Enjoy =]

“I need coffee.” Eva said, miming a zombie as she dragged herself in to the kitchen.

The empty kitchen.

“Uh, Rick?” Eva called, quickly scanning the room and then moving on to the next room, and the next room, and the next, until she’d scoured the whole house.

She wouldn’t admit under the most intense interrogation that she’d lingered in Rick’s room.

“Rick? Hello?” She ended up in the kitchen again, “Where are you?”

She’d failed to notice the note one the fridge until half an hour later.

Eva,

I’ve gone to Wei Racing to have a chat with your dad, and to see if I can arrange a surprise for you. Meet me there.

Your transport is in the driveway.

Rick

Eva frowned at the little note for quite a while before going upstairs to get dressed.

Eva’s transport turned out to be her old rocket, the one she’d built in secret at the Stern Boarding School and taken to Oban. Or an exact replica, at least. She remembered all too well the feeling of freedom as she flew over the gates.

“Good times,” She murmured aloud, before kicking the bike in to ignition and revving down the road.

“So, what’s the surprise?” Eva asked, having breezed through security and found Rick, thanking him profusely for the restoration of her rocket.

“Well...I managed to pull a few strings,” Rick said airily.

“Hey, don’t be modest,” Eva said with a wry smile, “It’s for losers, you told me yourself. You can get whatever you want done around here.”

“True, but so can you.” Rick responded, smirking slightly.

They were walking down a corridor that seemed to be made completely out of metal. It echoed with clanging and tapping as the odd mechanic hurried past.

“Hehe, we’re both pretty important.” Eva said, “It’s cool, seeing as I was such a nobody at school.”

“I find that hard to believe.” Rick said, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I was kind of a freak. No one liked me,” Eva said, laughing slightly – although it had a definite bitterness to it, wistfulness, “Well, there were a few guys who kinda liked me, but the girls definitely hated me. And the teachers – they all despised me!”

Rick laughed, “Is it wise of me to ask why?”

Eva blushed, “I wasn’t exactly a model student.”

They’d reached the end of hallway, and Rick didn’t hasten to throw open the doors. The first things Eva saw were Stan and Koji, and the second thing she saw made her wonder whether or not she was having a flashback.

“The Whizzing Arrow! Oh my god!” Eva said, her eyes wide.

“There’s your surprise.” Rick said, sunlight reflecting off of his glasses as the hangar doors opened.

“Hi Molly – Uh, I mean Eva.” Koji said shyly, “Wanna take her for a spin?” He inclined his head towards the Whizzing Arrow.

“She’s all ready for you. Rocket seat and all.” Stan said, not at all shyly, winking at Eva.

“I’d love to!” Eva grinned dashing to the Arrow, “Hey baby, did ya miss me?”

“Hey, how come I don’t get greeted like that?” Stan said, and Koji tittered.

Eva was already clambering in to the star racer, flexing her fingers she gripped the familiar handle bars and pushed the buttons that would warm up her ‘baby’.

“The race track’s been cleared just for you.” Koji said, sat on a large oil canister.

“Awesome!” Eva called.

And then there was the oh-so-sweet purr of the engines as she revved, taking off and sweeping out of the hangar.

“She seems pretty happy,” Koji commented to Rick as Stan spoke to Eva over the intercom.

“That’s what I was aiming for.” Rick replied, his eyes following the star-racer around the track.

“Has Don Wei approved this?” Koji asked, “Just out of interest.”

“No...does he need to?” Rick raised an eyebrow, looking down on Koji and making him hastily backtrack.

“No! No! Well, not necessarily...but y’know, Don Wei’s always had a thing about female pilots...even when he didn’t know about Eva and I was just presuming...”

“Just presuming what?” Rick asked flatly.

“That maybe he might still not be comfortable with it.” Koji said in a small voice, almost hiding behind his laptop.

“Well, if he is then he should’ve told me so. The old man knows me well enough to guess that I’d arrange something like this. Getting the gang back together, you could say.” Rick said humourlessly.

“But the whole gang isn’t back together.” Koji sighed, lowering the laptop once he was sure it was safe, “We’ll never be able to get Jordan back.”

Rick said nothing, his eyes still following the star-racer.

“I bet Eva misses him.” Koji said, his voice quiet again as he adjusted his glasses, “Those two were really close on Oban.”

“Really?” Rick asked, and Koji heard his voice pick up in interest.

“Definitely. I might just be a mechanic, not a relationship therapist or anything, but I notice things occasionally.” Koji chuckled.

“If that was the case...you might want to check your pager. It’s been going off for a while now.” Rick deadpanned.

Koji blushed, fumbling with his pager and shuffling away. In Rick’s head he was contemplating what had been said, but his heart was out on the track.