AN: Thank you for bearing with me waiting for this chapter. I unfortunately had to get a new computer. I am so sorry for the wait!

Lena worked to catch her breath as she got to the NICU. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Callie still laying there, wiping tears from her face she walked in to join her mother-in-law and the doctor.

"Is everything okay? I knew I shouldn't have gone home but I needed to sleep in my own bed and I needed to spend time with Stef somewhere other than this hospital and I just...I.." Lena started babbling as tears started to stream down her face again. Stef walked in to see her wife in tears again both her mother and Doctor Mills staring at them.

"Whats going on? I had to park in the lot across the street." Stef was out of breath as she wrapped her arms around her wife. She placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "It's okay baby, it's going to be okay." She spoke softly reassuring her wife the same thing that she had been for the last six weeks.

"Mrs. and Mrs. Adams-Foster," Stef glared at him, "it has only been a few hours but the antibiotics seemed to have done wonders for her already, we are going to continue the course though; now you may not think that is a reason to call you when you were enjoying you time alone," his emphasis on the word sent shivers through the three women in the room, "but as long as she stays on this track you should be able to take her home at the beginning of next week. " his voice was flat but his face was genuine.

"Can we hold her?" Lena trembled in Stef's arms, "I just want to hold my daughter." She pushed herself into Stef more, like she was trying to burrow into her.

"Just make sure you put on all the stuff you need to." He sighed as he started to walk out of the room. Once the door was shut behind him Lena burst into tears, her face buried into Stef's shoulders.

Sharon walked over and wrapped her arms around her daughter and daughter-in-law. She kissed them both on the forehead. "You have a very resilient little girl over there. She is going to go home next week. I know it." Sharon released the women she had her arms wrapped around. The women stepped back and each respectively pulled their hair back so they could get dressed and hold their daughter. "Stefanie Foster!" Sharon's snapped causing both women to jump, "You need to put your hair down right now!" She couldn't help but laugh as she had a flashback to yelling at a younger Stef for the same reason.

"Mom, what the hell?" Stef and Lena shared a confused glance, "I can't have my hair down in one of those stupid caps." She watch her laughing mother still confused.

"Stef, you have a huge hickey on your neck." She laughed as both women turned red. "You two have been together long enough and I have interrupted you enough to know now when I've done it just by the tone in your voices when you answer the phone or the door."

"Mom, please," Stef pleaded, "can we have this conversation at another time? Possibly never?" Her face still bright red she looked at her mother and then her wife who looked like she was ready to go into surgery. "Babe, go hold her, I'll be there in a minute." Stef reassured her with a warm smile which grew when she got one in return before receiving a quick peck from her wife.

Stef turned and glared at her mother, "Did you really have to call us, yes I am excited but I had Lena back, my Lena. I didn't even care if we had sex tonight I just wanted to spend time with my wife which has been impossible lately. Did you have to bring up interrupting us too?" Stef continued to glare at her.

"Get used to being interrupted, you're a mother now. I was making light of the situation Stef." Sharon's voice was light, Stef knew she meant well.

"I know but, it's ju-" Sharon quickly cut her daughter off.

"You really need to work on taking your foot out of your mouth. Look," Sharon pointed toward where Lena was standing hold Callie, a huge smile on her face, "you said you had your Lena back? Look at that that is the Lena I know. That is a genuine smile she has on her face right now and the only time I have ever seen it come close to that is your wedding day. Don't get me wrong her face lights up around you or when her and I talk about you, but Stef that is pure happiness." Sharon watched as her daughter stared at the woman she married, tears welling up in her eyes, she wrapped an arm around her.

"Stef, are you okay?" it was the tone that has made Stef feel safe many times before.

The blonde fell apart in her mothers arms. "It's so stressful having to be so strong for Lena through this. I really just can't do it anymore. I just, I needed tonight where her and I weren't worried about anything but each other. I needed those moments before we came back to reality and before we were truly thrown into parenthood. Somehow I still managed to bring up my worry about not being a good mother, not even worried about what Lena was feeling." Stef continued to cry into her mother.

Sharon pulled her daughter close. "You can go home later, but right now you need to go in there with your wife and daughter. You need to go hold that baby girl close and let Lena hold you close. Just wipe your nose first. I know that Lena is all that matters in your life, Callie now too, but you can't keep things bottled in, you have to talk to Lena." Stef simply nodded her head as her mother talked. "Now go in there and be with your family." She gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead and let her go.

Stef quietly walked into the room with Lena and Callie. "Hi baby," Stef walked up behind Lena and wrapped her arms around her waist. She placed a gentle kiss on the woman's neck, "she's beautiful." Stef was still sniffling, "You're beautiful." Stef tried to stop her shaky voice but to no avail her wife knew her too well.

Lena placed Callie back in the incubator, she turned around in her wife's arms and wrapped her around her waist. She gently kissed her wife's pale lips and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Stef," she tried to capture the blonde's gaze but Stef wouldn't make eye contact with her "baby, please look at me." Lena gently lifted Stef's chin the greyish green eyes still avoiding brown. "Stefanie." Lena's voices was stern this time causing Stef to lock eyes with her.

Tears started to stream down Stef's face again as she broke eye contact with Lena. "Come here." Lena sat down and pulled Stef into her lap holding her close. "What's going on?" Lena whispered into her wife's hair. She placed gentle kisses on her head and pulled her as close as possible hoping to help her feel safe. She has only seen Stef cry a few times in the seven years they have been together and she couldn't remember it ever being like this.

"I can't do this anymore, Lena." Stef's voice cracked as she spoke and a wave of concern washed of Lena.

"You don't wanna do this anymore?" The concern in Lena's voice was enough to send shivers through Stef. "I mean if you don-" Stef quickly sat up in her wife's lap.

"No, no, Lena, I want you and I want Callie. I just can't be strong and keep things in anymore. I want to be strong for you and reassure you but I just can't anymore." She started crying harder, "I'm sorry." Stef buried her face in her wife's shoulder.

"Oh Stef, you don't have to be sorry. You have been so strong for Callie and I through this. Just know that I don't care if you cry, Stef. I love you. I will be here for you when you need a shoulder to cry on." She lifted Stef's chin and placed a loving kiss on her lips. "I know what will help you feel better," Lena smiled against the pink lips, "why don't you hold Callie?"

Stef sniffled as she got up and picked up her daughter. "Hi beautiful." Stef smiled at the tiny human in her arms. "You already know how to make mommy crazy." She started to cry again, this time they were happy tears. She carefully stepped back making sure not to pull or tangle any tubes or wires and sat back down in Lena's lap. Tears rolled down her face as she looked at her daughter.

"Promise me you'll talk to me if something is bothering you?" Lena wrapped her arms around her wife and child. "You and Callie are the most important people in my life. and I want to make sure that you are both okay." She rubbed Stef's arms and kissed her cheek.

"Lena, you and Callie are the most important people in my life and I will put the two of you before myself always, even if that means having to keep things in sometimes. I saw how upset and how worried you were and all I wanted was to make you happy. All I wanted to do tonight was have you wrapped in my arms so the world could melt away for a little while. You deserve that, Lena." Stef continued to stare at her daughter.

"Then let's do that. As much as I want to be here with Callie every waking minute, I could use a night wrapped in my wife's arms in my bed. We don't live far and Callie seems to be okay. You need it and I need it, your mom can go home too." She placed a small kiss on the bruised skin she caused. "Let me see my baby." She smiled as Stef placed Callie in her arms.

The couple sat with the baby for a little while longer before deciding they were both ready to go. They couldn't help but steal glances at each other on the ride home, neither one of them could wait to be in the others arms.

They both quickly changed and climbed into bed, Stef pulled Lena close and wrapped her arms around her. Lena rested her head on Stef's chest scooting as close as she could. "I love you, Stef." Lena's voice fighting off sleep.

"I love you too, Lena." Stef placed a gentle kiss on Lena's head before letting herself drift off.