Wow, thanks so much for the reviews on the last chapter. I really enjoyed reading them. I'm pretty convinced I have the best readers, I always feel so happy when I get an e-mail saying I have a new review. I'm thinking this story will be 60 chapters, but I'm not sure - I don't want to say goodbye to it and to Allie! The plan is for it to end with the last Glee wedding (those of you who've read Barely Breathing know that's Jake and Harmony's) but there is only one other wedding (Joe and Kitty's), and less than two years left between now and the end of Barely Breathing. I'll see what happens. Anyway, thanks for all the support and review if you want me to continue! Can you guys believe Allie's already nine? (And after the last party, I thought she deserved a nice birthday.)

Chapter 53: Nine Years Old

"I can't believe she's turning nine," Finn said as he and Rachel got ready to send out an e-mail to Allie's friends' parents, telling them that they'd be having a party in their apartment complex for Allie in a week.

"Me either!" Rachel agreed. "Gosh, only two years left of elementary school."

"At this time next year, we'll be getting Caylie ready to start preschool," Finn pointed out.

"I know!" Rachel said. "It's crazy." She thought for a moment before she spoke to Finn again. "Finn - I love our girls, but would you like the idea of having maybe another kid?"

Finn got one of his famous half smiles. "I'd love to. Let's go start trying right now."

"Whoa, Finn, both the girls are awake," Rachel giggled. "But a boy for you to play football and video games with would be nice, too."

"Hey, I'd love a third girl, too," Finn said. Then they heard a knock on their door. They looked and saw Caylie. "Mommy, Daddy, play with me?" Caylie asked.

"Sure we can!" Rachel said as they went into Caylie's room.

"When do I get a big girl bed?" Caylie asked.

Finn and Rachel exchanged a glance. They had noticed that at night, Caylie was getting a little big for her crib. "Soon," Finn said.

"Yay!" Caylie said. She ran to her play kitchen and got out three tea cups. "We're going to have a tea party."

Tea parties were Caylie's favorite game. She poured some "tea" for Finn and Rachel and then they played together. When they finished playing with Caylie, Rachel went to Allie's room to check on her oldest daughter. She felt bad that Allie and Mia hadn't talked since the gift card incident, and she wanted Allie to be able to celebrate her birthday with her oldest and best friend.

"Hey Allie," Rachel said as she came in and saw her daughter reading a book.

"Hi Mommy," Allie said. "I wish summer wasn't ending so soon."

"I know you do," Rachel said. "I don't get to see you guys as much during the school year because so many of our shows are in the evening."

"Mom, I know what I want you and Dad to get me for my birthday," Allie announced.

"You do?" Rachel asked.

Allie nodded proudly as Coda came into her room. She smiled as she pet her dog. "I'd like tickets to go see Harry Potter. Gracie said the stage tour is coming to New York in December. I want to see it."

Rachel should have seen this coming. Allie's favorite book series was Harry Potter, and a live action play of the first book was traveling around the United States. Allie had already read all the books and seen all the movies. "I'll see what we can do," Rachel said. "Just in case we succeed in getting tickets, how many would you like?"

"Four, of course," Allie said. "One for me, one for Gracie, one for Abby and one for Mia."

Rachel sighed with relief, knowing that Allie still considered Mia her friend. "Have you talked to Mia?"

"Well... no," Allie admitted. "But I miss her."

"I miss her, too," Rachel said. "You know, Allie, I'm sure the whole gift card thing was just a misunderstanding. We found Mia's gift card, and her mom told me she knows you would never do that."

Allie sat quietly for a few moments. "Maybe I got too upset. I think I'll call her."

"Good idea," Rachel said as she left Allie's room.

x

That evening, Rachel had a show on Broadway, so Finn was home with Allie and Caylie. Allie's school supplies shopping had to be done, so Rachel had told Finn before she left to take Allie to Office Max to do the shopping. Finn thought Rachel would have been better suited for that job, but he didn't protest. Luckily, Allie was good at finding her supplies. Caylie was being a bit impatient, so Finn was glad that Allie was finding her supplies pretty quickly. Then he saw someone familiar.

"Hi," Mia said, coming over to Allie. Allie had called Mia earlier, but hadn't heard back yet.

Allie looked at her friend. "Hi."

"What are you doing here?" Mia asked.

"Getting school supplies," Allie said. "What about you?"

"I'm also getting school supplies," Mia said. "Allie, I'm sorry."

Allie looked at the floor.

"I am sorry," Mia said. "And my dad said he's sorry, too. You've been my friend since like forever. I know you wouldn't take my gift card."

"Of course I wouldn't take your gift card," Allie said. "I wouldn't take anyone's gift card, especially not yours."

"Hi Mia!" Caylie said.

Mia looked over and smiled. "Hi Caylie."

"I miss you," Allie said.

"I miss you too," Mia said. "I'm sorry I said you took my gift card."

"And I'm sorry I got so mad," Allie said, giving her friend a hug. "I don't want to have fourth grade being mad at you!"

"Yeah, you two are in the same class," Finn said.

"Yes!" Mia said, giving Allie a high five. The school hadn't sent class lists to the families yet, but since Finn was a teacher at the school, he had access to the class lists.

"I wouldn't want you two to be mad at each other all year," Finn said. "Plus, Allie's birthday wouldn't be her birthday without you there."

"Yeah, your birthday is coming, Allie," Mia said.

"I told my parents that I want tickets to see the Harry Potter live action play," Allie said, giving Finn a look. Finn did his best to look neutral, he didn't want to reveal that after Rachel told him that, he'd gone online and gotten tickets to for Allie, Mia, Abby and Gracie to see the play.

Mia's mom came over. "Hi Allie. Hi Finn. Hi Caylie. Looks like you two girls have made up."

"Hi Karen," Allie said. "Yes we did. We're both getting school supplies."

"Yeah, Mom, we need to get Allie's birthday present," Mia said.

"I guess we do," Karen said. "We'll see you soon."

As Mia and her mom left, Finn turned to Allie. "I'm glad you two made up."

"Me too," Allie said.

x

About a week later, Finn and Rachel were decorating the living room for Allie's birthday party. Allie wanted to open her presents from her parents as well, but they'd told her to wait until her friends got there. So while her parents were decorating (Allie had offered to help, but they told her she didn't have to because it was her birthday), Allie was playing with Caylie in her room. Caylie was helping Allie get her American Girl dolls into the new doll outfits Burt and Carole had sent her for them. Then Finn came into the room. "Allie, Caylie, someone's here."

Allie and Caylie went into the living room and saw Kurt and Blaine with their kids. This week they had the kids, Santana and Brittany had gone to Lima to visit their families. "Hi guys!" Allie said.

"Happy Birthday Allie!" Bryan said, giving his cousin a hug.

"Thank you!" Allie said.

"We thought we'd drop off your gifts before your friends come over," Blaine said. "We have Santana and Brittany's gift for you, too."

"Thanks for coming," Allie said as she took the giftwrapped boxes. She opened Kurt and Blaine's gift first. It was some new music sheets for her viola. "I love it! Thanks!"

"Open ours!" Emily said.

"I think she should open your mommies' gift now," Kurt said to his daughter as Allie opened Santana and Brittany's gift. It was set of earrings in her birthstone.

"These are so pretty!" Allie said.

"I'll be sure to tell them you said that when we skype with them tonight," Kurt said. "Now, want to open your cousins' gift?"

"Of course!" Allie said.

"Yay!" Julia said as Allie began opening the gift her cousins had gotten her (well, the gift Kurt, Santana or Brittany had chosen for her cousins to give her). She opened it and saw a book by her favorite author. "Thanks guys!"

"She likes it!" Bryan said.

"Of course I do," Allie said.

"Can they play with us?" Caylie asked.

"Yeah, until my friends get here," Allie said. She and Caylie played with their cousins for a little before they left with their dads. When their cousins had left, Finn and Caylie left to pick up the pizza for the party, and Allie was home with Rachel. Allie was setting up her other birthday presents to show her friends. She'd also gotten viola music from Rachel's dads and from Shelby and Beth, and Sam, Mercedes and James had sent her some as well. Ryder, Marley and Olivia had given her a bracelet when she saw them a few days ago, and Puck, Quinn, Daniel and Bailey had sent her the new Taylor Swift CD. Mike, Tina and Evan; Artie, Betty and Jacob; Jake and Harmony; Rory and Sugar; and Joe and Kitty had all sent her gift cards or money.

"Are you having a good birthday?" Rachel asked Allie.

"A great birthday," Allie said.

"I can't wait until you open our present!" Rachel said.

"Then why didn't you give me my present when I opened my grandparents' presents?" Allie asked.

"We want you to open it when you get your friends' presents," Rachel said as Finn and Caylie got back.

"We got the food, Allie," Caylie said as Finn put the ice cream cake in the freezer and the pizza on the table.

"Great!" Allie said. Soon after Finn and Caylie got home, Mia, Abby and Gracie arrived for the party, and some other girls from Allie's school and activities came as well. The girls watched a movie as soon as they arrived, and then Finn and Rachel took them to the apartment complex's pool for a swim. When the girls got back to the apartment, Allie opened her presents from her friends. After the rest of the girls left, Mia, Gracie and Abby stayed to sleep over, and Finn and Rachel gave Allie a gift box. "In a way, this is for all four of you," Rachel said.

Allie got surprised. She'd already gotten two books, a bracelet and some sheet music from her parents earlier. She began to open the box and saw tickets to see the Harry Potter live action play. "TICKETS TO HARRY POTTER!"

"That's what you wanted, isn't it?" Finn asked.

"YES!" Allie shouted as she hugged both her parents. "THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

"And we got tickets for all four of you to go together," Finn said to the girls.

"Wow, that's so exciting!" Mia said.

"I can't wait!" Gracie added.

"We thought you girls would like to go, too," Rachel said.

"Thank you so much!" Mia said. Allie smiled at her friend, glad they were friends again.

"Are you guys ready for some ice cream cake?" Rachel asked.

"Yes!" all four girls shouted as Rachel brought out the cake. Allie couldn't believe her parents had gotten her what she wanted. It had been a pretty great birthday, spending it with her family and friends and getting so many good presents.

Chapter 54 preview: Allie decides to run for student council at her elementary school and Finn and Rachel help her with the campaign. Another Glee couple comes to New York.