Disclaimer:I don't own anything. If I did, Callie wouldn't have run away... And this hiatus wouldn't exist.

So this story idea has been floating around my head since around the time that episode eight aired. Of course, a LOT changed between then and now... but yeah.

I should probably dedicate this to Taylor, Lisa and Michel because, honestly if it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't have posted it.

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter One

After graduating from college, Stef had never anticipated a reason to study late at a library ever again. As smart as she was, hitting the books was never her forte. But this was the opportunity she had been waiting for, and Stef was not ready to let it pass her by.

Which is why she once again found herself sneaking inside her home, wary of the unusual silence that stretched over the house.

"Apparently it's a lot later that I thought it was." Stef muttered as she shuffled into the kitchen.

The blonde opened the fridge, debating leftovers before shutting it again, and going for her initial target: the semi-frozen water bottle in the freezer.

'Thou shall cater to thy wife before all else,' Stef shakes her head in annoyance, as she headed upstairs, 'I am so much less witty when I'm tired.'

As she reached the top of the stairs, Stef noticed two lights shining from under doors at opposite sides of the hall. The farthest was not uncommon. Lena always kept the light on if Stef didn't get home relatively early. As for the other…. She would get to that door later.

Stef checked on Jude and Jesus, then Mariana and Callie, kissing them all on their very much asleep foreheads. Even after the hardest of nights, seeing her babies' the sleeping faces could always put the blonde police officer at ease. Sleep tended to make everything better, in Stef's opinion. That calming innocence, it made problems and stresses seem easier to deal with.

However, no matter how enticing the sleep, there was always at least one Foster who fought it. Stef eased Brandon's bedroom door opened, unsurprised to find him sitting up on his bed with his keyboard in front of him.

"Hey, love. What are you doing up?" Stef took small comfort in the fact that he was in his pajamas.

Brandon shrugged, his fingers ghosting over his keyboard to unheard music, "I figured I'd get some practice in while the house is all quiet."

Stef smiled, before sitting on the bed next to him.

"How were things today?"

"Jude aced his math test, so we all went out for ice cream to celebrate." The corner of his mouth tugged up into a half smile.

"Oh yeah?" Stef grinned at him, "That's amazing."

Brandon nodded, "And then Mom bought three pints for herself, so you wouldn't have to do any midnight craving runs."

Both mother and son shared a laugh.

"Oh, and Jesus is pissed at Mariana because Mariana told you that Jesus snuck Lexi in here the other night."

The blonde groaned as she filled in the blanks, "So expect a shouting match in the morning."

"Pretty much."

Stef's voice dripped with sarcasm, "Wonderful. Anything else?"

"Not that I-," it was only then that the thought occurred to him, "Oh, right. Mom was going to wait up for you, but I went into your room about half an hour ago to ask her a question, and she was fast asleep."

Stef couldn't have stopped the goofy grin from spreading across her face if she had tried.

The seventeen year old rolled his eyes, "Oh my god, the woman fell asleep. It's not like she bought you a bouquet of roses, and surprised you with a gourmet dinner."

Stef continued to grin like a fool, "Trying to stay awake for me is even more romantic than roses."

"Eww, okay you and your lovesick puppy face need to leave my room now."

Brandon gently shoved her off the bed, before getting up, and pushing her towards his bedroom door. He loved both his moms with everything he had, but sometimes their love for each other was too much. They were worse than teenagers.

Stef fell back on her go-to reaction: teasing, "Aww, and I wanted to tell you the thousand different ways I love her."

"Out!" Brandon pushed his mother into the hallway, and shut the door quickly.

As he walks back to his bed, Stef opened the door again, and poked her head in.

"So I take it you don't want me to wake you up early, and recite the love poems I wrote for her?"

His aim was a little off as he threw a pillow at her head, "Get. Out!"

"Goodnight, love." Even after his door clicked shut, Brandon could hear Stef's laugh follow her down the hall.

While it was true that waiting up for her wife had become a common practice for Lena of late, falling asleep while doing so was becoming just as common. Lena still wasn't sure what Stef was doing until such a late hour. Getting Stef to talk about her secrets was something akin to pulling teeth for all involved; necessary in the long run, even if the act itself caused pain that lasted for days. But the blonde had sworn that it was necessary. And so every night, Lena would get into bed alone, and patiently wait for her wife to return home for as long as she could keep her eyes open.

Lena was both an elegant and clumsy sleeper. As her pregnant belly grew, the vice principal noted the decrease in her comfort level. The light duvet was shoved down to her feet, the suffocating heaviness leaving her hot and struggling to breathe. Instead, the brunette lay with only the top sheet loosely tucked up around her bulging stomach. A pillow rested on each side of her, gently supporting the added weight, while ensuring that Lena's body doesn't roll out of the only mildly comfortable position she was able to find.

The oversized shirt that was stretched over her body barely covered her entire back. When Stef had still claimed ownership, the grey Rolling Stones shirt was almost to her knees, and had been the perfect impromptu piece of sleepwear. It was by no means more comfortable than Lena's own nightwear that were neatly folded in her dresser drawers, but Lena loved it because Stef loved it, and even after a month of her wearing it, her wife's scent was still woven into the threads of the old shirt.

It was Stef's scent more than anything that could lull the woman into a peaceful slumber, and the thought made Stef's heart swell to an impossible size as she quietly snuck into their bedroom.

The blonde sped through her nightly routine: removing her uniform and pulling on her pajamas, before quickly brushing her teeth. It is only as she headed to bed that she slowed down. Stef tried her best not to disturb Lena as she slid into bed, to no avail. Her wife's eyes blinked open before her full weight pressed onto the mattress.

"Hey, you're home." Lena's voice was heavy with sleep.

Stef leaned over and kissed Lena, before resting her head on Lena's chest, and her right hand on the warm skin of her stomach.

The blonde was immediately apologetic, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Brown curls bounced in her bun as Lena shook her head, "No, I'm glad you did. I hate not knowing that you're home safe.

Stef tapped her fingers on the bump of her wife's stomach, "How was your day?"

Lena hums in contentment, kicking the sheets further down her body, moving the pillows behind her back as she pushed herself up into a seated position.

"Uneventful. I took a nap at lunchtime, and didn't wake up until around two."

Stef frowned, "You've been really tired lately."

"I know." Lena's eyes closing briefly, "I'm sorry, Stef."

"What are you apologizing for, love?" Stef glanced up at her wife, "You've been waking up at four every morning for the past few months, and puking. I still don't know how you get through the day."

Lena grimaced, "Please don't mention puke right now. I'm nauseous enough as it is."

Stef frowned, before sliding the shirt up slightly, and rubbing her growing belly. Lena had been having a hard time with her pregnancy. Having been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum at nine weeks, every day was a battle to keep herself and their growing twins properly nourished. The brunette had learned to work around the constant nausea; she had been drinking ginger tea like it was her job, and snacking many times during the day, and not just when the queasiness subsided. It wasn't the best of plans, but it seemed to work for her. Of course, that didn't stop Stef from worrying.

The blonde pressed a gentle kiss onto the bare skin of Lena's stomach, "How are my babies doing?"

"They're fine." She ran her fingers through Stef's hair, smiling as Stef sighed happily, "They let me eat a little today, so that's always a plus."

The pale hand shone in contrast of dusted cocoa as it rubbed soothing circles over the taunt skin, "We should really go back to the OB, and see if there is anythi-"

Lena's laugh was just as groggy as the rest of her body, but it sounded beautiful to Stef, "I'm not sure it would do any good, Stef. All the women in my family had difficult pregnancies."

Stef held her just a bit tighter, prompting a change in subject.

"Tell me about your day."

Stef moved her head so her chin was resting on the belly, "Nothing interesting happened. We drove around, ate lunch, grabbed a couple kids for possession, then did paperwork for the rest of shift."

"Run-on sentence." Lena couldn't help but tease her.

Stef poked her in the side as a result, "It wasn't even worth a properly structured sentence."

Lena smirked, "Wow, it must have been boring!"

"It was." Ever the queen of non-sequiturs, Stef moved on, "I heard Jude aced his test."

"Yeah, he got a 98," Lena grinned down at her wife, "Highest mark in the class."

The cop was sitting up in a flash.

"He got the highest in the class?"

Lena nodded, "By three questions."

"He must be thrilled."

"He is. He can't wait to show you how well he did."

Pride tore through the older woman's chest, adding an extra layer of emotion to her voice, "Yeah?"

Lena nods again, "Yeah"

Stef settles back down onto Lena's chest and grins evilly, "It's nice that we have ONE perfect child."

Lena pinched Stef's arm, "All of our children are perfect..."

Stef joined in on Lena's usual mantra, "'In their own way'."

They both let out a soft laugh, with Lena's being much more subdued. Along with the nausea, dizziness and migraines came and went, and the even something as simple as laughing could set it off.

"Do you think he and Callie are happy here?" Stef glanced up at Lena in worry.

"I think so."

The cop's voice dropped as concern washed over her body, "But her and Brandon..."

"Stef, the reality is, it could still happen." Lena sighed, "But we told them we want them all as our children, and realistically, they will have to make a decision for themselves."

Stef's voice was tight as she fought off tears, "I really, really want them, love."

Lena's hand moved to rub the blonde's back in comfort, "I know you do, and so do I. But Callie has to choose between her heart, and the guarantee of a..." She flashed the briefest of smiles, "Mostly stable family that she has already become a part of. That's an impossible decision."

"But are we being too easy on them?"

"You mean, because we treat them the same way we always have?"

Stef nodded.

"They are mature, responsible teenagers who respected our ground rules for them without question. I think if they want to spend time together, they should. Being forced apart is not going to change how they feel about one another."

Lena shifted uncomfortably, taking a deep calming breath as her nausea flared up.

Dark eyes searched their blue counterparts in concern, "I thought you were okay with it; with them."

"I am, love. I love Callie so much, it's just that..." She sat up again, and looked Lena in the eye, "What if they decide they don't want to be in a relationship, and we adopt her and Jude, and then something happens between them?"

Stef shifted around on the bed, never letting her hand leave Lena's belly.

"Or what if they give it a try, but then Callie and Jude end up in a home like the Olmstead's again. If something happens to them, I just..."

Stef let a tear fall as she shook her head. Everyone she knew assumed that, as a cop, Stef didn't care to show emotions. That she was rough, and tough, and let her jokes overshadow any and all tears. The assumption was that cops didn't cry, but Lena knew better. Stef didn't shy away from showing her emotions, no matter what they were. It was one of the many things that made them the perfect balance; Stef's complete openness working in harmony with Lena's reserved nature.

"I'd lose it if anything else happened to them, and I know you would too." Stef let out an emotionless laugh, "How do you seem so calm about all this?"

Lena took her time as she reached up, and wiped the tears off her wife's cheeks, "It's in their hands now. Right now, I know all five of our kids are happy, and they're safe, and they are loved, and that is all I can hope for. We will face what comes next when it happens."

Stef moved her hand to lace her fingers with Lena's, "You really are a saint, aren't you?"

"Sometimes," She smirked.

Before Stef could comment, Lena's smile morphed into a grimace, as she rolled away from Stef.

Stef frowned as realization washed over her, "Oh no. Again?"

The vice principal gave a brief nod, before running into their bathroom, and emptying the contents of her stomach out in the toilet.

Before Lena had gotten pregnant, Stef had never realized just how bad morning sickness could be. Of course, she'd heard rumours, horror stories told of 'friends of friends'. Stef had sailed through her pregnancy with Brandon. No sickness, no complications, with a short labour and even shorter delivery. It was almost too easy. But with Lena…

Stef bent forward, and screamed into Lena's pillow, before getting up and following her wife. It just wasn't fair.

"So how many times has it been today?" It was Stef's turn to rub her wife's back as she plopped down on the floor next to the violently ill woman.

Lena held up five fingers with her left hand, as she heaved into the toilet again. She figured shaving three off the actual number didn't make much of a difference. It just stopped Stef from worrying more than she had to.

"And there's nothing else you can do?" Worry was etched all over Stef's face.

It took Lena a full two minutes before she could answer her. Considering the situation, that late at night, there hadn't been much in her stomach to begin with. However it didn't stop her stomach from turning, or bile rising to her throat.

"We've tried everything, Stef. At least the snacking and the tea are helping. Other than that, I'm just going to have to suffer through it." Or curl up into a ball and cry. At that point, Lena considered it to be a viable option.

The blonde's frown deepened. Lena tried to be so strong about everything. There was no doubt of how inspiring it was, and yet it broke Stef's heart all the same.

Stef leaned over and kissed Lena's forehead, "I hate seeing you suffer."

Even amidst the queasiness, Lena still managed to crack a joke, "I hate seeing me suffer too."

Both women smiled in response, though it didn't reach their eyes. They sat in silence for just about five minutes, before Stef spoke up again.

"Crisis averted?"

"I think so," Lena reached up, and flushed the toilet, "Go back in, I will be there in a sec."

Stef was careful upon helping her up, and kissing her wife's cheek. Stef looked Lena over to make sure she was all right, before she headed back into the bedroom. It was only after brushing her teeth that Lena joined her on their bed.

The blonde was quick to pull Lena into her arms, "You're amazing."

"I don't feel very amazing," Lena quipped.

"Trust me my love, you are. You're going through hell, and you've just accepted it." Stef hid a smirk in the nape of Lena's neck, "You don't even resent me for never having had morning sickness with Brandon."

Lena faked a glare, "Oh, I resent you plenty."

Stef laughed, and Lena shifted just a bit closer before continuing, "But it doesn't change anything."

Stef sighed, and rubbed her hand over Lena's lower back, "Five months left?"

"Give or take."

Lena closed her eyes, and kissed the bare skin at Stef's chest.

"We'll be fine, right? All..." She blinked, trying to wrap her head around her next words, "Nine of us will be all right?"

Lena paused, "We are going to have seven childr-"

Stef put a finger to Lena's lips, "Shh, can we please not discuss that tonight? I don't need the headache."

"Okay." Lena slid her leg between Stef's, "But not tomorrow either, I have a really long day ahead of me."

"And I'm going to work an extra shift because..."

"We need the money." They both smirked.

Stef pulled a curl out from the back of Lena's bun, and twirled it around her finger in worry. Things were getting so complicated with their life and their family, and all Stef wanted to do was tell her wife what she was planning. But her plans were still up in the air, and getting Lena's hopes up for no reason wasn't an option for her. So she kept quiet, as Lena sighed contently against her chest.

"We'll be fine, Stef. All of us." Lena's voice was quiet as she started her descent into dreamland.

Stef breathed a sigh of relief, once again kissing Lena's forehead in gratitude. Lena always did know how to put her mind at ease.

Stef ran her free hand down Lena's side, and placed it back on her stomach, "We'll be fine."

Mercifully, early the next morning passed without any incident. Of course, Stef wasn't quite sure as to the why. She had been waiting with baited breath for the immanent shouting match between Jesus and Mariana, but both twins had been on their best behaviour from the moment they woke up on.

Stef had been temporarily worried as she'd pulled on her uniform. Voices had started to raise, and feet began stomping around, and the cop was sure the twins had every intention of reenacting the march on Gettysburg. But before Stef could even reach the knob on her bedroom door, she heard a series of hushes, and then a stampede of feet running down the stairs.

It felt very Twilight Zone-ish.

"'Morning, my babies." Stef called out as she walked into the kitchen.

There were a chorus of "Morning Mom" that greeted her. Stef briefly noted that Brandon was absent, but remembered it was Mariana's turn for the first shower of the morning. Brandon always opted to go last, knowing full well that the hot water would have returned by that point.

Stef walked over, and squeezed Jude, "I hear you are the bestest in the class. Congratulations, my prince."

The blonde proceeded to smother her youngest with kisses, chuckling as he giggled in response.

"Bestest isn't a proper word, Mom." Jude stuck his tongue out at Stef.

Stef couldn't help the teasing grin that spreads across her face, "You know what? You're right." She turns to her other children, "I tell ya, the genius on this boy..."

The five younger Fosters laugh at their goofy mother.

"How's Mama?" Jesus asked quietly.

Stef's grin was gone almost instantly, "She threw up twice last night."

The five teenagers -Jude was two months off, it still counted- shared a look, but kept quiet. What Stef didn't know wouldn't hurt her…

Callie was cautious with the next question, "Is she going in today?"

Lena gingerly walked into the room as she answered, "I have to. I am interviewing the last of the possible new art teachers today."

"How many do you have left?"

"Three, and if none of them take, I'm screwed."

Stef looked at her wife in concern, "How so?"

Lena eased into 'her' stool, her breathing slightly more laboured than usual, "Sanchez hated all of the others, and not just in her usual realm of hating everything."

"What do you mean?" Mariana asked.

"Apparently, Sanchez hates art... And, by extension, art teachers."

Stef snagged a piece of toast off of Jesus's plate as she sat down.

"Oh, that sounds fun." Sarcasm was dripping off of Stef's every word.

Callie happened to look up in time to catch a grimace pass over Lena's face. As per usual, the curly-haired woman tried to cover it up. Lena moved her hair up into her trademark bun, using the movement to keep her facial expressions in check. Callie bit her lip to keep from commenting.

It was only as the woman started to noticeably pale that Callie got up, poured tea into a mug, then grabbed the box of saltines, and handed them to Lena.

"Thanks." Lena smiled in gratitude.

Mariana casually picked the conversation up again, "But after the interviews, you can come home, right?"

"I have to. The contractor is supposed to be coming today."

"So you're really getting an extension on the house?" Jude's big, curious eyes glanced between his moms in curiosity.

Stef answered first, "We're considering it."

"Why can't the babies just go in Brandon's room? He's the only one not sharing." Jesus whined.

Brandon chose that exact moment to walk in, "What's going into my room?"

Callie's reply was immediate, "Lena and Stef's magic lady babies."

Stef smirked into her coffee.

"No, no, no!" Brandon throws Lena a pointed look, "You promised any baby you had would stay I'm YOUR room until it's big enough for a bed."

Stef blinked in surprise, "Whoa, what'd I miss?"

"Right, you never heard about this." The vice principal explained, "About a year or two after we adopted the twins, Brandon asked me where babies come from."

"He asked you?" Stef looked between Lena and Brandon in confusion.

"Well, yeah. He figured since I'm a teacher, and in his words, teachers know everything..."

The blonde faked insult, as she turned to her oldest child, "What happened to Mom knowing everything?"

"You totally do, it's just..." He shrugged, "It's Lena."

Lena had a hard time hiding her grin behind her tea.

Stef really couldn't argue his logic, "Fair enough."

"Okay, if you know EVERYTHING, what is..." Callie pulled a random question out of her head, "The mass and circumference of Jupiter?"

Lena didn't even hesitate, "The mass in scientific notation is about 1.9x10^27kg, and the circumference is..." She pauses briefly to think, "around 272,946 miles."

They all gawked at her.

Brandon held his index finger up, "Wait! Let me check that..." He used his phone to check what she just said, "She's right."

Mariana grinned, "Okay, I'm game. How much was Marilyn Monroe's rhinestone dress, and how many stones were on it?"

"I know there were 6,000 stones." Lena bit her lip, "I think it was about 1.25 million?"

Their younger daughter pouted and grumbled, "1.26, but close enough."

Jesus jumped in, "Explain the Maori tattoos."

Stef quirked an eyebrow, "Why Jesus, are you planning a trip to New Zealand?"

He shrugged, "Some of the guys were talking about it yesterday. And you're interrupting."

Lena rolled her eyes, "Ta Mako is sacred tattooing form indigenous to the Maori. It's unique because the skin is carved and not punctured."

Jude shot her a cheeky grin, "What's my favourite colour?"

"Magenta. But if anyone at school asks, you say green."

Jude blushed slightly, but nodded.

"What human bones can withstand a ten story drop?" Stef couldn't help herself.

"The ossicles, which are the bones of the middle ear." Lena felt incredibly smug answering her wife, "They are the malleus, the incus and the stapes, so named for their shapes; the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup."

Stef flexed her jaw in annoyance. She had only just found that out the day before, "And on that note, I am going to work before I am made to feel any MORE stupid."

Stef leaned over, kissed Lena and rubbed her belly, before heading to the door.

"Bye, my babies."

Stef smiled brightly as her children called out, "Bye Mom!" as she walked out the door. The cop decided to take her good mood as a sign that a good day was ahead.

Of course, what she didn't know was that as soon as the door closed behind her, Lena bolted out of her seat, leaned over the sink, and took heaving breaths as she tried to fight off the urge to throw up.

Mariana frowned, "Mom's leaving later and later every day."

Lena shut her eyes tight as she hung her head over the sink, "I know she is."

"You won't be able to keep hiding it from her." Jesus wasn't making an accusation. He was just saying.

Lena tightened her grip on the counter, but she didn't speak.

"I don't understand why you don't just tell her." Brandon, however, was making an accusation, "She's your wife; the twins are just as much hers as they are yours."

Before anything else could be said, Lena retched into the sink. All five of her children just looked on miserably, knowing from experience that Lena felt guilty when they tried to help her. So they sat quietly at the table, and hoped for it to be over soon.

After a few minutes, the retching subsided. Jude hopped up from the table, poured cold water into a glass, and handed it to Lena. After a long gulp, Lena turned back to them, anguish painted all over her face.

"Stef's got a lot on her plate right now. I cannot and will not add to that over something that she can't do anything about." Lena kept one hand firmly on the counter for support.

"Yeah, but-"

"Brandon, I am begging you. Don't tell Mom." She wasn't feeling well enough to fight him on it.

They all turned their gazes to the table, hanging their heads as the weight of conflicting feelings washed over them.

"Fine." Everyone's heads snapped up to gape at Brandon, "But if it gets any worse, you need to come clean."

"I will." Lena forced herself to stand up straight, doing her best to look as normal as possible, "Now, hurry up. None of us can afford to be late today."

Brandon, Callie, Jesus, Mariana, and Jude reluctantly grabbed their stuff, and headed towards the door. Lena watched them go, before following along slowly, careful to hang onto anything she can as her head continued to spin.

Stef got out of her car, balancing a drink tray of coffees and a large box, with a doughnut in her mouth. As she walked towards the precinct completely concentrating on the food in her arms, she bumped into someone.

Stef didn't look up as she mumbled around the doughnut in her mouth, "Sorry."

Mike smiled, "It's okay."

Stef's head shot up in surprise. Internal Affairs had come down hard on him after the shooting, even if they were justifiable in doing so. All in all, he had been relatively lucky. After three months on trial, he was given a six-month suspension. One that was, Stef noted, obviously up.

Stef carefully placed the coffees on top of the doughnut box, and balanced the food tower between her stomach and her left arm. She then used her free hand to remove the doughnut from her mouth.

"Mike..." Stef tried to find something, anything to say, "You're back."

Her ex-husband smiled weakly, "I am."

"Oh."

They stood together in an awkward silence. Stef took a bite out of her doughnut, hoping the gesture would last the appropriately uncomfortable length of time, before it was socially acceptable to make a hasty retreat.

"You know, you are singlehandedly reinforcing the stereotype."

Or she could wait for him to make it even more awkward.

The blonde paused mid-chew, "I beg your pardon?"

Mike gestured to the coffees and the doughnuts in her hand.

"Oh, right. It was my turn to get breakfast for the group, and it seemed like a good idea at the time." Stef bit the inside of her cheek, 'Note to self: never avoid cop stereotypes next time.'

Assuming the conversation to be over, Stef continued her walk into the building, staling just enough for Mike to open the door for her.

Mike's brow knit in confusion, "The group? What group?"

"Since you were suspended, Granger retired, and Sampson transferred, the Captain stuck five of us in a group. We rotate partners every other day."

"You can't be serious!" He couldn't begin to describe his disbelief, "How the hell are you supposed to build a rapport with the person who is supposed to have your back if you keep getting shuffled around like a deck of cards?!"

Stef shushed him, "There were three of us left without partners, and two rookies who ended up partnered together. The group made sense."

"That's not how things work, Stef. I-"

The blonde cut him off with a harsh whisper, "Need to shut the hell up." She plastered on her biggest grin possible as they reached the group, "Good morning, my minions."

Danielle Cleary had been on the job for eight months, and had been running on bravado for the first seven. It was after a domestic dispute gone wrong that she was humbled, "Good morning, Stef."

In lieu of a response, Stef put everything down, happily finishing her doughnut in three bites.

Patrick Jeffries was a mentor of sorts to most in the precinct. He was as wise as he was old, and had been one hell of a cop from day one. "Is all that for us?"

"Nah, I thought I'd pack on another hundred pounds." Stef smirked as she went for another creamy glazed heart attack waiting to happen, "Maybe try and catch up to Lena."

"I am going to tell your wife you said that." Captain Roberts chose that moment to walk up behind her, "And then I am going to be completely unsympathetic when she makes you sleep on the couch."

Roberts reached into the box, and snagged a danish, before turning her attention to Mike.

"Welcome back, Foster."

Mike's smile was half-assed at best, "Thank you, Captain."

Whether the Captain missed the gesture or chose to ignore it, no one could be certain, "I hope you don't mind if I steal him away from you."

Stef was quick to wave it off, "Knock yourself out."

Roberts led Mike back into her office, making a point of shutting the door behind them.

"So how is Lena? Has her morning sickness ended yet?" Andy Michaels was Stef's favourite rookie to date. Tall, gangly and awkward-looking, you didn't really expect much from him. But he had a brilliantly dark sense of humour, and was remarkably quick on his feet.

Stef suddenly found the desk in front of her very interesting, "It, uhh… seems to be getting better."

Andy grinned at her, "Well, that's good!"

"Yeah... Yeah, it is." Despite the smile on her face and no evidence to the contrary, Stef didn't believe the words she was saying.

So... yeah. Long, huh?

I really hope you all enjoyed it

~Syd