He groaned as he felt an elbow get pushed into his stomach; slowly he opened his eyes. It was morning, he had spent the night on the couch, some how curled up with his wife. The light streaming through the window hurt his eyes, he blinked hard before burying his face back in Catherine's neck. He was surprised that she had managed to sleep comfortably.

Looking down he found that her leg had wormed between his,angling her hips into his and her arms were locked around his back. He hadn't realized his arms were still around her, his muscles had locked. He looked down her body, she was pressed into him as much as she could; her belly was almost comical. Lou had long since learned not to say as much as he wanted about how her body had changed; he liked it. The circumstances of her getting pregnant were not something he loved but he did love what it had done to them; it had bound them together.

He had enjoyed watching her body change, and seeing her come to except it; he was excited to raise a child with her. He was excited to help her through the delivery and as crazy as it sounded he looked forward to when his leave started so he could spend the long nights with her. He wanted to watch her with a baby, hold her as she fed the little one; feed it himself.

Since the nursery was done he had felt it coming, she looked ready and after today she was going on bed rest. He knew that was going to drive her crazy but he hoped that if he kept her on it the doctor might be a bit more lenient about making Cath go back to the hospital; he knew it made her nervous. She didn't like to admit when she was afraid, she tried to let go of being tough. He knew it came from being trapped before and getting burned badly; she had to many tough times. He wanted this pregnancy , this delivery to be as good for her as possible; he wasn't exactly sure how pushing a baby out could be. But if keeping her out of the hospital would make it better he would do that, he really didn't want to go back to the hospital either; he had spent to much time there wondering if he had lost her.

No, he wanted her to feel safe and he had worked hard to make her feel safe here at home; with him. He was well aware of the risks but he also had enough friends over in EMS that he could arrange for one of the guys to come hang around and get Jim to let him take the torus home. The doctor knew her stuff, it would be fine and Cath was strong. In a way he had to remind himself it was okay.

The beautiful strawberry blonde curled into him and the child she was nurturing inside of her were his world. It was only this woman who had the power to reduce him to a fumbling romantic and make him air his feelings just after driving him mad wanting her. She was sexy to him no matter what, fiery and tough to the world but a soft, warm woman underneath. Only few were allowed to understand that and he counted himself lucky to have been allowed to see her soul.

Lou nuzzled down and lifted her face as she squirmed, she must have slept well for him to have woke up first. She had been getting less and less sleep as the baby grew, it made her restless. Carefully he nuzzled her hair clear and then nipped her gently. It was a way to wake her, she liked it even if she whined at him ; she would be more upset if she squirmed her way out of her nest.

" Cath, its time to wake up." He was thanked with a groan and her burrowing into him more. " Babe, now. We gotta go back to court."

" I'm awake. I'm just not moving yet." Came a reply, muffled by his shoulder.

" I mean now. Don't whine." She wasn't going to move unless she had to, but they did need to get going. Carefully he got his arms under her, and his knees through so he could sit up; she let out a trade mark squeak. Gently he lifted her into his arms and pushed himself up to stand, his back protested but the hours at the gym paid off. Letting her legs down he kissed her forehead as she pushed her face into his chest grumbling; she was cute. He knew better than to say that though. " You want a shower before we go hear the verdict?"

" Yes." The response was partially growled, she so hated waking up; but it was so fun to do it to her. " Don't you dare help me. Use Lindsay's bathroom."

He grinned and waited until she pulled away and got her balance to give her ass a little smack, he always liked doing it and it usually got him a growl; then headed for the stairs. She trailed after him, mumbling something he guessed was hatred of early mornings.

Taking a quick shower he beat her back to the bed room and got dressed before going downstairs; he had seen how little she ate yesterday. He knew her nerves were probably ten times his and he knew he didn't fully understand why; he couldn't. But he also couldn't let her skip eating, it wasn't good for her or the baby; plus when her stomach was empty he was pretty sure the little monster threw fits.

Making two cups of tea he put down some toast and started eggs, he knew she would probably just pick at it but it gave him a place to start. Plus he hoped the fact that he had given up his coffee would get him some points; she was really missing her caffeine kick.

He had just put out the plates when she came down, her face worried him; it wasn't just nerves but pain too. She came to her seat and took it gingerly, maybe the night on the couch had been a bad thing. He watched her carefully as he ate, something was up; she cleaned her plate without protesting.

" Ready to go?" She asked after tucking her plate in the dish washer.

" Just a minute." He replied to her back, she headed for her coat as he quickly cleaned up the kitchen. Grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair he caught up to her at the door. Taking her shoulders he pulled her back gently. " Whats up?"

" I'm just stiff, hopefully today will be short." She leaned her head back, her eyes betrayed her lie; but he let it slip. She didn't lie to him with out reason, more than anything it probably meant she wasn't sure herself and didn't want him hovering; she also wanted to go today.

In the car he caught her rubbing her back and side, it wasn't the side she had slept on either. He let it rest until they got to the court house, when she went to get out of the car she got half way up, winced and sat back down; she got it on her second try.

Trying to make it smooth he wrapped an arm around her, so his hand rested over the place she had been rubbing; he didn't feel the baby moving. As the court proceedings started he scanned the room for Dana, she wouldn't want her doctor involved but it the woman was here it wouldn't hurt. He spotted her on the far side, if she stayed till the end he would catch her on the way out.

Catherine fidgeted through the entire closing of the trial, he didn't even see a reaction when the judge announced the sentence; he was facing death. He had expected something even though they both knew how that sentence worked; she was preoccupied and he wasn't even sure she heard it.

Although Ray turned around to find her eyes she seemed to miss it; he glared back. He would make a point of going to see the bastard at least once before he was put down; even though he knew he likely had years to do it. That wasn't something Catherine would normally miss, she liked to fight in her own way. Glaring him down would have been something she would have done calmly and the fretted about later.

As soon as it wrapped up he began to make his way through the sea of people to get across to the doctor; if this was nothing Cath would have his head. If it wasn't though she would forgive him when she felt better. Dana saw him immediately and wrestled her own way through to meet him.

" Is Catherine okay?" The first words out of the young doctor's mouth reassured him, she had known there was some risk to letting Catherine stress herself.

" She is not herself, she is in some sort of pain but I cant feel the baby moving all that much. She wont want to be checked out here." He turned and began to clear a path back to her, mostly it was people he worked with now and they moved for him.

When he got back Sara had knelt beside her and was rubbing her back, the brunette's shoulders were bare; her jacket was around Cath. She is cramping badly and the baby just started moving a lot."

" Lets get her outside, the house is on the way to the hospital. If I cant figure it out by the time we get that far then she is going to have to go back to the hospital. Can we get her outside with out everyone seeing her like this?"

" You can take her out the back, through my chambers. I can ask several of the bailiffs to escort you so that you are not bothered but there shouldn't be many people back there anyways." Lou looked up to see Judge Amy Williams had closed off their little circle blocking Catherine from any curious eyes.

The older woman was known for being stern but very fair, even with the job she had done for years the woman was known to still care; she kept track of the people who testified repetitively in her court.

" Sara, can you take my keys. We parked around front." Lou asked, wrapping his arms around Catherine he pulled her up, his wife would be mortified that this happened in court but the fewer people that saw the better. The judge stepped around to the other side, her loose black robe and sheer height helped to hide Catherine between them.

Sara disappeared and they lead made their way through the chambers around to the back exit. The car was waiting and Sara jumped out, the doctor slid into the back seat first and they guided Catherine in with her.

He made to round the car when Sara caught his arm. " Are you okay to drive?"

" Yes, hopefully we only have to go to the house; that's not to far." There was no way he could just sit and watch to see if the doctor was figuring out what was wrong; he needed to do something.

She seemed to get it because she backed off and stood clear as he navigated out to the street, a glance over his shoulder told him Dana was not happy; her voice confirmed it. " Do you know if her first daughter was early?"

" Yes, three weeks, but she was healthy; the doctors thought they may have estimated wrong." He was glad he had spent some time bugging her about her first pregnancy.

" Doesn't mean they were right, some women just are early. Still eight weeks is way too much. I want her to go to the hospital, at least for an ultra sound."

He felt his heart race as he drove, he wished he could just hold her hand, Catherine was never this quiet. The edge in Dana's voice scared him like nothing else, there were a whole host of problems that could pop up just from her age, not to mention the surgery; the baby coming premature was just to much.

I will not be posting another till I get some serious reviews... i appreciate everyone who does but i also see all the hits and would love more opinions- good or bad.