Brian stopped at his flat to get his lock picking gear and to put on a new sweater and shoes, of course. He quickly looked up the address and took off again, still using his left arm to shift gears.

The garage was almost on the other end of the city which meant that it would take him an hour to get there.

When he parked his car, it was already one o'clock. The job was easier this time. Brian found a window he could open and he managed to work on the car, although he could barely use his right arm and, thus, it took him much longer.

As he went back to his car, the stitched wound was throbbing once again and he cursed himself for not having thought of getting some more painkillers from Mia.

He texted Chestner and pulled off.

When he got back to his flat, he dropped down on his bed and felt the last bit of energy leave his body. He wrenched the blanket from underneath him and crawled under it, closing his eyes.

But sleep wouldn't come. Images of the day kept flashing before his eyes; Vince as he pinned him down on the street, Dom looking at him suspiciously in the garage, Mia's soft hands nursing his battered body. He knew that tonight he had lost them, he had betrayed their barely regained trust. And even though he continuously reminded himself that he'd done all of it to protect them, he felt like crying.

It was noon when Brian woke up, his sleep disturbed by nightmares of what had happened to him the night before the last. He'd experienced a lot of pain in his life and this certainly wasn't the first time that he got beaten up, but somehow this time it was different. Maybe that was because to some extent he could understand Jordan's outrage and he knew he probably deserved some of the bruises.

He stood up and went to the bathroom, happily noticing that the world wasn't spinning anymore and that he didn't feel sick but rather hungry. He carefully removed the bandage around his torso and stepped under the shower, resting his right arm on the wall to keep it from getting soaked.

He dried himself gingerly and put on new clothes. He didn't like the feeling of the wet patch on his back, but it wasn't worth the effort of trying to replace it.

Brian decided to head out for a late breakfast, since his fridge barely held any food anymore. He found some painkillers in a cupboard that wouldn't nearly be strong enough, but he took some anyway.

Since driving was so complicated at the moment, he walked until he found a café where he ordered coffee and a tuna sandwich.

On his way back, Brian kept his arm cradled in front of his body. He decided to spend the rest of the day on his bed, to give his body the opportunity to rest a bit, since he had to go back to work tomorrow.

When he came to the door of his apartment, he found it unlocked and immediately he sensed that something was off. He was sure he'd locked it before he left. Cautiously, he opened it a crack and peered inside.

Suddenly, somebody pulled from the inside and Brian, having a firm grip on the handle, stumbled forward into his flat. He regained his balance quickly and looked up – meeting deep brown eyes.

Instantly, he retreated, but Dom was too fast. He grabbed the front of his shirt, hauled him inside and shut the door with his foot. He slammed Brian into the wall beside it and brought his face close to his.

Brian could feel that Dom wasn't using all his force and he was careful not to touch any of his wounds. There was clearly no intention from his side to hurt Brian too much.

Even though Brian managed to keep relatively calm on the outside, he was secretly terrified. Dom had found his flat. Now he didn't have any place where he was safe. He'd been found.

"I'm a patient man most of the time and it takes a good reason to get me angry, but right now I'm really pissed, O'Conner," Dom growled. "Why the hell did you leave last night?"

Brian couldn't meet his eyes. Instead, he stared at the wall over his shoulder. "I…there was something I needed to do."

"That doesn't explain why you sneaked out through the fucking window," Dom stated dryly, slowly regaining his calm once more.

"I had to. You wouldn't have let me go."

"Damn right, I wouldn't have. Because you look like a living punching bag at the moment and nothing is important enough to risk your fucking health by running around when you should be lying down." Your safety is important enough, Brian thought. But he kept that to himself, instead settling on a stoic expression, still not meeting Dom's gaze. Dom sighed and let go of him, leaning back a bit. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?" he asked, his gaze intense.

Brian shot him a surprised look. "Worried?"

Dom looked at him incredulously. "What about that part about you being part of my family didn't you understand, Brian? Of course, I was worried. Fuck, I was beyond worried. You were gone and I had no idea where you'd gone or what you'd got yourself into. And I wasn't even sure whether I'd be able to find you again."

"Well, you did, obviously," Brian mumbled.

"Yeah, because you told me of that new job of yours. I asked some people who would employ someone without asking too many questions and eventually, I found your boss. And luckily, he knows where Brian Fletcher lives." Dom paused. "Now go get some stuff and then let's get out of here."

Brian's expression grew a bit anxious at this. "Where we headed?"

Dom raised an eyebrow and Brian could have sworn he saw the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Home."

The ride passed mainly in silence. Brian looked at his lap while Dom kept his eyes on the street. When he pulled up in front of the house, Mia came out and before Brian could do much more than getting out, she threw her arms around him.

"Don't you ever leave like that again," she threatened when she released him. But her eyes showed only kindness. They might not be a couple anymore, but they felt close to each other like siblings.

Dom carried Brian's bag into the house and they followed.

Once they were inside, Dom motioned to the couch, his eyes on Brian. "Do I have to strap you down or do you promise to stay put?"

Knowing Dom would really go through with that, Brian hurriedly lay down and pulled a blanket over himself. Lying there, joy washed over him as he realized that his family had forgiven him once more. He started grinning, looking like a child under a Christmas tree surrounded by presents.