Summary: After Letty's 'death' Dom and Brian had a huge falling out and Brian disappeared. Now six years later, they are reunited thanks to a distress call courtesy of Mia and Brian, or shall I say John is not the same Busta he used to be. FF5 AU.
Disclaimer: Don't Own.
Chapter one
He'd arrived too late.
Grief, thick and heavy rushed through John as he registered the still form of his lover lying on the ground, only a few feet away from Ghost's cooling corpse. The cop was still alive, spewing apologies that he didn't want to hear and he fought not to turn and put a bullet through the man's skull. All he could focus on was the fact that he hadn't arrived in time. He hadn't been able to stop Ghost from killing G and it hurt worse than anything he'd ever felt. It was worse than abandoned by Dom and blamed for Letty's death, worse than his mother's death when she overdosed on his ninth birthday, worse than any of it and he could himself teetering on the edge of…something.
With slow hesitant steps he moved to his dead lover's side and kneeled feeling himself break as he took in the slack peaceful expression on his face, the small, almost apologetic smile on his lips. He looked like he was sleeping and it broke John's heart to know that wasn't the case. A whimper made its way past his lips and he gave a choked sob.
He was gone
A sharp gasp left John's lips as he awakened to a silent room, noting with a panicked cry, that his lover was not in the room with him. In fact, G's side of their bed was cool, his warmth having long since fled, signifying that he'd been gone for a while now. John swallowed, his panic rising a few notches.
Almost two years had passed since that night on the tarmac but he still found himself panicking whenever he awakened alone and having nightmares about being late, even though his love was still alive and well. It had gotten so bad that Gordon had started forcing him to go to a therapist, stating that his PTSD would only get worse if left untreated. The therapy was helping and he also found himself working through a lot of his other issues, both from his childhood and from his life as a cop. Now, only sixteen months after he started going the nightmares were almost all gone, but he still had problems waking up alone. Curling in on himself, the blond began to run through his breathing exercises like he'd been taught.
It took a moment but he was finally able to calm himself, soft easy breaths leaving him. Once he was calm, he sat up and looked around, knowing his lover wouldn't have left without a note. Sure enough, lying on the dresser on Gordon's side of the bed was a folded piece of paper with his name written it in his husband's elegant scrawl. John smiled a tiny grin and reached over to grab it. It read
John,
You looked so peaceful sleeping there and I couldn't bear to wake you despite knowing that upon awakening you'll freak out. I've gone out with Jake and Jesse to get my car worked on and will be back in a few hours. Also, Roman called for you. He said it was important and to call him back.
Yours eternally, Gordon
The tiny grin on the blonde's lips broadened and he slid from the bed to set about getting ready for the day.
Fifteen minutes later, John found himself sitting in the living room of the condo he shared with his husband, dialing his best friend's number. Of the people that knew him from his old life, Roman was the only one he still kept in contact with. He even told him about what was going with his new family, and of the nightmares that he had about his lover dying. Likewise, Roman told him how he'd rented out his portion of their garage to Tej and how he put all the money from John's side into a private account for him. Through his life as John Rahway, he and Roman had only gotten closer and their fraternal bond had grown stronger.
The ringing of the phone drew his from his thoughts and his brother picked up on the first ring.
"Johnny."
"Hey, Ro. What's up man? G said you called earlier."
There was a slight hesitation from the older man that immediately set him on edge.
"Roman." He warned and his brother heaved a heavy sigh.
"John, its Dom…"
Gordon could tell something was wrong as soon as he entered their home. A smooth guitar melody flowed through out the condo and John's smooth tenor joined it, full of determination and anger. This happened every time the blond taker was disquieted or discontent, he'd sing and play one of the many instruments they'd gotten for this specific purpose. It was a tactic he'd picked up in therapy as a way of releasing stress and calming himself in a healthy manner instead of locking the problem away as he was so won't to doing.
He paused to listen to the word of the song, trying to discern what had set him off.
I'm Stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kicking
I'm better now, I'm awake now I can see
Everything in front of me
I'm Stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kicking
I'm better now, I'm awake now I can see
Everything in front of me
The dark skinned man frowned at the words, and more importantly, who they were about.
Dominic Toretto.
There was no one in the world that Gordon hated more than he hated the stupid convict that had been his husband's first love. John had told him all about his life as Brian O'Connor, and about everything he'd done for Toretto and his family. He even told him about Letty and how they'd blamed him for the girl's death even though he had tried to convince her not to go under. Dominic Toretto had shattered John's heart when he blamed him for the girl's demise and Gordon had been the one to put the beautiful blond back together again. To know that the man was once again tormenting his ill at ease husband's mind, only served to piss him off.
Behind him, Jake and Jesse shared a worried look. They too knew the significance of both the fact that their other leader was singing and the words of the song. Like Gordon, they knew of John's past and they had watched as Gordon fought tooth and nail to get past the cold blonde's shields. It had taken them forever to get the older man to realize that they wouldn't leave him and that he was their family. He'd been so damaged by the Torettos and their friends that he had locked heart away behind thick walls of ice and sarcasm. Now, almost six years later, they had fully broken that hard shell and integrated the man into their family. It broke their hearts to hear the other hurting.
Following the sound of the blonde's voice they found him sitting on the couch in the game room, a dark blue guitar in his hands as he sang. He noticed their entrance immediately and fell silent, his expression carefully blank.
Those ice cold eyes stared up at them for a moment before they wavered and overflowed with tears, their owner crumbling as if the weight of the world had suddenly appeared on his shoulders.
Gordon rushed to his side and pulled him into a careful embrace, stroking his soft blond curls as the other sobbed into his chest.
"Dom and Vince have been captured by the local drug lords in Brazil. Mia had Roman send me a distress call asking if I'll help them free him. I-I don't want them to die, but I'm not sure I can handle being the scapegoat for them again either."
"So don't be. Show them who you are. You are John Cozier-Rahway, my husband and partner and the best fucking weapons specialist I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Show them you aren't that love-starved rookie anymore, nor are you that FBI agent with too much to prove. You are you and you are mine." Gordon said firmly, enforcing his words with a gentle kiss.
Jake nodded, as did Jesse. "Yea, plus who else are we gonna call mom when you guys have you little lovers spats and we do something stupid? You're ours and they can't have you back. Now let's go save us some idiots."
John grinned at his lover and the two young men he'd come to see as his sons. They were right. He'd go and help Toretto with his little problem and he'd show them that he was no longer their scapegoat.
Plus, a dark mischievous smirk crossed his lips, there were a few places in Brazil that were excellent pickings for a Taker, including a few big cartel owned banks.
TBC…