Brian's alarm went off at six AM, and he rolled over to get ready to start his day. Jack was already awake next to him, flying his toy Nissan car in the air.
"Good morning, buddy. What're you doing up so early?" Brian asked.
"I miss Mommy," Jack murmured, not taking his eyes of his favorite car.
Brian flopped on his back, curling up next to his son with a sigh.
"Me too, buddy. We'll be going home soon. I know you miss Mrs. Carrington and your friends at school, too. As soon as Uncle Rome gets better, we're going back."
"Is Grandma gonna come live with us?" he asked, his bright blue eyes finally turning to his dad. Brian, while shocked about the question, could see a glimmer of hope behind curious eyes. The idea had crossed his mind a few times, taking Kelly back with them to Seattle. They didn't have a traditional mother-son relationship, but he wanted to build on the small progress they had made in the past few weeks. He couldn't send her back home to Barstow alone, especially without Roger right across the street to look after her. She was building a bond with Jack, and he didn't feel right taking that away from either of them. He thought about Mia being alone up home, and couldn't imagine sending his own mother back to an empty house.
"Would you like that?"
Jack gave a short, shy nod.
"You like Grandma Kelly?" Brian's heart melted at the cheesy smile plagued across Jack's face.
"She's funny," he giggled innocently.
"Well, I don't know. That'll be up to her. I'm sure we could probably convince her."
The smell of maple bacon wafted through the air vents and filled the bedroom air, along with the loud sounds of Aretha Franklin. "Sounds like Grandma is already up. Let's get cleaned up and see what's for breakfast."
After showering and getting dressed, Brian and Jack made their way downstairs, where Kelly was prancing around the kitchen in a messy apron and her long blonde locks tied up in a scarf. She seemed right at home bouncing from station to station, flipping bacon and whipping up a pancake mix.
Brian grinned as she danced without care in the Toretto kitchen, unaware that she was being watched.
She finally turned to see Brian and Jack standing in the doorway. She turned down the stereo and wiped her hands clean on a dishtowel, "Good morning guys. I was wondering when the house would start moving."
"Mornin' Mom," Brian greeted, moving to kiss her cheek before settling Jack in a chair at the table. "How long have you been up?"
"Since about four-thirty. I don't do much sleeping these days," she shrugged. She sat a small cup of orange juice in front of Jack and leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Hello, handsome. How are you this morning?"
"Good," he said bashfully, his cheeks tinting pink.
"Smells amazing. What's the occasion?" Brian asked, plucking a few pieces of bacon from plate.
"I just felt like cooking. Since Mia took off, I've seen you guys eat nothing but hospital food and take-out. I figured a nice home-cooked breakfast would be a great way to start the day, so call the guys and tell them to get here."
"Good morning," Tej greeted as he entered from the basement. "Damn, it's smelling good in here. Ms. Kelly, you and this music is taking me back, making me miss home. Back in the days when granny would be dancing around the kitchen, whipping up the biggest meal just because it was pretty out. I love it."
"Good morning, Tej," Kelly replied with a smile as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Coffees already on. Call everyone, I want them to eat while it's still hot."
Dominic and Letty were happily wrapped up in each other in bed, both still exhausted from their long night of passionate love-making. They only got a few hours of actual sleep before the California sun came beaming through the bedroom window again. Neither heard their cell phones ringing off the hook, or Brooke staggering her way inside the home. They even slept through Ginger's loud barking and whining combination while she scratched at the door from outside.
"Letty! Dom!" Brooke yelled as she made her way through the house haphazardly on the crutches. She banged on the bedroom door hurriedly. "Hey guys, come on! "
As she reached for the handle, the door pulled open. She grinned, even blushed a little at the sight of Letty standing there wrapped in a thin bedsheet, her hair matted and unkempt.
"What Brooke?" Letty said, irked. Brooke attempted to get a peek inside at Letty's new roomie, whom she guessed was also naked, but Letty's tan arm acted as barrier. A staredown ensued between the two, Brooke gazing upon Letty's fresh, glowing face. Her eyes were smirking but she kept on her annoyed façade. "Did you need something?"
"Kelly made breakfast for everyone before work. She's ordering everyone's asses to a seat over at the Toretto house pronto. That includes you, Dominic."
"Good morning, Brooke," he replied shamelessly.
She gave Letty a final grin before turning on her crutches, "And don't think we won't be talking about this later."
Letty rolled her eyes and slammed the door. Dom was sitting up in the bed, his eyes weary but his smile bright. He covered his privates with a pillow, and Letty admired the way his tanned skin looked against the cream-colored sheets. Dom's body was built even better than before her accident. His muscles more defined, but his skin still creamy like caramel.
She looked to him with a smirk, "Shrinkage?"
"You should know that's not a problem," he said, "It's just chilly."
She spotted the duvet tossed on the other side of the room, but instead pulled the sheet from her naked body, tossing it over at him, baring herself unabashedly for him. Though she was modest, she never had issues with showing skin, especially in front of Dominic.
"I don't think we have time for that," he teased, watching her perfect ass saunter by.
"I agree, which is why I'm gonna get a shower and you're gonna go home," she replied, pulling some clean clothes from the drawer.
Dom stood from the bed and pulled his underwear back on, followed by his khakis. He followed her into the bathroom, watching from the door as she drew the curtain and started her water.
"You all right about last night?" he felt the need to ask.
"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked with her back to him.
"Just didn't want you to wake up with regrets."
She went to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling his bare chest flush against hers.
"If I didn't want last night to happen, it wouldn't have happened," she assured him.
Dom scanned her eyes for any doubts, and didn't find any. It had been years since their last romp in the sack - his last night in the DR, to be exact - so he didn't know what to expect from her the morning after. Letty was an unpredictable woman who wasn't very good at hiding her emotions, regardless of what she thought. She had that fiery Latina spirit, and though he admired it, he found himself on the wrong side of it many times. He didn't want now to be one of those times.
"Seriously, Dom, I'm fine. If I start freaking out, I'll let you know," she leaned up on her toes to kiss his lips before shoving him out of the door. "Go. Go get a shower. I'll be over soon."
"Alright, I'll see ya in a bit."
Letty dropped back against the door with a sigh. She hadn't lied when she said she was okay with what happened between them, but that didn't stop her mind from being flooded with questions. What happens now? Are we to snap back to the same reckless behavior that kept out flame lit before? Would we be able to keep the chemistry living as a normal couple? Was he expecting me to up and move in with him? What about marriage? Kids?
"Goddamn," she muttered and stepped forward to the bath. She stepped into the steaming hot water, allowing the spray to wash over her head and down her back. She winced after feeling a stinging coming from her sides, and glanced down to find several tiny bruises on either side of her waist. A small grin pulled at her lips, "Real nice, Toretto."
That man had a helluva grip.
Dom managed to avoid Brooke and stepped outside into the LA, only to be met on the porch by Oz.
"Well look who it is, old dirty-dog Toretto," he taunted with a grin, "Look at ya, you're glowing."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he lied through his teeth. "Run me by the house, will ya."
"You sure you remember where that is?" Oz smirked and the two headed for his truck. "You've let the pretty blonde boy take over your home while you're over here humping like rabbits."
Dom only gave a low chuckle back. He wasn't one to kiss and tell.
"I already explained that while Kelly is here, she'd be taking over Mia's room, which pushes Brian out. I let him and Jack have my room and instead of sleeping on the couch, Letty kindly invited me to stay with her. Not a big deal, Oz."
"Maybe not to you, but this is huge for the rest of us. We want to see the fairytale love happen, brother. We wanna make sure this happens."
"Well whatever happened last night, I'm sure you'll find out from Brooke. You and O'Conner love gossiping like women."
"You call it gossip, I call it vital information. Gotta make sure the boss man is being taken care of. I don't wanna go back to working for that asshole who owned the garage three months ago."
"Watch it Ozzie. These crutches don't mean my fists are broken," he warned playfully.
"I'm just sayin'," Oz's smile dropped and he got serious, "When your sister and Brian came back, you were happy. But when Letty showed up, you were a changed man. And now that she can actually remember why she likes your ass, I can imagine how that must feel, brother."
"All the jobs, and the money, and being free, none of that shit mattered without her. She's always had this belief in me that I can do anything, as long as she was right there with me. The woman lost everything trying to bring me home ... I'd give it all to keep her here."
"Well you better not run her off again. I like her. She's just the right amount of rough around the edges. I mean, who doesn't love a woman who can tune an engine in leather pants?"
Oz's truck and Leon's black Nissan Skyline arrived at the Toretto home almost simultaneously to join the others for breakfast. Oz pulled into the driveway behind Tej's rental, a white BMW 6 series, that blocked in Dom's Charger. Dom spotted Sonny's Civic parked on the curb and prepared himself for a house full of hooligans. Stepping down from the truck, he glanced up at his favorite place with a smile. He hoped that after their talk yesterday, and their nonvocal activity the night before, that Letty might be ready to take back her rightful place as queen of the castle. He'd keep his cool and let things continue to flow naturally between them, but that didn't mean he wouldn't stop trying to bring her home.
"Mornin' fellas," Leon greeted Dom and Oz on the lawn. Dom watched as Kara made her way up the driveway and gave Leon a questionable look. Leon read his mind, "Don't worry, she'll behave. Doc warned her about her stress levels impacting the baby, so she's practicing being zen."
"Hey guys," Kara greeted as she headed over with a box in her hand. She handed it to Dom, "Muffins I picked up."
"Thank you, that's sweet," Dom replied. He was weary of Kara, but he'd give her the benefit of the doubt for Leon's sake.
"Now, why are we all standing out here?" Kelly asked from the doorway of the home. "Come in, already. Food's almost ready."
The group entered the home, which was already livened by loud soul music, laughter, and Jack chasing Nico with a plastic sword through the home. Dom was overwhelmed with nostalgia - this is what he missed all those years. Coming home to a house full of laughter and love from people he cared about. The captivating smells coming from the kitchen made his stomach growl and he couldn't wait to get to the table.
He headed for a shower but was stopped at the stairs by Kelly, "Where are those girls? Letty and Brooke? I don't know how much longer I can keep Brian out of the bacon."
"They should be here soon."
"How are things going with the misses? She warming up to you?"
Dom gave a small smile. He hadn't spent much time with Brian's mother, but he instantly liked her. She was nurturing, and a bit on the wild side, but he liked it. She reminded him a lot of his own mother whom he lost at a young age. Kelly was attentive to everything happening around her, even if she didn't speak on it right away.
"I have two eyes and ears like everyone else," she answered his silent questions. "And Mia filled me in a little. I see the way you look at her… like if you blinked she'd be gone again. I know all too well what it's like to be in love, Dom, though it's been a while. Wondering how long you'll be able to hold on to them, if they even want to be kept. It's a very scary thing."
"No kidding," he replied.
"From what I've picked up these past few weeks, she's weary but she cares. I think she's being very protective of her heart, and you can't blame her. But I think she's around for the long haul with you."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because a woman like that does not give second chances very often. Make the most of your opportunity, Dominic."
An hour later, the backyard of 1327 Echo Park was booming once again. Rambunctious adults crowded a massive table covered with a wide spread of various breakfast foods. Dom sat at the head, per usual, quietly observing his family. His eyes traveled the table and landed on Tej and Rosa, who extended her stay for a few weeks. Dom kept a close eye on their friendship, and it didn't take long for him to pick up on their chemistry.
He thought about his friend Vince. Of course, the big brute would be fuming over the obvious flirting between the two if he was still around, but unfortunately, he wasn't. Rosa was a great woman who deserved happiness, and even Vince was mature enough to understand that. Tej could be trusted, that Dom knew. Watching Nico pick food from Tej's plate, Dom could only smile. The boy needed a father figure, and who better than someone Dom knew and trusted as a brother.
Tej felt eyes on him and looked up to see Dom watching them. Dominic raised his bottled water with a smile of approval. Tej nodded in understanding before turning back to Nico.
Like clockwork, Dom's eyes turned to the woman on the right, watching as she smiled down at her cell phone. By the unusually fast way Brooke thumbed at her own phone, he knew the two were probably talking to each other, more than likely about him.
"Why so smiley?" he asked, grabbing her attention.
"Brooke's a moron, that's why," she replied.
"Did you tell her about last night?"
"No," Letty responded with a chuckle.
"Why not? I thought BFF's told each other everything," he teased. He still didn't understand how Letty and the bubbly Brooke became such good friends considering their personalities were polar opposites, but it brought out a more care-free, almost childlike presence in Letty. One he hadn't seen since she was a teen, pulling pranks and being mischievous with his sister.
"Because it's none of her business," she shrugged. "But for some reason, she thinks it is. I wasn't what you'd call sexually active the past few years and she seems to think it plays a part in my bad attitude."
"Well she might be right," he smirked, receiving a punch in his good thigh. "Oz says the same thing about me. I guess I was a bit unruly while you were away."
"Lack of sex wasn't the reason for the walls I put up while I was away. Lack of decent men was," she said.
"You mean, in the two years you were gone, you didn't find one guy nice guy to spend time with?" he asked, though he wasn't sure if he wanted the truthful answer.
"I mean, I went on a few dates, but nothing serious, obviously," she leaned back with a curious smirk, "What about you? Was that bedroom door of yours a revolving one? You tend enjoy the company of skanks, sans Elena, of course. She wasn't bad."
"Not really," he shrugged, "A couple overnighters, nothing heavy."
Letty paused before her next question, "What about Billie?"
Dom smiled faded, and for a split second, his temper flared. It frustrated him to the core hat he'd been fooled again, especially by the only person he trusted after he was left alone. A person who's life he had taken for Letty without a second thought, and not the first.
"Honestly, we were attracted to each other, but it just never felt right. I mean a couple drunken nights in the garage was about the extent of the relationship. She knew who I belonged to, and how things would end. It just wasn't right ... and now I know why."
"Well, I know why it didn't work out for me," she stood and moved to his lap, bringing that pearly smile back to his face. "Some men don't like strong, opinionated women such as myself. Especially if I can drive faster than them," she grinned.
He tossed his head back with a laugh, "I wouldn't know."
"Bullshit. You know, you caught me off guard in London. I wasn't expecting the guy I had just shot days before to show up wanting to race. Threw me off my game."
"What're you saying, you want another shot?" he asked with a grin. "I don't race for less than slips, and I'm running out of room in the garage for trophies."
"You just work on that leg, 'cause come Race Wars, I want another race. And I'll think about the wager. Frankly, you don't have anything I want, but I'll figure something out."
"I beg to differ," he mumbled under his breath, receiving another playful punch from her.
Letty nestled herself comfortably in his lap, and listened to the various conversations that were happening at once. She enjoyed the light atmosphere that came with being around this group of people. They were her only true friends, and the closest thing to a family that she'd ever had. She wouldn't call Owen's group of goons friends, but at the time, she respected them. But the lack of humanity or emotion they showed made it hard to connect with any of them on a personal level, which she figured was a good thing. The disconnect made it easier to watch them all go down in flames, especially Klaus. His humongous muscles were only overcompensation for his ridiculously small brain.
But these people… Brian, and Tej, and Leon, and even now, Oz and the twins. She missed Mia like crazy but the woman worked like a maniac and they found little time to talk. She felt right at home being with Mia, before she went back to Seattle. Though it wasn't nearly as easy to talk her into trouble like when they were teens, Mia was older now, and much wiser. Most of their time was spent crying, drinking, and sharing wild stories from their years outside of LA, but Letty loved it. She never had to worry about being judged around Mia.
And Roman. God, she loved Roman. He didn't let the fact that they were complete strangers stop him from embracing her and becoming her comedic relief when she needed it. He was the older brother who annoyed the shit out of her for hours just to get a laugh from her. He was a shit-talker, and she enjoyed that quality about him. Roman never let life get him down, and she vowed to try to be more like him.
Letty made a mental note to go visit him as soon as she was free. She didn't like the thought of him being cooped up in that hospital room alone.
Her eyes wandered over to Leon and Kara. Letty was annoyed that she was invited, but she made sure to keep her distance. They hadn't spoken to each other since their tussle in the hospital, and Letty preferred it that way. Leon tried extending the olive branch, but it wasn't something Letty was interested in. She would only allow someone to be openly disrespectful to her so many times before it became a physical problem, case in point - Lucy Tran. She'd like to think that she had learned restraint in her years of growth, but that didn't mean she'd tolerate anyone's foolishness.
"Letty," Kara called out, surprising her, "Can you show me to the bathroom? My bladder is the size of a damn pea nowadays."
"Upstairs, first door on the right," Letty instructed curtly.
Dom pinched her thigh, "Come on, Lett. She's trying," he muttered in her ear.
Letty rolled her eyes and stood from her comfy spot on his lap, nodding Kara after her. She guided her into the house and stood at the bottom of the stairs, pointing up.
Just ignore her, just ignore her, Letty repeated in her head.
"Hey, I know there's some hostility between us, mostly on my behalf-"
"All on your behalf. Might I remind you, you called me a whore within the first few seconds of seeing me with Leon," Letty said.
"True," she nodded, "And I apologize. For everything. Obviously neither one of us are going anywhere, and I don't want there to be tension every time we're in a room together."
"Sweetie, you have it all wrong. For it to be tension I would have to acknowledge your presence, and I haven't given you two thoughts lately," Letty snarled. She knew it was petty to be harsh, but quite frankly, she didn't give a shit. "It's better off if we just stay out of each other's way. Thanks for helping me out with my arrest, but no thanks on the fake friendship."
Kara grinned, even chuckled a little before slowly taking the stairs.
"Did I say something humorous?"
"Oh Letty. Whether you like it or not, we'll end up as friends. Women like us either clash until someone bleeds, or we bond because we're both real. And considering I'm in no position to kick your ass, I guess we're gonna have to call a truce. Besides, the banter is fun, right?"
"Bitchy and delusional, noted," Letty replied, dropping back against the railing with an eyeroll.
Letty didn't have a problem calling a truce on their "beef", but that didn't mean girl's nights out, slumber parties, or shopping sprees together. They wouldn't be that close.
Letty's eyes fell to the mantle next to the stairs, where the same photo she kept tucked in her Camaro sat framed. She lifted the photo and gave it a once over, an involuntary smile creeping on her lips.
Their glory days.
When the hardest decision they had to make was party or no party, kung-fu flick or horror movie, or ribs or steak.
Two and a half years after Dino's death.
Months after Dom's release from Lompoc.
Before the money dried up.
Before Dom met that shady truck driver with "the business deal of a lifetime".
Before their lives changed forever.
Before Jesse was gone.
And Vince.
Letty often wondered what their lives would be like if Dom's father hadn't died that day on the tracks. If he was still around to help with bills and the garage. If they didn't have to resort to racing every night to keep the cafe open. If they didn't have to resort to crime to keep the garage running. How drastically different would their lives be? There'd be no Brian, or Roman, or Tej. There wouldn't be tens of millions of dollars sitting in each of their bank accounts.
Would she and Dom have stayed together?
Even after everything they'd been through, the hypothetical made her uncomfortable. Letty didn't believe in coincidences; her life turned out the way it was supposed to. It might have taken a few too many left turns, but she still ended up where she belonged. Thinking of a life where she didn't end it enjoying her freedom with her best friends seemed unbelievable.
Kara's footsteps on the stairs brought Letty out of her thoughts.
"Just one last question," Kara said sincerely. Letty didn't see any malice behind her eyes for once, and gave a short nod. "You had no recollection of those people when you reunited, right? So why come back to LA with them? I guess I mean - why did you trust them if you virtually didn't know them?"
Letty's brows scrunched together as she remembered Dom's words in the military base, "Some things you just have to take on faith. Anyone who'd throw themselves from a car, risking guaranteed death to save my life is trustworthy."
"Then you leave seven months later. Why?"
Letty was uncomfortable with how much Kara knew about her life, but she also knew Leon couldn't hold water. "It's a lot of pressure trying to live up to other people's perceptions of you, especially if you're not who they remember you as. I don't do well with pressure."
"As annoyed I am with you, your story is intriguing. I couldn't even begin to know what you felt waking up with no memory of who you were."
"I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."
"For what it's worth, I'm glad you found your way home," Kara said, her brown eyes filled with empathy before she quickly blinked it away, "Less I have to hear about you from Leon."
Letty rolled her eyes as Kara stepped out onto the porch, resisting the urge to rearrange her perfect teeth, "This is gonna be a long seven months."
"Alright, Ms. Kelly, breakfast was the bomb, but I gotta get to the garage. We're swamped today," Leon said as Letty and Kara returned, neither women bleeding, which was a good sign. "Lett, you're on Jess duty today. She gets out at three. Try not assaulting anyone on your way back."
Letty flipped the bird in his direction.
"Leon, I'm gonna catch a ride with you," Brooke said, giving Oz a quick peck on the lips before standing with her crutches. "Hector has no idea how to speak to people on the phone, so I can imagine how many calls he's already jacked up."
Dom sat in quiet conversation with Kelly while Brian, Tej, and Rosa were clearing the table, while Oz and the twins awaited the boss's orders. Letty decided to lend a hand, grabbing the empty bowls that held one of the best breakfasts she had in recent memory. Across the table she locked eyes with Dominic, and a flash of him laying naked in her bed went through her head. She felt her cheeks flush and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning.
Dom was intently listening to Kelly talk about her abandoned houseplants, that is, until Letty stepped back into his view again. He was so drawn to her presence that he couldn't help tuning out everything else around him. She finally looked up from the dirty dishes to meet his eye and blushed, tucking loose hairs behind her ear before looking away.
"Yeah, we're gonna take off, too. Dom, you coming?" Brian asked while tossing a full trash bag over his shoulder.
O'Conner's words had gone into one ear and out the other. The chemistry in the air between Letty and he was stronger than his willpower, and gravity was pulling him to her once again. Sometimes it was hard to believe she was really there, close enough for him to reach out and kiss. He wanted to soak her into his brain so much that even if she wasn't around, he wouldn't be able to feel the difference.
His eyes followed as she sauntered back toward the house with an array of dishes in her arms. She gave him a grin over her shoulder before heading inside. He felt a heat burning in the pit of his stomach. He recognized those lustful looks - the ones she always gave him after round one that said round two wasn't far behind.
"I'll catch up with you guys," he said.
The men didn't seem to catch onto the exchange between the two lovebirds, but Kelly had from her seat next to him.
"Could one of you boys run me to Barstow? I could use a few things from the house," she asked.`
"Ma'am, anything to stall the workday I am all for," Oz offered, his thick southern accent coming out.
"You think you and Letty can handle the dishes while I'm out?" she asked, though the twisted smile on her face said that she wasn't talking about chores.
"Absolutely," Dom replied with a smile.
The yard finally cleared out and everyone hit the road, leaving Dom and Letty alone once again. He hobbled his way into the house, using his foot to kick the door closed behind him. He followed the sounds of water running to the kitchen, where Letty was stacking dirty plates or and bowls into soapy water. He leaned in the doorframe and watched, his eyes raking over the green cargo pants that hung off her waist but still clung to her ass.
"You gonna help or you gonna stare?"
"You know Kelly didn't really expect us to do that," he murmured.
"Yet, my hands are still in this water."
Dominic smiled and ditched his crutches, limping his way over to the sink. He stood directly behind her, steadying his hands on either side of her, inhaling the tantalizing smells of her shampoo. Coconut … just how he remembered.
"What did Kara have to say?"
"She wants to be friends," Letty snorted.
"I'm guessing you told her you weren't interested?"
"Exactly," she said. "You know, this will go a lot faster if you help. We could actually make it to work on time."
"The garage ain't going anywhere," he muttered, spinning her around to face him. "You remember our times in here? I mean spent eating or cooking, that is."
A smile curled at her lips, "Some of it. I remember your father pulling up in the driveway and nearly busting in on me going down on you against the fridge."
Dom grinned childishly at the racy memory, "I stuck my entire body inside the fridge as he walked in."
"We have a lot of memories around this place. I'm surprised it's held up after the hell we've put it through."
"Well ten million dollars sure helped with the upkeep."
She looked down before asking her next question, "What happens when everyone goes home?"
He saw apprehension in her eyes, worry about the next big step between them.
"Who knows. I guess we'll see when that happens. For right now, I'm only concerned about this very moment, and taking advantage of this extremely rare opportunity that the house is empty and quiet."
She quirked a brow at him, "And what did you have in mind?"
Dom's hands went to her hips and he lifted her onto the counter, bracing himself between her legs. She wrapped her arms around his neck instinctively, her soapy fingers grazing the fuzz at the nape of his neck.
"Finishing breakfast, of course," he said, giving her a panty-melting smile.