"Disclaimer: own nothing as per usual
The smell from the plate that Mia slapped down on the ground in front of him was enough to make Dom close his eyes and take a deep breath. God he'd missed her cooking. Letty smiled at his reaction as she dug into her own plateful of fried breakfast. Leon sat opposite them on the warm path, not taking his eyes off the plate he held in his hands as he shovelled food into his mouth quickly. They were all sat outside the front door, enjoying the glorious weather. Mia appeared a few seconds later with a plate of her own and sat down on the other side of Dom so that the two females, the most important ones in his life, flanked him.
For a full ten minutes there was no talk. Just eating and enjoyment of the food Mia had prepared for them. Dom just enjoyed the company of his team. It was like a weight had been taken from his mind, that they still breathed and enjoyed life so he could too. Mia was bold enough to break the silence.
"Where's Vince?"
Dom took a last bite of sausage and then put the plate down carefully on the warm stones before addressing his sister who looked with a mixture of fear and expectancy in her face.
"In hospital" he said finally, measuring his words carefully "I haven't seen him since you did"
There was a beat of silence then
"So V could go to prison," Letty said flatly
"Nah, V will go to prison and pay our time too" Leon retorted "he's the only one who's neck they can wring except O'Connor's who's probably being let off for being in blue anyway"
Dom saw Mia stiffen at Leon's words. She was still upset, very upset he sensed and still loved Brian. For some reason, Dom felt the need to defend the absent traitor
"He gave me his car Leon, he ain't all bad but he ain't all good neither" he said with a sideways glance at Mia
She sort of smiled gratefully. She did still love him; it was as plain as the fork she held in her hand. Dom sighed inwardly; he couldn't ban her love for Brian though he could sure as hell try. It would be a waste of time and effort; she wouldn't let him stand in her way. She had too much love in her to give and Brian was whom she'd chosen to pour it onto. Besides, Brian wasn't all bad. Dom nodded. That was the conclusion he was gonna stick to, he didn't know if he could forgive the cop for playing them all but maybe helping him escape and loving his sister the way he did would go some way to rectify it.
His thoughts were interrupted by Mia standing up. She began gathering the plates from the others and then without a word walked back into the house. There was an uncomfortable feeling left in her absence. Dom couldn't put his finger on it but somehow felt like he was partly responsible for it. He was about to say something when Letty stood up beside him
"I'm gonna go help Mia wash up" she declared almost to herself
Seeing the looks this garnered from Dom and Leon, she grinned and shrugged
"What? She needs some help and support right now and I can do that for her my way, later guys"
She walked into the house leaving Dom and Leon with only each other. Leon smiled
"You wanna work on my ride?" he said, standing up and stretching his arms above his head "we could grab some drink and just work till its safe to go back in"
Dom grinned at his friend's words and nodded, getting up himself. The sun was high now and beating onto his head. His cuts had been taken care of though, thanks to Mia's scolding treatment of them. It almost felt like Toretto's Garage again. Almost
"Sure Leon, lets hit the grease"
*
Mia wasn't even aware Letty had followed her in. She was too lost in soap sudded dreams to notice anything. She was brought back to reality when Letty gently took the dishcloth that was draped across Mia's bare shoulder. She started and looked astonished as Letty began drying the dishes.
"What, you think I can't do dishes?" Letty demanded "I just choose not to"
Mia grinned and carried on washing, trying to rid herself of the fragments of her daydream that remained from before she'd been aware of Letty's presence. She'd been washing up in her dream too and someone was helping her there as well only it wasn't Letty. It was a tall tanned male with sparkling blue eyes and golden curls. It was Brian, the night Dom had allowed him to enter their team and join the party to Vince's disgust. He was only person ever, before Letty right now, to volunteer to help her with the dishes. They'd smiled and worked, joking about the dishes, Dom and them. They were enjoying their task and there was a kind of spell that made it easier to talk, which they did until Vince ambled in to insult Brian.
"You ok girl? You're looking lost again," Letty said
Mia turned to find that Letty had finished drying the dishes and was sitting on the counter top, the dishcloth over her shoulder. Mia looked down into the sink and realised she'd stopped passing dishes to her companion. She's been far too lost in memories. She sighed
"I don't know, I just want to be happy because Dom's back but even he isn't enough" Mia said quietly, not sure whether Letty wanted to hear her thoughts "I guess I'm still feeling...I don't know what I'm feeling right now"
"Damn girl, you're still in love! Are you too stupid to see that?" exclaimed Letty "You're still in love with Brian, you can't just give your heart to someone and expect for it be returned immediately, it takes time"
Mia looked intrigued, what was Letty going to tell her? Letty smiled at the expression on Mia's face.
"You think there was no one before your big lug of a brother stole my heart? Nah there was plenty but we don't talk about it since it makes Dom mad, kinda stupid really considering I'm the jealous one"
Letty sounded sad. Mia looked at her, really looked at her. Letty seemed dreamy, lost in thought herself. There were things in her relationship with Dom that weren't smoothed out. His return wasn't gonna suddenly solve them, not matter how pleased they were to see each other.
"He knows you don't like him looking at the race girls right?" Mia tried tentatively
"I think I've made it real clear" replied Letty with a ring of steel in her voice, her fists closing without her realising "They're out there wanting a piece of his ass and he loves the attention then he doesn't understand when I get mad"
"He's Dom, he doesn't realise, he probably thinks it's a staple of your relationship that'll continue for as long as you're together" Mia answered, emptying the sink
"Sounds like Dom" Letty began twisting the dishcloth in her hands "He thinks its insane that I wanna beat the hell out of the skanks that follow him around"
"Maybe you should to get the message home"
Letty laughed and then smiled softly
"Yeah maybe I should, at least out here there's only me and him to be together"
"Gonna make up for lost time?"
"I think so"
Mia grinned. No matter how jealous Letty got, she and Dom stayed together. They balanced each other out. Her smile faded as her thoughts returned to Brian
"Don't worry girl" Letty put an arm around Mia, sensing the younger girl's saddening in mood "you're gonna find someone again who'll make you feel the way he does"
"Maybe" Mia said tiredly "I just want him"
*
"Unless you brought cigarettes, I want your fucking ass outta here cop"
Brian smiled a crooked smile at Vince's greeting. He expected more hostility, which there was a large chunk of in that one venomous sentence yet Brian felt like he could walk in without Vince causing enough of a scene so that Brian was thrown out. He walked in slowly, causally, as though he wasn't bothered by Vince's words.
"Good to see you too Vince" he tried with the same crooked smile, he threw a paper bag onto the bed "will a Crononberg pass?"
Vince's eyes lit up though his body language was distinctly hostile. He was sat up now in bed and Brian could see he was wearing pale blue pyjamas, standard hospital issue which Vince evidently loathed wearing from the way he picked and scowled at them. His arms were crossed over his chest; one sleeve cut off to reveal bulky bandages over the shoulder blade, which had held his entire body weight off the ground when tried to dodge an angry trucker's bullets. Brian couldn't see any other wounds but he guessed they were hidden beneath the blue fabric. He chanced another step forward
"Will it?" he tried again Vince eyed the paper bag and then quickly whipped it off the bed in one swift movement with his good arm. He didn't look at Brian when he spoke; keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the prize in his hands.
"Its only because I'm desperate for a fucking beer"
"Thanks"
Brian carefully closed the door of the room and slowly brought a chair forward so that he could sit next to the bed. The nurses wouldn't mind the door being shut, they still thought he was Vince's brother.
"The cops been to grill you yet?" he asked, after Vince had taken a lengthy gulp from the bottle.
"Not until I'm healthy, which I'm not planning on being for a while" Vince replied, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand "I'm planning on staying here as for as possible before they arrest me and throw me in jail"
There was a pause as Vince took another long draft of the bottle. He looked at Brian who looked back carefully. Vince smiled inwardly, the cop was learning to gauge his reactions and bide his time. He had Brian on a pull- string, he realised because Brian thought he could lead him to Mia. To hell with that. Vince wasn't gonna tell him anything, Mia was his. She always had been and always would be.
"So what work you doing now cop? Traffic duty?" he cracked with a harsh laugh
"I told you Vince, I'm not a cop anymore"
"Oh yeah your ass got fired didn't it"
"No, I walked out before they could fire me for helping Dom get away" Brian said Dom had said once that Brian's meal ticket was his coolness, Brian knew Dom was right now. Vince hated not getting a reaction out of him "I'm working at Harry's now full time"
"Can't stay away from the streets huh?"
"That's about it yeah"
Vince nodded once. Brian didn't question it. Maybe Vince understood. Maybe. There was a pause, it wasn't uncomfortable, just a pause. Vince took a last drink from the bottle and then threw it towards Brian.
"Take it before the nurses see it" he ordered
Brian smiled. He was being dismissed. Vince was cutting him off because he knew what Brian was after. If Vince wanted to play a game then Brian was willing to play as well. He got up from his seat and carefully picked up the bottle and stuck it into his bag.
"I'll see you later Vince," he said casually as he made for the door
"Yeah? Plenty later I hope" Vince cracked
"Sometime tomorrow probably, I think you could do with the company"
Before Vince could dish out a reply, Brian slipped out of the door and closed the door after him. He smiled to himself. Vince wasn't all bad, he wasn't all good either though. He was just full of bravado and in love with Mia who was in love with Brian. Hence the hostility and sourness. Brian began walking out of the hospital. He had some digging to do before he came back tomorrow. Something to bargain with, something that Vince wanted and would do anything to get. Brian grinned. If everything went to plan and Vince co-operated, maybe his banishment from Mia would be over sooner than he originally thought.
The smell from the plate that Mia slapped down on the ground in front of him was enough to make Dom close his eyes and take a deep breath. God he'd missed her cooking. Letty smiled at his reaction as she dug into her own plateful of fried breakfast. Leon sat opposite them on the warm path, not taking his eyes off the plate he held in his hands as he shovelled food into his mouth quickly. They were all sat outside the front door, enjoying the glorious weather. Mia appeared a few seconds later with a plate of her own and sat down on the other side of Dom so that the two females, the most important ones in his life, flanked him.
For a full ten minutes there was no talk. Just eating and enjoyment of the food Mia had prepared for them. Dom just enjoyed the company of his team. It was like a weight had been taken from his mind, that they still breathed and enjoyed life so he could too. Mia was bold enough to break the silence.
"Where's Vince?"
Dom took a last bite of sausage and then put the plate down carefully on the warm stones before addressing his sister who looked with a mixture of fear and expectancy in her face.
"In hospital" he said finally, measuring his words carefully "I haven't seen him since you did"
There was a beat of silence then
"So V could go to prison," Letty said flatly
"Nah, V will go to prison and pay our time too" Leon retorted "he's the only one who's neck they can wring except O'Connor's who's probably being let off for being in blue anyway"
Dom saw Mia stiffen at Leon's words. She was still upset, very upset he sensed and still loved Brian. For some reason, Dom felt the need to defend the absent traitor
"He gave me his car Leon, he ain't all bad but he ain't all good neither" he said with a sideways glance at Mia
She sort of smiled gratefully. She did still love him; it was as plain as the fork she held in her hand. Dom sighed inwardly; he couldn't ban her love for Brian though he could sure as hell try. It would be a waste of time and effort; she wouldn't let him stand in her way. She had too much love in her to give and Brian was whom she'd chosen to pour it onto. Besides, Brian wasn't all bad. Dom nodded. That was the conclusion he was gonna stick to, he didn't know if he could forgive the cop for playing them all but maybe helping him escape and loving his sister the way he did would go some way to rectify it.
His thoughts were interrupted by Mia standing up. She began gathering the plates from the others and then without a word walked back into the house. There was an uncomfortable feeling left in her absence. Dom couldn't put his finger on it but somehow felt like he was partly responsible for it. He was about to say something when Letty stood up beside him
"I'm gonna go help Mia wash up" she declared almost to herself
Seeing the looks this garnered from Dom and Leon, she grinned and shrugged
"What? She needs some help and support right now and I can do that for her my way, later guys"
She walked into the house leaving Dom and Leon with only each other. Leon smiled
"You wanna work on my ride?" he said, standing up and stretching his arms above his head "we could grab some drink and just work till its safe to go back in"
Dom grinned at his friend's words and nodded, getting up himself. The sun was high now and beating onto his head. His cuts had been taken care of though, thanks to Mia's scolding treatment of them. It almost felt like Toretto's Garage again. Almost
"Sure Leon, lets hit the grease"
*
Mia wasn't even aware Letty had followed her in. She was too lost in soap sudded dreams to notice anything. She was brought back to reality when Letty gently took the dishcloth that was draped across Mia's bare shoulder. She started and looked astonished as Letty began drying the dishes.
"What, you think I can't do dishes?" Letty demanded "I just choose not to"
Mia grinned and carried on washing, trying to rid herself of the fragments of her daydream that remained from before she'd been aware of Letty's presence. She'd been washing up in her dream too and someone was helping her there as well only it wasn't Letty. It was a tall tanned male with sparkling blue eyes and golden curls. It was Brian, the night Dom had allowed him to enter their team and join the party to Vince's disgust. He was only person ever, before Letty right now, to volunteer to help her with the dishes. They'd smiled and worked, joking about the dishes, Dom and them. They were enjoying their task and there was a kind of spell that made it easier to talk, which they did until Vince ambled in to insult Brian.
"You ok girl? You're looking lost again," Letty said
Mia turned to find that Letty had finished drying the dishes and was sitting on the counter top, the dishcloth over her shoulder. Mia looked down into the sink and realised she'd stopped passing dishes to her companion. She's been far too lost in memories. She sighed
"I don't know, I just want to be happy because Dom's back but even he isn't enough" Mia said quietly, not sure whether Letty wanted to hear her thoughts "I guess I'm still feeling...I don't know what I'm feeling right now"
"Damn girl, you're still in love! Are you too stupid to see that?" exclaimed Letty "You're still in love with Brian, you can't just give your heart to someone and expect for it be returned immediately, it takes time"
Mia looked intrigued, what was Letty going to tell her? Letty smiled at the expression on Mia's face.
"You think there was no one before your big lug of a brother stole my heart? Nah there was plenty but we don't talk about it since it makes Dom mad, kinda stupid really considering I'm the jealous one"
Letty sounded sad. Mia looked at her, really looked at her. Letty seemed dreamy, lost in thought herself. There were things in her relationship with Dom that weren't smoothed out. His return wasn't gonna suddenly solve them, not matter how pleased they were to see each other.
"He knows you don't like him looking at the race girls right?" Mia tried tentatively
"I think I've made it real clear" replied Letty with a ring of steel in her voice, her fists closing without her realising "They're out there wanting a piece of his ass and he loves the attention then he doesn't understand when I get mad"
"He's Dom, he doesn't realise, he probably thinks it's a staple of your relationship that'll continue for as long as you're together" Mia answered, emptying the sink
"Sounds like Dom" Letty began twisting the dishcloth in her hands "He thinks its insane that I wanna beat the hell out of the skanks that follow him around"
"Maybe you should to get the message home"
Letty laughed and then smiled softly
"Yeah maybe I should, at least out here there's only me and him to be together"
"Gonna make up for lost time?"
"I think so"
Mia grinned. No matter how jealous Letty got, she and Dom stayed together. They balanced each other out. Her smile faded as her thoughts returned to Brian
"Don't worry girl" Letty put an arm around Mia, sensing the younger girl's saddening in mood "you're gonna find someone again who'll make you feel the way he does"
"Maybe" Mia said tiredly "I just want him"
*
"Unless you brought cigarettes, I want your fucking ass outta here cop"
Brian smiled a crooked smile at Vince's greeting. He expected more hostility, which there was a large chunk of in that one venomous sentence yet Brian felt like he could walk in without Vince causing enough of a scene so that Brian was thrown out. He walked in slowly, causally, as though he wasn't bothered by Vince's words.
"Good to see you too Vince" he tried with the same crooked smile, he threw a paper bag onto the bed "will a Crononberg pass?"
Vince's eyes lit up though his body language was distinctly hostile. He was sat up now in bed and Brian could see he was wearing pale blue pyjamas, standard hospital issue which Vince evidently loathed wearing from the way he picked and scowled at them. His arms were crossed over his chest; one sleeve cut off to reveal bulky bandages over the shoulder blade, which had held his entire body weight off the ground when tried to dodge an angry trucker's bullets. Brian couldn't see any other wounds but he guessed they were hidden beneath the blue fabric. He chanced another step forward
"Will it?" he tried again Vince eyed the paper bag and then quickly whipped it off the bed in one swift movement with his good arm. He didn't look at Brian when he spoke; keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the prize in his hands.
"Its only because I'm desperate for a fucking beer"
"Thanks"
Brian carefully closed the door of the room and slowly brought a chair forward so that he could sit next to the bed. The nurses wouldn't mind the door being shut, they still thought he was Vince's brother.
"The cops been to grill you yet?" he asked, after Vince had taken a lengthy gulp from the bottle.
"Not until I'm healthy, which I'm not planning on being for a while" Vince replied, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand "I'm planning on staying here as for as possible before they arrest me and throw me in jail"
There was a pause as Vince took another long draft of the bottle. He looked at Brian who looked back carefully. Vince smiled inwardly, the cop was learning to gauge his reactions and bide his time. He had Brian on a pull- string, he realised because Brian thought he could lead him to Mia. To hell with that. Vince wasn't gonna tell him anything, Mia was his. She always had been and always would be.
"So what work you doing now cop? Traffic duty?" he cracked with a harsh laugh
"I told you Vince, I'm not a cop anymore"
"Oh yeah your ass got fired didn't it"
"No, I walked out before they could fire me for helping Dom get away" Brian said Dom had said once that Brian's meal ticket was his coolness, Brian knew Dom was right now. Vince hated not getting a reaction out of him "I'm working at Harry's now full time"
"Can't stay away from the streets huh?"
"That's about it yeah"
Vince nodded once. Brian didn't question it. Maybe Vince understood. Maybe. There was a pause, it wasn't uncomfortable, just a pause. Vince took a last drink from the bottle and then threw it towards Brian.
"Take it before the nurses see it" he ordered
Brian smiled. He was being dismissed. Vince was cutting him off because he knew what Brian was after. If Vince wanted to play a game then Brian was willing to play as well. He got up from his seat and carefully picked up the bottle and stuck it into his bag.
"I'll see you later Vince," he said casually as he made for the door
"Yeah? Plenty later I hope" Vince cracked
"Sometime tomorrow probably, I think you could do with the company"
Before Vince could dish out a reply, Brian slipped out of the door and closed the door after him. He smiled to himself. Vince wasn't all bad, he wasn't all good either though. He was just full of bravado and in love with Mia who was in love with Brian. Hence the hostility and sourness. Brian began walking out of the hospital. He had some digging to do before he came back tomorrow. Something to bargain with, something that Vince wanted and would do anything to get. Brian grinned. If everything went to plan and Vince co-operated, maybe his banishment from Mia would be over sooner than he originally thought.