Dsiclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any part of the Fast and the Furious franchise.
Chapter 4- Sunday Barbeques
It had all started with one innocent Sunday barbeque.
Letty and her father knew something was wrong when her mother started missing the Toretto's barbeque. It was tradition. Everyone came to those barbeques—even Vince and the Cadmens who lived on the other side of town. But Maria always had an excuse.
"Papi, I had to work late!" she would say. "There's been no one to replace Felicia since she left, and you know the extra money wouldn't hurt."
"It does if I don't see my wife!" Juan hollered.
"You see me now don't you?"
But her appearances became less and less and then Anthony started skipping out on his own barbeques.
"What the hell is this?" Krystal snapped, the third time it happened. "Dominic, where is your father?"
They were all in Tony's backyard, the food was ready, plates already set and everyone was there—except the man of the hour, and Juan's runaway bride.
"I don't know," Dom replied. "He got a phone call about an hour ago before he left. He said he'd be back in a few."
"Since when is an hour 'a few'?" Krystal grumbled under her breath."Go inside and call your father, Dom."
"Already did," Kimberly, Krystal's eldest, said at the table. "He didn't pick up."
"Not here?" Juan asked emerging from the house.
"No, but we'll start without them," Krystal said. "Come on, everyone at the table."
They all sat down—Vince, Letty, her father, Dom and Mia, Krystal and her four children taking in the aroma of hot, fresh food. And some of them, like Dominic, just couldn't wait.
"Munchkin," Krystal sang sweetly to Dom after he grabbed a particularly large chicken leg, smothered in honey barbeque sauce, "since you put your dirty hands on my clean chicken, you're going to say grace."
"You'd think after thirteen years, he'd get it through his head," Mia snickered.
"Shut it, Mia," Dom snapped.
"Don't keep us waiting Munchkin," Cameron teased.
"Cameron," Krystal warned, before nodding for Dominic to begin.
"Dear God, we thank you for the food that has been prepared, we ask that it be good food that will last us, a long, long time. Amen."
"Amen," they all chorused with a few chuckles.
"Munchkin," Krystal teased as Dominic groaned at the pet name she had dubbed him with years ago. "Since when do I make bad food?"
They went through most of dinner flawlessly, just a few teases here and there, but nothing out of the norm for this extended family. It was nearing dessert when all plates were cleared, that Tony and Maria finally arrived. They came in through the back gate, with Maria leaning all of her weight against Tony, rubbing her hands lazily against his chest, with a dazed look on her face.
"Tony!" Krystal objected, setting her eyes on her prey. "Where the hell have you two been?"
"Jealous, Krystal?" Maria slurred. "You were right, Tony is an excellent lover."
"Maria!" Tony growled trying to set the woman on her own two feet. "Stop!"
"Anthony hand her here," Krystal snapped. "I know how to deal with a woman who's high."
"The look on your face says you're going to do a hell of a lot more than just deal with her," Tony objected.
"Tony, give her—"
"ENOUGH!"
Juan was now up from his seat in Tony's face, livid.
"Maria, where have you been?" he roared.
"Where do you think?" Maria replied now leaning against Juan's chest, poking him. "Where do you think I go during the day and at night? I need a real man and Leticia needs a father. Not a weakling, like you!"
Juan pushed her away started towards Tony.
"Have you been sleeping with my wife?"
"Kimberly, why don't you give the boys and Mia a ride back to the house," Krystal snapped tossing her keys to her oldest daughter, before turning her attention to Maria.
"YOU'VE BEEN SLEEPING WITH MY WIFE!" Juan roared before punching Tony in the face.
"Let's go," Kimberly snapped. But Dom was already over the table trying to help his father out, and Letty was trying to get her father up.
Krystal had to drop Maria to pull the two men apart, before forcefully, throwing Dom, Letty and every child under the age of 21 out of the house.
"My dad didn't do shit!" Dom yelled furious as Kadeem ushered him to the car. The senior in high school was having quite the time with the explosive thirteen year old.
"What the hell is your blood made out of a tank of NOS?" Kimberly snapped. "Shut up and get your ass in the car!"
Cameron hung back and waited for Letty, who was moving the slowest out of them all, her eyes still locked on the white house behind them.
"Hey, don't worry," Cam assured, throwing an arm over Letty's shoulders. "We'll get it all straightened out. Everything is going to be fine."
Letty didn't say a word, but silently wished that he was right.
"Are all of the plates ready?" Mia asked as Letty entered the kitchen. She had spent most of the afternoon, catching up on some well deserved sleep (she had switched to Mia's room) before getting up to help Mia with the barbeque.
"Yeah, everything is set," Letty answered. "So what's this FBI guy like?"
"Don't refer to him as the FBI guy, Let," Mia scolded. "Brandon has been a great help. He warned me about the police trying to put wires on the house, waiting for Dom to call. He got the FBI off of my back, helped me pay bills. I couldn't keep the garage, but I did get to save the store. He and Kendall even crashed here for awhile, just to make sure that none of the Trans, or anyone else with a grudge would pass through here with the wrong idea. So lay off. He's a good guy."
"That's what we said about the last cop," Letty mumbled.
"Letty," Mia snapped her voice hard. "Let's not go there."
Seeing such opposition, Letty let the subject go. Besides, she wasn't a fool. She could tell that Mia had yet to get over Brian O'Conner, Spilner, whatever the hell his last name was.
"So when are they coming?" Letty asked.
"They should be here any moment now," Mia replied. "So be nice."
Letty helped Mia carry out the large glass pan of barbeque onto the table with plenty of potato salad, fresh greens and corn to go around.
"Well if it isn't our favorite little criminal!"
Letty turned to see Kadeem Cadmen emerge from the kitchen to the backyard, with one of his signature goofy smiles plastered on his face.
"Long time, no see, Let," Kadeem smiled hugging her.
"Yeah, and since when did you turn into a giant?" Letty laughed looking up at him.
"Me a giant? Nah, you're just getting shorter!" Kadeem teased as Letty went to swing at him.
"Ah come on, after about fifteen-twenty years, you'd think a mother would be able to stop telling her kids to stop roughhousing around the table!" Krystal chided lightly from the steps.
"Krystal," Letty greeted.
It was good seeing Krystal. Over the years she had gotten older, her hair long, but her smile didn't wane. She still looked like her younger self, wild, crazy but filled with love. She engulfed Letty in a tight hug before letting her go to examine her surrogate daughter.
Krystal smiled and put her hand against her heart dramatically. "And I thought I'd never see the day," she mocked, faking tears, "that you'd actually curl your hair!"
Letty rolled her eyes and turned from her. "Krystal, stop it!"
"Did you do that Mia?" Krystal asked, coming down from the steps.
"No! I can't believe I didn't notice that before!" Mia cried starting to approach her best friend.
"Oh no you don't," Letty snapped. "Back away from me, I'm not interested in reliving suppressed memories."
"Oh please, Letty," Krystal laughed. "You enjoyed it half of the time."
Letty snorted sourly. "Right."
Krystal, Mia, Kadeem and Letty had just taken their seats at the table when the back gate open and Kimberly, Kendall and a tall man, trailing them emerged.
"Look who's back in town," Kimberly sassed, carrying several shopping bags. "Should I be expected anymore rabid Asians during your visit, Letty?"
"I don't know you tell me," Letty answered, half-serious. If there were any more Trans with an issue, she would be more than happy to deal with them.
"Well thankfully, not today," Kendall smiled. "Letty, I want you to meet—"
"Brandon Collins," Letty finished. "You're the FBI guy right?"
Mia nudged her, but Brandon only smiled. "Yeah, I'm the FBI guy."
"Then I guess I owe you one hell of a thank you," Letty said seriously.
"Family is family," Brandon replied. "Let's just not make it a habit. I really do like my job."
"Any other visitors with you Krystal?" Letty asked.
A sad smile crossed Krystal's features. "She decided that she and Tony were better off in Chicago. But maybe if you stick around, you'll see him sooner than you think."
Letty's heart tugged at the idea, but she knew that it wouldn't happen. It was either now or never, and especially after everything that happened in Mexico, she wasn't sure if she was even ready to face the young boy.
"So," Kadeem started, leaning back in his chair, "who is going to pray?"
Most of them laughed.
"That right, we don't have dependable Dominic to put his greasy little hands in the food anymore," Kendall snickered.
"Yeah and then years later, he has the audacity to imply that rule on us!" Mia laughed.
"I want to pray," Letty said slowly a smile stretching across her features.
"Okay," Krystal agreed.
"Mia, I might need your help though," Letty grinned, winking at her best friend.
Mia raised an eye brow but nodded.
"Dear, uh, Heavenly, uh…God what is it?" Letty began.
It took Mia a moment, but when she did figure it out, her shoulders began to shake in laughter. "Spirit," Mia finished.
'Spirit. That's right. Thank you for providing us with four-core intercoolers, direct-port nitrous injection—"
"No it's the direct-port nitrous before the intercoolers," Mia corrected still laughing.
"What?" Kendall asked.
"That's right!" Letty agreed. "Thank you for direct-port nitrous injection, four-core intercoolers…"
"—ball-bearing turbos," Mia added laughing. Tears were now streaming down Mia's face as the two friends remembered Jesse's simply unique prayer that ended in relentless teasing.
"Heavenly Father, we thank you for the food that has been prepared and the traditions that it has upheld. We thank you for bringing our family closer, oh God. We are humbled by your love and affection, which has protected us from the worst. Father I ask that you continue to watch over our family, no matter where they might be, and what they might be doing. Lord, we ask that you instill strength and wisdom, oh Lord so that we may follow the will that you have for us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen."
"Amen."
"I don't even want to know," Kendall said pointing at Letty and Mia who were still smiling.
"May Jesse rest in peace," Krystal added softly.
They went through most of dinner flawlessly. There were no mentions about Dominic or what he and Letty had been up to in the past few years. Letty sat though most of dinner catching up on what she had missed, laughing at Christmas stories and the string of horror dates that Kendall had put Mia through. Letty got particular satisfaction of that, remembering how Mia used to try to set her up with plenty of boys from the high school.
"Paybacks a bitch isn't?" Letty teased.
It was nearing dessert, when all the plates were cleared, that Kimberly gave Letty, a suspicious, but expected look.
"So, Letty," Kimberly began.
"Kim."
Kimberly, not being one to beat around the bush for long, pushed her plate aside, sat back in her chair and crossed her arms.
"Where's Dominic?"
Thank you, thank you for all of the previous reviews. To Stacy, your email didn't show up in the review, but my email is on my page so you can email me from there. And if anyone has any comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear them! Thanks for reading and please don't forget to review!
Much Love,
Santiva Potter