Hey everyone! Brace yourselves, 'cause this is the longest chapter yet. Like, it is so long I actually considered splitting it into two different chapters, but then I just decided I'd keep it being just one. I don't know how it turned out to be so long, exactly, but I'm not complaining. XD

So, I hope you enjoy it!

Dom woke up, and the first thing he noticed was that he was in an unfamiliar room. He blinked in confusion, wondering where he was, and then it all came back to him. He was in Miami, at his sister's new house. He had seen his sister, Jesse, and Brian yesterday after three years. He also found out he had a nephew, which pissed him off, but now he found himself wanting to bond with the kid. Thankfully, his sister had given him another chance, and now there he was.

He glanced at his side, and saw his girlfriend sleeping peacefully. He didn't want to wake up Letty—she deserved to sleep—so he got out of bed carefully. He put on some clothes and opened the door. He glanced around the hallway. Jesse's door was closed, but Brian and Mia's door and Jack's door were both open. That would mean Brian and Mia were awake, and so was Jack.

He went downstairs and into the living room to see Vince sleeping soundly on the couch. He chuckled at the sight and glanced around in search of the others. While searching, he saw some pictures up on the walls. He walked to them in curiosity. He hadn't noticed those pictures last night, but he had been too tired to even take an interest in them.

There was a picture of Brian and Mia, and a picture of them with Jesse. There was another one of the three of them but with Roman, Tej, Suki, and Jimmy in it too. He couldn't help but notice the slight bump Mia had in that picture—it wasn't too visible, but he saw it anyway. There was a picture of Jack as a newborn with his parents, and other one of the whole group with Jack in his father's arms. There was an old picture of Brian and Roman—they looked about twelve in it. There was another picture of a teenage Brian with a woman that Dom guessed it was his mother. There was another of Brian, Jack, and some guy that looked in his late forties that Dom couldn't recognize. He smiled when he saw a picture of Jesse with his father before the latter was sent to prison.

What surprised him was a picture of Mia, Jesse, Dom, Letty, Vince, and Leon. It was taken during one of their usual Sunday barbecues, shortly before Brian came into the picture. They were all grinning, not aware of what would happen in the future—how it would all go to hell and that they'd have to run. They looked happy. But, that wasn't the only picture of the team they had. There was a picture of Mia and Dom with their father. There was another picture of Dom, Vince, Letty and Mia when they were younger. There was also one of Jesse and Leon before they joined Dom's team.

Dom hadn't seen those pictures in three years, and he felt touched that his sister and friend took them along with them when they went on the run. It felt like they had honestly never forgotten about them—like they still thought they were family. Maybe they still did. After all, they let them all stay with them.

It was while he was looking at the pictures, deep in thought, when he noticed the smell of bacon and eggs. His stomach rumbled, and he followed the smell to a half-open door. He looked into the kitchen and saw Brian, Mia, Jesse, and Jack. Brian and Mia were cooking together, while Jesse fed Jack his bottle. The three adults were talking lowly, as if trying not to wake up the sleeping Vince.

They looked so content and natural together. They were a family of their own now. Dom wasn't sure how much things had changed, but it definitely wasn't the same. He wanted to find out though. Obviously, this was what a usual morning was like for them—well, kind of. There was much more food than for three people—they were cooking breakfast for the team, too. It wouldn't be the same for them, either, Dom realized. Their presence would change things for them, and they would have to get used to the differences together.

"We need to go to the market," Mia said to Brian. "There's not gonna be enough food for everyone. We're lucky if it last for another day or two."

Brian nodded. "Yeah, there's definitely more mouths to feed now."

"Good morning," Dom greeted as he entered the kitchen, making his presence known.

"Good morning, Dom!" Jesse chipped.

"Hey, Jesse," Dom grinned.

Brian glanced at Dom. "Mornin'." Dom just nodded at his direction, and then a thought popped into his head. There was something he thought he should tell Mia—something that happened yesterday—but he figured it'd be better if it was when they were alone. No-one knew how his sister would react.

Mia smiled at her brother. "Good morning! How did you sleep?"

"Great," Dom replied with a smile. "Thanks, Mia."

"No problem."

"Hey, Jack," Dom smiled at his nephew. Jack just looked back at him, his blue eyes gazing to his face in wonder. He still didn't really react to Dom, but at least he didn't seem scared anymore. Dom was sure the kid would open up around him in time. "So, I heard something about goin' to the market. I could go myself and pay for stuff. I've got money."

"Uh, no, that won't be necessary," Mia shook her head. "Don't worry about it. You're our guests."

"Unexpected guests," Dom said. "I don't mind buyin' food myself. It's the least I can do after accepting me here. Besides, we're not few people."

"You're all family," Mia refuted. "But, if you insist, then I guess I can't deny that offer," she grinned cheekily. "Do you mind waking the others up? Breakfast is almost done."

"Alright," Dom nodded, glancing around the room. "But, first, mind if I have a word with you, Mia?"

"Um," her eyes flicked to Brian who just shrugged. "Sure." She followed her brother into the living room. It was like he wanted to tell her a big secret or something. "What is it, Dom?"

"I just thought I should tell you something that Brian said yesterday."

"Brian?" Mia frowned. She couldn't remember a moment where her boyfriend and her brother actually had a conversation. "What did he say?"

"It was about you."

"About me?"

"He said…" He clenched his fists. It still angered him to think about it. "He said that he enjoyed making your baby and that he…" he gritted his teeth. This was awkward as hell for him. "…liked to watch you… well… watch… you know."

"Oh, that," Mia shook her head. "Yeah, I know."

"You know?"

"He told me."

"And you're not angry or offended or whatever?!"

Mia gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Nah. I'm not particularly happy about it, but I'm not mad. I mean, if he had kept it a secret, I would've been pissed. Not because of what he said about me, exactly, but because he kept something from me. Since, you know, he lied when he was undercover, we agreed that we should be honest if we wanted our relationship to survive so we don't really have secrets—at least not that involve us. So, uh, he told me about it when we woke up."

Dom hadn't expected that reaction. He expected fireworks or something. But, he also hadn't expected Brian to come clean about that. Still, he wasn't exactly happy about his sister's chill reaction of it. "Shit, Mia, even if he told you, he shouldn't have said that. That was disrespectful."

Mia's eyebrows rose. "Since when you're of high class?"

"Since it's my little sister he was sayin' that stuff about."

"Oh, come on, Dom. I'm not even upset about it. Lay off him. You'd be a complete liar if you don't say things like that to your friends. Or are you saying that you and the boys never talked about it even after you began dating Letty?" Mia knew she was right when Dom pursed his lips. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Besides, he wasn't lying." She smirked. "I enjoyed making Jack, too, and—"

"I do not need to hear it!" Dom snapped, raising his voice enough to wake the sleeping Vince up. He had forgotten his best friend was in that same room.

"What the hell?" Vince hissed, not happy that he was woken up.

"Breakfast will be ready soon. Get up and please wake Letty and Leon while you're at it," Mia told him with a sugary sweet smile as she turned around and went into the kitchen, leaving an unhappy Dom behind. After years of having to listen to girls talk about her brother in a sexual way, Mia couldn't be prouder in how she took her revenge against him. Now he knew what it was like, and they could probably both agree that it was not fun.

After a bit awkward breakfast, they all went to Tej's Garage. Dom and the team learned that Brian and Jesse worked there and that they all spent a lot of time there—either actually working or just hanging out with the others. They took Jack along as well. Dom didn't think a garage was the best place for a baby, but he realized that there was always someone watching the kid. Roman, Tej, Suki, and Jimmy obviously adored the child, and they all took turns in looking after him.

He also noticed that those other people that hung around also seemed to like Jack as well. More than once a random person walked up to them and tried to make Jack laugh, commenting on how much he'd grown, that he was adorable, that he looked a lot like his father and things like that. Dom figured those must be regular customers or people who often came by to have fun. After all, Tej's Garage was like a party in itself.

Something that made him very proud, though, was the fact that he noticed Jack liked to watch people work on cars. He was grinning as his blue eyes watched Brian and Roman work on a Subaru. Of course he was. The Toretto blood was running in him. It was weird, but Dom felt prouder of Jack as he spent more time with him. And he only met the kid the day before!

"There aren't so many muscle cars around here," Dom commented to Tej.

Tej gave him a side glance. "Not today, man. I guess American Muscle drivers didn't feel like showin' up today."

"But, there are American Muscles around, right?"

"Of course there are," Tej rolled his eyes. "We have everything in Miami."

"Everything?" Dom chorused. "You definitely haven't been in LA then."

"And you definitely haven't seen all of Miami yet."

"Are you guys seriously fightin' over whether Miami or LA is better?" Brian asked as he slid from underneath the Subaru he was working on. Roman had ran off when he had seen a girl that got his attention, so Brian ended up working on the Subaru alone. The question was directed to both of them, but he only looked at Tej. There was still tension between Dom and Brian.

"You have a problem with that?" Dom snapped.

"Uh, no," Brian said as he wiped his hands clean with a rag. "But, it's kinda ridiculous to be honest."

"Well, you've been in both LA and Miami," Tej said. "Which one is better?"

"Oh, no, forget it," Brian shook his head. "You're not making me join this stupid argument."

"What—you're scared?" Dom taunted, and Brian glanced at him.

"The hell would I be scared about?"

"Oh, I don't know. About upsettin' your friend when you tell him LA is better."

"The one he'll be upsettin' will be you when he tells you Miami is the better place," Tej shot back.

Brian sighed in exasperation. "I told you I ain't gonna be part of this argument—"

"Hey, what's going on here?" Mia asked as she walked to them with Jack in her arms.

"Thank God!" Brian exclaimed gleefully. Mia was always the voice of reason and he was sure she'd stop the pointless argument between Tej and Dom. "They're fighting over whether Miami or LA's better," he explained as he took Jack from her arms once the child began to hold his arms out toward him.

"Seriously, guys?" Mia put her hands on her hips as she glared at her brother and friend. "That's stupid. Miami is not better than LA, and LA is not better than Miami. It depends on what people think. There, argument solved."

Brian gave Mia a high-five. "Thanks, voice of reason," he grinned.

"It's what I do," Mia shrugged with a laugh.

Vince stared at Jack—who was sitting happily in his mother's arms—for a long moment. He watched as he giggled, and frowned. He wasn't amused by the baby's laugh. He was never amused by his laugh. Instead, he resented it. He resented Jack, because he looked so much like him. The kid looked just like the man he hated—the buster that betrayed them, destroyed their family, and yet—somehow—he still got his girl. Even though Vince had started to move on, he absolutely hated that Brian was the one who got to father Mia's child instead of him.

He'd always known life wasn't fair, but, shit, this unfair?

"That brat looks so much like the buster," he muttered to himself.

Roman—who overheard the comment—smirked. "Well, he was never gonna look like you, was he?" he asked. He wasn't a fan of Vince. The man was obviously jealous of Brian, and Roman did not appreciate the older man's attempts to diss his best friend. It wasn't the first time they didn't agree on something. The two had arguments or even fights during the last few days, showing that they obviously didn't get along.

Vince sneered at Roman. "I wondered how long it'd be before the lap-bitch sprung to his man-crush's defense."

Roman's nostrils flared in anger. He wanted nothing more than to punch Vince, but he knew Jack was in the room and he didn't want to scare his best friend's son. He always made sure Jack wasn't around when he fought with Vince. "You just jealous," he snarled. "You just jealous that Brian's the one to get Mia and tap that—"

Vince growled and sprung from the chair he was sitting on to push Roman in anger. "Shut the fuck up!"

"What? Can't take the truth?!" Roman questioned, pushing Vince back.

"I told you to keep your mouth shut, you faggot—"

"Vince! Roman!" Mia shouted as she glared at the two. She marched towards them angrily. She was tired of their fighting. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What happens is that he can't take that Brian's your boyfriend!" Roman exclaimed, glaring at Vince. "He can't accept that he's jealous."

"Shut up," Vince said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry to tell you, but the truth hurts, bro!" Roman exclaimed. "And the truth is we all know you're never gonna be Mia's man. You can only watch Mia be with my homeboy, and the only way for you to deal with it is tryin' to diss my best friend every single chance you've got. And lemme tell you, it ain't workin'!"

Vince snarled. "Shut up!"

"Vince!" Mia snapped, but then her eyes softened. "We need to talk." She turned to Roman. "Could you take Jack, Rome?"

"Sure thing, Mia," Roman replied, eyeing Vince. "I'll make sure my nephew's well taken care of." He grinned at the child as he took him into his arms. "Right, Jack? You ain't gonna have to deal with this pathetic excuse of a guy anymore. Momma's takin' care of it."

Vince snarled in anger, but Roman was already walking away with the baby. It wasn't enough that he had to deal with O'Conner—he had to deal with his friends, too, especially with that asshole he called his best friend. "That fucker," he growled. "No wonder he and the buster get along so well."

"Vince, stop it!" Mia ordered. "Listen to me," she said, her voice softening. "I know why you're upset, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I've hurt you, Vince. But, you have to understand—I love Brian. I loved him back then and I love him now. I'm really happy with him and Jack. I'm not saying that I'm not happy that you're all here, because I am, but I don't regret the choice I made that day."

"Of course you don't," Vince muttered. "You've got pretty boy blondie to get between your legs."

Mia's eyes widened in shock, anger, and hurt. She had never, ever, expected Vince to say something like that—especially not about her. "Vince—"

"Save it, Mia," Vince snapped moodily. "The sex must be too good for you to choose him over your family. Whatever. I don't care. Be happy with him and your kid."

He walked away, leaving the shocked Mia behind. Usually he wouldn't say such things to her, but he was moody lately and not having a good day. Not to mention he was still hurt over Mia's choice. The fact she had a child with the buster felt like they were making fun of him and his feelings. He had tried to be with her for so long, and failed. Then the buster showed up, and in a few weeks he already had Mia. Then, after he went and fucked all up, he still managed to get Mia and had a child with her. It wasn't fucking fair.

He was tired of being the one who always lost.

When Dom returned from the market to his sister's home, he was greeted by the sight of a clearly upset Mia telling something to Brian. Dom couldn't hear what she said, but whatever it was, it obviously made Brian furious. He left the groceries on the kitchen counter and then walked to Brian and Mia. Jack—who was sitting in his play pin—looked up at him in confusion, not being able to decipher why his parents were that way. Dom didn't know either, but he intended to find out.

Dom raised an eyebrow when he heard Brian mutter threats about Vince. So, he guessed it was something to do with him, but what? "What's goin' on?"

"What's goin' on is that you should keep your attack dog back to its fuckin' chain," Brian sneered angrily.

"Attack dog?" Dom frowned. It wasn't hard to decipher he was talking about Vince, even if he hadn't heard Brian mutter about him before. "What did Vince do now? Did he say anything to you?" There was sarcasm in the last question.

Brian snorted. "I couldn't care less about what that dick thinks or says about me. It's what he said to your sister that crossed the line."

"What did he say, Mia?" Dom questioned, looking to his sister. She looked so upset—Dom couldn't believe that he hadn't deduced Vince had said something to her. Obviously, it was something bad. Mia didn't get upset that easily. (He knew that from before, but he'd confirmed it when Mia didn't seem bothered by what Brian had said to him when he chocked him.) But, Dom hadn't thought Vince would say something to hurt Mia. He cared too much for her to do so.

Mia took a deep breath and told him what Vince had said to her. Dom was furious about what he had said—to his sister! He understood where Vince was coming from, but this time he had gone too far. It was even worse of what Brian had said when he was being chocked. Even though the blond had hinted about when Jack was conceived, he never hinted that Mia would choose sex over the people she cared about. And it obviously angered him that someone would think of Mia like that. It angered Dom, too. The big brother in him was ready to go to Vince and give him a piece of his mind.

"I didn't think I'd hurt him so much for him to say such things…" Mia said softly.

"He didn't have the right to say that to you," Brian said angrily. He cupped her face with his hands. "The choice you made that day, he's got to accept it, whether he likes it or not. Don't feel guilty for choosing what you wanted."

"He's right," Dom agreed, shocking both Brian and Mia. They never thought Dom of all people would support the choice Mia made three years ago. "Vince must be fuckin' pissed to say such things. Don't worry—I'll deal with him."

"You sure?" Brian asked. "I'm the one dating Mia—I should be the one dealing with him."

"He wouldn't listen to you," Dom said. "He hates you."

"No shit," Brian remarked. "Seriously, though, I could—"

"No, I'll do it," Dom shook his head. "Just stay here with Mia. I'll talk some sense into him. No-one says such things to my sister and gets away with it." He glared at the blond. "You just got lucky," he added, referring to Brian's comments that first night they'd arrived. Brian didn't say anything, but his gaze didn't drift away from Dom's glare.

He'd been pissed and was being chocked when he had said that, but when he was calm again he realized he shouldn't have done so and came clean about it. Brian had promised himself that he'd always tell his girlfriend the truth even if it was easier to just lie or hide it. Mia wasn't really happy about his comment, and she'd punched him so hard that his arm was sore all that morning, but she'd forgiven him quickly enough. Neither of them wanted something to end the relationship they'd built together after everything they've gone through. They always forgave each other, because they loved each other and they were always honest.

"Thanks, Dom," Mia said softly, thankful of having her brother's support. After three years without it, she hadn't realized how much it meant to her to have it.

"It's not a problem."

Vince sighed as he watched the Jet Ski races. He wasn't even paying attention to those, instead thinking of what he had said to Mia. He hadn't meant it, but he had been pissed and didn't think. He had really been angry and hurt and he spoke without thinking about it first. He knew he hurt Mia's feelings with his comments, which sickened him. How could he be the one to hurt Mia? His guilt was eating away at him, but he didn't know how to go and apologize.

He glared over at Tej once he felt the man's eyes on him again. He didn't like the way the buster's friends were keeping an eye on them all. He didn't like them at all—especially not Roman—so he wasn't really happy about being in Tej's Garage, but he didn't know where else to go. He didn't really know Miami, even though they'd been there for some few days already, and up to this point, he was used to staying in known places in case an emergency would occur and he and the team would have to bolt.

Even though that wasn't even necessary now, apparently.

"Vince," a deep voice called and Vince almost groaned when he heard his best friend. He didn't mind Dom, but right now, he wanted to be alone.

"What, Dom?"

"We need to talk."

The way Dom said it made Vince's stomach clench. Shit. Dom knew. He wasn't surprised—he was Mia's brother—but he hadn't expected to have to deal with Dom so soon and he really didn't feel like talking. "I'm sure Mia told you everything already."

"She did," Dom nodded, sitting next to Vince. "I should be fuckin' punching you right now for sayin' those things to her. You really upset her."

Vince felt his guilt increase, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he just sighed. "I didn't mean it," he mumbled.

"I know you didn't," Dom said. "You were angry. I understand. I was angry, too. I mean, I tried to fucking kill O'Conner."

Vince's mouth twitched upwards into a smile. "Best thing I've seen in a while."

Dom glanced at his childhood friend. It was obvious he didn't like Brian, and he'd probably never get along with him. "But, it was wrong. I shouldn't've done that." He'd done some thinking lately, and he realized that attacking Brian wasn't exactly the best way to go. It didn't mean he was happy with what the blond had done, but Mia still loved him and by now Dom was sure she'd always be on Bran's side. He was her family, which meant—much to Dom's disdain—that he was part of Dom's family, too. "No matter what we think of Brian, he's part of the family now."

Vince sneered. "I'll never accept that buster as family—"

"He's my nephew's father, and my sister loves him. That alone makes him part of this family. I hate to say this, but he's been taking care of Mia and Jesse like he said he would."

"And he knocked up your sister."

"And I have a nephew now," Dom added. He still wasn't happy with Brian, but he definitely was with Jack. "I was furious when I found out, but now, I want to be the best uncle I can be."

"What's with the change of heart?" Vince questioned. "That night when we arrived you went from unaccepting to wanting to be a part of the kid's life."

"I cooled down and thought about the situation. I realized that Jack is innocent, and that Mia is happy. Besides, Jack reminds me of Mia when she was a baby."

"Well, it's her kid," Vince smiled, but it disappeared from his face as soon as it came. "And the buster's…"

"We have to accept him, Vince," Dom said, not too crazy about the idea but knowing they had to for his sister's sake. "And you have to apologize to Mia for all the shit you said. If you don't, I swear I will knock you down."

Vince sighed deeply and nodded. "Alright. I'll talk to her."

Dom nodded. "You better."

"I am never having kids!" Letty announced loudly. She, Gisele, Suki, and Mia were sitting in the kitchen of Mia's house, and somehow their conversation went to the topic of motherhood. So far, Letty didn't really like what she had heard.

"Why not?!" Suki questioned. "Having a baby would be so cool! I've been trying to convince Tej for months."

"I don't want a kid now, but I definitely would in the future," Gisele said. "I don't see what the problem is for you, Letty. I mean, I can understand why not now—but maybe some years from now. Why don't you want to?"

"Uh… painful labor? Screaming babies all night?" Letty scrunched up her face. "No, thank you."

"It's not so bad," Mia said. "Trust me; it's all worth it in the end."

"Is it?"

"Of course!" Mia nodded. "I love being a mom and I love my family. Raising Jack has been like an adventure in itself and Brian and I have learned a lot together."

"I can picture you as a mom, but the buster never struck me as the fatherly type," Letty commented. "It's kind of weird seeing him with Jack."

"It's been hard for Brian," Mia admitted. "But, even though he's had a lot of trouble getting used to this life, he's been with me every single step of the way. He always helped me when I was pregnant and he held my hand all the time during labor. We've been raising Jack together and we're happy. He made me and Jack his first priority since the very beginning and I love him for that."

"I'm a witness to that," Suki agreed. "Brian's a good dad."

Letty shrugged. "I guess," she said, and then she turned to Mia. "I have no idea how you two worked out—but," she paused, smiling at her friend, "it's obvious he makes you happy and I'll always be glad for that."

Mia's smile brightened. "He really does."

It was then when Vince walked into the kitchen. The four girls looked over at him; Letty with disinterest, Suki with a glare, Gisele in curiosity, and Mia with hurt eyes. He flinched slightly at the hurt he caused her, and knew he couldn't stall any longer. "Mia, I need to talk to you," he said. "Alone," he added, glancing particularly at Suki who didn't look happy. Obviously, Mia hadn't told the girls what had happened, because if she had had, Letty would've killed him on sight, and Gisele would have given him a speech. Suki just didn't like him because she was Brian's friend, and he obviously didn't like Brian.

Letty gave him a questioning look, but she didn't complain as she stood up from the table. "Come on, girls," Letty said, glancing at Mia for a bit, noticing that she was upset. "Let's let them talk."

"Sure," Gisele shrugged, standing up as well.

Letty noticed Suki didn't move and sighed. "Suki, let's go."

Suki glared at Vince a little more before nodding. "Okay."

Once the three women left, Mia glared up at Vince to cover up her hurt. "What do you want, Vince?"

"I want to apologize," Vince explained. "I'm sorry, Mia. I was just so pissed off—I spoke without thinking."

Mia knew Vince ever since she was about two, so she knew that he was really swallowing his pride to apologize. It moved her that he was actually willing to do so. "Apology accepted," she replied, smiling slightly. "And I'm sorry, too. For hurting you—"

"Don't, Mia," Vince waved her apology off. "You don't have to be sorry. I hate that you're with the buster, but I'll accept him if he makes you happy—doesn't mean I stopped hating him, though."

"Accepting him is a start," Mia shrugged. "I hope you two get along in the future, though."

"Not gonna happen," was Vince's immediate reply.

"Who is this guy?" Dom questioned, looking at the picture of Brian and Jack with the man in his forties. He had seen it the morning after he and the team arrived to Miami, but only now he really took an interest in it. That man was the only person—other than Brian's mom—that he didn't know. He'd say it was Brian's dad, but he didn't think it was that exactly. Brian didn't really resemble the man.

"Hmm?" Brian looked up to Dom's direction. The relationship between him and Dom was still very strained, but they actually managed to be civil and have actual conversations when there was people around. Mia and Letty had gone out with Suki, Gisele and Han were on a date, Tego and Rico were somewhere looking for something fun to do, and Roman, Tej, and Jimmy were working at the garage—Tej let Brian off the clock so that he could watch Jack while Mia went out—so Dom and his boys were the only ones in the house with him. There was still tension, but not nearly as much as there had been when they'd first arrived. They were trying to act as it wasn't there, just to avoid having a fight.

"The guy in the picture with you and Jack," Dom explained gruffly, signalizing to the picture. "Who is he?"

"Oh, that's just Tanner," Brian shrugged.

"Tanner?" Dom repeated. He had never heard of him before. "And who is this Tanner?"

Brian shrugged again. "He's a sergeant of the LAPD that—"

"Sergeant?!" Vince questioned angrily. "You're still in contact with cops?!"

"I thought you weren't a cop anymore," Dom said to Brian gravelly.

"I'm not," Brian replied.

"Then why you have a picture with a LAPD sergeant?"

"Because he still talks to cops!" Vince replied in anger.

"Uh, no," Brian rolled his eyes. "I would've explained already but you just went and assumed the worst before I could finish."

"So you're really not working for the cops anymore?" Leon asked.

"No," the blond replied. "As I was saying, that's a LAPD sergeant that I met when I transferred. He was literally the only guy in the LAPD I actually cared about. He was the closest thing I ever had to a father, too, so when I got clean records and found out Mia was pregnant I decided to call him. He was also working on the Toretto case and he was pissed at me for fuckin' it up, but then he forgave me and we began talkin'. He comes to visit every now and then. He's like the closest thing Jack has to a grandparent."

"He's actually pretty nice," Jesse commented. "A good thing about him; when he's off the clock, he's off the clock. And since he's on vacation whenever he comes here, he doesn't really do shit about the racing scene."

"I think Tanner has had enough of racing scenes already," Brian chuckled.

"He's still a cop," Vince muttered.

"But, we've got clean records now," Leon reminded him.

"Yeah, it's not a problem," Jesse shrugged.

Dom couldn't disagree with that, even though he couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive about it all. He accepted it though. He was curious about something else. "Brian, you said this cop is the closest thing Jack has to a grandparent," he said. "My parents are dead—you know that—but what about yours?"

"Mom's dead," Brian said quietly. He pointed to the picture of him and his mother. "That was one of the last pictures of us together before she died."

So, Dom was right when he deduced that the woman in the picture was Brian's mother. But, he didn't mention someone else. "What about your dad?"

Brian frowned slightly. He still hated to talk about his father. "I don't know," he replied with a shrug and Jesse shot him a sympathetic look.

"You don't know?"

"I don't," Brian replied. "I know nothing about my dad, Dom. He was never there. He bailed on me and Mom when I was little, and I don't know if he's dead or alive or if he has a family or whatever. I just don't remember him and I don't care about him."

Dom hadn't expected that. He didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry about that, dawg," Leon said. "My mom left me, too, so I can relate. Even though she left when I was older, so I can remember her." His mother had thought him how to drive right before she left. He hated her for it, but then he just guessed he couldn't really hate her completely. He had really mixed feelings about his mother and he could understand where Brian was coming from a little bit.

"That sucks," Brian shot Leon a sympathetic look.

He shrugged. "It's okay, I guess."

But, Brian knew it wasn't okay to him, and he knew it because of his own experience. However, he also knew that it meant Leon didn't really want to speak about it anymore, which he could understand as well. "I promised myself I wouldn't be like my dad, and I'm doing everything I can to always be there for Mia and Jack." He smiled fondly at his son. "I don't know what will happen in the future, but if for some reason I'm not able to be there, it's not gonna be because I left willingly."

As Brian said those words, Dom began realizing that the guy was really dedicated to being a father. He still wasn't exactly happy that he knocked up Mia—even though he loved Jack already—but he was glad that Brian was actually responsible and stayed with his sister and nephew. He knew there were assholes that would've bolted right way, like Brian's father did. Since Brian was a liar, Dom didn't know if everything he said was true, but the promise to take care of Mia and Jesse apparently was and he was thankful.

"Shit, I forgot to buy eggs," Mia groaned as she looked into the refrigerator. "Looks like it's time for a trip to the market."

"You want me to go?" Brian asked.

"No, don't worry. I'll go myself. I might as well buy other things as well." She looked from her boyfriend to her brother warily. "That is, if you're not gonna fight or anything." Everyone else was back at Tej's Garage. She and Brian went home to put Jack to sleep and prepare dinner, and Dom decided to go with them to help. Dom and Brian still managed to be civil and have conversations when other people were around, but she wasn't sure if they could be left alone without any problems. They hadn't actually been alone after Dom attacked Brian.

"Nothing's gonna happen," Dom assured his sister, his eyes going to Brian for a moment. "I promise."

Brian looked at Dom suspiciously, but he didn't argue against him. Mia also looked a bit wary, but she nodded, deciding to trust her older brother. "Okay," she agreed. She walked to Brian. "It's okay with you, too, right?"

Brian shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

She smiled and stood in her tip-toes to kiss him. Dom's eyes narrowed at the scene, but he didn't do anything. He figured he would just have to get used to it. He and Brian watched in silence as Mia went to look for her purse. When she came back, she glanced at both of them, as if hesitating. "You're sure—"

"Yeah, Mi," Dom nodded. "Don't worry."

"Okay," she kissed Brian again much to Dom's charging and then hugged her brother. "See you later then."

They heard the house's main door close, and an awkward silence settled in the kitchen. Brian looked a bit uncomfortable, and so did Dom. They really didn't know what to say, although Dom knew they needed to talk.

"So, uh, I'll go watch TV while we wait for Mia," the blond murmured awkwardly, wanting to leave the kitchen. He couldn't help but feel a bit wary after Toretto tried to kill him. So far, Dom hadn't done anything like that again in the weeks the team has been in Miami, but they hadn't been alone since then either. Brian wanted to trust Dom, but he wasn't sure if he could—the man didn't really think when pissed off.

"No, Brian—wait!" Dom called as the blond was walking out of the kitchen. "We need to talk."

Brian sighed as he turned to look at Dom. "Do we really?"

"You know damn well we do," Dom replied back.

"About what, exactly? I'm pretty sure Mia and Jesse filled you in with everything," he mumbled. He didn't feel like talking to Dom at the moment. He didn't even know what they would talk about, but he had a feeling that it wouldn't end up well.

"We can't always keep on like this," Dom said. "You're my nephew's father. Whether we want it or not, we're family. We need to have this conversation, for Mia and for Jack. They're the only thing that's keeping us together right now, and we have to make an effort for them. We have to talk—settle things, talk 'em out."

Brian raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you talk things out?" he questioned sarcastically. "And why would you want to talk things out? Last time I checked, you were pissed with me. You tried to fuckin' kill me."

"You knocked up my sister."

"Kockin' up someone ain't like killin' someone, Dom!" Brian snapped. "If I had been an asshole and left Mia alone with Jack, then I'd understand why you'd want to choke me—but I'm here with Mia and Jack. I'd never leave them. You had no reason to attack me!"

"I wasn't thinkin', okay?" Dom snapped. "I was pissed, and you know how I am when I'm pissed. Besides, you didn't really say the most respectful of comments!"

"I was being chocked and I was pissed. People say inappropriate things when they're pissed. I didn't think, just like you just don't fuckin' think when you're pissed and just Hulk out on people instead of actually talking."

Dom's eyes flared, but he couldn't deny Brian was right about that. It kind of pissed him off that Brian knew him so much while he didn't know if what Brian had said about himself back in LA was all bullshit or if there was actually any truth into it. "Well, the man who lied to me in my face for weeks, betrayed me, and destroyed my family knocked up my sister. I had a right to be angry!"

"I didn't destroy your family!"

"Like hell you didn't!" Dom sneered. "You were the cop sent to bust us!"

For the longest time, Brian had felt like the reason of the separation of Dom's family was him, and he'd felt guilty about it. Even after Mia and Jesse told him he wasn't at fault, he still felt like he was at fault. And he still did. Perhaps he was guilty about it all. But, being a father gave him a new perspective of life. He now knew what it was like to be the head of a family, and he knew he'd never do anything that put his family in danger.

For that reason, he wasn't capable to comprehend why Dom would convince his team—his family—to pull off those heists. The hijackings were dangerous and definitely trouble. There was no way the LAPD or even the FBI wouldn't get involved in that case. Even if it brought in money for them, it also brought danger. And if Brian hadn't been the one sent in undercover, then another person would've—someone that wouldn't have helped the team and instead would've had them all on handcuffs as soon as they found out the Toretto crew were the ones guilty.

Mia was right when she said that if Dom wouldn't have done those hijackings, their family wouldn't have been separated. Maybe Brian was guilty in a way, but the main culprit was the man who started it all in the first place.

"You brought that shit to yourself! I was only doin' my job. I fuckin' gave it up to help you! Everything I worked so hard to achieve went to hell the day I gave you those keys."

"You sound like you regret it."

"I don't. I really don't regret that choice. I'm the happiest as I can be right now, but shit, don't go blamin' me for what was caused by your actions!"

"You—" Dom gritted his teeth and his body tensed, but he took in a deep breath to calm himself down. "This isn't going well."

"You actually thought it'd go well?" Brian cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't know how it happened, but you ended up bein' one of my best friends back in LA, Brian," Dom said quietly. "I want to have that back."

"You want to have Spilner back," Brian concluded, shaking his head. "Well, newsflash, Dom! Spilner never existed. It was me all along, just with another name and another background. That's all."

"Spilner did exist," Dom argued. "And he still does. He's a part of you. He's inside somewhere."

"Shit, Dom," Brian shook his head. "Spilner and all my undercover identities—they're just me pretending to be someone else. They're me lying to everyone, makin' them believe I'm someone who's not me."

"And who are you?"

"I'm just a street kid, a juvenile delinquent, that believed in black and white and decided to become a cop with the sole purpose of goin' legit and avoidin' jail. I'm a damn good liar that was sent undercover multiple times and always managed to nail in pretending to be whoever I was supposed to be. I'm a guy who has loved cars since I was a kid, and I'm a guy who didn't really know what a family was like until I met you guys. I gave up my career for said family and now I have a family of my own to think about. I'm a liar who would never betray my friends or my family because if I've learned somethin' in these three years is that family and friendship can be forever if you're willing to make it work. That's me, Dom. Not Spilner, not anyone else. Me."

"So that's Brian O'Conner," Dom said and Brian nodded. "But, are you being Brian O'Conner right now or are you pretending to be someone else again without realizing it?"

"What the hell are you talkin' about?"

"You stayed with Mia and Jack, true," Dom nodded. "But, based on what you said about Brian O'Conner, he doesn't seem like a family man. Yet, here you are, trying to fit into that role."

"I'm not pretending, Dom," Brian replied, his eyes narrowed. "I am Brian O'Conner, and I'm trying to get used to this kinda life."

"So you're not used to this life?"

"No," Brian huffed. "I've never really been but I'm gettin' there."

"And goin' legit is the way?" They had gone to a street race hosted by Tej, but Brian refused to go, staying with Mia and Jack instead. Everyone in the street racing world seemed to love Brian—or, as they called him, "Bullet"—and they seemed disappointed that he didn't show up. "The people at the races miss you."

"They act like I don't go to races anymore," Brian shook his head. "I just don't go as frequently as I did before, that's all. I still race."

"And you started racin' when Spilner did."

"I raced with Rome and other kids back when I was a teenager, way before Spilner ever happened."

"Why were you such a buster then?"

"In case you didn't hear me—it was back when I was a teenager against other teenagers. Didn't practice or improve for years. And the races Rome and I usta go weren't as pro as Hector's or Tej's."

"It looks like you improved a lot since then, though, Bullet," Dom said, a smirk taking over his face. Whatever tension there was practically disappeared once the topic became racing. "I'd like to race you."

Brian smirked back. "Yeah, well, maybe another day."

"We'd have to be careful though. Now that we've got clean records, we can't do reckless shit."

"I know. Anyway, I wasn't the one pullin' heists all over Latin America."

"I didn't know we were clean," Dom shrugged. "Figured it didn't matter anymore. Although now it does matter. I can't blow this opportunity to have my family together again."

"I almost died gettin' those damn clean records, so you'd better not do that," Brian said.

Dom smirked. "Then I guess you're not alone in tryin' to go legit."

"Welcome to the club."

Dom chuckled. It kind of felt like he was still talking to Brian Spilner, which he was happy about. He hadn't realized he had missed him. He wanted his friend back. "I want us to be friends again, Brian."

Brian raised an eyebrow. "You want to be friends with Spilner or with me? Because, Dom, your friend wasn't Spilner. It was me; liar, fucked up me."

Dom was still convinced that Brian Spilner was a part of Brian O'Conner as a whole, even though Brian himself didn't really think that way. Brian O'Conner was way more complicated that what Dom initially thought he would be. Maybe he was right and Spilner never existed. Maybe it really had been O'Conner whom he befriended all along. Either way, Brian was the man who made his sister happy, his nephew's father, and one of the few people that Dom had ever let into his family.

It didn't matter the name; O'Conner, Spilner, whatever. Brian was still Brian.

And maybe that's why his sister was still with him. Maybe that's why they managed to work it all out after Brian had lied about his identity and maybe that's why they were still happy. Even when Brian was being honest, it seemed like he was still Spilner. Perhaps he wasn't lying back in LA about his personality, or his thoughts, or feelings, or even taste in cars. Maybe that's why Dom found himself wanting Brian as a friend again. That's why he was finally forgiving.

"I want to be friends with Brian," Dom replied. "I want to be friends with the liar, fucked up guy my sister fell in love with and that's my nephew's father. I want to be friends with the guy that's part of my family."

Brian looked at Dom for a moment, as if to see if Dom was being honest or not, but then a smile formed on his handsome face. "You've been friends with that guy for over three years, Dom."

Dom smiled back. "That's good to know." It actually felt good—having Brian as a friend again, despite everything. It was way better than having this unending fury over things that happened in the past. Dom knew that holding onto the past so much wasn't good. That's how he ended up in prison in the first place. He'd have to learn to let go, and this was a good first step. "Now how does it sound to get some Coronas and watch some TV until Mia comes back?"

"Sounds good to me," Brian agreed, getting two Coronas out of the fridge and following Dom to the living room. Rekindling their friendship was a big step. It took weeks of constant tensions, sarcasm, indirect meanings and even some fights to get there, and while maybe it'd take longer for them to actually let go and get where they used to be three years ago, they were sure they'd get there eventually.

Okay. To be honest, I could've updated a little while ago, but I didn't 'cause I kept editing this chapter, adding some things, changing others, and… yeah. I don't know if it seems rushed or not, but I really don't wanna drag things out. When I first started writing this story, I'd thought it'd be like ten chapters long. Now, I'm at a chapter ten, and I haven't finished yet. Woah! XD I'm getting closer to the ending at least, haha.

Okay, so things are getting better in the family. Hope I actually managed to get the characters right, and the situation as well. And about Brian, too—I think he's a pretty interesting character. And awesome, too! XD Anyway, the situation is improving, although there's still one important pending conversation between two particular people. You'll see next chapter. ;)

Please review! Reviews are pretty inspiring. :3

Until next time!