In celebration of getting internet hooked up after I've moved, you guys get a new chapter that I'm excited to share with you. I've certainly never hidden the fact that every part of Extended Connections has been inspired by Nurfhurder's stories and this chapter is no exception. It has a particularly close tie to Hard Enough Left chapter five. (AKA, a slight suggestion to go read that particular chapter afterwards.)

He and Emily hadn't told the kid what they were doing in Thomasville. He just thought he was being dragged along for a family visit to see Henry and be mobbed by the other three once they caught wind of their visiting.

They all knew the kid wanted to race, and they were all ready to give Aaron more tips and training than he know what to do with.

He had told them what he told Lightning. He wouldn't be going anywhere near a current Piston Cup track until he could handle himself on dirt. He had added for their benefit that first Lightning had to master the basics before getting fancy with any additional training.

He hadn't started anything with Aaron yet, but did have Mater taking him out to practice his reversing. Since Mater had perfected that art as a bored young man.

He could have probably started some training with Lightning out at the Butte, but it didn't hurt the kid to wait a bit. Save him from the cactus patch in the beginning anyway.

He'd have thought Christmas had come early when they started to get ready to go to the track. Lightning didn't even know what they were doing there yet.

"Are you coming Aunt Emily?"

"No, I believe this is a boy's only trip, but I'll see you at lunch."

He gave Emily a kiss where she was sitting before they left. Both her and Joan called out well wishes of having fun as the door closed.

Aaron didn't stop talking the whole way there in his excitement to see his old track. When they got there, Lightning wanted to go off ahead.

"Hold on there Kiddo, we have to get a set of keys for where we're going and doing."

"Why?"

"We're here to start training."

"Really?"

"That's what he claimed he was coming here for. Not just to visit his brother, always has to have some sort of reason to come out this way." He ignored his brother's grumbling and the kid's snickering at it.

He had a set of keys to retrieve, a bit safer stored than they once were. Something that may have been in part to him and Henry.

As he locked the place back up, he couldn't help let out a huff of amusement. Lightning was sharing his enthusiasm about getting to learn and practice in the same place he did. He shook his head remembering his own excitement.

Henry looked at him odd. "What're you huffing about?"

He tossed the set of keys he had just gotten and caught them.

"Nothing." He didn't look like he believed him. "It's nothing Henry. C'mon, we've got a kid who needs to learn how to turn on dirt."

oOoOoOo

Jesse wanted to see how the kid would handle the car with only a little guidance first. He was keen to see how the kid would do himself.

"Take her around slower the first couple of times. Get a feel for the car and what you're driving on, then you can pick up speed to see how it handles." After those basic instructions, Jesse joined him leaning against the railing. They watched him silently for a moment, never taking their eyes off the car.

"So, you gunna tell me what you found so amusing back there?"

"You gunna sound like a parent every time you ask me a question?" He could hear the raised eyebrow without looking.

"I am a parent, and I had played in part, a parental type figure to you. So the answer is likely a yes."

"Just thinking about keys." He looked towards his brother to see him repressing a smirk.

"Keys, you were thinking about keys?" He didn't quite believe that.

"Yep." Jesse let the smirk drop and pushed himself off the rail as the kid spun out. He followed shortly after, shaking his head about why Jesse would find keys so amusing. Coming up to the pair as Jesse finished giving some convoluted explanation.

"You got anything to add for advice?"

"Didn't hear what you told him really. Just don't try getting too fancy yet. Showing off comes later."

"Somehow I feel like that's a dig at me."

"Because it is. You were a show off, still are in ways."

"Let's get back to the task on hand." The kid hadn't seemed to have minded by his amused expression. They finished giving him the instructions they came to give him before going back to the rail. Letting the kid figure out what they told him.

"This sure feels familiar." He said rolling his neck and shoulders.

Jesse scoffed at him. "I'm sure it does with how much time you spent doing with me."

"And don't you forget it."

Over the course of the morning they both took turns stopping the kid to tell him different things he could try to do.

He wasn't much different in age to Jesse when he started.

He heard Jesse call the kid by his name again.

He had to shake his head again while watching Jesse, and the kid named after him. Aaron, Alexander Piston's youngest known kid, was not only named after his brother, but now was being raised by him too. The world was surely a funny place.

"Hey Henry?" He hadn't noticed Jesse make it back to leaning on the railing after the kid had started again.

"Yeah?"

"Looks like I own it all now." He turned to face his smirking little brother who was looking at him out the corner of his eye.

"You little punk." He shoved his brother's shoulder.

"That's what you were thinking of. You're gunna be the death of me yet." Jesse's smirk had turned more into a smug grin as he rolled his shoulders.

"Haven't yet, and I've put you through a lot worse."

"How good of you to admit so." He rolled his eyes as Jesse clapped his shoulder before heading to stop the kid.

"Time to break for lunch, don't want the wives to get upset with us being late."

He shook his head, grumbling before joining them. "Of course that's where he's leaving this."