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Rachel's pregnancy was going perfectly. Her morning sickness was completely gone, and she was happy arguing with Finn about the way they would redecorate the nursery (Finn wanted the cowboys and Indians theme he had had as a child, and Rachel was vouching for a nursery rhyme theme). Finn had started to come home even earlier from work- taking more days off than he actually was at the shop- and they spent their days together.
But it was that Monday afternoon that things changed.
"Finn, something feels wrong", Rachel said urgently, standing up from her chair with a jolt. "And not a good wrong, this is bad. Finn, I think we need to get to the hospital".
She felt the beginning ripples of what was a contraction- and at only twenty six weeks, she knew that was bad. She had gone into labour with Hannah at thirty six weeks, and had panicked at her daughter's early arrival. Isaac had been a little early- ten days- and Ava had arrived right on her due date. Twenty six weeks was way too early.
"It's too soon", Finn said in confusion.
"Well these babies don't think so", Rachel told her husband, gripping his hand with all her strength and gritting her teeth. "Please, I need to see a doctor. Come on, we need to go".
Finn grabbed her bag and hurried her out to the car, helping her into the front seat.
"Call my mum, she'll know what's wrong", Finn advised her, pulling onto the street and hurrying along at break-neck speed. "Call one of them, let them know".
"No, not until we're sure", she told him. "Finn, we need to get to the hospital-" she let out a gasp, clutching her bulging stomach. "Finn, oh my God, it hurts!"
Finn had watched his wife go through three natural, pain relief free births, and never had he seen that look on her face. It was a look of pain and terror and absolute fear.
"We're going, baby", he assured her, screaming through a set of traffic lights.
It took a total of four minutes for the couple to get to the hospital- breaking several road laws and very nearly running over an elderly man- before Finn carefully helped Rachel from the car, taking her straight to emergency.
"Excuse me!" he shouted, as Rachel eased herself into a chair. "My wife, having our babies- she's only twenty six weeks! We need to see a doctor, now!"
"Calm down sir", a nurse told him calmly, having dealt with husbands like Finn before. "We need you to fill in this paperwork-"
"Finn!" Rachel let out a shriek, grabbing his hand in alarm. "Finn, I don't know what's happening, I'm so scared!"
"No, no paperwork, that's Rachel Berry, Broadway, she needs to see a doctor, she's having TRIPLETS and she's only twenty six weeks along!"
The nurse helped Rachel into a wheelchair, before moving the overly pregnant brunette to a room. "The doctor will be right here", she assured her.
Tears fell freely, as she stared around the hospital room.
"I can't lose these babies, Finn", she said hoarsely, and he felt himself being pulled closer. "I can't lose these babies like I did to Hannah, Isaac and Ava. I don't want to have six babies in heaven!"
Tears fell down his own cheeks, as he held Rachel tight. "It's going to be okay", he said numbly. "It's going to be okay".
It felt like an hour for the couple, but it was only a minute, before their doctor bustled into the room.
"Rachel, hi", he said, before glancing at Finn. "Alright, we need to check to see if you're dilated- and we need to put you on a drip. Twenty six weeks is too early for these babies, we're aiming for thirty, thirty one weeks. They'll be tiny, but they'll have a better chance of surviving. Before twenty six weeks is almost impossible. Possible, but not likely".
Finn helped her change into a hospital gown, before the doctor examined her.
"You're two centimetres dilated", he informed her. "Rachel, I'm sorry, but for the duration of your pregnancy, you need bed rest.
"Bed rest?" Rachel wailed, and Finn's heart dropped.
"All for the babies, Rachel", the doctor assured her, and her shoulders fell.
"The whole time?"
"Yes".
"We can try and stop you dilating- there are lots of things we can do about that- but once your water breaks, we have to deliver those babies. This can be prolonged by bed rest, which is why you're going to stay here", he told her firmly. "Because there are three separate amniotic sacs, we can possibly deliver the babies separately, but it's not a risk we're willing to take, unless it's necessary".
"The whole time?" Finn checked, and their doctor nodded.
"It's for the babies", Rachel told him.
That very same day, Rachel was moved into a room, her permanent resident for as long as they could keep the babies inside her. A cot was moved in for Finn, and he ducked home to get clothes for himself.
He glanced at the photo sitting on the mantelpiece, their last family photo taken on Ava's first birthday. Rachel held the little girl in her arms, as Isaac grinned from his father's lap. Hannah, at five years old, grinned cheesily between the pair, looking more like her mother than ever.
He loved those children more than anything else in the world- and those babies, growing inside his wife, were just as precious. Picking up the phone, he dialled his mother and stepfather's number.
"Finn, is everything alright?" Carol said immediately.
"Can you get to the Berrys'? I'm going to call Shelby, we have an announcement for you", he said, and Carol nodded.
"Of course- is Rachel okay?"
He didn't answer, putting down the phone and dialling Shelby's number, repeating the same message.
Ten minutes later, a phone call came through to their landline.
"Hello?" Finn said.
"Finn, what's going on?" Leroy wanted to know, as the five grandparents crowded around the phone in the Berry kitchen. "what's happening?"
"well-"
"Finn?" Shelby said. "Is Rachel okay?"
"Um…"
"Oh my God, Finn, what happened?" Burt wanted to know.
"Rachel- she went into labour this afternoon, Burt", he said honestly. "We went to the hospital- her waters didn't break, so they aren't delivering the babies. They've got her on a drip and on bed rest for the rest of her pregnancy- we're both staying at the hospital".
"Bed rest?" Carol repeated.
"Oh, that's going to kill Rachel", Leroy murmured to his husband and Shelby, and the pair nodded knowingly. She had been moving around since the day she was born, it taking a lot of effort to even stand still. Being confined to a bed would be the end of the Rachel Berry they knew.
"I'm so scared", he confessed, his voice shaking with emotion. "We can't lose these babies; that would be the end for Rachel. She fell apart when we lost the other three; you guys really have no idea…"
"She's going to be fine", Carol said; the voice of authority. She wished she could be there to hug her son, rub his back, and tell him everything was going to be okay- just like she had done when Quinn admitted her pregnancy.
Holding back his tears, he bid their parents farewell, before putting his head on the table and crying. It was just like when Quinn was pregnant with Beth- he was so scared for that little baby, not knowing where his life was going. This time, however, it was three babies he was worrying about- Beth had turned out perfectly. He hoped his triplets would be even half as healthy as she was.
"Mum?" Rachel said in confusion, as Shelby stood in the door.
"Hi Shelby", Finn murmured from the cot in the corner, his confusion lost in his sleep altered state. While Shelby had told him that she would be flying to New York, he didn't expect her to jump on the first flight.
"What are you doing here?"
"I haven't taken a day off in over six years. When I told them I needed time off for personal reasons, they didn't question it". Shelby took a seat on the end of the bed, reaching out for her daughter's hand. "Rachel, sweetie-"
That was all it took for the brunette to break down in tears. "Mummy, I'm so scared!"
"Oh, baby", Shelby murmured, gathering the girl in her arms, like she would a five year old (like she had done to Beth many times, when the girl was tiny- and her three grandchildren). "I know, sweetie, I know… you've got to stay here, for the babies. I know its going to be hard, but you'll have three healthy babies".
She rubbed her back, as Finn slipped out of the room to let the mother daughter pair have their moment.
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he held it to his ear. "Hello?"
"Why didn't you tell us?" Quinn blasted.
"Quinn?"
"No, it's Michelle Obama", she said sarcastically. "Rachel's on bed rest? What the hell? Finn!"
"Quinn!" he argued back, and for a moment, it was like they were back in high school.
But they weren't. They were so far away from high school it wasn't funny.
