A/N: Wow, I'm amazed. This is by far my most popular story. It took off like wild fire and blew my mind. Thank you so much for alerting, reviewing and faving this. It's kind of a present for all those people who loved my one-shots and asked me to write multi-chapters. I obviously don't own this, but I love playing in Fox's sandbox, so enjoy!

***

Rachel didn't sleep well the night before Sectionals. She had planned to. She had even gone so far as to take a nice relaxing bath around eight o'clock, utilizing the lavender bath salts her fathers had bought her to ease sore muscles after dance competitions. Rachel's fathers had wished her goodnight earlier than usual and she had tucked herself into bed around nine, expecting to fall right to sleep.

The last thing Rachel consciously remembered was lying or her back, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on her ceiling.

Rachel wasn't one to remember her dreams, but the dream she had on the night before Sectionals would be burned into her mind forever.

***

The sun was hot, but Rachel knew it would not reach its peak for hours. She set her washing basket down next to the fountain and began filling up her water urn for the day. Noah was labouring on Pharaoh's great temple this day and Rachel knew he would be thirsty, dry and tired when he returned. He could probably drain the whole urn by himself if he tried.

Rachel smiled at the thought of her Noah lifting the great urn to his mouth and draining it dry. She tried not to focus too much on how the muscles of his arms would ripple with strength, lest her blush show the other women around the fountain where her thoughts had strayed. Rachel was truly blessed that her father had chosen such a handsome, loving man for her to marry.

"Good morning, Rachel," one of the other women said, dragging Rachel from her thoughts.

Rachel smiled brightly. "Good morning to you, Jochebed. I trust you are well this day?"

Jochebed smiled and moved around the fountain to take a seat next to Rachel, juggling her little son on her hip. "I am very well," she said, passing her son to Rachel's open arms.

Rachel smiled and kissed the boy on the cheek. "And how is little Moses today?"

Jochebed's smile fell from her face, only briefly. "He has been restless this morning. Of course it is no help that Aaron will not stop pinching at his cheeks," she said, levelling a look at her three year old son where he sat under the watchful eye of his seven year old sister Miriam.

Rachel brushed a hand across her stomach absently with a smile. She had missed two cycles of blood recently, and though she had not bloomed to the gentle roundness characteristic of those with child, she knew in her heart that she carried her husband's son within her.

"Will you soon share my joy, Rachel?" Jochebed said with a knowing smile.

A blush streaked across Rachel's cheeks as she handed little Moses back to his mother. "Please, say nothing. I have yet to tell Noah the blessed news."

"I will keep your secret, not only because you are my friend, but also because you have won me a few extra loaves of bread."

"What?"

"Do not look so surprised. Your Noah is very...affectionate...and we did not think it wrong to make a friendly wager or two at how long after your joining you would find yourself with child. We see how much he loves you, Rachel, and we knew it would not be long."

"Jochebed..." Rachel began, before being interrupted by the sound of feet pounding towards them.

Rachel looked up to see her husband running towards him, terror etched on his face. She practically flew to his side, checking him over for hurts. "How do you fare husband mine?" she asked.

Her took her palms and kissed them gently before looking hard into her eyes. "Pharaoh's men are coming," he said.

"What?" she asked, as Jochebed joined them.

Noah swallowed thickly, obviously shaken. "Pharaoh's men are coming for the children."

Jochebed drew in a sharp hiss of breath and clutched Moses to her breast.

Noah's hands were slick and cold against her own. "They are coming for the males. I saw them in the outer quarters. They took Isaac's boy and dashed him against the wall," he said, resting his face against their joined hands.

"No," Rachel said, "they would never do such a thing. It is too horrible."

He shook his head. "They cut the babe from Leah's womb, Rachel; from her very womb. They just left her there to bleed."

Rachel kissed his hands and turned swiftly to Jochebed. "Send Miriam and Aaron home, quickly."

Jochebed nodded and went to speak to her children.

"Friends," Rachel spoke loudly, "my husband has come with distressing news. Pharaoh's men are on their way. They are coming for the babes, the boys. Take your children from here and hide them. If you are with child, hide yourselves, as Pharaoh's men will steal the children from your wombs without a thought. Go now!"

The women scattered like so many birds and only Jochebed was left. Rachel picked up the basket of her washing with determination and started throwing clothing on the ground until only a blanket was left. The steady thump of footsteps drew closer as Rachel held the basket out to Jochebed.

"Dear friend," she said softly, "There is little time for you to hide him. Place the babe in the basket and run. Run fast and far. I know you are resourceful. You will find a way to keep little Moses safe."

Jochebed nodded her head shakily and took the basket. She wrapped Moses in the blanket and placed him inside. "Thank you, my friend," she said, taking off as swiftly as her feet would carry her.

Rachel turned back to her husband and took him in her arms. "Fear not, Noah. All will be well," she said. "You were so swift to come to us; you have saved many babes this day."

Noah pressed a kiss to her temple. "We have saved many babes this day," he corrected, "who but you could organize the women so swiftly?"

Pharaoh's soldiers chose that moment to invade the courtyard. One man, tall and thin, grabbed Rachel by her arm and pulled her from Noah's embrace. She reached for him as he fought against the soldiers holding him.

The leader of this band struck Noah across the face and Rachel could not hold in her scream.

"Where have they gone, Slave," the soldier demanded.

Noah laughed. "Who? There is no one here."

The soldier struck him again. "The women, boy, where are the women? They are known to gather here. We know you have seen what we are here to do. Where have you sent them?"

Noah laughed again. "There is no one here. I know not what you speak of. I have seen and done nothing this day that I would not have done any other."

Then the soldier turned on Rachel and took her chin in his palm, squeezing it until tears welled in her eyes. Rachel focused on Noah's eyes and prayed not to cry out.

"Is this your woman, boy?" the soldier asked, "She is quite beautiful, for a slave girl. Perhaps you should tell me what I wish to know. If you do not, I may be overtaken by her beauty..."

Rachel watched in horror as Noah broke the hold of his guards and ripped the soldier away from her with a primal howl. Noah's fists blurred as he drove them into the soldier, again and again. Then it was over, as swiftly as it had begun. There was an awful, wet, sucking sound and the shiny tip of a blade shone brightly out of Noah's chest. The blade was quickly removed and Noah's shirt coloured with blood.

Rachel began to scream as Noah fell to the ground, his face a mask of surprise. He shook with wet coughs and Rachel used all her strength to tear herself from the grasp of the tall, thin soldier who held her. It wasn't hard; the soldier himself looked as though he might be ill.

Rachel fell to Noah's side, weeping. She placed her hands over the wound on his chest and pressed down hard, praying the flow would stop.

The leader of the soldiers sneered and brushed himself off. "Come along, men," he ordered, "we have work to do. Spare no pity for this fool."

The laughter of the soldiers would haunt Rachel's dreams until the day of her death.

Noah coughed and tangled his hands in her hair, pulling their foreheads together. His teeth were bright with blood. "Rachel," he said, "my beloved. I am sorry."

"There was no slight, my love, for you to be sorry for," she answered quickly.

The coughs took him again and she held him tight.

"I am sorry to leave you. We have had so little time...I do not want you to be alone."

Rachel took his hand and pressed his palm to her stomach. "You will be with my always, Noah my love."

His glazed hazel eyes went wide with wonder and then the coughs ripped through him, spraying her face with blood.

"I am Noah," he wheezed, "and I am yours...forever."

Rachel's tears fell like rain. "I am Rachel," she answered, "and I will belong to you always."

His hazel eyes closed for the last time and Noah let out a shuddering gasp. Then he stilled and Rachel fell upon his cooling form, weeping. She feared she would never stop.

***

Rachel shot up in her bed, shuddering and crying. She spent the rest of the night curled in a ball, shaking. She didn't manage to get any sleep until she was on the bus to Sectionals, with Noah sitting a few rows away, alive and well.