Since there were no hospitals anywhere nearby, they had to drive nearly two hours to the next city.
Only thirty minutes had passed since they left, and to anyone listening from the outside, it would've sounded like Ray was having the time of his life.
"So? Answer me, you drunk! You watched the movies!!!" Kate snapped, turning fully toward him, her eyes locked on his face.
"You were my brother, Anakin… I loved you!" he declared dramatically, pointing weakly at her like he was in the middle of a duel.
Kate stared at him, completely betrayed. "Oh my God, you definitely watched them…"
Julia let out a quiet sigh. "I have no idea what's happening anymore," she muttered.
"Padmé… Anakin's saber is big enough. Trust in the Force…" he mumbled, completely serious in his own head.
Kate froze.
"…I'm going to kill you," she said flatly, turning her head away as her face went red.
Julia choked on a breath, trying not to laugh. "I am absolutely not part of this conversation," she said, shaking her head.
Kate covered her face with one hand. "You're unbelievable…"
"Obi-Wan, it's not about the size!" he shot back, like he was in the middle of a very serious debate.
Kate made a strangled noise, immediately covering her face with both hands. "I'm going to jump out of this car…"
Julia actually laughed this time, shaking her head. "Please don't. I don't want paperwork," she said.
Kate peeked at him through her fingers, still red. "You are never speaking again."
"A looong, long time ago… in a galaxy… a long time ago in a galaxy far, far awaaay…" he sang, completely off-track.
Kate squinted at him for a second—then it clicked.
"…No way," she said, leaning forward slightly. "Are you doing Star Wars in 99 seconds right now?"
Julia glanced back briefly. "He's performing now?"
Kate shook her head, almost impressed. "And he's still getting it wrong," she muttered, a small smile slipping through.
"Master Skywalker… there's too many of them…" he mumbled, his voice suddenly quieter, almost serious.
Kate froze for a second, the smile fading as she looked at him. "…Okay, that one's just sad," she muttered.
Julia glanced in the mirror briefly. "I'm starting to think he's seen all of them," she said.
Kate shook her head slowly, still watching him. "He lied to me…"
And as if he'd finally run out of energy, he went quiet.
For the next half hour, he didn't say a word—just breathed slowly, his head resting to the side.
His hand never left Kate's lap.
Kate stayed still, barely moving, her eyes occasionally drifting down to where his hand rested before looking away again, her fingers tightening slightly against the seat.
"Don't try it, Anakin—I have the high ground!" he suddenly burst out again, his voice cutting through the silence.
Kate jumped slightly, then turned to him, exasperated. "Oh my God, you were quiet!"
Julia exhaled slowly, shaking her head. "That was a good thirty minutes," she muttered.
Kate rubbed her face, but there was a faint smile there now. "You're exhausting…"
"And now everyone together—" he mumbled, suddenly switching tone again.
"When I was young, me and my mama had beef…
Seventeen years old, kicked out on the streets…" he started, slurring slightly but somehow staying on rhythm.
Kate stared at him, completely lost. "…What are you even doing now?"
Julia let out a quiet laugh. "He's got a whole playlist," she said.
Kate shook her head, but she didn't interrupt this time, just listening as she leaned back slightly.
"Over the years, we was poorer than the other little kids…
And even though we had different daddies, the same drama…
When things went wrong, we'd blame Mama—"
Kate blinked.
Then, without really thinking—
"And I reminisce on the stress I caused, it was hell… hugging on my mama from a jail cell…" she continued quietly, almost automatically, her voice softer than before.
She froze right after, realizing what she just did.
Julia glanced at her in the mirror, a small smile forming. "Well, look at that," she muttered.
Kate looked away quickly, clearing her throat. "Shut up."
"And who'd think in elementary?
Heeey! I'd see the penitentiary, one day…
And runnin' from the police, that's right…
Mama catch me, put a whoopin' to my backside—" he kept going, barely conscious but somehow still performing.
Julia joined in without missing a beat.
"Even as a crack fiend, Mama… you always was a black queen, Mama…" she added, her voice steady, eyes still on the road.
Kate turned to her, completely confused. "…Wait—what?"
Julia smirked slightly. "Bitch, please. You think I didn't listen to Pac when I was young?"
"I love it when you call me Big Poppa…" he mumbled, somehow transitioning again.
"Throw your hands in the air, if youse a true player…" he continued, his voice dragging.
Julia picked it up without hesitation.
"I love it when you call me Big Poppa…
To the honeys gettin' money playin' niggas like dummies—"
Kate's eyes widened, snapping toward her. "…Wait—what?!"
Julia glanced at her, completely unfazed. "Oh, come on, it's a banger for white people too, you know!"
"If you got a gun up in your waist, please don't shoot up the place…
'Cause I see some ladies tonight who should be havin' my baby—bay-bee…" he dragged out the last word, completely off-key.
Julia snorted, shaking her head. "This is insane," she muttered, but she was still smiling.
Kate just stared at both of them, eyes wide, completely overwhelmed. "…What is happening right now?"
Ray's hand was still resting on her lap as he hummed the beat to himself, eyes half-closed.
Kate looked down at it for a second… then back up.
She didn't move it.
"Funkmaster Flex, Lovebug Starsky…
I'm blowin' up like you thought I would…
Call the crib, same number, same hood…
It's all good…" he finished, voice fading but still on beat somehow.
Julia didn't even hesitate.
"Uh—and if you don't know, now you know, nigga, uh!" she finished, bouncing slightly in her seat, way too into it.
Kate just stared at her, eyes wide. "…Did you just—?"
Julia grinned, clearly pleased with herself.
Kate shook her head slowly, completely defeated, leaning back in her seat.
Ray let out a quiet hum, satisfied, his hand still resting on her lap.
Kate glanced down at it again… then back up.
She didn't say anything.
"If any black male wants to beat me up…" Julia said, looking at the mirror straight into Kate's eyes.
"I'll certainly enjoy it," she added with a wink.
Kate blinked, completely thrown off. "…Okay, I'm not even questioning you anymore."
"Once you go black—" Julia started, still smirking at her own joke.
"—you stop talking," Kate cut in immediately, shooting her a look.
Julia raised her hands slightly in surrender, still grinning. "Alright, alright."
Ray let out a quiet hum from beside her, completely unaware of the exchange, his head tilting slightly.
Kate leaned back again, exhaling slowly.
"…I can't believe this is my life right now."
"—YOU NEVER GO BACK!" Ray suddenly screamed, jolting upright slightly.
Kate jumped. "OH MY—?!"
Julia burst out laughing, gripping the wheel. "He waited for that," she said, shaking her head.
Kate stared at him, then dropped her head back against the seat. "…I hate you."
"I hope you hate me… because I shouldn't be having my haaand on your lap," he slurred, barely able to keep his eyes open. "Kate would be very mad about that…"
Kate froze instantly.
"But I just want to say," he continued, voice drifting, "I WOULD NEEEVER SLEEEEEP WITH YOU… it's just so fluuushyy…"
There was a pause.
Kate turned her head slowly toward him, her face going red. "…I'm going to actually kill you."
Julia made a choking sound, trying not to laugh. "I'm not even pulling over anymore," she muttered, shaking her head.
Kate grabbed his hand and shoved it off her lap.
…then a second later, she crossed her arms tightly, staring straight ahead, refusing to look at either of them.
"Good… good, she won't kill me now," he mumbled, his head lolled slightly to the side. "Thank you, princess… I can't take another nut kick…"
Kate slowly turned her head toward him, her expression completely flat. "…You're unbelievable."
Julia let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "At least he's learned something," she said.
Kate rolled her eyes, but there was no real heat behind it anymore as she looked forward again, exhaling slowly.
Ray's hand found its way back onto her lap.
"But tell me, Princess Peach…" he mumbled, barely keeping his eyes open, "why would she hurt the product she wants?!"
Kate's whole body went stiff.
"…Did you just call yourself a product?" she asked slowly, turning toward him, her face burning.
Julia made a noise that was half a laugh, half disbelief. "I'm not unpacking that," she said immediately.
Kate grabbed his hand again and shoved it off harder this time. "Keep your product to yourself," she snapped, looking straight ahead.
"I only wanted advice, I don't want you, stupid! Stupid princesses—you belong to Mario!" he mumbled, waving his hand weakly like he was making a point.
Kate blinked once.
Then slowly turned her head toward him.
"…Okay," she said calmly.
Julia glanced in the mirror, immediately sensing it. "Oh no," she muttered.
Kate leaned slightly closer to Ray. "Say that again," she said sweetly.
"I said… I only want to touch KATE! Go away, you monster!" he suddenly shouted, pushing weakly at the air like he was fending someone off.
Kate froze.
Completely.
Her face went bright red as she stared at him, caught somewhere between shock and something else she did not want to name.
Julia's eyes flicked to the mirror, then back to the road. "…I'm just going to keep driving," she said calmly.
Kate slowly turned forward again, her arms crossing tightly as she tried to compose herself.
"…You're never drinking again."
"She told me I'm a man of culture now because I watched Star Wars, you know?" he said proudly, nodding to himself like that settled everything.
Kate blinked, still recovering, then scoffed. "Oh yeah? That's all it took?"
Julia smirked faintly. "Standards are low these days," she said.
Kate shook her head, but there was a small smile there again despite herself.
"But I'm scared to even touch her hand… because she's probably experienced," he mumbled, staring somewhere unfocused. "Like random Chads from high school did drilling and stuuuff… you know, Miss Peach?"
Kate went completely still.
"…Excuse me?" she said slowly, turning toward him, her voice dangerously calm.
Julia let out a short breath, already bracing. "Yeah, I'm staying out of this one," she muttered.
Kate leaned in slightly, eyes locked on him. "Repeat that. Carefully."
"I said I'm too shy for her! She could have anyone she wants!" he blurted out, voice rising. "Probably she was some cheerleader Barbie in high school that would want millions… AND I'M BROKE! Why would any woman want a broken man that would love heeer—"
His words slurred toward the end, but the meaning landed.
Kate didn't move.
Not this time.
Her expression shifted—anger fading, something else taking its place as she just looked at him, really looked at him.
Julia's eyes flicked to the mirror, her face softening slightly, but she stayed quiet.
Kate slowly leaned back into her seat, her arms no longer crossed as tightly.
"…You're such an idiot," she muttered, but there was no bite left in it.
"I hope she doesn't think I'm an idiot… you think she thinks that, Miss Peach?" he mumbled, his voice quieter now, almost uncertain.
Kate swallowed, her eyes flicking toward him before quickly looking away again.
Julia glanced at her in the mirror but didn't say anything this time.
Kate took a slow breath.
"…She doesn't think that," she said after a second, her voice low, almost reluctant.
"Good, good… because I kissed her when we played bottle," he mumbled, a faint, dopey smile appearing. "I wanted to give her a proooper kiss… but I brushed my teeth hours before that, I didn't want to make her vomit, you know?"
Kate's eyes widened slightly, her breath catching for just a second.
Julia let out a quiet breath through her nose. "Very considerate," she muttered.
Kate looked down for a moment, then away, her fingers fidgeting lightly in her lap. "…You're so stupid," she said softly, but her voice had completely lost its edge.
"Hopefully she doesn't hate me…" he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper now, the energy finally fading out of him.
Kate didn't answer right away.
She just looked at him, really looked this time, her expression soft, the earlier anger completely gone. Her lips parted slightly like she was about to say something—but she stopped herself.
"…She doesn't hate you," she said quietly instead, her voice steady but softer than anything she'd said all night.
Ray let out a small, satisfied breath, like that was enough for him.
Up front, Julia glanced at them in the mirror, her expression calm, almost knowing, before looking back at the road without saying a word.
The car kept moving through the dark, the noise finally fading, replaced by a quiet that felt… different this time.
Not heavy.
Just… full.