A/N: Thank to 2furious4u and drangonmamma for their reviews of the last chapter.
I'm so sorry it took me so long to write this chapter, but I'm free and clear of school now, so here ya go!
Also, I have my driving test on Monday, so wish me luck! (I know, nearly twenty and no driver's license, but a least I've finally gotten round to taking it!)
Anyway, Review and Enjoy!
It took Vince a full two days before he worked up the courage to apologise, if his hit-and-run "Sorry," could be counted as an apology. He figured it was another day and a half before Rae accepted his apology, cause that's when Letty and Mia stopped glaring at him.
As soon she'd hit him, he'd realised he'd fucked up, be he hadn't known how badly until she'd told her story. He'd been so caught up in his own problems that he hadn't even realised that there might be a reason for all her anger, just like him.
Except not just like him. His parents had given up on him in their own ways; hers had died protecting her. How a kid could live through such a thing amazed him. No wonder she was messed up. When she'd been talking, all her anger had gone, and all that was left was this scared little kid.
The things he's said, it made him fume just to think about. But he knew better now, and he wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.
The weekend after Rae got kicked out of her Grandmother's place, Tony opened the door to find a very tired looking teenager standing on his front porch.
Mia and Rae were already asleep upstairs, so he kept his voice low. "Can I help you boy?"
"I'm looking for the Toretto's, is this the right house?" the kid asked, frowning at a scrap of paper in his hands.
"Yeah, I'm Tony Toretto. What d'ya want?"
"I'm Alex Marquez, Rae's brother. We talked on the phone?" the kid replied. He was only a little older than Dom, and Tony suddenly had this blinding vision of how this was going to turn out.
Sighing, he stepped back. "You'd better come in then, kid. Rae's asleep upstairs. Best we let her sleep for now, that way we can talk, okay?"
The boy nodded, looking around curiously as he stepped inside. Vince and Dominic looked up from where they were watching TV in the front room.
"Boys, this is Rae's brother Alex. Alex, this is my son Dominic and his friend Vincent. Vince lives here too." Quiet nods all round. "Rae's been bunking with my daughter Mia, they're pretty close." Another nod from Alex. "Did Rae tell you what happened?"
Alex shook his head, his shaggy black hair flopping in his eyes. "Letty did. Rae wouldn't tell me what happened; only that Abuela had kicked her out. I thought at first she'd started st…" he trailed off.
Tony smiled. "Stealin' cars again? Nah, she's been behaving herself, for the most part."
Alex's lips curled up in the ghost of a smile. "She told you about that, huh?"
"Yeah, a good thing she did too, I own a garage that specialises in high-performance vehicles." Tony laughed at Alex's wince. "It's okay, she's a good girl. A little temperamental, maybe…"
Vince snorted. "That's an understatement," he muttered.
Ignoring him, Tony gestured for Alex to take a seat. "You can stay here tonight, you wouldn't be the first person to crash on the couch. I figure we should talk first though, before Rae gets involved."
He looked for a moment at the young man in front of him. He was tall and lean, with hair that looked a couple months past needing a cut. His clothes were fashionable in the worn-out way many students have. His eyes were red and tired, and Tony was willing to bet it wasn't just from the flight, from what Rae had said, her brother was working pretty hard to send money on top of studying hard to keep his scholarship.
"What are your plans, boy? About Rae. Who is she gonna live with? Where will she go to school? I ain't trying to cause problems or question you, but I wanna make sure she'll be okay."
Alex nodded, running a hand through his hair and causing it to stick up wildly. "I hadn't really thought that far ahead. Until Letty told me what happened, I figured I'd try and talk to Abuela, but now…" he sighed, "She'll live with me, I'll figure it out. I just don't get where this came from. She's been here a year and she's been okay, why would our grandmother start now?"
Vince and Dom exchanged a look. "When the last time you spoke to her, man?" Vince asked, disbelieving.
Alex sat up, tensing with anger. "I talk to her every week. What the hell are you talking about?"
"She started staying the night with Mia once a week or so not that long after she arrived. I didn't find out 'till Rae fell of the roof leaving one morning," he held up a hand to cut off Alex's exclamation. "She was fine, just a little bruised. I told her she was welcome here when even she needed to get away from home. The amount of nights she'd been spending over here has increased, she was spendin' three, four nights a week here."
"Why wouldn't she tell me?" Alex wondered aloud.
"She's real proud of you. My guess is, she didn't want to ruin your chances," Tony replied sympathetically. "Look, I know I'm gonna regret sayin' this, but if you want, she can stay here." The heads of all three boys snapped up. "I won't be much different from how things have been, she can stay in school and with her friends, and you can continue with university. She can share my daughter's room, Mia won't mind, she's been wantin' to get bunk beds anyhow. I'll make sure she keeps up with school and stays outta trouble. I ain't exactly sure when this became a haven for lost kids, but this place is always full of them, and one more permanent resident ain't gonna make much difference."
Alex was staring at him in shock. "Well that's, uh…I mean, well…"
Tony laughed, "You don't need to answer now, talk to Rae, think it over, just know that the offer's there if you need it."
Alex dreamed he was being suffocated by a screaming banshee, but woke to find it was, in fact, reality. Rae, upon coming downstairs and seeing her brother asleep on the couch, had launched herself at him, waking him up and freaking him out.
"You're here! You're really here!" she mumbled, her face pressed into his t-shirt.
"Yeah, Mei-Mei, I'm here," he said, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Although he spoke to her every week, he hadn't seen her since he'd dropped her off; it had used up most of his savings just to fly here. They had always been close; it nearly killed him not being able to see her.
The morning passed in a blur. He was proudly introduced to what Rae referred to as 'everyone' at breakfast. On top of Mr. Toretto, Dom, Vince and Letty, there was Mia, all shy and quiet, and two lanky boys, Leon and Han, who were pretty tight with Letty. Alex could see that despite missing him and having problems with their grandmother, Rae was happy here, at home.
Alex watched Mr. Toretto with the rest of them, wanting to make sure he could be trusted. He treated them all with feigned sufferance, but it was clear that he cared about all of them, asking about school, their home lives, and answering any gear-head questions. And there certainly were a lot. If Rae could be this surrounded by auto-culture and not be stealing cars, it had to be a good thing, a good place. A home. Something he couldn't give her.
After breakfast was cleaned up, he nodded to Mr. Toretto, then led Rae outside to talk.
Sitting down at a large outdoor table, he began. "Rae, Mr. Toretto has offered to let you stay with him permanently. I know you want to come with me, I want that too, but you have to remember there was a reason why you came to live here in the first place. Trust me, if I'd known what Abuela was like, I would never have left you here, but Mr. Toretto seems like a genuinely nice guy."
Rae was frowning. "You're gonna leave me again, aren't you?"
Alex took her hand. "It's your choice, and I need you to think hard about it. I need you to figure out what's best, not for me, but for you. You have a steady home, a decent school, friends; people to look after you. I'd damn well try, but I don't…I don't know that I could give you all of those things." I took a lot for him to admit it to her, but it was the truth. "If you decide you want to come with me, you come with me. If you decide you want to stay, you stay. I won't force you either way, but you need to think hard about it."
She nodded and he stood, giving her a kiss on the head before he went back inside, leaving her to think.
Rae watched as the other's played basketball, a groan going out as Dom cheated by lifting Mia up to the basket.
Her gut reaction was to go with Alex, to keep him close. But she knew he was right. Going with him wouldn't be fair on either of them; they were both just kids. But to stay with the Toretto's? That was something different all together. She realised it was no different from how she was living just now, but somehow it was crossing a boundary. She would be a part of their family, good or bad.
She'd be sharing a room with Mia, although she had already been sharing with Letty. She'd have to get used to having men around again, and she's have to live with Vince. Dom was okay, he treated her a lot like Mia, and while that was a little irritating, it reminded her of Alex. But Vince was another matter. Up until a few days ago, it seemed like his sole purpose in life was to piss her off, but now he stepped on eggshells around her, trying not to offend. She wasn't sure which she hated more.
But again, Alex was right. She had friends here, she was happy. And so long as they'd have her, she wasn't going to leave.
Mia was ecstatic. She had been so worried that Rae was going to leave, but now not only was she going to be staying, but she was going to stay with them, and Mia would have a sister.
They'd all been a little upset to hear that Rae had turned fifteen a few weeks before hand, but Letty had solved the problem my insisting that her upcoming sixteenth would also serve to celebrate Rae's birthday.
Alex left after spending the day with Rae catching up, and promised to visit at Christmas, if not sooner. He'd also managed to get Rae (and Tony) to promise to tell him if anything else happened, even if it would cause him problems, hating the fact that Rae had lied about being with her grandmother just to stop him from worrying.
Mia's dad had wasted no time in buying bunk beds, and all the Toretto's had gone to great effort to make Rae feel at home. Vince had kept his distance mostly, but Mia figured that was okay, since that meant he wasn't pissing her off, too.
Life didn't change too much, but she did have more help around the house, which was nice. The men weren't complete slobs, but they were men. Mia didn't mind looking after them, doing the little things they forgot about, like putting the milk back in the fridge, or washing the sheets regularly, but it was still nice to have someone around to help.
Exactly a week after Rae had shown up on their doorstep, they were getting ready to celebrate Letty's birthday – a day late, thanks to her grandmother. There was a club not far from their neighbourhood that was open early to cater to underage clientele, although they wouldn't serve alcohol with out ID. Vince and Dom had grumbled a bit, but had agreed to act as chaperones, the only way Mia's dad would let them go alone.
Mia, Letty, and Rae were going to ride with Vince and Dom in his car, meeting up with Leon, Han and a few other kids from school. Vince and Dom had invited dates, which Letty barely blinked at, much to everyone's surprise.
The girls had gone out shopping for the occasion before hand, wanting to celebrate big time. Mia had bought this pretty white dress; it's lush tropical pink flowers setting off her tan skin and dark coloring. Letty was wearing leather mini-skirt with bright red fishnet tights, a too-tight Metallica t-shirt on top. She was still wearing her favourite boots.
The two of them had tried to convince Rae to wear something girlier, but had failed. Instead, they'd coaxed her into a tight pair of hipster jeans, and found a long-sleeved Zeppelin t-shirt at the same place Letty had found hers. She had flat out refused make-up, and threatened death when Mia had come at her with the curling tongs. It wasn't exactly party wear, but it was better than her usual baggy jeans and zipped-up sweatshirt.
When they were ready, the guys were already waiting in the car, making playful comments about how long it took women to get ready.
"Don't blame me!" Rae protested. "I was ready an hour ago!" She shook her head in disgust. "It's ridiculous," she muttered.
"Yeah, well excuse us for trying to look like girls," Letty replied rolling her eyes.
"Oh please," Rae replied, laughing. "You've never liked being treated like a girl Violetty."
"Shut up," Letty mumbled.
"Violet?! Your name's Violet? That fuckin' hilarious!" Vince roared, laughing hard in the passenger seat.
"Shut up Martelli. You tell anyone and I'll castrate you," she growled. Dom chuckled at the pained expression on his best-friend's voice, but quickly silenced when Letty focused on him. "That goes for you too, Toretto."
Mia looked between the two pale men in the front seat to the glaring Letty and shocked looking Rae, and couldn't help but laugh. This would be fun.
Dom was confused. Very confused. Letty and his date were talking. Chatting, actually. Letty usually just stood back and glared daggers at whoever was Dom's date at the time. But Letty was being…nice.
Definitely confused.
When his date, a cute little red head by the name of Alice, returned to the table he was sitting at, he frowned. "You know Letty?"
"Sure, we have a couple classes together," she said, shrugging casually.
"You're in the same year?" he asked, his brain not able to compute that Letty and his date were the same age.
"Yeah. Come on Dom, you already knew how old I am, what's the problem?" she pouted. He just shook his head, leading her out to the dance floor, but he couldn't stop thinking about it.
He'd always seen Letty as the annoying neighbourhood kid that followed him around, but she'd grown up since then. He watched her surreptitiously as she ground against her own date (her own date!), her short skirt sliding up her smooth, tanned legs.
Dom came to the startling realisation that Letty was a girl. A very hot girl. And one that had been practically throwing herself at him for years. So what was he waiting for?
A little later, Dom got his chance. Vince was in a dark corner, groping his date; and Leon, Han and Rae were having an animated conversation about kung-fu movies, judging by their gestures. Mia was sitting next to them, laughing and ducking when they got too carried away. Alice was sitting talking with a few of her own friends, and Letty's date was nowhere to be seen.
He walked up behind her, feeling her tense as he placed his hands on her hips. "Happy birthday, Letty."
"Thanks," she said evenly, not moving a muscle. Encouraged, he stepped closer, pressing his front against her back.
"How 'bout you and I go out sometime, catch a movie maybe?" he said casually, his lips brushing her ear.
The response he got was not what he expected. She gave a short laugh, stepping out of his arms. "I don't think so, Dom."
Stunned, he just stood there for a moment, then replied, "What? We both know you've been wantin' me to ask you out for years, and now I'm askin'."
"Exactly Dom. I've followed you 'round like a puppy dog and I'm sick of it. I've got a boyfriend now, and I ain't gonna ditch him just because you've decided to notice I exist. You're too late," she said, staring at him challengingly.
Damn if she didn't look sexy when she was angry.
"He's only trying to get in your pants, y'know," Dom countered.
Letty just cocked her eyebrow and looked pointedly over at Alice.
He shrugged, unrepentant. "So? It just means I know what I'm talking about."
"Yeah, well maybe I'll let him," she countered, walking of towards where her date was emerging from the crowd around the bar.
Dom was shocked at the sudden wave of protectiveness that shot through him, and it had nothing to do with brotherly concern. It was sheer possessive jealousy at the though of Letty being with another guy.
Despite the desire to march over and rip her out for his hands, Dom just smiled. He always did like a challenge.
