1991

It was still early when Dom woke up, but not early enough to beat his father out of the house.

Anthony Toretto was usually at the garage at dawn and he knew that pretty soon, he'd be following the same schedule.

Taking his morning mug of java out to the porch, he walked out to sit on the front steps.

He remembered how, as a child, he'd sit there and wait as his father and mother said goodbye in the kitchen. Then he'd watch as his father came out, making his way to him to say his own goodbyes, depositing him back to his mother as he made his way out to work.

Then his mother would tuck him back in on the living room couch, to sleep a few more hours before he get up for school a few hours later.

It was a ritual that lasted quite a few years. Even when he stopped, he still woke up at dawn to listen to his fathers' footsteps, waiting for the day that he could get up and join him for work.

He gave a bittersweet smile as he took a long sip of coffee, remembering the conversation from the night before.

"Think about what you're doing Dominic, the things you would be giving up"

"I wouldn't be giving anything up, dad. I wanna do this. I wanna work at the garage and be a racer just like you. And I don't need some expensive college education to do that. I already learned everything I need to know right here."

First his father had been angry, and then later resorted to pleading. But no amount of reasoning could change his mind. He'd wanted this, ever since he was a kid. Nothing beat anything than wanting to be like his dad or maybe even better than his dad.

The races he won on the streets already told him he was fast. Heck, even his father told him he had instinct and the skills. All he needed now was the opportunity, and how many of those might slip by while he was sitting in another classroom, studying something that he might never use?

He told his father that much, and though most of their conversation was in the form of an argument, they at least reached a compromise.

That was one thing that Dom was never quite good at. While his dad had the occasional temper, his was a raging bull. He felt things deeply, and expressed things with the same intensity as his emotions.

No middle ground.

His thoughts were interrupted by the screen door opening. Turning around, he wondered who the hell could be up at this time on a summer morning.

"Why the hell are you up so early?" the small voice--already taking on a dusky feminine drawl--asked him

"I could ask you the same thing" he said, looking at the sleepy figure standing by the door

Her hair was sticking up and despite the summer heat she had a shirt and some pajamas on, bare feet peeking out of the long bottoms.

Never a morning person, Letty had on a scowl that could frighten a cobra.

"Coffee?" he teased, offering his mug

"Ugh, no" she said, making a face "You know I hate drinking that stuff. Besides, it stunts your growth"

"I don't think so" he thought as his eyes automatically wandered to her chest

Realizing that he was checking Letty out, he immediately looked away.

Since when the hell did he start checking Letty out?

"So" she said, sitting down next to him "Why aren't you at the garage?"

He sighed "Dad said I should take the summer off…take the time to think things over…"

"Or sleep off that hangover" she teased "that was some party last night"

He smiled "Yeah…yeah it was. Didn't think it would finally be over but yeah…it is"

Letty made a face, looking over at the horizon "And people keep telling me what a big fucking deal it is. If high school's so great, then why the hell are you so glad that it's over?"

"Coz schools done" he said, laughing "No more of that chemistry or calculus bullshit. I'm done studying, now I can just…concentrate on racin'"

She smirked "You sure that's the only thing you gonna concentrate on?"

He looked down at Letty, expecting to see a sly grin. Instead, she had on this wistful expression.

"I've been to one of those races…saw you checkin' out those girls…they don't look like the type that went to your high school"

"Let…"

He sighed, not really knowing what to say. He knew that she'd been feeling a little…left out lately.

Raul had taken a new job that required a lot of out of town trips, and she'd been forced to live with them for long periods of time. And with Mia having started high school and him and Vince doing their own thing…there really wasn't much time to look after Letty.

Not that she needed any looking after. Letty had always been a tough little kid, never wanting anyone to see that she was weak or that she needed anything.

But still…he knew things couldn't be easy for her. Going to that fancy school where she didn't seem to have any friends then straight to the garage to do work…it wasn't the life for a twelve year old kid.

At least it wasn't his life when he was twelve…

"There are plenty more women in college you know"

He almost balked at where the discussion was leading.

"You're kidding right?" he said "Coz you gotta be kidding if you just think I'm giving up on college just coz of some women"

"Then why aren't you going?" Letty asked "Coz you know Tony's right, you gotta get an education."

"I already got an education" he answered "Learned everything I needed to know about cars from dad, and whatever he can't teach me on the tracks I can find out on my own"

Still, she didn't look at all convinced and this worried him somehow.

There was something in the way that Letty looked up to him that unnerved him. At first he thought it was some misdirected hero worship, but lately…lately it felt like something more.

And perhaps it scared him, because he'd come to need that…something more.

In whichever case, Letty didn't seem to notice his discomfort and just shrugged.

"Suit yourself" she said "Your life"

Dom just smirked. "You know, you're not all that far from college either."

"Dom, I'm not even outta junior high" she said dourly

"And this is what? Your last year right?" he asked "Just wait. You hit high school, and everybody will be asking you just what it is that you'll want to do for the fucking rest of your life."

"Yeah, yeah…" she whined, then paused as she let out a yawn

"It's still pretty early, and you were up late last night" he said "You should probably get back to bed"

Letty just shook her head. "Can't."

"Why not?"

She paused, looking at the house down the street.

"Dad called. He's coming home today."

Present

It was that time again.

When the street was deserted, and it seemed like he was the only one left watching.

9:35am on a hot summer day. It wasn't too far back when a man named Jim had driven in the garage and life, as he knew it, was over again for Dominic Toretto.

And just as things had settled, when he though he and Letty were getting better, something happened again that turned the world upside down.

He heard a silent click as the screen door closed behind him. He didn't bother turning around. The footsteps already told him it was his sister.

"How is she?" he asked, his eyes trained still trained on the house

"Fine" Mia answered "Okay…Brian's with her right now"

"That's good" he said, running his thumbs around the rim of his cup

When they first came back from Mexico, it was obvious to everyone that Letty and Brian's relationship was…different. They'd gotten along well before, but after the heists it was clear that things had changed.

No one dared question it, but they did wonder why. Then Jim happened, and things slowly came into perspective.

In a way, he was glad that Brian was there for her. He wished like hell that he was the one talking to her, but she'd already told him what he needed and right now…he wasn't what she needed right now.

And it hurt him, but he could accept it.

"It's annoying…but he knows her better than any of us right now" Mia said, her voice cracking "And I'm not worried, I'm really not but…she was my best friend first you know…"

"Mia…" he started, putting down his cup to draw her to his side

"I remember when mom died…she used to come to the house to try and get me to go out, because I wouldn't leave the bed. Then on Sundays, for church, she'd drag Maria to our house so she could braid my hair just like hers…"

Mia bit her lip, remembering the days of her childhood, the sweet and even the bittersweet.

"That first mother's day without mom, I cried after we went to visit her grave. I wouldn't stop…and Letty…she was such a clueless little kid then, she said…she said "Well, we still have my mom. And I know she's not your mommy, but in case you need a mommy hug, you can have her too"

They laughed, their eyes watering.

Maria had been their surrogate mother. When their mom died, she made it her business to look after them too.

She invited them into her home for dinners, drove them to school, attended the school meetings…their dad was a great dad, but he still wasn't…their mother. And neither was Maria, but she was the closest to their mom that they could ever get.

They had been best friends, they had done everything together.

So her leaving had hurt them too…but they knew, deep down, that their mom dying had a lot of things to do with Maria leaving.

Somehow, the only thing that kept her together, that tethered her sanity towards her absent husband, was her best friend.

And when she died…

"I don't know what I think about her coming into our lives again" Mia said "I know it's more of Letty's decision, but right now…things are just so fragile right now…with us, and with her…I don't want to see her hurt"

He squeezed her shoulders reassuringly.

"I know…but whatever happens…I we'll always be together" he said with all the hope and confidence he could muster "We're a family…we've always been a family…nothing will change that. We feel each others pains just as hard as we would our own, and no matter what…we don't let go of the ones we love"

His mind flashed to an image of Jesse…and even though it had been nearly two years, losing him still hurt. And the guilt he felt still hadn't diminished.

"We'll get through this" he murmured

Mia just nodded her head, before he turned to look at him, staring right into his eyes.

There was something in the way that she looked at him…how her eyes slowly lit up, and it turned to…something akin to wonder…

"What?" he asked, feeling awkward all of a sudden…

"You really love her don't you" she said

"Jesus Mia, did you have to ask that?" he muttered dourly "What the hell have you been drinking?"

"Coffee" she smacked back "But that's not the point…it's just…"

She smiled, shaking her head a bit.

"All these years Dom, I've watched you stumble home marked by some skank from the races…none of us ever said anything because we knew you loved Letty…but sometimes we asked ourselves how long you two would last" she confessed

He stared at her, a bit offended. Though he knew that none of what she said should even shock him, they were all true.

"She was such an independent girl, and you were king of the streets…you treated her like…like she was a possession, or just…another extension of you. Like how we used to be an extension of you…" she said

"You loved her…but you know that sometimes, love just isn't enough…and obviously she found Jim…but" she let her voice trail off, wondering as she cocked the side of her head

"What changed Dom? Was it Jim, or the heists? Was it Jesse dying?"

"I…" he said…not really knowing where to start

The reasons had been buried for so long, one piled on top of the other, that it was impossible to explain in just one sitting. Not to his sister, or to Vince, or Leon…not even to Letty.

The truth of it all was stuck in a tangled web, one that he needed to fix before he could even begin to explain…to tell them all why he had been…who he was…and why he was like this now…

"You don't have to tell me anything" she said "I just…I felt like I needed to ask"

"And you'll get your answer" he told her "You deserve one Mia, all of you do…And not just for what I did, cheating on Letty…but for everything"

"Everything" she asked, smiling

"Yeah, everything" he told her, grinning back "We're a family Mia, it doesn't do us good to keep that many secrets"

"Good" she answered brightly "Then you can tell me about that ring I found in your pants"

"What!" he sputtered, spewing coffee

"Ew, Dom…"

"I'm gonna kill him" he fumed

"I thought Brian knew something" she smirked "For the record though, he wouldn't tell me, even when I tried to bribe him. I didn't know what exactly it was, but I had an idea…finally found proof of it when I did the laundry early this week"

"It's supposed to be a secret" he grumbled

"And it still is…only you, Brian and now I just happen to know about it too" she quipped "Relax, I didn't tell her…but how long have you thought of asking?"

"Long" he told her "I got the ring a few months after Mexico…I was thinking of asking her but Jim…"

She just nodded, not needing him to explain.

"That was quite a ring" she said "Though for a minute there I thought you were gonna give her mommy's"

He reached up to scratch his head, thinking back to the day that he'd gotten the ring.

It wasn't even one of the biggest one in the store, but it was damn close. The girl at the counter nearly swooned when he paid for it full—and in cash.

He was so sure. He'd seen the ring and he thought of everything she'd ever done for him, and knew it was no match for every damn thing he'd even thought of doing for her.

"I thought she deserved something new" he told her "Something…something that's just hers, I guess"

His hands were fumbling with the mug, squeezing nervously. He didn't know why, but just the thought of proposing to her made him nervous as hell.

Mia just laughed, putting her hand over his to calm him "Relax, she'll say yes"

"You willing to put some money on it?" he joked

They were laughing now, but deep down he was scared shit.

Nothing about their current relationship even hinted an idea of marriage, much less her jumping up and down at his possible offer of a happily ever after.

Right now they at a stalemate, but that at least gave him a little hope. And it was easier accept having that little hope rather than having no hope at all…because right now he really couldn't be sure…

And Mia knew that, they all knew that.

Mia opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the front door opening and closing. They both looked up to see Brian stepping out, looking grim and tired as hell.

A moment passed before Mia stood up, immediately walking towards him.

"So" she asked Brian "Did you talk to her?"

"Yeah" he said, running his hand over his hair, then leaning on the post

"Has she decided on what to do" Mia asked, and Brian just nodded

"And?" Dom growled

He looked down, staring directly at Dom. "Why don't you go ask her"