Chp 9

I headed over to Will's house the next day for a little get-together with Dom. I felt so guilty and I don't know how to tell him about Johnny, but I gotta tell him sooner or later. While Will and Letty catch up, I asked Dominic to talk outside. Black was playing with Winston and the rest of the brood. "What's so important that it has to be a secret?", asked Dom.

"You're gonna kill me if I say it…", I said, "I never told anyone, but Will. Back then, I used to have a crush on Johnny Tran".

Dom laughed and said, "That was the old days. Brian shot him and said he was dead".

"Well…, that's the thing", I said, nervously, "He's alive…, and well. He has a garage in town".

"You saw him?! You didn't even bother to tell me?! Does Will know?", asked Dom.

"Johnny saw me and followed me here", I said.

Dom gave me a disbelieve look and said, "Did he hurt you or Will?".

"No, he didn't!", I said.

"Are you…, are you seeing him?", he asked and I couldn't answer him because I was scared. Dom sighed before saying, "You're a big girl, Maria and I cannot stop you to see anyone you like, but you know he's dangerous".

"He's not as dangerous as we knew", I said.

"He's not?", Dom snorted, "Did you know Jesse lost the Jetta to him in Race Wars? Did you also know that he killed him? Your beloved Johnny killed Jesse, Maria!".

"I know that! Brian told me!", I yelled.

"Then you know better to stay away!", he yelled back.

"I know Jesse would be very upset, but everyone deserves a second chance, Dom and I think he deserves it", I said. I fetched Black and left without hearing what he had to say.

I drove towards Johnny's garage, tears streaming down from my eyes. Black whimpered as he gave his best puppy eyes. He probably wondered why I'm crying. I gave him a small smile and patted his head. When we arrived, Black jumped out and attacked Johnny by licking his face. Black wasn't usually comfortable with strangers, other than Will, Elena and their dogs, but the minute Johnny stepped into my life once again, he immediately opened to Johnny and they bonded.

"Hey boy, look what I got for you", he said, pulling out a soft toy that looked like a bone and gave it to Black. Black bit and played with it happily as Johnny gave him a ruffle. Black immediately leapt onto the couch and started to play with his new toy. Johnny immediately turned to see my teary face. "Bad reaction?", he asked and I merely nodded. He pulled me into his arms and tried his best to comfort me.

"I know what happened between you and Jesse, but I think Jesse would've broken every single rule Dom had believed in just to be with someone he loved even though they were once enemies. Why can he understands the meaning of 'second chance'?", I said as I sobbed.

"What I did…, was unforgivable, Maria. I KILLED him. One of the things that I regret doing in my life because I know how much they mean to you and Will. I came to acknowledge Will as a friend instead of an enemy because I got to know him. He was sincere in helping me with my studies, even though back then we were enemies…", said Johnny. He sounded sad. Jesse death hit us all, but what really ticked Will off was what happened in Rio. "Be patience, he'll come around. Ok?", he said as he kissed my forehead.

Then, we heard a car revved. Johnny wouldn't dare to release me, but I turned around to see Dom and Letty. Will arrived with Elena seconds later. Luckily I have my gun with me. "Dom, don't you dare start a fight! I will shoot and Black can bite you!", I yelled. Since Dom wasn't much in our lives for the past decade, Black saw Dom as a stranger and he doesn't like him very much. Upon sensing Dom's arrival, Black ran to us, leaving his new toy on the couch and immediately went on a defense mode and began to growl.

"I come in peace, Maria. I just wanna talk to Johnny, alone", he said.

I snorted and said, "Yeah, like that'll ever happen".

"Maybe he's right, Maria…", said Johnny.

"Who's side are you on again?", I asked, skeptically.

"Look, we'll just be nearby, ok? I promise I won't kill him", said Dom. I looked at Dom, then at Johnny and finally agreed. I leaned by my car next to Letty. Lance came out and Johnny instructed him to play with Black for a while to distract Black from running to Dom and biting his hand off.

"How long?", asked Letty. I gave her a curious look and she asked again, "How long did you love him?".

"Since school…. Even before we moved here", I said.

"Like me and Dom? Like Will and Elena?", she asked again and I nodded. "I don't remember much about him, but I get this feeling that back then I never like him or that Lance guy".

"You punched Lance once during Race War after Jesse lost the bet with Johnny", I said.

"I did?", she said, surprised. We thought she was dead; Brian put her on an undercover when he was still with the FBI and was presumed dead after they found her car exploded and on fire, but when the Owen Shaw case and Hobbs found her with Shaw, we were relieved even though she lost her memories.

"Yeah, you've wanted to do that for years. I mean, you punched him in public", I said. When Lance came out just now and saw Letty, a flash of fear getting punch again was literally written on his forehead. When Dom and Johnny came back, Dom gave me a bear hug.

Before he left with Letty, Will and Elena, he warned Johnny, "If you break her heart, I'll break your neck". Johnny nodded and they shook hands.

"That went well", I said as I watched their cars left the garage.

"See? What did I tell you?", he said as he wrapped his arms around my waist. Lance saw the signal and said he wanted to walk Black with Miranda. After he left with Black, Johnny said, "We have two hours break. Wanna go quick?". He began to bite my earlobe.

"Do you have to ask?", I said and he picked me up, bridal-style and rushed upstairs.