5

Summary: Guess who's back…guess who turns 5…and explanations!

A/N: Two updates in one day...make sure you read the previous chapter if you haven't!

The balloons, music and laughter made DJ's 5th birthday party look like a carnival. The kids from her school and neighborhood littered the sand, as parents chattered and laughed in joy.

DJ was walking hand in hand with her cousin, Gabriel as the two held plastic shovels looking for a perfect spot to start digging.

"Daddy! Gabe and I going to make a castal!" she beamed, waiting for Dom to turn around and smile at her from the grill. (Castle)

"That's good, baby. Stay close to papi." He replied, turning back to Brian as he flipped more burgers.

"Dominic? Where do you want to set up the presents?" Mia asked, eyeing the mountain of cards, bags, and boxes all over the walkway.

"I don't know, Mia. Help your brother out. Executive decision!" He laughed, ducking as she threw a grape at him from the refreshment table.

As the kids busied themselves around him, laughing, and screaming and playing, Dom felt carefree and happy.

"Grandma? Where are those hot dogs?" Dom called towards the house, waiting until Petra walked out, followed by Roman and Han.

"I'm coming, son. I had to get these two strapping men to help an old lady." She smiled, her summer dress flapping in the warm breeze.

Han and Roman trailed behind her, carrying punch and more fruit, as Brian walked over to help Mia.

As Petra approached him, he leaned down and kissed her cheek, smiling as she patted his arm in adoration. DJ ran up to them, as Dom looked down at her, her arms reaching to be picked up by her father.

"There's my birthday girl!" he celebrated, kissing her as she giggled.

As Petra finished placing the hot dogs on the grill, she turned to venture onto the beach when Dom heard a dramatic gasp followed by, "My God!"

He turned in time to see Petra running towards Letty, who stood yards away on the beach.

He noticed, as all breath rushed from him, that she looked thinner than the last time he'd seen her. The fact that she stood there, covered from head to toe, with nothing but her hands and face showing alerted him that something was wrong.

He froze, their eyes locked in the distance as her hair whipped around her, wildly. Petra finally made it to her, stopping just before her, and opening her arms.

Letty fell into them, groaning in pain, as tears spilled over her cheeks.

She felt comforted and loved, like she belonged.

"We have missed you, so much Leticia. Oh my gosh how we've prayed for this day." Petra cried, holding her as the women cried at the reunion.

In the distance, Dom heard Mia's strangled gasp as she grabbed Brian's hand, running past everyone to Letty, engulfing her in a hug, kissing her on her cheek.

Dom stood rooted in place, holding onto DJ with dear life as he kept his eyes on her. His arms wrapped around his daughter protectively, scared to believe this was real.

His heart broke when he'd looked into her eyes and been met with their deep sorrow. He never wanted her to hurt, and it devastated a part of him that she was in such pain.

"Papi? Is that my mommy?" DJ asked, looking back and forth between her father and mother.

"Yes baby. That's your mommy." He whimpered, brushing a kiss to her forehead as he tried to prevent his emotion from bursting through.

The excitement immediately burst through her small body as she squealed, throwing her small arms around his neck chanting "This is the best pwesent ever!" (present)

Dom smiled, nodding at her, bending to set her down in the sand.

"Now, run over there and give her a big kiss from me and you and tell her that." He smiled, watching as his daughter smiled in enthusiasm and took off towards her mother.

Dom watched as Letty bent down as she watched DJ approach, wincing at the movement and scooped her daughter up, hugging her tightly, crying openly and loudly. All party goers took notice of the scene in front of them and retreated to their own devices, leaving the family to their reunion.

"Daddy says you're my birthday present, mommy. I like you more than all the others." She beamed, causing Letty to pull back and kiss her, before hugging her tightly once again.

Dom steadied himself as he walked towards her, conscious of every step and how the sand squished in between his toes. He watched as the people parted like the sea for him, his eyes capturing hers as his eyes watered, the tears held at bay.

Letty handed DJ to Mia, as she allowed the world to fall away until he was the only person she saw.

"What took you so long?" he forced out, his hand reaching out to stroke her cheek.

"I was busy." She replied nonchalantly, allowing him to lift her into his arms, as he kissed her lips sweetly, her legs wrapping around his waist as his head buried in her neck.

He was careful not to squeeze her too tightly, and she turned her head just enough to place chaste kisses to his face as he inhaled her scent.

"I love you, Letty."

"I love you too." She answered.

"Welcome home."

Later that night, when their guests had gone and Petra and DJ were asleep, Dom walked into his bedroom to find Letty standing there.

He wasted no time in going to her, careful not to touch her for sake of injury and instead leaned down, until his lips are on hers, kissing her passionately. When the kiss broke, she stood crying again, touching his face in longing.

"I missed you so much." She whispered the sound of his breathing like music to her ears.

"More than you'll ever know, Letty." He added, agreeing with her statement. "How bad is it?"

Instead of answer, she began pulling off her clothes, hissing in the movements until he stopped her. He

grabbed the hem of her top, pulling it gently off her body and gasped in horror at the sight.

Her entire abdomen, chest and arms were covered purple and blue.

"What the fuck happened to you? Did someone put their hands on you, Letty?" He asked, anger rising as his hands began to shake.

"No, car accident." She replied, groaning as he slid her pants down her legs.

"Have you seen a doctor?" he asked.

"No! No doctors. I just want to be here with you. Please, I've been away to long." She pled, and he nodded in understanding.

He reached for her hand and pulled her to him as he encouraged her to rest her head on his chest, his hands stroking feather light against her back.

He reached down, scooping her up in his arms and walked them to their bathroom, sitting on the side of the tub as he turned the water on.

"You know when I'm not beat to shit, I might still expect this treatment." She tried to joke.

"I'll give you whatever I have that you want. Your only job for the rest of your life it to raise our daughter and let me love and take of you." He informed, testing the water's warmth.

"Umm, sounds nice." She replied, her eyes slipping closed as he poured bubble bath and Epsom salts into the water. Before she knew it, he'd lifted and deposited her into the bath, hissing as the water worked to relax her aching muscles.

She watched as he stripped naked, growing needy for him even in her state.

He stepped into the huge tub, and situated himself behind her, sighing as she rested her back against him.

"Can you tell me where you've been? What's been going on?" he asked, grabbing soap to wash her arms.

"When I ran into you that night, I was in the middle of securing the last deal I had with Verone for a shipment I was lifting for him. I had two months to go and meeting you that night fucked it all up."

She began, noticing when he stilled his actions.

"I'm sorry, Letty." He apologized, feeling the guilt of his own selfish actions.

"Carter was an entitled man, but he liked his people loyal and clean. He appreciated the fact that I wasn't a whore, and that I could not be bought. I think in the grand scheme of things, he thought me a friend." She sighed. "Anyway, after that night, I got pregnant and I knew he'd kill me and our baby if he ever found out."

"Petra told me how you guys faked the kidnapping and you had DJ off the radar. What made you run?" He asked, his hands lathered in soap, gliding down her torso and back up to her breasts.

"I was spotted. I had no choice but to go back, because if he knew I was gone willingly, he'd kill all three of us. I didn't know if in my absence, my handler had gathered enough information to get me out, but I couldn't risk Dominique's life."

"Why didn't you come to me?" he asked, hurt that she'd gone through sacrificing to protect their daughter alone.

"I could not risk it. If anyone knew she'd existed, my quality of life in Verone's eyes would have been null and void. I never planned to be in this far or this deep. I was planning to come home to you when you found me. A week before the job, I got sick and I was terrified. So we planned the kidnapping and we disappeared. When I was sure we couldn't be tracked, I was preparing to come to you when I was spotted. I gave Petra instructions to leave me behind if I didn't return.

"You should have come with them. You know I'll always protect you, Letty. No one can hurt you if you're with me." He promised, and it angered her.

"I wish you'd felt that way in the DR."

"I wish I'd felt that way too." He agreed.

"Carter would have never stopped looking for me; dead or alive. Neither would the FBI. I went back to him, made up a story about rape and a dead child in case he checked me, and bought my time till now."

"So why now? What changed?" He asked, his hands reaching between them to her thighs, encouraging her to lift them as much as she could.

"The shit hit the fan. Long story short, the FBI stormed in before my signal, and the only weapon I had were a set of keys. I drove my car off road trying to escape and Verone's men shot my tires out, flipping me.

Before they could get out and finish me, I drew my gun and shot their fuel tanks. Mission now over, and here I am." She sighed as his fingers settled between her legs, stoking her gently.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you, to take care of you." He admitted.

"I'm sorry that we keep having to say we're sorry. I just want us to be ok, Dominic. I don't want to dwell on the past, on the rights and the wrongs. I'm too fucking tired for that." The last part a moan as his fingers dipped into her.

"Who's dwelling?" his voice purred into her ear as he stroked into her a few times, before withdrawing and lifting her gently, sliding himself into her.

"Ouch ouch!" she bit out, biting into her lower lip at the sensation. He stilled, alert at the admission.

"Am I holding you too tight?"

"No, you're just huge, Dominic. I haven't had sex in 5 years." She hissed, squirming to try to get him to slide her onto him deeper.

"I can't help that, baby. We have a lot to make up for. And it's more like 6. " He promised, impaling her slowly on him. When they were fully joined, he held her back to his chest, wrapping his large arms around her to hold her to him. She turned her head to the side to kiss him, as he allowed the water to help buoy her in the water as she took his gentle, patient thrusts.

As their time wore on, their movements became more frenzied and water began sloshing over the side of the tub with their movement.

Dom smirked when he felt her walls clench him, as they fluttered in the wake of her orgasm.

"I love you baby." He whispered into her mouth, as she kissed him languidly.

He came minutes after, re-washing their nether regions before standing and lifting her from the cooling water. He carried her to their bed, mindful that he would lay with her naked, and lay a shirt out because DJ always came into his room on the morning. He went to wipe the water off the floor, making sure there'd be no accidents and drained the water from the tub. . When he came back, she was sitting up waiting for him, her arms outstretched as he crawled into them.

"I've been waiting to fall asleep in your arms. I need you to hold me tonight." She admitted, burrowing her aching body into him.

The Next Morning

Dom's head rose from Letty's chest when he felt a soft thud on the bed. His eyes adjusted and met the sparkling eyes of his daughter, grinning as her eyes refocused on her mom.

Dom made a gesture for her to be very quiet, and crooked his finger to tell her to come here.

DJ crawled up to her father, and he grabbed her, holding her over Letty as DJ bent down to attack her mother's face in kisses. She giggled and kissed, before Dom joined her in the actions, both of them waking a surprised Letty with kisses and laughter.

Letty laughed as she allowed the two to love her and leaned into both, returning the kisses, Dom's with tongue, as she reached for the shirt he lay out for her and pulling it on.

She sat up in bed, with Dom's help, and looked at her daughter.

"Good morning." She smiled, watching as DJ smiled back.

"Good morning! You're a pretty mommy." She complimented, and Letty blushed. She reached over and ruffled her hair, causing DJ to throw herself at her father, who lifted her into the air as he brought her down, blowing on her stomach.

"Tickles, Daddy!" She laughed, causing Letty's eyes to tear at the obvious adoration her daughter had for her father.

"Mommy what's wrong?" DJ asks in worry, watching as Letty wiped her eyes quickly, plastering on a smile.

"Mommy is just happy to be with you again. That's all. These are happy tears." She explained, and DJ looked at her father for reassurance.

"Mommy might be a little sad that daddy hasn't tickled her today. Don't worry, Daddy will take care of mommy later. Right now, how about we go brush our teeth?" he smiled, smirking at Letty whose eyebrow was raised in shock at his play on words.

He said nothing else, getting up, holding his daughter as the two ventured into the bathroom together. Letty peaked through the door at the pair. Each stood at their own sink, DJ on a foot stool as they brushed their teeth together. She shook her head as she found a pair of Dom's boxers, slipping them on and walked into the kitchen.

When the two emerged, Letty was mixing pancake mix in a bowl, waiting for her skillet to get hot.

"Good morning, Mommy." Dom rumbled, kissing her again as he settled into a chair at the breakfast nook.

"By the way, don't make pancakes. She hates them. Poor kid loves waffles though."

"They're the same thing!" she smiled, grabbing the box of mix to thicken it for waffles.

"Who are you telling? She's your kid!" he laughs, watching as she smiles at her daughter's pickiness.

"There's so much about her I don't know." She sighed, sadly, looking away.

"Yea, but you'll learn soon enough. She's a great kid. Couldn't have asked for a better one. I've been meaning to thank you for that."

"Well I didn't make her alone." She counters.

"But you had her alone. And I will forever be grateful for her."

She nodded, accepting his gratitude and smiled when DJ returned to the kitchen with Gabriel and their grandmother.

"Good morning children!" Petra smiled, her heart swelling with love as she watched everyone gathering. Roman yawned next, walking into the kitchen and sitting at the table noticing Letty with a bowl in hand.

"Man bruh! She's fine and she cooks! I see what the hold up was! She's a keeper." He complimented, making Letty roll her eyes.

"Sorry Lett, this fool is Rome. He's my homie from my childhood days." Brian introduced, walking into the dining area, scratching his head.

"Hello, Roman. Do you like waffles?" she asked, causing everyone, including Petra to burst into laughter.

"Mija, Roman would eat dirt if we scooped it onto a plate." Petra laughed, causing Roman to sneer.

"Dang Mom. It's like that?" he asked.

"Mom, I think he did that once or twice playing with the kids." Mia smiled, joining the joke.

"Very funny Mia." He smiled, eyeing Han as he stood in the middle of the room.

"Come on guys, you know that's not true," Han began, and Roman smiled, pointing to Han for back up. "We know he doesn't need a plate." He finished, causing everyone to burst into laughter once again.

Letty watched as her family interacted, noting how Gabriel reached for his uncle Roman and how Brian scooped up his niece to converse with him and Mia about her birthday.

Dom and Petra set about helping Letty with breakfast as she took in all involved, happy to be amongst friends.

TBC...