*A/N* So, this chapter is the day following the big fight. I know a lot of people wanted to see the actual fight, but I thought that it would drag a bit so I've just moved on and given everyone what I think is a decent summary. So, I hope you enjoy this installment in the tale of Rachel and Finn and their twins! Regionals is comin gup soon, I promise!
Chapter 9
Rachel sat at the Hudson/Hummel dining table –her gaze on her lap as they waited for her dads to arrive. Every muscle in her body was trembling and she felt nauseous again but nothing like she'd felt yesterday in the choir room when she'd vomited into the trashcan. She glanced around the eight-person dining table – Kurt sat beside her on her right, leaving the other side empty for her dads while Burt and Carole sat across from her. Finn's seat was conspicuously absent – he was still at work, oblivious to the fact that she was breaking this news without him present.
"You're awfully quiet, Kurt." Burt said. He was clearly trying to break the silence, but even Kurt didn't seem to want to speak.
"Ya, Dad." Kurt must have seen her shaking because he took the hand Rachel had left on the table and held it. "Are we going to have a repeat of yesterday, Princess?" She looked up at Kurt then, smiling a little at her brother-in-law before shaking her head in an attempt to clear her nausea.
"I don't think so."
"What's going on, Rachel?"
"Last time there was a conversation about this particular topic, Miss Rachel found herself leaning over a trashcan with Finn holding her hair." Rachel returned her gaze to her lap, not willing to look at Burt and Carole. What if they didn't believe her for some reason? "But, she doesn't look nearly as green today as she did. Yesterday, she looked like she could have been playing Elphaba." Rachel couldn't help but giggle and look up at Kurt again. His smile warmed her –made her feel more like she was in the room. No one else laughed, but that didn't matter.
"What's going on, Dear?" Carole asked, drawing Rachel's attention to her for the first time.
"Nothing as serious as Rachel thinks it is – she just doesn't know you like I know you. If she did, she wouldn't be so freaked out." Just then Rachel heard a knock on the door and tried to jump to her feet, but Kurt kept her in her seat as Burt went to answer.
"Angel, how are you? Is everything okay?" She smiled as Daddy rushed over and hugged her – holding her at arm's length as though checking to make sure she wasn't maimed.
"Where's Finn?"
"He's at work, Leroy. He won't be home for a few more hours yet." Rachel saw Carole stand and shake her dads' hands after Burt.
"Daddy, Papa – you can sit down. Something has happened that I think the whole family has a right to know about." She felt Kurt squeeze her hand and suddenly wished that she'd waited for Finn to get home. Even with Kurt sitting beside her, she felt suddenly alone again.
"Go ahead, Angel." Rachel felt tears in her eyes as she tried to continue – choking on her words.
"Kurt? Do you know what's going on?" Papa asked.
"I do, Hiram, but let's give Rachel a moment to compose herself." She heard Kurt's answer as he turned her chair to face him. "Everything's going be okay, Rachel. I promise you – just don't turn green again, please. Finn's got a lot more experience holding your hair than I do, Mrs. Hudson. It's the whole pregnancy thing I think."
"Thanks, Kurt." She whispered as she wiped the tears from her eyes and turned back to face everyone at the table. She cleared her throat and brushed the hair out of her face.
"Rachel?"
"A rumor broke on the show choir blogs yesterday morning." She said, fighting to affirm the confidence she knew was there. She tried to remember that she didn't let others – especially Vocal Adrenaline – define her. "The news broke that I was pregnant, but that wasn't so big of deal because it's getting pretty obvious, right?" Rachel said. She tried to smile, but failed miserably.
"I'd say so, Princess." Kurt added and Rachel actually smiled a little – knowing he was one of the five or six people who could say that to her.
"Our competition, Vocal Adrenaline heard and started spreading the rumor that Finn and I's marriage is just cover-up to keep New Directions in competition. In order to get us disqualified, they're claiming that Mr. Schue fathered my baby." At the end of her sentence, the table fell silent as the four adults absorbed what they'd heard. Burt was the first one that spoke.
"What makes them think they can do this stuff to people anyway?" He had gone a little red in the face and he looked livid.
"How did this happen, Baby? Are there consequences or anything? What are the implications?" Rachel opened her mouth to speak, but Kurt cut her off.
"The Ohio Show Choir Governing Board is requesting that New Directions resign from competition for the remainder of Rachel's education. Fortunately, Mr. Schue isn't facing any disciplinary action because of the support of faculty and staff at McKinley."
"As for how it all happened, I'm not sure but I have a pretty good idea and I think that after yesterday Finn probably has a better one. My ex-boyfriend, Jesse St. James, was the one who sold us out. Jesse told the governing board that he and I broke up because of Mr. Schue – all lies of course – we broke up because I was in love with Finn."
"They have photos of Mr. Schue giving Rachel a ride home while Finn was at football practice that they're claiming is photographic evidence of the affair."
"What a web of lies." Rachel heard her Daddy speak up for the first time since she'd started the story and turned to look at him. There was a great sadness there and it made her want to cry.
"That explains what had you throwing up into the trash yesterday."
"Ya." Rachel felt the tears in her eyes again as she remembered hearing Mr. Schue confirm her worst fears yesterday. She remembered the horrible sight of reading the words on a blog that she usually loved and the subsequent messages she'd gotten into her email – hate mail and insults. She knew they were probably all from Vocal Adrenaline, but she didn't care – it still hurt. She closed her eyes as she felt her tears starting again and before she knew it, she found herself in not only her Daddy's arms but Carole's as well. Her family took turns holding her until her tears stopped and she was able to speak again.
"So, what happened to Finn yesterday?" Burt asked, gesturing toward his eye to indicate that he'd noticed Finn's black eye this morning. Carole clearly hadn't noticed it because her eyes suddenly grew wide.
"I don't really know the play-by-play, just the general theme." Rachel said, letting her voice trail off and looking at Kurt.
"Finn was furious when he heard and he wouldn't be consoled," Now Kurt sounded a little nervous and Rachel realized he'd probably never had to tell his dad that he'd gotten in a fight. "Me, Finn, Blaine and the other glee guys hunted Jesse down yesterday."
"How many of you were there?"
"Seven, but Jesse was expecting us. He had a handful of his Vocal Adrenaline friends with him and when the fight broke out, it got pretty nasty." Kurt said, looking away from his dad. "I couldn't really hold my own and Blaine came to save me. While he was helping me, a couple of guys jumped Finn and did a number on him." Now Rachel understood why Kurt looked so upset. It wasn't because he'd gotten in the fight (she got the impression that he was more than a little proud of himself for standing up for his family), it was that he blamed himself for Finn getting hurt. Suddenly, she was glad that she hadn't told Kurt how badly Finn was injured. He'd gotten a black eye, yes, but he'd also been bruised all the way down his ribs. She'd cleaned him up herself and made him promise that if the ribs still hurt tonight he'd let her take him to Instacare to have them checked out.
"One of those Vocal Adrenaline jerks couldn't have taken Finn on their own." Kurt added, "But Jesse had no problem beating up a guy who was already being held down." Rachel had to admit that she was furious too after hearing the full story about what had happened to Finn. Suddenly, she wanted to have a little talk with Jesse. The room was silent for a few moments before anyone spoke.
"Finn's okay, right?" Rachel looked over at Kurt and nodded.
"It's not your fault, Kurt – I hate to say it this way, but I'd rather see Finn get ganged up on like that than you – Finn is a lot bigger than you. I'm glad Blaine was there to help you." Rachel said, putting her arm around Kurt as she spoke.
"What happens now, Rachel?"
"Now, Finn and I have to do a paternity test on the twins to prove he's the father." Rachel looked at her parents and her in-laws expecting something like disapproval after all they'd heard, but in their eyes on their faces she saw the same steadfastness that Kurt, Finn and she had.
"No one treats the Hummel family like trash, Rachel."
"Thanks, Burt."
To Rachel, it seemed like she and Finn spent more time in doctors' offices than any other couple known to man. This time, however, Finn was the one in the hospital gown sitting on the little exam table and Rachel sat on a little stool beside him.
"So, you left out the finer points of what happened yesterday." Rachel said, wheeling her chair to where she look up at him more clearly.
"I did, didn't I?" She could tell Finn was trying to evade her questions.
"Kurt told me. He feels pretty bad about everything."
"Kurt sells himself short. He was doing fine in the fight – Blaine was being protective when he ran to his side. It is cool that Kurt has a boyfriend who loves him so much, actually. I'm pretty sure Blaine would like – take a bullet for him."
"That is kinda cute."
"Besides, when he saw what was going on, Kurt walked up and slugged Jesse." Rachel's hands flew to her mouth.
"What did Jesse do?"
"He and the others were totally shocked and so I took the advantage and turned the tables on him."
"So, I take it Jesse's just as bad off as you are?"
"Don't get me wrong, Rach, Jesse and his friends probably went to the hospital, but we fight fair. We don't hit below the belt and we don't kick people in the ribs when their down – clearly not something Jesse has a problem with." Rachel noticed that Finn was taking short breaths. He sounded like his ribs had gotten worse since this morning.
"Finn, I'm so sorry that you got –"
"Come here, Rach." Rachel looked up to see Finn holding out his arm on his good side and she stood and used the stool to get up onto the bed beside him. "I don't wanna hear you say you're sorry."
"But I feel like this is all my fault."
"It's not. I'm a man now – not some high school kid fighting over a girl. Jesse can't talk about you that way – no one can. I'll defend my wife's honor if it kills me." Finn suddenly smiled down at her. "Besides, if you think it's your fault because you're pregnant then I was there too. I think I had a big part in getting you this way."
"On your birthday too, nonetheless."
"You really think so?" Finn suddenly looked a little giddy.
"Seriously? This is really that exciting to you?"
"Well, ya. I mean, it's a great story."
"It is, isn't it?" Rachel nuzzled herself into his chest as he rested his head on hers. She could hear his breathing; it was still shallow but behind it she could hear his heartbeat – steady and soothing as always. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to regret being pregnant – even in high school. He made everything worth it – it was the magic that was Finn Hudson.
