Chapter 5: Stories

The past few days had gone by, and Bea and Brian hung out more in Toretto's garage than in their apartment. Bea found it fun in the Toretto household, she didn't feel that much lonely as she did when it was just her and Brian.

Mia was kind enough to spend time with Bea, and Bea was glad to have someone like Mia around her.

Mia also had gifted Bea a sketchbook, noticing the young girl's talent in drawing.

Bea could tell Mia cared about her, but she could also tell how concerned and worried she looked.

Bea had a feeling that Mia was concerned, and that might have to do with the scar on her back. Mia had questions, of course, but she knew better than to question Bea since the young girl would never truthfully answer the question.

What Mia couldn't understand is how Brian didn't know about the scar on Bea's back, and how did Bea end up with the scar in the first place.

Bea would never tell a soul about how she really got the scar on her back.

Knowing it would bring trouble, and also, she had made a promise to her mom to never tell a soul about her scar or how she had gotten it.

Bea was on the floor, drawing on her sketchpad.

Dom had walked into the living room, Bea paid him no attention as she was in the zone, focused on finishing her drawing.

Dom smiled slightly, walking towards Bea, who had her back facing towards him. He looked at her drawing, impressed.

"Impressive drawing," Dom comments

Bea jumped, startled, immediately turning around, standing, and whacking Dom in the stomach, she kicked behind his leg as he fell back on the floor.

Bea put her foot down on his chest.

Bea looked down, realizing it was Dom.

Dom raised his eyebrows at her, surprised and impressed.

Bea smiled sheepishly. "Oops. Sorry."

Bea took her foot off him.

Dom stood holding his stomach. "It's all good. Where did you learn to punch like that?"

Bea tilted her head, trying to come up with a lie. "My mom taught me a few moves. Just so I know how to defend myself in any situation."

Bea sat back down on the floor, continuing to sketch.

Dom looked down at her curiously. "What about your father?" Bea stopped drawing. "Where's he?"

"I don't know," Bea told him. "I've never met him, momma said he was a bad man that did bad things."

Dom looked at her sadly. "You're better off without him then."

Bea looked up at him. "You think so?"

"Trust me ki-" Dom stopped himself as he saw the look Bea gave him. "Bea, I know what it's like to grow up without the other parent."

"You grew up with no dad either?" Bea asked.

Dom shook his head. "No, my dad was the one that had stayed. My mom was the one that left."

"Why did she leave?" Bea asked.

"Hell if I knew," Dom said. "All I know is that you're better off with the parent that stays, the one that looks after you and makes sure you're well-fed and taken care of." Bea nods her head. "And your mom did a good job raising you." Bea smiled. "She would be proud of the girl she raised."

"Thanks," Bea said. Dom laughs as Bea raises her eyebrows at him. "You know, you're alright for a guy who almost got my uncle fired."

Dom chuckles. "Thanks, you too, kid. And I'm sorry about that?"

"You better be," Bea told him. "You should know better than to get a man who is taking care of his niece fired." Bea narrowed her eyes at Dom. "I would be starving, had Harry not reasoned with you. You should be ashamed of yourself, putting a child like me in a state of starvation."

"How about I make it up to you and your uncle?" Dom asked.

Bea raised her eyebrows. "What do you have in mind?"

------

Bea and Brian were back at the apartment as it was nighttime.

Bea had a glass of milk in her hands, taking small sips, sitting down on the couch beside her uncle Brian, who was watching TV.

It was silent between the two of them.

Brian would occasionally glance down at Bea who had her eye focused on the TV.

Bea without looking spoke. "If you keep looking at me, I might have to pull your eye out of your socket."

Brian chuckles. "It's weird how you do that."

Bea looked at him confused. "How I do what?"

"Nothing," Brian said, shaking his head. "Forget I said anything." Bea shrugged her shoulders. Looking back at the TV. "So listen," Bea rolled her eyes as she looks at her uncle. "We were invited to the Toretto's tomorrow for dinner." Bea smiled. "Strange thing, Mia told me how you worked your charms and had him invite us, is that true?"

"I didn't exactly do anything, to be honest," Bea told him. "I just said he had to make up for his stupid mistake of almost getting you fired, and how if you were fired I would have to starve."

Brian laughed. "Well, whatever you did, thank you."

"Whatever," Bea said. "The food better be worth going back to that house. If not, I'm out of there."
Brian rolled his eyes as he looked at the time. "Well, look at the time, it's time for you to go to bed."

Bea frowned. "It's not even eleven yet."

Brian sighed. "We really need to fix your sleep schedule."

"We'll do that once we fix yours first," Bea told him. "You snore, I hope you realize that."

"Whatever," Brian said. "Bed. Now."

"So demanding," Bea whined. "Can I at least hear a bedtime story?"

"Aren't you ten?" Brian asked.

"Aren't you thirty?" Bea retorts.

"I'm twenty-three," Brian told her. "Bed, now, young lady."

"How about I tell you a bedtime story?" Bea asked.

"Will it get you in bed fast enough?" Brian asked.

Bea smiled. "Yep."

"Alright, knock yourself out," Brian told her.

"No, I believe it is you who will knock yourself out," Bea said.

"Bea-" Brian started.

"Okay, okay," Bea told them. "I'll tell you the story momma used to tell me when I couldn't sleep." Brian raised his eyebrows as he sits up from the couch, now interested. "It's about two spies who fell in love." Once upon a time, there was a man and a woman, and they were both spies. She was from the wrong side of the track, he from another, as he and his family ran into a life of crime. She had a very important mission assigned to her."

Bea stopped as she noticed how interested her uncle was in the story, smiling.

"Don't stop now," Brian told her. "It's starting to get interesting."

Bea rolled her eyes, smiling. "He was her mission. Her mission was to take him out. And no, not as a date. These were dark and confusing times. An enormous amount of turmoil between countries. Out of fear, a new kind of soldier was created." Bea smiled sadly. "Brilliant, brave soldiers whose greatest weapons were their minds and bodies. Those men and women were spies. They were masters of disguise. They could sense danger a mile away, and through their work, wars were ended before they even started. The only things spies were truly afraid of were other spies. Enemy spies. So, sometimes, one spy's mission was to make the enemy disappear. He was the assignment that changed her life. But when the moment finally came to carry out her mission, she couldn't do it. He was different than she expected." Bea smiled, thinking back to her mother when she first told her the story. "Sure, he was charming and intelligent, but he was unexpectedly honorable, and it made her realize how years of working with detached emotion had taken its toll."

Brian smiled. "Good story, so what happens next?"

Bea smiled fondly. "They kept contact. A few lunch dates, very discreet. After all, they were on different sides, so they could never be seen together. Dinner dates followed wherever their mutual travels took them. And they fell in love. And they decided that, together, they would embark on the most dangerous mission of all time."

"And what's that?" Brian asked.

"They decided to marry," Bea answered. "On her wedding day, it was only just the two of them. No other family members were present. She wishes her little brother could be there but wanted to keep him safe from what would come next. Though she felt like she would rather brave a thousand deadly missions than go through with what she was about to attempt."

"Why is that?" Brian asked.

Bea tilts her head thoughtfully. "The way momma explained was that marriage is a mission so complex that only the most courageous and slightly insane need apply. She said that there's such an amazing series of obstacles one has to navigate to keep a marriage together, much less a family, that it frightened the girl, a hardened and experienced secret agent. But when she saw him standing there with no doubt whatsoever, so assured of his decision, so enamored with what they were about to do, she took his hand, looked deep into his eyes, and said the two most dangerous, most trusting words you can say to anyone."

"What?" Brian asked.

"She said, 'I do.'" Bea told him. "But then the problems started. Now, there was always some faction that wanted at least one of them gone. On their own, each agent was notorious, but together, they made tempting targets."

"So what happened after that?" Brian asked.

"Well, they got away," Be told him. "They were happily married for a while, but certain things happen, and they had a child." Bea looks down sadly. "They had a beautiful child that was forced to carry all the pain and suffering the mother went through."

"The father hurt the wife?" Brian asked.

"What?" Bea asked as she gave an incredulous look. "No! God, no, he would never physically hurt the wife. He emotionally did when he left her and their child. Then very bad things had happened to mother and child."

It was silent between the two as Bea finished her milk.

"That was a beautiful story," Brian told her. "I never knew my sister could tell such an amazing story."

"Believe me neither," Bea muttered, standing up. "I'm going to go to bed now, night, uncle Brian."

"Night, Bea," Brian said.

Bea walked away to her room.

A/N:Please comment to let me know what you think and also vote.