To Be Needed
Part 18
"So basically a race is all about who has nos and who doesn't? And who can hold out the longest before using it?" Ashby asked Vince, trying to make sure she understood all he was explaining to her.
They were sitting in his car at the abandoned warehouses on the edge of town. He was telling her about nos and how it works in the street racing world.
Vince smiled at her summary. "Yeah, that's it."
Ashby frowned. "It's like cheating, but everybody's doing it."
Vince laughed. "Something like that. You ready to drive?" he asked her.
Ashby took a deep breath. "All right. I'm just driving to the end of the warehouses right?"
She looked at him nervously. She didn't want to disappoint Vince or Dom. Ashby knew they were all hoping she could do it. She didn't want to let any of them down.
"Yeah. Back up some so the front end is behind the edge of the building." Vince said as he grabbed a stop watch in the glove compartment.
Ashby did as he instructed.
"Aight when I say go you drive, okay?"
Ashby took another deep breath. She was nervous and scared. The team believed she could do it. Ashby didn't know how she would be able to take it if she couldn't do it. She wanted so much to be able to do this for them.
"Okay, I'm ready." She said and faced the road ahead of her.
Vince nodded. He held the stop watch in preparation.
"Ready...Set...GO!"
Ashby took off the moment the word go left his lips. The faster she drove, the higher up in gears she shifted, the more pumped up she felt.
It was exhilarating. It was so different from watching on the sidelines. Something Dom told her once came to mind.
For those ten seconds or less I'm free.
For the first time Ashby knew what Dom always tried to tell her, but could never find the words to explain. None of them could explain the feeling of racing when ever she asked. In those ten seconds or less Ashby understood and saw the Toretto Team in a whole new light.
It wasn't about the money or the fame. It wasn't about being the best. It was all about the rush. The rush of freedom. The freedom to just go and not be restrained by rules or laws.
At the end Ashby slowed down until she was able to finally stop the car. She looked at Vince anxiously.
"So how did I do?" She asked.
Vince looked at her and seemed to be searching for something. He smiled when he seemed to find what he was looking for.
"You felt it didn't you? You know now why we do it don't you?" He asked.
Ashby smiled and nodded. "Yeah I know. So am I gonna embarrass myself at race wars or do I have a chance?"
Vince grinned at her. "Baby, as Jesse would say. You will decimate all... after... we get you your own car."
Ashby laughed. At least she wouldn't put the Toretto name to shame.
"So how do I know when I need nos?"
"Keep driving like that and you might not have to. But when you do, you just know. That's why we need to get you your own car. You need to practice with your own car so you can get a feel for her."
Ashby nodded. She understood what he meant.
"Well let's get going. I'm sure the others are dying to know how I did." She said and headed for home.
"Jesse I am not, I repeat NOT driving a pink car." Ashby told him sternly. Jesse was showing her one of his latest designs.
"Oh come on Ash, please? The car would look better pink. Not girly pink, but racer pink."
He begged her.
Ashby had no idea Jesse was just playing with her. The car didn't have to be pink. It could be any color she wanted. When he let loose with a betraying giggle Ashby looked at him sharply.
Her glare turned into a smile. "Oh you're so dead." She tried to tickle him, but he yelled out and flung himself away from her. He ran out of the living room to the kitchen, putting the table between him and Ashby.
Ashby ran after him. They circled each other around the table. Jesse was laughing along with Ashby.
"I'm gonna get you Jess." Ashby vowed.
"Ha, you gotta catch me first." he retaliated.
The two of them didn't see Dom standing in the doorway watching them.
For the first time since they've been back to LA from Mexico he thought about the day Jesse got shot. It was a bad day. A long and bad day.
Dom saw his body go down and thought that was it. He thought Jesse was gone. It was over. The team was done. It would never be the same again. Dom knew none of the others would want to be a team Toretto anymore once they knew Jesse was dead.
Dom hated that long drive to Mexico. It only gave him time to think about Jesse and Vince and worry. And cry because as a team they swore they would be there for each other and he couldn't hold true to his oath.
When Brian handed him the keys to the Supra that day Dom almost hesitated. When he asked Brian if he was sure, he kind of hoped Brian would change his mind. What did it matter if he got away? Jesse was dead and who knew how Vince would be?
Dom took the keys and drove all the way to Mexico thinking about Jesse and everything they did together as a team.
To see Jesse laughing and happy now was a gift. One Dom never wanted to take for granted again. Before the day on the truck Dom couldn't remember a time they all did something as a family. They haven't been out just to have fun. No work, no school, no worries. Dom knew that if it weren't for Ashby they wouldn't be where they are all at now. He was afraid to think of where the Toretto team would be with out her.
Dom frowned. He didn't like the term 'Team Toretto' anymore. It wasn't his team. They made up the team, not just him. They needed a new name. He would have to talk to everyone about it.
Dom smiled when he saw Ashby catch Jesse and tickle him mercilessly.
"Hey you two get any work done on the car?"
Ashby and Jesse looked at Dom with smiles frozen on their faces.
"Yes. We figured out Ashby doesn't want a pink car." Jesse said with a straight face.
Ashby looked at Jesse and growled. "Oh you are so gonna get it." She attacked him again and didn't stop until he was howling with laughter for her to stop.
Dom just laughed at them. Somehow he knew things were gonna be okay. They would have their rough spots, but the team would pull thru. Especially since now they have Ashby to help stir them in the right direction. That's what they really needed.
Dominic woke up early the next morning. He looked around his darkened room confused trying to figure out why he was awake so early. Usually Someone had to wake him up. When he saw Jesse's silhouette he knew why he was awake. Jesse was sitting on the edge of the bed watching him.
"What's the matter Jess? You okay?" Dom asked worriedly. Jesse sat in Ashby's room in the mornings, not his.
"No I was waiting for you to wake up. I got somethin to show you." He said.
Dom smiled in the dark. "All right. Give me a minute and I'll be down."
Jesse jumped up excitedly. "Okay, hurry. I want you to see it before anyone else wakes up."
Dom chuckled. "Calm down Jess, you'll wake the baby then everyone will be up. I'm comin right now."
Jesse left Dominic's room quickly, but quietly.
Dom climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans that he had lying on the floor. He couldn't walk around the house in boxers, Ashby had curbed him of that habit a long time ago.
Dom went downstairs to the living room following the sounds of Jesse clicking away on his computer. "All right Jess, what is it?" Dom asked once he stood behind Jesse.
A couple more clicks and Jesse moved to the side so Dom had a full view of the monitor.
"What do you think of this?" Jesse asked shyly, afraid to look at Dominic's face.
He was afraid of Dom's reaction.
"I thought since Ash' is gonna be apart of the team now we should have new decals. Something new that represents all of us now." Jesse said, still speaking softly.
Dominic looked at the screen in awe. He was completely blown away. It was a pack of wolves running together in the moonlight. It would look wicked against the side of a car Dom knew.
"How did you come up with that?" Dom asked Jesse quietly.
Jesse braved a look at him. Dom didn't sound mad so Jesse took it as a good sign.
"Well wolves travel in packs. A pack takes care of each other kinda like a team, only it's about survival for them. We're kinda like a pack. We need each other to survive. None of us could be in this if we weren't all here. Even Ashby now. Do you get it Dom? It's different from when we were jackin trucks. We're not just a team anymore, we're a pack now. We take care of each other. I thought that if you liked it we could put the decals on our cars for race wars. You know be more than just another team. We'd be a pack. If you don't like it it's okay. I just thought I'd show you is all." Jesse explained. He held his breath and looked at Dom, waiting for some kind of reaction.
Jesse's knee started to bounce in nervousness.
Dom rested a hand on Jesse's shoulder and smiled down at him. "I think it's great Jess."
Jesse sighed in relief, but hesitated still. "But?"
"But, it's not up to me to decide. It's everyone's decision. We'll have a meeting and you can show it to everyone and explain just like you did to me."
Jesse jumped from his chair in excitement. "No shit Dom?" he asked hopefully.
Dominic grinned at his little brother. "No bullshit, Jess. If everyone agrees then the pack has new decals. If the team doesn't agree then the team had new decals."
Jesse couldn't keep still he wanted to run up and tell Ashby the good news. Dom kept a hand on Jess, preventing him from bolting from the room.
"Let V have her a little while longer. You can tell her soon enough. I'll keep quiet until you do." Dom said, still smiling at Jesse's child-like excitement.
Jesse was so happy all he could do was hug Dominic.
Dominic hugged him back. It's good to be a pack instead of a team. Dom thought warmly.
Jesse sat in the kitchen across from Dom, waiting impatiently for everyone to get up so he could tell them the good news. He was eating cereal with his leg bouncing a mile a minute.
Dom watched in amusement as Jesse had to restrain himself from rushing upstairs to Ashby's room to wake her. He didn't have the heart to see poor Jesse suffer anymore.
"All right. It's been long enough. you can go up there now. They should be awake by now anyway," Dom told Jesse giving in to the puppy dog looks Jesse would throw him every once in a while.
Jesse jumped up in glee and ran for the stairs. Dom chuckled as he heard Jesse pound up the stairs and down the hall to Ashby's room. He started laughing when he heard Vince yell out in protest at Jesse's early morning appearance.
"Ash, guess what? Dom said yes. He said we all had to decide as a pack if we wanted it and if everybody says yeah then we can use it." Jesse told her excitedly, not paying any attention to the death glares Vince was throwing at him.
Ashby smiled at him. "That's good Jess. I told you he would like it. All you had to do was show him." She told him.
Jesse was practically bouncing up and down in excitement. "Come on everybody has to come down so we can vote." He said tugging on the blanket so he could pull Ashby out of bed and downstairs with him.
Ashby laughed. "Go wake the others. We'll be down in a minute." She told him.
Jesse face brightened at the thought of waking Leon and rushed out of the room.
Ashby laughed softly. She wished to god if she was ever lucky enough to have another child that he turned out just like Jesse. Every mother deserved a Jesse in her life.
"Come on V. We gotta go." Se told him as she attempted to climb out of bed.
Vince stopped her and hauled her back against his body. "No, stay here. We can vote from up here. Besides Dom knows you know about it and knows you like it. We don't have to go anywhere," he protested as he wrapped his massive arms around her middle locking her body against his. Allowing him to spread random kisses on her exposed throat.
Ashby giggled slightly at the feel of his breath against her skin. "Yes we do V. We're a pack. We do things together. Come on before Jesse comes back and threatens you."
Vince let her slip away from him, but looked at her skeptically. "What's he gonna threaten me with?"
Ashby looked at him smug. "He'll sneak in here every night and you'll never have me to yourself."
Vince rolled his eyes. "He already does that. He don't scare me."
Ashby stood by the door and gave him one last look. "I guess I won't let him put a dead bolt on my bedroom door then." She stated and walked out.
Vince stared at the empty doorway for five seconds and was across the room in a shot. A dead bolt? Hell, no way was Vince passing that up.
Downstairs Vince walked into the kitchen to see Dominic making breakfast. Vince did a double take. Was the great Dominic Toretto "king of the streets" making breakfast?
Vince took note of the burnt toast and overcooked scrambled eggs and confirmed the answer to his question. Dominic had indeed attempt to make breakfast. Whether or not it was edible was an entirely different matter.
Vince smiled as he heard Ashby immediately fuss and nag about the mess Dominic made.
"Dominic Toretto if you ever attempt to make breakfast again I'll wreck your precious car," Ashby told him sternly.
Vince sat at a chair and watched in amusement as the grown man cowered like a child in front of the small woman.
"Sorry. I wanted to try and do something for everyone else for a change. Didn't quite work." He explained.
Ashby sighed. "Well after you take us out to breakfast, you can clean it up," she told him and smiled.
Dom smiled in return, grateful Ashby understood what he was trying to do.
"Damn! Who burned breakfast? V did you try to help again?" Jesse asked as he walked into the kitchen with Leon, and Mia behind him. Maria smiled at the sight of everyone she loves gathered in the kitchen.
Vince scowled at Jesse, but then laughed. "Nope. That was all Dom, bro."
Everyone laughed, as Dom scowled, but then joined in the laughter.
"We're gonna go out for breakfast, but first Jesse has something he wants to show everyone. Go ahead Jesse."
Jesse rushed to his computer, yelling for everyone to follow him. After they were all surrounded around his computer Jesse explained about his decals the same way he told Dom earlier.
Jesse waited anxiously for Leon and Mia's opinion. He already knew Ash's and V's, but if everyone didn't like it, then Jesse didn't want Dom to force them all to sport it. It had to be a team decision.
Jesse hollered with joy when both Leon and Mia gushed over the idea, loving it as well. Maria laughed out loud at Jesse's hollering. Thinking he was playing some kind of game.
Ashby smiled down at Jesse. She knew how much it meant to him to have everyone's approval.
"Okay well now that that's done, let's go to breakfast to celebrate our first day as a pack," Dom stated.
They all rushed of to rooms to change. Dom stayed behind with Jesse and looked down at him. Jesse smiled at him and Dom smiled back.
"Feels right, don't it little brother?"
Jesse nodded. "Yeah."
Dom grinned at him. "Go get changed," Dom instructed.
Jesse ran off.
Dominic watched him go. A lot of things flashed through Dominic's mind. Like how much he needed to change his way of doing things. The team almost fell apart once because he was too stubborn to let anyone else help him make decisions. Decisions that affect the entire team. Decisions that he had no right to make for them. Dom knew as a pack they would be better. With Ashby as part of them, things were different. As a team they were able to work together to get a job done. But being a pack is where they excelled. It was just how Jesse described it.
We need each other to survive. None of us could be in this if we weren't all here.
It felt good to make a pack decision instead of doing it on his own.
Dom smiled as he made his way upstairs. He couldn't wait for Race Wars.
Here comes The Pack.
