Author: Moon Roses or Moony
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Feedback: Not necessary but greatly appreciated.
Recap: Unfortunately it took hours before she finally fell into a restless sleep. Letty hadn't meant to hurt her, she knew that, but she couldn't help but feel a little angry that she had included that picture. It was enough knowing that life had moved on without her, but the utter happiness on Vince's face made her question if she'd ever mattered to him at all. Clearly her disappearance hadn't affected him as she'd thought it would. Sure, he missed her, Hector told her so, but he'd obviously moved on completely. He'd probably think her ridiculous for missing him so desperately.

Chapter Thirty Seven

Time passed much too quickly when all you wanted was for it to last. Shorty hadn't found a way to slow down life when her own tiny human was involved. Maybe it was because she had Brer that time sped by without pause and before she could blink, her darling son was three and a half years old. Although, darling was pushing it and monster was much more accurate. She'd known he was going to be a little miniature Michael even when he was only a year old, but he'd grown into his mischievous grin more than she could ever have expected.

In fact, she would bank that he was more of a little devil than she'd been, and that was saying something. After all, she'd been shipped off to New York because she was too much to handle and couldn't be controlled. But Brer couldn't be considered a bad child, just incredibly curious and that usually ended him up in bad situations.

But somehow those bad situations never felt complete, something was missing. Shorty remembered what it was like to grow up with a brother and she knew that without him around, she probably would have turned to a much more dangerous lifestyle. And it wasn't that she could provide Brer with a brother, but she could provide him with the fulltime uncle he needed.

She wasn't sure when the thought crept in and stayed but she imagined it had been the day she'd left Los Angeles. Questioning her decisions had become something of a daily occurrence, and the more she thought about it the more she realized she never should have left. To her, family was one of the most important things and now that she'd been gone for over four years she couldn't believe she'd thrown that away so easily. She'd walked out on her brothers, her child's uncles, and regardless of her selfishness they still loved her as much as ever. Their love for Brer was undeniable though; and she was blessed to have family who were willing to travel so often to Mexico to see them.

Once that thought was planted in her head she couldn't stop it from blossoming into an all consuming desire. After years of ignoring the feeling, or trying to ignore it at least, she couldn't do it any longer. Without alerting anyone but her current roommates of her plans she hired a relator, by the name of Mark Barnet, to find her a house with three bedrooms, attached garage, and a large pool. She scoured the pictures he sent via email and after months of looking she purchased a house that fit her criteria only two blocks over from Hector.

She knew being that close to Hector was a good thing for her and Brer. However, her new house was also only three blocks from the Toretto team's household. She knew for a fact that they hadn't moved because she was sure Hector would have told her. And although Letty's emails had tapered off over the past year she hadn't mentioned a move, and that was something she'd likely update Shorty on.

Now that she'd purchased the house and approved a move in date she rarely spoke to the relator and hadn't checked her email in over three months. Shorty was just pouring some Cheerio's into a bowl when a whirlwind of disaster blew through the kitchen.

"Brer, venir y comer su desayuno antes de ir a bug los muchachos," she called, as her son rushed towards the open sliding doors. (Brer, come eat your breakfast before going to bug the boys.)

Grabbing him around the waist she hoisted him over her shoulder, laughing as he squealed in pleasure. He kicked his small feet until she set him down on his chair and pushed the cereal in front of him. "Mami, no estoy hambriento. Ben y Levi dice, podría ayudar a poner en el stereo hoy!" Brer cried in exasperation, his green eyes glaring defiantly. (Mami, I'm not hungry. Ben and Levi said I could help put in the stereo today!")

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," she replied in English, emphasising her point.

"La prima colazione è il pasto più importante della giornata," he mimicked playfully, switching into Italian easily. (Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.)

Shorty narrowed her eyes at her son but wasn't angry. It was only fair that he be as vocal as she'd been at his age. But the ability to say everything in three different languages was a little excessive. He was as quick witted as she, smart mouthed without meaning to be. She wondered if Leon had been smart mouthed when he was a child because she couldn't have instilled that much sarcasm into her son by herself.

"Mangiare la prima colazione," she shot back, her Italian as fluent as his after years of studying. (Eat your breakfast.)

His shoved his bottom lip out and crossed his arms. Pouting didn't work on her because she'd grown up using the bottom lip maneuver, but she certainly appreciated the attempt to get his way. Instead of allowing him to push his bowl away she stood her ground and stared back at him until he sighed and lifted the spoon to his mouth. As a small child she'd always wondered how once she'd set her mind to something all it took was one look from her mother and she'd cave. Now that she was a parent she had the same abilities as her mother, her own special super powers and she used them whenever the situation called for it.

Brer finished his meal quickly, scrambled out of his chair, placed his bowl on the counter and took off with Banjo at his side. Shorty watched as he sprinted across the sand to the house two doors down from their own. She could see the sliding glass door open and a Levi lean out to wave to her. Most parents, including her own mother, would have walked him down there themselves, but he was so independent. He seemed to be turning into a little man right under her nose.

When he was safely inside Ben and Levi's house she cleaned up the kitchen before heading up to the main house to break the news to Spence, Jamie and Kennedy. She knew they loved having her and Brer live in their guest house, but she also knew deep down they probably wouldn't mind it just being the three of them.

The small family was just finishing up breakfast when she leaned against the open sliding door. "I need to talk to you," she said, lifting Kennedy into her arms as the small girl launched herself at her legs.

"Me too?"

"Yes, you too, kiddo," Shorty answered, sitting at the table silently until both Jamie and Spence were seated again.

"What's up, Miss Shorty?" Spence asked, though by the slightly saddened look on his face it was clear he already knew what was coming.

"I bought a house, in Echo Park. It's only two blocks from Hector, and it's perfect for Brer and I."

"I was hoping you wouldn't find a place," Jamie smiled, drying her hands on a towel.

"It's three bedrooms, so if and when you guys visit L.A. you have a place to stay."

"You're moving?" Kennedy asked quietly, her bottom lip quivering.

"It's time for me to go home. And let you guys have some family time without us," replied Shorty, taking the time to let the new sink in.

"Brer's staying here, right?"

Kennedy's eyes filled with tears and they dropped from the rims like heavy pools of despair. It was going to be a difficult transition for both children, as they'd grown up with each other for three and a half years. But Shorty hoped they were young enough to not forget the other, but slowly move on. When she'd been moved away from her friends and cousins at five years old she'd eventually forgotten all about them.

"No Kennedy, Brer will come with me," she answered, wiping the tears off the small child's cheeks.

"No, Brer can stay here."

"Baby," Jamie said, scooping her daughter off Shorty's lap and sitting her on her own. "Brer has to go with his mommy."

"No, I want Brer to stay here," she cried, her voice thundering off the countertops.

"He can't, he has to go with Shorty," answered Spence.

Her father's words settled the matter and the small girl glared daggers at Shorty. Brer wasn't the only small child in the vicinity but he was so close that their friendship was more easily maintained. Shorty knew how hard it was to miss someone but she hoped eventually Kennedy would understand they were only a short plane ride apart. But instead of trying to explain that to her she let her stare at her with all the anger she could muster.

"Have you told Hector yet? Or Brer?" Spence asked, his eyes following the movements of his daughter as she climbed off Jamie's lap and wandered away.

She made her opinion known as she stomped heavily up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door. Shorty sighed but shook her head at Spence's question. "She's really gonna miss Brer," she said.

"I think she has a crush on him," Jamie answered, laying a warm hand across Shorty's forearm.

"She's not even five," Shorty cried, unable to grasp that such a young child could harbor those kind of feelings for anyone.

"You didn't have any crushes when you were younger?"

Shorty snickered at the absurdity but answered anyways, "Fuck no, I was picking rocks out of my skinned knees when I was four. You need to get that girl under a car!"

Just hearing Jamie say the word crush sent ripples of unease up her spine. She considered herself lucky that she'd had a boy instead of a girl. She wouldn't have to worry about those kind of things for years to come, especially if he was anything like her. And deep down she prayed he was, the last thing she wanted to deal with was his eventually girl problems.

A faint smile appeared across her small lips and she shook her head at Shorty's demand, "You know it's not that bad for a girl to be a girl."

Shorty shivered at the thought but didn't reply. After all, Kennedy was their child and if Jamie chose to raise her into a girly girl it wasn't her place to say otherwise. Mia had turned out wonderful and she was very feminine, although she knew a great deal about cars and she was as good a racer as any.

"Well, I better go break the news to Brer," Shorty said, standing and heading for the sliding door.

As worried as she was that Brer would be angry about leaving the only home he'd ever known, she knew eventually he'd get over the disappointment. Los Angeles was where they belonged regardless of the inevitable drama that awaited them. Shorty crossed the small distance to Ben and Levi's house, letting herself through the screen door. She could hear loud music coming from the front of the house and she slowly made her way in that direction. When she opened the door into the small garage she found the car raised slightly off the ground on a lift and Ben bent over the open hood. Peeking from underneath the car were two sets of legs and she couldn't help but smile. It was really one of the most adorable sights she'd ever seen. Her sons tiny feet were laced into his own pair of work boots, with his toes clacking together every now and then while he listened to Levi explain something to him.

Descending the two stairs into the garage she smiled at Ben while grabbing one of Brer's feet and dragging him out from under the car. "How's my big man?" she asked.

Brer grinned up at her and wiped his hands on the rag she handed him. He was always so happy and she was crushed that she'd have to make him unhappy. "What's wrong, Mami?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just need to talk to you about something. Let's go back to the house," she answered, pulling her child to her feet and leading him and Banjo out of the house. "See you guys later," she called to Ben and Levi before she shut the garage door.

The walk back to their house was short but sweet, Brer's excited voice filling the distance. Once inside their house Brer ran to the fridge to pull out a juice box and impaled his straw in it immediately. Shorty sat on the couch and patted the seat next to her.

"Come here, kid," she called softly.

Her son climbed up onto the couch with his juice box and looked up at her expectantly. Without fail she was struck momentarily mute as Leon's green eyes sparkled back at her. In the years since he'd been born she still hadn't gotten used to the identical gaze. It reminded her daily of the wonderful life she'd left behind and how desperately she wished the three of them could have been their own little family.

"I know you love it here. You're exactly like I was when I was a kid, but Brer, this isn't our home. It's time for use to go to Los Angeles," she explained.

The constant smile he held faltered a little while the news of their impending move set in. She could see the wheels turning in his head while he put together the information and she was already preparing herself for a heavy discussion. Unlike Kennedy, Brer never had tantrums. He was much calmer than his friend and though it was quite possible he didn't really understand everything going on, he accepted what was presented. However, moving away from the only life he'd known was a huge lifestyle change and she was sure he'd lose his shit.

Instead he blinked once, twice, three times before a broad grin again graced his beautiful little face, "We're moving to L.A? With uncle Hector?" he cried excitedly.

Taken aback by his enthusiasm, Shorty took a minute to collect her thoughts. "Well, we won't live with them. But we have our own house two blocks away, and we can go over to Hector's whenever we want," Shorty replied.

Brer jumped to his feet on the couch and leapt into her lap. Throwing his arms around her neck he placed a sloppy kiss on her lips and hugged her tightly. "I want to call uncle Hector!" he cried loudly, jumping off the couch and running to her room where she kept her cell phone.

He returned moments later and thrust it towards her. She dialed her brother's number and handed the small phone back to her son, who pressed it to his ear roughly. After a minute of waiting Hector must have answered because Brer screamed, "Me and Mami are moving to L.A!"

Unable to hear Hector's side of the conversation she listened intently to her son's excited prattling until he pushed the phone back at her with, "Uncle Hector wants to talk to you!"

With that he ran to his room with Banjo hot on his heels. She knew her son well enough to know that he was already planning on packing and without any boxes to put his things in his room was going to turn into a disaster area pretty quick.

"Hello?"

"You're finally moving home?" Hector asked, his voice a little higher than usual.

"Yeah, I bought a house about two blocks from you."

"Hang on a second," he answered.

Shorty could hear her brother lower the phone and shout for their team mates to come into his office. Although she knew they'd be excited for her and Brer to finally return to their rightful place, she was still a little worried they wouldn't be as thrilled as she wanted them to be. Hector's muffled voice spilled through the receiver and she heard a scuffle as someone grabbed the phone from his hand.

"It's about damn time, Shorty! When you coming?" Beto said, while the other men shouted questions in the background.

"Oh, in about two weeks."

"Two weeks! Fucking aye, baby girl," he replied, before handing the phone back to her brother.

"You can't back out," her brother warned when he returned to the line.

Backing out was the farthest thing from her mind but she understood why her brother would mention it. She'd run when things got tough, and he understood that if she spent time actually thinking about all the problems her return would bring – well, she might choose to stay put. As it was though, she'd tried very hard not to worry about Leon, or Vince, and especially not Dominic Toretto.

"You sure you want us so close?" she asked, side stepping his warning.

Hector sighed into the phone, and she could just picture him pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Of course I want you guys here."

"What about Toretto?"

"I'll break his kneecaps if he so much as glares at you," he answered simply.

The laughter burst from her before she could stop herself. Just the idea of her brother even attempting to lift a finger against Dominic Toretto was hilarious. Hector was a loyalist, that was a given, but he was loyal to both her and Dom. They'd been friends for years and she wouldn't be the one to come in between them. What she'd done would have to be settled between her and Leon, without interference from her protective brother or the King of the Streets.

"The relator is going to drop the keys off at your place on Monday. Can you park my car inside the garage before I get there?"

"You miss the old girl, yeah?"

"You have no idea," Shorty sighed.

She'd missed her car desperately over the years she'd been gone. No doubt it was time for a tune up and a paint job, but those designs would have to wait until she was settled. She wasn't as flashy as she'd once been and she wanted a more mature look for her girl. But most of all, she couldn't wait to get Brer into the car and show him what racing was all about. She needed him to know what his mother was like before he came along.

Planning the move was a big deal and Shorty finalized many of the small details with Hector before she let him go. She had a lot to do before they could move and not a lot of time before she took possession of the house. Packing would be the simple part because they hadn't acquired many things worth making the journey. Clothes, pictures, and some knickknacks were the majority of their belongings. It was the furniture that she would need to purchase online and set up delivery dates that would be the most troublesome. However, once Hector had the keys in his hands everything would go a lot smoother.

And thankfully, it went relatively smoothly ordering enough furniture to outfit their new home. Brer asked for a blue car bed and Hector bought it for him right away, saying that he wanted to be the first one to buy the kid a car. The rest of the furniture was delivered and arranged before Shorty could ship off their few boxes to the house.

When the day came for them to leave Brer was ecstatic. She'd expected him to mope around and possibly even bitch but before she could finish her goodbyes he was attempting to open the door to their black Escalade. "Hey kid, come say goodbye to everyone," she called, watching as he jumped off the running board and walked back to the porch.

"I don't want you to go," Kennedy cried, throwing her arms around his shoulders and sobbing loudly.

Brer patted her on the head gently and Shorty grinned at the display. He was a smart kid but he was still to young to deal with girls crazy emotions. When Kennedy finally stepped back and ran to Jamie's waiting arms Shorty scooped Brer up onto her hip.

"We'll come visit," Shorty assured her.

The small girl didn't answer but eyed her steadily. It wasn't that she never planned on coming back but she knew it would be at least a year or more before they could actually come visit. She'd be starting at the garage again and she owed the team a lot for giving her her old job back. All the hard work she'd had to accomplish before her move she'd now have to do all over again. No doubt she'd lost all her faithful clients when she'd jumped ship and disappeared for four and a half years.

Her son's excitement was contagious and Shorty quickly finished saying goodbye to the team that had taken them in when she had no other options. She buckled Brer into his car seat, let Banjo jump into the trunk and she slid behind the wheel of the Escalade. It had been much more difficult to leave Los Angeles and although she loved her homeland, she knew both her and her son belonged in L.A. alongside the team.

The drive to the border was long but Shorty and Brer passed the time jamming to music together. Her son loved music and she was glad he had some artistic drives like herself. Although she was more inclined to drawing she hoped that she could get Brer into guitar lessons when they were settled. She wasn't sure if those lessons were for Brer or herself. It wasn't that she wanted to learn to play but she wanted her son to be just a little like Vince. He was already so much like Leon, laid back and quiet that she felt he needed to learn to be a little livelier just like his uncle. Rationalizing her desire for Brer to gain a few of Vince's traits was very difficult for her.

Just thinking about having to see both the men she left behind was killing her inside. She hid her pain well from her son but she knew he could feel just a little bit of her uneasiness. He'd taken to hugging her unexpectedly lately and she was thankful for his comfort even though he didn't understand what the problem was. And she still hadn't told him who his father was and that he'd soon be living only three blocks away from him.

When they finally crossed into California many hours later, Brer was fast asleep in his car seat and Shorty had time to think of a strategy to avoiding everything and everyone associated with Dominic Toretto. She wasn't frightened of him per say, she had a child now and he'd never physically harm her, but he could make life for her very difficult. She couldn't avoid Leon, Vince, and Letty forever and the closer she got to home the more she began to feel overwhelming desire to see them again.

It'd been so long since she actually allowed herself to feel for the other team she'd left behind. She knew she'd never be welcomed back into the fold but she hoped that they could at least be civil with each other. And above all else, she hoped that Vince could overlook her betrayal and they could pick up their friendship where they'd left off. She missed her Ol' Coyote and desperately wanted his companionship back. If she allowed herself to admit it, she also wanted Vince to be a big part of Brer's life. However, she knew without question that he would never forgive her for what she'd done.

Shorty glanced in the rear view mirror at Brer and wondered what he thought of the whole situation. He was thrilled to be living close to the team but she questioned if he really understood what was going on. If she could protect him from the drama that was about to surround him, she would have. He was a strong kid and he would fair well, but she didn't know if she'd make it through. And if she didn't, how would that effect him?

"We're almost home," she whispered, focusing her attention back on the road ahead. The city loomed out of the darkness, it's thousands of twinkling lights welcoming her home from her legendary journey.

A/N: Thanks to JasmineChyanne, lady-kira6606, Brooke-Teretto Dom's Girl, and Ashes2Dust18 for the reviews! Shout out to automech1989 for the favourite.

This is the last update for an undetermined amount of time. Cheers!