An End and a Beginning
Life Unaccounted For Universe: Part 4
Summary: Part One of a series of one-shots in an AU setting inspired by a picture I found and put in the top corner.
Disclaimer: Hahaha, I wish! I own nothing.
Letty woke up to Mia's cell phone ringing and her pillow shifting underneath her, and groaned in protest. She heard Mia laugh from above her, and she blinked her eyes open blearily to find that she had passed out across Mia's lap on the sofa.
She heard Mia answer her phone, but couldn't compute the girl's quiet words. She felt fingers in her hair and sighed in slight relief from the pain in her head.
A few minutes later, Mia set her phone back on the end table. "How ya feelin', Let?" she murmured.
"Fuck me", she groaned. "Why'd you let me do that?"
"So you could get the drunk grieving process over with", Mia grinned down at her. "The hangover will fit nicely with the self-loathing."
"You suck", Letty muttered half-heartedly. "Who was on the phone?"
"Dad", she answered. "He said we're having dinner Sunday. Show up or he'll come get us and drag us home by our hair."
Letty laughed. "That's what my mom used to say about me getting caught in Dom's bedroom."
"Apparently that wasn't a very effective threat", Mia teased.
"No", Letty snorted wryly. "It really wasn't."
"Dad also requested that you remember your table manners, and not chuck the dinner rolls at my brother's head."
Letty groaned and pushed herself upright, "Seriously? That was one time. And Dom was being a dick."
"You probably shouldn't have announced your engagement to Trevor over family dinner before you told him", Mia said quietly.
"I apologized for that", Letty said quietly. "Tony should try to let it go."
"Well, Dad uses guilt like Picasso used a paintbrush", Mia laughed.
"Too much Catholic Church", Letty murmured teasingly. "Ugh, my head is throbbing. What the hell is wrong with me?"
"You want an answer that doesn't have anything to do with the alcohol that gave your brain a swirly?" Mia smirked.
"Very funny, Toretto", she muttered dryly.
"Letty, you waited until you walked up the aisle to call of your wedding. I mean, you've always sucked with your timing, but damn", Mia shook her head. "I'm pretty sure your top one on your list of stupid moments got bumped."
Letty laughed. "You think that beats when I tossed my bra at Dom in the living room because I thought we were alone and your dad walked in? I still don't think I've ever been so mortified."
Mia grinned. "If it weren't for the total ick factor, I almost wish I had seen that."
"At least I was over eighteen that time and he didn't call my mother. Instead he just told us to stop defiling all the furniture in the house – and especially not his recliner."
Mia raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't the recliner how you ended up with Aiden?"
Letty smothered a grin. "Tony doesn't know that."
0
Three hours later, after Letty had showered and her headache had dulled to a low roar, there was a knock on their door. Mia looked up from a sketch she was working on and saw Letty glaring at the television.
"Am I getting the door then?" Mia asked semi-sarcastically.
"It's my mother", Letty said blandly. "I can feel the disturbance in the force."
"My god, you're a drama queen when you're hung-over", Mia muttered, setting her sketch pad aside just as there was another sharp knock. She looked over her shoulder, wide-eyed. "It is her." She hurried to the door. "Susana, come in. Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Thank you, Mia." Susana Ortiz was a formidable presence and she entered the living room, heels clacking on the wooden floor. Her dark hair was spun against the back of her head, and her gold hoop earrings complimented her white business suit. "I see my daughter was too lazy to answer the door", she said sharply, looking over at Letty with a shrewd eye.
Mia took her seat on the couch silently and began drawing again.
Letty glared in her direction. "Lay off, ma, okay? And cut the hoity-toity shit. We're from Puerto Rico, not England."
"You're hung-over", Susana stated flatly. "This is your life, Leticia. Suck it up and quit throwing yourself a pity party."
"Did you come here just to yell at me?" Letty demanded, irritation seeping into her voice, "Because Mia is more than capable on that front."
Susana sighed and looked around curiously. "Where is my grandson?"
"My son is with his father", Letty said, calmly choosing her words. "I didn't see any reason he shouldn't spend the weekend over there even if it will be shorter than planned."
Her mother perched on the ottoman by her feet. "Ah, Letty, I only want your happiness", she said in a soft tone. "And you don't need a man for that."
"It helps", Mia muttered under her breath.
Letty snorted in amusement. "Got a boy toy we don't know about, Mi?"
"Yeah, right", she grumbled. "Dom's a bloodhound when it comes to boyfriends."
"No shit."
"I spoke with Tony this morning", Susana stated. "He said-"
"Dinner, we know", Letty smiled slightly. "He called Mia."
"So, I had a reason for stopping by."
Letty rolled her eyes. "You mean other than chewing on my ass?"
Susana rolled her eyes. "There's no need to be such a drama queen just yet."
"Yet?" Letty repeated dubiously, sitting up in her chair, "God, ma, what? You're starting to make me nervous."
She opened her purse and pulled out a sealed envelope. "Here", Susana said quietly, holding it in Letty's direction. "It's from Trevor. He stopped by this morning before I left for work. He said he'll be out of town next weekend, and you can stop by to get your things then."
Letty groaned and took the letter only to drop it on the end table next to her. "I can't believe he made you a freakin' carrier pigeon. I really made a mess of it this time didn't I?"
"Do you believe you should have married him?" her mother asked seriously.
Letty closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the cushion. "No, but-"
"If you know you made the right decision, Leticia, it isn't a mess. You just need to accept that you'll be starting another new chapter."
"Why is that all I seem to do, huh? I went from a teenager, to a parent, to a single parent- I'm always closing chapters on my life instead of living it. For once I'd love to close someone else's chapter", she growled.
Mia snickered. "Letty, you always make everything sound so damn violent."
"That's just my personality", Letty grumbled.
Susana stood up. "I have to go back to work, but I didn't want to hang onto that letter, and I wanted to check on you. I know you're in good hands. Take the weekend to do what you need to do. Come Monday though; go back to your life. No one wants to see you lose yourself again." She leaned down to kiss her daughter's forehead. "I'll see you both at dinner tomorrow night."
Letty wiped at her forehead. "Seriously, with the lipstick print?" she complained.
Susana smiled in amusement before turning to give Mia the same treatment. She cupped the girl's cheek. "Thank you", she said quietly. "I'm only a phone call away."
Mia nodded. "I'll walk you out."
00
A/N: Oh my gosh, seriously, you guys are amazing! That's chapter four. Enjoy and review!