As Louisa pulled into the bay and got off her iron horse, he was sitting on a stack of tires, glaring at the bike like he wanted to throw it across the road. Luckily she pulled in when she did. He stood up, his tall 6'3" frame wearing dark blue coveralls with old stains and older stitches. He held out one of the Cherry Cokes, and chuckled at her little jab.
"I didn't do anything to her, Lou-Lou. She's still running like a dream, just wanted to clean the carb, get my paws greasy. You know how it is." He gave her a friendly side-hug, and tapped the carbeurator with his steel toe boot. "There it is. Work your magic little one. Before I work mine." With that, he cracked his large knuckles.
He rolled the stool over to where the bike was lifted, and kicked the locks on the wheels. Gesturing, he just lowered himself back into the pile of tires. "You cut it off, I get a discount on a new one. No negotiating." He was mostly joking about that. He knew she gave him damn good rates for the equipment he bought, so he had no problems if she tore the thing down, as long as she put it back together.
"I didn't do anything to her, Lou-Lou. She's still running like a dream, just wanted to clean the carb, get my paws greasy. You know how it is."
She chuckled softly at his words, accepting the Cherry Coke and returning his hug, petite form nestled against his burly side a moment before she slipped free.
"Mmhmm, nothing was was wrong but you still wanted to try to fix it." Some people didn't know how to leave well enough alone. It was a testament to how comfortable she was with the big bear that she teased him so easily.
"There it is. Work your magic little one. Before I work mine."
She shook her head as she settled in front of the bike, flipping open her tool kit and getting to work. "Your magic will have a pretty lawn ornement instead of something to take you on the road." She frowned a bit as she worked at the carb, casting a sidelong look his way. "You were trying to get this free a while weren't you? Leftly loose-y, remember?" Silly bear. Time for a mechanics trick, tapping around the threds sharply with the wrench before she tried to work it free again. Normally a little bit like her wouldn't be able to loosen anything on the bike without a airwrench but then again it wasn't like she was human. Ir took a while, working steadly at the stubborn carb before it finally loosened up and she was able to get it free from the engine. She checked the threading and fittings, hmphing softly to herself. "Shouldn't give you a problem now."
Damn that girl. He had been working ont hat sucker for about an hour and a half, and yeah he remembered the old rhyme. "Nah, darlin. Just a little bit before I called ya. You sure ya didn't install a secret catch on there? Or are my mitts just to big for that kind o' work?" He laughed, sounding like an avalanche. Most people actually were scared of his laugh, but Lou should know better by now.
"Ah, shit, where're my manners? You said you needed some supplies? Whatcha need? I'll get it pulled for ya while you help me clean the carb." He pulled out an invoice sheet so he could write the list down, and have Donnie or Mary grab what was needed.
"And you been gone far too long this time, gal. what happened, you get a new beau over in that pack o' yours?" It had been a couple of months since he'd seen the little wolf, but he'd been too busy in the shop and with the new V problem to give her a call to catch up. He was a gossip-monger, but only for his own knowledge. Needed to know what was happening in the city so he could choose the best course of action, if need be.
She sat cross-legged in front of the bike and started to strip down the carb, hands moving automatically as she began the process of cleaning the part. Now and then she'd take a sip of the Cherry Coke before focusing back on her work.
"Nah, darlin. Just a little bit before I called ya. You sure ya didn't install a secret catch on there? Or are my mitts just to big for that kind o' work?"
She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Might but those mitts of yours. Then again, maybe it just doesn't like you as much as it does me." Hey, it could happen. With all the strange and bizarre in the world she had no doubt that so called inanimate objects really did have preferences on who worked on them.
"Ah, shit, where're my manners? You said you needed some supplies? Whatcha need? I'll get it pulled for ya while you help me clean the carb."
"No big rush. I might be getting some real custom work. I need silver and steel for making blades mostly. Enough for at least... oh... 10." Her head tilted back, starting unseeingly upwards as she considered the work she wanted to do. "And... can you set some exotic woods? I can order from some places online but... " she shrugged, "... I trust your sources better. I need some ebony and kokobola." Once he'd notated her order she re-focused on her work, glancing up at him at his next words.
"And you been gone far too long this time, gal. what happened, you get a new beau over in that pack o' yours?"
Color raced into her cheeks in response though she tried to hide it by ducking her head, letting her hair fall forwards in a shimmering curtain. "No.... um.... not in the pack. I mean, Silent is here and she's bringing the pack together. Its better then running lone wolf like I used to. But... no there's no one in the pack." Yeah, not in the pack. "I... um.... I did meet this vampire." She was fidgetting now, not just because of telling the Old Bear what was up but because just thinking about Ramsey made her ache, barely restraining herself from rubbing at where he so often bit her. "He... he's.... I'm sort of his.... Pomme." She peeked up at him, unsure of his reaction to her words.
He gave her a one finger salute, and laughed. "You know, that'd be just my luck getting a sexist bike." He scrawled the amount of silver he thought would be needed, adding a bit more, just in case she had a heavy blade coming out of it. "The silver I can do. The ebony is fine, but the Cocobolo is going to take a few days. Gotta get on the wire for it."
He walked through to the main shop, and handed the sheet to Mary. "Hey, darlin' pull the silver, use the gloves. You know what to do." He didn't wait for a response, but turned on his heel and headed back. He grabbed the parts that Lou was setting to the side, and started to dunk them in the solvent tank. Then he froze mid-movement as she stated about her new man.
He headed to her with the deceptive quickness inherent in all bears. He spun her around. "You're a damn fangbanger? C'mon Lou, I thought you had better sense than that. You know I ain't got nothin' against their kind, but they don't need to drink shifter blood. High honor or not, it's still wrong." He let her go, and visibly calmed himself. He cracked his thick neck, and his honey brown eyes opened slowly.
She was startled when he turned on her, a soft yip escaping when he spun her around, her eyes widening. She froze within his grip, barely even breathing as he practically snarled at her.
"You're a damn fangbanger? C'mon Lou, I thought you had better sense than that. You know I ain't got nothin' against their kind, but they don't need to drink shifter blood. High honor or not, it's still wrong."
"I... I.... you... you knew about Raine... I mean, I thought you did. And Ramsey... its not like that. I mean it is but..." Her eyes gleaned with a sheen of tears as she started to gather up her tools, fingers clumsy as she tried to get everything together.
"Do you love 'im?"
His question made her flinch, head shaking, "Its not like that. I mean.... I can't explain. And Raine... he'll always have my heart." She'd been doing well not thinking about Raine, not thinking about the empty part of her but now it all surged back in a wave. "I... better get back to the shop. I probably should hire someone but I haven't so I... just call me when the stuff is in." She took a wide circuit around him, heading towards her bike to pack her gear.
The tears in her eyes broke his heart. He hated seeing her cry. He sat down heavily on the stack of tires, and sighed heavily. "Lou, come here. Look, I shouldn't have said it like that. Ya know I love ya. I just don't want you to throw your life to someone who can't even watch a sunrise with ya. I know how that feels." His thoughts strayed for a split second to one of his ex-lovers.
He handed her a shop towel to wipe her eyes. "C'mon pretty girl, no need for the blubberin'. If you like this guy, then you bring him by the shop. Promise I'll be cordial."
He gave her a devilish smile to break the tension between them.
She was fumbling wiht her tools, with her kit, trying to get the saddlebag open and was suddnely uncoordinated. She was torn in what to feel about everything. "Its fine. I... I"m fine. I just.... I probably should get back to the shop." she was tugging at the buckle on the saddlebag, yanking at it until it finally just tore free, making her curse under her breath.
"Who cares about a sunrise? He wasn't supposed ot die." ok... so that sort of slipped out and she was fighting back the memories again, the wrenching pain, the near geas from him to survive, the emptiness in her mind where he used to be.
She fought to breathe, to think about right here and right now instead of then, finally accepting the towel from him to scrub at her cheeks. "Ramsey's just... a friend. I.... he... he likes Jazz. Has a club." She peeked over at him, managing a brief little smile. "Its just... complicated... I guess." Yeah, sort of, like how does she tell him about the craving? Yeah, that wouldn't go over really well.
He knew of course what happened to Raine. He stood, and wrapped those massive arms around her. "Look, lil' one. I know it's hard. And believe me I could tell you about complicated." He left her standing there, and packed her tools away with a sure hand. Holding it out to her, he kissed her cheek. "You do whatcha gotta do. Door's always open around here. And you bring by this new guy sometime, let old Kodi meet 'im."
He heard the reluctance in her voice, but he also knew the tenuous hold she had just now. He wasn't going to push her over the proverbial edge. "Thanks for the carb work, hun. Gimme a sec, and I'll follow you with your order."
He went up front, and Mary had everything that was in stock ready, so he piled it all into a box, and brought it to his car. Climbing in, he smiled at the soft purr of the engine as he started it up. As soon as Lou was out of the way, he pulled out, and sped after her, always pushing the limit of the law and of the ability of the car.
In the moment his arms wrapped aorund her she tensed, but only for a moment, finally sagging against him, accepting the comfort his arms offered, even wrapping her own around him in returning hug before he slipped away to pack her things. She accepted her tools with a watery little smile, "I'm sorry. I just... I know I'm a mess is all."
She got everything put away and was on her bike just waiting for him to get into his car before pulling out to head to her shop, all the while mentally kicking herself for getting so upset. She was on edge, she knew it, not seeing Ramsey for a few days did that.
Once back at the shop she parked her bike and opened the main doors, relaxing a bit just being back in her own territory again. She waited for him to come inside, gesturing to one of the workbenches for him to put her new supplies on. "Thank you. For everything. You should come by the Hookah soon, meet Silent and the rest of the Pack."
He was happy she accepted his apologies, but that's how it was with them. His gruffness got in the way sometimes, and the people he offended had to deal with him stumbling through apologies, if he felt it was needed. If not, then they would just have to get over it altogether.
Getting to her place, he easily hefted the supplies, and placed them where she indicated. "Ya know what, little Lou, I might just do that. I hear y'all serve pretty good drinks at that place. You'll have to have them make me the house special."
He gave her one last pat ont he shoulder, and a toothy grin, just to let her know he still felt that fatherly bond with her. She may be a wolf, but she may as well be his cub after so long. "You're lucky you're a shifter, hon. I've thought several times about how it'd've been if I had turned you instead." With those words free, he climbed in his car, and sped away back to his own shop, custom tags reading 'Bear Klaw' fading in the distance.
