Chapter 2

Neighborhood dinner


The Toretto's began to unload all the food outside as neighbors began pour into their backyard.

There were three big tables in the front of the driveway to collect money from people as they came in. Familiar faces smiling as they greeted the family and all grabbed drinks.

It was super crowded, each person chatted and stood together as they waited for the barbecue to start.

Dom and Letty leant against the house and greeted guests as they approached them. Dom's one arm wrapped around Letty and the other held a Corona. Mia and Gisele joined their side and both got bombarded by greetings and hugs. Letty smiled and shook hands of what seemed to be the whole neighborhood.

"There's so many people here." She mutters behind her smile.

"They swarm like vultures." Mia muttered back behind her forced smile.

"Does everyone know what station they are working?" Lindsey questioned in a very stressed manner as she rushed over to them.

Everyone nodded confidently.

"Well get there please." She stressed before zooming elsewhere.

The four all glared at eachother before sighing and going to a table of food.

Elisa stood at the top of a chair and began the usual announcement.

"Good afternoon neighbors, we gather here every year to continue a family tradition my brother Tony started years ago. He always saw the people around him as family and today we welcome that! As most of us know all the money from today goes to the family and community as needed. Additional dishes are always welcome and to be given to my sister Lindsey to be served. Once all the plates are given out we will gather around the table for prayer. Today we are all Toretto's! Salud mi familia!"

The crowd all clinked bottles and cheered as the barbecue began.

Letty and Mia began giving out plates of food while Dom helped with the grill. Through the crowd Letty smiled at Dom as if no one was even there, just them. Then her eye contact stretched over to Leon her smile dropped and she excused herself from the table.

Leon pretended to not see Letty approaching him angrily but he was already too late.

"When did you get here?" Letty questioned.

"Nice to see you too Letty."

"Don't ignore the question Leon how long have you been hiding here? Do you know how long I've searched for you?"

"I'm a hard nut to track honey." He jokes as he tossed a few almonds into his mouth and attempted to walk away.

"Can you be serious for like one second?" She deadpanned as she pulled him back to his spot.

"After Mexico I traveled around the world like crazy. Rio with Vince, Jamaica with some girl, Russia, I saw you there. You were still with Shaw and one day I sent you a little present."

Letty stared at him in amazement. "It was you! You left the note from Dom." Letty exclaimed as she remembered a crumpled up sheet of lined paper that a man left on her windshield. The same one he left her in the DR.

"You needed a push to find us and you did. You were always good at finding us, whether we wanted to be found or not. Can I go now?"

"So why hide here without a single word?"

"I'm hiding for a reason, I've caused a lot of trouble in my travels. I'm just really hungry." He joked causing a small giggle from Letty.

Letty smirked when she noticed Gisele had been staring at Leon the whole time and was now approaching them. "Well I guess I should get back to the plates." She smirked while she gave them space to talk.

Leon, who didn't see what Letty did, scrunched up his face in confusion and tossed more almonds in his mouth. "Okay weirdo."

"Hey you." Gisele chirped when she finally reached him.

"Hey Gisele, I've been worried about you."

"Really? Because you haven't said a single word to me since Vegas.." Gisele scoffed and stood with attitude.

Leon froze completely as he searched for something to say.

"Oh my god, breathe! I'm just kidding. You are a busy guy, I know." She laughed out.

"Oh thank god!" Leon breathed out.

"So what is the big bad wolf doing down in Havana? Hiding out if I heard you correctly."

"Same thing Little Red is doing down here. Running from the real trouble."

"I think you need to re-read that story, because you have it so wrong. And I don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh please. No one disappears as long as you did and reappears from the dead like that. You got in it and got it bad."

"Okay expert, if you are so all knowing then what am I doing here. If I am in trouble."

"You didn't choose to be here. You were found by the two blabbering idiots, but since everyone here genuinely believed you were dead. It's a safe bet seeing how your death hit the family so hard." He explained.

"Wow you must have taken Psychology in college."

"Very funny but believe me the only things I took in college were not offered on the academic brochure." He sighed as he took a sip of beer.

"I'm with you on that." Gisele chuckled.

'Question."

"Shoot.'

"Why didn't you run when Tej and Roman found you?"

"I was tired of being a dead girl. It takes too much work." She mused.

"Yeah, you kinda suck at it." He teased earning a laugh and a push from Gisele.

"Whatever! At least I didn't resurrect for some burgers and spanish rice.

"Hey if you ever need tips on being a better dead person.'

"I'll take that into consideration." She smirked before strutting off. "And for the record, there is no way I'm little Red. I'm too cool." She joked.

Gisele passed Letty with a smirk as Letty returned a smug look herself.

After another ten minutes the crowd was given their first plates and it was time for the prayer.

"Roman you are the crasher maybe you should pray." Dom suggested.

"What? Why me?"

"Because you seem to have already eaten a bite of the Arroz Con Pollo y Tostones." Dom pointed out as some of the crowd giggled.

"Okay then. Well uh thank you Lord for this food that you have blessed us with and for the Toretto family and neighborhood that has provided this event, may we all have fun in your son's name we pray amen." He prayed as everyone bowed their head then cheered amen.

Once the crowd all had a first plate the rest of the Toretto's who were serving them got their food.

"Letty I gotta hand it to you this is good rice." Dom complimented.

"It's all in the seasoning." She smirked as she enjoyed another spoonful of rice.

"Why do you think Gisele never searched or called." Letty questioned as she peered over at Gisele laughing with Mia.

"Maybe she did."

Letty let out a short laugh that resembled a scoff followed by her shaking her head.

"What's up?" Dom quizzed.

"This all just seems way to perfect for us. I mean where are in Havana, with all your family, the crew is all here, Gisele is here, Leon is out of hiding. I feel like life is falling into place, it's way too perfect." Letty gestured around her to the smiling faces.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, for once we are just relaxing and not saving the world from some villain from our past and I'm.. I don't know it's weird. I just keep waiting for someone to threaten us or for Hobbs to bust through here and give us some mission." She rambled barely able to look Dom in the eye.

"Why are you waiting for something bad to happen?"

"Because life just seems too good to be true. Even when we were in high school nothing was perfect. I mean it was crazy yet exciting and I always knew there was a high adrenaline ride coming. Something that kept me on my toes and now I'm married and settled down in Cuba. I don't know I just feel like the ride is over too fast." She explained as Dom searched for some form of eye contact so he could find out where all of this was coming from.

He sighed knowing the answer behind her feelings and knew it wasn't the right time for this conversation, but he wanted an answer really bad.

"Letty does this have anything to do with the pregnancy test I saw in the bathroom?" The moment the words escaped his mouth she turned red and froze.

She remembered that she got busy the day she took it and forgot to take the trash out disposing the evidence of a test. She felt her heart stop and her skin flared up like fire.

"How much of it did you see?"

"Only the bottom, I couldn't read the result… anything you feel like telling me?" He reached for an answer from Letty but she was frozen in place.

"I was gonna tell you but I wasn't sure how you would react." She started but paused. "It came out negative and I didn't know if I should be sad or relieved. I kept thinking what if I was, I mean would it be that bad?" She rambled.

"Well I think that it wouldn't be a bad thing. If you were pregnant I would be happy."

"Is that what you want?"

"I feel like it's inevitable with us, but I don't think it will happen until you are ready." He pulled Letty in front of him and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What would we name the baby?" She mused.

"If it's a girl I think we should name her Valentina after your mom, and a boy Anton after my dad." He kissed her head as they both tossed the thought over in their minds.

"What about Anton Vincent to honor Vince too?" She grinned and moved her head to look behind her at him.

"I love it, and I love you." He spun her around and kissed her. "Now go enjoy your peace with my family before something actually does happen." He pushed her out towards their family and grinned.

And at once the world seemed perfect.