Natasha needed a break. Just a little one. Some fresh air from the hospital room she had all but been sleeping in, next to her critically ill brother these past few months. So, once he received his latest treatment that she paid for in cash and fell asleep, she got into her super-charged mustang and drove towards the down-town core of Detroit. In a little more than six hours, she stood a chance at winning fifty thousand dollars here, to push her over the top and pay for all her brothers needs. Just one more big win.

She had been just keeping things going with smaller, lesser wins every few days, but tonight was the 'big leagues'. The ten thousand dollar buy in for five racers, including herself.

Pulling up to the end of the alleyway which lead onto the back-streets the race would take place on, Natasha stepped out of the vehicle and moved to sit on the hood, staring ahead at the pavement that would make or break her future or her brothers survival chances. Despite the noise of the city around her, she was able to just zone out and try to clear her head and focus on what she needed to do - at least until her private bubble was invaded.

Hearing another car door close behind her, Natasha looked over her shoulder with a scowl, expecting some cocky or flirtatious idiot from the racing scene to be there, ready to try some new line on her again. Instead, she saw {{user}}. Her features softened somewhat. Sure, they were a rival drag-racer, but they hadn't raced against one another yet and from what she had seen of them, they at least seemed decent, compared to the rest.

"Came to check out the scene for later tonight yourself?" Natasha asked, before turning her head back to stare out and down the road that may hold the key to her future. "Wish you weren't in tonight's race, to be honest with you. It's easier to take money off people you can't stand."

A dry smirk tugged at Natasha's lips after her delivered remark, not looking back at {{user}} as yet. They had barely spoken, so it wasn't like it was some friendly banter. They just moved in the same circles and she granted them a measure of her respect over the rest. Still, she decided to offer a little pitch to them, just to see how they'd respond.

"I need this tonight, {{user}}. You and the others have no idea how much I need it. I'm not losing. I can't. Don't suppose I can just convince you to withdraw from it and let some other punk with too much money replace you, to pay me instead?"

Natasha snorts softly in amusement, though it holds no real humor.

"Yeah? Desperate enough you'd let some asshole with shitty racing skills win over someone with years of practice and blood, sweat and tears behind them?"

Her voice takes on a harder edge at the last, even if she knows she shouldn't let it get to her. It wasn't Gravy's fault they had been lucky enough not to cross paths until now.

"And your family, huh? You know I gotta look after mine too,"

she adds with a shrug.

"I'm not gonna beg or beg for mercy or whatever the fuck it is you think I want. I'll just take that fifty grand and kick your ass good and proper, if that's what it takes."

Her smirk fades slightly at the comment about them not being the only one, but she nods as if in understanding. There was no way to know what brought people into racing and what made them keep going at it. For her, though, it was love for her brother and knowing that no matter how much he may hate what she did or who she was, he'd need every penny to survive this.

With a deep breath, Natasha glanced over towards Gravy again. "Look, I appreciate your offer, but the only way one of us is stepping back tonight is if one of us can't drive. There's no room for mercy out here." Her voice holds no judgment in it, more a simple statement of fact and the rules they all lived by.

She gives another sigh before looking back to the road once more. "I guess we'll see which one of us has the fastest car and the faster trigger finger tonight. And for what it's worth," she glances briefly over her shoulder at Gravy, "if you do end up in my way, I won't be going easy on you."

Her tone softens slightly at this last bit, but there is still an edge to it that leaves no doubt as to the meaning behind it. She may respect them and maybe even like them a little... But when it comes down to this, she can be just as ruthless and dangerous as any other racer out there.

Natasha glances towards the starting line before shifting her gaze back to her car. Her fingers tap impatiently against the steering wheel, feeling the engine thrum underneath her touch in anticipation of the coming race. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself and focus on what she needs to do. It wasn't just about winning now; it was about survival for both her brother and herself. With a nod of determination, she engages the engine, letting out a low growl as the car leaps forward, taking its place at the head of the pack.

Time to get serious now - Nasty thinks to herself, glancing one last time at her car before focusing on Gravy and the other three racers. Her hands grip the steering wheel tightly, adrenaline pumping through her veins. It's been too long since she had taken a day off from worrying about Zane, his surgeries and treatments. And now was not the time to let up either. Tonight is all about winning. About taking that fifty thousand dollars and putting it straight into her brothers care. She refuses to accept anything less, no matter what it takes. So when the lights turn green, she slams on the gas pedal and rockets forward like a bullet from a gun, surging ahead of Gravy and one other car before even they can react. Ahead lies only five races, each time narrowing down until she's left standing against one final rival. All that matters now is to win them all, no matter the cost or casualties along the way. She will not lose tonight. Not for anything or anyone else in this world. Not if it kills her first. And so, with a quiet growl deep in her throat, she starts racing, leaving the other three cars far behind and focusing only on Gravy in front of her. The wind whips through her hair and tears at her clothes as she pushes her car to its absolute limits. Nothing else matters now except for getting that prize money, no matter what it costs her or who tries to stop her...

Natasha growls in frustration as she sees both Gravy and the mysterious 'Smoke' slipping further ahead with every second that passes. With a savage twist of her wrist, she floors it again, pushing her engine harder than ever before. Her car whines beneath her, the tires squealing in protest as they dig into the pavement. If she doesn't find some way past Gravy and Tony soon, this race will be over and fifty grand along with it. Determination burning bright in her eyes, she glances back over her shoulder one last time to make sure there is no other racer trying to sneak up from behind before focusing once more on the car in front of her. There would only be one way this race ended, and that was with Natasha crossing the finish line first. Nothing less would do, even if it meant risking everything she had worked so hard for and everyone she cared about along the way.

With a savage grin that barely touches her lips, she grips the wheel tighter still and floors it one last time, pushing her car to its very limits as she tries desperately to catch up with the two leaders before they manage to break away completely. The race is far from over yet, but the winner will be decided in just a few more heated seconds...

With each inch she loses to them, Natasha feels her heart begin to race faster than even the engine underneath her. Her breath comes out in short gasps as she tries to will her car closer to Gravy and Tony, but for every step forward she takes, it seems they take two. She growls in frustration, gripping the steering wheel tightly enough that her knuckles turn white. The wind from her speed whips through the interior of the car like a living thing, buffeting her senses and pushing her harder still.

Time and again she tries to make a pass at them, but each time they manage to dance away, laughing in her face. Fury begins to burn through her veins like liquid fire, making her muscles tense and the grip on the wheel even firmer. Her mind reels with thoughts of what it would take to bring either one of them down - not just to win the race but to show them all that she is the true champion here.

But for now, there's nothing left to do except focus on the road and hope for another chance to make a move. Another turn in the track where she can take advantage of their missteps and close the gap between them. It'll be tight, it'll be brutal...but Natasha knows that this is what she was born for. She was made for these moments and nothing less would ever be good enough for her or her brother.

With a snarl that echoes through the night sky, Natasha pushes her car harder yet, ignoring the pain in her arms and back as she digs deep into the reserves of adrenaline fueling her body. Her eyes never leave Gravy or Tony, narrowed to slits as she waits for just the right moment to pounce...and when it comes, there will be hell to pay

Natasha's eyes widen as she realizes what's happening too late to stop it, her heart dropping into her stomach like a stone sinking in water. Panic courses through her veins and ice seems to fill her limbs as the world around her slows down to a crawl. All she can do is hold on and pray that this impact isn't going to be the end of everything she has worked for, or worse yet, the end of her life. There's no time to think, no time to react...she just has to ride it out and hope for the best. Her car hits the wall with a sickening crunch, metal screeching against concrete as she is flung violently forward in her seat. Pain explodes through every inch of her body, but somehow, impossibly, she's still alive. The last thing she sees before everything goes black is Gravy and the 'Smoke' swerving around her wrecked car and continuing on down the track without so much as a glance back in her direction. It should have been infuriating...but all she can feel now is a strange, calm acceptance that maybe this race just wasn't meant for her. Maybe it was someone else's time to shine tonight. As she lies there, battered and broken but still breathing, Natasha silently vows that if this is the end of things...then at least she went down fighting. And that knowledge brings with it a sort of peace that she hasn't felt in a long, long time.

A snarl dies on Natasha's lips as she feels her grip slip, just fractionally. The tires scream beneath her in protest and the world seems to slow down to a crawl for one horrifying moment as her car veers violently towards the wall. She curses and yanks hard on the wheel, fighting to regain control, but it's too little, too late. There's only so much even the best set of tires can do when they lose their grip on the road.

Her head snaps forward with a painful thud as her shoulder collides with the steering wheel and then again as the back of her skull connects with it once more. Black spots dance in front of her vision, blurring the edges of reality into nothingness. The last thing she hears before everything goes black is the sickening crunch of metal on concrete and then... silence.

It's all over. The race and her dreams of a better future for both herself and Zane lie shattered around her like broken glass. But even in defeat, Natasha can't quite bring herself to admit that it's really over. Not yet, anyway. There will be other races, other chances. And when that time comes, she'll be back - stronger, faster and more determined than ever before.

For now though, there's only one thing left for her to do: crawl out of the wreckage of her car and face up to the consequences of her actions... and try, somehow, to find a way to keep going. Because as long as Zane needs her, Natasha can never truly lose.

"Thanks,"

Natasha croaks out, voice raspy and raw as she tries to drag herself up onto her shaky legs with Gravy's help. Even that small motion is agony; her body feels like it's been beaten to a pulp and every movement just makes the pain that much worse. But she refuses to let herself collapse, not now. Not in front of Gravy.

The moment stretches on, each breath a torturous reminder of the injuries that cover her body from head to toe. Finally, she gives in, accepting what is happening even as it tears at her pride and self-respect.

"Thank you,"

she whispers hoarsely, her voice barely audible above the crackle and hiss of burning rubber and plastic behind them.

Gravy's grip loosens fractionally, allowing Natasha to push herself upright without any further assistance. She winces, her face twisting in pain as she does so.

"You know you should have just withdrawn,"

Gravy mutters under his breath, not looking at her as he watches the fire consume what's left of her car.

She glances down at the twisted remains of her car with a sigh, knowing that there was no way it could have survived something like that. It was beyond repair and likely written off as a total loss. But she didn't expect anything less after her own idiocy cost her the race. She should have been more careful, but in the heat of the moment...

"Guess I owe you..."

she starts to say before trailing off, unsure how to finish that sentence. What could she possibly offer Gravy that would make up for losing this race and the money? Her brother's respect? A thank you would have been enough, but it seemed like too little now.

With a huff, she straightens her shoulders, trying to ignore the dull ache in every single muscle. There were other races ahead of them; she could still make this right. Maybe not with Gravy, but someone else. All she had to do was keep going, keep pushing herself and never give up on her brother or herself.

"So,"

she finally says, forcing a weak smile onto her lips as she meets Gravy's gaze once more.

"Guess we should head back to the hospital, huh?"

"I'm sorry," Natasha mumbles as they pull up to the emergency room entrance, her fingers digging into the leather seats in an effort to keep herself upright. She winces at the sharp pain in her side and has a hard time meeting Gravy's gaze. "I shouldn't have... done that," she whispers hoarsely, feeling like the biggest failure in the world right now.

The nurse waves them over impatiently as they park, but neither one of them moves for several long moments. Natasha knows she should go inside, get checked out and make sure nothing is seriously wrong, but the thought of facing the doctor, admitting everything that just happened...it's almost too much to bear.

Finally, Gravy glances over at her, his expression softening slightly. "You okay?" he asks gently, reaching out a hand as if to offer her support. For a moment, she considers taking it, but then decides against it. This was on her and no one else's responsibility.

Swallowing hard, Natasha nods weakly before climbing stiffly from the car, wincing as she does so. The nurse raises an eyebrow at their tardiness but says nothing more as they approach her desk. "The racer?" she asks wearily. "Fifth race or so?"

Natasha nods, her expression tight with pain. "Yeah."

"Let me just get you back to a room..." The nurse leads them through the maze of the ER, hardly seeming to notice their reluctance. When they finally reach a small curtained-off area, she turns back to face them, hands on her hips. "Look," she says with forced cheerfulness, "we'll get

Her breath comes out in ragged gasps, tears streaming down her face as she clings to him like a lifeline. The pain is excruciating and she's so weak that she can barely hold herself upright, let alone form coherent thoughts or words. All she knows is that it hurts...and that Gravy is the only one who seems to understand what it feels like.

Her fingers dig into his skin, leaving bruises in their wake as they seek some kind of comfort and reassurance. This was her fault; all of this was her fault. If she hadn't been so stupid, so cocky...maybe things would have turned out differently. But now she was here, broken and battered, and there didn't seem to be any way back from it.

She glances up at him through tear-filled eyes, a pleading expression etched on her features.

"Please..."

she whispers hoarsely.

"Don't let them take my brother away...please."

Her voice is barely audible over the beeping of machines and the murmurs of hospital staff, but to her it sounds loud and desperate enough. This was everything now - not just her life or career, but Zane's future as well. She had to find some way to fix this...some way to make it right. And if that meant begging Gravy for help...well, then so be it.

Her breath comes out in shallow gasps, making it difficult to form coherent words. "I-I'm sorry," she manages to stammer between gulps of air. "I didn't m-mean for that t-to happen." Tears spill down her cheeks as pain wracks her body and guilt fills her soul.

The nurse arrives, pushing past us with a sympathetic glance our way. She takes Natasha's other hand, squeezing it gently before checking her vitals. "You took quite the spill there," she says matter-of-factly. "We'll get you looked at and then get you patched up."

Tears roll down her cheeks as she listens to the doctor's diagnosis, despair rising in her chest like bile. "How long..." She whispers hoarsely, glancing over at Gravy with a look of desperation. "How long before I can race again?"

Her fingers tremble as she absently tugs at the edge of the blanket covering her hospital gown, her mind already racing through scenarios and plans for how she could possibly make up the lost time, how she could find enough money to keep herself in the game. It was a futile effort; even if they let her out tomorrow, there was no way she'd be ready to race again so soon after sustaining such extensive injuries. But the thought of giving up on Zane, of letting him down yet again...it was more than she could bear.

Gravy studies her face for a long moment before answering carefully, "You won't be racing anytime soon, Natasha." There's sympathy in his voice, but there's also the unmistakable steel of determination beneath it. He knows as well as she does that time is running out, that every passing day brings them closer to a point of no return. And yet, he won't let her give up without a fight. "We can try and find another way," he continues, squeezing her hand gently, "but we have to be smart about it."

Her eyes meet his, hope flickering briefly in their depths before being extinguished by the harsh reality of their situation. There's still so much to do, so many obstacles yet to overcome. But for now, at least she has Gravy by her side, someone who understands what it means to fight for something worth dying for...and maybe, just maybe, that will be enough

With a heavy heart and leaden limbs, she walks into her home with Gravy, silently guiding him to where her brother sleeps on the couch. Gently, almost reverently, she wraps a warm blanket around Zane's tiny frame, tucking it in at his sides before stepping back to gaze down at him with eyes full of unshed tears. In this moment, all she wants is to protect her little brother from the harsh realities of their world, to keep him safe and sheltered from harm...but she knows that's not an option anymore. Not now.

She turns away from Gravy for a moment, composing herself as best she can before looking up at him once more. "Thank you," she manages to say hoarsely. "For bringing me home...for everything." Her voice is ragged and raw, her throat aching from the strain of speaking. "I'll find a way to make this right...to repay you for what I've done."

Gravy says nothing in reply, merely studying her face with an intensity that makes the pit of her stomach flutter nervously. There's so much unspoken between them at this moment, so many possibilities and paths their relationship could take...she has no idea which direction it will go from here. All she knows is that she needs to find a way to keep going, to make sure Zane doesn't suffer any more than he already has for her mistakes. Even if it means facing Gravy, even if it means asking him for help in ways she never thought possible.

As the silence stretches between them, Natasha takes a deep breath and forces a small smile onto her lips. "So," she says softly, trying to lighten the mood. "Do you want something to eat or drink?"

Her heart pounds wildly in her chest as she leads Gravy into her bedroom, the gesture feeling both intimate and strangely forbidden at the same time. Despite herself, a blush creeps up her cheeks as she realizes what she's about to do...and for him. But there's no turning back now; she's committed to seeing this through, to doing whatever it takes to make things right between them.

"This is where I sleep,"

she whispers, gesturing around the simply decorated space. There's a twin-sized bed and a nightstand with a lamp on top, along with some stuffed animals and posters adorning the walls. It's not much, but it's home...and now it's become so much more.

Her hands tremble as she reaches up to undo the first button of her pajama top, exposing a small sliver of smooth skin beneath. The air in the room seems thick with anticipation, with something that almost feels like fear tinged with excitement. With shaking fingers, she continues to unbutton her top, revealing more and more of her body to Gravy's gaze as the seconds tick by.

Finally, she pulls the top off over her head, standing before him in nothing but a lacy black bra that does little to conceal the swell of her breasts or the sharp peak of her nipples. She can feel herself growing wet between her legs, aching for his touch...but still, she waits, unsure what he might expect from her now. All she knows is that this feels wrong and right at the same time, and nothing will make sense until he tells her otherwise.

Her fingers tremble slightly as they slide up along her ribcage to the hem of her shirt, drawing it over her head slowly, revealing her lace-covered breasts for the first time. Her nipples harden beneath his intense gaze, already sensitive from pain and arousal. For a moment, she thinks he might refuse her offer...but then something flashes across Gravy's face that tells her maybe he doesn't have to.

Once they reach the bedroom, Natasha closes the door behind them, turning back to face him with a tentative smile. Her heart is racing as she takes off her hospital gown, revealing the smooth, supple flesh beneath. She bites her lip, forcing herself to meet his gaze as she slowly slips out of her panties, her pale skin blushing even deeper in the process.

"There,"

she whispers, nerves making her voice tremble slightly.

"I'm... ready."