Velocity Shift

by tempest-races

There are moments in everyone's life that define who they are. In a world of glitz and glamour clashing with dark alleys and shady characters, these moments either make or break you. Or sometimes they make you shift your reality.

10. So Complicated

Velocity Shift

By TempestRaces

Chapter 9 – So Complicated

"Storm, open this damn door! I know you're in there!"

Taylor came to with a moan, disorientated as to where he was. His first thought was that his shoulder was on fire. Every time he moved even a fraction of an inch, such as every breath he took, a searing pain pierced right through him from the front wound to the back. The rest of his body was still curled around the gently snoring Storm in a protective shell. He thought as he laid there that he actually liked the feeling of her hair on his chin. It smelled comforting to him in his pain. He lifted his head off her pillow with a grunt and looked around her room.

Her walls were a deep red, the trim and doors a brilliant and true white, done in high gloss paint. Model cars filled a white gloss shelf on one wall, the door to a walk in closet stood open, revealing custom shelving units filled with clothes and a rack of various boots and shoes. Clothes were on the floor of the closet as well, not hung up but strewn all over the place, some in piles some not. More clothes marked the path from the bathroom to the tall boy on the opposite wall, back to the closet. She had a big screen TV in an entertainment centre off in an alcove at the foot of the bed. And what a bed. Taylor couldn't help but muse that it wasn't a bed made for sleeping in alone, a king sized sleigh bed covered in red Egyptian cotton sheets with a white down duvet. The patio doors had filmy white curtains that were echoed on the windows that adjoined the door, leaving the back wall of her room consisting solely of windows and creating a whole wall of daylight. The windows had blinds but in the chaos of last evening it was clear Storm had forgotten to close them, freeing the bright midmorning sun to fill the room with golden light. It was obviously a beautiful fall day out.

"Stormianna Demaret, open this damn door. Come on baby girl, let me in! You ok in there?" The knocking resumed.

Taylor recognized Matty's voice on the second call, realizing Matty's shouts and knocking were what had woken him. He didn't want Matty waking his sister or bringing the rest of the house down to find out why Storm wouldn't open her door. He got out of the bed and stopped to pull his now dry jeans on as he hopped to the door, pulling up his pants as he went, cussing softly under his breath. He didn't want anything to wake Storm. He didn't know if it was because he thought she needed her sleep or more because he didn't want to find out if she was going to hold yesterday against him farther in the light of a new day. Of course he really didn't want to talk to Matty either. Taylor knew f he ever caught anyone in bed with his sister, if he had one, that man would wind up on a milk carton. Taylor only hopped Matty wasn't in the mood to create missing persons.

Taylor cracked the door, one black eye peeking out as he confirmed Matty was there alone. One large, brown arm snaked out and hauled Matty into the room. The smaller man fell through the opened door, stumbling over his own feet as he tripped through the doorway with a look that was purely startled, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open in shock. Taylor quickly closed the door behind Matty's ungraceful entrance and looked at his friend. Matty was staring at Taylor with a stupefied look on his face. After staring with a dumb look on his face for a moment he found his voice.

"Man, it's bad enough you're dating my sister. Do you have to…to…" Matty fought a very unsophisticated blush when his thoughts drifted off toward the gutter. "In the room she grew up in. That I watched her play in?"

"Damn Matty, you can't think that I'd…That'd we'd…" It was not a subject Taylor wanted to talk about with Matty. Not when the girl in question was his precious baby sister, and sleeping no more then 12 feet away. "I came here-"

"Taylor, you got shot!" Matty noticed the white gauze with the vivid red center on Taylor's shoulder at that moment and it took his attention.

"Yeah, that's why I came here. Got shot up in Starrett City collecting for Teddy last night. I couldn't go to the hospital. I came to have Storm fix me up."

"Then you just never left?" Matty copied his sister's typical cocked eyebrow. It was a look that clearly asked 'why don't I believe you'.

"Something like that. I almost passed out at her feet getting up here. She was standing out on her patio in the pouring rain. It was strange Matty. It couldn't have been much more then 50 out last night, you know? And she was standing outside wearing next to nothing in the pouring rain. It was so cold it was almost freezing rain. She was pretty out of it. You know your father smacked her around yesterday?"

"Dad, hit Storm? Be serious Taylor!" Matty had known something bad had gone down, but he really didn't believe it could have anything to do with his father hitting Storm. The old man was too lenient with her to ever hit her, in Matty's eyes. He looked over at his sister and from where he was she looked ok.

Taylor gave Matty a shove in the direction of Storm's sleeping form. "Go check her out then."

They walked up to the bed, Taylor behind Matty. Matty looked down at his sister where she lay in her bed, one hand under her pillow and the other curled up under her chin. The bruise on her face was clear in the harsh morning sun.

"I'll kill him." Matty growled softly as he spun to leave the room and find his father. Taylor followed Matty to the door and stopped him before he could leave the room. "I'm gonna go find him."

"Why, so he can slap you around too? Don't you think if killin him was an option he'd be dead at my hands by now?" Taylor's eyes had a steel hard sheen to them and it was obvious that indeed if he thought he could get away with it Benny 'Chains' would be running unions in hell if Taylor saw a way to dispatch him to his final resting place.

"Christ Taylor! What can I do? I can't let him get away with this."

"Hate to say it Matty, but this is between Storm and her father."

"He must be expecting me to do somethin about it when I find out Taylor."

"Matty, just let it go. Storm'll work it out on her own. You won't help draggin it up again. If Benny hit her you think he'll think twice about smackin you?"

"Guess not. But she's a girl." Matty's tone showed the fact that Storm's gender made it incomprehensible to him that anyone would hit her.

"Yeah, but don't tell anyone." Taylor chuckled at his own joke. He knew Storm sure didn't want anyone treating her different because of her gender, and knew that she wouldn't want Matty saying it was wrong her father had hit her just for that reason either.

"No kidden. What a mess." Matty ran a hand through his hair and looked around the room.

"It gets better. I gotta get outta here, but I can't climb back down that drainpipe. How'm I gonna get outta this house and over to my van without running into anyone?"

"That's not a big deal. Dad left for Giando's some time yesterday after his fight with Storm and never came home. He has done that before, but I'd think this time it's because of what he did. In any case, he won't be home until tonight at this rate. I'll take you down and out the back gate."

"Ok, let's go." Taylor walked over to his tee shirt where it was discarded on the floor and pulled it on, despite the powder rimmed hole in the shoulder and the blood stains all over it.

"You not gonna wake her up to say good-bye first? You're not here when she wakes up you're like as not to wind up in a ditch some place." Matty smiled, but from the set of his mouth it was obvious he wasn't totally sure he was joking.

"I'll call her later. She needs to sleep."

"Ok, but I hope that bullet you took didn't hurt too much, you're likely to take another when she finds you."

"I'll take my chances. Let's go."

"It's your ass." Matty shrugged and followed Taylor out of the room down through the house, out the back door and across the lawn. He stopped Taylor at the back gate. "What are you gonna tell Teddy about why you never showed up last night with his money? He's gonna want to know who fixed you up."

"I'll tell him I know somebody. Don't worry Matty, I'll leave her out of it. I'll call you later, we'll pick up Scarpa and check out that divey pub Chris has been after us to go to."

"We'll see Taylor." Matty watched Taylor walk across the street toward his van. "Taylor?" Matty called. Taylor stopped walking in the middle of the road and turned around to face his friend.

"What?"

"Don't forget to call Storm. Don't forget, you got me?" Matty's dark gaze was unreadable. To Taylor the message was clear and just as bad as he'd figured. He was in over his head, there was going to be nothing casual about whatever it was between him and Storm Demaret.

"I won't Matty. I'll see you later."

"Take care." Even after his dire warning to Taylor about his sister Matty was still worried about Taylor and his health. Especially since Matty knew his uncle well enough to know that it was going to take one hell of a story to convince Teddy Deserve that Taylor just knew somebody who could stitch him up. If Teddy thought Taylor had gone to a hospital it was likely to get ugly.

Matty walked back into the house and back up to Storm's room. She was still asleep so Matty just closed her door over and went back to his own room.

xox

"Here's your money. Sorry I didn't make it last night but I was held up." Taylor hated playing humble to Teddy Deserve but if he wanted work he had very little choice. It wasn't that he was greedy, he could be happy with enough to keep the rent up on his place and his van on the road, but he had his mother to think of. Because of that he had to keep on Teddy's good side. Fact was Teddy paid better then pretty much anyone else he was likely to find in town.

"This isn't all of it." Teddy didn't even count the bills or look up at Taylor. He'd been handling stacks of cash for so long he knew the thickness of the roll he'd been handed didn't mesh with the amount he'd sent Taylor out to get.

"No, Carlos Gerardo decided he'd rather shoot me then pay up." Taylor pulled his jacket back off his shoulder to show the bloody, torn tee shirt underneath. Teddy looked up for that. "He ran faster then I could bleeding down my arm."

"He pulled a gun on you?" Teddy asked, and Taylor saw where Storm had picked up her cocked eyebrow.

"Yeah, I went to punch his teeth straight for him and before I knew it he had a gun in my face. Just missed takin one to the head." Taylor smirked to show that he had never been afraid in any case and hauled his jacket back up to hide the blood and mess of his shirt.

"That a bandage I see under there?"

"Yeah." Knowing that Teddy wasn't going to be happy until he saw proof Taylor had really been injured he ripped his shirt and took the bandage off, revealing five neat black sutures in his creamy skin.

"Got the matching set too, one just like it on my back to keep it even." Taylor smiled mockingly. "9mm if I don't miss my guess."

"Hey Clueless!" Teddy called back to his main hired goon.

"Yeah boss?"

"I never want to hear about Carlos Gerardo again, you get me?"

"Yeah boss, understood." Billy 'Clueless' Nascarella turned to the phone behind him and started placing calls.

"Well, that takes care of that. Now who fixed up your shoulder? They do nice work."

"Friend of mine fixed me up. Keeps stuff at home for take care of shit for me when I need it. Can't go to the hospital right?"

"Right. You sure your friend will keep their mouth shut?" Teddy asked, calm voice nothing but a pleasant veneer on the true evil beneath.

"Yeah, no sweat there. No one will ever hear a word. You need anything else Teddy?"

"No."

Taylor turned to leave the room. He was almost to the door home free when Teddy called out and halted his progress.

"Taylor!"

"Yeah boss?" Taylor answered without turning around, his hand on the doorknob.

"You tell my niece she does nice work."

Taylor turned around, fighting to keep his panic out of his voice. How the fuck did Teddy know? "I didn't know who else to go to Teddy. Knew she kept the stuff around her house 'cause she told Matty." Taylor knew lying would be the biggest mistake he could make. If he lied, and got caught he'd never been seen again. There was always the slight chance that Teddy already knew for a fact he'd been with Storm last night and was just testing him to see if he'd try to lie or not. Nothing was ever for sure with Teddy Deserve.

"Nothing to worry about Taylor. Better her then some drop in clinic when the wrong person's around and starts asking questions. Take a few days off, rest up. I'll let you know when I have need of your services again."

"Sure, you know how to find me." Taylor left the room as quick as he could without looking like he was running away. Teddy not having anything to say about him running to Storm was not a good thing. Taylor had always known Teddy Deserve was one sharp man, but never as sharp as to guess that it'd been Storm who'd fixed him up. Taylor had no idea how his boss had figured that out, but Teddy's ok attitude only spelled trouble for him and he knew it.

xox

Teddy watched the door close behind his hired tough guy. He knew very well that his niece had gotten it into her head to have Taylor Reese for her own, and for now it suited Teddy to let them think that everything was ok with that. In the end they would be split but for now Taylor did a credible job of controlling Storm and Teddy needed the nosey, bossy girl out of his hair for the foreseeable future. He had a job for Matty, one his sister would never let him take on and Teddy needed Matty on board. However, when all was said and done Teddy had a better, more permanent way to control his headstrong niece. One that suited her station in the life more so then Taylor Reese ever would.

But if Storm had Taylor to keep her busy she'd be less likely to question Matty too hard and Matty could be convinced it made sense to keep certain things from his sister, if he was told it was all in her best interest.

Teddy was a master at manipulating people. It was how he'd gotten as far as he had in the life and why he was still alive. The only person he'd ever had trouble manipulating had been his sister, Cara, but she was gone from his life. Left behind a daughter the mirror image of herself in both looks and personality though. Storm could end up just as big a thorn in his side as his sister had been. How Benny Demaret had never been treated to Cara's attitude Teddy would never know. That went double for how the boss man put up with his own headstrong offspring. Having watched Taylor make Storm meter her tongue without starting a war Teddy knew the two of them together was a good idea for now. Taylor somehow managed to control her with her none the wiser.

With a shake of his head he went back to his books. Everything was under control and everything was developing just how he wanted it too. A few months, half a year at the outside and all he'd been working for would be realized. He lit a Cuban cigar and took a drag, savouring the sweet smoke before he exhaled it and smiled. Everything was right on schedule.

xox

Storm woke up and stretched lazily. She rolled onto her back and opened her eyes to find her room bathed in the bright light of the midday sun. She wondered why the blinds were all open as she squinted in the wash of bright light, one of the windows letting a square of sunlight shine right across her face. Checking her bedside clock, she saw that it was in fact half past twelve. She sat up with a yawn. She knew something wasn't right but couldn't quite wrap her mind around what.

She got out of her bed and headed to the bathroom, running her hair out of her face with her hand as she walked, yawning hugely. Her hair was a wild snarl of curls and tangles knotted down her back. She couldn't figure why, since she was normally so carefully to ensure it was brushed out and tied back before she went to sleep each night.

She reached the en-suite and flipped the light on. The sink full of bloody towels, not to mention the red welt on her face in her reflection brought the details of the evening previous flooding back to the forefront of her mind. Oh my god, she thought, I stitched Taylor up. From a gunshot wound.

She quickly cleaned her bathroom, hoping no one had been in her room. Once she had disposed of the bloody evidence she used the bathroom and started to wash her hands and face.

It was while she was brushing her teeth she realized that Taylor had not been in her bed when she'd woken and she hadn't seen him anywhere in her room on her trip to the bathroom. She stuck her head out of the bathroom door, toothbrush hanging out of her mouth and scanned the room for Taylor. Both Taylor and all his positions were no where to be found, gone as if they'd never existed.

Storm had no idea where Taylor could have gone but she hoped he hadn't left via the drain spout. If he had she'd bet he'd ripped himself back open and was busily bleeding to death someplace. She finished up her teeth and then strutted out onto her balcony, looking over the edge to see if Taylor's crumpled, dead form was on the back lawn. No sign of him. Storm headed back in and checked out her hair. There was no way she was doing anything with it until she'd had a shower and washed and conditioned it.

Half an hour later, her hair done, face made up to hide the worst of the damage her father had inflicted on her, and dressed in a green tank top and black sweats she headed down to her brother's room. He was on his computer, browsing help wanted sites. Storm sighed. Would Matty never learn? "Hey Matty D, what's up?" Storm flopped onto Matty's bed and lay on her side, head propped up on her hand.

"Not a thing. I was wonderin if you were ever getting up."

"You know I do most of my living and working at night. Party all night sleep every day right?"

"Yeah. What happened yesterday Storm?" Matty turned around on his office chair and leaned toward his sister, elbows on his knees as he looked at her expectantly, earnestly wanting to know.

"Oh, nothin really." Storm forced a flip tone to her voice. "I had a stupidly huge fight with Dad."

Matty watched as his sister tried to gloss the issue over and protect him from the upset. He acknowledged the fact that in this case she just might not want to relive it as well, but he wanted to know what had really gone down. "Storm, I don't buy for a second this was just another one of your fights with Dad. You were almost crying when you left his office then you never left your bedroom all night long. I know for a fact you go with Devon to see a flick every Sunday night but you didn't go last night. If it was just another fight why didn't you sneak out to keep your movie date?"

"How do you know I didn't?" Storm asked as she studied the view out Matty's window. Anything to avoid his all too knowing green eyes.

"You didn't. Your car never moved last night. Not to mention Devon called while you were still asleep wondering what happened to you. He was worried and so am I."

"It was nothing Matty, just a stupid fight. He started to yell at me about Theresa and it was just the final time I was willing to take his shit over something that old bag did and I snapped." Matty just looked at Storm, making it clear he knew there was more to the story and he wasn't giving up until he'd heard it all. "Ok, fine! I snuck out right after I told you I was taking a shower and went for a drive. I drove back to Taylor's and we had a fight. I came home from that fight, snuck back in and almost right after you came to tell me to go see dad. I was already rippin for a fight when he called me down and when he started in at me over Theresa I snapped. I wanted to rip Taylor limb from limb and since that wasn't a current option Dad filled in as a substitute."

"What happened?"

"I told him I didn't care to live my live for him anymore because it never got me any farther ahead, just yelled at a lot. He told me I was never to act like a mignotta in public again and I told him vaffanculo. He really didn't take that too well, as you might imagine."

"At which point in this exchange did he hit you?" Matty growled.

"After I told him to go fuck himself." Storm admitted before she looked up in shock. "How'd you know about that?"

"Hahah, thought you pulled one over on your brother didn't you?" Matty got up and sat down on the bed beside his sister. "You do a good job hiding it with that crap you smear on your skin." He grabbed her chin and tilted her head to the side. She slapped his hand away.

"Gee thanks." Storm snapped back sarcastically. "How'd you know about that?"

"I can still just tell where it is. Still shows a bit through the cover up stuff."

Storm frowned and returned her gaze to the view outside the house. "I don't know what happens now or where me'n dad go from here." Storm looked up at Matty and there were tears in her eyes that stubbornly refused to fall. A fact she was glad for. "I think I hate him."

"Don't say that Storm. You know you got his temper and you've pulled guns on guys for saying less to you then you did to him. I'm not saying he had a right to hit you but," Matty shrugged, "both your tempers run pretty hot. Where do you think you got it from?"

"But those guys were random assholes in clubs who touched my ass Matty, not my own children. I'd expect it outta Teddy but not dad. He's in a permanent bad mood lately, worse then usual and I hate it. I hate him. It's not I think, I know I do. At this moment in time I hate my own father."

"It'll all blow over Storm. It'll fade into history and everything'll be fine. You don't hate pop, you just think you do. You're still hurt and mad and when you have time to calm down and he has time to apologise everything will be ok." Matty looked so hopeful, like he so honestly believed what he was saying that Storm didn't have the heart to disillusion him.

She didn't know how to tell him that she felt something inside her was broken and that no amount of time was going to make it better. That it couldn't be put back together. Her much idolized father turning on her, even if it was in anger had snapped some part of her and she knew that the fibres of her being were irrevocably changed. She felt a coldness inside her where before everything had been fiery. There was an indifference in her now that hadn't been present before. But all of these discoveries were things she didn't know how to tell her brother. Didn't want to tell him. Matty was so naive in a lot of ways, she didn't have the heart to disillusion him the way she'd been so cruelly disillusioned, also by a family member, so she told him what he wanted to hear. "Sure Matty, you're right." She couldn't tell Matty the sister he knew was no more, replaced by a cold hearted woman who didn't think she cared about very much of anything. But there was another issue on her mind.

"Matty?"

"Yeah sis?"

"You in my room this morning?" Storm watched as Matty's eyes shifted away from her face and onto the computer screen on his desk. He seemed to think for a moment then he looked back into her eyes. Storm saw confusion and the fact he was about to be less then truthful with her reflected there.

"Um, n-"

"Don't lie to me Matty. You're no good at it." She raised an eyebrow and waited.

"Yeah, I came to check on you earlier, after Devon called."

"Was Taylor still here then?" Storm asked mater of factly and watched as Matty blushed.

"Yeah, he had to go tell Teddy he was still alive before Teddy made sure he didn't stay that way long."

"I was scared he went out the way he got in, down the side of the house."

"No, I took him out through the house, out the back way. His van was down that way."

"That was a gutsy move bro. What if dad caught you taking him outta the house?"

"Dad never came home last night so it wasn't a concern. Taylor having a gunshot wound was a bigger concern. He showed me where you stitched him up. Nice job, looked very professional." After the compliment Matty's face turned angry. "Now what the hell are you into that you both know how to give stitches and have the equipment in your room?"

"I just believe in being prepared. I had the stuff in case of emergencies and as far as knowing how to use it I had no idea. I just winged it as best as I could. I've seen it done on TV. Besides, I half think he went and got shot on purpose to come see me while bleeding to death so that I felt sorry for him and didn't kill him over the fight we had earlier."

"What was that about anyway?" Matty leaned back against his sister's legs and waited for her to fill him in.

"Nothing." Storm looked away mutinously, the story of her fight with Taylor one she really wasn't ready or willing to share with her brother. Matty wasn't ready to let it go.

"Yeah, ok. You came home crying and cursing him in such a bad mood you told our father to go fuck himself. Sure it was nothing." Matty acted like he believed Storm in a very sarcastic, over the top way. With a look at her he dropped the act. "Why don't I believe that Storm?"

"'Cause you're stubborn and simply trying to make my life harder? Didn't you get the memo? I'm the sarcastic Demaret, not you."

Matty gave his sister a dirty look. "What really happened?"

"I went back to his place. He didn't open his door but the van was out front so I knew he was home. I broke into his place. I found him in the shower singing. Singing of all things!" Storm smiled softly when she thought of Taylor singing in his shower. She shook it off and resumed her story. "When he stopped and turned off the water I started clapping. He was slightly miffed I'd been able to break into his place so easily and also had the balls to do so. We came to words ending with him growling at me about if I knew what was gonna happen to me if I came to his place and broke in and me telling him to show me." An unholy light lit Storm's eyes. Well, her brother wanted to know what had happened right? Boy was she gonna tell him. Served him right for pushing her into telling him in the first place. "So about an hour later I figured I needed a shower myself before I came home." Storm smirked.

Matty groaned and tipped his head back with his eyes closed. "Over share. Total over share. I didn't want to know that. Shit Storm, I asked what happened with him to upset you, not the play by play of your relationship here."

"I'm gettin' to the fight part, gimme a minute. Shesh." Storm smirked as Matty shot her a reproachful look. She knew he knew she'd only told him the whole story to make him uncomfortable. "Then when I was getting out, getting ready to come home Taylor said something stupid that made me think he was just using me because I happened to be conveniently around at the time. I stormed outta his place and came home. That was what put me in such a bad mood."

Matty frowned, and Storm couldn't help but think it wasn't an attractive look for her brother. "Stop seeing him now Storm. Stop before something bad happens to one or both of you. The two of you are so volatile and you have so little in common. It's just going to be a path of hurt feelings and fights until one of you gets smart and ends it or dad finds out and ends it for you."

"After last night dad better stay the hell outta my life or I'll just move out and go work for Ivan full time and forget my last name is Demaret." Storm sat up, her eyes hard, revealing the fact she was not blowing smoke, she was ready to do just what she threatened.

"What if you did that and the Russians put a hit out on dad and expected you to kill him? What then? Could you kill your own father?"

"No, of course not. But Ivan knows that when it comes to my family my loyalty is not his. He'd never ask it of me."

"How can you be so sure? What if they decided to test your loyalty to them?"

"He'd be stupid to because he knows he'd lose me first." Storm huffed in frustration. "You know I'll never really go work for him anyway Matty, but it still looks tempting now."

Matty was saved from replying by a banging on the front door. Storm jumped up and ran to answer it, shoving Matty out of her way so she got out the door first.

"No fair!" Matty yelled as he chased his sister down the stairs.

"Sure it is. You were only sitting down and I had to get up off the bed. I deserve a head start." Storm called over her shoulder as she raced down the stairs. She reached the door and threw it open, Matty right on her heels. Taylor was standing on the step. "Taylor, what are you doing here?"

"We need to talk Storm. Now." Taylor didn't even say hello to Matty, he just hauled Storm out the door of her house, pulling it closed behind her and started to drag her down the driveway toward his idling van.

"What's this about Taylor? Shit, this is high handed, even for you. Would you let me go already?" Storm attempted to fight him off but never succeeded. She ended up sitting in the van with little idea how she got there. Before she knew it Taylor was driving down the driveway. Storm looked in the side mirror and saw Matty watching her go from the front door with a shocked look on his face.

"I went to tell your uncle why I never kept our meeting last night."

"I know, Matty told me. What does this have to do with you draggin me outta my house? Oh Tay, are you worried I'm pissed you left without telling me first?" Storm made a pout Taylor's way teasingly. "You can rest easy. I wasn't mad."

"I was worried you'd be upset about that but that's not why I dragged you out of your house."

"It's not?"

"No Storm, we have bigger problems."

"Like what?" Storm looked confused.

"Like the fact that when I told Teddy I didn't show up last night because I got shot he made me show him the wound and he knew it was you who fixed me Storm. He told me to tell his niece she does good work."

"What? What did you tell him?" Storm roared angrily.

"I didn't tell him anything. I told him I got shot by Carlos so I couldn't make it last night. He asked me who fixed me up. I told him a friend who takes care of all that stuff for me. He asked if I was sure my friend wouldn't say anything and I told him yeah. He dismissed me and just before I left the room he told me to tell you that you do nice work."

"Was he pissed?"

"Seemed almost happy about it."

"Teddy? Happy?" Storm put the back of her hand against Taylor's forehead.

He fought his urge to burrow into her hand her touch felt so good. "What are you doing?" He growled.

"Checking you for a fever. Do you feel ok? I hope I cleaned your shoulder good enough not to give you an infection."

"I'm fine." Taylor swatted her hand away. "He was happy about it Storm. It's made me more nervous then anything in the last long time. Why was he happy?"

"Who knows?"

"Maybe he knows about the shit that went down with your dad and he was just feeling charitable at the time."

"My uncle Teddy do anything for any reason other then because it benefits him in some way? Never. He's only out for number one Taylor."

"He's loyal to Benny."

"Yeah, because he knows what side his bread is buttered on, and for no other reason. Don't forget it."

"Ok, well it still brings up the question, what is it we tell Teddy about us? He's bound to ask what's up between us."

"Well, what is up between us?" Storm asked, mostly just curious. Something in her wanted to hear he wanted to be exclusive much as she expected to hear something along the lines of friends with benefits.

"I don't know. Does it have to have a name?" Taylor grumbled uncomfortably.

"You're the one who said Teddy would want to know what we were to each other. I'm just trying to figure out that same thing myself here so I can answer him if he asks."

"I don't know Storm. We've only been, well, seeing each other for three days you know. I never spent a lot of time analyzing it."

Storm decided that if there had ever been a time in her life for straight up honesty she was looking at it now with Taylor in his plain Jane Dodge van. "I know it's only been officially three days but you gotta know that it goes back way longer then that for me at least and for whatever reason I feel like I've been wanting you my whole life." Storm admitted, looking out the side window so she wouldn't have to look right at Taylor. "But I know how hard it is for men to talk about this shit so whatever you want us to be, we are."

Taylor groaned. She was going to put deciding what they were to each other on him? She was the one who really cared about it. But he couldn't get past her saying she'd been waiting on him so long it felt like forever to her. "Why don't we just say we're taking it slow? Does it really have to be totally pinned down?" Happy she liked him so well or no, it still terrified him to think of he and Storm in some sort of qualified, permanent relationship. His fight or flight response was yelling 'keep it casual' as loud as it could, and following it up with 'if you can't then run as far away as you can as fast as you can'.

"I thought the whole reason you brought it up was so you'd know what to tell Teddy and so would I if the situation ever comes up."

"Can't we just tell him we're friends? He knows this already. I mean you grew up tagging around after your brother and me."

"I don't think he's gonna buy it after the night of the charity dinner but we can try to sell it. If we both keep our stories straight it might work." Storm shrugged. She tried not to be hurt by his attitude. She knew Taylor was just acting like a typical man. He needed more time to get use to the idea of just being with her. They had only been officially together for three days. But to Storm it felt like forever. She knew things were moving very fast, but she always lived her life fast. She didn't have it in her to live slow. Even as she told herself that she knew she wasn't being totally honest with herself. She never moved this fast when it came to men. Especially with the sleeping with them part. But in this case she just didn't want to take it slower. Not with Taylor. She'd been waiting on him too long as it was in her opinion. But she didn't want to drive him away scared by being pushy or demanding. "We can give it a shot anyway."

"I don't know Storm." Taylor took a hand off the wheel and rubbed his head agitatedly.

"I told you I'd go with whatever you decided and I will. If you want us to try and sell just friends I'll try. I think it could work if we both sell it totally. If we both try to believe it then we should be able to make him believe it too."

When Taylor heard it put so bluntly he wasn't sure he wanted it that way at all. It sounded so wrong, belittled what they had. To him it wasn't just a few fun dates with casual sex but the way he was acting, it sounded like that's what he was making it and what he wanted. It had been a long time since he'd wanted the whole relationship with a girl and not just the casual sex and the fact that he wanted the whole relationship with Storm was scaring him. Storm of all people, he thought, how stupid can I be? He knew he shouldn't allow himself to be scared of something so foolish. Besides, hadn't he just the night previous decided that if any other man put his hands on her he'd break the faceless man's neck? That didn't sound like the thoughts of a man who wanted to share his woman as just friends. Just thinking about her treating their relationship as casual started to get him mad. "I can't sell it that good, I can't act like I believe it because I don't. You are mine Storm and if I ever find out you forgot it I'll kill whoever I find you with. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it. You can bet it goes double for me where you're concerned." Storm grinned, for once Taylor's bossy attitude not putting her into a bad mood. He was jealous. Jealous was a good thing with Taylor. She knew that if he was that jealous over her he really cared about her. Otherwise he wouldn't care if she moved on to other guys, he'd just drop her and move on himself. "Now that we have that all nice and settled maybe you should take me home before my brother calls in the air national guard. He thinks that sooner or later we're gonna kill each other."

"Ok." Taylor turned the van around, ready for some time alone with his thoughts. He'd just admitted that he wanted Storm bad enough to kill over her. He hated giving anyone that kind of power over him. He knew he was going to be paranoid about her using it to control him, to hold even more sway over him then she already had just using her big green eyes.

Storm was also more then a little unsettled by how strongly thoughts of Taylor with any other woman made her feel. With two people like them, two people who wouldn't think twice of killing anyone who got in their way, could there be a future for them that didn't involve mayhem? Storm had to wonder if Matty was more correct then he even knew. It seemed they were both jealous with sharing issues. God help anyone who came between them.

Taylor let Storm off at her house with a curt goodbye. Storm strode into her house and straight up to her room. She was still there a few hours later when Matty came in.

"You ok?"

Storm was getting seriously fed up with Matty's need to treat her like she was somehow broken. She acknowledged the fact that in some ways she was, but she didn't want anyone patronizing her over it either. It was her way to just ignore the hurt until it numbed to the point where she could simply put it to the back of her mind and forget it was there. That, or take it out on some unsuspecting person who thought it was a good idea to cross her or her boss. "I'm fine. How're you?" She didn't look up from her book, but rather kept reading.

"Fine. What're you reading?" Matty asked as he sat on the corner of Storm's bed. She looked up into his eyes when she answered.

"The Art of War."

"That's pretty heavy going for a Monday afternoon when some College professor didn't tell you to have it read by Tuesday."

"Well, I imagine I'm gonna get a chance to put it to practical use whenever dad bothers to come home."

"You're planning on going to war against the old man are you?"

"Pretty much. You wanna be on my team or his? Keep in mind who's done more for you lately and the fact that he's bound to have Teddy and the super bitch on his side."

"I don't wanna take sides between my sister and father. I'd rather it hadn't happened but since it did I'd like it if for once the two of you just talked about it until you settled it."

Storm snorted out her nose in mock humour. "Do you honestly see that happening?"

"Not seeing it happening doesn't stop me from wishing it would."

"Never mind, I'm sure I can take him on my own if I have to."

"He ever come home at all Storm?"

"Not that I know of. I didn't exactly go lookin either."

"Ok, well, if you're ok I'm gonna go get ready for when Chris and Marbles come pick me up."

"Ok, have fun where ever."

Matty didn't answer, he just got up and left the room. Storm went back to her book. When she next became aware of where she was another few hours had gone by and she was over half way through the very heavy book. It was a very interesting topic to Storm. She realized the reason she'd become aware of her surroundings was because there were male voices in the entranceway. She headed down, figuring she could say hello to her cousin and friend before they left. When she reached them she found Matty had failed to mention Taylor was with them too.

"Ok, which one of you yahoos is driving?" Storm asked the group before they noticed her on the stairs. They looked up to find her paused half way down, hand on the railing, one foot cocked behind her a step higher then the one she was standing on and one eyebrow raised.

"I am." Chris replied as he stepped forward a few paces. "Why, you comin?" He asked with a grin.

"No, that's ok."

"Aw, come on Storm. You never wanna hang with us anymore." Marbles whined. "You use to like to roll with us. Now you're always busy or not interested. Someday we're all gonna be too old to go out and have fun and you'll have missed it all. We won't be able to party together forever."

"I got other shit to do tonight Johnny. Some other time." Marbles gave her a disbelieving look. "I promise that we'll do something all together soon." Truth of the matter was she didn't want to force her presence on Taylor when she figured he was looking forward to a night with the boys.

"Come on sis! It'll be a good time."

"Yeah cuz, you won't believe this place. I got room in the car." Chris cajoled, swinging his keys.

"Naw, you boys go on. You don't want me around, ruining boy's night." Storm finished walking down the stairs and leaned against the banister post at the bottom of the stairs. "You guys go on. Pubs aren't my style anyway and I'd have to hold you up while I changed."

"Come if you want to." Taylor said gruffly.

Storm got the feeling he just offered because he didn't want to look like a jerk in front of his friends, not because he really wanted her there and it made up her mind not to go. "No, it's ok, really. I do have other shit to do. I'll take a rain check. But you," Storm turned to Chris and pointed at him, "will not drive after drinking with my brother in your car. Capisce?"

"As if I'd ever do anything to endanger your brother and risk getting my ass kicked."

"I'll do more then kick your ass. They'll never find your damn ass again if you do anything stupid with Matty in your car."

"Come on sis, lay off already." Matty growled at Storm even as he hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"Get outta here already Matty. I got a chance to have the house to myself for once so leave already."

"Night Storm." Johnny called as he walked out the front door, Matty following him.

"Sure you won't change your mind Cuz? I'll buy your drinks. I miss watchin you get into shit places like this one."

"I'm sure Chris. I got other places to get into trouble tonight."

"Ok, night then." Chris kissed his cousin's cheek and walked to the door. He paused. "You be at Overdrive later?"

"It's always a possibility."

Chris nodded. "Alright. Might see you there later then."

"Ok. Have a few for me cuz." Storm used Chris's own slang back on him and he walked out the door into the night after his friends.

"You sure you're just as happy to stay home? I won't be mad if you come with us." Taylor told Storm as he leaned against the hallway wall.

"I'm sure. Taylor, if I wanted to go with my brother and cousin whether you liked it or not wouldn't stop me. Trust me on this one, I got other stuff to do."

"Other stuff involving whatever you were passing out in that club last time?"

Storm shrugged rather then answer Taylor's question. "I know I gotta go see Vanya tonight. It won't take long so who knows what else I'll get done. Get on before your friends come back in here to hurry your ass along."

"What are you into Storm?"

"Nothing for you to worry about Taylor. Matty's waiting so go." Storm pointed to the door, which was standing half open waiting for Taylor to go get into Chris's Infinity.

"You got a phone on you?" Taylor asked as he started toward the door.

"Always."

"I'm gonna call you later, ok?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Go already." Storm followed Taylor to the door, trying to make sure he kept walking out it.

He turned back as he reached the door and looked down into Storm's eyes. His girlfriend. After his afternoon of getting used to it he almost liked the sound of that. She was standing only a few inches away from him as she tried to crowd him out the door. He leaned down to get in her face and as he did he moved his good hand up into her hair. Bringing her closer to him with his hand on her head he crushed her mouth to his and after a moment of trying to keep her distance he felt her cave and sway toward him. He was frustrated by his shot arm being useless to him as he fought a need to use it to pull her closer to him by the waist. Her arms came up around his neck as she kissed him back.

"Taylor, let's go!" Johnny Marbles yelled from the back seat of Chris's idling car.

Taylor stood up away from Storm with a growl. "I'll kill him."

Storm laughed. "Just go have fun with them. Take care of my brother."

"Matty can take care of himself most of the time you know Storm."

"I know, but I still worry about him. I won't if you're with him though so go on before they leave you here."

"That has possibilities too." Taylor took a step toward Storm, crowding her back into the house.

"No it doesn't because I won't be here all night. Like I said I have stuff to do." Storm put her hands flat on Taylor's chest and pushed backwards as hard as she could. She caught him off guard and managed to make him step back a few times to avoid going down on his ass in her hall. He stepped back right out the door. He stood looking at Storm in shock on the porch. "Have a good time with the boys. You keep those possibilities in mind and call me later." Storm cocked an eye brow with a cheeky grin and shut the door in Taylor's face as she heard her cousin call for Taylor to get his 'overgrown ass in the car already'.

xox

"Someone's got a girlfriend." Chris teased Taylor as they drove toward downtown. "Really makes me wish my mother and her father weren't related. Lucky bastard."

"Shut up Chris." Matty didn't like to hear his sister talked about in terms of being good looking, no matter who was doing the talking. The fact he saw Taylor turning red with anger beside him didn't improve his view of the situation either.

"Hell, she's no relation to me but I'm still shit outta luck. How do you think I feel?" Marbles chuckled. "I play Johnny nice guy for all those years at St. Aquinas prep and I still get shot down time and time again. Then Mr. man of few words comes along and, bingo! He's dating her all of a sudden. The world is a cruel place."

"She's too damn tall for you anyway Marbles. Girl's got half a foot on you. At least." Chris snickered at his own joke. "Me, on the other hand, would look good with her."

"Can I remind everyone that Storm did not miraculously turn into a woman who's not my sister when she went out with Taylor a few times? Do I honestly have to listen to this all night?" Matty sighed.

"No." Taylor paused. The threat was clear. "Because if these two morons don't shut up I'll shut them up."

"No need to get testy Taylor. It's not like we're not jealous or anything. Shit, we know you're a lucky bastard. No disrespect intended." Marbles hit a button on the car radio to switch the stations.

"What're you doin? This isn't your car cuz." Chris changed the station back to the one it had previously been tuned to. Johnny Marbles was his cousin on his father's side, meaning while Chris was related to both Storm and Johnny, the two of them were no relation.

"This music sucks."

"This is big band Jazz music and it does not suck."

"How the hell did you end up into big band Jazz music?" Matty asked from behind Chris.

"Hey, this was the music our grandfathers and great grandfathers lived the high life to. There's a whole lotta history for us in this music." Chris defended his choice as he executed a left hand turn onto a little rundown street in an industrial area of the city. He parked the car across the street from a pub called Casey's and got out. The rest of his friends followed suit.

"This is a pub in your world Scarpa? Christ, it's a fucken dive." Taylor said as he stood, wishing he could cross his arms across his chest. Anything he did with his arm still tugged at the stitches and made him want to roar in pain.

"It's better inside." Chris pulled the collar of his leather coat up around his neck. He looked somewhat out of place to his friends without a sharp three piece suit, the only outfit they ever saw him in. Instead tonight he was wearing causal slacks and a jersey knit fitted sweater under a black leather jacket that looked brand new. He didn't fit in wearing a suit but he wouldn't fit in wearing what he was either. For that matter neither would Matty, who was dressed very similarly to his cousin. Only Taylor with his worn jeans and white ribbed undershirt looked like the type of patron the pub was likely to attract.

Marbles was a second to Taylor, other then his small stature. He was also attired in jeans and a tee shirt under his canvas jacket.

"It's gonna be all I can do to keep the three of yous from getting your ass kicked in here." Taylor sighed, honestly seeing that happening in the near future. He was envisioning a bar full of truckers and warehouse workers. Not the type of person that Matty and Chris were use to dealing with, to say nothing of Johnny.

"I came here without you and lived to tell." Chris grinned. "Some nice waitresses in here." He started across the road, leaving his friends to follow or wait for him beside his car outside in the cold. They followed him into the dubious establishment, Taylor with an almost silent groan that Matty caught, causing the two to share a look. Both wondered if they were getting into more then they wanted to.

xox

As soon as the door was closed behind Taylor Storm locked it and headed back into her father's office. She was just in the mood to hurt him like he'd hurt her and she figured snooping around in his private papers was a good place to start. She figured she never knew what she might find. Maybe something good enough to hold over his head if the situation should ever arise.

She walked into the office and turned on the desk lamp. She made sure that the main door was closed and locked and made sure the back door was open in case she had to beat a hasty retreat.

Walking up to one of his oak filing cabinets she tried the top drawer. It refused to slide open at her tug. She swore at it loudly. What was her father doing locking the filing cabinets at home? Normally neither of his children would ever have dared enter the office without him summoning them down or at least being in the room.

"No faith." Storm muttered as she got her pocket knife out of her pants and pulled the trusty pick attachment up. It had gotten her into Taylor's and other, by far much harder places in the past. She giggled to herself about being mad at her father for having no faith when she was busily proving him right with a lock pick. "Gotcha!" She said to herself as the lock clicked and the drawer slid open with her tug.

She started flipping through files. There was nothing interesting in the top drawer at all. Mostly it was just receipts for inane things like her school and her brother's. She slid the second drawer open and hit pay dirt. There were several files with her name on them. Tugging out the first few she sat at her father's desk cross legged on the chair and flipped the first one open.

It was full of various report cards and other mementos from her first few grades of school. By looking at all the stuff in the folder Storm had to figure her dad have every picture she ever coloured and every test she ever wrote. All her awards for reading, singing, soccer, and her many other childhood sports and activities were saved. The next few folders contained similar things. There were school pictures and candid shots all through the papers.

She found pictures of her and Matty's trip to Disney land with Bobby Boulevard and sniffed hard, thinking of the horrible end that Bobby had met. He'd been a good friend to two little kids who's own father wasn't half so involved in their life as he was willing to be. Benny had had his reasons, he said he couldn't leave the state to take them to Florida, but still, when Storm thought back on the trip it was another man, not her father she thought of fondly.

Her father had often seemed so indifferent to her and Matty growing up. He had seemed to let Teddy take more of a role in raising them then he was willing to himself. Teddy and the distant cousin who he'd moved in to take care of the kids when they were small. Except when they messed up. He was quick to be involved then. Storm knew it had made her what she was. Her brother too for that matter. Both of them had been doing all they could to be what they thought their father wanted them to be. Storm by being determined to be just as good at what her father did as he was himself and Matty by trying to prove that he could be as good as their father, but at doing his own thing.

They had been raised in privilege, going to the best schools, living in a good neighbourhood. Their father had given them everything money could buy but hadn't given them much of his time for a lot of years. It had led her and Matty to believe that if their father did love them, at the very least he didn't like them very much. It was only as she got older and spent more time with her father that she had come to know that he did love her, in his own way. By the same token her father had always been her idol and role model.

She laughed as she took out a picture she'd drawn in art class in the fifth grade. It showed her and Matty beside a big black car. She couldn't believe her father had saved all this stuff. She doubted there were very many parents who had every crayon picture their children had ever coloured, every report card they'd ever brought home and every card they'd ever been given for every birthday, father's day and even valentine's day. She found her award for perfect marksmanship at the back of the last folder, the one that covered her from grade 11 to 12. Of course her father had saved that, she mused.

Storm put all the stuff about her off to one side of the desk and moved on to the folders with her brother's name on them. They were just as complete as hers, minus the receipts for guns and ammo. Storm sat in her father's chair, legs folded under her and alternatively laughed and cried as she looked at all the stuff her father had saved over 24 years of Matty accomplishing things. He had every last newspaper clipping involving any of Matty's ball teams, copies of all his diplomas and even a copy of Matty's college degree. She finished looking over Matty's folders and pushed them off to the side of the desk too.

There were only two folders left she hadn't looked through by then. She pulled one of them over in front of herself and found more folders of random receipts. Then at the very bottom of the pile she found a folder marked Cara Miles. She knew her mother's name had been Cara so she flipped it open. The first thing she found was a picture of her mother and father on their wedding day. Having never seen so much as a picture of her mother before she picked it up and held it to the light so she could look closer.

The picture revealed a woman who proved her father hadn't been lying when he'd said that Storm looked just like her mother. Storm felt strange seeing another person who looked so much like her staring back at her off the glossy page. Not to mention the fact that her dad looked so much younger too. So much happier. She set that picture down and picked up the next one. It was of her mother and father in the center holding hands with Teddy at Benny's side and Theresa at Cara's. Clearly Teddy and Theresa had functioned as best man and maid of honour at the Demaret's wedding.

After that picture Storm found her birth certificate and Matty's. She'd seen her birth certificate before but it hadn't been exactly the same. Something about the one she was holding now didn't feel right compared to the one she'd seen before. She realized on her copy her mother's name was given as Cara Demaret. On the one in the file about her mother the woman's name was officially Cara Deserve-Demaret. No mention of the name Miles was on either copy, but Storm's sure as hell hadn't said Deserve. Eyebrow's knitted in puzzlement she continued to look through the papers in the file.

There was a marriage certificate for Benjamin James Demaret and Cara Belle Deserve. So why was her mother's name different on her real birth certificate if her mother's real last name had been Deserve? Storm was starting to have a lot of questions. Like why had her father seen it necessary to doctor her birth certificate? She found a copy of Matty's with the same doctored changes. Mathew James Demaret born to Benjamin James Demaret and Cara Deserve-Demaret. Next she found a certificate of death for one Cara Belle Demaret.

Which was her mother's real name? Why was the folder about a woman named Cara Miles? Storm could only guess her mother's real name had to be Cara Belle Deserve. So who was Cara Emily Miles? Her face still pulled into a tight frown she flipped the death certificate over and the next thing she found was pictures of Matty with their mother. She'd forgotten that Matty had known their mother for the first four years of his life.

The last thing she found had her gasp in shock. It was the current address of one Cara Emily Miles. Whoever Cara Miles was she was living in a suburb of Miami Florida. Is my mother still alive? Storm asked herself in shock. She didn't know what to do as she sat there, files of her childhood accomplishments strewn around her, mixing with the documents of her brother's achievements still piled up on the desk.

If her mother was still alive why had her father told both his children she was dead? If her mother was still alive why did she have to go live with Teddy and his wife for three years of hell? If her mother was still alive why did she live in Florida not with them in New York? Why had she left her father? She had so many questions and no answers. But she had a way to get some answers. She had the current address of a woman who might very well turn out to be the woman smiling in the wedding pictures at the start of the file. Storm pocketed the paper with the address and flipped back to the picture of her mother and father in their wedding finery.

She didn't know how long she sat, in a daze staring at the picture but she was shocked back into reality by her father's voice.

"I always meant to send her copies of all that stuff." Benny said softly from the door, wincing as Storm looked up at him and cringed away from him, like she was scared of him and what he might do to her for catching her snooping. Pain sliced through him like someone had stabbed him in his heart. He'd put that look in the eyes of his daughter, his pride.

"Why'd you let me'n Matty think she was dead?" Storm knew she was in shock. She was too numb to the subject matter for there to be any question.

"People were after her because of me and Teddy. The only way to keep her safe was to send her away." Benny walked further into the room.

Storm watched him walking her way and she was overcome with an emotion she couldn't name. She knew it was either fear or loathing. Or maybe, given her current circumstances a mix of both. She stood up out of her father's chair and promptly almost fell down, finding out the hard way her position in the chair had put both her legs to sleep. Her father moved to catch her. "Don't touch me." She snarled as she used the edge of the desk to keep herself upright. She watched as pain flashed across her father's face at her harsh statement. She was too upset to care. Good for him to feel some pain. "You mean to tell me the danger to her was never taken care of? That she's still in this trouble now?"

"No." Benny sighed and sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk, letting her keep the desk between them to make her feel safe. "She's not now. But she was for a lot of years and by the time she wasn't we'd been apart too long and she was too mad at me for keeping you and Matty with me instead of sending you two with her for us to ever have our marriage back. She decided to stay in Florida and because I was mad at her I told her if she refused to live in New York and be a full time part of you and your brother's life then she wouldn't be any part of it."

"Why didn't you send us to live with her? You honestly think that me'n Matty have it better for having lived here with you instead? Jesus Christ, you left us with Teddy while you were in jail for fucks sake. You mean to tell me we had a mother we could have stayed with instead and you still left us with Teddy? That means that what happened to Matty and Bobby is solely on your shoulders."

"You couldn't have gone to your mother then. The guy who got me busted was the guy who was after her. He was still around then, he still would have loved to find her and kill her to get revenge on me. He would have followed the two of you right to her. I couldn't let you kids go with her when I sent her away. She was supposed to have died Storm! How would I have been able to explain where my kids went when my wife had just died? I could have sent you with her, said you both died in the maternity ward, but then you wouldn't know Matty. Is that what you would rather I did!"

"I'd have rathered you told me and Matty when we were over 18 and let us decide if we wanted to contact her. You'd have let us just keep right on thinking she was dead if I hadn't come in here to snoop wouldn't you?" Her father didn't answer her, he just continued to look at his hands. "Wouldn't you have!" Storm roared at her father.

"Yes! I never planned to tell you she was still alive. Why should I have? She had her chance to come home Storm. Home to all of us, Matty, you, me. She turned it down to stay in Florida. Why should I have told you and Matty about her now? You're grown and so is your brother. I did my best I could by the both of you and I did it alone. All she had to do was move to New York and she could have been a part of your life but she wouldn't do it. I gave you everything I thought you needed. I did my best I could!."

"Yeah, you did your fucken best. That's a great comfort now that I know my brother's broken inside by his own uncle when it didn't have to happen and that my father and I have one fight and he slaps me around over it but I coulda been living with my mother all along and never been in that position."

"I did my best with you Storm. I never wanted this life for you, for either of you but what choice did I have? If I'da sent you to live with your mother they'd have found her and killed you all. I kept her alive and raised you two the best way I knew how. I know I fucked up my fair share Storm. Not for nothin but I don't know how you think you'd know anything about it. You've never had to give up anything in your life like I had to when I had to send my wife away and break her heart by taking her away from her babies."

"Oh didn't I? I give up stuff I want every day because you or Teddy wouldn't approve. He talk to you yet about breakin up me'n Taylor?" Storm sneered at her father as she snarled out her question, flying into a rage when her father dared to tell her she didn't know what it was like to make sacrifices.

"You and Taylor are together?" Benny asked in shock.

"You can't tell me Teddy didn't run to you and rant about it the second he had a chance."

"Teddy never told me nothin other then how he put a hit on Carlos for shooting Taylor. He never told me nothin about you and Taylor being some sorta item."

"Quell fucken surprise." Storm said, still snarling.

"Storm, calm down and we'll talk about this ok?" Benny had never seen his daughter so incensed.

"No I will not calm down so we can talk." Storm shook her head. All she knew was her brain was telling her she had to run away to find a place to sort out her thoughts. She looked at her father and started to map a path from where she was out the open door to the house around him. She figured she could out run him and then lock herself in her room. He'd never know she was gone unless he heard the Skyline start. She took off like a shot and ran straight up the stairs.

"Storm!" She heard her father call but she kept running and locked herself in her room where she promptly broke down into broken sobs.

Benny went back into his office, sat down heavily into his chair and started to straighten up his desk mindlessly. He'd really screwed up a lot in his life but he had to figure his current situation about took the screw up cake. He heard the water start and figured Storm was in the shower. He'd let her take the night to calm down and they'd talk tomorrow. He knew she had his temper and there was no sense talking to him when he was that pissed off either.

He went to bed, feeling older then he ever had before in his life.

xox

Storm got in the shower and forced herself into some semblance of calm. When she got out she did her hair and headed into her closet. She pulled out a pair of black pants that fit her snugly until her knees, where they flared out. She paired them with a black shirt that was shredded down the front and consisted of interwoven strings for the back. She tossed on her leather motorcycle style jacket and combat boots.

She opened the door of her room carefully and looked up and down the hall. The house was in darkness. It was only eleven o'clock so that was a bit strange, but Storm knew her brother wouldn't be home for hours and she could only figure her dad was licking his wounds in private someplace. She crept down the stairs as quietly as she could and back through the house, through the kitchen and out the back door.

She ran lightly over to the garage and started her car, taking off quickly as she could. She never saw a sign of her father and before she knew it she was at Overdrive and parking her car. She walked into the club, leaving her coat in her trunk when she filled her pockets.

She found CJ and Devon on the dance floor, and wondered what they were doing in the club on a Monday night. It was mostly an after races thing to them, not an every night activity like it mostly was for Storm. But she had her work to do and they just came to dance a bit and hang out. She headed out onto the floor to meet them. She came up behind Devon and grabbed him from behind. He turned around and found her standing there.

"Storm!" He pulled her into a hug. "Where were you yesterday?"

"Sick." Storm answered and the look on her face clearly told her friend it was an off limits topic.

"You sure look like you're feeling better now." CJ replied into her ear. He took in the large amounts of skin her top showed and grinned appreciatively.

"Thanks." She winked. "I'm gonna go get a drink. Either of you two want anything?" Both men told her what they'd like to drink, never able to say no to free drinks, and Storm went off to get their order.

She spent the next few hours dancing with her friends, and making her rounds. She ran into Ivan but didn't stop to talk to him long, worried he knew her well enough to guess something had happened and push for details she didn't want to give. If he knew how badly her father had hurt her he might take in into his head to handle it for her. Storm didn't know if the Russian man was good enough to off her father or even if he could employ anyone that good either, but she wasn't going to take her chances. Much as she hated her father right now, she didn't want him dead. She knew that there would come a point where she'd want some sort of relationship with him again. It just wasn't right now. She handed in all of the money she had for Ivan to him so she wouldn't have to carry it around with her. After she'd spoken to Ivan she headed back out to her friends with a drink in her hand.

The DJ spun Disco Inferno by 50 Cent and Storm and CJ started to dance to it, Storm shaking her ass in time to 50's requests of 'little mama show me how you move it. Go head put your back into it. Shake that ass girl!' Storm put her father and his lies out of her mind and just concentrated on having a good time with her friends. If she thought about everything he'd done, and everything she'd found out, she'd fly to pieces and god help anyone who said anything to her then.

Like they knew she was out to drown some sorrows they made sure her glass was never empty. Storm didn't notice herself getting drunk until she was already too far gone to care. She didn't like to get drunk very often because she hated to lose control over situations. She also knew she needed all the wits she had to keep control of her temper when people pissed her off. It was the way her father raised her, knowing the Demaret's played by different rules then the 'citizens' that made her so willing to play by her own laws, but she was also aware that some day it could get her into trouble that neither Ivan nor Benny could get her out of. But tonight none of that mattered. She continued to dance with CJ, Devon and some other people she knew. She got tired and decided to take another spin around the perimeter of the dance floor.

She was in the back section of the club when Taylor walked in. She knew he was there the second he got past the door. She noted with irony the song that had just started was Full Moon by Brandy.

"Boy I saw you as soon as you came bouncing through the door."

Storm moved around the floor, trying to ignore Taylor and just do her thing. She'd had enough fighting for one night and she knew by instinct that if Taylor had come back to Overdrive it was to have some sort of fight with her about something.

xox

Taylor paused inside the door of the dance club. He mentally kicked himself for being in the place after promising himself that he wouldn't end up back there again. He knew he was better off not knowing but his mind wouldn't let it rest there. He had to know what she was up to.

He watched her move around the place and finally she did her same strange handshake with some guy by the bar. Taylor waited until she'd moved away from the kid and then made his move. He walked up to the guy and stood beside him.

"What did she just give you?" Taylor asked the boy in a menacing voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about dude."

Taylor knew nervous when he saw it and the kid was very nervous. "Really? I think you do and you're scared shitless that I'm gonna bust you for whatever it is. I suggest you just tell me what it is and save me the trouble of making you and you the embarrassment of getting your ass kicked in front of this whole place."

"I really got no clue what you're talking about."

The kid was even more scared when Taylor persisted then he had been before. "I saw her hand you something so why don't you just give it to me and save me beating it outta you? Easier for you and quieter for me."

Like he knew he couldn't win the kid put his hand into his pocket and handed Taylor a small Ziploc bag with what looked, on first inspection, like a small blue candy to Taylor. He flipped it over and there was a bolt of lightening embossed onto the front. "What is this?"

"You don't get out much do you?" The kid asked. Taylor gave him a look letting him know how foolish it was to bait him. "Ok already, shit. It's just a little vitamin E."

"She's selling vitamins in a club? Do I look stupid to you?" Taylor growled low in his chest.

"Man, it's not a real vitamin." The kid clearly couldn't fathom how Taylor could not have gotten what he was holding by now. "You know, vitamin E, its slang for X." When Taylor still didn't look like he got it the kid lowered his voice a bit. "As in ecstasy, the rave drug. Ringing any bells yet?"

Taylor stuffed the pill into his pocket without a word and walked away, hunting for Storm. He found her in the back corner of the room with her friends.

"I thought you were gonna call me later." Storm asked as Taylor walked up to where she was sitting on a stool at a table with her friends.

"Yeah, well I had to get away from Scarpa and Marbles so I came here."

"You didn't leave my brother alone with those two in some rough bar did you?"

"No, I took him home first. Storm I need to talk to you, outside." Taylor could tell Storm was more then a little drunk and he didn't want to make a scene with her inside the Russian man's club.

"I'm not ready to go home yet."

"I'm not looking to go home, I'm looking to talk to you in private."

Storm winked at her friends. "He needs to see me in private." She giggled as she allowed Taylor to lead her out of the bar into the cold night air. She shivered as the cold air hit her skin in a startling contrast from the hot humid air of the club. She wished she hadn't left her coat in her car. She rubbed her arms as she caught the full force of the autumn wind.

"What are you doing for the Russian Storm?" Taylor growled.

"Nothing. I'm just here having a few drinks with my friends." Storm continued to protest her innocence.

"Bullshit Storm." Taylor pulled the little bag out of his pocket. "This isn't having a few drinks with friends. This is a few years in the pen for trafficking."

"I don't know what that is." Storm looked away, her eyes slightly unfocused from her inebriation.

"I'd love to believe that. But I saw you hand it to the kid, and I'd love to know who else would stamp lightning into something like drugs."

"It's just a job Taylor." Storm gave up on denying what she was doing when it was clear Taylor wasn't going to be fooled no matter how much she protested. "I don't see the big deal."

"You don't see the big deal." Taylor tossed his head with a disbelieving snort as he fought to remain calm. She didn't see the big deal. "Would you see the big deal if you wound up in jail?"

"That isn't gonna happen."

"Really? Tell that to all the drug dealers doing hard time Storm. It could easily happen."

"Not for me. I only sell it in Ivan's club and the cops are very well aware his club is a no fly zone."

"I just can't believe you're selling drugs." Taylor was getting frustrated by Storm's cavalier attitude on the subject.

"Why not? I had to get a job to make some money and I can do this on my own time. I make enough to live on and it saves me asking my dad for money to live my life with. I'm always around this club anyway so what's the difference? I'm here all the time and if it wasn't me it'd just be someone else." Storm was sobering up more and more the longer Taylor kept her out in the cold, and the more she had to think about her father. Thinking of her father made her think of what had gone down in his office earlier in the evening.

"The difference is you get caught with this stuff you're going to jail. Not to mention how many people die from taking drugs. You're selling people something that could end up killing them Storm! That's not cool."

"Ok, pot, meet kettle. Shit Taylor, you work for my uncle. You think he makes his money selling girl scout cookies? The only thing different here is Teddy pays you to do his dirty work and I'm out doing my own. You think you couldn't go to jail over what you do for Teddy? How many guys have you directly killed because Teddy told you to? Sure people who take too much or whatever might get sick or die, but I didn't put a gun to their head and make them take anything now did I? Where as you do put a gun to people's heads then you pull the trigger. They have no control over when that happens to them."

Taylor didn't like hearing the tables turned on him. She was totally correct, much as he hated to admit it. But he also knew she'd killed people that same way. That wasn't the issue at hand though, her pushing drugs was. "That's totally different. I'm only involved with guys who knew what they were getting into in the first place. What goes on in our world stays in our world. People got involved with their eyes open. It's not like you haven't put a few guys outta their misery yourself miss Glock for my 18th birthday. Besides that, I know I could go to jail over it but it'd be harder to prove anything I do then it would be for the cops to catch you with this stuff on you or in your car."

Storm gave a violent shake as her body temperature dropped even lower and her teeth started to chatter. Taylor was right, she'd grappled with the same moral issues herself for awhile before she finally had decided to go ahead and take the job for Ivan. She knew her reaction had a lot to do with thinking about the scene with her father as well as the cold. Going to jail over what she did wasn't a concern for her. Ivan's club was a no fly zone. With another violent shiver she realized she was about at the end of her endurance and she was going to crash soon. Everything was washing back on her with vengeance. She didn't have it in her to fight with Taylor too. Not after everything she'd already dealt with. She gagged slightly. "Taylor?"

"What?" The tone of her voice calmed him down in some ways and scared him in others.

"Can you take me home now? I don't feel well." Storm looked up at Taylor. Her head had just started aching and she didn't know how much longer she could manage to stay on her feet.

Like he saw that Taylor let their discussion go, for now. He took his coat off and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Your car be safe here over night?"

"Yeah, no one would dare touch it in this parking lot." She burrowed into Taylor's coat, pulling it closer around her.

Instead of answering Taylor led Storm over to his van and helped her in. He didn't ask her where she wanted to go but simply drove to his place and parked the van. After he had her tucked under a blanket on his couch with a big glass of water in her hand he went to the bathroom. When he came back Storm made room for him between her and the arm of the couch and motioned that he should sit down. He did, wondering what she had on her mind. When he was settled she leaned against him and chugged down half her water in one go.

"I decided to go through my dad's office tonight." Storm started telling Taylor about her night. She had to tell someone and she wasn't sure how to tell her brother.

"Why?"

"I was pissed at him, looking for dirt to hold over his head."

"Not smart Storm."

"I found all these files."

"Do I want to hear this? If he finds out I know about whatever you saw will I be in danger?"

"No. Do you think I'd tell you if that was the case?"

Taylor shrugged.

"I wouldn't. The files were all this stuff from Matty and me in school. All our report cards and projects. He saved every last thing we ever took home. Then at the bottom I found a file about Cara Miles. Cara was my mother's name but she wasn't ever a Miles."

"What was in the file?"

"My dad forced my mom to go into hiding to protect her from someone who was looking to use her against him. He faked her death on the night she had me and shipped her down to Florida under an assumed name. Miles was her mother's maiden name."

"So she didn't die having you?"

"No. She's not dead at all as a matter of fact. She's still living as Cara Miles in Miami Florida. She refused to have dad back when the threat was neutralized and because she wouldn't get back with him he refused her any rights to me and Matty."

"Does Matty know?"

"No. I only found out tonight and he admitted he never would have told me if I hadn't found out about her myself."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I just don't know Tay. It was a hell of a time to find out about it, after all the shit with Dad and plus Matty trying to step up. I didn't need this right now."

"Do you want to meet her? Or are you mad at her for not making more of an effort?"

"Who knows how much effort she made? If dad didn't want her around us then she wouldn't be able to come around us. Dad gets his way when it comes to stuff like that."

"No kidding. Would you be able to find her if you wanted to?"

"Yeah, I stole the piece of paper with her current address on it. I just don't know what to do Taylor." Storm found she wasn't quite as good at being numb as she thought. She started to cry softly against Taylor's hard body. He shifted around to wrap his good arm around her. He never knew what to say to crying females. He stood up and held a hand out to her.

"Let's go to bed. It'll look better in the morning."

Storm took his hand and allowed him to lead her into his room. She changed into the oversized tee shirt he handed her and crawled into his bed, then into his arms after he joined her on the cool sheets. She fell asleep with her head pillowed on his uninjured shoulder, thinking. So complicated.