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Five Times Dom Thought He'd Die Before Having Met His Soulmate and the One Time He Realized He Had Been Blind
As a kid Dom had been scared by the concept of soulmates and marks. It wasn’t until he turned four that he asked his mother about the scar on her wrist that read You’re different. She had smiled and told him everything.
“Somewhere in the world is the one person who is meant to be with you. And once you’ve found that special someone, both of you will get a mark.
After realizing I’ve fallen in love with your father, the first words I told him appeared as a mark on my wrist. That’s how it always works; the one of you who will die first, gets his mark with the first words they spoke to their other half after realizing they’ve fallen for them.”
Dom stared down at the lines and touched them with a look of wonder on his face. “So, that’s what you said to Daddy? What’s his mark say?”
She smiled wider. “He doesn’t have one yet.”
“Why not?” Dom asked confused.
“Because as I said, it only works like that for the one who’ll die first; the Empowered. Your father is the other half; a Recipient. He will get his mark the precise moment, I’ll die. And it will be the last words I’ve spoken to him."
Back then it had been a shock for him to hear her speak so calmly about her own death. But she had been so joyful about it, like it was the best thing in the world to happen to her. Shortly after making friends with Letty, he would run up to the bathroom and check himself over in the mirror almost every few days. But there was never a mark on his skin. When they had finally got together six years later, Dom had talked to her about it, asking if she had a mark. She didn’t, but she didn’t seem worried about it.
Just told him she didn’t believe in destiny and all that crap.
She wasn’t wrong. Their soulmate wasn’t the only person they could fall in love with, just the one some higher entity seemed to prefer. And soon he had begun to detest the idea of finding his soulmate; of not having a say in who he loved.
He still remembered the way his father had looked at the mark that had appeared on his collarbone the moment Dom’s mother died.
Like something of him had died along with her.
So in the end Dom was glad that he hadn’t met his soulmate. He loved Letty and he was content with that.
He didn’t need someone else to mess this up. Or that’s what he thought at least…
(1)
Dom sees Brian’s eyes widen in horror, something he has never seen on the other man’s face and he knows he is screwed. Before he can even turn his head around, something crashes into the Charger and suddenly he is flying. Actually he is spinning, but for the fraction of a second his vehicle is sailing through the air as though it weighs nothing. Then the car hits the ground hard and Dom is sure this is it. The landing is so hard, his vision turns black for a moment and his senses overload at the sound of distorting metal.
When the car has stopped turning he is surprised to see he is still alive. He is panting hard and only now does he notice the sharp pain in his arm as well as a throbbing in his head.
“Dom!” he hears a familiar voice screaming and Brian emerges from the smoke clouding Dom’s vision.
Dom just sits there, trying to calm his rapid breathing while Brian is watching him from the side like he is waiting for Dom to collapse.
“That’s not what I had in mind.” Dom tells him in a weak attempt of humor, but it comes out more like an apology.
Brian says nothing, just continues to look at Dom with concern in his eyes. Dom grips the car’s frame and hauls himself out. Halfway through he feels Brian’s hand at his waist steadying him and the touch is surprisingly soothing. Unconsciously he leans into it, letting Brian set him upright. Dom clutches his battered arm, wondering briefly if it is broken. He has been lucky, the crash could have killed him.
His thoughts are interrupted by the distant sound of sirens and he remembers that he is standing next to a cop. So that’s it, he is going back to jail. He is too hurt to put up a fight or run, Brian would be able to overpower him in a matter of seconds.
Suddenly Dom wishes the accident had killed him. It would have been better than going back into jail. He turns his eyes away from Brian, but even as he stares ahead, he can feel the other man’s gaze on him. Dom is itching to meet it, but he fights the urge.
Brian is a cop. He has betrayed Dom, Mia, all of them. Dom doesn’t want to look at the man he had previously considered a friend and see a traitor now. Still, he has saved Vince’ life, so maybe Dom’s insight into human nature isn’t all that bad.
The jangling of keys brings his attention back to said man.
Brian holds out the Supra’s keys towards him, an unmistakable gesture.
Dom meets Brian’s gaze in surprise, not sure what to expect, but certainly not the raw warmth and determination in them when he takes the keys. The weight of his gaze is crushing and makes Dom feel strangely exposed.
“You sure about this?” he asks, but he isn’t actually expecting Brian to back-pedal now.
Brian’s gaze changes slightly, still warm but with a hint of desperation that Dom can’t place. It is unnerving and Dom feels the need to both flee as well as stay tear at him.
“I still owe you a ten second car.”
Brian’s voice sounds strangely off as though his words carry more meaning than he admits. Dom is sure that’s true, after all it is kind of a shitty explanation for the fact that a cop is letting a criminal go.
But the sirens are getting louder and Dom has to accept he will probably never find out. He just nods and turns, leaving the demolished Charger and Brian behind as he gets into the car he and Brian have worked on so hard. It feels strange being the one in the driver’s seat; that is Brian’s place after all. Dom doesn’t waste another second and drives away not daring to look back.
(2)
“Dominic Toretto, you are hereby sentenced to serve at the Lompoc maximum security prison system without the possibility of early parole. This court is adjourned.”
The words hit Dom like a brick wall. He knew he shouldn’t have allowed himself to hope for anything else. Even with Brian coming down for him, the court can’t ignore his criminal record.
Dom turns to Mia, catching her eyes and hoping she understands how sorry he is for this mess. She looks like she wants to cry. Dom looks at her just in time to see Brian standing up and leaving the room. His shoulders are squared and he makes the impression like he is fighting the urge to hit something.
Mia comes over to Dom to say goodbye and now she is crying when she hugs him tight. They both wait for Brian to come back, but he never shows.
Dom keeps hoping for Brian to turn up until he enters the bus to prison. He wants to have a proper closure.
They are driving mostly in silence, the mood subdued.
So this is it. He will spend the rest of his life in prison.
He just hopes Brian will stay this time and watch out for Mia. The last few days have felt like the five years in between had vanished and Dom had started to think that Brian O’Conner, the cop and now FBI agent, isn’t so much different from the Brian Spilner, he had befriended back then. It is a strangely comforting thought.
He wonders if either Brian or Mia have got a mark by now.
Dom asked his sister after her first date with Brian, but she denied it.
Dom wonders if that has changed by now. After all she had only known Brian Spilner. Both of them have grown over the years, but they still found each other again five years later. Now that Mia knows the real Brian, maybe one of them has a mark. He makes a mental note to ask her as soon as he will be allowed to call.
It would calm his mind if it turns out to be the case, because he is sure Brian won’t leave her if they are soulmates. Then again, Brian seemed pretty serious about it this time, so they probably don’t even need a mark.
The familiar roaring of a car and the nervous mumbling of the other passengers catches his attention.
Dom freezes and his eyes catch sight of a black Acura NSX at the right side of the bus, all he can see from the driver a mane of long dark hair. But it is the low purr from the other side that he recognizes without having to look at it. And there is only one person he knows who has the balls to drive Dom's Dodger. He can’t fight the grin spreading on his face. Trust Brian to throw everything in the wind for Dom. Some things never seem to change…
(3)
“We’re not going to make it.” Brian states matter-of-factly and Dom has to agree. The police is right behind them and with the vault slowing them down, they won’t be able to outrace them.
It is over. But that doesn’t mean he is going to let Brian get taken too.
“You’re right, we aren’t. You are.”
“What are you talking about?” Brian replies and Dom can hear fear creeping into his voice.
Dom swallows hard. Brian is going to hate him for what he is about to do. “You’re a father now, Brian.”
“No, I’m not leaving you!” Brian shouts furiously. “Now you stick with the plan!”
“It was always the plan. Take care of Mia.” Dom tells him and tries to keep his voice neutral. If this doesn’t work, he’ll die and if it is, he is going to jail for the rest of his life. He isn’t sure which outcome he prefers.
“Dom, you listen to me now!” Mia begs with breaking voice through the walkie-talkie. “You cut loose right now.”
Dom hates doing this to her, to both of them, but there is no way he is going to let his niece or nephew grow up without a father.
He hits the button to disconnect the cable from Brian’s car.
The next minute he doesn’t allow himself to think about either Mia or Brian, his focus entirely on taking the cars out.
When it’s over, Dom is genuinely surprised that it worked and he’s still alive. He gets up from the ground, but his attention is drawn to the destroyed car in front of him. Hernan Reyes’ right-hand man gets out, blood on his forehead and limping but still very much alive. Dom’s eyes widen and he flinches at the gun going off. For a millisecond he expects pain, but then the guy in front of him is the one to drop dead.
Dom turns and feels a mix of relief and anger at the sight of Brian with his gun raised. Dom watches him with tight-clipped lips. Did he seriously expect that stubborn son of a bitch to listen to him? He should have known better.
“I thought I told you to go on.”
A small smile plays on Brian’s lips. “Yeah, I had to make a call.”
To Dom it sounds almost like an inside joke.
(4)
“Ride or die.” Dom says, head turned towards Brian on the passenger seat in a silent challenge.
When Brian meets his gaze, he looks determent, just like Dom expected him to be. “Ride or die.”
He can feel Letty’s confused eyes burning into him from behind. She’s probably wondering what all this is about. After all he told her the very same thing when he tried to stir up some buried memories in her. He’s not sure himself why he needed to say them to Brian.
He dodges the cars in his way before flooring the gas pedal and driving up the tailgate of the plane. He gets a glimpse of Mia further in the back and can feel Brian tense up next to him. Both of them don’t even flinch when their car hits Riley full frontal before Dom slams the brakes and the car comes to a halt.
Dom gets out, his attention solely on Owen Shaw as he fires his gun. Shaw is running further back, the wooden boxes making him a bad aim for Dom and moments later Dom has lost him. Instead he gets attacked by a bulky guy, one of Shaw’s men obviously.
He tries to land a few punches, but instead he gets thrown around like a rag doll. When Dom gets up, he sees movement from the corner of his eyes and when he turns toward the scenery, he sees Brian on the ground, a dark figure right in front of him.
When Dom straightens, he sees it's Shaw with a bar in his hand standing over Brian, ready to strike.
Dom’s brain short-cuts at the panic rising inside of him. A memory flashes before his eyes, him asking Brian if either he or Mia had got a mark.
Brian had looked at him for a long moment before telling him that he indeed had a mark now. Dom had nodded and let it go after that. He didn’t want any details. It was strange enough to know Brian was going to be the one dying before Mia.
Dom pushes the memory away. He won’t let Brian die and leave Mia and Jack alone, not yet.
“NO!” he hears Mia screaming in horror and without thinking he lunges himself at the guy standing between him and Shaw. Both of them crash to the ground hard and Dom uses the few seconds he has bought to look at Mia and Brian.
“Go!” he shouts and they obey, heading for a car behind them. Dom scrambles away when a wooden box falls down and breaks his visula contact to them. He trusts that Brian will get Mia to safety.
Shaw stands up from the ground, grabbing the rod he dropped and aims for Dom.
Dom's too fast though and manages to hit Shaw several times before the other guy tears him away from Shaw. Dom expects pain, but suddenly Hobbs appears out of nowhere, blocking the punch.
Finally their forces are balanced. Dom focuses on Shaw, both of them going at it with all they got. It doesn't take long for Dom to notice that Shaw's moves are too rehearsed, relying heavily on footwork and practiced steps rather than pure force. It makes Shaw a skilled opponent, but also predictable.
Dom catches Shaw's leg – which was aiming for his stomach with enough force to rupture something severe – in his arms and uses that power to spin him around, throwing his opponent into the wooden box behind him.
He sees Hobbs and the other guy still fighting, both of them evenly matched as it seems and grabs the latter from behind, giving Hobbs the opening to go for him full force. When the guy goes down and doesn't stand up again, Dom and Hobbs share a brief look of gratitude.
Then they're both searching for Letty, the last one of their team still on the plane. They find her only seconds later fighting Riley and Hobbs grabs a shotgun lying next to him, throwing it to Letty.
“Wrong team, bitch!” she says and Dom has to suppress a smile at her familiar tone. She fires, hitting Riley in the guts who disappears as the force throws her off the plane.
Dom pulls Letty up, quickly checking her for injuries, just as he feels the plane going back down.
Hobbs, still at the open emergency escape turns back to them. “We gotta move, it's going down.”
“Go!” Dom orders and Hobbs jumps.
Dom pulls at Letty's arm. “Go! Now!”
She hesitates until Hobbs calls for her, urging her on. When she's on Tej's jeep as well, Dom prepares to follow her.
“Come on!” Letty shouts.
Dom's head moves to the side briefly, just as he wants to jump. Shaw comes into his line of vision and Dom freezes. That man had threatened his family. He had kept Letty away from him. He had kidnapped Mia. And he had almost killed Brian.
Dom knows it's suicide, but he can't think rational any longer. He turns away from the exit and goes for Shaw who opens the door of a car, obviously trying to flee the sinking ship. Or sinking plane in this case.
Dom gets in from the other side, hitting Shaw in the jaw hard.
They fight over the suitcase for a few moments when Dom notices that the plane is rising again and the tailgate is closing. He needs to get out immediately. When the car starts rolling Dom throws himself off the vehicle and he watches as it his the tailgate and Shaw is thrown through the windshield and off the plane, disappearing into the dark of the night.
Dom lets out the breath he's been holding and stumbles back onto his feet, just as the plane goes back down and a jolt goes through it.
When the plane crashes down, Dom is thrown off his feet and he wonders if that’s how he’s going to die, consumed by flames as the plane catches fire quickly. He pushes the thought away and gets into one of the remaining functioning cars. His eyes are burning and he has trouble breathing through the smoke when he starts the engine.
When he crashes through the wall of metal and fire, his senses are overwhelmed by the onslaught of sensations, foremost heat, smoke and pain. For a moment he thinks he’s not going to make it, but then the flames fade and his car hits the road hard. He doesn’t get the chance to feel relieved, because the car is out of his control, still too slow and before it can pick up speed, it flips and Dom is grateful that he put on the seat belt, because otherwise he’d really be dead by now.
When the vehicle has eventually stopped moving, Dom feels like he’s been whipped over the head. He’s probably got a concussion, but he can’t bring himself to care. He needs to know if the rest of his family made it out as well.
He gets out of the car, careful with his steps because he’s off balance. When he rounds the burning plane next to him, the very first thing he sees is Letty walking up to him, looking relieved. When she’s standing in front of him, he hesitates unsure how to proceed, because with her memories still missing he’s not sure what’s okay and what’s not. But then she’s the one to initiate the hug and he sags against her, feeling so tired all of a sudden.
While he is holding Letty, his eyes scan over the others briefly before settling on Mia who has her arms around Han. Brian is standing behind her and Dom is too far away to see his expression properly.
His guts freeze and he realizes something’s terribly wrong when Mia has let go and now Brian is the one to pull Han into a tight hug and the later holds on to him like Brian is his lifeline, his body shaking as he sobs into Brian's shoulder.
Dom doesn’t need to see or ask to know Han’s just got his mark.
(5)
The darkness is like a balm to his pain and Dom lets himself sink deeper into it, his brain floating blissfully. Some part of it tries to ring the alarm bells because he’s dying, but he is too far gone to grasp the thought. He doesn’t know how long it takes, but after some time, his brain seems to sober enough to notice he still isn’t really dead. He’s stuck and no matter how much he wants to give in and just let it all end, something won’t let him. Then his dizziness is disturbed by a sudden warmth at the center of his chest. It’s burning through the darkness adamantly and Dom feels it pulling at him. At first he marvels at the force behind it and keeps wondering why it feels kind of familiar, but then he tries to help along, tries to surface from the darkness.
When he does, he’s back in the world of pain. He can hear voices, but he’s still too far out to place them. But what he notices is that the warmth is still there and coming from something on his chest and it almost hurts now. A firm touch. A hand forcefully pressing down on his chest in a fast rhythm. Dom wants to tell that person to stop - he feels like he’s cracked a rib – but his mouth still doesn’t work. He concentrates on the warmth instead.
He wonders if he’s cold. He doesn’t feel like it, but the hand pressing down – bringing him back to life, he corrects himself – is unbelievably warm. Dom has no doubt that he would fall back into the darkness if that hand let go of him.
“Come on, buddy! Dom, come on!” one of the voices shouts right above him and it’s the first time Dom registers that all of the voices are talking to him.
“You breathe into him!” the same voice commands and suddenly there’s a different warmth on his mouth.
Dom is so thrown off by it, wondering what’s going on and why he can’t wake up fully that he misses the next few seconds. Until the warmth on his chest disappears and Dom can feel that comforting presence hovering over him leave. Dom wants to complain, but he’s still unable to move. He feels a sharp sting where the warmth has been and even though it hurts, it at least holds the darkness at bay.
“Dom, baby!” Another voice close to him sobs and Dom knows it’s Letty. “I know you’re hurting right now. But I want you to listen. Stay awake and focus on me.” It takes a lot of effort to stay conscious, but she sounds so devastated that Dom feels the need to try. The sharp sting deepens like it wants to help pushing him to the surface.
“I remember everything. It came to me like a flood. That night, in the Dominican Republic. The night we got married.”
Her words manage to stir up images, a memory. Her hold on him tightens.
“If you die, I die. And I’m not ready to leave this place yet.”
It sounds awfully close to a command and Dom has never been good at rejecting her anything. He focuses on her touch and the restlessness, putting all his efforts in pulling himself back to his family.
When Letty continues, Dom can feel her breath on his face and her desperation through the tight hold of her arms. She’s holding him over the edge, but Dom can still feel himself slipping again. But just as his senses seem to numb and he can’t tell anymore if she’s still holding him, he feels a burning gaze on him. Dom may not be able to open his eyes, but he stills shifts his last bit of consciousness towards it, recognizing the warmth from earlier. He doesn’t want it to leave and reaches out to it mentally. As though it has waited for his permission, it wraps around him, enveloping Dom. It manages to secure him like an anchor and then it pulls with startling force. Dom has just enough time to recognize it as Brian before he’s finally breaking the surface.
He can’t leave. Those who love him won’t let him.
Letty’s voice breaks once again through his thoughts. “This moment, still ours. I remember everything. I remember it all.”
“It’s about time.” Dom manages to respond and finally he can open his eyes.
Somehow he isn’t surprised that he’s surrounded by his family. They’ve always been at his side when he needed them. It figures that they’re here to pull him back from the edge.
“Why didn’t you tell me we were married?” Letty asks and she sounds almost offended.
Dom looks at her and tries to smile. “Because you can’t tell someone they love you.”
And just like that the wall is broken and Dom can feel everyone's relief washing over him like a giant wave. He feels Letty's in the kiss she places on his lips and Brian's in the warmth that burns out the sting in his chest.
Yes, Dom is exactly where he belongs.
(+1)
Dom drives without looking back until he is standing at a crossroad. There his insecurities eventually catch up with him.
He knows that he’s finally doing the right thing when he leaves Brian to his domestic life with Mia, Jack and the new baby on the way. But he just can’t imagine going on without them. A few years ago, before Brian had reappeared in their lives, Dom had done it. He had left Letty and Mia to keep them out of harm. But now he isn’t strong enough anymore. They all have been through so much together which has bound them even closer. To possibly never see such an integral part of it, feels impossible. But Dom knows he doesn’t have a choice. There have been too many losses already.
Jesse. Vince. Gisele. Han.
They all got caught in the crossfire and paid the price for being loyal to their family. Dom can’t be responsible for another loss, especially not this one. Not being able to see Brian, Mia and their kids again is a small price to pay if it means they’ll be safe.
So why does he have the feeling as though he’s making the biggest mistake of his life?
Dom’s thoughts are interrupted by a white car pulling up next to him. He turns and is meth with a wide smile. He shouldn’t be surprised that Brian isn’t letting him get away this easily.
“Hey. Thought you could leave without saying goodbye?”
Dom can’t help the grin spreading on his face. Brian’s right. Dom can’t just disappear quietly. Brian deserves this one last ride.
So they ride. Side by side like they have always been. Dom in a Charger, Brian in a Supra. Just like the first time Dom left Brian. It feels right, like they’re free. Until the street parts and they drive into opposite directions.
Dom can barely keep himself from making a turn and following Brian. But he follows the street until he runs out of gas and has to stop at a gas station.
He has just got into his car again when he is suddenly hit by a excruciating pain in his chest. He doubles over and drops his head onto the steering wheel, but the pain fades as fast as it occurred, leaving him nauseous. Something’s terribly wrong. There is a lingering pain on the skin above his heart and when Dom touches it, he can feel lines that hadn’t been there previously.
“No.” he whispers and feels panic creeping into him. This can’t be happening. He doesn’t have a soulmate.
Dom pulls out his phone with shaking hands and dials Letty’s number. She picks up after the third ring. “Dom? What’s wrong?”
“Did something happen to you?” Dom asks, needing to make sure she’s alright.
“No, I’m fine.” she says and he can tell she isn’t lying. “Dom, what’s going on? Why are you asking me this?”
“I’ve got a mark.” Dom tells her and for a long moment he is met with silence. He briefly wonders if she’s mad at him, but then she responds and she sounds as shocked as him.
“Get in your car and come back here.” He opens his mouth, but Letty seems to sense it. “No, don’t ask questions. And don’t look at your mark. Just come here and we’ll figure it out.”
Then she hangs up.
Dom’s thoughts are racing too fast to grasp anything, so he does the only thing he can. Driving back. It takes him only half the time as before.
When he’s back at Mia’s and Brian’s house after two torturous hours of driving, Mia is the first one to run up to him and pull him into her arms.
To Dom’s further disturbance she’s crying like he has never seen her before.
“Mia, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry, Dom. I-, I should have said something, then maybe none of this would have happened. But he asked me not to tell you.”
Dom fails to make sense of her words and when he looks up to Tej and Roman who have appeared behind her, they look as devastated as Mia.
“Guys, would someone explain what’s happened?”
He watches as Letty walks up to him with red-rimmed eyes: He doesn’t remember the last time he has seen her cry. She doesn’t meet his eyes, only puts her arm around Mia and gently extracting Dom from her. With her free hand she tugs Dom’s collar down, exposing the lines he has felt earlier.
Her fingers brush over the damaged skin lightly and then she looks up to him, pity and sorrow in her eyes.
“Brian was in an accident.”
Dom’s heartbeat stops. His mind shuts down, refusing to believe her words. He lets his gaze wander over each one of them, waiting for someone to tell him that Brian will make it. It’s quiet for too long.
“Where is he?” Dom asks and his voice sounds alien.
His eyes settle on Hobbs standing in the doorway behind Tej and Roman. The look in those eyes is too soft when he answers. “The car caught fire the moment it crashed. Brian didn’t make it.”
Dom isn’t aware of his legs giving out under his weight, but suddenly he’s on the floor and he feels Tej’s arms at his back.
Dom hears a deafening scream and only when he’s running out of breath does he realize it’s him.
Nobody says anything or maybe Dom just doesn’t register it, but after a long time Dom gets up from the ground and nobody has moved. He feels their glances following him as he walks into the bathroom until he’s facing himself in the mirror. He looks like shit.
He hesitates, but needs to have confirmation. He pulls down the collar of his shirt, for the first time looking at the ornate, delicate lines over his heart.
You thought you could leave without saying goodbye?
When Dom reads the words, he stumbles back until he hits shower door behind him and slides down. Finally the wall breaks and he makes no effort to stop the tears from running down his face.
After a while Letty joins him, just sitting there with him, allowing him to lean against her for support.
“I’m sorry.” She tells him.
“For what?”
“For not telling you about his mark.”
Dom turns to her sharply. “You knew?”
“I think a part of me always knew. But at first it was just a suspicion I got, one that manifested when you told me that he let you go after that failed truck hijacking. I mean you don’t just throw your whole life away for a man you met only weeks ago.” She swallows and her voice softens. “But I didn’t catch a glimpse of the mark until that day we rescued Ramsey. After the jump he just lay there on the ground and his jeans were riding really low. I just saw the first letters, but I didn’t need to read more.”
She falls silent after her confession and Dom wonders if the others knew as well. “Why aren’t you angry?”
She looks at him as though he has lost his mind. “I can’t be angry at you for something that’s not in your power. And obviously I can’t be angry at Brian for falling in love with you.” She smiles and Dom pulls her into his arms.
“I don’t deserve you.”
“No, you don’t.”
She kisses his forehead before standing up and leaving him.
Instantly Dom feels colder.
Eventually Mia appears and she has finally stopped crying. She just stands in the doorway, unsure what to say.
“I brought Jack to bed. I have no idea what to tell him tomorrow.”
Dom studies her face, wondering if she feels similar to Letty.
“How long did you know?”
She gives him a sad smile. “About the mark? Or him being in love with you?”
“Both.”
“He showed me the mark the night we reconciled after those five years apart. He asked if it bothered me and I told him I’ve known for a long time.”
Her words make Dom feel like an idiot. Has he been the only one not to notice?
“How long?”
“I knew he was intrigued by you from the moment you first brought him into our house after the street race. But you have that effect on some people, so I didn’t think much of it. But when he called the helicopter for Vince, I knew for sure.”
Dom thinks back to that horrible day and tries to come up with anything significant that would make her think that but to no avail.
His confusion must show on his face because Mia elaborates. “When Brian blew his cover, he looked at you. I’ve never seen so much fear in his eyes. Like he knew it would turn you away and he wasn't ready to handle it.”
Dom doesn't respond. He remembers that look. Back then he assumed Brian had been afraid of him because he had blown his cover right in front of the one criminal, he had been assigned to.
“I've been so stupid.”
Mia cracks a bitter smile. “Both of you actually. Letty and I should have said something, so maybe we all were. But it's too late now.” Her voice breaks at the end and Dom puts his arm around her, letting her cry. He wishes he could cry too, maybe it would make him feel better afterward. But he can't. He feels hollow inside, like he's in shock and perhaps he still is. His brain keeps telling him that this is real and that Brian is gone forever, but his heart is in denial. He just discovered he has had his soulmate right beside him for years and now that he finally knows, his soulmate has been taken away from him.
Dom drops his head to look at Brian's words over his heart again.
“Dammit, Bri, why didn't you say anything?!”
Dom doesn't get an answer. And he never will...
THE END