Nine Months
February
Rachel had nearly worn a hole in the carpet from pacing. She jumped about a foot in the air when she heard the car doors shut. Rushing into the hall to greet her wives, she stopped short.
"For god's sake, Quinn! It's not that big a deal!"
"It's not that you keep buying insanely expensive electronic gadgets that we don't need…oh wait, it is! What the hell do we need this for, Santana?"
Brittany walked over, rolling her eyes, and hugged Rachel.
"…need it, Q. I wanted it. And we have the money—"
"That's not the point, Santana!"
"What the fuck is the point!"
"Eh hem," Rachel coughed. "If we could please not use that language in front of the baby."
"Rachel, we're adults. We can…." Santana started and then trailed off as the last few words of that sentence sunk into her brain.
Quinn's mouth dropped open, and Brittany just sniggered.
"Called it," the taller blonde said. "Revive your wives, Rae Bear. I'll start dinner."
"Thanks, Britt."
March
Quinn and Brittany dropped the shopping bags on the counter and began sorting through groceries. The older woman winced when she heard retching from upstairs.
"Uh oh…. I'm going to go help her," she told Brittany. "I'll send Santana down."
Brittany nodded, balancing a gallon of milk on her head and putting the bread in the cabinet.
Quinn grabbed the smallest sack and rushed up the stairs. She found Santana and Rachel in the guest bathroom, cuddled up on the floor.
"She didn't want to stay in our bathroom, because she didn't want it to smell like puke," Santana said, rolling her eyes.
"Everyone uses that bathroom," Rachel murmured. "I was being considerate."
"You're a goober," Quinn said fondly. "Okay, I want my Rachel-time. San, go help Brittany with the groceries."
Santana kissed Rachel's forehead before letting Quinn sit down with her. "Holler if you need anything," she said, kissing Quinn as well.
"Thanks, San," Rachel said.
"This is an idiotic question, but how are you feeling?" Quinn asked softly.
"I think our baby hates me," Rachel pouted.
"No…she's just growing up big and strong. And she probably doesn't like to share, just like her Mommy."
Rachel snorted. "Why do you have a bag full of lollipops?"
"Oh! Right…these helped when I was pregnant with Beth. I had god awful morning sickness. That's why I think you're having a girl. We're a tempestuous bunch."
Rachel chuckled a little at this, and accepted the candy Quinn gave her. "Thanks."
"Anything for my Ray of Sunshine."
April
"So, ladies, what was it like working together on this project?" Ellen asked.
"Phenomenal," Quinn said.
"Absolutely," Brittany agreed. "It was good having Quinn around. I'm just the choreographer, but she understands a lot of things about movie production that I don't. So I was always bugging her for insider information."
The audience laughed indulgently at this.
"No, but really," Brittany continued. "I'm super lucky to have three talented wives, and I hardly ever get to work with them. So getting to work on this movie with Q was totally a dream for me."
"Best director ever, right?" Quinn asked with a wink.
"Burton's got you beat," Brittany deadpanned.
"Only because you have a girl crush on Helena Bonham Carter and he introduced you."
The audience and Ellen roared with laughter at this.
"It's very true," Brittany said, smiling brightly.
"So, even though the subject matter is kind of dark, this is actually a very lighthearted movie," Ellen said.
"That's right. It's based off the foundation Brittany and a few other dancing directors in New York started a few years back for children that had been abused. The teachers use dance as a form of therapy. And we did want to address the darker subjects in the movie, but I wanted it to be more about the resilience and strength that children find in themselves, and about their success stories."
"I was lucky enough to catch the screening two nights ago," Ellen said. "It was one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen."
"Thank you," the girls said to enormous applause.
"And speaking of children…" Ellen said slyly. "I hear rumors of the four of you taking a break from the spotlight for a while…. Care to share?"
"Yes…" Quinn said, nodding. "The rumors are true. Rachel is pregnant."
There was a standing ovation at this, and it took Ellen a minute to get everyone settled down. "Congratulations! I understand she couldn't be here today."
"No, Santana's keeping her on lock down. We're all super afraid of her catching something. But she wanted us to make the announcement because she adores you," Brittany said. "She wanted it to be on your show."
"I'm deeply honored. I also have a gift for the baby…."
"Should we be worried?" Quinn asked, laughing.
"Probably. Here we go!"
The two women dug through the tissue paper to find a life sized rubber ducky, and a onesie that said "My moms were on the Ellen Show and all I got was this stupid onesie."
May
"No! Just leave me alone!"
Santana grunted as she stomped through the house. "No yelling at pregnant wife…no yelling at pregnant wife," she chanted. She reached the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She knew mood swings were part of the process. She knew that Rachel was a hormone casserole at the moment. But she still needed to vent. She picked up her phone, dialing quickly. "Puck? Meet me at Quacky's in fifteen. Yes…I'll buy. You suck. See you soon."
"Bro time?" Quinn asked, peeking into the kitchen.
"Yep. You two are on your own with Bi-Polar Betty up there."
"San, be nice. She's carrying our kid."
Santana deflated. "I know. And I wish I could make her feel better…. Do I suck for running away?"
"You're not running away," Quinn told her. She gave her a peck on the lips. "You're taking a time out. And there's nothing wrong with that. Go on, kick Puck's ass at paintball."
June
Rachel relaxed on her floating lounger, happy to have the day to herself. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the company of the other three…. It was just that they tended to panic every time she shifted positions, and not let her do anything for herself, and constantly monitor what she was eating, and try to get her to reread her baby books, and….
Yes, it was nice to have some privacy. She smiled and looked down at her book. Enough reading, she wanted a nap. Little goober had her perpetually tired (something Nana Judy insisted would never go away).
"Oh my god! Rachel, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Quinn," she called. "I thought you were working today."
"I came home to have lunch with you," Quinn explained. "Brought your favorite Panini from Witches' Wiches."
"Awesome," she said, tossing her book onto the concrete. She rolled off the floaty and swam towards the stairs.
"Rachel!"
"Quinn, honey, I'm fine. Swimming is a perfectly normal, healthy exercise for pregnant women. It's okay."
Quinn sighed and nodded. "Right…sorry. I'm just…."
"Worried we'll break him? I totally get it. But we all have to relax or he'll grow up to be that weird nervous kid with a stutter who wets his bed into his twenties and is afraid to go on Space Mountain at Disney World."
Quinn let that sink in for about three seconds, then doubled over laughing. "Okay," she gasped. "You win. We'll calm the panic."
"Now…what's this about a delicious sandwich?"
"Right this way, my beautiful mermaid."
July
Grooving to the sound of your own voice was narcissistic, Santana knew, but she couldn't help it. The new album was darker, more jazzy than the last, and she loved every single track on it. Even the pop songs the label forced on her.
She was pulled out of her reverie when her phone buzzed.
Rachel: Almost done?
Santana: Yeah. You okay?
Rachel: More than okay. But come straight home.
Santana: That doesn't sound like okay.
Rachel: It's a surprise. A good one.
Santana didn't need to be told twice. "Yo Calvin? Rashad? I'm done for the day."
"Wife need you?" one of the producers asked.
"Yeah. Text me with the mods to this one, yeah?"
"You got it, S."
Santana made herself drive the speed limit. She'd gotten her ear chewed off by all three girls the one time she'd sped to the doctor's office (making an hour long trip in thirty minutes). She did, however, sprint into the house when she got there.
"Santana?"
"I'm here, what's up?" she said, sitting next to Rachel on the couch. "Where are Quinn and Brittany?"
"On their way. Here," she said, taking Santana's hands and resting them on her stomach.
On cue, there was a tiny thump and then another thump. Santana's eyes got wide. She looked from Rachel's face to her stomach then back again.
"Kicking!"
"Mmhmm," Rachel said, beaming.
"Kicking!"
That was how Brittany and Quinn found them fifteen minutes later.
August
For some reason, even though she was an adult and had an awesome, impressive career, people still seemed to think of Brittany as the dumb one.
She scratched her nose with the wooden end of the paint brush. Well, maybe that wasn't quite right. Maybe not the "dumb" one, but the innocent one. The baby. Even though Rachel was the youngest, and Brittany was about as innocent as Santana…. People were genuinely surprised that Santana didn't still cut her meat for her. It was like they thought she needed supervision for every fucking thing.
Freaking thing. There was a baby coming…no more cursing.
Anyway, it was vexing. The most annoying part though? It was that people didn't seem to understand that she understood how they thought of her. They thought she was totally oblivious to the fact that Artie and Puck had not so subtly hinted that she needed supervision while decorating the nursery. Fuck that.
Forget that. Baby on the way…no more cursing.
Sure, there were a couple of times when an extra hand would have been great. And at those times, she'd called Quinn in. She smiled, and made a note to thank her accomplice later. Quinn understood. She knew that Brittany saw everything, and had agreed to help her put the nursery together by herself.
"Time check," Quinn said, peeking in. "Rachel and Santana will be here in twenty. Holy shit, this place looks good!"
"Language, there's a baby coming," Brittany said, but she was smiling. "And thanks. I'm all done."
"Want some help carting the paint to the garage?"
By the time they got done cleaning up, Santana and Rachel were walking in.
"We brought dinner!" Santana sang. "How are our two favorite blondes?"
"Good. We have a surprise before we eat, though," Brittany said.
"Britts has a surprise," Quinn amended with a smile. "She did all the…er…heavy lifting."
Brittany led them upstairs and stood to one side of the door. "Take a look."
Rachel did so, and promptly burst into happy tears. She bounced awkwardly on her toes for a moment before hugging Brittany. "It's b-beautiful."
"Thanks, Rachy."
"Damn, B," Santana said, grinning. "You rock a storybook theme."
"Just how I roll. Now let's go eat!"
September
"Quinn?"
Quinn snorted awake. "What flavor? I'll get it…."
"Do you think some place has meatballs at this hour?" Rachel asked hesitantly. She really hated waking them up, but their sons and/or daughters were two persistent children.
"No, but Walmart's always open. I'll make you some. Swedish or what?"
"Barbeque, please."
Quinn nodded and rolled out of bed.
"You running, Q?" Santana grunted from Rachel's other side.
"Yep. Be back soon."
It was probably the quickest run she'd ever accomplished. Frozen food section…condiments…bam, out of there in fifteen minutes flat. But she still had a feeling it would be for naught as she put the food in their freezer. Sure enough, when she peeked into their room, Rachel was fast asleep. She smiled and crawled back into bed.
October
"No."
"Oh, come on!"
"If I don't get to put Fiyero on the list, you don't get to put Thor on the list."
"He's a god!"
"Fiyero's a prince."
"Our kid's going to get his or her ass kicked every day, aren't they?" Brittany asked quietly.
Quinn snorted. "Probably. If these two have their way."
"I like the name Corbin," Brittany said suddenly.
They all looked at her.
"What?" she asked. "It's a cool name for a little dude, but it's professional for when he's a big dude."
"I think that has a nice ring to it," Rachel agreed.
"So, that's one name for Brittany, one for me," Quinn said. "Santana, I'm assuming you're giving up on Thor?"
"Yeah," she grumbled. "Put Kona on the list."
"Shortened form of Konala, I assume?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah. I like Hawaiian names," Santana said.
"That leaves you, Rae Bear, and then we have a boy list and a girl list."
"How about…Asher?"
"I like that one."
"Me too."
"Do we want to-"
"Oh!"
"Rachel, what's up?" Santana asked. "Umm..."
"I think my water just broke..."
November 1st, 2025. 2:34 a.m.
The hospital was quiet. It was a weird feeling, staring into the nursery again. This time, she didn't feel so afraid. Terrified, but not in the same way from all those years ago.
"Did you look at me like this?" a small voice next to her asked.
"For forever," Quinn told Beth, taking her hand. "Until I couldn't anymore."
"They're squishy."
"So were you."
"What are their names?"
Quinn smiled. "Asher Trenton Lopez-Berry, and Nyla Kaitlyn Lopez-Berry."
"So…so I'm kind of a big sister now?"
Quinn hugged her. "Most definitely." She blew a kiss to her twins before leading the way back to the lounge, where their family was waiting for them.