Mine
Rachel does something she should've done years ago. I don't own Another World or its characters . AU
I decided to just have loosely based scenes. This takes place around February of 1994
"Rachel, what did you want to see me about?" Paulina asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Um, sit down, darling. I was thinking after John and Kelsey's hearing, I hated not being able to do things as your mom. When I signed that consent form, I wasn't thinking about the legalities. My kid was sick, so of course I signed the form. But from a legal point of view, I was the least suited person. Even Matthew, as a legal Cory, would've been better. So, and it's totally ok if you don't want to do this, I'll love you, even if you say no…" Rachel bit her lip, nervously.
"What do you want to do?" Paulina asked.
"I would like to formally adopt you as my daughter. It won't change anything between us but if another situation comes up like when you were sick, I want to be able to deal with it as your mother. You are mine, no matter what, but I want everyone to know that for sure. So there will be no doubt," Rachel noticed Paulina's eyes filled with tears, "Darling?"
"You want me?" Paulina whispered.
"Of course, when you were sick, I was going out of my mind. You are mine, you are mine, just as much as my other kids." Rachel kissed her daughter on the head.
"So how do we do this?" Paulina asked.
"I checked with Cass and it's just some paperwork and appearing in front of a judge. I'm looking forward to having another daughter. I've always wanted another daughter," Rachel said.
"I love you so much. So when do you want to tell the family?"
"I'll call a family meeting to announce my new kid. But I want to tell Amanda first."
Outside, a woman gasped when she overheard the last two sentences. Iris prided herself on her skills at seeking and using information constantly. Rachel is pregnant with Carl's baby. Of course, Iris would figure out how to use this information.
"Rachel-"
"You know you can call me mom. You don't have to wait for the paperwork to be official. If you want, I don't want to pressure you…."
"Mom. I have a mom. Well, you've been my mother for years. I mean, nothing's going to change really, right?" Paulina asked.
"Well, I hope this makes you feel more a part of the family. You have nothing to prove."
"So, don't go traipsing around the jungle and get a potentially deadly disease?" Paulina asked, cheekily.
Rachel laughed.
"Yes. Don't do that again."
"I'll try not to. I need to edit some videos but I'll see you later. " Paulina kissed Rachel's cheek and left.
Rachel paused and picked up the phone.
"Hi, honey. I just wondered if you have a moment. No, nothing's wrong. I just want to talk to you about something. Can you come home for a bit? "
A little later, Amanda walked in and said,
"It's nice to see that you're still here and not in New York or something."
Rachel let the remark slide.
"Yep, I'm still here. I made a major decision—"
"You're not marrying Carl? Mom–"
"I'm not marrying Carl. But I don't know how you'll react . Honey I love you and I'll always love you. …"
Amanda found herself panicking.
"What happened? Something bad happened, right?"
"No, nothing bad. I just want to reassure you that I'm postmenopausal. "
"I'm happy for you?" Amanda said, confused.
Rachel laughed.
"That's the first part of my news. The second part of my news is that I decided to formally adopt Paulina. I know you're sometimes jealous of my relationship with her and I wanted to give you a heads' up," Rachel said, looking at her daughter's face.
"I'm not–look, it's just the way she looks at you sometimes."
"How does she look at me?" Rachel was genuinely curious.
"She looks at you like you hung the moon just for her. When you walked into John and Kesley's hearing, she just lit up. I know you've had fights with her. I know that. But sometimes, it seems you two get along better than we ever do–"
"I don't know. We have had our moments," Rachel muttered, thinking of Jake.
" I know. But I just want to tell her that having you as a mom can be hard. She doesn't know how much pressure it is to grow up as your daughter," Amanda shrugged.
"Mmmm, you do have a point. I'm the only parent she has ever known and she didn't go through all the growing pains that you and Matt and Jaime did. But she knows I have faults. It's nice to be looked at like you're someone's hero. Your dad was the favorite parent, the fun parent. I had to be the bad guy."
"Oh. I never thought about that," Amanda responded, thoughtfully.
"Yeah, I've been reflecting on your father, especially while in New York. I went by Rachel Davis. Actually, Loretta was surprised when she found out I was Mrs. Mackenzie Cory. She was impressed that the house was in the magazine. But honey, Mrs. Mackenzie Cory is a heavy title to wear all the time."
"You used it for John and Kelsey's hearing."
"I don't deny it can be useful. It's confining sometimes," Rachel said.
"Mom, did you ever want to run Cory?" Amanda asked.
"You mean, did I grow up wanting to run my husband's publishing empire? No, not really. But you had Allie, Sandy and Matt weren't interested, Iris wasn't an option, so I stepped up. I wanted to grow up to be an artist," Rachel said.
"And you are. Carl said you've been sculpting again. I'm sorry you felt like you were forced into the job."
"I loved the job because I worked with your father. But now, I'm happy to not be there. And in retrospect, it was time to hand it down."
Amanda nodded.
"But you fought so hard to keep it, although now I have a better understanding why you got burned out. How did you not strangle Iris daily?"
"Ah, well, not being in jail is a great deterrent for that. So, you're ok with me adopting Paulina?" Rachel asked.
"Would it matter if I have problems with it?"
"I would listen to your concerns but ultimately, I want to do this. I should've done this years ago. Hopefully, Paulina will feel more secure as a member of this family."
"She needs that. She was a little lost when you were gone. We all were, except Iris. But you know Iris is ," Amanda said.
"Oh, yes, I know how Iris is. I'm sorry to drop Iris and Maggie on you," Rachel said.
"Well, I need to get back to Cory. Thanks for telling me before you announce it to the family, " Amanda said.
"I know we need to work on our relationship. I know we both damaged it but I want to try to make it right," Rachel said.
Amanda nodded and went back to work.
Carl looked at Rachel, who looked very mischievous as they cuddled.
"What are you up to?"
"Who, me? Why would I be up to something?" Rachel asked, innocently.
"Because the last time I saw that look, Jake McKinnon lost his job and I gained mine. What's going on?"
"Nothing. I'm just going to have a family get together. Nothing more, nothing less." Rachel leaned in for a kiss.
"Ah. A family gets together. As you, me,..."
"The children…"
"Donna…" Carl watched as Rachel bristled at the thought of her son's girlfriend.
"I wasn't planning on inviting Donna."
"Young Matthew rarely goes anywhere without her. A bit like us right now," Carl pointed out.
"Young Matthew is right and we're different. I'm not dating someone old enough to be my father, just a former criminal mastermind," Rachel said.
"What exactly was the age difference between you and Mac?" Carl asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That was different."
"Hmmm…"
"It was! I wasn't looking for some status symbol. She's using him."
"Hmmm…"
"Then to be ashamed to be seen with him," Rachel said.
Carl chuckled.
"What?"
"Just thinking how alike you and Donna are."
Rachel sat up, untangling herself from Carl's arms.
"We are nothing alike. I wasn't raised with the world handed to me and I'm not consumed about what other people think."
"You're both very devoted to your children, both beautiful and intelligent women, very capable in business, and you both think you know best."
"That description can also include Iris. Are you comparing me to Iris now?" Rachel asked.
"Oh, no, I value my life. I know not to do that. I'm just imagining some of the things you probably put your mother through."
"Oh, you couldn't handle a teenage Rachel Davis."
"There are times I can't handle Rachel Cory now. I miss Rachel Davis."
"Hmmm….I miss her,too. Fine. You'll quit your job and we'll sail off to Tahiti together," Rachel said.
"Leave Amanda with Cory and Iris? Amanda would send rabid dogs after us."
"You know, I really prefer when you don't have valid points and just kiss me," Rachel pouted.
"I can do that. What time is the meeting?" Carl asked, kissing her.
"In three hours. Do you have to go back to the office?"
"I do."
"Do you want to have a late glass of wine at your place?" Rachel asked.
"Let's get through whatever mischief you plan tonight. Are you sure you don't want to fill me in?"
"No, let me have my fun. I'll see you later." Rachel kissed him.
Rachel just finished her sketch when Maggie came in.
"Hi, Rachel, I' ," Maggie tried to rush out.
"Hold on. Turn around and tell me that again. Slower and clearer."
"I'm having dinner with Nicki after we study for an English quiz," Maggie said.
"No, you're not. I need you here, with the family," Rachel said.
"Oh, com'n. Another family thing? Those are always boring."
"Just trust me. You can leave at seven and meet Nicki. By the way there's a person with a college degree in English that lives here and a couple other well read people that could help you with English homework."
"I thought Amanda's degree was in journalism," Maggie said.
"Maggie. You're changing the topic and meeting's mandatory. You'll have fun. I'll see you later," Rachel said.
"Fine." Maggie trudged upstairs.
Rachel just smiled. This is going to be fun.
"So I hear you're my new sister," Amanda said to Paulina, as they waited for the rest of the family, "funny, you look a lot like my old one."
"Are you ok with this?" Paulina asked anxiously.
"Yeah, I am. I'm happy. You've been Mom's daughter for a while now. And if she wants another daughter, I'll rather it be you than a baby. I couldn't deal with the thought. But I'm happy for you. Are you going to change your name?"
"You know I don't think so. I have both my mother's and father's names and I want to keep them. I don't want to add another name. I can't tell you how thrilled I'm to do this. Rachel, I mean, Mom is going to talk to Cass but it looks like just some paperwork and talking to a judge," Paulina said.
"Do you know why Rachel wants us here?" Maggie asked, joining her aunts.
"Yes," Amanda said.
"Do you want to fill us in?" Maggie asked.
Paulina and Amanda exchanged looks.
"Mom has a plan and she will want to run the way she wants," Amanda shrugged.
"She told me I would have fun, so I assume it's not Cory business," Maggie said.
"Cory business is fun," Amanda said, as Matt walked into the room, Donna in tow.
"So much fun, I opted out of it to not work there." Matt asked.
"Yes, and sometimes, I think you're the wisest of my kids. Hello, darlings. Donna," Rachel entered the room.
"Hello, Rachel," Donna said.
Carl smirked. His girlfriend can pull off polite iciness so well and she really did not care for Donna.
"Well, I guess Iris can catch up. First of all, it has nothing to do with Cory. I made a personal decision and I'm excited about it and very happy. I just wanted to share that happiness with you," Rachel said, as Iris swept into the room.
"She didn't tell you yet? She's having Carl's baby," Iris said.
Shocked faces turned towards Rachel. Amanda wasn't one of them. Instead, she watched Carl's reaction. Her mother's boyfriend merely looked at Rachel and raised an eyebrow. He nodded when Rachel subtly shook her head and settled back into his chair to see the action unfold.
"You're pregnant?" Matt said, taken back. He exchanged a look with Donna.
Rachel wondered what was going on with that but it would keep.
"Wow…I didn't know you still could get pregnant, at your age,," Maggie said, amazed. Rachel made a face at the mention of her age.
"Well, this is something," Matt managed to say.
"Do you think this is a responsible choice?" Amanda threw in, playing her part.
"I do. I've thought about it and I always wanted another child. I just haven't had the right opportunity until now. And Maggie, there's no good sentence that has the phase' at your age' in it," Rachel said.
"I really wish you would've told me about this in private. I asked you about this being a possibility in New York, that time in the hotel room," Carl said.
"Hotel room?" Matt asked.
Rachel waved off the question.
"Ah, yes, well, things changed. Besides, we talked about this in general, not a specific situation."
"We did. But really? A child?" Carl asked .
"Oh," Rachel paused, "well, honey, I hate to tell you this but you're not the father."
Maggie's eyes widened.
"You've been two-timing me?" Carl said.
"Hey, you two-timed Loretta with me. Payback's fair game," Rachel said.
Carl just shook his head, avoiding eye contact. Rachel knew if she met his eyes , they both would lose composure.
"Look, Carl can't even look at you, Rachel. How horrible of a person are you when Carl Hutchins can't look you in the eyes?" Iris asked.
"I have to agree with Iris here. What were you thinking?" Donna chimed in.
"We will need to talk about this, later," Carl said, sternly.
"Well, this is in character for you, Rachel. Exhibit number one," Iris motioned to Matt.
"When is the baby due?" Maggie asked.
Amanda snorted. Rachel shot her a look.
"Sorry, Mom."
"Who said anything about a baby?" Rachel asked.
"Wait, what? I heard you tell Paulina that you couldn't wait to have four children," Iris said.
Paulina beamed.
"Yes, I'm going to officially adopt Paulina. And seriously, do you realize how old I am? " Rachel said, smiling at Paulina.
"WeIl, you feel much younger," Carl said, winking.
Rachel laughed.
"Thanks, honey."
All of Rachel's children made a face at the remark.
"So, no babies?" Maggie asked, disappointed.
"Definitely not from me," Rachel laughed.
"Thank God," Iris said.
"Does anyone have any other announcements?" Rachel asked, looking at Matt, pointedly.
Matt shifted closer to Donna.
"O.k., well, that's my news. You are released to go back to whatever you need to. Maggie, remember, you need to be in by ten, it's a school night," Rachel said.
Iris slided next to Amanda,
"You knew about this before tonight, didn't you?"
"Of course not. I'm just as surprised as you. Seriously, Iris, Mom having Carl's baby? That's insane," Amanda said, as Iris narrowed her eyes.
"Luckily we won't have to deal with that catastrophe. Well, I have to return to the office. Are you coming?" Iris asked.
"I need to pick up Allie, so I'll see you tomorrow." Amanda watched her sister walk towards the door.
"Matthew, we should probably go back to KBAY to prepare for tonight's program," Donna said.
"Right."
Rachel came up to Paulina.
"I thought that went well, all things considered. Everyone played their parts well?"
"
Do you know what's going on with Matt and Donna?" Rachel asked.
"No one knows. Apparently this thing started some time in the fall," Paulina said.
"I say it's wonderful that someone else found love in an unusual place. We should invite them to dinner. We probably have a lot in common," Carl said.
Rachel was not amused.
"Oh, yes, let's have my son and your ex-wife for dinner. What does one serve for dinner on such an occasion?"
"I'll happily plan the menu and cook if it's helpful to you. I'm sure I'll come up with something appropriate," Carl said, brightly.
"Carl…" Rachel said, exasperated.
"On that note,I'll say good night, Carl, Mom," Paulina said, before heading out.
"Mom. I love that," Rachel beamed.
"Are you coming home with me?" Carl asked, kissing his love.
"Of course, let me grab some clothes," Rachel kissed Carl, before heading upstairs.
"Oh, darling, there's no chance of a baby, right?" Carl called after her.
"Absolutely none," Rachel laughed.
Carl never imagined that this relationship would be this entertaining.