Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All chapter titles also come from the song "Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional.
twelve.
Rachel was pleasantly surprised to see Finn pop into the coffee shop the following Tuesday after the family dinner. And she was thrilled when he reached for her hand over the counter, wrapping his long fingers around her palm. His lips tilted up in an adorable half smile, and Rachel couldn't resist turning her lips towards his. Finn leaned over the counter and pressed his lips to hers in a sweet kiss, and Rachel was almost positive that she was going to melt into a puddle right then and there.
"Do you think you might be able to get out of here early today?" Finn asked when they broke apart.
Rachel's brow furrowed in thought. "I should be able to manage it," she said. "Why do you ask?"
Finn rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, suddenly looking sheepish. "It's kind of a family and friends day at our group meeting tonight," he revealed. "We've all been back for about a year, so they thought this would be a good way to celebrate. I'd like you to come... you know, if you want to."
Rachel beamed at him, and Finn got that surprised look on his face that he always seemed to have whenever she smiled brightly. It was like he had forgotten that people could smile like that, and Rachel hoped that one day she could make him see that he deserved smiles like that.
"I'll smell like coffee," Rachel pointed out playfully. While she loved working the little cafe, she almost always smelled overwhelmingly coffee when she was finished with her shift. She would be the first one to admit that she loved the java, but she didn't want to smell like she had bathed in it.
Finn chuckled. "Well, I think almost everyone likes the smell of coffee, so I think you'll make a lot of friends."
"Well how can I say no then?" Rachel teased. When Finn's smile widened, she flipped her hand over under his and laced their fingers together. "I'd love to go."
Finn looked surprised—but pleasantly so—by Rachel's acceptance of his invitation. He looked so happy that Rachel couldn't resist bringing him down to her level for another kiss.
"You're so tall," she grumbled when she pulled away. "You must have been born with giant genes, or something."
He chuckled and swept his eyes over her. "It's not my fault that you're so short."
"I'm petite," Rachel corrected indignantly.
"You're also cute," Finn added.
Rachel giggled at that, and she was glad that Finn was becoming bolder. His lips ticked up in a smile, and she squeezed his hand again and pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek (after enduring some more teasing about how she was so short).
Once Rachel cleared it with her boss, she headed into the back to change her clothes. Finn might have thought that she looked good in black slacks and a black polo shirt, but Rachel tried to avoid wearing her work uniform as often as possible. So she quickly changed into a black skirt and purple sweater (and made sure that she put on an ample amount of deodorant, as well). In order to hide her hat hair, Rachel pulled her hair into a neat ponytail.
Finn's eyes swept over her once again, and Rachel flushed under his gaze. She shifted from side to side a little bit, but Finn just continued to watch her until she finally said, "What?"
His lips curled into an adorable half smile. "I like the way you dress," he stated simply.
Rachel blinked in surprise, but recovered quickly. "You should have seen the way I dressed in high school, then," she told him. "Lots of sweaters with animals on the front. Knee-high socks. Penny loafers. Your brother would have hated it. Santana and Tina definitely did."
Finn shook his head in amusement at the mention of his brother. It wasn't like Kurt ever had the most reasonable fashion choices, either. "I think you would have looked cute in an animal sweater."
"Don't tell my father that," Rachel said with a delicate snort, though her cheeks did turn pink. "He'll probably dig up some pictures. I'm almost positive that he has a few of my sweaters saved, even. He said I can use them for when I have my own daughter."
Rachel clamped her mouth shut tightly after that statement slipped out. Why in the world was she talking about potential future children with Finn? Sure, they had shared a few kisses, but they hadn't even gone on a real date yet! Rachel was beyond embarrassed that she would even say something like that out loud, let alone to Finn's face.
But Finn just reached for Rachel's hand and smiled.
thirteen.
"Huddy! Is this the girl?"
The question was asked as soon as Finn and Rachel walked through the door. Finn rolled his eyes, but he also looked pretty amused. The question had come from a man with hair shaved very close to his head. Rachel laughed when she saw the blonde woman next to him hit him lightly on the chest. The image was made all the more funny because she was cradling a blonde baby of about a year old in her arms.
"Puck," Finn stated in a mild voice. Before the man—Puck—could respond, Finn turned to Rachel and said, "Rach, this is Noah Puckerman and his wife, Quinn Puckerman. And that little one there is their daughter, Beth. Puck, Quinn, this is my… this is my Rachel."
Quinn and Puck both wore matching smirks at the way Finn stumbled over what to call Rachel, but she thought it was really very sweet. The look on her face was one of complete adoration, and her smile was bright and utterly happy. What Finn and Rachel didn't know was that to everyone else in the room, it was like they were meant to be together.
Rachel shook Puck and Quinn's hands and waved at the little baby. "I had a feeling your name wasn't Puck," Rachel said, much to the amusement of Finn and Quinn.
In response, Puck said, "Finn's been talking about you ever since he met you."
"Noah Puckerman!" Quinn exclaimed. "That is not the way you treat your best friend."
Puck just smirked and swept Quinn up in his arms with that baby pressed between them. Little Beth giggled and clapped her hands together as her parents shared a kiss. Quinn shook her head when they broke apart, but she was smiling.
"Just ignore Puck," Quinn advised. "He's luck he's so charming, otherwise he would have driven me insane."
"You love me," Puck retorted.
Finn chuckled and said, "I served with Puck and they assigned us to the same group when we got back."
Puck clapped Finn on the shoulder. "Huddy saved my ass out in the field more than once. You've got a great guy here, Rachel Berry."
Finn's cheeks turned red at Puck's sincere praise, but Rachel squeezed his hand. "I know," she said, looking up at him with shining eyes. She had already viewed Finn as a hero, but it seemed as though everyone else did, as well.
fourteen.
Rachel met Mike Chang, Matt Rutherford, and Ryder Lynn. They had served at different times and in different places than Finn, but they all looked up to him as well. They were all familiar with Rachel, and she was touched that he had been telling stories about her. Finn felt comfortable enough to talk about their budding relationship in his therapy group, and that made Rachel surprisingly happy.
Carole, Burt, Kurt, and Blaine arrived at the meeting as well. Sue called the session to order with a few introductions. The family and friends day for the therapy group basically gave the attendees a chance to talk about the progress they made and what they were going to do with their lives now that they were out of the service.
Mike and Matt both briefly talked about their time overseas. Mike was teaching lessons at a local dance studio, and Matt was getting more involved on the management side of a restaurant his family owned. Ryder, who seemed to be the youngest out of all the young men in the group, stated that he was going to go back to college and was even considering going on to medical school.
Puck was next, and he talked about how he had found out Quinn was pregnant right before he left for his last tour in Iraq. So he married her and then left soon after that, therefore missing most of Quinn's pregnancy. He had returned home just in time to witness the birth of his daughter. Since then, Puck had found work at a construction company and Quinn was student teaching at a local high school.
Then it was Finn's turn. When he stepped up to the front of the room, Rachel was glad to see that he carried a quiet air of confidence about him and seemed very comfortable in front of the room full of people. He caught her eye before he began speaking, and his lips tilted up in a small smile.
He glossed over his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was mostly because he didn't care to talk about it, but it was also for the benefit of his mother.
"I tried to take online classes as much as I could," Finn revealed. "And about three months ago, I graduated with a degree in music therapy. I've been interning at the hospital since then, and they just offered me a job two days ago."
Carole, unable to hold back, jumped up and started clapping exuberantly. Kurt pretended to be embarrassed, especially when his father gave Finn a standing ovation as well. But he and Blaine were clapping along with Carole and Burt.
Finn wasn't paying very much attention to his family's antics, however. Instead, his gaze was on Rachel, who was beaming brightly at him. She had no idea that he had accomplished so much, but she was immensely proud of him. That kind of career seemed perfect Finn, and Rachel had no doubt that he would excel at it.
After that, the group members, family, and friends were invited to mingle and have some of the snacks provided. When Finn rejoined his family, he held his hand out towards Rachel. Smiling, Rachel slid her hand into Finn's and stepped closer to him.
Even though Finn was still holding onto Rachel's hand, Carole immediately swept the younger woman up into a hug. She told Rachel that she just had to come over for dinner again sometime soon, because they had all enjoyed it so much. Rachel immediately agreed, of course. Finn's family was sweet, and she felt as if she had really got to know Finn outside of their usual coffee shop setting.
After Rachel had exchanged greetings with the rest of the Hudson-Hummel family, Sue came over to the group.
"Good speech, Hudson," Sue said gruffly. "The newer members could really benefit from hearing about your experiences." Before Finn could thank Sue for her praise, the older woman caught sight of Rachel. "For the love of God, Hudson. Have you even taken this girl on a date yet?"
Finn's cheeks turned red and Kurt busted out laughing. Carole shushed her younger son immediately, but the scolding didn't have much backing since Burt started laughing as well. Rachel squeezed Finn's hand, hopefully relaying to him through the touch that there was no pressure. When Finn smiled down at her, Rachel knew that he understood her.
"Don't worry, Sue," Finn said. His eyes never left Rachel's. "That's the plan."
fifteen.
True to his word, Finn picked up Rachel at her apartment on her next night off. He presented her with a bouquet of pink wildflowers that Rachel squealed over.
"You seem like the kind of girl who likes pink," Finn said with a grin. He leaned forward and pressed a short, sweet kiss to her lips that left Rachel's mouth tingling.
Rachel giggled when he pulled back from her. "Obviously," she said as she gestured to her pink sundress. Santana had tried to talk to her into this horribly tight black body-con skirt and tank top, but Rachel was having none of it.
Of course, Santana and Tina insisted on being in the apartment when Finn came to pick Rachel up. They were sitting in the living room, watching Finn and Rachel's interaction as though they were viewing a movie.
"You should have seen the skirt I tried to talk her into wearing, Hudson!" Santana called from the couch. "You probably would have shit yourself!"
Peering around Rachel, Finn laughed and said, "I'm assuming that you're Santana Lopez."
Rachel stepped aside and allowed Finn to come further into the apartment. He slid his arm around her waist as he passed her, pulling her into his side. Rachel immediately rested a hand against his chest, feeling utterly comfortable and at ease standing beside him.
"The one and only," Santana said. "And this Tina Cohen-Chang. Berry said you had another Chang that Tina could be hooked up with. God knows she needs it, because she hasn't had sex in like six months."
"Santana!" Rachel and Tina exclaimed at the same time. Poor Tina's cheeks turned bright pink and she threw a pillow at Santana. Laughing, the Latina dodged the pillow and then the handful of popcorn that Tina also threw at her. Waggling her eyebrows, Santana popped some of the popcorn that was now on the rug into her mouth while Tina loudly complained that she was being disgusting.
"I swear I didn't say that," Rachel said to Finn. "I simply told Tina that Mike was her type and that she might like to meet him one day."
Finn was laughing, which Rachel took as a good sign. Not everyone was able to handle her crazy roommates (AKA the people she called her best friends). Finn was taking their banter in stride, and Rachel could see Tina and Santana giving her approving looks.
But then Santana said, "Don't feel bad, Tina. At least you haven't gone without sex for as long as Rachel has. But no pressure or anything, Hudson."
"We're leaving!" Rachel yelled. She shoved the pretty bouquet of flowers at Tina so she could put them in a vase and then proceeded to two Finn out of the apartment. Her so-called friends' laughter followed them out of the apartment and down the hall, and it took at least that long for Rachel to stop feeling embarrassed.
"I'm sorry about that," Rachel said as she and Finn made their way down the stairs. "Santana doesn't really have a filter."
Finn chuckled, not at all bothered by the comments he had heard upstairs. "You've met Kurt. He doesn't have a filter either, just in a different way from Santana. But Puck and Santana are a lot alike… That's kind of weird, actually."
Rachel laughed at the face Finn was making when he came to that realization. She was finished talking about their friends, though. She wanted to enjoy her very first date with Finn, and she wasn't about to let anything distract her.
Steering the conversation in a different direction, she asked, "So what's the plan for tonight?"
"You'll see." Finn grinned when he saw the pout Rachel was giving him. She wrapped both of her arms around one of Finn's and gave him a pleading look. She kind of hoped the big, wide innocent eyes would work on him.
Finn wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his side as they walked. "That's not fair, Rach," he said. He pressed a kiss to her temple and smirked at the look of triumph on Rachel's face. She was sadly mistaken if she thought she was getting her way. "But I'm still not going to tell you."
He burst out laughing when Rachel actually stomped her foot and whined. "Finn!"
sixteen.
Finn had found some cute little Greek restaurant that Rachel had absolutely no idea about—which was odd, because Rachel adored Greek food. It was one of the best meals Rachel had had in a long time. She had this amazing falafel, and Finn had a gyro that Rachel picked at even though she claimed that she didn't often eat meat. After dessert and some coffee, they took a quick walk through Central Park and ended up back at Rachel's apartment.
Of course, Santana and Tina had vacated the place. Rachel had even found a very crude and inappropriate note from Santana (which included an equally inappropriate picture) stating that they would be gone until late the following morning. Rachel was pretty positive that she managed to get the note down before Finn saw it.
They started out watching a movie, but it was pretty clear that neither of them were interested in it. Finn and Rachel were curled together on the couch, with Rachel practically in Finn's lap. So that made it very, very easy for Rachel to reach up and pull Finn's mouth down to hers.
The movie was completely forgotten after that. Finn's mouth was intoxicating against hers. Rachel couldn't remember the last time she felt this amazing. And the best part was, she felt as if she was met to be in Finn's arms—as if she had found her home. She wanted to feel more of Finn against her, and it was as though Finn had read her mind. He somehow flipped them so that Rachel was laid out flat underneath him on the couch.
Finn's lips were against her neck as soon as she pulled his shirt over his head. His chest was broad and muscular without being overly so, and Rachel ran her tiny hands over. That made Finn kiss her more instantly, his lips pressing hot and open-mouthed against the soft skin of her neck and collarbone. Rachel moaned and arched up against Finn, allowing him to slip his hands under her shirt.
Finn's strong, calloused fingers stroked against her skin, making Rachel whisper his name. Their kisses slowed then, with Finn pressing several lingering, tender kisses against her lips. His hands remained under her shirt, however, and Rachel couldn't stop herself from touching the bare skin that had been revealed once Finn's shirt had been stripped off.
Finn pulled away just enough so that there was barely a breath between them. "I should go," he murmured. Hot breath fanned across Rachel's face, and she slid her fingers through his thick hair so she could kiss him again.
"Maybe," Rachel whispered against his lips. Her hips rolled against his, and Finn groaned.
"Seriously," he said. But he didn't make any movements to actually leave, so Rachel wasn't complaining. "I should probably…" He muttered a curse when Rachel nipped at his jaw. "You know."
Rachel smiled against his jaw and then kissed over to his lips once again. "But do you really have to go?"
It took Finn a long moment to respond. That might have been because Rachel's tongue was in his mouth, but it wasn't like he was going to protest that. "I should," he said. He pressed up on his hands so that he was hovering above her. "I like you, Rach—really like you. I want to do this right."
"I promise you that you are doing this right," Rachel said. She tugged Finn back towards for one last, gentle kiss. When their lips broke apart, she sighed. "I understand, though." She handed him his shirt, and Finn pulled it back on with a wry grin.
"I'll see you tomorrow, though," he teased. "We have our standing coffee date, right?"
Rachel brightened at that. Tomorrow was Thursday, so she would get to see Finn. "That's right!" She wrapped her arms around Finn's neck and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, Finn."
Together, they walked towards the door. Finn kissed Rachel one more time and then left with a parting smile. Once the door was closed behind her, Rachel leaned against it and blew out a happy sigh.
She didn't know what Finn Hudson was doing to her, but she really liked it.
seventeen.
The following week, Rachel and Finn had ordered in and were watching another movie. It was only five minutes into the movie that Rachel completely fell asleep, sprawled across Finn's lap. It was the deep kind of sleep that only came from true exhaustion after a long day at work. Rachel was dead to the world, and not even Finn shifting on the couch so he could lie out next to her woke her up.
Rachel did wake up when she was knocked to the ground, however.
Disoriented, Rachel tried to shake the sleep off and sat up. Finn apparently had fallen asleep as well and was now jerking in his slumber. It appeared that he was having some sort of nightmare. From the looks of it, it was pretty intense. A light sheen of sweat covered his skin, and the look on his face was one of what could only be true pain.
"Finn?" Rachel asked cautiously. She doubted that her quiet query would wake him up, but she wasn't sure what to do. When that did nothing to make him stir, Rachel called in a louder voice, "Finn!" She reached out to shake his shoulder as well, hoping the movement would do something at least.
As soon as Rachel's fingers brushed his shoulder, the fingers of Finn's own hand shot up and wrapped around her wrist in an iron-tight grip. He pulled, yanking Rachel on top of him, causing her to shriek in surprise.
The added weight of Rachel on top of him caused Finn to jerk awake. It only took him a moment to realize what was happening, and before Rachel could recover, Finn was out from underneath her and on the other side of the room.
"I'm sorry," he was repeating over and over again. Rachel's mind was foggy with sleep, so it took her a moment to register what Finn was saying. "I'm so, so sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Finn." Rachel sat up and extended one hand towards Finn, approaching him slowly from across the room. Finn tried to move away from her, but he had backed himself into a corner. There was nowhere to go, and Rachel pressed a hand flat against his chest.
"I'm sorry, Rachel," Finn whispered. He was looking at the ground, and his breathing was erratic and panicked. After another beat of silence, he sucked in a long breath and closed his eyes, trying to force himself to calm down.
Rachel reached up with her other hand and pressed it against Finn's cheek. She turned his face towards hers, and for once their height difference worked to her advantage. She was standing in such a way that Finn now had to look directly into her eyes, and she wouldn't let him turn away.
"Finn, it's okay," Rachel murmured. Her fingers stroked against his cheek, and she noted that his breathing was much more even now. She could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest under her palm, but she knew that Finn wasn't feeling better.
Finn shook his head slowly, his eyes filled with pain. "I could have hurt you."
"But you didn't."
"I could have."
Rachel slid her arms around Finn's waist and pressed herself to his chest. "But you didn't," she repeated. "I startled you, and I'm sorry for that."
Rachel didn't know a whole lot about post-traumatic stress disorder, but she assumed that Finn had some form of it. The reason that he didn't want to push too hard with their physical relationship suddenly made much more sense. Finn had been afraid of what would happen once they fell asleep and he had a nightmare. Rachel wanted nothing more than to help him conquer that fear.
Finn stayed silent, but he brought his arms up to wrap around Rachel. She took that as progress. "Why don't you come to bed with me, Finn?"
Finn stiffened a little. "Rach…"
Rachel also considered the use of his nickname for her a good thing. She pulled back just enough so that she could stand on her tiptoes and slide her hands up his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged his head the rest of the way down towards her. Without giving him time to protest, Rachel pressed her lips to his in a deep, powerful kiss.
Finn hauled her against him, responding with just as much passion as Rachel. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, cradling his hips against hers.
"Take me to bed," Rachel whispered against Finn's lips.
Finn kissed her again and began to move towards the bedroom with Rachel still securely wrapped in his arms.
eighteen.
"Wake up."
Rachel stretched against the warm body underneath hers. Even with her sleep-addled mind, Rachel could feel a shiver run down her spine at Finn's warm breath near her ear.
Cracking an eye open, she saw a shirtless Finn lying next to her. She could feel his bare legs against hers as well, and knew that he was clad only in a pair of boxer briefs. And Rachel could feel all of that glorious bare skin against hers because she was wearing only her undergarments, as well.
Oh yeah. She could definitely get used to this.
Rachel opened her eyes fully and saw that Finn was watching her with hungry eyes and a slow, delicious smile. She could feel her whole body heat up at the thought of what they did last night. There had been plenty of deep, passionate kisses, and Rachel had spent most of that time straddling Finn's lap. Once they had stripped down to their underwear, their bodies had ground together in a way that had both of them craving for release. Rachel came against Finn's fingers last night, and they had gone to bed not long after that.
"Hmm," Rachel sighed in happiness and snuggled closer to Finn's warm, strong body. "You're looking a little better than you had last night."
Finn's eyes softened in tenderness. "You had a lot to do with that," he told her. His hand slid along her bare back, and his thumb slipped under the waistband of her underwear, causing Rachel to gasp.
Rachel smiled and stretched again. The closeness of their bodies allowed Rachel to feel Finn's arousal tucked firmly against her, and her cheeks turned bright red. The memory of Finn's hands on her body the previous night was causing Rachel to get quite wound up.
Finn pressed his lips to her ear. "What are you thinking about?"
"Last night," Rachel admitted. She rolled her hips against his, and Finn's hand slid further down until he cupped her bare bottom.
Finn's mouth covered hers then, and he easily tugged her panties off and flung them behind him. Rachel's hands ran up and down his chest, feeling the muscles move and clench under her fingers before she tugged his boxer briefs down. Finn kicked them the rest of the way off and then Rachel suddenly flipped them over so that she was straddling Finn's body.
She ground down against him as Finn's hips thrust up, rubbing against the wetness between her thighs. Rachel moaned and threw her head back just as Finn unhooked her bra and tossed it over the side of the bed.
Finn smoothed one hand up her abdomen and then cupped her breast. His fingers plucked at her hardened nipple, and Rachel tightened her legs around his waist. "Oh, Finn!" she gasped. Finn kissed from her lips, along her jaw, and down her neck until he reached her breast. He took her other nipple in his mouth, causing Rachel to moan loudly. She threaded her fingers in Finn's hair and pressed him closer to her body.
Once Finn had paid equal attention to her other breast, Finn flipped them back over so that they were both lying on their sides, facing each other. Their legs tangled together, and one of Rachel's legs hooked over Finn's thigh. He slid inside her, causing both of them to cry out loudly.
With their bodies pressed tightly together, they both began to move in tight motions that were quickly bringing them to the edge. Finn and Rachel wanted it to last longer, but they had been waiting for this moment for too long. Later they would make slow, unhurried love.
It occurred to them both at the same time that that's what it was. As Finn and Rachel's lips parted from another passionate, all-consuming kiss, their eyes locked and it was clear that they both had deep emotions for one another.
Rachel was chanting his name, pressing harder to him as she got closer and closer to the edge. Finn's hips thrust erratically against hers, and she came with a suddenness that surprised her. Finn groaned Rachel's name and came right after her.
They lay tangled like that together for several long moments. Then Finn pressed a series of tender kisses against her shoulder, and Rachel let out a blissful noise and closed her eyes.
nineteen.
"We still need to talk, you know."
Finn flipped a pancake and then nodded his head. There was no resignation in his voice as he spoke. "I know," he said. Unlike the night before, his face was more open and less shadowed. He even gave her a small smile, and Rachel knew in that moment that everything would be okay even if Finn had a long road of healing ahead of him.
Rachel watched Finn move around her kitchen with an ease that was comfortable and familiar. It made her smile. "You don't have to tell me anything you're not ready to," she assured him.
"I know," Finn said. He slid the pancakes onto the two plates that had already been set up—bacon for him, fruit for her. "And I want to tell you. It's just… hard, sometimes. The nightmares aren't as bad as they used to be, but…" He shrugged his shoulders. "They say it gets easier the more time passes."
Rachel accepted the plate from Finn with a smile and then kissed his cheek once he sat down. He seemed a little surprised by the gesture, but then he grinned at her.
"You've been studying music therapy," Rachel said. "Have you ever considered using music as a way to relieve some of your stress?"
Finn covered his pancakes in syrup (causing Rachel to giggle), and then pushed them around on his plate for a moment. Finally, he said, "I used to play drums. With my courses in school, I focused more on the guitar than I did with anything involving percussion. Maybe I should play the drums, though."
Rachel speared a strawberry with her fork and popped it in her mouth. She gave him a full, bright smile. "Maybe I could sit in on one of your practices sessions?"
"I'd like that," Finn said. He extended his free hand across the table, and Rachel slid hers into his.
twenty.
"They're so cute they make me want to throw up."
"Seriously. I'm going to get cavities or something."
"At least we agree on something."
"Yeah, at least."
Even though Santana and Kurt were making fun of Finn and Rachel, there was no real annoyance in their words. While it was true that Finn and Rachel could get quiet sappy with one another, they were both glad to see that the couple was happy. They had been dating for almost three months, and it was easy to see how much of an impact Finn and Rachel had had on each other's lives.
Currently, they were babysitting Beth for Quinn and Puck. They were at Finn's apartment, because they had decided to cook dinner for their friends as well. Now Finn and Rachel were sitting on the living room floor with the baby. Finn was playing peek-a-boo with Beth while Rachel watched with a tender smile.
Not only had Finn and Rachel made each other happy, they had combined their friends into one group and encouraged them to hang out. As a result, Tina and Mike had gone a few tentative dates and seemed to be getting along very well.
Rachel suddenly shot to her feet with one hand clapped over her mouth as she ran from the room. After quickly asking Kurt to watch over Beth, he climbed to his feet and quickly followed Rachel to her destination—the bathroom.
Kurt lifted Beth into his arms and held her at arms-length. The baby stared at him with a look that clearly questioned his sanity, and Kurt made a face back at her.
Santana made a scoffing noise. "Hummel, you can't hold a baby like that. You're supposed to cradle her."
Kurt thrust Beth towards her. "Well, if you think that you'd be so good at it, why don't you hold her?"
Smirking, Santana held her hands up. "I'd rather watch you try to figure this out."
Grumbling under his breath, Kurt adjusted Beth so that she was cradled against his chest. Tina was now standing at the entranceway of the living room, watching to see when Finn and Rachel would return from the bathroom.
"Do you think Rachel is okay?" Tina asked. "She hasn't been feeling well all week."
Santana shrugged her shoulders and checked her reflection in the stainless steel surface of the fridge. "It's probably all that tofu she's been eating. I told Berry that all that shit would go right through her."
"Santana!" Kurt exclaimed. "There's a baby here! You can't curse in front of her!"
"Please." Santana waved a dismissive hand. "Puckerman is her father. You think she hasn't heard cursing before?"
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Rachel was rinsing her mouth out with mouthwash. Finn was still rubbing a comforting hand over her back, which Rachel happened to appreciate very much. She hated throwing up.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Finn asked.
Rachel nodded her head and wiped her mouth with one of the hand towels. "I'm fine, Finn. I promise. I haven't been feeling well for the past couple of days. A lot of the people in my classes have been coming down with a stomach virus. That's probably all this is."
Finn wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulder. With his free hand, he felt her forehead. "You do seem a little warm. Why don't we leave Beth with Tina and Mike and get you home. I can even make chicken noodle soup."
Rachel snuggled into Finn's side. "That sounds perfect."
Once they were home, however, Rachel noticed something very important. She was in the bathroom with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, now in a pair of comfortable pajamas. She had her head in the cabinet under the sink, as she was looking for some face wash. When she came across a box of tampons, she froze.
Rachel's fingers wrapped around the little blue box, and she pulled it out of the cabinet and sat back on her heels. Rachel stared at it as she ran through the calculations in her head. Coming to a startling realization, she let the box fall from her now limp fingers.
Rachel had to make a doctor's appointment.
twenty-one.
After four positive home pregnancy tests and one visit to her doctor, Rachel had her suspicions confirmed: she was pregnant.
So far, she had alternated between freaking out and being extremely excited. She had a panic attack an hour ago because she had only been dating Finn for three months, so what would he say? What would happen? Rachel was pretty positive that she was in love with Finn, but he had so much to focus on at the moment. He had just started his new job and he was still recovering from his time in the military. It was going to be an ongoing process, and it was one that Rachel had planned on supporting him through one hundred percent. She couldn't imagine what the added pressure of a baby would do to his life.
And then she was happy, because this was a baby. A new life, a little piece of her and Finn that she would love forever. As soon as Rachel received the confirmation, she had fallen in love with the life growing inside of her.
Yet another spaz attack followed that. Rachel was two months from graduating. She had a whole future she needed to figure out. Of course, she wanted to be on Broadway. Rachel was confident in her abilities, and she had no doubt that she would make it big one day. However, it wasn't as if she could start auditioning while she was pregnant. She wanted to stay home with her baby for at least a year—maybe even two. There was no way that Rachel was going to miss her child growing up. Broadway would be there forever. In the meantime, she had to figure out another career option.
The excitement came once again after that. Rachel loved Finn, and she was certain that Finn would care for and love this baby just as much as she would. That's just the kind of guy Finn was. And maybe—just maybe—they could figure this whole thing out and be a family.
So Rachel sat in front of the four positive pregnancy tests once she had returned from the doctor's office. This was real. This was happening. The first thing Rachel needed to do was tell Finn.
The door to the apartment slammed open, and the arguing voices of Tina and Santana reached her. Well, it looked as if her best friends were going to find out first. There was no way that Rachel would be able to successfully hide these pregnancy tests without looking guilty.
"Berry, can you please tell Cohen-Chang that—" Santana came to an abrupt stop when she saw Rachel sitting in the living room. Tina banged into her, but that was only because she was too busy staring at the pregnancy tests.
"What the fuck is this?" Santana demanded.
Rachel held her hands out and gave her best friends a small, nervous smile. "I'm pregnant."
Tina and Santana stared at Rachel for several long moments. Finally, Tina asked, "Have you told Finn yet?"
"Not yet."
"You should probably do that."
Rachel had to bite back a laugh at the dumbstruck look on Tina's face. "That was my next course of action."
Santana stared at all the little positive signs and then glanced back towards Rachel. She was sitting on the couch with one hand settled over her stomach. There was an air of contentment around her, and she was actually glowing.
"So we're… happy about this?" Santana inquired.
Rachel thought carefully about her response. She had some time to process the news, and she was happy. Of course, this certainly wasn't the way she had imagined her life going, but this was just another adventure… and it was one that Rachel was eager for.
"I am happy," she said honestly. "Really, really happy."
Santana and Tina pounced on Rachel, shrieking in excitement hugging her before they started jumping on the couch. Rachel took this brief moment to celebrate with her best friends. No matter what happened, she knew that she could rely on them no matter what.
Now she just had to tell Finn.
twenty-two.
"You look nervous."
"Really? How could you tell?"
Finn chuckled as he watched his girlfriend move from one end of the living room to the other. "The pacing might have given it away."
Rachel still didn't stop, and she turned on her heel to make her way to the other side of the room. She was gnawing on her thumbnail, and had one arm across her abdomen. Even though there wasn't any sign of a baby bump yet, she knew that her baby was growing inside her. In a few weeks, everyone would be able to see what was going on.
"I just… I have something to tell you," Rachel admitted. She didn't pause in her pacing, and Finn gave her an amused smile as he waited for Rachel to reveal what was on her mind. When she didn't stop moving, Finn stood up and caught her in his arms.
"Hey." He reached for her hands and squeezed them comfortingly before he lifted them and pressed her fingers to his lips. "It's going to be okay. Whatever you're freaking out about, we'll figure it out, okay?"
Rachel stared up at her boyfriend with wide eyes. "I'm pregnant," she whispered.
Finn's mouth dropped open, and he gaped at her. He didn't pull away, and he didn't drop her hands. He stared down at her and then his eyes drifted towards her stomach. Rachel didn't want to say anything to startle him, but she also wanted to know what he was thinking.
Then one of Finn's hands slowly slid down to her still-flat abdomen. He cradled her tummy in his large hand, his amber eyes now filled with wonder. Rachel could have sworn that she heard her heart thudding in her ears, she was so anxious.
Rachel let out a squeak of surprise when Finn suddenly swept her up into his arms. He pressed his face to her neck, holding her tightly against him. It took Rachel a moment to realize that he was actually hugging her before she returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Oh, Rachel," Finn murmured against her skin. He pressed a tender kiss under her jaw and then pulled back just enough to see her face. "This is… this is amazing."
Rachel was embarrassed to feel tears burning in her eyes. At least she could contribute that to her now raging hormones. "You're not scared?" she asked.
Finn laughed and kissed her. "Of course I'm scared," he admitted. "I'm terrified. But I also know that we can do this."
Those words made Rachel feel like she could fly. "Do you mean it, Finn?"
He grinned down at her, and Rachel was positive that no matter what happened in the upcoming months, everything would turn out alright. "Of course I do. We'll figure it out together."
I'm sorry if this seemed kind of rushed. I was just tired of sitting on this chapter, and I really wanted to get it out. Thanks! :)