A/N Hey friends!! Here is my next chapter I'm not sure when chapter six will be out. I'm going to try to write it this week but I'm not sure how that is going to go. Thank you all for reading and reviewing you are awesome!

Thanks to lilly moonlight for looking over this.

Chapter 5

Oh Stella

Stella was tired. She hadn't been able to get much sleep since her little one started moving. Being five months pregnant she was defiantly feeling movements she even had a bump now which she hoped she was hiding by wearing slightly looser clothes and darker colors.

She had been spending a lot of time helping Don recover but since he had a month left until he went back to work when things could get back to normal.

The city seemed to have become crazier than usual which meant everyone was working more than usual.

She really didn't feel well but she got a page that there was DB in one of the subway stations so now there she was. The body looked like a dump job, the woman was laying on her back her throat slashed. There was very little blood so she didn't bleed out there. Stella put her kit down and opened it. She put on a pair of gloves and began to examine the body. It wasn't long when Hawkes walked up.

"Hey Stell what do we have?" He asked, crouching down besides her.

"It looks like COD was exsanguination but she didn't bleed out here so this is just the secondary dump site. I did find defensive wounds," she said, showing him the woman's arm.

"She fought back," he stated.

"She fought back hard but now we have to find out who thought she didn't fight hard enough," She said, seriously.

Hawkes began to take the overall photos as Stella continued on the body.

She was beginning to feel really sick as stayed crouched down. She felt the baby move under her arm as she continued to work. She began to feel dizzy. Air that's all she needed was some air. She slowly stood up to head for the subway's stairs she heard Hawkes call her name but she had to make it up the stairs all she needed was some air. She wrapped her arm around her stomach that started to cramp. She felt Hawkes grab her arm and she slowly turned around.

"Stella what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.



Then everything turned gray.

"I'm fine… I just need some… air" she slurred.

Then everything went black.

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Hawkes caught Stella before she hit the concrete platform. He then carefully lowered her on to the cold floor holding her head and shoulders in his arms as he kneeled beside her.

"Hey!" he called, to the officer securing the scene.

The officer ran over to them.

"You can't get radio contact down here so go upstairs and radio for a bus NOW!" he barked.

The officer ran up the stairs.

Hawkes began to look over his pale friend in his arms. He shifted his position slightly; he continued to hold her with one arm as he checked for a pulse with the other hand. He found a nice strong one under his fingers. He moved some curls from her face he could see dark circles under her makeup. He knew that she had been working a lot of hours. He moved down to her stomach he had seen her grab.

"Stella if you can hear me I'm going to press on your stomach. Let me know if I hurt you," he said, as he lifted her shirt.

He was surprised to see her stomach slightly swollen. He began to gently press down on her right side first then began to move around to the left. He was shocked when something bumped against his hand. He stopped his hand where it was and pressed down again to feel a bulge followed by another bump into his palm.

"Oh Stella," he gasped, as he removed his hand.

Now that he thought about it all the signs fit. She seemed more emotional and moody lately but he chalked it up as stress. She did seem to be snacking more than usual but then again some days he hardy saw her so he didn't how many times she had been to the snack machine. He was a little afraid when she stopped drinking coffee he thought something was wrong with it. He did think it was odd that she began to trade her usual heels for flats but who was he to tell her what footwear to wear. Yes she had hid her pregnancy well all but the fatigue. He noticed all the yawns, rubbing her eyes, the dark circles. Why hadn't he said anything? He would have rather have her mad at him for suggesting that Mac give her some time off than holding her exhausted collapsed body like he was now.



The EMT's brought the stretcher down the stairs.

"What happened?" asked one of the paramedics.

"She collapsed. I believe she is suffering from fatigue and dehydration. She is at least five months pregnant," he said, as they put her on the stretcher.

Stella moaned a little and her eyes fluttered but she did not wake.

"Ok let's get an IV started in the bus," the paramedic instructed, as they began to move the stretcher toward the steps.

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Stella slowly opened her eyes she could hear the steady beep of a machine by her bed. One machine was her steady heartbeat underneath that was another screen with a faster heartbeat on it. She looked down the see a wire connected to her stomach it was her baby's heart beat. She let a breath of relief that her baby was ok. She turned to see Mac asleep in a chair by her bed. He was slumped over with his head resting on his chest. His neck was going to hurt when he woke up. A nurse walked into the room.

"Good you're awake I'll go inform the doctor," the nurse said, then turned and walked back out the door.

She felt eyes on her. She turned to see a pair of intense grey eyes staring at her. She couldn't remember what really happened. She remembered not feeling well at the scene but that was all she could remember.

"What happened?" she croaked.

"You don't remember?" Mac asked.

"Not much I remember not feeling well and then nothing," she said.

"You collapsed and Sheldon caught you before you got hurt. You suffered from exhaustion and dehydration because all the hours you work, your five month pregnant body couldn't handle it," he said, his voice cold.

She looked down she couldn't stand the disappointed in his voice and eyes.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me Stella?" He asked, softly with hurt evident in his voice.

"Because Mac I didn't want people looking at me like a victim. Poor Stella had to shoot her boyfriend out of self defense and then found out she is pregnant. I didn't want people treating me like glass," she said, still looking down.

"You think I would treat you like glass?" Mac asked.



"I don't know Mac. I know that you wouldn't have let me work the hours I wanted" she said.

"Look where that got you," Mac said.

"I know I should have called in sick when I woke up not feeling well but I thought it was going to pass," she said.

Mac started to say something but stopped when the doctor entered.

Dr. Sara Collins was a young but respected OBYGN doctor. She was small in stature but she made up in attitude she didn't take lip from anyone from an angry doctor to a patients irate husband.

"Stella what did I tell you about staying hydrated?" Dr Collins said sternly as she walked to the bed.

Mac couldnt help but smirk at the fire the she mall doctors eyes, she wanted answers now. She then turned to him.

" Sara Collins." She said, holding out her hand.

"Mac Taylor," he said, shaking her hand.

She then turned back to Stella.

"Well," she demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

"I thought I had been," Stella said, sheepishly.

"Are you still getting sick a lot?" Dr. Collins asked.

"Not a bad as it was. I threw up this morning but that is the first time in a week," Stella said.

"Well since I don't like my patients passing out in subway stations so you know what I am going to tell you to do right?" Dr. Collins asked crossing her arms.

"Drink more fluids" Stella said, sighing she knew what was coming.

"Yes but you also have to cut back your hours and rest as much as possible that is not going to be a problem now is it? Dr. Collins asked, sternly.

"No it's not going to be a problem at all," Mac said, speaking for the first time.

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Don walked into the quite hospital; she was going home after the IV was finished. He was glad that she was resting peacefully. He knew they had both woke up in the middle of the night gasping from the horror of their dreams.



He slowly lowered himself into the chair by her bed. He was still sore from physical therapy, sometime he thought that it made him worse but he knew that wasn't true. He was lucky to be here and he knew it. He was glad that he didn't have to take the pain pills as much now, they made his head feel funny and made him sleep a lot. He was glad that his friends had been there to get him through the roughest part, especially Stella.

He could clearly see the small bump under her gown. A little girl grew in that bump. He had been shocked the day she had opened up so easily to him and told him about the baby.

After a month of being in the hospital Don was glad to be sleeping in his own bed, even if it was uncomfortable. His mom had insisted on staying with him until he was completely healed. So he was surprised when he woke up to the sound of someone throwing up.

"Ma," he called out, as he slowly sat himself up.

He was answered with a wrenching noise. Now he was really worried, his mom was rarely sick and now she was throwing up in his bathroom. He wondered if he should call his dad. He decided against it since it would take a while for his dad to travel from Yonkers to his apartment. He slowly got up and made his way to the hall bathroom, his pain was always worse in the morning. He was surprised to see Stella Bonasera curls hanging over the toilet.

"Stella?" he said, confused.

"Don, you don't need to be out of bed," her voice raw but still demanding.

"Sounds like you don't either," he said, sternly.

He watched as she carefully pushed herself up from the floor and walked over to him.

"I'm fine. Come on you need to get back in bed," she said, taking his arm gently.

He let her lead him back to the bedroom. She pulled backed the covers more and waited for him to get in the bed. He carefully got back into bed and she covered him up. He didn't want to admit it but just that little trip wore him out but he needed to talk to her. He grabbed her elbow as she turned to leave.

"Stell wait have a seat. Not that I don't mind but what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I came over for a visit and I told your mom that I would stay while she went to the grocery store," she explained, as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm going to ask again, Stella, and this time I want the truth. Are you ok? I know that it's not just something you ate so don't try that again," he said, sternly.

He was surprised when he saw tears in her eyes.



"Stell talk to me," he said, softly as he cupped her face so she would look at him.

That was when she told him everything. She told him about the nightmares and about the baby. How she managed to hide her pregnancy from some of the best detectives for two months and how scared she was to tell them. She told him that she did not want to be treated like a victim. It was like a dam of emotions had been released for Stella and Don was glad that he could be the one that she opened up to. Don was happy that Stella seemed to confined in him. She was so excited the day she brought over the sonogram picture show the baby was a little girl She made him promise that he wouldn't tell anyone especially Mac. She promised to tell him soon.

She kept telling him that she would tell Mac but it was never the right moment. So now he guessed three months later was the right time.He was surprised to see anger in her eyes when he looked up at the bed.

"Why are you here Don? You here to say I told you so?" Stella asked bitterly.

"I'm here as a friend, Stell," he said, softly as he touched her face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You had a rough day," he said.

She snorted.

"Mac pretty much put me on desk duty for the next four months or longer. Lindsay looked absolutely hurt that I didn't tell her. Hawkes somehow feels guilty for me passing out and Danny well he just kind of stayed away," she admitted, tearfully.

"Just give them a chance Stell," He said, still rubbing her cheek.