Author: Moon Roses or Moony
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Feedback: Not necessary but greatly appreciated.
Recap: They watched the man sit on the bench, unmoving, until finally he stood and walked to the trees behind him, disappearing. She wondered who he was and whether he was there for her or Brer. She'd never met anyone who wanted to really harm her, but Brer was too perceptive for a child. Too perceptive even for an elder. She wondered if maybe he'd seen something he shouldn't have and just hadn't told her about it. Her mind raced wildly. Her skin prickled long after Brer fell asleep in her bed, snuggled up with Banjo at their feet facing the door, guarding them long into the night.

Chapter Forty Three

Shorty wondered about the man outside her house throughout the next couple weeks. She didn't mention a word to her brother, her team, or Letty and Mia. She knew anyone found out she and her son had a man, or possibly even a spirit, stalking them they'd set up camp in her living room. And once upon a time she'd loved having five roommates and a DT team member sleeping beside her but over time she'd grown accustomed to a house with just her and Brer. And besides, Banjo was enough protection for any household. The dog, while gentle with family and friends, would tear an intruder apart.

Having a stalker didn't deter them from doing the same things they usually did, and Shorty urged Brer to forget about the man. But she still found him pressed against the glass every night. She'd turn the lights off and watch with him through a crack in the blinds until finally the creepiness of the situation got to her. By then it was always bedtime, for her as well as Brer.

It was on one of those nights after she'd put Brer to sleep that she crept from her bed and sat on her own window seat. Banjo padded into the room and laid his head against her thigh, his ears settling down against his big skull as she finally relaxed. The night was as clear as she'd ever seen in Los Angeles and her moon and stars stared down at her. They burned brightly, as if to prove they'd missed her as much as she'd missed them. The park was alight and she could see the man sitting on the bench, a faint red glow sparking then fading, sparking then fading, next to his mouth. A cigarette, joint, or pipe, she wasn't sure but it was light enough now to recognize the face and shape of the body.

Yes, they were being stalked. But she knew he was alive and not a shade following her son through his lives. It still made her uncomfortable that he was resorting to such drastically creepy measures but she knew he deserved them.

After that night she wasn't frightened anymore and Banjo slowly settled down as well. Though he still stood guard over her son as he pressed his face against the glass and gazed out into the park.

"Mami, he's out there again," Brer told her again, one night when they were playing Snakes and Ladders near the window.

"I know."

"Why does he stand there?"

"I don't know."

"Is he sad?"

"I don't know."

"Does he want us?"

"I don't know."

"Oh."

And that was how their conversations usually went, night in and night out. Except that night, almost nine days after she'd first spotted him, when Shorty finally decided this stalking was ridiculous and she had to act now or she never would. She got up, turned on the two lamps and the overhead lights in the room, then threw the curtains wide open.

It wasn't meant to scare him, but it must have because he stood swiftly and faded into the trees behind the bench. With Brer staring so intently out the window each night he must have known she knew he was there. She didn't dwell on it though. There wasn't anything she could do. In time whatever was meant to happen would happen and she wasn't about to deal with it before she was completely comfortable.

He reappeared each night just before dusk to sit on the bench and watch her house. From that night onwards she kept the curtains open and the lights blazing so he could see them go about their evening. Still each night before bed Brer pressed his small hands against the glass and stared out at the man hidden in the dark.

After a few more nights past she stopped watching, and let Brer stare out the window as long as he wanted. She wasn't going to stop living her life because of one man. Instead she worked on her drawings for the garage and tried to forget her problems. They were better left hidden behind the wall she'd tried to put around herself so her son couldn't read how lonely she actually felt.

She'd been home for a month when she and Brer were invited for a family barbeque at the Toretto household. It had been Dom calling her with the invite and after a stunned silence she accepted. She wasn't sure if Mia, Letty, or Lalia had forced him to call but for whatever reason he'd agreed. That night she dressed in a soft white cotton dress and tried her best to look presentable enough to fit Dom's standards. Brer wore his favorite basketball jersey and a pair of cargo shorts and she wondered if it would offend Leon's family to see him dressed so much like his father.

When they arrived she saw the rest of her teams cars parked along the street, all of them leaving her a space right in front of the walkway. No doubt this had been left as a heads up to anyone who recognized her car and didn't want to see her. It was a nice gesture on the boys part but made her feel a little like she didn't belong there.

Shorty smoothed her dress down self consciously as she slid from her Nissan and leaned in the back to unbuckle her son. He hopped out of the car and followed her to the stairs leading to the front door; that still stood so inviting. It looked as if nothing had changed, though she could see Jesse and Leon's cars parked down the street while Vince's was nowhere in sight. She stopped before the first step and knelt down to her son's level, straightening his jersey and looking into his curious eyes. "I love you, my little old soul."

He grinned, kissed the tip of her nose and took her hand, "I already know that." He tugged her until she stood, then led the way up the steps, his confidence giving her a sense of ease.

Brer rapped his tiny knuckles against the white wood of the screen. Inside she heard the various conversations stop and she could almost feel every eye in the house turning to the door.

"Are you kidding?" Letty said, her face appearing through the screen. She pushed the door open and picked Brer up, tossing him over her shoulder and turning back into the house. "Family don't knock. Get your ass in here, Boo."

Shorty followed her into the house and was surprised to see the house had changed a great deal. The old furniture had been cleared out and new wide leather couches had been added. She caught a glimpse of a long dinning table in the dinning room and the old ratty chairs in the corner where Vince used to play his guitar were gone. Instead a large collection of toys sat alongside another large sofa. The Toretto household, party capital of Los Angeles, had transformed into a real family household.

She almost laughed at the absurdity of it, she'd thought nothing would change and yet, everything had. And finally she realized it was never going to be like old times. They could never just sit around stoned or wasted. They could never be what they were; she could never be who she was.

"Aye, don't look so lost, Shorty," Hector called from the couch.

Brer scrambled from Letty's arms and ran straight into his uncles arms, squealing when Hector tossed him in the air. His happiness broke the spell and she smiled at the room. She didn't understand why she was reacting so strongly to a little furniture change. It was only furniture after all. But that furniture held memories that she wanted to cherish. However, those memories seemed to drift away as she sat down beside Pedro on the floor.

She could hear Mia and Dominic arguing in the kitchen and for a moment she was glad some things never changed. But she would have preferred Leon and Vince sitting on either side of her, one lending her calmness and the other giving her fierceness. She smiled to herself at the thought of each of them riding her shoulders, one good and one bad. Her own little angel and devil, and truly that's what they'd been for her. Leon, the knight in shining armor, and Vince, the devilish manchild.

"So what's this I hear about some guy hanging around the house?" Pedro asked, under his breath so Hector couldn't hear.

Shorty blinked in surprise, "How'd you hear about that?"

"Letty's got a big mouth," he shrugged.

She'd finally caved and told Letty and Mia about the situation. Both were surprised to hear he was hanging around without actually approaching the house. She'd asked them if he'd said anything about her or Brer and she learned that neither of them had really talked to him outside of work since she'd come home.

"It's not a big deal."

"It's creepy."

"So are clowns."

He punched her arm lightly but dropped the subject. Sure, it was creepy but she'd let him sit out there and watch them if it meant he was going to be near her and Brer. She should have marched out and told him to beat it but her selfishness was over riding her good senses again. As long as he was close, that was all that mattered to her.

Turning to the kitchen she saw Dom leaning against the doorframe watching Brer and Lalia play with a small playschool tool set on the ground. He looked at Brer with wide eyes, like he hadn't believed that his friend had fathered a child. Suddenly his eyes softened and he knelt down beside her kid. Brer dropped his plastic screwdriver and stared up at the huge man in front of him with even wider eyes. Dom was likely the largest and most intimidating man that he'd ever seen and Shorty knew that feeling. She still felt that way around Dom, like he owned the space around him and he was just letting her be there for a while.

Shorty stood and walked joined the kids and Dom, squatting down beside Brer. He seemed to loosen up as soon as she was near, no doubt positive she would never let anything happen to him. She ruffled the curls on his hear and nudged Brer to his feet. "This is Dominic Toretto, Brer. He's Lalia's Papi."

"Hi Dominic," he said, his tiny fist reaching into the air.

"You can call me Dom. Uncle Dom," Dom grinned, his own fist dwarfing Brer's as their knuckles touched.

"Uncle Dom, can I drive your car?"

"Brer," Shorty warned, though she laughed when she realized he wasn't going to give up until someone let him drive.

"When your mom's not around," he whispered conspiratorially.

"Daddy! You said I couldn't drive until I was 16. Brer's two months small than me!" Lalia cried, indignant.

Shorty jumped to her feet and left Dom to sort out the trouble he'd started. He surely hadn't meant Brer could drive anytime soon, but Lalia obviously thought he meant tomorrow. She collapsed on the couch between Marvin and Beto and watched Dom try to settle the situation while Lalia worked herself into a frenzy.

"You glad to be back?" Beto asked.

"I am, even though everything's different."

"Have you talked to Vince or Leon yet?"

She shook her head and wondered if they'd been invited to the barbeque too. Dom had said a family barbeque so he must have told them about it. However, she wasn't even a little surprised they hadn't shown up. It was probably better they didn't anyways because she was sure a fight with either of them in such a confined space was a bad idea. No doubt her presence could and likely would insight violence.

"I haven't tried."

"Maybe you should."

"Oh right? And say what? I'm real sorry I walked out on you. Shit happens?"

"Maybe try, I'm sorry."

A bitter sigh escaped before she could contain it. She wasn't upset with Beto, or any other member of her team, but it was easier to misplace her anger and frustration on them than to face her problems. Maybe he was right. Maybe she did need to make the first move. But knowing and doing were two completely opposite things and she just wasn't strong enough to do what needed to be done.

"You know?" Beto continued, his arms folding across his chest, "You gotta be right with yourself before you can be right with them."

"I am right with myself."

He nodded but his eyes held a question he didn't voice. She hated the way they said, are you? He was aggravating the hell out of her. But really, was she? She had a lot of things to be grateful for but so many things to be ashamed of. She'd betrayed everyone she knew at one point or another. She'd skipped out on the only family she had left. She'd kept secrets. And worst of all, she'd put her own needs above Brer's. Not only was she a horrible friend, she was a sorry excuse for a mother.

Shorty kept fairly quiet, vaguely answering anything directed at her. She was more than preoccupied with glancing towards the door every few minutes, although she tried her best to hide it. However, there was nothing that would bring those men through the door. But part of her prayed they'd walk through the front door and just simply be in the same room as her. That was all she needed, and all she wanted. Just to smell their familiar scents, hear their rough voices, see their happy smile. Even if they didn't say a word to her, or acknowledge her, at least they'd be around her.

Wishful thinking was something she never indulged in and with good reason. Even when Mia called everyone to the backyard for the food she still hoped for their arrival and was disappointed despite already acknowledging they wouldn't show up. She followed behind the rest of the group and her eyes lingered longingly one last time at the door. With a defeated sigh she grabbed the last bowl of salad off the counter and wandered into the backyard.

Mia had outdone herself again. The picnic table was laden down with food of all sorts and the delicious smells wafted through the breeze, stirring her stomach into a flurry. Two fold out tables were placed together forming a large square to fit every member of the family. Shorty grinned when she noticed the food overflowed to the eating table as well. If there was one thing to take her mind off both Leon and Vince it was Mia's delectable cooking.

Shorty filled a plate of food for Brer and let him pick a chair to sit in. Once he had climbed up beside Lalia, she cut his food into small pieces and placed the plate in front of him.

"Muchas gracias, Mami," Brer said politely, before he attacked the food on his plate.

Lalia rolled her eyes at him, but followed his lead with a soft, "Mama's boy."

Brer smiled around a mouth full of food and a chewed up piece of meat fell from his lips. He nodded enthusiastically and she ruffled her kids curls affectionately, "Better swallow that quick you two, or Dom will make you say grace."

Both children swallowed quickly and peered around her to find Dom. He sent a look their way and they faced their plates again, hands in their laps and guilty eyes turned down. She returned to the picnic table to fill her own plate while everyone else settled down into their seats. They waited patiently for her to finish and sit before Dom nodded at the two children avoiding his eyes. "You two won grace tonight. Let's hear it," he said, a broad smile spread across his face.

"Oh, Daddy. I don't want to say grace. Brer ate first!" Lalia whined. The braids resting on either of her shoulders swung as she whipped her head around to appeal to Letty. "Mami, make Daddy pick someone else."

Letty bit back a chuckle but shook her head at her daughter, "You know the rules, baby. You're supposed to wait for the rest of the family before you eat."

"But I don't want to say grace. It's not fair," she pouted, her bottom lip jutting out far enough for a butterfly to perch peacefully.

"Hey, Princess, it's about time someone else has to say grace. I'm running out of things to say," Jesse said, as he stepped up behind Shorty and placed both hands on her shoulders.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt his hands settle onto her bare shoulders. She was facing away from the garage and hadn't heard a sound as he crept up behind her. He was the only member of the Toretto team she still hadn't seen since she'd returned and with him only inches away she was completely speechless. Now that the time had come she really didn't know what to say.

"Jesse," she breathed, turning to face him head on.

"Uncle J!" Lalia screamed, her squeal so loud she forced Shorty to shrink away from the absurd sound.

Lalia tried to climb out of her seat to greet her favorite uncle but Letty shook her head in warning. Clearly Jesse's appearance wasn't going to cause Letty or Dom to forget about saying grace. She turned back towards the table but watched Jesse and Shorty from the corner of her eyes.

Jesse squeezed her shoulders, murmured "Later," before quickly filling his plate and sitting in the empty spot three seats away. "I'm looking forward to this grace," he grinned at her, while Lalia pouted in her seat.

"Ok, Lalia, Brer, the floor's all yours," Dom said.

"But Daddy, I don't want to."

"Do you want to eat?" he asked.

Lalia blinked at the question before reaching for her fork with a satisfied smile on her face. She punctured a meat ball and raised it to her lips.

Letty snatched the fork out of her hand and glared at Dom, "It's a trick question," she said to Lalia.

"I'll start," Brer suggested, his stomach rumbling uncomfortably at the long wait.

He smiled at his family around the table before clasping his hands and dropping his head to his chest. His eyes remained open while he waited for Lalia to follow suit. When her chin rested against her chest, he closed his eyes and cleared his throat. "Querido Dios," he began, then switched to English for Jesse's benefit, "I mean, Dear God, thank you for blueberry jelly belly's, red dino sours, my hot wheels, and Banjo and Mami."

The crowd around the table smiled into their laps and waited for Lalia to continue.

She sighed loudly, "Fine. Dear God, thanks for Brer and everyone else." Her mouth snapped shut and she raised her head in defiance. It was clear she wasn't going to continue as she grabbed her fork back from Letty's hands and raised it to her mouth.

"Oh!" cried Brer, before the meatball could touch Lalia's lips, "And thank you for Nissans!"

"Amen, baby! Amen!" Shorty laughed, pulling his head towards her and placing a kiss in his hair.

The rest of the family laughed along with her and clapped in appreciation. Though not every member drove a Nissan they could still appreciate its beauty and agility. When the last tinkle of laughter faded away they all dug into their food with eagerness. It had taken much longer than was usual to get around to the eating and it wasn't just Brer and Shorty who were dying to taste the food.

The usual jokes and jests filled the dinner conversation but Shorty found herself shooting curious glances at Jesse whenever no one was looking. Her old love's most loyal friend was sitting at the same dinner table as her, had gripped her shoulders in a decidedly friendly manner, and yet she still wondered what went on in his mind. He talked animatedly with Pedro and Miguel, his hands flying around as he explained his story. His eyes glittered with the contented happiness she saw in so many other eyes at the table. Was she the only one who wasn't complete? Surely, everyone else at the table was missing Vince and Leon as well?

Brer leaned his head against her arm when he finished eating, his fingers playing with the peach fuzz along her skin. His tranquility settled her anxiety somewhat but even he couldn't block the feeling of apprehension that something big was coming.

Shorty helped clear the food from the picnic table into the kitchen after dinner was finished. She normally would have disappeared and let Mia handle it on her own but she felt guilty leaving her future sister to do it by herself. And of course she was also using it as an excuse to avoid the inevitable conversation with Jesse.

She was just reaching into the suds surrounding the dishes when Mia grabbed her wrists and pulled them from the water. "I don't think so, hun. He's waiting outside for you. Take him a fresh Corona."

"Aw, Mia, come on," Shorty grumbled, though her body was already following orders.

She grabbed two fresh beers and popped the caps off each. A single beer was less than he deserved but it was the only peace offering she had to give. He had two chairs angled away from the house and facing the sunset when she sat down beside him. She handed the beer to him wordlessly and silently waited for him to start.

"So?"

"So?" she answered.

"He's a cute kid. Looks just like Lee."

"He's a gem alright."

"Why'd you do it?"

She breathed deeply and settled into silence while she thought about her answer. What could she tell him, that he didn't already know? He was Leon's best friend. If anyone knew how he felt about children, family, and commitments, it was Jesse. "I thought I didn't have a choice, Jess."

"You always have a choice," he answered softly.

"I know that now. Back then I was scared. I was too young to be knocked up and he didn't want kids. I was selfish and I regret leaving because Brer should have known all of you long before now. But I couldn't ruin Leon's life. Please understand, Jess."

"I get it, Shorty. I really do, I just don't like your choice," he answered. "You know, I found you?"

Her head whipped around in shock. His eyes stared ahead at the sunset and he sipped his Corona silently for ten minutes before he spoke again. "I finally tracked you down in Mexico. Just after Hector and the boys visited you and your son. Of course, it took me a while to find out about Brer."

She found it hard to believe that even with all her careful planning and paranoid use of cash only, he'd somehow found her. "How?"

"Well, your brother and team weren't as worried about credit card trails as you. Then it was just a mater of finding someone to track you down."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

He turned to look at her, a grave smile tugging the corners of his lips up. His eyes held more emotions than words could express, but he tried anyways, "Because they'd been hurt enough. And so had you."

"Oh, Jess. When did you become so wise?"

"The same time you left without saying goodbye."

"I'm sorry," she sighed sadly. She'd been saying it too much this past month and she knew she'd probably be saying it for the rest of her life.

"You didn't even leave me a letter, like you did for V, Lee, and Letty. Come on, girl, you know I'm your favorite," he laughed, his elbow nudging her arm playfully. "Plus, I'm the best looking. You totally owed me!"

Shorty grinned and took a calming sip of her Corona. She should have known Jesse would find her eventually. Of course the boys would slip up sooner or later. It was almost impossible to travel without purchasing things while away. She couldn't blame her family for letting their guards down, after all, they weren't the ones trying so desperately to stay hidden.

"V and Lee can never know I knew were you were."

"You won't find me telling them," she answered.

"They'll kill me, you know, if they find out."

Though she would love to believe they still cared that much, she figured they wouldn't so much as bat an eyelash. "I wouldn't worry about them Jess. They don't care."

He snorted in disbelief and raised his beer to his lips again, "You're so naive, girl," he said into the beer before pulling on the bottle deeply.

The silence descended over them as the sun finished falling from view. She didn't know what Jesse was thinking about but it must have been pretty deep because after a half hour he still hadn't spoke. She'd never seen him this still and quiet before. In place of the usual fidgeting was a calmness even she couldn't find. It was just another reminder of how much things had changed while she was gone. She wondered to herself if he was finally taking medication for his attention disorder.

They sat in the dark sipping their beer until both Brer and Lalia burst from the back door and sprinted across the lawn. Brer stood between her knees while Lalia climbed up onto Jesse's lap and pressed a sloppy kiss to his lips. She began talking a mile a minute with her arms flying around in description. Jesse kept track of the spirited conversation but his eyes constantly sought out the boy that reminded him of Leon so much.

When Lalia finally settled into a satisfied silence she hugged him, climbed off his lap and sprinted back into the house. Shorty hadn't followed the conversation but instead had watched how Brer and Jesse reacted to each other. Without delaying any longer she let Brer climb up onto her lap. He rose onto his knees and faced Jesse, his small body tilted over the small gap between their seats and his little hands resting on the arm of Jesse's chair.

"Hi," he said, his head cocked to the side.

"Hey, kid," Jesse answered, his body already angling towards her son. "What's up?"

"You're my uncle too."

"I sure am."

"Do you drive a Nissan too?"

Jesse smiled and shook his head, "Nope, I've got a Jetta."

"Nissan's are better," Brer stated seriously.

"I've heard that somewhere before," he responded, his eyes far away as he remembered some argument that had likely taken place between him and Leon.

Satisfied that this was an admission of Nissan's place in the car world Brer nodded and scooted across the small gap and into Jesse's lap. He rose onto his knees again so he was eye to eye with the older man. His small hands came up to cup Jesse's cheeks and he manipulated the skin into odd shapes. She'd never seen her son push and prod someone like this but she wasn't surprised it was easy going Jesse that had attracted the attention. "You don't seem mad."

"I'm not," Jesse replied, the end of his statement rising in a questioning tone.

"Mami said you were a mad scientist. But you don't look mad. You look happy."

Both Jesse and Shorty burst into laughter at Brer's wonderfully innocent statement. Only a child could take a simple concept and transform it into something completely original. Brer looked from one to the other trying to understand their mirth. Once he'd decided it wasn't important enough to worry about he slid off Jesse's legs and ran back inside to join the rest of the family.

"He's like the perfect mix between you and Lee. Clueless like you, though."

"I'm not clueless, you ass."

"You're so past clueless, it's ridiculous," he snickered as he stood from his chair. He shook the empty beer bottle in her face and nodded his head in the direction of the house, "Come on, I'm empty and that family in there is missing two vital members."

"You mean four vital members."

"Ah, they'll come around one day," he stated, his statement leaving little room to argue, and left her sitting in her chair.

She wanted to believe him and hoped he was right, but a part of her couldn't help but wonder how he could call her naïve. He was naïve enough for the both of them. Leon and Vince were just not a part of her life anymore, and they never would be. She was just going to have to learn to get over that.

A/N: Thanks to Love Ink, hikachan3, musicluver17, Bindie, Violet201, Rogue's Queen, and ILoveAnime89 for the stupendous reviews! Shout out to Brooke-Toretto Dom's Girl for the favorite!

As of this chapter, I have absolutely no idea how to get where I want to go with this. My idea's have dried up. So, I'm not sure when/if there will be another update.

Cheers!