So, this is a little bit different, but that's all I'm going to say about it.

He almost hadn't recognized her, when she entered into the Cozy Cone lobby with Michael.

They had only locked eyes for a moment, before she turned, saying something to Michael, baffling him.

She was gone before they could stop her, leaving them both staring after her.

He hadn't seen her since she was brought in to sign the paperwork, breaking her contract to race in Piston Cup. The contract she had lied in, claiming to be a man.

She was looking much better than she had been in that meeting. She was clearly moving better with how quick she left the lobby.

His gut clenched.

He really should have fought harder to push back that meeting. No one had realized in almost four years, no one outside the know would have realized it if they waited a few months more.

"Well, she had been fine to stay here before seeing you. You know her or something that she ran like that?" Michael leaned against the counter he was behind.

"Or something. We... we were well aware of each other. I believe she may have spoken more with my brother." He tapped the stack of papers he had pulled out, preparing to put them away.

"Well, that definitely explains it." He tapped the top of the counter. "I'm going to go check on her. I don't like the thought of a young lady like her changing a tire by herself at this time of night."

"Would you mind if I go instead?"

"Do you really think that'd be a good idea?"

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"Do you really want the answer to that?"

"No, probably not. I would like the chance to talk to her though, if she leaves, I might never get the chance to otherwise. Where is her car about?"

He gestured in the direction of her car.

"Couple of miles out of town, opposite way of Wheel Well. Are you sure you want to check on her?"

"I'll be fine."

"I'll send out a search party in the morning if you're not back by then."

He rolled his eyes.

"Shouldn't you be going back out on your patrol?"

"Like you're one to talk Mr. paperwork late at night."

"It needed to get done."

"Ah huh... you going to go right away?"

"I will once I lock up."

"Alright, good night Erik, and stay safe."

"You too."

It didn't take him long to put away the blank paperwork he had dug out, turn off the lights that needed to be, and lock the doors behind him.

He had a vague idea of where she might be, knowing which road Michael meant.
He slowly drove along the road, keeping a careful lookout, in case he happened upon her still walking out to her car.

He spotted her familiar car before he saw her. She was already in the middle of changing her tire by the light of a large flashlight.

He parked his car in front of hers, facing his headlights towards where she was changing the tire so she might see better.

She stopped what she doing and shielded her eyes against his added light. He turned off his engine, leaving his lights on.

After she saw him get out, she returned to what she was doing.

"I'm not going back to town." She said without looking up.

"I'm not here to convince you to go back to town. Just lend a helping hand so you're not out by yourself for long."

She started at his voice, turning towards him, before glaring at him.

"I don't need any of your help. Feel free to leave."

"It's not something I feel comfortable doing, leaving a young woman such as yourself out here alone." He gestured to the area around them.

"I can take care of myself." She snapped at him, standing up.

"You're not pretending to be a man out here. This isn't like the circuit Miss Hudson." He snapped back, coming around his car door, a bit closer to her, after shutting his door.

She let out a mocking type of fake laugh. "Why do you care? You certainly didn't before, so cut the crap."

"That's not true..."

"Well you sure have a way of showing it."

"I want to help-" He started toward her.

"Stay back Piston! I have protection!" He stopped moving towards her and threw his hands up in the air upon seeing the gun she whipped out, waving it around, glinting in the light from his car's headlights.

"Whoa! No need to be hasty."

"Stay back! Don't come any closer, or you'll lose a kneecap." She pointed the gun vaguely towards his knee.

He softened his tone. "I'm not coming any closer. You can go back to changing your tire. I'll stay right here and not move until you're done."

"No. You're going to back up slowly, get in your car, and leave me the hell alone."

He crossed his arms. "I'm not going to leave you alone out here."

"You will if you don't want to get shot. Get in your car, Piston." She sounded deadly calm. He shook his head.

"You know I can't do that. Especially after everything you've been through."

He saw her sag, dropping the gun from where it had been pointed.

"HA! Everything I've been through?! Everything I've been through, was done at the mercy of the sport. At your hands. I lost everything. I lost my sister, my TWIN sister! I lost my identity! I lost my career! I lost what prestige that I had gained! I lost nearly an entire year of my life. During which, I was thoroughly humiliated! News flash Piston! I'm no longer part of your responsibilities. Stay back!" She pointed the gun at him again.

He decided to start towards her, intent on taking the gun from her.

"Miss Hudson, I'm coming to get your gun. You are starting to sound frantic, I don't want you to do anything you might regret." He still had his hands up as he slowly started forward.

"Stay back! This is my last warning."

He still continued forward, not quite to the half way point between the two cars.

"I'm not going to hurt you-" The shot rang out before he realized what happened.

He wasn't sure if he cried out in pain at all, but he did crumple.

He scooted back towards his car using his good leg.

Only once he felt his car against his back did he check his leg. He let out a hiss as he felt his wound.

When he brought up his hand, it was covered in blood. It seemed like it was just a graze, and not a bullet hole, on the outer side of his lower left thigh, but he wasn't sure. He'd have to see if he had something he could stop the bleeding with.

He glanced back towards her as he got up to open his driver door.

It took him a moment to spot her. She had sat down on the ground in front of her one tire, knees up to her chest, arms on her knees holding the gun between her legs pointed at the ground.

They weren't that far from town, the shot was sure to have been heard. Someone would be coming out to investigate.

It was his lucky night in one way, he did have something he was able to find quickly to wrap his wound in, a clean towel.

He was very shaky, even though he was sitting in his driver's seat.

He was wrapping his wound when Michael rolled up, and came over to him.

"Are you bleeding?" He asked, eyebrows raised.

"I was shot, it was my own fault. I was warned many times to not get any closer."

"Are you okay?"

"I think I will be."

"What in tarnation were you doing to get shot?"

"I'm pretty sure it has everything to do with the fact that I'm a Piston. ...I don't want her charged, I'm sure she thought it was self defence and I have no desire to put her through anything more than she's already been through."

"Okay, but we still have to take her in." He nodded in understanding.

"You going to go to the hospital for that?"

"I will, but I think I'll just get someone like Ramone to drive me. You'll have to drive me back into town though. I don't trust myself to drive."

"Alright. Has she tried to run at all?"

He shook his head. "No, she's stayed in the same spot. I haven't seen her move positions... I think she's in as much shock as I am."

"So much for being fine. Guess she didn't want to talk to you then."