Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not for profit, purely for fun, story. I do not own these characters, just borrowing them from Lewis.

Laura stifled the urge to scream out in pain. Not for the first time during this night did someone kick her in the shins. Poor sausage was sound asleep and didn't know he was doing it. When was the last time those toenails were clipped? She silently got out of bed to inspect the damage, expecting to see blood.

Once in the bathroom Laura determined the scratches were minor and after calming herself by giving her teeth their second cleaning of the night she walked back to the edge of the bed to gaze at the limp form that now lay diagonally and covered her side. As she tried to figure out whether to go around to the other side of the bed or lie down at the unused part at the bottom Laura couldn't help but smile. Just a few years ago, she never could have imagined putting up with such indignities from a sleeping partner. Now it was all so simple. She loved him. No matter that he made snuffling noises while he slept and insisted on throwing one very warm arm around her waist on even this hottest of nights, she loved him. And that breath! She shuddered as she recalled all the forbidden fruit so to speak he had consumed that day in an effort to forget the image of someone lying in a hospital bed.

While she knew he needed someone, it still surprised her that she was the one he needed. Even more surprising was discovering how much she needed him. She was the one living in a new and very unexpected chapter. Corpses hadn't been her only specialist subject. There was also loneliness. That was now a faded memory from the past. Giving up some sleep was a very small price to pay for the excess of joy she now experienced.

Very early the next morning Laura carefully extricated herself from a pile of limbs and slid out of bed. In the kitchen she brewed a strong pot of tea. While sipping her second cup, a well rested Robbie entered the room and put his arms around her neck and leaned down to deposit a kiss into her hair.

"You're up early. Sleep well?"

"Never better."

"Really?" Robbie raised his eyebrows, knowing that she was putting on a brave front. "You should do that for a living."

"What?"

"Get uncooperative souls to sleep and stay asleep. You make it look easy."

"Not really. I have the battle scars to prove it."

Robbie gently pulled Laura out of her chair and wrapped his arms around her. "It's just another one of the million reasons I love you."

Laura let her head rest on his chest and closed her eyes. "Only a million? After last night I demand there be at least two million."

"Of course."

Laura looked up at Robbie and saw his face grow concerned. She knew what he was worried about.

"She'll be ok, Robbie. It's just a minor complication. She's a lucky girl. They both are. Tim is there, keeping an eye." She almost said aloud, "I'm a lucky girl too."

Before Robbie could respond the sound of ten feet could be heard pounding down the stairs, four feline, four canine, and two boyish ones attached to a miniature Robbie. Monty, Osborn, and Jack scampered into the kitchen all three demanding to be fed.

After the appropriate food dishes were filled and distributed, two on the floor for the animals, and one on the table in front of Jack perched on a chair covered with a pile of telephone books, (Robbie Lewis being one of the few people on earth who still consulted paper editions of the phone book) the three late risers dug in.

In between bites of a normally verboten sugar coated cereal and trying hard not to speak with his mouth full, Jack asked "Lozza, (how on earth did he come up with that nickname for Laura?) how much longer are Mum and my baby sister going to be in 'ospital?

Laura crouched down to look Jack in the eye. "At least one more week, that's seven days, or until the doctor says they can both go home."

Jack raised his small eyebrows that same way his grandfather often did when considering something of great importance. He did not give any of the expected responses and instead declared, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed."

"Sorry?" Robbie was worried the lad was missing his mum so much that he couldn't think clearly.

Laura understood. "Robbie, that's what the doctor says, 'No more monkeys jumping on the bed', surely you remember that." He should remember it. Jack sang it a dozen times a day.

Jack and Laura burst into laughter and were soon joined by Robbie. In the earliest years of his life Jack had never seen his grandfather laugh.

"Lozza, I'm real happy that you live with granddad now. Mum says he was a right old grouch before you straightened him out." Then the boy turned serious. "Can I really stay here until the doctor says Mum and my baby sister can go home?"

"Of course you can lad." Robbie squeezed the boy's shoulder.

"And tonight if Percival (a white stuffed rabbit) and I get lonely again, can we get in bed with you?" Remembering his manners he quickly added, "I mean if it's no bother".

Laura brushed her hand down the back of Jack's head. "It's no bother at all Jack. There's always room for one more when it's you needing the room.

Thanks to Tiny Cucumber who planted this idea in my head. I have been trying to work on the sequels to some of my other stories but have been a bit busy and sleep deprived lately. This was fun.