AN: This story is by no means abandoned. Believe me. I've just got a very hectic life at the moment and some things have had to be put on the back burner. Writing is one of them unfortunately. But I hope to get more time to write and maybe get another chapter up by the end of Feb. Please stick with me. Thanks. xx Ally

Chapter 10

Dom's POV

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Life was great when I got out of Lompoc. I had my garage, my car and my girl. Everything was right again for the first time in a very long time. I don't think anyone was as surprised as I was when I even became great friends with Leon. It really was stupid how I'd come to hate him in the first place. He had a girlfriend, that night I'd seen him talking to Letty. They'd been talking about cars. But then, cars have always been able to get her hot. See that's another reason why I don't rag her about her possessiveness with me. Cause I'm just as bad, if not worse, than she is. I can't stand other guys looking at her. She's mine.

And I think that's exactly where we started to go horribly wrong. Lompoc changed me. As much as I hate to admit it, it did. I suppose that was bound to happen. You don't come out of those places the same person you went in. No one does. But I'd never really scared Let before. Before Lompoc she may have played fearing me, but she'd never for a second felt frightened by me. Yeah, I said before Lompoc. One night was all it took. One night where I acted deranged and scared the shit out of my girl, when I made her doubt me. The night we met Jesse.

He was just a scrawny little kid. I suppose he still his. But back then, he was barely 20 and he was just so obnoxious. It was my first night at the races since going away and he'd been hanging around, just in the crowd. But after we raced, and I won, he went up to Letty. I know because I saw him. You see, I never really take my eyes off of Letty when we're out like that. I don't trust the crew at the races for a second, I wouldn't put anything past those assholes. Now don't get me wrong. I know my girl can look after herself but I'm protective, I know it and I admit it.

Jesse had been watching us all night, the entire team – Letty, Mia, Vince, Leon and Myself. I was aware he was there and it really didn't surprise me when I saw him go up to Letty, I recognised the hero worship I saw in his eyes. But I was intrigued that he chose Let to approach. But sure enough, with his chest puffed out, lot of good it did him, he walked straight up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. She swung round and faced him. I couldn't hear what they were saying but I heard her laugh and I saw her hand touch his shoulder. I saw him smile, his hand touching my girl and then I saw red. He was pinned against the car with my hand around his throat before I knew what was happening.

Letty had her hand on my wrist trying to pull me back, trying to stop me. I was yelling but I don't remember what. I just remember feeling… well I remember feeling that this kid shouldn't have had his hands on my girl. And then I was coming back, I could feel Letty's skin against mine, her hair blowing against my shoulder in the breeze. Everything seemed heightened. Surreal. It wasn't really happening. It was a dream. But when I looked at her, everything became vivid again. There was fear in her eyes. She was afraid of me.

I let go of Jess and just looked at her. She took my hands and looked right back at me, the fear still in her eyes, it never faulted but she reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck and held me close. I could feel her shaking. I remember her shaking. And I remember running my hands up and down her back begging her not to be afraid of me, that I'd never hurt her. Ever!

Vince and Leon picked Jess up off the ground and we took him back to the fort to calm him down, to apologise. He told me that he'd never seen anyone so fast. I suppose that's what he'd said to Letty to make her laugh. But I think if it was, it was more likely the awe in his voice as he said it, made me laugh too. He seemed like a good kid and we soon learned that he was. Didn't hurt that he had a real knack for cars. It was like art for him. I still don't know what happened. And I wish I could say that it never happened again. But I can't. The guy pinned against the car changed but the fog never did. And the fear in Let's eyes was always there.

We've never said anything about that night since, but I know that everyone of us remembers it better than we'd care to. It was forgotten, and Jesse kept around like it never happened. I wish I could say that I had a perfectly logical and excusable reason for the way I acted, but I can't. I don't have one. Truth was, I was just as stunned by my behaviour as everyone else. And still am.

It was a hell of a way to initiate Jess in to our little family, and I wish it had been under different circumstances. But Jess became a permanent fixture in our lives, and a part of the team as we all tried to put our lives back together. We tried to go back to living as normally as we could with all the changes we'd been through. But none of the guys ever really looked at me the same way again. And Letty… well, I couldn't forget the fear. She got passed it, every time, but I could never forget.

On the surface we appeared to be functioning extremely well. Lucy ran the store with Mia. Vince, Letty, Leon and I ran the garage with help from Jesse. And Eddie was able to take a break. He'd really been doing so much for all of us. So much that I could never truly thank him enough for it. All while holding down his own job.

We even went back to Sunday barbeque lunches. It was normal and it was everything all of us wanted back in our lives, familiarity. It was peaceful and unassuming. That's probably why I didn't seen Johnny Tran coming.

We'd been at a race one Saturday night. It was only a matter of weeks after we'd met Jesse. I suppose I've always been a little too trusting. I know, not something you'd expect from me. But I am. I let people in when I probably shouldn't. I let Brian in, and although that turned out… ok, it wasn't the brightest of things to do. I've always known this about myself, but I never thought that it was dangerous; I never thought it was something to worry about.

But then I never thought that making one seemingly small business deal with Tran would lead to this. To what our lives have become.

I should have known that it wasn't as simple as it seemed. Should have known something was up when Tran approached me at all. Letty had looked at me warningly when Tran and I stepped aside to talk. She knew then that something was up. It was a year ago now. And I would do anything to take it back.

He came up to me after the race. We were having a party back at the fort. It was tradition now. He never came, but for some reason he was there that night. He came up to Let and I, standing in front of us, looking down at where we sat together. Actually, he'd interrupted us. Kinda creepy when you think that he didn't actually say anything. Just stood there, watching us kiss, waiting for us to notice his presence. When I looked up at him, he knew how much I really didn't appreciate his presence.

"Toretto. I got a proposal for you." He always sounded like he was trying to puff up his chest when he spoke. Trying to be tough. I probably shouldn't have picked that moment to be a smart ass, but I wasn't thinking too clearly. Letty was on my lap, thankfully actually, and I was so not in the mood for anything that didn't involve her mouth.

"You're not really my type Johnny, I'm flattered really." I said looking him up and down. Letty looked at me. She wasn't impressed. She knew the kind of crap a line like that was going to stir up. I really should have kept my mouth shut.

"Really? After your time in lockup I thought you'd be more interested in a guy than some little girl." There really wasn't any need for him to say that either though.

I gently lifted Letty up off my lap and stood from the chair. I felt her hand on my arm as I stared at Tran. And I heard her voice as she said my name with warning. And I heard the fear. Truth is, I was close to falling into the fog again. But her voice pulled me back. I still don't know how. But it did. That was the last time for a long time that I came that close to slipping into it. I don't know now, but maybe I shouldn't have listened to her and pulled myself together. Maybe I should have let it take over me. Maybe…

"Whatever brought you here, I suggest you make your case quick. We're not on your block." I tried to keep my voice level. I tried not to lose my temper. So I gave him a quick escape.

"A business deal that could profit us both greatly." He was such a cocky bastard, walking into my house like he owned the place. Of course, I was a cocky bastard back then too.

"What makes you think you've got something I could possibly be interested in?" I really shouldn't have let him get that far. I could have worked everything out. I should never have followed Tran outside. I never should have heard him out and I never should've taken his deal. But you know what they say about hindsight.. 20/20.

I heard him out. It actually seemed reasonable. It seemed like the answer I'd been looking for. I made the deal. Letty saw us shaking on it and asked what the hell was going on. I told her we were calling a truce. That we'd decided just to stay the hell away from each other. That was another mistake I made. I shouldn't have lied to Let. I should have told her everything that was going on. But I didn't. And I'd pay for it later.

TBC...