Connie stood at the nurses' desk, examining the CT scan on an iPad. Her forehead creased with concentration, when Jacob trailed up behind her, snaking his arms around her waist, clasping them in the middle in-front of her bump. He placed light butterfly kissed to her neck, just below her ear.

Connie giggled, although slightly uncomfortable, "Jacob, people are looking." She murmured scanning her surroundings, her eyes briefly fluttering shut as he moved down her neck.

"Oh, there it is look triple a." She acknowledged showing him the tablet. "Can you call theatre? And let them know, that it is of urgency."

"Sure. . .You know you don't have to take it don't you, her saying she's going back." Jacob spoke into the pale skin of her neck. Connie froze, and brushed Jacob's hands away hastily, and running her hand through her thick brown fringe.

Connie sighed, "Just drop it Jacob, please." She moved her eyes back down to the CT scan. Hoping he would see that as a sign of dismissal, but he stayed persistent.

"Why, I don't get you, I can see you love her and that you've missed her, but still you won't fight for her." He placed the edge of his first finger under her chin and lifted her face to meet his gaze. "Connie?" He prompted.

Once again she batted his hand away, "It has nothing to do with yo-" She began.

"Just tell me why, you're her mother, you have equal rights!" Jacob waved his hands in the air as he spoke.

"Jacob, drop it!" She protested. Moving away from him, but he was hot on her heel, the linoleum floor squeaking under his trainers.

"No! Why?! She could easily live with yo-"

"Because I don't want her to live with me, all right? I'm good at a lot of things but being a mother to Grace isn't one of them. I'm already going to have to cope with the new baby. I can't cope with Grace, as-well! Grace is better of with her father!" And with that she swept away, in to her office, her curled hair bouncing as she went. Little did she know that it was not only Jacob who had been keeping an ear on what was being said.

Connie collapsed on to her office chair. She took her head into her hands and sighed deeply, what a mess this all was. She stood up after a few moments, and composed herself. Brushing down her clothes, she made her way to HDC.

As she pushed the doors open she was greeted with a scene of panic. Grace sat on the chair next to the bed, with Sam leaning over her, and Emma craning over with worry. Grace had her hands on her chest and was struggling for breath.

Connie ran over to the chair, "What's wrong?" She cried desperately, crouching down in-front of her daughter. Moving Sam away.

Sam looked at her angrily, "Well it wasn't me, what did you do Connie?" But she did not answer. She took Grace by the shoulders and looked in to her chocolate brown eyes.

"Gracie darling, I need you to take a big deep breath for me okay?" She said calmly, demonstrating how.

"I..I..can't" Grace stuttered still clutching her chest. Connie took her hands and held them tightly.

"Yes you can baby, I know it's hard but just do what I do. In and out, in and out." She smiled as Grace begun to calm down. "Okay? Good girl just like that, in and out, in and out. Well done baby." Connie reassured, but Grace pulled her hands away sharply.

"What's wrong darling?"

"I heard you, I heard what you said!" Grace said loudly. Connie realised almost immediately what must of happened. She rubbed a hand over her face, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. "That you wouldn't fight to keep me, because you don't want me, all you want is your new boyfriend, and your new better baby!"

"Oh, no darling I-" Grace was quick to contradict.

"No, don't even deny it, I heard you! I wanna go home!"

"What?" Connie asked even though she understood her meaning.

"I just wanna go back home to America with dad!" She shouted getting to her feet and pushing her mother away, who stumbled back on her heels slightly, and made her way out of the room. Connie sighed from her position on the floor. She sniffed, wiped her face and stood up slowly.

"Nice one Connie!" Sam sneered.

She scowled back at him, "She heard it out of context!"

"Context, what does she know about context? She's a child!" He shouted back at her, fuming. "She's only a child Connie, and all children need to be wanted, and the fact is that you don't really want her, do you? You don't have time for her and in your eyes she's too much of a hassle!"

Connie shook her head sadly. "I do want her! Of course I do, she's my daughter!"

"That, does not make you a mother Connie! You've been out of her life for a year and you haven't even bothered to come see her!"

"Oh of course, because you can talk! I raised her practically single handedly! When you decided to swan off to the states! I have raised her for much longer than you have! You know what you can't just swan into her life every now and then, with your fancy suits and ever changing girlfriends. Your girlfriend is seriously ill and you're here shouting at me for speaking the truth!"

Sam's face turned in to that of worry almost immediately, "Have you got the results back? What's wrong with her Connie?"

"Emma has a triple a, as suspected, Jacob is just phoning theatre now. We're going to get her up there as soon as we can, but there is only one surgeon on call and a very big waiting list, so you're just going to have to be patient! Now I'm going to find my daughter!" She turned on her heel and hastily made her way out of the room, spotting Jacob she made her way over to him.

"Hey." She said softly.

"Hey." He replied civilly, glancing across at her.

"I'm sorry about what happened earlier, you were just trying to help and none of this is your fault, I'm sorry. But right now I need your help, Grace, she heard us and I have to explain to her that I do want her. I have to explain!" She said desperately.

"Okay." He replied simply, taking her by the hand and leading her away to find her daughter.