Chapter Six
I was wandering under black skies
Clutching at what is mine
No control
Left to lose
Well, I thought that it wouldn't faze me
But I'm hiding like a child
I feel so guilty
I'll make it up to you
Crush-Pendulum
Disclaimer: I don't own Fast and Furious or any of the characters within. Or the song.
If before, the feeling of being overwhelmed was bothering her, it didn't anymore. She had forgotten the feel of the racing scene and now that she was here once more- she asked herself how in the world she had dared to forget.
There was an air of competitiveness and slight rivalry that just pumped up the racers and those watching the action. Nothing could beat these occasions in her opinion.
But there was more than just the wish to retire from her problems that led her here. Dom had hinted at betting someone special was here.
And there he was...Brian.
He definitely was different. Yet his taste of cars had not changed the slightest. Her gaze slid to the car; a shiny and sleek import that gave off the impression of lots of money behind it.
Brian was receiving his pay- a hefty sum at that. She wondered who was the unlucky soul who had raced him and then after a while, shrugged and thought, 'I guess Dom finally found his match.'
Mia wanted to race Brian. She wanted to race him before they would face off again. She wanted to show him a glimpse of his past and if she could, she wanted to speak to him to see if there was any hope he could return.
So she rolled up beside a waiting Brian and slid the window lower when he turned with a curious gaze. "Are you following me?" He questioned.
"Good day to you too." She answered pleasantly, then proceeded to answer his question, "I just wanna race."
He smirked, "You might get beaten."
Amused, she just shrugged, "A race is a race."
She got the feeling he was enjoying the small banter, however meaningless it was. Perhaps he had been holed up too much. But after a moment's thought, he smiled genuinely, "Let's do it."
The starter up began to pump up the crowd as the both of them lined up side by side before a great arch that led to the main roads of London.
"Listen up, everyone! Out here, we're used to getting what we want..." She said proudly, "This is London baby! But remember...don't bite the bait. Are we ready now!?" She pointed at Mia.
Mia revved her Dodge Challenger's engine in response, liking how the sound echoed off the walls like a mighty roar. She also wondered if maybe the guys would let her stay with this one and if perhaps Brian's car would even match up to hers.
It was common knowledge that you couldn't beat American muscle with imports.
But the answering growl surprised her. Brian matched it with equal and perhaps more intensity. He must have tuned the engine of his car to match any competitor's engines just like she'd helped her brother do many times.
The crowd went even wilder and the starter woman grinned, her job was almost done. "On your marks...get set..."
A beat where everything slowed down and Mia sighed joyously, and, "GO!"
She stepped hard on the pedal at the very same instant those words were uttered. She didn't even stop to think about Brian- no, she wanted to win this thing.
For now, her focus was solely on her car. She was becoming one with the car, per se. Both sped out of the back alley and into the heavily congested roads that everyone who was everyone in London traveled.
Color blurs sped past her as she and Brian entered the circular center of London- she became aware of her surroundings as the moment seemingly slowed once more.
A bus...common and slow cars...lights all around...Brian's car.
Sniffing decisively, she brought herself back to the present and threw back her head in a laugh when she realized Brian was two or three cars in front of her.
'Not for long you don't!'
Swerving behind and to the left of a truck to hide herself, she skipped several cars ahead, still out of Brian's eyes. The spot agreed upon to finish the race was only half a mile ahead and she was darned if she was going to let Brian beat her.
Glancing at her NOS disinterestedly, she resolved to use it when she was about to be guaranteed a win. But then the police sirens shocked her out if her adrenaline-induced focus.
Brian behind her sped up, letting a large gap between them. In front of her surprised and (surprisingly) amused eyes, he spun until he was directly facing her. She went around him and took the lead.
But on her rearview mirror, she saw as the police- afraid they would lose control and crash- lost their focus and nerves, and did exactly what they didn't want to do. They crashed and effectively cut of the traffic behind the racers.
"He's...wow." She gasped.
Never in her wildest dreams would she have guessed Brian was once again capturing and ensnaring her attention and affections even more than he had. Releasing a few startled laughs, she sped once more as Brian turned again to the right direction.
The race started once again.
And this time, the finish was closer than she wanted it to be. In the darkened streets, she took a decision fueled by overwhelming desire to win. One that was too hastily executed.
The NOS button was pressed and for a second there she thought she could do it. But the gauges on the dashboard were already lowering drastically and she hit the seat besides her with frustration. Still not giving up, she hit the pedal until the car could not give more.
Brian had timed his NOS release correctly, however.
Yet somehow, as he crossed the line, she wasn't too disappointed when he made a gesture to follow him. He took a road that she had seen on the team's map of London and both came upon an abandoned spot just nearly under the big bride in the distance.
He was already out by the time she parked a few feet away.
"You look like you've been in the scene for a very long time." He commented offhandedly, "Good racing. One of the best I've ever had."
She smiled, "Yes, one of the best I've had too. And I've been at it since I was young. What about you?"
He turned his gaze to her car, "I don't know. But I'd like to think it's been a long while."
"I could tell you some things about yourself you don't know." She offered.
Eyes narrowing, he scoffed, "What could you tell me that I don't know?"
Recognizing his skepticism as a test to gain his trust, she smiled gently, reaching for her pockets, "Brian O'Conner...I can tell you that you like to carry dog tags."
The full tangle of tags came out and his eyes widened, "You carry all that!?" He reached for them, "Never mind that! I carried all that?"
Mia giggled, "You only wore a few per day then you switched them out the next day." She paused hesitantly, biting her lip all the while, "Would you like me to tell you more?"
"Yeah. One last thing." His eyes sparkled like a child's did on Christmas Eve and she felt the urge to make him more happier.
She was wondering...should she tell him of their relationship before? It would get a load off her chest. A heavy, emotional load...
"You were a cop."
His eyes rounded, "No kidding? Are you serious!?" She was surprised when instead of a straight-up refusal, he only seemed delighted by hearing that.
"Yeah. You really were one- from Los Angeles." He'd never been ashamed of his past, she reasoned, maybe that's why he never had a problem with it. And even as close as he was with crime, he didn't have a problem with being a former cop.
He leaned back on his car, head shaking in wonder, "Wow. And I just thought I went out for a race."
Nodding, she felt her heart clench. 'What would he have said if I told him...about us?' Would he have accepted her statement as easily as he had accepted the cop one?
But something as their relationship wasn't so simple like that. She doubted Brian would want something to weigh him down these next couple of days- something that would bother him and tear him up from the inside. He didn't need distractions that would impede him.
She knew firsthand how that went in her kind of life.
"Well, thanks for telling me. I wish we could talk more but as much as I hate to admit it...I do got a semblance to curfew that I need to fulfill." He admitted embarrassedly.
She blinked, 'Was he serious!?' She thought, shocked. He burst out laughing once he got in his car, compulsively making her turn and throw him a half-hearted glare. He was more free than he had been back at Los Angeles and she supposed he liked his attitude now.
He...he was happy. There was no trace of the serious former cop with the threat of facing disgrace.
A second later and her glare was gone, replaced by a gentle smile and she waved her hand, "Bye."
"Bye. See you later. I know this isn't the last time we're gonna see each other."
Laughing softly, she watched as he disappeared into London's traffic. Just as she turned to climb in her car, the glimpse of a set of headlights in the corner of her eyes caught her attention.
'Who could it be?'
So another chapter done! Yay! Review or PM if you have any questions or something.
Solari Crystal
