A/N: OK, so it took a little longer getting this chapter done than usual, but I have had the worst case of writers block. I seriously hope this is up to standard for you guys. Oh, and for those who don't know, 'tins' refer to all the parts of a motorcycle with custom paints. Fenders, tank etc..

sparkly green

Leon swore loudly, kicking over a nearby stool. He had spent the past four hours working on a tank, airbrushing layer over layer of paint, only to fuck it up. He slumped to the floor, hands fisted in his hair. If he was going to get the tank finished before tomorrow he.. Who am I kidding? There's no way I'm going to get that finished before tomorrow.. I'd be lucky to have it done in two days now...

"I can't do anything right." He said to himself, staring up at the ruined paint job in front of him. It was the first time he had ever been distracted to the point of destroying the entire job. He had never messed up beyond a quick touch up. ".. Jesus.." he muttered under his breath. He looked up at the clock. Eleven forty six, he noted. It was almost midnight. From behind him, he heard his boss clear his throat.

"Go home, Orello. You're doing yourself more harm than good, not to mention you've killed those tins."

Leon turned to face the burly man, a wry smile on his face. "You just want me to leave so you can." He knew he was treading on thin ice talking to him that way, but exhaustion was catching up with him and his hands were cramping up.

For a moment, the heavy set biker looked ready to knock him out, then his stern glare softened and he ran a hand over his thick greying beard. The big man clapped his hand down on Leon's shoulder. "Actually," Marcus started, "that little lady of yours scares the hell outta me. I can imagine she won't be impressed that I've 'kept' you here all night." He shuddered for effect.

Leon smirked. "Let's harmless." He studied the smeared paint. "I should stay. Fix this up."

Marcus' laughter boomed throughout the shop. "Can't say you don't apply yourself, boy." He turned serious, "Please, Leon. You're like a son to me. I don't want to see you burn yourself out." He shooed him toward the door. "Go on, go home to your lady. I'll strip this thing down for you before I leave so you can just start over tomorrow."

Leon stumbled slightly, being pushed along. "But I-"

"Go home, son." Marcus ordered quietly, his Texan accent thickening slightly. "I'll see you at eleven."

"Eleven?" Leon stilled, "But I start at seven thirty."

The big man's arms crossed over his chest and he towered over Leon. "I said, I'll see you at eleven." He pushed Leon's keys into his hand and shoved him out the door in the direction of his car. "G'night boy." The door slammed shut, automatically locking itself.

Stunned, Leon started toward his car, shaking his head. "He threw me out." He muttered to himself, hitting the button to disarm the car alarm.

"LEON!"

The sound of his boss' booming voice made him look over his shoulder, skidding to a stop in the gravel.

"Forget somethin, kid?"

Leon squinted at the object in Marcus' hands. "What the -? Oh, shit!" He jogged back over to the brightly lit up doorway and sheepishly scooped Winter out of those huge hands. "Sorry baby." He cooed, cuddling her. He noticed Marcus shaking his head at him and subtly flipped him off.

The big man laughed and started back inside. "See ya tomorrow."

"Yeah, thanks." He watched the door close and looked down at his dog. She was a lot bigger now than she was when he got her two weeks ago, her legs already much longer and three times as clumsy as she was initially. Her normally pristine white fur was splattered with pagan gold paint from a job he finished off earlier. One big blue eye and one big dark brown stared up at him. "Come on, puddin. Let's get you home and cleaned up."

The drive home was quiet, the only sounds in the car being the occasional clink of the keys and the quiet music of Crossfade playing from the back speakers. He wasn't in the mood for anything loud. The closer he got to home, the faster his mind started moving. He knew straight away that he was probably going to spend more time trying to sleep than actually sleeping tonight. Letty would kick him out of the room for tossing and turning and he would spend the night vegetating on the couch with Winter at his side, snoring or dreaming loudly. She had a habit of falling off the couch in such instances.

The traffic light ahead turned red and he rolled to a stop, rubbing his eyes. The sick feeling he felt every time he returned to the fort was starting to settle in his gut. It didn't feel like home any more. In his minds eye he could still see the dark bloodstain on the path, now washed away, and felt himself flinch. Vince had seen it the day he returned home from his hospital stay and almost instantly, despite feeling like crap, had tipped almost a full bottle of cleaning agent over it. In his words, clinging to Jesse like that was denying him the right to rest peacefully, and in a way now, Leon agreed with him. It had been selfish to try to hold on like he had and it had taken Vince to make him see what he was doing.

He was clinging to a memory. It was time to move on.

Vince was practically living with Tala now. Four out of five of his guitars now called the space beneath Tala's bed home, the amps all hidden away in the spare room. He still spent a lot of time at home while she was working though. He still hated being alone. He had even come to work with both himself and Letty a time or two just to cure the boredom.

Leon grit his teeth, pulling into their street. The nearer he got to the house the sicker he felt. The only thing that made him want to go there was Letty. The place held too many memories, good and bad.

He pulled up into the drive and did a double take when he noticed Letty and Tala sitting on the front steps, huddled together under a blanket sipping their coronas. He stepped out of the car and paused, looking over the top of the car at them.

"Ladies.." he greeted, eyeing them. Tala did a little finger wave and Letty erupted into a fit of laughter, leaning heavily against the smaller woman. He caught sight of Tala's wicked grin moments before she leaned forward and Letty slid to the porch behind her with a loud thump. Oh sweet Jesus, he laughed silently, making his way across the lawn.

"Letty is drunk." She stated matter of factly, nodding at him. She squealed as Winter pounded up the steps toward them, both girls falling into a heap with the puppy.

From the bottom of the steps, Leon could make out Vince's shadowy form just inside the front door. He held a hand over his eyes, shielding them from the porch light. "You drunk too?"

"Nah, man. Somebody had to keep an eye on the girls." He pushed open the door and stepped outside. He was wearing his old black flannel pyjama pants and a tank, feet bare.

Leon nodded, stepping around his girlfriend and Tala. "I guess this means you're staying here tonight then."

Vince chuckled, following him inside after reminding the girls not to let Winter run off. "Yeah. She's in no state to drive. Hasn't been since seven."

Throwing his keys down, Leon dropped himself into an armchair, his hand resting over his eyes.

"Rough day?"

"I fucked a set of tins." He dropped his hand and noticed Vince's concerned facial expression. "Then Marcus pretty much told me to fuck off home. I almost forgot Wint- Aw hell."

"What?"

Leon got up and opened the front door. The girls fell quiet and stared up at him, guilty. He looked down at them, ushering Winter inside so he could wash her.

"What are you two talkin 'bout out here?" He asked suspiciously, eyebrow cocked. They smothered their drunken giggles.

Letty smiled up at him. "Nothing baby." Beside her, Tala was studying him critically, making him uneasy.

"I can see it you know." She said to Letty, making them both dissolve into laughter once more.

Leon looked back at Vince self consciously, making a gesture towards them. "What's the deal? What are they talking about?"

Vince laughed, leaning backward over the arm of the couch to look. "They were doing that every time they looked at me before as well. My guess is they're talking about sex." He shrugged and waved it off. "The amount they've had, they wont remember it in the morning anyway. Just leave them to it."

Leon looked down at them for a minute, then pulled the blankets back up over them as he shook his head. "You girls are nuts." Well, that started them again and he was unable to keep a straight face. It was the first time he had seen Letty this drunk in years and the first time he had ever seen Tala drunk.

Back inside now, he pointed a thumb in their direction. "You get a picture of them?"

Vince nodded smugly. "Of course I did! Now.." he looked at Winter. "Why is your dog gold?"

Leon gave him a 'duh' look. "Because I spilt paint on her." He said slowly, as if explaining to a kid. "Come and sit with me while I wash her. I wanna talk to you about something."

Vince watched from the bench, observing as Leon ended up covered in more suds than Winter.

"So.. You want to move out?"

Leon grunted, slipping into the shallow water lining the bathtub. He glanced up at Vince through damp hair. "Yes." He went to climb out of the water but slipped and decided to stay where he was, his legs hanging over the side of the tub, cheek pressed against the wall.

Vince scratched his stubbly chin, beyond being amused by seeing Leon ass up in the air, slumped in the bath. "Do you remember where I was living back when you came to live with me? That old converted firehouse?"

"Sure," Leon rolled so he was more comfortable. "That place kicked ass. Way roomier than here." He smiled, remembering all the good times spent there. The place had been huge. The entire first story had almost a studio apartment feel to it and the upstairs was vaguely similar. Given all the room though, there was only two big assed bedrooms and an attic apartment. Plus the basement which at the time had been Vince's music room, easily convertible into another bedroom.

"What about it?"

"I own that place, Le." Vince told him quietly. "Mama left it to me in her will. I was renting from her beforehand." He fidgeted, worrying the hem of his shirt in his fingers. "You could live there."

Leon stared at Vince, trying to process the information he'd just been given. "You still own the firehouse.. And you forgot to mention it?" He ground out, climbing from the tub. Winter yapped at him, grabbing the seat of his pants and giving them a tug. He lost his footing and slipped back in, barely able to avoid falling on her.

"Shit! Winter!"

Vince pointed. "See, this is why I didn't tell you! I knew you'd get shitty at me."

Leon groaned, holding his tail bone as he started climbing out of the deep tub again. "I'm not shitty at you, V."

"…You're not?"

He rolled his eyes. "No. Look," he plucked Winter out of the warm water and wrapped a towel around her. "I want outta here. Bad. We'll run it by Let tomorrow." Both of them heard a crash in the living room, followed by feminine laughter and shared a look. They both had the same thought and voiced it in unison.

"When she's sober."