Found Out
The pounding on the door woke Dominic from an uneasy sleep, and instead of leaning over to the window to see who was actually knocking on his front door, he looked down-- Tianna was still there, and her tears had stop falling. She looked like she was sleeping soundly, almost serenely, he didn't want to wake her.
"Toretto! Answer the damned door! I know you're home!"
Dom slid out of Tia's grasp and hurried, quietly, down the stairs. The door was unlocked, and flung open, "What?" his gravely voice growled. He was upset about being woken up, and about having to leave Tia. He hoped she didn't wake up before he got back to her, or that she was okay if she did.
"Well, that's a nice way to greet a friend," Romeo said as he let himself into the house, and looked around. "Are you feeling any better? Where's Tianna?"
"Feeling-- oh, yeah. I am feeling better, or at least until you decided to come pounding on my door," Dominic joked, yet still wished that maybe Ro hadn't come. "What can I do for you?" Dom shut the door and moved to lean against a pillar at the corner of his living room.
"You can give me my sister back. Tia! Time to go!" Ro yelled up the stairs figuring that was where she was considering he didn't see her anywhere downstairs.
"Shut up man! She's sleeping," Dom glared he had no intention of waking Tia up before he was with her again.
"Really?" Ro looked shocked, "Now there's a surprise. How long has she been asleep?"
"I don't know. What time is it?"
"Eleven-thirty," Ro said after checking his watch.
"Well then, last time I looked at the clock was, oh, four thirty. So that makes a little over eight hours."
"More than eight," This time Romeo's shock was blatantly apparent.
"Yeah, she was asleep before me." A brow rose, "Why do you look so surprised? She's just sleeping."
"That's exactly why I'm shock, Dominic. The longest I've ever seen Tia sleep at a time was and hour and eleven minutes. I've never sleep more than that at a time. Ever, and you're here telling me she's been asleep since four-thirty?"
"Yeah. I really don't see the big deal. This morning I guess we fell asleep around six, and she didn't wake up until a little after eleven."
"After eleven?"
Dominic nodded, "Yes. After eleven."
"So that's why she wasn't at work at ten." Ro crossed his arms over his chest, and glared at Dominic, "Sick, huh? That's bad Toretto. You even got your sister to lie for you. So what were you and my sister doing, that kept you up until six in the morning?"
"Hey! We didn't do anything like that! We just played video games, and talked a little." Dominic got defensive at Romeo's insinuation that he and Tia had gotten physical with each other.
"Oh yeah? Then what about today? Since you obviously weren't sick I know you were together all day. Where's she sleeping Dom?"
"In my bed, but--"
"You're what?!" Romeo charged up stairs in an unnecessary rage and stormed towards Dominic's room.
"Wait!" Dominic ran up after him, and cut him off before he got in to wake Tia up. "I have a serious question before you, rush in there and wake her up."
"Toretto! Move!"
"Man, there is nothing to even work yourself up over. If you haven't noticed all my clothes are on, and hers are the same way. Now shut up and let me ask my question."
"Fine," Ro appeared to still be fuming, but at least he was letting Dom talk.
"What do you do when your sister cries?"
"I don't know Toretto, she's your sister you should already know the answer to that. Now move."
"No. Romeo I really meant your sister. What do you do when Tia cries?"
"I don't know. I've never had to deal with it. She hasn't cried a tear since she was little, and I haven't seen a bit a of saline to prove other wise."
Dom was silent for a moment, "Well she cried today." He wasn't breaking his promise just by mentioning that. When Ro was too stunned to say anything, Dominic continued, "She did. She cried today. We were talking about why she froze in what seemed to me to be a great deal of fear, when the black Porsche drove by. She said it was her father, and as we kept talking, she cried. She cried herself to sleep. She probably cried all of the tears in her pretty little head."
"Wait. Stop. Rewind. Black Porsche?"
"She said it was her dad."
"Fuck! He's still looking for her!" Ro took a deep, quieting breath when Dominic motioned for him to lower his voice, "He can't find her Dominic. He'll kill her if he gets his hands on her."
"Yeah I know," Dom's voice was nearly inaudible, but quickly grew with a conviction, "Don't worry. I-- we. We wont let him find her, and if by some minute chance that he does, he'll be dead before he ever touches her."
Around this time Tia opened the door to Dominic's bedroom, and looked at the two men. The tell-tale signs were all there: the red and puffy eyes, the tear stained cheeks, the black of smudged mascara. "I don't want to talk about it," she said to her brother when he opened his mouth to speak. And when she lifted her arm, to smack him as she scolded him about being so loud when people were sleeping, she winced and clutched her shoulder, breath hissing between her teeth.
"What happened to you, Tia?"
"Didn't Mia tell you already? Bruises and a twisted ankle."
Romeo blinked, "How'd you know that's what Mia told me?"
"Because were hiding behind the counter, you ass. He's not really sick, I wasn't, as you put it, baby-sitting him. I over slept, which is fine because I wasn't exactly in a condition to be efficient today."
"She has the scrapes and bruises that Mia mentioned. The knuckles are from punching Vince before the race. She busted her lip on the siren of a cop car, was shot in the shoulder, and the lump on the back of her head, as well as the scrape on her face, which albeit minimal, were acquired on the way down. The bumper and pavement being the attackers."
"You were shot?" Romeo reached out and prodded the wound.
"Ow! Don't touch it!" Tia right hand came up and smacked Ro in the face. "That hurts damnit!"
Dominic chuckled. That had been a good sign at least, she was becoming her usual self again. Maybe she'd be regaining some of her broken spirit, some of her strength, and maybe acquired some faith in the process. At least, faith in him, and in her ability to survive. "You guys should probably head on home."
"Yeah, go start the car Romeo, I have to get my shoes."
The intimidating look had Romeo silently obeying Tia's command. He swiftly moved back down the stairs, and out the door. He hopped into that Ford Mustang and started her up. He put the top down, it was a warm night, and turned the radio up, because it was also too quiet, and he felt like being a disturbance.
Tia limped back into Dominic's room and picked up her purse, it had ended up on the floor somewhere in her journey, then took the boot Dom had gotten from the bathroom, and the one from his room and crammed them into her purse. She let Dominic help her down the stairs, but turned to face him once they reached the front door. "I want to thank you, for... what you did for me today. It helped, a lot, actually."
"I made you cry though. If I hadn't asked about it, you wouldn't have talked about it, and you wouldn't have cried." Dom grabbed her coat off the hanger by the door and slipped it around Tia's shoulders. His hands lingered, though, after the action was done.
"It wasn't your fault Dominic. You were curious. I'm not dead, and your not dead, we're not the hypothetical cats in the saying. You got me to cry. That's a good thing. I hadn't cried since Mommy died. I tried to cry when... but he wouldn't let me. I needed to cry Dominic. What you did needed to be done. I'm grateful for that."
"But--"
"But nothing, Dominic. You are my angel. You promised to protect me, and keep me safe, and always be with me, and you've already started. It's like passing go and collecting two-hundred dollars kind of good. Now be an angel Dominic," Tia's hands pressed against Dom's expansive chest, "Stop worrying."
"It's my job to worry, Princess." Those brown eyes traveled downward, and his thumb rubbed lightly over the bruised part of her mouth. Tia trembled and he spoke, "Can I kiss you?" he whispered.
Tia was breathless the second his flesh touched her mouth, "If you promise to be careful."
Dominic tilted her head upwards slightly, and leaned down, "I promise," He whispered just before his mouth touched feather light against hers.
"Tia! Come on!" The horn of that Mustang blared, and Romeo shouted, "Time to go! How long does it take to get shoes?!"
Tia whipped around to glare venomously out the side windows. She cursed under her breath then turned back to Dominic, "I told you he was a pain in the ass." Her fingers brushed feather light against his cheek and she offered him a smile before turning and leaving out of the house. "I'm coming you ass! What's your fucking hurry?!"
Dominic leaned in the door way and waved at his friends has they left. Her smiled had made him feel like everything would be all right. It was a smile that fixed everything, a smile that made everything okay, but it was temporary. Dominic frowned slightly. Would he be able to protect her if Aidan found her? Or better asked, how would he protect her if her step- father came? "Easy," he spoke allowed as he shut the door, "I'd beat the shit out of him."
The pounding on the door woke Dominic from an uneasy sleep, and instead of leaning over to the window to see who was actually knocking on his front door, he looked down-- Tianna was still there, and her tears had stop falling. She looked like she was sleeping soundly, almost serenely, he didn't want to wake her.
"Toretto! Answer the damned door! I know you're home!"
Dom slid out of Tia's grasp and hurried, quietly, down the stairs. The door was unlocked, and flung open, "What?" his gravely voice growled. He was upset about being woken up, and about having to leave Tia. He hoped she didn't wake up before he got back to her, or that she was okay if she did.
"Well, that's a nice way to greet a friend," Romeo said as he let himself into the house, and looked around. "Are you feeling any better? Where's Tianna?"
"Feeling-- oh, yeah. I am feeling better, or at least until you decided to come pounding on my door," Dominic joked, yet still wished that maybe Ro hadn't come. "What can I do for you?" Dom shut the door and moved to lean against a pillar at the corner of his living room.
"You can give me my sister back. Tia! Time to go!" Ro yelled up the stairs figuring that was where she was considering he didn't see her anywhere downstairs.
"Shut up man! She's sleeping," Dom glared he had no intention of waking Tia up before he was with her again.
"Really?" Ro looked shocked, "Now there's a surprise. How long has she been asleep?"
"I don't know. What time is it?"
"Eleven-thirty," Ro said after checking his watch.
"Well then, last time I looked at the clock was, oh, four thirty. So that makes a little over eight hours."
"More than eight," This time Romeo's shock was blatantly apparent.
"Yeah, she was asleep before me." A brow rose, "Why do you look so surprised? She's just sleeping."
"That's exactly why I'm shock, Dominic. The longest I've ever seen Tia sleep at a time was and hour and eleven minutes. I've never sleep more than that at a time. Ever, and you're here telling me she's been asleep since four-thirty?"
"Yeah. I really don't see the big deal. This morning I guess we fell asleep around six, and she didn't wake up until a little after eleven."
"After eleven?"
Dominic nodded, "Yes. After eleven."
"So that's why she wasn't at work at ten." Ro crossed his arms over his chest, and glared at Dominic, "Sick, huh? That's bad Toretto. You even got your sister to lie for you. So what were you and my sister doing, that kept you up until six in the morning?"
"Hey! We didn't do anything like that! We just played video games, and talked a little." Dominic got defensive at Romeo's insinuation that he and Tia had gotten physical with each other.
"Oh yeah? Then what about today? Since you obviously weren't sick I know you were together all day. Where's she sleeping Dom?"
"In my bed, but--"
"You're what?!" Romeo charged up stairs in an unnecessary rage and stormed towards Dominic's room.
"Wait!" Dominic ran up after him, and cut him off before he got in to wake Tia up. "I have a serious question before you, rush in there and wake her up."
"Toretto! Move!"
"Man, there is nothing to even work yourself up over. If you haven't noticed all my clothes are on, and hers are the same way. Now shut up and let me ask my question."
"Fine," Ro appeared to still be fuming, but at least he was letting Dom talk.
"What do you do when your sister cries?"
"I don't know Toretto, she's your sister you should already know the answer to that. Now move."
"No. Romeo I really meant your sister. What do you do when Tia cries?"
"I don't know. I've never had to deal with it. She hasn't cried a tear since she was little, and I haven't seen a bit a of saline to prove other wise."
Dom was silent for a moment, "Well she cried today." He wasn't breaking his promise just by mentioning that. When Ro was too stunned to say anything, Dominic continued, "She did. She cried today. We were talking about why she froze in what seemed to me to be a great deal of fear, when the black Porsche drove by. She said it was her father, and as we kept talking, she cried. She cried herself to sleep. She probably cried all of the tears in her pretty little head."
"Wait. Stop. Rewind. Black Porsche?"
"She said it was her dad."
"Fuck! He's still looking for her!" Ro took a deep, quieting breath when Dominic motioned for him to lower his voice, "He can't find her Dominic. He'll kill her if he gets his hands on her."
"Yeah I know," Dom's voice was nearly inaudible, but quickly grew with a conviction, "Don't worry. I-- we. We wont let him find her, and if by some minute chance that he does, he'll be dead before he ever touches her."
Around this time Tia opened the door to Dominic's bedroom, and looked at the two men. The tell-tale signs were all there: the red and puffy eyes, the tear stained cheeks, the black of smudged mascara. "I don't want to talk about it," she said to her brother when he opened his mouth to speak. And when she lifted her arm, to smack him as she scolded him about being so loud when people were sleeping, she winced and clutched her shoulder, breath hissing between her teeth.
"What happened to you, Tia?"
"Didn't Mia tell you already? Bruises and a twisted ankle."
Romeo blinked, "How'd you know that's what Mia told me?"
"Because were hiding behind the counter, you ass. He's not really sick, I wasn't, as you put it, baby-sitting him. I over slept, which is fine because I wasn't exactly in a condition to be efficient today."
"She has the scrapes and bruises that Mia mentioned. The knuckles are from punching Vince before the race. She busted her lip on the siren of a cop car, was shot in the shoulder, and the lump on the back of her head, as well as the scrape on her face, which albeit minimal, were acquired on the way down. The bumper and pavement being the attackers."
"You were shot?" Romeo reached out and prodded the wound.
"Ow! Don't touch it!" Tia right hand came up and smacked Ro in the face. "That hurts damnit!"
Dominic chuckled. That had been a good sign at least, she was becoming her usual self again. Maybe she'd be regaining some of her broken spirit, some of her strength, and maybe acquired some faith in the process. At least, faith in him, and in her ability to survive. "You guys should probably head on home."
"Yeah, go start the car Romeo, I have to get my shoes."
The intimidating look had Romeo silently obeying Tia's command. He swiftly moved back down the stairs, and out the door. He hopped into that Ford Mustang and started her up. He put the top down, it was a warm night, and turned the radio up, because it was also too quiet, and he felt like being a disturbance.
Tia limped back into Dominic's room and picked up her purse, it had ended up on the floor somewhere in her journey, then took the boot Dom had gotten from the bathroom, and the one from his room and crammed them into her purse. She let Dominic help her down the stairs, but turned to face him once they reached the front door. "I want to thank you, for... what you did for me today. It helped, a lot, actually."
"I made you cry though. If I hadn't asked about it, you wouldn't have talked about it, and you wouldn't have cried." Dom grabbed her coat off the hanger by the door and slipped it around Tia's shoulders. His hands lingered, though, after the action was done.
"It wasn't your fault Dominic. You were curious. I'm not dead, and your not dead, we're not the hypothetical cats in the saying. You got me to cry. That's a good thing. I hadn't cried since Mommy died. I tried to cry when... but he wouldn't let me. I needed to cry Dominic. What you did needed to be done. I'm grateful for that."
"But--"
"But nothing, Dominic. You are my angel. You promised to protect me, and keep me safe, and always be with me, and you've already started. It's like passing go and collecting two-hundred dollars kind of good. Now be an angel Dominic," Tia's hands pressed against Dom's expansive chest, "Stop worrying."
"It's my job to worry, Princess." Those brown eyes traveled downward, and his thumb rubbed lightly over the bruised part of her mouth. Tia trembled and he spoke, "Can I kiss you?" he whispered.
Tia was breathless the second his flesh touched her mouth, "If you promise to be careful."
Dominic tilted her head upwards slightly, and leaned down, "I promise," He whispered just before his mouth touched feather light against hers.
"Tia! Come on!" The horn of that Mustang blared, and Romeo shouted, "Time to go! How long does it take to get shoes?!"
Tia whipped around to glare venomously out the side windows. She cursed under her breath then turned back to Dominic, "I told you he was a pain in the ass." Her fingers brushed feather light against his cheek and she offered him a smile before turning and leaving out of the house. "I'm coming you ass! What's your fucking hurry?!"
Dominic leaned in the door way and waved at his friends has they left. Her smiled had made him feel like everything would be all right. It was a smile that fixed everything, a smile that made everything okay, but it was temporary. Dominic frowned slightly. Would he be able to protect her if Aidan found her? Or better asked, how would he protect her if her step- father came? "Easy," he spoke allowed as he shut the door, "I'd beat the shit out of him."
