Chapter 34 - Of Course I Still Love You.
AN: Ok, well, here's the next chapter. Wow, no more flames or nasty email. It's been a good week. Hope you all enjoy the update, let me know either way. Peace.
When the cops came to the scene of the car crash Brian started their plan in motion. He told the cops that came that he'd wrecked the charger, that he'd taken it to chase after Tran. They seemed to accept the story, even though they had asked how he got off so light for injuries. He told them simply that the car had been built by a stock car driver and that it was designed to be safe as possible. They took it at face value. When they asked him where his supra was the told them he suspected Dom took it to try to find Jesse, not knowing that Brian had already found him. Brian then went home to find the house deserted. However Dom had actually thought to leave him a note.
Brian,
We're at the hospital since it seems that everyone but me and Leon's been admitted. I don't know what I think about what you did, but I can't complain about how you ended it. You're alright and I think that we're all going to be fine. I think that you should come down here. Mia's not as strong as she'd like to think and she needs you right now. I can see that. I hope you really had the feelings for her I thought you did, if not I'll really break your neck. I wasn't joking. I really do hope I see you soon. You became part of our team and it wouldn't be the same without you. For some reason you and I, we just clicked. Now burn this before anyone knows I ever, ever thought any of this stuff, let alone wrote it down.
Dominic.
Brian smiled, then he folded the note up really small and put it in his wallet, behind the picture of Mia he had there. He had to hold on to that note to remember what it said when the shit hit the fan as it was bound to do. Everything was going to be fine. He took the liberty of taking Mia's car to the hospital. He parked and walked in. He walked up to the nurse at the desk.
"I'm here looking for The Toretto family, Nyssa Williams, Jesse Ames, and Vincent Castaletto, either some of or all of the above." Brian gave her his brightest smile.
"Well, the Toretto's that aren't hurt should be in the waiting room on the third floor. That's where Miss Williams and Mr. Castaletto are, as well as one Miss Rodriguez. However Mr. Ames is in intensive care and can't have visitors yet." The nurse returned his smile.
"Thanks." Brian made for the elevators. He hit the third floor button and began to try and get himself ready for what was to come. He knew the whole team would be mad at him for what he'd done. He knew it couldn't be helped. At least Jesse was alive, Brian sighed mentally. He was not looking forward to the meeting to come. Dom was still likely to deck him for what he'd done, even if he still wanted him around. Brian felt he deserved it in a way. As Nyssa had told him, he should have done his job or not done his job, not done it in the half assed manner he had.
The elevator chimed on the third floor and Brian groaned. He didn't want to do this, didn't want to face Dom, didn't want to face Mia, didn't want to see Nyssa with stuff hooked up to her, didn't want to see Letty anything less then her arrogant self. Didn't want to find out if poor, hard headed Vince lost his arm. He really didn't want to see Jesse, and got angry at himself for being happy the boy couldn't have visitors yet. Brian had seen more then his fair share of death and injury on the force but never that of his own family. And the team was family now, he couldn't deny the fact. He didn't want to see Jesse unconscious and with no one knowing if he'd ever wake up again.
He found the waiting room and stood in the door. Only Mia was in the room. She looked shocked, stunned. Brian realized it had been a hell of a day for everyone, but especially for Mia. Dom and his crew were rowdy and rough and tumble, they were use to taking their knocks. Maybe not quite this hard, but they knew how to roll with the punches. Mia, well, sure she knew about some of the stuff the guys did, but she didn't ever really have to deal with it first hand. And dealing with something, and knowing about it happening were too separate things. He took a deep breath, hoping she still loved him. He couldn't blame her if she didn't.
"Mia?" He asked from the door. He'd never been so unsure of himself. He was, by nature, a pretty confident guy. But right now he felt so insecure about himself, both as a person, and as Mia's boyfriend. She'd fallen for Brian Spilner, the down on his luck racer who worked for Harry and then wielded a wrench for her brother. Could she love Brian O'Connor the LAPD detective, or former detective? She looked up, tears in her eyes, and tracks from them down her cheeks. He took a hesitant step into the room, unsure of his welcome there.
"Oh Brian." She cried and launched herself at him. He caught her with a soft 'umph' at the force of her impact then just shushed her and smoothed her hair while she sobbed. She still loved him. As long as Mia loved him everything would be ok. If he had Mia everything else would work itself out.
"It's gonna be ok Mia. Everything's gonna be fine." He crooned to her in the voice he used, or had used now he guessed, to calm people down after accidents and such. He figured his days of police work were long over. "Come on, let's go sit down." He steered her over to a chair and tried to sit her in it but she clung to him and wouldn't let go. He ended up sitting himself and pulling her into his lap. "It's ok Mia." He just kept talking to her, he knew it didn't really matter what he said. He didn't know why Dom and the others left her here alone. "Where's Dom?" He asked her when she seemed a slight amount more in control.
"With Letty." She answered. "Brian I."
"We don't need to talk about this now Mia, it'll keep if you want."
"I just need to know that you really had feeling for me, I.I can't wonder about that."
"Mia. I meant what I said. Everything I ever said I felt for you is real. I love you." Brian kissed her forehead. Mia started to cry again. "Why the tears?" Brian asked. Dom stopped just inside the door of the room. The couple in the corner didn't notice him.
"I'm just so happy you really love me." She sniffled.
"Of course I really love you." Brian answered. "How could I not?"
"Yeah, how could he not?" Dom asked from the door. He was very relieved to know that Brian really loved Mia. It was obvious that finding out that Brian hadn't really cared for her would have crushed her. Brian looked very nervous. Dom wondered if he'd found the note. "Brian." He said in way of a greeting.
"Dom." Brian opened. "I'm so."
"I know." Dom stopped him. "We can go into it in detail when everyone's home to hear it." Dom started. "Did everything you had to do seem to work out though?" Dom asked. He had to know that the cops weren't going to come for Vince, Letty and Nyssa. Brian knew what he meant.
"Yeah, it's fine. Should be all set." Brian smiled a big goofy grin. It had gone well with the cops. Not perfect but he'd lied and told them he'd found nothing and as far as he could tell the story that Vince and Nyssa had given checked out. So, so far so good. Brian was almost giddy with relief that Mia still loved him and Dom wasn't going to kill him. "How's the girls and Vince?"
"Well, Letty's been hurt worse, she got off lucky. They're letting her out later in the evening. She's got a busted rib, and she hurt her arm, but it'll be good as new in a few weeks. She'll be a bit black and blue for awhile too, but she's started fights where she got hurt worse." Dom started. "Vince, well, V's too stubborn not to be ok. But the doctors say they saved his arm and that the shotgun missed all his vitals. They think he'll be fine inside of two weeks. To go home at least. He'll need therapy." Dom's face turned, he lost some of his brashness, his brazen attitude that made him Dom Toretto. He was so guilty over the next bit that he hated to tell Brian, but it had to be told. "It's still iffy for Nyssa. She had a lot of injuries. More then we'd ever have guessed. She passed out in the chopper with Vince. She has three broken ribs, a bruised liver and kidney, a nasty concussion, and some severe bruising on her hips and stomach. She lost a lot of blood internally and she still hasn't woken up." Dom had let her go with them; in the end he knew he could have stopped it, if he'd just said no to Vince and Nyssa when she said she was riding along. However it was her being there that kept them all out of jail.
"What about Jesse?" Brian had to ask.
"Jesse. Well, they don't know much about Jesse either. No one will tell us anything. They figure Nyssa'll be fine eventually but they won't even guess on Jesse. He lost a lot of blood." Dom smiled softly at Mia. "But it was Mia here who made sure he even made it this far. She called 911 like a sane person and did everything possible while she waited for EMS, while we took off after Tran. All we can do is hope."
"I can't believe Nyssa was hurt that bad. She seemed so together while we waited for the chopper. So she never regained consciousness?" Brian felt so guilty now, just like Dom, for everything. Nyssa would be fine if he hadn't screwed up.
"Yeah, I don't know how she held on but thank god she did." Dom sat down. "Neither of 'em are talkin' to me." He sighed.
"What do you mean? Who's not talkin' to you?" Brian didn't get it, who wasn't talking to Dom and why.
"Letty and Nyssa. Well, Nyssa wasn't before she passed out, unless it was to yell at me and Letty hasn't spoken to me since.Well, since a while ago. And she's awake in her room but she still won't speak to me." He lowered his voice. "Letty got in a fight at race wars, by the way." Dom added to explain how Letty got hurt in case Brian had to know for what was to come. "She blames me for what happened. Hell, I blame me too, but Nyssa, she blamed me too. They just looked at me in the car. I am to blame too, they're right." Dom hung his head. Mia didn't have anything to say. She'd warned Dom, she'd asked him not to go. If he'd just listened then none of this would have happened. Brian didn't see it that way, or not totally that way.
"It's not your fault Dom. Well, not totally." Brian started.
"I forced them Brian. They all wanted to give up, forget it. All but Vince. And even I know that Vince would follow any of us into hell if he thought that we'd need him there to protect us. But I wouldn't let them stop. I made them do it anyway. This is my fault." Brian looked at Dom then looked around to make sure the door was closed and no one outside the room could hear. Then he tried to reassure his friend.
"Dom, we all had our parts. After you left Nyssa said something to me and she's right. I had a job to do. And I didn't do it. Once I realized that I couldn't do the job, that I was in too deep, that no matter what I couldn't finish what I was sent to do I should have told my bosses and gotten pulled off the case. I mean either that or I should have taken the proof I had and turned you guys in. I played both sides and that makes me responsible too. If I'd done my job in the first place you might all be in jail, but no one would be hurt. I'm glad I didn't do it, but then again, now everyone's hurt." Brian rested his chin on the top of Mia's head dejectedly and sighed.
"Everyone went along and did it and everyone has responsibility. Yeah, Vince would follow any of the team anywhere if he thought they might need his protection, or if he thought he'd get to fight out of it, but the simple fact of the matter is no one is a child. Any one of us could have decided not to do it and then just not done it." Mia stated and then looked at the two men. "And now let's never speak of it again. I want to go see Nyssa and Letty." She stood up and held her hand out to Brian. "Comin'?"
"Sure." Brian stood up. He had no desire to see any of the team in hospital gowns and having stuff plugged into them. But this was part of the responsibility, these people needed to know that he was still here and still cared for them.
They walked into the first room that Mia pointed out and Brian cringed away from the first sight he saw, which was Nyssa, unconscious in a hospital bed. Her face was almost totally black down the whole left side of her face. Her left arm was in a splint and there were monitors hooked up to her. She also had an IV and other stuff that Brian couldn't identify. "Oh man." He breathed out. This looked bad. "Nyssa." He walked away from Mia and to her bedside. He picked up her good hand and looked down at the still form of the formerly vibrate and outspoken girl he'd come to care for. Mia joined him and took his other hand.
"She's gonna be fine."
"I hope so Mia, but this looks so bad. She's not even awake."
"Well Brian, she just came out of surgery like two hours ago. That's really pretty normal." Mia had been taking pre-med in school and she had a fair idea what she was talking about.
"I hope you're right Mia."
"Are you guys gonna stand over the unconscious girl all day or is someone gonna ask me how I am." Letty said from the other bed in the room. They knew she was teasing to hide just how much Nyssa's condition was affecting her.
"Letty." Brian smiled. Letty wasn't any different now then she had been last night when he'd seen her last.
"Hey Letty." Mia exclaimed. "How you livin'?" Mia asked, throwing her own line back at the other girl.
"I'm livin' which is more then I can say for Nyssa." Letty's face fell. "It's not fair that I got off so easy and she got hurt so bad. I mean we were both in the same accident, and it was my car. Why should she be the one who got hurt really bad when I was the one driving? She saved our asses and now she's hurt really bad. It's not fair. It's not fair and it's all Dom's fault." Letty said, and wonder of wonders a tear ran down her cheek.
"Letty, it wouldn't be better if you were hurt and not Nyssa. It's too bad that anyone had to be hurt but that's what happened. And it's not all Dom's fault. We all had our parts to play." Brian said with a small smile.
"Yeah, it's as much anyone's fault. We all have to share that responsibility. You're not innocent Letty and you know it. You wanted the money as bad as anyone. Dom shoulda listened when we all told him not to go, but when he got to do it 5 times before with no troubles and we all went along with it at first." Mia put it in simple and sure terms for them all. "Besides, she's gonna be fine. She looks like she's worse off then she is." Mia said and took Letty's hand. "Try to think about not being too hard on Dominic. He's being hard enough on himself without needing to worry that you don't love him anymore Letty."
"He doesn't love me. If he did he would have listened to me."
"Letty, Dom loves you. He may not show it well, but he does love you." Brian added. "And if we all take care of each other then everything will be ok."
"Deep Brian. True, but deep." Letty grinned. "At least I get outta here today, and I think this is worth, what, a week of Dom waiting on me?"
Brian and Mia grinned back. "At least." Mia answered. "Where's V?" Mia asked. He must still be unconscious too or he'd never have accepted being separated from Nyssa like this. Brian looked nervous about the thought of Mia wanting to see her childhood pal. He didn't know if he'd walk out in the same shape he walked into the room in if Vince was awake to see him. Mia took Brian by the hand.
"He's in the room across the hall. I'd haveta think that Dom'll be in there too. He's hardly left V's side. I think he knows that Vince didn't want to do this, but didn't think he had a choice just because of how he is. I mean it was fine for all of us to think this was all fun and fast driving but Vince was the one in real danger the whole time, and that wasn't fair." Letty sighed.
"But Vince is gonna be alright isn't he?" Brian asked. Letty and Mia were touched by his obvious concern for a man who hated him.
"From what we're told, yeah, he's gonna be fine." Letty was quick to reassure them. They said good-bye to Letty for the time being and headed across the hall.
"Maybe I'll just let you go in and I'll go wait in the waiting room for you." Brian tried to get out of going into the room any way he could. He told himself he didn't want to fight with Vince, upset him. But in his heart he wasn't so sure that was the reason. He thought that it might even have more to do with not wanting to see Vince hurt. He'd seen Vince hurt at the scene of course, but the other man had still been in his own clothes, and wide awake. Now he was likely to be unconscious in a hospital gown. Brian would rather think of Vince as the foolish, larger then life, nothings too hard, confident friend of Dom's then have to see just how mortal Vince really was. Brian didn't want to have to face his part of this whole situation. But if Dom could do it then so could he.
"You'll need to face him sometime Bri." Mia said and took him into the room. Sure enough Dom was sitting with his friend. Vince also had monitors and IV lines hooked up to him. Brian cringed away from the sight. Dom caught the motion.
"He's going to be fine." Dom said, it sounded like he was trying to reassure himself just as much as he was Brian. "Looks worse then it is."
"God man, this is just such a mess." Brian hung his head. Mia squeezed his hand.
"He hasn't woken yet?" Mia asked her brother.
"No. Should be any time now." Dom stated. "What about the girls?"
"Well, Letty's ready to go now of course." Brian said with a grin at the thought of Letty. The girl was so sure of herself. Some things just never changed. Then he thought of Nyssa again. "But Nyssa, she still didn't even show any sign of knowing we were there." Dom sighed from deep in his chest. "I think you might want to go try talkin' to Letty again." Brian added. Dom nodded and left the room. "You wanna sit wit him for awhile Mia?" Brian asked her.
"No, I think it's best to just let him rest. We'll go say goodbye to Dom and Letty and then go home." Mia looked wilted to Brian. She was likely at her breaking point. Brian realized she'd been holding things together here all afternoon and she really was likely about to drop. It was Dom's job to hold the family together but with his girl and his best friend out of commission Dom likely hadn't been much help at holding things together. It had likely fallen to Mia to do. And now she was ready to have someone else take care of her. Brian took her hand and led her out of the room and back across the hall.
"We're going home guys. See you both there later?" Brian asked.
"Count on it." Letty answered back. She couldn't wait to go home. Dom just nodded without taking his eyes off Letty.
"They gonna be ok?" Brian asked once they were in Mia's car.
"Sure. They'll be alright. Might take some time." Mia said and leaned her head way back into the head rest.
"It's been one hell of a day, huh?" Brian asked her.
"You don't know the half of it." Mia answered. "What made you decide not to turn us in?" She couldn't wait to know all of a sudden.
"You." Brian answered and then elaborated. "I fell for you. Plus I like Dom. I always did. I should have known better then to stay on a case when I respected and liked my mark and plus fell in love with his sister. You'll never know how scared I was when I thought about the fact that you fell for Spilner. Brian O'Connor was a stranger to you. I was so worried that you might not want the real me."
"Is the real you that different from the you I already know?" Mia asked.
"I don't think so. And that just tells you how much too deep I went. One of the first things they teach you when you learn to be a detective is to make up a personally for the duration of the assignment and don't let the real you and the undercover personality mix. I just couldn't do it with you guys. The real me just clicked too well."
"I'm glad." Mia answered him simply and then fell asleep in the seat. She hadn't slept in some time and she was tired. Brian carried her to bed and fell in with her, exhausted. Letty and Dom came home later and made up, like they always did. Only this time things were different. Dom wasn't sure he was immortal any more. The days events had driven home to him just how fickle life could be. Three members of his team were still not awake in the hospital and one of them might never be awake again.
Jesse. Thinking of Jesse almost made Dom cry. And Dom hadn't cried in a long time. But he almost did whenever he thought of Jesse. Of course Jesse shouldn't have done what he'd done, shouldn't have raced for something he couldn't afford to lose. But Tran was just such an asshole. He'd never thought of anyone else. Even when Dom and Johnny hadn't hated each other. There had been a time when the two men had gotten along, had done business. But then as it often did, business went bad and the friendship went away. Sleeping with his sister hadn't been smart either. But Dom also knew that the reason why Johnny had come after Jesse with the intent to kill him wasn't the Jetta, Johnny couldn't have cared less about that car, it had been the humiliating beating Dom had layed on him in front of that whole crowd of people.
So because Dom had to fight, as Dom often did, Jesse might never wake up again. Jesse. Jesse wasn't innocent, but he sure could fool you. He didn't have a mean or malicious bone in him, never thought a bad thing about anyone and would do anything for the team, for Dom. And Dom couldn't help but think they'd all let Jesse down. Maybe Dom more then anyone but still the whole team had a part in that too. Instead of chasing him down right away they'd waited, let Jesse run away. They knew they had the job to do that night and it was almost like they'd allowed that to mean more to them then getting Jesse home safe. A tear slipped out of the corner of his eye and made it's slow, silvery way down his cheek, slipped off his chin and onto Letty's shoulder. He'd been watching her sleep while he thought.
As though she'd felt the small splash on her golden skin her eyes opened and she saw the glittery streak on his face, watched as another tear made it's way like mercury in the moonlight down his face. She knew in that moment that if this all affected Dom like this, if this made her man cry, that he wasn't as unaffected as he'd convinced even her that he'd been. She opened her arms to the love of her life and he fell into them, his head in the crook of her shoulder while he sobbed for Vince, Nyssa, herself, and most of all she knew, for Jesse. She showed him she still loved him the best way she knew how, and he slept, letting her hold him for a change, and it comforted her. It should have done the opposite, Dom had always been her rock. But the fact that he needed her to comfort him, that he needed her at all, really needed her, reassured her that their relationship was worth the work. She slept with a smile on her face and her man in her arms, despite the day that waited for them all.
Mia woke first the next day and went through the house waking the people who were home. They ate a subdued breakfast then headed back to the hospital. They all first checked on Vince. Who was awake. That was surprising to them all, but was a good sign as well. Vince was giving a nurse hell when they walked into his room, both about the quality and quantity of his breakfast, and about the whereabouts of Nyssa.
"If he can bitch, then he's gonna be fine." Dom laughed from the door. Mia and Letty giggled and Brian tried not to smirk. He didn't know how much of a welcome he was going to get from Vince. He'd saved the other man's life, sure, but that didn't mean Vince had to like him.
Vince snarled at Dom. "Get me outta here."
"Not so fast. You're really hurt this time Vince. It's not like a few days of bed rest is gonna fix this." Dom said, but he smiled. He hadn't expected anything else of his best friend.
"I'm fine." Vince said, then winced as he moved his leg on the side he was shot on.
"Yeah, you look fine Coyote." Letty laughed.
"Shut up." Vince growled. They all laughed at him. "And they won't tell me where Nyssa is." Vince watched as everyone's face's fell. "Well, where is she?" He was starting to panic. Mia'd checked on the way in. Nyssa was still unconscious. Mia sat on the edge of the bed after Brian gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"She didn't wake up yet V. She lost a lot of blood." Mia said softly.
"But she's gonna be fine right?" Vince asked, worry showing plainly on his face. He didn't think he wanted to go on without his girl.
"They think so, yeah." Brian answered.
"They think so." Vince snarled.
"They're doin' everything they can V." Dom tried to reassure him.
"I wanna see her." The famous stubborn look was on his face, the team knew they weren't winning this argument.
"I don't think so sir, not right now." The nurse answered.
"Too fuckin' bad what you think. I'm gonna see her. Where is she?" He asked Dom.
"Vince, give it another day man."
"I want to see her." Vince moved to get up. He was going to find her if he had to search the whole hospital.
"Sir, really. You need to calm down. There's no way you can go anywhere for another few days. Then you can go for a tour of the hospital.
"If you think I'm gonna be here in a few days you can think again." Vince was clearly very upset.
"You may as well let him go over there in a wheelchair or somethin'." Letty told the poor nurse. "He's not gonna shut up till you give him his way. He still thinks he's five." Vince gave her a nasty look but he ended up getting his way and he got pushed into the room across the hall.
AN: Ok, well, here's the next chapter. Wow, no more flames or nasty email. It's been a good week. Hope you all enjoy the update, let me know either way. Peace.
When the cops came to the scene of the car crash Brian started their plan in motion. He told the cops that came that he'd wrecked the charger, that he'd taken it to chase after Tran. They seemed to accept the story, even though they had asked how he got off so light for injuries. He told them simply that the car had been built by a stock car driver and that it was designed to be safe as possible. They took it at face value. When they asked him where his supra was the told them he suspected Dom took it to try to find Jesse, not knowing that Brian had already found him. Brian then went home to find the house deserted. However Dom had actually thought to leave him a note.
Brian,
We're at the hospital since it seems that everyone but me and Leon's been admitted. I don't know what I think about what you did, but I can't complain about how you ended it. You're alright and I think that we're all going to be fine. I think that you should come down here. Mia's not as strong as she'd like to think and she needs you right now. I can see that. I hope you really had the feelings for her I thought you did, if not I'll really break your neck. I wasn't joking. I really do hope I see you soon. You became part of our team and it wouldn't be the same without you. For some reason you and I, we just clicked. Now burn this before anyone knows I ever, ever thought any of this stuff, let alone wrote it down.
Dominic.
Brian smiled, then he folded the note up really small and put it in his wallet, behind the picture of Mia he had there. He had to hold on to that note to remember what it said when the shit hit the fan as it was bound to do. Everything was going to be fine. He took the liberty of taking Mia's car to the hospital. He parked and walked in. He walked up to the nurse at the desk.
"I'm here looking for The Toretto family, Nyssa Williams, Jesse Ames, and Vincent Castaletto, either some of or all of the above." Brian gave her his brightest smile.
"Well, the Toretto's that aren't hurt should be in the waiting room on the third floor. That's where Miss Williams and Mr. Castaletto are, as well as one Miss Rodriguez. However Mr. Ames is in intensive care and can't have visitors yet." The nurse returned his smile.
"Thanks." Brian made for the elevators. He hit the third floor button and began to try and get himself ready for what was to come. He knew the whole team would be mad at him for what he'd done. He knew it couldn't be helped. At least Jesse was alive, Brian sighed mentally. He was not looking forward to the meeting to come. Dom was still likely to deck him for what he'd done, even if he still wanted him around. Brian felt he deserved it in a way. As Nyssa had told him, he should have done his job or not done his job, not done it in the half assed manner he had.
The elevator chimed on the third floor and Brian groaned. He didn't want to do this, didn't want to face Dom, didn't want to face Mia, didn't want to see Nyssa with stuff hooked up to her, didn't want to see Letty anything less then her arrogant self. Didn't want to find out if poor, hard headed Vince lost his arm. He really didn't want to see Jesse, and got angry at himself for being happy the boy couldn't have visitors yet. Brian had seen more then his fair share of death and injury on the force but never that of his own family. And the team was family now, he couldn't deny the fact. He didn't want to see Jesse unconscious and with no one knowing if he'd ever wake up again.
He found the waiting room and stood in the door. Only Mia was in the room. She looked shocked, stunned. Brian realized it had been a hell of a day for everyone, but especially for Mia. Dom and his crew were rowdy and rough and tumble, they were use to taking their knocks. Maybe not quite this hard, but they knew how to roll with the punches. Mia, well, sure she knew about some of the stuff the guys did, but she didn't ever really have to deal with it first hand. And dealing with something, and knowing about it happening were too separate things. He took a deep breath, hoping she still loved him. He couldn't blame her if she didn't.
"Mia?" He asked from the door. He'd never been so unsure of himself. He was, by nature, a pretty confident guy. But right now he felt so insecure about himself, both as a person, and as Mia's boyfriend. She'd fallen for Brian Spilner, the down on his luck racer who worked for Harry and then wielded a wrench for her brother. Could she love Brian O'Connor the LAPD detective, or former detective? She looked up, tears in her eyes, and tracks from them down her cheeks. He took a hesitant step into the room, unsure of his welcome there.
"Oh Brian." She cried and launched herself at him. He caught her with a soft 'umph' at the force of her impact then just shushed her and smoothed her hair while she sobbed. She still loved him. As long as Mia loved him everything would be ok. If he had Mia everything else would work itself out.
"It's gonna be ok Mia. Everything's gonna be fine." He crooned to her in the voice he used, or had used now he guessed, to calm people down after accidents and such. He figured his days of police work were long over. "Come on, let's go sit down." He steered her over to a chair and tried to sit her in it but she clung to him and wouldn't let go. He ended up sitting himself and pulling her into his lap. "It's ok Mia." He just kept talking to her, he knew it didn't really matter what he said. He didn't know why Dom and the others left her here alone. "Where's Dom?" He asked her when she seemed a slight amount more in control.
"With Letty." She answered. "Brian I."
"We don't need to talk about this now Mia, it'll keep if you want."
"I just need to know that you really had feeling for me, I.I can't wonder about that."
"Mia. I meant what I said. Everything I ever said I felt for you is real. I love you." Brian kissed her forehead. Mia started to cry again. "Why the tears?" Brian asked. Dom stopped just inside the door of the room. The couple in the corner didn't notice him.
"I'm just so happy you really love me." She sniffled.
"Of course I really love you." Brian answered. "How could I not?"
"Yeah, how could he not?" Dom asked from the door. He was very relieved to know that Brian really loved Mia. It was obvious that finding out that Brian hadn't really cared for her would have crushed her. Brian looked very nervous. Dom wondered if he'd found the note. "Brian." He said in way of a greeting.
"Dom." Brian opened. "I'm so."
"I know." Dom stopped him. "We can go into it in detail when everyone's home to hear it." Dom started. "Did everything you had to do seem to work out though?" Dom asked. He had to know that the cops weren't going to come for Vince, Letty and Nyssa. Brian knew what he meant.
"Yeah, it's fine. Should be all set." Brian smiled a big goofy grin. It had gone well with the cops. Not perfect but he'd lied and told them he'd found nothing and as far as he could tell the story that Vince and Nyssa had given checked out. So, so far so good. Brian was almost giddy with relief that Mia still loved him and Dom wasn't going to kill him. "How's the girls and Vince?"
"Well, Letty's been hurt worse, she got off lucky. They're letting her out later in the evening. She's got a busted rib, and she hurt her arm, but it'll be good as new in a few weeks. She'll be a bit black and blue for awhile too, but she's started fights where she got hurt worse." Dom started. "Vince, well, V's too stubborn not to be ok. But the doctors say they saved his arm and that the shotgun missed all his vitals. They think he'll be fine inside of two weeks. To go home at least. He'll need therapy." Dom's face turned, he lost some of his brashness, his brazen attitude that made him Dom Toretto. He was so guilty over the next bit that he hated to tell Brian, but it had to be told. "It's still iffy for Nyssa. She had a lot of injuries. More then we'd ever have guessed. She passed out in the chopper with Vince. She has three broken ribs, a bruised liver and kidney, a nasty concussion, and some severe bruising on her hips and stomach. She lost a lot of blood internally and she still hasn't woken up." Dom had let her go with them; in the end he knew he could have stopped it, if he'd just said no to Vince and Nyssa when she said she was riding along. However it was her being there that kept them all out of jail.
"What about Jesse?" Brian had to ask.
"Jesse. Well, they don't know much about Jesse either. No one will tell us anything. They figure Nyssa'll be fine eventually but they won't even guess on Jesse. He lost a lot of blood." Dom smiled softly at Mia. "But it was Mia here who made sure he even made it this far. She called 911 like a sane person and did everything possible while she waited for EMS, while we took off after Tran. All we can do is hope."
"I can't believe Nyssa was hurt that bad. She seemed so together while we waited for the chopper. So she never regained consciousness?" Brian felt so guilty now, just like Dom, for everything. Nyssa would be fine if he hadn't screwed up.
"Yeah, I don't know how she held on but thank god she did." Dom sat down. "Neither of 'em are talkin' to me." He sighed.
"What do you mean? Who's not talkin' to you?" Brian didn't get it, who wasn't talking to Dom and why.
"Letty and Nyssa. Well, Nyssa wasn't before she passed out, unless it was to yell at me and Letty hasn't spoken to me since.Well, since a while ago. And she's awake in her room but she still won't speak to me." He lowered his voice. "Letty got in a fight at race wars, by the way." Dom added to explain how Letty got hurt in case Brian had to know for what was to come. "She blames me for what happened. Hell, I blame me too, but Nyssa, she blamed me too. They just looked at me in the car. I am to blame too, they're right." Dom hung his head. Mia didn't have anything to say. She'd warned Dom, she'd asked him not to go. If he'd just listened then none of this would have happened. Brian didn't see it that way, or not totally that way.
"It's not your fault Dom. Well, not totally." Brian started.
"I forced them Brian. They all wanted to give up, forget it. All but Vince. And even I know that Vince would follow any of us into hell if he thought that we'd need him there to protect us. But I wouldn't let them stop. I made them do it anyway. This is my fault." Brian looked at Dom then looked around to make sure the door was closed and no one outside the room could hear. Then he tried to reassure his friend.
"Dom, we all had our parts. After you left Nyssa said something to me and she's right. I had a job to do. And I didn't do it. Once I realized that I couldn't do the job, that I was in too deep, that no matter what I couldn't finish what I was sent to do I should have told my bosses and gotten pulled off the case. I mean either that or I should have taken the proof I had and turned you guys in. I played both sides and that makes me responsible too. If I'd done my job in the first place you might all be in jail, but no one would be hurt. I'm glad I didn't do it, but then again, now everyone's hurt." Brian rested his chin on the top of Mia's head dejectedly and sighed.
"Everyone went along and did it and everyone has responsibility. Yeah, Vince would follow any of the team anywhere if he thought they might need his protection, or if he thought he'd get to fight out of it, but the simple fact of the matter is no one is a child. Any one of us could have decided not to do it and then just not done it." Mia stated and then looked at the two men. "And now let's never speak of it again. I want to go see Nyssa and Letty." She stood up and held her hand out to Brian. "Comin'?"
"Sure." Brian stood up. He had no desire to see any of the team in hospital gowns and having stuff plugged into them. But this was part of the responsibility, these people needed to know that he was still here and still cared for them.
They walked into the first room that Mia pointed out and Brian cringed away from the first sight he saw, which was Nyssa, unconscious in a hospital bed. Her face was almost totally black down the whole left side of her face. Her left arm was in a splint and there were monitors hooked up to her. She also had an IV and other stuff that Brian couldn't identify. "Oh man." He breathed out. This looked bad. "Nyssa." He walked away from Mia and to her bedside. He picked up her good hand and looked down at the still form of the formerly vibrate and outspoken girl he'd come to care for. Mia joined him and took his other hand.
"She's gonna be fine."
"I hope so Mia, but this looks so bad. She's not even awake."
"Well Brian, she just came out of surgery like two hours ago. That's really pretty normal." Mia had been taking pre-med in school and she had a fair idea what she was talking about.
"I hope you're right Mia."
"Are you guys gonna stand over the unconscious girl all day or is someone gonna ask me how I am." Letty said from the other bed in the room. They knew she was teasing to hide just how much Nyssa's condition was affecting her.
"Letty." Brian smiled. Letty wasn't any different now then she had been last night when he'd seen her last.
"Hey Letty." Mia exclaimed. "How you livin'?" Mia asked, throwing her own line back at the other girl.
"I'm livin' which is more then I can say for Nyssa." Letty's face fell. "It's not fair that I got off so easy and she got hurt so bad. I mean we were both in the same accident, and it was my car. Why should she be the one who got hurt really bad when I was the one driving? She saved our asses and now she's hurt really bad. It's not fair. It's not fair and it's all Dom's fault." Letty said, and wonder of wonders a tear ran down her cheek.
"Letty, it wouldn't be better if you were hurt and not Nyssa. It's too bad that anyone had to be hurt but that's what happened. And it's not all Dom's fault. We all had our parts to play." Brian said with a small smile.
"Yeah, it's as much anyone's fault. We all have to share that responsibility. You're not innocent Letty and you know it. You wanted the money as bad as anyone. Dom shoulda listened when we all told him not to go, but when he got to do it 5 times before with no troubles and we all went along with it at first." Mia put it in simple and sure terms for them all. "Besides, she's gonna be fine. She looks like she's worse off then she is." Mia said and took Letty's hand. "Try to think about not being too hard on Dominic. He's being hard enough on himself without needing to worry that you don't love him anymore Letty."
"He doesn't love me. If he did he would have listened to me."
"Letty, Dom loves you. He may not show it well, but he does love you." Brian added. "And if we all take care of each other then everything will be ok."
"Deep Brian. True, but deep." Letty grinned. "At least I get outta here today, and I think this is worth, what, a week of Dom waiting on me?"
Brian and Mia grinned back. "At least." Mia answered. "Where's V?" Mia asked. He must still be unconscious too or he'd never have accepted being separated from Nyssa like this. Brian looked nervous about the thought of Mia wanting to see her childhood pal. He didn't know if he'd walk out in the same shape he walked into the room in if Vince was awake to see him. Mia took Brian by the hand.
"He's in the room across the hall. I'd haveta think that Dom'll be in there too. He's hardly left V's side. I think he knows that Vince didn't want to do this, but didn't think he had a choice just because of how he is. I mean it was fine for all of us to think this was all fun and fast driving but Vince was the one in real danger the whole time, and that wasn't fair." Letty sighed.
"But Vince is gonna be alright isn't he?" Brian asked. Letty and Mia were touched by his obvious concern for a man who hated him.
"From what we're told, yeah, he's gonna be fine." Letty was quick to reassure them. They said good-bye to Letty for the time being and headed across the hall.
"Maybe I'll just let you go in and I'll go wait in the waiting room for you." Brian tried to get out of going into the room any way he could. He told himself he didn't want to fight with Vince, upset him. But in his heart he wasn't so sure that was the reason. He thought that it might even have more to do with not wanting to see Vince hurt. He'd seen Vince hurt at the scene of course, but the other man had still been in his own clothes, and wide awake. Now he was likely to be unconscious in a hospital gown. Brian would rather think of Vince as the foolish, larger then life, nothings too hard, confident friend of Dom's then have to see just how mortal Vince really was. Brian didn't want to have to face his part of this whole situation. But if Dom could do it then so could he.
"You'll need to face him sometime Bri." Mia said and took him into the room. Sure enough Dom was sitting with his friend. Vince also had monitors and IV lines hooked up to him. Brian cringed away from the sight. Dom caught the motion.
"He's going to be fine." Dom said, it sounded like he was trying to reassure himself just as much as he was Brian. "Looks worse then it is."
"God man, this is just such a mess." Brian hung his head. Mia squeezed his hand.
"He hasn't woken yet?" Mia asked her brother.
"No. Should be any time now." Dom stated. "What about the girls?"
"Well, Letty's ready to go now of course." Brian said with a grin at the thought of Letty. The girl was so sure of herself. Some things just never changed. Then he thought of Nyssa again. "But Nyssa, she still didn't even show any sign of knowing we were there." Dom sighed from deep in his chest. "I think you might want to go try talkin' to Letty again." Brian added. Dom nodded and left the room. "You wanna sit wit him for awhile Mia?" Brian asked her.
"No, I think it's best to just let him rest. We'll go say goodbye to Dom and Letty and then go home." Mia looked wilted to Brian. She was likely at her breaking point. Brian realized she'd been holding things together here all afternoon and she really was likely about to drop. It was Dom's job to hold the family together but with his girl and his best friend out of commission Dom likely hadn't been much help at holding things together. It had likely fallen to Mia to do. And now she was ready to have someone else take care of her. Brian took her hand and led her out of the room and back across the hall.
"We're going home guys. See you both there later?" Brian asked.
"Count on it." Letty answered back. She couldn't wait to go home. Dom just nodded without taking his eyes off Letty.
"They gonna be ok?" Brian asked once they were in Mia's car.
"Sure. They'll be alright. Might take some time." Mia said and leaned her head way back into the head rest.
"It's been one hell of a day, huh?" Brian asked her.
"You don't know the half of it." Mia answered. "What made you decide not to turn us in?" She couldn't wait to know all of a sudden.
"You." Brian answered and then elaborated. "I fell for you. Plus I like Dom. I always did. I should have known better then to stay on a case when I respected and liked my mark and plus fell in love with his sister. You'll never know how scared I was when I thought about the fact that you fell for Spilner. Brian O'Connor was a stranger to you. I was so worried that you might not want the real me."
"Is the real you that different from the you I already know?" Mia asked.
"I don't think so. And that just tells you how much too deep I went. One of the first things they teach you when you learn to be a detective is to make up a personally for the duration of the assignment and don't let the real you and the undercover personality mix. I just couldn't do it with you guys. The real me just clicked too well."
"I'm glad." Mia answered him simply and then fell asleep in the seat. She hadn't slept in some time and she was tired. Brian carried her to bed and fell in with her, exhausted. Letty and Dom came home later and made up, like they always did. Only this time things were different. Dom wasn't sure he was immortal any more. The days events had driven home to him just how fickle life could be. Three members of his team were still not awake in the hospital and one of them might never be awake again.
Jesse. Thinking of Jesse almost made Dom cry. And Dom hadn't cried in a long time. But he almost did whenever he thought of Jesse. Of course Jesse shouldn't have done what he'd done, shouldn't have raced for something he couldn't afford to lose. But Tran was just such an asshole. He'd never thought of anyone else. Even when Dom and Johnny hadn't hated each other. There had been a time when the two men had gotten along, had done business. But then as it often did, business went bad and the friendship went away. Sleeping with his sister hadn't been smart either. But Dom also knew that the reason why Johnny had come after Jesse with the intent to kill him wasn't the Jetta, Johnny couldn't have cared less about that car, it had been the humiliating beating Dom had layed on him in front of that whole crowd of people.
So because Dom had to fight, as Dom often did, Jesse might never wake up again. Jesse. Jesse wasn't innocent, but he sure could fool you. He didn't have a mean or malicious bone in him, never thought a bad thing about anyone and would do anything for the team, for Dom. And Dom couldn't help but think they'd all let Jesse down. Maybe Dom more then anyone but still the whole team had a part in that too. Instead of chasing him down right away they'd waited, let Jesse run away. They knew they had the job to do that night and it was almost like they'd allowed that to mean more to them then getting Jesse home safe. A tear slipped out of the corner of his eye and made it's slow, silvery way down his cheek, slipped off his chin and onto Letty's shoulder. He'd been watching her sleep while he thought.
As though she'd felt the small splash on her golden skin her eyes opened and she saw the glittery streak on his face, watched as another tear made it's way like mercury in the moonlight down his face. She knew in that moment that if this all affected Dom like this, if this made her man cry, that he wasn't as unaffected as he'd convinced even her that he'd been. She opened her arms to the love of her life and he fell into them, his head in the crook of her shoulder while he sobbed for Vince, Nyssa, herself, and most of all she knew, for Jesse. She showed him she still loved him the best way she knew how, and he slept, letting her hold him for a change, and it comforted her. It should have done the opposite, Dom had always been her rock. But the fact that he needed her to comfort him, that he needed her at all, really needed her, reassured her that their relationship was worth the work. She slept with a smile on her face and her man in her arms, despite the day that waited for them all.
Mia woke first the next day and went through the house waking the people who were home. They ate a subdued breakfast then headed back to the hospital. They all first checked on Vince. Who was awake. That was surprising to them all, but was a good sign as well. Vince was giving a nurse hell when they walked into his room, both about the quality and quantity of his breakfast, and about the whereabouts of Nyssa.
"If he can bitch, then he's gonna be fine." Dom laughed from the door. Mia and Letty giggled and Brian tried not to smirk. He didn't know how much of a welcome he was going to get from Vince. He'd saved the other man's life, sure, but that didn't mean Vince had to like him.
Vince snarled at Dom. "Get me outta here."
"Not so fast. You're really hurt this time Vince. It's not like a few days of bed rest is gonna fix this." Dom said, but he smiled. He hadn't expected anything else of his best friend.
"I'm fine." Vince said, then winced as he moved his leg on the side he was shot on.
"Yeah, you look fine Coyote." Letty laughed.
"Shut up." Vince growled. They all laughed at him. "And they won't tell me where Nyssa is." Vince watched as everyone's face's fell. "Well, where is she?" He was starting to panic. Mia'd checked on the way in. Nyssa was still unconscious. Mia sat on the edge of the bed after Brian gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"She didn't wake up yet V. She lost a lot of blood." Mia said softly.
"But she's gonna be fine right?" Vince asked, worry showing plainly on his face. He didn't think he wanted to go on without his girl.
"They think so, yeah." Brian answered.
"They think so." Vince snarled.
"They're doin' everything they can V." Dom tried to reassure him.
"I wanna see her." The famous stubborn look was on his face, the team knew they weren't winning this argument.
"I don't think so sir, not right now." The nurse answered.
"Too fuckin' bad what you think. I'm gonna see her. Where is she?" He asked Dom.
"Vince, give it another day man."
"I want to see her." Vince moved to get up. He was going to find her if he had to search the whole hospital.
"Sir, really. You need to calm down. There's no way you can go anywhere for another few days. Then you can go for a tour of the hospital.
"If you think I'm gonna be here in a few days you can think again." Vince was clearly very upset.
"You may as well let him go over there in a wheelchair or somethin'." Letty told the poor nurse. "He's not gonna shut up till you give him his way. He still thinks he's five." Vince gave her a nasty look but he ended up getting his way and he got pushed into the room across the hall.