Sorry it's taken me so long to update! My grandma is really sick so I've been busy helping her and my Mom as best I can with whatever she needs. :( I have another chapter ready to go after this so I'll be posting it soon. :)

Thanks for the patience and the love from the fabulous reviewers: Rue Dawn (Your long review definitely deserved a quicker update, and I'm so sorry I couldn't give it to you :(. But I'm glad you liked it!), xsparklesthemagicalunicornx, Violet201, Mrz Letty Ortiz-Toretto, VincesDirtyGirl, symmasters (I'll try to write Dom and Let in soon. I'm just looking for the perfect place. ;)), and littleone999. Ya'll rock!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Alex, Mickey, and Ronnie.

Diamond in the Rough

Chapter 54: Slipping

By: LoveInk

Leon put the last of his sister's luggage into the car with a grunt. Turning, he looked back at his sister who was talking to Alex; no doubt about her pregnancy. His eyes gravitated towards the lawn where Michaela was standing with Mattias perched on her hip. The little boy was talking to her in his broken English and she was nodding away as though she knew exactly what he was talking about.

It was the first time he'd seen her since they'd broken up, and he had to admit it hurt. He wanted to touch her, hug her, at least say something to her, but when they were finally in front of each other, he just couldn't bring himself to do any of those things. She'd looked up at him, a challenge in her blue eyes, and he'd backed down. What was he going to say to her anyway? He'd already heard from Alex that she'd been seeing other guys. Was she expecting him to fight her about it?

Michaela could feel those green eyes watching her and she had to stop herself from looking up to meet his gaze. She stayed focused on the little boy in her arms, fighting against the urge, knowing that if she gave in, he won. He'd know she was still thinking about him and still not over him. She couldn't have that. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Secretly, she wished he'd say something to her. Ask her how she's been so she could throw her new fling in his face and see his reaction. He didn't though, and she wasn't about to bring it up; that was just cruel. She did wish he had said something to her. Even just a simple greeting. She'd missed his gruff voice and the way she'd get shivers when he said her name.

"Mickey!" Ronnie's voice exclaimed as he walked down the front steps carrying Hope on his back. "What's up girl? I haven't seen you in ages." He set Hope down, grinning at her as she ran to her sister.

She smiled back at him. "Nothin' much. Nice place you got here, Ron. You ever use it?"

He looked back at the massive house and shook his head. "Nah. I usually stay with Fish and Lex in the guest room. This house is huge and ostentatious. I only bought it so Eddie couldn't. Fish said he'll move over here once Vince gets out of the pen and the baby's born. That way they got some privacy. Maybe we'll take mopey butt with us."

Michaela giggled when Ronnie nodded toward Leon, indicating that the "mopey butt" he was talking about was him. "A bona-fide bachelor pad, huh?"

He shrugged. "Something like that. What's the deal with you and this new guy?"

It was her turn to shrug. She knew whatever she told Ronnie would go straight back to Alex and then to Leon, so she figured she'd play it safe. "None of your business."

Ronnie scowled at her before sighing. "Fair enough."

Leon pulled his eyes away from her for a brief moment and turned towards his older sister. She was looking up at him with worried green eyes, her eyebrows drawn together in concern. He rolled his eyes at her. "I'm fine, Mama Bear," he said with a small smirk.

"You don't look fine," she shot back. "You look miserable."

He shrugged a shoulder. "I'm fine," he insisted. "Time to go?"

She let out a long sigh and nodded. "Kids, say goodbye!" she called to them.

One by one, the three kids said goodbye to each of their pseudo-aunts, Ronnie, and their uncles before getting into the mini-van. Adrienne said goodbye to Michaela and Mia before approaching Alex. "You keep taking those vitamins and taking care of yourself, okay?" she advised sternly. "You need anything, you call me. Whatever time of night, all right?"

"Yes Mama Bear," Alex replied with a small smile.

Adri pulled her into an embrace. "Take care of him," she whispered into her ear. "He needs you. You don't bug him like Jess and I do. You're patient like Essie was and he needs that."

"Don't worry, Ade. I got him."

The other girl's eyes widened briefly for a moment. Only one person had ever called her "Ade" and that was Essie. "Good. Thanks."

Adrienne gave Ronnie a big hug before hugging and kissing Jesse and then she stood in front of her brother. "You going to be okay?" she asked him once more.

He rolled his eyes at her and sighed dramatically. "Yes. I'm going to be fine. I am fine, Adri. Would you get out of here and stop worrying? Jeez!"

She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Leo. Keep in touch this time, all right? Don't go invisible on us again."

"I won't," he promised with a small smile.

"See you later?" Adri asked, wondering if he remembered their tradition. Growing up, the three Donati siblings refused to say goodbye to each other. It was the finality of it that they'd been uncomfortable with. She'd never told Leon, but the day Essie got into her crash, they'd said goodbye to each other. A definitive one. Both of them had realized their mistake and quickly corrected it, but it had always bothered Adrienne and made her feel somewhat responsible for her sister's crash.

He nodded. "Later days." He closed the car door behind her, giving a wink to his nieces and nephew just as the car started pulling away. His green eyes followed the car until the tail lights were no longer visible.

"Who wants a barbeque? Drinks on the house!" Ronnie exclaimed, throwing his arms out to the side, a wide grin on his face. "Michaela?"

Michaela baulked at the suggestion. On the one hand, she was supposed to meet Jem for dinner. On the other hand, she hadn't spent time with Jess, Alex, and Ronnie in forever. She glanced over at Leon who was studying her with an intense gaze. Shifting awkwardly, she nodded. "Sure, why not?"

Things were going well for Michaela at the barbeque. It was easy to avoid Leon since the three men stayed by the grill while the girls gossiped in the lounge chairs by Ronnie's pimped out pool. She snuck glances at Leon, mostly to see if he was looking back at her. Sometimes he was, other times he wasn't. She tried to be discreet about it, but Alex caught her frown when she saw Leon stick a cigarette in his mouth and light up.

"So you've noticed his nasty new habit," Alex stated with a knowing grin. "Lovely, isn't it? You should tell him to stop. He'll listen to you."

Michaela scowled at her. "I don't care what he does."

Mia snorted. "Bull shit."

"I don't," she insisted with a roll of her eyes. "I'm just worried about you, Lex. Second hand smoke is bad for the baby and I don't want my future nephew to come out deformed."

"Niece," Mia corrected.

Mickey's eyes widened. "You know for sure?"

Alex rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No and neither does Mia because I made the doctor cover the screen, but she's insisting…"

"All the old wives tales point to a girl, Lex."

"They're called "tales" for a reason, Mia," Alex shot back.

Michaela got the feeling they'd had this argument before. She tuned them out as they bickered, her eyes falling on Jesse. She was so happy to see him smiling and laughing with the guys. It was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. He caught her glance and made his way over to her. "Sup, girl?" he asked, sitting down next to her on the lounge chair. He handed her a beer.

She took one long gulp before sighing. "Nothin'. Been busy."

"Busy with this Jem guy?"

"Something like that," she said on a shrug. "He's a nice guy. You'll like him."

Jesse took a long drag of his cigarette, his falling on Leon. "He misses you, you know."

Michaela winced in response. That was not something she wanted to hear. How was she supposed to respond to that? "Cool," she stated lamely.

"You miss him too."

It was a statement, not a question and that bothered Michaela. She hated how Jesse always seemed to know how she was feeling. She did miss Leon. Jem was so different. He was sweet and charismatic but he didn't make her laugh like Leon did. He tried, but she usually forced a fake laugh to make him feel good. And even in their most intimate moments, Jem didn't turn her on like Leon did. His touches didn't send shivers down her spine nor did he make her heart skip a beat. So, yes, she did miss Leon, missed him like crazy, but she wasn't about to admit that to Jesse. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, sipping on her beer. "Do not."

"Yeah. Right," he replied on a snort. "You can kid yourself all you want, Micks, but I know you. This Jem guy, you don't like him. Not like Leon. That's why you stayed for the barbeque. You miss him."

"No, I stayed because I miss you guys," she lied with a roll of her eyes. "I feel like he won you and Lex in a divorce or something and that's not fair."

"Bullshit. I see you every other day and you and Lex work together. You miss him."

"I do not."

Jesse was about to say something when Ronnie announced it was time for dinner. He flicked his cigarette on the ground and stubbed it out with his booted toe. "Whatever, Mickey," he murmured before heading over to the table.

Dinner was absolute hell for Michaela. The only empty seat was the one across from Leon. So she sat there, trying her best to look at everyone but him. She didn't know what made it so hard for her to look at him. She was still pissed at him, and rightfully so, she should want to glare at him, but she found when every time she tried, she felt a hollow feeling in her stomach. Looking at him made her feel like she was missing something.

When they were done, Michaela was ordered to wash the dishes while the other two girls cleared the table. She took her plate in and started the task at hand, mindlessly going through the motions of washing and putting the dishes in the dry rack. "Forgot one."

His gruff voice pulled her from her own thoughts as it sent shivers down her spine. It was the first thing he'd said to her all day. "Right. Thanks."

"Yeah," he said on a nod. "Need help drying?"

"Sure."

She watched his hands as he picked up a dishtowel and started drying a plate. His smell filled her nose, a mix of his motor oil, Old Spice, and cigarettes. The same way he'd smelled when she first met him. It was a hot, manly smell that made her ache to hold him, to kiss him, to…she stopped her train of thought and tried to focus on the flowery smell of the soap instead. She was so focused on this task that when he finally spoke, he scared the crap out of her.

"How you been?" Leon asked, observing her out of the corner of his eye.

She bit her lip and shrugged. "Good. You?"

"Fine."

There was something in the way he said it that tugged on her heartstrings. Michaela set her plate down and finally met his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat at the intensity of his gaze. She tried to look away, but she found she couldn't. His eyes drew her in closer. In a moment of weakness, she found herself rolling up onto the balls of her feet and catching his lips in one, soft kiss.

Thanks again for your patience at my slow updating. Let me know what you think about this one! I swear I'll post the new chapter up soon. I just have to edit it a bit. ;)

~Love Ink