Erin pushed open the garage door, stepping inside just as the familiar sound of Rev and Jinx arguing filled the air. She rolled her eyes with a smirk, knowing full well that whatever the debate was, it was probably over something ridiculous.

"I'm telling you, turbo lag is not the enemy," Jinx was saying, waving a wrench around for emphasis. "It's about knowing how to drive it properly!"

Rev scoffed, arms crossed as he leaned against the tool chest. "Oh, right, because every street racer has time to just 'drive around' the lag, huh? NA response is king, and you know it!"

"You're both idiots," Erin called out, making her way toward the workbenches. "And I bet neither of you could handle a properly tuned rotary without blowing it up in the first week."

Jinx pointed at her. "You take that back."

She just grinned, dropping her bag onto one of the rolling carts before finally turning her attention to Dax. He was at the whiteboard, a marker in hand, sketching out some kind of design with notes scattered across the surface.

"Late start today?" he asked without looking up, his voice casual.

"Yeah, figured I'd take the morning for myself," Erin replied, leaning on the counter to study what he was working on. "What's this?"

Dax finally turned to face her, tapping the board with the marker. "Blueprints for our drag build. I was messing around with some weight distribution ideas. Thinking we should push as much of the mass to the rear as possible, maximise traction off the line."

Her eyes scanned the rough sketches, noting the layout changes he was considering. "Hmm. Could work. But if we go too far, we'll have to rethink the suspension setup so we're not fighting weight transfer the whole run."

"Exactly," Dax said with a grin. "Figured we could go over it together later, see what we can refine."

"Sounds like a plan," Erin agreed, her fingers tapping against the workbench.

Jinx finally turned his attention away from his debate with Rev. "Wait, wait, wait. Are you two actually keeping secrets from us? Thought we were a team."

Erin smirked. "Not a secret. Just... our project."

Rev raised an eyebrow. "A project we know nothing about."

Dax shrugged, tossing the marker onto the counter. "You'll see when we have something to show."

Jinx narrowed his eyes. "Suspicious."

Erin just laughed. "You'll live."

Rev sighed dramatically. "Fine. Whatever. But when you need a test driver, you know where to find me."

Jinx nudged him. "Please, if anyone's testing this mystery car, it's me."

As the usual bickering started up again, Erin and Dax exchanged a knowing look. This was home, chaos and all.

Dax leaned back against the workbench, arms crossed as he watched Rev and Jinx go back and forth, their argument spiralling into increasingly ridiculous territory. Erin stood beside him, sipping on a cold bottle of water, barely holding back a smirk.

"I'm just saying," Jinx insisted, "if turbo lag was really that bad, manufacturers wouldn't still be using turbos in basically every high-performance car."

"That's because emissions regulations forced their hand!" Rev shot back. "If they had a choice, they'd still be making big-displacement, naturally aspirated monsters."

"Yeah, and then we'd all be crying about fuel costs."

"You're telling me you wouldn't trade efficiency for pure throttle response?"

Dax sighed, finally pushing off the counter. "Alright, nerds, break it up," he said, stepping between them. "Pretty sure we've had this exact argument before, and I don't remember either of you winning."

Rev huffed. "That's because Jinx doesn't know when he's wrong."

Jinx scoffed. "Oh, please. I could out-drive you in either setup any day of the week."

Dax held up a hand. "Not getting into that. We've got work to do, so unless you two wanna take it to the track, I suggest you drop it."

Rev and Jinx exchanged a glance, neither willing to admit defeat. Finally, Rev rolled his eyes. "Fine. But he's still wrong."

Jinx grinned. "And you're still slow."

"Alright, that's enough," Erin laughed, shaking her head. "Before this turns into an actual fistfight, how about we actually get something done today?"

Dax gave her a nod of approval. "Exactly. Now, if everyone's finished being children, let's get back to work."

Rev muttered something under his breath but grabbed a rag and wiped his hands off, while Jinx leaned against the nearest tool chest with a smug look.

Erin just smirked at Dax. "You sure you wanna keep employing these two?"

Dax sighed dramatically. "Somebody's gotta keep 'em out of trouble."

Jinx shot him finger guns. "And we make this place fun."

Dax shook his head, turning back to the whiteboard. "Yeah, yeah. Let's get back to it."

The living room was dimly lit, the only real source of light coming from the TV playing some random car documentary in the background. The coffee table was littered with takeout boxes, empty taco wrappers, and a couple of lime wedges from their tequila beers.

Erin sat cross-legged on the couch, holding her beer bottle between her fingers, swirling the remaining liquid at the bottom. She had a lazy smile on her lips, cheeks slightly flushed from the alcohol. "You know," she started, her voice a little slower than usual, "I didn't think I'd end up staying in LA when I first got there. Thought I'd be in and out, maybe find another city to crash in."

Dax, slouched comfortably in the opposite corner of the couch, took a swig of his beer and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? What changed?"

She glanced at him, eyes warm but thoughtful. "Jamie's gone. Ethan was off in Japan. And I just... didn't know what to do with myself. But then I walked into your dad's garage, and he didn't even hesitate to give me a shot. I guess, after a while, I stopped thinking about leaving."

Dax nodded, letting her words settle. "Guess I should thank my old man for that one. You fit in better than half the guys who came through there."

She let out a small laugh. "Yeah, but I still remember you looking at me like I was some kind of alien the first time I opened my mouth."

He grinned. "Your accent threw me off, alright? I wasn't expecting some British girl to roll in asking for a job. Thought you were just some tourist lost on the wrong street."

Erin laughed, leaning her head back against the couch. "Honestly, I didn't even know if I was gonna get the job. Your dad had that look, like he was trying to figure me out."

Dax smirked. "Yeah, but then you proved you actually knew your shit, and he was all in. Not that I was surprised. You just have that... I dunno. That fire, I guess. Like nothing's gonna stop you."

She looked at him for a moment, then softened. "That's what Jamie always said."

Dax set his beer down and shifted closer, resting an arm along the back of the couch. "You miss him a lot, huh?"

"Every day," she admitted, voice quieter now. "But... I dunno. Being back home, seeing Ethan and the others, visiting Santa Pod... It helped. I think, for the first time in a long time, I feel okay."

Dax studied her, then gave a small nod. "Good. You deserve that."

Erin smiled, then nudged his knee with her foot. "What about you? You ever think about leaving LA?"

Dax exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not really. This place, the garage, it's home. And after my dad left it to me, I felt like I had to keep it going. But sometimes..." He hesitated, taking another sip of his beer. "Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like to just... take off for a while. No responsibilities, no paperwork, just cars and open roads." His eyes seemed to glaze over as if daydreaming.

She tilted her head. "So what's stopping you?"

He chuckled. "A business, for one. And a crew that somehow keeps me sane and drives me insane at the same time." He looked at her, something new and unreadable in his expression. "And you."

Erin blinked, caught off guard. "Me?"

"Yeah," he said simply. "I think if I left, I'd wanna take you with me."

A warmth spread through her chest, and she suddenly felt more lightheaded than any amount of tequila beer could explain. She swallowed, searching his face for any sign that he was messing with her, but all she found was honesty.

"I'd go with you," she said softly.

Dax held her gaze for a long moment before he reached for her hand, threading his fingers through hers. He gave a small squeeze, and she squeezed back.

They sat there for a while, neither in a rush to break the moment. The documentary droned on in the background, but neither of them were really paying attention anymore.

The morning sun streamed through the half-closed blinds, casting a warm glow over the room. Erin stirred slightly, burying her face into the pillow, still wrapped up in the covers. Dax was sprawled on his back beside her, one arm draped lazily over his stomach, the other tangled somewhere in the sheets. Neither of them had any intention of waking up early, not after the night before.

The apartment was silent except for the faint hum of the city outside, peaceful and still. That peace lasted about five more minutes before there was a loud, unmistakable knock on the door.

Dax groaned, barely cracking an eye open. "Who the hell is that?"

Erin made an unintelligible sound and pulled the blankets over her head. "Ignore it. Maybe they'll go away."

Another knock. Then a voice, Jinx's, of course. "Dax! You alive in there, man? Rev's convinced Erin finally snapped and buried you under the garage!"

Dax sighed heavily, running a hand down his face. "Unbelievable."

Erin snorted under the covers. "I mean, technically, I could've."

The knocking continued, followed by Rev's more composed voice. "We called, no answer. Figured we'd check in. You know, make sure you weren't dead or worse... doing paperwork."

"Paperwork is the worst-case scenario?" Dax called back; voice still thick with sleep.

"For you? Yes," Rev replied. "Now open the damn door."

Dax groaned again, pushing himself up, rubbing his eyes. Erin stayed buried in the blankets, not even attempting to move.

"You getting up?" he asked, his voice low.

"Not a chance," she mumbled.

Shaking his head, he grabbed a pair of sweats from the floor, tugged them on, and made his way to the door. As soon as he opened it, Jinx and Rev stepped inside like they owned the place.

Jinx took one look at Dax, then over his shoulder at the lump of blankets on the bed, and grinned. "Ohhh, so that's why you went MIA. And here I thought you just fell asleep on top of some invoices."

Rev smirked. "Guessing that wasn't the case."

They were both enjoying this moment far too much for Dax to deal with right now. He rolled his eyes, shutting the door behind them. "What do you two want?"

"We were gonna grab breakfast, thought we'd drag you with us," Jinx said, dropping onto the couch like he lived there. "But now, I dunno. Looks like you two already worked up an appetite last night."

Erin groaned loudly from the bed. "Jinx, I swear to god—"

"Good morning, sunshine!" Jinx called, his grin only widening.

Rev crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "So, are we gonna talk about how this is becoming a pattern? Because I distinctly remember the last time we had to check in on you, and guess what? Same scenario."

Dax ran a hand through his already-messy hair. "You two are the worst."

"Yep," Jinx agreed cheerfully. "But we're also the ones who make sure you don't disappear off the face of the earth, so really, you should be thanking us."

Erin finally emerged from the blankets, her hair a mess, eyes still heavy with sleep. "I take it we're getting breakfast, then?"

Jinx shot finger guns at her. "Damn right we are. Now hurry up, lovebirds, I'm starving."

Dax sighed but couldn't hide the small smirk tugging at his lips. "Fine, but if we go, you're paying."

Jinx scoffed. "Not a chance."

Erin stretched, still half-asleep but smiling as she looked between them. "You're all ridiculous."

"And you love us for it," Rev said with a smirk.

Dax shook his head and muttered, "debatable." But he couldn't deny that this chaos and banter was exactly why he wouldn't trade his life for anything.

The familiar hum of the café surrounded them, coffee machines hissing steamers, plates clinking, the low murmur of conversation blending with the occasional laugh. It was their usual spot, the kind of place where no one batted an eye if they dragged themselves in looking half-dead after a long night.

Dax and Erin sat across from each other in their usual booth, both nursing steaming cups of coffee like it was the only thing keeping them alive. Erin had her sunglasses perched on top of her head, but she looked like she was debating putting them back on just to block out the daylight. Dax, on the other hand, was leaning back in the booth, rubbing slow circles against his temples with one hand while the other kept a firm grip on his cup.

Rev and Jinx, on the other hand, were the complete opposite. Sitting on either side of the booth, they were in their usual animated conversation, flipping through their phones and scrolling through car listings. Jinx had already devoured half his breakfast, while Rev was stirring his tea like he had all the time in the world.

"You two look like hell," Jinx said with a smirk, barely looking up from his plate.

"Feel like it too," Erin muttered before taking another sip of her coffee.

Dax groaned. "Why did we drink so much tequila?"

"Because it's Jinx's birthday week," Rev said casually, taking a sip of his tea. "And because you both have no self-control when it comes to drinking games."

Jinx grinned. "Not my fault you two are lightweight drunks."

Erin shot him a look over her coffee cup. "You're lucky I'm too hungover to throw something at you."

"Noted," Jinx said, stuffing another forkful of food into his mouth.

Dax sighed, rolling his shoulders. "At least tell me someone has a plan for today that doesn't involve more alcohol."

Jinx raised a hand. "I vote we go to the garage and do something stupid."

Rev arched an eyebrow. "Define 'stupid'?"

"You know, test-drive something ridiculous, maybe mess with some turbo tuning, see if we can get Erin's Silvia to sound like a fighter jet."

Erin groaned. "Not today. I just want food, coffee, and maybe another three hours of sleep."

Dax nodded. "Agreed."

Rev smirked. "And yet, you're both still sitting here, rather than in bed."

"Because someone woke us up," Dax shot back.

Jinx feigned innocence. "Hey, if we hadn't, you'd still be asleep, and we wouldn't be here enjoying this fine breakfast."

Erin rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips, despite the headache and lack of sleep.

Dax must've been thinking something along the same lines because he caught her eye and smirked. "Alright, after food, we're going back to the garage. But no turbo tuning today, Jinx. I swear, if I hear one more engine screaming at me while I have a hangover, I'm gonna lose it."

"No promises." Jinx just grinned, then proceeded to finish eating his pancakes and bacon.

Erin was sorting through a stack of deliveries near the workbench, checking the invoices against what had actually arrived. A few new parts for customer jobs, some fresh stock for the shelves, and finally, the replacement component for her Silvia she'd been waiting on. She set it aside with a satisfied nod, making a mental note to fit it later.

Across the shop floor, Rev and Jinx were finishing up a suspension job on a customer's car, their usual back-and-forth keeping the garage from getting too quiet.

"I'm telling you, if we adjust it just a little more—"

"It's fine, Jinx. You mess with it too much, and the guy's gonna think we're tuning his car for rallycross."

"Hey, maybe he'd thank us for it!"

"Or maybe he'd come back complaining it rides like a damn brick."

Their bickering was cut short by the low, unmistakable growl of a high-performance engine rolling into the lot outside. Erin glanced up from the boxes just in time to see a sleek, dark-coloured car pull in, one that definitely didn't belong to any of their usual customers. A Lamborghini Murciélago.

Rev let out a low whistle. "Well, look who's back."

Jinx wiped his hands on a rag. "Guess Kane didn't waste any time."

The driver's door lifted open, and sure enough, Kane stepped out, looking as polished as ever, a smirk already on his face as he scanned the garage. His assistant, as usual, was close behind, clipboard in hand.

"Morning, lads. And lady," Kane said, flashing his usual charm. "Hope you lot are ready. First part of the plan is here."

Erin folded her arms, eyeing the Lambo. "You do realise this is a repair shop, not some showroom, right?"

Kane chuckled. "I'm well aware. But this isn't for repairs. Consider this... the start of something a little more interesting."

Rev arched an eyebrow. "Define 'interesting'."

Kane just grinned. "Let's get Dax out here, and I'll explain."

Erin sighed, wiping her hands on her jeans before turning toward the office door. "I'll get him." She pushed it open without knocking, finding Dax leaning back in his chair, his feet up on the desk, flipping through some paperwork. His brows lifted when he saw her.

"Kane's here," she said simply.

Dax let out a quiet breath, dropping his feet to the floor. "Figures." He stood, stretching his arms over his head before following Erin back out into the shop.

As soon as Kane saw him, he spread his arms. "Ah, the man of the hour. You ready to take things up a notch?"

Dax's eyes flicked from Kane to the Murciélago, then back again. "That depends. What exactly are we looking at here?"

Kane patted the roof of the Lambo like it was a prized racehorse. "This beauty is part of the plan. We're not just talking garage work anymore, my friend. We're talking high stakes builds. Custom, high-performance machines for the right buyers, people with deep pockets and even bigger egos."

Rev and Jinx exchanged a glance, already intrigued.

Dax folded his arms. "And you're just handing us a Murciélago?"

Kane smirked. "Not quite handing it over. More like, consider it our first test. A build with no restrictions. Money isn't a problem. You just need to prove that your team can handle something beyond what you usually do."

Jinx let out a low whistle. "So, what? Full custom job? Engine work, body kit, the whole deal?"

Kane nodded. "Make it wild. Make it fast. Make it something people will remember."

Erin studied Kane carefully. "And what's in it for you?"

Kane chuckled, giving her a knowing look. "Same thing that's in it for you, love. A shot at the next level. This isn't just about fixing up street cars anymore. This is about making a name that reaches far beyond this little corner of LA."

Dax exhaled slowly, considering. The crew had always been good at what they did, but this? This was something else.

"Alright," he said finally. "We'll take a look at it. But we do things our way."

Kane grinned. "That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say."