HEAVY FOOTSTEPS FELL ON the wooden stairs of the Toretto house ─ the eldest child cursed under his breath as he jogged up the stairs, heading towards his room to retrieve the phone that he had forgotten.

Mia, Brian, and Jack had left to grab some groceries, leaving him alone at the house. The adults had plans to go out for brunch afterwards, and had decided that they would meet at the cafe instead of all driving together.

The Toretto had been busy working on his Dodge Charger in the shed, and completely lost track of time, which is why he was now rushing around to find what he needed.

Dominic Toretto sighed as he reached the second floor of his home and walked on the old and creaky floorboards, which definitely needed either fixing or replacing.

After their father had passed away, the siblings did everything they could to keep the house exactly how it was when Jack Toretto was alive; they wanted to keep his memory alive, even if it was only through them and their childhood home.

Dominic glanced into the rooms as he passed them, smiling at the sight of his nephew's room. The nearly-two-year-old was obsessed with cars, just like every member of his family, which meant that the boy had an infinite amount of toy cars scattered across his floor, along with posters of various street race cars. Of course, Brian and Dominic were still battling over whether Jack liked Skylines or Dodge Chargers more, so there were many toys and decor that the two had bought in hopes of swaying the small child to choose a favourite.

Surprisingly, Jack recently became ready to move into a toddler bed, even though he was still meant to have a few more months in his crib. It meant that the adults got to have the time of their lives finding the perfect bed that looked like Brian's Skyline (yes, Dominic lost the argument that the bed should be a Dodge Charger).

Even the bedsheets had various cars on them, which just made Dominic grin even more. Though his smile slowly slipped when he remembered that Jack's room used to belong to the third Toretto sibling, Jakob. The first estranged sibling.

Choosing to push the memories of someone he considered dead to him out of his mind, the Toretto continued down the hallway, barely sparing Brian and Mia's room a glance. He wanted to respect his sister's privacy, as well as Brian's — they may all live together, but the couple deserved to be respected and treated as though they lived alone.

For whatever reason, Dominic couldn't resist looking to his left. A wooden door painted with white paint stood tall, a glaring reminder of the decisions he had made fifteen years ago.

Overtaken by an overwhelming feeling (guilt, longing, he couldn't decipher), his feet moved towards the chipping paint that hid away a thousand discarded memories. The cold metal doorknob iced his calloused hand as he twisted it and gently pushed the door open.

A loud creak ripped through the quiet space, the hinges having rusted from lack of use.

Sun beamed through the large and only window, allowing gorgeous golden rays to streak across the room. Some reflected off the large mirror that rested on the wooden dresser, as well as the empty picture frames scattered across the surface.

The night that Natalie left, she had hastily grabbed as many photos as she could and stuffed them in her bag, not wanting to leave some of her most treasured memories behind. There was one in particular that she purposefully left behind, one that she almost ripped to pieces but ultimately decided to leave intact.

Dominic picked up the photo frame, carefully wiping away the layer of dust that clung to the small glass pane to reveal the young faces of himself and Natalie ─ the two were at the racetrack where their father taught them how to street race.

A fifteen-year-old Natalie was sticking out her tongue, simultaneously grinning as she clung to her brother's back, whilst a sixteen-year-old Dominic supported her legs, beaming at the camera. It was taken only a year before Jack Toretto died at that very same track, and where Dominic beat Kenny Linder half-to-death with a socket wrench.

Slamming the frame back down onto the dresser, the Toretto felt a bitter taste flood his mouth whilst he tried to push away the memories that threatened to consume him. You made the right choice, he told himself, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, you protected Mia and you protected your family.

Family. He had a family, some related by blood and others by brotherhood, but he knew one thing for sure ─ Natalie Toretto was not a part of it.

Storming out of the room, Dominic snatched the doorknob and slammed the door closed, his boots thundering against the creaking floor as he marched towards his own bedroom.

Had he not let his misplaced anger control him, the Toretto might've discovered something that no one other than Natalie knew ─ a secret that would've changed his entire perspective about the night she left.

A secret that would now remain buried under rubble, hidden away for no living soul to find.

FINALLY MAKING HIS WAY out of the house, Dominic locked the front door, giving the door handle a tug for good measure before pushing his keys into his pockets.

It was only when he turned around did he notice the large package on his porch. It had various postmarks on it, including Japanese writing, which caused him to chuckle.

Han had been trying to get him to try out turbochargers, but the Toretto outright refused to give up the Dodge Charger he had originally built with his father. It didn't stop Han from sending parts over from Tokyo though.

Deciding that he'd take it into the house later, Dominic began to make his way down the steps, only to stop when his phone rang in his pocket.

He didn't even check the caller ID before answering and holding the phone to his ear.

"Yeah." He said, expecting it to be Mia scolding him for being late.

"Dominic Toretto," An unfamiliar British voice spoke, their anger practically seeping through the phone and making Dominic's posture straighten in alarm, "you don't know us... but you're about to."

Feeling his phone buzz in his hand, the fearful Toretto looked down at the screen — the call was coming from Tokyo.

Glancing back at the package on the porch, Dominic froze at the sound of beeping before his adrenaline finally kicked in, causing him to dive away from the house.

The package, which held one of Finnick's more advanced explosive devices, exploded, consuming the Toretto house in clouds of red, oranges, and blacks.

The force sent Dominic tumbling to the concrete sidewalk, his whole body crumpling to the ground. His ears rung like feedback from a broken electronic, whilst blood ran down the side of his face from a cut on his forehead.

Thick, black smoke flooded his sense of smell, making his stomach drop with dread. Groaning as he lifted himself from the pavement, Dominic looked back at what used to be his home.

Scattered remains of the walls decorated the front garden whilst violent flames consumed what remained of the standing structure. Dark, billowing smoke overtook the sky above the wreckage, almost signalling the beginning of the war between two families... and the beginning of the end.

"CHEERS!"

CHAMPAGNE FLUTES CHIMED in a gorgeous melody, the delicate glasses clinking together in a toast to celebrate the first part of the plan going perfectly.

Natalie turned to her right, grinning at her husband before taking a sip of her champagne. Deckard, who had an arm wrapped around his wife's shoulders, pulled the woman closer to him and placed a delicate kiss on her hairline.

Resting her head on Deckard's chest, Natalie couldn't help but smile at the sound of her husband's heart racing from her mere touch. It didn't matter that they had been married for eight years, the two were like love-stricken teenagers who could never get enough of one another. Their love only grew year after year, solidifying the tie between them.

If anyone were to be asked about the couple, they would all give the same answer ─ Natalie and Deckard Shaw were made for each other, as though they were two halves of the same soul, destined to find each other in every universe. Soulmates was the term often used to describe the couple, and they did nothing but embrace it.

The casual chatter within the King's LA safe house was interrupted by the sound of gagging, making everyone turn to look at Finnick, who was jokingly holding back his fake disgust.

"Sorry, it's just those two lovebirds over there are sickeningly cute together," Finnick exclaimed, pointing at Natalie and Deckard, who did nothing but roll their eyes and try to hide the smiles tugging at the corners of their lips, "like, they're annoyingly in love."

"Aw," Katya pouted mockingly, tilting her head to the side as she looked at Finnick, "are they making you feel lonely, Briggs?"

"Oh, absolutely." The man nodded, not even bothering to deny it before taking another sip of his champagne. The Russian assassin simply chuckled, unable to hide her amusement.

Placing her nearly full glass on one of the tables, Natalie pulled Deckard to sit with her on one the sofas, his arm still around her shoulders. She leaned closer to her husband so that her head could rest on his upper arm.

Deckard, without even realising, began tracing shapes on his wife's arm, making the woman sigh in content. His touch sent goosebumps cascading over her skin, warm sparks tingling as they danced up and down her arm. The two stayed like that for a moment, observing their family as they all conversed with each other.

Nick, Xavier, and Andy were talking, well, more like Xavier and Nick were bickering whilst Andy tried to soothe her monumental headache. Nick was still ranting about how his brother called Zoey in Tokyo, making Alice and Bianca cackle as they listened.

The two women were taking it in turns to mock Nick, which eventually caught his attention and caused him to act all pissy. He had crossed his arms and frowned, almost like a grumpy toddler. Unfortunately for him, it only made the women laugh harder and mock him more.

Zoey and Katya stood in the corner of the living room, whispering in hushed tones whilst huddled together. The King woman looked concerned, almost frightened at what Katya was telling her, but quickly concealed it when she spotted Natalie observing her. The two locked eyes, and the Shaw woman saw a flicker of pure fear before it was shoved under the mask that Zoey had created.

Frowning in confusion, Natalie continued to watch the blondes despite not being able to catch any of their conversation, worried that something was going on. Deckard picked up on his wife's tension and instantly grabbed her attention.

"Darling, is everything alright?" He asked whilst his eyes darted over her facial features, searching for reassurance that nothing was wrong.

Not wanting to alarm anyone until she was absolutely sure that there was something wrong, Natalie chose to fake a reassuring smile whilst she spoke.

"Yeah, everything's fine, Deck."

Her smile didn't reach her eyes, and didn't disguise the glint of worry that flickered in the deep brown irises that Deckard loved so much. Wanting to wait until they were somewhere private to get a straight answer, the Shaw man chose to let his wife's strange behaviour go for now and simply placed another kiss on her temple.

Focusing on the remaining people in the room, Natalie watched as Finnick and Ana conversed. The two looked as though they were joking back and forth, making the Shaw woman smile. A realisation struck her as her eyes flicked around the room and a grin tugged at her lips as she turned to her husband.

"Finn does realise that he is literally surrounded by couples, right?" Natalie laughed, making Deckard chuckle along with her at the irony of it all. If one couple was enough to make Finnick feel lonely, how does he feel being surrounded by three?

"Oh, don't fucking remind me." The Briggs man groaned, having heard the Shaw woman's question, making the couple laugh even harder. Natalie buried her head into Deckard's chest in an attempt to muffle her amusement, but ultimately failed ─ her husband's chest moved up and down rapidly from his own chuckles, which only made the Shaw woman's giggles intensify.

Despite being amidst a brewing war and haunted by a certain devastating night, Natalie felt any and all tension dissipate from her body ─ being in the warm and familiar arms of her husband whilst she was surrounded by loved ones had never put her more at ease. She knew that the moment wouldn't last forever, but she hoped that she could soak it in as much as possible before it ended.

ELENA NEVES LED A determined Dominic Toretto through the bustling halls of the hospital, dodging doctors and nurses as they headed towards the hospital room that belonged to Luke Hobbs.

"Shattered his collarbone, fractured his leg in two places, stab wound to the thigh, and GSW to the abdomen." Elena spoke, giving the Toretto a rundown of her partner's injuries. "He only regained consciousness this morning. First thing he said was 'get me Dom'."

The two former lovers came to a stop, standing a few feet away from Hobbs' room. Dominic couldn't help but stare into the eyes of the woman he still cared for, glad that she was okay after being involved in the attack the day before.

"He's in there." Elena directed, nodding her head towards the hospital room before averting her eyes to the ground. Dominic looked over to where Hobbs was laid before marching over determinedly.

He only made it a few steps before he stopped and turned back, walking back towards a hesitant Elena. Dominic's eyes caught sight of the bandage wrapped around her upper arm, which concealed the wound Natalie had inflicted with her throwing knife.

"You okay?" He asked, his gruff voice sounding softer than usual as he spoke to the blonde woman.

Elena hesitated for a moment before making eye contact, nodding her head in reassurance before responding.

"I'm fine." She said, ignoring the way her cut burned as she spoke. "He's waiting, let's go."

The Neves woman didn't waste a second before darting towards the hospital room, leaving Dominic to trail behind. Entering the room, Elena smiled at her injured partner.

"Got something for you." The woman revealed, turning her head towards the Toretto man, who stepped into the room. "Your files."

Elena handed Hobbs two files, smiling gently whilst the man thanked her, before stepping away from the hospital bed.

Dominic took that as his cue to step forward, glancing at the old television hung on the wall. Ironically, it was showing The Incredible Hulk.

"You risk life and limb to save the free world and what do they give you?" Dominic joked, a smile tugging at his lips. "Jello and a bad seventies TV show."

Hobbs chuckled at the screen before turning towards Dominic. "You know, it's got its perks. Sponge baths aint that bad─"

"Dad!" A small voice piped up from the corner of the room, shocking the Toretto. He didn't know Hobbs had a kid.

"Dad?" He questioned, confused.

"Honey, I wanna introduce you to somebody." Hobbs began, talking to his daughter, Samantha. "He's- uh, he's an old friend. Go ahead and say hello."

Sam climbed from her armchair so that she could stand in front of Dominic, her cute face smug as she spoke.

"Dominic Toretto, right?" She asked, feigning innocence. "My dad said he kicked your ass once."

The sass was practically palpable as the young girl smiled, shocking Dominic ─ Samantha Hobbs reminded him of someone he'd made such an effort to forget.

"Your dad's on heavy pain meds; I can understand if his history's a little hazy." The Toretto man smirked, remembering when he and Hobbs fought in Rio three years prior.

Eventually, Elena took Sam to get something to eat, leaving the two men alone in the hospital room. As soon as the girls were gone, they got down to business.

"Who did this?" Dominic demanded, circling the end of the hospital bed as he spoke.

"You remember Owen Shaw?" Hobbs questioned, as if they could ever forget what had happened a year ago. "The one we tore down half of London trying to get? Well, this is his big, bad family."

Grabbing the files on his bed, the DSS agent passed them to Dominic. "Take a look at these."

The Toretto man glanced at Hobbs before flicking open the first file. Deckard's photo stared up at him as he read over the minimal information that had been collected.

"Deckard Shaw." He tested the name on his lips, bitterness coating his mouth as he spoke.

"British Special Forces assassin ─ the kind of unique asset that no government would ever admit to employing." Hobbs explained.

"Black Ops boys." Dominic guessed, only to be wrong.

"Worse ─ they created a monster. They felt Shaw was a necessary evil until eventually, they decided he was unnecessary. The powers that be felt he knew just a little bit too much. The asset became a liability, so they sent in twenty elite operatives to retire him."

"And they missed." The Toretto nodded.

"That was six years ago. Shaw and his wife have been ghosts ever since." Hobbs revealed, prompting Dominic to look at the second file.

Tossing Deckard's file onto the foot of the bed, the Toretto man flipped open the first page, only to have every ounce of colour drain from his face.

"That's not possible." He muttered, his stomach turning with violent waves of nausea whilst his eyes were glued to the photo that was attached to the file.

"I said the same thing, brother. Turns out she isn't as dead as we thought." Hobbs grimaced as he thought back to that night on the plane, specifically to the moment where he shot Natalie Shaw.

Dominic went to read through the information gathered on his estranged sister, only to stop at the first line.

"This isn't correct ─ your intel is wrong." He argued as he read over the name repeatedly. Her surname was Toretto, whether they liked it or not.

"The only file we could find on her was the one that's currently in your hands." Hobbs revealed, sighing, "According to every major database in the world, Natalie Toretto doesn't exist. There's no record of her being born into your family."

The name NATALIE KING stared up at Dominic in bold letters, sending pure rage coursing through his veins like a car racing a quarter mile. It only worsened when he saw the information listed two lines below:

KNOWN RELATIVES: Andromeda King (Mother), Xavier King (Brother), Nicholas King (Brother), Alice King (Sister), Deckard Shaw (Husband).

Even after everything she had done, Natalie had still managed to find herself a new family and fall in love. She wasn't supposed to be better off without us, Dominic thought, clenching his jaw as he closed his eyes in an attempt to quell his anger, exile was meant to be a punishment, not a gift.

"There's no record of where she learnt her skills, but she somehow managed to become one of the most sought-after mercenaries worldwide. King is renowned for her unique driving skills, making her the most valuable asset to any team." Hobbs explained, despite not wanting to rub salt in a clearly gaping wound. "Separately, Shaw and King are deadly enough as it is, but together?"

"Together they could end the goddamn world if they wanted to."

HAYLEY WRITES...
i have a love-hate relationship
with this chapter, i can't tell
whether i like it or not :/

not dom gaslighting himself
into thinking he did the right
thing by LITERALLY
EXILING HIS SISTER 😭

the cat is out of the bag
for dom about the kings!!
what do you think he's
gonna do about them?

please let me know what
you think of this chapter!
hearing your thoughts is
one of my favourite things
ever :)

a LOT of plots have been
set up in this chapter, so
see if you can spot where
the hints are 👀

don't forget to click the
little star at the bottom to
vote!

anyways, until next time :)