"Ugh….I can't see my feet anymore." Ella mumbled to herself. Mo rubbed up against her legs. "I can feel you Mo but I can't see you."

Ella was now officially on maternity leave. It was the second week in January. The babies were due in a month and a half. She couldn't take work anymore, being on her feet all day, pulling and lifting on patients was wearing her out. The shift work alone was killing her. She was so tired all the time.

She had just got up out of bed; she had slept in till two in the afternoon. She was on her way to the kitchen. She needed a drink; she didn't feel overly well when she got out of bed. She went into the kitchen; the tile was cold on her bare feet. She sighed, she felt like she had to pee.

"I just peed." She exclaimed turning around to head to the bathroom, as she started to walk down the hall she felt a warm gush of liquid, she felt it splash against her legs as it hit the floor, then she felt a sudden stabbing pain across her abdomen. "Oh my god." She said realizing what had just happened. "This is too soon." She said holding onto the wall, waiting for the contraction to pass. "Ben…..BEN!" she yelled.

He came running out his room, rubbing his eyes and trying to wake up. "What the fuck L."

"My water just br…" she started but was engulfed in excruciating pain. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth waiting for the contraction to pass.

"I am taking you to the hospital. I am going to get you some clothes to put on. You can't go in your nightie."

"No shit Sherlock." She said. "I think I must have been having contractions for awhile…I just thought they were Braxton hicks."

Ben returned with her clothes, he helped her get dressed. "I don't think they can stop this Ben."

He gave her a concerned look, "Your water broke L, you will be having these babies today."

Ella started to cry. "It is too soon. They are going to be too small Ben."

"L everything will be okay. I promise. These little guys are strong, just like their momma." Ben helped her with her coat, and called a cab. "I will call Sara from the hospital."

Ella nodded her head. She was breathing through a contraction.

It was a studio day for everyone. The guys had been hard at work since early this morning. Sara and Nikki were both there for moral support. Sara couldn't stand being around Nikki, but she tolerated her to keep the piece.

"How is the wedding plans coming along?" Nikki asked. "You must be so excited…I was expecting Josh to purpose over the holidays but he didn't."

"They are coming along nicely. I am so excited…we both are."

"Did you set the date?"

"Yes….the long weekend in August. I wanted it to be on a long weekend so Ella and her friend could make it."

"She is coming?" Nikki said with attitude.

"She is my maid of honor." Sara said harshly.

"Isn't Josh the best man?"

"What difference does that make?"

"Don't you think it will be a little awkward?"

"No not at all…..Josh and Ella always got along perfectly well."

Nikki was getting pissed. "Well Sara they were sleeping together. I think you should rethink your bridal party. I don't think Josh will want to be any part of it."

"Look Nikki… I personally don't care how you feel or think about any of this. You are with Josh now…so just grow the fuck up."

Nikki gasped. "You can't speak to me like that."

"I guess I just did." Sara said getting up and leaving the room, she went into the kitchen. She wanted to tell that bitch right where to go. She sighed as she felt her phone vibrate.

"Hello." She said softly.

"Sara it is Ben, Ella's water broke about an hour ago. She is six cm dilated and having contractions regularly."

"Oh No." Sara exclaimed said holding onto the counter, she felt ill. "Ben it is too soon. The babies are going to be too small. How is she doing?"

"She is coping...she is in a lot of pain, and really upset. She is worried about the babies. Being a nurse, you know all too well how things end sometimes."

"You tell her I am on the next flight out."

"Will do …if anything changes I will be in touch."

"Tell her I love her and to be strong, to think positive the babies will be fine." Sara slide her phone shut and ran her hand through her long blonde hair.

"Who's babies?" Nikki asked from behind her. Sara jumped.

"Jesus …you scared the life out of me." Sara said ignoring her question. "I have to go find Mike." She walked passed Nikki and went to find Mike. She went into the lounge, everyone was in there, they were having some pizza for lunch. She must have had a look on her face because soon as she walked into the room, Mike jumped up and came over to her.

"What is wrong baby." Mike asked placing his hands on her both of her arms softly. Sara broke down and started to cry. She hugged him, and whispered in his ear. "It is Ella….don't you say a word about it to anyone ok. She doesn't want anyone to know."

He pulled back and looked at her, telling her with his eyes that she could trust him to not say a word.

"It is a family emergency Mike. I need to fly out as soon as I can get a flight."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Sara shook her head no. "I will call you as soon as I get there." She hugged Mike and kissed him softly before she rushed out of the room.

"Is Sara okay?" Matt asked shoving his last bite of pizza in his mouth.

"Family emergency." Mike said as Nikki came into the room and sat down on Josh's lap.

"She was talking to someone on the phone in the kitchen about babies." Nikki said warping her arm around Josh.

Mike looked at Nikki before he responded. "It was a family emergency Nikki. She didn't say the details just that she was needed right away."

Mike sat down and pondered why Sara would be talking on the phone to someone about babies, when she told him that it was Ella that she had to go, he didn't ask what the problem was. Babies and Ella, well that was interesting. Ella left Vancouver after their Hawaii trip, which was six or seven months ago. Did she have a new boy friend? He was going to have to ask Sara when he was talking to her later. He was curious.

Ella was so tired…...she still was not fully dilated after six hours. The pain was getting unbearable, but Ella would not take anything for it. She knew that it would slow her labor down and make the babies sluggish. Ben had gone to get her some more ice chips. She was so scared for the babies; she hoped that their lungs were developed enough that they would be able to breathe on their own. She felt the tears start to stream down her face.

"Here you go L." Ben said coming back into the room and handing her the ice chips. "Ella honey don't cry." He said taking her hand, as the nurse came back in to check her.

"8 cms. Almost time. I am going to call the neonatal team and have them have everything ready for the twins. We are going to take the best care of them Miss Carter." The nurse explained before she left the room.

The door to her room opened again, she was expecting a nurse, she looked over and seen her best friend in the door way.

"Can I come in?"

"Sara….you are here…..Ben told me you were on your way."

"Direct flight. It pays to have a celebrity for a boyfriend." She came to Ella's side. She took her hand. "You look like hell Stella Marie."

"How is Josh?"

"Moody as ever." Sara said rolling her eyes. "He is crazy talented Ella, you should hear the stuff they have been working on."

Ella smiled and winced. Another contraction took over her body. "Breath Ella." Sara said still holding her friends hand.

"I am Ben by the way." He said offering Sara his hand. "Nice to meet you Sara. Ella was too preoccupied to introduce us."

"pffffttttt." Ella rolled her eyes. "I am kinda busy being ripped in two."

Ben smiled at her.

"I feel like I need to push." Ella said wincing in pain. "The contractions are almost on top of each other."

"I will go get the nurse to get the Dr." Ben said leaving the room quickly.

"Don't push yet Ella." Sara said wiping the sweat from her brow.

Ben returned with the Doctor and a whole team of people that were going to be there waiting to take care of the small premature babies as soon as they came out.

"Okay Ella you can start pushing." The doctor said once he checked her. "It shouldn't be long now."

Ella pushed and pushed, with her fifth push the first baby was out. He was wailing as soon as he was born. The neonatal team took him immediately and put him in an incubator, and hooked oxygen up, they needed to asses him to make sure he was breathing okay. Ella watched them take care of her baby. "Look at all the hair." She said. "Is he okay?"

One of the nurses turned to her and smiled. "He is breathing on his own so far."

"Oh God….."Ella cried felling a different kind of pain in her abdomen, then she felt a warm gush. Sara and Ben's eyes both got big. Ella was hemorrhaging. Ella screamed in pain.

"Hang that blood, get it running, stat." the doctor ordered.

Ella felt them pull the second baby out of her with forceps. He wasn't crying. "Is he okay?" she cried watching them rush her second baby away from her. Ella felt light headed….her eyes fluttered…

"Ella…..Ella…." Ben said rubbing the pressure point on her clavicle bone.

"Oh my god….she is bleeding out." Sara said realizing what was going on. Both her and Ben stood back, they watched them as they brought the crash cart into the room, they put another unit of blood up, she was bleeding it out as fast as it was going into her.

"We are going to have to do an emergency hysterectomy. Her uterus has torn. We have to get her to the OR."

Sara and Ben stood there in disbelief; there was so much blood everywhere. As they were standing there, the second baby started to cry. The neonatal nurse turned and looked at her and Ben. "He is breathing now with the help of the ventilator. Would you like to see them before we take them down to the neonatal unit?"

Ben and Sara went over and looked at the tiny babies. Sara started to cry. "They are beautiful."

"That they are….two perfect little monsters."

"Excuse me…" a nurse said from the doorway. "The doctor can't find the bleed yet, they are still working on her, and you should call the rest of the family."

Sara's knees' buckled beneath her. Ben caught her before she fell. "She might not make it….she has too." Sara sobbed.

Ben took her into his arms, "She is strong Sara, she won't leave us.'"

Sara pulled back from Ben and took her cell phone out, she tried Ella's dad but no answer. She sighed and called Mike. "Hey." She said before breaking down into tears again.

"Baby…what is it?'"

"Ella might not make it Mike….."

"What is going on Sara? What happened to Ella?"

The door opened again this time the doctor came in. "I have to go Mike…..will call you back."

"She is stable….we found the bleed. We did have to take her uterus…left her ovaries there cause she is so too young for hormone replacement. She lost a lot of blood, she will recover."

"Thank you." Sara said, Ben shook his hand.

"I am going to go check on the babies, but I think they are doing just fine for now too."

Ben and Sara looked at each other and smiled. "She is going to be okay."

"I told you…but you wouldn't listen to me." Ben said smiling at this lady that he just meant. He could tell though that she loved Ella just as much as he did. "You should call your boyfriend back….he is probably pooping his pants with worry."

"Oh yeah, I should do that."

"I am going for a coffee, would you like one."

"Please."

Sara sat down on the chair in the room and put her head in her hands, she completely broke down. She was so close to losing Ella tonight. The babies were so small….maybe five pounds each. If they were anything like their mother and father, they would be stubborn as hell. Their father was a fighter and so was their mother. They would be okay…..they just had to be.