Author's Note: Okay guys I totally meant to have this done AGES ago but... frankly I got spoiled about the new movie and it has made me SO pissed off that I almost couldn't finish this at all. Idk if you guys have also been spoiled, but I'm going to say as a Dotty fan, I'm not happy with the reason for Dom's betrayal and I am not sure other shippers will be either.

That said, this chapter does have some info from what we know happens in the movie - that Cipher manipulates Dom into working for her, their time in Cuba and that there's a baby involved. Everything else is just me writing what I'd prefer to see and trying to fix what I see as poor writing. But there's not any straight up spoilers in this. Anyway, read and enjoy!

Chapter 1

One Month Earlier

Cuba

"So wait, when did you guys get hitched?"

"Let's see," Letty muttered, shading her eyes from the late-afternoon sun. She was settled across a picnic-style table from a man with a warm, welcoming grin on his broad face. Despite being related to Dom on his mother's side, the other man didn't bear much resemblance to him. "What year is it again?"

"Very funny," Dom put in at her side. "2011."

"Damn," Fernando shook his head. "Five years for you to get around to the honeymoon, cuz, seriously?"

"There were some road blocks," Dom replied. "But we got here all the same." He slung his arm around Letty who offered him a wry smile.

It was hard not to think about how much time they'd lost. Two years of thinking her dead, three years where she was there and yet… not complete. And now, they were finally getting things figured out. Hell, it seemed they had things figured out.

While they were here in Cuba the house was being renovated. Mostly because it had been blown up, but it didn't hurt to modernize it a little bit. Sure, they wanted to keep most of the original layout, but there wasn't anything wrong with a little central air. Especially when living in LA.

They had jobs, actual jobs as law-abiding citizens. But not boring nine to five jobs. Jobs where they got to use their own very unique talents, along with the rest of their family, and take care of whatever business Mr. Nobody seemed to think needed taking care of. Not many other people could luck out so hard.

"Yeah well I have to ask what the hell happened to my invite? It get lost in the mail? Five years seems like enough time that would have sorted itself out by now."

"No one came to the wedding. Even if we'd wanted to invite people it wasn't like I could go around advertising where I was hiding out," Dom commented. "Even Mia didn't go."

"Yeah and how pissed was she about that one?" Fernando snickered.

"Pretty pissed."

"No worried, cuz. We got plenty of time while you're here to make up for it."

"You do know this is our honeymoon, right? As in, mine and Dom's. Not your's," Letty said, pointing her fork at him.

"Hey, far be it from me to intrude," Fernando said, grinning over at her. "I've got plenty to keep me busy."

For once, neither Dom nor Letty wanted to know. Fernando was a notorious deadbeat and had always been somewhat of a small-time criminal in Cuba. But he was family, and when it came to the Toretto team that was all that mattered. It didn't hurt that when they were itching for the local street races he knew just where to go.

A Toretto honeymoon just wouldn't be complete without cars and a lot of speed.

When they pulled up to the street however, it was a lot different from what they'd see back home. On the streets of LA people would run with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of product beneath the hoods of their vehicles. Here in Cuba it wasn't quite that simple. For one thing the US sanctions and trade embargos had kept anything relatively new from Cuban shores since the time of the Cold War. This meant that everything from the cars themselves to the parts under the hood were from a bygone era. In fact, just tooling down the streets one might feel like they'd gone back in time.

But it also meant that the cars that showed up to race wouldn't have stood a chance against something like Dom's charger back home, or even some of the floor model cars sold around the world these days.

But maybe there was something purer about that. When it came down to just the basics. Just you and the car.

"So, you racing?" Dom asked his cousin.

"Well… you see I was sort of hoping-"

"Here it comes," Letty said.

"Hey, hey. I haven't even finished talking."

"You want Dom to race for you," she went on.

"Well I… how did you-"

"Because you made some stupidass bet and you're afraid you're gonna lose."

"Hey now… that's-"

"What stupidass bet did you make, Fernando?" Dom asked.

oooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo

They'd spend most of the morning just enjoying Cuba. Driving around the streets in their borrowed Cruiser felt like a throwback to another era. Not just the cars but the streets and buildings in much of the city harkened to a time long past. At times the streets had the feel of old colonial life, but at others modern Cuba shone through.

Cruising down the street in the convertible they enjoyed the pleasant weather. People around them were dressed to combat the heat - some ready for the beach. Lunch was enjoyed by the shore with a view of the ocean. The smell of salt air and sand, the sound of music playing from the speakers of a local's car - bass turned up too high. The seafood was fresh, the view fabulous and the company perfect. It wasn't often these days they got to spend time just the two of them. True, Mia and Brian had their own place now - for their growing family, but it seemed between the garage, the team and their work for Mr. Nobody there was always some demand on their time. These past few days had been just what they needed.

The race Fernando had set them up for was taking place on the West end of the city. A cordoned off stretch of road that was normally one lane in each direction. They'd blocked off any traffic that might end up out this way late at night, turning it into a clear straightaway for drag racing.

The guy Dom was driving against had managed to make something of a name for himself in the street racing scene, at least around here. He was young and full of attitude in a way that Letty said was familiar. It wasn't that Dom didn't see the similarities to his younger self. It was more that he didn't want to think about how old he was getting.

They lined up at the start, which someone had marked off. Cars were gathered around, parked along the sides of the road, crammed onto the shoulder and off onto the gravel and dirt that made up the stretches of abandoned land. It was dark here, but the bright headlights of the other vehicles illuminated the makeshift track. An older man with a dark beard trimmed close to his face and a faded t-shirt came up to the start, lifting a small white flag into the air. The drivers readied their cars, engines rumbling as they waited for the signal.

They pulled off the line with a squeal of tires and the roar of engines. Dom hit the clutch, kicking it up into gear as he picked up speed. He was focused, serious. This wasn't his car, but it didn't matter. He could feel the road beneath him, hear the air rush past as the engine hummed with power. The rush of the race never got old. And no matter the car, it felt like it was a part of him. Like an extension of himself, blood pumping through metal and oil rushing through his veins.

The competition was a good driver, but Dom was better. Few people were able to challenge him on the road. It sounded more than a little egotistical but it was also true.

When he was in the zone, driving, everything slowed down and Dom felt as if time stood still. His focus narrowed to him and the car. Nothing else mattered at that moment. Not anything.

The other driver had been creeping up alongside him most of the race. These were old cars. They weren't fitted with nitrous or any sort of speed boost abilities. Here it was simply a test of the skill of a driver. Not that the car didn't make a difference, Dom thought as he shifted gears again. Both vehicles were classics, which was all well and good. The problem came down to what was under the hood. Oh there were certainly racers who smuggled parts in, but the majority of what was going into these vehicles had been reclaimed from somewhere else. The engine in Fernando's car sure as hell hadn't been under the hood when it had first been produced, shipped to Cuba and bought by someone's grandfather. These racers made the most of what they had here, and that ingenuity could go a long way. Especially with the right driver behind the wheel.

Dom grinned as he pressed down on the clutch, shifting gears. It was all good to him. He preferred a classic car anyway. Old-fashioned American muscle.

The engine roared, the car filled with the sound of tires on pavement. He could just see the shape of the other car in the far peripheral of his vision, but he ignored it, focusing on the finish line up ahead. Half a car length might seem like plenty of lead, but you didn't win until you won. And if you celebrated beforehand you just made a fool out of yourself.

He wasn't nervous, but he was focused. There was always the thrill of the race, that little adrenaline burst. The danger was real for a number of reasons. You could get caught by the cops and picked up. You could lose control of your car and crash. Something could go wrong with the vehicle, or the other guy's car. But those things weren't why Dom got an adrenaline rush during a race. It was the thrill of the win, the chance of losing. That was what kept bringing him back to the races.

That same thrill when he shot over the finish line to the sounds of cheers around him, grin tugging across his face as he caught sight of his cousin scooping Letty up in a tight hug with a whoop of delight. Was there really ever any doubt that Dom would win? And yet there was always that little bit - hence the thrill.

oooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo

"You know," Fernando said. "You're lucky."

"I know," Dom agreed, taking a long drink of his beer. They sat together on the old porch on the front of Fernando's little house. The wood was cracked and weathered and there were no chairs so they'd settled on the steps. This time of night it was dark out here. The few streetlights seemed to work only half the time. The house across the way was abandoned, but the one next door was newly renovated, looking far too large and pristine on the old block. The sounds of the city were distant, replaced by the faint chirping of crickets and the occasional barking of a dog.

"You got it all. Even when you thought you'd lost it. Somehow everything worked out," his cousin added, a little sigh in his voice.

"Well not like it didn't take a little work, but yeah. Life is good." Dom nodded.

They sat in silence for a moment, enjoying their beers, the quiet stillness of the night all around them.

"You think a little bit of that luck will rub off on me?"

"What?" Dom laughed. "Why would you ask that?"

There was a long awkward moment, Fernando shifting in his seat. He sighed, stretching out his legs.

"There was a woman."

Dom chuckled. "What else? Isn't there always?"

"This was different." At his cousin's serious tone, Dom sobered. "It was crazy and intense but it wasn't just a fling. But you know, she's in this world too, only worse. Deeper in. With the wrong kind of people."

"What happened?"

"She got pregnant."

"Shit." Dom dragged a hand over his face. "And what did you do?"

"Got her out. Paid this tech big bucks, like, a lot. Got her a new name and everything."

"So that's good right? She's safe."

"That's the problem," Fernando sighed. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"We had everything ready to go. Bags packed. We booked a flight. The morning I wake up and she's gone. Just disappeared."

"You sure she didn't just cut out? Ghost on you?" Dom asked.

"I'm sure because of this." Fernando produced his cell phone, passing it over to Dom who took it, dark gaze moving over the image on the screen.

The woman photographed was pretty, but in a rough sort of way. She was sitting, staring at the camera with a mullish set to her jaw. Her eyes were hard bright flints staring out from her tanned face. So bright as to be startling. Her blonde hair was curled to her shoulders, one stray lock falling across her brow. She was sitting with her arms cross in front of her pregnant belly, on a cheap folding chair. It was hard to tell where she was, but the darkened room contained a wall of tiny green and red lights behind her. Much like one might find on computers.

Dom passed the phone back. "Where did this come from?" he asked his cousin.

"The hacker we paid to help us," Fernando admitted. "Along with a message. I got the text not long after I woke up and found Tamar missing. You see we sort of…" he hesitated, rubbing a hand over his head.

"Oh, no. Don't tell me you tried to play this woman," Dom groaned. "Fernando, I came here on my honeymoon. Not to get pulled into your bullshit."

"But Dom, you have to help me. We didn't have the money. She wanted so much. We did everything we could, called in every favor, but we were still short. So we… added some counterfeit bills to the packs. We mixed it all up with the real money. So we thought… we'd be out of the country before she found it out."

"You're a fucking idiot," Dom muttered. "So how much are you short? We'll pay her off and get Tamar back."

"It's… not that easy," Fernando sighed. "She wants more."

"How much? We have money."

"Something else. Somehow… she knows who you are. And she wants to meet with you."

"With me? Why?" Dom frowned, closing his eyes. "Shit. What are you getting me into?"

"I don't know. Look, you don't have to tell Letty anything yet. Just meet with her and see what she wants. We'll… figure something out. You have connections, right?"

Dom thought of Hobbs, Mr. Nobody, of Ramsay and the rest of the team. He certainly had connections, people he could go to. Depending on just what this woman his cousin was in trouble with had to say.

"Fine." Dom stood up, drinking down the rest of his beer in a long swig. He hadn't asked for this shit. On the one hand, he wanted to take Letty far away from all of this and make sure she got the honeymoon she deserved. After all the problems they'd faced to get here, they deserved some time to be happy. But on the other hand… Fernando was family. And he couldn't leave family in a lurch. Even if the timing was shitty. Unbelievably shitty.

"Tomorrow is our last day here. Arrange a meeting for tomorrow night. I'm going to enjoy the rest of the time with my wife."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks Dom. It means a lot that you're-"

"You're family," Dom interrupted. "We always watch out for family. With any luck I'll have your girl back in a few days."

"Yeah… I hope so."

Dom hoped so too, though he had a bad feeling that his cousin was about to get him tangled up in a mess he didn't want to be a part of. He couldn't shake it as he walked back through the house towards the room he was sharing with Letty. He knew he should tell her about what was going on, and he would. If it amounted to anything.

He pushed the conversation from his mind as he opened the door to see his wife sitting on the bed back to the door. She still wore her clothes from earlier and he could see from the cell sitting next to her that she'd probably been on the phone. Perhaps her weekly call to Mia, or checking in with the garage while they were away from LA.

"Hey," he said, closing the door behind him.

She turned her head, smiling. "Hey."

"Checking in with Hector?"

"Nah," she said. "He'll call if there's anything. Mia rang. Wanted to know how it's going. She keeps texting me to send pictures, like we take any."

"I take pictures."

"Dom, she doesn't want those kinds of pictures."

They shared a laugh as he settled alongside her on the bed.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and Letty leaned into him, his fingers tangling in her hair.

"You know," he muttered. "I'm sort of regretting not shelling out for another couple nights at the hotel."

Letty laughed, shifting on the bed to face him better. "Well," she said. "We're alone right now. Do you really have anything to complain about?"

He grinned, wrapping his arms around her to pull her into his lap. "Not a thing," he answered, drawing her close for a slow kiss. Holding her, all the other troubles and concerns left his mind. In this moment he was just a man on his honeymoon with the love of his life. After everything they were finally here. Together, whole, happy. It was something to focus on. Not go looking for the next problem.

Dom drew Letty with him as he laid back on the bed, his arms wrapped around her. He took his time just kissing her, holding her close so that he could feel every inch of her body against his. She leaned over him, the dark curls of her hair falling around her face and brushing against his cheek. He lifted his hands to sweep fingers through the soft strands, cradling her jaw as their kisses deepened. When he drew back his lungs were burning for air and her lips were stung red. Her dark eyes glazed with desire. He pressed an open-mouthed kiss against her throat, tasting her raging pulse as she shifted against him, fingers curling into the hem of his t-shirt.

She sat up to tug it up and over his head, tossing it aside carelessly. His hands dropped to her hips, fingers skimming along the edge of the little shorts she wore to stroke the silky skin of her thighs. Letty shifted above him, eyes dark as she reached down to tug her top over her head, baring a scrap of black satin and lace. His eyes roved, hands gunning for the firm curve of her ass as she ground her hips down against his. She cupped his face and leaned down. This time the kiss was more charged, her teeth grazing his lips, tongues sliding together, sharing the same panting breaths every time they drew apart.

Her hands slid over his bare chest, nails trailing along his stomach before her fingers found the button of his fly. Practiced motions made quick work of that and the zipper, and she lifted herself on her knees to tug the jeans down until he kicked them away. Dom rolled them, splaying her on her back on the mattress as he held himself above her. His lips trailed a path down the line of her throat, over the soft swell of her breasts. He traced the lacy edge of her bra with his tongue before reaching back to release the catch of the garment, sliding the straps from her shoulders. Letty smiled up at him, her eyes dark with emotion and arousal, cheeks flushed and lips pink. She reached for the fastening of her own shorts, undoing them. Her thumbs hooked under the waistband she shot him a wicked little grin that had his breath catching in his throat.

He trapped her hands with his larger ones, burying his face against her chest. Her arms came up around him and she arched up into the path his lips made, tasting the salt of sweat on her skin and the rapid beat of her heart. Dom inched the shorts over the curve of her hips, drawing back from the circle of her arms to work them down her legs. Before he could move back up the bed she was closing the distance between them, catching him off guard to knock him back, her hands splayed against his chest as she perched above him. He laughed, hands sliding up her thighs to trace over the lace of her underwear, palms curving against her backside to press her hips down as she rocked against him. The motion drew a breathless gasp from her, a low groan rumbling in his chest as Letty leaned down to close the distance between them, until their bodies were molded together. As tight as they were, she could feel the beat of his heart in time with her's.

Tangled together on the bed they shed the last bits of clothing that kept them from one another, rolling across bunched sheets she rose above him, the light of the moon painting her dusky skin silvery in the dark room. Her eyes seemed to shine when they met his, her fingers twining through his as she lifted her hips, sinking down to take him in. He roved her with his eyes as she arched above him, hands caught in hers. Their breaths and sounds mingled in the humid air as she drew out their pleasure until he thought he might go mad. Dom rolled them, pinning her to the mattress. Letty's laugh was caught against his mouth as he kissed her, his hands sliding down to tilt her hips until he was rewarded with her low moan. His hand was a brand against her thigh as she wrapped her legs around him.

They moved together, the bed starting to shake beneath them as Dom's hips took a more desperate pace. Letty curled her fingers into his shoulders, biting her lower lip to stifle her cries as they strained together, crashing over that peak as her body clamped tightly around his. Those trembles echoed for long moments afterward, awareness creeping back into their senses as their breaths panted out between them.

With a wordless murmur they rearranged themselves on the bed until they were side-by-side, Letty's head pillowed against his shoulder. Dom's arms came around her, eyes closing. He tried to hold on to the sweet feeling of her pressed tightly against him, the warmth of her breath feathering over his shoulder. His fingers trailed idly through her hair, eyes wandering up to focus on the ceiling above. He tried not to worry about what sort of trouble his cousin had gotten himself into. Somehow everything would work out, wouldn't it?

"You've got something on your mind," Letty said from beside him and he nearly startled, turning to offer her a smile.

"It's nothing."

"If it's nothing why you thinking about it now?" she asked, propping herself up a little to gaze down at him, a small smile tugging at her mouth.

He sighed, fingers trailing along the line of her jaw. "Just thinking about us," he said. "About the future."

She smiled. "Oh? Something in particular you have in mind? Or just thinking about the next job? Hmm… the next thrill ride?"

Dom laughed. "I thought that was you. Mrs. Adrenaline Rush."

She wound her arms around his shoulders. "I guess I am. Maybe I won't always be. But for now, the rush is good. You and me. The next job." She pressed a kiss against his mouth. "You knew that, right?"

"Of course," he agreed. There was a part of him that thought about the future with her. A family, maybe. But there was also a part of him that acknowledged it as a bad idea with the way they were. Their lives were dangerous and no child deserved to be robbed of one or more parents because they did something stupid. Wasn't that why he'd told Brian to pull back from it all? That kind of future wasn't just around the corner. They wouldn't be able to do this shit forever though, so it was a possible future.

"I mean I'm not writing it off eventually," she said. "Just don't start daydreaming about nurseries just yet, Dominic."

She smirked at him and he laughed, wrapping his arms around her for a deep kiss. Just like that his mood felt lightened. Everything would work out.

oooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo

It almost seemed there was a chill in the air that night when Dom left his cousin's place, door clapping shut behind him with a sort of finality. He was really going to meet this woman. All without letting his wife know what was going on.

But it wasn't like that. And if he was lucky it would be the end of it tonight. He'd explain to Letty (she'd probably still be pissed) but after a short time it would all be behind them.

Tamar would be safe. Fernando would be happy.

If he wasn't lucky then things would get more complicated. But he'd tell Letty either way. When shit went bad it was always his team he turned to. His family.

The meeting place Fernando had given him wasn't too far away. A local fishing supply store. Closed at this time of night, the parking lot sat empty. Dom pulled up.

A nearby street lamp flickered.

He cut the engine, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against a nearby retaining wall. Far in the distance there was a siren, the faint musical beats from a party. Even so, the night felt still as death.

It was the sound of gravel beneath tires that had Dom turning his head. The car that pulled up was too modern to blend in here. Clearly someone with access to a lot of money. It pulled up alongside him and parked.

He waited for long moments, tense, as the vehicle sat, dark and still in the lot. He couldn't see anyone through the tinted windows, especially not in this light. Then, finally, the driver's side door opened and a figure stepped out. Dom took that as his cue to do the same, straightening up to see Fernando's so-called cyber-criminal in front of him.

The woman didn't look like he was expecting, though Dom supposed he should have learned to expect the unexpected by now. She was admittedly beautiful, but she had a hard look about her, like flint. She didn't smile, but Dom got the feeling that if she did she would look like a shark.

There was something illicit about lying to Letty and meeting with a strange woman. It made him feel wrong, even though he knew he was only doing it to help his cousin.

"What do you want?" he asked, after he and the blonde had a moment to size each other up.

She smiled. It was shark-like, as expected. "You," she said.

"I'm not for sale," he replied. "My cousin owes you money. I'll make up the difference, and you'll let the girl go."

"The deal's changed," she told him. "I know who you are and what you can do, Dominic Toretto. So I want you."

"Pretend I'm considering," he said, glaring at her. "What exactly are you asking for?"

She laughed. "A partnership, of sorts. I need a driver with your skills. I've got plans and I can't do it alone. And… thanks to you, my old go-to is in a high security prison that even I won't touch. Luck for me… another opportunity has fallen into my lap."

"And if I say not interested?" he asked.

"You won't," she replied. "Because I have leverage."

"Tamar," Dom muttered. "I don't even know her."

"She's still family, and so is that baby she's carrying."

He grit his teeth, hands curled into fists.

"And don't think about getting anyone else involved," she continued. "Because I have even more leverage than that."

She turned away to get something from the car behind her. Dom watched, thinking about simply grabbing her and hauling her in so Hobbs could deal with her. But there was no guarantee she would talk. Tamar could be locked away somewhere without food or water. She could be in danger. Also, he had to find out about this other thing she claimed to have. Was his family in danger? Letty? Mia and the kids? What could make her so sure he'd agree to help her?

The woman withdrew a sleek looking tablet and turned, passing it to Dom.

Now, he wasn't up on the latest tech if it had nothing to do with cars, but Dom recognized the display in front of him. He recognized it because it was the God's Eye. The very tech Ramsey had created. That they had liberated from terrorists because of the danger it posed. And now it was in the hands of this woman. A woman who'd should she wasn't above manipulation to get what she wanted. And she was manipulating him.

They both knew it.

"What is it you want?" he asked.

"You to join me," she answered. "And I want to believe it. I want your team to believe it."

He set his teeth, eyes narrowed. "What's the point of that?"

"Insurance," she replied, taking the tablet from him. "You can't turn on me if you're all alone. If your family abandons you."

"You think they will?"

"You'll make sure they do," she told him. "Because I hold their lives in my hands. You'd be amazed how easy it is to explain a rogue drone strike these days." She smiled and it made Dom feel unpleasant.

"Wouldn't want anything to happen to that cute little niece and nephew you have. Or your wife," she went on. "Braga and his crew were amateurs. When I set out to eliminate someone, I don't fail."

"You're threatening my family," he told her. "That's not going to make me loyal to you."

"But you'll make them believe you are," she said. "Until I'm all you have left. Either way you end up alone, Dom. But at least this way they get to live."

Dom turned away, hands curled into fists as he debated laying into the woman then and there. But she was too smart to chance it. In a bind like this the first people he'd turn to were his family. But if he did they were as good as dead. He didn't know if he could get help from anyone. Even tapping Mr. Nobody and his resources could mean certain doom for the people he loved.

What she was asking him to do would hurt. It would hurt them and it would hurt him. But at least they'd be safe. He'd have time to figure something out.

"You have until Tuesday." Her voice interrupted his thoughts. "I know you have a job. I'll send coordinates. If you're not there you know the consequences." She got back into her car.

Dom stood there for long moments after she drove away, his mind a turmoil. But no matter what way he turned it around in his head, no matter how wrong it made him feel, one thing was for certain.

He was going to do it.