A/N- today's installment inspired by Christina Agueilera and Gavin DeGraw, and that old standby, Girlfight.

A/N 2- not proof read. Just posting so you can get your fix. Sorry for any/all errors.

Things slowly moved from tense to… less tense around the fort.

Vince went back to work at the garage and brought Leon with him. Despite the fact that they were wary of each other, Leon and Dom became close pretty quickly.

Dom also took Jesse out one afternoon for lunch and they had some sort of cathartic male bonding session so now Dom has fewer bruises but a longer shadow.

You'd swear the sun rose and set on Dom's ass.

Every conversation I had with Jess included exactly three examples of how great and generous Dom was, and two inquiries into how long I thought it'd be before we got back together.

It was almost comical.

I managed to go exactly seventeen days without seeing Dom. My life wasn't empty exactly- I mean I got that job at LAX and was learning new stuff all the time. But not having to keep tables on everyone and work 14 hour days at the same time- well compared to my life back then I had a lot of free time.

I worked on my car a lot, helped Abuela in the kitchen- shit like that. Mia came over sometimes and we did stupid shit like paint our nails and I don't know, act our age for once.

By unspoken agreement she didn't mention Dom unless it was in the context of the guys in general.

So I was totally surprised when she conned me into a night out and we "accidentally" ran into Dom. Who obviously knew we were going to be there. As did the rest of the team. If Mia hadn't made sure I looked my best I would have killed that conniving little brat. But seeing as looked hot and damn well knew it, I just shook my head and laughed when the boys approached my car.

"That was cold Mia."

"What, you think hanging around while the two of you play Romeo and Juliet has been fun for us?" Mia looked at me as if she were looking at a child.

"Whatever. I'm going to get out now and make nice because I'm in a good mood. But don't pull this shit again, got that?" I waved my finger at her as I armed the arm on my car.

"Just think about why you're in a good mood," Mia taunted as she joined Jesse, Vince and the late coming Leon.

Damn, Leon too? "E tu Leon?" I asked with a grin. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it off my face.

He shrugged but disappeared behind Dom's fast approaching figure.

Everyone disappeared when Dom came into view. They always did. Maybe always would.

"How you livin Torretto?" I asked as I trailed my fingers up and down his chest, not looking him in the eyes as he responded in turn by putting his hands on my hips.

"The path of righteousness is lonely without you Letty." Dom whispered as he pulled me into a light embrace.

I hugged him and breathed in his sent. I'm Home, I thought for a moment before letting him go. Stepping away awkwardly, I saw that he still had our ring on.

"What do you say," I asked taking his left hand in mine, "when people ask you about this?" I played with the ring with my right thumb.

"Let," he whispered conspiratorially, "you know what?"

"What?" I asked, smiling as I looked into his eyes. I felt my heart stop and start again raggedly as I drank in his features.

"They don't ask. I think it's cause they're afraid of me."

"Yeah?" I say, still smiling. I feel like a cheerleader. Next thing you know I'll be twirling my hair in my finger.

He nods solemnly. "I'm a man on a mission. Gotta win my wife back. I don't have time for their bull shit, and they know it."

"Sounds like a lot of work." I feel the cold firm steal of my car pressing against my back. Dom's got me against it somehow and I never noticed.

"She's worth it," he smiles, giving me a wry look. "The only part I'm having trouble with is proving to her that I'm worth it."

"Oh yeah?" I swallow as he starts to nuzzle my neck.

"Mmmhm." He nibbles on my pulse point, my ear, my lips.

"I want to tell her all the stuff I've been doin, but she won't see me, won't talk to me. You'll tell her though, right?"

"What do you want me to tell her?" I gasp as he rubs his body against mine oh so very slowly.

"I enrolled n classes at the community college. How to run a small business and accounting." He pulls back and looks at me. "I gave up drinking- at least for now."

His voice is serious now as he keeps talking. My head rests against his chest as he continues.

"I talked to everyone and told them I was sorry that I screwed up- with Linder and with you- but that I was going to do everything I could to make it right." He rubs my back as I do the same for him.

"Was it hard?" I ask looking up at him.

He looks away and nods. "Mia was the hardest. I told her as much as I could- about what was going on between you and me. I didn't tell her everything cause I wasn't sure what you wanted her to know. She's disappointed in me. I can tell."

"She still loves you Dom," I soothe.

"I know, but it sucks to know you've let someone down. It also was… unpleasant to know she' thinks some of our problems stem from her. I know she knows better intellectually, but it really is like you and me are getting a divorce for her. No matter what you tell kids, they blame themselves…" He sighs and notices my chain.

His fingers trace the chain down and find the dog tags and my wedding ring. He grins for a moment and then kisses my forehead.

"What?" I say blushing. "You still wear yours."

Dom winks and strokes my face. "I'm just surprised is all. No, it's good." He looks at me for a moment before stepping back. "I'm serious about needing to talk to you Let. How am I supposed to prove to you I'm making changes if I can't see you?"

I sigh and cross my arms over my chest. "Just cause this meeting is going well doesn't mean we're ready-"

"I know that." Dom insists as he cuts me off. "I'm just stating the obvious here lLet. Jess can't relay everything to you for me."

I laugh as Dom rubs his neck and looks distressed. "So it was a set up."

Dom shrugs and stands tall. "I'm glad you find this amusing."

I sigh realizing Dom is dead serious. "Fine. What do you suggest?"

"Date night. Once a week. Wednesdays, if you're available." He looked so… serious standing there, all dressed up and shit.

I want to be too, but all I can think about is getting him home and under me. I'm glad it's dark or the flush in my face would give away my dirty thoughts.

"Aight." I nod in agreement after a moment. "But if we're doing Wednesdays again, we're doing them how we used to. No sex, at least not yet."

Dom winces, but nods. "That's fair."

"Good." I looked at the others and have to bite my lip. The boys are goofing around, but Mia is watching us intently. "So what did Mia say that convinced you to surprise me tonight?"

"She said you stopped changing the subject when my name came up. She said that yesterday you even asked a question about me." Dom intertwines our fingers as he leans against my car. "And Leon said you put a picture of us in your locker at LAX."

"Mmm. So you though you'd accidentally arrange to accidentally be in the same spot I was in?"

"Mmmhm." His breath is warm and minty, sending chills down my spine. "I love you. I wanted to see you. I miss you."

I could feel a blush rising again. When he talked like this all I wanted to do was get into my car and drive away somewhere with him….

"I don't want to be anything other than what I've been trying to be lately Mira- and that's the me you know I can be," he whispers into my ear.

I smile and kiss his hand. "That's sweet. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to get lucky tonight."

"Any night I get to spend with you is my lucky night. You're the only prize worth winning." Dom kisses my hands now, mirroring the act I'd just performed.

"So I'm still your trophy?" I ask, stroking his cheek.

"Yes ma'am," Dom nods like a school boy.

I laugh and can't help it- I just kiss him.

The kiss gets out of hand pretty quickly. I can feel myself approaching the starting line, pulse roaring. Even though I know this is not a race, that part of me that only Dom can satisfy is crying out for me to push the pedal to the metal, hit the nos and fly.

"I'm sorry," Dom groans. And pushes himself away from both me and the car. "I didn't come here tonight for this. I swear Letty." He makes a fist and then rubs his head with both hands. Who'd a thought he'd look hella sexy without hair?

"Fuck it, let's go Dom." I use the remote to unlock my car and throw him the keys as I walk around to the passenger side.

My heart is flirting with the redline right now but I can't get enough.

I don't have to tell him twice. He's in the car faster than the flag can drop. We're out of the parking lot and back to the Fort before the Team even notices we've gone.

Laughing we run upstairs. Dom catches me in the hallway and kisses me till my head spins.

I'm whimpering and begging in Spanish almost instantaneously.

It feels right when Dom answers me using my native tongue.

Whoever said French was the language of love must have been smoking crack.

Dom picks me up and carries me into the master bedroom. He turns on the lights and I see that he's made a lot of changes to it.

"Do you like it?" Dom asks, his voice anxious.

"I…" Looking around the room, I see the easel he's set up for me next to the bay window he's installed. The cushions on the window seat match the pillows on the bed. It's all just like-

"I took the sketches from the journal and tried to make it how you wanted it." Dom kisses my ear and takes me on a tour of the room, pointing out everything he hadn't done yet and apologizing for it.

"Baby don't do that- don't apologize. It's beautiful. I love it," I say stroking his cheek.

"It's just that I thought I'd have more time." He realizes that somehow that wasn't exactly the most romantic thing to say and starts to blush. "I mean- I just- I"

"You didn't think I'd be that easy, huh?" I grin. "That's okay. I didn't think I would be either." I wink and push him onto the bed.

Forgive me father for I have sinned. Or tried to anyways. When I let Dm take me home I meant to have my wicked way with him- or at least let him have his wicked way with me.

I suppose I should have been more specific in my plans.

Dom tortured me for almost two hours and yes he fucked with me.

But we did not have good old fashioned sexual intercourse.

I begged for it. Believe me I did.

During my few coherent moments that night I begged Dom so hard, loud and long that I was hoarse all the next day.

But I did not, in a word, get my wish.

The man tortured me for two hours using every possible combination of his hands and mouth. He defied the laws of physics with some of the positions he maneuvered us into.

But no.

He did not -would not- give it to me.

I begged.

But no.

I should be grateful. Most women never get to experience the heights Dom drove me to.

Instead I was embarrassed.

So I did something which I admit was stupid.

I tried to pick a fight with him.

Only he wouldn't have it. He just laughed at me.

We were lying in bed sometime after I'd shattered for the third time.

I must have been crying because when I was finally coherent, Dom was wrapped around me saying soothing things. In Spanish of course.

I felt so… stupid because I wanted him again already and I'd already- but he'd made it clear he wouldn't.

I tried to twist out of his arms as my tears turned from unconscious ones to frustrated ones.

When I jabbed him in the ribs Dom cursed. "What the fuck, Let?"

"Get off me." I sniffed and tried again to roll off him.

Dom made a face but wouldn't let me go. With amazing ease he pinned me firmly under him with my hands over my head. "No."

I fought him and myself. "Let me go Dominic."

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Dom growled, making me quiver- to my disgust.

"Not you." I spat and looked away, tossing my head, my nostrils flaring.

That's when the SOB laughed. "You're pissed because I won't fuck you."

I refuse to answer and try to look bored, a rather difficult task when you're naked under the man you've been deprived of for so long you're- Don't think about it Letty.

Dom puts one hand between us and I start to whimper. Within 15 seconds I'm begging. God.

"Is this what you want?" Dom asks, slipping one finger deep.

"Dominic…" I gasp. "No more games. Just Do It. Fuck Dom. Please!" I'm so desperate my hips just about fly up off the bed.

I can hear the laughter in his voice- it's like ice.

I feel so fucking humiliated because I can't control myself around him and he is 100 in control.

I stiffen and start to cry again.

"I need to get away from you. I need to walk away from you." I sob turning away from him. "You hold me prisoner. I'm about to break. I can't stop this ache. I'm addicted to your love and I'm feigning for a cure. Every step I take leads to one mistake…"

I curl up tightly and start to shake. It hurts my soul cause I can't let go- I hate to show that I lost control.

Dom laughs sadly and rolls off me. "I'm not some dirty drug habit you need to be ashamed of. I'm your husband."

He sits up and stares off into space. "That was part of the reason left me. I loose control and I'm a bastard. I maintain control and I'm a bastard. There's no pleasing you, is there? You're the one who said no sex yet."

I know I'm acting crazy, but I've spent the better part of two years being rational and reasonable. I'm a teenager. I'm supposed to be volatile. I sit up and pull my knees to my chest, cross my arms over them and tuck my chin in so I'm drawn in tight.

Dom smiles wearily at my silence. "We're still broken Letty. I do want you, I swear to God I do. But if we can't go one day without screaming and crying, then we're not ready. You know that. You knew that before I did, remember?"

"I just- I needed you tonight Dom. I needed you to make love to me and you wouldn't. It felt like the same old thing. Like I needed you but you didn't need me."

"Baby, I WAS making love to you. Tonight was all about you."

I snort. One of my less lady like habits. "It's not the same. It was lonely. And you don't talk to me. I can't know what you're thinking if you don't talk to me. It… It sucks that you're always in control of things between you and me. It's like you make all the decisions about us."

Dom shakes his head. "Letty I was in jail for two years. You made all the decisions."

"But not about us. You said when we should have a relationship. You said what we would do and when we could have sex. Then you said we should get married. Then you basically said when it was over." It's painful for me to admit these things to him, but I do cause I know I need to.

Dom sighs and turns so that he's looking me straight in the eye. "It's not over. It will never be over between us, not even if for some reason we wanted it to be. I'm still pissed you lied to me for two fucking years, but I don't throw that in your face every chance I get. You're the one who's filing Letty, not me."

"Because you fucked God knows how many women while I- Shit. I'm not getting into this again." I stop myself.

"I know it won't make things better, but for the record, I do regret it." Dom says quietly. "And it wasn't like what we did tonight. With you- I finally found somebody I care more about more than myself."

Despite this being one of the most painful conversations I've ever had with him, I laugh.

"So I'm somebody, huh?"

"Yeah. You are."