A/N: I don't own the epicness that is GLEE, nor any of its characters. I don't own the epicness that is CP's Dalton, nor any of its characters. I remain giving true credit to where it is deserved. Here is my rendition of a PLOT PUPPY that wouldn't leave my mind. Please give feedback! It is gladly-appreciated.
"Reed, darling! Are you paying attention?"
Reed Van Kamp blinked out of his daze and looked back at his mother and nodded. "Yes Mother, I prefer the ensemble with the pinstriped pants on her as well. Could I see the scarves we have to choose from for this shoot?" He rose to the tips of his toes to reach for the new shipment of McQueen scarves. The good news was that he found the McQueen. The bad news was that on top of the McQueen came the Hermes and the Chanel scarves, right on top of Reed.
"Reed! Do try to be careful, those were just sorted. Now the interns will have to sort these all over again. Lydia, could you be a dear and clean up this mess while Reed and I discuss the matters about the upcoming Dior show?"
Lydia showed up, clad in plain gray slacks, a button-up shirt, and a simple red cardigan. Her hair was secured into a tight bun, and her plastic-framed glasses were perched at the end of her nose. Reed both admired and pitied the girl. He pitied her, for she looked so lost in the world of the fashion elite; however, it was only her third day on the job. In addition, she had the horrifying privilege of being Hilde Van Kamp's intern. He admired her, because it was as if Mother's looks hardly penetrated her. While bookish and slightly awkward, he could see some potential in her. Perhaps that is why mother hired the girl.
Reed sighed, pushing the boxes and scarves off of him and a wave of nausea hit him. "My head," he muttered, holding a hand over his mouth. Nausea, it was probably a concussion.
"Reed – are you alright? Here, let me help – ohhh, you're bleeding." Lydia reached into her pocket (her skirt had pockets?) and pulled out a packet of tissues and pressed it lightly to Reed's forehead.
Reed winced and swallowed as a nauseous feeling hit him yet again. "I – f—fine.." he murmured shakily, as he made to stand up, but he wobbled dangerously as he stood.
"Lydia, dear – the scarves won't clean up themselves, and would you tell Reed to please come in? Time is of the essence," an impatient Hilde Van Kamp called from her office.
Reed attempted to speak but a dizzying wave hit him and he cupped his hand over his mouth. He wasn't sure if he could make it to the restroom. Instead, he found a trashcan and promptly vomited inside. "Reed! Ms. Van Kamp, I think he's got a concussion!"
Reed shakily looked up as his mother was over him, along with Lydia. His eyes rolled up. "Mommy? Is it nap time yet?" he spoke up in a tiny voice before promptly passing out cold.
"REED!"
"Mr. Hummel? Oh, I see you've brought the family." A nurse smiled fondly at Blaine Anderson and the four-year-old girl sleepily rubbing her eyes, blearily staring at the nurse. "Oh Sophie, you've gotten so big. Why I remember when you were just born. What was it, two weeks early?"
"Actually it was three and a half. She decided she wanted to join in on the festivities of the baby shower."
"Just like Papa, she wanted to make an entrance."
"Oh hush you." Kurt's lips flickered into an adoring smile as he linked arms with his husband of five years.
The nurse laughed melodically. "Oh yes, Irving recalled that little Sophie had inherited her Papa's dulcet tones."
"Dulcet? I'm surprised I can still hear myself sing day-to-day."
"Blaine, I was in a horrific amount of pain, that is all."
"Pain Papa?" The little girl's lip trembled as she wriggled her hand out of Daddy's grasp and flung herself around her Papa's legs in an embrace and looked up at the tiny swell hidden behind a dress shirt and vest. "Will the baby hurt Papa? I don't want it to hurt him." She sniffled into Kurt's leg and he crouched down to eye-level with his daughter.
"Nooo, sweetheart, it's nothing like that. I promise, all is okay," he comforted her. "Do you remember what Daddy and I promised?" Sophie nodded. "Uh huh, you promised I'd get to see the baby inside with a machine with a magic wand that lets people see the baby."
Kurt blinked. "Uhm Blaine? Did you say magic wand?"
Blaine chuckled. "Well, it was an adorable story."
Ruth, the nurse, smiled in marvel. "Such a charming girl. Here, sit in this room with Papa and Daddy. I'm sure you're in for a real magic trick there." She winked at the girl before sticking her head out of the room to go about the rest of the clinical business.
Kurt groaned, clapping his hand to his forehead. "When did I wind up in a world filled with such Potter fanatics?"
Sophie giggled. "Harry Potter? Papa, Daddy said I could have a Harry Potter party for my birthday. Can I, can I?"
Blaine blinked innocently at Kurt and smiled. "Papa, can she? Can she?"
Kurt sighed. "I'll do some Google checks. We can make this work."
"Yay!" She flung her arm around her Papa and then started to explore everything in the room.
"Daddy, what's that? Is that the machine with the magic wand?"
"Sophie, careful – don't touch -" Kurt protested, and sighed. Their daughter was just too curious for her own good. He rubbed a spot on his abdomen and chuckled lightly. "I think the baby knows something's about to go down. It's doing its Rockette kicking now."
Blaine stood up from the chair he sat on and walked by Kurt, who was perched on the bed and put a hand on the small swell on his husband's abdomen. "It could be goal kicks. We could have a football star in there, future Buckeye maybe?" His eyes shone mischievously and Kurt playfully swatted his hand away.
"There will be no talk of my baby leaving the state to go away to college when it hasn't been born," he admonished haughtily, holding his chin up in his typical regal demeanor.
"Trust me, once the kids go, you start to notice your home is a lot more empty than you bargained for. Kurt, how are we feeling these days?"
A middle-aged and charming doctor entered into the room and Kurt flashed an earnest smile. "Papa's wondering where the sudden bursts of energy come from and why Papa doesn't seem to have them these days. Other than that, I pretty much let my agent know that I am on light duty from vigorous choreography; However, there seems to be a production of Sweeney Todd coming up that would stage towards the beginning of my third trimester. I wanted to check if I still had clearance to do that show."
Blaine opened his mouth to protest and sighed as his husband shot him a look that plainly said 'Let the doctor answer. Kurt was so stubborn when it came to certain shows. "Kurt, you have to remember that Sophie did come early," he put in cautiously and Kurt sighed impatiently.
"Your brother assured me that the choreography would not be as vigorous. I am positive that he does have some concern for his future niece or nephew." True, Shane was choreographing that show.
"Kurt, Shane's idea of vigorous and non-vigorous choreography cannot be accounted for. He's been dancing since he could walk. His non-vigorous choreography might kill perfectly able-bodied individuals."
Kurt scoffed stubbornly and the doctor chuckled at the squabbling young couple. "First things first, let's take a look at how we are doing today. Oh – I see we did bring Sophie! Wow, you are shooting up like a tree little girl."
Sophie noticed the doctor and she hid behind Blaine's feet. "Oh, I think she's being shy. It's selective shyness," Blaine explained, prodding the girl forward.
Kurt pat beside him on the bed as he lay back, ready for the examination. "Sit here sweets, then you can see better," he told her with a little wink. Her bright-blue eyes widened in interest and in a split second, she was by her Papa.
Kurt shivered the second that gel hit his bare skin. "I swear, when a person makes a warming version of this gel, they will make a killing. I'll be first in line," he mused with a chuckle as he felt a flutter against his abdomen. "Oh, it notices the temperature, oh dear."
Blaine scoot closer to have a looksie himself. "Wow, definitely active," he remarked – placing a hand on Sophie's shoulder as she pointed excitedly at the screen.
"I see a baby!" she gasped, touching the screen with her hand. She looked back at Kurt. "Papa, is it a boy or a girl?" she asked, and Kurt chuckled and sighed at his and Blaine's precocious little girl.
The doctor seemed to have picked up on the conversation on cue. "It's a little early to tell. You see how the baby's legs are crossed right there? The baby isn't ready to tell us yet. What are you hoping for?"
Sophie smiled. "I want a brother and a sister," she announced, and Kurt laughed.
"Sweetheart, there's only one baby."
The doctor spoke up. "I wouldn't be too sure of that. I think I sense another heartbeat."
Papa promptly fainted.
"Anderson! Can you come over here to show Roxanne that choreography again?" Shane looked up from his phone, not having heard from Reed yet, which was alarming this close to lunch, especially when they were meeting Blaine, Kurt, and Sophie for lunch. "I'll be right there."
He was talking through the choreography of the latest show he was choreographing for when an assistant came at him with his phone in her hand. "Mr. Anderson?" she spoke up.
"Yes Danielle, did I get an important call? And please, it's Shane." He smiled and pushed his untamed mop of curls up and away from his eyes.
"It's a phone call from a Reed Van Kamp?"
Shane motioned at Roxanne to keep working on her choreography and walked towards Danielle, who handed him his phone. "Reed, did something happen? Do I have to call an ambulance? Did you get hurt?"
Reed laughed on the other line, though he sounded embarrassed. "I had a spill at work at a meeting with Mother and I sustained a mild concussion. They requested that someone be there. Honestly, I don't know why I can't just call Gerald to pick me up, but they asked a lot of questions, like – am I dating... Am I... active. I got confused with what they're wanting to say, and Mother and Lydia are back at the office. Can you come?"
It didn't take long for Shane to grab his keys and his messenger bag and gesture to the director about a family emergency. Well, it wasn't family yet. Little did anyone know, there was a ring in Shane's messenger bag, as he was waiting for the right moment. He heard of Kurt and Reed gushing about all these romantic little things, and sort of wanted one of those moments for Reed. When he got to the hospital, a nurse guided him to a room where Reed sat, fully-dressed but looking perplexed. "I – don't know what the fuss is about. The nurse rushed in to tell the doctor about something of results and the doctor ducked out. I hope I'm not being that much of a burden here."
He flashed an embarrassed smile and looked at Shane who looked grateful. He was thinking that Reed could be dying. Obviously, it was Reed who called him. Just, he worried when things like this happened to Reed. If something terrible happened, he could never forgive himself. "I – glad you're safe," he managed to say, and Reed smiled brightly before putting a hand over his mouth and swallowing. "Ah – I wonder if they found something about some flu bug. I feel funny again," he mused with a sigh.
Just as Shane was about to speak, a slender woman came in. "Hullo I'm Dr. Monroe, you must be the mysterious Shane that Mr. Van Kamp here contacted? Good, so glad you could make it," she greeted with a British air that almost reminded Shane of Justin's accent. This doctor clasped her hands together, and both men blinked at her.
Reed cleared his throat and tremulously spoke up. "I – Is there something the matter, Doctor?" His honey-brown eyes darted at Shane. He gulped, then his eyes darted and turned back to the doctor.
The doctor smiled and looked in her file before closing it. "Mr. Van Kamp, I'm assuming the nurse asked you a battery of questions and asked you to call in... Well, your significant other?"
Shane reached for Reed's hand as Reed nodded timidly, chewing on his lower lip in the process. "Y-yes."
"Are you familiar with the term Male Pregnancy?"
A gasp escaped from Reed as a hand flew to his mouth. Shane stared ahead, dumbstruck.
"Mr. Van Kamp? Mr... Anderson?"
Shane was the first to come around as Reed mouthed ahead – soundlessly. "My – brother-in-law, was – and is – pregnant," he put in, as Kurt was the first person that he could think of at this point.
Reed put a hand over his mouth and pushed his way through to make it to the bathroom, where he promptly emptied out the contents of his stomach. Shane looked at Reed's retreating figure in disbelief as he looked back at the doctor. "So – it wasn't a flu?" he asked, still trying to soak it in.
Dr. Monroe smiled. "No dear, I'm afraid nausea is a common symptom of pregnancy. For some reason, it is intensified in male pregnancies. The condition that allows male pregnancy only occurs in one out of every thousand men."
Reed re-emerged shakily, still in some state of shock. Shane rushed by his side and scooped him up, bridal style. "Reed, you have to keep off your feet and take it easy," he told him, and Reed stared back in stunned silence, trying to let it soak in.
He sat in this silence before he finally spoke up. "Um, how far... Am I? C-can you do anything about the sickness? It makes work and my focus sort of difficult."
The doctor smiled as she gestured towards the bed. "We're going to run an ultrasound, to check."
Shane sat by Reed, holding his hand. Reed looked so scared. Shane wanted to show him that it was nothing to be scared about. Sure, Kurt got pretty moody with his pregnancy with Sophie, but when wasn't he moody? Sure, it looked like labor hurt hella lot. But at the same time, he WAS pregnant again, so it wasn't that bad. They could talk to Kurt and Blaine and be informed. This was a life that Shane and Reed created. Why did Reed look so scared? Moments later, Shane found himself staring at a tiny thing, the size of a walnut maybe. "Is that – a baby?" he breathed.
The doctor laughed. "Yes Mr. Anderson-" "Shane, please," Shane interjected. He hated being called Mr. Anderson. It sounded so much like Dad. Shane didn't like to think of Dad that much.
"Yes, Shane. Well, it looks like Mr. Van Kamp here is roughly ten. Sometimes symptoms take their time to surface. Your nausea from your mild concussion might have actually been a touch of morning sickness. I will still ask that perhaps Shane here keeps an eye on you from that concussion."
"Oh," Reed murmured, his eyes fixated on the screen. His pale hands brushed lightly over his stomach as he tried to imagine what sort of life was growing there. "Shane, we made a baby. S-Shane? What are you doing?"
It was at that moment that Shane saw that baby on the screen that some switch went off on his mind. Shane found himself on his knee, holding out a navy-blue velvet box towards Reed. Reed shakily reached for the box, perplexed, though he dropped the box when he opened it. Inside lay a ring, a Claddagh ring at that. It was like Shane had eavesdropped on the conversations that Reed had with Kurt during a random time watching WE's Wedding Sunday or something. ().
"You know I love you, and I loved you the second I set eyes on you. Do you know how much I respect and admire you right now? Reed Van Kamp, you are here right now, pregnant with my child, our child. You are the only one I can imagine growing old with and having children with. I promise you, I've been carrying this ring around for a couple weeks now, waiting for the right moment. I'm not asking you to marry me just because you're pregnant. I love you – I want to spend the rest of my life by your side, being your hero. Marry Me? Please Reed, say yes?"
Reed's hands flew to his mouth, and his eyes shone as he was in clear shock. First, there was the news about this.. Baby. Now... Why was Shane on the floor on one knee, proposing in the middle of an ER? "Shane, get up, please..." Reed was positively blushing and looked down, as he buried his face in his hands.
Shane blinked and picked up the ring and held it towards him. "So.. Will you – marry me?" He stared at this beautiful and magnificent being who was carrying their child. All he wanted was to be a part of his – their lives – forever, until his dying day. Reed's silence was maddening.
Reed took in a shuddering breath as a tear slid down the corner of his eye. "Yes," he whispered, staring at the ring, then at Shane, then down at his still-flat middle. He looked up, biting his lips at the doctor, who chuckled lightly.
"I must say, most men faint at the sight of their children. This is indeed the first time the first ultrasound caused one to propose. I wish I saw this more often."
Shane got up, and slid the finger on Reed's finger, and kissed his hand after doing so. Reed stared at the ring in his hand in awe. He looked up at Shane and broke into a smile. "We're having a baby. We just got engaged."
Shane nodded and kissed Reed on the mouth, and Reed didn't push him away this time. At this instance, the fear of PDA didn't matter as much.
"So – then here we are, getting the ultrasound, then Sophie decides to tell the doctor that she wants a brother and a sister. Kurt tells her that it isn't possible, because there is only one baby. Right then and there, the doctor detects another heartbeat. Twins, guys, TWINS!"
Kurt blushed and sipped on his sprite, given that he had to give up his Diet Coke on the account of his condition. Apparently carrying twins made the body more sensitive to caffeine. "Blaine, I was in shock."
Reed smiled serenely, listening to Kurt and Blaine and the occasional Sophie talk about their doctor's appointment. Actually, his gaze was lingering on Kurt and Blaine's interaction with Sophie, and how Kurt was positively glowing.
"Shane? You're being really quiet, and grinning like a total goofball. Am I missing something?"
Kurt's gaze shifted between Reed and Shane, though it was Sophie who noticed the glint of the shining ring on Reed's finger and pointed it. "Papa, look at Mr. Reed's pretty ring!"
Kurt's eyes widened as he choked on his sprite, and Blaine pat his back reassuringly. Kurt held up a hand up. "Shut the F – Front Door." Kurt blushed, knowing he just about cursed in front of his little girl. "Is – that an engagement ring! It's on your left ring finger Reed!" Kurt pointed an accusing finger at Reed, eyes wide.
Blaine's eyes widened as he looked at Shane. "Shane? You finally asked him? What happened to when the moment was right? How did this come to play?"
"You knew?" This question came from Reed and Kurt, who were now staring accusingly at Blaine.
"Kurt, Reed... Shane is my younger brother. It is a given that he would go to me for advice about this sort of thing."
Kurt blinked. "You didn't tell me?"
"He swore me to secrecy."
"You didn't tell me?"
Blaine sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, and he turned to Shane, who was chuckling behind his iced tea. "Someone's in the doghouse tonight."
"Shane, so tell me, what happened?"
Reed and Shane exchanged glances and Reed's hand instinctively dropped to his middle, where he was still recovering from that pleasant shock. He did have to tell Mother at some point, but for now, he felt safer telling Blaine and Kurt first.
"Well... Um I had a spill at work today. I sort of have a mild concussion. But all is well. When I was in the ER, they ran tests because I couldn't stop vomiting. Um, after a while they had me phone Shane.."
"Reed, are you pregnant?"
Blaine raised an eyebrow at Reed, and Shane coughed into his drink. Kurt's jaw dropped and a hand went over his mouth. "I see it now. That glow, that sigh. You are. Oh my gosh engaged and pregnant? We have to plan a baby shower, no wait – a wedding first. Oh Gaga, our kids could be in school together."
"Kurt breathe, in... out...in...out"
Kurt shot a piercing look at his brother-in-law and Blaine chuckled.
Reed spoke up, shyly. "Well... Kurt... I've – well Shane and I have been thinking about this. We want to have a simple-yet-elegant ceremony before I start really showing. I was thinking if you could help me put something within the next six-to-eight weeks?"
He looked at Kurt and Kurt brightened. "Gaga! YES! Oh goodness, Reed there is so much to discuss, but it is entirely possible." Pretty soon, Reed and Kurt were gabbing away at the possibilities for this simple-yet-elegant ceremony that they could have.
Shane looked at Blaine and smiled. "You're my best man, you know that, right? Quick question... Got any sage advice on what to say to Hilde?"
A/N: Dun dun dun! Okay guys – that was just the beginning to give you all a taste. If I get positive feedback, I can make this fic a possibility. What do you guys think? Yay? Nay? But anyways this is what I have down as careers. Kurt: Broadway performer. Blaine: Professional Musician – he's like Josh Groban/Michael Buble – but better! Shane is a professional dancer/choreographer. He is well-known! Reed is a fashion designer in training to take over his mother's empire for when she decides to retire. Thoughts, concerns?