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, baby."

Big thank you to Love Ink, D, Mrz Letty-Ortiz, Gingermegs, CaseyMorgan, Lady Alana83! You guys are awesome. Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews. I'm so glad that you liked Mario. I think I might keep him around, we'll just see how things go I guess…Well I hope you enjoy this one. D also kindly gave Nicola and Leon a song…aww… "Hard to Say I'm sorry" By Chicago (sorry D totally stole your glory there and on your p.s note- you may be right…shifty eyes…) Alright on with the show…

Playlist-

Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash

Do You Want To – Franz Ferdinand


Chapter Twenty-Nine – And everything that was your world

"Apparently you need your house re-wired." He said, taking in Nicolas blank look he added, "I'm an electrician." Nicolas eyes widened as she tried to remember the part where Tyson was an electrician. He had been a trainee when she'd briefly dated him.

"Oh, sorry, Tyson. It's just been a weird morning." She laughed and he shrugged. He knew how weird it could be in the Toretto household.

"So the house?" Tyson asked and she gestured to the place next door which had had a lick of paint and a few renovations since the fire had destroyed most of the bottom level.

"Its over there." She said, obviously.

"Yeah right, um, keys?" He asked and Nicola laughed.

"Shit, sorry, Ty." She searched through the handbag on her shoulder and found a ring of keys, wondering if she needed any of them before handing the whole thing to Tyson. "It's the only brass key."

Tyson nodded but didn't move.

"You look good La." He said softly and Nicola smiled.

"It's my natural pregnant lady glow." She laughed and Tyson nodded.

"Yeah, I heard, congrats hey." He said and Nicola heard someone calling her name.

"Thanks, I've gotta go. I'll see you later." She replied as Steph appeared and appraised the blonde in front of them.

"I know you." She said, squinting slightly as she looked at him.

"He's the electrician, Tyson. Are you taking me to work or not?" Nicola stepped around Tyson and made her way to Stephs car as Steph tried to work out where she knew him from. "Come on Steph!" Nicola said and Steph shrugged, giving up before making her way down to the car as Tyson crossed the driveway parallel to them and made his way towards the other house.

"Tyson?" Steph asked, unlocking the car and Nicola nodded. "You dated him right, like ages ago?" The red head asked, sliding into the drivers seat.

"Yes, a long time ago. Just don't tell Leon he's here. Between Mario and Tyson, I think Leon might just remember that he used to be a bit of a fighter." She said shaking her head and searching through her handbag for her sunglasses.

"So who is this Mario, the long lost brother that I think I've heard of once and claims he spent a lot of time lusting after you in high school?" Steph, always straight to the point.

"He was in Leon and Jess' year at school. They met in auto shop- I think. I don't know the three of them used to hang out a bit before I even knew Jesse and Mario." Nicola replied as she slid the sunglasses on her face.

"And after you met him?"

"Nothing ever happened between me and Mario if that's what you're implying. He used to harass me a bit that's all." Nicola shrugged it off.

"Bet Leon loved that." Steph sniped and Nicolas brow furrowed as she thought about it.

"They were always having a punch up. But it was just friends letting off some steam." She brushed off the thought Steph was implying.

"Or friends fighting over a girl."

"As if, Leon was never like that." Nicola said and sighed, at least she'd never seen that side of him, not back then anyway.

"Sounds to me like it was a lot like that. So why do we call him Mario?" Steph said, continuing her twenty questions about the attractive Italian.

"His name is Giovanni? You can't get more Italian unless you one of the super Mario brothers." Nicola laughed and Steph watched the road intently for a minute.

"Mario and Luigi? Did people actually call Vince Luigi?" She burst out laughing at the thought.

"Yep, believe me it took him a long time to shake it off." Nicola laughed along with her as Steph hit her hand on the steering wheel as she laughed.

"That is hilarious." She managed to choke out between the giggles and Nicola just laughed harder at Stephs reaction. "I am so calling him that."

"You're so mean." Nicola said as the laughing died down and ran a hand through her hair and pulled it over her shoulder to quickly plait it.

"So, Mario, what's he like?" Steph asked and Nicola looked over at her. She knew that look, she'd been friends with Mario in highschool. He just had that affect on people.

"Look, Steph, before you do anything stupid, you should know that Mario is trouble, with a capital T." She said seriously and Steph rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't do anything and people say the same about you, you know."

"You don't get sent to Italy for four years for the same shit I've done." Nicola replied, turning her attention back to the road.

"What do you mean sent to Italy?" Steph asked, her attention divided now between driving and finding information out about the youngest Catalano.

"You don't think that a nineteen year old boy that looked like that would volunteer to just skip over to Italy to the rellies do you?" Steph glanced back at Nicola who was giving her a look that said she was really missing out on something here.

"What did he do?" Steph asked hesitantly and Nicola sighed loudly, tapping her fingers on her thigh.

"I don't know. All I know is that Vince was charged with assault when he was nineteen and he didn't get sent to Italy. Just, be careful Steph, that is one family drama that you do not want to get involved in." Nicola said as they pulled up to the front of the garage. "Thanks for the ride, hun." Nicola climbed out of the car and Steph waved to her quickly before zipping off to the studio, leaving Nicola to walk up to the garage alone, hoping that Steph had listened to her.

Walking into the garage she found Leon leaning against the hood of a shiny black Range Rover, filling out a service form, chewing on a toothpick.

"A wank list really?" She said, leaning against the car beside him.

"Really really." He replied gruffly and scribbled down something on the form before turning his head to look at her.

"How come I never heard of this?" She asked and Leon shrugged.

"It was meant to stay in Italy with that little fucker." Turning his attention back to the form Nicola placed her hand on the small of his back and rubbed small circles on it before leaning forward and kissing his shoulder through the material of his shirt.

"Well I'm glad I was at the top of your list." She said sweetly before heading towards the office. "Oh, and Tyson Little is re-wiring our house." She said quickly before darting in the door as she heard something hit the floor after the impact of Leon kicking it, making her wince before falling down in her chair and staring at the pile of papers in front of her. Just great.


A few hours later, she was halfway through the pile when salad sandwich landed in front of her. Looking up, Leon fell into the chair in front of her desk and peeled the cling wrap off his own and took a bite without saying a word.

"I hope there are pickles in it this time." Nicola said as she unwrapped the plastic and lifted the top layer of bread to inspect the contents of the sandwich, smiling in satisfaction when she saw she did have pickles.

"I have an order coming in at three." Leon finally said and Nicola nodded as she chewed slowly.

"So how come you were the one that Mario rang at five am?" She asked finally and Leon took another bite of his sandwich before speaking through the mouthful.

"Juft cauff." He replied and Nicola rose an eyebrow.

"Has nothing to do with why he left?" She asked gently and Leons eyes narrowed.

"La…" he cautioned and Nicola put her sandwich down.

"Right, we're not allowed to talk about it." She said quietly and Leons jaw clenched.

"You promised La, even if we were kids, you promised. You can't go back on that." Nicola nodded and looked down at her hands. "Look, just, just stay away from him okay? I don't want you or Steph to get mixed up in any of his shit."

"Why did you bring him home then Leon?" She asked and Leon shook his head.

"Because, baby, he's still Vinces brother. And if V knows he's in town, he'll keep an eye on him." He explained and Nicola let out another loud sigh.

"Okay." She said finally.

"Okay? You're just going to let it go?" Leon asked with disbelief and Nicola nodded.

"If you and Vince think this is the right thing to do then I'll go along with it." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"This really was the last thing we needed." He growled and Nicola put her sandwich down, stood up and walked around to stand in front of him. Leon reached for her hand and pulled her forward to straddle his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning their foreheads together.

"It's no big deal, Le." Her breath hit his lips and Leon sighed, using his hands to reach up and pull her down to meet his lips.

"Urgh, I don't think I'll ever get used to that." A voice interrupted them and Nicola looked up at the office door as Leon craned his neck around to see Mario standing there, a disgusted look on his face. Nicola put her hands on Leons shoulders and squeezed slightly in reassurance as she slipped off his lap and smoothed down her shirt as Leon stood up and turned to look at Mario.

"What're you doing here?" Leon asked irritated.

"Visiting? What's it look like Palermo?" Mario replied happily as he waltzed into the office and sat down in the chair Leon had just been occupying as Vince wandered through the door.

"Hey, asshole, don't you have any fucking manners?" Vince growled at his little brother and Mario just shrugged and smiled mischievously at Nicola. "Can we talk?" Vince growled at Leon who nodded and followed Vince out of the office.

"So you and Leon? That's fucking weird La." Mario said, leaning forward and plucking a pen off the desk and started to tap it on his knee.

"What can I say?" She asked sweetly and walked around to the other side of the desk and sat down again, wrapping her sandwich up and throwing it in the bin, not really in the mood to eat anymore.

"So whens that thing going to come out?" Mario asked, pointing his finger at her stomach and raising his thick dark eyebrows.

"I've got awhile yet." Nicola replied and scribbled something on a piece of paper.

"Okay…so this Steph chick."

"You fucking touch her I will rip it off." Nicola replied as she continued to write.

"Oh, sweet'eart you don't need an excuse to touch it. Just ask." He smirked and Nicola looked up at him, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Really? I didn't realise." There was a sound behind him and Mario watched as Nicolas gaze went above his head. "Leon baby, I'm leaving you for Mario. He's going to let me touch his manhood."

"Lucky she has small hands." Leon replied, sticking a new toothpick in his mouth and glanced over at Vince who was shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"Come on shithead, we've got other places to be." Vince said to Mario making him stand up and walk towards the door, stopping beside Leon and throwing a look back at Nicola.

"Lets face it, she'll come crawling to me when she gets her chance." He teased and Leon nodded thoughtfully.

"Maybe- she has a short attention span and we all know you wouldn't last more than a minute, right?" He replied and Marios eyes fell on Nicola.

"You know where I am baby."

"I'll bring my taser." Nicola replied and Mario smirked.

"Kinky."

"Fuck off already." Leon shoved him towards the door and shook his head at Nicola before going back to work as Vince took up the task of pushing Mario towards the door.

"You touch her, and I'll be the one ripping it off." He growled to his little brother before the door slammed and the only sounds left was the rock station blasting through the radio and the tapping of tools on an engine.


When Nicola was positive it was home time she pushed herself away from the desk and wandered out to the garage where Leon was leaning his head against the door of a car as he fiddled with a fuel filter.

"Come on, Le, take me home to bed." She said extending her hand to him and he held out his grease stained hand and pushed himself up.

"Only because you said please." He said tiredly and pushed his hair back from his face before rubbing his stubble and sighing. "Come on." He dragged her towards the door, flicking lights off as they went and locking the door behind him before making their way down to the yellow skyline.

"So what did V have to say for himself?" She asked as they sat in the car and Leon looked over at her with a risen eyebrow.

"Not much." He replied, evasively.

"So he had nothing to say about the reappearance of the prodigal son?" She asked and Leon shrugged.

"The same thing as me- be careful." He said, but he didn't drive the point home as she expected and Nicola thought maybe Leon thought he might have changed.

"It's been four years, baby, a lot of things can change." She said and Leon nodded.

"Yeah I guess." He replied and she knew she'd lost him to his thoughts as they cruised through the dark streets and pulled up at the Toretto house.

"So we should be able to get back into our house soon." Nicola said, taking Leons hand and giving it a small squeeze before he let it go and wrapped it around her waist as they strolled up to the house. Before Leon could open the door though, Nicola stopped him and turned him to look at her. "I've been thinking…"

"Uh-oh." Leon said, a smirk playing on his lips and Nicola smacked his arm.

"Shut it, you ass. What I was saying was- we should move all my stuff into your room and Mario can have my room and we can convert that spare room upstairs into a nursery maybe?" She said sweetly and leaned into him slightly, cocking her eyebrow and Leons eyebrows rose.

"You want Mario to live with us?" He asked sceptically.

"Well Vince will be there, and he's hardly going to live here. And besides you missed the part where we move all my stuff into your room." She said, jabbing her finger into his chest.

"I did not miss that part." He growled and rubbed his chest, "It's a good idea, but we're going to have to paint the spare room." He said and pushed the door of Mias house open.

"Well I figured you could do that, you know as a present to your lovely girlfriend that is carrying this kid around for nine months." She explained and Leon looped and arm around her shoulder, chuckling slightly.

"Hey, don't be nasty about my daughter." He replied and Nicola shook her head.

"No way, it's a boy." Nicola replied. "It kicks too much to be a girl." Leon stopped and pulled Nicola to a halt in the process.

"Okay, I'll make you a deal." Nicola raised an eyebrow sceptically. "If it's a boy- you name it. If I'm right- I get to name it." He laughed as she crinkled up her nose in thought but then reasoned that she would be right.

"Okay. Deal. But the names have to be agreed on first." She narrowed her eyes at him and he nodded and stuck out his hand which she took and shook it enthusiastically. "You are going down Palermo." She threatened and he just laughed.

"Keep dreaming pretty girl."


A/N: Sooooo what did you think? I know you were all thinking that Nicola and Mario had something way back when but I thought it would be fun to make it a little bit more mysterious. Ha! REVIEW x