Though Rachel didn't have to be at the High School until 10 am she was up and about at 5:30. Just because it was Saturday didn't mean that she got to sleep in. She and her daughter had a schedule and neither deviated from it. They had a system and no matter the day the followed it. The only thing they changed was when they left the house, or rather when they didn't leave the house.
Rachel saw that it was only six am and sighed. She wanted to go over the Hummel/Hudson household earlier than she needed to but decided against it. She needed to spend this quality time with her daughter. She and Adelaide had been spending most of their time over at Finn, Kurt, Carole, and Burt's house. She knew the clan didn't mind, but she did. She knew she couldn't raise her little girl on her own, it takes an army, but she didn't want to rely on them. She was terrified that something bad will happen between her and Finn, or her and Kurt, and then she would be so used to relying on them that she would be lost.
"How is mommies, little princess?" Rachel asked her daughter and she blew on her bare stomach. She just got done changing her daughter's diaper. Grabbing the closest sleeper she put the warm one piece on her daughter. It was navy blue with floral printed dots. To the right of the zipper there a picture of an owl, while the feet contained the owls face on them. The same floral pattern used on the dots was also used to line the neck and the end of her sleeves. She grabbed another sleeper and an outfit and put them in her diaper bag. She also grabbed a few more diapers and shoved them into the pink pack.
Rachel then started to get herself ready. She lightly curled her hair and put a minimal amount of makeup. She put a light eyeshadow, mascara, and lip gloss. Adelaide started smiling as Rachel started talking to the little girl. She was trying to get her little girl to use her newly discovered vocals, but it wasn't happening. She just looked at her mother with a grin appearing and disappearing on her face. Rachel felt as if her heart was going to explode. She didn't know how someone could have so much love for such a small person. She adored her daughter and she couldn't decide if her obsession with her was healthy or not. Rachel's thoughts were quickly interrupted when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She smiled when she saw Finn's picture pop up.
"Hello, handsome," Rachel answered as she stuck the phone between her ear and her shoulder. She stood up and went downstairs to grab a couple few bags of frozen breast milk. She then placed them in hot water so they could thaw and she could place them into bottles. She smiled as Finn started to talk about how much he missed her and Adelaide. He even told her that he had been watching how-to diaper videos on Youtube. She couldn't help, but let out a giggle when she heard that. He was nothing but dedicated to her daughter.
Their phone call only lasted fifteen minutes due to him being able to talk her into coming over a little earlier than she needed to. It was 8:30, so she felt like it wasn't too bad of a time slot. By the time she got everything all together, it was probably going to be 9:00. Rachel looked at the weather and saw that it was going to be cold. Rachel decided to start her car before leaving. She layed her daughter on her floor mat, and grabbed her keys and entered the cold chilly air. It was late October in Ohio, which meant that the weather was only going to decrease in warmth from this point on.
Entering the house Rachel finished getting her things together. She looked in the mirror and pinned her band out of her face with a bobby pin. She then picked her crying baby from the floor before packing her into her car seat. As soon as Rachel buckled her in she heard her daughter begin to fuss. She had become very clingy. She constantly wanted to be held, and when she wasn't being held, she was crying. She knew that Addy was most likely going to fall asleep on the drive over to Finn's, but that didn't stop her heart from breaking at her daughters cries in the meantime. She smiled as she zipped up the pink seat cover, and closed the flap over her little girl's face.
Once she pulled in front of the house Rachel saw Finn bound down the front steps of his home. Rachel smiled as she opened her driver's side door. He quickly scooped her up into a hug and she gladly reciprocated the action. After pulling apart he opened the back door and grabbed the pink diaper bag placing it on his shoulder. He then got the car seat off of its base before getting her out of the vehicle and closing the car door.
"You know Finn I think pink is your color," Kurt stated as his brother entered the house with the pink diaper bag and baby carrier. Rachel couldn't help but laugh at her best friend's statement. She agreed. He looked good with her daughter. He looked as if he could be a good dad someday.
"I'm not going to reply, because I don't want Addy to hear what I was about to say," Finn stated as he undid her car seat cover. She saw him visibly frown when he realized that Addy was asleep. She didn't know if he was disappointed because he wanted to hang out with her before they all had to go or if it was because he wanted to impress Rachel with his new ability to change a diaper. "Awe, she's asleep."
"She has been so fussy lately. If she isn't being held she isn't happy," Rachel stated as she looked down at her daughter. She knew that it was probably because Rachel hadn't been spending as much time with her as she did in the past. The first couple months of Adelaide's life they were inseparable, but the past month and a half she was being shared with those who Rachel now viewed as family. They had been there for her not only emotionally, but physically.
"Hi, Rachel," Carole said once she saw the short brunette. She then walked over to see that Adelaide was fast asleep in her seat. She smiled as she saw the disappointment that was still present on Finn's face. She walked in on him watching videos on how to change a diaper last night. She honestly didn't know what Rachel and her son were doing. She knew that they were a couple, but they never did anything with just the two of them. They were either with Addy or the whole Hummel clan. She knew neither of them minded the way things were going, but Carole knew that it was crucial for them to get to know each other without a baby and a group of people.
"Hi Carole," Rachel said. Carole looked at the teens and decided that it was the perfect time to take pictures. She knew that it was a day that the teens would want to remember if they won. It meant they were one step closer to making it to regionals, and possibly nationals. She knew that they were working harder this year to make it to Nationals due to it being in New York.
"Alright, time for pictures," Carole stated as she heard her tallest son groan. Rachel laughed as she went over and stood next to Carole. Carole looked at the girl confused. "What are you doing over here? Go over there and be in the picture," Carole directed the teen. She watched as Rachel awkwardly walked over and stood between the two boys. Carole took a picture of the three of them, then just one of Rachel and Finn, then just one of Kurt and Finn, then just one of Kurt and Rachel, and then just one of them as individuals. By the times the pictures were taken the three teens felt it best to leave and head toward the high school. They all decided to just carpool with one another in Rachel's car.
Once the school bus of teens, excluding Artie, reached their destination a sort of dread came over them. They were all nervous to perform. They had been picked to go last. Once they all entered the room they discarded their belongings and followed Emma, their temporary director since their's woke up sick, into the auditorium they would be performing in. As the sat down and listened to the show they realized that their competitors had stolen their set list. Emma quickly uprooted the group and brought them into the classroom where they were freaking out.
"You leaked the set list. You're just Sue Sylvester's little moles," Kurt angrily stated as he looked at two of the cheerleaders. Rachel believed their names were Brittany and Santana.
"I know for a fact that is true, Sue asked us to spy for her," Quinn stated as she walked into the room.
"Look we may still be cheerio's, but neither of us ever gave Sue the set list," the black haired, brown eyed cheerleader stated as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Well, I, I did," the blonde, blue-eyed, talented dancer added in. "I didn't know what she was going to do with it." Rachel watched as an annoyed expression crossed Mercedes' face and the whole club began to look defeated.
"Okay look, believe what you want, but no one is forcing me to be here. And if you ever tell anyone this I will deny it, but I like being in Glee club. It's the best part of my day, okay. I wasn't going to go and mess it up," the latino stated. A moment of silence washed over the room full of teens.
"I believe you," Rachel stated after a moment. "Okay look guys there is no point in us arguing anymore. We- we have to go on in an hour."
"And we have no setlist," Tina stated.
"I can improvise some of my death poetry jams," Artie stated. Everyone told the teen no. That wouldn't do for this type of competition, and they needed to win if they wanted to stay a club.
"No, look we are going to do this the right way. Let's start with the ballad. Mercedes, Do you have anything else in your repertoire?" Rachel asked taking charge of the dreadful situation.
"Yeah, but not as good as anything you could sing," Mercedes stated. She knew that Rachel was a talented singer. They had spoken a couple times and Rachel told the talented performer about her past and all the training and competitions she had done and been in.
"No Mercedes, we agreed," Rachel started before being interrupted.
"We agreed, that I would sing, and I'm telling you that ain't going to happen," Mercedes said while standing up, "Look Rachel the truth is you're the best singer that we've got."
"As much as it hurts me to admit it, and it does, she's right," Kurt added. He was happy that he had a friend as talented as Rachel, but he secretly wished he was the most talented weapon in Glee club. Rachel's our star. If anyone is going to belt it on the fly it should be her," he added. Rachel looked at him with a small smile on her face. She then looked at her boyfriend to see a proud smile placed on his face. Rachel looked back at Mercedes and saw the look of sureness on her face.
"Well, I do have something I have been working on since I was four," she said.
"Then I guess we have our ballad, and we can close with somebody to love. It's a real crowd pleaser," Quinn stated as she looked over the ragtag group of teens.
"That and a can of soup will get us third place," Puck added, "We still need another song that we can sing together."
"I have one," Finn added unsure of himself. He never felt like a leader when it came to the group and putting himself out there with something he had been working on in secret gave him a little bit of anxiety. "I found the sheet music online, used the cheerio's copier to make copies a while back ago." As the sheet music was being passed out Finn watched as smiles spread across their faces. He had heard a conversation between Sue and Mr. Schue about him thinking that she was going to sell out their set list. When Finn went to Mr. Schue about it he said that he didn't think she was actually going to do it after he spoke with her. Finn couldn't find the strength to trust the cruel cheerleading coach so he printed these a while back and then trashed her copier. He was actually quite happy that he had thought to bring the music in case of the incident that something happened.
"Mike, Matt, Brittany, Santa, you are our best dancers. Figure something out and we will follow your lead," Finn stated.
"It's going to be choppy," Matt added with a twinge to his face. He seemed upset that the wonderful routines they had perfected before today was going to be better than what they would be able to figure out in less than an hour.
"Good, we're best when we're loose," the teen added. He watched as Mike and Brittany stood up and he started to talk again. "Look, all we have going for us is that we believe in ourselves, and what we're singing about. If we can show the judges that, we might have a shot at this thing." Rachel couldn't help, but let pride exude from her as her boyfriend took charge of the stressful situation. It made her realize that he was the perfect guy. She didn't have to worry about when things got tough between them because no matter what he would rise to the occasion. She knew she didn't love him, it was too soon for that feeling, but she knew that she could see herself falling in love with him as their relationship further.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters.
P.s. I am sorry if these two chapters that I posted today were not up to my usual standards something major happened, and I wanted to write these incase I can't write for a few days. I appreciate you guys so so so so much for reading my Au story.
