Ted rustled papers in his hand, a pair of honest to goodness, real, not regulated to his personal computer, wire rim, reading glasses resting on the ends of his nose.

He knew Ashley was in the complex somewhere. Her bike was in the parking lot. And she had a tendency to come to the club and poke her nose about to see what everyone else was doing before she went about her business. In his opinion, Ted thought Ashley needed a job, a real job, a show up at a certain time and punch a clock, job. It was obvious to him that she had too much time on her hands, that the Club wasn’t giving her nearly enough to do on top of her sergeant-at-arms duties.

Mostly because Poker’s training, their old sergeant-at-arms, was still holding on the members and no one was willing to test the new girl yet. Perhaps they had memories of when they tested Savannah and gotten slapped down for their troubles. Ted doubted that Ashley knew of this unexpected grace period she was getting due to Savannah’s inherent bossiness. He doubted Ashley cared. He knew it wasn’t going to last. He better use this grace period wisely and get her trained.

He found her in the lounge sipping coffee and watching the new Prospect go through the firing range course with the Bobsky pups. Truth be told they were in their thirties now and too old to be called pups. Hunter was a year younger than his oldest daughter. In Ted’s mind, they were still pups.

If Ashley had enough time to sit around and sip coffee, then she had time to do work. He had plenty to go around with two corporations’ books to be looking after on top of his own.

“Felicitations, Ashley,” Ted rumbled.

Ashley’s head jerked away from the window.

He ignored her starting, though part of him was pleased he’d snuck up on her and the other was annoyed she wasn’t paying attention. “I’d be obliged if you would do me a benevolence and go about the town and accumulate the rent owed off this list,” he said and held it out to her. He’d phrased it as a favor when it was really an order, and Ashley knew it.

She stiffened and took it with the tips of her fingers. In her mind, collecting the rent was not part of her job description. She was the sergeant-at-arms, not the secretary.

He ignored her posture again. “Take Cole and Grant with you,” he added.

Ashley sucked her cheeks in and nodded.

Inwardly she seethed. Savannah didn’t have to take guards with her wherever she went. Savannah wasn’t that much older than Ashley was. Savannah had been a year ahead of Ashley in school. Savannah had been an officer for closer to two years to Ashley’s less than one. Ashley didn’t see why she had to have guards, visible guards, shadowing her every move. Jasper wasn’t that dangerous.

She looked down the list. It looked like the same one he’d given her last month, and the month before, and every other month since she’d become sergeant-at-arms. She uncrossed her legs and got up. “Of course, Ted,” she said.

“Thank you,” he replied.

She walked out the door and almost slammed it behind her. He watched her go. He shook his head. He hadn’t given her the full list. He didn’t trust her with it yet. The ones not on Ashley’s list required persuasion, and he didn’t know if Ashley would be able to do it.

Not that that was the point of her going around and collecting rent anyways. He wanted to sigh. There was a lesson Ashley was supposed to be learning and it hadn’t quite occurred to the girl yet that she was supposed to be learning a lesson in the first place, much less what the lesson was. Therefore, they were going to be at this little song and dance until Ashley’s attitude improved.

Frankie stuck her head in, her long hair swinging. “Hey!” she said.

Ted smiled at her. “Hey yourself.”

Frankie opened the door, snuck in, and gave him a hug. Ted hugged her back and kissed her temple. Frankie backed up, her head still facing the way she’d turned it to hug him, which put her field of view at the window. “Who’s that?” she asked.

“New prospect, he was given a kutte last night.”

Frankie walked over to the window. “Ohh,” she said, her mouth forming an O-shape. “Does Savvy know?”

“She voted for him,” Ted said. Though he wasn’t sure if Savannah would remember that little detail later. She’d been rather preoccupied.

“Has he been given a Sponsor yet?”

“Nope,” Ted said. He had a feeling that Brand had plans for this prospect, nefarious plans. Plans that would keep Brand entertained for months.

Frankie made a small noise in the back of her throat and decided to change the subject. She looked over her shoulder at him. “Are you giving Ashley a hard time?”

“She reminds me of an eleven-year-old who didn’t want to set the table or do the dishes when it was her turn,” Ted said with a pointed look at Frankie.

Frankie wrinkled her nose at him. She turned back to the window. “Who has the book?”

“He’s been with us less than twenty-four hours,” Ted said with a sigh. He didn’t have the time to do everything. Besides, part of his plans today was to go around and collect on the bets that’d been placed on the last book about this new prospect.

“But he’s clean cut looking and ragged at the same time.” Frankie turned and pouted at him. She knew her pouts didn’t work on Ted. He’d become immune due to long exposure. “I guess I’ll have to start one.”

Ted snorted, looked down, and grinned.

Frankie bounced over to him and bussed his cheek again. “I’m off then,” she said.

“Stay out of trouble.”

“Me?” Frankie put a hand on her chest. “You’re the one who puts those delinquent on their rent in the trunk of the auto and spins them around before threatening to knee cap them.” She made little hand motions to illustrate her point, flapping both hands down to represent him slamming the trunk of the auto, making a circle with one hand around the other, and then making a chopping motion with the same hand.

Ted grinned at her.

She beamed at him. “You need help? I can be the bad guy and you can be the good guy. Say I’m meaner than you are.”

Ted chuckled. And no one would believe him because she was cute, especially when she wrinkled her nose. It was true regardless. “I think I’ve got it covered.”

“Okay, I have bet starting to do. Bye-ee!” She bounced out the door.

Ted sighed. “Someone has been feeding you too much sugar,” he muttered, ran his hand through his hair, and checked his list.

---

Ashley reached for the door at Happy Threads. She didn’t get a grip on the handle before Grant had a hand on it and was opening it for her. She dropped her hand and gritted her teeth. Grant opened the door, swept the room for threats with his eyes, then stepped back and let her walk through. It was the most ridiculous nonsense she’d ever had to put up with. It was Dakota. She honestly didn’t believe that there was going to be a boogey man at Dakota’s shop that would jump out and try to grab her. And they’d be sorry if they tried. Ashley might not be the precious darling of hand-to-hand like Frankie was, but she could beyond hold her own.

“Good Morning, Sergeant,” Dakota said. “Just a minute,” she added and turned back to the customer she was helping.

Ashley smiled at her and moved out of the way of the door.

Cole and Grant took up positions to either side of it, clasping their hands in front of them. Ashley glowered at them and sighed. She pushed her long dark red curls behind her shoulder and crossed her arms.

The customer finished up and left with a wary look at her.

“You shouldn’t frown, Ashley,” Dakota said. “You’re scaring the clientele.”

Ashley strode across to the counter. “I’m here for the rent.”

“Since this is the one time I see you outside of potlatch,” Dakota said. “I figured.” She reached under the counter and pulled out an envelope. She passed it to Ashley.

Ashley opened it. Her eyes narrowed. “This is ones.”

Dakota smiled at her and didn’t show her teeth. “Oh. It is.”

“Where’s the check?”

Dakota fluttered her eyelashes. “I’m out. Take what you can get.”

Ashley bit her tongue, took the money out of the envelope, and started counting.

Dakota leaned against the counter and watched, humming under her breath. “Any news on the prospect?”

Ashley stopped counting, her head jerked up and she glared at Dakota. “You weren’t at potlatch.”

“Ahem.” Dakota looked around her shop. “Who made your patches, darling?”

Ashley flushed. Dakota had. She answered Dakota’s previous question. “Not that I know of.”

“Besides, I had at least three phone calls last night to tell me about it and compliment the patches.” Dakota tucked one of her curls behind her ear and preened.

“They’re patches,” Ashley muttered. They could get patches anywhere. She’d lost count. She started over. Her hair fell over her shoulder again.

Dakota sighed. Really, Ashley showed little appreciation for her work especially under the time constraints Brand had given her.

Ashley recounted the money. “This is short,” she said and laid the money on the table.

“Brand owes me a new phone.”

“You can’t short us because you lost a phone.”

“I told you Brand owes it to me.”

“That sounds personal and not related to the Club. Give me the rest of the money.”

Dakota’s eyes narrowed. She stood up, went over to the till, opened it with a slam and pulled out several rolls of pennies. She slammed them onto the counter and pushed them towards Ashley.

“In bills,” Ashley said. There was no way in hell she was carrying around that much change all day.

Dakota crossed her arms. “No.”

“You’re being an annoying pain in the ass.”

Dakota leaned forward. “It fulfills my side of the obligation on the rent. If you refuse to take it, it’s not my problem, and I’ll tell Ted that when he comes around.”

Ashley pursed her lips. If she didn’t get the rent from Dakota, Ted would chastise her in large words, and she didn’t want to get Ted involved. Dakota was such a stubborn bitch. Ashley didn’t want to be part of any argument between Dakota and Brand. And yet here she was stuck in the middle. She reached out, put a hand on the rolls of pennies and dragged them towards her. “Fine. Your debt is paid.”

Dakota smiled and straightened. “See you next month.”

Ashley rolled her eyes.

“Oh and do remind Brand that he owes me a phone,” Dakota added. “Pretty please.”

“I’m not your messenger.” Ashley flipped her hair again.

“Thank you, Ashley. You are such a dear,” Dakota cooed. “You know I’d do it myself, but my phone is broken.”

Ashley gritted her teeth, stuck the envelope into her pocket and grabbed the change. She turned and left before Dakota could become more aggravating.

Dakota winked at Grant and Cole. Grant rolled his eyes. Cole winked back.

---

The sun had climbed almost to zenith by the time Houston arrived. He parked his motorcycle, got off, and surveyed the landscape. The sun reflected off his hair and turned it into a bright gold as he took his helmet off. He tugged on his kutte, contemplated the clubhouse, and then with a shake of his head, he headed directly to the hangar. The door was still closed. He eyed it, and opened the smaller door set inside it.

The lights blared inside over the large squat shape of the transport. He knew he had an audience now. He cracked his neck, knit his fingers together, and twisted them away from him.

“You know what this place needs,” he said, loudly to get over the sounds of machinery. “Sunlight!” He turned around and set his shoulder to the door and shoved it open. “Beautiful, beautiful, sunlight!” He inhaled deeply. “That, my friends, is the sweet, sweet smell of fresh air.” He turned back around, planted his feet wide apart, and crossed his arms. “I claim this hangar in the name of—”

“Houston!” Savannah shouted, shoved herself out from under the transport, and ran over to him.

He caught her as she wrapped her arms around him. “Hey! That’s my line,” he said.

Savannah leaned her head back and her brow furrowed.

She didn’t get a chance to ask any questions. Houston turned her around. “Now, you see that building over there,” he said and pointed at the clubhouse. “It has beds in it, nice comfy beds.” He touched the end of Savannah’s nose. It was the spot that was clean. Her nose stud was covered in grease. “You are going to find one, close all the curtains, and fall into it.”

“I can’t—”

“And in a few hours, I will come and wake you up,” he said and grabbed her by the shoulders, turned her around, and shoved her towards the clubhouse. “Away with you.”

“What about sunshine and fresh air?” Savannah pouted.

“None for little girls who stay up past their bedtime.”

She wrinkled her nose at him, sighed, and trudged off towards the clubhouse. A sound of an unfamiliar motor made her look up. She squinted her eyes. An auto that she didn’t recognize pulled out of the gates. Her brow furrowed. There was something important she was supposed to be remembering here.

However, after thirty seconds, she almost forgot about the auto at all. Oh, fuck it, Houston was right. If she couldn’t remember something and it was supposed to be important, she was tired enough her brain wasn’t working. It was time for a nap. And if it was that important, she’d find out about it later.

Houston watched her go and didn’t turn back around until he saw her actually enter the clubhouse. From there, he was sure that someone would catch her and direct her to an appropriate flat surface. Maybe they’d remind her to wipe her face and hands.

He turned around and entered the hangar properly. The others had crawled out from where they were stashed under and in the transport. He shook his head, lecture time. “All right, raise your hands if you were here last night,” he said.

Quinn, Skyler, and Eberron all raised their hands. Eberron looked the most sheepish.

“Right, now we all do remember what the most important rule of working with any machinery is…” He paused. “No one works alone. Who was last out of the hangar?”

“Savannah,” Skyler muttered. “She said she was going to finish, shut things up, and head to bed.”

“I know your sex lives are important and that Savannah is the one of you that doesn’t have a sex life.” He paused again. “That hasn’t changed, right?”

There was an awkward silence. No. It hadn’t changed.

“Right. As I was saying, what Savannah says and what Savannah actually does are two different things, and from the looks of it, I doubt she left at all. The second to last one out has the responsibility to make sure the last one actually does close things up, shut things down, and goes back home.” He looked around. “Or else, you might end up with a squashed team member, and no one likes squashed team members, especially if they are as cute and small and cuddly as Savannah.”

Everyone winced.

Houston clapped his hands together. “All right, lecture over.” He looked at Quinn and changed his expression to one of dire pain. “What have you done to my baby?”

Eberron coughed and started laughing.

Quinn scowled. “It’s not your baby, it’s the Club’s baby!”

“And I’m an officer of the Club,” Houston used a finger to underline his officer’s patch. His other patch read Nomad under a pair of pinned golden pilot’s wings. “See, V. President, it says so, right here. I have a stake in this transport.”

“Quinn,” Skyler said and rolled her eyes.

“Hey, if we get a lecture over private property versus Club property, he gets a lecture.” Quinn raised his hands.

Eberron jumped off the transport and came over. “Good to see you, Houston.” The two men hugged.

“Eberron,” Houston said and kissed him gently. “Still bald?” he added and rubbed the top of his head. “Very shiny.”

Eberron ducked away and punched him in the shoulder.

Houston looked past him at a skinny girl with prominent cheekbones and black hair in a Mohawk. “And who is this?”

Eberron turned. “I don’t know if you remember Rio. She’s one of our latest members, barely out of being a prospect, transferred in from Regina. She’s still logging flight time towards her license.”

Rio ducked her head and smiled at Houston.

“Which was why Quinn was flying the transport,” Houston said.

Eberron raised an eyebrow. “Does crashing count as flying?”

“True. He missed the ‘not falling’ part of the equation.” Houston smiled at Rio. “Nice to meet you, Rio.” His voice was somewhat fatherly.

Rio tentatively smiled back. Though she looked more than ready to hide back under the transport.

Skyler bounced over, flung her arms around Houston’s neck, and kissed him soundly on the lips with a loud smack. “I’ll show you Quinn’s inadequacies!”

“Of which there are many.” Eberron smirked.

Quinn scowled and stuck out his tongue at Eberron. “I have many good points,” he said.

Eberron raised an eyebrow. “One, is right now you’re easy to pick on.”

Houston wrapped his arm about Skyler’s shoulders. “Don’t think I haven’t seen you, Darkside. What makes you part of this unruly crew?”

“I can work a computer with fairly accurate skill.” Darkside shoved away from the door.

Eberron snorted. That was an understatement. Darkside was an expert hacker and extremely proficient computer programmer. She was the one who programmed all the shantytown exercises.

“Brand is feeling his authority today.” Houston nodded. “Note to self, avoid at all costs.”

“Hey now,” Brand said from behind him.

Houston jumped, but it was exaggerated. It had to be faked.

“Is that a way to treat an old friend?” Brand asked.

Houston turned around with a hand on his heart. “You scared me.”

“No such thing,” Brand said.

Houston grinned. He let Skyler go and the two men hugged and kissed. “Brand,” Houston said. “I sent Savannah to bed already.”

Brand had seen. He nodded. “Thank you.” The two let each other go. Brand looked around. “I’ll leave you to it,” he said, transferring authority of the project to Houston without saying a word.

Houston grinned. “Shall I make improvements?”

“Not in the time we have.” Brand shook his head.

“Aww.” Houston pouted. “All right, Skyler, you promised.”

“Quinn’s inadequacies coming up.” Skyler cocked a hip. “First, he needs to strip.”

“I will not!” Quinn’s eyes widened.

Brand turned around and left. He was not about to get involved.