Thanks for your nice reviews on the last chapter! Sorry it took me longer than usual to update, had LOTS of schoolwork. Enjoy this chapter and review to let me know what you think!

Chapter 12: February 14

"Wake up, Emma!" Grant said, pulling the covers off Emma's bed.

Emma rolled over in her bed and looked at the clock. It was 6:30 a.m. AND a school day. During the past few weeks she'd been up late a lot, because the swim team was preparing for the championships and had added an hour on to their afternoon practices. Between preparing for championships with the swim team, preparing for Regionals with the Gold Stars and just doing homework, it felt like she barely got free time.

"What is it?" Emma mumbled.

"Dad needs us downstairs," Grant said.

Emma looked at the calendar. Of course, today was Valentine's Day. She'd gotten Nick a box of chocolate weeks ago, but knowing how madly in love her parents still were, her dad was going to enlist her and her siblings for help in giving her mom an over the top Valentine's Day.

She was right. When she got downstairs, Emma and Sarah were given the responsibilty of making blueberry pancakes for Rachel. Finn left with Ryan and Grant to pick up "a surprise" for Rachel. Finn wouldn't tell the kids what it was, but when they got back ten minutes later, Ryan and Grant were carrying baskets of flowers and Finn was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Dad?" Emma asked.

"He's putting the dog in the garage!" Grant said excitedly.

"DOG?" Sarah practically shouted.

"Be quiet!" Ryan said. "Mom might hear you. But yeah, Dad got a dog for Mom!"

"That's awesome!" Emma said.

"It's so cute," Ryan said. "But remember, we need to keep quiet." He and Grant put the flowers on the table near Rachel's placemat.

Finn came back in. "I'm going to get your mom. The four of you, wait by the table."

The four Hudson kids went to stand by the table, with the flowers and the breakfast. Emma listened to hear her parents coming down. Finally, she heard Rachel say to Finn, "Finn, I feel so fat."

"You're not fat, you're eight months pregnant!" Finn said.

"You're my husband, you have to say that!" Emma heard Rachel say. Finn led Rachel into the dining room and the four kids smiled at her.

"FINN!" Rachel gasped. "You did this for me?"

"I love you, Rachel," Finn said. "And we need to realize, this is the 19th Valentine's Day we've been in love."
"I love you," Rachel told Finn. She looked at the kids. "And I love you guys too."

"Mom, we need to get one more thing," Ryan said.

"What?" Rachel asked.

"Oh, you'll see," Finn said.

Ryan left and came back with the puppy. Emma immediately thought the puppy was adorable, with its floppy ears and big nose.

"A dog?" Rachel shouted in eagerness.

"A dog," Finn said.

"Finn, this year you've outdone yourself," Rachel said.

"You only deserve the best, Rach," Finn said.

Would this be her and Nick one day, Emma wondered? She sure hoped so.

x

The school was decorated for Valentine's day. One of the clubs was having a fundraiser to buy flowers to be delivered to your boyfriend or girlfriend's first period class. Emma had ordered three to be delivered to Nick about a week ago. When the regular flower delivery came, she was a bit disappointed that there were not flowers for her. Maybe Nick just wasn't a romantic.

About twenty minutes into the class (it was a substitute, so they were just doing worksheets today), somebody came in with balloons, a basket of flowers and a box. "Is there an Emma Hudson here?" the delivery person asked the sub.

"Yeah," Emma said.

"Well, I'm here from Macy's, delivering your Valentine's gift from Nick Dougherty." The delivery person handed Emma the flowers, balloons and the box, which was from Godiva. She opened it, it was chocolates.

"Happy Valentine's Day! Love, Nick," the delivery person said before leaving.

"You are so lucky!" Ava whispered.

"He spoils me, what can I say?" Emma said. She opened up the box of chocolates. "Want one?"

"Yeah," Ava said.

"Darn this must have cost so much," Emma said. "Godiva's expensive as is."

"Your boyfriend loves you," Ava pointed out.

"And I love him," Emma sighed.

At the end of class, Emma tracked down Nick in the hall and poked him. "I loved all the stuff you got me."

"You're my girlfriend," Nick said. "I wanted to make this extra special for you."

"Nick Dougherty, I love you," Emma said.

"I love you too," Nick said.

x

Emma sat with Ava, Lizzie, Lexie, Laura, Izzy and Meg at lunch. She shared her chocolates with the girls when she noticed Ryan, Nick, Evan and Ben coming over to their table. She was surprised, as Nick had a class this period.

"Ava, we're bringing you a singing valentine from Ryan," Evan said. "We hope you like it. The boys plugged in Ben's iPod speakers and began singing.

Ryan: What day is it? And in what month?

This clock never seemed so alive

I can't keep up and I can't back down

I've been losing so much time

Ryan with Nick, Ben and Evan: 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do

Nothing to lose

And it's you and me and all other people

And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

Ryan: One of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right

I'm tripping on words

You've got my head spinning

I don't know where to go from here

Ryan with Nick, Ben and Evan: 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do

Nothing to prove

And it's you and me and all other people

And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

Ryan: There's something about you now

I can't quite figure out

Everything she does is beautiful

Everything she does is right

Ryan with Nick, Ben and Evan: 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do

Nothing to lose

And it's you and me and all other people

And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

and me and all other people with nothing to do

Nothing to prove

And it's you and me and all other people

And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

Ryan: What day is it?

And in what month?

This clock never seemed so alive

"I love you!" Ava said, jumping up and hugging Ryan.

"I love you, too," Ryan said.

"I didn't know my brother was such a romantic," Emma said. Her own boyfriend had given her some looks during the serenade, but it had been for Ava. She and Nick were going through their phase when they were unsure of their feelings for each other last Valentine's Day, so she was just glad that this year, he was spoiling her. She was happy for her best friend, too.

x

The girls were studying in the library after school. Ryan had asked Emma to be in the library after school today because he was starting with a new tutor, and he wanted her to be there for backup if this one was as big a jerk as the one he'd had first semester. Finn and Rachel had finally ditched the first semester tutor when Ryan ended up with a D in math after first semester. Emma was going to go out to dinner with Nick tonight, but he had to watch his younger brother after school before swim practice.

"My last tutor was a big asshole," Emma heard Ryan say to the senior he was working with now. "He made me feel really stupid. Every time I got an answer wrong, he yelled at me. He wasn't even interested in helping me, he just sat there and made me do all the work myself."

"I won't be like that," the tutor said. Emma sighed with relief upon hearing that. She cared about her brother, and knew that D was pretty damaging to his self esteem. He'd still made the merit roll, but he wasn't satisfied, he wanted the honor roll. Nick was already ranked #1 in their class, with a 100% average in every class. Emma had gotten a B in math, but As in all her other classes.

"You don't need to be so worried," Lizzie said to Emma.

"I know, but he's my brother," Emma said.

Then Sarah came into the library. "Emma, we've got to leave!"

"What's going on?" Emma asked, noticing how nervous Sarah looked.

"I don't know, Dad just came and picked me up from school and said we needed to go," Sarah said.

Emma began panicking. "Where's Mom? And Grant?"

"I don't know where Mom is, he had Grant with him," Sarah said.

Emma began panicking. She knew her mom had less energy lately, but thought it was just what came with being eight months pregnant. What if there really was something wrong with her mom?

"Let's get Ryan," Emma managed to say. She turned to her girlfriends. "Family issues. I'll text you guys. I have to go. Tell our coach Ryan and I can't be at practice."

Emma and Sarah went to the table where Ryan was working with his tutor. "We're Ryan's sisters," Emma said. "I'm sorry, but we have to pull him."

"Yeah, family stuff," Sarah said.

"Okay, we'll work out another time to meet," the tutor said.

"What's going on?" Ryan asked as they began leaving.

"I don't know," Sarah said. "Dad just seemed worried when he picked me up from school."

Emma, Ryan and Sarah left the school building and went to the parking lot, where Finn was in the car with Grant. They got in the car quietly as Finn turned around to talk to them. "I wanted to wait until you were all here to tell you... there was an accident."

"What?" Sarah shouted, being a typical drama queen. "Is Mom okay? Is the baby okay?"

"They're fine," Finn said quietly as Emma felt a sense of relief come over her.

"What happened then?" Emma asked.

Finn sighed. "It was Beth..."

Chapter 13 preview: Finn takes the kids to Lima to see Beth. Finchel family moments, Beth moments with Quick and the Finchel family. Emma has to cancel her plans with Nick but doesn't mention why, resulting in a small couple drama.