-- Authors Note --

Here I am, updating one last time before I go to camp because I have been… oddly threatened by Shawna and her Human Eating Frog. You don't even want to know. Anyways, this chapter kind of starts to bring everything to a close, though there are a few chapters left. The first part is serious (as serious as it can be with Mick) but it quickly lightens up when Mick… oh, you'll see. I hope you enjoy this chapter; it is definitely one of the more fun ones I've written. Review!

-Steph

Disclaimer: Lauren Brooke owns her characters but I own the story and the plot. This story is not available for reproduction and any copying will not be appreciated. The song belongs to AFI and don't worry if you can't find a connection between it and the story, I just love that song.

The Peak

Chapter 16 – Ease the Tension

Amy and Mick sat in the hunter green Corvette. A breeze blew through the open top and ruffled Amy's hair. She quickly pushed her hair back and kept her eyes glued ahead of her to where the taillights of the two sports car were still visible. She sat on the edge of the leather car seat and clasped her hands together tightly in her lap.

The sound of the two engines eventually died down and the headlights disappeared into the distance, becoming no more then specks of fast fading light in the darkness.

Mick glanced over at Amy briefly and noticed her pained expression.

"Hey," Mick said casually.

"Yeah?" Amy replied, not taking her eyes away from the road.

"Do I get a kiss too?" Mick asked innocently.

Amy turned to face him, shock spread across her face. "What?" she said slowly, unsure where Mick's comment had come from.

"I was just joking," Mick said with a grin. "Just trying to, you know, ease the tension and all."

"Oh."

"So," Mick continued after a moment, "do I get a kiss?"

"No," Amy said without taking her eyes from the road.

Mick shrugged. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Amy continued staring blankly out of the windshield.

They won't be back for a good ten, fifteen minutes," Mick told her.

Amy looked across the car to Mick. Mick returned her gaze. "Don't you care about your friend at all?" she snapped her mouth shut, the words had just slipped out.

"He's my best friend," Mick said slowly, determined to keep his temper in check around the girl that his best friend was so obviously in denial about liking. "Want to listen to some music?" he attempted to change the topic by saying. Mick clicked on the radio and AFI's Love Like Winter filtered through the speakers and into the open air car. Adam glanced over from his Mustang upon hearing the music but quickly looked away again.

Mick drummed his fingers against the leather bound steering wheel to the beat of the music. He bobbed his head and his blonde hair flopped across his eyes in a most irresistible way.

Amy watched him in astonishment and he sang along to the song. She just couldn't wrap her head around how Mick was acting so carefree and happy when his best friend off doing something stupid that involved narrow and turn filled roads and incredibly high speeds.

Warn your warmth to turn away.
Here it's December every day.
Press your lips to the sculptures
and surely you'll stay (Love like winter)
for of sugar and ice, I am made, I am made.

As the music started and Davey's voice filtered out of the speakers and filled the car with its calming power even Amy relaxed. There was just something about music that she found comforting and warm. Whenever she was sad she listened to music.

It's in the blood, it's in the blood.
I met my love before I was born.
He wanted love. I taste of blood.
He bit my lip and drank my war
from years before, from years before.

Mick was getting into the song. He shifted his upper body in his seat as he sang along with Davey.

She exhales vanilla lace.
I barely dreamt her yesterday, yesterday.
Read the lines in the mirror
through the lipstick trace "Por Siempre".
She said, "it seems you're somewhere far away" to his face.

Mick wailed "Por Siempre" at the top of his lungs. Adam looked at Mick as though he were insane. Mick threw his arms in the air and waved them around. Further proving Adam's thoughts.

It's in the blood, it's in the blood.
I met my love before I was born.
She wanted love. I taste of blood,
She bit my lip and drank my war
from years before, from years before.

"Come on!" Mick grinned at Amy. "Sing along, it's fun!" Amy looked at him as though he were exactly what Adam was becoming more and more convinced of with every second that passed. He was insane. Nevertheless, Amy sang softly along with the lyrics.

Love like winter, oh, oh...
Love like winter, winter... 3,4

It's in the blood, it's in the blood.
I met my love before I was born.
He wanted love. I taste of blood.
He bit my lip and drank my war
from years before, from years before.

Once the song was over, Amy smiled. She felt a bit better. But she was gripped with cold, hard fear as she looked back to the road.

"Turn the damn music down!" Adam hollered over to Mick when Mick cranked up the volume some more. "Someone's going to fucking here and we're going to get busted by the cops!"

Mick turned the volume down a ways. It was no more then a whisper in the background now.

"I was starting to wonder if you knew how to talk," Mick called back to Adam.

Adam's face visibly darkened in the dark night at Mick's insult. "Fuck you."

"Touché," Mick laughed.

Adam turned away from Mick, Amy and the Corvette in disgust. He looked out into the distant mountains and seemed lost in thought.

"I hope you know that he thinks you're insane," Amy said, trying hard to keep her voice quiet so that Adam wouldn't hear her comment.

"I know," Mick said lightly. "Maybe he's right," he mussed, "I think that all of us are a little bit insane deep down. Some of just choose to use that to our advantage." He flashed Amy the grin that sent girls swooning. It affected Amy none though. Now, if that grin had come from someone else…

"You seem very… happy," Amy said suddenly, surprising Mick slightly.

"Do I have a reason not to be?" Mick asked bluntly, clearly not seeing what the problem was.

"Well," Amy began, a little annoyed at Mick's behavior, "your best friend is doing something incredibly stupid with someone that will clearly go through all measures to win who has just so happened to have already attempted to kill him. I'd say that that is plenty of reason not to be happy."

Mick shifted in his seat that he could look at Amy as he spoke to her. "Trust me, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. I know Ty better then anyone," Amy started to object but Mick stopped her with a raised hand. "I know you disagree but you haven't known his these past two years, I have. I've been his friend since day one, well since he was out of the hospital at least, and if there is one thing that I know about Ty, it is that he never looses something twice."

"You're very confident on the statement," Amy murmured.

"I have good reason to be," Mick didn't elaborate any farther. "You could do with some confidence at the moment."

"Yeah," Amy agreed softly as she stared out of the windshield once again.

"Okay, I get it," Mick said suddenly. "But, I solemnly swear on the Laurence family name that Ty will come back alive and in the lead," he said with a hand on his heart. "Feel better now?" he asked with a grin.

"Oh, loads," Amy replied sarcastically.

"I knew it," Mick grinned.

"So, there's not even a tiny part of you that doubts that Ty will be okay and win?" Amy ventured.

"Exactly," Mick answered her question simply. "See if I'm wrong. You can have my car if I'm wrong," Mick offered. Amy eyed him doubtfully. "That shows you how confident I am," Mick continued, "I don't bet my car on just anything or anyone."

"Don't you loose your car if Ty looses?" Amy asked.

Mick cringed. "Please stop saying 'if Ty looses'. He's not going to loose. But, yes, that was the deal coming into all of this. Just another reason why Ty can't loose, I love my car and he knows it." Mick patted the steering wheel affectionately. "Isn't that right, babe," he seemingly spoke to his Corvette.

"Something like car racing is really a fifty-fifty shot for the drivers. There's so much that can go wrong during it, the best driver can be taken out," Amy said, Mick looked at her. "How can you be so confident on such a gamble?" she wondered aloud.

"I have my reasons," Mick said simply, "I don't know if Ty would appreciate my telling you some so I won't. But, I know first hand how good of a driver Ty is. He's beaten everyone that's challenged him."

Amy paled. "This isn't the first time you've done this kind of thing?"

Mick laughed at the sheer idiocy in Amy's question. "Of course not. Ty's beaten the best of them, including Tony. It was Tony that challenged Ty to the rematch. Ty, being that gallant guy he is, accepted."

Well that made it a bit better, if Ty had beaten Tony before then Amy had a bit more confidence. "Are the stakes the same every time? Winner gets thee cars I mean?"

"Yeah," Mick said, happy that they were talking about something other then Ty's impending fate for a while. "Winner takes the car of the loosing driver and of whoever is that drivers second. I'm Ty's second and Adam is Tony's second. Our cars are up in it to."

"Oh," Amy said. "Well then if you guys have always won then shouldn't you have a ton of cars? Why does the one you have matter?" Amy was truly curious now.

Mick looked appalled. "First and foremost, this," he patted the steering wheel of the Vet, "is not a racing car. This is my car, the one I drive everyday. This car is my favorite, you form attractions to cars, you know," he told her. "But, to answer your question, we can't relay on mommy and daddy's money forever."

"You mean you sell them?"

"Well, yes, basically," Mick said. "They are first offered back to their original owners with a price on the hood, take it or leave it. There is no gambling around with the price. If the original owner won't take it back, we take it to a dealership where we know some people who will give us the asking price. That is just the way of street racing, that's how it's always been, no one questions it. We can keep them all though, can we? I think our parents would start to get suspicious when the garage started filling up with flashy cars."

"Oh. So it's basically cars and money that govern street racing?" Amy asked.

Mick thought about her question before replying. "Yes and no," he began. "Usually that is all it is but, as you heard Ty before, this race is more important to him them winning cars and money. Ty might not have technically lost the last race but that is the way that he sees it. he doesn't loose and if he doesn't win then he sees that as loosing. This race is important to him for so many reasons. We'll just have to wait and see what happens," Mick admitted, dropping his confident demeanor for the first time. "I don't want to think about what he'll do if he looses," Mick said softly, fiddling his fingers against the steering wheel.

Mick and Amy lapsed into silence after Mick's last comment. The music that was still drifting lightly and loosely from the stereos was the only noise in the dead quiet of the night. Adam stood silently and motionlessly by the side of his Mustang GT. His eyes were fixed on the road in front of him, much as Amy's were. Even Mick watched the road with and anxious expression, he knew the time was near for everything to be decided.

Mick leaned forward as he caught sight of headlights in the distance. The sound of a cars engine soon followed the sighting of the lights. "Here they come now," Mick said to Amy. "Put on your seatbelt," he ordered her. "Go on, do it!" he barked when Amy didn't move to follow his orders. "You heard Ty, if it's not him then we leave. I plan to follow his wishes." Mick pulled his seatbelt across his shoulder and clipped it in the lock by his waist. Amy mutely followed his example and clipped on her own seatbelt.

Another set of headlights appeared, right behind the first.

Amy gulped.

There was definitely a leader. She just prayed with ever fiber in her being that it was Ty.

"It's Ty," Mick said suddenly, his eyes fixed on the headlights that were growing larger and coming closer with even the smallest part of a second.

"What?" Amy breathed, hardly daring to let his words mean what she hoped they did.

"It's Ty, he's in the lead," Mick burst out with a grin. Adam scowled.

"How can you tell?" Amy asked. She squinted towards the distant shapes of the cars but could not tell one from the other.

"The Ferrari has a shape that is recognizable, I can tell from its headlights," Mick said. Amy looked again but could not, for the life of her, see any difference between the two sets of headlights. Mick noticed her confused expression and quickly said, "Just trust me. Ty's in the lead, that's all the matters."

"Alright," Amy said, choosing to believe a guy she hardly knew. Funny the people one would believe when they wanted to hear something bad enough.

The two cars rushed closer to their makeshift finish line. Amy could now see that it really was Ty's black Ferrari that was in the lead! A whole car length in front of Tony and his yellow Lamborghini. Tony was trying furiously to pass Ty but Ty kept blocking Tony's path. Tony banged a fist on his steering wheel in frustration. Ty smirked. He wasn't going to loose, there was no way he was loosing now.

Mick unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up on his seat, no regard for the creamy white leather seats of the Corvette. Ty's instructions completely fled his mind as he cheered his friend on.

Amy, too, unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled herself up. She hung over the top of the windshield. The car bounced around and Mick jumped on the seat. Amy vaguely felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket but she paid it no heed. Whoever it was would just have to wait.

Tony made one last, furious attempt to surpass Ty and the Ferrari but it was no use. His efforts were in vain, they were too close to the end then. The two cars flew over the finish line, Ty's car clearly in the lead. Adam kicked the side of his Mustang forcefully. The Ferrari and the Lamborghini screeched to a stop before they crashed into the Corvette. Mick and Amy flew out of the car. Ty jumped out of his car but left the engine running. Tony sat motionless behind the wheel of the Lamborghini. He was stunned, shocked. He'd never lost race… besides the one against Ty.

Mick pounded Ty on the back. Both friends grinned widely as the celebrated what would be their biggest most important win as a team.

Amy stood a bit away from them, unsure exactly what she was supposed to do. Ty looked around and caught her eye. His emerald eyes sparkled with joy and happiness and life, she'd never seen him so happy. Ty grinned and Amy smiled back. She finally approached Ty and all but threw herself at him. She clung to him, her arms around his neck; her feet didn't even touch the ground. Ty's arms wrapped around her and he laughed into her hair. Ty spun her around in his excitement. Mick watched them with a knowing look.

Ty set Amy back down on her feet they stared at each other.

"You fucking, cheating bastard!" Tony roared in outrage as he sprung from the driver's seat of the Lamborghini, forcefully throwing the door up without a regard for its cost.

Ty looked away from Amy and let go of her waist. "I did not cheat, Tony," Ty said in a deadly voice.

"You blocked me!" Tony exclaimed.

"So?" Ty said. "What's the point? It's a legal move. Its not like I… say, rammed you into a bunch of boulders," Ty's eyes glinted venomously.

"I call a re-race," Tony blurted out.

Ty shook his head, his brown hair falling across his forehead, almost blocking his eyes but not quite. "No way, Tony. This was your re-race. You're not getting another out of me. I've beaten you twice, fair and square. I've won, that's all there is to it."

Tony glared at Ty but he knew he was right. "You're a fucking lucky bastard, Baldwin," he said in his normal voice.

"Luck is something you have to have to succeed in this," Ty said.

Mick seemed to sense that there was going to be resistance and back into his Corvette. He gently rolled it forwards.

Tony glared. "Fine, Baldwin. You win." Tony turned to face Adam, "Keys, Adam," he ordered his second.

Adam glared at Tony and refused to make a move to hand over the keys.

"Keys, Adam," Tony repeated irritably.

Adam was about to reply but swore instead. Mick's car swept cleanly over the place where Adam had been standing not five seconds ago. Adam jumped out of the way to avoid the car.

"Jesus Christ!" Adam hollered at Mick. "What they hell do you think you're doing, Laurence?"

"Be a good little boy and hand the keys to you little friend, Adam," Mick said gently. He eased the Corvette in Adam's direction. Mick was not three feet away from Adam and still getting closer and Adam still didn't move. When it became apparent that Mick was not about to stop the Vet, Adam held up his hands.

"Fine! Fine!" he said, Mick stopped the Corvette right in front of Adam. "I'll give him the damn keys, happy now?"

Mick grinned. "Very."

Adam tossed the Mustang's keys to Tony. They glinted in the light from the moon as they traveled through the air. Tony caught them in a closed fist, he made to throw them to Ty but Ty held up a hand to stop him.

"Stop," Ty said. Tony drew his back down to his side and looked questioningly at Ty. "I can't take four cars back with me, I only have three people. Will you pay for them?" he asked.

Tony looked at Adam who shook his head grudgingly. Tony turned back to Ty. "No, we have plenty other cars. These two beauties have had their moments; it's time to move on now."

"Fine," Ty accepted Tony's words. "I'll only take one though."

"Which one?" Tony asked eagerly.

Ty eyed both cars but said nothing. He turned back to Amy. "You choose," he said.

"Ex-excuse me?" Amy choked back to him.

"Pick one," Ty said again just as though it was something he said to girls everyday.

"Why?" Amy questioned in shock.

"I don't want either," Ty said simply.

"Doesn't Mick get to pick one?" Amy said quickly. "You know, with him being your second and all."

"I'm not interested in either," Mick jumped in by saying. "I have two great cars and am fine for the time being."

Ty tuned back to Amy. "So? Which do you want?"

"You're giving me car? Why?" Amy asked incredulously.

Ty shrugged. "You don't have to keep it, it might be hard to explain to your folks" he didn't answer her other question though. Amy let it slide.

"Okay… well…" she eyed the two cars with her non expert eye. "I don't know anything about cars," she warned them all.

Ty laughed. "Just pick the one that looks better to you," he advised her calmly.

"Okay…" Amy said slowly and dubiously. She looked towards the Mustang and the Lamborghini once again. "Well," she began, "I'm not much of a fan of yellow cars…" Ty laughed, even Tony chuckled. "I guess I pick that one," Amy pointed towards the dark blue Mustang GT with white racing stripes. She looked at Ty for conformation that she had chosen good, Ty nodded. "Yeah, that one."

"Very well," Tony said and tossed the keys to the Mustang to Ty. Ty handed them to Amy who held them awkwardly in her hands. She didn't feel right about taking someone else's car. "Shall I pay you for the Lamb?" Tony turned back to Ty.

"You've lost graciously, that's enough for me. I've gotten what I've wanted out of this," Ty said with a shrug.

"You're a fool, Baldwin," Tony said with a shake of his head. He pulled something out of the pocket of his black leather jacket along with a pen and scribbled something down on it. It was a check. He tore it out of the check book and stepped forwards to hand it to Ty. Ty accepted it slowly. "Keep it, rules are rules after all," Tony managed a slight smile. Ty folded the check and slipped it into the back pocket of his jeans.

Tony turned away from Ty, Mick and Amy without another word. He got back into the Lamborghini and Adam got into the passenger seat. Tony rolled down the window and before he passed Ty he called out, "You've got talent, Baldwin. You might want to consider this as a career; you could do good on the track." And, with that, Tony's yellow Lamborghini disappeared from sight.

Ty watched the Lamborghini's rear lights fade into the distance with a thoughtful expression on his handsome face. His eyebrows knitted together and his forehead creased ever so slightly. Amy didn't have the heart to disrupt his thinking to enquire as to what he was thinking about. If Ty wanted her to know then he would tell them.

Ty's expression cleared a moment later. "Let's go," he said simply. "We shouldn't hang around any longer then necessary, I still don't trust Tony. He may very well call the cops and report us."

"Yeah," Mick agreed. "Where are we going?"

"Can you stash the car at your place?" Ty asked Mick.

Mick shrugged. "Sure. I doubt my parents will notice it anyway."

"Good," Ty nodded in satisfaction. "We'll drive back, each of us in one car. Amy, you can drive the Mustang."

Amy smiled, suddenly excited about driving the Mustang. "Kay."

"I'll take you back to your hotel later."

Amy's heart thudded as she remembered her family and friends. She pulled out her cell phone and checked the time. She gulped. It was nearing two in the morning. Lou, Jake and her dad were going to flip out. She noticed that she had one new message but she ignored it and put the phone back in her pocket. "Alright," she said in response to Ty's previous statement.

"Won't they wonder where you've been?" Ty asked.

Amy shrugged, "Yeah," she thought about it for a minute and was surprised with her answer when it passed through her lips, "but I don't really care." She grinned, it was the truth.

"Alright then, let's go," Ty got back into his Ferrari and Mick into his Corvette. Amy walked over to the abandoned and dark Mustang GT on the side of the road. She opened the door and the interior lights went on. She settled herself in the seat, making sure that she could reach all the gas and brake and see throw all the mirrors before closing the door and turning the key in the ignition. Mick swung his car around and pulled out first, Ty followed and Amy brought up the rear.

Amy grinned behind the wheel of the Mustang. She could feel the raw power of the car beneath her and she found that she loved that feeling. The Mustang moved smoothly forward. Ty caught Amy's grin in his rearview mirror. He laughed lightly to himself and shook his head softly, a small smile lifting his lips.

Fortunately, the tri encountered no cops on their way home. The roads were practically deserted due to the time. The town that had been so lit up and bustling with life when they had left it was now dark and calm as the reentered it.

Amy pulled the Mustang to a final stop when they reached Mick's house. Mick turned his Corvette into the circular driveway and parked. Ty parked in his driveway next door. Amy stayed out on the street, unsure of what she supposed to do with the Mustang. Mick got out of his Corvette and motioned Amy forwards. The Mustang crept silently forwards. The street was dark, there were no lights on in the houses and there were no street lights. Amy was glad the car was silent.

Amy pulled up to the side of the grand house; she stopped in front of Mick when he gestured for her to do so. Mick unlocked a small door on the side of the garage and slipped into the darkness. He reappeared a moment later carrying a large, canvas sheet. It was a car cover. Amy turned of the car, grabbed the keys and got out, shutting the door softly. Mick draped the cover over the Mustang and made sure it hid every inch of the car. He stood back to admire his work.

Amy felt a presence by her side and started slightly when she saw Ty standing there. She hadn't even heard him return.

"Let's go do something," Ty said suddenly. Mick and Amy turned to look at him. Ty grinned widely. "Something fun like… swimming. Let's go swimming."

"Er," Amy said uncertainly.

"Come on," Ty said eagerly but softly so he didn't wake Mick's parents. "We can go swimming in my pool, it will be fun. This past week has been to stressful."

Mick eyed Ty. "I think I'll pass, Ty," he said quickly. "I'll just see you guys together later… I mean see you later," he saluted them and the disappeared back into the garage, shutting the door softly behind him.

"Want to go swimming?" Ty asked Amy.

"Um, sure. But I don't have a bathing suit," she said slowly and softly.

"Not a problem," Ty said as he grabbed her hand and led her across the gravel that would have been grass in almost any other state and into his driveway. "We can go skinny dipping."

"W-what?" Amy stuttered, his words caught her off guard and made her blush bright red.

"I was joking," Ty laughed softly and he led Amy through the gate on the side of his house and into the backyard. They walked softly across the large patio, carefully sidestepping the expensive furniture Jane had chosen. They went down the stairs that led to the pool. Ty kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks.

"Sorry," Amy said softly with a glance up at the house, "but how exactly do you plan on swimming?" she took of her shoe and socks and took her cell phone out of her pocket, placing inside on of her sneakers. Just to be on the safe side.

"Just like," Amy spun around to face Ty, he was standing right behind her. He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up. Amy kicked her legs against him, silently laughing and trying not to wake up Ty's parents. "This," Ty swung her back and forth a few times before throwing into the pool. Amy landed in the water with a splash, shrieking a bit as the cold water immediately soaked through her clothes. She broke back to the surface and gasped for air, rubbing the water from her eyes and pushing her hair away from her face.

She looked up at Ty. He was still standing on the edge of the pool, completely dry and trying his very hardest not to laugh out loud.

"That was not fair!" Amy hissed at him, trying to sound mad but she was laughing to hard for that. "I'm wearing a white shirt too!"

"Better for me then," Ty said.

Amy scowled and covered her chest with her arms.

"Aw, come one," Ty whined, "don't be like that."

Amy was struck with a sudden idea. "Then come and get me." And with that she turned and splashed her way clumsily to the far side of the pool, her toes brushed the tiled horse mural on the bottom of the pool but it went unnoticed to her. She finally made it to the other side of the pool and sat on the single step that was there. The water came to about her chest. She leaned back against the edge of the pool. Swimming in jeans was harder then it looked.

"I'd think," Ty said softly on the other side of the pool but the words reached her easily, "that that can be arranged." Amy watched, shamelessly staring, as Ty proceeded to pull off his shirt and drop it to the ground, he took the check from his pocket. Amy couldn't help but stare at his chest. It was perfect, like a carving in the most gorgeous stone in the world. He was tanned and toned, muscular, not over the top but just the right amount. His stomach was flat and his abs were perfect. It was very six-pack like.

Ty dove gracefully into the pool and easily swam over to Amy. He made swimming in jeans seem like a piece of cake. Amy crossed her arms over her chest, her black bra uncomfortable visible through her tight, white t-shirt.

Ty broke through the water right in front of where Amy sat. The water dripped down his face and his hair was plastered to his head. Despite the darkness, his emerald eyes were as alive and bright as ever.

Their eyes met and their gazes locked.

Amy finally broke the intense gaze by splashing some water on Ty's face. He shook his head like a dog and Amy giggled as more water landed on her. She tried to swim away from Ty but was unsuccessful in her efforts. They fought in the water. Ty, naturally, won.

Amy blushed deeply as she realized the position they had come to be in. Ty's hands were on the small of her back. Amy was no better, her legs had somehow wrapped around Ty's waist and her hands were on his shoulders.

"You know," Ty said huskily, looking into her eyes, "you really do look quite pretty all wet."

Amy laughed breathlessly at that strange complement but stopped as she met Ty's eyes again.

They slowly moved forwards. Amy's heart was racing inside her chest as her eyes closed. Their lips had almost met when the outdoor lights suddenly came on.

Amy jerked backwards in surprise, letting her legs fall away from Ty's waist.

"Shit," Ty swore under his breath and pushed Amy behind him.

"Ty?" Brad Baldwin's deep voice called down from the deck attached to his and Jane's bedroom.

"Yeah, dad?" Ty called back.

"What are you doing in the pool?" The astonishment was clear in Brad's voice.

"Oh, you know," Ty spoke casually as if this happened to him all of the time, "just taking an early morning swim."

"Early morning is right, Ty, it's three-thirty a.m." Brad called down.

"Is it?" Ty sounded baffled. "Time flies when you're having fun," he shrugged his wet shoulders. Amy huddled behind his back, staying clear out of Brad Baldwin's view.

"What in the devil possessed you to go swimming at three-thirty in the morning?"

"I got hot," Ty said simply. "I couldn't sleep because my room was so hot, I think the air-conditioner broke," he called up his dad. "I just wanted to cool off," he said innocently.

"Are you alone down there, Ty?" was Brad's next question.

"Course I am," Ty replied. Amy held her breath.

"Very well," Brad sighed. "Get up here and come to sleep Ty," he said before he closed the French doors that led to the deck and pulled the curtains closed once again. The outside lights turned of.

Ty turned around to find Amy in a fit of silent giggles.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"You are way too good at lying," she laughed. Ty shrugged. "You do realize that your dad's going to think you're insane now, right?"

Ty shrugged again. "What else is new?"

"Do you think he really believed you were alone?" Amy asked hesitantly, still laughing a bit.

"No," Ty said simply. "But, he was tired and didn't see you so at least I'll be able to defend myself. We should get out though before he comes back and actually comes down."

"Yeah, right," Amy agreed.

They waded their way back to the shallowest end of the pool. Ty hopped up the stairs easily. Amy climbed up them slower, her wet, jeans clad legs heavy.

Ty watched her and shook his head with a laugh.

"It's not funny, you know," Amy grumbled, trying to wring some of the water out of her clothes. "Wet jeans are the most uncomfortable things every."

Ty laughed quietly. Amy grabbed her shoes and cell phone and followed Ty back to the front of the house. He pulled two towels from the trunk of the Ferrari and placed them over the seats so that they did not ruin the leather.

"I'll see you later," Ty said to Amy as she opened her door to get out of the Ferrari once they arrived at The Scottsdale Princess.

Amy turned back around and looked over her shoulder at Ty. She smiled at him. "Yeah, see you. Thanks for everything, tonight was really fun."

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" Ty agreed softly.

Amy said goodbye and them got out of the Ferrari. She closed the door gently behind her and padded barefoot into the hotel lobby. She was grateful that no one was there. She didn't think anyone would appreciate her walking in barefoot and dripping wet.

Ty sat in the Ferrari, watching her disappear into the dark hotel. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he watched her retreating back. He smiled softly to himself before he pressed lightly on the gas and pulled away from the hotel.

He didn't know what he was feeling. He'd never felt these emotions before. All he knew was that he liked whatever he felt and hoped that it would never go away.

a/n: wow, long chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it, I loved writing it! Especially the part with Brad, that was funny. This would have been up a lot sooner but I forgot a whole part that I really wanted to put in and had to go back. I blame you, Shawna, cause you kept yelling at me to type faster! lol. You may end up hearing from me in sooner then a month because I don't know if I can make it through a month of riding camp with my leg. Anyways, hope you liked this chapter. Review!

-Steph