Author: Moon Roses or Moony
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Feedback: Not necessary but greatly appreciated.
Recap: He nodded and continued back to the gathering. She slid in her car and pulled away from the curb, turning back towards their own house. She watched Brer in the rearview mirror as he peered out into the dark and she hoped his spirit hadn't been crushed to bad. He was a resilient kid and he'd bounce back, but if he truly believed he was unwanted there was no telling what it would do to his psyche.

Chapter Fifty

It took longer than usual to put Brer to bed that night. He was mopey, but questionative. Confused, but not angry. Would Leon ever love him? Could she find him a new dad that would love him and teach him to drive, if Leon wouldn't? Could she make Leon love him? Why didn't Leon want him? Why didn't Leon want her? Did that mean Kim was his Mami too? How come Vince loved him so much?

Her heart broke but she still couldn't answer him. She had absolutely no idea how life would unfold now that Leon had been outed by his own kid. She didn't know if he'd step up, or even if he wanted to. But she assured her son that he would have only one Mami, and it would always be her. Her answer satisfied his curiosity enough for him to get comfortable in bed. Shorty pressed her front to his back and stroked his curls until his breathing slowed and his eyelids fluttered shut.

Eventually Brer fell into a troubled slumber. He tossed for a bit until finally settling into a deep sleep. She left him cuddled around Banjo, his dog providing the ultimate comfort even in sleep. After everything that had transpired over the course of the day she knew she needed a beer to unwind. She changed into a t-shirt and sweats before tiptoeing down the stairs and into the kitchen. She grabbed a Corona and a bag of gummy beers and returned to the living room to turn on the television.

She hadn't expected their stalker to show up that night, but as she reappeared in the darkened living room she caught a glimpse of his profile on the bench. Although she was in no mood for visitors she walked to the front door anyways. She opened the heavy door and unlocked the screen before collapsing on the sofa.

Kicking her feet up on the couch she flicked between channels until settling on a movie she'd seen a dozen times. She wasn't watching it anyways, but thoughtfully munching on the gummy bears and wondering where she'd go from here. Now that everything was in the open, she figured her team was going to have a hell of a time keeping their mouths shut around Leon. They believed he had a responsibility and although she previously had them tightlipped, he was now free game for their opinions. Unbeknownst to him they'd be clamoring to tell him to step and be the man he was. Superior to her team would be Leon's own team members. But mostly Dom. He was so strong willed, determined, and above all else, family oriented. His words with Leon would carry a lot more weight and that troubled Shorty. She wanted Leon to seriously consider the possibilities without resorting to Dom's influence. But even with the King of the Streets say, that still didn't mean he'd want to be involved in his sons life.

And even with all those thoughts clouding her mind, she also found time to wonder how Vince had slipped into her son's heart so easily. He'd done the same to her the minute they'd met, but their relationship was completely different from his and Brer's. In her own selfish desires, she hoped that her sons relationship would repair her own with Vince. She loved him so completely and she wondered whether they'd ever get back to the place they'd been. If he was willing to, she'd gladly let him settle in as a surrogate father for Brer.

She was still staring blankly at the television when the screen door opened and Leon stepped in. He shut the screen followed by the heavy door. His eyes scanned the room, taking everything in as if it was the first time he'd seen the inside of the house. Of course, he'd seen it over a dozen times, but it must have looked different up close instead of from the bench in the park.

"I didn't think you'd show up tonight," she said, sitting up and making room for him on the couch.

She offered him the bag of gummy bears and he held his hand out to collect some. She filled his palm and leaned back against the cushions, unsure how to continue. She wasn't all that surprised he'd decided to come in tonight. He'd been waiting out there since they'd moved in, and after everything that'd happened at the barbeque she was kind of expecting his need to talk.

"He's a smart kid."

"You have no idea," she said, popping another gummy in her mouth and chewing slowly.

"He looks just like you."

"He looks like both of us, Leon."

They looked at each other in silence. It'd been coming for a long time, but now that it was here, neither knew what to say. He obviously wanted to know why she'd never told him about the baby. And she wanted to know if he was going to take his responsibilities seriously or return to ignoring his son.

She wished Vince was sitting beside her, with all his warm comfort and unwavering bravery. She reached up and clutched the necklace that lay hidden in her shirt. The number two still lay nesteled between her collar bones where Vince had hung it on Christmas. The charm was all she really had left of him and in all the years since she'd received it, she'd never taken it off. Though it no longer meant anything to him, to her it was a precious memento she would rather die than part with. Without his actual friendship she survived on knowing she'd once been his second.

"Why'd you leave, Michael? Why? I could have changed for you." His eyes pleaded for an answer.

Shorty knew the truth would hurt but there was no way around it, "You might have changed. But you wouldn't have liked it. You would have resented us."

"I loved you more than anything."

"I know you did. But that doesn't change the fact that you didn't want kids."

He sat back, throwing a couple gummy bears into his mouth and wondering whether he would have changed his mind. There was no way to tell now, and she thought if he looked hard enough he'd see himself as a caged animal. Trapped in a life he despised. She couldn't make him into someone he wasn't, and she wasn't willing to risk his hatred for trying.

"What was it like?"

"It was hard. I missed you so much it hurt. I cried a lot. Even years later I still cry. But I have a kid who loves me and it makes it easier."

"I would have provided for you. But you knew that, didn't you?"

Shorty shook her head slowly, "You might have, but you would've ended up hating me for it. I wasn't going to be your unwanted obligation. You didn't want a family. I did. We're different people. We wanted different things."

"I wanted you though," he replied, his voice thick with emotion.

"It wasn't enough."

He blanched at her blunt answer, but she knew he understood. He could say he would have changed for her, all he wanted. But saying and doing were at opposite ends of the spectrum. And even if he had, they both knew it would have been the end of them anyways. He may have loved Brer with all his heart but he'd always regret the life he was granted, instead of the one he wanted. Freedom could change a man, but taking it away could kill him.

"Now what?" he asked.

"It's up to you."

"V loves him, doesn't he?"

She could sense the jealousy behind his words and wondered when the two men would squash their issues. She'd left for her own sake, for what was best for her. And if she could go back she'd do it again, though if she was completely honest with herself, she would've taken Vince with her. Even though she'd come to accept that revelation, she kept it to herself, close to her heart. It was better left unsaid and there was no using hurting either of them with it.

"Yeah he does."

"I don't think I'm cut out to be a father. I'm gonna be horrible at it."

"You might surprise yourself."

Leon nodded, his eyes drifting over the pictures of Brer displayed on almost every surface. His eyes settled on a picture of Vince and Shorty, partially hidden in shadows. She wondered what he thought as he gazed at the photo of her red faced and laughing with Vince trying to ride her back like a pony. His gaze swung back to her and he nodded again, "I want to spend time with Brer."

Shorty's beamed. She held herself back from jumping in his lap and weeping. But she couldn't stop her soul from taking flight and soaring in happiness. It seemed that finally things were starting to fall into place. Leon wanted to be in his son's life and she knew Brer would be happy to finally know he hadn't been abanodoned.

"Brer would love that," she answered truthfully.

"What if he doesn't like me?"

She snorted loudly, "Leon, you're his father. He's gonna love you."

He accepted this with a faint smile upon his lips. Perhaps seeing Brer had instilled some sort of longing in him. She suspect that their conversation had forced some sense into him. She didn't know why he was smiling but she cherished the reason none the less. He seemed to light up from in the inside out. Maybe if she'd stuck around to discuss her pregnancy with him, things could have been different. But she hadn't and there was no going back. All she knew was, she was pleased Leon wanted Brer in his life.

"When was he born?"

"October twenty third."

"So he'll be four in about a month? Can I come to his birthday party? Do you have birthday parties for him?"

Laughing softly, she rolled her eyes, "Of course we have birthday parties for him. I'm not the evil step mother."

Somehow Shorty felt as comfortable around him as she always had. It was a little disconcerting how she could slip back into that frame of mind so easily. She didn't mistake their talking for anything it wasn't, but she couldn't help but feel like she might be making amends for her wrongs.

Leon fell into thoughtful silence and she waited patiently. His brain must have been over run with questions and voicing them after so many years would be quite difficult for anyone. Especially for him because he loved to avoid confrontation at all costs.

She probably had as many questions as he did but she wasn't willing to vocalize them. Now that they were sitting together she peeked at him from under her eyelashes and she found he was still as attractive as ever. A little more aged and rugged, but she could still feel the love she'd felt for him. She wasn't sure if it was platonic or not. And she owed it to him not to find out either way. He was happy. There was no way she was going to ruin that a second time.

"I'm sorry," he said at last.

Confusion clouded her mind. Was he changing his mind and he didn't want to spend time with his son? What could change his mind so quickly? "For what?" she asked nervously.

"For telling you I didn't want a family the way I did. If I had known you were pregnant," he paused, eager to find the right way to continue. "Well, I would have told you different. It must have been horrible when you needed me most."

The memory of that moment still tore at her heart but she'd learned to accept it. He might have been gentler in his approach but it wouldn't have changed his feelings. She understood that now. "It's okay, Leon. Really."

"It's not okay. It was my fault you left. I always blamed Vince, but it was me. There were times I couldn't even look at him. But maybe I knew deep down I'd fucked up."

"You and Vince need to work that out between yourselves. It was neither of your faults. I left. Not you."

For the first time since she'd returned home she reached out and placed her hand over his forearm. He flinched at her touch but didn't pull away. His skin burned and she remembered how it felt to lay entwined with him. Her heart sped up and her thumb caressed his arm against her will. She tried to pull her hand away but found that all she wanted to do was cuddle into his arms and let him make everything better again. Just like he used to. It was a ridiculous desire, but it was present all the same.

They sat like that for what was only minutes, but felt like hours, before she pulled her hand away and stood. She was exhausted from the sheer enormity of everything that'd happened that day. She needed sleep, and she needed to be away from Leon soon. It wasn't right to be reacting physically to him. She was leading herself on, and on top of that she was leading him on. Her life was focused around Brer now, and nothing would get in the way of that. The opportunity for love had passed a long time ago.

"I'm tired, Leon. And you should get some sleep too," she said, leading the way to the door. "You've got some busy years ahead of you."

Her joke broke the tension and he grunted his acknowledgment. He'd definitely need a few days to come to terms with taking on the responsibility of fatherhood. Not to mention how he was going to incorporate Brer into his life with Kim. That would probably be the most difficult part, because Kim was bound to be uncomfortable around Shorty's child.

"Shorty?" he asked, as he opened the thick wooden door.

"Mhmm?"

"Do you still love me?"

Shorty blinked rapidly. He'd completely caught her off guard. Yes, of course she still loved him. They'd been through way too much for her to have no feelings for him. But she didn't know if she was in love with him. Years and distance had changed her. She couldn't understand why he was asking anyways. He was with Kim and whether she loved him or not didn't matter either way.

Shorty opened her mouth to answer and was stopped short when Leon clasped her face in both hands and pressed his lips to her own. Her heart slammed into her sternum painfully and her eyes slid shut out of habit. She knew she had to push him away, but she couldn't remember why this was expected of her. Her insides reacted as any other warm blooded females would. She hadn't so much as kissed a man since Leon and it felt good to have someone find her attractive again. He coaxed her lips open and deepened the kiss. She found that her arms had wound around his neck and one was playing with his hair gently. Shorty wondered what Vince would think if he could see her now.

That was what stopped her. She drew away from Leon and instantly she felt guilty for thinking of Vince when she should have been concentrating on Leon. But she also felt guilty for kissing Leon when she still had things to fix with Vince. That was besides the point really. Although her body had reacted physically to his kiss, her heart hadn't. The butterflies she'd come to expect with him hadn't fluttered at all. She didn't worry about why that mattered though, "We can't. You're with Kim now."

He rubbed his hand over his head roughly and took a calming breath. She knew how worked up he'd become with a simple kiss. She'd felt him against her thigh, and though she didn't really care if Kim would be upset, she knew it mattered to him.

Leon caught her eyes and studied them intensely. Surely he couldn't see she was struggling with inner demons. He eyed her neckline where the little number two sat and smiled sadly, "Yeah. Yeah, I am," he said before pushing the screen door open. He stepped into the cool night air and looked back over his shoulder. He seemed to take in her whole being with a single glance and then he walked down the steps.

"Hey, Leon?"

"Yeah?" he asked, turning to face her once more.

"You gonna stop hanging out in the park after dark now? I'm surprised the cops didn't throw you in the slammer for perving."

He shook his head and grinned again, "Hey, I was just watching out for my family."

Her soul soared free again. He'd said family, and he'd meant it. She'd known that's why he was lingering in the park after dark, night after night, even if he wouldn't admit it aloud. But it'd still been insanely creepy. Now he knew he was welcome in the warmth of her house whenever he wanted. Brer was his and she was overjoyed to think they'd finally get a chance to know each other.

"We got an open door policy here. Goodnight, Leon."

He nodded and quickly faded into the darkness of the park. She was a little saddened that he wouldn't be watching out for them night after night anymore. It'd given her a sense of security that no alarm system could. She locked the door behind him and hoped that he'd take advantage of her offer to drop by whenever he felt like it.

When she climbed into bed she fell asleep with the lightest heart she'd had since that fateful day so long ago. She knew tomorrow would be a new day. A new world really. A world where Brer would be loved by both parents.

A/N: Thanks to lady-kira6606, Bindie, demonpixie1, musicluver17, Teleliniel, Violet201, nothingsnobody, and Love Ink for the reviews. Shout out's to Mundy005 and Charissa-G for the favourite and alert. I fixed up some of this chapter, cause I wasn't happy with it. Hopefully it flows better now.

Cheers!