Previously –

"Sherlock I'll be back in 15 minutes, 20 tops, is there anything else you want?" Joan asks placing her scarf around her neck before fighting with her coat sleeve that refuses to let her arm through.

Sherlock appears in the hallway "Yes, please ask them for extra fortune cookies" he smiles whilst helping her into her coat

… Squinting her eyes she sees the upturned car, dropping her gloves she breaks into a run.

"Hello? Are you okay?" Joan shouts

"I can't, I can't get out I'm stuck" the girl cries

"I called for help they should be here soon just hold on"

… "I need to get out… I have too, I have to get out somethings wrong" she panics

"It's okay help is coming just…"

"No I, I'm pregnant and it, somethings wrong I have to get out" she cries

… "Miss? We're going to have to ask you to move over there whilst we cut her out" the fireman smiles politely but the worry in his eyes unease's her

Seeing a couple of paramedics rush over she lets go of Natalie's hand and moves to stand up.

"Joan?" Natalie panics turning her head

"It's okay, I'll be right over here, they're going to get you out. Try to lay very still for me okay"

Chapter 2

Joan looks on as they start cutting through the car before looking over at the coroner van, feeling a hand on her shoulder she snaps out of her revere.

"Miss?" an officer asks waiting for Joan to acknowledge him "I'm Officer Reynolds, do you know what happened here?"

Joan opens her mouth to speak. "Joan" hearing her name she whips her head around and spots Captain Gregson and Detective Bell walking over to her.

"Are you okay?" Bell asks looking her over for any sign of injury

"I'm fine." Turning back to the young officer "I don't know what happened, when I turned the corner the car was already upturned, I didn't see the other car" Seeing the paramedics strapping Natalie to a stretcher she runs over. "Can I ride?" receiving a yes she walks towards the ambulance before turning back to Gregson who followed her over

"Wait, Sherlock…" she starts but Gregson holds up his hand stopping her "I'll call him"

"Thanks" she smiles slightly. Getting into the back of the ambulance before it drives away

Gregson pulls out his phone and grimaces at Bell, when they'd gotten the call from a woman telling them Joan Watson asked her to call informing of an accident they'd thought the worst. Sherlock picks up almost instantly.

"Watson, if the extra fortune cookies are too much trouble just lea…"

"Sherlock, I need you to come down to Mount Sinai"

"Watson? Is she alright?"

Gregson hears the panic in Sherlock's voice There was an accident, don't worry she's fine…" Gregson calms before he is interrupted

"I'm on my way"

Sherlock stands frozen by the stairs, nervously his hands flex by his sides. He knew she should have been back earlier, 12 minutes earlier in fact.

Joan sits in the waiting room where she finally notices the blood on her hands, if she doesn't get it off soon it'll start to dry, she just stares at them for a while, snapping out of it when she hears someone calling her name.

Sherlock briskly walks through the ER, trying to locate his partner. "Watson?" he spots her in the corner looking intently at her hands "Watson" coming to a stop in front of her he looks down at her hands and back to her face, eyes searching hers. "Are you alright Watson?"

She nods slightly but then more forcefully when she notices the concern etched on his face. He sits down next to her and pulls out a handkerchief, he gently takes her hands into his and tries his best to wipe the blood off. Joan's mouth falls open slightly in shock, her eyes transfixed on his face watching his eyebrow crease in concentration.

"What happened?" he murmurs still looking down at her hands

"A van ran in to a car with two young girls in, Kate, she was already gone when I got there and Natalie, it doesn't look good, in the ambulance she… but she's pregnant" Joan sighs thanking Sherlock who has managed to wipe her hands clean. He leans back slightly and smiles at her sympathetically. "She's just a kid, it's not fair" she whispers

"You did what you could to help" he nods, she opens her mouth to protest but he cuts her off "I know you Watson, this was not your fault and you did everything you could"

"Family of Natalie Wilson?" A man in blue scrubs scans the waiting room

Joan jumps up and walks over to him "Is she okay?"

"Are you family?" He questions with a short smile

"No, I was with her in the ambulance" he nods at her

"Joan Watson?" he asks receiving a nod. He looks down slightly. That's never good.

"Natalie had lost a lot of blood, she had extensive injuries as well as internal bleeding. It was all too much on her body. I'm sorry we did everything we could"

Joan takes in a sharp breath and nods "The baby?"

"We delivered the baby before we began operating. She's been taken to the NICU. There is a nurse expecting you, she can answer any questions you have" smiling sympathetically he places a hand on her shoulder before going back through the double doors.

Turning around she almost bumps into Sherlock, not realizing he had been stood behind her. "Are you okay?" she smiles unconvincingly and he offers her his arm. She links her arm through his and leans in to him as they walk towards the elevators.

Joan walks in to the small room inside the NICU; having spoken to another nurse outside, she's been told a little bit about the situation regarding the baby girl. Pulling the hospital gown over her shoulders she walks slowly over to the incubator smiling at an older nurse whose name tag reads: Annie Matthews

"How does this all work?" Joan asks peering down at the sleeping baby, eyes tearing slightly and the sight of all the wires

"Well the easiest way to explain it is, it's sort of like stork drop adoption, were the adoptive parents get told about the baby right at the last minute. Natalie Wilson was adamant on signing her parental rights and guardianship over to you before they took her into surgery" Annie states reading the file

"She only just met me" Joan whispers confused "I, I have an unpredictable work schedule, I work with the police and I don't even have anything…" she trails off willing herself to calm down

"Natalie didn't have any family, she was an only child, both her parents had no siblings, they died in 2009 and her grandparents have both since passed on. If you choose not to take her, and that is an option" Annie soothes watching the younger woman "She will go to child protective services and most likely be placed with a foster family until an adoptive family is found, worst case scenario she ends up in the system" Joan's head whips up at the mention of this poor baby ending up in the system

"No" she shakes her head "I can do this" she turns back towards the little girl, her eyes roaming over her tiny frame

"So, what should I write on this little darlings tag?" the older nurse asks trying to lighten the mood

"Huh?" Joan mumbles tearing her eyes away from the small baby to look at Annie

"Her name?" she smiles watching Joan's face go blank

"Oh, um…"

"It's okay" she soothes patting Joan's hand "I can come back later" putting the 'Baby Girl' card back on the incubator

"Wait" Joan turns to smile at the woman "Elora" she watches Annie walk back over to pick up the pen, taking out the card again

"Elora Kate" she nods watching the nurse smile. Finishing up she places the card back on the incubator – Baby: Elora Kate, Mother: Joan Watson, DOB: 11/30/2015, Time: 22:13, Weight: 4lbs 2oz, Length: 17 inches

"She's tiny" Joan whispers

"She is, but she's strong. She's going to be okay" Annie soothes taking hold of Joan's shaking hand

"Are you sure?" she turns to look Annie in the eye

"Yes" Annie states confidently "Her breathing is fine; her eyesight and hearing is fine, the accident hasn't caused any injuries or problems. We're just going to keep her in the NICU for a couple of weeks due to her weight, normal procedure for premature babies. We've given her steroids to help develop her lungs. But as I said she is breathing completely fine on her own so you can sit and hold her" she smiles

Joan stares at her; she's a mother, of this tiny defenceless baby. She hadn't really thought about children, not for a while anyway what with her work with Sherlock…

"Sherlock" Joan whispers alarmed. "Can you stay with her a second? I'll be right back" walking back into the waiting room she sees Sherlock sat up straight with his head tilted back, mouth agape and fast asleep. She checks her watch and sees that she was in the NICU for over an hour.

I didn't realize how long had passed since i'd posted chapter 1, sorry 'bout that. Reviews are always most welcome :)