Disclaimer: I do not own anything that does not have my name written next to it in pretty pink pen. I only own my own fictional characters, this include my OFC Nicola Andrews and her family. I also do not own any of the songs used to write this story…except on CD.
Reviews etc. are always appreciated and adored.
Summary: "Do you remember that time I fell out your window and you came jumping out after me?" There was a twinge of humour to her husky voice and Leon smiled for her benefit. For three years he let himself believe that he would always save her from everything, until he was the reason she was in that ambulance, a broken back and their baby was gone.
Playlist:
Every Morning- Sugar Ray
Semi Charmed Life- Third Eye Blind
Never Let You Go – Third Eye Blind
Say Goodbye- Skillet
Gingermegs- Thank you so much! And you have to be kidding? There is no-one for Dom but Letty! I would never do such a thing! Good luck with the house cleaning!
Ava- Aww I checked my emails before I left work and you had me grinning all the way home. Thank you for such a sweet review and I hope I don't disappoint!
LoveInk- Thank-you so much! I try to update regularly just for you guys!
If you want your name in this pretty little section REVIEW…please!
August 1997 – Girl I never loved one like you
There was a loud banging on the door. Both of them ignored it and Nicola snuggled back into Leons naked form until a voice floated under the door.
"Leon? Is Lala in there?" Nicola groaned before quickly slipping out of the bed making Leon groan in turn. They could hear voices outside as Nicola quickly pulled her underwear and the wifebeater she'd been wearing the night before on.
"Letty? What are you doing?" Mias voice was outside the door and Nicola glanced over at Leon who was watching her with a small smile on his face, his green eyes on her intently.
"I was looking for La, I thought she might have stayed with Leon, but maybe she went home with Tyson." Letty replied.
"She wouldn't leave without saying goodbye." Mia said before Letty knocked again and Nicola jumped back under the covers, noticing that Leon had made no move to get dressed.
"What?" Leon shouted as he wrapped an arm around Nicola and placed a kiss on the back of her neck.
"Have you seen Lala?" Letty had cracked the door open by this point and Nicola laughed.
"Yeah, I'm here." The door swung completely open and Letty smiled with relief.
"Thank god, because if he had some chick in there it would have been awkward." Letty replied as her and Mia walked in, leaving the door open and jumped into the bed with them. Once they were all snuggled up with Leon on one end and Mia on the other Jesse came running in and pounced on them, falling in behind Mia making them all laugh as Jesse got under the covers but sat up again.
"Does everyone in here have clothes on?" He looked down at himself in his boxers and wifebeater before looking over at the other four people in the bed.
"Ah yes." Mia replied.
"You have clothes on Lala?" Jesse asked looking over at her lying on her side, facing them with Leon curled around her.
"As if Leon would get lucky with Miss Virgin over here. She's more frigid than my cousin who is a nun." Letty replied and earned her a thump in the shoulder from Nicola who was turning red with embarrassment. "Oh look she's blushing now. What did they not know you were a virgin, girl? It wasn't half obvious." Letty teased and Nicola hit her again and called her a bitch as Leons leg snaked between hers from behind and she felt him pull her closer to his naked body.
"Okay, Letty, stop talking." Mia said as she leant over Letty and looked at Nicola and Leon. "So I'm guessing you guys are besties again?" She asked and Nicola stole a glance at Leon who had his eyes open, raising an eyebrow at Mia.
"Yes we're friends again." Nicola finally said and the three of them let out a collective sigh.
"Thank god, because it was tiring. Leons moods are not fun." Jesse said and narrowly avoided a slap from Leon who flung his arm in his direction.
"Don't I know it." Nicola added.
"Bungee!" They heard someone yell and looked up to see Vince running towards them. All the girls shrieked and tried to avoid flailing limbs as Vince fell onto the bed.
"Vince, get your fat ass off my leg." Nicola hit him in the back as he sat on her legs which also had one of Leons legs wedged between them.
"Oh shit, sorry girl." He moved and sat down in a space facing the other five people in the bed.
"They're friends again?" He looked over at Mia and she nodded, moving to get comfortable. "Good." Was all Vince said and then Dom appeared in the hallway, his large arms crossed over his chest as he took in the scene in front of him.
"Nice to see you didn't leave without saying goodbye Lala." His smiled a toothy grin before sitting on the end of the bed.
"Its going to suck when you leave." Letty groaned, earning her a nudge from Mia. "What? It will."
"I'll have to start picking on Letty." Vince said, smirking at Letty.
"And you'll have to learn to use a washing machine- all of you." Nicola added making them all laugh.
"Wow, its going to be so quiet here." Mia said sadly and Nicola scoffed.
"It is impossible for this place to be quiet."
"Yeah, but it will be weird, not having you around. Kinda gotten used to having your clumsy ass around here." Jesse added.
"Yeah, I won't have to walk behind you so you don't fall over." Leon said from behind her and Nicola laughed.
"Come on guys I'm not that clumsy." This caused a collective glare and she shrunk back into the mattress.
"And there will be no more Billy Idol played in this house. Ah it will be so nice." Leon added and a small cheer went up making Nicola pout.
"Hey nobody talks about Billy that way. I bet you won't even notice I'm gone."
"I'll notice." Leon said quietly making her smile before Jesse cut in.
"And we'll all notice because Leon will be pouting that he has no-one to watch Dirty Dancing with."
"Shut up, man." Leon groaned at Jesse and gave Nicola small squeeze with his arms.
"Aw, I'm going to miss you guys." Nicola felt the tears in her eyes again and she laughed.
"Oh, shit, girl don't start that." Letty laughed and wrapped an arm around Nicola and squeezed her shoulders as her voice started to choke up as well.
"Sorry, it's just- you guys are my family. You all came to my graduation, when I was in hospital. Even that stupid ballet thing. My Dad couldn't come to my graduation and my Mum is off wherever…and I love you guys." She sobbed and wrapped her arms around Letty as well. Mia and Jesse got in on the hug while Vince and Dom shook their heads, too mature to get involved in the group hug.
"Well you're always welcome back here girl, no matter what." Dom replied and Nicola threw him a grateful look.
"Thanks Dom. Thanks for putting up with me." Dom winked at her.
"You were so much trouble, with all the cleaning and looking after sick boys…" He glanced at Leon.
"I can't help it, I just love it when they're vulnerable." Nicola laughed looking at Leon as well who poked her in the side.
"Who's driving you to the airport?" Mia, ever the practical one asked.
"Ah…Leon is I think." Nicola glanced back at Leon and he nodded.
"Well best get a move on, if you all want breakfast before you leave. Come on Lala, I cooked blueberry pancakes." Dom said standing up and walking towards the door and Nicola felt a fresh wave of sadness come over her. They really were the best family she could ever have.
Everyone jumped off the bed and ran for the door, leaving Nicola and Leon alone. Nicola sat up and looked over at Leon who had his arm behind his head, looking up at her.
"It alright if you take me to the airport?" She asked and he smirked.
"In my heap of shit car, no problem." Nicola rolled out of bed and found the jeans she'd been wearing the night before and pulled them on, along with her converse trainers. The search for her tank top was forgotten when Leon threw back the covers and reached for his jeans. She couldn't help watching the way his muscles moved as he stood up and pulled the jeans on, or how good his ass looked in those jeans.
He looked around at her, a fox smile on his face when he saw her watching.
"We can be late to breakfast." He suggested and Nicola shook her head. If they didn't go now they never would.
"Come on." She said wiping her face clear of tears quickly and Leon looped an arm around her shoulder.
"Cheer up. It could be worse- we could all be coming with you." He looked down at her and she laughed.
"At the moment that doesn't sound so bad." She wiped her face again as they walked up the stairs.
"You say that now, but five minutes into a car trip with Vince you would soon change your mind."
The back door was open and the table outside was clear of beer bottles and rubbish from the night before and replaced with plates of food.
"Wow."
"Yeah Dom doesn't do things by halves." Leon said looking over the massive breakfast.
"Come on guys I'm hungry." Letty yelled from her spot at the table and Mia brought out the coffee pot as Nicola took her seat beside Jesse and Mia poured her a mug.
Everyone looked at the food and finally Vince caved.
"Dear Baby Jesus-"
"Baby Jesus? Really man?" Jesse looked to him and rolled his eyes.
"Hey we prayed to Mother Nature two days ago thanks to little miss green queen over there." He pointed to Mia before continuing. "Dear Baby Jesus, bless this meal we're about to eat and the people we share it with."
"Amen." Everyone said before they all got into the food.
When it was finally time to leave they all stood out the front of the house, the other two girls crying as they refused to let go of Nicola.
"Come on, guys she'll be back next summer." Leon said leaning against the roof of the Chevy watching the farewell.
"That's forever away." Letty shot back at Leon before finally letting her friend go so that the rest of the team could say goodbye. Finally she was in the car heading back to her house.
Where's your dad?" Leon asked as they walked up the drive to the front door.
"Last time he called- New Orleans. He's putting the house up for sale." She pushed the door open and Leon followed her up the stairs to her bedroom. "I'm going to take a shower before we go." Picking up a few items she disappeared towards the bathroom leaving Leon to wander the room.
Looking over to the window he could see his old house and smiled slightly. It was the end of something, all of them leaving this part of town. He could see Jesses mum in the garden a few doors down from De-De's before turning back to look around the room that was looking very bare.
The bags were sitting beside the door but her handbag was sitting on the bare bed, the bedside table still cluttered with items and the large Billy Idol poster to the left of it. A Dirty Dancing poster was spread on the wall above the bed and Leon wondered why she wasn't taking them with her.
Looking back to the bedside table he picked up a photo frame that had a few photos stuck in the front of it. Picking up the loose pictures he flicked through shots of her as a child with her Dad, another of her and Letty on their graduation. The next one was of him and her before she'd gone to her prom. He could remember the elegant black strapless dress she'd worn perfectly, her hair pulled up in tight curls. Her red lipstick painted lips were spread in a wide smile as she looked up at him in the picture, and he down at her, though he was dressed in a white grease stained wifebeater and had a Corona in his hand as he looped an arm around her shoulders, laughing at something stupid she had said.
Glancing around behind him, he slipped the picture into his back pocket and continued to look through the others. Something fell out of the pile and he picked up a slip of paper that had a drawing on it. He recognised his own work as the wispy lines depicted the car he had wanted, a skyline. He laughed at the thought of Nicola keeping the scrap of paper.
Putting the pile of photos back on the bedside table he glanced the photo in the frame and smiled. He'd seen the photo beside her bed a hundred times. It was taken on the beach, him standing in the surf, jeans on and wearing a black wifebeater as he held her above him in the Dirty Dancing lift. He remembered Letty had taken the picture on a disposable camera the summer before.
"Okay, I think I'm ready." Nicolas voice broke his thoughts and he looked over at her standing there in her jeans and a sweater.
"Okay." He put the photo frame down and she smiled but didn't say anything.
Together they hauled her bags down the hall and down the stairs before throwing them in the large trunk of the Chevy, making a loud bang as Leon dropped the lid shut.
He glanced back at his old house as they went to get in the car.
"Did you say goodbye to De-De?" he asked and she nodded. "You gunna miss this place?"
"Yeah, I think I will." She threw him a sad smile and before anything else could be said she climbed into the car Leon following closely.
Walking into the airport terminal Leon carried her bags over his shoulder, while his other hand held onto hers tightly.
After booking her bags in they stood in the waiting area, watching the planes run along the runway.
"Nine months." Nicola finally said and glanced up at Leon. "You think things will still be the same then?" She asked softly and Leon shrugged.
"Things will change, my feelings for you won't if that's what you mean." He said, squeezing her hand.
This made her smile, she loved how open he was and how he could read her mind.
"Why did we wait so long?" She asked and Leon shrugged again.
"You never realise what you've got until its gone." Leon replied and Nicola nudged him with her elbow.
"You've been spending too much time with Mia." She laughed and he finally cracked a smile. "But when I get back?"
"We'll see, La. Give it time, you might like New York, you might like New York men." His eyebrow raised as she leant into him.
"I don't think so."
"Good." He placed a kiss on her forehead and put an envelope in her hand. She looked down at it and saw his familiar scrawl on it. "We all pooled some money, just to keep you out of trouble. It's probably enough to pay for a place ticket back." He gave a smirk and Nicola wished she'd been able to thank them all for being so great.
"I'll have to use it then." She said softly and tucked the envelope into her handbag. "Tell everyone I said thank you so much." He nodded and she buried her head in his chest and he wrapped an arm around her.
"Hello Nicola." Nicola glanced up from Leons chest to the woman standing in front of her. Her white dress shirt was impeccably ironed as were the black slacks she wore, a thick string of pearls around her neck. Her long hair was pulled back in a tight bun and her fingers glittered as she shifted a black Chanel handbag on her arm and rose an eyebrow at the couple.
Nicola froze, she knew that face, she'd seen it in the mirror for the last three years. The only difference was Nicolas eyes were hazel, this woman's were a deep brown.
"Mum?" Nicola asked, not moving from Leons side.
"Yes, well darling you didn't think I would let you go to New York alone would you?" She felt Leon tense up beside her. He knew all about Nicola's mother leaving when she was ten with her Dad so that she could run off with her dance instructor.
"You didn't seem to mind eight years ago." Nicola replied quickly and Leon realised she had probably rehearsed this conversation over and over like he had when he thought of finally seeing his mother again.
"Nicola Harriet Andrews, you watch your tone with me." Her mother replied before brushing a piece of non-existent hair from her face. "You don't think that the Ballet Academy just hands out late enrolments do you?" Nicolas jaw dropped, this is not what she had in mind when she'd practiced this confrontation.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, sweetie after that little stunt you pulled at your showcase Rupert had to do some serious grovelling to get them to rethink your application." Nicola swallowed a lump in her throat and felt nauseous.
"You got your husband to get me in?" She whispered and her mother rolled her eyes.
"No, Nicola, he got them to reconsider you." The boarding call came over the intercom and Nicolas head shot up in the direction of the speakers. "Now I got them to seat us together, so I will wait for you on the plane while you say goodbye." Her brown eyes grazed over Leon and he shifted uncomfortably under the cold glare of the old woman.
When she sauntered off towards the large glass doors Nicola slumped heavily into Leons side. He caught her and led her over to a chair.
"La? Are you okay, baby?" His cool hands rested on her face and she looked down at him kneeling in front of her.
"What am I doing?" She asked and the look on her face told him she wanted to know the answer. She needed to know what to do.
"La…" The final boarding call was announced and she looked up at him.
"Can I stay?" She was asking his permission and Leon shook his head.
"La, they wouldn't let you in if you were a shit dancer." She grimaced and Leon placed a kiss on her cheek. "You will regret it if you don't go." The look in his eyes made Nicola start to tear up again. He pulled her into him and hugged her tightly as the call came over the speakers again. "You better get going." He stood up and pulled her towards him, going to hug her but she was quick and pulled his lips down to hers hungrily.
"Thank-you." Was all she said as she quickly pecked his lips and pulled out of his arms, picking up her handbag and making her way towards the glass doors, only looking back when she was safely behind them, holding her hand up in a small wave as she stared back at Leon standing there alone, his hands shoved deep in his pockets as he watched her walk out of his life.
A/N: And she's gone! Dear me! Anyways let me know what you think. If you've seen on the news the torrential rain and flash flooding in Queensland that's right where I am- sooooo if I don't update soon its pretty much because the water has gone over the power box like it did at 5am this morning. Luckily I snuck down to our vet shed and am using their power- the things I do for you people. You know what to do- REVIEW x