A/N: I want to thank everyone who has read this fic, and especially those who left a review. I really appreciate it because this fic has become like my baby, and each chapter is carefully written so that I handle everything with the right amount of delicacy.
It had been an eventful two months, and, as Finn and Puck sat on the couch watching a football game on television, Rachel busied herself in the kitchen with Santana, baking a cake shaped like a butterfly; when Finn had questioned the purchase, Rachel had simply announced that it was for a birthday cake, and she would not say more. He knew immediately that it was for Emma, who had returned to the children's shelter a week earlier, and he didn't argue with her decision. Rachel had made it her mission to help the little girl who had entered her life so suddenly and then suddenly vanished; Finn recalled the nearly four weeks of panic and worry Rachel experienced and the way he'd heard her interrogate Sister Theresa over the phone in her quest for information.
"I don't know, man; Rach is pretty damned focused on this little girl." Finn glanced over his shoulder to see his wife chasing Santana away from the bowl of cake batter. "She spent hours on the phone with the nun that runs the children's shelter trying to find out what happened to her, and she went off the deep end when she found out Emma was with her father. I don't blame her; I still want to hunt the bastard down and see how he likes being burned with fucking cigarettes and starving."
"The day you decide to do it, I'll come with you; what kind of sick son of bitch does that?" Puck finished the beer in his hand, shaking his head.
"I just worry that she's getting attached, you know? And I don't want her to get her hopes up and fall in love with the idea of having this little girl when for all we know she could go into the system one day and then get adopted. I don't think I could take it if she got her heartbroken again."
"Wait, does this mean you aren't trying to have a kid of your own now?" Puck raised an eyebrow, and Finn shook his head.
"No, we're still trying, but Rachel's got it in her head that she is supposed to help Emma, like it's some mission she's been given; I don't know, maybe she's right." Finn paused for a moment, and he could hear Rachel laughing in the kitchen. "We still want kids of our own, and Rachel is still set on a family; it's just that maybe we aren't there yet, and helping this little girl is a part of getting there."
Santana came in from the kitchen, licking batter from her finger, and Puck immediately stood up; Finn couldn't help but notice the difference in his friend's behavior and demeanor. Puck seemed to almost coo over his pregnant wife, and when he thought no one was paying attention, he would bend to speak to his unborn child in a soft tone that was very 'un Puck-like'; Finn glanced over to see that Puck was whispering something to Santana's abdomen and grinning, and he felt a sudden pang of jealousy; Santana was only two months along, and while they still didn't know the sex of the baby, Puck was still swearing that he was going to have a son. When Rachel entered the room, dusting her hands on her jeans, Finn was glad to see that she was still in a fairly good mood. Sometimes spending time with Santana left Rachel feeling more than a little distressed, but tonight she seemed to be her usual chipper self.
"Finny!"
"Yeah, babe?" He tried to ignore Puck's too-perfect imitation of Rachel's voice and focus on his wife.
"Did you pick up those candles for me, and the coloring books? I'm fairly certain she's never had a real birthday cake or a present, and I intend to give her that."
"I got them, Rach, and I got a box of crayons, one of the big boxes of Crayolas." She rewarded his thoughtfulness with a quick kiss, ignoring the gagging noises from Santana and Puck.
Two hours later, Rachel was tinting bowls of frosting and trying to prevent Finn from sampling it before it could be used to decorate the butterfly shaped cake that now rested on a simple cake plate on the counter; Puck and Santana had already gone home, hoping to find that Rebecca's babysitter had put her to bed already. Rachel hummed softly as she stirred, attempting not to stain her fingers with food dye, and soon there were bowls of soft pink, purple, and blue frosting ready to use. Finn watched with mild amusement as his wife concentrated on decorating the cake perfectly, her tongue sticking out between her teeth as she worked carefully; when she was finished, he pulled her into his arms, holding her close, and she smiled up at him.
"I know you probably think I'm being silly, doing all this, but thank you sweetheart." Her fingers gripped his shirt, and she pulled him down in order to kiss him. "I just – I can't stand it, Finn. She's so sweet, and she never complains or causes trouble. They sent her back to that horrible man, simply because he promised to change; I asked Sister Theresa, and she said there was very little evidence to show that he really had changed. I'm sure there was more to it than that, but it's just so sad. She deserves better than that."
"I know, baby, and I think it's really great that you're helping." He kissed the top of her head and swiftly scooped her into his arms. "You are going to make a terrific mom, Rachel, and our kids are going to be so lucky to have you."
"You'll be a wonderful father; I just know it." Her arms slid around his neck, and she pressed a kiss to his lips; he carried her to their bedroom, trying not to trip over things as he went.
Rachel left the theater as soon as rehearsal ended, much to everyone's surprise, and she rushed home to change and pick up the cake and gift that she had left neatly on the counter; she was glad that Emma's birthday came on a day when rehearsal ended early in the afternoon, otherwise her plans would not have worked out well at all. Arriving at the center, she noticed that Santana had already started with the decorations, and she greeted her with a smile; the Latina was already starting to show her pregnancy, and Rachel laughed that she noticed the marked change in her friend's wardrobe, gone were the tighter sweaters and skinny jeans. Now she wore looser blouses and dresses, and sometimes she remarked that she looked like Quinn Fabray's high school closet puked on her.
"Where are the children?" Rachel asked without glancing up from arranging the table.
"Caroline has them in the other room, watching a movie." Santana stood on a step stool, lifting the 'Happy Birthday, Emma' banner a bit higher. "It'll be over soon, and they'll be hungry for snack time."
"Did you get the ice cream?" Santana pointed with the scissors she was using to cut ribbon, and her eyes followed the line to a small blue cooler. "Thanks, San; I just really want this to be special."
"I get it, Rachie; you want her to have a real birthday party like she deserves, and I'm glad. Little girl deserves some happiness after all she has been through." Rachel sighed, lighting the candles when she heard Caroline announce that the children should all line up at the door.
As soon as Caroline lead the children into the room, with Emma at the front of the line, Rachel began to sing "Happy Birthday", and Santana quickly joined her, followed by everyone else in the room; reaching for Emma's hand, Rachel lead her to the table, encouraging her to blow out the candles on the cake and make a wish as the song ended. The bright smile that lit up the little girl's face was almost enough to make Rachel forget the fact that Emma had been complaining that her arm ached and that there was some swelling there. Sister Theresa hoped that they would be able to convince the little girl to let them take her to the doctor to have it examined. As the children all sat in a circle sometime later, having had their fill of cake and ice cream, Emma was lead to the center of the group, and Rachel began handing her the gifts; several of the other children had brought small presents.
Soon enough Emma was seated next to a small stack of books and coloring books with a stuffed blue hippo in her lap; Santana and Puck had decided that they too would get Emma a gift; but Puck had forgotten at the last minute, and when he was sent out to get the stuffed bear Santana had seen on her way to work, they were sold out. He thought the hippo was funny, and apparently Emma was already quite fond of it; Rachel was sure that Puck would get an earful from his wife but that he would gloat about his victory.
"And this one is from my husband Finn and me." She handed her the pink bag in which Finn had placed the coloring book and crayons, and as soon as Emma opened it, she stood and threw her arms around Rachel's waist and stuttered a thank you; Rachel's eyes widened when she realized that Finn had tucked a second part of the gift into bag.
"I've n-never had a stuffed animal before, and n-now I have two." Rachel blinked back tears as Emma pulled away and held up the purple teddy bear; it was almost an exact replica of her own bear Grape.
"I'll be sure to tell him to like it." Emma practically glowed, and Rachel couldn't help but smile.
"T-tell him I said thank you. He n-never even met me." Rachel nodded, making a mental note to tell Finn he was her hero.
Sister Theresa entered the room a few minutes later, and she and Caroline pulled Rachel aside; it seemed that they had managed to get Emma an appointment to have her arm examined, but Sister Theresa could not take her because she had to handle an inspection by the city. After a discussion of the best options and the necessity of Emma's appointment, Rachel volunteered to take her, but the appointment was too early in the morning for her to pick her up from the shelter; there was only one viable solution, and she wasn't sure how well it would work.
Finn was in a fairly good mood when he stepped out of the cab in front of their building, and as he pressed the button on the elevator, he hummed to himself; there would probably be left over cake from the party, and Rachel would be in a cheerful mood and not thinking about their upcoming appointment with the fertility doctor, which had gotten her upset before she left for rehearsal that morning. When he reached apartment and unlocked the door, he called out Rachel's name; a small startled cry came from the living room, and he stepped into the room he was met by a pair of the widest and brightest blue eyes. The little girl leapt from her seat at the coffee table, scattering crayons, and she gathered her stuffed animals and hid behind the couch, peeking over the arm at him. He wasn't sure what to do.
"Rachel!" He hated to leave the little girl alone, but he had to find his wife. "Rachel?"
"Yes, sweetheart?" Rachel's voice took on a soft innocent tone when he found her in their guest bedroom, making up the bed, and she bit her lip softly.
"Do you want to tell me why there is a tiny girl I've never seen before hiding behind our couch, Rach?"
"Finn, that is Emma, and she is staying with us for the night." Finn lifted a brow, but Rachel seemed unaffected by his disbelief. "Sister Theresa made her an appointment to have her arm examined; we think it might be broken. I volunteered to take her in the morning, but it meant that she was going to stay here for the night."
"Rachel," she winced at his tone. "You didn't think to call me or ask how I felt about it? You just decided that it was a good idea? Didn't we talk about this, about how communication was important? Rachel, you can't just decide to do things like this and not talk to me about it?"
"I know that, but it was an emergency; she needed to go to the doctor, and no one else could take her." Rachel looked up at him sheepishly, worrying her bottom lip as she tried to explain. "Our director is giving us the day off anyway."
"Baby, I know this is important to you, but to volunteer to take a child into our home, without asking me about it, was wrong. It's a big responsibility." Finn found it difficult to be angry with her, especially while her lower lip trembled and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.
"I'm sorry, Finn; I just… I wanted to…" He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight against him.
"I know, Rach; I know. It's alright." His lips pressed to the top of her head, and he felt her smile against his chest.
Five minutes later, Rachel was in the living room, trying to coax Emma from behind the couch while Finn stood confused; he wasn't sure how to react to the fact that she was actually afraid of him. He'd met the kids at the center several times, and most of the time they just stared up at him with wide eyes and asked how he got so tall; this was the first time a child had actually hidden from him, and it didn't seem as though his height that frightened her so much as the fact that he seemed to be a very large man. He wondered if she was afraid of all men, and he felt a sudden urge to find the little girl's father and beat the living fuck out of him for doing whatever he did to make her so afraid. Finally, he knelt so that he wasn't towering over his wife and Emma.
"Hey, I see Rachel gave you your bear!" He smiled. "Do you like him? I bought Rachel one just like him when we first moved here; she named hers Grape. Rach, why don't you go get Grape so Emma can see they match?"
"Alright." Rachel pulled in a shaky breath and left the room, calling as she did. "I'll be right back."
"Emma?" Finn kept his voice as soft as he could, trying not to sigh when she ducked rapidly behind the couch again. "Emma, why don't you come out? I won't hurt you; I promise. I only look scary 'cause I'm so tall, but I'm really nice. Just ask Rachel."
"Y-you picked out Beary?" Emma came slowly around the edge of the couch, hugging the bear tight against her chest. "I like him very much."
"I'm glad. Do you want to know a secret?" He smiled slightly, keeping his voice soft and even. "When Rachel is sad or scared, sometimes she hugs her bear like that."
"Really?" Emma took a few steps forward when Finn nodded.
"Why don't you bring Beary to the kitchen, and we'll see if we can find where Rachel hides the cookies." Emma nodded eagerly, and Finn slowly stood up, holding out his hand in hopes that she might place her hand in his; for a moment she hesitated, staring up at him with those bright blue eyes as if trying to see into his soul, but then she placed her tiny hand in his.
Rachel reentered the room moments later to find that they had gone to the kitchen, where Emma sat, nibbling on a gingersnap, with Beary in her lap and Hippo on the stool next to her; she glanced over to see her husband leaning against the bar with the ceramic cookie jar in his hands, and he offered her a sheepish smile. She had to admit that Emma seemed far less frightened of him now, as he placed the jar back on the shelf and poured a cup of milk for her. Granting him a kiss on the cheek, Rachel set about making grilled cheese sandwiches and soup for their supper.
Later that night, as she tucked Emma into bed, Rachel was struck by just how right it felt, and she glanced back to see Finn watching her from the doorway. She gave him a small smile before turning back to Emma, who was curled up with Beary and Hippo in her arms, and, humming softly, she pressed a kiss her forehead and switched on a small lamp next to the bed to serve as a sort of night light in case she was frightened of the dark.
"Finn and I will be just down the hall if you need us, alright Emma?" She whispered, turning off the bedroom light and leaving the room. "Good night, sweetie."
"You know, there's something perfect about watching you with her, Rach." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "You're so good with her, babe; you'll be a terrific mom someday."
"I wish I could be her mother, Finn. She needs a mother so desperately; she needs someone who will love her and hold her and tuck her in at night." With a soft sigh, Rachel let her fingers lace with his, and she followed beside him down the hall to their bedroom. "It isn't fair."
"I know, babe; I know." Her gave her a sort of half smile and pulled her closer as they reached their bedroom.
Standing on her toes, Rachel reached up to pull Finn into kiss, a small gasp escaping her lips when he swiftly scooped her into his arms and gently shut the door with his foot before carrying her to the bed; the petite woman giggled softly, pulling him with her onto the bed, and her lips caught his in a quick kiss.
The room was completely dark when she heard the small scream from down the hall, and she sat bolt upright in bed, pulling the sheets around her bare chest; frightened, Rachel shook Finn's shoulder until he groaned and rolled over to face her. She was already tugging a night shirt over her head when Finn insisted that he would get out of bed to check on Emma and reached for his pajama pants by the bed; before either of them could get out of bed the door swung open and a small figure appeared, framed in the doorway with the hall light shining behind her, and Finn had to try to put on his pants under the sheets to avoid a very uncomfortable situation for everyone involved. Emma was standing there, Beary hugged tightly to her chest, and Rachel pulled in a breath.
"I-I had a bad dream." The little girl's voice was a sleepy whisper, and Finn slipped from the bed.
"Come here, little one." He scooped her into his arms and brought her back to the bed, and when they were close enough, Rachel could tell that she had been crying. "It's alright."
Finn rocked her gently in his arms as he sat on the bed next to his wife, but Emma was still trembling and crying quietly; neither of them had ever had much experience when it came to comforting a crying child. Sure, they had kept Becca a couple of times for Puck and Santana, but she had never been much of a crier; this was brand new territory for the couple, and Rachel wasn't sure how to handle it. Emma had buried her head into Finn's chest, and Finn was humming softly; the expression on his face was one of confusion and helplessness, but Rachel could only think of what an amazing father he was going to be someday. Nothing seemed to be helping, and Finn felt tears welling in his eyes as he tried desperately to soothe the little girl in his arms. Finally, Rachel held out her arms, and after a bit of coaxing Emma settled in her lap, clinging to Rachel's shirt.
"Shhhh, it's alright, sweetie; I know you're scared, but I've got you." She murmured against her hair, her voice shaking slightly. "It was just a dream, but it's all over now. Don't cry, Emma."
"Rach, I don't know what to do." Finn whispered; quickly, Rachel searched her mind for a lullaby, something to quell Emma's fears and help her sleep.
"Oh, I've got it! My daddy used to sing this to me when I was upset and couldn't sleep." She smiled softly. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine; you make me happy when skies are gray."
Rachel sang quietly, rocking Emma in her arms, and Finn found himself staring; he's always dreamed of moments like this, watching Rachel sing to a little girl or boy in her arms, and for a moment he let himself pretend that Emma was their daughter. "You'll never know dear / How much I love you / So please don't take / My sunshine / Away" Rachel's voice was soft and beautiful, and, though he'd heard her sing a thousand times before, he couldn't quite get over how different it sounded at that moment. He knew it was a bad idea, getting attached to a little girl who would probably end up in the system or adopted, but he wanted so badly to have his own family and in that moment he could see it so clearly. Emma was drifting off in Rachel's arms, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. When she finally fell asleep, they had no choice but to arrange the bed and make room for Emma to sleep between them; Finn didn't want to risk waking her up by trying to carry her back to the guest bedroom, and Rachel agreed immediately, though she wasn't sure how well they could make it work. But soon enough, Emma snuggled into Finn's spare pillow, and Finn and Rachel were curled up on either side of her, facing each other; Rachel continued to hum softly until they both fell asleep.
The sun peeked through the curtains to find Emma snuggled into Rachel's chest and Rachel's fingers intertwined with Finn's; he woke first, which was unusual even though she normally didn't go to the theater until ten for rehearsals, and his lips twitched into a small smile at the sight of his wife and Emma. Careful not to move too suddenly, he slipped from the bed and grabbed a t-shirt from the drawer, hoping that he wouldn't disturb them, but Rachel stirred quietly and looked up at him with a sleepy smile, her arms wrapping around the sleeping child who murmured softly in her sleep. She knew that she needed to get out of bed and get started with the day, especially since Emma's appointment was at ten, but she was reluctant to move; she sat up slowly and settled Emma back into the bed. Once she was out of the bed, she tucked the blankets around her, and Finn wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her tight against the warmth of his chest. They could be a family, she let herself think for the briefest of moments; they could give Emma the family she deserved.
"Come on, babe; let's go get breakfast started. She'll be alright until then." Finn whispered, kissing her cheek.
Taking his hand, she followed him into the kitchen, and together they began making breakfast; cooking in the Hudson kitchen was always a challenge because Finn was cooking meat and Rachel was avoiding it. They'd long since gotten used to the idea that meals were often large with plenty of leftovers because almost everything had to be done in two versions, and everything seemed almost choreographed as they moved; soon the smell of coffee and cooking bacon filled the room, and Rachel was humming happily as she stirred pancake batter. When her back was turned, Finn shook a bag of chocolate chips into the bowl, and he had them stirred into the batter before she could turn back around; she didn't notice until after she poured the first pancake, and she gave him a playful slap on the arm when she realized what he'd done. His response was to wiggle his eyebrows at her and return to the stove, where he was making hot chocolate. It seemed that the sounds of their laughter and the smell of breakfast had finally reached the bedroom because a few minutes later Emma appeared, dragging Beary and Hippo as she looked around with sleepy eyes.
"Good morning Little Bit, hungry?" Finn quickly removed the pot he was stirring from the stove and smiled at the tiny girl who was trying to crawl onto a stool; with a soft chuckle, he walked around the bar and scooped her up, settling her on the seat. "How does chocolate chip pancakes and hot chocolate for breakfast sound?"
"Good." The response was shy, and judging from her wide eyes, it was more than she was used to.
"Alrighty, there's bacon too; I'll make sure you get the real stuff cause Rachel doesn't eat it." Emma nodded eagerly, and Finn couldn't help but laugh as Rachel passed him with a plate stacked with chocolate chip pancakes and placed it on their small dining room table.
They sat around the table, with Emma boosted by a pillow from the couch, and Rachel sipped her coffee thoughtfully, unable to stop wondering what it would be like if they were a real family; she could tell Finn was thinking about it too, and it broke her heart. They tried to smile, and Rachel convinced Emma to tell them all about things she liked to do; a bright smile lit up her face as she lifted forkfuls of pancake to her mouth and chattered about coloring and dancing and stories, and the room was soon filled with laughter. By the time breakfast was over the phone in Finn's office was ringing, and he rushed away from the table to answer it, leaving Rachel to clear away the dishes while Emma finished her hot chocolate. When Finn returned to the room he looked frustrated, and Rachel knew almost immediately that he was not getting his regularly scheduled Friday off from the office to work from home. He'd planned on accompanying his wife, but now he had to go in for a few hours to attend a sales meeting.
"Sorry, baby, I really did want to come with you today, but Thomas called an emergency sales meeting, probably about ads again." His explanation came with a soft sigh, and Rachel wrapped her arms around his waist in a quick hug.
"It's alright Finn; Emma and I can manage." She bit her lip. "I suppose I will probably take her to her appointment and then probably to lunch for a treat."
"Wish I could come along, but duty calls." He lowered his voice, hoping Emma wouldn't hear his next words. "I guess after that you'll go to the center, and Emma will go back to the children's shelter?"
"I suppose so." Rachel nodded sadly before quickly changing the subject. "Looks like we'd better get ready to go; Finn, you can shower in our bathroom after I get Emma set up in the guest bathroom for a bubble bath before we leave."
"Bubbles?" Emma perked up immediately, and Rachel looked down to see a pair of bright blue eyes looking up at her eagerly.
"Do you like bubbles?" Finn chuckled softly. "I bet we have a big bottle of Becca's bubbles left."
"You'd better hurry, darling; you'll be late." Rachel stood on her toes to kiss him before leading Emma toward the guest bathroom.
Twenty minutes later Finn wandered into the guest bedroom to find Rachel laying out an outfit for Emma, and he could hear splashing from the bathroom; the clothing and the pink bag were well worn, and Finn couldn't help but wonder when the last time someone had gotten her new things was. Rachel turned, and he indicated the tie that hung loosely around his neck; quickly, Rachel tied the knot, straightened the tie, and adjusted the collar of his shirt, her fingers brushing his neck. He pulled her into a kiss, his arms encircling her waist and lifting her off the floor for a brief moment before releasing her. With one last kiss and a murmured I love you, he rushed from the room to pick up his briefcase and leave the apartment, leaving Rachel to convince Emma to leave the bathtub and get dressed for her appointment.
By the time they arrived at Dr. Gregory's office, Emma was complaining that her arm was sore, and Rachel had noticed some swelling when she wrapped it in the ace bandage she'd borrowed from Finn's gym bag; even with an appointment, they had been waiting ten minutes and were sure to be waiting longer, and so Rachel offered a coloring book and crayons to Emma, who was seated in the chair next to her hugging Beary tighter than ever and staring around the office with wide eyes. Rachel shared the young girl's feelings of discomfort, even though she claimed to have an immune system made of steel; she tried to keep Emma distracted, humming softly while she neatly colored pictures of ponies. A soft sigh of relief escaped when the nurse finally called Emma's name, and Rachel felt her squeeze her hand tightly as she lead her back to the examining room; helping her onto the table, Rachel sat across from Emma in a small chair, humming softly to soothe her nerves as well as the scared girl who watched her. After a few minutes, a nurse entered to check Emma's weight and height, as well as a few other vitals, before leaving them alone once more.
"Alright, Miss Emma!" An overly chipper voice startled them both, and a woman who looked to be in her mid-fifties entered the room. "They tell me you've got some problems with that arm of yours. So let's take a look."
"D-do I have to?" Emma bit her lip, her gaze never leaving Rachel.
"It's ok, Emma; it won't take long." Rachel stood up, and the doctor lifted an eyebrow at her small stature. "We'll get you all better, and then your arm won't hurt anymore."
Reluctantly, Emma offered her arm, and Rachel watched as Dr. Gregory unwound the bandage and carefully examined it; she knew that an x-ray was probably in order, and so she wasn't in the least surprised when it was suggested. Holding Emma's free hand, Rachel sat next to the table, trying to keep her calm during the x-ray, and she could feel the little girl trembling; she already knew that the arm was broken, and she was sure that it was a pretty bad break from the way it had been swelling. Rachel fought back a wince when Emma whimpered, and from the look on Dr. Gregory's face, she could tell she'd been right about the injury.
"Looks like a spiral fracture, we'll definitely have to put a cast on it." After Rachel helped Emma from the table and a nurse lead her back to the examining room, Dr. Gregory pulled Rachel aside. "Do you have any idea what happened to her?"
"She won't tell anyone, but Sister Theresa suspects that her father, probably in a drunken fit, twisted her arm; she's been taken from his custody, and I'm sure charges have been filed." Rachel didn't bother to hold back the bite in her tone; the two women walked back to the examining room to find Emma had decided on purple for the color of her cast.
"Just a little while longer, sweetheart." Rachel settled Emma into her lap so that she could hold her as Dr. Gregory worked on the light purple cast. "Once this is done, we'll go get some lunch, ok? And then maybe ice cream. Would ice cream make you feel better?"
"Y-yes," Emma nodded, still biting her lip and wincing slightly, and Rachel hugged her tightly.
"Please tell me that disgusting cretin is behind bars." Rachel stood in front of Caroline's desk, looking between the director of the center and Sister Theresa; she was practically seething. "He twisted her tiny arm until it broke for no reason at all; Dr. Gregory showed me the x-ray film."
"Rachel, dear, you need to calm down. We've done all that we can for the time being." Sister Theresa seemed shaken. "What is best for Emma is stability and as much care as we can give her."
"I understand that, but I want to know what has been done."
"Sister Theresa reported the incident to Children's Services, and they handle it from there." Caroline let out an exasperated sigh. "We have no control over the situation now, and we are simply doing our best to make sure Emma is happy and comfortable. As soon as we know anything, we will let you know."
"Thank you, Caroline; I don't mean to snap. I'm just outraged by the idea that the man who did this might get away with it."
"I assure you that will not be the case." Sister Theresa said slowly, and Rachel pulled in a breath, heading out of the office.
Three hours later, Rachel and Santana were cleaning up after an arts and crafts project that had covered the table with so much glitter that Santana was swearing that she would never allow glitter in her house ever. They quietly discussed the situation with Emma, and the conversation turned to Rachel and Finn's attempts to start a family; Emma was sitting in the middle of a large group of children who were all attempting to sign her cast, and Rachel breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't seem as distressed as she had after her visit with Dr. Gregory. The sound of Caroline and Sister Theresa clapping their hands to gain the children's attention shook Rachel from her conversation, and she and Santana herded the few older children who were helping with the clean up toward the line to go home. Rachel felt a sudden tug on her sweater, and she glanced down to see Emma, looking anxiously up at her.
"Miss Rachel, c-can I go home with y-you again?" Rachel swallowed thickly.
"I'm sorry, sweetie, but that's not allowed. Last night was a onetime thing because you needed to see the doctor." Emma's lower lip trembled, and Rachel's heart began to shatter.
"I promise to be good; please, Miss Rachel, please can I go home with you?" The tears in her bright eyes made Rachel want to pull her close.
"I'm sorry—"
"I heard you tell Miss San that you wanted a little girl; I could be your little girl." Rachel felt tears begin to sting her eyes. "D-didn't you and Finn like me? Wasn't I good?"
"Emma, sweetheart, I'm so sorry, but that's not how it works. I can't just take you home." Emma began to cry in earnest, and Rachel fought to keep her composure. "It's against the rules. I wish I could, but I can't."
Sister Theresa gave Rachel a sympathetic glance as she reached for Emma's hand, and Rachel had to turn away the moment she began leading Emma toward the rest of the children. She could still hear the soft sobs as she hurried away to catch her cab, ignoring Santana's shouts. This wasn't fair.