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Date: June 16th 2012 19:17

Location: CHROME Headquarters - Medical Bay

A blistering heat had seized London and all it's inhabitants, the last few days worth of sunny skies and no rain meant that the air was muggy and still, no breeze to help cool the streets. Even when there was, it was still an uncomfortable warmth that pushed into the faces of the many vehicles that lived there. As much as everyone complained about the rain… the very sunny days were even worse. Luckily, the CHROME offices were all installed with the best air conditioning possible, evident by the way Shadow was now standing below her's, the cold air blasting onto her roof as she cooled down. Even now as it was later in the day, she hated the sticky heat, longing for the cold depths of winter when she could snuggle under some blankets and get warm. It was so much easier to warm up than to cool down, for her at least. With a final sigh, she switched the machine off, having finished her mission paperwork and reports about 45 minutes ago. It was really time to go home, no doubt Finn would be pondering as to where she had gotten to, she noticed the older car tended to worry. As the Toyota began to descend down the familiar ramps, Shadow noticed movement in the window of Wren's office, a small frown appearing on the cars face. She was perhaps a little surprised that the Corsair was still here, knowing that Skipper had once again returned to England after leaving in January. Wren was always trying to leave on time to spend as much time as she could with him, so this development had Shadow slightly concerned. The pair had grown closer over the last few months, mostly due to Shadow's mishaps on mission, resulting in almost a daily visit to Wren's office. This was often accompanied by tea, biscuits and a good natter. A few moments went by before Shadow decided to try and find out what was going on, turning the corner smoothly into Wren's doorway.

The Corsair had been busy grumbling to herself, her day being rather long and boring at this point, as well as being sick and tired of hearing about Jace's wedding that was fast approaching. The invite had landed on her desk earlier that week, and Wren had spent most the day staring at it with a soul burning hatred. The plane glanced up as she saw a shape move into the doorframe, her eyes resting on the car as she entered. Shadow seemed to look round the office for a few moments, instantly moving toward the cupboard with the 'not so secret' biscuits.

"I'm not in the mood today Shadow…"

"You're never in the mood" Came the reply, before launching her grappling hooks at the handle. Wren just seemed to roll her eyes here and concentrate on her paperwork again, rudder twitching in frustration.

"Do whatever pleases you"

At this, the Celica paused and looked over to Wren, suddenly aware that this wasn't the normal attitude of the other. Concern flooded her features as she withdrew her hook and faced her friend opposite the desk.

"What's going on?"

A somewhat restrained sigh escaped the plane, though it was more at the situation rather than the question the car asked.

"My parents"

"...They can't be as bad as mine"

"...No, but they've decided come down for a visit and my mother is busy trying to make my house so clean it's see-through, whilst my father has decided to start World War 3 with my husband in our living room"

"Huh… do they clash a lot?"

"Tsk, I wish that were the only problem. See, Skipper and I started a relationship officially when I was 18… according to my father, Skipper was much too old for me and you can imagine this didn't go down well when I told him. Since then… there's just been a load of friction" Wren explained, an expression appearing that told Shadow it was perhaps affecting her a little more than she let on.

"Jeez… Skipper is a little older isn't he?"

"...Don't"

"Does he suck on hard candies?"

"I'm not res-"

"Does he moan about today's youth?"

"I swear on-"

"Does he constantly try to turn the tv up?"

"Carlisle! May I remind you that this 'old man' bested you and sent you flying across the room?"

The Celica opened her mouth to retaliate but ended up with nothing, so took to slouching on her tires a little, pouting as she did so. Though it was here, Shadow spotted the familiar looking wedding invite, having found one on her desk earlier that week also. She was more than surprised to receive one… Jace hated her after all. Though, thinking about it… it was probably to brag about his expensive taste.

"So you going to the 'Wedding of the Century'?"

"I'd hardly call it that"

"You say that, but that's actually what he's put on the invitation…."

"Chrysler, really? Ugh, well, besides, I have to go. Jace is the son of one of Angry's closest friends… The Head Medic can't exactly tell them all to screw off, as much as I'd like to. That would just infuriate Angry even more" Wren retorted, gazing back down to the envelope from hell.

"What about you then?" The plane asked, causing Shadow to roll her eyes.

"Go there and be insulted so much I forget my own name or have a nice evening in, a long bath with some of the soaps I may or may not have borrowed off you…. Hmmm…. Choices.."

"Borrowed?"

"Well you know, actually, Finn mentioned he was going… so I would probably get dragged along… and to be fair, if I didn't show up…. That might not look so great on me.. What do you think?"

"Borrowedmy soaps?"

"You're… probably right yeah. Pff fine, I'll go. Only for my reputation though"

"...Right. But you know, Jace is so unlikable, they had to pad out the guest list somehow… " Wren snickered, glancing to Shadow as she nodded her hood in amused agreement.

"I've thought of the ultimate wedding present you should get him…. An attitude transplant" Shadow joked, both vehicles laughing when Wren's phone abruptly started ringing. The plane wasted no time in tapping the answer key.

"Hello?" She answered, though her tone has changed just a little, just as she seemed to have predicted who was on the other end.

"When will you be home?"

"Skipper…. I'm… Erm….To be honest, I'm done here. Just making this last bit of paperwork stretch-"

"Ooh no lady, don't you dare. I'm not dealing with them alone"

"You're dealing with them alone now"

"...Mm yeah no, I'm not"

"...Right so where ar- Ok, you know what, never mind, do you want to join us for a drink? There's a bar just round the corner-"

"Yes! Hard liquor sounds like a good plan"

"...Please don't get drunk"

"I make no promises baby doll"

The phone line went dead after this, causing Wren to sigh a little, though a soft smirk on her features.

"You know he's gonna get drunk right?"

"...Yes. I do"

"...Hope you have fun with that!" Shadow seemed to dismiss herself, going to turn and get away quickly, when Wren cleared her throat loudly.

"Uhm…. where are you going? You're coming too" Wren stated, before it was the Celica's turn to sigh. She hadn't faced Skipper since her break in… this would be anything but pleasant.

"Fine… Fine. Just make sure his bulldozer days are over"

The chosen bar was currently heaving with bustling activity, waitresses and waiters weaving in and out of rowdy vehicles, balancing trays of drinks and food through the smoky atmosphere. It wasn't exactly a top end bar, though in the center of London, everywhere else would have been even busier. During their commute, Shadow had contacted Finn, initially letting him know where she had got to, though ended up inviting her partner on a whim of sudden nerves. It hadn't gone un-noticed by the Corsair that Shadow had developed a bit of a crush on her mentor, often speaking about him without realizing, and even in the way she looked at him. Something was definitely concealed… and it only seemed to be getting more obvious as time went on. The four were now sitting round the large table that surrounded the pittie bartender, who was throwing all manner of drinks and cocktails in the air in a display. Shadow and Finn seemed to be watching this in amusement, whilst Wren and Skipper were busy discussing the nightmare that was awaiting them at home.

"Yes well, your mother has complained constantly, even disinfected the place, up to and including the ceiling… your father is still an aft, and I'm the nasty old Corsair that stole away his little girl"

"Huh…. Do they know where you are?"

"I don't care" Came the snapped response, before the plane necked a drink back, intent on pushing the problems away.

"Well, I'm so glad I caught you in a good mood… cause we've got an invite to a wedding"

"Argh, Wren, No!"

"It's a work thing…. It means I have to go, therefore you have to aswell"

The male Corsair huffed loudly, his eyes sweeping across the crowd as he wanted to look to anywhere but his wife and the pressing situation.

"You know I don't like that sort of thing"

"Hm, Don't worry, you're not alone there. Shadow doesn't like them either… To be honest I don't think anyone wants to go" Skipper watched Wren a little further here, Shadow having turned a little at the mention of her name. She seemed to creep in a little closer and Skipper studied her for a moment, before continuing.

"Then why are we going?"

"The invite says open bar"

"Sold!" Came the male's last reply. Shadow seemed to look away at this point, no interest in getting drunk herself… she wouldn't be swayed so easily. She seemed to turn back to Finn, before he said something quietly and she chuckled in response. Skipper then saw a moment to mess with the Celica, a mischievous glint to his eyes.

"Hold on….. Shadow? Ohh the friend that has the hots for her boss?" Skipper seemed to smirk, gazing round his wife to see the startled expression of the car, whom had turned yet again, only facing them more now as the situation called for it more.

"Shhh Skipper! Don't embarrass her… Plus I told you that in private" Wren said in a hushed tone, throwing Shadow a grin to try and cover it up. The agent remained unconvinced, desperate to say something, though was restricted by the fact Finn was sitting right next to her other side.

"Psh… I'm helping"

"No, you've been drinking… you're being silly"

"No being silly would mean shouting that Shadow wishes to MAKE BABIES WITH THIS GENTLEMAN!" He ended up roaring out in laughter, Shadow's expression falling and her eyes widening as she glanced at Finn. He had fortunately not heard, busy ordering his second drink, plus the shouting around them was enough to deafen anyone. The Celica's heart thudded hard as she tried to reassure herself that Finn was none the wiser, before scowling back at Skipper.

"Wren… I don't often beg, but listen to me when I say PLEASE stop him….." She hastily whispered to the plane through gritted teeth. Despite it perhaps being a little funny, Wren decided that this was best saved for another day.

"Skipper, that's enough now" She said gently, tapping him on the nose, but couldn't help the grin that slid onto her face.

"Come on… I'm just teasing… She knows it's a joke"

"You can either zip that drunken trap of yours or we can go home and have a nice cup of tea and chit chat with daddy dearest…."

"...Fine"

The atmosphere then seemed to slip into a merry one, as more drinks were ordered and the levels of animosity fell. Wren and Skipper seemed to go quiet and giggly almost, whispering to one another and the occasional loud laughter. Shadow was attempting to show Finn that alcohol had no effect on her, though he knew better and she was doing a poor job, occasionally not making sense and waffling on about random subjects, like how in some far off world maybe tractors were called cows and had he ever had cow oil. The evening was getting late, before Wren seemed to hear her phone ringing once more, looking to it for a dumbfounded moment, as if trying to figure out what was making the annoying noise.

"H-Hello?"

"Wren? Where are you? Your father and I are up here to spend time with you, not to be left alone in your house!"

"Ohhh hello mother! We… we had a work meeting…. Yes, yes that's right, and it's been looong and… and stuff" Wren snickered, Skipper chortling in the background.

Shadow didn't seemed to pay much attention to the rest of the call, returning her attention back to her mission partner, whom also seemed a little light headed, his suave nature seeming perhaps even just a little more flirty, though he was perhaps more 'loosened up', as opposed to tipsy in any way. Next thing Shadow was aware of was Wren nearly laying on top of her, chuckling a little.

"Shadow, Shadow! I… I have to go, I'm… I'm in trouble!" She whispered the last part, though noticed Skipper was already wandering off, before she took off after him, the two slowing and trying not to knock anyone over. Shadow thought it perhaps a little obvious to point out that Wren was 30, therefore couldn't possibly be in trouble.

Shadow was then left alone with Finn, and despite her slightly intoxicated state, she felt the silence set in, feeling perhaps just a little… awkward now. She had run out of things to say, and her recently developed feelings were not making it any easier. Sure, she'd always sort of liked him, but as they grew closer as friends…. She was experiencing something a little deeper. As he ordered their last drinks of the night, she watched him with a slightly baited breath. This wedding was going to be rather hard.

Date: June 20th 2012

Location: Cavendish Banqueting Colindale, London

The day had dragged on to almost outrageous levels, the slow service that had begun the grand occasion of Jace's wedding was tedious and boring. It had been in a large church, to which a choir sang in the bride. Shadow had spent most of her time trying to count the amount of agents that had actually turned up, as well as say the entire alphabet backwards in her head, and also try to see how often she could cough before Finn shot her a gaze. The good thing was, he seemed just as amused, the ceremony clearly taking it out on him too. The Service lasted longer than most, with a few added extras that really weren't needed. Hymns after every 10 minutes and random money pots being passed round, to which the service would not move on from until they were returned. Shadow suspected it might have been a kick to them all from Jace to see how long he could make them do whatever he wanted them to do… and by some weird unspoken social contract, they were obliged to put up with it. Even Wren was having some trouble in making Skipper behave properly, as he seemed just as intent as Shadow in distracting himself long enough to at least not to pass out from boredom.

The afterparty wasn't quite as bad, as there was a little more to do in terms of entertainment, but it still wasn't great. It was rather magnificently decorated, satin sheets hung from the ceiling, sweeping in different directions as the whole room was dimmed. Purple lights lit up the ceiling above, the walls bordered with black boards, installed with small twinkling fairy lights. The tablecloths were also black, sweeping to the floor around the edges of the dance floor, decorated with wedding favours, balloons and tall wedding glasses. Shadow had to admit, it was rather fancy looking, though it was evident that no one was really there to celebrate in the grand achievement that someone wanted to marry Jace, but more the fact there was free food and drink. The Celica had taken to bordering the room a little, making her way round slowly, having remembered her last social interaction, and how well it DIDN'T go. The difference this time however, being that she was a little more established as an agent… She had a few successful missions under her name, and others were beginning to see that she wasn't as Jace had made her out to be… At least not so far. Some were reserved when it came to her, as they were still aware of her family history, though she was being greeted by some of the others, wherelse before, she had been ignored. Once her round was done, she was now stuck for what to do, beginning to make her way to a more secluded area of the room, though making the mistake of cutting through the dance floor, she opened herself up to perhaps more social contact than she wanted.

"Shadow!" Came the call, and her oil instantly went cold. Not here… not now…. Though she put on a fake smile as she turned to see Jace himself, approaching her with a permanent smirk etched on his face.

"Shadsy Silly-Car! So nice of you to stop by… I'll admit that I perhaps thought you wouldn't turn up… Though I'm so glad you prized yourself away from your sad nights alone to be here" Jace seemed to remark, though gave her no time to respond.

"Say, this wedding is all rather grand isn't it… Everything is perfect… I have married the most beautiful car in the world… She is mine and I am hers… heh… must be an alien thought to you. Being loved… I suppose that family really done a number on you. Is it true you had 26 different injuries by the time Leland found you?" He seemed to push at her buttons, knowing full well the subject of her family was still an upsetting one. She grit her teeth firmly as she stared hard at him, holding her tongue within an inch of her life. She couldn't act out…. Not here. It would look terrible on her.. She gave him a very restrained smile, though there was a scowl somewhere underneath… oh how she wished she could just punch his hood in right now…

"Yes… well….relationships are dangerous… keep an eye on your pretty little bride won't you?" She seemed to retaliate, though no sooner had the words slipped from her mouth, Jace's expression grew serious.

"Is that a threat?"

"Would you like it to be?"

"Tsk, safe to say i'm hardly frightened by you. There's a better chance of me killing myself in order to get away from you… you know, like Leland did"

The Toyota rolled back a little, feeling as though her tank had been ripped out from within her. Her heart was beating hard from adrenaline and she began to feel a tightening in her undercarriage. His nasty words were burning into her mind, and she did her utmost best to hold back her growing anger and upset. She let a controlled exhale slip, the motion calming her entire body as she resisted the urge to ram him rather violently into the wall. Jace sniggered at her lack of response, before deciding he was done with her, flicking his tire toward the Celica in order to dismiss her, to which she wasted no time in turning and heading away, originally going toward the double doors to exit and not come back until Monday. She seemed to pause on her way however, as she glanced around her to look at the others. Some agents would have seen her and Jace talking… then her sudden disappearance… Who knows what could be said if she vanished without trace. With a heavy sigh, she resorted to rolling to the back right hand corner, turning slowly to watch the party unfold before her. She noted that Wren and Finn were having no trouble managing small talk, muttering in small groups, the occasional smile and laugh, before politely nodding and listening. Shadow figured that all the while she had this family reputation above her head… she wouldn't be able to achieve such a task. It had barely been 10 minutes, before the shadow of another loomed over the Celica, as Skipper sidled up to her, causing her to bite her lip. What kind of interaction was she in for now? She almost held her breath as the two stood in silence for a moment, the quiet feeding perhaps the slightly awkward atmosphere that passed between them.

"What's with you Sunshine?" He seemed to ask abruptly, Shadow instantly picking up on the fact he had been drinking.

"Hm… How much time do you have, there's a long list" Shadow muttered, her gaze sweeping the room. There was another silence as the conversation already seemed to fall flat in Shadow's eyes, the plane downing another drink and nearly slamming the glass down using his wing.

"That Jace?" He seemed to ask now, using his nose to indicate to the small yellow car. Shadow glanced up for a moment, contemplating whether she herself should be getting drunk out of her head. It'd make this place more bearable.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. That's him alright. Life of the party" She replied dully, looking back to the carpet and tracing the patterns on it with her tire.

"Wren mentioned him…. Jackass"

"..."

"His paint job looks stupid"

"Matches his personality" The Celica responded with a small smile, glancing to Skipper as he chuckled.

"What do you suppose she's marrying him for? Cause clearly his body is to diefor…" Shadow started, to which Skipper was only too happy to oblige.

"Is he rich? Actually, he can't be… Not sure how you could have that much money and not do anything about that situation… Maybe he's great in bed?"

"Not so sure on that one… she must have a hard time sleeping at night, his paint is bright enough to light up the whole room. How much do you think they save in electricity?"

"Maybe she's blind…. Well, if not yet then soon she will be"

"Do you reckon he's used as a fog light when it gets really bad, so others can find their way?"

"Why would you want to move toward that? Hope she doesn't mind having dayglow children…."

"On the plus side you wouldn't need a scan, you'd see them shine through her uterus"

"At least she'd never lose them...with paint like that you can practically hear them coming"

"If they stand still enough, they'll start being referred to as a constellation"

"They could call it 'Ei vero ardentes oculi mei'"

"Hm?"

"Latin for 'Ouch my eyes are burning'"

The two were chuckling a lot more now, though Shadow was trying to keep quiet. Despite her best efforts, his last line made her laugh out, drawing some attention to herself as she quickly dropped her gaze to the floor, despite the smile on her face. Skipper gave an amused snort, deciding that perhaps… the small car wasn't so bad after all. They fell silent once more as their gazes drifted to Wren and Finn again, both of them seemingly having the same thought.

"I don't know how they do it… is it a British thing?"

"Is what a British thing?"

"Being able to just small talk like that… Chrysler I hate stuff like this"

"... I'm British, do you see me over there small talking? In fact, if I had a medal for each time I failed at small talk…. Well I'd have nearly as many as you"

"...That's a lot of medals.. Take it people aren't won over by your breaking and entering approach"

"Yeah…. Turns out that one isn't a real winner. Arresting them doesn't put me in their good books either."

"You can't be that bad, you've been small talking for the last 10 minutes"

"Cause we both hate the shiny car that brought us to this point. Nothing like bonding through hatred."

"...And we both agree that weddings are hateful events, nothing but posturing and showing off… unless you elope"

"Is that what you and Wren did?"

"Mmm, her dad didn't want me to marry her "

"So you did it anyway… "

"Flew down to vegas had a quick thing, just the two of us, rooftop overlooking the city" He explained, watching Wren with a soft smile.

"...That sounds too romantic for the two of you. You sure it wasn't a drive-thru wedding with Elvis and complimentary Casino Chips?" She sniggered, causing him to smirk a little at her back.

"Chocolate fountains are pretty cool though"

"...I will pay you $20 to stick your hood in it"

"That all?"

" … $50 if you then go hug the bride in her nice white paint job"

"Oh you're on…." The Celica smirked, though it was here that someone cleared their throat nearby, both vehicles pausing their conversation to see Finn approaching. The ever changing music had now shifted to a slow paced song, couples now moving in time with the music as it shifted through the bars and melodies. Shadow looked to the older car in slight confusion, as if not expecting to see him there, especially as he seemed to be focused on just her. He appeared to flick his gaze down slightly, though his suave smile returned in an instant.

"Carlisle, would you care to dance with me on this one?" He asked, bending his tire out slightly to her. She watched him for a dumbfounded moment, her heart almost skipping a beat as she tried to make sense of the question. What… did that mean?

"I… I uh… can't actually dance…" She seemed to stammer here, watching his tire carefully.

"It's alright Shadow, I can teach you. I'll lead the way" He said gently, reversing just a little to the side, as if to guide her with him. She shot him a nervous yet grateful smile, glancing over to Wren before she followed the Faultless. Her heart was practically in her mouth as he did as promised, moving in front of her and reversing as they reached the floor to dance, moving in a tight circle and motioning for her to follow him. She kept facing him, following his twists and turns, before he slowed down, every so often guiding her tires with his own. They were extremely close, and the Celica was beginning to burn up every time he glanced up at her, or praised her for her fast learning. The connection between them in these close moments was practically electrifying, the Celica's heartbeat never ceasing to escalate as she felt the heat that rolled from his body. His eyes were fixated on her tires, watching them carefully with a slight smile, as she tried to copy his fluid movements. The two seemed to flow through the others, moving like water between the rocks as they gently twisted and turned yet again. Shadow even started moving round him on her own at some parts, which earned a wink from him in praise at her new found confidence. She smiled gently herself, her nerves still eating away at her mind, though feeling a little more down to earth. The song slowed even more, to which they matched the beat perfectly, Finn moving his hood and bringing it up to the side of hers, millimeters from touching. Her heart drummed harder, so much she felt almost hazy and breathless as she tried to control what emotions she had running through her mind. What was this? What did this mean? What was he thinking? Questions barrelled through her mind faster than she could answer them, his eyes flicking to meet hers as he pushed at her gently, moving them both together in a circle.

The two seemed to slow down and time itself froze and faded away as Shadow could only focus on him… listening to his voice as he whispered what to do, his light and subtle touches on her side telling her where to go and what to do… it was just them for that short period of time. It wasn't long before the song ended, the last few tones reaching across the room, unwinding those that had taken the time to dance to it. Shadow reversed just a little as she looked back to him, a light smile on her features as she seemed to take in those moments they just had.

"Thanks…. For showing me, that is" She said hesitantly, before he nodded his hood.

"Not a problem Carlisle…" He answered, letting her move with him as he headed to the open bar to get them both a drink. After that, the night seemed to go much better for Shadow, the earlier incident with Jace all but forgotten from her mind as they toasted to each other's health. The party stretched rather long into the night, before agents eventually started breaking away, one by one going back home, some having work in the morning and grumbling about this rather vocally. Shadow had been too buzzed from the dance to go home early, like she had planned, instead staying in their little group until Finn advised it was time to get going. It concerned the Celica that perhaps things would become awkward once they were alone… maybe the dance had been a bad boozy choice on his part, though she had not smelt the alcohol on him. The two went back in relatively high spirits, much to the Toyota's relief, they didn't fall silent and awkward. Though once home, there was a moment where Shadow thought perhaps things might turn serious, all sorts of images passing through her mind. This caused her to panic… what was he expecting… she still didn't know what he had truly meant by wanting to dance with her… it hardly seemed platonic after all. To her surprise, he regarded with a gentle smile and a nod, touching her side gently as he moved away.

"I'll see you in the morning…. Try to sleep well" He winked, before moving toward his own room. She smiled back and nodded, trying to hide the confusion on her face as he left, rolling with some degree of hesitancy to her own room. Once in the door, she closed and locked it behind her, leaning her hood on the cool surface as she replayed what happened over and over in her mind. He hadn't seemed too fussed about them going any further… no hints as to what he was feeling or even what was playing in his mind.

What was going on? That was something she asked herself over and over, as she lay on her sleeping mat, the Celica unsure and confused.