Not for you (FIN)

>Facts & Trivia:

The 'Mirth Mobil': For my life I can't imagine that there's just one person out there who doesn't know it, but just to be safe...: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_TwEtkx-ug

Carter Verone: The ones of you who have seen 2Fast 2 Furious will be familiar with him. The ones who aren't might want to look at this picture...:

http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0322259/Ss/0322259/K532-32.jpg?path=gallery&path_key=0322259

And if that guy looks familiar to you, don't be surprised - same actor who played 'Johns' in Pitch Black.

In the comments to the last chapter I also brought out some links to 'Gone in 60 seconds' clips if anyone should need them.




We drove to an ice parlor nearby and ordered some. She didn't talk much, so I guess it was my turn to ask questions.

"Where do you know Dom from?"

"Oh, long story."

"And the short form?"

"Well, about ten years ago, he helped us with a car boost."

My eyes grew wide. "Dom boosted cars?"

"No, he didn't. I said he helped us."

"But you did?"

"Yes. We were good, had some sort of reputation that any car was 'gone in 60 seconds or less'. That's where their 'mutual respect' comes from - they both staged a fight in a parking lot of a club, everyone else watched them while I and some others stole the cars in the meanwhile. Was fun."

"Oh..." That woman had a wicked sense of 'fun'. Coming to think of it, much alike to my own sense of fun...

"Well, it was still less dangerous than Dom's truck boosting, of which I'm sure you know about."

"I do." I had the mental image of Vince massaging his leg.

"Heard you're getting along well with the Doc, too?" She said as if she was able to read my thoughts. Damn, that woman was scary... so much... like... me, in so damn many things.

"Sort of. Listen, what's this all about? First Brian comes in a few days ago, totally disoriented and panicking, as it seemed, and all of a sudden Dom doesn't seem to have a reason to care about the police any more - not that this isn't good, but..."

Her stare interrupted me.

"He didn't tell you?"

"Not really. He said he would, though, if there was no one around here who would tell me. I think that meant you."

"Yes, that's typically Dom. If he brought you with him, he must to trust you. That should mean something..."

"Does it?. We're still working on it, I guess."

"That I believe without knowing too much about the background." She snorted. "He told me a bit about you on the phone the other day, though. Said either we'd love or uncorrectable hate each other because we were so much alike." She said, still smiling.

"He wasn't too wrong." I stated.

"No, he wasn't." She chuckled.

We both stared at the table for some time. "So... tell me?" I finally said, taking a spoonful of ice.

"We think there's a way to get the cops off Dom's neck and clear his records."

"What?" I almost spat the ice back out.

"We need his help in a car boost."

"A car boost should clear his record? You're one funny woman."

"Yeah, well, this one should. Actually, it's ordered by the police."

Thinking quickly, I remembered that Dom had told Brian that 'they' - Memphis and his friends - should come up with the idea that it was their plan. So whatever Sway told me from now on would basically be Dom's plan; suggested to them by Brian's friends. I just had to play along by listening to her version of it.

"You're a cop?" I said.

"Not exactly."

"Now, try to explain that again so that I understand it properly."

She smiled and leaned back in her chair. "You ever heard the name of Verone?"

"Wasn't that the guy Brian arrested in Miami to clear his record?"

"Yeah, was."

"So...?"

"He escaped last week from prison."

"Oh...."

"Yeah, 'oh'. Now the cops have a problem; they want him back. And Bri has a problem because Verone wants his and Roman's ass; he blew up Bri's garage a few days ago to give him a taste of what the future will look like. Each of those problems is bad enough, but both problems together is something that can be solved."

"Huh?"

"See, Verone made a mistake. He contacted us to boost Bri's car because that's too fast for him to actually get hold of Bri, not knowing that we know him through Dom. Then the police contacted us, somehow knowing about this. Memphis is friends with one of them ever since our last boost which went sour and that cop is friends with one Brian once worked with. That guy suggested we contact Dom and Bri, to create a trap for Verone. He said that if Dom was to help us catch Verone, his and his team's records would be erased and the police wouldn't want to arrest him any more. And here we are."

"Woah. That sounds pretty much good... dangerous, but good."

She leaned towards me, over the table.

"It's good. And you're right, it's dangerous. Tell me, how much do you like Dom?"

"None of your business."

"Maybe not, but I suggest if there's anything you want to tell him, tell him before this whole job starts."

"Pray tell why?"

"Because there's a tiny chance that you won't be able to tell him afterwards. In fact, I suggest telling anyone being part of that job what you have to say in advance if you always wanted to say something that you so far didn't dare to say."

I considered for a moment. He obviously did, but asking didn't hurt...

"Dom knows how dangerous this is?"

"I'm certain Memphis will let him know, yes. And then there are Brian and Doc, they won't let that slip from his attention, either."

"And when is that whole thing going to start?"

"We have five days for the preparations which we really need. The rest of your team will arrive in two, I've heard, so it's not really much time."

"And what am I supposed to do?"

"Stay out. Dom insisted on that when he heard about it; he doesn't want you in there."

"Why not?"

She stared at me without saying anything.

"I asked why not. You've forgotten how to speak?"

"Well, I guess it's to keep you out of trouble...."

"Keep me out of trouble? After the trouble I've been to him? No way I'm going to stay out of this. I want to help!"

"I think," Sway said, stirring her melting ice with a spoon, "you would help him best by staying out of this so he can concentrate."

"And why the hell shouldn't he be able to concentrate if I'm around?"

She dropped the spoon into the glass, gave me a long stare and finally spoke. "I didn't think Dom was into stupid women. You just can't be as dumb as you're currently pretending to be, right?"

"Sway," I said, "If you think you have anything to tell me, do it; but don't speak in riddles. I don't like that."

More of that pouting of hers, and she'd be a perfect Botox model.

"He wants to protect you."

"And why would he want to protect me?"

"Because he hates you so much?! Woman, this is ridiculous."

"Because he hates me? I don't understand..." No, I thought. I didn't want to understand this. I can take good care of myself...

She jumped up, looking as if she would continue her jumping right into my face, took a deep breath and sat down again, eyeing me. "Dana, that man loves you."

I realized that I had just dropped my spoon to the table when I stared at her. Then, after a long minute, I laughed.

"Nonono, Sway. No. You're talking about Dominic Toretto. That guy loves no one. He loves his freedom and his cars, but not people, well, perhaps his sister. But me? Fuck, look at me. I'm old, he can't really..."

She laughed. Actually she laughed so much that the table on which she was leaning started to move, and when she finally looked at me, still laughing, she was wiping tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry but I think I'm speaking to the wrong person. You are the Dana who's been sharing her trailer and bed with him ever since Racewars, right? Or am I misinformed?"

"You are. Or rather, you're not. We share the trailer and the bed, but we're not having a relationship...."

Her laughter continued, and I was more or less patiently waiting until she had caught her breath.

"You're sleeping with that man in the same bed for two weeks and.... nothing ever happened?"

"Well, I saw him naked in the shower... and after some time we had some sort of.... but... well, some things happened, but I wouldn't call that a relationship." I said, hesitating.

"You a lesbian?" She looked at me in a way that I couldn't mistake her question for a joke. Damn! So direct. So much like... me. No sense in trying to shit that women; she'd see right through it.

"I'm not."

"They removed your hormonal glands?"

"Uhm - no, not really..."

"You never thought about, you know, wanting him?"

"I'd lie if I'd say I didn't. Did that several times, actually. That has nothing to do with a relationship."

"And why don't you want to keep him then?"

"Actually because I would lose a friend if I'd do that. Don't want to be owned or put in a cage."

"You're stupid. Maybe you're not, but still, you are." Sway said. "Coming to think of this, Memphis and I had the same problem some years ago. Took us six years of separation to realize what we meant to each other."

Gah! Even her argumentation was like mine. It was as if I was looking into a mirror when talking to her.

"And you're not exactly logical saying something like this. The 'you're not, but you are' thing I mean"

"I'm just trying to adjust my level of logic to this strange level of yours," she laughed, "it was not me who slept next to this gorgeous man without doing anything for quite some time."

"I value friendship higher than passion," I said. "I've lost a friend about something like that before. Well, got him back, but that's a different story."

"Well," she stated dryly, "just imagine how funny it would be if you could have both at once, friendship and the passion, without losing anyone."

"It's still Toretto we're talking about."

"It's not the Toretto we're talking about - not anymore. If I can give you one advice - if you're catching him alone for some hours one of the next evenings - fuck him senseless. Tell him you love him, get a damn ring on your finger, then you'll at least inherit the fucking garage if anything goes wrong." She said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"SWAY!" I protested laughing.

"Well," she said, face serious, "as I've said, it might be your last chance to do so. Hell, if you don't do it, I'll do it. Like that garage a lot. And the cars he owns Not to speak of the fact that he's not exactly ugly, either."

"You're not - together - with - Memphis?" I stuttered, not really knowing what to say.

"I am, but we're having some kind of open relationship. Why, would you object if I would?"

"No, I - I mean - I'm not owning Dom, so I don't have any saying in - well, with who..." I stuttered and noticed that my face was feeling hot.

She looked at me, then laughed. "You're jealous! That's good. Really, really good."

"I'm not j-"

"You are. I'm a woman, I can see it. As I've told you - if you don't do it, I'll do. Always wanted to; perhaps this is my last chance to get him before you get to your senses."

She was trying to mentally corner me, I knew it - had done that myself several times with other people.

"Sway." I said, looking at her all serious. "You're too much like me - actually, you're so much like me from what I can tell that it scares me - to know that I wouldn't jump for that cornering thing you're just about to try here."

"If you're so much like me then you'll know what I speak of when I say that I want his garage and am ready to do something about it."

"I acquired my last engine that way, Sway."

She laughed. "Say, do you have any lost twins? Because I really think..."

"See, that's what I was just thinking, too."

"So good to get to know you, sister." I replied grinning. "Now that we're family, you'll understand my urge not to sit at home but try and help me with the helping-in-this-thing-thing?"

She eyed me for a long time. "How good are you at housekeeping? Because if you're as bad at it as I am, I don't see a possibility."

"I'm bad at it, but I could pretend if it doesn't take too long?" I said. She had to know that if this was about keeping hers, Memphis' or Dom's house I would beat her down.

"We need eyes in Verone's house. Good eyes. And ears. And as it is, I think his cleaner will quit today. Or rather, I'll make her." She finally grinned.

"Oh, the poor man. Just escaped from juvie and not having a clean house? That's bad; we need to do something about it." I joked mocking.

"I think we do. Just...."

"What?"

"Make sure Dom doesn't notice. I'll keep him busy, but..."

"I know." I said.

"We'll have to get you a car. One that doesn't look like one from the team. And different clothes."

"As much as I love mine, I'm all for driving a different car."

"What do you want?"

"Always liked the car from Wayne's World..." I giggled.

The 'Mirth Mobil'? AMC Pacer?" She snorted. "That's funny. Funny, but not fast."

"I know someone who can make it fast." I tried to defend myself. "Plus, it fits for a cleaner."

"Heard you brought some sort of uber mechanic along." She stated. "He got any other skills than that? Pretty or something?"

"Don't you dare toying with that one." I replied threatening her with my spoon.

"As long as he lets me, what's your problem?"

"Well let me put it this way, if you're my sister then toying with him would be somewhat incestuous."

"Same kind of brother as me being your sister?"

"Ya."

"I shall return him unharmed. Mostly." She laughed. "Come on, we have things to prepare, cars to organize and people to meet."

"Just if I drive. I'm a bad passenger."

"Me too, but I know the way. I drive." She snapped.

I could just shake my head and laugh in reply, thanking whoever might be responsible for this for having met the one, only and first woman in my life who I was sure to get along with.