Finally. It was here. The weekend everybody had been waiting for after a long week of slaving a way at the crappiest garage in history and in Mia's case the hospital.
Brian was really tired because he had been putting in a few extra hours to save up money. At his pay rate it would take him forever to get a set of decent wheels but at least Mia didn't charge him any rent. So the only contribution Brian was making was for power and hydro plus food.

During the month he'd been living there Dom hadn't showed up once and Brian could tell that Mia was getting nervous about not knowing where her brother was.

Brian sat outback on the porch with a beer in his hand admiring the new roof, he had put on the garage after the tree had come crashing down on it. The job had been hard and sweaty but it had earned him a roof at the Fort and more important, back in Mia's vicinity.

The hammock he had bought hung in between two trees empty as if it was waiting for the 'lovers' to return. For some reason Brian felt that he needed to wait for Mia to come out of the shower to join him there. Plus they had made plans to go to the farmers market and then to a race up at Buttonville.
"Mia, are you done?" He hollered

The Fort was home, and it had been a long time since he set foot. A month at least, and now he found himself staring at the building, wondering what else had changed since he was last here. So many things had happened, some good and some bad. First thing he needed to do was check on his sister. He wasn't exactly happy how things turned out - but that didn't compare to what Mia might be feeling, and what she was feeling, he didn't know. He was going to find out though.

As he approached, he heard Brian's familiar voice, and his eyes narrowed. Last time he saw Brian, they parted on good terms, that didn't change the fact he was very unhappy. "Figured you'd be with your kids." Dom spoke, rounding the corner to see Brian on the porch, beer in hand. Honestly, he didn't really know what he wanted to do - shake his hand, or maybe even punch him in the face. If he was here, that meant Mia no doubt knew and allowed it. And if he did punch Brian, that would mean a lecture he'd rather avoid. Didn't mean he wasn't hurt - and he was hurt because his sister was hurt. Well, in his eyes at least....

"Been here long?" Dom couldn't help but ask. Figures that he'd be gone for a while and this would happen. Mia wasn't around yet so he could still be the protective brother that he was. "Have to admit, not sure how I feel about seeing you here. But if you ever hurt my sister like that again, it's not her you have to worry about." Dom allowed the words to hang, and while he could hold a grudge like nobody and their business, Brian had proved, in the past, to be loyal. There would be times he would have been dead if it wasn't for him. So for now, he would leave it as that.

His expression spoke as much, hoping that Brian would understand that that was all that would be said and done on the matter and to move past it. Besides, there was a chance Mia could be out any second, and that was more dangerous than anything. "Any more beers?" Words alone should speak what his expression was saying, "Guess I've missed quite a lot." Now that was the understatement of the year right there.

((ooc// hope you didn't mind me going next! If you do, let me know ^^))

The one thing Brian had been worried about since he'd moved in was Dom's return, which was bound to happen at some stage. Mia had thought long and hard about this and made her decision, so did Brian. But nobody ever asked big bro.

It had been many peaceful days out on the back porch, when suddenly the inevitable happened and almost knocked Brian off the old sunchair.
'Holy crap.' he thought to himself when he turned his head and layed eyes on the muscly, bald dude.
The man's expression wasn't friendly at all. Not a good sign. On the contrary. He wore a frown that made

Brian tensed up inside but he remained cool on the outside and replied to his question how long he'd been here with a casual. "About a month." It was a bold move but it had to be done.

Why he wasn't with his kids was a long story and needed a quiet moment so Brian simply disregarded the comment.

Dom was very open about his feelings about Brian here and added a threat right at the end.
Brian got up to be able to move away in case he had to even though Dom had never gone through with that old threat about breaking his legs. The two times both men had gotten into a fight Brian ended up on the bottom but didn't look all that bad.
"Done with your speech?" He wasn't very happy about Dom's threats.
"I know, bro. But it was Mia's choice, okay?"
He didn't even throw out any promise that he wouldn't hurt her because he simply couldn't under the circumstances.

Once that was said and done Brian nodded and went into the kitchen to get two more Coronas from the fridge to come back and hand Dom one.
"You did miss a lot."
Brian opened a new one for himself holding it out and then taking a long gulp.
"Where have you been?"

Once he watched Dom sit down as well he was more at ease and nodded.
"I didn't invite myself here. Mia did after Mira kicked me out. She wants to bring up the kids by herself." The thought alone left a sour taste in his mouth. "It's not like I agree to that but right now I'm just happy if she lets me see them every now and then."
That was enough explanation for now.
So Brian motioned for Dom to tell his 'quick version' of the past month.

"Are you done with the threats?" she finally joined the boys, before Dom could turn to look at her, a worry look was shot at Brian. Last time she was asking Dom for advice on how to handle her anger and how not to feel pissed off and awkward every time she bumped into Brian, and now that they were together... Dom would have to know they were together again, what she couldn´t allow him to do was to start threatening Brian.

"Where have you been? A month pass by and you couldn´t pick up a phone and give your worry sister a call," there was no joking tone in her voice, she was glad Dom was fine even though she wasn´t showing it right now. She took a seat next to Brian on the hammock, whether Dom approved or not of their relationship she didn´t give a damn.

Dom had no right to just come into the house scaring people, she showed all this fearless attitue on the outside but she was nervous on the inside. Mia placed her hand on Brian´s lower back, taking hold of his shirt material, if there was one person who could understand how she was felling right at this moment was him.

((ooc// we have massive wind storms right now, so I've been losing power/net all day. As such, I've had to re-type this several times. Not happy with it but, best I've got now xD))

Dom allowed air to pass through his partly closed lips, releasing any internal anger he might have felt towards the situation at hand. Breaking his bones didn't seem like a good way to get back into his sisters good books, and last thing he wanted to do was give her more stress to deal with.

A month, a damn month. The same amount of time he'd been gone, lying low, dealing with others to make sure his sister remained safe. He cared little about his own safety, that was true. Mia and her own safety was an entirely different story. "Unless you give me a reason to continue." Dom replied smoothly. "You had a choice too." Dom countered - they always had a choice. Fight for the ones they loved.

"Fight for the ones you love." Dominic Toretto wasn't speaking solely about the Brian and Mia situation either. Words went far deeper than that, reflecting on his own relationship. Death had a way of making you see things that were once invisible, unseen by the naked eye until the drastic event revealed its true colors. "Fight for your family." Now those words were aimed towards Brian, though these meanings could have easily been taken a different way than he intended.

Waiting for Brian to return with the beers, Dom took the one offered, popped the top and took a mouthful. "I don't want to ever regret thinking of you as a brother." There, he said it. Brian was a friend, an ally, but not many realized that Dom had come to view the other male as family. Taking a seat with the sometimes sip of his drink, he listened to what Brian had to say, feeling the familiar anger snake into his gut. "My sister has a better heart than I do." He paused. "If you need help fighting for your kids, I got your back."

No father should ever miss out on seeing their children grow up. Dominic didn't always approve of Brian's actions, but he knew the man would make a damn good father. About to speak what happened in his month, Mia walked out, inwardly cringing. Such a big macho man, he would never dare cross his sister. "I'm done." Dominic agreed - time to put the past behind them and start moving forward. "Your safety is important to me. There were some things I had to take care of, amongst that I was lying low. We live in a risky world. I will not lose someone else I love."

Still, he should have found some way to contact her, let her know he was okay. "I'm sorry Mia. I'd do anything to keep you safe. Next time, I'll call." Another swig of beer, peering over the bottle towards the pair. "Do I at least get a hug from my little sister?" An eye arched, and while the words were light, he couldn't help but feel serious. No doubt his choice of words, little sister, would earn a smack on the arm. He'd take that.

It was clear that Dom wasn't happy to see Brian in his home and it wasn't really out yet that Mia and him had gotten back together. He implied that Brian could have said no to moving in, which was true. He had thought about it long and hard because he knew the complications arising from it. At that point both Mia and Brian knew what they still felt for each other and nobody else was able to maintain Brian's sanity in these desperate times like Mia. So he said yes.

When the big guy spoke about fighting for the ones you love Brian knew it came from the bottom of his heart. Dom would do anything for his family or Letty. Directed at Brian it took a whole new meaning because he hadn't fought a long hard fight when Mia asked him to leave. He tried a few times but eventually gave in to her will hoping she'd invite him back into her life, which didn't happen for almost two years.
When Dom added "Fight for your family." he hit a nerve. A very sensitive one. His kids meant the world to Brian. yet he had no saying in what was happening to them. It tore his heart out and made him not u=only frustrated but angry. Yet he bit back every comment because this wasn't the time or place. Dom needed to know the details first.
So he simply stated. "Don't talk about this when you don't know the facts."

When he came back with the beers his bad mood had almost blown over and he accepted Dom's offer to fight for his kids. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it but it's something i have to do on my own in a very subtle way. Mira's stubborn and she's got information against me that could put me behind bars, so I have to treat her 'gently'."
He took another swig and started grinning at his bottle while he watched small droplets run down the glass on the outside. "Did you just call me brother?" Was Dom really thinking of him that way? Just like he used to with Jesse and Vince?

The moment Mia walked out his presence grew smaller because his younger sister tookt he stage. Brian couldn't help but admire how she simply had all the guys wrapped around her finger. Almost scarey.
Brian knew there was more to come than just a few words followed by a hug. Mia had been worried about Dom for days if not weeks.
With interest he watched their exchange.

“Do I at least get a hug from my little sister?" She shook her head hearing Dom´s question. “Only if you let me smack you across the head, then yes you will get a hug,” she got the part that he was laying low to keep her safe but still that didn’t give him the right to just disappear and not call her. What she hated the most was how easy, her brother could take that frown off her face and decrease her anger in a second.

His unique laugh change her mind, and as usual she approach him giving him a quick hug hitting him as hard as she could on the arm but of course, she didn’t have that kind of force to send him to the floor and make him cry like a little girl.

“I am serious… you need to learn how to pick up a damn phone and call, I spent three days without sleep because I wouldn’t hear for you,” she took a seat next to Brian, not knowing what to do at this point. Did Dom get an idea of where Brian and she were at? Was this even the right time for her to tell him what had happen between Brian and her? That they were together… again. Or maybe wait.

Even though she didn’t show it, it kind of worry her a little to hear about Mira, and how Brian´s ex had some info that could place him behind bars… Did Mira even know he was with Mia now? Mira was a cop, she knew how to play this game very well... it didn’t take a lot but a few seconds to tell a lie to make Brian look bad.

Despite how his words came out, those same words were meant for them, the Toretto siblings, and more specifically, Mia. Not just the young twins that Brian fathered. He understood the anger, and the words Brian spoke, merely giving a slight incline of his head as if to say 'I'm willing to listen.' That was what friends and family did, they listened. All of his crew knew they could go to him if they had problems, and he'd help to the best of his ability.

"Just remember, you're not alone. If you ever need anything, just say so." Dom frowned though, wondering what sort of information Mira held on Brian, and what sort of woman would do that when children were involved. While he wasn't speaking, his mind was a whirl with thoughts, wondering how to help without making things worse. Last thing he wanted to do for Brian was to get involved and make everything one hundred times worse than what it was.

Not afraid for himself, moreso to the other players involved. Especially the children. They didn't deserve any of this - they deserved two loving parents, even if the parents were not together anymore. "Women can be, tricky." Dom breathed, taking another swig, careful in his words as he looked towards his sister. Mia would never do that to someone, would she? Unless the guy deserved it, but while she was stubborn and tough, there was also a fierce motherly streak in her. "You've proven yourself time and again." Except the odd times when he didn't, but he wasn't counting that right now. "And yes, I did." Truth be told, Dom was proud to call Brian a brother. All things considered.

"Deal." Came his words, ready to receive a smack as long as he got his hug. The hug itself was quick, but his strong arms held her tight in that quick moment, half tensing as her hand smacked his arm - no bruises would appear but it did sting. "Alright!" Surrendering was easier than fighting, and besides, Mia was right. Inwardly he was all in knots. Making her worry like that, that was not what a big brother did. And that showed in his eyes, the guilt, the remorse, and the promise to never put her through that again.

Of course, he was forever breaking promises, otherwise why else would he end up in jail? Why else would he make others worry time and again. Call it a weakness, a flaw in his personality, and you'd be hitting the nail on the head. Now though, it wasn't the time to dwell on himself. "There is something you're not telling me." Dom spoke towards Mia, though he wasn't omitting Brian from the conversation - both were involved, though Brian had been quiet since Mia began speaking. He needed to know how she was feeling, and make sure all three of them were on the same page.

"I really missed you," she felt his arms tighten around her body. "There is something you're not telling me." Whether this was a good time to let him know… she wasn’t sure, he had to know something was up, since he saw Brian waiting for her… “Hmm…” she tried to find the right words, a way to deliver them. She looked at the grass for a moment not knowing how Dom was going to react.

“Well…we are back… together,” there, the words were out of her mouth. What Dom was about to do was yet to be seen, last time she spoke with Dom was about how she could avoid that feeling of wanting to push Brian away, a few days later and the three were running from the cops, and then it just happen… a simple conversation between her and Brian and some old feelings came back. It was inevitable not to feel the way they felt about each other.

She knew Dom would always have Brian´s back, no matter what. The thing that bothered her a little was not knowing what was going through her brother´s mind. She loved Brian and accepted his kids, she love those kids even though she wasn´t their biological mother.

Brian really appreciated Dom's offer even though he didn't know how on earth the big guy could help him.
'Women can be tricky.' he heard Dom say and chuckled earning a look from Mia. Yet he replied. "Tell me about it. To Mia he added. "Not you, of course!" Everybody knew that was a joke because Mia had been quite tricky when she sent him away.

It was nice to hear from Dom that he felt Brian had proven himself. From the first time they met Brian tried so hard to earn his respect. One reason for letting him go was exactly that. And Brian never stopped. In some ways he didn't agree what Dom did for a living, in other ways he wanted so badly to be part of his team, the racing, his family. After years he had finally earned that status and was proud of it. "Thanks, bro. I appreciate it."

of course Mia's brother would sense that there was more going on so he thought about how to break it to Dom when Mia simply stated that they were back together.
For a moment Brian gasped and wanted to quantify what that meant but then he shut up and only added. "Yes, we are."
For a moment he feared that Dom would change his mind and let his eyes travel from Mia to him but judging by the look of it Dom accepted her decision.
"The situation is complicated Dom. My brother pulled some bad shit and he earned himself a spot on your uncles hit list as you know. When the kids were kidnapped Mia decided that I and my family were no good for her and the babies. She simply wanted to get away from me. She told me to get out of her life..." Once more he looked at Mia.
Brian took a moment to remember the most aweful month of his life and how he felt. If it hadn't been for Mia he would have gone insane.
Reaching for her hand Brian continued to explain. "Mia was there when I hit rock bottom. I simply didn't know what to do anymore. I really didn't want to be with her anymore, just needed somebody to vent to....after a while we simply couldn't help the old feelings to come up. Mira hasn't changed her mind, so..."
The story seemed twisted and weird. Like none of this could be for real but it was.
"She knows it's a tricky situation but I can't help that I love her."

Crap was bound to happen, insults were going to fly, tears were going to fall once Mira found out who he was with. Brian couldn't help the fact that there was a rocky road ahead.

Until this day she could hear the sadness in Brian´s voice as he mention his family, and a little bit of anger towards Mira, she knew he wanted to make things work with Mira, but she walked away, Mia couldn’t understand her behavior, Mira had everything Mia wanted and had now. If there was one thing she was glad was to stick by Brian´s side, never leaving him alone, it helped him in so many ways.

Their gaze met for only a few seconds. Thank god Mia was there to pick him off the ground, because if she hadn’t she wouldn’t know where he could be at this moment. He took her hand and she gave it a light squeeze.

What worry her most was how or what Mira was going to do once she knew the father of her children was with Mia. What actions was she going to take against Brian? She couldn´t bear to see Brian hurt more than what he already had been. It scared her to think that once Mira knew the truth then action was going to be taken and that was custody of the twins, even though Brian and Mira weren’t married at all, still the mother had more rights than the man she (Mira) once loved.

“Like Brian said… it´s very complicated, but I hope you understand…” she spoke to Dom. But, will he be able to understand?