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:

Set Fire to the Third Bar- Snow Patrol

If You're Gone- Matchbox 20

This Love- The Veronicas

My faithful reviewers- mslettyortiztorreto , GingerMegs and Ava thanks soooo much for your reviews. And to tfatfreak207 I'm glad you've decided to read it! I got so excited about getting so many reviews for this chapter and I'm sorry I made you cry! This is just a filler really because I think we need to get back to the Nicola/Leon action!

December 1997 – Man oh Man you're my best friend

She told herself that if they didn't pick up after the first three rings she would hang up. It rang once, there was a click then a female voice.

"Howdy."

"Letty?" Nicola asked the husky voice and heard a laugh.

"You ringing to wish me a Merry Christmas girl or to tell me you miss me so much you're on your way back." Nicola felt a pang of sadness. She wanted to go back, so badly. But it turned out the Academy really did like her and she kind of liked it.

"I wish Let." She replied and slumped down on the bed in her dorm room.

"Too bad, cause Mia cooked the biggest Christmas pudding and I know you love a good pudding." She could hear Letty moving around and groaned.

"You're kidding." Letty laughed.

"Not at all. What are you doing today?"

"I've got lunch with my mother and Rupert." Nicola replied bitterly and looked down at her bare feet in the plush carpet.

"No pudding?" Letty asked this time making Nicola laugh.

"No because it has alcohol in it and no turkey because whattya know Ruperts vegan." Letty sighed and Nicola could hear voices in the background.

"Who's on the phone?" Mias recognisable voice asked but Letty didn't answer instead speaking,

"Well I tell you girl, we all wish you were here- the sun is shining and there's endless beer."

"Argh! Stop rubbing it in and let me speak to Mia!" Nicola said and heard Letty say goodbye before Mias voice was down the line.

"Is this who I think it is? You know you were meant to call about three months ago."

"Merry Christmas." Nicola said quickly hoping that Mia wasn't too angry.

"I hope it's snowing there. And you're pudding is soggy." Mia replied.

"It is snowing and there is no pudding so you get your wish." Nicola replied lightly.

"No pudding? What are you having lunch in a homeless shelter?"

"No worse, my mums house." Nicola couldn't help but laugh at the shocked sound of Mia's voice.

"Yeah, Leon told me about that. Are you okay?" Before Nicola could reply though there was the sound of a door slamming on Mias end before a gruff voice asked Mia why she was staring at them.

"Guess who just walked in." Mia said quietly into the phone and Nicola laughed.

"Santa Clause?"

"Better. Hey Le, guess who's on the phone." There was a gruff reply from Leon and Nicola waited out the rest of the conversation. "Jennifer Grey." Mia added and heard Leons reply.

"Who?" Mia muttered something before she spoke again.

"Nobody puts baby in the corner."

"La?" She heard Mia laugh then Leons voice was down the line and she suddenly missed LA so much more.

"You're alive?"

"No-one in that house just says 'hello'." She replied and heard his husky laugh.

"You don't get a hello after not calling in what…three months." But he wasn't angry.

"I'm sorry, I'm officially the worst friend ever. I've been so busy. And I did try to call once but no one was there." She reasoned and lay back on her bed, taking the cordless phone with her.

"Well you are a pretty crappy friend and that's no excuse. We thought you're mother had shipped you off to military school or something."

"I think I would enjoy military school."

"That bad?" Leon picked up on her disappointment.

"The schools okay, I kind of like it. The mother part is not so great. Did you know there's such thing as vegan?" She asked and heard another of his laughs and she could picture his smile, his face, his green eyes.

"Vegan? What the fuck is that?"

"That's what I said." Nicola replied before there was a knock at the door.

"Crap that's my taxi. I've got to go."

"Hey give me your number and I'll call you." This made her feel a little better and she quickly recited her number back to him.

"I'm a good friend, so I'll actually call." Leon said.

"Bite me. Merry Christmas Leon."

"Yeah, Merry Christmas Lala." There was a click and he was gone.

February 1998

The ringing wouldn't stop no matter how hard Nicola tried to block it out.

"Nicola! Answer the phone." Katie groaned from underneath her duvet and Nicola growled.

"You answer the phone."

"I don't have any friends that would be awake at this time of the morning. So it's for you." Nicola rolled out of bed and plucked the cordless phone from its charger mumbling a hello into the receiver as she walked over to her bed and crawled in.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"Leon?" She recognised his voice and looked over at the glowing numbers of her clock. "It's five am here- what is it like two there?"

"Yeah, sorry, I forgot about the time difference."

"No you didn't." She muttered as she rolled back over and pulled her blankets over her head so Katie wouldn't wake up.

"You're right. We just got home."

"How much did Dom win tonight?" She asked.

"Actually Jesse ran tonight, he won like fifteen hundred." Nicola smiled.

"Good on him. Why are you calling me if there's a party to be had?" She asked sleepily and his husky laugh came down the line.

"Because I wanted to talk to you."

"Bullshit." Nicola replied.

"Come on La. Don't be like that." He laughed and she rolled her eyes.

"Some things don't change do they? What is she a red head or a blonde?" She asked referring to the girl he was hiding from.

"Red head. But that's not why I'm ringing. I saw you're Dad today he said he's moving to San Fran with his new girlfriend." Nicola winced. Her Dad had rung her a few days ago to break the news to her.

"I know, creepy huh?"

"Depends which part is the creepy part." Leon replied making Nicola chuckle despite her disgust.

"I don't know which is worse, that he's got a girlfriend or that it's Jesse's mum."

"You're right it's all pretty creepy. You know if they get married, Jess will be your brother." Leon replied and Nicola groaned.

"Don't say that. Did you tell him?"

"Ah, no. I'm leaving that up to his mum. He's going to flip." Nicola laughed loudly and Katie her roommate growled from beneath the covers making Nicola whisper her reply.

"He'll have to become an Andrews."

"And learn how to drive a truck." Leon added and she stifled another laugh, "What time do you have to get up?" He asked and she sighed knowing the call was coming to an end.

"Seven, I'm giving ballet lessons down at one of the children centres in the city."

"Look at you, my little mentor. Foster kids huh?" He said softly and Nicola's heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah, I like hanging out with lonely kids."

"Don't I know it." Leons voice was sincere and her smile disappeared.

"You're not so lonely anymore." She said softly pulling the blankets around her shoulders.

"Thanks to you. You were my first friend in LA ya know."

"Geez don't go getting all sentimental on me now." Her voice was still quiet and she couldn't help but smile at his admission.

"Yeah, well I better let you get back to sleep. Night Lala."

"Goodnight Leon." She said softly and before he hung up she quickly added, "And Leon?"

"Yeah La?"

"Only four months until summer." And she hung up, staring at the phone, a huge smile on her face. She couldn't help it, that green eyed boy made her all warm and fuzzy inside.

May 1998

Nicola pirouetted letting the music guide her and she jumped, landing gracefully, her balance not wavering at all.

"Very good Nicola, keep your head still though" Her instructor, Katherine said as she smoothed her hand over her tight blonde bun. Her other hand wresting on the leotard covered hips as she glanced down at her ballet slippers and Nicola took her place back in the line up, looking over at the teacher who after all this time had never performed any kind of ballet related move even if she did dress for it.

It was her last day of school for the year and she was itching to get out of there.

"Perfect Ann-Marie." Katherine praised the brunette spinning in front of them. "Well I think that was a very productive lesson everyone. I hope you enjoy your holidays and come back refreshed and ready to learn." Once they were dismissed there was a mad rush for the door and Nicola made her way towards her locker where she sat down and pulled her ballet slippers and bright pink leg warmers off and pulled on a pair of scuffed flat tanned boots on over her black tights before swinging the locker open and pulling on an old sweater of Leons that fell down over the leotard and covered her thighs.

Grabbing her bag she made her way for the door, not seeing where she was going and ran right into someone. Looking up she was met with the blue eyes of Callum, her dance partner from another of her classes.

"In a hurry?" He asked, his deep voice booming through the room.

"Katie and I are leaving for LA this afternoon."

"Oh, on the way home to the boy." Nicola blushed and pulled her hair out of the bun it was in, letting it fall over one of her shoulders.

"Maybe."

"Well good luck with it. He'd be stupid not to want to spend the next three months with you." He patted her shoulder and stepped into the locker room. Turning around Nicola ran straight into a body, making her falling back into the now closed door.

"Shit." She hissed to herself as she scrambled up and came face to face with Ann-Marie.

"Watch yourself, Andrews." The brunette hissed and Nicola rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She pushed past the girl Ann-Marie shouted back to her.

"Just because you're step fathers the VP of the academy doesn't mean you're anything special." Nicola stopped dead and turned around to face the girl.

"What did you just say to me?" Nicola seethed.

"Where are you from again? The Valley?"

"Get to your point, Ann-Marie." Nicola raised her voice slightly and Ann-Maries smile was malicious. Nicola knew what that look meant, she'd had the same one many times in high-school and she knew she should have walked away. But she didn't.

"Everyone knows you only got in because of Rupert so why don't you head back to the Valley and get your butt tattooed or something." There was a small crowd forming around them but Nicola didn't care, she didn't even put her bag down, she just swung her fist around and hit the girl in the cheek making her fall on the slippery wooden floor and Katherine appeared.

"Oh shit." She muttered.

"Nicola Andrews! Office now!"

A/N: Review and all that. I'm still sitting in flood water though the flash flooding is over at the moment. So I'm hoping the power stays on long enough for me to get a few more chapters out for you guys! REVIEW x