A/N: Hello, hello! I'd like to say a big thankyou to: leslienicolespeaks, dogreign, Jet, betty-boo, Ms Fi and Dani for reviewing the last chapter. I've been having a time and a half with this fic lately. It just doesnt want to seem to get written - but fret not, I've managed to wrangle those muses into some sort of submission. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Ooh - and while I'm at it, I've written a little one shot ficlet entitled "Where I Am" - if you could check it out and let me know what you think it would be greatly appreciated!

Ruby handed the cab driver some money and climbed out of the car, her hand rubbing her eyes as her feet crunched across the gravel drive. She still hadn't gotten her car fixed – Leon had been driving her around or she'd been taking cabs.

She was just getting home from an impromptu doctors appointment, a suggestion from Tala. Ruby was still shocked with how Tala had taken the news about her losing the baby. There had been a lot of crying done by both women over the hour long phone conversation – the older woman doing her best to offer advice and reassure her that what had happened wasn't her fault. She had been so sweet about everything. Ruby could easily see why Leon thought so highly of her – why Vince adored her. She could still clearly recall the shocked silence on the other end of the phone when she blurted out what had happened – then Tala's mournful 'oh honey..'.

She didn't have any tears left to cry, at least she thought she didn't until her doctor had told her she would have been about seven weeks along. It had to have been the day when Leon had almost attacked Marissa – they'd come back to her place and he'd damn near put her through the wall. She sighed, shaking her head.

"This isn't the end of the world." She muttered to herself, unlocking her front door and dumping her bag inside. "I'm not even twenty yet – I'm too young for a baby anyway."

Somehow the thought didn't comfort her like she'd hoped.

Tala was going to call her back to see how she went and if everything was ok – Ruby suspected she just wanted to be sure she was handling things ok. After all the woman had watched Leon deteriorate after the loss of Letty and had told her she didn't want the same thing to happen to her. She was touched at her concern for her – a total stranger she'd only spoken to twice now.

She tossed the house keys down on the table by the phone and pressed the flashing button on the answering machine, shrugging out of her jacket as it clicked and whirred to life.

"Hey Rubes," Leon's voice sounded throughout the room and she paused, "- just calling to see if you were home, Cade wanted to come over and say hi. Oh! I've drawn up a couple of other sketches for you to take a look at when you're ready. Give me a call when you get in and we can work something out for the brat."

She shook her head at the machine. "Never says goodbye." She mumbled, plopping onto the couch. She picked up the cordless from the couch beside her and punched in Leon's number, curling up on her side as she waited for him to answer. After a moment his deep voice resonated down the line, tickling her eardrum.

"Yeah?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "You should really learn to answer the phone more politely, Le."

His chuckles were warm and soothing. He sounded to be in a good mood and she could hear Cade jabbering on in the background. Leon told him to shut up for a minute, bringing a small smile to her face. He didn't hold his tongue in front of that boy at all. One day he was going to start cussing like a sailor – or worse – his father.

"Sorry, Rubes." In the background Cade started shouting and Ruby couldn't help but giggle. He sounded so excited once he'd found out it was her on the phone. There was a scuffling sound and Leon could be heard swearing like a trooper then he came back over the line grumbling. "I think I'm learning the meaning of the terrible twos."

She smiled, snuggling down into the couch cushions and tugging the blanket down over her. "Well I'm home now, so if he still wants to visit I'd love to see him."

Ruby giggled softly as she listened to Leon ask Cade if he wanted to go and see Ruby, then threaten him with being stuffed into a garbage can and being rolled into the ocean if he didn't shut up.

"Oh you're a wonderful father – so loving."

"The little shit bit me." he muttered, his voice got quieter. "If you're still feeling a bit off we can wait until tomorrow."

"No," she closed her eyes, "no it's ok. I'm feeling much better now. I'll leave the door unlocked so you can just come on in. Bring some clothes just in case you guys crash."

Leon softly hushed Cade and told him to go and get some pyjamas to sleep in, quiet as the little boy ran off.

"We'll see you in about a half hour then. Have you eaten?"

She yawned into the cushions. "I'm not really hungry, Le."

He made a quiet sound and she could just picture him giving her that look. "Alright then. See you soon."

Ruby clumsily mashed her fingers against the call button, hanging up and threw the phone down on the floor beside the couch. She yawned again and blinked sluggishly. "Just a few minutes." Her eyes fluttered shut as she yawned again. Only a few minutes and she'd be right to handle the enthusiastic two year old coming to visit.

Ruby sighed, nestling down into the blankets. She froze. Blankets? Her eyes opened and she was shocked to find the room in total darkness. She could hear breathing and felt something warm and small pressed against her front. Looking down once her eyes had adjusted to the dark she could see Cade's tiny form curled against her, nestled between herself and Leon. He was wearing little footie pyjamas and his dark hair was tousled in sleep, his thumb in his mouth while the other hand was tightly wrapped in the light fabric of her tank.

Leon lay behind Cade, his arm draped over both of them, his face pushed into the pillow.

Ruby blinked at the pair and realised that she must have been asleep when they had arrived. The only way for her to get into her room, changed into pyjamas and into bed was if Leon had done it. He must have carried her into the bedroom after finding her out on the couch and then curled up with her and Cade.

Her hand slipped down and caressed the little boys head, then stroked the thick arm that lay across the both of them. Leon's fingers flexed against her side then relaxed and his head turned toward her. He sighed in his sleep and rolled onto his back, arm flung over his eyes.

Carefully, Ruby worked Cade's fingers loose and eased away from him, covering both father and son with the covers as she stood beside the bed. Quietly, as not to wake either of them she crept from the room and went into the kitchen in search of food. She was just peeling the top off the takeaway food container when she heard feet shuffle into the room behind her. Leon leant against the counter beside her.

He took the container full of fried rice out of her hands and moved to put it in the microwave without a word, then came back and stood in his previous position. Long fingers curled around her forearm and tugged her between his spread legs, wrapping her in a hug. He didn't say anything for a while, just waited for the microwave to go off then went to get the food once it did. Containers in hand he nodded toward the back patio and started outside.

Ruby followed, two forks in hand, curious. He was acting strangely. She took the offered carton of rice and handed him a fork, then sat back against the wall.

Leon cleared his throat, digging through the left over sweet and sour pork with his fork.

"Are you sick?" He asked finally, not looking at her. He was silent, waiting for her response. The only sound was the distant crash of the waves and the quiet clinging of wind chimes that hung from the gutter. Ruby stared at him in muted shock. His face was eerily blank and he was tense.

"No – I'm not. Why would you think that?"

He chewed slowly, still avoiding looking at her. "I tried to wake you and I couldn't." he said softly. "I thought.." he cleared his throat, "- never mind."

After shovelling some rice into her mouth, Ruby set the container down and crawled into his lap, sitting side on with her head to his shoulder. She lifted her arms to wrap around his neck and cuddled into him, shocked to feel him shake slightly.

"I'm sorry, Le. I'm a bit of a lightweight and I took some pain killers earlier – they must have hit me harder than I thought."

He moved his cheek against hers, then brushed his mouth against her lips in a kiss. Ruby blinked in shock at first – he usually only kissed her during sex – then relaxed into it. His hands came up to cup the back of her head, tilting her head for better access. She sighed into his mouth, her fingers slipping up into the hair at the base of his neck, tugging slightly. His mouth tasted of the Chinese food he'd just been eating with an underlying hint of something vaguely familiar. Something that was purely Leon.

His tongue brushed hers briefly, just barely before retracting from her mouth. He drew back slowly, only just breaking contact with her lips. Their breath intermingled as he rested his forehead against hers, eyes closed.

Ruby slipped her hand around to cup his jaw, her heart in her throat. "Well that was new." She said after a while, her voice soft.

"I didn't think you were going to wake up," he murmured, nuzzling her cheek, "- I didn't.."

She brushed her thumb across his face just beneath his eye, bringing her other hand up to do the same to the other side. She kissed both closed eyelids and gathered him to her.

"I never meant to frighten you, Le. I swear I just laid my head down for a minute once I got off the phone from you."

He opened his eyes and leant his head back against the wall, picking up his fork and spearing a piece of honey chicken on it from one of the containers. He offered it to her and looked pleased when she actually ate it.

"We were runnin late – stopped to get cigarettes." He rolled his eyes at her look. "I know, I know – it stinks. It's disgusting, blah blah blah."

Ruby shook her head, swallowing the chicken. "Actually," she started, "- I was going to say kissing you tastes like licking an ashtray."

He scoffed. "Thankyou, Ruby Jane. You really know what to say to a man to make him feel good about himself."

She cuddled his neck, opening her mouth to accept another piece of chicken. "Welcome."

He lifted her slightly in his lap and repositioned her so they were both more comfortable. He looked at her curiously. "Do you really hate kissing me?"

She choked on her food and he pat her on the back none too gently. "God, Leon – No!" She kissed him soundly just to prove her point. "Only after you've been impersonating a chimney. Tastes funky."

Leon chuckled, "I'll remember that." He scraped through the bottom of the container of pork and frowned at the excess sauce. "That's disgusting." He tipped the container and his stomach turned as the thick, syrupy liquid all ran to one end.

Ruby pulled a face and pushed it aside with her foot, nodding at the chicken. "Want some more of that." She opened her mouth as he obligingly offered her more. "Really though – the smoking is disgusting."

Leon shrugged, drawing the fork away from her mouth. "So's masturbation but people still do it."

Ruby giggled, "Ok, now that's a nice analogy."

He smirked, still scraping through the Chinese food containers. He looked up with a sigh. "Foods all gone."

She peered down at the containers and hummed to herself, then lay her head back against his shoulder. They sat in companionable silence for a little while and Ruby had just started to doze off when Cade's cries broke the silence. Leon jerked beneath her and Ruby started awake.

She was on her feet and almost slammed into the door by Leon trying to get by her to get inside to his son. She turned and put her hands against his chest, stopping him.

"Leon – Leon! He's alright.. Calm down. He's probably just wondering where we've gone."

"Daddy! Miss Ruby!"

She quirked a brow and opened the door for him. "Told you."

Leon grumbled but followed her down the hall. He watched her crawl into bed and Cade attached himself to her, his face buried in her chest. Ruby curled herself around him and was whispering softly, lulling the little boy back to sleep. She glanced over at Leon.

"You're not coming back to bed?"

He nodded slowly and climbed in behind her, tucking his arm around both her and Cade, his hand resting against the little boy's back.

Ruby cuddled Cade closer. With him in her arms and Leon at her back - for the first time all day she didn't feel all that horrible.