Title: Mini Berry
Author: Becca
Spoilers: None
Pairings: (implied) Rachel/Matt and Rachel/Puck
Quinn Fabray and Rachel Berry were mortal enemies up until six months ago when they both joined Glee Club. Much to everyone's surprise the two girls became pretty inseparable, spending every free moment together, sharing things with each other that they wouldn't dream of telling anyone else.
When Rachel turns up to Glee ten minutes late wearing jeans and a baggy t-shirt Quinn and the rest of the Glee member know something is wrong because Rachel hates being late and on any normal day she wouldn't be seen dead in that outfit. Rachel takes her seat at the back of the classroom, which is equally as strange as the clothing since Rachel is always sat up front eager to begin, everyone, including Mr Schue, looks at Quinn, who looks equally as confused as the rest of them.
When Rachel literally runs out of the music room less than five minutes after arriving, the chattering Glee member fall silent, as if they know now for certain that something is definitely wrong with Rachel Berry. After taking a minute to assess the situation Quinn gets up and goes after Rachel, who she eventually finds in the girls bathroom.
"I'm pregnant" Rachel says before Quinn has the chance to speak. She turns to face the gobsmacked blonde standing at the door
"Shit" is all Quinn manages to say in reply to what she's just hears come out of Rachel's mouth as she makes her way towards the small brunette. She processes the information before putting her arms around Rachel, "how long?"
"Ten weeks and a couple of days" Rachel says very accurately, which doesn't surprise Quinn, holding back tears
"Who else knows?" Quinn asks letting Rachel rest her head on her shoulder
"My dads. You. I've not told anyone else" she tells Quinn, who doesn't know how to handle vulnerable Rachel, she's only just figured out how to handle normal Rachel!
"The father?" Quinn asks wondering how much information she can get out of Rachel before it becomes too hard for her.
Rachel looks up at her and bursts into tears, "not…in the picture…anymore" she manages to say through sobs. Quinn's mind is working overtime to remember whom Rachel was with two months ago, whilst Rachel stands sobbing onto her shoulder 'no' Quinn thinks to herself, "You've figured it out?" Rachel half states half asks as if knowing what Quinn's brain was doing whilst the blonde was silent
"Matt?" Quinn says, her voice a little shaky, hoping she was wrong. She feels Rachel nod; as if she can't bring herself to actually vocally admit that she's having his baby, "does he know?"
"Yes. I told him a couple of days after I found out but he just told me he wanted nothing to do with it. And he couldn't be sure that it was his anyway" Rachel says calming a little but still clinging to Quinn like she was holding her up
"Are you keeping it Rach?" Quinn asks the inevitable question. Rachel takes a deep breath, letting go of Quinn, at last, looking up at her with puffy red eyes. Quinn just smiles and gets the stray hairs out of her face
"Yes" she finally answers, "my dad's have said that they'll support me no matter what I decided to do. I mean, it took me a while to weigh up the pros and cons of having a baby and even though there were more cons than pros and I may be only sixteen but I just can't imagine getting rid of something so real. Yes it's more than likely going to ruin my life and the big plans for my future that I've had since I was four have more or less gone out of the window but it's a baby Quinn. A baby" Rachel says not taking a breath until Quinn puts a hand on her shoulder. Rachel wipes her eyes and smiles for the first time in a few hours,
"Why didn't you tell me?" Quinn asks when Rachel's calmed down and sorting her hair and make-up out. The brunette shrugs
"I was scared" Rachel admits, "I didn't think you'd want to know me after I told you and I didn't want to ruin our friendship, considering it's taken this long to finally realise we have something in common" Rachel puts her make-up away and turns to face Quinn, "I know I should've told you but at the beginning I kept thinking 'this isn't real, if I don't tell anyone it'll just go away' but obviously that didn't happen and won't ever happen"
"I can't believe you thought that. The first thought, not the last" Quinn says quickly, "I'd never leave you when you need me Rachel. The old me might have I grant you, but the new Quinn Fabray stands by her friends when they need her" she says taking Rachel's hand, "I'm here for you" Quinn squeezes the brunettes hand, trying to work up the courage to ask the burning question, "how did it happen?" Quinn rolls her eyes, "Ok so I get how it happened but how? If you get me"
"It was the night of your sixteenth" Rachel says trying not to make eye contact with Quinn who can tell by the silence she's listening intently, "well we'd been out a couple of times previously and he seemed to be a really great guy. I thought we had something, so when he asked me back to his place after the party I accepted because, well I didn't think he'd want sex" Rachel says trying not to cry again and mess up her make-up again, "but I didn't want to say no, because, well I wanted to do it with him. I thought I loved him Quinn" a single tear escapes and she quickly wipes it away
"It's ok" Quinn says pulling her in for another hug, "I get the point of the story"
"I look terrible" Rachel finally says after a brief spell of silence
"I'm not going to disagree" Quinn says looking Rachel up and down and they both laugh, "hey Rach"
"Hmm?" she mumbles,
"What are you going to tell the group?" Quinn says and Rachel suddenly looks terrified, as if she'd forgotten they were in the middle of Glee when she ran out. Quinn grips her hand a if to say 'whatever you decide to do, I'll be there don't worry'
"I can't lie to them, they're going to find out soon enough anyway when they see my expanding stomach. It's not something I can exactly hide" Rachel says nodding inhaling enough air to get her though the next few seconds then exhales, "come on. This needs to be done" the two girls make their way back to the music room where the Glee club are running through 'What I Did For Love' with Tina singing Rachel's solo, something that would usually infuriate her, but today it just seems way down her list of things to worry about. They stop dead when Rachel walks into the room. Not one person wants to speak, not even Mr Schue! 'Just do it' Rachel tells herself. She gives a quick smile to Quinn before stepping forward to face her friends who look slightly worried
"Fellow Glee clubbers" she says not making eye contact with any of them, "friends. As you have probably guessed by my lateness, attire and brief absence that I'm not feeling myself today" she glances at the ten people sitting before her and for once not one is making conversation amongst themselves whilst she's talking, "there's something I need to tell you and I hope that it won't change the way you perceive me. I've not changed I'm still Rachel Berry"
"Fantastic" Puck says with laughter but Finn hits him as if to say 'wft? Shut up!' She gives Puck her usual evil look and he quietens down and she's grateful Finn ht him before she had the chance
"A I was saying," she starts getting nauseous and her hands become clammy, "I don't want to hide this from you, I mean I can't…"
"You can tell us anything Rachel, we're your friends" Kurt says, backed up by the 'yeahs' and 'too rights' from the rest of the group. She feels something moving around her stomach, the kind of feeling he gets before she throws up
"I'm pregnant," she blurts out before having to run to the bathroom once again. She can tell by the silence coming from the music room when she returns minutes later that they've either been shocked into silence or they've heard her coming back and they've stopped talking about her. The latter seems to be the most obvious explanation. She pushes open the door and is greeted by Mercedes who embraces her. No words are spoken as each member of Glee hugs her, just the sound of Rachel sobbing can be heard amongst footsteps and the occasional pat on the back. As the bell rings signalling end of the school day Mr Schue asks Rachel to stay behind. She sits back on the chair that she had risen from as the young teacher walks towards her.
"Are you ok Rachel?" he asks and by the smile on her face, he can tell she's better than she was as the beginning of the lesson
"Yes thank you Mr Schue" she answers, "is this about my announcement earlier?" he nods, "I'm sorry for being late and then hardly joining in with the singing. I don't want the baby to affect my being a member of Glee. It won't will it?" as her sentence carries on she begins to look more and more worried at the prospect of losing the only thing that's keeping her going, "please don't make me leave"
"Whoa Rachel chill out" Mr Shue says putting a hand on Rachel's arm, "you can stay in Glee for as long as you can complete the dance routines, it's not about that"
"Oh" Rachel says letting out a sigh of relief, "but it is about the baby right?"
"Yes" he says nodding
"Look Mr Schue, can I just say that my parents know and I've decided to keep it. I know that I'm only sixteen but I know I want this baby. It may not be how I planned my life, at all, but it's what happening and there's nothing I can do about it because, well, everything happens for a reason right?" Rachel says, "does that cover the thing you were gonna say?"
"Yeah" Mr Schue says a little taken aback by the things Rachel said, "you seem to have everything planned out" she gets up to leave
"Oh Mr Schue" Rachel says before leaving the classroom, "I won't be able to make Glee on the 6th because I have a scan so I was thinking you should give Tina the 'What I Did For Love' part because it's pointless me doing it when I won't be fully committed it. Plus she sounded really good today" Rachel says smiling at Mr Schue who smiles back.
***
It's been two weeks since Rachel announced her pregnancy to the Glee club and the inevitable happened. The news spread but contrary to what Rachel thought would happen, people were nice to her. She got no slushie facials and everyone (bar Puck) called her Rachel as appose to 'Berry' or any other offensive name people have taken to calling her over the years, although as Rachel knows things won't be this way forever. 'Enjoy it while it lasts' is what she thinks to herself every time a Cheerio smiles at her. On the morning of the 6th, Rachel wakes up with an odd feeling at the pit of her stomach. As she makes her way to her first class she bumps into Puck at the door
"Yo Berry" he says, in a nicer tone than usual, "How's the baby?"
"Fine thank you Noah," she says trying not to punch him 'he's done nothing wrong' she says to herself, "do you want something?" she rolls her eyes as he checks out Santana as she walks past
"Hmm?" he mumbles looking back at her, "oh yeah, Mr Shue said you won't be in Glee tonight, just wondering why? You're not leaving are you Berry?"
"Thank you for your concern Noah but no I'm not leaving I have an appointment" Rachel tells him. She walks passed him and he follows her into the classroom
"Oh" he says nodding, "well good luck with that" he takes his seat, a couple down from Rachel, next to Brittany
"Hello" a small man at the front of the room says, "I'm Mr Ruddington, I'm taking Mrs Stanley's class today" people around Rachel aren't taking the blind bit of notice of the poor man at the front and he looks totally oblivious to this fact and just carries on talking. Rachel rolls her eyes and takes out her phone- to which the teacher is also oblivious to that too. The glasses he has perched on the end of his nose evidentially don't work- and begins texting Quinn.
Are you still ok for this afternoon? X
She places her phone on the desk next to her and stares out of the window shutting out the sound of the chattering of her fellow students and the rambling on of the small man standing at the front of the room. Minutes later her phone buzzes and she picks it up immediately. It reads:
Of course I am. Stop worrying Rach. Meet you by my car at 3:30? X
And she replies with:
How can I not worry? I've been worrying all morning! Can we make it 3:15? I've told Mrs Webber that my appointment is 3:45. Is that ok? X
She keeps her phone with her this time and continues to stare.
"Hey Berry" she hears Puck again. She turns to face him, clenching her free hand into a fist
"Noah" she says bluntly
"Do you know what this guys going on about?" he asks as if she cares what he's going on about
"Does it look like I'm listening?" she snaps, "All I know is that he's not Mrs Stanley" she turns back to face the window as her phone vibrates again. The message reads:
Well stop! Yeah that's totally fine. I have a sub teacher last lesson anyway so 3:15 is ok. I'll see you at lunch anyway. Maybe you'll have stopped worrying by then x
Rachel smiles a little before replying
No chance x
***
"Rachel would you sit down" Quinn says through gritted teeth as Rachel paces the floor of the waiting room, "do it!" Quinn looks as if she's about to combust so Rachel does as she's told and sits next to her, "just calm down. Everything will be fine" Quinn takes the brunette's hand just as the doctor calls Rachel's name. The two girls follow her into the room where Rachel gets acquainted with the bed. Quinn doesn't let go of her hand.
"This may be a little cold" the doctor, whose name Quinn remembers as Dr Forbes, tells Rachel as she puts gel on her stomach. She doesn't seem to react; she just keeps her eyes focused on the tiny screen, "everything looks ok" Dr Forbes says moving the mouse round Rachel's stomach and focussing on the little blob in the centre of the screen
"Oh my god" Rachel says quietly, wiping tears from her cheek, "Quinn, do you see that?"
"I do Rach" Quinn says smiling, coming over all-emotional at the sight of the foetus on the screen, "I do"
"And the heartbeat" Dr Forbes says as a relatively loud 'thump, thump, thump' comes from the monitor and the two girls are silent. Just listening, "are you ok?" Rachel just nods looking at her baby on the screen, "From the information that you've give and from what I can see, your due date is 30th April" Dr Forbes smiles at Rachel who smiles back "Would you like a picture?" Rachel nods, forgetting how to speak. Dr Forbes prints out a picture of the little blob in Rachel's stomach and hands it to her, "well we're all done here. We will schedule you a scan for 20 weeks to see how things are going and find out if your going to be having a son or a daughter" she says with a smile
"Thank you" Rachel says as the doctor wipes her stomach before she sits up and pulls her top back down. She looks over at Quinn who looks like she's about to burst into tears, "Quinn you ok?" Quinn snaps back to reality and smiles at Rachel looking down at her
"You have a baby inside you," she says stating the obvious and rolling her eyes, "I mean, it's actually real"
"I know" Rachel gets off the bed, "I know" she lets out a sigh and the two of them follow Dr Forbes out to the reception area. Rachel signs her name a few times on different pieces of paper and gets a slip of paper to remind her about her next appointment
"If you need to rearrange, cancel or bring you appointment forward just call the number on the bottom of the paper" the receptionist says with a smile
"Thank you" Rachel says before leaving the building. She stops still when she gets outside, "can we go for a walk?" she asks Quinn and she nods. They head towards the park across the way linking arms, "thank you for coming with me Quinn. I don't think I'd have held it together in there if I were alone"
"No problem" Quinn says, "you don't need to keep thanking me Rach, you know I'll always be here for you no matter the time or what it is you need. All you need to do I call" they're silent for a while, "have you spoken to Matt since you told him?"
"No" Rachel says accompanying her words with a firm shake of the head, "he made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with me or the baby so I don't see the point in talking to him about it"
"But he might have changed his mind…" Quinn starts but Rachel cuts her off
"If he'd changed his mind he'd have called wouldn't he? No, I'm just going to leave him. If he doesn't want this baby then it's up to him. I have my dads and friends to help me and that's all I need," she says and Quinn accepts that
***
"You're back!" Puck shouts almost too excitedly when Rachel walks into Glee Club for the first time in a couple of weeks, rather late, but still she's there. Everyone turns to face him then they face Rachel
"How do you feel?" Finn asks going over to help Rachel with her books
"Better thanks" she says smiling, "I'm happy to be back"
"We're happy to have you back," Artie says as Rachel passes him to sit on the spare seat in the corner
"You look good" Kurt says sincerely to Rachel
"I'm huge," she says glancing up at him
"So you still look hot" he says and they laugh
"I've missed you guys," Rachel says looking at each of her friends in turn, "what've you been working on whilst I've been away?"
"We perfected 'What I Did For Love' and we've been working on something just for you" Tina says, "but we'll wait for Mr Schue before revealing what that something is"
"Ok" Rachel says. She doesn't usually like surprises but right now she was just happy to be back amongst her friends
"Hey Rach!" Mr Shue shouts happily as he walks into the music room minutes later. He goes over and hugs the pregnant teenager before putting his music on the piano, "you feeling any better?" he asks
"Loads thank you Mr Shue" she says nodding. She turns to her left and Puck smiles at her and she smiles back 'there's something about him' he thinks to herself turning back to face the front of the classroom
"Right" Mr Shue says getting his teaching head on, "We'll run through 'What I Did For Love' first I think" all the kids get into the positions and Rachel stays put. The music begins to play and for the first time, Rachel is happy just sitting and watching. She can't take her eyes off Puck. 'What is going on in my head?' she asks herself and puts it down to the hormones. She feels her baby kicking lightly as if to say 'oh she's good' which brings an even bigger smile to her face. By the end of the song Rachel's eyes are filled with tears but she tried her hardest not to let them escape.
"Now Rachel, we've been planning on doing this for a while. It's not perfect but we thought that it'd cheer you up" Finn says and looks over to Frank playing the piano and gives him the nod. The music starts and the whole not letting tears escape totally failed for Rachel. The opening note of James Taylor's 'You've Got A Friend' and the smiles on her friends faces, make the tears fall from Rachel's eyes.
"When you're down and troubled
and you need a helping hand,
and nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
and soon I will be there
to brighten up even your darkest nights.
You just call out my name,
and you know wherever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby
to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
all you got to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You've got a friend.
If the sky above you
should turn dark and full of clouds
and that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud now
and soon I'll be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall
all you got to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend?
People can be so cold.
They'll hurt you and desert you.
Well they'll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don't you let them.
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don't you know that,
Winter spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all you've got to do is call.
Lord, I'll be there, yes I will.
You've got a friend.
You've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
You've got a friend" the music trails off and Rachel is still a blubbering mess in the corner. They all rush around her
"You guys" she manages to say, "that was amazing"
"Glad you liked it" Mr Schue says handing her a tissue
"I really did" she says taking the tissue off him, wiping her eyes, "Puck, your vocals are great" he smiles at her and then looks down at the floor, "I love you guys" she's suddenly in the middle of a group hug
"Ok you guys, you don't want to kill Rachel" Mr Schue says and they disband back to their seats just as the bell goes signalling end of lesson. Rachel just stays in her seat, "you not going?" Mr Schue asks before leaving the room
"Free period" Rachel says smiling. He nods and leaves her alone. She's struggling to get up from her chair when Puck walks back into the room. He rushes over to help her up, "thanks"
"No problem" he says, "how long have you got left?"
"Just over 3 months" she says nodding, "I can't wait for it to be over"
"That bad?" Puck asks. They lean against the piano
"It's not bad but 9 months of bladder problems, stretch marks, a huge stomach, weak ankles, a bad back…" she's set to carry on until Puck lifts his hand
"Ok I get it," he says and Rachel laughs lightly, "do you have everything you need? Like for when it's born"
"Yeah, yeah I do. And it's she, not it" Rachel asks confused as to why he's asking in the first place
"Good" he says nodding, "Look Rachel, I'm sorry for all the years of abuse I put you through with the slushie facials and everything"
"That's ok" Rachel says looking up at him
"No its not" Puck says shaking his head, "I really am sorry Rachel" they stand in silence for a few minutes
"Oh" she says moving her hands to her abdomen
"What is it?" Puck asks worriedly
"She's kicking" Rachel says looking at Puck with the biggest smile on her face, "here feel" she takes his hand and places it on her stomach
"Wow" he says stunned as to what he's feeling, "I can't imagine what this feels like for you" he smiles at the small brunette, "you got any names yet?"
"No, not really thought about it yet" Rachel says putting her hand over Puck's on her stomach, "I've always liked the name Catherine but I think I'm gonna wait until she's born to see if she suits it or not. If she does then great but if she doesn't then I'll pick something else," Rachel tells him
"Sounds like a plan" he says not knowing whether to move his hand or keep it under Rachel's. He goes with the latter as the baby is still kicking, "she's a lively one isn't she?"
"She sure is. She's like this through the night too. It's awful trying to sleep through it," Rachel says to him, "don't you have a class?"
"No" he says but Rachel looks at him, "ok I do but I'm gonna fail anyway. I'd rather stay here with you"
"Why?" Rachel finds herself asking, "you should go anyway Noah, at least make an effort"
"What's the point, like I said, I'm gonna fail" Puck says and Rachel just laughs, "what?" he looks at her, with his hand still firmly on her stomach, although the baby is no longer kicking
"Can I ask you something?" she asks realising that she's fighting a losing battle, trying to get him to go to Math class
"Sure" Noah asks
"Two things actually" Rachel says shaking her head, "why did you apologise?"
"For the slushie abuse?" Puck clarifies and Rachel nods, "It just felt like time you know? Not because of your situation but because it had been going of for too long. I can't explain why it took me this long to apologise, it just hit me that I'm sixteen, not six. I need to grow up. I really am sorry" Rachel just nods "And the second thing?"
"Oh" Rachel says composing herself, "you're the only person who's not asked me who her dad is. Why?"
"Because it's none of my business" his answer shocks Rachel a little, "I don't see why everyone's so interested I mean it's not going to change their lives is it?" she smiles
"You're a nice guy Noah" she says, "a really nice guy"
"You're not too bad yourself Berry," he says and she rolls her eyes
"Some things ever change," she says and they laugh. They're silent for a minute, "It's Matt Wyatt"
"What? Who is?" Puck asks a little confused
"Her dad. It's Matt Wyatt" Rachel tells him
"The guy from that group?" he asks shocked and she nods, "where is he?"
"God knows," she says shaking her head, "he wants nothing to do with her. Or me"
"Shit Rach" Puck says finally removing his hand from her stomach up to her shoulder "I can't believe that guy. I knew he was a dirt bag!"
"You don't even know him," she says looking at the floor, "but thank you for the support" he shrugs, "I'll be ok on my own though"
"You're not alone Rach. You've got your dad. Dads" he corrects himself, "and you've got us. We're here for you"
"Who are you and what have you done with Noah Puckerman?" she asks and he rolls his eyes, "Thanks"
"Shit" he says running to hide behind the door
"What?" Rachel asks
"Mr Bernard" Puck whispers. Rachel smiles to the male teacher walking passed the door
"He's gone" she says "I'm guessing your supposed to be in his class round about now" he wanders back over to her, "the only teacher that gives me the creeps" he shudders as he reaches her
"Do you have your guitar?" Rachel asks suddenly
"It's over there" he says looking towards the case in the corner of the room, "why?"
"Can you play 'You Are My Sunshine'?" Rachel asks him and he goes to get his guitar. She follows him and sits down next to him. He begins playing, "I only now three verses" she clears her throat
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head and I cried.
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away" she finishes and Puck smiles at her
"Why that song?" he asks
"I've always liked it. I used to sing it to myself when I was little and I was scared of something" Rachel tells him
"My mom used to sing that to me when I was little" he admits to her, "don't tell anyone I just told you that Berry"
"I won't don't worry" she says, "Play it again?"
"Sure" he starts playing the song but she doesn't sing along this time, she just sits and listens. Before he's finished playing she's in tears. Puck places his guitar on the chair next to him and puts his arm around Rachel "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, just a bit hormonal" she says wiping her eyes, "the song just reminds me of when I was younger, when I wasn't even old enough to understand where babies came from. When I thought my life would be prefect. I had this dream," she says turning to face Puck, "if you hadn't already figured I wanted to be a Broadway star after finishing college, get married to a fellow star so we would understand each other more and then have children. But now because of my silly mistake six months ago everything has to change" she tells him using her hands to express her feelings, "everything has been messed up Noah"
"Everything will be ok Rachel. A little different to what you thought it was going to be but it'll be ok" he reassures her squeezing her shoulder a little, "Not everything goes how we plan it Rachel. You think I planned on getting caught shoplifting when I was thirteen? No, but I did" she just looks at him, "I know it's not exactly the same thing but you get where I'm coming from right?" she nods, "there you go then. Look Berry, it's not like you'll never be on Broadway, you've got the talent"
"You think?" she asks smiling at him, "but who'd want to hire a girl who had a baby at sixteen, I won't be a very good role model will I?" he's doesn't say anything for a short while so she carries on talking, "I'm scared Noah"
"What of?" he asks running his fingers through her hair
"Having a baby," she says bluntly, "what people will say when she's born. If things will go back to the way they were before I got knocked up. Slushie facials everyday, insults here there and everywhere. How my life will be in like ten years time, twenty-six with a ten-year-old daughter. When man would want that?"
"Not all men are jerks you know Rachel," he says ignoring her first and second comments because he can't say what it's going to be like having a baby and he can't speak for the low lives that attend McKinley High, "I think any man would be lucky to have you" she looks up at him, eyes wider than ever, "he'll see that you are brave enough to have your baby at sixteen and sill manage to get on with your life. He'll see how well you're coping with your daughter and think 'wow, she's braver than I'd ever be'. Like I said, he'd be lucky to have you" she stunned into silence. Had all of that really just come out of Noah Puckerman's mouth? "Bit too deep for you?"
"No, I just…" she starts, "well yes" she has to admit to him. She looks up and before she can say another word his lips touch hers, "Noah?" she asks when their lips part
"I'm sorry," he says
"No, no I just wasn't expecting it that's all" she says and he nods looking slightly embarrassed. She leans up and presses her lips against his.
***
"She's a healthy six pounds seven ounces" Quinn bounds out of the delivery room minutes after witnessing the grossest yet most amazing thing ever, "she pounds, seven ounces," she repeats. Russell and Gregory- Rachel's dad and daddy- Puck, Finn and Mr Schue have all been waiting anxiously in the waiting room for the last hour and a half, ever since Rachel went into labour, two weeks early, in the middle of lunch hour. Quinn takes a deep breath after delivering the news to her friends. She goes over to hug Finn as the nurse comes out of the room
"When can we see them?" Russell asks her with a huge smile on his face
"She's being moved to the mother and baby unit, just up the corridor, if you'd like to make your way up there now" the nurse says, "she's got her own room as we thought it best her being young. We'll come out to call you when she's ready for visitors" the three adults and three teenagers make their way up the corridor and wait outside Rachel's room.
"What does she look like?" Gregory asks Quinn
"I didn't really get a clear look at her Mr Berry" she says, "but she's got Rachel's lungs"
"Oh god" both the Berry men say in unison making the people around them laugh.
"You can all come in now," the nurse says popping her head around the door. One by one they make their way over to Rachel and baby Berry. Russell bursts into tears just at the very sight of his daughter and granddaughter.
"Rachel she's gorgeous" Finn says with Quinn still attached to his side
"Dad are you ok?" Rachel asks Russell who looks as if he's stopped breathing
"I'm fine," he says quietly nodding for anyone who didn't catch what he'd said
"Do you want to hold her?" Rachel asks Puck who looks utterly gobsmacked. He just nods, as he doubts actual words will come out of his mouth at the moment in time. Rachel picks up the un-named baby from her crib by her side and hands her to Puck. She's the tiniest person he's ever seen. He feels tears coming to his eyes
"Are you ok?" Finn asks his best friend and Puck just nods not taking his eyes of the tiny girl he's stood holding. Chattering goes on amongst the people in her room and Rachel joins in but doesn't take her eyes of Puck holding 'their' daughter. She and Puck have been dating since that day when they kissed in the music room. He told her the day after that he'd stand by her and help raise her daughter. Coming from a seventeen-year-old male that was a major step but coming from Puck it was almost unreal. Rachel made him repeat himself so she was sure she hadn't imagined him saying it!
"Buddy let other people see her," Finn says knocking both Rachel and Puck back to reality. Puck hands baby Berry to Quinn who already has tears running down her face. After a few minutes she hands the baby to Finn who looks like he's about to drop her and Rachel almost jumps out of bed onto him until Quinn rescues the baby by showing Finn how to hold her. Rachel settles back onto the bed and yawns
"We'll talk to the nurse about bringing you home tomorrow honey," Gregory says rubbing Rachel's shoulder and she nod through another yawn
"If you don't mind," Rachel says. Finn hands baby Berry back to Rachel and kisses the top of the girls' head. Russell and Gregory say their goodbyes to Rachel and their granddaughter and leave the room
"We'll see you when you get home Rach" he says, "Do you want us to let anyone know how you are?"
"Would you, if you don't mind?" Rachel says looking up at him, "Glee?"
"Sure thing Rach" he places a kiss on her head and follows Russell and Gregory outside
"I'm so proud of you" Quinn says into Rachel's ear whilst hugging her, "she's beautiful"
"Thanks for being here Q" she says with a smile, "You'd better be there when I get home tomorrow"
"I will be I promise. You won't get rid of me know" she says with a beaming smile before going outside to join Finn and Rachel's dads. She smiles at Puck on her way out. Puck goes up to Rachel and sits by her side
"This is what you want isn't it?" she asks him as he holds her hand
"Yes" he says without hesitation, "this is absolutely what I want. I want to be with you and your daughter" she rests her head on his shoulder, "I should get going babes"
"Stay with me" she says quietly, "please"
"I'll go tell your dads" Puck says quickly kissing Rachel before leaving her alone with her daughter for the first time. Tears fill her eyes as she picks up her newborn daughter and traces her finger down her tiny nose
"At least you've not got my nose," she says to the baby in her arms, 'she needs a name' Rachel thinks to herself, "you don't look like a Catherine" she says aloud just before Puck comes back to join them. He reassumes his position on the bed next to Rachel and puts his arm around her, "what did they say?" Rachel turns to face him and sees he still has a huge smile on his face
"It's fine for me to stay with you," he says, "I think they presumed I was her dad or something, but I mean your dad. Russell?" he looks at her to make sure he got the right 'dad' and he feels pleased with himself when Rachel nods, "he was talking to the nurse when I got out there. She said you could go home tomorrow afternoon if you have a good night tonight and mini-Berry feeds ok in the morning. Sound good?" he asks kissing her cheek
"It really does" Rachel says smiling, "I was thinking," she says looking at Puck who has mini-Berry's hand wrapped round his index finger. She feels her heart flutter at the sight before she asks, "what do you think of naming her Alice Quinn Berry?"
"Alice Quinn Berry" he repeats with a nod, "where did that come from?"
"It just came to me, I mean I always had the idea of giving her Quinn as her middle name because she's been here for me over the last nine months" Rachel tells Puck, "but Alice, I don't know where that came from. I just think she looks like a Alice, don't you?" she looks at Puck who is looking down at Alice. He nods, "is this really what you want Noah?" he looks at her, the words 'déjà vu' coming to mind, "getting an instant family at any age can be difficult but at seventeen? It's a big responsibility. I know I've asked before but…"
"I love you Rachel" he cuts her off before she has the chance to repeat herself again, "And I'll love her as if she were my own daughter" he says looking at Alice sleeping in Rachel's arms, "I'm not saying that it will be easy, for either of us. But I think we can do it Rach. We can at least give it a shot can't we?" he asks before Rachel presses her lips to his, "I love you Berry" she rolls her eyes
"I love you too Noah" she says with a smile. Puck takes a sleeping Alice off of Rachel and places her into her crib next to the bed
"You should get some sleep whilst you can. I'm sure she'll be screaming in a while for a feed," he says. Without argument or hesitation Rachel places her head on Puck's chest. He runs his fingers through her hair and within minutes she's sleeping, breathing softly, "I love you Rachel Berry, I love you and your daughter, more than you will ever know" he whispers, kissing the top of her head before getting himself comfy and drifting off to sleep himself.