"Cara Adelaide Hudson! you better get your butt down these stairs in three seconds otherwise there'll be consequences"
Finn had to stifle a laugh standing in the doorway to their kitchen, his four year-old daughter was currently playing his wife for attention, but she was yet to figure that out. Rachel stood with her arms crossed against her chest near the bottom step, getting her angry face ready to prove how serious she was to the little girl.
"Yes Mommy?" Cara asked sickening sweet toddling off of the last couple steps, her eyes where practically magical, she'd just flutter them and the world froze to their knees around her.
"What is this?" Rachel asked sternly, holding out a small baby blue picture frame.
"It's Chrissy" she smiled all innocent.
Finn really wanted to laugh, but he knew that was the recipe to piss his wife of even more, so instead he watched "something you'd like to tell me? like where Christopher got this mustache from..." Rachel pointed to the small black line underneath the nose of the new-born in the picture.
Cara stalled for a moment thinking of a reasonably approving excuse, "maybe he growed it?" and finally Finn couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst into a hysterical fit of laughter, startling the sleepy newborn boy against his chest, apologetically he looked up to his wife, instantly feeling her wrath of passive aggressiveness.
"Finn! you're not helping..."
"I'm sorry, I know" he replied taking a large step back so he was now out of her sight, luckily.
"Nu'uh Missy, you aren't getting away that quick" Rachel exclaimed turning back around to see the four year-old sneakily shuffling back up the stairs.
Cara pouted, not just any pout, her Rachel inherited pout. Her two lips would seal together before slouching out, she'd wrinkle her nose for dramatics and replicate her mothers stance by folding her arms across her chest, with her little brown pig tale bobbing along behind her. She slid down the stairs she'd climbed and stopped to sit on the very bottom one, underneath Rachel's glare.
"I thought we had this conversation the other day Cara?"
She felt bad, mostly because the little girl looked like she hated her in the moment, and Rachel secretly knew Cara still loved her to pieces and knew exactly what she was doing, but she still couldn't resist. She warmly kneeled in front of her, placing her hands on both her knees.
"You said you would stop drawing on things other than paper and stuff Mommy and Daddy say are okay to use"
"But he looks better with a mustache!" she argued, Rachel straightaway heard the muffled chuckles of her husband in the kitchen but decided to ignore him.
"But Cara sweetheart, Chris is just a baby, he doesn't have these" Rachel explained pointing to the line.
"But Daddy does?" the child argued referring to her Dad's regular stubble. Rachel sighed realising she wasn't getting anywhere, and she really didn't want to go into a detailed explanation of puberty with her four year-old daughter, not yet anyway.
"Because Daddy's a big boy. Anyway that doesn't matter, what does matter is that I told you not to, and you have"
Cara changed from pout to adorable bottom lip nibbling, "I'm sorry Mommy" she crumbled looking to the floor with a sad act on, she might not have the best of voices yet (Rachel was hoping that was just temporary) but she was a great actress.
"I don't know Cara, this is around the third time I've warned you" obviously she wasn't going to do anything, but she would definitely take advantage of the persona she'd tricked her daughter into believing was real, yes Rachel Berry was a good actress too.
Cara finally looked up, those big brown eyes watery and wide "I'll never ever never do it again... I promise, I really do" she assured, nodding her head so hard it concerned her mother. She never stopped though, so giggling to herself Rachel removed her hands from the girls baby sized denim covered knees and held them onto the sides of her face, paralyzing her from more movement.
"I know..." she sighed, finally giving in "but you need to promise Cara, and keep that promise"
"I promise! I really, really, really promise Mommy!" she exclaimed shaking her head again.
Rachel smiled before stopping her once more, "I believe you, but you also have to apologise" without a second thought, Cara leapt to abruptly into Rachel's arms, she nearly fell flat on her back. Cara however didn't care, she squeezed her Mom's neck area till the blood supply to her face was running short, "o-ok sweetie, you can let go now"
"I'm sorry"
"Don't forget the two other people you owe an apology to?" Cara smiled shyly, of course apologising to Mommy was easy, Rachel was a soft as ice cream left in the sun, however something was very different about apologising to Daddy, a bit more awkward maybe because Daddy was super fun and made pretty much everything silly.
"Are you sure?" the little girl asked standing back up straight as did Rachel, who struggled to hold a laugh at how serious she suddenly was "because I could just wipe the pen off and pretend it never happened?"
Oh she was clever for her age, and sneaky too "ok, well first Daddy already knows and second your plan has been halted since you used permanent marker"
"What's that?" she asked changing the topic.
"Never mind distractions, kitchen, now." Rachel told firmly, placing her hand on the childs shoulder and gently guiding her towards the kitchen.
Upon entering she noticed her husband holding their sleepy looking three week-old up on his lap, Christopher's face slouching upon Finn's hand which was covered in bib, and Finn's spare hand soothingly rubbing large circles on his petite onesie covered back. She had to admit, as much as Finn pushed her buttons, scenes like this made her forget all about them.
Without words Cara clambered up onto the chair beside him, before leaning over and pushing the newspaper and half empty baby bottle away so she could sit on the table opposite her Dad, purposely making sure her legs where swinging in a cute way for the sake of it.
"Hi Daddy" she smiled, almost forgetting her task. Rachel had to humph across the room at her daughters sudden character change, sometimes there where negatives to the child being so much like her.
"Hey princess... how are you?" he asked formally.
Cara paused, "I'm okay I suppose"
"Just Okay?"
"I-I'm really sorry" Rachel looked over to her husband, him catching the proud smile she wore.
"And why's that little miss?"
"I may or may not have drawed a mustache on the picture of Chrissy"
Now he had to laugh at that, though his son wasn't too amused. Very squeaky new-born cries escaped his lips at being shook from his falling asleep in an awkward position routine, ones meaning he wanted more than a kiss on the forehead. Rachel came straight over and carefully removed the baby from his arms. Christopher straight away allowed his Mom to cradle him lovingly, turning in to her chest area and snuggling his button nose cutely into her shirt.
Another positive being Finn now replaced him with his eldest, placing her on his lap facing him "so you drawn a mustache on the picture?"
Cara nodded shyly before putting the second act on and burying her head into Finn's right shoulder, "just a little" she mumbled into him. Weirdly she felt his body shake against her and could tell he was laughing, sitting up rather startled she gave him a questioning look "well at least you didn't draw on his actual face"
That was her Daddy. The silly one; the guy who once woke his daughter and wife up doing the robot three hours early (three thirty in the morning to be exact) before they had to get up to go on vacation just because he was so excited; the man who not too long ago attempted to convince his daughter that learning to count and the alphabet with Daddy was so much more fun than day care with all the other kids, and instead she should stay home with him cos he loved her so much.
The guy who tried to teach his daughter French but even she wasn't stupid enough to fall for his con and realise putting 'le' on the beginning of every word and saying them in a silly French accent wasn't authentic; the Dad who completely revamped their home into a pink pirate paradise when his daughter had tonsillitis and had to miss themed day at day-care; and the man who made sure the game 'fluffy bunny' was a mandatory family bonding session every Friday night, one which made his daughter laugh so hard he wanted to cry.
"Shhh!" Cara said placing her index finger upon her lips, "if Mommy hears you she'll get mad-"
"I already heard!" they listened to Rachel who had taken their baby boy back into the main room to finish his feeding.
Finn giggled quite evilly making the little girl feel special and playful, Cara sat up straight and pulled her father's head down by his cheeks of light stubble. She felt as the tip of his nose met hers and their eyes fell to the correct level "I love you Daddy- I really, really, really do" she giggled.
Finn trying not to cry (something about becoming a father made him more emotional... well that's his excuse anyway) put his hands on her cheeks and she left hers on his, "I love you too Cara"
"What about me?!" they heard Rachel screech from the main room.
Leaning back, Cara turned slightly in the direction of the doorway to her left "we love you too Mommy... and you Chrissy!"
"Christopher says thank you" she mumbled.
"Chrissy can't talk silly!"
"If he could, what do you think he'd be saying right now?" Finn asked pressing his lips upon her right temple.
Cara thought for a second, before grinning widely "I think he'd want to come join the fun club"
That had sort of become a Daddy-daughter thing, 'the fun club'. He practically told her since the day she could understand, Finn and Cara where special members of the fun club (also, the only members); grandma and grandpa weren't allowed, nor uncle Kurt, even Mommy wasn't allowed- it was their thing, just theirs.
Finn chuckled thinking about it before standing up and sliding the child onto his right hip, "yes but then Mommy would have no one in her club"
"Mommy has a club?" Cara asked incredulous as he began to walk.
"Of course! she has the-the..." he was yet to think about that. Luckily they entered the room just in time to catch Rachel's attention, she was fixing her shirt having just put their son in his day time fold away crib across the room. He sat down beside her putting Cara on his lap so she sat facing Rachel, "what's your club called?"
"My what?"
"Your club, duh! me and Daddy have 'fun club' for fun people only-" Rachel pouted though her daughter was completely oblivious and carried on rambling "-so you and Christopher need a club so you're not left on your own?"
The corners of Rachel's lips rose, showing the tips of her white perfect teeth "that's so sweet..." she awed.
"Oh... No Mommy, me and Daddy where gonna steal Chrissy to join the 'fun club' but then Daddy said that wouldn't be fair..."
Finn again burst out laughing at her childish ways "...No Finn. Just no" Rachel said monotone feigning offense.
"So what is your club called?"
Rachel paused building up dramatic affect "I'll have you know, mine and Christopher's club kicks your club's butt... it's called 'the club for very gold and shiny stars'"
Finn smiled "of course it had to have the word 'stars' in there somewhere"
"It's inevitable"
"Daddy?" Cara practically whimpered, now turning her head towards him "yes princess?"
"...Mommy's club has a better name... I think I want a transfer"
"Aha! in your face Finn Hudson" Rachel yelped joyously, grabbing her daughter and quickly cuddling her onto her own lap.
Finn pouted, the one he'd learnt from his daughter- it had become more of a family trait by now.
"You traitor" he accused straining his eyes in his daughters direction, Cara- feeling on top of the world grasping both her parents attention, replied "I'm sorry Daddy, I'll come back!"
"No! Daddy's club is now a one-man for super only awesome dudes"
He turned on an angle in the other direction trying to ignore them, though it was hard when she was pulling such a face of disappointment which could easily break someone's heart, "Daddy..." she whined tugging on his hand closest to her, "but am I still your dudette?"
Finn couldn't help it, that was way too adorable. Without regret he instantly snatched the child from her mother's lap before burying her back into his lap and against his chest, "Miss Cara Adelaide Hudson, you've officially re-joined the 'fun club', how's it feel?" Finn joked in a reported voice, holding an imaginary microphone under her chin.
"Awesome!" she chimed, "the best!" high fives between the two of them and Rachel was all alone again.
"You guys are awful, poor Mommy all alone again..." Rachel grumbled to herself wiping away fake tears.
Cara giggled as if it was the funniest thing in the world before sliding off her Dads knee and into the middle, she carefully took her Mom's hand with her right and took her Dad's hand with her left. "I like being a member of the fun club, and I still want to be a member of the super-duper shiny gold stars club-" she started getting them muddled up, "-but, but I think I like just us being one big club first"
"And what club would that be?" Finn asked curios to her serious tone.
"The Hudson club of course... cos Daddy's a Hudson; Mommy's a Hudson-"
"Cara's a Hudson" Finn interfered bopping the tip of her nose.
"Yup, and now Chrissy's a Hudson!"
Both Rachel and Finn shared a look of pride before simultaneously reaching down to pepper her face in kisses which she squealed at in pure delight. Once she finally escaped by wriggling onto the floor she stood up and began to manically de-contaminate her face with the palms of her hands. "Ew! you guys are the grossest"
"For giving you kisses?" Rachel teased, she slid over into her daughters spot and leant her head into her husbands shoulder as he gladly wrapped his arm around her.
"Yup, disgusting!"
"Says the girl who once ate play-dough!"
"Daddy that was a secret!" she squealed blushing slightly.
"You ate play-dough?" Rachel asked.
"Jeremy dared me to, it wasn't my fault, honest!" Jeremy was Cara's best friend, they met through a recent work colleague of Rachel's since they were born around the same time and ever since they've been inseparable.
Feeling the negatives of having all eyes on her, she began to think rapidly "Daddy shared a whole jar of peanut butter with me while you were at work... and we ate it straight off of the spoon!"
"Finn!" Rachel exclaimed in horror sitting straight up and harmlessly slapping him on the chest.
"Traitor! you really are a traitor"
Cara giggled devilishly a metre away from them, of course it wasn't long before she felt her fathers arms sweep her into the air and blow raspberries all over her stomach as she giggled wildly.
"Am-mm-mm I still in the Hud-Hudson club?" she giggled more and more.
Finn purposely pondered to build suspense, settling her on his right hip again, he cocked his head to the side "what's your name?"
"Cara Hudson!" she had no other reason to giggle, but she really couldn't help it anymore.
"Well then there's your answer!" he grinned.
Rachel cleared her throat to get some attention from behind them, "seriously you guys, I'm considering separating the house into two and taking baby Chris with me on my side..."
Cara silently thought, the adults expecting some sort of relevant answer "...but how would you make the TV play two different shows at once? I don't like watching Funny Girl all's the time"
Rachel giving in, pulled herself up "Cara sweetheart, you're seriously gonna break some poor guys heart one day" she sighed bopping her on the nose and walking into the kitchen out of sight and hearing distance.
Finn's mind went into over drive. He not-so-very-fondly remembers how crazy overprotective Rachel's fathers were at first, at the time no one was perfect for their baby girl. And he also remembers how ridiculous he thought that was, and over-obsessive. However now he somehow feels as if he owes the Berry men an apology, nobody! and he means nobody on the whole entire planet will ever be good enough for Cara... ever.
"Cara... h-honey, please tell me Mommy's lying and the only guys heart you're ever gonna break is Daddy's?" he asked with hope.
Cara being Cara (AKA the off-spring of the legendary Rachel Berry) paused being dramatic. Her face at his level, she used her right hand to pull around his left cheek so he faced her and their eyes met "I can't promise that Daddy, cos Mommy said one day I'll find my own Finn Hudson- but I promise for ever and ever and ever that I won't make you hurt"
Give the man a break he thought daring not to cry, he Eskimo kissed his daughter before placing her back on the ground and watched her scamper off in her mothers tracks, after taking a quick peak at his peacefully sleeping son he sighed, "that's good enough for me baby girl" he whispered, unknown to them.
A/N: What could have been I suppose... (sighs) Review worthy? tell me what you think... =)