Chapter 36: Drama

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July was up earlier than she would have liked, sleep eluding her just as she thought it would have. She took a quick shower, dressing in a simple black dress before leaving her room for the living room. She turned on the TV simply for the noise and listened. After a while she heard Mike get up and the shower turn on. It was only a little while later when he entered the living and sat down next to her after a bit, dressed in a conservative black suit. No words passed between them but they shared sad smiles.

Neither spoke a word about breakfast. They sat and listened to the TV until it got close to eleven. Mike let July drive to the cemetery, which let her know just how bad Mike was.

The funeral seemed to drag on, when all July wanted was for it to end quickly. It was hard standing there, looking at the casket that held someone you loved being spoken over and sent into the ground. It was even harder to keep herself together that she couldn't even begin to imagine what Mike was feeling.

There were many people around the grave, a larger crowd than she would have thought of. July saw a glimpse of Sam and Mary but she didn't try to seek them out or talk to them. July just held Mike's hand and stood beside him, speaking up for him when he stood silent. They made small talk with a few people that were close to Mike's mother and then they left, neither one looking back.

The next two days were filled with preparation for Mike to leave with her, which was fortunate. It kept both of them occupied, but there were moments when July found Mike staring at something and wouldn't hear her until she touched his shoulder. It made her worry about him.

Soon they had Mike's house taken care of and his stuff was packed and shipped to her house. It was early Wednesday morning when they found themselves at the airport waiting for their flight. They sat in chairs facing the runway, watching as the other planes came and went.

"JJ?" Mike said, never taking his eyes off the plane that was beginning to take off.

"Yeah?" July replied turning her head towards him but he never looked back at her.

"Mom said something that didn't make sense," he said quietly.

"What did she say?"

"Something about her job being done and whatnot. That it was over. I couldn't really make sense of it. It was probably nothing," Mike said, shaking his head and finally looking over at her, confusion written on his face.

"It probably was. Don't worry about it," she answered, patting his arm, but she couldn't help but wonder what Mike's mom had been talking about. The announcement of their plane boarding sent the thought from her mind and she herded Mike towards the attendant, arguing about who go the window seat.

Soon they were landing in LA. July had called ahead and Vince was going to pick them up. The plane touched down around seven and July couldn't help but feel like she was home. They picked up their luggage and walked outside, waiting for Vince's car to come around. Slowly, the blue Maxima pulled up next to them and July left all her stuff on the sidewalk to hug Vince as he got out of his car. It felt like months since she last had seen him. He was equally receiving and gave her a sound kiss before letting her go.

Vince offered Mike a handshake and the two of them put the luggage in the trunk together. They piled into the Maxima, Mike opting to sit in the back seat, and headed home.

The ride home was quiet. They arrived at July's house and Vince helped carry in their bags. The entryway was littered with Mike's boxes. With all three carrying boxes, they were able to get everything up to what would become Mike's room in only a few trips. July took her stuff to her room and changed into some work clothes as the guys carried up the heaviest of the boxes.

"Hey Mike?" she called out as she came out of her room and joined Vince at the top of the stairs.

"Yeah?" Mike said, his head popping out of the room.

"I'm going to head down to the garage to work, want to come with? I still got work to do on the Soarer," she asked as she put her hair up into a ponytail.

"No, I think I'll stay and get my stuff unpacked," Mike answered dejectedly before disappearing back into his room.

July frowned at Mike through the door. This wasn't Mike at all. He would have jumped at any opportunity to work on cars, to be near cars. She let out a defeated sigh and felt Vince's arm curl around her waist and pull her to him. She turned and tucked herself against him.

"I don't know what to do. All I want to do is make it better," July said against his shirt.

"Just give him time. That's all you can do," Vince said as he rubbed his hand down her back. She leaned up and gave him a kiss, her lips lingering on his before completely pulling back.

"How do you do that?" she asked with a pout.

"Do what?"

"Know the right thing to say," she said and Vince laughed.

"I don't think I could say I always know the right thing to say. Remember my little mess over Max and Mike?" he reminded with a raised eyebrow.

July laughed at him, shaking her head. "Oh yeah, that's right. How could I forget? Well, you know the right things to say some of the time. Better?" she asked with a smirk.

"Definitely," Vince replied before planting a kiss on her lips. "Let's get to work. Dom'll kill us if we don't get there soon," he said lopping his hands in hers.

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The day went by slowly and July and Jesse got most of the modification on her car done. Just a tweak or two more and then they would be finished. She hadn't allowed anyone except Jesse to see the car. He was impressed so far, and that was saying a lot. She had to admit that Jesse was by far the greatest at engines. He always seemed to be two steps ahead of her.

She gave Vince a kiss goodbye and then she and Letty headed up to her house. The house was quiet when they entered and Mike was nowhere to been seen.

"I bet he's still up in his room," July concluded as she returned from looking in the empty kitchen.

"Why don't you take a shower and make dinner while I talk to him?" Letty suggested.

"You think you could get to him?" July asked with hope.

"Yeah, I know how he's feeling right now, not saying that you don't but I know what it's like to see someone you love die," Letty said looking down at her calloused hands and then back up to see sympathy shining in July's eyes.

July nodded her head okay, giving Letty a weak smile before heading upstairs. Letty followed after her and paused outside Mike's door. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and knocked on the door. There was no answer and after a few seconds, she slowly opened the door.

The room was dark and the curtains were shut around the window, only allowing a ray or two of the fading daylight to enter. She saw Mike sitting on the bed, still as a statue. His boxes still sat on the floor, not touched at all. Closing the door silently behind her, she gradually treaded her way to him. He seemed not to notice her presence at all and if he did, he didn't give any sign of indication. His eyes stared straight ahead as if he were lost in some daydream and his only movements were the blinking of his eyes and the slow and steady rise of his chest.

Carefully as she could, she sat down next to him on the bed. The movement seemed to jar Mike from his catatonic state and he slowly turned his head to look at her. His ash gray eyes were hauntingly empty and Letty could see the dried tear marks down his cheeks. He just stared at her, his face solemn and didn't say a word. Letty cautiously grabbed his hand and entwined their fingers; even his skin was slightly cold. Mike looked down at their joined hands before looking back up at her.

"I'm sorry," Letty said quietly, her voice coming out in a bare whisper. Mike nodded his head and turned away. "If it helps any, I know what you're going through," she continued and Mike turned back to her, his eyes carrying a defiant look telling her that he didn't really believe her. Letty swallowed before speaking again. "Not many people know this but my mom died when I was younger." She paused, looking up at Mike to see his expression soften. "She died from cancer."

Letty closed her eyes and tried to suppress the emotions and memories that were beginning to swirl in her mind. "I had to watch her slowly deteriorate and wither away before my eyes. It might not have been the same but I still know how you feel." She opened her eyes to see Mike's eyes level with hers. "And I know that we don't know each other very well but, if you need to talk I'm here." Mike shook his head but remained silent. "I know it sounds cliché, so don't be making fun of me later, all right?" Letty said and managed to rouse a smirk out of Mike.

"Thanks," Mike said finally, his voice hoarse from disuse, and gave her hand a squeeze.

"So, what's with this not wanting to go down to the garage? There was this really nice car in today," Letty said as she began to tell him about the car and watched as Mike's eyes began to take interest. They continued to talk and she hoped that maybe she would be able to help him after all.

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It was Friday afternoon when everyone was hanging out in the garage, taking a break. It was unbelievably hot and they had taken to gathering around the fan in hopes of some relief. They were all talking and joking when July and Jesse came in and cleared their throats. Everyone stopped their talking and looked up.

"We're ready. Go out front and wait," July said before she disappeared into the back. Everyone felt excitement and anticipation fill the air. With July nor Jesse allowing anyone to see the car, they had all grown antsy about seeing it. Jesse led them to the front of the shop where the big garage door was open.

It was quiet and soon they heard the sounds of an engine. The engine's purr filled the street and came down the narrow drive down to the garage. What appeared to be a black car stopped in front of them, revving its engine before shutting off. They stepped back to allow the door to open and were amazed when the doors opened vertically and July stepped out. Jesse had the biggest grin on his face and she couldn't stop the one that appeared on her own either.

"Vert doors, nice touch," Leon commented with a smirk.

They all circled the car and examined it, seeing that the car wasn't black but a dark, deep blue; the lighter blue and purple pearls showing as the light hit it. Exploding fireworks were on the hood, fading down the sides of the car and on the back was the name "Firecracker" written so that it looked like a lighted fuse; the letters were painted a braided black gray mix that looked liked twine and then flame colors lined the edges, starting from a dark red to a light yellow. The side windows were tinted.

"I'll have to admit, I though it looked good before, but this is better," Mike said peering inside the car.

"So glad I have your approval," July said to Mike jokingly. After his talk with Letty, he had got better. He wasn't a hundred percent but he was better.

Jesse had opened the hood and most of them were gathered around it as Jesse pointed out what they'd done to the engine.

"Well, you have mine," Vince rumbled into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I do?" she asked flirtatiously as she tilted her head up and sideways to look at him. Vince murmured a yes to her before giving her a light kiss.

"Not bad. I still could beat your ass," Letty said with a smirk when July faced back towards them.

"We should test out the theory later. And as much as I'd like to, I can't take all the credit. I couldn't have done it without Jesse," she said giving Jesse a big smile that he reciprocated. "And yes Brian, before you ask, I did paint it all by hand," she added as she took in Brian's questioning glance from his spot examining the "Firecracker" name.

He gave her a sheepish smile before looking back at the car. July just shook her head at him and then turned to Dom; he was the only one that hadn't said anything yet. He stood with his arms crossed, scrutinizing the car.

"I think it's time for a test drive then," he finally said, looking up at July. She nodded her head at him and couldn't stop the butterflies that suddenly fluttered in her stomach. Vince's arms gave her a reassuring squeeze and gave her a kiss on her exposed collarbone.

"Good luck," he said before releasing her.

Dom got into the car and she followed him, looking back at everyone to see their encouraging faces before getting in the car and closing the door.

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Dom directed her to an area that had no traffic. He had her stop at a light and began to talk.

"I use to drag race here in high school. The train track is exactly a quarter of a mile. Let's see how you do," he said before turning forward to look at the red light.

July tightened her grip on the shift knob and steering wheel. She revved the engine and watched the light. The seconds ticked by and she could feel the sweat begin to gather on her brow. The light changed and she let the clutch go. The car lurched forward and she began to shift with precision. As the car began to gain speed, she could feel her heart speed up with it and adrenaline coarse through her body. Her surroundings were a blur and while it felt like a long time to cross the tracks, it was really only a few seconds.

After crossing the track, she began to slow the car down and pulled over. Her breathing was coming fast and she could feel the euphoria settle around her. She turned towards Dom to see him focusing on her.

Dom was silent. He knew the exact feeling that was running through July and could feel it coming off her in waves. Her eyes were sparkling, chest heaving from her breathing, and he lost himself in her. Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed her and began to kiss her.

July first reaction was to kiss back and she began to when Vince's face floated in her mind. She struggled to pull back and Dom let her go when he felt her push on him. July covered her mouth with her hand and stared at him in horror. It hit him then what he had done: he had kissed Vince's girl. Dom turned away in shame and they sat in an awkward silence.

"I'm sorry," Dom said looking at the dashboard.

July didn't say anything and just started up the car and began to drive back to the garage. She had to get away from him as soon as possible. She parked next to Vince's car and immediately went inside.

Dom sat in the car, cradling his head in his hands for a moment before exiting the car and going inside. The guys were standing around with puzzled looks on their faces and July and Letty were nowhere to be seen. Vince instantly came over to him and looked at him. Dom couldn't meet his gaze and stared down at the floor.

"What happened?" Vince ground out. All he knew was that July and Dom hadn't been gone more than 15 minutes before July came bursting threw the door, tears running down her face, grabbing Letty and disappearing into the back.

Dom searched his brain, trying to figure out what to say. He knew he would have to tell the truth and that made his stomach turn over at the thought of what Vince might say or do.

"I kissed her," Dom said quietly, so quiet that Vince didn't hear him.

"What?" Vince asked with a frown.

"I kissed her," Dom said looking up with apologetic eyes.

Once the words made themselves known in Vince's brain all he saw was red and he punched Dom with a mean right hook. Dom, who wasn't prepared for the hit, stumbled and caught himself on a car. His jaw throbbed and he slowly stood up right. Vince's face was a mask of fury and he could see Leon, Mike, and Jesse's disapproving looks behind him, all three ready to intervene if the fight continued on.

Vince really wanted to keep kitting Dom, and while he knew it would make him feel better for the moment, it wouldn't help later on. He shook his head at Dom before turning and leaving towards the back. Letty came out, caught Vince by the arm and whispered into his ear before letting him go.

Letty took one look at Dom and grabbed an icepack from the little fridge they had. Everyone else turned back to work as she handed him the icepack, which he pressed to his face.

"Thanks," he said wincing slightly at the pain in his jaw.

"At least you got what you deserved," Letty commented before turning away to help Mike on a car.

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Vince entered the back to see July's huddled form perched in a chair. She looked up at him and her face fell. Tears swam down her cheeks and she drew in a shaky breath before talking.

"I'm sorry, so sorry," she cried as her tears began to fall faster. Vince sat down next to her and watched as she struggled to make the words come out. "We were in the car…and I raced… and then I pulled over… and he just kissed me. I didn't try to kiss him," she explained as Vince ran his eyes over her face. July sat and waited for Vince to yell at her.

Vince knew she was telling the truth and picked up her fragile form and sat down with her in his lap. Anger at Dom filled his body but as he looked down at July, it washed away and was replaced with concern for her. It should have scared him how fast everything was happening. He'd never been the one to be like this, but looking down at July, as she cried because she was afraid he was going to dump her, he couldn't help but feel lucky to have found her.

"I know," Vince said as he wiped the tears from her face with his thumb.

"Vince, I'm sorry, so sorry," she repeated, echoing her words from earlier.

Rage filled him at the thought that July felt that it was her fault. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. It wasn't your fault," Vince replied at he smoothed back her hair and stared into her tear filled eyes.

She gave him a watery smile before throwing her arms around his neck and smothering her face into his chest. Her sobs started to fade and her breathing began to deepen. Vince knew she had fallen asleep and pressed a kissed to the top of her head. Standing up, careful not to wake her, he cradled her to his chest and began to walk out. Mike came over to him when he saw him carrying July.

"She okay?" he asked, worry evident on his face.

"Yeah, just tired herself out. I think it's been a wild week for her. I'm just going to take her up to the house and let her sleep," Vince answered looking down at July's sleeping form.

"All right, I'll bring her car in so you can take yours," Mike said and Vince gave him a nod before heading out the garage. With a gentleness that could have rivaled Mia's, he set her in the passenger seat of his car and got in himself.

He pulled up her house and cut the engine. After securing her in his arms, he headed up to her house and maneuvered her so that he could open the door. Kicking the door shut with his foot, he walked up to her bedroom, laying her down on her bed and taking her shoes. He smoothed back her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She began to stir as he started to leave.

"V?" Her voice was drowsy and quiet. "Don't leave me," she pleaded and Vince's heart tugged at the desperation he heard in her voice.

"I won't," Vince said as he pulled off his own shoes and lay down next to her. She immediately pressed up against him, intertwining their legs and throwing an arm around his torso.

"Don't ever leave me," she murmured sleepily.

"I won't," he promised as he held her closer and watched her face. Her eyes drifted shut and her breathing slowed again. He ran his hand through her hair for a bit and watched her sleep. He didn't know what he had done to deserve this girl but he was going to hold onto her as long as he could. He felt his eyes grow heavy and tried to keep them open to watch her longer but it wasn't long before he surrendered to sleep.

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It was an hour later when July woke up. The day's events replayed in her mind and she cringed. Vince must of felt her move because within a few seconds he yawned and opened his eyes.

"Hey," he said, his voice subdued. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. As long as I know you're not mad," July answered looking down.

"Hey," he started placing a finger under her chin and lifting her face to look at him. "I'm not mad at you. Dom, now he's a different story, but you, I'm not mad at," he said he brought her face up to kiss her.

July kissed him back as her hand began to trail up his chest and grabbed his head, anchoring him to her. Vince held her tight and then rolled over, pinning her beneath him; his weight was comforting against her.

When oxygen became an issue, he released her mouth and began to rain kisses across her jaw and down her neck, smirking as she arched her neck and a small moan escaped her lips. It was his turn to groan as she mimicked his actions, nibbling on his neck. She trailed a hand underneath his shirt and traced his muscles.

Vince grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her again. Her hands stilled as Vince's hand started to slid underneath her shirt and caress her stomach and new sparks began to ignite within her. She grabbed his hand when it began to play with the button of her jeans.

"Not yet Vince," she said breathless.

"All right," he said, his own voice was husky. He gave her one last searing kiss before rolling off her and laying on his side.

"Hey, that didn't mean we had to stop," she replied with an impish grin.

Vince let out a laugh before kissing her.

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tbc…