I didn't expect to have the next chapter ready so quickly! Guess I've just really been enjoying writing :) Just to warn you guys there is some sad stuff in this chapter. I promise the story will get happier in the next chapter.

This chapter is dedicated to Lula, one of my dearest RP friends and a big Quick shipper, and her friend Maja. I really appreciate your guys' support :)

Chapter 14: I Hear You Calling

Emma had trouble sleeping that night. She felt bad about Beth and worried about her relationship with Nick. Her mom had asked her and Sarah to share the bed because she felt "huge." Sarah and Rachel were both sound asleep and Emma was awake.

The next morning, she asked Rachel if they could find a pool for her to go practice for swimming championships at. She just wanted to get her mind taken off everything. Rachel got them into the Lima University pool for two hours. Rachel understood, and suggested Ryan go to practice too, and for Sarah to just go with them and swim in the leisure pool. Rachel and Finn both said that their kids had spent more time in hospitals than any kid should.

Emma and Sarah had changed into their bathing suits and were waiting for Ryan on the deck. When Ryan came out, Emma looked at him. "What took so long?"

"I was just calling to see if our warmup was the same," Ryan said, but Emma could tell that something else was going on. Had he called Nick?

"It's the same?" Emma asked.

"Yeah," Ryan said. He jumped into one of the lanes, leaving Emma on her own.

Emma still remembered the routine the coaches had them do for practice on their own. The warm up was 400 yards freestyle, 300 yards kick, 200 yards arms, 100 yards stroke medley. Then they did 2500 yards total - 300 yards build, 300 yards descend, 100 yards kick, 100 yards arms, 50 yards freestyle 8 times, 25 yards kick eight times, 25 yards sprint six times, 25 yards of their special stroke six times... it was intense, but championships were coming up. She began feeling excited for championships, more than she had been before. If they ended up winning at championships it would be pretty special. She knew she'd be swimming the 50 yard freestyle and the 100 yard backstroke at championships, and also be doing the backstroke leg of the 200 yard medley relay.

Emma's mind was pretty clear after doing the full practice. She did feel bad about being out of town with both swimming championships and show choir regionals coming within the next few weeks.

"So, how was your workout?" Ryan asked Emma after he finished his own warmup. He'd finished before her, which wasn't a surprise.

"It was good, how was yours?" Emma asked.

"It was also good," Ryan said. "We should get Sarah and then head over to see Beth."

They got Sarah from the leisure pool and then went to the locker room to shower. As Emma began going through her bag, she saw her phone ringing. Nick's name popped up on caller ID.

"Could you get that?" she nervously asked Sarah.

Sarah picked up the phone. "Hello, Nick. Let me tell you, nobody breaks my sister's heart. Only I'm allowed to piss her off."

Emma groaned. "Sarah!"

"Oh, you want to talk to her and you AREN'T breaking her heart?" Sarah said. "Okay, here she is."

Emma took the phone. "Hey Nick. Sorry about her... she's... well, she's ten."

"Eleven in a few weeks!" Sarah interjected.

"Is everything okay?" Nick asked. "Ryan called about two hours ago and explained the situation... I'm sorry I got so mad at you. Grace also told me last night that there was an emergency."

"Well, between Ryan and Grace, I guess you know," Emma said.

"I'm so sorry," Nick said. "I can't believe how stupid I acted... not everything's all about me."

"In my world, everything is!" Emma said.

"And it's all about you in my world, Emma," Nick said. "How's Beth doing?"

"She could be better," Emma said. "I don't know if Ryan told you, but she lost the baby. They'll be taking it out by c-section in a few days, they just want her to get some of her strength back."

"Tell her my family's thinking of her," Nick said.

"I will," Emma said. "I probably need to go now, my dad's picking us up to take us back to the hospital, we were just practicing for swimming championships at the pool." Then she almost forgot the reason why he'd gotten mad at her. "We'll work out something to do to make up for Valentine's Day when I get home."

"Okay, bye Emma," Nick said.

"Bye Nick," Emma said.

Emma went to go join Sarah in the shower. "Well, if a boy ever DOES break my heart, I know who to have talk to him."

"That's right," Sarah said. "And you can handle the guys who break my heart."

"Oh, they should be afraid, VERY afraid," Emma said. The girls showered, changed into their street clothes, met up with Ryan and went upstairs to meet up with Finn.

"How's Beth?" Emma asked when they got in the car.

"She seemed a little better, I didn't see her for very long," Finn said. "Shortly after I dropped the three of you at the pool, Mike and Tina called and asked if I wanted to bring Grant to their house, since their son George is his age. That way, he won't be stuck in the waiting room all day."

"Yeah, all afternoon yesterday, he wouldn't stop talking about how bored he was," Sarah said.

"It's because he's three," Finn said, pulling into the hospital parking lot.

Going back into the hospital was already bringing back bad vibes. Maybe yesterday it hadn't hit Emma as hard because everything was happening at once, but today, hospital related memories were coming back. She'd spent the first half of fifth grade in hospital waiting rooms as Jack had battled cancer, spending the limited amount of time that children were allowed in the rooms with him. At ten, she hadn't even fully understood cancer, but she knew that it meant that things were bad. Jack's death had devastated her considerably. Then in eighth grade, she'd been bullied so severely that she ended up going to the hospital. It ended up just being stitches in her forehead and a sprained wrist, but she remembered clearly what those girls had done to her throughout sixth and seventh grade. The pushing, the punching, the kicking, the name calling... The three girls who'd bullied her were now at other schools after having been kicked out of the Heights system for their bullying, but she still lived in fear of bullies and getting hurt again.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked Emma.

"Yeah, just being in the hospital brings back bad memories," Emma said.

Finn put his arm around Emma. "Believe me, if it was up to me, we'd only be going to hospitals for Zoe's birth and then not for another ten or fifteen years - when you guys start having kids."

They went into Beth's room. Beth still seemed pretty shaken up and upset about everything when they went in.

"They told me in two days they can do it," Beth told Emma and Ryan. "It's just so sad. Even if I was giving the baby to another family, I was hoping I would at least get to hold him or her once."

"Beth, do you want us to have a small service for your child?" Quinn asked. "I'm sure my church would be willing to do something."

"Maybe," Beth said. "It might make me feel better."

Quinn gave Beth a hug. "Whatever you want, sweetie."

"Thanks Mom," Beth said. "I mean Quinn... sorry about that."

"Beth, please, if it's okay with Shelby, I have no problem with you calling me Mom," Quinn said.

"We both are your moms," Shelby said.

Beth smiled. Emma knew this made Beth happy. "Thanks, Mom."

"How's Zoe?" Beth suddenly asked Rachel. Emma looked at her mom, telling that Rachel felt slightly uncomfortable at this time. Rachel hadn't mentioned Zoe in front of Beth since they arrived.

"She's kicking right now," Rachel said.

"Rachel, can I feel?" Beth asked.

"Of course you can," Rachel said. She went over to Beth's bed. Beth put her hand on Rachel's stomach.

"Maybe you should tell her now," Emma whispered to Rachel. Shortly after Beth got pregnant, but had decided not to keep the baby, Emma suggested to her parents that Beth be Zoe's godmother, so they could have a special connection.

Rachel smiled at Emma. "Beth, Emma suggested this to us a while ago, and we were wondering if you'd like to be Zoe's godmother."

"I'd love that!" Beth said. "Who's her godfather?

"We're going to ask Ally if she wants to be Beth's other godmother," Finn said. "Rachel and I figured both our sisters are old enough at this point."

"I love you guys," Beth said.

x

The next few days Beth's spirits got better, but the day the c-section arrived was very, very sad. The hospital only allowed two people in the room with Beth during the procedure and she'd requested Puck and Quinn. The Hudson family sat in the waiting room with Shelby. Even a few hours after the procedure, they still hadn't called in. Finally, Quinn came into the waiting room. "She wanted a few hours just to be with us," she told them. You can come see her now."

Sarah was allowed in the room now since Beth had been moved to another floor. After arguing with the hospital staff, Finn and Rachel had convinced them to let them bring Grant with them.

Emma's heart broke when she saw Beth. Beth had her face buried in Puck's chest, and he was rubbing her back. She couldn't even lift her face out from his chest.

Beth eventually looked them in the eye and just began crying.

x

The service for Beth's baby was two days later at the church Quinn attended. As Beth wanted, it was a very small service. Just Beth, Shelby, Puck, Quinn, Adam, Maddie, the Hudsons, Quinn's mother, Puck's mother and Puck's sister Abbey with her husband Mark and two-year-old son Seth. Beth's baby had been a boy, and Beth named him Mason Dylan Corcoran. He was cremated, and the ashes were at the service, but Beth would be taking them home. Emma just felt so bad looking at Beth. It reminded her of Jack's funeral, but at least she'd known Jack for five years. Beth had never known her son.

x

That evening, the Hudsons returned to Cleveland, the kids going back to school the next day. Emma was actually kind of relieved to be going back to school. It had been a VERY stressful week. She saw Nick at his locker and approached him as she entered the hallway. She still felt guilty about what had happened, how she'd tried to keep a secret from him. They'd talked on the phone last night, but focused on what had happened with Beth.

"Hi," Emma said.

Nick closed his locker and looked at Emma. "Hi."

"I'm sorry," Emma said. "I should have told you what was really happening."

"I'm sorry," Nick said. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so quickly."

"It's okay," Emma said. "After what happened with Mackenzie, I can see why you're so concerned about cheating."

"You wouldn't do that to me," Nick said. "I know you. And I love you." They pulled each other in and embraced. "We can do something this weekend, okay?"

"Okay," Emma said. "I'm just so sorry. This was my first Valentine's Day with a boyfriend..."

"Hey, hey, don't be hard on yourself," Nick said. "You got the candies and the balloons and the flowers, right?"

Emma smiled. "Yes I did. The dark chocolate with the mint filling was my favorite." She always could count on her boyfriend to make her feel better.

Chapter 15 preview: The Gold Stars have a duets competition to see who will get the duet at Regionals. Emma, Ryan, Nick and Ava compete at the swimming sectional championships. Finchel and Nicma moments.