"Dominic?"
"What is it Jesse?"
"I got that stuff you wanted Dom," Jesse beamed like a kid who knew he'd done good –"Found out something really interesting."
"Yeah?" Dom asked, glancing up as he took the papers from Jesse. The kid nodded –"I didn't find anything at first, other than what Brian had told us, and what we knew. Then I figured maybe I was looking in the wrong place, so I took a look at Rome's rap-sheet."
Dom was scouring the paper –"Wait a minute…that's…"
"Uh huh," Jesse said, losing his smile –"Brian went to Miami before Rome got released from house arrest in Barstow."
"Then I guess Brian has some explaining to do," Dom frowned, getting to his feet –"Don't mention this to anyone, especially Brian. I'll deal with it."
"How'd you feel this morning?" Mia asked softly as Knight joined the group for breakfast, the morning warm and sunny enough for the group to be outdoors to eat, rather than in the kitchen. Knight gave her a 'little lost boy' look –"I'm alright. Feeling a bit…I dunno. Confused I guess."
"Things will work out," she told him comfortingly. Nyssa raised a slender eyebrow –"Can I ask what's going on? Seeing as no-one bothered telling me last night."
"Knight left the races in an awful hurry," Vince remarked gruffly. Nyssa ruffled his scruffy hair –"That much I knew," she said, then looked at Knight –"So why'd you take off?"
"Long story."
"The cause of all men's problem," Dom put in between mouthfuls of his breakfast –"It was a girl."
"Right on brother," Leon laughed. Letty glared at him –"You need to shut the hell up. And you Dominic Giovanni Toretto…" the group oohed at her use of his full name, showing how annoyed she was with him as she continued –"had better watch your step. Eyeing skank's last night and now showing what a chauvinistic grease monkey you are."
Dom grinned and pulled her too him –"I love when you get all mad and fired up."
Nyssa made an irritated noise, as if clearing her throat –"So who was the girl?"
"She's an old flame," Knight admitted –"Last girl I ever loved. Long story, one I'm tired of telling."
"That how you ended up in Miami bro?" Brian asked, not noticing the look Jesse shot Dom as Dom's face clouded slightly as Knight answered –"Yeah. Like I said, long story."
"That doesn't tell me who she is," Nyssa pointed out. Vince looked like he was about to answer, but Brian beat him to it –"She's the English girl that races for Tran."
"Her names Becky bro," Knight informed him, and the rest of the group, getting up from the table –"I gotta go for a run, clear my head."
"Guess she's a sore subject huh?" Dom asked Brian, as Knight headed down the driveway at a jog, pausing by the black and silver Trans-am. Brian shrugged –"I guess. I mean, he told me that he'd needed a fresh start, which was why he'd changed his name. Didn't say anything about her though. Wonder what happened."
Mia looked uncomfortable –"I can't tell you much, he made me promise not to. But I can tell you it was a bad break up. And that it was a long time ago, but he still isn't over it."
"He got the big 'forever love' thing going?" Letty asked. Mia shrugged –"Seems like. Question is whether he'll act on it, or get over it now he's got to face her again."
"He'll try get over it," Nyssa predicted –"But it won't work, and something will happen between them."
Knight mopped sweat from his brow irritably as he ran. The weight of the pack on his bag was beginning to tire him out now. He ran for another block before finally quitting, doubling over, hands on his knees as he struggled for breath. Thoughts ran rampant in his mind, memories, feelings he'd thought were buried resurfacing. He angrily snapped a fist out at the wall next to him, feeling the coarse brickwork ripping at his knuckles. The pain was a distraction, as he continued to lash out at the wall, until the knuckles were torn and bleeding, a voice pulling him back to reality –"is there a problem sir?"
Knight bit back a sarcastic comment as he turned to face the cop –"Not at all officer."
"Then may I ask why you feel the need to be punching a wall?"
"Just a little stress relief, when my run wasn't helping."
"Have you been drinking sir?"
Knight gave way to his anger –"Unless you want to be directing traffic for the rest of your career, back off and leave me alone."
"I think you'd better come down to the station," the cop said, grabbing his arm. Knight yanked it free, ready to punch his lights out, before realising that he was probably one step away from being arrested without having done so –"You want to end up as a security guard? I work for the Foundation for Law and Government. They have contacts, and so do I, so go away."
"I suggest then sir, that you continue your run, before I arrest you for threatening a police officer, and disturbing the peace."
Knight snorted in disgust –"Go arrest some real criminals for once," he muttered, and resumed his run, heading back to the Toretto's.
"Brian, a word."
Brian glanced at his watch –"Dom man, I'm gonna be late for work."
"Tell Harry to take it up with me," Dom replied, motioning Brian into the living room, glad that the rest of the team had headed for the garage –"Alright Brian, this is one of those times you need to be very clear about what you say."
Brian recognised those words, and the tone with which they were delivered. Dom had same the same thing the night Vince had caught him snooping round Hector's while investigating the truck heists, and struggled to keep the worry from his voice –"What's up Dom?"
"Maybe you can tell me," Dom said, handing him a printout. Brian closed his eyes as he read it –"Shit."
"What's going on Brian?" Dom asked, his voice calm, but with an edge of danger –"You a cop again?"
"Nah man, I swear," Brian said, looking worried. Dom nodded slightly, more to himself –"Can you explain what happened in Miami then? I mean, you told us you had to go help a friend, but Rome wasn't even in Miami then. And somehow, his police record has been cleared, apart from the archives. How'd that happen Brian?"
"Dom, you have to believe I'm not a cop again," Brian answered –"But…ok, Bilkins asked for my help. He had a job to do in Miami, helping customs, and they needed drivers."
"So you helped the cops," Dom said, his tone questioning as he folded his muscular arms across his chest. Brian bit his lip slightly –"I made a deal. Dom, you know they'd been watching us since the heists man, Bilkins arranged for that to stop. Cleared our records, cleared Rome's record, got him off house arrest. Cleared my record…"
"Your record?"
"Yeah," Brian answered –"They logged some things as unconfirmed, you know, aiding and abetting, obstruction of justice. They just couldn't prove it."
"So they did all that…what did you do for them?"
"Me and Rome drove for them, helped put this dude behind bars, Carter Verone," Brian answered –"I stayed down there a while, to make it look legit, helped Rome set up a garage, then came back."
Dom looked unconvinced, and still slightly angry. Brian sighed –"Dom, I had to, I did it for the team."
"And did Mia factor in? Do you know how much she missed you while you were there?" Dom asked, his tone getting more agitated. Brian winced –"She knew what I was doing Dom, I told her. We agreed we wouldn't tell you, coz you'd get like this. We knew it'd be hard, but that we'd come through it ok, she understood why I had to do it."
Dom seemed to mull it over for a while, before Brian tentatively asked –"Dom?"
"You aren't back doing police work, aren't going back to it?"
"Nah man," Brian answered –"I chose you guys over that. You guys are my family, that hasn't changed."
"Alright," Dom nodded –"And Knight was just a friend you made there, he ain't a cop?"
"Yeah man, Knight's just Knight," Brian grinned slightly –"He doesn't have the temperament to be a cop bro."
"Alright," Dom replied, visibly cooling down –"This stays between us then. I'll have to explain to Jesse, he dug this stuff up after all. You can tell Mia if you want, but other than that, it stays between us."
"Cool," Brian grinned –"So I can go to work now?"
"Yeah," Dom answered –"Leave the keys to your Skyline. I'll have Jesse go over it for you before tonight so I can make some money off your ass."
Brian handed over the keys, albeit a little reluctantly, and picked up the keys to the Supra before heading out.
That Night
Dom tapped his foot impatiently –"C'mon guys. I know we have to make an entrance, but that doesn't mean being late. Move it."
Knight flopped into a chair in the den –"I'm not going."
"The hell you aren't, go get ready," Dom responded, annoyed when Knight merely looked at him, but made no move –"I said go get ready."
"And I said I'm not going," Knight replied. Dom gave him a disgusted look –"You're going to stay here, because you're afraid of that girl?"
"No, I'm staying because I'm not ready to see her again, fear has nothing to do with it," Knight replied –"I know what she's capable of, the pain she's capable of inflicting on me without lifting a finger. I'm not facing her till I'm ready."
"You actually got a pair punk?" Vince growled as the team assembled. Knight glared at him –"If I don't, you got your ass kicked by a girl."
Dom resisted the urge to smirk –"You watch your mouth. V, cool it. Save it for the races."
"Yeah man, let's go race," Letty added –"Chill out bro."
"Your Sky's running sweet Brian," Jesse said, handing him the keys. Leon looked sick –"I can't believe you got a Skyline too."
Brian shrugged apologetically as Nyssa teased Leon about her and Kat both having Skylines too –"You gonna be ok at home bro?"
"I might go find a bar," Knight shrugged –"I'll be fine. Just so long as I don't have to deal with Becca tonight."
"Alright man, just chill," Brian replied with a friendly grin, heading out of the door after the rest of the team. Knight waited until the engine noise had faded, and keyed his comm. link –"Alright Karr, fire it up, we got work to do pal."
End of Chapter 10…