Blurred Lines: The Fast and the Furious Remake
Rated: M (mostly for language and bothersome situations – although I promise it won't be too intense.)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A/N 1: Chapter 8 didn't get alerted properly, so make sure you read it before starting this one; and review. Enjoy!
Chapter 9
Alyssa climbed out of the backseat of the Charger – which technically wasn't an actual backseat, more like a small wedge of space between the front seats and the end of the car – cautiously, "Never again", she muttered. "I'll ride on the roof on the way home", she grumbled to Dom who was grinning, "Too fucking fast."
"It wasn't that fast", Dom said. "You just need to get your 'speed legs' back", he said amusedly.
"It's 'sea legs', you moron – and I have them, just not from the backseat, geez", Alyssa grumbled, straightening herself out. "You got us here twenty minutes faster than I did the other day", she pointed out. Alyssa leaned against the back of the car facing Brian – who looked way too amused for her liking – and Dom who was outright laughing. "I hate you guys", she said in annoyance.
"Only because you love us so much", Brian teased. "And neither of us commented on your prowess in the backseat", he pointed out with a grimace.
"Brian, don't make me push you over the cliff", Alyssa said seriously, peering at him over her sun glasses for good measure. "Besides, neither of you know anything about my prowess in the backseat – or anywhere else – so that is a completely pointless statement."
"Do you threaten anyone else have as much as you threaten him?" Dom asked curiously.
She laughed, "Nope."
"Her death threats make up most of our normal conversation", Brian agreed.
"Threats of physical violence, general pain inflicted on your person… the list goes on", Alyssa teased. "I don't usually mean it."
"Usually", Brian repeated. "And then there was the time she threw a giant stapler at my head at her brother's office", he said with a grimace.
Alyssa coughed, "I apologized for that", she said diplomatically. "And to be fair, you deserved it."
"Yeah, okay, maybe a little", he said good-naturedly.
"And I did warn you", she reminded. "I blatantly said that if you didn't shut up, that I was going to throw the giant stapler at you – I even waved it around for emphasis."
He nodded, "And now I duck and cover."
"Yeah, or you could just shut up", she said with a wry smile.
"Nah, what's the fun in that?" he grinned.
"No hospital trips to get stitches", she said with a shrug.
"Aw, c'mon", he laughed. "We had fun at the Miami Zoo", he pointed out.
She glared, "Ok, that's the second time you've brought that up. Quit while you're ahead."
"Hey, you were the one who got us thrown out!" he laughed.
"I'm sorry, how the hell did you get thrown out of a zoo?" Dom asked grinning incredulously.
Alyssa laughed then, "God, that was the best thing that happened to me that day. That entire weekend had sucked and Brian decided we should go to the zoo – on a Sunday. I told him I didn't want to – I had a hangover, and getting trampled by loud kids was not my idea of fun that morning. He came over anyways, letting himself into my apartment, and then was mad that I wasn't ready."
"I told you I was coming over", he laughed.
"And I told you to fuck off, 'cause I wasn't going, and you couldn't make me, and then I hung up on you. I thought I had made my point", she argued.
"Yeah, and who went to the zoo?" he asked pinching her cheek.
She slapped his hand away viciously, "And this is why I threaten to hurt you", she said glancing at Dom exasperatedly. "Then", she continued, "He picked me up and carried me through the apartment-"
"You were way too light", he muttered.
She glared at him, "-and dumped me in the shower – still in my pajamas – and turned on freezing water." She reached over and swatted the back of his head as he laughed.
"It was nearly noon", he defended. "And you were having a pity party."
"So I was pissed the whole day", she continued, "And he was being-"
"I was trying to get you out of your funky mood", he said raising an eyebrow. "And then out of pure frustration, I finally threatened to feed her to the puma because it looked hungry."
"And it was staring at me", she said seriously.
"It totally was, too", Brian laughed, "It was awesome – until she punched me in the face."
She looked over sheepishly, "I'm sorry about that one. At least it wasn't that hard – it didn't even bruise."
"That's why you suddenly hate pumas?"Dom asked with a smirk.
"Obviously", she muttered. "And then, we got into a shouting match, and people started complaining, or watching in amusement – I think we were fighting over who ate the last of the leftover pizza by the time security got over to us", she said with a laugh. "They asked if we wanted the cops called, and Brian was like, 'oh, no, please don't'."
"They asked why, and she went all sweet, and was like 'he's a fugitive from the law and we don't want to get caught'", Brian glared at her, and Dom feigned a coughing fit.
"They thought I was kidding", Alyssa said calmly. "And to be fair, you weren't a fugitive anymore; your record was clear by then."
"You are such a bitch when you're pissed", Dom said shaking his head.
"Yeah, and you don't hold grudges either", she said pointedly raising an eyebrow.
Dom shrugged, "You can blame that one on me too, I guess", he said good-naturedly.
"Oh, trust me, I do", she grinned. "And then they kindly asked us to 'please leave', so we did", she finished.
"I thought you said he ended up needing stitches", Dom reminded, interested.
Alyssa nodded, smirking evilly and Brian groaned. "We were walking under a tree to get to the parking lot because we cut through the grass. He wasn't watching where we were going, because he was too busy bitching at me, and ran into a low tree branch", Alyssa snickered. "He hit his head hard enough that it scratched and he needed three stitches."
Dom was laughing outright, "Brian, you're a moron", he stated.
"Thanks", Brian muttered dryly.
"It was great", she agreed. "One minute he was following me, the next, I turn around and he was sitting on the ground bleeding from the head." Alyssa cleared her throat pointedly after a minute, sitting on the trunk, and casually propped her feet on the bumper, getting ready to play queen. "Alright", she said seriously, "If we're all done with this shit-fuckery, can we get to the point?" she asked, eyeing them both.
Brian shifted nervously and folded his arms over his chest, "Uh, well-"
She groaned, "God, Brian, what did you do?"
Dom raised an eyebrow, "How'd you know it was him?" he wondered curiously.
Alyssa huffed and rolled her eyes, "I know him. He's doing that 'I did something epically stupid' twitchiness bullshit", she complained.
"That's an exaggeration", Brian refuted, even as his left eye twitched.
Alyssa burst out laughing, "How the hell did you ever make it as an agent?"
"I wasn't intimidated by those guys", he defended.
"Uh-huh, sure", she drawled.
"Okay, so maybe they just recruited me 'cause I look good in a suit?" he questioned.
Alyssa shook her head dramatically, "No way. Brian, wearing a suit just makes you look like a punk."
"Great", he muttered.
"Face it, babe, you're a natural born hobo", she said with a grin.
Brian had opened his mouth to argue, but Dom interrupted their conversation. "I've never asked, but I'm kind of wondering just how well you two know each other – and why", he said seriously.
Alyssa looked at Brian and wrinkled her nose playfully, "Definitely didn't sleep with him", she said with a laugh. "No offense, Bri."
He chuckled, "No, I feel the same about you", he agreed. "That would just be weird."
"Agreed", she said with a nod. "Dom, what are you frowning about over there?" she asked carefully.
He stared back at her for a minute before answering vaguely, "You two confuse me", he admitted.
Alyssa and Brian looked at each other and laughed, "Damn, we gotta get Rome to visit", she said. "I told you they were exactly alike."
"Yeah, yeah, you did", he admitted indulgently.
"Should I be worried?" Dom asked with a sigh, watching them like they were two kids plotting trouble.
"Nah, dude", Alyssa said with a smirk, "You'd love Rome's brand of malarkey."
Brian gave an exaggerated groan, "You shouldn't have used the word 'malarkey'", he hissed in a stage-whisper.
She laughed, "Oops." Alyssa looked at Dom, "And he eats like a horse – just like Vince. He says he's got a-"
"-fast metabolism", Brian finished, using Rome's exaggerated way of saying it.
Alyssa laughed, "Yeah boy!"
Brian shook his head, "Ali, I thought we agreed you wouldn't say that anymore", he reminded.
She stuck her tongue out at him and blew a raspberry, "You told me not to, I didn't agree."
"That's mature", he groused. She grinned at him until his lips twitched. "Can't you let me be annoyed?"
"Nope", she said satisfied.
"How often", Dom asked slowly, "Did you two see each other while you weren't with us?"
"Epic fail", Alyssa muttered under her breath.
Brian coughed out a laugh, "That was inappropriately funny", he said. "It totally didn't go there."
She grinned, and gave a side-glance, knowing the joke went over Dominic's head, "But it worked", she snickered, "Not subtle – and that was a perfect 'that's what she said' joke".
"It total-? Oh, god", Brian laughed. "Only you would think of that."
"Hey, I grew up in the same house as Vince, what do you expect?" she laughed.
"Could you two possibly have a three-person conversation?" Dom asked raising an eyebrow.
Brian laughed, "I don't think we've ever tried to", he admitted.
"That would require one of us shutting the hell up", Alyssa added. Brian gave her a pointed look.
"And I noticed that neither of you answered my question", Dominic stated.
"What was- oh, umm, a lot", she said shrugging weakly.
Dom raised his eyebrows at her, clearly unimpressed with her answer, "And just what the hell does that mean?" he demanded.
"It was kind of… a lot", Brian added.
Dom glared and Alyssa laughed. "Dominic, what is your problem?" she asked. "I told you we didn't sleep together, and you're still all cranky."
"What the hell does 'a lot' mean?" he growled.
"You mean after the first time I saw him in Miami and threatened to shoot him?" Alyssa asked grinning.
Brian grimaced, "The beginning of the weirdness", he chuckled. She snickered.
"Nice to know you two had fun", Dom grumbled.
Alyssa huffed, "Dom, he and I worked out our issues just like you two did. Well, maybe not exactly, but still…"
"Sorry", he muttered, "I just can't put my finger on who you two remind me of and it's driving me crazy."
"Me and Vince?" she suggested making a face, "Sort of, but not really."
Dom studied her for a long minute when something dawned on him, "You and I were like this, weren't we?" he asked quietly.
She stared, chewing on her bottom lip thoughtfully, "Maybe", she agreed slowly. She smiled gently, "To be fair, Brian and I really are way more platonic than you and I ever were, in spite of everything", she trailed off teasingly, "but I get your point. Mia always said we were annoying, you know, but I thought it was just because we were always so loud", she laughed. "But, damn, if we really acted like this, we probably drove everyone crazy!"
Dominic groaned, "I feel old", he muttered rubbing his head.
"It was a long time ago", Alyssa murmured. "And you are old", she laughed.
He walked over and stood in front of her, his hands resting on either side of her neck, "I'm sorry", he said clearly.
She shook her head, "Don't… I know. It's okay", she said quietly, closing her eyes trying to ignore the fact that they had an audience, "I missed you too."
He laughed a little and she looked up, raising an annoyed eyebrow, "You still can't take apologies can you?" he wondered.
Alyssa rolled her eyes, "No, and you know how I feel about words, Dom", she said softly.
He sighed, "Yeah, I know."
She pushed him away a second later and got off of the car and started walking around, "Okay", she said flatly, "One of you spit it out, right now. You're both making me crazy."
Brian groaned and took a wary step backwards, out of range, "I bought the passports", he said finally.
She stared at him suspiciously for a full minute, a feeling of dread creeping up her body, "From who?" she demanded.
"Marco Parasatti", he said in an undertone.
Alyssa took a shaky breath and made a fist, "You fucking idiot", she hissed.
"I didn't know it was him", Brian said exasperatedly, "Not until it was too late. You know I never met that guy before."
"Fuck, Brian, why didn't you come to me to begin with?" she asked, walking around and tugging on her hair in frustration. "You know I could have done it. Or at the very least you should have contacted me immediately after you found out – dammit!" she growled and kicked the back tire angrily.
She was lifted and moved a few feet away, "Don't kick my car", Dom said calmly.
"The same reason I didn't ask you if you knew where Braga was", Brian sighed.
Her head snapped up to glare at him at the same time as Dom, "Don't go there, Brian", she warned.
"Somebody had better explain to me what the hell is going on, right now", Dom warned evenly.
Alyssa looked over at him, "There's a lot you don't know", she said finally. Then her cell phone rang. "What?!" she demanded angrily.
"Alyssa Marie Connelly, you are supposed to tell me when you'll be seeing my brother", an annoyed – and distinctly male – voice said.
She winced and turned around immediately, walking away from the men who were looking at her, "David", she hissed in shock. She pulled her phone away from her ear and looked at the number on the screen, mentally cursing herself for not doing so before answering it. "It was a spur of the moment thing", she muttered quietly. "I've been here less than a week… how did you even know I was here? You're such a stalker", she growled unhappily.
"I called your house, and your friend was conveniently watering your plants at the time", he said.
"Great", she grumbled. "Why can't you just call him yourself?"
"I have been", he warned. "He's been ignoring my phone calls."
She snorted, "Can't imagine why", she said sarcastically. "It's not like you're always the bearer of bad news or anything." She turned around and caught Brian's eye and made a rude hand gesture towards the phone. Dom looked at her incredulously, while Brian shook his head in a negatory fashion, 'Hell no', he mouthed.
"Go get him so I can speak with him", David said seriously. "It's important."
"What's it about?" she questioned, matching his tone.
"It's none of your business", he answered. They had a mutual dislike for each other most of the time.
"David, if you're calling my phone to get ahold of him, that makes it my business, don't you think?" she pointed out.
"Just let me talk to him", he growled.
She sighed, "Give me a minute." She hit the mute button and walked towards Brian. "Have you checked any of his messages?" she asked exasperatedly.
"No", he grumbled.
She rolled her eyes, "He said it was important", she said.
"It always is", Brian sighed.
Alyssa switched the mute off, and spoke into the phone, "Look, I'll be straight with you, Brian is currently sitting on his ass on the ground because I just punched him in the jaw for being a giant idiot", she said, staring pointedly at Brian who smirked. "So if he doesn't feel like talking to you right now, because his jaw feels broken – I wouldn't hold it against him."
"Will he let me court marshal you now?" David asked blandly.
"You don't want him to court marshal me, right?" she called.
Brian gave her a wry smile and shook his head.
"Sorry, David, I got a 'no'", she teased.
"It's about Anna", he said finally.
Alyssa sighed, "Fine, I'll- just a sec", she said. She put a hand on her hip and held the phone out, "It's about Anna", she said quietly. Brian took the phone immediately and he walked away, muttering into the speaker.
Alyssa went back to where Dom was perched next to the car and sat next to him. "Who was that?" he asked.
"David is his older brother", she answered softly.
He quirked an eyebrow, "They don't get along?" he asked – completely passing over the fact that he didn't even know Brian had an older brother.
Alyssa growled, "David can be an ass."
"Hmm…" he muttered. "Who's Anna?"
She pursed her lips, "I can't answer that. He'll tell you in his own time", she said quietly.
"Great", Dom grumbled.
"Don't bug him about it, Dom, I mean it", she warned.
"Fine", he agreed reluctantly.
"Let him come to you", she said in an undertone.
"You would tell me if he had a wife or a kid, wouldn't you", he asked seriously.
Alyssa laughed, "He doesn't", she shook her head. "It's not like that."
"Okay", he said.
"Besides, if he doesn't say anything soon, I'm gonna make him", she insisted. "He's being stupid."
"Yeah, I'm not worried now", Dom muttered.
She chuckled. They stood silently for a few minutes, Alyssa watching Brian, pacing on the phone, warily out of the corner of her eye, before she decided to handle some more immediate business. She nudged her oldest partner in crime in the ribs with her elbow, "Wanna tell me why you were all pissy earlier?" she requested softly.
He opened his mouth in denial, but apparently thought better of it, and she buried a smirk. "We haven't spent time together in years", he said.
She gave a sideways glance, but said nothing.
"He was with you for a long time when I wasn't", he muttered. "There's a whole part of your life that I don't know anything about, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me."
Alyssa shook her head ruefully, "Trust me, Dom, pretty soon you're going to know more about that part of my life than you've ever wanted to", she said in an undertone.
"Did you two live together?" he wondered, "Because-"
She laughed, "No, not exactly. Granted, we often took up residence on each other's couches, but no. He probably still has the spare key to my apartment somewhere, though", she chuckled. "My place is nicer than his was. But I stayed at his place when he went out of town."
"You still have an apartment up there?" Dom questioned raising an eyebrow.
"For when I go visit my brother – and I do have friends there, you know", Alyssa explained vaguely.
"I wasn't aware that you were still seeing that guy", he growled pointedly after a minute. "What the hell was he doing with you in Miami?"
She sighed tiredly, "You don't get to be upset about that; you don't understand. It's business."
"Oh, I wasn't aware that it was normal to be friendly with your first sex partner – who you continued to sleep with repeatedly", he said sarcastically. "What the hell is there to understand about that?"
"Did our two minute conversation look 'friendly'?" she snapped. "I still hate him as much now as I did then – probably more."
"I still don't know why you did that to yourself", he said in an undertone. "You deserved better than that."
She shook her head, "Find me a decent, available, guy – who's not gay – and I'll reconsider becoming a crazy cat-lady."
He rolled his eyes, "You can't be a crazy cat-lady", he argued.
She raised an eyebrow, "And why not?"
"I hate cats", he complained.
She laughed, "I know." Alyssa saw Brian coming back in their direction and caught the look on his face, and held a silencing hand up – effectively stopping the retort about to come out of Dominic's mouth. "Fuck", she murmured. She stepped away from the car – god, she hated that face. "What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.
Brian shook his head tensely, "Anna's dad is dead."
Alyssa winced, "I hate to even ask."
"Alcohol poisoning", Brian said sharply.
"Shocking", she muttered sarcastically under her breath. "Sorry", she said sheepishly.
He shook his head, "Don't – you know I never liked that guy – it's the truth anyways."
"Did you call her?" she asked. He shook his head and she huffed at him, "Call her", she said pointedly. "Find out when the funeral is, and tell her we'll be there", Alyssa said quietly.
"We?" Brian asked incredulously.
She nodded slowly, as if it would increase comprehension, "You suck at comforting upset females", she said truthfully. "You aren't taking her to the zoo", she said with a wry grin. "Besides, she'll probably need all the support she can get. Don't you think she'll want people there who aren't going to say 'it's about time'? From what I understand, no one liked that man. She should have people there that are concerned for her, and not drudging up the past", she pointed out quietly.
He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, "Fine", he said, giving in. "She likes you, in any case", he muttered.
"And why wouldn't she?" Alyssa asked pretending to be offended. "She has good taste."
Brian shook his head, "Even I know better than to go near that one", he grumbled.
She smirked, "Don't outsmart your common sense. Oh, and while you're at it, tell her that she and Rome are coming back with us for a few weeks."
"Uh, what now?" Brian asked looking over her shoulder at Dom who was finally on his way over. "You can't do that, can you?"
"Do what, exactly?" Dom asked over her shoulder.
"Yes", she said seriously, "Yes, I can. If you need me to talk her into it, I'd be happy to."
"Talk who into what?" Dominic asked, annoyed at being ignored.
"Anna", Alyssa snipped. Then she waived Brian off, "Go call her, geez", she demanded. "I want to buy the plane tickets tonight."
"You don't have to-"
She shut Brian up with an even look, "Frequent flier miles", she sang happily.
He shook his head, "You are so bi-polar", he said before walking away.
"Her number is in my contacts", she called.
"Got it", he answered.
"Now would you please pay attention to me?" Dom demanded.
Alyssa whirled around and started laughing, "'Pay attention to me!' What, are you six?" she teased.
"Answer my question", he said, ignoring her.
"Brian has to tell you what's going on", she said. "But we are going to have visitors for a little while."
"We- visitors… what?" he said confusedly.
"After he talks to you, any issues you have with the arrangement can be taken up with me", she said clearly. "At that time, we can have a pointless argument, which, by the time we are done, you will end up being wrong – and I'll do what I want, as usual", Alyssa said folding her arms across her chest.
He groaned, "You're my best friend, and my worst nightmare – all rolled into one annoying ball of craziness."
She stood on her tip-toes to lean next to his face, "You're destruction is imminent", she murmured teasingly. "I take no prisoners."
"Who put you in charge?" he complained.
"You did", she reminded with a laugh. "Besides, someone's got to keep you on your toes in your old age."
"I'm only two years older than you", he pointed out.
"So, I won't be old for another two years", she said shrugging happily rocking back on her feet.
"Shouldn't you start thinking up retirement plans or something then?" he questioned, smirking at her. "And won't your ovaries be all dried up soon?"
She blanched momentarily – because, well, she couldn't believe he just said that – and then she promptly burst out laughing. "You are such an asshole", she laughed. "And the fact that you're thinking about my – ehem – parts, is really quite disturbing. God, Dom, seriously?"
He chuckled, "Sorry", he said unapologetically.
"Yeah, uh-huh, right", she muttered, "That was totally believable", she said sarcastically. "Besides you're right – in a disgusting 'we don't need to talk about this' kind of way. Doesn't really matter though, since I don't plan on using them", she snickered.
He raised an eyebrow, "You still don't want kids?" he questioned curiously.
She shook her head, "Nah, I'm pretty sure my maternal instincts are in the negative except for in short increments. I'll gladly spoil yours rotten though", she said affectionately. "So you and Letty better get crackin'", she teased.
He rolled his eyes, "We're already in business – can't do more now", he said blandly.
She coughed, "Ugh, thanks for the visual."
He smirked, "Payback's a bitch."
"I'll keep that in mind when I'm planning the baby shower", Alyssa said giving an evil smile.
He made a face, "Great", he said unenthusiastically.
She laughed, "Seriously, just make me an honorary auntie, and I'll be happy as… eh, something that's happy all the time."
"A meadowlark?" he suggested, obviously amused.
She shook her head, "Do you think birds are happy in the winter freezing their ass feathers off?" she asked seriously.
Dom laughed, "I don't know how to respond to that. What would you suggest then?" he asked smirking.
"Umm…" she faltered, "Oh! Seahorses!" she exclaimed.
"Seahorses", he said incredulously.
Alyssa raised an eyebrow, "Have you ever seen an unhappy seahorse?" she questioned.
"Do stuffed seahorses count?" he muttered.
She chuckled, "Oh, just hush."
"Alright", Brian called as he walked over, "We're set." He stopped in front of them looking incredulous, "What the hell were you guys talking about?" he grimaced. "I heard just enough to be either worried or disgusted."
"My being awesome, the terminal lifespan of my ovaries, and the fact that Letty is going to have an enormous baby shower – that no one is going to breathe a word about, and seahorses", she rattled off.
"My ears", Brian grumbled. "I thought we agreed not to speak about… female issues", he feigned gagging.
"You asked", Alyssa said rolling her eyes.
"Fuck you", he muttered.
"Somebody ought to", Dom agreed.
Her jaw dropped, "You're supposed to be on my side!"
"Trust me", Dom said wryly, "It's in your best interest to get laid."
"Why do we have such weird conversations?" she whined. "This is totally inappropriate."
"Doesn't matter", Dom laughed, "we never had boundaries to begin with – no use putting them up now."
She groaned and smacked his shoulder, "I don't like you", she grumbled. He grabbed her around the waist and gave her an obnoxious squeaking kiss by her ear that made her ear ring and she squealed indignantly, trying to wrestle out of his grip while he laughed. "Gahh! I hate that!" she cried.
"Love you too, shnooky", he teased letting her go.
She immediately rubbed at her ear, "Jerk", she muttered, "You know I hate that. My ear drum feels like it's busted. And don't call me that!"
He ruffled her hair and she swatted him away, "Aww, why not?" he complained.
"It's too… ick", she explained.
"Yeah, that makes sense", he said sarcastically.
She folded her arms over her chest and smirked, "You know I didn't like that when we were 'dating', and you got to cop random boob grabs. I'm sure as hell not gonna let you call me that now", she said.
Brian choked from behind her, and Dom smirked at her, "Well, if that's the only problem…" he lunged for her and she ran towards the path.
"No", she shrieked, laughing. "You're still a Neanderthal", she called over her shoulder. She was tackled unceremoniously to the grass. "Oof", she huffed, the wind knocked out of her. "You're such a pain in the ass", she groaned. "Literally – I think I landed on a rock", she whined.
He laughed and rolled off her. "I like porn just as much as the next person", Brian called, "but could you two seriously restrain yourselves?" Alyssa shifted and threw the tiny rock at him. He was smart and ducked so it didn't hit him square in the head. "Hey!" he complained. "You have scary precision."
She laughed, "Yeah, that's why David keeps trying to have my firearms license revoked. But I've still got it", she sing-songed happily.
Brian rolled his eyes, "Can't imagine why you two don't get along", he muttered.
"He just can't handle my awesomeness", she responded lightly. "Don't know why… everybody else loves me."
"I think", Brian pointed out carefully, "that he can't stand your general unwillingness to be wrong."
"Not when I'm right", she growled propping herself up slightly on her elbows. "He just doesn't like that I'm female and actually have an opinion that I don't mind sharing."
"He didn't like that you called him a 'know-it-all arrogant dickhead'", he said smirking. She heard Dom laugh.
"He wouldn't have been so offended by that if knew me better", she argued. "That's almost an affectionate term."
"Sadly that's true", Dom murmured.
"You have intimacy issues, don't you?" Brian said teasingly.
Alyssa stiffened slightly, and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, that's the problem I have with your brother", she retorted.
"Alright, can we get off the ground now?" Dom asked. He got up and held a hand out to pull her up. "You didn't tell him", he said flatly, once she was on her feet.
She frowned, "It didn't come up", she said quietly.
He growled at her, "Bullshit." She shrugged and went to walk around him, but he grabbed her wrist gently. "You are not your parents", he said softly. "Don't let that crap stop you from living your life."
"I am living my life", she answered pulling away. "Not a word, Dominic, I mean it." She walked back towards the car, "Alright, Brian, spill", she demanded.
"Spill what?" he grumbled.
"First of all, when is the funeral?" she asked.
"In four days", he answered.
"Ok, we'll leave the day after tomorrow", she said. "I'll look at flight times when we get back to the house.
"Alright, that works", he agreed. "We gonna head back-"
"Uh-uh", she said stopping him.
He gave her an exasperated look, "Now what?"
She gave him a calculating look, "You know what", she said pointedly. "Tell Dom about Anna", she said quietly. "You're making it out to be this big thing, Brian, and it just isn't."
He glared, "Fine, but if I do, so do you."
"I'm gonna have to aren't I, thanks to you", she hissed. "You owe Marco money- dammit." Alyssa paced back and forth along the side of the car. "You know what I always say; life is like-"
"-a car", Dom and Brian finished obediently, both wincing, knowing there was a speech pending.
"Exactly", she muttered still pacing, "And cars take work – and effort to maintain. Leave it alone too long and it deteriorates. And if you're fucking stupid enough to crash your fucking car, you'd better fix the damn thing. And if you can't, you'd better find someone who can. And in case you two are too slow to figure that one out", she growled, "that someone would be me."
"We aren't that stupid", Brian grumbled.
She arched an eyebrow in his direction, "That is debatable. Dumb and Dumber", she grumbled.
"I thought it was Ren and Stimpy?" Dom questioned blandly.
"That's you and Vince", Alyssa refuted. "You guys just cause general chaos. However, when you and Brian get together, we have trouble of epic proportions."
"You're exaggerating", Brian muttered.
"Uh, QED, right now: Our current situation? Ring any bells?" Alyssa glowered, "Both of your stupid fucking faults. And the only proof I have that they didn't make that movie about you two is the fact that neither of you would come within a five-mile radius of a dog van."
"Are you drunk?" Dominic asked incredulously.
She squinted at him, "No, are you?"
"It's not even eleven yet, and how many variations of the word 'fuck' have you used?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
She snorted, "Yes, I like the f-word when I'm drunk, gimme a break. I'm not drunk; shut up you fucktard." Brian laughed aloud and she whirled back to face him. "Anna, Brian, now", she said seriously. "The cliffs-notes version would be fine for now."
He gave her a dirty look that made her laugh, and he sighed. "Anna was friends with me and Rome. She lived next door to me, so we all grew up together."
Alyssa coughed out a laugh, "I think I should point out that she grew up – you and Rome… not so much."
"She had to though, didn't she?" Brian snapped.
She nodded calmly, not offended by his outburst, "Yeah", she said quietly, "She did."
He glared at her, realizing that she was goading him because he had been stalling. "Her mom was killed in a car crash when we were about ten or eleven", he muttered, "Then her dad became an alcoholic. He was a mean drunk. It really sucked; he became a completely different person – it was like all the good things about him disappeared."
"That usually happens", Dom muttered under his breath. Alyssa shot him a wary look. Not so much at the words, but his tone held just a bit too much knowing for her to be comfortable with.
"He hit her once", Brian said flatly. "Once was enough – she came over to our place and told my dad. It didn't matter that it was two in the morning, my dad got out of bed, put Anna in bed to stay with my mom, went next door, and came home twenty minutes later with a bruised hand and a bag of her stuff. She basically moved in that night, and never really spent the night at her house again."
"Sounds a lot like my dad", Dom said after a minute.
Alyssa nodded, leaning into his side, ignoring the burning behind her eyes, "He is", she said softly. "He's a lot like your dad was."
"When did you meet his family?" Dom asked, looking down at her curiously.
Alyssa shot Brian a look, but continued, "I met David shortly after Brian finished that job in Miami. Brian just told me that he had to go to Santa Fe to see about something, and I stayed at his 'house', figuring I would make him tell me the details later."
"Don't knock Tej's houseboat", Brian huffed.
She laughed, "You know, a phone call would have been nice that day", she said pointedly. Alyssa turned back to Dom. "I was waiting for Brian to call if he needed me to pick him up from the airport, but he sent me a text saying he was on the way, so I was starting dinner when he walked in fifteen minutes later with a tall blonde guy that reminded me of Brad Pitt. I knew when Brian immediately began placating, that I was gonna be pissed, so I just told him to spit it out-"
"I believe what you said was 'Brian if you don't tell me who the hell that guy behind you is, right now, I'm going to shove a frying pan up your ass'", Brian corrected smirking at her. "David thought that was hilarious."
"Same thing", she muttered. "Anyways – seriously, Brian, I might have like your brother if he hadn't opened his mouth", she growled.
"Oh, god", Dom laughed, "Do I want to know?"
"After Brian introduced us, he asked if I was Brian's new, hot piece of ass", she answered, clearly still unamused. Dom winced knowing exactly how well that must have gone over.
Brian chuckled and she glared at him. "Alyssa, it's only funny because you're the only one who talks to my brother that way." She just folded her arms over her chest in annoyance. He explained, seeing Dom's curious look. "She turned and snarled at him", he snickered, "and asked if she looked like some dumb blonde bitch Barbie. Then she told him to go fuck himself – outside – and turned back around and kept cooking."
"Not one of your finest moments, was it, honey?" Dom teased.
She glowered up at him, "Honey, my ass – I never put up with that kind of shit from the fuckwits I knew, never mind tolerating shit like that from the ones I didn't. He's lucky I didn't deck him."
He chuckled, "I know."
"Brian was like 'uh, maybe you should give us a minute'", Alyssa snipped.
Alyssa whirled around, from her spot in front of the oven, annoyance written all over her face, "Brian, that wide blue-eyed, innocent look isn't getting you out of trouble this time", she said pointedly, "with or without witnesses."
Brian grimaced, turning around to see his older brother watching the scene in distinct amusement, "Get out for five minutes", he repeated, motioning to the door.
David nodded, eyes twinkling, "Yell if you need – help", he said as he walked out the door.
Alyssa gave a angry huff, about to chase after the annoying, tall blonde and give him a piece of her mind, but Brian caught her around the waist, intercepting her. "What?!" she demanded.
"Goddammit, woman, learn to control your temper", he said loudly.
"You are aware that I do have a tight rein on my temper", she pointed out fiercely.
He sighed, obviously understanding the underlying meaning behind that statement. But now was not the time to talk about it. "Yeah, well use it – and find your common sense while you're at it. He's a fucking U. S. Marshal", Brian hissed in her ear, motioning to the front door.
Alyssa looked up at him incredulously, "Excuse me?" she growled.
He scrubbed a hand over his face, "My parents are only slightly less upset about that fact", he admitted. "Relax; I'm pretty sure he's just here to check up on me to appease our parents. He's got the month off-duty, but I think he's going to be here for a week – maybe two – and then go to Barstow."
"Dammit, Brian", she said tiredly, "I swear-"
"I know", he muttered.
"Should I hide my gun before he comes back in?" she asked finally, rolling her eyes. "It's on your dresser."
Brian smirked, "Go tell him to come back in – I'll put it in the bottom of your suitcase and lock it. You've got the key, right?"
She huffed, "On my key chain, as always. Why can't you get him?"
He laughed, "Be right back. Go play nice", he said, heading down the small hallway and around the corner.
She squared her shoulders and walked across the tiny living room and whipped the door open, plastering a smile on her face. "Sorry about that; you can come in now", she said plainly.
The man stepped back in the houseboat, clearly intrigued – either by her sudden change of heart, or the fact that they both knew he had been most likely eavesdropping, but she decided to ignore it – seeing as the walls to this imitation house were thin, and they were yelling. "I apologize", he said seriously, "It wasn't my intention to offend."
She raised an eyebrow, "Is there even a way to spin your previous comment in a way that couldn't be misconstrued as offensive?" she asked pointedly.
"Fine", he sighed, "Can I retract my previous statement entirely?"
She studied him momentarily, "I suppose", she nodded. "Don't do it again." Alyssa went back into the kitchen and went back to stirring the spaghetti sauce she was heating in a pan on the stove.
"You may not be aware that Brian doesn't exactly keep females at his place, so forgive me if I find this slightly unusual", David said leaning against the counter opposite of her.
Alyssa snapped her stirring spoon back on the oven and turned back around, "He doesn't keep me", she said keeping her voice low. "I have my own place – closer to the city. And in case you didn't notice, this place is pretty much a shithole. I was staying here while he was gone, making sure nothing screwy happened while he was gone. And to clarify: he is not my boyfriend, nor are we sleeping together – not that it would be any of your business. He's a good friend, and I really couldn't ask for more. Besides, he's not my type – and I'm definitely not his either."
"Damn right", Brian teased, finally coming back. "You're too high-maintenance for my taste", he said, coming over and ruffling her hair.
"Why do you guys always do that", she muttered, trying to flatten it, "You know I hate that. And high-maintenance my ass! You take more time in the bathroom than I do in the morning, pretty boy", she retorted.
"Only because you do your make-up in the car", he agreed good-naturedly.
"I'm a busy girl – I have to multi-task", she grinned.
He chuckled, "Which is why you're so easily distracted", he said affectionately. He looked over at David, "I ask her to do me favors when she's on the phone yelling at someone – she'll agree even though she has no idea what I'm talking about."
Alyssa rolled her eyes, but smiled amusedly, watching as Brian went to stick a spoon in the sauce and popped it in his mouth without a thought. "Mother fucking-!" he yelled.
She calmly handed him a glass of water she had ready in the fridge, "You always do that", she chided. "What the fuck do you think it was sitting on the stove for? 'It's steaming, it must be room temperature', she muttered. "Where's the spatula I can smack you with?" she teased, looking around.
"Shut up", he grumbled.
"Well", David said finally, "You two are certainly interesting."
--
Alyssa finally peered up at Dom who looked positively gob smacked. She poked him in the side, "What's going on in your head?" she wondered curiously.
"I'm sorry; I think I missed everything after U. S. Marshall", he said glaring.
Alyssa laughed, "That really has nothing to do with anything – other than the fact that it explodes David's already over-inflated ego."
Dom's glare lessened slightly and looked thoughtfully over at Brian. "You're parents didn't like that you were a cop?" he asked curiously "Why? Did they think it was too dangerous?"
Alyssa snorted, "Not exactly."
"A few months after Anna moved in with us, I finally got the nerve to ask my dad why he had never called the cops, or done anything beyond punching the bastard in the face. He said 'we protect our own; it doesn't matter who it is.' Brian sighed. "I understood the concept then, but I never realized how much I dislike it until we all got a little older. I watched a lot of shit happen, and nobody did anything about any of it. It's why I became a cop. I wanted justice in some way. I thought everything was black and white; black was black, and white was white – but it's not."
"You were young, Brian – experiences change our view of the world constantly. You can't blame yourself for things you didn't know at the time", Alyssa said quietly.
Dom nodded reluctantly, "She's right", he said. He looked down at her, "Wow that leaves a weird taste in my mouth."
She rolled her eyes, "Jackass. I would think you would be used to it by now", she teased.
Instead of answering, Dom hoisted her over his shoulder and headed for the car, "Come on. We should go back."
"Lemme drive", Alyssa hissed hanging onto the back of his t-shirt while she was upside down. Brian was smirking at her as he walked behind them and she gave him the finger – he snickered.
"Not a chance", Dom laughed.
"Dom, come on", she whined. "Or at least let me ride in the trunk. There's probably more room in there", she grumbled.
He opened the car door and moved the seat forward and set her down, propelling her into the back of the car. "Back seat, baby girl", he laughed. "Comfort yourself with the fact that I drive faster than you, and you won't be back there long."
"That isn't a comforting thought", she groused. "That thought makes me nauseous." She huffed and climbed in. "We're listening to my iPod", she called to Dom as Brian got in the car and shut the door. She heard Dom groan and she grinned, rifling through her purse pulling out her favorite electronic device and the cord the she leaned between the seats and plugged it in, thankful that they had eventually convinced Dom to get a decent stereo.
"Your taste in music sucks", Dom grumbled as he got in the car and slammed the door.
She smirked in the rear view mirror at him, "Comfort yourself with the fact that you drive faster than me, and you won't have to listen to it long", she said with a laugh.
"Oh, my god", Brian laughed.
"You asked for it", Dom warned as he revved his engine and peeled out onto the road again.
"Oh, shit", Alyssa muttered as she righted herself from being tossed across the other side of the car. "Dammit, Dom, where the fuck are the seatbelts!" she yelled.
"There aren't any back there", he laughed.
"I hate you", she said severely, punching buttons on her iPod.
He laughed for the next thirty second until a low back-beat played through his speakers, "Fuck no", he argued.
She snickered, "C'mon, Dom, you know it's your favorite song", she teased turning up the volume.
"I hate Carly Simon!" he yelled. Brian doubled over in the front seat, laughing his ass off. Dom clocked him over the head, "Asshole", he growled.
Alyssa howled with laughter, and finally managed to contain herself when it got to the chorus a second time and caught Dom glaring at her in the mirror and she grinned, resting her chin on the right side of his seat and started singing in his ear, "You know you love it", she murmured. 'You're so vain. You probably think this song is about you, you're so vain. I'll bet you think this song is about you. Don't you, don't you, don't you?'
--
Brian thought it was funny that Dom refused to speak to either of them the rest of the way home and all day until dinner, despite everyone's curious looks. After dinner, Alyssa started to say something, and Dom promptly chased her through the house and out the back door. Everybody went and watched the scene from the porch amusedly until Dom caught her and started carrying her behind the barn.
"He wouldn't", Vince said in shock.
"Hell yes, he would", Letty hissed.
Brian's eyes widened in realization, "Oh, fuck. She'll kill him."
Three seconds later their suspicions were confirmed by a sharp scream of indignation and a splash. "I can't believe he dumped her in the trough", Mia said in disbelief.
"I can", Leon grumbled.
"What the hell happened today?" Jesse asked.
"She made him listen to Carly Simon", Brian said with a laugh.
Letty laughed uproariously, "That's my girl."
"Should we go down there?" Mia asked after a minute of silence. There was another yell, this time Dom's, and another splash. Mia coughed, "That would be a no."
"Holy fuck", Vince laughed. "That's the funniest shit ever!"
Five minutes later, the group watched as Alyssa and Dom trailed back up the yard, both dripping wet and covered in mud. "I suppose you'll be wanting towels", Letty said with a smirk.
Alyssa stopped dead, glaring across the yard at them, hands on her hips, "Can someone tell me why the fuck there is a bathtub full of water sitting behind the barn?" Everybody else just laughed.
--
Alyssa woke up around two a.m. that night, wondering what had awakened her and sat up curiously. She heard a vague thump and looked around the room inquisitively when she heard another thump. And just when she was deciphering the fact that the noise did not, in fact, come from her room, there was another thump. Followed by a moan. And a low groan. Her jaw dropped incredulously, and she fell back on her pillow started laughing.
She leaned up on her elbows when there was another distinct whine and called loudly, "You guys are already engaging in a threesome! Unless you two are looking for a very unhappily vocal fourth party, I suggest you tone it down!"
"Oh, my god", she heard Letty mutter.
Dom laughed, "Go back to sleep, you nosy bitch."
"I was asleep", Alyssa called back. "You fuckers woke me up! And if you can't keep it down, stop doing it doggy-style", she said pointedly.
"Tomorrow", Letty called, "I'm going to murder you!"
"Not if you can't walk", she yelled back. "Dom, you're buying me some goddamn ear plugs."
"In the top drawer of the nightstand", he shouted.
She took a look, "Are you kidding me?" she muttered incredulously. They were bright pink. She grabbed the remote for the radio perched on top of the dresser and turned it on, on low and pressed the sponges in her ears.
--
A/N 2: It's extra long, so don't be too upset that it took me a while. I wanted to explain some of what was going on. As always, review, please, it makes me giddy. (I was listening to that song about halfway through this chapter and about died laughing and decided to annoy Dom with it – it seemed appropriate.)
