A New Direction
Rating: M (to be safe)
Spoilers: Current through 2x22
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own anything relating to Glee. That honor is reserved for the wonderful Ryan Murphy and Fox.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read or reviewed this story. It means the world to me. xx
-.-.-.-.-
Light pooled around Rachel, cutting through the dimness of the second story of their apartment. She sat alone, bent over the spiral notebook where she kept her final checklist for the party. It was very late, she could tell that without even glancing at the cellphone that sat by her side, but she didn't feel tired. Will was going to be home soon and she made herself a vague promise to try to go to bed when he did.
As if on cue she heard Will's keys in the lock, the soft thud of his bag the only other noise he made as he closed the door softly behind him. He knew she'd be up, she always was when he got home. He could see Maddy's light pink door was ajar from where he stood in the entryway and the apartment was quiet. Which meant he had to be as well.
He crept into the kitchen, grabbing the leftover Chinese food Rachel had ordered the night before and crept up the stairs to join his wife. He knew he'd find her bent over her desk, making the final preparations for the party tomorrow. He walked up behind her, both of them so in sync that he knew he wouldn't startle her when he bent down to press a kiss to her head.
"How was your night, darling?" He asked, lounging on the settee that sat across from her desk, taking a bite of the cold lo mein.
"It was fine." Rachel responded, her voice warm even though he could tell she wasn't focused on him. "Monique finally found a way to get Maddy to eat her vegetables. Apparently our foodie daughter will devour haircot verts with garlic and sliced, toasted almonds. I can't get her to eat peas but she will eat that."
Rachel sighed, "I'm not a bad mother am I?" She asked, her fear tripled by her lack of sleep. "I can't even do a simple thing like get her to eat vegetables and Monique can whip out some that are so delicious that she eats two huge servings. Even the almonds."
Will chuckled, "Honey, the battle over vegetable consumption is a fight most parents have, a losing one at that. Don't beat yourself up over it."
"I know," She sighed, hating how much dinner had bothered her. She felt so disappointed in her mothering skills she thought she would cry. She actually had to get up and leave so she wouldn't alarm Maddy. "I'm just worried about the vegetable cups we are having tomorrow. I know Maddy won't eat them, what if the other kids won't as well?"
"I promise, even if the kids pass on them, which I'm not saying they will." He said with a smile as he noticed the panicked looked on her face. "But even if they do, I happen to quite like vegetables. You might have a tough time getting me to leave enough for the kids."
Rachel smiled as he bent down and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you." He said, kissing her. "Try not to go to bed too late."
"I love you more." She called out softy, turning her attention back to her spiral notebook. Everything seemed to be in order for tomorrow and Kurt would be here to help in a few hours.
She looked out the huge window in front of her, a view of the city lights sparkling on the Hudson still thrilling her like it had when they first saw the lavish apartment. It felt like no time had passed since she was in Josh's car on her way to the hospital to have Maddy, yet tomorrow her little girl would be two and was already so very grown up.
Rachel's gaze strayed to her bracelet, the charms having doubled since Will placed it on her wrist two years ago and each one just as special as the previous ones. First was a tiny pretzel for their move to Manhattan, a play on the first street food they had in the city. A tiffany blue cupcake charm was next, placed there to celebrate the opening of the new Manhattan branch of their business. Lastly was a tiny pair of mittens, given to her as they watched the Christmas tree lighting in Rockefeller center, the cold biting their cheeks. It was their first holiday in their new home, the snow almost washing away the drama of the move, giving everything a fresh, crisp feeling.
A lot had happened in two years, a whirlwind of events that led to her sitting at her desk in their apartment in the theater district. Jesse's wedding had been a massive hit making them the go-to wedding planners for the Broadway elite. Business tripled almost overnight leaving Kat more than willing to open a New York branch to accommodate all the referrals and clients, all of which willing to pay top-dollar for their services. Rachel never would've guessed Jesse would have done them such a favor, but all their clients informed them that Mr. St. James sent them.
Kat had considered going herself and hiring assistants to replace Josh and Rachel. She was planning on leaving the two of them to run the Ohio branch themselves now that the three of them equal owners in the company. Ian had dreamed of opening a restaurant in New York since he and Kat attended culinary school together, and with the added business and a boost from Kat's trust fund, she could finally afford to join him.
In the end, Kat couldn't bring herself to leave Josh and Rachel. She promoted Elise, hiring her an assistant to make sure she didn't run the store into the ground, and the three of them started scouting buildings for their new offices. They were doing it, taking this huge step together, but it felt right. They couldn't be apart.
With April's help Rachel was able to convince Will that this was the time to fulfill his Broadway dreams. The role he had turned down years before was offered to him and he took it happily, never forgetting to thank Rachel for pushing him to take the step he had been so scared to before. They found the perfect apartment in the theater district and with a little help from her parents; they bought their first apartment in the city.
The business was still going strong. They were busy enough to require Rachel work from home so the loft area was turned into an office for her and Josh. The company would easily pay a fee to use their loft as an office, leaving Kat and her army of assistants to run the actual hub of the company. Josh claimed it was perfect, centrally located on the island and cut his commute time between meetings down by almost an hour, though Rachel had a sneaking suspicion he just liked being around his little "Elle".
Valentine's Day was their busiest day, with New York brides practically fighting to the death to wed on the famous day of love, but none of them would be attending a wedding today. They had all wordlessly vowed to spend the day with Maddy, their little darling. Even Will was going to stay as long as he could, planning it so he barely had time to get in costume before curtain up.
Rachel yawned, her gaze checking over the Minnie Mouse dress that was hanging off the back of Josh's desk chair. In all her toddler cuteness Maddy had managed to get it out of her closet and cover it with grape juice right before dinner. Rachel immediately laundered it, her keen eyes searching for any sign of a lingering purple stains, but luckily she wasn't finding any.
She yawned as she stood, finally convinced that there was no further planning to be had. Rachel reached over her desk, plucking Maddy's baby monitor off her desk and listening for any sounds of stirring as she checked the baby gate. Satisfied that she was settled, Rachel wandered back upstairs, collapsing on the bed in a deep, dreamless sleep.
-.-.-.-
The buzzing of her phone woke Rachel from her slumber, reminding her to fight the desire to crawl back into bed beside Will and fall back to sleep. Each day the toll of her late nights and early mornings were noticeable, leaving her barely able to think before she had her shower and her first cup of tea. She glanced longingly back at Will's peaceful expression as he slept, jealous that she couldn't join him.
The morning of Maddy's second birthday was no different when it came to her desire to sleep. Rachel rose before her daughter, yawning as she slipped into her robe to head down to the kitchen. She watched the monitor with one eye as she whipped up Maddy's favorite blueberry pancakes, fresh blueberries a must for her little food aficionado. When Rachel saw her stirring, she set the batter aside and pulled out the chocolate cupcake she whipped up for Maddy the night before.
Rachel examined the perfect swirls of pink buttercream as she made her way into the bedroom, a tiny sparkler illuminating the dark hallway. She loved this tradition, waking her up with a birthday cupcake and two forks. It was something they did to quietly celebrate together before starting her big day.
"Good morning, pumpkin." Rachel said, peeking into the room to find Maddy barely visible in her soft blankets. She was glad she had the foresight to grab a small towel or the petal pink cloth would soon be stained with buttercream.
Maddy's chestnut hair was the first to appear from under the blankets, a pretty grin on her face when she saw Rachel. "Mama!" The young girl shouted, clapping.
"Happy birthday, little miss." Rachel said, bending down to kiss her daughters soft hair, which hung down her back in two plaits. "Are you ready for your birthday cupcake?"
Smiling at the young girl's cheers, Rachel blew out the sparkler and handed Maddy her Minnie Mouse toddler fork before sitting next to her on the bed. "Hey, sweetheart. Do you know what today is?"
Maddy nodded, awkwardly stuffing her mouth with cake. Rachel couldn't help but laugh as buttercream smeared across her little cheeks. "You do, do you?" Rachel asked, "How old are you today?"
Without looking up from her cupcake, Maddy held up two fingers before opting to dip one right through the frosting. "That's right princess, you're two! Good job."
Rachel leaned over, kissing the palm of Maddy's little hand, dreading how fast her little girl was growing up. It really had been like no time at all and soon she would be off to school. Shaking her head to clear it of her worry she focused in on Maddy who had finished all the cake and was trying to pick up crumbs from the plate.
"Well, you didn't save Mommy any!" Rachel exclaimed with a smile as she wiped up her daughter. "That's okay though, just don't tell Daddy."
Setting the plate and forks on the nightstand, she picked Maddy up and shooed her toward the kitchen. Kurt and Blaine should be arriving soon which meant she had to get some food in Maddy. Once she saw Blaine there was no hope of getting her to eat on her own. She would demand in her little diva way that her "Unca Bane" feed her and she would patiently wait for him to comply with her wish, which he did every time without complaint.
She had barely settled the pancake on the plate when her front door opened, Kurt yelling, "We're here!" into the huge apartment.
Rachel peeked out of the kitchen, tossing a smile at her favorite couple as they crossed into the dining room. "Hey guys." She called, turning her attention back to cutting Maddy's pancake. "I'll be right out."
"Hey there, Maddy-cakes. Today's your birthday!" Rachel heard Blaine coo at her daughter as she joined them in the dining room, his beaming smile infectious even at this early hour. Everyone seemed to be chipper. Even Kurt seemed fine at being up, a man who was famous for saying there was nothing so important that he had to wake up before 10 am to see it.
Still, knowing her best friend, she passed the plate to Blaine without a word and wandered back into the kitchen to prepare Kurt's coffee. "Thank you, you are a godsend." Kurt groaned happily as he took his first sip from the proffered mug. "It's been quite a morning."
"Celebrate your Valentine's Day early?" Rachel asked coyly as she sipped her tea. She giggled as Kurt glared at her from atop the rim of his mug.
"I'll have you know, Rachel, that gentlemen do not discuss such matters." He said snippily before smiling. "We had important business to take care of. Though, to answer your question, our celebrating won't happen until next weekend. Blaine reserved a place upstate for us."
Rachel swallowed her sip of tea as she nodded. "Sounds lovely." She said, though Blaine had gotten her opinion on the surprise months earlier. She even helped pick out the hotel.
She set her mug down. "Though, if you weren't up for that," Rachel giggled as she earned another glare. "Then why are you up? Is everything okay?"
Kurt smiled, nodding. "Everything is fine. Though we have some news."
At that moment, Blaine entered, a completely empty Minnie Mouse plate in hand and a syrup-free Maddy toddling after him. It never failed to amaze her at how skilled Blaine was at getting her to eat. If she hadn't seen it for herself on countless occasions, she would've thought he'd been stashing her food. Part of her wished he could be around all the time, since no one got Maddy to eat like Blaine. Their apartment was too far away for her liking.
She watched as he rinsed the dish free of syrup before turning to Kurt. "Did you tell her?" He asked, drying his hands with a smile.
Kurt shook his head, "I was about to."
Rachel sighed exasperatedly at their exchange. "Tell me what? Guys, come on, this waiting game is cruel."
Blaine and Kurt exchanged smiles before Kurt turned to her. "We bought our first place!" He shouted, arms wrapping around Rachel as she went to hug him.
"Oh my goodness! That is so exciting!" Rachel said, barely able to contain her glee for her friends. "Where is it? I didn't think your building had anything other than sublease?"
"That's the best part." Kurt said excitedly. He paused for dramatic effect before shouting, "We're going to be neighbors!"
Their shouts of joy echoed throughout the kitchen as they all hugged. Maddy wrapped her arms around Rachel and Blaine's knees, joining the hug before clapping her little hands just like her mommy. "Are you guys really moving in?" Rachel asked, though not sure why she was surprised. Blaine's family did own the building after all.
"Yep, we move in on the first." Kurt said, hugging Rachel again as Blaine picked up Maddy.
"Want us to be your neighbors, Maddy?" Blaine asked, bouncing with her as she smiled at him.
They were all so busy celebrating that they didn't hear Will pad into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. "Good morning my little sweet pea." He said excitedly, grabbing Maddy from Blaine's arms with a smile and giving her a huge hug. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."
"What's everyone doing hanging out in the kitchen?" Will asked, holding Maddy as Kurt made him a cup of coffee.
"They were just telling me that they are moving in!" Rachel said excitedly, clapping as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "Isn't that the best news?"
Will nodded, shifting Maddy in his arms as she clung around his neck. "So you guys decided to take the place?"
Kurt opened his mouth to respond, stopping at Rachel's indignant gasp. "Will Schuester, you knew they were moving in here and you didn't tell me?" She said, aiming a light smack to his arm.
Will ducked her playful smack with a smile. "I didn't know they were. I just happened to be leaving when they showed up with a realtor."
"And we didn't know we were taking the place." Blaine cut in, defending Will. "We made him promise to not say anything until we knew for sure. We didn't want to get your hopes up in case it didn't work out."
"Why wouldn't it work?" Rachel asked, genuinely curious. "Your family owns the building and you always say how much you love our place."
"My uncle Jack owns the building." Blaine said, his tone showing his displeasure for his that particular branch of his family tree. "He and my father haven't always seen eye to eye."
Rachel nodded, remembering Blaine's drunken tale of his father and his uncle from years ago. Two brothers fighting over a girl wasn't the most original story, but the drama as exciting nonetheless. Rachel was certainly happy about his father winning out in the end. If he hadn't, Blaine would have grown up as one of the Upper East Side elite, and she couldn't imagine not having Blaine in her life all this time.
"It all worked out in the end, though." Kurt said happily. "So you have an apartment to help me decorate."
Rachel smiled, knowing she would be going as more of a support system for Kurt than anything else. They both knew that he was the more style-oriented of the two of them. He even decorated Rachel and Will's apartment when they moved in, and everyone agreed it was flawless.
There was a sound of rustling in the hall as Monique, Maddy's nanny, made her way into the kitchen. "Bonjour." She greeted everyone with a smile, setting her bag on the counter as she started unloading the purchases she made for Maddy's party. "How is everyone this morning?"
Their responses were all jumbled together as they answered her simultaneously. Monique just smiled as she turned and held out her arms to Maddy. "Is it time for your bath, ma petite chatte?" She asked, taking her from Will's arms and walking her out of the room.
Though Rachel was technically a stay-at-home mom, having to work from home was more difficult than she had imagined. She adored spending time with Maddy, knowing it was best for her, but there were times when Maddy would need something and Rachel would be in the middle of a call or meeting. Josh would help as much as he could, but the need for a nanny arose anyway. Though, at this point, Monique was more family than hired help. She was devoted to Maddy as much as the little girl was to her, even putting off trips back home to France because she didn't want to leave her.
They all watched Monique leave with Maddy, the sounds of a french nursery rhyme Monique was singing fading as she prepared the little girl for her bath. It was a sudden reminder that they all had a party to prep for and a dwindling time to do it in. Kurt was usual was the first to take charge, clapping his hands in a business-like manner as he turned to them.
"So," He said, a stern look on his face that he hoped would get everyone motivated. "We have three hours to get this party ready. Let's get move on."
-.-.-.-.-.
Rachel had no idea Maddy had so many little friends. Children of varying ages were running around the apartment, leaving destruction in their wake. Expensive sofa cushions were used for forts for the boys, and the girls were leaving trails of fisher price toys around the first floor. She had just plucked a little plastic bunny out of her potted orchid when a wave of fatigue hit her.
Shakily Rachel sat, head in hand as she waited for it to pass. She didn't even need to look up to know who had stepped up to her. "I'm fine, Blaine. Really." She said, trying to inject peppiness into her tone as she looked up at the brunette.
He didn't look sold as he passed her a paper cup of juice. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to just take a minute to yourself?" He asked, hand on her shoulder as he stood next to her. "I'm sure everyone will understand."
Rachel shook her head in response, setting her hands palm down on the tabletop as she stood. "Kurt would kill me if I disappeared." She said with a laugh, though she didn't look any better in Blaine's opinion.
"Let me deal with Kurt. Just go lay down for ten minutes." Blaine insisted, leading upstairs toward her bedroom. They had barely made it through the doorway when the nausea hit and she ran to the bathroom, Blaine right behind her.
"It's okay, Rach." He said softly as he rubbed her back with one hand and held her hair with the other. "Shhh."
As the nausea passed, she flushed the toilet and collapsed on the floor next to Blaine. She rested her head on his shoulder as she waited to stop feeling so drained. "I think I caught Maddy's flu." She said quietly, inhaling the clean smell of his sweater under his cheek. "Do I have a fever?"
Blaine didn't pull away as he settled the inside of his wrist on her forehead as he cuddled her closer. "You don't have a fever." He said, adjusting his sleeve as he lowered his hand back on his lap. "If anything, you're a little cold and clammy."
He chuckled as she elbowed him lightly in the ribs. "I hate being sick." She said, sitting up quickly. "Oh my god, what if I make everyone else ill?"
"No worries, Rach. I'm sure you aren't sick. Maybe it was just something you ate." He reassured her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her against his side.
Rachel nodded, wanting to believe him as she closed her eyes. It felt nice to just sit as her stomach settled. She only hoped that Will had it all handled downstairs.
"What are you guys doing?" Kurt asked, clearly flustered as he peeked into the bathroom. "I've been looking everywhere for you. It's time for the cake."
Kurt was gone before Blaine was even on his feet, his party-planner personality in full effect as he hurried down the stairs. Rachel gave Blaine a look as he helped her gently to her feet. It was in their best interest to get downstairs as soon as possible, despite the sickness she was fighting off.
Rachel followed Blaine down the stairs, still feeling weak as she continued into the kitchen to find Will putting two yellow candles in Maddy's red, polka-dot covered cake. There was something about the was something about cutting into the famous mouse that Rachel found morbid, so Kat had done an excellent job capturing the essence of Minnie without actually using the iconic character.
"Hey sweetie, I was just about to come find you. I had no idea where we put the…"Will looked up as he settled the candles into place, his smile falling at her pallid complexion. "Honey? Are you okay?"
He wiped his hands on a towel before he came to her side, wrapping one arm around her as he felt her head with the wrist of the other. "You don't look so good, darling. Is something wrong?"
Rachel shook her head, taking a moment to rest her cheek against his chest. "I am sure I'm fine. I think I just caught that bug that has been going around Maddy's Mommy and Me classes. I'll be okay, but I probably shouldn't touch the cake just to be safe." She said, stepping back to allow Will to take the cake to the children.
Will washed his hands quickly, grabbing the platter and leading them both out to the dining room where a very excited Madeline sat, waiting for her cake. As Rachel took her spot next to Maddy's chair, Hiram caught her eye, giving her a look of concern. Just as quickly his face was trained back into a smile, gazing lovingly at his granddaughter as he and Leroy launched into the first notes of "Happy Birthday".
Not missing a beat, Hiram was by Rachel's side, as soon as the song was over. "Are you okay, Rachel?" He asked, his voice quiet in the din of the guests.
"I'm fine, Daddy." Rachel said, smiling at him as she watched a couple of kids grab the chocolate cupcakes and take off down the hall. "I think I'm just coming down with something."
Hiram frowned, giving her a quick examination to check her symptoms, a habit he had fallen into during her many times playing sick to avoid a particularly bad bully. No matter how good of an actress she was, she could never fool him and his brow creased the same way as it always had as he stepped back.
"You aren't displaying any outward symptoms. You might just have a bit of a stomach bug. I wouldn't worry about it darling." He said, adjusting his sweater as a few parents came to say goodbye to Rachel, kids in tow.
Hiram smiled at the parents politely before turning back to his only daughter, "Your dad and I wanted to take Maddy to Serendipity for dinner anyway, so why don't we just take her back to our hotel room for the night and give you a chance to rest?" He asked, putting both of his cool hands on either side of Rachel's face and smiling at her. "A nice cup of tea, and a good night's sleep could be just what you need to feel better again."
She nodded, "Thank you, Daddy. That sounds wonderful."
Santana, who was putting on her coat as she walked up, grabbed Rachel's attention with a nod. "Great party, B." The Latina said as she adjusted her scarf. "Me and Brit want to take Mads to the zoo to see the new penguin exhibit on my weekend. Do you and Schue mind?"
Both women turned to where Brittany was sitting on the floor, looking through a picture book with Maddy and quizzing her on her animals. "No, of course I don't mind, San. Maddy will love it." Rachel said with a smile. "Just let me know when and if I'm in a meeting, Monique can have her ready to go."
Santana nodded, silently motioning to Brittany that is was time to leave. The blonde just smiled, her dancer abilities clear as she was up and giving Maddy a hug in seconds.
"Bye bye, Linny." Brittany said, depositing the girl into Rachel's arms with an affectionate smile. She wrapped them both in a hug before bending slightly so she was eyelevel with Maddy.
"We'll pick you up to go see the animals, okay?" She asked, waiting for the little girl to nod before ruffling her fine hair with a smile and following Santana towards the door.
Rachel stood as most of the guests followed their example, gathering up gift bags and coats and saying their goodbyes. Not that Rachel was surprised or bothered; it was still a holiday after all. Soon it was just a handful of family left as Rachel set Maddy down to play with her new toys.
Will came down the stairs, duffle bag in hand. He scooped up Maddy first, giving her a huge hug and a kiss before moving toward Rachel. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?" He asked, his eyes searching hers. "It isn't too late to call Peter and ask him to go on instead of me."
She shook her head, "Don't be silly, Will. I am fine. Daddy is taking Dad and Maddy to Serendipity tonight, so I am just going to rest. He thinks it's just a stomach bug."
"Are you sure?" Will asked, his gaze concerned as he adjusted his bag over his shoulder. "I don't mind."
Rachel laughed, waving him off with a smile. "I'm feeling better already, Will." She said, kissing him on the cheek, mindful to be careful about not making him sick. "Now get going or you are going to be late. I love you."
She watched as he left, collapsing onto the sofa between a napping Kurt and Blaine. Her fathers were having a tea party with Maddy and the peaceful feeling in the apartment had her feeling sleepy. With a yawn she settled her cheek on Blaine's shoulder, as he moved to accommodate her.
"I'm so glad you guys are moving here." Rachel yawned sleepily, stretching her legs out across Kurt's lap as she dozed off. "I missed you guys when you were so far away."
Her eyes were still closed when Leroy shook her shoulder gently, careful to not rouse the sleeping boys next to her. "We're going to go, sweetheart." He whispered, motioning to where Hiram was bundling Maddy in her purple winter coat. "Wanna give Maddy a kiss before we go?"
She nodded, rising shakily to her feet and holding out her arms to Maddy. "Goodbye, pumpkin." Rachel cooed as she picked up her giggling daughter, pressing her cheek to Maddy's cooler one. "Mommy loves you so much. Have fun with your grandpas."
Passing Maddy to Leroy, she hugged each of her fathers as she followed them to the door. Rachel's heart broke a little as Maddy walked to the elevators, waving and saying "Bye Mama" until the doors closed. Sighing, she shut the door. She wasn't sure if it was ever going to get any easier to let her go, even when she was feeling queasy.
At that thought, she felt a wave of nausea pass over her, her heels clicking loudly on the hardwood as she ran to the bathroom to be sick. She flushed the toilet and sank to the floor. Those dang toddlers made me sick. She thought to herself, leaning her head against the cabinets.
"Rach? Rachel?" Blaine called, his voice sounding frantic as he caught sight of her sitting on a bathroom floor for the second time today. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
She shook her head, her eyes closing even tighter with the effort. "I think I am officially sick, Blaine." She said, her voice sounding weak and tired to her own ears.
"Oh honey." Blaine sighed, holding out his hand with a sympathetic smile. "Come on, let's get you set up in bed before Kurt and I clean up."
Rachel shook her head with a groan. "Can't. I need to be near a bathroom. Kurt will kill me if I get sick on our expensive linens." She said, only slightly joking. Kurt was very serious about proper care for fabrics. She didn't want to anger him and have to sit through his lecture on how to properly care for Egyptian cotton. Once was enough in her book.
Blaine didn't say anything, just sank to the floor next to her to wait out her nausea. Rachel smiled at him weakly as his yellow converse knocked into her yellow heels. She thought it was adorable that he was dressed in a Mickey inspired outfit. His red pants matched her red dress perfectly.
"You don't have to stay with me." She said, laying her head on his shoulder.
Blaine scoffed, smiling as he leaned his head on hers. "Now, what kind of Mickey would leave his Minnie in her hour of need?" He asked, plucking at the skirt of her red dress with white polka-dots.
Rachel didn't respond, just closed her eyes as she battled another wave of nausea, her head starting to ache. She was so deep in thought that she didn't realize Kurt anywhere near until he was standing in the doorway to the bathroom, looking down at them.
"Why do I keep finding you two sitting on the bathroom floor? He asked, sighing in frustration. "Blaine, those are $200 BOSS pants."
Blaine didn't respond, only sighed before reaching for Kurt's hand and pulling him down to sit with them. "Rachel's sick so we are being supportive."
"Sick?" Kurt asked. "Are you sure you aren't just pregnant again?"
Rachel's heart skipped a beat, Kurt's laugh barely reaching her ears over her already racing thoughts.
"Rach?" Kurt tried, prodding her shoulder gently. "You aren't. Are you?"
"I don't know." She said, counting in her head, trying in vain to remember her last menstrual cycle. Wide eyed she turned back to the boys. "I think I could be."
Blaine and Kurt looked shell-shocked as they sat in a heavy silence. Kurt was the first to speak, "Okay here's what we do. You need to know, and more importantly, I need to know. Blaine?" He asked, turning toward his boyfriend. "Go down to Duane Reade, get a test. We will wait here for you."
Rachel stayed where she was, watching Kurt's back move down the hallway as he shepherded Blaine towards the door. She settled a shaky hand over her stomach as she waited for Kurt to return. As happy as she was, she refused to get her hopes up. They had been trying to get pregnant for almost a year to no avail. All she wanted at that very moment for it to be true, but she prepared herself for the crushing possibility that she could just be sick.
She tried not to be nervous as Kurt's footsteps drew closer. No one knew they had been trying. Rachel couldn't handle the looks of pity she would get when each month would pass with no results. It was hard enough to face Will and the sad expression that would flicker across his face before he offered up words of encouragement. The idea of getting the same reaction from everyone was just too depressing to imagine.
Her thoughts strayed to a few months ago, breath catching as she recalled a particularly bad moment in their attempted to battle the hopelessness they were starting to feel. They had been shopping innocently enough when she reached the last item on her list, to an item she forgot she added, but sadly, still needed. Tampons. Never had she hated a word so much, and what it's presence on the list meant. She could feel her eyes tear up as she made her way quickly down the aisle, not even breathing as she dumped a box in her cart. She knew she must look crazy, eyes down as she made her way toward the checkout, but she just couldn't bring herself to care. She needed to hold it together, which she almost did until she felt Will take her hand. Without saying anything he wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry against his chest as he whispered reassurances in her ear.
"Here." Kurt said softly, extending a glass of water towards her as he knocked her out of her memory. "I thought since you are going to need to pee, you should probably hydrate."
He watched as she took the glass and took huge gulps of the cool liquid. She had to stop the tears she felt coming. If Kurt saw them he would know, and she was nervous enough without his concern.
Finally, the sound of the front door closing echoed through the apartment. Blaine appeared seconds later, panting as he leaned against the door in an effort to catch his breath. "Here." He panted, practically doubled over as he extended a reusable shopping bag toward Rachel. "I didn't know what to get, so I got one of each."
Rachel took the bag with a grateful smile. "Thanks guys. I'll be just a second." She said, ushering them out and closing the door.
-.-.-.-
Rachel needed a distraction, anything to keep herself from falling into her thoughts. Kurt and Blaine had left hours ago, and the apartment was so quiet, she would swear she could hear a pin drop. When she got like this, all she wanted to do was clean, but Kurt had done such an amazing job picking up after the party that there wasn't a single thing she could even pretend to tidy up.
Frustrated and hungry, Rachel wandered into the kitchen, taking the Minnie cake out of the refrigerator and jumping up on the counter with a fork. She didn't even bother with a plate as she sat there eating. Will found her there a half an hour later, still eating, though much slower.
"Hey honey." He said lightly, his gaze straying to the cake sitting on the counter. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?"
He smiled as he kissed her, his cool lips almost scalded by the warmth of hers. "I'm feeling better." She responded, her expression seeming guarded as he picked up a fork and started eating with her.
"Happy Valentine's Day, honey." Rachel said after a moment, passing him a present with a small smile.
Will grinned, setting his fork down and taking the gift. "Honey, I thought we were going to exchange our presents when we have our Valentine's Day on Monday."
Rachel shrugged in response, still taking small bites out of the cake as he pulled red tissue paper out of the bag and read the card. "Oh honey, it's beautiful." Will said, catching her attention as he lifted the olive green sweater out of the bag.
The fabric matched his eyes perfectly as they twinkled in the overhead lights of the kitchen. "Thank you, darling." He said, giving her another kiss.
She slid another box toward him, careful to watch his face as he took it. "Honey, really you didn't have to do this." Will said, unwrapping the thick package slowly as he smiled at her. "Your love is enough of a present."
Rachel could see him slide the green box out of the packaging, his eyes widening at the name. "You got me a rolex?" He asked, his voice excited as he opened the box quickly.
She could feel herself getting emotional as he opened the box, his shocked, excited expression barely visible through her tears. Inside the box, where the watch should sit, sat a single pregnancy test, it's positive clearly visible.
"You are?" He asked, his voice cracking as he set the box on the counter and went to her, kissing her soundly.
"I love you." He said, between kisses. "I love you, so much."
Tears of happiness were streaming down their faces as Will let out a happy cheer, picking Rachel up into his arms and spinning her around the kitchen, kissing her again as she laughed. He was beaming as he carefully set her back down on the counter.
Will sniffed as he wiped tears from his eyes. "I'm so excited. I can't believe we are going to have another baby. I'm going to be a dad again?" He asked, his voice hopeful as he smiled down at her.
She just laughed again as she nodded emphatically, not trusting her voice to remain steady as she cried. Rachel reached up, kissing him as his new Rolex she was hiding slid down and settled heavily on her forearm. It felt so freeing, sitting here finally being able to tell him yes, that they were going to be adding another baby to their family, one so full of love it could be felt by anyone close enough.
Rachel looked at Will, cradling his cheek with her hand as they stared into each other's eyes. Will had no idea how he had saved her, how his love for her had made her whole again. Thinking back to that moment on his doorstep years ago, the moment where it all changed, she didn't even recognize herself. She was drowning and he saved her. Not by taking charge, but by standing by her side. He was her partner, her equal and her other half. Everything they had been through, the heartache, the pain had been worth it to be sitting here with him at this very moment.
As he raised his hand to interlace their fingers, pressing a kiss to her palm, she reminded herself of the one thing he had always made perfectly clear. No matter what the world would throw at them, how high the obstacle in their path, they will always have each other and the family they created. Theirs was a love worth the journey, a love for the ages.
-.-.-.-.-.
A/N:
Well there you have it. The epilogue. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for going on this journey with me. It means so much that you read my story, if it wasn't for you, I am not sure I could get through this. Your support has meant the world to me. I hope you will enjoy the sequel, because I have so much more of this story to share with you, my wonderful readers. :)
To my Schueberry ladies, hopelessandhelpless, wistful watcher, buffyanne, coconutters, and rainedonmyparade. Thank you for motivating me to finish this. You are an amazing group of girls that I feel blessed to have met.
To Elle:
I am not sure what I would have done without you. You've sat and listened to me prattle on about this story for months now. You have been an amazing friend and my rock though this process and I can never thank you enough.