Disclaimer: although I would love to be the mastermind behind The Fast and The Furious, I'm not; I give that credit to the great people of Universal Studios. I just happen to enjoy the movie and so decided to write this lil' puppy right here. Don't sue please, I don't have any money.
Second to the last lap, ladies' and gentlemen." The Announcer's booming voice radiated around Palmdale stadium. "These Furious Finals are almost over, tying up this season of pro stock car races." The commentator shouted over the cheering crowd. The voices mixed with the constant rumbling of the cars circling around the stadium. The third turn on the lap was slick from an earlier accident on the track but it didn't stop the drivers from doing 120 mph and up.
The Exxon car driven by Kenny Linder was hot on the trail of number 8 car, driven by Tony Toretto. Coming out of the last turn of the race, Linder's car chased after Toretto, Toretto on the inside holding fast, as they came to the middle of the turn Linder pushed the car faster and swerved into the path of Toretto, the other cars were in hot pursuit of the two leaders yet as the pair came out of the turn, Linder dodged back in front of Toretto clipping his bumper and sending him spinning to crash face first straight into the wall.
Seventeen year old Dominick Toretto watched in horror as the car lost control, he tried desperately to jump over the fence and get on to the track, yet he was dragged back, the roar of the passing engines and erstwhile moans coming from the stands fading away as Dom watched on in slow motion. The cataclysmic crash and heart wrenching screams he heard afterwards fueling his desperate rage. Dom banged on the chain link fence filled at once with immense disbelief and grief. As he tried to again make a break over the fence, he heard Vince's worried voice, harsh in his ear. He felt himself being pulled away from the fence and the track, yet he closed his eyes, not wanting to see the futile efforts made by the pit crews, he wanted to be over there helping, some how finding a way to pull his father out. In his heart he knew it was useless, in his heart he felt a piece of himself die.
Dom ran, pushed and half carried by Vince. somewhere behind him he heard the heart wrenching sobs of his sister Mia and the stoic shushing of Letty who most likely was dragging Mia away as well. Dom didn't bother to open his eyes until he heard the roar of the crowds receding from his head. They had stopped by his fathers trailer, it stood tailgate gaping open its hollowed out guts shadowed and empty. Dom climbed into the back of the trailer and curled up on the floor. Pushing his back into the corner he tried to disappear, or at least erase the horrible visions of his father dying. He sat there in the darkness ignoring Letty's pleas and Vince's harsh words; desperately he tried to collapse in on himself. Nigh on exhaustion and feeling utterly defeated he succumbed to the tears he had stolidly held at bay.
Unaware of the passage of time Dom, Mia and Vince sat huddled in their own quiet corners of the designated pit area outside the stadium. Letty determined to pull the group together ended up packing the trailer and storing away all of the tools, tires and spare parts left out during the race. She packed away the things that she Mia and the guys had either pulled out or bought, packed it together with all of Dominick's Dads unused racing gear. Letty did anything and everything she could to hold back the tears and thoughts of 'what am I going to do now?' with no family who cared, and no place to go, Letty was just trying to keep busy if only so she didn't have to face the truth, her Idol, the one person who made her feel really safe aside from Dom was gone, and she'd never see him again. Yet although Tony Toretto had turned into her unlikely savior she didn't know how Dom, Mia, and Vince would cope. How the rest of her rag tag bunch of friends would deal with not only the loss of a leader but a father figure at that.
Mia had been desperate, in her own strong yet girlish way she tried to help her brother, to get him to show his anger, yet she knew it was futile, she sank to the ground outside the rig and crossing her legs leaned back on the large tires, tilting her head back she shut her eyes and desperately tried to hold her own tears in, it was impossible and they leaked out from underneath her tightly closed lids. She felt Vince's heavy body hit the ground next to her; exhausted she leaned onto his shoulder and let the tears fall freely. Silent tears streaked Vince's own gaunt cheeks as he quietly let go of his anger and hatred. Reaching his arm out he laid it over Mias' shaking shoulders and gently laid her head in his lap. Absently he stroked at her curling shoulder length hair.
Dom at first didn't notice the small presence that also occupied the back of the trailer looking up through watery eyes he saw the oil canisters and tires along with the tool cases and kits all neatly stacked and organized ready for the trip back home. Swiping at his eyes his sniffed repeatedly, then rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. He stood up and began to tumble sideways before he caught himself. In the corner on the other side of the trailer he found Letty and in her hands she clasped his dads spare racing Jacket, the one he used when doing TV spots and photo ops. 'He wont be needing this now,' Dom thought sardonically. He twisted the coat from Letty's deathlike grasp then threw the coat on over his light frame. Although they were the same height, his father had been a larger, down to earth version of his son. Once the coat settled comfortably over his broad shoulders, Dominick picked up Letty's sleeping form. She had worked herself into oblivion, trying to be the strong one, trying to be supportive, and trying to show hope. Letty unconsciously threaded her arms around Doms neck as he held her to his chest. Her feet dangled in the air until he grasped her thigh and carried her bodily out of the trailer.
Outside the first threads of light were forming in the sky, the fateful predawn that gave way to the buds of a new day. Vince, he saw was awake, but just barely and Mia, 'god Mia, what are we gonna do?' he thought to himself, was as out of it as much as Letty. Kicking Vince's shoe he clutched Letty closer to his chest then turned to walk to the small camper that they were sleeping in. Vince got to his feet slowly stretching the kinks that had set in while he sat with Mia. He leaned down and picked her sleeping form up, carrying her into the comforting confines of the camper.
As the door swung closed behind him, Dom kicked it open again, allowing for Vince easy entry into the camper without shifting Mia around in his arms. He strode to his bunk and left Letty there, and then preceded back into the bathroom, flicking on the light he saw a face unknown to himself. His tears had left streaked paths down his face through the grime; red-rimmed eyes and gaunt features were accented by a full days growth of black shadow on his face. Turning on the faucet he cupped his hands and let the water fill in the hollow before repeatedly splashing his face. Reaching blindly for a hand towel he found one and brought it to his face, breathing deeply through the soft fabric he caught the faded scent of his fathers aftershave, causing new waves of grief to streak through him.
As he exited the bathroom several minutes later, he found Vince leaning on the closet door in the tiny passageway, "You okay?" he asked concerned by the look on Dom's face. Dom nodded slightly and grunted before making his way into the back of the camper, to the single bed that had been his fathers. He dropped down onto the bed and closed his eyes wishing that he would wake up from the horrible nightmare, that it would all just go away, yet the missing presence of his father made him realize that it was all real and there was no good solution to the problem at hand. Slowly opening his eyes he stared at the ceiling for several moments. Then finally putting his thoughts in order whispered to the empty room, "No, I'm not alright, but I will be."