Rally felt that something was off with the car. She couldn't quite place it though. It just didn't seem like it had the power it should. She was trying to think of anything that could be needed on maintenance as she pulled up to the diner. She was so distracted that she bumped into the car next to her as she closed the door. Looking to make sure she hadn't scratched it, she was impressed.

A 1972 Chevelle, black on black, with SS454 badging. That was something that you didn't see every day. Something in the back of her head told her that she should recognize it, but she knew she hadn't seen it before. She really wanted to meet the person who owned it, even if Chevrolet wasn't her favorite brand out there.

She walked inside and as she passed a table she heard someone speak to her, "Howdy Miss Vincent, how are you doing today?"

Her hand instinctively started to her side as she turned and saw the man from a few days ago speaking to her, "Oh, you're, uh, Bean's friend aren't you? I, uh, don't think you ever gave your name while you were in the shop."

Diesel looked a little embarrassed at that revelation, "That was rude of me. My mother would tan my hide six ways to Sunday if she knew about that. Pardon me if I don't give my real name, but the guys in the Corps used to just call me Diesel. If you want you can join me, eating alone isn't the greatest thing in the world."

"I, uh, sure," she was about to turn him down and go to the place at the counter she usually sat, but with how polite he was she just couldn't and sat down across from him.

"About all I've got so far was this cup of coffee. I guess no matter where you go, these greasy spoons aren't ever about fast service," the words were a little awkward, but she had to agree with them.

Rally chuckled a little as she replied, "The slow service isn't that bad when the food is good. Are you settling in alright?"

Diesel shrugged, "I can't really complain about anything. I haven't gotten any jobs going yet. Did rouse up some noise, but I wasn't that impressed with what I got. Hey, did you just pull up?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Your engine is running way too lean. Think your fuel pump is going out. You running cam driven or electric," he asked as the waitress came around and brought Rally a cup of coffee and refilled Diesel's.

Rally had to think for a moment. It was a 1970 production Boss 302 unit, but she hadn't been doing any work on it herself, so she didn't know. It would have had an engine driven pump from the factory, but there was a chance that when the engine was swapped the pump was converted.

"I don't know. I used to work on my last car, but I haven't had that much time since I bought this one. Do you think it could be the carb," she asked him.

"Maybe, though you usually know it. The way it runs would change. If it is still providing enough fuel to not miss, it typically just feels sluggish," at that moment the waitress actually brought them some menus before walking off.

Diesel looked after the girl, a little longer than necessary, before he spoke again, "I guess manners aren't that high on the list up this far. I don't think I have had anyone even just nod as I passed them."

"Nod?"

"Yeah, down south if you meet someone's eyes, you nod to show that you are acknowledging their presence. It's just being polite, without saying anything. Anyways, I could take a look at it if you wanted. I don't have a lot of tools at the moment, so I wouldn't be able to fix anything," he said as he turned his attention to the plastic covered paper in his hand.

Rally did the same, "I would appreciate it. My last mechanic actually had to shut down after he got busted for running drugs out of the back door. I don't understand why so many mechanics get busted on that."

"Hey, a stack of eight pancakes, bacon, and four eggs. I know what I am getting. Uh, they probably weren't very good at what they were doing, and it was either that, or lose their business. The cleaner the shop floor, the less skilled the mechanic. What kind of car is it?"

"A '78 King Cobra with a Boss 302 powerplant. The body is a little heavy due to armoring given my previous occupation, but it still runs at two hundred and ninety, or did until this started," she told him.

"A King, my old man ran one for a few years street racing. Well, until he left it sideways against a pine tree. That one had the original low power in it, but he could run it. He managed to get a '76 he dropped an '85 High Output in, did better in that than the fox body he pulled it from. The old man loved his Dearborns," a slight sad smile tugged at the edge of his mouth.

"I like them myself. If he was a Ford guy, how did you end up with that Chevelle," she asked about the time the server came back.

After making their orders, they ended up sitting in silence for a few minutes while Diesel tried to get himself to speak up. Rally started to pick up that he may not want to talk about it, but he eventually did.

"My old man was a pain drunk. All he had cared about, was running his cars. Cass County doesn't have that many straight back roads, Bowie County has a few, and Miller County over the Arkansas line. He, ran most of his adult life, and lost more than a few cars in that time. He hurt a lot, and it got to the point that he was afraid of getting addicted to the pain pills, so he drank. He wasn't big on drinking when he had a race, but most of the time he didn't, he was boozing. If he wasn't working on a car, he, he just laid around, and my mother had to brow beat him into doing anything. My leaving for the Marines, cleaned him up according to my mother. He stopped drinking, and racing. He sold all his Mustangs, and apparently started buying that car as he could find pieces for it. He had some guy scour the country, looking for the best 454 he could find, and he didn't succeed until after Dad died, and I was discharged. I built the car in, I won't say his honor, but in his memory. I ran streets for a couple years, and then I started roaming. People keep trying to either buy it, or steal it, but I still have her," Diesel finally decided just to pour it out, something that the counselor he was forced to see at discharge recommended.

"Wow, I kinda know how that feels. My Disappeared for a long time, and one of the few things he left me was a '69 GT500. I, lost it, a few years ago. I miss that car. Still, I'm glad I have my father again. Finally, food," their food finally arrived.

"Yeah, faulty electric fuel pump. Block off plate where the mechanical should be. I would recommend looking for a high volume mechanical pump, and just delete the electric one. Unless you are trying to run races, you don't need the flow rates that the electric pump provides, and I... that ain't a Holley," Diesel was tucked up under the hood of Rally's car at his garage.

"What do you mean," she looked over his shoulder.

"Have you ever had the cleaner all the way off, that is a two barrel Autolite, not a four barrel Holley. Who did you get this car from, that carb belongs on a 289," he said as he had a confused look on his face.

"A company that, well, they went out of business three years after I bought it. I think, I am seeing the reason for why that is. So I wasn't even getting the full horsepower I was supposed to. That also speaks to what you were saying about mechanics," Rally rolled her eyes at the revelation.

"Hey, give me a second," he walked off to a corner and was a looking in a cabinet, "He did, awesome."

Rally watched him as he started pulling boxes and cans out and putting them over to the side. He pulled one more out and read something on the box. Smiling he walked over to where he pulled his own car and opened the trunk and pulled a toolbox out before he walked back over.

"Bean told me that he had left a bunch of parts behind that he didn't need anymore, and that I was welcome to them. Just so happens, and I didn't look to see if he had a Boss fuel pump over there," he once again walked off and returned a few minutes later with a box that said "Ford OEM Reconditioned" on it, "Ok, one Ford engine driven fuel pump, and a Holley 4150. I can't pull the electric pump, but I can temporarily turn it into a lift pump and get you going right."

"I thought you said you couldn't do anything, and you didn't have any tools. Not big on the truth, are you," she teased him.

"I said that I don't have a lot of tools. I didn't plan to fix anything, but, this is just an insult. What kind of bastard would sin like this? Starving it of fuel, instead of giving it the seven hundred and eighty cubic feet a minute it needs and deserves. I tell you what, I bet you that once I have everything I need, I can have her beating out at over five hundred horses," the man was actually smiling ear to ear at the thought.

"I'm guessing you were a mechanic in the military, weren't you?"

Diesel laughed, "Believe it or not, I was actually Military Police. Mostly ran convoys, back during Operation Restore Hope. My unit did two tours during it. I was even there during the Black Hawk Down incident as they started calling it. Lost a friend during it," his demeanor changed a little, "Uh, you probably aren't interested in all of that though. Give me about an hour, and I should have everything put together."

He had been right. The car felt better than she had ever remembered it feeling. It revved easier, and was passing everything she looked at. The next time she saw Diesel, she was just going to straight up kiss him for what he had done. The car was perfect to her at the moment.

She just drove for a while, relishing everything, until she realized where she was. She was in Chinatown. She didn't get over this way much, given that it was on the whole other side of the city from where her shop was. Though it was actually a good day to, she hadn't seen Minnie-may in months, and she was wanting to show off how the Mustang was running to her.

It took her longer than she would have liked to admit to find the shop, but she eventually did. It wasn't a big one, but it had an apartment over the storefront, so it was all contained for them. She honestly thought that the house in the suburbs was nicer, and had more room for four people, but it wasn't her call for things.

She hesitated a second as she got to the door to the second floor stairway. She knew that May didn't have a problem with her just dropping by, but she felt a little guilty for not calling. Granted she hadn't expected to be in the area, but still. She took a deep breath and went up to the apartment door.

"Rally? It's been a while since we saw you, May just went in to take a shower, would you like to come in," May's husband opened the door, his voice sounding somewhat pained.

"It's good to see you. Are you doing ok," she stepped inside and noticed him start to waver when he let go of the door after closing it.

Rally moved to support him as they walked over to the couch, "Honestly, no. For some reason the MS stopped responding to the medicine they had me on. Right now I am waiting on another appointment where they are supposed to put me on something else, and that may or may not do anything. Thank you for the help, I thought I was about to fall. How have you been?"

"I've been doing alright. The shop is doing well, and my Dad is working there a couple of days a week. I actually have a couple of high profile clients now even. How are Daniel, and Asume doing." Rally replied as they sat down.

"Daniel is a hand full. He is spending the weekend at a friends house, so we have a little rest. Asume, is much quieter than her brother was at one. She is asleep right now, and thankfully, she isn't a restless sleeper. Come to think of it, Daniel has been asking when Aunt Irene is going to come see him again. I know it isn't as convenient to get over here, but it made it easier to take care of the shop, and it is also closer to the hospital, in case anything happens," he looked down a little as she spoke.

"Hey Ken, who are you talking to," a completely naked May came walking into the room, her vision blocked by the towel that she was using to dry her hair.

"Someone who has no desire to see all the goods, despite having seen them more than once," Rally said snarkily.

The towel was flipped up and a diminutive face looked back at her, "Rally, why haven't you been by," she started to hurry over to hug her, and then looked down, "Uh, let me go put my tits away, then I will hug you."