Jezzie drove for hours, for days, for as long as she could. She drove to Miami, Florida. She wasn't sure why, she just drove. When she reached Miami she rented an apartment, found a job a local dinner, cut her hair and dyed it blonde, and kept herself hidden. It was a month before she worked up the nerves to go racing. At her first race, she ran into Brian. He introduced her to his friends: Tej, Jimmy, Suki, and Rome. After she met them she cut her hair shorter, dyed it different shades of blue, and got green contacts, she even re-painted her car.
It had been 3 months since Jezzie took off, since Vince and Jesse went into the hospital. Both were out of the hospital and the team, minus Brian and Jezzie, were still living in the same house. Dom, Mia, Letty, Vince, Jesse, and Leon went to Baja, Mexico for a 2-week long vacation, which was much needed. They came back to no problems. No cops on their back, nothing. Thanks to Brian.
Vince had a snake like scar on his arm, starting near the shoulder and wrapping around down past his elbow. He also had a scar on the left side of his stomach from the bullet. Jesse had 3 bullet hole scars on his chest; he was lucky. And now the team was back to doing what they loved, racing and working at the store and the garage. They still had tons of money left over from the trucks, so they were set for a while.
But that didn't help ease the soreness of Jezzie leaving.
"Mia, please stop crying!" Letty said, patting Mia's back. The team was at the garage, and someone just brought a blue Mitsubishi Lancer in and it reminded Mia of Jezzie. Letty sighed and looked around for Dom. Letty and Dom broke up a couple of weeks after Jezzie took off and everything went bad. It just wasn't working between them. Letty couldn't see Dom so she figured he was under a car working.
"I'm sorry," She wiped away the tears. "But I miss Jez so much. But yet I hate her for leaving." Letty pulled away from Mia as Mia scrunched up her face.
"Mia? Come on, you know you could never hate Jez." Letty said. Mia sighed and nodded. "Plus you know she must have had a really good reason for leaving."
"Yeah. Ok. Hmm...Look, somebody's here." Mia said. A girl had just walked through the door, looking around. Mia walked over to the girl and noticed she was wearing a baseball cap over her head, which covered her face.
"Hi, how can I help you?" Mia asked; the girl smiled.
"Hey, my battery died right outside. I was actually coming up here to get my oil changed, but when I parked, my battery died too." The girl explained. Her voice was light and smooth and had a small bit of a Spanish accent. Each word was clear and crisp. Mia smiled at the girl.
"Ok, follow me." Mia walked into the office and motioned for the girl to sit. "I'll be right back." Mia left the office and walked over to Dom.
The girl sat on the chair in the office. She was pissed that her car kept breaking down. That battery never lasted for more than a week before it'd die again. The girl was tired of being in and out of automotive shops; she just wanted to be away from them. Which was odd since she had helped at the garage in Miami when she dated her ex-boyfriend. They were still friends, and he had somehow convinced her to come to L.A. with him, along with the rest of the guys from the garage.
"Dom," Mia said when she reached Dom. He turned and looked at her. He was tired, emotionally and physically. He'd been searching for Jezzie ever since she left, but there was no sign of her. If he ever did find her, or if she came back, he'd hold onto her, ask her why she left, then give her as much as hell as he would be able to, which he knows wouldn't be a lot.
"Yeah?" Dom said, his voice full of tiredness. Mia felt like crying every time she saw her brother.
"There's a girl in the office, said her battery died out front." Mia said. Dom looked at the office, he could see the girl sitting, a baseball cap on her head, and he could see hair sticking out the back.
"Alright, have Leon do it." Dom said, he turned back around and went back to working on the Honda. Mia looked around the garage and saw Leon and Jesse working on a Ford. She walked over to them. Out of everyone, Leon took Jezzie leaving the worst. He felt that it was fault and that if he had just trusted her and hadn't been such an ass, she wouldn't have left. He loved her so much and nothing could erase her. He started dating Silvia a month ago, but he wasn't truly happy, he didn't know if he could ever be, but he loved Silvia a lot, and he tried his best to be happy when he was with her. He never lied to her, he never cheated on her, and he gave her his all. Unlike he did with Jezzie.
"Hey Leon." Mia said when she reached them. He looked up and smiled.
"What's up?" He asked; he wiped his hands on a rag.
"There's a girl in the office, her battery died out front." Mia said. Leon nodded and followed Mia into the office. The girl looked up when they entered.
"This is Leon," Mia said, pointing at him. "He'll work on your car for you." Mia said. The girl smiled and stood up, sticking out her hand. Leon took her hand in his and they shook. Then they pulled them away.
"My name's Monica, Monica Fuentes. Do you need me to go with you?" She asked. Leon nodded.
"Alright. Uh, go with him and then come back up here and we'll sort everything else out, k?" Mia said. Monica smiled and nodded. She led Leon out of the office, out of the garage (after he picked up a few tools), and down to the street. Lone whistled when he saw her car, a Dodge Viper with blue and yellow paint. He put the tools on the ground and popped the hood.
"Oh holy hell. Damn girl, you race in this?" He asked. She shook her head.
"No, my ex-boyfriend and my friends in Miami put it together for me for my 26th birthday." He nodded and went to work.
"How long you guys been up here?" He asked.
"Almost two weeks. One of Brian's old friends met up with him in Miami about a month and a half ago and then we moved up here. Her parents bought her a house and we all live in it together." Monica replied.
"Do your friends race?" Leon asked. Monica nodded.
"Yeah. They were the best down in Miami." Leon smiled and went back to working. An hour later, he replaced her battery with a brand new one and changed her oil. He shut the hood, picked up his tools, and followed her back up to the garage. He dropped off the tools and they went into the office, where Mia and Dom were. She sat with Mia and filled out some paper work.
"Jesus, Brian is going to kill me. This is the third time in a month that I've gotten my battery fixed, though this is the first time that somebody's actually changed the battery." She smiled but noticed everyone else has shocked looks on their faces. "What? Did I say something wrong?" She asked.
"Brian? What's his last name?" Mia asked.
"O'Connor? Why?" Dom slammed his hands on his desk, which made Monica jump. "What's going on?" She looked back at Mia.
"Is he here?" Mia asked quietly. Monica nodded.
"Yeah. We're staying in a house with an old friend of his. Why? Wait a minute...you guys aren't the ones he let get away, are you?" She looked at Dom and her jaw dropped. "Oh holy shit. Brian's going to freak when he finds out you guys are still here."
"Why?" Leon asked.
"He thought you guys would be long gone by now, plus he thinks you guys hate his guts." Monica watched Dom. He shook his head.
"No, I need to thank him, Vince too. He saved our lives. Because of him we were able to take a vacation and come back and not be in trouble. We just want to thank him." Monica smiled.
"So I can tell him to drop by?" Monica asked, looking from face to face, and each face greeted her with a nod. "Alright. Well, I better be going. We're supposed to be going to the races tonight. You guys going to be there?" Dom nodded. "Great. See you all there." Monica smiled and left, wondering how Brian would react.
"Bullshit." Suki said, watching Brian's face. He smirked and flipped over the cards, 3 Ace's just like he said. Suki cursed and picked up all the cards.
"You can't beat Brian at bullshit Suki, accept it." Tej said, laughing.
"No, I will. One of these days I will." She put two cards on the table. "2 ones." She said. Jimmy walked outside followed by J, the friend of Brian's who was letting them stay with her. She brushed her blue hair out of her face and put the corona's on the table. She sat next to Rome who was just staring at his cards.
"No one can beat Brian at bullshit. Brain is the worlds best bullshitter." J said, laughing. "Come on Ro, it's your turn." She said, elbowing him; he growled in response.
"1 two." He said, putting his card on the table. J winked her green eyes at Suki.
"BULL FUCKING SHIT ROME!!" Suki screamed, throwing her hands up. Rome's face fell.
"What? Nu uh!!" He yelled. J burst out laughing. Rome looked at her. "It was you! Ahh!! I knew it! J!!" Rome stood up and threw his cards on the table. "It's been you the whole time! I can't believe this! Cheated by my own girl!!" Everyone was laughing. J stood up and started backing away from Rome.
"I don't know what you're talking about Rome. You know I'd never cheat you. Come on Rome!" Rome chased after her. The raced around the backyard; finally Rome caught her and picked her up by her waist, holding her in a fireman's carry. Monica walked into the backyard from the garage and smiled at Rome and J. Rome carried her back towards the group and then threw her in the pool.
"Aww Rome. You're so mean to J." Monica said, taking the seat next to Jimmy. Rome looked at her; then went and sat back in his seat as J got out of the pool.
"She cheated me. She told Suki I had a bullshit." Rome picked his cards back up, and the ones in the pile, and watched as J, soaking wet, her white tank top showing her blue bathing suit top underneath, walked back to her seat and sat down.
"That water is cold." She said. Everyone burst out laughing. Rome looked her up and down.
"Wet's a good look for ya girl." He said, smiling. J flipped him off and everybody laughed again.
"So Monica, how did it go?" Suki asked as the group started playing again.
"I got a new battery." Monica said, a huge smile on her face. She knew J and Brian were going to freak out when she told them where.
"Where'd you get it done at?" Brian asked as he put his cards down.
"DT Automotive." She said. J spit out her beer on the table, which landed on the cards, and Brian dropped his cards.
"Say what?" J said; she and Brian looked at Monica. J grabbed a towel and started cleaning the cards off.
"Yeah. It's the same old team Brian. They don't hate you. They're going to be at the Races tonight." She looked at J. "It wouldn't hurt you to go." J scoffed.
"Are you kidding? I'd get my ass beaten up." J sighed.
"Oh please, J. Dom would never yell at you." Brian said; he put three cards on the table. "3 threes." J rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, just like I thought Leon would never yell at me?" J thought back to that day. It had been almost 4 months since she'd seen the team, she knew they hated her, whether they would admit it or not. She moved down to Miami a few days before Brian did. Though it took her a while before she met up with Brian. They moved back to L.A. only 2 weeks before, with Tej, Jimmy, Suki, Rome, and Monica. Neither Brian nor Jezzie expected Dom and the team to still be here.
Jezzie started going by J when she moved to Miami. She cut her hair shorter, dyed it a dark blue, and re-painted her car. It was dark green with 'J' in light green on the hood, with a hand with the middle finger sticking up painted next to it.
"You're going whether you like it or not J." Rome said. J glared at him.
"No." She said simply.
"I really hate you right now Rome." J said as they pulled up in the warehouse section where the racers begun. It was Rome and J in her car, Brian and Monica in Brian's Silver and Blue Skyline, Tej and Jimmy in Tej's car, and Suki in her pink car. Rome got out of the car, but J wouldn't move. Rome had to drive because J wouldn't. Rome leaned his head in the window.
"Please J." She shook her head. "Come on J, you're going to ruin all the fun tonight. Just get out of the car." She looked at him; he was doing his puppy dogface.
"Damn you Roman Pearce." She cursed at him, but got out of the car. She was wearing green camoflage Capri's, with her black combat boots, and a green tank top with the words 'Queen Racer' on the front. She walked over to the other side and stood next to Rome, arms across her chest. She was standing next to her car, nervous, but excited. Suki, Tej, Jimmy, Monica, and Brian stood near her.
"Damn, there are more people here then in Miami!" Suki said, looking around. J looked across the street and saw Hector.
"Hey Brian, it's Hector." J said, pointing over to him. Brian looked and smiled. Hector looked up and saw them.
"Well, well, well, looks like we got fresh meat for Dom tonight." Hector rubbed his hands together and went down a few cars, to Edwin.
"Yo Hector!" Edwin said. Hector motioned his head towards the group.
"Check it out." Edwin looked at smiled. "Snowman's back to play." Edwin and Hector walked over to the group.
"Snowman!" Hector said when they reached them. Brian laughed and they did their handshake. "Haven't seen you in a time. What brings you back?" Brian shrugged.
"Figured I'd take another shot at Dom." Hector and Dom laughed.
"Hey! He's a much better racer than before!" J said. Hector and Edwin looked at her, and then their eyes got big.
"Haha! Well if it isn't Jezzie! Damn girl, Toretto's been looking everywhere for you! He's gonna freak out when he sees you!" Hector said as he gave her a hug, then Edwin did.
"Please, oh please, tell me you are racing!" Edwin begged. J shook her head.
"I don't think so. I wouldn't want to beat Dom in public." She replied. Everybody laughed. But their laughs were soon droned out as the Toretto's racing team drove up in their customary V formation. J tensed next to Rome, her head spinning with a thousand thoughts. Rome felt her tense and slid his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him.
"It'll be aight girl. You always said Dom and the team would never touch you." He kissed the top of her head. "And if they do, I'll kick their ass. I may not be able to beat them, but I'll try." J smiled and hugged Rome. Rome had taken Dom's place as her protector. When they met they hit it off, only friends at first, but that turned into a sweet relationship that J had always wanted with Leon. Neither of them cheated on each other and there were no lies. She told Rome what happened soon after they met, she didn't want to lie anymore. But their relationship only lasted a month. They realized that they were too close to be dating.
Dom and the team got out of their cars, J noticed a girl get out of Leon's car. She had long blonde hair, but she was wearing blue jeans and one of Leon's basketball jerseys. Not the typical outfit for a race, J couldn't help but wonder who she was. Dom and the team walked over to Hector and Edwin, who were still standing by Brian and the group. Dom and Hector exchanged a handshake, but then Dom noticed Brian.
"Yo, O'Connor." Dom said, walking towards him.
"Hey Dom." Brian said. They stood awkwardly for a minute.
"Thanks dawg, you have no idea how much it meant to us." Dom finally said. Monica leaned over to J.
"I thought you said he was a hard ass." She whispered. J and Monica laughed, causing everyone to look at them. "Don't mind us, we're just a little off our knockers." Monica said, smiling. Brian smirked.
"A little?" He said. J reached over and hit Brian's arm.
"Watch it dude." She said. Dom looked at her, studying her face. Her hair looked almost exactly like it did when he first met her, except it was dark blue. Her eyes were also green, but her bone structure was just like Jezzie's.
"Jez?" He asked. J looked at him.
"Hey Dom...how's it going?" J asked, smiling. Dom and the team stood and stared at her for a while, not sure of what to do, Mia had silent tears streaming down her face.
"This is really awkward..." J said. Everybody muttered a 'yeah'. J turned to Hector. "So, how's it set up tonight?" She asked. Hector looked at Dom.
"Oh, uh, 1 race, 3 g buy in, winner takes all." He said, looking around.
"Ahh, hell yeah!" Edwin said as he reached in his pocket and pulled out his money.
"Edwin, I can't believe you still wasting your money like that! You could buy a ho with that, of course, you'd still only get the few seconds of lasting enjoyment." J said. Everyone laughed and Edwin chuckled.
"Glad to see you're still funny Jez. But I'd like to see you beat Dom and live to tell about it." Edwin replied. Everyone stared at J; she pulled a wad of money out of her hands.
"Alright, I'm in. Only because you know I can't turn down a challenge." She put the money in Hectors hands as everyone cheered. Brian handed his money over and everyone climbed into his or her cars to head for the street to race.
J sat in the drivers seat, her hands shaking. Rome grabbed her hand.
"Hey, J, it's ok. You're going to be ok." J looked at Rome, he could see fear and confusion in her eyes.
"I am so scared right now, you have no idea. Last time that Dom and I raced it was because we both had a boot up our ass and we were pissed at each other. Hell, I almost hit a fucking wall during 130! Jesus Rome, the thing that scares me the most is Dom being disappointed in me. He's been my family for so long and then I just ran out on him." She hit the steering wheel with her free hand, watching the cars fly past them. "What is my issue?" She looked back at Rome.
"Nothing, you're just weirded out by seeing Dom and the team. Just race and then everything'll come together later." J relaxed and let go of his hand to start the car.
"I can't believe she's back and oh my god she's moved on from Leon and they look so happy together and oh her hair is so beautiful and I couldn't really tell but I think she got green contacts and that Monica girl is really pretty." Mia cried as she sat in Letty's car. They were almost to the races and Mia had been crying the time and blabbering about crap. Letty always seemed to be the one Mia cried around.
"Leon moved on from her too, don't forget that." Letty said. Mia wiped her tears and looked up at her.
"I know, but this is too much for one day. I wonder what Leon's thinking..." Mia said. Letty looked at her, then back at the road and laughed.
"The little shit better be wishing he hadn't been an ass and he better be wishing he could get her back." Mia and Letty laughed.