****
"So where do we go from here?" Beth asked, shoving a hand through her hair.
"We go up to Kentucky, we get our kids, then we come back down to Mexico and get to know each other," Dom replied, opening the car door for her. Beth got in, sat down and smiled. Dom had never done that for her, so that made the gesture all the more sweet.
"We already know each other Dom, or have you forgotten the three months we spent together in LA?" Beth laughed.
"Yeah, but we've both changed since then, too many things have happened to us since we split up for us to be even close to the same people we were," Dom said, flipping through the radio stations.
"You know, you're right."
"Of course I'm right," Dom smirked before his face softened. "So tell me about my kids."
"This could take all night," Beth warned.
"So, we've got time."
"Okay, as you already know they were born on Valentine's Day, I had to have a c-section because my cervix wouldn't dilate, they pulled Angel first, and she was this squalling mass of wrinkles and fury. Kinda reminded me of her daddy the way she made her displeasure about this big new world known loud and clear," Beth fell back into her memories, reliving the most important day of her life all over again. "Then it was Devlin, only baby I've ever heard of coming out of the womb looking as if he's smiling. He was just content as can be, looking around taking it all in."
"With a name like Devlin, I'm sure the peace didn't last long."
"That's for sure," Beth laughed. "Dev was definitely a challenge, although aside from her name Angelina is no Angel either. But Devlin was the first to get into anything, my little daredevil. Mom's had to get central air just to keep him from trying to get out of the second story windows."
"Must take after his mother," Dom laughed.
"I'll have you know I was the perfect child, If Devlin takes after anyone it's you!" Beth tried to look insulted but it didn't last. "Okay so I wasn't perfect, but like Angel and Devlin it was usually Justin pulling me into trouble. Not that Angel can't hold her own mind you, she's just as likely to bean Justin with her bottle as actually take it."
"Were they pacifier babies?"
"No, I don't believe in 'em. I know too many kids who were given pacifiers just to shut them up, and I saw no reason to do that to my kids," Beth grumbled ferociously.
"What were their first words?" "Devlin's was no, I guess cause he'd heard it so much over his life it was just natural he shout it when he got mad. Angel, who was actually the first of my kids to speak and had spoken her first words before I had to run, well she was a little different. I had her sitting on the table in her car seat while the family was sitting around just talking and playing cards, Dev was asleep in his crib, anyway we were sitting there playing poker, and she just started blurting out Da da da," Beth had to stop to take a breath after rambling out that story.
"That's my girl," Dom laughed.
"Yeah sure, you would think that. Anyway, they kinda took turns on the firsts, Angel was the first to talk, so Devlin was the first to crawl, Angel was the first to stand, Devlin was the first to walk," Beth informed him flipping through her memories like files. "We didn't think Dev was ever gonna actually talk, but once he started he never shut up. Or so my mom tells me."
"You really miss them don't you?" Dom asked softly running a hand down her arm.
"More than anyone could imagine. That was the worst, I could live with runnin', leaving my kids behind was another matter altogether," Beth sighed, leaning her head against the window.
"Well a few more hours and they'll be back in your arms."
"Try 18 more hours, but hey it could be worse," Beth shrugged. "I just have to remind myself it was for the best to leave them when they were so little."
"Tell me about the rest of your family," Dom was trying to keep her talking, if she talked she couldn't cry. Dom couldn't handle crying women, it always made him feel like scum.
"There's my mom Barbara, she's a trip and a half, she wasn't really your normal sort of mother, she raised us pretty much by herself as Dad was gone with work half the time. She always made sure to make time for all of us kids as individuals," she replied. "A lot of the time parents of twins end up making their kids part of a unit, Mom never did that."
"What was it like growing up as a twin? Why didn't you tell me you had a twin when you were in L.A.?"
"Justin and I were always each others best friend. We can read each others thoughts at times, which can be a blessing and a curse. And when I was in L.A., I don't know there just didn't seem to be a point to telling you about my brother who was doing 4-8 in a Virginia Prison."
"What about your other sister Marli I think you called her?"
"Marli's the baby of the family, which meant she was always the protected one, first time she brought a boyfriend home I thought Dad was going to murder him," Beth laughed.
"What's she like though?"
"Independent, she's the smart one of the three of us, got into Catholic School on a full scholarship and then ended up getting into the University of Kentucky on a full ride for Basketball," Beth explained, "She and I weren't really all that close growing up, mostly because I had Justin, and as a kid didn't need many other friends."
"What about now?"
"We're closer than we have been, which is hard as hell as she can't call me and I can't call her without me being traced. Dad, well he's probably the best guy I've ever known, he was a cross-country driver when he met Mom," Beth smiled, her father had always been her greatest champion. "Like I said he was gone a lot, but when he was home it wasn't like things changed, he just sort of settled into our routine and laid down the law, what Mom said went."
"Sounds like you adore him."
"I do honestly, he taught Justin and I everything we know about cars. This baby here was my sixteenth birthday present, and when we got her she was in such bad shape it almost made me cry. It took us eight months to get her fixed, but she's purred like a kitten ever since."
"How does she race?" Dom asked, 10 second cars were always foremost in his mind.
"Like a dream, once you get her going she doesn't wanna stop," Beth smirked. "First time I won in her.. well it was better than most orgasms."
"You must not have had many good orgasms then," Dom threw back.
"Well considering the last guy I had sex with is sitting right next to me, you might just want to think about that statement," Beth teased, truth was no race could compare to how she felt when Dom was inside of her and pushed her right over the brink into insanity.
Dom stuttered for a second, this was something else he wasn't used to, Beth talking back to him. It wasn't like it had been with Letty, bitching and moaning about every little thing, it was more of a challenge, like see if you can beat me big boy.
He rather liked it.
***
Fifteen hours later they were crossing the boarder from Tennessee into Kentucky. Dom looked over at Beth for a second, he'd always enjoyed just watching her sleep. She was peaceful when she was sleeping, the intensity of her waking hours seemingly put behind her.
He knew he should wake her up, let her know they were getting close, he just didn't have the heart to. Beth had once told him that if she could get through a night without the nightmares coming, she was doing good.
He'd found out later what the nightmares were about.
"Dom, Sissy, either of you out there?" Justin called out over the walkie on their phones.
"Yeah I'm out here Justin, your sisters asleep," Dom explained.
"No nightmares tonight?" Justin asked, obviously pleased.
"Not that I've seen, what'd you need Justin?"
"I'm passing the Illinois/Indiana border right now, just doing a quick status check."
"We just crossed Tennessee/Kentucky, getting ready to pass Bowling Green," Dom answered quietly.
"You're about two hours out, we're meeting at an Inn in a little town called Sheperdsville, Country Inn & Suites, we can pass out there for a few hours without getting busted," Justin explained, hoping the change of plans wouldn't screw everything up.
"Where's Brian and Mia?"
"As of half an hour ago crossing the Indiana/Kentucky border at Owensboro," Justin replied.
"Okay so we're all within two hours of Sheperdsville," Beth called out groggily. She'd loved waking up to Dom's low rumble, it was one of the things she'd missed most about being with him.
"You're awake?" Dom demanded, stating the obvious.
"Have been since I heard Justin come over the two way. We've got two hours until we're home free, let's not screw it up," Beth muttered. "Oh and Justin, Mom said to tell you they still drag out on Buchman Street if you wanna catch a race."
"Paul still Sheriff?"
"Yeah we're cool to head over to Buchman if we want to tonight. I figured it'd be nice to get a little peace of the action," Beth smiled into her two way.
"Cool, gives us something to do tonight," Justin laughed gleefully then cut out.
"You sure you want to race tonight?" Dom asked as they both put their phones down.
"It'll give us something to do, as Sheperdsville isn't exactly the most civilized place in the world," Beth replied quickly. "Besides, the guys out here are chumps, they wouldn't know a ten second car if it bite 'em on the ass."
***
Sheperdsville, Kentucky: 12:00 am EST.
"You're sure you want to do this?" Brian asked for what seemed like the millionth time.
"Look Bri, everything's cool, like I said the sheriff is my godfather, and he seems to think Justin and I are perfect little angels who were set up," Beth explained, as they parked their cars along the small side road.
"He actually believes that?" Leon snorted.
"Let me put it this way Leon, as far as Paul's concerned the twins were the first immaculate conception since the Virgin Mother herself," Justin laughed, wiping the dirt and grime off his car.
"What kind of money do they lay down around here?" Jesse asked, his disdain clearly written on his face, these hicks didn't know anything about cars.
"If we're lucky, Panama and Edwin'll be racing, they throw down 2000 dollars at a time, mostly because they both have decent cars," Beth looked around the crowd and spotted her friends. These were the guys who'd helped her brother and her out of the country.
"And if we're not lucky?"
"It'll be Paulie, Matt, and Jay, we'll be lucky to clear 1000 for the night with all six of us racing," Beth sighed.
"Well hells bells, if it isn't the Goddess of the engine herself," A huge black guy boomed, wrapping his arms around Beth and picking her up as if she were a rag doll.
"Panama!" She squealed hugging the guy equally as tight.
"Hey chica, last I heard you were down in Mexico hiding out from the feds," Panama laughed, setting Beth down and looking around, "That miscreant brother of yours around here anywhere?"
"Panama, mi amigo, what's up?" Justin walked around from the back of the car. The greeting was much less exuberant if no less warm.
"Not much, what the hell are ya'll doing back in the states? Not that I'm complaining mind you, we need the competition, Paulie, Matt and Jay just ain't cutting it," Panama grimaced.
"We came back to pick up the kids. Panama, I'd like to introduce you to my friends, you know Justin, this is Mia Toretto, her boyfriend Brian Spillner, Jesse and Leon, well they just hooked up with me and never left," Beth laughed before her face softened and she reached out her hand for Dom's "And this mi amigo, this is Dominic Toretto." "You're fucking with me," Panama's eyes widened. He'd heard the name Dominic Toretto...although usually it was preceded by "that rat-bastard."
"No, Panama, it's really Dominic, we hooked up down in Mexico," Beth smiled "Well actually it was in some rinky-dink town in Texas called Eagle Pass, but anyway we're...getting to know each other."
"Seems to me munequa that ya'll know each other rather well considering you have kids with the dude," Edwin growled from somewhere behind them.
"E!" Yet again Beth was swept into some guys arms, although this was a little guy who appeared to be Dominican or something of that nature.
"Hey there little doll," Edwin smiled, hugging his friend tightly. "Why are you with this scum?"
"No importa E, well it is important, but he's not scum," Beth threw back, fiercely hugging her friend. "I missed you most of all."
"Well now I'm hurt!" Panama grumbled.
"Bite me Panama, you know you were always closer to Justin than me, but that's not what I meant and you know it!" Beth sputtered, before being pulled back into Dom's strong arms.
"Ya'll racing tonight?" Edwin asked, the race was always the most important thing to them all.
"Do you think I would come home to Kentucky, come all the way to fucking Buchman Street, and not race? Not likely chico," Beth smiled. Panama and Edwin were two of the few people who knew she actually raced better than Justin.
Mostly because they'd lost money to her a time or two.
****
"So where do we go from here?" Beth asked, shoving a hand through her hair.
"We go up to Kentucky, we get our kids, then we come back down to Mexico and get to know each other," Dom replied, opening the car door for her. Beth got in, sat down and smiled. Dom had never done that for her, so that made the gesture all the more sweet.
"We already know each other Dom, or have you forgotten the three months we spent together in LA?" Beth laughed.
"Yeah, but we've both changed since then, too many things have happened to us since we split up for us to be even close to the same people we were," Dom said, flipping through the radio stations.
"You know, you're right."
"Of course I'm right," Dom smirked before his face softened. "So tell me about my kids."
"This could take all night," Beth warned.
"So, we've got time."
"Okay, as you already know they were born on Valentine's Day, I had to have a c-section because my cervix wouldn't dilate, they pulled Angel first, and she was this squalling mass of wrinkles and fury. Kinda reminded me of her daddy the way she made her displeasure about this big new world known loud and clear," Beth fell back into her memories, reliving the most important day of her life all over again. "Then it was Devlin, only baby I've ever heard of coming out of the womb looking as if he's smiling. He was just content as can be, looking around taking it all in."
"With a name like Devlin, I'm sure the peace didn't last long."
"That's for sure," Beth laughed. "Dev was definitely a challenge, although aside from her name Angelina is no Angel either. But Devlin was the first to get into anything, my little daredevil. Mom's had to get central air just to keep him from trying to get out of the second story windows."
"Must take after his mother," Dom laughed.
"I'll have you know I was the perfect child, If Devlin takes after anyone it's you!" Beth tried to look insulted but it didn't last. "Okay so I wasn't perfect, but like Angel and Devlin it was usually Justin pulling me into trouble. Not that Angel can't hold her own mind you, she's just as likely to bean Justin with her bottle as actually take it."
"Were they pacifier babies?"
"No, I don't believe in 'em. I know too many kids who were given pacifiers just to shut them up, and I saw no reason to do that to my kids," Beth grumbled ferociously.
"What were their first words?" "Devlin's was no, I guess cause he'd heard it so much over his life it was just natural he shout it when he got mad. Angel, who was actually the first of my kids to speak and had spoken her first words before I had to run, well she was a little different. I had her sitting on the table in her car seat while the family was sitting around just talking and playing cards, Dev was asleep in his crib, anyway we were sitting there playing poker, and she just started blurting out Da da da," Beth had to stop to take a breath after rambling out that story.
"That's my girl," Dom laughed.
"Yeah sure, you would think that. Anyway, they kinda took turns on the firsts, Angel was the first to talk, so Devlin was the first to crawl, Angel was the first to stand, Devlin was the first to walk," Beth informed him flipping through her memories like files. "We didn't think Dev was ever gonna actually talk, but once he started he never shut up. Or so my mom tells me."
"You really miss them don't you?" Dom asked softly running a hand down her arm.
"More than anyone could imagine. That was the worst, I could live with runnin', leaving my kids behind was another matter altogether," Beth sighed, leaning her head against the window.
"Well a few more hours and they'll be back in your arms."
"Try 18 more hours, but hey it could be worse," Beth shrugged. "I just have to remind myself it was for the best to leave them when they were so little."
"Tell me about the rest of your family," Dom was trying to keep her talking, if she talked she couldn't cry. Dom couldn't handle crying women, it always made him feel like scum.
"There's my mom Barbara, she's a trip and a half, she wasn't really your normal sort of mother, she raised us pretty much by herself as Dad was gone with work half the time. She always made sure to make time for all of us kids as individuals," she replied. "A lot of the time parents of twins end up making their kids part of a unit, Mom never did that."
"What was it like growing up as a twin? Why didn't you tell me you had a twin when you were in L.A.?"
"Justin and I were always each others best friend. We can read each others thoughts at times, which can be a blessing and a curse. And when I was in L.A., I don't know there just didn't seem to be a point to telling you about my brother who was doing 4-8 in a Virginia Prison."
"What about your other sister Marli I think you called her?"
"Marli's the baby of the family, which meant she was always the protected one, first time she brought a boyfriend home I thought Dad was going to murder him," Beth laughed.
"What's she like though?"
"Independent, she's the smart one of the three of us, got into Catholic School on a full scholarship and then ended up getting into the University of Kentucky on a full ride for Basketball," Beth explained, "She and I weren't really all that close growing up, mostly because I had Justin, and as a kid didn't need many other friends."
"What about now?"
"We're closer than we have been, which is hard as hell as she can't call me and I can't call her without me being traced. Dad, well he's probably the best guy I've ever known, he was a cross-country driver when he met Mom," Beth smiled, her father had always been her greatest champion. "Like I said he was gone a lot, but when he was home it wasn't like things changed, he just sort of settled into our routine and laid down the law, what Mom said went."
"Sounds like you adore him."
"I do honestly, he taught Justin and I everything we know about cars. This baby here was my sixteenth birthday present, and when we got her she was in such bad shape it almost made me cry. It took us eight months to get her fixed, but she's purred like a kitten ever since."
"How does she race?" Dom asked, 10 second cars were always foremost in his mind.
"Like a dream, once you get her going she doesn't wanna stop," Beth smirked. "First time I won in her.. well it was better than most orgasms."
"You must not have had many good orgasms then," Dom threw back.
"Well considering the last guy I had sex with is sitting right next to me, you might just want to think about that statement," Beth teased, truth was no race could compare to how she felt when Dom was inside of her and pushed her right over the brink into insanity.
Dom stuttered for a second, this was something else he wasn't used to, Beth talking back to him. It wasn't like it had been with Letty, bitching and moaning about every little thing, it was more of a challenge, like see if you can beat me big boy.
He rather liked it.
***
Fifteen hours later they were crossing the boarder from Tennessee into Kentucky. Dom looked over at Beth for a second, he'd always enjoyed just watching her sleep. She was peaceful when she was sleeping, the intensity of her waking hours seemingly put behind her.
He knew he should wake her up, let her know they were getting close, he just didn't have the heart to. Beth had once told him that if she could get through a night without the nightmares coming, she was doing good.
He'd found out later what the nightmares were about.
"Dom, Sissy, either of you out there?" Justin called out over the walkie on their phones.
"Yeah I'm out here Justin, your sisters asleep," Dom explained.
"No nightmares tonight?" Justin asked, obviously pleased.
"Not that I've seen, what'd you need Justin?"
"I'm passing the Illinois/Indiana border right now, just doing a quick status check."
"We just crossed Tennessee/Kentucky, getting ready to pass Bowling Green," Dom answered quietly.
"You're about two hours out, we're meeting at an Inn in a little town called Sheperdsville, Country Inn & Suites, we can pass out there for a few hours without getting busted," Justin explained, hoping the change of plans wouldn't screw everything up.
"Where's Brian and Mia?"
"As of half an hour ago crossing the Indiana/Kentucky border at Owensboro," Justin replied.
"Okay so we're all within two hours of Sheperdsville," Beth called out groggily. She'd loved waking up to Dom's low rumble, it was one of the things she'd missed most about being with him.
"You're awake?" Dom demanded, stating the obvious.
"Have been since I heard Justin come over the two way. We've got two hours until we're home free, let's not screw it up," Beth muttered. "Oh and Justin, Mom said to tell you they still drag out on Buchman Street if you wanna catch a race."
"Paul still Sheriff?"
"Yeah we're cool to head over to Buchman if we want to tonight. I figured it'd be nice to get a little peace of the action," Beth smiled into her two way.
"Cool, gives us something to do tonight," Justin laughed gleefully then cut out.
"You sure you want to race tonight?" Dom asked as they both put their phones down.
"It'll give us something to do, as Sheperdsville isn't exactly the most civilized place in the world," Beth replied quickly. "Besides, the guys out here are chumps, they wouldn't know a ten second car if it bite 'em on the ass."
***
Sheperdsville, Kentucky: 12:00 am EST.
"You're sure you want to do this?" Brian asked for what seemed like the millionth time.
"Look Bri, everything's cool, like I said the sheriff is my godfather, and he seems to think Justin and I are perfect little angels who were set up," Beth explained, as they parked their cars along the small side road.
"He actually believes that?" Leon snorted.
"Let me put it this way Leon, as far as Paul's concerned the twins were the first immaculate conception since the Virgin Mother herself," Justin laughed, wiping the dirt and grime off his car.
"What kind of money do they lay down around here?" Jesse asked, his disdain clearly written on his face, these hicks didn't know anything about cars.
"If we're lucky, Panama and Edwin'll be racing, they throw down 2000 dollars at a time, mostly because they both have decent cars," Beth looked around the crowd and spotted her friends. These were the guys who'd helped her brother and her out of the country.
"And if we're not lucky?"
"It'll be Paulie, Matt, and Jay, we'll be lucky to clear 1000 for the night with all six of us racing," Beth sighed.
"Well hells bells, if it isn't the Goddess of the engine herself," A huge black guy boomed, wrapping his arms around Beth and picking her up as if she were a rag doll.
"Panama!" She squealed hugging the guy equally as tight.
"Hey chica, last I heard you were down in Mexico hiding out from the feds," Panama laughed, setting Beth down and looking around, "That miscreant brother of yours around here anywhere?"
"Panama, mi amigo, what's up?" Justin walked around from the back of the car. The greeting was much less exuberant if no less warm.
"Not much, what the hell are ya'll doing back in the states? Not that I'm complaining mind you, we need the competition, Paulie, Matt and Jay just ain't cutting it," Panama grimaced.
"We came back to pick up the kids. Panama, I'd like to introduce you to my friends, you know Justin, this is Mia Toretto, her boyfriend Brian Spillner, Jesse and Leon, well they just hooked up with me and never left," Beth laughed before her face softened and she reached out her hand for Dom's "And this mi amigo, this is Dominic Toretto." "You're fucking with me," Panama's eyes widened. He'd heard the name Dominic Toretto...although usually it was preceded by "that rat-bastard."
"No, Panama, it's really Dominic, we hooked up down in Mexico," Beth smiled "Well actually it was in some rinky-dink town in Texas called Eagle Pass, but anyway we're...getting to know each other."
"Seems to me munequa that ya'll know each other rather well considering you have kids with the dude," Edwin growled from somewhere behind them.
"E!" Yet again Beth was swept into some guys arms, although this was a little guy who appeared to be Dominican or something of that nature.
"Hey there little doll," Edwin smiled, hugging his friend tightly. "Why are you with this scum?"
"No importa E, well it is important, but he's not scum," Beth threw back, fiercely hugging her friend. "I missed you most of all."
"Well now I'm hurt!" Panama grumbled.
"Bite me Panama, you know you were always closer to Justin than me, but that's not what I meant and you know it!" Beth sputtered, before being pulled back into Dom's strong arms.
"Ya'll racing tonight?" Edwin asked, the race was always the most important thing to them all.
"Do you think I would come home to Kentucky, come all the way to fucking Buchman Street, and not race? Not likely chico," Beth smiled. Panama and Edwin were two of the few people who knew she actually raced better than Justin.
Mostly because they'd lost money to her a time or two.
****