Authors Note: Hi everybody. How're you all doing? =)
Thank you for all your reviews. I love getting them.
- Letty21
Thanks for the cars. I'm definitely gonna use the skyline.
- Hiya17735
He's got a lot of people in his family. ;)
- Pinky666:
You'll see...
- Naughty-By-Nature:
I won't forget Tej. He owns the garage in my story. I don't know if its true or not. If its not, I took creative license. =)
- SpanishGoddess86:
patience, patience my sweet... it'll happen. Next chapter to precise.
- Vinsbaby1989:
Thanks, girl.
- Dirabarua:
Here's more...
- Tempest:
Wow... where do I start... geez... thanks. You gave me more than I needed but I definitely appreciate it. Next chapter, they're in the garage so I might email you then.
Anyway people...
Reviews make me work faster, so.... (hint)
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The place was quiet, perfect, decorated in cremes and pastels. There didn't seem to be anybody home, although they knew there had to be a little boy around somewhere. It didn't sound like it though. He led them into what looked like a small living room.
Plopping down on the arm of a sofa he motioned for them to sit.
They all did, all but Dom.
They all started a little when they heard the phone ringing, quickly they glanced at the boy to see a rueful expression on his face.
"oh" he said, "yeah you gotta be quiet 'cause its speaker phone. The twins hid the handset yesterday and we still can't find it."
Before any of them could comment the ringing stopped.
"hello" a woman answered the phone
"Suki? why do you have B's phone?"
"Cause I won it and the shirt off his back" she said her voice gloating.
"really is that why Casey was wearin it."
"She came over to ask Brian somethin and got grease on her outfit. Shoulda seen her, she through a fit." a husky laugh sounded through the line.
"I bet she did. Can I talk to B?"
"no, he's two hours behind. Decided to get wasted last night and come in late today. He's on punishment."
"He's got company here."
"oh well"
"not oh well, Suk, important."
"You know he's never gonna learn his lesson if people keep bailin him outa punishment."
"Geez, Suki, he's not two."
"he acts like it."
"I know." Luke said laughing.
"If he were only half as intelligent and mature as you I'd marry him but instead I'm forced to lust after a youth."
Luke laughed harder.
"When you turnin 18, baby?"
"Soon" Luke said smiling.
"Good."
"Can you put'm on?"
"no. He's gotta learn"
"Come on Suk; I'm sure you can teach'm next time."
She sighed, dramatically, "fine but only cause your a hot one. You know you got my heart, baby."
Luke laughed again.
"what's up", Brian's voice filled the room and the team who had been smiling at Suki's and Luke's conversation tensed.
Luke felt it and his smile died a little. He knew who these people were. Knew what their presence here was gonna do.
"you got company here B"
Brian sighed, tiredly, "who" he asked.
For some reason Luke was reluctant to tell his brother that piece of information. Instead he said hesitantly, "well, its a few people, actually. I think they're here cause they wanna talk to you, I guess..."
"clients? They gotta a case?" he asked and without waiting for Luke to answer he continued "Gimme ten minutes, then bring'm over here Luke."
"you sure."
"yeah I gotta win some of my clothes back from Suki."
"You got clothes here. Just come over to the house, Brian. "
"I can't, I really got a lot of work to do and Tej's gonna fry my ass if I don't finish. I was late today."
"You're always late."
"I was more late today."
"Suki says you were drunk last night."
"Suki talks to much."
"Does Beth know."
"Does Beth have to know everything?"
"Yes"
"Then I'm sure she'll know by the end of the day."
"Probably."
"She hearin it from you?"
"Does she ever?"
Brian laughed, "And that's how its gotta be, us O'Conner men have to stick together."
"You don't have to feed me the bullshit, Brian, I won't tell her."
"Hey watch the dirty words in your mouth."
"yeah cause your mouth is the essence of cleanliness"
"I just gotta point it out, so I feel like I did my brotherly duty in trying to make you a better a person then me."
"Whatever," Luke said smiling.
"k, so I'll see ya in ten, right?."
"If that's what you want."
Just as Brian was about to hang up Luke added as an afterthought, "oh B. you know Casey was in the shed right."
"yeah she was borrowin my chess board."
"what for?"
"don't know, don't much care." he said in a careless tone.
Luke smiled, and shook his head as he hung up.
He glanced at the team and smiled, "All right you heard the man. Lets go."
"Where's this garage." Vince asked.
"Two block down and around the corner." Luke answered
"So what are we gonna do for eight minutes?" Leon asked
Luke's smile died a little and he said, "You could tell me if I'm gonna need to have the paramedics on call for after you're through with my brother?"
"What the hell would you know about it." Dom said harshly, his eyes dark and menacing. It was the first time he'd spoken, and the look he bestowed on Luke was meant to make him cower.
Luke didn't though, he just shrugged and answered calmly, "Not much. No one tells me anything. All I know, I've heard from arguments, from lots of arguments." He smiled a little and added, "The first one is on tape. If you guys stick around you should ask to see it, its the perfect example of arguing as an art form."
"what exactly do you know?" Jesse asked.
"I know Brian let someone go he wasn't suppose to. Fell in love with someone he wasn't suppose. Bailed out someone he wasn't suppose. Did a whole lot of stuff he wasn't suppose. I know he quit the LAPD cause of it, and I know he broke up with Kayla 'cause of it."
They were silent. Processing this information. It was a pretty good summary of the stuff Brian did.
It was Mia who broke the silence with a question of her own, "Whose Kayla?"
Luke looked a little uncomfortable for the first time, "Was his fiancee." he said softly without meeting Mia's gaze.
They all nodded, Mia felt sick. She stood up suddenly and headed for the door.
"Where you goin, girl?" Letty called out to her.
"I can't do this" she said he hand on the doorknob.
"Mia..." Jesse started, about to tell her they'd come all this way but she cut him off.
"No, I can't." she said as she opened the door.
"Don't go." Luke said softly. And she paused. Looking over at him their eyes locked and he said gently, in a soothing voice, "Its over between them. Been over for months and months now. They don't even talk"
She shook her head, tears blurring her vision, "That's not the point. The point is... I don't know what the point is. I just can't do this." she said, still intent on leaving.
"He's still in love with you." Luke said softly, his voice firm.
Silence followed this statement. Mia shook her head and took a step back into the room.
"I know that too. He says it sometimes... said he's waiting a year. Says after a year your brother may not want to kill'm."
Leon chuckled. "I wouldn't count on it."
Mia faced Luke now, her eyes full of fire. "whose Beth?" she asked and without waiting for an answer continued, "whose Suki, who the fuck is Casey. For Christ sake all I've heard since I got here are all these women's names. All surrounding Brian."
Luke nodded a smile touching his lips, "you're jealous. how sweet." after a pause, "come on lets go."
Mia blinked, "what?"
"lets go..." he stood and headed for the door she had opened, "...to the garage."
He left and the team slowly followed.
They walked in silence. Noticing that in Florida, blocks were long.
When they turned the corner, they could see a garage at the far end that said Tej's on it.
Luke stopped and faced Mia, saying seriously with a touch of the dramatic,
"I'd tell you who all those women are, but Brian recently told me to stay the hell out of his personal life, so I believe its my duty as a little brother to do so." The smile said that this was not what Brian had meant but he chose to interpret it this way to annoy the hell out of him.
"Just cause I like ya though..." he continued, "I'm gonna tell you that Beth is our older sister and Casey and Suki are family." he was looking her directly in the eye.
After holding her gaze a moment. He said in general, "You guys head on in there."
"I'll go call the paramedics." he added as he turned away smiling.
The team didn't head on in there though. They just stood, none of them sure if they were ready for this, if this was really what they wanted.
It was Letty who took a deep breath and started heading that way, saying, "Well lets go, come on." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~