Chapter Text
Stella was fine.
At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.
Sure, she’d been extra tired lately—hitting snooze more times than she cared to admit, falling asleep halfway through their nightly Netflix binges.
And yeah, her stomach had been a little off—food just not sitting right some days. But it was flu season. They’d been running nonstop at the house.
The adoption paperwork was a nightmare. So, she was fine. Right?
Except Kelly wasn’t convinced.
“You okay, you look a bit pale?” he asked, leaning against the bathroom doorframe one morning as she stood at the sink, brushing her teeth with all the energy of someone scrubbing the floor.
“I’m fine” she mumbled, her voice muffled by the toothbrush. “Just tired.”
Kelly didn’t look convinced, but he let it go—for now.
The firehouse was as hectic as usual, but today, Stella was running on empty. She had barely eaten breakfast and couldn’t shake the lingering nausea. During a drill, Mouch tried to crack a joke to lighten the mood, but it only made Stella snap.
“Can we just focus here, please?” she bit out, her patience thinner than usual.
The crew fell silent, and Mouch raised an eyebrow, not used to Stella biting back like that. Herman, sensing the shift in energy, glanced between them before clearing his throat.
“Whoa, what’s gotten into you today? You on your time of the month or something?” Herman joked, giving her a lopsided grin.
Stella quickly shot back, trying to keep the situation light but still holding on to her frustration. “Ha. Ha. That’s actually so sexist, Herman.”
Herman chuckled. “What? I’m just saying, you’ve been a little... off today.”
Stella gave him a tight smile, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Yeah, well, it’s just because you two know how to get on my nerves.”
With that, she turned and walked away. “You guys keep at it, I need to check something,” she called over her shoulder.
The crew exchanged uncertain glances, Herman’s smile fading as he watched her go.
Mouch cleared his throat, watching Stella retreat. “Maybe we should lay off the jokes for a bit, Herman.”
Herman shrugged, looking genuinely confused. “No way, she’ll come around. She always does!”
But Stella was already gone, heading toward the locker room.
Later that night, she and Kelly were sat at the kitchen table, papers spread between them like a battlefield of forms and references.
Kelly couldn’t ignore it any longer.
She looked exhausted, he thought. Her skin, usually glowing, appeared a bit pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She still managed to look effortlessly gorgeous though. Her hair, which she usually kept neat, had started to fall out of place, a few strands loosely framing her face.
He gave her a long, scrutinizing look “Stel, it’s okay to admit you’re not feeling well. Maybe you’re coming down with something.”
“I’m just stressed,” Stella shrugged. “Work, adoption stuff, and you interrogating me about every little thing.” She flashed him a teasing grin.
Kelly smirked, raising an eyebrow. “My apologies, Lieutenant.”
But as they worked through more paperwork—more childhood questions, more references—Stella’s dizziness hit her again.
This time, when she stood to get another pen, the world spun. She gripped the back of the chair, her fingers digging into the wood as the room swayed around her.
“Babe?” Kelly’s voice snapped her out of the daze. He rushed to her side, his hand gripping her waist to steady her. “Sit down. You don’t look so good.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted, but even she could hear the crack in her voice.
“Stella, sit your stubborn ass down now.” She looked at him a bit shocked as he guided her to the sofa.
“Okay. Any better?” He asked, whilst going to get her a glass of water. “And don’t lie to me.”
“....Still dizzy,” she admitted, placing her hand on her forehead, clearly not okay.
“Okay, that’s it. No more work for today,” he said, packing up the pamphlets. “I am taking you to bed.”
“Well, I’m not complaining,” she grinned, trying to keep the mood light. “Lead the way.”
He looked at her with a “that’s not funny” look, but he was smiling a bit. He picked her up bridal-style and put her to bed.
A couple hours passed, and her dizziness was gone. They were curled up in bed, half asleep, when Kelly’s hand began wandering lazily under her shirt. His palm skimmed up her stomach, his fingers tracing the underside of her breast. But when his thumb brushed lightly against it, Stella flinched.
“Ow. Jesus, warn me first.”
Kelly’s brows shot up. “I’ve touched these a time or two before, you know. Since when are they off-limits?”
Stella swatted his hand away, laughing softly. “They’re not off-limits. They’re just—sore.”
Kelly opened his mouth to argue—but Stella wasn’t listening. Because her brain suddenly went into overdrive, connecting all the dots.
Tired. Nauseous. Sore boobs. And—
Her eyes widened, realization dawning on her.
“Oh my God,” she whispered.
Kelly turned, now fully alert. “What?”
“Herman made a joke this morning about my period…”
“Herman did what?” Kelly was taken aback.
“I’m late,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kelly blinked, his mind racing to catch up. “Late for…?”
“My period is late, Kelly.” Stella’s voice was sharp now, a touch of panic creeping in.
Kelly’s mouth went slack, the realization hitting him hard. “But—we’ve been careful, haven’t we?”
Stella’s mind started racing. “I mean, mostly? But there was that night after that fundraiser… and that morning after the shift from hell… oh, and when the power went out…”
Kelly stared at her for a beat, his jaw going slack before letting out a breathless laugh. “Jesus, Stella.”
“Don’t ‘Jesus, Stella’ me! You were there too!”
Kelly raised his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. So… what now?”
Stella swallowed hard, her voice barely audible. “It’s probably just from the stress, but I guess to be sure... let’s take a test.”
Kelly nodded, his brain scrambling to make sense of the situation. “Okay. Yeah. Let’s do that.”
They stared at each other for a moment, a silence stretching between them. The adoption paperwork lay forgotten, scattered across the table. A slightly hysterical laugh escaped from Stella.
“I swear to God, if I’m pregnant now—after all this—I’m gonna lose my mind,” she said, half-laughing, half-panicking.
Kelly grinned, walking over to kiss her forehead. “Either way, babe—we’ve got this.”
And with that, they grabbed their coats, laughing at the absurdity of it all, because apparently, pregnancy tests were now part of their date night.
Stella stared at the box in her hands like it might explode at any moment. The instructions were simple enough—pee on the stick, wait a few minutes, and then read the result—but somehow it felt like a life-or-death situation.
“I can’t believe this is happening right now,” she muttered, half to herself, half to Kelly, who was pacing anxiously in the kitchen.
“I’m just saying, it’s better to know than not know,” Kelly added.
“I’d argue it’s not,” she said, trying to joke but the fear in her was rising.
Her throat tightened as she glanced at the test, then back at Kelly, trying to force some semblance of calm. “Why is this taking so long…?”
Kelly paused, looking at her gently, sensing her panic. “Look, I know this is a bit sudden, but Stel, this could be a good thing, right?”
Stella’s breath caught, and she shook her head. “I guess, it’s just… it’s just that we had a plan… why would this—why would I—” She cut herself off, fighting back the panic that bubbled in her throat. In the beginning, she was a bit in denial, but now everything seemed so real, and it was starting to get to her.
Kelly stopped pacing, his eyes softening as he moved closer. He placed his hands on her shoulders, his voice gentle but firm.
“Baby, I get that. I do. But plans change, right?”
Stella’s chest tightened even more. She looked away, trying to force the lump in her throat down, but it was impossible to ignore.
“I just… don’t like losing control, Kelly,” she said, her voice shaking.
He didn’t let go of her, his hands pressing gently into her arms. “I know you’re a control freak," he teased with a half-smile, "but I don’t think that’s the only thing worrying you right now." His smile faded as his tone shifted, becoming more concerned. "What’s going on, Stel?"
Stella closed her eyes, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill. The truth had been eating at her for days, a constant knot in her stomach. She didn’t want to say it out loud—didn’t want to admit how much it terrified her—but she knew Kelly deserved to know. And maybe, just maybe, saying it aloud would release some of the fear.
“My aunt,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “When she had her last baby… she got postpartum depression. Bad. I didn’t even recognize her. She couldn’t take care of herself, let alone everyone else. And I—I had to step up. I had to be the one to take care of my cousins, to be the mom she couldn’t be. I’ve always been afraid… that I’d be just like her. That I’d lose myself, and I wouldn’t be able to handle it. That… I’d disappear.” She swallowed hard, the words feeling too heavy to get out.
Kelly’s heart broke for her. He gently cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheek as he tilted her head up to meet his eyes. “Stella, I had no idea… I’m so sorry. But you’re not your aunt. You’re not going to lose yourself. Not while I’m here.”
Stella shook her head, fresh tears blurring her vision. “But there is a genetic predisposition with PD. So, what if it happens to me as well?”
Kelly’s voice softened, a reassurance in every word. “Honey, if you need help, we’ll get it. You’re not alone. I’m going to be right by your side. I’ll make sure you’re okay, no matter what.” But before he could continue, Stella cut him off. His words were so sweet, but she couldn’t ignore what was going on in her mind. “Kelly, that’s really sweet, but there’s no way. If I am... I mean, if this is real...” Her voice trailed off, the weight of the thought hitting her all at once. She shook her head, trying to clear the fog of uncertainty. “Terminating the pregnancy... that doesn’t feel like an option. This is our baby. I just... I couldn’t do that.” She took a shaky breath, the overwhelming flood of emotions creeping in. “This is all so... overwhelming.” She didn’t want to be weak, didn’t want to let the fear overtake her, but in that moment, she couldn’t hold it in any longer.
She didn’t want to be weak, didn’t want to let the fear overtake her, but in that moment, she couldn’t hold it in any longer.
Kelly pulled her into his arms, holding her tight, letting her cry against his chest. He rubbed her back soothingly, his voice a soft murmur in her ear. “I’m going to make sure you never feel like you have to handle everything by yourself. We’re in this together, Stel. Always.”
Stella clung to him, her heart still racing, but somehow feeling a little lighter with each word. She couldn’t explain why, but hearing him say those things—so calmly, so sure of them—made her feel like maybe everything would be okay.
Her laugh was shaky, but she managed to get the words out between tears. “You promise to make sure I don’t lose my mind then?”
Kelly chuckled, brushing her hair out of her face. “You can count on it. But for now, I think I am losing my mind a bit.”
She smiled, finally feeling a little lighter. “Yeah, well, if you are, you’re doing a pretty good job of hiding it.”
“Maybe, but if you don’t go see what that test says, I might just faint,” Kelly teased, trying to keep the mood light.
Stella laughed, her tears subsiding. “Shit. The test.”
They had been so caught up in the conversation that they had completely forgotten about the test sitting on the bathroom counter.
They both rushed into the bathroom, Kelly’s hand resting lightly on her back. Stella picked up the test, still feeling a little dizzy from the whirlwind of emotions. She glanced at it, then at Kelly, her heart hammering.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Kelly just stared at the test, his brain clearly trying to process the news. Then, a slow grin began spreading across his face.
“Well... fuck,” he muttered under his breath, then broke into a full, breathless laugh.
Stella’s heart skipped a beat, and she glanced back down at the test. “It’s... positive,” she whispered, as if saying it aloud would make it real.
Kelly’s grin spread slowly, his breath catching as he processed it. “Very positive.”
Stella felt her breath catch, a mixture of joy and shock flooding her. “Oh my God,” she whispered, her voice full of awe. “I can’t believe it.”
Kelly pulled her into his arms again, his laugh echoing through the room. “We are having a baby.”