Alright guys, back again.

A lot's happened in the past couple weeks.

Breaking Bad ended. Not happy that it's over, but it was a great series.

Rented GTA V, so I spent my time playing that to make sure I got my money's worth.

I started searching my Itunes to see what lyrics I wanted to use for the opening, and it took me awhile, but I decided Jonathan Coulton fits this story better than anything else, but this song matched perfectly.

Also, I wanted to give everyone reading a chance to weigh in on something that someone brought up.

I had been toying with the idea of it being MordXOC since I started, but hadn't really considered it until recently. So, I want to ask what you'd think about it being MXOC or keeping it canon. I have a plot for each decision

We'll discuss that later on, for now, there's a chapter ready to be read.

So, let's get to it, shall we?

Chapter 7: Small Town

Well I was born in a small town
And I live in a small town
Prob'ly die in a small town
Oh, those small communities

All my friends are so small town
My parents live in the same small town
My job is so small town
Provides little opportunity

-John Cougar Mellencamp

[][][]

I was fine.

The Black Tear rolled along the highway, the sound of the tires rolling on the asphalt and the roaring engine mixing together to create a silence that the sound of the radio seemed to echo inside.

I pulled myself together, just in time. To throw myself away.

Mordecai leaned against the door, left arm on the rolled down window and hand at twelve o'clock on the steering wheel, the problems of the city gone, almost non-existent to him for the moment.

Once, my perfect world was gone, I knew. You ruined everything, in the nicest way.

He reached over and tapped the volume button again, increasing the sound to the speakers. He couldn't help but nod along to the slow, ethereal rhythm of the song he'd already played four times.

You should know. How great things were before you. Even so. They're better, still today.

He continued nodding, but glanced up at the directions he left hanging out of the sun visor and seen he still had another ten miles until his exit. His phone was sitting in the cup holder, and he resisted the urge to check his text messages and missed call. Instead, he flipped on the turn signal and merged to stop at the Oasis.

I can't think of who I was, before. You ruined everything, in the nicest way.

As he pulled into the parking area outside of the building, he hit the back button so the song would play again when left.

Remembering to take his keys with him, he grabbed his phone and walked to the building.

He zipped up his jacket and walked to the vending machines, seeing only a few items not sold out, and bought an energy drink that promised to 'add some pep in his step.'

Not seeing anything else that caught his attention, he returned to the truck and climbed the bumper to sit on the edge of the hood.

For the number of times his phone rang, there wasn't anything really interesting. Four text messages from Muscle Man assuring him he was close to the top on his bro list. Typical message he'd received every day since he bailed him out of jail.

"Delete," he said quietly as he moved on.

Another missed call from an unknown number. The number had the same area code as the park's number, but he didn't recognize the rest. They'd called at least twice a day, but he never answered.

"Delete."

Missed call from mom, and a text message seconds after the call.

'Hi honey, how's the trip? Just wanted to check when you'd be here. Farrah's been sitting out front for the past hour. So, whatever. Let me know if anything comes up. And don't use your phone while you're driving. You'll put your eye out!'

He laughed at the joke, and looked at the picture she'd sent. It was one of the last pictures they'd took, and he remembered it being a couple months before he left. His mom and dad stood behind him and Farrah who were sitting on the park bench in front of them.

Farrah's feathers were just turning purple, and his own had just finished growing their white rings.

He remembered how similar they were, but how different at the same time. Red and blue. Dad and Mom.

'Ha ha, I'm almost there, about a half an hour.'

Closing the phone when he received the 'Message Sent' notice, he finished the rest of the drink and shivered.

'Man, that's strong.'

He tossed the can in trash, and slid back behind the wheel, hesitating before turning the key. He didn't know why he couldn't start the engine and continue driving. His heart was beating faster than usual, but he blamed that on the drink he just chugged.

Maybe he was subconsciously avoiding going home.

'Just keep driving. Pass the exit and go wherever you want. An hour later, call and say you missed the turn and got lost.'

Truth be told, he liked that idea. However, he shook it away and forced himself to continue.

After the engine started, it took a moment for the CD player to start.

Mordecai listened to the song play before sighing and hitting the next button.

[][][]

Rigby sighed and closed his phone, "No answer."

He absentmindedly twirled the rake in one hand while he contemplated giving it a second try. While he was focused on the phone, movement in the background caught his attention and he watched as several leaves swirled in the wind.

The renegade leaves caught a back draft and banked to the left, aiming directly for the pile he had already raked.

"Come on, join the others!"

The wind gave out, and they landed right on top of the pile. He began to throw his hands in the air to celebrate being finished, but a large gust of wind blew both piles across the field, ruining the last hour of work.

His jaw dropped, and he could do nothing but watch as they settled into their new place. While he stood motionlessly fuming over the amount of work he had left to do, more leaves began to fall from the trees.

"This is your fault!" he yelled, pointing the rake at the trees, "Everyday, I rake thousands of these things, and everyday more fall!"

He sprinted to the tree and began climbing the trunk. He reached the first limb and one by one began furiously ripping the leaves off from the branches.

"If I rip off every one of you, I won't have to rake again!" he laughed, becoming so entranced by his new goal that he began biting them as well.

He stopped when he seen the mother and her son staring at him curiously.

"Mommy, what's wrong with that man?"

The mother shook her head and quickly pulled him back the way they came, "I don't know, Billy, let's go. We can go to the park another day."

Rigby sighed and dropped back to the ground, not one bit happy at the work left to do.

With no excuse coming to mind, he began the second attempt.

"Stupid leaves," he mumbled, "This is all your fault."

The sound of a mechanical humming reached him, and he knew the sound was the cart. He quickened his pace as he watched the roof slowly appear over the hill before him. He managed to collect a decent sized pile before the cart stopped.

He turned as Muscle Man was walking towards him.

"Oh man am I glad to see you. I thought you were Benson for a minute."

Muscle Man walked past him and looked at the pile of leaves.

"Yeah, this is the second time I've had to rake them. The wind keeps-"

Muscle Man started kicking and walking through the pile until it was scattered into nothing.

"That should keep you busy," he said as he started back to the cart, "Wouldn't want you to steal any more girlfriends."

Rigby looked at the once more destroyed pile of leaves and turned to where Muscle Man was walking, "It's not like he was going out with her. She was fair game!"

Muscle Man dropped back into the cart and turned the key, "To anyone else she would've been, but you were his bro. You knew how he felt, that's why you were avoiding him, to avoid feeling guilty. Now, slither along snake, Benson's gonna be back soon."

The cart spun in circles before launching down the road leading to the house.

"You're the snake," he mumbled as he picked up the rake to start again.

[][][]

Lyle scrolled through his recent calls list as he leaned against Martin's garage door, "I hope something didn't happen."

His sister continued pacing, her face plagued by worry, "He would've called."

"Maybe his phone's broke. Or he left it in the Skyline."

Lyle ran across the lot to where he parked Martin's car and began looking to see if his phone was there.

"I knew this was a bad idea," he said as he searched, "We should of followed him."

Not seeing a phone, he sighed and carefully closed the door.

"Hey, Sarah, you have any missed calls?"

She stopped and as if she suddenly remembered she had a phone, she fumbled to pull it from her pocket.

"Nothing."

He sighed and walked back to the garage door, shaking his head.

They heard the car before they saw it. The engine revved loudly as if it was struggling to stay running. The sound from the exhaust promised there were several rust holes in the pipes. As he pulled into the parking lot, the engine hesitated and nearly quit, a bit of skillful throttle work, however, kept it from doing so.

One headlight worked, the other hung over the caved in bumper. The exterior seemed to be more rust than metal, with only a few spots of paint being visible. The passenger door was dented and caved in from a prior accident that most likely caused the rest of the damage to the body.

Martin parked it facing the garage door and a second later, the engine died. A turn of the key resulted in a faint click.

He sighed and pulled on the parking brake before he stepped out of the car, "Sorry for keeping you waiting."

"Meanie," Sarah pouted.

Lyle nodded, "You shoulda let us follow you. The thing doesn't even have front brakes!"

Martin smiled and looked over the car, "Yeah, she's a beauty, isn't she?"

Lyle shook his head, "What junkyard did this come from?"

"It was a salvage yard…"

"Not helping your argument," Sarah added while she looked over the car.

"Whatever," he said as he opened the garage doors, "Just help me push it in the garage."

Lyle and Martin walked to the back of it as Sarah opened the door to sit behind the wheel. As she put her foot in, it broke through the rotted floorboard, causing large fragments of metal to fall with it.

"Oops."

Martin shook his head, "It's not a big deal. Just steer it to keep it straight."

"Do you want me to-"

They began pushing, straining against the weight of the car. After several seconds, they stopped, panting from the work.

"Man, I know this thing isn't that heavy."

Martin leaned against the bumper, "I wish the brakes worked this good on the way here."

The idea hit him, and he looked through the back window. He started laughing and ended with a sigh.

"What?"

"Sarah," Martin began, "Take off the parking brake."

"That's what I tried to say," she yelled as she threw the level down.

The car rocked backwards slightly.

Lyle shook his head, "I hate you."

This time, their effort was rewarded and the car rolled into the garage at a quick pace.

"Okay, pull on the lever!"

"What'd you say?" she asked.

The car rolled into the bench and bounced backwards, leaving the front bumper behind.

Lyle threw his hands into the air and walked out of the garage.

Martin walked to the front and checked the damage to the bench.

"Sorry…"

He shrugged, "It was coming off anyway."

Lyle walked inside, "What is this thing even called?"

"Acura. Japanese luxury."

"Second question, why is it here?"

Martin smiled and looked it over, "This is my ace in the hole."

"Don't tell me this is about the Black Tear," Lyle said with a sigh.

He nodded, "Afraid so."

"There's no way the Black Tear is still around. Even so, what are you hoping to achieve?" Lyle said as he kicked the quarter panel, causing a hole to appear.

"Revenge."

"Are you positive that it's what you say it is?" Sarah asked, trying to be the voice of reason.

"I won't know until it's back in town," he said, walking to the back of the car, "The guy who owned it had a custom control module built. If the readings on the module come back as the same in the Black Tear I'll know."

[][][]

Farrah sighed and looked at her new watch. She continued leaning against the railing for the deck, watching the cars pass the house.

Her mother looked out of the storm door, "Still not here?"

She shook her head, "No."

The sound of a car door caught her attention and she looked to where her dad was walking around his pickup truck, carrying a hardhat.

"Oh, it's just dad."

He smiled as he walked down the brick path from the driveway, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," she said, looking at her watch again.

From farther down the block a loud roaring reached them. The pavement began to rumble, and the sound began to grow louder until the truck turned the corner and started to drive towards the house.

The tires chirped as it stopped at the curb, the idling engine chugging obediently. A second later it shut off, the silence it left behind becoming unbearable.

"Who is it, John?"

He strained to see through the tinted windows, but could only shake his head, "I don't know."

The door opened and the driver walked grabbed something from the passenger seat. All they could do was watch as the stranger walked around the back.

"Yo." Mordecai said as he started down the sidewalk.

Farrah ran from the deck and intercepted him at the gate, "Mordecai!"

He smiled and returned the embrace, "Happy birthday, Farrah."

John watched from where he was standing, not bothering to follow.

"It's good to see you, honey."

"You too, mom." he said as he reached the middle of the walkway.

"Come in, dinner will be ready soon and you must be tired from the drive."

"Yeah, hurry up!" Farrah said as she ran up the steps following her mother.

Mordecai shifted the weight from his backpack and looked toward his dad.

"Hey, Mordecai."

He nodded, "Dad."

Alright, that's it for this one.

Now as for what I was saying in the beginning.

I have a story path for either way, MordXOC or MordXCanon. So, I figured I'd let you decide which you'd like to see. You can send a PM, leave a review, or answer the poll I'm gonna have on my profile.

Input through either way is appreciated. It'll be at least a week and a half before the next chapter because my AT! story needs updated, so that should be enough time to decide.

Also, I might start putting links to the lyrics I use in the openers in my profile, so you could check there if you wanna hear the actual song.

Alright, as always, thanks for reading!

"You stay classy, San Diego."