The Third Grade

7.1

The next day, Jesse, Dom, Letty, Leon, Mia, and Brian are at the garage working on the car.
"Got a TR7 here, with a ball-bearing upgrade. What it's going to do is, it's going to spool up really quick," Jesse explains as he, Leon, and Letty work on the engine.
"I got this set up for 24 psi," Letty tells Jesse.
"Got it," Jesse says with a nod.

"You got big plans tonight?" Dom asks Brian as they work on the car.
"Yeah. We're going out to dinner," Brian answers with a nod before glancing at Mia.
"You break her heart, I'll break your neck," Dom tells him with a slight glare.
"That's not gonna happen," Brian says hoping he wouldn't have to.
"I want to show you something," Dom says as he wipes his hands off before handing the rag to Brian. Dom takes him to the Toretto household where Dylan is just arriving back from college.

"Hey, guys," Dylan says as Dom walks over to the garage. He opens it to reveal a 1970 Dodge Charger.
"Wow," Brian says with a smile.
"Me and my dad built her. Nine hundred horses of Detroit muscle," Dom explains with a proud smile.
"It's a beast," Brian says as he looks at the car in amazement.
"You know what she ran in Palmdale?" Dom asks him causing Dylan to smile.
"No. What?" Brian answers.
"Nine seconds flat," Dom answers with another proud smile.
"God," Brian says in amazement.

"My dad was driving. So much torque, the chassis twisted coming off the line. Barely kept her on the track," Dom explains with a smile.
"So, what's your best time?" Brian asks him.
"I've never driven her," Dom answers as he glances at Dylan.
"Why not?" Brian asks him confused.
"It scares the shit out of me," Dom answers him before turning and pointing at a picture on the wall. "That's my dad. He was coming up in the pro stock-car circuit. Last race of the season. A guy named Kenny Linder came up from inside, in the final turn. He clipped his bumper and put him into the wall at 120. I watched my dad burn to death. I remembered hearing him scream. But the people that were there said he had died before the tanks blew. They said it was me who was screaming." Dom walks around the car. "I saw Linder about a week later. I had a wrench, and I hit him. And I didn't intend to keep hitting him, but when I finished, I couldn't lift my arm." Brian sits down as he takes in all the information. "He's a janitor at a high school. He has to take the bus to work every day. And they banned me from the tracks for life." Dylan gives Dom a hug before holding onto his arm. "I live my life a quarter-mile at a time. Nothing else matters. Not the mortgage, not the store, not my team and all their bullshit. For those 10 seconds or less, I'm free." Dylan nods in agreement as Dom looks down at her with a smile. After that they left the garage. Brian takes Mia on the date while the team hijacks another truck.

"So, how is it, anyways, that the gang came to be?" Brian asks Mia while they are on their date.
"What?" Mia asks him confused.
"The gang?" Brian asks unsure.
"The gang? No, they don't call themselves a gang," Mia says with a laugh.
"What do they call themselves?" Brian asks trying to get any information out of her.
"They're a team. They call themselves a team," Mia says with a giggle.

"All right. How did the team come to be?" Brian asks with a smile.
"Well, that's a whole lot of history," Mia answers to see if he really wants to know.
"I've got time," Brian says with a smile.
"Okay. Vince and Dylan grew up with my brother. Actually, Vince didn't ever actually grow up, as you can tell. But they were friends as kids. And Letty, she just lived down the street. She was always into cars, though. Ever since she was, like, 10 years old. Letty and Dylan met at their first street race becoming instant friends. So, you know, they were always hanging around. My brother and Vince always had their attention. And when Dylan turned 16..." Mia explains while Brian smiles as he gets where she is going.
"And then Dylan had Dom's attention," Brian finishes for her.
"Yeah. It's funny how that works, isn't it? Yeah," Mia says with a smile.

"How does Jesse fit into the whole thing?" Brian asks.
"Jesse. Well, Jesse and Leon just sort of showed up one night and never, ever left. Especially when Dylan saw Jesse as a little brother," Mia answers him with a smile. "It's just the way my brother is, you know. Dom's like... He's like gravity. Everything just gets pulled to him. Even you."
"No," Brian says. "No. The only thing that pulled me in was you. Being friends with your brother is just a bonus."
"That's good," Mia says with a smile. "That's good. It's nice to come first every once in a while."

The next day, Dylan goes to the hospital to see her mother. Karlotta Davis has been battling cancer for the past two years and it has been taking a toll on her, leaving her bedridden.
"Hey, mom," Dylan says with a small smile as she sits in the chair beside her mom's bed.
"My little Dyl pickle," Karlotta says with a raspy voice from all of the puking she had done earlier that morning. Dylan gently holds her mom's hand as tears begin to build in her eyes. "Has that Toretto boy gotten the balls to ask you out yet?" Dylan lightly laughs as she quickly swipes a tear away that had escaped.
"Yes, mama. He finally did," Dylan answers with a bright smile.
"Then he better get his ass down here for my blessing," Karlotta teases as her smile actually reaches her eyes from seeing her daughter so happy.
"Yes ma'am," Dylan says with a nod of understanding before they continue to talk for the next two hours.

The next night, Dylan walks down the stairs to find Dom waiting on her. She smiles as she sees Dom, who feels his jaw drop at her beauty.
"You look beautiful," Dom says as Dylan reaches him.
"Thanks," Dylan says as she blushes before he leads her out to his car, opening the door for her. "You don't look too bad yourself, considering we have to go see my mom first." Dom looks at her with wide fearful eyes before driving to the hospital.

"Oh, you look absolutely beautiful, Dyl pickle," Karlotta compliments as Dylan enters her room, causing Dylan to blush because of the nickname. "Dominic Toretto." Dom looks at Karlotta with wide eyes. "We need to talk in private." Karlotta looks at Dylan with pointed eyes. Dylan holds her hands up in surrender as Dom sends her a look asking for help before she leaves the room. "I've known and heard stories about you long enough to know that you are a good man despite all of the trouble you have been in." Dom looks at Karlotta in shock since he had only met her on a handful of occasions. "I can tell that my daughter means a lot to you." Dom nods. "You have my blessing, as long as you promise to always protect her and have her best interests in mind even if it means her not being with you."
"I promise," Dom says after a few minutes of thinking.
"Thank you," Karlotta replies with a kind smile. "Don't tell Dylan that I asked this of you." Dom nods in understanding before Karlotta motions for Dom to let Dylan back in. Dylan gives Dom a questioning look as she enters the room but he just shakes his head before he steps out to give them space. "My baby is all grown up. Go, have fun."
"Thank you, Mama," Dylan says with a big smile on her face before giving Karlotta a hug.
"Bye, my Dyl pickle," Karlotta replies as she gives Dylan a final squeeze.
"Goodbye, mama. I love you," Dylan quickly responds before leaving the room as Karlotta whispers her love for her daughter.

"So, I had some help from Letty with this," Dom admits honestly as he pulls up to the beach before going to open her door for her. They walk hand in hand down the beach before Dylan lets out a surprised gasp at the sight in front of her.
"It's perfect," Dylan says with a smile as they walk over to the picnic blanket with candles and lanterns set up around it. Dylan smiles even bigger as she sees that it is pizza and chocolate covered strawberries instead of something fancy. They talk about race wars and the car as they eat the pizza.

"So, how is college going?" Dom asks her curiously.
"I haven't told anyone but I graduate the day before we head out to race wars," Dylan says with a small smile.
"That's amazing, D," Dom says with a proud smile. "I'm really proud of you."
"Thank you," Dylan says as she blushes.
"Thank you for helping Mia with hers," Dom says knowing how hard it must be to keep up with everything.
"It's no problem. I'm glad to help," Dylan says with a nod as they grow silent.

Dom smirks, grabbing a strawberry before offering it to Dylan, who smiles. Dylan grabs his hand to keep it steady as she takes a bite. Dylan blushes as she realizes that Dom is staring at her. Dom reaches up before wiping some chocolate off of her lip. Dylan feels as if she forgot how to breath as her skin tingles from his touch. Dom slowly leans in, allowing Dylan the chance to back away from him but she doesn't. Dylan starts to lean in as well before their lips lightly touch, causing Dylan to get butterflies. Dylan wraps her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him in for a kiss that quickly becomes heated from the years of hidden emotions between the two.