A/N: I know that if people knew where I lived IRL, they'd probably be camped on my doorstep right now. I apologize for not having updated this story much, much sooner. I was working on another story that would NOT leave me alone. This story wasn't pushing me (maybe because constricted Rachel is cranky). Anyway, I did not abandon you and I grovel profusely for making you all wait so darn long.

Rachel survived her long incarceration in the hospital rather better than her poor boys and her friends. She had her moments of supreme crankiness. She may or may not have thrown a temper tantrum or two. Eventually, she settled into a routine that worked for her and for the hospital staff. She was sitting up in bed reading when Lauren popped her head in.

"Hey there! Kurt said you hadn't popped yet so I stopped by to say hello. Have you been watching my show?" Lauren was upbeat and smiling.

"Yes! Oh my goodness! Does your assistant really talk to you like that?" Rachel asked.

"Heck Yes," Lauren said, nodding for emphasis, "one of the reasons I hired her. I need someone who can shoot the straight poop, as mom used to say."

"Well she definitely does that," Rachel murmured with wide eyes.

"Here, she actually got you this," Lauren handed Rachel two pink onesies with a gold star in the middle of each.

"How cute! Tell her thank you very much."

"How are your boys doing?" Lauren asked.

"Not so well. They visit every single day. I keep telling them that it will be any day now. My due date is next week. My dads are coming up here then because they said that sometimes first babies are late."

Rachel didn't mention that she had had several long conversations with her babies and made sure that they understood that Mommy wanted out of the hospital ASAP. There was an energetic kick from one of the girls and Rachel absently rubbed at the spot on her swollen belly. Even though her due date was next week, she felt like there was an eternity between now and then. She wanted her babies here already so that she could hold and cuddle them. Take walks with them. See the outside world maybe.

"Have you guys picked out names for the babies yet?"

"Kind of, but it's sort of a secret. We don't want to start fights with the families; we want to present them with fait accompli."

"That sounds like a safe plan. Probably less blood shed that way," Lauren said with a smile.

Rachel, Puck and Finn had agonized for weeks over names for their daughters. They wanted to honor Hebraic naming traditions, but at the same time Rachel wanted to incorporate her beloved Broadway. Finally, after arguments, vetoes and numerous votes they had settled on two names. Rachel gave a fond smile as she looked across the room, and Lauren hid a smile of her own. The petite brunette looked positively radiant. Her skin was healthy and glowing, she seemed utterly at peace. With one hand resting on her baby belly, she looked like an advertisement for motherhood.

Lauren stayed with Rachel and chatted with her for about an hour and left when Puck and Finn showed up. She hugged and kissed Rachel and promised to visit again soon.

Finn and Puck swooped down on Rachel hugging and kissing whichever bits they could reach. Her boys also each kissed her stomach two times; one for each baby. Finn and Puck settled into their regular routine. One of them rubbed her feet and one of them rubbed her back. They ran and fetched ice chips for her, and later a vegan sorbet. Rachel got up carefully and they helped her walk to the bathroom in her room. She swatted at both of them to leave her alone while she used the bathroom. It was the same thing they'd been doing for five months.

"Um…guys?" Rachel's voice sounded slightly shaky and nervous.

"Yeah?" Puck called out.

"Um…can you call the nurse? I'm leaking." Rachel definitely sounded nervous.

"Leaking?" Finn echoed, his eyes round. He and Puck stared at one another for a long minute and then they both hurried down to the nurses' station. They repeated Rachel's conversation verbatim and the nurses smiled.

"It probably means that her water's broken. Can you call Dr. Van Zandt, Cecilia?" said a blonde nurse who had been assigned to Rachel. Her name was Penny and she hurried down the hall to Rachel's room. The boys followed her. The nurse went into the bathroom and helped Rachel back to bed.

"We're going to have to check and see if you're dilated yet, Dr. Van Zandt will want to know," Penny explained. The boys stood by Rachel's head and held her hands. "Hmmm. Only three centimeters. Well, I guess those girls aren't coming anytime soon."

All three of them let out a collective sigh. Thus began the waiting game. Dr. Van Zandt showed up within an hour. He talked to the nurse, checked Rachel's cervix again and frowned slightly.

"No change in dilation. We'll watch you for a few hours, but if there's still no change I'd like to speed things along with prostaglandin or Pitocin. Before your water broke, your girls were protected by the amniotic fluid. Now that they've lost that protection, they need to come out and the sooner the better. You've carried them to term, so I'm not worried about their ability to thrive outside the womb. However, I have NICU on stand-by, just in case. We're going to put a monitor on your belly so that we can determine if the fetuses begin to go into distress. If that happens, Rachel, we are going to have to take them out as quickly as possible. We may have to do a caesarian if it comes to that." Dr. Van Zandt spoke carefully because he wanted to make sure that Rachel understood everything he was saying to her.

"Okay." Rachel's voice was small and quiet.

"I'm going to need you to sign some paperwork before we can prep you."

"Okay."

"Prep her? Prep her for what?" Puck's voice rose a little in fear. Finn looked at him. Dude, this is kind of scary. I know, right?

"An emergency caesarian. It will be fine, boys. Don't worry," Rachel said calmly. Her brown eyes were gentle and loving. Both men felt their hearts pound. She spoke so calmly, but what if she were wrong? What if something happened? It didn't bear thinking about. They each kissed her on the cheek and then let the doctor and nurses move around her. A male nurse named Andrew showed them where to change into scrubs. They didn't say anything because they were too afraid to say anything. This was really real. It was happening. Finn thought that he might throw up. He swallowed hard and looked at Puck. They fist bumped. They were going to see this through, no matter what.

Rachel looked even smaller than usual when they went back into the room. There was an array of scientific looking paraphernalia that hadn't been there before and it seemed to dwarf her in her hospital bed. The hours crawled by so slowly that Puck thought he might scream.

Dr. Van Zandt came in to check up on Rachel again. He frowned at her.

"Rachel? Rachel?" He gently shook her shoulder. She opened her eyes with difficulty and tried to focus on him, but it appeared to take all of her effort.

"Hmmm?"

"What's wrong with her Doctor?" Finn asked. Fear gripped him tightly.

"It's the preeclampsia. Nurse? Where's that anesthesiologist? We need to get her prepped NOW."

Puck and Finn huddled at Rachel's head and tried to stay out of everyone's way. They were too afraid to bother anyone at the moment because they knew how critical it was that all of the medical staff's attention be focused on their girl. The anesthesiologist arrived. He spoke quietly and calmly to Rachel who just nodded or murmured assent to his questions. She seemed to be so out of it. The anesthesia worked quickly.

"Finn? Puck?"

"We're right here, baby girl."

"Don't leave!"

"We won't if you don't," Finn muttered. Her hands reached for them. Each man took a hand and held it.

"Okay guys, we need to move her into the OR," Dr. Van Zandt said gently. Puck and Finn nodded and carefully put her hands down. They followed everyone into the OR. One of the nurses made sure they scrubbed and put on gloves and masks. Finn resolutely refused to watch the caesarian, while Puck could not help but watch it. The first tiny wriggling baby was lifted into the air and she screeched in protest at the cold.

"See, Finn, she sounds like her mom already," Puck tried to joke. Finn turned at the sound of their daughter's angry cry and felt his eyes tear. The nurses washed her quickly and let Finn cut the cord. They bundled her up and placed her in his arms. The next baby made her presence known with another angry cry in protest of this cold place that was nothing like her home of nine months. She was soon clean, Puck cut the cord this time and then he was holding his daughter. A tear splashed on to the baby's forehead. She screeched and shook her fist at him. Puck chuckled and kissed the baby's forehead.

"Sorry about that, baby. I didn't mean to get you all wet."

"She's just born and already she has you wrapped around her finger," observed Finn with a laugh. "She is definitely just like her mama."

Puck stuck his tongue out at Finn. It was all he really could do since his arms were filled with baby. Then again, so were Finn's. He looked at his other daughter in Finn's arms, and Finn did the same.

"Our girls," whispered Finn in awe.

"Our girls," Puck agreed.

They had decided a long time ago, that it truly didn't matter who the biological father was because both Finn and Puck were the father. They would share the responsibility of raising these girls, and that was what truly mattered—not whose sperm had fertilized the egg. Cleaning up puke at 3 a.m., changing diapers, going to birthday parties and on field trips. That was what made a daddy.

***glee*** ***glee*** ***glee*** ***glee*** ***glee***

Rachel lay in her hospital bed with both girls in her arms. Puck and Finn were sitting next to her with besotted looks upon their faces. She felt pretty besotted herself every time she looked at her beautiful girls. Her regular nurse Penny ushered in a hospital employee who smiled at everyone.

"Hi, my name is Patricia and I'm the hospital registrar. I'm here to take little footprints and do the hospital birth certificates for the babies." She pulled out her forms and looked them over carefully.

"Okay so let's do this one first. What name have you picked out?"

"This is Miriam Patricia Berry," Puck announced proudly. They hadn't wanted a fight over what last name the girls would have so they had decided on Rachel's last name. The registrar carefully wrote down all the information and took the baby's footprints.

"And this is Sarah Liza Berry," announced Finn proudly.

Each girl had received a Jewish first name. Sarah had been one of Finn's grandmothers and one of Rachel's. Miriam was Puck's great grandmother. The middle names honored both Liza Minelli and Patti LuPone who had been huge influences on Rachel as a young girl. Rachel hadn't told the boys out loud, but she had told herself that they could pick the middle names for any boys they might have. Someday. In the future. Whoever talked about the pain of childbirth completely forgot about the after the childbirth pain. It hurt to sit up. It hurt to stand up and sit down. It hurt in general.

Rachel and her daughters were announced fit and healthy and released a few days later. Puck and Finn were so relieved to have Rachel home that they got up with her every single time the girls cried. Sometimes they just wanted to be held or jiggled. Sometimes they wanted to be fed. They quickly learned that neither Puck nor Finn had anything to offer in that department. Birth announcements were sent out to all of their family and friends. Rachel's dads showed up at their apartment completely chagrined that they had missed the birth of their grandbabies.

Sarah and Miri (as she soon came to be called) were beautiful, happy babies. They slept in the same crib at night because their mommy had read a lot of baby books while she was in the hospital, and many of them suggested this for twins. They were perfect and healthy and they brought a lot of joy to their parents.

Puck and Finn were walking their girls in a double stroller and shopping for Rachel's birthday present. They were giving mommy some well-deserved peace and quiet for a few hours. It had taken them a while to figure out what they wanted to give her and finally they knew.

"Hey, remember that necklace we gave her for that first Valentine's Day way back in high school?" Puck had asked one day.

"Yeah, she loved that thing. Whatever happened to it?" Finn said.

"I'm not sure. Anyway, what about this?" Puck showed Finn a drawing he'd made.

"Yes! She'll love it!"

So here they were pushing a stroller and looking for the store that they'd contacted online. They received smiling glances from several of the people on the street.

"Dude." Puck said.

"What?" Finn looked at the babies first and then at Puck. That was always his first response now. First, check and make sure the babies are okay. Everything else came second.

"Everyone thinks that we're a couple."

Finn watched the bypassers on the street watching him and Puck with the girls. He realized that Puck was right. Finn shrugged.

"Oh well." He said finally.

"Oh well?" Puck asked in surprise.

"We don't have time to explain the truth to everyone we meet on the street. On top of that, the truth is just weird enough that they'd think we were crazy."

"That's true," Puck agreed finally.

"Hey, there's the shop, I think." Finn pointed at a small shop.

"Yeah, that's it."

Finn opened the door so that Puck could wheel the stroller in. The lady behind the counter smiled at them both.

"Hi, how can I help you?"

"I special ordered a necklace under the name Puckerman," Puck answered her.

"Oh yes! I have that right here," the woman took a box out from behind the counter. She opened it carefully and showed it to both Finn and Puck. It was similar to the necklace they'd found for Rachel all those years ago. It had three interlocking hearts, but the middle heart (the Rachel heart) had two tiny heart shaped charms. Both men grinned at each other. She was going to love this. They knew their girl well enough by this time to know that this necklace would earn them major Rachel points.

"It's perfect," Puck and Finn said in unison, and then laughed. They paid for the necklace and had the saleswoman gift wrap it for them.

"We still have to go to the photography studio, right?" Finn asked as he checked his phone.

"Yeah, we're not late yet, Finn. It'll be fine."

The boys had decided that the perfect birthday present for Rachel from her girls would be their first professional photographs. They contacted a photographer that specialized in babies and they had discussed what they wanted for Rachel. Their appointment was that afternoon. They fed and changed Sarah and Miri who were both in very good moods. They gurgled and cooed at their daddies and waved chubby fists in the air. Puck blew raspberries on Sarah's tummy and she squealed and tried to grab his ears. Finn bounced Miri on his knee and she grinned toothlessly at him. Both men were completely ensnared by their tiny daughters.

The photography session went very well. The photographer managed to get several adorable pictures of Miri and Sarah. Finn and Puck approved the ones they wanted and the photographer promised that they'd be ready in a week.

All in all it had been a productive day and Finn and Puck walked with a happy bounce in their steps. Puck carried the stroller and Finn had a firm grip on both girls as they marched up to their apartment. They breezed into the apartment and swept Rachel up into exuberant hugs and passionate kisses. She blinked several times and looked at each man carefully. They each sported a silly, proud grin. Hmmm.

"What have you two been up to?" She asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Puck said nonchalantly. "Can't two guys just show their mutual affection for the mother of their children?"

"And the love of their lives," Finn added.

"Nice save," Rachel said with a pointed look at Puck who shrugged and kissed the top of Rachel's head.

"Sorry, shorty. You are, you know."

"I know." Rachel said quietly with a smile.

*glee* *glee* *glee* *glee* *glee*

"Kurt, is it wrong to be disgustingly happy?" Rachel asked one day over lunch. Kurt looked up from his deconstructed salad and frowned for minute.

"I don't think so, Rachel. Remember all the years you spent trying to pretend that Puck and Finn weren't exactly what you needed or wanted? You were miserable. Successful as hell, but miserable." Kurt said slowly. Rachel nodded.

"So being successful as hell and having the boys and Sarah and Miri is okay?" She persisted.

"Why the hell not? What I am about to tell you I will deny until my dying breath. Rachel, honey, success is wonderful, but it only takes you so far. Success doesn't keep you warm at night and it sure as hell doesn't give a damn if you're happy. Love is what matters. Love in all its many forms. You have friends, two men who love you so much it's sort of sickening and two beautiful little girls. On top of that, Margaret told me about your latest offers. I think you have every right to be disgustingly happy and I also think it's about time."

Rachel gave him a blindingly brilliant smile.

"I think so, too." She said.

A/N: I know that as far as the PBF stories go, this is a very brief chapter. I apologize for the brevity, but I wanted to share what was going on in PBF-land. I will now commence the next chapter. I will not and can not promise that it will be extra long. I will do my best.