Blaine's heart had dropped to his stomach. Tears formed in his eyes and his hands started shaking. "Carole, what's wrong with her?" he choked out.

"My baby," Leroy rushed forward and Burt grabbed his arm, holding him back.

"Rachel?" Carole whispered as she brushed hair off her forehead. She seized Rachel's wrist, feeling for a pulse. "She has a rapid heart beat," she said after a moment.

"Hello?" Noah Puckerman's voice filled the silence that followed. "Um my friend just fainted and I think she might need some help." Blaine didn't know if he should thank Puckerman or resent him. No one said it was serious enough for a 911 call but his heart was in the right place.

"Carole, what's wrong?" Kurt's comforting voice said from beside Blaine. He slipped his hand into Blaine's and stared at the two of them on the couch.

Running her hand up to Rachel's neck, Carole said, "I'm working on that Kurt." She then touched Rachel's stomach and Blaine felt himself shiver, worry for his daughter consuming his thoughts.

Letting go of Kurt's hand, Blaine knelt down beside Rachel and placed his own hand on her belly. He bent over and kissed it gently. "I'm right here, my love," he whispered to his daughter.

A soft moan escapes Rachel's mouth and Blaine stared at her intently. The whole room appeared to be holding its breath. "Rachel, can you hear me?" Blaine asked, tears forming in his eyes.

A gentle grip on his shoulder told him that Kurt was behind him. "Sweetie," he said quietly.

Eyes fluttering open, Rachel took one look at Blaine and began crying softly. "S-sorry," she choked out.

"Hey, shh," Blaine stroked her cheek softly. "Don't speak. It's okay."

"Rachel, honey, take a deep breath. Relax. We have help on the way," Carole told her from beside him. She coached Rachel through several deep breaths, holding her hand tightly.

Letting out a shaky breath, Rachel closed her eyes. She placed her hand on her belly and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Tears rolled down Blaine's cheeks, and the only thing keeping him calm was the gentle motion of Kurt's hand rubbing his shoulder. He stood up when the paramedics finally arrived and backed into Kurt, who tightly wrapped him in his warm embrace. Blaine rested his head on Kurt's chest and watched the paramedics work. He tried to concentrate on the comforting sound of Kurt's heart beat.

When Rachel's body was lifted on to a stretcher, Blaine heard Sam say, "What do you want to do about everyone else? We can't all go to the hospital and Blaine can't stay here."

"Can you hold down the party for a while? I need to be with him," Kurt said quietly. "Don't make people feel like they have to rush out but we're going to head over to the hospital now."

"Yeah, man. Mercedes and I will take care of everything," Sam said.

"Should someone go with her?" Leroy asked, drowning out Kurt's quiet thanks to Sam.

"Carole," Blaine said through his tears. She turned to face him and he quietly pleaded. "Please. You know what's happening more than anyone else. Be with her. Keep her safe."

"Are you sure? You don't want to go?" Carole placed a hand on his arm.

Shaking his head, Blaine whispered, "Please." He couldn't do it. He couldn't handle the strain that came with the worry he felt. Blaine's small body trembled in Kurt's arms and he knew he would break if he was separated from his boyfriend now.

"We'll be right behind you," Kurt reassured her, stroking Blaine's hair softly.

Kissing Blaine's tear-stained cheek, Carole said, "okay. Don't worry, sweetie. Everything's going to be fine." She rushed out the door after Rachel and Blaine sighed heavily, feeling exhausted. He buried his face in Kurt's chest and let tears continue to roll down his cheeks.

"Come on, babe," Kurt said softly. "Let's go."


Blaine paced the waiting room at the hospital, hoping for some answers. The couple hours they had been there felt like an eternity, and Blaine was feeling like he was losing his mind... or his patience... or both.

How did this happen? One minute they were all enjoying a celebration with friends and family and the next moment they were here. Where did things go wrong?

Rachel had seemed okay. Yes, Blaine had noticed how pale and uneasy she seemed, but her sudden collapse had been a complete surprise. What had changed? She was enjoying their gifts and it was the engagement announcement that seemed to cause panic.

Her dads, Burt, Kurt, and Blaine made their way to the hospital. Carole had been true to her word and stuck with Rachel. They hadn't seen Carole once since they had gotten there..

After what felt like hours, Carole appeared in the waiting room and went straight to Blaine. She ushered Blaine over to a seat and sat beside him. Taking his hand, she sighed, "You can go see her now. The doctor is talking to her dads but she's asking for you."

"Is she okay? Is the baby okay?" Blaine said urgently. He couldn't read the sorrowful glow in Carole's eyes and he was so desperate for answers.

Carole smiled sadly and said, "Honey, they're both going to be just fine."

"So what happened?" Kurt asked, moving across the room to sit beside Blaine. Kurt grabbed his hand and Blaine felt like he could breathe a little easier.

"It's probably no surprise to you that Rachel's been under a lot of pressure," Carole replied. When Blaine only nodded, she said, "It looks like she had some sort of anxiety attack. I don't know much more than that. I'm not family. I couldn't get direct news from the doctor."

"But why?" Blaine asked, guilt settling it. "Was it our fault?"

"I guess the pressure got the best of her," Carole shrugged. "You have to understand that Rachel's been through a lot. These things just happen, honey."

"So what about the baby?" Blaine asked. "How do you know she's okay?"

"They ran an ultrasound and she appears to be fine. No harm done," Carole stood up. "When you're ready to go back and see her, she's waiting."

"Carole," Blaine said, jumping from his seat.

"Yes?"

"Thank you. I don't know what we would have done without you today," Blaine said, giving her a weak smile. "That was really scary."

Carole's expression softened and she pulled him into a hug. "It's going to be okay, I promise," she whispered.

He pulled back and gave her a smile. "Thank you," he said weakly.

"And Blaine?" she said.

"Yeah?"

If you're going to marry my son, you need to stop calling me Carole and start calling me mom," Carole beamed. "We didn't get a chance to congratulate you but I'm looking forward to welcoming you into our family."

"Thank you," Blaine smiled. A wave of gratitude toward Carole consumed him and Blaine hugged her again. "Thank you for everything."

Kissing his cheek, Carole said, "Go see her. You'll feel better."

Blaine nodded. He turned to Kurt, who gently kissed his lips. "Do you want to come with me?" he asked hopefully. "I can't do this without you."

"Of course," Kurt nodded, taking his hand and leading him down the hallway. He was grateful he had Kurt to guide him. The bustle of nurses seemed like a blur against Blaine's hazy thoughts.

The moment they entered Rachel's room, Blaine could hear the steady, rhythmic beat of her heart monitor. It relieved him to know she was no longer in a frantic state.

"Hey," Kurt said soothingly, sitting on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she croaked. "Mostly I just feel stupid. I had been losing my mind all week. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened. I should have taken better care of myself."

"You should have talked to us," Kurt placed his hand on top of hers. "I had no idea you were feeling like this."

"I should have done a lot of things. I could've really caused harm to my daughter. I should have known better," Rachel said, rubbing her belly. "And I feel terrible."

"You've been under so much stress, we understand," Kurt reassured her.

Rachel shook her head, "That's not an excuse. I should have tried harder to tame my stress level." Tears formed in her eyes and she said, "This is so much more than just dealing with my own emotions. It's taking care of the baby and you guys."

"We're okay," Kurt said. "Don't worry about us. Right babe?" He turned to look at Blaine, who had remained near the door this whole time.

Biting his lip, Blaine slowly nodded. He met Kurt's eyes and quickly turned away, fighting back tears. He stared at a spot on the wall. This was too much to take in.

"Sweetie?" Kurt stood up nervously. His concerned eyes were a blue-ish grey color. He watched Blaine closely. "What's wrong?" Kurt asked after a moment.

"I was so scared," Blaine choked out, no longer able to hold back his tears. "I was so scared of losing you or the baby, and this is all my fault."

"Blaine Devon Anderson, this is not your fault in any way," Rachel said firmly. She patted the bed next to her. "Come here. We need to talk about this."

Slowly moving toward her, Blaine sat down on the bed and placed his hand on her stomach. "I never should have put you through so much hell. You never should have been put through that," he whispered.

"It wasn't just you. It was all this deal with Funny Girl and feeling like I'm not ready to be a mom. Yes, I've been heart broken over you but this is not your fault," Rachel said as she reached up and wiped a tear off his cheek. "Please don't feel guilty about this."

"How am I not supposed to feel guilty when this happened after I told you that Kurt and I are engaged?" Blaine asked, unable to stop his tears. "If I had just taken that stupid ring off for the shower..."

"And keep more lies from me?" Rachel asked. "Blaine, I would have been more upset that you lied to me when I did find out," Rachel told him. "It's not Kurt that I'm even upset about, because I love him and I'm happy that he's happy."

"

Then what is it?" He asked.

"It's you," she said quietly. "No matter how hard I try to let go, I miss you. I really loved you, Blaine. You're a lot to lose." Rachel took a deep breath and said, "The idea of you getting married just proves that there really is nothing left to fill that space in my heart."

"You know, I really care about you," Blaine said, brushing her hair behind her ear. "And I feel like this is my fault for breaking your heart."

"I know," Rachel nodded. "That's the worst part. Most people get to break up with their boyfriends, never see him again and move on. But you're here and you care about me. I'm having your baby and somehow I'm supposed to get over you."

"Doesn't that make this my fault?" Blaine asked.

Rachel shook her head, "No because I was the one that begged you to stay for the baby, but I don't even regret that. I want you here, because I can't go through this without you. I need you too much to let you go."

"So you want me around but it hurts to have me around," he concluded. "I don't even know where that leaves us."

Letting out a soft giggle, Rachel said, "I never said it made any sense. It's just how I feel, but that doesn't make it your fault. The only reason anything is your fault is that you were such a perfect boyfriend that you're hard to stop dreaming about."

"Thanks," Blaine sniffed, wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

"But it makes me really happy that Kurt has you, because he deserves the best, and I know from personal experience that he has the best," Rachel smiled. The look in her eyes softening.

"I really love him, Rachel," Blaine said honestly. He bent over and kissed her forehead. "And I love you. I don't want to lose either one of you."

"I love you too,It means so much to me that you're here," she said, repositioning in her bed. "Don't worry, the three of us will work something out."

"How long are they going to keep you?" Blaine asked, changing the subject. Rachel didn't need to worry about anything right now.

She sighed, "I think just a couple days. They want to keep an eye on me for a little bit, but I guess they also have this therapist they want to introduce me too."

"Wait. Are you serious?" Blaine asked, his stomach doing a flip. How was he not supposed to feel guilty when she needed therapy?

"It's for the best," Rachel nodded. "Let's face it, I'm a train wreck. It'll be better for me and for the baby. We're at a critical point in my pregnancy, and we can't avoid something like this again."

"Yeah," Blaine nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I definitely don't want you to be in this predicament again. If it will help you, that's what matters."

"We're going to be okay, Blaine," Rachel smiled, squeezing his hand . "I promise."


Blaine closed his eyes against the gentle touch of Kurt's fingertips along his forehead. Kurt stroked his skin and hummed softly next to him. It was calming and Blaine wished he could stay like that forever.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked quietly, after some time, his hand pausing on his forehead. "You seemed pretty shaken up earlier."

"Mhm," Blaine replied, keeping his eyes shut. Now that Kurt had asked if he was okay, Blaine could feel his emotions resurfacing. He had to fight back more tears.

"At least it wasn't something more serious," Kurt began stroking his forehead again and Blaine let out a shaky breath. "She'll only get better from here."

"Hopefully," Blaine mumbled.

"I know it's a scary situation," Kurt replied.

At this, Blaine rolled on to his side to face his boyfriend. "It's definitely scary. I mean, it's like I'm relying on Rachel to protect my daughter and she's not emotionally stable enough to do that. She has weeks to go and if she's still that unstable..." he trailed off.

"But that's what therapy is for," Kurt told him. He leaned forward and kissed Blaine gently. "I know you feel helpless, because there's nothing you can do."

"I'm just too attached now and the idea of anything happening to her is terrifying," Blaine admitted. "I hate that I can't protect my baby, you know?"

"It's all going to work out," Kurt said, wrapping his arm around Blaine's waist and pulling him close. "And if things get complicated, I'm going to be right here with you."

"Promise?" Blaine asked.

"Have i left you in a complicated situation yet?" Kurt smiled. "I'll always be here for you. I'm too involved. You can't get rid of me."

"No but I can't imagine why you're still around to deal with all the baby drama," Blaine said, feeling reassured. "You've put up with so much already. I was starting to worry that you'd get fed up and leave."

Kurt frowned, "look, I'll admit, sometimes it's hard. I mean, I heard what she told you in the hospital. She's happy for me but it's clear that Rachel is upset about our engagement. I don't even know how to feel about that. I'm so happy with you and it's stressing my best friend out."

"Kurt," Blaine said quietly. "I'm not changing my mind over this. It's going to work out. I've fought for you too hard to give you up now."

"Only because we practically forced Rachel into therapy," Kurt mumbled. "Things would be different if this hadn't happened."

"Do you want me to talk to her about this?" Blaine asked.

"There's nothing to talk about. I don't want to upset her anymore," Kurt said quietly. His eyes full of concern.

"Yes, there is," Blaine replied. Kurt tried to hide that this actually bothered him but Blaine could tell. "I feel like I'm caught between you and Rachel. I can have you and hurt her, or i can get really involved with the baby and leave you feeling left out."

"I don't feel left out," Kurt said shortly.

Hesitating, Blaine said, "I still think we need to find some common ground. You two can't fight over me forever. I'll talk to Rachel."


Burt and Carole sat across from Kurt and Blaine in a small restaurant not far from the apartment. The four of them decided to have a final meal before Kurt's parents' went back to Ohio.

"So you two are really getting married?" Burt asked, drumming his fingers on the table. "I mean, this isn't a joke, right?"

"No," Kurt shook his head. He placed his hand on Blaine's thigh and smiled, "I really love Blaine and I want to spend my life with him."

"So... What about this business with Rachel? What are you doing about that?" Burt continued to question.

Giving a soft chuckle, Kurt said, "Dad, we just announced our engagement. We haven't worked out every detail yet."

"Right," Burt nodded, rounding on Blaine. "But there is something else you need to figure out. I'm guessing, since you just made the announcement, that you haven't told your parents yet."

"No," Blaine said shortly. "and I don't think I'm going to tell them."

"I'm sorry?" Kurt set his glass of water on the table harder than he meant to, causing some of it to spill. He turned to face Blaine. "When did you decide that?"

Blaine shrugged, "why should I tell them? They hate that I'm even with you. There's no way my dad would come to the wedding."

"What about Pam? I'm sure your mom would want to see her son get married. It's not something you want to miss when you're a mom," Carole said quietly. "Being that I never got to see Finn get married, I am beyond thrilled to see Kurt get married."

"Aww," Kurt beamed at his step-mother.

"My mom follows my dad around like a lost puppy. When he calls, she's there. If he tells her to stay the hell away from me, she will. I'm not inviting them," Blaine said firmly.

"Honey, I think you should at least invite your parents," Carole said, reaching out to touch his arm. "They might decline but they'll also be hurt if they don't even get invited."

"So I'm supposed to face rejection because I can't hurt their feelings," Blaine slumped back in his seat. It wasn't fair. His parents had already hurt him so much.

"You don't have to though," Burt replied.

Carole nudged his arm, "it's just a kind gesture. If you reach out to them, it might improve your relationship with them. At least consider it, okay?"

"Yeah," Blaine said quietly. It wasn't likely, and he still wasn't going to try, but agreeing would get Carole off his back.

Kurt squeezed his thigh and said, "oh, Carole, I wanted to ask you about wedding plans. Would you do me the honor of helping me? I used to dream of planning my wedding with my mom when I was a kid and this is my best opportunity."

Tears formed in Carole's eyes and she said, "Yes, sweetie. Of course I will."

They began to discuss the wedding, leaving Blaine's parents out of the conversation. Bylaine felt grateful that Kurt stepped in for him. He always knew how to make Blaine feel better.


Rounding the corner into Rachel's room, Blaine saw a woman standing at the end of her bed with a clipboard in his hand. "Hello?" Blaine said awkwardly.

"Hi!" Rachel smiled sweetly. She already seemed to be forcing herself into a better mood, and Blaine didn't know if it was for the doctors or for herself. "Blaine, this is Doctor Peterson. This is my ex-boyfriend, the one I was telling you about."

"The baby's father," Doctor Peterson held out a firm hand for Blaine to shake. "I came in to get acquainted with Rachel and discuss our future therapy sessions."

"Oh," Blaine said, slightly surprised. The idea has been mentioned but knowing Rachel was really doing this brought that unsettled guilt back into his stomach.

"I think we've covered everything," Doctor Peterson glanced over her clipboard one more time. She gave Rachel a handshake and a gentle smile as she said, "I will see you on Friday Rachel. Take it easy, okay?"

"Thank you," Rachel said quietly. When the doctor was out of sight, she sighed heavily and said, "I hate this. I don't want to spend every Tuesday and Friday morning talking to a stranger about you and Funny Girl and all this hell that's consumed my life."

"It'll help," Blaine offered, thinking about what Kurt told him the night before.

"I know," she frowned. "And I definitely can't go through this again."

"It was scary," he admitted.

"I know," Rachel said, as Blaine took a seat on the bed. She grabbed his hand and said, "it really hurts me to see how upset you were yesterday, and I'm really sorry, Blaine. This is your daughter too and I can imagine how you feel."

"But it's not just her, I'm worried about you too. I didn't know you were under this much stress. I thought you were doing okay," Blaine said truthfully. "If I had just given you more attention, I would have known what was going on in your mind."

"I had to be okay, because otherwise I would have been here sooner. I tried to act like I was fine," she shook her head. "I've held a lot of emotion back because I knew I had to."

"I knew the engagement would be too much," Blaine mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "That's what set you over the edge."

"No, it's fine," Rachel said quietly.

"So this doesn't bother you at all?" He raised an eyebrow. "I expected it to bother you somewhat."

Hesitating, Rachel said, "I had a lot of resentment for what happened between us, Blaine. And it's taken a lot for me to get used to the idea of you being with Kurt. I'm happy that you have each other but I'm also bitter, because let's face it, I'm selfish." Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, Rachel continued, "I felt betrayed. I never expected my best friend to steal my boyfriend and it hurts. And yes, I'll admit, the engagement set off a new round of emotions. It just made me realize how unreal our love was. I would have said yes the moment you proposed. Sometimes I hoped for it and it never happened... But you two were so quick to jump into marriage." She bowed her head. "It hurt, you know? It made me realize how one-sided we were."

"I loved you, Rachel," Blaine said calmly. He took his hand and placed it under her chin, lifting her head to meet his eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"It's over. It's done," Rachel shrugged. "I'm just doing my best to pick up the broken pieces."

"You held yourself together so well," he told her. "But I'm glad you're getting help."

"I had to," Rachel said, tears forming in her eyes. "I knew that pushing you and Kurt away completely would have broken me in half, and I knew I'd be better off just having you around."

"So how do I know rubbing this engagement in your face isn't going to cause more damage? You're already here," Blaine pointed out.

"That's what these therapy sessions are for and..." Rachel hesitated. She bit her lip nervously and said, "I don't want to stand in your way. If marrying Kurt is the right thing for you than I want you to marry Kurt."

"I need you to mean that, Rachel, because I have to protect him. I know that he's worried that you're upset and it's bothering him. I hate that he's upset, and I hate that there's this wedge between you too," Blaine said, grabbing her hand. "I'm that wedge between you too and I don't know what to do."

"Are you sure I'm not the wedge between you and Kurt?" Rachel said, scrunching her fact to fight tears. "Or is Kurt the wedge between you and the baby? It's like, somewhere in our circle, there's something in the way, and it's a different problem for all of us."

"I'm really at a loss, Rachel. I don't know what to do, because it seems like, no matter what I do, someone is going to get hurt," Blaine replied. "We've hit a brick wall."

Sighing, Rachel said, "I've been thinking about that a lot lately, especially over the last couple days. I'm stuck somewhere between wanting Kurt to be a part of our family and feeling like I might be in the way."

You're not in the way. She's your baby," Blaine said. "It's just that I want both of you to be a part of this family, and I don't know if that's going to work."

"No one should feel left out. I don't want Kurt to feel like he's on the outside when it comes to parenting. I mean, he will be your husband." Taking a deep breath, Rachel said, "I think I have a solution."

"What are you talking about?" Blaine raised an eyebrow.

"I have an idea but I need to talk to Kurt," Rachel replied.