It was a year ago that I wrote the first chapter. On Dec 17, 2012; I published it while working on my I Got You fic.

And now, a year later, he's gone.

I'm actually taking a break from writing, and I know you guys probably already got bored with the RIP fic.. but I need to do this, my dirty pawed bunny grieved with me, this is our way of saying goodbye to the actor Paul Walker and the character Brian O'Conner.

I wrote this in Sophie Trinh POV, because that's how I felt, as a fan of the franchise, as an outsider who watched them grow.

The Italic ones are flashbacks.

Forgive my grammar, English is not my first language.

Goodbye, Bri

.

"Trinh?"

I held my breath when I heard the voice from the end of the line.

"Stasiak? Uh.. What can I do for you?"

"I just want to inform you, I know you're once close with O'Conner.. He's dead"

And I felt my heart crashed to the ground and the wind knocked out of my lungs.

.

I stood motionless behind the trees, watching from a far as the priest led the private funeral. I noticed some of my FBI friends from when he was still an agent, it seem like yesterday was the day we first met and introduced each other. I couldn't believe he's gone. Cold December wind blew and I held my trench coat tighter around myself.

.

"Hi, I'm Brian O'Conner, you're.. Trinh? Did I say it right?"

He extended his hand and offered his dazzling smile. His sky blue eyes met mine, taking a moment to observed his features. He was tall, lean, and handsome, his three day beard making his face have a more gruff exterior. But his eyes, his eyes betrayed that attempt. They were warm, kind and playful. My lips broke to a smile and I shook his hand.

"Yes, Agent O'Conner. I'm Sophie Trinh. I'm assigned to help you with the case"

"Cool" he released our hold and nodded.

.

I saw Mia Toretto holding his child in her arms, Jack was far too young to understand that his dad no longer can hold him, soothe him when he cry. I thought about what his future holds, fatherless. Brian once said he wanted to makes things right, be a better father than his own old man. Giving the child the attention and love he never felt.

My heart breaks.

I remember my promise to meet again, to see his pride and joy. But not like this. I never expected it to be like this.

.

"Hi, Trinh" he phoned me in the middle of the night. Time differences between us.

"Hi, Brian.. How are you?"

"I'm ecstatic" I could almost see him grinning with the word.

"Yeah? How so?"

"I'm a father of a little boy now" proud laced his voice, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Wow! Really? What d'you named him?"

"Jack"

Aww.. He named him after his dad. "After your dad? That's sweet of you"

"Yeah. I felt like it's my chance to make it right, you know. Better than my old man was"

"You're going to be a great dad, Bri" I gave him the encouragement he needed and I truly believe the words I said.

"You should come sometimes, we need to catch up"

"I've seen your crime record. I've caught enough" I chuckled.

He laughed but didn't say anything, so I continued,

"You know me.. The Agency depends on my unbeatable skills to run database and deliver forensics report" I tried to joke.

"Took a vacation, live a little, Trinh"

I chuckled, "No promises, but I see what I can do"

"That won't do... Promise me" he insisted.

"Bri.. It's-"

"Come on. Just promise me this, Trinh."

"Fine! I promise. Happy now?"

I could pictured his goofy grin took half of his face.

.

Dominic Toretto said his speech, I couldn't hear it from where I was at, but it was short, and probably heartbreaking, because I saw Mia sobbed harder, and a few people wiped their tears. It ended with him placing something on the wooden casket, I couldn't see what it was, I could only guess that it was a car key.

Brian racing in Heaven.

That thought put a smile on my face. Yeah, he would definitely kicked other angel's ass.

.

A loose canon. That's what they said about him. He does whatever he likes, breaking the rules and ethics, helping a fugitive.

I saw him running his hands through his blonde hair, frustrated with the Toretto's trial. That was when I understood, he found something more important than this job, than this agency, more important than his pledge to serve the Nation.

He found a family.

"Nervous about the trial tomorrow?" I asked. He seemed like he need some one to talk.

"Yeah.." he sighed. "It's gonna be tough, he got a strict judge. Even his lawyer was pessimistic about it"

I just knew I had to do something. So I did something I never thought I do.

"Come on, Brian"

.

They placed a carnation on his casket. Leticia Ortiz, very much alive, placed a single stem of yellow rose, her face was blank. Trying to be strong kinda blank. With Mia by her side crying continuously, I guess she had no choice but to be strong for her.

It felt strange, to know someone only by their records, reading and watching what they have done, where they come from, who were their friends, without any personal approach, never seeing face to face, never utter a word, never shook their hands and yet you know every aspect of their life.

We knew them, they didn't know us. We are invisible.

I am invisible.

.

Brian's eyes were filled with anger, remorse, feeling sorry for what he could have prevented. Angry at himself for failing. She trusted him. She rely on him and he failed her.

In front of him was evidence left from Ortiz's crash site. Her necklace and her cellphone was salvageable, her other personal items were burnt along with her body. Five minutes had passed since I brought him the evidence envelope, and he said nothing, he just stared at them with angry eyes. I bit my lips as I kept watching him built his anger, until the dam broke.

He slammed his fist to his table with a loud crack and kicked his chair. It slide and crashed to another agent's desk. Other agents looked his way with wonder. They don't understand. All they see was an agent unable to control his feelings, an agent so attached to his case. And in this line of work, that's an awful thing. A big no-no. He was an awful agent to their eyes. A loose canon. But I knew better.

He was a man who lost a friend.

.

And now I lost a friend. His sky blue eyes that could warm the coldest heart. His contagious smile that would light up the day. His gruff laughter and that goofy grin that always makes me smile.

Gone.

But his kindness and his memory will live on, in the friends and family that continue his legacy, and in the heart of those whose lives he touched.

Like mine.

"Goodbye, Bri.."

.

-end-

Thank you