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"Sergeant Chen, what can I do for you?" Grey asks as Lucy knocks on the door to his office.
"Sir. I- um- I have something to report to you," Lucy timidly says, closing his office door behind her.
"Yes, sergeant?" Grey's eyebrow raises, wondering just what would be private enough to have her closing the door.
Lucy takes a sigh, knowing this information isn't going to go over well. "I'm pregnant."
The night shift just about killed Lucy. Obviously, she's loving the job itself and the pay bump too, but her body- well her body just didn't seem to adjust. Hell, it had taken three weeks for her and Tim to be set up by their friends to finally talk— on duty no less.
Eat, shower, sleep, work. And repeat. And then pack and move.
Even on her days off, it seemed like she was sleeping forever.
Luckily for her, at the end of her fourth week, Grey took the transfer to the FBI liaison position, and Lucy found herself with the prospect of starting the new week side by side with Tim- with him as her watch commander.
Sure, their days off always didn't line up, but being able to spend the time at their house after work with him instead of by herself was lovely. They fell into their routine- wake up together, ride in together if they worked the same shift, cook dinner together, and relax before bed before turning in.
The thing was— the fatigue didn't change. Most nights she was falling asleep on the couch. On her days off she ended up taking naps with Kojo, and still felt exhausted by bedtime.
It wasn't the job either. She never had thought that those years of being Tim's aide would be quite as useful to her career other than looking good on her resume. The experience had left the transition to sergeant quite easy as far as the job was concerned. So after the second week, she was worried. Even Tim had noticed something was different. He tried to convince her to go to the doctor, but she wasn't worried, just thinking she was still adjusting back to day shift.
It was one visit back to her old apartment that changed everything.
Lucy and Celina had the day off, while Tim had a shift, so Celina had suggested a girl's day. The plan was to have some breakfast then watch some trashy TV, and maybe head out to a wine bar for a late lunch or early dinner.
Lucy barely has the door to the apartment open before the smell hits her and immediately turns her stomach.
Weird, she thinks, because Celina was supposed to be making her specialty breakfast of huevos rancheros and molletes, which Lucy typically loves.
"Oh hey! You're here, stranger!"
"Um, hi, Celina. What— um what are you making?"
"What do you mean? You asked for my specialty."
"Oh."
"Lucy?"
"I— um— I'm not feeling right?"
Celina raises an eyebrow, looking Lucy over. Lucy watches as Celina's expression morphs into surprise for a second, before Celina quickly schools it back into something more neutral.
"What was that?" Lucy grills.
"What?"
"Your face."
"What about my face?"
"You made a face," Lucy insists, and she knows what she saw.
"No, that was nothing!"
"Celina." Lucy stares at her, grateful for the sergeant stare she's learned from Tim, but it seems to not have any effect on Celina. In fact, the more she stares at Celina, the more her stomach lurches, leaving Lucy to end the stare down by running to the bathroom, just in time to retch into the toilet.
When she finally sits back on her heels, her stomach is feeling much better, but she's a sweaty mess.
"You okay?" Celina asks, startling Lucy. She's standing by the door, concerned etched on her face with her phone in hand. "Do I need to call Tim?"
"No! No, I- I'm fine. I'll be fine," she says, trying to stand up.
"Can I make a suggestion?"
"Sure?"
Lucy watches as Celina digs around through the vanity cabinet, hoping for some medication that can make her feel better, although she doesn't know of anything that could help her right now. What Celina pulls out though, is nothing like what she is expecting.
"That- that's a pregnancy test," Lucy stutters, looking at the box.
"It is," Celina confirms.
"I'm not pregnant," Lucy insists, because she's not. She would know. But they have only been back together a handful of days and—
"Lucy," Celina rebuts.
"Celina."
"Humor me, Lucy."
"I'm not pregnant!" Lucy exclaims. "Tim and I are only back together for a week and a half , and I couldn't possibly be. It hasn't been long enough." Lucy finally has the courage to look up at Celina, and she immediately clocks the look of incredulity. "What?"
"Do you think I'm stupid? You two are not subtle." Lucy is immediately confused. What would they be subtle about? They didn't have anything to hide. "You think I didn't know about April Fool's Day?"
"I don't know what you are talking about," Lucy replies, using all of her UC training to keep her face neutral.
"Come on. I know you two hooked up that night."
"It was just a prank!" Lucy insists.
"And you're telling me you didn't use that prank as a hall pass?" Celina maintains.
"I— uh—" Lucy is shocked speechless. She didn't know that Celina had actually noticed. She didn't say anything about it at the time, so Lucy figured they were in the clear… but apparently not. "I'm pretty sure if I did sleep with Tim that night, and if I got pregnant that night I would know by now."
"Your aura says otherwise."
"No. I can't be pregnant. I'm not- we just- no. No."
"Okay then, prove me wrong."
"Fine," Lucy grumbles. "Give me the test," she says, snatching the test out of Celina's hands, and standing up rather quickly considering her previous condition. "Out!" she demands, and Celina quickly scampers out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
"Why do you have a pregnancy test, anyway?"
"Well, I could say that I had a scare with Rodge a few months ago, but I got my period between buying the test and getting home."
"I'm sensing a but," Lucy answers, trying to figure out how to best reach the stick underneath herself. Why were these things so hard?
"I bought it a few weeks ago because I noticed your aura changed. I just needed a reason to give it to you."
"Mmm," Lucy replies, capping the test. She doesn't really believe she is, it just wouldn't make sense. She has an IUD and the number of times that she's had sex with Tim with that IUD in… It would be almost impossible.
Lucy really isn't nervous as she sets the timer, then washing her hands, because there's no way that Celina was right.
She dries her hands, and goes to grab her toothbrush, when she glances at the test. She grabs the toothbrush before her brain catches up with what she saw.
She freezes, dropping the toothbrush into the sink, causing a loud clatter.
"Lucy? you okay?" Celina asks, walking over to the bathroom door.
Lucy is so shocked, she doesn't even hear Celina, nor her knock. She can only stare at the two lines, the test line brighter than the control. She grabs the test, and opens the door on instinct, her body moving but her brain still stuck on that very bright test line. She stumbles into Celina a second later.
"Lucy?"
"I— I—" she holds up the test, because she cannot say it out loud yet. It seems to unbelievable, and maybe if she doesn't say it out loud, it wont be true.
Celina knew she was right as soon as she saw Lucy. She hadn't ever seen her roommate like that. She grabs Lucy's shoulders and guides her to the couch, sitting her down before grabbing tissues and Lucy's favorite blanket.
"Are you okay?"
"I don't know," Lucy says with a monotone lilt.
"I know this isn't ideal," Celina says, rubbing Lucy's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.
"Ya think?!" Lucy retorts, and Celina is at least comforted that she is out of her stupor.
"You both want kids, right?"
"Yes, well we used to, she shrugs I don't know if he still does ."
"Lucy, you talked about baby names when you were high. I know you just got a promotion, and got back together, and moved in, and maybe the timing isn't the best, but I know you both want this. and it's not like… well, if you wait too much longer."
"I know. I do. just—" she sighs, looking back down at the test in her hands. I'm not sure how he's going to react. I just don't want him to feel— obligated."
"He won't, Lucy. He loves you. I promise you he does."
"I always thought, like before, ya know, that when I told him, I would give him a pair of baby booties. I would hide them around the house, in his locker, in his office— but now— now I have to tell him that I might be pregnant and I don't get to have that moment- and god it's just one more thing taken away from me."
"Lucy," Celina says, grabbing Lucy's shoulders to turn her directly towards her. "Do the booties anyway. Maybe not the same way you were imagining, but give them to him anyway ."
"I—"
"No. Where are they?"
"What?" Lucy wipes her tears in confusion.
"The booties."
"Oh— ummm— there's a box in my closet, it's yellow."
"Okay. You stay there. One baby booties surprise coming right up."
"Lucy?" Tim calls as he walks in the front door of his house. Seeing her car in the driveway had been a surprise, but the smell of the lotus root soup is a shock.
"Hi," Lucy says, stepping out of the kitchen towards him. She's ringing her hands and biting her lip, which confuses Tim even more.
"I thought you had girls day with Celina," he questions, pulling her in for a hug and a quick kiss to her forehead.
"I did. We— um— cut it short."
"Oh. I'm sorry. Is she okay?"
"Yeah. I'm actually the one, I wasn't feeling the greatest this morning."
"Oh. Are you sure you don't need to go to the doctor?"
"I'm sure, Tim."
"Okay. Hence the soup?" Tim questions, even though she knows he would much rather have her go to the doctor.
"Yeah. But I also have something for you."
"Oh?"
"Come sit," she says, grabbing his hand and walking over to the sofa, and it's now that Tim notices the small bag on the table.
"What's this?" he asks after they finally sit.
She sighs, "just open it, okay?"
He pulls the tissue paper out of the bag, and reaches in without looking, his brow wrinkling in confusion when he grabs what feel like laces.
He pulls it out of the bag, and he finds himself staring at the same booties that had once fallen out of one of Lucy's cabinets at him when he started metro.
"Is this for watch commander? Really?" he mumbles, slightly irritated, mostly to himself, then glances up at Lucy, who is rubbing at her side- right at her tattoo. She's nervous, he realizes. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I'm just a bit confused."
"Look in the bottom of the bag," she mumbles, and he feels like an ass now. He shouldn't have responded like that, but he does what she asks. He picks the bag back up, and rifles through the remaining tissue paper , until his hand finds a plastic stick, and he pulls it out. he can feel his heart pounding— the stick— it feels like—
He gasps as he locks eyes on it.
"I'm sorry. I know we haven't really talked about this, and I— I didn't know how to tell you, but it's— I don't want you to feel obligated by this. it's terrible timing. I didn't— I didn't mean for this to happen and—
"Lucy," he interrupts, brushing her cheek and turning her toward him. "We're having a baby?"
"Um— yeah," she croaks.
"We're having a baby?" he asks again, and now the tears are filling his eyes. Lucy finally looks him in the eyes, and her heart starts to race as she notices the awe that's shining through the tears.
"Yes, I'm pregnant."
"Oh my god," he mutters, pulling Lucy into a tight hug.
"You're happy?" she asks, double checking that she's not reading him wrong. Not that she thinks she is, but her overthinking mind never goes away.
"I'm ecstatic. This is— this is amazing, Lucy." She pulls back, still needing to double check the look on his face. "I'm serious Lucy. I know it's not a great time, but I don't think we'll ever find a perfect time. And we're solid now. We're back together, and we're ready to tackle this."
"Okay," she sighs, relaxing into his embrace. "Okay."
"So, I'm guessing this is really new?" he asks, pulling back from the hug to grab her hands. "From that first day I asked you to move in?"
"Actually, ummm— I— um—-"
"What?" he questions, suddenly confused again.
"Aprilfoolsday," she huffs out quickly.
"What?"
"April fools day," she sighs, louder this time.
His eyes widen, and for the first time since she took the test this morning, she bursts out in laughter.
"Seriously?"
"Yup. It's only been a week and a half. I wouldn't be showing a positive yet, let alone a line that dark— well according to the internet anyway."
"Oh." he mutters, than the laughter overtakes him too. "You realize no one is going to believe us?"
"I know." They laugh together at the absurdity of it.
"You're sure it was then?"
"Yeah. It's really the only time. Like I said— I couldn't be yet from, well—"
"Yeah. But it's June now."
"Yeah. I managed to get a doctor appointment for tomorrow, but if the calculators online are right, I'm about 12 weeks."
"Oh my god."
"I know."
"Lucy?"
"Hmmm?"
"I love you." Tears fill her eyes, and he reaches over to wipe the one that starts to fall.
"I love you too, and I promise, I'm never walking away again. This is- It's everything I ever wanted," he says, pulling her in and holding her close.
"Oh," Grey says, and if he's surprised he doesn't let it show, his face remaining passively neutral. "Can I assume that we will be down a sergeant and a watch commander when you give birth?"
"Yes, sir, as long as you aren't back to watch commander by that time."
"And when can I expect you to need leave?"
"Late December, sir."
"Late December," he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"I know it's not ideal—"
"No, it's not, but you also can's help when you—" he suddenly stops, and Lucy watches as his brows furrow. "December is only 6 months from now. And you have only been a sergeant for a month."
"Correct, sir."
"So you had a relationship with your superior officer."
'Yes, sir," she says, bowing her head and closing her eyes.
"I don't think I need to tell you how incredibly stupid that was."
"No, you don't, sir."
"It's a goddamn policy violation! Do you know what this means for your career? His career?"
"Yes, sir, I- I'm sorry, and I—"
"You're lucky, Sergeant Chen. Both that I know you weren't official on April Fools Day, and that I never removed your relationship disclosure from the system."
"But— we just did a new disclosure?"
"Yes, but I just updated it. I knew Tim could never be impartial when it came to you, regardless of your relationship status. I was not about to let anything happen to you two as my employees. The department had okayed his move back into your chain of command with the relationship disclosure in place. I just never said anything to the contrary."
"So this whole time- it wasn't a problem?"
"No. As far as the department was concerned, you've been together the entire time."
"Oh." She lets the implications sink in. The waiting for the exam results, choosing to take the exam partially so she wasn't in his chain of command anymore, even if she would never admit it, it wasn't necessary at all. Yet they had needed that time, she had needed that time to trust him again, but she can't help but wonder how that would have changed things.
"So consider yourselves lucky." Lucy is shaken out of her revere by Grey's voice, and lets out the breath she had been holding."And other than the fact that you'll both be out for the Christmas holiday, I'm happy for you both. It's about time you two had a win."
"So we're really not in trouble?"
"I can't say I'm not a little disappointed in you, but it's Tim. I couldn't imagine going through the same thing with Luna. Love like that- it doesn't change even if you aren't together."
"Thank you, sir," she smiles. "Oh and both Tim and I need to be late tomorrow."
Grey's head falls into his hands. "And so it begins. Thank god it's not my problem anymore."