Authors Note: Thank you all so much for your comments and support. I appreciate it so much.

- SpanishGoddes86:

Thank you very much. As for Beth, well... she has issues. They'll be explained later.

- BFG:

hehehehe, Me turn anyone into an evil bitch :o Would I ever do that?

Yeah I would but anyway, Monica's probably gonna show up. what's she like? In one word - nice, sweet, rude, loud, etc.

- WolfShifter2001:

I think it has to be a big brother gene. Mine's the same way.

- Giggles2003:

Race time is coming soon, girl, patience ;) oh and don't worry about Beth, she'll lighten up.

- JFurman88:

hi! *yippee* new reviewer!! Thanks for the compliments, they really cheered up my day. Jesse action will come, promise. All the team member are gonna get a little action.

- Naughty-by-Nature:

They'll get over it. lol! no, really Beth is gonna get nicer. promise.

- Hiya17735:

Luke has become a favorite of mine. So he's definitely gonna be around.

Oh and honey nothing would give be more pleasure than to be able to write longer chapters and post more frequently. All I ask from you is one little favor - make my day about five hours longer. ;) There just aren't enough hours in a day. I'll try though, promise.

- Vinsbaby1989:

I just finished a chapter 12 - all Dom and Letty. =)

-Foxy-Latina:

Thanks, here's more....

Oh P.S. :

I understand the general feeling is that Beth is bitch but people remember this story is moving very slowly, we're still on their first day in Miami. =)

I can see you all now, going oh yeah, :D I've been going slow cause I like to give detail but I'm gonna start moving things along in a few chapters.

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True to her word, Beth had dinner on the table in twenty-five minutes. The fact that he was the only other person there besides the girls told him that news of Team Torreto had made the rounds.

Katie and Ally hadn't seen him all day so they told him about their day. Other than that the dinner table was absolutely silent. Brian tried not to even look over at her. He knew her well enough to know that any little thing right now would set her off.

"Girls, go upstairs. Ally I want you to start your homework." she said when she saw there plates were empty.

"Mom I need help." Ally said. Her dark hair bouncing as she slid off the chair.

"I'll be there later Al."

"Why not now..." she said frowning.

"Because I need to speak with your Uncle."

Ally smirked, just like her mother, and turned to her Uncle "Your in trouble." she said in a sing-song voice, her dark eyes sparkling, "mom only ever wants to speak with somebody when their in trouble. Most times she wants to talk." she giggled and a ran upstairs.

Katie looked up at him, a little frown in brow, then glanced quickly at her mother, "Uncle Brian's in trouble?" she asked.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, Kitty. Go on upstairs." Beth said gently to her precocious four year old.

The little girl nodded, obviously not convinced, but headed for the upstairs.

"I'm not sure exactly where to begin." Beth said staring at him across the table. Her voice was soft but devoid of any emotion. Brian knew this was the way she handled problems, by turning her emotions off.

"I've done nothing wrong." he stated firmly.

She was silent, just looking at him. Then something in her gaze seemed to shift and she said, gently, tiredly, "No, maybe you haven't" and with that she stood and began collecting the plates from the table.

Brian watched her, watched as she balanced two plates with one hand like their mom used to do. Watched her avoid his gaze. Watched her retreat into the kitchen. Moments later she came back out to finish the task.

"Beth..." he began in an attempt to share what was happening with her. To make her part of what was going on. To make her understand. "I... I love her." he said firmly.

She paused a moment and looked at him, she didn't say anything, though, just looked at him. After a few seconds she headed for the kitchen again. This time he followed her.

"Did you hear me?" he asked from the doorway, a bit testily. Beth always did this when something she didn't like was going on, she froze people out. It was one of her most effective war weapons. And with Beth it was never just an argument, it was war.

"I don't want to talk about this Brian," she said coldly. He couldn't help the hurt look that entered his eyes, what she thought was important to him and somehow it was worse to not get an opinion from her than to get a bad one. At least if she said something terrible about the Team he could argue it, try and make her see his side but this sad, sort-of I don't know look she had on her face was disconcerting and making him feel like shit. Like he had hurt her, had done something to hurt her and he hadn't. He hadn't done anything wrong.

"I wanna know what you think Beth, tell me what you're thinking." He said quietly.

She looked at him almost angrily from where she'd been scraping the plates but when she saw his wounded gaze, seeking her approval, her condemnation, her anything; her heart softened a little and she sighed, "I... need.... time." she said slowly "To think. I need to think about what I think okay. Then we'll talk."

"Tell me what you feel then..." he said his eyes intense.

A small sardonic smile touched her lips as she began to load the dish washer, "no you don't want that."

"Beth..." he began.

"No Brian." She continued to load the dish washer, quickly, efficiently. He stood by the door watching her. He could tell one of things she was feeling was worry, she was placing things in perfect spots instead of just putting them in there. Beth gave careful detail to everything she was doing when she was worried. She always had, it was mechanism inside her head, it helped her organize her thoughts.

She'd done it a lot all those years ago when he'd been the bane of her existence. Thoughts of those years, of the things that had happened then, were best left untouched. They were wounds that hadn't healed, probably would never heal...

"I have nothing to say. " the cold words cut through his thoughts and quite suddenly he was annoyed at her.

Why the hell couldn't just react like a normal person and get it all out in the open. Why couldn't she yell or cry or whatever and get it over with. No, she had to draw it out, make it more stressful and agonizing for everyone. And he hadn't done anything wrong. He loved Mia, had plans for her or rather with her in the future, and Beth had no right to dampen his joy with unfounded disapproval.

He glared at her. "Fine, then neither do I." he said and stormed past her and out the back door.

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