Thanks for all the reviews! And an especially big thank you for ALISA123 for helping with the male pregnancy. You'll all get the facts in this chapter and please remember that this is fiction, lol.

-I-

Horatio splashed some water in his face and sighed. He had thrown up at work… again. Luckily his doctor's appointment was today and he hoped to get some answers. He was at work early, well earlier than he usually was and he usually was there before everybody else. He couldn't sleep and it hadn't gotten any better when Elvis had demanded that he'd cuddle with him in the middle of the night. The cat was crazy.

Mac had suggested that Elvis was just looking after his master and that he could sense that Horatio was sick, but the redhead didn't quite buy it. His bad mood caused him to think negative about everything, and he was sure that Elvis woke him up in the middle of the night on purpose.

Horatio left the men's room and walked to his office; he was surprised to find Alexx there waiting for him.

"Hi Alexx. What brings you here at five in the morning?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Alexx said.

"I couldn't sleep."

"I'm driving you to your doctor later."

"Alexx-"

"Don't Alexx me; you're too tired to drive." Alexx said firmly, with a tone that didn't allow any room for argument.

"Okay." Horatio sighed and entered his office.

Alexx stayed with him like a hawk and forced him to eat breakfast. She even stayed with him when the breakfast came back up and he had to rush to the men's room again. She was in full mother hen mode, and there was no stopping her from taking care of her oldest baby as she called him.

When the time finally came for Horatio to go to his doctor, Alexx drove him and even waited outside the room for him, so she could drive him back. The doctor, a young woman named Melinda Carter, did a quick exam since she was fairly sure what was wrong with her patient.

"I suspect that you might be pregnant." Doctor Carter said.

"Pregnant?" Horatio exclaimed.

"Yes. You have all the signs of a pregnancy."

"I can't get pregnant."

"Why not?"

"I just can't." Horatio said, "I would know if I could get pregnant."

"Some men never find out if they can." Doctor Carter smiled, "Let me take a blood sample, it's the best way to find out if you are indeed pregnant."

Horatio nodded and just let Doctor Carter to whatever she needed to prove that he was not pregnant. He couldn't be. But if he was… what would Mac say?

-I-

Doctor Carter had said that the test would take a few hours but that she had put on top of the list, so he should get an answer by the end of the day. Horatio couldn't focus. Her words were stuck on his mind; pregnant. I suspect you might be pregnant.

Horatio shook his head and tried to read the file on his desk. He just couldn't be pregnant. He couldn't. He had always wanted children, but never thought he could get pregnant. He should know, if he could get pregnant.

When he had told Alexx about the Doctor Carter's suspicion, she had agreed with her. Alexx admitted that that had been on her mind the last couple of days, but she hadn't wanted to jump to conclusions. Now the news spread through the team, luckily not the whole lab because if it did then soon the entire department would know about Doctor Carter's theory of Lieutenant Caine being pregnant.

"Lunch." Frank said and smirked as Horatio nearly jumped out of his skin.

Frank put a sandwich on the desk and then sat down on the guest chair across Horatio's desk with his own sandwich. Horatio looked at the lunch Frank had bought for him. The mere thought of eating made him nauseous and he sighed.

"Eat. Even if you throw it up later you have to eat." Frank said and took a big bite out of his sandwich.

Horatio picked up his lunch and took a tiny, tiny bite out of it. Frank chuckled.

"It's not going to bite back."

Horatio smiled and took a bigger bite. He suddenly felt very hungry, but still knew he'd soon be running to the men's room.

"So, pregnant huh?" Frank asked.

"Maybe."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what my ex-wife said every time she got pregnant too." Frank said, "Seriously Horatio, haven't you always wanted kids?"

"Yes."

"So a pregnancy is a good thing."

"What about Mac? We've never discussed it. What if he doesn't want kids?" Horatio said.

"I think I can safely say that I know Mac Taylor well enough to know that he loved children as much as you do." Frank said, "You worry too much. It's not good for the baby."

"Okay, stop saying that!" Horatio snapped, "The doctor suspects that I might be pregnant. Nothing has been confirmed. I'm not going to go shopping for a crib, clothes or toys based on a suspicion."

"Alright, you're right. I'm sorry." Frank said.

Horatio sighed and let his head rest again his desk. After eating half of his sandwich he and Frank went to the break room to get some coffee. The rest of the team was there.

"Should you be having coffee if you're-" Ryan started but when Frank shook his head no, he stopped talking.

Horatio clenched his fists as he stood by the coffee machine and sighed heavily.

"If I am pregnant I probably shouldn't have coffee, no. If." Horatio said and turned around to face his team.

The look in his eyes told them he really didn't want to discuss his possible pregnancy right now. He jumped when his phone rang and he swallowed hard when he saw Doctor Carter's number on the display.

"Horatio." He answered.

The team watched as Horatio went pale as a ghost. He swayed and Frank grabbed his arm with a concerned look. Suddenly his eyes rolled back and his knees gave out. Frank managed to grab a hold of him before he hit the floor and the team rushed to Horatio's side. On the phone Doctor Carter was calling his name.

Frank grabbed the phone.

"This is Detective Tripp, I'm afraid that Horatio has passed out." Frank said, "What kind of news did you give him? Because that man has never passed out before."

"Well, my suspicion was correct. He's pregnant." Doctor Carter said.

-I-

Mac had taken the first flight he could find down to Miami after he had found out that his lover had passed out in the lab. He feared the worst; some fatal virus. And since Horatio's team wouldn't tell him why he passed out he was panicking. The team felt that Horatio should be the one to tell Mac about their coming parenthood.

Mac was picked up at the airport by Eric and driven straight to the hospital where the rest of the team was waiting. Doctor Carter was inside the room with Horatio still. It had only been a few hours since Horatio had received the news about his pregnancy, and half that time he had been unconscious.

"Is he okay?" Mac asked.

Alexx saw how worried he was and that his hands were shaking so she led Mac to a chair so he could sit down.

"He's fine." She smiled.

"Then why is he in the hospital?"

"I think he should be the one to tell you that." Alexx said.

Mac took a deep breath and when a young doctor approached them he stood up.

"I'm Doctor Carter; I'm taking care of Horatio." The woman smiled, "He's fine and he's waiting for you, Mister?"

"Detective Mac Taylor." Mac said and shook the doctor's hand.

Doctor Carter smiled and took Mac to a room just down the hall. She let Mac enter alone, since she figured the two lovers would need some time alone. By the look on Horatio's face when she had performed an ultrasound to see how many weeks pregnant he was, she knew he was in shock and scared. It was understandable to be scared when you were faced with a sudden pregnancy.

Mac rushed to Horatio's bed and hugged him hard. Horatio smiled and relaxed, now that his lover was with him. When they parted Mac gave him a kiss and then sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's nothing serious."

"What is it then?"

Horatio paused and gave Mac a photograph. Mac gasped when he saw the photo. He knew what it was.

"I'm seven weeks pregnant, Mac." Horatio said quietly.

"Pregnant?"

"Yes. I'm sorry. We've never talked about it and I didn't even know I could get pregnant." Horatio said.

Mac stayed silent for a moment, just looking at the photo of their child. His and Horatio's child; their baby.

Male pregnancy was maybe not as common as female pregnancy, but people had known about it, as long as they had known that women could pregnant. What scientist couldn't explain was why some men were able to get pregnant, while others were not. The scientists knew that the baby was just as normal as in a female pregnancy, and that the men got pregnant by having penetrating sex with another man. The baby was born through the rectum (yes, as disgusting as it may seem, that's how it was done) and the male pregnancy and labor was in fact just like the female one apart from how the baby got out.

As for nursing the child, well, men didn't produce milk so they had to use substitutes.

Horatio had never known he could get pregnant.

"You never knew?" Mac asked confused.

"No."

"But you've had boyfriends before me, right?"

"Yes, but those relationships had never lasted very long. My old partners and I always used condoms because we never got past being together more than a month and therefore we never got comfortable enough with each other to not use condoms." Horatio sighed, "I guess I was lucky that a condom never broke or I might have gotten pregnant sooner."

Mac hugged his lover and gently put a hand over his flat belly. To think that they would be parents in a few months was unbelievable. Mac had seen plenty of pregnant men throughout his life, but he had never thought that he'd be a part of it like this. He was… happy. Nervous and worried for his lover, but happy. He was going to be a dad and he was going to share it with the man he loved.

"Do you want this child Horatio?" Mac asked.

"Yes." Horatio whispered, "But I'm scared. I mean, can you really picture me having a big belly later on? Or going through labor? Or even having all the pregnancy hormones?"

"Yes." Mac smiled, "I'll be with you all the way."

Horatio gave him a small smile and Mac pulled him in for a kiss. They were going to be okay.

Mac was scared too. Scared for Horatio's health. He knew he would be like a nervous mother hen the whole pregnancy and it would most likely drive the other man nuts form time to time.

"We're going to have a baby." Mac smiled, "Wow."

"You really think we can do it?"

"Of course." Mac said, "We can do it. I know I will drive you nuts with all my mothering-"

"You'll become the male version of Alexx." Horatio chuckled.

"True. But you're my love and you're carrying our child, so of course I'll worry about you." Mac smiled and caressed Horatio's cheek.

"I think I'll drive you crazy with all my hormones." Horatio grinned.

There was a knock on the door and Alexx peeked inside. When she saw the two men smile, she opened it wider and Mac and Horatio noticed the team standing outside.

"Can we come in?" Alexx asked.

"Of course." Horatio grinned.

The team happily entered the room and Mac showed them the picture of the baby in Horatio's belly.

"Aw, this is just too cute. I mean you'll be the first pregnant man I know and I will totally melt when you get a baby bump." Calleigh said and even had tears in her eyes.

Calleigh hugged Horatio and wiped a few tears away as they fell. Even Alexx was teary-eyed. To think that Horatio who had longed for a family for so many years was finally going to have it was amazing.

"We'll get a new brother or sister out of this." Ryan smiled, "And we'll get to witness some amazing things too."

"Yeah, the child growing up." Alexx said.

"I was thinking more of the hormones, Mac being a nervous wreck once it's time for labor, not to mention both of them chasing after the kid once he or she learns to crawl and walk." Ryan said.

"Yeah, I know how my sisters got when their children learned that. One minute the kids were next to them and the other they were already halfway out of the house." Eric grinned.

Horatio and Mac looked at Alexx for confirmation and unfortunately she could only nod. She had had the same "problem" with her own children when they were younger.

"We'll go home and leave you two alone now." Alexx said, "I think you need it."

"Thank you all." Horatio smiled, "I'm glad to have you as family."

"We're glad to have you as family as well, H." Eric smiled.

They all waved goodbye and the women hugged both men before leaving them alone again. Horatio sighed and looked down at his belly. In a few weeks it would start to grow. He still couldn't imagine himself with a baby bump.

"Let's go home." Mac smiled, "We have to start planning on where to put the nursery."

"The guest bedroom would be perfect." Horatio said.

"Great. We have so much to buy and make ready for our baby." Mac grinned.

Horatio just chuckled and gave Mac a kiss.

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