Fast and the Furious 1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters that you may recognise, all others are my own. Don't sue me - I've nothing worth taking!

Chapter 1

"Chloe, its Mia – there's been an accident. Vince and Jesse are in the hospital and Dom, Letty, Leon and I are heading to Mexico. I need you to look after the house and the boys for me. I'll call you when I can, thanks."

Chloe sat on her couch and listened to the message for the 4th time. She'd come home from a run and found the message on her answer phone. Mia had sounded frantic and she could hear Dom shouting in the background that there were spare keys taped to the bottom of the BBQ in the back yard. Well, that was one question answered – at least now she could get into the house. All she had to hope was that she could find something in the house to tell her what Vince and Jesse's last names were. She'd only met them a couple of times before and she knew that the hospital wouldn't give her any information without their full names.

It was dark when Chloe got to the house but she could still see the bullet ridden Jetta and the huge blood stain on the sidewalk. The house was deserted, so Chloe headed to the back yard and the spare key under the BBQ.

As she walked through the house it was obvious that Mia and her family had left in a hurry. Wardrobe doors were left open, drawers were upturned on the beds and there were clothes everywhere. From her previous visit to the house she knew that Vince and Jesse had rooms in the basement – hopefully she'd find something down there to tell her their full names. There were 3 rooms in the basement, one of them looked just like the others upstairs, 'this must be Leon's room' Chloe thought, and the other two were surprisingly tidy. Surprisingly, as Vince and Jesse had never struck Chloe as tidy people.

Chloe soon found what she was looking for – a subscription to 'Street Racer' magazine told her that Jesse's full name was Jesse Andrews and a credit card bill showed that Vince was Vincent Richards. As she looked around the room she was shocked to see a photo of her and Vince on his bedside table. Mia had taken it the previous summer on the beach. Chloe had been finding it hard to cope after her parents had been killed in a botched car jacking and Mia had suggested a day out to try to take her mind off things. Chloe tucked the photo in her back pocket along with the credit card bill and magazine subscription label and headed to the hospital. She had no idea how badly injured Vince and Jesse were but Mia was her friend and if Mia wanted her to help then she would.

Chloe didn't have a clue where to go once she got to the hospital, she had no idea how badly injured Vince and Jesse were or what had happened to them. All she knew was that Mia had sounded frightened so whatever had happened must have been serious. Heading into the ER Chloe said a quick prayer and walked up to the Admission desk.

"Hello, I'm looking for Vincent Richards and Jesse Andrews – I understand they were brought here earlier today."

"And you are? I can only give information to family." The clerk looked up at Chloe with sympathy in her eyes; Chloe had seen that look before when her parents had been killed and she knew instantly that one if not both of Mia's friends were dead.

"Chloe Armstrong, Vince and I are engaged to be married and Jesse is his housemate." Ok, so that wasn't exactly true but Chloe knew that she wouldn't be able to find out anything about them otherwise.

"Dr Roberts, this young lady is looking for information on Vincent Richards and Jesse Andrews – the helicopter patient and the multiple GSW that came in this morning.

It didn't take Chloe long to find out that Jesse had died before he arrived at the hospital and that Vince was in recovery having spent 4 hours in surgery. He had a shotgun wound to his left side and serious lacerations to his right forearm.

Before Chloe was allowed to see Vince the policeman outside his door insisted on asking her some questions – Who was she? What was her relationship with Vincent Richards? Where was Dominic Toretto? Did she know how Vince got his injuries? What did she know about the truck heists? As soon as the policeman mentioned the truck heists she knew why Mia had run to Mexico. She'd always known that Dom and the team were up to something illegal but she'd no idea they were behind the spate of truck heists.

"My name is Chloe Armstrong, I'm Vince's fiancée. I haven't got a clue where Dominic is. Mia phoned me and told me there'd been an accident and that the boys were here. They were at Race Wars this weekend I presume they got hurt there, and I don't know anything about any truck heists." Chloe knew that she was telling the truth about the truck heists and hoped that the police office believed her about everything else. She didn't like lying to the police but she didn't have a choice. Until she spoke to Vince and found out what had happened she was going to have to keep her mouth shut and not say anything about Mexico.

It took almost 2 hours but eventually Chloe was allowed in to see Vince. Suddenly she wasn't sure if she wanted to see him – how could she tell a man she'd only met twice before that his friends had left him, Jesse was dead and she was his new fiancée! 'Oh well, here goes nothing' she thought as she pushed open the door.

The sight that greeted her wasn't at all what she was expecting. She was expecting the bandages, the oxygen and the IVs but what she wasn't expecting was to see two nurses holding Vince down whilst a Doctor examined his arm.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Get away from him." Chloe pushed past the nurses holding Vince down and was by his side before the Doctor realised anyone had even entered the room.

"It's alright baby, I'm here now. I won't let them hurt you anymore." Chloe's heart broke when she saw how much pain Vince was in. He was obviously in agony and Chloe was surprised he hadn't hit someone, as she thought that she noticed the restrains – the fuckers had tied Vince to the bed and were then holding him down.

When Vince heard Chloe's voice he fought back through the pain to see who it was that was calling him baby. He didn't recognise the voice but then he was in so much pain he wasn't even sure of his own name half the time.

"Miss, this really isn't a good time, I suggest you come back later."

"And I suggest Dr that if you don't want a malpractice suit slapped on your miserable ass that you get the fuck away from my fiancé right this instance." Chloe was furious; it was as much as she could do not to punch the smarmy man right in the face.

"Miss, we need to get this wound redressed and your fiancé isn't being very co-operative. I can assure you that this all looks worse than it actually is."

By now Vince was shaking and crying with the pain, he was trying his best to stay conscious but he could feel he was fighting a losing battle. He was still trying to place the voice of the blonde haired angel who'd come to his rescue and was now gently stroking his face. Her hand felt cool against his skin and she seemed genuinely concerned for him.

"It's Dr actually, not Miss – now get out and leave everything that's needed to redress Vince's arm. I'll take care of it. Oh, and you can be sure that I'll be speaking with the board about this. By the time I'm finished with you, you'll be lucky if you're even allowed _in_ a hospital never mind get to work in one."

Whilst the doctor and nurses left the room Chloe carefully undid the restraints that were keeping Vince in place and lifted the head of his bed so that he was sitting a little more upright. She needed to talk to him and tell him who she was and why she was here and she wanted to be able to look him in the eye when she told him.

"I know you've got a lot of questions V, but we don't have much time. I'm going to have to talk to you whilst I sort out your arm, ok? It's going to hurt like a bitch but I promise I'll be as gentle as I can. If you want me to stop just let me know, ok?" Chloe was dreading what she was going to have to do. Vince's arm was badly damaged and some of the dressing was already stuck to the wound. She'd have to soak it off without getting the stitches wet – this wasn't going to be easy.

Vince wasn't sure what the hell was going on but he felt safe with this girl. She'd stood up for him with the doctor and was the 1st person to treat him like a human being since he'd been admitted.

As Chloe cleaned up and redressed Vince's arm she told him who she was and what Mia had said when she called her. She stopped her work every time the pain got too much for Vince and she dried his tears when he cried for Jesse. Even though she'd only met him twice she'd really loved the young man. He'd been a total breath of fresh air and had provided much needed amusement in what had been a horrific time of her life. She'd first met the team 4mths after her parents had been killed. She went to college with Mia and one day the young girl just started talking to her - the next thing she knew she'd been invited to the beach with the team.

Nearly an hour after she started cleaning up his arm Chloe noticed that Vince had fallen asleep. He'd been through so much that day and Chloe was grateful that he'd finally found some peace.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – thanks to those who read/reviewed my first chapter, it means a lot to me to know that people are enjoying my writing.**

Chapter 2

When Vince woke the next morning Chloe was fast asleep in a chair next to his bed. She had hold of his good hand and was resting her head on a spare pillow. Despite the fact she was a virtual stranger he was thrilled to see her there. He'd half imagined he dreamt the beautiful blonde doctor coming to his assistance but now that he saw her it was obvious that she really had helped him. The only problem he had with her being real was that everything she'd told him must be real as well – Jesse was dead and the team had left him. They run to save their own hides and sent Chloe to check up on him, so much for family Vince thought ruefully.

Vince was pulled from his thoughts by the arrival of breakfast. Well, the orderly said it was breakfast but Vince wasn't convinced – it smelt awful, like Mia's tuna and probably tasted just as bad.

"What the hell is that?" Chloe was never at her best first thing in the morning and being woken from a heavy sleep by such an appalling smell was guaranteed to make her grumpy.

Vince was just about to make a smart comment about the disgusting concoction in front of him when the door swung open again and the Doctor from the previous day entered his room.

"Ah, you're awake Mr Richards, that's good to see. It'll make it a lot easier for me to assess the damage to your arm."

Chloe was shaken out of her half conscious state by the doctors' voice.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing in here? I thought I told you yesterday to keep away from my fiancé?" As she spoke Chloe moved towards the doctor, taking great pleasure in the look on his face when he realised she was still there.

"You shouldn't be in here; visiting hours don't start for another 2 hours." Dr Matthews had thought he'd be able to get in, deal with his patient and leave before the crazy English girl arrived. He hadn't counted on the fact she'd stay overnight.

"Did you really think I would leave Vince here by himself after what you did yesterday? You're meant to be a doctor for fucks sake, not some kind of torturer – you're supposed to prevent pain and suffering not add to it. Now get out before I forget that I'm a lady and beat your ass so hard you'll be in need of the ER yourself."

Vince was finding it hard not to laugh, this slender, 5ft 2in woman wearing nothing more than a cut off t-shirt, pink cotton panties and pink socks was inflicting more terror on a man, almost a foot taller and at least 70lbs heavier, than he thought possible. Chloe was definitely a fire-cracker and the fact that it was him she was defending made Vince feel more at ease with Dom and the rest of the team leaving. None of them would have stood up for him – Mia would have cried along with him, Letty would have slapped him round the head and told him not to be such a baby and Dom and Leon would have left the room as soon as the doctor came in.

When the doctor left Vince gave up on his struggle to contain his laughter, he'd literally turned tail and fled leaving Chloe standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips and a wild look in her eye.

"And just what the hell is so funny?" Chloe was confused, she'd no idea what Vince was laughing at but something was obviously amusing him – he had tears rolling down his face and he was struggling to catch his breath.

"You're… you're…. you're – look at what you're wearing." As soon as Vince managed to get his words out Chloe realised just what it was he was laughing at – she'd forgotten that she'd taken her trousers when she settled down for the night and had been threatening Dr Michaels wearing a 'girl racer, boy chaser' cut off t-shirt that stopped well short of her navel, a pair of low cut pink panties with 'kiss my ass' across the back and pink socks with white hearts all over them.

"Well, have you ever tried sleeping in leather trousers and heeled boots – it's not exactly comfortable."

It wasn't long before Chloe was laughing along with Vince – she had to admit she did make a comical sight, and it was good to hear Vince laugh. He'd been through hell the previous day and she knew that once his painkillers wore off he'd be back in hell.

Over the following two and a half weeks Vince and Chloe spent hours talking and getting to know each other. Chloe stayed with Vince every night and was there to hold his hand and comfort him whilst his dressings were being changed. Vince told her things he'd never told anyone before – how his father had beaten him and his mother for years as a child before his mom finally got the courage to leave, only to die 3 years later in a car accident. He'd been 15 when she died and Dom's dad had taken him in. 5 years later Mr Toretto had died and Vince had found himself yet again without a family. When Dom went to prison Vince became Mia's father, older brother and best friend all in one. He hadn't wanted to take on all that responsibility – he was only 20 and far too young to deal with a teenage girl but he didn't have any choice. Anthony Toretto was the nearest thing to a real dad he'd ever had and he felt that he owed it to him to look after Mia.

Chloe told Vince about her life before her parents had been killed. She was born in LA, in the very same hospital that Vince was now in and moved to England when she was 2. She'd married her college sweetheart when she was 18 but divorced him when she was 22 after she found him having sex with her 17 year old sister on the kitchen table. Looking back it was kind of funny, she'd never before seen her husband move so quickly as when she threw a washing up bowl of cold, dirty water all over him. Chloe had only just qualified as a doctor when she got the phone call that changed her life. After the divorce her parents had taken her sister back to LA and one night they'd been car-jacked on the way back from the movies. Her parents had been killed straight away, her sister hadn't been with them and Chloe was left with the other remaining member of her family being the girl who broke up her marriage.

"So, where's your sister now?" Chloe had been with Vince constantly since she'd arrived and he'd never met her sister. A friend had been in and brought a bag of clothes for her but apart from that Chloe hadn't had any visitors.

"I don't know, we're not exactly on speaking terms at the moment – I found out my ex-husband moved to LA about 6mths ago and she's been seeing him again. I threw her out when I found out and I've no idea where she is now." Chloe hadn't realised she was crying until Vince reached out his hand to wipe her tears away. The feeling of his fingers on her face brought her back to reality.

"Please don't cry baby, they're not worth it. Besides you're engaged to me now so what does it matter who your sister dates?"

As soon as Vince had spoken Chloe knew that he was right. Her ex-husband was a complete ass and she was sure that he was just using her sister, why she wasn't sure but she really didn't care.

"Come lie down with me, I think we could both do with a hug." Vince shuffled over in the hospital bed to give her enough room to lie next to him. He'd never been one to initiate physical contact with the girls he'd dated, hell he didn't think he'd ever just held a girl, but there was something about Chloe that made him want to reach out and hold her.

"Please, Chloe." It was the 'please' that sent Chloe over the edge, Vince wasn't the sort of man to say please very often and she realised then how important it was to him, maybe he needed the physical comfort just as much as she did.

Chloe climbed up onto the bed next to Vince and carefully snuggled up against him. She knew that his side would still be sore and she didn't want to press too hard against it. As she rested her head on his chest she reached out and traced the tattoos on his upper right arm. She was fascinated with them and was grateful that the scars on his lower arm didn't reach up that high. It would have been criminal for such beautiful ink work to be damaged. Criminal that was probably the wrong word as that's what his actions had been that had lead to the injury. Vince was, as Sergeant Tanner kept reminding her every chance he got, a violent career criminal, a thug. Chloe didn't really care too much about the police sergeant's opinion of Vince. She knew that he was a thug, the scars on his knuckles told her just that and he'd already confessed to her his part in the truck hijackings but she also knew that he wouldn't hurt her. The time that she'd spent with Vince in the hospital had shown her a gentle side that she doubted many people had seen before. He'd broken down and sobbed many times for his young friend Jesse and Chloe knew that that kind of grief couldn't be faked.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When Sgt Tanner entered the room the next morning, he was momentarily shocked by what he saw. The crazy English girl, as Dr Matthews called her, and Vince Richards were curled up together in the narrow hospital bed. The girl had her head on his chest and he had his arms wrapped tightly round her. They looked, to all intents and purposes, like lovers – not the strangers he was convinced they were. The files they had on Vincent Richards had made no mention of a girlfriend; in fact Officer O'Connor had said that Vince was interested in Toretto's sister Mia.

He was so sure that Toretto's thugs were behind the hijackings but he didn't have enough evidence to charge anyone. O'Connor had disappeared and neither the LAPD nor the FBI had found any sign of whoever had shot Vincent Richards. He knew he had no choice but to remove the police guard from the room and tell Vince that the police were no longer investigating him.

"Excuse me, Mr Richards, Miss Armstrong."

"It's DR Armstrong you prick, don't you people ever listen." If there was one thing that Chloe hated it was people not listening to what she told them. She'd lost track of the number of times she's corrected people when they called her Miss. Ok, so she wasn't licensed to practice medicine in the US but she was still a qualified doctor.

"I apologise, DR Armstrong, but I still need to talk to you and Mr Richards – there are a few things I'd like to get cleared up."

"Fine, but don't expect me to get up. It's bad enough you woke me up but there's no way I'm getting out of bed as well." Chloe had woken up when the door had opened and was surprised to find she was still wrapped up in Vince's arms. She'd no idea how long she'd been asleep but judging by how hungry she was she guessed it must have been several hours. "And don't expect me to wake Vince up either – he needs his sleep or he'll never get better, you can come back and talk to him later." Chloe knew that Vince was awake, she could feel his thumb gently stoking her stomach under the covers, but she wanted him to give him an opportunity to listen to what she had to say before he was questioned.

"Ok then, let's start at the beginning. How did you meet Vincent Richards?"

"I really don't see what this has to do with your investigation but if you must know I met him through my friend Mia Toretto. Mia and I are at college together, we're on the same course. I've got to pass the course before I can practice medicine in the US and Mia is studying to be a doctor." Chloe was dreading telling the rest of the story, she hated having to relive her parents' death and the hell that followed it but she knew that she had no choice.

"4mths after my parents died Mia invited me to join her and her family at the beach. I was finding it very difficult to cope with what had happened and Mia thought that I needed a change of scenery." Mia would never know how much of an impact the day at the beach had on Chloe's life. She'd been writing her resignation letter for the college and about to book a flight back to England when Mia called.

"So, if you've known Mr Richards for over a year, why didn't we know anything about you before you turned up here?" Tanner knew that Chloe was lying about her relationship with Vince but he couldn't prove it.

"That's simple, we kept our relationship a secret – Dominic hates me and Vince didn't want to upset him. After all he lives in his house and works in his garage. We decided not to live together until after we're married so Vince has to stay at Dom's house." Chloe was nervous about lying to the police officer – still, most of what she was saying was true. Dominic did hate her – he'd made a pass at her when they were at the beach and she'd turned him down flat. Ever since then he'd been rude and hostile towards her.

"If you'd had 24hr surveillance on Vince, or tapped his phone calls then you'd have known all about me." Chloe was desperately hoping that what she assumed was actually true. If the police had been watching Vince 24hrs a day then she was sunk – her lies would be exposed and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. The look on Tanners face made Chloe realise that there hadn't been any kind of independent surveillance on Vince. The police had obviously been concentrating their efforts on Dominic so they'd left the other members of the team alone.

"Is there anything else you wanted to ask? Or can I go back to sleep?" Chloe wasn't sure how much longer she could stay cuddled up with Vince – his hand had slowly worked it's way underneath her top and his fingers were gently brushing the undersides of her breasts.

"I think we're about finished Dr Armstrong but I do need to talk to Mr Richards some more so I'll be back later."

"That's fine; I've got some things to do this afternoon, if you come back then I'm sure Vince will be awake." Chloe had been putting off her task for a few days now but she knew it couldn't wait any longer. Someone had to arrange Jesse's funeral and as Vince was still in the hospital, the rest of the team had fled and Jesse's only blood relative was in jail it fell to Chloe to make the arrangements.

"I'm awake now, so ask away." Vince had been listening to everything Tanner asked Chloe and knew that he didn't believe their relationship to be real. Seeing as how actions speak louder than words he decided to show Tanner just how real their engagement was.

"Morning baby, you sleep well?"

Before Chloe had a chance to answer Vince pressed his lips onto hers to kiss her good morning. What started out as a fairly chaste kiss soon became more passionate as their hormones took control. Chloe had kissed her fair share of men but none of them even came close to Vince. She moaned softly and Vince took the opportunity to slip his tongue past her lips, aggressively exploring her mouth, trying to take control of their kiss. Chloe brought her hands up and ran them through Vince's hair pulling him harder against her; she was drowning in his kiss and didn't ever want to let him go.

Burning lungs finally forced the couple apart – panting for breath they stared into each other eyes, oblivious to Tanner who had been watching the entire thing.

"Ahem, when you've quite finished I need to talk to Mr Richards." Tanner's voice quickly brought Vince and Chloe back to reality. There would be plenty of time for passion later – for now they had other things to do.

Carefully untangling herself from Vince and getting out of bed Chloe smiled softly as she told Vince she'd be back later.

"If you gentlemen will excuse me I need to have a shower and get changed before I go out." Chloe had a difficult morning ahead and knew that she'd feel better if she put some smarter clothes on – a cut off t-shirt and shorts just wasn't going to cut it.

With a kiss goodbye and a soft smile Chloe left Vince and Tanner alone, leaving the hospital for the first time in almost three weeks felt more than a little bit strange. She'd grown so close to Vince in the time she'd spent with him and she couldn't help but wish he was there with her – she'd no idea how she was going to get through the morning without him by her side but she knew she had to try.

Back in Vince's room Tanner was getting more and more frustrated. It didn't matter what he asked Vince, he didn't find out anything he could use to build a case. Unless Brian or the truck driver turned up he had no case against anyone on DT and he'd have to let Vince go.

It was gone 4pm when Chloe made it back to the hospital. Things had taken her longer than she thought and she'd been gone for almost 8 hours. As she walked past the nurses' station on Vince's floor she heard someone calling out to her.

"Dr Armstrong, Dr Armstrong – can you wait for a second please?" One of the nurses that was looking after Vince was running up the corridor calling out to Chloe as she ran.

"What is it, what's happened?" Chloe knew that the nurses never ran anywhere unless there was an emergency and all she could think off was that something had happened to Vince.

"I'm so glad you're back, Mr Richards was starting to think you weren't coming back."

As soon as the nurse told her this Chloe felt guilty. She'd not told Vince anything of what she was doing and she'd been gone for hours. It's no surprise he thought she wasn't coming back – after all, everyone else had abandoned him.

Vince was curled up on his side with his back to the door when Chloe entered the room. He didn't look up or acknowledge she was there even though she knew he was wide awake.

"I'm sorry I'm so late, things took longer than I'd anticipated." Chloe knew that she had a lot of explaining to do, Vince was all she had and she couldn't bare him giving her the cold shoulder.

Vince didn't trust himself to speak, he'd been crying ever since he came to the conclusion that Chloe wasn't coming back, so he simply shrugged and kept staring at the wall.

Chloe walked round the end of Vince's bed and knelt down in front of him. Her eyes were level with his and she could see the tear stains on his face. She leaned towards him and kissed him gently before motioning to him to move over so she could lie on the bed next to him.

"I went to see Jesse's dad. I had to tell him what had happened and ask if he had any preferences for the funeral."

Vince didn't know what to say when Chloe told him where she'd been. He'd been convinced that she wasn't coming back and had got himself so worked up that he'd not really given any thought to what she might be doing. He could see how upset she was by the days events so he did the only thing he could think of – he wrapped his arms around her and held her as she sobbed.

When her sobs quietened down Vince carefully lifted Chloe's face so that he was looking straight into her eyes. "Thank you." He couldn't even begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for her to go to Lompoc to see Jesse's dad. She'd never met the man yet it fell to her to tell him that his only son was dead. Vince got angry as he thought about Chloe having to do that. It wasn't down to her – it should have been someone from the team, the same as it should have been someone from the team who stood by him during his recovery. Chloe had been a stranger when she came to the hospital looking for Vince and Jesse but she'd been more a family member than anyone on the team could have been. Chloe was Vince's family now and he was hers.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N – Thanks for the feedback, I'm really pleased that you're enjoying my story.**

**Braelyn – you'll have to keep reading to find out whether the team returns or not!**

Chapter 4

"The service is booked for the day after tomorrow. Jesse's dad said that he was Catholic so I spoke to the priest at St Mary Magdalen and he's happy to perform the service. He did the service for my parents and he's really nice – Jesse would have liked him. I dropped in at Hectors place on the way back and asked him to put the word around at the races about Jesse's service. I want as many people as possible to be there."

Vince felt guilty, he'd not given any thought to Jesse's funeral and yet again it was all left to Chloe to sort shit out.

"Oh, and before I forget – I need to go home tonight, this bed is killing my back and I need to sleep on a decent mattress." Vince's arms tightened round Chloe as she said that. He'd missed her terribly that day and didn't know if he could cope overnight without her.

"So, I'm busting you out of here just as soon as you get changed."

Chloe burst out laughing at the look on Vince's face. He'd obviously thought she was going to leave him in the hospital by himself. Leaning up to kiss him she whispered in his ear, "Don't worry Coyote, I'm not going anywhere without you."

It didn't take much convincing for the doctors to release Vince, Chloe thought they were probably glad to rid of him, and her! She knew that she hadn't made many friends on the medical staff with her complaint about Dr Matthews but she'd only done what she had to do.

Sgt Tanner turned up just as Chloe was helping Vince get changed into his street clothes. He stood in the door way watching for a few minutes as the petite, well dressed doctor eased a tank top over the head of the burly, scruffy thug. He'd never seen a more mismatched couple yet in the time he'd spent with them he'd become convinced that they really were engaged to be married and deeply in love.

"Come on baby, let's go home." Vince was desperate to get out of the hospital – he'd hated every minute of being in there and even though he knew he wasn't really well enough to be leaving, he also knew that Chloe would look after him. Hell, she'd done nothing but look after him since she'd turned up at his bedside nearly 3 weeks earlier. He didn't know how he could ever thank her but he knew that he'd spend the rest of his life trying.

"Mr Richards," Vince and Chloe looked up in surprise when Tanner spoke. They'd been so wrapped up their own thoughts that they'd not heard the door open.

"You're free to go and unless any new evidence comes to light I won't be speaking with you again." Tanner had been so certain that Toretto and his gang were behind the heists but O'Connor hadn't found any evidence to prove it and without evidence the D.A. was never going to prosecute.

"Should Mr Toretto get in touch then please tell him the same."

"If Dom calls then I'll tell him, but I won't be holding my breath." There was a lot more that Vince wanted to say about Dom but he held his tongue. Part of him wanted Dom to call so he could tell him everything was ok and he could come home but another part of him never wanted to hear from him again. He'd run off and left him and Jesse to face the music, left them to do jail time that should have been Dom's.

Chloe saw the look in Vince's eyes and knew that he was thinking about how Dom had abandoned him – she knew what it was like to be betrayed by a sibling and she knew how deep the pain ran.

"If there's nothing else Sgt Tanner, I need to take Vince home." Chloe smiled at the thought of going back to her house – she hadn't been there since Mia had called and it was time to go home. 'Take Vince home', that sounded good.

"No, there's nothing else Dr Armstrong – you take care now." No matter how much Tanner disliked Vince he couldn't help but like Chloe. He'd heard about her visits to Lompoc and the funeral directors and he knew it couldn't have been easy for her.

Vince held onto Chloe all the way from his room to the hospital entrance. The doctors had insisted he be in a wheelchair but he'd only agreed if Chloe could sit on his knee. The staff were so eager to be rid of him that they quickly agreed to his strange request. When they reached the entrance Chloe carefully stood up and helped Vince out of the chair. Holding their bags with one hand and Vince's hand with the other she made her way into the car park.

"Where the hell did you get Leon's car from?" Vince couldn't believe it; they were standing in front of the yellow skyline. The last time he'd seen this car was outside the warehouse at Thermal when they'd collected the Civics for the last heist.

"Hector gave me a lift out to the warehouse this afternoon. We took your car back to my place and then went back for Leon's." Chloe knew she'd taken a chance on getting Hector to help but he'd been a good friend to Dom and the team and she was sure she could trust him.

The journey home was tense; Chloe was nervous driving Leon's car and Vince was deep in thought wondering why Leon had left his car. He loved that car more than anything else in the world and there's no way he would have willingly left it.

"Why are you driving Leon's car? What's wrong with mine?" Suddenly Vince was worried that something was wrong with his car – it'd been at the warehouse for almost 3 weeks and anything could have happened to it in that time.

"There's nothing wrong with your car, except I can't get my head around a left hand drive stick shift! I learnt to drive in England so the Skyline's easy."

Vince had to laugh at the thought that anyone could find the Skyline easy to drive. He'd only driven it a few times and it confused the hell out of him. He had to really think what he was doing and nothing was instinctive about it. Watching Chloe drive he could see that she knew how to drive, her gear changes were smooth and she seemed to be perfectly at ease speeding along the freeway, weaving in and out of the other cars.

"So, what do you think then?" Vince was curious to know what she thought about the car, true she wasn't a racer but he could see she had loved cars and driving.

"It's a great car, very responsive and he's got a killer sound system – just a shame it's yellow! Do you think Leon would mind if I sprayed his car black?" Chloe really did love the car but she hated the colour – no one in England drove yellow cars, except for the criminally insane, and she didn't think Leon was quite that crazy.

The look on Vince's face told Chloe that he also hated the colour of Leon's car but there was no way he'd do anything about it. No-one touched a brotha's car without his permission and lived.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N – short chapters so you get 2 updates in one day**

Chapter 5

When Chloe pulled up onto her driveway Vince's eyes nearly fell out of his head. He'd not really thought much about Chloe's place so he was stunned by what he saw. She had a beautiful house right on the beach. It didn't look as large as the Toretto house but the area was much nicer. The house was at the end of a long driveway with enough parking for 6 or 7 cars.

"Come on, lets get you inside, it's been a long day and I for one am ready for my bed." Chloe was completely worn out – it had been a very emotionally draining day and all she could think about was the queen sized bed that was waiting for her in her room.

"I thought you said my car was here?" Vince was suddenly very worried, he couldn't see his car anywhere on the driveway and he was sure Chloe had said she'd brought it home.

"It's in the garage, don't worry it's perfectly safe. I just didn't want to leave it on the driveway with no-one home so I put it away. Come on, we need to have something to eat before bed and you need to have a shower."

Vince was well aware that he needed a shower, Chloe had been helping him clean up whilst he was in the hospital but that was only with wet washcloths. He was getting to the stage where he'd sell his own grandmother for a hot shower.

Chloe told Vince the security code to open the front door and whilst he opened up the house she got their bags from the trunk of the car. Vince felt guilty when he saw how much she was carrying – the trunk off the car was full with bags of shopping as well as their bags from the hospital.

"I bought some food whilst I was out, I don't know about you but I was getting sick of hospital food." Chloe had bought more than just 'some' food – she'd bought more than she normally bought in a month but one thing she remembered about Vince from the beach BBQ was that he loved his food. One day she'd have to ask him what he did with it all as there wasn't an ounce of fat on him.

Vince followed Chloe into the kitchen and sat down at the kitchen table, he'd never bothered helping Mia put the shopping away before but now he felt bad that he couldn't help Chloe. "Is there anything I can do?" Vince wanted to help somehow, but he didn't know how.

"Yeah, you can get a couple of drinks out of the fridge and have a think about what you want to eat, there's a pile of takeaway menus by the phone if you want to have a look."

It took Chloe 4 trips to get all the shopping in – she'd gone overboard with the food, but she'd no idea what Vince did or didn't like and she didn't want to have to go shopping again until after the funeral.

"Is there a Mexican menu here? I'd kill for some enchiladas." Vince couldn't help but smile at the irony in his comment – the team had run off to Mexico and left him yet he couldn't help drooling at the thought of Mexican food.

"There should be, but I can just as easily make some, it'll be quicker than delivery anyway." Mexican was one of Chloe's favourites so she'd bought plenty of tortillas and taco shells in the hope that Vince liked spicy food as well. One look at Vince's face told Chloe that he was trying to decide whether it was fair to ask her to cook after the day that she'd had. "It's ok, I don't mind – I love to cook and right now I can't think of anything I'd rather have than Mexican." Well, apart from Vince, naked in her bed, but Chloe wasn't brave enough to say that.

"Let me just put the food away and I'll get on with dinner. If you want to make yourself useful you can have a look through the cupboards for a wok, I know there's one there somewhere but I'm not exactly sure where."

"How can you not know where things are? This is your house isn't it?" Vince wasn't sure why he added that last comment, Chloe hadn't said anything about this not being her house but somehow it didn't seem to fit her. The house was beautiful, very tastefully decorated from what he'd seen but it lacked the spark that Chloe had. Everything about her was so vibrant and alive yet the house seemed almost dead.

"It was my parent's house – I inherited it when they died. I've been coming by every day to air it out and water the plants but no-one's lived here since they were killed."

"So why have we come here and not gone back to your place?" Vince was really confused, he knew that she had a house somewhere, after all she had a housemate but he couldn't understand why they'd come to her dead parents place.

"Because my housemate's there and I figured after everything that's happened you'd want some privacy. She's more than a little bit crazy and you'd never get any sleep if we stayed there – she likes to party 24/7."

After an enjoyable dinner of home made enchiladas and nachos Chloe showed Vince round the house. It was larger than it had seemed from the outside with 4 bedroom suites in the main part of the house and another 3 in the self contained basement. There was a swimming pool in the back garden and a hot tub on the patio. Vince was amazed by the house, it was absolutely beautiful and obviously worth a fortune. He couldn't help but feel out of his depth here – he was just a boy from Echo Park yet Chloe had obviously grown up with more money than he could imagine.

When they got to Chloe's room she made him sit on the bed whilst she turned the shower on. Vince hadn't realised how tired he was until he sat down on the bed – all he wanted to do was lie down and sleep but he was well aware of how much he needed a shower and a shave. 'A few minutes won't hurt' he thought as he lay down on the bed resting his head on the soft pillows.

Vince was fast asleep when Chloe came back out of the bathroom and she had to think twice about whether to wake him up or not. He needed his sleep but he also needed a shower. Deciding that he could shower in the morning she quietly crossed the room and knelt by the side of the bed to take his boots off. Once his boots and socks were off she carefully undid his jeans and slid them down, trying hard not to touch him or stare too much. There was no way she could take his tank top off so she covered him up with the duvet, kissed him gently on his forehead and headed off to one of the other rooms for some much needed sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N yet another short chapter so expect 2 updates today.**

Chapter 6

Chloe had only been asleep for a few hours when she woke with a start – something was wrong but she couldn't work out what. As her brain cleared she worked out what had woken her up – Vince was screaming for Dom and he sounded terrified. Chloe leapt from the bed and ran across the landing into her room to find Vince thrashing around on the bed, fighting with the covers and screaming in his sleep. He was obviously in the grip of a horrific nightmare. Chloe knew that if she wasn't careful she was going to end up getting hit in the face, Vince was thrashing about so much but she couldn't just stand there and let his nightmare torment him – she had to do something.

Carefully Chloe got into bed behind Vince and started talking to him. She knew it was important not to startle him but she needed to calm him down. He was in danger of hurting himself if he carried on and his face had terror written all over it. Within minutes Vince had calmed down sufficiently that Chloe felt safe enough to touch him without running the risk of getting a fist in the face.

"It's alright baby, calm down. I've got you, you're safe now." Chloe wasn't sure exactly what it was that Vince had been dreaming about but it had scared the life out of him and that in turn had scared her. She was well aware of Vince's reputation and his role with the Toretto household and she couldn't imagine what could have frightened him so much.

Vince was back on the side of the truck, screaming for Dominic to get him off. He knew that he couldn't get himself free but Dom couldn't reach him either. He was helpless and terrified and he was sure he was going to die. When Brian had jumped from the Supra onto the side of the truck Vince was sure he was dreaming – there was no way the buster was going to save him, not after everything that'd happened and the way Vince had treated him. Only this time it wasn't Brian that came to Vince's rescue – it was the slender, blonde haired girl who'd saved him from the doctors at the hospital. He could feel her touching him and could hear her telling him that he was safe now. Vince woke suddenly from his nightmare and didn't know what the hell was going on. It had all been so real and he was convinced that he was back on the side of the truck, bleeding to death with no way off. He couldn't stop the tears that were rolling down his face as he turned to Chloe and begged her not to leave him.

"Please don't leave me Chloe, I need you." Chloe felt her heart break all over again as she heard the pain and anguish in Vince's voice. He was such a tough man, a loner by all accounts yet here he was begging her to stay with him. She vowed then that if she ever got her hands on Dominic and Mia she'd beat them down for the pain they put Vince through when they left him.

It took Chloe nearly an hour to calm Vince down enough to get him back to sleep – he was terrified that she was going to leave him just as the team had and it was all she could do to convince him that she wasn't going anywhere. When he eventually fell asleep he was lying between her legs with his head on her chest and his arms wrapped tightly round her middle. It wasn't in the slightest bit comfortable for Chloe but Vince was settled and that was all she was concerned about.

When Chloe woke the next morning Vince was sitting on the edge of the bed looking out of the window. He'd obviously been up for a while as his hair was wet from a shower and he'd gotten dressed. Vince turned as she stretched, smiling at the befuddled expression on her face. He loved it when he woke before she did, it always took her a few minutes to get her bearings when she first woke up and this morning was no exception.

Chloe stopped mid stretch and stared at Vince – he was dressed and not in his usual attire of tank tops and jeans. He was wearing a white long sleeved shirt and black slacks and he looked amazing.

"Hi." Chloe knew that was a totally lame thing to say but she couldn't get her head around how fantastic Vince looked. After the nightmares she'd expected him to sleep in late; not be up, showered and dressed like he was before 9am. "Where did the clothes come from?" Chloe knew that there hadn't been anything like that in Vince's bag that they'd brought back from the hospital. She'd bought him a few changes of clothes when she'd been shopping the previous day but they were all casual.

"These are my emergency date clothes that I keep in my car."

"Date clothes? Why are you wearing date clothes?" Chloe wasn't sure if it was because she'd just woken up but Vince wasn't making any sense at all.

"Because I'm taking you out for breakfast then I want you to help me choose a suit."

Chloe had pretty much decided that she was still asleep and dreaming when Vince handed her a glass of orange juice and told her he'd be back in 20mins.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was exactly 18 minutes later when Vince knocked on Chloe's door. She was still so confused by Vince's appearance and his request for help to buy a suit that she told him to come in without thinking. Vince stood staring at her for a few minutes before he felt able to trust his voice. Chloe was standing in front of her closet wearing a pair of cream lace panties and a cream strapless bra which showed off her tanned, slender body. Her blonde hair was left loose and tumbled down her back in soft curls.

"You might want to put some more clothes on before we go out." Vince couldn't help staring, she looked incredible and he could feel himself reacting to the sight before him. She was nothing like the girls he usually went for, totally out of his league but he couldn't help remembering how good she'd felt underneath him the previous night.

"What do you think of this?" Chloe still hadn't turned around to look at Vince and for this he was immensely grateful – he knew that his lust was showing clearly in his face, and his trousers and he didn't want Chloe to think he was just after her body. He really liked the girl and for the 1st time ever found himself wanting more than just a one night stand.

The dress that Chloe was holding out was a simple cream silk dress with thin straps. Vince thought it looked expensive but then he didn't exactly know very much about women's clothes. Chloe didn't wait for a response from Vince, she liked the dress and knew she looked good in it so she slipped it over her head and zipped it up.

She'd only gotten the zip half way up when Vince moved her hair out of the way and lifted the zip the final few inches. Moving Chloe over to the bed he bent down in front of her and helped her on with her shoes. 4 inch strappy sandals that fastened at the ankle finished her outfit. Vince had always thought he'd dated pretty girls but Chloe was stunning. He couldn't wait to be seen walking down the street for her and for the first time since he'd left he wished Dom was here to see him. See him and the girl that cared so much for him. Dom had made a move on Chloe and she'd turned him down. Vince had lost track of the number of girls he'd wanted to go out with only to find out Dom wanted them - and what Dom wanted, Dom got. Vince had spent almost all his adult life coming in second to Dominic Toretto but Chloe was putting him first. He knew that even if he and Chloe didn't work out Dom didn't stand a chance with her, and that thought made him happier than he'd been for a long time. The great Dominic Toretto had been turned down by a beautiful girl. The same beautiful, intelligent girl that was interested in him, Vince Richards.

As Vince and Chloe left the house he found himself remembering all the things his mum had told him about how to treat a lady. That was when it struck him; he was taking a lady out for breakfast. Chloe was nothing like the other girls he'd ever dated, mind you dated was probably too strong a word – screwed was probably about right. He couldn't remember the last time he went out on a date and he found himself desperately hoping this would be the 1st of many.

"So, where are we going?" Chloe had never been on a breakfast date and was curious where Vince would take her. Most of her dates since she came to America had been with fellow students so she'd never been anywhere fancier than the local burger bar and the movies. She'd been left a lot of money when her parents died but she'd never felt comfortable spending it – nothing had ever seemed worthy enough.

"Well, I know a great place down by the beach – the crepes are really good, if that's ok with you?"

After a leisurely breakfast of crepes and coffee Vince drove Chloe into the city so he could buy a suit. He'd never even worn a suit before let alone bought one but felt that it was only right he was dressed respectfully for Jesse's funeral. Vince had always hated going clothes shopping with Mia but he was having a great time with Chloe. Admittedly it would be better if he wasn't buying something to wear to his brother's funeral but both he and Chloe found ways to make it fun.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N – sorry for yet another short chapter, two updates today though to make up for it!**

Chapter 8

The next morning Chloe woke up to find Vince was yet again lying beside her with his head resting on her chest. She wasn't sure if he was awake or not but she couldn't resist lightly tracing his tattoos with her fingers. The ink work was exquisite and not for the 1st time she found herself thanking God that they'd not been damaged when Vince had been hurt. Chloe didn't realise Vince was awake until he spoke to her.

"That tickles you know." Vince had been awake for a while but had been enjoying having Chloe so close to him. He'd waited until she was asleep then crept into her room and her bed. He'd been too scared to sleep by himself because of his terrifying nightmares but he was too afraid to ask Chloe if he could sleep with her. He wasn't sure what he was more afraid off – showing Chloe he wasn't the strong man he should be or having her say no. In the end his fear of sleeping alone had won out and he'd found himself yet again in Chloe's bed wrapped around her body.

"Sorry, baby. I didn't mean to wake you up." Chloe wanted to ask Vince how long he'd been in her bed but she didn't want to make him think she didn't want him there. The truth was she loved having him there but she also knew that he had to confront his nightmares or he'd never find peace.

For the next few hours Vince and Chloe stayed in bed, snuggled up with each other – neither wanting to be the one to make the 1st move to get out of bed. It was Jesse's funeral that day and they were both wishing they could just lock the doors and pretend they weren't there.

Eventually they knew that they couldn't put it off any longer and got up. Conversation was non existent in the house that morning. Chloe couldn't help remembering her parent's funeral and Vince kept thinking how the rest of the team should be there to say goodbye to Jesse. He couldn't understand why Leon wasn't there – he was practically Jesse's blood yet they'd not heard anything from him since the failed heist. It was almost as if Leon didn't know anything had happened to Jesse.

"Chloe, did you call Mia and let her know about Jesse?" All Vince could think off was that Leon didn't know, if he had known about Jesse he'd have been there with them by now.

Chloe's heart sank when she heard Vince's question. How on earth was she supposed to tell him that she'd called his friends every night since the 'accident' to tell them how Vince was but they'd never answered the phone. She'd left messages and sent texts but Mia never returned her calls. When Chloe didn't answer straight away Vince came into her room to ask her again. He wasn't sure if she'd heard him or not and he needed to know the answer.

For the second time in 2 days Vince found himself standing in Chloe's bedroom doorway completely speechless. Chloe was wearing a black lace dress that stopped just above her knees and black, strappy sandals. Her hair was loose again and Vince couldn't stop himself from imagining tangling his hands up in it as he kissed her.

"Sorry, baby I didn't hear what……" Chloe turned to face Vince as she spoke to him and stopped mid sentence. Vince looked amazing – he was wearing a crisp white shirt and the new black suit that they'd bought the previous day. The most heart stopping thing about him was the fact he was completely clean shaven.

"I said – did you call Mia and let her know about Jesse?"

Yet again Chloe was saved from answering Vince's question, only this time is was by the doorbell. The undertakers had arrived and it was time to leave.

"Come on baby, we can't be late." The moment Chloe had been dreading had arrived – she'd not been back to the church since her parent's service and she wasn't sure how it was going to affect her. She knew she had to be strong for Vince but she wasn't sure if she could keep her emotions to herself. "You look fantastic Vince."

Chloe took hold of Vince's hand, walked through the house, took a deep breath and opened the front door.

"Brian, what the hell are you doing here?" Vince couldn't believe it - the buster was the last person he expected to see, especially not today.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"It's a long story Vince, but I've come to pay my respects to Jesse. He was a good kid who didn't deserve what happened to him." Brian knew that he was taking his life in his hands by coming to Jesse's funeral but he'd genuinely liked the young man and wouldn't have missed the service for anything.

"Come on then man, you can ride with us." Vince caught the looks of total surprise on Chloe's and Brian's faces and started laughing. "What? I mean come on, he saved my life – I can hardly hit him after that now can I."

"Means more to me than you can imagine Vince, thanks man." Brian had expected to come away from his first meeting with Vince with at least 3 broken bones and didn't know what to make of this new gentle and forgiving Vince.

Vince had told Chloe the history between him and Brian and although she'd hoped that he'd be reasonable when he next saw him she wasn't expecting him to be so calm. Pulling his head closer to hers she murmured across his lips 'I'm so proud of you' before kissing him gently. Vince's heart filled with joy when she said that, no one had ever told him that before and it was at that moment that he realised he'd found what he'd been looking for all his life – someone who accepted him for who he was.

The funeral passed without incident, Vince was still upset that there was no sign of the team but he was glad to have Brian there with him. In the limo on the way to the church Brian had explained everything that he'd done for the team and about the evidence that had been misplaced. He told them that he'd quit the LAPD and was no longer a cop. There was no way the FBI or LAPD could prosecute any of the team for anything more than illegal street racing. Brian told Vince that he'd called Dom and told him that the case was closed but he'd refused to come home. He was street racing in Mexico and was making more money than he could have imagined in LA. The overheads were less and the memories weren't as painful.

When Vince heard that Dom wasn't coming back he felt relieved. Relieved that he wouldn't have to face his oldest friend and tell him that he hated him and held him responsible for everything that had gone wrong. They'd all told Dom that the final heist hadn't felt right but he'd insisted on doing it anyway. If he'd listened they would have stood a chance of finding Jesse before Tran and maybe he wouldn't be dead.

The church service was a private family affair – just Vince, Chloe and Brian, but the dedication at the graveside was a completely different matter. The road leading to the cemetery was lined with colourful and expensive race-cars. It looked as if every street racer in the LA area had turned up to say goodbye to Jesse. Vince had always known that Jesse was well liked but seeing all of those cars made him realise just how well liked he was – the mad scientist was going to be missed by the entire street racing community not just Team Toretto.

As the limo stopped at the graveside Hector opened the door.

"Hey man, I'm really sorry about Jesse." Hector had heard the rumours about what had happened after Race Wars but hadn't believed them until Chloe had called him. He'd never spoken to the girl before but as soon as she showed him the photo of her and Vince he knew that he had to help her. Vince looked so happy in the photo and it was clear that she was a friend of at least one member of the team.

"Thanks for letting everyone know Hector; I wouldn't have known where to start." Chloe was overwhelmed by the number of people who had turned up for the burial, she'd buried her parents with just her sister by her side and she was grateful that Vince didn't have to go through that. After introducing Chloe to the other racers and explaining away the rest of the teams' absence Vince, Chloe and Brian lead the way to the graveside.

The dedication ceremony took less than half an hour but for Chloe it was the longest half hour of the day. Jesse's grave was opposite her parents and she kept remembering the day she'd buried them. It had been a dismal day, perfect funeral weather really – it rained all day and was unusually cold for LA. Her sister had been beside her but Chloe couldn't bring herself to take comfort from her, or even talk to her. Her memories of seeing her sister and her husband together were still too raw. She'd been through the pain of burying her parents alone but she wasn't going to let that happen to Vince. Squeezing his hand a little, she snuggled closer into his side. She knew that words wouldn't help but she hoped that he'd take some comfort by her physical presence.

Vince could tell that Chloe was miles away during the dedication. Sure, she had hold of his hand but she wasn't listening to what the priest was being said. He couldn't work out what was bothering her until he realised which gravestone had her attention – Sarah and Peter Barker, beloved parents of Chloe and Nicole - it was her parent's gravestone. He was just about to say something to her when he felt her squeeze his hand and move closer to him. He lifted his arm and draped it round her shoulders, grateful for the comfort she was offering. His life may have changed beyond all recognition after the last heist but he knew that with Chloe by his side things would work out ok.

After the burial Vince, Chloe and Brian headed back to the limo – it was time to go home and make plans for the future. Dom wasn't coming back and they needed to decide what to do about the garage and the store.

A well dressed, middle aged Asian man was waiting by the limo. Chloe and Vince didn't recognise him but Brian did – he was Johnny Tran's father.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Can I help you Mr Tran?" Brian wasn't sure what Tran Sr was doing at the cemetery but he doubted it was a social visit.

"I came to offer my condolences and my apologies Officer O'Connor. What my son and nephew did was wrong and I'm sorry that your young friend was killed. I am truly sorry for your loss."

Chloe felt Vince tense up as soon as Brian said the Asian mans name. She knew that it was the Trans that had killed Jesse and she was sure that Vince was going to erupt – he had so much anger inside him over what had happened with Jesse and Dom leaving him and she knew that if he let rip at Mr Tran he'd end up killing him.

"As we are yours, Mr Tran." Chloe knew she was taking a chance saying this, especially as Brian was the one who killed Johnny but she had to say something to break the tension. Vince was holding her hand so tightly she was sure he was going to break some fingers if they didn't get him away from there in the next few minutes.

"If you'll excuse us Mr Tran, we need to be getting home. I'm sure you understand it's been a very long and difficult day." Chloe practically dragged Vince back to the limo with Brian following closely behind – the last thing either of them wanted was for things to kick off in the cemetery.

Vince sat quietly all the way home – Chloe couldn't help but think he looked like a broken man and Brian couldn't get over how different he was to the Vince he'd grown to know and respect from his time spent with Dom and the team. The rough, confident, enforcer had become a shadow of his former self in a matter of weeks. They were nearly back at the house when Vince spoke.

"So Brian, tell me again what Dom said?" Vince had some ideas about his future but he needed to know exactly what the situation was with Dom before he said anything to Chloe and Brian.

"I called him to tell him that the case had been dropped and that I didn't find anything to link the team to the heists. I told him about you and Jesse and said it was safe to come home." Brian wasn't sure how to tell Vince the next part but he knew that he needed to know. "Dom then said that they weren't coming home, he was sorry about you and Jesse but the racing was better in Mexico. He also said be sure not to tell Chloe anything and that he was sure you'd understand – she's not part of the team and not to be trusted."

As he said the last part Brian reached over and squeezed Chloe's hand. He could tell by the look on her face how upsetting it was for her to hear Dom's exacts words and he wanted to do something to soften the blow.

"He said what?" Chloe was furious and although she appreciated Brian's show of support she wasn't in the mood for holding hands. Luckily for Chloe the limo had pulled up in front of her house so when she opened the rear door and stepped out she didn't end up killing herself going under another car.

"Who the hell does he think he is? He fucked off to Mexico and left me a message on my answer phone and then says I'm not to be trusted! The nerve of the man." Chloe was so angry she could feel the blood coursing through her veins. "He left me to look after his best friend and arrange his brother's funeral but I can't be trusted? I've give up my entire life for Vince yet they won't even answer the phone when I call them to tell them what's happening."

"Baby, calm down. He's just pissed 'cos you wouldn't sleep with him." Vince was deeply hurt by Chloe's comments about 'not answering the phone'. Brian had been able to get through yet they wouldn't talk to Chloe – Dom obviously wasn't that interested in how his friend was doing.

"Calm down, no I bloody well won't calm down. He left you for dead and then says I'm not to be trusted, bloody man." By now Chloe was inside the house, pacing up and down and waving her hands around whilst she ranted. Vince had never seen anyone quite so upset, not even Letty when she caught Dom cheating on her and he was getting worried. When Chloe headed into the kitchen he knew he had to do something to stop her, before she started throwing things.

"Chloe, come here." Vince grabbed her arm and turned her around, as soon as he looked into her eyes he knew he was done for. Never had he wanted anyone as badly as he wanted Chloe at that moment and the look on her face showed him that she felt the same.

Vince pushed Chloe back against the kitchen door and kissed her, hard and fast. He forced her mouth open and immediately took control of things. Chloe was stunned when Vince first kissed her, no-one had ever kissed her in such a domineering way and before she knew what she was doing her tongue was fighting with his.

"Oh god, Vince." Chloe's head was spinning, she didn't know what was happening but she knew that she needed Vince. Before she knew what he was doing, Vince had her dress undone and was taking his shirt off. Chloe was stood before him in just her underwear and the look on Vince's face made her nervous – the lust was obvious but there was something else in his eyes that she wasn't sure about. It looked like love, but it couldn't possibly be – could it?

Once Vince's shirt was off he pulled Chloe back towards him and kissed her again. In the back of his mind he felt guilty for what he was doing – his first time with Chloe should be something special and romantic, not a rushed fuck against the kitchen door but he couldn't help himself. He had to have her and he had to have her now.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N** : thanks to Ms Hope for her continued support and encouragement - it's appreciated more than you'll ever know :) Also thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far, Chloe and Vince are very close to my heart and I'm thrilled that you're enjoying their story and to answer both mystikal19 and stars in the sky - sorry, but none of the Miami crew will be appearing in the story.

Chapter 11

"Err, guys." Brian had never been so embarrassed in his life, not even when he'd walked in on his parents having sex when he was 14. "Sorry, to disturb you, but there's someone here to see you." He had heard everything that had gone on in the kitchen and as much as he'd have liked to have told the visitor to leave he knew that they would want to talk to him.

"Who is it Bri?" Chloe wasn't in any hurry to move, Vince was still supporting her against the wall and she could feel him starting to get excited again. "Again?" She murmured as she starting circling her hips to encourage him. Vince had a smug grin on his face as he started to move his hips slowly and deliberately.

"Can you just come out here please?"

Vince carefully lowered Chloe to the floor and helped her on with his shirt. He wanted nothing more than to take her upstairs and make her his all over again but he knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate with a visitor in the house.

"Did you mean what you said?" Although Chloe had declared herself to be his not moments before he couldn't help but feel she'd been caught up in the moment and would pull away from him as soon as her hormones settled down.

"I don't say anything I don't mean, V. I told you I was yours and I meant it. It does mean that you're mine as well though – there's no escape you know, we're stuck with each other. Come on baby, let get rid of whoever it is."

Hand in hand Chloe and Vince left the kitchen and walked into the lounge. Looking at them it was obvious what they'd been doing just moments before – Chloe was wearing Vince's dress shirt and her black strappy sandals and Vince was in his suit pants and dress shoes. Both of them had that 'just been fucked' look on their faces and Chloe had obvious marks on her neck where Vince had been kissing her.

"What the fuck are you doing here Leon?" Vince was furious; he couldn't believe that Leon would turn up that day of all days. They'd only just returned from burying Leon's 'brother' yet he'd not been there.

Chloe moved in front of Vince and placed her hands on his chest "Don't do it Vince, let him explain and then let him leave." Chloe could see the fury in Vince's face and knew that things would get messy if she couldn't get him to calm down. "Baby, please."

"Is it true Vince, about Jesse?" Leon had to know, he'd overheard Mia and Dom talking about Jesse the previous evening and he had to know if he really was dead.

"Yeah, Leon it's true. Tran shot him and he died before he got to the hospital. We've just come back from the funeral."

Leon looked as if the bottom had fallen out of his world when Vince told him that Jesse was dead. All the way back from Mexico he'd hoped it wasn't true, hoped there was some other reason Jesse hadn't been answering his cell but as soon as he'd seen the look on Vince's face he knew it was true.

"When did it happen?"

"The day you left for Mexico. After you and Letty took off Dom and Mia went back to the house. I turned up just as Jesse did. The Trans were just behind him and they shot him as they rode past the house." Brian could have killed Dom when he realised that Leon hadn't known anything about Jesse even being hurt let alone killed. The pair of them had been together for years yet Dom had kept it from him.

When Leon heard that Jesse had been dead 3 weeks he sank to the floor and broke down. His baby brother was dead and Dom hadn't said anything. For 3 weeks he'd lied and told him that Jesse had been calling and was ok.

"Oh Lee, its ok, shhh it'll be ok." Chloe knew that it wouldn't be ok but she couldn't bear to stand by and do nothing. She crouched down beside Leon and wrapped her arms around him pulling him into her chest.

It was half an hour before Leon stopped crying, Vince and Brian had gone out onto the back deck when Leon broke down – they knew he'd be embarrassed by his show of emotion. That and the fact they were both afraid that if they remained in the room any longer they'd start crying as well.

"So, you and V?" Chloe couldn't help laughing at Leon's sudden change in demeanour. Not two minutes ago he'd been sobbing in her arms now he was trying to charm the latest gossip out of her.

"Yeah, me and V. Come on, I've got some Corona in the fridge and I'm sure the boys could do with one." Chloe was well aware of the fact she was sitting on the floor, wearing only Vince's shirt and her shoes, holding a man she barely knew.

Chloe was about to ask Leon to get the beer and take it outside when she remembered that the rest of her clothes were scattered around the kitchen. It was bad enough that Leon knew what she and Vince had been doing but she didn't want him to see the evidence of just how out of control they'd been.

"Tell, you what – why don't you go outside and see the boys and I'll bring the beers out once I've gotten changed."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Chloe quickly ran upstairs and threw on a pair of shorts and her 'girl racer, boy chaser' t-shirt. The 'just fucked' look had faded but the marks on her neck were more obvious than before. "Damn boy, he certainly loves to make his presence known." After pulling her hair up into a ponytail Chloe headed back downstairs to take some Corona out to the boys.

When Chloe got back downstairs she found that Vince had already cleared the kitchen and taken a cooler of Coronas outside onto the deck. He, Brian and Leon were sitting around the wooden table deep in conversation.

"Hey boys, can I join in or is this a private conversation?" Chloe wasn't sure whether she'd be in the way or not but she wanted to spend some time with Vince and his friends. It had been a difficult day and she wanted to keep an eye on Vince. Loosing Jesse had been traumatic enough but finding out about Dom and then Leon turning up was more than he was ready to deal with alone.

"Sure babe, come sit." Vince pulled Chloe into his lap and wrapped his arms around her, gently kissing her neck. "We were just discussing what should happen with the garage and the store now that Dom's not coming back."

"Well, I've got a few ideas but it's really up to you guys." Chloe had been thinking whilst she was comforting Leon and had come up with a way of helping what was left of the team without putting any money in Dom's pocket. After the way he'd treated Vince she was damned if she was going to do anything to help him.

Half an hour later Leon, Vince and Brian had decided that they didn't want to work for Dom anymore but they didn't have the cash to start up in business for themselves. Sure Leon and Vince had their share of the money from the heists but they couldn't spend that without making the LAPD and FBI suspicious, not to mention the IRS.

"Maybe we could ask Dom to sign over the garage to us and let him keep the store?" Brian doubted he'd agree to that but it worth a try.

"He'll never agree to it Bri, it's all he's got left of his dad. Besides the mortgage repayments are way behind and the bank will be foreclosing soon." Vince knew that even if Dom did agree to them taking over the garage they'd still have to find the money to pay the overdue mortgage payments which would mean spending the money from the heists. It looked as if there was no way they could keep working together as a team when Chloe spoke up.

"How about we buy a new garage and start from scratch – you guys are all good mechanics so you'd get plenty of business. All we need is someone to do the graphics and we'd be set." Chloe thought that this was the best idea all round, it would give the boys a chance to get out of Dom's shadow and show the world what they could all do, without putting any money in Dom's pocket.

"We don't have the money babe, otherwise we'd do it tomorrow." There was nothing Vince would have liked more than a chance to run his own garage with Leon and Brian but he knew that without legitimate money to start them off they'd never get anywhere.

"Forget about the money for a few minutes, could you do it? Run a garage yourselves and set up a new racing team?" The more Chloe thought about it the more she could see what a great idea this was. She knew that DT and Team Toretto had only been so successful because of it's team members and she had 3 of them sitting in front of her.

"Sure we could."

"No probs, dawg."

"Without a doubt."

Vince, Leon and Brian were all agreed that they could run a successful business and racing team but the problem was still finances – none of them had enough legitimate money to be able to get started and they all knew the bank wouldn't help them.

"When my parents died they left me an obscene amount of money. I'd be happy to bankroll the venture if you're sure you can make it work." Chloe knew that even if she put $1 million into the business it wouldn't make a significant dent in her funds – her parents had left her in excess of $50 million cash when they died and the house was worth a further $7.5 million.

"The only conditions would be that we're all joint owners and that you let me pay off the mortgages on DT, the house and the store. Dom's parents left them to him and no matter how much of a prick he's being it's not right that the bank should have them."

"We can't take your money Chloe. Your parents left you that so you could have a future." Vince wasn't happy about taking Chloe's money, he'd only known her a few weeks and it didn't feel right.

"Vince, you're not taking my money – I'm offering to set you up in a business that you're going to have to work hard to keep afloat. Please think about it, you'll be doing the job that you love with guys that you know – it can't get better than that." Chloe knew that this was the perfect opportunity for the guys, she just hoped that Vince's male pride didn't stand in their way.

Leon and Brian had been quiet whilst Chloe was explaining her idea for the new business – they didn't know what to make of her offer at first but the more they thought about it the more they realised what a good opportunity it was.

"So, we can start everything afresh – no more DT or Team Toretto or working in the store. Just the 4 of us?" Leon had to make sure what he was getting himself into – he loved Chloe's idea but wasn't sure how they could make it work.

"Well, hopefully as business picks up we'll employ some more people but to start with it'll be the 4 of us. I don't know anything about cars but I can deal with the admin side of things." It was almost laughable how little Chloe knew about cars – sure she could drive them, but she'd no idea of anything under the hood.

"What about college?" Vince loved the idea of working with Chloe every day but he needed to make sure she was happy giving up her career in medicine.

"I missed my exams whilst I was in the hospital with you, so it doesn't really matter anyway – honestly it's fine. There's always next year." Having spent the time in the hospital with Vince, Chloe wasn't convinced that she'd survive working in an American hospital – it all seemed so aggressive and fast paced compared to the trauma centres she'd worked at in London.

It took another 2 hours and several cases of Corona before the boys agreed to Chloe's idea – DT and Team Toretto was no more, and they couldn't be happier.


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N – Thank you so much to those people who are reviewing and to those who are reading the story and not reviewing, please let me know what you think. I can't improve as a writer if people don't leave me feedback.**_

_**Two new chapters today as they're fairly short.**_

Chapter 13

When Chloe and Vince woke up the house was already buzzing with noise. Leon had found his skyline in the garage and was cursing whoever had been driving it "who the hell has been driving my car, they've changed all the radio settings" and Brian was trying to convince a very bubbly red head that rushing into Chloe's room wasn't a good idea. He was still traumatised from what he'd heard the previous afternoon, he couldn't put someone else through that as well!

"Come on baby, it sounds as if the kids are up!" Vince wasn't at all happy about being woken up. He'd been sleeping soundly, without any nightmares, when Leon had started cursing. Once he was awake he became aware of Brian arguing with a girl and he soon realised that he wasn't going to get back to sleep. If he had to get up then so did Chloe.

Chloe wasn't prepared to wake up – she was having a very NC17 rated dream featuring Vince and the hot tub – but Vince was insistent.

"Come on baby, please – the sooner we get up the sooner you can call Dom and tell him about the store and the garage." Vince knew that would get Chloe out of bed – she'd spent hours the previous evening ranting about how she couldn't wait to tell Dom that she was saving his family home and business from the bank – a stranger who couldn't be trusted was stopping the bank from taking the most important thing in is life away from him – it was going to be a very enjoyable phone call.

"I'm up, I'm up" Chloe practically leapt out of bed at the thought of calling Dom – she wasn't a vindictive person by nature but she couldn't wait to make that phone call. The only thing that would have topped it would have been to have told him in person but as he wasn't coming back to LA a phone call would have to do.

Grabbing one of Vince's tank top and a pair of boxers from the drawer she quickly got changed and ran from the room.. Vince couldn't get over the energy that she had in the mornings – it took her a while to wake up but when she did she was like a child hyper on additives. She reminded him a lot of Jesse – kind and gentle with huge amounts of excess energy.

Chloe ran down the stairs and leapt over the banisters narrowly missing on Leon who was walking past.

"Wow, girl – watch where you're going, you damn near killed me!" Leon hadn't heard Chloe coming and the 1st thing he knew about it was when she landed in a heap in front of him in the hall. Helping her to her feet and brushing her off he asked her "Are you always this chirpy in the mornings?"

"Hell, no she's normally a complete bitch."

Leon and Chloe both turned to see who had spoken – neither of them had noticed the pretty red head who was arguing with Brian in the kitchen.

"Katy!" Chloe threw herself at the new girl squealing with delight. "OMG, what are you doing here? What's happened to our place?" Katy had never come to the big house before, she hated the overwhelming sadness of it and preferred to live with Chloe in their own house.

"Nothings wrong, there was a phone call for you, some girl called Mia, said she'd been trying to call you for the last few days. She sounded really upset that you weren't there"

"The last few days - I've been trying to get hold of that bitch for the last 3 weeks." Chloe was livid, she'd called Mia every day for 3 weeks and she hadn't even answered the phone, but she got upset when she couldn't get hold of Chloe straight away.

"Give me your phone Bri, maybe they'll answer if it's not my number." Chloe knew that there was a better chance of them answering the phone if it was Brian's number, after all he'd already called Dom without any problems.

Vince knew from the look on Chloe's face that this wasn't going to be a pleasant phone call, she'd been angry when she was dealing with the Doctor at the hospital but that was nothing compared to how she was now.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Hi Brian, good to hear from you." Dom sounded as if he was having the time of his life, there was a party going on in the background and he'd obviously been drinking.

"It's not Brian, you prick it's Chloe – let me talk to Mia." Chloe wasn't in the mood to be nice to Dom, she hated him for how he'd treated the rest of the team and for what he'd said about her to Brian.

"MIA, PHONE"

"Hi, Mia speaking."

"Mia, it's Chloe. Katy said you called." Chloe knew this conversation was going to go one of two ways, either Mia would cry and pretend she'd been desperately worried about everyone or she'd get all defensive about her behaviour.

"Oh thank God you called Chloe; I've been trying to get hold of you for weeks." Mia sounded close to tears but Chloe couldn't tell if it was all just an act or whether she was genuinely concerned for her 'brothers.'

"You could have tried answering your phone; I called you every day for 3 weeks." Chloe wasn't in the mood to be pleasant to Mia; Vince's pain was still too fresh in her mind.

"How's V? Is he out of the hospital yet?"

"If you're that concerned about V, why don't you come back and see for yourself?" Chloe was getting more and more pissed with every word that came out of Mia's mouth.

"I can't Chloe; you know that – the police are still looking for us." Chloe knew that she was getting to Mia; she had started whining and trying to make excuses for her behaviour.

"Bullshit Mia, I know that Brian called and told you and Dom the case had been dropped. There's nothing stopping you from coming back"

"How do you know what Brian said? Is he there with you?" Mia couldn't understand how Chloe knew about the phone call from Brian, she'd never met him yet she'd obviously talked to him recently.

"Yea, he's here. So are V and Leon."

"Lee's with you? I thought he went with Letty." By now Mia was totally confused. Dom and Letty had had a huge argument the previous night and when she'd gotten up that morning both Leon and Letty had packed their stuff and left. Both her and Dom had assumed they were together.

"Letty's not here, it's just me, Katy and the boys. Look Mia, I don't have a lot of time so why don't you tell me what you wanted." Chloe didn't really care about Letty leaving, she didn't know the girl very well but she couldn't help feeling sorry for the way Dom treated her.

"I wanted to ask you to talk to V and see if he'd keep the garage running." Mia was sure that Vince would sort things out with the garage – he knew how much it meant to her and he'd do anything for her.

"Don't worry about the garage Mia; I've got it all under control. I've got the store and the house covered as well." Chloe couldn't believe that all Mia had wanted was to make sure someone was looking after the business. She'd never even asked how the funeral went or how badly Vince was injured.

"Just so as you know Mia, Brian told me what Dom said about me – how I'm not to be trusted as I'm not a member of the team. Well, he's right; I'm not a member of the team. I never wanted to be. I was quite happy just being your friend but when you ran out on Vince and Jesse you made me a member of the team. You left them and ran to bloody Mexico - do you have any idea what Vince has been through these past few weeks? What I've been through? I missed my exams because Vince needed me at the hospital. I had to go to Lompoc to tell Jesse's dad his son was dead and then I had to arrange the bloody funeral by myself. I buried a man I hardly knew because you and Dom abandoned him." By this point in the conversation Chloe was ready to hit someone. '_Just as well Mia's not here_,' she thought, ' _she'd have more than a few bruises by now if she was_'

"I'm sorry, we had to run. We had no choice." Mia knew that Chloe was right, but she had to do what Dom said, he was her only blood family after all, the others were just friends.

"NO CHOICE, I SUPPOSE YOU HAD NO CHOICE WHEN YOU LIED TO LEON ABOUTJESSE CALLING EVERYNIGHT AND BEING THE ONE LOOKING AFTER VINCE. YOU MAKE ME SICK MIA, YOU AND THAT CONTROLLING ASSHOLE OF A BROTHER OF YOURS." Chloe was so furious she couldn't stop herself from shouting at Mia. Who the hell did she think she was trying to wheedle out of everything and make out that Chloe was being unreasonable in expecting her to stick around and look after her family?

"Chloe please, I'm sorry." Mia was desperate for Chloe to understand why she'd left, Dom was her brother and no matter what he'd done she'd follow him anywhere.

"Sorry doesn't cut it Mia, it doesn't even come close. All the time I've known you, you've gone on and on about family and the team then you ran out on them when the going got tough. You don't abandon your family Mia, you and Dom should have stayed to face the music." Chloe spoke in the same deadly calm voice Vince had heard Mrs Toretto use on occasion. The one that showed she was beyond pissed and scared the life out of anyone it was directed at.

"Don't call me again Mia; you made your choice when you left with Dom. You don't have family in LA anymore." Chloe hung up without giving Mia a chance to respond. She knew that she'd upset the younger girl but she really didn't care, she'd never forgive her for the way she'd left Vince and then lying to Leon as well – it was all too much and if she never saw her again it would be too soon.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"So what's for breakfast, I'm starving?" You could always rely on Leon to break up a tense moment; he was definitely the comic relief in the team.

"Yeah, me too." Vince added, his stomach growling to emphasise his hunger.

"You're always hungry Coyote." Leon couldn't help but laugh at the noise Vince's stomach was making. It was a well known fact that if Vince didn't eat every couple of hours his stomach behaved as if his throat had been cut!

"How about we go out for breakfast? I'm really not in the mood for cooking and there's no way I'm letting Katy loose with a knife, she'd be in the Emergency room within the hour if I did that!" As much as Chloe loved Katy she had no wish to return to the hospital she'd only just gotten Vince out of. Katy had only cooked for Chloe 3 times in the whole time they'd known each other and each time she'd ended up having to take her to the Emergency room for treatment. The girl was a walking disaster area.

40 minutes later Chloe, Vince, Brian and Katy were standing in the driveway waiting for the Leon to finish getting ready. They'd been there for 10 minutes when Chloe decided to take action.

"Watch this," she told them as she walked towards Leon's Skyline. "I'll get him down."

Chloe opened the driver's door and started the car. Revving the engine she shouted to Vince "Baby, I'm going to take Leon's car. I'll meet you there ok?"

Before Vince had a chance to answer Leon was reaching in through the window and trying to get the keys out of the ignition.

"God woman, what the hell are you doing to my car?" Leon was breathing hard and trying his best not to shout. He'd been drying his hair when he heard the telltale sounds of his Skyline starting up. He knew that he wasn't in anyone's way so he couldn't understand why anyone was starting her up. He was half way out of the front door when he heard Chloe tell Vince she was going to take his car, '_so that's who's been driving her around_' he thought as he rushed to grab his keys from the ignition before she could take off.

"You ready now then Lee? What took you so long?" Chloe had to fight hard not to laugh at the look of horror on Leon's face when he saw someone else about to drive off in his car. "Don't worry; I've been taking real good care of her."

"You've been driving my car?" Leon knew that it wasn't Vince who'd driven the Skyline. He hated the fact she was Right hand drive and moaned like a bitch every time he had to move her off the driveway to get his Maxima out.

"Only for the last couple of days, after I got her back from the warehouse. You know I wanted to respray her black but Vince wouldn't let me – he didn't think you'd appreciate it. One look at Leon's face told her that Vince was right; Leon would have quite probably killed her if she'd changed the colour of his car without his permission.

"So how are we doing this?" As funny as it was watching Chloe tease Leon about his car Vince was getting hungry and he knew it would be at least another half an hour before he actually got to eat.

"How about Brian, Lee and Katy go in the Skyline and we'll go together." Chloe had something she wanted to discuss with Vince but she wanted to talk to him in private.

"I can't drive properly yet babe, and I know you don't like driving my car." Vince was excited at the thought of spending time alone with Chloe but he wasn't sure how that'd work out.

"That's ok, we'll take my car. Katy bought it up with her this morning." Chloe pressed a button on her key ring and the garage door behind her slowly slid open to reveal a gleaming silver TVR Tuscan S. "I brought her over from England with me when I came back last year."

As soon as the garage door was fully open the boys rushed inside to get a good view of Chloe's car. Leon held his hand out for Chloe's keys and she reluctantly handed them over.

"It's only fair," he said. "At least I asked." Chloe knew he was only joking, the gleam in his eyes told her that but she still grumbled when she gave him the keys. Katy was the only other person who'd driven her car yet here she was handing her keys over to someone she'd only just met. Still, at least Leon could drive a right hand stick shift so her car would be safe.

Leon started the car and groaned with delight as the engine roared to life.

"Why Leon, if I didn't know you better I'd say you were having a sexual experience with my car." Chloe couldn't help but feel immense pride at Leon's reaction to her car. She knew it was nothing like the cars the team drove but she loved it. She'd bought it in England before her parents had been killed and it reminded her of happier times.

The journey to the restaurant was fun – Leon and Chloe played tag on the freeway and Katy kept everyone amused on the two-way radio regaling them with tales of Chloe's exploits in college. Between the laughter Chloe found the time to talk over her plans with Vince and was relieved when he agreed with her – what she was going to suggest would have major a major impact on the rest of the team and she needed to know that Vince would back her.

Chloe and Leon screeched into the car park at the same time – they'd made a bet half way there that whoever was last to the restaurant had to pay for breakfast. Not wanting to lose the bet Chloe leapt over the top of her car door and ran to the door of the restaurant.

"I won", she panted as she leant against the building. "Looks as if you're paying for breakfast, Lee."

Vince couldn't help laughing at Chloe's antics – she'd skidded to a halt, killed the engine and leapt out of the car before Leon had even got his car door open. After all the tension of the past few weeks it was great to hear everyone laughing.

"Not fair, you didn't even have to open your car door." Leon wasn't impressed, first Chloe had kept up with him all the way along the freeway then she'd beaten him to the restaurant door.

"Just another advantage of having a t-top! Besides, your fat ass couldn't keep up with me even if I'd been driving Vince's car. Admit it Michaels, you're getting old and well, you're kinda outta shape." Chloe was laughing so much that she could barely get her last comment out. She knew how much Leon prided himself on his physical fitness but she also knew he'd take the comments with good humour.

She was right and Leon immediately pounced on her, slinging her over his shoulder and running towards the large fountain in the middle of the car park.

"Oh hell, no. Put me down Lee, please. I'm sorry – your ass isn't fat, it's gorgeous. You've got a gorgeous, sexy ass." Chloe knew that if she didn't get herself out of the hole she'd just dug she'd be soaking wet within minutes.

"Hear that V, Chloe reckons my ass is sexy." Leon was grinning with delight as he held the squirming Chloe over the edge of the fountain. He'd no intention of dropping her in there but he wasn't going to tell her that.

"Is that right Chloe? You checking out other guy's asses already?" Vince could see the look of Leon's face and was more than happy to play along. It felt damn good to be able to laugh and mess about without Dom telling them to grow up or proclaim that they were embarrassing him.

Chloe turned her head so that she could whisper in Leon's ear and asked him to put her down.

Walking up to Vince and looking him straight in the eye she told him, "He might have a gorgeous sexy ass, Vince – but yours is the only one I want. Now stop complaining and kiss me."

Chloe had barely finished speaking when Vince pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Soft and gentle at first, it quickly grew more passionate. Chloe's hands were in his hair and she was practically climbing up him, desperate to get closer to him and have every inch of his hard body pressed against hers.

"Put him down Chloe, there'll be plenty of time for that later." Katy loved this new playful side of her friend but she was starving and knew that the boys were as well.

"Ok, Ok. Jeez just because you're not getting any there's no need to get stressed!" Chloe knew that the car park wasn't the most appropriate place to be kissing Vince but she couldn't help it – he did things to her that no man had even done and she loved kissing him.

Chloe waited until everyone was eating before she mentioned the conversation she'd had with Vince in the car.

"So guys, I've been thinking about where we're all going to live. My place isn't big enough for everyone and I don't want to stay at my parent's house much longer."

"I won't go back to the fort Chloe; there are too many bad memories there." Leon was determined that he'd never spend another night under that roof, sure he'd have to go and get his gear but he had no intention of ever living there again.

"What about you Vince? Do you want to go back to Dom's place?" Chloe already knew Vince's answer but she wanted the others to hear it as well.

"No way babe, not after everything that's happened but I do want to stay with you." Vince smiled and reached over the table to hold Chloe's hand. Just being with her made everything right with the world and touching her made him feel as if he could do anything he put his mind to.

"What about you Bri?" Chloe needed to know that everyone wanted the same thing before she offered what she thought was the perfect solution to the problem.

"Well, I don't actually have anywhere to live, I was staying at The Racers Edge but I doubt Harry'll take me back." Brian knew that Harry wouldn't take him back, he hadn't been keen on him staying there in the 1st place but it was all part of the deal the DA offered him.

"Well, I know that Katy doesn't care where she lives as long as there's plenty of room to party so I've got an idea." Chloe didn't know what the others would think of her idea but so far as she could see it was the only solution to their problem.

"I've been thinking for ages about selling my parents place and last week I got a call from a realtor who's got a client who wants to buy it. I was thinking about selling the house and buying somewhere new. The place would be ours, a fresh start for everyone."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N – thanks to those who are reviewing, glad to know you're enjoying the story.**

Chapter 16

Vince had loved Chloe's idea as soon as she told him but he wasn't sure how Leon and Brian would take it. They'd only just met the girl yet here she was offering to set them up in business and buy them a house. Hopefully they'd see her as the kind hearted, generous girl he knew her to be not a rich snob who was trying to throw her money around.

"Sounds good to me dawg." Leon was all for the idea, he'd been wondering where he'd live now that Dom wasn't coming back to LA and he loved the idea of still being near Vince. He was his best friend after Jesse and he wasn't ready to give up everything from Team Toretto.

"And me, as long as you two promise to wait till I'm out of the house before you get freaky in the kitchen again."

"Brian, I can't believe you brought that up. Besides it's not as if we tied you to a chair and forced you to listen." Chloe knew that her cheeks were bright red; it was bad enough Brian had heard them but to bring it up at the breakfast table was too much.

"You did what?" Katy couldn't believe it – although Chloe had always partied hard she'd never bought a man back to the house. Even when they were at medical school in England together she'd kept her private life just that, private and after seeing her husband with her sister she'd pretty much sworn off sex. Katy had been on holiday when Chloe had got the call about her parents – Katy would regret that for the rest of her life, she wasn't with Chloe when she really needed her. She'd packed up her entire life in England and moved out to LA as soon as she could but it had been a difficult few months for everyone.

"Hell, yeah. You should have seen them when I turned up; it was obvious what they'd been doing." Leon couldn't resist adding to Chloe's embarrassment. It'd been a long time since he'd been able to tease someone like that without Mia getting all prissy and it really felt good.

"And you've never gotten freaky in public before Lee? What about the time I walked in on you and that little brunette from over the road getting busy in the laundry?" There was no way Vince was going to let Leon escape from the humiliation. "Or when Jesse walked in on you and that customer in the office at the garage? Or when Letty found you and her sister at it in the store after closing? Or when..."

"Ok, Ok no need to go on – you're just jealous because I got more action than you."

"Don't you mean that you're more of a whore than I am?"

Chloe loved the banter between Leon and Vince. It reminded her of the times she'd spent with the team before it all went wrong, she could only imagine the fun they'd have in their own place.

"Now that we've established that Leon loves the risk of being seen having sex can we get back to the topic in hand – spending my money." As much as Chloe was enjoying embarrassing Leon she knew that it was time to get serious.

By the end of the meal everyone was agreed on what they were looking for. A house like Chloe's parents but with more garage space would be perfect. Leon loved the separate basement and Brian loved being at the beach. Apart from the time he'd spent with the team he'd surfed every morning and really missed it. Vince didn't really care where they lived as long as they were together and Chloe wanted a large kitchen with plenty of space to cook. As Chloe had previously said Katy didn't care where she lived as long as there was room to party.

It was agreed that after breakfast Chloe and Vince would go to the realtors to discuss the sale of Chloe's parents place and Brian, Katy and Leon would make their way to the fort to start packing things up. Chloe couldn't wait to see the look on the realtors face when she saw Vince – the realtor was a very prim and proper lady in her mid forties who would die on the spot when she saw Vince. He was wearing his trademark twin tank tops which left his tattoos and scars fully visible and his jeans were barely staying on his slim hips. Although he'd shaved his beard off the previous day his face was now covered in stubble. Chloe didn't think he'd ever looked better but she couldn't wait to see the reaction of the realtor.

"Are you sure you want to do this Chloe? I mean your parents left you that house."

"I'm sure Vince; I can't live in that house. It's time to move on and make a fresh start." Chloe knew that Vince wasn't happy about everything she was giving up but she was sure that she was doing the right thing. She'd spent far too long without a family but she knew that she'd found one with Vince and his friends.

"Can we go via the house Chloe; I want to get changed before we go see the realtor." Vince knew that he wasn't dressed appropriately for looking at million $ houses and he didn't want to embarrass Chloe.

"You don't have to change babe, you look perfect as you are. If the old bag can't look past your clothes then I'll take my business elsewhere. The commission on the sale of the house is worth half a mil to her so she'll keep her opinions to herself. Besides, it's too late now – we're here." Chloe leant over and kissed Vince passionately "Come on babe, let's go and sell the house."

Vince couldn't help but feel nervous when they entered the realtors' office. He was a long way from Echo Park and he felt seriously out of his depth. Chloe sensing his unease grabbed his ass and squeezed.

"She won't bite you know!"

Chloe was right about the realtors' reaction to Vince – her mouth practically dropped open when Vince walked into the office. He definitely wasn't the sort of client she was used to dealing with. Most of her clients were middle aged and wore suits – Vince was in his mid twenties and looked like a thug. Chloe didn't look much better. She was wearing her favourite cut off denim shorts that were so faded they looked almost white and a cropped t-shirt that proclaimed 'Racers do it with NOS'.

"Excuse me, but I think you must be in the wrong place. We don't offer low rental properties."

Chloe and Vince had barely made it through the door when the over-groomed, undersexed woman spoke. She looked at them as if they were something she'd get her secretary to scrape off the bottom of her shoe, not clients she could earn $500,000 commission from.

"Oh good, we're not looking to rent. I had a call about my property last week and I'm interested in selling." Chloe was really going to enjoy making this woman squirm – no one treated her like shit and got away with it.

"I can't imagine why anyone would want to call you about a house Miss…"

"Armstrong, Dr Chloe Armstrong. I own 327 Bayside Drive." Chloe knew that would get the woman's attention and sure enough, as soon as she'd told her the address the realtor jumped up out of her chair and was practically fawning all over her. She still wasn't sure about Vince but she was determined to be Chloe's new best friend the way she was carrying on.

"Oh Dr Armstrong I do apologise, my name is Melissa Walker would you and your 'friend' like to some into my office."

"You know what Ms Walker, I don't think we would. In fact I think we'll be taking our business elsewhere." Chloe was fuming; she'd seen the look of disdain that spread over the woman's face as she looked Vince up and down. There was no way she was getting her business.

"Come on baby, let go and see Charlie Stewart. He's got some much nicer properties." With that Chloe and Vince left the office and walked back to the car, all the while laughing at the look on Ms Walkers face when Chloe told her they were going to her main competitor.

While Chloe and Vince were having fun at the realtors Brian, Leon and Katy were back at the fort packing everything Leon wanted to take. Chloe had arranged for the sidewalk to be cleaned and the Jetta to be moved to Hectors place so there was no sign of the traumatic events that lead to Jesse's death.

The house was quiet, far too quiet for Leon's liking. Without Letty slamming doors, Dom stomping up the stairs or Vince playing the guitar the house seemed lifeless. As much as he'd loved living there it was time to move out. Time to start afresh, someplace else, with a new team and maybe, if things worked out, a new girl.

"Are you there Lee?" Katy was sure that Leon was downstairs somewhere but she didn't know where. "Chloe just called, she wants us back at her place with the grill fired up by 6pm. She and Vince are bringing stuff for a BBQ."

It was nearly 6.30pm when Chloe and Vince turned up. They'd had a successful trip to see Charlie Stewart and had details for 6 properties that met all of their criteria. All of them were beautiful beach side houses, with plenty of room for all of the team and any friends that might want to stay over. One in particular really stood out but Chloe knew that it had to be a group decision.

After dinner Chloe and Vince told everyone else how they'd gotten on at the realtors. Charlie had an overseas client who was interested in buying the house and would be sending someone out to view it the next day. If it all went well the sale would be completed within 3 weeks.

"So, all we need to do now is find somewhere else to live. Vince and I spoke to Charlie and told him what we were looking for and he came up with 6 properties. They've all got the space we want and are within budget. It's just a case of which one we prefer." Chloe handed out the details she'd got from the realtor and waited for feedback.

"There's no prices on here Chloe"

"I know Brian, I asked Charlie to delete them. The sale of my parents' house will cover the purchase of the new place so I don't want you to chose somewhere based on the price." Chloe knew that she was pushing things not telling them how much her parents' house was worth. Vince had nearly died when Charlie had told her his client would pay for her parents' house – he had no idea it was worth that much or that she was prepared to spend that much on a new house for the team.

It wasn't long before they had all chosen their favourite property – a stunning 5 bedroom beachside house in Malibu. There was a self contained basement with a further 3 bedroom suites and a 4 car garage that offered plenty of space for their cars and there was a long driveway for anyone who didn't park in the garage. The best thing about the property was that it was a 10min drive from a car repair shop that was for sale. Vince had seen the shop whilst they were having a drive around looking at the area they were hoping to move to. He'd made her stop the car so they could have a look and was surprised to see it was owned by someone they knew from the races. Garry wasn't that good a racer and was loosing money left, right and centre. It didn't matter how much money he put into his cars he never made enough at the races to cover it.

Vince was confident that he could get the garage for a good price but he wouldn't make a move unless Leon and Brian agreed as well – this was going to be a true team decision, not like in the days of Team Toretto when Dom decided and everyone else went along with him.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

3 weeks had passed since Chloe's visit to the realtor. Leon had packed up all of his stuff from the Toretto house and moved into the basement along with Brian whilst Vince left virtually everything behind. The only things he took with him were his guitar and photo album. The hardest part was having to pack up Jesse's things. Neither Leon nor Vince had been up to the job so Chloe and Brian went over one evening and packed everything up. Chloe had already said that one room at the new house would be put aside for Jesse – he was as much a part of their family as anyone else and he deserved a room in the family home. Katy was still living in the house she'd shared with Chloe, she didn't want to have to move twice so was waiting till the sale had gone through on the new beach house before she moved in.

Everything was running pretty much according to plan with the sale of Chloe's parents' house and the purchase of the new one. All they were waiting for was the final phone call to tell them the house was theirs.

Vince and Leon had been to see Garry about buying the garage from him and were surprised when he accepted their first offer. They would have paid a lot more than they first offered but Garry was getting disillusioned with racing and had decided to cut his losses and leave LA.

Chloe had successfully paid off the outstanding mortgages on the house, store and garage and had closed both businesses. On the door of the garage she'd placed a note requesting people contact them at the new business. To start with people weren't sure about using them as Dom wasn't there but when they realised that Vince, Leon and Brian were just as good as Dom the word soon spread.

"We really need to think of a name." Chloe was determined that they renamed the business to something more suitable that 'Garry's Garage'. She wanted something that showed it was a team effort not just one boss and several employees as it had been at DT.

"What's that babe?" Vince had his head buried in the latest edition of Street Racer and wasn't really listening to what Chloe was saying.

"I said we really need to think of a name."

"Well yeah, whatever you want sounds good." Vince was busy drooling over the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 that was splashed across the centre spread of the magazine. Now that the garage and store were closed up and he'd moved out of the Toretto house he was starting to think more and more about getting a new car. His car was the only thing he had left to link him with his old team and he was beginning to think it was time to make a completely fresh start.

"What'cha lookin' at V?" Chloe crossed the room and stood behind Vince to see just what it was that had caught his attention.

"She's gorgeous V, are you thinking of getting a new car?"

"Yeah, well I dunno. I was thinking maybe we could all have matching cars for the new team. I mean, Brian doesn't even have a car at the moment and I still can't drive mine properly." The injuries to Vince's right arm meant that he was finding it difficult to change gear in his Maxima. "At least with a Skyline it'd be my left arm that was doing most of the work."

"You thinkin' 'bout a Skyline, dawg?" Leon had heard the last part of Vince's comment as he came into the kitchen looking for some food, and he couldn't believe that Vince was seriously thinking about getting a Skyline.

"Yeah man, I was thinking we could get 4 and they could be our team cars – what do you think?"

"Why 4 V? There's only the three of you that race." Chloe was confused why V would want 4 new cars, unless he wanted one for a spare or something.

"Because we've talked about it and we want you to be the 4th member of the team." Vince nearly burst out laughing at the look on Chloe's face – sure she didn't know the 1st thing about the mechanical side of cars but she knew how to drive and having seen her in Leon's Skyline he was sure she'd make a great racer.

"It's true Chloe, V spoke to me and Brian last week and we're all agreed – we want you on the team."

"Teach me to race, and you've got a deal." Chloe was so excited she didn't know what to do with herself. She'd always driven fast, that was one of the reasons she had her Tuscan but she didn't know any of the finer points of racing. With the three boys teaching her she was sure she wouldn't be an embarrassment to the team.

The discussion about the new team cars was interrupted by a phone call from the realtor – the bank transfer had gone through and Vincent Richards, Brian O'Connor, Chloe Armstrong and Leon Michaels were now the proud owners of 21 Cliffside.

"That's it!" shouted Chloe. "I've got the name for the team and the garage.

"R.O.A.M. Precision Racing. What do you think?"

Vince and Leon were still trying to get their heads around the fact that the house was in all of their names when Chloe starting jumping up and down shouting about the name for the new team.

"Well, what do you think?" Chloe was desperate to know what the boys thought of her idea, she wanted to change the name of the garage as soon as possible and she knew that the boys were starting to miss racing.

"I love it babe, all of us in it together." Vince had a smile on his face so huge he thought his face was going to split. Sure Chloe had said that the new team would be a joint effort but he hadn't really believed her until now.

"Chloe, you're a genius." Leon proclaimed as he grabbed Chloe and swung her round.

"So R.O.A.M. Precision Racing it is then." Vince could already visualise the new team decals and couldn't wait to go to the graphics shop and order them.

"What about Brian? We need to ask him before we decide on anything." Chloe was just as excited as Vince about the new name but she knew that Brian had to agree to it first.

"I think it's a great idea."

No one had noticed Brian standing in the doorway, listening to what they were saying. He'd come downstairs when he'd heard the phone ring knowing Chloe was expecting a call about the house.

The decision was made – R.O.A.M. Precision Racing was born.

The next couple of weeks flew by, between moving house, changing the name of the business and buying all new tools and equipment the team barely had time to sit still. Vince was still having trouble changing gear so Chloe decided it was time to do something that would make his life easier.

Chloe and Vince were sitting in the kitchen waiting for Leon and Brian to come up for breakfast. Eating together had become a regular thing for the team, none of the boys could cook very well and Chloe loved spoiling them all. Katy was only able to join them for breakfast at weekends as she had early lectures at college during the week.

"Baby, I need you at the garage this morning to sign for a delivery. Leon and Brian will be there to unload it but you know they don't like the hassle of the paperwork." Chloe had got a surprise planned for the boys and she wanted to make sure all of the team was there to witness it.

"But Chloe, I thought you said you'd do all the paperwork?" Vince hated paperwork with a passion which was why he was so pleased when Chloe had first suggested she run the office and take care of the admin.

"I've got all those disks to go through this morning that we found amongst Jesse's stuff, remember?" Whilst Chloe and Brian had been packing up Jesse's room they'd found a pile of disks with 'design ideas' on it. Chloe had been desperate to look at it but things had been so busy she hadn't had a chance before now.

"But Chloe, I hate dealing with those delivery idiots." Vince knew he was whining but couldn't help himself. He really hated having to sign for deliveries and always tried to get out of it.

"I'll make it worth your while Vince. Maybe tonight I'll get Leon and Brian to take Katy out so we can finish off what we started the other day in the hot tub." Chloe knew that Vince would do practically anything to get the chance to finish off their encounter in the hot tub. They'd been getting very hot and heavy when Katy had come bouncing out onto the deck and jumped straight into the hot tub. Vince and Chloe hadn't had a chance to put anything on before Katy joined them so she got more than an eyeful. Vince hadn't had a hard on fade as quickly since his mom had walked in on him 'reading' a copy of Playboy when he was 14.

"Oh really, well what makes you think I want to wait until then? Maybe I need a little something to keep me going till this evening." Vince and Chloe hadn't had much of a chance to be together since the funeral, they'd been so busy with moving out of the fort, then moving to the beach house and setting up the garage that they'd become like strangers passing in the night. Their evening in the hot tub had been the first time they'd been naked with enough energy to do anything about for nearly a week but Katy had ruined it.

"Because I know you love it when I do this." Chloe sat on Vince's lap and wrapped her arms around her neck, "and when I do this." She lifted her hands up into his hair and rubbed his scalp gently. She was rewarded by the feeling of him growing harder under her ass.

"But I know that this is what really drives you mad." Chloe started to kiss up Vince's neck. She knew just how sensitive his neck was and wasn't at all surprised when Vince turned his head to the side and captured her lips with his.

"I don't want to wait until tonight, baby. I want to make love to you now." Vince didn't know how much more he could take. He'd fallen head over heels in love with Chloe but whenever he tried to show her how he felt they got interrupted or fell asleep. He knew he wasn't any good with words so he'd decided to show her rather than tell her how deep his feelings ran.

Vince was kissing Chloe again before his words had a chance to register. Somewhere in the back of her mind she'd heard him say 'make love' but his lips were doing things to her that sent her brain to mush.

Vince stood up from the table quickly, carrying Chloe in his arms and made his way upstairs, kicking the bedroom door closed behind him. Leon and Brian watched the two lovers go upstairs and immediately decided to go out for breakfast. "I don't want to have to listen to all that again, Leon – it scarred me for life the 1st time!


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N - I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who's reading and reviewing my story. For those of you who are wondering if Dom/Mia/Letty will be making an appearance, all I can say is you'll just have to wait and see! LOL!**

**Hope you enjoy this latest update and once again, thank you for reviewing :) Fi**

Chapter 18

Upstairs in the bedroom Vince had lain Chloe down on the bed and was slowly working his way up her legs, kissing her as he went.

Vince quickly pulled his jeans and boxers off and got onto the bed with Chloe. Gently removing his t-shirt that she wore every morning he kissed her slowly, the passion increasing with every soft caress.

Chloe knew that there was something different about Vince but she couldn't put her finger on it. Every other time they'd had sex he'd been domineering and possessive but this time he was taking his time, savouring every moment. Vince moved away from her lips and kissed her lightly along her collar bone and down onto her breasts. His hands were slowly moving all over her body, touching her arms, her sides and then dipping between her thighs. Normally he'd have made some smutty comment but this time he simply smiled at her and nuzzled his face into her neck.

"Do you really want me Chloe?" Vince sounded almost desperate when he spoke, almost as if he was unsure about what he was doing.

"I'll always want you Vince, I told you at the hospital 'I'm not going anywhere without you'." Chloe wasn't sure what had gotten into Vince normally he was full of confidence but he seemed so unsure of himself.

"You can't leave me Chloe, not ever. You're mine and I'm yours. No-one else will ever get to see you like this, or make you feel like this." Vince had never felt like this about anyone before, he could honestly say he loved Chloe and the thought of anyone else getting to see her naked or to touch her drove him crazy. "Forever Chloe, forever."

"Forever sounds good, babe." She whispered, grinning at the look on Vince's face. He looked like all of his dreams had come true and had a huge smile across his beautiful face.

Chloe was in heaven, she knew that Vince was a good lover but that morning he was surpassing himself.

Kissing her one last time he slowly claimed her as his. "Oh god babe, I love you." Vince wasn't sure where that had come from but as soon as he'd said it he knew he meant it. "I love you Chloe." Having said it once, he couldn't stop himself from saying it, over and over again.

Chloe would have waited a lifetime for Vince to say that but now that she knew she wanted him to keep saying it. "I love you too Vince." The look on Vince's face told Chloe that she'd said the right thing. Vince might be a tough guy, but like everyone else he just wanted someone to love him. "I'm yours baby and I'm never leaving you."

Chloe pulled Vince's head down to her shoulder and whispered in his ear "mine" before running her hands through his hair and kissing his neck.

Hearing Chloe claim him as hers was all that it took to push Vince over the edge. He'd never thought of himself as needy before but now he found himself loving it when Chloe said he was hers. She was a beautiful woman and being her man was better than winning any race.

Lifting his head from Chloe's shoulder Vince looked her dead in the eye and told her "I always thought I was in love with Mia but now I know I was wrong. What I felt for her _was _love but I wasn't _in_ love with her. I am in love with you though Chloe. You and me forever baby, you and me"

An hour later Leon and Brian decided to take a chance and go back home, Brian was desperately hoping that Vince and Chloe would have finished but Leon was half hoping to catch them at it. It had been a long time since he'd walked in on Vince getting freaky and it was about time he had some new ammunition to tease him with.

Unfortunately for Leon, Chloe and Vince were fully dressed and eating breakfast when he and Brian got back to the house.

"Sure you got enough food there V?" Leon couldn't get over the amount of food on Vince's plate. Sure the big guy always ate a lot but he'd never seen him with that much food before.

"We've got a busy day at the garage today and I've got to unload a delivery so I need to keep my strength up." If it had just been sex that Vince and Chloe had had, he would've made some sly comment abut 'building up an appetite', but what had just happened between them was too important to cheapen like that.

"A delivery that will be arriving in about 40mins so we need to get a move on." Chloe was grateful that Vince hadn't made any reference to what they'd just been up to. She was finding it difficult adjusting to having so many people know about her sex life and she really appreciated the efforts he made to keep it between the two of them.

Chloe insisted that Vince drive her Tuscan to the garage. She knew that he missed driving (he'd not driven since he took his Maxima when they went to buy his suit) and as her car was right hand drive it was easier for him to manage than his Maxima. Little did Vince know that she had an ulterior motive for getting him to practice in a right hand drive car.

Whilst Chloe was working in the office checking out Jesse's disks, Leon, Brian and Vince were trying to decide what they could get her as a thank you present. Vince already has his own gift in mind but they wanted to get her something as a group.

"I can't understand why she's doing all this for us dawg, I mean, she barely knows us." Leon laughed at the look he got from Vince for his final comment, "Ok so she knows you in the biblical sense, but you've still only been together a few weeks yet she's shelling out all this money on us – I'm not complaining you understand but I don't get it."

Vince knew that he had to give the guys some kind of an explanation but he wasn't sure how much detail to go into. In the end he decided to tell them everything about why Chloe was helping them.

"Chloe doesn't have any family, well she's got a sister somewhere but they're not exactly close. Not since her sister got a little too close to Chloe's husband, if you know what I mean. Chloe got divorced and her parents brought the sister back here to live. The following year her parents were killed in a botched car jacking and Chloe came back to LA to be with her sister." Vince then continued the tale of how Chloe and Mia were on the same course in college and of Mia inviting Chloe to the beach that day. He told them how Chloe had been on the verge of giving up and returning to the UK when Mia asked her to join the team at the beach and how he'd fallen in love with her when Letty had taken the photo of the two of them.

"Oh my God, Chloe's the girl in the photo?" Leon couldn't believe it. Vince took the photo everywhere with him and always swore that she brought him good luck. When they'd gotten to Race Wars and he'd realised he'd left it back at the fort he was full of foreboding – he kept telling Leon that something was going to go wrong that weekend. That was the weekend that changed their lives forever – Jesse had died, Vince had been badly injured and Dominic had run away.

"Yep, that's my girl." Vince couldn't help the pride that shone through in his voice when he spoke about Chloe being his girl. He still didn't understand why she wanted to be with him but he wasn't going to question it – they loved each other and that was all that mattered.

Vince then went on to tell the others about how Chloe had come back from a run to find a message on her answer phone from Mia about the 'accident' and how she'd endured hours of questioning before the police would let her see him. He told them how she'd saved him not once, but twice from the sadistic Dr Matthews and how she'd stayed with him the entire time he was in hospital only leaving to arrange Jesse's funeral and visit his father in Lompoc.

"That should've been me doing that dawg, not Chloe." Leon couldn't help but feel guilty that he'd not been there to make the arrangements for Jesse. They'd been together through thick and thin yet when Jess had really needed him he hadn't been there.

"You didn't know Leon; don't beat yourself up over it. I was glad to help." Chloe had finished looking at the disks and was coming out to tell the boys the delivery would be arriving soon when she heard Vince talking to Brian and Leon. "Besides, I didn't do it all myself – Hector helped. He drove me to the warehouse to get yours and Vince's cars and then put the word out amongst the other racers about Jesse's service."

"Everyone was there man; Jess would have got a real kick out of how many people came." Vince couldn't help smile at the memory of all of the colourful racing cars parked along the driveway to the cemetery. There had to have been 200 cars at least, all of them there so their owners could pay their respects to the Mad Scientist.

"I still don't get why you're doing this for us, Chloe." Brian was still confused. He could understand why Chloe had stayed with Vince in the hospital, she was a Dr after all and he'd needed looking after, but he didn't understand why she'd done everything else – sold her parents house, bought a new property and put it in all their names, bought a new business. None of it made sense.

"Because my sister betrayed me, just as Dom betrayed you. I know what it's like to lose everything you've got at the hand of a loved one. My sister took my husband from me and Dom took your livelihoods, home, health and in Jesse's case life away from you. Dom said I wasn't to be trusted as I wasn't a member of the team – well, he made me a member of the team when he ran off and left me to look after Vince. The team always struck me as a family unit and you don't betray your family like that. You guys are my family now, so that's why I've done what I've done. It's only money at the end of the day, and it's not as if I'm going to run out any time soon!"

Vince was stretching his arm out to grab hold of Chloe and pull her in for a kiss when she darted out of his reach and ran outside. "Look sharp, boys – the delivery's here."

When Leon, Vince and Brian got outside they were greeted by a car transporter with 4 covered vehicles on it.

Climbing up and puling the cover off one Chloe announced "Say hello to your new race cars boys."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Holy fuck – a Skyline GTR R34 V-Spec." Leon couldn't believe his eyes – Chloe was standing next to a car that would, as Jesse would have said "decimate all." He'd rarely gotten to race his Skyline as Dom preferred him to man the scanners, the fact that Leon would've beaten Dom if he'd raced him didn't help. Dom was determined that no member of his team was allowed to have a better car than him and when Leon wouldn't sell him the Skyline Dom refused to let him race on the streets.

"Not just one sweetie – 4." Chloe had uncovered all of the cars on the transporter and was motioning to the driver to drop the ramp so the boys could drive them off.

Once the cars were unloaded the boys instantly popped the hoods to see what work would need doing on them.

"As you can see they're just standard stock cars so they'll need lots of work doing to them. I reckon that we should be ready to hit the races in 6 weeks time – does that sound about right?" Chloe wanted to get them racing as soon as possible but she knew that the paint jobs and graphics would take the time and she didn't want the cars out racing half finished.

"It'll take longer than that Chloe, we haven't got Jesse anymore and although we can do the work on the cars it was always Jesse who worked out what mods were needed. We can do it but it'll take us a while to work it all out." Leon had always known that Jesse was important to the team but he hadn't realised how much until he'd seen the completely stock cars. It'd take many hours of research for him and Vince to work out what needed doing to the cars, whereas Jesse would have known just by looking at them.

"Maybe this'll help." Chloe was holding up a disk that she'd found amongst Jesse's things. "Jesse had worked out all the mods needed to an R34 before he was killed. I guess he was hoping you'd upgrade your car Leon."

Leon couldn't believe it, he'd mentioned to Jesse one time that he was trying to get his hands on an R34 but didn't know what mods to do and Jess had obviously worked on the project in secret.

When Chloe put the disk in the computer the team were amazed by what they saw – Jesse had listed all the mods that were needed and the graphics were incredible. Across the bottom of doors was a phoenix rising out of the flames, Chloe couldn't think of anything more appropriate for their team cars. After all they were like the phoenix, a new team reborn from the ashes of another.

"What do you guys think?" Chloe had been watching the guys faces whilst they were looking at the screen but wasn't sure what they were thinking. Leon looked as if he was going to cry, Brian obviously liked what he saw and Vince was his usual closed off self.

"I think it'll be perfect babe, don't ya think?" Vince looked at Leon and Brian as he spoke. As with everything else to do with the team it had to be a joint decision but he couldn't think of any reason why Brian and Leon wouldn't agree.

"When can we get started on them?" Brian loved what he was seeing and couldn't wait to get racing again. He'd not had a decent car since he gave the keys of the Supra to Dom and he really missed it.

"Lee, are you alright?" Chloe was concerned about Leon, he hadn't said anything since shed put the disk in the computer and she didn't know him well enough to know what he was thinking.

"Yeah, Chloe – I'm fine. I was just thinking, even though he's gone Jess is still with us." Leon had tears in his eyes as he looked at Chloe. He really missed Jess and it was at times like this that it really regretted not telling him how much he loved him whilst he was still alive. They might not have been blood but they were still brothers.

"Let's go to Harry's and order the parts then. Come on Lee – you can drive." Chloe knew that Leon needed to get out of the garage and she knew how much he wanted to drive her Tuscan. She'd caught him several times sneaking the keys out of her bag so he could take it for a spin.

Leon grabbed the keys from the desk and was in the car before Chloe had even left the office; it was good to see Leon so happy after everything he'd been through. Almost every night since he'd moved out of the Toretto house she'd woken up to see him standing on the beach looking out to sea. She knew that losing Jesse and leaving Dom was hurting him more than he'd admit to.

"V, we're going to go and order the parts then we'll stop in and see Samantha about the graphics. Can you email her the photos of the car so she knows what we want?" Hector had mentioned a new graphics place that had just opened up near Harry's – Dynamite Graphics was _the _place to go in LA and Chloe didn't want anyone else to touch the cars.

By the time they pulled up in front of The Racers Edge, Leon had a huge grin on his face. He had fallen in love with the Tuscan as soon as he'd started her up that day in Chloe's garage and driving her was just as good as he'd imagined.

"Thanks babe, I needed that." Leon knew why Chloe had let him drive her car and he was glad she had. The roar of the engine had blown away the morose feelings that were starting to overwhelm him. Every time he thought of the final heist he felt like shit, Jesse had died, Vince had been injured, hell even Letty and Dom had been hurt but he'd walked away with even a scratch. He knew he had a lot to be grateful for but he also had a lot to feel guilty about. Guilty that he didn't go looking for Jesse, guilty that he didn't manage to get Vince of the truck and guilty that he listened to Dom about Jesse calling – he should have known something was wrong when he never answered his cell phone. Maybe he did know something was wrong but hadn't wanted to accept it.

"Come on sweetie – let's go and spend some money." Chloe had no idea how much it was going to cost to get the cars up to standard. She didn't even know how much a litre of petrol was so she didn't stand a chance with the list of parts Leon had. All she knew was that they needed 6 of everything – one for each of the cars and two spare.

Harry had heard that Leon was back in town but was still surprised to see him. What was even more surprising was that he wasn't driving his Skyline. In all the time Harry had known Leon he'd never seen him driving anything other than his own car.

"Hey Leon, where's your car? Don't tell me you've given up the racing game?"

"No way dawg, that's Chloe's car – she's our new team mate."

"Dom let another girl onto the team?" Harry didn't think he'd ever see the day when Dom accepted another girl into Team Toretto, hell he didn't think he'd ever see the day when Letty agreed to another girl driving for them.

"Got nothing to do with Dom, this is our own team – R.O.A.M. Precision Racing." The last thing Leon wanted to do was talk about Dom but he knew that Harry wouldn't let up. "Dom's gone now dawg, he ain't coming back. It's just me, Brian, Vince and Chloe here."

"Brian? As in Brian Spilner?" Harry was sure that Leon must know that Brian was a cop but he didn't want to say too much just incase he didn't.

"It's alright Harry; he's not a cop anymore so it's O'Connor now." Leon couldn't help but smile at Harry's attempt to protect Brian's secret identity. It hurt that Harry had known all along that Brian was a cop but Brian had explained that Harry didn't have a choice in the matter – if he hadn't he'd have gone to prison and Harry had a family to take care of.

"I don't want to be rude guys, but we've still got to go and see Samantha about the graphics." Chloe could see how painful it was for Leon to talk about Dom abandoning them and she wanted to protect him as much as possible.

"Yeah, sorry Chloe – here's the list of parts we want Harry, how soon can you get it to us?" Leon handed over the list of parts that they needed for the cars, he just hoped that they could get it all quickly as he really wanted to get on with his car.

"That's one hell of a list Leon; I can't put all of that on your tab you know. I need payment up front, sorry." Harry didn't want to disappoint Leon, he'd always liked the guy, but Dom hadn't paid his last bill for DT and Harry was having trouble ordering from his suppliers with the money outstanding.

"That's fine Harry. I was expecting to pay for it today anyway. Is there any chance we can get it all on overnight shipping? We want to have the cars ready within 6 weeks." Chloe hadn't expected to be able to get the parts on credit – she knew that it was a huge order and _she_ wouldn't have let someone place that large an order without paying for at least part of it.

"Are you sure, it's going to be at least $470K?" As much as Harry needed the order he wanted to make sure that the petite blonde knew how much it was going to cost her. With overnight shipping it was going to be a cool half mil on one order – the commission alone was worth $50K.

"I'm sure Harry, don't worry about it. I presume you accept AmEx." Chloe handed Harry her black Centurion AmEx card, she'd rarely used it since she'd been sent it but she felt that today was as good a day as any to take advantage of the lack of a credit limit.

"Don't worry Lee, its real!" Chloe had caught the look of disbelief on Leon's face when he saw the card, he'd never imagined that he be in business with someone who was worth that much money.

"Harry, are there any outstanding invoices for DT?" Chloe had already paid off Dom's debts at the bank and several other places around town but wasn't sure if Harry was owed anything.

"Well, yeah there are actually." Harry wasn't sure what Chloe was getting at but he wasn't going to lie to her.

"Add them onto this lot then, I'll clear them and take it up with Dom later." Chloe had no intention of taking it up with Dom but she didn't see why Harry should have to loose out just because Dom had skipped out on everyone.

After leaving The Racers Edge, Chloe and Leon drove out to see Samantha at Dynamite Graphics. She'd not been in business long but the word on the street was that she was the one to go to.

"Hi Samantha, we've come about the graphics for R.O.A.M. Precision Racing." Leon had met Samantha at Race Wars just before Jesse's fateful race with Tran. He'd mentioned to her that he was thinking about changing the art work on his car and she'd come up with a few suggestions.

"Leon, hi! Where've you been man, I haven't seen you for like months?"

It was obvious that Samantha had been working on a new car when Chloe and Leon arrived. She was wearing cut off denim shorts, a white cropped top and was covered in paint. Her pink thong was peeking out from the back of her shorts and Chloe could tell that Leon was interested. He had the same grin on his face that he'd had when he started the Tuscan for the 1st time.

"Hi Samantha, I'm Chloe." Chloe would normally have waited for Leon to introduce her but it was obvious he was off in a world of his own. He'd not stopped staring at Samantha since they arrived and Chloe knew it would be long before Leon started making excuses to hang around the garage.

After spending nearly 2 hours going over the artwork and paint charts the final designs had been chosen. Each car would have the phoenix rising out of the flames spanning across the doors on each side of the car, and R.O.A.M. Precision Racing painted on the rear spoiler. Across the hood of each car would be the drivers' name and Dynamite Graphics. As a tribute to Jesse, 'Mad Scientist Designs' was going to be painted on the trunk.

Leon kept teasing Chloe by insisting that he wanted his car yellow, the look on her face when he suggested all the cars be yellow was well worth the slap he got. He knew how much Chloe hated yellow cars but it was too good an opportunity to miss. Chloe soon got her own back by threatening to tell Samantha about how Leon had been beaten in the race to the restaurant by a girl driving a street legal car. Chloe knew that Leon was still sore about loosing; even more so since Vince had told him that Chloe didn't have any real racing experience.

"Ok, so yellow's out – what colour do you want?" Leon really didn't want another yellow car but the chance to mess with Chloe was too good to miss.

"How about we leave them silver? The art work would look fantastic and it wouldn't show the dirt as much as black." Chloe hated it when she saw dusty black cars but she also hated washing her car there was no way she was going to have a black car. She'd end up washing it twice a day just to keep it clean!

"Sounds good to me, I'll give V and Brian a call and see what they think." Leon wasn't really that bothered what colour his car was, as long as he got to watch Samantha paint it. The way she chewed her bottom lip when she was thinking had caused more than just a stir in his trousers and several times he'd had to adjust himself to get more comfortable.

Once Leon had spoken to Vince and Brian and got their approval of the paint work and placement of the graphics the conversation turned to money.

"So, Samantha, how much is this going to cost? We want the best and we're happy to pay for it." Chloe knew that the artwork would be expensive but like the cost of the parts she didn't really have a figure in mind.

"That all depends on if you want everything as decals or hand-painted." Samantha had been working out the cost in her head and she knew that for 4 cars it was going to be pretty expensive.

"Hand-painted, but we need them all done in 4 weeks. V reckons it'll take 2 weeks to get the mechanical side done and we want the cars ready to race in 6 weeks." Chloe knew it was going to be hell of a job to get the cars ready in time but the boys were starting to get restless not racing any more.

"It'll be tight but I should be able to get the done in 4 weeks. I've got a couple of other jobs on at the moment but they'll be finished in time so I can concentrate on yours. I'll need a couple of weeks to get the positioning sorted out properly anyway." Samantha was still working out a final price in her head, 4 weeks to complete 4 cars was going to be pushing it but as she was just starting out she needed the work. Besides they were letting her put her company logo on the hood of the cars and you couldn't get better advertising that let!

"How does $25,000 per car sound to you? Half now and the other half on completion." Samantha knew it was a lot but as she'd have to give up her entire life for those 4 weeks she figured it was a fair price.

"Done!"


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Hey babe! Lee and I have just finished with Samantha and we're gonna go and get some lunch. See you back at the house. Love you." Chloe smiled as she left the message on the garage answer phone. She'd been surprised when no one had answered the phone but as soon as she heard the outgoing message she'd realised where the boys were, 'We're eating – leave a message, someone'll call you back'. She really was going to have to talk to Vince about his phone manner, or better yet get Brian to record the outgoing message, at least he didn't growl down the phone like V and Leon. Not that growling was a bad thing, hell it was a very good thing where Vince was concerned but unless she wanted half of LA indulging in phone sex on the business line she'd need to keep Vince and Leon away from the phone.

Leon drove Chloe to a restaurant that he and Jesse used to go to. He really missed him and he knew that Chloe would understand why they were there.

"So, what's on your mind Lee?" Leon had barely said two words since they left Samantha's place and Chloe was worried about him. Brian had mentioned that he hadn't been sleeping much and several times Chloe had seen him on the beach when everyone else was in bed.

"I miss him Chloe." Leon had tears in his eyes when he turned to look at Chloe. He'd never been one to show his emotions but it seems that every time he thought of Jesse he would break down.

"I know you do sweetie. Come on, let's take a walk." Chloe knew that Leon was fighting the tears so she lead him away from the restaurant and down onto the beach. Hopefully there they'd have some more privacy.

Chloe and Leon walked for almost a mile along the beach before Leon felt able to tell her what was bothering him.

"Can I hold you?" Leon was well aware that Chloe was Vince's girl but he really needed someone to hold him. It'd felt real good when she'd held him back at the house when he first found out about Jesse and he needed the comfort again. He knew that what he had to say wasn't going to be easy and he wasn't sure if he could get through it by himself.

"Course you can sweetie." Chloe felt her heart breaking all over again at the sound of Leon's voice. He sounded just as broken as Vince had when he'd found out the team had abandoned him. She didn't know exactly what was going through Leon's mind but she was sure it was to do with Dom and Jesse.

Leon sat down in the sand and pulled Chloe into his lap to face him. Resting his head on her shoulder he started to talk about what had been bothering him.

"I failed them Chloe, Vince and Jesse. I should have protected them but I didn't." Leon was clinging onto Chloe was if his life depended on it, the burden of guilt on his shoulders was huge and he didn't know how he was ever going to move past it.

"I told Dom that the job didn't feel right but he wouldn't listen to me. I wanted to go and look for Jesse but Dom kept insisting that the job was the mother load. We'd have been set up for life with that job and Dom didn't want to back out. I should have said no, I should have gone to look for Jesse." Leon was sobbing by this point, huge heart breaking sobs that wracked through his body. It was all Chloe could do not to cry with him but she knew that wouldn't do any good. Leon needed her to be strong and tell him what to do and where to go from there; her crying would only make the situation worse.

"Before we left I told V that I'd have his back, I told him I'd watch over him but I let him down as well. I tried to get to him, I really did but Dom sent me back for Letty. By the time I'd gotten her in the car Brian was already getting V off the semi. The two people in the world that I love more than anyone else and I let them both down."

"Oh Lee, V doesn't blame you, no one does." Leon was sobbing so hard that Chloe wasn't sure if he could hear her or not but she had to say something.

"Look at me sweetie." Leon slowly lifted his head from Chloe's shoulder so that she could see his face. His tears had left a rather large damp spot on her t-shirt which he nervously tried to rub away.

"Leon, it's ok. Just leave it." Although Chloe appreciated the gesture Leon's arm kept brushing against her breast and she didn't want to make things even more awkward than they already were. She could feel Leon's growing harder under her as it was and she knew that things could easily get out of control if they weren't careful.

"Leon, it wasn't your fault, none of it was. How were you to know that things were going to go wrong? It never had before so why would that job have been any different? Dom told you it would be alright and you had no reason to doubt him."

"But he lied to me about Jesse, he told me that he was alright and looking after V. It was only when Brian called to tell him about the funeral that I found out the truth and that was only because I overheard him and Mia arguing about it. He wanted to tell me and Let the truth but Mia wouldn't let him."

"I don't know why he lied to you Sweetie, or why Mia didn't want him to tell you the truth but all I can tell you is that V, Brian and I will never lie to you. We all love you too much for that." Chloe had tensed up as soon as Leon had mentioned Dom and Mia. She had some seriously unresolved anger over those two and she really couldn't wait till she saw them again. She knew that they'd be back, she wasn't sure when but she knew that Dom would come back to reclaim his team. He really was arrogant enough to think that even after everything that had happened that all he had to do was click his fingers and the boys would go rushing back to Team Toretto.

"So you love me then do you? Leon was obviously feeling better as a sly grin had crept across his face. "Enough to let me kiss you?"

"I do love you Lee, but not enough to let you kiss me. I'd hate to have to have to look for another racer whose name begins with M; after all if you kiss me V **will** kill you." Chloe was pleased to see the glint return to Leon's eyes. He had such a beautiful smile and she just hoped that soon, the time would come when he'd be smiling all day every day. "Anyway, I thought you liked Samantha?"

"I do babe, I do, but what have I got to offer her?" Leon had spent so long picking up skanks at the after party races that he had no idea of just how good a catch he actually was. The skanks at the party were a guaranteed lay and he knew that Samantha was different – he'd have to put a lot of effort into even getting her to go out with him, let alone sleep with him.

"Lee, you're gorgeous. Ok, so you're a little outta shape and your ass is kinda fat but your car'll more than make up for your physical faults." Chloe had barely finished her sentence before Leon was up and running towards the sea, dragging her along behind him.

"No way, Michaels – you are not dragging me into the sea, no way." Chloe tried struggling against Leon but he had a firm hold of her wrist. She tried digging her heels into the sand but he just pulled harder. One way or another she was going in the sea.

"If I kiss you, will you stop trying to drown me?" Chloe didn't really want to kiss Leon but then she didn't really want to get soaking wet either, so she figured it was worth a go.

"Do you want to kiss me?" Leon wasn't sure he'd heard Chloe correctly; she'd been so adamant that she wasn't going to kiss him when they were still sitting down so he had to ask.

"Well, no but I don't want to get wet either! I love him Lee; I love him so much I feel as if my heart's going to burst every time I look at him. I wake up in the middle of the night just so I can look at him. He means the world to me Lee, I've never loved anyone as much as I love him and I was married for nearly 5 years."

"I know you do babe, I'm just messing with ya. I've never seen Ol' Coyote so happy and I'm not gonna step in and try to ruin that. I guess I'm just feeling left out ya know, I mean you've got V, Brian's with Katy, well near enough, and I've not got anyone." Leon's smile had faded as he thought of just how alone he really was. His life had changed beyond all recognition over the past few months and he wasn't sure he liked where he was headed.

"You're not alone, Sweetie. You'll never be alone." Chloe grabbed hold of Leon's face and planted a huge sloppy kiss right on his lips. "We all love ya Sweetie, don't ever forget that."

For the next 2 weeks the boys worked themselves to the bone. 18 hours days weren't unusual as they worked to get the cars finished in time to get them to Samantha. The team had decided that they'd work on Brian and Vince's cars first as Brian didn't even have a car and Vince needed to get used to driving a Right Hand Drive car. He was doing ok in the Tuscan but Chloe wanted him in the Skyline as soon as possible. In between working on their own cars the garage was so busy with paying customers that Chloe ended up having to send some business to Hector. She didn't really want to turn away business but after everything he'd done for her with Jesse's funeral she was happy to give him some extra work.

Leon was still struggling with his feelings of guilt and he and Chloe spent many hours walking along the beach together crying over Jesse and what had happened to Vince. They never spoke to the others about their time together but Vince knew that it wasn't something he had to worry about. They were a family and Chloe was only doing what she could for Leon to get him through his grief and guilt.

Eventually after 14 very stressful and tiring days all 4 Skylines were ready to be taken to Samantha for the artwork to be done. The whole team was excited about this stage in the work; Chloe because it was all starting to come together, Leon because he'd volunteered to stay with Samantha and help her out with the work, Vince because he was getting to drive again and Brian because he'd be able to get more than 4 hours sleep of a night!

When the team pulled up outside Dynamite Graphics Leon was the first one out, practically running into the shop.

"Who's outta shape now, huh Chloe? Looks as if you're the one who's got the fat ass this time!" Leon was having thrilled that he'd beaten Chloe to the garage. He'd been sulking over her win to the restaurant for ages and had been looking for a chance to pay her back.

"Did you just call me fat, Michaels?" Chloe wasn't sure whether she'd heard Leon correctly, if he had called her fat he was going to suffer.

"Yeah, what of it?" Leon was laughing so much that he didn't have the sense to quit while he was ahead. He didn't notice Samantha walking up behind him with a paint gun until it was too late.

"Arrrrgggghhhhh, what the hell?" Leon was covered from head to toe with pink car paint.

"That's for calling her fat." Samantha had heard Leon being rude to Chloe and had decided to dole out some punishment.

"Pink is definitely your colour, brotha!" Vince was nearly doubled over with laughter, and Brian wasn't far behind. Leon had so much paint on him he was dripping all over the tarmac.

"Shit, how am I supposed to get this off? I can't go home like this?" Leon really wasn't finding his predicament funny, he knew that there was no way he could get into his old Skyline like this and he wasn't going to be allowed in a cab.

"Oh, quit ya bitchin', there's a shower in the back. Better hurry though before the paint sets!" Whilst Samantha was showing Leon to the shower the others pulled the cars into the garage and got Leon's old Skyline out from behind the paint shop. Brian and Chloe had brought it up the night before so that they'd be able to get home after dropping off the Skylines.

"Yo! Vince. Leon wants you to grab his bag of spare clothes out of the trunk of his car." Samantha was still laughing at Leon's face when he realised it was pink paint so it took Vince several minutes to understand what she was saying.

"Sure thing Samantha, I'm not getting in a car with him if he's naked!"

Once Leon was sure all of the pink paint was out of his hair he got out of the shower, got dressed and went back out the front to join the rest of his team. He hadn't been able to find a clean top in his bag of clothes so he was just wearing a pair of low slung, battered jeans. He was barefoot as his boots were soaking wet where he'd washed the paint off them.

Samantha had been mid sentence when Leon came back out but soon found herself unable to speak – she'd always known that he had a nice body but she was practically weak at the knees seeing him wandering around half naked.

"God damnit Lee put some clothes on will ya? Not everyone wants to see your body ya know"

"Oh, I don't mind Chloe." Samantha instantly blushed when she realised that she'd spoken aloud, "I really should stop moving my mouth when I think!" The last thing she'd wanted to do was to let Leon realise just how much she was enjoying the show.

"Ok boys, now that Samantha had successfully embarrassed herself we really need to leave her to get on with the cars. I'll drive back Lee, you can't drive in bare feet." Chloe had seen the look on Samantha's face when she realised what she'd said and wanted to leave the poor girl in peace. She knew that Leon would be up the next day annoying the hell out of her so she wanted to at least let her finish the day in peace.

"Why do you have to drive? Why can't Vince drive?" Leon really didn't want Chloe driving his car – he was very particular about who drove his car her and although he knew that Chloe had already driven her, he wasn't there when that happened so that wasn't so bad. He could almost pretend it had never happened.

"Oh quit whining, if you want any dinner tonight then you'll let me drive. It's your favourite." Chloe had made a point of finding out everyone favourite meal and made it for them once a week – tonight it was Leon's turn.

"Why didn't you say so, here have the keys, she's all yours." Leon had forgotten it was his turn on the meal rota. When he was growing up his grandma used to make him home made meatballs in tomato sauce with home made pasta every Friday and it was by far his favourite meal. Mia always refused to make the meatballs and tried to give him frozen ones but it wasn't the same. He'd been really touched when Chloe had 1st made them, it was then that he realised that the old team hadn't been as perfect as he'd always thought. Everything was ok as long as it was done Mia or Dom's way. If that wasn't what any of the others wanted then tough.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Whilst Samantha was working on the cars Vince was busy teaching Chloe how to race with Leon's old Skyline. She already had the basic driving skills but she didn't have a clue how to drive with NOS or when she should use it. During the day Brian was busy at the garage working on the cars the paying customers brought in and Leon was getting in Samantha's way. He spent as much time as possible over at Dynamite Graphics 'helping' Samantha with the artwork on the cars. Well, he liked to think he was helping but if you asked Samantha you'd soon realise that he was just there so she had something good to look at!

Every night after dinner Brian and Katy would disappear off to one of the local clubs and Chloe, Leon and Vince would go to the gym. Vince was trying to build up the strength in his arm and get back to the level of fitness he'd been at before the 'accident' and Leon was teaching Chloe self defence. When the boys had found out she couldn't fight they'd insisted that one of them taught her, just incase she got into trouble and they weren't around to help her. As much as Vince hated to be away from her, he knew that he couldn't realistically be with her every minute of every day and he trusted Leon to teach her enough that she could keep herself safe.

By the time the cars were finished Samantha and Leon had grown closer and Chloe was finding she didn't need to spend as much time with him on the beach. Samantha and R.O.A.M. had given him a new lease of life and he was back to his normal happy self. He still had moments when his grief was almost overwhelming but overall Vince was thrilled that he had his friend back.

As soon as Chloe got the call to say the cars were finished she phoned Hector to tell him to expect them at the races that weekend. They had 4 days to get used to driving their cars before they'd be showing them off to the entire LA racing community. Since Dom had fled to Mexico there wasn't one outright King of the Streets. Every race someone different would win, which had made the races a lot more popular. Instead of the previous 2 races a night it wasn't unknown for there to be 4 or 5, as long as the police didn't show up.

When the team went to collect their cars they were stunned into silence by what they saw. They'd seen the computer simulation of what the cars would look like but nothing compared to seeing them in the flesh. The artwork was flawless and the work was well worth the money that Samantha had charged. Chloe would have happily paid double if she'd have known how good they turn out but as Samantha pointed out, she got free advertising on each of the cars so she was happy to charge a lower price than normal.

The team drove away from Dynamite Graphics with a new sense of purpose – they were finally going to be able to put the ghost of Team Toretto to rest and for the boys, they would be able to come out from Dom's shadow and show just how good they were. Brian was the only one who'd really gotten a chance to race and that was only because Dom had wanted to get him earning money for him to pay him back for what he'd put into the Supra. Vince and Leon only got to race at Race Wars which had kind of defeated the whole point of them being a race team and going to the races but what Dom wanted Dom got. That wasn't how it was going to be with R.O.A.M. They only rule they had was that all winnings were split 50/50 between the team funds and the driver. Chloe had made it clear that it was up to each driver if they raced or not, there were no team orders and no-one had to get permission to race. She'd been to the racers one time and seen Vince practically pleading with Dom to let him race, there was no way she'd put any of the boys through that.

When the night of the teams' first race came round everyone was nervous. The boys, because it would be their first competitive races since Race Wars and Chloe, because it would be her first real race. She'd raced Vince a couple of times in practice and she was confident she wouldn't completely embarrass herself but she desperately wanted to win. She wanted to prove that she was more than just the financial backer to the team – she wanted to prove she deserved her place on the team.

Samantha and Katy had come to the house to help Chloe get ready, and then they were going to travel with Leon and Brian to the races. Leon and Samantha had become inseparable since she'd started the paint work and it was obvious to anyone who saw them that they were deeply in love, even if they didn't realise it yet themselves. Brian and Katy were simply having fun, neither of them was looking for a serious relationship but they were totally exclusive. Chloe didn't think Katy had it in her to have a serious relationship and she knew that Brian was still trying to get over Mia. He'd really loved her but when he'd found out how she'd lied to Leon he'd realised he hadn't known the real Mia. He'd fallen in love with the much edited version and he was wary of getting burnt again. Chloe kept trying to tell him that Katy wasn't anything like Mia but he wasn't yet ready to hear that.

For once the girls were ready and found themselves waiting on the boys. Samantha was wearing a red cut off crop top and low slung black leather trousers and Katy was wearing a black halter neck top that stopped just short of her navel and black low slung cargoes. They were both wearing their 'shit stomper' boots and had their hair loose.

Chloe never really paid much attention to what she wore, she just grabbed the 1st thing she found in the morning but she'd put a special effort into getting ready for the races. She was wearing a white halter neck top that tied at the back and neck and stopped just below her breasts and a white leather mini skirt that stopped mid thigh. The sides of the skirt were tied together with silver leather laces and she was wearing 4 inch strappy silver sandals. Vince had once said that he was sure she wouldn't be able to race in heels but when she'd beaten Brian in a race along the freeway he'd learnt to keep his comments to himself. As Chloe had told him, "When you're as short as I am, you learn real quick to drive in heels!"

The girls had been waiting for nearly 20 mins by the time the boys were ready. Brian with his standard t-shirt and jeans, Converses and messy blonde hair and Leon had ditched his traditional basketball shirt for a white tank top and blue jeans. He'd let his hair grow out a little since he'd been back in LA and shaved off his goatee.

Vince had seen what Chloe was wearing and decided to wear a plain black tank top and the black leather trousers she'd bought him. He'd let his beard grow back after Jesses' funeral and spiked his hair a little. He'd never really bothered about what he wore to the races when he went with Dom but he wanted Chloe to be proud of him.

When the girls saw the boys they instantly got the same thought '_maybe we could miss the 1st couple of races.'_ The boys looked good enough to eat and Chloe was instantly thankful that she wouldn't be travelling in Vince's car to the races – if she had been there'd have been no way they'd have gotten there. She'd have made him pull over somewhere so she could jump him!

"Ok, so how are we gonna do this? With Dom we always drove in some V shit ass formation!" Vince had been thinking whilst he was in the shower about just how they'd arrive at the races. No team member was more important than the other but someone would have to arrive first.

"Well, Leon, Brian and I have already talked about this and we think we should go in order of the team name – so that means you're first up baby." Chloe had pulled Leon and Brian aside earlier in the week to ask them what they thought of Vince leading the team in – they'd instantly agreed, he'd been in Dom's shadow for far too long and he deserved a chance at centre stage.

Team formation decided they got in their cars and drove to the warehouse, none of them knowing exactly what the night would bring but knowing that it would change their lives forever. This really was the end of Team Toretto and the beginning of R.O.A.M. Precision Racing.

When the team pulled up at the Warehouse silence fell over the entire crowd. They'd all heard rumours of a new team in town but no one knew who was on the team, well no one except for Hector and Edwin. Between the two of them they'd put the word around as many racers as possible that there were new challengers in town. A team who could rival Team Toretto for total dominance, only this would be a team effort not just a single driver.

Vince pulled up first and waited to get the all clear on the two-way that Leon had pulled up and parked. Once Leon was parked up the whole team would be there and then they could get out of their cars. Vince wasn't trying to make an entrance; he just wasn't ready to face all the attention by himself.

As soon as Vince got the word from Leon all 4 drivers opened their car doors and stepped out to face the crowds. The crowds had already started talking about the cars so when the team stepped out the crowd yet again fell silent. As Vince was at the head of the line up and closest to the crowd he was instantly surrounded by skanks and fellow racers trying to find out where Dom was and why he wasn't racing for Team Toretto anymore. Leon and Samantha were instantly surrounded by people who wanted to know more about the art work while Brian and Katy wandered off to talk to Edwin.

Chloe had seen Vince get out of his car and then instantly disappear in a crowd of people. She'd once seen how Letty reacted to the skanks that surrounded Dom at the races and for the 1st time she understood why. A very skinny brunette had attached herself to Vince and was trying desperately to stick her tongue down his ear. She knew that he wouldn't do anything with her but she couldn't help but feel territorial, Vince was her man and no one else had a right to touch him. When the skinny skank started running her hands up and down his scarred arm, Chloe knew she had to act. Vince still suffered some pain in his arm and she could tell by the way his back had straightened that was she was doing hurt. He was still too much of a macho man to say anything but she couldn't let him suffer, especially not at the hands of someone like that.

Walking up behind them she gently placed her hand on Vince's back to let him know that she was there. He instantly relaxed and she knew that he realised who it was that was touching him. Chloe looked around for Katy but she was too busy sticking her tongue down Brian's throat to help so she called on Samantha to help her get the 'girl' off Vince.

"Yo! Samantha, you around?"

"Here babe, what can I do for ya?" As soon as Samantha answered she saw what Chloe's problem was – the skinny brunette had moved on from trying to stick her tongue down Vince's ear and rubbing his bad arm, now she was trying to stick her tongue down his throat and her hand down his trousers. Samantha knew Chloe well enough to know that there was going to be trouble if the girl didn't leave Vince alone and if she didn't get to them quickly enough there'd be bloodshed before the 1st race was even arranged.

"OI! BITCH, get your filthy hands off my man." '_Shit, too late_' Samantha thought. Chloe had grabbed the girl by her hair and was pulling her backwards, at the same time she'd kicked the back of her knees and forced her down on the ground. "There now isn't this a familiar position, bitches like you seem to spend most of their lives on their knees."

"I don't see any sign on him and he certainly wasn't complaining." The skank wasn't going to give up without a fight, "and who the fuck are you calling a bitch?"

"Didn't you hear me telling you to fuck off?" The racer chasers had never really bothered Vince before, hell Mia wouldn't sleep with him so he got it wherever he could, but this girl had made him feel dirty. He'd told her several times to fuck off, that he had a girl already but she didn't listen and just kept on doing what she was doing. Short of physically removing her and possibly hurting her he hadn't known what to do to get rid of her.

"I won't tell you again bitch, keep away from Vince – I'd hate to have to disinfect him before he gets into bed tonight."

Vince couldn't help but laugh at Chloe's last comment, he'd always known she was protective of the team but he'd never seen her in action like that before. Sure he'd heard her on the phone with Mia but never face to face with anyone. Just as he thought the situation was over a man came out of the crowd towards them.

"Still a complete bitch I see Chloe."

Chloe slowly turned around when she heard the man talk to her. Of all the places he could have chosen to show up this was the last place she expected him.

"Still sleeping with my sister James?"

Vince looked in shock at the man standing in front of him, this was the guy that was responsible for most of Chloe's pain and he was within punching distance.

Chloe saw Vince's face morph into the steely look he'd had when he saw Mr Tran Sr. at Jesse's funeral and she was instantly scared for James safety. It wasn't that she wanted to protect him from Vince but she didn't want Vince to end up going down for assault, and knowing James he'd take great pleasure in pressing charges, anything to make her life miserable.

"What's up dawg?" Leon had heard Chloe's comment and pushed his way through the crowd to stand at Vince's side. Brian wasn't far behind him and within minutes James found himself facing Chloe's new family. 3 strong well built men who could inflict serious pain on him without even breaking a sweat. The obvious threat was the blue eyed thug that was currently holding Chloe's hand and pushing her slightly behind him and into the man who had first come to join him.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N – Mystikal19, give it a few more chapters and you'll understand more about why Mia behaved the way she did. I'm glad you're enjoying the story – thanks for your comments.**

Chapter 22

"This is Chloe's ex husband; you know the one who seduced her 17 year old sister." Vince was well aware that the age of consent in England was 16, but in LA it was 18 and by mentioning her age he was making it seem as if the man in front of him chased after underage girls. That was something that wasn't acceptable amongst the street racing community.

"It's alright baby, I can handle this." Chloe knew what Vince was up to. He was trying to get James to lose his temper and swing for him first so that Vince could legitimately say it was self defence that caused him to hit him back. James was a muscular guy who could probably hold his own against Brian, maybe even Leon but he wouldn't stand a chance against Vince.

"James, let me put this into words you'll understand – FUCK OFF." Chloe had had enough of talking to James, she couldn't understand what he was doing there and the last thing she wanted was to spend more time having to look at him. "Go back home to Nikki where you belong."

"I've got every right to be here, I cleaned up here last week and I'm here to retain my title, and Nikki's not at home, she's right here with me." James turned round and pulled Chloe's sister out of the crowd that had gathered behind him. Living with James had obviously taken its toll on Nikki, gone were her soft curves – in their place sharp angles and bony hips. She'd once had a perfect hourglass figure, but now she looked like an anorexic junkie.

"So, what's it gonna be this time Nikki, huh? I mean you already took my husband from me." Chloe was starting to get really fed up with all of the time wasting. She'd come here to race not relive her past.

"I want half of the money you got from mum and dad, I'm entitled to it."

Nikki had never forgiven her parents for leaving the bulk of their fortune to her sister. She'd been left $500,000 when they died and she'd soon spent that.

"You want it; you'll have to earn it. Right here, right now, you and me – one race. You win, you get half of the money, I win – you crawl back under your rock and don't bother me again. I mean it Nikki either way, no phone calls, no letters, no coming round and no racing. I don't ever want to see you again." Chloe knew that her sister was a semi talented racer, she'd heard from Hector that she'd been racing but she also knew that she was better than Nikki could ever hope to be.

Whilst Hector set up the race, Leon ran back to get Chloe's car to bring it to the start line.

"Are you sure you wanna do this Chloe?" Vince couldn't even begin to imagine how painful this must be for Chloe. Seeing her sister and ex husband again after all this time, and on the same night the team debuted at the races was enough to push her over the edge and he knew it wasn't safe for her to drive so worked up.

"Chloe, look at me, you need to calm down ok. You can't drive like this; you're far too wound up." Vince was seriously worried about Chloe and did the only thing he could think of to take her mind off what was happening. He kissed her.

It wasn't just any ordinary kiss; it was the sort of kiss that belonged in a Hollywood movie. It turned Chloe to total mush and sent a clear message to anyone watching that neither of them was available.

"Now get in that car and win the first race for R.O.A.M." Vince knew that he'd achieved what he set out to do by kissing Chloe. He'd managed to calm her down and also send a very obvious message to James that she belonged to him now and if he didn't keep away from her, Vince would beat his ass. For the 1st time in a long time Vince was glad of his reputation and the scars on his arm certainly added to the idea that he was a violent thug. If the truth be known the fighting was getting kind of old but he'd do anything and everything to defend his family and Chloe came above everyone else. She was his and he was hers and he'd die to protect her.

Leon was waiting for Chloe at the start line; he'd already checked her NOS tanks for her and set her stereo so that 'Going Under' by Evanescence was playing. Chloe loved that song and they often used it when they were working out at the gym.

As Chloe approached the car Leon was reminded of the last time he'd taken a car to the start line of a race and handed it over to the driver – it was Jesse's fateful race with Johnny Tran.

"If you lose I'll make you kiss me in front of everyone, a proper kiss mind – tongues and all."

"You want to be careful making threats like that Sweetie; I might just decide to lose on purpose so I can kiss you." Chloe smiled as Leon helped her into the car. Leaning over to kiss him gently on the lips she stroked her hand down his face and told him that if he kept threatening to kiss her one of these days she'd insist he made good on his threats.

"Hey, it's not a threat, it's a promise!" Leon loved the relationship he had with Chloe. He loved her and she loved him. He'd never had a female friend that he hadn't slept with before and he was really enjoying having Chloe in his life. He knew that no matter what he might say he'd never kiss her or try to get her into bed. He'd slept with both Mia and Letty during his time on the team and it had ruined their friendships. He and Letty had been a drunken fuck but he had thought that he had special with Mia. That was until he realised that she was using him to get Vince to back off. He and Vince had been through a really rough few months where he didn't think he'd ever forgive him for sleeping with Mia but when Brian came round Vince focused his anger on him instead and forgave Leon. Chloe was a cross between his best friend and his sister and he'd never do anything to fuck that up.

Chloe closed her door, started her engine and waited for Hector to give to signal. Edwin was manning the scanners and as soon as he gave the all clear the race would be on, one race with a prize fund of $27million.

Hector raised his arms to the 'get ready' position and as soon as he was sure that both drivers were looking at him he dropped his arms to his sides.

Chloe was off the line first, changing gear effortlessly. The Skyline was a true bred racer, unlike the Civic that Nikki was driving. Sure the Civics handled well, but they were seriously outclassed by the Skylines. In her mirrors Chloe saw Nikki shoot forward as she hit her first dose of NOS.

'Holy fuck, he actually trusts her with that shit.' Chloe was surprised that James let Nikki use NOS. She wasn't a strong enough driver to be able to handle the extra speed and she didn't have the knowledge of when to use it. Nikki proved this again when she used her second dose of NOS to try to draw level with Chloe. Chloe was grateful that she was so far behind her as she had a serious lurch to the side when she hit the magic red button.

Chloe passed the finish line 2 car lengths in front of Nikki, she hadn't needed to use her NOS at all which meant that she could race again later in the evening if she wanted to and the police kept away. She'd wanted to race some worthy opponents that night, not her snotty nosed, half baked sister.

Vince was waiting for Chloe in the 'winners circle' with a huge ass grin on his face. Whenever he'd watch Dom race he'd never been that interested, it was a foregone conclusion who'd win, but he hadn't been able to take his eyes of Chloe the entire time. The way she handled the car and the pressure of the bet, she had it in her to be a top racer and he couldn't wait to get her to Race Wars.

Chloe stopped her car inches away from Vince's legs. He'd stood still in front of her, never moving even though she'd been driving straight at him at 60odd mph. He'd seen her do that trick many a time in her Tuscan so he knew that she'd stop in time.

Chloe opened her door to thunderous applause; everyone had heard what the bet and no one had wanted Nikki to win. Only the team knew how much money was involved but that didn't matter to the other racers, James was well known for being an arrogant prick and the crowd was pleased to see him brought down a peg or two. Chloe couldn't help but think how well James would get on with Dom and she wondered if that was part of the reason she hated Dom so much.

Samantha and Katy were by Chloe's side as she walked round the front of the car to Vince.

"You know, if you don't come here and kiss me I'll have to get my congratulatory kiss from Leon. Samantha told me that he's an amazing kisser so it wouldn't be a problem." Chloe loved being able to tease Vince, he knew that she'd never betray him like that but it was always fun to tease him.

"Uh uh, you're mine remember?" Vince walked slowly towards Chloe and stood just in front of her. Even though she was wearing heels he still towered about her. Lifting her carefully onto the hood of her car, he took her in his arms and gave her the most heartfelt and passionate kiss she'd ever had.

"I love you Chloe." Vince knew that there was more that he wanted to say but just as he was about to say it Hectors voice called out over the crowds "COPS!"

"Shit, I'll see you back at the beach house, now go." Chloe knew that Vince would have to fight his way through the crowd to get to his car but she had confidence in his driving abilities and knew that the police wouldn't catch him. Just as she was speeding away from the warehouse she saw her sister desperately trying to get into the Civic that James was now driving. The door was obviously locked as she couldn't open it before James drove off, leaving her abandoned at the side of the road.

No matter how much Chloe hated her sister she knew that she couldn't leave her to be picked up by the police so she pulled up alongside her.

"Get in the fucking car." Chloe didn't have time to be pleasant and took off at high speed the instant Nikki was safely in the car. The door was barely shut when Chloe pulled away and her sister was flung back in her seat at the sudden acceleration.

As soon as they were far enough away so as not to be a target anymore Chloe pulled over outside a McDonalds and turned off the engine.

"Get out Nikki; you can get a cab home from here." Chloe wanted to get back to the house to make sure everyone else had gotten home ok and the last thing she needed was to be sitting in a car park wasting time with her sister.

"But, I don't have any money. Please Chloe, I'm sorry. I'm all you've got left for God's sake, can't we at least talk?" Nikki had really missed her sister, living with James wasn't all she thought it would be but she knew that she couldn't leave him now. She'd broken up her sisters' marriage so she had to stick with him. She knew that the only reason he came to LA for her was to try and get his hands on her share of the inheritance but she couldn't leave him. She'd made her bed, now she'd have to lie in it.

"Here, take this, It's all the cash I've got on me." Chloe handed Nikki the $200 emergency money she kept in her glove box. Vince was carrying the money for the races; she didn't have any pockets or boots to put the money in, so the $200 was all she had.

"Get out Nikki. We're finished and I don't ever want to see you again. So far as I'm concerned I don't have a sister anymore. Vince, Leon and Brian are all the family I need now." Chloe waited until her sister was out of the car and had walked away before she let the tears fell. Despite everything she still loved her sister but she couldn't let her back into her life, not now. She'd betrayed her in the worst way possible and she could never forgive her.

Drying her tears she grabbed her phone out of the pocket in the drivers' door and dialled the one person she knew would make her feel better.

"Hi baby, it's me. I'm on my way home." She didn't give Vince a chance to say anything, she knew that he would be able to hear how upset she was and she didn't want him to answer any questions. Later when they were in bed together she'd answer his questions but for now she wasn't ready.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Over the next few months things R.O.A.M. Precision Racing became the premium garage in LA for custom import work. The guys had never worked so hard in their lives and found themselves in danger of being over-run with work. In the end they decided to employ 3 more mechanics to try to lighten the workload. Chloe stuck true to her word and ran the office and dealt with all of the admin, even signing off the deliveries and Samantha handled all of their artwork. Pretty much every race car in LA had a Dynamite paint job of some description and had had work done at R.O.A.M. Things were really looking up for the team but Vince couldn't help but wonder when the shit was gonna hit the fan.

Despite everything he'd gone through with Chloe he still found himself wondering why she was with him. He loved her more than he'd ever loved anyone but he couldn't help thinking he was going to lose her to someone with more money, or a better job, or better looking. He knew that he was in danger of screwing up his relationship with her if he didn't get his act together so he decided to do something he hadn't done since he was a child. Go and talk to his mum and ask for her advice. He was half way to the cemetery when he knew what he had to do, turning round quickly to head in the opposite direction he headed to the place he swore he'd never return to, to get the only thing of value he'd ever owned.

Chloe was in the hot tub on the back deck when Vince got home. He'd called her to say he'd be late home from work and that she shouldn't wait up for him. After having dinner with Leon she decided to have a soak in the hot tub. Leon was out with Samantha and Brian was 'busy' with Katy so she knew she wouldn't be disturbed.

"Chloe baby, where are you?" Vince had been upstairs and when there was no sign of Chloe he'd gotten really confused. It was nearly 2 in the morning yet she wasn't in bed and the lights were off in the house.

Chloe had heard Vince come in and run upstairs so she sent him a text on his cell, 'in the hot tub' and waited for him to come and join her.

It wasn't long before Vince's naked body slid in beside her.

"We never did get to finish what we started in here, did we?" As soon as Chloe had seen Vince's body all thoughts of asking where he'd been, flew out of the window. She didn't know what it was about him, but every time he was anywhere near her she felt like a dog on heat. She couldn't get enough of him and she was thrilled that he felt the same way about her.

"No, we didn't, did we. The question is can you remember where we were?" Vince could definitely remember when they were – Chloe had her lips around him and he was just about to explode when Katy came bounding in and leapt in the hot tub with them.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. Had I done this yet?" Chloe knew exactly how far they'd gotten before Katy interrupted but she'd seen the gleam in Vince's eyes and knew he wanted to play. Chloe moved so that she was sitting on Vince's lap and kissed his lips gently.

"I think we'd gotten past that." Vince was more than ready to play; he just hoped that Chloe could keep up.

"What about this then? Had I done this yet?" Chloe kissed him hungrily then worked her way across his face to his neck, licking his ear as she came to it, and then working her way back across his neck to the other ear.

"God, yes." Vince was quickly approaching the point where speech was no longer possible, he'd never been one for foreplay before he met Chloe but the things that girl could do with her tongue drove him to distraction.

Chloe worked her way over his chest, kissing and biting him gently as she went until she came to his nipples. Taking first one, then the other in her mouth she licked and nipped at them until they were as hard as her own. Reaching behind her she brought Vince's hands from her back to her breasts and encouraged him to touch and tease her.

Chloe could feel Vince's erection pulsing underneath her and knew that he was enjoying her touch, he had such a sensitive body and she loved making him feel good. Carefully leaning to one side she kissed and licked her way up his dragon tattoo. She'd never been a huge fan of body art but on Vince it really worked. It added to the attraction and she couldn't resist kissing it and caressing it every time she saw it. Once again she found herself thanking God that it hadn't been damaged during the 'accident'.

"Do you like that baby?" Chloe knew that he did, she could hear him growling deep in his throat when she kissed the dragon.

"What about this? Do you like this?" Chloe slid of Vince's lap and carefully took him in her mouth. Vince automatically brought his hands back up to her breasts so he could continue to tease her whilst she was teasing him.

By the time Chloe had reminded Vince where they'd gotten to his head was spinning and he was out of breath. He'd never had sex in a hot tub before but it was definitely something they were going to have to do again.

"I'm sorry I was so late Chloe, I went to see my mum then had a few other things to deal with." When Chloe had sat up, Vince had pulled her back onto his lap and was holding her as tight as he possibly could.

"Are you ok?" Chloe knew that Vince rarely visited his mothers' grave and when he did he was down for days afterwards. It didn't help that Mr and Mrs Toretto were buried just a few rows across from his mother. Vince couldn't ever just deal with one loss when he went to the cemetery he had 3 to deal with.

"I'm ok baby, I went looking for answers but I'd worked them out before I even got there." Vince knew he wasn't making any sense so he wasn't at all surprised by the look of confusion on Chloe's face.

When Vince didn't offer any further explanation of where he'd been Chloe settled back against his chest and let him hold her. She knew him well enough to know that he'd tell her what was bothering him in his own time. If it was anything serious he'd have told her by now so she decided to simply sit and wait it out.

Chloe didn't remember getting out of the hot tub or even going upstairs but when she woke up she was in bed curled up with Vince. She didn't know what had woken her up but when she lifted her head she realised that Vince was awake and looking at her.

"What's the matter baby? Are you sure you're ok?" Vince had a very strange look in his eyes that Chloe didn't understand and if she was honest with herself it frightened her. She'd always known what he was thinking by looking in his eyes but this time she couldn't.

"I didn't mean to wake you, I'm sorry." Vince was still struggling with what he had to say and he knew that it wasn't going to get any easier the longer he left it. "You go back to sleep, I'm gonna go watch TV for a while."

Chloe lay there in complete shock when Vince left the room, he'd never walked away from her like that and she couldn't help worrying. He'd been so odd for the past few days and although she knew he wasn't seeing anyone else she couldn't help but wonder if he as preparing to leave her.

Chloe tossed and turned for the rest of the night and when it was finally time to get up she realised that Vince hadn't come back to bed at all. '_I'll give him one more day_' she thought, '_and then I'll force him to tell me what's gotten up his ass_.'

Breakfast was a strained affair, Vince was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't realise anything was bothering Chloe and Brian decided to keep out of it. Leon had only just gotten home from his night out with Samantha so he'd headed straight to bed. If it wasn't for the huge pile of invoices that Chloe needed to deal with she'd have taken the day off but she had to go into work which meant she couldn't avoid Vince.

By lunchtime Chloe was deeply regretting giving Vince till the end of the day. He was slowly driving her mad. Every time she asked him something he either ignored her or just grunted and when she'd given him a kiss he'd brushed her aside as if she were an irritation.

"What the fuck is up with you, man?" Brian couldn't believe the way that Vince was treating Chloe, he knew how much he loved her yet he was carrying on as if he didn't care about her. When he'd walked in and found Chloe crying in the office Brian knew he had to say something to Vince.

"Nothings wrong. I've just got shit on my mind."

When Brian didn't get the answers he was looking for from Vince he decided to call Leon.

"Hey man, listen can you come down to the garage? Vince is behaving like an idiot and Chloe is crying in the office." When Brian said that Chloe was crying Leon grabbed his keys and ran to his car. He didn't know what had happened but if Chloe was crying it must be bad.

When screeched to a halt outside the garage and ran into the office, completely ignoring Vince and Brian on the way past.

"What's the matter baby, what's happened?" Leon couldn't understand what had upset Chloe, but it was obviously something serious. She'd thrown herself at him and started full blown sobbing as soon as she saw him.

"He doesn't love me anymore, he's leaving me." The more Chloe had thought about it over the day the more she'd realised this was what Vince's problem was. She'd always thought that once he was back on his feet and didn't 'need' her that he'd leave but it still hurt.

"He's what?" Leon couldn't believe it; it was only the previous day that Vince had been telling him how much he loved her. "When did he tell you that?"

"He hasn't come out and said it but I know that's what he's thinking – he's been so distant the past few days and today he's completely ignored me." Chloe was heartbroken, she was hopelessly in love with Vince but he obviously didn't feel that way about her.

"Come on I'll take you home, then come back and talk to him. I'll sort it all out, don't worry." Leon didn't know what to make of what Chloe had told him. He knew she wasn't the type to over-react but Vince kept telling him how much he loved her. One way or another he'd get it sorted out. He'd already lost one family and he wasn't going to lose another.

Vince was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Leon leaving with Chloe and then returning alone. The 1st thing he knew about it was when Leon dragged him out from under the car he was working on and kicked him, hard, on his thigh.

"What the fuck was that for?" Vince didn't know what's gotten into Leon but he was obviously pissed at him for something.

"You know that the hell that was for, you made Chloe cry you piece of shit." Leon hadn't wanted to believe Chloe when she told him that Vince was planning on leaving her but seeing how he'd totally ignored her when she left the garage he was starting to think maybe she was right.

"What do you mean I made her cry, CHLOE come here a minute and tell Lee I never made you cry." Vince didn't have a clue what Leon was going on about but he knew that Chloe would set him straight. Sure he'd been busy that day but he'd have noticed if Chloe was crying.

"She's not here V, I took here home. What the hell is going on with you today? She says you've ignored her all day and that you left her alone in bed last night"

"Fuck, was she really crying?" Vince couldn't possibly have hated anyone more than he hated himself at that moment. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was upset her and make her cry.

"She thinks you're gonna leave her V, she's thinks you don't need her anymore and you're gonna dump her."

"Fuck, this isn't how it's supposed to be." Vince couldn't believe how things had turned out. He'd never wanted to hurt Chloe but it was obvious listening to Leon that was precisely that he'd done.

"So? What's happening V? Are ya gonna leave her?


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N – I know this is a short chapter but the next one is full of action, promise!**

Chapter 24

"Fuck." Vince so busy trying to get his head around the fact that he'd made Chloe cry that he didn't hear Leon's last question.

"Answer me, you bastard. Are you gonna leave Chloe or not?" Leon was fast losing his temper with Vince, he didn't know if he was being deliberately stupid or if he was just avoiding answering his question but he wasn't going to ask him again.

"Course I'm not gonna leave her, I've been trying to work out how to ask her to marry me."

"Then you'd better get your ass home and tell her that before she takes my advice and burns all your shit. She thinks you don't love her dawg."

Leon had barely finished his sentence before Vince ran to his car and screamed out of the carpark. How could Chloe think he didn't love her? She was the most important person in his life; he knew that he'd be dead by now if she hadn't come to the hospital to see him.

"CHLOE, CHLOE, WHERE ARE YOU?" Vince ran through the house trying to find Chloe. He loved her so much; he couldn't lose her, not now that he'd finally found the words to tell her how much he loved her.

"CHLOE, damnit will you answer me please?" Vince was starting to panic, he was making enough noise to wake the dead but Chloe hadn't answered him. What if she'd gone and he was too late? He didn't know what he'd do if she left him.

When Vince burst through the bedroom door he was stunned to see Chloe sitting on the bed staring at her hands.

"Chloe, baby what's wrong?" Vince was terrified; it was almost as if she was sleepwalking. Her eyes were open but he could tell she wasn't anywhere in the room with him.

"Chloe, baby please. Just tell me what's wrong." Vince carefully and slowly made his way over to where Chloe was sitting on the middle of the bed. "Chloe, please you're scaring me."

Chloe lifted her head and look at Vince, she seemed almost surprised to see him. "I thought you didn't love me any more. I thought you were going to leave me." Chloe's voice was barely a whisper but Vince heard every word she said. He could hear the pain in her voice and it nearly killed him to know that he'd hurt her so much.

"I'll never leave you baby, I love you. I need you. I'd die if I didn't have you in my life." Vince knew that this whole mess was his fault, if only he'd not spent so much time worrying about Chloe leaving him he wouldn't have made her think he didn't want to be with her anymore. He'd broken her heart and he'd spend the rest of his life trying to make it up to her.

"I know." Again, Chloe's voice was barely a whisper but this time she managed a weak smile.

"You know, what do you mean you know? Lee said you were crying in the office." Vince was really confused. Chloe had left the office in floods of tears convinced that he didn't love her anymore yet less than 30mins later she was telling him she knew that hew loved her.

"I found this." Chloe opened her hand to reveal a beautiful 3 carat princess cut diamond on a narrow platinum band.

"It was my moms, she left it to me when she died and told me to give it to the one girl I loved enough to marry." Vince moved off the bed and knelt down on one knee, "I love you Chloe and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"

Chloe didn't answer Vince straight away; instead she reached over behind her, picked up her phone and called the garage. When Leon answered she told him to get Brian and put the phone on speaker phone. Whilst Leon was getting Brian, Chloe switched her phone to speaker phone.

Once she was sure everyone was listening she lifted her hands to cup Vince's face and said,

"I love you too Coyote and Chloe Richards sounds perfect."

Neither Vince nor Chloe heard the cheers that came through the phone from the guys at the garage. They were too busy celebrating their engagement in a way that was starting to make Brian blush, until they put the phone down.

For the next few months R.O.A.M. built on their reputation for building and racing the best cars in LA. The team raced every weekend and soon became the dominant team. When they were racing cars that didn't come anywhere near the capabilities of the Skyline the team would race without NOS. Every week there were people queuing up to race them, there were always racers who thought they could beat them whether they used NOS or not and the team took great pleasure in wiping the floor with them. Vince had taken over organising the races and the team had taken over throwing the after race parties – it was almost as if Team Toretto had never existed.

Eventually the day came that no one on the team was looking forward to – the day the information for Race Wars arrived in the post.

Everyone had been through so much in the past 12mths and whilst they knew that they had to go back to Race Wars to confront a few demons no one was looking forward to it. With Samantha's help Leon was finally able to move on and leave behind his guilt over failing Jesse and Vince. Brian and Katy were still pretending they weren't serious about each other but as neither of them had even looked at anyone else in the time they'd been together and Katy had moved downstairs into Brian's room everyone knew it was only a matter of time before they stopped kidding themselves and accepted they were a couple.

Vince and Chloe had gone from strength to strength. Since he'd proposed the pair had spent many hours talking honestly about their feelings for each other. Vince loved hearing her say she loved him and Chloe needed the reassurance of him promising never to leave her. It seemed they both had emotional scars from past relationships and they needed time and understanding to get them to heal.

Since the confusion over how he felt for her Vince had promised that he'd never keep anything from Chloe ever again. A phone call from Hector prompted him to break that promise.

"Hey, Brotha, how's it goin'?" Hector wasn't looking forward to this conversation but he felt it only right to tell Vince what was going on.

"It's goin' man, its goin'. What can I do for ya?"

"I've just gotten off the 'phone with Dom, he's coming back for Race Wars man."

Vince felt his heart thud to a halt when Hector said that Dom was coming back, he'd always known he would but the longer he stayed away the more he allowed himself to think that he was never coming back to LA. He was coming back though, and he was going to be at to Race Wars. In 6 days he'd be coming face to face with the man he once thought of as his actual brother. He wanted to run, run so far away that Dom would never find him but he knew he couldn't do that to Chloe. She'd faced her worst nightmare when she saw her sister and ex husband at the races and it was his turn to face his. He was going to race Dom and win.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

As the team pulled through the gates of Race Wars every one of them was battling with their emotions. The boys were thinking back to the previous year – it had all been such a disaster and had been the beginning of the end of Team Toretto. Samantha was worried about Leon but she couldn't help but be excited. She'd got her own tent this year, last year she'd just been handing out flyers and she couldn't wait to show off her new designs to the crowds. Katy had never been to Race Wars before and couldn't wait to have a look around. Brian had promised her that he'd let her ride with him for one race and she couldn't wait. She'd been with Chloe on a practice run once and she didn't stop laughing for almost 10 minutes. She couldn't wait to find out what it was like in a proper race situation with NOS.

Chloe was excited to be there but she was also terrified. The previous year had been a complete disaster when Team Toretto was concerned and she wasn't sure if the boys were ready to face it all again. Vince had been very distant for the past few days and she knew that he was worrying about being back in the dessert. His nightmares had returned and she'd spent most of the past week holding him and reassuring him that everything would be ok. She was glad that Katy had moved downstairs with Brian as Vince's screams were enough to wake the dead. She had moved past her hatred of Dom and Mia for what they put Vince through but listening to him reliving it all again brought her feelings back to the surface. She couldn't help but hope that Team Toretto showed up at Race Wars, she was really looking forward to venting her anger.

R.O.A.M. drew the usual crowds as they pulled up to their camping area. There weren't that many R34 Skylines in America and to have 4 with matching paint jobs was a real sight to behold. Samantha had brought her truck, so that she could tow the trailer, and she'd painted it to match the Skylines. The only difference was she didn't have 'Mad Scientist Designs' anywhere on her truck. That honour was saved for the race cars.

The team weren't due to race until the following day so they decided to use the time to help Samantha in the Dynamite Graphics tent and soak up the atmosphere.

It was almost 2am when the team decided to call it a night – they'd been working for nearly 14 straight hours and Samantha had so much business that she wouldn't be able to take a day off for the next 9mths. She'd got so much work off the back of the advertising on the R.O.A.M. cars that she was already working flat out.

As Chloe and Vince walked back to the trailer she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. She'd felt someone staring at her all day but she'd convinced herself she was being paranoid, of course people were looking she was prancing around in almost nothing advertising Samantha's artwork, but this time it felt different. She could feel the hatred pouring off whoever was staring at her.

As the couple were approaching the trailer a figure moved from the shadows and stood between them and the door, effectively blocking their path.

"Vince – it's good to see you man."

"What the hell are you doing here Dominic?" Vince couldn't believe his eyes; Dom had just greeted him as if nothing had happened. The way Dom was acting you'd think it was a couple of days since they last saw each other not a year and certainly not having parted in such traumatic circumstances.

"We came to see you and Leon. See how you are." Dom was expecting Vince to be a little off with him when he first saw him but nothing had prepared him for the anger that was rolling off him. Surely he couldn't still be upset about the events of the previous year; it wasn't as if anyone had been seriously hurt. Sure Jesse had been killed but that wasn't his fault that was all down to Johnny Tran.

"Who's we?" Chloe had kept quiet up until Dom mentioned that he hadn't come by himself. She was almost certain that she knew who'd come with him but she needed him to tell her.

When Chloe spoke Dom just glared at her, he was still smarting from when she'd turned him down that time at the beach. He'd never been turned down by anyone until she came along and he'd hated her ever since.

"Me, Chloe. I came back with Dom."

Mia stepped out from the shadows behind Dom as she spoke. She'd relived every moment of the last conversation she'd had with Chloe all the way up from Mexico and she was terrified. Chloe had been so full of rage that she wouldn't be at all surprised if she ended up with a black eye at the end of this encounter.

"Why am I not surprised to see you? I should have known that where ever your dumb ass brother was you'd still be following along behind like a stupid dog." As soon as Chloe heard Mia's voice she'd felt all of her hatred for the girl returning – she'd abandoned V when he'd needed her the most and she'd never forgive her for that. "There's no way you'd have had the guts to do something by yourself."

"She's not worth it baby, just let it go." Vince knew exactly what Chloe was thinking and as much as he wanted to see her punish Mia for abandoning the team the previous year he also knew that Dom wouldn't stand for it.

"You'd better keep your woman under control V; no one talks to my sister like that."

"She might be my woman but no one controls her Dominic, and she's just saying what the rest of us are thinking." Vince had worked hard over the year that he'd been with Chloe to keep his temper under control. He wanted to be more than just a thug, an enforcer and felt that by not fighting anymore he was showing Chloe that he really was leaving Team Toretto behind him.

"What do you mean, 'just saying what the rest of you are thinking? We're your family V; you don't turn your back on your family." Dom wasn't happy with the new Vince, he was dressing differently, he held himself differently and he wasn't defending Mia as he always had.

"You have got to be fuckin' with me? You don't turn your back on your family! This coming from a man who ran off and left his best friend alone in hospital, his younger 'brother' dead and then lied to another friend about what had happened. You really are living in a dream world aren't you Dom. What's the matter? NOS fumes addled your brain? I mean where the hell do you get off talking like that? You ran to save your own skin and left V to take the fall for everything, you're just a coward." Chloe had moved away from Vince and was now standing toe to toe with Dom. He was a little shorter than she remembered but he still outweighed her by about 130lbs. One punch and she'd be in hospital for about a week but she was confident in her assumption that he wouldn't hit a woman.

"You're nothing Dom, you know that nothing. The only way you get any respect is by terrorising people and as for you Mia, you're just weak. You left me a fuckin' message on my answer phone telling me that Vince had been hurt. He looked after you for 2 years whilst Dom was in Lompoc but you never even called the hospital once to check up on him. Then you have the cheek to go on about family!" Chloe was really getting into it now, ranting and pacing whilst she shouted at Dom and Mia. Vince was aware they were drawing a crowd but unless security came over he wasn't going to do anything to stop her.

It reminded him of the time she'd flown at Dr Matthews in the hospital and he couldn't help but chuckle at the look on Dom's face. For once in his life he was speechless and Vince couldn't help but feel pride in the fact it was his woman that had gotten the better of Dom.

"What's going on dawg? We can hear Chloe half way across the site." Leon, Samantha, Brian and Katy had joined Vince and were standing watching Chloe go off at Dom and Mia.

"Shit, what're they doing here?" Brian couldn't believe it, the last time he'd seen Dom was when he handed over the keys to the Supra and although he'd spoken to him since then he was still more than a little afraid of what Dom would do to him when he saw him.

"Don't worry Bri; we've got your back." Vince knew that Brian was nervous about seeing Dom, after the way he'd tried to take him down but he also knew that Brian had done what he had to do and he'd defend him to the death if he had to against his former friend.

"Are we gonna stop her or are we just gonna stand here and let her go off at Dom all night?" As much as Leon was enjoying the show he knew that they had a busy day ahead of them and as Chloe was racing first thing she'd need a good nights sleep.

"We'd better get her, she'll still be here at sun up if we don't." Katy had witnessed one of Chloe's epic rants before and she knew that Chloe would keep going for hours if she wasn't stopped.

"I'll get her dawg; I want to say a few things to Dom myself." Leon had been carefully planning what he was going to say to Dom and now that he knew he wanted to get it over with so they could all get to bed. If he didn't get it over with he'd be up all night worrying.

Leon walked up behind Chloe and snagged her round the waist, pulling her close into his chest so he could whisper in her ear, "V's getting tired babe, he won't admit it but the day has really taken it out of him. I'll finish up here, you take your man to bed."

Dom wasn't sure what Leon had said to Chloe but her face instantly changed. Gone was the almost murderous anger, in its place was love and concern.

"Thanks Lee, I'll see you in the morning." Chloe gave Leon a soft kiss on his lips and turned to walk back towards Vince. He did look tired, it had been nearly a week since he'd slept properly and with all the hours he'd been putting in at the garage it was no wonder he was done in.

"Oh, I see how it is; you've got Leon running round after you as well have you? Let me guess, you're sleeping with Brian as well?" Mia was fuming, she couldn't believe it that Chloe was walked in and taken over the team the way she had. Mia had expected to be able to walk straight back in and be the most important female in the boys' lives and she wasn't at all happy that Chloe now had that role.

"You bitch." Mia's last comment pushed Chloe over the edge, she'd just about managed to keep herself under control until then but when Mia started spouting shit about Leon she lost it.

"Do you have any idea what you stupid little games did to Leon? You lied to him for 3 weeks about Jesse, and then when Dom decided to come clean you tried to stop him. Leon and Jesse knew each other a hell of a long time before you knew either of them yet you decided not to tell Leon about Jesse and Tran. He never even had a chance to say goodbye because you decided he didn't need to know. Well, let me tell you something Mia Toretto, if you ever try any of that shit with any of my boys again I'll beat you down so damn hard you won't get up for a week."

As much as Chloe wanted to hit Mia she also knew that she couldn't drive with a broken hand and the races were more important that shutting Mia up. There'd be plenty of time to slap Mia after she'd beaten her ass over the quarter mile.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The next morning, Vince and Leon were up early talking about Dom's reappearance. It had shaken the pair of them and they were both shocked by the depth of their hatred for the man. He'd been so important to them for so many years but seeing him the previous night had made them realise that they didn't need him to be a success, all they needed was themselves.

"Hi babe, you ok. You look a bit rough." Leon was shocked to see the state that Chloe was in. It was obvious that Vince not sleeping was starting to affect her as well.

"I'm alright Sweetie, just need some coffee and I'll be alright." In reality Chloe knew that it would take a lot more than coffee to make her feel better, she was exhausted and if she didn't get some sleep soon she was going to fall asleep behind the wheel.

"I'll get your coffee babe; sit yourself down on your man for a few minutes." Leon practically pushed Chloe at Vince as he walked past her to go and get her some coffee from one of the concession stands.

Vince wrapped his large arms around Chloe's slender frame and rested his chin on the top of her head. He knew that it was his fault she was so tired but he didn't know how to make it up to her. He knew that she wouldn't get any sleep until he did and he wouldn't until he spoke to Dom. He decided that when Leon came back he'd ask him to watch over Chloe whilst he went and saw Dom.

When Leon came back Chloe was fast asleep on Vince's lap. He wasn't far behind but he knew that he had to talk to Dom or this would be the only rest she'd be getting for the next few weeks.

"Can you take her for me Lee? I'm gonna go and talk some shit out with Dom." It took a few minutes to transfer Chloe over into Leon's arms and get her settled but she was soon fast asleep again, only this time it was Leon's arms wrapped around her. Snuggling in closer she murmured "I'm still not gonna kiss you" before she fell back to sleep.

"YO! Dominic, I want a word with you." Vince wasn't looking forward to having this conversation but he knew that it was better to get it over and done with.

"What's up V? Where that little hot head of yours?"

"I'm not here to talk about Chloe, Dom; I'm here to talk about me and you." Vince knew that he had to keep his temper under control; he'd promised Leon that he wouldn't start any shit without him there and as Leon was looking after Chloe he had to keep himself under control.

"The way she was talking last night, there is no you and I. What's she gonna think when she finds out you've come over to see me?" Dom was curious to find out what the deal was with Vince and Chloe. Last night she'd seemed to be the one in charge of the team yet Vince was now standing outside the Team Toretto trailer chatting as if nothing had happened. Of course, Dom was the only one who thought that the two old friends were having their usual conversation. It was so long since he'd actually paid attention to anything Vince had to say that he was missing all the subtle signs of a man barely managing to keep himself from killing someone.

"Like I said Dom, I'm not here to talk about Chloe so back off alright. I don't want to fall out with you any more than we already have but if you start talking shit about her then we'll do more than just fall out." Vince was trying so hard not to shout at Dom, he just wanted to say his piece and leave, if only Dom would shut up long enough for him to get his words out.

Dom was surprised by Vince's response – he'd never taken orders from a woman before and he couldn't understand why he was starting now. "Come on V, what's the deal with you two? And why's she draped all over Leon?" Dom had seen movement coming from the R.O.A.M. camp and when he looked up he'd seen Brian moving one of the large umbrellas so that it was covering Leon and Chloe, protecting them from the already burning sun.

"She's mine and I'm hers, that's all you need to know. Her and Leon bonded when he came back to find out about Jesse." Vince didn't feel right talking to Dom about Chloe and Leon, it was their business, hell even he didn't know exactly what they talked about when they disappeared for hours but he did know that Leon was almost back to his old self and a lot of that was down to Chloe. Samantha hadn't seen Leon when he first came back and Leon didn't want to talk to her about how he was then. It was a black time for everyone and no one liked to talk about it more than necessary.

"Look Dom, I've got some shit to say then I'm gonna leave ok. Just let me get this over with then I'll leave you alone." Vince was rubbing his arm self consciously, he'd seen Dom staring at the scars but he didn't want his pity.

"When Chloe turned up at the hospital I didn't know what the hell was going on. I didn't know anything about Jesse or where you all were, I didn't even know if I was going to be arrested. The police questioned her for 2 hours before they let her in to see me, she lied at every step and never once gave us up, even though she knew where you'd gone. She stayed with me for the whole 3 weeks and she did everything for me, and I mean everything. To start with I could barely move without help yet she had me up on my feet and walking by day 5. I mean, have you seen the size of her? She supported me very single fuckin' step of the way and I was a complete stranger. She gave up everything for me Dom, I do mean everything. Her college, her house, and her privacy, everything and she's never asked for anything in return."

Dom was starting to realise that things weren't going to go according to plan. Sure he'd got a couple of new team members but he'd come to Race Wars with the intention of getting Vince and Leon back on the team.

"We're a true team now Dom, we've got identical cars, we race when we want to and we split the winnings 50/50. Half goes to the driver and half into the team funds. We're happy man and while Lee and I are grateful for everything you've done for us we're nowhere near ready to forgive you. You split the team Dom, not me, not Leon and certainly not Brian, you."

"So its Brian now is it? He's a goddamn cop Vince, or have you forgotten that? He tried to send us down?" Dom was confused by Vince's change in attitude towards Brian, he'd always hated him yet he now raced with him and, from what Hector had said, co-owned a house and business with him.

"He saved my life Dom, and he came back for Jesse's funeral even though he expected me to beat the crap outta him." Vince didn't like thinking too much about his friendship with Brian, he hated being wrong more than anything else and he'd certainly been wrong about Brian.

"Goodbye Dominic, thanks for everything but it's time to leave our friendship in the past now." Vince turned on his heel and walked away from Dom. It hurt more than he thought it would do but he was glad he'd done it. He couldn't get back involved with Dom after everything that'd happened.

Brian and Vince got the cars ready for the morning's races while Leon was trapped under a sleeping Chloe. Vince didn't want to disturb her so he told Leon to just "sit back and enjoy it brotha" while he and Brian did the final last minute adjustments to the cars.

Samantha and Katy were working in her Dynamite tent but had promised they'd be there to watch the team racing.

An hour before she was due to race Leon woke Chloe up. "Come on babe, time to wake up sleepy head." Leon hated to wake her, he knew how tired she was but he wanted her to have a chance to have a shower and something to eat before she raced.

Chloe was ready with 10 minutes to spare; Vince and Brian had checked her car and had it waiting in the queue ready to race. Race wars was set up a little differently this year, there was a competition for overall team as well as King of the Desert.

The races went as smoothly as they'd all hoped they would, no last minute problems or unexpectedly close races and by the end of the day it was down to just Team Toretto and R.O.A.M. in the overall team competition. Dom had got two new drivers, Toby and Matt and Mia had taken Letty's place as Dom's right hand woman.

The team competition was set to be decided at 9pm so at 8.45 all the cars were lined up at the track. Mia nearly started crying when she saw 'mad scientist designs' on the back of the cars and for a moment Chloe felt sorry for her. That was until she remembered that she'd run off and left Jesse to die alone and had tried her best to prevent Leon from returning home.

Before they knew it, it was time for Mia and Chloe to race. Both girls pulled their cars up to the start line and waited for the 'go' signal. Mia was worried, she'd seen Chloe racing earlier on in the day and she couldn't help but think she was out of her depth. She was already outclassed by the car and she was worried that she was outclassed by the driver as well. Dom would never forgive her if she lost her race – 'Toretto's don't lose'. She'd gone to sleep hearing his words in her head every night for as long as she could remember.

When the starter dropped his arms, Chloe shot forward, easily taking first place from Mia. Chloe lead for the entire race, even Mia's shots of NOS weren't been enough to overtake Chloe. As Chloe neared the finish line she hit one of her NOS buttons. She didn't normally bother if she was already winning and the other car had used both shots of NOS but she wanted to make the winning margin as large as possible.

Vince was waiting for Chloe when she brought the car back to the start line.

"You won baby, I'm so proud of you." Vince had grabbed Chloe the instant she stepped out of her car and lifted her clean of her feet. She didn't have any choice other than to wrap her legs around his waist and hook her arms behind his head.

"Are you gonna kiss me or do I have to get Leon to do it?"

"Ya know, if I was the jealous type I'd have to wonder what the two of you get up to and talk about when you're alone." Vince was only joking but he couldn't help wish that Chloe would tell him what they spoke about – he felt as if it was a part of Chloe's life that she was keeping him away from and if he was honest with himself he didn't like it.

"I don't talk baby, he does. I just listen." Chloe knew that Vince was just curious but she'd always promised Leon that she'd never repeat what he said to her. He was worried about appearing weak in front of the others and he knew they had enough of their own demons to deal with; they didn't need his as well.

"V, can I talk to you please?"

Vince looked over Chloe's shoulder to see Mia standing there. She was looking at him the same way that Chloe looked at him only he knew that Mia was faking.

"What do you want Mia?" Vince really wasn't in the mood to talk to Mia, Brian was due to be racing one of Dom's new guys in a few minute and he wanted to be able to give Chloe a long, hard kiss before watching Brian race.

"Can we talk somewhere more private please V? I don't want to say this in front of everyone." Mia knew it was going to be difficult to convince Vince that she did love him, she'd spent so many years pushing him away and now that she was all alone she wanted Vince.

"Put me down baby, maybe I can get Mia to understand that you're not interested anymore." Chloe's feet had barely touched the ground before she swung round and punched Mia right in the middle of her face. The loud crack and pouring blood made it obvious that Chloe had broken her nose.

"You fuckin' bitch, I told you before V, keep your woman under control." Dom was furious – Chloe had actually hit Mia and not just a girly slap either. A full on, broken nose punch that Dom knew would have hurt Chloe as well, even though she showed no sign of it. "God, Mia are you alright, let me look at you?"

"He's mine for life Mia, so either you accept that and move on or get used to having your nose broken. No one fucks with what's mine and gets away with it. He loves me Mia and I love him, so walk away now while you've still got most of your dignity intact." Chloe really hadn't wanted to hit Mia, she hated having to resort to physical violence but subtle hints hadn't worked so more direct action was needed.

"Come on Bri, you're up man. Do us proud." It was all Vince could do not to applaud Chloe's outburst. He'd have been very surprised if Mia had made it through the weekend without being hurt and he was just grateful that Chloe had waited till she'd finished racing before she'd hit her.

Brian won his race, as did Leon which left just Dom and Vince to race. R.O.A.M. had already won the overall team title and if Vince beat Dom and was quicker than Leon had run he'd be the King of the Desert.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N – I'd just like to say a special thank you to my very dear friend and fellow shotgun fanatic, the beautiful Ms Hope. The support you've given me over the course of this story has been fantastic, I couldn't have done it without you babe. I'd like to recommend her stories - "Makeshift Beds and Morphine" and "On The Way Down", two fantastic pieces of TFATF fanfiction that are well worth reading.**

**Thanks to everyone who's read Moving On, I hope you've all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**So, without further ado, here it is – the final chapter in this tale of Chloe and Vince, for anyone who's interested their story will be continued in my new fic "Karma."**

Chapter 27

By the time Vince and Dom were ready to race pretty much every racer that was on site was crowded round to watch. This race was the showdown of the weekend and something everyone had been talking about since the word went out that Dom was back.

Vince knew he was a good racer but he couldn't help feel nervous about racing Dom. For years everyone had told him that Dom was a better racer and that Dom was unbeatable – he just hoped that for once everyone was wrong.

"What do you think Sweetie, can he beat Dom?" Chloe was worried about Vince going up against Dom. She knew how much it meant to him and she wasn't sure if he was setting himself up for a fall or not. She figured that if anyone knew if Vince could win or not Leon would.

"He can babe, but whether he will or not, I don't know. I mean he should win, he's got the better car and he's got years of being overlooked to drive him but I don't know if that's enough." Leon would have loved nothing more than to be able to tell Chloe that Vince would beat Dom but the truth was this was one race that was to close to call.

"Vince, come here a sec?"

"What's the matter baby? Is everything ok?" Vince had been in the middle of double checking his NOS tanks when Chloe called him over to the trailer.

"I just want to tell you something." Chloe knew how nervous Vince was about racing Dom and desperately wanted to be able to put his mind at rest.

"You know that I love you don't you. Your mine and I'm yours, and that'll never change." Leon had told Chloe about a girl that had been interested in Vince until he lost a race to Dom and then switched her attentions to Dom. "It doesn't matter to me if you beat Dom or not, as long as you have the best race you can and you come back to me in one piece. I love you Vince and I need you."

"But it matters to me, I've spent most of my life being second to Dom and this is my last chance to prove I'm better than him." Vince knew what he was trying to say, but he couldn't find the words.

"But you are better than him, baby. I mean look at how you've been about Brian. Dom still wants to kill him but you've forgiven him, hell I'd even go so far as to say you two are friends now."

Vince couldn't help but laugh at that comment; he and Brian had developed a strong friendship over that past few months and even though he was still bothered by the way they'd met he'd never forget what Brian had done for him.

"You're more popular at the races than Dom was, the business is more successful than DT Automotive was and you're surrounded by people who love you and trust you. Mia is only with Dom because he's her brother and Toby and Matt are just employees."

"She's right ya know dawg." Leon and Brian had come into the trailer to tell Vince that the race was due to start in 5 minutes and had overheard what Chloe was saying.

"Then let's do it." Vince was still nervous about racing his old friend but he knew deep in his heart that he had what it took to beat him.

As he and Chloe walked round the back of his car, he suddenly stopped and stared at the trunk. It was almost as if he was seeing the artwork for the 1st time.

"I'm gonna do this for Jesse." Vince had suddenly realised the huge advantage he had over Dom. He was driving a car that Jesse had designed whereas Dom had built his new car after Jesse had died. It didn't matter how good Dom was with cars, he was nowhere near as good as Jesse and that would be his downfall.

The race was every bit as tight as the crowd expected. First Vince lead, then Dom did. It looked as if it would be a dead heat when Dom used his first shot of NOS. It was then that Vince knew the victory was his, Dom had used his NOS far too early.

Vince kept his foot right down, confident in the abilities of his car and waited until he'd caught up with Dom before he used his first shot of NOS. He sped past Dom and pressed the other red button. Before Dom had even had a chance to react to Vince's first burst of speed, Vince was virtually flying. He crossed the finish line way ahead of Dom to the huge cheers of the entire crowd – Vincent Richards was the new King of the Dessert.

It had been 4 days since Vince's victory at Race Wars; Dom had driven straight back to his trailer, grabbed his stuff and left without a word to anyone. Not even Mia knew that he'd gone until she came back from the first aid tent and found his car and bags missing.

Back at the beach house the party was still going on. At one point they'd had over 200 people there and not for the 1st time Chloe was grateful that the house was so big and right on the beach. At least with the beach being there, the house wasn't full of people all the time.

Vince was still riding high on the thrill of having beaten Dom. He'd never known that a single victory could be so good and having Chloe by his side to help him celebrate had just made it all the better. He was still concerned though, the Dom he knew wouldn't just give up and leave like that and he was sure that he hadn't seen the last of Dominic Toretto.

Vince's fears were confirmed when he had a phone call from Hector.

"Hey man, listen I've had a call from Dom. He wants to race you tonight." Hector couldn't believe it when Dom had called him, he'd told him the last time that he wasn't going to play go-between with him and Vince but as usual Dom didn't listen.

"What else did he say Hector?" Vince knew that there must have been more to the conversation; there was no way that Dom wouldn't have told Hector what they were racing for.

"He wants everything – your team, cars, the garage and the house. He also said that when you lose you'll be banned from racing anywhere in California, including Race Wars."

"Confident bastard isn't he? What makes him think he'll beat me? He didn't at Race Wars? Vince was having a hard time keeping control – who the fuck did Dom think he was making demands like that?

"He's racing a Skyline man, just like yours. He said you only beat him at Race Wars because of the car. I'm sorry man." Hector was glad that he'd decided to call Vince and tell him of Dom's call and not tell him in person. He couldn't even begin to imagine how much pain he'd be in now if he'd gone round – Vince was furious and when Vince was mad people got hurt.

"And if I don't take accept?"

"Then he'll tell the police about what happened with the trucks – he'll send you, Leon and Brian to jail."

"Tell him I'll accept." As much as Vince wanted to walk away from this bet he couldn't if there was any chance of Dom going to the police. After slamming the phone down Vince headed downstairs to tell the team what he'd just agreed to.

"What's the worst thing that happens? If you lose we simply pack up and start somewhere else."

"How the fuck can you be so calm Chloe, he wants everything we're worked for?" Vince couldn't understand Chloe's reaction; anyone would think there was just $50 involved, not millions of dollars.

"Because it doesn't matter what he takes he'll never have what we've got. Sure he'd have the cars, but he wouldn't have you, Leon or Brian to drive them. He'd have the house but he'd never be able to make it a home and it's you guys that's made the business so successful – without you 3 he'll be left with a building with huge overheads and no way of making money."

"She's right dawg; if Dom wins we'll simply move on someplace else and start over. We've done it before, we can do it again." When Leon had heard what car Dom would be racing he knew it would a damn close race. He wasn't sure if Vince had it in him to win but he knew that if he was worrying about what would happen if he lost, it would only distract him.

"You've beaten him before V, you can beat him again."

"Brian's right, baby. Now how about we stop worrying and get ready. We've only got 2 hours and it takes Leon at least that long to do his hair!" It had become a standing joke within the team that Leon had been paying more attention to his appearance since he met Samantha. Gone were the days when he'd throw on whatever was clean and clothes shopping brought him out in a rash.

When the team pulled up at the warehouse Dom was already there. Vince had deliberately left it until the last possible minute before leaving so that R.O.A.M. arrived last. He knew how much it had annoyed the other racers when they did that with Team Toretto and he wanted to make Dom wait. Let him realise that he wasn't the most important racer in LA anymore.

"OK guys, let's do it." Vince tried to sound confident as the team walked towards Hector and Dom, he knew that if he didn't appear confident Dom would have the race in the bag.

"YO! Hector! This is how it's gonna go." When Dom saw that Vince and the others had arrived he fell back into the usual routine of organising the races and the bets.

"I think you'll find that it's up to Vince to organise things now Dom. You lost that right when you fucked off to Mexico and left him." Leon hadn't had the opportunity to talk to Dom at Race Wars and he was determined to tell him how he felt.

"You abandoned him dawg, you left Jesse dying on the sidewalk then lied to me for weeks. He was practically my brother man, and you lied to me. You should've died you fucker, not Jess."

Dom had never seen Leon so angry before, he was always the calm one in the team but right now he was behaving like Vince.

"He's not worth it Lee, he wasn't then and he's not now." Chloe could see the pain in Leon's eyes whenever he spoke about Jesse dying. It still cut him up that he hadn't been there for him or the funeral and that was something he'd always blame Dom for.

"Listen up Toretto, this is how it's gonna go. You win; you get the cars, business and house. We'll leave California and never come back. Vince wins; you fuck off back to Mexico and never come back." Chloe had heard the huge gasp that went through the crowd when she'd laid down the terms of the bet. Everyone knew that R.O.A.M. Precision Racing was the most successful garage in LA and the house was worth millions.

"Then we race. Mia holds the money, or in this case the deeds to the business and house." Dom was already planning on what he'd do with the business; he'd driven past it the previous day and was quietly impressed with what he'd seen.

"Fine, 'cause fuck knows it's the closest she'll ever get to owning them." Chloe had every confidence in Vince's driving – she knew that he could beat Dom and final lay to rest the ghosts associated with Team Toretto.

Vince and Dom were side by side on the start line. Dom had already set his NOS tanks and Vince was busy getting his ready.

"Beat his ass baby and remember - I love you." Chloe had her head in Vince's car, leaning through the window. Leon was standing beside her and Brian was crouched down by the open passenger door.

"As Dom once said to me, smoke him."

"Don't forget dawg, this is one of Jesse's cars – built to decimate all."

"Scanners are all clear." When the team heard Edwin call all clear on the scanners they moved away from the cars, leaving only Hector standing in the middle of the road with his arms raised.

"GO!" He'd barely got his arms down by his sides when the two Skylines passed him. The noise from the engines was almost deafening but you could just about hear the pulsing beat of Vince's sound system, 'Opticon' by Orgy was playing full volume.

The cars were side by side as they sped towards the finish line, neither driver wanting to be the first one to press the little red button. Vince would edge ahead, then Dom would, then Vince again. Dom knew that Vince had always been an impatient driver and was sure that he'd hit his NOS first. Confident that all he had to do was wait, he planted his foot to the floor and stayed just behind Vince.

Vince knew what Dom was thinking, he'd always been one to use NOS too early but driving with Brian had taught him to keep his cool and not panic.

With just 2 seconds left Vince hit first one red button, then the other. Jesse had designed the cars to be able to handle two virtually simultaneous shots of NOS, something that no other cars could do.

"FUCK." Dom couldn't believe what he was seeing; Vince had crossed the finish line ahead of him.

"I believe those are mine." When Chloe saw Vince win, she snatched the paperwork from Mia and handed it to Samantha. "I'd run if I were you Mia, 'cause if you're still there when I reach 5 I'll give you that beating I owe you. 1, 2, 3" Chloe didn't get past 3 before Mia turned tail and ran back to her car.

"Why didn't you stop her Samantha? I was looking forward to kicking her ass." Katy couldn't help but laugh at Chloe's comment. Chloe really wasn't that violent but she was like a lioness with her family.

"Are you gonna kiss me or do I have to get Leon to do it?"

"You know, that I would pay to see." Chloe couldn't help but laugh at Vince's comment. He'd leapt from his car and pushed through the usual racer skanks to get to Chloe.

"Hey, what is it with all this kissing Leon? If anyone's gonna kiss him, it'll be me." Samantha had overheard Vince's comment about kissing Leon and felt the need to stake her claim.

"Don't worry baby, I wouldn't wanna kiss Vince anyway – too damn hairy for my taste."

Chloe was still laughing at Vince's comment when he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. Wrapping her legs round his waist she leant down to whisper in his ear.

"I'm so proud of you V, now put me down before I throw up – whoever called it 'morning sickness' was wrong, try 'all day sickness'."

"Morning sickness? We're having a baby?" Vince couldn't quite believe it, he'd known that Chloe had been feeling tired and had been sick a lot but he hadn't wanted to believe it was because she was pregnant – he couldn't be that lucky.

"Yeah, in about 6mths." Chloe had been trying to find the right moment to tell Vince but with Race Wars and everything she'd not been able to. She figured that now was the perfect time.

"I'M GONNA BE A DADDY!" Vince was so excited he wanted to tell everyone, he'd always wanted a family of his own and now it was actually happening.

"Congratulations dawg, just don't expect us to change any diapers!" Leon knew he was speaking for the rest of the team when he spoke. Chloe and Vince were made for each other and having a baby could only cement their relationship.

"I guess I'll be seeing you around then, Vince."

"No Dom you won't. You're gonna get in your car and drive away. You're banned from all Californian races as of now." Vince was so excited about being a daddy that not even Dom's reappearance at the start line could put a damper on things.

"Leon, hand me the envelope in the glove box would ya?"

"Here you go Dom, these are for you?" Vince upended the envelope and let the contents spill out on the floor.

"What is it V?" Dom was confused, scattered across the tarmac was a bunch of keys and some pieces of paper.

"The past Dom, those are our keys to our cars, the garage and the fort and the pink slips as well, they all yours Dominic, the whole lot."

"But V, we're family." Dom couldn't believe what he was hearing. Even Letty hadn't left her keys behind when she left him but Vince and Leon were giving him everything back. For the 1st time he started to think that they weren't going to rejoin Team Toretto.

"We were family Dom and for a long time it was good but you blew it. I've got a new family now, one of my very own and I wouldn't trade that for the world. Now I suggest you pick up your shit and leave, you're not welcome here anymore."

"OH SHIT, WE GOT COPS! COPS! COPS!"

"PARTY AT THE BEACH HOUSE." Vince was really looking forward to tonight's party, he and Chloe had a baby on the way, the business was a huge success and after tonight's race he truly was 'King of the Streets'.

The end


End file.
