Rating: Teen
Warnings: Mild Violence
Spoilers: N/A
Author's Note: N/A


Chapter Four: Centripetal Force


Definition from the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: The force that is necessary to keep an object moving in a curved path and that is directed inward toward the center of rotation.


Brian sat at the dinner table, hands clasped in front of him, eyes unfocused. It had been two weeks since he had been released from the hospital with the warning that he should be taking it slow to allow the bullet wounds to fully heal. It had been painful to use his abdominal muscles in any capacity, mostly when he wanted to shift the side he was laying on. The hospital had prescribed him Percocet but he had heard the stories about the officers that had become addicted to the pain medication and were laid off so he had stayed away from the small tablets as much as possible. Any sign of addiction would only full the flames that had been lit under him.

The moment he was able, he had stood in front of the mirror in his bathroom and lifted up his shirt. His breathing had sped up when he saw the mass of scars from the surgery afterward. Directly after the surgery, the entire area had been swollen in response to the open surgery. It had taken a couple of days for it to go down to a reasonable level. Now his washboard stomach had been nearly flawless, only marred by a couple of scars from surgery. Now, the surface was riddled with a bright red line that angled from the bullet wound highest on his right side, angling down to the bullet hole hitting him from an angle to the bullet hole that entered from the front. The surgical wound was approximately about a foot long but thankfully to the skill of the surgeon that worked on him, the ridge would only be a few millimeters wide. He knew that it was going to leave a scar but to still have it present was providing Brian with the evidence on how close to death he came to be.

The wound slowly healed, the brightness disappearing as the days passed. Staying alone in his house, however, was driving him up the wall as the memories of the past two months kept haunting him day and night.

The investigation was still ongoing but Tanner was keeping him updated as much as he could. Due to Ramirez's political maneuvering, Brian was being painted as a heroic officer who had placed a civilian's life above his own. The media was eating it up so far, painting him as a hero who had jumped from a moving vehicle to a rogue truck driver and using his own body to protect another. Due to the gag order issued by the court as Brian was still labeled an undercover officer, his name had not been released to the media. In fact, the LAPD had issued him a pseudonym to use in court.

According to the latest news, the case was almost solid against Vince. The DNA and fingerprint analysis had come back from the forensic lab, proving that Vince was at the scene. Also, testimony from the responding paramedics and the truck driver had only strengthened the prosecutor's case. The only possible threat was Brian's own dalliances with Mia. When he was being interrogated by Bilkins and his superiors, Brian had forced himself to admit that he was blindsided by the emotions he was feeling for her. Ramirez had scowled deeply but Tanner stood by him, stating that Brian had still closed the case.

According to Tanner, Vince was being charged with grand theft, reckless endangerment, and a slew of other charges the prosecutors were digging from. At best, he was looking at five years but Brian knew some juries would be squeamish at the stunts the Toretto crew pulled. Also it didn't help that in the past few weeks, there had been accidents involving teens racing on what they thought were unused roads. The most recent had actually claimed the lives of a mother and child coming home from a play recital. The atmosphere would not be forgiving for Vince and Jesse.

His eyes focused on the unmarked sedan across the street, eyeing the two men inside who looked as if they were reading the newspaper. It would have been believable if the newspaper was not a week old. His instincts were telling him that it was not the LAPD who was stalking him but rather the FBI. The federal agency was the organization that was investigating the Rampart Scandal so it wasn't a big leap that they were checking to see that he wasn't a corrupt officer as well.

It also prevented him from contacting Mia.

He couldn't risk calling her on his home phone or even a payphone. Internet and mail probably weren't being monitored but Brian wasn't willing to take the risk if he was wrong. Going to her house was definitely out of the question. There wasn't really a viable option since the FBI might have his ass thrown in jail for aiding and abetting.

"Ay, mama, look who we have here." A familiar Latino slid into the seat across from Brian, his dark eyes drilling into his own. "Haven't seen you in a while, ese." The man sneered.

Brian sat back, resting his arms on his thighs, out of the man's sight. His horde of friends surrounded him, all of them with angry faces. There was no doubt in Brian's mind that he would not be able to defend himself against an attack involving all five men at the same time. "You know why I haven't been down to the races, Hector."

The man hissed, some of his anger bleeding out. He leaned forward onto the table. "Yeah, I know the reason why you don't come around, pig. The words out on the street that you're a pig."

Blue eyes flicked toward the car where the two men were suddenly interested in what was going on inside the diner. "I am a cop. I refuse to hide, Hector." Brian knew that the word would have gotten out on the street that Toretto had been forced to run due to the newbie being a cop. Not even the court ordered gag could prevent that. He leaned forward, meeting Hector's glare. "But if I had been doing my duty, Dom would have been in jail a long time ago."

"And we should be friends." Hector waved a hand around, eyebrow cocked in derision. His homies laughed in derision. "It doesn't work like that."

"If you came here to put me back into my place, bro, I wouldn't do it here." Brian calmly said.

"Going to hide behind your badge, puto?" One of Hector's homies jeered, leaning down.

"I could care less but I don't think my little watchdogs would."

Hector's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Had things gone down a different way, I don't know what I would have done. The FBI knows I wouldn't have been able to bring him in because of what Dom confided in me and my own feelings for Mia. That's why they're having me watched. No, don't look around. They think they've been shading me without letting it slip." Brian warned Hector before the man could turn his head.

"Why would they think that you would do such a thing? You're one of them."

"I had a life before you meet me, Hector. I guess sometimes, the spots just don't fade that easily." He had a juvenile record; the documents since destroyed but at one time, they had existed. Looking back at it now, Brian wondered how he had ever survived that. Part of him knew it was because of his mom, part of it luck. In fact, he could have easily been just like Dom. Instead of wallowing in pity of things that had been lost, however, Brian had pulled himself out of it and tried to do something with his life. It had helped that Brian had an officer willing to put effort in keeping the young adult off the streets once he had been released. Brian's eyes focused on the waiting man. "I'm trying to do what I can for Mia legally. Hopefully, the lawyer she got can do his job and try to get Vince off the hook with what I have suggested. If not, there's another route I can take."

"Another route to take?"

Brian lifted his chin. "Deals can be made with the prosecutors under the right circumstances. Plus I have skills that they could use in certain operations."

"You'd be willing to do that for Dom?"

"No, not Dom."

Hector quickly caught on to what he was saying. "For the sister. You've got balls, ese, thinking she even wants you after what you did."

"I've got nothing but time." A thought suddenly hit Brian, his mind grasping it as way to talk to Mia without really talking to her. "Or I could just be stupid." Brian glanced at the car quickly calculating the risks and benefits of the plan he was coming up with. "But for this to work, I'm going to need to communicate with Mia. With the car there, I don't know if Mia is also being monitored which they probably are since they want to capture Dom."

"The King isn't that stupid to come back when the heat is raging." Hector was quiet for a moment. "What do you have in mind?"

Brian leaned back, keeping the smile that threatened to split his face in half in check. As quickly as he could, Brian laid out the mail service, emphasizing they couldn't be caught. Hector nodded, knowing how serious this was. After their conversation was over, Hector stood up. One of his homies bumped shoulders with Brian roughly. "This still doesn't make us friends, holmes, but I will tell you that it's best if you don't show your face at the races anymore."

"Understood." Brian watched as the Hispanic man led his posse out the diner, relieved that he'd be able to talk to Mia.


Aceso,

I hope this reaches you. The ABCs are probably watching both of us, mostly you in hopes of trying to reach Titan and the rest. Satyr and his gang will act as our messengers. Burn each letter in case they come by. Have you heard of any news on Helios and Spitfire? And how's Brainiac?

Just keep to the plan. The HBOs and the Kiss Asses are eating up my story though I think the lead G man is suspicious as well as my boss.

Frosty


Frosty? Are you serious? How did you come up with those names?

I guess you're not totally blonde if you knew who Aceso was. I haven't heard from the other two yet. Vulcan is still mad at you but he's turning around. He agreed to go with what the lawyer has planned. He knows what to do. Brainiac wants to trust you but he doesn't know yet. How are you?

Please heed Satyr's warning. I've been hearing a lot of things on the streets. None of them pretty.

Aceso


Aceso,

Wounds are healing nicely. They're just painful. Still on beach time. IA is going over the shooting but still on pay roll. Don't think they're taking the tattoo off anytime soon.

Yeah, I have a feeling there's still some bad feelings. Saw a few of the crew. They wanted to beat my ass but luckily I had one of my colleagues with me. Paperwork is a bitch. I'd rather be riding actual waves.

Frosty


Frosty,

I have to close the garage down. I can't find any replacements to help Brainiac keep it open. Between him and me, we should be able to work the café together. I'm thinking for this semester, I need to withdraw to help pay the bills for Vulcan and Brainiac.

Aceso


Aceso,

Ask Satyr if he can lend a couple of his guys to help Brainiac. I can send you some money. I raced in the outskirts of LA before that first race against Titan and won a couple. I still have the cash.

Frosty


Exactly how long were you getting ready for this case?


A month. . . .

I'm sorry for everything.


You better make it up for me, Frosty.


I'm trying.


Letty held the small thin box in hand, wondering what she would do if the results were positive.

Ever since Dom had left, Letty had been feeling off. For the past week or so, she had been throwing up the moment she woke and was suddenly queasy when smelling eggs. At first, she thought it was the stomach flu but other than the vomiting, she didn't have any other symptom other than sleeping a lot. It had gotten to the point that Leon thought it was probably a hidden injury from the rollover.

But she was beginning to suspect another condition, one that scared her even more.

She was barely 22 years old and a wanted suspect in a federal case. The father of her child was the prime suspect and wanted for killing a man in cold blood. The family she could at one time depended on for help was scattered to the four winds. Mia was now alone with the youngest of their group in the United States, struggling to keep the grocery store/café afloat while trying to find mechanics that could help Jesse in the garage while trying to study. Vince was in jail, waiting for his trial after being released from the hospital. Due to his racing reputation and the fact the others had fled, the judge had denied bail. Leon was stuck with her, trying to find work down here to keep food on the table and Dom was where God knows where.

If she was pregnant, how could she be able to support a child while on the run?

The thought of abortion crossed her mind but she quickly rejected it. The baby was a part of her and a part of Dom. No matter how much he caused her pain, she could not get rid of it as she still loved him.

Taking a deep breath, Letty opened the box and shook the small plastic test into her hand. The instructions were simple; piss on the test and wait five minutes. A small red dash meant her life was still the same as before while a blue plus meant it was going to change forever. She could do this. How hard could it be? All she had to do was stick this down there and made sure she hit it right. Driving a car under a moving semi at 70 mph was so much harder.

Ten minutes later, Letty was still in the bathroom, trying to bring up the nerve to do her business.

If she was going to do this, it had to be soon. Leon was out, getting the groceries for tonight's dinner. The front door slamming had Letty exploding into action, the fear of Leon finding the stick spurring her on. Letty quickly did her business, holding the stick between her legs as she pissed. Once the cover was wet, she pulled it and cleaned herself up. Feeling icky, Letty placed it on the counter and washed her hands, not glancing at the white test as it sat there.

Five minutes. Already, it felt like an eternity.

Letty paced the bathroom, glancing at the mocking little thing. She had never been the motherly type. That title had always gone to Mia who cooked them breakfast, made sure their laundry was done, the house was clean, the kitchen stocked. Letty had been content on working on the cars that came to the garage, not caring when she was covered in grease, grime and dirt. She had been one of the boys.

How was she going to take care of a child, her child? Could she even do it? Her patience was non-existent. She could curse and drink a sailor under the table. When it came down to it, she could fight back. Hair pulling was not her style. Fuck no, she could and would deliver that knockout punch. Changing diapers, cuddling a kid, motherly shit like that was not her thing. If she tried to take care of it, the kid would grow up to be so fucked up, it would be like giving birth to a little demon.

She paused in front of the mirror, her eyes going over her features; her long curly black hair, the smooth skin. Would her child have that? What features would he or she get from their dad? If it was a boy, would he be just as tall as his father, just as well-built? If it was a girl, would it have that same fiery personality, a bitch who would take no shit from just anybody? And when it got older, what type of car would it choose?

Letty reached out with a hand but stopped as she stared at it. It was shaking. Her lips and hand tightening, she steeled her will. She wasn't some pussy-fighting racer slut. Opening her hand, she reached out and picked it up.

She flipped it over.

Her ass hit the ground. The small window where the results would appear had a small blue plus, bright and strong.

She was pregnant with Dom's child.

Fuck.

Pounding at the door had Letty shakily getting from, sliding the plastic test into the back of her jeans. Opening the door, she leaned against the doorjamb, hoping that Leon wouldn't see anything amiss. "What the fuck do you want, Leon?"

"I hope you're up for some takeout." Leon asked, eyeing her. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine." She said, getting out of the bathroom and stalking toward where Leon had spread out the meal he had brought from the store. With jerky movement, she began to serve herself, slapping some carnitas onto the still warm tortillas and spooning guacamole and pico de gallo on top.

"Dude, girl, what has the food done to you?"

"Nothing so shut up."

"It doesn't seem like nothing. Is there something that you're not telling me? Did Dom call?"

"No, the fucker still hasn't called. Fucking bastard." Letty snarled, the sound of Dom's name enraging her further. The fucker knocked her up and he didn't have the decency to stay, leaving her to deal with the baby.

"Chill, Let. He probably thought he was doing the right thing by taking the heat off of us." Leon said. "You don't have to act like a bitch over it."

She exploded. "It's because I'm fucking pregnant, you stupid asshole." Letty screamed, slamming her hands down on the tabletop, breathing heavily. "The fucking puto didn't have the balls to stay with me and now I have to take care of our child alone."

Leon's eyes widened at the revelation, mouth open. "W-what?"

"Pregnant. Knocked up. Carrying a fucking bun in the oven. What other metaphor do you want me to use?"

Leon blinked. "Damn."

"That pretty much sums it up."

"Do you regret it?"

"What do you mean I regret it? It's my kid!"

"Sounds like you don't want it." Leon pointed out. "You and Dom never seemed to talk about having a kid the whole time you've been together."

Letty slumped in the chair. "We were not ready for it. I'm still not ready for it."

"Well, girl, it's here so what are you going to do about it?"

"It's not its fault that it's here. Yeah, I wish the circumstances were better but it's still my kid." Letty blew a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes out of her face. "He's mine and I want to keep him."

"Are you going to let Mia know? It's her potential niece or nephew you're carrying there."

"Why should she know? She turned her back on the family, on Dom."

"Out of all of us, she's the only one who isn't a wanted felon at the moment, Letty. Plus, she has the traitor with her so they might be able to do something to help us out. You don't want your child born on the run."

"When did you become the reasonable one?"

Leon shrugged. "It had to happen sometime. So, what are you going to do?"

"Let me call Hector. He's probably running the scene now that Dom's gone."


Mia wove her hand through her thick locks, her eyes going over every single bit of the papers before her on the kitchen table. The papers for the café and the garage were laid out. The garage had only been closed for a month before Hector was able to find a couple of people to work it while Jesse came up with the plans. The judge had been kind enough to grant bail for Jesse for about ten thousand dollars on the condition that the young man wore an ankle bracelet to monitor his every movement and checked in every week at the LAPD office. Vince had been denied.

The café was also open except it opened later than usual since Mia was now the only person to go over the paperwork for both places. She also visited Vince in the hospital to keep him from attacking the nurses that watched over him.

According to the doctor, V would have to go through physical therapy for a couple of months before regaining full use of his arms. The wounds on his side and arm had healed, leaving behind puckered skin. The once pristine and clean edged tattoo that wrapped around his upper arm was now bifurcated by a spiraling scar that started on the top of his shoulder blade all the way down to the middle of his forearm. The wound on his side had healed in a scar that stretched for seven inches across his oblique muscle.

She could only image the scars on Brian from the three gunshot wounds he received to the lower abdomen.

The sound of phone ringing had Mia breaking free from the morbid thoughts. Without looking at the caller ID, she answered it. "Toretto household, Mia speaking."

"Yo, girl. You will not believe the news I got for you."


His feet pounded the sand, his thighs burning as he ran across the beach. Sweat covered every part of his skin, dripping off his jaw. His grey LAPD t-shirt was stuck in his back pocket, his eyes hidden behind wraparound sunglasses. Brian could not believe how bad he was out of shape after being in the hospital.

He had only been cleared for light duty from the doctor now that his scars were healed and the IA had cleared him of any wrong doing on the mission. Tomorrow would be his first day back on the force after the Toretto case. Tanner had told him that they were sticking him on desk duty as they wanted to make sure that he didn't push himself too far to put himself back in the hospital.

Stopping by a life guard's shack, Brian paused to stretch out his protesting muscles. He didn't want to give them any reason why he couldn't go back so he was going to call it quits for today. After a fifteen-minute stretch, Brian turned back in the direction of his car, his pace loping.

When he reached the sidewalk, he slowed down to a walk and pulled his t-shirt from his pants, ignoring the looks of appreciation that turned to horrified interest from the female beach-goers once they caught sight of the surgery scar. It was no longer bright red but was now a prominent landmark on his stomach due to his tan. He wondered briefly what Mia would say when she saw them as he wiped off any excess sweat on his face.

His eyes shot toward the windshield when he saw something tucked under the right wiper of his Mustang. Without missing a beat, he pulled it from underneath and opened the door, throwing it on the passenger seat. He pulled on his grimy t-shirt and got in the car.

Throughout the whole ride back to his house, he wondered what Mia had written in her letter. The last few had been stilted after he had apologized for destroying her family. Thinking about it now, it probably wasn't the best of ideas considering the distance between them. Plus words were empty without action to back them up.

Once he was settled at home after a shower, Brian opened the small letter, his gut clenching. Was this the letter where Mia would tell him to fuck off and never talk to her again? Apprehensive, he looked at it, bringing the front page into the light so he could read it. The two words floored him completely.

Spitfire's pregnant.

Pregnant; the small Latina spitfire that had leveled Lance Nguyen at Race Wars with a single punch to the face was now expecting a child of her own. How was she going to raise a child while on the run? What could happen if she was caught and the child taken from her? Mia would be the aunt she was and take the child in but that would mean giving up school. Then there was the fact that no child should have to live without its parents. There were times that Brian hated being a cop.

If he had a say, this child would not be losing if its mother at least.

Taking out paper and a pen, Brian began to write his response back to Mia, detailing what he was going to do to bring Letty back home and reunite part of her family again.


Jesus wolfed down the meal Mia had cooked, munching steadily away at the freshly made tamales. Jesse played with his beanie, waiting for Mia to open Brian's most recent letter.

She untucked the flap and pulled out the pages that Brian had filled with his writing. Opening it up, she began to read. Most of it was personal but the first few paragraphs were all about what he was going to do about Letty.

At this point, I can say that Spitfire being pregnant did not help the situation at all but since she is your family, you would obviously feel overjoyed at that you'll be having a niece or nephew soon.

I do have something in mind that can see you and Brainiac being reunited with Spitfire and Helios soon though undertaking the plan would have inherent risks of its own, depending on what the idiots higher than me come up with. If they do let me go in to clear Spitfire's records, there will be a time where you won't hear from me. I know it will be hard, not knowing my whereabouts but if it brings Spitfire home and her kid then it's a risk I'm going to have to take. And maybe, I can have the records for Vulcan, Brainiac, and Helios cleared.

Mia read out that part to Jesse who smiled slight, his knee jumping in excitement. "What do you think he had planned and do you really think it's going to work?"

"I don't know Jesse." The sentence about her not hearing him for a while obviously had her concerned. That's when it clicked. "He plans on going undercover again." That statement froze everyone in her kitchen, including Jesus. "He's going to the FBI and in exchange for clearing their records he'll do an undercover mission for them."

"But he almost got killed on the last one. Why would he want to do it again?"

The dark ink of Brian's words stood out. "He's doing it to fulfill the debt he feels is owed by him. During the small time we had together, I tried talking about his family but he never really replied about it. The only thing he talked about was his mom but never his dad."

Jesse's face scrunched up as he tried to remember something, a hand going to his beanie to move it back from where it was slipping into his eyes. "While we putting the new parts into the Supra, we were talking about how we first learned to drive. Brian mentioned that his mom taught him when he was 16 and caused a highway accident the first time he drove."

"That's just it. He never talks about his dad and when you try, he evades the question." Mia fingered the paper. "He's just trying to find a family and when Brian finally found it, it was in the worst situation ever. He's just trying to keep it together now as much as he can."

"Are you going to tell V?"

"He deserves to know that Letty is pregnant and Dom's not with her. That's going to piss him off even more."

"And Brian?"

"No, he still refuses to talk about him. The lawyer finally found out who's going to testify during the trial. Brian was on there as a witness for the prosecution. Plus, he doesn't know that I'm still in contact with him."


Mia sat quietly in the bench behind where Vince and Jesse were sitting. Both of her friends were dressed in clean suits. Vince was clean shaven, all hints of his scruffy beard gone while's Jesse's hair had been neatly combed into order, highlighting his young, boyish features. To their right sat the attorney Mia had procured for them. It was the same lawyer who had defended Dom all those years ago. If Mia was to tell the truth that small fact may have been the reason why V had listened to the lawyer and agreed to the plan Mia and Brian had come up with.

The two prosecutors for the city were sitting at the other table quickly conversing over the documents on hand, probably going over the last minutes details of their case for today.

The trial was on its fifth day, the media all over it like vultures swarming over a fresh carcass, looking for the best place to pick at. The lawyer for V had told her that the burden of proof was on the prosecutors who had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Vince and Jesse had done crime. When the charges were first filed at the court house, Samuels had hoped that he could drive the prosecutors to the bargaining table and have them accept a plea bargain. Mia had told him that the undercover officer had slept with her; he had said that he could use that to twist the prosecutors to a plea bargain rather than risk having the trial end with the charges being thrown out.

Things had not gone according to plan when the prosecuting attorneys had refused to come to the table, believing the evidence they had was solid enough to ensure a guilty verdict. With the testimony from the truck driver and the paramedics on the med-flight, they could conclusively state that it had been Vince on that truck as well. Also, Jesse's fingerprints had been found on the engine blocks of the three cars. Due to his prison time, Dom's fingerprints and semen had been found on the car as well.

But today, that wasn't what made Mia apprehensive.

No, it was the fact that today would be when Brian would take the stand for the prosecutors as an Expert Witness. Samuels hoped to rip Brian's reputation apart and create a dent in the case that would allow Vince and Jesse to slip free.

"All rise." The bailiff called out as the judge entered the court room dressed immaculately in his black robes. "Please be seated. This trial is now in session. Case number F89310, the State of California vs. Vincent Lindberg and Jesse Bradford who are charged of-" The bailiff rattled off the list of charges filed against the two men. "The honorable Judge William Sands presiding; you may be seated."

"You may call your first witness of the day." The judge ordered the prosecutors.

"We call Undercover Officer Spilner to the stand to the stand." The lead prosecutor stated, using the pseudonym they had received from the LAPD.

The doors to the courtroom opened, a figure stepping through and confidently striding down the center aisle, dressed immaculately in a grey-blue suit. From where she sat, Mia heard growls as the bailiff meet Brian at the door and allowed him to enter the inner sanctum of the room. The bailiff escorted him to the stand and quickly swore him in.

The lead prosecutor stood a paper in his hand. "Can you please tell us your name, occupation, and a brief summary of your experience?"

"My undercover name is Brian Spilner and I am a police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department, grade II. I was employed when I was 21 years old after joining the academy when I was 20 and a half years old. That would be a little over three years of experience on the force."

"Can you describe the events of the undercover assignment from the moment you brought onto the case?"

"My supervisors called me to their office and told me about a case they were overseeing along with the FBI. They believed Dominic Toretto and his crew were the perpetrators. The racing community is very tight and took me a couple of weeks to get into Toretto's good graces, allowing me to enter the racing scene."

"Can you explain how you got into his good graces?"

"The first prolonged contact with mark was at the night I came onto the scene. After racing, the other units came on to the scene and I was able to pick up Toretto before he was apprehended. Since no one else from his crew did that, I was able to get into his good graces."

"And what happened after that?"

"The car that the PD gave me for the assignment had been destroyed by another street crew under the leadership of Johnny Tran. The PD were not aware of this and during the ride after the race and the ensuing raid, we slipped into his territory. The loss of the vehicle placed me in debt with Toretto who said I would have to replace it with a vehicle with equal value. I took this as a way in."

"During this time, you were able to build a rep?"

"Yes, from the position that I found myself in. I took the time to eliminate all other racing crews. Watching the defendants allowed me to see they had skills necessary to pull off the heists with the precision the truckers told us the hijackers had."

On and on it went, the prosecutor carefully guiding Brian through the events that led up to the day of the hijacking and shooting.

"Any further questions?"

"No, your honor."

"Defense may now question the witness."

"Officer Spilner, you said that you have served three years on the force?"

"Yes, I did."

"At any time, during the three years have you had any experience of doing undercover work out in the field?"

"Not out in the field, no." Brian answered, watching the attorney.

"So, this was your first time."

"Yes."

"So, Office Spilner did Agent Bilkins or Sergeant Tanner give you permission to do whatever it took to close the case?" The defense attorney said, pacing before the witness stand.

"Within reason and law." Brian said, tensing slightly as he knew where this was going.

"Within reason and law," The defense attorney parroted. "Was it within reason to sleep with the primary suspect's sister?" The question came out crisp and sharp. The people packed into the courtroom visibly started, whispers breaking out.

"Order." The judge commanded sternly, glaring out over the crowd. The whispers died away and the bodies stilled. "Witness, answer the question."

"As I thought my life was in danger, yes." More whispers broke out a few women staring at Bran angrily. Mia closed her eyes, trying to repress the voices that arose in her mind. Vince was audibly growling, looking as if he wanted to kill Brian before the court.

"Her brother and primary suspect, Dominic Toretto was notoriously known to be protective regarding his sister. From the moment, I stepped into the store, I could tell she was interested in me, however, she was not the reason why Toretto accepted me. The events after the first race sealed my entry into the crew. During the course of the operation, her interest became much more obvious."

"I still don't see why you felt it was justified to sexually abuse your position, officer."

"Objection, your honor, it has not been proven that Officer Spilner broke any law."

"Sustained. Rephrase your question or move on."

"Officer Spilner, can you please explain your course of action regarding the suspect's sister?" The lawyer asked sweetly, knowing that in the minds of the jurors, the damage was already done.

"One morning while working on Exhibit 3A, Toretto came up and told me that he would break my neck if I hurt her."

"Many brothers say that regarding their younger sisters. I don't see how that could possibly explain why you felt the need to sleep with Ms. Toretto."

"I haven't heard of anyone's brother of having beaten a man's face into a bloody pulp with a ¾ socket wrench so bad he has to take the bus to work every day." Brian answered flatly.

The defense lawyer continued to rip into Brian, bouncing between Brian's time in juvenile detention which Mia, Vince, and Jesse found to be true and the relationship between Mia and Brian. He even brought up the fights in juvenile detention that Brian had fought, especially learning of his mother's death and how it exemplified how out of control Brian was. Samuels stopped short of accusing Brian of setting up the Torettos or even the deal with Jesse.

"You saw how dangerous the Tran clan was but you did nothing to stop the race from happening." Samuels stated.

"I called for an APB on Mr. Lindberg's license plate number. That's what ultimately saved his life as someone was watching the Toretto household. He was brought in by another police officer and kept in protective custody."

After four hours, the defense lawyer rested. The prosecutor went back and briefly brought out how Brian's past made him suitable for the undercover operation.

Finally, they broke for the day. As they walked out of the courtroom, Mia saw Brian talking to an older man with glasses that she recognized as Detective Tanner. Almost as if she had called out to him, Brian raised his head, his sharp, blue eyes locking with her. In that one unguarded moment, she saw the feelings he had for her before the shutters fell and his head dropped. Hand tightening around the strap of her purse, Mia forced herself to look away but god, how much she wanted to run to him and shake him for answers.

They still had their parts to play especially if they wanted to bring Letty and her unborn niece or nephew home. The plan to bring Letty home wasn't the only thing on her mind; how would her and Brian be able to get back together now that the rest of the public believed that he had used her to get close to her brother? Would they even be able to move past it? Could she trust him again?