The past couple of weeks had been uneventful, too uneventful.

Ghost had stayed away, which was a relief, but it also left a nagging sense of unfinished business that Erin tried not to think about.

Instead, the crew had been grinding away at customer jobs, fixing up turbo builds, replacing suspension setups, and making sure the garage kept running smoothly.

But everyone had been waiting. Waiting for the next big job. Then Kane finally showed up.

The familiar growl of an exotic V12 echoed through the lot, followed by another distinctive rumble right behind it.

Jinx, wiping his hands off on a rag, was the first to step outside. His jaw dropped. "Oh, shit."

Rev, standing by the tool chest, glanced up. "What?"

Jinx motioned toward the entrance. "That."

Dax stepped out of the office just in time to see Kane roll into the lot, not in one, but two older supercars.

One was a Ferrari F40, its iconic wedge shape instantly recognisable even under a layer of wear.

The other was a McLaren F1. And it looked even rougher.

Both cars were clearly in need of work, the paint wasn't pristine, the body panels had some scuffs, and who knew what conditions the engines were in.

Erin stepped forward, wiping her hands off on her work pants. "Tell me we're not modifying these."

Kane climbed out of the Ferrari, smirking. "Not this time, Calloway. This is a full restoration."

Dax ran a hand over his jaw, taking in the cars. "You sure about this, Kane? A resto job isn't like a standard mod build. These cars are already legends; you don't mess with that."

Kane leaned against the Ferrari, looking completely unbothered. "That's exactly why I brought them to you."

Rev circled the McLaren, shaking his head. "Where the hell did you even find these?"

Kane smirked. "Some rich bastard let them sit in storage too long. Wants them restored to factory spec."

Jinx whistled. "Man, this is different. We're used to adding horsepower, not making things stock again."

Erin crossed her arms. "What's the catch?"

Kane's smirk widened. "No catch. Just the biggest paycheck you've seen yet."

The crew exchanged looks.

A restoration job meant more precision, more time, and way more research. But it also meant something they'd never done before. A new kind of challenge.

Dax exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck before looking at Kane. "How long do we have?"

Kane shrugged. "Three months."

Jinx choked. "THREE MONTHS?"

Rev scoffed. "You're out of your damn mind."

Kane chuckled. "Oh, come on. You guys love impossible deadlines."

Erin stepped forward, running a hand over the F40's hood, her expression shifting slightly. "You're asking us to bring these back to life. That's more than just a job, Kane."

Kane's smirk faded slightly, his eyes locked onto hers. "I know. That's why I came to you."

The garage went quiet.

Then, finally, Dax nodded, his decision made. "Alright. Let's do it."

Two Months Deep

Two months into the restoration project, the garage was a war zone of precision work and careful handling.

Unlike their usual jobs, this wasn't about power, speed, or upgrades. This was about restoring two icons to their original glory. Every part was carefully sourced, every detail triple-checked, and every crew member brought their own expertise to the build.

And somehow, in the middle of all of that, Jinx still found time for bullshit. "I'm just saying," he started, leaning against the workbench, wiping his hands off on a rag. "Ferrari wins. Always. There's no argument."

Rev, crouched near the McLaren's front suspension, didn't even look up. "That's the dumbest thing I've heard today. And I've been listening to Dax talk about taxes."

Dax shot him a look from where he was adjusting some of the Ferrari's intake components. "Hey, screw you. This place doesn't run on magic."

Rev ignored him, finally standing up. "McLaren over Ferrari. Every time. No question."

Jinx groaned dramatically. "No soul. No passion. McLaren makes machines. Ferrari makes art."

Erin, passing by with a clipboard, smirked. "Lambo."

Jinx gasped, clutching his chest. "Traitor."

Rev chuckled. "See? At least she didn't say Ferrari."

Jinx pointed at him. "You're both against me. This is a conspiracy."

Carmen, standing near the paint booth, sighed. "Would you idiots stop debating and actually finish the damn cars?"

Jinx huffed. "Fine. But we all know I'm right."

Rev muttered, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Morales."

Dividing the Work

With only a month left, they had broken the jobs down into focused tasks based on their strengths.

· Dax had taken point on the Ferrari F40's powertrain, ensuring the twin-turbo V8 was back to its original, razor-sharp performance without any unnecessary modifications.

· Rev was deep into the McLaren's suspension and chassis, ensuring the lightweight F1 was as responsive and balanced as it was meant to be.

· Jinx handled the Ferrari's electrical systems, restoring the dashboard, wiring, and gauges to their original factory spec.

· Erin focused on the McLaren's engine bay, rebuilding the naturally aspirated BMW V12, ensuring every piece was factory-perfect.

· Carmen, of course, was working her magic on both cars' exteriors, carefully replicating the original paint finishes down to the smallest detail.

It was painstaking work. No cutting corners. No "good enough". These cars weren't just rare. They were legendary. And if the crew was going to put their name on this build, they were going to make damn sure it was flawless.

The engines were coming back to life. The bodies were pristine. Now it was about final assembly, detail work, and making sure every last bolt was exactly where it was meant to be.

They were on schedule, but barely. With only a few weeks left, no one could afford to screw up.

The restoration job wrapped up cleanly. The payday was as good as promised, and for once, Kane didn't throw in any last-minute chaos. No drama. No surprises. Just a smooth handover and two legends back in their rightful shape. It was almost too easy.

And then Dax got sick.

It started as a small thing. A cough here. A sluggish moment there.

Dax brushed it off like it was nothing. Said he was fine. Kept working. Kept moving. Until he wasn't fine. Until he walked into the garage one morning, looking pale as hell, barely making it through half a job before Erin shut it all down.

"Nope. That's it. You're done."

Dax groaned, rubbing his face. "Ace, I'm fine..."

"No, you're not." Erin folded her arms. "You're running on fumes. And before you argue, I can literally hear you wheezing from over here."

Jinx whistled from his corner. "Yeah, man. You look like hell."

Rev nodded. "Seconded. Go home."

Dax exhaled heavily, knowing he'd lost.

Then Erin made it worse. "Actually, you know what? I'm driving you home."

Dax frowned. "That's not necessary."

"Did I ask if it was?"

Dax sighed, too exhausted to argue. "Fine."

Erin tossed her wrench onto the workbench. "Alright, boys. You're in charge until further notice. The shop's officially on hold."

Rev and Jinx exchanged glances.

Jinx smirked. "So what you're saying is... unsupervised garage shenanigans?"

Rev scoffed. "Hell no. I am not dealing with Kane's next contract alone."

Erin pointed at them. "I swear, if I come back and find this place burned down..."

Jinx grinned. "What, you think we'd let that happen?"

Erin gave him a pointed look.

Jinx cleared his throat. "Okay, yeah, that's fair."

Dax sighed again, pushing himself up. "Alright. Let's get this over with."

And with that, Erin practically shoved him out the door.

Dax barely made it home before crashing onto his bed, completely wiped out.

Erin stood in the doorway, arms crossed. "I don't even wanna know how long you've been feeling like crap."

Dax groaned, pulling the blanket over his head. "It's just a fever, Calloway."

"Yeah, well, you're my problem now."

Dax peeked out. "That supposed to make me feel better?"

Erin smirked. "It should."

Dax chuckled weakly, voice rougher than usual. "You're impossible."

"And you're stuck with me." Erin disappeared for a minute, then came back with a bottle of water and some meds. "Here. Take these. Hydrate. And don't even think about getting up."

Dax sighed but took them anyway. "You're really not leaving, are you?"

Erin raised an eyebrow. "Not a chance."

Dax didn't fight it. Didn't push back. He didn't want her to go.

For the next few days, the garage stayed closed. Rev and Jinx checked in, but from a distance. Carmen even sent food over, because she knew Erin wasn't leaving his side long enough to cook anything.

And in between the fevers, the coughing, and the sheer exhaustion, Dax found something else. Something he hadn't realised until now. That he'd never actually had someone look after him like this before. Not in a way that felt like home. Not in a way that felt like Ace.

A few more days went by in a blur, a cycle of Dax sleeping, waking up, groaning about his throat, and Erin being an absolute menace about keeping him in bed.

He wasn't used to this. Being taken care of. Having someone stick around instead of just checking in and leaving.

Erin was relentless.

If he so much as tried to sit up too long, she'd shove him right back down. If he complained, she'd remind him she could absolutely duct-tape him to the damn bed if necessary. And when he argued that the garage was shut down for too long, she tossed a pillow at his head.

"I don't care if you own the damn garage, Carter. You're not stepping foot in there until you're better."

Dax groaned, rolling onto his side. "I hate this."

Erin smirked, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. "You hate not being in control."

Dax peeked up at her, voice rough. "Yeah. That."

Erin sighed, moving toward the bed and sitting on the edge, placing a hand against his forehead.

His skin was still warm, but the fever was starting to break.

"You're getting there. Just be patient."

Dax closed his eyes. "Patience is overrated."

Erin chuckled, her fingers absentmindedly brushing through his hair. "Yeah, well. You don't have a choice."

Dax let out a slow breath, melting into her touch, too exhausted to fight it. He finally stopped resisting.

The Outside World Can Wait

The garage was still running in low gear.

Jinx and Rev didn't bother him.

Carmen sent more food.

Even Kane hadn't shown up yet, which Erin considered an absolute miracle.

It was quiet. A rare thing.

Dax wasn't good at quiet.

But somehow, with Ace here, it wasn't so bad.

One night, curled up next to her on the couch, blanket wrapped around him, he finally sighed. "You're really not leaving, huh?"

Erin smirked, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Nope."

Dax exhaled, shaking his head. "Damn woman."

Erin smirked, but her voice softened. "You'd do the same for me."

Dax didn't answer. Didn't have to.