A/N: Thanks to 2Furious4u, Sparkles2004 (hold on, it's coming soon!), Vinces-girl and venus as a girl for their Reviews.

Okay, this chapter has a lot more Dom/Letty action, and a wee bit of Vince/Rae development, too.

Happy birthday to Michelle Rodrigez, and wish me one too, 'cause it the big 2-0 tomorrow!

Review and Enjoy!


Something was wrong. Dom felt like he'd stepped into some kind of parallel world. Mia was covered in grease. Rae was flipping through fashion magazines. Vince was laughing. For the first time in forever, his dad hadn't opened up the shop. And Letty was ignoring him.

Well, not really ignoring so much as treating him like normal. Like she hadn't kissed him. She would walk past and not brush against him. She would ask him something without it having some double-meaning. She would look at him without her gaze lingering.

It was driving him crazy.

Of course, to everyone else, he seemed his normal, cool self, but inside he was spinning. He was the one that did this to girls, not the other way around. Why was she so different? Why was she acting like nothing had happened? Why did he care?

Shit.

He watched as she worked with Leon and Han, feeling jealousy shot through him as he saw how close they were, despite knowing that they were nothing more than friends. He resented that she was so open, so happy with them. That he wasn't the one making her laugh.

It was too much. He hated feeling so out of control. He'd make her admit how she felt about him if he had to lock her in a room 'till she did. Then he'd kiss her 'til neither of them could breathe.

He did all the things he knew drove girls crazy. He stood close, invading her space. He gave her long looks and slow smiles. She didn't even blink.

Dom wondered where his dad was. He had put Jimmy, his second-in-command and best friend in charge of the shop. Dom and Vince were rushed off their feet but still found time to work on their car in between jobs. Letty, Leon, Han and Jesse had been working solidly, and Letty had even roped Mia into cleaning engine parts for them. No one was going near Rae; the sight of her frowning intently at the fashion magazine was even causing Vince to give her funny looks.

His dad came back just as they were shutting up, pulling Jimmy into his office and closing the door. Dom frowned, but saw Letty moving towards the street on her way home, and quickly went to intercept her.

"Letty! Hold up!" She stopped and turned, but didn't say anything, just looking at him patiently. "Uhh…" He cleared his throat. "Where're you goin'?"

"Home," she said, her look not changing. "Was there something you wanted?"

"You kissed me," he said accusingly.

"Yeah? And?"

"And you said you weren't interested. So which is it?" He asked, loosing his temper.

She looked at him hard. "Why are you interested in me, Dom? Really?"

"Well, I mean… Well…" he trailed off, not sure what he was looking for. It only seemed to piss her off.

"Is it 'cause I suddenly had these?" she asked, grabbing her breasts crudely. "Is it 'cause you suddenly realised that I'm another pussy you haven't tapped?" she snarled. Taking a deep breath, she continued more calmly. "I don't want to be one of your whores, Dom. I won't."

He blinked, thinking over what she said, trying to figure out what the truth was. "It ain't like that, Letty. I…" he sighed, trying to find the words and failing miserably. "Maybe I only just noticed that you're…available, but if I just wanted a quick lay, I know a ton of girls who would be more that happy to oblige and not even half the trouble—shit, that came out wrong!" he rushed as her eyes narrowed. He took a deep breath, knowing he had to get this right. "There are a lot of girls out there, Letty. But none of them are you."

She blinked, then gave him an unreadable look. Finally she looked him in the eyes and said, "You can pick me up on the corner at seven tomorrow. Take me somewhere nice."

With that, she walked off, leaving Dom open mouthed behind her. It took him a moment to realise what she had said, and when he did he could have jumped for joy. Of course, this is Dom we're talking about, so he just grinned.


"Pops, what's goin' on?" Dom asked suddenly at dinner. Rae, Mia and Vince all looked up from their food.

Tony set his fork down with a click. "What do you mean, son?"

"I'm you didn't open up today, you were talking to Jimmy alone, and I found an appointment card for the bank. Are we goin' out of business?" he asked solemnly. The other three shared a panicked look.

"No! No, just the opposite." He sighed in exasperation. "I was gonna wait to tell you all 'till it was all sorted out, but I guess now's as good a time as ever." He paused dramatically.

"Dad!" Dom and Mia prodded together.

"Okay, okay! I'm expanding Toretto's. I found a sweet old warehouse that would be perfect. It's twice the size of where we are now, and there's a small piece of land attached where we could keep the trailer," he said, referring to the silver beast currently blocking up the drive.

Rae and Vince were immensely pleased that Toretto's wasn't going out of business; they were staying on the Toretto's charity, after all. Mia was beaming with happiness for her father, but Dom was frowning.

"Can we afford that, Dad?"

"That's what I was going to the bank for. If we mortgage the house and the old garage, and turn it into a store, we can afford to buy it. The larger space means we'll be able to take on more jobs, and I'm even thinking about hiring on Letty, Leon and Han as apprentices. I'll need a lot from you, all of you, if we're going to make it work."

They all nodded in agreement. "Who's going to run the store?" Mia asked, puzzled.

"Well, Jimmy's wife has been looking for something to fill her days with since their youngest left home, and they've been livin' offa his wage alone for years, so minimum wage is okay for now. I was thinking you two might help her, at least at first," he replied, looking at Rae and Mia. They both nodded enthusiastically.

"Great," Tony said, grinning wide. "If we work together, we can get it all running in no time, and I'll be able to retire before I'm too old to lift a wrench," he joked, digging into his dinner.


Letty was so nervous. She was waiting on the corner for Dom, dressed in a pair of tight, low-rise jeans and a red peasant blouse. She had told Dom to take her someplace nice, so she didn't want to dress too skimpily.

She couldn't believe she had agreed to go out with him. After he had kissed him in the car, she had been euphoric. But as soon as she got home to her bitter Grandmother, her bubble burst. She began thinking that maybe Dom wasn't really interested, that he was just playin' his old games, just with a new partner.

But what he'd said to her yesterday, after nearly screwing up that is, was almost…sweet. Not the most charming or elegant request for a date she'd ever had, but it meant more than that to her. She just hoped he didn't break her heart.

His car came cruising round the corner and stopped in front of her. She pulled open the door before he could say anything through the open window.

"Hi," she said, not meeting his eyes.

"Hi," he replied just as awkwardly.

Silence.

He pulled away, headed toward the nearby commercial district.

"Where are we going?" she asked after a few minutes.

"Nah's Thai Food, is that okay?"

"Yeah," she said, pleased. It was a nice, private place, not too flashy, but enough to show he had listened to her request.

"I thought we might go to a movie afterwards, if you want."

"Sure, if there's something good."

More silence.

Things got a little better when the made it to the restaurant. They talked almost desperately about the food, different places they had eaten in the past, just grateful for something to fill the awkward silence.

By the time the were onto dessert, things had relaxed a little, and they began talking about the car, about Tony's plans, about the parts of their lives that they shared. Not the usual first date conversation, but considerably easier.

They drove to the local cinema, and bought tickets for an action film they had both seen already. As they walked into the already dark cinema, Letty tripped over someone's purse in the aisle, but was saved from an embarrassing stumble by Dom's strong arms wrapped around her.

Desire shot through her at his touch, and it was all she could do not to moan out loud.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"No problem," she felt him rumble against her.

"Shhhhhh!" someone hissed from the audience. Letty glared sightlessly into the dark as Dom took her hand and led her to some seats near the back, trying not to disrupt things any more than they already had.

Settling into the mildly uncomfortable seats, her attention fixed on the screen. It was already a few minutes into the movie, but they hadn't missed much. The plot line was basic, predicable, even if you hadn't seen it before, and Letty was focused less on the movie and more of the large form next to her.

Her eyes were still fixed on the screen, but she could smell is spicy, musky scent, and the heat from his body was seeping into her, setting her body humming. She had lied to Dom when she'd said she might sleep with Jason, her boyfriend. Maybe she would have eventually, but he was only the first guy she'd ever dated, although she had kissed a couple other guys before that.

But with Dom, it was a whole other ball-game. He was a man, not a boy. He might be nice and take things slow, but she had no doubt where they'd end up. She should be nervous, but she was having a hard enough time stopping herself from jumping him right there in the theatre. It was like he was her Kryptonite.

About and hour into the movie, Dom slipped his arm over her shoulders. No goofy fake-yawn, just a casual movement, like he had every right to place it there. She didn't shrug him off.

For the next half hour, she sat, tense and horny, trying not to move, trying not to breath in case he figured out how affected she was my his presence.

A half and hour before the end of the film, the arm over her shoulders shifted, and his hand started to play idly with her hair, his fingertips brushing her neck every once in a while.

It was too much.

She turned, her lips meeting his hard enough that their teeth clicked together. Dom pulled her closer, his hand buried in her hair. Letty gripped his face fiercely as their tongues did battle.

Dom's lips were surprisingly soft, but strong and skilled. Small whimpers were coming out of her mouth with every thrust of his tongue. The pulled back a little to breath, but it was if they were magnetized, they couldn't stay apart for long. Around ragged pants and gasps for air, they kissed cheeks, jaws, necks – whatever skin they could get to.

His arm was now gripping the back of her neck possessively, while the other moved slowly up her side until he was stroking the side of her breast. Letty moaned, wanting more. Part of her mind screamed that things were going way too fast, but it was quickly silenced as Dom all but lifted her over the armrest 'till she was straddling him, feeling his erection pressed close against her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as his rested on her hips, holding her and squeezing just a little. She kissed him again, and as she nibbled on his lower lip, his groaned quietly and bucked his hips involuntarily. As their groins rubbed together, Letty felt delicious shocks shooting through her.

Wanting more, she began to grind against him, relishing her power as he groaned into her hair. The pleasure began to build slowly, until she was crashing over the edge and writhing as Dom held her close, smothering her screams with his mouth. It felt better than when she touched herself late a night, because this time he wasn't just a figment of her imagination, but really there. Really holding her.

"Shit," he murmured against her hair as she gently panted, trying to come back down to earth. She could feel him still hard against her, but didn't know what to do to make it better.

She pulled back, looking into his dark, flashing eyes. Before she could ask or offer to do anything, the music changed, signalling the end of the movie, and Letty barely had time to leap back into her seat before the lights came back on. She was still straightening herself out as people began to stand up and file out. One middle-aged woman gave them a dirty look as she passed them. Shw had a nagging suspicion that it was the same woman that had 'shushed' them before.

Letty's face began to flush in embarrassment, but Dom looped his arm around her neck and stared the woman down. Letty turned to him and smiled gratefully, her cheeks still burning.

"Thanks. Um," she paused, unsure of what to say to the man who'd just give her the best orgasm of her life. "Are you, uh, going to be okay?" She asked, biting her lower lip nervously.

Dom's eyes were fixed on her lips, a hungry look in his eyes before he flopped his head back with a groan and stare up at the ceiling.

"Just give me a minute," he muttered, before cursing under his breath.

After a minute or so, Dom stood, discreetly adjusting himself before offering Letty a hand up. She took it gratefully, but couldn't meet his eyes. Despite what they had just done, or perhaps because of it, she felt just as awkward and nervous as before.

But as they were walking through the lobby, he slipped his arm over her shoulders again, pulling her against his side, as if that was where she belonged. After a tense second, she relaxed, melting against him, realising it was where she belonged.


"You what?" Rae asked shocked.

"I came, y'know, had an orgasm?" Letty replied quietly. They were in Toretto's kitchen, chatting while Leon and Han were instructing Jesse in the finer points of Playstation racing in the other room while Mia played referee.

Letty had figured she wouldn't what to be part of this particular girl-talk. Rae probably didn't want to either, but Letty needed someone to talk to, and it appeared that Rae needed the education.

"Is that…is that what happens, when you, y'know?" Rae asked, her eyes wide.

"Well, yeah, or when someone touches you, or you touch yourself, or stuff." She cleared her throat. "Rae, how much do you know about sex?" She seemed to be taking over all the motherly duties when it came to her cousin. She had already taken her to get her hair trimmed, and had dragged her to get her first real bra and a few better fitting tops. Time for the birds and the bees.

"I know what sex is, Letty. I know the mechanics, and the biology, but I guess I never figured why people were so crazy about it. I mean, I get that they enjoyed it, but I never got how."

"You've never kissed a guy?" Letty asked.

"No." Rae looked thoughtful. "What does it feel like?"

"Which?"

Rae shrugged, "Both."

Letty took a deep breath. She hadn't been planning on giving her a blow-by-blow. "Well kisses, they can be soft or hard, either is nice. If the guy is good at it, it'll make parts of you tingle, it'll make your stomach clench, but it a good way. If you like a guy like that, you might even feel like that without touching him."

Rae was obviously intrigued. "What about the other thing?"

"You feel warmth, heat and pleasure building up inside you down there, then eventually it bursts through you and your body shakes and then you feel all relaxed. It's very good," Letty finished lamely. It sounded really stupid when she said it out loud.

"And Dom makes you feel like that?"

"Yeah," Letty sighed.

"Then what's wrong?" Rae asked confused.

"I don't know if he's just looking for a good time or if he really wants me as his girlfriend," she replied.

"What happened after?"

Letty shrugged. "He drove me home, we kissed some more and then asked me to go out with him again on Friday night."

"Well, that sounds like he wants to see you more, right?" Rae remarked optimistically.

"I guess."

"What's the problem, then?"

"I think I love him. I know it sounds stupid for me to say that so soon, but it's just how I feel," she defended, not used to being so open with someone.

Rae just looked down, silently thinking for a moment, then raised her head, her eyes serious. "My Dad always said he fell for my Mom the first time he saw her. You've known Dom for years, I don't know why that would be stupid."

Letty stared in shock at her cousin. Rae never talked about her parents. She was obviously trying to help Letty, referring to the only steady, loving relationship she had ever observed.

"Maybe," she continued hesitantly, "maybe you just have to give him time. Guys are idiots, after all. Take things as they come, and if he breaks your heart," she shrugged. "I'll kick his ass."

Letty smiled, remembering the similar offer she had made about Vince on the first day Rae had arrived in L.A. Letty felt a little better. Rae's advice was much like Leon's. Take a chance. It may not work out, but at least you won't regret the missed opportunity.

"Thanks, cuz."


Rae's life was turned upside down. It was like some switch had got on in her mind and she was finally seeing boys as the opposite gender. It was curiosity mostly, she would discretely watch any men than she could, noticing things she had missed before.

Dom was all strength and power, but he drew his strength from those around him, needing his family and friends to survive. He watched Letty, and Rae began to suspect that her cousin had nothing to worry about.

Vince was big and gruff, and intimidating, and he had a kind of raw appeal that seemed to draw certain kinds of girls to him. Sluts, mostly.

Leon had a sort of laid back cool confidence, whereas Han was quiet and almost shy, but his eyes sparkled behind his long hair as if he knew the effect his mysterious air had on girls.

Even Jesse had a cute kind of charm, but Rae never felt the tingles that Letty talked about, not with any of them, or any of the guys that she met around the neighbourhood.

About a month back, Tony had closed up the garage for a fortnight, his mechanics turning into builders and decorators as they worked alongside the younger kids to prepare both the old garage and the new for business.

Rae now worked alongside Mia, helping out Jimmy's wife Tricia with the store after school and at the weekends. The left half of the garage had been turn into a corner-store type place, selling the basics, while the right had a counter and a kitchenette where grilled sandwiches and coffee could be prepared. One of the doors still opened up, letting the cool breeze flow through the place and allowing them to place some tables and chairs outside.

It wasn't the most glamorous place in the world, but it seemed Tony had found a niche market, and they were already doing good business. Tricia was nice, she was fairly laid-back, but still knew how to handle the occasional problem customer. The only thing that bothered Rae about her was that she called everyone 'Hun'. All the time. But as far as pet peeves go, it wasn't so bad, so Rae got used to it quickly.

The only thing Rae didn't like about working there was the heat. Even with the old AC humming away and the breeze coming in through the doors, it felt like she was in a tin can. She couldn't wear shorts and a tank like Mia because of her scars; she hated feeling like a freak. Instead, she spent her time drinking ice water and running to the bathroom every five minutes. It was getting ridiculous but she didn't know what to do.

The low hum of an engine drew her out of her thoughts as Dom pulled up next to the café, closely followed by Vince in his new car. The car itself wasn't new, but he had only bought it a week ago, and while the Team had managed to get it running, it didn't look or sound half as good as Dom's wheels. He had been winning pretty good in some of the smaller races and was fast becoming the next big thing. Rae and Mia had never been to these races, but they had heard the tales from the other so much it was beginning to feel like they had.

Letty stepped out of Dom's car while Leon, Han and Jesse got out of Vince's, the six of them congregating around the now-open hood, trying to fix the latest problem.

After a moment, they began to drift one by one towards the smell of cooking food.

"How ya livin', girls?" Letty asked, grinning at them. She found it infinitely amusing that they were waiting tables.

Mia smiled back, while Rae just glared, grumpy from the heat. "Laugh it up, grease monkey."

"Hey, who you callin' greasy?" Jesse asked, jumping around like a monkey. The others laughed and soon he, Leon and Han were chasing each other round the store.

Tricia shook her head good-naturedly, turning to Mia and Rae. "You girls help me fix the monkey's food, then you can take a break, okay? Pass me the mayo, Hun."

Rae and Mia went to work, slicing bread, cutting meat, spreading mayo and peanut butter, already knowing what everyone wanted.

"What is with you, anyhow? You're sweating like a turkey at Thanksgiving," Vince said as Rae set his sandwich in front of him.

"Vincent Martelli, don't you be rude now, Hun," Tricia called from outside where she was clearing tables. Vince just glared at Rae, since Tricia couldn't see his face. Rae waited 'till Tricia was facing the other way before she stuck her tongue out at Vince, causing him to choke on his soda.

"Now children, let's behave, shall we," Han said, while holding Jesse in a headlock and mussing up his hair.

Rae just flipped him off and went to the bathroom again.


Rae couldn't sleep. She was thinking over a lot of things. Her brother had called, he had met this girl at school he really liked, her name was Vivian. He wanted Rae to meet her, but didn't know when he'd be able to travel down to see her. He hadn't said anything, but Rae though he might be in love with her.

She didn't know how she felt about her brother being in love. She wanted him to be happy, but she didn't want to share him with someone else, either. She just hoped that this Vivian was worthy of him.

Letty and Dom were getting serious. Everyone knew about them now, and although not everyone (including them) was certain of the exact nature of their relationship, Mia was the only one who was actually surprised to hear about it. They were definitely a couple, doing couple-y things, but they had yet to sleep together, Rae knew that much.

Sighing, Rae went downstairs to watch some brainless TV. After an hour of Law & Order re-runs, she put away her potato chips and went back up to bed, thinking about the conversation she and Letty had had earlier that day.

Rae had cornered her cousin, looking for answers. "I don't have tingles."

Letty had blinked, "Okaaay."

"I look at guys and some of them are cute, but I don't have tingles."

Letty had frowned. "Well, maybe you haven't met the right guy, then."

Rae had shaken her head. "When did you first get the tingles?"

Letty's eyes had glazed over. "The first time I saw Dom without a shirt on. All those muscles…"

She still didn't get it. She'd seen guys without their shirts on before and nothing. She still thought she was doing something wrong.

Deciding to stop and brush her teeth before sleeping, she pushed open the bathroom door without thinking.

Her mouth gaped open.

There were the tingles!

Vince was in the shower, clearly visible through the clear glass doors. His shoulders were wide, strong and well muscled. She followed his hands as he soaped himself over his lightly haired chest, down over his firm abdomen, his body tapering to strong hips. His hands stopped there, and her eyes were drawn towards his penis, which he was beginning to stroke to hardness with a soap-covered hand.

It was thick, and long and growing bigger by the second. Her fascinated eyes flicked over his body, from the water dripping over his muscled chest to the franticly moving hand at his cock.

Warmth was spreading in her stomach, and it was like she had butterflies fluttering around her. Her mouth was dry, her face was flushed and her breasts were sore. And she couldn't stop looking.

She snapped out of her daze only when he let out a groan. At first she panicked, thinking he had seen her, but when her eyes darted back to his face she saw his were still closed, his face tilted up to the ceiling, his jaw tense.

Realising the position she was in, she dragged herself away, closing the door as silently as possible behind her before running back to bed.

It would seem that Letty was right, once again. Too bad she got tingles for the only guy she knew would never be interested in her.