I came back to my senses hearing an argument - ok maybe that was too strong of a word. I came back to a disagreement or a debate going on about what to do about ME.

"She's unconscious," Bucky's voice sounded so tense and strained that I KNEW I had to tell him I was FINE. I had to or he was going to do something silly like - and I felt him start to lift me. "I should take her to the hospital."

Sarah's sigh was so damn loud and heavy that I had a feeling the debate had been going strong for a while. "Brooke's gonna be fine," I felt warmth, softer than Bucky's on my hand. "Look down, Bucky, her eyes are starting to twitch."

And they were, because I knew I'd rather NOT go for an unscheduled trip to a Louisiana ER over a fainting for nothing more than being freaked out over the possibility that I MIGHT be pregnant. Groaning, because I couldn't really speak yet, damn passing out really takes it out of a girl - I could feel Bucky's tension relax a bit.

"Brooke?" His lips brushed my temple and I fought to open my eyes - finally getting the damn things open so I could calm him down completely. "Oh, thank GOD." He exhaled so loudly that it startled me. Bucky Barnes LOUD. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I croaked out, feeling like I'd love to be vertical. "Could you help me sit up though?" He nodded and got me up, seated on his lap since he clearly wasn't ready to let me go just yet. Vertigo sucks, and sitting up had my stomach feeling far TOO full. I guess I turned a shade of green because Sam was handy with a bucket and THANK FUCK HE WAS because my head buried straight into it and - let's just say I didn't get to keep most of what I ate.

I couldn't actually HEAR the debate/argument/disagreement restart, not while I was emptying my stomach, but I knew it had restarted. As Bucky held me, his hand on my back - rubbing soothingly - the rest of him was as tense as when I came to. Once I felt safe to pull my head OUT of the bucket, and that GOD that moment came because EW - I begged them all to stop.

"Stop," it got quiet, the trio above me staring down, even Bucky who was holding me still had a height advantage. "Please." I was exhausted. From stuffing food into me, passing out, and then this - "Could we just not."

"You're sick," Bucky insisted, and his always a little cooler left hand brushed my sweaty hair off of my clammy face. "I knew something was off today."

"I'm fine," I assured him. He looked more than ready to argue, but I shook my head and managed to get both of my hands up to cup his face. "I am, Bucky. I just need to lie down and rest for a little bit."

Sarah told him to take me back to the hotel, a nap and the air conditioning might be just what I need to sort me out. "Go," she pressed, assuring both of us that we hadn't ruined the party. "Like a little fainting and puking could ruin one of our parties."

Sam laughed and moved the sick bucket away. "Trust me, this isn't half of what this bucket's gonna see before the end of the night." I cringed. "Come on, Buck, let me help you get Brooke to the car."

Bucky didn't need Sam's help to physically get me to the car, but he was helpful in clearing the path for him. And opening up the car for us once we got there. Bucky insisted on buckling me in, and on checking my clamming ass skin again and trying to convince me to let him take me to the hospital or a clinic - sighing I asked him to make ONE stop.

"A pharmacy?" He pulled out onto the street after we'd said our goodbyes to Sam, promising him to call if we needed him. And that we'd come by before we headed back to New York. "What do you need? Something for your stomach?"

I considered whether I felt strong enough to go in and grab it myself, but honestly I was clamming and gross and a little weak still. I could have asked Sarah - had her pick it up and have it ready and waiting for me to take before we headed home, but I hadn't thought of it. I'd have to tell him eventually - ESPECIALLY if it came out positive.

"Brooke?" He was parking in the lot of the pharmacy. Damn small town. "What do you need?"

Taking a deep breath, I turned to face him and saw how concerned he looked. "Don't freak out, OK?" He looked confused, but wasn't more tense, so I went on. "I need a pregnancy test."

Normally I was the blinker in our relationship. But my request made Bucky the blinker for once. And he stared at me and blinked. And blinked, and then squinted and opened his mouth like he wanted to ask something, but his mouth snapped shut and he blinked some more.

"Bucky?" He was staring at me, but I wasn't sure he was SEEING me anymore. "Buck?"

"A pregnancy test?" It came out in a breath and I nodded. "You need a pregnancy test?" Another nod. "OK." He wasn't moving, and his eyes were squinting again.

"Bucky?" Dear God, did I finally break him? "Should I go in?"

That snapped him out of it. "No," he blinked out of whatever fog he'd gone into with my request for a test. "No, Brooke, I'll go." He started to get out and stopped. "Is there a certain -" he considered what word to use. "Model I should get?"

I shook my head. "No, I think they all work the same." I had no fucking clue. I'd never had use for them. "Maybe more than one?"

It was his turn to nod. "OK." He started to go again, but stopped and turned back to me. "I love you, Brooke." I smiled, and he leaned over to kiss me, but I stopped him. "What?"

"Vomit breath, Buck." I offered him my cheek. "Trust me, we can wait until I brush my teeth." He chuckled, but kissed my cheek. Then he went off to buy multiple pregnancy tests.

When we got back to the hotel, it took all of my powers of persuasion to talk Bucky into letting me WALK to our room. He gave in only when I consented to letting him wrap his arm around me, in case I got another case of the fainting violets. The bag he brought to the car from the pharmacy was a tad bigger than I'd expected for a 'couple' tests, and when we were in our room finally I learned why.

He tossed them out and I prayed to a higher power that I could keep my eyes in their sockets. James Buchanan Barnes had gone into that pharmacy, asked the nearest salesperson for help, and then proceeded to BUY EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TEST THAT HE FOUND. Every single one.

"I wasn't sure, and they're all SLIGHTLY different." He was standing next to the bed full of tests waiting for my reaction.

My God, how did I find him? This amazing human being who would go to these lengths after being scared shitless in the car when I asked for ONE? I moved closer and groaned. Making his face drop like he'd done a horrible thing. "NO, Bucky -" I wanted to smack myself. "Give me one second, please?" He nodded and I practically sprinted to the bathroom to brush my teeth and gargle away the taste of vomit. Then I came back to where he was waiting. "Now, where were we?"

"I forgot about the vomit breath," he murmured as I came closer and wrapped my arms around him. "So I'm not the most ridiculous person you've ever met?" I smiled up at him as he hugged me tighter.

"Well, you kind of are," he rolled his eyes. "But I have a feeling I'm the same for you, so we're evenly matched." His chuckle was well worth the sprint that got the kiss that followed. When he pulled away, I sighed. "The ONLY issue with this pile, Bucky Barnes, is -" I turned and he kept his arms wrapped around me. "Which one do I try FIRST?"

Randomly picking ONE, I read the instructions and went to the bathroom with the tiny stick to pee on it. And then we waited. And waited. And waited.

Bucky had moved the spare tests off the bed and we were snuggled on it, and I wanted to know - we had rushed so damn fast into so damn much of our relationship - how HE felt about THIS.

"Bucky?" He hummed, his fingers were drawing those patterns on my arm that he always seemed to do when we were just holding one another. "If I AM -"

"If you ARE," I could feel his smile, even though his lips weren't against my skin for once. "If you ARE, Brooke, then you really are the best dream I never knew to ask for."

"Really?" I looked over my shoulder to see his face and he was smiling, and looking peaceful again. "Even though it's so soon?"

He laughed and kissed me. "Isn't that how our story runs?" The timer on my cell phone chimed and I started to get up, but he stopped me. "Can I?"

I bit my lip and nodded. Another kiss and he got up, letting me sit up against the headboard to wait to see what the verdict was - was I having a mini Bucky or was I just host to a really hungry stomach bug?

He didn't come out right away, which freaked me out, and the longer he took the more on edge I got. What if I was wrong? What if I'd gotten his hopes up and then NOTHING? Or what if we are and the reality of it just hit him and he wasn't as happy with the reality of it as he was with the possibility?

The toilet flushed and I nearly screamed. Honestly? He took a potty break? But when he came out, his face was blank. Nothing. Not good or bad and I was on pins and needles.

"Well?" I asked, wondering if I was going to have to jump out of the damn bed and sprint the fuck across the room to the damn bathroom and find out for myself.

He studied me and tilted his head. "Are we hoping for a boy or a girl?"