A/N: I got a great amount of PMs and tweets about my new AUs that I'm working on. Once I get to chapter 28 on this story, I'll start posting the new one. (: Enjoy!

Chapter 24: A Very Toretto Thanksgiving

Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve, 6:09PM

Since eight that morning, Mia had been going back and forth between her apartment and the guys'. She'd made good use of their oven; baking things that wouldn't fit into her and Letty's already over-stuffed oven. Currently, pies, cakes, and a forty-pound turkey were baking slowly. Mia always overcooked because plenty of friends stopped by after they spent time with their own families to drink, eat (again) and enjoy the team's company. By the end of the night, there was minimal clean up and no leftovers.

Normally, during the cooking process, there was a constant battle trying to keep Letty away from the food. Mia popped her hand more than once as she picked over things.

"Come on, Mia! Let me be your taste tester!" Letty would offer until Mia would roll her eyes and point to a stool at the breakfast bar.

Tonight was a lot different, however. Hector, and the rest of the boys were in their apartment. Coronas in their hands, something miscellaneous on the television and the chatter constant.

"Damn, it smells good in here, Mia." Hector complimented.

"Thanks. I'll cook everything else tomorrow before dinner. Are you gonna swing past after your parents?" She asked.

"Of course. You know I'll be here. Probably bring some of the guys and my girl."

Mia winked at him. "The more the merrier."

Letty, who was sitting on the arm of the couch with her feet in Dom's lap, finished off the rest of the amber liquid from its glass bottle. It was her fourth one and it appeared that she had no intention of stopping anytime soon. Dom's eyebrows furrowed when she took his unfinished beer from his hands. She'd been like this the past three weeks, not remembering her alcoholic limit. It wasn't like her.

It seemed to happen especially after he would do something completely romantic for her. And there had been three times where he'd awaken alone in his bed after spending the night with her. When he'd see her at work, she'd mumble something about wanting to get an early start.

"Hey." He started, tapping her leg. His voice was low, not wanting the rest of the team to hear their conversation. She looked down at him.

"What?" Her voice equally as low.

"What's up with you?"

Letty shrugged and drank from the beer. Dom took it from her and sat it on the coffee table in front of him. Standing up, he took her hand and pulled her off of the couch with him. He led them down the small hallway towards her bedroom, shutting the door behind them. Once inside the peace and quiet, Letty stood before Dom, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Talk to me, Let."

"About what?"

"Whatever's on your mind that you're not saying."

"I'm fine."

"The kiss of death. If I learned one thing from being with you, is that when you say 'I'm fine', it generally means I should go purchase a bulletproof vest. So, come on. What's eating at you?"

Despite her feelings at the moment, Letty smiled a little. "I just feel like I'm being pulled in two different directions right now."

"How? Is it something that I did?" Dom asked. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd ever ask that question.

"No. Well, I don't know."

"So, talk to me. Maybe we can figure it out together."

"I like living here." Letty blurted out.

Confused, Dom smiled and nodded his head. "Ooookay. I understand that. No one's asking you to move or anything."

Letty rolled her eyes.

"Is that it? Should I be asking you to move in with me?" Dom questioned.

"No! Maybe. But not... now."

"Let, I'm really trying to follow your logic. But, you know I didn't take Women's Studies in high school like you did."

A small breath of laughter escaped Letty's nose. "That's not what we talked about in Women's Studies."

"Okay, so forget high school. Let's talk about now. You want me to ask you to move in but not now? But you like living in this apartment... with Mia? Am I getting this right so far?"

Letty nodded. "Yeah."

Dom closed his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Letty, I'm begging you right now to help to understand."

"The house." She muttered.

"The house?" He inquired. A lightbulb went off somewhere in Dom's mind. He kicked himself mentally for not asking sooner. Putting his hands on either of her shoulders, Dom smiled. "Letty, you do know that once the house is finished you're gonna move back in with us, right?"

"No, I don't know that."

He dropped his head, fully understanding now. "Because I'm an idiot and I didn't ask or tell you." Again, Letty nodded. Dom pushed her arms out of their defensive posture and pulled her to him in an embrace.

"Of course I want you to move back into the house with us. Are you crazy?"

Letty's arms wrapped around Dom's body and her hands held onto his shoulder blades. She felt him put his face into her hair. Letty closed her eyes and rested her cheek against Dom's chest.

A knock sounded on the door. Mia poked her head in the room after Letty permitted by a very muffled 'come in'.

"Hey, the guys are about to head out. They wanted me to tell you guys that they'll see us tomorrow for dinner."

Letty nodded her head, her cheek rubbing harshly against Dom's t-shirt. "Okay."

"Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah. We're good, Mi." Dom told her. She shrugged and closed the door behind her.

"Letty, I love you."

"I love you." Letty replied, automatically. It was second nature to love Dominic Toretto. She'd loved him for as long as she could remember. And, secretly, it still made her heart skip when she heard him admit that he loved her too.

Flashback, 4 years ago (2009), Thanksgiving, Los Angeles

A twenty-four-year-old Dom placed the last dish in the center of the dining room table; a twenty-pound turkey. It was surrounded by a dozen or more separate dishes, including a small ham, Mia's famous baked macaroni and cheese, and four different pies. The team sat around the table, eager to tell what they were most thankful for so they could say grace and dig in.

Dom sat at the head of the table, the spot where he'd seen his father sit on many an occasion, wondering if Anthony ever felt like Zeus sitting there. To his right was Letty, his queen, with her hair tied up and the sleeves of her black and grey plaid shirt rolled up. And on his left, sat his little sister; the reason why he'd gone bald, or so he joked. His princess. Down the table on her side was Brian and Leon. And to Letty's left was Vince and then Jesse. His family.

"Grab a hand, grab a heart." Dom said. It was something his father had always said before every meal.

Everyone linked hands and bowed their heads, eyes closing.

"Heavenly Father, we thank you for the abundance of blessings that you bestowed upon us. We thank you for our small family, for bringing us altogether under one roof. We ask you to bless this food that we are about to receive to nourish our bodies and bless the sweet hands that prepared it. We'll forever be grateful for what we have and pray for those who are less fortunate than we are. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen."

A chorus of 'Amen' floated around the table and the clatter of silverware on plates began.

"So," Jesse began, "what are you guys thankful for?"

End of flashback

Mia & Letty's apartment, Thanksgiving, 6:07PM

"I know I say this every year, but I'm really thankful for you guys. There are times when I don't feel like I belong, but then I remember this badass family that I have." Vince said.

"Awww!" Mostly everyone replied in unison. Letty patted him on the back.

"I'm thankful that we had the funds to get the house restored." Leon added.

"Here, here." Jesse said, holding up his glass of red wine.

"I'm always thankful for family. And love." Mia admitted.

"I'm thankful for new love. And old love, reignited." Brian responded, nodding his head at Dom and Letty, who smiled.

"I'm mostly grateful for the moments like this. With family. We're fortunate to know this familial love. Not everyone does." Dom nodded as he spoke.

A few mutters of agreement went around the table before all eyes landed on Letty. She cleared her throat and looked around at her family. Mia. Brian. Jesse. Vince. Leon. And finally... Dom.

"I'm thankful... that there was a vacancy just across the hall." She offered, picking up her glass of red wine. It was all she could say without feeling a lump in her throat.

And that was all that needed to be said. Everyone understood perfectly. The vacancy had set forth a chain of events that had led them all up to this very moment.

"To family." Mia said, holding up her glass of ice water.

"To family." They echoed in unison.

As they tucked in, eating their fill, Mia looked at Brian. They had a silent conversation with their eyes, ending when Brian nodded his head.

"You know what else I'm thankful for?" Mia inquired, turning away from Brian and looking around the table.

"What's that, Mi?"

"I'm also thankful for unprotected sex that leads to having babies." Mia told them, smiling cheekily.

Dom and Letty's head snapped up from their plates.

"Mia?! A-are you pregnant?" Letty asked.

Mia looked around, keeping them in suspense for a little bit longer, before nodding excitedly. Dom smiled at his little sister. Letty's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" Jesse interjected.

"I call godfather." Leon added. Laughter and 'congratulations' rang around the table. Joy and hope for the future bubbled in their spirits at the thought of the new member of their family growing inside of Mia's belly.

Up Next: Christmas preparations and another flashback.