Theme: Lost

Summary: He didn't know how to help her.

The sound of crying alerted him to where she was, and he followed the sound up the stairs and down the hall, to the now useless nursery. As he paused in the doorway, his heart clenched, and his mind rebelled.

'She isn't the only one who is hurting, who lost a baby' his mind argued, angry. With a suffering sigh, he pushed it aside once again, crossing the hardwood floor to the helpless woman on the floor.

She was holding the bear that was supposed to be in the crib, the one that Bridge gave them when they first shared the news of the pregnancy. If the soaked and matted fur was any indication, she had been crying for awhile.

He put his hand on her shoulder, tensing in case she lashed out again. Instead, she just crumpled in on herself, sobbing harder. He enfolded her in an embrace, rocking gently. It had been a week since Kat 'regretfully informed' them of the miscarriage, and that their baby had died. A fluke in the genetics, she had said. Unforeseen and unpreventable, it didn't ease the burning pain in their chests when they passed the closed door, or saw a commercial with a baby on it.

A moment later, Z tensed, and he released her, used to the mood swings. She'd let him hold her for a little bit, then would lash out, trying vainly to relieve the agony. She turned tear-bright eyes on him, narrowed in anger, and growled. He eyed her warily, and she dropped the bear, curling her lip.

"How dare you come in here?" she asked, voice husky and ragged. "This is your fault!" she screamed, sliding away from him. As she gently retrieved the bear from the floor, he slowly stood and backed towards the door, anticipating the harsh 'GET OUT!' she threw at him. As he took a step to the side, out of her range of vision, he heard her start crying again, and slid to the floor, cradling his head in his hands.

He couldn't let her grieve by herself, but she wouldn't let him in, wouldn't let it go. He was at a loss about how to help her, and she wasn't giving him any clues.

As the crying in the other room faded to sniffles, he wiped his eyes, praying for the strength to see them through this together, and find their way again.