Mick and Butchy decided to leave for Mack and Brady's home that night, hoping her parents wouldn't mind having some late-night visitors. They only decided to take their necessary medicines with them, agreeing that they both had enough clothes at the Birch home already and didn't need to bring any more. Getting Butchy into the machine was a small struggle as the crutches didn't stick very well to the glossy floor inside. After getting him steady and in a good position, Mick slid the door of the machine shut. They watched as the garage sparkled out of existence, looking to each other happily as they came to a glittering landing in the tool shed behind Mick's house.
The door hissed slightly as it slid open, allowing them to step out into the dimly lit shed. A solitary flashlight shone toward the machine, the light from it making it nearly impossible to see past the flashlight itself. Mick smiled toward the person holding the flashlight before helping Butchy set his crutches outside the machine.
"Hey, Dad," Mick assumed, excited to see her family again. She helped Butchy get halfway out of the machine, letting him balance with one crutch outside as she helped him shift the other one over the, almost knee-height, threshold.
Suddenly, the flashlight clattered to the floor, the noise effectively silencing the room altogether. Butchy abandoned one of his crutches, using the door of the machine and his other crutch to swing himself out of the machine and in front of Mick, creating a protective barrier between the person and his fiancée.
"Mickie," Butchy spoke, "do you know this guy?"
Mick straightened, peering around Butchy to see who had just witnessed them returning from Wet Side Story. She took in a deep breath and nodded, suddenly aware that she was about to have a storm of questions hurled at her. Butchy watched warily as the other man stepped forward, his free arm instinctively moving in front of Mick to protect her just in case.
The man spoke up, "'Kana, what the actual- who the heck is this guy? And where the hell did you come from? What is that thing?!"
Mick took Butchy's arm and moved it aside, taking a few steps forward so she was between the two men. "Butchy, calm down, I know him." She turned to the other man with a sigh. "This isn't exactly how I wanted to tell you, Hudson, but I guess now is as good a time as ever. Let's go back in the house for a bit and we can talk it all over then, okay?"
'I'm going to need some sugar before I deal with this,' Mick thought to herself.
After the party had dispersed, Mick and Butchy headed off for the Birch residence, excited to get away from the stress that came with being in Wet Side Story. Lela loved the pair, don't misunderstand, but she was happy to see them gone the next morning. Since it was still early, she had time to truly observe the chunk of metal she had recovered from the Sparx hangout. While she knew it had to be something important if Xander found it necessary to steal, she wasn't entirely sure where she remembered seeing it from.
She took the piece down to the garage, grabbing an old milk crate that Butchy left by the wall and placing the piece inside it. If she wanted answers, she was going to get answers. After changing into an outfit Mick had lent her, Lela headed for Lugnut's house. Butchy's right hand man would surely be able to answer the questions she had, right?
Miles was a simple man, he enjoyed simple things, for the most part. He likes the thought of finding the right girl, he enjoys watching movies and practically lives for riding his motorcycle just like most of his friends. His friends could trust him with things they've never told anybody else and know that their secret would remain just a secret. All around, everyone trusted him and knew that he'd be there for them if they needed him to be.
So, when Mick asked him at the party to be her "man of honor" for her wedding, he felt a mixture of emotions at the question. No one had ever trusted him with something that big. He felt a surge of pride and worry while Mick and Butchy stared at him expectantly. His nerves over having the opportunity at such a huge responsibility and role. After a minute, he agreed to take on the role and couldn't have been happier to see the beaming excitement on Mick's face.
After getting a tight squeeze from Mick, Miles watched the couple move to the dance floor and smiled as Mick helped show Butchy how slow dance with her with his crutches. For a fleeting moment, Miles could see a small shred of what he could only assume Butchy saw in her the whole time. He wasn't jealous of Butchy for the fact that he was with Mick or for any other reason, Butchy and Mick were meant to be and he loved watching two of his best friends fall in love. In truth, he was only admiring the love the couple held.
Miles glanced around the room, watching different couples head for dance floor as the last slow song of the night began to play. He headed for his date, Kiki, and asked if she'd like to dance before he took her home for the night.
He had no reason to be jealous of Butchy and Mick's relationship when he had a perfectly fine relationship of his own blossoming with Kiki.
Lela hefted the milk crate full of wiring and metal onto her hip, bracing it with one arm as she rung the doorbell of Lugnut's house, lightly knocking on the wood just in case the doorbell was broken. Again. After a minute, the door opened, a girl, perhaps twelve or thirteen, standing in the doorway.
"Hello," the girl stated slowly. "Are you one of Larry's friends or something?"
Lela nodded, smiling at the younger girl. "I'm Lela, Butchy's younger sister."
"Oh ok, come on in." The girl wandered into the house, moving toward the stairs in the back of the main room before stopping. "Larry!" she shouted into the house, "Your friends' little sister is here."
Lela shuffled into the house, closing the door behind her as she waited for Lugnut to make an appearance. The younger girl then made her way back to the couch, flinging herself over the back of it and tuning back into watching what looked like Gidget Goes Hawaiian.
Now that Lela had the time to look, the younger girl was dressed in a plaid playsuit and looked ready to hit the waves if given the option. Her hair was a shade of strawberry blonde that Lela would never associate with someone that was probably related to Lugnut. The girl swung her feet back and forth, acknowledging the feeling of someone staring at her without turning from her show.
"I'm Sandy, by the way. Larry's my cousin. The 'rents are having a day to themselves, so I had them drop me off here on their way out of town since Larry's got a tv and the best surf spot in all of Florida, right outside his front door."
"You surf?" Lela questioned, stepping toward the couch a bit.
"Yeah," Sandy shifted in her seat, but made no effort to move. "I'm not like Larry, I don't want to ride a motorcycle. Trying to get rid of helmet hair when I'm riding my bike is bad enough, I don't want motorcycle helmet hair this side of the grave."
Lela let out a sighing chuckle through her nose, finding the younger girl intriguing to say the least. Soft thuds mixed with the sound of metal jingling brought Lela's attention to the stairs as Lugnut made his way down them. Lugnut shoved his arm through the sleeve of his leather jacket, fishing his keys out of his pocket as he made his way toward Lela.
"Hey, I see you've met the Sandra Dee wannabe," Lugnut greeted, knocking one of Sandy's legs off the back of the couch.
"Oh, can it, Lawrence!" Sandy retorted, sticking her tongue out in retaliation.
Lugnut, shook his head, arguing back with, "Shove off, Cassandra."
Knowing she could do so without her parents finding out, Sandy let a little, French manicured bird fly toward her cousin as he took the crate from Lela's arms and directed her to the kitchen. Lugnut pulled a chair from the dining table and used it to barricade the door before setting the crate on the table and inspecting the object Lela brought.
Lugnut stared at it for a moment, slowly rotating it in his hands so he could inspect it better. "So, what exactly is this thing?"
Lela shrugged slightly. "I know it's something you guys made since it's got the logo and Butchy's handwriting carved into it on the other side," Lela began, taking a seat at the table as she watched Lugnut pull the metal from the crat and sit down to inspect it.
"It's ours, a'right." Lugnut shifted the device in his hands before setting it down on the table and spinning it for Lela to see. "I knows exactly what it is, too. See that little flower right there? I detailed that on there for Mick. It was her design."
"What does that mean?" Lela pondered, peering at the small flower that matched the design of her necklace and Mick's ring. "Is it something important?"
"Yous could say that." Lugnut nodded, picking up the chunk of metal and placing it back inside the milk crate. "If my memory serves, this thing could be the time-freezing piece we created for Brady's inter-dimension machine. The same piece we thought someone had broken not long after Mick and Butchy got engaged. The one we could never find all of the parts for because it was wherever you found it. Where did you find it, Lela?"
'Oh no.' Lela took a deep breath, 'Well, I know I can trust him, he's been my friend for years.'
"If I tell you where I found it, you can't tell Butchy or Tanner."
"A'right. I won' tell 'em," Lugnut agreed, "Well, unless it's life or death."
Lela wiped the palms of her hands on her shorts to rid them of sweat before focusing her gaze on Lugnut. "I found it in the Sparx hideout…" Lela let her voice fade slowly, seeing the shock in Lugnut's eyes as he watched her, waiting for her to continue. "…In Xander's desk."
Well, there went his jaw.
Mick sighed as she entered her childhood home. "Mom, Dad, we're here."
Butchy watched Hudson warily as the copper toned male followed Mick into the house. Hudson paused a few steps into the home. "Hold up, 'Kana. You said 'we,' does that mean Aunt Mack and Uncle Brady know?!" Hudson whisper-yelled from behind Mick, "Do my parents know?"
"Aunt Jamie and Uncle Devon have no clue as far as I know," Mick reassured, taking Hudson by the wrist and leading him through the kitchen and toward the living room as Butchy crutched his way after them. "As for my parents, they knew about this before we were born, Hudson. Butchy and I being together only happened three years ago."
"Only?!" Hudson questioned incredulously. "Wait, so, you and the big guy are together? Like, together together?"
"Yeahs, we's together," Butchy insisted, laying on the thickest accent he could in the hopes it might frighten the younger male from any advances he may have planned on making. "We's gettin' married soon as I's gets better."
Hudson froze, glancing between Mick and Butchy. "Married?!" Hudson practically screeched. "When did that happen? When were you gonna tell me, Makana?"
Mick sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in exhaustion. "I don't have the patience for this."
Mick yanked Hudson's arm, pulling him into the living room. Mack and Brady were already sitting in the living room, having been chatting amiably with Jamie and Devon while waiting for Hudson to return. Thankfully, Jamie and Devon had their backs to Mick, Hudson and Butchy. Mick let go of Hudson and gave him a slight shove into the room while trying her hardest to force Butchy back into the kitchen.
Hudson shuffled into the room, nervously perching himself next to his dad. "I found that notebook for you in the shed, Uncle Brady."
"Where is it, kiddo?" Brady asked, leaning forward in the loveseat.
"In the shed, still," Mick explained. "Sorry, I'm late, everyone, but I was a little busy having no idea you guys were here."
"It's alright, beach bunny," Devon claimed. "We just wanted to drop by and talk with your parents about letting Huds be your dad's workshop apprentice."
"That would be a great opportunity, right, H?" Mick asked, smiling to her cousin as a way of telling him to play along.
Hudson nodded slowly, still in a daze from finding out that his best friend and sister-like cousin would be getting married soon. "Yeah."
Noticing that her cousin wasn't going to be of any help whatsoever, Mick glanced to her mom as she spoke, "Mom, can you help me with something really quick? Girl stuff."
"Sure thing, peanut," Mack claimed as she rose from her seat to cross the room.
Jamie smiled at Mick, ready to stand as well. "Would you like some extra help, honey?"
"No," Mack and Mick chorused.
Mick quickly leaned over by her Aunt's ear and whispered, "The crimson tide is approaching and I have no surfboard."
Jamie's mouth formed an 'o' shape in understanding, nodding with a small smile before relaxing into the cushions again. With that, Mick took her mom by the hand and led her into the kitchen. Once they were out of earshot with Butchy in tow, Mick finally spoke up.
"We have a situation," she began, running her hands through her hair anxiously. "Hudson saw."
"What exactly did he see?" Mack inquired, resting her hands on the side of her daughter's arms.
Butchy came to a stop next to Mick, releasing the hand hold of his crutches and resting a hand on the bottom of Mick's spine. "He saw the machine and us coming out of it." He slid his hand to Mick's waist and gave it a small squeeze before turning back to Mack. "It's okay, right?"
Mack slowly shifted her head to the side a bit, nodding hesitantly. "You wanted to tell them, honey."
"Not like this!" Mick whisper-yelled, gesturing wildly to the room they had just left. "I wanted to sit them down, maybe have them watch Wet Side Story before bringing them there and showing them how real it is. This is totally not what I had planned."
"Maybe it's for the best that they find out now, baby," Mack reassured, taking her daughter into a hug. "They are your family, they needed to know eventually. When you both are ready for a barrage of questions, you can join us in the living room, okay?"
Mick sighed, nodding to her mother as Mack smiled and left the room. Mick turned into Butchy, wrapping her arms around his waist and giving him a squeeze. "Sorry I didn't let you meet Hudson and his parents earlier."
"It would've been nice to know you were related to the kid; I've been glaring daggers at him since the moment I saw him," Butchy laughed quietly.
Mick lightly pressed her palm to Butchy's chest, pushing herself back far enough to see his face. "Is that what the accent was for? You never talk like that around my family anymore."
"I know," Butchy admitted, sounding apologetic. "It's just, I didn't know this kid from Adam and here he comes, callin' you 'Kana' and freakin' out 'bout us getting' married and I's just-"
"Calm down, Biagio," Mick mumbled, sliding her hands up to her fiancé's cheeks. "My dad's best friend, Devon, is Hudson's dad. He and I share a birthday and we've been best friends since probably before our moms had us. He and I are like brother and sister most of the time and this is one of the only secrets I've ever kept from him. He's probably freaking out."
Butchy leaned solely on his crutches, taking Mick's hands into his own and lacing their fingers together. "Well, why don't we go talk things through with them? Explain everythin'?"
"I like that idea," Mick agreed with a smile.
Once the information of Xander and Juliet's breakup had spread through the Sparx ranks, people appeared to be divided down the middle on who to side with. Xander was their leader, yes, however, Juliet had been personable with everyone and had made everyone feel welcome in their headquarters. Most of the high-rank people had resigned and agreed with Xander as, if they didn't, who knows what Xander would've done to them. A select few had made their allegiance to Juliet's decision well known, but Xander didn't seem to mind their opinions just yet.
Some of Juliet's close female friends had gathered to talk about what they wanted to do. Victory, Enigma, Siren, and Ash had all agreed that Juliet had been their only reason for staying after watching a few of the races the Sparx had been in with the Rodents. Fuse, Bandit, Hornet and Gimmick had said they were either unsure or knew they would stay in for the long haul.
Hornet rose from the couch, crossing her arms over her chest as she sent a stern glare to her friends. "Why are you all questioning this? Did we or did we not sign up for this?"
"Sign up for what?" Enigma stated, "Watching people get hurt when we could easily stop it?"
Hornet scoffed, making her way across the room so she stood near the door to the room, her shoulder brushing against the cabinet to the right of the doorway so she could look outside. "Xander is our leader, don't you trust him to lead this gang to victory over the Rodents, no matter the cost?"
"You're kiddin' me, right?" Victory piped up angrily, her New England accent coming in thick. "He's hurtin' people for fun! That poor girl at the last race had to watch her boyfriend be loaded into an ambulance because of Xander. We should probably keep this conversation on the hush side. The boys are just over in the garage, so you really should shut up about all this, Hornet, they won't-"
"No, Victory!" Hornet screeched, opening the cabinet door and pulling out a pink leather jacket with the Sparx logo on the left sleeve and "Property of Xander" written on the back. "You shut up!
The girls rose from their seats as they watched Hornet slip her arms into the sleeves and pull the jacket on. "Hey! That's Juliet's jacket!" Gimmick claimed in astonishment.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Hornet laughed maniacally, turning back to the girls with a look none of them had ever seen her with before. "Not anymore."
/Hornet\
Juliet choked, bought the farm. She could not hack it. Now we need a strong arm to run this racket! Now she's out. Who will rise? Gotta fill that vacuum. It's my turn! It's my prize! I spit lightning, crack, boom!
I bit my tongue so long; I learned to count to ten. My silence made me strong. I did my time and then a house dropped on her head. The witch is dead! Ding dong!
Hornet made her way back by the group of, now very cautious, girls, shoving her way past Victory and Gimmick. "Move bitch, this my song!"
I will never shut up again! I will never shut up again! Brand new day watching dreams come true. Well for me, not you! 'Cause I'll never shut up again!
Girls like me don't climb high. Can't crack that ceiling, but now I scrape the sky, it's you who's kneeling. Julie's pet, you're old news. Look at you, you're busted. You think you'll fill her shoes, too late I just did! Now I don't mean to brag, once I was one of you, but now I am the flag you pledge allegiance to. I am the dream you chase; I'm your amazing grace!
With a slam, Hornet opened the door to the garage and shouted in, "Yo, party's at my place!"
I will never shut up again! I will never shut up again! Brand new day, now we're finally free. Free to worship me! 'Cause I'll never shut up!
Ash opened her mouth to argue with Hornet only for Hornet to step closer so she was right in Ash's face.
"Shut up!"
Don't judge me, Little Miss Innocence. Your hands ain't clean, I've seen your fingerprints. You act so uptight, so virgin white, but I heard from the boys what you were up to last night.
I will never shut up again! I will never shut up again! I'm on fire and you're my fuel! You should find a new crew!
'Cause I'll never shut up again!
All hail the queen, I wear the tag, the jacket's on my back. You can't run, you can't hide. I am a crimson tide! Better mind what you do, big sister's watching you.
Can I get an amen?
'Cause I will never shut up again!
Hah!