~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
May 30th, 2002
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“One more push; you can do it.”

Letty grunted in response, pushing as hard as she could. She fell back against the hospital bed to the sounds of a lusty wail.

“It’s a girl, all ten fingers and toes and she appears to be perfectly healthy. Congratulations.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
June 15th, 2002
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Letty?” Brian starred at the woman on his door step.

“Brian.” Letty gave a sarcastic grin “I don’t have a lot of time. Dom and me broke up, I hated Mexico, I hate you but most of all I hate being a mother. So hear you go. I haven’t named her so call her what ever you want. Give her up to social services or take her in yourself I don’t give a rats ass what you do.” Letty turned around put on her shades and walked away before O’Conner had a chance to respond. Brian snapped out of his daze when he heard the fussing, glancing down he saw a car seat complete with baby. His head shot up just in time to see Letty peal away from the curb. “Oh Shit…”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
May 30th, 2007
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear Jasmine, Happy Birthday to you” was sung by several children while Brian stood behind his daughter and Hector zoomed in with the camcorder to capture the birthday girl making her wish.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later that night
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“This is why I don’t have kids Brian, the clean up sucks” hector laughed. Brian gave a grin.

“Yeah well it’s not like I really had a choice. I wasn’t about to let Dom’s child end up in the system. Besides I love her like she was my own.”

“You know everyone still keep their eyes and ears out. We will find him eventually.” Hector gave Brian’s shoulder a squeeze.

“Yeah, I know. I just wish she could know him. More then pictures and stories you know. I hate that he’s missing all this, it’s gonna kill him when he finds out about Jazz.”

“Yeah, well you’ve done all you can. You’ve hire private detectives and crap to find him. All of this is Letty’s fault, Dom and Jazz not knowing each other, you can lay it all on Letty’s shoulders. Hell she probably knew where he was. She left Jazz with you and didn’t tell you where he was to hurt him.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
October 10th, 2014
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Sorry man, I really thought we had him this time.” Hector said as he plopped down next to Brian.

“Me to, man, me to. I was so sure I told Jazz about it and now I’m going to have to tell her that it wasn’t him.”

“At least Halloween is coming up. Maybe it will take her mind off it.”

“I doubt it. She was already talking about Christmas and everything and having him around.”

“You taught her to love him as much as you do. That can’t be a bad thing. Even though I think you should move on I mean fuck it’s been almost 13 years.”

“Yeah well it’s not like I haven’t tried Hector. I just always end up comparing them to Dom and they never measure up.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
May 20th, 2018
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I think I found him.” Hector watched Brian flinch.

“I can’t, Hector. It hurts too much when it’s doesn’t work out.”

“I think this is legit, Bri. I really think it’s him.”

“Then you check it out Hector because I quit.” Brian turned away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
May 25th, 2018
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“You’re still bringing Jazz to race wars for her sweet sixteen aren’t you?” Hector asked over the phone.

“Yeah that’s the plan. I am officially giving in to her pressure tactics of the last 7 years and bringing her with me. Why?”

“Because the lead panned out this time, I found him. I haven’t told him about Jazz just that you were looking for him. I thought you would want to tell him about her yourself. He said he’d come to Race Wars to see you.”

“Oh My God…” Brian slid down the wall landing with a soft plop on the kitchen floor.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
May 29th, 2018
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Brian…” Dom nodded his head in greeting.

“Dom” Brian blinked at the man standing in front of him. Dom still seemed larger then life, he still shaved his head, and still had a body to die for.

“You wanted to see me?” Dom was confused and unsure. The feelings he had for Brian, that he thought were long dead and buried, were rushing back with a vengeance, like it was yesterday and not almost 17 years ago. Hell he’d run into Letty and her new boy toy a couple months ago and it hadn’t brought back anything except memories of good, and a couple not so good, times.

“We have a d-daughter…?” Brian stuttered not sure what to say or do.

“Really? Immaculate conception?” Dom raised one eyebrow and inquired sarcastically.

“No…” Brian laughed nervously. “Letty showed up on my door step and just left her. I couldn’t let her get stuck in the system so I adopted her when I couldn’t find you.”

“Well she’s not mine Brian; I haven’t been with Letty in, shit, sixteen and a half years.”

“Yeah I know, Jazz is sixteen tomorrow.”

“Oh God…”

“Dom, are you ok? I’ve been looking, hired private detectives and everything. We just couldn’t find you. She knows who you are and everything. Hector and, well, all of us really have been telling her about you and pictures and stuff. She doesn’t feel like you abandoned her. I never let her feel that, I always made sure she knew how much you’d want her if you knew about her.” Brian finished in a rush, a bit unsure what to do next.

“You kept her?”

“I… I… How could I not. She was your daughter and I… well um that is…” Brian heaved a sigh and ran his fingers through his golden curls, “Look, I just couldn’t stand by after Letty left her on my doorstep and do nothing. The bitch didn’t even give her a name Dom, she was 2 weeks old and she didn’t even have a name.” Brian finished.

“I just saw Letty a couple months ago; she never said anything… GOD DAMMIT!!” Dom shouted as he drove his fist into the tree next to them.

“Dad?” Jasmine leaned out of their RV when she heard the shout and called out for Brian.

“That’s her?” Dom whispered.

“Yeah, yeah that’s Jasmine. We call her Jazz…” Brian bit his lip then asked “Do you… um do you want to meet her?”

“Yeah, can I?” Dom asked in a subdued voice.

“Come on.” Brian led Dom to the RV where Jazz was waiting. “Look who I ran into, honey…”

Jasmine starred at Dom. This man was her father… He was HUGE. She looked back at Brian who gave her a reassuring smile and a thumb’s up sign. Giving Dom a grin she threw herself into his arms. “Hi!”

“Hi” Dom laughed as he caught her in his arms hugging her to him.

“Come on lets go inside.” Brian held open the door to the RV he’d rented for the trip.

“I don’t think I can let go.” Dom responded. Jazz giggled from the circle of his arms.

After finally making it inside, Jazz sitting right next to Dom, Brian announced that he had brought Jazz’s baby book and some of the scrap books to share with Dom.

“There your copies actually, I made two every time I put something together.” Brian waved his hand at a shoe box on the coffee table. “Um Birthdays and school stuff there’s about twelve tapes or so.”

“Thank you, Brian, for everything, for not forgetting me and including me as part of her life even though I wasn’t there, for doing all this for me.”

“Your welcome” Brian answered back.

They spent the rest of the night looking through scrap books, pictures, school projects and Birthday videos. Jazz refused to let go of Dom during the entire time, falling asleep snuggled into his side. Dom just smiled over at Brian and cuddle Jasmine closer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
May 30th, 2018
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Morning” Jazz smiled at her father.

Dom grinned back. “Morning sweetheart” Dom reached over and pulled Jazz into his arms giving her a strong hug. “I can’t believe this real.”

“I know what you mean, the first thing I did this morning was check to make sure you were really here.”

Dom released her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be a part of your life from now on. I hate that I missed so much of it. If I had known nothing would have kept me away from you. I want you to know that. would have been there every minute.”

“I believe you. Dad always told me that. Always made sure I believed it.”

“I still can’t believe what he did for you, for me. It amazes me.” Dom stroked Jasmine’s hair.

“He loves you. He never thought twice about keeping me. He knew if they put me up for adoption I never would have known who you were. He didn’t want that. He always looked for you. Hector and the guys, everyone looked but all the leads led no where.” Jazz watched her father’s reaction to her words and knew she was right. Dom was just as in love with her dad, even after all these years, as he was with him. “No ones ever measured up, you know. It’s not like he didn’t date, men and women, but they couldn’t compete with you. You should talk to him.”

“You, uh, you make it sound like he only kept you because of me.”

“Maybe at first but he loves me as his own. I have never doubted that. He is my dad, in every way that counts.”

“I see.” Dom whispered.

“I don’t think you do. I love you, I’m glad I have you now. But I don’t love or need my dad any less. Some people have a mother and a father, I have two fathers and there’s room in my life and heart for both of them.”

“Two fathers huh?” Dom asked with a grin.

“And as far as mothers go. I maintain that I was hatched… any questions?” Jazz said with a saucy grin.

“Not a one.”

“So how about talking my dad into letting me race?” Jasmine gave Dom her patented puppy dog eyes.

Dom blinked, he was in trouble, that look made him want to give her everything. “Uh…”

“There isn’t a power on earth that’s going to convince me that you, who doesn’t even have her drivers license yet, is going to race. I told you that before we came down here. So pack away the eyes Jazz.” Brian announced from the door of the RV. “Go get dressed, I’ll start breakfast.”

“She’s amazing, smart to. Talks like she is older then she is though…” Dom mentioned to Brian after Jazz had fled to the back of the trailer.

“She’s always been intuitive, has a huge vocabulary and knows how to use it. How’d you think she won the state debate championship? Gives out great advice just ask Hector. I don’t know how many times she’s helped him out of a sticky matter of the heart. She’s sixteen, today as a matter of fact, not ten. I know you missed a lot but try not to treat her like she’s a little kid. “

“Got it, not a little kid.” Dom rolled his eyes.

“Sorry didn’t mean to sound quite so patronizing.”

“It’s ok. She’s your daughter, you raised her. When you said *we* have a daughter you meant we. I have no illusions you’re going to stop just because you found me.” Dom gave Brian’s shoulder a quick squeeze. “She said you never thought twice about keeping her. She said it was because you love me…” Dom trailed off trying to decipher Brian’s expression.

Brian couldn’t decide what to do. He wanted to lean forward and be wrapped in Dom’s warm embraced and he wanted to run.

“And if it’s true?” Brian whispered.

“Then I’d be pretty damn happy.” Dom whispered back giving Brian a slight smile. Brian returned the smile and stepped forward when Dom opened his arms. “Letty left because of what she called my ‘crush’ on you. I just couldn’t forget you no matter how many times she reminded me you were a cop. It took a long time to bury those feelings. And then you were standing there and those feelings were all there, like it’s only been days not years.

“I love you, Dom.” Brian gave Dom a soft smile.

“I love you, Brian.” Dom answered, lowering his head he placed his lips over Brian’s and pulled him closer.

Jazz lean against the hall wall with a smile on her face, this was a perfect sweet sixteen as far as she was concerned.

The End