To Be Needed

Part 7

Ashby walked outside the building, grateful it was over. She loved school, but she spent the entire three-hour class worried about Mia. She even called the house to check on Mia on her twenty-minute break.

Mia answered the phone, but her voice sounded hollow. Ashby could hear Maria crying in the background. Mia used Maria's cries as an excuse to get off the phone.

Once the class was over Ashby rushed for the door, eager to get home.

She looked around and spotted Vince. She made her way to his car and climbed in.

"Hey, baby. How was class?" He asked

"All right. Are the others home already?" She asked. She wanted a moment alone with Mia so she could try and talk to her again.

"No. We're behind a couple of cars. Since Jesse can't see out one eye Dom had him doing paperwork all day with Mia. They're all still at the garage. Why? What's up?" Vince glanced at her. He knew that look. She was worried.

"Are you heading back to the shop after dropping me off? I want to talk to Mia alone." She explained.

"Yeah, actually I was. Why do you want to talk to Mia? You aren't thinking about leaving are you?" Vince asked, scared at the thought. Letty had done the same thing before she left.

She and Mia went out together. Letty said she wanted to talk to Mia alone about girl stuff.

A couple of days later she left without telling anyone.

Ashby frowned as she looked at Vince. She didn't understand why they all were afraid she would leave. "I ain't going anywhere. I just want to talk to her. We haven't talked in a while that's all." She said.

Vince felt stupid. "Oh." Was all he said.

Ashby smiled. "It's okay, V. don't worry. I'm not leaving. I don't plan on it anytime in the near future. Even if I were, I would tell all of you. I can promise you that." She told him firmly.

Vince nodded, satisfied she wasn't leaving. He drove back to the house, in comfortable silence.

"Thanks, V. Can you do me a favor and call me to let me know when you guys are coming back?" she asked as she opened the car door.

"Yeah," he replied.

Ashby smiled at him. "Thanks, V." She leaned over and kissed his cheek again.

Vince watched her walk inside the house. He could never get tired of watching her. He really wanted to give her a real kiss. It had to be right. She had to want it too. Vince knew if he tried to force a kiss on her she would hate him and he damn well didn't want that. He could wait. Maybe tonight she would be comfortable enough to kiss him. Vince hoped she was. This feeling inside of him was starting to grow and he was almost afraid of what it might mean.

He backed out of the driveway and thought about it on the way back to the garage. He couldn't be falling in love with her. Could he? Vince didn't know what to think. If that was the case then he had to tread very carefully. Something was telling his gut she was hurt by someone in the past.

Which would explain why she's been so against dating him. He would never hurt her thou. She had to know that. Vince couldn't hurt her for the world.

Ashby opened the front door and set her school bag and purse on the couch as she walked in.

"Mia? I'm home. You here?" She announced.

Ashby paused and listened. She heard Maria's faint cries coming from upstairs. Ashby rushed up the stairs, and paused again. She listened for Maria to figure out where the cries were coming from.

"Mia?" Ashby called out again, but still got back nothing, but the baby crying.

She headed for Mia's room. Her stomached dropped. Ashby felt a sense of dread as she approached the door. She could hear Maria clearly now.

She pushed open the door.

"Mia?"

She walked in and saw Maria on her back on Mia's bed. There were pillows around her, to prevent her from falling off the bed. She was crying. Her cries seemed hoarse as if she had been crying for a while.

Ashby looked around for Mia, but didn't see her. She walked further in and saw the light peeking out from the bottom of the bathroom door. Ashby paused in mid step. Deep down she was afraid. Mia had to be using the bathroom. She would be out any second. She convinced herself.

When Mia didn't come out Ashby walked closer to the door. She stood in front of it and lifted her fist to knock. It was then she heard the soft cries of Mia. Ashby let out the breath she had been holding. She shouldn't have thought that about Mia. She was crazy for even considering Mia would kill herself.

Ashby knocked gently on the bathroom door. "Mia? You okay?" She said speaking softly. She didn't want to scare her.

When Mia didn't' stop crying to open the door Ashby panicked again. She placed a hand on the doorknob. "Mia, I'm coming in." Ashby said firmly and turned the knob, walking in.

What she saw scared the hell out of her. Ashby didn't want to think she had been right.

Mia was on the floor crying staring at a razorblade that lie next to her. It seemed to Ashby she had been there for some time. Ashby quickly noted there was no blood.

"Mi', sweetie what are you doing?" Ashby asked, speaking gently.

Mia finally realized she was there. She turned and looked at her scared. Mia panicked. "You can't tell the others! Please don't tell them! Dom will be so mad! Please! Don't tell them Ash!" Mia begged.

Ashby wanted to cry, but held herself in check. She needed to know what drove Mia to the point that she felt she needs to contemplate suicide. She knew something was bothering her and it went a lot deeper than all the others realized.

"Shush, sweetie. It's okay. I won't tell anyone. Come on up off the floor. I need to go and quiet Maria. Let's go down to the kitchen. I'll make some tea and we'll talk." Ashby instructed as she held out a hand to help Mia up.

Mia looked up at her. "Maria? Oh I left her alone. I'm a terrible mother. She knows it. That's why she hates me too. Brian knew that's why he never came back." Mia said as tears fell from her eyes again.

Ashby took a deep breath. "You're not a bad mother. Now get up off the floor and go down to the kitchen. I don't want to hear another word until I have tea made." Ashby stated with an authoritative tone and hauled Mia up off the floor.

Mia complied and followed Ashby.

Ashby picked up Maria and carried her downstairs. She walked into the kitchen to see Mia had already set the kettle to boil. And was preparing a bottle for Maria.

Ashby smiled softly. If Mia were such a bad mother she wouldn't have even known how to make a bottle. Ashby had a feeling she knew what was bothering Mia, but wanted to be sure.

Once Maria was fed and Ashby was burping her in her arms she looked at Mia.

"Ok, Mi' I want to know what's up. I want the truth this time. No lying and saying you're fine because we both know that what I saw upstairs proves that something is wrong. So either you tell me now or I tell the others what happened and you have to tell all of them." Ashby said laying it all out on the line.

Mia looked at her resentfully.

Ashby sighed. "I'm sorry Mia that you think I'm forcing you to tell me something, but I have no other choice. I know something is wrong. I can't help you if you don't ask. If you don't want to help yourself, at least think of Maria. She doesn't have her father. You're all she has left." Ashby said, trying to help Mia in the only way she knew how.

Tears filled Mia's eyes. "I'm sorry. I just…I'm…I loved him. How could he do that to me? How could he? He didn't even call to see how Maria's birth went. I told him to stay away from me, but I thought if he really loved me he would at least try and come back. He never did. Even after I called to tell him I was pregnant he never called, not once. I thought if he didn't love me he would at least come back to see his daughter. Ash, why did he lie to me?" Mia pleaded, as the tears fell down her cheeks.

Ashby was stunned. In the back of her mind she always knew, but to have it laid out for her was a bit overwhelming.

"Mi, I'm sorry. I don't know why. I wish I could tell you, but I can't. I know it hurts, sweetie, but you need to let it go. You can't let it consume you. You have all of us who love you. You have Maria. Would you rather you have never met Brian and not have Maria?" Ashby asked.

Mia shook her head no. "No, I love her with all my heart."

"Then try and let it go. At least you have something good that came from the heartache. She was conceived in loved, Mia. Remember that." Ashby said softly.

Mia looked at her. "Ash, I don't know where I would be with out you. I could never thank you enough for everything you've done." Mia said and leaned over and hugged her tight. Maria laughed at the embrace. Mia smiled at her daughter.

Ashby smiled. "Here, why don't you take her and I'll get dinner started?" She offered.

Mia looked at Ashby as she took her daughter into her arms. "Ash, I swear to god I love you. You deserve a vacation. Someday I'll make it up to you."

Ashby rolled her eyes. "You don't have to do that Mi'. I'm only doing what you asked me to do. I'm helping out like I said I would. Now go into the living room and play with your daughter. I'm sure she misses you." Ashby instructed.

Mia did as Ashby said.

Ashby watched Mia go and smiled. She was worried about Mia for a while. She knew today was the turning point. Ashby had a feeling Mia was going to be okay finally. It might take a while, but Ashby knew Mia could do it. If not she would be there to set Mia back in line.

When the phone rang twenty minutes later Ashby jumped and almost dropped the plate she was holding. "Oh Jesus Christ!" she bit out. She took moment to settle her nerves then answered the phone.

"Hello, Toretto residence."

"Why the hell do you answer the phone like that? You live there too." Vince demanded.

Ashby rolled her eyes. "Because it's polite and it's not my house. Are you guys coming back now?" she asked.

"Yeah, we just pulled out of the garage. We'll be there soon." He informed her.

"Okay. Dinner should be ready by the time you all get here. See you in a bit." She informed him.

"Oh good, we're starving. See you." He said and hung up his cell phone.

Ashby ran around the kitchen, hurrying to get the table set and finish making the salad.

Dinner was a comfortable occasion for the first time in long time. Dom seemed to notice because he kept looking at Mia, then back at Ashby. Mia was more involved. She said more at dinner than she had in the past week.

Vince noticed too. He looked at Mia wide-eyed then looked at Ashby and smiled at her secretly.

He couldn't wait to be alone with Ashby and ask what happened. He couldn't believe the change in Mia. She was much more happy than she's been in months. She even held Maria all thru dinner. Usually Ashby was the one holding her.

No one noticed the looks Leon was giving Mia. It was a different sort of look. One of curiosity and of something else.

He noticed right away something was different about her. She didn't seem so sad anymore. Maybe it meant she was finally over Brian. Leon hoped so. Brian didn't deserve her.

Mia deserved someone better. Someone who would never lie to her. Someone who would love her and take care of her. Brian abandoned her as soon as his 'undercover' job was over.

When they were driving to Mexico, Mia told them about Brian. Leon wanted to kill him. How could he do that to Mia? Leon understood Brian was doing his job, but how could he take it that far and sleep with Mia and tell her he loved her?

Then he didn't even come to take care of Mia after she told him she was pregnant. It wasn't right. Leon swore the next time he saw Brian he would lay him out. He would be sorry he messed with the team. Brian would be real sorry.