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plotting-against-you · 2 months ago

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Since I ended up in the ER with a migraine last night, I figured I’d repost this for you guys.

Pain in the Neck

Fandom: One Chicago

Characters: Jay Halstead, Will Halstead, Ellie Halstead, Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz, Connor Rhodes

Summary: Ellie gets a nasty migraine, causing her to end up at Med.

A/N: Based on a prompt sent to me by @chrisevansdaughter. Not exactly what you asked for but I hope you like it just as well.

Warnings: Vomiting (not graphic), symptoms of migraine

Ellie sighed as she looked out the window of her private jet and watched her hometown come into view. It was something she was grateful for as the stiffness in her neck was starting to intensify and she just wanted to get off the plane and back into her own apartment.

It had been several weeks, months even, for this last chunk of her tour and now the whole crew were headed home for a two month break between tour locations. Though Ellie loved her fans and the tour experience they were all having, she couldn’t wait to be home with her family and friends for a while.

She looked up as the pilot put the seatbelts sign on for their landing and closed her eyes. Once she got home, she’d feel better.

…

The blonde groaned as she laid on the couch listening to her texts come through. Her neck had not gotten better when she got home. In fact, it had worsened into what she now knew was a gradually forming migraine.

She hated being sick, especially at times like this. Though she knew she was on break and could manage a few days of illness, there was something else entirely she couldn’t handle. Just as the thought crossed her mind, her phone rang, making her groan again.

“What?”

“So that’s how you answer the phone now?”

She rolled her eyes at Jay’s response, but winced as it shot tendrils of pain through her skull. “Sorry, tired.”

He was silent for a second. “You okay?”

Ellie sighed. This was why she couldn’t afford to get sick. She had two overbearing older brothers breathing down her painfully stiff neck.

Before she could answer, however, the phone was pulled from her hands and she was lowered into a horizontal position. “Dude, she’s got a migraine, leave her be.”

Ellie smiled as her husband pulled the throw blanket up over her shoulders and kissed her forehead, all while hanging up on her brother. He knew she loved them, but also knew she hated how badly overprotective they were. She had pointed out on numerous occasions that he was the same way, but he simply shushed her by pointing out that he was her husband and it was his job.

…

A few hours later, Ellie blinked and realized she had fallen asleep. Then she realized something was wrong. She squeezed her eyes shut again and breathed deeply, trying to stave off the nausea that had come on very suddenly.

She felt the couch dip and a hand run itself through her messy tendrils of hair before landing on her forehead. “No.”

Mouse sighed. “Babe…”

Without warning, Ellie jumped from the couch. Mouse immediately stood to steady her and then she was running for the bathroom. He winced as she threw up for several minutes then crouched as she leaned back against him.

“You do not tell them about this.”

Here he winced again, an apologetic look in his eyes. “They’re already on their way over.”

Her eyes looked beyond betrayed. “What?”

He nodded. “Will called Jay to ask why we weren’t answering and Jay told him about your migraine. They know how bad those can get for you and he wants to check on you.”

She groaned. “No…”

“Hey, they haven’t seen you in months. They’re worried. You can’t blame them for that.”

Sighing, the blonde nodded. “I suppose. Take me back to the couch? I think I can take more medicine now.”

‘At least then maybe I’ll sleep through their visit.’ She thought to herself.

…

Ellie whimpered as she listened to the quiet voices at her front door. She adjusted the ice pack that was behind her neck and understood that she’d have to be awake for Will’s medical check of her and her head, which had gotten increasingly worse since she woke up. Her medicine wasn’t working, the lights were piercing her skull as if they were an icepick, and the ice, which was usually her saving grace, was making everything worse.

She knew what the boys would say but had no intention of listening.

She was an international superstar, after all. There was no way she could be seen in the hospital. The media, and her well-meaning fans, would go insane and that was the last thing she or her crew needed.

The minute he laid his eyes on her, Will sighed. “Ellie…”

“No.”

He crouched and ran his hand over her forehead. “You’re burning up.”

“It’s just a migraine. I need sleep and then I’ll be fine.”

Jay snorted. “Have you seen yourself? I’m surprised you’re even stringing words together at this point.”

She tried to glare at Jay out of sibling instinct, but immediately cried out at the pain that and pressure that rushed her brain. Because of this, she missed the look that went between the three most important men in her life. She also missed Will moving out of the way and Jay picking up his phone as Mouse grabbed a blanket to drape over her.

“Sorry, babe.” Mouse whispered as he lifted her up. “Choice is out of your hands now.”

“But…”

“Jay’s got security downstairs and he’s got Hailey calling Tree to get ahead of the media. Just breathe and focus on pushing that pain away.” Will said softly as they hurried out the door.

‘I guess I’m headed to Med anyway.” Ellie sighed and let her eyes slip shut.

…

The next time she opened her eyes, she was aware that the lights her dimmed and a beeping noise was coming from her left. Realizing she had probably passed out from the pain, she squeezed Mouse’s hand, which was tightly held in her own, and sighed.

“Well, this sucks.”

A laugh came from next to her and she glared up at Connor. “Hey. You’re not supposed to laugh at your patients.”

He nodded. “For you, I’ll make an exception. Welcome back.”

“Don’t you ever scare me like that again.” Mouse told her.

Ellie nodded. “I’m sorry. What’s the verdict?”

“A migraine.”

Ellie blinked at her friend. “That’s it? I could have told you that!”

“See how you’re feeling better? That’s thanks to us. You needed heavier meds than your regular stuff this time. It’s a good thing they brought you in when they did, or you’d have probably had to come by ambulance.”

Ellie shuddered at the thought. “Definitely not how I want to make an entrance.”

“No, I’m guessing that would be by janitor’s cart.” Connor quipped.

“Will you be quiet? No one knows about that for sure.” She hissed.

This time, Jay laughed from the corner. “El, everyone knows about that.”

She winced again, though this time it was from being caught. “Yeah, I guess you’re probably right about that.”

Though she hated to admit it, she was lucky. Between her husband, her brothers, and her friend, she was able to get the help she needed and though she was sure it was all over the internet by now, all she cared about was that the pounding in her skull was gone. If it hadn’t been for their hounding and overprotectiveness, it could have been worse and she was grateful it hadn’t gotten that far.

“Thanks, Connor.”

She watched as he left and then turned to the other three men. “So, when can we go home?”

Rolling his eyes, Will smiled. “Do you guys really hate the hospital that much?”

“Yes.” She and Jay answered together.

“Fine, fine. I’ll get you those discharge papers from Connor or Maggie.” As he walked out he ducked back inside the room. “And maybe a janitor’s cart to get you out of here as well.”

“Shut up!” She laughed and shook her head.

Even when she was sick, she could count on her brothers to make fun of her. That, at least, made her feel normal for the first time since being home.

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plotting-against-you · 4 months ago

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You Need to Calm Down

Fandom: One Chicago

Characters: Jay Halstead, Hailey Upton, Will Halstead, Ellie Halstead, Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz, Charlie Gerwitz

Summary: One dinner invitation causes Jay to worry that something is wrong with Ellie. His sister has other ideas.

A/N: I don't think there are any trigger warnings needed for this story, but if you guys find any, PLEASE let me know immediately.

“You seriously need to calm down.”

“Did you just quote my sister?”

Hailey rolled her eyes as she and Jay approached Ellie’s home for their planned dinner. She’d asked Will and the two of them to come over for dinner, and Jay had been suspicious ever since.

“I’m just saying, every time she asks us to come over for dinner while she’s doing the cooking, she’s either asking for help, asking us to watch Charlie, or announcing something.” He rang the bell, and his eyes went wide. “Oh God, you don’t think she’s pregnant again? Or what if she and Mouse are separating?”

“Neither.” Ellie shook her head as she pulled the door open and ushered them in quickly as a camera’s flash could be seen across the street. “Annoying ass paparazzi…”

Jay, to his credit, winced slightly. “Sorry, I just know something is up, and you aren’t telling us something.”

The youngest Halstead chuckled. “All in due time, brother. All in due time. Now, come on! Will’s already in the kitchen with Mouse and Charlie.”

She led them into the room and poured them drinks as everyone greeted each other. Then she picked up her wine and smiled as she watched her brothers interact with their niece.

She was stirring the onions and garlic in a pan when she felt two arms go around her waist, and her smile grew bigger. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Mouse shrugged. “I just think you’re amazing.”

“In what aspect?”

“In every aspect.”

Turning to face her husband, Ellie kissed him. “Good answer.”

…

Voices carried around the table as the group ate their dinner—or, in Charlie’s case, squished it in her hands—and caught up on life. Between Will’s long shifts at Med, Ellie’s recent uptick in meetings, and everyone else having tough cases at the district, it had been a while since they’d gotten a chance to get together.

“Okay, I have to ask since someone asked me at the hospital the other day.” Will cleared his throat. “You’ve put out five different albums since the pandemic started.”

Ellie blinked. “That’s not a question.”

“What I think he means is, what are you planning on doing for them?” Hailey asked. “It’s been a while since your last concert, and I, for one, would love another.”

Glancing at Mouse, Ellie lifted her wine glass and smirked. “Well, it just so happens you may be in luck.”

“Wait, what?” Will asked. “For which album?”

“He’s got a point, El.” Jay shrugged as Hailey hit his arm gently. “All I’m saying is that you have five albums to cover. What, are you going to do one big show for all your albums and have it be like three hours long?”

Swallowing the sip of wine she took, Ellie nodded. “Yep. It’s going to be called ‘The Eras Tour,’ and I’m hoping I’ll see all of you there.”

All three mouths opened wide for a moment before Hailey recovered.

“Holy…shit.”

“Shit!”

The adults laughed at Charlie’s contribution to the conversation but kept their eyes on Ellie.

“How would that even work?” Will wondered.

His sister sighed and sat back in her chair. “I’m going to perform select songs from each of my quote-unquote ‘eras.’ So basically, a few songs from each one of my albums.”

“But just the five you’ve put out recently, right?”

The blonde shook her head. “Nope. All of them.”

“Like I said…isn’t she incredible?” Mouse grinned and kissed her hand.

“I knew you were up to something!”

“I always am.” Ellie shot him a grin. “You know my brain…it never stops.”

“Neither does your mouth…” Jay mumbled.

“What was that?” His sister questioned, though both knew she had heard him perfectly.

“Nothing!” He gave her a sarcastic smile, and Hailey shook her head at the siblings.

…

After dinner, Mouse brought dessert as Ellie put Charlie to bed. Once she rejoined them, everyone sat around the living room, asking questions about the tour and any surprises she was ready to share with them.

She wasn’t budging on those just yet, so Hailey changed the subject.

“See, babe? I told you nothing bad was going to happen.”

Will furrowed his brow. “You thought something bad was going to happen?”

Ellie nodded and grabbed Mouse’s hand. “Yeah, he thought Mouse and I might be splitting up.”

The soldier choked on the drink he’d just taken a sip of and looked at his best friend. “What? You really think that of us?”

Jay’s neck turned pink in embarrassment. “No, of course not! I just…I mean…”

Hailey, taking pity on her husband, put a hand on his arm to shut him up. “What he means is that he loves you both and doesn’t ever want anything to happen to you guys because you’re perfect together.”

Ellie’s smile softened at the statement. “I know…I just love teasing him.”

“It’s unfair, is what it is,” Will told her. “We’re older than you.”

“Unfair, is it? How about ‘payback’.”

“Payback? When have we ever made fun of you?” The redhead feigned surprise.

Ellie rolled her eyes. “Oh sure, play the confusion card. Maybe we should go to Med and get you checked for amnesia?”

“Funny, El. Really, funny.”

She shrugged. “It’s who I am.”

“No, who you are is a global superstar with no idea how to just relax and take a break.” Jay reminded her.

“Oh, please. I am very capable of relaxing. It’s not like this tour is going to last forever.”

…

Two years later, during her last bow of The Eras Tour, Ellie shook her head and sighed. It had been such a wild ride, one she would never forget, but she was exhausted and ready to settle down with her family for a while.

She waited as the lift in the stage brought her down to the floor below before running to her husband and toddler to engulf them in a big hug.

“You were amazing, baby,” Mouse told her with a wide grin.

“This was amazing, and I’ll miss every second of it.” She told him honestly.

“But?” When she looked up at him, he clarified. “You look like you have a ‘but’ coming in that statement.”

She smiled. “You know me too well. I was going to say that this was amazing, and I’ll miss every second of it…but maybe Jay was right. It’s time to take a break and relax a little.”

Mouse gave her a small smile as they walked to her dressing room. He knew she intended on taking a break after the tour, but he also knew his wife and her personality. She still had a few albums to rerelease and definitely had more music she’d written both on paper and in her head.

“That’s great, babe. I’m looking forward to it.”

#one chicago fanfiction #ellie halstead #fanfiction #jay halstead #one chicago #will halstead #hailey upton

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plotting-against-you · 8 months ago

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plotting-against-you · 8 months ago

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This is the magic lucky word count. Reblog for creativity juice. It might even work, who knows.

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plotting-against-you · 8 months ago

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Update

Wow. It’s been a minute, huh? Life has been…not easy over the last few many months and I’ve strayed from my writing.

But thanks to that oneshot I wrote recently I feel the pull to get back to it!

Now, I do have some bachelorette parties and my sister’s wedding out of the country coming up so I don’t know how often I’ll be able to post, but I’m hoping to be more active in the coming months.

Things I’m hoping to do soon:

•at least one more Ellie oneshot

•more Ellie Instagram posts

•update my Supergirl/One Chicago story and my Supergirl/Umbrella Academy story on AO3

•finish writing both story 1 of my Supergirl/One Chicago series and story 11 of my Supergirl/MCU series

Anyway, I hope this finds you all well and I promise to get back to everything soon. My mental health has been shit but also needs this to keep going so I’m hoping I can get going soon.

Love you all!

#update #life update #ellie halstead #one chicago fanfiction #supergirl fanfiction #mcu fanfiction

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plotting-against-you · 8 months ago

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Clutz

warnings: bad writing lol

synopsis: You wipe out while doing Girls on Fire, Kidd makes Kelly call your brother.

The first time you were introduced to Firehouse 51 was when Jay took you to a game and Kidd and Severiade were there. It was almost like Jay and Severiade were copies of each other, with the same sense of humour and attitude. Kidd had taken you under her wing, explaining what was happening at the game while Jay and Severiade cheered. When the game ended Stella encouraged you to drop by the Firehouse sometime to meet everyone else, seeming that everyone at Med and the district were all close.

You took Stella up on that, stopping by when they were on shift with baking. Normally you would take it to Jay or Will at work but they were both too busy today to stop and talk. When you wandered through the doors into the break room, immediately Stella jumped up to greet you.

In her Milwaukee accent, she declared, "This is Y/N Halstead! She's welcome here whenever." She said the last bit to you, grinning. She quickly went around the room rattling off the names of everyone.

You smiled, holding up your container, "I bought brownies."

Cruz got up from the table and mockingly raising his hands like he was thanking the lord, "You're a saint."

It became some kind of routine, often you would bake something a week, dropping it to the district and to the firehouse. They were always excited to see you; soon it became exactly how intelligence treated you. Like you had gotten a bunch of aunt and uncles overnight, who all cared about you.

Eventually, Stella convinced you to join Girls on Fire, roping Kylie into convincing you it was a fun program. Kylie told you about how Stella annoyed her until she committed to staying in Girls on Fire and now she was helping run it. When you joined, you loved it. It was nice to be around other girls who were like you and also be training in a fun way.

When Jay would pick you up after, he was always amused by how excited you were to tell him about what happened. Will was also impressed with the first aid they were teaching. He teased you about how he had tried to teach you and you didn't care, but now when it was someone else you were interested.

"That's because you suck at teaching," You replied.

Girls on fire was normally cancelled when it snowed, but today it had been on and off so Stella said she'd find something to do on the apparatus floor. Boden allowed Stella to park the squad and truck rigs on the driveway so you could use the floor. After a while of running around in turnout gear, you all started to complain about being overheated. Kylie had said something smart about getting used to the feeling if you wanted to actually fight a fire. Kidd had agreed, but opened one of the doors anyway so that there was some airflow.

There was a little snow here and there, but mostly clear. Jay had said that morning it was typical spring, somewhere in the middle of everything. The group was doing hose drills when your partner lost control of the spiralled hose. It slipped out of her hands and down the driveway. You all laughed and you went to grab it. Your partner had mixed up the couplings, meaning you could easily do a shoulder roll as you gathered up the hose. Kidd cheered on your technique, explaining what you were doing as you went. You held one arm around the hose and jogged back towards the group. As you headed back, you hit black ice. You felt yourself falling face first and threw your unoccupied arm out to stop your fall. When your palm hit the ground, your wrist buckled and you could almost feel the break.

You dropped the hose, immediately snatching your wrist to your chest and letting out a string of hushed curses.

Kidd came jogging over, "You good?"

You groaned, "Peachy," you gave her a thumbs up with your good hand.

Kidd chuckled, she offered you a hand up. You let her pull you up, groaning with the jolt in your wrist.

"Let me take a look," Kidd offered, she gently rolled up the sleeve on the turnout coak and looked at your wrist. It had swollen up to twice its size and turned bruised.

You screwed up your face, "Just my luck."

"I think you broke it," Kidd chuckled, amused by how irritated you looked. "Might have to get you to med,"

She walked you back towards the Firehouse, now more careful of the ground. When you got inside, Brett and Violet were waiting with Boden and Kelly. Boden gave permission for Violet and Brett to take you to Med, seeming it was easier than calling your brother. Violet and Kidd helped you out of the turnout gear then jumped into the back of the ambulance with you.

As you were pulling out onto the street, Kidd asked if you had your phone.

"Crap," you cursed, patting your pockets, "I left it in my bag at the station."

Violet laughed, "Worrying about breaking your phone but not your wrist?"

Kidd laughed, "I'll call kelly."

Jay answered his phone on the second ring, "Halstead."

"Hey Jay," Kelly spoke from the other end, "Kidd asked me to call you-"

"Is everything okay?" Jay interupted.

"Uh-" Kelly hesitated, the silence allowed Jay to hear the blearing of the dispatch bells through the phone, "Kidd, Sylvie and Violet took Y/N to Med- look, I gotta go, I'm sorry. Kidd will meet you at med." Kelly rushed through his words, hanging up so that he could respond to the call.

Jay slowly put down his phone, a frown. If you were hurt you would have called him, but why would Kidd be taking you to Med if you weren't hurt?

"Who was that?" Kevin asked as he walked past Jay's desk.

"Kelly Severiade," Jay responded, "He said Y/N's been taken to med."

"What?" Hailey quickly walked over, "Why?"

"He didn't say," Jay came to his senses, grabbing his keys and phone, "Just that Kidd was taking her to Med with Sylvie and Violet."

Voight caught the tail end of the conversation, urging the team to pack up so they could all go to Med for support. He could tell from the look on everyone's faces how they were all quietly worried.

Jay had to hold back the urge to flick on the lights and sirens. and speed across town to Med.

Will could hardly control his laugh when he watched you walk into Med, cradling your arm.

"Laugh it up, William," You scolded, letting him help you onto the bed in an exam room.

"I will," He chuckled, gesturing for you to give him your arm so he could look at it.

You pouted, "Can't I have a decent doctor?"

Will rolled his eyes dramatically.

"I doubt you'll find one here," Maggie said as she walked in, coming to stand at your good side with a hand on her hip, "What have you done to yourself?"

You grinned sheepishly, unable to find the words.

Kidd came to your rescue from the doorway, explaining how you managed to wipe out and land on your wrist. And then going on to explain how you left your phone in your bag so you couldn't call Will or Jay before.

"Let's get an X-ray for that wrist then," Will said, watching Maggie type it into her tablet, "It's probably broken so we'll put a call into ortho to get it casted."

Maggie nodded along, putting her tablet away and propping your wrist on a pillow and placing an ice pack over it.

"Ortho is backed up, it might be awhile before they get down here."

"You can use that time to think of what colour cast you want," Will said with a playful grin. He let you know that he would have to check on a few different patients but he would be back to see the X-rays and check on you later.

Kidd took a seat next to you, smiling and asking how you felt.

"Like an idiot," You replied, "You always warn us to be careful and I had to go breaking my arm."

Kidd laughed, "Hey, at least you got us out of the firehouse for a bit."

You smiled, watching Sylvie and Violet come over to the door after stocking up the ambo and making a hot coco trip.

Sylvie put a cup on the tray next to you, "Hot coco for you."

"Thanks," You replied, cradling it with your good hand.

Violet jokingly ruffled your hair, "Anything for our favourite patient."

You laughed, bidding your goodbyes after they said that they had to leave for the firehouse. Kidd asked you to keep her updated and even if you couldn't do girls on fire, you should still come along. You said you would, you could stand on the sidelines and cheer like her and Kylie.

You were left alone for a little while before Will finally returned with the X Ray tech.

Will showed you the Xray on the screen, "Well it's definitely broken."

"Oh thanks, doc," You scowled, "I couldn't tell."

Will laughed, taking a seat and leaning on the bed while you spoke with the Ortho resident. The resident offered you your pick of four colours and you had made Will choose because you couldn't. Will had immediately chosen Black and you scoffed, 'No way.'

You almost hit the roof when Jay came running into the room. He looked terrified and completely out of breath. He stood staring at you and Will for a moment, then the rest of Intelligence came barreling in after him.

"Hello," You said slowly, confused why they were all there.

"Kelly called," Jay said.

"I forgot my phone at the firehouse, Kidd didn't have your number," You said sheepishly.

Jay let out a sigh, "I thought you were seriously hurt."

Will was laughing quietly, "Why didn't you call me?"

Jay frowned, "I tried," He argued, "You didn't pick up."

Wills smile fell, "oh,"

You burst out laughing, "Wow, one job big brother."

Jay turned back to his team, telling them they could go seeming you clearly weren't about to die. He came around the bed and took a seat at the end.

He gestured to your arm which was now cast in bright yellow, "What happened?"

You waved your casted wrist around, "Broke my wrist."

Jay shook his head in disbelief, "How did you manage that?"

"I slipped on black ice," You shrugged.

Jay looked a little disappointed, "Of course you did."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Will smiled, "He only means you aren't always the most sure footed."

You faked being offended, "Are you calling me a clutz?"

"Yes," Both your brothers replied.

Will and Jay laughed as you crossed your arms and sunk into the bed with a pout, "Thanks a lot."

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plotting-against-you · 8 months ago

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Pain in the Neck

Fandom: One Chicago

Characters: Jay Halstead, Will Halstead, Ellie Halstead, Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz, Connor Rhodes

Summary: Ellie gets a nasty migraine, causing her to end up at Med.

A/N: Based on a prompt sent to me by @chrisevansdaughter. Not exactly what you asked for but I hope you like it just as well.

Warnings: Vomiting (not graphic), symptoms of migraine

Ellie sighed as she looked out the window of her private jet and watched her hometown come into view. It was something she was grateful for as the stiffness in her neck was starting to intensify and she just wanted to get off the plane and back into her own apartment.

It had been several weeks, months even, for this last chunk of her tour and now the whole crew was headed home for a two month break between tour locations. Though Ellie loved her fans and the tour experience they were all having, she couldn’t wait to be home with her family and friends for a while.

She looked up as the pilot put the seatbelts sign on for their landing and closed her eyes. Once she got home, she’d feel better.

…

The blonde groaned as she laid on the couch listening to her texts come through. Her neck had not gotten better when she got home. In fact, it had worsened into what she now knew was a gradually forming migraine.

She hated being sick, especially at times like this. Though she knew she was on break and could manage a few days of illness, there was something else entirely she couldn’t handle. Just as the thought crossed her mind, her phone rang, making her groan again.

“What?”

“So that’s how you answer the phone now?”

She rolled her eyes at Jay’s response, but winced as it shot tendrils of pain through her skull. “Sorry, tired.”

He was silent for a second. “You okay?”

Ellie sighed. This was why she couldn’t afford to get sick. She had two overbearing older brothers breathing down her painfully stiff neck.

Before she could answer, however, the phone was pulled from her hands and she was lowered into a horizontal position. “Dude, she’s got a migraine, leave her be.”

Ellie smiled as her husband pulled the throw blanket up over her shoulders and kissed her forehead, all while hanging up on her brother. He knew she loved them, but also knew she hated how badly overprotective they were. She had pointed out on numerous occasions that he was the same way, but he simply shushed her by pointing out that he was her husband and it was his job.

…

A few hours later, Ellie blinked and realized she had fallen asleep. Then she realized something was wrong. She squeezed her eyes shut again and breathed deeply, trying to stave off the nausea that had come on very suddenly.

She felt the couch dip and a hand run itself through her messy tendrils of hair before landing on her forehead. “No.”

Mouse sighed. “Babe…”

Without warning, Ellie jumped from the couch. Mouse immediately stood to steady her and then she was running for the bathroom. He winced as she threw up for several minutes then crouched as she leaned back against him.

“You do not tell them about this.”

Here he winced again, an apologetic look in his eyes. “They’re already on their way over.”

Her eyes looked beyond betrayed. “What?”

He nodded. “Will called Jay to ask why we weren’t answering and Jay told him about your migraine. They know how bad those can get for you and he wants to check on you.”

She groaned. “No…”

“Hey, they haven’t seen you in months. They’re worried. You can’t blame them for that.”

Sighing, the blonde nodded. “I suppose. Take me back to the couch? I think I can take more medicine now.”

‘At least then maybe I’ll sleep through their visit.’ She thought to herself.

…

Ellie whimpered as she listened to the quiet voices at her front door. She adjusted the ice pack that was behind her neck and understood that she’d have to be awake for Will’s medical check of her and her head, which had gotten increasingly worse since she woke up. Her medicine wasn’t working, the lights were piercing her skull as if they were an icepick, and the ice, which was usually her saving grace, was making everything worse.

She knew what the boys would say but had no intention of listening.

She was an international superstar, after all. There was no way she could be seen in the hospital. The media, and her well-meaning fans, would go insane and that was the last thing she or her crew needed.

The minute he laid his eyes on her, Will sighed. “Ellie…”

“No.”

He crouched and ran his hand over her forehead. “You’re burning up.”

“It’s just a migraine. I need sleep and then I’ll be fine.”

Jay snorted. “Have you seen yourself? I’m surprised you’re even stringing words together at this point.”

She tried to glare at Jay out of sibling instinct, but immediately cried out at the pain that and pressure that rushed her brain. Because of this, she missed the look that went between the three most important men in her life. She also missed Will moving out of the way and Jay picking up his phone as Mouse grabbed a blanket to drape over her.

“Sorry, babe.” Mouse whispered as he lifted her up. “Choice is out of your hands now.”

“But…”

“Jay’s got security downstairs and he’s got Hailey calling Tree to get ahead of the media. Just breathe and focus on pushing that pain away.” Will said softly as they hurried out the door.

‘I guess I’m headed to Med anyway.” Ellie sighed and let her eyes slip shut.

…

The next time she opened her eyes, she was aware that the lights were dimmed and a beeping noise was coming from her left. Realizing she had probably passed out from the pain, she squeezed Mouse’s hand, which was tightly held in her own, and sighed.