AN: I don't own any of the CSI:NY Characters or any of the show's storylines that I may refer to from time to time, but the rest of the plot is mine.
Thanks to Brown Eyed Girl 75 for the sanity check on this chapter, and for letting me pinch one of the names she is using in her stories.
18. Nieces or nephews?
Stella was waiting outside NICU a while later, Doctors and nursing staff had gone backwards and forwards, but there had been no word from the family inside. With the babies safely back at the hospital and having spent a little time with them and with Laura, she had seen the old Don start to return. That was a good thing.
"Stella Bonasera?" She turned to see who was calling her and came face to face with a New York City Fireman. "Donny called me to tell the family. How are they doing?"
"Brian?" He nodded. They hadn't seen each other since Don and Laura's wedding, but she would have recognised him anyway as she noted the height and build and the same sparkling blue eyes that Don had. Clearly they were related. "Pretty good. He's seen the babies and Laura, the doctors are pleased with them all."
"That's a relief. So what did they have? He was pretty vague on the phone."
Stella realised that she didn't know, all they'd talked about were the twins or babies. "You know they never actually said. ... I guess he wanted to wait for Laura to see them first." She answered with a smile.
The radio on Brian's belt crackled and a message was broadcast. "That's me, I've gotta go, tell Donny I stopped by and would you do me a favour and give me a call later? Let me know how things are going. They'll be too busy, but Tes is dying to come in with Pip. Tell my brother that I'll keep the family outta the way until they're ready.
"Will do." Brian handed her a business card and she glanced at it. "Captain?"
"Yeah they thought I was doing something right gave me my own station a couple of months ago. How about that?" He grinned at her as the radio crackled again.
"I'll tell them you stopped by."
"Thank you"
Brian walked quickly down the corridor leaving Stella to continue her vigil outside the room. It was short-lived as noise from the elevator announced the arrival of the rest of the team.
"Stella? ... How are they?" Asked Danny.
"All doing well. Flack and Laura have been meeting the doctors and spending some time with the babies."
"So what did they have. Only Hawkes knows and he's not telling." Moaned Danny.
"That's their job, I only know because I found them."
All conversation stopped as the door to the unit opened and Don emerged with Laura in a wheelchair. Don's shirt only pulled across and held with a couple of buttons. They were talking as the door closed behind them.
"Hey Flack!"
In response to Danny's call Don pushed Laura over to the group and they were greeted with hugs and kisses.
"So how are they?" asked Lindsay.
"They are doing really well. Both breathing on their own and a good weight. Early test results are good." Answered Laura happily.
"So do we have nieces or nephews?" Mac questioned.
"One of each." Beamed Don, all signs of the earlier stress temporarily erased from his face.
"And ...?" Stella prodded waiting for all the details.
"Flack do me a favour and tell them so they don't bug me." Requested Hawkes. Don glared briefly at him over Laura's head.
"You know?" She asked suspiciously, looking between him and Don.
"Only a few details, he was helping explain things to me earlier." Added Don quickly, hoping everyone would take the hint and not mention earlier events until he had time to explain everything. He felt guilty for not telling her but she was still recovering herself and he wanted her to have more time, to be stronger, have more time with the babies. He knew she would freak, but he hoped if she could see how well they were doing it would take the edge off.
"OK ... Best we can do right now are photos, maybe you can see them tomorrow." Laura conceded. "Meet Kieran Jason, born at 10.18 and a hefty 5 pounds 2 ounces, 18 inches long and already has his father's appetite!." Smiled Laura mischievously handing Stella a photo. "And ... " She looked up at Don. "Do you want to tell them?"
"Come on! One of you tell us, we've been in suspense all day!" Exclaimed Lindsay as Laura handed over the photo of their daughter.
"Her name's Emily Aiden." Announced Don finally and the group fell silent for a few seconds. The implications of the announcement not lost on them. Don and Aiden had been good friends, it wasn't exactly a surprise her name featured somewhere.
"It's beautiful." Whispered Stella.
"She's beautiful Flack." Mac added resting a comforting hand on Stella's shoulder.
"Where do all the other names come from?" Asked Stella quietly still holding the photo looking at the mop of dark hair. Don rested his hands on Laura's shoulders, he felt her shiver and squeezed slightly.
"Family, ... Kieran and Jason were our grandfathers. Emily-"
"- my mother's name was Emily." Laura interrupted quietly. Stella immediately hugged her.
"She's gonna be beautiful."
"You're gonna have to lock her up Flack, keep the boys away." Teased Danny, breaking the moment of tension.
"Yeah, me or her brother. I'll make sure he knows to look after her."
"Yeah, just think if that had happened with all your girlfriends what that would have done to your teenage years!" Laura threw back. "I know all about Bianca da Fazio and your father's Caddy." She grinned looking up at Don.
"How do you know about that?" He asked surprised.
"I have my sources."
"Back to Emily, how big was she?" Asked Stella.
"4 pounds 13 ounces. 17 and a half inches and she arrived at 10.43." Replied Laura knowing Stella and Lindsay particularly would want all the details.
"So how are they doing, what have the doctors said?" Asked Hawkes.
"They're OK. Stable, small, but they're feeding, breathing on their own and we got to hold them. ... It's just hard to believe they're really here." Laura answered, tears filling her eyes.
A nurse approached the group. "Mrs Flack, Dr Raami's upstairs waiting for you, and then you should get some rest. We'll keep you updated on their progress." She told her kindly.
"She's right babe, you've been out of bed too long as it is." Don added.
The others agreed. Mac drew Don aside as the others said goodnight to Laura.
"You have to tell her." He advised.
"I know Mac, but give me time, give her time."
"Make it soon before someone lets it slip. We can keep quiet a little longer but all the staff know and we're leaving the protection detail for another 24 hours at least. ... She'll ask questions if she spots them."
Don nodded.
"Take her upstairs get some food and talk to her, then go home and get some rest. One of us will stay close by, give yourself a break."
"I'm not planning on going anywhere, but thanks."
--
It was another couple of hours before Laura was comfortably in bed having been examined by the doctor and had a couple more tests. She was flicking through the TV channels when Don returned with food and they were alone for the first time that day. Laura watched him come in and put the take out bag on the table and remove his jacket.
"Are you going to tell me now?"
"What?"
She flicked off the TV with the remote and put it down. "I'm not stupid Don, the nurses have given me endless references to having had enough excitement for one day, Hawkes knowing more than I expected and Mac and you whispering in the corridor. ... not to mention the protection squad following me around and sitting outside NICU, you thought I hadn't noticed. ... you should know better. Are we in danger from that smuggling gang?"
"It's a precaution, that's all."
"... and the rest. I know I was sedated this morning, why? ... no-one has explained it to me."
"The doctor thought it was best for you to give you a chance to sleep for a while, recover a little."
"Bullshit Don. ... I wasn't sedated or moved to ICU until after you went to see the babies. Yeah I was wiped out, but they didn't have to sedate me. What happened?"
"All you need to know for now is that everything is OK, what happened this morning is irrelevant. I will tell you, but I want you to be stronger-"
"Tell me now or I'm calling Stella and asking for an explanation, because I guarantee that whatever went on the team will know because she stayed with me all the time. That wouldn't have happened if you were here."
Don hung his head. She was too damned perceptive. Still it was what made her good at her job. He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. "OK. Mrs Henderson and her doctor pal tried to take Kieran and Emily." Laura's eyes opened wide in shock.
"Tried? How, what stopped them?" She gasped.
"Hawkes came by to check you were ok this morning while we were in Delivery. Something didn't sit right with him and he followed them. ... He found them loaded into an ambulance for transfer to NYP. ... " Don stopped. Going over the earlier events he was struggling to cope with the fact that they were so close to losing them. He trailed his fingers down her cheek to comfort her, as well as himself.
Laura waited a moment, taking in the tears in his eyes and the tension she could feel in his hands and it slowly dawned on her. "... They got away? ... They got away with our babies?" She asked, struggling to get her mind around the idea.
Don nodded. "He tried to stop them, he did, but it was too late."
"... They took our babies? Oh my god! You must have-"
Don pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair as she rested her head on his shoulder and hanging onto him. "I was a mess, I didn't want you to worry, you needed to sleep, I don't know what I was doing, I needed for you to be OK. I'm sorry I was so scared for you and for them, I thought I was on my own. I love you Kat, I was trying to protect you. Please don't be mad at me."
"Don, look at me," She coaxed as she pulled back to look in his eyes. "That's why you were there, to take care of all of us, to make the decisions I couldn't. I don't know what I would have done at the time either. But you found them. You brought them back."
"Hawkes and Lindsay did. They managed to track the ambulance that took them and then found this place by La Guardia. ... I couldn't do my job Kat, our family was out there someplace and I couldn't do my job!"
"I don't expect you to. ... I need to see them Don. I need to know that they're still here. I have to go down there."
"They're here babe, if they need us they'll call, you need to eat."
"I can't, I have to see them, I know it sounds stupid, I know they're back, I've held them, but right now I have to see them again."
"Tomorrow, you can see them tomorrow."
"No!" Laura snapped suddenly, then took a deep breath. "... I'm sorry I know they're safe and everything, but I just need to see them to hold them again ... please Don."
He watched her for a moment, he could feel her trembling as he still held her, he nodded. "Let me see what I can do OK?" He conceded as he wiped away the tears running down her cheeks, before standing up and going towards the door. He hadn't taken more than a couple of steps when the door opened and one of the nurses stuck her head in.
"Mrs Flack, I'm glad you're still awake."
"Is everything alright?" Asked Don concerned.
"Everything is fine, I've just been asked by NICU if you are able to express any more, seems your son has eaten through everything they have down there."
"Definitely takes after his father then." Nikki smiled at Don through the tears still in her eyes, then turned to the nurse. "Does he need feeding now?"
"Actually your daughter is the one who's hungry, NICU say she had a good set of lungs and isn't afraid to use them."
"Could I do it myself? I'd like to see them again anyway."
"Let me check with them and I'll let you know." The nurse left the room.
"You sure about this Kat?" Don asked her as he looked at the takeout getting cold on the table.
"You stay and eat, I just need to be with them a bit longer before I go to sleep again."
"I can't, you go, we both go. I can always reheat the food."
"... Thank you." She lay back against the pillows and sighed. Don watched her, she'd taken the news better than he thought she would. He half expected them to have to sedate her again, instead she'd been the one trying to comfort him. It definitely wasn't a surprise that she wanted to go back down, even with out telling her about their abduction. She would want to spend as much time as possible with them.
With the hospital culpability in the abduction it wasn't a surprise that they were cleared to go back to see the babies. He wondered whether he should take legal advice over the day's events. He would need to discuss it with Laura tomorrow.
--
One of the nurses was trying to console Emily and stop her from crying when she saw Mum and Dad arrive. She was amazed when Don looked into the incubator and reached for his daughter's fingers and the baby curled her tiny hand around his finger. She watched in amazement too as Don talked to her, calming her cries.
"Hey sweetheart, we're here baby, now be a good girl and let the nurse get you out and your Ma's going to feed you."
The nurse quickly lifted the baby into her mother's arms and covered them with a blanket then with Don pushing the wheelchair they made their way to the nursing room where they had been earlier. Having settle Laura into a recliner and been satisfied that the baby was feeding, she left them for a few minutes. Don sat beside them in awe at he fact that the babies were here and belonged to them. He watched Laura as she gently stroked Emily's back as she fed.
When the nurse returned she brought Kieran with her. He was fussing in the open crib. The nurse went to give him to Don, but Laura stopped her. "I'd like to hold both of them for a while."
The nurse carefully laid Kieran next to his sister on Laura's chest and he immediately stopped whining and she wrapped her arms around them both as the tears which threatened for the last hour finally broke free and she began to sob. Don got as close to her as he could without crushing the babies and wrapped his arms around them all.
"It's Ok sweetheart, nothing's going to happen. We're all here now. It's over. You're all doing just fine." He consoled as he gently rubbed Kieran's back for a moment before switching to Emily and back again, alternating several more times, before the nurse intervened when she noticed Laura falling asleep.
There you go... all the details are out now.
Thank you to everyone reading and reviewing. ... The next chapter will be a bit slower as the muse and the plot bunnies are trying to escape. IF you have any thoughts about what you would like to see let me know.