Hello! Here's a fluff chapter for you! This story is almost done so thanks for sticking with it!


Rachel is stunned as she drove to Lainey's school, the bakery, and Mc Donald's. Finn hadn't answered his phone, texts, or called her back, so for now this secret was hers. She didn't know how to feel or what to do. She was pregnant. She was pregnant with three other children at home. Rachel fought back tears as she pulled up to the Elementary school.

Finn was already there and raced to the car to help Rachel carry everything in. "Hi Daddy!" Lainey shouted as she unbuckled her booster seat to get out of the car.

"Here Lainey, carry in the food ok?" Rachel handed the McDonald's bag over to her daughter while Finn grabbed the two boxes of cupcakes. "I'll grab Ella and put her in the carrier so she'll be happy and we don't have to bring the stroller in." Rachel was relieved that Finn was so busy trying to get Lainey and the donuts to the front door of the school that he didn't notice the scared look in her eyes.

She thinks Ella must sense she's on edge. She greeted Rachel with the biggest smile before Rachel placed her in the carrier against her body. As she walked into the school Ella drifted off to sleep.

They signed in at the reception desk and made their way to the cafeteria. Rachel hadn't been inside of the school since the snowstorm. Luckily Zack had been doing well and there hadn't been a need for a conference for a while.

The noise in the cafeteria was unreal. Twelve long tables of kids all sat chattering away. Finn spotted Zack first, waving his arms up and down to signal them to come over to him. He had saved the end of his class table for them.

"Hi! You can sit here with me!" Zack excitedly scooted over towards his friend Max to make room for Lainey and Finn on his side. Rachel sat across from him with Lainey while Finn sat next to Zack. Finn busily handed out the McDonalds to the family while Zack started to pass out the cupcakes to his class.

Rachel got up to help him but Zack stopped her. "I got it. I want to do it by myself." He continued on while Rachel sat back down to eat her food. She watched Zack pass out his cupcakes with a huge smile on his face. Rachel knows this is the first time he's celebrated a birthday like this. He's never been able to bring a treat to school, if he even went to school on his birthday at all.

She felt Ella start to squirm and didn't want to add a screaming baby to the mix. Rachel stood up to rock Ella and Zack returned with the empty cupcake box. A few of the students yelled "Thank you!" as they ate their cupcakes happily. Soon the Principal. went up on the small stage in the cafeteria and began speaking into a microphone.

"Hello boys and girls! May I have your attention please? We have two students celebrating birthdays today! Zack Miller and Miley Adkins! Let's all sing and celebrate them! Zack and Miley can you please stand up so everyone can see you?"

Zack looked hesitant. Finn whispered to him that he didn't have to stand if he didn't want to. Zack stood up slowly, leaning slightly on Finn. A small girl across the cafeteria also stood up as the student body began to sing. Rachel snapped some pictures on her phone and managed to take a short video while Zack stood stoically. He did manage to smile and laugh once the song was over and everyone cheered. Rachel had never seen him this happy.

Finn couldn't stop watching Lainey and Zack. Zack was so happy and Lainey was just as excited to be at the 'big kid school' eating fast food and watching her brother celebrate. Rachel was standing up rocking Ella, just killing it at motherhood today in his opinion.

Once lunch was over, they said goodbye to Zack and headed back out to their cars. It was then that Finn noticed that Rachel was a little off.

As he buckled Ella into her seat and looked at Rachel loading the diaper bag into the front seat, he finally had a chance to look into her eyes.

"Hey," he said from across the car. "Are you okay? You've been much quieter than I thought you'd be during this."

Rachel didn't want to tell him here. She still wasn't sure she believed it herself. "Yeah, I'm fine. We can talk when we get home okay? Ella needs a bottle and a nap. A real nap."

Finn didn't believe her. She wasn't fine, but he guessed he would find out when they got home.


By the time they got home, Rachel was in a full on panic. She knew what the doctors said. She has pictures to prove it. Why was this so hard? They had tried so hard for so long. This was truly a miracle. The issue is, Rachel wasn't a believer in miracles. She had lost that hope long ago. Something was bound to go wrong. She wasn't this lucky of a person.

Finn had beat her home and had Ella's bottle ready by the time she arrived. Lainey immediately ran into the living room to turn on a show, a favorite thing for her to do in the afternoons when Zack wasn't around.

Finn got Ella out of her car seat and immediately started to feed her as he motioned to Rachel to meet him upstairs.

Rachel felt like she was going to be sick. She hadn't felt this much raw and unexpected emotion since the kids had arrived. Sure, a lot had happened since then, but she was back to feeling like she couldn't do this. How was she going to handle 4 kids?

She took the ultrasound pictures and tucked them into the back pocket of her jeans before heading up the stairs. "Lainey, you're dad and I are going to be upstairs for a bit if you need us ok?"

Lainey shook her head, her eyes never leaving the TV. Rachel placed her hand over her lower stomach. How could she be pregnant and have no idea? Was she that distracted that she didn't pay attention to her own body? She felt no different. She didn't look pregnant. All of these thoughts came to a halt as she entered the bedroom.

Finn was sitting the rocking chair with Ella cradled in his arms. She kicked her legs slightly as she ate, happily looking up at Finn.

"Sit on the edge of the bed so we can talk. She should be finished soon." Finn waited to Rachel to sit on the edge of the bed closest to him. She didn't sit though, she stood and paced back and forth. "Rachel, are you okay?" He paused and suddenly remembered. "Oh your check up was today wasn't it? Did you get some bad news? You did tell them we had stopped with all of the infertility stuff right?"

Rachel stopped and shook her head 'yes' but no words came out of her mouth to follow.

"Rachel did you get some bad news? You're never this quiet. Was Ella really bad during your appointment?"

Rachel could feel her heart beating. Every cute and fun idea she ever had to tell Finn she was pregnant had gone out the window. Her mind was completely blank. Then, she watched as Finn placed Ella onto his shoulder and stood up to burp her. He patted her back as he swayed back and forth, waiting for Rachel to speak. He kissed Ella's head as he readjusted her and heard a small burp. "There ya go! Good one!"

"Well, I did get some news at my appointment Finn. I think you should put Ella down in her bassinet so we can talk."

Finn furrowed his brow but followed the directions she gave him. He put Ella down and turned the small mobile on that hung above her so she'd be distracted. He sat himself on the edge of the bed between Rachel and Ella so he could handle both of them at the same time. Based on her face and the impending tears, he wasn't sure what Rachel was going to say.

"Rachel are you sick? Did they find something bad? I haven't seen you like this since we were going through treatments and we would get bad news."

Rachel's hands began to tremble. "No...no I'm not sick but I did get some news and I'm not sure how to even tell you."

Finn took her hands into his, squeezing them tightly. "Okay, take your time but whatever it is we will be okay."

"It's not bad. It's actually very good, but its a lot." Rachel took a deep breath as she continued. "So during some routine tests, something popped up that caused them to want to do an ultrasound." Her heart felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest. Ella squeaked in her bassinet but lucky remained calm. Rachel reached back into her pocket and pulled out the ultrasound pictures of their baby.

She held them out in front of Finn, who let go of her hands to grab the pictures to inspect them closer. He wanted to believe what this could be, but was still confused. "Is this what I think it is? Is this ... is this a baby?"

Finn had seen these pictures before. He had seen Kurt and Blaine's ultrasound pictures. He had watched Puck bring them into work to show the secretary. Finn had never had one of his own. Maybe this wasn't real. Maybe they found something else.

Rachel finally let her tears spill over. "Yes," she sobbed. "Yes, I went in for my checkup with practically a newborn baby we are adopting and was told we are pregnant Finn. I didn't believe them. I still don't believe it."

Finn found himself tearing up at the photos in his hands. They had tried for so many years. Cried. Frustrated. Hopeless. "How? We tried for so long. Nothing ever worked."

Rachel wiped the tears from her eyes as she started to calm down a little. "So remember our grown up night away in Lima? Well it appears that it relaxed us just enough to make a baby. The doctor said she sees this a lot with couples who decide to stop trying or adopt a baby. Once we were't focused on it, bam! Baby!"

Finn was overwhelmed with joy and confusion, but he couldn't help but pull Rachel tightly into his arms. "I love you so much. I can't believe this."

Rachel buried her head into his chest, letting herself go and just feel all of the feelings she had kept inside all day. She felt Finn's firm grip around her and tried to just be in this moment. This moment they had wanted for years. Granted, its taken a long way to get here, with many stumbles down the road, but here it was.

He pulled away to look at the pictures again. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there with you. How did you keep this to yourself until you got home!?" He rubbed his hand over her flat stomach that was in front of him. "I can't believe there is a baby in there."

Ella let out a cry, letting them know she was done with being left alone. Rachel grabbed her this time, as Finn was still stunned and entranced by the photos.

"Finn, " she said as she propped Ella onto her shoulder, "Finn we are going to have four kids. Four. Two of them will be less than a year apart! Can we do this? I tried to call you on the way to the school but you didn't answer and then we did Zack's birthday thing and I couldn't exactly tell you in the school cafeteria!" She waited for an answer, but Finn just kept staring at the pictures and back at her. "Finn, are we going to be okay?"

Finn stood up and hugged her and Ella again. By the time he pulled away, he had the biggest grin on his face. He started to laugh loudly and he threw his head back. The irony of all of this finally hit him. "Oh my god we will have four kids. We went from zero to four. FOUR. It's going to be so fun!"

So much had happened this week. They'd received a final adoption date and Rachel found out she was pregnant on Zack's birthday. "Finn, I don't think we should tell anyone about this. What if something bad happens? What if I lose the baby?"

Finn knew she would go there. She always did. She was the worrier. Always looking at every scenario good and bad.

"Rachel, I will leave it up you ultimately, but let people be there for us. We kept the fostering a secret in the beginning. We didn't even tell our parents we got the kids until they stumbled upon it. Everyone will be thrilled. Maybe we can wait to tell the kids, but let's tell our family and friends! I'm not a huge miracle person, but this...this sort of is one right?"

Finn was being so adorable it was infectious. Rachel finally felt saw what she needed to feel. True and pure elation thinking about the fact that she was pregnant with their baby while also having three other kids who will love this baby so much. Maybe its not planned, but nothing about this journey has been.

"You know what, I think you're right. We got so used to just keeping things to ourselves because it was easier to deal with the pain alone. Our parents weren't on board with the fostering so we hid that too. We can tell them this weekend when they come for Zack's birthday. I think we should tell the kids too. I don't want them to be the last to know. We owe that to them. Just not tonight. Let Zack have his birthday to himself. He deserves it."

They tried to act normal the rest of the evening. Zack came home from school and was on such a birthday high he didn't notice his parents sneaking sideways glances at each other. Lainey was just focused on the fact that they had cupcakes earlier and now were going to have ice cream after dinner. Ella actually went to bed at 7, which was a new habit neither of them were going to complain about. Zack had a smile on his face all throughout dinner. He'd requested spaghetti with garlic bread and even ate a few bites of salad which was amazing. The kids eating habits had come so far. Not only were they no longer hoarding food, they were even venturing out to eat new foods every once in a while.

They sang Happy Birthday for the second time today, Zack beaming over his ice cream sundae with a number 8 candle lit on top. He closed his eyes tightly to make a wish before he blew out the candle. They all clapped and Lainey ran over to Rachel and whispered in her ear. "When can we give him his present?"

"Go ask Daddy to help you get it out of the garage ok?" Rachel winked at Zack and his eyes grew wide. He'd forgotten about presents.

Zack sat patiently eating his ice cream. He could hear Lainey and Finn talking as they walked towards the garage. He'd never had a birthday like this. He can't remember most of his birthdays, probably because he never did anything on them. He thinks one time his other mom brought home a cupcake for him, but he had to share it with Lainey. He doesn't remember having a celebration at school, or presents. Once he was invited to a birthday party for a kid in his first grade class. His mom was supposed to come home and take him to buy a present and drop him off at the kids house, but she slept through it instead. Today he didn't have to worry once. He asked them to bring cupcakes and McDonald's to school, and he knew Rachel and Finn would. He knew they would never miss it.

Zack knew that when Rachel said he could have whatever he wanted for dinner, that she would make it happen. Now she's sitting next to him eating her ice cream in silence, but nothing really needs to be said. Today was one of the best days he's ever had.

A rumble is heard out in the living room and Zack turned to see Finn and Lainey with a giant flat box accompanied by a small square box.

"Zack! Come open your gifts!" Lainey was so excited she was practically jumping on the furniture.

Zack raced over to the giant box, not believing this was actually for him. Rachel followed behind, phone in hand to make sure to capture it all on film.

"Can I open it?" Zack asked looking up at Finn for permission. Finn nodded and Zack tore through the blue wrapping paper. Before him stood a giant box with his very own soccer goal inside. "Wow! I can practice in the backyard with this!"

Rachel snapped some pictures with her phone as she watched her son with pride. Zack then opened the smaller box, which was a brand new World Cup Soccer ball he had seen in the store last month.

"Thank you! Now I'll be ready for the soccer season in the spring!" Zack picked up the ball, moving it around to inspect it from all sides. "Will it be warm enough this weekend to set it up?"

Finn had already checked out the weather, knowing it was going to be warm enough. "Yep! We can set it up tomorrow after school ok?"


Lainey fell asleep from all of the excitement while they watched an episode of America's Funniest Home Videos, which had quickly become a family favorite. Finn took her upstairs to get her changed and dressed which left Zack and Rachel downstairs.

"I know its your birthday but you still have school tomorrow so let's head upstairs to get ready for bed ok?"

Zack yawned in reply and immediately headed up to his room. As Rachel cleaned up downstairs she could hear Zack brushing his teeth and going in and out of his room a few times. She was hoping Ella didn't wake up with the commotion. Rachel would really like to only be up once tonight if she could help it.

Upstairs Finn was able to change Lainey and get her back down in under ten minutes. She was too tired for a story and went right to sleep. He checked on Ella who was still sleeping in their room, and then he went to talk to Zack. They still had their nightly routines. Lainey always wanted a book but Zack usually opted for a quick goodnight. Lately he's wanted to talk more, so they've been feeling it out most nights.

Zack was just climbing into bed when Finn entered the room. "You all tired out? We have a big weekend coming up too with everyone coming over for your birthday."

Zack pulled the covers up to his chin to warm himself up. February in Ohio was proving to be extra cold this year. "Yeah I'm pretty tired. Are you sure we can play soccer tomorrow? It won't be too cold?"

"Nah! Us boys don't get cold now do we? I'm sure once we start running around we'll warm right up! If we go out right when you get home from school, we will have a few hours before it gets dark." Finn hugged his son goodnight, hoping he knew just how much he was loved in this house. "I'll leave your door open so Rachel and come in ok?"

Finn passed Rachel on the staircase as he left. "He's waiting for you. Lainey is passed out and Ella is fine so you don't have to check on them." He kissed her on the cheek and she continued on.

Rachel stepped into Zack's dimly lit room, just the nightlight glowing on the wall opposite his bed. "No story tonight?" she asked as she sat on the edge of his bed.

Zack yawned again, this time his eyes fluttering closed. "No, I'm too tired." He paused just long enough for Rachel to think he fell instantly asleep. "Rachel? Can you rub my head like you do when I'm sad? Just until I fall asleep."

Rachel tried to fight back the tears, not wanting Zack to notice. He's never really asked for any type of affection or comfort before. Sure, he's hugged her occasionally, but mostly after a meltdown or outburst. "Of course I can," she said as she moved her body closer to his. "Did you have a great day?"

Without opening his eyes he answered. "I've never had a real birthday before. It was really great."

Rachel kept rubbing Zack's forehead with her fingertips. "What was your favorite part?"

Zack reached out so his arm was touching Rachel. "My family coming to lunch at school I think. That part of the day was the best."

Rachel drew in a deep breathe as she leaned down to kiss his forehead. "I'm so glad you had a great day. We're so happy you're with us."

She felt Zack's body relax as he drifted off to sleep. Rachel waited a few minutes to make sure he was out before meeting Finn back downstairs.

Finn had finished cleaning up the kids toys and turned on the fireplace. Rachel joined him on the couch, laying next to him and covering herself with a blanket.

"You're going to freeze tomorrow playing soccer with Zack."

Finn laughed. "I know but I promised him. Maybe he won't last that long." Finn grabbed onto the blanket pulling some of it onto his legs. "So is he asleep?"

Rachel nodded before she couldn't hide her tears anymore. "Yeah, he was so sweet when I went up there. Asked me to rub his head and told me his favorite part of the day. He's really coming around."

Finn couldn't tell if she was crying because she was happy or upset. "Are you okay? Is the baby thing bothering you? We can talk about it more if you need to."

Rachel wiped her eyes, overwhelmed with emotion. "You know, I feel almost guilty that I was afraid you know? That I couldn't handle it. This is how it was supposed to be."

Finn's heart felt like it was going to burst. He was so proud of his wife.

"If we had gotten pregnant before," she continued, "these kids wouldn't be here. We would have never wanted to adopt if we had this little baby first. What would have happened to them?" Rachel instinctively rubbed her stomach, "You know so many people would tell me it would all work out how it was supposed to and I used to think that was crap. I would get so annoyed anytime anyone would say it. Our parents said it, our friends said it, and I even had a doctor say it to me. Yet, here we are a year later with a full house of kids. I wish I could go back and tell myself that something amazing was ahead and to stop worrying."

Rachel laid her head on Finn's chest as he embraced her tightly. "You're right. I don't know why things worked out the way they did, but here we are. It's going to be so great."


Rachel was already up at 2 am when Ella woke for her bottle. Finn offered to take her but Rachel let him sleep. She was settled downstairs on the couch with the tv on low, some shampoo informercial on in the background. Ella had been cranky but settled down as soon as the bottle hit her lips. Rachel normally couldn't wait for Ella to finish so she could get back to bed, but for now she took this moment in. She was pregnant with Ella's little buddy. The more she thought about this new baby, the more excited she got.

Upstairs she heard some noise coming from one of the kids rooms. Footsteps were heard walking into her room, so she figured Finn would handle whoever was up. Ella finished eating but needed to burp, so Rachel stayed put while she patted Ella's back. She soon heard footsteps coming down the stairs. They were too small to be Finn's, but it was too dark to see until they reached the bottom of the stairs. It was Zack. His eyes were wet and she could tell he had been crying.

"Hey buddy," she whispered. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Zack nodded his head as he crawled up onto the couch next to Rachel. "I had a bad dream. It was really bad."

"Do you want to talk about it? You can stay down here with me for a bit if you want." Rachel saw pain in Zack's eyes. She hadn't seen this look from him in a while. Zack crawled onto the couch slowly so he wouldn't disturb Ella.

"Well I was dreaming that I went to school tomorrow, but at the end of the day you didn't come to get me. My mom, I mean my other mom, she came and took me away. " Zack stopped to catch his breathe, visibly upset. "She told me you didn't want me anymore and then she took me. I was screaming for you to help me, but you just stood there and watched me drive away. " Zack buried his head into Rachel's lap and started to cry again. "It's like you didn't know me."

Rachel's heart broke for him. His worries were manifesting in his dreams instead of coming out as behaviors now. "Wow Zack that is a very bad dream. Just know that will never happen ok? We are going to adopt you in just two months and I will never let anyone take you away ok?"

"Do you promise?" Zack said as he glanced up at her.

She rubbed Zack's head to help him relax. "Of course I promise."

"Do you think my mom misses us?"

"I don't know. I'm sure she does. I know I miss you even when you just go to school for the day."

Zack sat up and smiled. "You do?"

Rachel readjusted Ella into her arms to try to get her back to sleep. "I sure do. I always wonder what you're doing and if you're having fun. I get excited when you come home after school because it means I get to see you and hear about your day."

They both remained silent for a few minutes, allowing Zack to calm himself down. Zack gave Rachel a hug and stood back up. "I'm going to go back to my bed but can you check on me when you come back up?"

Rachel looked down at Ella who was asleep and decided to go up with him. "Come on we can all go up together."


The next morning Zack was apprehensive going to school, even though Rachel assured him that he had nothing to worry about. She and Finn had decided to tell the kids about the pregnancy after school, because their parents were coming up tonight vs. tomorrow morning and they had to tell the kids first. Thankfully everyone was staying at a rental locally and they didn't have to host everyone at the house. They didn't have enough space for everyone anyways. Warner was sick so Kurt and Blaine were staying put in Lima. Both of them had babies that didn't need to be getting sick.

Rachel always had it planned out how she'd tell their parents they were finally going to have a baby, but at this point she just wants to say it. She always had plans to make a cute onesie with a saying on it or do some exciting reveal and catch it on camera, but it doesn't feel right. It's still just as special and real even without all of the hoopla. In reality, this is their fourth baby, even though its' the first biological one. She was relieved to realize that this didn't make her view her other kids any differently. She just hoped they accepted the news well.

Ella was cranky the entire day while the big kids were at school, so by the time Finn returned in the afternoon with them, she was exhausted. Ella hadn't given her a moments peace and had to be held almost the entire day. Rachel currently was on the couch with Ella asleep on her chest. She had given up trying to put her down. She clearly needed the snuggles today. Ella has really pushed Rachel's limits with structure and boundaries and taught her that babies don't really care what your agenda is for the day.

The kids entered the house quietly, per Rachel's text to Finn a few minutes ago. Finn rushed them into the kitchen to get a snack, and brought them into the living room. They only had two hours before their parents arrived, and they wanted to give the kids some time to process everything.

"Has Ella been cranky today?" Lainey asked as she popped a strawberry into her mouth.

"How did you know?" Rachel winked as she softly rubbed Ella's back.

"Anytime you're holding her when we get home from school, it usually means she didn't sleep all day," Zack chimed in. He dug into his bag of crackers not waiting for Rachel to answer. "So can we go outside to play soccer after we eat? It's not even that cold out today.

"Yeah we can buddy, but Rachel and I have to talk to you guys about something important first."

Rachel saw Zack's face fall, the worry hitting him immediately. "Don't worry, it's not bad news we promise." Finn joined her on the couch so they could both sit and face the kids together. "Do you remember when your mom had Ella in her stomach and then Ella came to live with us too?"

Both kids nodded in reply but remained silent.

Rachel continued before she chickened out. "Well I went to the doctor and found out I have a baby in my belly now, so in a few months we will have another little baby in the house."

Lainey grinned from ear to ear, but Zack's face didn't change. Finn decided to take over. "So this doesn't change anything ok? You're still going to be adopted by us, just now we will have four kids in our family instead of three."

"I thought you couldn't have your own kids. That's why you got us right?." Zack remained skeptical as to be expected. "What if you decided after that baby comes that you don't want us anymore."

Lainey looked confused. She never processed things the same way. "They said they loved us and we would never leave Zack. Remember?"

Rachel didn't want this to be a bad memory for them. She was having a hard enough time accepting this pregnancy news as it was. She needed the kids to realize that nothing was changing. "Zack, we talked about this just last night. You and your sisters aren't going anywhere. Ever. We are going to court in May and the judge is going to make everything permanent and you'll never be rid of me. I might just move out with you when you go to college if you aren't careful. " Zack finally smiled in reaction to Rachel's joke. "Now, we have to tell Nana and Papa and the two grandpas when they come over tonight. Do you want to help?"

Zack seemed satisfied with the information for now, they just hoped it didn't come back to bite them later.

With that they started brainstorming ideas until the novelty wore off and the kids got bored. Ella woke up and needed to be fed, so Finn sent the kids out back to kick the soccer balls around while he made a bottle.

"Let me feed her so you can rest a bit. We can't have you running yourself into the ground. You've got a little baby in there you need to rest up for." Finn took Ella out of her hands and propped the bottle into her mouth while he walked around to see what the kids were doing outback.

Rachel stood up, flattening out her sweater over her abdomen. She still didn't feel pregnant at all. No morning sickness, just exhaustion. Her stomach was still flat, and she can't imagine it ballooning out in a few weeks. Before she laid down, she peered out her bedroom window to see Lainey and Zack kicking the ball around. They were smiling and laughing as Lainey kept missing her shots. She was glad to see all seemed normal.


"Mommy" Rachel heard in her ear. "Mommy, daddy said to wake up. Nana and Papa are here." She felt Lainey's cold hand on her forehead as she opened her eyes.

"Oh Lainey your hands are freezing. Were you outside?" Rachel sat up, trying to get herself oriented after being asleep for a solid hour. She probably could have slept all night.

"Yes we were. Ella went to sleep for a little bit so daddy played soccer with us. Now she's up and Nana has her." Lainey's eyes traveled from Rachel's face down to abdomen. "Can I see? See your belly? Where is the baby?"

Their earlier conversation had not included a lot of detail, so Rachel knew she'd probably be fielding tons of questions this weekend. "Well the baby is super super small right now, so you won't see anything but I'll show you." Rachel lifted up her shirt so Lainey can see she still looked normal.

"Well when's it going to get bigger? When's the baby coming out?"

"Probably around Halloween so it's a ways away. Are you worried about anything?"

Lainey took a deep breathe. "Will this baby cry a lot like Ella did? Where's the baby going to sleep? Is Ella going to have to move into my room?"

Rachel didn't have the answers to her questions. "Lainey we won't know how the baby is going to be until we meet him or her. Babies cry. Ella cried a lot but she's getting better. We will figure out where everyone will sleep when the time comes. You don't need to worry about that. For now Ella is sleeping in our room. She pulled Lainey in for a tight hug.

"I miss being able to come in here and snuggle. Ella being in here stinks!"

Rachel missed the kids coming in too, but had told them not to disturb Ella so they couldn't come in for a while.

"Well, Ella is getting bigger and once she sleeps better our bed will be back open for snuggles ok? I know you're going to be the best big sister to both of these babies. Now let's go downstairs and remember, don't tell anyone until we do the surprise!"


Dinner went off without a hitch. Zack actually was comfortable being the center of attention because he knew everyone so well now. He told everyone the story of his birthday at school and how he loved that everyone sang and cheered for him. Carole and Hiram traded off taking care of Ella so Rachel could enjoy the party a little bit. Rachel knew she looked tired but tried to hide it the best she could. She kept busy clearing plates and getting the cake out while Finn got everyone set up in the living room for gifts. So far Zack and Lainey had been distracted, so no one had spilled the beans just yet.

They know their parents will be shocked, and that's putting it mildly. They had all been on their journey through infertility. At first, everyone was so excited and would wait on pins and needles after every procedure. By the end, they stopped asking, not wanting to upset Rachel and Finn. They figured no news was not good news after a while.

Rachel brought in the lit cake as everyone sang to Zack. Finn was in charge of the pictures this time since Rachel was holding the cake. Everyone sang in unison and when the song was over, Zack shut his eyes tightly before blowing out the candle.

"Now don't tell anyone what your wish was. It's bad luck." Rachel kissed Zack on the cheek and she left to cut the cake. Zack tore into his presents. Carole and Burt bought him three model cars to put together. Hiram and Leroy got him a volcano science kit. Last but not least, Kurt and Blaine sent him some soccer practice clothing and a cool soccer backpack with his initials embroidered on it.

Right on cue Ella became fussy because it was bedtime, which worked with their plan perfectly.

"Before Rachel passes out cake, let's take a family picture. Ella is going to head to bed soon and we'll miss the window."

Taking family pictures wasn't a new thing. They did it at every occasion so no one would think this was strange. Finn set up his tripod and hooked his phone to it. Instead of putting it on a timer though, he put it on video.

Everyone got into place, Rachel taking Ella into her arms for the photo. Finn and Rachel were in the center with the two kids in front of them. Finn's parents were by his side and Rachel's by hers.

The kids knew what to do as soon as Finn counted to three, so they waited for their cue. Rachel began to shake in anticipation. She hoped her dads didn't notice.

"Okay everyone, " Finn began as he pointed to the camera. "The kids are going to pick what we say on the count of three this time so repeat after them."

Everyone got closer in and waited for Finn to count. "Okay on the count of three, ready kids. 1...2...3!"

Simultaneously Zack and Lainey both shouted "Mommy's pregnant!" At first all of the adults repeated it instinctually , and then it slowly hit them.

"WHAT?" Carole screamed as she looked over at Rachel. Ironically no one had moved from their spots but the kids. They had turned around to see everyone's face.

The room remained silent for another 30 seconds before the hugs and crying started. Carole instantly was hysterical, hugging Rachel and Finn both before stepping back to hug the kids. Rachel hugged her dads, who were both crying. Hiram took Ella out of her arms so she could move around.

Rachel took note of the kids reactions, both smiling and excited with everyone else. That soon faded when they remembered dessert in the other room.

"Can we go eat some cake now?" Zack asked. With permission they both took off into the kitchen and then the questions from everyone starting flying.

"You didn't tell us you were doing more fertility treatments! I thought you stopped!" Carole asked them.

Finn grabbed Rachel's side, pulling her closer and kissing the top of her head. "You want to answer this or should I?"

Rachel wanted to speak. She had waited for this and pictured it in her mind so many times. "Well, we didn't do any fertility treatments. I didn't even know we were pregnant until yesterday. It's a true surprise and honestly a miracle at this point. We just told the kids a few hours ago."

"So this just happened? On its own? After all of these years?" Hiram could barely speak as he asked the questions.

"Yep!" Finn couldn't stop smiling as he spoke, all eyes were on him. "Rachel said the doctor went on and on about how this happens to a lot of couples when they get distracted, stop trying, adopt kids...we fell into all three of those categories."

"Come October we will have a fourth kiddo around here!" Rachel clapped and cried as everyone took turns hugging each other again.

Finn offered to put Ella to bed while the two grandpas and Burt joined the kids for cake in the kitchen. Carole and Rachel sat on the couch to continue the conversation.

"Rachel, I just can't believe it. This is truly amazing. Blaine and Kurt are going to freak out. Have you guys told Puck and Quinn yet? Kurt will not stand for not knowing before them." They laughed envisioning Kurt in a rage.

"No, we haven't told anyone. We've barely known for 24 hours. I didn't want to tell anyone, not even the kids. I'm just conditioned for things going wrong or being difficult for us. However, your son being the sound of reason told me how excited and supportive everyone would be, so I agreed to tell now versus later. I'm so glad we did. This is amazing. "

"Well if anyone deserves this its you two. You're going to have two babies under 1! Oh my. How do you feel about that?"

Rachel reflected back to yesterday morning. "Well to be honest I didn't believe it at first. I was terrified. Ella is so hard and this year has been crazy. We tried so hard for so long, and this happened when it wasn't even on our radar. I just couldn't grasp it at all. I don't feel pregnant besides being tired and that could be from Ella to be honest." Carole reached out and grabbed Rachel's hand. "Once I told Finn my mind relaxed a bit. He always seems to know what to say when I'm upset."

"Oh honey, its understandable to feel overwhelmed. It might not be easy but it will be worth it, I promise. I just might have to quit my job to move in here for a few months." Rachel and Carole laughed. Most women might scoff at the idea, but Rachel would love if Carole moved in to help out. Too bad she's married and lives two hours away.

Ella went down fairly easily, so when Finn returned he quickly sent the video to Kurt and Puck with the title "Watch with Everyone Together". It didn't take long before their phones were ringing off the hook with congratulations and well wishes. Rachel felt so excited that the good news was finally hers. Of course the pending adoption was too, but this was just the icing on the cake.

Everyone left around 9pm, an early appointment at the go kart track awaited them at 10 am tomorrow. Just Zack, Finn, Burt, and the two grandpas were going. Lainey was too young, Rachel was pregnant, and Carole had no desire to go. The girls decided to stay in for the day and promised Lainey they would do her nails and hair which satisfied her. Puck, Quinn, and Ashley were going to try to make it too. Saturday was all planned out.

The kids were wiped and also went to bed fairly quickly. Finn took care of that while Rachel took a shower and got herself in bed. Ella was still asleep and Rachel hoped that she could get a few hours in before she got up.

By the time Finn got into bed, she was already drifting off to sleep.


Rachel opened her eyes and glanced at the clock. She heard Ella stirring in her basinet, but was shocked to see it was 5:45 am. Maybe Finn had been up with her in the night and she hadn't heard. Rachel hadn't had this much sleep since Ella was born. She walked over to Ella and was greeted by smiles and kicks.

"Hi baby girl" she whispered, "Did you have a good sleep?" Ella began kicking her legs up and down, a new skill she just started when she sees Rachel or Finn coming to get her. She scooped her up and brought her downstairs to change her diaper and get her bottle ready. Rachel didn't see an empty bottle in the sink, so that meant Ella had slept through the night. She settled down on the couch as Ella happily ate and relished in the quiet of the early morning. If she was lucky, Ella would go back down for a nap and she could get another hour of sleep before the day began. "Ella girl, did you sleep through the night? Mama is so proud of you." Ella looked up at Rachel but kept on sucking on her bottle.

Rachel looked around the room, noticing how different it looked. Zack's gifts were still piled on the fireplace from last night. Lainey's pink mary janes were by the front door. Ella's play mat was on the ground by the coffee table. Just little reminders of the kids all over the house. Then she thought of their unborn child and how lucky they would be to be born into this. A big brother and two big sisters to dote on him or her. Their once empty house was now so full of people and love. Rachel wondered how they would all fit into this house as they grew.

After Ella finished, Rachel laid back with Ella on her chest to try to settle her down. She pulled the blanket over them to try to get Ella asleep before putting her back to bed upstairs. She didn't want to risk her crying and waking everyone up, especially since Zack had a big day. It was 6:30 and the sun was just coming up. The curtains in the front room didn't block a ton of light, and she knew Ella wouldn't sleep long if the kids got up. Rachel retreated back upstairs, laying Ella down softly before climbing back into bed.

Finn stirred as Rachel readjusted herself on her pillow.

"Hey," he whispered, "was she up a lot? I slept so hard I'm sorry."

"No actually, she slept through the night if you can believe it." Rachel smiled and kissed him softly. "She just had a bottle and fell back asleep. I figured I'd put her back down in here so she can get a good nap in and the kids won't disturb her."

"I can't believe she was so good. Maybe she's turning a corner. She seemed more mellow the last few days, besides you having to hold her all day yesterday." He chuckled under his breath.

Rachel had a wave rush over her, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. "Finn, we are going to have another newborn before Ella even turns one. We need a bigger house. I don't want Lainey sharing a room with a baby if I can help it. Ella is fine in our room for a while but she needs to be out eventually too." She felt Finn reach out for her across the bed. "I think I'll need help. Your work schedule is always busy in the fall and I can't imagine doing this on my own. I know it can be done, but mentally I'm struggling a little bit. I don't even feel pregnant yet which is also making me worry. We told everyone and what if something goes wrong?"

Finn knew he had been planning to open a branch of his business down in Lima and surrounding areas. He'd met in January with some people about it, and it was slowly coming together behind the scenes. He was waiting to tell Rachel so she wouldn't worry, but here it was presenting itself for an opportunity.

"Actually, before we knew you were pregnant, back before this baby was conceived, I had thought about expanding out business down in Lima." Rachel looked at him puzzled. "I saw how much the kids loved being with our families, but living two hours away was becoming an issue. I know you'd love to have help from our parents versus hiring a nanny. I don't know if you'll go back to work, and that option is always there, but I'm worried I won't be able to be around as much once the winter is over. I should hear back on some finalizations this week, but if you want to, we can move closer to our parents once the adoption is finalized."

Rachel felt so relieved at hearing Finn's idea. Her eyes welled up as she tried to remain quiet while speaking. "I love you, did you know that? I was thinking the same but wasn't sure about moving the kids, etc. However, I think they'd be all in if they knew they'd get to see their grandparents and cousins all of the time. I think it's time to move home."


The boys headed out to Zack's GO Kart racing day while the girls hung out at home. Puck had wanted to go, so Quinn and Ashley came over too. Lainey and Ashley already had their nails painted and their hair done and were up in her room playing with Barbies quietly. Carole was helping Rachel clean up the house a bit before she demanded Rachel sit down and rest while Ella napped. Quinn, already five months pregnant with her second, was already sitting in a chair with her feet propped up.

"Rachel, please utilize me and sit down. I can straighten up with out you." Carole started folding the laundry while Rachel sat down on the couch with a glass of water next to her. "How are you sleeping? We didn't get to talk much last night with all of the commotion."

Rachel took a sip of her water and rested her other hand on her still flat abdomen. "Actually, Ella slept through the night last night so I actually feel the best I've felt since she's been born. I don't feel pregnant at all. Not even a little bit. This is definitely not what I pictured being pregnant would be like. We tried for so long and I missed all of the signs."

"Well be glad. With Finn I threw up all day every day for six weeks and felt like I was dying." Carole shook her head as she folded some of Ella's clothes.

Quinn chimed in with her experiences too. "With Ashley I was literally the best pregnant person. Sometimes I was tired or felt queasy, but otherwise could get on with my day. When I started to show is when it hit home. With this little one I've been sicker than a dog. Working has been a struggle to be honest. Enjoy the option you've been given." Quinn rubbed her small bump and sighed. "I blame it on this one being a boy."

"I think it would make it more real? I mean I saw the ultrasound and we have pictures, but my mind is having a problem grasping it. I'm sure in a few weeks that will all change. We have a busy spring too with the adoption in May, and by then I'll be 20 weeks along."

"Oh it will be so cute to see you with a little belly! Are the kids just thrilled with the baby and the adoption? That's a lot of news for them!"

Rachel wasn't sure how the kids were handling it. She assumed well, but she knew that these kids sometimes held their emotions inside until they exploded. "They both took the news okay. Their biggest concern is anything that will mess up the adoption. Once we got past that, they seemed fine. I'll tell their counselor next week before their session too in case something comes up. Zack's actually calmed down since finding out we had an adoption date. He's become somewhat attached to me now which is really sweet. Lainey is just Lainey. I think she's fine she just doesn't want to share a room with Ella."

Both of the women chuckled, knowing Ella had quite the reputation for an almost three month old. "What are you going to do? You're outgrowing this house faster than you'd planned," Carole asked.

"Well actually, we've been thinking about moving closer down to you all. I think we could all benefit from having everyone close by. I'll need the help and the kids have really bonded with all of their grandparents. I know I didn't grow up with a lot of family around, but I want our kids to have those close relationships with people. They've spent all of their lives up until now completely alone. I've seen Zack especially flourish with these new bonds he's developed."

Carole smiled and joined her on the couch. "Oh we were hoping you'd consider it. We had a little talk with your dads last night before we headed to bed and we all agreed that we'd love to have you all down by us when this little one arrives."

"Yeah, Finn actually thought this all up. I think he's trying to expand the business and we can't move until the adoption is finalized, but its definitely being considered. I'd love the help too. Two babies under one is gong to run me into the ground." Rachel rested her head on the back of the couch and closed her eyes. "It will be so wonderful though."

Quinn agreed. "If I could move closer to our parents we would do it in a heartbeat, but my parents retired to Arizona and Puck's mom moved with his sister back to New York. We don't really want to live in either of those places and we both have careers here. I would love help though. When my mom visits its heaven!"

"We can't move anywhere now, so I like how we have some time to really figure things out. Living here was fine when it was just the two of us. Driving down to Lima was easy and we loved the drive. Now with an infant its like a self-torture experiment even if we are only driving ten minutes."

Rachel heard Ella's cries over the monitor indicating she was up from her nap. "I swear she knows when I'm talking about her."


The boys returned in the late afternoon, Zack raving about how fast he and Finn drove their Go-Kart. "We went the fastest. you could go! Dad- I mean Finn let me steer and he pushed the pedals because his legs are longer! We had to wear helmets and we got to race so many times!"

The group tried to ignore Zack's slip up calling Finn dad by glancing at each other so Zack wouldn't notice. It still made their hearts smile.

Finn chimed in, "Yeah it was pretty empty since its February so they let us do some extra racing for free. Zack is a pretty lucky guy today!."

"I even beat Puck and he said that was impossible!" Zack giggled as he jumped up and down.

"Yeah very funny dude. Next time you get to race with me ok?

Zack ran out back to go kick his soccer ball around, leaving everyone else inside.

"That kid has so much energy! I'm beat!" Burt said. "However, he's like a different kid. He was so happy today. You two have really done a great job with him."

Finn felt proud at that statement, remember what happened in the beginning when Zack first arrived. He was like a completely different child. He used to be sullen and angry almost all of the time. It's been a while since they've seen an outburst, and even if he had one it was so much easier to handle than before. He thought back to the first night when he slept in the hallway to prevent Zack from escaping the house. Now Zack requests both of them to come into his room to say goodnight. It really was coming full circle.

"Honestly," he paused to look at Rachel, "When they first arrived I wouldn't have thought this was possible. We had two kids dropped off at our house and we knew nothing about them or how to help them. It's been hard but so worth it. He really did great today Rachel, I wish you could have seen it but you'll have to settle for pictures."

Rachel agreed wholeheartedly. "I don't want to jinx it, but the older two have become sort of...easy. We know them so well now and it's much more predictable. Sort of like they've just always been here. I don't remember what the house was like without them."

Everyone headed out for the night, the grandparents all driving back to Lima in the morning. The kids said their goodbyes and Lainey cried because she didn't want Ashley to leave. It was nice to see the two little girls forming a close bond.

They let Zack stay up and open one of his new model cars while they put Lainey and Ella to bed. Ella was being difficult and Lainey was overtired and needed extra attention. Between the two of them they were able to get them both down in 40 minutes.

Finn found Zack downstairs, the directions to one of his model cars opened and displayed across the kitchen table. "Want to work on this one tomorrow? How's it look?"

Zack studied the papers in front of him along with the miscellaneous miniature car parts. "I think this one will be the easiest so I'd like to start with this one."

"I'm going to clean up down here but Rachel's upstairs to tuck you in ok? She's getting ready for bed and then she'll come in to see you."

Zack pushed all of his materials into a neat pile on the side of the table, remember how Rachel always asks them to clean up their messes before bed. Finn started on the dishes while Zack skipped up the stairs to get ready for bed.

Rachel found Zack under the covers by the time she went into his room to say goodnight. She could tell he was sleepy, but looked a little anxious.

"Did you brush your teeth Zack?" He nodded yes but didn't speak. "Is something bothering you? You look worried."

"Rachel, our new last name will be Hudson right? So all of us, even the new baby will have the same last name?" Zack yawned as he looked up at her for an answer.

"Yes Zack, once we adopt you, you can change your last name. You want to right?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "But I don't call you mom and dad and all of the other kids will right?"

Rachel was unsure of where this conversation was leading to, so she wanted to tread lightly. "Well yes. Lainey already calls us that, Ella won't know any other parents so she will, and this baby will call us mom and dad too. Why? You know we don't care what you call us. We've talked about it many times."

Zack began to squirm around on his bed, clearly agitated.

"I know, but what if people ask you why I don't call you that. None of my friends call their parents by their first names and they ask me at school sometimes. I pretend I don't hear them but they still ask."

Rachel wasn't sure what to say, but as with any other topic she was going to take a stab at it. "Well, are you embarrassed to tell people you're adopted? Or are you still afraid something bad will happen?"

Zack just shrugged his shoulders, rubbing his fingers against the silk edges of the blanket on his bed.

"Zack honey, nothing bad is going to happen I promise you. We are just waiting for our turn to go see the judge." She scooted her body down so she was laying flush against him. "Listen, I know you've had it rough. You had a lot of years where you weren't sure what was going to happen next, but now it's different. No surprises from us. You and Lainey and Ella, you are so lucky. Not all kids get to be adopted you know. All of those times you had to live with other people are over. For some reason, Finn and I were lucky enough to be chosen to be your parents. If you don't want to tell other kids you're adopted, just say you call us by our first names because we like it. No one has to know the real reason if you don't want to tell them. I bet though if you told kids, it wouldn't be as bad as you're imagining it."

Zack hugged Rachel tightly and just answered with a simple "Okay".

"I love you buddy. Have a good sleep ok?"

Zack rolled over rand Rachel tucked his blankets around him just like he always asked and then she slowly left the room.


Just four weeks later Rachel was back for another doctor's appointment. This time Finn would be with her which took a large weight off of her shoulders. He can watch Ella and be there for her if they get bad news.

She had a feeling all would be fine though. She was exhausted as ever, and now doting a small bump just big enough to buy maternity jeans. If she wore a baggy shirt, no one would notice though. They hadn't told Finn's work or any of their more casual friends. They were waiting for this appointment before making this fully public. They hadn't even told Mrs. Kent yet, and she would be coming by for a visit within the next two weeks.

Spring break was coming up and they planned on going down to Lima for three days to take the kids around, go to the zoo now that it's warmer, and start scoping out places to live. They hadn't told the kids anything about the move, but they were almost 100% certain it was going to happen. Finn and Rachel were opening a real estate branch down in the center of Lima that would serve the surrounding cities as well. Puck would be taking over the Cincinnati office which would be helpful since Quinn decided to quit her job once their son was born during the summer. Things all seemed to be working out for everyone.

Rachel still worried. She worried something would happen to the baby, that the adoption would somehow fall through, or that their move to Lima would not. happen. Ella now sleeps through the night, but Rachel often finds herself up for hours at night and cannot shut her brain off. She was hoping the doctor appointment today would ease her stress. The odds of something happening past the 12 week mark are slim, which would take some of the worry out of her mind.

They sat in the exam room, Ella bouncing on Finn's lap and blowing raspberries. Her dark hair had begun to curl as it grew, but her eyes remained blue just like her brother and sister.

The doctor came in and Rachel laid back on the table, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"How have you been feeling Mrs. Hudson?" the doctor asked as she began the exam.

"Just tired, but otherwise I feel good. Still can't believe it's real."

The Doctor continued to feel around and then began the ultrasound. "Well its about to get very real once this Ultrasound starts. You're definitely pregnant still Rachel. Now let's see your little one"

Rachel laid perfectly still as Finn joined her by her side. He held Ella facing out so she'd have plenty to look at to keep her occupied. He slid his hand into hers as the doctor began.

Within seconds, what now looked like a baby was up on the screen. "Well here's the baby, measuring right on time at 12.5 weeks. So I guess a few days ahead of schedule! "

Rachel glanced up at Finn who had tears in his eyes as she stared at the screen. "Look at how much it's moving Rachel. That's crazy!"

Rachel looked at the screen to see their baby moving its arms and legs around and she felt so relieved. The baby was okay and this is really happening. The doctor turned the sound on so they could hear the heartbeat, which made both of them cry. "I'll never get tired of hearing that sound." Rachel wished she could get a recording of it to listen to on repeat.

"Congratulations mom and dad, let me get these pictures printed out and we will see you again in about eight weeks. At that appointment you can find out the sex if you'd like! "

"Oh wow I guess we have some time to decide, but I think we'll find out." Rachel looked up at Finn who nodded in approval. "We've had enough surprises this year I think."

Finn leaned over to kiss Rachel. He held Ella tightly as he kissed Rachel's forehead, not realizing he still had tears in his eyes. "Wow, I wasn't expecting to be this emotional about it. You're right, it's real now. It's finally our year isn't it? Adopting three kids and having one of our own. Best year ever!"


Thanks to everyone still reading and reviewing! I read every single one :)