Let me start by offering my sincere apologies to all those who have been waiting patiently for an update. Between my little 'blip', a family wedding and a much needed holiday, I just haven't had a chance to catch my breath. So, SORRY, I promise not to do it again x

2008 – 10 weeks after the injury

Tianna sat in stunned silence, aghast at the words that still hung heavily in the air, although she knew that it was always a possibility, she had prayed to God that this day would never come. Her mind was racing at speed and her tongue felt stuck to the roof of her mouth, her dry mouth unable to form a coherent sentence. In front of her sat a consummate professional, a man she knew too well for her liking, but over the years he had become a close friend to her. If only they had met under different circumstances, she may have been able to enjoy her time with him a little more.

"Tianna? Tianna…Are you alright? I'm so, so sorry"

Raising her eyes to meet his concerned orbs, Tianna let the tears fall silently, moistening a path down her pained features.

" There are things that can be done Tianna, but we need to act fast"

"What kind of things?"

"Maybe I should have worded that better. There are measures we can take to make it bearable, but we would purely be maintaining until the inevitable, except for the obvious"

"There must be something else we can do…surely waiting for that will take too long, we might not have time"

Perched on the edge of the chair she currently occupied, Tianna gripped the hand of her peer, her eyes pleading with him for help, her heart aching at the very thought of what he was outlining.

"We might not need to wait Tianna. You know that as well as I do"

Her hand released his as if it were burning her skin, her head turned away as she spoke softly.

"Yes we do, we have to wait until we can find a ma…"

"The probability is that there is one sitting right under our noses! I know that that keeping this from them wasn't an easy decision for you and I understand your reason… but this isn't about you and him any more. I know what was said and I know what happened recently, but if he knew Tia, if he just knew what was going on then I'm sure that….."

"No! You know that is not an option!"

"It's the best option and you damn well know it! Think about who will end up the loser here if you don't ask! Could you live with yourself if you didn't give them that chance? He's a good person Tianna, don't write him off. Things may be irreversible between the two of you but……"

"Yeah, I get what you're saying. I know I don't have a choice but it doesn't make this any easier. I broke his heart once and now I have to do it all over again"

"Tia, don't you think it will hurt him more if you don't give him the chance and he finds out? Because he will Tianna, he'll find out soon enough"

Shannon reached across the front seat and gently shook his sister awake, she had just approached her three month point and the impact it was having on her was obvious, the morning sickness was really taking hold and the lack of sleep was written all over her face, but he knew she wouldn't have it any other way. Jeff had reluctantly left home for a week for work commitments and only gone after Shannon had promised to take his sister to the hospital for her first scan. It had been amazing, to see the little life form on the screen and to hear the sound of the baby's heartbeat as it sleep peacefully protected by its mother. Both Shannon and Nicole had cried happy tears and he was only sorry that Jeff had missed such a wondrous moment.

"Chicka, wake up, we're home"

Nicole eyelids fluttered open and she smiled contentedly at her brother.

"Sorry, I'm just so tired all the time. I'll stay awake and keep you company now, I promise"

"It's okay; you don't have to do that. I'm a big boy now and you need your rest. Let's get in and phone Jeff and then you can go for a little siesta"

"Thanks Shannon and thank you for being there for me today. It meant a lot to have you with me"

"Anytime Chicka, you know that. I just wish Jeff could have seen it; he's gutted that he couldn't make it. You and this baby mean the world to him, you've made him a very happy man, it's like he has a reason to sort himself out now"

"I hope so"

"Let's get you inside shall we? I'll put the kettle on and maybe you can see if the recording we took of the heartbeat will be audible down the phone"

Shannon unbuckled his seatbelt and slid out of the car, making his way around to help his sister out he could have sworn he saw a familiar figure watching them from a window. Squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head, Shannon looked up again in search of them, he must have been imagining things, the window was empty, but he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was there.

"Shannon, you alright?"

His sister's words stirred him from his reverie and he smiled up at her in reassurance.

"Yeah, never better"

Easing Nicole from the car, Shannon walked slowly behind her and opened the front door, turning to look one last time before closing it behind him.

Please R&R

xoxo