[Author's Note: Hiya readers. Thanks for the reviews again. I'm updating sooner then I intended. I don't really particularly enjoy writing the beginning of most of my stories. They usually start out pretty slow, but it's all necessary to the story line. I do intend to include Dom, Brian, and Mia in this story. I won't tell you when, or where, but they will be there. ;) Patience is a virtue, or so they say. Enjoy!!]

Race Wars. A haven for every street racer. The place to mingle, compare cars, get tips, and above all else race. The best of the best always could be found, at race wars.

Vince and his new team where making their way out to the desert. They had started out in New York months ago, and made their way down the eastern seaboard. It had been Jimmy's idea. They'd take a full road trip, all the way around the border of the continental US. The had made it from New York, to the most southern part of Florida. Miami.

Race Wars was a world away for Letty.

The two had spent hours at the beach, that night. Talking about the past couple years, and reminiscing of the past, when everyone had still been together. It was hard for her, at times, when they talked about the past. When memories she had locked away came back to her. But being with Vince, was so natural for her. She didn't have to fake anything, she didn't have to pretend, she could just be herself.

The races had long ago ended when they finally headed back to the streets. Everyone would be gathering at Ryan's, they always did. There would be booze, and drugs, and sex all around. Anything you needed, they would have.

She explained her new life to Vince on the way to the house. She introduced him to Selena Gomez. The tough girl from Cali who had never really been in any trouble. The girl who had never done anything out of the ordinary, other then a little racing here and there. Really, almost every aspect of Selena's past, was untrue to Letty's. But that made things simpler, usually.

Ryan had nearly pounced on her when she walked in the front door. His eyes where deep with concern. "Baby where have you been? I was worried about you. I thought you where going to race, and then you where just gone." His words where slurred together as he spoke. It was quite obvious that he had already had one too many drinks.

"I ran into an old friend." She pushed Ryan out of her way. She didn't like it when he got that drunk. He reminded her of nothing but the men her mother use to date.

Ryan squeezed between Vince and Letty, following her into the kitchen. He latched onto her just as she reached the refrigerator, hugging her sloppily as he nearly stumbled to the ground. "I was sooo worried about you. I don't know what I would.."

Letty looked at Vince, and rolled her eyes. "You need to go to bed." She snapped, as Ryan clutched onto her for support. She knew one of two things where going to happen. Either Ryan was going to make a complete and total fool of himself, or she could intervene and drag him up to his room. She chose for the latter.

"Stay here tonight Vince?" She asked, as she tugged at Ryan to follow her. "We've got anything you could want, beers, girls, plenty of room. Just help yourself."

Vince was more then happy to help himself. He grabbed a Corona and wandered into the crowded living room. There he found a large selection of scantily clad girls just looking to get nailed. Just like old times.

It took a few minutes, but Letty managed to get Ryan up the stairs and into his room. She nearly shoved him down into his bed, and then turned on her heels. It had been a long, stressful day. All she wanted was to take a nice long shower.

"Wait." She barely heard the word escape from his mouth, but it was enough to make her stop. "Stay with me tonight Selena." Ryan's tone changed, as he reached out for her. He nearly fell of the bed, as he outstretched his arm even further, trying to grab her. He squinted his eyes, her form nothing more then a blurry silhouette. "Please."

She sighed, but turned and went back to him. She set on the big bed, and his head collapsed into her lap. She shook her head and ran a hand through his light hair. He never could handle his alcohol. He lay there, not moving for a few minutes, and she thought he had fell asleep. But she was wrong. He pulled her into the bed, and she did nothing to stop him. There was no point.

He pulled her against his chest, and held her tightly. "Mmmm. Selena, Selena." He whispered, the feel of her body making him more at ease. "Let's get married."

Letty closed her eyes. She reached up and turned off the nightlight beside the table. Ryan always said silly things when he was drunk, and she had learned a long time ago not to pay any attention to him.

He set up behind her though, and reached over, flipping the light back on. "I'm serious Selena, I want you to marry me."

Letty rolled over onto her back, and glared up at him. "Ryan, you're drunk, and I'm tired. Can't we just some sleep?"

Ryan peered down at her, her features coming into focus. She would make, such a beautiful wife. "You think I'm just saying this cause I'm drunk?"

She didn't think, she knew.. Ryan had proposed to her more then once when he was drunk, only to just forget all about it the next morning. She leaned up, and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Go to sleep." She rolled away from him, turning the light off as she snuggled into the covers of his bed. After a moment he collapsed behind her.

.

.

.

Letty woke up the next morning to find an empty bed. It was unusual. Usually when she did end up sleeping in Ryan's bed, he never woke up til she did. She glanced over at the clock, and rubbed her eyes lightly.

She nearly stumbled down the stairs. She still wanted to take that nice long hot shower she had intended to take the night before, but first she wanted to see where the hell everyone was. The house was very empty, and very quiet, for so early on a Saturday morning.

The only thing she heard, was the sound of the loud grandfather clock in the dining room, and voices coming from the kitchen.

Ryan, Mark, and Vince all looked over at her as she reached the doorway.

"Damn girl, you look like shit."

Letty flipped Vince off as she walked to the fridge. Same ole Vince, some things, never change. She poured herself a glass of OJ, and chugged it down.

Ryan watched her quietly. He still felt quite queasy from the night before, but he was glad he had got up. Glad he had spoke with her old friend Vince. "Babe, I need to talk to you."

Letty set the empty glass down on the marble countertop, and eyed the three men suspiciously. "About what?"

Mark and Vince both shrugged at the same time, then started laughing. Ryan just shook his head, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Come on." He whispered, leaning down to her ear, and then led her down the narrow corridor into what had become his makeshift office.

He set her down in a small chair, and pulled it up to his desk. "Selena, you know, I meant what I said last night."

Her dark eyes shifted as she stared at him. It was too fucking early in the morning for this shit.

Ryan laughed, hopping up to sit on his cluttered desk just in front of her. "Ya know, I had a long talk with Vince earlier."

A long talk with Vince? Her mind raced, trying to figure out what exactly had Vince told him.

"He seems like a pretty good guy. He certainly cares a lot about you."

Letty's eyes fluttered. Cares a lot about you? Not something someone would typically say to her, especially concerning Vince. Sure, Vince was a good friend to her. Hell, they had known one another since they where kids. But the Vince she knew, wouldn't get along with a guy like Ryan.

Ryan watched here for a moment, as she digested his words. He knew he should probably wait, she wasn't anything but a morning person. But he couldn't wait, as soon as he had seen her, he felt like he might burst. He hopped of the desk, and kneeled down before her, taking both of her small hands into his own.

"Listen Selena, I love you, more then anything in this world."

Letty nearly jumped with his sudden closeness. "Oh God Ryan, stop it." She spewed, jerking her hands from his. It was too goddamn early. She couldn't even begin to think. She looked away from him, here eyes finding the sunny sky just outside the window. It was a beautiful day…

Ryan was persistent however, and grabbed her hands once again. "Please just listen to me." He pulled at her, silently begging her to look at him.

She turned back to him, glaring at him. "What?" She sighed. All she wanted was a shower.

"Vince told me about how rough things where for you out in California. He told me… Well he told me that's why you where so messed up. He said you two had talked about going out there. About you facing your past. He seems to think it might help you move on into your future. Maybe even make you more open to starting a family…"

Vince was going to die. She decided it then and there, she was going to kill him. So messed up? What the fuck gave him of all people to call her messed up.

The more she thought about the words, the more she realized, it was a load of bullshit. She nearly laughed at herself. She would have seen it even clearer, had she not been half-asleep. That was some deep shit, way too deep for Vince to pull out of his ass.

Vince wasn't trying to fix her, Vince was trying to steal her. He was trying to get her away, to get her to race wars. He didn't want to leave her behind, and he didn't want to have to deal with her asshole of a boyfriend. Not that Ryan was really an asshole… But to Vince, any guy who wasn't Dom, wasn't right for Letty.

Her eyes softened as she looked at Ryan. He was so hopeless, so devoted to her. She felt guilty as soon as she thought about it. She was messed up. Only Ryan didn't know, there was no way to fix her. She was fucked up beyond all repair.

"Alright, so I go out to Cali, then what?" Her mind was now moving at a more normal speed as she processed everything that had been laid in front of her. She could go with Vince, go be herself for a while. Hell, maybe even Ryan would find someone else while she was gone. Someone better, someone who actually deserved to be loved by him.

Ryan smiled up at her. "Well you go out there and take care of anything you need to take care of. Go see your family, your old friends. Tie anything up that you need to. Then I'll get you a plane ticket, and you can fly back here. Then we can start our lives."

Maybe, going out there, would make things better for her. She could let go of that part of her life. She could finally let go of her past. And maybe, maybe she would really start living again.