Title: Through It All
Author: L
Rating:PG-13 (language)
Disclaimer: No harm intended. It's all in fun!
Note: None
Archive: https://www.angelfire.com/zine/astitchintime/DieselPowered.html
Feedback: Yes, always welcomed
 
 
Its funny how living in Baja Mexico could be as cold as an arctic tundra, down right sub zero. That was Dom's life after Brian handed him a second chance, after Brian sacrificed everything for him. The team had scattered to the four winds after the last truck, after things had gone totally wrong. But like Mia always said, Dom was like gravity and soon enough the team was pulled back to him, one by one. All except for their boy wonder, the mad scientist, Jesse. He was forever a ghost around them, often felt in the smooth purr of an engine, or a wild scream of tires, he was never far from their minds.
 
Six months out of the hospital supposedly for good and yet again Vince was in a cast. Another surgery under his belt to repair the damage to the mangled joints at his wrist and elbow.  There were too many scars to count now, inside and out.
 
Brian had appeared just two months ago after what he later mentioned as a long vacation on the state. He'd spent several days hanging around like a lost puppy before the face off with Dom but once all was said and done he was back among the fold, which had confused the hell out of Mia. She loved him one day and hated him the next, she'd thrown him out of her small apartment on a weekly basis only to ask him back in the next 24 hours.
 
Dom didn't suffer from that particular problem, he knew just where he stood with Letty. Right in the middle of that arctic freeze. They lived together just a block away from Mia and Brian but that's all they did was live.
 
"Fuck!" Dom growled as the nut he'd been trying to loosen broke loose and he cracked his knuckles against the engine block below. The socket wrench dropped through and clattered onto the cement below the vehicle. Rubbing roughly at the bruised knuckles he walked over and leaned on a bench strewn with various parts. Pain of one kind bring to mind another sort of pain, Letty. She seemed to occupy his mind more than anything else these days. He missed her, missed what they'd had. He had been proud, too damn proud to ask for what he wanted, what he needed from her and now here he was ... miserable.
 
"Toretto?" Came the hesitant call from the wide bay door at the front of the garage. With a resigned sigh he pushed away from the bench and went to meet the person behind the voice.
 
An hour later he stared hard at the man in front of him, eyes narrowed, knowing he was either the luckiest bastard on the face of the earth or he was about to get royally screwed.
 
"Why? The job's not that big won't take that long," he questioned.
 
"Well, cause I ain't got the money to pay ya.....and I ain't got no use for the other.....Hell, it was my ex-wife's and I say good riddance.....So, I'm sellin it cheap. Maybe, we settle on a price and your work goes towards the down?" The man shrugged. "I just need that truck. My whole business depends on it and I've been told if you can't get 'er running then no one can."
 
Dom nodded, knowing that was true enough. "I'm not gettin fucked her am I?" He decided the direct approach was the best.
 
"No, sir. NO," the lanky man with the sandy blonde hair replied, meeting Dom's dark eyes with openess and honesty. "Just desperate to get this done, Mr. Toretto."
 
"Dom. It's Dom and throw in a ride and I'll do it," he said pointing to the bundle of material in the trailer behind the truck.
 
"It's a deal!" The man extended his hand with a relieved smile.
 
Dom led him to the office to discuss the rest of the details, silently wondering at Letty's reaction, plans already taking shape inside his head. The perfect day forming in his mind made him in a far better mood then the day had began with. The promise of hope and happiness loomed ahead of him and that's all he wanted from the moment.
 
************
 
A cool breeze from the coast blew through the open window and Dom sighed in relief settling at the kitchen table. Suddenly there was a plate practically dropped in his lap as Letty stalked by.
 
"Thanks," he mubbled cutting his eyes up to her.
 
"Whatever." She sighed and walked into the next room and flipped on the T.V. Starting up a new game, a racing game, on the game system he'd pulled enough cash together to buy them.
 
Pushing the plate away he stood and followed after her, trying to be patient and understanding, things he'd been for far too long. He picked up the remote and turned off the box in front of her. "What the fuck did you do that for?" she spat, slamming the game controller down on the floor beside herself.
 
"I wanna ask you something, Letty," he replied, lowering himself to his heels in front of her, pinning her in place with the unusual intensity of his eyes.
 
"What?" she hissed, rolling her eyes in aggitation. Wanting to be left to her solitude, to her misery.
 
"Will you go out with me?" He held his breath waiting for her to answer.
 
"Out? Out where? I live with you, Dom." She sighed, frustrated with him beyond reason. The ice walls around her formed a little more thickly trying to block him out.
 
"Out. Have some fun...." He began only to be interrupted by her.
 
"Yeah. Sure. When?" Her clipped tone was definitely her ice princess touch, the same freeze he felt every night.
 
"Tomorrow. Saturday. I don't have to work at the garage," he explained, impulsively reaching up to caress her neck, craving her skin, her smell, the warm feel of her lips. She quickly jerked away as if she'd been burned by his touch.
 
A deep heavy sigh of disappointment rolled through his chest and stood. "Letty, I need..." he began and then silenced himself.  He wouldn't beg her, couldn't even bring himself to ask for her affection.
 
"Go eat, Dom," she commanded, in that tone, that tone that made him want to eat broken glass before speaking to her.
 
"Yeah. Think I'll do that."  He stalked out of the room, his gut twisting painfully. Tomorrow was it, a new start or the end of something special.
 
****************
 
Saturday dawned clear and bright, the sun beating down on the streets of Baja, baking the local landscape. Dom stood in the kitchen of the small apartment, mop in hand. Letty had been gone since Mia had called and asked her shopping at the the little market in the center of town. He'd spent the morning, cleaning, something he disliked with a passion but he did, did it for her. The kitchen sparkled with a clean gloss and he smiled at his attention to detail looking to the burners on the stove.
 
"Dom! Dom!" Letty yelled as she entered the front door.
 
"Did you know?" She came into the kitchen a smirk on her face.
 
"Know what?" He cut his eyes to her, knowing she would ignore the clean apartment.
 
"Brian and Mia." She sighed, hands on her hips, shaking her head.
 
"They're getting married. I think you should put your foot down and stop them." She growled, feeling a hard edged jealousy over the news that Mia had been so excited to share that morning.
 
"Letty, she's a grown woman and can do whatever she wants. If she wants to marry O'Conner I'll wish them the best of luck, but I'm not gonna try and stop them." He turned shoving the mop into the corner.
 
"You're so stupid. I just knew you would...." she hissed like a cornered cat.
 
Dom moved like lightening, pinning her to the wall opposite him. "Don't ever call me fuckin stupid, Letty. That's the very last thing I am." He leaned in capturing her lips with his, forcing the kiss when she tried to turn her head, squirming against him. He inwardly felt the heated boil of shame at forcing her to have contact with him. And then something he didn't expect happened, she stilled and he realized her lips were open and her tongue teasing his. Pulling the warm wet flesh into his mouth he sucked, a frenzy of need uncoiling deep inside him. There was a deep low growl that rumbled through his chest, his lower body responding instantly to her being so close. He pulled his lips from hers with a sense of hard throbbing regret and reached to the table grabbing his keys.
 
Letty stared, stunned, at him.She hadn't expected to want the kiss, not to want him after all of the months without him. There were things she just couldn't bring herself to forgive, to forget, or so she thought. But there she stood, sagging against the wall, her memory fading moment by moment. Get him back, get him back now, the voice inside her head screamed, it begged. But if nothing else she had her pride, she wouldn't call him back to her, he was the one that had pulled away not her.
 
"Lets go," he growled, cutting his eyes to her noticing the sweet dazed look in her eyes and a ray of hope sprang to life inside. She liked it, wanted it, he told himself and knowing it was the truth.
 
"Where?" Was all she could manage, the only thing she really wanted to know anyway.
 
"Out." He took her hand and pulled her towards the door. "I asked you last night to go out with me."
 
"Yeah, I remember that but I thought it was just dinner or somethin."
 
"No."
 
*******************
 
He drove slowly toward the ocean, cutting his eyes to her every few second his heart pounding inside the tight restraint of his chest. He wanted this to be perfect, wanted her to love him, wanted her to forgive him finally.
 
She could feel his eyes traveling over her and it sent a heated blush to the surface of her skin.  It was nice to be wanted, it was even better to want, to feel the familiar tug of desire again in the lower half of her body.
 
Turning off the main road he hit the accelerator and the car sped along the endless dirt road, engine whinning under the hood. There was a wide smile on her face as Dom finally slowed the car and brought it to a complete stop.
 
"What's here?" She glanced at him her confusion becoming compounded. Leaning across to her he looked out the passenger side window and pointed. Letty turned her head and gapped at the bulbous balloon riding the wind current towards them. "A hot air balloon?" she whispered, not realizing she'd said it out loud. She watched it float effortlessly, the pastel colors of the balloon drew her eyes, as Dom curled his arm around her shoulder and sat for a moment watching the balloon's progress towards them.
 
"Come on," he said, taking her hand and pulling her across the driver's side seat and out of the car. "We're goin for a ride."
 
"In that?" She laughed, more at ease and carefree than Dom had seen her in months.
 
"Yeah, that's what I had in mind," he replied, smiling along with her, excited and nervous.
 
"Dom. How? Why?" she asked, turning to him and if possible her smile grew.
 
"Don't worry about the hows and whys, Letty, just enjoy it." He impulsively slipped his arm around her waist as the balloon touched down yards away. They walked together, so close they seemed melded into one. Dom leaned down and scooped her into his arms as they neared the gondola, holding her longer then he needed, snug against his wide chest, before he eased her into the big basket. Throwing his leg over the edge he slipped in beside her and they were quickly floating along the coast, watching waves lapping the sand from above, watched the blue ocean collide with the far horizon and give way to the promise of a beautiful sunset.
 
"I can't believe we're doing this, Dom. A hot air balloon." She laughed, a light and airy sound, carefree and what Dom thought passed for a moment of happiness. The harsh hiss of flame cut off the rest of her words and he simply stared at her for a moment, absorbing her beauty, her wild free spirit, the things he'd taken for granted so often back then. Taken for granted back when it was all about the money, the next race, the next score. Now it was all about her, about the life he wanted for her, and was willing to do anything to make her his again.
 
He took her hand and pulled her against his side, his lips going near her ear. "This is just the beginning, baby, just the beginning."
 
**********************
 
Across the gently rolling dunes Dom stood watching Letty waded into the surf, facing the setting sun. The orange and mauve of the of the brilliant sky above caressed her features, lending a soft aura to her. His goddess, he breathed. She turned then smiling innocently, openly at him and his heart skipped a beat and sped up until it thundered in his chest, roaring loud inside his ears.
 
Moments held suspended between them and then she was leaving the water behind moving with slow measured steps towards him. "This is really amazing, Dom." She lay her hand against his chest, meeting his unsettled gaze. "Why'd you bring me here?"
 
He wound his arms around her and pulling her tightly against him, not an inch of space separating them. Impulsively he whispered, "I want you....to love me more." He sighed, resting his forehead against hers. "It's so hard for me to tell you..."
 
"I do love you, Dom. I never stopped loving you.  It's just that..." She turned her face away for a moment but finding she needed the comfort of his eyes, the eyes that always lead her straight into his soul. "I was pissed, ya know? You put us all in a bad place. You should have listened, Dom. Should have listened when we wanted to back out."
 
"You don't think I know that, Letty? I live, sleep, and breath that goddamn mistake everyday of my life. And if I could take it back, if I could go back, I'd never put any of you in the position I did. Not even fuckin O'Connor." He didn't realize there were tears on his face until he felt the soft warm pad of her tongue on his cheek, lapping at the spilled moisture.
 
"I guess it's time we both let it go. It's in the past and that's where it should stay.I love you enough for that. I love you enough to forget the past and live right here, right now," she vowed, eager to make her words mean just that. She rubbed invitingly against him as something akin to a purr sounded from her throat.
 
Dom reacted immediately, recognizing that sound. No matter how long it had been he could never forget that sound, dreaming of it in those dark moments when he thought he had lost her for good. He drew her down to the warm sand lips fully impacting one another, sucking and lapping until the need for oxygen pulled them apart.
 
"You still didn't tell me why we're here," she panted breathlessly against his lips.
 
"Because it's our beach, Letty. Remember the dream I told you before that last job? The dream about the beach? This is it. I worked somethin out, a deal, and it's ours. All ours." He took as slow calming breath, his hands wandering her form. "Can we start over? Maybe, work on a future?"
 
"No." She stared into his eyes, her heart slamming against her ribs. "We go on from here. We make that future and keep the past. There were good times there, too. I don't wanna loose those. I just wanna love you, Dom."
 
 
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