DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except: Angel aka Diablo, Aunt Suki, Uncle Jah, Kei, Jose, Catherin, Jasmine, Lu Sung, Alex and the plot line.
When the plane touched down on the tarmac Angel yawned and patiently waited for the staff to let her off the plane. As it turned out, commercial airlines didn't want to transport her car to and from the states. So that meant Angel had spent 18 hours on a private carrier jet, mainly sleeping through the time zones that made it so she got a do over for the past 17 hours. Checking her phone she saw it was almost noon, and a quick check to her watch said it was almost 5 am in Japan.
Groaning she rubbed her face careful around her make up as she pushed herself up out of the seat and walked down on to the tarmac as they unloaded her precious Reaper. They were being as careful as possible considering the beginning of this flight she was on them about not scratching it. Spinning her keys around one finger Angel smiled at them as they pulled the car cover off.
"Thank you very much boys. I will see you all in a week," she grinned handing each guy a $20 bill.
Slipping into the car she turned the key and took off heading towards her old house using the GPS on her phone to guide her. It was too early to call Twinkie and make sure he got to school in one piece, it was also too early to call Han if it was in fact 5 am at the garage. But that really didn't bother her as much as going to that house did, she had spent so long trying to leave the memories buried there she had almost forgotten what home look like. She pulled into the driveway seeing the large SUV parked there, stuck in the middle of packing.
Taking a deep breath she slipped out of her car and locked it behind her as she walked up the front door and knocked, there wasn't any running from this now.
The door swung open and there stood her father his jaw dropping slightly at the sight of her. She wasn't his little pigtailed girl any more, and she wasn't so innocent either.
"Hey dad, been a long time. Sorry I think I did some more growing up after you left me alone," Angel purred, "I like the fact this place hasn't changed since I left it."
"What have you done to yourself?" the words stuttered out of his lips.
"What you don't like the tattoos? I like the piercings honestly, I was thinking about changing my hair color again though," She said twirling a long stand of bright blue around one finger, "I was thinking more red and no more blue. Blue is a hard color to pull off these days."
Catherin stepped behind Jose and smiled, "Welcome home Angel, come on in. Come on Jose, we need to hurry if we want to make that flight."
Angel smirked and walked into the house pushing her waist length multi-colored hair over her shoulders, "So where is the little one?"
"She is in her room on a time out," Catherin explained as she glanced her over once more, "You look good… I like your dragons."
"Thank you," Angel beamed, "I designed them myself and my old boss had one of his friends ink them for me. Then I went a little crazy and got more things I designed," Angel admitted with a shrug.
"Well here is all of our contact information," she said handing over a slip of paper with a bunch of numbers on it, "The family across the street baby sits Alex, so if you need anything just go ahead and walk over there. There is always someone over there these days."
"She have any allergies?"
"Not that we have found, she's not a real picky eater so she won't give you any trouble when it comes to food. The bus comes by and picks her up and drops her off at the house, just make sure she does all her homework before she watches TV."
"Not a problem, same policy I have with my boy."
"What is his name?"
"Darren," Angel smiled pulling out her phone and pulling up a picture of him, "This is my adopted boy."
"He looks like such a sweet child, I bet he's very happy to have a mom like you," Catherin complimented.
"I give him all the love and care he needs. I just try to be there for him whenever he needs me to be," Angel said pulling the phone back, "So I am going to introduce myself to Alex and I'll let you two get going."
"Sounds good to me, I'll help Jose finish packing. She's in the room across from your old one."
Angel nodded and ascended the stairs up to Alex's room.
Dom was standing leaning on his window ceil watching the Suko house. His eyes panning the street looking for a cab, what he didn't expect was a navy blue eclipse with a grim reaper on the hood pulling into the driveway of the Suko house. If that was Angel he was going to be impressed that she could afford to ship her and the car from Japan to the states.
He leaned closer to the window as the door opened and a pair of Tripp pant covered legs came out with black and red skater shoes. Dom tipped his head to one side confused until he saw the rest of her, flat stomach exposed in the thin gap between the top of her pants and the bottom of her tight black and neon green decaled baby tee. His eyes roved over the tattoos he could see on her arms and the waist length curly black, red, and blue striped hair. If that was Angel, he was going to be in a whole lot of trouble real fast.
When she disappeared from sight he turned and saw Letty leaning on his door frame with a look that could have murdered someone, "Yeah Letz?"
"It's Angel isn't it? The chick who just pulled in across the street with Japanese tags, it's her?"
Dom nodded slowly, "Yeah I think that's her. That going to be a problem Letty?" it was another one of those off times as she got bored of his detachment and womanizing behavior.
"No since I'm better than her, I'm sure it won't be a problem. After all I have you and she doesn't," She smirked.
"Oh you have me now?" Dom asked lifting his eyebrows, "When did that happen between last night's argument and this morning?"
"You're always going to be mine Dominic," Letty smiled walking towards him even as Dom moved away from her and headed for the stairs, "What the hell is your problem Dominic?"
"I got to make a call," Dom snapped as he hit the first floor and grabbed the kitchen phone, dialing Mia's number.
"So did she show?" Mia asked as Dom heard the register in the background.
"Yeah, but you aren't going to believe it until you see her…" Dom said softly, "But she is finally home."
"Well then when I close up I guess we should invite her and Alex over to dinner."
"What do you feel like tonight Mia?" Dom asked with a smile, because he knew his sister and she knew him.
Angel smiled as her little sister braided the blue sections of her hair as they sat in front of the TV watching Peter Pan, "So it's a Saturday so what would you like for dinner missy?"
"I don't care…" Alex mumbled trying to untangle the curls her sister had, "Can you visit more after mommy and daddy get home?"
"I can try and get here for the holidays but it's a long trip to get here from my home in Japan," she smiled weakly running her fingers through her curls breaking them up for Alex knowing that wasn't the answer any child would want.
"Oh… well can I visit you at your house?"
"When you're a little bit older I will fly you out to my house, and you can stay with me, our cousin, and your nephew."
"You promise?"
"I promise Alex and I always keep my promises," Angel swallowed as Alex gave her a look before starting on another section of blue hair, "Why don't you let me braid your hair?"
"Cause I don't like people touching my hair."
"Ah," she nodded before grabbing the little girl and running her hand through the dark blonde hair, "Well I think you have very pretty hair, I just want to play with it like you play with mine."
"Okay fine… but only this once," Alex huffed letting her older sister braid her hair into a crown, "Are you trying to make me a princess?"
"No I am making you a queen;" Angel grinned knowing the dislike for princesses all too well, "Queen's are much less helpless."
"Are you a queen Angel?"
Angel looked away with a smirk, "I am a queen of the streets, and the empress of my car empire."
"My baby sitter is King of the Streets," came the bratty response as the doorbell rang, "I'll get it."
Angel shook her head and leaned back watching the movie as she sighed softly not really listening to Alex, just waiting for a scream that meant trouble. Instead said brat came back into the room and announced that they were having dinner at her baby sitters house.
"Seriously Alex? You ever think I want to just spend some time with you brat?"
"Well I think you'll like my baby sitters, they are very nice people," She huffed sticking her nose up in the air as Angel laughed.
"You are such a little priss ain't ya," she snorted out as she stood determined to go change out of her traveling clothes.
"I am not a priss," Alex snapped following after Angel, "You're just a jerk."
"How am I the jerk for wanting to spend time with just you?"
"Cause you don't want to hang out with my friends and won't let me either," came the pout as Angel shut her old bedroom door and pulled her shirt off and pushed the Tripp pants down.
"Well we are going aren't we?" Angel replied through the door as her sister kicked it, "Don't make me put you in timeout missy."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"You don't watch it, time out is going to be the least of your worries," Angel stated pulling on clean clothes even though she had no intention of hurting her little sister, the empty threat was there.
"I'm sorry sissy… I didn't mean to make you mad."
"It's fine Alex, I was only teasing you earlier," she said glancing herself over in the mirror, she had pulled on a bright blue tank top and a pair of low cut black jeans.
Angel left the braids in her hair as she pulled half of it up and secured it with a skull and crossbones clip Han had gotten her. Double checking her makeup she made a few touchups before opening the door and smiling at Alex.
"All right brat, let's go get some food then," she said swallowing as she thought about the house they were going to, the house that used to be her best friend's home.
Alex didn't even bother knocking before she ran into the house and jumped up into the muscular arms of a spiky haired brunette male with facial hair, "Brother Vince!" she squealed as he spun her around.
"Heya Alex, big man is in the kitchen busy cooking," he said setting her down as he looked over the woman standing in the doorway seeming not at all at ease, "If you want food you may want to come in," he said gruffly as she finally stepped into the house.
"Thanks," Angel said as Alex grabbed her tattooed hand and tried to drag her into the kitchen, "Alex stop yanking on my arm," Alex only pulled harder and Angel gave her one swift tug before picking her sister up setting her on her hip, "I meant that Alex."
"Come on sissy… I wanna go to the kitchen," she whined as her sister gave her a hard look, "Please can we go to the kitchen."
"Yes we can go to the kitchen," she rolled her eyes and set Alex back down before following the 6 year old feeling the guy's eyes burning a hole in her back as two more came down the stairs.
Alex darted up to Dom and grabbed his arm, "Dom, Dom, Dom!"
Dom smiled and ruffled Alex's hair before he turned and looked Angel over. His eyes roaming over the tattoos, and the silver rattlesnake piercings and the small hoop in the left side of her nose, glancing over that long curly hair half pulled back as he swallowed.
"Welcome home Angel."
Angel looked at the massive man in front of her and felt her jaw drop open in shock exposing her lime green tongue ring, "Holy shit Dominic? What the hell happened to you?"
"What happened to me?" Dom laughed, "What happened to you Ang? I mean you're a bit of an overload," he was smiling as she gaped at him.
Angel ignored who she now figured, was actually a grown up Vince and threw her arms around Dom's neck in a tight hug, finally feeling at home as he wrapped his arms around her and easily picked her up off her feet, "God I have missed you Dom."
"I've missed you too Angel," Dom couldn't stop himself as he kissed her cheek, loving the warmth it suddenly burned with as she blushed, "I owed you one," he explained setting her on her feet as Alex giggled.
"I told you sissy you'd like my baby sitters," Alex giggled as Angel laughed and shook her head.
"All this time you've just been here? What happened to mom and dad?" She asked looking at Dom who looked away, "Dom… I'm so sorry…"
"It's okay Ang. Dad passed about 6 years ago, Mom two years later," Dom gave Angel a weak smile, "Why don't you say hi to the rest of the family and I'll finish dinner?"
"All right, but you and me have some catching up to do," she smiled squeezing his arm, "God muscle looks good on you…" she breathed before grinning ruefully, "So Vince, you think after 12 years we can get along a bit better?"
"I don't know, you going to be a real chick about stuff?" Vince retorted leaning against the doorframe.
"Me a real chick… I mean I got the right parts, but I don't think like a girl," she snorted forcing his arms open before she gave him a hug, "Will you chill out Vince? We aren't the same people we were, I'm willing to give you a chance if you can give me one."
His arms curled around her, head tucking into her tattooed shoulder, "Anyone ever tell you, you smell fantastic?"
"Blame Alex," she snorted before pulling away as a gasp came from the stairwell, "Why hello sexy momma… Mia…"
"Angel? Holy… Dom wasn't kidding when he said I wouldn't believe what you looked like," Mia gasped wrapping her arms around her friend, "Wait sexy…?"
"Ain't nothing wrong with calling a pretty woman sexy," Angel said as straight faced as she could, as Vince began to laugh behind her, "And what do you mean Dom said you wouldn't believe it? Was he seriously watching the damn house?"
"Well he didn't know if you were coming or not, and he's too chicken to go over there and find out on his own. But thank you for the compliment," Mia beamed squeezing Angel once more, "There will be some new faces at dinner, and Letty may or may not be here so just try to be nice."
"Hey now I grew up into a pretty mello adult," Angel snorted as her phone began to ring, "And that would be Twinkie. I got to take this but I'll be back in," she kissed Mia's cheek and slipped outside into the night air.
Opening the phone she sat on the porch, "Hey baby boy."
Vince looked at Dom, "Dom you are going to be in some deep shit with Letty If she comes over."
"And? We aren't dating again," Dom snorted as Mia slipped around him and took the spoon from him.
Leon and Jesse slipped into the kitchen as Alex made herself comfortable at the table.
"Was that your friend?" Jesse asked looking at Dom as he glanced at the door.
"Yeah that is Angel, why what's wrong Jesse?" Dom asked looking confused.
"I swear to you that is Ms. November with tattoos…" Leon said with a grin, "Dude I mean seriously did you see all that?" he motioned making an hourglass shape with his hands.
"I noticed," Dom grinned licking his lips, "She grew up since we last saw one another, but 12 years will do that."
Mia snorted, "Yeah but I don't know if she likes guys Dom. She called me a sexy momma."
All of the males looked at Mia, "Tell me you're joking…"
"Nope, but like you said Dom, people change in 12 years," she glanced at Alex, "So what do you think of her?"
"She's nice and she let me braid her hair. But then she did this to mine…" Alex grumbled pointing to the braided crown around her head.
"And it is very pretty on you," Angel said coming up behind the guys, "So Dominic who are these two?"
"That is Jesse and Leon," he said as they whipped around and smiled at her, "Jesse does all my design work and engines."
"Then I guess Jesse and I will be talking shop over dinner," Angel smiled at the younger skinny male with a beanie on.
"You do engines?" Jesse asked swallowing nervously.
"I do a lot of things," she replied as she glanced at Dom who was visually devouring her, "Dominic my little sister is still in the room."
Dom blinked under that heated look, "I was aware," he smirked slightly, "Just admiring your ink."
"Oh you're not even seeing half of it right now," Her lips in a smirk as he licked his lips, "Plenty more all tucked away under clothes. Now what do you all do for a living?"
Mia laughed, "Well I run the grocery store and am studying to be a nurse. Dominic and the others all work at our dad's old garage, though they deliver groceries for me too."
"Doesn't sound like a bad life," Angel smiled as Leon draped an arm over her shoulders.
"And what do you do sexy momma?" Leon asked glancing her over.
"I keep myself real busy. I run a garage, a club, a little modeling here and there. I just do it to pay the bills and put food on the table for my cousin and my boy."
"You have anyone at home waiting for you?" Vince asked.
"Um… does my cousin and our regulars count? I mean the only one who is going to be waiting up for me is my baby boy."
"You have a son?" Dom asked looking at her as he set the table.
"Yeah I adopted him about two years ago, I was friends with his mom so when she and her husband passed I snatched him up before he got put in a home," She pulled her phone out and pulled up a picture of him, "This is Darren, well we all call him Twinkie, but he is my baby boy."
Dom took her phone and looked at the kid and smiled slightly, "He's what 10 maybe 12?"
"12 in that picture, but he has always looked that young. He's a real sweet heart my boy."
"You sound real proud of him," Mia said smiling as she set the food down on the table.
"I am proud of him; he helps me out in the garage and asks for help when he needs it. I couldn't be prouder of that kid."
"So you are super busy and still have time to come here to look after Alex," Vince mused as they all sat at the table, "How do you do it?"
"Lots of coffee and very little sleep," Angel snipped cheekily knowing he was trying to start a fight, "So what kind of engines you working on Jesse?"
Jesse flushed, "A couple standard ones… I've been trying to make something better but we just ain't got the money for it."
"Well you got plans somewhere? I know my way around an engine, I could help you make this creation of yours," Angel offered ignoring the looks from the others, "I know some people who could get you supplies for a discount."
"And how do you know these people?" Vince asked.
"Cause I do business with them all the time, when you build engines for a living you get to know some people," Angel stated her eyes hard.
"You build engines for a living," Jesse breathed.
"Hi I'm Diablo," Angel purred a smirk on her lips as she extended her hand to Jesse.
He stared at her in wonder and got up, "I hail to your godly engines," he bowed his head to her as she giggled, "You are like the most bad ass car builder out there. I mean I've only heard stories about the machines that come out of your garage, and your detailing is fantastic looking… I mean the Galaxy car was crazy! How long did it take you?"
"That one was about 24 hours of detailing, I get into the zone and when I snap back it's all done. That and airbrushing is really meditative, surprisingly enough," Diablo smiled reaching across the table to tip his head back up, "But there is no need to sing my praises Jesse, I like teaching people and helping them make their own master pieces."
"Well then I will bring you by the garage and show you everything! It would be a honor to learn from a master."
"Jesse you're having a girl moment," Dom said looking Angel over, "So the car is one of yours then?"
"What Reaper? Yeah that's the first car I ever did. Granted that thing is on engine 4 and 2nd gen axles but whatever."
"Like running them into the ground?" Vince asked smirking slightly.
"I like running a lot of things into the ground. I've got my hands in a number of pots these days; repairs, detailing, restores, full customs, the whole gambit on both cars and motorcycles. Though I'm still a little touch and go on restores considering the parts are ridiculous to find for a decent price if at all," she smiled as Alex gaped at her.
"So what do you do if you can't find a part?" Leon asked setting down some drinks before sitting down at the table.
"Well I got a 3D print machine on order so in theory if I can't find it I'll just make the piece," Angel shrugged as they looked at her in shock, "What?"
"You know how much those things are right?" Jesse coughed out.
"Yeah and? I got the budget for it, like I said I keep busy. And in keeping busy I got money coming in."
"It doesn't bug you to drop that kind of cash?" Dom asked as the table went silent.
"It does, but I think of it as a money making investment. I can do more restores with the machine than I can with just trying to find one part, and people pay good to get their ancient cars restored to new," Angel said looking him over, "Why don't you and I have a money talk after dinner? You still got that Charger, I would really love to see it again."
Mia smiled thinly and grabbed a bowl of food, "Well I'll say grace and then everyone can eat."
"Thanks Mia," Alex smiled, "I'm starving."
The tense atmosphere broke into smiles as Alex grabbed her fork and knife ready to eat.