So much love in my inbox! 203 reviews! YAY! Thank you, thank you, thank you to:

Violet201: Thank you! I figured she'd accept it but only because she hasn't told him everything about her past either. I wrote a version where she was angry at him for not telling her, but I really didn't like it because Mickey seemed too mean, so I chose to go with a nicer version. ;)

Bindie: I'm glad you thought it was cute! :) I have a lot more to go with this story. I might have to cut what I have in half and just make a third one…not sure yet. ;)

Mrz Letty Ortiz-Toretto: I'm glad it made sense and that you liked Leon kicking Lauren out! :)

Rue Dawn: Aww shucks! :) I was so worried that writing about Leon's internal stuff would fall flat and to hear that I gave you shivers made my day! :D Thank you!

xsparklesthatmagicalunicornx: Gah! I'm so happy you loved it and it made you happy! :D

This chapter is short, sorry! It's a bit of a filler too…the next chapter will be juicier, I swear!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Mickey and Alex

Diamond in the Rough

Chapter 43: Conversations

By: LoveInk

Once at home, Michaela and Leon retreated to their room. She sat next to him on their bed, her hand in his as he stared at his phone. The number was already highlighted in his address book, but he just couldn't press the send button. "Lee, just call them," Michaela encouraged, squeezing his hand.

"I haven't talked to them in almost three years, Princess," he said, chewing on his toothpick nervously. "They hate me."

"Oh I doubt that," she assured him. She gently smoothed his hair back before pressing a kiss to his temple. "You're hard to hate. Trust me, I've tried."

He gave her a look that said her comment was not appreciated. "Gee. Thanks."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Go ahead, Lee. Just do it."

Sucking in a deep breath, he pressed the call button. He lifted the phone to his ear and waited as it rang. On the third ring, a high-pitched voice answered. " 'lo?"

"Um, hi," he said nervously. It had to be one of the twins. He felt a lump form in his throat at how grown up the girl on the other line sounded. "Who's this?"

"Leah," she answered suspiciously. "Who's this?"

"It's Leon," he replied. He would've said it was her uncle, but he felt he didn't deserve that title anymore. What kind of Uncle didn't call their nieces on their birthdays?

She gasped a little in surprise. "Uncle Leo?" she asked on a breath. "Really? How…how are you?"

"I'm good, sweetheart," he said swallowing hard. "How old are you now?"

With that one simple question, she was off, talking a million miles a minute. Michaela smiled when she saw Leon relax a bit and start talking just as animatedly. She stood and ruffled his hair before exiting the room to give him some privacy.

She found Alex sitting on the floor with Mia behind her, French braiding her hair. She lay down on the floor next to Alex before stretching out, putting her head in the other girl's lap. "How's the Gremlin, Preggo?" she asked, looking up at her.

Alex smiled and shrugged a shoulder. "It's chillin'. How's your man?"

Michaela frowned in response, raking her hands through her hair. "I'm worried about him, Lex. He really scared me for a moment there."

"Yeah, he supposed to be the calm one," Mia agreed with a nod. "Seeing him blow up like that was crazy."

"He holds so much in, it was bound to happen eventually," Alex commented, her fingers dragging through Michaela's hair. Over the past couple of weeks, the three girls had formed a tight bond. They were as close to sisters as they could ever get. "What's he up to now?"

"He talking to his sister in Arizona," Michaela answered easily. She closed her eyes, relaxed by the feeling of Alex playing with her hair.

Mia raised an eyebrow. "He has a sister in Arizona?"

"A sister, two nieces, and a nephew," she replied on a sigh. "He's kept a lot from me. Then again, I've kept a lot from him."

"I don't understand why people keep secrets about their families," Mia said with a scoff. "You and Vince never talk about your parents, hell, you don't talk about each other! Lee and Jess didn't know Vince had a sister until you were actually here! And Lee's got this whole mystery life. What are you hiding, Lex? Probably more secrets than the government."

Alex laughed and nodded. "Oh yeah. I didn't tell you but I'm secretly a duchess who was betrothed to the Prince of England. I turned him down though. Now I'm on the run because turning down a prince is punishable by law."

Mia pulled on her hair playfully. "You're hilarious," she commented sarcastically while Michaela giggled.

"Mickey's laughing," Alex pointed out.

Mia ignored her. "So, Mickey, who were the two names Lauren mentioned, Essie and Adri?"

Michaela sighed and shrugged a shoulder. "Adri's his older sister and Essie was his twin sister. She died in a motorcycle crash."

Mia's eyes widened. "Get out."

"You've see that tattoo he's got on his side, haven't you?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but esperanza means hope in Spanish, doesn't it?" Mia asked Alex as she finished off her braid.

"Well, yeah, to most people," Alex answered vaguely. She gently moved Michaela's head off her lap. "Have you guys seen Vince?"

Michaela sat up, moving in front of Mia so the other girl could do her hair too. "He's in your room. Probably sleepin' or something," she explained before she and Mia launched into a debate about the meaning of Leon's other tattoos.

Alex wandered back to her room, peeking her head in to see if he was there. She could hear noises coming from the bathroom. Raising an eyebrow, she wandered towards them, surprised when she found him standing at the counter, the first aid kit opened. He was trying to wrap gauze around his arm and failing miserably. "Vince?" she asked cautiously.

Vince turned around, his blue eyes looking a little embarrassed. "I'm fine," he said automatically. "Michaela's nails are fuckin' sharp."

She took the medical tape from him and set it on the counter before peeling back the gauze. Thin scratches marred his skin, some cutting through the barely healed scars from the wire. She looked up at him with wide eyes; he had to be in pain. "Big guy…"

"Tiny, I'm fine," he insisted, pulling his arm out of her grasp. "It doesn't hurt."

"Liar," she scoffed, her eyes falling on the brace he'd laid out next to the first aid kit. He wouldn't have taken it out if he wasn't in pain. She looked up at him, mild amusement in her eyes. "When are you going to let me take care of you, big guy?"

He chuckled before holding his arm out to her, giving in. "I didn't put anything on it."

Alex smirked, why was she not surprised? "It doesn't hurt that badly, you big baby," she teased, grabbing a cotton ball and the small bottle of alcohol. The bottle, which had never been used before she'd met Vince, was just halfway full now, she noticed. She gently swiped over the scratches, smirking when she saw him flinch. "If it hurts, that means it's working."

He took note of the smirk that turned up the corner of her lips. "Why do you like to torture me?"

"Because it's fun," she quipped easily. At his offended glance, she giggled. "I don't like to torture you; I like to take care of you, silly. You take care of me so well; I like to return the favor every now and then."

Vince smiled, his good hand gently settling on her tummy. "Don't worry about me. Take care of the gremlin."

Alex rolled her eyes at him. "Not you too," she groaned. Leon had started the lovely trend of calling her unborn baby "gremlin" and apparently it had stuck. She finished taping up his arm and shook her head. "This poor kid is either going to be called a monster or a car for their whole life!"

"So you're still open to the idea of calling it Nissan?" he asked, his eyes shining with mischief.

She laughed reaching her arms up around his neck. "Not gonna happen, V."

He leant down and pressed a hot kiss on her lips. "Could I persuade you differently?" he mumbled against her lips.

She giggled and shook her head. "No."

His hands slid down her back coming to a stop on her rear, squeezing slightly. "How about now?"

"Nope."

He trailed his lips down the column of her throat, scraping his teeth along the soft skin there. He could feel the shivers go down her spine. Gently, he lifted her so her small bare feet were resting on top of his large work boots before walking her out into the bedroom. "And now?" he asked, his lips against her neck.

She smiled as he sat down on the bed. Standing between his legs, she traced the lines of his face with the tips of her fingers. She cocked her head to the side as she studied him. "Did you know that under all the scruff, you have dimples?" she asked, her thumbs brushing over his beard. "Right here," she said putting a finger on each cheek, "and right here. They're sneaky though and they only come out when you really smile."

Vince smiled up at her and she grinned in response. "There they are," she said on a giggle. She leant forward and kissed each one. "I hope our baby has those dimples."

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her onto the bed. Pushing up her shirt, he placed a soft kiss on her stomach. He looked up at her, studying every inch of her face. He'd always thought she was beautiful, ever since the first time he saw her in that small dance studio. If someone were to tell him then that he'd end up engaged to her with a baby on the way, he would never have believed them. This was not something he'd ever dreamed of wanting. But here he was, head over heels in love with this woman. Now that he had her, he could never see himself without her. "It's going to be beautiful, just like its Mama."

She smiled, her hand reaching up to play with his hair. "Ti amo." (I love you in Italian.)

"Te amo, tambien," he replied back in Spanish. (I love you, too)

Alex sighed happily. It'd been awhile since she was this happy, this content with her life. "Will you still love me when I'm a whale?"

Vince chuckled before nodding enthusiastically. "I'll love you even more then," he answered, kissing her stomach one more time.

What'd you think? Review, review, review!

How many of you have seen Fast Five? Let me know what you thought of it in your review too! I saw it again last night and I still am a big fan! :)

~Love Ink