Author: Moon Roses or Moony
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Feedback: Not necessary but greatly appreciated.
Recap: It had seemed like an easy transition to move back home, but now reality was settling in and she couldn't fight it. Sooner or later she'd have to confront her past, and she was worried it could get a little verbally abrasive and perhaps even a little violent.

Chapter Thirty Nine

The day flew by painfully fast and before she knew it she was rooting around her closet trying to find something inconspicuous to wear. Unable to think of a legitimate plan she'd decided hiding in plain site was her best chance of avoiding most of the DT team. Having been to the races many times with those men she knew they scanned the crowd but never really saw the crowd. Their attention was focused on their own family, the money, and more specifically the adrenaline rush.

Finally settling on her favorite pair of ripped skinny jeans, that she never thought she'd fit into again after giving birth, she topped it with a vintage Guns N' Roses t-shirt. In an outfit like that she'd never catch a second look and that was exactly what she was going for. Sliding her feet into her well worn red Chuck Taylors, she pulled her wavy hair into a low pony tail and grabbed her purse. She'd put Brer to bed hours before but promised to wake him for the event he'd been so excited about.

Tip toeing into his room, she sat on the edge of the bed and brushed his curls off his forehead, "Come on, little man. Wake up."

He moaned softly and opened his eyes. She knew what to expect every time he looked at her, but it was still a shock to see just how green his eyes actually were. The fact that he woke up and was instantly alert also reminded her of his father. "S'time to go?" he questioned, his sleep thickened voice catching near the end.

"Yes it is. Go brush your teeth and I'll get your clothes ready."

She crossed to his closet as he wandered into the hallway and towards the bathroom. Pulling a pair of camouflage cargo pants and a basketball jersey from the closet she bent to examine his shoes. "I want to wear my new boots," he said, surprising her from behind.

"Did you actually brush your teeth or just show the toothbrush your teeth?"

"Mami," he muttered, exasperation evident in his tone. "I brushed them."

"Breath check," Shorty said, turning and moving her face closer to her sons.

He rolled his eyes but blew a large breath into her face. The smell of mint tickled her nose and she nodded in acceptance, handing him his clothes for the night. He bent and grabbed his new dark brown work boots and began to dress.

"I'm gonna go pack some colors for you."

He acknowledged her with a smile as she left his room and made her way down to the living room. Shorty packed a bag of activities for Brer because although he was going with her, he wasn't allowed out of the car. There were too many vehicles coming and going and quiet often a lot of the racers and their chasers were high or drunk. Who knew what they'd be on and someone of Brer's height might make them question whether he was just a drug induced hallucination.

Again he appeared beside her silently and she jumped when he slid his hand into her own. His quietness was a sign of how tired he really was from all the excitement of the last few weeks. Usually he was louder than a herd of elephants when he descended stairs. She handed him the tiny knapsack with his crayons, coloring books, and three favorite hot wheels. He slung it on his back and yawned into his hand before she reached down and lifted him onto her hip.

Maybe a good mother would let her child sleep if he was as tired as Brer was, but as a child she would have loved all the excitement of the races. She wanted him to experience them with her first hand and grow up in the lifestyle she cherished so absolutely.

Buckling him into his car seat in the back of the Escalade was a little disheartening. She would have much rather taken her car but she was trying not to call attention to herself and her car was so recognizable. She let Banjo jump into the trunk and pulled off the driveway, her stomach knotting itself into a twisted mass of anxiety.

She'd left a lot earlier than she would have if she'd been a welcome guest, but she needed to blend into the background. And that involved parking her vehicle as far away from the front of the group as possible. She'd discussed her lack of plan with Hector thoroughly and all they could agree on was the rest of the team would have her back if the situation unraveled.

When she neared the buildings she'd once been so familiar with she felt her heart jump into her throat. Gorgeous vehicles sat waiting for her to race against and she couldn't help but noticed the scene had changed a bit while she was gone. Of course, the chasers had always dressed provocatively but now it seemed showing up in underwear was the way to go. She grinned and shook her head, wondering how many of these girls Vince and Leon had bedded since she'd left.

She reversed into a spot near the middle of the crowd and stepped from the Escalade. Normally she would have popped the hood to show off the hardware inside but that wasn't her reason for coming today. The less attention she drew the better. Opening the back door she quickly unbuckled Brer and let him hop down from the vehicle just as Hector appeared. He scooped the child up and tossed him above his head, catching him as he came down. "They'll be here in a few minutes, baby girl. You sure you want to do this?" he asked, before kissing her cheek in greeting.

"Yeah, just find Letty and tell her you need to talk to her alone."

"You got it," replied Hector, and followed Shorty to the back of the vehicle. She opened the trunk and placed Brer's backpack on the floor of the SUV. Hector set him down and Brer immediately began to empty his belongings out beside him while Banjo made himself comfortable. "I'll see you in a bit, kid," he added, and the curls atop Brer's head.

She sat on the edge of the trunk to wait with her legs swinging below her. She was overwhelmed with nervous anticipation, but she also felt like a convict about to be served a life sentence. What she'd done to her friends and family had been bad. Horribly awful even. But was she as down right unforgivable as a murderer? If she was honest with herself, which she tried to avoid in moments like these, she knew she was probably worse. At least the victims were at rest, while her people had to face the fact that'd she simply abandoned them. Like they were nothing better than pond scum killing the ambience of an otherwise perfect image. In reality, they were much better than that and they were heaps batter than she'd ever be. She was set in her ways, and selfish bitch was just who she was.

"Mami, is aunty Letty gonna hit you?" Brer asked, his face turned away from her so she couldn't read his fear.

He was stretched out on his stomach coloring as neatly as a three and a half year old can. She didn't need to see his face though to catch the unnatural hitch of his voice. He didn't know the entire truth about their travels before he was born but he knew how much it hurt her to leave. "I hope not, baby. But there's a good chance," she answered truthfully. If he deserved anything it was an active father and a truthful mother. She'd been lying to herself for far to long and she couldn't stand to do it to Brer any longer.

"I'll kick her."

"You know, kid, I used to be a scrapper. I'll give her the first one but your Mami ain't just gonna sit and take it."

Perhaps teaching her child that violence was intolerable was a better idea but she'd grown up in enough rough neighborhoods to know that it was a useful asset. Sticking up for yourself and your family was how she'd lived her life. It had definitely gotten her into a few tough situations but she'd come out of all of them alright. And maybe it made her a rotten mother but at least her kid wouldn't be getting picked on when he was older.

"Will Letty like me?" questioned Brer. He turned his head to face her and she saw herself staring back. He was as worried as she was about how Letty was going to react.

Shorty pushed a golden tinged curl off his forehead and grinned despite the butterflies in her stomach, "Of course she is, Brer. She's going to love you as much as I do."

"Really? As much as you?"

"Well, nobody can love you as much as me, but she's gonna love you in her own way."

Brer had always been an accepting child so she wasn't surprised when he nodded, smiled, and then turned back to his coloring book. She could hear him muttering to himself as he colored and she leaned forward and pressed a kiss into his gorgeous hair. She wished she could have introduced Letty and Brer somewhere more fitting but it would be nearly impossible to get her away from the team. She and Letty often took off into the crowd before the races to wander around so she knew her friend wouldn't be missed tonight.

Shorty watched her son for a few minutes uninterrupted and when she looked up next she saw the crowd had increased. With an odd feeling in her gut she knew that the DT team had arrived. It was only a matter of time now until Hector brought Letty over and they would see each other face to face for the first time in years.

She was wondering if Letty had softened around the edges when her phone rang from the front seat. She hopped off the back of the trunk and turned to look at the crowd through her front window. Her side and back windows were blacked out but her front window was only slightly tinted. A quick glance through the window showed her she recognized none of the faces and she released a satisfied breath.

"Just gonna grab my phone," she said to Brer.

He nodded but kept on coloring. She quickly made her way to the driver's side door and opened it, hopping into the seat so she could reach the console where she'd left her phone. The caller ID showed a member of her Mexican family calling and she shook her head before answering, "Hola?" (Hello?)

She'd expected Jamie or Spence to call to find out how everything had gone down, but she hadn't expected Ben to call, especially so early in the evening. "You know, I kind of miss your annoying voice," he answered, and skipped over the pleasantries entirely.

"Let me hang up and I'll leave a message on your voicemail so you can get your fill whenever you need it."

"I don't miss it enough to save that message."

"You're a shitty liar," she laughed. "So, what's up?"

Tuning out the sounds of laughter and chatter around her she slid from the Escalade and shut the door behind her. Walking back around the rear of the vehicle she reseated herself in her spot. "Not much, just wanted to make sure you're still alive."

"Toretto hasn't found me yet. Hey, Mia and Hec are together!"

"Mia is Toretto's hot sister?"

"That's the one."

"Lucky shit," Ben answered gruffly. Shorty smiled into the phone and wondered how Dominic did it. Mia was probably the most beautiful woman she'd ever known and was constantly being chased by one guy or another. "Can I talk to the kid?"

"You sure can, he's right here coloring," answered Shorty. She handed the phone to Brer and he sat up so he could talk properly. "Where's your Gameboy?"

"In the seat," he answered, before turning his full attention to his phone call.

Slipping off the floor again Shorty checked through the front window before making her way to the right back door. She opened it and leaned into the Escalade to find the game console. She may have been a mother and older than was truly acceptable to play video games but she still found it passed the time quicker. And it was just that kind of mindless activity that she needed until Letty appeared beside her brother.

When she spied it sticking out of the kangaroo pouch on the back of the passengers seat she snagged it and turned it on to check battery power. "What the fuck are you doing back here?"

Her heart did two things at once, jumped into her throat and stopped simultaneously, and she clutched her chest. The gravely voice made it's way down her spine and she shivered involuntary. She clawed at the leather seats and wondered whether he'd leave if she didn't make a movement. Maybe if she was absolutely still she could just fade into the background and his eyesight would go wonky and he wouldn't be able to see her? After all this time though, it streamed like he could still pick her out of a crowd. Trouble just couldn't avoid her, and this time trouble came in the form of someone she'd hoped to avoid for the time being.

"I said, what the fuck are you doing back here?"

Shorty dropped the Gameboy on the seat beside her and stepped into the open, shutting the door. Her first look at him in near five years was just as she'd expected. The hate he felt for her was prominent in the squint of his eyes and the snarl of his mouth. But regardless of his apparent distaste for her she couldn't help but take in all of him before she even considered answering him. He'd gained more muscle in his arms, but his eyes were still a clear blue, his scruffy beard a shade darker than his hair and his skin still the same beautiful shade of toast. He was always beautiful but after years apart she was shocked at just how beautiful he really was.

She fought the urge to reach forward and caress the whiskers that used to tickle her whenever he hugged her. Instead she simply answered, "I moved back."

"Well you ain't fucking welcome here," he snarled immediately.

The tension in his body was palpable and she was surprised he hadn't lashed out at her. It was obvious he wanted to punch his way through this confrontation but for some reason he held back. His gaze burned into her soul and she looked down uncomfortably. "I owe you an explanation."

"I don't give a damn what you gotta say."

She couldn't see any steam pouring from his ears but before her eyes his head transformed into a red teapot, it's whistle screaming in impatience because it was boiling. The absurdity of her image did nothing to lighten the mood and she searched her brain for something to say. Anything to say. "Vince, I know you're upset and you have every right to be. But I had my own reasons for leaving."

"Are you deaf or just fucking stupid? I said I don't give a damn what you gotta say."

"Can you please watch the swearing?" she sighed, unable to bring herself to explain why she was suddenly so concerned about foul language. "I know it doesn't change what happened, but I'm sorry."

His lips parted and his white teeth glistened brightly. It wasn't an all forgiving smile he was giving her but something much more frightening. The Ol' Coyote was rearing its snarling vicious head. It wasn't the first time she'd seen it, in fact she'd seen it plenty of times before. However, it'd just never been directed at her before. "You're sorry?" he growled angrily. "You're fucking sorry? Are you out of your fucking mind? You can't come around here with your pretty face and your "I'm fucking sorry's" and expect us to forgive you."

A low growl sounded from the open trunk door and she heard Banjo jump down from the Escalade. He made his way to her side and bared his teeth at Vince, his growl deepening and the fur along his spine rising in agitation. And yet, even a fully grown Rottweiler couldn't stop his rage now that'd it'd found its outlet. Shorty shushed Banjo and kept a hand on his collar to control him but still Vince continued, "You fucking left Leon, you left him like he was some kind of white trash. You left Letty when she needed you most. They loved you. And I fucking loved you. I fucking needed you. You left me,"he snarled harshly, spittle flying from his lips. "You fucking left me. You're the most ungrateful fucking coward bitch I've ever met. You make people love you, and then you just fucking leave them. I wish you'd stayed gone. I fucking hate you."

His voice had grown from a throaty growl to something much louder and deadly. Normally so deep and raspy it'd now transformed into something fiery and she could almost feel the flames licking at her feet as she stood mesmerized. "Would you watch your God damned mouth?" she shouted back, her anger getting the better of her as she stomped away from him, dragging Banjo as he lunged.

She'd never seen Banjo give anything but a warning growl, but he was damn near pulling her arm out of her socket as she tried to hold him back. Surprisingly it still didn't stop Vince from following her around the side of the Escalade. "I'll fucking talk how I want to fucking talk. This is my fucking turf and you sure as hell can go get fucked."

His anger was starting to mess with his ability to form logical arguments. Him telling her to go get fucked just meant he was frustrated. But regardless of that he'd hurt her, and she'd seen the way his eyes flashed happily when he's screamed "I fucking hate you". If she'd been standing in front of a mirror she probably would've been able to see her own face fall. But the fact that he'd gotten so much glee from that made her stomach flip flop in sadness. He really truly hated her. She could see it in his eyes. In the way he tensed and clenched his fists to stop himself from ramming them down her throat. However angry he got or however much he hated her he would never strike her though, she warned him years ago never to lay a hand on her.

"For fuck's sake Vince. Shut your fucking trap!" screamed Shorty, even though seconds before she'd told him to stop cussing. Banjo's deep bark warned Vince not to take a step closer and Shorty knew exactly what would happen if he got out of her reach.

When she stepped behind the vehicle to check on her son she found him standing with his fists clenched at his sides. His eyes were wide in panic but overshadowing that was fierce loyalty and a lot of anger. His tiny fists wouldn't do much damage to Vince but she knew without a doubt that her son would try his hardest to protect her.

"Why the fuck did you leave then, huh?" he shouted back.

Vince came around the side of the Escalade and stopped a step away from her. It was obvious he hadn't yet realized there was a third person. And for once she hoped he didn't clue in just yet, because sooner or later he always did. He was seen as the big dumb lug but she knew he wasn't. He was as smart as Dominic or Mia but played the part of witless friend to keep the status quo. "I had my own reasons."

"You had your own fucking reasons? Are you fucking serious right now?" He glanced down for the first time at the snarling beast by her side, but chose to advance another step towards her regardless of the danger. She wondered why he was so recklessly putting his life in jeopardy but she didn't voice her concerns. He would only throw her worry back in her face.

"Mami!" Brer cried, his feet slapping the ground as he jumped off the Escalade. He put his head down and barreled straight into Vince's thighs, his fists hitting any piece of flesh he could reach.

The look on Vince's face was priceless and she knew she'd never forget it. His eyes bulged out of his head and he looked down at the small child beating his legs with all the strength he could muster. His head shot up from the head of curls and stared dumbfounded at Shorty. She knew he was slowly working the situation out in his head but he looked stricken, sick almost, like he couldn't fathom someone would want to have a kid with anyone as fucked up as she. And funnily enough, no one did want to have a kid with her; the father had made that perfectly clear.

The grown man looked back down at her son and grabbed ahold of his fists, stopping any forward movement of his upper body. Unfortunately for Vince, he didn't know how resourceful Brer was and he immediately starting kicked his captor in the shins. And by the sounds of it - it was incredibly hard.

"You don't yell at my Mami!" he hollered, landing another rough kick before Vince shoved him away.

The minute Vince touched Brer; Banjo sprang alive again, snarling like she'd never heard out of a dog. He sounded more like a wild bear than an overgrown Rottweiler. Brer stumbled back and Shorty stepped forward instantly so her body stopped his backward motion. He fell against her thighs but stayed on his feet, his eyes downcast and his fist still clenched. "Are you fucking crazy?" Shorty screamed, reaching forward and slapping the regret off Vince's face. "He's a child, Vince. A fucking child!" she yelled at him, and tugged on Banjo's collar to get him to sit beside Brer.

Her slap and raised voice pulled Vince from wherever his mind had wandered and she was shocked to see him crouch down to her sons level immediately. "Hey, shit, I'm real sorry kid. Did I hurt you?"

Shorty could see how upset Vince was for pushing a small child. He'd let his anger and hate for her cloud his thought process and she knew he felt bad. If there was one thing about Vince she knew it was that he understood when he'd done wrong.

For the first time since Brer had entered into the fray his eyes came up and met the blue ones in front of him. The effect was instantaneous. Vince sucked in a deep breath and stared at the child before him. "No, you didn't hurt me," Brer answered.

Shorty watched Vince swallow in relief but still looked unable to believe what was right in front of him. "Brer, what do you say?" she asked.

"I'm sorry I hit you," he sighed; unhappy that he had to apologize for something he hadn't started.

Unable to tear his eyes from Brer's, Vince nodded before answering, "Don't worry about it."

Brer looked away from the man before him and straight up at her. She could read the uncertainty in his eyes. After all the years he'd heard her talk about Vince and seen his pictures all around their house, he couldn't believe the asshole in front of him was the same guy. "Cuando su tío Héctor y tía letty volviendo?" he asked in his native tongue so Vince couldn't understand. (When's uncle Hector and aunty Letty getting back?)

With Brer, first impressions were quite a big deal. Of course, people could worm their way into his heart, because he was exactly like her, but it was difficult for him to forget his first meeting. "Cada minuto, bebé. Por qué no volver a subir allí a color? Banjo y tomar con usted." (Any minute, baby. Why don't you climb back up there to color? And take Banjo with you.)

Brer nodded and grabbed Banjo's collar, but before he climbed into the Escalade he looked at Vince as he straightened up again, "Talk nice to my Mami, or I'll let Banjo eat you."

The words coming out in a childish voice normally wouldn't have carried much weight. But when she turned to look at her son, she saw he was perfectly serious, he didn't blink nor smile. He stared straight into Vince's eyes and didn't climb into the Escalade until Vince lowered his own.

"You have a kid?" he asked, though it was obvious she did.

He was trying to keep the hurt out of his voice but after knowing him so well she could hear it. And she felt her heart thump painfully against her sternum because she was the cause of his pain. Even after all these years it still hurt him that she'd left. She knew that now, even though both Hector and Mia had said he'd moved on. He'd said it himself, she'd left everyone, but mostly she'd left him. Her soul mate stood in front of her, and she automatically reached out to touch the red handprint on his cheek. He flinched when she ran her fingers over his stubble but still didn't raise his eyes to hers. She wanted so bad to explain everything, assure him that even though she'd left she'd never stopped loving him. But she couldn't. And he wouldn't hear it.

The skin above his beard felt as soft as it always had and she wished she hadn't slapped him, "Vince," she whispered.

The squeal that interrupted her was totally out of the norm for it's owner but she recognized the sexy scratchy voice immediately. Vince pulled away from her hand and looked at Letty as she came around the Escalade.

Letty's eyes landed on Vince and traveled to the handprint on his cheek before she launched herself into Shorty's arms. She watched her old friend for a reaction and saw anger that Letty could so easily forgive her. She mused that once he found out Mia had accepted her back into the fold as well; he was going to lose his mind.

When Letty pulled away she held Shorty at arms length and looked her over from head to foot. "Still as gorgeous as ever," she smiled, and took her hands in her own. "I see you and Vince got reacquainted real quick."

"You could say that," Shorty answered quietly.

She kept an eye on Vince as he looked between Letty, herself, and Brer. He was clearly wondering when the subject would come up but wasn't going to be the one to admit it out loud. She'd always felt that saying something out loud made it true and Vince seemed to feel the same way.

"I missed you. It's so good to see you. You're so dark," Letty gushed.

Letty's reaction threw Shorty off for a moment before she replied, "I missed you too," but stopped there to avoid the last unspoken question.

Eventually she would tell Letty where she'd been but she didn't want to do it in front of Vince. She'd figured he'd have worked it out himself except he never showed up in Mexico to drag her back. And maybe that was the problem. If he knew her as well he'd claimed he should have been there knocking her door down. Instead she'd had to work out all the wrong she'd done by herself and actively choose to move home. Again, her selfishness was incredible.

"You've got to meet Lalia, come on," she said, slightly pulling Shorty to get her moving.

Shorty stood her ground though, tugging Letty back into place. She did need to meet Lalia, but before that could happen she needed for Letty to fully understand her reasoning for leaving. She was grateful that Letty was willing to overlook her abandonment, but she deserved the truth regardless. While she wondered how to explain it she looked out of the corner of her eye at Vince. He still hadn't said anything since Letty arrived on the scene but she could see the wheels turning in his head. He was wondering how Letty could mention Lalia without her even questioning Letty about her. Shorty had always been protective of her spot in the fold of things, as the third female in an extended group of two teams.

"Lett, there's something I gotta tell you," answered Shorty, just as she saw the realization cross Vince's face.

The anger and hate that had slow dissipated sprung forth again instantly. Without a doubt he knew Letty and she had been communicating all these long years and he'd not even heard so much as a peep from her. He, who was her best friend, her soul mate, her number one. And she hadn't found it necessary to let him know she was alive and well.

"Shoot."

Turning from Letty she looked towards the trunk of the Escalade where Hector had seated himself just a second previous. Brer was standing next to him, leaning against his uncle's side with his arm laid across Hector's shoulders. Letty's eyes followed Shorty's and her jaw dropped to her chest when she spied the little boy. Shorty knew he looked adorable with his baggy basketball jersey, camouflage cargo pants, and dark work boots. But it was the fact that he was dressed almost as Leon always dressed that made him even cuter.

"Who's kid is that?" she asked.

Brer laughed at the look on Letty's face and answered for his mother, "I'm with that one." He pointed at Shorty and giggled again as Letty smacked her lips together.

"Well it suddenly all makes sense," she replied.

And that was the truth of the matter for both Vince and Letty. They knew Leon so well and even if they didn't previously know how he never wanted a family, they would have realized it while Letty was pregnant. It was obvious he'd made enough comments about Letty getting knocked up to get his point across without actually stating it.

"Who's Lalia?" Brer asked, his curiosity as abundant as always.

"That's your cousin. What's your name, little man?"

"Brer James Muñoz Izquierdo."

"That's a handsome name for a handsome boy," Letty replied, and winked. Glancing over at Hector and Shorty she added, "The kid can pronounce his last name but neither of you can. Do you see something wrong with that?"

She picked him up and touched the tip of his nose with her finger and Shorty knew he was a goner already. Letty had a way of taking things in and making them hers. She didn't do it often so when she did people allowed it willingly. She herself had been accepted without a backward glance and she'd been in awe of her friendship with the girl ever since.

"Nah, I don't," Shorty answered and looked to Hector before asking, "Do you?"

"Nope. Kid's got mad skills," he answered back with a shrug.

"Brer James, hey?" Vince grunted obnoxiously. "Not very Hispanic is it?"

"Not everyone can have such authentic ethnic names as Vincent Jionni DeNunez," Shorty shot back, not bothering to turn around.

As much as she needed to sit down with Vince and discuss everything she just didn't have the energy or the desire to do it at the races. In fact, she was ready to head out before the rest of the DT team showed up and turned this into an even more uncomfortable family reunion. The races were bound to start soon and the longer she waited the more people would clear out and the target on her back would widen.

As if Vince read her thoughts he shifted his position and cracked his back. "Races about to start," he stated gruffly. Funnily enough, it was obvious he was giving her a way out before Toretto smelt her guilt from his car.

Hector spoke up for the first time since he'd brought Letty back to the vehicle, "He's right. You better bounce before Toretto catches up to you."

"Oh, I'll handle the big guy," Letty sighed, as if dealing with Dominic Toretto was such an easy task.

Just because he was now a father didn't mean he had mellowed out at all, in fact, she was banking on him being even more unpredictable that usual. Instead of only two grown women to look after he now also had to watch out for his own daughter. That could only have one effect on a man and that was vicious protectiveness.

"He's right Lett, we better get going. And I think I've had enough excitement for one night anyways," Shorty confided, shooting Vince a sidelong glance.

It wasn't that Shorty was that worried about finally coming face to face with Dominic, but "enough excitement for one night" was an understatement. She would've preferred to run into Vince somewhere besides the races. He may have kept quiet since Letty appeared but she could see he was still agitated and he wasn't done screaming at her. By the look on his face he was far from finished with her. Letty must have seen it on his face as well cause she nodded and hugged Brer to her chest before depositing him back beside his uncle.

"Where you living, girl?" she asked.

"You know the park about three blocks from you?"

"Yeah, we take Lalia there all the time."

"Right across from that, the dark brown one, number nine thirty seven," Shorty told her; unsure whether she should be saying anything while Vince was still around.

"I'll bring her over tomorrow," Letty said, and hugged her before slipping back into the crowd and returning to her man's side.

Hector hopped off the back of the Escalade and stood facing Vince with his arms crossed, his warning obvious. The two men stared each other down for completely different reasons and Shorty rolled her eyes heavenward. It was almost like old times except now Vince hated her and Hector was protecting her for a different reason.

"Hermano, me vas a tengo que hablar con él más tarde o más temprano. Realmente necesita estar rondando?" she said with a nod towards Vince. (Brother, I'm gonna have to talk to him sooner or later. Do you really need to be hovering?)

Hector cracked his knuckles loudly, as if readying himself for a fight, "Sólo estoy haciendo seguro que sabe que i Ain't miedo de él." (I'm just making sure he knows I ain't afraid of him.)

"No se va a hacer nada aquí, Héctor. Por qué no vas dar mi número a Mia?" (He's not going to do anything here, Hector. Why don't you go give my number to Mia?)

"Sí, bien. Si pone un dedo sobre usted, podrá interrumpir su mandibular," he answered slowly, his eyes looking Vince over from head to toe and back again. (Yeah, fine. If he lays a finger on you, I'll break his jaw.)

Under normal circumstances she would have let Hector act as macho as he wanted. However, in this situation if a fight broke out he'd put in a good effort but in the end Vince would most likely end his life. "Sí, sí. Te amo." (Yeah, yeah. I love you.)

Both Brer and Vince watched the exchange between them but only Brer understood a word of what was being said. She could see the annoyance on Vince's face at being left out of the conversation. She was surprised that after being around Letty for all these years he hadn't picked up on the language. For once she was glad he never paid much attention to anything around him.

Hector hugged Brer and kissed her cheek before turning to Vince with a scowl on his normally easy going features. He lunged towards the other man throwing his arms wide and baring his chest. Shorty knew what he was trying to accomplish and had to hide a smile when Vince didn't so much as flinch, but instead raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, homie," her brother snarled. With his piece said in two simple words he turned on his heel and left to find Mia to pass along her number.

The three of them stared at each other in silence until Brer cleared his throat in an effort to break the tension. Shorty watched Vince turn to look at her kid and she saw his features soften somewhat until he turned back to her. Instantly his eyes hardened and she could see his jaw muscles clench under his skin. It was obvious he couldn't find it in himself to hate a child just because it came out of someone as heartless and evil as her.

"Hey, dog, what's going on back here? First I see Lett leave, then Hector."

For the second time that night Shorty was faced with an unwelcome surprise. She groaned loudly before turning to face the man she'd once loved so desperately. Where Vince had looked angry to see her reappear, Leon just looked shocked to see her standing in front of him. His personality had always been so laid back and she was once again glad for that, because she figured he'd be much calmer than Vince had been.

He hadn't changed much, or at all since she'd last seen him. His hair was still slightly slicked back, toothpick lounging comfortably in the corner of his mouth, same hard body, five o'clock shadow, and same basketball jersey. Of course, it wasn't his favorite jersey because she'd swiped that when she left and kept it in the bottom of her drawer, only taking it out to smell it when she was missing him unbearably. His eyes sparked in frustration and he took in everything around him, settling finally on the small child still standing in the back of the Escalade.

Banjo gave a warning growl but otherwise he remained motionless and quiet beside Brer. If Shorty hadn't been worried at another violent outburst she would have laughed at the absurdity of the situation. Everyone who knew Leon would see Brer and know immediately that he was his son. But with both father and son in basketball jerseys, baggy cargo pants, and dark work boots, the similarities were striking.

"Leon," Shorty started, but was quickly cut off when Vince shoved past her and pointed a finger in Leon's face.

The disgust on his face was astonishing. She could tell Vince was trying to misplace his anger for her abandonment on someone besides her. Whether he hated her or not, he was trying to place the blame on Leon, the evidence of her departure was standing right in front of him. It was a scapegoat she wasn't willing to take. She'd made her mistakes and she was here to right them, or die trying.

Leon's eyes didn't turn from Brer's and he seemed frozen in spot, like his feet had sunk into the cement around him. She had never been able to read Leon like she had Vince but she could imagine the weeks leading up to her disappearance flashing before his eyes, particularly the part about being thankful it wasn't her that had gotten knocked up. Maybe he was replaying the exact moment and now he could see the hurt cross her face when he must have thought it was relief.

Shorty pushed Vince back out of her personal bubble and turned back to Leon just as he was walking back around the Escalade quickly. She followed him around the side, "Leon," she called, but he ignored her, his back disappearing into the crowd almost as if he'd never been there.

Of all the ways she'd thought he'd react, ignoring the situation was the farthest from what she expected. Denial maybe, but this was well past denial. This was, under any other circumstances, kind of hilarious. Shorty turned back to Vince, her mouth gaping open in confusion and found Vince fuming. For a moment she thought he was going to attack her but he blinked and his anger was gone. With the unexpected change of emotion Shorty quickly moved back to the trunk and grabbed Brer, hauling him out of the Escalade and slamming the trunk door. She buckled him into his car seat within seconds and climbed into her vehicle.

Vince grabbed the door as she tried to shut it, but didn't say anything. Maybe he was feeling sorry for her, because it was obvious Leon was completely repulsed at the idea of having a kid with her. Maybe he was still a little protective of her, even though he hated her as much as Leon did. For whatever reason though he held the door open and gazed into her eyes, before the anger flooded back and he slammed the door in her face.

She watched him stalk off into the crowd, started the Escalade and pulled out to Brer's tired voice, "I don't think I want to meet uncle Jesse and uncle Dom if they're mean as uncle Vince."

Damn her son for being such an old soul. She wished she didn't have to meet Jesse and Dom either. Vince and Leon were enough to last a lifetime.

A/N: Thanks go to Bindie, Violet201, lady-kira6606, ILoveAnime89, Rogue's Queen, and JerZeeSkyLine for the wonderful reviews. Special thanks to Idoneous and demonpixie1 for the truthful reviews of the flaws in this story. Shout out's to Marked08 (thanks for the Pawn Pieces favorites/alerts), Rogue's Queen, alyshamarie (thanks for the Pawn Pieces alert), musicluver17, and Idoneous for all the favorites and alerts.

Idoneous: If I forgot to thank you for the amazing review on Pawn Pieces, thank you!

Cheers!