Disclaimer: I do not own anything that does not have my name written next to it in pretty pink pen. I only own my own fictional characters, this include my OFC Nicola Andrews and her family. I also do not own any of the songs used to write this story…except on CD.

Reviews etc. are always appreciated and adored.

Summary- "She always said you were her knight in shining armour." Mia appeared from nowhere, her face stained with tears as she looked down at the car. Leon looked up at her and his face fell. "I'm so sorry, Le. If we hadn't…" She started to sob again and Leon stood up pulling the girl into a hug, pressing a kiss into her hair. "Hey Mia, it wasn't your fault, girl."

Rose Pound – Thanks so much for your review and you'll just have to wait and see where it goes lol

Mrz Letty Ortiz-Toretto – Thank you! It makes me feel better knowing someone thinks I'm writing the characters right. And I will make sure I give you as much as possible!

Sassy Ava – I know it is a sad song, but I thought it really related to Leon and with what I plan to do in the future. The next few chapters do focus on Leon and Nicola however occasionally it will see the points of view of other people such as Brian so you can understand the story! Thank you so much for your lovely review!

Tfatfreak207 – Thank you so much! Its such a compliment that you think I did well to blend the whole story in. Shucks I'm so happy! Thanks for the great review and I hope you keep enjoying it!

Gingermegs – As always thank you for the review! I'm glad you've like the first chapter so far so fingers crossed for this one. And maybe Leon will man up…maybe not…

Lover of Many Things804 – Thanks- I hope it all turns out alright!

Love Ink – I'm so glad you have so much faith! Yeah I love Nicola and Vince too its so much fun writing their banter. Thanks for the lovely review.

Gosh 7 reviews on my first chapter- hope this one does not disappoint!

Playlist-

Caves – Jacks Mannequin


Chapter One – Slow dancing on the boulevard

"You just come from the hospital?" Someone asked Vince and Leons head shot up. Vince took a sip of his beer and looked around the table, his eyes falling on Brian Spilner sitting there watching intently.

"Yeah."

"How's your mother?" Dom asked glancing warily at Leon. They needed to keep Nicola as much of a secret as they could. The rest of the conversation was lost on Leon though as he sat in the chair and stared at his food.

"You not hungry, babe?" Letty leaned towards him and Leon pushed the food away.

"Nah, I'll have something later. Thanks for the food Mia." He stood up and walked down the drive and towards the house next door, his beer hanging loosely in his fingers.

"He alright?" Dom asked Letty, raising an eyebrow and Letty shrugged. Who knew with Leon these days.

"Vince, maybe you go say something to him? You know how he gets." Mia suggested, looking between her brother and Letty, knowing exactly how Vince could help.

"Yeah right." Vince stood up from the table and taking a bread roll with him followed Leon towards the house.

He found his friend sitting on the floor of his room, a small stuffed dog in his hands. The dog had big pink spots on it and blue eyes. Leon continued to turn the toy over in his hands as he stared blankly at it.

"It was from one of the kids in her dance class." Leon muttered.

"Come have something to eat, Dawg." Vince said, leaning against the door frame.

"How was she, man?" Leon looked up at Vince with pleading eyes and Vince walked into the room and sat down across from Leon, crossing his arms over his chest knowing this conversation had been coming.

"She's upset, kid. She'll come around, give her some time." Leon just nodded. "She keeps asking how you are like every five seconds. You wanna see her, then go and see her, Le, stop fucking around." Vince said bluntly.

"She asked me not to."

"And when have you ever listened to her?" Leon laughed, Vince made a valid point. "Go and talk some sense into the girl." Vince stood up and walked back out to the barbeque where everyone went silent and looked up at him. The screeching of tyres in the driveway made him smile despite himself.

"Leon won't be joining us." He sat down in his spot and took a piece of chicken.

Leon pulled into the carpark at the hospital and before he could talk himself out of it he walked up into the hospital and found her room. She was sleeping when he got there, so he just sat down and waited.

"Took you long enough." Her husky voice made him sit up and look over at her, her hazel eyes watching him.

"You told me to stay away." He replied as he grabbed her hand, knowing she wouldn't feel it.

"I also told you to shave and not to paint our bedroom but you never listen." She smiled and it was like everything was new again.

"Vince said you were pining away for me."

"Vince was just here, complaining about this Brian dude." She shook her head and laughed as Leon just sat and listened. "I said to him, you got problems with some dude and you come and bitch to me? I'm in a fucking hospital bed with a back brace man. I don't think he really appreciated my advice." She shook her head and continued to speak.

"And yesterday Jesse came in telling me all about this damn Supra you guys are doing up for Dom. He asked me what colour and I said yellow and he said yellow was gay. He's painting the damn thing orange you know? And he thought yellow was gay." Leon loved watching the way her eyes flickered back and forth as she rambled.

"And the fucking physiotherapist telling me to push my feet against her hand- I was like how about I break your back then you can see how hard you can push your feet against my hands. I mean seriously. When can you get me out of this joint?" She turned her head to look at him and Leon smiled a rare smile.

"Lala, if I had a choice I would have had you out of here ages ago. But the doctor says your healing quickly." She laughed.

"You want to see a neat trick?" Nicola asked and Leon nodded. She didn't do anything then he felt her fingers moving along the tattoo on his wrist. When he looked up at her she raised her eyebrows. "Pretty sweet huh?"

"Both hands?" Leon asked, leaning forward to her.

"Yeah, its better in my right though."

"Wow." Leon let out a breath and moved closer to the bed. His eyes grazed her flat stomach and he felt his gut tighten. She saw his reaction and squeezed his fingers.

"I sometimes forget that you lost the baby as well." It was her way of apologising for kicking him out. They both fell silent.

"You remember that time I fell out of your window and you jumped out after me?" She said softly and he nodded.

"You asked me the same thing when you were in the ambulance." He smiled slightly and she sighed.

"I guess I don't remember much then." She said softly.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Leon asked, resting his chin on his hands on her mattress.

"You waking me up and a chocolate croissant," She laughed, "and then asking where the all the parts from the original Skyline were. You said you needed some of them. I must have gone to the storage container to find them because I remember you asking me. And I remember ringing some guy in Texas about a Honda Civic that Hector had been chasing. But that's all." Leon sat up, surprised that she remembered that much. It was a wonder she hadn't connected the dots yet and figured it out. He rubbed his chin and nodded.

"But I can't remember anything else. Vince won't tell me anything and besides you theres no one else to ask." She replied. She knew something was bothering him, he only rubbed his chin like that when he was lying or bothered by something.

"It really isn't important La." He replied.

"Now Leon Daniel Palermo don't you fucking lie to me."

"Hello! It's time for your medication Nicola." The pretty blonde nurse came in, interrupting the argument and held out a paper cup of pills to Nicola who swallowed them dry and didn't accept the glass of water that she offered.

"Is this the famous Leon? I'm Nicolas nurse, Nancy." She looked at Leon who glanced at Nicola questionably.

"Apparently under the influence of drugs I tend to chatter about you quite a bit." Nicola replied.

"How much are you giving her?" Leon raised an eyebrow at the nurse who laughed at him.

"She said you were funny. She also said you were handsome. Shes a very lucky girl, even with all the drugs." Nancy laughed.

"Yeah well I'm the lucky one. And she's easier to handle with the drugs." He chanced a look at Nicola whos eyes narrowed to a slit.

"Smartass." She replied and Nancy shook her head before leaving the couple alone. "So this Brian dude, he's got Vinces panties in a twist over Mia." Leon nodded, "Tell the man to suck it up. What is it about this kid that makes him feel so threatened?"

"He's a pretty boy- blonde, blue eyes, looks like he belongs in a varsity catalogue." Leon explained.

"Ooh I see. I thought we'd gotten past this whole Mia slash Vince thing like ten years ago?"

"Yeah me too." Leon leant back in the chair and put his arms behind his head as he watched her face scrunch up in concentration. He always thought she looked cute when she did that.

"And this ugly ass Supra that this kid has Jesse building for Dom? What's with that?"

"He lost his car to Dom in a race- owed him a ten second car." Leon replied and could see the beginnings of another rant coming into Nicolas mind.

"He sounds like a fool. And Dom keeps him hanging around? What is it with Dom at the moment? He came in here all moody the other day. Something about Letty being all hormonal. I think he thought I was high, I think I was high…So I said to him- do I look like a fucking relationship counsellor? Y'all come in here telling me all your problems because you know I won't get up out of this damn bed and smack some sense into you. He laughed of course but he got the point." She took a deep breath. "And it's like since I've been here suddenly they're all having these problems in their relationships. They make you and I look like I don't know, something that looks good." Her eyelids started to droop and Leon could tell the painkillers were kicking in.

"Go to sleep Lala." He said softly and she smiled.

Watching her sleep Leon leaned against the bed and rested his chin on his folded arms. It hurt him so much having to watch her in so much pain, unable to move. Nothing like the crazy Nicola he knew.

He didn't remember falling asleep but when he woke, fingers were running through his hair.

Looking up he was met with her eyes and a small smile.

"Maybe you should go home and sleep?" She said softly and Leon shook his head. He wasn't leaving anytime soon. "I'm serious Leon, they have to come and give me a bath soon- and believe me you do not want to witness that."

He felt the pang in his chest as his eyes got glassy. His girl should never have needed help having a bath.

"I can stay." Nancy suddenly reappeared with another older nurse.

"No." She replied and Leon stood up and kissed her forehead.

"I'll wait outside." Nicola smiled gratefully. It was bad enough that she couldn't touch him, she wasn't putting him through the pain of watching her be completely useless. She nodded to the nurses and they swooped in her direction.

Half an hour later the nurses opened the door and left, smiling to Leon as he slipped back through the door.

Nicolas long hair was pulled over her shoulder in a long plait and her bed positioned so she was sitting up.

She looked disgruntled.

"They forgot the moisturiser." She turned her head to smile at him and he walked over to her side.

"How much pain are you in?" he asked softly, working out how he was going to do it.

"Not much, I'm pretty doped up." She gave a small laugh and Leon kicked off his shoes before raising his eyes at her. She nodded giving him the all clear to do what he pleased. He lifted her up slightly his hands grazing the metal brace then the cotton panties that rested on her hips and slid a leg behind her before sliding onto the bed and sitting behind her, a leg on either side of her own and her head was resting on his shoulder.

Reaching over to the side table Leon plucked up the familiar looking bottle and squeezed some cream onto his hands, the vanilla smell reminding him of better times.

"You don't have to do this Leon." She said softly and he smiled.

"I'd jump in front of a bullet for you and all that." He said as he picked up a hand and started to rub the cream into her hands before he moved up her arms to her shoulders.

"You're so romantic." Nicola laughed and Leon smiled a genuine smile. "Hey, I haven't seen that for awhile." Nicola noticed the smile and Leon placed a kiss on her neck.

"Does this hurt?" he said softly and Nicola shook her head. With the way Leon was rubbing his hands against her skin Nicola noticed that for the first time nothing hurt.

As he rubbed the cream into her neck he peppered kisses along the line of her neck and under her ear.

Nicolas head dropped back onto his shoulder as she looked up at him through long lashes.

"I didn't think you'd come back for me." She said quietly and Leon shook his head.

"I'll always come back for you." He mumbled into her skin.

"Thank-you." Leon swallowed the lump in his throat and pulled away from her neck, focussing on rubbing the cream into her shoulders. What was she thanking him for? Getting her in a car accident, choosing her over their baby, not being there for her?


A/N: Alrighty let me know your thoughts cause if it really sucks I need to know! REVIEW x