Don Flack smiled lovingly at his sleeping wife, the glow of the monitors illuminating her face. Her dark curls surrounded her face like a halo, her emerald eyes were shut and her long lashes lay against her porcelain cheeks. He was happy she was finally sleeping, the past few hours had been tiring, and the next few would be as well. Although she'd already been in labor for 18 hours her doctor said it would be several more before she was ready to deliver.

He still couldn't believe they were having a baby, their miracle baby. He remembered back to their first night together. Actually it had been daytime, not night. They'd worked round the clock for 32 hours to find a missing four year old girl. Thank God they'd found her before the perv who'd snatched her from the park had been able to molest her. Actually God wasn't the one to thank, Stella was. She'd found a strange hair at the crime site. Mac had thought it was irrelevant, it was a cold fall day and everyone had bundled their kids up. Lots of coats had fake fur on them, plus the park was a well known spot for people to walk their dogs. Then there was local wildlife to consider, but Stella wouldn't let it go. She had felt it was important and in the end she'd been right.

"I still can't believe that monkey hair led us to that little girl" Flack told her as they sat together having coffee, both too wired to go home and sleep. "I know it was hard to go against Mac, but you did a good thing Stella, real good."

She blushed, smiling at his praise. "Thanks, he didn't make it easy. Mac expects me to fall in line when he issues directions. Sometimes..."

"Sometimes..." he egged her on.

"Sometimes I think he forgets that I can and do do his job." Stella's emotions got the better of her and her hands flew as she spoke.

Don reached out and captured her hand in his. "Hey, Mac knows how good you are at your job Stella. We all do. I do."

Again Stella blushed. "You keep that up and I might get the wrong idea" she joked.

"It wouldn't be wrong," Don replied softly, his electric blue eyes staring into her sea green ones. While his left hand held her right, he reached out the index finger of his left and gently ran it up and down across her wrist. "I care about you Stella, a lot, and I get the feeling you care about me too?"

Stella nodded as her heart hammered in her chest.

"Then what say we get out of here and go someplace we can be alone?"

"I'd like that" Stella smiled.

They'd gone to his place because he remembered her rule, no men at her place ever, so she'd always have a safe place to go back to. It hadn't worked with Frankie, but he respected her enough not to push her to cross that boundary. They were barely inside when Don kicked the door shut and pulled her into his arms, pressing her back against the door his hands roamed over her body as his lips assaulted her lips. Stella moaned and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth to intimately caress hers. By the time they broke apart, both pulling oxygen into their starved lungs, their coats lay on the floor and both of their shirts were unbuttoned. Stella's hands were wrapped around his neck, his were just beneath her breasts.

'Damn Flack where'd you learn to kiss like that" she asked breathlessly. She felt a stab of jealously when she realized that his skill had been honed by the many women he dated. "Never mind, I don't want to know."

Seeing her thoughts in her eyes Don told her, "It doesn't matter who came before Stella. What matters is that you're the one I'm with now, the only one I want to be with for as long as you'll have me."

Stella, not wanting him to see the tears welling up in her eyes had pulled his head down and kissed him again. It wasn't long before they were in Don's bed, a trail of clothes through the apartment. They had been frantic, years of sexual tension built up and they'd quickly reached the point of combustion.

It was afterwards, while their breathing returned to normal, that she'd told him. He'd realized they hadn't used any protection and had apologized.

Stella turned away from Don. She knew what was going to happen now and she could already feel the pain of losing him.

"It's OK Don. I-I've kept up with the HIV testing and I'm still negative."

"Stella, that's not---"

"Please Don just let me finish. I trust you enough to know that we wouldn't have done what we just did if you had anything, and as for pregnancy, well..." here she faltered.

Don could see she was hurting but didn't know what to do.

"It's very unlikely I'll ever get pregnant naturally. Only a 5 percent chance."

"Stella," he placed a hand on her shoulder turning her towards him. "Stell, look at me."

When she'd looked up at him, her emerald eyes were filled with tears.

"Tell me."

"When I was thirteen I was sick, but I was going between homes and by the time anyone realized it and took me to the doctor the damage was done. I didn't find out until years later. I went to get some birth control and the doctor told me."

"God Stella I'm sorry."

She smiled weakly. "It's ok Don, I've gotten used to it. I can still have children, I'll just need some help getting pregnant. In vitro most likely. I, ah, I understand if you, ah...if you've changed your mind about us."

She'd said it so quietly Don almost didn't hear her.

"Is that what you think Stella, because you have fertility issues I don't want to be with you?" he asked incredulous.

Stella'd looked at him surprised at how angry and hurt he sounded.

"I, ah...it's happened before Don and I understand. You want someone you can have a family with, and while I've been told I can have children, there's no guarantee."

"God damn it, Stella," Don was so angry he'd been yelling. "I AM NOT OTHER MEN! I love you, not because I want a family, but because of who you are, and get this Stella when we're ready to have a baby I will do whatever it takes to make that happen for you. If that means jerking off into a cup then so be it. And if by some miracle it happens the old fashioned way then great. And if it doesn't happen at all, then we'll adopt. We both know there are tons of kids out there in need of a good home. Understand?"

"Yeah," Stella nodded wondering how she'd gotten so lucky. "I'm sorry Don. Usually when I tell a guy that's the last time I see them."

"Honey do me a favor?" At her nod he'd continued. "Don't compare me to the guys you've dated before?"

Stella had nodded and then kissed him lovingly, apologizing without words again