A/N: Thanks to ILoveAnime89, Leon's Angel (I know, right? heehee), phoenixfire44 (I will...), BubblesScream, ks90, wrestlenascargirl, AllieKat21 (getting there, thanks 3), BeautifulDisaster07 (sorry for making you wait, but you may sleep now XD), & Straight Edge Queen for their reviews, and thanks for all the favs and alerts, too.

Well LOOK. Not two years, woo! I was aiming for a week, then two...but still, just over a month is pretty good considering. I'll aim to update sooner next time though. This chapter is a bit all over the place, but I wanted to add some stuff and set down some threads that will hopefully pull together nicely down the road, so bear with me.

Also...I honestly can't remember if I gave Jesse a last name or his dad any name at all. If I did...sorry. I'm going with Jesse Halbrook, and Benny for his dad. For looks, I'm thinking someone William Sadler-like for Benny, older, lean and a little grizzled but handsom in his way. Lisa physically I see as Jamie Chung, if Jamie shopped at Hot Topic...cute, fashionable, a little air-head seeming but with an actual personality underneath.

Review and Enjoy!

Rae slit the tape on another box, mindlessly unpacking inventory onto the bare shelves of the Cafe. She'd spent the day there, helping Mia clean up the kitchen and clean up the mess, before Vince had finally arrived to try and fix the broken garage door. There was a dark mood over the Team, even when they were laughing and having fun, there was still that feeling like something was wrong.

She may not have been as paranoid as Dom; she'd been willing to put the whole thing down to bad luck. But after spending the day cleaning up, she had to admit the break-in felt personal. It became apparent to her that whoever was behind it had gone to great lengths to destroy every single item in the inventory. Not content with stealing and tossing a few shelves and tables on their way out, the robbers had gone down every aisle and pulled every item off the shelves, stomping it all to smithereens.

What kind of hit-and-run thief took the time – the risk – to do that, even it was out of some twisted sense of fun?

No, it felt personal, and over the day it had started to gnaw at her. She wasn't used to this, she'd steered clear of trouble since she'd left, and her biggest worries had be raising her daughter and not screwing up someone's ink. She wasn't used to the pressure, the tension. Her mind knew that one break-in wasn't cause to freak out, but at the same time there was the part of her that was a mom that just wanted to grab Ella and go.

She knew she could never do that. If there was real danger, of course, she'd send Ella to be with Alex and Viv until it cleared up. But she couldn't leave the Team, not again. They were family, and she'd fight for them too.

She was just really, really hoping it didn't come to that.

A large bang shook her from her thoughts, and she yelped out her surprise. "Jesus Vince, what the hell?"

He looked up from where he'd slammed his fist into the already twisted metal, anger furrowing his brow. "What?"

She just glared at him, and gestured sharply at the door.

He rolled his shoulders, trying – and failing – to look calm. "It's not working."

"Clearly," she drawled, rubbing her hands up her arms and realizing she was more on edge that she'd thought. "You just startled me."

He huffed and went back to work, but she stayed and watched him for a moment.

"Would you stop?" he growled, not looking up from whatever he was doing with the wrench.

"Stop what?"

"Looking at me. It's annoying."

She just gave a soft snort. She'd spent years staring at him as a teenager, and he'd never noticed before. "You're angry."

"I don't like being stared at."

"No, before that."

"Obviously. The fuckin' Cafe got robbed, or did you miss that?" he snapped, switching tools.

"Ohmigawd, really?" she gasped sarcastically, shaking her head and lifting Pop Tarts onto the shelf.

"They came after us Rae, after our family."

"Who?" she asked, not disagreeing with him.

"I don't know," he growled, slamming his fist into the door again. "That's the worst part."

She watched him again for a second, feeling like there was something more she was missing.

"Rae..." he warned.

"Yeah, yeah. Eyes front, soldier."

"I think mmph. I th—mmm. Damn it Letty, will you hold on for a second," Dom growled, pushing her back by the shoulders, holding her at a distance, despite the fact she was straddling her lap.

"What?" she snapped, giving him a dark look for disturbing her fun.

"I think we should stop."

She stared at him blankly for a few beats. Then glanced down at his lap, where there was solid proof that he didn't want to stop. Then she looked back at his face with a confused look.

Dom shifted under her, looking a little embarrassed. Dominic Toretto, embarrassed! It would be fucking hilarious if she wasn't about to start freaking out.

So many times over the last couple weeks they'd been so close...so damn close. Like always, Dom knew exactly how to get her engine revving, but ever since she'd given him – them – a second chance, he'd failed to see it through.

"We just need to slow down a little—"

"The hell we do," she snarled, pushing away from him and stepping back with an accusing glare. "If you don't want me, just say Dom. I'd much rather deal with it than have you pretending—"

"Pretending?" he growled, his voice dangerous. "You think I'm pretending? What the hell Letty?! You think I have to...to fake it, just to keep you happy?" he stood and stalked after her.

"I don't know, Dom! Time was, I wasn't enough for you, now you're not even taking what's on offer!"

"You're not a fucking vending machine, Let. And I thought we were past the other girls," he added, sounding a little more cautious.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "We are. I am. It's just...we haven't had sex in weeks. We share a bed, but you don't do more than hold me. What am I supposed to think?"

He stared at her in silence, and she felt the panic begin to rise. He was going to agree with her. He was going to say sorry, but she didn't do it for him anymore. He was just being his own kind of noble.

Fuck, she hated feeling like this, like some simpering schoolgirl. She was tougher than this. She loved Dom, but she didn't need him to make her life complete.

Well that was bullshit, and she'd tried the tough, I-don't-give-a-shit attitude before, and what had it got her? A boyfriend who slept with every legal female in sight.

He stepped toward her, his face expressionless, like stone. She stepped back. He followed her until she felt the prick of the cinderblock wall behind her, and she swallowed hard as she looked up into his face.

"I've been trying," he paused, planting a clenched fist on either side of her shoulders and lowering his face until they were old inches apart. "To give you time," he growled each word with forced politeness, which meant he was royally pissed at her. "To let you trust me again. I've been walking around with the biggest case of blue-balls so that you would feel comfortable."

"Jesus Christ Dom, which part of me throwing myself at you didn't you get?" she laughed, still a little tense from their argument.

"I just thought-"

"Well stop already," she smiled, looping her arms around her neck and pressing her lips to his.

"But—" he protested.

"Just shut up and fuck me already," she ordered, not giving him an inch.

"Yes ma'am," he muttered against her lips, his hands going to her hips and lifting her effortlessly.

Letty didn't give a pause as she wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him hard and letting him know just how much she wanted him. Smoothing one hand over his shaved head, she moved her hips against his, loving the feel of his big hands on her ass as he carried her.

Grinning, she broke the kiss long enough to pull her grease-stained tank over her head, tossing it without care across the garage. His mouth automatically dropped to shower kisses and nips over her exposed skin, tracing the curve of her bra and nuzzling the straps off her shoulders. Her own fingers clawed at his shirt, trying and eventually succeeding it tugging it up enough to pull off and bare that delicious muscled chest to her gaze.

Dom set her down on the hood of a nearby car, and she leaned back with a lazy grin as he ran his big hands over body, smoothing down over her hips and pushing her legs apart. His hips settled in the space between as he dipped down to give her another taste of his mouth.

"Hey Dom I just-oh shit," Leon broke off, the door slamming again as he made a quick getaway.

Before Dom could do more than tense, Letty grabbed him by the neck and glared into his dark eyes. "Don't you dare stop."

He just chuckled and kissed her hard, grinding his hips against hers and telling her without words that he was nowhere near ready to stop.

She scraped her nails over his chest and down his abs while he nibbled on her lower lip. A moan of pure anticipation burst from her lips as she hit his waistband, managing to get the top button free before he pulled away and pulled her off the car with a quick tug on her hips.

She barely found her feet before he was spinning her around and crowding her against the hood. His chest was flush with her back, and Letty could feel him hard against her ass. Dom's big hands stroked up her bared stomach, cupping and massaging her breasts as he hummed with masculine approval. She tipped her head back on to his shoulder, and he nuzzled her neck, flaming the fire he'd been kindling inside her.

One hand cupped his head against her, her other back between their bodies to slide into his pants and tease his hard length. He growled behind her, his hands dropping from her breasts to unfasten her jeans and shove them down her body.

Dom didn't even take the time to remove them completely, instead gripping her neck and urging her forward. Bracing herself on the smooth metal, she looked over her shoulder and met his hot gaze. A wicked grin spread over her lips as he fumbled with his own jeans before grabbing her hips and sinking home.

An hour later they were curled around each other on the worn couch, a sheen of sweat covering their bodies. Letty started to speak but found her mouth dry and swallowed hard before trying again.

"So we're clear on this now?" she asked, lifting her head off of Dom's heaving chest.

"Oh yeah," he grinned, cupping the back of her head and kissing her again, this time slow and lazy.

A knock at the door caused them both to groan and part.

"Go away!" Letty yelled.

"Yeah fine, except the customer is here to get their car!" Jesse yelled through the door. "Puts some damn pants on!"

Vince watched Jesse's knee bouncing out of the corner of his eye. Normally he would have teased his young friend about it by now, but today...Jesse got a free pass.

"Thanks for the ride, bro," Jesse said for the third time.

"No problem," Vince replied, with more patience than he'd shown his entire life combined.

"You think the others are okay not coming?" Fingers started tapping a counterpoint to his knee.

Vince took a breath and repeated the same answer as before. "Yeah man. You and your pops need time together. We don't want the crew overwhelming him right off. They'll be there when the time's right."

Jesse nodded and turned to look out the window at the passing scenery.

"The halfway house thing sounds like a good idea," Jesse commented. "Right? I mean, he's been locked up for a while so at least he'll have somewhere to stay. Well, I mean he would have stayed with us, Dom said that. But I mean in general. If he didn't have us. And they're helping him find work, so that's good. I just hope he's not too mad about the Jetta. I mean, I know he has other things to deal with right now, but it was his baby. Dom and Le said he wouldn't be too pissed though. I mean, I know I wasn't the one that shot it to hell, but I technically lost it to Johnny first, and it was my fault. Not like, doom and gloom, but, y'know, I own that I made a stupid choice that day at Race Wars..."

Jesse continued to ramble, but Vince kept his eyes on the road, keeping silent as the miles passed.

He didn't mind coming, Jesse needed this, and he understood why Dom had asked it to cover it. His best friend hadn't said it in so many words, but Vince knew prison hadn't been one of Dom's favourite places, and he doubted the big guy wanted to come back, even just to standing outside waiting for Jesse's dad.

When the sign finally pointed out their turn off, Vince made it without a word, but Jesse still tensed beside him.

"Do you think he'll hate me?" Jesse suddenly asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

Vince looked at him, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "I think he'll just be happy to be out, and happy you're okay."

As he pulled up outside the foreboding high security gates, Vince just hoped he was right.

"We got chicken, steaks, hamburgers and hotdogs, pick your poison," Dom offered, hands wide to indicate the meat in question, as if anyone would miss the overflowing table next to the grill.

The yard was bustling, if seemed like half the neighbourhood and all their friends had shown up. Dom was the only one still working, manning the grill as the rest of the Team enjoyed the California sunshine and the good company.

"I'll uh, start with a hotdog," Benny Halbrook responded with a weak smile.

Normally when they had a barbeque, it was just the Team, maybe racing buddies for special occasions. But now not only were they celebrating Benny's release – even though most people didn't actually know the guy – they were also celebrating Jesse's returned mobility, even if he was still a little wobbly and only able to stay upright for a short while before resting.

It was a fresh start all around, so they'd opened their doors – or in this case backyard – to anyone who wanted to come, and they were astounded by how many people actually cared about Jesse's wellbeing. Dom's father had always been respected in the neighbourhood, and some of that had passed on to Mia and Dom. But between the house parties, fights, loud cars and one shooting, they'd lost most of it.

Dom figured he shouldn't be so surprised that Jesse was the one exception. The little old ladies seemed especially fond of him, the jumpy kid seemed to be a bit of a GILF magnet, who knew?

"He seems to be doing well here," Benny remarked, his eyes following Dom's to where Jesse was animatedly trying to explain fuel injection systems to a couple adoring old broads who looked like they'd been around when cars were first invented. "I always appreciated how you guys looked out for him."

Dom felt a pang of guilt, knowing he'd not always done best by Jesse. He covered his discomfort with a shrug. "He's family," he paused for a moment, then looked at the older guy. "How're you settlin'?"

Benny grimaced but covered it quickly. Still, Dom knew enough about prison and the outside to know the next words out of the man's mouth would be a lie. "Good. Adjusting. The place they've got me workin' at ain't great but it's a job," he shrugged, before moving onto the table filled with side dishes.

Dom watched him go, feeling like he should be doing something to help, but not knowing what. Benny had only been out for two weeks, and Dom more than anyone understood how hard it was to adjust to life on the outside. But he had never been close to the man, and he sure as hell wasn't the touchy feely type to start talking about feelings and shit.

Truth was, he'd just as soon leave the man to sink or float, but if Benny screwed up, it would be Jesse that suffered. Frowning, Dom turned back to the grill and got back to work.

Rae was on her way from the bathroom when she heard Vince's growl in the kitchen.

"I don't fucking care! Stop calling me, alright? Get the damn message already!" he hissed, obviously trying to keep his voice down so the party outside wouldn't hear.

She quickly debated whether she should pretend she hadn't heard, or push Vince and find out what the bug was he's had up his ass the last couple of weeks. Not that Vince was normally a ball of sunshine, but he'd been snapping and growling at everyone, and at the oddest moments too. Rae had even spoken to Dom and Leon, to see if he'd said anything to them, but they'd just shrugged it off as residual anger from the break in.

She honestly couldn't say why, but something about the situation had her With a little mental shrug she decided not to over think it, and just go for the middle ground: letting him know she knew something was up, but leaving him to decide if he wanted to spill.

Squaring her shoulders she walked into the room like she hadn't been lurking outside, just in time to see him throw his cell into the thankfully empty and dry sink. "Oh that was real mature."

He spun to face her, his face visibly twitching as if her sheer existence added to his frustration. "What the hell do you want, Rae?" he snapped, pushing a hand through his thick hair.

"Nothing," she calmly replied, brushing past him on her way to the door, well practiced at ignoring the pull of his big, tense form. "I was just heading back out. But anytime you want to share why you've been acting like a dick, you just let me know."

She closed the door behind her, not quite covering the sound of him cursing her out under his breath. Ball was in his court, but if he didn't do something soon, she was just going to have to kick his ass. For his own good.

"Seriously, you're into cars?" Rae blinked, smiling despite her disbelief.

"Well yeah. I mean, I don't know that much about them," Lisa replied, rolling her eyes and causing her fake lashes to flutter dangerously. "I know, I'm a ditz," she chuckled. "But I like them, the colors, the passion people put into their rides, it sounds cheesy, I guess..." she trailed off, ducking her pink-streaked head.

"No way man, not to me. I was practically raised by street racers," Rae chuckled. "If I'd known, I'd have invited you to the barbeque last weekend, you could have met them," she frowned for a second, wishing she'd taken the time earlier to get to know the latest member of staff at Berto's shop.

Lisa had started working the front desk a few weeks back. Unlike everyone else who'd had the job in the past, she didn't seem that bothered about learning tattooing or piercing, she just needed the steady pay check. And since she actually seemed to know what she was doing with inventory and accounts, Berto was more than happy to keep her on.

Rae hadn't had much contact with the perky Asian girl, but her general impression was that she was sweet if a little bit of an air head. But finding they had something in common was making her quickly reassess her judgement.

"Ooooh, I know!" Rae exclaimed, her face lighting up. "You should totally come to the races with us! It's awesome, I haven't been in forever, at least not to enjoy it, and it'll be the first time the Team's been back in a while. Big party afterward, you can even crash at my place if you don't want to drive all the way back across town."

Lisa seemed pleased with the offer, and Rae felt bad about not making a point of getting to know her sooner. That being said, it wasn't like she avoided the girl, but since she was since working on commission rather than being a permanent member of staff, she was only ever in the shop when she had work to do.

"That sounds so awesome. I've heard about the races but I don't really know anyone in the scene. Man, that would be so cool!" she grinned, sitting forward eagerly, her dark eyes sparkling under the parlour lights. "When is it?"

"Next weekend. We can find you a ride there if it's a problem..." Rae trailed off as Lisa's face fell. "What?"

"I have a family thing next weekend..." she looked down at her hands as she fiddled with one of her chunky neon bracelets. "I can't really get out of it."

"That sucks," Rae commiserated. "But you should totally come next time, knowing my family they'll probably be there every week."

"Really?" she smiled, looking happy again. "Thank you!"

"No problem," Rae smiled, then glanced again at her watch. "Half an hour. I don't think my client's gonna show," she sighed.

"Ugh, I hate when they do that," Lisa shook her head. "Don't worry, if they call up, I'll be bitchy."

"Reeeeally?" Rae drawled, raising a brow in question. She highly doubted the woman could do bitchy even if her day included PMS and no chocolate.

"Well okay," Lisa ducked her head with a shy smile. "But I won't be helpful and I'll think really mean thoughts?"

"Good enough for me," Rae laughed, fist bumping the girl before grabbing her bag and heading for the door. "Catch you later!"

Rae was still grinning when she made it back to the Fort, where Mia was watching Bella while doing what looked like more paperwork.

"Insurance still?" Rae asked. "I thought that stuff was dealt with."

"It is. This is..." Mia paused, wetting her lips. "Well I've been thinking about finishing college..." she gave a slight shrug of her slender shoulders.

"That's awesome, Mia!" Rae congratulated as she picked up her squirming daughter. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help, okay?"

"Sure," Mia smiled, looking happier that Rae seemed to think it was a good idea. "What's got you in such a good mood anyway?"

"I think I just made a new friend at work."

"Wow, congrats. Look at you, using social skills and such," Mia chuckled.

"Yep. 'bout time, right?" Rae grinned back.

"Hell yeah. We were getting tired of carrying your ass," Mia teased.

"Bite me."

"Ooooooooh nice, I see what you mean. So friendly," Mia continued, before squealing with laughter as Rae and Ella descended on her for a rather awkward noogie.

"It's gonna be awesome dad, you should see some of the mods we can do these days. Some of the cars out there are like works of art, I used to have the Jetta like that. I can show you some that gave me ideas—"

"Jesse, slow down son. I'm sorry, but I can't come, I have work the next morning."

Jesse stared at the floor, trying not to let his disappointment show. "Yeah, of course. I should have check before assuming...it's not like I'll be racing or anything," he smiled, telling himself it was for the best. It was just that he wanted to share such an important part of his life with his old man...car had been their passion, and he wanted his dad to be proud of how much he'd learned over the years.

"You have fun out there, don't get in too much trouble," he dad smiled and slapped him on the shoulder affectionately before finishing up the end of his fries. "I don't suppose you could spot me twenty bucks? Our manager is kind of a tightfist, won't give us our pay 'till the last minute."

"Uh, sure dad," Jesse answered, fishing out twenty and adding another for lunch.

"Good boy," Benny grinned, slipping the bill into his pocket and winking at the waitress as she came for their check. "I'll pay you back as soon as I have it."

"Sure dad," Jesse repeated, not really that bothered about the cash but more worried about his father's steady employment and what it meant for his parole. "Is work okay though? Everything's going fine?"

"Oh yeah, everything's great, real good," his dad nodded, and Jesse tried really hard to believe him.