Chapter 36

Five hours later, Peyton sat in an interrogation room. It wasn't one of those nice ones you saw on TV. It was dark with all white furniture and cold. Peyton had yet to speak to anyone since her arrival. Each time she closed her eyes to mediate and calm herself down, a voice on the other would tell her to open her eyes or push a button for a horn. Peyton knew they were trying to wear her down with psychological interrogation tactics, but she refused to let it show. Peyton was debating whether to request her phone call when the door flew open. Agent Markham came in and took the seat across the table from her while the another Agent stood in the corner.

"Where were you last night between nine and ten o'clock?" Markham asked her.

"Out," Peyton answered. Markham looked at her annoyed.

"Where and when?" Peyton didn't answer. "Either you can give us the information we need for this investigation or you can dig yourself deeper in this hole you're already in O'Connor." Peyton leaned closer to him.

"Technically you're digging yourself in the hole with this interrogation," Peyton told him. "I haven't had my rights read to me and I want a lawyer present with me. I'm not volunteering any information so if you want me to answer questions you're going to have to wait until then." Peyton's eyes narrowed. "And if you're next words are we'll keep you here until you do may I remind you that I am a graduating senior who has final exams coming up. I don't think your agency wants to fight another lawsuit from me so let's just both obey the rules and get on with our lives."

"You seem very defensive over all this, Miss O'Connor," the Agent in the corner observed. "For someone who just lost one of their oldest friends, you're taking this remarkably well." Peyton opened her mouth and then closed it. She sat back in the chair and pulled her knees to her chest. Agent Markham nodded towards the agent and the Agent reluctantly left. Agent Markham then turned to the glass window and made a kill it motion. He then closed the file he had and looked at Peyton.

"When you were kidnapped last September I told you we can help you if you were stuck," he reminded her kinder than he had been all day. "You seem to be back in that place between these two families. I can help, but you have to level with me." Peyton remained quiet. "Both families are claiming you are responsible for the murder of Geri." Peyton looked at him.

"If you believe a seventeen year old girl is responsible for a murder when you have two of the most vicious crime families connected to your victim maybe you should be thinking of another career." Peyton watched the lines Agent Markham forehead crinkle together in anger.

"Who did you go to have Geri killed." When Peyton didn't answer he slammed his hand on the table. "WHO!"

"I expect more from a senior agent," said a familiar voice. Peyton looked at the door to see Eric O'Connor standing there. "If you think slamming your hand will get you anything from my daughter I assure you that is not the way." Eric sat next to Peyton and Peyton looked at her Father for some hint why he was there.

"I thought you were representing the O'Neil punk," Agent Markham taunted before he looked at Peyton. "Or is he representing both of you because you and Aidan are working together?"

"Don't say a word," Eric ordered his daughter. "What Father wouldn't help his child when they're in trouble." Agent Markham laughed.

"What, you figure you'd be a better parent since Brian is such a mess up?" Agent Markham looked at Peyton before he opened a file and pulled out the pictures of Peyton with Aidan. "You must be very proud that your only daughter is literally in bed with you biggest client." Eric stood and leaned across the table to get in Markham's face.

"You have nothing against her except being a typical teenage girl at Prom," Eric growled.

"Are we done?" Peyton asked wanting to get out of Customs. "I have finals to study for."

"Where were you last night between nine and ten o'clock?" Markham repeated not at all affected by Eric's closeness. Peyton looked at her Father and he nodded.

"Clearwater Beach between the pier and South Beach café," Peyton answered. Agent Markham looked at her surprised.

"You were with O'Neil?" Peyton nodded.

"We needed to be somewhere away from our families and friends so we could discuss what would happen next for us. The two of us needed to decide to breakup because it was what was best for us and not because it's what certain people wanted us to do." Agent Markham looked skeptical. "That area of the beach is covered in camera and so is the way I drove home." Agent Markham slammed the folder and got up.

"I'll be in touch," he stated before he left the room. Peyton looked at her Father slightly worried.

"I'm not upset with you," Eric told her. "I should have known Vito would give them your name to get out of this." Peyton swallowed hard processing the information.

"Why are you here?" she questioned. "Isn't my existence enough to get back at Julie or are you sticking it to her by screwing up Vito's scapegoat?" Eric kissed her head.

"There are camera's in here," he whispered. He grabbed his suitcase and left the room. Peyton grabbed her backpack and followed him outside the room where he was waiting for her. The two walked down the hall in silence until Eric spoke again. "I'm not going to apologize what I've done. Regardless of how you feel, you wouldn't be alive if I hadn't struck back at Vito and Shannon the way I did. You may not like the way you were conceived or who your parents are, but the truth is I wanted more children even though Shannon always complained she would never be pregnant again. I got two children from my vengeance." He looked at Peyton with friendly face that she had never seen before. "I had hoped Julie would bear me a daughter."

"So you could pimp her out?" Peyton said before she could stop herself. Eric surprised her by laughing.

"You really are your brother's sister." She stopped and looked at him.

"Thank-you for helping me. You should know this doesn't change my mind about how I've felt about you all these years or change what you've put myself and Brian through." Eric said nothing and Peyton took the opportunity to open the door to the waiting area. Aidan and Leo had both already been released, but were still in the office with their families. Peyton noticed Vito and her Mother were there, but ignored them as well as Kieran. She saw Brian arguing with an agent and walked towards him. Brian saw her and his face become calmer as he walked towards her.

"What we're you tired of being the only one without a juvie record?" Brian joked as he pulled her into a hug. Despite the situation, Peyton had to laugh.

"I would be doing big girl time if I was charge so I still wouldn't have had a juvie record if I got in trouble." Brian put his hands on her shoulder.

"If?"

"I think Eric got me off after he was done getting Riley off." Brian looked over her shoulder and Peyton saw her Father talking to Kieran. Brian took a step towards their Father, but Peyton grabbed his wrist to stop him from going after their Father.

"This doesn't change anything, asshole," Brian yelled at Eric. Eric looked away from his conversation with Kieran.

"Can either of you think without the other's opinion influencing the other?" Eric asked annoyed.

"I said something similar not even a minute ago," Peyton explained in a whisper to Brian. Brian snorted, but Kieran looked less than amused.

"I let Eric help Peyton out and risk it looking like I'm having him cover something up and this is the thanks I get?"

"I didn't ask for your help, Kieran," Brian replied. "Keep your own shit out of my Sister's life."

"Brian," Peyton caution.

"I think what he means is your family's helped her out enough," Leo added with a smirk. "At least I'm sure Riley did enough to 'help' Peyton Saturday Night." Kieran had to grab Aidan from going after Leo.

"Home?" Peyton requested. Brian threw an arm around her shoulder and the two walked towards the door. Vito stepped in their way and Brian stepped in front of Peyton.

"Where do you think you're going?" Vito demanded.

"I'm taking my Sister home and I would suggest not trying to pick a fight in front of Customs when you've been accused of murdering a young woman for the second time in less than five years." Peyton's eyes met Julie's.

"How could you do this to me and your step Father?" Peyton shook her head.

"You guys aren't married," Peyton replied trying to keep her voice even. "I didn't choose him and I'm not going to just because you're with him. He's not my Father even if he's the guy you marry."

"He's been like a Father to you and more than you deserve!" Julie suddenly screamed. "What were you thinking sleeping with Riley and betraying him like this? When you stop acting like a child you'll see how many people you've hurt because you wanted to be selfish."

"I'm selfish?" Peyton repeated anger in her voice. "I don't understand how you could even possibly put me in the same category as Vito."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Vito asked in Italian.

"Simply that I would never ask the person I love to allow another person to get them pregnant because I cheated with a married person which resulted in a adulterous baby," Peyton answered in English. "Honestly how did you think my Father wouldn't know it was your kid and what kind of monster leaves the person he got pregnant to clean up the mess he

"What!" Leo yelled as he looked from Peyton to Vito. "She's lying, right Uncle?"

"How dare you," Julie said.

"You're ridiculous," Peyton spat.

"How Peyton?" Julie snapped. "Where is this hatred for me come from?"

"I hate this bitch you've become!" Peyton yelled with venom in her voice no longer caring who was listening. "This person who suddenly allows herself to be manipulated by a man and let's whatever he believes to be what you think or who he likes become who you like. Every single time I've seen with a guy it's always the same pattern. You think they're the only person who can love you and ignore everyone around so that you can cling to him until he gets upset with you and you cry about why he's mad at you. You're letting him put a wedge between us and having too much control over you. Wake up Mum." Julie raised her chin stubbornly.

"I have darling which is why I'm finally getting rid of the child I should of aborted when it put a wedge between the man I have loved since before you were born and love more than any child I could ever have that isn't his." Julie took Vito hand. "Come on love." The two walked towards the door without another glance at Peyton. She caught Leo's eye and saw her best friend in the jerk he had become. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Vito calling his name. Leo gave her a small sympathetic smile before he ran off after his Uncle and future Aunt.

"Mr. O'Connor a word," Agent Markham requested after the New Yorkers left.

"Which one?" Brian asked.

"Both of you." Agent Markham turned towards Kieran. "You too."

"You going to be okay?" Brian questioned. Peyton nodded and Brian kissed her head before he left the room. Peyton sat down on the couch in the waiting area to collect thoughts with her head in her hands. She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder a minute or so later and looked over to see Aidan had joined her.

"For what it's worth, I think you had every right to call her a bitch." When Peyton didn't laugh he tried a different tactic to get her to talk. "I'm sorry about Geri."

"I would ask you to expand on what you are sorry for, but were not exactly in the place to be discussing that," she replied without looking at him. Aidan grabbed her hand and she pulled it away from him before getting up.

"Look we had nothing to do with that," he told her as he jumped to his feet. Peyton looked him in the eye to see if he was telling the truth, but she couldn't read his eyes.

"Kieran seems extra irritated today." Peyton watched his eyes go to the floor.

"Yeah well he was already dealing with a lot today before this came up." He looked up at her with pain in his eyes. "His Mom has cancer and the doctors said its spread to her brain. Kieran was on the phone with them when I got home last night." Peyton wanted to wrap him in a hug and apologize for being rude.

"I'm sorry." Aidan gave her a weak smile.

"Thanks Peyton." Aidan wrapped his arms around her waist. "I hope Markham wasn't too hard with you. I tried to get your Dad to go to you first, but he was worried how my Father would react." Peyton put her hands on his chest and pushed him back away from her, but his arms didn't leave her waist.

"Riley we said we weren't going to do this." Aidan looked at her hurt.

"Care about each other?" Peyton looked in his eyes.

"You know that's not what I mean."

"Sounds like it." Peyton pushed a strand of hair out of her face and counted until ten before she spoke again.

"Geri's dead and there's nothing that bring her back, but I can learn from her mistakes." Peyton looked up at Aidan. "I love Han more than in this life and I'm letting him go to keep myself as well as the people I love safe. I cannot be involved with you in any way."

"I would never let anything happen to you," Aidan assured her.

"Why don't you ask your Dad about his views on me as collateral damage," Peyton replied as she heard Brian's voice. "He's done it once to get back at Vito, what's to stop him a second time." Aidan let go of her surprised and Peyton took a step back as Brian came into the room.

"We're leaving," Brian told her.

"Brian she's going to continue being dragged back into this until the two of you pick a side," Eric called. Brian gave him a cold glare before the siblings walked towards the front door. Peyton saw Han, Wolf, and tearful Molly by the door. Han's brown eyes met her blue and Peyton would have given anything to be able to put her pride aside so she could hold him.

"Eric wants you bad," Brian told her when they got into his Skyline. He pulled out of the parking lot with a screech of the tires. "He thinks you're liability since you have too many loyalties."

"You think he would be in a better mood since one of them is already dead," Peyton said. Brian stroked his chin stressed.

"I'm worried about this deadline the day after graduation," Brian admitted as he looked from the road to her. "I have a bad feeling it's going to bite you in the ass and that I might lose you." Peyton couldn't bring herself to look at him or to admit she felt the same.

"I'm not pulling any of the Sinners out of this one and there's nothing the O'Neil/McGowan family or the Fiorillo family can do make me pick a side especially with Customs watching them."

"That doesn't mean they can't try."

XXXXX

The next few weeks were torture for Peyton. She refused to go to the races or parties and instead spent her time in her room or over at Jennifer's. The pain became stronger each day and she couldn't bare to see Rome so broken up about Geri's death. She missed Han, but she forced herself not to reach out to see him especially since she still had no idea who gave Customs the idea that the O'Neil and Fiorillo family were responsible for Geri's death. If she felt this upset about Geri's death, how would she be able to deal when Han was killed? Peyton was grateful to use the excuse of finals to keep her distance from the race scene and aced all her finals despite being on the verge of tears every day. The night before Graduation, she went over to the Toretto house to bake with Mia for the small graduation BBQ they were having after the ceremony.

"Did you ever learn to frost?" Mia asked as she picked up one of the cupcakes. Peyton looked up from the Toretto's laptop she was using to double check the price of a flight from England to Sweden and saw Mia wearing a playful scowl.

"You know in some cultures it's acceptable for the person being honored at a party to not have to do anything," Peyton teased. Mia flicked her wet hands at Peyton with a smile and Peyton smiled back as she closed the laptop without logging off. "What else needs to be done?"

"I think we're done." Peyton looked at the clock to see it was only seven. "Pizza and a movie?" Peyton grinned.

"With all this delicious food we've made? Can't we just say I've already graduated?"

"No," was the firm answer as Mia grabbed the phone to order the pizza. "I'm not cooking tomorrow when I'm going to be crying at your graduation." She kissed Peyton's cheek before stepping into the other room to order the pizza. The back door opened and Vince came in with Leon. Leon saw her and left the room immediately. The two were still not on speaking terms since her rendezvous with Aidan.

"If it makes you feel any better he's been like this we everyone," Vince told her as he grabbed beers from the fridge. Peyton didn't know how that was supposed to make her feel, but before she could ask, Mia came back in. Vince nodded to Peyton before he left the room and Mia looked at Peyton confused.

"I don't know," Peyton said as she opened the computer back up. "Can you punch the password back in?"

"Of course." Mia typed in the password for the laptop and looked over Peyton's shoulder. "You're going to Sweden?"

"Jen has family over there that she wants to see while we're in Europe." Peyton looked at Mia. "Are Swedish massages really from Sweden? I think that might need to be planned on the trip." Peyton was surprised to see Mia looking worried.

"So you're really going through with this trip?" Peyton looked at the computer.

"I can't be here when they take him out," Peyton said in a small voice. "Geri's death was bad enough. I can't go through that again." Mia put a hand on Peyton's shoulder.

"You're going to have to deal with the pain at some time," Mia gently reminded her. "You can't run from the pain forever." Peyton opened her mouth to make a reply, but the sound of backdoor opening made her stop. Peyton looked behind her when she saw Mia's face to see Dom and Han. Han's eyes met hers and Peyton broke the connection to look at Mia. Peyton had never seen Mia so furious.

"Are those for us?" Dom asked reaching for an empanada. Mia pulled them out of his reach.

"Tenemos que hablar," Mia replied as she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the other room. Peyton tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously as she returned her attention to the computer screen. The last time she had seen Han had been at Customs. Han came to sit on the stool beside her and Peyton felt her stomach tighten. Why did he have to be so close to her? Did he really think she wasn't upset with him after everything that had happened?

"I thought you were backpacking through Europe," Han said as if nothing was wrong. "I may not have been in advance classes but I remember that much from geography." Peyton looked at Han.

"Are we really talking about geography right now?" she questioned. Han gave her an innocent look.

"Something else on your mind?" Peyton bit her lip from speaking and Han took the opportunity to look into her eyes once more. "I miss you." Peyton got up and walked over to the counter. She turned to face him with her arms defensively folded across her chest.

"I'm not doing this right now," Peyton informed him. "Not when I'm never going to see you again after tonight. You should be out of Miami this close to Kieran's deadline." Han was cut off by Mia screaming at Dom in Spanish. She was speaking too fast for Peyton to catch what she was saying, but whatever it was caused Dom to answer in an equally rapid response.

"I'm not running Peyton." Peyton looked at Han to see he was serious. "Geri's dead and I intend to make sure those responsible pay for it." Peyton's face soften.

"It'll cost you your life." Han smiled.

"Kieran already wants me dead. Might as well have a little fun and go down swinging."

"Han I…" Peyton was cut off Mia storming into the room.

"Mia we ain't done," Dom told his sister as he followed her into the room. Mia shot him a glare before she grabbed her keys.

"We need to go pick up the pizza," she said to Peyton. "I guess we're spending the night elsewhere."

"I drove my car here," Peyton reminded the older girl. "Why don't I pack this stuff in my car and I'll meet you back at the apartment?"

"Fine." Mia stormed out of the room and the others heard the door slam behind her. Dom sighed and looked at Peyton.

"You done with that?" Dom asked as he pointed to the computer. Peyton nodded and opened the cabinet under the sink to pull out a bag. She carefully loaded the trays of food in the bag before she reached for her keys. A jingle made her look at Han.

"I'm not in the mood," she warned him. Han looked at her calmly.

"You were going to say something before we were interrupted." Peyton ran a hand through her hair to settle her nerves.

"I wish you consider leaving while you still have a chance." Han took her hands and she made the mistake of looking in his eyes.

"What's the point when I've already lost the thing I love most?"

"You haven't." Peyton felt tears and she dug her nails into her palms to try to stop the pain. "I can lie to everyone around and that you have but I can't lie to myself. I can be kissing or daydreaming about another guy and as soon as the newness wore off I would be cold inside because he's not you." Han let go of hands so she could wipe her eyes. "This rollercoaster makes me sick to my stomach at times but I will always get on it because I love you no matter how many times you hurt me. And even if I didn't leave with you I would find you when it's safe and die trying to reach you. I've been crying as soon as I wake up everyday knowing that I have to let you go and wanting nothing more than to hold you." Han placed a hand on her cheek.

"Peyton…"

"Yo Han Dom needs you downstairs," Vince interrupted. He looked from Han to Peyton and gave Han an annoyed look.

"I'll be down in a second."

"Now!" Han gave Vince a look. Peyton was surprised to see Vince back down and went back downstairs to the basement. Han wrapped his arms around Peyton's waist.

"Aishiteru Shiratori," he whispered. Peyton looked down.

"I love you too Han. That's what makes being with you so incredibly hard and heartbreaking." Peyton looked up at Han. "I won't say goodbye." Han kissed her nose.

"I can't either, but I can tell you you're doing the right thing." He stroked her cheek gently before he left the room to go to the basement. Peyton took a deep breath and wiped her eyes before she washed the dirty dishes knowing they would only get down by Mia if Peyton didn't do them. When she was done she left the house with the food and got into her car. She pulled away from the house unaware of the person inside the car sitting across the street from the Torretto house.

Author's Note- Remeber to review! Last Chapter should be coming to you by the end of the week!~ Lyn