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deeperwondermentTitle: The Moon
Author:shadowcat
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1842
Character(s): Mia Toretto, Letty Ortiz
Fandom: Fast and Furious
Summary: She knew that Mia could take care of herself, but with everything they had been through, she had found herself almost near a panic with none of them could find Mia anywhere after the shouting match she had engaged in with Dom.
Author's Note: Written for my![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
cottoncandy_bingo card, square ordering pizza/take out.
Letty finally found Mia beneath a car in Harry’s garage. She had to give her credit, this garage was the last one she had searched in. Her instincts had been that Mia would be working on a car somewhere, but she hadn’t thought to check Harry’s until she was becoming almost frantic with worry over the younger girl. She knew that Mia could take care of herself, but with everything they had been through, she had found herself almost near a panic with none of them could find Mia anywhere after the shouting match she had engaged in with Dom.
“Chica, I have been looking for you everywhere,” she said as she approached the car that Mia’s legs were sticking out from under.
“Well, congratulations, you found me.” Mia’s voice was muffled from beneath the car and Letty heard her hit a wrench against the undercarriage. “As you can see for yourself, I’m fine. No one has kidnapped or arrested me. You can go back and report to General Head Up His Ass that all is fucking well.”
If the situation wasn’t so serious, Letty would have laughed at Mia’s name for Dom. It wasn’t often that Mia was angry enough to call her older brother names. As it was, she couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face for a moment. Mia was pissed and Letty couldn’t find any fault in that. She was trying to remember the last time she had seen the usually mild-mannered Mia Toretto let loose with her temper.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
There was a bump from beneath the car. That was followed by a curse and a wrench going skittering across the pavement nearby.
“No.”
Letty walked over to pick up the wrench and frowned at the smear of red on the tool. “You’re bleeding, Mia.”
“Yeah? Well that’s nothing new,” Mia said without coming out from beneath the car. “What’s new is that someone noticed it.”
Letty wasn’t sure what she meant, but she knew she didn’t like the tone of her voice. “You should come out from under there so I can check it out before you get grease and shit in the wound and it turns nasty.”
“No offense, Letty, but I’m not eight years old any longer, no matter how much all of you would like to keep me like that. I can take care of scrapes and bruises just fine on my own. God knows I’ve been doing it for awhile. It’s what I do, right? I pretend that everything is fucking fine and when you guys come back during the night hurt and bleeding, Baby Mia takes care of your wounds and guarantee you won’t have to go to a real doctor no matter how many lies she gets told.” The car jerked as she moved something in the engine. “It’s ok for me to patch you guys up, but god forbid any of my questions get answered or I get treated as anything resembling an adult. Baby Mia isn’t allowed to make her own fucking decisions because you all have always done it for me.”
“Mia mine,” Letty started, but she was cut off.
“Don’t call me that!” One of Mia’s feet smacked down on the concrete. “Don’t call me that when you’re getting ready to follow my brother into some foreign country where I’m not allowed to follow and I’m not allowed to know where you guys are. Where you are.”
Letty flinched at the pain she could hear in the other woman’s voice. “Mia…”
“Letty, just go away. Just go away before I end up saying something we’ll both regret.”
Now that was a challenge if she ever heard one. She grabbed one of the other wheeled creepers and then slid beneath the car next to Mia. Mia was staring fixatedly at the bottom of the engine block and refused to turn her head when Letty joined her.
“I haven’t decided that I’m going with him,” Letty said softly, willing Mia to look at her.
“So? It’s only a matter of time before you do, Letty.” Mia’s voice caught. “You always do. You never tell him no and he’s always the boss and the first choice with everything that happens.” She was quiet for a moment. “I’ve never asked you to choose between us because I know that you can’t. You love both of us, but you’re in love with him. Sometimes, though, even once, it might be nice to be chosen first.”
Things were starting to come together in Letty’s head and she wasn’t sure she liked it. “So that’s why you and Brian…”
“Of course that’s why me and Brian,” Mia said in a hurt voice. “Because, for once, I thought that someone was picking me over my brother. Only, I was wrong. It was a lie, too, and one more person that I got involved with couldn’t see anything but Dom. The only two people I have ever been in love with and they both pick Dom.” Letty caught sight of the tear that slid from Mia’s eye to disappear in her hair. “I love Dom so much, but sometimes I wish it was possible for me to hate him.”
“Oh, Mia,” Letty said quietly as she reached to take Mia’s hand in her own.
For a long moment, they lay under the car and didn’t speak. Through their linked hands, Letty could feel Mia shaking with the effort to keep herself from crying out loud. She wondered how she had kept her pain and anger locked up for so long. She’d known Brian’s betrayal had hurt Mia, but she’d never realized that it had also scraped at an already raw wound.
“He loves him, you know,” Mia finally said.
“Who?”
“Brian. He hasn’t admitted it to himself, yet, but it’s clear from the way that he talks about Dom or watches him when he thinks no one is looking.” Mia swallowed. “Dom is like the sun to everyone and the rest of the world are the planets that need to revolve around him. I should be used to that by now, but it still hurts and then he makes it worse by trying to leave me out of everything.”
Letty was silent as she tried to find the right words. She knew that if she didn’t phrase how she felt about Mia very carefully, then she could lose her.
Not could. She would lose her.
“No one but Dominic can be the sun, Mia Mine,” Letty said softly, holding onto Mia’s hand even when she tried to pull away from her. “You’re just as important as the sun, though. You’re the moon.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re the one that keeps her cool and keeps me balanced. You’re passion is just as strong as Dom’s is, but it doesn’t burn out in a hot flash. Yours stays true and simmers right beneath the surface of everything. You know how to move with the ebb and tide of everything around you and Dom doesn’t. So if he’s the sun, then you are the moon and I need you every bit as much as I need him.” Letty took a deep breath. “Probably more. My temper and passion burn just as hot as Dom’s, but there has been times that you were the one that brought me – brought all of us – back from doing something stupid because we were being hot-headed. Your love is soothing and comforting, Mia Mine, and I’m sorry that I’ve never told you that you are just as important to me as Dom is.”
“But I’m not him.”
“No, you’re not, and I think that’s a good thing. I think that’s what I need right now. I need to know that you’re there and you’re not just giving up on me as easily as you think everyone seems to have given up on you.”
“I can’t do it, Letty. I can’t go from day to day not knowing if you’re safe – if you’re even alive.”
“That won’t happen,” Letty assured her. “I can’t promise you much right now, but I can at least promise you that. I’ll contact you every day if I do go and you won’t ever have to worry about not knowing if I’m doing all right.”
Mia turned to look at her and Letty could see how red her eyes were from crying. “You’re going with him.”
There was no point in lying to her. “I guess I am. Dom needs me. If you’re not there, I’m the only one who might be able to keep him in check.”
Mia closed her eyes, but not before another tear made its way down her face. “I know.”
“Come with us.” Letty stared at her. “Mia Mine, come with us.”
Mia shook her head. “Dom won’t let me. You heard what happened when I suggested it.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t ask or suggest it, then,” Letty suggested. “Maybe you should just tell him you’re coming with us and if he doesn’t like it he can piss off.”
Mia’s body shook with laughter and Letty found herself letting out a breath that she never realized she’d been holding.
“We need you, Mia Mine. I need you.”
Mia opened her eyes to meet Letty’s. “He’s going to throw a hit fit when I tell him, you know.”
“He can’t fight both of us,” Letty said with more calm than she was feeling. “And I know we can play on Brian’s guilt to get him to back your play. We can threaten to call Roman, too.”
“Roman will burn out a fuse telling Dom how it’s safer for me to be with family than left behind on my own,” Mia said with a laugh. “Dom would never hear the end of it.”
“It will be good for Dom to see that he’s not the end all be all voice of authority,” Letty pointed out. “Then it’s settled. You’re coming with us and the General can just deal with it.”
Mia started to respond but was interrupted by the sound of her stomach growling. Letty frowned at her.
“What?” Mia demanded.
“When was the last time you ate?”
Mia shrugged. “I don’t know. Food was the last thing on my mind.”
Letty sighed and wheeled herself out from beneath the car. Once she did, she grabbed Mia’s legs and pulled her out from under the car as well.
“Hey!”
“You need to eat and probably get a shower and a decent night’s sleep, too. I’m betting you’ve been here since the fight with Dom.”
“Maybe.”
Letty pulled her to her feet. “Come on, let’s head home and order Chinese.”
Mia looked around the garage. “Or, we can stay right here and have the food delivered to us so we don’t have to share with the guys. I bet they’re arguing over what to put on their pizza since I’m not there.”
Letty grinned at her. “I can’t think of a better idea than having dinner alone with you, Mia Mine.”
Author:
shadowcatRating: PG-13
Word Count: 1842
Character(s): Mia Toretto, Letty Ortiz
Fandom: Fast and Furious
Summary: She knew that Mia could take care of herself, but with everything they had been through, she had found herself almost near a panic with none of them could find Mia anywhere after the shouting match she had engaged in with Dom.
Author's Note: Written for my
cottoncandy_bingo card, square ordering pizza/take out. Letty finally found Mia beneath a car in Harry’s garage. She had to give her credit, this garage was the last one she had searched in. Her instincts had been that Mia would be working on a car somewhere, but she hadn’t thought to check Harry’s until she was becoming almost frantic with worry over the younger girl. She knew that Mia could take care of herself, but with everything they had been through, she had found herself almost near a panic with none of them could find Mia anywhere after the shouting match she had engaged in with Dom.
“Chica, I have been looking for you everywhere,” she said as she approached the car that Mia’s legs were sticking out from under.
“Well, congratulations, you found me.” Mia’s voice was muffled from beneath the car and Letty heard her hit a wrench against the undercarriage. “As you can see for yourself, I’m fine. No one has kidnapped or arrested me. You can go back and report to General Head Up His Ass that all is fucking well.”
If the situation wasn’t so serious, Letty would have laughed at Mia’s name for Dom. It wasn’t often that Mia was angry enough to call her older brother names. As it was, she couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face for a moment. Mia was pissed and Letty couldn’t find any fault in that. She was trying to remember the last time she had seen the usually mild-mannered Mia Toretto let loose with her temper.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
There was a bump from beneath the car. That was followed by a curse and a wrench going skittering across the pavement nearby.
“No.”
Letty walked over to pick up the wrench and frowned at the smear of red on the tool. “You’re bleeding, Mia.”
“Yeah? Well that’s nothing new,” Mia said without coming out from beneath the car. “What’s new is that someone noticed it.”
Letty wasn’t sure what she meant, but she knew she didn’t like the tone of her voice. “You should come out from under there so I can check it out before you get grease and shit in the wound and it turns nasty.”
“No offense, Letty, but I’m not eight years old any longer, no matter how much all of you would like to keep me like that. I can take care of scrapes and bruises just fine on my own. God knows I’ve been doing it for awhile. It’s what I do, right? I pretend that everything is fucking fine and when you guys come back during the night hurt and bleeding, Baby Mia takes care of your wounds and guarantee you won’t have to go to a real doctor no matter how many lies she gets told.” The car jerked as she moved something in the engine. “It’s ok for me to patch you guys up, but god forbid any of my questions get answered or I get treated as anything resembling an adult. Baby Mia isn’t allowed to make her own fucking decisions because you all have always done it for me.”
“Mia mine,” Letty started, but she was cut off.
“Don’t call me that!” One of Mia’s feet smacked down on the concrete. “Don’t call me that when you’re getting ready to follow my brother into some foreign country where I’m not allowed to follow and I’m not allowed to know where you guys are. Where you are.”
Letty flinched at the pain she could hear in the other woman’s voice. “Mia…”
“Letty, just go away. Just go away before I end up saying something we’ll both regret.”
Now that was a challenge if she ever heard one. She grabbed one of the other wheeled creepers and then slid beneath the car next to Mia. Mia was staring fixatedly at the bottom of the engine block and refused to turn her head when Letty joined her.
“I haven’t decided that I’m going with him,” Letty said softly, willing Mia to look at her.
“So? It’s only a matter of time before you do, Letty.” Mia’s voice caught. “You always do. You never tell him no and he’s always the boss and the first choice with everything that happens.” She was quiet for a moment. “I’ve never asked you to choose between us because I know that you can’t. You love both of us, but you’re in love with him. Sometimes, though, even once, it might be nice to be chosen first.”
Things were starting to come together in Letty’s head and she wasn’t sure she liked it. “So that’s why you and Brian…”
“Of course that’s why me and Brian,” Mia said in a hurt voice. “Because, for once, I thought that someone was picking me over my brother. Only, I was wrong. It was a lie, too, and one more person that I got involved with couldn’t see anything but Dom. The only two people I have ever been in love with and they both pick Dom.” Letty caught sight of the tear that slid from Mia’s eye to disappear in her hair. “I love Dom so much, but sometimes I wish it was possible for me to hate him.”
“Oh, Mia,” Letty said quietly as she reached to take Mia’s hand in her own.
For a long moment, they lay under the car and didn’t speak. Through their linked hands, Letty could feel Mia shaking with the effort to keep herself from crying out loud. She wondered how she had kept her pain and anger locked up for so long. She’d known Brian’s betrayal had hurt Mia, but she’d never realized that it had also scraped at an already raw wound.
“He loves him, you know,” Mia finally said.
“Who?”
“Brian. He hasn’t admitted it to himself, yet, but it’s clear from the way that he talks about Dom or watches him when he thinks no one is looking.” Mia swallowed. “Dom is like the sun to everyone and the rest of the world are the planets that need to revolve around him. I should be used to that by now, but it still hurts and then he makes it worse by trying to leave me out of everything.”
Letty was silent as she tried to find the right words. She knew that if she didn’t phrase how she felt about Mia very carefully, then she could lose her.
Not could. She would lose her.
“No one but Dominic can be the sun, Mia Mine,” Letty said softly, holding onto Mia’s hand even when she tried to pull away from her. “You’re just as important as the sun, though. You’re the moon.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re the one that keeps her cool and keeps me balanced. You’re passion is just as strong as Dom’s is, but it doesn’t burn out in a hot flash. Yours stays true and simmers right beneath the surface of everything. You know how to move with the ebb and tide of everything around you and Dom doesn’t. So if he’s the sun, then you are the moon and I need you every bit as much as I need him.” Letty took a deep breath. “Probably more. My temper and passion burn just as hot as Dom’s, but there has been times that you were the one that brought me – brought all of us – back from doing something stupid because we were being hot-headed. Your love is soothing and comforting, Mia Mine, and I’m sorry that I’ve never told you that you are just as important to me as Dom is.”
“But I’m not him.”
“No, you’re not, and I think that’s a good thing. I think that’s what I need right now. I need to know that you’re there and you’re not just giving up on me as easily as you think everyone seems to have given up on you.”
“I can’t do it, Letty. I can’t go from day to day not knowing if you’re safe – if you’re even alive.”
“That won’t happen,” Letty assured her. “I can’t promise you much right now, but I can at least promise you that. I’ll contact you every day if I do go and you won’t ever have to worry about not knowing if I’m doing all right.”
Mia turned to look at her and Letty could see how red her eyes were from crying. “You’re going with him.”
There was no point in lying to her. “I guess I am. Dom needs me. If you’re not there, I’m the only one who might be able to keep him in check.”
Mia closed her eyes, but not before another tear made its way down her face. “I know.”
“Come with us.” Letty stared at her. “Mia Mine, come with us.”
Mia shook her head. “Dom won’t let me. You heard what happened when I suggested it.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t ask or suggest it, then,” Letty suggested. “Maybe you should just tell him you’re coming with us and if he doesn’t like it he can piss off.”
Mia’s body shook with laughter and Letty found herself letting out a breath that she never realized she’d been holding.
“We need you, Mia Mine. I need you.”
Mia opened her eyes to meet Letty’s. “He’s going to throw a hit fit when I tell him, you know.”
“He can’t fight both of us,” Letty said with more calm than she was feeling. “And I know we can play on Brian’s guilt to get him to back your play. We can threaten to call Roman, too.”
“Roman will burn out a fuse telling Dom how it’s safer for me to be with family than left behind on my own,” Mia said with a laugh. “Dom would never hear the end of it.”
“It will be good for Dom to see that he’s not the end all be all voice of authority,” Letty pointed out. “Then it’s settled. You’re coming with us and the General can just deal with it.”
Mia started to respond but was interrupted by the sound of her stomach growling. Letty frowned at her.
“What?” Mia demanded.
“When was the last time you ate?”
Mia shrugged. “I don’t know. Food was the last thing on my mind.”
Letty sighed and wheeled herself out from beneath the car. Once she did, she grabbed Mia’s legs and pulled her out from under the car as well.
“Hey!”
“You need to eat and probably get a shower and a decent night’s sleep, too. I’m betting you’ve been here since the fight with Dom.”
“Maybe.”
Letty pulled her to her feet. “Come on, let’s head home and order Chinese.”
Mia looked around the garage. “Or, we can stay right here and have the food delivered to us so we don’t have to share with the guys. I bet they’re arguing over what to put on their pizza since I’m not there.”
Letty grinned at her. “I can’t think of a better idea than having dinner alone with you, Mia Mine.”
