Hey everyone! What was originally a one-shot is now a two-shot (maybe three-shot, we'll see). I started writing this waaaaaay back in August 2013. It's basically a what if, which centers around if Rachel was pregnant with Finn's baby and he did end up passing away. It's sad in some parts, but I'm proud of it otherwise.
I don't own Glee. I only characters I own are the Finchel baby and Rachel's other children that she has.
Enjoy!
February 2013
Rachel walked out of that hotel room feeling nothing but guilt. She cheated on Brody, and he would probably know it once she got home. He was able to read her well, just like Finn. If she had cheated on someone else, her boyfriend probably wouldn't be as furious. He knew she still loved Finn, but neither of them uttered a word about it.
Once Rachel arrived back in New York, she knew Brody knew something was up. He trusted her though, so he didn't think anything of it. She hoped things would be normal between them.
March 2013
This can't be happening.
She was staring at a pregnancy test that had a pink plus sign. Could the test have expired? She checked the box, and it didn't expire until next year. Maybe it was a false positive. Maybe this was just a horrible dream. No, not a dream. A nightmare. A nightmare that would end soon. It needed to end immediately.
It was about a week later when Santana confronted her about the test.
"I found it in the trashcan," she said, "When were you going to tell us you had a bun in the oven with the sniffler?"
"You had no right," Rachel whimpered with tears in her eyes.
"Why didn't you just tell me? You can trust me," and Rachel broke, falling on Santana bawling her eyes out. She felt herself being embraced in a comforting hug, which really didn't help, "We'll see if you're actually pregnant. I'll call Planned Parenthood or something to see if they can do a blood test."
"T-thank you," the brunette choked out in sobs.
-x-
"Congratulations, you are indeed pregnant."
Rachel held her breath as the doctor spoke. She really didn't want to listen since she knew she couldn't keep this baby. She didn't want to be like Quinn with the baby daddy conflict years ago. The doctor handed her some pamphlets, which she stuffed in her pockets before walking out of the office. She should probably consider her options before it was too late.
"It was a false positive," she told Santana. Her lies came out like word vomit, and she couldn't stop. She ignored every word her friend said, knowing it wouldn't matter. The only thing Rachel could think about was who the father was. She knew it was Finn though; her and Brody always used protection. As long as no one found out the truth, she'd be fine.
April 2013
Now that she was two months pregnant, it was hard to hide all of the morning sickness she was having. Kurt and Santana were concerned about her health, but she alway told them she was fine. Brody moved out, since she found out that he was a male escort. She called Finn to ask him for advice about her Funny Girl audition, and he told her to do what she thought was best.
Rachel wished she would have told him she was pregnant once she hung up the phone.
-x-
She thought her final callback for Funny Girl went over really well. She decided to make some banana bread for such a special occasion. Kurt and Santana weren't home yet, so it was just her and the TV.
Just as she put the banana bread in the oven, she heard "Don't Stop Believin'" sound off on her phone. Would could possibly be calling now? Then again, Kurt was probably getting off work now. He was probably calling asking if he wanted them to pick up chinese take out or something. Instead, her phone read Carole. Why was Carole calling? She never called, not even if it was an emergency.
"Hello?" it was Burt's voice, not Carole's. Rachel could hear sobbing in the background.
"Hi, Burt. What's going on?"
"Is Kurt home with you? He's not answering his phone," he asked.
"No, he's probably on his way home from work though," she answered.
"Then I'll wait. I'd like to have you and Kurt together when I tell you."
"Tell me what? I'll tell Kurt when he gets home," she was starting to get nervous.
"Just tell her, Burt!" Rachel heard more hysterical crying in the background.
"Burt, please tell me what's going on. You're scaring me."
"Finn's...Finn's passed away."
She and her phone plummeted to the ground, and both her and the phone shattered like glass. Her phone was broken now, but she didn't care. This couldn't be happening. She was still in the same nightmare she was in a month ago. She was going to wake up very soon. She had to. The ball in her throat continued to grow as she choked on her tears. He couldn't be dead. This had to be some sort of joke. Even though April Fool's was a couple weeks ago, this had to be some sort of of disgusting prank just to mess with her.
The oven beeped, and Rachel was still on the floor. She was numb, and her eyeliner was surely running down her face like her tears. It was like she was frozen in time; she couldn't feel anything in her entire body and quite frankly she didn't want to.
"Rachel? Rachel!" words echoed through her head; Kurt was home. She felt herself being violently shaken by him, seeing if she was ok. She wasn't ok, and she was never going to be ok again.
"Rachel!"
"Finn's dead. Your dad called me. He's dead, Kurt. Finn's dead," she kept repeating those words, still trying to make it seem real, "Finn's dead, and I'm pregnant with his baby."
-x-
Santana, Kurt, and Rachel all flew out to Lima to attend Finn's funeral. They all went out for dinner afterwards, and she was the only one who was entirely silent.
"Rachel, I think you should tell them," she heard Kurt whisper next or her. The morning after she found out about Finn, she canceled her appointment with Planned Parenthood. She couldn't go through with what she was going to go through. There was one piece of him left on this cruel Earth, and she wasn't going to get rid of it.
"What if something happens, though? Like, what if I lose it?"
"Just tell them," he wanted her to get it over with so they wouldn't have to deal with it later on.
"Everyone, there's something I need to tell you," Rachel reluctantly got up from her chair, slightly anxious, "In February, during Mr. Schuester's wedding reception, Finn and I got back together for one night. A month later...I found out I was pregnant."
Almost everyone's mouths were gaped wide open, speechless, "Did Finn know?"
"No...I never told him," she sat down and cried for a minute. She wished he would have known. If he did, he would have been in New York and safe in her apartment.
"We'll help you out in whatever way you need, Rachel," Carole said, "Finn would have wanted this. I know it."
July 2013
"Well, it looks like you're going to have a little girl."
A little girl. A mini Rachel. She would be able to braid her hair and take her to all sorts of Broadway shows. She couldn't wait to start buying all sorts of dresses and pink stuff for her. Rachel knew the baby would have been a little daddy's girl. Finn would have taken her to football games and taught her how to play baseball. That would never happen, even though she desired for it to happen.
While she was out shopping for some baby clothes at Target, she found someone she hadn't seen in awhile.
"Rachel?" she turned her head to see someone she hadn't seen since they broke up. It was Brody.
"Hi..." Rachel said in almost a whisper. She was worried that something might happen.
"How have you been?" he asked, scanning her body like a hawk. His eyes landed on her stomach, shocked by what he saw. "I-is it mine?"
"No, it's Finn's," she replied.
"How did he take the news?" Brody asked.
"He doesn't know. And he never will because he's dead," Rachel got right to the point to avoid any other questions. She then felt his arms around her small body, his grip tightening around her. She took her own arms and wrapped them around his much larger body. The brunette released a few tears from her eyes, hoping he wouldn't mind the stains on his shirt.
"Rachel, I'm going to pay for the outfit for you, and I'm going to take you to lunch," he gently took the outfit from her gasp, but she resisted it for a few moments.
"You don't have you..."
"Please, let me."
Once they left Target, they walked down the street to a local diner, where Rachel ordered a bunch of food, while Brody ordered a sandwich.
"So, is there a reason you wanted to take me out to lunch?" she asked, finishing her fries quickly.
"Well...since we broke up, I quit being escort. I realized that I shouldn't be doing that kind of stuff, especially when I'm dating someone. I actually just recently got a small role in the chorus of Once," Brody explained, looking at her with a smile.
"What are you saying? Do you want me back?" if this is what he wanted, then now wasn't the best time.
"Actually, yes. Once I saw that you were pregnant though...I figured you weren't up for it. But..." he paused. "This may sound even stranger, but who are you raising your baby with exactly?"
She really didn't think about that one. She figured by herself, but during the first year, she was going to need all the help she got. Rachel knew Kurt and Santana would help her, but they were going to be busy with their personal lives too. A baby would stress them out too, "Myself I guess mainly... Kurt and Santana would help me, but not all the time."
"I know I've only had about forty-five minutes to make a decision here, but let me your baby's father. I don't care if it's a boy or a girl, I just want to help you out and I hope this will make up for what I did to you," she was astonished. This was very mature of Brody, even though he had the next eighteen years of his life on the line.
"It's a girl, and..." Rachel had to think for a minute. "Ok."
November 5th, 2013.
"Is the doctor here yet?" the brunette whined as she gripped on the side of the bed in pain. She had decided to give birth naturally, and now she regretted her choice.
"I see him coming," Brody said, looking out the window. The past four months had been hectic for the two: Brody moved in, and they had to add a new section to the apartment for their daughter. They had agreed that their daughter would have Brody's last name, since he was going to be considered her father after all. Rachel had decided to take the entire year off, but she'd be doing her school work on the computer. It was Brody's last year of college, so he should have been present for all of his classes. As for Funny Girl...they canceled production due to several unknown issues. Rachel was glad about that, knowing she wouldn't have been able to do the show long enough for her to win a Tony or another award.
The doctor arrived within seconds. "Alright Rachel, let me see if this baby is ready to arrive. And...looks like you're ready to push."
"Oh, lovely," Rachel whispered as she laid in her bed as the doctor prepped her, and a couple nurses arrived to assist the doctor.
After about half an hour, one final push released her child into the world. Rachel never thought she would be happy for hear someone cry, but she started to once she saw her baby. The doctor took her to get her cleaned up, only to bring her back soon after. The pediatric nurse handed the couple their baby, and they looked at her in awe.
They both knew she looked like Finn, but they didn't dare say a word about it. She had his nose and cheek structure. Everything else clearly belonged to Rachel.
"She's so pretty," Brody whispered into her ear.
"I have to admit," she whispered back. "Right now, she could pass off as your baby."
The brunette was telling the truth. Finn and Brody had similar facial structures, minus some other features such as their eyes. "Maybe we should just say she's yours. I mean, people at NYADA knew we dated. The only people that will truly know about her real father are people from glee club and our families. Also the state, since we agreed on putting Finn's name on the birth certificate. Don't you think it's for the best?"
"Rachel..." he said, shocked. "You're already letting her have my last name. You don't need to make up a lie."
"We need to. Things will get complicated otherwise. Please Brody. This is for the best."
"If you say so..."
-x-
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Christine Marie Weston."
Brody just thought her name was pretty, but he didn't know the significance of it. Finn's middle name was Christopher; Christine sounded like the female version of the name. It was the best way to pay homage to him without making it obvious and naming her Finnessa.
"She's beautiful Rachel," Carole said, holding her granddaughter with tears in her eyes. For Carole's sake, this was the only grandchild she was going to have from Finn.
Everyone in the room agreed that she looked like Rachel, but she still had some of her biological father's traits too. "There's also another small announcement we'd like to make. With Brody's permission, we've agreed to tell others she's our child. And by our child, I mean tell people she's biologically Brody's daughter."
"W-what?" Kurt spoke for the first time all day. "You want to tell people she's his daughter? Do you remember what he did to you?"
"The real question is Kurt, do you remember the conversation I had with you and Santana in July? Santana was ok with it. You were a bit iffy about it, but I figured you just accepted it." Rachel replied, looking at her baby who was just handed to her by Tina.
"It's just not right, though! Finn wouldn't want this!"
"Finn would want me to be happy, Kurt. And guess what, I am. If you don't like it; fine. You and Blaine can pack your bags and move out if you want to," she was done with how he was acting for four months. If he didn't like it, he didn't have to live with them.
"Fine, I will," Kurt stormed out of the hospital room, and Blaine reluctantly followed. She didn't need to deal with their drama now that she had a baby.
December 25th, 2013
"She's going to look so cute in this shirt when she's older!" Rachel squealed as she looked at a shirt Brody got Christine for Christmas that said "Princess" with sequins on it. It was going to look pretty on her when she was older.
"Open the one I got her," Santana said, drinking some hot chocolate. The brunette grabbed the present, opened it up, and revealed a stuffed bunny.
"This is cute Santana, thank you," she said with a grin. She looked over at the coffee table, where a bunch of mail was laying for the past week. She hadn't spoken to Kurt since the day Christine was born, and it hurt her inside. He was her best friend, and he was also the uncle of her daughter. "I'm sure Christine will like it."
"I have something for you, Rach," Brody got up from his spot on the floor and walked over to her stocking he had gotten for her. "Close your eyes."
She responded to his command, wondering what he had gotten her. Once he told her to open, she saw him down on one knee with a ring in his hands. Rachel was speechless.
"Rachel, I love you. For some people, those words are really hard to say to someone special. For me to say that to you however, it's as easy as simple daily tasks. And yet I can't put into words all the reasons why I love you. Your voice, our daughter, your personality...and there's so much more. I want us to live together for the rest of our lives. Rachel Barbra Berry, will you marry me?"
The brunette was speechless. They had only known each other for a year, and they were on and off during that time. Now, he was proposing. If this is what he wanted, like he said he would a month ago.
"Yes," Rachel whispered with a smile, giving him a kiss on the lips. "I love you so much."
"I love you too."
November 3rd, 2019
"Streamers: check. Utensils: check. Presents: check," Rachel marked everything off her list for Christine's sixth birthday party that day, looking around her and Brody's apartment to see everything was there. He was out getting her birthday cake, which was a chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting. Her daughter ran out of her room in a pink dress that she had received the night before as one of her presents.
"Look at me Mommy! Do you like my dress?" Christine asked, and she nodded with a smile.
"I love it sweetie! You look just like a Disney princess!" Rachel complimented as she hugged her daughter. She had Rachel's big eyes and facial structure, but her nose and mouth shape still belonged to Finn. Her hair was long and wavy like Rachel's, but it's hair color was the same dark brown Finn had. If only he was here to watch her grow up. "Be sure so show Daddy when he gets home."
"Show Daddy what?" Brody asked when he walked in the door, making Christine squeal with delight as she ran towards him.
"Do you like my dress Daddy?" she asked as she spun in a circle.
"I love it Princess," he said as he lifted Christine up to give her a big kiss on the cheek. She loved how her husband treated her like his own daughter even though she wasn't. Brody gently placed her back on the floor, and she ran back into her room to play with her toys. "How're you doing?"
"Fine, you?" Rachel received a kiss on the lips from him as she grabbed the cake from his hands to put it in the fridge.
"Good. How's Bryce doing?"
"He's sleeping in his room. Even though he's two and he has plenty of energy and he needs to sleep. He'll probably wake up if I get the phone call today," she said. Bryce was their two year old son, who was conceived unexpectedly back in 2016 and was born on April 16th 2017. Once Bryce was born, she decided to quit auditioning for Broadway shows for awhile so she could raise her children while Brody starred in the musical Bullets Over Broadway. That was until one day the original directors and producers of Funny Girl back in 2013 decided to bring the show back, and they weren't going to quit on it this time. She auditioned and got a call back, now she was waiting for a call to see if she got the part.
"You will get that call, I promise," he said, giving her a kiss again.
"How's Kurt doing?" she asked. Kurt and Rachel hadn't had a full conversation since Christine was born, and she wished he wasn't missing out on his niece's life. Right now he was working in the same musical as Brody, so that must have meant they talked to each other from time to time.
"He seems alright. He asks how Christine's doing a lot, and the usual answer is good," he changed the subject quickly. "Aren't the guests supposed to be arriving soon?"
"Yep," the doorbell rung, which meant the first guest was definitely here. Rachel charged towards the door to get it, and when she opened it she got one of the biggest shocks in her life.
"Hi Rachel," Kurt said with a smile with Blaine next to him. She was surprised he showed up, but at the same time she was very grateful.
"Hi Kurt," as if they were never a part for six years, they embraced in a long and heartfelt hug. She missed this, that was for sure. "Please, come in you two."
"Santana doesn't live here anymore I assume?" he asked as they walked into the living room.
"Nope, she moved out when she got a job as a publicist at a PR agency. I guess they liked her brutal honesty," she pointed out as she let them sit down on the couch. Right when she went to get them a glass of water Christine came slinking out of her room. While she kept her eye on the two men, she dashed and hid behind her mom's legs.
"Mommy, who are those men? Are they strangers?" she asked.
"No honey. Meet your Uncle Kurt and Uncle Blaine," Rachel introduced her daughter to two of her closest friends. She crouched down to her eye level to speak again, "They don't bite. Go say hi."
Christine made her way slowly over to Kurt and Blaine with a small smile on her face. They gave her a smile in return, which seemed to help her open up to them. While she started talking Kurt and Rachel made eye contact, and all he did was nod. She could just tell he knew by the look on his face.
Ruining the moment was Rachel's phone playing a typical show tune ringtone. The brunette looked to see who was calling, and her eyes widened with astonishment. "It's the director for Funny Girl! Everyone, silent!"
"You heard her," Brody said as everyone's mouths stopped moving.
"Hello? Yes, this is she. Really? Thank you so much! See you soon," the phone call was swift and she hung up the phone quickly. She looked at everyone in the room, knowing she was sharing a special moment with them. "You are looking at the star of Funny Girl!"
"Congratulations!" everyone cheered and gave her a big hug, even Christine. Rachel's future was now looking brighter than ever.
June 14th, 2020
"I'm nervous," Rachel whispered into Brody's ear. They were currently sitting in Radio City Music Hall for none other than the Tony Awards. It was a commercial break, so everyone was conversing amongst themselves; predicting who'd win and also their personal lives. The award she was nominated for, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical was coming up shortly. She had some fierce competition ahead of her, and most of the critics weren't sure who was going to take home the prize. Half of them agreed, however, that it was between her and the star of the Cabaret revival Megan Stark.
"Just relax. I remember how I was at my first Tonys for Bullets. I was nervous, wondering how I'd act on stage if we won. Sure, we didn't win, but the whole cast had fun anyways," Brody said while squeezing her hand gently.
"You're right," she patted his hand with her free hand, watching the host return to the stage. He cracked a few jokes before introducing the presenter, and everyone clapped for her when she arrived.
"Every year on Broadway, there's always a group of leading ladies that shine as bright as the stars in the sky. Each one of them is unique, ranging from a funny girl to a cabaret singer. Here are the nominees for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical," Rachel noticed when she said the names of the nominees, she said them the exact same way every time. Not even a hint of who's name would be in the envelope grasped tightly in her hands. "...Megan Stark in Cabaret, and Rachel Berry in Funny Girl."
Before she made her announcement, the whole auditorium went silent.
"And the award goes to...Rachel Berry for her role as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl!"
Rachel gasped when she heard her name called. That exact moment was the moment she had been waiting for her entire life. She gave Brody a kiss as she got out of her seat and ambled towards the stage. As she walked by everyone, they all clapped for her and told her good job. The presenter handed her award when she was by the microphone and walked away from the winner.
"I...I'm literally speechless right now! First of all, before I say anything else, I'd like to thank the committee for this award," Rachel started. "You know...I've been planning my speech for this award since I was five years old. Of course, it's changed over the years, and it has definitely changed tonight. I'd also like to give thanks to everyone else that has worked for Funny Girl, from the cast to the rest of the crew. Also, my friends are another reason why I'm up here in the first place. And of course, I'd like to thank my husband Brody. Brody, thank you for being by my side for these past 7 great years. You're a wonderful husband and a great father to your child...children. I love you so much. Thank you everyone!"
She walked backstage with a smile on her face, and once she was back there it disappeared.
Rachel said child, not children.
Child.
The show had clearly gone to commercial break because Brody rushed backstage to meet with her. "That was a great speech, love."
"No...it was awful Brody. I screwed it up!" she whispered. "Everyone is going to know something is up now because I said child and not children. Everyone knows we have two kids. With my luck, Megan is going to do some digging as revenge for not winning. This is terrible, terri-"
He clutched her arms to stop her from shaking and talking. "Everything will be ok Rachel. No one noticed what you said. Besides, if anyone did, it won't even matter tomorrow morning. Trust me."
She was hoping she could trust him.
-x-
"I agree, Meg, you should have won the Tony award, but you shouldn't be this angry about it," Megan's publicist Charlie said as he saw the glass vase that was now shattered on the carpet of his office.
"I have a right to be this angry! I deserved that award," she growled while plopping down in the chair across from his desk. There was silence before she spoke again. "You're my publicist, what can I do to get back at her?"
"Not much, unless you can find dirt against her - and fast. Unless it's a scandal, your average Mary or Joe isn't going to care about a Broadway star," he explained awhile typing away on his computer.
"No..." Megan groaned while sliding down deeper into the chair. "Wait...I remember something that happened last night."
"Go on," he urged her.
"Well, during her speech, she said - regarding Brody - his child. Then, she corrected it and said children."
"Megan, I don't really think that's gossip, it just sounds like a mix up. Rachel and Brody have two kids."
"I know," she thought for a minute. "But what if one of them isn't his? What if she cheated on him? You know, cheating scandals are great tabloid fodder. Is there any way you can find out if one of Mrs. Weston's children isn't his?"
"Yeah...but I don't really like using those methods. Plus Santana, Rachel's publicist, will kill me."
"For me Charlie, please," and Megan gave him her puppy-dog eyes that she always gave when she wanted something.
"Fine, but it's going to cost you," he agreed.
Meg put her purse on his desk and started rummaging through it. "Cash or check?"
One week later
"Mommy, why are we going to the drugstore...after daycare? I wanna go home! " Christine shouted as she was being dragged by Rachel towards the nearest drugstore.
"Bryce is sick and he needs more baby Tylenol. That's why he was up all night crying," Rachel explained as they entered the store and headed to the infant aisle. Once she grabbed the cherry flavored one (he hated grape) they were heading towards the checkout when her phone started ringing. It was Kurt. This was weird. He never called unless it was an emergency...then again, he had started calling more recently since the two of them reconnected. "Hey...? What's going on?"
"Rachel, where are you?" Kurt asked. She could tell he was breathless.
"At the drugstore. Why?"
"Get out of there now," he instructed her. She then heard Blaine in the background. "I bought every single one from the store and threw them in the trash. Only a few more places left and then we'll be good"
"What's Blaine talking about?" Rachel asked again while holding Christine's hand and took a few steps in line. She looked over at the magazine rack to see the run of the mill tabloids. One caught her eye and it made her mouth gape open.
Paternity Drama with Mrs. Weston? Not So Funny, Girl!
"I can't believe it! I knew Meg was going to do something!" Rachel shouted into her phone while the cashier scanned the cough syrup. She threw all of the tabloids with that disgusting headline on the conveyor belt too so they could be bought as well. "It's one thing to mess with me. But when someone messes with my children, they should brace themselves for a hurricane!"
Rachel was showing her tough side now, but internally she immediately panicked. Something like this was something she had been worrying about since she gave birth to Christine. Now she had to deal with the repercussions of her actions. If only Finn was here. If he was here, however, this mess wouldn't have even been going on.
While traveling home by foot with Christine in one hand and her bag filled with baby Tylenol and tabloids, her mind pondered. "How did Meg's publicist get such sacred information? How could he-"
It hit her in that moment: her daughter's birth certificate. Brody and her agreed to put Finn's name on the birth certificate as a way to honor him.
Rachel managed to find her way home despite her thoughts flying around like a pesky gnat. She unlocked her door to find Brody, Santana, Blaine and Kurt in her living room. Each of them had a paper shredder and sent every tabloid through it until it was illegible strings of paper.
"Well, at least everyone's going to have enough confetti for packages for a good ten years," Blaine uttered loud enough for everyone to hear it.
Rachel set the bag on the counter and directed her attention to Christine. "Princess, would you mind if you went into your room to go play for a bit? We have to talk about boring grownup things that you wouldn't be interested in."
"Okay Mommy! Thank you, I don't wanna her icky adult stuff," and like a firecracker she darted into her room.
"I just want to know how Barfbag Charlie and the Rumor Factory figured out Brody isn't Mini Rachel's father. How the hell did they think that just because you said "child" that that meant something completely off the wall versus a fumble of words," Santana finished her stack and picked up her phone to text her rival.
"He somehow got a hold of Christine's birth certificate," Rachel sat down next to Brody on the couch while rubbing her temples. He grazed his hand slowly up and down her back as a way of massaging it to try and calm her down. "What are we gonna do?"
"Face this head on," Brody stated boldly.
"That's easy for you to say, considering people think you're the victim and I'm the one guilty of adultery. I feel like this is something I can't fix."
"Yes you can. You're Rachel -sorry Brody I have to say it like this- freaking Berry. You've never taken crap from anyone, and you're not going to start now," Kurt's short, sweet, and straight to the point pep talks always helped her in the dark times. She nodded when she realized her was right and put a grin on her face.
"I will!" In that moment, the phone rang and she picked it up quickly. "Hello? Yes, this is she. Alright, fine. This is the only public interview I'll do though, got it? Okay, bye."
"Who was it?" everyone asked in unison.
"My favorite morning show. They want to interview me about this whole issue tomorrow morning live. It's the only interview I'm going to do, so Santana please make sure no one else wants to schedule one with me."
"Got it."
Now all Rachel had to do was prepare herself with an answer towards every question, and have it be truthful.
"So, should we destroy the rest of those tabloids you brought home," Blaine suggested while looking at the grocery bag.
"Yes, lets," the brunette went over and took them all out except for one. She normally wouldn't save anything that was bad for her image, but she felt the need to save one.
While sending the gossip magazines through the shredder, she wondered if the interview was the right thing to do. Was she doing this for her daughter and Brody, or was she doing this for herself? Christine didn't deserve to be in the limelight, not when she was only six years old. It was bad enough her little girl was going to somehow find out about this sooner or later.
Rachel was able to face this, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to face Christine finding out the truth.
November 10th, 2030
Rachel continued cooking steak - her daughter's favorite - for Christine's New York relatives party, which included her, Brody, their other children, Kurt, Blaine and their two children.
The past ten years took both the Weston's and Hummel-Anderson's on different twisted paths. After the interview, Rachel was followed around by the paparazzi for a few more weeks until they called it quits and left her alone. In September Rachel found out she was pregnant again, and on May 9th 2021 she gave birth to a girl who was named Vivian Rose Weston. Two years later Funny Girl and Brody's show Bullets Over Broadway closed. While Rachel was able to get the role of Cassie Ferguson in A Chorus Line, Brody had difficulty trying to find his next job. The lead him to take the time to raise his children while Rachel did what she loved. Meanwhile, in 2023 Blaine and Kurt were able to have a surrogate, who gave birth to twins; a boy named Tracy and a girl named Hepburn.
2023 was also the year Rachel and Brody's relationship started to get rocky. Brody became jealous of his wife due to her finding a show so quickly while he still couldn't find one. With him being distant, Rachel acted the same way. He ended up cheating on her with one of her own costars and she didn't find out until the New Year rolled out. They tried marriage counseling, but that didn't seem to be work for them and they ultimately filed for divorce. That all changed when Rachel found out she was once again pregnant the morning before the couple was supposed to sign the divorce papers. They decided that the baby was somehow a sign they were supposed to stay together. Greyson Liam Weston was born January 2nd, 2025; their little family was now complete.
Now, Brody was starring in the revival of Oklahoma! and Rachel was using all of her time preparing for her audition for what she considered the role of her lifetime; Elphaba in Wicked. Her relationship with her husband was better, but she had been weary of him ever since he cheated on her.
"Mom! Make sure you use all of the seasonings I like!" Christine shouted from the living room while messing around on her phone.
"Will do!" she called back to her daughter. Brody was off picking up Kurt and his family while Rachel and her oldest son Bryce prepared dinner. Her thirteen year old loved to cook; and he had the talent to be a famous chef one day.
"Mom, what kind of appetizer should I make? Caprese or Zucchini Crisps?" he asked with his head in the refrigerator.
"Ooo, make the Zucchini Crisps please. Those are a hit," she requested after throwing the steak in the oven. While Bryce prepared the appetizers, she went into the living room to sit with Christine for a few minutes. "This past week has been eventful, hasn't it?"
"Mhm," Christine answered finally looking up from her phone. Every time her daughter looked at her, her heart wanted to burst from her chest. She had many qualities that belonged to Finn it drove her crazy.
Her thought process broke when Vivian ran into the living room, "Mom! Greyson won't leave my stuff alone!"
"I just wanna play with you!" he retorted back. Rachel looked at Christine for a split second to see how she observed her younger siblings. The mother could tell that her daughter was also suspicious about her appearance. Everyone except for Christine had naturally tanned skin, average brown hair and light brown eyes. Christine was pale with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. She usually brushed it off and assumed her Grandma Shelby's side of the family had similar coloring to her. One day she'll find out the truth, Rachel thought before hearing her children continue to yell at each other.
"Vivian Rose and Greyson Liam! Stop yelling! Vivian, what happened?"
"He took my tea party stuff and started throwing it around," she huffed.
"Greyson, why did you do that?"
"It's the only way I can get her to look at me," he huffed as well.
"Vivian, you need to work on letting your little brother play with you and not ignore him. Greyson, you can't throw her things around to get her attention; in fact don't throw anything at all unless you are told to. Now, you two are going to go clean up Vivian's room since we're going to have guests very very soon. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Mama," they said in unison.
"Good, now I love you both so don't think I'm mad at you. Now give me a kiss," they kissed her on the cheek and ambled to Vivian's room. Both mother and daughter heard the door unlock to reveal Brody, Kurt, Blaine, Tracy and Hepburn.
"Hi Rachel! Hi Chrissy!" the twins were always so exuberant when it came to their entrances, just like their dads.
"Happy Birthday dinner Christine," Blaine greeted the young girl with a hug, and Kurt did the same.
"Safe and sound," Brody walked into the house to be greeted with a kiss from Rachel. Everyone started to make themselves at home when Bryce presented the appetizers.
"I'm glad you can cook Bryce, because there's some people that can't," Kurt whispered jokingly, clearly talking about Rachel. "You mom almost burnt down our first apartment trying to cook dinner for your father."
"That wasn't a big deal," Rachel tried to hide her embarrassment while taking a sip of her water.
"Not a big deal? Rachel, you tried to stop the fire with alcohol."
"True," she gave him that much. "Well, I should get the table set. Greyson, Vivian, come in her to join our guests! Oh and Christine, you're younger; can you go up in the attic and get the good steak knives?"
"Sure," she obeyed her mother's request and went upstairs.
"I can't believe she's grown up so fast," Blaine commented once the oldest daughter left the room.
"It feels like it was just yesterday when I held her in my arms for the first time. So small and innocent; now she's as tall as me!" Brody exclaimed. That was another thing with Christine; she was destined to be the tall. She was 5'10, the same height as Brody and it was certainly something she got from Finn.
Everyone continued to chitchat and share stories while laughing, waiting for Christine to return. She should have been down here by now, Rachel was concerned that something bad happened to her, "I think I'm going to go see if Christine needs help. She might have not found the right box yet."
"You categorized the attic by room, Rachel. The box where the steak knives are is also labeled "Kitchen Utensils." She's probably just trying to figure out your coding for up there."
"You're right, but I'm still going to check," she got up from her seat to see Christine had just come from upstairs. She instantly noticed there were tear stains on her face and new ones appearing silently. "Christine, honey, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? What's wrong?! You tell me!" Christine practically slammed a piece of paper in her mother's face. Once Rachel's eyes focused she saw it was her birth certificate. "Why isn't Dad listed as my Father on here? And who the hell is Finn Hudson?! Is Dad not my dad?!"
That was it. That was the moment Rachel hoped she'd never have to face; having her daughter find out the truth on accident. It was something she had been avoiding for seventeen years, plunging it deep into the ground. Now it resurfaced and she heard what she didn't want to hear.
That dreaded question.
In the next chapter, it'll start with Christine's POV and how she found the birth certificate. Christine finding this will send everyone in a downward spiral.
To be continued.