Catalyst

by tempest-races

A catalyst is not consumed by a reaction, only precipitates it; remaining itself unchanged and yet instigating momentious change in the reagents. Like a catalyst, will they fall out of solution unscathed or will the reaction consume them both?

7. Satellite

Catalyst

By -TempestRaces

Chapter 7 – Satellite

"A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."

♫ William Shedd♫

When her song ended Gem had her own advice running through her mind. Just breathe. In. Out. In. Out. She couldn't allow herself to fall apart on stage in front of so many people. How would that look? Focus on the routine. Unplug the bass, turn off the amp. Sling the instrument behind her body. Smile and wave to the crowd. Don't panic. Don't run away. Walk normally. Keep smiling. God, was it always this hard?

You can't give in to hysterics girl. Keep it together. Keep smiling.

In.

Out.

Put one foot in front of the other and start down off the stage.

In.

Out.

She started down the corridor toward the green room at her normal pace taking a deep breath in and letting it out rhythmically to try and keep her composure. She reached the green room and pulled out her bass case before starting to place the guitar into the case, onto the blue velvet lining within.

As she was snapping the latches on the black rectangle her bass called home Vince burst into the room. She turned to face him, expecting to be taken to task for again writing a song about him. She steeled herself for it, focusing again on the rhythm of her breathing, of her own heart. She knew her pulse was beating out a staccato rhythm at the base of her throat, she could feel it pounding there. She was sure he could even see it, it was beating so loudly she was confident he might even be able to hear it. Lord knew, she could. But she refused to lose her calm with him again, no matter how tenuous her hold over it was. A fight with Vince was the last thing her bow string tight nerves could take.

She slowly looked up to meet his eyes. She didn't find censure there, but she wasn't sure what exactly he was thinking. His gaze was shuttered. That didn't bode well for her, she was sure of that. Even if he wasn't mad.

"You alright?" He asked, tone belaying the fact he was fairly sure she wasn't.

"Yeah." Gem answered-a pretty lie-and moved to leave the room with her case clutched to her body.

"Why don't I believe you?" Vince asked as she had her back turned to him on her way out the door. She paused, her body stiffening as her posture became utterly perfect and all her muscles tensed up.

"I don't know. Why don't you?" She asked without turning around, trying to remain calm. Why didn't he? Anyone else would have. She'd perfected the art of hiding her emotions from the rest of the world ages ago. So why did he see through the act to her upset?

"Because you're as white as a sheet under your tan and your eyes have a half wild look to them."

Gem really hadn't been aware how obvious the fact she was starting to fray at the edges was to the outside world. "I'm going to be ok. I'm just going to go back to work and everything will be fine."

"Someone told me once it was ok to let go and be upset. I like to think she was right."

"She was, but in this case it won't help anything."

"Oh, I see. It's ok for her to keep her feelings bottled up to herself but for other people it's not?"

"It's not that. It's just something I'm going to have to work through V. I'll be ok." She turned to look at him and hoped the look on her face was reassuring.

"I know you will be, I just think you'd be ok faster if you didn't act like you have to take the world on single-handedly and come out without some things to deal with yourself. What you went through for your friend wasn't easy for you to deal with and I just think trying to pretend it didn't bother you isn't good for you."

"You're one to talk!" Gem retorted, her voice rising slightly in pitch. "I have to start a ripping fight with you to get you to talk about anything bothering you, and you have to be drunk I might add."

Vince caught himself before saying the first thing that came to mind, which was that she should try it sometime. When she took that advice she ended up being brought home by biker gangs. He sighed. "That might be true, but look where it ended me up. So why, when we've already covered how I am isn't the best I could be, would you want to use me as an example?"

"I don't. At least, I wasn't saying it was good. I was just saying you're in no position to cast stones."

"I'm not trying to throw stones. I'm just saying you look very upset and I don't want to see you like this. The other day when you were with us at the garage you looked so happy. I just want you to be that way again. I don't like to see you like this."

"I'm just having a down day Vince. I'll be fine." She said vehemently, as if to convince both herself and him.

"Is it this frustrating to you and Mia when I refuse to tell you what's wrong with me and just growl and go my own way?"

"Yes."

"No wonder you guys get so pissy."

"Yeah. Yet no matter how pissy we get you still don't decide to let us in on what was bothering you."

"Game, set, match Gem. Deal on your own." Vince said and tossed his guitar into the case. "I get the feeling its how you like it anyway."

"And you're one to talk!" Gem snapped. What was it about him and his hard bitten attitude that made her turn every debate they ever had into an argument? Not that he was any better. "I'm trying to deal ok? That's more than you do. You just hide from your issues behind a bad attitude and booze."

"You're trying to deal?" Vince asked in disbelief. "What you're doing looks an awful lot like running away from your issues by throwing yourself into your job and pretending everything is just perfect."

His observation hit a little too close to home. Another discussion gone to seed in a heartbeat because it was Vince she was trying to converse with. There was something wrong with the two of them! "Who asked you anyway?"

"No one. But when it's you sticking your nose in my business that doesn't seem to matter."

"Well, maybe that's because I don't do stupid things like drive drunk and prove to the whole world I really do need a keeper three quarters of the time."

"I've been trying!" Vince yelled back. "I was the way I am a long time before you ever came along. I know sometimes I do stupid stuff but I'm trying not to. I'm trying to be good enough for-" He trailed off and shook his head. "Are you even trying to stop thinking you need to keep calm and cool in every situation and keep all your troubles to yourself?"

"I don't keep all my troubles to myself."

"Oh really? So why are you still driving that grey car around?"

"Because I don't have the money to replace it yet." Gem shook her head from side to side, wrinkling her nose. How was that even relevant? "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I told you I'd help you replace it but you won't take my help because that might compromise your independent act." Vince tossed up his hands and continued with his voice slightly raised. "We get it already that your family tried to keep you under their thumb so you had to break away and move to make it on your own. You're doing a good enough job now that it's ok to take some help when it's only offered to help you be even more independent and successful on your own and not to keep you tied down."

Gem sighed tiredly. He was right. He was right and she hated to let him know it. "I know I take some of how my family made me feel about leaving them out on you with the whole car issue but it's really more complicated than that. They don't want me to be a performer. They don't want me to be a performer so vehemently that it's made me totally dedicated to making it and making it without their help. I guess I do think that I have to make it on my own without anyone's help because of how they made me feel about it but I was always self sufficient Vince. It's nothing you should be taking personal."

Gem really didn't want to share the rest of the reason behind why she was so determined to make it on her own but she knew she had to, otherwise he would never understand. "The final straw that made me move away from my folk's place was overhearing Nick telling a friend of his what Doug said about my odds of ever making anything of myself. Now I have to do this and I have to do it on my own because I have to prove I can, and my family can go whistle."

"I'm not your over bearing brother Gem. I don't have anything but your best interests in mind."

"Neither does her over bearing brother." Doug broke in with a growl from the door. "We never said we wanted you to fail." Doug addressed his sister.

"No, you just told me not to move and convinced mom if I did it would be the last she'd ever see me because I'd end up raped and murdered in a ditch someplace. Then you went out of your way to convince dad that I'd never make it as a singer because I wasn't good enough. That I was only good enough to play for backup in some washed up band or sing karaoke and by letting me come to L.A. I was just going to find that out from someone who wouldn't be as nice about it as you all would as my family and I was just going to end up broken hearted. Nick heard you telling them those things and I heard him telling his friend about it. How could you?"

"Well, this city does have one of the highest crime rates in the whole country." Doug tried to justify his position, unable to justify his position on her singing ability and deciding to simply let that part drop. If she'd let him.

"You're wrong as a matter of fact," Gem said, already mad with Vince and rendered unable to deal with Doug in the rational manner she normally would have. "The state of California has a low rate of crime for its size. It was twenty fifth on the last website I checked."

"Well, whatever Gem. It stands to reason that in a city of this size there are going to be more crazy people and criminals than there are in a smaller city. You moving here alone at twenty two wasn't smart. You shouldn't be alone in a place this size. You're going to end up getting hurt." Doug shot a malevolent look at Vince.

"Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it's not like I go into areas where I'm likely to meet those people. If I do get hurt than at least it happened because of a decision I made of my own free will. Besides, I'm not alone anymore."

"You lived in a boarding house for the first three weeks you lived here and you didn't tell any of us. Then you moved into the house of two virtual strangers and again didn't tell us and didn't even try to find out anything about them first. It wasn't smart."

"I didn't want to hear what I'm hearing now. I wanted to be left alone to live my own life for a change. At least Nick sees that. I just don't know why you insist on treating me like I don't know my own mind, can't make my own way. I don't know why you insist on treating me like I'm still twelve not twenty two."

"Because you make stupid decisions like picking the home of a wanted criminal to move into." Everyone paused for a moment as Doug's bombshell sank in. Taking the shocked look on Gem's face as an indication she hadn't known he ploughed ahead. "Yes, that's right. The safe, normal people you live with are criminals."

Gem could feel emotions pouring off Vince and was very grateful for the fact he was holding them all in. In about five seconds she knew it was more than she was going to be able to do. Her shock wasn't over what Doug had revealed but rather that Doug had dared to reveal it right in front of Vince. Like his feelings didn't matter and it was ok to embarrass him, treat him like he was less than a person because of something he'd done so long ago. "No Doug, they're not." She managed to answer rationally, by some effort she hadn't even been sure it was in her to make.

"Yes! At least he is." Doug pointed at Vince. "I checked and he-"

"Has a record. Yes I know. However, that is for events of some time ago and he is not currently wanted for anything. He was cleared and I never once asked you to go digging into the background of my friends."

"It doesn't matter to you that the person playing off being so concerned about you has been in prison? For armed robbery!"

"It matters a great deal to me that he was honest enough to tell me about it of his own free will long before you ever decided to use it to discredit him. It matters to me that he did it, however misguided, to try and keep food on the table and a roof over Mia's head while her own brother was in jail for something stupid he did to the man who killed their dad. And most importantly it matters to me that he did his time, paid his debt to society and works harder than almost anyone else I've ever met. We can't all be perfect like you Doug."

"You think the only thing he ever did was rob a liquor store back in his teens? Oh little sister, that's just the tip of the iceberg." Doug clearly did not know when to leave well enough alone. His patronising tone set Gem's frayed nerves even farther on edge. "There was a hell of a lot more."

"Really?" Gem asked sarcastically. Of course, she already knew.

"Yeah, really. There was a string of petty charges for drugs and street racing. Not to mention a couple fines for weapons charges. Then there was a thing with transfer trucks a while ago. A bunch of guys were heisting them right off the highway. Why don't you ask your hard working, honest friend how he got the scar on his arm? Where he was this time last y-"

"I already know!" Gem screamed at her brother, finally driven past her breaking point. She barely held back from yelling they weren't all guys heisting that truck just to shock Doug the way he'd surely shocked Vince by coming out with all this in public. Especially now that they had a small audience in the form of Mia, Tamica and Elliott. "He told me everything right off the bat because he's even harder on himself than you're being on him now and he wanted me to know. I know everything you think you do! And guess what? I don't care! It didn't make me think less of him when he told me and it doesn't make me think less of him now that you are. So keep your nose out of my business!"

As Gem finally snapped and went running out of the room after pushing past Doug, he could only stare after her in shock. She had never lost her cool like that with him before. He wasn't sure what to do. His indecision about action kept him rooted in the door, slightly on an angle where Gem had pushed him to the side to rush past him.

The indecision didn't affect Vince. He took off after Gem like a shot, concerned about letting her drive so worked up. Not so concerned he didn't make sure to bump her brother however. He made sure his shoulder connected with Doug's. Hard. Without sticking around to enjoy how his newly restored bulk knocked Gem's studious older brother back into the wall, he ran down the hall after Gem. "Gem, wait up." She just shook her head and kept running, wiping at her eyes as she ran. She made better time through the crowd than Vince could with his considerable size. By the time he made it to the parking lot she was pulling out of it as fast as her Honda could take her.

He started for the Maxima, intent on following her where ever she was going. He knew she couldn't push her car very fast and was quite confident he could tail her easily. He wasn't leaving her out there alone in a car that could let her down any time in the state she was in. He knew a break down was the last thing she was equipped to deal with in her mental condition. As he was about to put his key into the lock he was shoved from behind into the side of his car.

"This is all your fault." Doug didn't attempt subtly. He felt one way about the situation and he stated it baldly. The scene with his sister, and finding out how many people had seen it had set him farther on edge as well. He was supposed to be almost finished of his training as a lawyer. So where were his instincts about what he couldn't say if he didn't want to end up sued for slander? Unfortunately his sister was right. Her friend had been cleared of any wrong doing, even if the charges had been dropped because the evidence had miraculously disappeared, the 'arresting' officer had mysteriously disappeared, and the truck driver in question hadn't wanted to answer to weapons charges for carting around a twenty gauge shot gun without the proper restraints and permits, not to mention shooting it at said arresting officer and shooting the man in question.

"How do you fuckin' figure?" Vince growled. "If you hadn't treated her like she couldn't make up her own mind she wouldn't have run off."

"If you hadn't gotten involved with her in the first place it wouldn't be an issue."

"And yet it all ties back to you trying to treat her like a baby not an adult. Your attitude is what drove her to Los Angeles in the first place and if she hadn't come here she would never have met me. So when you really think about it, it's all your fault."

Doug paused for a moment and blinked at Vince. Was the Neanderthal actually correct? Should he be blaming himself for this mess because he treated his sister like she didn't know her own mind? No! He only had her best interests at heart. Could the same be said for the tall, tattooed man he was fighting with? He doubted it.

"How is it helpful for you to fill her head with ideas that she can make it as a singer? We both know it'll never happen. What, one in a million girls who want a record deal actually get one? What happens to the rest of the million? Ask yourself that."

"Why are you so sure Gem won't be that one girl? She's really good and so is the rest of the band. With Tamica and Elliott behind her she could be that one person who gets discovered. At least she's following her dreams, not just sitting at home playing it safe and dreaming of what might have been."

"I can't believe there are more people in the world who want to perpetuate her hope that she's going to be the next Kelly Clarkson other than her brother Nick, whom I might remind you gets paid to live with his head in the clouds."

"At least Nick isn't an arrogant jackass who treats her like shit."

"At least I shouldn't be in jail. Not like you should be, like the criminal you are!"

"That tears it." Vince growled low in his throat. Doug wanted to see criminal? Be careful what you wish for. Mindful of the fact no matter how mad she was at her brother she likely wouldn't appreciate Doug getting his face rearranged Vince knew he was about to throw the first punch anyway. On that thought he did, his right fist connecting with Doug's mouth with a satisfying crack that threw the smaller man to the ground.

Unable to act in a smart manner out of his own frustration Doug picked himself up, testing his jaw. Satisfied it wasn't broken he sneered at Vince. "Truth must hurt."

"Not really." Vince shrugged. "I was everything you accused me of at one point in my life. Hearing someone like Gem stand up for me goes a long way toward making me ok with it though." Vince smirked evilly. "I appreciate you driving her even closer to me. She sure as hell ain't gonna be looking to you for anything any time soon."

Doug didn't have a verbal rejoinder; he lunged for Vince instead and threw a punch of his own into Vince's jaw. He watched as the shaggy haired man shook his head. The smirk on Vince's face didn't bode well for him at all. He found out why in his next breath as Vince lunged for him and tackled him into the gravel, landing on his stomach and hauling back a fist, ready to slam him in the face again.

Doug looked up in what he was fairly sure was fear. He was no match for the large, rough man on top of him. Vince had grown up in the streets and had spent a great part of his life as a thug, both for Dominic and for other people who simply had the money. Doug had been able to find out a great deal about him by pulling some legal strings. In a street fight there was nothing resembling evenness between them at all. He caught another fist to the face and he felt blood run down the side of his face out of his nose. It didn't feel broken but it did give him the anger to fight back. He attempted to punch Vince again and only managed to land a glancing blow to the other man's eye area.

He watched as Vince raised his arm back to pummel him again. He fought the need to protect his head with his arms and waited for the blow to land.

"Vince! Jesus Christ! Get offa him!" Mia called as she rushed up and grabbed Vince's upraised arm.

"Mia, stay outta this." Vince growled. "He's got it coming."

"I'd be inclined to agree," Mia offered in answer.

Doug looked up at the dark girl in shock. She didn't seem like the type to harbour a desire to see another human being get, to quote popular phrase, the living snot beaten out of him. She wanted to be a doctor. Didn't watching someone get beaten up go against her ethics?

"But you can't think that Gem, no matter how angry she was when she left here, will appreciate the news you beat up her brother. Besides that, you're just proving him correct. If you beat him up in a parking lot you may as well be just another petty criminal," Mia finished with her hands on her hips.

"Christ Mia!" Vince exclaimed, not happy to have his desire to beat Doug to a pulp lessened by Mia's well thought out argument. "He told Gem she wasn't good enough to make it as a real singer!"

"Oh." Mia stomped her foot in anger. "I didn't know that." She stomped over to where Doug was still prone with Vince on top of him. She hauled back her size six pump clad foot and kicked Doug in the side. "How dare you say something like that to Gem? She's the most talented singer I've ever met and she writes all her own songs. You're a low life, snivelling worm! Just because you have no discernable talent for anything doesn't give you the right to put her down." Mia in a temper when she was righteously angry was a sight to see.

Her brows were drawn together in anger, her lips pulled back in a small snarl of her own. Her black eyes were flashing fire and her small frame radiated anger.

"Ow!" Doug called as he fought to get free from Vince, feeling like he was being held down helplessly while they beat on him. He was almost more afraid of the small Italian vertigo with her pointy shoes than he was of Vince. "That really hurt!"

"Well good," Mia said as she cocked her leg back to kick him again.

"Enough Mia, you made your point," Vince put a stop to the violence with a weary sigh. This wasn't proving or settling anything. He stood up off Doug and surprised himself by reaching down to help the older man up off the ground.

"How can you say that after what he said to her! No wonder she took off out of here so fast. How are we going to find her?"

"We're not. You're going home and so is Doug. I'm going to find her."

"How?" Mia asked, her brows still knitted together in a frustrated frown.

"I think I know where she went. I'll find her. You two go home." Vince shoved Mia toward her car gently and to his surprise she went with another dark look for Douglas Davis.

"Why do you get to go find her and dismiss me? I'm her brother."

"Yeah, well you sure as fuck didn't act like one tonight and that's why I get to go find her. Do you really think she wants to talk to you right now?"

Doug sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't mean to say she was never going to make it as a singer ok? I meant to be realistic about her odds. They're not great so why set her up for a bigger fall than she has to be set up for already? I don't want to see her hurt."

"And you think she wasn't by you belittling something that means more to her than anything? Jesus Christ, you're not very logical for a lawyer. Besides that, why are her odds so bad? She's smart, she's really great at what she does and she has a presence on stage that's enough to turn a few heads if the right people see her up there doing her thing. The right people that-had you spent your time investigating her boss instead of me-you would know Barry knows. I'm sure, when the time is right for Gem to advance beyond what she's doing now Barry will make sure those people see her sing. Not to mention that if Mia and I have anything to say about it we'll personally hand out her demo tapes to every music executive we can find."

"Like you don't have some vested interest in that as part of the band she plays with." Doug sneered. He was trying to find a way to make himself feel better about his bad call on the whole situation.

"Not really I don't. I won't make records with her and I think she knows that already. I'm just here for a good time on Thursday nights. I'm not looking to make it as a guitar player. I'm exactly what I told Gem all along. A twenty five year old reformed criminal who runs a garage and drives too fast. I'll be quite happy to cheer Gem and the rest of Indigo Sound on from back stage once they get discovered."

"So why are you even playing with her now?"

"Because she needed me to. And now that she's had some time to cool off she needs me to find her and make sure she's ok. Just like she needs you to go fuck yourself someplace else for awhile, until she has time to get herself together." Vince dusted off the knees and shins of his pants from where he'd been straddling Doug in the dusty gravel before getting in the Maxima.

"How do you know I won't follow you so that I can have a chance to explain to her tonight?"

Vince grinned. Telling Doug to go fuck himself had gone a long way toward restoring his mood. "You're welcome to try and keep up. Good luck brotha." He slammed the door shut and started up the powerful engine with a roar before backing out of the spot with a quick motion and snap of the wheel before slamming it into first and pulling out of the lot spewing gravel with a fishtailing motion.

Doug could only watch him go with a frown. There was no chance he was going to keep up with Vince. None at all. Even if his car wasn't a Toyota Corolla he still doubted he could. He headed for the local Best Western instead. He wasn't heading back to San Francisco at this hour of the night. It was a four hour drive and it would be midnight before he got back. He figured he'd go get a good night's sleep, calm down as much as he could and get ready to go apologize to his sister in the morning.

♫

Gem drove away from the Cobalt as fast as she dared, looking constantly in her rear view mirror expecting to see the peculiar headlights of Vince's car following her. She knew she wouldn't miss them. They were HID and very, very bright. Not to mention they took on an almost blue cast. The front end of the Maxima was very distinctive and it never got behind her in the first fifteen minutes she was driving. After that she figured something had detained him or he simply hadn't been able to guess which way her path would carry her. Either way she was glad of the solitude.

Without really knowing how or why she found herself at the little beach Vince had taken her to, to tell her his story. She parked the car, turned it off and headed down onto the beach. She didn't have a blanket or towel in her car so she plunked into the sand uncaringly. So what if sand got all over her? Who cared? Her own family didn't think she could make it on her own. Even after hearing her Doug didn't think she was good enough to make it as a singer. It left her wondering who was being honest. Doug, or the others in her life.

There were certain things in her life she'd always accepted as truth. She wasn't very pretty. She wasn't the smartest kid in school. She had moments of not being terribly co-ordinated. She used her calmness as a shield to hide behind when people hurt her feelings. This constant calmness led people to believe she had no feelings or was uncaring. Frigid. Letting them think that was easier than dealing with them knowing they had the power to hurt her so she did.

It was like if she didn't let them know how much they'd hurt her, if she pretended like it didn't matter and she didn't care, just pretended that what they were saying about her was just a fact to her anyway than she'd turn the tables on them and any satisfaction they had hoped to get from hurting her would be hers instead when she didn't let on they'd managed. She tried to tell herself people could only hurt her mentally if she let them. It was a pretty thought in theory and it did have a tendency to make bullies give up quicker than they would have otherwise when they didn't get a reaction. But the sad fact was it still hurt, she just got good at not letting on.

But when it was your own family it was hard to accept they thought you were a failure.

There were certain things you were willing to overlook from the ignorant public that you were not willing to overlook from someone who'd changed your diapers and took you trick or treating at Halloween. Doug's rejection of her talent had hurt more than every guy who'd ever called her 'chubby' and every teacher who'd ever told her she needed to try harder when she was already trying her hardest put together. So she wasn't ever going to be a model and math and physics were beyond her grasp. She'd learned to play the bass by ear, learned to read and write music practically on her own and picked up trumpet and French horn in high school band just because. That was a talent in of itself and should be just as valued as if it had been skill at math or science.

She already had known Doug didn't think much of her plan to make her livelihood on her voice, but had he had to be so blunt about her potential to make it? She was young yet, she had a lot of years of being content to play in bars and other minor venues trying to do better before she ever thought of doing something else. Thought of giving up. So why couldn't Doug just let her try it her way and if it came down to it find out on her own she had to find something else to do? She had lots of years to go back to school and pick something else if singing professionally didn't work out for her.

And that was all beside the fact of what he'd said about Vince in front of everyone. Not only did he 'out' Vince without any right, he did it right in front of him. And he did it just to be mean and spiteful. It wasn't really Doug's style in all honestly but he'd still done it and it wasn't well done of him at all. It certainly hadn't been right of him to do it in front of a crowd of people either.

She picked up a handful of sand and let it run out through her fingers. She figured she should get up and go back to work, tell Barry she was ok and apologise for running off on him with no explanation. With a sigh she decided it could wait another few minutes. She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on top, staring out over the water dejectedly.

♫

Vince wasn't sure if he'd ever have words to describe the relief he felt when he drove around a curve in the road and it allowed his head lights to illuminate Gem's car parked off the side of the road, beside the now vacant billboard. He didn't see Gem but he parked beside her car anyway and shut his off before looking down toward the water. He spotted her almost all the way to where the water lapped at the edge of the sand, sitting drawn in on herself and staring out toward the horizon. He wasn't even sure she was aware he was there.

He started toward her slowly. If this was how she felt walking up to him unexpectedly at the cemetery than he was surprised she did it. It was nerve racking to walk up to someone you knew was so upset just out of the blue like he was. He knew she wasn't going to be happy to see him and he didn't want to intrude on her thoughts. But on the other hand he knew there was nothing good to come of her sitting alone beating herself up over what her brother had said to her.

He stopped beside her before throwing himself onto the sand beside her.

"How'd you know where I'd go?" She asked without looking at him.

"Lucky guess. I figured you wouldn't know of anywhere else to go in L.A. You haven't been here long enough to have your own favourite places."

She nodded.

"Are you ok?" He knew she wasn't but he had to start somewhere.

"Yeah. I'm sorry for what Doug said."

He wished she'd look at him. Not just keep staring out over the water like she was broken. "You don't have to be sorry for something your brother said. He's old enough to know better for one thing, and for another he thought he was doing what he should do to keep you safe. How was he supposed to know I already told you all that stuff?"

"I don't care if he knew or not. I didn't ask him to check up on me or check into you and Mia. He had no right and he certainly had no right to reveal it all in public or talk about you like that right in front of you."

"No he didn't, but it's not your place to be sorry for him. He should be sorry for himself. Besides, it doesn't matter. He didn't say anything I never heard before. It's not like I care."

"I think that's bullshit." Gem bit out.

Vince looked at her in shock. That was only the third real swear word he'd ever heard her use in the whole time he'd known her. She continued.

"You tell yourself and the rest of the world you don't care so they don't know just how much you do care. It's just that you can't let on you do because that would be a weakness and you can't let on to them or to yourself that you have any of those."

"How do you figure?"

"Because I'm the same way." It was strange to Gem that he should bring up the very topic she had been thinking about before his arrival. "I pretend that nothing anyone says about me has the power to hurt me because I don't want to give them the satisfaction. But that doesn't mean that on the inside it doesn't still hurt me.

"Like when guys pointed out that I was chunky I pretended like I already knew that and acted bored with them, like why were they telling me something I already knew. But it still hurt that instead of noticing me they noticed I could stand to lose a few pounds. It was a self defence mechanism, still is. If people think you don't care what they think, good or bad they tend to just go away and leave you alone. Same idea when they called me band geek. It hurt they were quantifying me as a thing and not a person." She picked up another handful of sand and let it slid through her fingers idly.

"There comes a time when you really do have to stop caring what others think and do what you want because you want to."

"You're just saying that because you have yourself so convinced you don't care what other people think. But I know you do, otherwise you wouldn't put yourself down so much and constantly act like you're not good enough to do so many things you want to do. If you thought it didn't matter what other people thought you wouldn't have been so angry that Doug said everything he did in front of such an audience."

How did she manage to peg him so well when she didn't really know him that well? Or did he just have himself convinced she didn't know him that well to make him feel more secure? He was starting to think he was merely thinking wishfully that she didn't know him as well as she needed to already. "I guess I do care that I not be judged on something I did a long time ago, or something I did and regret doing now."

"See! But yet you have yourself and most of the people around you convinced that you just don't give two cares what the rest of the world thinks about what you do. And that's fine for when you're just doing something like painting your car a strange color or playing music that most people would find odd, or dressing in clothes they don't think you should wear. But when they're judging you on something you can't change that's just an integral part of who you are it hurts. It's ok to not care what other people think of your clothes or your hair but when they don't like some part of you like the colour of your skin or the kinds of things you like it's hard not to care, hard not to hurt."

Vince sighed. "Your brother realized he said something stupid after you took off. He was just trying to let you down easy in his own way I guess. It likely didn't help he was already so worked up over what he found out about me."

"Don't try to make excuses for him. He was an asshole," Gem bit out. "He had no right. Even if I can't sing any better than the rejects from American Idol, he's my brother. His style of trying to keep me from getting hurt always was to just try and discourage me from doing anything he thought there was any chance I couldn't do. He never wanted to just let me try, he always wanted me to play it safe. He should encourage me to do my best and if he can't than he should keep it to himself and support me anyway. "

"You're right. He just doesn't want you to be crushed if you're in the majority that never makes it not the minority that does."

"I know the odds of me actually getting a record deal are slim. But I still have to try. Do you understand?" She finally turned to look at Vince and found him looking back at her. When she realized he was looking back at her with one black eye she quickly came up onto her knees and leaned in closer. "What happened to your eye?" She touched the puffy part of his cheek gently.

"Why?" Vince asked, eyes narrowed.

"Because it's black and swollen."

"He got me hard enough for that?" Vince asked without thinking and wished he could take it back when he watched her eyes narrow at him.

"He who?"

Vince looked away. "No one." He mumbled.

"Did you and Doug have a fist fight?"

"Um," Vince muttered as he tried to think up an answer to that question.

"You and my brother fought at my work!"

Vince looked back at her sheepishly. "If it makes you feel better it was in the parking lot, not in the Cobalt."

"Who started it?"

"That depends on what you mean by started it. I guess the last straw was when he told me I should be locked up for what I did, but I threw the first punch. I ain't proud of it, but when he said that on top of all the stuff he said to you I couldn't help myself."

"Is Doug ok? I mean, he was sort of a jock in high school but that was a long time ago and now he spends all his time with his nose in a book. You didn't kill him did you?"

"No! Of course not." Vince felt one corner of his mouth quirk up in a small smile when he thought of Doug on his back in the gravel after being taken down by him. "I only punched him once, but then he came at me and punched me so I sorta tackled him down and hit him again. Then Mia put a stop to it. Then I told Mia what he said to you and she kicked him in the ribs. I can't remember the last time I ever saw Mia that pissed. She actually stomped her foot at him first and I had to stop her from kicking him a second time."

With an image of her oh so proper older brother on his back on the gravel surface of the Cobalt's parking lot, Vince on top of him and Mia kicking him in the ribs on her mind, Gem started to laugh. "Oh, I wish I had been there to see that." She sat back down in the sand, closer to Vince than she had been before and allowed herself to laugh at the image in her head.

Vince joined her laughing for a moment before he fell serious once again. "Gem?"

"Um?" She replied as she wiped the tears her laugher had brought off her cheeks.

"Thank you." Vince said gruffly.

"For what?"

"For standing up for me to your brother. I don't think anyone ever stood up for me to anyone before."

"You don't have to thank me for that. You're far too hard on yourself Vince and I won't have someone like my brother use something you've done just to try and make you look bad and me look stupid. He had no right."

"Even still, thanks all the same."

"Don't mention it."

"Oh, don't worry. After tonight I somehow doubt you'll ever hear about it again." Vince said honestly and with a brief hesitation wrapped an arm around Gem's shoulders.

"Thank you for fighting my brother on my behalf."

"You're welcome." Vince answered.

"I guess it wasn't much of a trial for you." Gem giggled.

"Not really, no." He squeezed Gem a little closer to his side for a moment. "You almost ready to go home?" I know Mia's worried about both of us by now."

"We should go home so I can put something on your knuckles and eye."

"I've been banged up worse, don't worry about me."

"Should I be worried about Doug?"

"Well, I don't think his nose was broken."

"Oh man. I'm going to hear about this one."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. It will be worth every second of the picture in my mind of Doug in the gravel at work."

"Yeah, it's pretty funny." Vince chucked once more before again turning serious. "Gem?"

"Yeah?" She leaned against his warm side with a sigh. She wondered if it was ok to let Mia worry just a bit longer. Somehow, everything felt right again when she was alone with Vince, his mass warming her and the simplicity of his outlook making her world seem more orderly. Not to mention that somehow the way he smelled of Zest soap and orange hand cleaner mixed with whatever aftershave Mia had bought for him some Christmas past had become comforting to her. Familiar. She closed her eyes as she leaned her full weight into his side and inhaled deeply before shyly hooking her arms around his waist.

Vince used his free hand to brush some hair out of her face so he could look down at her closed eyes. "You didn't believe what your brother said did you? That you weren't that good as a singer?"

"It was hard not to believe my own brother but I tried not to."

"Try hard. He was just saying that to try and scare you into finding something safer to do. I know he just doesn't want to see you hurt but you're great on stage and I really mean that."

As compliments went it wasn't the fanciest or most flattering. But she was struck once again by how much more it meant to her just because Vince clearly meant each and every word. "Thanks. It all ties back to what I said earlier about pretending it doesn't hurt when it really does. But I'm trying to remember how much better I've gotten since I started working at the Cobalt and how much fun I have while I'm doing it now. At least when I'm not singing songs I know are likely to make my friends mad at me or bring up unpleasant memories."

"Well, I'll do my part to give you happy things to write about for next week. At least as far as my part in your songs goes. I can't answer for the rest of the people in your life."

"Deal. Do I have to talk to Doug?"

"Not tonight. I sent him packing for now. But I suspect he'll be around to say his piece tomorrow. Want me to call Cory when we get home and tell him I'm not coming in? That way I'll be home with you when he shows up."

"I don't think there's any need of that. I don't think he'll dare say anything else like he did tonight and if he does than I guess I know how to show him the door just as well as you do."

"And you better do it. No more putting up with his bullshit just because he's your brother. He can just pack up and head out until he has something nice to say."

"You said it."

"Well, we really should go before Mia calls us in missing." Vince said as he removed his arm from around Gem. She let him go with a sigh and watched as he stood up and dusted himself off. He reached a hand down to her and helped her to her feet. She followed his lead and dusted the sand off her pants half heartedly.

They started up the beach toward their cars, hand in hand. "No chance I could convince you to leave that thing here for the night and ride with me is there?"

"Not out here in the middle of nowhere V. I know the car isn't worth much but Nicky bought me the stereo and I'd hate to lose it. I'll follow you back."

"I'll go slow so you can keep up."

"The sacrifices you're willing to make for me never cease to astound me." Gem teased.

"You don't know the half of it." The light in his eyes was anything but teasing.

Instead of delving into it then Gem smiled softly and got into the Honda. She started it and waited for Vince to get his own car onto the road before backing up behind him and starting to follow him home.

And as she parked behind him at the curb she realized one thing. For the first time in forever she felt like she was coming home. She had been living with them for weeks now, but the house hadn't truly felt like home. It did now because tonight had shown her that the people she lived with now were acting a hell of a lot more like a family should than her real family was.

She locked up the Honda and allowed Vince to take her hand to lead her up the stairs, onto the porch.

♫

Doug realized soon after he checked into his room that he wasn't going to be able to settle down until he talked to someone about what had happened. Since he couldn't tell his mother what he'd done, or even the full details of Gem's living and working situation he couldn't call her. He didn't know what advice his father would have for him and that only left one person to call.

Nick.

He wasn't looking forward to telling Nick what he'd said and done but Nick knew their sister better than he did and if anyone would know what to say to make it better it would be Nick. He dialled the number that would connect him to Nick's cell phone, never sure which number for which base and unit to call to reach his brother via the navy.

After a couple rings Nick picked up. "Hello."

"Hello Nick." Doug sighed.

"Doug? That you?"

"Yeah, it's me. How are things?"

"Fine, getting ready to move to Nevada. You?"

"That's why I'm calling, actually. I'm in L.A."

"Why?"

Doug could hear the suspicion in his brother's voice. "I dug into that Vince character's background.

Nick groaned. "Doug, I told you to leave it alone."

"I know! I just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to hurt her. What I found out wasn't that promising for that not happening. He's got a criminal record."

"So do I." Nick said in a low voice.

"That's different." Doug protested hotly.

"I stole a car, got caught and got in trouble. It can't be that different."

"You were a juvenile. This guy was an adult."

"Well, what did he do for crying out loud? I can tell already you messed this up, what ever you did. So you might as well tell me the whole story."

"He robbed a liquor store armed when he was nineteen or twenty and did time for it. He's been charged with a few counts of misdemeanour street racing in the last few years and a few counts for possession and trafficking two and three years ago. He got off on fines and community service for everything but the robbery."

"That's not great Doug, but the fact he hasn't been charged with anything recently likely does mean he's grown up and learned his lesson. Not everyone can grow up with a firm sense of right and wrong learned from their parents. Some people have to learn right from wrong on their own in their own way."

"If that was that I could likely deal easier than I am. But that's not all I found out about him."

"Well, what else is there?"

"Remember that thing in the news last August about the truck robberies? Those people hijacked five or six before one went wrong outside Coachella and the trucker shot up his truck and one of the attempted robbers."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Our sister's new boyfriend was the guy who got shot on the side of the truck."

"No shit! Really?"

"Yes really Nick. Am I likely to kid about something like this?"

"I just find that hard to believe."

"And when I told Gem do you know what she told me?"

"What?"

"That he told her ages ago and she didn't care. She already knew and she's still living with him. Maybe even dating him." Doug paused in pacing around his room to run a hand through his hair.

"I still don't see the issue. If she's still around him that must mean she was ok with whatever explanation he gave her for why he did it. Besides that, no one was ever charged in that case."

"No, because the undercover officer went missing along with all the evidence."

"Either way if the courts couldn't convict him of wrong doing neither can you."

"Fine, whatever. That's not even really why I called."

"Why did you call then Doug?"

"I found out tonight that you heard me trying to convince Dad not to let Gem come here."

"How?" Nick asked, confusion evident in his tone.

"Because Gem heard you telling one of your friends on the phone every word I said to dad."

"Shit." Nick groaned. This wasn't good.

"So when I told her she was as likely to win the lotto as she was to make it as a singer it reminded her of all the other stuff I'd said to mom and dad to try and make sure she didn't come here. So then when I said all that stuff about her friend Vince in front of other people she got really mad at me and took off out of here."

"Doug, you can be a real moron, you know that?"

"The point was driven home rather well by Vince's fist in the parking lot, yes."

"You got in a fist fight with him?"

"Well, he took exception to the fact I called him a criminal who should be locked up and hit me first. I simply defended myself. Then he told that Mia girl what I said and she kicked me. She had on a pair of those pointy shoes girls like and I have a bruise the size of Texas on my ribs."

"I can't find it in me to feel sorry for you right now Douglas."

"I know I messed up. But I have to go and apologise to her tomorrow and I don't know what to say."

"Sorry. What else can you say? I'm an idiot might help. Saying sorry to Vince might be another good start."

"Why should I say sorry to him?"

"For talking about his criminal record from years ago and a crime you can only speculate he did in front of a bunch of people none of you really know? Gee Doug, I don't know what you have to be sorry to him for!"

"Point made Nicholas. Were you always so sarcastic?"

"When I find out you broke my baby sister's heart yes."

"She's my little sister too!" Doug protested hotly.

"So fuckin' well act like it for once and treat her like she wants to be treated, not like you're some superior officer and she's one of your men to keep in line. Let her live her life and just let her know that should she run into trouble or fall down, you'll be there to help her back up if she wants you to."

"Christ, are you sure there isn't a career in law waiting for you too?"

"I wouldn't be the first pilot to go into JAG when he couldn't fly anymore."

Doug could hear the smile in his brother's voice. "You go ahead and crack jokes. You're not staring down the barrel of what I am tomorrow."

"You brought it on yourself Doug. Good night and good luck."

"Night."

Both brothers shut their phones. Doug kicked off his loafers and flopped back onto his bed, folding his hands behind his head. He'd over reacted and now he was going to have to pay the price.

♫

"Come on back to the kitchen. You really should put some ice on that eye or it's really going to be swollen tomorrow."

"Stop fussing. I'm fine."

"Let me fuss. It makes me feel better."

"If you put it that way." Vince allowed himself to be lead through the house by the hand and forced down into a kitchen chair. As he predicted it didn't take Mia long to figure out they were home and rush to the room.

"I'm so glad you're ok!" Mia called out as she rushed across the room to Gem's side. "I called Barry and told him you wouldn't be back tonight. He's concerned."

Gem returned Mia's hug gratefully. It was nice to know someone cared, even if it wasn't her own brother, but rather simply a good friend. "Thank you for calling Barry. I'll call him myself a little later and reassure him I'm ok."

"Don't mention it. Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Well, I am now anyway. That's more than I can say for Vince, who I hear had a fist fight in the parking lot." Gem crossed to the fridge and tossed some ice cubes into a clean dish towel before making her way back to Vince's side. "Put that on your eye." Rather than give him a chance to obey she pushed the cloth to his face for him. "Hold it there."

"Yes ma'am." Vince answered sarcastically from under the dish towel.

"You should have seen them. After Vince told me what Doug said I wanted to let them keep fighting!"

"My brother isn't much of a fighter. It wouldn't really have been fair to let him go up against Vince for too long."

"Someone had to shut his damn mouth." Vince mumbled.

"He certainly was out of line." Mia added, her narrowed eyes and tight mouth showing she was still not over her anger.

"Well, he's going to be set straight tomorrow and that's all there is to that. I do wonder where he went after I took off though. It's not like him to not be here right now trying to get his way."

"Oh, Vince told him not to come here tonight. If you saw the fight you'd know there's not much of a chance of Doug defying him either."

"I should think not." Gem said primly. "I would hope Doug would know Vince's thoughts on the situation mirror my own. I don't even really want to hear from him tomorrow but I know he won't go home without one last effort to make me see my life his way."

"You don't have to listen to him," Vince moved the dish towel so he could see the girls. "I told you this. I'll stay home and sent him packin' again tomorrow."

"I'll send him packing myself. I don't need anyone to fight my battles anymore. This is my home not his and if he says one thing I don't want to hear than he'll be asked to leave. If he doesn't listen then I'll call you to come get rid of him." Gem said, addressing Vince.

"You better." Vince smiled before catching the glare Gem and Mia sent his way. He put the bundle of ice back on his eye.

"I'm going to go call Barry. Keep that on your face until I get back." Gem didn't want to hear Vince's answer, if he had one. She left the kitchen for the living room and dialled the number for the Cobalt. She explained the situation to Barry with as little detail as possible and returned to the kitchen after a quick pit stop in the bathroom and her room to change into her pyjamas.

Without telling Vince what she was about she poured some iodine onto a cotton ball. He had his head tipped back and the eye that wasn't under a white and red checkered dish towel closed. She moved up on him silently and got into position. Before he could hear her make a noise she pressed the cotton to the worst of the cuts on his knuckles.

"Jesus effing Christ!" Vince roared as he came aware of his surroundings rudely. "What the fuck is that stuff?"

"Iodine. You can't leave these go uncleaned."

"I woulda washed my hands when I went downstairs. You didn't have to try and burn my hands off."

"It can't be that bad. It's just a little sting."

Realizing that complaining about the pain from a little iodine wasn't very masculine Vince shut his mouth on whatever retort he had been planning and thought for a moment. "So you aren't going back to work?"

"Not much sense in it. It's already eleven. I might as well just stay home. Why?"

"Wanna go watch a movie? I rented a few yesterday for somethin' to do."

"I guess so. Want popcorn?" Gem asked.

"Sure."

Vince went to set up the TV and Gem started to pop the popcorn, knowing that for Vince the microwave was still as broken as ever. When she wandered into the living room about ten minutes later with a big bowl of popcorn, a Pepsi and a Corona she found Vince sitting in a sprawl on the far end of the sofa in the best position for seeing the TV. She set the popcorn down on the coffee table in front of him and set the two bottles of beverages onto coasters beside it.

"What are we watching?"

Vince named a popular new release and took a big handful of the popcorn, which he started to munch. Gem sat at the other end of the couch and curled her feet under her. A few minutes in she decided she wanted some of the popcorn. "Pass me the bowl, would you?"

"No." Vince didn't look away from the screen.

"What do you mean, no?"

"If you want some of it you're going to have to come down here and get it." He turned to look at her and smirked.

"Maybe I don't want any of it that badly." Gem said as she cocked one eyebrow, waiting for his reply.

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes and slid to the middle of the couch before trying to reach the bowl.

Vince used his foot to move the table, keeping it just out of her reach. He continued to watch the movie, acting as though he'd done nothing.

With a sigh she moved closer to him still and finally reached the bowl. She was well aware what he was up to. Giving him a hard time just made her feel better about giving him his way. As she started to eat her snack she waited expectantly. A few moments later out of the corner of her eye she saw the closer of Vince's arms start to move.

If he doesn't yawn I'll be disappointed.

She wasn't. A big yawn and stretch later one strong, tattooed arm was pulling her even closer to his side. She gave in easily and pulled her feet up under her as she leaned onto Vince happily. She somehow figured she shouldn't give him everything he wanted easily. It had occurred to her that in some cases it was better to keep Vince working for what he wanted than to simply give it to him on a platter.

On that note she settled even more comfortably into her new position on the couch and rested her head onto Vince's shoulder. After a fight with your brother there was something to be said for a comforting shoulder to rest your head on and a secure arm keeping you feeling safe.

"Well, what did you think?" Vince asked Gem as the credits started to play. He didn't get an answer. "Gem?" He asked, looking down at the top of her head. When he realized she was dead weight against his side he figured out she had fallen asleep.

Grateful she had put her pyjamas on when she'd gotten done taking care of his wounds he picked her up and carried her up to her room. Pealing back the covers on her bed he put her in and pulled them up around her shoulders. "'Night Princess." He said gruffly and left the room, closing her door on the way out.

Vince didn't want to lie to himself anymore. He was done with it. That meant he was trying to be ok with knowing how affected he was by Gem, and admitting to himself he was very affected by her, even though he wanted to keep telling himself he could take or leave her. Something as simple as watching a movie with her curled up against his side shouldn't have been so enjoyable. Shouldn't have made the fact he spent another night at home and didn't miss the bar ok. But yet it did. He wasn't sure yet if that was really, really scary or really, really good. Either way it was a fact. He took himself off to bed, not dreading the alarm clock's ring for the first time in a long time.

♫

Gem woke up the next morning with a yawn and stretch. She felt very well rested and content. Until she looked at the clock, saw it was after eleven and realized her brother would be coming around to talk to her any time.

She didn't know what to say to him. Perhaps she didn't know because she didn't have anything to say to him. She knew from experience that he wasn't going to change his mind. He'd try to force his will on her and the old Gem would end up giving in and giving him his way. But the new Gem, the girl she was trying to be since moving to Los Angeles wasn't going to bend to his wants. She had her own and it was time to hold fast to them. Based on the fact she had figured he would show up much earlier, she held out some hope that he'd simply given up and gone home.

Fat chance! You know he'd never pass up the chance to try and push his point of view one last time. You've known this boy your whole life. When has he ever let any argument go the first time he's shot down? It's part of what's going to make him a good lawyer.

She shook her head and pulled on a pair of track pants and a tank top before heading down the stairs. Maybe she'd just not be home when he came looking for her. Why should she spend her day hanging around waiting on him to show up just to try and convince her again that she had no talent and should just pack up and go back home to her mother because she wasn't smart enough to make it on her own?

With that on her mind she snatched the keys to the Honda up off the table in the hallway and headed out the door, locking it behind herself.

As she drove away from the house she wasn't sure if she should go hang out with Vince or with Mia. She picked Mia first, thinking that due to the time of day she could play lunch fairy again for the boys. She headed the car toward Mia's lunch counter with the windows down, again hoping to catch a breeze. It didn't work out. It was hotter than hell's kitchen in her car. She got out of the stifling heat of her car's interior gratefully. At least the outside had a breeze.

She wandered into the shady interior of the café and sat down on one of the bar style stools in front of the counter. Mia had her back to the counter area and hadn't heard her come in. Gem leaned sideways trying to see what she was looking at. It looked like a school book. "Don't you have three weeks before you need to be reading those?"

Mia jumped as Gem's question startled her. "You scared me!" She put a hand to her throat. "Yes, I do have a month to be exact, but I can't start too early when I missed a whole year already. I'm going to have to take extra courses and summer school next summer if I want to catch up."

"You'll do fine Mia. No need to worry."

"I will if I study. I had to study a lot before and now it'll only be harder since I've been out for a year." Mia leaned back onto the counter before bracing her arms and lifting herself up to sit on one side of it, leaning over to rest her elbows onto her knees.

"You're going to do fine. I know that I'll do anything I can to help you out and I bet V feels the same way."

"Gem, I was thinking." Mia stopped talking, an uncertain look clouding her eyes.

"What is it Mia?" Gem asked, reaching out a hand to touch her friend on the arm. She sensed whatever was on Mia's mind was really bothering her.

"What if you're career picks up and you don't have time to help me here? I don't want you to feel like you're stuck here because of me."

"Mia, if that happens I'll find my replacement and pay her myself so that you can keep going to school. I want you to get into med school almost as much as you want you to get in." Gem grinned. "Me getting a full time singing gig isn't all that likely so don't go holding your breath on it happening, ok?"

"I just hope you didn't let your stupid brother make you feel that way. He was wrong when he said that to you. You have just as much chance of making it as any other girl. More chance. You're really good at what you do."

"Thanks Mia. It means a lot, it really does. I didn't even realize until last night just how much my opinion of myself was based on me trying to convince other's I was good at what I do even though I didn't believe it. I know Vince is right and Doug is just trying to protect me from disappointment but what he doesn't seem to realize is that when he acts like he wants me to fail it's a bigger disappointment than not getting discovered ever could be."

"I hear you. I guess no matter how bad I had it with Dominic in the last year before he ran off I have to love him for always treating me like I could do whatever I wanted to. Even if he did push me in the direction of med school I wouldn't be trying it if it wasn't something I wanted to do. No matter how down I was about how hard it was going to be, or how much I didn't think I was smart enough to make it or dedicated enough to finish Dom was always the one cheering me on."

"Sometimes you guys make me think he's not the monster I built him up to be in my head. Then Vince will tell me about another shitty thing Dom did to him once upon a time and I loose any good thoughts I had."

"I have a hard time remembering the fact I should love him too sometimes." Mia leaned on the counter. "I guess it's like you and Doug in a lot of ways. He should be here, he should be supporting me but instead he bailed. I use to try and tell myself that he left me here because he knew that Vince and Jesse would need someone to be with them and since I was the one who wasn't really involved I was the logical choice since I was the one who wasn't going to be locked up by the police. But he didn't really know that when he took off, not really. How did he know they wouldn't charge me with something just to have someone other than Vince to put behind bars? I think he just didn't think there was time to come back for me so he didn't. He abandoned me here rather than try to come back for me and risk himself. So he decided that I was expendable and left me here."

"Maybe he thought if he was caught fleeing the country and you were with him than you would get implicated right along with him but if he left you here and didn't tell you anything about where he was going the cops wouldn't think you had anything to do with it, that you could just plead ignorance and not really be lying."

"Knowing Dominic like I do it was likely my version, but he had your version all prettied up to tell me as the reason why he never came back."

"But when you tell me about him pushing you to go to school and do your best it doesn't sound like he didn't always have your best interests in mind."

"He selfishly wanted at least one Toretto to make something of themselves I guess. I know he wanted to see me happy and with a real job instead of running this place for the rest of my life, but he also wanted to be able to say 'at least my sister's a doctor even if I'm just a mechanic and a street racer. He wasn't the easiest on himself about how he messed up his chance to follow dad's footsteps."

"I suppose had he been smart he would have tried to live an exemplary life and petitioned the racing governing body to reconsider their decision based on his good behaviour and the fact he did his time and paid his debt."

"I agree whole heartedly. When I think about him now I spend half the time wondering if I'll ever see him again and the other half hoping I don't. I just don't know what I'd have to say to him if I were to see him again. He's my brother and I love him but he's a jerk and I don't really like him that much."

"I know what you mean exactly." Gem shook her head. "Boys!" She added exasperatedly. Both girls cracked up into giggles.

"And on that note, did your brother ever show up to eat crow for what he said and for fighting with V?"

"No. I decided if he hadn't been by the house by eleven I wasn't going to wait for him any longer. If he wants to find me to talk he'll find me."

"Ok, how about if I make up some lunch for everybody's favourite mechanics and you take it down to them?"

"Sure. They loved it last time we did that for them. You might want to put an extra sandwich in for Cory. The way he eats I'd think he should weigh three hundred pounds. Vince too."

"Well, they work hard so I guess they build up their appetites and work off the calories." Mia got to work on the food, laying out bread and getting the butter, mayo and mustard out of the frig. "You want ham or a club?" She asked, looking up at Gem.

"Club. I'll eat here with you this time."

"No you won't. You'll go eat with the boys," Mia saw Gem go to protest and cut her off before she could say a word. "If you take the time to eat here they might break for lunch before you get there."

"Alright already. If you don't want my company than I'll just go hang out with the boys. At least I know Cory will be happy to see me."

"Cory would be happy to see a saint Bernard if it came with food and Corona for him."

"Gee thanks. I like being compared to a giant, drooling dog."

"Good." Mia finished up her sandwiches and packed them up along with a bag of cold drinks. "There you go. Don't dawdle on the way down there."

"Ok mom, I'll go straight home." Gem rolled her eyes playfully.

"Just hush up and go." Mia answered as she pointed at the door. Gem left with a wave and headed the car toward DT. She walked into the shop and called a hello out to the guys. She was mobbed by Vince and Cory the second she finished saying she had lunch.

"I'm starvin' today." Vince said as he started fishing in the bag of sandwiches.

"You're always starving lately." Gem said as she handed Cory and Bill their food and allowed them to reach into the other bag of cold beer.

"I can't help it when I work this hard." Vince held his arms out to his sides and it revealed how covered in filth from head to toe he really was. He looked like he fought with a barrel of grease and most definitely lost.

"What in heaven's name were you doing to get so dirty?" Gem asked as she sat down on the couch and unwrapped her sandwich.

"Rebuilding an engine. Damn thing musta been leaking oil for the last three years. There was oil all over everything under the hood. And the oil picked up dirt too so the whole engine bay was just a fricken mess. I had to take everything out, clean it, replace half the internals and put it all back together. I'm just about done now but it was one of those jobs."

"Whoever owns that car must have a lot of money." Gem mused as she took another bite of her sandwich. She knew the Honda needed some of the same things Vince was describing doing to this other car, but she also knew she couldn't afford them.

"Not really, no. But when it comes to building a car sometimes you have to forget about the cost and go for quality."

"It must be nice to be able to think like that." Gem sighed.

"Someday. Just wait until you have more money than you know what to do with from your first contract. Then you'll know where to come to have your ride done up right." Vince winked playfully.

"Yeah, sure will."

"Did your brother come by the house?"

"No, he didn't. I didn't feel like waiting around on him so I went to see Mia and she told me to take you boys lunch."

Vince finished up his lunch. "You wanna help me work on something for awhile then?"

"Sure. It's not this really dirty one you were working on when you wrecked all your clothes is it?"

"No, not that one. I'm done with that one for today. I gotta put a new alternator in Hoshi Wu's Supra. I guarantee the engine bay of this one's so clean you could eat outta it."

"I'll pass, but I will help you with the alternator thingie."

Vince chuckled. "Deal." He grabbed Gem's hand and led her over to a red Toyota Supra in one of the bays.

♫

Doug pulled up to Gem's house with no small amount of trepidation. He wasn't looking forward to talking to her after yesterday's scene. Nor was he looking forward to telling her friend he was sorry. He got out of his car with heavy steps and walked up to the front door. He knocked and waited. When no one came to answer his summons he knocked harder and waited again.

He turned to look at the street and realized that there were no cars home. He walked down off the front step and around the back. There were no cars to be found, and that included Gem's Honda. With a muttered curse he walked back to his car and drove toward the location of Mia's café. He was purely guessing where Gem might go and to visit with one of her friends was the only thing he could come up with.

After stopping for directions several times he made his way through the unfamiliar Echo Park streets and pulled up across the street from Mia's café. He parked the car and got out, pushing his sunglasses farther up his nose agitatedly as he walked across the street and stepped up into the shade of the building.

He found Mia much as Gem had earlier in the day; bent over a text book reading up about subjects she had started to forget over the past year. He too took a seat at the counter and waited for her to notice she had company. He waited a few minutes and was about to say her name when she spoke.

"If you're waiting for me to start a conversation with you you're not done waiting yet." Mia didn't look up from her book. "I don't know that we have anything to say to each other."

Doug sighed. "I'm sorry for my conduct last evening. I'm not normally such an idiot."

"I've no doubt. If you were, you'd have been killed by an angry mob before you ever got as old as you are." Mia glanced at him quickly with anger before turning her eyes back to her book.

Doug winced. This wasn't going well. How was he going to win Gem over if he couldn't even win over her roommate? "I'm sorry I overreacted. I just want a chance to tell my sister how sorry I am. Do you know where she is? She isn't at home."

"I sent her down to the shop with lunch for the boys about an hour ago. If she's not still there I don't know where she is."

"Thanks." Doug moved to get up.

"Don't thank me yet. Vince and even Cory are going to be very protective over Gem. If you go down there you better watch your step. You got off light with Vince yesterday."

"She's with Vince right now." It hadn't occurred to Doug what 'the shop' was likely to be.

"Yes, well, he is the one who runs the garage." Mia shook her head at Doug's-in her opinion-stupidity, and went back to her book again.

"Could I ask you for a bit of advice?" Doug asked tentatively.

"I suppose." Mia gave up on her book with a sigh of irritation.

"Seeing as I'm really sorry for hurting my sister's feelings, and for saying all those things to Vince how would I best go about making it up to both of them?"

Mia laughed. She couldn't control the need. "You want to make it up to Vince? You think there's something you can do that's going to make this up to Vince. You need your head examined."

"That bad huh?"

"Oh yeah. Vince does not have a forgiving disposition. I know that if you tell Gem you're sorry and really mean it than she'll forgive you. She's always quick to forgive Vince at least. But Vince, Vince isn't going to forgive you for what you said. If he gets to a point where he can be in the same room as you without kicking your butt you'll be doing good."

"I do really mean it. I can't tell you how anxious I've been knowing that my little sister has been left alone in a city like Los Angeles. I feel I left her here alone. That's not something I ever thought I'd do. But I tried not to let her come here, I told her all the reasons why she shouldn't and even convinced mom and dad not to let her. But the thing is she is twenty two. I can't stop her if she really wants to do something and neither can our folks. But that doesn't stop me from feeling like I've abandoned her." Doug delivered his speech looking at his interlocked hands which were resting on the counter top in front of him.

"Well, my brother really did abandon me and trust me, there is no comparison between you letting Gem live her dream and you abandoning her in Los Angeles. All you have to do is let her know you want her to succeed, no matter what it is she's picking to succeed at. And let her know there isn't anything you think she can't do if she puts her mind to it. You shouldn't be trying to keep her safe by discouraging her from ever doing anything at all. Why should she even be alive if she never tries things she wants to do, never takes risks?"

"Because taking risks like Gem is taking rarely works out well. Some risks shouldn't be taken."

"Listen, I know about risk, and I've seen what happens when you risk everything and fail. But on the other hand I've seen what happens when someone risks everything and flies too. Can't you just let Gem have her chance to live that? Its fine to counsel her against things you think will get her hurt, but in the end, if she wants to try them anyway all you can do is stand behind her. You can't hold her hand forever."

"I guess since my mom and dad were always so busy with the restaurant and I'm so much older than Gem and Nick I always felt responsible for them since I was always taking care of them. It's made me feel like I do have a responsibility to keep her safe. I'm just more lenient on Nick because that's how we're all taught to treat boys, you know? I'm not sure I know how to let go and let her pick her own way. But I can try."

"And now all you have to do is tell her that." Mia smiled softly at Doug. "Trust me, no one knows what it's like to have her brother leave her behind like me, but Gem knows you didn't do that to her. But she wants you to be her brother, not her father. She has one of those. Dominic made the same mistake with me in the months after our father was killed. Trying to change our relationship and step into Dad's role and become the head of the household. But the thing was, I didn't want another father. I wasn't done missing the one I already had. But what I did really want was a brother. And that's all Gem wants too."

"I know you're right." Doug looked up at Mia. He had never stopped to think of how things had affected her. He knew from what he'd learned that she hadn't been involved. In fact, he had learned that most of the other people likely hadn't had much say in the whole venture after Dominic Toretto had decided it was something they were going to do. People who knew him said he was like gravity, pulling things down with him. It was just hard to juxtapose the Vince who had fought him in a parking lot with one who wouldn't speak his own mind and say no if an activity didn't appeal to him.

In her own way Mia Toretto was just as tough, if not tougher than Vince. She'd been abandoned by her own idolized brother. Since he'd run off he'd never once attempted to contact her. Not a phone call, not a post card. He was just gone without a trace.

"So, Gem's a given. She'll accept my apology. I can accept the fact that Vince likely won't, but is he likely to start throwing punches again?"

"Not at the shop. He's got Cory to set an example for there."

"Cory?"

"One of his mechanics. He's only twenty and he's been in trouble with the law before. He's always wanted to be into cars and racing but no one would give him a break with his record. Vince knows what it's like to have doors closing left and right because you have a criminal record so he took Cory on 'on probation' to give the kid a chance. He's been trying to lead by example in front of the kid at least."

"This is your way of making sure I know how badly I misjudged him isn't it?" Doug asked astutely.

"Yeah." Mia said, blushing slightly from being caught at telling things she knew Vince would rather no one knew.

"Point taken. All I can do is tell him I've been stupid and apologise. Then I'll give him some space to think it over. That, and of course space between us so he can't kick my ass."

"Sounds like a plan. Do you know where DT is?"

"No."

Mia gave him directions, writing them out on a napkin. Doug watched her sketch out the roads. Her black hair a shining curtain around her slim shoulders and her caramel skin glistening in the heat. She handed him the paper with a shy smile. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Doug took the map and started out of the café. He paused just outside the large open doors and looked back over his shoulder to find Mia watching him go, an unreadable look on her face. He got into his car and pulled away, hanging a right to head down the first road he'd been told to take to find DT performance automotive.

♫

"Ok, put the wrench over that tab on the end of the tensioner and push down." Vince instructed Gem.

"Like this?" She asked as she moved the wrench tentatively toward the aforementioned tab on the pulley assembly of the Supra they were working on. They'd gotten the alternator back in already and were now trying to reinstall the main engine belt.

"Sorta. Here," Vince moved in behind Gem and reached around her, grabbing her hand around the wrench in one hand and the belt in the other. He rested his chin on her shoulder so he could see what he was doing and moved her arms to the right places before helping her move the pulley assembly downward and shoving the belt around the last pulley. "Ok, now let it up slowly and then take the wrench out," he helped her move the tensioner back into place slowly so it wouldn't snap back and then allowed her to remove the wrench from around the metal item.

"Is it done now?" Gem asked as she looked down into the engine compartment. She now knew what an alternator was and what it looked like. She was unnaturally happy about having the knowledge, cars always being something that she took for granted and knew nothing about.

"Well, mostly," Vince said as he wrapped his arms around Gem's waist from behind.

"What's left?" Gem asked and rested her hands on Vince's where they were interlocked in front of her.

"Start it up and see how it works."

"Uhhum." Someone cleared their throat behind the couple.

Vince looked back over his shoulder to see who it was, expecting a customer, only to find Doug standing behind him carefully out of arm range. "What?" He snarled out.

"Who is it V?" Gem asked, unable to see who was behind Vince because his shoulders got in the way.

"Your brother," Vince answered honestly, unable to see where lying would get him any farther ahead.

"You may as well let me go talk to him," Gem said softly for Vince to hear. He turned her loose reluctantly.

"You need me just give me a shout. I'll be right here finishing this up," Vince told Gem. It was clear he was reluctant to leave her alone with Doug.

"Ok, I won't be long anyway."

Vince nodded and watched as Gem and her brother walked off toward the couch in the corner of the shop. Neither sat down, both preferred to stand.

♫

Doug watched as Gem crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him. "What?" She asked sharply.

"I came to apologise."

"You don't have to apologise for your opinion Douglas. You can't help the fact you don't find me talented. There's no need to apologise for that." Her words gave absolution even as her tone took it away.

Doug ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. "I do find you talented Gem. I really do."

"Then why did you say all those things to mom and dad?"

"Because I didn't want you to do this. It has nothing to do with whether I think you can sing well enough to pull it off Gem. I don't want to see you hurt if you don't make it. The show business industry is harsh and I don't want to see what it will do to you in the long run. You've always been so level headed and cool. I don't want to see you jaded by this city and constant rejection."

"So you still think I'm not good enough not to be constantly rejected."

"Steven King was rejected the first time he tried to get published Gem. It's not a question of whether you're good enough or not. It's all subjective to the person you audition for."

"Doug, I know all this. It's all stuff I found out about when I decided this is what I wanted to do with my life. There's nothing else for me. I have lots of time to go back to school if my bid to get a contract through open mic at the Cobalt fails. This is what I want."

"I see that now. I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. I always wanted to protect you from being hurt. I see now that it's not my place to do that. So I'm sorry, Gem. I'm so sorry that you heard those things I said to dad and I'm sorry I said them. I spent some time talking to Mia trying to find you and the last thing I would ever want is to leave you thinking 'thank God' if I disappeared. I hope some day you can forgive me and trust me that I mean it when I say I only want you to be happy and to never see you hurting. I guess I just see now that perhaps hurting is part of growing up and part of life. If we kept you from every hurt in life we'd basically keep you from living and that's not my intent at all."

Gem felt herself melt just a little when Doug revealed he'd taken the time to talk to Mia and really listen to her. That he wouldn't want her to be relieved if he was suddenly gone from her life. "Apology accepted Doug."

In an uncharacteristic gesture he held his arms out for a hug. Gem delivered it slightly hesitantly. She wasn't totally sure of Doug yet, but she was glad to have worked out some of their issues.

"And now there's just one more thing I have to do." Doug said, a look of worry filling his face.

"What's that?" Gem asked.

Doug made a motion with his head toward where Vince was working on a car with his back to them. Gem looked like she didn't know if Doug talking to Vince was a great idea but she decided not to interfere. She did follow behind Doug as he walked up behind Vince. She wanted to be available in case she was needed to play peacemaker.

Doug stopped a few feet off Vince's position. "Vince, might we talk for a moment." He opened. Vince stood up and turned around.

"Wha?" He asked, tone surly.

"I owe you an apology as well as my sister. I was out of line not only to dig into your past but to discuss it with others in public and without discussing it with you first. I'd like you to forgive me, but I understand that it might not be possible for you to do so." How stiff and formal Doug's speech was gave away easily how uncomfortable he was with the admissions he was making. "I want you to know that I was only acting in what I thought was my best efforts to keep my sister safe." Doug met Vince's eyes. He didn't see much hope of his apology being accepted. He continued anyhow. "I have only ever had my sister's best interests in mind. I see now that my actions in this regard have been out of line but in my own defence I thought I was doing what was best for her at the time.

"In any event, once again I do apologise for last night. For what I said and for the unfortunate fight outside afterward." With a nod Doug turned to leave the shop.

"I'd like to say you're forgiven because I know what it cost you to come in here and say those things," Vince said to Doug's retreating back. Doug paused in place. "I won't say you're forgiven because I ain't sure you ever will be, but as long as you and Gem worked your shit out I will let it go."

"I think we made a good start at working things out in any event." Doug answered.

"Well good. Drive safe on your way home."

The message he was dismissed couldn't have been made much clearer. With a wave for his sister Doug left the shop and turned the car toward home. It was time he put his efforts back into his studies and left his sister to lead her own life.

♫

Gem walked up behind Vince and stood at his side after Doug left the building. "Thank you."

"For what?" Vince asked, looking down at Gem.

"For deciding to at least be civil to him. I know you must still be pretty angry with him."

"In some ways I am. In some ways I got him back pretty good last night in the parking lot. Me'n Doug are never gonna be best friends. We're just too different. But I think at least for your sake we can put that aside when we're around each other."

"That's good to hear. I have some more forgiving to do before we're totally ok myself."

Gem said her good-byes not too long after and headed to the house. She decided to do Mia the good turn of cooking supper for them that evening. When Mia and Vince came home it was to the smell of roast chicken.

They all sat down and ate together after Vince had showered off the grime from the shop. Then Mia cleaned up as Gem went and got ready for work. Vince came down and spent some time at the Cobalt but he only had a few drinks before heading home. It made Gem glad to see him cutting back on his time there, even if she did miss him when he wasn't around. It still gave her a boost to be super sweetly nice to him on evenings when he was in a bad mood.

On Saturday night Vince didn't show up at all. Enough other people did that Gem was kept run off her feet all night long. The weather was horrible, pouring rain with thunder sounding off in the distance. She left the Cobalt and dashed through the slapping drops, grateful to finally sit down in her car. There was a larger crowd of people still around than usual, but she didn't pay them any mind. Her concentration was solely on her aching feet.

She did lock her doors once she was in the car but that was something she tried to remember to do every night anyway so that wasn't all that out of the ordinary. She started her car and watched as the man got into his own car; a nondescript black sedan. Gem put the Honda in drive and pulled out of her spot. As the shifter moved past reverse and neutral it made some clunking noises she'd never heard before but since it moved when she let off the brake she convinced herself it was simply the car showing it's age with a few audible complaints.

She started toward home, thinking only of changing into her PJs and going to bed. As she merged onto I-101 she pushed the car just a little faster, intent on getting off the freeway and getting home. The part of her trip that carried her along I-101 was always her favourite part of the trip because there were lots of other people around and other people on the road with her. It was when she merged off onto highway I-5 that her drive started to bug her. At least at night.

The I-5 carried her along the boarder of Griffith Park. The road was mostly deserted with the houses few and far between on one side of the road and the empty park on the other. At two am it wasn't the most frequently traveled road and it bothered her to be driving alone there sometimes. She tried to put it out of her mind and changed her radio to the next song on the CD, looking for something upbeat to keep her mind alert and off the fact she was bone tired in the middle of no where in a car that-thanks to Vince and his constant need to put it down-she didn't entirely trust.

She pushed the accelerator just a bit more, eager to get home and out of her sticky clothes and confining shoes. She just wanted to be home. This wanting made her less cautious of her delicate engine than she normally would have been.

As the car passed seventy miles an hour it started to feel strange. In her quest to get home Gem put it out of her mind. She knew it didn't always move with little jumps ahead where it had power and lulls in the middle where it did not.

"Just get me home car. That's all I ask. Tomorrow you can go into permanent retirement and Vince and I can take the money I have and go buy me something else on Monday. All I ask is that you don't die until we get home."

As though to tell her the indignity of being forced to go so fast when it was already on its last legs was more than it was willing to take, with a final shudder Gem's car gave up and it lost power. The engine was still running, she knew this as her tachometer showed it was idling slightly lower than normal but was in fact still on. But no matter how much gas she gave it all it would do is rev in place. She coasted off to the shoulder and cursed fate that the car would have to die in the middle of a thunder and lightning storm on Saturday night in the middle of no where.

She was about to get out of the car and start walking toward a distant house to try and call home when she remembered the prepaid cell phone that Vince had insisted she have to keep in the dash of her car in case of emergencies.

"I can't even be indignant that he clearly saw this coming right now," Gem mumbled to herself as she dug around for the phone.

As her fingers closed over it there was a knock on the window. She turned to look and saw a figure standing on the other side of the glass. "You ok?" The person called in a masculine voice.

"Fine."

"Pop the hood and I'll see what I can do." The man offered.

"No thank you. I'm about to call for help." Gem didn't wait for his reply. Something in the way he had kept his hood pulled up around his face didn't sit right with her. She started to dial home right away. It rang a few times before it was answered.

"Hello," A clearly sleepy Vince grumbled.

"V," Gem said, her voice starting to sound slightly panicked.

"Gem?" Vince asked, starting to sound more awake.

"Yes. My car broke down along I-5 on the way home. I'm about half way through Griffith Park. It just revs up really high and won't move, even though it's in gear."

"Ok, what if you put it into first or second instead of drive. Will it move then?" If it did it would fry her transmission but Vince figured the car was so close to dead at this point it hardly mattered if it got her home.

Gem tried what he said. The car simply repeated the same behaviour as it had in drive. "No, it still won't move. It just does the same thing."

"Ok, I'm coming for you now." Vince got up and started to pull on his pants, hopping on one foot as he tried to get his second leg in. Knowing Gem was alone in the dark on a stormy night made him feel something close to panic.

"Ok. I'll be here." She attempted to joke, more to make herself feel better than him. "Do you think you can find me?"

"It's the same route I take home too. I know just where you are."

As she was about to say ok there was a pounding on the window. She looked over in shock to find the same man there again.

"What was that?" Vince asked.

"There was this guy who offered to help me when the car first stopped but I said no. He's back now."

"Do you have the doors locked?"

"Yes but he's scaring me. He has his hood pulled up around his face and it's so dark here."

"Ok, hang tight. I'm gonna call you right back on my cell phone. I want you to pretend that you're still talking to me when I hang up. Don't let on that I let you go, ok?"

"Ok," Gem agreed and listened to the dial tone for a second after Vince had hung up on his end, her breath coming more rapidly. She tried to hit the end button to turn her phone off so Vince could call her back without the man knowing it.

"Come on, let me in and I'll give you a hand."

She looked up at him with the phone still pressed to her ear. "No thank you! My fiancé is on the way and he's a mechanic. If it can be fixed on the side of the road he'll take care of it." She gestured to the cell phone still glued to her other ear. She was very glad that she was only four miles away from Vince, being about half way down the I-5.

She cursed herself for taking the I-5 in the first place. Sure it was shorter but if she'd stayed on the I-134 and taken it until the CA-2 S instead of getting off on I-5 she would have stayed in highly populated areas the whole way, not been left stranded surrounded only by park land.

The man outside tried her door handle just as the phone rang again, signalling Vince calling her back. "You still ok?" He asked as soon as she answered.

"Yes but he just tried to get in the car."

"I'm already on the way, Glendale's about to become the highway. Is he still there?"

"Yes. I keep trying to tell him you're on the way honey, but I guess he doesn't believe me." Gem raised her voice, hoping the man outside her car would take the hint and go away if he truly believed her 'fiancé' was on the way.

"Let me in!" The muffled voice of Gem's visitor was loud enough that Vince heard it over the cellular line.

"I'm on the two now." Vince said in a deep growl, already looking forward to beating the face off the man who'd dared to threaten Gem. He pushed the accelerator harder and his car leapt forward with a growl just like its owner's. He knew that going one hundred miles an hour in the rain wasn't the smartest thing he'd ever done but he couldn't leave Gem alone any longer than he had to. He barely held his car on the road going around a mild curve but he refused to slow down.

As Gem sat in her car pretending she wasn't afraid, that everything was fine she fought not to hyperventilate. The man outside slapped his flat hand against her side window with a loud thump and Gem jumped with a shriek.

"You ok?" Vince called again, wondering when his headlights would hit the grey Honda he was searching for in the dark.

"Yes, but he just hit the window like he's trying to get in." Gem said low. She then raised her voice. "Honestly sweetheart, are you almost here? I'm getting bored just sitting here."

The man disappeared from her window. Her relief was short lived. He was in the passenger window a second later, trying the door. Gem thought her heart might beat right out of her chest waiting for Vince to show up. She didn't even want to think of what would be happening to her right now if she didn't have Vince to call. Not to mention Vince to insist she have the phone in the car, no matter how much she'd rebelled against the idea of an electronic leash at the time.

"I should be there any second." Vince answered and fought his need to drop a gear and go even faster, knowing his car could easily reach upwards of one seventy but also knowing that he'd end up in the ditch if he tried to move any faster than he already was. He followed another slight curve in the road and finally his lights illuminated Gem's car and the man in black standing beside it.

Vince executed a 180 slide across the highway, ending up with his car parallel with Gem's and slightly behind. He could almost feel the car quivering with the ill use it had seen as he had driven it to fly through the rain in his need to find Gem. He left it running in neutral, setting the handbrake with an irate jerk as he threw the door open and flew out of the car toward the shadowy figure on the other side of the car.

♫

Gem's assailant had never once believed there was really a man on the way. Therefore, when the great, muscled man who'd left his room so fast he hadn't even bothered to put a shirt on sprang out of the blue, tricked out car and started across the highway with death in his walk shock held him to his place on the grass to the side of the disabled grey car.

Muscles rippled under the man's tattooed skin as he flexed his shoulders and back, adjusting the position of his arms. "I got something to say to you asshole!" he called. "You don't know who you're fuckin' with!"

Knowing that in the rage he was in the man would kill him, the would be criminal took off toward his own car.

♫

Vince watched the other man start to run away and with a cry of rage he took off after him. He didn't manage to catch him before he was in his car and tearing off down the highway. He didn't even manage to get a plate number before the black sedan was long gone. He returned to the side of Gem's car, trying to get his rage in check before retrieving her out of her car. He knew she'd be scared enough.

As soon as Gem saw the black car fishtail its way down the road she checked her mirror for Vince. Seeing him heading toward her door in the side view mirror she unlocked the door and got out on shaky legs, uncaring of the rain.

"You ok?" Vince asked gruffly as he walked up to Gem and stopped in front of her.

"I am now." She answered as she met his eyes. By an unspoken agreement he opened his arms and she threw herself into them. "I thought he was going to get in before you got here!" Gem said as she took a deep breath against Vince's chest to try and calm down.

"He didn't so just try not to think about it." Vince said softly as he rubbed a hand up and down Gem's back to try and calm her. She nodded her agreement to his statement. "Come on, let's lock this thing up and go home."

"What if something happens to it?"

"Gem it died! You need a new car and there isn't a thing you can say that will talk me into fixing this one. Look what almost happened!" Realizing he wasn't helping her with his anger Vince took a deep breath to attempt to calm down. "You'll need a new car anyway."

"But there's nothing wrong with the stereo and someone might steal it."

"We'll call a tow truck to take the damn car to the shop when we get home, ok?"

Gem surrendered. "I guess it'll be ok here with the doors locked until then."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. This road doesn't see a lot of traffic at this hour."

"Ok." As she went to pull away was when Gem realized Vince was only half dressed. "We need to go now. You shouldn't be out here in the rain with no shirt on."

"It's August Gem, it's not really that cold." Vince looked down at his own chest. He really hadn't thought of the hasty way he'd dressed until she'd pointed it out. Her hair was also plastered to her head, as was her tank top.

"I guess not." She answered, looking up at him. "We should go." She murmured.

"I guess we should." Vince answered but made no move to let go of her. With thoughts of what could have happened to her if he hadn't arrived in time to scare the man away from her car on his mind and Gem still held tightly to his chest Vince leaned down. She met him half way, needing the reassurance of his presence and his kiss as much as he needed to give them to her.

As their lips met Gem's arms moved from his waist to circle his neck as one of his hands moved to the small of her back and the other came up to cradle the back of her head. He nibbled at her lower lip gently before their mouths came together again. Everything faded to the background as each became lost in the other for a period in time.

They were brought out of their own world where only the two of them existed when a car went by in the outbound lane and honked at them as it sprayed water over them and Vince's idling Maxima. "Let's go home." Vince said gruffly before forcing Gem into the passenger seat of the Maxima and returning to her car to shut it off and lock it up. He got into the driver's seat of his own car and put it in gear after releasing the parking brake.

Vince broke the silence first. "Do we have to have the car towed tonight? The guy who drives the hook is a friend of mine and I'd rather not wake him up at three am on Saturday, but I will if it means that much to you."

"Can't we just call someone you don't know?"

"I'm still gonna have to go down to DT to pay the guy and unlock the shop."

"He could just tow it home."

"Then we'd just have to tow it to DT ourselves. It can't sit at home if it doesn't run."

"I guess it doesn't matter if it stays were it is for the night. But what if that guy comes back and breaks into it?"

"Then he gets a half decent stereo." Vince answered and it was clear he didn't think the Honda or its stereo was worth dragging any tow truck driver out of his bed in the rain over.

"I could sell that half decent stereo and use the money toward buying a better replacement car."

"Don't worry about it." Vince said in a no arguments tone. Gem decided in the interest of not getting a headache she'd let the topic go. The car could stay put for the rest of the night and they could get Vince's friend to tow it in the morning down to the shop.

Sensing his victory Vince relaxed slightly and hit the on button on the radio. Mellow music from a satellite jazz station filled the car softly. Gem leaned back into the seat and tried to relax. It wasn't easy. Her brush with trouble had left her more shaken than she'd let on to Vince. It was still hard not to dwell on it. Despite what Vince had said about not thinking on it she couldn't help herself. Her mind kept playing out various scenarios of what could have happened.

They pulled into the driveway and Vince killed the engine, grateful to see the lights were all still off. He hadn't woken Mia up on his way out of the house or with his wild flight down their street. He got out and waited for Gem to meet up with him in front of the car before clicking the doors locked and the security system on and leading Gem into the house.

As Vince locked the front door Gem finally kicked her shoes off with a grateful sigh and started into the living room.

"You should go get some rest." Vince said softly as he trailed her.

"I don't think I could sleep yet." Gem answered honestly and started toward the couch. She really wasn't sure if she was going to be able to sleep at all. At least, not tonight. She thought it might take her a few days to get over her scare. She didn't know how she was going to manage to come home from work that way ever again. She'd have an extra twenty minutes of driving to go the long way around.

"At the very least you should go change out of your wet things before you catch a chill."

And there was the solution to her problems right there, Gem mused. "I guess I should." She started toward Vince. He figured it was just because he was standing in the doorway to the hall up to the stairs. That theory was dashed when she stopped right in front of him. "Want to help me with that?"

Vince licked his suddenly dry lips, not believing he'd heard correctly. "What?"

"Well, you know how stiff denim gets to unbutton in when it's wet." Gem looked up at Vince, trying to look sexy and seductive. She didn't have much experience at it so she had no idea if she was succeeding or not. "I might not be able to manage on my own. For that matter, you might need some help in that department yourself." She toyed with the top button of his jeans.

"You sure about this?" Vince asked as he lay a hand flat on her stomach, needing to touch her somehow but not sure just how to give into the impulse. She nodded yes and gave in to her own impulse to lick his pec over the colourful tattoo emblazoned there. With a growl he moved in and kissed her again, hard. She responded in kind, wanting the whole experience just as badly as he did. It had been a long time coming when there were so many sparks between them.

Vince knew that part of the reason she was forcing the pace of what had been their inevitable joining was because she needed the reassurance she was ok. It likely had something to do with not wanting to be alone and seeing sleeping with him as a good excuse not to be. But there was more to it than that and they both knew it. They'd been building up to some sort of apex for weeks now and her near tragedy on the highway was just the catalyst to speed the reaction. It would have gone to completion at some point either way. It was inevitable.

Decision made with no going back he bent his knees enough to allow him to lock his arms together under her butt and pick her up. She gasped in shock before giving way to giggles. He chuckled back at her before moving through the house turning off lights as he went before going down the stairs and going into his room. He threw her back onto his bed where she bounced a few times before coming to rest on back, propped up on her elbows in the centre of the bed. Her hair had dried out in tousled waves around her face and shoulders and it framed her face in ways that made it almost hard to breath for Vince.

"You just going to stand there all night and stare?" Gem asked, smirking slightly at the look on his face.

"Oh hell no." Vince answered before crawling over her. "I got other plans." He leaned down and nipped at Gem's collar bone playfully with a growl.

♫

Gem woke up the next day alone in Vince's bed. She blushed at the thoughts that flooded back to her. Some of the things she dared to do with Vince made her blush and she couldn't help it. She could only surmise that with the right guy she became totally fearless in the bedroom. She glanced at the alarm clock on Vince's night stand and found the time to be lunch time. She got out of bed with a groan and pulled on one of Vince's oversized undershirts and a pair of his shorts before wandering up the stairs, pushing her wild hair out of her face.

"Morning!" Mia chirped as she looked up from her book, which she was reading at the kitchen table. She had what could only be described as a shit eating grin on her face. "How was your night?" Mia quickly shook her head after she asked her question. "Scratch that, I don't really want to know." She turned back to her book. "You want some breakfast? Or lunch, at this rate."

"No thanks. I'll just have some cereal and juice." Gem got her breakfast together and joined Mia at the table. "Where is Vince?" She asked and promptly turned bright red.

"He had to get your car and then he had some stuff to do at the shop. He told me to take you down there when you got up and got ready to go."

"Oh, ok." Gem was glad to hear she was expected, that Vince wasn't running away from her and some perceived commitment to her. She finished up her food and headed upstairs to change and take a shower. She landed back downstairs half and hour later with her hair washed and dried and a pair of her own shorts on with a tank top. It looked hot out. She found Mia right where she left her, sitting in the kitchen. "Ready?"

"Yeah, let's go."

They got into Mia's Acura and headed for DT.

"What am I going to do about a car?" Gem asked Mia. "I don't really have enough money saved up to get a nice one yet."

"It'll be fine. Don't worry so much." Mia answered and pulling into a parking spot at the shop. Both girls got out of the car and headed into the open bay door around the back. No one was in sight. "Vince?" Mia called out. "Cory?"

"One second." Vince's voice hollered back from the very back part of the shop area. He came around the corner a moment later. "Mornin'" He said as he walked straight up to Gem. Mia, ever sensitive to the moods of those around her made herself scarce as she wandered back the way Vince had come from, looking for Cory.

"Hey." Gem answered back, unable to help the light pink blush that tinged her cheeks.

"I'm sorry I pulled a disappearing act but I had something to do here and I didn't want to wake you when you looked so happy."

"It's ok, I needed the sleep."

Vince nodded his agreement before delivering the good morning kiss he would have rather given Gem while they were still hiding from the world in the constant night of his basement room. When they pulled apart Gem took a moment to collect her thoughts.

"Did my car arrive?"

"Yeah, safe and sound as it can be considered right now."

"I'm glad to hear it. I still don't know what I'm going to do for a car though."

"About that." Vince rubbed the back of his neck agitatedly. "I don't want you to get mad at me for this but," Vince trailed off, unable to think how to say what he wanted to say.

"Mad at you for what?" Gem asked.

"I better just show you." Vince sighed and took her hand. He led her in the direction that Mia had disappeared. Before they rounded the corner he stopped her and turned to look at her again. "Close your eyes."

"That bad huh?"

"Not really, just humour me."

She complied, against her better judgment. The way Vince was carrying on was making her nervous. He led her slowly farther back into the shop before stopping her and moving her into a position he was happy with.

"Ok, you can open your eyes now." Vince said. Gem complied.

Mia and Cory shouted surprise from behind a car finished the exact same shade of Caribbean blue as her bass.

"What the heck is that?" Gem asked, a hand to her throat.

"Your new car." Vince said.

He clearly wasn't excited about giving the car to her. She knew it was because he was already anticipating the scene she was going to make about the high handed nature of him picking out and buying her new car without her input. In truth she was a bit shocked that he'd gone to all the trouble even after what a grump she'd been over the whole car situation. "My new car?"

"Yeah, I picked it up a few weeks ago when I started to realize the transmission in the Honda wasn't going to last long enough for you to save up the money you wanted to save before you were going to give in and replace it."

"What is it?" Gem asked in shock. No one had ever gone through the trouble of personalizing a gift for her to the extent Vince had personalized the car in front of her. It was the same color as her bass, which happened to be both her favourite possession and her favourite colour. The car had been fitted with decals. A grand staff trailed down each side, the treble scale over the bass, just like it should be. There were various sixteenth, eight, quarter and whole notes filling the staff and there was a graphic of a bass guitar across the hood.

"It's a Toyota Camry Solara." Vince answered.

Gem farther took in the tinted windows, power sunroof and huge chrome rims on the car. "I thought we decided on basic and functional." The Solara was nothing close to basic. She was willing to bet that it functioned quite well.

"I couldn't say no to this one. It just reminded me of you some how when I saw it on the lot." It was a pretty car with clean lines and smooth features. It was also solid and dependable but hiding a young and fun spirit underneath the surface. When Vince had seen the Solara he'd known it was the car for Gem. "I couldn't say no to the price either. It's the one I was rebuilding when you saw me so dirty. The engine in the thing blew up on the guy who leased it originally but it's all fixed up now."

Vince kept the part about the supercharger, cold air intake and various other performance upgrades he'd added purely for his own benefit because he loved to build a tricked out car to himself.

"It's really for me?" Gem questioned.

She didn't seem mad, which was a start. "Yeah." He answered.

"But it must have cost you so much, especially when you consider the paint and the wheels."

"You'd be surprised whose still willing to just give me parts for the sake of having their name on a car with the DT logo on it." Vince grinned. Finding that out had been like salve to his abused ego. Some people still thought, and rightly so, that he could build a car without Dominic to hold his hand.

Gem looked right into Vince's eyes, and like she saw what it was worth to him that she take his gift and simply be grateful to have it and enjoy driving it she decided not to voice her protests that she could have bought and picked her own new car and that she didn't need one as tricked out as his and Mia's. "Thank you." She said.

"You're welcome." He said gruffly. "Wanna take it for a spin?"

"Yes." Gem admitted giddily.

Vince pulled it out of the shop before moving to the passenger seat and allowing Gem to take the wheel. She fixed the seat to suit her and adjusted the mirrors. She took a moment to enjoy the leather seats and power sunroof before looking down to slid the car into gear. She was confronted by a five speed manual transmission.

"That's how it came. I hope you don't mind always driving a standard."

"I'll adjust. I was getting pretty use to yours."

"Yeah, you got good with a stick pretty fast."

"Thanks, I think." If Gem wasn't mistaken it was now Vince's turn to blush.

"No problem. Let's head out and open her up."

They took the car out along the beach cliff road and Vince egged Gem on to be more daring with the car than she ever would have dreamed before. It was so responsive and fun to drive she almost didn't know what to do with herself.

They got home late. Mia was already asleep when they arrived home. After their drive they'd gone out for supper and to see a movie. Gem went to start up the stairs after she removed her shoes.

"Where you goin'?" Vince asked.

"To bed. It's after one."

"I know that, but are you sure you wanna go to bed up there?"

Gem cocked her head to the side and looked at Vince, faking confusion. "Where else would I want to go to bed?"

Rather than answer her question Vince threw her over his shoulder with a growl and carried her down to his room.

♫

Gem got her first chance to think about writing a song for the week when she woke up the next day with the house to herself. She tossed her headphones on and headed out into the backyard in her bathing suit.

Once she'd started to tan she hadn't been able to give it up. She liked the things it did for her eyes and she especially liked the way her hair had been lightened from nondescript dirty blonde to a shimmering, sunny golden blonde. She sat down in the lounge chair that was a constant fixture of the backyard these days and started to muse about the events of the last few days.

Several things stood out in her mind. Themes of being alone, lonely and striking out on your own kept standing out in her mind. She jotted down ideas and random lines that occurred to her that she thought might work. Other ideas wormed their way in, like finding a person as alone as you were to share it all with. By the time Mia got home from the café she had enough down that a song was starting to take shape.

On Tuesday she headed down to the Cobalt in her new car. She was almost giddy with the need to show off her new car to her friends, and tell them how she got it. She showed up early so that Barry and Barbara would have time to come out and see her car before it got busy.

After they ooo'ed and ahhhed over it for a while they all went back into the club. Barry and Barbara disappeared together into the back room as Gem went to wipe down the tables.

"I'm going to say it even though I know I shouldn't."

"Say what?" Barry asked as he looked up from his paperwork.

"I told you so." Barbara grinned.

"About what?" Barry asked in confusion.

"I told you that he was going to be good for her but you said she had no business getting involved with him. If he didn't really care about her would he buy her such a nice car just so he wouldn't have to think of her out there driving around in something that might leave her stranded?"

"Ok, you were right. It's not very nice to rub it in." Barry said as he turned back to his paperwork.

"You're right, it's not. It's just nice to be right." Barbara went to help Gem, leaving the office chuckling.

♫

On Wednesday night Gem locked herself in the music room. Vince went looking for her and when he couldn't find her he thought to try and open the door. It was locked from inside.

Sometimes Gem did that. It bothered him but he didn't think there was anything he could say. When she got in a really bent on writing mood there was no sense being around her. She couldn't concentrate on anything else until she was done anyway. He knew she was in the room with her headphones on because she didn't open the door to yell at him for trying the knob. That could only mean she hadn't heard him so she didn't know she had something to be angry about.

He waited for her to immerge for a while in the living room watching TV but gave up at one am. He knew that she might never come out or she might just head straight to her own room when she finally finished.

She woke him up briefly when she crawled into his bed at two am. "You get it finished?" He asked sleepily.

"Yes, finally." Gem said with a sigh he felt against the side of his neck.

"Good." He kissed her forehead in the dark. "Get some sleep."

"You're the one who has to be up at eight. Sorry I woke you up. I should have just stayed upstairs."

"I'd rather wake up for a few and have you here." It wasn't easy for him to say things like this, but he thought she needed to hear them. He was glad he'd made the effort when he felt her smile against his chest.

"Night," she answered with a yawn.

♫

Gem, Tamica and Elliott were alone in the green room on Thursday night waiting for Vince to show up.

"Will he be here?" Tamica asked as she checked the clock.

"Yes." Gem reassured.

"So, you and Corona guy." Elliott mused with a grin.

"Shut up." Gem answered back, teasing. She was getting use to taking some good natured abuse about her relationship with Vince and how long it had taken to come about. It seemed everyone had seen it coming but her.

He showed up at ten minutes til eight. Gem walked up to him and looked up into his eyes. "Everything ok?"

"Fine. Mia had a bit of an upset. She found this silver cross that Dom use to wear all the time. He musta lost it in the shed when he took the charger out that last day and she went in there looking for something this evening and found it. It was her dads before Dom had it and she was just having a down day. I brought her with me, she's ok now."

"It'll be good for her to get back into school and get past this whole time."

"Yeah."

"I'm glad you learned your music already then." Gem smirked. It only took Vince a few minutes to learn his music so it was more a gentle poke at him than a real feeling of relief.

"Ha ha." Vince retorted as he picked his guitar up out of the case just as Nalia called them to the stage.

She introduced them as they set up their instruments. Gem didn't bother to say anything herself, knowing most of the crowd knew very well who they were.

The song started with some sound effects they'd programmed into Tamica's keyboard, some plucked guitar notes and simple drum beat.

"Black and blue I chose my wave. I, the candid castaway. In a way delayed, by one more broken season to find reason for appeasing you. And so I found my guiding light. Lambent, flashing, red and white. Through a starry night. I'm better nowhere bound than drowning on your solid ground."

Of course, black and blue was a metaphor for her mental state after her fight with her brother last Thursday, not a literal thing. As was the imagery of being delayed again in her own wants by another reason to appease someone else.

Vince wasn't sure he knew what her guiding light was, but he was willing to bet that being better nowhere bound than drowning on 'your' solid ground also spoke of how she was better off not knowing where she belonged than stifled on her family's solid and loving but oppressive and limiting safe home.

"Satellite, save my life. I'm wishing on a two-way radio, love might be just like me. Jaded, waiting all alone. A whisper on a two-way radio."

"All in all I fare the same, wishing on an aeroplane as calling stars by name. A lonely song of freedom rings in hope of someone listening. And so I send my feeble flare, through the silent, arctic air. Heading anywhere. Until at last I've finally found a place to lay my anchor down."

♫

Freedom was lonely but it had to be achieved. But once you had it, it didn't need to be lonely anymore. You could find someone else also looking for freedom who was willing to simply share it with you. So you sent out your show of independence, even if by times it was feeble and the air seemed frozen and the silence of your situation made it seem as though you were alone at the end of the earth.

Mia found herself relating to yet another one of Gem's songs, even though she was totally certain this one was only about Gem and her take on her situation. After all, where else could a place to finally lay my anchor down be if not with them, with Vince?

"Satellite, save my life! I'm wishing on a two-way radio. Love might be just like me. Jaded, waiting all alone. You never know. Never. Never.

"Heaven help me! I'm drowning and I can't save me. Send some salvation to keep me alive.

Satellite, save my life. I'm wishing on a two-way radio. Love might be just like me. Jaded, waiting all alone. A whisper on a two-way radio."

Sometimes you couldn't save yourself, you had to find salvation in someone else. Mia was just happy that for two of her best friends, they seemed to have found it with each other.