It had been one year; or to be specific one year, six months, two weeks, three days, and about five hours. Since then she and Don had moved in together, they were doing well. But even after all that time had passed; there were times that fear was still strong in Stella's heart. This was most definitely one of those times. Six tests, six different tests, all with the same result.

With a shaking hand, she picked up her cell and dialed Flack's number. "Hey," she said quietly when he picked up. "You got a second to talk?"

"Yeah, I got a minute. What's going on?"

"I think, well actually I'm pretty sure… I'm pregnant."

The other line went completely silent, and the phone evidently clattered to the floor. She heard a rather creative string of expletives before his voice came through clearly again. "I'll be home in twenty minutes."

It made her smile. "Don, you're in the middle of a case, you don't need to rush back here. I called Dr. Carr's private practice, I have an appointment tomorrow."

"I'll be there."

The fact that she already knew that still kind of amazed her. "I thought you would."

When they hung up the phone Flack turned to find Danny staring at him. "You doing okay there?"

Don nodded. "Yes, maybe no. I don't know." He sank into a chair.

"Whoa man, what's going on?"

"Stella's pregnant," Flack said quietly, still not quite believing it.

For a moment Danny was confused, then it hit him, and he too dropped into a chair. "It could happen again, couldn't it?"

He scrubbed his hand over his face. "It could happen again."

"So what do you do?"

"She has an appointment tomorrow, and the doctor tells us whether or not we start looking at cribs or if we've got more devastation on our hands."

"Christ. Look Don, you know whatever you need, I'm here, right?"

Knowing it helped, and knowing he always had been and always would be helped even more. "Cover for me, on the case, maybe see if you can pull Angell in instead?"

"You got it man, just let me know how it goes."

The next morning Danny did as promised, and with the permission of the boss he went to Angell's to pull her in for the day; though he was praying she didn't hurt him for cutting into her time off.

Whatever he'd been expecting when he opened the door, it wasn't a half dressed Adam Ross. "Danny, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same question," he said with a grin.

Adam's cheeks flushed a bit, but he managed to work through it. "Really cute, Danny. And again I ask why you're here."

"I need Jess to step in on a case."

"Your funeral," he responded with a smile. "Jess, Danny's evidently looking to get his ass kicked," he called as he walked back into the apartment.

Danny's eyes narrowed as he watched Adam retreat to the bedroom and Jess come out in boxers and a button down. "What do you want Messer? And if you so much as think of saying something about Adam and I you'll lose a limb."

He held up his hands. "Wouldn't think of it. Don couldn't come in today, and I was wondering if you could step in."

Jess's eyes darkened with worry. "Is everything okay?"

"Stella's pregnant."

"Oh my God, it's happening again?"

"They don't know yet. She has an appointment today."

She nodded. "Okay; yeah, of course I'll help."

Danny smiled. "Okay, I'll wait out in the car. And for the record Jess, all I was going to say about you and Adam was congrats."

"Thanks Danny," she said quietly.

She was dressed in minutes, and she fit into the temporary void smoothly as soon as Messer filler her in on the case. Even so, they were both a little on edge as they waited for some kind of notice. It was only recently that Jess and Flack had really gotten comfortable with each other again, but she felt for him and Stella just as she had the day she'd rushed the CSI to the hospital. The best notice they got was a text message that said 'I'm at the lab', and both of them were eager to wrap up what they were working on and head back.

Both Angell and Danny were optimistic. If something was wrong Don probably wouldn't have been at the lab; but a text message still didn't say much. So when they parked at the lab they both all but bolted out of the car, into the building and then the elevator. Hearts were pounding and pulses racing when they rounded the corner and headed for Stella's office, but as soon as they caught sight of them there was no doubt as to the news.

Don and Stella were standing in her office, forehead to forehead, eyes locked together. There was a goofy smile on his face, a radiant smile on hers, and their hands were laced together over her stomach.

"Guess we know how that doctor's visit went," Danny said with a smile.

It was nice for Jess to be able to see them, to enjoy the scene without feeling that twinge. Granted it had taken her the better part of a year to get there, but in some ways it actually made it better. "Looks like it."

Rather than break the moment, they both backed off, deciding that they would talk to them later. As they did, Danny pulled out his phone to send another text; and the words 'have fun picking out a crib' pretty much said it all.

Note From The Author—This is the end folks. I'm not super thrilled about the ending, but with that fabulous image of Stella and Don in my head I couldn't seem to move to anything else, so it's going to have to do. I hope you've enjoyed it : )