A/N: Thankyou to all my wonderful reviewers! Here's another chapter for you just for your efforts.

Ooh - something i just wanted to clear up. Brian will NOT be appearing in this fic, nor will any of the Miami team - this is a Leon fic, not a racing fic. Sorry to disappoint.

The sunlight filtered into the room, dancing across his bare arm and shoulder and warming him. He stretched. It wasn't long after Angeline had insisted that he and Cade stayed in her home for as long as need be that he had crashed out. He had made the trip from LA to Miami in five days and he was exhausted.

Leon sat up, looking around the bed for his son. Not seeing him, he looked down onto the floor, then under the bed. Cade had a habit of waking before he did and would hide under the bed to scare him when he got up. He blinked at the empty space.

"Cade?" he called, starting to get worried. The little boy was all he had now. Sure – there was Vince, Tala and Rory, but that wasn't the same. He threw the blankets back and dropped his feet to the floor, tugging the legs of his shorts down. They had ridden up during the night. Already having made it to the bedroom door, Leon stopped and sighed in relief. He could hear Angeline down the hall and Cade's childish giggles. He turned and went back over to the bed and grabbed up his cigarettes. After sleeping through from three in the afternoon the day before until ten in the morning, he needed one.

He had never smoked before Letty died, but afterwards he just needed something to occupy his hands. If he didn't do something with them he was likely to do himself harm.

He gave Angeline a wane smile as he stepped into the kitchen where she was sitting with Cade and two young girls. Both in their early teens.

"How are you this morning, sweetie?"

He lifted a shoulder, the movement smooth and languid. "I'm alright."

At the sound of his voice both girls looked up and in unison, dropped their forks. There was a metallic clatter and they both sat staring at him, wide eyed. Cade on the other hand threw himself at him. Right off the chair he'd been sitting on.

Leon bent to catch him mid air, dropping his cigarettes in the process. His lighter was held between his teeth.

"Don't do that!" he scolded lightly, his arms wrapped around the small boy. He snatched the lighter from his mouth and dropped it on the table, then buried his nose in Cade's neck. He smelled like vanilla scented soap and kids shampoo. Leon glanced over to Angeline. "Did you have a bath?" he asked Cade.

The little boy nodded, his hands running through Leon's hair, patting it down in the places it stuck up.

"Mrs Angie helpeded me." He said proudly. "She said daddy need sleep."

Leon cuddled him closer, sighing. Gently he set Cade back down on the floor and snatched up his smokes.

"That I did, little man." He leant across the bench to peck Angeline on the cheek, then made a vague motion to the sliding glass door that lead to the back yard. "I'll just – yeah." He picked up his lighter and gave the girls a tight smile, then edged past the table and stepped out into the sun.

Quickly lighting his cigarette, he took a drag and lowered himself into the chair on the patio, resting his elbows on his knees. He rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his palm and looked out over the yard.

It had been an almost impulsive move on his part to come back to Miami. He'd barely even considered the consequences before packing up him and Cade and leaving town. He'd quit his job, much to Marcus' chagrin, given Vince the keys to the firehouse and asked him to take care of his dog. He just needed to get away.

The door slid open and one of the girls from the table stepped out. She was pretty with blue eyes and long wheat blonde hair, held back in a high pony tail. She was wearing a pair of fitted sweats and a baby pink tank top with some kind of logo on it. She gave him a small smile, politely motioning to the chair across from him.

Leon quirked a brow and leaned back in his seat, nodding. "Go ahead."

"Thanks." She replied, sitting down. She stared at him for a moment. "Are you Leon?"

He nodded, holding his head back as he blew smoke out of his nose. The sun was warm against his face and body, yet he still felt cold inside. Still felt empty. Not even the love he felt for Cade could fill that void.

The girl cleared her throat and he blinked, lifting his head. When he saw her looking at him again he realised he was being rude. He gave her a mute look. She obviously wanted to say something so he was having difficulty understanding her silence.

"I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Bethany." Her hand went to her knee, remembering the day she had met Leon as a little girl in triage. She had been just five then. He'd looked broken then, now he just looked hollow. From the looks of things life had seriously kicked him in the ass.

Leon nodded. "I thought as much." He looked her up and down. Not in a perverted way, just taking in her appearance. "You haven't changed much."

Bethany smiled. "Neither have you – you've still got pretty eyes." She told him honestly. There wasn't even a hint of flirting in her tone. That surprised him. Generally all attractive teenaged girls thought every man was a prospective boyfriend.

He smirked, twisting his lighter in his hands. "Thanks."

"So what brings you back?"

Leon stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray Angie had put there for him the day before. "Needed some head room." He replied shortly. The hurt look that flashed across Bethany's face made him feel like shit. It had been a long time since he'd spoken so casually with a woman. He'd forgotten how fragile their feelings could be.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry." He looked up. "I'm a prick."

Bethany cocked her head slightly. "I think you're just lost." She stood up and pat him on the shoulder as she walked by. "You'll find it."

He frowned at her – confused. "Find what?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It. Whatever is it you need to find."

He watched her back as she stepped back inside and shook his head. Either she had the talent for knowing when to step back or she was just empathetic. Either way her words lit a fire beneath him.

He came to Miami to look for Jesse, not mope. Hell if he'd wanted to do that he would have stayed in LA.

He had to find Jesse.

It had taken almost a week of phone calls before he even moved forward an inch in his search for Jesse's final resting place. Many, many hours of horrible hold music, of which he was sure Vince would have loved, and even more hours of bullshitting to the people on the other end of the phone. Finally he had gotten hold of someone who could give him some information. Leon wasn't quite sure how he managed it but he'd managed to track down Jesse's step mother through sheer dumb luck.

The woman was a drunk and had tried to talk his ear off. Leon had played polite until she started telling him about an exploit involving the landlord, a candle and butter. That's when he reached his wits end. His skin crawled in disgust at the mere memory of that conversation.

"Fucking sick old bag.." he mumbled, climbing out of the car.

He had left Cade with Angeline for the time being. He had to do this alone the first time and he couldn't say what he needed to say while he was busy chasing Cade around the cemetery.

He looked at the small piece of paper in his hand. "Row Q.A., plot 36." He recited aloud, looking for the marker so he could start his search. Just ahead of him he saw a small wooden peg with the letters 'E.K.' on it and groaned.

"Not gunna make it easy for me, are you Jesse."

As he strolled along, glancing at the markers every now and then, he couldn't help but wonder just how he was going to react to actually being faced with Jesse's grave. He knew it was going to hurt – that it would be difficult, but at the same time it would be a weight off his shoulders. He would know that Jesse was safe and resting peacefully.

Leon looked across the cemetery, hundreds upon hundreds of headstones scanning the landscape. There were a few people loitering around visiting relatives, the care taker was mowing the grass all the way down the other end and there was a young woman sitting cross legged on a grave just up ahead of him.

He looked at the marker near his foot and stopped. Row 'Q.A'. He searched quickly for the plot number anywhere close, toeing the grass out of the way to reveal a small concrete square with the number thirty two on it. Silently counting ahead, Leon stopped at thirty six and frowned. The girl was sitting on Jesse's grave. His expression darkened and he started toward her.