Chapter 14 – A Change in the Exchange
Three Years Ago. Los Angeles.
Letty is in the garage shining up the Charger. She has spent most of the past three months rebuilding the car that should have been scrap metal. Mia walks in after her night class.
"Wow. I can't believe you rebuilt this thing."
"Well, you know. It is a family heirloom." Letty replies coolly.
"What are you up to Letty? You're keeping secrets from me."
Letty smiles without humor.
"I'm not the only one keeping secrets."
Mia looks nervous for a few seconds. She tries to think of what to say in response to Letty. In the end she settles on keeping her mouth shut.
"Don't worry about it Mia. I have no intention of chasing him anymore."
She wipes her hands and walks towards the house. Mia comes along but still doesn't say anything.
"I have some things to take care of the next few days. So you won't be seeing much of me. So I don't want you to go freaking out."
"Letty, what the hell are you up to?"
"Don't worry about it Mia."
"Don't worry about it! How can I not worry about it! My whole family is scattered across the globe. Now you're going to disappear on me."
"I'm not disappearing on you Mia. I'm telling you right now that I'll be busy for a few days so you know I'm okay and you don't worry."
Letty ends their conversation. She goes upstairs to take a shower. In the shower Letty places both her hands on her lower abdomen. Nearly 12 weeks pregnant. She wasn't going to be able to keep this from Mia for too much longer and she knew Mia would run right to him.
She had to keep it a secret until she removed all obstacles. It killed her to think that she couldn't predict his reaction to this. She was pretty sure he'd keep making choices to keep her, them, 'safe'. She didn't want to know that. That he'd be able to resist the pull of this life she was growing for him. It was already killing her that he could live without her.
How could he walk out that door leaving so many unknown factors behind?
If it wasn't for this child part of her would want him to stay gone. Part of her hated him for this shit. Making her weepy like a girl. Leaving her when she could never leave him! Maybe it was the kid making her weepy.
But that was a small part. Most of her would do anything to have him back. It made her crazy to sleep without him at night. To think about what he was missing right now. He'd laugh to think of her vomiting at the smell of some of Mia's cooking and cut grass or just the thought of hot dogs. Yuck! What would he say about her boobs hurting so badly? They were already starting to swell up. Gosh and this freaking 'baby bump'. Mia would call her on this shit soon enough. She'd been able to hide the vomiting and thankfully Mia wasn't inspecting her boobs. But the stomach, yeah, that was going to give her away pretty soon.
If he were here, he would already know. He examined her body on a regular basis. Just running his hands all over her and looking at her. He'd know within seconds of seeing her that something was different.
She wanted him to know that everything was different.
Present. Germany. Faerber's safe house.
Nola is sitting on the deck of the house. Faerber has two men watching her. She hasn't been left alone for more than ten seconds since they arrived here. Right now she's finishing up lunch. She stands up abruptly. Both men do the same.
"Are you going to come with me to the bathroom too?"
"You are not to be left alone under any circumstances." The leader, Jakob, says.
"Okay, well I'm going to the bathroom. You can A) come with me and then tell him you saw me naked or B) let me go alone and tell him you directly defied him."
Nola watches with amusement as the wheels turn in his head as he tries to decide which one of those things was least likely to get him killed.
He grabs her by the arm and walks her to the bathroom and pushes her in.
"Leave the door open." Jakob says, turning his back on her.
When she's done and washes her hands he takes hold of her again. He's leading her back to the deck and gets a call and answers.
"He wants to see you."
They go to his office and Jakob pushes her inside.
"Ah, my love! Are you having a good day so far?"
"Yes, minus having to use the bathroom with the door open and front of your men."
She sees his eyes flash with anger and is pleased to have upset him.
He gestures to the couch. "Change into that."
Nola quickly changes into the dress he gives her.
"This is quite the dress Dierk. Where are we going?"
He walks over to her and grabs her hand. They walk outside to a line of waiting cars.
"Let's just say, today is a good day to make $4 billion."
They were headed to the exchange, six days early.
Present. Germany. Headquarters.
Jamie is in the communications center in the middle of a conversation when an icon pops onto the screen and starts to beep.
"Nola turned on her tracking device."
Letty looks up at the screen.
"Something must be going down." Letty says.
They are both trying to control the panic they are feeling for her safety.
"Where are they headed?"
Letty pulls up a map and overlays it with where they are tracking Nola.
"If they are going to where I think they are going…" she trails off.
At that moment Jamie sees it too.
"Shit! They are going to the same airstrip where the exchange was originally set. Would he do that?"
"He would!" Letty says.
"He moved the exchange up by six days! It's going down and it's going down now!"
Present. South Pacific.
It's late evening and Mia is getting dressed for her wedding. She's wearing a long, flowing, peach and brown dress. She has flowers in her hair with it pinned in an up do.
She debated back and forth about including Elena but in the end they decided to do this alone, just them and their unborn baby.
When she walks into the living room Brian is stunned by how beautiful she looks. He just looks at her and takes her in.
"You look amazing!" He says in awe.
"You ready to get married?" She asks.
"I've never been more ready for anything in my life."
He wraps his arm around her and they drive to the church. The priest is waiting for them when they arrive. Everything is already taken care of. They walk right in and head to the alter. They have a local man taking their pictures to share with their friends and family but other than him and the priest, they are alone.
They stand in the church and promise to devote the rest of their lives to each other. To be there for each other. To raise their children together. To love each other forever.
When it's finished they place rings on each others fingers and seal their new bond with a kiss.
"I love you Mrs. O'Conner."
"I love you too. I've never been happier about anything in my whole life."
Brian leans down and places both hands on the sides of her belly. Then he gives it a kiss.
"You can come out now. You're Mommy and Daddy are married and waiting for you."
Brian looks Mia in the eye and kisses her again.
Present. Germany. Faerber's plane.
Faerber, Christoff and Nola board his private plane. As the pilot prepares for takeoff, Christoff hands Nola a computer.
"I'm tracking everything you do. If you try anything, he says I can shoot you in the face. I welcome the opportunity to do so."
Nola smiles. "I'm glad to know that the thought of my death brings you so much joy."
Good luck tracking everything I do.
"Now now, you two play nice. Today is going to be an amazing day." Dierk says.
Christoff looks at her. "It most certainly is."
Present. Germany. Headquarters.
Jamie has rallied all his men and sent them where they need to be. He's deployed to the ones near the compound but ordered them to keep a distance. Once they have the weapons and Faerber in custody they are taking the compound.
"So the people leaving the compound two nights ago were probably his men with the weapons." Jamie realizes.
"Damn! How did we miss that? Are you set up to take that money if need be?" Letty asks.
"I am, but I hope that we can secure Nola first." Coleson answers. "Listen Letty, you don't have to come for this. You can stay here with Ana and Toretto and we can handle it. But if you want to come our chopper will be here in ten minutes."
"Alright."
Letty runs to find Dominic. He's outside playing with Ana. She runs over to them.
"Dom, I have to go. The exchange is about to go down and I need to be there for that."
"I don't want you to go." Dominic says firmly. "You've risked enough. Anders says as long as he gets the drugs, weapons and money, the deal's solid. These people are getting paid to get shot at. Let them handle it and we can go home tonight. Don't take anymore risks. I want to know you're safe."
"I'm fine Dom. I have to go get Nola."
"Noly's coming!" Ana says happily.
"I sure hope so," Letty answers.
She kisses Ana on the lips and forehead and turns to walk away. Dominic grabs her arm and pulls her back.
"How can you look at Ana and then go put your life in danger? Think about your family Letty. I'm here now, Mia's waiting for you!"
Out of nowhere Han comes and picks Ana up and walks a little ways away with her.
"I am thinking about my family! Nola and Ana are my family now! I don't walk out on people I love."
"So what's it mean that you're walking away from me right now!"
"You walked away from us first. Now you have to deal with the consequences of that decision!" Letty spits at him.
Jamie appears in the doorway and Letty runs over to him. They walk swiftly out the front and board the chopper.
Present. On the helicopter to the exchange.
Letty takes her pick of weapons and ammo.
"I don't know what we're walking into Letty. The location being the same is a plus for us, because we know the location. My men are going to secure the weapons and Komarov. I'm going to be ready to back Nola with getting the money if she can't."
"I'm going to get Nola." Letty says checking her gun.
"Graham is on the ground and he's going to cover your ass."
"She's going to be with him. If I need to take him out to get her…"
"Do it! I relish the thought of him dead!"
"You and me both."
A/N – I really hope this chapter came out okay. I'm having a hard time writing Dom for some reason. I'm afraid he's appearing weak and that's not what I want! He's not! But losing Letty again is his weakness, which in my mind is completely different. I hope that's coming across.
Anyways, review! I really love to hear your thoughts on Dom and how the chapter came out. Thanks for reading!