Author's Note: I don't own anything having to do with The Fast and the Furious only Sarah and Matt belong to me.

Thank you to all who reviewed/followed/favorited it means the world to me!

Chapter 2

There was silence in the room for all about two seconds as Leon's eyes grew wide with shock and horror. I carelessly threw my sunglasses onto the coffee table almost regretting taking them off in the first place.

"What the hell happened?" Leon finally found his voice again.

"It's nothing," I replied a little too quickly as I got up and walked towards the kitchen.

"Sarah!" He shouted making me jump slightly as I stood at the sink filling the tea pot with water.

"I fell at the party last night, it's not as bad as it looks, I must have had too much to drink," I tried to lie but my voice faltered a little and I could only pray he didn't pick up on it.

"Where was Matt?" Leon asked walking into the kitchen as well but I refused to turn around as I turn on the stove. "Hey, talk to me," he unknowingly grabbed my arm in the same spot where Johnny had left bruises so that I could face him. When I hissed in pain he instantly dropped his hand. "What? What's wrong?"

I hesitantly removed my bathrobe so I was standing there in sleep shorts and a tank top to show him the bruises I also had on my arms before gingerly rolling my shirt up and showing him the almost perfect boot shaped bruise on my stomach.

"Who did this to you?" He questioned with a mixed look of anger and sympathy.

"I…I don't know," I lied as my eyes started to water. I remembered everything clear as day but it was so horrible that I had I hard time believing I wasn't in some nightmare and would wake up at any second. I was also terrified that if I opened my mouth and told him what really happened that he would get hurt, or worse killed, and that was something I couldn't live with.

The tea pot whistled and I was such a nervous wreck that the noise made me jump in fear. Leon moved the pot before turning the burner off as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Come here," he said softly pulling me into his chest as a few tears rolled down my cheeks. I loved Leon, he was my best friend and I knew he would always be there for me but there was only one person who I knew would make me feel safe again.

"Can you take me to the fort?" I asked quietly. "I need to talk to Dom."

"Of course," he nodded lightly kissing me on the cheek.

I shuffled my way into the bedroom so I could change and found it more difficult than I thought to find clothes that would cover all my bruises. I finally settled on an over-sized 'DT Garage' button up and a pair of black sweat pants. When I came back out to the living room I noticed Leon had put away the soup he brought over and was now standing next to the couch with the bat in his hand.

"Did someone break in?" he questioned trying to figure out what happened.

All I could do was shake my head as I bit the side of my cheek to stop more tears from rolling down my cheeks. I grabbed my cell phone and keys to lock the door before walking with him out to his car. I was so out of it that it wasn't until we were almost to the garage that I realized we weren't heading towards the fort.

"What are you doing?" I asked breathlessly starting to freak out. Everyone would be there and the second they saw me they would demand answers but it was those same answers that would put them in danger.

"You said you needed to talk to Dom, he's working on a Honda that just came in," Leon replied more than a little confused as to why I was acting this way.

"No!" I shouted causing him to look at me like I had six heads. "No, this was a mistake, just take me back home. Please, Le, please."

"Relax," he soothed putting his hand on my knee. "We won't go to the garage, we'll just go back to the fort, ok? No one is there; we'll have the place to ourselves."

As we headed towards the fort I went over every possible scenario that could happen if I told the team what happened and they retaliated. Every outcome was always filled with blood, tears and regret. It wasn't until Leon pulled into the driveway at the fort and I walked down the sidewalk that I saw Jesse's Jetta parked in his driveway across the street. Memories from last year came flooding back; the sound of the motorcycles speeding down the street, the sound of the bullets, Mia screaming, and Jesse lying in a pool of his own blood in the very spot I was standing at now.

I didn't even know I had started hyperventilating until Leon was crouched in front of me with his hands on either side of my face trying to get me to breathe.

"Oh, Le," I cried falling into his chest completely breaking down right there on the side walk in the middle of the day.

He automatically wrapped his arms around me, "Shh, it's ok baby girl." When I couldn't seem to stop crying he easily lifted me into his arms and carried me into the house. "Sez, look at me," he almost pleaded as I clung to his jersey. "Baby, I need to know what happened."

"I'm sorry," I sat up a little and used the back of my hand to wipe away my tears. "I'm sorry, I'm fine."

"Sarah…" he sighed but I cut him off.

"I'm just over tired, didn't sleep last night," I answered half truthfully as I got off the couch and headed for the stairs. "I'm just going to go lie down."

I climbed the stairs and was about to go into Mia's room, where I always crashed when I spent the night, but instead found myself going into Dom's. It was a lot cleaner than I had expected and though I didn't really intend on sleeping I crawled into his bed and curled up with one of his pillows.

I had gotten in my fair number of fights during school, a great deal less than Letty but I knew how to hold my own. There were few things in life that truly scared me but for once in my life I was terrified. Dom had been the big brother I never wanted but always needed growing up. I could go to him with anything and everything and I knew he would take care of it no questions. I hardly ever took him up on his offer but there had been the rare occasion. He was my rock, my protector, and the only person that could make me feel completely safe. It always made brought a smile to my face when someone asked him if he had any siblings and he would tell them he had two younger sisters.

I looked around the room and remembered when it used to be his parent's room. Mia and I would sneak up here after Sunday dinner and ransack momma Toretto's clothes and jewelry. I was broken out of my memory when I heard the unmistakable sound of team's cars racing down the street. It was only mere seconds later that I heard boots thundering up the stairs.

"Sarah?" Dom called out with concern in his voice. It was then I knew Leon had called them. I didn't have time to answer as his door flew open and his eyes immediately landed on my bruised face. "Who…" He fumed but I cut him off as I launched myself from the bed into his arms seeking the comfort I so desperately craved. "Alright, I've got you," he sat down on the bed with me in his lap until I calmed down enough and moved to sit next to him. "Tell me what happened."

Those four little words made any lie I had come up with go right out the window as I sat there and told him everything that happened last night from how off Matt was acting when he picked me up, to Lance with the gun pointed at me, and Johnny beating me while Matt just stood there. I rolled up my sleeves showing him my arms before moving the bottom of my shirt and showing him my stomach as well.

This was all something he was too accustomed to, the fights, the guns and the rival gangs but this was my first time being involved and I was terrified. By the time I had finished he had gone eerily quiet, his jaw clenched in anger as he took short shallow breaths through his nose trying to contain his temper.

The second he got off the bed and stormed into the hallway I knew what he was going to do.

"Dom, no!" I shouted running after him. "Don't!"

"Why not?!" he turned his head to look at me as he started down the stairs. "He's not going to get away with this, no one hurts my family."

"Dom, please," I cried stumbling down the stairs after him, my tears blurring my vision but I had to stop him. "He said he'd kill you!" I screamed grabbing onto the railing so I wouldn't fall. "Please, Dom, I need you!"

Mia ran over and caught me just as I tripped on the last step, tears in her eyes matching my own. "Dom, please," Mia repeated sitting with me on the floor as we cried.

He kneeled down next to us and pulled us into his chest trying to console us. I could still feel the anger radiating off of him but I let out a small sigh of relief that I had somehow managed to keep in the house at least for now. When I looked up I noticed that the whole team was standing in the living room each with mixed expressions of anger and sorrow but it was Brian that my eyes landed on as he shifted the weight on his feet looking as if he was talking himself out of leaving. The look of guilt that was written all over his face was something that confused me and broke my heart all at the same time.

"Until we figure out what we are going to do, you're staying here," Dom announced standing up and helping Mia and I up off the floor. "I don't want you going anywhere alone even if it's just for a walk around the block I want you to take someone with you."

"Dom, I…" I went to argue but he just gave me a look saying this wasn't negotiable. "What about my things?"

"I can go over to your place and pack you a bag," Mia offered using the corner of her sleeve to dry her eyes.

"I'll go with you," Brian spoke up. "I'm assuming you'll want your car here."

"Thanks," I forced a smile and went to look for my keys when I realized I had no idea where they were until I saw Leon handing them over to Brian.

"Straight there and straight back, we don't know if he has anything else planned so we have to assume we are being watched," Dom said as Brian and Mia walked out the door.

I was a little shocked when Jesse pulled me into a tight hug. We were of course friends but the gesture had my heart swelling as he whispered in my ear, "it's ok to be scared."

"Thanks, Jess," I forced another smile as I hugged him back.

When he let go I swayed a little on my feet and he grabbed onto my elbow to steady me. "Hey, you alright?"

"When's the last time you ate?" Letty asked before I had a chance to answer.

With everything else going on I hadn't even thought about food and I tried to remember the last thing I had eaten. "Lunch," I replied before quietly adding, "yesterday."

"The last thing you ate was a half of a sandwich almost twenty four hours ago?!" Leon exclaimed in shock.

"I guess," I shrugged and without another word I was being led into the kitchen where Leon and Jesse were raiding the refrigerator while I sat at the small table with my back resting against the wall. I tried to look thankful as they set a ham sandwich, a bowl of spaghetti and a plate of grilled chicken in front of me. "I'm not Vince I couldn't eat all of this even if I hadn't eaten in a week!"

"Hey!" Vince protested walking into the kitchen and stealing a piece of chicken off the plate before leaning against the counter.

"Just being honest," I replied as Leon lifted me out of the chair and sat me in his lap as I picked at the spaghetti.

"You're going to want to eat that before you pass out, chica," Letty commented and I couldn't help but roll my eyes before taking large sarcastic bite successfully getting sauce all over my chin.

"Attractive," Vince chuckled as Jesse handed me a napkin but his laid back attitude wasn't fooling me. I could see behind the scruff, behind the defenses he put, and he was just as upset about this whole thing as Dom was.

"Just because Brian went to get your car doesn't mean I want you driving by yourself," Dom spoke up before turning to Letty and Vince. "When he gets back I want you to go over every inch of the car and make sure nothing's been tampered with."

They both agreed as I rested my head against Leon's shoulder the exhaustion finally catching up with me. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew I was in Leon's arms and was being carried down the stairs. He carefully laid me down in his bed and covered me with a sheet.

I thought I would have been able to fall back to sleep but the moment he was no longer next to me and halfway to the door the fear started to build inside of me again.

"Le," I called out stopping him from leaving. I hated how childish I sounded but I knew I needed the sleep to be able to function. "Can you stay?"

"I was just closing the door," he assured as he turned the lights off and laid down next to me wrapping a protective arm around my middle so that my back was flush with his chest. "I'm not going anywhere."

As quick as the fear had built inside of me, it left, or so I thought. I dozed back off but it was anything but restful as I dreamt.

I walked into DT Garage after closing the café up for the day. Everyone's car was still parked out front but my heart was instantly in my throat when I heard nothing but silence. Running through the door in hopes of this all being some big prank I had to stop short when I saw the blood. I had to clasp my hand over my mouth from being sick as I stared wide eyed as the scene in front of me. Vince, Jesse and Leon were face down in pools of their own blood on one side of the garage and Mia and Letty were huddled together on the other side looking as if they died trying to protect one another. Then there was Brian right in the middle with four bullets to the chest, his beautiful blue eyes still open but full of hate.

"You did this," a voice came from behind me and I spun around to see Dom with a wrench in his hand.

"What?" I squeaked out.

"This is all your fault!" He yelled raising the wrench high above his head before swinging it down and connecting it with the side of my face.

"Baby girl…come on babe…Sarah!" Leon shook my shoulders snapping me out of my nightmare. Fresh tears poured down my cheeks as I shot up in bed trying to catch my breath. "Come here," Leon pulled me back down and into his chest. "You're ok, it was just a dream."

I laid there and tried to fall back to sleep but it was useless. Every time I closed my eyes the images from my dream popped back up. Leon's breathing evened out and I knew he had fallen back to sleep. Not wanting to disturb him I carefully crawled out of bed and headed upstairs to make a cup of tea.

The house was exceptionally quiet, everyone having gone to bed hours prior, but I was surprised when I got to the top of the stairs to see the light from the television illuminating the hallway.

"Everything alright?" Brian questioned as I peered into the living room.

"Can't sleep…nightmares…" I reluctantly admitted a bit shocked that I was being so honest with him usually it was only Dom that I couldn't keep secrets from.

"Want to join me?" he asked patting the couch cushion next to him.

"That'd be great," I gave him as half smile and sat down next to him tucking my legs underneath me. "What are we watching?"

"Varsity Blues," he answered and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "What? It's the only thing that's on at this hour."

"Uh-huh," I nodded with a smirk and we fell into silence watching the movie until Brian spoke up.

"I'm sorry," he said so softly I almost didn't hear him.

"For what?" I questioned confused.

"About Johnny," he started until I cut him off.

"Bri…"

"No, if I had just taken him out after he shot Jesse this would have never been a problem. You would have never gotten hurt," he finished looking at me again with sad guilt filled eyes.

"You're not to blame, Brian, I am. I mean for weeks all I heard from Leon was how he didn't trust the guy and Dom constantly on my case about meeting him. I should have known something wasn't right…but…I didn't listen. This is my fault and now I've brought danger to my family…to you and that's not ok…" I confessed and I was surprised I had any tears left to cry but somehow there was more as they flowed down my cheeks.

"Hey," Brian threw his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. "This is not your fault, at all, you hear me?" I nodded my head against his shoulder though I didn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. "Everything will work for the best. You'll see."

I felt my eyelids start to droop and I thought about going back downstairs so I could sleep but found I was too comfortable where I was so I closed my eyes and fell asleep on Brian's shoulder.