I Do Cherish You, a glee fanfic

Disclaimer – I own nothing of Glee or the song I Do (Cherish You). Both belong to their respected owners. I do own Rachel and Finn's daughter at the end and the plot. 'Nuff said.

Italics are song lyrics

A/N: FOURTH Glee story in a row! Very excited about it.

Summary: AU: Twenty-three-year-old Rachel and twenty-four-year-old Finn get married and start their lives together. Based on the song I Do Cherish You by 98 degrees.

Genre: Romance/Friendship

Rating: K

It all started with a romantic evening at Breadstick's. Rachel and Finn had gotten over their differences and had decided to give their relationship another chance.

"Rachel Ellen Berry, will you marry me?" Finn asked, getting down on one knee.

"Yes!" she squeaked, kissing Finn on the lips. She saw the flash of cameras all around her and smiled for the cameras.

They went to work planning their wedding. It was decided that it would be on April 21st – the day that Finn saw Rachel for the first time.

"We still need music for when I'm walking down the aisle." Rachel told Finn as they had dinner that night.

"I have an idea – why not ask the Glee club to sing at our wedding?" Finn suggested.

"That's a great idea, honey!" Rachel squealed, kissing Finn's cheek. She then went to call the rest of the Glee clubbers. They all thought that it was a WONDERFUL idea.

Rachel called the girls separately on her cell phone while Finn called the guys on his cell phone. Rachel asked Mercedes to be her maid of honor and Finn asked Kurt be his best man. Both of them said 'yes'. Rachel then asked Santana, Brittany, Laruen, Tina and Quinn to be bridesmaids. Finn asked Puck, Rory, Mike, Sam, Blaine and Artie to be groomsmen. Again, all ten of them said 'yes'.

Finally, the big day arrived. Rachel arrived in a horse-drawn carriage, along with Mercedes and one of Rachel's fathers, Ethan. Rachel's other father, Patrick, was the wedding photographer and took picture after picture of Rachel and Mercedes in the carriage. Rachel was wearing an ivory dress with pearls sewn into it and had a shoulder-length veil. Her hair was piled on top of her head and held together with hairspray and twenty-two bobby pins. She had ringlets curled so that they framed her face.

Mercedes and the bridesmaids wore knee-length red dresses with a matching flower in their hair. The guys wore suits with red ties, including Finn.

"Ready, princess?" Ethan asked as Rachel adjusted her veil for the hundredth time.

"As ready as I'll ever be, daddy." Rachel told her father, taking his arm in hers. They watched as six-year-old Beth tossed flower petals on the walkway in front of them.

"All I am, all I'll be
Everything in this world
All that I'll ever need is in your eyes
Shining at me
When you smile I can feel
All my passion unfolding
Your hand brushes mine
And a thousand sensations seduce
Me." Artie and Mercedes sang as Rachel and Ethan walked down the aisle. Tears were in Rachel's eyes as she looked straight ahead. Finn smiled at his beautiful bride as she walked closer to him.

Ethan kissed Rachel's cheek as he handed her over to Finn. Ethan smiled at Finn and took a place near the front of the church, right next to Rachel's birth mother, Shelby. On the same bench were Finn's mom and Kurt's dad. They smiled and watched her daughter and Finn exchange vows.

I do cherish you
For the rest of my life
You don't have to think twice
I will, love you still
From the depths of my soul
It's beyond my control
I've waited so long to say this to
You
If you're asking do I love you this much
I do

An hour later, Rachel and Finn left the church arm-in-arm as husband and wife.

"In my world before you
I lived outside my emotions
Didn't know where I was going
'Til that day I found you
How you opened my life to a new paradise
In a world torn by change
Still with all my heart
'Til my dying day." Blaine and Santana sang in unison.

After the wonderful reception, Finn and Rachel boarded a plane to their honeymoon in Rome.

The two of them checked into their hotel and decided to go sightseeing. For dinner, they settled for a cute little Italian café where they dined on spaghetti and meatballs, along with garlic bread and two glasses each of red wine.

"I love you." Finn whispered in Rachel's ear as they slept together that night.

"I love you, too." Rachel whispered back, kissing his cheek.

"I don't know how this could be more perfect."

"Me, either."

Eight weeks after they arrived home, Rachel started getting sick every morning. Finn stroked her hair as Rachel puked into the toilet.

Rachel and Finn decided to schedule a doctor's appointment for the following week. Finn held Rachel's hand as the nurse rubbed the special gel onto Rachel's stomach and put the wand to Rachel's stomach.

"Congratulations you two – looks like you're expecting." The nurse told the couple. Finn smiled and kissed Rachel's forehead.

"Baby, we're having a baby." Finn told Rachel.

"I know, I'm so excited." Rachel said.

Nine months later, Rachel was anxious to get her baby out of her.

"It's okay little Julia – your mommy's not like this." Finn told Rachel's bulging belly.

"Julia?" Rachel asked, looking at Finn's handsome face.

"After my grandmother."

"Can I pick her middle name?" Rachel asked as they had dinner that night – well, Finn did, Rachel sat with him and rubbed her hands all over her belly.

"Of course, sweetie." Finn told her, shoving pasta into his mouth.

"Angela – as in Angela Lansbury."

"Julia Angela – I love it!" Finn said, kissing the top of Rachel's head.

A week later, Rachel and Finn, along with their friends, were at the hospital. Rachel had gone into labor at 4:30 in the morning and it was close to 5:00 at night.

"Finn, I can't do it." Rachel complained, resting against the pillows.

"Don't give up, Rach. She's almost here." Finn encouraged Rachel.

Rachel gave one final push and the sound of a crying baby filled her ears.

"She's perfect, like you." Finn told Rachel as he cut the cord then kissed the top of Rachel's head.

"What's her name?" the nurse asked Finn.

"Julia Angela Hudson." Finn answered, seeing as Rachel was too tired to respond.

The nurse placed Julia in Rachel's arms and instructed her how to hold the newborn.

"Hi precious." Rachel cooed to Julia. Finn sat on a hospital chair and watched mother and daughter bond. Rachel was nursing Julia for the first time.

"She's beautiful." Finn whispered as he held her daughter. She was finished nursing and Finn wanted to hold her before visitors came.

As if on cue, Artie, Blaine, Brittany, Kurt, Lauren, Mercedes, Mike, Puck, Quinn, Rory, Sam, Santana and Tina came into the room, bearing gifts.

"Is this her?" Tina asked as Finn passed around the bottle of hand sanitizer.

"Yes. Everyone, meet Julia Angela Hudson. She was born an hour ago and weighs 7 pounds, 4 ounces and is sixteen inches long." Rachel told the group.

"She's beautiful." Blaine commented, feeling Kurt rest his head on his shoulder. Finn handed Julia to Artie, since he was closest.

"WAAAAAAAH!" Julia screamed as she was placed in Puck's arms.

"Sorry, Puck – she's just tired." Finn told his friend.

"It's cool, dude." Puck said, carefully handing Julia to her father.

Finn made sure everyone was out of the room before Rachel fed Julia.

"If you're asking do I love you this much
Baby

I do cherish you
From the depths of my soul
It's beyond my control
I've waited so long to say this to you
If you're asking do I love you this much
Baby I do." Rachel sang to her daughter as she nursed.

The following day, Shelby, Patrick, Ethan and Finn's mom came to visit and see their new granddaughter.

"Oh my God – she's precious." Shelby whispered as Finn placed Julia in Shelby's arms. Burt looked over Shelby's shoulder and saw his granddaughter sleeping in her arms.

"Absolutely beautiful, like yourself, Rachel." Burt complimented Rachel.

"Thank you, Burt." Rachel thanked Burt, watching Shelby with her daughter.

"Mommy, can I hold the baby?" Beth asked. Shelby nodded and showed Beth how to hold Julia.

An hour later, everyone left, leaving Rachel and Finn alone with Julia.

"I am so proud of you and will never stop loving you." Finn whispered in Rachel's ear as she got some sleep before Julia woke her up.

"I will never stop loving you, either." Rachel told Finn, kissing his lips.

Finn smiled and held Rachel in his arms, knowing that the three of them would be together forever.