Note: I kind of screwed my timeline up (much like the show's current timeline) so yes I did say Rachel is about 20 weeks pregnant and the New Directions are getting very close to Nationals which technically wouldn't be correct since Rachel wouldn't be 20 weeks until after Nationals which traditionally takes place in late May. But I'm going to try to ignore that for now and let the story continue. In my mind there's no way I could have Finn die from drugs so I chose an easier way, but I wanted to have the characters tell the story. Warning this one is sad.
"Easy Mr. Shue, calm down, you will find something fabulous for Nationals." Rachel said into the phone
"No, Rachel, we are up against this really intense group...Throat Explosion. They are like New Directions and Vocal Adrenaline wound together. I need something that is sure to beat them and I can't seem to find that perfect mix." Rachel was still trying to calm him down as she left the theater.
"Rachel, just if you think of anything, I know you're busy with Funny Girl but could you if you have a chance just try to think of something that maybe we haven't?" Mr. Shue asked
"Of course. I'll let you know if I think of anything." Rachel said and then they said goodbye.
Rachel continued from the theater to the diner where she knew Puck and Quinn were with Santana who was working. When she got there she was faced with a table full of familiar faces and even though it wasn't possible she could just imagine Finn sitting there with them. She took a seat.
"So how did I sound today when you two came in?" Rachel asked them.
"As always you nailed that song Rachel. While we were watching I could practically believe that we were back at Sectionals and you were belting that song out with no practice after we discovered out entire set list had been stolen." Quinn said.
"Yeah total de je vu." Puck agreed.
"So now you want to tell me why you are here in New York?" Rachel asked.
"Well, Puck came to my apartment in New Haven to yell at me about missing Finn's memorial, I'm sorry about that by the way-I just couldn't handle it and as much as I knew I should have been there I just couldn't." Quinn confessed.
"Well that and I had to get something from Quinn." Puck said.
"Ok so that still doesn't explain why the two of you are here." Rachel said confused.
"I have something of Finn's, something his mom has apparently been searching for. Something you should have." Quinn said.
With that Quinn took a tattered piece of soft fabric from the purse she was carrying and handed it to Rachel.
"It's Finn's baby blankie. When I was pregnant with Beth, when he thought she was his he gave it to me. He told me that he used to take it everywhere and that he wanted his baby to have it. I've had it ever since. But it belongs to the baby that belongs to him, the baby you're carrying, and since Finn can't give it to you for the baby himself, I wanted to. So instead of giving it to Puck to give to you we both got on the train from New Haven this morning and here we are." Quinn explained.
Rachel held the blankie, felt it's softness and a single tear escaped her eye as she looked at it. This was HIS when he was young, when he didn't have a dad and now his son who also wouldn't have a dad would have it. It seemed so simple but had such meaning that Rachel was struck speechless, which was not normal for her.
"Rachel, are you ok?" Kurt said
"Yeah you don't look so good." Santana chimed in.
"I just realized that the last thing that Finn ever wanted was for his child to grow up without a dad and yet that is exactly what's happening!" Rachel said through tears that were now streaming down her face.
Kurt moved closer and put an arm around her. Santana came around to her other side and did the same. They had all three been so close since Finn died that it just seemed natural.
"Thanks guys, it's probably hormones or something." Rachel said.
But really it wasn't. While everyone sat in silence Rachel traveled back in her mind to the night that she had found out Finn was dead and replayed the awful scene in her head.
She had just found out she got Fanny Brice, she was ecstatic and wanted to share it with only one person, even though Santana and Kurt already knew. She picked up her phone in her little room at the loft and dialed his number from her contacts. It rang and rang and she got voicemail.
"Finn I have some amazing news for you, well two things I want to tell you really but I don't want to do it on voicemail. Call me back when you get this message, PLEASE. Oh and Finn, I still love you."
She had gone back to the little party she, Kurt and Santana had been having. A few minutes later all three of their phones had started ringing.
"Hello?"
"Hello?"
"Hello?"
All three had answered their phones at once. And at once all three were hit with horrible news.
Santana's call had been Puck who was at the hospital with Burt and Carol. "Bad accident Santana. Finn's hurt bad. I wanted to let you know. I will call when I know more."
Kurt's call had been Burt who was also at the hospital. "Kurt, it's your brother, he's been in a bad accident, we're at the hospital and as soon as we know anything we'll call you back. Don't go anywhere. Blaine's mom is bringing him here now too."
Rachel's call had been Hiram and Leroy who were in their car on the way to the hospital. "Honey, it's really bad, there's been a bad accident, it's Finn-" Rachel had dropped the phone and immediately dropped to her knees. Santana who was off the phone by that time had picked up the phone while Kurt who was still on the phone had gone right to Rachel. Santana had handled Rachel's dads, assuring them that she would not leave Rachel's side. She had also told them to just call one phone and that the three of them would all listen in on one call. Santana had been a rock for Kurt and Rachel that night. In the end it was nearly two hours before they got the call that brought the worst news of all. Hiram had made that call while everyone else cried at the hospital.
"Kids I've got some really terrible news. Finn didn't make it. He had been on his way home in the rain and swerved to miss an accident but ended up going off the road himself, his truck rolled several times before coming to a stop. They got him here as fast as they could and the doctors did everything they could but his injuries were just too severe. I am so so sorry." Hiram said wishing he didn't have to deliver this news by phone.
In the end Santana had held Kurt and Rachel while they sobbed. And broken down herself. And then as soon as it was morning she'd made plane reservations for the three of them to get back to Lima for the funeral. She'd packed for all three of them, gotten them to the airport and delivered Rachel and Kurt into the arms of their parents when they got there before collapsing into her own mothers arms.
Rachel had been the worst of the three. She'd barely eaten and looked like a ghost herself the whole time in Lima. When they went back to New York she had simply went back to bed. Kurt had tried to get her to go back to Lima with him for Mr. Shue's memorial but hadn't forced her either. Finally she'd found the strength to go and sing.
"Rachel, earth to Rachel!" Quinn was starting to get worried.
"Quinn it's ok, she gets like this sometimes just give her a second." Kurt said
"I'm ok, sorry. I was just thinking back to the night-"Rachel said
"The night he died." Quinn finished for her.
"Yes." Rachel said.
"I'll never forget that night. Puck called me, after everything was over. He told me Finn was gone and I just kept telling him I didn't understand because he kept saying Finn was gone until finally Blaine took his phone and explained the whole thing to me. When we hung up I just sat there, I couldn't believe it." Quinn said quietly.
"It was the worst night of my life." Puck said, "I just remember Carol calling me and telling me there had been an accident and I pretty much just jumped on my bike and went straight to the hospital. They already had him in surgery when I got there and volunteered to help call people. We figured that if we at least got one of you on the phone a piece that we could break the news and hoped that you were all together. Then I went on the longest drunk binge of my life."
"And now here we all are. Together in New York." Rachel said.
"And this time we have something to celebrate, Finn and Rachel's baby." Quinn said