A/N: huge thanks to - the gorgeous one, Jet, leslienicolespeaks, betty-boo, nascargirl05 and Dani for reviewing. On with the update now.. mustn't ramble on.

Leon glared at the large red and white sign in front of him as he sipped his coffee. The giant cigarette seemed to be mocking him with its presence and the great big red line through it was pretty much telling him he was fucked. His fingers tightened around the polystyrene coffee cup in his hand and he growled to himself. Twenty minutes. Twenty minutes he had been standing there glaring at that sign and it still hadn't had the good grace to change.

"No smoking my ass.." he muttered to himself before draining the remainder of his coffee. He stared into the empty cup for a moment before spinning on his heel and heading for the Starbucks at the end of the terminal for his fifth cup of coffee since he'd arrived at the airport. He'd only gotten there half an hour earlier.

He stood in line behind an older lady, muttering to himself about 'fucking airlines never being on time' and gave her his filthiest glare when she turned to admonish him. It didn't deter her. Her wrinkly hand pointed at him, her finger shaking.

"Now listen here young man," she begun and Leon felt his ire start to swell, "-I don't care who you are or how old you are, but it is not polite to speak in such a manner in public!" she looked around, "And in front of children no less!"

He grit his teeth, sneering. "Either go and get your fucking coffee or get out of my way old lady." He snapped ill temperedly.

She gasped, horrified at his blatant disrespect. Her hand flew to her chest.

"Well I never! How dare you-"

Leon glared at her, shifting on the spot. His shoulders tensed. "Look lady – It's been half an hour since my last cigarette, a fucking life time considering I go through three packs a day," he twitched slightly, fingers clenching into fists, "- my brothers flight is running late which is only delaying the inevitable ass kicking I'm sure to get, I've had two hours sleep in the past three days, I'm blitzed out of my fucking mind on coffee and my post-orgasmic haze has lifted." He took a breath, fuming. "Have I mentioned that you're standing in my fucking way and I haven't had a cigarette for half an hour!"

The old woman gaped at him, her mouth wordlessly moving. She was pale and shrinking back.

Leon glared at her when she just stood there. "Are you going to move or not?" when she didn't make a move to get out of his way he snarled. "Get the fuck out of my way lady!" He watched as the old woman scrambled out of his way as quickly as she could and noticed a couple of other people do the same. He was the only one in the line now and everyone was staring at him. Ignoring them, he strode forward and slapped a twenty down on the counter.

"I want three double espressos, a tall black and a cinnamon spice mocha." He muttered, glaring at the youth behind the counter.

The young man nodded dumbly, but made no indication he was about to move any time soon. Leon snapped his fingers in front of his face.

"Today, dipshit."

The boy nodded and rushed to prepare his beverages and Leon busied himself with looking in the pastry and cake filled display.

"And a chocolate scroll too." Leon looked up and saw the teen almost trembling, eyes wide. Worried that his coffee would suffer, he added a muttered 'please'. No sooner had the first espresso been placed in front of him did he have it in his hand and ready to drink it.

The teen behind the counter saw this and rushed to warn him. "Sir – that may be a little…" his eyes widened as he watched Leon down it in two gulps, "-hot."

Leon quirked a brow at him and gave him a pointed look. "This is my 'I give a fuck' face, can't you tell?"

The teenager timidly slid the other two double espressos across the counter as well as the tall black while he made the other. By the time he'd returned the two espressos were gone and he had started on the tall black. His eyes widened but he said nothing for fear of receiving a tongue lashing like the old woman had previously. He merely slid the cinnamon mocha across the counter and hastily stuffed the chocolate scroll into a paper bag.

Leon snatched up the food and waited impatiently for his change, then stuffed it in his pocket and picked up his coffee and stalked away from the Starbucks counter.

He wasn't even fifteen feet from the coffee merchant when he became aware of a man clothed all in black following him. He rolled his eyes.

"Fucking security." He mumbled, shaking his head and dropping into one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the waiting area. He glowered at the guy over the top of his cup, shaking his head and muttering the whole time. He went to take another sip of his tall black when he realised it was all gone and he got up to throw the cup away. He'd just sat back down when he heard Vince's flight announced and he groaned, rolling his eyes. He didn't even bother standing up at first – he had a clear view of the terminal anyway from where he was so he stayed in his seat until he saw Vince's dark head towering above some of the other passengers.

He swallowed thickly and hesitantly rose to his feet, trembling from both the caffeine and nerves. Vince had spotted him and looked down and said something, presumably to Tala. Whoever he was speaking to was hidden by the crowds. Rolling his shoulders, Leon gripped the still untouched cinnamon coffee in his hand and looked a little lower, hoping for a tiny little saviour to see him before Vince got to him. His prayers were answered when he heard an excited squeal and Tala's voice calling frantically after her daughter.

"Aurora!"

The little girl ignored her mother and made a bee line straight for her waiting uncle, arms outstretched. Leon carefully set his coffee down on the seat he'd just been sitting in and bent to scoop her up into his arms, hugging her to his chest with his hand buried in her dark curls. Her little arms wrapped around his neck and her hands tugged his hair, much the same way Cade's did. He breathed in the strawberry scent of her hair, eyes closed as he rocked her from side to side.

"Missed you, Uncle LeLe." She whispered against his ear, cuddling him for all her worth.

Leon hitched her a little higher and settled her on his hip, stroking her hair. He hadn't realised just how much he'd missed her until he'd picked her up in his arms. He grinned as she brushed her nose to his in an Eskimo kiss.

"I missed you too, pumpkin." He told her, painfully aware of his brother and sister in laws eyes on him. It was the first time he was faced with them since August – a little over four months. They'd left Winter with Marcus back in LA and were to stay in Miami for the next couple of weeks over the Christmas break.

Vince's big hands eased between her and Leon's chest and lifted her away from him. "Go to Mama." He said gruffly, watching to make sure Tala had her properly before turning back to Leon – then almost gracefully he lifted his hand and clipped Leon around the ear. Leon jerked, his hand flying up to hold the stinging ear and he mouthed an 'ow'. He was still twitching from all the coffee and the security guard was still hovering nearby.

Vince held a finger up to his face. "We are going to talk." He growled quietly so Rory wouldn't hear.

Tala admonished him for being a brute and handed Rory back to him, then wrapped her arms around Leon's waist and hugged him.

Feeling this was much safer, Leon reluctantly slipped his arms around her and hugged her back, shocking both her and Vince. If she had tried to hug him before he left she would never have gotten near him, but now – now he was hugging her back.

She drew back from him and looked him over, smiling. "You're looking better at least," she started, "- how are you though?"

Leon turned and picked up his coffee. "I'll be better once we get the fuck out of this place." He urged them to follow him, glaring at the security guard as they passed him. He quickly fell into step a few paces behind them and Vince quirked a brow, looking back at the short but stocky man in black.

"Leon – why are being tailed by security?" He didn't sound annoyed, more curious.

Leon shuddered, unable to stop himself and shook his head rapidly. "There was an incident."

Tala looked up at him. "What kind of incident?" She eyed the coffee in his hand and reached out to take it. "I get the feeling you've had enough of these." She handed it to Vince and he sniffed at it hesitantly, then took a sip, making a sound of surprise before taking another mouthful. Leon glared at the two of them, then at the security guard, then gave Rory a tight smile.

"Just an incident." He muttered, twitching slightly. His fingers fisted then uncurled, wriggling.

Vince kicked the back of his knee and watched him jerk with a quirked eyebrow. "How much coffee have you had, Le? You know you're caffeine sensitive so it better not have been more than four." He told him in a brotherly, warning tone. His eyes narrowed when he saw Leon's eyes rapidly shifting across the terminal. They stopped by the baggage claim and Vince watched him closely in between watching for their luggage and bouncing Rory on his hip.

"Leon," Vince practically barked, "- how many?"

Leon wrung his hands together, almost shivering. "Just a couple." He lied, his voice calm. He pointed. "That your bag?"

All conversation was forgotten as both Vince and Tala reached for their bags and Rory was again passed to Leon. She cuddled right in and rested her head on his shoulder, watching her parents.

"Went on the plane, Uncle Le."

He started out of the airport with her, Vince and Tala following. "Was it fun?"

She nodded, her curls bouncing. "Daddy doesn't like flying. Says the stews are hussies."

Tala gasped. "Vincent! Did you say that in front of her!"

He cleared his throat and plastered an innocent look on his face. "I might have." He gave Rory a soft look. "And they're 'stewardesses' princess."

Leon snorted. "At least she didn't call someone a who-" he caught himself. It was one thing to cuss like a sailor in front of Cade but if Rory picked that up Vince would string him up from the nearest street lamp. He didn't even need to finish the sentence for Vince to catch on and start sniggering.

"He didn't.." Tala's eyes were wide and shocked. Leon nodded, smirking as they neared the Skyline.

"He sure did – couldn't have said it to a better person either."

Vince frowned, lifting their bags into the trunk of the car. "What do you mean?"

Leon grunted, handing Rory to Tala so she could strap her in and reached for his cigarettes.

"You'll see – she's caught wind of your visit. You'll see."

The bigger man looked less than pleased with his vague response, but watched as Leon lifted a cigarette to his mouth and went to light it. "Not in the car with us, Le. You know I don't want that shit around my daughter."

Leon grumbled but tucked the unlit cigarette behind his ear and stuffed the lighter back in his pocket, then climbed into the car.

"Get in! Angie was expecting us half an hour ago." He snapped, revving the engine. Vince shook his head and shot Tala a look before he climbed into the idling Skyline's passenger seat.

They had barely even closed their doors before Leon was tearing out of the parking lot.

Vince clipped him in the head. "For fucks sake, Leon!" he shouted, glancing back at Rory. He sighed. The little girl was a speed demon anyway and he knew Leon could handle his car so he wasn't sure why he was concerned. He frowned at his younger brother as he tensely wrung his hands around the steering wheel.

"You want me to drive, Le?"

Leon shook his head ever so slightly. "No – you don't know the directions." He muttered, his tone final. The car fell into silence for the next twenty minutes of the drive until the scenery started turning suburban. Vince perked up as he noticed the Skyline slowing and looked out the window curiously as they pulled into the driveway of an old colonial house. Leon was out the door almost before he'd even turned the car off and was trying to light a cigarette. Trying being the active word.

Vince climbed out and noticed a vibrant red head bouncing around on the lawn with Cade and a blonde woman standing nearby talking to her. Both looked up at them as Tala climbed from the back of the car with Rory. She set her down and the little girl was instantly off and running toward Cade.

Leon's muttered cursing made him turn. "Problem Le?"

He glared at Vince and his ire seemed to fade slightly as the red head approached. She shot both Vince and Tala a bright beaming smile then strode up to Leon, her skirt dragging along the grass.

"What's the matter precious?" she looked at him a moment, then sobered. "Leon – have you been-"

"Only a couple!" he snapped. His face immediately registered with regret and he shook his head. "I can't.." he motioned to his cigarette with shaking hands. He let her take both the lighter and smoke from him. "Vince, Tala – this is Ruby." He mumbled, watching her.

Ruby gave them a brilliant smile and gave them a little finger wave, then lit Leon's cigarette for him. She pulled a face at the taste then handed it to him.

"Definitely an ashtray."

He glowered. "Shut up."

Vince couldn't help but notice the slight smile that crept onto his face as he spoke. So this is Ruby then…