Author's Note: Okay, so I had a certain stopping point in mind for this chapter, but it kept getting longer and longer and longer… so I decided to break it up into more manageable chunks, which also means you won't have to wait forever for an update.
Five weeks later...
Nell tried to be courteous, what with the three hour time difference and their insane schedules, and only call Danny at what would be considered civilized hours for him, which often meant some torturous waiting if she were eager to talk to him, to see his beautiful, expressive face -which she missed so fiercely at times that it was a physical ache in her chest. Yet, to be perfectly honest, she sort of relished the rare excuse to call him in the morning before she went into work and wake him up. She never squandered the opportunity, always made sure she called him via a videochat service. Because, oh god, a just-rolled-out-of-bed Danny Williams was a deliriously delectable sight. His normally obsessively kempt hair was in disarray, ruffled and sticking out in places, the dark blonde stubble on his chin just a little thicker, making him scruffy and oh-so-yummy. And if she were very lucky, if it were a deep sleep she'd jarred him from, he might even forget to throw a shirt on, letting her eyes feast upon his bare torso, his toned arms and trim chest and stomach, remembering the feel of his skin beneath her fingers, the shape of his body, the surprisingly soft curls of hair covering his chest and trailing down his stomach.
Still, she couldn't let such selfish needs be the cause of trouble for him. She worried about him. How could she not? Even knowing that his complaints about his partner were superficial, that Steve McGarrett got Danny into some pretty dangerous situations, but the SEAL had his best friend's back no matter what, that he would do everything in his rather impressive abilities to keep the detective safe. But even so, if Danny got hurt because he was too tired, because she'd disturbed the full night's sleep he needed to stay alert... No. She couldn't lose him. Not now. She needed him.
And she needed to talk to him. Right now. Sleeping on it, waiting for some revelation hadn't worked.
His voice was gravelly when he answered her call, and the sound of it stirred up a different kind of need. And god, he'd also neglected to put on a shirt. She tried to focus on his face, which thankfully filled up the screen as he moved closer to the laptop's camera. Except his slate blue eyes always did it for her, too. The affection his image conjured in her was a physical reaction, a pulling sensation, a longing deep in her belly, which was wholly inappropriate given, well, everything.
/What's wrong?/
Was it that apparent on her face?
"I need to tell you something, Danny."
The grogginess was leaving his expression, replaced by concern.
/Are you alright, Nell? What is it?/
"I... I had a doctor's appointment yesterday."
It was an extreme rarity, and all the more unsettling for it, when Danny said nothing, just looked at her, his blue eyes wide and worried.
"A...uh... medication I'm on was recalled."
/Recalled? It.. it didn't give you cancer or something?"
"Something," Nell said, finding it difficult to tell him even though he seemed quite worried about her. His look of concern was transformed to one of confusion. Just, just do it. "And technically, it didn't give it to me. You did."
He frowned, his brow furrowing.
/Nell, I never lied to you. I couldn't have given you the pox or plague or-/
"Danny, it was my birth control. There was a defective batch, missing one of the active chemicals..." She caught herself before she fell into a full rambling, unnecessary exposition of the facts that had her in a near panic-attack. "Long story short, I'm pregnant."
Relief. Instant relief, like she'd shed the massive weight off her shoulders that had been crushing her into the ground, one that she'd been carrying since the doctor informed her of the results of the initial pregnancy test they'd run. She'd asked how accurate the test was, surreally calm even though she was freaking out inside. Apparently, pretty goddamned accurate. But they were running a blood test, too, which maybe she should've waited for its confirmation, but she was a buzzing swarm of nerves inside. And the look on Danny's face was enough to silence her worries, calm her nerves, lift the oppressive weight.
Because he broke out into the biggest, most stunning of smiles she'd ever seen, on her lover's face or any other's.
"Are you serious?" he asked, trying to school his beaming grin and failing entirely. "I mean, you're certain you're having my baby?"
"It couldn't be anyone else's, Danny," Nell said, feeling a little hurt that he'd suggest such a thing, until she saw the alarm on his face.
"That's not what I meant, babe. Not at all. I'm sorry. I'm a doofus sometimes. It's just you've really caught me off guard. But I suppose that's how you've been feeling, since you never expected to get knocked up. And god, how do you feel about this? Are you okay? Did they run a blood test yet? Or do a sonogram?"
Nell was smiling, too, by the time the father of the baby growing inside of her completed his typically verbose monologue, replete with exaggerated hand motions.
"They only did a urine test," she said. "So it could be a false alarm. But I only found out yesterday at my appointment that my birth control was part of the recalled batch. The blood test results will be back in a week or so."
The nurse said she'd turned quite pale, which Nell had never thought would be noticeable on her already extremely fair complexion. But admittedly, she'd gone suddenly very light-headed and had to lie down. To prevent a full-blown panic attack in one of their patients, the doctor had offered to perform the hCG test immediately so that Nell would know one way or the other. But a secondary confirmation just to be sure would erase any doubts.
Five weeks pregnant. The quick urine test was not specific at all. But she could've told the doctor the date she'd conceived, narrowed to a range of three days. It was the only sexual encounter she'd had in going on two years. And if her life had to include an accidental pregnancy, then of the handful of lovers she'd had, Danny Williams was by far her first choice to be the one to knock her up. Which was a bit of a lie. Because he wasn't just her first choice of the half-dozen men she'd slept with in her life, but of all the men she'd ever met. Frankly, he was her first choice of all the men in the world, her only choice.
Or maybe it wasn't a choice at all... It was Danny. It would always be Danny.
"Are you...uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck, gave her that rare little boy timid look, apparently made uncertain by they way she'd turned silent and contemplative. "...Are you happy, Nell?"
Was she?
She felt the smile curving her mouth, placed a hand on her still flat stomach, studying it but not detecting the nascent life within her. Looking up she was met by Danny's gorgeous eyes like blue steel, and his attractive, expressive face, all gentleness and affection.
"Yes. I'm happy." Suddenly, inexplicable anxiety gripped her. "Are you happy? I mean, about having a baby with me?"
"I'm not sure it's fully sunk in yet," Danny said. "But, yes, I'm happy. I never thought I'd have another kid. Not that I wanted one. I mean, not that I didn't want one, don't want this one. It's just that Grace-"
"-is enough," Nell finished for the normally eloquent but currently out-of-sorts detective. Why would waking him up in the early hours of the morning in order to spring shocking, life-altering news upon him leave him anything but discombobulated? "I know how much you love her. You're a good father, Danny. And, honestly, knowing that is helping me not to freak out so badly."
Danny nodded. How much had the world beaten him down that the man just didn't seem to know how to take genuine compliments? Well, Nell knew precisely the kind of rocky, painful journey his heart had been subjected to, that even now that he was in a good place, with friends that were closer than family, a good relationship with his pre-teen daughter, and possessing Nell's love (at least she hoped that he considered that a good thing), he was always anticipating heart ache.
"Whatever you need, Nell," he said. "Just ask. I'll be there. Foot rub. Back rub. Pickles and ice cream. A pizza from Ray's. I'll travel halfway across the world and back to bring it to you."
Nell smiled. "I know you would. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. It's still early yet."
Danny, having gone through the childbirth process previously must know as well as her that 30% of pregnancies ended in miscarriage, the majority before the woman even knew she was pregnant. And that almost all miscarriages happened in the first trimester. So, even if the blood test confirmed the pregnancy, it was still too early to make solid plans... to become too excited or involved. Nell didn't want to experience that sort of heartache, and even though it was likely not possible, was going to try not to become too invested in the impending child before matters were more certain.
"Well, keep me updated," Danny said, his smile turning bittersweet. "And maybe I can find the time to get out there for some of your appointments? If that's something you'd like me to do."
A pleased warmth filled her over the knowledge that he wanted to be there with her, that he was a little sad that there was half an ocean between them. And the thought of him sitting beside her, holding her hand, as the doctor examined her parturient womb, watching an ultrasound generate an image of the infant within... It was immensely comforting. Because despite his ability to formulate an extremely solid rant, his presence was somehow calming. Perhaps because he was one of the most reliable, loyal and compassionate persons she'd ever met.
A/N: Yeah, I went there… the cliché accidental pregnancy route. And they seem to be mostly happy about it. But is it really going to be so easy for them…?
