Hogashinu Nikorasu sat in the window seat and stared out over the open land and cities of north eastern America. His brother Alex, who sat next to him, listened to his CD player silently and bopped his head. His cousin Motouji Meikeru, who sat closest to the outside, sat sleeping. They were on their way back home from Japan.

Nik had promised his mom that he would come home for the holidays this year. He hadn't come home the year before and now he just had to. Not to mention weather in Japan right now was nasty and he didn't want to be around it. He didn't expect the weather in New England to be much better.

He heard the voice of one of the stewardesses come on over the intercom, "Ladies and Gentleman, we will now be making our final descent to Baker International Airport. We appreciate you flying with us today and enjoy your stay."

Nik reached his arm over Al and shook Mei awake. He got up groggily and put on his restraint belt. The plane came down fast and landed quickly as well. Nik was glad.

Al looked at his brother, "Any Idea's on how to convince mom and dad to let me stay with you in Japan?"

Nik shook his head, "Show them your report card for one. Besides that, beg and plead."

"The great FC driver has no ideas."

Nik sighed, "The great FC driver is still in Japan with his FC."

"Oh yeah, what did they call you hear?"

Nik sighed as he felt the plane bump upon landing, "The Highland 240…"

Al nodded and looked at the look on his brother's face. He looked as if his puppy had just died and Nik didn't have a puppy. What was up with him today? He looked at him with a worried look on his face, "You ok?"

Nik nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Ok…"

The one reason Nik didn't like the window seat was getting out. It always took him forever. Eventually he followed Mei and Al out of the plane and into the main area. After clearing their passports they walked out and Nik immediately noticed the watchful eyes of his mother. When the crowd died down, his father, sister, and aunt came into view.

They walked over and met them happily. Mei met immediately with his mother and smiles arose from both of their faces. Al went immediately for his father. Nik hugged his mom with a smile and heard her voice clearly, "Welcome home Nick."

Nik smiled and then pulled away. He was immediately met by the arms of his thirteen year old sister, Hilary. He brought her close, "How've you been shorty?"

She smiled as she pulled away from her brother, "Good, you?"

"Same ol, same ol."

Then he met the man whom he stood two inches taller than, his father. He saw his dad's smile on his face as he hugged him, "Welcome home."

"Good to be home pop."

Then his dad took a bag from each of his sons as they made their way out to the parking lot. There stood three cars in a row. First was Mei's Mom's Pontiac Bonneville which held a black luster that had been given to it by the sun. Then came Nik's father's Jeep Grand Cherokee, his dad's old, beat-up, bundle of joy. Then Nik's eyes wandered upon his great, old friend.

His dad walked up behind him and handed him the keys, "She still runs great."

Nik took the keys and opened the trunk of his turbocharged Nissan 240SX. He put his bag in it and was soon met by his brother's bag ramming into his arm before it fell in the trunk. He watched as the blonde-haired punk stepped into the passenger seat. Nik looked ahead at Mei as he was about to step inside of the Bonneville, "See you on Thursday?"

Nik smiled, "Yup, see you then."

Nik heard the tires squeal as Mei pulled out of the lot. Then Nik looked at his father as he got into the drivers side of his car, "Look, be home within at least two hours. I remember what used to happen when you got behind the wheel of that thing."

Nik nodded with a smile and stepped into his driver's seat. He slowly put the key into the ignition and turned it. He heard the engine roar to life and all 290 horses come to life. He revved it up twice before pushing it into gear and peeling out of the lot with a smile. He was back home alright.

He accelerated onto the highway and pushed the car into fifth gear. He pulled off soon after and took the paved back roads all the way home. He knew every road all across Connecticut. He soon was on the way home but decided to stop for pizza at this small restaurant he knew.

Nik pulled in with his brother and parked the car next to a Ford pick-up. He got out and walked inside. Al picked a place to sit and ordered them a pepperoni pizza. Nik didn't mind, he was happy to have American pizza again.

As Nik and Al ate their pie, they heard a conversation going on behind them. It was between two guys who looked only about 20. They sounded like they were talking about a race.

The blonde haired one spoke first, "Hey, did you hear?"

The red head spoke after him, "About the race?"

"Yeah, I heard that the Black Roses are going up against Jesse's Thunder team."

"Yeah, there no doubt going for turf. The Black Roses have almost every good run taken over from here to the mass line."

"No doubt on who's racing for Roses. Who do you think is gonna run for Thunder?"

"Jesse in his Integra probably. I've heard ever since the Highland 240 left, no one can really hold up a solid run on the lake."

"Yeah, but that 240 was just a legend."

"No, my brother saw one of his races a few years ago."

"Really? Wow, he must have been amazing."

"Yeah, I wonder where he went. He wasn't much older than us so I don't know."

"Yeah, surprising how the best rally driver in town just up and disappeared."

"Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it though."

"How can I not? I don't want the lake to be turned over to Roses so easily."

"What can we do about it?"

Nik smiled at the fact that he was remembered but who the hell could these new drivers be. Taking over turf was something that seemed a little dominant. He shook it off and finished off another piece of Pizza. They watched as the two guys walked out to the Chevy Cavalier they had and watched them drive off. Nik thought to himself, 'Black Roses…?'

Nik and Al got home one minute before seven o'clock. They saw their parents had finished dinner and saw no sign of Haley. His mom told him that she had gone out. Nik walked up behind Al and walked into the pa….

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY ROOM!"

Nik's mom came rushing up the stairs, "Nick, what's wrong?"

"My…my room…it's so clean…"

Al looked back at him as he through his bag onto their couch, "It wasn't me."

Nik's mom sighed, "We cleaned it while you two were away. It's the only way we knew it would stay like this."

Nik sighed, "Ma, don't clean my room without my permission."

"Nick, you live half way around the world."

"You could at least call and ask…"

His mother sighed again and walked down stairs. Nik through his bag into a corner and stretched himself out on his old lower bunk. He watched as Al's lowers legs disappeared as he scooted his body onto the top bunk. Nik smiled and closed his eyes. He was home…

-

She stood at the starting line and looked over at Jesse's team as they pulled up to the line. Jesse's Integra came right to the starting line. She got into her 911 GT and pulled it up to the line next to him. She looked back at the multiple dark colored cars that the rest of her teammates had and then back at her opponents Blue Acura.

Her mind wandered to the thoughts about his car, 'Acura Integra with what sounds like a turbo upgrade. I'd mark it at around 220 horsepower. Then if you account for the drivers skill, or lack there of, I'd consider this race to be easy.'

A deep, sexy smile crept to her face. Her voice was clear and sultry, "You ready?"

Jesse grunted lightly and then nodded as he got into the driver's seat of his car. She continued smiling and stepped into her own driver's seat. She revved up the engine and then smiled at the satisfaction she got from its over-whelming power. She let it rumble one more time before it settled and she shifted into first gear.

She and Jesse waited as a member of the Thunder's came up to the line and started the count down. She looked down the road and made her way off the line at one. The race was on and she knew it was over before it even started…

-

Nik sat on his bed in a subconscious state that was broken by the sound of his brother, "Are you gonna go check out the race?"

"Yeah." Nik's head tipped over onto his pillow and his eyes wandered to the clock that was right next to his bed, "I still got another hour before ten, then race time."

Al smiled, "Races round here start at nine dude."

Nik's eyes widened and he rolled out of bed onto his feet. He picked searched around on his night table as Al rolled off of his bed, "Give me a sec while I get dressed."

Nik found them and ran out the door, "No time!"

Al looked down the stairs his brother rushed down, "You're not wearing any pants!"

Nik yelled back as he ran out the door, "Won't matter as long as I stay in the car!"

Nik slid into the velvet seats in his 240 and started the engine. He revved it twice and started down his hill. He wasn't that far from the starting line and he knew he could find a good vantage point. He knew this road like the back of his hand.

-

She drifted through the first corner and accelerated at the end, only increasing her lead over the Acura Integra. She turned her wheel lightly to the right and accelerated past the watching spectators. She was really putting on a show instead of racing.

She made it to the top of the small hill and she saw lights coming down from the side road. She sighed and went towards the next continuous set of corners. She drifted wide and then tightened up on the outside of the next turn and she cut off the car that was coming down. She didn't care much. It was just a stupid guy who should watch what he's doing.

-

Nik slammed on the brakes when he saw the red blur go past him and around the next corner. What was that guy thinking? Nik laid down hard on the accelerator and went after him. He wasn't gonna let someone take advantage of him on his turf.

Nik handled the upcoming left easily and then reverse drifted around the next corner. This course was all about surprising corners. If you didn't know the course well, you would easily end up in the bottom of the lake. Nik took the next peak hairpin easily and then saw the headlights disappear around the next hard right.

Nik took the right and then accelerated around the light left and got onto a straight. He could see the car ahead of him clearly now. It was a Porsche. He got cut off by a Porsche. Now he was getting pissed…

-

She looked in her rearview mirror and saw headlights, something she wasn't expecting. Even more surprising was the fact that they didn't belong the Integra. They looked like they belonged to an MR2 or a 240.

She accelerated harder along the straight but this guy wouldn't let up. Then she took the hard left and then she was nearly caught by the 240. It was even closer now. It had been barley any distance since this guy started following her and he had caught up by now. Who was he?

Her car approached the next wide turn and she hugged the inside of the turn. Her follower followed her through while still hugging the turn. He wasn't trying to pass. He was just following.

-

Nik accelerated around and then kept on the Porsche tight. He was right behind him and kept drafting in order to keep up his speed. This was a long straight so he'd just have to deal with it.

The lake run was basically a lot of corners until the halfway point then a straightaway with a lot of light curves. Then a few more turns at the end before the finished off.

Nik didn't mind drafting. He could really get under the drivers skin by doing something like this. No it was all a matter of finishing up the run right behind her. It's not like it was a race or anything…