Disclaimer: See parts one & two for all pertinent information.
Note: Just to clarify from the last part: The song spoiler was "Sweet Caroline" NOT "Hate That I Love You." I have no idea whether the show ever plans to use that song, it just happened to fit for the "flashback"section of that part, most of which took place a year to a year and a half after the current timeline of "Glee." The implied spoiler context was Puck wooing Rachel through song and Finn picking up on that, thus the line "It was like 'Sweet Caroline' all over again" at the beginning of the flashback.
Yay for Rachel/Puck being canon!
Thanks to everyone who reviewed and/or added this story to their favorites and/or alerts! Sorry it took me a while to get this up but I've had a busy week. I'm going home this weekend, so I might not have time to update before Monday.
I'll Steady Your Hand
Rachel organizes the annual family portraits, their immediate family and their extended family. The portraits always coincide with Rosanna's birthday. On Rosanna's fifteenth birthday, Rachel's baby bump is barely noticeable and while only her fathers understand and agree with the manner of conception, all of their parents, even the Fabrays who still have their reservations about the whole arrangement, are excited about the newest addition to the family.
After twenty-eight hours in labor, Quinn had finally given birth to a baby girl, with her parents by her side. An uncomfortable silence had settled around Rachel, Finn, and Puck as they had sat in the waiting room of labor and delivery. Rachel did her best to moderate, while holding back her own lingering feelings of betrayal and resentment towards Puck at bay. Puck had been there for almost the entire time while Finn and Rachel had arrived, together, somewhere around hour sixteen. Rachel couldn't deny the awkwardness of the situation nor could she deny the small feeling of satisfaction she felt when Puck scowled once he noticed that she and Finn were holding hands.
Mr. Fabray burst into the waiting room, grinning from ear to ear, letting them know that both Quinn and the baby were doing well; Quinn was resting and the baby was being taken to the nursery to be cleaned up and to have her full vitals checked.
Puck glanced at Finn and Rachel as Mr. Fabray led him to the nursery.
Finn squeezed Rachel's hand as a lump formed in his throat, "I should feel relieved that that's not me, you know? But I don't."
Rachel offered him a sympathetic smile, "One day, Finn, when the time is right, you'll have a family of your own."
"I know, but…even when I knew that Quinn had planned to give the baby up, I was in love with that little girl. Even when I found out that she wasn't mine...I think I still love her. I really do kind of wish that it was my baby." He started to cry.
"Oh, Finn," Rachel embraced him, and held him.
After several minutes, Finn composed himself. "I want to see her before I go. Will you come with me?"
Rachel nodded and stood. She grasped his hand and they walked out of the waiting and down the corridor until they faced the glass windows looking into the nursery. Finn still had tears in his eyes, "She's beautiful."
Rachel smiled, "She looks like Quinn."
"That's a good thing. I mean, for a girl to look like another girl and not like a guy."
They watched baby girl Fabray wiggle around for a while before Finn decided to leave. "You coming?"
"Actually, I'd like to see Quinn."
Finn leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek before he left.
Rachel walked down the hall and peeked into the waiting room to see Mr. and Mrs. Fabray talking to Mrs. Puckerman. She continued and knocked on the door to Quinn's room, waiting for a moment before pushing open the door. Puck stood by Quinn's bed and released the loose hold he had on her hand.
"I'll be back later," he said. As he was walking out, he made eye contact with Rachel, "Berry."
"Puck." The door closed and Rachel stepped closer to Quinn and grinned, "She's beautiful, Quinn, just like you."
Quinn gave her a half smile before looking away, "He wants to try. Puck does. He wants us to try being a couple. For the baby. It's not the best reason in the world but I'm sure my parents would agree that it's best for us to at least try."
"Oh. Well, I understand. I know how much of a jerk he can be but I have been privy to the depths of emotion and courtesy that Puck possesses and is capable of demonstrating. He's willing to make great sacrifices for the people he cares about. You and your daughter are very lucky, Quinn."
"You still care about him, don't you?"
Rachel sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, "I will always care for Noah Puckerman in some capacity. I just can't be with him when I know that we both have eyes for other people. I know that Puck cares about you, Quinn. He deserves a chance."
Quinn looked up at her, her eyes tired and sad, "I still miss being with Finn. And, although I am not a fan of the idea, whenever it happens for you two, I'll deal. Mostly because it's so not all about me anymore."
"You're doing the right thing, Quinn, by keeping her. "
"Am I? She'd have a much better life if I had just stuck to my agreement with Mrs. Schuester."
"Quinn, that woman drugged half the student body—would you really want her raising your daughter?"
"I suppose not."
Rachel reached out and placed her hand over Quinn's, "You can do this, Quinn Fabray. You're not alone and you won't have to worry about raising your little girl all by yourself; you have your parents and Puck and me. And Finn. He wants to be part of her life."
Quinn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them, "I'm still not sure how I feel about breast-feeding."
There were no family portraits on the day that Rosanna was born but the following year on her first birthday, after Finn, Puck, Quinn, and Rachel had been dubbed the "Core Four." Quinn wanted one year pictures of Rosanna and Rachel wanted to commemorate their friendship and thus a tradition began. Rachel hasn't told the others yet but she's considering having separate Winter Holiday portraits done after her baby is born. Santa hats on babies are quite adorable.
