A/N: The first chapter of this story is the same as my other story, "Dom's Daughter," but the two stories will go in different directions after chapter 1.

I woke up to the sound of the pilot announcing that we were about to land. I was grateful to have slept through the flight, but a little nervous. I hadn't seen my dad in a couple of years now. We talked on the phone at least once a week; I thought we were close, but what if living together drives us apart? What if I get on his nerves?

My thoughts were racing as I got off the plane and got my bag. I walked out of the baggage claim area and looked around, feeling a bit lost.

"Luci," I hear a deep voice that I immediately recognize.

"Dad!" I turn around and practically jump into his arms. He hugs me back tightly.

He takes my bags out of my hands and leads the way out to the car. He tells me that everyone is coming over for a barbeque. I know that he considers the people from the garage family too, so I'm a bit nervous to meet them. Truth-be-told, I never fit in with these type of people back in Miami. I was too much of a 'nerd' and a 'good girl' to be accepted with that crowd. It never bothered me until that moment. I briefly wondered who my dad would choose if me and his friends hated each other, but then told myself to stop being ridiculous. Besides, I almost never had that strong of an effect on people.

"Wow," I say as I look at his car, "Nice."

"Thanks," he says with a smile. I know nothing about cars, so really I was just commenting on how it looks. I'm sure my dad put a lot more effort into how it runs, not just how it looks.

We chatted on the way home, and I could already hear the over-protectiveness coming out. It was one of the things that my mom had warned me about when I decided to move out here...

"Just don't think that he's going to let you date, or wear what you want, or go anywhere without telling him, or-"

"Mom! It'll be fine! You worry too much."

This lecture was about the neighborhoods in L.A. According to my dad, I was never allowed to go into Johnny Tran's neighborhood. He explained to me where it was but I'm pretty awful with directions.

"Don't worry, I think I'll be busy with school, volunteering, internships... I won't have much time to get into trouble."

He smiles at that. My dad was thrilled when I got accepted into medical school. Aunt Mia told me that he brags about me in the garage to anyone who will listen. When I got into Harvard for my undergraduate, he sent me a car! When I read him off my list of possible medical schools, he all but demanded that I go to UCLA and stay with him. I agreed. Things had been kind of rough back home and I was eager to spend time with my dad instead; it seemed that he was wrapped around my finger. If I so much as mentioned something that I wanted when I talked to him on the phone, regardless of the price, it would show up in the mail within a week or so. My mom said that it was probably because he felt guilty; he was all about family and, according to my mother, it probably killed him to feel like an absentee father. Regardless of the reason, I figured he would be better to me than my stepfather was.

As soon as we pulled onto his street, I knew which house was my dad's. Cars that screamed 'street racers' filled the driveway and the street in front of the house. My dad pulled into the driveway and right away a big guy was walking up to him yelling about 'the buster.'

"Shut up Vince!" a pretty Latina woman shoved him and walked up to give my dad a kiss, then she turned to me, "You must be Luci."

I nodded, and she introduced herself as Letty. We walked into the backyard and I was immediately pulled into a hug by my aunt Mia. Then she introduced me to everyone else. Everyone seemed friendly enough, but there was obvious tension between Brian and Vince.

After we ate I went to get unpacked. Mia showed up at my door after a few minutes to help. I smiled and thanked her; she'd always been sweet to me and to my mom. Once we got most of my things unpacked, we headed downstairs where everyone was gathered in the living room. I took a seat between my dad and Vince on the couch. I felt a bit overshadowed by the two of them, but I knew that I was probably safer sitting there than I had ever been in my life.