A/N: I'd like to thank Ms Fi, betty-boo, Lady LP, dogreign, Dani and Jet for their reviews - you've made my whole day, you have. Thankyou you lovely people, you. On with the update!

The first thing Ruby saw when she walked into the back yard was Cade playing with Bethany in a mess of colourful balloons, the little boy happily kicking them all over the place. She smiled, realising just how much she'd missed his laughter. It had been a little over a week since she'd seen Cade – about three days since she heard from his father.

Leon hadn't called back after that last time she'd abused him and she found herself missing him even more.

Angie appeared at her side and kissed her cheek, taking the small gift bag from her to put with the other gifts Cade had gotten. She hugged her lightly.

"That boy has missed you something terrible." She said quietly into her ear. Ruby smiled, looking at Cade.

"I missed him too."

Angie shook her head. "I meant the big one – he's over there if you feel he's suffered enough."

Ruby looked back over her shoulder to where Angie was looking and saw Leon sitting on the deck, legs outstretched in front of him and a beer in his hand. He was watching Cade play with a strange look on his face, one of both pride and sadness. She couldn't help but smirk at the brilliant shade of pink his cast was. It stood out starkly against his dark green tank and black jeans. He hadn't noticed her there yet.

She nodded silently to Angie and handed the woman her things, coat, keys, purse etc. and started toward the deck.

She stopped briefly to check over her clothes. Her halter top was bone coloured and corset styled in the front with a rusty red embroidered dragons around the neckline and her skirt fell to just below the knee – a myriad of different browns in a patchwork design. Strappy tan heeled sandals adorned her feet and her wrists were littered with bangles and bracelets.

Ruby took a deep breath and tucked her hair back behind her ears and blew her fringe out of her eyes then started up the side steps toward Leon. Her heels clacked on the decking, the sound hollow and almost unbearably loud to her ears. He was either thoroughly enthralled in watching his son or he was ignoring her approach because he didn't turn at the sound. Once at his side she bent and plucked the beer bottle from his hand – this time he looked up – and carefully lowered herself to sit sideways across his thighs.

He looked at her dumbly as she curled into his shoulder, allowing her to lift his arm up around her back and drape it around her waist.

Ruby carefully tucked her skirt around her legs as not to expose anything to anyone and Leon's hand tightened on her hip just a touch. More like a light squeeze.

"Can we not fight again, Le?" She could hear him swallow and his hand moved higher up to hold her side.

"I never meant to-"

Ruby put her fingers over his mouth. "No more apologies," her eyes searched his face and she smiled, albeit sadly, "You're a wreck, aren't you, precious."

He met her eyes and gave the slightest nod, barely even noticeable. "This is Cade's day." He stated softly, lifting his knees slightly. Ruby slid a little further down his thighs and as a result was even closer. She ignored his breath on her neck and touched his cast.

"It's very pink, isn't it."

He grunted. "Thanks for that, by the way." He muttered, carefully taking a sip of his beer around her.

Ruby smirked. "Oh that wasn't me, precious – I picked the green for you because I know green is your favourite colour. The pink had to have been Angie."

Leon paused mid swallow and gave her an apprehensive look. She nodded slowly and he turned to look at Angie, his brow quirked. As soon as he saw her laughing he knew Ruby was telling him the truth.

He swallowed and shook his head. "Son of a bitch.."

Ruby sniggered against him for a moment before manoeuvring her way out of his lap and stood up, brushing her skirt free of any wrinkles. She caught him staring at her and looked over herself.

"What?"

He blinked rapidly, then shook his head. "Uh.. no, nothing. Nothing." He looked at her feet. "I can see your ankles… and you're wearing a skirt."

She looked down self consciously. "I wanted to look pretty – should I go home and change?"

Leon shook his head emphatically. "No! No, you look great – it's just unusual to see is all." He looked her over again and Ruby felt herself blush. "I like the," he made a motion with his hand around his neck, "- the dragon thingies.."

Ruby stifled a giggle. "It's embroidery, Leon." She looked back over toward the yard and smiled when she saw Cade coming toward her. "I'm going to go and see Cade."

Leon nodded wordlessly, looking down at his beer bottle. He waited until he heard her heels leave the deck before he lifted the bottle to his lips and drained the remainder. He frowned at the empty bottle.

"This isn't right." He muttered to himself. "Not fucking right at all."

Ruby sat beside Leon on the deck, her feet tucked up beneath her, shoes long forgotten. She was tucked into his side, his right arm wrapped around her back to shield the exposed skin from the cool night air.

Everyone had gone home hours ago and Cade was in bed sleeping like a log after his long, eventful day. There had been cake, balloons, presents.. He had gotten the most out of his day. He'd even gotten his father's full and undivided attention the entire afternoon.

Ruby suspected that had been largely due to the fact that Leon was desperately trying not to remember that it was the anniversary of Letty's death as well as Cade's birthday. The little boy had kept him distracted but now he was asleep, Leon's mind was left susceptible to the dark thoughts that loitered in the back of his mind. She could feel the tension growing in him as she rested against his side. She watched him lift the packet of cigarettes to his mouth and catch one between his lips, then throw the pack back down to the deck at his side. He lit it and tossed his lighter down.

Ruby slid her hand across his abdomen and his arm squeezed her slightly. He knew she was still there. He wasn't that lost in his own thoughts.

"I want to show you something." He said quietly, extinguishing his cigarette by dropping it into his beer bottle. He unwrapped his arm from around Ruby and stood, holding his hand out to her.

Ruby frowned, but slipped her hand into his and let him help her to her feet. She went to pull her hand back when his tightened. Obviously he wasn't ready to let go yet.

"Where are we going?" She asked as he lead her inside and past the few remaining members of Angeline's family. There were a few stammered good nights as they walked through the kitchen and into the den. She walked after him, confused. "Le?"

He stopped outside a doorway down a side hall and urged her inside, then followed. Sitting on the desk, he pointed to the wall behind her.

Ruby gave him a bemused look then turned and her jaw promptly dropped. The picture she was looking at was one of the most beautiful portraits she had ever seen. The blues, the golds, the silvers.. The woman. It was Letty. He was showing her Letty.

He cleared his throat.

"Her name was Leticia Ashlyn Costas. She was eighteen in that picture." He smiled to himself, looking at his fingers. "She was so nervous – I was nervous painting her like that – but she did it anyway as a favour to me."

Ruby moved to sit beside him but didn't touch him. Now didn't feel like the right time to initiate affection between them.

Leon looked back up at the picture and pointed slightly before allowing his hand to drop back against his thigh.

"That's how I saw her. It's the only way I could think of showing everyone else what she looked like to me – she was my stars."

This time he took her hand and Ruby turned slightly to face him, but so she could still look at things as he pointed them out.

"Were you together then?"

He shook his head. "No – she was with Dominic then. Five long years she was with Dominic and those five years I loved her." He opened his mouth to speak and his eyes turned glassy. "She – she was so unhappy with him, Ruby. I'd watch him treat her badly and I'd think 'why can't she see?' – so that's why when I painted her, I painted her like that.'

"She spent her life in darkness but there were these tiny little things about her that would still shine, still made her beautiful – no matter how dark or cold she got. Even being so unhappy she was still more than Dom could ever dream she could be. She still shined to me."

Ruby leant her head against his shoulder and looked up at the picture of Letty.

"That's why you made her the night sky? Because she still shined through the dark?"

Leon nodded, dropping his head to touch hers. "Exactly. She never went out." He sniffled. "Well not until I got my hands on her."

"Leon.."

He shook slightly, his arm around her.

"She was shaking me and I could think was 'please, Let – I'm tired'," his voice wavered and he swallowed thickly, "- I should have woken up sooner. Cade had been in distress for a while and she'd been bleeding… She was terrified and I wouldn't wake up."

Ruby's eyes widened as she realised what she was hearing. She wrapped her arms around him ready to hold onto him if need be. He was still staring up at the picture.

"She was crying and holding her belly, holding Cade," he looked down at her and shook his head, tears were rolling down his face, "- I didn't know what to do, so I called Tala. She told me to call the ambulance. I should have done that straight away, Rubes. I wasted time and I killed her."

Ruby closed her eyes and she gathered him against her, one hand rubbing his back the other running over his hair. She rocked him slightly.

"You didn't kill her, precious." She bit her lip when she felt the moisture from his tears hot against her collarbone, dripping down her skin. "None of this was your fault. None of it."

"If I hadn't gotten her pregnant-"

"If you hadn't gotten her pregnant you wouldn't have a son that adores you. I didn't know Letty but I'm sure she wouldn't want you to be so miserable, would she?"

He sniffled, arms wrapped loosely around her waist. "No." he admitted grudgingly.

Ruby stroked his hair and kissed his forehead. "Then stop blaming yourself for something that you couldn't have done anything about – you called an ambulance, Leon. You got her to the hospital. It wasn't your fault." She let go of him as he sit up and looked at him. His face was wet from tears and his eyes were red.

She grabbed the hem of her skirt and lifted, wiping the moisture away from his cheeks. Her bangles jingled quietly and Leon laughed slightly at the concentrated expression she wore as she went about cleaning him up.

"Now," Ruby slid to the floor, "- I think you should get yourself to bed and get some rest." She tugged him from the desk and out the door, walking him to his room. Once at the door she urged him inside but he didn't move.

"Would – would you stay?"

Ruby frowned. "Leon – I don't think.."

"Sleeping. Only sleeping." He stated softly at her tone. "Please.."

She looked at him looking all pathetic and dejected and just knew he was going to have a rough night. She bit her lip and looked at her feet, then back up at his face. He looked like she'd already said no.

"I'll have to borrow some clothes to sleep in." She told him, holding out her skirt.

Leon nodded, letting her into the room first and going to get her something to put on. He came back and handed her a pair of cotton boxers and a tank, then went to close the door.

Ruby slipped out of the skirt and draped it across the bed end, then stepped into the boxer shorts. She had to fold them at the waist a couple of times but they would do. She was just undoing the hooks and eyes on the front of her top when she happened to glance over and saw Leon fighting with the button on his jeans.

"Need help?"

He looked up and shook his head. "No – I got it."

She shrugged lightly, pulling the tank over her head and climbed into the big old bed. She watched Leon kick his jeans off and to the side before he climbed into bed beside her. He looked at her warily for a moment before shimmying across to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her to him. He sighed against her neck.

"Thank you, Rubes."

She smiled at his whisper and nestled closer. "Goodnight, Le."