a/n: I hope you guys are enjoying it so far. I promise it'll pick up soon. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. Thanks for reading. Please review. -britsis

"Here Shepard, come on harder! Again, again. Faster this time. Keep your hands up!" Coach Charles reached across and swatted the girl on the side of her head. It never was hard enough to do anything, only a friendly reminder to watch her hands. She'd had a few concussions because she hadn't kept her hands up. It tended to happen when Rae was concentrating to hard on her opponent and forgot herself.

"Yes coach," Rae replied around her mouth guard and threw another one two into the bag. She moved side to side and did it again, enjoying the work out. It had been five years since she started and the only fights she'd been in were gym sanctioned. Rae had grown more than a few inches since then and the constant practice had kept her fit. There was still a fire in her emerald eyes, but it had a purpose now. Get a scholarship like her older brothers and get off the planet. She loved Mindoir but as she got older she found she wanted more. Ayden, the eldest, was in the championships on earth, heading for galactic champion. Brandon, the second eldest, had enlisted when he turned eighteen and was stationed on a star ship. Tryon, the third child, was only seventeen but planed on going to collage to study agriculture. That left only Galvin and herself, Rae wasn't going to be the only Shepard sibling to stay behind. Her grades weren't the best and the only thing she was good at was fighting. That meant her only option was to follow in Ayden's footsteps.

"Concentrate Shepard!" Coach demanded, reaching around the bag and swatting the side of her head again.

"Sorry," Rae smiled before stepping away from the bag. She pulled her mouth piece out, "I guess my head isn't in it today."

Charles nodded and let the bag go. "Go shower Shepard, you're no good to me like this."

Rae nodded and ran over to her bag, removing the tape from her hands as she did so. She'd grab and shower then head home to help with harvest. She wouldn't have to concentrate while picking apples.

"Rae wait up!" Rae hitched her bag up higher and turned to spot Bodie emerging from the gym. They'd been two peas in the pod since they met. Where one was the other was surely to follow. At first it was innocent, a friendship to last life times. But as Rae grew older she found herself wanting to impress the boy.

"Coach let you out early as well?" Rae asked as he caught up with her.

"Said something about keeping an eye on you," He grinned before shrugging. Everyone knew he was the good one of the two. Yes Rae had kept out of fights but that didn't mean she kept out of trouble all together. Bodie had been dragged along most of the time but he also kept her out of the worst of it, being the voice of reason. "Hey wanna catch a movie or head to the arcade? The old man got this game called Mario from way back when. Graphics are horrible but its an interesting game."

"Sounds like fun, I'll race yeah." The arcade was twenty minutes away, the long easy way. Rae was never one to take the easy way. Before he could answer, Rae took off. She laughed as she jumped over a fence and ran across someone's yard. Bodie cursed but followed behind her knowing to do any different was to show weakness. The good thing about living in the same place for years is that you knew all the short cuts. You knew what doors lead to where and when the Johnsons let their dog out. Jumping the next fence, Rae took a hard left and headed for the alley way between two houses. She jumped against the wall, hit the opposite wall, then jumped back to grab the roof of the house. Hauling herself up, she didn't pause before rushing across the roof. Her tennis crunched against the shingles as she leapt roof to roof until she reached the end of the road. Dropping down she grabbed the clothes line the Darrels used and swung before hitting the ground. She didn't pause or look back to check on Bodie, knowing he'd be on her tail. She taught him this skill not long after meeting him. He wasn't as bold as she was, but he could get around just as fast.

Five minutes later Rae rolled off a car's hood and stopped just inside the arcade. She was slightly out of breath but had beat her personal best time. Grinning she turned and watched Bodie drop from the eight foot wall besides the shop and roll to absorb the drop. "I win," Rae bragged and went over to offer him a hand up.

Bodie rolled his eyes before getting to his feet. "I still don't get how you can leap from roof to roof."

"Tyron always said free running was one part skill, one part brave, and two parts stupid." That rewarded her a soft punch in the arm as the two walked into the arcade.

Her mother was yelling at her, again. It came as no surprise to Rae nor anyone in the family. She could hear her siblings in the other room cheering at a game on the television. She wished she could join them but first she had to endure her weekly lecture. Try as she might, Rae couldn't make her mother happy. Truthfully she stopped long ago. All she could do was apologize again and again but it never made a difference. Her mother wanted a girl to dote on. One that would go shopping with her and enjoy wearing make up. Rae wasn't going to be that girl.

"Mrs. Darrel saw you swinging from her clothes line Raegan. Her clothes line! What was going through your head?" Abigail yelled, pacing the kitchen. "Then you come home late for dinner, jeans ripped, your arm bleeding, and bruised shins. What were you doing?"

After the arcade Raegan had headed home, fully intent on being home before her mother, washed, and presentable for dinner. However she came across the Leander twins on there bikes doing jumps on a new ramp their father had built them. Rae just had to try it. After a few tries she had it figured out but it got late before the knew it and her last jump had gone wrong. She didn't have enough speed and hit the wrong side of the ramp. She'd been lucky to get away with a just a few scrapes and bruises, if she had broken another bone..

"Are you listening to me!"

Rae pulled herself from her thoughts and hung her head. "Sorry mama, I lost track of time."

"Maybe you wouldn't if you wore the watch I bought you." Abigail sighed and grabbed the plate from the microwave. "I should let you starve you ungrateful brat." Setting the plate in front of her child, Abigail ran her hand through her daughters chopped locks. "Eat up child, then get your school work done."

Rae groaned and slumped against her locker, sliding to the ground. Her fingers dug into her temple trying to rub the headache away that had formed their. She hated school. No matter how hard she worked at it she couldn't seem to get the grades she wanted. They always seemed just out of her grasp, as if she was cursed or something.

Bodie dropped down beside her and held out a bottle of water and head ache solution. Rae about whimpered in praise as she took it from home. "Math test didn't go well?" Bodie chuckled as she groaned again. "At least you'll be able to enjoy your birthday before the score gets out. Though I'm surprised you came today, you usually skip on this special day."

Rae finished the water before she replied, crushing the empty bottle and tossing it in the recycler. "Mom drove me to school. I'd rather come then risk suspension, again." She raised her head and looked at him, smiling at the laughter in his eyes. "You still coming over tonight?" Rae had a plan, a plan that would either ruin their relationship or move it forward. She hoped it was the latter and she wasn't about to do something really really stupid.

"Of course, it's tradition isn't it? Dinner at your place, then a late game of man hunt." Bodie stood then proceeded to open his locker. Rae stayed where she was and watched him trade his books out for his gym bag.