Previously on The Practice (okay, I'm lying, this is the first story, but this is important background. Also, this is around season 8.)

Bobby pointed to the ultra sound screen. "That's the baby?" The doctor nodded and Bobby pointed to another part of the screen. "Then what's that?"

The doctor slid the paddle over Lindsay's stomach. "Well this explains why you've been so sick and why you've gained so much weight Lindsay. That is your other baby."

Lindsay's eyes grew wide. "Other baby?"

Dr. Klein smiled. "You're having twins."

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Mike cupped Helen's face in his hand. "I'm sorry sweetheart. But my grandfather needs me."

Helen nodded. "I understand."

Mike looked at the ground before shyly meeting her eyes. "Do you want to come with me?"

Helen smiled. "I would. But I'm in trial and it looks like it could last awhile. And you need to focus on your family now, without me distracting you. I'd be in the way."

Mike shook his head. "You wouldn't be in the way. I love you."

Helen smiled and turned her face to press a kiss to the palm of his hand. "I love you too."

"I'll miss you."

"Me too," Helen wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. "Call me?"

"Everyday," Mike promised.

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"Ellenor, would you have dinner with me?"

Ellenor's head snapped up. "Matt, I have a daughter."

Matt Hirsch nodded. "Zoe. I know."

"And you're okay with that?" Ellenor couldn't keep the note of shock out of her voice. Since her daughter was born, there hadn't exactly been men beating down her door. Only Mike and he was there for Helen.

"Yeah. I like you Elle. I want to get to know you better. Both you and Zoe."

Ellenor smiled softly. "Okay. Dinner."

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Lindsay knocked on the door of Helen and Ellenor's apartment. She could hear a child's laughter and happy shouts coming from inside along with the laughter of an adult. She was about to knock again when the door was wrenched open. Ellenor stood on the other side, looking slightly harried.

"Hey. Sorry it took so long." Ellenor smiled as she let her friend into the house.

"No problem."

"How are you feeling?"

A small smile spread over Lindsay's face as she rested a hand on her rounded stomach. "Good. A little tired in the afternoons though." Both women had been involved in separate trials for the past few weeks and hadn't had a chance to talk. "How are things with Matt?"

Ellenor beamed and blushed. "He's great. He took Zoe and I to Chuck E. Cheese yesterday. And he's taking me dancing tomorrow."

Before Lindsay could answer, Zoe ran through the living room with Helen giving chase.

"Catch me Hewen!" They ran into Helen's bedroom and a minute later, Ellenor and Lindsay heard a squeal and the laughter of both. "Unco! Unco!" Zoe yelled.

Lindsay raised an eyebrow at Ellenor who smiled. "They've missed each other with Helen spending so much time at Mike's. They've been doing this for 45 minutes." Zoe and Helen raced through the living room again, this time towards Zoe's room. Lindsay and Ellenor watched, amused. "Zoe adores her."

Lindsay tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at her friend. "The feeling is clearly mutual. Helen's going to be a great mother someday."

Ellenor nodded in agreement. "Speaking of Helen, has she said anything to you about not feeling well?"

Lindsay shook her head. "No, why?"

"She's been really tired lately. We came home last night around 8 and found her passed out on the couch. She's been getting sick at night, but she insists it's stress and last week she almost fainted."

"Hm. Maybe she'll mention something tonight. If not, I'll ask about it." Lindsay grinned. "Subtly, of course."

Zoe ran into the living room yet again, saw Lindsay, and launched herself at their guest. "Windsay!"

Lindsay scooped the little girl into her arms and smiled. "Hi sweetie. How are you?"

"Good. Where's Wobby?"

"Robby's at home watching baseball with his dad tonight."

Helen staggered into the room and collapsed on the couch. "Hey Babe."

Lindsay laughed. "Looks like someone wore you out."

Helen nodded and sighed before pushing herself to her feet. "I'll be ready in five minutes."

"I'll believe that when I see it." Lindsay sat down in a chair with Zoe on her lap.

"Very funny!" Helen yelled over her shoulder.

"Windsay?" Zoe asked, very serious. "Why is your tummy big?"

"Zoe!" Ellenor exclaimed, horrified. Lindsay, however, laughed.

"Because I have babies in there."

"Reawy?" Lindsay nodded and Zoe's eyes lit up. "How many?"

"Two."

"Wow." Zoe tentatively put her hand on Lindsay's stomach. "Hi babies," she yelled. Both women laughed. "How come you get two?"

Lindsay shrugged. "Bobby and I are lucky."

Zoe let out a heartfelt sigh. "It would be nice to have a baby."

Ellenor picked her daughter up and held her upside down so her long brown hair touched the ground. "Maybe, but you're a handful all by yourself, Miss Zoe." She straightened then and headed towards her daughter's room as Helen came back in. "Come on baby girl, time for bed."

"No, Mommy! I want Hewen!" Zoe tried to squirm down. Ellenor shrugged and handed Zoe to her roommate.

"What can I say? I'm a hit." Helen smiled. "Give your mommy a kiss good-night."

Zoe obediently leaned over and pressed her lips to her mother's. "Night Mommy. Wuv you."

"I love you to baby. Sleep tight."

Zoe laid her head on Helen's shoulder and waved a sleepy good night to Lindsay. "Bye Windsay."

"Good night Zoe."

Helen came back out a few minutes later and she and Lindsay headed out for dinner. They went to a small Italian restaurant and ordered before they were able to do more than make small talk.

"How are you doing?" Lindsay asked as she broke off a piece of Italian bread from the basket in the middle of the table.

"Okay. I miss Mike."

"Have you talked to him?"

"Yesterday. He asked me to come out for a weekend."

"Are you going to?"

Helen shrugged and opened a pack of saltines that were in with the bread, nibbling on a cracker before answering. "I don't know. I want to, but to fly out Friday night then back Sunday night...it would be too much. Plus it would be awkward for me to meet his family this way."

"It would be awkward for his family, or for you to go through all that again, after your grandmother?

Helen sighed. Leave it to Lindsay to cut through her carefully built up excuse and hit the core. "Both, I guess."

Lindsay nodded, understanding. "He makes you happy though."

Helen ate another cracker and nodded while she chewed, then swallowed. "How are you doing, Mom?"

Lindsay couldn't help the smile that spread over her face. "Great. Bobby's ecstatic. He's trying to think of rhyming names for the babies. So far he's come up with Marlene and Darlene for girls and Rod and Todd for boys." Lindsay wrinkled her nose. "I vetoed both ideas, telling him that our children are neither on a soap opera nor the Simpsons. He's hovering too. I'm surprised he let me continue this case, in my 'delicate condition' and all. But since the girl is so young, he let me. And Robby can't wait for his 'bruvvers' to be born. We keep telling him that they could be girls, but I don't think he believes us."

Helen laughed. "Bobby's just worried, after what happened last time."

Lindsay beamed. "Yeah. Speaking of worried, what's really up with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ellenor mentioned something about you being sick lately."

Helen blushed and looked at the table, twirling her grandmother's engagement ring around her right pinky finger. "I'm fine."

"Helen," Lindsay's voice softened. "You're a terrible liar. What's wrong? You can tell me."

"I'm late." Helen murmured.