If I'm being completely honest I've been working on this chapter for almost a year and I'm not sure if I'm 100% happy with it but it's time to set it free into the wild.
So this will be a bit of a time jump. Just to emphasize her time on the team and her relationship that she develops with Damian.
The other side, chapter 2
No one's POV
For the next 10 months Lia was put through intense training that worked on her computer and fighting skills. She was already a red belt and highest in her karate class and in an advanced computer engineering class for her age.
She takes computer lessons from Monica, the hacking goddess, because of her love of knowing how things fit together.
Another reason why she loved cars with her dad so much was because in a car everything fits together in beautiful harmony.
Of course she didn't remember that but she didn't lose her ability to fight and use a computer well.
The training just added to her skill it was almost like a reflex.
The team lived in an abandoned apartment complex in a ghost town. The place was secluded and the apartment they loved in was huge. Five bedrooms, 2 baths, and a skyview window. The living room was enormous and there was a pretty decent kitchen. The walls were painted dark green and the furniture was a dark yellow that blended with the green. The living room was the training room also, and the computers were in Monica's room.
Lia was always training, training with Gisele, Suki, Monica, Damian.
Whenever she caught a break she was always with Damian, they would sneak off together and meet up to talk. Damian would tell stories of his adventures being a child growing up with the team. He quickly became her best friend. He helped her train day and night, he guided her daily.
Left jab, right hook, block, block! Lia and Damian had been training in the living room all morning. She had gotten quicker with her punches and blocks but she still can't stop herself from getting trapped. He grabs her arm and pulls her close, and imitates a swish blade sound.
"Boom, you're dead." He deadpanned tossing his head back in annoyance with Lia's inability to fight.
"I'm not some trained fighter, I fight when I feel threatened Dam." She snatched her body out of his hold.
"Then get threatened. Make this real because we start a mission next week and we can't wait for your supposed instincts to kick in." He spat as he took a few jabs at her to get her pumped.
"I'm trying but I don't feel threatened around you. And it's not like I haven't fought before Dam, why are you so stressed?" She reasoned.
"I'm stressed because you are going on your first mission. And I'm not trying to explain to a team full of moody women why my partner got hurt in mission, now let's try again." He motioned for her to come forward and fight again.
She rolled her eyes and started with a punch which Damian blocked. "Too predictable they will see you coming a mile away." He pulled her close and whispered to her that the other team mates were watching them from the kitchen. She nodded and peered over to the kitchen were Monica was stationed. Monica averted her gaze quickly when Lia noticed her observations.
She sighed and tried again only to be blocked and put into a hold again.
"Lia for the love of God! Start thinking, anyone would have seen that coming."
"That's what you think." She muttered with a smirk. She kicked her leg up to his crotch as he let out a grunt, swiped his foot away and flipped his body over her back in a swift second. He hit the ground with a groan.
"You didn't see that coming did you? Training is done for today." She stormed up the stairs as he laid on the ground. Monica snickered and giggled in the kitchen as he got up.
18 months later
By this time Lia was now 13 and 5 months old. She has completed her basic training and had been on 10 smaller missions so far. She is their best secret weapon since she blends in well and is unsuspecting since she is younger. She comes like the breeze but hits like lightning.
One day Lia decided to give everyone on the team code names to go by.
The team calls her Firestorm. Because of her swift yet dangerous strike.
Damian is Smoke Cloud.
Monica is Typhoon.
Gisele is Desert Storm.
Suki is Joy Kill.
Elena is Blonde Brutality.
Most nicknames have a joke hidden in them somehow like Gisele is desert storm because she is from Israel and can whine up a storm or Suki who seems to always be way too serious.
Besides her nickname, Lia also has an alias for public situations. Phoenix Knight.
It's weird for Lia because Damian's alias is Ray Knight, and the girls joke saying they were married and destined to be together.
Of course it was just jokes because Damian is her best friend and trainer. Nothing more.
Lia stalked in the night tiptoeing to her friend's room. She watched as his mom shifted slightly in her cot before she continued to sleep. A floorboard creaked and she froze peering over at Monica terrified to see if she woke her. But she was unmoved.
She continued to walk quietly and navigate her way through the dark to get to Damian. Her movements careful not to disturb anything in the room and wake up anyone. She finally reached Damian's bed.
"Damian come with me." She whispered early in the morning or late at night, he couldn't tell.
"What are you doing here Lia." He groaned getting up. He took time to do a look around and noticed everyone else asleep. "What time is it?" He whispered.
"4:30. Come on before we miss it."
"Miss what?" He asked as she tiptoed away. He knew good and well he wouldn't get an answer unless he followed her.
"Lia. Lia." He whispered before sighing and sneaking out of his room.
He held his breath as he tiptoed past his mom before he reached the doorway and entered the hallway. She motioned for him to join her at the end of the hallway before walking through the door.
He met her on the beautiful brick flat roof greeted a beautiful color filled sky. The roof overlooked the secluded area around their complex.
It was mostly bare land and tumbling trash, there was nothing for miles but sometimes Lia could swear she could see cars zooming by in the distance. She used count them and keep track of the color, imagine who was driving it and what their story was. She would make up funny stories about the people like Sandy is driving to the store to pick up a hotdog costume for her daughter's school party.
Lia stood a little too close to the edge of the roof for comfort.
"Uh Fire what are we doing on the roof?" Damian spoke in a normal volume now that they were outside.
"Just be patient. Do you trust me?" She smiled.
He wore a worried expression and looked at her with cautious eyes as she approached the edge of the roof.
"Regrettably I do." He was shaky as she held her hand out for him to grab on to it. He took it and moved closer.
"Okay then take a deep breath and let go." She seemed so calm and sure that he just smiled and nodded.
Damian peered down and it was a high fall. Nothing but land and dirt at the bottom, a hard cold fate awaiting him. There was nothing but pipes and windows to empty rooms of the warehouse that were vacated years ago.
They stood at the very edge of the roof, Lia began to count and Damian scrunched his eyes shut.
Lia got to 1 and they jumped. The fall was too short there was a twist and a clunk. He reluctantly opened his eyes.
They weren't on the ground, they were on the floor on a different level of the complex. The room was pretty much vacant. There was only a few blankets and some pillows he had recognized from the apartment they lived in upstairs. There was a picnic laid out on the floor. Damian looked behind him to figure out how he even got in there and he realized the giant glass window open.
"Happy birthday!"
"You remembered?" He spoke in shock.
"Yea I have amnesia not a hearing disorder."
"This is amazing thank you." He pulled her in for a hug and then sat down to begin his picnic. "How did you even find this place?"
Lia's eyes widened as she grimaced. "Ugly truth or well thought out lie?" She cautiously inquired.
Damian's expression hardened and he gave her a very serious look.
"Okay fine, I have been sneaking out of the complex secretly and exploring. I was trying to jump to the bottom but I looped in and ended up in here. Started to fill it with stuff and I made it my own little hideout, away from trainings and missions. Here I am safe it's my little home."
Lia motioned for Damian to sit on the blanket.
"Lia it's dangerous to leave, anything could happen." Damian stressed.
"Exactly, anything can happen out there. We are never allowed to leave that dumb house apartment we just sit there and train. I could find them Dam." Lia spoke with enthusiasm, Damian thought she was just naive.
"That's not what I mean Li."
"Just shut up and eat your fruit. Today is about your 15th birthday." She bossed him as she opened the basket. The blanket was positioned so they could watch the sunrise through the giant windows. The windows were huge and surprisingly clean, they opened but led to nothing.
"I never pegged you as the picnic in the sunrise type." He motioned to the sunrise view from the window.
"I can be surprising in many ways." She smiled as she poured some tea into their cups.
"So you come here for the sunrise a lot?" He inquired with a mouthful of melon.
"Yeah. I like to think that my mom is looking at the same sun as me or the moon greets her after it says goodbye to me." She whispered sadly as she stared into the sky.
"Do you remember her at all yet?"
"Bits and pieces. I remembered my tenth birthday though, or at least I think it was. There were candles that said ten and a blue cake with car on top. I can't see their faces but I know I'm surrounded by family because it feels warm and inviting. Kinda like when the team has pancake Monday's, it feels the same way. That's all, I don't even remember faces just feelings." She explained as she took a cracker.
"What do you mean feelings?" He inquired.
"I mean I remember I was happy with them, and that my aunt made me feel girly and my mom made me feel empowered. Almost as if I can feel her still hugging me."
"What do you feel with us?"
"With you, safe. Happy. With the team, I feel important, like I'm needed." She hugged her right knee to her chest and stared off into the sunrise.
"I'm glad." He spoke as he brushed back a piece of her long hair causing her to blush.
"So what about you. What do you remember from your home before this all began?" She changed topics to avert attention from her flushed face.
"Nothing much. I've been here all my life, school memories are all I have outside this house."
"Wait you grew up in here?" Lia gasped almost choking on her toast.
"Yeah. I lived here since I was 4."
"How did I find this before you?" She giggled gaining a side glare from Damian.
"Maybe because I like to follow instructions." He sassed.
Lia stuck her tongue out at him mocking his words.
"Meh!" She mocked gaining the same noise made back at her. "So you've never been to school or anything?" She continued after they were done mocking each other.
"Once. Mom's lame attempt to give me a normal life."
"I wish I could remember school, it's something you should experience at least once." She thought out loud.
"I hated it there. So many people pretending to be what they aren't. I prefer being like this."
"The only boy in an all girl's team of crime?" Lia presented the words in the air with her hand with a smirk. Damian chuckled quietly.
"Myself." He stated calmly looking off at the sun's vivid rays. Lia sat in her own thoughts for a while. Does she even know who she is? "What's wrong? You seem kinda lost."
"I'm just wondering who I am."
"You are Lia. Firestorm. Karate master. Computer genius. Best friend. And future wife of Ray Knight." Damian nudged her a bit to make her smile. They smiled at each other. His eyes twinkled at her and realization washed over her face.
He isn't joking.
"Yea you wish I would marry you." She scoffed trying to lighten the mood.
"I kinda do."
He stated it so plainly with a smile plastered on his face. Lia's eyes darted to his in shock.
"Lia." Her whole body tensed but Damian rested a hand on her shoulder. She felt too frozen to speak so she only hummed in response. "Breathe." He wore a half smile still gazing at her with twinkling eyes. She couldn't keep a straight face when he smiled at her, she let out a soft laugh.
"I am breathing, but you aren't eating your food. I stole that fruit just for you."
"Okay fine mom." He joked. "For the record I think you belong here, with me. You are one of us." Lia smiled at him and grabbed his hand.
They both blushed and pulled their hands from each other.
"So how did you learn to fight?" Damian broke the awkward silence taking another bite of his melon.
"I'm not sure, I just feel what's right. Like a musician playing music, I know what the next key is."
"So it's just a part of you. Something that never left when everything else did." She nodded.
"Exactly. Fighting, hacking, running. It's all a way of life, it's a part of me. Like I was meant to be a criminal." She chimed up.
"Hey I will have you know we are better than criminals. We are like a justice league but with weapons." Damian feigned sternness by pointing a finger at her but he couldn't hold his smile back.
"So we're Batman?"
"Only if you are my Robin." He flirted.
"Honey I'm more like CatWoman."
"I like her too." His eyes twinkled at her once again.
"Back to what I was saying, I was born to live like this. I'm not uncomfortable at all."
"Do you take all your boyfriend's up on sunrise rooftops for deep talks about life." He joked but Lia tensed and blushed quickly.
"You called yourself my boyfriend." She had shifted over in slight shock.
"I guess I did."
In that moment all of the world froze, it was just them. Lia giggled awkwardly gazing into his eyes deeply, she tucked a strand a hair behind her hair. They both leaned in for a kiss. And to them both the moment felt like eternity. For the first time in a while, everything felt right for Lia.
"Happy birthday." Lia spoke softly, Damian chuckled.
"Thank you, it's definitely one of my favorite ones."
"Glad to make today so memorable." She smirked as they stared at the sky in silence for another minute. Her face reddened fast and her body stiffened up. She let out a small awkward breath swiping her long waves behind her ear. Her eyes darted back to the view of the rising sun over the building.
"Come on we should head back down before they wake up and realize we're gone." She grunted standing up and started to pack up the remains of breakfast.
Damian watched her clean up as he finished the rest of his melon. She always closed up whenever they got close. Her face went straight and she would look everywhere but in his eyes. Only studying the objects around her, never the expression of the ones she shuts out.
"Why do you always do that?" He questioned as his light green eyes stared into her dark brown pained eyes. The second she made eye contact she looked away before she could get lost in his gaze.
"Do what?" She whispered as if she didn't know what he meant.
"Shut me out the second I get closer to you. The second we bond over anything your expression goes blank, you find some reason to do anything else, and you can never look me in the eyes." He stated still sitting down.
She paused as he explained her every move. He knew she had no true escape from this conversation and was trying to get out. "I don't know what you are talking about." She lied.
"Li you can't pretend that our kiss didn't happen or that we didn't get close in the past year. And you definitely can't ignore your feelings for me, haven't we hidden them long enough."
She stood in a frozen statue-like silence before continuing to gather plates in the trash bag.
"We are too young and on important missions, I have way too much baggage for any guy to love. Who wants to be with the dead girl who can't even remember her fifth birthday or her favorite food." She spat out causing him to flinch at her tone then his lips formed a smile.
Damian let out a tiny chuckle before getting up. "Li, I do." He spoke as he slowly approached her, taking the trash bag out of her hand and dropping it. "Why would I let myself fall for you if I couldn't handle it. And for the record I don't even remember that stuff." He explained as he grabbed her hand.
"Why me?"
"Because you are special."
"Yea I'm the dead girl with a dysfunctional brain." She dismissed.
Damian grabbed her arm and drew her close.
"No special like I've never met anyone like you special." He reassured her gazing deep into her eyes.
This time Lia peered straight into his light green eyes. She felt his eyes could just swallow her whole as she got lost in his perfect smile.
And for once she didn't turn away, she didn't shut down. She stood there and let him in for the quickest second. Giving a piece of herself to him, her trust.
"And for the record we both know that your favorite food is lasagna ." He added breaking the silence and causing her tan face turn pink.
"We have only a little bit of time left before the rest of the team gets up. We should head back to bed." Lia pointed out as she watched the sun coming in brighter.
"Yea we should." He felt hopeless, she was still shutting him out.
Lia noted his fallen expression, she sighed heavily.
"How about this. When I'm sixteen and if we feel the same way then you can ask me out." She offered.
"Will you say yes?" Damian's gaze never left Lia's body.
Lia paused for a second thinking about it. She wore a playful smirk. "I'll let you know when I'm sixteen."
Lia grabbed the trash bag and the basket while Damian grabbed the blanket.
"Race ya!" She shouted rushing to the other side of the room where the door was.
She led him to the hallway where they could get to the roof then back to their secluded floor. Because their floor was built to be a home for workers originally before it got condemned and abandoned, they could only get to it from the roof.
Lia reached the roof first and hurried to the steps but Damian was gaining on her. Damian ran down there with her to reach the bottom first. Giggling the whole way down trying to knock one over first, Lia's foot touched the ground first as she silently cheered careful to not wake the others up.
"Oh whatever Lia." Damian laughed as he headed into the kitchen to put all the leftover fruit in.
"You are just mad." She teased as she followed him into the kitchen and leaping up on the counter.
"Because YOU cheated." He accused as he grabbed a cup from the cabinet behind her
"What no! You are just salty." She giggled as he glared at her as he poured his juice.
Lia grabbed his cup from his hand and took a sip with a playful glare at him before she said "Thank you." she returned the cup to him.
"You are really something else you know that right."
"I know, but you still love me." She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Yea i do." She tensed up before walking to the fridge to grab the eggs.
Then the room got quiet and still, as the two exchanged glances.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing." He whispered before putting his cup in the sink and leaving the kitchen.
Los Angelos, California.
Dom's Pov
In three days it will officially be Letty's birthday. She rarely celebrates it anymore, ever since we lost Lia she barely celebrates anything. I had been spending the last month planning a birthday party for Letty to cheer her up.
I decided I needed to step up and be strong for Letty. While she has been doing better at resuming regular life with her memory loss, she still has trouble getting back to our old I picked up extra shifts and helped out with the party planning. Plus keeping myself busy keeps me from thinking about how much I miss my daughter.
This party is supposed to remind her that she can still find joy in life no matter what. Although her constant snooping around makes the surprise part very complicated.
Letty finally perked up a few months ago but lately she has been moody and sick. All the more reason for this party to go perfect.
I was with Mia in the kitchen talking about the menu for the party. "What about baked mac & cheese and fried fish." Mia suggested practically drooling over the idea.
"Ooo yeah that's a good idea!" I agreed typing the idea into the planning list on Mia's laptop and Mia wrote the number down for the caterer.
The sound of Letty's feet down the steps startled us. Mia frantically closed her laptop and I slid papers into Mia's purse quickly. We both tried to look casual which only alarmed Letty more when she finally reached the room. Her eyebrows raised and she gave us an amused look.
"Hey guys." She spoke cautiously.
"Good morning!" Mia beamed rushing to the coffee pot on the counter. She poured a cup for Letty and herself.
I barely had time to actually look at her before I realized how she looked.
She had showered, got dressed and even put on a little makeup. She was glowing. I raised my eyebrows in shock at her as she grabbed the coffee from Mia.
My eyes met with Mia's for a second while we were trying to figure out why she was so awake.
She sat down at the table where Mia and I were sitting and looked between the two of us.
"Do I even wanna know what is going on?" My eyes met with Mia's again as she stuttered to find words.
"Uhh no, not really just boring sibling stuff. You look nice!" Mia lied.
"Thanks? Oh shoot!" She checked her watch standing up quickly. "Dom, I have an appointment in twenty then I'm gonna go downtown and see about some jobs hiring. I love you bye." She rushed as she kissed my cheek and left.
"What just happened?" Mia questioned. I was blinking in confusion.
"I have no idea." I answered.
Doctor's office
Letty's POV
This morning I was able to pull myself away from the bathroom for a second long enough to get ready for my doctor's appointment. I'd been a vomiting mess all weekend, and Mia was practically begging me to go to the doctor's. But now that I'm in the waiting room of the downtown clinic terrified that the reason for my symptoms was what I thought it was.
"Leticia?" My stomach lurched. I nodded at the nurse aid who called my name. "Hi, right this way."
The nurse wore a half smile then exited the room leaving me to stir in my own anxiety.
I tried not to think too much so I thought about everything around me. I examined the pale yellow walls, counted all seven chips in the painting. I kicked my legs against my chair anxiously until the door opened.
The doctor was tall with long brown waves that fell to about the middle of her back. She was tan, very tan. She seemed pretty young, and just like the nurse aid wore a half smile.
"Just breathe Letty" I thought to myself.
"Hi, I'm Doctor Hines. What seems to be the issue today Toretto?"
"I have been vomiting every day and very drained. I can barely leave my bathroom."
She first took my temperature, but when it was normal she hummed in confusion.
"Are you having any other symptoms of a cold or flu?"
I shook my head.
"Well let's take a quick look at your belly to make sure it isn't something serious." She squirted a very cold liquid on my stomach and then rubbed a monitor over it. She stared at the screen of the monitor with such a focus as if she was really looking for something.
In a flash there was a tiny blurb on the screen. It was small but we both saw it. I've sent a blurb like that before. I started to panic even more.
"Mrs. Ortiz Toretto I found your issue. You are pregnant." She announced as my eyes widened and my breath hitched. "I can give you information on second options but for now I'm going to prescribe you some prenatal vitamins to keep you and the baby healthy."
I could hear her talking but I wasn't listening. All i could hear were the words pregnant ringing in my brain over and over again.
I'm having another baby.
First off, I'm so sorry for taking forever to write this! Senior year has been super busy for me, plus I was trying to get this as close to perfect as i could get it. I really wanted to touch on Lia's time with the team and the development of her and Damian's friendship. I also wanted to touch on Dom and Letty without Lia. Sorry for all the time jumps! There are gonna be a few more of those throughout the story! But i hope y'all like it! - Mira