Disclaimer: All characters from TFATF belong to Universal Studios. However
I do own Claire, Daisy, Carlos, and Sam.
Chapter 3
The ringing of the phone broke the silence of everyone eating. Everyone's head turned to the sound. Claire would have laughed if everyone hadn't looked so serious. "Hello?" She greeted.
"I thought I told you to call me this morning! Do you know what time it is?" A female voice demanded.
Claire grinned into the cordless phone. "Yeah I know. Sorry." She said as she headed out of the dining room and up the stairs to her bedroom. "Brian came home at like three this morning and brought some friends. I was kind of busy. Sorry." Claire explained.
"He finally came? Oh wow! It's been awhile. Did he bring anyone cute?" Daisy asked anxiously.
Claire had to laugh. "Maybe. Give me a couple of days to get to know them. AND if you're lucky I'll let you come over for dinner sometime." She teased.
Daisy groaned, "You're so cruel. Sometimes I wonder why you're my friend." Daisy said mock-seriously.
Claire laughed again. "Because your life would incomplete without me. Anyway I gotta go Dai. I don't want to leave my guests hangin. I'll call you soon I promise." Claire said.
Daisy sighed. "All right, C. Make sure you tell Bri I said hi. I'll talk to ya later."
"I will. Bye Dai." Claire said then hung the phone. She started to head back downstairs but then remembered Carlos. She really should call him and let him know she was all right. She quickly dialed his cell phone number, but only got his voice mail. She frowned because he usually answers. "Hey 'Los it's me. I was just calling to let you know I'm all right. Call me when you get this okay. Bye." She said then hung up. Claire went back downstairs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They fell into a sort of routine for a couple of days. They would get up make breakfast together and do the dishes after. They just kind of hang around the house and talk. Brian rented movies. Claire worked part time at a bank and some night's bartending at Carlos's club. She only had to work three days a week at the bank and Carlos only called her to work when he needed her. She was able to spend most of her time with Brian and his friends to get to know them.
It wasn't until the fifth day that they started to discuss Vince's coming. Claire noticed that it was almost like she wasn't in the room. They were eating breakfast together as usual.
"We all know I can't go back." Dom said.
Letty agreed, "we know. And I'm not going without Dom."
"I definitely can't go." Brian said.
That confused Claire, but seemed to make sense to everyone else.
Mia refused to go with out Brian.
"I can't go back. Not after what happened to Jesse." Leon said softly.
"Well why can't Vince just drive himself?" Letty asked.
"Because he's still taking pain killers and he's not supposed to drive for long periods of time. He shouldn't have to drive all the way here by himself." Mia said matter-of-factly.
They spent a good fifteen minutes discussing it.
Claire rolled her eyes. Hello! It's not like I'm invisible or anything. She thought to herself.
"I'll go. I'll like long drives." She stated.
Everyone turned and looked at her in amazement. Like they were seeing her for the first time.
"You can't, Claire. You don't even know him." Brian said, trying to be logical.
"I don't see why not. Obviously none of you want to go for whatever reason. It's not that big a deal. I'll leave after breakfast. Drive to L.A. Stay the night, pick up Vince in the morning and be back home by tomorrow night." She said as if it were simple.
"But it's not--" Brian started to argue again but Dom interrupted him.
"She's right. None of us want to go back. It's better this way." He said as if there would be no argument. It was obvious everyone else agreed with his decision. Only Brian didn't agree with him.
"What's wrong with you? She can't go. Do you have any idea how Vince is gonna react when he finds out she's my sister?" Brian asked, almost hysterical. "We're not exactly the best of friends. You know this, Dom. I'm not gonna let Claire be alone with him." Brain stated firmly.
Now Claire was confused. Why would he not want her to be near Vince?
"Don't worry Bri. I'll talk to him and let him know what's up. Nothing will happen to Claire." Dom said.
Claire looked back and forth between the two. "Well damn you guys make him seem like a psycho. I don't think I wanna go now."
The others looked upset at her new announcement.
Claire had to laugh. "Jeez you guys really need to lighten up. I was just kidding."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
An hour later Claire was stuffing an overnight bag into the backseat of her car while Brian gave her the abridged version of what happened to them in L.A. She gave him a hug. "Don't worry Bri. I'll be fine. He can't be that bad." She said cheerfully, trying to lift his somber mood. She hugged everyone else as well. "I'll see you all tomorrow night. Take care of my house. You have my cell phone number in case you need to call me." She said as she smiled, then climbed into her car.
They all watched her drive off.
"She seems happy to be going. That's a good thing." Letty pointed out to everyone.
Leon rolled his eyes. "Wait until she meets Vince. She won't stay happy for long. I guarantee that."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Vince scowled at the window. He hated nurses. He hated doctors. AND he definitely hated hospitals. He couldn't wait to leave. That doctor said he could finally go home.
Vince's scowl deepened when he remembered who would be coming to get him. Brian's sister. Damn it! She's probably a cop too. It's that stupid white boy's entire fault! He ruined everything. Even any chance I had with Mia. He thought to himself. Vince sighed.
The only good thing about Brian was he kept all of them out of jail and lost his job in the process. It eased Vince's mind somewhat that Brian's life is just as fucked up as the team's lives now are.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Claire found a cheap hotel near the hospital and rented a room for the night. It was awhile before she could sleep despite all the driving she did. She kept thinking about what Brian had said.
Do you have any idea how Vince is gonna react when he finds out she's my sister?
She was still confused about that. Why would being Brian's sister make Vince upset? She fell into a restless sleep a little while later.
Chapter 3
The ringing of the phone broke the silence of everyone eating. Everyone's head turned to the sound. Claire would have laughed if everyone hadn't looked so serious. "Hello?" She greeted.
"I thought I told you to call me this morning! Do you know what time it is?" A female voice demanded.
Claire grinned into the cordless phone. "Yeah I know. Sorry." She said as she headed out of the dining room and up the stairs to her bedroom. "Brian came home at like three this morning and brought some friends. I was kind of busy. Sorry." Claire explained.
"He finally came? Oh wow! It's been awhile. Did he bring anyone cute?" Daisy asked anxiously.
Claire had to laugh. "Maybe. Give me a couple of days to get to know them. AND if you're lucky I'll let you come over for dinner sometime." She teased.
Daisy groaned, "You're so cruel. Sometimes I wonder why you're my friend." Daisy said mock-seriously.
Claire laughed again. "Because your life would incomplete without me. Anyway I gotta go Dai. I don't want to leave my guests hangin. I'll call you soon I promise." Claire said.
Daisy sighed. "All right, C. Make sure you tell Bri I said hi. I'll talk to ya later."
"I will. Bye Dai." Claire said then hung the phone. She started to head back downstairs but then remembered Carlos. She really should call him and let him know she was all right. She quickly dialed his cell phone number, but only got his voice mail. She frowned because he usually answers. "Hey 'Los it's me. I was just calling to let you know I'm all right. Call me when you get this okay. Bye." She said then hung up. Claire went back downstairs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They fell into a sort of routine for a couple of days. They would get up make breakfast together and do the dishes after. They just kind of hang around the house and talk. Brian rented movies. Claire worked part time at a bank and some night's bartending at Carlos's club. She only had to work three days a week at the bank and Carlos only called her to work when he needed her. She was able to spend most of her time with Brian and his friends to get to know them.
It wasn't until the fifth day that they started to discuss Vince's coming. Claire noticed that it was almost like she wasn't in the room. They were eating breakfast together as usual.
"We all know I can't go back." Dom said.
Letty agreed, "we know. And I'm not going without Dom."
"I definitely can't go." Brian said.
That confused Claire, but seemed to make sense to everyone else.
Mia refused to go with out Brian.
"I can't go back. Not after what happened to Jesse." Leon said softly.
"Well why can't Vince just drive himself?" Letty asked.
"Because he's still taking pain killers and he's not supposed to drive for long periods of time. He shouldn't have to drive all the way here by himself." Mia said matter-of-factly.
They spent a good fifteen minutes discussing it.
Claire rolled her eyes. Hello! It's not like I'm invisible or anything. She thought to herself.
"I'll go. I'll like long drives." She stated.
Everyone turned and looked at her in amazement. Like they were seeing her for the first time.
"You can't, Claire. You don't even know him." Brian said, trying to be logical.
"I don't see why not. Obviously none of you want to go for whatever reason. It's not that big a deal. I'll leave after breakfast. Drive to L.A. Stay the night, pick up Vince in the morning and be back home by tomorrow night." She said as if it were simple.
"But it's not--" Brian started to argue again but Dom interrupted him.
"She's right. None of us want to go back. It's better this way." He said as if there would be no argument. It was obvious everyone else agreed with his decision. Only Brian didn't agree with him.
"What's wrong with you? She can't go. Do you have any idea how Vince is gonna react when he finds out she's my sister?" Brian asked, almost hysterical. "We're not exactly the best of friends. You know this, Dom. I'm not gonna let Claire be alone with him." Brain stated firmly.
Now Claire was confused. Why would he not want her to be near Vince?
"Don't worry Bri. I'll talk to him and let him know what's up. Nothing will happen to Claire." Dom said.
Claire looked back and forth between the two. "Well damn you guys make him seem like a psycho. I don't think I wanna go now."
The others looked upset at her new announcement.
Claire had to laugh. "Jeez you guys really need to lighten up. I was just kidding."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
An hour later Claire was stuffing an overnight bag into the backseat of her car while Brian gave her the abridged version of what happened to them in L.A. She gave him a hug. "Don't worry Bri. I'll be fine. He can't be that bad." She said cheerfully, trying to lift his somber mood. She hugged everyone else as well. "I'll see you all tomorrow night. Take care of my house. You have my cell phone number in case you need to call me." She said as she smiled, then climbed into her car.
They all watched her drive off.
"She seems happy to be going. That's a good thing." Letty pointed out to everyone.
Leon rolled his eyes. "Wait until she meets Vince. She won't stay happy for long. I guarantee that."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Vince scowled at the window. He hated nurses. He hated doctors. AND he definitely hated hospitals. He couldn't wait to leave. That doctor said he could finally go home.
Vince's scowl deepened when he remembered who would be coming to get him. Brian's sister. Damn it! She's probably a cop too. It's that stupid white boy's entire fault! He ruined everything. Even any chance I had with Mia. He thought to himself. Vince sighed.
The only good thing about Brian was he kept all of them out of jail and lost his job in the process. It eased Vince's mind somewhat that Brian's life is just as fucked up as the team's lives now are.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Claire found a cheap hotel near the hospital and rented a room for the night. It was awhile before she could sleep despite all the driving she did. She kept thinking about what Brian had said.
Do you have any idea how Vince is gonna react when he finds out she's my sister?
She was still confused about that. Why would being Brian's sister make Vince upset? She fell into a restless sleep a little while later.