Just Across the Hall: The Finale

Part II: The Newcomer

Two months later...

"You did this to me!" Letty yelled at Dominic. "Son of a-! AHHH!" Another contraction hit her; the wave of pain was almost unbearable. Dom had only gone to get another cloth towel to wipe her face with and when he returned, two nurses were holding her hands and a doctor was about to situate himself between Letty's legs. The cloth fell through his grasp and he moved into the room, taking her right hand.

"Alright, Mrs. Toretto," Dr. Burkhart told her, "I want you to push on the count of three. Ready?"

Letty nodded, furiously, trying to continue with her breathing exercises.

"One. Two. And three."

The scream that tore from Letty's mouth was guttural as she pushed again and again. She squeezed Dom's hand and he could have sworn he heard a few of his knuckles crack under the pressure. Seven pushes later, and baby Toretto was just as stubborn he (or she) wanted to be. They'd chosen to wait to find out the sex of the baby. Letty wanted a boy, but Dom secretly wished for a girl. He rubbed her hair and gently assured her that she was doing a great job and it was almost over.

"Okay. Almost there, Letty. Almost there. Give me one last big push on three. One. Two. Three."

And Letty pushed hard and long. Finally she felt the new life slip easily from her and she lie her head back against the propped up pillow and tried to breathe through the tears.

"It's a healthy boy."

Dom kissed her forehead and went to cut the umbilical cord at the doctor's offer. He watched as the nurses worked to clean him off and clear his nose passages.

"Okay, Letty. Are you ready to push the afterbirth through?" Dr. Burkhart asked. Letty nodded weakly and Dom returned to her side, and held her hand with his non-aching one.

"Okay. Big push. Letty. Big push."

Letty screamed again as she gave a big push.

"Oh. Uh, Letty... I need you to stay calm and don't push again until I tell you too."

"Why? What's wrong?" Letty managed through pants. "What's wrong?"

"It seems that there's someone who wants to say 'surprise, mommy'." Dr. Burkhart chuckled. "There's another baby coming."

"What?!" Letty and Dom shouted in unison.

"Don't be alarmed. He's just being a little difficult." Letty felt Dr. Burkhart's hands poking and prodding around and when he told her to push, she did. Three pushes later, she felt yet another new life, this time a girl, slide out of her. And again, Dom cut the umbilical cord.

"Anymore surprises, Doc?" Dom chuckled.

"No, no. We're ready for the afterbirth now."

Once it was all said and done, Letty had fallen asleep and Dom went out to the visiting room to introduce the newest members of the Toretto family to their aunt, uncles and older cousin. They fawned over the babies, who were still unnamed as Dom wanted to wait until Letty woke up to name them.

When she did, eventually, wake up, Dom was sitting by her bedside. The Toretto babies were sleeping comfortably in front of him.

"Dom?" Letty's voice was slightly groggy. He quickly poured her a glass of ice water after helping her sit up in bed. She drank from it and handed it back to her.

"What can I get for you, baby?"

"A really big bacon cheeseburger and some shrimp fried rice. Oh and a slice of mushroom pizza." Letty answered. Dom smiled down at her.

"You'll eat nasty cafeteria food just like all of the new moms, young lady." He faux scolded her. And as soon as we get home, I'll get you whatever you want. Like pizza. And chinese."

Letty hummed her appreciation and kissed him. "I love when you talk about food."

Dom chuckled and kissed her again. "Mmm. Maybe a little Italian."

"Italian is what got me into this hospital gown to begin with." Letty flirted. Dom kissed her lips over and over.

"I won't apologize." He told her.

"And I don't want you too." Letty glanced over at her sweet babies. "We still have to name them."

"Any suggestions?"

The next few hours were spent coming up with their names.

One day later...

Sunday, Toretto house, 11:12AM

Dom sat both baby carseats inside of the living room of the house before running back out and down the cement stairs. He opened the door of the backseat, where Letty had sat so she could keep an eye on the babies on the way home. Carefully, helping her out, they walked slowly towards the house. Letty winced every now and then, her stitches still a bit tender.

When he got her into the house, he sat her on the couch before crouching in front of her. "You are so beautiful."

"You're a shitty liar." Letty smiled. "But thank you."

"Are you comfortable down here?"

"No, I want to lie in bed. Sitting is irritating-."

"The stitches." He finished for her, nodding. He helped her up again and towards the stairs before the sound of the footsteps came from the front door. Mia, Brian, Leon, Vince and Jesse had gone to the early church service so they could be home when Dom brought Letty and the twins home.

"Oh my gosh!" Mia stage-whispered. "They're so freaking perfect."

Letty smiled and took her foot off of the first step, standing beside Dom.

"Have you guys come up with names?" Brian asked, quietly.

The new parents smiled proudly.

"Yeah. We did. Finally." Dom told them.

"Cole Anthony Toretto and Sofia Lana Toretto."

"Cole was great-granddad's name." Mia told Brian, proudly.

"Yep. And Sofia was my great-grandmother's name." Letty told them.

"They're great names." Vince said. He stood by Dom and patted his shoulder in a brotherly manner. "Congrats, man. Ya did good. Knocked up Letty once, and got two babies out of the deal."

Letty shook her head with a roll of her eyes. "I'm exhausted. Dom, will you bring the babies up?"

"Of course. I'm gonna help you upstairs first."

Letty smiled and kissed his lips. "Thank you, but I'll be okay."

"Letty, they're so tiny." Jesse commented. He'd sat on the floor in front of the twins.

"Yeah, tell that to my vagina." Letty quipped, already reaching to middle stair.

"That's gross." Leon interjected. He was crouched behind Jesse's right shoulder looking at the two newcomers.

"I remember when Jack was that small." Dom said. "I guess I won't get too used to the size, huh?"

"You'd better not. Otherwise you're in for a rude awakening once they start crawling." Mia warned.

Dom chuckled as he picked up Sofia's seat first. When he went to reach for Cole, Vince beat him to it.

"Go 'head, bro. I got 'em."

"Thanks, man."

They headed up the stairs with the two additional Toretto legacies. And Mia immediately jumped into action. She shut and locked the front door before turning, pointedly, at the three men still in the room.

"Alright, boys," she started, fishing through her handbag until she found what she was looking for, "Here is a month's supply of ear plugs and over the counter sleeping pills. Use them wisely. Also, do not touch the bottle warmer or the freshly sterilized nipples unless your hands are clean. You will take off your work shoes before you enter the house. Do not let me see you trying to shoot paper balls into the Diaper Genie again. And finally, I understand the appeal of breast milk. Yes, it's milk that comes out of a breast, but do not take it out of the fridge just to stare at it as if it holds the answers to the all the universe's great questions. Got it?"

All three men nodded sheepishly.

"Good." She smiled, pleased with herself. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go have what will probably be the last Sunday afternoon nap for a few months."

And she was gone, leaving the three men, standing there, wondering what they were allowed to do.

In Dom and Letty's room, Dom had situated the babies into their bassinets, one of which Dom had Mia run out and buy while Letty was still in the hospital. They'd only been prepared for one baby, but they weren't complaining. How could they? Letty Ortiz had brought two new innocent lives into the world and they were a part of Dominic Toretto.

It had been a long time coming. From Letty annoying Dom. To Dom's prison sentence. From dating to the Big Bang breakup. From making up to getting married. And from having twins to starting on the road of a brand new adventure.

In retrospect, that's all Dom and Letty's lives were: a huge adventure. That would never change.

But as Dom lie in bed with Letty, both facing each other, he realized that everything had changed. He had got the happy ending that he'd never thought possible. And Letty, as always, was along for the ride.

"Ride or die, remember?" Letty whispered, her voice husky with happy tears. She reached out to touch him, her fingers gently resting on the side of Dom's face. Dom leaned into the touch and leaned in to kiss her.

"Ride or die." He repeated.

Fin.

A/N: Thanks for all the support you guys have shown me from the very first chapter of 'Just Across the Hall'. Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. You beautiful souls are why I keep writing and posting these stories. (: Continue to enjoy 'Teacher's Pet' and 'She Left Him in Texas'. And stay tuned because I have, yet another, Dotty AU in the works that I'll post after SLHIT is finished!