A/N: Alrighty - apologies for the lack of updates, but real life has been a bit hectic lately. Anyway, big thanks to betty-boop, KangarooGirl, takerlover21, leslienicolespeaks, Torquebabe, Jet and Giusy for reviewing the last chapter. Not very long this one, but still - let me know what you think.

Vince stuffed another shirt into his back pack, quickly spraying himself with deodorant as Tala watched from the doorway.

"I cannot believe this," he was muttering to himself, shaking his head as he rifled through the bedside drawers. Winter lay on the end of the bed watching with Rory propped against her side, both of them silent as Vince moved around the room.

"You'll call as soon as you arrive, right?" Tala hugged herself tightly. She'd not seen Vince so angry in some time, even since before he and Leon had sorted out their issues. He was near furious – the only thing keeping him from erupting and losing it was his newly found sense of self control. He'd developed it shortly after Rory had been born and was almost always so very patient with his family. As usual though, Leon was the exception.

Vince zipped his back pack quickly and held his tattooed arms out to Rory, scooping her up against his chest as he looked at his wife.

"You'll hear from me as soon as the plane lands, firefly. I promise." He buried his face in Rory's curly hair and hugged her tightly, kissing her little cheeks and forehead before setting her back down on the bed beside Winter, scratching the big dog behind the ears.

Tala watched as he hefted the bag onto his shoulder and stepped forward, already reaching for him as he moved across the room to her.

"He's really done it this time, hasn't he." She commented softly, stepping into the comforting circle of Vince's arms. When she'd had a bad day or didn't feel well, just having those arms around her would make it all better, make her feel like it would all be ok. Only this time she wasn't so sure. Leon had really done a good job of screwing up his life – and Ruby's – which didn't sit well with neither her nor Vince. He'd taken a shine to the eccentric young woman during their stay in Miami and was taking this personally. Leon had really fucked up and judging from the look in Vince's blue eyes and the firm set of his jaw, he was going to pay for it.

Vince nodded, big hands stroking over Tala's back and coming up to tangle in the curls at the nape of her neck, fingering the loose ringlets that had freed themselves from the elastic. He looked down at her, his heart swelling with love for the woman he'd been married to for three years now, going on four and the mother of his child. Life without her just wasn't an option.

"I'll call you just after we land in Miami," he bent to kiss her soundly, holding her to his chest, "- I love you, firefly."

Her hands stroked down his biceps as she stepped back from him, licking her lips to catch the fading taste of his kiss. "I love you too, baby. Be careful."

Taking a few steps back to kiss Rory once more, he nodded. "Always." Running his hand over her head one last time and a mumbled profusion of love to his daughter, he headed out the door to get a cab to the airport. To Miami.

Vince yawned as he stepped out of the terminal, the sun just rising as he hailed a cab and climbed inside, spitting out the address before leaning back to catch some sleep before he arrived at Angie's house. When she'd called the night before and told them what had happened he had been in a state of shock, then the anger had quickly taken over. He'd known right there and then on the phone what he had to do and that was why he was in Miami.

The trip went faster than he'd expected and he'd not even had the chance to drop off to sleep before they pulled up in front of the big old house, only just showing signs of life in the early hours of the morning.

"Can you wait here?" He asked the driver, fully prepared to foot the fare if he needed to. Sensing it would probably be beneficial to his health, the driver nodded rapidly at his big passenger and shut the engine off, keeping the meter running. Vince nodded shortly to him as he stepped out of the car. He'd originally planned to stay a short while but on the plane he'd changed his mind. Last minute change of plans.

As luck would have it he was half way up the front path when the door opened and Leon stepped outside, wearing only a pair of sweats and holding his cigarettes and lighter. When he saw Vince striding up the path toward him his eyes widened and he barely even had the chance to move before he found himself pinned against the front door, feet dangling off the porch.

"You stupid, miserable little bastard! What the hell were you thinking going off at her like that, Leon? What - the hell – were you thinking? Now I'm sure this was unplanned by the both of you but the least you could have done was hear her out and support her! She's likely to be petrified, Leon!"

Leon gasped for air, Vince's big forearm holding him off the ground still. "She… didn't tell.."

"She didn't tell you because she knew you'd react the way you did! SHE WAS SCARED TO TELL YOU, YOU DUMB FUCK!"

Not even thinking now, his fist swung before he could stop it and nailed Leon just beneath the eye, in almost the exact spot he'd hit him last time. Once the first punch landed he found it almost impossible to stop and time after time, his big left hand found its mark on his little brother's face, ribs and stomach. He was mindless to Leon's short fingernails biting into the flesh of his arm, ignoring the sting as they scraped over his scars a few times.

Stepping back, he watched as Leon slumped to the porch, coughing weakly and roughed up. There was no blood this time.

Chest heaving with pent up aggression, Vince pointed a long finger at him and nudged him with his big boot.

"I seriously thought you were starting to grow up, Leon – then you go and do something as stupid and selfish as this! I'm fucking glad she's left you – you don't deserve her or another child! Fuck it, you don't even deserve the one you've got now!"

Looking up toward the doorway he saw both Angie and Bethany standing huddled together, watching the scene unfold. He gave Bethany a pointed look and stepped over Leon.

"Go and pack Cade's bags. He's coming home with me."

She looked at her mother for a moment, only moving when she saw the almost non-existent nod and she rushed off to do as she was told.

Seeing the tearful look on Angie's face, he felt the need to explain himself. "He's not capable of caring for him right now – he has to clean his act up first before I'll even think of letting him have him back. He's doing him more harm than good."

Angie nodded slowly. "I know," she said softly, "-this is going to break him, you know that. He's nothing without him."

Vince nodded slowly, watching Bethany come back with a duffle bag and a small child's back pack before dashing off once more to get Cade he guessed.

"There's nothing I can do to help Leon – he has to do that himself. But Cade – Cade I can help. He'll be safe with us back in LA while Leon figures himself out. He can call him and talk to him whenever he likes, but I want him to wake the hell up to himself first."

Vince was already moving to take a still sleepy Cade from Bethany as soon as she appeared with him, settling the small boy against his broad chest and bending to pick up the bags she'd packed for him. He nodded a thankyou to the teenager, offering her a soft smile before bending slightly to peck Angie on the cheek.

"Keep in touch?" he asked already starting out the door with them in tow.

"Of course we will – you take care of the little one and yourself."

Vince stopped briefly by Leon's side and looked down at him, the haunted man on the ground barely resembling his beloved little brother. He wasn't sure exactly, but the glazed look in his eyes made him think Leon was slightly concussed and not really processing what was happening.

"Say goodbye to Daddy for a while." He told his nephew softly, urging the sleepy child to say something.

There was some unintelligible mumbling against his shoulder then a distinct 'g'bye daddy' before he nodded off to sleep again. Glancing back toward the two blonde women standing in the doorway, Vince gave Leon one last look before heading down the steps and toward the waiting cab, depositing Cade inside before stuffing the bags in the trunk. He waved as he climbed into the car and gathered Cade back into his arms, rocking the little boy against his chest slightly in an unconscious move. He did it a lot with Rory too.

He'd done his part – now it was up to Leon to do his and straighten himself and this whole situation out.