I cannot believe that I have this here, the next part in Sad Lament, and as I sit here I am both exhilarated and ashamed. Too much time has passed since the last update and I am cannot apologize enough. Given that I hope that those of you still willing to read this will not be too disappointed with the result. I would be most anxious to hear any thoughts on this chapter. Thanks again and sorry for the loooong wait.

"You ran away again."

Fat lot of good that had done her and really was it running away when you only went home?

"You followed."

She didn't turn around, she had no need to, she could see him clearly standing in the doorway, scowling, arms crossed.

"You promised you wouldn't do that again."

'Ha!' The laugh was bitter and bleeding, but she couldn't help that.

"What's one more broken promise between us?"

His grunt, his irritation, was palpable, but Letty kept her hand firmly on the railing, her eyes staring out at the violent sea before her.

"If I were a better man, a stronger man, I'd let you go."

Not what she had expected. The words slid in she turned them over, absorbed their meaning.

Gasping, she couldn't imagine a life completely free of the man, the person that was Dominic Toretto; did she even want to?

"You done real good here Letty girl. Got a home, a life, you did so much, so well."

The pressure rising in her chest was painful. How could his words, his sincere respect and admiration still affect her so much? She shouldn't need it (crave it) not after all that had stretched between them.

"But I've never been strong when it counted or good when I needed to be."

How true, she considered all the times that very choice would have made all the difference in the world. He moved silently over to her, coming to stand to her left, and she finally snuck a glance.

Oh, that smile. That smile had made so many nights better. How she had missed that.

"I can't let you go."

And there it was.

"I won't."

Oh, God, she didn't want to hear this.

"You want to run away again, that's fine, but things won't change, Letty. I'll still be here, I'll still be waiting."

How could she be hearing this?

"Who knows maybe then, after the world brings you back to me again, maybe that time you'll know."

Know? Oh, that was funny. Really. 'Know.' She had always known. There had never been a question of knowing and really wasn't that the problem.

She loved him, she fucking hated him, she wanted him as much as she wished him dead. What they were, the force of them, was destructive, chaotic, and so, so dangerous.

"What I know Dom is the danger that we are."

The fire, the burn, had cooled and she could look at him now. Look at him and smile.

"We hurt and break and destroy."

There was nothing fair about the words she spoke, she knew it, hell she was sure he knew it, the frown he wore was clear on that point, but it was so hard to just put together what was slipping out of her head, her heart. Words had never been her thing. Why talk when you could do?

Mia had words, so had Jesse in his own weird way, and lest she forget Dom himself. A master of language, real language, he could rile and rant and seduce. My goodness he sure knew his words.

What words were there to fix this? What magic combination of vowels and consonants would ease the ache in her chest and just make it all better.

"You're right."

'Right?'

"The people we were," he shrugged, "Not to great at the everyday, the normal, the living."

They never had just lived had they? Intrigued she turned towards him, still maintaining a safe distance distance between touches, he respected it, leaning forward until his elbows rested against the wood.

"We are different people now," Were they though? Hadn't tonight proved otherwise? "With another chance."

Could it be that simple? Leaving that night eighteen months ago had been so simple, the hardest thing she had ever done, but unbelievably simple.

She had gone with her gut, listened to her heart, and had leaped.

"This is our chance, our fucking moment," his eyes burned into hers, she could see the belief the absolute conviction in the words, "I know it."

He did? After everything? Everything?

Her thoughts were raging a war in her head. There were no more secrets between them, he knew, all of it, and still, still he was here. She couldn't see anymore, turned away from the sight. It was too beautiful, too much, and she hid her eyes from it.

"You do too. I want to fight for this. So the question is do you?"

He was waiting, she knew it, but she had no answer for him, how could she? It was too big for one answer.

"I can wait. Like you waited," his chuckle was deep and warm, "Serves me right then doesn't it?."

He had always had a warped sense of humor, had always been able to make her laugh. Maybe all of what they been had not been bad.

Turning, to reassure, to accept, to run, she didn't know, but didn't have to; he was gone.

And again she was all alone.

His words had led her down a path that she was not prepared for and now that she was on it she had way of knowing where to go. At a loss she began to move, heading off the porch, she made her way down to the beach, his words, his smiles followed. She was as overwhelmed and unsure as she had been the moment she had pulled her car off the highway.

Her arrival downtown had caused an uproar, people were cheering, and horns had begun to blaze announcing her progress down the line. Through the welcome her eyes scanned the crowds, looking, wondering, until her eyes fell on the only available spot. Her spot.

"Never let no one else near it Letty-girl!" Vince's whisper had shaken her, but she had had no time to absorb them, as she was lifted in the air by strong arms.

"Team Toretto rides again!"

The crowd had erupted again after Vince's official announcement and before she could catch her breath, faces were smiling at her, some she knew, more she didn't, but she smiled back, smiled until her cheeks hurt.

Then as quickly as they had converged the crowd part. Her smiles faded as her eyes narrowed, cautious, "Dominic."

Briefly she had wondered if he would turn away from her, effectively cutting her out of the thing they still shared, and the possibility had hurt more than she thought it would.

But he had simply stared, "Letty."

Two steps had separated them, the whole world had silenced, eager to see if the King would welcome back his Queen. Hell their story had become legend.

His brutal gaze had bent her, but she was not about to break, crossing her arms, shifting her hips just so, the tapping finger on her elbow conveyed indifference to all the world. Let him look, let him think what he would, but she would not break for him again.

To her left she had seen Mia tense, her hand grasping tightly to an unsuspecting Vince.

The silence, the eyes, the stare had begun to frustrate her, and she had never done that emotion very well. A split second before she turned around, fully intending to toss a colorful 'fuck you' over her shoulder, his hand moved.

As stunned as she could ever remember being, she had stood frozen as his fingers reached toward the strands of hair that had blown across her cheek.

At that point her heart had taken on an unhealthy cadence, and then nearly stopped when he moved forward, pressing the softest of kisses to her cheek. His voice came to her in a whisper that was meant only for her, "Welcome back Letty."

Surprise was hardly a big enough word to describe how she felt then; stunned, silent, they all worked as well. So yeah, it had been an 'S' moment.

Of all the greetings she had anticipated on the ride over, most of which had ended with her fist on his face, the reality had never been considered.

"Time to Race!" his body had left her space and she had stood there, accepting, understanding. She wanted this night to be hers, to race, but had not counted on him giving that to her.

"Letty, come on, they're getting ready," Mia had pulled her away.

"Mia, It's...I..." Arms wrapped around her and she had held on tightly.

"I know, I know, he's trying Let. I really think he is."

Mia knew them both so well, yes, they had both changed, maybe for the better, maybe for the worse, but Dom's little sister knew to question his sincerity on the big things, as did she, and Mia's words carried weight.

She had been lost in her head when a gruff voice interrupted her thought, "He did wrong Letty."

Turning, she had welcomed the hug Leon offered, Mia was swept away in the crowd leaving the two of them in their embrace.

"We both did Lee," and that was the truth she could accept now. They had both done so much wrong.

"And he knows it," maybe the shock had worn off, or the memories that Lee had brought with his cologne, but something shifted in her head. History had started repeat itself. Dom does wrong, fesses up, Letty forgives, and bam, the cycle starts over again.

Hope was replaced by pain, the evidence of it had been in her voice, "it might not be enough this time Lee," she ignored the little voice in her head, the one that reminded her of her culpability, how much of everything was just his fault, when would she accept her role?

Around them people were hyped up on the adrenaline of the impending race and she considered how very impractical it had been to be having that conversation there, but before she could change topics, Leon pressed on.

"Letty, listen," his eyes had taken hold of hers, "he's not perfect, but he knows this time. Really knows."

Something had happened between the two men, she knew it at that moment, but before she could form a response, consider an apology for all that had happened, she felt a big hand press against the small of her back.

Dom.

"Leon," the tension between the two was thick, "Dom."

She hated being the cause, they probably would never admit that they had shared words over her, and neither was bloodied or bruised, but she was certain of the fact all the same.

"I'm gonna go," Leon had looked down at her, blue eyes filled with love, and she smiled, "Gotta get me a spot," 'Family' she had missed her family so very much.

Before the smile had faded from her lips, her attention turned to Dom. The palm on her back was warm, the thumb had begun to spin circles on her spin, already her body was beginning to hum, things tended to get murky when he touched her and this was no exception.

"Are you racing tonight?" hoping to create distance with the stupid question and a turn, she was thwarted when his hand caught her elbow just below the cuff he had bought her, that she had won it had not gone unnoticed by him apparently.

"That was the plan," there had been more he had wanted to say, she was sure of it, but his eyes, his thumb, was focused solely on the cool metal on her arm, "And?"

Nothing, her eyebrow had arched in wonder as he still held her, still had no answer for her, "And?" she prompted once again.

At her insistence, his eyes rolled, "Damn woman, never was a patient bone in you body."

The comment had caught her off guard, the unexpected warmth of his tone had saved him from a black eye, but the ease with which he joked with her still threw her off. She was as tightly wound as she had ever been and this change in him was not helping ease her mind, not she was sure, as he was hoping it would.

Again it struck her as odd, there they had been standing there speaking as though nothing had happened.

"Would you wait for me?

There was playfulness in his voice now, only the honest line of the words, the question. Finding his eyes she saw in them what she had heard in his voice.

"Yeah," how could she not, the answer had come on its own, carried on a voice soft enough that he had been forced to dip his head down to hear her.

She hadn't intended to look up just as her answer drew out a delicious response on his face, how could her word simply make him light up like that, it had never been that way before. So stunned at that, she had certainly never intended to press her lips against hips.

Intended or not, what followed was devastating. Just being close to him was overwhelming her. The chaste kiss was drawing claps and catcalls from those closest to them.

A tingle started somewhere near her belly button, one she got each time one of Dom's kisses was about to change, it was wrong, it was right, and it was as it had ever been.

"Break it up you two," as quickly as they had come together they were pulled apart, Vince effectively broke their connection with voice, body, "We got a race to run," she didn't' know whether to cry or cuss.

A hand on her arm began to pull her away, "come on, you can ride with me," without lips to distract her, the realizations of what they'd done, of what they'd almost done, began to sink in. Once again Mia read her mind, "You two, I swear to fucking God when you get withing a foot of each other the air becomes combustible."

How very very true. Even now, with the air and leather of Mia's car in her lungs she could feel him, taste him.

"Is this what you want Letty? This can't be kissed away," shame and anger burned in her throat, it was only the care and concern on Mia's face when she turned towards her the instantly shut down the anger.

As hard as things were, are, for her she was not stupid enough to think that she was the only one hurting.

"I know Mia. I do."

Eyes closed she felt the weight of the situation press into her chest, but really there was only one thing that she kept circling back too, "I just want to forget. Just for tonight."

Dom studied her from inside the house, the beer in his hand half drunk and cool in against his palm, his view of her through the glass door was unobstructed and he was grateful for it, she had gone somewhere in her head. Somewhere in the past few minutes that he had no right to and it hurt. 'Patience and calm.' His feet carried him out the door and towards her, stopping at the stairs leading onto the sand, she was three feet ahead of him, but it might as well have been a quarter mile.

"Mia reminded me that we couldn't just kiss it away this time," he was encouraged at the fact that she knew he was still near, that while he had left he wasn't gone, but he wished her voice had not been quite so defeated.

"You know what I told her?" he didn't answer, had no time to think of one, "I told her that I wanted tonight. I wanted it," she hated herself and in that moment so did he, "How fucked up is that?"

Perhaps the situation, the motivations were fucked, but he couldn't get the smile out of his head. The bright, beautiful smile she had for him when he had crossed the line in victory.

Her feet carried her back onto the deck, close enough to him that he could almost reach out and touch her.

"Letty..." no further had he gone, when her hand lifted, halting any more words. He was too surprised to react, so he simply snapped his mouth shut.

As good as it must have felt to shut him up with a mere gesture, he saw the light that had burst in her eyes dim and the ache settle back over her.

"I'm tired Dom," in truth she was exhausted. The energy and adrenaline was gone, replaced with a weariness she could barely comprehend. The silence between them stretched out, she wondered what he was thinking in that big head of his. With a sigh she turned away leaning back onto the railing her chin resting on her hand. There had been no second guessing what had been on his mind as he crossed the finish line.

Before his car had even idled down he was out of it and one her. Without protest she went, letting her lips be captured, allowing her body to be lifted. Yes, it had been clear then that what he wanted was her and damn if it hadn't felt good. So she had clung to his neck, savoring each kiss, until a shrill voice cut through their moment.

"So you're Letty huh?"

Only one person could possible have been stupid enough to interrupt that moment.

'Jade.'

From over Dom's shoulder she had seen her, looking very much like a knock off Bratz doll. Dom had been forgotten then, his final kiss, pressed softly into the hollow of her throat barely registered.

This was about pride, about respect, and she was ready for a fight. Sliding down and out of Dom's hold, she tossed him a wink before turning her full attention to the girl before her.

"Jade. I've heard so much about you..."

Unfortunately, the girl was to dense to pick up on the sarcasm, as was indicated by the smug expression and straightening of her shoulders. A more direct approach had been needed.

Stepping toe to toe, looking down into Jade's painted face, she felt the bitch clawing to come out and gladly set her free, "I've heard all about how you fucked you way through each race and upgrade only to find yourself most unwelcome once you reached the top."

No one spoke. No one moved. All eyes were on them. It was well known that Jade had wanted Dom, but he had never taken her up on any of her many offers.

"You bitch!"

The shriek brought a smile to her face, "true, but it's better than being a skank."

Jade's reply was lost under Dom's rumble of laughter. Done with the conversation and the girl, she turned her back on the sputtering figure. Dom still had a smile on his face when she stepped up to him, her eyebrow raised, "You find something funny Torretto?"

His hands had settled on her waist, "Just surprised is all. Once upon a time you would have laid her out flat."

She had laughed then too, "Oh, I have every intention of doing just that," maybe he would have caught on before, maybe not, but he had this time and it warmed her.

With a nod of acknowledgement he lifted his eyes and his voice to the crowd, "let's settle this people. Time to Race!" Everyone began to move all at once. Gravity. Pushing and pulling those around him was what Dom did best and he was doing it for her, it meant something, a lot of something.

The next few minutes had passed in a blur, Leon had been the one to take her back to her car and then it was time. Lined up, engine revving, her hands gripping the wheel so tightly she felt every ridge of leather beneath her palms. She was alive then, more alive then she been in years, Hector stepped up, "Alright people. On my mark. 3. 2. 1. DRIVE!"

There was no doubt that the machine Jade drove was tight. In the right hands the competition might have been close. As it was, the following seconds were not a race as much as it was a slaughter.

With a hammering heart, she slid into neutral, trying to catch her breath. She had done it. She had won.

"Alright!" Before she could absorb the feeling of victory, she pulled from the car. Vincent.

"You did good, V, she pulled better than I ever remembered."

V's blush drew a laugh from her, "Naw, it ain't nothing," V had gone on to gush about the race to the nearest body just as she felt strong arms wrap around her from behind. Dom.

No sooner had his kiss been pressed to her temple, than the radio in his pocket crackled to life.

"5-0! 5-0! Everybody move!!"

Instinct kicked in. No time for words, they shared a look and parted, each to their own ride. Both eager to be long gone before the cities finest invaded.

Cars jammed the known exits, she had cursed, jerking the wheel to the right she had begun to weave among the buildings. Memories leading her, familiar headlight in her rear view encouraging her.

He had followed her. Grinning like a school girl, she had held the expression through each matching turn until they were safely out of the industrial district. Stopping for the first time at a red light, she took her first deep breath, confident that the danger had passed, she almost missed him as he pulled up next to her, close enough to see his chest rise and fall, adrenaline from another clean getaway was boiling in her blood just as intensely.

"Nice ride."

The hell?

His engine revved, he tossed her a grin, she threw back a smirk, so it was like that than, OK, "Thanks."

His head cocked to the right, he looked at her in disbelief, "Sure you can handle it?"

The smirk melted off her face and she was fairly certain the look she gave him would have made a lesser man shiver. The resulting laughter only pissed her off more.

"Oh, I can handle it," her baby purred as her foot pressed down onto the accelerator.

"Prove it then," he taunted, as if there was another option. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she gripped the wheel firmly, "Oh, I will."

Offering him one last smile, she turned her attention to the task at hand. In that moment the light turned green, an innocent act, the empty streets were caught completely unaware as the two cars sped forward.

Neither held back, nor gave an inch. They had driven viciously. Dom had cut her no slack, pushing as hard as he could and she had pushed back just as hard; kept up like no one else could. They had pushed until not even the road could keep up anymore.

Warnings had been a blur, somewhere between them it had twisted, more than miles were passing before them and it was spinning out of control. The warnings in orange and yellow of the impending 'Dead End' had caught them both off guard.

Tires skid and asphalt screamed as their cars fought to stop.

"Fuck." Her head fell onto the wheel, even as the metal frame shuddered under the force of the stop. So close. So close.

Fighting the nausea she tried to control her breathing.

It had been too much like last time. They had come so close to disaster. Wouldn't have been the first time.

"Letty!" A car door slammed and there were footsteps, but the sound was muffled over the blood pounding in her ears. There had been blood last time too, lots of it, pulling her life and her baby's life out onto the leather. Her moth opened to respond to the cries of her name, but nothing came out, she jumped when the door beside her opened.

"Letty-girl," the panic in his voice was so startling, so clear, the force of it bouncing in her head, even as he undid her belts and pulled her into his arms, she was lost in it. Past and present, then and now, were one. Sounds and smells were confusing her, so she clung to him, trying to push it away. Another road, another close call.

In the moment, it broke, everything crashed down in her head, what were they doing? "Dom. Stop."

Pushing out of his embrace she had walked away from him. Ignoring the hurt expression, she kept her back to him. In the dark their headlights cast their shadows long.

"Something never change do they," bitterness coating each words, "we've been here before, remember?"

Caught up, in the memories, in the present, she had looked down at her hands.

"There was so much blood."

Backing away from his advances, the words continued unchecked, "You were right. I should have known, somehow, yes, but I wanted so much to be there for you. i wanted to have you back."

And she had always wanted to have his back, even when he hadn't had hers. That desire clouded everything else, her judgment, her perception, so maybe there had been more signs, signs she was too blind to see. One thing was clear though, "I would have wanted that baby. Our baby. More than anything."

Turning towards him, unashamed of her declaration, her heart twisted when she saw his face, his eyes, so full of pain.

That's what it came back to every time with them. Pain.

And it was enough.

"Letty..." she couldn't hear him. Not now, not anymore, it hurt to much.

"No, Dom, I can't. It's enough this time. This was a mistake. All of it." To say he looked stunned would be a vast understatement.

Twisting her hand out of his, uncertain when he had taken it, she headed for her car.

"Go back to your world Dom. Forget about me," once she had started, she had been unable to stop the words. Saying things she hardly knew the meaning of.

"Forget what happened here, there. It's done," she kept moving, certain if she stopped she would listen to the voices screaming for her to stop, that it was wrong. By the time she had settled behind the wheel, Dom had come alive.

As her hand turned the key, he stepped up in front of the car, angry eyes baring down on her. Ignoring his shouts of protest, his threats, his pleas, she flinched only once when his fists came to rest on her hood. Calmly she had put the car in reverse, pulling away from the dead end, away from him.

"You never answered my question Letty," why was he still here? She couldn't help the bitter tone of her thoughts and she didn't like the hold they had on her.

Rolling her shoulders she ran her hands over her face. The memories, the talking, it was so much work trying to keep it straight.

"What question Dom?" when misdirection fails, go for ignorant denial. Dom's patience would only hold for so long, the cords of muscle in his neck were straining under the weight of staying calm.

This is it. The final question. Was she done with it. With him. Before she could begin to wade through the fallout of those questions, he had begun to speak.

"I'm an asshole."

Whatever she had been expecting that comment hadn't been it, "I'm selfish and arrogant and when it mattered, I let you down."

Each word was deliberate and his voice was calmer than she had ever remembered it being. She supposed he was having a moment of clarity and felt intrusive, regardless of the fact that it was for her.

"I let you down then now," his eyes had moved towards her and away again, "If I wasn't selfish and an asshole I would let you go." Her eyebrows rose, even as her stomach began to drop.

"This life, this place, you, all of it is so good. You done so good." Even if it had been her turn to speak, she would have had nothing to say. Everything she was sure of was unraveling.

"...without me," his voice was barely above a whisper, but there was no mistaking the sincerity in his voice, "Somewhere, someone has the right words to fix this. To put back together what's broken," his mouth was opening and words were just spilling out, rubbing sweaty palms over his scalp, "but I don't have them. I have an apology that is no where big enough for everything I've screwed up. A stubborn promise that no matter what you say I will never, ever leave you alone. A guarantee that at some point I'll screw up, but my eyes will never see a woman that isn't you."

Each word, each syllable caught in her throat.

"The past can't come back unless we let it. It can't hurt us anymore," when had he become so insightful? Whatever, he was right, and she wasn't strong enough to deny it.

The memories and the pain had weighed her down for so long, she didn't know if she could let it all go. It was certainly safer to hold it close, there was less hurt with the hurt you know, but if she opened her arms and embraced what he was offering there could be so much more pain. More disappointments, more tears, but then there would be more laughter and more love and just a life. A life she wanted badly.

Could she do it? Let go of the past. Let go of Dom? Running from him earlier had been instinct, the easy answer, but not the right one. Running from Dom had not been right, not this time. In her heart, her gut, she knew it.

And it was enough.

"You gonna screw up again, huh?"

His eyes were wide as they looked towards her, he was so shocked at the question, she had to smile.

The playful tone of her voice had him wondering for sure if he needed to get his ears checked. The smile was unmistakable though and she hoped he felt a tiny spike of hope cut its way though his chest similar to hers.

"What?" her laugh was light, a clean and crisp sound so unlike the last one he had heard from her, choked on bitterness and pain.

Yes, her mood had changed and yes, she had made a life altering decision in a matter of moments, but he could probably try harder to keep up. Or she could try harder to clue him in.

"My answer is yes," there that had been clear and concise. She wanted to fight for him, with him, and then it was gone. The ache, the choke on her heart evaporated and she took a deep, full breath.

"Yes," he had turned towards her, was staring down at her, his face a mixture of confusion and confusion.

Stepping up to him, placing her hand softly against his chest, touching him was no less electric, "Yes, Dom, yes to us, to life, to everything."

A heartbeat, a breath, and then she was in the air, wrapped in his arms, she felt his shout as much as felt it.

"Letty."

She clung to him, the spin was awkward, he stumbled, but she didn't care, this was it. The beginning of them, their story was starting over right here, right now, and she was more in this moment than she had been in any other before in her life.

"I love you Letty-girl. Always and only you."

A romantic at heart, yeah, she could admit it now, the words, the tone, everything was perfect and the tears, yes she was crying, were falling unchecked onto his shoulder, "Love you Dom. Never stopped.

It wouldn't be easy, fuck, it would probably be the hardest thing she had ever done, but it would be worth it. He was kissing her now, lowering her to the deck as she returned his kiss, they would be worth it.