A/N: Big thankyou to Fi for reading over this to make sure it wasn't utter tripe. Thankyou to my reviewy people. You help keep me interested in writing this story.

Vince stared blankly at the wall ahead of him, his head cocked to the side on an awkward angle, oxygen mask firmly in place. The room was eerily quiet, save for the soft, lulling beep of his heart monitor. When he had been hit he had broken five ribs, two of which had punctured one lung in separate places when he had fought not to get put into the ambulance. Said lung had collapsed on the way to the hospital, hence the chest tube and mask. It hurt to breathe.

He had a gash in his side deep enough to require internal stitches from the hood ornament on the car. A Jaguar. When he had been told it was a jag that hit him his only reaction had been 'I hope I dented the fucker'. And he did. By god was there one hell of a dent The paramedics had been shocked that his injuries weren't more extensive after seeing the car.

He was littered in cuts and bruises, gravel rash covering his right forearm and the right side of his jaw where he apparently skidded across the tarmac. Vince didn't remember any of it. Leon had quietly informed him that he had been visibly thrown a good ten feet and skidded a few more after he landed, then the younger man had abused the shit out of him for scaring him like that.

Vince couldn't bring himself to care that he'd terrified a good twenty people that morning. He didn't care that Leon had almost gotten hit himself running over to his side. He looked at the drainage tube in his side, keeping the wound and the bed of his lungs clear of all nasty fluids, and was tempted to just rip it out. The doctor told him if the tube wasn't in there, the fluid could pool and effectively drown him in his own blood. At that moment he couldn't think of a kinder fate.

"Vince?"

He looked up slowly, heart jumping into his throat. In the doorway, Tala stood there with one hand on her belly, the other nervously resting on the doorframe. He blinked slowly, but said nothing.

She smiled meekly, almost hesitantly at him and took a step closer. "Are- are you alright?"

His breath caught, wheezing slightly. "…No." Just the sight of her hurt, knowing she didn't want him any more. Her hand on her belly hurt even more. If she didn't want him, she wouldn't want him near the baby. His eyes filled with tears and he turned away from her, blinking them away. For someone he had never met, the thought of being unable to see her, touch her, hurt more than any physical injury.

"Vince, you can't hide tears from me. You know that."

He cringed. "Why are you here? You left me. Why do you care?" He kept his voice quiet upon doctors orders, trying not to strain himself.

"I screwed up, Vince."

He flinched, startled at her admission. Turning to her he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. "What?"

She sat carefully beside the bed, taking his hand in hers. Her thumb brushed over the stone finished platinum band around his ring finger. She sniffled looking at it. "I thought they would have taken this off you for surgery."

He nodded slowly. "I got Leon to help me put it back on once I woke up."

Tala nodded weakly, crying silently. "I feel so horrible Vince," she whispered, looking up at him, "I was so terrible to you this morning. I shouldn't have said those things to you, Vince. I had no right."

He looked down at their hands, her small one clutching his oh so carefully so she didn't disturb his IV. "You had every right," he murmured. "You're my wife, Tala. If you can't say anything you want to me, what kind of husband am I?"

She started to cry anew at his words, bending to kiss his knuckles. "I have been sitting out there terrified to come in here for the past two hours. I didn't think you would want to see me." She pressed her cheek against his hand. "I'm so sorry, Vince. Can you ever forgive me?"

He swallowed thickly. "You hurt me Tala." His voice cracked slightly, ".. you left me." It may have only been for the day, but even those short hours apart had turned his world upside down and spun it out of control. He was back in hospital, as far as he knew without a wife, and no daughter. All in a matter of hours. All because of a stupid confession based on his overactive male pride.

"Vince," Tala's quiet voice was lulling him back to sleep, "I was wrong. I said some horrible things to you and I know you're upset," her tears fell hot against his hand, "- but please give me another chance."

"Why would I," he blinked at her tiredly, twisting his fingers to touch hers, "-when I was never mad at you in the first place?"

She gave him a watery smile. "You can't let me off that easily Vince. I was a bitch to you this morning."

He rolled his eyes. "I lied to you."

"I overreacted." She threw back. He reached out to touch her cheek.

"I don't blame you," he glanced down, noticing her rubbing her belly. "She acting up?"

Tala nodded, shifting uncomfortably. "She's been kicking the crap out of me all day. I think she's on an expedition or something." She melted when his hand dropped to their child, his voice hushed as he whispered to her. She wasn't sure of it was possible, but Aurora always seemed to settle when Vince spoke to her. Tala had a feeling it was his soft dulcet tones and the fact that she was already daddy's girl.

"… and mama's going to put her rings back on because daddy feels like a dick being the only one wearing one." He looked up at Tala's face, his expression hopeful. "Right?"

She nodded mutely, opening the drawer he pointed to and fishing out the chain with her wedding ring and engagement ring on it. She slipped them from the chain and looked up at him.

"How did you manage the clasp?"

He frowned, "With great fucking difficulty." He pushed the heel of his palm against his eyes, rubbing them. His head felt like a lead weight, urging him to just sink.

"Baby, my hands are swollen. Is it alright if I just wear them around my neck?"

He nodded slightly, his eyelids drooping heavily. "Does this mean you'll come home?" he asked boyishly.

Tala's lips brushed his head. "I'm already home, Vince. Right by your side."

Leon sat beside the bed on Vince's good side and kicked his feet up against the rail. Green eyes followed his girlfriend and sister in law out the door. He waited a good five minutes before speaking.

"Spill."

Vince blinked at him, reclining against the lumpy pillows. The oxygen mask had been replaced with nasal prongs instead now, making him look a little more human. He was still pale but he was breathing easier than days prior.

"Spill what?"

Leon's feet dropped to the dingy carpeted floor. "You've had that 'I want to say something' look on your face for the past hour." He quirked a brow, leaning forward to rest his elbows against his knees. "You've got a lot on your mind, V."

Vince wearily nodded. He took a breath, a little too deep, and immediately regretted it. Leon was on his feet in an instant, his hand settling over Vince's chest. At first he had felt awkward touching Vince in such a manner, and Vince sure as hell hadn't appreciated it, but now it was second nature. "Here?" he asked, applying the smallest amount of pressure.

Vince nodded weakly, his head tipped back, eyes closed. A tear leaked from his eye, defeated. "Thanks, Le."

Leon nodded, "Now are you going to tell me?"

Vince was silent for a long time, "If I die," he opened his eyes, "Will you take care of my girls?"

"You're not going to die, Vince. The doctor says you're on the mend."

"I didn't mean now," he swallowed, wincing. "But if anything ever happens, I want you to take care of them. All of them."

Leon nodded, sitting back down. "I assume you mean Let too, then."

Vince nodded. "And keep them away from Dad. I don't care what happens," his eyes started to glass over, "-you keep my little girl away from him." There was a tremble in his already quiet voice. "Promise me, Leon."

Eyes narrowed slightly, Leon gave a solitary nod. "I promise." He could see Vince's hand forming a fist against the sheets and reached out, taking his hand. His head hurt all of a sudden, his mind whirling. "Are you going to tell me why? Or should I just go into this promise blind?"

"I didn't know."

Leon felt his heart stop beating for a moment at Vince's quiet admission. "You didn't know what?" he managed to shift the chair closer to the bed. "Vince?"

There were tears streaming down Vince's face by now, silent, and he struggled to keep his breathing even. "I didn't know what he was doing was wrong, Le. I swear I didn't." His fingers tightened almost painfully against Leon's hand. "I didn't.."

A slow nauseated burn started to settle in Leon's gut. "V… You can tell me what he did."

Vince's response was quiet, sounding almost like a whine of pain. "If I say it, it makes it real, Le."

The younger man closed his eyes, resting his head against the rail on the side of the bed. "Tell me it's not what I think it is, Vince." He swallowed against the lump in his throat. "There's only one thing I can think of that would make you so adamant about keeping your daughter away from him, and if it's it.."

"…He abused me, Le." He shook as he said the next part, "In every sense of the word."

The lump in his throat grew too large to contain and forced it's way out of him in a sudden wave of pain. Before Leon could bottle it and contain it like he usually would, he had gasped out a sob.

"For fucks sake, Vince! Why didn't you tell me?" he cursed himself for being weak when his voice shook weakly.

Vince untangled his fingers from Leon's grip and rubbed at his wet eyes, starting to itch. "It.. I didn't want you to worry."

Leon snorted, eyes watery. When he spoke he stayed quiet. "Is that why you came to see us all the time?"

Vince nodded slightly. ".. I didn't want him to hurt you." He muttered meekly, sniffling. "I wasn't close enough to protect you all the time.."

"What – so you protected me by letting him.." he trailed off, seeing the broken look on Vince's face. "Jesus, V."

Vince's expression immediately turned defensive. "I couldn't let him do that to you! And as far as letting him, I DIDN'T LET HIM DO ANYTHING!" He gasped for breath, eyes cinched shut, ".. fought him.."

Shaking, Leon helped him lean forward, his cheek pressed against Vince's temple. His hand rubbed Vince's heaving back. Soon enough tears replaced the gasps for air and Vince sagged against him.

"…I tried." He looked up at Leon through glassy blue eyes, red rimmed. "I tried, Le." His breath caught again. "It's all my fault."

Leon flinched at Vince's last whispered words, eyes closing to veil his tears. "You try blaming this on yourself again and I'm going to hit you."

"But it was-" he stopped talking when Leon's hand slapped down on his back.

"It was never your fault, Vince. It shouldn't have happened then and it's not about to happen again. He comes near us and I'll shoot him."

Vince shook against his side. "You can't tell Firefly. She wont want me any more… I've already messed up once, Le. I can't lose her again."

"I wont say anything," he assured, "I wont. We'll be ok, Vince." He helped him lay back down once he was calmer. "You know you'll have to tell her though."

Vince nodded. "I know I do – but for now I want to just pretend it never happened."