Ain't Shady Baby, I'm Hot

76

I didn't think I was going to catch the Twinkie before they were at Sarah's house. A smile crossing my face as I accelerated and moved up to the side.

"Lovely weather we're having, right?" I shouted as I popped my visor up.

Sarah jumped, laughing once she noticed me.

"Xena? You scared me!" I chuckled and looked past her to see John B smirking.

"Nice to see you, T."

"Always a pleasure, B." I shouted over the wind, my eyes focused on not running into anything. "How'd the meeting go?"

"Good, hold on, John B, stop the van and-"

"One step ahead of you." I rose an eyebrow as Sarah turned back to look at me.

"We can fit you and your bike in the back. We dropped Pope and Kie off already."

I gave a thumbs up, decelerating as I dropped back. Coming to a stop as John B moved to the side of the road and did the same thing.

"Let's get you loaded up then we can give you the details." John B called out as he opened the driver door and jogged up to me while I pushed my bike forward.

"A lovely plan. My side was starting to burn with all the turns." I admitted as Sarah slid open the back door.

"It's a good thing you caught us then." I grinned at the blonde.

"Damn straight."

________•*•*•*•_______

"You're going fishing. With Ward?" I asked for the third time.

"Yes, oh my gosh. Pope and Kie gave me the same shit. Look, he did me a huge favor. All the guy wants to do is go fishing." John B sassed looking back at me with the rearview mirror.

"Alright. Easy, I get it. So Pope is gonna jimmy-rig the device up tonight and we go tomorrow night?"

"Yup." Sarah popped her 'p' grinning as she turned in her seat. "And we store it into a safe until we can sell it." I laughed at her enthusiasm. Silence taking over as I decided to poke the bear.

"And JJ. Have you heard anything?"

"Nothing." John B was quick. "He'll show up when he's ready."

"Yeah." I leaned over the console and turned the music up. Sarah dancing a little in her seat as I flopped back down. Letting myself relax.

Go write. Be a detective.

Do something more with your brains.

Use this time wisely.

You should take a break from boxing.

A shrill horn beep pulled my attention from my mind. My head turning as we all looked behind us.

"Oh shit. That's Rafe."

"Kill me now." I groaned leaning my head back.

"Hey, pull that piece of shit over!"

"Tell him to fuck off." I called out boredly as I kept my eyes on the sliding door.

I heard him rev his engine before John B was slamming on the breaks.

"Whoa, shit. No, no, no, John B." Sarah stopped the brunet from getting out of the car.

"What?" I had half a mind to flick him in the head for that.

"Let Sarah handle her brother." I cut in, moving to lean against the console.

"Exactly. Stay in the van." Sarah ordered, climbing out and shutting the door behind her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"See, she's fine." I gestured to the scene in front of us.

"Whatever." I poked John B in the side.

"Quit moping. We both know one of you would have swung." He didn't argue making me smirk as we watched the sibling show.

"There she is! Little Miss Perfect!"

"Hello? Are you high?" She was up in his business grabbing his arm. "We could have run you over."

Rafe had finally gotten his helmet off and started talking.

"They moved too far." I whispered.

"Hop out and come around." John B instructed as he opened his car door and stood in the road. I frowned not really wanting to get out of the car. But whatever.

I opened the sliding door enough for me to fit through and walked around the back to stand beside him.

"I don't know. Maybe you could tell him if he didn't kick you out." I snorted grabbing onto the door with my right hand.

"Aren't you glad we don't have siblings."

"Moments like these. Yeah."

I rose an eyebrow as Rafe lowered his voice recognizing he had an audience. My head cocked as I tried to read his lips.

Something about trying to care for his sister.

"That's a lie." Sarah didn't mind being loud enough for us. Rafe mumbling and moving his hands dangerously close to Sarah's face.

"Listen, the guy that you robbed is a bad man, Sarah."

"Yeah, I'm aware, Rafe!"

"Listen! He gave me this, okay? He gave me this for being late on a payment." He rose his fist showing her the burn mark on his wrist. The one I'd helped take care of.

"Because you-"

"Listen to me!"

"-wanted to buy a stupid bike!"

"Listen to me! You stole from him, alright? What do you think he's gonna do to you or your little Pogue boyfriend." His finger pointed to John B but his eyes stopped on me. A flash of something crossing his face as I gave him no reaction.

"Don't you dare. Don't you dare!" Sarah shouted defending John B.

"Oh, yeah. Don't think I don't know what you've been doing, alright?" I turned to John B who had slammed his head into his arm.

"What's... oh." I trailed off as I saw a second motorcycle approach. "This definitely was planned. Fucking Topper." I grumbled as the Kook pulled up to a stop behind us.

Sarah and Rafe still shouting as John B turned to confront our new guest.

"Come to uh, try to kill me again, Top?"

"Yeah, here we go. Here we go. It's always the Kook's fault, isn't it?" Topper scoffed walking up to meet John B as I stood and watched the two separate arguments. "I'm sorry, man. I'm sorry about your arm, but dude, I hardly touched you. Look, I'm not the one corrupting this-" I turned my head to Rafe and Sarah.

"You always do this! You- you," I shifted back to John B and Topper.

"You have no idea what's going on man!" John B shouted up in Topper's face.

"I have no idea? I know you're stealing 25k from a drug dealer." I rolled my eyes moving back over to Sarah and Rafe's argument.

"What would you do?" Sarah screamed.

"I'd give Barry his money back, like, yesterday." I scoffed moving to the front of the car.

"You worry about your shit," Sarah shoved her brother out of her space, "I'll worry about mine!"

I smiled at her as I leaned against the hood of the Twinkie. Though my smile dropped as Rafe blew up.

"Alright I'm taking care of my own shit, okay?" I unfolded my arms, my expression dropping to an empty mask. I started making my way over to Sarah.

"And one day, I'm gonna be running the show, Sarah and... you're gonna wish that you were nicer to me then."

I reached Sarah, brushing my shoulder against hers I gave her a nod. The two of us silently communicating as we moved backwards to the Twinkie.

"Why don't you give me a save-the-date on that. You psycho."