For the Love of Letty
Author's Note: One Word: Dotty.
Takes place during TFATF, when Dom and Letty go up stairs after the races. Not what you're expecting, trust me.
"Are you okay?" Letty asked as Dom pinned her to his closed bedroom door.
"Fine, Letty," Dom muttered against her neck.
"Are you sure about Brian?"
"Yes," he whispered.
"Vince doesn't think so. He's never been wrong before."
Dom signed, pulling away from her, "Let, don't start."
"He's my brother Dom; did you really think I wasn't going to defend him?"
"Letty I trust Brian. Vince was the one who left me," he defended hoping to squash the fight quickly.
"I would have gone after you," she countered.
"I don't want you coming after me Let. I told you, you bring Mia and Jesse home!"
"That's my job. Bring your sister home! You're an ass Dom!" she shouted snatching her keys from the dresser. "If you're so in love with the buster, go fuck him!" She stormed out of the room, down the stairs and out the front door.
"What you do to my sister?" Vince asked as Dom came down the stairs.
"I didn't do anything, Vince, alright. Shit! She's taking the Camero!" Dom bellowed it was never a good sign when Letty took the Camero.
Dom raced out the door realizing too late that he didn't have any keys. The Camero's engine was just coming alive as Mia pulled alongside the curb. Letty sped away from Dom, flying down the street. Dom ran to the Mia's car, yanking her door open.
"I'm taking your car," Dom stated, heaving her right out of the seat.
"What happened?" Mia asked staring after her friend.
"I don't know, I'll call I promise," he whispered, kissing her forehead before pursuing Letty.
"Be careful Dom," she shouted at his fading taillights.
Luckily, for Dom, Letty hadn't gotten too far ahead of him; he could still make out her taillights a few feet in front of him. Letty caught sight of Mia's car in her rearview mirror and the baldhead Neanderthal behind the wheel, she suddenly found 95 miles to slow. The light up ahead was casting a yellow glow in the hood of her Camero. Unfortunately, for Dom, the light turned red on his approach. He brought the car to a stop, watching as Letty's taillights speedily disappeared one block after another. He leaned his head back, reaching for his cell. He dialed the one person he didn't want to call.
"Where is she Vince?" Dom begged his oldest friend, knowing Letty would have called her brother.
"Where she always is Dom," Vince sighed, concern embedding every word.
"She shouldn't be there."
"Yeah well maybe you shouldn't have pushed her," he snapped, his voice cracking.
Dom clicked the phone shut as red became green and he raced to Letty's side. He sailed through the green lights, trying to catch Letty. It was at time like these Dom wished he'd left Letty alone, had let her find someone better. It was never a good sign when Letty took the Camero; it had belonged to her father. She had rebuilt the car after his accident. He was a racer, like Dom's own father, he was practicing for a coming race. He'd taken the turn to soon and crashed. No one was sure exactly how it happened, he hadn't died, and it was four hours before anyone found him. He resided in a nearby nursing home, paralyzed from the neck down. Letty and Vince visited him once a week, but Letty usually went every day. She was attached to her father, her relationship paralleled the one Dom and Tony had shared. Every day before work, she would rise and dress in her Sunday best to see her father. If she'd had a bad day, she would go after work too. She could spend hours just sitting, holding her father's hand. She never lost hope, she was certain he'd come through and be the man he once was. Letty had spent hours collecting every piece of her father's Camero off the racetrack and then she spent four months rebuilding it. Vince had begged her to trash it, he demeaned it a curse and Dom feared he might be right. He brought the car to a stop next to the Camero. The gate swung slowly, its creak piercing the calm as Dom pushed past. He swiftly surpassed the other tombstones approaching the stationary brunette. She didn't acknowledge his arrival; her arms were crossed tightly across her chest while her eyes were trained on the tombstone in front of her. The tombstone was small, approximately four feet tall with a car engraved on it. A tear tumbled from her eye and onto her folded arms as Dom gently placed his arm on her waist. He read the name and dates engraved on the stone and understood: Olimipo Anthony Toretto, April 21st, 2000 – January 26, 2001. Today was the six month anniversary of their son's death.
Olimpio Anthony Toretto was born on a beautiful April morning, ten little fingers and toes wiggled. He lived nine precious months in his mother's arms before he died. It had started as a cough, a little tickle in his throat. Letty was taking care of him, tending to every sneeze and cough. He began wheezing, sounding like a frog was trapped in his chest, and one day, when Dom came home from the garage he found a note. Letty and Olimipo were in the emergency room, he wasn't breathing; he had pneumonia and was in the ICU. Their son spent the last four weeks of his life in ICU. Letty and Dom watched as their son withered away, as day by day breathing became harder for his tiny lungs. The day he died a part of Letty and Dom went with him. Letty shutdown, she didn't utter a word for weeks. Dom tried to get through to her so did Mia and Vince but nothing seemed to work. One day, two weeks after their son had died, Letty disappeared. For eight weeks Dom and Vince combed the streets for her, going to races hoping she'd appear. And then just as suddenly as she'd disappear she resurfaced in the Toretto kitchen. Letty never mentioned where she'd gone or what she did and Dom didn't want to push; too afraid he'd lose her again.
The flowers on the grave were fresh, most likely from that morning, knowing Letty. Dom waited silently alongside her not wanting to disturb her moment of peace. They stood before their son's grave for another hour, neither willing to disturb the other. Dom brought Letty closer to his chest allowing her head to rest on her shoulder. They shuffled back to the Camero, Dom helping her into the car. Their drive home was unhurried and soundless. Pulling into the driveway Letty spotted Vince in the window, a worried expression painting his features.
"Vince always was a drama queen," Letty joked climbing out of the Camero. "What about Mia's car?"
"He's worried Letty, you can't blame him. You can't blame any of them, they don't want to lose you," Dom defended. "Leon can take her tomorrow morning to get it."
"I could have driven myself."
"Couldn't take the chance," he whispered in her ear, slinging his arm around her shoulders.
"I'm not going anywhere," she challenged as they entered the house.
"I know, I won't let you."
Letty broke away from Dom, heading up the stairs, ignoring a waiting Mia, Vince, Leon and Jesse. The party was still going, and Letty's return signaled the team's ability to enjoy it. Dom slapped Vince's shoulder before following, he tried to easy Vince's worry but he knew better. Vince constantly worried about his sister; he couldn't stand to see her hurt. The past few months had been hard; he was waiting for her next run. He watched the bedroom door close, lingering at the bottom of the stairs for a few minutes. If Letty chose to run down again and take off, he'd stop her, sent her back to Dom. When Letty and Dom had first gotten together, he was pissed. His best friend and his sister, he wanted to kill him. He made it impossible for them to be alone, doing everything he could think of to separate them. Then realization hit, Dom might not be who Vince wanted but he was good for Letty. He loved her, protected her and that's all he ever wanted for his baby sister.
Letty's back was turned, her hands busy preparing the bed. Dom gently closed the door behind him, not wanting to interrupt. She grabbed some clothes off the bed and went into the bathroom, leaving him to his thoughts. He collapsed onto the bed, head in his hands, trying to find the words to keep everything together. He doubted she'd leave. Vince would stop her as would Leon, Jesse and Mia. Mia like to refer to him as gravity, he pulled everyone in. The truth was Letty, Letty was the one who people stayed for. Vince and Letty came together, a packaged deal. Leon and Jesse they followed Dom home one day. Letty convinced Jesse and Leon to stay; she offered them a room and food. She made them family, refusing to let them abandon their new family. She settled beside him, her weight barely registering.
"We could try again, have another one," Dom offered.
"That's not what I want," Letty whispered.
"What do you want Letty?"
"I…want to sleep."
"Sleep…Let you can't keep doing this. It's breaking Vince's heart to see you like this."
"It's breaking Vince's heart, is that it?" she declared, rising to her feet. "Is that all that matters? Vince's broken heart! What about my broken heart Dom!"
"Letty," he began, grabbing her arm. "Let me in. or Mia or whoever you want. Just let someone in! Let someone…"
"He was my baby! My baby!"
"He's was my son too Letty. You've got to stop trying to face this alone! Remember? Me and you, together. He was our son, he belonged to us. He belonged to the team! He was Mia and Vince's nephew, Leon and Jesse's too. They lost him too, we all did! Please Let, you can't push everyone away."
"I'm not, or at least I'm not trying to Dom. It's hard."
"I know," he sighed, embracing her shaking form. They stood there, beside their bed, where Olimpio's crib once resided. He could still see Letty bending over the crib's railing singing their son to dreamland.
Tomorrow morning the team would rise early and dress in their Sunday best. They would go to the cemetery and pay their respects to those they had lost. They would go to the nursing home and visit Letty and Vince's father and when they all arrived at the shop, it would be as it was before. No one had run and no one would. They'd work in their usual crude humor, sliding out and under cars. Wrenches clattering to the floor, followed by foul language and a bruised toe or two. Letty would smack the back of the boys head for their tasteless jokes and even make a few of her own. They'd be as they'd always been and always would be.
Author's Note: If I didn't mention before, this fics has nothing to do with any of my others, it just random. I hope you enjoy and I will update my other fics this week. Peace and Love and go see Fast and Furious! Support my girl Michelle Rodriguez!