When Rachel Berry was three years old her family moved to the two-story Lima home with her brothers, Ben and Caleb, and her twin sister, Sunni.
Rachel and Sunni were playing ball in the front yard when Leroy and Hiram introduced themselves to the Chang family. Angela Chang sent her three sons out to play with their neighbors children. The oldest, Roger, was 10 and played mostly with Caleb after he learned that they would be in the same class at Lima Elementary. That afternoon was spent playing on the Chang's swings.
The middle of the three was Collin. Ben and Collin were both third graders and bonded quickly after learning they would also be in the same class. Collin and Ben spent that afternoon playing soccer in Ben's front yard.
The youngest and shyest of the three Chang brothers was Mike. Mike didn't enjoy talking to other kids that much. He'd much rather sit and watch his six-month-old sister, Kayla, sleep then play with his brothers. But for some reason he felt more comfortable with Rachel and Sunni Berry. The seemed safe to him.
The three year old came up to the sisters. "Can I play?" he shyly asked.
"Sure. My name's Sunni and this is my sister Rachel," Sunni introduced.
"Hi," Rachel said.
"My name's Mike. What are you guys playing?" Mike asked.
"We're playing pass the ball," Rachel said throwing the plastic ball to Mike.
"Okay," Mike said before throwing the ball to Sunni. The cycle of throwing the ball continued until Leroy and Hiram went to the other house and talked to their other neighbors.
Tracy Rutherford told her oldest child, Matt, to go outside and play. Matt ran over to where Mike, Rachel, and Sunni were playing pass-the-ball. "I can teach you a cool game with the ball if you left me play," Matt proposed.
"What game?" Sunni asked.
"It's called four square. Do any of you have any chalk?"
"I have some in me and Sunni's room," Rachel announced.
"Go get it. We need it to play."
Rachel rushed up the steps of her new house. She walked into the small playroom her Dads set up so Rachel and Sunni could play and the boys could do homework. One corner was set aside for outside toys. In one of the storage containers there was a box of chalk. Rachel ran back stairs holding the box so close to her chest you'd think it was the most important document in the world.
When the brunette came outside where Matt instructed his new friends how to play four-square. This would be the beginnings of an amazing friendship.
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The four three year-old had these play dates daily whether it be outside or down in Mike, Matt, or the twins' basement. Sunni and Rachel's fourth birthday changed everything.
Mike, Matt, Rachel, Sunni, and their new friend, Quinn, were playing a game of monkey in the middle with Quinn being the monkey.
Sunni's head started to spin. She sat down for a second before she blacked out. Quinn ran and got Rachel's dads. Rachel, Matt, and Mike were at Sunni's side begging for her to wake up. Leroy Berry called 911 and Sunni was rushed to the hospital.
The three Berry siblings, Matt, and Mike sat in the emergency waiting for something to happen. Quinn was there in spirit as her dad rushed her back to her house when she saw Rachel and Sunni had two dads. A nurse told Leroy and Hiram aside to tell the fate of their oldest daughter. Both men's faces were stricken with horror as the nurse told them what was wrong.
Leroy and Hiram took their children, Mike, and Matt to a small room with Sunni. "Sunni, your doctor told me you have leukemia," Leroy started.
"What's that Daddy?" Sunni asked.
"Well, Dr. Davis gave us this video to help all of you understand what's going on," Hiram said. Leroy put the video in the VCR and Why Charlie Brown, Why? played on the TV.
Half an hour later all six children gained the knowledge of what would happen. Sunni would get a medicine called chemotherapy and get better after a few months.
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The video was right. After almost a year, Sunni was in remission. Now Mike, Matt, Rachel, Sunni, and Quinn were five and starting kindergarten. All of them, except for Quinn, were in the same class. Each day they would learn something new, go to lunch, learn some more, play, and go home. When they got home most days, Matt and Mike would go over to Rachel and Sunni's house to practice making letters on the chalkboard in the playroom or play house until their moms called them home for dinner.
But about half-way through the five-year-old perfection was corrupted; Sunni's cancer relapsed.
Another year of beeping machines and chemotherapy passed before the cancer overcame Sunni and killed her.
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Rachel was a mess the day Sunni was buried. Sunni was more than her twin; she was her best friend. A part of her would be missing forever. Mike and Matt were by her side trying to help her cope with the loss of her sister.
That day Mike and Matt were dressed up small suits and Rachel in a black dress watching Sunni be placed in the ground.
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The next year Matt and his little sister, Liza, moved away to the other side of Lima because their Mom's dental practice moved.
Mike and Rachel became closer through this though. One day Rachel's papa brought out a radio. The two seven-year-olds began to show each other the dance moves they learned in the previous weeks. That day Rachel conceived a crush on Mike, and Mike conceived a crush on Rachel.
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Mike and Rachel had these dance-offs everyday until they started middle school. McKinley Jr. High had always been known for giving tons of homework. Then the two friends started sitting on Rachel's tire swing attempting to figure out basic genetics and how to figure out the area of a triangle.
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On May 14, 2008 Mike asked Rachel on a date. She in-hand accepted the date to a McDonald's down the street for some ice cream. As they had a McFlurry, both 14-year-olds had their first kiss. Rachel three previous boyfriends, Jimmy, Anthony, and Mark, didn't give her the sparks Mike did.
Mike's previous girlfriend, Jamie Lynn, didn't give him the satifaction Rachel did.
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When the couple started high school that August they were pleased to see that Matt was at McKinley High. The friendship they formed when they were seven, rose to it's glory again.
Somehow Rachel, Mike, and Matt all ended at the bottom of the popularity chart. Mike and Matt got on football to raise popularity. Rachel tried to get a try-out for cheerios, but Coach Sylvester wouldn't even allow Rachel in her office, let alone be on the cheerios. Rachel stayed at the bottom of the food chain until sophomore year.
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Through glee Rachel, Mike, and Matt rose to the top of the food chain. Once it came out that Quinn's baby was Puck and not Finn's, Mike and Rachel became the perfect couple. Every morning when Rachel got to school, Mike would be waiting at her locker to give her a kiss.
The one thing that really put Rachel and Mike's relationship to the test started one afternoon at glee club.
They were working on a new song, Runaway by Avril Lavigne. When the girls all ran to jump into their man's arms, Rachel collapsed. She was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with the same disease that had killed her sister ten years ago: leukemia.
Mike stayed by her side at every chemo appointment and every other visit to the hospital. Sometimes he'd surprise her with videos from glee or a card from the other kids in glee. Chemo made her weak to the point were it was difficult to walk. She would get into her wheelchair as Mike would push her. Sometimes, Tina and Mike had races to see who could get Rachel and Artie to chemistry the fastest.
By the end of their sophomore year Rachel was in remission.
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The summer between sophomore and junior year Quinn gave birth to the baby girl.
Mike was on Quinn's left side letting the pregnant woman nearly break his hand 35 hours into labor. In hour 37 Mike and Rachel lifted Quinn's legs as the baby moved out of her vagina. "Come on, Quinn! Just a little more, and Ariel will be here!" Rachel shouted over Quinn's screams of pain. In two more pushes, Ariel Drizzle Gunther came into the world.
Quinn cradled the little baby in her arms before she would be taken by her adoptive mothers, Nikki and Sophia Gunther.
Mike and Rachel dealt with Quinn's pain of the baby being given away.
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Two summers later Mike and Rachel were sharing a dorm at Julliard. Rachel was there for musical theatre, like everyone expected; Mike was there for dance. Through the four years they spent together at Julliard, their relationship was going better and better everyday.
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On April 13, 2014 Rachel got her first Broadway show. She was only an ensemble member in Wicked, but she was also an understudy for Elphaba.
That same week, Mike also go his first job. He was asked to help choreograph for a new show called Sixth Period to Sundown. Mike's show was about four 15-year-old kids dealing with their sexuality. First was Montana, she comes from a family of seven kids dealing with figuring out whether she's gay, straight, or bi. Then there was Tommy, dealing with his parents hatred of his homosexuality. There was Penny, attempting to fit into her school when it comes out Penny is a lesbian. Finally there was Jason attempting to come out of the closet to his parents. The four teens meet at a GLAAD meeting and begin help each other out with their problems from sixth period until sundown.
Mike was so excited when he got the job. Six months later, he and his partner Adam Cooper were nominated for a Tony for Best Choreography.
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July 14, 2017
After three years of working with Wicked, Rachel became the official Elphaba. That night something else came.
Curtain call had just finished. The cast's Fiyero, Troy, announced, "Tonight we welcome our new Elphaba, Rachel Berry, and she has something for tonight."
Rachel's face was stricken with confusion. She'd already got opening night flowers. Mike came out on stage. He got down on one knee and said, "Rachel Barbara Berry, will you marry me?"
She shrieked, "Yes!" before hugging him tightly. Mike slid the aquamarine ring on her currently green finger.
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On May 14, 2018, the anniversary of Rachel and Mike's first date, Rachel Berry became Rachel Chang. The other twelve original members of New Directions plus Will and Emma Schuester attended the happy couple's wedding in a courtyard in Lima, Ohio.
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On September 15, 2020 Rachel and Mike were sitting waiting for the egg timer to go off. They had been trying for a baby for about three months now. Rachel finally figured out her menstual cycle so they had the best shot of conceiving a baby.
"Rach, what does it say?" Mike asked cautiously. He wanted Rachel to be the one to say they would have a baby.
Small tears appeared in Rachel's eyes. "We're gonna have a baby, Mike."
"Why are you crying baby. This is what we wanted; to be a family."
"These are tears of joy. In nine short months we'll have our little baby."
"Let's look at some OBGYN offices."
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On December 3, 2020 Rachel and Mike had an appointment to find out the gender of their baby. "Hey guys," their OBGYN, Sarah, said as she placed down her charts.
"Hey Sarah," the 26-year-old so-to-be parents said.
"Let's find out what this little baby is." Sarah put the cool jelly on Rachel's stomach making her shiver a little. "You have twins, two little boys."
"Twins?" Rachel exclaimed.
"See babe. I told you listening to Celine Dion wouldn't help us get a girl," Mike smirked.
"Mike, we're really gonna be a family. With you, me, and our two little boys we'll be unstoppable," Rachel said then kissed her husband.
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It was happening way to early. Rachel was preforming another night in her show, An Outlet for My Opinion, as Lei.
She was performing her big solo in Act I Just Go For It!,when it happened. A warm liquid moved through her costume. Vanessa won't be happy when she learns I peed the costume Rachel thought when it happened.
During intermission Rachel felt a small pain in her side. She thought it was just from the hard turn she took in Distant Dreaming. In the beginning of Act II the pain was back again. Harder and more intense. Five minutes later the pain become unbearable. This was the big scene when Lei and Spencer have a huge oppurtunity to get their idea out. She fell to the ground and broke out of character, "Alex, the babies are coming!" Rachel shrieked telling the entire audience she was in labor.
Rachel was rushed to a nearby hospital only to reiterate the fact she was in labor. When she arrived she was already at nine centimeters.
"Micheal Tyler Chang! Get your ass down here now! The babies are coming!" She called into the phone.
"What? You're only 24 weeks!" his voice surrounding in panic.
"I'm nine centimeters dilated Mike. Just get your ass over here."
"I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm gonna pick up Kurt okay?"
"He's already here! Just hurry!"
By the time Mike arrived at the hospital Rachel was ready to deliver. "Oh, Mike thank God!' she wailed as her nurse told her she was ready to push.
"Push Rachel, push!" Mike called out.
"Baby boy number 1, 9:53 PM."
"Rach, you can do this. Jush push and our other baby will be here!" Mike shouted.
"Baby boy number two, 9:54 PM."
"They're here, Rach." Mike said kissing Rachel.
"Where are they?" she said looking around.
"They just took them to the NICU since they're premature. What are we going to name them?"
"I want to name one Lucas Connor," Rachel said
"And I wanna named the other Weston Sonny." Mike wondered what Rachel would say since Sunni was Rachel's sister's name.
"After Sunni?"
"Yes."
Rachel's nurse, Daniel, came up to the happy couple with two small beds holding their baby boys. "Do we have names picked out?"
"This is Lucas Connor Chang," Rachel said as Daniel handed her the oldest of the two babies.
"And this is Weston Sonny Chang," Mike said as he was handed their other son.
"Mike, we have a very small problem," Rachel looking up from Lucas.
"What's that babe?"
"When we get home, where will we put them? They came three months early so we didn't even start the nursery."
"Oh Crap....."
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Lucas and Weston Chang turned out to be identical other than the small mole on the side of Weston's neck. Both of them refered to Kurt as Uncle Kurt and his parteners in crime, Quinn and Mercedes, as Aunt Quinn and Aunt Mercedes. Both were also allergic to strawberries, a trait from their mother. But Lucas and Weston were not completely alike. Lucas was a baseball fan, like his father; and Weston loved to sing, like his mother. Lucas' favorite color was red, and Weston's favorite was sky blue. Lucas enjoyed math much more than Weston.
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Two months after Lucas and Weston were born Rachel returned to An Outlet for My Opinion. That April, Megan Hilty came on the televison screen to annouce the thing Rachel had been waiting on her whole life. "Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical... Amanda Bravian from Run Girl, Run!; Rachel Chang from An Outlet for My Opinion."
Rachel screamed like crazy when her name was called. Ever since she was little she hoped for this. Mike hugged and hugged as his wife was so excited to get nominated. He'd been nominated seven years ago, so he could understand how excited she was.
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On June 7, 2021, Rachel's fingers drummed on her dress as Stephanie J. Block said the names of all nominees. "And recipient of the 2021 Tony Award goes to..... Rachel Chang!"
Rachel was in shock. Mike kissed her, and Rachel kissed her son's foreheads. "Oh my God. Thank Everyone so much! This award tonight doesn't only belong to me, but all the people that got me here: Quinn and Noah Puckerman, Finn and Brittany Husdon, Tina and Artie Abrams, Santana Sanchez, Mercedes Taylson, Matt Rutherford, his little sister, Liza Gaineir, Haley and Aaron Miller, Jake Rogerson, Kurt Hummel, my Dads' Leroy and Hiram Berry, my birth mother Dawn Sneilar, my coaches since high school, Will and Emma Schuester and of course my husband, Mike. And to my little boys, Weston and Lucas, Mama loves you and can't wait until you can understand me. Thank you and goodnight."
That night when Rachel and Mike got home all members of New Directions from sophomore year were in their living room with a surprise party.
She'd made it.
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Three years later Rachel learned she's was pregnant again. This time she was not having a single baby, or twins, but triplets.
All of her doctors were worried about what happened in her previous labor would happen this time. Special precautions were taken so that the babies would wait until at least 30 weeks. Mike and Rachel also took precautions: not having alcohol, exercising daily, and putting up the nursery before six months.
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The triplets turned out to be two boys and a girl: Sophia Jade, William Matthew, and Eli Bentley.
Mike lifted his three year old sons to see their new brothers and sister. Rachel laid on the hospital bed with Sophia on her left arm; Will on her right arm; and Eli resting comfortabling between her legs. Mike put Lucas next to Will and Weston next to Sophia. Mike asked the nurse to take a picture of the seven together. Mike got behind Rachel as the nurse fumbled with the camera.
When Mike devolped the photo the next week, on the bottom three little words stood alone Our Perfect Family. It was true. They met when they were three. Now at 30 they were happily married and had five kids.