Racing Hearts

When Sarah's father returns to her life years later claiming he wants to make amends she struggles a bit with the decision of letting the man who once betrayed her into her heart again. Will her family make her see there's forgiveness after all? And how will she and Connor deal with tragedy as it strikes and a dark secret its revealed?

I own nothing.

Thanks to Eilis for helping me out with grammar :)

Connor Rhodes was now a father of five.

As he laid there with Sarah by his side, a week after they'd brought their new baby home, he thought of just how much his life had changed in the last 15 years since returning to Chicago.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked him, he'd thought she was sound asleep.

"Yep, I'm good."

"You do know we should be sleeping…"

"I know." He told her. "I was just thinking..." Sarah could sense the change in his voice, she moved closer to him as he began tracing small circles on her arm. "We met almost fifteen years ago this week."

Sarah turned to look at his bright blue eyes. "You've been home for 15 years?"

Connor nodded, glancing over at the clock. 2:30 AM

"Chicago was never my home, just the place I was born and grew up in. It stopped being my home after my mother died until I met you."

Sarah smiled. "You didn't know you would marry me that day, don't lie."

Connor laughed. "True, I was pretty lost back then, much like a certain fourth year Med Student."

"God, I was a joke."

"You were learning, it was just part of the process, you should have seen me when I first got to Guadalajara, 18 and barely understood two words, trying to dribble myself through Med School in another language, now that's pathetic."

Sarah bit her lip. "I wish I could have met you back then." She kissed him softly on the lips.

"You wouldn't have liked me, I was just a rich kid running away from his problems." He admitted sadly.

"That's all?" She joked. "You were just finding your way."

"And annoying the hell out of my father in the process."

Sarah smiled. "What did Sam say?"

Connor sighed. "He'll need long term care, Claire is searching for a nurse but he won't have any of it."

How the tables had turned, Cornelius's health had begun to decline in the last year or so and even though he and his father were never close, Connor would still force himself to check on him, even if it was just to give Claire some peace of mind.

"That sounds like him," Sarah said after a moment. "And the lawyer?"

"Claire has power of attorney, she'll have to make a decision." Connor said grimly. "I'm heading down there tomorrow."

"Do you want me to come? I can leave the baby with Amy." Connor bit his lip. "you don't have to do this alone."

"Are you sure? Connor asked. "This won't be like one of your patients. It's Cornelius."

"All the more reason babe, I can handle it, I promise." Connor leaned into another kiss.

"Thank you." He kissed her.

"Always." She smiled.

They laid there for a little while longer, neither of them being able to sleep. Connor had asked for the day off and Sarah had been on Maternity Leave at the practice so they really didn't have to worry about work.

"We should really..." Sarah spoke as a loud cry came from the crib next to the bed, she rolled out of quickly before the cries would wake up the other kids.

"Shh…" Sarah said softly, getting the fussy baby out of the crib. "It's okay, you're hungry, again aren't you?"

Another boy. Sarah had resigned herself to another girl early on, she'd been surprised Jamie had happened to be a girl, to be honest.

"Here, I'll take him," Connor said sitting on the bed and reaching for the bottle he'd gotten while Sarah soothed him, after the chaotic routine that triplets entailed, he and Sarah were experts.

"You want daddy, don't you Jake?" Sarah handed the baby to him, Connor gave him the bottle as they both watched him eat.

Another set of sparkling blue eyes, Jamie and Ollie were the only ones who'd gotten Sarah's color of eyes.

Their friends would all make fun of the way all their kids were all mini versions of themselves and their names seemed to fit just right, they just really loved the way they worked, Connor and Sarah were both very strong names but their kid's came with their own special meanings.

"Are you sure you want to come tomorrow? Things could get ugly."

"Connor, you're being overprotective again, I can handle it, trust me, I can alright?"

"I know, I just don't want to drag you into this." He admitted. "You and the kids."

"You're talking to me as if I don't know what I'm getting myself into, I'll be fine." Jake looked at Connor as he ate and somehow that soothed him.

He might not have had a good father himself but if his kids had taught him anything it was that you could always be a better version of yourself.

Mornings at the Rhodes household were fast-paced and loud, much like the ED had been for the early days of Sarah's medical career.

"Mommy!"

"Mom, have you seen my…"

"Dad!"

"I won't ever learn this? I suck at Math." It was the week before summer break and for their almost 11 year old triplets, exams were in full force.

"You don't suck, you just have to focus Luke, you know all this," Sarah assured him as she held her two month old close. "You're going to be fine and when you do, we'll all go for ice cream okay?"

"Dad!" Finn sighed frustrated "Did you see my…"

"Here, don't lose it, it's half the grade," Connor said as he handed Finn his newly printed report.

"We are going to be late again, aren't we?" Ollie said coming down and swinging his backpack over his shoulder.

"Why don't you go check on Jaime? Make sure she put on the right shoe this time?" Sarah begged as she totted Jake who'd began to fuss.

"You almost ready buddy? We have to get going." Luke groaned, getting the last bite of his toast and jumping off the booth on the kitchen island.

"Good luck baby, you'll do great, I promise." Sarah smiled. Luke gave her a small half smirk and headed out behind Connor who gave him a small pat on the head and called on Ollie and Finn. "He'll be fine, right?"

Connor smiled at his wife, kissing her both she and Jake as he went.

"Yes, he will, love you, see you in a bit?"

Jamie was already ahead bossing her older siblings to hustle by the time Connor made it out the door.

Sarah smiled to herself, she was thankful her little girl was so strong willed and not shy as she had been as a child, it helped her with 3 big brothers to deal with.

Amy arrived about 15 minutes later and it gave her time to shower and be ready by the time Connor came back to pick her up.

"Coffee?" He offered with a grin getting out of the car.

"You're the best." He opened the door for her "How did it go?"

"He was a trooper, me? Not so much." Sarah said. Whoever said being an expert in psychology made it easier to parent was wrong.

It broke her heart, all the same, to leave the fifth baby so soon for a grownup outing. "Are you okay?" She asked her husband as he drove, her hand never leaving his.

"I will be." He assured her.

They drove over to Connor's childhood home, in truth they'd been here more in the past few months than in the time they'd been married.

"I was starting to worry you'd stand me up." Claire came out to meet them as they parked Sarah's Van. "Sarah?" Claire asked surprised.

She smiled at her sister in law, entering the house, no the mansion hand in hand with Connor.

Ready to face everything.

Ok so I've played with this chapter for a while, I thought it fitted here as a en epilogue. Let me know you guys! I'm already playing with a sequel idea.

Thank you all for the support and love on this story, let's hope Rheese becomes real in s4 :)