Speedy Love

9.1

The next day Zoe, 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.

"You got big plans tonight?" Dom asks Brian as they work on the car and glance at Zoe, who is talking to Mia as they look at paperwork.

"Yeah. We're going out to dinner," Brian answers.

"You break her heart, I'll break your neck," Dom tells him.

"That's not gonna happen," Brian says as he glances at Zoe.

"I want to show you something," Dom says as he wipes his hands off before handing the rag to Brian. "Zoe let's go." Zoe nods before following Dom and Brian. Dom takes them back to the Toretto household and then leads them to the garage. He opens it to reveal a 1970 Dodge Charger and a 1967 Chevy Impala.

"Wow," Brian says causing Zoe to smile as she walks over to the Impala and sitting on the hood.

"Me and my dad built her. Nine hundred horses of Detroit muscle," Dom explains as he points at the Charger.

"Me, my brother, and my dad built this one. Also nine hundred horses of Detroit muscle," Zoe explains as she pats the hood of the Impala.

"They're beasts," Brian says causing Zoe to smile.

"You know what they ran in Palmdale?" Dom asks him.

"No. What?" Brian answers.

"Nine seconds flat," Dom answers.

"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 as he looks between Dom and Zoe.

"We've never driven them," Dom answers.

"Why not?" Brian asks.

"They scare the shit out of us," Zoe answers her before turning and pointing at a picture on the wall. "That's our dads. They were 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 my dad's bumper and put them both into the wall at 120. We watched our dads burn to death. I remembered hearing them scream. But the people that were there said they had died before the tanks blew. They said it was me and Zoe who was screaming," Dom explains as he walks around the Charger. "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. 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."

"It's a ride or die life," Zoe says as Dom nods in agreement. After that they left the garage.

Brian took Zoe on their date.

"So, how is it, anyways, that the gang came to be?" Brian asks her.

"What?" Zoe asks.

"The gang?" Brian asks.

"The gang? No, they don't call themselves a gang," Zoe says with a laugh.

"What do they call themselves?" Brian asks genuinely curious.

"They're a team. They call themselves a team," Zoe says with a giggle.

"All right. How did the team come to be?" Brian asks.

"Well, that's a whole lot of history," Zoe answers.

"I've got time," Brian says with a smile.

"Okay. Vince grew up with Dom. Actually, he didn't ever actually grow up, as you can tell. But they were friends as kids. I lived next door and my family was always into cars. So naturally our families clicked and we've been inseparable since. And Letty, she just lived down the street from us. Always into cars, though. Ever since she was, like, 10 years old. So, naturally, you know, Dom always had her attention. And then she turned 16..." Zoe explains.

"And then she had Dom's attention," Brian finishes for her.

"Yeah. It's funny how that works, isn't it? Yeah," Zoe says with a smile.

"How does Jesse fit into the whole thing?" Brian asks as they stare at each other.

"Jesse. Well, Jesse and Leon just sort of showed up one night and never, ever left. It's just the way Dom is, you know. Dom's like... He's like gravity. Everything just gets pulled to him. Even you," Zoe explains and Brian shakes his head at the last part.

"No," Brian says. "No. The only thing that pulled me in was you. Being friends with Dom is just a bonus."

"That's good," Zoe says with a smile. "That's good. It's nice to come first every once in a while. Want to go for a drive?" Zoe speeds down the highway before pulling a quick u-turn. Brian looks at her in surprise causing her to laugh. They end up back at Harry's. Brian wakes up to his phone ringing.

"Yeah?" Brian answers.

"The hijackers have hit again. Bilkins has decided that we're gonna move on Johnny Tran and his guys at 17:00. Unless you say otherwise. If you agree, just say yes," Tanner explains.

"Yeah," Brian agrees as Zoe wakes up.

"Who is that?" Zoe asks him.

"It was a wrong number," Brian lies to her. Zoe smiles as they stare at each other before Brian kisses her.