So sorry for the long wait. Technical difficulties kept me down a few weeks, but I am back with a near 8K-word chapter for you guys. Sorry it's so long, I got a little carried away. Next chapter will be long as well, considering it is the finale.

P.S. Rest in Heaven to one of my favorite actors, Paul Walker. Didn't realize how much these fictional characters were like a second family to me, until the beautiful soul playing one was gone.

Chapter 51-Sleepless in Berlin

Leon's POV

It was hard to keep my eyes on the road and my mind out the gutter as I ripped through the bustling nightlife that was Berlin. As if I wasn't nervous as shit before, seeing Audrina in that dress sent my body temperature skyrocketing in seconds. I didn't recognize the fragrance she was wearing, but I knew it was sending my heart into a fritz.

It was hard to believe a woman that beautiful could turn out to be a pig.

I took her in out the corner of my eye once again, and noticed that she was now watching me too.

"You better not wreck this car, playboy. Letty will kick your ass," she warned with a sly smile.

"Sorry. You ... you're in a dress," I forced out in disbelief, "It's new is all."

"Wow. And to think - I thought I looked good," her tone was one of hurt as she awkwardly tugged at her dress.

"I think you look incredibly good," I assured her while keeping my eyes on hers. She smiled and turned out the window shyly.

"Sorry if I'm a little edgy. It's been a while since I've done this," Red said apprehensively.

"What... dancing?" I joked to help her relax. I knew she was referring to being out with a guy. To my knowledge, in the two years she was with us she never showed interest in any men and spent most of her time turning sleazebags away. She certainly had no nerves when chatting up the ladies, but this was a different playing field, so I wanted to put her at ease. "Besides, we've already had sex. What's left to worry about, right?"

I wasn't sure which of us I was trying to convince more.

"I guess we'll find out. Whatever happens tonight Nardo, I had a hell of a time riding with you guys for those two years. Though it was under shady circumstances, it was honor learning from you. It was some of the best times of my life," she spoke and I could tell it was from the heart. "Is it bad that I kinda wished I could've kept it going a little longer?" I smiled and shrugged. "I guess I just wasn't ready to go back to reality. Other than Hobbs, I'm lonely here."

"Well maybe I can convince you not to go back to reality," I said in all seriousness.

Audrina grinned ear to ear while her cheeks flushed a bright pink color. "Before you take me home to Daddy Dom, let's just see how tonight goes."

I laughed at her snarky reply, "Well, our door is always open to strays."

Red seemed to ponder the thought of staying with us, and gave an upbeat smile. We finally arrived at our date location around 9:30 that night, and from the steady flow of people at the doors, I was excited about my about choice. The luxury bar and grill was massive with dim lighting that emitted a strong romantic feel, an open space for dancing, and a wall-to-wall bar highlighted in bright neon lights.

As we made our way toward the bar, I grabbed her hand and interlocked our fingers to ward off the men gawking at her like meat. I wasn't about to let anyone push up on my date. We headed to the bar and immediately ordered drinks, both us quickly tossing back our clear liquor before ordering another round.

"Are you sure you should be drinking?" she asked while lifting her shot glass.

"I told Twink I'd call him for a ride. Don't worry about that," I replied while tossing my drink back.

"That wasn't what I was worried about," she said.

"I'm taking it easy tonight. I'm gonna need to keep my wits if I wanna stand a chance out there with you," I smirked at her while standing and reaching for her hand.

She rolled her eyes but took my hand, "Show me how good you are with those feet, Racer Boy."


Letty's POV

Five years ago, if you would've told me I'd have more fun with two kids and a puppy rather than going out with my friends, I would think you were insane. Having the entire villa to run wild with Dom took me back to our time in Echo Park, having foot races and wrestling around the backyard with Vince and Mia. It felt good to laugh freely and be myself with Dom. It was almost surreal watching him chase Julian around the neatly-trimmed lawn, and I couldn't take my eyes off the pure joy they both shared. With no fear in his arm safety floats, Julian bolted straight for the pool and jumped in, with Dom following behind him.

As I rested contently with a beer on the grass and Brooklyn playing in my hair, my mind kept wandering back to the conversation Dom and I had about having another kid. After knowing and loving his son for only a short month, he was already talking about popping another one out. Dominic has always been a family man, but he never expressed a desire for kids before. We talked about a future together - where we would go, what kinda hell we would raise, who we'd still be rolling with - but never kids or marriage. It just wasn't us back then.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't skeptical about another kid, or even our future. Though he had made his way back to my good graces, Dominic still was on my shit-list for bolting the way he did. It wasn't something I could easily forget, no matter how hard I tried. I could still feel the panic in my chest like the morning I woke up to an empty room in a foreign country. The shear fear of being alone, without a clue of where he was or how to reach him.

I wasn't ready to go through that again, especially with two young kids. I wasn't convinced that his disappearing days were behind him, and I wasn't sure when I would be. A part of me was holding back, ready to be on my toes for Julian in case things with Dom suddenly went south. I knew he wanted to be there for Julian, but Dominic was an impulsive man, and that wasn't necessarily a good quality.

But I knew the outcome of tomorrow - win or lose - would change everything. By the end of the day, we could be talking about more kids, or who's gonna look after our boy Julian while we're doing 25-to-life or rotting from a bullet. The thought of either of the kids having to go on without us lit a spark in me that got my adrenaline pumping. I couldn't wait to take these assholes down.

"Alright Jules!" Dom said while climbing out of the pool and staggering his way over to us. "I need a break buddy."

"Gotta be able to keep up, old man," I teased as he flopped down next to me short of breath.

"Who you callin' old?" Dom smiled and my eyes watched droplets of water drip from his chin enticingly.

Like clockwork, Brooklyn moved from her spot behind me to immediately attach herself to her Uncle Dommie. She rested her head against his chest while Dom smoothed her silky hair from her face. It was clear that she was one of Dom's few weaknesses, and it wasn't hard to see why.

Maybe having a girl wouldn't be a terrible idea.

"Who's idea was it to name her after me?" I asked out of the blue. It was in the back of my mind any time I laid eyes on the blue-eyed beauty.

"Mommy and Daddy," Dom replied, looking down at his niece with endearing eyes. "Mia wanted to name her Leticia, but we agreed that the middle name would be easier for us to deal with," he gave a sad smile before continuing, "Brian came up with Brooklyn. His grandparents were born and raised there and he spent a lot of his childhood there as well. It meant a lot to him and Mia was happy, so she became Brooklyn Leticia O'Connor."

My heart warmed; it was an honor that my friends named their child after me, especially Brian. We didn't have the best track record and he annoyed me to no end but I knew deep down he was a good guy.

"What about my boy?" Dom asked with a smile for Julian, who had managed to snuggle his way in my lap, with his wild, wet hair tickling my nose.

"When I found out I was pregnant I was already pissed at you, so I didn't even want to think about you," I said honestly and his smiled faded to a look of regret. I put my hand in his to relax him, "My dad was bummed that my mom never had a chance to give him a boy. So I figured I would keep the Ortiz name going."

"But the next ones a Toretto for sure, right?" he asked with a contagious smile.

"You're hellbent on this huh?"

"I wanna do it right," he said, "No time soon of course, but eventually. I want to be there through it all," his brown eyes hypnotized me once again and swept me off my feet. "I never wanted to miss the birth of my kid."

The conversation was taking an emotional turn I wasn't in the mood for, so I tried to curve the ball.

"Lesson learned. You just better have your ass there next time. You know how hard it was driving to the hospital with this little guy shoving his way out of me?" I asked while remembering the excruciating drive to give birth.

"Where was he born?"

"Baja, Mexico."

"Baja?" Dom repeated, seemingly surprised by my answer.

"Right before he was about to pop out I went to Baja. I couldn't go back to the States, so I got as close as I could. It was the place that was supposed to change our lives for the better."

"It did," he said while staring lovingly at Julian, who was already falling asleep.

I smiled and used this moment to change the subject. This was supposed to be a happy night.

"You guys wanna go watch a movie? I'll bake us some cookies," Both Julian and Brooklyn nodded and jumped up with cheers as he headed for the house. I knew neither of the kids would make it through a movie, but I was ready to lie down. I was starting to feel that fall from the truck.

I heard Dom chuckling as he stood from the grass.

"What're you laughing at?" I asked as he helped me up.

"Letty Ortiz baking cookies," he said while laughing harder.

I laughed as I realized how out of character that statement was, "We baked our first bath together, huh JuJu?" he turned to us with a toothy grin, "And how were they?"

"Good!" he screamed and I smiled with pride.

"V, you hearing this?" Dom asked to the sky with a smile.

I grinned as I reminisced on the endless teasing from Dom and Vince about my lack of domestic training as an adolescent, such as cooking and cleaning.

"Come on. I've got to see this."


Red's POV

Two beers and three shots in I was definitely starting to feel the affects of the alcohol on my body, and especially, my libido as Leon danced closed behind me. He never moved more than a foot away from the whole time as we danced through several pop songs. I didn't recognize the music but that didn't stop my hips from swaying against the body behind me.

I turned to face him; his face illuminated by the bright blue neon lights flashing across the ceiling. He had a sheet of sweat on his forehead, but seeing Le clear-eyed and aware made him more beautiful to me. The way he moved with swagger as he bounced to the music made me happy I had the nerve to ask him out.

"You okay?" Leon yelled in my ear over the loud music.

"Couldn't be better," I replied back with a grin.

"Can we take a break? I need to get back in shape," he asked and I mentally thanked the heavens. I wasn't thinking when I wore six-inch heels to dance, and my feet were kicking me for it.

We pushed out way through the crowd and took up back at the bar.

"I didn't realize you were such a slick dancer," I commented as he ordered up two waters, "Grinding with sleazy skanks doesn't count."

Leon gave a hearty laugh that made my stomach tickle and took a swig of his drink, "I haven't had a good-looking girl such as yourself to show off my good moves to," he replied and once again, one of his cheesy lines worked on me like a charm.

I wrapped my arms around Leon's neck, my fingertips grazing his hairline, as I tried to gather my jumbled thoughts, "How'd you get so smooth, Mr. Hernandez?"

"I've always been this smooth. Been a ladykiller since birth," he said with cockiness oozing from his pores. We shared a laugh before he put on a serious expression, "Thank you for asking me out. I needed this."

"Well I'm just glad you said yes. I haven't exactly been a good friend to you."

"You were doing your job, and I'm not in cuffs, so I can't be too mad," he shrugged and his hands moved to rest on my hips.

We held eye contact, but I could only think about his fingertips grazing the thin fabric against my waist. The contact was miniscule, but it was sending my head into a frenzy. Before I knew it, Leon was pulling me to stand between his legs, and his fingers crawled around to rest comfortably on the curve of my ass.

The room was practically dark, but the neon signs above the bar provided just enough light for me to see the happiness and life in Leon's deep emerald eyes for the first time in a long while. As he stared into my soul, I became submerged in the tension boiling between us and I knew whatever we had would become clear soon.

With the combination of the pulsating music, the strong shots of tequilla, and Leon's hands being inches away from my backside, I felt all of my inhibitions fading away. When Leon broke out into a wide, gut-wrenching grin, I caved and crashed my lips into his, the tantalizing taste of alcohol stinging my lips. I grabbed his face and deepened the kiss, using my tongue to part his lips and explore his warm month. Leon kissed me back with mirrored fever as his hands finally reached their goal and cupped my bottom firmly.

I could feel myself quickly losing control and tried to regain traction of this date by grabbing his hair at the nape of his neck and yanking it, forcing his lust-filled eyes on mine, "It's not too late you get you in those cuffs, ya know."

Leon grinned wide again, "I won't complain, Officer."

"Call Twink and have him pick up the Jetta. I'll call us a ride."

"Ride where?" Leon asked as I headed to the restrooms for quiet.

"You think we can finish our night in the guest house without someone interrupting?"

"I see your point. I'll call Tyler."

Fifteen minutes later, an FBI service car was dropping us at a luxury hotel just a few miles away from the club. I checked us in under my undercover ID and we made our way to the elevator. To my surprise, Leon kept his distance in the elevator and leaned against the opposite wall, his eyes boring holes through me. The heat in the confined space nearly pushed me over the edge during the staring contest between Leon and I. The way his eyes drank me in made me feel like I was the only person who mattered, and I couldn't remember the last time I had felt that way.

The elevator doors broke the hold Leon had on me and I snapped out of my daze. I took his hand in mine and we made our way to our hotel room. Seconds after crossing the threshold, Leon had me against the door with his soft lips pressed against my own. this time, the kissing was slow and passionate, and ten times more tortorous than before. The way our tongues danced together in unison, I wanted nothing more than to stay in this moment forever.

My hopes were killed when he pulled away. He didn't speak but grabbed my hand and led me to the bedroom of the hotel. In an instant, my nerves were back as I stood between Le and an enticing kingsize bed. I watched as Leon slowly unbuttoned and removed his shirt while never taking his eyes off of me. He kicked off his shoes and cloes the distance between us, grabbing my hands and pulling me down to sit on the bed.

"Red, I don't know what this is between us but it's something that I've wanted for a long time. Now I don't know if it's cause I couldn't have you, or because I respected you enough not to have you, but the feelings I have for you are unlike anything I've ever felt. By the look in your eyes, I can see that you feel it too."

Leon wasn't wrong by a longshot; there was certainly more than just sexual tension between us. It had been years since I had a serious relationship, and even longer since I had one with a guy, so I know the way I cared for Leon was past platonic.

"You're right," his eyes smiled at my admission, "Whatever we have, I feel it. The question is: what do we do about it?"

"The way I see it, we only have tonight to figure it out," he motioned between us with a curl of his lips, "In the morning, you can make your choice - stay with me and the Team, or go back home."

"Stay with you and the Team? Is that even an option?" I asked skeptically as I pictured myself engaged in this chaotic crew on a regular basis.

"If you're with me, you're with them," his words weren't easy believe as I remembered the harsh welcome I had received from a few members. "They've already accepted you, you just haven't noticed it yet."

I thought about the generosity Mia showed me all day, and how Dominic made me stick around for one of their private meetings. Even Letty was being civil to me, which was surprising considering the rocky start we had in Costa Rica.

"Well, as crooked as they are, they seem like a pretty good group of people," I said jokingly and he smile with pride while grabbing my hands in his. I knew what Leon was offering, but it wasn't a decision I wanted to make right now. "Let's see if we can sway my choice then."

I stood and kicked off my heels before turning my back to him, motioning for the zipper of my dress. It didn't take long for him to catch on as he took the clamp between his fingers and dragged them down my bare back, along with metal zipper.

Leon's hands then guided the dress down my body and to the floor, leaving me left in my white lace bra and thong combination. I could feel Leon's eyes burning through my skin, and I knew it was only a matter of minutes before I caved to him. Leon stood and I turned to face him, his cool hands going back to my hips while his eyes danced over my face lustfully.

It was something about the way Leon looked at me that made me believe the words he said. Thirty-one years old and I had never seen anyone - man or woman - look at me with such passion in their eyes before. It turned me on, and scared the hell out of me all at the same time.

"I really want you to stay," he murmured softly, and leaned in to take my lips in his. My knees became weak once his tongue darted across the roof of my mouth, so I wrapped my arms around his neck for balance. Once Leon's calloused hands landed on my bare ass cheeks, I lost all self-control, shoving him back on the bed before climbing on top of him.

I dove back into the kiss as his hands returned to my bare backside, squeezing and palming it finally without a fear of being slapped. He smiled into the kiss, and his hands moved to unclasp my bra. He eased the lace away and massaged his hands into my back, trailing them up and down my spine teasingly. I sat up and looked down at him, confidently pulling the tie from my hair to let my straight red hair cascade over my shoulders.

There he was ... giving me that look again. Painting his eyes over every inch of my torso as if it were the first time he had seen it. In a way, it was. The first time we were intimate, Leon was riding on a three-day coke binge. Now, he was coherent, though fairly tipsy, but sexier than I had ever seen him a look.

Running my hands over his chest, my eyes landed on his neck tattoo that proudly read 'outlaw' across his Adam's apple. I remembered the day he got the ink - high on coke influenced by his idiot friend James, Leon walked into a local shop in Colombia and asked to be branded as an outlaw for life. I always hated the tattoo, even if it did make him look like a bad boy.

"You never did like the tattoo," he read my mind with a smirk. "It was right after our first bust with the cops. You told me it was bad luck."

"Was I wrong?"

In a matter of seconds, Leon was rolling me over and now hovering above me with a smile.

"No, but I beat the case after you decided to show up at my trial. Maybe you're my good luck charm."

It wasn't his words, or even his eyes this time that turned my brain into mush, but the fact that I wanted him as much as he wanted me. I hadn't been with a guy since my senior year of high school, but I was more than ready to get on the proverbial horse with Leon.

"I just think you're-"

"'Nardo, I appreciate the sentimental stuff, but save it for the morning. The pants ... off ... now."


Dom's POV

After sitting through Lady in the Tramp under a fort of sheets and duvets with mountains of popcorn, cheetos, and Letty's surprisingly delicious baked cookies surrounding the four of us, I realized the children were finally fast asleep. I looked down at Letty curled up around Julian and noticed that she was sleeping soundly as well.

Someone I got lost in the animated children's movie and was left awake, nursing my thoughts and a cold glass of milk filled with soggy cookies and chocolate chips. Looking around at my brood, I couldn't help but laugh.

I now knew what it was like for my Dad having a night with Mia, Letty, Vince and I as rowdy kids. It was never about the childish games or the messed that were made, but the smiles we had while doing it. I couldn't remember the last time I heard Letty laugh so hard and loud the way she had while helping the kids organize the fort. Considering I thought I would never hear her laugh again, the sound was like music to my ears.

It was comforting to see that even though she was newly mature and domesticated, Letty could still enjoy the little things.

"Dominic, are you in there?" I peeked my head around the sheets to see Erik standing with his laptop in hand. "You gotta see this."

I crawled unashamed from the makeshift-fort and followed him to the backyard. We sat down at the patio table and Erik opened his computer.

"My uncle found us. I hacked into his security system at his main office and realized that he's been watching us all day," his eerie tone put me on edge, "I don't know how. He's got highly-experienced hackers, they must've overrode the system and picked up our real coordinates."

I roared angrily, "How the hell could Jerry miss that earlier?"

"It's not on Jerry. Unless you know what to look for, you wouldn't spot it. My uncle's system is high-grade. I've been trying to get into it since I was eleven. That's not all the bad news," he punched a few buttons on the keyboard before the screen changed to a familiar sight, "You guys are wanted in Berlin."

"That's impossible; we haven't done anything in Berlin," I replied with frustration in my tone. I stared at the wanted posters of Brian, Leon, Letty and I. "What does it say?"

"Dominic Toretto and his criminal associates ex-special agent Brian O'Connor, Leon Hernandez, and Toretto's girlfriend, Letty Ortiz are all wanted for questioning in an attempted terrorist attack earlier today on the Berlin International Airport, that resulted in the death one Berlin soldier, and the injuries of several others."

"Fucking great," I murmured angrily.

"Eye witnesses put you in a black BMW in the airport lot. When approached by members of the Berlin Army, you led soldiers and police on a ten mile chase, but somehow got away."

"Dammit!" I yelled while kicking over a nearby chair. "The guys you saw this morning, could they be on your uncle's payroll?"

"Possibly. I didn't get a look at their faces, but he's got enough money to have every person in this city on his payroll," Erik replied. "But now that they're onto you, perhaps it'd be best if I tagged along to the compound tomorrow."

"Why?" I quipped quickly.

"The moment any of you are spotted on or even near the base, they'll be shooting to kill. I speak the language and I'm not wanted."

He had a point there, but I still wasn't convinced. "You're only a kid, Erik. I'm not putting you in the cross-hairs."

"You don't have a choice. Sean and I can do it. We bare the only resemblance to the locals," his tone was confident but his blue eyes held something back. Something mischievous that didn't sit well with me. "I can go in, get the cases and be out without anyone noticing. I can help, Dom."

Erik's persistence to "help" was making me suspicious. If Vince were here right now, he's be the boy who screamed 'rat'. But Erik did make a valid argument - our faces would be everywhere by morning time.

I knew we had no chance of getting in undetected.

"We'll talk more int he morning. Get some rest, kid."

I left Erik in the backyard and headed back inside, where Letty was now (rather angrily) disassembling the fort.

"Party over?" I asked with a smile for her, but she didn't return it.

"Moving them to the bedroom," she said shortly before tucking the sheets away in a nearby closet.

I nodded and helped clean the mess of snacks, movies, and toys from the floor before lifting Brooklyn's sleeping body from the carpet. Letty did the same with Julian and we headed to our bedroom to put them down somewhere more comfortable.

"You ready for bed?" I asked as she gave a long stretch and yawn.

"Not until everyone is home," she shook her head. I nodded with a smile as I remembered coming in the Toretto home with Vince and women hanging off our arm at three in the morning, only to find Letty sitting up in front of the television, barely awake.

"I can wait for them," I offered but she shook her head adamantly.

"I'm not sleeping until everyone is in this house," her words were final as she stormed out and headed back to the lounge. I sat next to her on the sofa and watched as she ran her hands down her face with a sigh.

"What's on your mind?" I asked while rubbing soothing circles into her lower back.

"I ... I had a bad dream," Letty replied in a low whisper, "Same one I've been having on and off all week. Waking up with you gone didn't help."

"I was talking with Erik. Dream about what?" by the expression of panic on her face I could tell the dream really had her shaken. "You wanna talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Letty forced out while standing from the sofa to pace the room. I stood and moved to block her nervous trotting.

"You know you can talk to me," I said softly with my hands on her shoulders.

Letty finally sighed and gave in, "I keep having this dream that you run off again, only this time with Elena and Julian. And I'm left alone in the DR again."

If it was one thing I knew about Letty that a lot of others didn't, it was that she despised being alone. She put on a front that she didn't like the company of others, but Letty was the type of woman who needed her family. She didn't do well without them, and I needed to assure her that she wouldn't have to worry about that again.

"I told you, Lett. I'm not going anywhere ever again-"

"Yeah, Dom, I heard," she snarled while yanking away, "More than once. I'm just having a hard time believing it."

"Where is this coming from, Lett? You've been so back and forth with me since we got here. When are you gonna give me a break?" I asked, raising my voice slightly.

"When you stop breaking my fucking heart," Letty yelled with a sharp sting in her words before storming out with her hands over her face.

If I didn't know any better, I would've sworn Letty was crying.


Letty's POV

When my emotions got the best of me I was in desperate need of fresh air. I stormed away from Dominic and out of the house angrily as tears stung at my sleepy eyes. I paced back and forth near the fountain and I crossed my quivering arms over my chest. After a few deep breaths, I couldn't hold back any longer and I finally broke down. I crashed on the lawn as the tears finally poured, pulling my knees close under my chin and wrapping my arms around my legs tightly. My body racked with sobs as I was finally able to release some anguish.

I wasn't sure what brought on the waterworks, or even my drastic mood changes, but I knew these dreams played a part in it. I hadn't told anyone about my nightmares, but I had a feeling they wouldn't be stopping until I could trust Dom fully.

The realistic dreams were always the same - waking up in that same small shack with no signs of Dom or our son, only a pile of money on the nightstand as before.

But this one was different. This time, I was standing outside of a two-story home off the coast next to Dom's Charger in the pouring rain. I walk to the window of the home and peer inside to find Dom standing in front of Elena while she held baby Julian. They shared a loving look before Dom leans in to kiss her. I knock on the window several times, but they only look over and smile at me. Like I was a joke.

Like there was something they knew that I didn't.

I wasn't ready to be left looking stupid again, and I refused to let anyone try to take my kid away. I knew the chances of my bad dreams becoming a reality were slim, but I was at a point in my life where anything was possible. Though I had allowed him back into my life and heart, I needed convincing that this was for good.

Truthfully, a lot of my inner panic was because of my fear for the outcome of the race. I was scared shitless of tomorrow, and the future of not only this family, but Dom and myself. Instead of my usual pre-heist confidence, my mind was littered with worries and what-ifs. What if I fell? What if one of us was injured, or worse? What if we didn't get the cases first?

Something I knew that was inevitable - Alvaro coming after us when it was all said and done. Our heads were all still marked. We would be back to running, looking over our shoulders and hiding from everyone and everything. I needed to know that I could depend on Dom to be there not only for Julian, but for me.

The brisk, cold wind stung my moist face and I tried to pull myself together. I stood and headed over to my Nissan. She always did help me clear my head. Sliding onto the smooth leather seats, I felt my breathing finally returning to normal, as I was surrounded by the familiar atmosphere of my first car. The tears still streaked down my face, but my chest didn't ache from the rattling sobs anymore.

Relaxing back against the headrest, my mind continued to race so I reached for the visor above the wheel for a picture I kept for good luck. It was one of my favorites of Julian and I after our first trip to a water park. He was almost a year old and I spent an entire week racing just to afford that trip. The happiness on his face that day changed my life.

I knew no matter how tough things got or how low on money we were, we had each other to lean on. I would do whatever I had to, to ensure his safety and well being, and this picture always reminded me of that.

It also reminded me that I made it this long without Dominic, and if he chose to run again, I would be prepared to survive without him.

Headlights shining through my back windshield caught my attention. I stepped out and made my way to the gate, where the Jetta, BMW, and Brian's Toyota sat waiting. After buzzing them in, I headed back to the Nissan where Dominic stood leaning against the door. His brown eyes were sorrowful as he searched for something to say, but I wasn't in the mood.

"Just give me time, Dom," I said with a sigh. His lips pulled into a tight line and he nodded before pushing off the car and heading over to the others.

I leaned against my car and watched him interact with the guys as they stumbled out of their respective cars.

"Where's Leon?" I heard him asked as they all staggered to the house with happy smiles.

"He and his girl were at the bar last time I saw him," Twink replied, looking rather tipsy himself, "had me pick up the Jetta and they took off. Said not to bother them 'til the morning."

"Should we be worried?" Brian asked.

"No. Leave them be. Leon knows what he's doing," Dom replied, "I need to talk to everyone while he's gone though."

"Lett, are you okay?" Mia's words barely registered as I stared at Dom in deep thought. She was standing next to me at the Nissan and her face was one of worry, and slight intoxication.

"Are you drunk, Mia?" I asked, ignoring her question. I was still happy to see the girl letting go for once.

"A little," she replied nonchalantly, "Are you okay? You look like you've been crying."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied smoothly.

"Just because I haven't seen you in two years doesn't mean I don't know you, Leticia. Your face gives away every emotion you feel," I sighed. Nothing ever got past Mia Toretto. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Some days I'm over it. Some days I wanna choke the hell out of him for putting me through it."

Mia lazily threw her arm over my shoulder, "It's okay to still be hurt, Lett. You were out there alone for two years with a kid you had no clue how to take care of."

"I'm not hurt. I'm pissed off. Since the beginning I've done nothing but try to make Dom love me. Tried to convince him that we were better, stronger together."

"And you know my brother has always been a Neanderthal. He always thinks he knows what's best for everyone, when in reality, you've always been the best thing for him. I think he knows that now," Mia said. I looked over to see him standing and talking with Brian, but his eyes were burning through me.

"What if he forgets again? What if tomorrow something goes wrong, and he splits? I mean he's talking about having another kid. Raising Julian was tough. Raising two of his mini-mes by myself? I can't do that Mia," I turned my back to him as I felt the tears returning.

When the hell did you become such a cry-baby? I scolded myself.

"And you won't ever have to, sweety," Mia said softly while embracing me. Mia always did have a way of making things better. "Just wait until tomorrow. Everything will go as planned and all your worries will be put to rest. Trust me, Lett. Dom's a different guy than the one who walked away in the Dominic Republic. Still a bonehead, but he wants his family. He wants you and Julian, and many more juniors running around."

"How do you know?"

"Because I saw it on his face the day Brooklyn was born. The way he held her, the way he looked at her... Dom's only ever wanted his own family. He's not going to throw it away now."

I could feel a large presence behind me, and I didn't need to turn around to know it was him. I always had this tingling sensation in my stomach whenever Dominic was near.

"Hey," his deep baritone whispered as he gently grabbed my arm.

"Yeah?" I asked without turning around. I knew the moment I saw those sad, Toretto eyes I'd be mush at his feet again.

"We're gonna have a quick meeting, then everyone is calling it a night."

"We'll be there in a minute," I replied before he leaned down and planted a kiss on my cheek from behind. The stubble growing on his face, tickled my skin and I fought hard to keep the smile at bay. He moved on to the house, leaving Mia and I outside alone.

Leaning against the Nissan, Mia looked to me with a smile.

"The old Dominic would've spun out in his car looking for a girl who wasn't giving him the cold shoulder. When have you ever known him to be patient when it came to you?"

She had a point.

"He's giving you the chance to come to him when you're ready. If you're not ready, make him wait. He made you wait two years," Mia smiled. "Come on. I gotta get these damn heels off."


The Team - some tired, some drunk - gathered in the kitchen one final time that night to go over last-minute details.

"I hope you all had fun, but now we gotta get back to business. There's been a kink in the plan."

"What kind of kink, Dom?" Brian asked nervously.

"Koenig found us. He's been watching us all day. And the whole team has been burned, again."

The room instantly filled with protests from the groggy bunch.

"But how? I watched those trackers all day. There was no indication that our location was compromised," Jerry said with a confused expression.

"He had his guys hack into the system this morning, they got the real coordinates. He must have found a way to bypass Slythe's GPS system. As for the Team, we are now the owners of an attempted terrorist attack on the airport this morning."

"You mean the one we stopped?" Rob asked in shock.

"Somehow we've been made out as the occupants of that BMW that led soldiers on a ten mile chase. One of them were killed."

"Damnit!" Brian exclaimed angrily, "We just got fucked."

"What now, Dom?" Letty spoke for the first time.

"Erik suggested he and Sean make the move for the cases. None of us would make it in or out alive, especially if they thought we killed one of their own."

"He's sixteen, Dom," Mother hen Mia spoke, "He is not getting on those trucks."

"He does speak the language. That might work," Brian's agreement shocked Mia.

"Brian!" she scoffed, "Are you kidding?"

"I don't see any other option, Mi. Do you?" Mia flopped down at the table angrily but she didn't speak again.

"Have you spoke to Hobbs about this?" Letty asked.

"I've tried calling a few times, but he hasn't picked up."

"So you're seriously gonna put a child in danger to save your own asses?" Mia asked while standing angrily.

"He won't be in danger, Mi. We won't let anything happen to him," Dom said sincerely.

"Just like nothing would happen to Jesse, or Vince, or Han," he scolded before storming out of the kitchen.

Dom was hurt by her words, but he knew it had a lot to do with the alcohol. Mia wasn't a friendly drunk.

"Go to bed. Be ready at six," he dismissed the crew, but stopped Sean, Letty, and Brian. "I didn't want to say this in front of the others, but I have my suspicions of Erik. I think he's holding something back."

"Oh come on, Dom! I can guarantee you she's making me sleep on the couch tonight for backing you," Brian exclaimed angrily, "What the hell, man?"

"He's the one who let me in on our new discoveries. He says he's been trying to hack into his uncle's system for years, and apparently, he was able to do it tonight. Of all nights. He's the one insisting on making the run for the cases, but I'm skeptical."

"Why? He's done nothing but help Luke and all of us. What makes him suspect?" Sean asked.

"I'm not sure yet. Something just ain't right about this kid," Dom spoke truthfully. It didn't take much convincing to get them on his side.

"I walked in on him earlier," Letty spoke softly as she remembered inviting Erik to dinner earlier that night, "He was on the phone with his grandfather."

"Did you hear what about?" Dom asked.

"No, I caught the end of it. I'm sorry. I should've said something earlier. It completely slipped my mind," she flopped down with a sigh, dropping her head on the island top.

"Don't sweat it babe," Dom said softly while leaning across the island. He wanted to run to Letty, to beg for her forgiveness, but he knew she needed her space. "Sean, I want you to get a hold of that phone tonight. Get it to Jerry, see if he can find anything to prove our theory right."

"Dom, what do we do if he is working with his uncle?" Brian asked, unsure if he'd be able to hurt a minor.

"Let him get us through clearance. We'll figure it out from there. Go to bed guys."

Sean and Brian took off for much-needed sleep, leaving Dom and Letty alone in the kitchen.

After a bout a silence, Letty lifted her head, "Do you love me Dominic?" Letty's question caught him off guard, but his didn't hesitate with his answer.

"More than I've loved anything," he said while staring into her sad eyes.

"Then I need you to answer one question, honestly."

"Shoot."

"Would you have stayed that night, if I chose Luke?"

"It would've been hard, but yes," he replied.

"Even if Julian wasn't here?" Letty noticed the change on his face and was afraid of his answer.

"Honestly, I don't know," Dom stood and moved slowly toward her, "I don't know if I'd be able to be in the same room with you knowing you weren't mine."

Letty nodded, hurt by his words, and moved to leave the room.

"But I know I wouldn't have given up on you," she stopped at the sound of his voice, but didn't turn to face him, "I would've fought for you, like I did every day chasing down Braga. I would fight for us, like I am now," he was now directly behind her, and Letty could feel the heat radiating off his body burning against her clothed back, "Letty, the night I saw you standing in that kitchen holding my son, I swore to myself that I'd never leave you again. That I would never put you, or this family through that again. I didn't realize how hard my life would be without you in it," Dom placed his hands on her arms and rubbed her skin softly. The small, innocent gesture was enough to get her heart racing again, "I want to be here for you. And our son. I am here."

"Yeah but for how long?" she couldn't stop the words from spilling out. He turned her to face him and Dom could see the sheer panic and torture in Letty's brown pools.

"Forever. Ride or die, remember?"

She had to smile at the mantra they once lived by.

"Come on, big guy. I could use a cuddle buddy," she tugged at his shirt and led him back to their bedroom, where Julian was sleeping alone in the large bed.

Letty changed into a pair of silky boxer-shorts and a tank top before crawling in behind Julian and snuggling close to his kinky curls. When Dom's large frame tucked in behind her, she felt as if her life were complete.