DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except: Angel aka Diablo, Aunt Suki, Uncle Jah, Kei, Jose, Catherin, Jasmine, Lu Sung, Alex and the plot line.
Once breakfast was finished and cleaned up they all walked out to the cars parked two deep in the driveway and down in front of the house.
Angel grinned glancing at Dom, "You know I just realized that it must look like you're having a party everyday to the neighbors."
Dom glanced around the street and shrugged dropping his voice to a whisper, "Maybe that's what I want them to think."
She laughed leaning into his side, "So you want me to drive over by myself? Or can you leave a bit early so I can be home when Alex gets off?"
"There is no point in having you drive over when we're going to the same place, it will save you some gas and I don't mind leaving early to take you home," Dom agreed opening the door for her, "So get your ass in."
"So sweet," Angel snickered slipping into Dom's passenger seat, "Remind me to go to you when I need some lessons in manners."
"Manners? What are those?" Dom teased slipping into his car as the crew headed out to his garage, "So what's going on with you lately? You've got all these up and downs…"
"Being home is just bringing up memories is all, that and being here without your mom and dad it's just hard knowing I never got to say good bye," Angel shrugged looking out of the window, "That and I've always been a little moody you know."
"Not like this you haven't," Dom sighed, "I know you have been gone a while and things have changed-"
"Dominic stop, I'm fine. I just haven't been sleeping so good, yesterday was the first time in a long while that I've been able to sleep soundly the whole night. I just get restless is all," She tried to assure him as much as herself.
He sighed softly and parked the car behind the garage, "If you say so. You ready to work, I've got a whole list for us to chunk through."
"Done," Angel nodded sliding out of his car, "I've got to take a call in a few hours but until then you'll have my full and undivided attention," she slipped a Bluetooth over her pierced right ear and synced it with her phone as they walked inside, "Gimme your list, if you don't mind I can work your oil changes and engine work."
"You can do whatever jobs you want on the list," Dom shrugged tossing the clipboard at her, "I figure I don't need to hold your hand since you've got your own garage and all."
Angel patted Dom's cheek, "So cute today aren't you," she teased as the others walked into the garage.
Dom watched as she bent over the engine block of a Civic, the muscles in her arms flexing visibly under her tan and colored skin. Her pants tightened over her hips and ass, the curve of her spine arching sensually though she put no effort in the motion. Leon bumped his elbow and Dom glanced at his friend.
"Dude you have got it bad. Suggestion, tap that and get it out of your system before she leaves town again," Leon remarked gesturing to Angel as she rocked back on her heels and crouched down to grab the rag that had slid off the bumper, "Cause if you don't tap that I will."
Dom pushed Leon, "Back off Leo, whatever the woman wants is what she's going to have. Known her long enough to know I'll save myself some bruises that way."
"From that demon yeah sure, but your home girl Letty is going to beat you black and blue if you don't quit staring at Miss Tattoo's ass," Leon shrugged before heading off to work on his own list of cars.
Rubbing a hand over his shaved head Dom turned away from the garage floor and looked at the messy stacks of paperwork behind the small service counter. He needed to organize this place while he had an extra set of competent hands working on the cars.
Around noon he noticed Angel straighten pulling a phone from her back pocket before tapping the Bluetooth in her ear and sliding the phone back into place. She started speaking rapid Japanese and he tipped his head to one side in confusion when he swore he heard his name dropped. Vince glanced at him and Dom shrugged in confusion, he had no idea what was going on other than she went right back to work like nothing had happened.
Angel felt her back pocket start vibrating and she straightened checking the caller before picking it up, "Good morning darling, you sleep well?"
"I woke up with a model under each arm so yeah I slept okay," Han teased, "So I can assume you are around that problem you're having considering our conversations are rarely in Japanese anymore."
"That would be correct thinking. I found my old friends by the way and Dom," she paused closing her eyes for a beat, "Well he grew up in a kind of delicious fashion."
"Ah this is the part where I need to prevent you from doing a stupid. Normally I would gloat on the fact you're having a stupid moment, but I think it's safer to leave that until you come home. So let me take a gander and say you're trying not to jump on him like a trampoline," Han approached gently as he leaned back in the chair.
"Pretty much, this morning we had a talk about us dating and decided to see where a long distance relationship would take us. Han what am I doing? I haven't dated anyone in years; I'm no good at the balancing a relationship with work and taking care of you guys."
"Sounds like you want to jump him, but you don't want it to be a fling. I mean you're good at flings, you get what you need out of it and there is no mess attached. So as long as you're willing to let things be messy, take your hands off the wheel and see where the drive takes you with him. You only have a few more days out there, so make the best of it."
"But-"
"No buts Angel, you can't have it both ways and you know it. I know you have lived your entire life so far with a firm hand on everything you've done, so maybe it's time for you to let something go and see where life takes you. Twinkie and I will be here for you through everything but you need to decide for better or worse do you want your old best friend in your life as more than a friend," Han's voice was firm and decisive.
"It's not that easy for me to just let go Han. I mean you know me, I need to be in control of my life, it keeps me sane for the most part. With him I don't know how to choose what I want, I don't know when the next time I'm going to see him is, and you know I never start something I don't intend to finish. If I bite that apple I don't think I am going to want to end it between us."
"Then you need to go get your ass drunk and let your hormones do all the work. There may be an awkward morning in your future but at least it will be out of your system for now."
Angel paused her work and straightened fixing the inside of the hood with a dark look, "Did you just tell me to sleep with him while I've had one too many to make responsible decisions? All the while when I should be looking after my little half sister?"
Han didn't even bother to play at being offended, "Yeah pretty sure that was the short version of what I told you to do. I am pretty sure you can find someone to look over your half sister while you spend a few hours getting some tail."
"Yeah this is why I am the adult between the two of us," Angel just about snarled, "I am here to look after my half sister and that it."
"Then what is the issue? If all this is, is a long distance babysitting gig then why the hell are you calling me all distraught over some hot guy you want to screw? You're the adult because all you ever do is take care of us and the business you never let yourself have a relationship because you've been too focused on us and the memory of the guy you just found. Here's a hint Angel, you're in love with him. You've been in love with him for years. So do yourself a favor and get laid, try the pony out before you decide whether or not you're ready to buy into a relationship," Han snapped before hanging up.
Angel yanked her phone out and stared at the ended call screen, "Bastard," she snarled under her breath shoving the phone back into her pocket, "Stupid f-ing jackass who always thinks he's right."
Dom glanced at Angel as she started mumbling swears in Spanish under her breath as she deftly finished the car she was working on before slamming the hood down with slightly more force than necessary. Taking in the fact the call probably hadn't ended well he set his paperwork down and grabbed her upper arms slowly turning her around to face him.
Angel glared at Dominic, this was his entire fault. If he hadn't been so damn good looking, or such a damn good kisser none of this would have ever happened. She would have missed him but she wouldn't be having an internal war about whether or not she wanted to have a relationship with him.
"You want to talk about it?" Dom asked curious, cautious and patient as he took in the look of contained fury.
"Not at the moment," Angel bit out focusing on not throwing a tantrum like a five year old, "I am going to walk out back and get some air."
Dom nodded squeezing her shoulders tightly, "You let me know when you want to talk. I'll finish up the paperwork for the car and get it out of here."
Angel nodded curtly and about stalked outside, controlling every part of herself as she focused on not throwing that hissy fit she wanted to. Walking towards Dominic's car she carefully sat on the hood and closed her eyes taking a slow deep breath. This was neither the place nor the time to have a Diablo explosion, the walls of her garage were allowed to have dents from the wrenches she had throw at them in frustration. It was her garage and she could do as she pleased in it, but this place was Dom's garage and she had no right to abuse it when she was trying to save the place. So instead she thought about Kei, his patients with her sometimes dreadfully short temperament. He gave her a single silent look that read volumes. It was always the same look no matter the situation and the only thing it said was you can do better than this.
She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose with the heel of her palm attempting not to smear various engine greases over her forehead before opening her eyes once more. The blistering rage had simmered down into annoyance, Kei was always right, she could be better; she had to be an adult. The one thing Angel hated though was having to be an adult when she'd rather be building an engine or fixing someone's prized car. Actually now that she considered it, she in general hated being an adult except for when it came to her son and running her garage. Sadly enough though she wasn't in any position to complain about it now, she had gotten exactly what she had asked for, a life of her own running it the way she wanted to. Now she had to deal with that decision and that meant dealing with Dominic as his hulking form came out to check on her.
"I know I said I'd let you come to me when you were ready to talk but…" Dom started when he was within earshot.
"But you're worried about me? I appreciate it, my business partner was just putting things into perspective and I didn't like hearing it is all. I made a decision years ago that I was going to come back here all on my own and I could have done that years ago but I had made a life for myself in Japan. Time's gone by so fast I hadn't realized just how much I lost out on by not coming home as soon as I could," Angel sighed looking down at her grease and oil stained hands, "That's what's been bugging me. The guilt of never getting a chance to see your folks again, to thank them for everything they did for me. To be honest, even a bit of guilt of not being here for you when you needed me the most."
Dom settled his hands on her shoulders, "Look at me Angel," her eyes lifted meeting his cautiously, "It's okay, you had no way of knowing what was happening here at home. The important thing is that you're here now, when your little sister needed you to be. We can't change the past, you know that, best we can do is keep ourselves here in the present doing everything we can not to make the same mistakes."
Angel laughed softly and leaned towards him, resting the top of her head against his chest, "Sage advice from you is kind of the last thing I was expecting you know. People sell you short by not considering how intelligent you actually are."
"It's nice someone thinks I'm smart, but I get most of my advice from fortune cookies and what mom used to tell me. My dad just told me all the time to not embarrass mom and don't get caught. I let him down on both of those departments," Dom shrugged as his hands rubbed Angel's shoulders, squeezing over the tense muscles and knots made from years of stress.
"In your defense, you don't remember what happened and it was justified. You were grieving and over stressed, if I was in your shoes I probably would have done the same thing. No one messes with family, it's just a rule," She sighed contently as his strong thick fingers dug into the knots loosening them, "Man I really need to find a way to clone you, so I can leave the clone here to deal with your business' while I keep you for those massaging hands of yours."
Dom shook his head smiling down at her bowed head, "Sorry no can do Ang, and there is only one of me in this world for good reason. World wouldn't be able to handle more than one of me in it."
"You're probably right, there can only be one Dominic Toretto," Angel grinned tipping her head back to look up at him, "But if you keep that up I am knocking you out and taking you back to Japan with me."
He laughed pulling his hands away from her shoulders, "Sorry no knocking me out today."
"You positive big man?" her lips curled into a playful smirk as she pushed herself off the hood of his car her body flush with his, "Who knows maybe you'll even like it just a little."
His cheeks colored ever so slightly as he licked his lips, "Tempting but no, I don't think I'd enjoy getting knocked out. Now if you're done cooling off we've both got work to do, paperwork for me and more grease under those nails for you."
Nodding Dom backed off slightly and they walked back towards the garage. At the moment Han's idea wasn't seeming so irresponsible after all, but she still wasn't ready to let go of her life. She was afraid of losing control of the things that kept her on stable ground. The rest of the day passed without incident as the garage ran through the workload at an alarming rate as Angel set a blistering pace.
"So should I start calling you Wonder Woman?" Dom joked as they slid into his car even as Angel continued rubbing and scraping grease off her hands.
"Only if you want to," she smiled glancing up at him, "But I warn you, I don't have a lasso handy."
"Do you really need one? I mean you seem to do just fine without needing to rope us in. To be honest we haven't got that many cars done in one day in a while. Sure I can't convince you to stay here in the states and help me out some more?" he was smiling but it didn't quite meet his eyes as Angel squeezed his thigh.
"If I didn't have responsibilities back in Japan I would say yes you can keep me around. But there is nothing I can do, my kid is still in school but once he's done maybe I can move my business about a bit," she couldn't promise him anything when things were so busy at her garage.
"Then I will be here waiting, this time I plan on giving you my cell number and keeping in contact. What's the time difference between us any way?" His eyes flicked off the road connecting with hers for a moment, "Unless you don't want me to."
"I bought you a laptop and secretly put in my information in the Skype icon on your desktop, I think you can call me. It's like 18 hours or so, so there might be the need for some math but I'm pretty much awake at all hours of the day," she shrugged patting his thigh.
"Right you don't exactly sleep," Dom affirmed settling his hand over hers, resting both on the gear shift as he licked his lips, "Then since you were a stealth ninja Wonder Woman I will give you a call at least once a month. We never seem to have enough time to catch up do we?"
Angel's fingers squeezed his tightly, "There never seems like there is enough time to catch on the years we've lost, but we will just have to make do with the time we have left."
"Well how does a night out without your little sister sound? Not tonight or anything but before you have to head home?" Dom asked glancing over to try and read Angel's mindset, "Mia or Jesse can look after her for a few hours you know."
"Let me think about it okay? Alex comes first, you know?"
"Yeah I know family first."