Title: Furious Exiles: 6
Rated for: T
Fandom/Universe: The Fast and the Furious
Characters: Dominic Toretto, Letty Ortiz, Han, OC-Galena Ortiz
Pairings: Dom/Letty, Han/Galena
Spoilers/Warning: None, I don't think. I'm staying away from the movies and just sort using the events as reference for where my OC is in the fic.
Disclaimer: The Fast and the Furious and all related characters are Written by Gary Scott Thompson, Erik Bergquist, David Ayer, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas and Chris Morgan Based on Racer X magazine article by Ken Li. No infringement intended.
Summary: Everyone makes the life they want. Its about choices.
Status: Complete But there will be another to follow.
Author's Note: I found my notebook with all my notes and outlines for Galena's journey in this world and I've been inspired to write. I've had to go back and watch the new movies after PW... well its not the same. I have to say that some of these new characters are kinda crazy but hey, all for fun right? But I got some ideas on how to reconcile some of the relationships in my fic. There's more to come…
Chapter: What we choose and What we loose…
She's spent the last five months with Lena at her 'farm'. The only one she's called is Brian, to bitch at him for not having gotten anywhere with a deal for Dom.
"Titi!"
Letty keeps rocking on the porch as Jace runs up with bunches of carrots in each hand. Not far behind is Galena with two baskets full of more crops. Her sister has invested more time in growing her food and planting trees that they eat fresh…
"I'm not a fucking rabbit." Letty snaps, glaring at her sister.
"Don't worry, berrinches." Lena chuckles. "We got steaks tonight."
She kicks off her chucks on the porch and heads past her grumpy sister. Once in the kitchen, she sends Jace with a cool glass of agua fresca for Letty. She's about to pop which makes her nasty to be around.
They had another huge fight when Letty surprised her, they've been having a lot of fights the further along her sister gets. But so far, Galena's gotten her way. It also helped that Letty couldn't keep hiding the little Toretto she was growing. The last thing Letty wanted was to have Dom come back just because she was knocked up and get himself sent to jail.
The stack of mail fell over as she turned with the platter of steaks. The large yellow envelope had arrived the day before with a postmark from Japan. She had an idea who it was from but she didn't want to deal with 'it'. Lena kicked it under the rolling island and walked outside to the stone grill she'd had fun building the first year they moved in. Her smile faded with the memories of everyone they'd lost…
"You're going to burn them." Letty shoved her aside. She bitched but her sister didn't hit back. "Que te pasa?" she half turned towards Lena when she felt a sharp pain hit her lower back.
"Leticia!" Lena held her up as she let out a string of curses. "OMG, have you been having contractions?!"
.
He's been low key stalking her. Getting rid of the lawsuit pair was easy enough. The guy was weak, his girl… she took a little bit more to convince.
She hasn't hired anyone and the phone has been ringing pretty consistently while he's been waiting.
Lena spots the shadow by her reception station but her eyes haven't adjusted to the indoor lighting.
"Hello," she slows her steps as he turns around, this man in a pristine suit…
"Hello." he stares at her; hair pulled up in a mess, her jumper tied around her waist and the white t-shirt…
.
Their mother cries.
She screams and wails… for a daughter she would criticize, a daughter she was always yelling at, a daughter she said was no good…
Galena can't stand to be in the same room with any of them. All the years their mother would put Letty down, telling her how much she was a disappointment… and now, their mother was playing the part of the inconsolable bereaved parent, grieving the loss of a child.
She stood with them at the funeral, Jace holding his grandfather's hand and Lena with Letty's little girl in her arms.
Mia tried to give her condolences, pero la señora got louder, cried harder, threw her recriminations at her… and Mia left. She didn't want to make it any harder on them.
Lena feels bad. But, it's better like this. Better if Dom doesn't know… and that means lying to Mia too. Because Dom chose, didn't he? Letty never wanted to see it.
But Galena isn't her sister.
She isn't going to risk the life she's built by chasing after a Toretto.
Lena didn't before… She's not about to change that now.
There's a sleeping baby in the car. Her little sister's child… Galena knows there's no way to raise either of them in LA. This place, the city- it has too much history, too many people that know them, know all of them…
"It's time to start over."
.
The argument keeps playing… Galena's pissed at Letty for working con el guero, Brian. All of a sudden, he's FBI now and he can get Dom that pardon Letty wants so bad…
"You need to get your priorities straight." Because her sister is trying to get a pardon for Dom.
"What I need is to find Dom and bring him home." Letty is too big to move any faster but she's trying her best to get close enough to smack her sister. The argument hasn't changed the last seven months and hiding her activities is getting near impossible to do.
"Què necia!" Lena throws her hands up.
Galena sits on the porch, her coffee mug forgotten in her hands. That argument was all they'd fight about…
"He gets to be a Dad!" Letty bites her tongue on the rest of the words. She can see it on Lena's face, the words don't have to be said…
"Ah si?" Lena glares at her. "Are you sure he wants to? Because he didn't before!"
There's silence for the thing they haven't talked about in years. Galena almost lets it go… the hurt on Letty's face for the reminder of what she lost…
"We weren't ready-."
"No?" Lena's glare intensifies. She was feeling guilty for hurting Letty but her sister started it. "That didn't stop you from getting knocked up when you were 17! He didn't want a kid then, Letty! He sure as hell keeps leaving your dumb ass, y tu no entiendes! Sigues tras el, como pendeja!"
Letty glares right back. "You don't know what you're talking about."
What if Letty had been right? What if they were the exception? Letty and Dom... Lena blows out a frustrated sigh and throws the coffee out of her mug as she stands up. Her sister is dead, so how the hell did that factor in?
"I was with you, Leticia!"
"Its not like that now."
"Because he left your ass!" Lena glares at her sister and points to the bump. "Entiende! You're risking both your lives, y para què? So you're not alone with your kid? No seras la primera, Leticia. You don't need Dom for thi-."
But Letty was adamant. She wasn't going to take being a father away from Dom…
"Like I am…" Galena had almost lost her resolve a few times. But just like Dom, Han kept doing shit that was only going to take him away from them. Both of them, they wanted a life of adventure, freedom… Galena understood, she wanted it too. Being young and free… she'd loved her life with Han…
"You don't understand."
"Ah, no." Galena uttered a harsh laugh. "How can I possibly understand what it's like to have the man you love, that you plan to build a life with, choose to be involved with gangsters, run a hijacking ring, get chased by law-men, basically destroying any hope of that 'happily ever after'. Pero tienes razon. Yo que voy a saver de eso!"
Letty didn't have to say the words. The meaning… they both knew what Letty wasn't saying. And it hurt…
Galena sighed heavily. Back when Letty was 17, when she first got together with Dom… they just hadn't been careful enough. And then Jack Toretto… it was bad. Everything went bad when he died in that crash. And Dom, beating on that stupid gabacho for talking outta his ass instead of just leaving it alone… Letty never made it to the courthouse, she was at the hospital… Lena kept that secret too.
.
The expensive suit hired her, last minute, just a short ride to Seattle.
Lena offered the sitter overtime, since the suit agreed on the 'last minute booking fee'. He didn't speak the entire flight and when they landed he asked her to wait.
'More like he ordered.'
Galena almost left. But there was that 'last minute booking fee' she was collecting by the hour so…
He made her sit around for him 3hrs. He was watching her, trying to figure out how much she was involved in what his brother was planning. What was the interest here?
When he did stroll his way to the helicopter she took note of the basket he was carrying and the sack in the other.
The flight back was equally silent. Galena figured the suit would go his way the moment she set down. His fancy sports car was parked just outside the hanger she was using to house her so called office and the helicopter.
He followed her into the hanger.
"I'm not sure I'll be available to fly you out again." she glanced over her shoulder but he was just strolling a pace behind her like he had all the time in the world. Lena didn't plan on staying in the states, but she hadn't quite made up her mind on where to go…
"What about dinner?"
Galena turned to face him. She didn't know what he was thinking. He pulled the sparkling wine from the sack and showed it to her. That got him an inquisitive raised eyebrow and a lot of distrust.
He knew she didn't like alcohol.
"That depends." Because his answer was going to tell her what she should know about the fancy suit.
"On what?" he smiled at her.
"Whether I'm still on the clock."
She's testing him. Its the one thing he can't stand but this is going to be an exception because it doesn't feel as though she's looking to get bought.
"No." He set the bottle on the counter. "Our business is done now that you've brought me back."
Galena hmms, because its looking as though he's not trying to buy her. Still, the fancy suit has a sexy accent and he's trying to get her drunk… Lena grabs the bottle and turns to her little reception area. "I'm not a vegetarian."
He chuckles and follows her to the lonely coffee table flanked by two uncomfortable looking chairs.
"And I'm not one of those girls that's trying to pretend she doesn't eat." and seeing the bare area she turns to face him, wishing she'd gotten that couch too. "I like food."
"Good." He's amused, sets the basket on the coffee table and faces her. "What about dessert?"
"Sometimes, I go wild and start with that." Galena likes the sound of his chuckle.
They end up eating on the blanket he gets from the fancy sports car and some cushions Galena managed to scrounge up.
It's where she startles awake, comfortably snuggled up to his naked body. She wants to be mad but, honestly, she's way more embarrassed. This one, she's going to blame on the sexy accent and the sparkling wine.
The bubbly actually did taste good.
.
She wakes up.
She's alone but that doesn't worry her.
She looks around, the bare white walls, the clean room smells like antiseptic and its cold even with the blankets she's under.
She frowns, not sure what she's doing in a hospital but the part that starts to worry her is that she can't remember getting there.
And then she doesn't know her own name….
.
Ana Ortìz has been non-stop complaining about how dangerous the neighborhood has become. And, of course, its all due to the Toretto's. El pelon bueno para nada, that got her sweet girl killed.
Lena rolls her eyes. Now, all of a sudden, Letty was a saint.
Raudel OrtÌz looked tired. Mas viejo que un viejo and that made her sad too. He wanted to go home, to die where he was born.
"Ya le di mi vida a este país. No le quiero dar mas… Vende la casa."
Galena had every intention of doing just that. She got them a realtor, put the signs up, had the open houses… but this was their home. That house held their memories; good and bad. Those walls heard their secrets, their laughter, their tears…
So she bought it. Added the house to her portfolio, set it up so her parents got the rental income, helped them get packed up and settle in Mexico.
.
Galena is sitting on the beach, Jace is shoveling sand over his grandfather's legs. It's quiet, a peaceful quiet and she doesn't want to go back. LA is where her sister is buried, where her friends were killed or got arrested…
They fly to France.
She's wanted to go… well, since she was in high school. Lena figured it would happen while she was testing jets but then… Han.
And then… life.
There's a lot of things to see, museums to visit that Jace isn't a fan of. Food that always makes her want to take a nap and so many places to get coffee…
But, eventually… The car scene is always the same and Lena's French is good.
.
He finally catches up.
She snuck out while he pretended to be dead asleep. He's watching from the shadows, this woman he shouldn't have any interest in…
He's warned his brother, this job… he should've turned it down but his brother thinks he knows best.
He can still feel her… the sound she made…
This one is different.
He knew it when she was sneaking out and he wanted to open his eyes and pull her back onto that blanket…
.