Fair warning - this is super emotional. You might cry. I did.

This is for my fildos - thanks for being with me every step of the way on this. It was hard to write but you guys got me through. I love you all.

.xo.

'"Daddy, I'm fine," Rachel stressed as she buckled herself into the new Audi Q7 she and Finn had just purchased in anticipation of the expansion of their family. She rubbed her swollen belly when the baby kicked. "Shh," she whispered softly. "Mommy knows, baby."

"He kicking?" She knew her father was grinning, all the way in Lima, just by the inflection in his voice.

Rachel rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see her. "We don't know if it's a boy or a girl," she repeated for what seemed like the millionth time since the doctor asked if she and Finn wanted to know their baby's gender.

It had been a conscious decision on the part of the Hudsons to not find out whether their first child would be a boy or a girl.

Well, sort of conscious.

Okay, really, it was Puck taunting Rachel by saying she would never be able to last the whole pregnancy without finding out the sex of the baby. ["Face it, Berry. You're too fucking anal to not be able to plan this down to the fucking smallest detail." – "It's Hudson, Puckerman, and you wanna bet?"] Finn wisely stayed quiet, only offering "as long as he or she is healthy, I don't mind either way."

[Rachel had no idea that Finn confessed to Ralph, Hector and Danny that he was silently hoping for a little girl with her mother's smile.]

"I still can't believe you, of all people, are refusing to plan for one of the most significant events in your life. I mean, baby, even the neutral colors have a gender bias. Yellow and green are more often than not associated with girls and boys respectively."

"Thank you, Martha Stewart," she responded dryly. She let out a sigh and rubbed her belly gently. "We love you, Poppy," she said quietly. "We'll see you in a month."

"Not fair making me cry, baby," Hiram chuckled. "Where are you headed?"

"Kenz and I have a meeting with one of the administrators over at their local JCC. They're trying to get Noah to agree to coach a pee wee football team and Kenz wants to make sure they're on the up-and-up," she answered with a sigh. "I think she thinks because I'm Jewish I'll be able to tell or something. Personally, I think she's looking for a reason not to."

"What does Noah think?"

"He thinks that it might be nice to have something other than basketball to focus on. He loves his job but I think he's starting to hate the team."

"It's the Knicks, baby. They hate themselves."

"You're terrible," she laughed. "I hate to cut you off, but I need to get going. Kenz was pretty adamant about the time today. And I'm sure traffic will be lovely."

"Okay, Rachel. Give Finn and the others my love. I'll talk to you soon."

"We love you too, Poppy," she said with a grin before disconnecting the phone. Now all she had to do was get over to Prospect Park to meet Kenz.

She was going to be so late.

"She's just a little behind," Kenz assured the guests for Rachel's outdoor baby shower. "She was probably on the phone with her rabbi checking up on the center she thinks we're going to," she laughed. "Rachel is nothing if not prepared and thorough."

"She was always like that, though," Tina chimed in. "It's probably just traffic. She's only five minutes late and she's coming in from Manhattan."

"Today was the shower, right, Sinatra?" Hector asked as he and Finn hosed down the engine.

"Yeah," Finn smiled. "It was so hard keeping it from her. Because she has, like, powers or something. She can always tell when I've got a secret."

"She's a woman," Ralph chucked from his desk along the wall. "They're all like that."

"I bet she has a great time," Finn said. "Tina's here, Brittany and Mercedes came in. And I think my brother's going to be there too."

Hector shook his head with a grin. "It's like that's completely normal for you; your brother going to bridal showers and baby showers and shit."

"It is normal," Finn laughed. "He used to always try to be on the girl's team when we did mash-ups in Glee."

"And there he goes, being all music man and shit again," Hector sighed.

"Shut up," was Finn's witty retort as he quickly sprayed their driver and continued to wash the truck.

"I hate being late," she muttered to herself as she waited in the left turn lane to go from Bedford Avenue onto the Eastern Parkway. "Kenz is probably freaking out."

When her light turned green, she slowly inched out to be sure no one was coming. When she was clear, she pressed her foot to the gas and started her turn.

She never saw the Suburban coming.

Hell, once it hit her in the driver's side door, she didn't see much of anything.

"I'm kinda getting worried," Kenz said as she pressed the end button on her cell phone after leaving her fourth message. "It isn't like Rachel not to answer. And she has one of those hands free things in the car, too. All she has to do is say answer and she can talk."

"Maybe she's at the wrong end of the park," Sandy shrugged. "I've done it before."

"No. I told her exactly where to meet me," Kenz replied, her voice slightly frantic. "We meet here on Sundays to walk."

"Call Finn," Brittany supplied. "Maybe he knows what the deal is."

Kenz nodded before hitting speed dial number five on her phone.

"Busy day, boys!" Mike called as he grabbed his gear and hopped into the truck.

"Engine 216, there's a duel car accident north or Prospect Park. All local engines are dispatched. Please respond. Possible casualties," the disembodied voice of the dispatcher sounded as the guys grabbed their gear and jumped into the truck.

"216," Finn responded as he climbed into the cab and grabbed the radio, "En route."

"Let's roll!" Alex cried as he slapped the side of the truck before Hector gunned the engine, flipped on the lights and sirens, and pulled out.

When Kenz saw several police cruisers go racing by, her heart dropped into her stomach. With shaking hands, she dialed Rachel's number again.

Finn jumped out of the cab as soon as the engine slowed enough for him to safely do so. He saw about three police cars already there.

"Hudson, 216, Williamsburg. What do we have?" he asked as he jogged to a police officer, his eyes noticing a black suburban on all four wheels and a silver small SUV on its driver's side. It looked to have rolled once or twice, since the passenger's side, which was in the air, looked to only be slightly damaged and scratched up.

He hated the fact that he would probably have to go with one of the officers to tell a family that their loved one wasn't coming home.

"Reyes, 71st, first on scene. White female. Mid-twenties. Caucasian. Pregnant. She's pinned to the ground. Your guys got the jaws?"

"Yeah," Finn responded as he jogged with Reyes. His eyes took in more of the car and he almost froze in his place.

Those plates looked familiar.

He moved faster, almost in a full run, as he rounded the vehicle and dropped to his knees beside the shattered glass from the broken windows.

"Hudson?"

"No," he whispered as he reached a shaking hand out to move aside an unruly mess of brown hair. "No." He swallowed thickly and shut his eyes before opening them again to see a line of blood trickling down the woman's forehead. [A very familiar forehead.]

He followed the blood down to a pair of eyes that were shut but he was almost certain that if they were open they would be a rich chocolate brown.

He gulped, loudly, ignoring the questions being shot at him from Reyes. He shifted and moved the hair a little more until he saw it. Her nose. "Rachel," he choked out in a harsh whisper. "Rach," he tried again, a little louder. "Rachel, baby, open your eyes for me." He moved his hand all over her face but she was unresponsive. "Rachel, baby, please. I need you to open your eyes. Rachel … Rachel, please! Please!" he shouted, tears streaming down his cheeks as he frantically tried to rouse his wife.

He felt two strong pairs of hands wrap around his shoulders and hoist him from the ground.

"No!" he fought against the hold. "That's my wife! You have to …! Let me go!"

"Can't," Alex said as Sarah dropped down next to the car and started trying to stabilize Rachel as Hector, Ellis and Frank carried the jaws over. "You need to back up. You need to let them get her out."

"She's non-responsive," he said, eyes wide, as Sarah continually tried to talk to her. "I don't … I can't … Is she breathing?" he yelled out to Sarah. "Is she breathing!"

"C'mon, man," Mike said, as he tugged Finn away from the vehicle. "Go wait by the truck."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Finn screamed, incredulous. "That's my fucking wife!"

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't be watching, son," Ralph said gently as he wrapped an arm around him. "Come back to the truck and let the guys work. You know them. You know how good they are. They're going to get Rachel and the baby out and then you can go see her."

Finn's heart dropped.

He hadn't even thought about the baby.

His legs buckled and he dropped to the ground, knees hitting the asphalt hard.

He could lose them both.

Puck stared at the television, his hands shaking as he read the bottom banner "MAJOR ACCIDENT – PROSPECT PARK – BROADWAY ACTRESS RACHEL HUDSON IN SERIOUS COLLISION".

"We at Eyewitness News 7 will be on the scene throughout. To sum up, according to several eyewitnesses, Mrs. Hudson was turning right at the intersection as was hit by a speeding Chevrolet Suburban. The driver of the Suburban is unharmed. Hudson is currently being removed from the vehicle – you can hear what we can only assume to be the jaws of life grinding behind me – and will then be taken to a local hospital. She is eight months pregnant."

Puck clicked off the television and shouted to his co-workers that he had to leave.

As soon as he was out the door, he dialed his wife's cell phone.

"Noah? Have you heard from Rachel? She's really late."

Puck swallowed thickly, holding back the tears he would never let anyone know threatened him, and whispered, "Baby, I got some bad news."

"Thanks, Hannah," Kenz whispered brokenly into the phone. "We'll be home as soon as we can. Don't … don't tell him that Aunt Rachel is hurt, okay?"

"Sure," the young babysitter responded. "I hope she's okay."

"Me too," Kenz whispered as she hung up the phone.

She almost didn't see her husband as he ran past her to get to where Finn was still kneeling on the ground.

"It's okay!" she heard one of the firemen shout when a police officer tried to stop him.

She just gripped Tina's hand and held tight, a silent prayer going out to her best friend.

"Finn!" Puck called as he hit his knees in front of his best friend. When the fireman didn't look up, Puck grabbed his chin and forced their eyes to meet. "Look at me."

"It's Rachel and the baby," Finn whispered in a daze. "They're stuck in the car. She wasn't breathing. If she doesn't breathe then the baby can't breath."

"Finn! Finn, look at me. Look at my eyes, Finn."

"What am I going to do without her?"

"Hudson! Look at me!" Puck shouted as he shook Finn's face. "Look at me right now."

"I'm going to lose my wife and my baby."

"Finn! Finn, come back to me! Look at me! Listen to me. Can you hear me?" Puck screamed, moving his hands to his friend's shoulders and shaking them roughly. "Answer me you stupid fuck!"

"Calm down!" one of the firemen shouted.

"Shut the fuck up," Puck shouted back before shaking Finn harder. "Look me in the eye right now, you pansy ass motherfucker. Look at me and listen to what I have to say. It's about fucking time you do that anyway." He grabbed Finn's chin and moved his head so their eyes met again. "They're going to be fine. Do you hear me? Rachel Fucking Hudson is too god damn fucking stubborn to let some stupid shit like a car crash take her out. She and the baby are going to be fine. Do you hear me?" When Finn didn't answer, Puck shook him harder. "Answer me!"

"She's …"

"She's going to be fine," Puck stressed again. "You say it now."

"She's …"

"Going to be fine. Say it."

"She's going … she's …" Finn choked.

"She's going to be fine. Say it, Hudson."

"But they baby …"

"They're going to be fine," Puck rephrased. "Say it."

"They're going to …"

"Be fine," he encouraged. "Say it once, out loud."

"They're going to be f-fine," Finn whispered.

"Louder."

"They-they're going to be fine."

"Again."

"They're … they're …"

"She's out!" they heard shouted from the car. "Pulse steady, breathing shallow. We have a heartbeat for the baby too. Get her hooked up and in the bus."

And that was the moment Finn Hudson collapsed into his best friend's arms, large body heaving and shaking from the intensity of his sobs.

"They're going to be fine," Puck whispered into his friend's ear as he slowly rubbed his back. "They're going to be just fine."

Puck helped his friend into the ambulance beside his wife before walked over to his own wife and wrapping his arms tightly around her. "I love you so much and I'm sorry if I don't say it every day but I will from now on. I swear, baby. Every fucking day. I love you so fucking much," he whispered into her hair.

"I love you, too," she swore as she tightened her grip on him. "I love you."

Finn settled inside the ambulance, his large hand encasing Rachel's smaller one. He was out of the way, tucked (as much as someone his size can tuck) in a corner. But he wouldn't, couldn't let go of her hand.

He thanked Cheesus for the modern technology of the FDNY ambulances as he heard two strong, steady heartbeats.

He was just nervous because Rachel wasn't awake yet.

"They're going to be fine, Finn," Sarah said softly as she checked Rachel's pulse. "Her breathing is back to normal. We just need to do a CT scan when we get to the hospital. Do you want me to call the guys and have someone bring you a change of clothes?"

"Puck'll do it," he whispered confidently, eyes focused on Rachel's face. "Is it normal for there to be so much blood in her hair?"

"Head wounds bleed, Finn," she assured him. "Rachel's going to be just fine. And so it the baby. Her body had a big shock. She'll be awake before you know it."

"Hate to say it, Sar, but I already know it," Finn responded. "She …" he paused, brow furrowed. "Did you hear that?"

"No," Sarah said as she shook her head. "Move a little so I can get up to work on that cut."

Finn slid down the seat and pressed his hand against Rachel's stomach.

He almost started crying again when he felt the baby kick back. "Daddy's right here," he said in a whisper as he leaned forward to press his lips against the barely-visible foot. "Daddy's not going anywhere."

"Hey," Sarah said softly from her position by Rachel's head.

"Hmm?" Finn hummed, eyes focused on Rachel's belly.

"Wasn't talking to you," was the response he got.

"Then who …?" he asked as he turned around and his eyes immediately caught hold of a pair of chocolate brown ones. "Rachel," he breathed.

She mouthed the word hello but immediately winced.

"Don't talk," Sarah advised. "We're almost there."

"Fffff …"

"I'm here, baby," he whispered as the tears started slipping down his face again. "I'm right here."

"The baby?" she moaned out hoarsely.

"Kicking up a storm," he answered.

"I broke the car."

"Yeah, not really too worried about the car right now, babe."

"I love you," she whispered.

He looked over to Sarah, who nodded, before glancing up and seeing they were backing into the ambulance bay at the emergency room. He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I love you too. Now be nice to the hospital workers and I'll be with you as soon as they'll let me be."

"I hate hospitals," she told him seriously. "No offense," she added when two emergency room workers met the gurney.

Finn watched them wheel her away before letting his head thunk back against the wall of the bus, another silent prayer escaping his lips.

She was going to be okay. He knew that.

Now all he had to do was call their parents and tell them that.