Author's Note: So... It's been like 2 years since I wrote on this fic. But apparently a new movie comes out and I need to write for this couple again. If you're following this, or me, I apologize for how erratic my writing and posting is. I am hoping to finish this fic and my other one "What If" at the very least.

This chapter involves that fateful race where Dom's dad dies. I honestly get so confused with F&F continuity. In 4 pretty sure Letty's grave said she was born in 83. But in the 9th movie this race happened in 89 and I'm gonna guess she wasn't 6 when Dom was like 16 or 17 years old... In my mind Letty and Dom are 3 years apart in age, so we'll go with that. Oh also, as a reminder, Jakob doesn't exist in this AU because... I just have gone 20 years having no idea he existed. LOL

Chapter 22

It was an important race this weekend, so Dom was down in the pit with Mr. Toretto's crew while Letty and Mia watched in the stands. She knew things had been a little tense around the Toretto household lately, and she suspected money was the problem (it always was in their neighborhood). If Mr. Toretto won this race he'd get a decent check. She didn't really know if that was enough to solve his problems, or just bandaid them, but she knew that everyone was pulling for him to win.

Halfway through the race she knew it was a different kind of day on the tracks. Some days there was just someone who tried to put every guy in his way into the wall. And lately the racer Linder had become one of those guys. Maybe he was just tired of losing. And technically he wasn't doing anything illegal. But racing cars was dangerous, and racing alongside guys like him made things even more dangerous.

You could only control your actions, not the actions of other people. Usually Mr. Toretto could handle that kind of thing no problem. He was a damn good driver after all. Still, the mood was tense when the cars came out of the pit and back onto the track.

Mia and her had seats up front and they leaned against the railing, watching the cars go flying around the curve. Mr. Toretto was pulling ahead, back towards the front of the pack. Linder tried to pass him but he cut him off and the other driver was forced to yank his wheel to compensate, scraping against the wall.

"He's going to go after him now," Letty said. She would have done the same thing, but pissing off a guy like that could be dangerous. They all knew it.

They watched the car creep up on his tail. Letty kept waiting for him to floor it and pull ahead, to do something, but instead the car seemed like it wasn't responding right. She was on her feet, hands around the railing. Mia was clutching at her arm.

"Something's wrong," her friend was saying.

And then Linder slammed into him.

Letty couldn't have described what happened if you asked her to. She was too busy being horrified by the sight of Mr. Toretto's car flipping into the wiring that ran around the edge of the track wall.

It was engulfed in flames. Mia was grabbing her so hard she knew it would bruise but she didn't care. Her friend was screaming, "No!" over and over again.

She could see Dom on the track, trying to get to the wreckage of his father's car. But there was no one left to save and the other mechanics were holding him back. She swore she could hear him screaming too.

All at once both Toretto siblings seemed to crumple. Letty took Mia into her arms as the other girl sobbed hard into her shoulder. She felt stunned. She felt numb. Her heart felt raw and full of hurt. But she needed to be here for Mia. Someone needed to.

She barely even remembered what happened next. She got Mia back to the car to wait and went to find Dom. He was going to stay here and see to things. She wanted him to come home with them but the other pit crew promised they'd stay with him and make sure he got home safely.

When she hugged him it felt like he was far away, but then he clutched her tight and buried his face in her shoulder.

"Take care of Mia," he said softly.

She took her friend home. Mia went up to her room right away. When Letty went up to check on her she could hear that she was crying and left her alone.

She made them dinner for something to do. It grew late. Mia came downstairs and they ate at the table quietly together. It felt strange. It felt empty.

"I thought Dom would have been back by now…" Mia said.

Letty shrugged. She would have too, but then he'd just lost his father. The man he admired the most in the world was dead, had died in front of his eyes in a horrific way. Maybe he went out to drown his sorrows. She wouldn't have blamed him.

"I'm sure he'll be back by the time you get up tomorrow," she assured her friend.

But he wasn't. Instead, Letty woke up after midnight to the sound of the phone ringing. She reached over to pick it up, finding that she was still alone in Dom's bed.

"Hello?"

There was a pause, then Dom's voice coming through. "Letty," he said. "I'm sorry."

She sat up, pushing her hair from her face. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "Where are you?"

He was silent for a moment. "I got arrested."

She sighed. "Did you go out racing? Did you get drunk or something? Which place I'll come bail you out."

"No, Letty," he said and his voice was serious and sad. "You can't get me out. I'm…. going to have to go to trial."

"What?"

"I did something bad," he said. "Linder came by… after the accident. Said he was going to pay his respects.. But then he…" he trailed off. "I hit him. With a wrench."

She fell silent then too, biting down on her lower lip. "Is he….?"

"He's alive. But… it's not good."

She drew a long breath in and then slowly out. "What do we have to do?"

"You just take care of Mia, okay? The court will assign me a lawyer and everything, but I don't want the two of you involved in this."

"Don't give me that shit, Dom. We'll be there, okay? Just tell me where you are or I swear to god I'll call every police precinct in the damn city."

He almost laughed, but things were still too raw, so it came out a bit strangled. "Okay," he said. "Look… I, things are going to be rough for a while… I think the money situation was worse than Dad let on and now we have a lot of other expenses. The shop… the store. Call Vince and he'll help, okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll take care of it, okay? I just need you to do everything you can to get out of there as soon as possible."

"I'll try," he said sadly. "I love you, Letty."

"I love you too," she said and her throat felt tight from tears. "We'll come see you as soon as we can."

"Yeah…" he said. "I'll see you."

And then he hung up. Letty stared at the phone until she heard the dial tone. How was she going to explain this to Mia? How was she going to keep things going without Dom or Mr. Toretto? She didn't have a clue about how to pay a mortgage or run a business. She dragged a hand over her face. There was no other choice but to do it.

"Get it together, Letty," she said to herself and reached for the phone again to dial Vince. Someone had to do it. And it might as well be her.