Disclaimer: Not mine
Authors Note: Thank you all for the reviews. My finals are finished!!!!!!!! very excited about that. =)
Hope you like and don't forget to review.
- The Phoenix10:
Your secret is safe with me. (I do it too ;)
- Foxy-Latina:
Yea!! my studying is over!!! Thanks for reviewing.
- BFG:
Thanks for your honesty, it is appreciated. I wasn't really trying to pass Taylor off as cute and certainly not annoying either, more like serious. And I didn't really say Letty didn't work on cars anymore, I said she didn't work at the garage anymore or implied it anyway. You know people can have a lot of different sides to their personalities. Keep reading and maybe you'll see one. =)
- Three Sisters:
Thank you for your kind words. I wanted to show Dom and Letty moving on cause in real like people don't really pine after each other for years... do they? Any way I LOVE you story Here Without You. Its great. I update mine, you update yours - deal. ;)
- Vinsbaby1989, Angel1411, HipHopStar, Superman 240x, and Catiewatie:
Thank you so much for all your encouragement.
*****************************************************
"Dom you okay." Mia asked tentatively. The kitchen was still silent after Letty's hasty departure.
He seemed to shake himself. "Yeah I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked quickly. Before she could answer he continued, "Letty looks good." he commented softly looking around.
Trying to unfreeze them.
Leon and Mia were all looking at him warily, as if afraid any moment he'd go *boom*.
The kitchen door swung open to reveal Vince, "What the hell happened in here you all look like you saw a fuckin ghost." he commented as he studied their faces.
"Letty just left." Leon said quietly.
"well ain't today just fuckin great." he exclaimed grinning. "That kid a yours is good at this."
"Oh right." Mia said softly. She went over and opened the cupboard, "sweetie why don't you come out of there now."
He looked at her, about to say no, but saw his father move in behind her.
Silently, slowly he came out. His eyes widened when he saw the guys, "You not looking?" he asked them.
"Naw buddy." Vince said responded.
Taylor met his gaze and inquired quietly, "game over?"
Vince made a show of examining all the solemn faces then looked back at the little boy, "It looks like it." he said, his voice amused.
Taylor nodded, and gave him a small smile. "I win." he stated calmly.
"really..." Vince said his downright delighted .."says who?"
Taylor cocked his head to the side, "You play more?" he asked his eyes shining.
"No." Vince said firmly.
"I win." Taylor stated again, nodding confidently.
Vince threw his head back and laughed, scooping him up, "lets go see if we can find somethin else to do for awhile then we'll head over to the garage."
Dom watched as Taylor went with Vince as if he'd know him his entire life.
"I'm gonna go check on somethin, really quick. Be back in a few." Leon said as he went for the door. He and Mia exchanged looks as he left. Neither had heard Letty's Supra fire up.
"Why don't you sit and stop lookin at me like I'm about to rip someone's head off." Dom said after a moment, irritated at the look his sister was giving him.
She seemed to start and he felt bad, "I'm sorry Dom my mind wandered for a second." she said softly.
They were silent.
"Don't be sorry." Dom said after a moment. "She looks good." he repeated, then running a hand over his bald head continued, " I just... she looks....different than what I remember, what I knew..." he trailed off.
"She is." Mia said her tone brightening as she made an almost physical effort to lift the mood. She went and took his arm leading him up the stairs. "If you stick around long enough you'll see what made her different."
"What?" he asked. Not really wanting to know, but unable not to ask.
"She designs clothing." Mia told him. He gave her a skeptical look.
"She's really good..." Mia continued, "...runs a boutique and fashion house in one. About every three months she creates a new series of clothing and the boutique has fashion shows to exhibit them. And let me tell you Dom, they're a hit. Like, a big hit. Tickets sell like water. During the three months you can pay to have any clothes modeled for you, men really like that. And there's always little shows going on. Its amazing." she finished a little breathlessly from the stairs.
Dom was silent, "why the hell would she do shit like that?" he asked before he could stop himself.
Mia stopped walking.
They were in the hallway now, "Dom - " she started her tone harsh, her eyes angry.
He cut her off, "I mean Letty's not a... fashion person Mia." he said almost aggressively. "...That's you. She's more like: if-its-clean-its-good kinda person."
He was upset. He didn't know exactly where it was coming from, this anger, but it was coming.
He felt it, boiling just under the surface. He didn't understand it though, after all what did it matter to him what Letty did with her life.
It was hers.
And he had absolutely no say over it.
Hell, he didn't even want say over it.
Still though, he didn't like it.
Didn't like the Letty he'd seen in the kitchen.
It wasn't her. Letty didn't wear dress skirts and amber necklaces and fancy hairdo's. She wore leather and boots and ponytails.
He didn't like a Letty that designed clothes...
Mia took a deep breath, she didn't want to argue with him, he'd just gotten home, in a tone meant to appease him she stated, "...she could always draw like nobody's business Dom you know that..."
Her words brought him out of his thoughts.
He thought on that a moment, it was true. She'd always designed the cars at the garage.
She'd do it on paper then Jesse would do it in the computer.
But that was different, that was - them. Something they'd all done, something he'd done with her.
"Yeah..." he said slowly noticing that Mia looked a little pissed, "...but drawing good is one thing... running a -- what the hell did you call it?"
"A boutique." she said curtly. Dom had no right to judge Letty's life like this.
"yea a boutique" his voice was slightly mocking and somewhere inside Mia registered that this sounded a little like the jealous Dom "....that's a big difference." He said seriously.
Mia frowned, "are you saying you don't think she's capable of it Dom. Because I hope you know, she could've run the garage..." she stopped talking because Dom had turned and walked into the closest bedroom. The Twins'.
"That's not what I meant." he said frustrated when she followed him in.
"than what did you mean Dom?"
"I just... I mean. She used to draw for us, for the garage and didn't... look like that. Just 'cause ... she... draws clothes and people buy the clothes that doesn't... it doesn't cause that change I saw Mia." he said a little haltingly. "It's a big change." he added. He hadn't posed a question. But he might as well of.
Mia was silent. Instinctively, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer. Knowing she'd tell him anyway.
Dom waited. Knowing she'd tell him. Knowing he wasn't going to like the answer.
"Well..." she started slowly, "...Angelo... he's changed her a lot too."
The instinct to say, who the fuck is Angelo, was strong. It was almost out, when he realized he had no right.
No reason to ask.
He didn't care.
He was just curious.
Like he was curious about V's girl and the club. The garage and what the hell Leon had been doin with his love life.
It was just curiosity.
"oh. You did good with this room, Mia?" he said not subtly changing the subject but whatever, he'd had enough discussion about, her.
Mia met his gaze and nodded, then smiled, "Now that you're in here let me give you something." she said softly. The anger that had been in her eyes gone.
Something's never changed, Dom thought, Mia would still defend Letty till she turned blue. It used to irk the hell out of him, after all she was his sister not hers. She should defend him, be on his side.
He'd learned early on, though, that although his sister would do absolutely anything for him, although she'd always forgive him, always care for him --she'd never go against her best friend for him.
In a case like that, where she'd have to go against Letty, Mia would just declare neutrality.
"This is for you." she said startling him out of his thought. She was handing him a small album she'd pulled from the closet.
Opening it he found pictures of the girls from their first month all the way through last month.
"I wanted you to see them." she said.
"Thank you." he said the words softly but he felt them to be inadequate. His eyes though, told her what he felt.
She nodded then grinned, "I don't suppose you have the same for Taylor?"
"Naw, just a couple recent ones. We didn't really think of things like that when he was little." he said quietly.
Looking through the pictures, he marveled at beautiful they were --how happy. They'd always been happy.
Gazing at these precious girls, he felt a surge of strong regret rise in him, regret that he hadn't been here. That he hadn't held them as infants or watch them toddle around as they learned to walk or witnessed their terrible two's.
God, they were gorgeous --always had been. With every page he was more and more convinced he had for nieces tiny angels.
Noticing the mischievous glint in their eyes that the pictures so accurately portrayed, he smirked, --tiny fallen angels --maybe but still angels.
"She's getting married." Mia said softly after a moment. She wanted to get everything out, for him understand where Letty was with her life, wanted for him to know that another had a claim on her now.
Deep inside she wanted him to act too.
It startled him but he didn't look up.
"In two months." she continued.
He remained silent. What was he supposed to say anyway?
"Says she happy." Mia added.
Slowly Dom lifted his head, looking at his sister he said almost sternly, in a way Mia knew meant the conversation was over, "that's good. She deserves that."
They stared at each other another moment. Before Mia nodded, acknowledging --conversation over.
Dom left the room then. Downstairs the guys and Taylor were getting ready to head over to the garage. Taylor was talking a mile a minute, telling them about the garage at home.
Silently Dom went and called Manhattan, told them he was taking some time off, fielded their questions, calmed their fears.
When he came back out the guys were in the front-yard, ready to leave.
He spent the rest of the day at the garage. Worked on some things.
He laughed and joked but inside the light-hearted feeling he displayed didn't exist.
Inside he felt numb.
*****************************************************
"Is she here yet?" Jessa asked her sister who standing next to the window.
"Not Yet." Dolly told her, her dark eyes scanning the street before them.
"Mooooom she's not here yet!" Jessa screamed. Mia came in from the kitchen.
"She said she'd be here around six girls, its not even five thirty." Mia explained.
"But she's always earlier." Jessa whined.
"Well not today. Why don't you go play with Taylor for a while." Mia suggested, smiling.
Jessa sighed and frowned, "He's not very fun."
"All he does is stare at us." Dolly added.
Mia glared at them, "he's never played with little girls before. He doesn't know what to do that's all. Why don't you take him upstairs and tell him about the cars. I'm sure he'd like that." Mia suggested. Although her tone left no room for objection.
Reluctantly the girls moved away from the window.
Mia watched them head towards the kitchen with a small smile, something told her that after their discussion on cars her girls wouldn't be able to get enough of their little cousin.
In their family all bonding took place over cars.
Then she turned towards the window and her smile died.
Letty was always early. It was really no surprise she wasn't today, at least not to her.
Sighing she headed back to the kitchen.
They'd been going to have a barbecue but hadn't been able to pull it together fast enough. Tomorrow, they'd decided.
So now the guys were cooking for her, instead.
They were going to the club tonight. Dom wanted to see it. Brian would stay with her, to keep her company. They'd have the house to themselves for awhile.
It had been a good first day and promised to be a good first night, she told herself.
Then why this feeling the pit of stomach. This feeling of impending doom. she tried to push it away to ignore it. It made no sense really.
Yet it was there.
The guys had spent the entire afternoon at the garage. Taylor with them. Nothing had gone wrong, if anything, Taylor was much more relaxed around them. Everything was fine.
"Mia come taste this." Leon called.
Sighing she headed towards them...
Ignoring the feeling.
*****************************************************
"She's here she's here she's here......" the girls called out as they stampeded down the living room stairs.
The Team was in living room. They all watched in silence as the girls rushed passed them and yanked open the door before Letty even left her car.
"Don't cross the street." Mia called out as they flew out the door.
Letty's laughter could be heard moments later and the girls' chatter increased in volume until they were inside again.
One girl clung to each of her hands.
"...and we have a cousin..."
"....names' Taylor..."
"...he's three..."
"...can he come..."
Mia picked up the trail of the conversation and had to hide a smile.
Taylor had impressed the girls with his knowledge of cars and now he was going to be permanently attached to them whether he knew it or not.
Letty kneeled down in front of them as soon as she closed the door. "too many words not enough hugs." she proclaimed pulling them close.
They went willingly. In their eyes there was no one as wonderful as their Aunt Letty.
"Alright." she said as she pulled back her eyes shining. "Now tell me Ladybugs what's all this rambling about a cousin."
The girls unleashed of fury of words, complete with hand motions and sound effects. Meanwhile they'd led her to couch, pushed her into it and sat atop her.
"...and we want him to come with us." Jessa finished, firmly.
Letty thought quickly, taking Dom's son out wasn't' high on her list of priorities. "I only have tickets for us three, girls." she said softly, infusing her words with appropriate regret.
So far she hadn't even looked at the other residents of the room.
"But you can get another one can't you Auntie?" Dolly asked. Her dark eyes full of assurance, "you can do it, you can do anything." she stated firmly with the trust of a five-year-old.
Letty sighed. Wonderful.
"I could try..." she started, hesitantly.
"oh come on, you can do anything." Vince said enthusiastically from a few feet away. His eyes brimming over with laughter.
"Yeah Letty, absolutely anything." Leon added and Mia giggled.
She glared at them all. Then transferred a gentler gaze to her nieces, "I can make a call but... its late notice darlings... and.." glancing quickly at Dom, "...only if his Dad says its okay."
"It'll be okay." Dolly said confidently without even looking at her Uncle.
"you wanna meet'm" Jessa said jumping up and grabbing Letty's hand. Dolly followed suit. They began pulling her towards the stairs.
Suddenly, though, Jessa stopped pulling and pivoted, yanking Letty with her, "have you met our Uncle?" she asked now pulling Letty to where Dom sat.
"This is our Uncle, Auntie." she proclaimed.
"His name is Uncle Dom" Dolly added helpfully. "Uncle Dom this is our Auntie, she's the greatest, greatest Auntie in the whole, entire world." Dolly continued.
"Uncle Dom is from New York, Auntie." Jessa continued, "that's on the other side of the country."
"He..." Dolly started.
"I've met your Uncle Ladybugs'." Letty interrupted softly, her eyes on Dom's.
"hi." she added after a moment, breaking the eye contact. He continued to stare at her and Letty was feeling decidedly uncomfortable. His dark eyes raked over, like he was examining her, analyzing her.
She wasn't dressed like she'd been this morning. Now, she wore semi-tight blue jeans and a short black shirt with silver trim and short sleeves. Her hair was in a pony-tail and her face devoid of any make-up.
She looked normal, Dom thought, but still not like the Letty he'd known. It was closer though, absentmindedly he wondered if the later it got in the day the more she looked like his.... NO not his... just the Letty he'd known.
Brushing the thought away, he found he was enjoying the slight squirm his gaze was causing in her.
"What?! we don't get hello's." Vince said standing and draping his arms over her.
She laughed pulling her hands free of the girls and returning his hug, "how ya livin, V." she said.
"Aigh't. You?" he asked, "how's grease ball."
She sent him a playful glare, "Can't complain. Toyeko."
"There are car-gods..." Leon proclaimed from the sofa, "...my prayer have been answered."
She rolled her eyes at him, looking back at Vince, "how's Sonya."
"Gorgeous." he responded readily.
"...not enough or she wouldn't be wit you." Letty said grinning.
He was about to respond, when he felt a tug on his hand.
Looking down he found Dolly's light brows furrowed and her dark eyes glittering, "Uncle V. We had her first." she proclaimed sternly.
In a lightening fast move, Vince lifted her off the ground, "you had her first huh? Huh?" he said as he shook her shook around playfully in the air.
"yea, yea..." she said giggling. Her laughter filling the room as only a child's can. Dom's eyes never left Letty's face.
"Come on..." Jessa said pulling Letty again.
"Jessa sweetie, why don't you go and bring Taylor down here." Brian suggested, sternly.
She didn't want to but her father's suggestions were always followed.
Sighing she ran upstairs. Moments later when finally on the ground Dolly followed her.
"Well..." Mia said motioning for Letty to the sofa. "sit."
"Nu-uh. No time for that. We gotta go." she said glancing at her watch and up at the stairs. Sighing, she pulled out her cell phone and turned away, dialing her office number.
"Hey Liz.... I need another ticket to that Trapeze thing.... I know that....my nieces want to bring their cousin..... actually more like half an hour..... I know.... whatever, just get it, kay." she said and gave a frustrated sound that sounded half sigh, half growl. Then hung up.
"Look at you all high powered business woman and shit..." Vince said grinning. "...its good to rule LA huh Let?"
"Shut the fuck up" she said grinning widely as she grabbed the beer in his hand and took a drink.
"hey..." he whined.
"Stop it Let. Your drivin my girls." Mia said seriously.
"it was just a sip, girl, relax." Letty said looking up the stairs. "if they stay up there too long it won't matter whether I get another ticket or not." she said referring to the time.
"It may still not matter." Dom said softly.
She shifted and her eyes found his, "Are you not going to let him come?" she asked but didn't wait for the answer, "...cause if you aren't tell me now so I can call off the search. That things been sold out for days, today's the last night." Letty said seriously.
He was silent a moment. "No one's asked me." he responded.
"The girls assume you'll let him come."
"Maybe they shouldn't - "
"This is Taylor. Auntie Let." Jessa said as they came down the stairs.
"Say hi to our Aunt, Taylor." Dolly ordered him and the little boy obediently, murmured a quiet hi. He wasn't looking at her though. In the living room seemingly full of people his gaze sought out his dad's.
This place was nice and the people were nice but Dom was still the most solid thing in his little world.
"she's gonna take us to the trapeze guy you wanna come." Jessa asked him, "Auntie Letty's the best, she's so much fun, she lets ride anything and do anything and eat anything and she buys us anything we want. Its the funnest thing to go out with her." the little dark haired girl continued her childish voice filled with pure enthusiasm.
Mia gave Letty a look after the little speech and Letty had the grace the look a little sheepish. She did pretty much give the girls whatever they wanted when she had them.
Taylor who was still looking at his dad, now asked softly, "Can I daddy?"
"Oh puh-lease Uncle Dom say yes." Dolly begged. Her eyes pleading.
Dom studied her little face and then Jessa's, identical faces framed by contrasting wispy curls, brilliant eyes shining with supplication, and tiny mouths in little pouts.
This is why Letty hadn't even asked him, why she's assumed he would say yes.
Was there anyone in the world capable of saying no to these girls.
He certainly wasn't.
And at the moment, couldn't see himself ever being able to.
At that moment he saw them at sixteen with those exact expressions as they asked for his car. At eighteen as they begged him not to tell their dad they'd missed curfew. At twenty asking for a little loan.
And each time he saw himself saying the exact same thing he was saying now:
"Of course."
There expressions lit up and it only confirmed his suspicion, yep he'd always give them what they wanted, if only to see them light up like that.
After a moment, though he added, "If your Aunt doesn't mind." he said.
"she doesn't mind, do you Auntie Letty." Dolly asked her.
Letty sighed, "of course not ladybugs."
"yesssssssssssss." Jessa said triumphantly, giving her a hug.
Dolly just smirked at her said good.
Taylor smiled up at her - and she melted.
Damn him, why did he have to look so much like his father.
Shit, there wasn't a trace of his mother in him. It was all Dom. Just what she needed, to spend the evening with a fuckin carbon copy of the man she'd spent the better part of five years forgetting.
The kids said bye to their parents and ran outside, to wait.
She stood and silently listened to Mia's list of rules for the seven millionth time.
Told her she wouldn't take her eyes off them all night and promised not buy the girls anything extravagant or to feed them to much junk.
While she walked out to the car, ignoring Dom's looks. She, silently, promised herself that she wouldn't get attached to Taylor Torreto.
No matter what.
She wouldn't get attached.
For the obvious reason - he was Dom's son.
And that in itself could open up a world of complication she didn't need.
She'd be nice to him, of course. He was a child.
Just not warm.
Kind but not caring.
She wasn't going to let him worm himself into her heart.
Years ago, as a young girl, she hadn't been able to stop herself from falling for the boy a few houses away.
She'd tried for a little while but it hadn't worked.
She hadn't been to stop herself anymore than she could've stopped ocean waves from hitting the sand.
She'd walked many miles since then, seen many things.
But as she opened the car door so the kids could get in, Taylor looked up at her and said "thank you."
He met her eyes, and looking at him, Letty knew.
She was as impotent to stop it now, as she'd been all those years ago.
The waves would always hit the sand.
*****************************************************
