About ten minutes after we were allowed in she began to wake up.

"Where am I?" she asked with a rough scratchy voice.

"Hmm sweetie you're in Mass Gen you went into emergency surgery and they removed your appendix." I told her and kissed her forehead as a few tears dripped from my cheeks to hers, which I promptly wiped away. Maura got up and went to the other side of her and asked "How are you feeling?"

"Groggy, and tired"

"That's just the anesthetic wearing off, and it's the middle of the night. You should get some rest"

"Can you stay with me babe?" she looked up with big pleading eyes.

"Yeah" as I said it she started to move over to make room for me on the tiny hospital bed. "Baby stop you'll hurt yourself, Maura says I can't get in there with you but I'll stay right her with you all night" I said pulling a chair closer to her bed.

Jane and Maura waited for the doctor to come in and talk before they would leave. Jane told me she'd come pick me up in the morning or whenever I was ready. I however was thankful that school was over and that was one thing that we didn't have to worry about. Dylan and I talked while she was awake which wasn't for very long after they left. After she fell asleep I laid my head down on my arm that was resting over her legs and closed my eyes trying to sleep, which if you've ever had to sleep in that position it's incredibly uncomfortable and any sleep you do get is bad. But none the less I told her I'd stay there so I did.

Around dawn a nurse came in to check on her and I sat there watching her every move and taking in every contented or discontented look that crossed her face. She for the most part seemed happy but mentioned something more to herself about a slight fever, and after that she was gone.

Knowing that my house was usually starting to wake up around day break I pulled out my phone to text Maura. 2 seconds after 'delivered' turned to 'read' she was calling me.

"What's up sweetie you want us to come get you? Are you alright? Is Dylan alright?"

"I'm fine; no I don't want you to come get me but when the nurse was in here a few minutes ago she said that Dylan had a slight fever is that normal? Is there something wrong? Is it from a complication? Does she have an infection?" I whispered and rushed through the words as if saying them faster would make them not true, I was starting to panic.

"She's probably fine what did the nurse say?"

"She wasn't really talking to me just kind of mumbled to herself while she filled out the chart she carried in with her"

"Is Dylan sweating or very pale?"

"She's not sweating but she's still as pale as when we brought her in, oh hang on someone's coming in"

"Hi there I'm Dr. Humphrey, who may I ask are you? Are you family?"

"Hi dr. Humphrey, My name is Serena, umm no I'm not technically family, why?"

"Well I'm sorry to say this but you'll have to leave"

"What no!"

"Yes miss you unless you are family you cannot be in here"

"But they let me stay before? All night in fact, why is this a problem now?"

"Because those are the rules and I know that the Doctor who was on earlier doesn't mind letting the rules slide in the middle of the night when he's tired but, rules are rules and unless you are family say goodbye and out you go"

Pulling my phone up to my ear "Umm Maura this Dr. Humphrey is telling me that I can't be here" turning back to the doctor in the room "can I at least stay until someone can pick me up?"

"Oh I suppose as long as within the next 20 minutes"

"Maura can Jane get here within the next 30 minutes?"

"Yeah probably however I will be calling the Chief there this doctor is really rude, Jane's on her way now, she's already near there got a call this morning I just text her she said she'd be there in 5-10 minutes"

"Thanks Maur."

"No worries sweetie, and if they release Dylan she is more than welcome to stay here while she is recovering and in fact I insist that she does. See you soon"

I hung up to phone and turned back to Dr. Dickhead, "so, when can she be released?" I asked.

"You're not family I can't disclose that information and I need you to step away please, go stand over there" pointing to by the door.

"What why I'm not in the way of anything and I saw you working around the patient and their family in the room across the hall."

"Well that's exactly it that was the patient's wife holding his hand, you aren't family so you can let go of hers and go over there now."

"No I'm not going anywhere you can work around me for whatever it is on this side you need just as well as you can with other patients. There is no difference." By this point I was near yelling and I woke Dylan up.

"What's going on?" she asked but neither the doctor nor I heard her.

"You are not family miss now you need to go stand over there or I will have security escort you out and you can wait for your ride in the security office"

"No I do not NEED to go over there. There is nothing about me standing here holding her hand that is going to get in the way of what YOU need to do to make her better" I felt a tugging on my hand and looked at Dylan who had the makings of tears in her eyes.

"You're leaving?"

"No Baby I'm not this doctor is saying that I'm not allowed to stay here"

"That's it I'm calling security"

"Whoa whoa whoa what's going on in here?" Jane bursts through the door.

"Ah even better than security, a member of the BPD, Detective can you please escort this young lady out she is getting in the way of me treating my patient and refuses to leave"

"How about I take you out of here and into your boss's office and tell him about his homophobic doctor's disgusting bedside manner to a patient's family"

"Ha, that right there is not family" pointing at Dylan and I

"Ha, that right there is a bigot" Jane said pointing at him; I snorted a little when I heard and saw that.

Dr. Dickhead and Jane had a standoff going when there was another person coming into the room to join in the tension session that was starting off our morning.

"Good morning, Dylan how are you feeling?"

"Warm, tired, and I'm not really sure what's going on, I was woken up by yelling, oh crap I'm supposed to be at work right now"

"Don't worry about it I already talked to Sandy, told her all about what happened she said she'd come visit on her break." Dylan always loved seeing the chief come down to the coffee shop every morning the same thing Medium Americano they got along well and he every now and then would help her study. "Well let's see your chart here; it says you have a fever. May I look at your stitches?"

"Umm sure?"

"Thank you" he said while pulling the covers back and moving the gown to allow access to the stitches. Pulling back the dressing he continued. "Well this looks a little enflamed we'll get you started on some low grade antibiotics and that should clear it up, seems like a minor infection. Now about the yelling who should I start with?"

"Serena, she's been here the longest" Dylan said

"Alright my favorite barista says I should talk to you. What's going on?"

"Well this doctor came in here and asked if I was family which I'm not but I am her girlfriend and I am worried about her, he said I was in the way, of what I'm not sure. Then I said that if he could work around the patient's wife no problem in the room across the hall so I don't see how I'd be in the way. But anyways he told me to go stand over there while I waited for someone to come pick me up" I was then interrupted "Who hasn't come yet it's been more than your 20 minute time given" I shook my head and continued "and Jane came in to hear him tell me that he would have security escort me out then basically told Jane to do it, then she called him a bigot, then they had their stare down, then you came in."

Turning to Jane "That sound about right to you detective?"

"Yeah, and quite frankly I do not care for my family to be treated like that Dr. Humphrey, I sure as hell do not like the discrimination you are showing, my wife if she were here right not would politely tear into you for your behaviour, one as a doctor, and two as a human being,"

"Doctor Humphrey, I would like to see you in my office after you finish checking on the rest of your patients. I will be here when you are done come back and get me and we will have a little chat."

He left immediately, with his tail between his legs.

"How is Maura doing anyways Jane?"

"She's fine getting the kids ready for school and such; otherwise she'd be down here instead of me." Turning to me she asked "You doing okay kid? I'm sorry you had to experience that. How are you feeling Dylan? You able to get back to the coffee grinds yet?"

"Very funny Jane, not yet apparently have a fever, but I really don't want Serena to go"

"I don't want to go and didn't really have any intention of leaving your side"

"Aww isn't that sweet you got yourself a real winner this time Dylan she's everything you said she was"

"Thanks chief"

"You talk about me to the Chief? You have girl talk with this guy?"

"Well who else am I going to get dating advice from? Should I go find a police officer to pull you over?" she teased

"Hey that was a great idea and as I recall that worked out great for when I did that" Jane said in mock offence

"Serena it's truly a pleasure to meet you, this girl just goes on and on and on about you, you had her so distracted from her studies that I let her talk my ear off so she could focus on studying. True story"

"It's a pleasure to meet you too sir. And you apparently already know Jane"

"Yeah when she came in here with a hole in her gut I helped to repair it."

"Yeah pretty sure he sutured his initials on my back"

We all talked a few minutes more until Dr. Dickhead was back and just before the Chief was about to leave I called "Wait" he turned back and looked at me "When can I take her home Maura said she could stay with us and well she insisted and she said she'd take care of her when she's home and I can do it when she's not, can I please take her home?"

"Well we gave her some antibiotics for the fever so let's give it a couple hours to see if that helps with the fever and if it does I'll give Maura a call"

"Okay thank you sir" and with that he was gone

"So I'm just going to go to work now, if you have any new problems call me and come stand over here for a second kay?"

I moved to where she indicated and watched as Jane whispered something into Dylan's ear told me to turn around and not peek then moved to the other side of the bed to do something said not to turn around yet and left.

"Umm she left can I turn around now?"

"Did she say you could?"

Jane came back into the room with something hiding behind her went back to whatever her and Dylan were doing than walked up behind me put a hand over my eyes, turned me around and pushed me forward a few steps, and said "sometimes Maura likes to break the rules too, I'm not the only one. When I was in here for multiple reasons, she always did this for me" she took her hand off my eyes and I could see what they'd been doing she had helped move Dylan over so that both of us could fit on the bed as long as we were holding each other and there was a note pad, and a deck of cards on the rolly table. "The cards are to help pass the time. I'll see you guys in a bit call or text if you need anything okay?"

"Well ya know I could use some coffee" I hinted

"Well that's too bad you wouldn't like it Sandy probably doesn't give you the same customer service as other barista's there do" she said adding and exaggerated wink "and her coffee probably doesn't taste nearly as good as others, oh and don't even get me started on the muffins"

"Okay Jane I get it ha ha you're a pig, go to work and thank you" with that she was gone and I crawled into the bed and content that I was able to hold my girlfriend again and being that I was so tired from the little sleep I got which was terrible I fell asleep drawing lazy patterns on her stomach avoiding the bandaged area.

When I woke up Maura, Jane, and the Chief were all talking. I rubbed my eyes and carefully moved to see Dylan's face she was asleep.

"Well hey there sleepy head, you ready to go home?"

"What no I'm not leaving her" I mumbled voice still gravely from sleep I looked at the clock and it was nearly 5 pm.

"No she's coming with us. She will stay in your room, and if she's up for it we can help her move to the living room or outside so that she isn't completely isolated and bored."

"oh" I said yawning and stretching "well lets go" I said whispering in Dylan's ear to wake her up "Baby come on wake up, do you want to stay in the hospital or do you want to come stay at home with us? Baby come on wake up"

She began to stir and I repeated what I had said when she was a little more conscious.

"Home I wanna go home" she mumbled "your home loud crazy people home"

We all laughed and then the chief and Maura took her off of this monitor and took the iv bag and hung it on the wheelchair, then the two of them helped to move her to the chair. The chief had gathered a small bag of things that we'd need and handed a prescription to Maura which would be filled at the pharmacy downstairs before leaving.

We made it back to the house and Jane and helped to move Dylan to the bed for now. After getting settled I went and had a shower and came back and crawled into bed.

"Can we watch TV or something? I was going to but I can't reach the remote"

"Of course baby anything you like what do you want to watch?"

"There's an I love Lucy marathon on that old time channel, or, there's that show that we were watching the other night what was it called?"

"Golden Girls?"

"Yeah that one there's a marathon of that on too it doesn't matter I'll probably fall asleep"

I turned on Golden Girls and snuggled into her side we watched and there was a small know on the door.

"Come in" in strolled Alex with a plate of dinner, "Mommy said to bring this to you said that you need to eat something, said she'd bring in something for Dylan shortly."

I began to eat but felt bad doing so in front of Dylan who had to be just as hungry as me so I shared some of my mashed potatoes and vegetables. Maura came in with a plate of soft foods for Dylan to eat and give her some medication, asked her how she was feeling and then left us alone again.

Dylan spent most of the next couple days sleeping and while she was sleeping I was working. Maura and Jane went to work the day after Dylan was discharged, but were home relatively early both days.

I spent the whole of the second day she was home doing laundry while Dylan slept. I had tons of laundry all over the living room folded in their piles neatly, when Maura came home I was still folding clothes and whenever I'd come across on of Jane's shirts I would toss it into its own pile to be ironed later. I was a couple weeks behind on laundry due to the incidents over the last few days.

"How's Dylan doing today?" Maura asked

And in my own defense I had my headphones in listening to some Rise Against and I didn't know she was there nor did she know I was listening to music. When I turned around and saw her looking at me expectantly it scared the hell out of me.

"Jesus Christ Maura, the fuck?"

"Language young lady! Did you not hear me come in? And then ask how Dylan was doing today?"

"Sorry Maur, no I didn't I was listening to my music. She's doing better, she's slept a large portion of the day though. When I got back from taking the girls to school she had finished the breakfast I took to her and was asleep with a textbook beside her. See?" I said showing the picture I had snapped of her, what she looked cute.

"that's sweet honey, thank you for finally getting around to the laundry. Say do you know what's happened to roughly 45% of my underwear? I know yours is occasionally similar to mine but you also keep your laundry in your room and do it separately, but I seem to be missing the panties to a significant portion of my bras."

"that's odd but I have the last load in the dryer right now but I've already washed all your underwear and I've washed a lot more panties than bras? I was going to ask you about it, mostly because I know almost all of your underwear is in sets."

"Hmm, that's odd, although I am quite happy for your getting around to doing the laundry as a few more days and I'd have had to wear Jane's underwear and to be honest I do prefer mine. Don't get me wrong hers are comfortable but they show panty lines." We just kind of shrugged it off as it seemed like all of it was accounted for when I'd washed it.

Not too long after dinner and the girls had gone to bed, Dylan, Maura, and I were watching a movie and talking when Jane came home.

Jane first went upstairs to kiss the girls, who were still kind of awake, goodnight. Afterwards she made a stop in the living room said hello to us then moved over to Maura and leaned down to kiss her. While that was happening I was watching the movie until I felt Dylan nudging me and indicating me to look and when I did, I saw Maura holding the waistband of her underwear, a particular lacy purple thong that Maura had recently bought. The only problem was though she was holding the waistband of her underwear it was currently situated on a certain tall brunette who wore an innocent smile.

"JANE! Have you been snatching my underwear and wearing it?"

"Well sometimes it's more comfortable than mine?" she said and added her trademark smirk.

"If you want underwear like this we can buy you some sheesh! You my dear are literally a panty raider. You could have at least said something to me, I was wondering why it seemed like my underwear was disappearing at nearly twice the rate it should have been."

"I'm sorry? It won't happen again?"

"Do you know how many outfits I've had to change because I didn't have the full underwear set that would best suit that outfit? Do you know how agonizing that is? I'm not like you I can't just walk into my closet grab the same pair of slacks and a blazer then look at a shirt and say 'eh this'll do' I try to look nice for you and you've been making that increasingly difficult!"

"Whoa babe calm down it is just underwear, it'll get washed and be back in your drawers before you know it."

"Before I know it? I knew it while it was happening and it wasn't back before I knew it, it was all replaced today while you were at work I know exactly when it was replaced"

"Whoa again babe relax it's a figure of speech, I'm sorry I was stealing your comfortable underwear I'll go get my own if it's such a big deal."

"It's not a big deal but you could have at least said something, but yes please do get your own and then you can get the bra's that match I honestly do not understand how you can mix and match your underwear"

"Well Maur, what can I say I'm not as uber organized at dressing as you are, when I'm more concerned about 'if I have to chase a perp today will I be able to run in this?' I'm not really concerned about if my socks match my underwear and match my dress too."

"Your socks match your underwear?" Dylan and I both asked at the same time both of us laughing at the trivialness of the argument that was winning our attention over the now forgotten movie.

"Well umm for the most part yes all of my clothing is fairly complimentary"

During the course of their "fight" we hadn't really noticed that what had originally been rain showers turned into a full on thunder and lightning storm when the first bout of thunder shook the house and threatened the power. After that Maura, Jane, and I set about lighting candles and turning off electrical items.

Not too long after we had finished the power went out and we decided to spend our night playing pool in the "game/rec room", or as I prefer to call it as it is the basement. We played in teams and it was Jane and I, against Maura and Dylan. We wanted to keep the teams even and Maura's really good and in her condition, Dylan's not as good as I know she really is, where as Jane and I are both good.

We played a few games and then I decided that it was time for at least Dylan and me to go to bed. So we did, I was going through my nightly routine when I realized that my glasses were downstairs, so I went down and I was going slow so that I didn't trip because it was so dark. I didn't even notice the noises until I was faced with the source directly!

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OHMYGOD!"

Okay guys I'm leaving this one in a cliff hanger. What do you think or hope happens next?

PS sorry this one's taken me a while to update studied my ass off last week for the test I had this past Saturday. Here's hoping that I did well! But please review, I'm looking forward to what you guys think or hope or want to happen next? Love you all for the nice reviews and kind words and I would most definitely not be opposed to hearing more. They make me smile