Oh would you look at this... I actually managed to post two weeks in a row. It really is a Valentines Day miracle.

Speaking of... This little idea has been whirring around my head for quite some time. Now I know that this throws all my timelines into complete disarray, but I am claiming 100% artistic license from here on because there is no way I could not write a story that involved an injured Seth. It had to be done and I really hope that you like what I've done here. Oh and it's a two-parter because a) we haven't heard from Seth in a while and b) I'm just that kind ;-)

WARNING: Language (oh man, I was so close to getting smut in here as well, but then things took a turn and well... You'll see.)

DISCLAIMER 1: I own nothing except for Lex & Ella (albeit brief!) and Siobhan

DISCLAIMER 2: Lyrics taken from Oasis' 'Song Bird'

Enjoy x

Talking to the songbird yesterday
Flew me to a place not far away
She's a little pilot in my mind
Singing songs of love to pass the time

Siobhan's POV

"I still can't believe you're a Mom."

Lex looks up at me with a grin. "Tell me about it. I've lost count how many times I've had to pinch myself over the last two weeks."

Her gaze drops back to Ella who is lying peacefully in her arms as we both recline on the couch. I smile as Ella's little mouth opens in a yawn, her face scrunching up before she settles again.

"See," Lex murmurs. "This is why you should sleep a little longer at night."

"I thought new-borns just slept and ate?"

"They do. They just don't do either one for very long," Lex chuckles. "I'm up every two hours to feed her."

"You can't tell."

"And you are a good friend," she smiles. "Speaking of, I have a bottle of wine in the kitchen with your name on it."

"You know I was kidding, right? You don't owe me anything."

"I do. If it wasn't for you, I would've ended up giving birth on that very same kitchen floor."

"I highly doubt that," I roll my eyes, watching as Ella opens hers and stares up at Lex. "Even your own daughter is calling you on your hyperbole bullshit."

Lex laughs. "She's got eyes just like her Daddy. Pierce right through your soul."

I smile. "She's a beautiful mix of the pair of you."

"Thanks," Lex says as she shifts on the couch. "Hey, you couldn't hold her whilst I go pee?"

"Sure." I hold out my arms and Lex carefully transfers Ella to me, promising both of us she won't be long.

I peer down at her in my arms, marvelling at how much she's changed in the last few weeks. Her little fist opens and closes as I hold her close, my finger trailing over her balled up hand as her face nestles against my chest and I'm taken right back to the last time I held her, all fresh and new, a few hours after she was born. It wasn't until I felt her solid weight in my arms and breathed in that undeniable new baby smell that she started to feel real and I had to fight the urge to burst into tears as I tried to come to terms with what my best friend had just gone through in order to produce such a gorgeous little human.

"You're gonna be breaking hearts before you know it," I murmur, my finger brushing against her perfectly round cheek, grinning as her eyes open and stare up at me. "Yup, definitely your Daddy's eyes. I hear you've already got him wrapped tightly around your little finger."

Ella holds my gaze steadily, her eyes all-seeing and I imagine that this is the kind of thing that makes labour worth it. There were so many points during that long night that I knew Lex was close to giving up and it was all I could to will her on, silently praying that Roman would make it, that he'd be the one to coach her through the last few steps instead of me. Of course, if the worst had happened and he had been too late, I would have done my best, but they deserved to experience that part together. I can still remember the breeze as the door opened, my head turning away from Lex to see him standing there, his eyes wide as he shed his jacket and sped towards the bed. I remember easing Lex's hands out of mine and into this before slowly backing away, leaving them together and in more than capable hands. I remember my legs giving way as the door closed behind me, my head against the wall, my heart pounding, blood rushing through my ears as I waited and waited for the first sign of new life. It was only when I heard the first cry that I managed to pull myself to my feet, relief flooding through me.

"Your Uncle Seth and Uncle Dean aren't gonna stand a chance when they finally meet you," I chuckle as Ella blinks at me. "One look and they're gonna be head over heels, just like your Daddy."

"He's already talking about no dating until she's at least thirty."

I laugh, tearing my eyes away from Ella to see Lex settle back next to me. "If she's anything like you..."

Lex scowls and then grins. "I said the same thing to Roman, told him that if I had been so meek and innocent that none of this wouldn't have happened and wouldn't he want his daughter to have the same happy life?"

"And he said?"

"The usual – that's different, I know what guys are like, blah blah blah. The thing is, I can't help but find it completely and utterly adorable," she smiles softly. "One look of her in his arms and my heart just melts."

"Men and babies, huh?"

"Yeah, you wait until you see Seth holds her. Your ice cold heart'll be melting in an instant."

"Oh, your Mom thinks she's so funny, doesn't she?" I say to Ella as Lex giggles to herself. "I am more than happy to be an Auntie to you for the foreseeable."

Ella starts to squirm in my arms, her little face burying against my chest once again and Lex's giggling increases. "Yeah, I really don't think you're gonna find anything there." She holds out her arms and I gently pass Ella back. "You don't mind?" Lex questions as she settles Ella against her, fingers already on the buttons of her shirt.

"Go ahead," I say, doing my best to be unobtrusive as Lex starts to feed her daughter, but the wince on her face as Ella nuzzles against her is too obvious not to comment on. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Lex exhales slowly. "Just hurts sometimes. It's getting better though. She was a nightmare at the beginning..." She trails off and gives me a sheepish grin. "Sorry, you don't want to know this stuff."

"It's okay."

But she shakes her head. "No. I promised myself I wouldn't be me one of those Moms, always talking about their children and nothing else."

"I don't mind," I tell her sincerely. "And you know that."

"I know, but let's be honest, you really don't need to know the trials and tribulations of breast feeding." She winces again as Ella shifts in her arms. "I wish I didn't know about them either."

"I dunno, Lex. You look like you were made to do this. You have this–"

"Glow?" she says with a roll of the eyes. "Yeah, that's what Roman says too. Little does he know that's just sweat from where I don't get a chance to shower."

"You looked amazing all the way through your pregnancy and you still look fab afterwards too."

"This," she plucks at her shirt, "is hiding a multitude of sins."

"I bet Roman doesn't see it like that," I comment, grinning as I see her cheeks flush.

"Perhaps," she answers coyly. "But that really is the last thing on my mind right now. And his, especially when this one has perfect timing. He so much as kisses me for longer than two seconds and she starts whining because her Daddy is showing someone else love rather than her."

"I'm pretty sure that you already have a line of family and friends all waiting to be baby-sitters if you need some time together."

"Roman's parents have already offered," Lex smirks. "But it's nice to know that everyone wants us to have sex again at some point."

"Anything for a friend," I chuckle.

As the passengers around me start to rise to collect their luggage from the overhead bins, I stay in my seat and switch my phone off Flight Mode. It buzzes in my hand as emails start to trickle through and I frown when I see a missed call pop up from an unknown number. Checking my voicemail and finding nothing of significance there, I stuff the device into my purse and wait for the queue of people to start moving off the plane.

I wish I could've stayed longer with Lex. The European tour kicked off today and it'll be a long two weeks before Roman is back with her and Ella. We're all aware of how hard it is when it's just the two of you in a relationship, let alone three and especially at this early stage. But Lex has superhuman strength, shrugging it off like it's no big deal and I am reminded as to how incredible she is. I offered to re-arrange my schedule, to cancel my lunch date with Seth's mom tomorrow, to arrange an extension on a deadline next week so I could spend some more time with Lex and help out, but she insisted she was fine, reminding me that in a day or so, Becca was coming to visit anyway and then Roman's mom for a few days after that and then her own mom was coming into town to do the same. As I left, Lex holding Ella, whispering to her as she waved me goodbye from the front door, I wondered if I could ever make being a mother look so damn effortless. Despite her protests that she's doing nothing of the sort, Lex seems completely relaxed and totally at home with a baby cradled in her arms.

My phone buzzes again as I make my way down to exit the plane. Tugging it from my purse, I frown as Unknown Number flashes across the screen.

"Hello?"

"Siobhan?"

"Speaking. Who's this?"

"My name is Doctor Amann and I'm–"

My blood goes cold and it takes all my strength not to collapse in the aisle. Names flash through my head: Mom, Dad... My Nana...

"He asked me to call you."

"Who did?" I manage to gasp.

"Seth." Dr Amann's tone is curious. "As I said, he's suffered an injury."

"An injury?" I'm in the arrivals lounge now and I have no idea how I got here. I sink into the nearest seat. "Seth?"

"Yes, to his knee. We're not sure what the extent of the damage is right now, but we're taking care of him and we're headed to the hospital right now to do some X-rays and scans and then we'll know a lot more."

"How–"

There's some murmurings in the background. "Siobhan, I'm going to pass you over to him, okay?"

There's a brief pause and then a familiar drawl echoes through the phone. "Siobhan?"

"Seth! What happened?"

"I... I dunno. I just landed awkwardly, my foot wasn't flat and my knee just... Shit, it just feels fucking weird." He sounds drowsy and I can't work out if it's genuine exhaustion or a side effect of whatever pain medication they've given him.

"The Doctor, he mentioned you're going to hospital? Are you gonna stay there for a while?"

"Not sure... Depends what it is. But they're already talking about getting me on a flight back as soon as possible."

"To Iowa?"

He curses under his breath before answering me. "I dunno. Probably not."

"Where then?"

"Birmingham... Alabama."

I swallow hard. "The Sports Med Centre?"

"The one and only." He sounds resigned to his fate already. "Look, I gotta go. I'll call you or the Doc'll call you later with an update."

"What about your parents?"

"They're gonna call them in a second," he tells me and my heart pounds when I realise that I must be first on his list of emergency contacts.

"I love you."

I can hear the smile in his voice as he responds. "I know. Love you too, sweetheart."

I drum my fingers on the handle of my suitcase as the hotel elevator slowly ascends. I've spoken to Seth a handful of times over the last few days, my stomach twisting into tight knots with every detail of his injury, the extent of the damage, the length of time it would take to recover and fully rehabilitate. There were long silences throughout each conversation, some held over FaceTime where I could see him struggling to comprehend his predicament. All I wanted was to reach out and pull him into my arms and tell him everything would be okay, but I couldn't do either, mostly because he was thousands of miles away but also because I didn't know if that was the right thing to say. All the medical terminology sounded a like a foreign language to me and I couldn't decide whether they were being optimistic with the recovery time or if when reality hit, it would be a far more laboured process.

The elevator door finally pings and slides open to reveal a long and mundane hotel corridor. I set off, dragging the suitcase, which not only contains my clothes for the next week, but also some of Seth's to top up whatever he might have had stashed in his case for the tour. Pausing outside the hotel room door, I fumble for the keycard in my pocket and swipe it through the lock. I knock on the door as I push it open, peering my head round.

Seth looks up at me from his position on the bed, both legs stretched out in front of him, his right one sporting a robust looking knee pad. Behind him, a whole stack of pillows support his upright stance, whilst all the essentials, his phone, TV remote and video game controller, are all within easy reaching distance.

"Hey," he smiles warmly. "Fuck, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

I glance down at my outfit of jeans and t-shirt and look back up at him quizzically. "You sure you didn't hit your head as well?"

He chuckles and beckons me towards him. "Positive," he reassures as I make my way round to his side of the bed. "Hey, I'm not gonna break y'know."

"Your knee says otherwise," I retort and then soften. "Sorry, bad joke."

He shrugs, his fingers curling around my wrist and pulling me closer. "It's okay. A sense of humour is the only thing keeping me going right now. That and the fact that you're here."

My own fingers brush along his temple, down to his cheek. "No problem."

His hand slips from my wrist to my waist as he leans forward to brush his lips over mine. "Thank you for coming," he murmurs, his forehead resting against mine.

"Like I said, no problem." I cup his cheek in my hand and kiss him again. "After Lex and Ella, I'm pretty sure you're gonna be a piece of cake."

He chuckles. "How are they by the way? I didn't ask before."

"You had other shit to worry about," I reply, looking pointedly at his knee. "They're good. Surely Roman filled you and Dean in on how gorgeous his daughter is though?"

Seth raises an eyebrow. "You're aware of how stupid that question that is? He spent most the last week either talking about her or staring at photos of her."

"She's beautiful though. I can't take my eyes off her when I'm holding her."

He grins. "Yeah?"

My eyes narrow. "Don't you go getting ideas. After seeing what Lex went through, I don't want any of that for a long time."

"Any of what?" His grin widens.

"Behave." I step back from the bed and go back over to my case to drag it further into the room. "You eaten anything today?"

He shrugs. "Just breakfast."

"You wanna go out for lunch or just stay in?"

"Stay in. Moving's a bitch."

I nod, plucking up the room service menu before settling onto the bed beside him. His arm slides around my shoulder, pulling me against him and I can feel his lips in my hair as I start to peruse the lunch menu.

"I like that you're here," he murmurs quietly. "I missed you."

I glance up at him. "It was only a week. We've gone longer without seeing each other. And it's not like this is the first time you've been overseas since we've been together."

"Yeah, I know. But what I meant is... I dunno, I just... When I'm working, I can kinda push it one side, I have something else to focus on, y'know? I've been laid up in hotel rooms for the past few days with nothing to do except think about my busted knee and you."

"I think you have more important things to think about than me."

"Maybe, but I'd rather think about you."

I chuckle. "I think you're spending way too much time around Reigns. His sappy nature is rubbing off on you."

He laughs, tucking me closer into his side, his large hand comforting on my shoulder as I twist to face him. "You love it really," he murmurs.

"Maybe."

Another chaste kiss, followed by another and then his hand moves to cup the back of my head and I have to fight to remember his lack of mobility.

Gonna write a song so she can see
Give her all the love she gives to me
Talk of better days that have yet to come
Never felt this love from anyone

"You feel okay?" I cast Seth a sideways look as we sit in traffic, a few blocks away from the Medical Centre where he'll be undergoing surgery in a few hours.

Long fingers disappear under his beanie to reach an itch as he chews his lip. "I guess. Just kinda want it over and done with." The fingers reappear and then he's reaching over to squeeze my thigh. "You heading back to the hotel after you drop me off?"

I shake my head. "Why would you think that?"

He shrugs. "Nothing much to do here."

"I bought my laptop. I'll do some emails whilst you're under. I'll be there when you come round."

He squeezes my thigh again and I let one hand drop from the steering wheel to slide over his. My fingers slip between his and he curls our hands into a fist before raising it up kiss the back of my hand, before turning it in his hand and trailing a finger over the tattoo of the two birds on my wrist. "Thank you."

"You don't need to keep saying that," I remind him as the traffic slowly moves forward.

"I do," he insists. "Were you serious about sticking around down here for the next few weeks?"

"Of course. Someone's gotta drive you to and from the centre every day, right? And make sure you eat properly and move about instead of staying holed up in the hotel room."

"You're too good to me," he murmurs, kissing my wrist again as we stop at a set of red lights.

"So good that I might even don a nurse's uniform for good measure," I wink, chuckling as his eyes darken behind his glasses.

"Sweetheart..." His voice is low and gravelly and I can feel my skin heating as he brushes a finger across my wrist and up my bare arm. And then his phone buzzes and he curses loudly, his hand dropping to fish the device from his shorts' pocket. "The film crew from the website are already there."

I nod. "Okay. Do they need me to keep out of the way?"

"I dunno." He taps at his phone. "Want me to ask?"

"I only ask because when you went in for your consultation yesterday, you had a strangle-hold on my hand all the way from the car to the consulting room."

"Yeah... Maybe not such a good look for the former Champ," he grins. "Pretty sure I can just limp from the car and then get them to cut it."

"Seriously though, I don't want to get in the way of what you need to do."

"You won't." He pauses. "You're not... You're not worried about being on the video because of the fans are you?"

Now it's my turn to chew my lip and ponder the question put to me. "No, it's not that. I just think this is your time, you need to do this and put a message out there and I don't want to get in the way of that."

I give him what I hope is a reassuring smile, but I falter slightly when I see the look of concern on his face. "Siobhan..."

"It's fine," I promise him as we move forward and I start to indicate to pull off to the left and into the Medical Centre. "Do what you gotta do."

The camera crew are already outside and one of the production staff I vaguely recognise from backstage waves as I bring the car to a halt and switch off the engine. Rolling down the window, he and Seth greet each other and I listen to them run through the plan. I lean into the back of the car to grab my purse and laptop.

"Hey," Seth grabs my hand as the window whirrs back up. "Give the keys to one of the production guys and they'll park the car up for us." He leans over the centre console, his other hand brushing back a strand of hair from my cheek. "I'll meet you in reception?"

I nod into his warm kiss, one hand slipping to grip the back of his neck. I'm not sure if I'll get a chance to speak to him before his surgery and I'll be damned if I give up my only chance to give him a proper kiss before he goes under.

"Sweetheart," he mumbles against my lips. "I'll be okay. Promise."

"I know," I exhale, my voice shakier than I intended and I almost can't bring myself to look into this eyes. But he eases my gaze up, a finger under my chin as he pecks at my lips again.

"Don't get caught."

"Huh?"

"Stealing a nurse uniform," he explains with a sly grin, breaking into a loud laugh as I swat at his arm. "Oh, I see how this is... You know it's cruel to tease a wounded man."

"Best behaviour, remember?" I shoot back, not able to stop my own grin from spreading across my face as he continues to chuckle.

"Fine, fine." He holds his hands up in surrender. "I promise to be good."

"One thing to say it, another thing to do it," I remind him as I reach for the door handle to exit the car.

One of the production guys is already standing by, waiting for me to handover the keys. I make my way around the back of the car, trying my best to stay out of shot, but the cameraman moves behind me and I'm signaled to wait as Seth exits the car, wincing as he does. Glancing up, he notices me standing there and a small smile graces his face before he starts to walk and a grimace takes over again. As he moves closer, I watch his hand slowly reach out and I automatically grab it, before we slowly make our way inside.

I watch from the edge of the cubicle as the surgeon talks through the process with Seth for the benefit of the cameras. It's the same spiel we both heard yesterday during the consultation, only this time it comes with forms to sign. Seth has already donned the hospital gown, providing us with a few moments alone as I helped him change. His murmured thanks threatened to break my heart as it has done every time I've had to help him do something that only days ago he would have completed with little difficulty.

It's another reason that I'm sticking with him until it's time for both of us to head back to Iowa. Before I turned up on Saturday evening, he confessed he hadn't managed to shower properly, afraid that his good leg might give way on the slippery floor. It led to an interesting shower experience, with him leaning solidly against me, making me realise how strong I could actually be for him despite the obvious difference in height and weight. His determination to remain as independent as possible has started to crack and I'm struggling to keep it together every time I see that look of vulnerability in his eye as I help him carry out the most basic of tasks.

"Okay, so the anaesthetist will be along in about five minutes and then we'll head down to theatre," the surgeon concludes. "Any questions?"

Seth shakes his head and thanks the surgeon before turning his gaze to me and gesturing me forward. I pass the film crew as they back out of the cubicle to give us some space and set my purse and laptop down in the chair next to the bed.

"He says it'll be a couple of hours."

"I know."

"You can go back to the hotel if you need to," he says, his head rocking back against the pillows.

"I don't. I'll be here," I reiterate my promise from earlier. "Got that nurse uniform to steal, remember?"

"Right," he smiles. "I'll be dreaming of that."

I giggle softly, my fingers brushing over his cheek. "Wonder if they can do something about this dirty mind of yours whilst they're at it?"

"You've never complained before." He takes my wrist in my hand again and presses his lips to my palm. "Plus, I'm not the one who suggested that uniform in the first place."

"Trust me, I'm regretting it," I quip back, making him laugh.

There's a cough behind us and I look back to see the surgeon and who I presume is the anaesthetist next to him.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we're ready for you, Seth."

I turn back to Seth, lowering my head to his. "I love you," I whisper, smiling as his hand cups the back of my head, holding me to him for a few second longer before I finally have to pull back.

I stay in the cubicle after they wheel him out, tidying away his clothes that were unceremoniously dumped in a corner out of shot. His phone buzzes in his bag and I retrieve it to find a whole wave of texts from various friends and work colleagues wishing him well for surgery. I leave them unread, making a mental note to remind him of them once he comes round. Sinking into the chair, I retrieve my laptop and boot it up, settling in for a long wait.

But I can't concentrate. My mind starts to wander and I can't help but imagine what's going on in the theatre, Seth knocked out on the table whilst a whole bunch of people swarm around him, opening up his knee to re-attach the torn ligaments. My stomach turns as I recall Seth mentioning how the entire procedure was going to be filmed to be edited into the video for all to see. Listening to the surgeon describe the procedure was enough for me, watching in morbid fascination as he demonstrated with his finger the cuts they would be making.

Six to nine months. That's the official line that everyone seems to be sticking to and it scares me. It scares me because I don't know what to expect. I've never experienced such a debilitating injury myself or known anyone who has and whilst I know that it would be a hazard of dating a guy involved in such physical activity night after night, week after week, I never once expected the worst to happen. I'm completely lost when it comes to the emotional side of an injury like this and watching Seth struggle for the last few days, makes me wonder how long we can go on like this before one of us snaps out of frustration at the other. All I want to do is help, but I don't know if what I'm doing is too much or too little. Seth's pride is bound to get in the way at some point and post-surgery is where the restrictions are going to intensify. I know that the best thing I can do is remain by his side and help him through in whatever way possible, but that's the other thing that scares me.

In our two years, the longest we've spent together is a week and it's not like we have a good track record when it comes to him being at home whilst I'm working. I'm already re-arranging my schedule for the next few weeks, moving face-to-face meetings to Skype instead, doing my best to push back deadlines where possible or working out what I can complete during the hours he'll be here in the next few days. Both of us are used to our own space and it's definitely going to take some getting used to and a huge amount of compromise to get through the estimated timeframe for his recovery. Compromise that undoubtedly will have to come from me. Said out loud, that statement could be construed as bitter, but I'm not. Not in the slightest.

I'd do anything for him. Anything. And all I want is for him to know that, to understand that. I thought I had made it clear by flying down here to be with him, so I was taken aback when he asked if I was going back to the hotel during his surgery. There's no way I'm going to leave until I know he's okay, till I get reassurance from the surgeon that everything has gone to plan. Maybe he feels bad that I'm just sat here waiting, maybe he's just saying it to make me feel better should I need to leave for whatever reason. I don't know. All I know is that there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be.

My thoughts are still elsewhere, only half of my emails answered when a nurse comes in to tell me that they're on their way back up from theatre. She asks me to give them some space, showing me to a visitors room further down the corridor where I help myself to horribly brewed coffee. Another hour passes, spent staring at my laptop for long periods without blinking.

"Siobhan?" I look up to see the surgeon standing in the doorway.

"How is he?"

"He's great," he smiles. "Still a little drowsy from the anaesthetic and the pain meds aren't helping either, but the surgery went really well with no immediate problems."

I let go of a breath I didn't realise I was holding. "Thank you so much."

He waves my thanks away. "All part of the job. Anyway, if you want to go sit with him, you're more than welcome."

He holds the door open for me as I pass, thanking him again and again until he turns and heads in the other direction. I head back up to the cubicle, suddenly full of trepidation as to what I might find. The curtain is drawn for privacy and I have to steel myself before I ease it back and step inside.

"Seth?" I whisper as I move closer, my hand brushing over his as it rests on his stomach.

"Shiv?" His voice is croaky, his eyes still closed as his hand twitches against mine.

"I'm right here," I tell him, cupping his hand and raising it gently to brush my lips over the tips of his fingers. "I hear your surgery went well."

"Yeah." He swallows, his eyes opening to narrow slits. "Fuck, you're beautiful."

I chuckle. "Thanks."

"Like... Really..." His eyes slide shut again.

"Ssh," I murmur. "You need to rest. I'll be right here, okay." I take the chair again next to the bed, rubbing his shoulder through the gown. His face rocks to the side and I move to caress his cheek instead. "I'll be be right here."

"Shiv..."

"Seth, you don't need to talk right now."

"But..." He swallows thickly. "I..."

"Ssh." I lean forward and kiss his forehead. "Just rest."

"Marry me."

She's not anyone