Your Past Haunts Others Too

by Dark Lady Eris

Vince had always wondered how such a good looking guy like Brian could walk around without knowing he was good looking. He wished he had never found out this way though. Getting answers about Brian's past came with a high price to pay. BRIAN/VINCE DON'T LIKE DON'T READ READ NOTE AT TOP FOR WARNING

There is quite a bit of torture mentioned in this story, I tried not to get too graphic, so I hope it doesn't bother anyone. If you're wondering why I didn't choose to go more in-depth with the torture parts it would be because it does bother me to some degree, so I apologize if they seem choppy because of that. Hopefully it doesn't take away from the story. Hobbs age in the story is off I am sure, I twisted it to fit my needs. I do not own the Fast and the Furious Franchise, nor the characters, or any lines used from the movie. I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes. For those of you that leave comments and send me emails, I just want to let you know that you're kind words keep me writing! Thank you!

….

Vince stood up and paced, he couldn't believe he was in this situation, things were looking bleaker and bleaker to him they longer he sat in this room. Not a room, a cell in a room. The only thing that wasn't made up entirely of cement was a door, and a long row of metal bars that separated them from it. He looked over and glared at the door to their cell, Vince tried several times over when they first got there to break it done, but it didn't budge.

It was cold, and dark, and they had been there for hours. Vince looked over to the person he was currently sharing his lovely accommodations with. Brian laid slumped up against the wall, not moving. Honestly he wasn't sure if Brian was going to ever wake up. The blow to his head had been hard enough to leave him with a concussion, and despite Vince's attempts to wake him up, the man wasn't coming out of his unconscious state.

So cold, dark, and silent. It left Vince with a lot of time to think.

…

Think about what had happened.

Vince had pleaded with Dom not to make him ride with the buster, he didn't want to sit in a car with the man for eight hours, sure he wasn't a cop anymore, but Vince tried to tell Dom that didn't matter, and that he still hated the once pig. He wasn't honestly sure if that was even true, Mia and Brian weren't ever really together, and even if they had been Vince's feelings for Mia had faded long before Brian came in the picture. Brian might have also lied, but he more than made up for that by pulling the family out of the fire several times over. So no he wasn't sure if he really hated the man or not, but that didn't mean he wanted to be locked in car with him. Of course now he was locked in a cell with him, and that thought caused Vince to ask god for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last hour why his life couldn't be normal.

He was seriously rethinking the decision he made to ever go back to L.A. in the first place. Vince fled to Rio after they all had to split up on the run, and honestly he had a pretty good life there. Sure he was still single, but he did odd jobs here and there and had enough cash to live comfortably. He had made a few friends in Brazil, and would have stayed there if he hadn't gotten a call from Brian of all people.

A call from Brian asking him to come back and help him on job, he said that he couldn't give any details over the phone, but he really needed Vince's help. Honestly Vince isn't sure why he agreed to meet the man with so little information about what was going on, but he did. Maybe deep down he knew it had something to do with Dom, it always had something to do with Dom when the buster was involved.

Dom was beyond loyal to all of them, Brian included now, and they were loyal back, but Brian's loyalty for him it was endless. Vince had always felt a little bitter about that, why, he wasn't sure, he couldn't put his finger on the jealousy he had.

When he got to L.A. he reunited with the whole crew, Leon, Mia, Jesse, and Letty. Vince was shocked to find out the reason Brian had called was to help break Dom off a prison bus. He was shocked but determined, so he listened to Brian's plan, and knew he would follow. It was a brilliant plan, and with his help Mia didn't even have to drive, she could stay back give instructions over the phone, and never be a suspect. Vince had been surprised with how well thought out Brian's plan was, down to the alibis he had arranged for Leon, himself, Jess, and Letty. He wasn't sure who Brian knew that could hack into any and all border cameras and erase the fact Vince had crossed, but it was impressive. The same person could apparently plant old footage of Vince in an ATM recording as well. Whoever Tej was he was a genius, with the way he hacked his way in the ATM used Vince's information to withdraw cash at the time of the heist, and popped the old video on the mainframe. If the cops suspected him and went looking, it would look like Vince was in Rio pulling out cash at the time Dom escaped, a million miles away.

He pulled similar strings for the rest of the team, and Vince had just assumed Brian had planned his own alibi as well. It wasn't until he asked about it the night before that Mia told him any different.

"Brian is the one that is going to cause the bus to flip, he will have to get on the bus to get Dom out, there's no point for him to have alibi. He has a schedule of who will be on duty that day; he says he worked with a few of the guys that will be on the bus. When they see him, they will know it's him."

It hit Vince then, how much Brian was giving up for Dom. Everyone else could go on living their lives like they did before thanks to the alibis, Brian though he was giving up his job as a Fed, and becoming a felon all in one go. It wasn't enough he gave up his career once already, or the fact he illegally took Dom into Mexico to get Letty back and kill the guy that took her. Well Brian was going to let Dom kill him, Dom didn't in the end, was going to do things the right way and trade Braga for freedom. Obviously the justice system didn't think that was good enough because they slapped it to him anyways.

Mia said the minute Dom had been arrested on that desert ground in Mexico Brian had started to plan, and hadn't stopped planning until they all got there. Honestly Vince wasn't sure if Brian had even slept since Dom had been put in handcuffs. The man constructed the whole break out, restored the charger, and still found time to plan their escape route.

Which all led right back to Vince and Brian being forced in a car together. Every single plea he made otherwise fell on deaf ears.

"Mia, is spent Vince, she can't drive anymore, and he is too exhausted to drive no matter what he says. I can't even tell when the last time he got some sleep was. Jesse is in Brian's Skyline, and Leon is with him, he's tired too. Now I'm going with Mia, end of story, go with Brian, he will watch your back; you need to watch his too."

They all split up and drove their different planned routes for the day; the plan was for everyone to meet at the hotel. Dom and Mia should have arrived at 7:00, and Jesse and Leon should have been there close to that time. Him and Brian weren't due till 8:00, and he didn't know for sure, but he was pretty sure 8:00 had come and gone by now. Vince wondered if Dom had noticed they were missing yet, or if he just thought Brian and him got lost or picked up by the cops. He hoped not, he really hoped that the man knew something was immediately wrong when they didn't show up. Vince brought his knees up into his chest; he really wished he never stopped at that gas station.

Vince had just finished filling up the gas tank, and looked over his shoulder. The buster wasn't back yet, and he was starting to get pissed. They had a deal, he goes and Vince waits by the car in case they need to make fast get away, and the he could go and Brian mans the vehicle. Vince sighed for what felt like the tenth time, and said the hell to it, Buster was taking too long.

He walked over to the side of the buildings he knew the bathrooms were on and turned the corner in time to see a large man pistol whip Brian on the back of his head.

The man picked up Brian and threw him into a jeep.

"Hey," Vince yelled out, which was stupid, there was at least three guys standing there with guns, if Brian was conscious it probably would be an easy fight for the two of them, but Vince probably didn't have much chance by himself. He would try though, well at least till the giant gun was pointed to head.

"Tsk tsk, you should have stayed over there Vincent, now I have to take you too."

And take him they did, took him and Brian and threw them in this cell.

…

Who took them?

It certainly wasn't any legal branch, pistol whipping and kidnapping wasn't really their thing. Well Vince at least hoped it wasn't, it could be a scare tactic, but he thought that kind of ran into the line of crazy conspiracy theories.

In honesty Vince had no idea, he saw their faces sure, but he had no clue about who these people are. Until Brian woke up, if he did, well Vince wouldn't know if he knew either.

…

Why did they take them in the first place?

He had just about the same amount of clues for this one as he did the last question. So it was safe to assume he wouldn't be answering it anytime soon.

…

"Vince," Brian called out from his spot lying on the floor. Vince walked over to him and looked down.

"Thought you were going to die there princess."

Brian didn't laugh, he didn't even smile, there was no smart ass remark, and no anger about Vince calling him princess. The lack of everything that Brian does to make up well Brian made Vince's blood run cold. He knew that Brian was aware of who took them and what they wanted, just by his silence.

"I'm sorry Vince," he said it like he truly meant it. "This is all my fault, and I swear I'll do whatever it takes to get you out of here."

"What's going on Brian?" Vince asked.

Before Brian could speak the door slammed open, and in walked a man with dark black hair, wearing an expensive ass silk shirt, with eyes that reminded Vince of a snake. He was followed by four goons with guns pointed at them.

"Brian lovely to see you again." The snake man purred, and Vince shuddered slightly at the sound.

Brian pulled himself up with the wall's help and then pushed himself off of it. He didn't speak, and Vince could tell this pissed the man off, he would lay money on the fact that this man liked to play with his toys before he broke them.

"You've been a busy man Brian; it was fun to turn criminal wasn't it?"

Brian stayed silent; it was creepy for Vince to actually see him this quiet, this calm in the face of what looked like a dangerous man, and four guns in their faces. Dom had always told him this was what Brian was like, and he had seen small slivers of it before, but never on this level.

"To bad you didn't do it sooner no?" The man said while reaching in and grabbing Brian's hair to pull him against the bars. "If you had, maybe you wouldn't be in this position now." He let go of his hair, and Brian shot Vince a look that said don't move. "I escaped quite a while ago Brian, spent a lot of time looking for you, makes sense now of course why I didn't find you, the agency would protect and cover your files. They don't do that when you're wanted fugitive who turned their back on them do they?"

Vince could tell the guy hit a nerve with Brian it wasn't like he gave it away easily. It was something in his face that told Vince, he had seen Brian look like that before. It was the look that always caused Dom to ask Brian what's wrong, honestly there wasn't anything telling in the facial expressions you would never know it was different from his normal ones, unless you were Dom, or him now supposed.

It was a good thing really, to be able to read Brian himself, without the Brian whisperer Dom around, might be useful in the future. Vince was confused as to when it happened though, when he had begun to be able to decipher his movements and looks. It wasn't the time to think about that however.

"You want to know what I found in your file?"

No answer and at this point the vein in the man's head was bulging out, and Vince knew Brian was pissing him off by not playing.

The man turned to Vince, and he knew from Brian's look that he was to bite. "What?" Vince asked.

The man laughed, "I didn't want to take you, but I think you're going to prove most interesting." He told Vince and then turned back to the other man. "Thanks to the news coverage of you going rouge I found your real name, O' Conner. It was easy to dig up everything else, your likes, dislikes, and your past. You've had an interesting one haven't you Brian?"

Brian tensed, and it was such an obvious tell that even the man in front of them saw it, knew he broke through Brian's shell, even if it was hidden quickly.

"Your father was a cop a too, wasn't he Brian? It's more than that though; he was a criminal just like you." Vince looked up at Brian in shock but the man didn't meet his eyes, he only stared coldly at the man who had taken them. "Was it worth it Brian? The family that you have now, the ones that you gave up everything for, was it worth turning into the man you tried so hard never to be?"

Another tense, Vince would be lying if he said it didn't freak him out how much this guy was throwing Brian off. Nothing throws Brian, he's always ice cool, but this guy knew things about him, and it was making the snowman squirm.

"Nothing to say? You don't want to talk about all the bad things daddy dearest got up too? The debt that hung over his head, enough debt that he sold his own son of to some thugs, just so he didn't die himself. You were how old Brian?"

Brian crossed his arms, it would look like to anyone else that he didn't care, but Vince saw the tightness in his back.

"I think you were 10 right? A 10 year old boy sold in to a sex trafficking den, you were there for six years was it?"

All Vince could think is what the fuck, what the fuck, and how did no one know. He was sure Dom didn't know, Dom took shit like that very seriously, and if he had known Brian went through that, well I'm pretty sure he would have never taken his eyes off Brian. He would have always been watching over him, making sure that he was okay.

"Read some interesting things about how they deal with their property there, would you like to relive some of the memories Brian?"

Vince tensed, but Brian didn't.

Two of the men walked into the cell, one kept a gun pointed at Vince and one at Brian. The guy pointing the gun at Brian forced him out of the cell, while the one pointing at Vince stayed.

"I know it goes without being said, Brian, but if you try anything, Roberto will shoot Vincent."

It all seemed too surreal to actually be happening. A water tank brought into the cell, the man and Vince watching as Brian head was dip in over and over again. Most of the time Brian hadn't the chance to catch his breath before they were putting him back in.

It seemed like it lasted forever, watching Brian like that, seeing that done to him. They pushed him so far, that Vince was sure the man was probably wishing for the sweet relief of death. When they threw him in the cell however, Vince knew he was wrong. There was a fire in his eyes, the same fire that Brian had when Dom is in trouble. The look that tells you he will do whatever it takes to get him out. That's how Brian was looking at Vince, and he doesn't know how Dom can stand having that much dedication directed at him, it's overwhelming.

Brian started taking deep breaths, slowly, like he had been through this before, like he knew the best way to recover. "Why not let him go?" He spoke in rasps when had gotten enough air.

"I would Brian, but I can't risk him running back to tell your family where you are now can I?"

"He hates me! He's wanted me gone since day one, he wouldn't tell them shit."

The man turned to Vince and studied him, Vince knew what Brian was doing, but there was no chance in hell he was leaving the man here alone. He wasn't going to play that game, so he crossed his arms and glared at the other man in anger.

"Not a chance I'm willing to take, he can leave after you're taken care of, and I won't lay a finger on him, if you behave Brian." The man said while walking out of the cell.

Brian didn't bother to move from his spot on the floor, he was still taking deep slow breaths, and wasn't looking anywhere in Vince's direction.

"I'm sorry," he said again.

"You're sorry? They didn't even fucking touch me Brian, they almost drowned you and your apologizing?"

"Yeah, I'm the reason why your here, Verone holds a grudge against me, not you."

Verone, Vince had heard that name somewhere before, it might have even been from Brian, or Mia. Maybe even Jesse, he couldn't place it though.

"What did you do to piss him off?"

"Miami job."

It was Jesse, he had told the man all about Brian and the year he spent on the run before the Feds had caught up to him and forced him into doing a job, a job for his freedom. One that Vince is guessing cost Verone his, and now he was taking away theirs, seemed tragically ironic to Vince, and damn it if he didn't feel like he was in one of the Novellas Mia watched.

Brian sat up and scooted his ass against the floor till his back hit the wall. "It's going to get bad."

"It's not already bad?"

Brian smirked a little, "worse then. He's seen the shit form my background and if that's what I'm in for, well it's going to be a lot worse than that."

"Fuck, why didn't you ever..."

"Cause I'm not some pussy that needs coddling." He hissed out.

There was a lot Vince could say to that, like being honest about your terrible past to your family isn't being a pussy, or having people look out for you isn't coddling. It wasn't going to be anything Brian wanted to hear, not from him at least, maybe Dom. Dom would know how to handle Brian, how be to that presence that knew just the right amount push and pull to comfort the man. Vince couldn't wish it was Dom in that cell instead of him though; he would just have to figure out this shit himself, till they could find them.

Vince got up and walked over to Brian and dropped down next to him. Their shoulders were touching, and Vince felt the man relax some, maybe he could be that presence after all.

"I'm not sure if they are watching."

"Fuck them if they are."

"No Vince you don't get it, the more Verone thinks you hate me the better off you are."

"No Buster you don't get it, I'm not playing that game. I'm not going to act like I hate you, just to save my ass."

"But you do hate me, you said so this morning." The man pointed out.

Vince huffed, "I lied alright, I've been searching for a reason to hate you since I got back to L.A. can't find one though, so your shit out of luck."

Brian huffed out a laugh and then got serious, "what's going to happen, you can't stop it. Don't interfere; if you do it will just get bad for you and..."

"Didn't you just hear what I said Brian?" Vince growled.

"Yes but I know Verone, I was undercover as one of his drivers, I know how he thinks, how he likes to torture, I know his buttons. Anything you do to stop him, it's just going to make it worse for yourself, and me too."

Vince heard what he was saying he did, but how could he stand by and let them torture Brian, he didn't want to. He was pretty sure Dom would murder him for it anyways if he did.

"It's nothing that I can't handle, that I haven't handled before."

"When you were a kid," Vince said with a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Yeah, I've always been able to handle it, the pain, what I wasn't very good at was watching others go through it. It broke me," he said in a quiet admission. Like he was handing Vince over the biggest secret in the world, and he was really, the key to break Brian apart.

"I won't interfere, unless it goes too far, if they try to kill you Brian, I'll do what has to be done."

"If you try anything he is just going to put a bullet in your head, and still kill me. He's not letting me out of here alive Vince, you one the other hand, he will let you go after he's done with me. I just need to get through it, and then you can go home." Brian was looking at Vince like he looked at Dom, and fuck the jealousy he always felt when he saw that look. He didn't want it, he wonders now if Dom even did.

"Home is where all your family is buster."

"Yeah," Brian said wistfully, "you'll all be together."

"Not if you're not there."

Brian placed his hand on Vince's arm, "I don't belong like the rest of you, and you've always known that. You're not the only one that knew the truth, I did too. Dom doesn't want to believe me when I tell him I'm not cut out for it, says I'll figure out what family means."

He told Vince that once too, when his old man kicked him out, and Vince made his way over to the Toretto house. Dom's father just opened the door and told him the room in the basement was his. It was that easy acceptance that had made Vince uncomfortable, and when he voiced those thoughts to Dom, the man only told him that was what family did.

"I figured it out," Vince said, trying to give the man something to hold on to.

"I think I'm too far gone."

"You're not gone yet Brian and Dom is going to find us. It won't be long now until they realize we aren't there. They will back track, maybe find the car. You know Dom he won't stop till he finds us. You just got to hold on until then, don't let this guy break you." Cause when your broken, he's going to kill you, ran through Vince's mind.

"I'll try; go on as long as I can. I'm going to sleep now; I don't think Verone is going to be letting me get much rest later."

"Sleep Buster."

Brian laid his head back against the wall, and Vince let out a small growl, it wasn't at Brian so to speak or even their situation, it was because Vince knew if Dom was here Brian wouldn't have thought twice about laying that head down on the man. It was just the kind of shit they were comfortable doing in their friendship. Brian didn't ask for comfort, but Dom always knew when he needed it, and gave it willingly. Well fuck it, if Vince couldn't do that too. He brought his hand up and pushed Brian's head down on his shoulder. "Right now, I'm your Dom alright," he said gruffly, there was something about that didn't set right. Like the fact he needed to tell Brian to think of him as someone else to touch him, he didn't like it. He would have plenty of time to think about his disturbing thoughts after Brian went to sleep though, so he pushed it back.

"You're kind of more comfortable than Dom."

Vince smiled at that, he wasn't worried about what Brian thought about his smile, the man's eyes were firmly shut, and he couldn't see it.

…

Brian hadn't been asleep for more than hour before Verone showed up again, this time with a whip.

Vince couldn't watch at first, he couldn't bear to see the thing strike down on Brian's back. Hearing it was bad enough, knowing that Brian was probably biting into his own tongue to keep from crying out.

He was strong, there was no questioning that, it took a strong man to feel the lashes digging down in his skin and not scream out in pain for as long as he did. Vince wasn't sure if he would have even lasted as long a Brian did.

When he heard Brian yell out for the first time he forced himself to look up, forced himself to watch. He told Brian he wouldn't interfere unless they took it too far, and to know if they did Vince needed to look. He needed to watch Brian's face, know when it became too much for him to handle, make sure he stayed lucid.

The blood was the worst thing to see, not as bad as the sound, but still awful. Vince hadn't counted how many times Verone had cut into Brian's skin with the whip, but he could count the gashes on his back, even as far away as he was.

There were twelve, twelve bleeding angry cuts across the man's back before Verone stopped. Vince was sure he only stopped at twelve because his weak ass arm was hurting, not because of Brian.

The goons with guns picked Brian up and threw him back in the cell, but Verone didn't leave. He watched Brian lay there on the cement panting in pain, coloring it with his blood.

"I learned something else from you file Brian," he purred like he was seducing someone instead of torturing them. "Seems like your old captors got you hooked on a certain drug." He said while pulling a plastic bag out of his pocket, and waving it around. "You had quite the nasty coke addiction didn't you? Must have been hard to break it, the withdrawals the cravings, but you did it didn't you?"

Brian let out a few harsh breaths and Vince wasn't sure if it was from pain, or if it was because of what the man was saying.

"You've been clean for nine years now, one of your bigger accomplishments if I do say so myself. You're proud of it too aren't you?" Verone threw the bag into the cell, right beside Brian. "I wonder how long you can last though, stay clean, it's right there after all, and we both know it would take the pain the way. It's pure Brian; you know I only care the good stuff."

This wasn't just about torture anymore; it was about ripping Brian apart at the core. First comparing Brian to a man he probably hates more than anything, making him relive the torture he endured for six years, and now trying to ruin something Brian did to be proud of.

"No, well it's there if you change your mind, and there it will stay. Or you," he said while looking at Vince, "will get a bullet in the head." Vince fists tightened in fury, he glared at the bastard, and all he did was laugh and walk out of the cell.

Vince walked over to Brian, he had never wanted to cry as much as he did right then. His tears wouldn't do Brian any good, and he didn't deserve to be the one to fall apart. Brian did, and he would need Vince to stay strong, to keep it together so he could help him keep it together.

Vince would have never pegged Brian for an addict, he was a little twitchy when it came to cigarettes sure, but he had always been too calm and collected to be someone that had a problem with coke. He had no problem believing it now though, with the way Brian was staring at the bag, and he knew keeping Brian from using it was going to one of the hardest things he had ever done.

Vince bent down beside Brian in between him and the bag, he wasn't touching it, so technically he hadn't broken any of the man's rules.

"What do you need me to do Brian?" He asked because he honestly had no clue, Mia would, and damn the Torettos for having all the fucking answers when Vince had none.

Brian grunted, "I need to sit up; you have to get my shirt off."

"Won't that hurt like hell though?"

"Yes, but when the blood dries and the shirt sticks to the cuts it will hurt worse. It needs to come off now."

That made sense, and logically Vince could do that, physically though he knew that would cause Brian pain, and he didn't want to do that.

"Please V," Brian begged.

That did it, gave Vince what he needed to get the job done. He grabbed Brian's forearms where there were no gashes and hauled Brian up. He moved Brian's hands and placed them on his shoulders while he held the man under his arms.

"I'll try to take it slow," Vince whispered when he heard a whimper leave Brian's lips.

"No, just do it, get it off."

Vince pulled it off and Brian let out a harsh scream, one that Vince knew would stick with him for the rest of his life.

"Come on Bri, breathe for me," Vince told him when he noticed no air was being sucked in. He pulled Brian over to wall and lowered him down on to his stomach. Brian started to let out small breaths and take a few in as well. "That's it Brian, that's it."

Vince laid down beside Brian, trying to figure out the best way to comfort the man without hurting him.

"Hold on to me," Brian whispered. "You got hold on to me or I'm going to go back over there man." Back over to the bag, the drugs. Vince slid his hands under Brian's stomach and lifted his top half and placed it over his chest. He grabbed Brian's hips, careful to not touch his back. "That hurt?"

"Yes, but it would hurt anyways, I don't know if I'm strong enough for this shit."

Vince knew Brian wasn't talking about the pain, "I won't let you. You got it; I'll stay up all night if I have to."

"Okay," he whimpered.

If Vince didn't know what taking those drugs would do to Brian he would gladly give them to him. Just so he could forget about the pain he was in, but he did know. Brian was a proud a guy, and being clean for that long was probably a struggle, one that Brian overcame, and Vince wasn't going to let him lose that battle.

He looked down at Brian's back, it was the first time he had seen the damage up close, and it was sickening. His skin was flayed opened, and the worst part was Vince could see scars under the cuts. This wasn't the first time his skin had laid open like that.

"That's why you don't ever take off your shirt?" It wasn't really a question he needed answered, but he asked it anyways.

"Yeah, got some pretty nasty scars, didn't want anyone looking at me like I was disgusting, they also tend to bring up questions I don't want to answer."

"They're not disgusting," Vince said with a frown.

"Don't lie. I'm not some vain chick that ego needs talking up. I've seen them, everyday in the mirror in fact, I know the score."

Vince had always wondered how such a good looking guy like Brian could walk around without knowing he was good looking. He wished he had never found out this way though. Getting answers about Brian's past came with a high price to pay. "Not lying Buster." Vince bent down and kissed the top of the man's head, not because it's what Dom would have done, but because it was what Vince wanted to do. "Try to sleep."

…

Brian did sleep but it wasn't peaceful, he woke up groaning off and on, and even woke up screaming from a nightmare once or twice. Vince wondered if the nightmares were a regular thing, or if reliving some of his old memories were bringing them back up.

After the fifth time he woke up, Brian gave up trying to sleep. "They get you hooked on all kinds of drugs," he told Vince.

"Why?"

"If you're dependent on them for your next fix you're less likely to run away. When I got out I worked really hard to get off the shit. It's not a switch you can just turn on and off though, just because you don't do coke anymore, doesn't mean you're not still an addict. I want it all the time; I just learned different methods of keeping myself off it. Well I guess that's not really true, just found other addictions to keep myself off of it."

"Racing?" Vince asked knowingly.

"Yeah, racing, the adrenaline of chasing down a perp, smoking."

"I'll tell Dom to lay off of trying to get you to quit."

Brian let out a small chuckle that sounded more painful than amused, "thanks."

"No problem," they both knew it would be a problem, telling Dom to do anything always was.

"Thanks for this too, I know I'm probably the last person you want laying on you."

That wasn't exactly true, Vince had been doing some serious thinking over the last couple of hours, and he had finally come to a conclusion.

He liked Brian, he was attracted to him, and he actually had real god damn feelings for the other man.

It was pretty simple to figure out really. If he started at the beginning and thought about it, he saw all the signs loud and clear.

The jealousy...

When it came to Brian he had that feeling pop up more than once. He was jealous when he saw Mia and him flirting, which had confused Vince because he thought he was way over the woman Toretto. He really wondered why he didn't notice sooner that it wasn't about Mia, but about Brian.

Speaking of Toretto it was only worse when it came to Brian and the other sibling. At first he thought it was because Brian was taking his place, but now he knows it was all those damn looks the two kept exchanging with one other. Brian looking at Dom like he was the next messiah or something, Dom looking at Brian like the sun shines out of his ass.

The jealousy over the fucking loyalty Brian had for the man, it was all because Vince had wanted that for himself. He knew he had it now, and that old saying be careful what you wish for, yeah it was true.

The jealousy wasn't the only thing Vince had read wrong. He had always been bothered by Brian.

His blonde hair, perfect fucking blues eyes, Vince was really bothered by those, blinding white smile, he belonged in a crest commercial or some shit. Brian made his skin feel twitchy, and made him feel out of place, but it wasn't in the 'I hate your fucking guts way', it was in the 'I'm so attracted to you I don't feel right in my own skin way'.

There were so many other things and interactions with the other man that Vince knew if he looked closer at they would all point at the same conclusion. Honestly he didn't need them though, he knew he was hooked, always had been.

"I'm sure a big grumpy hot head, isn't your first choice for a pillow." He said trying to keep his voice even.

Vince heard a breathless chuckle, "actually big grumpy hot head is kind of my type."

"So you got a thing for Dom then?" Vince joked.

"God no!" Brian said louder than any of his other words had been. "I don't do big and bald, reminds me too much of someone, and Dom isn't exactly grumpy."

"Bad someone?"

"Nah, but gross to think about in that way."

"So you like your men with hair then?" Vince knew he was fishing.

"God your idiot," Brian huffed out.

Vince tilted his head down in shock. "Hey, what the hell is all the hate for?"

"I like you, you big dope. Wasn't ever planning on telling your ass that, but well I guess someone should know in case I..." don't make it.

"You like me?" Vince said in surprise.

"Yep." Brian said popping the p.

"And you weren't ever going to tell me?" Vince said trying to not let his disappointment seep through.

"Planned on taking it to my grave, that idea just didn't seem so great anymore," Brian frowned into Vince's chest. "Now that you know that I'm a fag, who likes you I'm sure you want to punch the shit out of me, I'm asking that you please refrain however."

"I'm not going to punch you, shit, I spent fucking hours thinking about everything to figure out that I liked you. HOURS Brian, I went through a lot stuff while you were sleeping, I mean a lot. Here you are though, just all casual about it, not at all confused, didn't have to ponder the universe to figure it out." Leave it to Brian O' Conner to be as casual as you please, while Vince was freaking out something terrible.

"I liked you since our first fight; I meant it when I said big grumpy hot head was my type."

Vince let out a laugh, "can you imagine Dom's face when he finds this shit out?"

Brian laughed lightly as well, "oh my god your right, everyone's really."

"Leon would flip his shit." Vince said with a laugh.

"Mia probably knows..." Brian started.

"Your right, she fucking knows everything." Vince finished.

"I have a theory that's she's psychic," Brian said seriously.

"You might be right." It really was something to consider, when he had said she knew everything Vince wasn't kidding; you could never get anything passed Mia Toretto.

Vince looked down at the top of Brian's head, and wished his mouth was closer. He was so damn happy to hear that Brian liked him as well, but what a fucking place to be in to find out. So yeah he really wanted to kiss Brian but he wasn't going to move the man just to do that however, he wasn't going to cause Brian pain like that. "Wish I could kiss you," he whispered to the man.

"Me too, but I'm not moving," he said while patting Vince shoulder.

"Don't want you to Bri, I do want you to promise me something now that I know you like me too."

"What's that?"

"You don't give up, were both going to get out of this alive, together."

"I'll try."

"That's all I can ask, if you need encouragement just imagine us standing in front of everyone kissing and getting to see those looks we were talking about."

"That would be funny to see," he laughed. "I want to see it," he said sadly like he knew he wouldn't get the chance.

"You can, we will." Vince bent his head and kissed Brian's hair.

…

It had been three days, three days of nonstop torture for Brian, and three days of watching it happen for Vince.

Verone had just left from his last session with Brian, and the only spot he could once lay on, his stomach, wasn't an option anymore.

Vince had seen the scars of a number carved into Brian's chest over the last couple of days, he hadn't asked about it, but knew it was there and it had been done with a knife.

So when Verone walked in with one in his hand Vince knew what was coming.

He didn't carve a number in Brian's chest however he carved a word.

Dirty

He had said it was a reminder for Brian's short time left that he was just like his father, a dirty no good cop, a dirty person that was used and broken. Brian was in so much pain, too much to worry about his pride, so when the first cut was made he screamed loudly. So loud, and it was full of so much pain that Vince vomited. There wasn't much to throw up, because they hadn't eaten, but apparently there was enough to create bile.

"It's not true Brian. You're not like him." Vince said as Brian laid on his side with his head in Vince's lap.

They were both exhausted, Vince from staying up and making sure Brian didn't crawl his way over to the bag on the floor and Brian from not sleeping because he couldn't in that much pain.

"I'm losing it Vince," Brian said sounding broken.

His chest was heaving and tears were flowing down his face.

"Do you need some water Brian?" Water was the only thing that the asshole had provided them with. Well Vince, but there was no way he wasn't going to share with Brian. He was pretty sure Verone didn't have any cameras in their cell, because if he saw him give any to Brian, then the supply would have been gone by now.

"No," Brian said sounding a little hysterical. "I'm losing my grip, I know what it feels like, lost it before."

"Shh, Brian it's okay. Just tell me what to do."

Vince liked the fact that Brian didn't expect him to have all the answers that he was okay that Vince didn't even half of them. Every time he came back into the cell more injured, closer to breaking, he told Vince what to do to help. How to treat some of his wounds, which was mainly keeping them clean with water. How to comfort him without causing him pain. How to give him the strength he needed to push on.

"I can't take much more Vince, lost a lot of blood." He whispered.

Vince closed his eyes, "I know Bri, just got to hold on a little longer."

"I've lived through this one before, I know what's coming next."

"What Brian?" Vince asked fearfully.

"He's...going to...rape me." Brian choked out.

Vince tightened his hold on Brian's face slightly; it was the only place he could touch anymore. Brian had four broken fingers, two on each side, his chest and back was cut to hell, and Vince was pretty sure that one of his legs had been broken when Verone's goons had taken a turn to beat him. He had bruises everywhere, and at this point Vince knew it was selfish to ask Brian to keep going. Verone was one sick bastard; on the second day of Brian being tortured he had seen enough, he begged Verone to stop, even while Brian told him to shut up, he told Verone to torture him instead. The man only stared at him and laughed, like Vince offering up himself for Brian was the funniest shit he had ever heard.

"I'm not going to let that happen." He told Brian determinedly.

"You're not going to have a choice, he's going to have a gun aimed at your head, and he's going to make you watch, because that's the kind of shit he is. Then he's going to put a bullet in my head."

"No," Vince said fiercely.

"V, I'm not worth getting shot for, and if they shoot you he's still going to do it."

"I'm not going to let it happen Brian, I swear to god I'm not."

Brian sighed but didn't say anymore about the subject to Vince, "Talk to me, about something anything. I'm losing everything here, can't keep my thoughts together, help me."

Vince thought for a second, trying to find something happy, hopeful for Brian to latch onto. "You think Mia will make her famous spaghetti and meatballs for our homecoming?"

Brian smiled but didn't laugh, "Nah Dom will want to barbecue, you know that."

Vince nodded he was right, "Mia will probably make potato salad though."

"I hope she makes a cake, I think I deserve some damn cake."

Vince bent down and kissed Brian's head, "cake you shall get buster."

When Vince heard someone behind the door he laid Brian's head down gently on the ground and stood up in front him.

"Vince don't, please."

Vince ignored Brian's pleading and stood guarding the man, he wasn't go to let anyone rape Brian, it wasn't happening.

When Vince saw Dom walk through that door he hit his knees. "Dom," he cried out. "Brian its Dom."

Vince crawled back over to Brian and grabbed his face, "did you hear me?"

Brian's only answer was a sob, he didn't know if it was from the pain or in relief.

"Vince! Brian!" Dom yelled out while running to the cell door. He tried to pull it opened but it didn't budge. If Vince wasn't so damn thankful to see the man he probably would have yelled out something smart ass like you don't think I tried that Dom.

A man bigger than Dom, which was saying something, entered the room, he walked up beside Dom and they both kicked the door down together.

Both men entered the cell and look down at Brian. "Fuck!" Dom yelled. Which was the only thing you could really say at seeing Brian in that state, he looked like death.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Vince told them, to get their asses in gear, Brian needed a hospital. The bigger man started to walk towards Brian, but Vince moved in his path.

"Move your ass out of my way so I can I pick him up." He roared at Vince.

"You're not fucking touching him, I don't know you, and no body that I don't know is going to lay a finger on him." Vince bent down and put his arm under Brian's head and his other under his hip. "This is going to hurt Bri."

"Vince let me," Dom told him.

"No!" Vince said louder than he meant it to be. "You don't know where he's not hurt, I do."

Dom nodded, and watched at Vince picked Brian up.

"Oh Brian," Dom said softly while he watched him groan into Vince's chest.

The man that Vince didn't know walked over to him and looked down at Brian. "What did I tell you about getting into trouble Brian?"

Brian's eyes lit up in surprise when he saw who was talking to him. "Not to get caught."

The man snorted that had obviously been the wrong answer but he wasn't sticking around to hear the right one, all three men were walking out of the cell as fast as they could.

"Verone?" Vince asked while they left.

"Dead," Dom said.

"I would have liked to done the job myself." Vince growled at Dom.

"Yes well he wasn't to please when we showed up," Dom told him.

Brian let out a load groan at being jostled so much. "I'm sorry Bri, were going to get you to a hospital alright?"

"Can't we're on the run." He gasped.

"Trust me to take care of that Brian," the big man said, and Vince thought he really needed to get the man's name, he couldn't keep referring to him as big man in his head.

They got outside and both Vince and Brian slammed their eyes shut with a yell when the brightness of the sunlight was too much for their eyes. Vince felt Dom's hand on his arm, "come on V, I got you, you just keep a hold of Brian alright, I'll get you to the car."

…

Every moment after that was trying on Vince's already done for nerves. Getting Brian in the vehicle had been difficult, getting him out had been harder, and watching as the nurses and doctors touched him almost had Vince attacking them. It was only Dom's solid hold on him that kept him in place.

When they wheeled Brian away from him and into a different room he thought he was going to rip right out of his skin. "Wait!" He screamed at a nurse who walked back to him.

"Yes?" She asked.

"He's an addict, he's been clean for about eight years now, but he still struggles."

The woman eyes widened and she rushed off to relay the information. Vince missed the approving glance the man he didn't know shot his way and the shocked look Dom's face that the man wiped away quickly.

"He's safe Vince, they are going to help him, not hurt him."

Logically Vince knew Dom was right, but he had just spent three days locked in a cage while Brian was tortured, he wasn't in that cage anymore and no one was going to hurt Brian.

"We need to check you out as well sir," a bright eyed nurse said to Vince.

"I wasn't injured," he told her. "I don't have any wounds like he does."

"Better safe than sorry, it will just take a second." Vince nodded and left Dom standing in the middle of the hallway.

…

After his little checkup Vince had tried to refrain from saying I told you so, but it came out anyways.

"Is there any place I can take a shower?" He asked. He had just realized he was covered in Brian's blood, which was probably the reason they thought he was injured in the first place.

"Right through there sir, I can get you a pair of scrubs to change into." Vince nodded in thanks and waited for her to return with the clean clothes.

"Here you go," she said brightly, Vince really wanted to slap her; he didn't want to do cheerful he wanted to see Brian, and make sure he was going to be okay.

He knew he wouldn't be getting any answers in that room, so he went into the bathroom and showered quickly.

…

When he walked out clean and changed he saw Dom in the waiting room sitting beside that big man.

"Any word?" He asked him hurriedly.

"No," Dom said stressed. "They said they let us know."

"What happened?" The other man asked Vince.

"Who are you?" He asked instead of answering.

"His name is Hobbs," Dom answered. "When we realized you and Brian weren't coming, we back tracked. Found the car, and then he showed up looking for Brian. He's an agent."

"What?" Vince asked.

"We worked out a deal, and he helped us find the both of you."

"What was the deal?" Vince asked in suspicion.

"That I help him break you two out of wherever you were. Wasn't going to happen any other way anyways."

"So are you going to arrest us?" Vince asked him.

"Not today," he said gruffly. "Not if you tell me what happened."

Vince told them what had happened very slowly, only leaving out details of Brian's past, he didn't know if Brian would be okay with him repeating any of that.

When Vince was done he looked over at an angry Dom, "do you hate me Dom?"

"No Vince, I don't, Brian was probably right, if you had tried anything you would have been dead and he would have been left alone."

Vince put his head in his hands, "I know all that I do, but I'm just so fucking mad at myself. Sitting there useless, I couldn't stop them from hurting him, I couldn't fix the pain, I couldn't do shit. God I had to watch it Dom, I saw all of it."

"Those are your wounds." Dom said while throwing his arm over Vince's shoulder.

"What?" Vince asked him head still in his hands.

"You said you didn't have any wounds but you do, those are going to be your scars from this. Just like Brian will have his. Just like I will always hate myself for not getting there sooner."

"Vince!" Mia yelled out while rushing into the waiting room.

She threw her arms around him when he stood and grabbed on tightly, "I was so worried! Are you okay? Were you hurt? How's Brian? Any word yet?"

Mia had always been like that when she was worried, asking a million questions in one minute, not giving you enough time to answer.

Vince wasn't that interested in answering right this minute, he had suspected for years that both Toretto's had actual damn super powers. Dom's always had been the ability to make you listen and do as exactly what he said. He could make the strongest damn alpha males roll over and beg for permission to do exactly what he wanted.

Mia's had always been her hugs, it was like those gentle squeezes were urging you to fall apart, let you know it was safe to finally break down. Those hugs were always good, but the times they had held Vince and he had broken down always left him feeling embarrassed and childlike.

Like now, because Mia's magical arms had done it again, and he was crying so hard like a dam fucking broke.

When it felt like Vince was done Mia pulled him back, "you're safe," she told him reassuringly.

"I'm not worried about me," he willed her to understand, he wanted her to just know everything like she usually did, know that Vince had feelings for the man they wheeled away from him, that needed to be back by his side, because leaving him alone wasn't right.

Understand she did, "he's going to be fine, they're not going to hurt him. I'll go talk to someone, try to get you back there with him."

She didn't get more than three steps before a doctor was coming out calling for the family of Brian O' Conner.

"I'm looking for the man named Vince," she said tensely.

"That's me," he said.

"Every time someone touches Mr. O' Conner he goes in to a panic."

Vince growled at the woman and Dom put his hand on his shoulder to try to calm him.

"We've tried to sedate him, but he keeps fighting it. Restraints had to be placed on him, but he is doing himself more harm by fighting against them."

"Why would you put them on him in the first place, Jesus he was just tortured," Mia hissed.

"Because I'm not risking any injury to my staff!" The woman hissed back, she took a deep breath and looked over at Vince. "He's screaming for you, and it's not policy but if you can get him to calm down..."

"Take me to him," Vince cut her off.

The woman led Vince to a room and he was immediately pissed at seeing the straps on Brian's arms and legs. "Get them off."

"Not until," the doctor started to speak.

"Take them off now, I can calm him down." Vince told her angrily.

Vince walked over to Brian, "shh buster I'm here alright."

"Vince," Brian said in relief and shame.

"Hey, ain't nothing to be ashamed about alright, I got you. I'll watch them, ain't no body going to hurt you now that I can protect you."

"Okay," Brian said and he stopped moving, and started to relax.

"I want you to close your eyes alright, go to sleep. When you wake up I'll be here."

…

"You need some sleep yourself," Dom argued with Vince who was sitting in a chair beside Brian's bed. He had been stitched up, had a cast on his leg, bandages covering his cuts, and his broken fingers had been taped. He finally slept peacefully on his side and it was the best damn sight Vince had seen in three days.

"I told him I would be here, that I would watch out for him and it's damn well what I'm going to do Dom."

"Do you trust me Vince?" Dom asked.

"What kind of question is that?" He asked bitterly of course he did, he always had.

"I'm offering to sit with him while you get some rest, and you won't let me, like you don't trust me," Dom frowned.

"I trust you, but I promised him I would be here." Vince tried to get Dom to understand.

Dom nodded, "then sleep right there, I'll watch over the two of you okay?" He said while running his hand over Vince's head.

"Alright," Vince said finally giving in. He pulled his chair closer over to Brian and put his hand on the man's arm, he bent down and laid his head on the bed.

"Can you even sleep like that?" Dom asked.

"I haven't really slept in three days; I could sleep in any fucking position." He told him and then fell right to sleep.

…

Brian woke up with a start and calmed immediately at seeing Vince beside him. He looked around the room and noticed they weren't alone.

"Hey," Brian rasped and looked down in shame. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"I know you're not sorry for getting kidnapped, and me having to come in to save your ass Brian, you've always have known I enjoy giving a good ass kicking." Hobbs told him with a grin, that didn't have any amusement to it, just concern.

"Nah, I would never apologize for giving you something to starve away the boredom of all those case files you have on your desk."

"Then what are you sorry for?" Hobbs asked him.

"Going rouge, betraying the badge, I know how much it means to you." Brian looked guilty and heartbroken like he was waiting for a blow.

"Not as much as you and Samatha." He said honestly. Brian looked at the man in surprise. "I knew that you being a cop would never work out, it just gave you something to keep your mind occupied while you found where you belonged. Never understood why you wanted to be one in the first place, didn't know If you felt like you owed it to me, or if you did it to stick it to your old man."

"Verone said something like that, the first day we were locked up in there. Asked me if it was worth it, throwing away everything for Toretto and the team, becoming just like him."

Hobbs growled softly, "you're nothing like him Brian."

"Nah, I am." Brian told him.

"Brian...," Hobbs said but was cut off.

"See when he first said it a couple of things stood out in my mind. A time I was on patrol and found a little girl being molested in an alley, sending her with my partner while I beat the wholly living fuck out of the guy that did it. The day that Jesse had been shot, and I got in my car and took off after the man who pulled the trigger, shooting his ass down with no remorse. You walking into a dirty deserted warehouse, getting all of the younger kids out as fast as you could, and then reining hell down on everyone in there, and when you were done beating the hell out of them, you shot every last one. See Verone knew what he was talking about, just not the right old man."

Hobbs leaned over to put his hand on Brian's head, "I'm proud to call you my son, always have been, and always will be."

"I do owe you an apology, for how I was when you first took me in, I was just so fucking angry." Brian said relieved to finally be able to apologize.

"And you had every right to be, I knew what I was getting myself into, I might have been young, but I knew. You pushed every button you could think of, to see how far you could push me till I threw you away like he did. It's no wonder I'm bald now with all the stress you caused me. Hell your 27 years old and your still pushing, sitting there expecting me to tell you I hate you for what you did, tell you I never want to see you again. You can push all you like Brian it's never going to happen. I'll always be here, and I'm not ever going to throw you away."

Brian turned his head to the side to hide the tears that had gathered in his eyes. "You were always bald," he said quietly.

"You sure about that, I'm pretty sure I had a full head of hair when we met." Hobbs said with a smile.

"No," Brian huffed with a laugh.

"In all seriousness Brian, the minute you went on the run you should have called me, I have the most secure fucking phone in the world, I could have gotten your ass out of dodge a lot better." He told him with a stern look.

"Yeah, yeah Mr. Super Agent," he said. "What about them though?" He said pointing to the top of Vince's sleeping head.

"If their what makes you happy son, then yes. The moment they stop making you happy though, well no promises."

"I'm good, I'm working on the happy," he said looking down at Vince. "But I think they can help with that. I'm trying to figure this family thing out still. I think they will finish what you started."

"Me too," Hobbs said with a smile. "He hasn't left the entire time you been asleep, you know I don't usually like people, especially ones that think their good enough for my son, but he's okay."

Brian grinned, "I'll be sure to let him know he has your approval, and you gave him the highest compliment that can come out of your mouth."

Hobbs snorted, "get some rest, I'll figure out how to move all of you out, any request in location?"

"You know me I like a good beach." Brian said with an easy grin.

"Yeah, I do know you." Hobbs grinned back.

"Luke," Brian called. "I'm going to need you to get my file." Hobbs eyebrows rose in surprise. "Vince knows, and I wouldn't want to make him keep that a secret. I also don't want him to have to be the one to tell them, and I...just can't. Hand it over to Dom, I think they should know anyways."

"They should," Hobbs said while leaving the room.

…

Dom was sitting in the waiting room beside Vince; the nurses were checking Brian's injuries and vitals and had forced them out.

Vince was an anxious mess even after three days of Brian being in the hospital, and both of them being safe.

"When did it happen?" Dom asked him.

"What happen?" Vince said from beside him with his arms crossed and tension on his face

"You two, I walked in on you kissing him yesterday." Dom told him.

Vince looked over at Dom trying to get a read on how he felt about it. "I had a lot of time to think," He said and blew out a loud breath. "Realized the first night that everything I thought I felt about him was wrong, that I had misread all my feelings, the jealousy over Mia, you."

"Me?" He asked confused.

"Yeah, they way he's so loyal to you. He would step in front of a bullet for you, and would probably just grin when hit it him." Dom snorted, that pretty much summed up Brian getting shot in Mexico. "When I first realized I had feelings for him, I understood that I wasn't angry about him taking my place, I was angry that it wasn't directed at me. It was, in the cell though, his eyes burned intensely with feelings I can't even put into words. I knew he would do whatever it took to get me out there. He told me he had always liked me when he thought he would die, said someone should know. After he admitted it to me, and told him I felt the same, I asked him to hold on for me."

"And he did." Dom said.

"Yeah," Vince whispered. "There were times I thought he wasn't going to make it, Verone kept pushing for Brian to break and ask for death, but every time he got close those eyes started burning again. He held on just for me, that kind of loyalty, I'm not sure how you stand it." He admitted.

Dom nodded in understanding, "it's overwhelming," he said. "To know someone would go above and beyond for you like that. I've always had loyalty from all you, but Brian his is different." Vince nodded this time. "To hold that much power over someone, the trust it takes to give that over freely, Brian is..." Dom took the time to gather his thoughts. "He's strong, a lot stronger than I am. He pushes me to be a better leader for this family, just by showing me how to be loyal. I don't know much about his past, but he tells me all the time he should leave, that he can't do family doesn't know how. I think he's wrong though, he can, he already does do it."

Vince chose his next words carefully, "I know about his past."

"You do?" Dom asked curiously.

Vince nodded, "Verone looked into his file, everything he did, he did because of that."

Dom crossed his arms in anger, not at Vince, but at Verone, at the fact Brian had a shitty life, and because he didn't know about it and needed to. "Tell me," Dom said.

"I don't know if I can," Vince whispered. "Not just because I'm worried Brian wouldn't want me to, but also because I don't think I can get the words out."

"You don't have to," Hobbs said suddenly coming from around a corner holding a large folder. "Brian told me to give this to you," he said handing the file over to Dom and then sitting down.

Dom looked over the folder and saw the name Brian O' Conner on the side. "He wants me to read it?"

"Yes, he thinks you should know, didn't want Vince to have to keep a secret from you, didn't want him to have to be the one to tell you either. I have to warn you though Toretto, reading what's in that file, there is no going back, there are pictures as well." He said with a dark look off to the side.

Dom looked over at Vince who nodded in agreement to what Hobbs said; there was no way to forget it once you knew, no way for what you have seen to be unseen.

"It seems like an invasion of privacy," Dom said. "Wouldn't he rather tell me what he wants me to know, instead of me reading it all?"

"He can't," Hobbs said. "There are things in there that you need to know, things that will help him get past this. The nicest thing you can do for him is to read it, but if you don't want to, if it's too much then I'll take it back. You just wouldn't be the man I thought you were, the one that does whatever it takes for his family."

Dom growled in warning, but didn't speak he flipped the folder open and started to read. He gasped out after the first sentence and Vince looked away in pain.

Five pages in and Dom was a full of fury, every time he read something that pissed him off he would put the folder down stand up, pace a bit, then sit back down and continue reading.

"That's why you said he was an addict?" Dom asked Vince halfway through.

"Yeah, Verone placed a bag of coke in the cell by him. Left it there to taunt him."

"Did he?" Hobbs asked worriedly.

"No, he wanted to, told me that want never goes away," he told the man.

Hobbs nodded, "you kept him clean then."

"Yeah, I could at least do that." Vince told him bitterly.

"It was enough, using again, the shame he would have felt, I'm not sure if he could have gotten past it. Not sure if he could have overcame the need for it again." Hobbs said to him.

Vince nodded in thanks and looked over at Dom who was back to reading. The man looked white, worried, and like he was going to vomit. Vince knew exactly how he felt; he took his eyes off of his friend and started to study the man in front of him. They guy knew an awful lot about Brian, and Vince spent the time trying to figure out how, instead of thinking about his darker thoughts.

When Dom got to the last few pages he bumped his elbow into Vince's arm and pointed down at the page with his head. Vince shook his head no, he already knew all of it, and he didn't need to read it in detail. Dom was persistent though, and picked up a page and held it up to Vince. He grudgingly grabbed it and started to spot read.

Agent Luke Hobbs found 16 year old Brian O' Conner in a warehouse that was used as a sex trafficking den.

Vince raised his eyebrows but continued reading.

Brian O' Conner was 10 years old when he was sold by his father Andrew Whyat O' Conner.

Vince stopped reading and looked at Hobbs, "is he still alive?"

Hobbs didn't need it explained who Vince was asking about, he knew, he had felt that same need for revenge on Brian's behalf. "No, he died three years after."

"Was it painful?" Dom growled.

"Not near what he deserved." Hobbs said bitterly, or what he would have gotten if he had got to him first.

Vince looked back down at the sheet in his hands. There were a few statements about Brian's condition when he was in the hospital.

Thin, almost Malnourished

Cuts on his front and back

Infection has set in his wounds

Bruises

Sound of water in lungs

Large amounts of coke in his system

Withdrawal symptoms; shaking, vomiting, fever

The list went on and on and Vince couldn't read it anymore, he knew what he would find at the bottom of that list, and he just couldn't do it. So he skimmed down past the medical write up.

Brian O' Conner was released from the hospital and placed in the custody of Agent Luke Hobbs.

Angry

Doesn't speak

Fights in school

Sleeps on the floor

Has a fear of beds

Vince felt bile rise into the back of his throat. He kept skimming through the daily reports of Brian first few weeks with Hobbs, they all pretty much said the same thing.

He was close to the bottom before things started taking a lighter turn.

Said the word NO yesterday, it's not much but it's a start

Very intelligent

Has cravings, but still hasn't used

Strong willed

Still getting in fights at school

Up to three words, leave me alone

Found a way to get him to talk, and channel his anger. He is interested in mechanics. He asked me to teach him, he talked to me for a total of four hours. I then taught him how to defend himself. He listens well, takes advice, and picks up quick.

Bought him a car today, a broken down 1972 Ford Gran Torino, told him he had to fix it up.The kid smiled at me for the first time, a god honest smile.

Vince looked up at Hobbs and smiled at the man himself, "so you taught Brian all about cars."

Hobbs nodded, "taught him how to drive as well, I'm a ten and two type guy that keeps to the legal limit. Not sure where he got the lead foot."

Vince handed Dom back the sheet, he didn't need to know the rest, he was sure it read about Brian going into the academy, the job in L.A., his time on the run, job as an agent, and finally becoming a wanted felon. He had gotten all he needed from it, Brian's love for a motor was so deeply engrained in him, it meant that Hobbs was a very important person in Brian's life.

Dom placed the sheet back into the folder and closed it. He looked at the other man in a new light, "you were never here to arrest him were you?"

Hobbs shrugged, "did an old buddy of mine give me a call and a heads up about where Brian would be? Yes. Was his name ever officially on my desk? No, but even if it had been I wouldn't have taken him in. As long as I'm alive Brian O' Conner will never see the inside of a jail cell. I would never let my son, who was once a cop be fed to the lions like that." Vince let out a breath of tension he didn't know he had, he knew the man meant it; he would keep Brian from ever going through that.

Dom nodded, he wouldn't let it happen either, and Hobbs knew that, he told him such when he first came around looking for Brian. "What did you come for then?"

"To see if he was alright, if he was happy, if I needed to step in." The man shrugged.

"And if he wasn't, you would have arrested the rest of us?" Dom asked.

"If he wasn't you wouldn't have been alive long enough to see prison walls again Toretto." Hobbs said while leaning forward, and both men knew he was serious. "I won't take any of you in, because I know that would upset Brian. I tried to give him a family, did the best I could, but for a long time it was just me and him. I was young myself 26 with a 16 year old charge. One that was pissed at the world, and undoubtedly had every right to be so. My wife didn't come into the picture until he was already almost out of the house. So a large family wasn't anything he had ever experienced, he gets that with you. He'll try to push, lord knows he has with me, but if you keep being there, eventually he'll get it. Unfortunately everything with him is a test, how could it not be after what he's gone through. He needs to know what it takes to for you to leave him, because he knows that's the one thing he can't handle, and he assumes that's what will happen. It's hard I'm not going to lie, I watched him screamed in terror at nights, followed him during the day to make sure he didn't find a druggy to buy from, let him take some of anger out on me when the load was too heavy to bear himself." Hobbs set back and looked over the both of them. "I was working on a car one day when he came back from school with a black eye. He got in yet another fight, because a kid at school called him a whore." Vince could tell the man felt just as much fury about that as he did. "He looked under that hood with more interest than I had ever seen him look at anything else. So I taught him everything, and he took to it quickly. Once we finished that night with the car I taught him how to fight. Made sure no one would ever touch him again."

Dom looked over a Vince, "guess you can thank him for all those blows Brian has landed on you."

Vince smiled, "guess I can."

Hobbs smiled as well, "my boy can fight, that's for damn sure. We bonded over that, and that anger he had slipped away, at least where I was concerned. He graduated from high school, and honestly I couldn't have been prouder. A kid with no education since he was ten, joined his grade, and managed to graduate on time. He's a hard worker, dedicated, determined to not let his past ruin him. I was shocked when he joined the force, knew this life wasn't for him, but it was something he needed to figure out on his own."

"So you're okay, with what he did...for me?" Dom asked.

"Brian is loyal to anyone that will give him the time of day, and recognize his success instead of his failures. I heard you speaking about his loyalty," the man shrugged like him listening into their conversation wasn't a big deal. "It's amazing to me that he can give something like that, give it freely when he didn't even know something like that could exist until he was teenager. It's a gift what he is giving you, both of you, so don't fuck it up." He warned them. "I don't care what he has done, or will do, if he is safe, and happy, I'm happy. So as long as you're the ones that keep him that way, I'm fine with all you. I'll help you get out; get to a nice place with no extradition. I told Brian as much, he requested some place with a beach, I'm sure you two have no problems with that?" He asked sounding like he could really careless if they did.

"No," Vince said, "he likes to surf."

Hobbs smiled at the man briefly and then it was gone.

Dom watched as the nurse that was in charge of Brian's care that day walked back to the station and nodded the all clear at them.

Vince stood to return to Brian, "Let Toretto go, I want to speak with you," Hobbs told Vince.

Vince sat back down slowly, and Dom shot him a smirk as he got up to leave, he handed Hobbs back the file and looked back over at Vince, "good luck," he taunted.

Vince looked up at the man staring at him and held the gaze. Honestly it got kind of creepy with how long the man sat there unmoving, not talking, just staring.

He was relieved when the man finally started to speak. "He might not call me dad, he was too old for that sort of thing when I got him, but I want no doubt in your mind that is what I am to him."

Vince nodded, "there's none."

"Hurt him, and I will kill you, and I have just enough clearance to get away with it."

Vince met the man's eyes and did his best to stay steady; the man was scary as fuck though. Vince had done the whole meet the parents' thing before, but of course Brian O' Conner would have to have the biggest deadliest father he had ever seen. "Won't happen."

The man must have seen just the right amount of fear and honesty to be happy with Vince's statement.

"Like I told Brian I have the most secure phone a person can have, you'll get my number and if he needs anything, I mean anything, a pack of cold pills that aren't available to you for the sniffles, you call me."

"I will," he told him with a nod.

"Also just make sure he calls in general," it was the first request that Vince didn't hear a threat behind. "I've missed him, he doesn't call when he's done something wrong, thinks I'll hate him, even if I told him otherwise a thousand times."

"I'll remind him." For you, me, Dom, everyone. Vince knew Brian would need to be told he was loved constantly; it would take a while for him to understand it was permanent.

"Good, and just remember just because he's my son, and your also a male doesn't mean I don't expect to be asked if you decide to make things more permanent." He told him with a smirk.

Vince choked, and nodded slowly, only Brian's father.

…

When he finally made it back to Brian's room he saw Dom sitting behind Brian on the bed arm wrapped around the man while he dozed. Dom had his fingers in his hair and combing through it gently. He had a look of unease when he saw Vince. "I'm sorry," Dom told him. "He was in a bit of a panic and I just needed to hold him after..." after he had read what was in Brian's file.

"It's okay Dom," Vince told him and sat down on the bed. He picked up Brian's hand and held it.

"I don't want to piss you off by doing something like this now that you're together, but we've always had this type of friendship. I didn't know as much as I do now, but I knew he never had anybody when he was younger. Knew he was single and alone when we met, when we went on the run. I was always his only sense of comfort, it's always just been brotherly," he told Vince.

"I know," Vince said to get Dom to stop from continuing. "I'm not jealous, of you or anyone else in the family. Brian might think of it as coddling, but he's touch starved. He needs this from all of us, and I never expected you to not give it to him. You were there for him, when I was being too stupid to understand that I should have been too."

"You are now V, never thought I see you like this about anyone, especially not Brian, but I'm glad you are, about him I mean. He needs someone like you, to keep him grounded and safe."

"He needs all of us D, it's going to be a long road to get him back where he was. Verone he...he really fucked with his head, I've never seen Brian that thrown off by anybody before."

Dom nodded, "it will take time and patience, but we can do it. I'll tell the others tonight, give them a more basic explanation."

Vince nodded it was probably for the best, he didn't think they could ever get Mia to stop crying if she read that file.

"Oh, don't tell them about us yet," he said with a smile. "Brian wants to see the look on their faces; he's already going to be disappointed that he didn't get to see yours."

…

"It was definitely a look of shock," Dom told him.

Vince laughed at Brian's pout as he was wheeled out of the hospital in a wheelchair.

"Could have used the crutches," he mumbled.

"Broken fingers Bri," Vince reminded him.

"I still could have done it," he argued.

"I have no doubts, but the nurse said its policy.

There was a black car waiting out front for them courtesy of Hobbs. Vince helped Brian stand and get into the passenger seat. Then he made his way over to the driver side. He wasted no time in turning the key and driving off. Both men's shoulders relaxed the further away from the hospital they got.

Vince started heading in the direction Hobbs had told him to go to meet everyone. He looked over at Brian, and saw the man staring back at him, almost afraid.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was wrong and Vince grabbed the man's hand. "I know we haven't talked about it, but what I said back there," in that cell, "it was all true, and doesn't change now because we're out."

Brian smiled at him and let his body fully relax, he leaned his head back on the head rest and let his eyes drift closed with his hand still in Vince's.

Vince smiled over at the sleeping man, and rubbed his thumb along the back of Brian's hand. He could have a good twenty minute nap before they arrived at the meeting spot. Brian needed the rest due to his body still trying to heal from his injuries, which lead to him being more tired during the day then he was use to. Vince knew it was a hard pill to swallow for the man, he usually didn't stop long enough to sleep, and now it seemed to be all he could do.

…

When they got to the airstrip Vince saw Hobbs waiting for them outside of a plane. The man walked over to the passenger side and held out a phone for Brian to take. Brian took a look at the screen and rolled his eyes, "you told her?"

"Of course I told her," Hobbs said with a shrug.

"Hello," Brian answered and cringed after a few moments.

"I know...I know..."

"Your right I should have had my gun, it was dumb."

"Well I did have my knife, but they got it off of..."

"No I'm not arguing with you." Vince watched Brian roll his eyes.

"I fully agree with you, and yes I'm scared, I know you can kick my ass."

Hobbs grinned, "language."

"Your father says to watch your language." Brian winced again.

"Says I deserve it," he told Hobbs and started listening into the phone again.

"I'm sorry Savanna, I promise I'll call more. Your dad knows where we are going, I'm sure we can arrange a visit."

Brian let out a sigh, "he told you about him huh?" He asked with a glare in Hobbs direction, the man only shrugged.

"I think boyfriends is the wrong word for it," Brian told her and looked over at Vince. Vince shook his head no, boyfriends was not what they would be calling their relationship.

"I don't know, I'm sure you'll like him just fine." Hobbs signaled for Brian to wrap it up.

"Hey Savs I got to go...well talk to your father he told me I did." Brian said in a bit of whinny tone.

"I'll let him know," Brian said with a smirk in Hobb's direction.

"Love you too," he said and hung up.

"She says you're on her list now," Brian told him.

"Damn it, I just got off when I found you. Apparently finding her brother alive was enough to make up for grounding her."

"Yes well apparently telling me to get off the phone was enough to get you back on, maybe arrange a visit," Brian said with a shrug.

"I can do that, spring break alright with you two?"

Brian looked over at Vince, "want to meet my kid sister?"

"Sure, kid sister though Brian, you just said she could kick your ass."

Brian shrugged, "she probably could, you'll just have to meet her to see for yourself."

"Is she more like you or him?" Vince asked looking between the two men.

"She has all my natural charm," Hobbs smirked, "with Brian's knack for trouble, his smart mouth as well."

"Lord help us all," Vince said looking up high into the heavens. "Everybody on the plane?" Hobbs nodded, Vince smirked down at Brian, and started to reach down to pick him up.

"Ain't happening," Brian told him with a hand on his chest.

"Come on Bri, those crutches are going to hurt, and just think about their faces when we walk in." Vince smirked and Brian sighed. It was enough of an answer; he picked up Brian and kissed him deeply.

They broke apart at the sound of Hobbs's cough; Vince looked over and saw the man's hand on his gun. "My son isn't food; don't try to eat him in front of me."

Vince nodded and walked towards the plane, "you just had to have a big scary agent father didn't you buster?"

Brian laughed, "He actually likes you."

Vince raised his eyebrows, "he told me if I wanted to marry you I had to ask for his permission."

"Oh my god," Brian drawled mortified while looking back at Hobbs

Vince walked into the plane and watched as everyone's eyes darted up at them. When he had everyone's attention he bent down and kissed Brian. Mia and Dom were the only ones laughing; everyone else's jaws were almost to the floor.

"So worth it," Brian told Vince looking around at everyone.

Vince looked down at the man in his arms, "worth it," he agreed.

He sat Brian down in a chair and fell into the one next to him. "So where are we going sir?" He asked Hobbs when the man entered the plane.

"Sir," Dom snorted at Letty, "look at Vince being all respectful to the parents."

"Dominican Republic," Hobbs answered with a smirk at seeing Vince glare at Dom. Brian raised an eyebrow at the man in question. "Your surf board is down below Brian, but no surfing till you're cleared with the doctors there." He handed Vince a folder, "my number, list of doctors he will need to see, his medication instructions. I'm handing that over to you because I trust you, no I expect you to do what needs to be done." Vince nodded. "And this is for you," he handed another folder to Brian.

Brian flipped through and saw that it was a file on big drug lord in the DR. "What's this for?"

"Figured this family would need a job to pull once the money you have runs out." Hobbs said with a shrug, "clears a guy's name off of my desk." He bent down and kissed Brian's head, "only after you're healed and can travel, you'll need to high tail it out of there once you rob the guy. Call me son."

"I will," Brian said with a smile.

Hobbs turned around and walked off the plane, the doors shut immediately and the sounds of the engines starting could be heard. Vince looked over at Brian in shock, "only you," he said with a shake of the head. Brian just laughed and gave Vince a kiss on the cheek.

…

It was a long for couple of months for everyone, readjusting to life with both men after the trauma they had suffered was difficult.

Watching the hurt faces around him every time he flinched away from a touch was painful for Brian. He felt like he was hurting everyone around him, and he tried to leave several times because of it.

He never made it far before Vince and Dom were dragging him back home, and sitting him down to tell him he wasn't hurting anyone. That it was natural for him to shy away from anyone trying to reach out for him.

It was hard for Vince to watch anyone even family try to touch Brian, he found himself growling at everyone but Dom who tried. Even Jesse, and when he saw the hurt look on the kid's face he felt like a monster.

There were several late night conversations when both Brian and Vince were asleep. Conversations where Dom reassured everyone it wouldn't be like this forever, and it wasn't that either man didn't trust them; it was just hard for both of them to remember they were in a safe place.

The nights were the worst, not all of them, but most of them. If Brian wasn't screaming from a nightmare about being tortured, Vince was screaming from one about Brian being tortured. It took two weeks of constant waking up from their screams before Dom came up with an idea to help. He moved a chair into their room, and with the added presence of the other man, Brian and Vince were finally able to sleep through the night.

Dom stopped sleeping in the chair a month ago, and while there still was the occasional nightmare from either man, they were no longer constant.

Hobbs had been right when he said Brian would push, he tried to push everyone away for the first month. He tried anger; he tried just downright refusing to talk. He goaded Dom the most, tried to get the man to blow up at him and tell him to leave. He pushed Dom so much that Vince saw him outside in the garage throwing tools on more than one occasion. Dom never let Brian see his anger however, any time Brian went too far, Dom just told him he knew what Brian was trying to do, and it wouldn't work.

They must have passed whatever test Brian was putting them through, because he eventually just stopped pushing. He understood that no one was going to tell him to leave, and his temper evened out. He apologized to everyone and they told him it wasn't needed. When he went to Dom to say sorry the man only grabbed him into a hug, and held Brian while he cried.

Brian's injuries had healed up nicely, just the way the doctor had assured them they should. Brian's new scars were the only physical reminder of what Verone did, and the first time Vince saw Brian look at himself in disgust in the mirror he put a stop to it.

It had been the first time they had gone further than just kissing or heavy petting. Vince had stripped Brian down completely and made the man look at his face while his eyes searched across his body. He showed Brian that Vince didn't think he was disgusting, that he thought he was beautiful.

The scars were no longer a major point when Brian looked in the mirror, or was in front of Vince, but public was a different story. He still wouldn't take off his shirt at the beach, afraid that he would be stared at, but Vince knew that would take time. He needed to start by getting Brian comfortable enough with them to be in front of the family first, and then he could work on the out in public thing.

The therapist Brian was seeing was not only helping with the issues he had from this last ordeal, but the ones he suffered as a child as well. There was no doubt his once a week meetings were a good idea when everyone saw that Brian's panic attacks were lessening every week. Mia was even able to pull a knife out to make dinner in front the man without him going into a full out panic.

Brian stuck close to Vince for the most part, and that suited Vince just fine. Neither one of them could stand to be that far apart for long distances. There was some improvement to be seen; they no longer waited outside the door while the other went to the bathroom like the first did. Vince was able to walk off and leave Brian long enough to take care of business, and Brian was able to find solace in Dom when he did.

Dom and Brian's relationship hadn't changed much from what it first was. There was times when Brian needed the solidarity from Dom, and seeked him out instead of Vince. It didn't upset the man, he knew that their interactions were just brotherly, and Brian might be hugging Dom, but his eyes always searched out Vince standing in the corner watching out for him.

The only problem their lack of separation really caused was when Brian wanted to go surfing. He wasn't quite up to going by himself yet, and Vince hated to tell Brian no, but he couldn't swim if his life depended on it. Dom couldn't either, so Brian didn't touch the water.

…

He would sit on the beach and stare at the waves with Vince beside him, like they were doing now.

"I talked to Dom last night," Brian said from his spot beside him in the sand.

Vince fought back the urge to wince, there was no telling what those two planned during that talk, "should I be worried?"

"I don't know," Brian grinned, "you ready to pull another job?"

Vince grinned, "You two think it's time huh?"

"Yeah, I'm all healed now, and funds are running low, plus the team is getting restless."

Vince nodded, the whole family was full of adrenaline junkies with no sense, of course the easy crime free lifestyle was too boring for them. "We will need some cars," Vince told him.

"That's what Dom said."

"We need to get Jesse a new project anyways, he's going to crack if he doesn't get one soon."

Brian nodded, "I might crack if I don't race soon."

Vince knew that was true, Brian had been getting twitchy lately, and after everything he learned about the man, he knew twitchy was bad. He was smoking twice as much than usual which didn't make Dom happy, but like Vince promised he told the man to lay off of Brian's smoking habits.

They had been trying to keep a low profile until they were ready to pull this big job and move on. Since the plans were in the works maybe Vince could talk Dom into letting Brian race.

Brian looked over at the board beside him, the one he brought every day in case he worked up the nerve to go out. "I'm going in," he told Vince, "you'll be right here," he asked nervously.

Vince sat up in slight shock, "I won't move Bri," he told him seriously.

Brian grabbed the board and walked out into the ocean, only stopping once or twice to look back at beach indecision. He didn't turn and walk back however he kept going into the water.

Dom walked up beside Vince, "he went by himself."

Vince didn't take his eyes off Brian, "he's getting better," he told Dom.

"You let him go, so are you." Dom said with a smile.

Vince nodded, "I keep thinking about that day, when I begged you not to make me ride in a car with him. How differently this could have all turned out."

"You can't beat yourself up with what ifs Vince, it all happened the way it was suppose to in the end. If you hadn't been with him, he would have been alone, and if I had been with him, I'm not sure if I could have convinced him to hold on for me like you did. I think he needed you, more than he needed me."

"That whole time I was in there with him, I kept thinking Dom would know what to do, kept asking myself what would you do. When I stopped doing that, and started to do what I what wanted to do, I realized that's what Brian wanted, what he needed. He didn't want me to be you, he wanted me."

Dom nodded, "and he has you now."

"I'm thinking about making it permanent," he said with a grin.

Dom laughed and smiled, "good luck with that phone call to big daddy Hobbs."

Vince shrugged, "I'm not worried, I make Brian happy."