Disclaimer: Not mine.
Authors Note: Hi. Thanks for all the feedback guys.
- I wish I had time to reply to all of you but as it is I'm taking time out of my cram-finals-information-in-your-head study session to post this chap. Which has been ready for a few days.
The next one is started too.
oh and I posted on my other fic too. Same goes for that one. Wish I could reply to all but no time.
Thank you one and all, though.
*****************************************************
Mia smiled to herself as walked back into the kitchen. She could already here the guys thumping around up there.
She proceeded to unload the dishwasher. How her brother had managed to use nearly all her pots and pans and utensils preparing one meal was a mystery to her.
She sighed, at least he was home. Methodically she continued to put all the dishes and pots into place, pondering how she was going to squeeze out every last ounce of information from her brother.
The back door opened.
She didn't turn around. It was Brian coming to see where everyone was.
"Hey girl." Letty said softly, as she closed the door.
Mia froze. Turning slowly she was met with her best friends' smiling face.
"Wh....what you doin here Let? I mean... your not suppose to be here... its early and..." she said softly her eyes darting quickly to the stairs and back.
Letty grinned, "good to see you too Mia. I'm doing fine, yourself?" she said sardonically as she dropped bags onto one side of the table and sat down.
Mia smiled sheepishly, setting the plate down on the counter and carefully walking over to the table.
Letty didn't know he was here.
And he didn't know Letty was here.
And even they did. It wasn't a problem. They were both very over each other, they were both fine.
They kept saying it right? So there was nothing to be nervous about. Nothing to worry about.
"Its just your usually at the House at this time." Letty opened her mouth to answer but Mia continued, "didn't you have a showing today?"
"Yes I did. And it went great." she said grinning. "Would you feed me." she asked sweetly.
Mia laughed, "No food left over today. Just cereal and rolls." she said
Letty pouted, "Do you want coffee?" she asked standing.
"Not if your gonna make it." she responded grimacing.
Letty scowled and stuck out her tongue. "I make wonderful coffee."
"yeah if you like strong espresso." Mia responded.
Letty gave a look before turning to prepare the coffee maker "I was in this morning." she said.
"yeah, girls are excited about seeing you tonight."
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about" she said as she sat back down, a roll in her hand, coffee maker started up.
"uh-oh." Mia said her eyes glinting, suspiciously. Letty glared at her again.
"I bought them tickets to that carnival. The one near my house." she said after a moment. Her voice neutral. Mia knew there was more.
"That was nice." she answered her friend warily
"For tonight." Letty said after a beat.
Mia sighed, "Its a school night Letty."
"I know... I'll have them back - "
"...last time it was eleven and you still weren't back."
"I know. That was a learning experience." Letty said smiling. Remembering how much fun she'd had with the girls that night. She'd taken them to see a play, something about fairy tales, then they'd gone to get ice cream.
Mia was shaking her head. "Come on Mi. I only got the tickets for tonight 'cause the trapeze guy is on and that's what they wanna see."
"Letty..."
"puh-leeeeeese." she said pleadingly. "I haven't spent time with them in like a week... they'll forget what I look like... how can I make them adore me above all else if you won't let me..."
"I couldn't sent them to school.." she interrupted still referring to the previous time.
"oh for christsake Mia they're learnin that two plus two equals four, not the atomic secrets of Einstein." Letty said frustrated.
Mia smirked, "true but..."
"puh-lease..."
Mia sighed, "fine but..."
"yessss." she said jumping up and hugging her. "Ooooh coffee." she said quickly and headed to the stove.
Mia watched her retrieve mugs as she stuffed the last piece of bread in her mouth. The girl had a small smile on her face.
"You're unusually happy today." Mia commented.
Letty continued to smile and shrugged as she poured two cups of steaming coffee and headed for the fridge to get milk.
"The show went perfectly. My designs for the next show are finished, I'm having coffee with my best friend, and I'm spending the night with my ladybugs. Why shouldn't I be?" she said as she sat, setting a mug in front of Mia.
"When you put it that way, your right. How's the Warden?" Mia asked after the first sip.
"Tokyo." Letty replied instantly, her eyes on the liquid in mug.
"Ahhhh." Mia said knowing. "Add that to the list of things to be happy over."
"Mia" Letty said in a warning tone, shooting her a sharp look.
"what!? I'm just saying that not having an - "
"He's an idiot." Letty interrupted, taking another sip. Her eyes darkening.
"really ya think so." Mia said her voice oozing sarcasm.
Letty didn't mind, she knew how Mia felt about him, how they all felt about him.
She'd learned long ago to stop expecting any of them to like anyone she dated.
For them, there was only one person who could be right for her.
And that wasn't the person she was with now, "I'd strangle him if I could." she said glaring at the coffee as if it were its fault.
Mia laughed.
"its not funny." Letty said a little angrily.
It really wasn't.
And once Mia knew, she wouldn't be laughing, she was gonna wanna strangle him too. But that would be later. She wasn't going to tell her now.
"Considering the wedding is in two months. Yeah it is funny." Mia answered, even though she'd sobered a little at Letty glare.
"He's an asshole."
"what did my dear Angelo do now." Mia said making it obvious he was anything but dear to her.
Letty sighed, "I don't have time to get into it now. I have to get back to the House." she said twirling the last of her coffee in the cup.
"are those bags staying?" Mia questioned, eyeing them curiously.
"oh yeah. Here." Letty answered and pulled out a beautiful blouse, with an unusually large middle. "just for you." Letty said smiling. "there's smaller versions of it in that bag for the girls." she added.
"Oh Let thanks." Mia said smiling. "Its gorgeous. I'm the best dressed pregnant woman in LA thanks to you."
"No prob. What's the point of having an entire fleet of seamstresses and millions of rolls of fabric if you can't design stuff for your fashion nazi."
"You know that joke's not so funny anymore considering your the top fashion designer in LA."
"I just draw Mi. Angelo does everything else."
"Not true Warden Angelo just provides money, you manage the Fashion House and boutique."
"Yeah but I manage the club sometimes too that doesn't mean I consider myself a business owner."
"You happy Let." Mia asked out of the blue. And Letty started a little.
Mia asked sometimes but usually it was only when they discussed Dom or were about to.
Since they weren't, that meant...
She didn't have time to discuss Dom right now, or energy. Her argument with her fiancee had been long and hard this morning before he left.
The results of that argument would have to be shared and the sooner the better. But not now.
"Are you, Letty?" Mia pressured.
Letty nodded slowly, "yeah Mia. I am." she softly.
It was the truth. She was.... content with her life. With what she'd made it. It was different then what she'd expected from it but it was alright.
Her wardrobe was different, her vocabulary, her smile... even her laughter was different than what it had been...then
...but that was okay. She was still happy.
"I am." Taking a deep breath and smiling at Mia she said, "I'll be by later tonight to pick the girls... what was that?" she asked as several thumps sounded above there heads.
"Uh... the boys are upstairs."
Letty grinned immediately making a move to get up. "Why didn't you say so..."
"You don't want to go up there, Letty." Mia said standing abruptly and Letty fell back into her seat.
All Mia's thoughts about how fine everything would be, vanished at the real, immediate, prospective of her brother and best friend meeting again for the first time in five years.
Nothing between Dom and Letty was ever fine.
They were right, wonderfully, gloriously right.
Or
They were wrong, hideously, terrifyingly wrong.
But never fine.
"Why?" she said laughter in her voice, "are they beating the shit out of each other for the good controller again."
Mia smiled tentatively, "no.... its just - "
The kitchen door burst open and little blur slid right underneath the table his feet hitting a table leg and making it shake.
"what the hell was that?" Letty said looking underneath the table.
Mia was peering underneath it as best she could but her bulge was getting in the way.
"you okay down there." Letty asked.
"shhhhhhh." was the only response.
Letty grinned up at Mia and tried to get a better view of him but all she could see were jeans and sneakers.
"Whose kid you watchin Mia." she asked her smile still a mile wide.
"you playin tag and seek?" she asked underneath the table. Referring to the made up game the guys played with the girls.
Mia - was just unable to speak.
What could she say? How would she say it? Not that it mattered she told herself, it would all reveal itself any moment now, anyway.
"yes. shhhhhh. they'll hear you." the little voice stated from underneath the table.
"I know a good spot to hide in and its easy to run from." Letty said. "Give me your hand and I'll pull you outa there." she extended her hand underneath the table.
Mia watched, as a moment later Taylor put his tiny one in hers and she closed around his.
She wanted to tear her own eyes out when she felt tears sting them, to scream at herself when she thought, he should be her child.
He wasn't. She reprimanded herself harshly. Willing the tears and thoughts away.
As a result she was scowling ferociously when Letty looked back up at her. The little boy climbing to his feet.
He faced Letty. "Thank you. Where would that spot be?" he asked in his serious tone, looking around.
Letty just stared. There was something about the boy. He looked... familiar.
"Uh.. its over here.." she said standing and walking to a large cupboard.
"Oh cool. Auntie Mia if Uncle Leon or Uncle Vince comes in here tells them I wents to base. K. Daddy is base." he said and quickly inserted himself in there.
Letty said nothing. Running the words over in mind. Mia had the look of a deer caught in the headlights.
Auntie Mia the boy had said, Letty's mind whirled.
"Hey, hey, hey there wouldn't happen to be a mini-Dom in here would there?" Leon said as entered from the living room. His eyes scanned the kitchen, landing on Letty.
His expression held, for a moment, the same look as Mia's before he banished it and grinned, "talk about a family reunion." he said coming forward and wrapping Letty in a hug.
Family reunion, her mind repeated as she felt his arms close around her.
What family reunion? what's going on?
Unfortunately she couldn't get herself to voice these questions out loud.
She couldn't speak, could hardly breath.
Because inside, somewhere in her soul...
She knew.
She felt it, felt his presence spiraling through her.
And all she could do was look around with wide eyes.
Wide eyes that landed on the door way to the back stairs.
Wide eyes that found a man standing there.
Wide eyes that met dark eyes in a clash of gazes that held everything in the room still.
***************************************************
He'd only come down to see what was keeping his son.
The boy was suppose to be back at base, in a few minutes. He had to admit, it was a cute game. His son had already lost every inhibition with his Uncles and was running around like he did at the garage.
He'd only come to see what was going on. A quick look; because he was suppose to stay upstairs. He was base.
One glance to make sure everything was okay and the guys didn't have Taylor by the ankles hanging him upside down.
It was that sudden, strange insight that fate sometimes provides.
He felt it.
Even before she came into view.
He felt her.
Then he'd seen her.
Unconsciously he finished descending the stairs.
Without noticing he took slow steps towards her.
The room was silent, still.
He studied her. The neat clothing was still in place but now over the blouse lay a light vest/jacket item. It transformed the simple skirt-blouse ensemble from simplistically elegant to fashionably elegant.
Her face was perfectly made-up, carefully placed tendrils of hair framed her face, an amber necklace graced her throat.
No pony-tails and wifebeaters, no grease and oil.
This woman looked as if she'd never so much as been in a car garage, let alone worked in one.
"Do...Dom?" she said softly, taking a step back, her eyes scanning his face. She looked shocked to the core. Vaguely he registered that he must look the same.
Her husky voice sent shivers through him. Letty.
He'd told Kara he hardly remembered what she looked like.
He'd lied.
When her eyes met his he knew...
...he'd never forgotten.
...could never forget.
"Letty." his voice rumbled through the room.
*****************************************************
She wanted to run. To turn around without another word and run.
She knew she should, too.
It was the way the man in front of her claimed her attention, the devastating impact of his gaze on hers, that told her...
for her own safety...
...for her own sanity - she should run.
But she couldn't.
Wouldn't.
For much too long she'd been at his beck and call. Too many years she'd spent reacting to his acting.
She'd promised herself, never again would she allow Dominic Torreto to rule her life the way he had.
Her entire life, her world had revolved around him to the point where she was what he wanted, to the point where she'd forgotten who she was.
She would never again allow him such influence over her. Never allow him to rule her like that.
The way he was doing right now, she felt it. The way his gaze refused to leave hers, to free her.
In a definitive move she broke eye contact with him, looking down a moment as she took a deep breath.
It was now or never, lifting her eyes, she said wonderingly, in a soft voice, "hi."
Very aware of the way the others were looking at them, she made sure to stand firm.
The entire kitchen stood between them but the urge to go him was strong. She wanted to...
Stronger than it should be.
Ignoring it, she pulled up a her brightest, most friendly smile; the one she used for the boutique promo shots. "I didn't know you were coming."
He was still staring at her, his eyes unwavering, "No one did."
"Oh." she said softly.
Looking around she met Mia's gaze, then Leon's, taking a deep breath, she muttered with forced cheer. "that was a nice surprise..." bending to retrieve her purse from table, she moved closer to the door.
"I have to go." she said as casually as she could, "...Mia, I'll be back around six. Leon, kids' in the cupboard. Dom...good to have you back." and with that she exited the kitchen.
It wasn't running, she told herself as she walked to her car, it was a beating hasty retreat.
Sliding into the seat, she sighed. Her hands were trembling, so much she couldn't put the key in the ignition.
"damn it." she muttered. "Damn it, damn it to hell." she growled after a moment and slammed the steering wheel.
Her breathing was rapid and she felt the prickling of something that could be tears in her eyes.
But it couldn't' be.
She wouldn't allow it to be.
No crying. Not over him. She'd shed enough tears over him.
good to have you back what the fuck was that!! She'd waited five years to say oh and good to have you backl!!
No she hadn't waited five years. It had just been five years. But she hadn't waited for him.
Leaning her head against the steering wheel she took calming breaths. She needed to get control.
He'd shattered her heart, the asshole.
In all fairness, she'd shattered his too but that had only been in retaliation.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember that girls name. Only that, at the time, she had considered her a friend.
She could spend hours and hours thinking about it and still she could only remember one thing about her... she had had long, long, brown hair.
She remembered that because his hands had been tangled in it when she'd found them.
...in the back of the garage.
It had been their first race since...the hijacking, the running.
The first race since Brian had bailed them out, since he'd moved in with them.
The first race since Jesse had... died.
Dom had won. But she'd wanted to see the boys win too. She'd wanted to win herself. So she'd lost track of him. Enjoyed the night.
Until some idiot driving a Jetta pulled up.
That killed it for her. She couldn't watch. Couldn't go home - Mia and Brian were there.
So she'd gone to the garage.
It wasn't that he'd cheated on her or that the girl was suppose to be her friend, hell it wasn't even that he was doing it at a place where they'd done.
No, it was the fact that when she saw them her first thought was, not again.
That's what had horrified her.
She didn't know how long she'd stood there, until she'd turned away. When she did though, his hand was on her arm. Letty I can...
He'd been going to say explain but she didn't give him the chance. She'd slapped him. Hard.
She could have punched him. She could've broken his jaw or nose.
But a slap was more... humiliating. A slap would leave her handprint on his face. A slap wouldn't be able to be passed off as an encounter with one his brothers. Only a woman would slap.
A slap was degrading.
He knew it too. He'd gotten the message.
It was really a standard fight. They knew the words almost by heart. He'd say something, then give her a chance to rebut it, and they'd go on like that for awhile. He'd leave, come back, apologize, and she'd forgive.
Almost formal.
She'd said her lines as they went home but... her heart wasn't in them.
She couldn't find the anger to fuel her words.
They came to her because she'd said them before and that realization broke her heart more than his infidelity.
Yes, standard... except this time while he was yelling... she cried.
She didn't know why. The tears just wouldn't stop.
It would be months later she'd understand that something in her, at that moment, had understood that - it was over.
Not because of what he'd done but simply because she was too tired to care that he'd done it.
And her tears just made him more angry.
He'd left, furious at her.
It had taken a moment for that to sink it, the fact that he was furious with her. When it had she'd seen red. How dare he!!!! she'd thought.
He had no right.
He was at fault.
He had hurt her, time and time again.
How dare he be angry at her, when all he did was cheat on her, lie to her, make her life a living hell.
It was hard for her to remember exactly what had been running through her head then. The only thing that was clear was the desire pumping through her veins, the desire to make his hurt.
She'd changed her clothing, gone back to the race, and found the new mechanic at the garage. If she could only remember one thing about the girl Dom was with, she could remember absolutely nothing about this guy.
Except that he flirted with her.
Except that he more then welcomed the opportunity to fuck the King's Queen.
She'd taken him home. Knowing that Dom would follow any moment.
Had purposely taken him to her bed, the bed she shared with Dom.
Had purposely left the door open.
The passion she'd felt that moment had had nothing to do with the man atop her. It all, just as everything else in her life revolved around Dominic.
Pure, unadulterated rage shined in her eyes when she'd met his. He stood at the threshold, watching just as she had a few hours earlier.
For one moment she thought he'd kill them both.
For one moment she'd wished he would.
A moment later, the guy was off her and being hauled out the door. She didn't know what happened to the guy - hadn't asked, had been beyond the point of caring.
What transpired took less then thirty-five minutes.
But was the complete and utter shattering of their entire relationship and everything it had encompassed.
He called her the things her father had called her. The things that once upon a time he'd sworn were untrue. He told her now, her father had been right. She was whore, useless, would never amount to anything.
She'd told him Jesse's blood was on his hands. He was a murderer.
The pain had come though, from the knowledge that at that moment they both believed what they said.
The others had listened. They'd all been home by then. All stood in hallway, in the doorways, listening.
He'd left again.
She'd taken the bed sheets and pillow, thrown them into the waste basket, poured nail polish remover on them and lit the thing on fire.
Vince and Leon had broken the door down when the smoke seeped underneath the door. They'd extinguished it. Asked her if she was crazy.
Then she'd cried. Violently, convulsively she'd cried and Mia had held her.
She'd asked to be alone sometime around four in the morning.
Mia had conceded.
Sometime around six she'd left, swearing she'd never return.
And she hadn't the woman who'd returned wasn't the one who'd left....
"thought you were leaving..." Leon said as he leaned his into the car from the passenger side window.
Letty hit the top of the car, her head shooting up, "Holy shit Leon you scared the crap out of me." she exclaimed.
"Sorry. Thought you'd'a left by now. Its been what like... ten minutes."
"I'm leaving..." she said inserting the key into the ignition, firing up the engine. Noticing that her hands still shook. Noticing that Leon noticed. "I was just checking some paper-work before I... you know..."
"got back to the office." he finished for her. Opening the door and sliding inside.
"Yeah, exactly...." she said quietly, facing forward.
"you ok Let?" he asked her softly.
She turned to tell him of course but found his light green eyes awash with concern.
Sighing, she looked forward again, "I think so... I just...didn't expect it...wasn't ready..." she trailed off.
He said nothing, for a minute. Then softly, "I don't think he was either."
She refused to give that comment any thought.
A comment that implied Dom had been as affected by their meeting as she had.
And that couldn't be.
Simply because she wasn't really affected, just surprised.
And he couldn't be surprised because he knew she'd always practically lived at his house.
So that comment received no thought.
"I'll be ready tonight." she said firmly more to herself than him. Tonight he'd see the woman she'd become.
"Let..." Leon started but she cut him.
"You need to get out of ma' car." she said pushing his forearm.
He laughed, "I can see my concern for you is appreciated."
"you be here tonight?" she asked him, when he was out.
"probably, like Brian said - the king is back." he was grinning, obviously amused.
Letty was annoyed, Dom wasn't a King.
He was a man.
A regular guy, who they'd made king. King over their lives.
It's what had given him that complex, that feeling that everything he did was acceptable. That he could never be wrong.
It had been them, they'd given him the feeling that he had the god-given right to control, to rule.
She'd showed him, though, showed him that he couldn't rule her.
It had cost her more than she'd ever imagined possible. But she'd made it clear that night that he did not rule her. Did not control her.
"When'd you talk to B." she asked shaking away the thoughts of her last meeting with Dom.
"When we called to tell him we weren't goin in today."
Letty nodded. "Kay, see ya later then." she pulled out of the driveway and headed to the center of LA.
*****************************************************
"I need you to sign here..."
"Ms. Medina Sari broke the heel..."
"Ms. Medina we're out of size 8 in the cherry..."
Letty stopped at her office doors and turned to the seemingly hoards of people who'd accosted her the instant she'd entered the building.
They all stopped speaking upon catching sight of her eyes. The pupils were gone, they were so dark.
Her voice however, was calmed, controlled.
The office knew, though, if she was yelling - she was upset.
If she was quiet - she was dangerous.
"Where would you like me to sign?" she asked her voice deadly quiet.
The woman gave her an odd look before handing her a small stack of documents. Letty took them quickly.
Looking to the other women she said, still softly, "Are you two or are you not the mangers of..." looking to one. "the boutique." looking to the other, "the studio."
They nodded, she nodded with them, "Then I suggest you manage to resolve these incidents of which I need not concern myself, yourselves both quickly and efficiently or be prepared to be replaced." with that she turned and entered her office.
Leaning against the door. She sighed. It wasn't right to take her irritation out on the staff.
Mella the manager of the studio and Helen the manager of the boutique were both very capable. They just had a tendency to run to her with every little problem. They knew what to do, could perfectly resolve whatever it was but for some reason they'd run to her first. So she could tell them what they already knew.
Walking to her desk, she made a mental note to give them some free samples.
She stared at the papers Liza, her secretary, had given her. Barely glancing at them she scrawled her signature at the bottom.
Looking out the large windows that dominated one side of her office. Letty couldn't help feeling like the sun wasn't shining as brightly as it had when she'd left here earlier. Like the blue wasn't as brilliant, nor the clouds as pristine.
Where had her happy mood gone?
*****************************************************
