Finn Hudson jammed his hand roughly into his pocket, pulling out his phone and a loose stick of gum that he found earlier under the seat of his car. Placing his phone in his lap, he sniffed the gum after it was opened and shoved it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. It tasted fine to him and it was soft just the way he liked his gum. Picking his phone off of his lap, Finn clicked on the screen, illuminating the picture of his wife and their new puppy they just bought a few weeks ago. He smiled wistfully before opening up his inbox. Smiling brighter now, Finn read a message that Rachel had sent him last week telling him about a role she was going to audition for. He saved it and would re-read it whenever he had a free moment at work or on his lunch break. Today though, he needed something to take his mind off the weird feeling he had in the pit of his stomach.
"'Dr. Mallon's office, Could you hold on for one minute please?"
Finn's eyes snapped up to the woman in front of him bringing him out of his reverie and reminding him where he was exactly. He clicked out of his messages and put his phone back in his pocket while looking at the clock that ticked away on the wall. Sighing lightly, Finn was getting extremely impatient. He wanted to know what was going on beyond the glass door next to the receptions office. Feeling like his prayers were answered, the nurse that escorted his wife back to one of the examination rooms suddenly appeared at the door.
"Mr. Hudson, your wife wanted me to get you. She said it was important."
A chill ran down the back of Finn's neck and all the way down his spine as he stood up from the wooden chair that was way too small for a Frankenteen like him. Swallowing a lump that was forming in his throat, he followed the nurse through the quiet hallways passing a few empty rooms on the way. Rounding the corner, the nurse led him through an examination room that was brightly lit and well stocked with all the medical essentials. Finn saw his wife lying in the chair in the middle of the room, nervously ringing her hands in her lap. Her eyes were downcast and from the looks of it, her lips were moving quickly.
"Was she praying?" Finn thought, feeling a bead of sweat roll down his spine.
"Mrs. Hudson, I got your husband for you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find to give him your charts. He'll be with you shortly." The nurse smiled softly at the couple before turning around and heading for the door.
"Thank you." Finn's wife squeaked out before her eyes slid over to Finn. He stood awkwardly by the door and stared at her waiting for her to say anything.
"Finn, come sit. There's a chair over in the corner. I don't think the doctor would mind." She said gesturing to the chair in the far left side of the room.
Quietly, or as quiet as a man of his stature could, Finn slid the chair next to the bed and sat down. This chair was so much more comfortable than the chairs in the waiting room. Finn smiled slightly as he grabbed his wife's hands in his. She looked so tiny in the chair, dressed in a blue examination gown. Her eyebrows creased in worry as she looked down at their joined hands. Her lips moved ever so slightly and Finn really couldn't help himself.
"Babe, are you praying?" He blurted out and chuckled when her eyes clashed with his.
"No, I am not praying Finn." She said sternly. "I'm singing all the lines to Les Miserable and Wicked." Her gaze softened. "I'm really nervous Finn. I was just here on Friday for all the blood work and they called me back in four days later. The nurse wouldn't tell me anything. I don't know what to think, what to do."
Finn squeezed her hands tightly and leaned toward her, pressing his forehead against hers.
"It's going to be okay. I promise you. I know you haven't been feeling well the last few weeks but maybe they just want to do some more tests to make sure they didn't miss anything."
His wife didn't say anything to him as she lowered her lips to his in a chaste kiss.
"Thank you Finn. You always know what to say to make everything better. I'm always crazy when it comes to things like this."
Finn felt a weird sense of déjà vu fill his mind, like he's been in this situation before. Pulling back from his wife and leaning against the chair without removing her hand from his, Finn sighed softly. His memory was taking him back to a time where his life officially started.
Almost ten years earlier, sophomore year of high school to be exact, Finn sat almost in an identical position in a small town doctor's office in Lima. He accompanied Rachel, who two days prior apologized profusely for the 'Run Joey Run' incident and wouldn't take no for an answer. Finn couldn't really stay mad at her since he was half in love with her already and she really did look cute when she sang at rehearsals earlier in the day.
"What if he says I'll never sing again? I mean who am I without my voice?" Rachel asked, worried lines etched into her forehead. "I'm just this spoiled annoying, only child who…"
"Don't say that." Finn cut her off. "There's like so many awesome things about you."
Rachel smiled slightly, forgetting about her vocal problems momentarily, and looked at Finn. "Like?"
Finn rolled his eyes to the side nervously avoiding her question. "Look, he's not going to say you're never going to sing again."`
Dr. Gowani entered the room before Rachel could prod him further. She sat up quickly staring at the doctor intensely.
"Bad news Rachel, you'll probably never sing again."
Rachel gasped dramatically and Finn rolled his eyes.
"I'm kidding. You have severe tonsillitis which has resulted in an inner ear infection." The doctor glanced at his charts. "From the looks of things, you probably should have had them out years ago."
"Why should I let you butcher my throat when just resting my voice for a week and chugging down herbal tea will just do the same job?" she asked defiantly.
"This is a very serious infection." Dr. Gowani stated while scribbling something on his chart.
"I think she's just worried about the surgery affecting her singing voice." Finn said glancing between the doctor and Rachel.
"At least start by taking these antibiotics" The doctor said ignoring Finn and handing a white slip of paper to Rachel "Unless you think they are going to adversely affect your dance moves."
Dr. Gowani turned away from them both and quickly walked out of the room without saying another word.
They both sighed simultaneously.
"What do you think I should do?" Rachel asked Finn while looking at the prescription the doctor handed over to him.
"Maybe you should ask your boyfriend?" The bitterness evident in his voice. "Oh wait, you cant he's not here."
Rachel looked at him and cocked an eyebrow. "He's in san Diego on spring break with his friends from vocal adrenaline."
"When are you going to realize he's not into you like I am?" Finn asked rolling the chair in front of her and looked her dead in the eyes, fire blazing behind his. "You think he's going to stick around if you can't sing, if you're a vocal cripple."
"Look I know you've always been jealous of Jesse and even though he and I haven't spoken since the whole 'Run Joey Run' debacle," Rachel stands up quickly, grabbing the prescription paper before looking at Finn again, "you just have to accept the fact that I still care about him deeply and I know he still feels the same way about me." She said quietly.
Finn watched Rachel move behind the curtain and sighed. She was going to be the death of him.
"Finn? Finn, are you okay?"
Finn shook his head slightly, clearing the memory he thought he almost forgotten. He looked over at his wife and grinned.
"Yeah Rach, I'm okay."
She squeezed his hand. "What were you thinking about Finn? You looked like you were remembering something really important."
"I was just thinking about sophomore year. Remember when you got tonsillitis."
Rachel smiled wistfully. "I do. I was so scared that day and you were my support, like always." She leaned against him slightly.
Before Finn could respond, the doctor entered the room, grabbing the chart off the door and sat down in front of the couple.
"Well Rachel, I know this is all a little scary but I called you in here today to discuss something with you."
Finn could feel Rachel's fingernails digging in his palm but he said nothing. He felt the same anxiousness that was running through her. He could tell.
The doctor looked over at Finn and smiled. "Finn, I'm glad you're here too. I'm sure you'd like to hear this news as well."
Finn shook his head mutely and waited for the doctor to continue.
"Okay then. We ran the blood work and the urine samples that you gave us. I know you told us on Friday that you haven't been feeling too well the last few weeks but rest assured, I think you'll be happy to know that you have no fatal illness."
Rachel quirked her eyebrow at Finn, then looked at the doctor. "Okay so if I'm not going to die, what's wrong with me? I've been sick for two weeks straight. I can barely keep anything down anymore. I've lost five pounds." She gestured to the gown she was wearing, even though that didn't really make a difference.
"Rachel. Rachel, listen everything is fine but let me ask you a question?"
"Okay." She squeaked.
"When was the last time you remember having your period?"
Finn watched his wife do the mental math in her head. Her lips moved together as she counted off the numbers. Suddenly her face changed. Her eyes widened and she looked at the doctor then at Finn then back to the doctor.
"January 5th or close to that but that was..." She trailed off.
"Two months ago Rachel." The doctor said with a knowing smile. "Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Hudson. You're pregnant."
Rachel gasped, almost identical to the way she gasped all those years ago, and Finn sat in his chair shocked.
"I have a few pamphlets for you and the number of a very good obstetrician that I want you to call today so you can set up an appointment with her. She's one of the best in New York City."
"Thank you." Rachel said quietly, accepting the paper work from the doctor.
"I'm going to give you both a few minutes of privacy. I'll come back in and answer any of your questions that you may have."
The doctor moved, leaving the couple alone in silence. After a minute of nothing but the sound of their breathing being the only thing heard, Rachel was the first to break the silence. She didn't look at Finn. She was really nervous all of a sudden.
"Finn…" She whispered softly.
The next thing she knew, his body was practically on top of her, stealing the breath from her lungs. His hands seemed to be everywhere, in her hair, against her cheek, on her hip, by her thigh, and finally touching her stomach. She dared to look up at him and with little breath that she had left in her lungs, she giggled. He was looking at her stomach with an expression of awe etched in his face and he was grinning. He looked at Rachel then and she smiled.
"Rach, we're going to have a family, a baby." He whispered in her hair as he kissed her head.
"I know Finn." She pulled back from him and looked him dead in the eyes. "Finn?"
"Hmmm."
"Are you scared?" Rachel asked in a small voice.
Finn's face turned serious then but he quickly smiled to know he was okay. "Rach, of course I'm scared but I know we'll be great parents and make our baby boy so happy."
Rachel laughed. "So we're having a boy then?"
"I hope so. It would be so awesome if we had a boy but it would be cool if we had a girl too. She'd look like you and have one awesome voice."
She smiled again and kissed his lips quickly. "I love you Finn."
Finn smiled widely and kissed her back. "Love you too Rach. We're going to be awesome parents."
Finn felt a tingling feeling in the pit of his stomach as he cuddled close to his wife. He had a sense of déjà vu for the second time that day but he knew that this feeling was one he never experienced before but would love to feel again and again.