Hello fanfiction.

This is my first fanfiction story. I must admit, that until last year, I had never heard of The Fast and The Furious. However, when my cousin introduced it to me, I fell in love. I hope that this story demonstrates a decent depiction of the characters.

Summary: In a series of one-shots, follow Leticia (Letty) Ortiz from age twelve until death: From her first meeting with Dominic Toretto, to the birth of her first child, and beyond.

Author: Revolving Panes

Rating: T (several cuss words). This rating may rise in future chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fast and Furious

Threads Unraveling

Chapter One

…

Letty Ortiz had never liked dresses or bows or frilly hairstyles. What she had liked, however, was cars. To be exact, the supped-up racing machines that conquered the roads of California by dusk. Where the interest had spawned from…was untraceable. Yet, a contributing factor was her less than perfect childhood. By the age of ten, her mother had divorced twice, and was bringing in the lowest level of men, that Letty had thought humanly possible, nightly. It wasn't as though Letty's mother loathed her, but it was simple logic. Her mother was hardly ever sober, and often wasn't conscious enough to speak properly. And when she was lucid, she was generally with the men.

It was the summer of Letty's twelfth birthday, which her entire life took a turn for the better. Her mother relocated homes unexpectedly, and Letty wound up on a modest street in the bare suburbs of Los Angeles. Letty's first day on the block marked the commencement of a lifelong passion of wild street races and borderline idiotic behavior. How it started? A thirteen year old girl named Mia Toretto.

Letty had been carrying tattered cardboard box containing her dearest possessions when a brilliant flash of exhaust and cobalt paint blurred through her peripheral vision, the roar of an engine penetrating the silence. Letty, who had been so astonished, jumped a good foot in the air, turning to gawk at the brilliant haze in the fading dust. From behind Letty, a girl's voice protested, calling after the accelerating vehicle.

"Dom…Daddy said no!"

Letty turned to face the newcomer. The girl was of average height, maybe slightly taller, and within two years of Letty's own age. Rather shiny, dark russet locks were pulled into a loose ponytail at the nape of the stranger's neck, and her glistening, Mediterranean complexion was perspiring in the heat of the sun. A pair of denim shorts hung loosely from her thighs as though they were several sizes too large, and a bright orange tank top clung to her bronzed torso.

The unfamiliar person seemed to notice Letty for the first time, peeling her eyes away from the trail of grit. She raised a dark eyebrow, as if inspecting Letty's appearance.

"I haven't seen you before." She commented. There was an inquisitive edge to her tone, but the meaning was genuine enough.

Letty shifted the box awkwardly to her left hip, balancing the weight with her forearm. "Uh…Yeah. My mom and I just moved here from Watts. I'm Leticia Ortiz, by the way. But, call me Letty."

The girl grinned extensively and stuck out a slender hand. "I'm Mia Toretto. I live just up there…number 1327."

Letty allowed a small smile to cross her lips as she returned the favor. "Did you know the guy in that car?" Letty questioned after a moment, curious.

Mia frowned. "Ermm…that was my brother, Dom. Dad specifically told him not to touch the Mustang. Technically, he's not even supposed to be driving…he's only fourteen."

It's was Letty's turn to lift an eyebrow. "He's fourteen?"

Mia let a small chuckle escape her pursed lips. "In this neighborhood, the rules are a bit looser. There's a massive racer presence, if you know what I mean."

Letty nodded. "So…your dad races?"

Mia shook her head. "Dad runs a garage. But, most of the enthusiasts get their parts and specializations done there. Dom helps on the weekends and the afternoons when he's not in school." She gazed at the box propped under Letty's arm, eager to change the subject. "D'you want some help with that?"

"Nah…I've got it."

"If you say so."

"D'you wanna come in?" Letty asked hesitantly.

Mia smirked. "I thought you'd never ask, Miss Ortiz."

…

The summer months flew by as though the clocks had been set to whiz at twice the normal settings. The sunlit hours were spent, as often as possible, with Mia in the back garden of number 1327, chasing each other around, engaging in vicious tickling fights, and stirring up a hassle in the Toretto family household.

Within days of Letty's newfound friendship, she had been introduced to all but one of the knitted family: Dominic. It had crossed her mind intermittently throughout June and July, but as August drew to a close and the fourteen year old racer had yet to make an appearance, Letty voiced her opinion.

The pair were crashed on their backs, peering at the sun through squinted eyes, Letty's shirt grass stained and matted.

"D'you know when I'll be able to meet Dom?" Letty queried, rolling over to her stomach, gazing at the figure beside her.

"I don't know…he's always away, isn't he?"

Letty nodded.

"Oh! Vince wanted me to tell you…the guys are having are having a meet up on Saturday night, down by that Warehouse on Kiln. They want you to come."

"Me? I've only known them for a month and a half. Plus, it wouldn't be the same without you there."

Mia turned maroon. "Um…well…I was thinking I could sneak out." She stuttered.

"Who the fuck are you, and what have you done with Mia Toretto?

"Language." Mia admonished, a small smile playing upon her lips. "Anyway, Dom's gonna be there. You can meet him then."

Letty rolled onto her back as the conversation concluded.

...

Saturday came precipitously in a whirl of mass excitement.

By eight that night, Letty had left the home, leaving a note for her mother stating that she was staying the night at the Toretto's.

Currently, said teenager was sitting cross-legged on Mia's bed, impatiently waiting for her friend to stop fussing with her unmanageable hair.

"Good God Mia…how much longer?"

"One second…one second…there!" Mia exclaimed, sliding a final pin into the designated slot.

Letty was allowed to stand, clutching a bathrobe across her torso, and examine Mia's work as the youngest Toretto selected their respective outfits.

Mia had managed to tame the obsidian waves, attractively pinning two slender braids in the back, making a sort of partial, circular tiara around the rear of Letty's head. The Toretto had also insisted on using massive amounts of smoothing serum, and the result had been notable. The once static-ridden locks were sleek and defined rather than mussed and electrified.

Letty let a beam peak through her façade. Mia reappeared moments to the latter, garments clutched in her forearms.

"We'll have to try several things for you Letty, but I'm sure something will fit."

It was true. Mia had a good four inches on Letty, and was several pounds slimmer.

Letty shrugged. "Alright."

In the end, Letty settled on a pair of skintight, ebony jeans, and a rather blinding camisole of brilliant blue. A pair of ankle boots and a thick, black leather jacket was tossed to the adolescent in turn. Letty scrutinized her appearance as Mia stuffed pillows beneath her quilt to make it appear that a young girl was indeed asleep upon the mattress. The outfit was flattering, and her eyes had been rimmed in dark liner, making her appear several years older than she actually was.

Mia appeared from behind her bed, long hair tied effortlessly in a loose knot, her dark bottoms clinging tightly to the beginnings of womanly curves.

"You ready, Lett?"

"Hell yes, Toretto."

With that, the pair gingerly began their climb down the side trellis on the outside of number 1327.

It was only a four mile walk, and seeing as the event didn't commence until later that evening, the girls took their time, Mia trembling slightly from anxiety. Letty, however, was quivering for a very different reason. She was aching to be near the adrenaline filled atmosphere once again, to feel the pulsating beat of blaring boom boxes, and the monumental roar of the engines.

Despite Letty's age, this was far from the first event that she had attended. Her father, before his disappearance, had taken her as a young child to several races. It had been horrible parenting, but the events had fueled her desire for adventure and the unknown.

The venue was situated just outside the main metropolis, positioned on a desolate stretch of abandoned warehouses and compaction yards. The racers would be avoiding the main streets as much as possible in the initial length, as the police presence had increased considerably. However, the final spurt would venture into the city for a brief sequence. Letty heard the scene before she saw it. The beat vibrated her skull, pulsing across her veins sporadically.

"Vince and Leon are gonna met us on the northeast side, near the starting position." Mia announced through the din.

The pair fought through the sluts and partygoers, Letty wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"The skank stench is giving me a fucking migraine!" Letty managed as she passed a particularly disgusting individual.

Mia grimaced in response.

Suddenly, a strong hand grasped Letty's rear, yanking her into the mob.

"Gonna give me piece of that caramel ass sweetcheeks?" A disgusting vibrato broke her eardrums, the figure pinning her against a far wall.

"Fuck You!" Letty bellowed, kicking the offender in the balls. Hard. She took off in a flurry, skirting through the mass.

Leon very literally caught Letty as the fell from the fray. "Whoa there, baby girl."

Leon was of average build, with a mop of untrimmed, brown curls. Despite his juvenile age, his arms were littered with tattoo's, giving him a rough, slightly unkempt quality.

"You alright?"

"Si amigo, just peachy." Letty stated sarcastically.

"Mia freaked when you disappeared."

Letty rolled her eyes. "Typical."

"The race is about ta' start, Lett. We best get'a good view."

Leon grasped her hand, and began to pull her towards the starting line. Four, high end, racing machines were positioned: A sleek, obsidian Camaro that most certainly carried more than it appeared, a furiously purple- Mazda RX-7, a green Nissan Skyline GTR, and an orange Toyota Supra. (If any of these are just wrong for the venue/race, I apologize. I only know a little bit about cars.)

Leon pointed towards the Camaro. "That's Dom's."
"Hell the fuck did a fourteen year old get a Camaro?"

Leon grinned. "Fifteen… He turned fifteen last week. Dom won it off some rich bastard in June."

"Nice ride."

"You bet."

The pair carried on a brief discussion concerning the best engines and such, until Mia and Vincent turned up, some ten minutes to the latter.

"Letty, you nearly gave me a heart attack." Mia screeched, throwing her arms around her friend's neck.

"Breathe Mia…I'm fine."

"Right…what happened?"

"Some douche tried to grope me. I kicked him the balls. Hard."

Vince let out a triumphant shout, patting Letty on the back, exclaiming to Leon gleefully. "I knew this one was a keeper!"

An announcer's call cut through the air. "One minute, racers."

"Here we go."

In was in the following moments that Letty caught the first glimpse of Dominic Toretto, illegal racer by night, family boy by day.

His was a lofty and muscular, his biceps poking from beneath the depths of his tight, black shirt. A sliver cross hung from his neck, his dark hair close-cropped. Although his presence screamed for acknowledgement, Letty could see through the bullshit. His eyes told the truth. A warmth and kindness dwelled there, hidden, but visible to those who chose to search beneath the brawn.

Dom slid onto the upholstery, and Letty caught a glimpse of a shining tank in the passenger's side. His eyes wandered in Letty's direction, and their irises met, equally dark, and equally brooding. He nodded, and grinned when he spotted Vincent's hand upon her shoulder and Mia clutched tightly to her side.

The female announcer stepped forward, her miniskirt ridding to her bum. Her black skin glowed with lotion, and her falsely colored curls were illuminated in the headlights.

"You know the rules." Her voice had the hint of an accent…Barbadian?

"Ready." She pointed at Dom and the Toyota. The engines roared to life, the cement shuddering.

"Steady." She gestured at the RX-7 and the Nissan.

Her palms flew skyward, and with a bellow that commenced the race, her hands flew to her thighs, four identical blurs rocketing into the evening, Dominic in the clear lead.

Vince tugged at her wrist. "Come on Lett!"

The four-some sprinted off in the mass pack; Mia perched on Leon's back.

The race would cease at a bridge, the long swoop allowing for an overtaking advantage. The crowd arrived within three minutes, scrambling to the foot of the structure, waiting.

A roar of churning metal broke the silence, ebony Camaro flying through the air as it launched from the incline, the RX-7 in pursuit. The nitrate had been released, the pair hurtling at gut wrenching speeds across the cement. In the final seconds, several things happened very quickly. The Camaro gave a heaving jerk, rubber flying through the air. The RX-7's driver was grinning horribly, a pistol clutched in his hand. Dominic swerved, and the driver, who had been focusing on the firearm, crashed into a cell-phone service mart with a fiery blast of gas. The scent of charred human flesh rose into the night, and bile rose in Letty's throat briefly as she fought the nausea.

Dominic had won. The other driver was dead, burned alive. The shouts could be heard across the yard. Apparently, from the vile language being spewed, no one had liked the RX-7's driver very much.

As the clock passed into the morning hours, the pack relocated to a different deserted patch, beers interchanging hands, music blaring once more. Seemingly, a cleanup crew had been dispatched to the crash side to destroy the wreckage. At least, according to Leon. This didn't, however, relieve the queasiness.

Dominic esteemed his victory, skanks crowding around his Camaro (a new tire had been supplied). As of current, three Corollas' ingested, the man was performing impressive tight circles with the vehicle. Letty was in a heated discussion with Mia, when it happened.

There was a sickening squeal of tires, and the obsidian Camaro wailed towards Letty, who was momentarily frozen. The machine slammed into her shoulder, jarring the bone, a sharp piece of metal slicing into the nerve bundles. Letty felt her body leave the earth, slamming into the pavement, her head cracking. Dim lights floated about, voices shouting, hands compressing. And then, everything went black.

…

That's a wrap.

How did I do?Is this worth continuing? Leave a review or PM to tell me. Most chapters won't be this long, but I simply couldn't find a decent stopping point.

Thanks,

M.