Chapter Twelve: My Wish // Rascal Flatts
Emma was experiencing a serious sensory overload. Mysophobic or not, there was simply too much happening at one time for her to keep focus.
"Don't quit on me Emma, we almost had her," She heard the doctor call from below her.
"I c-can't," She breathed, both hands loosening their grip on her two most important people.
"Honey, she's right here, I just need one more real big push like you were giving me before. Just one more."
The fluorescent lights above her, the sweat dripping down her neck and spine, the clamminess of Will's palm in hers, the sticky sheet around her; the noise — everyone talking at once — she needed to be done, now. "One more?" She huffed, raising a weary brow.
"Just one more," Dr. Eilatan said softly, "Just one more."
Sitting up slightly, Emma grasped her husband and sister's hands once more, her forehead crumpled in concentration and she pushed with as much force as she could muster, a panicky cry emitting from her lips while Will leaned forward to see the head of his baby girl emerge, and the body quickly following. The doctors and nurses worked with a speed and efficiency of teamwork he had never seen before; one supported Lily, one clamped while another suctioned and still another wrapped their daughter messily in an off-white blanket.
Emma fell back into the pillows, heaving deeply as Annie whispered all sorts of praises, but she barely registered them as her arms flew towards the doctor, begging to hold her child.
They could only see Lily briefly before she was whisked away to the NICU, leaving Emma in a state of confusion and worry, "Wh-whats happening? Why can't I hold her? Where are you taking her?"
Dr. Eilatan shook her head, "Remember, Emma, she's a premie baby. They've got to give her a full workup so we can treat her right away if anything isn't right. We want her healthy."
"B-but I didn't get to see her!" Emma sputtered, a few tears rolling down her flushed cheeks, mixing with sweat, "I-I want to see my baby!"
Will kissed her forehead, rubbing her arm as she started to cry harder, "Honey, they need to do what's best for Lily, alright? We want to get her home as soon as we can."
"You'll get to go down and see her in a little bit," The obstetrician said, patting her leg, "But we're not quite done here, we've still got stage three. While we're doing this, Will, nurse Jackie will take you down to the NICU so you can capture some of her first moments, alright?"
While he didn't want to leave his wife's side, he knew how important the first few hours were in bonding with his new baby. Kissing Emma's lips softly, he followed the nurse down the hall. Annie took Emma's hand again, watching sadly as her sister tried to make sense of what was happening in her disoriented state.
Will wasn't sure he wanted to be in the room as nurses checked his little girl's systems from top to bottom, her tiny frame being pricked and prodded. She had a tiny tube up her nose, he assumed to keep her oxygen level regulated, and they had placed a sticky pad on her chest to monitor her heart rate.
Ten minutes later they encouraged him to step closer to the incubator she was in, and while hesitant at first, afraid of damaging her fragile state, Will swallowed and rested his hand on the top of the clear plastic, a small smile starting to form on his face, "Hey Lily," He whispered, watching as her tiny arm flailed at her side and her face turned shades of red in distress, "It's okay, baby girl. You're okay," A few tears slid down his face, "It's going to be alright."
Emma clutched her sister's shirt as the nurses helped her get cleaned up. She was trying her hardest not to lash out in frustration at the women who were only trying to help. All she wanted was to be laying down against the pillows with Will next to her, his arm around her shoulders and Lily peacefully making her first eye contact with her mother and father. Instead, her daughter was a wing over, potentially fighting for her tiny life while her husband paced intensely in front of the incubator. She let out a loud cry as Annie rubbed her back, trying to soothe her.
Dr. Eilatan sat at the edge of her bed and took her hand, "Hey, hey, Emma. It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay."
"I want to see my daughter! I want to see Lily," She stammered through her tears, "I want to be with her."
"We need you to finish up here and then rest, Emma. You're running on empty."
"I-I don't want to rest. I just want to see my baby!"
The doctor stood and tried not to glance into her teary face; most women had a similar reaction, but would understand that they needed to place some importance on their own wellbeing as well as the child's.
"Honey, you aren't going to do Lily a lot of good to have her hysterical mother trying to be with her. Babies feed off the emotions of those around them. If you are all stressed out and upset, she's going to be stressed out and upset. In her fragile condition, it could be very dangerous. I really need you to relax and rest before I can let you see her."
Emma took a deep breath and sniffled a few times before meeting the doctor's gaze and accepting the conditions, but not agreeing with them.
"Hey, sweetheart."
Emma's eyes fluttered open hours later, she squinted as she adjusted to the bright light, taking in her surroundings, she noticed she was in a different room and the clock on the wall read — "Please tell me that's twelve o'clock noon?"
Will kissed her forehead and stroked her hand lightly, "Midnight. You've been out for awhile. They gave you something to settle you down, and you ended up sleeping for about...eh, fifteen hours or so. But you needed it, sweetheart. Don't feel bad."
She groaned, turning to the side and placing a hand over her stomach, "H-how's our baby girl?"
When Will's face didn't fall in the way it typically did when he bore bad news, Emma brightened, "She's doing pretty good. She's tiny, oh, Emma, she's so tiny. She's three and a half pounds and barely seventeen inches long, but other then her size, they think she's okay. Her lungs are pretty well developed, which was the big concern considering how early she was...and they think she's got normal sight and hearing...everything is really checking out okay. We were very blessed. And you," He kissed her cheek, "Are going to be fine as well."
Emma breathed a happy sigh of relief and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder, "Oh thank God! Oh, thank God!" She let out a few more tears, happy ones this time and nuzzled closer as he embraced her tighter, "I love you, Will. I love you."
"I love you too, Emma."
"Have you held her yet?" Emma pulled back, smiling as Will eased her back down.
"Not yet," He said quietly, reaching towards the nightstand and grabbing their digital camera, "Do you want to see her?"
Emma's face lit up, "Yes!" She nearly tackled the camera out of his hands and turned it on, impatiently waiting for the memory card to load, "Oh, Will!" She whispered, flicking through pictures of her tiny baby wrapped in a clean-white blanket and a little pink cap.
"You can't tell...but she's going to be a red head," He laughed, kissing her messy hair, "She's not very fussy, either. She was hungry earlier and she only cried for about two minutes while they hooked a feeding tube up to her. She's so sweet, Emma. So sweet."
Emma smiled and pressed a kiss to his face, cupping his cheek, "Did you sleep?"
He nodded, "I went back to the hotel for a little while, then came back around ten, Annie left then and she's back sleeping."
"Oh, god, how are the kids?"
"...I haven't talked to them. I snuck in and out. I don't want to hear about it right now. I've got about a hundred missed calls and texts, but they are not my priority."
Emma threaded her fingers into his, "Can I go see her soon?"
Will kissed Emma again, "Let me go find a nurse to check."
Twenty minutes later Will was wheeling an anticipating Emma down to the NICU and once inside, she nearly leapt out of the chair.
"Settle down, sweetheart," Will eased her up, steadying her as she placed one hand on top of the incubator, "Here she is...Hey, Lily," He said softly.
Emma was speechless as she clutched the tiny baby's fingers in her own through the small hole in the incubator, the touch of her delicate, rosy-red skin sending a shiver down her spine. Another bout of tears leaked down her face as she smiled widely, "Oh, Lily..."
Will had his hand covering the little girl's legs, gently applying a bit more pressure every now and then as the nurse instructed; premature babies nervous system's typically couldn't handle the fluttery feelings of rubbing or stroking.
"Oh, Will...she's beautiful."
Feeding tube and all, the tiny miracle before them was perfect.
Lily opened her eyes, staring up at Emma and trying her hardest to focus on her, "Hi, baby girl," she whispered, crouching down as low as her sore stomach muscles would allow so her little girl could see better, "Hi, Lily...it's mommy..."
Will pulled their digital camera out of his jean pocket, smiling as he snapped a few pictures of his wife and daughter's first time together. Lily's eyes closed again and she fussed for a moment before curling her fingers around Emma's pinky and relaxing back to sleep.
Emma pulled back the blanket slightly, revealing a chord connected to a sticky heart rate monitor, "This is just...to make sure, right? Her heart's okay?"
A nearby nurse nodded, "So far, everything's looking pretty good. Her heart rate has been consistent and the tests haven't picked up any abnormalities. She's responded normally to vision and hearing tests...and she's breathing all on her own — which is the biggest issue when a baby is delivered at this stage."
"She's going to be okay," Will pressed a kiss to Emma's temple as he wrapped an arm around her. Emma returned the embrace with her free arm as the other stayed connected to Lily's finger, "She's happy to have her mommy with her."
Emma sighed happily as Lily yawned, "Oh, you're so sweet, baby..."
They spent an hour just staring at their daughter while she slept, placing gentle touches to her sensitive skin, whispering words of encouragement and adoration.
"Ready to go back to sleep?" Will murmured into her ear.
"I guess...I wish that she could come with us."
"I know..." He kissed her again, "I wish she could, too."
They snuggled together in Emma's recovery room, Will not really tired but wanting to be close to his wife, "You should go talk to the kids in the morning," Emma confided, "I'll be okay here with Lily, but they need you, too." A thought ran through her, "Um...the flight out is tomorrow...what are we going to do?"
Will folded his arms over her still-inflated stomach, "The nurses told me about a place we could stay for a few weeks, while she's here—"
"A few weeks? A few weeks?" Emma sat up and looked down at him in a fit of confusion and anger, "We can't take her home for a few weeks?"
Will cringed, "Sweetheart, she's so tiny and fragile—"
"But they said she's doing really good!"
He opened and closed his mouth, pulling Emma back down, "She is doing good, Em. But she's also still a premature baby. She needs lots of intensive care to make sure she stays doing well."
"W-Will...but—"
"Just listen, Emma. The doctor told me today that if her condition doesn't change, she'll be ready to go in one to two weeks. They want her to gain some weight and learn to eat without a feeding tube first. We can stay in a place that is just down the street, it's a Ronald McDonald house; where the families of sick kids can stay, for free, while they are stuck in the hospital. Once they say she's ready to go, we can head home."
"Oh, God," Emma felt her tears welling up yet again, "Will, I-I, what if she gets worse?"
"Hey, no 'what if's, Em. We're just going to keep holding on."
Will entered the hotel around ten o'clock after seeing his daughter again later in the morning, meeting the kids in their room. He was hounded immediately, some of their faces angry, others concerned. They all started talking at once and after closing his eyes he shouted, "Quiet!" They silenced immediately, "Have a seat, somewhere," He motioned towards the edge of the boy's beds and the floor, "I'm going to start by saying sorry, but honestly, I need you to understand that my wife and child were in a greater need of me then you were."
"What happened?" Quinn asked, tearily, "Are they okay?"
Will sighed, sitting backwards in a desk chair, "Yesterday morning, Emma delivered over six weeks early. She is doing okay, mostly just resting and a little stressed out. Our daughter is doing as well as she can be in her state. She's responding well to most of the tests that they do on premature babies. She's breathing on her own; which is really good for a baby of her age and size. She's very tiny and can't eat on her own yet, but they actually think it'll just be a few weeks before we can take her home."
"What's her name?" Finn asked quietly.
Their coach smiled weakly, "Lily. Lily Ann." They were silent for a moment, reeling in guilt at their selfish behavior the day previously, "Okay, so what happened?" None of them spoke, their eyes downcast, "Guys?"
"Sue screwed us over," Puck said finally.
Rachel piped up, "She gave the judges the wrong song, just like you said. She showed up two hours after we were supposed to preform and we were spot on! No pitch problems, the choreography was perfect! But...we got points taken off for what she did. We came in sixth overall."
Will placed his head in his hands, "Guys, I am so sorry. You got caught up in something that shouldn't effect you. But, still, sixth place over all the other Glee Clubs in America? That's really, really good."
"We're sorry, too," Rachel continued, "We were selfish. We wanted to win so badly that we tried to make you compromise your wife and daughter just to watch us sing. That...that wasn't...We should have reacted better."
Will's face softened as he observed the sorrowful faces of the teenagers before him, "Hey, I understand. You worked so hard all year and had to throw it away. I know I would have been upset, too. But thank you, for understanding, now at least, where I had to be."
"So, you won't be coming home with us then?" Artie asked, "Who's going with us?"
"I know you can't stand her but...Sue is the other chaperone—"
"Sh-she left!" Tina piped.
"What?" Will stood from the chair, "What do you mean, she—"
Finn interrupted, his expression reeling of a truth he didn't want to tell, "She had bought her tickets separately and she said that...you would just have to figure out what was more important to you, us or...your wife."
Will sighed and flopped back down in the chair, his head back in his hands as he tried desperately to figure out what to do. He couldn't send the kids back on their own, but he certainly couldn't leave Emma and Lily, even if Annie would be there—
"Annie." He muttered, then repeated loud enough for the kids to hear, "Emma's sister, Annie is here with her. She was going to try and catch a flight out to Virginia tomorrow so she could go home, but maybe...she wouldn't mind making a layover in Lima." He pulled out his phone, sending a last-resort text message to his sister-in-law.
"It's better then being stuck here until one of our parents could fly down, just to fly back up," Rachel said, understanding the situation, "And she could use one of your tickets."
"We'll be on our best behavior," Kurt added.
They were all quiet again when Finn asked, "Can we see them, before we go?"
Will shrugged, "I don't think so. The NICU's a pretty sterile place and I doubt they'd want a bunch of high schoolers roaming around."
Quinn pleaded with him, "Can we at least see Emma?" Her eyes secretly asking, Can I at least see Emma?
He shook his head, "No, she's just not in the right state of mind to handle twelve germy teenagers right now, Quinn. She's a bit overwhelmed as it is...I don't want to add anymore stress. I'm sorry."
The blonde swallowed, crossing her arms and sighing, "Is she really that bad?"
"She's doing alright, but I just don't think she's ready for a big crowd yet," He shrugged, "You'll just have to wait until we get home in a few weeks."
Will returned to the hospital frustrated at Sue, waiting eagerly to chew her out when he next got the chance.
"Hey!" Emma was very excited as he entered the room, not noticing the weary expression of anger on his face, "We get to hold her this afternoon!"
"Really?" He settled himself next to her, kissing her lips; the thought of holding Lily for the first time outweighing his anger at Sue, "I thought they said it usually takes a few days?"
"She's doing so good, Will! They think that kangaroo care will help keep her healthy and maybe help make her better."
He raised an eyebrow, "Kangaroo care?"
"It's skin-to-skin contact. Like, they take off her little t-shirt and we take off our shirts," He gave her an eye, "And they rest right on your chest. It's supposed to help."
He kissed her again, "Anything that can help our little girl, especially if it means we can hold her, right?"
Emma settled down into a glider next to Lily's incubator that afternoon, after a brief spat with Will over who should hold her first, he had insisted that she delivered the baby, so she had the right, while Emma claimed that she would be the one to be spending the most intimate time with her once their baby started nursing.
In the end, Will got his way and smiled widely as a nurse gently slid the little white t-shirt off Lily's frame, causing her to fuss and kick her little legs wildly. Emma slipped the front of her hospital gown down as the nurse moved forward and positioned the little girl so her face was to the side against Emma's sternum, the bitty body folding against her chest as a blanket was placed over her back and Emma's arms wrapped around her snuggly.
The fussing stopped the moment Emma had placed a hand to Lily's cheek, gently moving it and whispering incoherent phrases of love as a mixture of feelings swept over her.
She saw a nurse taking pictures with their camera as Will crouched down next to her, placing a hand over Lily's back and smiling at her silent demeanor as her dark eyes seemed to stare right through his.
Emma moved her index finger along the edge of the baby's face; as it got closer to her rosy lips, Lily's little mouth turned towards it, her natural rooting reflex taking over.
The nurse leaned over the edge of the chair for a moment, observing, "We may be able to take out that feeding tube sooner then we thought. Looks like she wants her mommy to feed her."
Emma's smile only grew as the nurse gave this piece of news, the emotions continuing to pour over her.
No longer was she afraid of being a bad mother; of messing up her daughter's life. The thought of dirty diapers and drolly mouths were pushed to the back of her mind; as she held Lily, she had full confidence that she would be able to make her way through any mess for her little girl. She wasn't afraid of scaring her daughter with thoughts of germs on every surface, she wasn't afraid of puked on shirts or the strain that a child would be on the couple's financial situation. All she saw was a future where she and Will sat for hours with their daughter, making sure she knew just how much she was loved.
She sat for over a half an hour with her baby against her skin, tracing patterns along her back and continuing to keep her close.
Will took a turn, her tiny face at first not quite at ease as her cheek pressed against his fuzzy chest, the strange texture slightly scratchy. He was quiet as he soaked in the new feelings of fatherhood, the conversation that he had with his own father, the first time he thought he was having a baby, regarding his insecurities of raising a baby was flashing in his mind, and he suddenly wondered how he ever thought that he'd fail his baby so badly. He bent down and whispered into her ear, telling Lily how much he loved her, how he was going to try his hardest to provide her with whatever she needed, that he would always do his best to make sure she was happy.
Emma laced her fingers in his, "Maybe you should sing for her, Will?"
He eyed his wife for a brief moment, and as they looked at each other they had the same thought. Will started to sing lightly, rocking gently and making Emma tear up again as he sang to his daughter for the first time, "My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you wanted, your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, you never need to carry more then you can hold...And while your out there getting where your getting to, I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things to, yeah this is my wish..."
He reached out and whipped a tear from her eye and kissed the top of his baby girl's head, knowing that Lily was ready for another long bout of sleep. They left the NICU, Emma's endorphins glowing and her smile unwavering.
Annie stood nervously in front of the group of teenagers that Will had assembled in the hotel lobby the following morning. Once he found out Sue had taken off, he knew she had lost. Will had every intention of seeing her firing though for good this time around.
"Listen up," Will ran a hand through his hair, having a feeling he was breaking several laws by entrusting the uncertified Annie with his student's care, "Annie isn't here to discipline you all, so please, please just behave yourselves on the plane. I need to know that you all will act like the responsible individuals I know you can be."
Grumbling yes's, the group set off towards the airport, Annie embracing Will tightly before she headed out the door, "You guys are going to be just fine. Lily's going to make it and you two will be home in no time...When you are about to go home, though, call me. I want to be there to help you guys get through the first week or so. It's much different around the house with a baby and I don't want Emma all stressed out."
He returned the hug, "Thank you, so much, Ann. We owe you everything. I don't think Em could have done it without you. And thanks for taking the Brat Pack back home. God, I owe you."
"You owe me nothing," She pecked his cheek and smiled, waving as she slid out the door.
Will sighed, his hands resting on his hips as he prepared to do the final checkout and move his and Emma's possessions to the Ronald McDonald house they would be staying at for the next few weeks.
Emma was a bit unnerved at the thought of someone else taking care of her, now that she would be out of the hospital, but now her priorities had changed. She could stand being uncomfortable for a brief period of time to support her baby girl.
She settled down into the glider next to her daughter as the end of her baby's first week of life came to a close. The doctors were promising that the little girl was making healthy strides and that they would hopefully be able to go home within a week. The dispute over how they would be getting home was an issue, as no doctor in their right mind would recommend flying with a baby so soon, especially a premie, but a bus wouldn't be any better, and the Schuester's didn't have their own car with them.
Lily rested against Emma's chest, she was now completely contented to spend hours dozing or relaxing against her parents as they cooed or sang to her. Will watched as the baby folded and unfolded her tiny fists against Emma's flesh, her tiny fingernails leaving tickling, scratching sensations.
About ten minutes into the kangaroo care session, Lily let out a little cough, causing Will and Emma's eyes to meet. Just a little cough, no big deal. People cough all the time. Just clearing her throat. More time passed and this time the baby sneezed, causing Emma's eyes to widen and Will to call over the nurse.
The blue-clad woman gently removed Lily from her mother's arms, setting her back in the incubator, "With these little ones, it's best to just not take any chances. We'll look her over."
Will pulled Emma into his arms to keep her from pacing as the nurses checked Lily's lungs and nose, "She's going to be fine, sweetheart," He kissed her hair right above her ear.
Emma leaned back, resting her head into his shoulder, unsure of what to say, because she couldn't help but think the worse.
"Sweetheart, stop thinking whatever you are."
She grasped his wrists, "How do you know she's going to be okay?"
"I don't," He kissed her again, "But—"
A nurse interrupted them, "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to step out for a few minutes—"
"Oh, God," Emma's eyes grew wide again, "Wh-what's wrong? She was doing so well—"
"We're going to call a doctor down to take a look at her; make sure it's not too serious."
Emma took a shaky breath and had Will lead her to the hallway where she crumbled again, "Why is this happening?"
He swallowed, rubbing her back, not knowing how to respond. He didn't want to keep saying that "it would be okay," when he wasn't sure if it would.
"I-I hope this isn't...this isn't too bad...because," The waterworks began again, "Because I love her so much and...I never thought I would...be a mother, l-let alone be able to love my baby so much. I c-couldn't go on without her."
"Oh, Em..." He pulled them to a bench, settling her into him so she could cry into his chest as he attempted to stay strong, "I know; but listen, listen. We aren't going to keep thinking like this, okay? We need to stay strong for her."
Emma made an attempt to pull herself back together, "I just never thought this would happen."
Will shrugged, "Babies get sick all the time, sweetheart. It's just a part of—"
"I-I meant..." She sniffed, tracing lines on his shirt, "I meant that I never thought that all this would happen to me. I never imagined myself with a husband...who loved me so much...who I loved so much...and then...to have made beautiful baby girl...even if she is sick, she's mine...ours...and...I love her so much...I just...I don't know how I fell in love with a little person who's barely a week old...but I did. And I can't bare to lose her. I just can't!"
He didn't respond as he felt his cheeks grow wet with his own tears, his mind wandered and for a brief moment, he had a thought that he was on a plane with Emma, and their daughter was not in his arms. They sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds were of her sniffling and him kissing her forehead every so often.
"Mr. and Mrs. Schuester?"
The couple sprung to their feet as a doctor approached, quickly mopping their tears, "Lily is okay. It was just a scare, a sniffle, nothing serious like a lung problem or RSV. She's alright."
Emma threw her arms around Will, "Oh, thank God! Oh, Will!"
The NICU doctor smiled, leading them back to their daughter, "The other piece of good news is that she's been able to latch on to a pacifier for more then five minutes at a time. We heard that she was rooting earlier this week, so...she may be ready to be nursed. If you think you're ready, we can give it a try."
They settled Emma back into the glider, grateful she had worn a button-down shirt. An older nurse approached, gently lifting Lily from her resting place and settling her into Emma's arms, "It's a little past when we usually give her a feeding session, so she's probably quite hungry, so this should go pretty well."
It took several moments for Emma to mentally prepare for what she was about to attempt, but once she had her shirt unbuttoned and Lily placed in her arms, she was more then ready to share the intimate time with her daughter.
It wasn't easy, but Lily caught on quickly as to what she was supposed to do, successfully latching onto her mother and nursing until she was full. Emma beamed down at the baby as another set of feelings spread throughout her.
While it was an awkward concept, the idea of giving her daughter what she needed to support her little life was a rewarding and enriching experience. The closeness that it would bring to their maternal relationship was one Emma couldn't put into words.
Will offered to burp the baby, slightly nervous that he might actually hurt her fragile little body, "A lot of times parent's find that just patting the back doesn't really work," The nurse said, positioning the baby in his arms so her little face rested against his palm, "Try rubbing in a few circles and then patting a few times."
Their preemie burped a few times, making the couple laugh. Will moved to cradle the little girl when she'd finished, her dark-colored eyes meeting his and her facial muscles twitching so it appeared she was smiling. Emma giggled again, snapping a picture of Lily and her daddy.
"Lily Ann, you are one sweet baby," Will kissed Lily's forehead and repositioned her so she was closer to his chest.
After three long weeks in Texas, the Schuester family was ready to go home. Lily had gained weight and with the exception of the sniffle scare, had stayed healthy throughout her stay in the NICU.
"All better!" Emma cheered as she pulled off her plastic gloves after successfully changing her daughter's diaper. She squirted a pump of sanitizer into her hands before picking up the little girl, who was dressed in her going home outfit (a bitty-sized pink dress with purple flowered embroidery), and turned to Will. He smiled, kissing Emma's cheek and placing an arm on her back.
"Ready?"
"More then ready."
They thanked the doctors and nurses who had taken care of their daughter and checked out of the hospital, buckling Lily safely into the infant seat already secured into their rental car before heading to the airport. They'd splurged and gotten first-class tickets, with less people in the front part of the cabin, the chances of Lily contracting a virus from the stale air were slimmer.
Halfway through the flight, Will had Lily cradled in one arm while Emma was tucked under the other, smirking as he noticed both his girls had the sides of their faces pressed to his chest. As they came in for a landing two hours later, both were asleep.
He pressed a few soft kisses to Emma's forehead, causing her to stir against him, "Sweetheart, we're home."
Her lips curved up as he said it, "Home," She whispered, forcing herself up and glancing at Lily who woke and began fussing as Will moved.
Annie was waiting for them outside the gates, hugging her sister tightly and giving her newest niece a quick workup.
"Here we are!" Emma cooed at the baby as they pulled into the driveway of their new house, "Home sweet home."
They entered the house and Emma nearly cried as she saw framed pictures of Lily scattered throughout the living room, "Annie!" She barely choked out as she jumped into her sister's arms yet again, "I love you."
Will set Lily's carrier onto the coffee table and spotted a familiar purse underneath it, smirking as he realized what his sister-in-law was up to, "Want to take Lily to see her room?" He asked as Annie gave him a look.
He carried their daughter, following a pace behind his wife so she would be surprised first. As he suspected, both sets of their parents were waiting in the nursery. Emma's eyes widened and she paused for a minute to grasp what was going on before flinging herself at her father, feeling his chest shaking with a chuckle as he returned her embrace, "Hi, ladybug."
She stepped away tearily, moving to her mother and Will's parents, "And here's Lily," He said, stepping towards the proud grandparents, giving them a look at his firstborn, "She's a little bit crabby, Em. I think she's hungry."
Emma smiled and settled herself into her glider, allowing Will to position Lily in her arms and excuse their parents so she could have a moment of privacy to nurse the baby. Will burped her ten minutes later and then they joined their families in the living room, starting a round of pass the baby as Emma told the horror story of what had happened.
"So the kids didn't do so well?" The elder Mr. Schuester asked.
"They came in sixth," Will shrugged, "Considering what happened and that this is only our second year at it, I'm not upset. My wife and child are much more important to me then a club, though. I'd rather the kids come in last then miss being with them."
Emma tiled her head towards him for a kiss, intertwining their fingers. Mr. Pillsbury looked up from his fourth granddaughter to see his own baby girl so happy, "So, plans for a sibling for Miss Lily?" He asked with a smirk.
"Oh, gosh, I don't think so. Not for a long while, at least." Emma sighed, "She's going to be enough to handle for now."
The reverend glanced back down at the baby, "There were a lot of prayers then went out for her. Guess they worked," He kissed the top of her head and passed her along to his wife, who started gushing immediately.
"So since you had her over a month early, what are you going to do about work, Emma?" The older Mrs. Schuester questioned, causing the younger to pause and think about it.
"I don't...I don't really know." The truth was, Emma wasn't sure if she was going to be able to leave Lily's side for a moment let alone spend every day with her in a grubby daycare center.
Will's hand ran up and down her thigh, "We'll talk about it. Truth be told, I'd be more comfortable if Emma could stay home with her," He paused as she searched out his eyes, "But we'll see."
Three sleepless nights later, Emma lay in Will's arms on their bed as Lily snoozed peacefully in her bassinet next to them.
"I think this is the first time she's slept when we want to as well," Will whispered, nuzzling his chin into Emma's shoulder, "Amazing."
Her eye-lids dropped, "She is..." Emma rolled over, snuggling into his chest, "You are..."
Kissing her forehead, he felt his own fatigue seeping in, "Goodnight, sweetheart."
A ringing and vibration followed shortly by a wail caused Emma to groan and sit up, "Will?" When he didn't move, the red-head whined, snatching his cellular device off the night stand, an uncharacteristically crabby "What?" followed the turning on of a lamp.
"Emma?"
She squinted in confusion, "F-Figgins? Wh-what do you need?"
Hearing a chuckling on the other end of the line, Emma stood, padding next to the white bassinet where Lily's face was scrunched in distress, "I'm sorry for calling, but I just got Schue's message about what happened at Nationals. I was wondering if he could come in tomorrow so we could talk it out and come up with a solution."
Rubbing the baby's belly in an attempt to comfort her, Emma blew it off, "I, yeah, he can come in...Noon works...Yeah, bye." She groaned and tossed the phone on the mattress, picking up Lily and sighing, "Baby, please, please go back to sleep, shh...it's fine, just a little noise...Mommy will turn it down next time, I promise." She kissed the infant's temple as the she calmed down, "That's better...sh, shh....that's better..."
Lily curled up into Emma's chest, cuddled deeply. Emma huffed, knowing if she moved the baby, hysteria would start all over again. Surrendering, she shuffled into the nursery and plopped herself in the glider, her feet resting on the ottoman, "Is this going to happen every night?" She kissed the top of Lily's head once more, smiling weakly as her daughter yawned.
Will appeared in the doorway moments later, "What's going on?" He asked, rubbing his eyes, "I thought she was sleeping?"
"Figgins called," Emma shrugged, "Wants you to come in at noon tomorrow. He woke Lily up."
"Oh," Will crossed the room, sitting on the bench beneath the window, directly next to his wife, "Sorry about that baby," He whispered, stroking her small cheek, "Sorry, Em." He pressed a kiss to her lips, "I'll take her," He tilted his head back to the end of the hall, "You go back to bed."
She made a motion to protest, but he smiled, taking Lily into his arms and pulling her up by a hand, "There you go..."
As she pulled the cool sheet back, a smile graced Emma's face as she heard the soft tunes to a familiar country song begin to fill the room next to her, "What a beautiful, what a beautiful mess I'm in..." She mouthed the chorus and allowed herself to surrender to the sleep that was taking over.
"Schue, have a seat," Figgins directed as Will entered his office promptly at noon the next day.
Sue was sitting in the seat adjacent to him, unnaturally calm and not fuming as he expected her to be.
"Let's start from the beginning, shall we?" Figgins pressed his fingertips together, "Sue was correct in saying that it would be wise to have an additional adult accompany you and the children to Nationals; clearly."
Agreeing, Will placed his hands on his knees, "I understand that. Even if circumstances hadn't turned out the way they did, it still would have been a good idea to have an additional adult accompany the kids and us, just incase something happened. I know this for next time."
The principal turned to Sue, "Well I'm glad you can see that, Schue. Although I must commend you for your quick thinking and having Emma's sister ride back with the kids. She may not have been an approved chaperone, but in an emergency situation, it worked." Will nodded and Figgins turned to Sue, "As for you, Sue—"
"Oh, as for me what? What? So I accidentally gave the judges the wrong song, I showed up a little late! If I hadn't been treated like a leper and ostracized from the rest of the pack, maybe I would have known what was going on!"
Figgins cast a look at Will, who defended himself, "You were never around! We didn't see you from the time we checked in until the kids finally found you so you could sub for me! And then you didn't even get there until two hours after they were scheduled to go!"
"Time is relative."
"Relative to what, plotting to ruin—"
"Quiet, quiet, sit down, Schue!" Will didn't even realized he'd risen to shout in the blonde's face, "Sue, what you did was sabotage these kid's chance of winning a National Competition! You can't do things like that to children! And afterwords, you left them alone, in a hotel, in another state! This is it Sue, this is the end of the line!"
Feeling her barriers breaking, Sue's tyranny continued, "How is this my fault? He is the one who's pregnant wife exploded; he abandoned the kids to be with her!"
"Those are extenuating circumstances! That is why you came! You can't expect a man to ignore his wife and child while they are in danger to be with a damn choir!"
Sue threw herself into the seat, looking up, "Why, oh dear God, why? This baby was supposed to ruin your life, Will! Not mine!"
Will's face turned puzzled for a moment, "What are you talking about?"
"Oh please, Will. Like the two of you would actually conceive a child. God, it was the perfect plan...the perfect...mess that was just going to ruin you both. Where did I go wrong?"
Figgins exchanged a look with the glee coach and asked, "Sue? What did you do to them?"
Will was flabbergasted and furious, "What the hell did you do?"
She paused, eyes widening and lips pursing together. "William..."
"That took quite awhile," Emma said as she greeted Will at the door over an hour and a half later, "Did Sue get fired?" She asked expectantly.
Will placed his hands on her hips and kissed her softly, "So much better then that, Emma."
She leaned into him, "Mm, what happened? Lily missed you, by the way," She giggled, "She was fussy for awhile and I think she wanted you to hold her."
Will laughed, "Is she sleeping?" Emma nodded, "Well, let me start by saying that no matter what I tell you, I'm not mad about it. I'm very pleased with all the results from everything that happened, okay?"
Her eyes met his in a worried confusion, "O-okay," She tugged him to sit, slipping her fingers through his as he brought her onto his lap.
"I'm just going to say it...Sue is the reason that we got pregnant."
"E-excuse me?" Emma barely blinked as she tried to register what Will had said.
Will sighed, "Back in September, she started bringing in coffee for everyone in the lounge...I didn't even think anything of it...she started by saying it was a peace offering, she wouldn't mess with my club if I didn't fail her Cheerios...and she didn't, all year...but...apparently, she thought that if we had a baby...you'd have a mental breakdown and I'd quit...and at the very least, I wouldn't be as effective of a coach and the kids wouldn't go very far and all the funding would get cut."
"B-but that doesn't even make sense...how did she..."
"The coffee," Will interrupted, "She always handed me mine, and again...at the time, I wasn't thinking anything out of the ordinary, because everybody in there got one. She put some sort of fertility drug into it...and...I guess all it took was one time you missed the pill, or one time I didn't have...you know, protection on properly or something..."
Emma's eyes were wide as she tried to grasp the information. He pressed his forehead to hers while waiting for her to respond, "I...Will...I, she...I...?"
He kissed her cheek, "Figgins fired her, officially. He said he's going to do his best to keep her out of the district all together, and he's sending in a request to have her educator's license revoked by the state. We can press charges if we want to; but quite frankly, all she did was make us even happier then we were before, and I want the drama to be over."
She silently fumbled on the buttons of his navy polo shirt, her fingers grazing the fuzzy skin underneath and trailing up his shoulders and neck, resting at the base of his hair, "...And people say I'm crazy," Emma smirked, kissing his jawline, "I think it's going to take awhile to...set in, but...in the end, we've got Lily. And we love her, and she's brought us so much joy already..."
"Mm," Will curled his own fingers into her crimson hair, "I feel like I should be furious...but I'm just not."
Emma moved so she was sliding her scrawny fingers up his shirt and around his back, teasing his spine with her nails, "I can't believe that she thought a baby would drive us over the edge...that you would quit...Even for Sue, this was pretty strange."
Will shrugged, picking at the baggy maternity top she wore and changing the topic, "I miss you, Em," He muttered, positioning himself so his face was on her chest.
"I know," She sighed, her fingers still dancing on his back, "Few more weeks and I'm all yours again." She chuckled as Lily began howling from their room, "Well, maybe not all yours."
Mid-July brought a scorching heat wave to Lima, Ohio. The air conditioner could barely keep up and each day only seemed worse. The Schuester couple spent nearly all of their time in their semi-cool house, doting over their daughter and spending hours watching her sleep or cuddling her close with Kangaroo Care.
It was difficult, as they had imagined it would be. Lily kept them up at all hours, fussing and demanding attention; hungry one minute and sleeping the next. She spit up far more often then Emma would have liked; on the couch, on their bed, on her shirts...but she was learning to deal with it.
Lily lay between the couple on top of their bed one afternoon, clad only in a diaper after a successful bath provided by both parents. Each was propped up on a side, letting her curl her tiny fingers around one of theirs and kick her little legs in happiness.
A knock at the front door disturbed the couple as Lily finally dozed off for a nap. Emma raised an eyebrow, Will shrugged and made to answer while his wife set their baby in a bassinet near their bed.
"Finn?"
"Hi, um, hi, Mr. Schue, look, I know that you and the Mrs. asked us to back off for a little while, and I know, it's not the thirtieth yet, but please, I-I'm not here to see the baby or anything...There...there's stuff and...I just need to...talk and I'm sorry for—"
Will put a hand on the taller boy's shoulder and ushered him into the living room, nodding for him to take off his shoes and having him take a seat.
Emma entered the room and took a seat next to Finn, "Hey, Finn," She smiled, "Something wrong?"
He placed his head in his hands for a moment as he collected his thoughts, "N-not wrong...just...I'm all mixed up right now."
"About what?"
"I-I've been thinking, a lot, about what I'm supposed to do with my life and...I just don't know. I didn't really have a clue what I was going to do until a few days ago...I was looking at pictures of my dad. He was in the army...and I was looking at pictures of him in his uniform, and...it just kind of hit me, you know? I-I think that I want to join the military, like he did."
Will nodded, knowing where he was going with this, "You're worried about your mom's reaction?"
Finn nodded, clearly swallowing a lump in his throat, "I-I mean, he died in the army. Died...and...I think she'd be just...broken if something happened to me, too. Especially in the army, like my dad..."
They discussed the issue for about twenty minutes, Will encouraging Finn to keep talking through tears and hesitation.
"In the end, Finn, you can't make a decision like this based on what others think of you," Emma added, "This is something that you feel, in your heart, that you are meant to do. No matter how many reservations your mom may have about you doing this, it is your future. She'll come around and see that this is something that you are really passionate about. And she wants you to be happy, she wants you to chase your dreams, Finn. She'll understand."
As she finished her small speech, Lily began fussing from the bedroom, a little cry that demanded attention over anything else. Emma left and returned with the squirming infant, sighing as she cradled the baby and attempted to shush her, "It's okay, sweet-pea," She kissed Lily's cheek, "It's okay..."
Finn watched, his mouth slightly agape, "She...she's so...tiny. I-I've never seen a baby that small."
Emma smiled as Lily settled, contently snuggling into her chest, "She's getting bigger, she's doing real well." Feeling his worries about his future slip away as he observed the baby grunting and twisting in his guidance counselor's arms, Finn made eye-contact with her, "You want to hold her?" She asked.
He nodded, unable to speak as the lump rose once more in his throat, pulling memories of nearly two years ago along with it. Emma placed the baby in his arms, proud of herself for not asking Finn to scrub up first. Lily didn't need her mysophobia, and Emma was trying her hardest to keep her own fears out of her daughter's life.
"Wow," Finn whispered, a sad smile forming on his face as the little girl relaxed in his hold, "She's...just...beautiful."
"Just don't tell the others that you got to hold her," Will joked, "Especially Quinn. She'll have our heads."
Finn's focus stayed marveling Lily, her little eyes gazed into his and her muscles twitched into a faux-smile as they often did, "I think she likes me," Finn laughed lightly, gently repositioning Lily so he could tickle her small stomach with one hand, feeling a tad ridiculous as he cooed at her, "Hey, hi...hey, baby."
Emma laughed, seeing the captain of the school's football, basketball and baseball teams gushing over her daughter. Reaching for her camera, she snapped a few pictures of the unsuspecting boy and laughed again as Lily sneezed in his face.
"Sorry," She apologized on behalf of her baby, "Babies are messy."
Finn shared a look with the red head, "But worth it."
"Defiantly."
Will chuckled as Lily kicked her legs and let out a few grunts, "Guess she wants someone else," Finn smiled, passing the girl to her father.
He positioned her so she could see Finn, although how much she could see at this point Will wasn't sure, "She's a bit demanding," Will smirked, tapping her nose, "She knows how to get what she wants. But she's not too fussy. She doesn't ever really cry, just whines when she wants something."
Emma agreed, "She's such a sweetheart," The couple's eyes met for a moment, which did not go unnoticed by Finn.
"I don't mean to sound weird or anything," He shrugged, "But I really like how much you guys love each other. I don't know...it kind of...gives me hope, I guess."
Emma flushed and pulled Finn to her lightly with one arm around his shoulders, "You'll figure it all out, kiddo. You've got plenty of time for that."
He leaned in for a moment before pulling away and standing up, "Thanks for listening to me...and for letting me hold Lily. I-I think I'm going to talk to that guy who wanted me to give him a call. Then I guess I'll talk to my mom."
Will gave Finn a sad smile and passed Lily to her mother so he could pull the younger boy into an embrace, "You'll be okay. I'm proud of you, Finn."
He hugged back just as tightly, "Thanks, Mr. Schue...and I'm going to say if for her, because Lily can't talk yet, but thanks for being awesome parents." He smirked and pulled away, "You really are great."
When Quinn came over to see Lily for the first time nearly a week after Finn, it was a bit more hysterical. She was emotional as Emma had ever seen her, laughing and crying all at the same time.
"God," Quinn sniffed as she stroked the baby's cheek, "She's so pretty."
Emma observed as the younger girl began to attach herself to the baby, "Quinn, sweetheart, if this is too much right now...I can go put her down."
"N-no! Oh, no. She's fine. She's fine."
"Are you fine, sweetheart?"
After a shaky breath, Quinn nodded, "Yes. Yes; I'm fine. I can handle this."
"Okay," Emma said softly, placing a delicate hand on Quinn's shoulders as they moved from the nursery to where Will stood in the living room, attempting to install a ceiling fan, "Will? You need some help?"
He joined her on the floor after climbing down from a stool, "I may need to call someone. I can't get it in."
Emma giggled, her hands resting on his hips, "You're many things, Will. Mr. Fix-It isn't among them."
Chuckling and kissing her lips, Will circled his arms around her, "I'm going to see if my dad can come over."
Quinn watched the exchange from the couch, an unexplainable feeling of jealousy creeping in as Emma returned Will's kiss and broke away. The blonde looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms and sighed, suppressing her tears as long as she could before Will left the room and Emma sat down next to her.
"Quinn?" The waterworks started as Emma called her name. The red-head gently lifted her baby out of her arms and nestled her into the infant seat on the floor near her feet, then pulled Quinn towards her, "I thought it might be a little too much."
"I-It's not that...Not Lily...it's just..."
Emma rubbed a hand over the blonde's back and shoulders,"Tell me, sweetheart," She requested gently, "I'm not going to get upset with you."
"I-I'm jealous," Quinn blurted out, ashamed, "Th-that you and Will are so happy and you have so much love...I didn't get to have that with my baby or her daddy."
Trying to ignore the annoyance she felt with the statement from the young girl, Emma told it like it was, "Quinn, you're only seventeen, okay? You aren't supposed to be in love or starting a family yet. You're supposed to be picking a college and going out to have fun with your friends in your last year of being a kid."
"But I thought I gave all that up when I had a kid," Quinn emphasized.
"You didn't have to give all that up," Emma started, gently moving the baby seat up and down with her foot as Lily grunted for some attention, "You gave her up because you knew that seventeen-year-olds aren't meant to raise a baby."
Quinn buried her face into Emma's neck, holding on tightly, "I-I...thank you, for letting me see her."
Fifteen minutes later, Quinn was fine again, holding Lily, tickling her tiny tummy and softly stroking her sensitive skin. Emma laughed and played along with the games Quinn initiated with the baby, although for the most part, Lily would be content to simply be cuddled.
Will joined the ladies, taking pictures and laughing along as his daughter lay confused in his wife's arms at the faces Quinn was making at her.
Later that week, Emma was scheduled for her final postpartum visit with her obstetrician, opting to leave Lily at home with Will for the first time since she'd had her.
"Emma," Terri greeted with a semi-forced smile and sigh as the red-head signed in, "How are you?"
"Good, I'm doing real great, actually."
"Where's the baby?"
"Oh," Emma sighed, "I should have brought her so you could meet her...I left her at home with Will for the first time," They shared a look of, 'oh really' and a returned 'what was I thinking?' and laughed lightly together. "Lily's a very routined baby, and she just fell asleep. I didn't want to wake her up, Will's at home with her."
"Do you have pictures?" Terri questioned. Emma reached into her purse and pulled out her iPhone, a present from Will's parents so they could receive pictures and videos of their first grand-baby on demand. Terri's expression softened tremendously as her heart melted at the sight of the red-headed infant, "Oh, she's too sweet." She teared up at an image of Will laying down with the baby on his chest, both fast asleep, "Oh, god," She took a deep breath, keeping the salty tears at bay.
Emma watched pitifully, her heart breaking for the woman in front of her. Lily wasn't sleeping. She just didn't want to cause Terri anymore pain then she already had, no matter how unintentional it was or how much the former Mrs. Schuester may have actually deserved it.
But as she continued to observe Terri pouring over the pictures of her daughter, an idea sparked for Emma. The woman before her may have moved on, but she desperately needed to finish closing the book with Will before she could start another with her new fiancee, "Terri? Would...um...Would you like to talk with Will? Alone? You two never really got...closure. I think it might help."
When Terri's misty blue eyes met Emma's sincere brown ones, she couldn't disagree, "I need...I need closure. I need...forgiveness."
Emma nearly burst into tears herself, "Okay, um...look, I can't promise you'll be best friends—"
"Oh, I don't want that," Terri straightened herself in the desk chair, "All I want is for Will to know how truly, truly sorry I am...and that I did love him. And what I did...I did because I loved him."
With a nod, Emma leaned over a bit further, "I know that. He knows it too. It's always going to be hard, though...but it's going on two years now...I, I know that you're both long overdue for a discussion."
They made arrangements; and when Emma told Will what had happened, he gave her a look at first instinct, then realized why he needed to speak with his ex-wife alone. Emma had a meeting with Figgins a few days later regarding her employment for the year and invited Terri over during that time.
Lily was happy in her little bouncy seat; Emma had dressed her in a sweet romper with bright pink flowers that had orange dots in the center, the hue bringing out the fiery color of the baby's hair. She sighed down at her daughter, not entirely happy to be leaving her for only the second time.
"Are you heading out, sweetheart?" Will called from the bedroom as he pulled on a shirt. He walked towards her with a smirk, "Not quite sure what you're going to say to Figgins?"
She shrugged, "I hope he understands..."
Will kissed her neck, "He will, don't worry. You scheduled this time off anyway, so it really shouldn't be too big of a deal. Circumstances change, right?" She swallowed and nodded, "Did you feed her?"
"No, she's being stubborn. I filled a bottle and put it in the fridge. If she's hungry enough, she'll take it."
He nuzzled into her back, Lily grunting near Emma's feet, demanding attention, "Well, guess that's your cue," The new mother giggled, standing, kissing Will quickly and finding her way to the car, "I'll see you in an hour or two."
Terri knocked just as Will was about to sit in front of Lily for a small solo performance, "Hi," She said with a warm smile as Will permitted her entrance to the cozy house, "Where's Emma?"
"At school," Will ushered her to the couch, "Trying to get maternity leave sorted out since the baby came earlier. She should be starting in September, but we want her home for a bit longer, at least." He sighed briefly, "How are you, Terri?"
She made a split second of eye-contact with him and was about to answer, but found herself drawn to Lily instead, "Oh! Look at you," Her grin widened as she reached down, gently stroking a finger along Lily's arm.
Will lifted her out of the bouncy seat, cradling her for a moment before asking Terri, "Want to hold her?"
The blonde nodded, delicately placing the baby in the crook of her arm, one hand over Lily's chest. She felt tears welling up again, and this time she couldn't fight them back.
"Terr?" Will tilted his head a bit, "Terri-"
"I'm sorry, Will," She whispered, shaking her head but keeping her watery gaze on Lily's sweet face, "...I'm so sorry. I know, I know how much I hurt you. I know how much you wanted this, how much we wanted this. And I'm so sorry for taking it away from you. I didn't deserve you. I-I'm just so sorry. I don't know what else to say, Will, but please, please believe me. I only did what I did because I loved you...my intention wasn't to hurt you."
Will sat in silence for a moment before taking a deep breath, "I know." Terri met his eyes again, "I know that you did it to keep us together. And I'm sorry, too Terri. I'm sorry it ended the way it did. I'm sorry for lashing out the way I did."
"I deserved it—"
"But I could have reacted better, we both could have." He sighed again, breaking eye-contact with her, "I know that you've been beating yourself up over this...it's going on two years, now. I mean...Occasionally, I think about it...but..."
"...Oh God, Will, I think about it every day. I lie awake all the time, just hoping...that someday, you'll forgive me, but just in that moment where it's out of my mind, something brings it back. I know what I did is...impossible to forget."
Will smiled sadly, cupping Terri's thin face in his hands for a moment, wiping her tears with his thumbs, "Terri, I won't ever forget what you did, but I will forgive you."
She moved one arm to wrap around his neck while still safely holding his baby, "Oh, Will. Thank you, thank you...I..." She stuttered, choking on a few tears. He returned the embrace, then pulled away to observe his suddenly fussy daughter.
He took Lily for a moment, positioning her over his shoulder and whispering softly, kissing the tender skin near her ear and rubbing her back, "There we go, that's better..." He smiled into another kiss before placing her back in Terri's arms, "How are you, Terr?" He asked again.
"I'm good," She sighed, "Really. I'm getting married in August...All three of the kids will be in the wedding...um...I like working, and in another year I'll be done with my midwife certification...How are you?"
He wasn't sure how respond; not wanting to hurt her any further then he already had, "Everything's good, just..uh..."
Terri tilted her head, giving him a look, "Will, really, how are you?"
Will smiled and sighed, glad they could finally be honest with each other again, "Great. Everything is great...I'm pretty sure Emma's going to take this whole year off for Lily, we just can't imagine paying for daycare and she doesn't want her in that environment."
"Oh, god, we put the kids in daycare for about a month once I started school, but that did not go well. Austin was having meltdowns hourly, Kristen just stayed in a swing all day...I think that she'll be much happier and healthier at home with Emma...how is she doing, with the baby?"
"She's great," Will's grin grew, "She's got a real maternal instinct that really surprised me. I thought it was going to be difficult, that there'd be a lot of...anxiety and apprehension, but once she saw her for the first time, god, you know? Something just clicked. She loves Lily enough to give up her job, and to me...that's just...wow. We're really happy, Terr."
They talked for over an hour, catching up on each other's lives, laughing at Lily's random yawns and fusses, playing with the infant's feet or stroking her soft cheeks.
Emma entered just as Lily was starting to cry in hunger. She met Terri's blue eyes as the blonde tried to calm the baby down.
"Lily," She cooed, tapping her daughter's chest, "You're fine baby...I'm going to warm up her bottle," Emma said, dragging a hand across Will's shoulders as she moved to the kitchen.
"You don't want to feed her?"
Emma shrugged, pulling the plastic container out of the refrigerator and placing it in the microwave for a few seconds, "Terri can do it if she wants."
The baby protested at first as Terri offered her the bottle, generally preferring her mother over the plastic. "There you go," The blonde smiled, meeting Emma's eyes as the red-head plopped herself in a chair opposite the couch.
"How'd it go?"
"Off until November," Emma smiled, "And we'll see from there how much longer I need. He said the sub they've got is just out of college and looking for experience before she goes looking for a more permanent school, so she's willing to stay as long as we need her."
"Great," Will smiled and observed the scene before him — his current wife sitting ten feet away from him while his ex-wife was at his side, feeding his daughter.
They sat in comfortable silence before Terri and Emma began chatting about their children, Emma listening intently as Terri discussed the challenges of raising a son with special needs.
"The thing I'm most worried about," The former Mrs. Schuester declared quietly as Lily's brown eyes started fluttering shut, "Is the day that we tell them that I'm not their real mother. None of them will remember her...And I'm just so afraid that they are going to resent me or...or...I don't know."
"Hey, Terri," Emma sighed, "She may have been the one who gave birth to them, and Mark may have loved her very much, but...you were the one changing their diapers and making their sandwiches and all that stuff...You will be the one who supports them and is physically present to care for them...You are their mother. Sure, they will have days when you'll be arguing and one of them will bring it up, but," Emma swallowed and looked down before meeting her former rival's gaze, "You'll hug it out and they'll apologize and...You'll be their mother."
Will's heart nearly leapt out of his chest as Emma made her way next to Terri, who had no words other then a shaky, "Thank you," and moved her free arm around Emma's shoulders in a comfortable, light embrace that didn't make the red-head panic.
"Want to put her to sleep?" Emma asked when Lily moved her face closer to Terri's chest while she began to doze.
Terri nodded and followed Emma to the nursery, where Lily's bassinet had been wheeled that morning while the Schuester couple spent an hour or so cuddling in intimate silence.
"There we go," Emma kissed the baby's temple once Terri gently placed her in the padded basket, "Sweet dreams."
Terri made her way to the door, claiming she needed to beat her soon-to-be mother-in-law home with her kids, "Thank you, both," She sighed, pulling Will into a hug, which he returned, "Can we make it sooner then a year and a half before we see each other again?"
Emma smiled and laughed, "Maybe we should do dinner sometime. You could bring your kids over or something."
They said their goodbyes and Will brought Emma's lips to his once the door was shut, "Thank you for arranging that. You're too wonderful for words."
"Hm," She giggled into his kiss, "Then don't speak."
They enjoyed watching Lily sleep. Emma would lean over the bassinet and Will would trace patterns on her back or Will would stroke the baby's belly while Emma sang softly, just loud enough for Lily to hear.
Emma kissed the infant's forehead and sighed backing up into Will's embrace as she moved from her daughter, "Hey," She whispered, one arm reaching towards his and dragging him out of the nursery and into their bedroom, "Can we dance?" She begged, clasping their hands together.
"You don't even have to ask," He smiled, placing his hands on her hips, which after a month and a half had returned to their normal size, as did the rest of her body, "What song would you like to dance too?"
She whispered her favorite in his ear, grinning while the words of her choice trickled from his lips as they swayed for several minutes.
When he finished, Emma brought him into a long kiss. He finally broke it and whispered, "I've been keeping count you know..."
"Of?" She asked before reaching for another kiss.
"It's been six weeks, tonight, since we had her..."
Emma laughed softly, "Having a little bit of a withdrawal, hm?" She pressed her hips tightly against his, "I'm all yours, Will."
He picked her up and set her on the bed, covering her with kisses, running his hands up and down her arms and legs, "Should we work on giving Lily a brother or sister?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
She reached into their nightstand drawer, "Um, no."
Will laughed and nestled his nose into her neck, "Mm, I miss you so much."
Her fingers wound themselves around his curls, "I miss you, too, Will." She kissed him again and allowed her senses to drain as they began rediscovering each other all over again.
A short time later, Emma lay with her eye-lids half shut and her mouth parted in exhaustion, preparing for Will to initiate round two. He smirked and wrapped one leg around her when a soft cry disrupted the mood.
The both groaned, Will's damp curls came down to rest on Emma's chest, "Guess we're going to have to get used to that, hm?"
Emma smiled and rubbed his sweaty back, "Let's go get her," she sighed happily, letting him pull her up and slide one of his favorite nightgowns back on her. She intertwined their fingers and together they entered the nursery.
Lily's tiny face was scrunched up and red, her fists clenched tightly and her feet kicking in frustration, "Oh my," Emma said sympathetically, lifting the little girl and holding her close, "Sh, sh...it's okay, baby...it's okay...mommy and daddy are here, sh..."
The baby relaxed immediately, clearly having just been in need of attention. Will wrapped his arm around Emma's waist as she shifted the baby closer to her chest, swaying lightly to continue attempts at calming her. Once she was silent again, their brown eyes met, and Emma smiled widely at her daughter.
"Mm, what are you smiling at?" Will asked, pressing kisses to her still-warm skin.
"Nothing," Emma moved her head back to his shoulder, "I'm just happy."
"I'm glad," He whispered, one arm moving to cup the baby beneath hers, "I'm so glad."
Lily grunted and twisted to look up at her daddy, an expression that resembled a smile upon her face. Will smiled back, then returned his gaze to Emma, "I love you," He said softly, "Both of you."
Eight months ago, Emma never thought she would be able to return the expression; her fear of not being able to deal with her daughter's messes had clouded her mind as to the joy and devotion that Lily would bring her. Now as she stood with her body against her husband's and her baby safely curled in her arms, she smiled once more, repeating the phrase that Will adored to hear so much, "I love you both, too." She kissed Lily's forehead, then leaned back for a long, deep, passion-driven kiss from Will.
Fin. (Sort of)
Alas, Beautiful Mess has come to an end. However, just because the story has an ending does not mean that there isn't more to come! Keep your eyes peeled, there are additional chapters of baby/toddler/child bonding coming within the next few weeks and moths as I begin my next story. Because I can't just leave you all with this adorable baby and knowing nothing about her!
A huge, huge thanks to the reviewers as I wrap this up. I've seen other people do this as well, so I'm going to see if I can't thank you by saying that a random reviewer between 171-200 reviewers will have a one-shot prompt filled by me if you would like it! I don't know if I'll get to that number with this chapter alone (the number has been drawn at random and written down so it won't be biased!), but we'll see if it can happen! I love writing one-shots and filling prompts, so be sure to keep trying if you have something you'd love for me to write! If you're reviewing anonymously, be sure to put your e-mail so I'd have some way of contacting you if you got the number!
Thanks again to Jaymafans, without whom this fic would have gone down the drain! Be sure to check out her tumblr for epic!glee epicness!
Also, be on the lookout for my next two fics, one to be co-written with the amazing tenseconds! More details in the coming weeks! The other one will be up shortly (written by myself alone).
Thank you all readers and reviewers for sticking this out and seeing it through! Hope you enjoyed this Beautiful Mess!