https://youtu.be/v-FVihIlU2g

Soundtrack for this chapter.↖️

The little hotel the crew was staying in for the night was small but cozy. After checking in, they all went off to their designated rooms, Michelle and Brook sharing a room as usual. Brook knew Michelle was still upset about everything – finding out who her parents were, what had happened to them, discovering that Soriano had known and kept it all a secret from her... it must have been hard to process it all. She hadn't said a word throughout the drive and had retreated to the bedroom after they arrived at the hotel. Brook had been torn between two decisions all day; he wasn't sure whether to leave her alone and give her space or go in and try to comfort her. Finally, he decided on the latter.

"Michelle? Can I come in?" He knocked on the door and tentatively opened it. He peeked in and saw her curled up like a little ball on the bed, her head on her knees. She looked so lost and lonely that he immediately swung open the door and entered the room, not regretting checking up on her. He joined her on the bed.

"Michelle? Baby?" He called softly. She didn't move; her eyes were devoid of tears but she had such a desolate look on her face that it made his heart ache for her. He touched her gently.

"Michelle, I'm here if you need me," he said with tenderness. Wordlessly she seemed to acknowledge his presence and leaned her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. After a minute of drawing comfort from his body, she spoke.

"I never really knew them and yet I miss them so much." Brook rubbed her back soothingly.

"I know baby, I know," he whispered. He felt her body shake and knew she was crying silently. A moment later, her tears rolled down his hand. He wiped her face gently with his thumb.

"Why does it hurt so much?" Michelle cried, her sorrow-filled voice causing Brook's own eyes to fill up.

"I know there's nothing I can say to make you feel better, love, but whatever you need to let out, just let it out," he said desperately. Michelle broke down in earnest, weeping into his chest.

"I feel so guilty! I never even tried to look for them all this time, I should have at least tried to find out about them! Now all I have are these painful memories of what happened to them."

"Michelle, please don't beat yourself up like this, I'm sure they wouldn't have wanted that." Brook pleaded with her. She looked up at him, her chocolate eyes misty with tears as they met his blue flame ones.

"They loved you. And if they were here today, they'd tell you just how much they love you and how proud they are of the woman you've become. They won't want you to grieve like this." Brook paused as Michelle's tears subsided a little.

"You're just like them, you know. They're not really gone, they live on in you. They'll always be with you, Michelle, as they always have been, even if you didn't know it."

"I just wish... I could've met them..." was all Michelle could croak out. "I'm sorry for being so weak like this—"

"You're not weak, Michelle," Brook said vehemently while kissing her forehead. "Loving so strongly and hurting because of it isn't a sign of weakness. You're so strong and brave that I worry it might get you in trouble." Michelle gave a soft smile at that.

"You know why you're brave? Because you're just like your dad," Brook said with certainty. Michelle hugged him, her heart overflowing for the man in her arms.

"I love you, Brook," She said. What would I ever do without you? She thought privately. Brook cupped her face, stroking her cheek with little circles.

"I love you too." He said, lifting her chin. His eyes flickered to her lips.

"Feeling better?" He asked.

"Not yet, but I'll be okay." She replied, noticing his gaze. She leaned in and pressed her lips between his, understanding what he wanted and wanting it too. Losing herself in his grasp for a minute, she closed her eyes and savored the sparks that broke out between them, fire and moisture dancing between their lips. And it was then that she realized something – Brook was the most precious person in her life now. She might not have ever known her parents, the one family she was born into, but she knew her heart was so bonded to Brook that not even not sharing blood could stop her from calling him her family. He was her everything, the pillar of strength in her grief and the sunrise in her dark moments, and the unstoppable influence that led her to experience ecstasies she never had before. She withdrew a moment to see his eyes. On finding them, she saw the same thought had crossed his mind too; he had realized she was the most important person in his life as well.

"As long as I have you..." she whispered, resting her head on his chest, longing for him even more even though he was right next to her.

"As long as we have each other, Michelle. I promise I'll always be here for you." He said, stroking her hair. She relaxed into his touch, letting him soothe away the heartache.

"We should get some sleep, you have a big race tomorrow," Michelle said after their long, heartfelt moment. Brook smiled wanly.

"That's not even on my mind, but yeah. We've had a long day." They lay back on the pillow, cuddling close to each other, Michelle resting her head on his arm. This is how she wanted it to be. Because even though the news of her parents had shaken her up, she had found out that she and Brook had been inexplicably connected to each other from the beginning; and finding him now, twenty years later, she believed that they were meant to be together. And she took comfort in that thought.

Brook massaged her arm gently until she fell asleep mumbling.

"As long as you're with me..."

The roads near the edge of the city had been blocked off for the second stage of the race. The crowds that had gathered around to watch were sizable and the excitement was palpable in the air. Near the edge of the starting line, racers were prepping their cars while onlooking supporters cheered them on. Among them were the Night Blazers, helping Brook get ready.

"Oh great, here comes cloak and dagger," Reece muttered as Jada and Trish approached them. Michelle's face turned dark.

"I know this race concerns them but seriously? They're practically stalking us!" She whispered angrily. Already she was in a low mood with everything that happened with Soriano and seeing the two women she intensely disliked only fueled her aggravation.

"Yeah, well, you're wearing the ring, angel face, so you have nothing to worry about," Paige whispered to her. Michelle glanced at the brilliant topaz ring on her left hand and was mollified a little.

"Good luck out there," Trish wished Brook. He nodded indifferently at her and turned to Michelle.

"Are we connected?" He asked her. She gave him an 'okay' sign with her hand and patted the earpiece on her ear, making Trish turn away with a grunt. Brook waited till she was out of earshot before turning to Michelle with a smile.

"You know, hearing your voice out there while I'm doing a hundred and ninety per hour is sort of my happy place," he said, wrapping his hands on her hips and speaking so low that only she could hear. She smiled furtively.

"Really? What about all those nights in bed with me?" She asked coyly, trailing a teasing finger down his chest. His breath hitched and his fingers tightened around her hips.

"That's my main course. This is the appetizer," he said, pecking her ear. She blushed a warm pink, whether from his words or from the feel of his lips she didn't know. Stolen moments with Brook like this were what she lived for.

"Hey Brook, you better get going, they gave the two-minute call," Jett said from nearby.

"I'll be back soon," Brook assured Michelle as he pulled away and got into his car. Michelle nodded, her trepidation for the second stage of the race considerably lesser than the first.

"Competition's gonna be rough, they're not gonna underestimate him a second time," Payton said, folding his arms in watchful observance. "The Mao You's out for vengeance."

"This might get brutal," Reece added, looking uncertain as he scrunched his lips, seeing the Mao You some distance away. They were throwing stony glances at the Night Blazers and had their fists clenched.

"Guys, shut up!" Paige hissed, seeing Michelle's face grow worried. "Brook's handled worse in the past."

"Yeah, I mean, we've shot off a cliff and escaped bloodthirsty criminals," Michelle said with a nervous laugh. "How bad could this be?"

"Drivers! Get ready to roll!" The commentator called out. "As you know, the second stage of the Nevada Nitrous Circuit is a timed battle – it ain't about finishing first, it's about beatin' the clock getting there! And watch out for some surprises because our racers are gonna have to navigate through one mean obstacle course! So strap on that tension and keep your eyes on the clock, 'cause only the racers who make it to the finish line before time runs out qualify for the next stage! Folks, we're gonna see some smoke tonight." The crowds bellowed their anticipation in a deafening roar. Michelle glanced at the track and then the giant digital clock set up at the starting line, its neon numbers glowing in the dark.

"That sounds easy enough," she said, hoping it would be. Paige shook her head.

"Deadlines drive people just a little crazier. And desperate. Plus the second stage takes place through a grueling number of roadblocks meant to slow cars down. Couple that with a ticking clock and we have a highly aggressive playing field. But don't worry, no one keeps a cool head better than Brook."

"We're talking about Brook, my boyfriend, right?" Michelle asked incredulously. "Brook Havens, who went after the Inferno Ghosts on his own because he wanted to half murder them?" Payton grinned.

"He may be a bit hot-headed in real life, but on the track, you can trust him to keep a straight face even if a nuke hits."

"Wow," Michelle said with wide eyes, her estimation of Brook going even higher. There was still so much left for her to learn about him that every little detail about him fascinated her.

"That's who you're marrying, angel face. Get used to it," Paige said with a smirk.

"Guys, you do know I can hear every word?" Brook's voice came through these earpieces. Michelle giggled.

"Hey, I can't help it every time you impress me," she said, making Brook laugh. They turned their attention to the track as the commentator requested the racers to make it to the starting line. The flag was raised and the smoke that issued from the roaring engines shielded it from view, preventing everyone but the racers from seeing it come down.

"Good start!" Jett said as the cars leaped forward with a roar and zipped up the road.

"Damn he's killing it behind the wheel," Michelle heard Trish say softly and clenched her fists. That's her boyfriend slash fiancé she was talking about! It burned her up.

"Whoa, looks like Havens is off to an early start!" The commentator continued. "He's point-seven seconds ahead of Olezka! Looks like Lee has something to say about that – he's coming up fast on Olezka's tail and he intends to hash it out! Whoa, what a slam! Somebody's fighting mad."

"Here come the obstacles," Reece said as the cars left the comfort of the smooth road and plunged into a dune-filled track.

"Whoa! Looks like Havens' Ford is kissing that road because I have never seen anyone maneuver through those dunes like that!" The commentator said in awe. The crowd also applauded as Brook streaked over the dunes with finesse while the other cars slowly and bumpily trekked over them.

"Perks of driving in the desert for years," Paige said triumphantly to Michelle, "makes you a rough terrain expert." Michelle hollered her excitement, hopping up and down as Brook took the lead.

"And Havens prepares for lift-off..." the commentator continued as Brook arrived and the long ramp which racers had to climb to cross over in a flying leap. Brook smoothly rode up it and his car shot off the ramp in a graceful jump, landing with a slight bump before continuing on the smooth road.

"Now that's some fine cliff-jumping right there!" The commentator said with a whistle. Michelle watched Brook's Ford with stars in her eyes.

"Where have we seen that move before?" Payton smirked. Michelle nodded.

"He's a pro at jumping off heights by now," Michelle said breathily.

"And coming up on Haven's tail is Lee who seems to be catching up with a second wind!" The commentator said. "This could get dirty, folks, and I mean literally dirty as our leads make it into the mud pit." The crew watched as Brook's spotless Ford rumbled through the mud pit and ruin its paint job. Jett groaned.

"Man, that'll take a lotta soap to get off." Jada walked up to the crew just then and got their attention.

"Hey, I've got some news I thought you guys might wanna hear."

"You got an update?" Payton asked and Paige turned to her, leading her away from the others for some privacy. Payton turned off his earpiece so Brook wouldn't get distracted. Reece however, followed behind them quietly.

"We managed to get some info from the penitentiary but it's not much – apparently, the big shot hiring and firing common criminals to do his dirty work has been keeping in the shadows. No one even knows what he looks like or who he is."

"He's played it smart, keeping his identity a secret," Payton said. "Doesn't help us in any way."

"Didn't he meet any of those convicts in person? They must've seen him then," Paige said.

"Apparently, he kept his face hidden under a hat," Jada said sarcastically. "And he's going around under a phony alias – Mr. Cross."

"So a mysterious Mr. Cross is busy using thugs to throw a scare at us, protecting his identity and not leaving any trace of himself behind," Paige said bitterly. "Kind of useless to us, Alvarez."

"There is something else you might wanna know," Jada said with narrow eyes, "This guy 'Cross', is shutting up whoever he's hired after they get convicted – somehow, all of them end up getting bailed out but end up dead the moment they hit the streets. Car accidents, unexplained explosions, you name it. None of them are heard from again."

"Dammit, whoever is behind all this is covering their tracks with murder!" Payton swore irritably. "They made sure those convicts never speak again."

"A lot of other smarter gang leaders who made contact with this Cross guy for an arson job either went missing or got knocked off right after getting arrested. And the police get the tips of their location from an anonymous tipper," Jada went on.

"So he hires thugs then fires them when he no longer needs them and kills them before they can talk," Paige said through gritted teeth.

"He's damn smart and definitely loaded. It'll take a lot of resources to do all that," Reece said calculatively. Payton turned to him sharply, wondering how long he was listening.

"Got anything else for us?" Paige asked Jada who shook her head.

"If you want more answers, you'll have to find them in Vegas. Those arson cases were concentrated there and that's your best bet at digging for more information. We'll try to see what we can find from our end."

"And lucky the NNC takes us right to Vegas," Reece stated with a cynical exhale.

"I don't like where this is going Paige, I thought we'd have made some progress by now; but we're still on square one," Payton said to her after Jada had left. "It feels like the Night Shades are hampering us more than helping us."

"I know," Paige replied worriedly, "we're still no closer to unmasking whoever's after us. And I'm not sure about all of us being in Vegas, it could be dangerous."

"Why? Whoever's after us doesn't know where we are except by tracking us to the NNC," Reece interjected. He turned to Paige with a hard look. "Unless there's something else you know about all this?" Paige scowled and turned away.

"Drop it, Reece. It's not what you think it is," Payton said in defense of Paige. "We're all doing our best here..."

"Whoa, what is up with Havens' car? He's buzzin' around like he's had a few high balls all of a sudden." The commentator drew their attention back to the race. Michelle frowned and turned to her earpiece.

"Brook? Is everything alright?" She asked. She heard him cough repeatedly.

"Don't know... I feel dizzy..." he replied, sounding thick-voiced. Michelle became frightened.

"Guys! I think something's wrong with him!" She alerted everyone. Payton immediately turned on his earpiece.

"Brook? Can you hear me? What's going on?" Payton asked.

"Is the car malfunctioning?" Jett asked. Brook's coughs became more violent and suddenly the car swerved dangerously and threw the other cars off the track. They dashed into each other with a terrific slam and all the cars came to a screeching stop.

"Brook!" Michelle shrieked into her earpiece, "Stop the car!"

"Michelle... I can't..." Brook groaned weakly, but the car began to slow down and eventually came to a stop. Still watching the jumbotron, Michelle felt a hand tug her wrist.

"Come on!" It was Payton beckoning her to his car. She followed him, realizing they were going to drive to Brook. Within a minute, they reached the middle of the track where racers had gotten out of their car and were bantering with each other about the race being ruined.

"Brook? Brook!" Payton called, getting out of the car with Michelle at his wake. Brook tried to open his car door but he felt extremely weak; it was like he had been drugged.

"Brook! You have to open the door!" Michelle hammered on the window. Seeing her face through blurry vision, Brook struggled once more and with a great effort, managed to open it. Michelle swung open the door and Brook fell out of his seat to the ground, half unconscious.

"Payton! I think he's sick!" Michelle cried, cradling him in her arms. Panic coursed through her as she found how weak Brook was when he slumped willingly into her arms. Payton quickly checked his pulse and found it was weak.

"Brook, please open your eyes!" She cried. He groaned quietly before passing out.

"Michelle..."

"He's unconscious, we need to get him to a hospital now!" Payton said, pulling Brook over his shoulder. Michelle got up, tears filling her eyes as she helped Payton load him into the car. Inside, she cradled his head on her lap while squeezing his hand.

"Please Brook..." She wept as Payton drove. "Don't leave me..."

Two hours later...

"He's stable, but we recommend keeping him overnight just as a precaution," A nurse who attended to Brook told the crew waiting outside the hospital room where he lay. Michelle had already gone inside and wouldn't leave his side for a moment.

"Thank you," Payton said when no one else answered. He turned to the crew as the nurse walked away.

"Jett, Reece, what have you found?" He asked in a low voice.

"We checked the car. That was no accident," Jett said worriedly. Reece spoke up.

"There was an exhaust leak; one of the pipes had been deliberately cut. Brook must've inhaled a substantial amount of carbon monoxide before passing out." Paige swore when he finished.

"Dammit, someone tried to do him in, right under our noses!"

"But we checked the car thoroughly before the race, I don't understand how anyone could've tampered with it!" Jett protested.

"Well someone did, while we weren't looking. Someone who's familiar with cars," Reece said, gritting his teeth.

"Why do you say that?" Payton asked.

"Because it was cut in an expert way, takes skill to cleave it like that. And it's not easy cutting metal," Reece said.

"This has the Mao You written all over it but we can't be sure yet," Jett added with furrowed eyebrows.

"Yeah, it's a clear sign of sabotage but we've no way of proving it," Reece continued. Payton clenched his fists.

"Don't tell Michelle yet. She's already worried sick," he said.

"We won't. Don't tell Soriano either," Paige warned. Payton and the others nodded.

"I'm gonna go check on his status in the NNC, let's hope they haven't disqualified him after all the trouble he took to get here," Payton said and headed for the exit.

"We'll scout the stands, see if we can get a clue to Brook's saboteur," Jett said, turning to leave. Paige nodded.

"Okay. I'm gonna check on Michelle," she said to Reece and Jett, going into the room as they left.

Michelle sat beside Brook's still form on the bed, a tight-fitting oxygen mask clamped to his face. Her hand was locked in his in a deathly grip, her eyes transfixed on him. She didn't even look up when Paige came near.

"Hey," she said softly to Michelle. Michelle didn't respond.

"He's gonna be fine, we got him here in time," Paige said, hoping to comfort her.

"Yeah," Michelle croaked out. Paige touched her shoulder gently.

"It's hell, isn't it? Waiting for him to wake up," she said softly.

"It was worse thinking that he might not... at all..." Michelle trailed off, choked by a sob. Paige hugged her.

"Hey angel face, it's okay. You didn't lose him," she said gently.

"I was so afraid... he wouldn't open his eyes..." Michelle sobbed, her tears falling on Brook's hand. She wiped them away.

"He's stronger than that, Michelle. He's not gonna leave you like that, I know it. He loves you too much for that."

"I can't bear the thought of losing him..."

"You won't, Michelle. We'll protect our boys from ever getting hurt again."

"I almost failed to protect him today..."

"No, you didn't. You saved him. You alerted us when something wasn't right and you got him here fast enough to save him. He'll be alright thanks to you." Michelle went silent for a minute after Paige's speech.

"Was it – an accident?" She asked, finally looking at Paige. Paige's lips narrowed in a straight line.

"We'll talk about that later. Right now you need to focus on Brook," she said, evading the subject. Michelle nodded, too concerned about Brook to catch on to the wariness in her tone.

"You know, just last night he promised me he'd always be here for me," she said, feeling close to tears again. "And then this happened."

"Michelle, you need to stop beating yourself up," Paige pleaded. "He's alive, okay? That's all that matters. He'll wake up soon."

"But what if something like this happens again?" Michelle turned panic-filled eyes to Paige. "What if he gets hurt again? I can't go through this a third time. When he took a bullet for me last year I swore not to let him get in danger again. I can't – I'm not brave enough to watch him get hurt again." She broke down, her head falling next to Brook's hand.

"It won't, okay? I need you to trust me," Paige insisted. "We'll work harder to make sure it doesn't and heaven help us with whatever we can't handle."

"Unfh... urghh..." Brook moaned softly as he tried to talk. Michelle sat up alert at once, clutching his hand.

"Brook?" She called. His eyes fluttered open and her face came into focus slowly. He gave a little smile behind the oxygen mask.

"Hey, big guy. You gave us quite a scare," Paige said with a little smile at him. He felt Michelle's hand in his and she held on tighter.

"Wha – happennn..." he drawled drowsily.

"Shh... later. Rest now, baby," Michelle said, kissing his hand. Paige sidled to the door.

"I'll leave you two alone," she said and left the room.

"Michelle?" Brook moaned.

"Yes baby, I'm right here," Michelle said quickly. Brook raised his weak hand to touch her face.

"Lovvve – youuu..." he mumbled. Michelle smiled with tears in her eyes.

"I love you too. Rest now, you're gonna be just fine."

Sabotage - the art of criminals. But which criminal, in this case? Lotta suspects to suspect. There's the obvious Mao You gang who'd cheat to win for sure if their chances were slim... the Nightshades who although need Brook, aren't as transparent as they seem... and then there's mysterious Mr. Cross who has yet to show his face. Who could it be?

Not sure how accurate I was with the whole carbon monoxide thing and car parts, research in this area was a little meh. Hard to find actual cases so I'm just winging it here and hope it passes for a fanfiction case. Lemme know your thoughts especially on your favorite couples.

Hope the 4k word chapter made up for the 2 week delay peeps, I really wanted to make you guys happy😘! Stay tuned.