`Somethin' ain't right here,' thought Deaq. He just couldn't put his finger on exactly what the problem was.

They'd arrived at Jay and Cherise's home a couple of hours ago. Cherise had greeted them as Jay was in the garage.

"Common in!" Cherise said as the three guests filed into the house. It was a modest but comfortable home in a nice neijborhood.

"Hey Cher," Deaq said as he gave his sister a hug.

"Hi Cherise," Van said as her gave her a polite kiss on the cheek.

"Um hi," Billie said ackwardly.

"This is our boss Billie," Deaq filled in.

"Well it's nice to have you here too, Billie," Cherise said, friendly as ever.

Billie just nodded and smiled. She liked Cherise instantly. She was like a more gregarious version of Deaq.

Van presented Cherise with the new playpen.

"Oh thank you, Van! That was awfully sweet of you," she said, giving him a hug.

"Yeah, uh, well I'm sorry I broke the last one."

"Don't you worry `bout that. Jay already broke two himself. Speaking of which, he's out in the garage. Probably already got the hood up on the car and looking in it like he actually knows what to do. That man is useless around anything mechanical but he's stubborn as a mule - thinks he can fix it himself. Why don't you head out there and help him before he destroys my car?

"Yes ma'am," Van said smiling at Cherise and ducking back out the door.

"Dinner's in an hour. You boys better be ready to stop then!" she hollered at him. Turning to Deaq she said, "Deaqy, get yo' lazy, absent, black sheep ass in the kitchen and help me with dinner," she said ordered good-naturedly.

Deaq turned to Billie, "That's my LITTLE sister. As in YOUNGER than me." He said it as if talking to Billie but loud enough that Cherise knew the words were meant for her.

"That's right. I AM yo' little sister and if you don't get movin' your little sister's gonna let you starve! Food is not going to cook itself you know!"

Deaq grumbled something about "bossy little sisters on home turf" but headed for the kitchen.

"Nicely done," Billie said to Cherise.

"Just gotta know how to talk to him," she said with a wink. "Can't make like you're giving him a choice.

"I'll remember that," Billie said smiling. "So, um, you want me to help too?" she asked. Billie wasn't at all used to not being the one in charge. Giving orders she could handle but this was very different for her.

"Honey, I can use all the help I can get!" Cherise said with a laugh, ushering her into the kitchen.

***********************

Ducking under the half raised door Van walked into the garage. "Hey," he called out.

Jay turned from where he was looking at the engine. "Hi, you must be Van."

"That'd be me," Van said.

They shook hands and Van did a quick assessment of the guy. He seemed a little older than Cherise, handsome and reasonably friendly. There also was something very familiar about him.

"So, um, what's wrong with the car?"

"I was hoping you could tell me. Cherise said you're some kind of mechanic?"

"No, but I do work on cars a bit. I work with your brother in-law Deaq."

"Oh, I see," Jay said.

`Hmm. He doesn't trust me. Probably just afraid I'll screw up the car. Damn, I wish I could remember where I've met him before. He seems really familiar.'

"How `bout we take it around the block so I can tell what's wrong?" suggested Van.

They jumped in the car and took it out for a spin.

*******************

While they worked in the kitchen Cherise spent plenty of time telling childhood stories to embarrass Deaq.

Laughing over one of the stories Deaq said to Billie, "Don't tell Van about that. He'd never let me hear the end of it."

"I don't know Deaq. It sounds like good blackmail material to me," Billie said.

Cherise just laughed even harder. Little baby Maria, balanced on Cherise's hip, laughed along with the adults though of course she had no idea why they were all laughing.

Billie was surprised how similar Deaq and Cherise where. There was something about the way they laughed that was so alike. Billie found that Cherise was a lot of fun. She had all Deaq's charm but also an innocence that was absent in her brother after years of police work. Billie rarely had friends, work making that difficult if not impossible at times. When Cherise mentioned that they should go for a little shopping trip together Billie had jumped at the chance. It had been a while since she'd had a female friend who she wasn't romantically involved with and it was a void she was eager to fill. She'd taken an instant liking to Cherise which wasn't common for Billie.

"I hope the boys are making out alright," Cherise said.

***************

"Okay, try it now," Van said, talking loudly around the raised hood.

Jay tried to start the car but it failed again. Van made an adjustment then asked Jay to try it again. The engine sputtered but didn't start. Van walked around to the open drivers door.

"I'm going to try and get it going from here. Just give it gas when I tell you." Van got down on his knees beside the car and leaned over Jay's lap to reach under the dash. "Push your seat back a bit," Van said. The position was awkward but he couldn't figure a better way. He switched the connection on a couple wires then turned to look up at Jay. "Try it now."

Realization hit Van like a freight train as he saw Jay from that angle. As the car roared to life Van jumped bumping his head off the steering wheel. This wasn't the first time he'd seen Jay from this point of view.

`JESUS CHRIST! I've done this guy!' Van thought starting to panic.

Go to: Part 6 - Complications

~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~