"Dad" Nikki gasped as she tried to comprehend who was in front of her "What….?"

"I wanted to see my little girl" Victor told her and Nikki shook her head unable to believe what she was hearing as she took a step away from him and closer to Leo.

"The only time you want to see me is to either drop a bombshell or ask for money" she snapped "Now don't tell me, I have another step mother who is even younger than the first one? And wait a minute aren't you meant to be back in South Africa?"

Victor ignored her sarcastic comments and motioned to her stomach with a look of shock on his face

"How far along?" he asked weakly

"Four months" Nikki replied tersely and rubbed her stomach slightly

"I'm going to be a granddad and you didn't think of telling me?" Victor asked and Nikki frowned and scoffed at him

"Well you weren't exactly a good father so I don't see the point in telling you you're going to be a grandfather"

Victor shook his head and looked away out of the window.

"Who's the father?" he asked and Nikki shook her head and rolled her eyes at Leo who looked concerned. She shook her head again to tell him she was alright and he nodded, he went to turn around to leave but Nikki rested her and on his arm and motioned for him to stay.

"You remember Harry Cunningham?" she replied to Victor's question

"Oh, I am glad it's him, he was nice" Victor told his daughter

"Considering you lied to him" she mumbled "and what are you doing here? Who let you in?" Nikki asked and placed her hand on her stomach again.

"I told you, I wanted to see you" he replied and moved closer to her, she stepped back and felt Leo move closer to her slightly "I want to make amends with you Nikki" he told her "Please?"

Nikki opened her mouth to say something but stopped as a sudden rush of nausea caused her to double over and vomit over the floor and in doing so over her father's shoes. Nikki leant her hands on her knees and groaned as her father leant forward to help her. Leo however got to her first and he ignored Victor and went around helping Nikki, completely missing the look her got from her father. Nikki looked up when she heard the door shut and saw her father walk off down the corridor, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Sudden relief washed over her and despite the situation Nikki started laughing and Leo chuckled slightly and shook his head as he helped her back into her chair and went to pour her a glass of water

"That was the funniest thing I have seen in a long time" she giggled and went to stand up to collect a mop and bucket from the cupboard, Leo stopped her with a hand on her arm and told her to sit down while he got it.

"You couldn't have timed that better if you had tried" Leo laughed as he opened the cupboard

"Do you think he got the message?" she asked as she giggled loudly

Leo frowned suddenly as he leant on the mop looking Nikki over with inquisitive eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want to make amends with him Nikki?" he asked quietly "He is your father"

Nikki shook her head and put the empty glass on the desk fiddling with it slightly as she stared at it intently.

"He's not my father, a father wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, wouldn't lie to his daughter all the time, he wouldn't turn up looking for money when it suits him. I don't really know if what he says is the truth or lies anymore, I'm better off without him"

There was silence for a few minutes as Leo finished cleaning the floor and tidying everything away after.

"He was probably only here to ask for money anyway" Nikki sighed after a few minutes and looked up as Harry walked in, a look of confusion etched across his face.

"Was that your father I just saw walking away from the lab? Why did he have that sour look on his face" Harry asked "and why do you have a mop?" he enquired as he spotted Leo putting the mop and bucket away

Nikki giggled again and Leo grinned at the look of pure confusion on Harry's face.

"I had a sudden bout of morning sickness" Nikki told him "all over his shoes..my father's I mean" she conveniently left out the conversation her and her father had had, she didn't want to worry him. Harry couldn't help but smirk at that. Suddenly Nikki winced and Harry's smirk faded as he saw her hand go to her stomach

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly and walked over to her but Nikki just grinned and held out her hand. Confused, Harry placed his in hers and Nikki brought it to rest on the side of her small bump. Harry still looked confused but then he felt something under his hand and gasped a grin spreading over his face.

"Is that…?"

Nikki nodded and smiled up at him

"That's our baby" she whispered and Harry crouched down in front of her and moved his hand under her blouse so he was touching her skin just as the baby moved again.

"Have I told you how much I love you and our baby?" Harry asked Nikki who wrapped her arms around his neck and leant down to kiss him on the lips.

"You can show me later if you want" she whispered and Harry opened his mouth to say something when Leo walked out of his office "Leo come here" she beckoned the older man over.

Leo frowned as he walked over and Harry moved his hand from Nikki's stomach and smiled at her before standing up and perching on the edge of the desk. Nikki took Leo's hand in hers just like she had done with Harry and pressed it against her stomach. The smile that spread over Leo's face when he felt the baby move made Nikki's eyes fill with tears and she coughed slightly to try to clear the lump in her throat. Harry smiled at the pair before turning and walking across to the cutting room, he had a job to do despite of everything else.

----

"Are you feeling alright now?" Leo asked Nikki some hours later when they were both sitting at computers in the lab. Nikki at Harry's desk and Leo at the one she normally used, Harry was still in the cutting room. Nikki looked up at him and nodded slightly, before saving her work and giving him her full attention again.

"Yes thank you" she replied and shrugged "It's just some things set it off, like coffee and orange juice. Actually sometimes it doesn't need a trigger. Morning sickness indeed" she muttered the last part darkly "More like all day sickness"

Leo glanced at the mug of coffee next to him as she said this and moved it further away from Nikki, who smiled at him and chuckled.

"You don't have to do that Leo" Nikki told him "Thank you anyway"

"Had any cravings yet?" Leo asked after a few minutes in which Nikki just stared at the computer screen trying to work out what to write. The baby moved again and Nikki smiled and rested her hand on her stomach where the fluttering had come from, it made it even more real to feel the baby move.

"Only ice cream" Nikki replied noncommittally

"Yeah" came a voice from the door and both pathologists looked to see Harry walk in "with carrots"

Nikki blushed bright red and turned back to her computer screen with a shrug

"You should try it" she told the men in the room "It's nice"

Harry and Leo exchanged a disgusted look over her head and Harry shook his own head.

"I think we will let you keep your ice cream and carrots for the time being" Leo told her and she shrugged

"Suit yourself. Don't knock it until you try it"

"Don't you have a scan this afternoon?" Leo asked them, succeeding in changing the subject and Harry confirmed it with a nod and a smile.

"At four"

"How about afterwards you both come to mine and you can show me the scan photos?" Leo suggested with a hint of a grin "Are you finding out what you are having or are you waiting?"

"We're waiting, we want a surprise" Nikki told him after glancing at Harry who gave her a nod and reached over to grip her hand in is.

"You can go now if you want" Leo told them and pointed to the clock, it read three o'clock "You don't want to be late"

"Are you sure?" Harry asked eagerly and Nikki rolled her eyes at him

"It takes about twenty, twenty-five minutes to get to the hospital from here, not accounting for traffic, and you need to sign in and whatever" Leo told them and motioned towards the lab doors a grin on his face this time "Now go"

"Thank you Leo" Nikki said and gave him a quick hug, which he returned before allowing Harry to help her into her coat.

"Will I see you afterwards?"

"Of course, I want to show off my baby" Nikki grinned and grabbed Harry's hand, practically dragging the grinning man out of the lab.


I've finished re-writing this now so all I need to do is upload the rest of the chapters. :D

xx