet, another sighting of Superman was seen just a few hours ago, even though the superhuman hero was confirmed dead just two and a half months ago. People are still holding out hope worldwide that Superman is still among us…"

Grace snorted through her nose and looked away from the projection of the girl on camera who was trying a little too hard to look pretty with the mountain of makeup she had on.

"On top of the death of this hero, crime has risen, not just in Metropolis, but right here in our own Gotham to exponential amounts. The lackadaisical mood of our hooded, mysterious vigilante Batman seems to have also disappeared after Superman's death… Or maybe there is just too much evil now for him to combat when the hero of our world passed."

The practicing news anchor switched to another topic, Barry tore his eyes away from the projection on the building and returned to the conversation he was having with Grace before they were interrupted. However, it seemed as if that conversation would linger in the past given the look of anger on Grace's face.

"What do you think… about the whole… Superman thing?" Barry asked gesturing in the air with his hands as if the vague motions would help get his ideas across better.

Without missing a beat, and looking straight into the brunet's dark eyes, Grace responded plainly, but a hint of confidence on her tone as if not to question her words.

"I'm just glad that there is one less metahuman on this planet. One less one to worry about."

Grace never let Barry reply to her, and instead, shoved her helmet on, not caring about the way her hair was scratching at her neck. She needed to get out of here. She needed to clear her head and a long drive would give her the clarity she needed before having to deal with the assholes at work. The blonde knew that with her putting her helmet on, she had made it awkward again between the two of them. The only thing Grace could think was: good. The less she had to care about the relationships in her life and the less people she had to interact with, the better. At least, in her opinion. Not paying any more attention to Barry and being slightly rude in hoped the brunet would get the message, Grace kicked the clutch of her bike and turned the key, making her bike come alive with a monstrous roar that quickly died down. The sound was enough to drown everything else out though.

That's why Grace never caught the last thing Barry said to her. However, when she looked up through the shield of her full headed helmet, she saw a slight blush on Barry's cheeks. She thought that maybe their conversation had led somewhere she was unfamiliar with, or this was how he acted when a conversation became awkward but looking past Barry's shoulder she finally saw the culprits of the offense: frat guys. Barry looked down at his shoes with the frat guys' comments and laughter, and when Barry turned to look at what they wanted instead of ignoring them some more, they started to make obscene sexual gestures and kissing motions towards Barry. This caused the brunet's face to get even redder, and it was almost like he was rooted in place by these idiots.

Grace knew that she shouldn't get involved, but seeing Barry like the way he was, she couldn't let it slide. She should just walk away. She knew that the jackoffs were just teasing Barry to try and get a reaction out of him, and she knew that these frat guys were among the many others who refused to leave high school. However, something just snapped inside of her, and it pissed her off seeing someone treated the way those assholes were treating Barry. To Grace, the motor of her bike started to turn more into a grumble and her ears started to tune out the nose, giving her the ability to hear more of what was going on around her.

The blonde could make out what they were saying to Barry, and it made her cringe. The more that the frat guys spoke, the more uneasy Barry was getting. They were saying things along the lines that he could finally get some, that he wouldn't end up being a virgin for the rest of his life, and that he finally grew a pair, but they were hoping that he just didn't ruin it by wetting himself because he was talking to a girl. It took everything in Grace not to get off her bike and punch the idiots saying that shit to Barry. However, she knew that if she was the one who started the fight, it would be her ass on the line. She didn't have daddy's money to back her up, and she needed to keep a clean record because if she didn't the university wouldn't hesitate to take away the very little amount of money they were giving her for school.

Grace returned her gaze onto Barry who refused to meet her eyes. She didn't want to get in the middle of whatever was going on, but again, refused to let someone get picked on like this. It wasn't right. So, she did the only thing she could think of.

"You need a ride out of here? I got an extra helmet."

Barry just shook his head no and Grace didn't fully believe that he was telling the truth or that she heard him. Sighing, she looked between Barry and the frat boys and decided that she could play being the hot girl people wanted to hit on. Grace shifted in her seat and turned the bike off, pulling out her old, beat up flip phone, and handed it to Barry. He finally looked up at her with confusion written on his face.

"What is this for?"

"Your number," Grace said, loud enough for the antagonizing idiots to hear.

"You want my number?" Barry asked, shock clearly present in his voice.

"I need it… we are partners, aren't we?"

Grace watched as the thought finally registered on Barry's face. His features went from surprised to a weird and funny smile as he flipped open Grace's phone and took his time trying to figure out how to input his number to her contacts.

"I haven't seen a phone like this in ages."

"Yeah well, it was cheap, and I got it when I lived on one of the Alaskan islands. Don't fix what ain't broke, as I like to say."

"You lived in Alaska?"

Grace immediately stopped talking and cleared her throat, dropping her gaze to her hands. She screwed up. She didn't want this Barry character to know anything about her and here she was, trying to get comfortable with someone who would evidently just let her down in the long run.

"Yeah. I did."

"Cool," was Barry's only response, still trying to focus on pressing each number on the pad individually.

Grace nodded at him and changed her focus point to where the frat guys were. They all seemed to have retreated for a moment, some with flashes of anger on their faces. That was probably because Grace had refused to give her number to one of them last semester. After that he was pissed, and apparently, Barry was also his, and his friend's punching bag. But, it seemed as if she gave Barry an out, a way that they could stop teasing him because he did what they couldn't: he got her number. Thinking about it, Grace realized that Barry was actually the first person here while she had been attending school who had her number. Barry finally finished with inputting his number and handed the device back to Grace.

"I'll message you with my info later, I just gotta get going."

"No worries, sounds like a good plan to me."

"Okay then."

"Grace?"

"Yeah?" Grace paused, giving her attention to Barry before kick-starting her bike again.

"I'm looking forward to working with you and I'll see you Wednesday."

Grace gave him a nod in response, and as Barry gave her a half-hearted salute, causing the blonde to chuckle at the kid's antics. Barry smiled when he heard he made Grace laugh, the embarrassment of earlier slowly fading from his thoughts, at least, for the time being. With that, Grace kicked the clutch and kicked up the stand on her bike, lifting a hand to wave goodbye before zooming out of the parking lot, never noticing that Barry's smile faltered when she pealed out onto the road.

When Barry handed Grace back her phone, he thought it was his eyes playing tricks on him and he didn't want to say anything. However, when Grace waved goodbye to him, he was positive in what he saw. Grace's hands were scarred to the point where the skin was still malformed on her palms. Many questions arose in his head, but he knew better than to ask them, knowing that maybe Grace would come to tell him in due time.

"You're late."

Grace jogged into the mechanic's shop with a hustle to her step, ruffling her hair with her hand as she strolled in. She looked a little out of breath and realized that her scenic route on her bike took a lot longer than she was anticipating, but it was a great way to clear her mind. If she couldn't have the sea anymore, at least she could feel the freedom of the wind rushing against her face as she was bound to land.

"Oh, fuck off Jimmie."

"You know, I'm not going to tolerate this behavior any longer, and is that really a way a lady should speak?"

Grace laughed, throwing her helmet behind the counter and then flipping it upwards to let herself in. It caused Jimmie to stand up and he was about to say something, but Grace walked right passed him, shrugging off her leather jacket and getting into her stereotypical mechanic's garb with her name etched into the lapel of her shirt. Granted, at least here, they called her Sanibel, not Grace, and that was what was stitched in her shirt. It made getting clients a lot easier. The name brought them in and her feminine attributes was what gave her an extra tip. That, and being the only one who could do what she did, female or not.

"I'm the best mechanic you got, boss-man. And as you have noticed already, I ain't no lady."

Jimmie rolled his eyes at her and shuffled around the little backroom as if he was looking for something that was on fire. To Grace, the man always seemed neurotic, but everyone as Grace came to realize in a short time of being here, cope with issues in their own way. Grace became well, more recluse and standoffish to deal with her shit, and Jimmie, he became a worry wart.

"Yeah, well that is the only reason why you are still working here… why I don't fire you even though you were late.'

"Almost late and you know just as well as I do that your pay for us is shit, and everyone else that works here does too."

"Then why the fuck you here?"

"And who is the beautiful lady here now?" Grace cracked, smiling as Jimmie looked at her with malice.

She started laughing and held up her hands as if she wasn't guilty and shimmied her way out onto the floor through a plexiglass door. It was a way to keep the customers up front and away from the area of work. Liability issues and shit, or at least that was what Jimmie told her.

"Wow, look who decided to finally show up for work!"

"Yeah, look who is talking. You should be nice to me, I've covered your shift the past few days. You should be thanking me, not harassing me, jackass."

"Ouch, that hurt my feelings."

"You deserved it Mateo," the big African-American male with dark dreadlocks in the back said, taking Grace's side.

Grace nodded her head smiling, and gave him a fist-bump, the male returning the action.

"Not fair, I can't have both you and Sanibel ganging up on me here."

"Well, you know Lil' Jon doesn't pick fights he can't win… and I'm sorry but I'm the one who is going to win here… I mean with your little size and all…"

"Who you calling small, chica? I'll have you know that they guys down at the gym fear that I'll kick their ass on the mats. You know from watching some of my street fights how lethal I can be—"

"As lethal as a cat with no claws trying to capture a mouse."

"That's a good one," Grace nodded giving a thumbs up to Lil' Job with his quip.

"I hate you two, you know that?"

"I mean how can you hate us when you even said yourself that you are small," and with that Grace held up her pinky and Lil' Jon lost it when Mateo finally got the joke and his face turned bright red.

"Now hold on a minute!"

However, Grace and Lil' Jon didn't listen to the Hispanic man and instead, Grace pulled Lil' Jon over to the side, asking him if he had anything for her to work on.

"I want a challenge this time."

"You know for normal people; these street bikes sometimes are a challenge."

"Heh, but you know me, I am anything but normal."

"Amen to that," Mateo chimed in, and Grace was tempted to say that no one asked him, but she figured to let him have this win.

She did, just moments ago, make fun of his manhood. The two had slept together when she first started working here, but both knew that it was just going to be a fling. They were working long nights and it just happened. Grace needed to share the warmth of another body, and Mateo was getting over the split he had with his baby momma. He was getting ready to propose to her when he found that she was cheating on him with another one of the people he was in a gang in. To top it all off, he also found that she was using not too much longer later. That was why both Grace and Lil' Jon laughed so hard over the comment Grace made. Grace was happy though, because coming to work the next day it didn't make her and Mateo any different, and it seemed to strengthen their relationship to the point where they were borderline friends.

Mateo ran with one of the bigger gangs in Gotham and Grace knew that he got into some shit, but he was a good man. If given the opportunity, he would talk your ear off about his three-year-old daughter's last dance performance. He was a good father, and Grace could appreciate that. He was in some bad things, and life handed him a deck of cards and dealt a hand of shit, but he made it work, and he let none of it touch his daughter. He even hired someone to take over a case for him to try and get full custody of his daughter. It was a hard-uphill battle, especially being on two strikes as it was, but he would do anything for his little girl. That was why Grace had covered for him earlier, he was in court trying to get his daughter out of a bad situation with her junkie of a mother.

Lil' Jon on the other hand, was anything but. He was your stereotypical large black man, probably about six, four and built like a linebacker. He was the type of guy most people would call the cops on just for walking along the same side of the street they were on. Grace didn't know why he decided to come to Gotham or why he stayed here, but she did know a few things about the man. He rarely spoke, especially about himself, but he couldn't pass up teasing someone or getting in a few hazing remarks here and there. Grace learned through the months of working here that Lil' Jon had been in the army, and the name that he went by was actually what they called him in the military because of his size. His real name was Jonathan and is in recovery from dealing with some major PTSD.

There are times here at the shop where things would get a little sketchy with the man, but no one asked any questions. They just let Lil' Jon deal with his issues in his own way. Taking breaks and doing meditative things. Grace always figured that this job was a blessing in disguise for Lil' Jon. Jimmie was a pain in the ass, but he was loyal. Apparently, they knew each other before Lil' Jon shipped out and did a few tours, and when Jimmie heard that his friend couldn't hold down a job and that most people didn't want to deal with someone who was mentally ill, he brought him under his wing. Lil' Jon still has issues sometimes, but every day is a stepping stone.

Which also struck Grace as weird. Jimmie was an old Asian dude who looked like he was in his mid-twenties but was actually close to his late fifties. She had no clue how he met Lil' Jon, unless it was in passing. Jimmie used to run with the Yakuza here in Gotham, and every now again, Grace would sneak a peek when the man was changing, and she could see the spiraling dragons stemming from his back and down his arms. It was a beautiful piece of artwork, but every time Jimmie would cover it up. It was probably one of the conditions of being an ex-communicated gang member. Mateo told her once that Jimmie was trying to repay his debts to society, especially since a rival slaughtered his wife and kid in front of him. At least he was still alive when he got out and decided to do something with his life, like starting up his own business in the terms of a mechanic shop.

"Anyway, yeah, I guess if you want you can go fix up the mustang we got in this morning while you were at class."

Grace grabbed the keys and headed towards the beautiful white mustang with blue racing stripes on it. She popped the hood of the car and started to examine the engine. Most people came to the shop because Jimmie didn't cost the area an arm and a leg to get something fixed here. Plus, now with Grace here, everyone in the shop could make a little on the side. Once the word got out that there was someone here that could format things under the hood to give the machine the kick it needed for street racing, it was never a dull moment. Or at least, it shouldn't be, but after putting together her pet project, it was hard to see people just wanting a few tweaks to their ride when Grace knew they could be so much more.

"So, you free tonight?"

Grace didn't look up knowing that Mateo came over and leaned up against the side of the car, peering under the hood to see what had Grace's focus.

"Why, you looking for a warm body? I mean if you swing by the bar later, I could probably find a hooker for you or something, but then again, you may not be their taste."

"Haha. Very funny. You did sleep with me before—on multiple occasions, may I remind you. So, any insult you have to me about my sex life actually just backfires on you."

"Does it now? That is very interesting… I mean I 'm not the one who is trying to constantly make up for their short man syndrome—"

"Okay, okay, enough."

"Party pooper. But anyway, what's up? I got my shift at the bar across the street tonight, but after that I'm free. You get me another race?"

"Yeah, that is exactly it…"

Grace looked up from under the hood, hearing Mateo's hesitancy.

Grace wiped her hands on her shirt and placed them on her hips giving her coworker her undivided attention.

"What's the catch here?"

"Okay, so the pot is gonna be real great—"

"And?"

"And… well… there is apparently some heat that is going into it…"

"You know I don't do the fucking cops, Mateo," Grace said in an accusatory voice, while walking around the shop trying to find the size wrench she needed.

Might as well talk and try to find what she needed; two birds one stone.

"You could get five grand if you win tonight, Sanibel," Mateo harshly whispered, "And I know you are strapped for cash."

Grace stopped moving around the shop and stilled, shuffling her weight from one foot to the other.

"I know you don't do cops, but here, just, take the location okay. You can always change your mind later."

"You know damn well if I take that piece of paper, I'm in."

"Well, that's up to you. I know you're not one to back out of a challenge—"

"Why you wanna ride bitch again and split the money, adrenaline junkie."

Mateo rolled his at Grace's comment and pulled forth a folded-up piece of paper.

"Who you callin' an adrenaline junkie, junkie. I know it's about more than just the money."

Grace looked down at his hand and grumbled before taking the piece of paper. She nodded her head and said a quick thanks to Mateo. When they went their separate ways working on their own projects, Grace looked around before opening the piece of paper. It had a starting location and a time for three thirty in the morning. Mateo was right about one thing, she did need the cash, but she needed to feel the freedom of riding with no laws or rules even more. She wasn't planning on it tonight, but she guessed after her closing shift at the bar, she was going to enter another street race. Without thinking about it, Grace touched the golden trident and the pearl around her neck, saying a simple prayer to her father to keep her safe as she knew how reckless the night was going to be.