Author: Moon Roses or Moony
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Feedback: Not necessary but greatly appreciated.
Recap: She was relieved that it had been a relatively easy transition for him. And although it was too soon to tell for sure, she was already content enough to have him in her life as her man, forever. Not that there was any way in hell she would ever tell him that.

Chapter Twenty Nine

With Leon's official acceptance into her family, Hector slowly began to treat him more like a brother instead of a grease monkey who just wanted to get in his baby sisters pants. Although he was still somewhat protective it didn't revolve around her boyfriend as much anymore. He was a little uncomfortable when they spent the nights together and he much preferred when Vince crashed in her bed, but he didn't bitch and moan about it like he previously had.

January and February trickled by like the water of a defrosting river, slowly gurgling away until nicer weather brought with it renewed vigour. Life had finally settled down into a steady rhythm for her. The same kind of steadiness she would have rebuked a year ago she now appreciated and strived to maintain.

Her friendship with Vince was more or less the same and she kept her Thursdays free; strictly for her and Vince to hit a local pub. They'd spend hours drinking jugs, playing pool, and generally being a nuisance to the owners. She proudly wore the necklace she'd received from him and it never left her body. It was a piece of her now, just like Vince was. They were still inseparable and regardless of her relationship with Leon, they could still be found not far from the other. In fact, if Leon couldn't find her he usually followed the loud bickering or booming laughter and he'd locate her quite quickly.

Now that she had developed somewhat of a set schedule she didn't feel like she was neglecting anyone she loved. She saw the other members of the DT team every weekday at lunch and a couple nights a week when she spent the night at their fort. She loved spending time with them because their group dynamic was so much different than her own. It was interesting to see how Dom reigned supreme and she couldn't help but compare him with Hector. Sure, Hector had the last word but he had a much more laidback sense of leadership. If she and the boys disagreed with Hector they did what they wanted. However, she'd noticed that recently the DT team had started to speak up for themselves more and she saw the respect building in Dom's demeanour. He was a strong man and loved his team dearly but even he wanted to look up to somebody. He wanted to be as undecided and confused as his teammates could be. She knew he'd always have the last word, but she could see how much he approved of his team stepping up and deciding for themselves.

And her relationship with Leon felt as new as the first day they'd kissed. She'd expected the stereotypical honeymoon stage to have passed already but she still found herself trying to calm the stampede of nerves in her stomach every time she saw him. He surprised her every day and made her feel special, something she'd never felt with any other man she'd dated. She couldn't believe she had snagged him and kept him for as long as she had, because frankly, he was much too good for her. She'd always been selfish, nothing had changed in that regard, but Leon had finally opened up and told her about his past. His childhood had been riddled with a drug addicted father and a mother who couldn't afford to leave him. After everything he'd been through he deserved someone so much better than she would ever be, and yet, he stuck around.

Life had certainly thrown her a bone when she'd done nothing to deserve it. She was grateful for the way things had worked out and she hoped things would only get better. Shorty had finally learned to believe in happy endings. Of course, happy endings are usually impossible to come by and that's why she'd seen so much heartache around her. It seemed the harder people tried to hold on to that moment, the faster it slipped away.

As St. Patrick's Day approached she geared up with Vince and found outrageous costumes to celebrate the event. Not that either of them really had cause to celebrate, she a full blooded Latina and he a full blooded Italian were really just using it as an excuse to dress ridiculous and propose awful toasts.

Their plan was almost finalized when Shorty's temperature spiked through the roof and she developed a horrible flu over night. She'd been working hard lately, and although she was suffering from acute backaches and a six day stretch of insomnia, she'd pushed through the pain. However, coupled with a quickly developing sickness she had conceded defeat and taken a couple days off work. She'd always been prone to winter flu's, so much so her mother used to joke their family doctor knew her daughter better than his own. She knew a few days rest and some kick ass extra strength Advil's would fix her up good.

But after three days and no relief in sight she'd finally kicked the covers off and dragged her exhausted ass to the shower. Her demeanour had never been as pleasant as Mia's but she'd heard she'd become worse than Vince in only a few short days. Not that her boys could blame her, they saw the bags under her eyes and the sketchbooks she'd filled in her ever lengthening insomnia saga. Sure, she got a half hour here and an hour there but that just couldn't cut it for someone so used to hours of uninterrupted sleep. Sleep was the one thing she'd never failed in school and without her precious hours of oblivion she had become a walking nightmare to the people around her. Her patience was gone and the littlest change in light would send her scampering for the basement.

When she'd finished drying her hair she pulled on a warm pair of sweats and a long sleeve shirt. Shoving her feet into a worn pair of uggs she shrugged into her pea coat and grabbed her wallet and keys. The line at the walk in clinic was excruciatingly long and she spent the time flipping through Hollywood's latest scandals. It was close to six hours later when she was finally called into the small exam room. The doctor who came in was closing in on sixty, devastatingly handsome, and Shorty couldn't help but flirt with him for a brief few minutes before he got down to business.

He prodded her lower back with warm fingers and asked her if she was feeling stressed at work. He continued to poke and prod her like any experienced doctor and ordered blood work, a urine test, and a swab of both her mouth and genitals. Although, she hadn't wanted to hear it he explained that while insomnia most likely was stress induced, back pain and flu like symptoms pointed to untreated Chlamydia. He couldn't confirm nor deny it and sent her on her way with two sleeping pills and a promise to call when the lab results came in.

With the unthinkable on her mind she returned home and spent the next few hours wondering if Leon had given her a little present she'd rather not received. Her last pap smear had been done before she'd left New York and she was due for her yearly visit anytime now. So, if she had Chlamydia there was only one way she'd gotten it. Shorty knew without a doubt that he hadn't cheated on her but she also didn't know when he'd last been to the doctor for an STD test. Now faced with the possibility of something she considered gross she knew she'd have to ask him about it eventually.

Shorty climbed back into bed, took both sleeping pills and fell into a dreamless sleep. When she finally awoke she found a note from Hector on her bed and a tuna sandwich on her bedside table. The bread was still relatively soft and she was famished so she bit into the sandwich and read the note left for her. Coughing around her sandwich she found it hard to believe that she'd slept straight for almost two days. She felt livelier than she had since the entire ordeal had set in and although she wanted to sleep again she knew she should get up and accomplish something.

She showered and dressed quickly. Grabbing her cell phone, wallet, and keys, she knew on a Friday at three in the afternoon she'd find her team lounging around drinking beers. On the way to the garage she stopped at a Mac's and grabbed an orange juice and a bag of chips. When she pulled up to her workplace she snatched her goods off the seat and slid from the vehicle. She found her boys just where she'd expected them and she was relieved to see they hadn't fallen behind with her out of commission for a few days. They greeted her like long lost brothers and filled her in on everything she'd missed.

"You gonna come to the pub tomorrow?" Miguel asked, while she peeled her bag of Dorito's open.

"I wish! I wouldn't last an hour, or a beer for that matter. I'd be snoring like Marvin, and I don't think anyone should be subjected to that."

"You bitch," Marvin snarled, as he chucked his empty beer can at her.

"If the shoe fits," Shorty shrugged back at him.

March was one of her favourite months simply because of the Irish holiday. Green was one of her favorite colors and a day spent wearing various shades and drinking green beer was a day she'd rather not miss. But there was no way she'd be attending this year, not only was her mind occupied by a possible infection but she knew Hector wouldn't allow her to attend. If he had to stay home and baby her himself, he would.

As if on cue he spoke up, "I'll skip it too, like I have anything to celebrate. I can't even spell St. Patrick's Day."

"No se puede escribir un montón de cosas, hermano," she snickered under her breath. (You can't spell a lot of things, brother.)

"La niña de la boca o me vas a tener que tierra le de reloj," Hector growled back her, happy that she was feeling well enough to unleash her sarcastic tongue. (Watch your mouth baby girl or I'll ground you.)

"Yeah, yeah. But seriously, you guys go out and have fun. I'll be fine. I'm a big girl," Shorty answered.

After much convincing Hector finally agreed that she didn't need a babysitter at twenty four. She spent the rest of the afternoon with her team before she returned home to climb back in bed. Even though she'd slept for quite a long time she still felt a little under the weather. In fact, she was already starting to feel a little better and she figured her symptoms must have been magnified due to lack of sleep. If she could catch a few more hours of sleep she'd be good as new.

When she awoke after midnight her television was on and she felt a warm body pressing against her back. Turning her body she found Vince leaning against her headboard eating ice cream out of a small carton and watching an episode of Frasier. "What are you doing here?" she asked, as she sat up and ran her fingers through her unruly hair.

"Mornin' Lil' Coyote, I'm on sitter watch for the night," he grinned at her. Scraping the bottom of the carton he offered her the spoon of chocolate ice cream.

Shorty took the last bite and wondered briefly how she'd been able to sleep through Vince getting into her bed. He wasn't the quietest man in the world and it must have taken every ounce of reserve to slide in without disturbing her. "Hector seriously put you on duty?"

"What? Fuck no, he bitched about you needing your sleep. I came over cause I was bored. I brought you food too," he said, and picked up a Subway bag.

"You're the best," she responded, accepting the food. "Where's Leon?"

"He's gaming with Jess."

"One track mind, those two," Shorty laughed, peeling back the paper around her sub and tearing off the end in one bite. She propped her pillow against the headboard and leaned against it, pressing her side against Vince's.

She ate the remainder of her food in silence. Not that she really wanted to talk about the fact that she'd possibly contracted an infection from Leon. If Vince found out, he'd blow up, and the drama that would create between himself and Leon was something she really didn't have the energy to deal with. He'd be furious with Leon for risking her life so easily. Leon would be upset he'd given it to her as well. But at the moment she didn't care what either man would feel, she only cared what she felt. And that was repulsed, nervous, hurt, and scared. She knew it was curable but that did nothing to settle her mind. She also knew for a fact it'd be the last time she'd have unprotected sex until she was hitched.

"Will you please stay the night?" she asked softly.

"Like you even have to ask, darling," he replied nonchalantly.

Vince's attention returned to the television and she lay down beside him again, resting her head in his lap and dropping off to sleep almost immediately. She awoke the next morning unbearably hot and covered in a fine sheet of sweat. She lifted Vince's hand off her stomach and shifted out of his reach to change into dry clothes. Climbing back into bed she faced Vince and tucked her head under his chin. Her temples were throbbing again and although she could get up and accomplish something she decided relaxing was a much better idea. After all, it was a Saturday morning and Vince could sleep well past noon when allowed.

Even though she had made the decision to stay in bed she knew she would have to talk to Leon sooner rather than later. He had a knack of sensing something amiss in her and she was sure he'd be able to read the confusion in her features. How did you broach such a taboo subject? "Oh hey, baby, so you gave me a disease," just didn't seem appropriate in this situation. Shorty wanted to confirm or deny before confronting Leon. No doubt it would be one hell of an awkward conversation and she wasn't in any rush to deal with that.

Shoving her hand under her pillow she located her phone and quickly text Leon to let him know she was still alive and that she missed him. She pushed her phone back under her pillow and pulled the blankets up under her chin.

Vince woke her hours later and demanded she shower because she was once again covered in sweat. Shorty rolled her eyes but followed orders and ran a cool shower. Sinking to the floor the leaned her forehead against the cool tile. Her headache was gone and she wondered how it was possible to go from one extreme to the other so quickly.

When her body temperature had cooled enough to feel comfortable again she dried off and pulled on sweats and a hoodie. She couldn't wait until she was feeling better and would have the energy to make herself presentable. For now, warm clothing was all she could stomach. Stepping from the bathroom she found Vince changing the sheets on her bed. She leaned against the doorframe and watched as he struggled to secure the last corner on the fitted sheet. "I bet you've never done this before," she laughed, as he fought the sheet into place.

He looked up and frowned at her while cocking his head to the side, "You breathe a word to anyone and I'll smash your tail lights."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me, darling. Just try me," he snarled, as he draped the top sheet on the mattress and followed it with the comforter. "Since when do you sweat like a mule's ass?"

"Since when did you know what a mule is?"

"Fuck, you have a sharp tongue," he laughed, tossing her pillows against the headboard.

"Sorry, I'm still kind of grumpy. You gonna hang for a bit or you heading home?"

"I'll head home. I have pre-drinking to do and it's already three. I don't know if you remember but today is the best day of the year."

"V, you say that about Wednesday hump day, race wars, your birthday, any day Mia doesn't have her period. Maybe you should start telling me when the worst day of the year is," Shorty said, as she walked Vince upstairs and to the door.

He snorted derisively behind her but refrained from saying anything she could turn against him. "Why don't you come over for a bit?"

"Nah, this flu is kicking my ass. I'll probably be asleep again in a half hour," she answered around a yawn.

He kissed her on the forehead and shut the door behind him. Without him around Shorty really didn't see much point in staying up. She rummaged through the fridge and made a roast beef sandwich and filled a tall glass with milk before returning to her room and crawling into her freshly made bed. She turned on the television and settled for a Hallmark movie called The 10th Kingdom. It was playing back to back to back and she knew it'd keep her entertained for hours.

By the time dinner rolled around she was so engrossed in the film she'd all but forgotten about her illness and was secretly pining for a romantic wolf human hybrid to mate for life with her. Hector brought her an enormous bowl of chicken soup and large buttered bun and set it on a bedside tray in front of her. She groaned when he placed the back of his hand against her forehead but allowed him to take her temperature. "You're still not staying home, Hec," she said, and tugged his hand away from her skin.

"I don't mind, we never spend time together just the two of us anymore."

"I promise after I kick this flu we'll do something. Just us, but you have to pay," she replied, as she picked up her spoon and shooed him out the door.

She returned her attention to the movie she'd been watching and ate quickly. When she finished she moved the small table to the ground and vowed to take it upstairs when the movie was over. She snuggled down into her blankets and reached for her cell phone on the night stand. She'd missed a few calls from both Letty and Leon but she didn't feel like returning them. She quickly text both to reassure them she was feeling much better but wouldn't be joining them for the evening.

By nine o'clock she was six hours into the movie with another four to go and for the first time in over a week she wasn't tired. Whether or not she was tired she was sure she'd spend Sunday sleeping so she could return to work after way to much downtime.

A light knock on her door drew her attention from the movie long enough to call, "Come in." When Mia walked in followed by Letty she was a little shocked to say the least. While Mia never really drank more than a couple she'd expected Letty to have green lips and teeth to match her green outfit. However, both girls were free of any celebratory color and each held a bag of chips and a jug of pop.

"What the hell are you two doing here?"

"Please, like we're gonna let you sit at home alone on a Saturday night," Letty growled, kicking her shoes off and sliding under the covers beside her.

Mia followed suit and slid in on her opposite side, pouring her a cup of frothy root beer and cracking open her ketchup flavoured chips. "Besides, I didn't want to go out tonight anyways. I was just going to study but keeping you company sounded much better."

"Well, you're welcome to stay here but I've been watching this movie all day and there's about four hours left," she said, nodding at the television.

"Fine with me," Letty grinned, as she poured diet coke into her plastic cup and leaned back against the headboard.

Shorty was happy the girls had decided to skip the festivities and spend the night with her. She'd never have asked herself but she was dying for companionship. In the past few days she'd been feeling slightly lonely on top of everything else and having her girls around made it easier to avoid the situation. Not that she was determined to avoid anything, in fact, she'd almost convinced herself that she'd heard the doctor wrong and he'd said strep throat or a common head cold instead of a sexually transmitted disease.

She snuggled down under the covers and spent the rest of the night giggling with Mia over the actor Scott Cohen while Letty rolled her eyes at their gushing. Just before the movie ended she heard the front door open and loud laughter as her family stumbled into the house much earlier than usual. On a normal night they'd stay out until the bars closed up for the evening so she assumed either they'd been kicked out or they'd each found someone to bring home for the evening. When she heard flighty giggling she figured it was the second option. There was a stampede on the stairs above her and she could hear multiple doors slam as the boys hauled their conquests off to their rooms for the night.

"Well Shorty, that's our cue to leave," Mia laughed, sliding out of the bed and tossing the empty chip bags into the garbage can. "Hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks for coming guys. I'll see you Monday at lunch," she answered. She followed the girls with her eyes but made no move to get up. Her bed was warm and toasty and she didn't want to let the air out of the covers to walk them to the door. "Hey, Lett, I'm sorry you didn't get to go out with the boys."

"Oye, boo, no quiero que le ayude a cuidar esos muchachos por mí. Eso es un trabajo de tres mujees. Me, you, y Mia," Letty laughed as she followed Mia out of the room. (Hey, Boo, I don't want to babysit those boys by myself. That's a three woman job. Me, you, and Mia.)

Shorty heard the door shut behind the girls and rolled onto her side, scooping her phone out from under her pillow and checking for missed calls. Leon had text her earlier to remind her to get some rest and that he loved her. She smiled at the phone and tucked it back into its usual spot. She hadn't seen him since before she'd caught her flu but he sent her little texts every so often and he called when he wasn't busy. She'd have liked for him to visit but she knew if it was reversed she probably wouldn't visit him either. She hated being sick and coupled with her track record of catching every flu or cold known to man, she wouldn't risk it even though she adored him.

She spent Sunday teasing the boys through their hangovers and although she was feeling better she still avoided the conversation she knew she'd need to have with Leon. When the new workweek finally rolled around and she'd been off since the previous Monday she couldn't contain her enthusiasm for returning to work. Sure, lots of people enjoyed time off, and in the right circumstances she would have too. But sitting around by herself for hours on end was just plain boring. She hadn't felt mentally stimulated in almost a week and her muscles felt weak and shaky. Getting back to the garage was also another excuse to forget her problems.

Not that she could forget about them for long. Shortly after ten her cell phone rang in her pocket and she pulled it out to check the caller ID. When it showed an unfamiliar number she figured it was a racer calling to make a booking so she answered on the second ring. The voice that replied was much more soft spoken than she'd expected to hear.

"Hello, this is Jillian from Doctor Roberto's office, I'd like to speak to Michael Muñoz Izquierdo," the nurse said.

Shorty cringed as the woman butchered her last name but set her rag on the hood of the car and stepped out of the garage for some privacy, "You got her."

"Good morning Michael. How are you?"

"I'm feeling a lot better actually."

"Good, good. Michael, I'm calling because Dr. Roberto would like you to come in and discuss your test results with you."

"Well, I'm at work. Can't we do this over the phone?" Shorty asked impatiently.

"I'm afraid not. He's got a very busy schedule, but he can squeeze you in at 12:30. Can you make it?"

Shorty sighed but accepted the appointment. She knew she needed to go, she just really didn't want to. And during her lunch hour just seemed like a kick in the ass. She'd have to grab something at a fast food joint and the prospect of greasy food at the moment just unsettled her already nervous stomach.

Knocking off at noon Shorty shouted to the boys she was heading out for a bit and would be back a little after one. She made a quick stop at Subway to grab something somewhat healthy before continuing on to the walk in clinic. The nurse that had called her took her back to the doctor's office and assured her he would be in momentarily to speak with her. She pulled the corner of the wrapper off her sub and bit into it figuring it may have been rude to eat in his office but she was famished and wouldn't have time to eat once she returned to the garage.

She was almost through her sub when the doctor stepped into his office and sat behind his desk. He pulled her folder towards him and looked up at her sub. Smiling guiltily she took one last bite and crumpled the empty wrapper up and tossed it in the garbage can.

Swallowing quickly she greeted the doctor, "Hey, I don't mean to be rude but can we make this quick? I gotta get back to work. Can you just give me a prescription and a cherry sucker and send me on my way?"

He smiled at her in a way only doctors can and opened the folder, "Your test results are conclusive. The good news is you don't have Chlamydia."

"Good news? That's great news! So is it just a cold then? Cause, you know, I'm actually feeling a lot better. My back still hurts but I can live with that. So do you give me penicillin or something?" Shorty asked leaning back in her seat. She felt more relaxed and carefree than she had in days and she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"No, you won't be needing penicillin Miss Muñoz Izquierdo," he said.

Shorty cut him off before he could finish. Frankly, this was the best news she'd received in her entire life time. "Please just call me Shorty. But that's fantastic news. I hate penicillin, gives me migraines. Thanks for running the tests anyways Doc. Hey, do you validate parking by chance?"

She pulled her jacket back on and placed her hands on the chair's arm rests when the doctor cleared his throat loudly, "Actually, Shorty," he tested the name. "We need to discuss your test results."

"Sure thing. Shoot," she sighed, slouching in her seat.

"Well, like I said, your tests results are conclusive. Both your blood work and urine sample revealed the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin," he answered smoothly.

"That sounds nasty, how do I get rid of it? It's not cancerous is it?"

"No, it's not cancer. When was your last menstrual cycle?" he asked, looking down at his papers and back up to her confused expression. "Your period, Miss."

Shorty shrugged and picked at her torn jeans trying to remember. She hadn't kept a date book of every time her rag blew into town. "I don't know. Two months ago, maybe?" she asked uncertainly.

"Well, Miss Muñoz Izquierdo, Shorty, you're pregnant."