A/N - Thanks for the reviews. Thanks to my girl, jaws, who just helped me get over a 3 week writers block. Now the story is flowing again. Hopefully that won't happen again. Anywho, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy. Please read and review. Thanx.
Chapter 5: Secret Revealed
~~~~~ A few weeks later ~~~~~
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and Mia was just closing up the store for the day, when she had a really good idea. She wasn't sure if the team would go for it but thought it has been so long that it couldn't hurt. She quickly picked up her keys and left for the garage. Ten minutes later she pulled up to the garage and headed inside. As usual, the team was all gathered together arguing under the hood of a car.
"Ahem!"
"Hey Mi, wasup?" Leon acknowledged.
"I was just closing up the shop when I had an idea." Mia announced.
"Well?" Vince drawled.
"What do you guys think about having a cookout?" Mia asked biting her lower lip.
"Don't know. Never thought about it. Maybe cause D ain't here."
"I know he ain't here, V. But you could work the grill? Come on, just because my brother isn't here to cook, we can't have a cookout? If we wait for him to come back, how are we ever going to get back to normal?" Mia asked all of them.
"It'll never be normal again, Mi. Ya know that." Let said with that look on her face. The one she and Mia share.
"I know that, but I just think it would be nice to have some fun again. We all used to just sit around and have a good time. And talk." Mia said looking directly at Letty.
All at once Letty understood what Mia was trying to tell her. Letty turned around and said, "Ya know what? Mi's got a point. Let's have a BBQ tonight and have some fun."
"Sure." Jesse said, "Why not?"
"Aight." Leon said, "Count me in, girl."
"Whatever." Vince told them.
"Good. I'm going to head on home and get started and you guys finish up here. Don't take too long, okay?" Mia announced.
"I'll get the beer on my way home." said Letty.
Mia jumped in her car and went home. As she pulled up into the drive, she told herself, Tonight's the night.
Mia was in the kitchen when she heard the team pull up. As the door opened, she heard the team laughing. Mia smiled, thinking that this cookout had been a great idea. She planned to tell the guys her secret after everyone had finished eating. And with Let there for support she knew she would be able to do it. She was mixing the macaroni salad when Let and V came in carrying several six packs of Corona. They put them in the fridge, grabbed a couple for everyone and headed for the back yard.
"V, the chicken is there on that platter. Why don't you go ahead and fire up the grill and get started?"
"Sure." Vince replied grabbing the plate and walking out the back door.
"Need any help?" Letty asked sitting down at the table.
"No, not with this. But you will help me later, won't you Let?"
"You know it, girl. I'm here for ya." Letty said with a wink.
"Thanks. Now get outside and make sure V doesn't burn the food or himself on that grill." Mia said with a smile.
Letty grinned and got up from the table. She grabbed herself a Corona and headed out to the back yard with the guys. After about twenty minutes, supper was ready and they all came to the table to eat. Vince set the plate of chicken in the middle of the table. When they sat down, everyone noticed that Dom was missing. Everyone sat quietly for a few minutes thinking of him. It was Jesse who spoke first.
"I miss him." Jesse said.
"We all miss him, dawg." Leon said patting Jesse on the back.
"Yeah Jess and I'm sure he misses you." Mia said with a reassuring smile.
Jesse smiled and nodded. Then without thinking, he grabbed for the chicken.
"Ah hah! Now you gotta say grace." Letty smiled.
"Yeah man, tradition." said Vince.
"Okay. Dear heavenly spirit, thank you for this food, for my friends, and for my car. I would also like to ask that you bring Dom home. We all need him. Amen."
"Amen." They all said in unison.
"Let's eat!" Vince growled.
Twenty minutes later, everyone had finished. They had talked about the cars they were working on. And they had discussed racing. Vince wanted to start racing again. He knew it wouldn't be the same without Dom but he wanted to anyway. He told them that he had run into Hector today and said there would be a race this coming Friday. V told them he was going. Letty and Leon said that they would come along, although neither felt like racing. Jess said he didn't want to. He didn't want to run into a Tran. And Mia told them she would stay home, the only reason she went anyway was to support her brother. Soon they all got up and went inside to watch a movie.
The guys argued on which movie to watch. Vince and Leon wanted to watch Gone in 60 Seconds, while Letty and Jesse wanted to watch The Fast and The Furious. While the guys argued, Mia cleaned up in the kitchen. Ten minutes later, when Mia had finished, they were still arguing. So, Mia wiped her hands on a towel and headed for the living room.
"Hey guys!" Mia yelled. "Why don't you forget the movie? I have something I really need to tell you anyway. Could you all come sit in the dining room? Please?" Mia said quietly.
Letty walked into the dining room and sat down. Confused, the other three followed suit. After everyone was seated, Mia walked to the head of the table and stood. Looking at Letty she took a deep breath and sighed.
"What is it Mi?" Leon asked.
"I have something I need to tell everyone and I'm afraid you'll be upset."
"We won't get upset." Vince said.
"Yeah, you can tell us." Jesse assured her.
Mia drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She looked around the room and then at Letty, who nodded and gave her a reassuring grin.
Smiling she announced, "I'm pregnant."
The room was silent. Vince, Leon, and Jesse all sat with their mouths open. Apparently in shock. Vince spoke first.
"How?"
"How do ya think, stupid?" Letty snapped.
Vince closed his eyes a moment. Her and Brian! Suddenly angry, Vince stood.
"Vince?" Mia asked.
"Excuse me." Vince ground out. And with that, he stormed through the kitchen and out the back door.
Mia looked to Letty, who just whispered, "Let him go for now."
Vince walked across the back yard and kicked a trash can near the garage. It tumbled across the driveway and landed in a bush. God dammit! Why the fuck did this have to happen? Why did that motherfucker have to come into our lives. Dammit Dom, I told you he was a cop but you didn't listen. Now he's ruined Mia's life. The girl I've had feelings for ever since high school. But she won't even pay attention to me anymore. Now I know why. That asshole got her pregnant and gave her a permanent reminder of him. I thought that maybe someday she would be able to forget him and give me a chance. Now that will never happen. Vince went and up-righted the trash can and then went over to the picnic table to sit.
~~~~~ Meanwhile inside ~~~~~
"Wow!" Jesse said still trying to let the words sink in.
"How long?" Leon asked.
"Almost three months." Mia replied.
"Does Dom know?" came Leon's next question.
"No, I couldn't tell him over the phone. I was afraid he wouldn't come home if I told him." Mia answered.
"It's Brian's. Isn't it?" Jesse asked.
Mia took a deep breath. "Yes Jess, this is Brian's child." Mia told him.
The room grew silent again. Mia was hoping Leon and Jesse were not angry. She couldn't tell by what she saw on their faces.
"Okay." Leon said.
"Okay, what?" Mia asked nervously.
"Just, okay." He said.
"So you guys aren't mad?" Mia asked slowly.
"Hell no, Mi! We're happy for ya." said Leon as a wide smile formed on his face.
"Oh man, I'm gonna be an uncle!" Jesse said, as that realization struck.
Letty gave Mia the I-told-you-so look and said, "I'm gonna be an aunt and you dumbasses are gonna be uncles."
"Of course, you're all my family." Mia told them happily. "And since you're not mad at me, will you guys help me and Letty tell Dom when he comes home?"
"Of course we will, girl." Leon replied.
"Yeah, we'll help ya, sis." Jesse told her.
"Thanks guys." Mia said, her eyes getting misty.
Leon and Jesse stood up from their chairs, rounded the table, and hugged her. She hugged them back fiercely. Suddenly remembering Vince, she pulled away from them. "What about V?"
"Let us talk to him for a few minutes. You go pick the movie." Letty said pointing to the living room.
When the guys walked out the back door they found Vince sitting on top of the picnic table with his back to the house. Slowly, they walked over to him.
"You okay, dawg? Leon asked as he rounded the table.
"No man, I'm not! I can't fucking believe this!" Vince yelled.
"Why?" Letty asked.
"This motherfucker weasels his way into our team, then screws us over, leaves Mia with a permanent reminder of his punk ass and then splits without lookin' back." Vince yells.
"He fuckin' didn't have to leave her with a permanent reminder, V! She loves him!" Letty told him. "Whether or not that kid happened, she would've always remembered him."
"And Brian didn't screw us over, dawg." Leon said climbing up to sit next to him. "He kept our asses out of prison by not turnin' us in to the feds. He let us go! He let D go, man."
"And have you hit your fuckin' head recently, or did you forget that he saved your stupid ass?" Letty snapped out.
"Don't forget that he went after the Trans and killed Johnny after they gunned me down." Jesse reminded him.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Vince mumbled.
"So ya see, V? Brian really ain't that bad." Letty drawled. "Look, man, I know you have feelings for Mia but I think you know that something between you and her just wouldn't work. You've been friends too long for that to happen. And with Dom gone right now, she needs us to be there for her. So, are ya with us?"
Vince thought about it for a minute and then sadly replied, "Yeah, I'm with ya."
"Then lets go tell her." Jesse announced heading for the house.
When Vince walked into the living room, Mia stood up from the couch. Nervously, she asked, "You okay, V?" Vince walked over to couch and gave her a tight hug.
"I'll be okay. It'll just take some gettin' used to." Vince replied.
Then they all sat down to watch the movie. About twenty minutes in, Mia decided that she was tired. So she got up off the couch, told everyone goodnight and headed for the stairs.
In her room, Mia changed into an oversized t-shirt and pulled her hair back. As she laid down to sleep, she laid a hand on her abdomen and thought of Brian. Brian, where are you? I know why you left. I just hope that someday you can come back to me and our child. With Brian on her mind, Mia drifted to sleep.