A/N:Thanks to all of you who reviewed! Enjoy!

germany: you're like the 5th person to ask, so I'm definitely thinking about it. I'll let you what I decide soon.

Dom went to make breakfast for Axel that morning, and a short while later Jensen made his way downstairs to join them.

"Where's Zoom?" He asked his father finding it odd that his younger sister had not been down to eat.

"I'm hoping in her room." Dom muttered to himself.

"Did I miss something?" Jensen asked sensing his father's bad mood. He was met with a glare. "What did I do?"

"You're taking your sister to school today." Dom informed him.

"What? No. Why? She can drive herself."

"She's not allowed to touch her car. She's actually not allowed to do a lot of things anymore."

"Did she do something?" Dom arched his eyebrow at his son. "Oh shit! She finally did something! What was it?"

"She can tell you." He told his son evenly while he finished up packing Axel's lunch.

"But seriously though, what if I'm late to class?"

"Don't be. You're picking her up too. I gotta take this one to school." He said taking Axel into his arm and gathering his things with the other.

"Papi I don't want to go to school." The young boy mumbled.

"School's important Ax. It's your job."

"My job?"

"Yeah me and Mami are race car drivers. Lex is a football player, and the rest of you are students."

"Oh! Do students make a lot of money? I want nice cars."

"No, but you gotta work hard in school if you want a job that will give you more money." Dom said smiling at the young boy as they walked towards the door. He was happy that he at least could count on Axel not to disappoint him. There was only so much a six year old could do.

"Pa! For real? She can't take a cab?" Jensen called out behind him. The older Toretto was clearly ignoring him.

"You're taking her and you're picking her up. That's that." Dom said slamming the door behind him. Jensen rolled his eyes and made his way upstairs.

"Zoom!" He called banging on the door. "Hurry up. I got places to be."

"Go away!"

"Papi said I have to take you to school."

"I'm not going. I don't feel well." She said on the other end. Jensen opened the door to find his sister still curled up in her bed.

"Let me give you some advice. When you've pissed off our parents it's best not to do things that's going to piss them off even further. Not going to school will not work in your favor. Unless you want me to call Papi and have him drag you out of here himself, I suggest you start getting ready. I'm leaving in ten minutes with or without you." He told her frustrated before heading back downstairs and did not close the door. Mazda knew he was right, and therefore mustered up the energy to pull herself out of bed. She did not want to make things worse for herself.

"So I take it you went to that party last night." Jensen asked her when she had finally made herself to his McLaren P1. Mazda did not answer, but gave him a side-glance which was all he needed to confirm his suspicion. "I told you not to go. I thought you were smarter than that. It's not safe."

"This is all your fault. All you had to do was cover for me and this never would have happened."

"Shut up, I already covered for you three weeks ago, and I warned you. You're the dumbass that decided to leave on a night they were already out. Who knew when they were getting back?"

"I had to go. Everyone was gonna be there. How would it look if I didn't show?"

"Who the fuck cares? I bet you didn't even have a good time. You don't even like those people."

"You don't know anything. Why are we even talking about this? It's none of your business."

"I don't know why you're acting like it's the end of the world. You were bound to get caught at some point."

"It's different because they hold me to a different standard than you, and it isn't fair. Papi is so mad."

"Welcome to my world."

"God no" Mazda scoffed. "I'm nothing like you."

"You think you're so much better than me princess."

"I know I am."

"Then you can walk to school." Jensen told her pulling over.

"Gladly." She said grabbing her bag and stepping out of his sport's car .

"Hope you can catch the bus on time. Do you know the route sweetheart?" Jensen called out from the driver's side. Mazda flipped him off, and began the one-mile walk she had left before reaching her school.

"Bitch!"

"Asshole!" Jensen drove off and was quickly out of sight. "Fuck my life." Mazda muttered to herself the entire way to school, where she proceeded to have the self professed worse day of her life.

Meanwhile down in Big Sur, Letty was a bit unnerved herself. She had not anticipated feeling so uncomfortable in a group setting. She did not want to share her thoughts and feelings with a group of strangers. It was not her nature.

"And so after my third overdose it finally hit me that I may have a problem and my family wasn't crazy…" A fellow patient by the name of Mark finished introducing himself. It was Letty's turn and every pair of eyes was on her. She felt hot under the collar, and could feel the sweat starting to permeate her skin.

"Letty why don't you share a bit about yourself to the group." Claude suggested.

"Hello"

"Hello", they echoed.

"I'm Letty and… I guess I don't really know why I'm here. I'm trying to figure that out."

"There must be something you can tell us. Some insight you might have about what may be troubling you. It's alright to be vulnerable. We all will be. I promise." The female councilor by the name of Jen said to her. Claude gave her a reassuring look.

"Well, my mother died a few months ago…and I've been struggling with not having her with me. I kinda lost myself for a little bit and I'm trying understand life again." Letty vaguely informed the nine other people sitting around her.

"I believe it's important to not think about it as going back, but instead moving forward. You're never going to be the woman you were. You're going to be so much more." Jen added at the end, and Letty gave her a hesitant smile.

"I couldn't have said it better myself Jen. Thank you for sharing Letty." Claude said before moving on to the next person. The first half of the day was filled with workshops and team building activities. "Three days is not a long time. We must be able to trust each other if we want to heal." He orated during the trust fall exercise. Letty was having difficulty letting herself fall, and Claude replaced her partner Trey with himself. "Close your eyes and breathe. Nothing will happen to you here. You are safe." He whispered to her. "Let go of everything and fall." Letty attempted to do as he asked, but something kept preventing her from leaning all the way back. "What's stopping you?"

"I don't know." Her voice was small and contemplative.

"You can't heal if you can't let go. Just blank everything out Letty. Let's try again in 3, 2, 1…" She fell backwards and landed in his arms. "Good, very good! Now let's try it with Trey." They went on a ropes course near by, and did small icebreaker activities once they were inside.

"Wow what a day huh? Can you believe it's only 4:30pm?" A fellow retreat member by the name of Amy sat next to Letty on the residential couch. She was a young widow, and represented one of Letty's darkest fears.

"You can say that again. I can sleep for the rest of the time I'm here if we keep going like this."

"No way! We have so much left to do. We haven't even done the real therapy yet."

"Have you been on these before?"

"It's my sixth trip. They keep me sane."

"How do you do it? You know, setting it all aside and moving on? You seem to be in a better place than a lot of us."

"I don't think I'll ever really move on. Once you love someone they'll always have that place in your heart, and when you're reminded of what was or what could have been it still messes with your head. I guess I've learned how to mask it or not think about it every second like I used to."

"But you still think about it?"

"Everyday…" The woman told her honestly with a sigh. "Usually at night when I'm alone. That was our time. It's hard to escape the loneliness. I'm sure you have your moments still."

"God…" Letty began shaking her head. "I have entire weeks."

"You said your mother passed a few months ago, right?"

"Yeah…"

"It'll get easier. It also doesn't help that people stop caring that your sad. They want you to move on so that they can move on. You know? Your boss still wants you to deliver. Your kids still want you to be their mom. Your friends still want you to comment on their life disasters. Life doesn't stop for them like it did for you. People don't mean to do it, but I find it seems to be an innate selfishness most people possess."

"I can't blame my kids for wanting my attention or wanting me to be my old self."

"Of course not. You're never more selfish than when you're a kid. You can't see passed yourself. But here's the kicker, when you're sad you can't see passed yourself either. Unfortunately, I lost my daughter to the court system about two years ago. I'd go visit her in the foster home and she'd refuse to see me. There was a time where I couldn't bring myself to even go."

"How old is she now?"

"Fifteen"

"And you still don't have her?"

"I got her back five months ago once I could prove my stability by holding down a job and going to therapy. No one ever tells you how hard it is to raise a teenage girl." Letty let out a small laugh.

"That's for damn sure. It must be one of the hardest things in the world."

"Do you have one?"

"Yeah, she'll be seventeen soon."

"You didn't mention that earlier."

"It didn't seem relevant. I don't like to over share."

"I understand. So I take it things aren't going so well?"

"She snuck out last night, but I still came here. I keep asking myself that I should be home looking after her, but then I argue that I need to do this in order to be good for her."

"You can't help someone when you're broken." Amy empathized with her.

"I suppose you're right. It was so odd. I thought I was looking at myself last night. I guess it hurt me to know she no longer respects me. No punishment in the world can force her to change the way she feels."

"Didn't we all at one point hate and disrespect our mothers."

"I was the queen of it, but my Mazda was never like that. She idolized me. All her school essays would be about me, and how she hoped to be like me." Letty felt herself get emotional, but did everything she could to withhold it. "She used to confide in me and tell me secrets that I would pretend not to tell her father."

"I loved when Lilian did that."

"When she had a boyfriend in second grade my husband was not to know." Letty said with a sad smile. Amy laughed at the comment.

"Isn't innocence a beautiful thing?"

"Yeah, Mazda was always my little ray of sunshine, but I hurt her. I broke us, and I don't know how to fix that."

"Maybe that's something you can bring up in group. How do you have that conversation?"

"It's so hard. We're supposed to be the adults who have all the answers and who understand life at it's fullest, yet that's never the case. I've been winging it all this time. My kids can't know that. I never knew what I was doing."

"You never feel your age after sixteen. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I think who's this middle-aged woman staring back at me?" Letty smiled. "You of course probably don't have that problem."

"I'm probably older than you."

"How old are you?"

"43"

"No way! You barely look 33. Who's your doctor?"

"I don't have one. My husband said we'd get a divorce if I ever went under the knife. How old are you?"

"40, but darling let's get serious. It's LA. Everyone has a doctor. I just want to know how yours makes it look so natural."

"Clean living and healthy eating. My husband is also gym rat so I became one by default."

"Good Lord, well God bless you."

"Thanks it still makes my sons uncomfortable when their friends hit on me."

"I bet."

"Uh-hem" Claude came inside the room clearing his throat. "Ladies I would like to remind you that dinner will be served in half-an-hour, after which you can indulge in the many spa amenities offered here."

"You know that's my favorite part of the trip love." Amy beamed.

"I trust you've made Letty welcome."

"She's done more than that." Letty said smirking up at the woman.

"Brillant!"

"I just have to make a quick phone call."

"Oh Letty, I do recommend that you leave your phone behind for this retreat."

"I wish I could, but I wouldn't want to miss out on an emergency if my kids needed me." Claude gave her a curt nod before leaving the small lounge area.

"Isn't he such a doll?"

"He's very nice."

"Oh honey, he's more than that. I know someone who used to sleep with him and claims he was the best lay of her life. You know how those Europeans are."

"Umm…no not really. I could never see him that way."

"That's what she thought too, but one minute she was spilling the beans on his couch and the next spreading her legs over his desk."

"Oh my God. She was a client?" Amy nodded her head.

"She got a little obsessive so he had to end things."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"Is it?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Well I don't know, but I haven't felt a man's touch in three years. I'd be lying if I said I'd be opposed to the idea."

"Wouldn't that ruin all the work you've done?"

"The chances are unlikely he'd ever find interest in me. She was a twenty something anorexic model. I'm a frumpy forty year-old with money. There's no comparison there."

"Uh…yeah" Letty said awkwardly. "I really have to make this phone call. I'll meet you at dinner."

"I'll save you a spot."

"Thanks" Letty said before trekking to her room in search of her phone. She had five missed calls from Dom, Jensen, Alexus, and her agent. She could barely find signal in the small area. Every time she dialed none of the numbers would ring. She found a landline hanging on the wall, and decided to call from there.

"Toretto", Dom answered the other end.

"Hey", she said. He recognized her voice instantly.

"I called twice to check to see that you made it okay."

"I'm sorry baby. They wanted me to leave my phone behind." She explained knowing he was upset though he was trying to hide it.

"You actually followed the rules?"

"I'm trying to trust the process."

"So how is it?" He asked in attempts to prevent an argument.

"It's okay. It's weird being around so many people who are fucked up in so many different ways."

"We're all a little fucked up."

"Yeah, but we don't have painkiller addictions, or phobias due to childhood traumas."

"Alright well…good to know you're in a safe place." Dom said sarcastically.

"Shut-up"

"Was it worth it?"

"I don't know yet. How's our mini-me?"

"I don't know. Jensen hasn't brought her back yet."

"Dominic you know all they're going to do is fight."

"Well I couldn't take her."

"Why not?"

"I'm not ready to talk to her yet."

"Promise me you'll talk to her before bed tonight."

"I can't promise that. It may take me a couple of days."

"Don't do that. She needs you. Mazda doesn't just brush things off."

"Well Let, I guess it sucks to suck."

"No, you're her father. Be the bigger person."

"I never have. Why start now?" He told her stubbornly.

"Dominic do you want her to runaway into life we can't save her from."

"Letty there's no need to be dramatic. Of course I don't."

"That's how it starts Dom. First they start sneaking off to parties. Then they meet troubled boys who lure them into a life of drugs and prostitution while we just sit on the couch wondering what happened to our little girl!"

"Babe I know you've been taking some time for yourself, but you really need to lay off the lifetime movies."

"It can happen Dom!"

"I just rather not say something I'll regret."

"Then just say I love you before she goes to sleep."

"That sends the wrong message."

"Dominic"

"I'm keeping our daughter off the pole. Don't you worry, I got this." He said condescendingly.

"That's not funny."

"It's a little funny."

"Please promise me she'll go to bed knowing you love her."

"Okay"

"Okay what?"

"She'll know I love her just not quite yet. I hear them pulling up out front. I don't know why Jensen can't park his fucking car in the garage."

"It's a sweet ride. He wants the world to see it. Can you give them all a kiss and hug for me?"

"I can do three out of four."

"Dominic I swear to God…" She muttered angrily.

"We're going to Pop's for dinner so maybe then."

"Ms. Toretto", came a voice from behind her. It was one of the employees at the center. "They're asking for you in the canteen."

"Yes, thank you. I'll be right there." She told the young man before returning to her conversation with Dom. "I have to go."

"Alright"

"Call me tonight, okay?"

"Are you going to pick up?"

"Yeah"

"I guess I'm calling you then."

"I'm sorry about earlier."

"It's fine." He said. "I'll talk to you later." Dom hung up before she could tell him she loved him. He was clearly in a mood, and it bothered Letty that she was not there to ease the tension.

Jensen and Mazda walked into the house without a word. Mazda looked at her father, but her eyes soon darted away unable to withstand his glare.

"Hi Papi", she attempted to greet.

"Get ready for dinner. We leave in fifteen minutes." Dom told the both of them.

"Isn't it kinda early?" The older of the two asked.

"I don't think I need to repeat myself Jensen." He said warningly. The young man quickly took the hint, and Mazda all but ran away to her room. When they arrived at Tony's house, Alexus met them at the door.

"It's about time. I'm starving!" He said giving them all large bear hugs. The young Toretto could immediately tell that Dom was not in the happiest of spirits.

"We're here, right?"

"I was just playing Pa. It's good to see you. It's been a few days."

"It has." Dom confirmed stoically moving passed him.

"It's a pitty Mia couldn't join us tonight." Dom heard his father in the kitchen. "Paul has the flu."

"I heard. How you doing Pop?" Dom asked giving his father a doting hug in salutation.

"Pretty good now that I actually have people in this house, and not just Rover."

"I keep telling you to move in. We got all the space you need. Rover loves my lawn."

"You know I can't leave this house. There are too many memories trapped here."

"The offer always stands. I'm sure Letty can use more of your presence around there."

"How she doing?"

"Better"

"Really? Or you just saying that so I don't ask questions." Dom smirked at his father.

"It's definitely better, and hopefully when she gets back it wont be something we're worried about anymore." Tony gave him a light pat on his shoulder.

"Good to hear. Mangiamo!" (Let's eat!)

"Yes, lets." Dom said as he joined his children at the table. They had Axel say grace before they began to eat. Tony made small talk with his grandchildren as inhaled his shrimp scampi. He asked them about their day and their latest endeavors.

"This is so good Papa." Mazda praised him politely. "No one can ever make it like you do."

"My darling girl, tell me about you. You don't visit me as much as these two."

"I'm sorry." Dom eyed her across the table, and she quickly bowed her head in shame.

"What's going on?" Tony asked looking between them.

"Why don't you tell him Mazda?"

"I rather not."

"Tell me what?"

"Mazda here is quite the adult now. She goes around doing God knows what at all hours of the night." Dom informed Tony bitterly.

"What?" He asked in disbelief.

"She seems to be ungrateful for the privileges she's had. She's been quite selfish. Haven't you?"

"I made a mistake. It won't happen again." She said softly as her heart was about to pound out of her chest. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?"

"Yes"

"About what exactly? Is it the fact that you lied? Or maybe the fact that you can't be trusted anymore? Or is it that you got caught and now you're in the hot seat? Is our home not good enough for you? You don't have to live there"

"It shouldn't have happened."

"You're damn straight. The last thing I would want from you is another fucking disappointment." Dom told her with an angry glare. Mazda was actually shaking in her seat as every male in her immediate family stared down at her.

"Excuse me." She blurted out before getting up and running to another room.

"Well I don't know what to say." Tony commented flabbergasted.

"There's nothing to say." Dom said wiping his hands with a napkin.

"I'm gonna go see how she's doing." Alexus told them all as he stood.

"Me too", Jensen said following him. It was rare for him to show sympathy towards his younger sister, but he figured the occasion called for it.

"Papi why is everyone so mad all the time?" Axel asked.

"Ax you wouldn't understand."

"It wasn't always like this."

"It isn't all the time."

"Yes it is. We all just need to watch Little Einstein's and sing along. That'll make everyone happy." The young boy informed his father.

"I'll tell you what. We can try that when we get home."

"Really?" The boy asked excitedly.

"Yes"

"Mami too?"

"You know Mami won't be back until Sunday."

"What if she never comes back? What if the special place makes her more happy?"

"She'll be back Ax. I promise. Why don't you go play with the dog? He's around here somewhere."

"Okay", Axel said hesitantly. Tony watched the young boy scurry away before turning to his son.

"What the fuck is going on."

"She snuck out last night."

"Ahh, and picking on her is going to help how?"

"I don't know. It felt right at the time."

"Do you remember when I found your sister at the movies being mauled by some greasy teenage boy when she told me she was studying with her friends when she was about fifteen."

"Vaguely", Dom answered.

"Well how do you think I felt?"

"I don't know…upset? 'Cause that's how I feel right now." Dom said unnerved.

"Of course I was, but do you remember how I dealt with it."

"No"

"We talked. You should talk and then listen. Your wife isn't the only woman you need to open an ear to. When you just talk at her, yell at her, or attack her you'll never know why Mazda did what she did." Tony advised. "That little girl isn't so little anymore. I've seen her roll with the punches on many occasions. She's developed thick skin, but she will never be able to brush off any comments you say. Your words mean more to her than any other man in her life. You set the tone for what's to come. Remember that." Tony finished. Just then Dom's sons came rushing down the stairs.

"So I think you should really talk to her." Alexus told his father abrasively.

"I'll do it on my own time."

"Pa you know when girls cry so hard you can't understand what they're saying and it sounds like they're drowning under water? That's where she's at right now." Jensen depicted.

"She thinks you hate her."

"I don't get it." Jensen voiced pensively.

"Me neither"

"Why cry?"

"You both cried the first time you got caught." Dom interjected.

"For like two seconds", Jensen defended. "She's up there acting like someone died. Actually, I haven't seen her cry this hard since Mama died."

"Word"

"Or the time I burned all her barbies when she was eight. Why are they both crying so much? They never did that before."

"It's been an emotional couple of months I guess." Dom told his son.

"Why don't you go upstairs and check in on her?" Alexus asked again.

"If she's hysterical then that's the last thing I'm doing. I rather sit here and watch TV. She can face me when she's ready."

"I can't stay here if she's going to be crying for the rest of the evening. I just can't do it." Jensen argued.

"You can't even hear her." Dom pointed out.

"But it's like now that I know I can't not hear it."

"You're so dumb. Can we take her somewhere?" Alexus asked his father.

"No"

"Come on Pa. She'd be with us. It's not like she'd be doing her own thing."

"No"

"Then I don't know what to do."

"Give her space"

"Give her space?"

"Do you think it's fair that whenever you two pulled this shit you'd get a harsh punishment, but she won't because she's crying? You think she deserves of softer consequence?"

"No, but it's Mazda..."

"It is, but that doesn't change anything."

"Dom go upstairs." Tony told him abruptly.

"Alright, alright", he conceded. He took a deep breath and dragged himself