Thanks everyone for reading lease keep doing so and please reviews. Thank for reviewing to. Baibe and Lizzi. This chapter made me tear up writing it So apologies f I make you cry!

Chapter 6 - One Week later. A Week since Anna's fall.

"Leo... can I … can we talk" Nikki asked from the doorway of his office, he looked up and could see the emotions on her face that she normally hid. Her eyes were full of emotion and confusion. They had been so much busier this week being one pathologist down as Harry spent time with Anna at the hospital, maybe the tiredness was just making things harder, he hoped rather than believed this to be true.

"Of course Nikki, any time, you know that... what did you want to talk about?" he smiled comfortingly, they were a family and she was like a daughter to him, she was the sort of woman he hoped Cassie would have become if she had lived.

"When Harry's back, um I know its short notice, but could I book some time to go out to Jo'burg and spend some time with Sara um before he needs to be on paternity leave ….I … Sara understands me when I don't understand myself and well I could do with her at the moment …. I'm his friend and I want to be here for him but its so hard …. and well Sara's always known how I felt … like you, she knew before I did … she wanted me to tell him when we were out there its why she disapproved of Anton so much but I was to scared"

"shh Nikki calm down for me … I'll see what I can do OK … I need to look into it … and..." he trailed off pausing to attempt to shape the words he wanted to say in the best way.

"Nikki, is going to South Africa going to change things or will it just put it at a distance … you would be coming back to it again and it would hurt again. I don't like seeing you hurting ...you are good at hiding it …. but I don't want to lose you Nikki, I can't you are like family to me … I'm scared you will go out and it will hurt so much you won't come back. I wouldn't blame you"

"I'll come back Leo … I promise … I couldn't leave the Lyell permanently. I couldn't leave you

and Janet or Lydia, Jack and the girls. Even with all the pain and tears he causes I couldn't leave Harry, South Africa is where Mum was and I have Sara and her family but they are friends and memories. The Lyell is home and you are all my family now ..." She looked up tears streaking her face and saw tears in Leo's own eyes. He enveloped her in a warm hug almost not wanting to let her go.

"Is two weeks OK, it cant be till Harry is back …. though that will be soon"

"That's wonderful Leo thanks and I promise I will be back … and yeah I visited last night she seems fine now and the bruisings gone she should be let out soon" Nikki was interrupted by the ring of her phone.

"Speak of the devil ….Hey Harry, Leo and I were just talking about you" she answered with a laugh.

"Hi Nikki, good news they are discharging Anna tomorrow morning so we will be home and well tell Leo I can be back next week"

"Excellent news ...it will be good to have you back. Doing your job as well as our own is tiring Dr Cunningham which is strange considering you never seem to actually do any work when you are here" Nikki teased

"Cheeky cow" he laughed

"But yeah it will be good to be back, I'll talk to you all tomorrow evening when Anna is home and settled. I'm going to head back to her now before she gets too lonely … see you soon Nikki"

"Bye Harry, see you soon" Nikki hung up the phone.

"Good news I take it" Leo asked eyebrows raised in question.

"Yeah, Anna is being released tomorrow and he should be back at work next week but he said he would be in touch tomorrow. He was back to joking like always so obviously he is a lot happier knowing she will be home"

"Yeah, he was really worried about her and the little one … I wonder I they have started thinking about names yet."

"Maybe … they didn't know what they were having till the accident though so maybe not" Nikki replied

"True … hopefully nothing too unusual. I want to be able to spell my honorary granddaughters name" Leo laughed.

"I doubt it will be … Harry would need to be able to spell it to and we know what his spelling is like … seriously some of his reports!" Nikki grinned.

"Talking of reports how are yours going?" Leo asked less than subtly.

"Two left to do I'm getting there … I'll get back to it … I'll give it a couple of weeks for Harry to be back before I head off I can still be back long before Anna is due that way but you will have less pressure if we overlap by enough"

"Thanks Nikki and hey it will all be OK in the end .."

"I know and hey I'll meet some nice rich Dr with better hours than me for more money who is drop dead gorgeous right"

"Better hours and better money is not hard Nikki …. and yes someone will sweep you off your feet and you will wonder what all this was about but he still isn't allowed to steal you away from me … I'd miss my girl too much"

"I'd miss you to Leo you know that, you have been, are, more of a dad to me than my father ever has been, you know that. Although, like me finding someone with better hours for better pay, that isn't exactly hard. Lets put it this way he is my father yes but if someone asked who my dad was, it would be you. You are the one who cares, the one who helps me out and the one who seems to be wiping away tears, my father is more likely to be causing them."

"That means a lot Nikki ...thank you" Leo blinked back tears himself.

"It's just true and I know Harry sees you like a father as well, that's why you will be Grandpa Leo"

"He knew Theresa and Cassie, so he doubly knows how much that means to me"

"He will be a good dad... he might not have always seen what to do, but he's seen all the things he shouldn't do, he knows what he missed and he knows how to love."