It had been two hours since the team had seen the three men, they had left immediately after agreeing to meet at the warehouse, but they still had not shown up.
"That's just like the buster," Vince grumbled.
"Man brah you better make your boy shut it Dom, this is my one chance at explaining to Brian and I won't have him or her," he said while pointing at Letty and Vince, "messing it up."
"He's right," Dom said fiercely. "Brian thinks we all hate him, this is our only chance to make him see we don't."
Dom looked up to the door when he heard the sound of it opening. Tuck and FDR walked into the warehouse, they had blood on their clothes, and arms. FDR even had some blood on his face; it looked like the two men stepped out of a horror movie. Dom was about to ask what happened but he noticed the two men looking for something in the building.
"Is he here?" Tuck asked with a small amount of panic.
Not something but a who. "No," Dom said. "I thought you were going back to your place."
"We did, we were fucking ambushed." FDR answered. "Too many of them, so we split up and drove around to make sure no one was following us. Brian is always better at losing a tail, so he baited the majority in his car; we were hoping he was here already."
"I'm here," Brian called out while walking in. He was covered head to toe in blood, more so than the other two and Dom didn't know if he should be wishing it was someone else's or horrified that it might be.
Brian threw a black duffle on the floor and crossed his arms, he looked furious.
"Come on Brian, you can't still be mad about that." FDR said gently.
"This close," Brian said while holding his fingers up and close together. "I was this close to getting all the information I needed, and the fucking bastard had to go and die."
"Sorry mate, choking on blood can do that to you," Tuck told him.
"Your pissed cause a dude died before he could talk?" Rome choked out.
"Yes," Brian answered, "and before you start acting all judgmental, just know he tried to kill me first, I'm just better with a knife is all."
"How much of that is your blood Brian?" Mia asked.
"That's not important right now," Brian said missing the looks of concerned aimed at him from the Toretto team. He looked at the other two men, "we've fucking missed something, we've missed something big."
"I don't see how Brian, we've catalogued every move, every purchase, every person that comes around him daily, every place he visits, every minute of the man's life is accounted for. Where could we possibly have missed something?" FDR told him.
"Fuck!" Brian yelled out. "I just know we are...there is...there has to be...if we...fuck!" Brian looked like every thought he had dimmed out of his eyes.
"FDR get the ball out of the backpack." FDR nodded walked over to bags they had brought in with them and grabbed a black rubber ball the size of a palm. He picked it up and threw it at Brian.
Brian threw it to Tuck, who threw it back to FDR and kept to that pattern, and Brian then started talking again. "There is no way that was because of what Hobbs did."
"You think so, I mean it..." FDR said.
"No," Brian answered while catching the ball. "Not enough time, if it had been someone from the race they wouldn't have already been there waiting on us."
"He's right mate, they would have needed time for that, to place the call, look us up, somehow find where we are staying, and then send the men out there to take us out."
"It wasn't an ambush, it was a stakeout, I get you. They looked like they had been there for a while. Since maybe we left this afternoon." FDR said while throwing the ball back to Brian.
"Okay so think..has anyone..." Brian started
"I don't think anyone has..." FDR added.
"No, there's been no tails." Tuck ended. "We've had no questions asked about it either. No one knows where we were staying."
"Our real names aren't even on the books, and as always I paid with cash." FDR said.
"The only people that knew..." all three men froze. "Shit."
"Shit," the two other men echoed.
"Like the agents, what is the story behind the agents?" Brian asked.
Dom narrowed his gaze, "you said you would hear us out."
"Yes, yes just give me the information I need and when we are done here you can yell at me all you wish."
Dom frowned but said nothing more on the subject. "We went on a job when we first got here. Easy sounding at first, move three cars from a train. Except they started freaking out about one car in particular. So Mia drove off the other way with it. When Vince and I eventually escaped Reyes's lock up party we found out that the cars that had been on the train were seized by DEA. When the DEA guys tried to stop the vehicles from being stolen, Reyes' men shot them. I think there was somebody from Reyes' organization on the train looking for them before that though, before they even caught us stealing the cars."
"Like it was a hit," Brian said while looking at the two men.
Brian walked over to one of the big black bags they had brought and pulled two laptops out. He started tapping quickly on the laptop keyboard while Tuck walked over to the man. He pulled Brian's shirt up where it looked like the most blood had soaked through.
"You get stabbed mate?" Tuck asked.
"Mmmhmm." Brian said absentmindedly.
"Anything else?"
Brian shrugged his shoulders, "nothing hurts right now, can't tell you."
"Alright I'm going to take off your shirt and check you over. Remember we talked about this?" Tuck asked carefully.
"Oh sorry Tuck," he replied back. "Just wanted to figure this out."
"That's okay Brian we will remind you alright, you keep working. I'll help Tuck." Both men worked Brian's shirt over his head and off. FDR whistled at the boot print bruise on Brian's back. "You remember getting stepped on?" He asked.
Brian paused for a moment in thought, he nodded his head yes.
Tuck and FDR traced their hands along Brian's sides, back, and stomach.
"You're going to need stitches mate," Tuck said after surveying the damage. "I haven't see you roughed up this bad in a while Brian, how did they get you like that?"
"It was after we split up, I got surrounded and had to fight my way out. Which is another clue, they weren't there to kill us, just take us in somewhere. Which means whoever ordered the capture wants information, or it's personal."
Tuck placed a hand on Brian's hip, "you know the drill, who do you want to stitch you up?" Brian sighed, neither one of them were very gentle with a needle. Lord knows they tried, they did the best could with minimum medical training. They weren't nurse or doctor material however, so all that training gave them the knowhow, just not the skill.
"Mia, if she doesn't mind." Brian said not knowing if the woman would actually want to.
Mia jumped up from her place on the couch, "I don't mind Brian, I think I even have some painkillers somewhere."
"No painkillers," Brian said.
"It's going to be painful though," she argued.
"I know, but our cover has been blown to pieces and I need a fully functioning brain to figure this shit out." He said while typing. "There its running a search now should be done in a few."
"Okay well you come sit over here, and I'll start stitching you up." Brian nodded at her, and followed Mia over to the chairs in the middle of the room. Tuck and FDR followed Brian, they stared at each other in silent conversation for a few seconds before Tuck nodded and sat down on Brian's non injured side. While FDR stayed standing beside Mia to watch what she was doing. "I'm not going to hurt him you know, I've stitched him up before," she said giving the standing man a glare.
FDR just shrugged, "our highly trained med team has stitched him up before, doesn't mean I'd leave him alone with them."
Tuck and Brian smirked; all of three of them had some trust issues when it came to others touching a member of their team.
"All I'm saying..."
"Mia," Brian said calmly, "I know you and if you were stitching up FDR or Tuck I'd be in the same spot. You don't stay alive in our business by trusting people." Brian felt the needle puncture through his skin, he didn't move or wince, but Tuck laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. FDR threw him an easy smile. "Are either of you injured?" Both men shook their heads. "Sorry should have asked sooner."
"It's alright Brian, you were pissed, plus it's all new to you alright, trust us we're just happy you let us check you over, alright?"
Brian nodded, "just not use to it yet I guess."
Tuck moved his hand from Brian's shoulder onto the top of his head; he ran his fingers through Brian's hair. "Pain on a scale of one to ten?"
"One," Brian answered quickly. Tuck and FDR smiled, while everyone else in the room looked at Brian in disbelief.
Brian looked up from his gaze with Tuck and looked at FDR who was staring heavily at Mia's hands. He felt Brian's gaze and looked up to smile at the man. Once he returned Brian's smile he went back to watching Mia's movements.
"Brian where do you get this scar on your side?" Mia asked.
Brian snorted, "That scar would be why I chose you, it was a simple cut, and FDR stitched it up and turned it into that."
Mia looked up at the man, "you did that with a needle?"
"It's not that bad, sure he is a little scared from it, but kept him from bleeding out right?"
"Sure," she said unconvincingly.
Tuck stood up and walked over the bags to grab some Tattoo goo; he walked over to FDR and rubbed some on his new tattoo. FDR sent him a smile, but his eyes never strayed from Brian's side. Tuck walked over to Brian and rubbed some on Brian's tattoo. Brian took the goo out of Tuck's hand and rubbed some on the man's own tattoo. Tuck smile brightly at Brian.
"Man brah I never thought I see you with tattoos," Rome said.
"Huh?" He said caught off guard. "Oh yeah got a few of them, most of them match theirs."
"You have matching tattoos?" Mia asked quietly.
"Yeah each time we get captured, thrown in prison, and we survive we celebrate with a tattoo." Brian explained, he paused for a moment and looked like he was thinking about something. "Does that make us masochists? I mean we survive people sticking knives into our skin, and trying to kill us, and then celebrate by letting people stick us with needles."
Tuck and FDR both looked at him thoughtfully. "Never thought about it like that mate," Tuck said. "I mean we were extremely drunk the first time, and then it just became tradition."
"It's a good tradition though, I like it," FDR said with a smile as he looked at his new tattoo. "This one is much better than that stupid dragon Tuck picked."
"Oi the dragon is bloody nice mate."
Brian grabbed Tuck's arm and pulled him back onto the couch. He shifted to where he was leaning up against Tuck's side the best he could and laid his head back tiredly. "I like the dragon."
"Brian quit moving," Mia scolded.
"Sorry," he murmured. "Just tired I guess."
Tuck nodded and shifted closer to Brian, so he could lean all of his body weight on him. "It's okay the adrenaline from the fight is wearing off I'm sure, so the come down is probably what's leaving you so exhausted."
Brian nodded his head and let his body slump onto Tuck's, "thanks."
Tuck gave Brian's thigh a light pat.
"So your tattoos signify times you have been tortured?" Leon asked.
"Yeah except this one." Brian said pointing at his left forearm, and then turned his arm quickly to hide the words.
"The one on your right, it's new?" Tej asked.
"Yeah," FDR answered, "just got it today."
Dom motioned to Brian's arm asking for silent permission to take a look. When Brian made no move to show the man, Tuck pushed his arm out in the open while giving Brian a curious look. Brian only shrugged like he honestly didn't know what the reaction was for either.
"Ride or die, and you all three have this?" Dom asked astonished.
Brian and Tuck nodded while FDR held out his arm.
"That's crazy, they don't look like racers, do they even know what that means?" Tej asked. All three men nodded. "Your that close with them Brian?" Tej asked surprised.
"Closer," all three men answered at the same time.
"Ride or die?" Rome asked shocked while reaching for Brian's arm.
"Don't touch me Pearce," Brian said in an icy tone while pushing even closer to Tuck.
"Whoa cuz, what's going on?" Rome asked and Brian just glared. "Let's talk Brian cause I have a feeling you got a few things wrong."
"I ain't got nothing wrong cuz you and Parker made it clear you wanted nothing to do with me."
"What are you talking about Brian, you left, and you went off for six years." Tej said confused.
"I wrote you, gave you my information to contact me, I even called once. What was that you said oh yeah, "Brian O' Conner is dead to me, never call here again'. So I got the message just fine, and here you are with them anyways."
"Oh shit," Rome said. "Brian we didn't get any of your letters because we moved and went to go look for you in Mexico."
Brian looked up in shock. "Mexico why the fuck would you go look in Mexico?"
"That where he was," Tej said while pointing at Dom.
"Why would you think I'd go see him?" Mia had finished with his stitches and started to lean back in the couch when FDR gave a quiet growl and glare. She got up from the couch and FDR sat down right against Brian's side. Brian shifted his weight from Tuck to FDR.
"We're family Brian." Dom answered.
Brian's mouth fell open, "no, I mean you hate me, I was a cop, I lied."
"You jumped onto a moving semi, you saved Vince's life, you took a bullet for Jesse while saving him, you killed Tran in revenge, you arranged an escape strategy for Vince, and you gave me your keys. I say that more than makes up for lying about your job." Dom told him slowly.
"Well it's obvious not everyone feels that way." Brian said with a pointed look in Letty and Vince's direction.
"No we don't!" Letty snapped out. "You've been running around free living it up, while the rest of us are on the run."
"Living it up?" FDR asked incredulously. "You were listening yesterday right? Spy? Or what about earlier when Brian got stabbed?"
"So he had one hard night, I'm sure having a nice big fucking house in wherever it is in the states that he lives in..."
"He doesn't even own a house," Tuck said suddenly. Brian shook his head no at the man.
"Whatever rent then," she argued again.
"I don't do that either," Brian said quietly.
"What do you have then Brian?" Jesse asked.
"A cot, in the office." He answered with a shrug. FDR leaned in to whisper in Brian's ear, and Brian nodded when he was done. "I live in the office basically, every once in a while Tuck and FDR drag me out and I'll stay at FDR's or his Nana's if it's a barbecue night. I'm not here to discuss my personal life however; you said you had things you wanted to say."
"I thought you were dead cuz. We hadn't heard anything from you in a year. So we decided to go look for you, the search led to Mexico, meeting Dom and everybody else. Most of them wanted to find you too, so we stuck around. Took two years of hearing nothing about you until I finally got the bright idea to call Bilkins, see if he could track you down." Rome said.
"Shit," Brian said while shaking his head.
"He told me you were dead, died in a car accident. For two years we thought you were actually dead. I remember that day you called, I couldn't really hear you. I thought you were somebody pulling a prank or some shit, since everyone we know was aware of the fact you had died. What I said was "Brian O' Conner is dead, never call here again.' It was painful for me brah, I thought you were really gone."
"How did you find out I was alive?" Brian asked frowning.
Dom snorted, "Fucking Hector, if you can believe it. He said he saw you on the news, some high speed car chase right there in L.A. We looked it up and sure enough we saw you...alive. Jesse tried to find you, look up your information, but it was like you didn't exist. I guess we know why now."
Brian bent down and rested his elbows on his thighs and placed his head in his hands. "After I first left Miami I was recruited by the Feds, they wanted my undercover skill set. The jobs they had me working though...they were the kind of jobs that would make your skin crawl. Prostitution rings, human trafficking, I even went undercover in a sick child killing cult. That was the end of the line for my FBI career; I still have scars from all the shit I saw. It wasn't even so much the job I had to do, it was good to help others, but they put me under with no backup, and my covers were always poorly put together. My life was on the line because of someone else's 'I don't give a fuck If you die' attitude more times than I care count. So I quit, and a couple of days later I was contacted by the CIA."
Tuck leaned his side gently into Brian's, so he knew that the man was still available to him.
"Then why did Bilkins say you died?" Rome asked concerned about what Brian had just told them.
"Well according to Bilkins and every other agent out there that wanted to harass me about a job, I am, or I was. I'm sure they know by now that I'm not really dead. Damn I had to do something they were threatening to take my freedom away if I didn't come back, yours too Rome, so the agency helped me fake my death. Wasn't hard, no relatives, no family, no friends, the only person at my fake funeral was Tanner," Brian said with a snort.
"Brian if I had known..." Rome started.
Brian scoffed, "don't worry about it. Sham of a funeral if there ever was one. Preacher went on and on about my good deeds, by the book officer he called me."
Both Tuck and FDR snorted at that, "By the book, we've never done anything by the book mate."
Brian grinned over at Tuck, "don't I know it," he said with a leer.
Tuck grinned and grabbed Brian's hand and kissed him on the cheek.
"Wait a minute so you two are together?" Tej asked.
Brian tilted his head to the side, "you didn't know?"
Tej shrugged but Dom spoke, "we thought it might be the case, just didn't know which one. At first I thought those two were together, but with the way they both look at it you it threw us off, honestly it's a little confusing."
FDR grabbed Brian's other hand and gave him a peck as well, "it's not all that confusing." Tuck leaned around Brian to give FDR a kiss before turning to Dom and grinning.
"What?" Rome choked out.
Vince snorted, "Told you the buster was a faggot," he said to Dom.
Brian was up and off the couch before anyone had seen him move. He tackled Vince face first onto the ground and bent his arm high up into his back. He placed his knee on top of it to keep it pinned in place. Put both hands on the sides of Vince's face and leaned down.
Dom looked over at the two other CIA agents and watched them smirk.
"Hurts doesn't it?" Brian asked Vince.
"Brian," Mia scolded; when Brian didn't stop she looked at her brother. "Honestly Dom, do something."
Both men pinned Dom with a dangerous glare, "I wouldn't mate, you might say he's family but you put one finger on him and we'll take you out." Dom knew the British guy meant every word he said.
"Let them get it out of their system Mia, besides it wouldn't be a typical meeting between the two of them if they didn't end up fighting." Dom said finally.
Vince let out a groan when Brian shifted more weight on the man's arm. "I said it hurts doesn't it?"
"Yes," Vince gasped out.
Brian nodded even though the man couldn't see. "Now I know the pain is clouding your brain, but I need you to listen to my words very carefully. Nod if you understand." Vince gave a jerky slight nod. "My name is Brian, not Buster, not Snowman, not Arizona and definitely not fag, Brian got it?" Vince let out a grunt, and Brian took it as an agreement. "I can easily snap your arm, I could even easily slap your neck, so I suggest you remember my name and use it when you speak to me." Brian stood up and released his hold on Vince, who yelled out when he straightened out his arm. "It's going to be sore for a day or two," he told him while sitting back down.
"Always love the pain speech," FDR said with a smirk.
"You didn't like it so much when it was you getting that speech in Russia if I recall." Tuck told him while throwing his arm around Brian to touch FDR's neck.
"All I did was suggest I drive," FDR pointed out.
Brian turned a glare on the man, "because you said my driving got us caught in the first place," he hissed and Tuck chuckled.
FDR pouted, "Brian you know I didn't mean it like that, tensions were high, those sick Russian bastards."
Brian mumbled something only loud enough for Tuck hear and he sighed. "We know it wasn't your fault Brian, even someone as good as you couldn't have kept that car together with how many shots it took."
Brian nodded but his eyes were still a little tense, FDR reached over and pulled Brian into his lap. "Come on Brian, you know I think you're the best driver out there," he said while kissing the man's neck.
"Mean it?" Brian whispered, and FDR nodded.
Tuck scooted closer to FDR and shifted Brian to the middle.
"Two guys? Brian you're in a relationship with two dudes?" Rome asked not believing what he was seeing.
Brian narrowed his eyes, "yes, and if it's such a problem we will go. You've said your peace; I've got my information as far as I'm concerned we can be done here."
"Nah brah, don't leave again alright! I didn't mean it like that! I just meant two, Brian like two." Rome held up two fingers to emphasis the number once again.
Brian let out a laugh, "so you're shocked because there are two of them, not because they are men."
Rome nodded, "never thought you would be in a threesome when I saw you again."
Brian shrugged, "it works for us."
"So you lied to me," Mia said looking heartbroken. "It was me."
Brian shook his head, not really wanting to have this conversation here in front of everyone. "I didn't, I'm the same way I've always been, they just accept it."
"What in the hell are you talking about?" Letty asked seeing the hurt look on Mia's face.
"None of your business," FDR answered catching on quickly.
"Like hell it's not, she's upset. That's my business!"
"But your neck," Mia pointed at the bite marks.
Brian sighed, "why the fuck not I guess, let's just have this conversation in front of everyone why don't we?"
"Mate, you don't owe them that," Tuck told him.
"No I don't, but it's out there now, and they won't stop."
Brian said.
"We could leave," FDR said. "Only if you want to Brian, but it's an option."
Brian nodded, he wasn't so sure what he wanted anymore. He had Tuck and FDR and they would always be enough for him, but hearing Dom call him family, finding out they still wanted him, it felt good. "I'll talk," he said making his decision. "I didn't lie when I said I was asexual Mia," Brian said with a sigh.
Vince snorted and looked like he was about to say something. "Speak, and I'll do a lot more than break your neck," Tuck promised while FDR nodded in agreement and patted the gun on his side.
Rome looked confused for a moment, "why would you think he was lying about that? He's always been."
"He knows?" Tuck asked surprised.
"We've know each other since we were five," Rome growled out. "I told you I knew him better than you."
Tuck and FDR both growled and Brian rolled his eyes. "Here we go," Brian said in Dom's direction.
"So you knew the kid Brian, he ain't that person anymore, you can't do what we do and not change, simple as that." FDR said.
"I also spent some time with him in Miami before he went and joined the CIA," Rome pointed out. "Not just the kid Brian, I knew the adult one too, the guy who couldn't go a week without racing, a day without having his hands in a motor. He's still the same guy as far as I can tell." Rome stood up and walked over to an ice chest and pulled out a can of NOS, and brought it over to Brian. "The guy who was addicted to these."
"Was," Tuck said while pushing the can away from Brian before he could take it. "Took us a year to get him off those things."
Brian eyed the can and looked over at FDR with a pout. "He can have one Tuck," FDR said caving.
Brian smiled and the pouted at Tuck as well, "seriously?" Tuck said, "and you're going to try and act like you don't cave as soon as he wants something, it's like I'm the only bloody adult here. You know that's why he looks at you first right?" Brian pouted a bit more and Tuck shook his head with a sigh, "fine…one Brian…one."
Rome grinned and held out the can to his friend, "you got them whipped homie."
Brian popped the tab and took a long drink, "man that's good."
"You see, I know him." Rome pointed out.
"Were not saying you don't, but the Brian you knew is also different. We know those parts of him, and that just means we know him better." FDR said.
"Bullshit," Rome told them while sitting back down.
Tuck rolled his eyes and picked up Brian's hand. "You see these scars?" He asked while pointing at jagged lines across the palms of Brian's hand. "They are from the glass window of a skyscraper in Bangladesh. Brian drove a car between not one but two skyscrapers there. The reason he has these scars is because he waited till both FDR and I were out the car before jumping out it himself. He almost went over with car, but grabbed onto the ledge of broken glass."
"And this one," FDR said pointing at Brian's chest where a scar laid under a tattoo. "He got this one from a shank in a prison in Nevada."
"Prison?" Tej asked.
"Undercover," Brian answered. "There was a guy there we needed information from, went under for two weeks."
"This is a scar from a gunshot wound," Tuck said pointing at Brian's chest, too close to his heart for either man's comfort. "One he got because FDR and I were both being right bloody idiots."
Brian shook his head at the other man, "doesn't matter," he whispered.
"These," FDR said while pulling Brian up and turning his back for everyone to see the gash like scars on his back. "Are from a whip in Korea. One that struck down on his back and he never made a sound. He took the pain and didn't give our captors any sign that it bothered him. He has these because he stopped a guard from raping a little girl." FDR turned Brian around and pointed at the scar Mia was asking about while stitching him up, "he got this one in a bar fight, Vegas."
Tuck grinned, "your fault."
"That fight was all your fault," FDR said with a glare.
"I thought it was my fault," Brian said confused.
"Nah mate, you're thinking about the bar fight in Canada."
Brian nodded, "that's right, the fight that was FDR's fault was in Ireland though, so the one in Vegas was all you."
"No," Tuck shook his head, "I started the one in that pub in London."
Brian sat there thinking for a moment. "Okay hold on, there was the one in Germany."
"Tuck, the Germans didn't take to him at all." FDR said with a grin. "That was a hell of a fight; those German's know how to brawl."
Brian nodded. "The one at home was all you FDR, you know what the one in Vegas was just a bar fight in general."
"Your right, we were there and it was boring." FDR said with a grin.
"There was that bar in Turkey, but that bloke was clearly looking for a fight." Tuck said.
"Brian threw the first punch though," FDR said.
Brian shrugged, "he called me pretty boy one too many times."
"Lot of bar fights Brian," Dom said before the men got lost in yet another conversation of who started what.
Brian shrugged, "off hours are boring."
Tuck stood up and decided to get back to what they were talking about he traced his hand down Brian's hip. "Gunshots," he said. "Got them in Guatemala helping out your friend Hobbs."
"That's enough," Brian said gently pushing both men back down on the couch, "think they got it."
Dom snorted, "believe it or not Hobbs doesn't like us much, doesn't seem like he cares for you three either."
It was Brian's turn to snort, "CIA doesn't get much respect from other agencies."
"You're a fucking spy Brian, why wouldn't they respect that shit?" Rome asked.
"Because they are soft," FDR said with a shrug.
"They walk into a hostage situation and see a small sliver of the picture, that's their job. Save a few lives, or arrest the people whose names come across their desk. We're trained to look at the bigger picture. Who's running the scene how many lives can we save instead of just one." FDR told them.
"Blokes like Hobbs call us heartless; because we do the things that they don't have the stomach for and still get out of bed in the morning." Tuck told them all.
"Hobbs had orders to bring in a teenage kid in Guatemala. She was small and innocent looking and used it to her advantage. Hobbs saw her as nothing more than a cute kid who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and almost lost his life because of it. That kid, she was a psycho, hell bent on killing as many people as she could with her homemade bombs. Hobbs had a chance to put her bullet in her, stop the madness before she blew up a hospital but he didn't take it." Brian said coldly and everyone knew that the two men sitting beside Brian were right. They really didn't know him anymore, he was different. More cold, calculating, Brian wasn't the over eager kid that was once just addicted to thrill of the race, he was dangerous.
"So it was up to us to finish the job, save Hobbs and his team, and then save as many people as we could from that hospital she lit up." FDR finished.
"So no we don't get a lot of respect, they call us monsters. Maybe we are to a certain extent, but we've put our lives on the line for our country more than once." Tuck said.
"And would be willing to do it some more." Brian said with a sigh. "They think those kind of kills don't bother us, and some of them don't. There are some though..."
"That do..." FDR said with a haunted look on his face.
Tuck spoke with the same look, "watching an innocent victim die, because there are sacrifices to be made for the greater good."
Brian nodded, "that's the main difference between us and them. We understand the word sacrifice perhaps more intimately then they ever will."
"I know where that scar came from," Jesse said moving closer and pointing to Brian's left shoulder. "I have the matching one." He pulled down his shirt to show Brian the leftovers from his gunshot wound.
"I'm glad it was only your shoulder Jess," Brian said with a grin.
"I'm glad you were there Brian, you saved my life. You've always understood sacrifices; you sacrificed a lot for all of us. I've missed you man."
Brian stood up and pulled Jesse into a hug, which led Rome and Tej standing to do the same. "That time we thought you were gone brah, it was terrible."
"I'm sorry Rome, I've been so angry all this time thinking you just didn't really forgive me and you wanted nothing to do with me.
"Never cuz, we always gonna be brothers."
"Rome pulled back and Tej went in for his hug. "We've you missed bullitt, it ain't the same without you."
"I've missed you to man."
When Tej stepped back Dom stood, he gazed at Brian in permission. It was clear earlier that Brian didn't want him to touch him. Brian took a step closer to Dom and the man pulled him into his arms. "Wish I would have asked you to get in the car with me. Biggest mistake of my life, leaving you behind. Not knowing where you been, if you were okay, it's been hard on all of us Brian."
"I just didn't think anyone would want me around," Brian told him in whisper.
"We do, we want you to stay." Dom told him squeezing the man tightly and rubbing the back of his head.
Brian gasped and pulled back from the hug he looked over at FDR and Tuck and then back at Dom. "I don't think I can," he said slowly. "If you had asked me to go with you I have no doubt that this would have been my life, that I would have been happy here with all of you. But this, them, they are my life now, and it took me a while to realize it but I'm happy."
Dom nodded, "I can see that, the offer still stands though. Whenever you're ready to come home all you have to do is find us, they can come too. They are your family now, so that means they're our family too. You three are also more than welcome to stay here while you finish up your job."
Brian nodded with a smile, "thank you." He looked at both men and saw them nod, "I think we will take you up on use of your warehouse. As for the other..."
Everyone sat down and FDR pulled Brian back into their laps again. "Who knows maybe when we get to old for this shit, get tired of the bullets."
"You think that's every going to happen mate?" Tuck asked skeptically.
Brian snorted, "Tired of the bullets, yeah right."
"No, but they will eventually make us retire at some point. What are we going to do then become the next Collins? Be the ones that sit behind the desk instead of going out in the field?" FDR asked barely containing his laughter.
Brian laughed, "Oh my god I could just see it. You in the schoolhouse training all the little baby agents, trying to keep yourself from murdering them daily because of their smart mouths. Tuck taking over the main logistics rolling his eyes at every suggestion someone makes for a mission plan, "are you daft mate," would be asked at least a hundred times a day."
"Brian standing on top of the balcony giving the Collins' patented look, "you three my office now'. Could you imagine Tuck, Brian having to deal with three agents just like us?"
All three men started laughing hysterically, "definitely not," they all said together.
Brian's computer let out a beep, and all three men turned serious and pushed off the couch to go to it.
"Shit," Brian said while scrolling down. "Five deaths during seize operations alone in the last two weeks."
"What branches?" Tuck asked.
"My field ID won't let me touch that information." He answered with a frown.
"Shit," FDR said. "We're going to need someone in logistics."
"Agent Robbins?" Tuck asked. "He is assigned to us after all."
"Brian doesn't trust Robbins," FDR said grimly.
"Nah, I do, he's fine call him." Brian said with a shrug.
"Since when mate?" Tuck asked.
"Since I bugged his house and phone four months ago," Brian said with a smirk. "He's clean, dirty but clean." Brian said with a wicked grin and waggled his eyebrows.
"The girlfriend?" FDR asked with a knowing look.
"Nailed it in one," Brian said. "Bossy little shit she is."
"She's a dominant right mate?" Tuck asked with a shit eating grin.
"Yep," Brian said. "Learned a lot more about that lifestyle and the dresses in Robbins' closet than I ever wanted to know."
"Damn I knew it," FDR said. "Man doesn't walk with that much sway in his hips unless he knows his way around a skirt."
"Ahh man Brian that shit ain't cool man. Bugging a man's house and finding all about his secrets like that." Rome called out.
"Hey we told you there wasn't room for trust in the business, and we meant it. The only person I trust with these two lives without some spying involved is me."
"Same," both men said to Rome.
Brian pulled out his burner phone and dialed Robbins' number and put him on speaker.
"Agent Robbins." He answered.
"Robbins, you at the office?"
"Yes, I was doing some surveillance since you three haven't given me the go ahead to go home and sleep in an actual bed."
Tuck said, "Poor bloke," while Brian and FDR both said, "Suck it up."
"You three got a job for me, or did you just call to bug me?" He asked with a sigh.
"Got a job, top secret, can't leave a trace."
"What do you got?"
"There's been a series of agent's deaths during pick up for drug seizes. We need details Robbins, branches and where."
"How long of a time period?"
"Let's go with last two months," Brian told him.
"We got 15 deaths. 5 DEA, 7 FEDs, 2 DSS, and one of ours. The areas all vary, Mexico, Brazil, which I'm guessing is why your calling, we got a Tokyo, Miami, London, few other less known locations with small cartels."
"Ours?" Brian questioned sounding stressed out.
"Yeah, you three knew the guy."
"Name?" Tuck asked.
"Timothy Stevens."
"Stevens I don't remember any Stevens, he's not in our department." FDR said.
"No, Florida branch, you met him though at that training facility Collins sent you to while you three were grounded."
All three men gave a snort at the word grounded, "desk duty, why won't they call it desk duty. Grounded it makes it sound like we were teenagers caught sneaking out."
"I still can't place the guy Robbins." Brian told him ignoring FDR.
"He's the guy you paid a hundred dollars to go find you a cigarette and not tell FDR and Tuck."
"What?" They both asked Brian.
Brian glared at them both, "you were stressing me out with the whole Lauren thing, don't look at me like that." Both men softened their looks and looked thoroughly guilty. "You'll be paying for that one Robbins." Everyone heard the man let out a loud gulp on the phone. "He was just an intern from what I remember."
"Then yes, he moved up a couple of months ago. Still doesn't make sense, he was sent on the Braga case, and the guy was big time, Feds couldn't touch him. Why send a baby agent in?"
"Braga," Dom hissed.
Brian turned around taken aback, "you know Braga?"
"Yeah, Letty got herself involved in his business he tried to kill her once she did her job."
Brian nodded, "I take it Braga is dead?"
Dom smiled at how well Brian still knew him, "no one messes with our family."
"Did you want me to dig to find out who put him on the case?" Robbins asked.
"No," Brian said. "Close out of the search. One of ours being cut down just made that avenue too dangerous for you. Clear out everything; make it look like you were never there. I mean the whole day Robbins, clear out your sign in record and go home."
"Alright, you three be careful, I think we all know what this means."
"We do," Tuck said.
"Better hurry and get home to your girlfriend Robbins, before she puts the whip down." Brian taunted.
"Motherfuckers," Robbins yelled out. "You bugged my house? Where are they Brian?"
Brian laughed, "Your logistics manual, would have found them if you did less dress up and more studying for your next exam."
"Are you done now?" Robbins asked put out.
"I am, you know we don't give a shit man, do what makes you happy. Had to get you back for the cigarette slip up."
Robbins laughed, "Thanks, least now I won't be looking over my shoulder. No more bugs though, I'm trust worthy damn it."
"Got it," Brian said and hung up.
"So naive," Tuck said with a smile.
Brian nodded, "didn't even think to ask about the ones in his phones."
"One of ours," Tuck said seriously, any trace of humor gone.
"Our house is dirty," Brian said grimly.
"What do you mean?" Mia asked.
Brian started to pace, "there is only one agency that can tap into our system to get information about one of our own."
"DEA, FBI, DSS, NIST, DCIS, the whole alphabet of law enforcement couldn't touch our servers." FDR said.
"It means a CIA agent sold him out." Tuck finished looking over at Brian who silently thinking. "Ball FDR," he called.
FDR ran back to the couch to pick up the ball he left there.
"What's with the ball?" Leon asked.
"Brian thinks the best when he's moving and has something to occupy his hands. His capability to figure out puzzles is amazing, just needs a little focus." FDR told him and walked back over at the three men.
Brian caught the ball and threw it to Tuck, "doesn't make sense."
"Nothing about this case has made sense," Tuck said passing it off to FDR.
"We thought it was a little weird from the beginning, Gutierrez was selling state secrets sure, but he wasn't..."
"That big of threat," Brian finished catching the ball. "Not enough of one to send us, they could have sent some wet behind the ears FBI agent in. Why was he on CIA radar?"
Brian threw the ball against the wall and Tuck caught it on the bounce back. "Maybe they knew, maybe Gutierrez had someone on his payroll."
"I don't think it's someone working for him, I think Reyes is the one that paid for the DEA agent's location after his cars were seized." FDR said.
"So this thing with Gutierrez was what just a cover mate, send us in and then we do what we're doing now, find a mole."
Brian nodded, "it would make sense, wouldn't be the first time we were on a case without all the information, if it was too dangerous for Collins to disclose everything." Brian stopped he threw the ball up in the air and caught it. "That kind of information can only be gotten with a huge security clearance," he threw the ball to Tuck.
"Your right mate, hotels, safe houses, the only person with that kind of clearance would be someone like..."
"Colins," FDR said with a frown. "Are we really suggesting here that our own boss has gone native?"
Brian scoffed, "hate that word, native. It's a word the used on me when I let Dom go, when I got picked up in Miami. DEA threw it around a lot, even stuck me in a cell for a few hours before they threw down a rap sheet a mile long and offered me a chance to clear it. Which is another problem, Robbins said Miami, there has only been one major drug lord in Miami in the last ten years, and he's supposed to be in jail." Brian said while looking at Rome.
"Verone," Rome hissed. "You think he got out?"
"Could have," Brian said with a shrug. "He can't find me and you've kept a pretty low profile I'm assuming." Rome nodded. "He's not that much a problem right now in this grand scheme, but he might be one day for you."
"Well take care it." FDR said while Brian and Tuck nodded.
"Make a little pit stop on our way to L.A.," Brian suggested.
"You're going to what take him out Brian? I thought the whole reason we didn't do that in the first place was because of the information the DEA wanted to get out of him." Rome said.
"If the idiots haven't gotten what they want by now, and they let him escape anyways it's not my problem. Your life on the other hand, I'll going to be my problem," Brian said with a grin. "Back to Collins though, she bleeds red, white, and blue. Do we really think she's fooled us this long, that she is the type of person to turn against her country, her agents?"
"It would be the perfect cover,"' FDR said. "Everyone in our department would lay down their lives for her, even us. She has an army of loyal followers to do her bidding..."
"Who would ever think that someone who can bring out that much loyalty would turn?" Tuck said. "Are we really slipping to this level of paranoia now?"
Brian caught the ball when Tuck bounced it off the wall, "why would Collins send her best in if it was her. She would have known we would figure it out."
"Your right," FDR said. "Our orders came straight from Collins," he threw the ball back to Brian when it looked like an idea was forming in the man's head.
"What if it's happening?" Brian asked and all three men stopped moving.
"But were not even that," FDR started.
"Old I know," Brian finished. "We've always been labeled as dangerous though."
"He's right mate, the Heinrich brother's case just moved us up another level in the danger scale."
"By why now, that happened what a year and half ago? Why not something sooner?"
Brian shrugged, "planning the take down of the best three CIA agents takes time?"
"Take down? What are you talking about Brian? You think you three are in some kind of trouble?" Dom asked sounding concerned.
"It's always a possibility Dom," Brian told the man with a sigh. "When you get to our level, there are lots of reasons why they would put a hit out on you. Maybe you know too much..."
"You're too dangerous..."
"You're too old, and you know to much for retirement..."
"They think you've turned. Honestly there's a lot more reasons but we don't have time to list them. We have a contingency plan for this situation, if we are sure that's what this."
"We need to get in the field operatives status system, can you hack that Brian?"
Brian shook his head, "the window is too small, I know the steps but I don't type that fast. If you're in there a second too long," Brian snapped his fingers. "You're flagged, and if there is a hit on us, they will know we know."
"No way to get out of dodge if that happens, they will have this place swarmed in mere minutes if they are watching us," Tuck said.
"I can hack it Brian," Tej said confidently.
Brian looked up at the man in shock, the look on his face turned sheepish as he spoke, "Tej, I forgot. I'm so sorry man."
"It's not problem homeboy, one too many hits to the head I'm sure. Only reason I can think of that you would forget I'm a master hacker."
Brian rubbed the back of his head, "you ain't even lying. Alright come over here and I'll give you the steps needed."
Brian and Tej walked over the computer while Tuck and FDR went back over to the couch.
"You two," Rome said to them. "You love him?"
"Yes," they answered together.
"I would threaten you, but I don't think you two will actually be all that frightened if I do."
"Consider us threatened," FDR said.
"It is not necessary though." Tuck added.
"I believe you," Dom said. "You kept him safe," Dom tilted his head to the side, "well alive all this time."
"How long have you three been together?" Mia asked.
"Hard question to answer," FDR said with a grin.
"FDR and I have been partners for seven years, Brian, FDR and I have been partners for five. Like together, together, as far as we're concerned a year and a half, as far as Brian is concerned, yesterday."
"Honestly I don't know how we stayed alive for those first two years," FDR smirked.
"It was a lot close calls with you behind the wheel mate."
"So Brian's the getaway driver?" Vince asked with a snort.
"A lot more than that mate, he's only always the getaway driver because he's the better driver. He's also undercover the most on solo UC opps; people just love that gorgeous angelic face of his."
"Your hot too Tuck," Brian yelled out letting everyone know even as far away and how quiet they were speaking Brian could still hear them.
"What about me?" FDR asked.
"Sexy as fuck," Brian yelled out once more before turning his full attention back to Tej.
FDR smirked at Tuck, "you just got hot."
"He's just trying to save your feelings mate, we both know he thinks I'm the better looking one, plus he loves the accent."
FDR scoffed, "the accent, whatever."
"He's had some issues with relationships in the past," Rome said with narrowed eyes. Neither man missed the guilty look that passed over Mia's face.
"We know," both men said.
"He told us all about the issues and," Tuck said.
"You can be sure we're not happy with it," FDR added.
Rome nodded, "what some of those guys did to him," he whispered.
"Is nothing more than rape," FDR said with a glare.
"They will pay for it."
Brian walked over to the couch, "as much as I appreciate the sentiment you can't go around killing civilians." He kissed both men on the head and walked back away.
"Take all the fun out of it why don't you?" FDR pouted.
"It's not like that with us if that's what you're worried about. We're not going to give you any details, but..."
"I don't want them." Rome said while shaking your head.
"You better just keep it respectful of his wishes; I'm not going to act like I know what the three of you are talking about because I don't. What I do know is he is my brother, so if he says no to something, then don't do it." Dom told them firmly.
Brian rolled his eyes and walked back to the couch once again, only this time he walked over to Dom and put his hand on the bald man's head. "They are, you don't have to worry."
"You got a second?" He asked Brian.
"Yeah, Tej is already in doesn't need me looking over his shoulder."
Dom nodded and pulled Brian off to the side of the warehouse. "You should have told me."
"About being asexual?" Brian asked confused.
"No, about someone hurting you."
Understanding flashed in Brian's eyes, "It happened after I left, few times in Miami. Wasn't exactly rape, I was in a relationship consented to sex, just not what they did."
"You told them to stop?" Dom asked fury in his eyes.
"Yeah," Brian said looking down.
"Then that's exactly what it was."
"It's in the past Dom, I worked through it, I'm safe with those two."
Dom nodded, "if you ever stop being safe with them, do you promise to come find me?"
Brian looked shocked for a moment and then nodded, "I promise."
"That's all I need then," Dom said and pulled Brian into another hug.
"I should tell you I'm sorry, sorry for running and not coming to find you," Brian said into his shoulder.
"But then you wouldn't have met them?" Dom asked.
"Yeah," Brian said quietly.
"You have nothing to be sorry for Bri, we're always going to be brothers. I'm just sorry I didn't realize it till Tej and Rome showed up on my doorstep in Mexico saying you were missing."
Brian pulled back, "how'd they find you anyways, I know I told them I thought you were in Mexico, buts it's not that small of a place."
"We weren't hiding Brian; we always hoped you find us. We had a garage down there, the locals knew our names. All someone had to do is ask about me, and they would get pointed in the right direction."
Brian grinned at the man, "You know a couple of fuel heist in the Dominican Republic were thrown on my desk back when I was a Fed," Brian told him.
"Yeah?" Dom chucked not at all surprised Brian knew it was them. "What happened to the case?"
Brian laughed, "It went cold, somehow the paper trail got lost."
"Hey Brian!" Tej called as his slipped off the stool in front of the computer.
Brian walked over, "what's our status?"
"Active, says you on a mission in Brazil, no red."
Brian sighed in relief, "there's no hit on us yet," he told the two men who were getting up off the couch.
"So we are back to why, and possibly just cleared Collins." FDR said standing.
"She wouldn't have sent us in if she was selling out agent's names and locations." Tuck agreed. "It has to be someone with just as much pull as she has. Which really is only two other people. There's Gregory from the Florida branch, would make sense his guy was killed, maybe he sent him in." Tuck said while putting his hand on FDR's shoulder.
FDR leaned against Tuck. "Then there is Alicia from the Washington branch."
Brian and Tuck both scoffed, "of course you would remember her."
"Wait a minute that was before we even got together, you two can't hold that against me. It was Christmas party and someone spiked the eggnog." FDR said holding his hands up.
"Yeah you mate," Tuck said while squeezing FDR's shoulder to show he was fucking with him. "So Gregory and Alicia."
"You're forgetting someone," Brian sang out in taunt. Both Tuck and FDR shot Brian a curious look. "Come on now think about it. Newly promoted to a higher security clearance."
"Smith," Tuck hissed.
"Why the angry face Tuck? I thought you both liked Smith?" Brian asked confused.
"We did," FDR said. "Before you joined up with us."
"Me? What does you not liking him have to do with me?"
"He tries to flirt with you constantly mate!" Tuck said angrily.
"He also argued with Collins daily when she made us a permanent team. Said you should be with him, since we both already had a partner. He told her the two of you would fit better."
Brian scoffed, "more like I would have had a bullet in my head before he could pull his out of his ass." Tuck and FDR nodded with a smirk. "Still flirting with me doesn't exactly mean he's a traitor now does it?"
Both men pouted, "No," they said with a huff.
"I mean if that's your criteria then Emily down in HR should have been arrested for treason when she proposed to me." Brian said with a laugh. "By the way, do either of you want to tell me why one day she's proposing and the next day all she can seem to do is cry when she looks at me."
"Wasn't like you wanted to marry her mate," Tuck said defensively.
"Yeah, I mean Tuck telling her you were taken by him was doing you a favor."
Brian raised an eyebrow at both men, "almost everyone knows you two are together, how did she even believe that?"
They both grinned and Brian sighed, "what have you two done now?"
"No one really knows who is with whom," Tuck said.
"Tuck let it slip to logistics that you and he are together, and now HR thinks that as well." FDR told Brian.
"FDR let it slip to analysis and operations that you two are together." Tuck said.
"And everyone else thinks you two are together," Brian pointed at them and watched as they nodded. "We weren't even officially together," he ranted, but smiled.
"You weren't officially with us, we were with you." Tuck said.
"There is a betting pool in the office, the pot is pretty high," FDR said with a huge grin.
Brian just laughed, "Well at least now I know what all those looks I get are about." Brian grinned mischievously, "we should give Robbins the answer and make him split the pot with us." Both Tuck and FDR nodded with grins. "Back to Smith though, we can't rule him out. He travels from branch to branch, and different departments. He could have easily been in Florida to assign Stevens." Both men nodded. "This would be a lot easier if we could just log into the server and see whose name pops up in each place an agent has been killed."
"What about the guy you went to see yesterday, think he would have any information?"
"It's worth a try," Brian said with a shrug. "I guess I'll go play slut again," he sighed.
"Come on now Brian, we both know that the slut title goes to Franklin."
"Hey," FDR said indignantly.
Brian walked over to a set of blue prints lying across a table and looked down, "a police station?" He questioned.
"Reyes owns the police here; we robbed one of his cash houses." Dom told Brian.
"And he moved all of his money to one location, a safe right there," Brian pointed to the evidence room on the blue print.
Dom nodded, "I'm sure you understand what's going to happen."
"Of course, you're going to rob Reyes, switch out the vaults?"
"That's right," Leon said impressed.
"Show me," Brian told Dom with a grin.
Dom laid out the plan for Brian, and explained every detail, even a few issues they were having.
"The window for the cameras is easy to beat," Brian said with a grin.
"How's that?" Dom asked.
"You need invisible cars," Brian smirked.
FDR walked up behind Brian and stuck his chin on the man's shoulder, "cop cars," he murmured.
"Shit," Rome said. "That's genius homie."
Brian shrugged, "garbage truck will also be big enough to hide the fake safe you have other there, and you could switch it out with the real one if you carve enough seconds out away from the cops."
Tej whistled, "Told you we've been missing you man."
"You would have made a fantastic criminal," FDR praised Brian who smiled.
"I have just one other problem," Dom told Brian.
"What's that?" Brian asked looking over the plans again for another flaw.
"I need a second driver, one that can keep up with my every move."
"You need Brian." Tuck said knowingly if not a little smugly.
"Yes," Dom nodded.
"We could always spin it to make Collins think it was part of the case." FDR told him.
Brian nodded, "can I think about it?"
Dom gave Brian a grin, excited with the idea of driving with him once again. "Yeah, were not hitting the station for another two days."
"Alright," Brian said with yawn.
"Bed for you I think," Tuck said walking over to Brian who nodded. He looked over at himself and then FDR, "Maybe a shower first," he laughed.
"Shower is to the side and there are some cots in the back room. There are two empty ones against the wall you can pull them together. Take the extra blanket off the third bed; I know you get cold easy." Dom told Brian.
FDR and Tuck both flashed Dom huge smiles impressed with the fact the man knew that.
Brian snorted, "Thanks, but those two are like fucking furnaces, don't have to really worry about that anymore."
