"Hey, Kar," the familiar voice buzzed around the crowded office space. "Where you headed off to?"

Karen looked up from the file cabinet she was shuffling around in, a bright smile on her face. "I'm going to pick up my friend from the airport in a few minutes," she informed him. "Just cleaning up here a bit before I go. If this is to be a legitimate front, it should be better organized."

Franklin took to looking around the garment factory's office. To anyone else, they would see a messy place of business in desperate need of a tidying up and updated equipment. But for years now, Lester made this building the gathering point of nearly everything they worked together. Lester even allowed some unofficial jobs to be assembled here, and for his kind gesture, Karen always made sure to cut him a slice of the action. She was ruthless, but she wasn't stupid. There was too much to be lost without the connection of a man like Lester.

Besides, she genuinely liked Lester. Strange though he was, he was usually good for just the right amount of awkward weirdness in a conversation that would make it unforgettable.

"Will you be at the club later?"

Karen turned towards Franklin's direction.

"No," she said before closing the cabinet with a bump of her hip. "I thought I'd take my friend out to dinner and show him around a bit. He's never been out this way before." She scooped up more folders before going over to another file cabinet. "Would you like to come?"

"Sure, if Trevor doesn't mind me taking the night off."

She quickly remembered that Franklin started managing the bouncers at the strip club – at the behest of Karen's words. She was wholly shocked that neither man argued a bit at the suggestion.

"I'm sure he won't mind if you accompany me for the night." She gave him a sly smile as she placed the paperwork into the cabinet and went to the nearly cleared desk once more. "Let me do these last few files and we can go. I told Les that everything would neatly be at his fingertips should he come over in the morning."

"Cool, I'll wait downstairs."

Watching him drop step-by-step down the stairs, she finished her work in nearly no time at all. Grabbing her bag, she flew down the steps, shoving her belongings in Franklin's hands.

"Gotta potty!"

He barely picked up what she had said as the bathroom door opened and shut. Shaking his head, he straightened out the leather bag in his hand and walked out to where their cars were parked. The jingle of keys made him glance up to see Karen locking the doors to the factory.

"You driving?" he asked her as he stood next to the passenger side of her vehicle.

"Yeah, I'll drive."

"This a nice car, Karen," he told her as he slid into the seat. "What did Trevor drop on this? There's no way it's stock."

"Over fifteen," she said as she took her bag from him and set it down on the floor behind his seat. "I'm almost done paying him back."

Clicking his teeth, his eyes narrowed. "He made you pay him back?"

"No, I wanted to." Still feeling the skeptical gaze over her, she went more into depth. "To his credit, he refused, offering to return it before making me pay. But I'm not accepting anything for free. I haven't before and I'm not going to start now."

"Yeah, I understand that." Running his hand over the dashboard, he nodded approvingly. "This is real nice though, Kar. Looks like Trevor actually put some thought into something other than himself."

Karen was happy to make small talk with Franklin, skimming over the fact that Trevor had been putting more thought than just a car into her lately. Their crew still didn't have any idea what was going on, and though Trevor may have wanted it otherwise, Karen was grateful they didn't know. She hadn't even spoke to her closest friends about Trevor. Those who knew her for much longer than Franklin had. Those back where she grew up. Surely, some would be supportive, and others not so much.

As they winded down the highway, taking the off-ramp that would lead them to the airport, Karen wondered who she could trust anymore. She hadn't been back home in years. Would they see her differently now? It was difficult for her to trust at all. Those that she kept close were people she didn't have to talk to on a daily basis. It didn't matter how long they were apart, things never changed. And she thought she had that in Luis, but it was a slip up that she blamed her heart on. She wanted to see him differently than how he really was.

But she knew better now. She couldn't trust Luis as much as the next random guy walking down the street. At the end of it all, he may as well have been a stranger. That's how their relationship felt – strange. He had managed to make her do the one thing no else ever had. He had made her question herself. Question herself so much to the point where she picked up and left. She never ran, but she had to get away. Trevor hadn't made her question herself... so far.

"Hey," Franklin's voice cut into her thoughts as he pointed with his thumb behind them. "The terminal's this way, Kar."

"For people who aren't arriving on their own jets, yes," she said as they pulled into the entryway for the hangars.

Franklin stared at her for a moment. "His own jet? What kind of guy is this?"

The smile that settled on her face made even more questions rise up in Franklin's mind.

"A man with a lot of connections, a lot of money, and more time on his hands than he should really have," she replied as they waited. "Also, my best friend. Someone who gave me a chance where no one else was willing to, and he wasn't afraid of what would happen."

"What would he be afraid of with you?" Franklin asked, amused at the thought. "Flan doesn't have enough caramel?"

She took his joke with a stride that she wouldn't have with most people. It didn't take much time for her to consider Franklin one of her best friends. He had proven many times over that he was there for her no matter what and without question. The kind of friendship they all had didn't need questioning. It didn't need second guessing. They needed doubt-free. Jump in and ride to the next problematic spot. And Karen was glad to know she had found at least four people she could do that with. As far as she was concerned, that's all a crew ever needed.

"Damn," Franklin's voice said as a black and gold jet landed on the runway. "Tell me that's not your friend, Kar. That's some serious looking gear right there."

Karen turned off her car, slowly opening the door and stepping out. She watched as the black jet entered the hangar and came to a full stop. The smile on her face was bright as the steps lowered, eventually revealing her beloved friend. The man held out his arms, welcoming her as she ran up to him.

"Karen! My sweet girl!"

"Yusuf!" She wrapped her arms around him, giving him a tight squeeze.

"Oh, how have you been, my dear girl? It has been too long!"

"Been good," she replied, pulling away from him. "I think you'll like your visit here. Beach weather nearly year round."

"Well, thank goodness I brought my bathing suit!" Laying his arm over her shoulder, he began walking with her back to her red car. "Karen, why don't you allow me to provide transportation? I, uh, do not want you chauffeuring me around for an entire week. It is not necessary."

"What?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. "You too good to be driven around by us common folk?"

"Karen," he started, holding a hand out to him. "My dear Karen, you know what, you take me for a nice ride. How about that, hmm? Then later on, I arrange a helicopter ride."

Karen laughed at his suggestion, sure that he would certainly make it happen. They approached her vehicle, Franklin getting out to greet her friend. He held out his hand to the older man, and Yusuf gladly took it, shaking it heartily.

"Yusuf, this is my good friend Franklin," she introduced. "He's been watching out for me."

"Good to meet you, homie," Franklin said, returning the hearty shake.

"Frankie, this is Yusuf Amir. He took care of me back at home."

"Ah, my dear Karen, taking care of is not something you need," Yusuf commented. "I know you. You probably have all of San Andreas under your belt by now." He jokingly shook a finger at her, letting out a deep laugh before waving them towards the car. "Okay, come, come. Show me around."

"""""

"So, where are we headed tonight?"

Yusuf leaned forward, placing his head between the shoulders of Franklin and Karen.

"Headed to the strip club, man," Franklin answered as they stopped at a red light. "Our friend Trevor owns it, so it'll be a real treat."

"Karen!" Yusuf exclaimed. "You never told me you were a stripper! You certainly have grown up."

Completing her mascara application, she laughed, tossing around in her bag for some eyeshadow. "Now, Yusuf, you know that I am not a stripper. I just help manage it. Frankie sometimes works bouncer."

"You know," Yusuf started, placing a hand on her arm as she applied her eyeshadow. "I'm real proud of you, Karen. I know you've never wanted to go into business with me, for the sake of feeling like I'd just finance you, but I'm real impressed with the business woman I always knew you could be."

"Thanks, Yusuf," she sweetly said. "You're too nice to me sometimes."

"Ah," he said, sitting back in the seat. "I am not nice enough. I feel as though I abandoned you when you needed someone the most."

Franklin pretended to not hear her friend's confession, continuing on driving as Karen turned around in her seat to face Yusuf.

"You didn't," she simply stated. "You didn't abandon me. I left. If anyone's to blame for any gap that may have been put between us, it's me." She straightened herself up, placing her makeup back into her bag. "I just couldn't stand all that bullshit with Luis, and him leaving me out of jobs because he thought I'd be this silly little homely girlfriend who would stay tucked away and be at his beck and call. I wasn't putting up with that mess."

"I know," Yusuf comforted. "You should never lower yourself for someone else, and I'm glad you didn't. Luis is nice, don't get me wrong, but he's a bit... how should I say? Shady?"

Karen snorted as she applied some naturally toned lipstick. "Shady isn't the word. He wasn't always that way, but he became full of himself. Forgot what meant the most in life."

"Not to mention, he was doing some rather... unsavory things behind your back. Karen, I stopped dealing with him after I discovered his unfaithfulness to you. I do not condone that."

She was quiet for a moment, letting the information sink in. She hadn't know that he stopped working with Luis for that reason. All she knew before she left Liberty City was that some very lucrative jobs had fallen through because neither side could agree on terms. Yusuf had a strange way of letting people go once they crossed him in a way that could never be forgiven. They were extremely close, but she would have never figured she meant that much to him.

"I don't want you giving up making money because of me, Yusuf," she told him, feeling sorry for it.

"No, no, my dear Karen. It is not I who lost out. Trust me."

She could only smile at the tone of his voice, reading the underlying message in his words. He made sure Luis suffered in his own Yusuf Amir way. By the time they arrived at the Vanilla Unicorn, the two friends were much better, laughing and bumping hips with each other as they made their way into the club.

"This," Karen began as she held out her arm, "is the Vanilla Unicorn. Owner, Trevor Philips. Manager, yours truly. And head of security staff, Franklin Clinton. Right this way, gentlemen."

She led Yusuf to a large, comfortable booth in the corner of the open room.

"This is a fantastic looking club!" Yusuf called out over the music.

"Yeah, man, about a month ago, we finished up some remodeling. Cleaned it up a little bit. Made it bigger," Franklin informed him.

As the two men talked, Karen noticed Trevor coming out through the curtained-off backstage area. She stood, walking up to him and taking him by the arm, giving him a wink before pulling him back to their booth.

"Yusuf, I'd like you to meet Trevor." She waited until Trevor held out his hand, albeit warily, for Yusuf to shake. "Trev, this is my best friend from back in Liberty City, Yusuf Amir. He's going to be visiting for a few days."

"Nice to meet you, Trevor!" Yusuf said proudly, shaking Trevor's hand with an enthusiasm that Trevor did not share. "I've heard good things about you!"

"Yeah, nice to meet you, too." Slowly letting his arm down, he turned to Karen, confusion all but melted onto his face. "Karen, can you come to the back with me? I have... something I want to show you."

"Sure," she smiled out, looking at Franklin. "Frankie, keep my guest entertained?"

"For sure, Kar. Go on. We'll still be here."

The smile on Karen's face lessened as she followed Trevor to the office. It dropped completely when she saw the look on his face. Sitting on the edge of the desk with his legs out and crossed at the ankles, he didn't waste any time questioning her.

"Who is that?"

"I told you who he was. He's a very good friend of mine from back home."

"You used to fuck him?"

"What?" Face twisted in shock, her eyes widened. "No!"

"Then why is he here?"

"Me and Franklin have been showing him around since he landed – "

"He flew in? Today?"

"Yesterday, and he's been with us all day today – "

"What plane was he on?"

"He has his own jet."

"Oh, one of those rich Arabs, is he?"

Karen let her disgust show. "What is wrong with you? At least act civilized for my guest for the night. You won't have to worry about seeing me for the rest of the week."

"Hey, hey!" he called after her as she started for the office door. Grabbing her by the wrist, he spun her around. "You don't walk away from me. You know, you could have told me that you were going to have your friend fly in just to cuddle up to you and tell you how much he missed you."

"You're an asshole, Trevor."

"Oh, like you didn't know." He pulled Karen away from the door, pressing her against the wall next to it. "You listen to me. I will not have you parading around with your little friend, and then you bring him to my club – "

"I wanted you to meet him!"

"Right, meet him. If you wanted me to meet him, you would have asked me to go with you to pick him up!"

"I didn't originally ask anyone to go with me! I was going to go by myself!"

"But Franklin went with you? I saw that he didn't clock in last night."

"We were in the factory. He had nothing else to do, so I asked him if he wanted to come with me," she told him, recapping their day. "I told Frankie that if he was coming along with me, you wouldn't have a problem with it!"

"Well, obviously I do!"

She pushed at him, her soft hands pressing into his chest. Feeling her nails dig into his skin, he let out a low rumble of a growl. Tilting her head to the side, he bit at her earlobe.

"If we didn't have company, I'd fuck you right here, right now," he muttered in her ear.

"You're crazy, Trevor." Letting out a deep breath, she managed to push him away enough to look into his eyes. "Stop being so jealous," she told him, his expression softening at her words.

"I can't help it." He moved away from her, motioning towards the door. "Especially when there's better people out there for you."

"I don't want better people. I want you. And I want you to stop flying off the handle at everything. I wouldn't do anything to wrong you behind your back. So, stop that bullshit."

He looked up at her with pitiful eyes. "I'm sorry," he mumbled in a low voice.

"Can you act like a human being long enough to entertain our guests like we should?"

He nodded his head, allowing her to take him by the hand. But he didn't move when she headed for the door, instead pulling her back to him, hugging her around her waist.

"I like doing things with you, Kitten," he said, running his hand down her side. "You make me feel strangely normal."

Karen ran her hand over the top of his head, smoothing his hair. "I think we are far from normal, sweet baby."

"""""

Some time during the night Michael and Amanda joined them for dinner, the six friends seated in a secluded area in a fancy, upscale restaurant – Yusuf's treat of course, to show his appreciation to his newly found friendships. They were waiting for dessert to arrive, laughing at the stories that Yusuf told. They learned that Karen was just a child when she met the Amir family, immediately being taken up by Yusuf himself. And that Yusuf's father favored Karen greatly, and not just for the connection the Amir's had made with the Vercetti family.

"I'm telling you all," Yusuf continued, tapping on the clothed table. "My father admires Karen for her strong sensibility and her no nonsense attitude. There are times where I'm sure he wishes I were as smart and thoughtful."

Karen shook her head, taking a sip from her water. "Not true, Yusuf."

"Very true, my dear Karen."

Beside her, she felt Trevor tense for what seemed like the hundredth time tonight. She knew Yusuf's terms of endearment for her wouldn't sit well with Trevor, but she appreciated the fact he seemed to be keeping himself under control.

"So," Michael said, moving his napkin from his lap to the table. "Will you be starting any businesses here, Mr. Amir?"

"Please, call me Yusuf!" he said before taking a more serious look. "There are many things I believe I could do very well here. But I'm afraid my love is in Liberty City right now. Perhaps some years in the future will afford me to gain land cross-country."

"Is that what you do, Yusuf?" Trevor asked, looking over at where Yusuf sat across from them. "Buy land?"

Yusuf nodded. "I buy land and develop it. Condominiums, certain store contracts, vacation destinations. You know, real estate. It's all very easy to do once you get into it."

"Ohh," Trevor groaned out, ideas starting in his mind. "Perhaps we can do business some time in the near future."

"No business talk at dinner," Karen chided.

Amanda sighed out, taking a hold of Michael's hands. "It seems like that's all they ever do."

Yusuf let out a hearty laugh. "Oh pretty ladies! Yes, we'll not discuss business right now. What I wanted to know is when Karen is going marry Franklin here?"

Karen sucked in the sip of water she was taking, choking on it as she heard Franklin's confused exclamation. Michael and Amanda stared at her and then Yusuf. And she was pretty sure Trevor had stopped breathing.

"What?" Trevor asked monotonously, his mouth hung open.

Wiping her mouth, the laugh that came from Karen's mouth surprised everyone.

"Yusuf, Franklin and I are just friends. There is nothing going on there."

"Yeah, dog," Franklin said. "I mean, she's pretty and all, but she a little tough for me."

"Oh shut it up, Franklin," Karen laughed out. "I think Yusuf just wants one of his friends to have some babies. This isn't the first time he's pushed marriage on someone."

"Have a habit of this, man?" Franklin asked him.

"Well, can you blame me?" Yusuf asked. "I just want Karen to be happy."

"I think that's sweet of you," Amanda kindly put in.

"Karen, you know that Nathan and Farrah are still off and on with each other." Yusuf waved his hand in the air casually. "Kids today. I just don't know what to think of it anymore."

"Who's Nathan?" Trevor asked, clearing his throat.

"My little brother," Karen quickly answered. "How is Farrah, by the way? Last I talked with her, she was going to be in her school's play."

"Oh, yes. She's very excited about that."

"And Farrah is?" Amanda then asked.

"Yes, she is my niece," Yusuf replied. "Fifteen going on thirty. Man, these kids today grow up too fast."

"Isn't that the truth," Michael commented. "Seems like only yesterday Amanda and I had our babies."

The desserts and treats arrived then, being placed among them.

"If it's babies you're looking for, Yusuf," Karen said as she dipped her spoon into the ice cream she ordered, "then maybe you should wait for the two of them in a couple of years."

"Ah, nah. My sister told me that Farrah has to be on that, uhh, stuff."

"Stuff?"

"What you are on," he said. "That birth control stuff."

Karen tilted her head. "She's on – "

"Birth control?" Trevor blurted out. He slipped out of the side of the booth, looking solely at Karen. "You're on birth control? Well, no wonder!"

"Trevor, sit down!" Karen hissed out.

Michael looked between the two of them. "No wonder what? What's going on, T?"

Trevor concentrated on Karen's face, his brows raised. "You going to tell them?"

"Tell us what, man? What's going on?" Franklin curiously asked.

Amanda gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God."

Karen moved her eyes over to Amanda, knowing that she had pieced it together.

"Are you going to tell them?" Trevor repeated, his stare feeling as though it could melt a hole into her.

"Karen," Yusuf's voice broke through, making her look his way. "Is something wrong?"

Trevor grunted impatiently. "There's nothing wrong, my dear friends. Well, if you don't include someone denying someone else the simple, basic chance to announce to their close friends that they have been sleeping together for months now. Oh, and that they want to be together, but I guess that's just impossible for her to admit!"

With that, he walked away from the table.

"Trevor!" Karen said, scooting out to follow him.

"Aww, they like each other!" she heard Amanda squeal out as she chased after the very emotional man that quickly made his way to the front of the restaurant.

"Trevor, wait." She barely side-stepped another customer as she went out the doors. "Stop, please."

"No," he called back, not bothering to look at her.

"Please, Trevor, it's not that I didn't want to tell anyone." Following him through a small alley way, he calmly walked to his truck. "Trevor, I don't care if anyone knows."

"Oh really?" he asked, slapping the hood of his truck as he spun to face her. "You don't care, huh? Because for months I've been trying to figure out what the fuck we are! And then it just came to me, right there at that table, in front of everyone, that I know what we are! And that is I'm someone who's waiting for someone to realize that she doesn't want me so she can make a complete fool out of me!"

"That's not true, Trevor!"

"Fuck if it isn't!" he shouted, slapping his truck again before wrenching the driver's side door open. "I've been a fucking idiot to think that you could ever really love me. Well, at least you had fun, right darling? Got a few good rides on some old man that could never quite be good enough for you, no matter what he did for you or how much he's tried to show that he's in love with you!"

The sound of the engine rumbling to life scared her. She didn't want him to drive off, not knowing where he'd go or what he'd do. There were a lot of habits that he could fall back on in such a time of duress. She didn't want that. She wanted him to be safe. She cried out as she saw him prepare to shift gears, and quickly found herself seated next to him.

Trevor didn't say anything, didn't even look at her, as he hastily shifted and took off.