She never thought she´d be back at the Fort after all she went through with the boys of running and swimming. Mia couldn’t be away from home, and as much as she was glad Cole gave her and Dom a place to stay and eat, she just had to go back.

Mia made a right turn and slowed down parking the car inside the garage where the Charger once was. Since the car was so elegant and freaking expensive, plus it wasn’t hers but Cole she had to take extremely care of it, she´ll have to return him the car sometime.

As soon as she stepped inside her house, the first thing she did was take a shower and put on some shorts and a yellow tank top, the day seemed to get hotter by the minute. Mia walked to the kitchen and made some coffee but later regret it leaving the cup aside and started to eat an apple. One thing was for sure, it felt great to be back at home.

110 degrees, at least! Even though the windows of the BMW were open.
Sweat soaked Brian woke up on the back seat of the borrowed car with his legs practically over his head. Sleeping in the German vehicle was surely no reason for extasy. Maybe for a back cramp or some popped vertebrae.

Groaning loudly Brian ran both hands over his bright red face. "I need to find a place to sleep."
He told himself.
After Jack had blown up his own place and Mira decided to head for Oregon Brian had nowhere to stay and Cole place couldn't do forever. Unfortunately the ex-cop had no money, job or apartment and thanks to his brother his mugshot was most likely pinned to the wall of the local police department.

Rolling out of the car into the warm summer breeze he straightened up while his joint were protesting with loud pops. "Ah, shit." Brian groaned before he sat down on the curb to let the breeze cool him down a little.
How could things go so wrong?
Staring off across the parking lot at the assembly of boring sedans and SUVs Brian wondered whether he should actually attempt to do something about his situation. For some reason he couldn't get himself to do anything, so he tried to focus on something positive but the only thing ..person who came to mind was her. Mia.
Tired he pulled out the phone he'd purchased a few days ago and tried to call her but then remembered that her phone had also drowned in the LA harbor.

An hour later he pulled up in front of the Fort because she had packed her bags and left Coles place.
Knock, knock. His knuckles connected with the old wooden door before he turned his back towards it and looked at the street. "What am I even doing here?" Brian shook his head and started walking back down the stairs.
What did he expect from her when he had nothing to offer?

She didn’t know where to start, what to do. She took another bite of her apple when she heard someone knocking at her door, this was unusual. Mia moved to the door and twisted the knob. “Brian. What are you doing here? Is something wrong?” she identify him in seconds. Not that she didn’t want him to be there, she just wondered what made him come here.

Two days ago since they both had that conversation, she left Cole´s wanting nothing more than to just breathe and not too stress of what Brian was going to do. She was just glad they had time for them to just talk. She stepped out as the sun hit her damp long hair; thank goodness she decided to wear shorts and not jeans, because the weather was horrible.

“Come on in. Damn weather,”

As soon as she called his name Brian froze in his steps. A lot had changed between them just recently but neither of the two knew what to do with it.
Turning around he didn't even dare to look her in the eye at first but the few last drop dripping from her hair made him actually look into her face. It was so beautiful. Brian should really tell her but he didn't allow himself.
"You took a shower." He stated the obvious. Oh what he'd give for a cold shower now that his shirt was clinging to him like a second skin.

Mia asked him to come inside and Brian followed without hesitation. "Sure."
Inside it was a little cooler than outside but the old home didn't have any air condition. Letting his gaze wander around Brian asked. "So you came back here? Do you really think it's safe?"
After all her uncle had lots of 'family' who might want revenge for what had happened even if she was only indirectly involved.

“To be honest… I know is not safe, but where can I go? I couldn’t stay with Cole anymore. Don’t get me wrong, he was so kind to offer his house even his cars, but I just couldn’t stay any longer there… I miss my home”

He was sweating a lot, it was this weather. “If you need to take a shower, go ahead. Dom has lots of clothes and I am sure he wouldn’t mind you borrow a shirt and some jeans…” she went to take two bottles of cold water from the fridge and for some reason flashbacks from when they first met came back to her. She placed one of the bottle of cold water in front of him.

It all started when she suggested for him to take a shower… same thing happened upstairs or was it downstairs? That night when the racing was interrupted by the cops trying to arrest all the people involved in illegal racing…

She couldn’t hide the small smile that appeared on her lips, once the second bottle of water was out and in her hands she started to look what was available in the pantry; there was really nothing for her to eat.

“You have got to be kidding me,” she muttered to herself and chuckle as she shook her head slightly looking at the three cans of tuna in front of her and the medium bread bar she had to buy once she got out of Cole´s house, forgetting she needed to buy groceries. “Tuna sandwich with no crust…” Why was she suddenly remembering all of this?

For a moment he stood in the doorway feeling a little lost because he didn't even know what he was doing at the Fort.
Her presence however, combined with the words that sounded so familiar put him at ease. For some reason being near Mia was the only thing that made him feel a little better when his world had pratically just fallen apart.
With a slight smile he looked at the floor.
"You should take a shower..." Something along those lines was her pick up line almost ten years ago.
"Hm, I think I've heard that one before." He smirked and cocked his head to the side to watch her pull some water bottles from the fridge. Small beads of liquid were forming on the outside and made Brian want to gulp the whole thing down in one long pull.
Thankfully he took one from her, unscrewed the top and had a nice, refreshing drink.
A sigh escaped his lips when he heard her say that she knew it wasn't safe to stay in her own home, the one she grew up in.
He pushed that thought to the back of his head for now and followed her gaze into the pantry, that was practically empty except for a few cans of tuna.
"I think our taste buds have graduated to finer foods. C'mon, I'll spend my last few bucks on breakfast...in an air conditioned restaurant."
Extending his hand Brian hoped she'd accept the offer.

“I´ll be careful, don´t worry so much…” she let him know when she heard him sigh and took some of the cold water. She didn’t move until Brian took a closer look at what she was seeing.

“I think you´re right,” he was so right, she wasn’t looking to eat tuna; she wasn’t a fan of it. Mia looked up as he offered her to eat in a conditioned restaurant. For a moment, the youngest member of the Torettos looked at Brian drinking the water. She stood up and took his hand, as her stomach made a sound demanding food. “Let´s go,”

OOC: sorry for the short post.

To walk down the stairs with her hand in hand felt odd. Yet Brian more or less forced himself not to drop it. Mira had kicked him to the curb after all. Brian had to remind himself not to mess with Mia's feelings as long as he didn't know where he stood himself.
He opened the door for her and walked around to get into the driver seat.
The air condition of the car felt like a real treat on their way to the next best restaurant that served breakfast up the road.

Soon enough they waited to be seated by a nice red haired waitress, who could not be older than 17. So Brian looked over at Mia and asked. "Where's Dom? Is he coming back to the Fort as well?"

The lady in the green uniform came back asking them to follow her to a small table at the window and instantly poured them two cups of water. "Would you like to see the menue or are you here for a our famous blueberry pancakes?" She chirped in an overly joyful voice that didn't suit Brian's feelings at all.
"Nope, no pancakes." He said a little too grumpy.

She thought he was going to let her hand go, at this point she didn’t know whether to feel uncomfortable or even happy? Was she doing something he didn’t like? She intended to let go of his hand but he never let it go.

“Thanks,” she told him as she entered the car. Once he closed it, she scolded herself mentally; just because they talked it didn’t mean… he wanted her back? It was all so confusing but she didn’t let him know or show him something was bothering her.

They entered their restaurant and the cool air hit them, it was a wonderful feeling. “He will, don’t know when exactly but I know him and he´ll always go back home…” she stopped talking as the waitress approach the two of them and showed them their table.

“We´d love to see the menu, and no, no pancakes, please?” she kindly told the young girl who answered with a yes and a bright smile turning around and going for the menu leaving them a few minutes alone.

"Sorry." Brian muttered under his breath when the waitress was gone. Never before had he been so cranky for such a long time. Things were simply aweful at the moment but now that he was with Mia he would try to pull himself together.
"I don't think it's the best idea to go back to the Fort but it's your choice. I mean, I don't want to be messing up your life any more than I already did." His guilty conscience was eating away at him for Mia getting involved into this whole mess.
For a moment he fell silent and busied himself by drinking some water and casting a glance at the world outside the window. It looked perfectly normal.
"I think I'm going to start looking for an apartment. I don't want to overstay my welcome at Cole's. Plus I need a job and a car."
He watched the glass sparkle in the sun while he was turning it in his hands but didn't meet her gaze when he admitted. "If only I had some energy. It's as if Mira sucked the life juice out of me."

“I know is not the best idea to go back home, but why try to find a place if I have a home? I´ll be careful. Brian, my life´s been messed up since Dom decided to enter into the world of illegal racing…”

She looked at him, he had no energy, the situation with Mira was affecting him a whole lot more than she imagined. Even though Brian visit his children he looked tired, unhappy, lifeless.

She was going to ask him, if he didn’t find and apartment to stay at the house but she couldn’t dear too, maybe she was pushing him and that´s the last thing she wanted to do, the question was there but she didn’t know how to say it o or if she should..

“One of the reasons I got out of Cole´s was because I wasn’t going to live there forever, plus I need to find a part-time job too.”

She watched him play with the glass. “Don’t do this to yourself, Brian… please, don´t” her hand reach for his, and held it for a minute.

Why was he telling Mia thins? It wasn't like she had a solution for his problems. Yet Brian felt like he could tell her everything and right now he had an overwhelming urge to do so. Still he was holding back. Brian was worried that once he started he couldn't stop anymore.
He barely heard her say that she was also looking for a job. Absentmindedly he asked. "As nurse?"

Suddenly he felt her hand on his and stopped his movement. "I'm not doing anything, just trying to hold it together." Brina felt his throat tighten when he added. "All i want is to see my kids grow up...not from a distance."
As soon as he let the words slip from his lips he was barely able to talk normally.

Brian averted his gaze from the waitress, who placed the menus on the table.

As soon as the waitress placed the menu Mia turned to her. “Thanks, give us a few more minutes and we´ll order,” smiling to the young girl giving Brian time to breathe.

She didn’t have an answer or an advice when he mentioned he wanted to see his kids grow, to see their first steps,
to hear their first words, to feel their little arms around him. There was nothing she could do about that, no matter what she did she was never going to be able to remove that feeling of sadness and powerless, that´s how he must been feeling at this moment.

“Probably as a nurse… I am not even sure.” She looked at him and lowered her voice. “I want to feel normal at least once, I am done being afraid every time I see a cop or think about the mob,” for once in her life she just didn’t care, she didn’t care if staying at her house was dangerous, she was done running around hiding.

Brian was thankful for Mia sending the waitress away. Mia seeing him fall apart was one thing but a complete stranger? Not so much.
There was nothing he could do about the huge whole, where his love and heart had once been, that now seemed to gobble him up from the inside. His chest was tight. So was his throat when he only thought one moment about the two little babies that he'd barely gotten to know. Still he knew he loved them. it tore him apart not to be with them every waking moment.
"How can you love someone who you don't even know?" He asked Mia while his eyes were watering up.

Brian had been able to fight the likes of Braga and make it through all kind of hairy situations without great emotional troubles. He'd put up with Jack without killing the guy, He'd somehow managed giving up Mia when she wanted him to and watched Dom go to jail. But knowing that he'd only see his kids every now and then and not being a real part of their life was weighing him down more than anything ever had in his whole life.

He needed some sort of straw, some sort of life support. Right now it was Mia.
Swallowing hard against the lump in his throat he listened to her and then apologized. "Sorry...you'd be a good nurse." Brian needed to get his thoughts on different paths. So he motioned for his leg that been pretty beat up during the police chase but now had a variety of scabs all over it. "You've done a good job on me."
Reaching for her hand he rubbed it again. "You know how to deal with people. You're really good at that."

For a moment he searched her face. She was a little older now but that sincere heart of hers and her personality had never changed. "You deserve a normal life."
It crossed his mind that his presence might not actually be helping if that's what she wanted. "I'm not sure if you can have a normal life as long as I stick around though. Just tell me what you want, Mia."
Brian sincerely hoped she wouldn't tell him to leave right now because he needed her more than ever.

"How can you love someone who you don't even know?" Mia was looking at the menu but immediately look up when she heard the pain in his voice. “I wish I knew, Brian.” She spoke softly to him. After she let him go, she never had any other person in her life, she try to move on but it was impossible when every second she thought of him.

“Don’t be,” she let him know once he apologized, she understood how he felt, there was no need for him to apologize, for what? For showing how he was feeling? It wasn’t like her to not give him an opportunity to let out how he felt.

She was a great nurse, how not to, when you practically lived in a hospital 24/7? She had done a pretty good job taking care of his physical injuries not his emotional ones.

She looked down and smiled as he rubbed her hand. “All of us deserve a normal life,” she shook her head as Brian started to talk. “What I want is for you to stick around,” she wasn’t going to let him go, not in this state. Not again.

The tiny bit that her hand was touching his gave him a sense of comfort. Mia had that effect on him, always had. It didn't make sense that they had parted ways. Too bad but not changeable anymore.
'All of us deserve a normal life'. Her statement put a sour sweet smile on his face because he knew that simply wasn't an option for him. "Not gonna happen."

When she announce loud and clear that she wanted him to stick around his smile became genuine. Mia hadn't thought about this for even a second. She definetly meant what she had told him the other day.
Sighing deeply he looked down at their connected hands. "Good, I was hoping you'd say that. I don't know what I'd do without you right now."
Picking their hands up he lowered his lips down to kiss her soft skin.
"You're the one thing that's still good in my life." Again his face became red and hot and he got choked up.
Why wasn't he able to control himself today?

He too deserved a happy life. “How do-“ but she stopped herself. How did he know? Or why was he so sure about him never being able to have a normal, happy life? She knew how awful he felt to be away from his kids.

His lips felt warm on her hand. Honestly, she needed him as much as he needed her, whether they said it out loud or not. “I don’t know what I´d do without you too,” she thought as the words never reached her lips.

Her free hand went up to his cheek just for a moment, enough for her to feel his face hot to the touch; she wished she could take the pain away from him. She looked down at the menu, not because she wanted to ignore him, because she didn’t know what to say to him.

Brian leaned into the touch of her hand to feel it slightly cooler against his heated, sweaty face.
Maybe he should just give up on Mira and give in to his need to be with the woman, he actually loved. The moment wasn't right though. He was desperate and this kind of decision should be made with a straight head.

For a moment he felt her eyes on him, which she soon averted.
"Don't worry, I'll get this figured out somehow." If there was something that he liked about himself it was that he never gave up. No matter how many obstacles were in his way or how much somebody would throw him off, he'd keep going until he achieved what he wanted. In this case the hope was in vain. Yet he wouldn't give up.

The timing of the waitress to come back was perfect so Brian cleared his throat and offered her a half hearted smile. "I'll have bacon, eggs and toast and a coffee."
Then he waited for Mia to order but never let her hand go.

“I know you will,” there was no doubt in her mind that he´ll figure things out. Just in the time for the waitress to reunite with the two of them once again. She listened to what Brian order and how the waitress scribbled on the little notepad in her hands, she kept looking down for a few more minutes unable to decide what to order.

Even though she wasn’t looking at Brian or the waitress she could feel their gazes on her, not paying attention Brian never let go of her hand until she look up. “I´ll have the same thing, please” she announced as the waitress took the menus and reminded them their food will be ready in a few more minutes. “Thanks,” Mia said to the young girl.

Brian waited for Mia to order, which gave him enough time to somewhat collect himself.
When the waitress was gone he continued their conversation with a slightly different topic.
"At least Jack's alive. Who knows where he'd be if we hadn't helped him out, right?" Brian still hadn't decided whether he was going to hate Jack for what he did or simply acknowledge it as 'that's my twisted, weird brother'. He had long given up trying to change the guy but some things simply went too far.
"Makes me wonder every time how he turned out this way..." His thoughts trailed off.
When he looked back up at Mia he realized that she was also very different from her brother.
"I guess Dom's now saint either."
With an embarassed smile he added. "Bad choice of topic?"