Chapter 1
Her heart was beating through her chest when she walked into the ER waiting room. Her entire family was waiting on her. She shifted the small boy in her arms as his laid asleep in her arms. He was getting so big, but yet still so innocent. He didn't know what was going on. But she did. The moment she saw her brother's face, she knew it was bad. She bowed her head, trying to keep up the strength to move forward. The tears had already come to her eyes as she looked around the room. Two people were missing, Roman and Brian. She moved closer to her brother whose face was torn up. Bruises were already forming on his face, his arm was cut, he looked like hell. She closed her eyes as she stopped in front of him. She knew this moment was going to come one day, with the lives that they lived it was bound to happen. She was surprised it hasn't happen yet. She thought it was over for good this time. They were back home in Los Angeles, they were starting their lives over again. Letty was home even though she couldn't remember anything about them, she was home and safe. Then Dom gets the call, Han was dead. Who? Ian Shaw. She wanted to run, she begged Brian to run with her. She couldn't let him get involved in this again. They had a child together, Jack. He was two now. But Brian, being the man that he was, wanted justice for his friend. Which brought them here this day. Dom called her, she could hear in his voice that it wasn't good. She shifted Jack's weight again as she stared at her brother. "Where is he?"
"In surgery." Dom replied. "Sit down Mia, I need you to sit down."
"I don't want to sit down, Dom!" She snapped. She took a deep breath calming her voice trying not to wake up her child.
"Let me take him, Mia." Letty offered holding her hands out.
"He is what's keeping me sane right now." She shook her head. "I will wait here until my husband gets out of surgery."
"It might be awhile." Dom replied. "They just took him back."
"Where is Roman?"
"He is stable. They have him in ICU."
She shook her head. She was so mad at him that she could scream. Everything in her body wanted to hit him, hit him until she no longer felt the pain in her heart. She sat down leaning her head against the wall. "What the hell happened?" She asked as the tears finally escaped her eyes.
"We were blindsided. Shaw came out of no where and just hit him."
"And Shaw? Where is he now?"
"He's dead. I put a bullet in his head."
They sat in silence when she shifted her body again. "Let Letty take him, Mia. He doesn't need to be here."
"And where would you like him to go, Dom? He has no where else to go."
"I know that you are upset with me…"
"Upset?" She raised her voice. "I am so pissed off at you right now!"
"Mommy…" The little boy whined as he lifted his head from her shoulder. She sighed before standing up.
"I am sorry baby, mommy was being loud. Go back to sleep."
"Where is daddy?"
Mia looked over at Dom shaking her head. "Go back to sleep sweetheart, you will see daddy tomorrow." The tears flooded down her cheeks as he laid his head back down on her shoulder. She wiped her face with her free hand before handing her boy to Letty. She turned away as she tried to stop the tears but they kept flowing.
"Is he going to die?" Mia asked.
"I don't know. I don't know anything that is going on right now. I got him out of the car as fast as I could and drove here. I didn't waste any time."
"When does this end, Dom? When does all this stupid shit end with you? We have lost so much already."
She had gotten a second chance with him. Hell she has gotten a lot of chances with him. Everytime he would step out the door, she would wonder if she would see him again. It got to a point where she didn't know. This was her soulmate. They were meant to be together. She felt her brother's hand on her shoulder, she wanted to move it but she didn't. "If he dies-" She stopped.
"I won't let that happen."
Hours had passed as they continued to wait in the waiting area of the emergency room. Letty had taken Jack home to put him to bed while everyone else stayed. Tej hasn't really come around knowing that Mia was mad. She didn't blame him, she knew it was always Brian's decision to do something. He was always going to be around to help Dom no matter what. That was the kind of person he was, ride or die. She closed her eyes leaning her head against the wall as the continued to wait on the news.
"Promise me that you will return to me?" Mia had Brian's face in her hands. The tears were forming in her eyes as he stared at her with a smile. He was fixing to leave for London, without her and their son. Her heart ached knowing he might not return. It scared her so bad. The lives they lived, it wasn't exactly the safest but they were survivors. They had always been.
"I just got you back in my life. I don't plan on leaving you anytime soon. I will come back to you and our son." He pulled her forward kissing her passionately on the lips. "I love you."
"I love you too!" She closed her eyes leaning forward so their foreheads would touch. She was so in love with him it hurt.
She opened her eyes as she remembered the memory of him promising not to leave her. She wiped her face of the tears that fell down. "You alright?" Dom asked looking over at her. She nodded her head at him turning her body to face his. "What are you thinking about?"
"Brian."
"We live our lives like its the last breath we will take. Thats how we have always been, Mia. Ever since the first day that I met him, he took risks. He always has. He sees an opportunity to get behind the wheel of a car and he takes it. He was born to drive."
"He has a family now, Dom."
He nodded his head. "I guess, I let my emotions get in the way of what really mattered. Han's death needed vengeance and justification. Brian jumped right on it with me. I didn't think it would turn out this way."
"You never do."
"Mia, I would never do anything to hurt him. If I knew he couldn't handle it then I wouldn't have done it. He is a fighter, you have to believe that."
"He's my best friend." She cried as her chest jumped covering her face with her hands. Dom leaned over wrapping his arms around his sisters waist bringing her into his lap. He ran his hand down her hair soothing her.
"He's mine too." Dom whispered.
Dom's head shot up when the door opened and the man in the blue gown came walking over to them. He looked exhausted. The doctor took his hat off before walking over to them. Dom lifted Mia's head off of him and stood up quickly.
"Dominic Toretto?" The man stuck out his hand as Dom shook it.
"Yes."
Mia stood up and stared at the doctor. "I am the doctor that was in the operating room with your husband…" He directed his attention to Mia who was nodding her head. She began fidgeting with her hands when Dom grabbed them in his. "We have been working extensively on Mr. O'Connor for quite some time now. He came in with multiple wounds, his head was crushed causing bleeding the brain as well as bleeding around his lungs…" Mia continued to nod her head. "We did the best we could to stop it, but it just became too much for him and he went into cardiac arrest…" Dom tightened his grip on Mia's hand as he felt her body slide down to the floor. She didn't cry. She didn't move. Her hand was still in her brother's as the doctor continued to speak. "We tried to bring him back multiple times, but it was just too much on his body. He didn't make it. I wanted to be the one to tell you this. We are putting him in a room so you can say your goodbyes."
Dom nodded his head as he watched the doctor walk away. Brian was dead. Thats all that he could think about. His best friend, his brother was gone.
"Dom…" Tej went to speak but he couldn't find the words. Nothing came out as they all stood around in silence. Mia was still on the floor holding her brother's hand. She could feel her stomach in her chest, but yet no emotion came out. It was like shock overtook all three of them.
It was moments afterwards that Mia lifted herself off the ground. She let go of her brother's hand and moved towards the door of the ICU. "Mia…" Dom whispered stopping her in her tracks. "You don't have to do this."
She slowly turned around and faced her brother. "He was my soulmate. Yes I do." Her chest jumped but yet tears still didn't fall down her face. Dom nodded his head falling in behind her as they walked into the room. There weren't many people there, but enough for them to feel uncomfortable. Mia didn't bother looking around as she made her way towards her husband's room. She stopped at the door as her feet refused to go any further. This was it. This was the goodbye she was dreading the most. The one where she would say goodbye forever. This is what the life they lived got them. It had killed almost everyone in their lives. She felt Dom come up behind her placing his hands on her shoulders. "Mia, I can do this." He whispered.
"Dom, I have to do this." Tears began to fall down her face. "Please let me do this."
She pressed the button on the wall as the doors slid open for her to walk in. The curtain was drawn hiding the man behind it. She took a deep breath squeezing her eyes shut. It was moments like these that she wished she was Jack's age. So innocent. He wasn't going to be remember this. He wasn't going to remember the pain he felt when he found out his father was dead. He wasn't going to remember how it felt to see him one last time, lying in a bed with tubes in his mouth. She longed for that. But instead she put her hands on the curtain and pulled it back. All the emotions flooded over her as she fell to the ground the moment she laid eyes on the beautiful man that laid before her. The tubes were running through his arms and mouth. The sobs escaped her mouth as she let out a cry that only the wounded knew. The pain she felt wasn't anything she had ever experienced. She felt Dom's arms come around her body. "Dom, nooo!" She sobbed. She couldn't take her eyes off of Brian's face. "STOP!" She screamed throwing her shoulders away from her brother. "This isn't him. He doesn't look right. These tubes don't need to be here!" She jumped up ripping the stickies off of Brian's chest. The machine began to go off as Dom grabbed Mia's arms holding her place.
"Shhhh." He whispered in her ear. "Let it go,Mia. Just let it go."
"This isnt fair!" She screamed fighting to get free. "He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't -" She fell down the ground. "I love him!"
Dom stood outside the room leaning his head against the wall as Mia stayed in the room with Brian. She had finally calmed down enough to stay with him. Dom blamed himself, he knew it was his fault this happened. He banged his head back against the wall when someone cleared their throats. "Mr Toretto...there is someone asking for you. Roman Peirce just woke up."
Dom swallowed hard before nodding his head.
"Will you watch her please?" He pointed to Brian's room. "I will go see Roman."
"Yes sir."
Dom took a deep breath as he leaned up from the wall. The doctor pointed to the room as he slowly began walking. What was he going to do? How was he going to tell Roman that his best friend was dead? He was at the door. He stood there for a moment before opening the door and walking in.
"What's up man?" Roman's voice was hoarse as he held his hands in the air.
"Hey Rome." Dom was trying to remain calm as he walked into the room.
"What's going on man? Did we win?"
Dom gave a little chuckle. "Yeah brother we won."
"How's Brian? All I remember is the car flipping, then I blacked out."
Dom took a deep breath. "We took you guys to the hospital, Brian was bleeding pretty bad. The doctor's rushed him into surgery right away….they were in there for hours working on him…" Dom covered his face with his hands turning away.
"No man." Roman whispered.
"He didn't make it." Dom replied as the last part turned into a sob. He covered his face as the tears fell down instantly soaking the sleeve of his shirt. Roman was quiet for a moment until all of the anger came out. He hit the tray in front of him sending it flying across the room. "Are you fucking serious?" He yelled. "He was right there man, he was right fucking there and now you are telling me he's not."
"He just had too much damage."
"We were in the same fucking car!" Roman yelled.
There was silence as Roman covered his face with his hands leaning his head back. The tears were silent but Dom knew he was having a hard time with it. They were a family, through thick and thin, they were together through it all. But this time was different, it was such much more different than the rest, it was Brian. He was one of the best drivers they had ever known, he was the father of Jack, the husband of Mia, the best friend of Roman and Tej, and the brother of Dom. How could they lose someone like that? How was that even possible to think they will never see him again.
"I need to go to my sister…" Dom spoke. "She needs me right now, and I don't know what I am supposed to do."
"Where is he?" Roman asked.
"What?"
"Where is Brian?" Roman's head shot up.
"He's across the hall from you in an ICU room hooked to all these machines. The doctor is giving us a chance to say goodbye."
"You get me over there. I want to see him." Roman pointed his finger. Dom nodded his head before patting the man's foot and walking out. It was hard. It was hard on everyone right now. It didn't seem real.
Dom walked over to Brian's room when he heard his sister sobbing, "You listen to me, don't you dare leave me." She cried. "I can't do this Brian, I don't know what to do. I don't know how to live without you."
Dom moved closer into the room as he leaned his head against the wall closing his eyes. "Baby-please-you can't leave me."
"You sure you want to do this?" Dom asked loading the car with their bags. Brian looked up at the house they had began to call home in Spain before nodding his head.
"Its the only way for her to be free."
Mia was on the lawn with their baby, Jack. Brian smiled as Dom slammed the trunk door down.
"You just say the word O'Connor and we will call it quits."
"This is for Letty, Dom. You have to get her back."
Dom nodded his head. "Thank you brother, thank you for doing this for me."
"We are survivors, Dom, its what we do the best." Brian smirked. "Besides, you have to outdrive us to beat us and no one is going to be able to do that."
"Just know what comes first Brian, Mia and Jack are your priority right now."
"She knows I can't live without her."
Dom leaned up wiping his eyes before walking over to the bed and bringing Mia into his arms. She had been laying there with Brian's arm over her talking to him. He wrapped his arms around her body as she laid her head into his chest. His shirt was soaked from her tears. He didn't realize it, until she looked up at him, that he was crying. "Dom…" She whispered.
"I didn't know-" He started. He rubbed his hand down her head. "I didn't know Mia."
"He's really gone isnt he?"
Dom nodded his head. "This time, I think its real. I don't think there is coming back from this one."
"I can't do this Dom."
"We don't have a choice."
