The night passed slowly for Adam. He couldn't fall asleep, his mind racing with thoughts about Jay and the possibility of pregnancy. Every now and then, he'd glance over at his sleeping partner, watching the rise and fall of his chest.

The hours ticked by, and gradually, dawn began to lighten the sky outside the curtains. Jay stirred beside him, his eyes fluttering open.

"Mmph," Jay mumbled, his voice groggy with sleep. He rolled onto his back and blinked up at the ceiling, disoriented and still half-asleep.

"Hey, baby," Adam murmured, his hand moving to rub Jay's shoulder. "You waking up?"

"Mmmhm," Jay confirmed, rubbing his eyes with his hand. He looked over at Adam, his eyes still bleary. "What time is it?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Early," Adam replied. "Sun's just come up."

He pushed himself up on his elbow, looking down at Jay. His eyes roamed over the other man, taking in his mussed hair and the way his sweater was slightly rucked up, revealing a sliver of skin between it and his sweatpants.

"Too early," Jay grumbled, closing his eyes again. He looked like he was about to drift back to sleep, but then his eyes snapped open.

He sat up suddenly, wincing at the movement. "I feel..." he said, then stopped as a hand went to his stomach.

Adam was immediately on alert. "What? What is it? Are you okay?" he asked, his hand instinctively reaching out towards Jay's stomach.

Jay took a deep breath, then shook his head. "Just...nauseous," he said, grimacing. He gingerly pressed a hand to his stomach, which seemed to be doing somersaults. "And...I think I need to..." he trailed off, his face turning a shade of green.

Alarm bells sounded in Adam's head as he watched Jay turn green. "Bathroom. Now," he ordered, springing into action. He grabbed Jay's hand and literally hauled him out of bed.

Jay stumbled on his feet, still unsteady as he was half dragged-half led to the bathroom in their apartment.

Once inside, he fell to his knees in front of the toilet and hurled. Adam hovered anxiously behind him, rubbing his back in soothing circles as the man emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet bowl.

Jay was sweaty and panting when he finally finished, his forehead resting against the rim of the toilet. He felt clammy and weak, his entire body shaking.

Adam crouched down beside him, his hand still rubbing his back. "You okay?" he asked, his voice gentle. "Think you're done?"

Jay grimaced, spitting into the toilet. "I...I think so," he managed to say, his voice raspy. He sat back, leaning heavily against the wall. "I...don't know what's wrong with me. I've felt crappy all week."

Adam handed him a glass of water from the sink, his expression filled with concern. "Yeah, I've noticed," he said gently. "You've been off for a while now."

He sat down on the floor beside Jay, watching him carefully. "There's something I wanna ask you, okay?"

Jay blinked at him, still feeling fuzzy from the nausea. "Yeah?" he prompted, taking a sip of water to soothe his raw throat.

Jay blinked at him, still feeling fuzzy from the nausea. "Yeah?" he prompted, taking a sip of water to soothe his raw throat.

Adam took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "I talked with Kim last night after you went to bed," he began. "She said something that...well, it got me thinking."

Jay's brow furrowed slightly as he tried to process what Adam was saying. "What did she say?" he asked, his voice slightly wary.

"She said...well, she said a couple of things," Adam continued, choosing his words carefully. "She said that when she was pregnant, she was more emotional, with random crying fits and weird cravings. Said it was all hormones."

Jay's eyes widened as Adam spoke, the implication of the words slowly sinking in. "What are you getting at?" he asked, his voice betraying a hint of nervousness.

Adam reached out and took Jay's hand, squeezing gently. "I know it's early, but...I have to ask, baby. Could you be pregnant?"

The room fell silent, both men locked in a tense stare. Jay's mind was a flurry of thoughts and emotions.

Pregnant? Did he possibly have a baby growing inside him?

He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly feeling very dry. "I...I don't know," he whispered, his voice shaking. "It's...too early to know for sure, right?"

Adam nodded, his thumb gently rubbing over Jay's knuckles. "Yeah, it's still early," he agreed, "but if so...it would explain a lot."

He smiled faintly, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere. "The throwing up? The exhaustion? The emotional rollercoaster?"

As the idea of pregnancy began to sink in, a new set of worries crept into Jay's mind. "But...I'm a cop," he protested, his voice laced with concern. "How could I possibly be pregnant and still do my job? It's not safe."

Adam's expression softened in understanding. "I know, baby," he said gently. "But it's too early to worry about all that yet. First, we need to find out if you are pregnant for sure. A test can tell us that."

Jay looked down at their intertwined hands, his thoughts racing. "But...what if I am?" he asked, his voice trembling. "What am I supposed to do? I can't very well chase down suspects or get in shootouts if I'm...expecting."

Adam smiled reassuringly. "We'll figure that out," he said, his voice soothing. "If you really are pregnant, there are options. You could get a desk job, or...I don't know." He stopped himself, realizing that he was getting ahead of himself. "But first, we need to know for sure. So...can I ask you something, baby?"

Jay gave a slight nod, looking as though he was steeling himself for something. "Yeah," he managed, his voice hushed.

Adam took a deep breath, preparing himself. "Do you think you can handle taking a test? I know you're feeling rough right now, but...we need to know, baby. For sure."

Jay's heart rate picked up at the mention of the test. The idea of knowing for certain whether or not he was pregnant was both exciting and terrifying. He was feeling shaky, both physically and emotionally, and the thought of standing up and moving to the bathroom seemed like a monumental effort. But he knew he had to do it.

"Yeah," he managed to say, his voice sounding more certain than he actually felt. "I...yeah. I can do it."

Adam helped Jay get to his feet, supporting him as they made their way out of the bathroom and towards the bedroom. Jay's legs felt wobbly, his head still spinning from the bout of nausea. He leaned heavily on Adam, grateful for the steadying hand on his arm.

Kevin glanced over at Adam as they drove, a curious look on his face. "Hey, man," he said, "You've been kind of distracted lately. Something going on?"

Adam blew out a breath, his mind still preoccupied with Jay's recent illness. "Ah, yeah," he admitted. "Just been taking care of Jay, y'know? He's been feeling pretty shitty lately."

Kevin's eyebrows raised in concern. "Oh, for real? Is he okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, he's tough," Adam said, a slight smile on his face. "Just been sick as hell. Lots of throwing up, tired all the time. And man, his emotions are all over the place. He's a real sensitive mess right now."

Kevin chuckled at the description. "Sounds like a real bundle of joy," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. "But seriously, is he okay? Have you guys seen a doctor or something?"

They walked through the doors of the pharmacy together, and Adam immediately felt a sense of relief in the cool, sterile atmosphere. The fluorescent lights shone brightly overhead, illuminating the rows and rows of medication. Two women manned the check-out counter, chatting amicably amongst themselves as they sorted the medications.

"Alright," Adam said to Kevin, his voice low. "We're here to get something specific."

Kevin gave him a curious look as they approached the pharmacy counter. "What kinda something specific?" he asked, trying to peer over the counter at the inventory.

Adam glanced towards the women behind the counter, making sure their conversation was low enough to be private. "We need a pregnancy test," he murmured, hoping the women didn't overhear.

Kevin's eyes widened in surprise, his voice pitching even lower. "A pregnancy test? Seriously? For who?"

Adam chuckled softly at the response, shaking his head slightly. "Not for me," he said with a wry smile. "It's for Jay. He's been feeling really off lately, and we're just trying to rule out some possibilities."

"Damn," Kevin said, genuinely surprised. "That's a plot twist I wasn't expecting."

They both got quiet as one of the pharmacists approached, a friendly smile on her face. "How can I help you today?" she asked, looking expectantly at them.

Adam cleared his throat, trying to sound casual. "We need a pregnancy test," he repeated, keeping his voice even.

The pharmacist barely batted an eye at his request, casually gesturing towards a display behind her. "Ah, sure thing," she said, turning to grab a box from the shelf. "Any particular brand you're looking for?"

Adam shrugged, not particularly well-versed in the different types of pregnancy tests. "Uh, the most reliable one?" he suggested, hoping that was specific enough.

"The most popular brand would be Clear Blue," the pharmacist replied, placing a blue and white box onto the counter. "It has a digital readout and claims a 99% accuracy rate."

Adam exchanged a glance with Kevin, silently communicating his approval. The last thing they needed was for a faulty test to give them false hope or worry. "Yeah, we'll take that one," he told the pharmacist, pulling out his wallet.

The pharmacist rang up the test and bagged it, handing it to Adam. "That'll be $12.69," she said, smiling politely.

Adam quickly handed over the cash, taking the bag. "Thanks," he said shortly, his mind already back on Jay's condition.

As they walked out of the pharmacy, Kevin spoke up again. "You know, I've never known a cop to buy a pregnancy test," he commented, a smirk on his face. "Usually it's the women buying them, not the men."

Adam chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Yeah, tell me about it," he agreed. "This is definitely a new one for me. But we just want to rule it out, y'know? And Jay's been feeling so off lately...it's worth checking just in case."

"So you're telling me that your hard-as-nails detective partner could be carrying another human inside of him?" Kevin asked, a note of awe in his voice. "The universe is full of wonderful surprises, man."

Adam laughed, the mental image of Jay being pregnant was definitely a strange one. "Yeah, but we're not going to entertain any ideas until we know for sure," he said firmly. "I don't want to get anyone's hopes up or cause any panic yet."

Kevin nodded in agreement, a mischievous grin on his face. "Oh yeah, I get it. But man, you gotta admit, it's a pretty crazy thought. One day, you're both busting drug rings and running after perps, and the next, you're playing baby shower games together."

Adam chuckled at Kevin's vision of the future. "Yeah, but if it turns out to be true, we'll deal with it," he said, his tone turning serious. "And Jay's going to need all the support he can get. His work is a big part of his life, and having to give that up for a baby...it's gonna be hard on him."

Kevin's expression sobered up, his usual flippant demeanor replaced by understanding. "I hear you, man," he said sincerely. "Being a cop is all about being tough, but being a dad is a whole different level of hard. But hey, you guys have each other, right?"

"Yeah, we do," Adam agreed, a small smile on his face. "We're in this together, always."

They fell into a comfortable silence as they made their way back to the truck. The bag with the pregnancy test sat heavily in Adam's pocket.

Adam entered the apartment, shutting the door behind him. He heard faint retching noises coming from the bathroom, and his heart sank.

He headed to the bathroom door, knocking gently. "Jay?" he called out, his voice soft. "You okay in there?"

There was a pause in the sounds coming from the bathroom, and a moment later, Jay's raspy voice called out.

"I'm fine..." he replied, his voice sounding tired. "Just...had a bit of a relapse, I guess."

Concerned, Adam pushed the door open a crack, just enough to peek in. He winced as he caught sight of Jay on his knees in front of the toilet, his face pale and drawn.

"You sure you're fine?" he asked skeptically, leaning against the doorway. "You look like hell."

Jay managed a weak smile, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Thanks, you know how to flatter a guy," he said dryly. "I'm fine. Just...really tired of this whole 'puking my guts out' thing."

Adam stepped into the bathroom, crouching down beside his partner. He reached out a hand, gently resting it on Jay's forehead. "You're burning up," he observed, his expression laced with worry. "How long have you been in here?"

Jay leaned into Adam's touch, relishing the coolness of his hand against his burning skin. "Dunno...feels like forever," he mumbled, closing his eyes. "I just can't seem to keep anything down..."

"You've got to be dehydrated by now," Adam said, his hand coming down to feel Jay's pulse. "Your heart's racing."

He got back up, moving to the sink and grabbing a washcloth. After dampening it with cold water, he came back to Jay's side and gently dabbed his face.

The coldness of the cloth sent a shiver down Jay's spine, but it did feel good. He let out a shaky sigh, his eyes still closed. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice hoarse.

The room fell into a gentle silence as Adam continued to soothe him, the only sound being the steady drip-drip-drip of the water from the faucet.

The apartment was quiet now, all noise coming from the soft breaths escaping from Jay's lips. He was fast asleep on the bed, his face relaxed and untroubled.

Adam entered the room, the brown paper bag from the pharmacy clutched in his hand. He looked over at Jay, glad to see him finally getting some much-needed rest.

Silently, he took a seat across from the bed, pulling the pregnancy test out of the bag. His heart raced slightly as he looked down at the small, white stick. This was it.