Happy December! I'm such a child when it comes to Christmas, I'm already excited not going to lie.

But, anyways, here I am with another update. Sad news, this story is coming close to the end but good news is there is still another chapter to come after this one. Only one more but I still hope you enjoy this chapter. I am so thankful for the feedback on this story so far you guys are amazing! Please don't hesitate to review more than once because I seriously love to hear from you. Something so simple with just a few words make me so happy and I'd be beyond grateful for anyone who'll review.

Please enjoy some Brian and Letty because it's yet another relationship that I'm in love with that they didn't explore enough in the movies so here ya go! xx

"You need a hobby," Brian muttered from his position on the couch where he was lying with a sleeping Jack sprawled out over his stomach. Dom turned slowly, breaking his gaze away from outside the living room window where it sat on the driveway, to land on the blonde who was watching him. Brian shot him a small grin in response to the glare Dom had given him and it seemed to have been enough to defuse any upcoming tension. He didn't speak up to reply, he had no words other than tired snarky comments he didn't care to put enough effort into. So he simply stayed silent and averted his eyes from him once again.

On some level, the meaning behind Brian's own snarky comment showed some truth and he knew as much. He had been watching the world from the window for as long as he could remember, obviously waiting for the return of Letty. He should have known better than to be waiting, considering the late hours of the night she had returned the two other times this had happened.

The unmistakable sound of Dom's engine he had spent years keeping in perfect condition, flooded his ears and his eyes were out the window once again instantly and landing on the brunette Latina who was turning the engine off and climbing out of the car. He couldn't get any kind of read off of her, which was rare for him; he couldn't tell if she was angry or upset or anything, which only made him more anxious. And before he contemplated if it was good idea or not, Dom was out the door and meeting her halfway up the path leading to the house. Letty slowed her pace, coming to a halt in front of him as she pushed her hands into the pockets of her shorts just to stop herself from physically twiddling her thumbs.

"Hey," She spoke softly when he didn't, and showed no signs that he was going to say anything.

Dom scratched the back of his head, "Hey," he muttered in reply before clearing his throat lightly and continuing. "I'm sorry," he said within a sigh, practically throwing his hands up in defeat to emphasize is apology. If you were to ask him why he was apologising, the best Dom would have been able to come up with would be that he was sorry for making her want to leave. In reality, he wasn't entirely sure why she had wanted to run, but he had a vague guess. And as much as it pained him, he felt as though she could be regretting spending the night with him, maybe what he had told her the night before had been too much, maybe he had gone too far or maybe she just didn't like that he had discussed the night with Brian and Mia. He didn't want to ask, he just wanted to be sorry. He was just desperately trying to grab and hold onto the feeling of her being so close to him. She had been so damn close that night, physically and for the first time since the Dominican Republic, emotionally as well, in a way. He felt her there, somewhere very close to the level he was on with regards to how he felt about her.

"You don't have to keep saying that," She muttered, meeting his gaze finally. The warmness in her eyes was enough to put Dom at ease at least partially. The anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach subsided if only faintly but it was enough for him to notice and be grateful for it. Letty let out a small sigh. "I'm sorry for leaving again and, uh – " She removed one of her hands from where they sat in her pockets, Dom's car keys in her palm as she skilfully threw them over to him and he caught them easily. He glanced to the object in his palm before finding her with his eyes once again. He managed a small yet genuine smile and flashed it to her.

"Don't be stupid," he spoke with a soft shake of his head as though to shrug her apology off. He didn't need one; his all had gone into understanding how she felt from the moment she had been back. Fifteen years of learning her ways and understanding her entire being had been erased along with her memory, it was like reading the same book again but it all being completely new to you; like an added plot twist to change everything up. He had known Letty better than anyone in the world, and now he was left to hope she'd come to realise who she was all over again with his help.

"When is Letty stupid," The new voice caught their attention as they glanced towards the driveway where two cars were only just parking. They recognised the vehicles belonging to Roman and Tej and saw the wide grin Roman flashed them through his open window. "If anyone's stupid here, it's you bro."

Letty couldn't help it; her lips stretched into a smirk to supress the giggle threatening to erupt from her. Tej rounded his car after climbing out of it and shook his head lightly in Roman's direction as he too begun stepping out of his own car. "Would you shut up, man? As much as we'd all like to see him kick your ass, can we at least eat first?"

Their presence was enough to ease any remaining tension between Dom and Letty and there was just something about the teasing that made her feel more comfortable in any situation.

Dom's eyebrows rose at the two men as they made their way up the path. Taking Letty's soft yet warm smile as the okay, Roman leaned in and gave her a one- armed hug, thanks to the bag of food he held in the other hand, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Letty accepted it willingly, hugging back and matching the gesture as Tej passed her.

Dom frowned at the two, mainly Roman and his comment that had announced their presence. "Why are you here?" he grumbled like a five-year-old not getting his was. Letty cast him a look over her shoulder and couldn't help but chuckle very faintly at his childlike manner, despite the fact she was as clueless as he was as to their arrival.

"Mia invited us, but your hospitality is appreciated, man." Roman smiled, slapping the older Toretto on the back as he passed him also, closely followed by Tej and then Dom's eyes was on Letty once again; a vaguely confused expression on his usually hard features. He gave an almost sympathetic shrug as if to say he was sorry and it had been out of his control. Letty chuckled lightly once again and took a few steps towards where the boys had gone. Dom reached for her, pausing her in her tracks as his hand took gentle hold of her arm and their eyes met again as she looked at him quizzically.

"We good?" He asked in a low voice and Letty smiled; a warm, genuine and reassuring smile and nodded once.

"We're good."

They had joked, laughed, talked, and even debated into late hours of the evening. Once again, the back yard was dark and the family still sat outside talking and passing around Corona's like they hadn't even noticed. They probably actually hadn't. It had been nice, Letty had enjoyed it a whole lot more than the barbeque they had all had her first night back properly. She enjoyed it for the most part but the ending to that night had rocked her. But this time was different; she had spent the entire time around everyone and joining in and being part of the family. Acting it as well as feeling it. She hadn't felt the urge to run and hide away in the bathroom upstairs the entire evening. Not even when she actually finally did break away from everyone to the silent and empty kitchen. It was the only source of light as the yellow flooded out of the window onto the grass out back. Letty had wandered inside, multiple bottles of Corona in her hands that Mia had convinced her to tidy and take in with her when she voiced she had to pee.

The sound of muffled cries filled the Latina's ears when she exited the bathroom; her eyes flew to the bedroom door leading to where a previously sleeping toddler had been. Mia had taken Jack up to bed somewhere during the evening when he had gotten sleepy and grouchy. And with everyone still very much engrossed in conversations out back, she doubted anyone else would be aware of Jack's crying. So that's what almost warily led her to the little boys' room.

"Hey, Jack," she practically whispered, trying a warm smile as she walked towards him. Blue eyes found her and she couldn't help but notice just how similar they were to his father's and it only made her smile grow. She hesitated, but eventually decided to reach out for him. Part of her wanted to retreat straight away, worried he would scare away from her as she was practically a stranger, but he didn't. Much to her surprise, he actually lifted his arms, showing just how willing he was for her to hold him. She couldn't help but consider his openness towards her was mostly down to what Dom had called her every time they were in front of Jack; Aunt Letty. The nickname meant so much for her relationship, whether it was with Dom or just with how close she was to Mia maybe, she didn't exactly know but it was enough to freak her out a little. But despite that, the warm feeling that it gave her was enough to overlook the faint uneasiness. And especially now that it had clearly had an effect on the toddler.

Letty muttered shushing noises in his ear as his sleepy head fell onto her shoulder instinctively, his small hands resting on her shoulders. The fact he had settled so suddenly, his crying silencing almost instantly, gave her smile permanent residence on her face. Up until the moment she heard Jack speak up in a groggy voice, "Daddy!"

Letty turned on her heel to face the door where a grinning Brian stood taking in the scenario in front of him. She flashed him a warm smile of her own as Jack wiggled in her arms, reaching for his father. Letty handed him to Brian willingly and the toddler curled his body round his dad's, his head finding his shoulder sleepily.

"Not bad," Brian nodded to the brunette approvingly, indicating how he handled Jack and she had actually managed to calm him. "It's rare that people who aren't Mia can calm him," he chuckled lightly at the fact that occasionally, even he had to find the girl when their son wouldn't settle for him.

She shrugged lightly, "Yeah," her worlds trailed off as her eyes dropped to the floor. "He doesn't know me, though."

Her voice was low but Brian still caught the words. "He knows you're Aunt Letty," he responded, not noting the heaviness behind her words as his came across fairly breezily.

"Apparently," With Letty's reply, her eyes still not looking back up, Brian watched her carefully as he let concern flare in his head. He tilted his head slightly before speaking up again.

"You okay?"

This time Letty actually did look up, meeting his gaze. She gave him a small nod and a very faintly reassuring smile. "Yeah," she spoke softly "Just…When I thought about my life when I didn't know anything about it, Aunt Letty wasn't exactly something I pictured myself being."

Brian couldn't help but let out a small laugh, "Yeah, Daddy isn't something I pictured myself being either." His words warmed Letty slightly, it was nice to think he somewhat got it; even if it wasn't in the exact way she had meant it. "But you and Mia are practically sisters."

Letty hummed lightly giving a nod, "We know that's not the only reason I'd be Aunt Letty."

"Maybe so," Brian spoke in a lower voice, the seriousness hitting him and his tone at the realisation that Letty kept averting her gaze away from him. It had been such a great evening; he was even more shocked that she didn't seem as alright as she had been sitting with the family. But he knew as well as the rest that the smallest of things remind her continuously that she was at home but out of place. "But even if there wasn't a you and Dom," he continued and at the mention of Dom, Letty's eyes instantly found him again. "You'd still be Aunt Letty. You're family, no matter who you sleep with."

She matched the small smirk on Brian's face when she saw him wink at her as he rocked Jack slightly, seeing he had fallen back to sleep in his fathers' arms. "Right," she chuckled lightly "So that's what Dom and I were." There was joking in her tone and body language but the look in her eye as she said it, told him a different story. He looked her over carefully as he considered his next words and whether he really did need to say them, but when her smile wavered, he was speaking up straight away.

"Hell no, Letty," he spoke in complete seriousness. "You were way more than that." Letty's eyebrow quirked up in a questioning response, it was almost as though she couldn't quite believe it; not from what she had witnessed so far. And then it hit her. Every small thing that really had proved they were a whole lot more than that ran through her head. He had done everything for her, everything to get her back. He'd dropped everything and done everything and showed no regret.

Letty groaned lightly at herself and the next words that were about to escape her lips. "Brian, what was I like?" He looked her over quizzically "Without him," her voice dropped to practically a whisper. "What was I like without him?"

Both hers and Brian's mind flew instinctively back to the moment she had gone to see him, the moment he had seen her after everyone discovered he was a cop, the moment she decided to go undercover herself. She hadn't explained but he had known something had happened and that it was Dom. No one else could suck the brightness out of her face, no one else could steel any remanence of a smile away from her, and no one else could take the fire out of those dark eyes. Nobody else had that power over her. The memory of her entire being in that moment flashed back to him and made him feel fairly nauseas. A lump in his throat formed and when he finally spoke up, his voice came out uneven and almost broken. "You were lost." A lump formed in Letty's throat as well, one bigger than his and the twist in her stomach became painful at the words. The way he said it, the look he gave her, showed just how sincere he was. He meant it. "I didn't understand it," he continued carefully, his voice still low and not completely steady. "I didn't know you that well in the beginning, but I still saw it. You looked – felt…kind of…empty."

The Latina sucked in a harsh breath. Letty found herself strangely longing for that empty feeling; anything had to be better than the uncomfortable, uncontrollable pain whirring in her tummy. She felt too much, it was hard to decipher them all individually. Except that one feeling that was the slightest bit more intense than the others; worry; pure panic. How could she have ended up needing somebody so much? She had never been the girl to need anybody, not ever. At least, that was who she had thought she was. Maybe she had assumed but that thought felt right. She didn't need anybody because she never really had anybody, not parents or a family. But then it hit her, she did have a family, she just didn't remember them. And that fact made it close to impossible for her to accept that she had felt lost, once upon a time, without Dominic Toretto.

"What do I do, Brian?" Her words came out harsh as she forced them around the never-fading lump in her throat. Her voice was small and rich in the sound of someone so very close to defeat. "Do I stay? Do I stay with him?"

Brian felt panic but forced it away as quick as it had come to him as he calmly replied. He hadn't even needed to think about a response, the words fell passed his lips naturally. "You may not know anything about the relationship you had, and he might still be holding onto that. But I know, we all know, that if you stay with him, some kind of relationship is going to happen. It'll be completely new, and it might not be anything at all like the one you had all those years ago. It could be amazing or it could be completely crappy compared to the one you don't remember, I don't know. All I do know is…any relationship you could possibly build with him, it's worth it."

The whirlwind of memories of Dom protecting her from anything weighed her down and made her feel suddenly very tired. It was like finding out something huge and the urge to sleep on it was strong, but she had no idea what it was. All she could possibly think about was the tingling feeling every time Dom made contact with her skin by holding her hands or pulling her close. Or the warm feeling that a small smile from him created in the pit of her stomach, or merely the simple fact that being in his presence was so clearly home.

Letty became vaguely aware of Brian saying her name softly that snapped her attention back to him as he was carefully putting a sleeping child back into his bed.

"I'm just – " She gave him a small smile "Can you just tell them that I've gone to bed?"

Brian gave her cautious look. "You okay?"

Letty looked at him briefly, a completely convincing, even if small, smile on her lips as she gave him a soft nod. "I'm good. Just…tired." Everything about her showed she meant it, she was okay and just tired. Even the look in her eye didn't throw Brian off. So, he simply gave a small nod, a small smile and stepped forward towards her. His hand pressed to her upper-arm and he leant in to press a kiss to the Latina's forehead before he spoke in almost a whisper.

"Goodnight."

Dom was practically out of his seat when he saw Brian walk out into the back yard instead of Letty. He had been glancing at the kitchen door all too often after a while of her not returning from her simple task of peeing. Maybe he was being dramatic, over protective and just worrying for no reason. But it had only taken small things to throw her off and if something were to do so again, he wanted to be there in a heartbeat.

"You seen Letty?" He asked as Brian scanned him and his almost tensed muscles. He gave him a small smile or reassurance in a way.

"She heard Jack crying and was calming him down," he stated, neither of them missing the small satisfied smile Mia couldn't hold back due to the news Letty had even been able to do such a thing. "But she went to bed."

Dom's eyebrows rose and he felt the urge to stand once again and go to her. "Is she okay?"

"She's good, man, she's good." Brian replied quickly. Dom's stare was intense, his features hardening slightly as he struggled to be convinced by the words. He looked Brian down carefully, willing himself to be convinced. "Really," Brian nodded as he noted Dom's concern. "She's just tired."