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.

20. Hormones

Over the next day or two things started looking up. The FBI and Mac confirmed that there were no known associates still around in connection with the Adoption Clinic, so the protection detail was removed. Emily's scans were showing improvements and the babies were doing well, with both parents almost moving into NICU as they spent as much time as they could with them. The team had dropped by everyday to check on them and bring supplies, but pretty much left them alone, giving them time to bond with their children, who they had still to meet in person.

It had been four days since the twins were born and Laura was stuck in bed again waiting for the doctor to see her. They wouldn't let her move because they knew if she went down to NICU the chances of getting her back for the doctors rounds were slim. She sat flicking channels on the TV, unable to find anything she was interested in watching, the magazines Lindsay had brought had suffered a similar fate and were scattered on the floor where she had tossed them. Don had gone home again briefly and to drop by the precinct to sort out their leave.

She sighed heavily as she stared around the room at the balloons and flowers everyone had sent them. The first pictures of the twins now graced the cabinet at the side of her bed, plus one of Don holding both of them the night they were born. She picked up the one of the three of them and traced her finger over the image as tears slipped down her cheek.

After a few moments of contemplation she reset the photo on the cabinet and resumed flicking the TV channels. Luckily she was not made to wait too much longer for the doctor's arrival.

--

As Don walked into the precinct a few people greeted him, pausing to shake his hand and congratulate him. Angel was at her desk as he entered and stood up as he approached her. She hugged him.

"Flack, good to see you, how are things?"

"Pretty good."

"You look tired. Sleepless nights already?"

"We haven't been home in a couple a weeks and I'm living at the hospital right now. I just came in to sort out time off, ... doctor's are giving us an update this afternoon."

"I hate to pressure you but I need to get your statement too if you're up for it, Fraser said we can use his office, but he wants a few minutes with you first."

Don nodded and headed towards the corner office.

"Don, come in." The lieutenant stood up and waved seeing Don approach the open door. He waited for Don to enter then closed the door and returned to his seat waving the younger man into the seat opposite. "How's Laura?"

"She's OK, a bit emotional, doctor's say it's hormones."

"It'll settle down in time. First few weeks are the worst. I still remember my wife with our first. ... but you don't want to hear that. Taylor tells me you had a boy and a girl. How are they doing?"

"Kieran's doing fine, it's Emily they've been watching. ... NICU is something else, always something to watch for. And some of the babies are so sick."

"That's tough. Have the doctors said how long they'll need to stay?"

Don shook his head. "Too early, but if they continue as they are, Kieran will probably be moved first. ... Angell said you needed to see me and I need to do this statement for the Feds."

"Taylor and I met with Sinclair yesterday, our concerns with this case are going to the top. You and Laura have nothing to worry about. You were given a difficult decision and you were in a vulnerable place at the time, I should never have agreed to talk to you about the assignment."

"Somebody had to to shut those bastards down."

"Not at the risk to Laura and your children. We know why you did it and felt you had no choice. None of what happened was your fault. Your FBI surveillance should have pulled you the minute you hit the panic button, then there wouldn't have been a threat to your family."

"Yeah, they royally screwed that one up. ... but at the end of the day it was our decision Lieutenant."

"One that I should never have put to you."

"I didn't come in to argue over protocol, Laura wanted her maternity sorted out."

"I've already prepared the paperwork she just needs to sign it." Lieutenant Fraser handed over a file as he spoke. "You sign the other form and you've got this week as sick and then a 2 week pass. If they're all still in hospital at the end of that come see me and we'll see what we can do."

"Thanks lieutenant, I thought you'd want me back right away."

"Under the circumstances, you need a break, having preemies is no walk in the park, I've seen guys go through it before. Your family need you more right now than we do, make the most of it, it wont always be like it."

"I will." Don's phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket. "Flack, ... Kat? ... Calm down babe, I can't understand you. ... They did what?! ... I'm on my way, ... no it's ok. I'll be there soon." He closed his phone his expression firm. Fraser looked at him.

"Bad news?"

"Depends on your point of view. The Feds just waltzed in to Laura and demanded a statement while she was in consultation with the doctor, she just kicked them out. She's already pissed off because they made her wait for doctors rounds this morning before seeing the twins. Now the FBI are throwing their weight around, they can't even wait for her to be released from the hospital!"

"I had to ask." Grinned Fraser. "You head back give her our love and take care of those babies, I'll handle the Feds and I'll agree a time for them to talk to you both, how's that?"

"Thanks lieutenant. ... Thank the guys for all the messages. I'll catch up another time."

"No problem. Go take care of your family."

Don got up from the chair and walked out of the office. Fraser picked up his phone and started dialling.

"Mary, I need to talk to Special Agent Collins at the FBI New York office. If he won't speak to me tell him to expect a call from the commissioner."

--

Don arrived back at Laura's room and was about to go in when one of the nurses stopped him.

"Detective, your wife is down in NICU, said something about feeding time at the zoo." She smiled. Don couldn't help but smile.

"Is she OK, the doctor come round?"

"Everything's fine. I think those officers here earlier won't mess with her again in a hurry."

"Yeah, she can be a bit ..."

"Fiery?"

"Yeah, ... She's really OK?"

"Just fine. They're normal reactions for new mothers, their hormones are more in control than they are ... Go find them." Don didn't wait to be told again, he popped into Laura's room and dropped the bag he was carrying before heading to NICU.

--

The nurse at the reception looked up and noticed the handsome detective approach, she was new and took more notice of the badge on his belt than the parent's ID strung around his neck. Don was about to enter the room to scrub up before entering the main unit when she stopped him.

"Excuse me detective, are you looking for someone?"

"No." He felt like being a little belligerent, she was obviously new. He knew what he was doing now and knew where to find Laura and his children, he didn't need to look for them. He turned on the taps and reached for the soap. The nurse eyed him suspiciously.

"I'm sorry detective if you need to speak to someone I can ask them to come out." Don practically ignored her as he continued to scrub his hands.

"Look, you're new and you're doing your job I get that. But I got a pass, my wife's in there with our babies. I'm not lost I know where they are OK?"

"Oh." The nurse blushed and went quiet. "I'm sorry I saw the badge and thought you were here on business."

"Yeah, family business. Now d'you mind if I finish here so I can see them?"

"Ah, no, ... carry on." The nurse replied as she slowly backed away.

--

Entering the unit a few minutes later appropriately attired and scrubbed he cast his eye around the room for Laura and noted she was standing by Emily's open bed with one of the nurses. As he drew closer he noted the monitors around her were silent. He stopped in the middle of the room oblivious to the activity around him. It was as if time had stopped. He felt his chest constrict and gasped for air as he stared at the scene in front of him, watching Laura's back, his view of his daughter obscured. All he could hear was the rush of blood through his ears. His feet felt like lead and his head began to spin, unable to formulate his fears into words, but feeling them nevertheless. Finally he coughed to clear his throat to draw air into his lungs and the nurse looked up. He saw her nudge Laura who was half bent over the bed.

Tentatively he forced himself forwards and ran his hand across Laura's back and peered over her shoulder. She never looked up or acknowledged him, she was intently focused the tiny form now cradled in a soft towel in her arms. He noted the tears streaming down her face, and drew her closer, the baby nestled between them. His own tears soon flowed too as he looked down at their daughter. His tears began to drip on Emily's face, but he didn't realise until he felt Laura tense slightly as the bundle in her arms wriggled and began to cry.

"Hey sweetie, Daddy wake you up?" Cooed Laura as Don hastily wiped his eyes to look at them both.

Anxiously clearing his throat, he rasped. "S-She's alive?"

"Of course, ... Oh God Don!" She gasped realising what must have gone through his mind. "She's fine, she's doing so good they disconnected the monitors so I could give her a bath." Laura reached her hand up to his face and caressed his cheek. "You think if anything had happened I would have let you walk in here to find out? ... Here hold her see for yourself, then you can do Kieran's while I feed her."

Laura eased the baby into his arms as he kept his eyes glued to his daughter. He gently brushed her cheek and she quietened a little, easing the towel open a little he took her hand and she curled her fist around his finger and closed her eyes. Then he looked up at Laura. "You were crying?"

"Happy tears and hormones, that's all. I'm sorry we scared you. ... I didn't expect you back so soon."

"... Fraser let me off the statement after your call."

"When do you have to go back?"

"I got a three week pass."

"Three weeks? Whose strings did you pull?"

"Not me, Fraser and Mac. ... Are you OK?"

"Yeah." She turned to Kieran's incubator and reached her hand in to touch her son as he woke up. Don watched her for a moment, then eased his finger from Emily's grip and passed her to the nurse, then stepped over to Laura and rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Kat? What's up babe?"

"Nothing."

"Kaat?" He questioned, not believing her, as he ran his hands down her arms and circled her waist, pulling her closer. "Something's bugging you, come on, we'll take a break, you can tell me what went down."

She rested her head against him and sighed. "I'm fine, really. ... The doctor says I can go home."

Don kissed the top of her head with a big smile. "That's great babe."

"But I can't, not yet, I'm not ready, not on my own."

"You won't be on your own, I'll be there."

"... You don't get it. ... I can't leave them here without us."

"They'll be looked after. You need a break you've been down here almost all the time, ... going home for a few hours won't hurt."

"I ... don't make me leave them." Laura begged looking at him with tears in her eyes.

"Listen to me, you're tired and sore and a few hours at home away from everything here in your own bed will do you good. We can even manage that dinner we promised ourselves."

"But going home without them, Don their ours, we can't just walk out on them."

"You're not walking out on them, just taking a few hours a day to look after yourself."

"Laura, he's right. Kieran and Emily are doing well, you're exhausted go home for a few hours, just spend some time together. When your children are well enough to go home, you'll need to be prepared and well rested." Reassured the nurse holding Emily who was wriggling and whimpering.

"I can't, they need us here." Laura replied relieving the nurse of the baby girl and walking with her to the back room to feed her, ending the discussion.

Don turned to Kieran and rubbed his face, before reaching into the incubator. "Get used to it buddy, your mother's stubborn when she knows she's right."

The nurse was used to these reactions, especially from the mothers. She decided to give them something else to think about and talk to them later.

"Mr Flack, do you want to bath your son?"

"What you say K? Think we can show your Ma how it's done?"

A gurgling sound was all the reply he got.

Sorry this ended up a sort of filler, the muse and bunnies have deserted me this week! Reviews will help to get it flowing again.

I'm away next week with limited internet access. Will try and post another instalment soon though.