Author's Note: Hey guys, so okay. I have by now seen the movie. I actually got to attend the NYC premiere. If you'd like to discuss it with me you can totally PM me or hit me up on my tumblr. This story is officially AU, though there may be some small spoilers, little things that I took or built upon. I guess it's sort of my little F8 fix-it fic. I have it all plotted out at least by now, so I'm hopeful I'll keep a decent pace on it. Thanks for all the follows and reviews you've left so far!

Berlin

Dom was more tense than usual the night they hit the base for Hobbs, set to retrieve some expensive piece of hardware or other that had fallen into the wrong hands. Of course, these particular hands were masquerading under the guise of local law enforcement. A dirty operation under a corrupt ruler.

He was certain he'd done everything he could. Everything he didn't think Cipher would catch. It was going to have to do, because he was out of time and he was about to be alone, totally.

It wasn't a feeling he was used to having. He'd always been surrounded by his team, by his family.

The last time he'd felt alone had been over a year ago now, back when he'd thought Letty dead. He hadn't really been alone, and yet… he had been. He'd tried to fill the gaping hole in his heart but Elena had been little more than a distraction at the best of times. And other times she was just something he felt guilty over, because he knew her feelings ran deeper than his own.

But things had changed. His family was whole again. And he was about to jeopardize all of that to save a woman he didn't even know.

But it wasn't within him to sit and do nothing. Especially with the other threats that Cipher had made.

And this afternoon a text with instructions had arrived from an untraceable number. Along with a picture, bird's eye view of his sister's new place in the suburbs. Jack playing in the yard and everything.

He wasn't going to take any chances.

Which meant that a whole lot of people were about to get real pissed off with him. Of them, he only regretted that he was going to be lying to his wife. He told himself it was to keep her safe but it didn't make him feel any less guilty about it. About what he was planning to do.

Dom watched his team come into sight as he drove towards the central road where they had planned to regroup. He and Letty had run interference, distracting the base' security and getting them out of the way so that Hobbs, Ramsey and Tej could infiltrate security for the package.

"You know," Roman's voice came through the radio. "I really have to say I am insulted that you guys put me up here as the damn look-out," he complained. "I ain't seen a damn thing."

"Patience, Roman," Dom replied. "I think the cavalry is about to arrive."

"Yeah we definitely alerted someone breaking into that safe," Tej agreed.

"I thought the plan was to not set off any alarms," Letty said, pulling up alongside Dom as they made their way towards the exit of the sprawling military base.

"Well we were trying for that," Ramsey answered. "But our intel didn't notify of the secondary, silent firewall on their security program."

"By the time we noticed we'd already tripped the silent alarm," Tej finished. "So we'd best get out of here before security arrives."

"Too late," Roman said, looking through his binoculars. His car was perched on a rise just near the front wall. In the distance he could see half a dozen black SUVs. "They're coming."

"Okay Roman," Tej said. "Remember not to hit the button until I say."

"Why didn't you tell me what this thing will do?" Roman asked.

"You don't need to worry about that," Tej replied. "Just get ready." He glanced over his shoulder where he could see the SUVs turning down the road after them, picking up speed.

"Ready?" Dom asked, then trusting they were. "Split."

Almost as one the four cars moved to either side of the road, creating a large space between them.

"Now, Rome!" Tej shouted.

Roman hit the release he'd been given, firing off a loud snap somewhere overhead. "What the fuck is that…?" he muttered, then ducked his head as the car shuddered above him, buffeted by something heavy swinging past. He turned his head to see a massive yellow wrecking ball sailing towards the road his teammates were driving up, straight down the split they'd left. However, their pursuers hadn't known it was coming anymore than Roman did and there was no time to swerve and avoid. The wrecking ball careened into the first car with the heavy sound of iron meeting the flexible car body. There was the crunch and the screech of aluminum as the front of the first car folded like an accordion, shooting backwards to flip into the cars behind it. The ball kept going, hitting all the successive cars and knocking them into each other.

Roman whooped as he watched, laughing. "Damn, that was awesome y'all," he said.

"Rome, don't you think you should get outta there?" Letty asked. "Before it comes back?"

"What?" Roman started his engine, panicking. "It's coming back?"

"Well it IS a pendulum," Tej supplied. Though there's been sufficient drag and other forces that it… probably won't come all the way back."

"Probably?" Rome asked, watching as the ball started swinging back in their direction, knocking the car into reverse as he angled the wheels towards the ramp he'd used to get up here. "I do not like the sound of 'probably'!"

"Then move your ass," Hobbs snapped. "We're out of here." The big man pressed his gas pedal down, speeding into the lead as they drew closer to the front gate of the facility. The massive wedge front of his vehicle hit the cement wall first, crashing through as intended, clearing away the rubble with the side-scoops so that the rest of the team could follow.

From his perch, Roman caught a glimpse of sirens in the distance as the wrecking ball came sailing back closer to him. Cursing under his breath he pressed on the gas, jetting backwards down the ramp as the heavy metal ball swung up, just barely missing where he had been.

"Tej!" he shouted, shifting his car into drive and maneuvering towards the main road. "You said it wouldn't come back!"

"I said probably," Tej replied. "Didn't I say probably?"

"Next time you're pushing the damn button," Roman told him as he shifted gears to catch up with the team.

"Nice job everyone," Hobbs' voice came through. "We'll split up to lose the rest of these guys and meet up at home base."

Letty looked over when she felt Dom's eyes on her. He'd been quiet tonight, tense. Like something was on his mind. "You okay?" she asked, forgoing the radio to talk to him through their open windows.

He met her gaze. "I'll see you when it's over," he told her and she only had a moment of confusion before they were splitting, Dom going one way with Hobbs, while she and the rest of the team took the east road. The cryptic words stuck with her, a sense of trepidation trickling down her spine as she made her way towards the garage where they planned to meet up.

"I think we could all use a cold beer when we get back," Hobbs told Dom, feeling relaxed as they put more distance between themselves and their pursuers. "I'll even buy."

Dom didn't say anything, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. He pulled up alongside Hobbs. The road stretched out ahead of and behind them, dark and deserted. He took a slow breath, and made a choice.

Dom yanked the wheel hard to the side, his car slamming into the side of Hobbs' vehicle unexpectedly. The force, and Hobbs' lack of preparation combined sending the vehicle into a sideways spin, flipping and rolling off the road. It came to a stop finally, upside-down, one side crushed against a tree.

Panting, Hobbs tried to gain his bearings. Everything hurt. He could feel liquid trickling along the side of his head, certain it was blood. He tried to move and found himself pinned, the heavy metal chassis of the vehicle holding him in place. He reached out, trying to lift it off, but he strained and it remained in place. He'd probably need to be cut out.

Shit. He was in trouble.

Hobbs turned to see Dom approaching, his car idling along the shoulder where he'd pulled. He didn't really think he was there to offer him help.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Toretto?" he demanded.

There was no answer and the man went to the back, wrenching open the trunk with a squeak of metal. Hobbs turned his head but he couldn't really see what he was doing. However, he could guess.

The hardware they'd just stolen was secured back there.

"You're making a big mistake," Hobbs told him. "Don't do this."

Dom said nothing, just got back into his own car and drove away. Hobbs could see sirens in the distance. He cursed, reaching for his radio.

"We've got a problem," he said, hesitating a moment. "Dom just… ran me off the road and took the hardware."

"What?" Letty's voice came through, sharp with disbelief. He couldn't blame her. He was plenty surprised himself. There was a moment of silence, then her voice again. "Where are you?"

"There's no chance you can get to me," Hobbs said. "Get out of here and stay safe." The sirens were closer now, red and blue washing over his face. Somewhere he'd made a judgement call on Dominic Toretto, and he was going to have to face the consequences for that. For being so damn wrong.

oooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo

Letty was sitting in the passenger side of her car at the garage, the designated meet-up space they'd arranged. But Hobbs wasn't coming, and neither was Dom.

He hadn't answered any of their attempts to reach him, even his cell had rang and rang until it went to voicemail. Everyone was confused, expecting her to know what was going on with him, why he'd done it, but she felt just as lost. She felt like she'd been punched in the gut. Betrayed.

Suddenly his cryptic remark as they'd left the base had taken on some other meaning. Was he asking her to wait for him? Saying that after whatever it was he was doing that he'd be back?

She rubbed a hand over her face, brow furrowing as she reached into the glove compartment of her car. There she found some photographs, taken from their time together in LA. The first of which before she'd gotten her memory back. In them both they'd looked so happy. She pushed them aside, not wanting to linger on it right now. To dwell on the fact that whatever it was Dom was doing he hadn't thought to clue her in.

Making decisions on his own again. Just like he always had.

And damn if that didn't hurt.

"Letty, come over here." Roman's voice pulled her out of her maudlin thoughts and she pushed herself out of the car, moving over to join him, Tej and Ramsey where they were gathered around a small laptop.

Ramsey had brought up Dom's cell phone records and they were looking through. She recognized her own number, Mia's, and even the rest of the team's. Some of them were Cuban country coded. But there were some that made no sense to Letty. Rows and rows of what seemed to be random numbers and letter jumbled together.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Untraceable numbers," Ramsey replied, scrolling down the list. "Sophisticated stuff. It means Dom was communicating with someone who knew how to make it impossible to trace them this way. He dials the same outgoing number but we don't know where it goes."

Letty frowned, rubbing her hand over her chest, trying to ignore the tightness she was feeling. "How long?"

"Only the last few days," Ramsey said, glancing up at her. "You didn't notice anything off about him?"

"No, I…" Letty trailed off, trying to gather her thoughts. "Maybe," she admitted. "One night, last night we were in Cuba. He went out on a beer run for his cousin. It took way too long and he was weird afterwards. But not like this."

"What had he been doing the last few days?" Tej asked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Working on some projects around the garage. Modifying the Charger. It all seemed like stuff for tonight."

They all fell silent, trying to puzzle out why Dom had done what he'd done.

"There has to be a reason," Letty said. The others nodded in agreement but no one said anything else. She wasn't sure they were all so convinced.

She stood abruptly. "I'll be back," she muttered, moving past them to take the set of metal steps that led up to the second story office. Inside the room sat a desk cluttered with papers, an old computer tucked in one corner. She didn't even know who the place belonged to. Only that Hobbs had arranged for them to use the space.

She closed the door, shutting out the murmuring voices of the others down below. She didn't want to know what they were saying right now.

Dropping into the chair behind the desk, Letty fished her cell phone out of her pocket with a little sigh. Scrolling through her contacts she hesitated, thumb over Mia's number before she caved and hit call.

It rang twice before her sister-in-law picked up.

"Letty?" she greeted, and she could almost hear her friend's smile through the phone. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you again so soon. Honeymoon over?"

Oh boy, was it ever. Letty let out a small sigh. "Yeah… we're," she paused. They weren't exactly home, or even back in the states. The job for Hobbs had taken them out of the country again. And the local law enforcement would probably be looking for them. "We had a job," she finally said.

"What happened?" Mia asked. "What's wrong?"

She'd given something away in the tone of her voice, her uncertainty. But Letty didn't know what to say now. If she should say anything. The last thing they needed was Brian and Mia getting involved.

"Job went wrong," Letty explained, without explaining why. "And Dom's just… not himself."

"If you don't know what's going on with him I'm not sure what help I can be," Mia said. "But I'll talk to him if you want…"

"No," Letty bit down on her lower lip, unable to tell Mia she couldn't talk to him. That Dom wasn't even there. That he was the reason the job went wrong in the first place.

"If the job went south could that be what's getting to him?"

"No," Letty shook her head, even though Mia couldn't see her. "It's something else. Something since just before we left Cuba… Do you… have any idea?"

"Bummed your time together was about to come to an end?" Mia suggested, chuckling a little. "Hell, who knows. Maybe he told Fernando something. If you want I'll give him a call."

"Nah, I'll call him. No need for us to play telephone." It wasn't an answer, but it was something she could do. Some direction to move. Rather than sit here, floundering, trying to figure out what was going on in her husband's head. She never had any problem seeing through him. But she never would have expected this.

"How are things there?" she asked Mia, ready to change the subject, to hear some good news.

"Great. Jack lost another tooth, which he is ecstatic about, and this little one is due any day now…" Letty could picture the way her sister rubbed her belly when she said it and smiled a bit, glad she hadn't worried the other woman with this shit just yet.

"You ready?"

"More than ready," Mia groaned. "My feet are so swollen that I can't even stand for more than a half hour at a time. And every time I sit down I have to elevate them."

"That sounds… fun," Letty muttered, relieved not to be in the same boat.

"No it sucks," Mia laughed. "But it's so worth it. You'll see one day."

"You sound so sure about that," Letty murmured, getting a faraway look in her eyes. It seemed like a lifetime ago she'd talked about kids with Dom in their room in Cuba.

"The adrenaline rush can only get you so far, Letty," Mia told her. "Plus that dangerous shit is going to get a lot harder the more years you put in."

"Are you calling me old?" Letty demanded.

"No!" Mia laughed. "We're the same age. But Dom isn't getting any younger," she teased. That pulled a small laugh from Letty, who shook her head.

"Who knows, Mi. Anyway, thanks for the talk. I should go. We gotta figure out how to turn this job around. I'll be in touch."

"All right. Call any time. Love you, Letty. Give my love to Dom."

"Will do," Letty replied before thumbing the hang up button. She stared at the screen a long moment, letting out a tiny sigh. She pushed herself to her feet. It was time to do something productive, because if she sat here wallowing she'd go mad.

oooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo

Cipher's mobile command center had turned out to be an airplane and it had picked up Dom, car and all, at an airfield not far from the base they'd hit. He put it into park, locking the emergency brake as the cargo bay slid closed, taking a moment to gather himself.

His gut was churning and he felt like shit. Hobbs wasn't hurt but Dom knew what he'd left him to. He'd seen those sirens in the distance. His actions tonight would cost the man his job and Dom wasn't certain they could fix it once he'd figured out a way to get his cousin's family back.

And none of that even touched on how Letty must be feeling right now. He couldn't have said much to her. Cipher had eyes on him, all the time. And she had the God's Eye. But he hoped his wife understood what he'd meant. That he would find a way to get back to her. He hoped she would trust in him.

Pushing aside the worries and trepidation he opened the door of the Charger and stepped out. His boots were heavy against the metal floor and he departed the cargo bay, following his instincts deeper towards the nose of the plane.

A long hallway took him to what looked like a control room. Computers everywhere, a high tech set-up the likes of which he'd certainly never seen. Not even working with Hobbs had gotten him access to stuff this high end.

There were several people at work in the room and he caught sight of Cipher standing over one of them, examining the screen in front of her. She turned at the sound of his boots on the floor and smiled. It chased a chill down his spine and stopped him in his tracks.

Another man stood at attention, taller than Dom with a head full of red hair and a tidy beard to match. He stepped in between them, eyes narrowed suspiciously. He didn't trust Dom. Which was probably smart. He wouldn't trust him either. A man being manipulated into cooperating wasn't the best of allies, because the second you lost that leverage you had an enemy right at your throat.

He stared at the other man, wondering what exactly he was going to do. But before either of them had a chance to say anything, Cipher appeared at his shoulder.

"Dom," she said. "Good job getting the chip." She nodded at the red-headed man, who frowned, but moved away. "Come with me."

Silently Dom followed her back out of the room into what looked like some sort of living space. It was nice, so it must have been her's. His eyes passed over rows of ridiculous looking shoes without much interest. In front of him a clear table sat full of various sidearms. More guns than you might ever see in the hands of any law-abiding civilian. Not that he had any illusions about Cipher.

"Before we go any further," he said, looking over at her. "I want to see Tamar."

She smiled, tilting her head. "What? That little photo of your nephew wasn't enough of an incentive for you?"

"I got your damn chip," he replied. "Now I'd like to see Tamar."

She stood, letting out a little sigh. "Fine. If only so you can understand what's at stake here, Dom. Why I need your cooperation."

She led him through the other side of the living area past a pair of armed guards. They watched him silently. One of the men slid a card through a reader and the door slid open, revealing a dim room beyond. Cipher stepped forward, flicking on the light. Dom blinked, his eyes adjusting as a figure came into view. Between them there was a stretch of what looked like glass, separating one side of the room from the other. Knowing Cipher, it was bulletproof and reinforced.

A single cot sat in the middle of the space, to one side a table with what looked like the remains of a meal set atop it. Little else. The woman sat in the middle of the cot, a faded black t-shirt stretched over her incredibly pregnant belly. Her long blonde hair was a tangle over one shoulder and she lifted her head, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light. Dom bit back the urge to demand why Cipher left the woman sitting in the dark. It wouldn't help either of them.

"I know you," Tamar said, her gaze falling on him. "Fernando's cousin, right? Dominic?" Her voice was accented, but he couldn't place it. "I'm surprised you actually came."

"He asked for my help. Was I gonna leave you here?"

She shrugged, rubbing a hand over her stomach. "You don't know me. Certainly don't owe me anything."

"You're family." He replied.

She smiled a little, sadly. "Fernando was always going on about family too. But it seems to me like it only gets you into trouble in the end. If it weren't for family I wouldn't be here."

Dom's gaze slid to Cipher, questioning and the woman offered him a slow smile. "Interested now, are we?" she asked him. "You know, she's right. I took her because I wanted to get to you. It was never about money, Dom."

He glared, folding his arms across his chest. "Why? I don't see why you need me for any of this stuff you've got planned. Why do all this to get me here?"

"I have my reasons," she answered, turning her back to the cell. "The least of which is the fact that if I didn't recruit you, then you'd likely be messing with my plans alongside your team. I can't have that." She smiled. "It's time to go. You've seen what you needed to see."

It wasn't the answer he wanted, but Dom felt that if he pushed for more now he'd only succeed in pissing the woman off. He just had to hope that the foundation he'd laid would be there when he made his next move, because there was no way he could do this on his own.

oooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo

Hobbs had been in prisons before, oh many a time. He'd even been in this particular prison. But not like this. Not in an orange jumpsuit and cuffs. Not as an inmate being escorted to lock-up. It sure didn't feel good.

As the guards escorted him through the place, hoots and hollers hit his ears. Taunts, threats. Oh, there were plenty of criminals he'd locked away in this joint. None of them scared him, and Hobbs ignored it, following his escort. They came to his cell, a little cement and plexiglass affair with an incredibly uncomfortable looking bed inside.

The guard swiped his keycard and the door slid open. They removed the cuffs and chains and Hobbs strode through. Sure, he probably could fight his way out of this place, but all that would get him was another mark on his previously clean record. Which would make getting his job back next to impossible.

The door slid shut again and the guards departed, leaving Hobbs standing on the other side of the plexiglass before a faint chuckle interrupted his thoughts. He looked up, spotting a familiar figure in the cell across from his. The man had a shit-eating grin on his face that made Hobbs' stomach turn. He scowled.

"Well, well, well," Deckard Shaw's voice was taunting. "Look who it is. Never expected to see you on this side, eh?" He raised his brows. "Good cop gone bad. What a cliche."

Hobbs said nothing. He had no interest in bantering with the Brit who'd given him such trouble earlier in the year. Left him with some pain in his elbow after that fractured arm, too.

"I won't be visiting long," he finally said, feigning disinterest.

"Uh huh," Shaw laughed. "And how exactly you planning on getting out? I've heard there's about… 10 tons of steel and concrete. Not gonna dig, are ya?"

"Hello, Mr. Shaw," another familiar voice interrupted them before Hobbs could reply and he looked over to see Mr. Nobody strolling towards their cells, dressed in a tidy black suit. He was alone, but Hobbs could see another man in a suit and a cadre of men in body armor with guns at the foot of the stairs.

"Agent Hobbs," Nobody turned his attention to him and gave a smile. "I've come, with an offer."

Hobbs crossed his arms over his chest. "And just what offer is that?" he asked.

"Yeah," Shaw put in from across the way. "I'd like to make a counter-offer, old man."