A/N: I hereby humbly apologise for the ending of last chapter. I was hissed at! Hissed at! I was so touched.. So here you go. It kinda feels like a filler to me, but eh, what do I know? I could be wrong.

Song for the chappy "Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot. Just because.

Tala woke up to find Vince playing with her fingers. He was always awake before her and nine times out of ten she opened her eyes to find him watching her or touching her in some way. There were scant amount of times she could recall actually waking and finding him still asleep. She sighed, fighting her smile. After the night before he should still be sleeping. Hell, he should be unconscious for the next three days after last night. She moved her legs, eyes closing against the ache she felt between them. She felt Vince stop playing with her fingers and opened her eyes again, startled when she found his face inches from hers.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you." He flushed slightly, eyes averted elsewhere. "I wont do it again."

"Why not? Did you hear me complaining?" She asked, rolling onto her back.

His eyes followed the sheet as it slipped lower, exposing her to him. "..No." he murmured, easing the white fabric back over her. Tala bought her hand up to run through his hair.

"Vince-" she froze mid sentence, eyes wide. She now knew the reason he was playing with her fingers. "Oh.. My.. God." Her usually bare ring finger was adorned with one of the most simple, but beautiful rings she had ever seen. The band was polished to the point it could be used as a mirror and three gems sat in the centre. Two princess cut diamonds on either side of an impressive bluish coloured emerald cut stone, all claw set. It was pretty, big, but pretty without being gaudy. She looked at Vince with watery eyes.

He sat up slightly, slouching. "It was my grandmothers." He told her, touching the ring with a nostalgic look in his eyes. "Leon got Mama's ring and I got Gram's. They're heirlooms." He looked up, meeting her gaze. "Dad actually had to ask Grandpa for the ring so he could propose to Mama. They've been passed down for generations now. You.. You still want to marry me right?"

"No, Vince. I only said yes so you would have sex with me." She replied sarcastically. She held her hand up to look at the ring closer. "It's gorgeous." She said quietly, in awe. She was touched that he would give her something that held such meaning for him. "Is that white gold?"

He lay down beside her, taking her hand in his. "Platinum." He touched the blue stone lightly, "And that's a blue diamond." He laughed at her wide eyes.

"Vince! Big guy I can't take this from you.." she argued weakly, almost having a heart attack at the knowledge he just enlightened her to. The ring had to be worth a fortune. He gave her a stern look.

"Tala, It's mine to give. You've taken care of me when others would have just left me to rot." The last was said with a hint of anger, distaste even. "You're my sun, my moon.."

Tala giggled. "If you say 'my starlit sky' I will slap you!"

Vince gave her an innocent look. "Wouldn't dream of it." He grinned. "So, you gunna take my name?"

She quirked a brow. "Are you going to take mine?" She asked, fully expecting him to laugh at her. He gave her a thoughtful look.

"If you want me to."

She turned into his side, draping her leg over his thigh. "You would seriously take my name if I asked you to? You would become Vincent Noah Mackenzie?" She couldn't keep the shock from bleeding into her voice. Vince shrugged.

"Well it doesn't sound stupid." He replied casually, playing with her hair. She carefully worked her way beneath his bad arm, watching his face for any hint of discomfort. She knew he felt it, but his expression betrayed nothing. The fact that he was able to keep his face so impossibly blank when she knew he had to be in a great deal of pain disturbed her and saddened her at the same time. It made her wonder just what he had been subjected to over the years. He had hinted at a tough upbringing, but refused to divulge any of his more painful memories until he was good and ready.

Tala looked at her hand, the ring's polished band and diamonds winking up at her. "Am I going to have to get my hand insured?"

Vince laughed, the sound vibrating against her ear and warming her to her toes. "Already done, firefly."

"Jesus, Vince! I was kidding!"

He grinned. "I'm not."

Leon glared at Vince. "Three days, Vincent!" He snapped, pushing another box into the trunk of his car. Vince cringed, wincing.

"I know man, but I was kinda busy. I'm sorry."

Leon felt the anger melt away and rolled his eyes. "We just weren't sure when you were coming home is all." He reached for another box and proceeded to squeeze it in the small space left. He slammed the trunk closed and opened the back door. Immediately, Winter scrambled inside and climbed into the front seat then plopped herself down in the front floor, expecting to go for a drive. Leon grinned and shook his head at her. "Sorry, puddin. No drive yet." He was amazed that she liked the car as much as she did. She seemingly understood him and slunk out of the car to go and curl up on the grass. Vince gaped.

"She understood you."

Beaming with pride, Leon nodded. "I know! She's a smart girl, aren't ya, pud?" He frowned when she ignored him, and waved a dismissive hand at her. He turned back to Vince. "Did you go to your session yesterday? You know how important they-"

"Yes, Le. I went, it hurt, I went home." He grumbled, stubbing his toe against the tyre.

A pale brown eyebrow lifted in question. "Home? So you're movin' in with shorty then? And don't kick my car!"

Vince pointed. "Yourair is low in the back tyre! And yes, I am. I figured you guys would want some privacy and all that shit. Plus with us being engaged now and all.."

The tool box Leon had in his hand crashed to the concrete driveway, the corner of it catching his bare foot. He shouted profanely and hopped around for a moment, then looked up at Vince with wide eyes, still holding his bloody toe.

"You what? You're seriously getting married?" He let go of his foot, wincing at the throbbing he could feel. "..Seriously?" He asked quietly, his voice hushed as he stared at his big brother.

Vince nodded slowly. "Gave her Gram's ring the other day."

"I don't believe you."

Trying not to laugh, Vince put his hand on Leon's shoulder. "She thought I was kidding when I told her the ring was already insured."

Leon searched his face for any hint of jest, "..You're not kidding." He whispered in awe. Vince shook his head, letting his hand fall away from his shoulder. This time, more firmly; "You're not kidding."

"No I am not."

The pair stood in silence for a brief moment before Leon let out a loud hoot and grabbed Vince's cheeks, pressing an exuberant kiss full on his mouth. Vince pulled away from him, laughing.

"Shit, Le! Watch the tongue!" He roared with laughter and a little shock as he felt Leon's arms circle his waist and lift, spinning him around in a circle.

At the head of the drive, Tala cleared her throat. "Do I have competition now?"

Beside her, Letty laughed at the scene. "Girl, you take that boy to the races and then you will see competition. Those skanks hang all over fine lookin men like ours." She looked at Leon and Vince, the latter still off the ground. "Even if they are insane. Leon! Why are you kissing Vince?"

He dropped Vince to his feet, already talking as he turned to face her. "Because he-" He stopped seeing Tala there and grinned. Before she could move she found herself subject to the spinning around and kissing. Only it was her cheeks instead of her mouth. When he was satisfied, he turned back to Vince.

"Can I tell her?" He called, almost bouncing.

"Ask Firefly!" Vince replied, leaning down to gather a couple of the tools that had fallen out of the tool box when Leon had dropped it. Leon turned to Tala, subtly tapping her hand where it was shielded from Letty's view. It was remarkable that she hadn't noticed the ring before now, knowing what most women were like when it came to such things.

"Can I tell her?" He pleaded, eyes shining like a kid on Christmas.

Letty watched the scene, confused. "Tell me what? What the hell is going on, Le?"

Tala pinched the bridge of her nose and shot Vince a look that said 'fine, you were right'. When he had told her Leon would take the news one of two ways; either he would go completely nuts, like he was now, or he would just smile and nod if he didn't approve, she wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. She was relieved that he was reacting the first way. Unbeknownst to her, it was her left hand she lifted and both Leon and Letty caught the sparkle of the heirloom on her finger.

"Holy shit!"

Leon smiled at Letty's reaction and reached down to hug Tala. "Congrats, sister dear. It looks good on you." He flinched when he felt a knuckle dig into his spine and turned to face Letty. "What?"

She glowered at him. "MOVE! I wanna see!"

He shook his head and backed away, almost being barrelled over by Letty in her haste. He walked back down to Vince, smirking. The smirk vanished when he noticed that Vince had decided to help pack the car.

"Drop that, now." He demanded, startling the big man. Vince flinched and did as he was told. "What do you think you're doing?"

"The doctor said that if it didn't hurt, I could lift some.."

Leon glared at him, noticing the way his fingers clenched tightly then loosened every few seconds. That was what he did when he was hurting but unwilling to admit it. "Uh huh. I'm guessing that lifting translates to 'light lifting' meaning a tissue box or something.. Right?" When Vince didn't answer, he knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "What the hell, Vince.. It's been almost six months. There's no way your arm is ready for that kind of stress." He kept his voice quiet, as not to alert the girls. "You're gunna screw up whatever progress you've made."

"My elbow's fine!"

"Are you lying to me?" Leon quirked a brow, his eyes hardening. "Vincent!"

Vince flinched, more visibly now at the harsh way his name came out. "It is! My elbow is fine!"

Leon leant against the front fender of his car, arms folded. He looked at Vince out the corner of his eye. There was something he wasn't being told. "You only said your elbow, Vince." He had noticed that Vince was wearing the fixed brace on his arm less frequently these days, instead wearing a light sling every now and then. "What about the rest of your arm?"

Vince nodded. "The tendons are screwed, my muscles are fucked… Elbow joint is fine." He swallowed thickly, his back to Letty and Tala. "I wouldn't care so much if I was alone."

"It must suck not being able to hold her properly." He gestured ever so slightly in Tala's direction.

Vince smiled wryly. "You've got no idea." He frowned at the twitching digits. "I should have said no."

"No?"

"Yeah. When Dom came to me about the trucks.. I should have told him to go fuck himself." He looked thoughtful, "Then again," smiling, "I wouldn't have met Firefly."

"That's right." Leon looked up at the house. "You know what? That box you were about to put in the car?"

Vince creased his brow, waiting.

"That was the last one. Everything else in that house belongs to Dom and Mia."

Vince sat on the hood next to him. "That's everything, huh? Even my stuff?"

Leon nodded. "Hector came over yesterday and we moved all the furniture to the firehouse. Stayed there last night actually." He scratched his eyebrow. "Your old room is all set up. Looks like you wont be needing it now, though."

"What did you do with Jesse's stuff?" both men turned to look at Letty and Tala when they heard giggling, suspicions roused when they fell silent almost immediately.

"I'm starting to get paranoid." Vince muttered, eyeing them. Beside him, Leon nodded even though he knew Vince wouldn't see him.

"Yeah.. Me too." As he watched the girls walk toward them, he started to grin. "Hey V?"

"Hmm?"

"She gotten any sleep the past few days or have you two been too busy to- OW!" He toppled forward and off the hood of the car, laughing all the way. He looked back up at Vince, still laughing.

Vince glowered down at him. "Shut. Up."