A/N: Thanks to 2furious4u, Lovecraft22, Vinces-Girl, AngelRose82, Straight Edge Queen, Running-Wild22, VodkaJane, Martell2981, and AnimusPatronus for their reviews.

Yes, I know I'm evil. And it can take me while to update, but don't worry, I'll never just stop writing. Anyway, as promised, he's the answers to a few questions...and also the longest chapter I've written so far! 7,482 words, which is the longest I've written on this site, and puts this story at over 50,000 words. Gosh.

Review and Enjoy!


The music was loud, pounding through the house. Everywhere was stuffy, hot, and filled with the odour of sweat, cigarettes and spilt alcohol. Couples were making out in corners as a dark hooded figure wound its way through the dancing bodies.

Things had changed a lot in the last two years. Leon and Han were out of foster care, and had their own place. It wasn't much, and the 'roaches came included, but it was theirs. Mia was dating, although Dom sure as hell didn't know. Jesse had dropped out of school, and was working for Tony and Dom full time. And Rae had finally started feeling comfortable in her own skin, had a few new friends from school, although, like the rest of the Team, her life still revolved around the others. She was even flirting a little, although she'd still never gone out with anyone, despite getting a few offers.

Some things however hadn't changed, and it felt like they never would, no matter what the future held. Dom and Letty were still going strong, Mia was still hopelessly sweet, Jesse still had his mullet, Leon and Han still acted like five-year-olds, Vince still avoided Rae like the plague, and she was still obsessed with him, although she'd learned to hide it. Alex was still at university, now as a post-grad, and he was still in love with Vivian. Rae had flown up to visit a couple times, and after initial hostility towards the woman, had realized she was perfect for her big brother. Tony still raced on the pro-circuit, and still 'endured' a house full of teenagers. The Team, minus Rae and Mia (who were forbidden by Tony), still raced, and generally kicked ass.

But like it or not, they were all growing up, or at least getting older, which was why the house was party central. Dom was celebrating his 21st birthday big time. Tony was up the coast for a race, and instead of going with him and spending his birthday away from his girl and his friends, Tony had suggested that Dom stay behind. He had even given the inevitable house-party the go-ahead, on the condition that when he return the house was spotless and that the activity was kept to a level appropriate for Mia and Rae attending.

While Tony and Dom's idea of what 'appropriate' was obviously varied, Tony knew that the girls would be safe in his son's care. Mia and Rae, however, were sick of being treated like five-years-olds, and repeatedly insisted that they should be allowed to do the same things that Dom had at their age. What they failed to realise was that the things Dom had done when he was sixteen were not things he wanted his little sister to be doing. At any age.

But the party was like an awakening for the girls, for once getting to know the Team's friends from the races, getting a peek at the party lifestyle they missed out on under Tony's watchful gaze.

Rae's head was spinning at the sheer number of people she'd met, and most of them were just a mixed-up blur of names and faces, only a few standing out in her memory as Letty introduced her and Mia around.

Edwin was one of them. He was a short black guy with a surprisingly deep voice who always referred to himself in the third person, which Rae found infinitely amusing, although she doubted that was the desired effect.

Johnny Tran was cute, in a rich-boy kind of way, all immaculate designer clothes and flawlessly styled hair. His eyes flickered appreciatively over Rae and Mia before Letty dragged them off to meet more people.

Hector was funny, chatting away and slipping between English and Spanish, half-heartedly flirting with Rae before wandering off to find someone he actually stood a chance of scoring with.

But despite enjoying the party, Rae began to feel overwhelmed by the people and the noise, and was making her escape to the quiet kitchen. Finally pushing her way through the throng of dancers and into the kitchen, she collapsed against the counter, riding out the adrenaline rush and trying to slow her speeding heartbeat.

"You okay?" a quite voice asked from the doorway.

"Yeah, it's just so loud," Rae replied, straightening up with a weak smile.

"You should go upstairs, get some rest," Han suggested, grabbing some beers from the well-stocked fridge. "Put on your headphones, sit back and pretend you're somewhere else."

Rae gave him a questioning look.

"I used to hate parties too," he smiled back.

Rae laughed, "I find that hard to believe!"

Han shrugged, grinning. "I know, I'm so cool."

"Yeah, yeah," she laughed, the tension draining.

"Yo Han! Where the hell are you? We're gettin' thirsty!" Vince called from the other room.

Han gave her his put-upon look. "Sometimes, I think they only want me for my beer." He sobered up, "Seriously, though Rae. The party'll be over soon, I'm sure. Just take it easy."

"Thanks," she said as he made his way back to the party.

It turned out Han was way off. The party went on for hours longer, and Rae did eventually retreat to the room she still shared with Mia, but not before wishing Dom a happy birthday. He really seemed to be enjoying himself. She'd found him on the dance floor with Letty, more than a little drunk, and a huge grin on his face. She was pretty sure that grin would disappear tomorrow when he had to deal with the clean-up and a splitting hangover, but for now, he was happy, and that was all that mattered.

Rae took Han's advice and drowned out the thumping bass below with her own soothing music, and soon she drifted off. When she woke, the house was still and quiet, and Rae could hear Mia softly snoring in the bunk above. Curiosity overcame her and she tip-toed out of bed, eager to see the results of her first real house party.

She walked along the upstairs corridor where all the doors shut, everything silent save the occasional snore, or squeak of bedsprings as someone shifted position in their sleep. Gliding down the stairs, she paused to take in the carnage below her. She was somewhat disappointed to find that while there were bottles, cans and potato chips scattered everywhere, there were no broken vases, no smashed paintings, and no graffiti on the walls.

There were a few non-residents passed out on the furniture, including Han and Leon, as well as Hector and a few of his crew. She felt like a ghost, picking her way through the rooms, drifting passed without their knowledge.

She soon found herself at the top of the stairs to the basement, and couldn't resist continuing her tour. In the last couple years, Tony had fixed it up a little, separating it into two bedrooms, with a small outer room and even a small bathroom. It was still mostly unfinished, plasterboard still visible throughout. Dom was going to move into the other bedroom when it was complete, giving his old room to Rae, but for now Vince's room was the only one finished.

She found a few more people passed out on the ragged couch in the outer room, and the smell of vomit was enough to keep her away from the bathroom. The unfinished bedroom was still locked, leaving only Vince's closed room unexplored.

She pressed her ear to the door, and heard only silence from the other side. Knowing that it was rude, and wrong, and slightly stalker-ish, she gripped the door handle and slowly turned it until the door opened with a soft 'click'. She paused, listening for any sounds from inside, and scanning the room behind he to make sure every one was out cold.

This was it. If she pushed the door open and found Vince wrapped around some bimbo she'd probably die, but something inside her just couldn't resist. She'd never looked in on Vince before when he was sleeping, hell, she'd never even seen the inside of his room before, and braced herself for whatever she was about to see.

The door swung slowly inward, and she took in the dimly-lit room as it was revealed to her inch by inch. Dark walls, covered in movies posters and barely-clothed pin-ups. Messy clutter everywhere, a chest of drawers spilling over with clothes, and a set of bookshelves filled with car magazines and books on automotive repair, as well as a few forgotten textbooks that were never returned to school. His black and white guitar was obviously his most prized possession, proudly displayed in the corner of his room.

Rae finally pulled up the courage to look towards the bed, and breathed a sigh of relief to see him alone, although she was a little disappointed that he was still fully clothed. She hadn't seen him naked since the day she walked in on him in the shower, except in her dreams, of course.

He was lying on top of the covers on his back, looking like he'd barely managed to fall into bed before passing out. She walked over to him wincing when she cracked her shin on the foot of his bed, and pausing to see if he'd wake. After a moment, she inched forward until she was standing right next to him.

She had to hold back a slightly hysterical giggle as she imagined what would happen if he woke right now, to find her standing over him, staring. He's probably feel like he'd stepped into a slasher movie, with the crazy orphan suddenly snapping and hacking everyone to death in the middle of the night.

She watched his face, expecting his eyes to snap open any second, but they didn't. His usual gruff scowl was missing from his face, instead he had the almost serene look he got when ever he played his guitar, like the rest of the world had fallen to the wayside.

She found herself leaning closer, taking in every line, ever hair, every pore. She could smell the beer on his breath, and smell his own scent underneath: engine oil, cheap soap and unmistakeably Vince.

His lips look so soft.

She couldn't resist. Knowing it was all she was ever likely to get, she softly brushed her lips against his, not expecting him to react in his sleep. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her over his body and claiming her mouth with his, his tongue delving deep before he rolled her over and buried his face in her neck and settled back into dreamland again.

She lay frozen, her heart nearly giving out with the shock of him almost waking, and the feel of his lips on hers. Part of her wanted to stay there, pretend this was where she was meant to be, but she knew that to him, she was whatever racer skank he was dreaming about, nothing more. She waited until she was certain he was back asleep and then slowly and carefully inched her way out from under his arm, sliding onto the floor before scurrying out of his room and up the stairs.

She lay in bed, willing her pounding heart to slow, and replaying his kiss over and over in her head. She'd gotten her stupid, childish wish. Vince was her first kiss.

Too bad he wouldn't remember.


"Dom?"

"Yeah, man?" Dom grumbled around his cereal.

"Did I hook up with anyone last night?" Vince asked, frowning over his orange juice.

"What, you can't remember?" Letty sneered jokingly as she dropped another handful of bottles into the trash, causing everyone to flinch at the sound.

Vince glared at her. "I don't remember anyone from the party, and I was completely dressed this morning. It's just I remember kissing some hot little chick, but…"

"Probably just a dream, man," Dom replied, reaching for the aspirin Letty had set out on the table.

"Yeah."


"This is it son, I can feel it. Today's the day!" Tony grinned, wrapping a thick arm around Dom's shoulders.

"Yeah," Dom agreed. "The Viper's never run better."

"You'll have a little competition from Kenny Linder, and Chuck Hastings might give you a run for your money, but you're right. I can taste it in the air!" Jimmy laughed from the trailer.

"Damn right! Today's the day!"


The Team stared in shocked silence as they watched Tony's twisted car burning up on the television screen. The commentator was talking real fast but no one could really comprehend what they were seeing or hearing, not until Mia's cracked whisper broke through.

"Daddy?"

Suddenly, everyone started moving. Letty and Rae surrounded Mia, holding her close while Vince had the good sense to switch of the TV. Tricia, who had been watching right alongside them, grabbed the phone at went into the other room, calling her husband and trying to find out anything she could. The others were all telling Mia that he was probably okay, that the fire fighters probably got him out before it was too late, but no one really believed it, echoed by the fact that no one put the TV back on to see.

Mia was crying and shaking in her friend's arms, and they were whispering to her that everything would be all right even though it could never be again. Mia's dad was dead and there was no way to make that better, no way to fix that. Rae and Letty knew that, knew the pain that Mia was going through, and it broke their hearts that there was nothing they could do.


The funeral was quiet, despite the large turn-out. It seemed that everyone from the neighbourhood had come to pay their respects, as well as almost everyone Tony had ever worked with. Dom and Mia stood next to the coffin, Letty, Rae and Vince beside them. Leon, Han, Jesse and Alex, who had flown down to pay his respects, all stood behind them, offering silent support. Jimmy and the other mechanics were on the other side, all looking slightly out of place in black suits, all of the big, tough guys on the verge of tears.

The minister said his piece, which no-one really heard, and everyone filled back to their cars to make their way back to the Fort. The brightly painted cars were the only splash of color in the whole place, but everyone had silently agreed that Tony wouldn't want a bunch of rented black limos seeing him off, and had driven the cars he had loved, and in the case of the Team, the cars he had helped them build.

As soon as they got back to the Fort, Dom, who hadn't spoken to anyone since the crash, went out to the garage, where the twisted Viper sat waiting. Mia had screamed hysterically when he'd had it towed back, but he hadn't batted an eye. He hadn't shown any emotion since he'd been released from hospital after they'd had to sedate him at the races.

Mia, on the other hand hadn't stopped crying, and no one knew what to say to make it better. Rae sat next to her, holding the younger girl's limp hand, trying hard not to remember the pain of her own parent's funeral.

People kept coming up to her, giving her condolences and tell her how much he'd be missed, but Mia didn't react to any of them, and eventually Tricia came over and crouched in front of them.

"Mia, hun. Why don't you go on upstairs and have a lie down, I can take care of things here, okay?"

Mia nodded and Rae led her upstairs and got her settled in bed, stroking her best friend's hair soothingly before closing the door and giving her some time away from the pitying looks and whispered comments.

Rae looked around, seeing the guys and Alex sharing a beer in the back yard, the people, strangers and friends milling around the house that now felt empty, despite the crowds of mourners. She needed some space, to get away from the echoes of her parents, and deal with her own grief over losing Tony, the closest thing to a father she had in a long time.


Letty frantically stuffed her clothes into her military duffle bag, grabbing photos and other things that were important to her, leaving everything else behind. She'd had enough of her Abuela's cruel remarks, the last straw being when she's said that Tony deserved what he'd got for taking in trouble makers and raising 'bad seeds'.

Grabbing her stuff, Letty ran down the stairs, ignoring her grandmother screaming at her and stopping only to look at the framed photo of her dad on the wall. She reached out and grabbed the dog tags from where they hung on the edge of the frame before running out of Abuela's house for the last time.


Vince walked around aimlessly for a while; dragging his feet and thinking about how quickly all their lives had changed. He'd left the funeral, unable to deal with it all, and worrying about Mia and Dom. His best friend wasn't coping with it, and Vince had now clue of how to get Dom to admit to the pain he was feeling. Vince sucked at all that emotional stuff.

He soon found himself headed to the back entrance to the café, and was startled out of his thoughts when he heard soft crying. Turning the corner, he saw Rae slumped against the wall she and Mia had painted all those years ago, her head buried in her hands.

He stood there for a moment, not sure what to do, then sat next to her, gingerly putting his arm around her shoulders. She stiffened before she collapsed against him, her tears dripping onto his shoulder.

He recognised the pain she was going through. As Tony's no-quite-children, they felt the pain of his death, but didn't feel they had the right to let it out when his real children were suffering so badly.

This was where it had started, the first time she'd met Tony, the first time she'd met them all. It was the same for him, when he was nine and Dom had brought him round to look at his dad's cool cars, this was where it began, the first time he'd met Tony Toretto.

After a while, Rae quieted down and pulled back, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her black sweatshirt.

"Sorry," she sniffed.

"It's alright."

They sat in silence for a while, just staring at the empty yard that was once filled with greasy car parts and laughing people.

"It was good of Alex to come in the middle of school," Vince said, feeling the need to say anything.

"Yeah. He didn't know Tony well, but if it weren't for him taking me in, well…He did a lot for both of us," she shrugged, looking down.

"You goin' back with him?" Vince asked, and despite the fact that Rae could annoy the shit outta him sometimes, he wished she would stay. He didn't think the Team could stand loosing anyone else just now. Mia certainly couldn't.

"We talked, if it's okay with Dom and everyone, I'll stay. Graduation is only a couple of months away, and it would be stupid to change schools now. I don't want to leave anyway. This is home."

"Yeah," Vince agreed. "Is Mia going to be okay?" he asked, worried about the girl that had been like his little sister forever.

"I…I think so. She just needs time to deal with it. It won't stop hurting though, not ever," her voice was soft, and Vince looked at her, seeing a far away look on her face.

He suddenly realised that not only was she living through Tony's death, but reliving her own parent's, too. Letty had to be going through the same thing. Vince suddenly felt grateful. His dad may not be winner of Father of the Year, but Vince had never had to deal with losing him like that.


Dom sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow, frowning at the engine in front of him. He'd been working on it for hours, and he still couldn't get the engine sounding right. Normally, he'd take a break, or ask Vince or Jesse to take a look, but now he needed to work on it, he needed the challenge.

When he wasn't at the Garage, like he was now, he would be working on the Viper at home. He knew in the back of his mind that he was ignoring his family when they needed him, that Mia was falling apart, but he just couldn't deal with it.

Working in either place took his mind of things, he didn't have to think about anything, he could just work. And he could feel his dad there, and for a few moments at a time convince himself that he'd walk around the corner any minute, laughing, and it would have all been a bad dream.

Dom hadn't talked to anyone, because what would he say? That the idea of surviving without his father scared the shit out of him? That he had no clue of how to take care of anyone, of how to run the business, of how to pay the bills? That he woke up silently screaming every night, so now he didn't even try to sleep?

He couldn't talk to anyone. Not Vince, not Letty, not Mia. They couldn't bring his dad back, so what fuckin' use would it be?

Shaking his head at the thoughts, he picked up the wrench and was about to start working again when he heard the door behind him swinging open, and booted steps came inside.

He turned around, and there he was. Linder. The bastard that had clipped his father's car, the bastard that had caused all of this.

Dom saw red.


The trial was quick. Alex had given them the number of a friend of his, and based on his recommendation, Dom pled guilty. Despite the violence of the attack, the judge was lenient considering what Dom had been through and the regret he voiced, and he was sentenced to three years in Lompoc with the possibility of parole in two if he behaved and underwent anger management therapy while he was inside.

He couldn't look at his family when the court officers led him out, couldn't deal with Mia's tears or Letty's pain. He knew Vince would take care of them, and he'd talked to Jimmy as soon as he'd realised he'd be locked up, everything that could be taken care of was.

He tried to convince himself that it was enough; that as long as they were taken care of, everything would be all right, but he knew it was a lie. He'd miss Mia and Rae's graduation, miss out on birthdays, Christmas', miss out on everything for the next two-to-three years.

But he deserved it, because Kenny Linder would miss out on a lot more. Dom's beating had caused brain damage, and Linder wouldn't be able to race ever again. That was why Dom had plead guilty, not just because he was, but because he deserved to be punished for what he did.


On the face of things, the Team seemed to be coping, the businesses were still running, Mia and Rae had graduated with honors and they were still kicking ass at the street races. And that's what Vince told Dom when he went to visit him once a month. Dom wouldn't let anyone else visit him, not even Mia or Letty.

But in reality, it was completely different. Mia was flirting more and more, Letty was always snappish and Rae spent more and more time at the parlour, and less and less time with the others. Vince, with the help of Leon, Han, Letty and Jesse, was handling running the garage, but they were barely breaking even. It was the same with the café. The only real money they were making came from their winnings at the races, and most of that went back into the cars.

Vince was strict with the girls, knowing that Tony or Dom would be able to keep them in line with a few well-chosen words, but he just seemed to say the wrong thing and piss them off.

The parties they had got wilder and more frequent, and without Dom, the whole Team started to spiral apart.

Tensions were high when they were working on Vince's car, trying to give it an extra kick for the race on Saturday night, sorely needing to win against Tran. They were making a few modifications, and they needed to keep them secret in order to have the advantage over Tran, otherwise he'd throw some more of Daddy's money at it and buy back the advantage with parts shipped overnight from Japan.

The problem was, the Team were having trouble concentrating on making the upgrades when Rae and Vince were screaming at each other.

"This is bullshit, Vince! It's my birthday on Saturday and I want to go to the races! That's all I want!" Rae yelled, hands on her hips.

"No way," Vince replied, his arms crossed over his chest. "When we win, we'll have some extra cash and we can all go out on Sunday."

"Yeah, right. Win or lose, you're all going to get shit-faced and spend Sunday flinching at every sound above a whisper! And it's not about that! I'll be eighteen, and I want to go to the race!"

"No."

"Letty's been going since she was sixteen, and Jesse's a year younger than me and he's been going for years! That's not right, V.!"

"Tony and Dom said they didn't want you and Mia at the races!"

"Yeah, but they said only 'till I was eighteen! After that it's my choice, and I'm going!"

"The hell you are! You go there and I'll get someone to drive you right back. I'll lock you in your fuckin' room if I have too."

"How the hell can you let Letty go and not me? It's bullshit!"

"Yeah, well Letty can take care of herself!"

Rae's eyes narrowed and her fist clenched at her sides. "And I can't?" she asked, her voice dangerously low.

"Go ahead and deck me Rae, it won't change my mind," Vince smirked, eyes daring her to do just that.

Rae stared at him a moment before stomping to her car and getting inside with a loud slam of the door before peeling off as fast as her '39 pick-up could go.

Vince just shook his head as she left, wishing he could explain to her. While the others saw her for what she was, an almost-grown woman, he still saw the scared kid talking about her mother's rape, and he didn't want her anywhere near the races.


Rae was leaning against the counter of the café, waiting for the lunch rush to arrive, bored out of her skull and still fuming over what Vince had said to her, about how the others hadn't even tried to help her out. If he kept treating her like a child, even the thought of leaving the Team wouldn't be enough to stop her from getting in her car and driving off into the sunset. She needed to find someway to prove to them all that she wasn't just some kid to be ordered around.

A cough drew her out of her thoughts on how to do so, and she looked up to find Johnny Tran grinning at her.

"Deep thoughts, sweetheart?"

She hated being called sweetheart. "Nah, not really. What can I get you?"

"Nothing, actually. I just, ahh…" he ran a hand through his wavy hair as if nervous, and she knew he was trying to play her. "I wanted to ask if you'd have dinner with me tomorrow."

"Sure," she replied, feeling brazen. "But stop the shy act, it doesn't suit you."

He laughed genuinely. "Ah, you got me sweetheart. Sorry."

"No problem. You can meet me at Giordano's at seven."


They talked, and while Rae decided she was most definitely not attracted to him, she realised she could use him to get back at Vince. Despite feeling a twinge of guilt, she told him about the mods the Team were making to Vince's car, and asked him about the races.

"Yeah, I heard that King Vincent wasn't letting you go. Y'know, you could always come with me, as my date," he grinned, obviously thinking he had a chance with her. She had half a mind to tell him that she would never be interested in a spoiled little rich boy like him, but she realised that this was her chance to go to the races.

Honestly, she'd lived happily enough for years hearing about the races second-hand, but this had only turned into a major issue when Vince had shot her down so completely, now it was her mission just to prove him wrong.

"Okay."


As soon as they arrived, Rae understood why her friends were always so eager to come here. Even if she hadn'tbeen into fast cars, the place was electric. It seemed like every kind of car was there, as well as every kind of person. Guys (and a few girls) were posing in front of their cars, showing off their goods. Racer skanks were everywhere, looking like they were walking around in their underwear, also showing of their goods. Music was coming from a dozen different sources and everyone was amped up and ready for fun.

Rae noticed that the rest of the team were there already, and took a deep breath before stepping out of Johnny Tran's car. She watched as they did a double take, not realising at first who it was they were seeing. She couldn't blame them, she'd barely recognised herself when Mia had finished with her, and that was before she'd stopped at a gas station and changed clothes before meeting up with Tran.

She was wearing a short pleated leather skirt, stiletto-heeled boots that went up to her thighs, and a top that despite having long sleeves was cut very low. She had considerably less skin showing than most of the girls there, but her clothes were picked to show of every curve that had been hiding underneath her baggy clothes. Her hair was in loose, messy curls, and for the first time in her life, she was wearing make-up, smoky black around her eyes and luscious deep red on her lips.

She felt wild and crazy and not like herself at all, and she loved it.

"Rae?" Letty's voice asked, shocked.

"Yes, Letty?" she replied calmly.

Suddenly Vince was right in her face. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Before she answered, Tran pushed in between them, a broad grin on his faces. "She's my date, aren't you sweetheart?" he purred, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a kiss.

All she wanted to do was push him off, but she went with it and just smiled sweetly at the Team when he pulled back, relishing their shocked expressions. She knew they'd never treat her like a stupid, naïve little kid everagain.

Vince just glared at her a second, then shrugged. "Fine. You ready to lose, Tran?"

"Not today," Tran smiled back.

"Alright, alright. Hand 'em over people. Edwin ain't got all day," Edwin said, holding out a baseball cap to collect the money from both of them, and the—

"What was that?" she asked.

"Pink slips, sweetheart, we're racing for cars, plus three grand."

"You can't do that, Vince! You'll…You could lose your car!" Rae exclaimed in horror, realising what she had done.

"It's a free world, Rae, and a private challenge. I can do what ever I want," he growled before stalking towards his car. The others followed behind him, shooting disappointed looks back at Rae, just because she was there with Tran. When they found out what she'd done, how she'd betrayed them, they would never forgive her.


"How the hell did he find out?" Han asked no one in particular.

They were back at the Fort after Vince's humiliating defeat, and while the party was still going strong around them, the Team were sitting and drowning their sorrows.

"I don't know man," Leon said, shaking his head. Despite Rae turning up with Tran, none of them even thought of the possibility that it had been her.

Their faith was killing her, and she opened her mouth to confess, but Vince spoke before she could.

"He's probably got a guy paid off at Harry's. That's what I'd do if I had the cash. Even Tran could figure out what we were planning from the list of parts we ordered."

The others groaned and nodded in agreement, and Vince stood, rolling his shoulders. "Come on, we got a party to enjoy, win or lose."

As the they all stood and walked away, he shot Rae a look that told her that he knew exactly who it was that had spilled the beans to Tran, and she swallowed hard, grateful that he hadn't told the others, but knowing he wasn't just going to let it go.

A few hours later, and Rae was still miserable. The others weren't speaking to her, and it seemed like every guy in the place was hitting on her, when the only man she wanted hated her guts. Some birthday.

She resolved to find Vince and talk to him, offer to pay him back, make a public confession, anything just to make it right. She saw him heading down the stairs with some random blond chick, and grateful she'd taken off those ridiculously painful boots, she quickly followed, hoping to catch them before they made it to his room.

"Vince!" she gasped before they could go inside. Several people were sitting on the couch and turned with curiosity as he froze in place.

He turned to them, "Go." He shook the blond off. "You too. Go!"

She pouted and shot Rae a dirty look before flouncing back up the stairs, followed by the other partygoers. Vince grabbed Rae's arm painfully and pulled her into his room, slamming the door behind him.

"Vince, I—" she began, but he slammed her back against the wall.

"Shut up, Rae!" he yelled in her face, and she could smell the beer on his breath and realised he was more drunk than she had guessed. "You sold us out to Tran! For what? A trip to the fuckin' races? Or maybe that's it, huh, Rae? Fucking. 'Cause I know for damn sure he'd fuck you if you let him!" he roared.

Rae was pissed off. She'd expected him to scream at her, but he was practically calling her a whore!

"Yeah, well maybe I do!" she answered without thinking.

"What?" Vince growled his voice low.

"Maybe I do let him fuck me. All. Night. Long," she replied, not able to stop the lies spilling from her throat. "I mean, come on! I'm eighteen, Vince! What the hell were you doing at my age? Or should I say who? Johnny's cute, and he's got money, why shouldn't I mess around with him, huh?"

Vince stared at her a moment, his jaw working, then he slammed his fist in the wall next to her head. Before she could even blink, his lips were on hers and he was pushing her into the wall with his body, every ounce of his anger in his kiss, and she soon replied with the same ferocity.

Rae knew he was drunk, knew that if he wasn't in Caveman mode, he would never be doing this, and she really didn't care. She was quite happy to take advantage of him if he kept kissing her like this.

He pulled off his own shirts before his hands slipped up under her top, quickly pulling it over her head before roughly pulling down the cups of her bra and taking one hardened nipple into his mouth, making her writhe where she was pinned against the wall. While his mouth danced across her chest, nipping and licking, his big hands travelled down her sides before sliding back up her thighs. One hand held her still as another dipped inside her panties, and deeper, feeling the wetness already gathering there, and quickly spreading it around before pulling back and ripping the fabric off with a hard twist of his hand.

Then his palms were moving around to grip her ass cheeks and suddenly he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs instinctually around his waist, her hands gripping his shoulders as he began to grind his jean-covered crotch against her. She threw her head back at the feel of his large body rubbing against her, the lips trailing up her neck, his hands squeezing her thighs rhythmically.

His lips claimed her again, and she drowned in his demanding kiss until she felt him lifting her slightly before he slammed inside her, swallowing her cry of pain. In fact, he didn't even seem to notice that he'd just taken her virginity, and kept slamming into her, not giving her a chance to adjust. She held on, knowing that the first time was supposed to hurt, and eventually the burning feeling slowly faded and she began to moan in pleasure with each thrust.

Soon he was fucking her so hard that her head was hitting the wall with every thrust, and all she could do was hold on for dear life, her nails digging sharply into his broad shoulder as she came and he roared his own release into her neck.

Rae sagged in his arms, expecting it to be over, but his lips were already nibbling on her throat and he was still half hard inside of her. Locking his arms around her, he moved them over to the bed and was soon moving above her, thrusting inside her again, and again, and again…


Vince woke, feeling the warmth of another body next to him, pushing sleep from his mind.

Then he remembered.

He sat bolt upright in bed, praying that it was just a dream, that he hadn't really spent the night fucking little Rae Marquez. One peek next to him shattered that illusion, and he leaped out of bed, running a hand through his hair and pacing back a fourth, trying to think of a way out of this mess.

Rae had woken at his sharp movements and was sitting up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and looking at the room around her.

"Oh."

He looked at her to find her staring at him in shock, as if the night was just catching up to her, too. Then her eyes drifted down to his naked cock and she licked her lips unconsciously. Vince felt himself beginning to harden and quickly grabbed the quilt off the bed to cover himself and his embarrassment.

But it only made things worse. The quilt was the only thing hiding Rae's body from his gaze and now she sat there in shock, letting his lecherous side get a good, long look. Her hair was mussed, her lips were swollen and her skin was red on her neck and chest from his bites and kisses. And the razor burn between her legs.

But that wasn't what he found himself staring at. No. He was staring at the pinkish stains on the white sheets. Either he'd been rougher than usual, or she was a virgin, and the deep blush spreading across her cheeks was more than enough answer.

He felt sick. She was just a kid, and he'd…He had to get out of there.

"I'm taking a shower. Been gone when I get back," he spat out, angry with himself, that he could be so stupid. He turned before he saw the look of hurt in her eyes, grabbing some clothes and all but running to the basement bathroom.


She cried silently as she hunted down her clothes, pulling them on and wincing as pain twinged between her legs. Her panties were a complete write-off, so she threw them in the trash can before she left the room, being careful not to wake any off the people passed out outside.

She tip-toe up to her room, praying Mia wouldn't wake. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief when she looked at the clock to see it was still very early. Grabbing a change of clothes, she quickly went back to the bathroom, showering the evidence of her night with Vince off her body, and thinking about what she was going to do.

She couldn't stay, not now, not after the way he looked at her, as if she disgusted him. She couldn't face the others, either. He had to leave today before they woke, get away for a couple weeks and figure some things out. Maybe by the time she came back things would have settled down and the others would have forgiven her, and she could go back to pretending Vince didn't mean anything to her.

She packed quickly, keeping one eye on sleeping Mia. It didn't take long, despite having lived there for the past four years, she really hadn't accumulated much stuff and she could easily make it all fit in her pick-up. Knowing that if she just left they'd come looking for her, she wrote a short note and left it on the counter, telling them she'd be back in a couple weeks, that she just needed space.

Then with one last check to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything important, she left.


It was Mia that found the note. She didn't know what had happened the night before, and when she found out, she blamed the others for pushing her away. They called everyone in town that Rae knew, but none of them had heard from her. Vince finally put a stop to it, reminding Mia that Rae said she'd be back in a couple weeks, and that they didn't need to worry 'till then.

They settled down to wait, and no one spoke about it again, just quietly checking the machine, the mailbox, anything for a message from her.


Rae wiped her mouth as she finished vomiting for the second time that morning, her mind drifting back to the three pregnancy tests she taken the night before. She's already stayed in San Francisco longer than she'd planned, waitressing to pay her rent and cowardly avoiding going back home. But now she couldn't, how would she explain it? Even if she hadn't planned getting knocked up, there was no way she was getting an abortion, so Vince would know, and soon the others would find out, and she'd never be able to move past it.

No. She wouldn't go back. They didn't want her anyway, and no doubt Vince had told them what she'd told Tran. She'd go stay with Alejandro for a while, get back on her feet, and figure out what she was going to do.

And L.A., the Team, and Vince would all just be one bad dream.


Yeah, I know, most of you probably guessed it already, but now you know, even if he doesn't. -K