AN: Okay. Finished. Not as fluffy or funny as the first two chapters, but at least it's finished. Sorry for fizzling out, but the Funny is not as easy as it looks. Back to angst for me. Hope you enjoy.

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"What's for dinner, Mom?" Seth entered the kitchen with his headphones draped around his neck.

"I have a business dinner. You guys will have to fend for yourself…" Kirsten replied, not turning around from the sink.

"Are you still mad?"

"Why don't you go ask Ryan? He's still in the driveway working on your father's car," Kirsten snapped.

Seth barely contained his chuckle before his mother turned and glared at him.

"Yeah, you think it's funny. But I had already made a call to a dealership so I could buy you and Ryan a car. Since I thought you were ready to take the responsibility for one…"

Seth's mouth was gaping.

"But that was before you left Ryan in the driveway to do all the work. Now, I'm convinced of you immaturity again and you won't be getting a car unless it's for graduation. I hope you're proud of yourself…"

"Mom, wait, you didn't say anything…"

"I know. I was going to surprise you." She gave him a false smile. "Surprise." She turned and left him standing in the kitchen.

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Sandy felt guilty. Kirsten hadn't spoken to him since she'd stormed into the house earlier. It was just supposed to be a joke. She'd walked past his office a few minutes earlier in one of her 'business dresses' as he called them and he remembered that she had an important meeting with one of her business partners tonight. When he'd asked her if he needed to get dressed, she hadn't answered.

He was really on her list today.

He'd thought that Ryan would recognize the wires as not belonging to the car right away. Ryan took things too seriously, at least, that's what Seth had told him when they'd come up with the plan.

Sandy got up and followed his nose into the kitchen. He found his son standing by the microwave.

"What's for dinner?"

"I'm warming up some of Rosa's pasta from last night. Looks like you're on Mom's shit list…and before you say it, I know I'm not supposed to say 'shit', but it's appropriate," Seth muttered, motioning to the couch where Sandy's pillow and blanket were balled up.

"Damn. Where's Ryan?"

"Still out front, according to Mom," Seth said.

"Have you talked to him?"

"He grunted at me when I asked him if he wanted me to make him something."

"That's it?"

"Well, he threw a tool of some kind when I got too close," Seth added.

"Ouch."

"Oh no, he didn't hit me. His aim's awful this time of day," Seth shrugged.

"I'll give it a try," Sandy said, walking toward the door.

Ryan was sliding from beneath the car when Sandy stepped out. He had a light powered by an extension cord in his hand and he was filthy.

"Hey, kid."

"Sandy. Can you hold this?" Ryan held out the light and Sandy took it from him gingerly to avoid the grease. Ryan pushed himself to his feet and began to pick up the gathered tools.

"How'd you learn so much about cars?" Sandy asked.

"Trey."

"Really? Your brother taught you?"

Ryan glanced at him with a shrug.

"Ryan…"

"My brother taught me a lot of things. How to drive, how to ride a bike, how to tie my shoes. Stealing a car wasn't his first lesson."

"Oh. I…"

"Your car is officially tuned. I'll see you tomorrow," Ryan stated flatly, having refilled the toolbox and set it to the side.

"Wait, aren't you going to eat something?"

"Well, contrary to what you and Seth may have thought, I did have things to do today. Now, I have things to do tonight." Ryan softened his tone and patted Sandy on the back. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you tomorrow."

Sandy watched Ryan walk around the edge of the house before going through the front door.

"Ooh, Ryan got you," Seth said immediately.

"What?"

"Your back. There's a big handprint on your back."

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Kirsten's anger faded overnight and the next morning, she was at least answering Sandy's questions with one word answers. Seth informed them that he needed a ride to school because Ryan had left before breakfast to go to the library.

"I think the kid's pretty mad at us," Sandy said to Seth while they were all getting coffee.

"I don't know. I think he's worried about that paper he has due in Dr. Jenkins' class today."

"What? He had a paper due and you…"

"Stop, Mom," Seth raised his hands in surrender. "I have already apologized to Ryan for taking advantage of his manly knowledge…"

"Did you apologize for putting those fake wires out there?" Kirsten asked. Seth dropped his coffee cup. Rosa scurried in to clean up, chattering in Spanish and swatting at him.

"Kirsten…" Sandy started.

"He figured it out after he'd taken the engine apart," She said, turning to face them. "And I have never been more disappointed in you two." She walked out of the kitchen.

"Here we go again. I think it's going to take more than some apologizing to fix this," Sandy said. "You ready for school?"

"Yeah," Seth picked up his backpack and followed his father to the car.

Sandy got in and the car started on the first try.

"Sounds good," Sandy nodded.

"Ryan is a mechanical genius. I'll be sure and grovel that to him when I see him."

"Maybe I'll bring you guys some lunch. A peace offering," Sandy said.

"Dad, parents showing up at school? Not exactly going to help our popularity," Seth muttered.

"Do you hear that?" Sandy asked. Something was rattling loudly.

"Yeah…what do you think that is?" Seth asked, listening closely.

"You're asking me?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry."

"I'm going to take it to the shop today, just in case," Sandy said.

"You think Ryan broke it?"

"I doubt it. He really seemed to know what he was doing," Sandy replied.

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The rattling didn't get any worse and the car was driving okay so Sandy didn't take it to the shop after dropping Seth off. There was no rattle when the car was stopped but as soon as it was moving, it was incessant.

He was only about five minutes from his office when he heard a different sound. Chirping. Something in his car was chirping.

He wouldn't panic, it was surely nothing. He waited until he parked the car to investigate. Every few moments there would be a chirping sound.

He saw something crawling across his backseat and reached out to swat it but it hopped away.

There was a cricket in his car. Dammit. He was going to kill Kirsten.

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Kirsten got off work early and arrived home shortly after four. Sandy's car was parked in the driveway with all the doors open. He was vacuuming out the seats and was oblivious to Rosa's angry chattering from the door.

"Rosa?"

"He is trying to suck up crickets…he's lost his mind, why would there be crickets in his car?" Rosa said in English before throwing her hands up and walking back into the house.

Kirsten smiled and followed the housekeeper back into the house.

"Mr. Cohen has gone loco. He insists that there are bugs in his car and he's had the vacuum out there for over an hour and I need to finish…" Rosa started.

Kirsten laughed and patted Rosa on the back. "Don't worry about vacuuming, Rosa, I'll take care of it."

Rosa narrowed her eyes as she regarded Kirsten. "You know about the crickets?"

"You can get twenty for two dollars at the pet store. He'll never find them all," She whispered.

Rosa smiled. "Ah." Her gaze hardened after a beat. "If the vacuum starts to chirp, I might not find it as funny."

"It's worth it to see his face," Kirsten laughed.

Rosa nodded. "True."

"Are the boys home?"

"Seth is out with his little girlfriend. Ryan is sleeping, I think. In his room."

"Thanks." She walked outside toward the poolhouse and laughed to herself as she heard the vacuum running. She knocked on the door and when there was no answer, she stepped inside.

"Ryan?"

He was asleep on the bed with a book spread open across his chest. She turned to leave, but he woke up.

"Hey, Kirsten…"

"Hey. Have you eaten today?"

"I had lunch," He yawned. "What's up?"

"Just checking on you."

"Did you see Sandy in the driveway?" Ryan asked with a lazy smile.

"Yeah. Something about crickets?"

Ryan chuckled. "I thought Rosa was going to smack him when he told her that he had bugs in his car."

"One of my friends in college did that to an ex-boyfriend, he finally had to buy a new car. They multiply."

Ryan laughed. "It was a much better idea than mine…"

"What'd you do?"

"I'm not telling," Ryan smirked.

"Oh, come on…please?"

"Nope." Ryan got to his feet and tossed his book aside.

"Ryan, I really am sorry about yesterday," Kirsten said.

"It's not your fault. And it's all in fun, right? Remember when Seth found out I could play cards? It was three days before he stopped following me. It's no big deal," Ryan smiled.

"But…what did you do to the car?" Kirsten asked, following him out onto the patio.

"I fixed it. Really," Ryan smiled.

It was a month before the mechanics at the dealership found the rock that Ryan had placed in Sandy's hubcap.

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