Author's Note: Yes, I know, I know. It's been a long time. I've re-written this thing too many times to count but sometimes you have to just pull the trigger. This ended up being much longer and more detailed than I originally planned. But I do hope that you enjoy this and the next two chapters.

Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed and harassed and encouraged me to get back on this horse. I and my muse welcome all of it. Seriously, you all are wonderful.

Chapter Ten: Full Circle

Two Years Later...

Everything had settled down nicely for the afternoon. It had been nuts a few hours ago but a laid-back lunch had been eaten with only a couple of minor interruptions. Drinks had been poured and now it was time to get down to business.

The black tape recorder stood on the table between the two women as it had only a couple of short years before. But this time, it wasn't such a daunting symbol of uncertainty but an amusing reminder of life coming full circle. Letty and Jones had stayed in touch casually, a checking in here and there. It was comforting for both of them to have a contact in the other's world and it had come in handy a few times. When the time came for another in-depth story on Letty, there was only one person she would have involved.

"Seems like old times," Jones said breaking the comfortable silence. Letty looked around the room and laughed.

"Same old, same old right?" This time they both chuckled.

Jones picked up her glass and took a lingering sip of her beer. "It's a good thing that something feels familiar since it sounds like things are about to change for you real quick."

Letty nodded in agreement, still laughing. "You're telling me. If you had told me a couple years ago that I'd be sitting here like this, I would have beat you down."

Jones pretended to consider that for a few moments. "Yeah, you probably would have," she said casually.

Letty rolled her eyes at the journalist, flashing her a smirk before taking a sip from her glass. Maybe she wouldn't have beaten her down but she would have definitely thought the woman was crazy. In the two years since Jones had written that story on her, she had been quite comfortable continuing to build up the Castillo Group's team as one of the best racing groups ever. There had certainly been some surprises in her life since she had met the woman across from her, but not even the most unexpected of bumps had her thinking she'd leave the amazing life that she had created for herself. She had been proud of making it on her own after everything she had gone through. She briefly thought of her encounter with Dom here in L.A. a couple of years ago and sighed.

Still, Letty couldn't help being somewhat amused at herself. Now look at her. All packed up and ready to move on to the next adventure.

"Change doesn't always have to be about something getting fucked up," she finally responded. "Although for me, that's usually been the case," she added. "It ended up working for me in the long run, I guess."

"You don't say," Jones replied coyly getting another grin from Letty. "Was it hard turning over the reigns to another mechanic? You really made that team you know."

Letty shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know about that." She was quiet for a moment as if mulling over her answer very carefully. Finally, she shrugged again. "It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Then again, I've been busy with other stuff too.

"Yeah, your new company, I hear. I need to know all the details on that. It's pretty kick ass. Everybody's saying so."

"I don't know who everybody is but damn straight folks should be talking about it. I've been busting my ass on this thing and you know how hard it's been to get through the last few months." Jones had known a little of what was going on since Letty had called in a couple of favors throughout the process. She was really excited for her actually. No one would have thought a poor, tough Latina from the streets would end up starting her own company down the line. It was amazing really. And Jones knew if there was anyone that could pull it off, it was Letty. But on a personal note, she also thought it would end up being the best decision Letty's ever made even given how hard it was giving up her exciting gig in Spain.

Jones was going to have to make sure her readers understood the meaning behind Letty's journey through her words. She wanted everyone to feel Letty's excitement and know that it came from a long history of dreaming big and having the courage to stand up for herself. Jones wanted that feeling to be contagious for all the young, street runners who've never imagined they could be the ones calling the shots. Not that she expected a story on Letty to be too serious. That woman kicked up dust wherever she went and she already had a few interesting stories she wanted to incorporate into her article.

But she also wanted to hear about these things in Letty's own words too which was why they had been planning this sit down for a few weeks. And like a good journalist, she had plenty of questions. "I know Lojack is holding it down but it must have felt odd crowning him king of the garage after all this time. I'm sure he was plotting to grab those keys from you from the second you announced you were leaving."

Letty laughed sharp and loud at that. "Hell yeah! And by the time I really left he had to practically beat me down to get those keys too!" They both could image this scene being closer to truth than hyperbole. "Seriously though, most of us had been together a long time and we were all cool. It was time to move on; we all were down with that." She was really going to miss her guys, even Lojack, but life would move on. And her new company, a media consulting firm dealing with street and professional racing, was a goldmine already and it wasn't even fully up and running. She had partners to handle the business side of things which meant that she got to plan car races and chases all day for a living. If there was any sweeter gig from the one she had just left, this was it.

"And this opportunity was too much to pass up, right?" Jones asked, gesturing to her current surroundings. "I mean, that's gotta be a good part of your decision to come back to L.A. "

"It was every part of my decision," she said soberly. Then she smirked that signature Letty sign of mischievousness. "But don't tell anybody I said that."

Letty looked around at her new house slowly but surely coming together. 'Back to L.A.' Now that part of the decision had been completely loaded. She hadn't had a real home in so long that it was going to feel strange getting used to having a place where she could truly relax. She wouldn't admit it to anyone but she was scared about what this meant for her. All the same, reflecting on the circumstances that brought her to this point, she also couldn't help but feel optimism about what was to come.

She leaned forward trying to get comfortable in her chair for what felt like the hundredth time. The past few weeks had run her into the ground and she had felt like crap all weekend. This was hopefully the last of her trips between Europe and the West Coast for which she was thankful. She had only gotten to town three days before and it had been a hectic move all around.

Since arriving this morning, Jones had noticed guys milling around trying to get things in order; there was still a lot of chaos about though. "Do you want to move to the couch?" Jones asked. Letty had to be exhausted and this wasn't the most comfortable of settings.

"Naw, it's cool," Letty replied and settled down again at the table. The living room was certainly a better venue but there was still too much activity in there for them to have a good conversation. "I'm not trying to be anywhere near them while they're moving stuff around. You know those movers only have a handful of sense to go around and if we get in the way it might short-circuit their little brains. They are only men after all." When she heard a trace of male voices and footsteps, she made a point to raise her voice. "Good help is hard to find in L.A. If I knew it was gonna be like this, I really would have stayed my ass in that hotel in Spain."

"We couldn't have that," Jones said through a chuckle, glancing at the doorway to see if anyone had heard. "I mean, it was hard enough before with all the Spanish men taking you out and the parties and dancing until all hours at the clubs. But at least you could keep a nice boy toy around in L.A. to string along while you're in town." she added with mock seriousness.

Letty scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Like I'd have time for that. And you know these L.A. dudes thinking they're the shit. Just because a fool makes one romantic gesture two years ago he thinks I'd automatically fall into his arms like one of his usual brand of cheap hoes."

"Wow, so cold!" Jones said taking a sip of her drink. Letty just raised a challenging eyebrow and shrugged.

Right on point, Dom entered the dining area followed by Vince, both looking a little sweaty and overexerted but in good spirits. "You see what this woman has been putting me through trying to get her back?" asked Dom, directing his booming voice at Jones. "And yet here I am moving spending my Sunday morning moving her boxes. That's love right there. You need to write that down."

Despite her earlier words, Letty directed a slight smile in Dom's direction, clearly pleased with the interruption. He smiled back adoringly and leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips. The two actually hadn't seen much of each other since Jones had shown up to have lunch and finish their interview. But the two women had heard both men, and their other friends who came to help out, throughout the house as they talked.

"More like payback is how I see it," was Letty's reply which she delivered with a dangerous playfulness. "That's what you get for teasing me when I was 14." She turned to Jones. "I was young and innocent and hopelessly drooling over this punk. He knew that I had it bad for him and he LOVED messing with me about it."

"Did you ever think that maybe I was - wait, did you just say 'innocent?'" Dom looked from Letty to Vince and finally over at Jones who was paying keen interest in how this conversation was developing. "Looks like she's got you writing fiction over there." He cracked a smile that kept growing larger before turning into big, barreling rolls of laughter. Vince joined in as well and the two of them seemed quite pleased with the humor in Letty's statement.

Between peals of laughter Dom pointed accusingly at his girlfriend whose expression was quickly souring. "Are we still talking about the same 14 year old that rigged Jessica Silvano's locker because she heard that I had hooked up with her at the garage? Or that time when you dismantled that engine I had been working on with Vince for over two weeks because you got mad at us for going to that race without you? You remember that one, man?" he asked, looking over at Vince.

"Oh hell yeah I remember that. You were pissed!" They both cracked up again at the memory.

Letty however was not laughing in the slightest as she crossed her arms and stared at them, a monster glare forming at her two old friends. But after thinking about it for a moment she let a grin slip as well. That shit had been funny at the time.

"Well, Jessica Silvano deserved it anyway. That ho was practically dry humping you not five minutes after breaking up with Hector. Look at it this way, it probably saved you from at least one trip to the free clinic. So I did you a favor." She turned to Jones and rolled her eyes. "Racer Chasers."

Dom winked at Jones, amused by Letty's annoyance. He was well aware that she had been right. "Sure babe," he said leaning over to kiss her on top of the head. But Letty dodged him and pushed him away playfully.

"Uh uh, I don't think so. You think you're so funny? You've had all month to move your shit in here. You better get back in there and get to work or I will take my spiteful ass right back to Spain. Those boxes sure as hell aren't going to move themselves and I am NOT going to spend another night digging around for my stuff like a fucking hobo."

"Damn girl, cut your boys a break. We've been at it all morning. Besides, we're not the one that brought all this shit to L.A.," Vince complained as usual. "You're almost as bad as Mia with all these boxes of crap for no fucking reason. Maybe I should take a seat and sip some tea while you go haul some boxes," he added gesturing to her and Jones. Some things never changed and Vince being a grumpy oaf about manual labor was one of them.

Three sets of eyes honed in on him as he leaned casually against the kitchen wall. One pair looked amused while another appeared curious. However, it was the third pair, glaring at him with a familiar fierceness and rubbing her enormously pregnant stomach that had him standing up straight and backing out of the room. If Vince's expression was any indication, Letty's clear warning had been received.

"You know I'm just playing, Babygirl," he said taking a few steps away from her. "I'm just going to, uh, get back to it." He turned and practically ran out of the doorway not looking back to see the satisfied smirk cross Letty's lips.

"Oh damn!" Dom said chuckling and finally succeeding in planting a kiss on the top of her head as he gently caressed her huge baby bump. "You still got it, Let'." He stood and moved to follow Vince and do a bit more unpacking. "We're going to have the best behaved kid on the planet with that kind of weapon," he said turning to leave while grabbing two beers from the cooler by the entrance.

"Your kid?" Letty yelled back to his retreating figure. "Not fucking likely." His returning laugh echoed against the bare walls of the mostly empty rooms beyond. She turned back to Jones who wore her usual calm, detached expression although the humor in her eyes gave away how entertaining she found the entire spectacle.

Jones cocked her head to the side and directed a stern look at the woman across from her. "When's the wedding again?"

It was a running joke with Dom and Letty's friends since, to date, Letty had refused all of Dom's suggestions that they tie the knot. She was gun-shy given that they hadn't even lived on the same side of the planet in almost a decade. His counter that it hadn't stopped them from having a baby together was usually not met with enthusiasm. But it remained a consistent source of amusement. In fact, she and Dom had been playing at the long-distance relationship for so long that actually being here in L.A. under the same roof for the foreseeable future was still surreal. Jones' expression grew somewhat serious as she considered her two stubborn friends.

"You know, seeing you two like this, it's hard to imagine you not being part of each others' lives. Yet when I met both of you, I could sense something missing. It's crazy to me to think back on how right I was and that the answer was so connected to the time I spent with you."

Letty rolled her eyes but couldn't help agreeing with her. The last seven years had been a hell of a time for her and for Dom.

"Well, if it's one thing we're used to in our lives, it's crazy," Letty responded in exasperation as she continued to rub her belly and find a new, comfortable position in her chair. Once she settled down, she picked up her glass again and took a long pull. "I don't know why I'm drinking this. I'm just going to pee it out in five minutes. Man, this kid better be real good to me when it pops out."

They both laughed at her jest especially because there was no real fire behind it. Anyone could see how happy she was to be back in L.A. starting something new on her own terms. But most importantly, she was back with her man and reinforcing their already tight-knit family with a child of their own. It had been a long road for them but these happier times were well deserved.

"Alright, now that Dumb and Dumber have passed through, let's get back to it. You've got to finish getting all up in my business for your article. Again. And then you can tell me about this book you want to write and why I'm the one you need to help you with it."

TBC...

AN: I've got one more chapter to post tomorrow and then an epilogue after that. I've always planned on this being a stand-alone story with future visits to peek in on various parts of their lives. There's so much that I wonder about with these two, especially during their second courtship and how they came to be Dom and Letty again, step by step. But all in good time. For now, at least there's some closure on the horizon and I won't have to make you guys wait anymore!