A/N: Thanks to venus as a girl (just wait, sweetie.), Martell2981, kursk, and 2furious4u for their reviews!
There's a little more Dom/Letty, Vince/Rae development here, but not a huge amount - bear with me! I never intended to write this as a re-write of 2Fast2Furious, so I'm not going to re-hash the whole thing. Instead, you can assume it goes mostly like the movie, except for the bits I write here. Use your imagination. Or your DVD player.
Sorry for the relatively short chapter, I'm going on a roadtrip and I figured you guys would want whatever you could get. Part two will come soon, I promise.
Happy birthday to Matt Schulze!
As always, Review and Enjoy!
Brian wasn't happy.
Rome wasn't happy.
Markham was too twitchy; the dude was wound way too tight.
Verone was a vicious bastard.
And Agent Fuentes, well, no one really new which side she was on.
Bilkins seemed to be the only one lookin' out for them, and considering Brian's past with him, that wasn't a comforting thought.
The two of them had stopped of in Barstow to pick up Roman. It may have been a few years since they'd seen each other, but Brian still knew his old childhood friend. Rome would take the deal, which he did, but not before he let off a little steam in the form of an embarrassing fight that was a hair's breadth away from flapping arms and pulling hair; not that Rome had much hair to pull now that he'd lost the 'fro he used to rock. He still had a lot of attitude, but Bri knew he'd forgive him; they were already bickering like kids.
Dom had hooked them up with this crazy dude Tej, who had his hands in everything. He and his crew had taken them in, giving them a place to crash while they built up the reps locally. They had figured it would be better for their cover if they had some time on the blacktop instead of going in cold.
They had met Agent Monica Fuentes. Brian couldn't deny that she was hot, and even that he was drawn to her a little, and any other time he might have gone for her, but he couldn't stop thinking about what Mia had said to him.
She'd run off after she'd said it, and avoided being alone with him afterwards, so he hadn't had a chance to reply, not that he knew what he would say. He cared a lot about Mia, but it wasn't that long ago that they had hooked up, and although he had given up everything thing to help her and the Team, he wasn't sure he was in love with her. He'd never been in love before, just lust, lots of lust.
Rome wasn't kidding when he said that Brian was always getting in trouble because of a female, it was just that this time, Rome had got the girl wrong. Rome thought he was hot for Monica, but that wasn't why he was always watching her. He wanted to know if she'd flipped. It was one thing to let a thief get away, but to go native with Verone? Too far. She seemed on the level, but she had been in for a long time, and seemed real close to her mark.
He and Rome had passed Verone's test, got the job, but now it looked like Markham was going to turn on them the first chance he got. Earlier that night, he and Rome had raced the Italian Stallions tag-team style for their wheels. It had been a close thing, but they had won. Brian wasn't much into muscle cars, but the Camaro and the Challenger were some sweetrides, even if they did need a few Tej-made modifications. They weren't planning to cut out, but they didn't need Markham showing up all trigger-happy again, and the Evo and Spyder were wired.
But after the race, they had gone to Pearl to meet Verone and Fuentes. Brian had spoken to Monica alone and decided that she was one of the good guys, but then Verone had pulled that stunt with the dirty cop and the dirty rat, showing just how psychotic he really was. And Monica, she had helped him with barely any hesitation. Brian had kept repeating what Dom had once told him. "Brian, don't lose that cool of yours, that's your meal ticket." Even Rome was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.
When he and Rome were on their way back to Tej's, Rome wouldn't shut up about her. Brian kept defending her, but part of him wondered.
The next morning, he woke to the sound of someone in the room of his houseboat. Before he could reach for the gun under his pillow, he felt the bed bow under the weight of another person and he looked over to see one Monica Fuentes sitting next to him.
She was dishevelled, soaking wet, wearing a tied-up tee and shorts. Not her usual glamorous self. She looked scared.
"What're you doin' here?" he asked, concerned.
"Brian, they're gonna kill you. I heard him telling Enrique and Roberto. Once you finish the run, they're putting a bullet in your head," she warned, her breathing heavy.
"You're sure you heard them right?" he questioned, eyes wide.
"I'm sure," she answered, nodding. "I'm sure."
Before he could say anything more, Rome burst in.
"Verone's boys is outsi…" his voice drifted off as he took in Monica sitting next to a half naked Brian. "Oh, I see what they lookin' for. Your little girlfriend 'ere."
A shadow moved outside the window, and both Monica and Brian moved closer to look.
"They don't know I'm here," she whispered disbelievingly. "I snuck out!"
"What the hell are they doin' here then?" Rome asked, his voice hushed.
"I don't know, maybe they're guessing!" she hissed back. Their relationship was less than friendly, each seeming to rub the other the wrong way.
"Hey, go stall them," Brian told Rome as he pulled on his shirt. "Go stall them for like two minutes."
"Check her, homey," Rome insisted, pointing a Monica. "Check her."
Rome walked out, leaving them alone.
"Found what you was lookin' for," they heard Rome call from outside. "Hey buddy, hi guys, how ya doin'?" There was a pause. "Aww, man, y'all still mad about y'all car? Don't even trip homey. Come on, man; can't take a joke?"
Monica turned to Brian. "Brian this isn't about being a good cop anymore, or, or, or doin' your job, I mean they're gonna kill you, you guys gotta pull out."
Rome continued to bullshit Verone's two heavies outside.
"Okay?" she asked, looking for conformation.
"Yeah," had answered.
"Don't make that run, Brian. Don't make that run," she pleaded. She moved to kiss him, but he pulled back.
"I… I can't," he said, not wanting to hurt her. She looked at him a moment, then nodded, giving him a weak smile. "Be careful," he warned as she went to hide in the bathroom. He went to join Rome with the two goons outside.
"Donde está?" Number one asked Brian as he came out on deck.
"Can," he replied, staring them down.
Suddenly, things got bad. Number One held a gun at them while Number Two went to check the boat. Brian was praying he stayed away from the bathroom, knowing that if Monica was found onboard they were all dead.
But it was clear. Some how she'd managed to get out. They were clear.
Unfortunately, Rome chose that moment to start mouthing off again, and things got very interesting. Brian had a gun pressed against Number One's chest as Number Two held one at Rome's head. They were all yelling in different combinations of English and Spanish, and thing were getting worse until a voice cut through.
"Enough, enough!" Verone scolded from the dock. "Shut up. Shut up," he ordered both his goons. "It's over, come on. It's over, let's go." The four men separated slowly, Verone continuing to encourage them.
"I'm glad to see you boys are getting along so well," Verone smirked, "because tomorrow, Roberto and Enrique are going to be riding along with you, just so we don't have any problems. I'll see you guys in a bit." He turned and stalked off, One and Two shooting them dirty looks as they followed him like faithful dogs.
Once they were out of hearing range, Rome turn to him. "What they hell was she doin' in there, man?"
So Brian explained.
"Letty," his voice rumbled. She ignored him. "Letty," he repeated, his voice a little stronger.
"What, Dom?" she snapped, not wanting to speak to him 'cause Leon had left them all alone for once.
"We gotta talk," he said, coming to stand next to her by the window. She seemed to do that a lot nowadays, stand by windows and think.
"There's nothing to talk about," she said firmly, not looking at him.
"Bullshit. You've been giving me the cold shoulder since we got here."
"Excuse me for not feeling like fuckin' right now, what with Jesse in the hospital and the rest of us facing charges!" she snapped.
"That's not it and you know it. You've been brushing me off, avoiding me. You ain't even raggin' at me for staying out all hours. Somethin's wrong," he pushed, spinning her around to face him.
"Yeah, Dom. Somethin's wrong. Jesse's sick. V. and Mia are in trouble. We're on the run livin' in this shitty apartment," she finally looked at him, brown eyes meeting black. "I don't trust you anymore."
His head snapped back like she'd hit him.
"I know you've been fuckin' around on me. I knew from the start. But you got us into this mess. You told us it would be okay, talked us into it. And when all of us said somethin' didn't feel right, you pushed on anyway, knowin' we'd follow you. You used us, used our loyalty. I don't know you anymore, and I don't trust you anymore. I don't know if I can forgive you, Dom." She turned back to the window. "I don't know if I can forgive myself."
She heard him take a breath like he was going to say something, but he let it out in a gust before moving away.
She had thought finally saying how she felt would make things clearer, like maybe she'd suddenly know what to do, or he'd know what to say to make everything better. But instead, the huge, gaping hole inside her got just a little bigger, and she prayed that something would change soon.
Brian and Rome walked into the secure meeting place, only to find Dunn, Bilkins and Markham standing and waiting for them.
"Nice shirt Bilkins," Brian commented, referring to the yellow, fish-printed monstrosity the big man was wearing.
"It's may day off," he replied sardonically.
"Yeah. Well anyhow, this is the deal," Brian began, Roman silent for once at his side. "Last night Verone threatened a cop into giving us a window. We're driving to an airstrip, in the Keys, offa Norwood Avenue. Verone had a plane there and he's takin' off for good."
"Wait a minute, how do you know this?" Markham asked, always suspicious.
"Monica," Brian answered.
"She's doin' her job," Rome grudgingly agreed. "She warned us."
"She warned you about what?" Bilkins asked.
"Verone plans to kill us after we give him the money," Brian replied.
"Driving into an ambush was never part of the deal," Bilkins stated. "I'm calling this off."
"Like hell you are!" Markham cut in. "This is a Custom's case, Bilkins, no-one's calling this off unless I do," he snapped, soundly like a spoilt child. "Look, this is real simple. You make the run; you get Verone and his cash together so I can move in for the bust, alright? You don't, I will find enough charges on you to make you both disappear. Take these," he said handing them a couple of radios. "We're gonna have GPS on you the whole time just so you don't get any cute ideas," he sneered, walking toward the exit.
"And to make sure nothing happens to them, right?" Bilkins called after him.
"Yeah, right," Markham replied sarcastically.
Brian was pleasantly surprised that Bilkins actually seemed concerned for their safety, and even Agent Dunn seemed uncomfortable with his bosses gung-ho attitude. 'Course, that didn't do him and Rome any good. They'd be lucky to get out of this alive.
They walked out after Markham, watching him stalk off towards his car.
"That guy's a dick, man," Roman commented. "Let me get this right. If we don't do this, then we go to jail. But if we do it, Verone's gonna kill us."
"It's a hell of a deal, huh?" Brian agreed, feeling guilty for getting his friend involved in this mess.
"Yeah, maybe it is," he said, looking out over the water. "But I know this guy that's ready to dump an ass full of loot in our cars. And I can think of two reasons why Verone doesn't need that money anymore."
"Ahh, here we go!" Brian grinned, know where his old friend was going.
"You and me, just like the old days. What d'ya think?"
Brian frowned. "I can't run out on this." His face smoothed out into a grin. "But I think they messed with the wrong two guys, that's what I think."
He pulled out his cell and pushed speed dial, bumping fists with Rome.
"Yo Tej, what's up bro?"
Hector had been to visit again. Rae knew, because she was currently trying to coax the half-empty bottle of cheap tequila away from Vince. There were already a few empty beer bottles on the ground.
"Come on, V., gimme the bottle. I think you've had enough."
"Nuh-uh," he grinned, shaking his head slowly. "I'm jus' getting' started, sweetheart."
"Gimme the bottle," she said, using the mom voice that always worked on Ella.
Vince's arm twitched, but he caught himself. "Nope. You'll just pour it out."
"Maybe I won't. Maybe I want to get pissed, too."
"Yeah, righ'. You're the Booze Nazi. You don't know how to loosen up," he slurred, waving the bottle a little.
"Try me," she challenged, standing with her hands on her hips.
Vince looked slowly at her, then at the bottle, then back at her again, as if calculating the odds. He grinned. "What the hell. But you gotta swallow the worm."
She nodded, stepping forward and taking the bottle from his loose grip. Not breaking eye contact, she raised the bottle to her lips and took a long swig, feeling the worm sliding down her throat. The tequila burned, but contrary to what V. believed, she knew how to handle her liquor.
As she held the bottle up so he could see the conspicuous lack of worm, he let out a loud bark of laugher and tried to swipe back the drink, but considering he was more than tipsy while she was just a little buzzed, she danced backwards towards the kitchen, taking another swig before tipping it down the sink. Everything else was either already down there or already inside Vince.
"Ah, fuck," Vince mourned, watching it swirl down the drain, swaying slightly. "We were just startin' to have fun!"
"Yeah, yeah. 'Cause nobody ever had fun without alcohol. Now let's get you to bed." A second after she'd spoken, she realised how that sounded.
Obviously, Vince wasn't too drunk to notice it too. "Was that an offer, sweetheart?"
"Dream on, Martelli. You can barely stand." He looked like he was about to say something else, but she spoke before he could. "I won't have my daughter walking in on you and this mess," she gestured to the messy living room, "and Mia will be back with her any second."
Vince nodded slowly. Even if he didn't know what to do with an eager three-year-old, he seemed to understand that there were certain boundaries.
"Come on, I'll help you down the stairs," she said, pulling his good arm over her shoulder and supporting him as they made they're way downstairs.
Things had been quiet around the Fort with Mia not being her usual cheerful self. She was clearly worried about Brian, they all were, even Vince, though he hid it well. Mia seemed to enjoy spending time with Ella, she said chasing around after the toddler took her mind off things. Rae was just happy for a little peace and quiet.
They reached the bottom of the stairs, and managed to stagger towards Vince's room. She pushed open the door, surprised to find it almost exactly the same as before she left. Messy, cluttered, CD's everywhere; rock stars and half-naked girls on the walls; and his precious guitar on a stand in the only clear part of the room.
He was fast falling asleep against her, still standing. She slapped his cheek lightly.
"Come on V. I can't do all the work here." She contemplated just dumping him on the bed, but she took pity and decided to a least make him comfortable. She stood him up, his eyes blinking dazedly. She pulled his vests off, dumping them on the floor, trying not to look at his broad, bare chest in front of her. She began to loosen his pants, but stopped when she realised he wasn't wearing any underwear. If she went any farther, he would definitely get the wrong idea.
She looked up to find him gazing down at her. She was expecting another smart-assed come-on, but was thrown off by what he said next.
"You're so beautiful, Rae," he sighed, almost as if he were talking to himself. "I missed you."
Then his lips were on hers, soft but strong, kissing her hard and deep. She could taste the alcohol on his breath, but part of her didn't mind. When V. started to sway against her, she came to her senses, pulling back.
"What?" he asked, confused.
"You're drunk, V. And when you get drunk, you always want some tail. We both know that we'd regret it in the morning, so just go to sleep, okay?" she reasoned, pushing him gently onto the bed then stepping back.
He nodded, his mind once again drifting off, and he fell back against the pillows.
She walked out of his haven, shutting the door gently behind her and let out a gusty sigh.
"Damn."
She walked to the downstairs bathroom and grabbed some mouthwash, getting rid of the tequila from her breath. Before she left to clean up upstairs, she took one last look in the mirror. Her eyes were shining, her lips were swollen, and her hair was mussed up. She shook her head, straightening herself out.
Just once, it would be nice to kiss Vince when he wasn't drunk.
