So, I don't know anything about cars, so if I got even one bit of description right while trying to describe a model or engine, it's pure accident! I hope for those who know a thing or two about this stuff that I haven't ruined the scene while trying to flavor it up.

The street filled fast with noise from man and machine. Engines cut before exhaust choked the sudden crowds. Smooth power delivery systems revved engines, with only the owners knowing which were actually capable of winning down a drag strip. They all knew they never had long until cops might show up. Sometimes they could do two, three good races and break up after that. Other times they'd have to break away before the first. It was usually Dominic Toretto's call, as it was usually his word that got the big names out.

Like tonight. The money would be big.

Dominic came in with his team after just a while, ready to see who Hector had chosen to race. The street scene was packed tonight.

One of the first things Dom noticed even before he cut his engine was Roman next to his neon green Eclipse with the green under lighting. Despite getting in a tussle with Vince a few hours ago, he was there taking up a big spot near Hector and his crew, a wad of cash in his hand already. Dom rolled his eyes and hoped their glued-on nails scratched Roman's skin. If he won was obviously implied in their promises they no doubt made. Dom knew that there was no way Harry's new salesman would win against him, though.

People moved in, drawn to him like he was some magnet. Nice people, nice girls…most of them. He loved it out here with this crowd, with his family coming up behind him with enough under their hoods to make their cars beat and scream louder than any noise he heard now.

Next off, it was Monica that got his attention. She once wore a set of heels that propped her higher than Dom and wasn't that a sight? He pawed after this bleached blonde stripper that night and since then Letty has had her eyes on her…and her sister. If he didn't go over right now he'd not get his chance later. Monica was hot and heavy on the petting.

She saw him coming and grinned, her painted eyes speaking of someone who has seen a lot of LA and found the ride fun and wild.

"Monica!"

"Did I cross your mind, Dominic?" she purred, coming into his grasp and settling against his side with all her soft curves. Her sister was close and wrapped her arms around him too. They settled against a car, a woman on each side and pressing up on him like he was some king.

"Of course you do, Monica."

She looked over her shoulder to Rome and asked, "Any reason I should place a bet on him?"

Dom pursed his lips, trying not to let his smile falter. "That's the guy who's going to fund my next set of tires."

She smiled, glad for the tip. About then, Letty approached like a cat from the jungle.

"I smell skanks," she hissed, forcing Monica and her sister to move back into the crowd, and Dom's smile to fade away.

"What you doing?" Dom wondered.

Letty moved forward to be the next woman to plaster herself to him, a set of hands to wrap around his torso and slide up his broad back.

"Don't you see the dozen of Tran's guys hanging around?" her voice was cutting, her eyes more so.

Whenever Letty was being sexier than all else, it was mostly showing off that Dom was still taken. That no, they weren't on hiatus like they were last year. That no, no Tran bitch could walk up and take him to her bed so easy again. Dom was in such deep shit for that, that not even the drunker-than-hell excuse worked on it. Going to bed with a Tran, let alone Johnny Tran's sister, was a stupid mistake on way, way, way too many levels. So, that begged the question: maybe Leticia Ortiz was doing this for Dom's protection more than for protecting her property? Maybe. Dom never asked.

Dom didn't so much put up with Letty being this touchy, because he didn't dislike it but she was only ever this way when the Trans were around. At home, even at parties, if the mood struck it wasn't with this much pawing. So he knew there was some other reasoning behind her moves right now. He appreciated it, but he also had to grow comfortable with her being hot and cold.

About then, Hector and his group broke away from Rome and came over to Dom.

"Hey, Hector. Yo!" Dom greeted his old friend.

"Hey, what's up man? Looks like it could be a busy night."

It could be, yeah, if this crowd wasn't as big. Dom had to keep it real; they couldn't get caught.

"Naw, one race. Just the one…" and as Dom explained his plan it might have actually been one of the easiest ways to make cash that month. Rome and some low member of Johnny Tran's gang passed over their money to Hector straight away, and it was almost going to happen that a few others would pass the cash over when there was a hitch: a distraction coming up from down the street.

Shouts and hoots started it up, getting closer along with the sound of a virulent engine.

Coming through the crowd at a crawl, gathering all manner of attention, came a platinum pearl frame with an eerie blue mod added to the headlights. The sleek shell enraptured the audience and it gave butterflies to Dom when that engine buzzed and lights bounced off the glistening body. He'd never seen this car before. He'd have remembered.

Jesse had fallen in love at first sight. He was the first to make it out and shouted, "A Nissan Skyline GT-R! No shit!"

Leon's was cool enough but he never raced it except rarely. This tiger was coming for a race though. It blazed in all their eyes.

Jesse was lucky that the Skyline braked, because he damn near could have got run over as he bulleted over and pasted himself on the hood, just as Letty had been pasted on Dom a minute before. Jesse's fingers locked onto the platinum pearl like they were a loaded rack on a pair of long bare legs. The blue decals were highlighted by the neon blue lights on the interior. And the whole thing…the whole thing got more luminous when the driver stepped out on the right side.

Blonde hair, a blazing smile, fierce and young eyes that looked out at all the attention and ate it up. He'd gotten out of the right-hand side of the Japanese import, dark grey shirt on and jeans, a simple pair of Chucks. He wasn't trying to knock socks off, but his shirt was light fabric that caught every pumped up muscle and he certainly made hearts skip, because that was surely someone Dom and his crew had seen just earlier that same day…only out of uniform and not armed.

"I don't believe it…" Dom muttered.

Letty looked back at Dom, her eyes screaming that this was the most insane thing she'd ever seen in her life.

"Dom?" Mia had come to his side and gripped his arm, spoke with a shaky tone.

Looking down at her, Dom didn't see shock…he saw fear. Dom knew why. For him - and little beknownst to him, for Brian, too - to see in Mia that mingled fear and touch of delight was a once in a lifetime. Dom had seen each, but not together. Something special was happening here.

Officer O'Conner shouldn't be around here and these sorts of people. Dom could spot four guys right off the bat that had a hard record and a harder hatred for cops. If they at all knew he was one of them, it would get bloody for the blonde.

Jesse didn't even look at the driver as he prowled the vehicle, muttering stats under his breath like a damn computer hooked up to high-speed internet.

"Roof struts, front struts and a trailing arm rear plus roll arm on both ends. Downforces like a dream, I bet. Wedge waistline, alloy wheels, two door, twin headlamps, front grill for a dense air supply. How much torque could this thing get?"

After a full spin around it, he popped up on Brian's side. It was a delight to see the kid so enraptured in his car. Jesse would have walked right through him and kept licking the machine if Brian hadn't laid a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Jesse finally stopped mid-word, mouth hanging open when he locked eyes on Brian.

Brian leaned in and said quiet and just for Jesse, "I have three nitrous-bottles tucked under the passenger seat, too. Our little secret, alright?"

"Woah, dude!" Jesse says, like he's seen a ghost, maybe an angel there sent from heaven. "Your eyes are glowing! Dom!" Jesse looked behind Brian and Brian followed his gaze to see Dominic by a red Mazda RX-7. "Dom! This is unreal! Are you seeing this?!"

Brian smirked when he saw Dom looking intently at him with this boyish level of impressed and yeah, Dom saw the eyes.

He knew Brian was here by sheer force of will; no way would the cop venture out to an illegal street race if not without a bit of a death wish.

"Got room for one more?" Brian asked directly to Dom.

There were whoops of approval from the crowd. Of course that was when Hector came forward.

"Four at a time, new guy. All the road has room for. Two bodies have already paid. We got three others who want in, too."

"Hey! I know you from somewheres?" Rome asked loudly, really making it sound like he didn't know Brian. Brian was proud to say he couldn't even caught the glimmer of the game in Rome's eyes, but of course he'd play it hard against Brian.

"New in town!"

Dom's voice through gritted teeth covered Brian's ass. He did it for Mia. Covering for a cop was not at all on his list of things to do, but her fingers gripped hard on his arm, half terrified for the crazy lunatic cop who decided to come down here with a sexy ride and in street clothes and think that was alright. For all Brian knew, maybe Dom was doing him a favor. (Maybe Rome was, too.) Dom didn't like that; he didn't like the cop thinking it was a favor for him. But maybe Dom didn't have to worry about being misinterpreted, though. The lift of Officer O'Conner's chin, the serious fall of his smile and the look of dead serious demand in his eyes spoke more for the assiduousness of his words than anything else.

Brian said, "If I win, I take the cash, and I take the respect."

Only Dom and his crew didn't laugh at that.

Hector found it delightful. This new guy was fun.

"Two of youz others are gonna have to sweeten up the pot, I guess! Who wants to pony up for it? Two large to enter, and I'll take that if two of the others drop out willingly."

Brian looked out at the other drivers waiting to enter the mix. Besides Dom, there was a black dude with a posse all mixed in a theme of blue bandanas. But he didn't seem all that willing as he looked over Brian's ride. The other guy, too, a Mexican with a red-haired girlfriend, was sitting rather far off, probably not that interested either. But Brian had nothing else, not enough cash to make it into the race even with odds that the others would bale and leave him open.

Mia was watching and he knew what his Skyline could do, and it wasn't like he was married to the machine so he really had nothing to lose in making the decision to pony up a big bet to join in.

Hector had to ask, "What are you wagering, snowman?"

"I'll bet my car," Brian says all cool and calm, pulling his pink slip out of his pocket like he had planned this all along.

And the crowd broke. Literally. Guys got hard and girls got frisky. Hector gave him a long chance to retreat his hand with the pink slip, walking over slow. But once he took it, looking the buster right in the eyes, and Brian let the paper go without hesitation, Hector looked out on the sea of people. He had no words. But god, just raising his hand with that slip of paper made him feel like the owner of that ride. He looked anew at the platinum painted import and felt himself melt.

For Dom, nothing was real until it was in his hands. This GT-R was real enough sitting here, though. It on the table? It was worth more than his garage.

"What you thinking? Doing something like that?" Dom demanded to know, voice raising and taking the crowd down a notch.

"Man that's just insane!" Jesse scolded Brian, but then he looked at Dom, "But, Dom! Man! You win this - I mean, you really win tonight - and you know what, man? This is yours. A bet like that and this is yours!"

Jesse's enthusiasm was fading into a total meltdown of his systems. Letty went over and took the poor kid by the shoulder, leading him away from the car a few steps for a little breather. She kept a sharp eye on Brian, though. She was impressed but weary, same as the rest of his crew.

Dom saw Vince out of the corner of his eye waiting for the other shoe to drop. But Dom kept his eye on Brian, looking for a crack in his armor.

Hector found his voice. "Who else? Who else wants in now?!"

"Five grand!" Called out some driver from the far back.

"Six!" Called out three others.

The numbers filled the air. Ten. Fifteen grand. Brian just kept his stare on Dom, now and then glancing at Mia. Dom noticed at that moment that the little string that went from his sister to the little golden fish she had reeled in had been crossed…that direct line now pulling him along as well.

Fuck it.

"I'm in for my pink slip!" Dom declared to all, his voice magnanimous above all the rest.

The forth driver was set in that moment. No one had as much love or money under the hood as Dom. Match set.

Now the crowd screamed and hollered in support, some moving away already to get a good spot on the road for when the race began. Brian was alight with a fire that raged, burned right up his chest and expelled from his lips in a dazzling grin. Dom saw it, saw it burning. Mia was drop-jawed that Dom was doing this, as were the others. But they weren't going to protest. They saw that platinum car; they wanted it, too.

"What was that other thing that you wanted if you won again, brother?" Hector asked, walking forward, an open curiosity about Brian, now.

"The respect, man," Brian cleared the air, looking back at Dom. "For some people that's more important."

"Respect? What sort of bet is that?" Hector was at a loss.

Dom, Mia, Letty, Jesse, Vince, and Leon all knew. They remember just this afternoon, Officer O'Conner telling them why he was alone, no boyfriend, no friends, either. He chose those people based on this missing component in his life. He hadn't ever earned it in the past, so he was buying it now. Well…nothing bought respect. It was just the very act of the bet. And if he really went through with it…yeah. Dom was seeing the cop in a new light already.

Rome laughed, but he knew full well how loyal Brian was as a man and cop, how that really was what he most desired when he put on his uniform. And Rome knew, too, that was where it was at if he wanted to hurt Brian. He'd been poking that bear for years, looking to break him open at that seam, wanting to see what was under it. But Brian had this staying power; perseverance for abuse.

Synonymously, Dom might have grown a soft spot suddenly for the guy.

Dom said with easy feeling, "Let's pop the hood and see what you'd bet for it."

Brian was delighted to. Letty couldn't keep a hold on Jesse for another second. He was in there, once again calling out statistics like he was wirelessly connected online.

By Dom's side, Letty snaked up one side of him and Vince came up the other.

Letty whispered first, "Smoke 'em, baby."

"Planning on it," Dom said under his breath.

"Ya never bet a pink slip before," Vince said, almost ominously.

Dom gave his best friend a narrow look. Maybe a warning, but maybe just recognition. Then Dom refocused on Jesse, who had just stood back and was holding out his hands, eyes squinting down at the engine. It was necessary that he not go touching, but it was clear that's all he wanted to do to the machine.

Dom didn't understand why the blonde was dressed in no-name nothing with a car like this. He had an eager desire to prove something…looks like it just wasn't about what was on him, but what was in him. He observed all of this and said, "Not a bad way to spend a few years salary."

He was subtle enough about it, but the smile Brian gave proved he'd touched on some truth.

"Dom!" Vince's warning, once again hissed into his ear like an angry snake.

Dom raised his hand and patted Vince on the shoulder.

"He's in!" He declared, forcefully now for all to hear. "Let's go!"

Brian knew the drill, knew to get his car to the starting lineup, which could be a mile or ten miles away. Knew he had an ace in the hole with all that buried NOS he had hidden in the interior of the car. Jesse was kind enough to only rattle out stats of the stuff he could see, not making any prelude to the NOS system veins running everywhere else. Brian knew it wasn't his life on the line, too. Just his car. Just years of salary and a bit of blood, sweat, and tears. His senses were overloaded as he lined up so that he messed that up, having to reverse back into place.

He got sour looks from Tran and Rome when he looked over to make sure he was lined up enough, but Dom was smiling, shaking his head a little.

Deep breath.

Time to cool off.

The other racers were doing the same in those fast moments before things heated up. Seconds after the go, Brian would know who won. All he had to do was get there as fast as he could. He couldn't have any regrets if he gave it everything he had. Brian channeled his spirits. Speaking to himself as his ghost father, his addict mother, and any unknown brothers or sisters he more than likely had, he substantiated himself. You're gonna win. You're gonna win.

Dom lit his music up. Rome had a woman come to his window and give him some kind reminders of what a winner would earn. And Brian wasn't sure what Tran was doing right next to him…something twitchy with his hands down where he couldn't see and he really didn't want to think about.

But none of them had too much time for anything, as it was time to set up. He lifted the seat and set the NOS, lit the super HICAS steering input screens, the traction system, and the sensors for the multiplate clutch on each wheel one by one. All the screens told him he was damn well ready. Simple fact was: this was a complicated machine, one he knew how to handle.

Standing on the bed of a truck, Hector with the money and two pink slips had his hands in the air. And damn was Brian feeling it now. His hand went to the gearshift but his foot stayed on the pedal. His beast was awake below him, all around and wanted loose.

"GO!" Hector yelled.

The sound speed makes is like a roar. And what it feels like is being shaken in washing machine filled with metal. Problems don't matter. The world doesn't matter. What's at stake doesn't matter. Adrenaline and fear sink their teeth into you and you're flat out made their bitch until they're good and finished with you. Not your call when that will be.

For Brian, it happened between a red and a green car with the sound of tires screeching behind him because Rome lost a bit of control. Brian and Dom left him behind, left Tran somewhere back there, too.

How long had that taken? Ten seconds. Took ten seconds and he knew he almost had him. Almost had Dom. Their cars were side by side and he could see his skills straining to stay ahead. Brian nearly had him. There was just something on Dom's side that pushed him ahead.

A fat smile spread over his face as he pulled in behind Dom. There was nothing for it. Luck was never Brian's thing; enduring pain was. It wasn't very painful seeing the crowd clapping as he went, giving them a good show, too. He loved that. The appreciation - god, but it'd been a long time since he celebrated something like this. It fed into him.

Brian put the car in break, got out and was still unable to hold any of his feelings in. Dom caught his attention and happy met astonished. That tilt of his head again, like he can't believe his eyes when he sees Brian standing there.

Jesse ran up and pressed his hands to the silver exterior. "Oh sweet baby! You're coming home with us!"

But it was so endearing. Brian can't believe how fast he suddenly came to like the guy and a new level of glitter entered his expression.

Dom had enough of the enigma standing before him. Was he stupid or something? Was this some coping mechanism? Like, he'd seen guys grin through a beating at Lompoc. What was this?

"What are you smiling about, man?" He really wanted to know.

Not believing Dom doesn't realize, Brian laughs. "Dude, I almost had you!"

But what?

"You almost had me?" And that was funny! "You never had me. You never had your car!"

The crowd laughed, jazzed up, too. Brian held up his hands, shaking them in that way to ask for someone to hurry up and slow down; for Dom and everyone to slow down.

Brian clarified merrily, "Naw man! I built her. Had her for three years. Now she's yours," Brian patted Jesse on the back and pulled him under his wing. Jesse had tears in his eyes as he stared in shock of it all. "Won by a good man. Going to a good home. All I can ask for her."

"Oh jesus…" Jesse muttered, wiping a hand down his face.

But didn't that just win the hearts? The women especially sighed, their sweet voices carrying into the night like they'd each been handed a kitten and told it was theirs. Would it have been the fault of most the guys there if they just wanted to punch Brian right then? He had his pick of girls even if he was a loser without a car or a ride home. Dom knew this. Knew, too, that Brian wasn't after any of those girls.

Who was this guy? The question lodged in Dom's mind.

His eyes racked down Brian's front and really, it's a lot of first times today. They shot back up somewhere around the hem of that normal grey shirt and met Brian's again. There was fondness, pure and simple, between the two of them right then.

Brian's words hung in the air as Rome's green Nissan, smoking under the hood, rolled up amid loud laughter. Brian heard the scraping as the race went on and knew the welds had failed. Whoever made those connections had no idea what strain would be put through it as a real racing car. It was just some police impound hunk of metal that money bought flash but no substance. Not that it should really matter to Rome if it did have a pitiful performance, considering he hadn't done the work on it himself, but when Rome got out he looked pissed. Maybe Rome was cursing about the money he lost, then? But that wasn't his, either. So was it embarrassment? Could the perfect Roman Pierce have done something human like mess up while on UC?

Brian grinned at the sight of him. At the sight of the guy who never let up about any of the choices that Brian ever made while he was undercover working with Vice. Always telling him there was a better way of doing something, but here was Rome down on his luck.

The sight of Brian really irked Rome. Instead of face up to his loss, he went right ahead and pointed a mean finger at Brian and shouted, "What the hell are you smiling at, blonde? You lost your car! Probably gonna have to put your ass on the street to pay for a new one! Any takers?! Who's first?!"

Rome had caught himself, twisted the ending, made it sound like just another jibe of good humor, allowing for the crowd to find the joke and give a few whoops. It was easy because Brian was a loser, too. Easy especially from the guys who knew their girls were looking at Brian with interest.

Dom shot Rome a most venomous look.

"YOU -" Dom was almost lost for words, turning on Rome. "Granny shifting, not double clutching like you should!" The crowd agreed. The ladies chose their side already anyway, obviously, and hooted with agreement of Dom. "You're lucky that hundred shot of NOS didn't blow the welds on the intake!"

His green Nissan was still smoking, too. Rome couldn't disagree.

Dom wanted to lay into him, tell him off for a good hour or more.

Leon had other plans.

"Yo! Cops, cops, cops!"

Keeping his ear out for radio chatter against their little huddle, Leon had missed the race, missed the banter, and was just doing his job keeping the crew out of cop hands…sitting there that whole time just pondering the sheer crazy of the night, knowing a cop had joined the illegal street race in a car all his own. Leon fired up his engine, making it out of there with the first wave, knowing he'd make it as he saw the walls of the warehouses around him light up with the beginnings of the glow of blue and red.

Brian knew the drill like everybody else. He'd been privy to a fast exit from these sorts of things on both ends of the law. But the thing that helped in both cases was the police scanner. He built one in to his Skyline and turned it on as he cruised out of there.

"Got eyes on Toretto leaving up Union Ave!" garbled the scanner.

Brian made his way fast down the road, following a single police unit in the general direction he was sure Dom had driven. They were going for the parking garages. Dom was smart to ditch his car in one of these, because if he was found on foot without the car that won the race tonight, the cops would have to let him off easy. Of course the cops would try for Dom. Catching him for street racing set a few years on his plate.

But it was bullshit that would break Mia's heart.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck…" Brian muttered, taking turns a little too tight and fast now to stay out of sight of cops.

The radio chattered onward.

Brian left the main road and turned into some small alleys that all wove into each other. He took it slow up to the exits of them, looked for flashing blues, then sped across to the next, weaving through and just hoping he'd spot Dom soon. He'd have dumped his car by now.

The radio had been garbling, demanding that Dom be found and brought in.

"Shit!" He spat, turning into a connecting alley after the last had turned up nothing.

But there! Brian swore he saw him in a brown jacket running off the main road into an alley.

"I got him!" Brian's scanner blared.

And that's when Brian heard the loud speaker on a response vehicle. "Toretto! Stop right there!"

Brian was just behind and up the road. He spun into the alley on his right, making a quick left to rush ahead of the cop before he turned into the alley Dom had gone down. If Dom turned his way, he'd pick him up easy. If he turned the wrong way, Brian would be coming up behind him and have less of a window to catch him.

Brian turned a corner and up ahead he saw Dom's back fleeing away from him, running flat out for his freedom in the wrong direction.

One more curse, then a prayer as his foot hit the floor. Brian's instinct got him there before whatever cop could.

"Get in!" Brian shouted as his wheels squealed on the pavement next to Dom.

Dom looked at the shiny Skyline, heard the familiar voice, then tore into the passenger door with little hesitation. Brian didn't have time to warn him about plopping too hard onto the replica seat right on top of the NOS canisters. He could see lights from between the warehouses opening up ahead onto Union Ave and floored it again.

"Cover my mouth!" Brian shouted.

With a request like that, he took Dom off guard. "What?"

"Put your hand over my mouth!" Brian repeated, voice tighter now that the edge of the alley was right there and police lights were brightening up the view.

Dom cringed, understanding why Brian needed to hide his face suddenly. Dom does it. His hand slaps over Brian's mouth and nose with a smack. He clamps on to make sure he doesn't jostle to cover his eyes because Brian had just turned the wheel, rocking them around in their seats as they made it out onto the main street. Dom braced himself as the inertia took hold and tried to fling him around.

He felt hot, quick breaths as they drift, tires squealing again and he'd have to get new ones at this point; too many flat spots. And why is he thinking about tires when a cop car just flashed past his window and another one was right ahead of them? Brian gets their trajectory straightened out and hits the peddle down, shooting past another cop and leaving trouble behind in the dust.

Dom is staring behind them, watching the sirens disappear because they're the shooting star fading away.

"Alright," Brian's voice is muffled.

"Alright?" Dom asks in disbelief, still catching up with the moment.

They meet eyes and Dom can't believe his hand was still plastered onto Brian's face. He pulls away, uncovering a gleaming smile.

"Thanks, man. Not my first time outrunning some boys in blue, but this is my home turf. I didn't want them recognizing me."

Dom is speechless for all of ten seconds. He thought about his own crew, supposedly in the know about where he would park his car. Vince, Leon, Letty, Jesse…none of them raced. They wouldn't get hit with any trouble. And without a car Dom was just another part of the audience. But they hadn't been there.

"You're the last person in the world I expected to show up."

"Yeah, well," Brian looked about for cops ahead, distracted but intense, focused. He found his next words, "I thought if you got taken in, my baby here would be orphaned. You weren't trying to find a way for me to keep my car, were you?"

The nerve of this guy. Dom pushed back. "You're not keeping the car. Even if I die tonight, it's mine."

And he usually liked sour looks on guys' faces when he disappoints them, but on Brian it looked wrong. Dom wanted to laugh but Brian looked dead serious. And he was, wasn't he? Cop, street racer, and whatever the hell that was back there was proof of it now: getaway driver.

Even if I die tonight…Dom wasn't thinking about Mia right then.

Brian gave him hard eyes.

Dom's mind was bugging out with questions. He was still coming down from the race, too. Adrenaline only just crashing. He'd have to handle all this new information later. For now, his hands touched the dashboard and his senses settled. Going fast always did that. Sitting in the driver's seat did, too. He was in the driver's seat in any American car…but this import placed the driver to the right. Awkward, really.

Soon, they weren't driving like awhile ago; they'd calmed down to a regular speed, far enough away from the race site.

"How'd you get the money for this, anyway?" Dom asked.

"You called it back there. Few year's cop salary. Just got the NOS put in last week."

"Why?" Dom turned an accusatory eye.

Brian took a beat to think about telling the truth or not. Finally, in a quiet voice, he said, "For Mia."

Dom shook his head. "See, that doesn't make any sense. You already broke her heart, Officer O'Conner. I usually break guy's necks for doing that."

"You know my name!" Brian gave a cheesy grin.

Dom had no idea what got him here to crazy land.

Brian went a little easy on him for a moment, seeing that Dom was at wits end.

"Naw, man. For Mia, really. Do I have to want to sleep with her to impress her? I didn't think that's what she found impressive."

"What do you think Mia finds impressive? Tell me. I really want to know what you've come to the conclusion about my sister in all the, oh, two weeks that you've been going in there for her tuna sandwiches."

Brian shrugged helplessly. "She likes it when I surprise her."

And Dom couldn't disagree. He saw it plain as day that she really did. "Well, you certainly did that."

"You know, though. You did, too."

"What did I do?"

Brian gave him an awed look. "You told everyone in the crowd I was new in town. Kept my job out of it. Let me race."

"So I could win this."

"You didn't know I didn't have the money when you said that. You let me race. You could have had me sent home in a body bag, but for Mia, you let me race. She liked that. I want to tell you - " thank you.

The sound of motors stifled Brian's next words.

A horde of motorcycles showed up alongside them and the air within the Skyline became thick. Brian's heart raced when one guy with a big gun tapped Dom's side window. The guy looked befuddled for a moment, checking out the interior of a switched driving side, but in the end he twitched his wrist, indicating they follow. Worry crept in waves and tingled down Brian's arms as he got in line behind that lead motorcycle that pulled ahead.

"Ah, shit," Dom said. "Look…I'm still going to cover for you. Don't let these guys…yeah. If they find out you are 5-0, you're going home in a body bag without question."

"What do they want?" Brian asked, all steely tone.

Dom kept looking around, making sure they weren't going to start heating them up with bullets.

"A look, most likely. These are Tran's guys. They had a driver there in the white car who probably told them all about you. They know you lost this car to me in the race. They'll probably try to make you a deal on a new one…if you'd do some work for them."

Brian's head tilted at the info.

"And should I take the offer?" He looked at Dom, even though he was driving. Little did Dom know Brian's peripherals were sharp. "I did lose my car. And no one knows I'm a cop. Think of all the details I could learn if Tran wants me running anything illegal for him."

Dom scowled, maybe even bared his teeth. "No one likes a narc."

"But as an undercover police officer, here to protect and serve, I'd just be doing my job. Getting in with Tran would help for the greater good."

Dom shook his head, then pointed at the road. "Would you look out your front window?"

"Nervous?" He asked coyly, offering love eyes to Dom now.

Dom took him by the chin and forced his face frontward. Brian laughed.

"Look," Dom said seriously. "It's going to be a long night, but it'll be your last on Earth if you make a deal with these guys and they find out you're a cop. They'll leave you dead for sure and probably me, too. And, Officer O'Conner, I don't plan on dying this year."

That's better! Brian liked the sound of that more than his previous statement to dying.

"Brian," he said, and by now his smile had faded with Dom's words. "My name is Brian. And I won't get you killed, Dominic."

"Call me Dom. And maybe I'll believe you if we make it out tonight."

They followed the motorcycles in silence, gearing up to have a confab with Johnny Tran. And Brian - with Dom by his side - was going to be faced with the two biggest street racers in LA, one of whom more than likely was responsible for hijacking the trucks.