Chapter 7: A Family Affair
XxX
The Icehouse is basically a pub that serves beer and quick comfort food like burgers (made from crickets, fish or chicken but reportedly has the taste and consistency of real meat) pizza, popcorn and the like. In the days before modern refrigeration, the place was an actual icehouse used for storing large quantities of ice for the summer months. The 'Chill Room' used to be one of several individual sections used for ice storage, but is now one of the many separate rooms used for conference rooms and private parties, a place to 'chill' as it were.
As Nick and Judy enter the Icehouse paw in paw, Judy is amazed at the rustic charm that the business exudes; noticing items hanging from the walls and ceiling that were used in days gone by. Mammals of all types, pred and prey alike, are for the most part quietly enjoying each other's company. There certainly seems to be no animosity amongst any of the mammals, so it's easy to see why it's such a favorite hangout, especially considering the diversity of Nick's employees.
As the new couple enters one of the private rooms, this one aptly named the 'Chill Room' they are greeted by hoots and hollers of the assembled company, and have to suddenly duck the barrage of popcorn being tossed their way!
"ALL HAIL THE KING AND QUEEN" yells Midnight!
"Hail King Nick and Queen Judy" intones Skye.
"All right, all right you bunch of perverts, quiet down" hollers Nick as loud as he can over the din.
"Glad you could make it Judy" Skye tells Judy "some of the gang were wondering if you would even show up."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world" replies Judy. "I need to get to know everybody and let them know that I'm still one of the gang, not just Nick's newest girlfriend."
"Well, from what I can tell from here, you may well be the last, and I mean that in the best possible way." says Skye smiling "I'm actually very happy for you both. As odd as it may seem to some mammals, especially being a pred/prey couple, I think you're actually a good fit. You actually seem to belong together."
"Thanks" says Judy blushing fiercely "You don't know how much it means to me after some of the times I've had in the past."
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that, let's excuse ourselves from this bunch of misfits for a bit and have a little girl to girl talk ok?"
"Really"" asked Judy "why?"
"Well, you remember when I came in yesterday, late and really pissed off?"
"Yea, so?"
"It just so happens that the buck I was dating was none other than one Johnny Whinters."
"You have got to be shitting me" says a suddenly angry Judy.
"Easy there Squeak" says Skye, "I'd be willing to bet he'll never show up around here again so just chill. Please. Let's go someplace a little more private a talk this out...please?"
"Oh…ok" says Judy, calming somewhat, "if you really think it'll help, let's go."
"Nick" yells Skye over the rising noise "Squeak and I are going to the Ladies Room for a bit, don't you dare eat all of the BBQ Chicken Pizza…"
"You'd better be sure to bring her back in good working order" remarks Nick, which brings a chorus of laughter from the rest of the gang.
"Yea, yea, yea, don't worry, you just worry about not getting so sloshed you can't walk back to the shop smartass!"
…
As the girls head off for their little meeting, the rest of the guys from the shop are busy giving Nick a hard time.
"Nick" begins Lefty "you got yerself a nice bunny there, you'd better take care of this girl, and I ain't playin'."
"Don't worry mammal" counters Nick with a slightly forlorn look on his muzzle "I haven't felt this way about anyone since Amanda….. a-and that's been a long while ago. I don't intend to let anything bad to happen to Judy."
"Did you ever find out who the mammal was that ran over her that night?" asks Tiny.
"No, I never did. Jason Wolford offered to track the mammal down for me, but I decided that it was better not to know. I told him that even if they did find out, I'd be better off not knowing, because I'd just hunt him or her down afterwards, bad things would happen and I'd just end up in jail."
"You mean Wolford the cop?" asks Georgie, a spotted Hyena.
"Of course. He's the one that bought that Ice Blue '66 Chevelle SS we did last year, remember?"
"Ok, yea, now I remember. It's good to actually have friends on the force for a change, isn't it?"
Nick smiled "Yea, instead of looking over my shoulder hoping NOT to see them."
"For real tho' boss, everybody in the shop really digs you and Squeak, so you'd damned well better be good to her…." threatens Bolo good naturedly.
"That's the plan. I just hope she feels about me like I do about her, ya know?"
"From what I hear from Snowflake, that's not a problem. Anywho, there's another fresh pitcher of beer and a hot fried cricket pizza ready, let's dig in."
…
"Look" began Skye as the girls entered what used to be a small office, which is generally used for little private talks such as they were now having "before you get your fur ruffled and get all pissed off, I want to tell you beforehand that the only thing that Nick told me was that you and I have something in common with Johnny Whinters. He didn't say anything past that, just that maybe we needed to talk amongst ourselves and get some things sorted out. Let me tell you about my little encounter, then if you care to share anything, fine. If not, fine too, ok?"
With a very sour look on her muzzle Judy grudgingly agreed. "Ok, we'll take this a step at a time. I know everybody is trying to help me, but I'm still going to be a bit pissed at Nick for even bringing it up to anyone."
"Your choice, but you might change your mind by the time we're done. Anyway, here goes.'
'I started dating Johnny a couple of months ago, just coffee, meeting for lunch to start off with, that sort of thing. Then it was supper and a movie and maybe a little make-out session, never anything more serious. Then, Saturday night we went to this little bar we both knew of, not a dive, but not classy either. Anyway, after a few drinks he must have put something in my last drink, because I got a bit dizzy and hot as hell, if you know what I mean, but definitely not hot enough to have sex with him. Then he got really pissed and stormed out of the bar and left me stranded. The sneaky little bastard even took off with my purse. No phone, no money, no credit cards, nothing left, so I had to walk halfway across Zootopia to get to the shop. I tried to borrow a phone a couple of times and even tried to bum a ride but no such luck…I guess I came across as too drunk, too mean or both."
"Unfortunately, I understand completely" said Judy softly, her ears lying flat against her back, eyes staring dejectedly at the floor. "It all started just before my junior prom…"
The more of her devastating experience that Judy shared with Skye, the angrier Skye got. Her unfortunate encounter with the buck paled in comparison to what Judy had been forced to deal with so many years ago, and was still haunted by.
"Since then, I've never had a boyfriend up until today" continued Judy, sobbing, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I-I've never even dated for fear of something like that happening again. I can't touch any kind of alcohol, I can't handle anything to do with a…c-carrot…I'm just so messed up…'
'I have n-no idea how I could have become so close to Nick in such a short period of time. All he's done for me, especially after the struggle I've had to endure, even with my own parents. It's just so much happening all at once…it's just really hard to deal with you know?"
Taking a deep breath, Judy continued "That's the main reason behind the whole 'c-carrots' thing. Every time I hear the word, or see one or even smell one, it just…reminds me of that night. I-it's like a death grip on my very soul, and it just won't. let. go."
"My god Judy, I don't know how you've been able to handle all of this for so long by yourself. Anyone who thinks that all bunnies are just cute, weak mammals are just wrong on so many levels. I don't know if I could handle any of that, especially for so long. I know Nick would never treat anyone like that. I've known him since we were kits, and I'm actually the first mammal he hired to work here, and I know for a fact that I'm the first mammal that he helped fix."
Skye smiled a sad, soft smile as Judy gave her a questioning look "I've actually known Nick practically since we were born, we lived just down the street from each other. When I was only four, my dad started coming home either drunk or high, I was really too young to know for sure, and mom would never tell me which. Anyway, he started to beat my mom for no apparent reason, I guess because he knew that she wouldn't fight back. After several months of this, she got fed up and called the cops, and…and much like when Nick's dad got killed, they just…left. The beatings got worse until finally mom…just…killed herself." Tears streaming down her face Skye continued, body shaking from huge sobs "After that, dad just disappeared and protective services put me in an orphanage. Things there weren't all the best either, being a fox and all. All the while unknown to me, Nick had been keeping an eye out for me and when he ran away from home, he yanked me out of the orphanage and helped find me a good foster home. Years later when he opened the shop, I was literally the first mammal he hired, even though he really couldn't afford to pay me much, he made it work.'
'The fact that he hired you should say something about his character. His taking a shine to you personally might surprise a lot of mammals, and all things considered it's actually pretty astounding that he got so close to you, especially this quickly. You already know that every mammal in the shop has a depressing history of some sort, and most of us are either healed or on the way to being healed. Everyone except Nick. He's always been so busy helping other mammals that he that he forgot about looking for that one instance, or one mammal to help him heal. Judy, you are that one mammal. You can help each other heal, much better than the rest of us put together. Karma has brought you together for a reason. He has issues that he's dealing with as well, and maybe you can get him to share with you. I know a lot of his past, as do several other mammals here in the shop, but you need to get him to share it with you, it's the only way to really help him get over a few of his darker times. I think that you're the best mammal to help him heal, just like I believe he's the best mammal to help you heal.'
'I know you said you don't want or like to do alcohol, but let's go and get you a beer, or a soda if you absolutely can't, and some popcorn or pizza, and let the healing and the good times begin. I see a lot of both in your future as well as Nick's. You'll both have the rest of us for back-up, no one is going to let anything bad happen to you, I can promise you that. So, let's go let loose a little, ok?"
Giving each other a quick hug, the girls head out arm in arm to encounter the madness that would soon become a normal part of Judy's life.
…
When Bolo notices the girls approaching the crowd, he immediately lets out a loud bellow and throws an entire bowl of popcorn at them, showering the girls!
"It's about damned time" he yells "we thought you two had run off and eloped or something!"
"Bolo, what the hell is wrong with you" yells Skye in mock anger "wasting perfectly good popcorn like that?"
Laughing at the exchange Judy heads over to sit with Nick and quips "Sorry to disappoint Bolo, I'm more of a todd type of bunny" giving Nick a quick wink and a shy smile, which earns an appreciative roar from the crowd.
"Wh-a-at'll ya have Fluff" asked a slightly inebriated Nick "There's w-water, and soda pop, a-and, let's see, more water…"
"I guess I'll have…a…beer?" she replied cautiously, surprising almost everyone, especially Nick and Skye. "New life, new things" she smirked.
When Judy took her first sip of beer she got concerned looks from both Nick and Skye, both of whom understood the implications of her action, and that change was the order of the night.
"Agh, it's bitter as hell" she said, choking and almost gaging, which drew another round of laughs and some guffaws as well as a bit of another popcorn shower from the group.
"Let's give this a try" said Joe-Bob, the springbuck bartender as he poured a bit of tomato juice into the mug of beer.
"What the hell?" a slightly concerned Judy asked.
"Just try it and let me know what you think. If you don't like it we can always pour it out, no problem" continued Joe-Bob.
"Not too bad" commented Judy after another small sip. "But do you have something with a bit of a kick to it?" she asked.
"Here ya go, try it now" the springbuck answered as he put a bit of pepper sauce into the mug and stirred it with a straw.
"Oh, hell yea, now you're talkin" replied the doe, with a large smile on her muzzle.
"Judy, you know y-you had better eat something so y-you don't get sick, right?" interjected Nick.
"Ok, ok." replied Judy in a mock annoyed voice "Hand me a slice of that pizza Slick, then I'll be fin…"
"But it has chi…"
"I don't care, just hand me some pizza…pleeeeese!"
'Wow, a carnivorous bunny, who'da thunk it' thought Nick. 'This 'll be great fun when she finally finds out that she ate chicken of all things.'
Skye had to laugh as she snapped a picture of Judy with a red beer in one paw while taking a bite of BBQ chicken pizza from the other, then of course texting it to Laverne.
After her third beer (bunny sized of course) and second slice of chicken pizza, Nick decided that Judy had probably had at least a little bit more than she probably should have for her first night of carousing with the crew.
Saying their goodbyes, Nick and Judy headed out of the door of the Icehouse and began their short walk back to the shop.
"Y-you know, I reeeally had a good time tonight, I-I'm glad we decided to go out" stammered Judy, slightly inebriated, hugging Nick's arm tightly.
With the short walk sobering Nick up somewhat, he agreed "Me too. It gave both of us a chance to unwind a bit, and you a chance to bond with the crew. Would you mind greatly if I walked you to your door young lady?"
"I would be honored kind sir."
"W-would you like to come in for a little while?" asked Judy in a sultry but slightly tipsy voice as the couple entered the shop.
Looking at Judy in concern Nick answered "Judy, under normal circumstances, I would love to. But right now, I think it would be better if you just got a good shower and hit the sack…'
"But I only wanted to…"
"I know, I know, but tomorrow is another day and I need you to be ready to go. No second thoughts, no regrets of where this could possibly lead too. I don't want to have our relationship ruined because we did something stupid while we weren't in our right minds. Please don't be angry, you're the best thing I've had happen to me in a very long time and I don't want to mess it up, OK? This will all work out, we both just need a little more time to get it right…."
Judy mulled Nick's reply over for a few seconds, then began to tear up "I-I'm sorry Nick, I don't know what I was thinking. A new job, a new family, a new relationship, my drinking" she sobbed "It's all so...so..."
With that she buried her muzzle in Nick's chest, hugging him tightly "Please don't hate me, please understand."
Stroking Judy's ears and holding her tightly "Shhh, there, there. You bunnies, so emotional. It's ok Judy, I understand, I truly do. We both have our burdens, remember when I told you that everyone here is or was broken? Well, I guess I'm no exception. We'll talk about it soon, I promise. In the meantime, get a good shower, get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning. Are blueberry muffins and coco ok? I'll pick some up on my way in in the morning if you don't mind."
Sniffling a bit Judy slowly released her hug "Yea, I guess so, but only if you get enough for the shop, I'm sure the rest of the gang will appreciate the gesture."
Laughing, Nick kissed his doe lightly between her ears "No problem, but unless I miss my guess, mom will have heard about everything, courtesy of a certain Artic vixen, and will have doughnuts and coffee for the Wilde bunch before I even get here."
"Wilde bunch? I've heard you use that term before…"
"It's a term that a couple of the other shops have used in the past. It's supposed to be derogatory, but we proudly use it when we kick everyone else's asses in the shows and at the auction block. Now, I'm off. See you in the morning…sweetheart."
Smiling, Judy kissed Nick lightly on the nose "See you, sweet dreams."
With that, Judy caught a quick shower and went straight to bed, asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
…
As Nick drove the twenty minutes to his home, he couldn't believe how much his life had changed in past few days. What had originally started out as a quick stop to hire another mechanic and possibly extra model, had quickly turned into a budding relationship and a parting of the ways with Fin. Not that buying Fin out bothered him in the least, it was bound to happen sooner or later, it just happened sooner. But with Fin gone, it presented two entirely different problems. Now he was short and experienced painter and a good IT mammal. With a couple of important projects due in just a couple of months, he had to find another painter, and quick. The IT mammal could wait a short bit, but the painter was a must.
Then he thought about Judy. Everything had seemed to turn for the better since he had met her. Maybe his and the shops good luck would continue with her in his life and at the shop. Things were happening to him that gave him pause, maybe there was room for someone in his heart besides Amanda after all. He knew that he would need to talk to Judy about Amanda fairly soon, but right now was not the time. Hopefully everything would sort itself out in due time, a lot of good mammals were depending on him keeping the shop being the best in the city.
After Nick had taken a quick shower and headed to bed, he got a text from his mom. Included with the picture of Judy with a red beer in one paw while taking a bite of a piece of BBQ chicken pizza were the words 'You finally found someone as weird as you are. Best of luck and take good care of my future daughter-in-law.'
With a quick eye roll and a chuckle, Nick set the picture as his phones wallpaper and climbed wearily into bed, knowing tomorrow would bring more challenges.
XxX
BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP
As Judy's alarm went off at exactly six am, she looked at the offending clock with absolute hatred which was highly unusual for her. "Ugh, next time I do something like that…..wait, did I actually DRINK last night? Good god, why…. oh shit, now I remember, talked with Skye, had some beer with…juice in it, and some sort of weird pizza... shit! So, this is a dreaded hangover…crap. And what is this really strange taste…? This can NOT be good…"
After some aspirin and a really long, hot shower, Judy dried off and got dressed. As she looked out of her window she heard a door open to the shop area. When she saw Nick's mom and her sister enter with some boxes of what must be muffins or doughnuts and pots of coffee and some coco, she headed down the steps to help.
Laverne and Shirley were slightly startled as they heard "Good morning ladies, need some help?" coming from the top of the steps.
"My lands" remarked Shirley startling slightly "I totally forgot that you were living up in that old office. No thanks I believe we've got it pretty much under control. Tell me dear, did you sleep well?"
"Yea, I slept well enough I guess, but when I went out with Nick and the gang to the Icehouse, I may have overindulged a bit… I'm not used to drinking so I guess I'm not quite feeling the best this morning."
"You wait until I get my paws on that son of mine…" started Laverne.
"No-no, please don't say anything, it's all on me, trying to fit in with the rest of the crew and all…"
"I guess that's would explain this picture I got from Skye last night" said Laverne with a huge grin on her muzzle.
"Really? What picture would that be?" asked Judy.
When Laverne showed Judy the picture that Skye sent her last night, Judy turned beet red as her paws flew to her muzzle and gasped "Is that…chicken? My god, so that's got to be the weird taste in my mouth this morning… holy shit, what everyone must think" as she tried to hide her face behind her ears.
"Judy dear" began Shirley "don't be so alarmed, it's just chicken, it won't kill you."
"B-but I feel like a…a…cannibal or something" lamented Judy, not sure whether to throw up, tear up, or perhaps both….
"Oh posh" replied Shirley laughing.
"Well, did you enjoy it?" asked Laverne.
"Enjoy what…exactly?" asked a distraught Judy.
"The beer, the pizza, the night out, all of it."
"Yea, I guess so. I mean, I remember it all, I wasn't totally bombed at least. Hell, I guess I'm just a bit freaked out that I actually ate meat…"
"I'll grant you one thing for sure, you're the second carnivorous rabbit I know" interjected Nick, who had entered the shop unbeknownst to the three ladies.
"Second? What do you mean second? Who on earth would be the first" an astonished Judy asked.
"We'd kind of like to know as well" remarked Laverne and Shirley at the same time.
Grinning, Nick reminded his mother "Do you remember a while back we did a custom van conversion for the Dewclaw family?"
Looking at Judy, Nick continued "Kevin and Kell Dewclaw are an inter couple that you absolutely have got to meet. Kevin is a rather large hare, and he's married to Kell who is a grey wolf. They have the most…diverse… I guess is the best word I can think of, family I think I have ever met.'
'Kevin has an adopted daughter Lindisfarne, who is a porcupine who grew up thinking she was a hedgehog, Kell has a son Rudy, who is a wolf/fox hybrid, and together they have a biological daughter Coney, who is a…hybrid for lack of a better term. She can and will eat anything, and I mean anything. Bugs, veggies, meat, literally anything. Plus, she is cute s a button. And yes, I can call her cute since she isn't a true bunny" he added with a smirk.
Judy glances at Nick's mom "He's kidding, right?"
Grinning from ear to ear, Laverne says "Nope, now that he reminded me, it all comes back. Nick, the next time you have a jam session or a customer appreciation get together, you've got to invite them."
"Of course, wouldn't miss getting my two favorite carnivorous rabbits together for all the world…"
…
As the rest of the crew begins to filter in, not too many look the worse for wear, except of course, for Skye.
"What's up with you?" Judy asks.
Giving the bunny a baleful look Skye hesitated a but, then admitted "after you guys left, Midnight bet me that he could drink me under the table…"
"And?" Judy asked.
"I not only got drunk under the table, I slept under the table, plus I had to pay his tab as well as mine."
"You mean to tell me you actually tried to drink a vet under the table, and panther twice your size at that? Really?" asked Nick "I thought you had more sense than that!"
"Yea, well, at least I still feel better than I did Monday morning…"
"Ok, well, get something to eat and drink. Mom brought pastries and coffee and coco. Then everybody get out there and get to work."
…
Later, as Judy began disassembling the Cobra, she began to notice that several things seemed to be really off about the car. She already knew that the carb was probably wrong, but the serial numbers on the motor weren't right. Then the transmission didn't match with the body mounts correctly, and the rear end was entirely wrong.
"Lefty" she called out "can you help me out a minute, something's really screwy with this thing."
"Really, what would that be?" he asked.
"I'm not exactly sure just yet. Show me how to research this car to match what parts are supposed to be on it, I think this thing's a knock-off."
As Lefty helped Judy navigate through the maze that was the wonderful world of 'Concours d'Elegance' or restoring a car to its exact brand-new showroom condition.
The deeper Judy got into the research a single thought crossed her mind 'Nick is not going to like this…at all.'
"Thanks Lefty, I guess I'd better go give Nick the bad news" she said as she headed towards the office. However, as she opened the office door, she was slightly shocked to see her brothers Josh and Duane in the office, talking to Nick.
"Hey guys" she said, giving them each a big hug "what ae you two doing here this time of day?"
"Well, to be honest" began Duane "we're here to get jobs."
"WHAT?" exclaimed Judy rather loudly "what the hell is going on? Did something happen at the station, is everyone ok? Say something…."
"Judy calm down, everybody's ok, well, sort of…. Mom found out that Josh and I are both inters and she fired us."
As Judy's mouth hung open in amazement, Nick leaned over and gently put a finger under her chin and closed it for her.
"Guys, what the hell is going on? Has mom lost her mind? If she dumps all of the inters, and there are as many as you guys have told me there are, how are she and dad going to keep the farm and stations going? And why didn't I know you were inters?"
"Well" said Duane "the only station that's open now is the one off of Rain Forest Drive, and those left on the farm are working double shifts just to try to keep the place in any semblance of operating. As far as being inters, I guess the subject never really came up."
"Well shit, the folks are going to kill themselves trying to keep everything going. This is all my fault, I never should have lef…"
"NO, listen to me Judy" interjected Josh "you aren't the one who caused all of this, mom is. We told you before you were the only one strong enough to stand up to mom, you just gave everyone else the courage to do the same, Duane and I included. We've got a few of the kits keeping an eye on the folks, sort of undercover, and if things get too far out of hand we'll step in and do what it takes to make things right. In the meantime we still need jobs, and since Nick told us to stop by even if we needed jobs, here we are. Now, if we can just get our little sister to give us a good character reference, maybe we can get to work."
Still a bit aghast by the unfolding events, Judy's muzzle slowly evolved from grave concern into a mischievous smile looking straight at Nick "I don't know, I never did really like these two, especially when they stood up for that danged fox that grabbed me by tail a few days ago…"
Smiling, Josh dug out his phone and pulled up a picture and showed it to Judy "You mean the fox that got our little sister to kiss him?" and as he swiped the screen to bring up another picture "Or maybe the fox who got the same sister to drink red beer and eat a chicken pizza? You mean that fox?"
Whirling around, Judy faked an angry look at Nick "Y-you sent those to these two? Really?"
Giving Judy a slightly nervous grin Nick answered "Weeeell, they were concerned that you were ok, so I figured umm...you know…this would show them that you were…"
Grabbing Nick by the tie and pulling his muzzle close to hers, with a serious look she narrowed her eyes to slits "Yea, well…you did good Slick" then smiled, kissing him lightly on the nose "so, what 'cha gonna be hav'n these two deadbeat bucks doing anyways?"
"Umm, well come to find out, Duane is a much better than the average mammal in the paint booth as well as fair mechanic, and Josh is good at IT, which will be very helpful in programming the CNC machine as well as keeping the computers for the shop up to specs. So Karma has smiled on the shop one again because I really needed them both. I don't know if the shop can handle this much cu... I mean fluff all at once, but I guess we'll get by."
"Good save Nick" said Judy smiling and patted him on the cheek. "There's one other problem that comes to mind though" she continues with a serious look on her muzzle.
Nick and her brothers all give her a questioning look "And what might that be?" asks Nick.
As Judy put both paws on her hips she asks "Where the hell are these two going to sleep? They aren't going to be able to drive from where they live now to here and back round trip every day. They sure as hell aren't staying with me…and before you get any big bright ideas, I'm not staying with you either…at least not yet…. We still need to figure out where this is all going to go."
"Ummmm" Nick began, with a blank look on his muzzle. "Let me talk to Skye, she has a nice place with a spare bedroom, maybe you can stay with her and the boys can have the old office until they can afford something better…"
Wearing one of Nick's usual smirks "Good call Slick" says Judy. How about I talk to Skye and see if we can set something up?"
"Ok, we've got that worked out…sort of, what brought you to the office in the first place?" questioned Nick.
"Damn, I almost forgot. I really hope you didn't pay a lot for that Cobra."
A look of quiet desperation came over Nick's muzzle "Umm, I hate to ask but why?"
"After a bit of research which Lefty helped me with, it looks like the only thing that's original on it is the VIN plate. The entire thing is cobbled together with junk parts. You're going to have a hell of a time getting a legit title for it"
Well shit, that's just great. At least now I know why I got it so damned cheap. That being said, there's a certain ZPD customer who's going to be really disappointed. I guess you need to put it back together as best you can, then get Lefty to put it back in the warehouse, I'll find something else for you to work on…..'
'On second thought, finish tearing down the Cobra. Figure out what you'll need to get it back up and running as a proper kit car, including a new body if need be, just in case we have problems with the title.'
'I'll show your brothers around the shop and get them settled with their new jobs. If everything's ok with Skye, we can move you to her place and the boys upstairs this weekend."
XxX
A/N: FYI ~ Earlier in chapter 4, Skye told Nick Johnny left her in a room, not a bar…. I went back and changed that part of the story to a bar so it jives with the scene in the Icehouse in this chapter, it just makes more sense.
