What Did I Do? – Chapter 8
(Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of the characters. I do not own any brand names that appear in this chapter. In fact I don't own much of anything.)
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Saturday morning and everything was quiet at the new Berry/Hudson household. Rachel awoke to her monthly stomach cramps and was in a terrible mood. She lay their quietly thinking to herself, McKinley won last night, Beth had called Finn Daddy for the first time, so Finn would probably be in a exuberant mood when he woke up. Meaning he would probably be all over her at any minute. She hoped that he knew about shark week because she sure as hell didn't want to explain it to him.
Finn was so tired when he came in after last night's football game; he was asleep before he hit the pillow, and snoring lightly before she ever crawled into bed.
Instead of Finn rousing her from her sleep that morning, it was Beth. The baby monitor crackled, and then Beth started whimpering.
Rachel turned over to see if Finn would check on Beth while she went to the bathroom, but Finn wasn't there. A little irritated, she got up make a quick trip to the bathroom and then went in to get Beth. The toddler was hungry and very wet.
After a diaper change Rachel carried Beth downstairs for some breakfast, still no Finn. Her dads' door was closed so she assumed that they were still sleeping. Hearing the water running, she went to check out the source. Finn was in the back yard with Hiram's BMW washed and Leroy's Lexus underway. Beside the two black luxury cars sat Rachel's Prius and Finn's truck.
"What are you doing washing cars at this hour? I could really use your help with Beth this morning," Rachel barked at her new husband.
Stunned, Finn turned around and said to his new wife, "Rachel your dads are doing so much for us. They paid for half the honeymoon and the wedding. They're paying for Sharon's help, all of Beth's stuff, and feeding me as well. I just wanted to do something nice for them as a surprise. That's why I'm out here early."
"Well it's too early. You're probably disturbing the neighbor's sleep. Just finish up Daddy's car and forget my car and your truck. I have a ton of homework to do, and I was hoping that you would watch Beth today," Rachel said before disappearing back inside the house.
Finn finished the two black cars as he was instructed and came into the kitchen. Rachel was stomping her way around the kitchen.
"Are you pissed at me for something I did or didn't do?" Finn asked.
"Neither, I just don't feel well, and I have a lot to do today." Rachel muttered.
"Is there anything that I can do to help?" Finn asked.
"Just help me get breakfast started, and then if you could entertain Beth I would appreciate it. I have a term paper due and a take home AP physics test that I have to finish today."
"Do you want me to start the laundry or vacuum?" Finn tried again.
"No, Sharon has all of that done. Thank you God for Sharon," Rachel said looking up at the ceiling.
After Rachel had finished preparing Beth's breakfast, Finn sat down and fed her. "Rach, are you upset because Beth called me Daddy last night? She was only repeating what the cheerleaders and the crowd was chanting."
"Of course not," Rachel answered as she loaded the dishwasher without even looking at either Finn or Beth. "I just have a lot to get done today even with Sharon's help."
As soon as Beth had finished eating breakfast, Finn whisked her upstairs for a bath and an outfit. He didn't even bother to ask Rachel if she approved of the pants and shirt that he dressed Beth in.
Once downstairs, Finn put Beth's hot pink hoodie on her and told Rachel that he and Beth were going to join the morning walkers at the mall and maybe do a little Christmas shopping when the stores opened. He and Beth would be back before lunch.
"Don't you need the stroller?" Rachel asked.
"Nope, we're meeting Artie there, and he's the stroller. I push and Beth sits on his lap. Artie thinks Beth's a chick magnet for him, not me. See you before noon, love you," Finn said closing the door behind him.
"Ray-Ray is certainly in a bad mood this morning," Finn said to Beth as he buckled her into her car seat in his truck. "We'll just go and hang out with Uncle Artie at the mall for awhile and stay out of her way."
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"How's the married man and the munchkin doing this morning?" Artie greeted the pair.
"I'm not sure Artie," Finn said while he handed Beth to him. "I think I'm in the dog house, and I don't have a clue why. I got up early this morning and wanted to wash everyone's car, but Rachel just bit my head off. She wanted me to take care of Beth today and give her some time to complete some school work. I was going to do it anyway."
"Women you can't live with them, and you can't live without them, present company excluded," Artie laughed as he kissed Beth on top of her head.
"I think we're heading for our first married fight," Finn shrugged.
"I'm not an expert, but I hear that make-up sex is pretty hot," Artie grinned. "If I were you I would go ahead and buy an I'm sorry for whatever I did gift."
"Nah, I'm not going to start that, it would be like buying Beth a toy every time she gets upset," Finn resigned.
"Suit yourself, but don't come crawling to me for advice, because all you're going get from me is an I told you so." Artie concluded nodding his head.
"We're here to do a little Christmas/Hanukkah shopping. I can use one of those gifts as a back up if I have too," Finn decided.
Three hours and four presents later, Finn and Beth were on their way to Carole's. Finn was stashing his Christmas loot upstairs in his old bedroom too.
"Finn, Beth," Carole said as she opened the front door for the two of them. "What brings you over on a Saturday morning? I'm so glad to see you."
"We're just staying out of Rachel's way this morning. She has a lot of school work to complete and she seems to work better with us gone," Finn said as he handed Beth to Carole.
"Finn, don't be too hard on her. You've only been married a little over two weeks. She has a lot of adjusting to do too."
"I don't know. I got up early, something that I don't do on Saturday to wash everyone's car, and she just took my head off," Finn sighed.
"Just give her some space this morning. Do you want me to take Beth for you this afternoon?" Carole asked while playing patty cake with Beth.
"Thanks Mom, but I have responsibilities now, and I can't dump them on you every time something happens. Besides, Beth will probably take a nap this afternoon, I may join her."
Finn and Beth arrived back at the Berry/Hudson house a little before noon. Rachel was still in her bathrobe and slippers. She looked like she hadn't gotten up from her books since they left.
"Hey, Babe," Finn said as he carried Beth through the door. "Did you get your homework finished while we were gone?"
"No," Rachel said curtly. I appreciate the peace and quiet, but this physics test is kicking my butt."
"I'd help you, but I never even took regular physics," Finn offered.
"Thanks, just the same," she said never looking up for her work. "Would you mind fixing lunch? Dad and Daddy have gone over to their legal office so it's just the three of us."
"Sure," Finn said as he sat Beth in her high chair. To himself he was thinking that she must have ran Hiram and Leroy off too.
Finn fixed soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch and was rather proud of himself. "Eat your heart out Gordon Ramsey," Finn said as he placed Rachel's lunch in front of her.
"Ummh," Rachel said as she worked a physics problem again. "This soup is good."
"I just opened a can," Finn said. It was obvious she didn't hear him. That was the extent of their lunch time conversation.
Rachel did get up from her take home test to help Finn with the lunch dishes. He was happy for her help until Rachel started asking him about Brittany and Santana.
"At the little coupon book party that New Directions gave us on Monday, Brittany said that both she and Santana are going to the community college here next year. Will they be going to school with you?" Rachel asked.
"There's only one community college in this town," Finn answered not liking where this line of questioning was going.
"Finn, I trust you with all my heart, but I don't trust them to leave you alone while I'm in New York. It's like when the cat's away, the mice will play."
"Rachel, I'm hurt that you would even think such a thing. I'm a married man. I'm YOUR married man. I'm going to go to school at night, because I have to work for Burt during the day. And the last that I heard, Santana was staying in Lima for Brittany. Everyone knows that they're a couple even though they won't admit it. Is this what you have been pissed about all day?"
"No Finn, I'm sorry. You're the one making all the sacrifices while I'm going to be off in New York. Please forgive me. I've been on this test ever since you left, and I frankly don't feel up to speed."
"Do I need to take you to a doctor?" Finn asked.
"No, I'll be okay once I figure out this take-home test and finish that essay for history," Rachel said giving him a quick peck on the lips.
Finn left his dish towel on the sink, picked up Beth and headed upstairs. "I'm going to get Beth ready for her nap. I think I'll join her since I didn't sleep in this morning," Finn said leaving Rachel to finish her take home test.
Knowing that she had hurt Finn's feelings, she headed up the stairs after him. Finn had changed Beth's diaper, put her in a footed sleeper, and was reading a story to her. Rachel smiled as she peeked through the door to hear Finn reading Margaret Wise's Good Night Moon to a sleepy Beth.
When he exited Beth's room, Rachel was waiting for him.
"I really am sorry," Rachel apologized again. "Dad and Daddy said to tell you how much they appreciated their clean cars, and I don't know where the Santana and Brittany thing came from."
"I was getting ready to take a nap. Would you care to join me and make up for my hurt feelings?" Finn asked with a wicked smile.
"Finn, I would like nothing better, but I haven't completed that take home test, and I still have to finish that essay."
"Well, it you change your mind or get finished, you know where you can find me."
Rachel was tempted when Finn stripped down to his boxers and T-shirt and crawled into their bed.
"No, it has to be work before pleasure or I'll never get out of bed with you," Rachel said as she headed back downstairs.
Around four o'clock Finn woke up from his nap when he heard Beth whimpering on the baby monitor. Carrying her downstairs, he found Rachel with the physics test completed, the history essay almost finished, and dinner started. Hiram and Leroy soon joined them,
"Finn, I have a surprise for you. After dinner, Dad and Daddy are going to watch Beth if you would like to catch a movie or get some Hanukkah/Christmas shopping done," Rachel offered. "I've been stuck in this house all day, and I think some fresh air would help my mood. I know that I've been cranky all day."
"Beth and I did our shopping this morning, but I'll be glad to help you with yours," Finn said with his dimpled smile.
"You did, I never saw you come in with any packages?" Rachel asked puzzled.
"I've been playing Santa Claus a lot longer that you have, and I have my presents stashed where you will never find them," Finn grinned.
I bet that you have them stashed in your old room over at Carole and Burt's," Rachel smiled.
"Did Kurt tell you?" Finn asked.
"No, but you just did," Rachel said standing on her tip toes to give him a quick kiss.
After dinner, Rachel and Finn walked through the mall arm in arm. "I thought that I did something to piss you off," Finn confessed.
"I've just been moody and all of this school work has just worn me down, Again, I'm sorry," Rachel apologized.
Later that night Rachel was already in bed when Finn snuggled up to her back. He was kissing her neck as his hand slid under her baby doll pajamas to stroke her breast.
"Ouch, that hurts" Rachel said recoiling from his touch.
"I barely touched you," Finn exclaimed.
"The girls are just sore, that's all."
"Did I do that?" Finn questioned.
"No Finn, its shark week. The girls get tender to the touch during shark week. That's why I have been so cranky."
"Shark week?" Finn asked.
"My period started this evening. That's what I call my period. Shark week. It means you; Finn Hudson can't go in the water."
"Oh," Finn said trying to figure out her analogy.
"You grew up with a woman in the house, please tell me that you know all about a woman's monthly cycle. I really don't want to explain it to you," Rachel pleaded softly.
"Yeah, I know the basics." Finn said. "I got that much from health class. Mom never sat me down and told me about that part of it. Just the where babies come from part. That was gross enough, at least I thought so at the time.
"I will tell you a funny story," Finn laughed. "When Puck and I were about seven or eight years old we were playing on that big pine tree behind my old house. He pulled back one of the limbs, and when he let it go; it smacked me across the forehead. If you look at my hair line you can still see the scar. Anyway, Puck though he had killed me because I was bleeding. He half carried, half drug me into Mom's bathroom where the Band-Aids were. We couldn't find any Band-Aids that were big enough, that's when Puck found Mom's pads. We didn't have a clue what they were for. Puck ran out to the kitchen and came back with some duck tape. He duck taped one of those things to my forehead to stop the bleeding."
Rachel was laughing so hard, she had to bury her face in the pillow to keep from waking Beth. "Do you mean to tell me that the two of you traipsed around the neighborhood with a sanitary napkin duck taped to your forehead? What did the neighbors think?"
"Most of them were laughing just the way that you are now. Mrs. Johnson down the street called my mom and she took me to the emergency room for stitches. The doctor told Puck that duck taping that thing to my head was a very good idea. We just should have asked for help sooner instead of parading around the neighborhood like two fools."
"Finn, will I ever hear the end of your's and Puck's adventures?" Rachel asked trying to catch her breath from laughing so hard.
"Probably not. We were two very industrious little boys. Puck was the one with all the wild ideas," Finn laughed to himself. I'm glad that you aren't mad at me. I've been trying to figure out all day what I did to piss you off."
"I should have warned you earlier about shark week. I get pretty moody and just feel rotten," Rachel sighed into Finn's shoulder.
"I'm just glad that I didn't knock you up on our honeymoon," Finn laughed softly to himself.
"We're you trying to knock me up?" Rachel asked looking him in the eye.
"Hell no, we've got all we can handle now with Beth."
"Finn, in about five or six years, you can try."
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Until the next chapter, thank you for all of the reviews and for adding me to your alert lists. I really appreciate your reviews and comments. Whistler Nights
