A/N: So I've decided to break my "new" rule and not wait until I'm finished the next chapter to post this one. Mainly because I've been working on a one shot that's kind of been consuming my thoughts, and I've also been anxious to post this! So you get a treat!

Once again I have to thank my twitter posse, Sara specifically for checking and double checking this entire story over and over.

I don't own anyone from glee, any coincidence is merely that, coincidence. I only own Camden, the plot and I guess Alice now haha.

And as always, reviews are loved and appreciated. But only if they're positive or constructive. Hate is never tolerated or welcome.

Enjoy!


Chapter 9
February 2028

Rachel slowly made her way down the much too long staircase of her house just as the doorbell rang. She blew out a breath as she placed her hand on her back.

"Finn? Are you expecting anyone babe?" she called upstairs just as she reached the door. The doorbell rang once more just as she reached the handle. She rolled her eyes, waiting a moment before opening the door to find Carole and Burt on the other side. "Oh. Hi. Did I...did I know you were coming?"

"I called them." She turned around in time to watch Finn run down the staircase in a fraction of the time that she made it down. She envied his mobility as his arm wrapped around her waist. Alice gave a hearty kick against his hand, getting excited just at the sound of Finn's voice. She was quite the Daddy's girl and she wasn't even born yet. "We're going out tonight."

Rachel immediately groaned at the idea of going out. She looked down at her belly just as another blow was delivered right under her ribs, what body part it was she wasn't sure. She was dressed in loose yoga pants and a long sleeved shirt that actually used to belong to Finn. She felt miserable and she was sure she looked the part as well. She sucked in a breath before trying to smile at her in-laws.

"Why don't you guys come in," she grimaced as she pushed Finn's hand off her belly in an effort to get the baby to stop kicking her.

She tugged Finn's hand to keep him back after his parents toed off their shoes and shrugged off their coats.

"Why didn't you tell me they were coming?" she sighed as she dropped his hand."I'm really not in the mood to go out tonight Finn, Alice is kicking the crap out of me and my back..."

"Shhh," he placed a finger on her lips, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead before pressing another one to her nose and then her lips. "I didn't tell you because I wanted to surprise you. We're just going away for the night and..."

"The night?" She placed her hands on her hips and stared him down. "Finn, we have too much to do and we were going to paint..." She pouted.

"We can paint the nursery tomorrow. The walls and containers of paint will still be there." He ran his fingers through her hair as he stared down at her, a soft smile playing on his lips. "It's only for the night. We'll be back just after breakfast and we aren't going very far. Promise."

She searched his eyes for a minute as he continued to caress her hair before moving his hand to her cheek. "It's the last time it's probably going to be just us going away for awhile. We need this..." he paused. "Plus, next weekend is Cam's birthday party. I want to spoil my girls."

Her features softened as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips just as Camden came stomping up the stairs, squealing when he found Carole and Burt in the living room.

"I guess I should go pack..."

He gently pulled her against him as close as he could by her hips. "I got you covered. Just...get your shoes on or something..."

"I'm going to change," she said softly.

"If you must," he tugged on the shirt she was wearing. "I kind of think you look pretty cute just like this..."

She smiled as she planted a kiss on his cheek before heading for the stairs. "I'll be ready to go in 15 minutes."

"You can have 30," he winked as he watched her retreat. Her giggle was music to his ears. He blew out a breath as he walked into the living room to talk to his parents. Her hormones were going to be the death of him.


Finn pressed his hand to the small of her back as he led her into the lobby of the Cincinnatian Hotel. It was one of the most upscale hotels in the heart of Cincinnati and it was perfect for what he wanted to do for Rachel. He wanted to spoil her and this hotel allowed him to do just that. He just wanted a romantic night away with his heavily pregnant wife before their lives hit warp speed. As it was, school, work and Camden's obligations and appointments were filling up their time. He couldn't remember the last time they just spent time together without interruption. Being parents did that to you, he supposed. And they were about to add a newborn to the mix in just ten short weeks.

"Oh Finn," she sighed as they walked into the lobby and towards the check in desk. He smiled as they stood in line to check in. She turned into him and pulled his face down to press a kiss to his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." He smiled against her mouth just before they moved forward. He kept a firm hand on the small of her back as they approached the counter. "Reservation for Hudson," he smiled again. "Finn Hudson."

The woman at the desk smiled as she typed the information into her computer, smiling at the couple in front of her. "Here you are Mr. Hudson, you and your wife will be in room 410. The elevators are just to your left and I hope we have prepared your room to your specifications." She gave them both a friendly smile as Finn signed a check in receipt before pushing a pamphlet towards them. "Here's a list of local restaurants, you'll find the room service menu in your room. Please let us know if there's anything we can do for you."

"Thank you," Finn smiled as he took hold of the handle of their suitcase and taking Rachel's hand in his other one.


He smiled at her as they rode the elevator up to their floor. She wasn't paying attention, but once she turned to look his direction she blushed, looking down at her hands that were folded on her belly.

"You're beautiful," he whispered as her blush spread.

The door dinged before she had a chance to respond and Finn gently guided her off the elevator and towards their room.

"My love," he smiled as he slid the key card into the door. When the door was open, he gestured for Rachel to enter first. He knew the room was set up to his specifications when he heard the gasp escape her lips.

"Baby," she murmured as she turned around to look at him.

Unlit candles had been strategically placed all over the spacious room. Rose petals were scattered from the entrance of the room to the bed, and towards what both Rachel and Finn could only assume was the bathroom. He walked up to her as she turned back to the room and wrapped his arms around her waist. He was gentle not to put too much pressure on her back, instead pulling her against him so she could lean into him. The sigh she emitted was enough for his ears.

Rachel couldn't believe what she was seeing. She felt tears brim her eyes as looked around the room, taking in everything from the candles to the rose petals. She turned in his arms, making him support her back as she pressed closer to him, leaning her face into his chest. The tears poured out of her eyes when she pressed her face into the familiar wool of his dress jacket. She felt silly crying; her hormones were out of control right now and she just couldn't keep them in. She felt the rumble of Finn's chuckle all the way down to his chest as his large hand came to cup the back of her head.

"Don't cry babe," he chuckled as he pulled her away. He tilted her chin up to look at her in the eye. She knew the makeup she had put on was running, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"I can't help it," she whimpered. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," he smiled as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. When he pulled away he used his thumbs to wipe the tears from under her eyes. They stared at each other for a moment before Rachel abruptly pulled away.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I have to pee."

Finn chuckled as he let her go, watching her walk towards the door the rose petals led to. He picked up the handle of the suitcase he had brought in and rolled it over with him to the bed. He was just pulling out the two small gifts he had brought with him as the door to the bathroom opened.

"Finn, you should see the tub..." Rachel gushed as she walked back into the main room, her eyes zeroing in on where he was sitting on the bed. "What's this..."

He smiled as he patted the bed beside him. "Come here..."

She took a tentative step towards him and sat down on the bed beside him. She grunted as she slid herself back on the bed a little, her hand coming to rest on her large bump.

"What's this?" she repeated quietly as she took in the few wrapped gifts he had placed between them.

"It's your Valentine's Day gift...well gifts," he chuckled.

"Finn," she whimpered again. "This..." she gestured to the room around them. "was enough..."

He smiled the crooked half smile that she loved so much as he took her hand. "They're just some small things that I thought you deserved," he sighed. "Plus, they kind of tie into the whole 'night away' thing I was going for this weekend..."

She smiled softly as he picked up one of the bigger boxes and gently tore at the pink paper he had carefully wrapped it in. "When did you have the time to do all this?" she asked quietly.

"I have my ways," he smirked.

She pulled open the box to reveal a gorgeous black nightie with turquoise cups, a black lace overlay over them.

"Finn," she breathed. She pulled it out and stretched it out in front of her. It was gorgeous and she was impressed Finn had picked it out. He had good taste, and had bought her lingerie before but this blew her mind. Because it showed he cared.

"It goes with this," he murmured as he passed her another box. She eyed him suspiciously as she took it from him after putting the nightie down.

Inside this box, was a gorgeous black silk robe to match the nightie.

"I know you haven't been feeling quite yourself the last few weeks," he murmured as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I originally set out to buy you a new dress, or something to wear to dinner tonight but as soon as I walked into the store this," he gestured to the nightie she had set on her knee "caught my eye. And I knew I had to get it for you. You're beautiful Rachel and I just wanted you to feel as beautiful as you look through my eyes. You're pregnant with our daughter and I know sometimes it doesn't feel like it but that alone is the most beautiful thing in the world. And I know most days it's hard because well, she's a Hudson, but baby I am so proud of you..."

The tears poured down her cheeks as she listened to the words slip from his lips. She didn't have the words to respond, he always just got it. She looked down at her belly, which had exploded even more so over the last few weeks. A punch to her side broke her trance, causing her to rub her hand over the spot.

"You always know how to make me feel like the luckiest girl in the world," she murmured. She looked over at him, her eyes fusing with his for a moment. "I don't think I've ever thanked you for that."

"Being loved by you is all the thanks I need," he smiled. He stood up and held out both of his hands to her. "Now come on, I hear the restaurant downstairs has the best cherry cheesecake money can buy."

"You had me at cherry, Mr. Hudson."


Rachel felt deliciously full as they walked back to the hotel room. She laughed as Finn made a joke, his hand caressing her hip as he did too. They had enjoyed a special dinner down in the hotel restaurant, right down to the cherry cheesecake he had promised. Alice kicked excitedly in her stomach after she had ate the delicious treat.

"Did you enjoy yourself babe?" he asked quietly as they approached their door. They had stayed as a live band started up, listening to a few songs before Finn suggested they head back up to their room for a romantic evening for two.

"I did," she smiled gently. "Everything has just been..." she paused thoughtfully as they arrived at their door. Finn fished for the key card from his back pocket. "...perfect."

He smiled as he opened the door to the room and led her inside. As she moved into the room he watched her with a close eye as he threw down his key card and wallet on the table before walking over to his suitcase one more time as she slipped off her shoes. He pulled out a bottle of her favourite bubble bath before going over to her and gently wrapping his arm around her waist. She relaxed into him almost immediately and sighed as his nose nuzzled into the crook of her neck.

"How does a bath sound?" he whispered into her ear.

Her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into him. He dropped the bottle of bubble bath on the ground as his other hand grasped her waist, pulling her into him. No other words were exchanged as Rachel let out a breathy whimper as he gently kissed down her neck, leaving wet marks as he trailed down to the juncture between her neck and shoulder.

Rachel couldn't help but let a soft moan escape her lips. It had been so long since he had touched her like this, so long since they had the time to really love on each other. If nothing more, it felt good just to be touched.
She had been feeling more or less like a human incubator in the last few weeks and in a matter of hours, Finn had already made her feel better than she has in weeks. He pulled at the strap of the dress she wore, baring her shoulder as his hands continued to trail down her body. When his hand grazed her breast, she whimpered when the sensation became too much.

"Sorry," he whispered as he pulled away. She whimpered again, this time from the loss of the pressure having his body so close had created. She turned around and bit her lip as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll go start the bath." He picked up the forgotten bottle of bubble bath on the ground before gently kissing her head as he headed towards the bathroom.

She sighed as she watched him go, turning to sit down on the bed. The nightie he had bought her caught her eye. She bit her lip as she picked it up, rubbing the material between her fingers for a moment. She could hear him humming as the water ran, and she pictured him moving around the bathroom getting everything ready. She took a moment to strip her clothes and slipped the soft material of the nightie over her overworked body. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror that sat on the desk and nodded to herself in approval. It would do.

"Wow," she heard him gasp. She turned around to face him, looking down at her feet as she did so. He walked over towards her, gently nudging her chin when he was close enough. "I was wrong."

Her head shot up when he whispered those words. Her lip trembled and instinct told her to pull away. Wrong? Did she look horrible? Was she wrong?

"I thought you would look good in this," he tugged at the hem of the nightie. "but baby you look...absolutely breathtaking."

Her heart hammered in her chest as she allowed herself to look up at him. The look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. His eyes darkened as he pulled her as close as he could given her large bump, his hands winding around her waist to grab her backside in his hands, groaning as he did so. He let go, turning her around so her back was to her making her skin more easily accessible to him. She was melting in his arms and she was powerless to stop it, not that she wanted to.


He had to refill the bathtub later on when they were finally ready to use it. The water, he said, had turned ice cold while they had made love on the bed. He left her in the main room while he attended to the bath and Rachel let her eyes flutter closed as memories of their activities filled her mind. For the first time in a long time, she felt sexy, wanted, alive even in her own body. Finn made her feel desirable and loved with just the way he looked at her. The way he had touched her and held her as he made love to her for the first time in weeks made her heart race.

"You ready?" he stood in the doorway of the bathroom, leaning against the frame. Neither of them had bothered to get redressed, so a smirk danced on her lips as she took in his very naked form. If it was possible, her husband had gotten even better looking with age. He grinned equally as she shuffled out of bed and joined him at the threshold of the bathroom. He let her by, whistling as he gazed at her and his hand reached out to pinch her butt. She chuckled before he moved quickly towards her to help her into the warm water of the bathtub. She waited for him to step in behind her before she reclined. She softly whimpered as she relaxed into his chest. Finn pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she closed her eyes. Rachel inhaled the soft scent of the bubble bath he had used, smiling at the familiarity of her favourite soap.
They were quiet, each of them basking in their own thoughts. Finn's hands covered the sides of her belly as his thumbs gently stroked against her skin. If she wasn't careful, he was going to lull her to sleep. But it was Finn's humming that broke the silence. She kept her eyes closed as the rubbing of his thumbs became more insistent. She didn't recognize the song, but as she laid against his chest and the rumbling spread to his chest, a calm smile spread over her features.

"I love you," he whispered against her head when he finished humming the song.

She opened her eyes slowly and moved her head just as he leaned down to press a kiss to her head again, this time his lips met her neck. She blinked tiredly up at him, a peaceful smile on her face.

"I love you too," she paused. He stared down at her as he held her tightly yet gently at the same time. "thank you...for this."

"No need to thank me," he whispered as he lifted one hand to push her hair to the side. "I should be thanking you." His other hand made another trail on her belly.

"You don't have to thank me," she shook her head. "I'm excited to meet her. I feel like I've loved her my entire life."

"Me too," he murmured. "I can't wait to see what color her eyes are, or whose hair she's going to have. If she'll have your gorgeous nose or mine. She's going to be the most loved little girl in the entire world."

"I can't wait to see you with her..." Rachel sighed. "My big, strong handsome man with a newborn."

"I hope I don't drop her," he admitted hesitantly.

"You won't drop her. You haven't dropped Cam, ever..."

"It was different with Cam. He was already... less fragile when I met him," he chuckled. "You did the hard part with him. I just..."

"Saved the day," she whispered. "You're going to be fine with Alice. I promise."

They both chuckled when Alice gave a slight nudge to where Finn's hand rested. "She knows we're talking about her."

"Hi baby girl," Finn whispered as he leaned his head over Rachel's shoulder completely, his hands widening over her belly. "You having a good time in there?" Another kick gave them all the answer he needed. "You are so loved sweetheart." Rachel leaned back against him as he pressed a kiss to the crook of her neck before continuing to talk to Alice. "You just wait until you get out of there." Rachel chuckled as Alice gave a particularly hard kick."You're going to have more hugs than you're going to know what to do with. Starting with the ones your brother is going to give you..."

When the water once again turned ice cold, Finn helped Rachel out of the tub. She redressed in the nightie Finn had bought her and met him back on the bed after he drained the bath.

"Night babe," he pressed a kiss to her lips softly before breaking away. "I love you."

"Love you too," she whispered.

But sleep didn't come easily. It seemed like Alice was intent on wiggling around inside, probably in some desperate attempt to get comfortable with the limited space she had left. She laid on her left side, her hand rubbing constant circles on her stomach. She eyed the clock on her side of the bed, and as minutes ticked passed the more agitated she became with her lack of sleep. She rolled onto her other side to find Finn sleeping peacefully on his back. She envied his ability to sleep on his back, and sleep entirely. Finally she gave up and reached over to shake Finn's arm softly.

"Mmmm..." he groaned in his sleep.

"Finn," she whined. "Please wake up for a minute."

"Wasswrong," he mumbled.

"I can't sleep, I can't get comfortable," she whined. "Alice is having a dance party and I just..." she huffed as his eyes opened and focused on her. "Will you sing to her? She calms down when you sing..."

A slow smile crossed his sleepy features as he scooted closer to her. "Get comfy." She smiled gratefully at him as she moved as close as she could, slinging her left leg over his hip as he pulled her as close as he could. Sometimes, when not even her pregnancy pillow would help her sleep, there was nothing like cuddling close to her husband. There wasn't anything sexual about the position , she couldn't explain it. That and the soothing tone of Finn's voice often not only lulled Alice to sleep but her as well.

"oh, her eyes her eyes make the stars look like they're not shining, her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying, she's so beautiful. And I tell her every day..."
She leaned her head on her pillow as Finn used one arm to pull her closer, the other trailing down to press a calming hand to her stomach. Her eyes drifted closed just as Finn's soft voice hit the chorus.


After a delicious breakfast in the restaurant downstairs, Finn left Rachel at the front doors to go and grab their car from where they had parked it down the street. She smiled as she thought to herself what a wonderful weekend they had had together. She watched out the glass of the door for their car. When she saw it coming she opened the front door, pulling her coat tighter around her torso. She tentatively took a step onto the concrete, noting the snow on the ground. What she didn't see was the thin sheet of ice that lay beneath the snow on the next step. Until it was too late.

Finn was just pulling up to the curb when he saw her fall.

"Damn it," he swore under his breath as he threw the car into park. He had asked her to wait inside when he saw the snow on the ground. He didn't want her to walk to the car where they had parked it because of the cold. He should've known she would be impatient. During breakfast she talked about getting home to Camden as soon as possible. He should've known she would see him coming and want to meet him. He cursed her independence, but cursed his mind as well for not seeing this happening ahead of time.

Rachel felt tears rise in her eyes as she sat up on the pavement. She wasn't sure what the tears were for, embarrassment that she, a grown 33 year old woman had just slipped on ice, or the trauma that she could've just harmed her baby.

"Baby," Finn's voice met her ears as he rushed over to where she was sitting. She had fallen forward, her hands taking most of the impact against the ground as she braced herself.

"Are you okay? I told you to wait inside!" His voice was rushed, the worry evident. He reached out a hand to help her up off the ground.

"I'm..." she sighed, her free hand rubbing the bottom of her belly. "I'm okay. Just scraped my hands a little." Finn pulled her closer to him, his heart racing a mile a minute. "I'm okay. I just want to go home."

"You fell," he said softly. "I want to get you looked at..."

"I'm fine," she sighed, pulling away from him a little. "Just embarrassed. I just want to go home..."

"Rachel, you fell almost on your stomach..." He looked up and silently cursed the worker who was out salting the few steps Rachel had just slipped down, now.

"Please Finn. Nothing hurts. I just want to go home. Please," her voice cracked as she looked up at him. He clutched her face in both of his hands, looking deeply into her eyes.

Against his better judgement, he nodded his head and led her to the car. When she was safely inside he got in himself. Once she was sitting safely he gestured for her to show him her hands.

"They're just a little scraped," she whispered as he held them up to his mouth and pressed a kiss to each of her palms. She let out a shuddered breath as she placed them on her belly when he let them go.

"I still would like it if you got checked out," he whispered. "Just to be safe."

"Finn," her voice was weary. "I'm going to call Dr. Bartholomew's office. See what she says."

He nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. She smiled gently as she pulled her phone out of her purse before dialing the number.

He watched her intently as she spoke into the phone, describing what happened to her through the phone. Rachel clicked end on the phone call before turning to look at Finn. "The doctor on call is going to get in touch with her and call us back." Rachel chewed her lip as her mind raced. She was going back and forth about whether to get Finn to take her to the hospital. She felt fine, her hands ached but that came with being scraped. When she looked over at Finn she could see the worry on his face, and was about to say something about it when her phone rang from the dashboard. She hurriedly grabbed it to answer, knowing it was probably Dr. Bartholomew.

She smiled when she saw she was right, answering it quickly to get her doctor's advice. She knew Finn wouldn't move the car until they knew where they were going.

"Yes, Dr. Bartholomew. Just my hands are scraped, but nothing else hurts. The baby has been quiet already this morning...yes...I will. Thank you." She closed the phone before turning to Finn. "She said it sounds like I'm okay, but if anything changes to call her immediately. She said to pay attention to the baby's movements when she wakes up," she chewed her lip as she put the phone down before rubbing her belly. He nodded at her words, his own hand coming to rest on her belly for a moment. They smiled at each other for a moment. Finn breathed a sigh of relief before turning the key in the ignition and starting off for home.


No sooner had Finn opened the door from the garage to let Rachel in first, they were ambushed by an excited Camden.

"Whoa Pal, careful with Mommy," Finn chided softy as he gently got between Rachel and Camden.

"Finn, I'm fine..." she whispered. "How's my handsome boy? Did you miss us?" She smiled as she looked down at Camden, resting her hand on his hair.

"Mommy, we maded cookies!" Camden grinned as he tugged on the bottom of her shirt. "Come sees!"

"Okay, okay," she laughed as she let him tug her into the kitchen. She followed him into the kitchen, smiling when she saw Carole bent over the oven pulling out another batch of cookies.

"You guys are back early," Carole smiled as she stood up and looked at Rachel. "Did you guys have a good night?"

"We did, until this one decided to fall down the stairs of the hotel..." Finn started as he came up behind her. Rachel sighed as she looked over her shoulder at him.

"What?" Carole dropped the tray of cookies on the cooling rack as she moved around Camden to get to Rachel. "You fell? Are you..."

"I'm fine. Just embarrassed that I didn't see the ice I slipped on..." she mumbled as Carole gently took her hands, turning them over to see the scrapes. She winced when Carole gently brushed the scrape.

"Mommy okay?" Camden asked as he reached onto the counter for a cookie. Finn moved around them to help him get one down.

"Mommy's okay. Why don't you take another cookie to Papa in the living room," Finn suggested, giving him another cookie. Camden grinned before taking Finn's advice and going to find Burt. Carole continued to give Rachel a once over.

"I'm okay Carole, just shocked. I promise." Rachel smiled. "Nothing hurts except my hands and I already called Dr. Bartholomew to see what she suggested..."

"And what did she say?"

"To call if anything changes. And nothing has changed." She chewed her lip before she ran her fingers through her hair. "Now if you guys don't mind, I'm going to go change out of these clothes and start some laundry..."

Both Carole and Finn watched as she left the kitchen, her left hand reaching back to support her.

Carole turned to Finn and pointed a finger at him. "You need to watch her."

"I am Mom. I will." Finn promised.


Later that afternoon, Rachel tried to take a nap while Finn attempted to make progress on a paper he had to get done. Camden was content playing with his toys in the basement. But sleep, once again alluded her. She tossed and turned as best as she could, moving her pillow every which way to try and get comfortable. Her back ached and her hands hurt from the fall earlier. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she rolled over again, laying on her left before placing her hand on her belly. She tried to rub comforting circles on her belly and it suddenly came to her.

Alice hadn't moved in awhile.

She instantly sat up, using both of her hands to clutch the sides of her belly.

"Wake up baby girl," she whispered as she moved her hands around her belly in constant movements. "Come on, kick for Mommy..." she sighed. "Kick for Mommy baby..."
She waited a few beats, moving her hands over and over.

When the baby didn't kick, panic started to set in.
"FINN!"

The moment he heard her voice, Finn knew something was wrong. He threw his laptop to the side on the couch before running for the stairs. He quickly made his way towards their bedroom, opening the door as he heard Rachel call his name frantically again.

"Rach?" He skidded to a stop beside the bed, sitting down beside her just as tears erupted in her eyes.

"Finn..." she whimpered."Finn, she's not moving."

Finn swallowed hard as he looked over at her. He instantly placed his hand on her belly, filling in the space she had left.

"We need to call Dr. Bartholomew." Her voice shook as the words left her mouth.


He didn't even have to finish his sentence. Dr. Bartholomew cut him off, and insisted that they meet her at the office immediately. He tried not to panic at the insistence in her voice. He didn't want to alarm Camden and he didn't want to scare Rachel anymore than she already was. He swallowed his fear as he got Camden into the car and helped Rachel with her seatbelt. Her hands hadn't moved from her belly, tears in her eyes as she quietly sang to the baby, trying anything to get her to move. He didn't want her to see him shaking, but it was becoming harder by the moment. He knew he should've taken her in immediately to the hospital like he had thought. But Dr. Bartholomew and Rachel had been so sure everything was okay. He just prayed nothing was wrong.

Rachel was having a really hard time holding it together. She tried everything to get the baby to move, singing the lullaby she had sung from the moment she knew she was pregnant. Nothing was working, and she was feeling her resolve slipping. Even Camden was quiet in the backseat, she was sure he could tell something was wrong. She knew she could feel it in the atmosphere.

They got to the office quickly and Finn threw the car into park. "Come on, let's go..."

He helped her out of the car and she started walking to the building while he helped Camden out. The tears streamed down her cheeks as he held the door open for her and Dr. Bartholomew met them in the lobby.

The older woman smiled slightly at the three of them, leading them immediately into an exam room where the ultrasound machine was already set up.

"Everything's going to be okay," she tried to soothe as Rachel laid on the table. "We'll get a peek at your little girl and see what's going on..."

"Alice," Rachel sighed. "We named her Alice."

Dr. Bartholomew smiled. "Let's check on Alice, then."

Finn held her hand while the blue gel was applied to her belly, and the wand moved around. Neither of them could take their eyes off of the screen as Alice came in to focus.

Tears streamed down Rachel's cheeks as she took in the image in front of her. It took her breath away each time they saw her on the screen, and it had been awhile since the last ultrasound had been when they found out she was, in fact, a she. She took in the image Alice on the screen and she could physically feel her heart swell.

The sound of a strong heartbeat filled the room suddenly as Dr. Bartholomew turned up the volume on the machine. As it did, Rachel felt her heart relax. She felt Finn squeeze her hand tightly before kissing her urgently on the mouth. She felt his tears slip onto her cheeks. She chuckled into the kiss as she felt a strong jab to the side of her ribs.

"There she is," Dr. Bartholomew smiled. "She looks good. Strong and healthy. She was probably just having a lazy day. The fall could've shocked her, but as you're hearing and seeing she is good to go. She looks perfect."

The tears continued to flow down her cheeks as she stared at the image of her daughter. She swallowed hard as she gave Dr. Bartholomew a watery smile. "Can I have a picture?"

"Of course," she smiled before turning to the computer and clicking a few buttons. Finn grabbed a tissue from the counter and gently leaned over to wipe the blue gel off her stomach before pressing a kiss to her belly.

"You're probably going to be sore for a few days, so just take it easy for the rest of the weekend and throughout the week," Dr. Bartholomew smiled after the pictures were printed.

"That's not anything new for me," Rachel chuckled slightly as she pulled her shirt down and got Finn to help her sit up. "But I will. Finn will make sure I do."

He laughed softly before pressing a kiss to her head. "It's my job."


That night, long after both Rachel and Camden had gone to bed Finn tried desperately to work on the paper he had coming due for his class. But instead of focusing on the document in front of him, his attention was drawn to his sleeping wife beside him. He smiled as he watched her blow out a breath as she shifted gently in her sleep. Since they had gotten into bed, her left hand had refused to leave her belly. He finally put the laptop down after a few more minutes of staring at the screen, he hadn't added any words and it was clear he wasn't going to get anything done tonight. He settled his head on the pillow and lay down on his side. He faced Rachel and just looked at her for a minute before placing his hand on her belly. He smiled when he felt Alice nudge against his hand.

"You better not wake up your Mommy," he chuckled softly as he moved down so that his head was level with her belly. He rubbed his thumb across where the nudge had happened, smiling when another stronger one came. "Alice Hudson..." he chuckled. His voice quieted when he saw the impression of her foot press against Rachel's skin. "you and Mommy really scared Daddy today," he whispered softly. "But I'm so glad you're okay princess. I don't know what I would've done if something had happened to you or Mommy. She's not usually such a klutz, usually that's my job," he chuckled. "Now just stay in there until it's time, okay? And go to sleep! You need your rest so you can grow big and strong and meet us out here." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Rachel's bump. "I love you so much Alice. You, your brother, and your Mom mean the world to me."


Thoughts?