A/N: Alright ladies and/or gentlemen.. An update! Don't you just love it? No song for this chapter as I can't remember what i was listening to at the time. Enjoy.

Vince jumped, spinning around to look at Letty. Her shocked squeal had startled him and as a result, he'd knocked over the drink he'd just gotten himself. She was staying with him for the day to keep him and Aurora company and so Vince could keep an eye on her.

He stepped over the wet spot on the carpet and gently took her by the elbow, sitting her down in a nearby chair.

"What's the matter? Is something wrong?" he glanced down at her slightly raised belly to where his niece or nephew rested, then back up to her face. "Is the brat alright?"

Letty nodded, distracted. She was rubbing her belly. "I think it just kicked." She said in awe, a bright, blinding smile covering her face.

Vince grinned, letting go of her elbow. "You're sure?"

"I – I think so." She lifted her shirt slightly and both she and Vince stared at the tanned skin curiously.

Vince knelt beside her. "Tal said she could feel Rory kicking about a month before I was able to." He shuffled a little closer. "Le's going to be so excited."

Letty bit her lip at the mention of Leon and Vince quirked a brow. "What?" he demanded.

"It's just – Le's been a little off lately. He's so enthusiastic about the baby, he gets excited over the smallest things," she caught Vince's knowing smile and knew he had been the same, "-but he's been really quiet Vince."

Vince nodded. "Jesse's birthday is tomorrow." He said simply, as if that explained everything. "He's missing him, I think." Fear bled into his eyes when he saw her eyes fill with tears. Oh shit, I've upset her he thought miserably.

"Letty don't cry – please don't cry. I didn't mean to upset you." He pleaded, unsure of how to comfort her. He wasn't sure whether she would want him to touch her or whether she was going to yell at him. Tentatively he lifted his hand and rubbed her shoulder, wary.

Letty sniffled, wiping at the fat salty tears that spilled down her cheeks. "I want a hug." She mumbled, her voice wobbly.

Vince nodded, eager to stop her tears. He understood that she was emotional having already been through it all with Tala, but Letty was worse. Tala by nature was a quiet, sweet girl whereas Letty's character was stronger, more brash. Her mood swings were potentially painful.

"Bear hug or cuddle?" he asked innocently, standing up.

Letty wiped her face, then held her arms out to him. "Cuddle." She answered pathetically, snuggling into his embrace. "You know for someone with a bum arm – you give good hugs."

Vince chuckled, squeezing her slightly before pulling back. Relief flooded him when he saw her tears had subsided.

"Alright?"

She nodded sheepishly. "I feel stupid now."

"Don't," he insisted. "Tala was sobbing every five minutes while she was pregnant. Lots of cuddling."

Letty giggled. "I'll bet there was more than just cuddling going on."

He smirked. "Well – I have to keep my wife happy, don't I."

"You're a good husband, Vince." Letty said, looking up at him. "And you're going to make a wonderful brother in law one day. You're so good to all of us."

Vince shook his head and went to get a towel to mop up the mess he'd made when he spilled his drink.

"I don't treat you any different than I did before, Let." He argued, wiping up the mess.

Letty frowned at him. "Vince – we were lucky to get a 'boo' out of you two years ago. You were downright unpleasant."

He scoffed, laughing at her bluntness. "Don't hold back now, Let. Tell me what you really think."

She sat up straighter, slapping her hands down on her thighs. "Alright then! I think you getting caught on that truck is the best thing that could have happened to you."

"Excuse me?" he growled, unimpressed. Pregnant or not, Letty usually knew her bounds, but he felt as though she'd just stepped over them. "Fucking explain." He snapped. Being stuck on that truck had been one of the single most terrifying experiences of his life, the only other that likened to it was becoming a father.

"I didn't mean it the way you think, boo." She soothed. "I just meant that if that had never happened, you wouldn't be here now. You would still be chasing after that gutter rat and playing lap dog to the he-she."

Vince gave her a sideways glance, worrying the hem of the towel in his hand. "I suppose."

He had to admit she was right. If he had've heard Dom shouting at him to get back in the car that fateful day things would never really have changed. He would still be 'Vince', the teams muscle. Just a thug. Dom had never seen past the facade he put up. The man was supposed to be his best friend and he had never bothered to look too deeply beneath the surface and actually look at him.

Vince had owned a piano once, a Steinway grand that his grandparents had given him as a graduation gift. He had been stunned when they told him what they had gotten him. He had honestly thought the most he would get was a pat on the shoulder and a gruff congratulations from his grandfather. But the piano – that was unexpected. He'd loved that piano. Occasionally he would still catch himself playing in the air or against the table, his fingers pressing against imaginary ivory keys. Dom had never understood his fascination with the massive instrument. When he had sold it he had moped for weeks, but the look on Leon's face when he was presented with his Skyline made it well worth it.

Vince smiled to himself. He had caught hell from Dom for getting Leon a Skyline.

"Why did we take it for so long, Let?"

She sighed, snuggling against him to watch TV. "It was all we knew." She answered, "I tell you though – If I'd have known just how talented Leon was with his-"

"Over share." Vince rushed to cut her off, cringing. He smiled at her laughter. He loved seeing Letty so happy. It had been difficult to watch her become a shadow of her former self as her time with Dom progressed. Vince remembered her as a kid – bright, exuberant and so full of life. She had been a total tomboy, but had been a sweetheart at the same time. Her lust for life had faded once she got what she thought she wanted. Dominic Toretto. It hardened her and made her cold – untrusting of anything a man said to her. The only time she had seemed like her old self after that, oddly enough, had been when she was around Leon. He'd always managed to wrangle a smile out of her.

"I'm sorry I never told you – about Le."

Letty smiled warmly, shrugging. "He's mine now, V. Don't feel guilty about leaving me in the dark."

"Le's really private about everything is all and I didn't want to upset him. He was a wreck when he came to live with me in the first place and I didn't want to jeopardise his progress."

Letty's brow furrowed. "What do you mean 'he was a wreck'?"

Vince scratched his eyebrow absently, kicking his heels up against the coffee table.

"Leon showed up on my doorstep at one in the morning, Let. He was tired, sore, scared… Jesse threatened to kill me you know."

"Bullshit!"

Vince grinned at the memory of the scrawny blonde boy getting in his face. "Oh he did. I hit Leon and Jesse jumped all over me for it. Haven't smacked him since."

Letty picked up the remote, short fingernails picking at the buttons intently. "Vince?"

"Yeah?"

She looked up. "Did Leon really fall into a cabinet?"

His expression turned serious. "He's been telling you about his scars I gather?"

"I saw them and I asked."

Vince's eyes were dark with anger. "I swear if I ever get my hands on that bastard who helped him 'fall' .." he trailed off, letting the threat hang.

Letty's face twisted in confusion. "Helped him fall? Vince – what are you talking about?" she demanded to know, turning on the couch to face him fully.

Vince's eyes widened when he realised he'd opened his big mouth. Oh shit.

"It's not my place to say, Let. I honestly thought you knew – from the way you sounded.."

"Knew what?" she was getting frustrated now. "Tell me, Vince!"

He sighed heavily. "Leon got smacked around as a kid." He answered after a short silence. "He was placed in a group home until he could be put into a foster home, but he wanted nothing to do with that. So he skipped town, grabbed Jess and came here."

Tears pricked at Letty's eyes again. She knew how bad the abuse had to be for a child to get taken into protective custody. Horror gripped her when she started to piece everything together.

"Oh god – his scars.. They're from that, aren't they."

Vince gave her a solemn look. "I can't tell you anything I don't know, Let." He held a hand up when she went to protest. "He wont tell me either. I'm just assuming that's what they're from."

She sat back against the cushions and tucked her legs up against her chest. Vince rubbed her feet lightly.

"He'll tell you when he's ready."

"Vince if he wont tell you he's not going to tell me." She argued. "The man has a mind like a vault."

Vince nodded, resigned. "That he does, but you're still his first and only love, Letty. He can't keep it from you forever." He cocked his head to the right, "- Or.."

She perked up. "Or what?"

"I know it's sneaky and pushy – but Le can't lie to you Letty. He honestly cannot fathom the thought of telling you lies. You could ask him outright."

She bit her lip. "I don't want to upset him, Vince. Like you said, he's a private person."

Vince looked over the back of the couch at the sound of Aurora's cries coming from down the hall and rose to his feet.

"It's the only way you're going to find out." He reasoned, shuffling around the couch. "Then again – it's none of our business."

Letty stared after him incredulously. "You big shit! You don't just spring that on me then say 'then again..'!"

Vince's smooth laughter echoed down the hall. "Stressing isn't good for the brat, Letty!"

"I'll fucking stress you in a minute, Vincent!"