Please R&R thanx
"Ready to get out of here?" Mia asks Cristina brightly as Cristina pulls on a sweatshirt.
"I've been ready for days." Cristina replies picking up her bag and walking out of the room "And don't give me that hospital wheelchair crap policy."
Mia smiles and follows her younger sister outside. They wait on the curb for Vince to drive the car around. Cristina gets in and Mia shuts the door behind her. "I'll go see where Dom and everyone else are."
"How you doing kid?" Vince asks rubbing her shoulder
"Been better. I want to get back to my life, you know?" Cristina sighs "Something's up."
"What are you talking about?" Vince asks thinking she knows already
"They're taking too long, almost like their stalling."
"They're right there." Vince gestures to Mia, Letty and Dom- walking out. Vince chuckles "Guess they couldn't get Dom in a wheelchair either."
"Surprised?" Cristina hangs her arm out the window tapping the side of the car impatiently, when everyone is inside, Vince starts the car and drives home.
Cristina stays quiet the entire ride home and doesn't get out of the car when they get home. Everyone gets out and Dom stops by the window of the car leaning on it. Cristina keeps staring straight ahead her fist propping her chin up.
"What?" She finally asks
"You plan on getting out of the car?" Dom asks
"Not yet."
"Why not?"
"Because you have something to tell me and I'm not going to like it." Cristina replies simply "I know when you have to tell me something, you have the same look on when you told me mom died, Mia has the same look on whenever she was worried about you. All of you guys are easy to read."
"You're right I do have something to tell you." Dom sighs
"What is it?"
"It's not the right time."
"When will it be?"
"Cristina…."
"Dominic, I hate it when you do this!" Cristina exclaims, she opens the door and brushes past him.
"Hey slow down." Jesse grabs her arms
"I'm all right." Cristina huffs and goes out back.
"Dom you're pushing her too much." Letty clicks her tongue as Dom sits on the couch.
"I didn't say anything." Dom grumbles
"Exactly." Letty sits down next to him "You said nothing, and she knows there's something. She's got her own shit to deal with and you're about to drop a bomb on her and don't even have the guts to tell her."
"Don't have the guts? Letty-"
"Dom, calm down." Letty cuts him off "And you know what I mean. Tell her soon." Her firm tone is set. "I got to get to work, catch up on some paperwork." She smiles slightly then walks out of the room.
***************
"Hey baby." A smooth voice floats over Cristina where she is sitting out back on an old car used only for parts.
Cristina smiles slightly as Vanessa passes in front of her, her perfume consumes Cristina's nose for a moment. "Hey." She replies softly
"Heard you scared the shit out of your family." Vanessa says as she pulls herself up onto the car next to Cristina. Her red leather pants crinkle slightly and Vanessa adjusts the black tube top she's wearing. "How's Dominic?"
"He's better, has to rest for a while. Can't work for a few weeks. Letty took his place, but it's going to be hard on them to pull Dom's share of the work he does so much."
"I know." Vanessa licks her lips "Andy misses you, he's been asking about you."
"What did you tell him?" Cristina smiles
"That you've been fucking some 20 something year old but you'll be back soon." Vanessa laughs "He hopes you feel better too, he'd stop by but he's scared of your brother."
"Who isn't?" Cristina leans back and Vanessa lays her head down on her legs watching the sky.
"It's really blue, the sky. I don't remember the last time I looked up at it." Vanessa comments
Cristina shakes her head, Vanessa could be a real flake at times. "It is." She agrees
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Don't lie to me."
"Really nothing's wrong." Cristina assures her
"All right, I have to get going. Got a date." Vanessa smiles sliding off the car.
"With?" Cristina raises her eyebrows
"Jackson…something I'm not sure. He's hot and he's 21." Vanessa laughs "Later baby." She gives Cristina a kiss on the cheek "I'll call you later."
Cristina smiles and watches Vanessa saunter off, sighing she jumps off the car and goes back inside.
"Dinner." Dom points to the dish on the table.
Cristina glares at him but sits down and eats. When she's done Dom sits down across from her.
"Mia and I have come to a decision." Dom starts as Mia walks in from the living room slowly. Dom clears his throat. "We never realized the amount of trouble you've been getting yourself into, you're setting yourself up for a lot of trouble."
Cristina presses her lips into a thin line waiting.
"We've decided to pull you from school, you'll finish the rest of the year off at home. Then we'll go from there considering next year." Dom finally says "We've spoken with your principle already he agrees with us, it would be for the best."
Brian stands closeby, keeping quiet. Leon and Letty mute the television and listen but not getting up.
Cristina looks around feeling trapped. A surge of adrenaline pumps through her, building up her anger. Silently she gets up and walks out of the house. No one thinks anything of it until they hear a car start up and peal out of the driveway. "Shit." Mia runs out the door. "She's gone."
Dom sits down at the table rubbing his head. "This is a mess." He mutters to himself.
"You got to stick to it Dom." Letty tells him "Don't falter, this is right."
"You tell me this now?" Dom asks looking at her "Where was your support before?"
"It was still your call. But I think it was the right thing to do."
"Me too." Brian agrees so does Leon.
"It'll all work out." Mia assures Dom from the doorway. "Just give her a little time to deal."
****************
Cristina pulls up to the family store, pulls out her key and goes inside. She goes into the office turning on the light and sits down in Dom's chair.
She looks at the pictures and decals that cover the wall. There were decals from every company Dom dealt with, bumper stickers from races, car names- everything you could think of. Then there was a small section of pictures. There was a recent one of Dom and Cristina at her sweet sixteen. Some of her and Mia, some with Letty and Mia and Brian. Then there was the picture of their family. All of them- Leon, Jesse, Vince, Dom, Mia, Brian, Letty and herself.
Cristina's smiles gets smaller as she spots a picture of Dom and their father, a younger version of Mia holding tightly onto their father's hand. Then there was one last picture one of the few of Cristina's family. Dad had his arm slung over their mom's shoulders, Cristina was in his other arm. Dom and Mia stood in front of them, all smiling, no worries in that picture. Dad had died shortly after it was taken.
Dom never said dad, or papa or anything like that anymore. He just said my father or something along those lines when he talked about their dad. Cristina saw Dom cringe whenever she said Daddy, it all seemed so far away now. When mama died it was the end of the world. Cristina had never felt the same since that day. None of them were the same.
Cristina stands up feeling edgy. She couldn't sit here anymore, she wanted to go to sleep and crawl under her covers and never come out….but she'd have to go home first. She punches the file cabinet and walks out, locking the door behind her. "Fuck." She groans examining her hand in her car.
*************
"She's back." Letty tells Dom, as Cristina pulls up the driveway.
The door slams shut and Cristina goes for the stairs.
"Cristina!" Dom calls her
"Shouldn't you be in bed? Doctors orders." Cristina replies and goes upstairs.
"You're being ungrateful." Jesse says walking into her room
"I have a right to be mad."
"I didn't say you didn't, but Dom knows what's best for you. He's saved all of our asses just give him the chance."
"If I say I will, will you leave me alone?" Cristina asks starting to feel panicked.
"I'll see you tomorrow." Jesse closes the door behind him
Cristina changes into a tank top and flannel pants quickly and sits on the edge of her bed. She hears everyone starting to come upstairs, Mia and Brian were first, Letty came up not to much later. Everyone was up except for Dom. Cristina considers going downstairs but stops herself and goes to bed instead.
Next chapter
and I swear Cristina isn't going to be an ungrateful bitch the whole time.
"Ready to get out of here?" Mia asks Cristina brightly as Cristina pulls on a sweatshirt.
"I've been ready for days." Cristina replies picking up her bag and walking out of the room "And don't give me that hospital wheelchair crap policy."
Mia smiles and follows her younger sister outside. They wait on the curb for Vince to drive the car around. Cristina gets in and Mia shuts the door behind her. "I'll go see where Dom and everyone else are."
"How you doing kid?" Vince asks rubbing her shoulder
"Been better. I want to get back to my life, you know?" Cristina sighs "Something's up."
"What are you talking about?" Vince asks thinking she knows already
"They're taking too long, almost like their stalling."
"They're right there." Vince gestures to Mia, Letty and Dom- walking out. Vince chuckles "Guess they couldn't get Dom in a wheelchair either."
"Surprised?" Cristina hangs her arm out the window tapping the side of the car impatiently, when everyone is inside, Vince starts the car and drives home.
Cristina stays quiet the entire ride home and doesn't get out of the car when they get home. Everyone gets out and Dom stops by the window of the car leaning on it. Cristina keeps staring straight ahead her fist propping her chin up.
"What?" She finally asks
"You plan on getting out of the car?" Dom asks
"Not yet."
"Why not?"
"Because you have something to tell me and I'm not going to like it." Cristina replies simply "I know when you have to tell me something, you have the same look on when you told me mom died, Mia has the same look on whenever she was worried about you. All of you guys are easy to read."
"You're right I do have something to tell you." Dom sighs
"What is it?"
"It's not the right time."
"When will it be?"
"Cristina…."
"Dominic, I hate it when you do this!" Cristina exclaims, she opens the door and brushes past him.
"Hey slow down." Jesse grabs her arms
"I'm all right." Cristina huffs and goes out back.
"Dom you're pushing her too much." Letty clicks her tongue as Dom sits on the couch.
"I didn't say anything." Dom grumbles
"Exactly." Letty sits down next to him "You said nothing, and she knows there's something. She's got her own shit to deal with and you're about to drop a bomb on her and don't even have the guts to tell her."
"Don't have the guts? Letty-"
"Dom, calm down." Letty cuts him off "And you know what I mean. Tell her soon." Her firm tone is set. "I got to get to work, catch up on some paperwork." She smiles slightly then walks out of the room.
***************
"Hey baby." A smooth voice floats over Cristina where she is sitting out back on an old car used only for parts.
Cristina smiles slightly as Vanessa passes in front of her, her perfume consumes Cristina's nose for a moment. "Hey." She replies softly
"Heard you scared the shit out of your family." Vanessa says as she pulls herself up onto the car next to Cristina. Her red leather pants crinkle slightly and Vanessa adjusts the black tube top she's wearing. "How's Dominic?"
"He's better, has to rest for a while. Can't work for a few weeks. Letty took his place, but it's going to be hard on them to pull Dom's share of the work he does so much."
"I know." Vanessa licks her lips "Andy misses you, he's been asking about you."
"What did you tell him?" Cristina smiles
"That you've been fucking some 20 something year old but you'll be back soon." Vanessa laughs "He hopes you feel better too, he'd stop by but he's scared of your brother."
"Who isn't?" Cristina leans back and Vanessa lays her head down on her legs watching the sky.
"It's really blue, the sky. I don't remember the last time I looked up at it." Vanessa comments
Cristina shakes her head, Vanessa could be a real flake at times. "It is." She agrees
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Don't lie to me."
"Really nothing's wrong." Cristina assures her
"All right, I have to get going. Got a date." Vanessa smiles sliding off the car.
"With?" Cristina raises her eyebrows
"Jackson…something I'm not sure. He's hot and he's 21." Vanessa laughs "Later baby." She gives Cristina a kiss on the cheek "I'll call you later."
Cristina smiles and watches Vanessa saunter off, sighing she jumps off the car and goes back inside.
"Dinner." Dom points to the dish on the table.
Cristina glares at him but sits down and eats. When she's done Dom sits down across from her.
"Mia and I have come to a decision." Dom starts as Mia walks in from the living room slowly. Dom clears his throat. "We never realized the amount of trouble you've been getting yourself into, you're setting yourself up for a lot of trouble."
Cristina presses her lips into a thin line waiting.
"We've decided to pull you from school, you'll finish the rest of the year off at home. Then we'll go from there considering next year." Dom finally says "We've spoken with your principle already he agrees with us, it would be for the best."
Brian stands closeby, keeping quiet. Leon and Letty mute the television and listen but not getting up.
Cristina looks around feeling trapped. A surge of adrenaline pumps through her, building up her anger. Silently she gets up and walks out of the house. No one thinks anything of it until they hear a car start up and peal out of the driveway. "Shit." Mia runs out the door. "She's gone."
Dom sits down at the table rubbing his head. "This is a mess." He mutters to himself.
"You got to stick to it Dom." Letty tells him "Don't falter, this is right."
"You tell me this now?" Dom asks looking at her "Where was your support before?"
"It was still your call. But I think it was the right thing to do."
"Me too." Brian agrees so does Leon.
"It'll all work out." Mia assures Dom from the doorway. "Just give her a little time to deal."
****************
Cristina pulls up to the family store, pulls out her key and goes inside. She goes into the office turning on the light and sits down in Dom's chair.
She looks at the pictures and decals that cover the wall. There were decals from every company Dom dealt with, bumper stickers from races, car names- everything you could think of. Then there was a small section of pictures. There was a recent one of Dom and Cristina at her sweet sixteen. Some of her and Mia, some with Letty and Mia and Brian. Then there was the picture of their family. All of them- Leon, Jesse, Vince, Dom, Mia, Brian, Letty and herself.
Cristina's smiles gets smaller as she spots a picture of Dom and their father, a younger version of Mia holding tightly onto their father's hand. Then there was one last picture one of the few of Cristina's family. Dad had his arm slung over their mom's shoulders, Cristina was in his other arm. Dom and Mia stood in front of them, all smiling, no worries in that picture. Dad had died shortly after it was taken.
Dom never said dad, or papa or anything like that anymore. He just said my father or something along those lines when he talked about their dad. Cristina saw Dom cringe whenever she said Daddy, it all seemed so far away now. When mama died it was the end of the world. Cristina had never felt the same since that day. None of them were the same.
Cristina stands up feeling edgy. She couldn't sit here anymore, she wanted to go to sleep and crawl under her covers and never come out….but she'd have to go home first. She punches the file cabinet and walks out, locking the door behind her. "Fuck." She groans examining her hand in her car.
*************
"She's back." Letty tells Dom, as Cristina pulls up the driveway.
The door slams shut and Cristina goes for the stairs.
"Cristina!" Dom calls her
"Shouldn't you be in bed? Doctors orders." Cristina replies and goes upstairs.
"You're being ungrateful." Jesse says walking into her room
"I have a right to be mad."
"I didn't say you didn't, but Dom knows what's best for you. He's saved all of our asses just give him the chance."
"If I say I will, will you leave me alone?" Cristina asks starting to feel panicked.
"I'll see you tomorrow." Jesse closes the door behind him
Cristina changes into a tank top and flannel pants quickly and sits on the edge of her bed. She hears everyone starting to come upstairs, Mia and Brian were first, Letty came up not to much later. Everyone was up except for Dom. Cristina considers going downstairs but stops herself and goes to bed instead.
Next chapter
and I swear Cristina isn't going to be an ungrateful bitch the whole time.