Hi everyone! Thanks so much for all the reviews on the last chapter. I really appreciate them. This chapter, we finally get to find out what's going on with Rachel, though many of you did have your suspicions. Hope you enjoy the chapter and review if I should keep going!

Chapter 12: Thanksgiving

Rachel sat in the backstage wings at the theatre, listening to Paolo and Marissa perform. Since this was Thanksgiving week, both NYADA and Columbia had all week off, which was nice. Between school, the show and her job, she could get pretty overwhelmed lately. And of course, she had been feeling under the weather...

Rachel's phone rang, and she recognized this number. This was the number of the doctor's office. If they were calling her, that must mean that they had the results of her tests back. Hoping everything was okay, Rachel picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Rachel, this is Dr. Green," the voice on the other end said.

"Hi," Rachel said. The doctor didn't sound discouraging, and hadn't said anything about a follow up appointment, so that had to be something, right?

"We have your test results back and you're in perfect health," Dr. Green continued. "Your blood pressure, your blood, all of that came back normal."

Rachel sighed with relief right before she heard the doctor continue. "However, there was something else that you didn't mention when you came in, but you might want to get that checked out..."

Oh no. Something was wrong. Rachel gulped. "Didn't you just say I'm in perfect health? I know my body, I would have told you if I had a history of something..."

"Rachel, you didn't mention to us that you're pregnant," Dr. Green said.

Pregnant? Rachel practically dropped her phone. She was pregnant? She couldn't believe it. She was on the pill. She and Finn always used condoms when they had sex. But now that she thought about it - the morning sickness, the bigger appetite, the tenderness in her breasts, the low energy... it did make sense... and as she tried to go over it in her mind, her last period had been well over a month ago... maybe even two months...

But she was pregnant? She knew that birth control wasn't 100 percent effective, but she never expected herself and Finn to be in that small, small fraction of a percent. And now she was feeling overwhelmed. She and Finn wanted children. They always had talked about it. But now? When they were both still in school and their jobs barely paid enough for them to support themselves?

"Rachel, are you still there?" Dr. Green asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "It's just... I didn't know that I was pregnant."

"Well, congratulations," the doctor said. "We'll need to put you in contact with an OBGYN to get the baby checked out."

Rachel sat down. How was she going to tell Finn? He's aleady been through this once, but this time it was for real. What would they think at NYADA? What would the Funny Girl production team think? And what would she do once the baby got here? Why did the whole situation have to be so complicated?

Rachel looked at her phone. Finn was still at work. She couldn't call him right now and tell him. But she couldn't stop thinking. How would Finn react?

x

Finn had given his glee club this week off as a reward for winning Sectionals. Plus, he was sure most of them would be busy with the holiday this week. Thanksgiving weekend was always when the McKinley Sectionals were held, so the New Yorkers would watch the livestream. They'd decided to stay in New York for the holiday and go to the parade in the morning, then have a Thanksgiving dinner at the apartment. They'd also invited Shelby and Beth over for Thanksgiving dinner. In the evening, Finn, Blaine, Sam and Artie would be going to the Jets game. Kurt and the girls would go Black Friday shopping the next day, but they didn't have any interest in going to the game with the guys. (To everyone's relief, Harmony was going to Lima for Thanksgiving.) Since he wasn't working at the glee club this week and Columbia was off all week, he'd taken on some extra hours at the diner. He was just arriving home when he saw Rachel in her bed, looking upset.

Finn sat on the bed next to Rachel. "Babe, are you okay?"

Rachel sat up. "Finn, the doctor called."

Oh no. Finn knew things weren't right with Rachel. He knew it. And now here it was being confirmed. "What's wrong?"

"I'm pregnant," Rachel said softly.

Pregnant? Finn couldn't have seen that coming. But now that he stopped and thought... several of the issues Rachel as complaining about were pretty common in a pregnancy. How had he not caught on to this before? And he didn't know what to think... his first child, his first real child... and this child was on the way when he and Rachel were both in school and still getting lots of financial support from their parents...

"Oh Finn, please say something," Rachel said.

"I... I can't believe it," Finn said. "Rachel, I love you, and I always wanted children with you... but now... this just... it's all so sudden."

"I know," Rachel said. "Finn, I love you, and even though our child's not here yet, I love our child... but what are we going to do? Our parents still pay most of our bills and we don't have college degrees yet... I think about what my mom went through with me and Kylie, and what Puck and Quinn went through with Beth... if we give this child up for adoption, there's a chance that we might never see him or her again... but if we keep him or her, what if we can't give them what they need?"

"We have nine months to decide what to do," Finn reminded Rachel, still a bit shocked. "I'm worried about you..."

"Why?" Rachel asked.

"Because there's a person in your body," Finn said. "Are you comfortable?"

"Yeah, I'm comfortable," Rachel said. "The doctor wants me to go see an OBGYN."

"That's probably a good idea," Finn said. He just couldn't believe what Rachel had told him, and now he had a million thoughts running through his mind. Could he and Rachel handle raising a baby? Would they be good parents? Could they give this child what he or she would need? What would their family members and friends think when they found out that Rachel was pregnant? What would their jobs think? Would they be able to finish school and get better jobs to take care of and provide for their child?

"Finn?" Rachel asked, interrupting Finn's thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," Finn said as he gave Rachel a kiss. "I feel a bit overwhelmed."

"I know, me too," Rachel sighed, patting the space next to her on the bed. Finn sat down next to Rachel as she put her arms around him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Finn said.

"I'm sorry," Rachel sighed.

"Sorry?" Finn asked. "Sorry for what?"

"Doing this to you," Rachel sighed. "I was on the pill..."

"I always used condoms," Finn said. "I guess we were just that one in a million time where the condoms didn't work."

"I guess so," Rachel said. "We have been that one in a million for other things before."

"That's true," Finn said. "Rachel, does anyone else know?"

"I would never tell anyone before you," Rachel said.

Finn was glad Rachel had told him first. "Good. What do you think our families and friends will think?"

"I don't know," Rachel said. "When should we tell them?"

"Let's wait until after the holidays," Finn suggested. "Remember what happened when you and I got engaged the first time? If they don't want us to have kids just yet, I don't want to have to deal with that during the holidays."

"Yeah, me either," Rachel said. She lay on the bed, and Finn quickly changed into his pajamas, lying beside Rachel and holding her close. He couldn't believe what she'd told him today, but he knew that that no matter what, he was going to be here for Rachel, and she was going to be here for him too.

x

Thanksgiving in New York was craziness.

Finn had always known that New York was busy at Thanksgiving time. And last year, the crowds had definitely begun filing in. But he'd spent last year in Lima. This year, they were actually spending it in New York.

Finn did feel a bit sad. This was the first time he'd spent a major holiday without his mom. And of course, ever since he found out that Rachel was pregnant, he had a lot on his mind. He found himself worrying about her constantly, and he was always wondering if she was okay. And of course, in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen to them - and the child - in nine months.

Weeks in advance, the group had planned to go to the Macy's Parade for Thanksgiving. It was the biggest event of Thanksgiving, and he'd seen it on TV before, but he'd never been to it in person. At first he was really excited to go to the parade, but ever since he got the news about Rachel, he couldn't think about much else.

"Frankenteen, Manhands, are you guys ready?" Santana called from the living room. Sam, Artie, Tina and Mercedes had come over from the two bedroom apartment for the group to head to the parade, and Finn and Rachel were in their bedroom getting ready.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay today?" Finn asked Rachel.

"I'll be fine," Rachel said.

"There's going to be lots of people there..." Finn began. What if someone knocked Rachel over and hurt her or the baby?

Rachel stood on her tiptoes and put her arms around Finn. "I'll be fine."

Finn nodded as he looked at Rachel's flat stomach. Right now people couldn't tell that she was pregnant, but they couldn't keep it a secret forever. "We're coming," Finn called as he and Rachel went to join their friends.

"This is so exciting!" Kurt said. "Our first Thanksgiving in New York!"

"I know!" Mercedes said as the group walked to the parade. "I've always wanted to see this parade and now we'll get to."

Finn felt his phone vibrate. He opened it and saw a text from Rachel. "Let's make today a stress free day. It's a holiday, and we should have fun."

Finn thought Rachel had a point. They would have nine months to worry. Today was a holiday, and they should enjoy themselves.

x

The parade was even more amazing in person than it was on television.

Finn had been so impressed by the sizes of the balloons. All of them were so cool, and they had one for just about everything. The live music from the marching bands was amazing as well, and it was a great way to kick off the holiday season. Times Square was well decorated, and Finn was already feeling in the Christmas spirit. As the group arrived back at the apartment, they were surprised to see that two people were already there.

"Surprise!" Burt declared as the group went inside.

"Dad!" Kurt exclaimed, running to hug his dad. "What are you doing here?"

"We didn't want to spend Thanksgiving without our sons, so we thought we'd come surprise you," Carole said as she brought out food from the kitchen. "Since you gave us the spare key to the apartment, we had no trouble getting in."

"And Carole cooked up the rest of your food that wasn't cooked yet," Burt added.

Finn ran to hug his mom. "This is such a great surprise!"

"Like I said, we wanted to spend the holiday with you two," Burt said. "And our son-in-law, and our daughter-in-law, and our honorary extended family."

"Well, thank you for coming," Santana said. "It was so crowded out there and we were standing for so long, I don't think I have the energy to cook!"

"That's where we come in," Carole said. "All the things you hadn't pre-cooked, we cooked for you."

"Thank you," Rachel said. "Thank you so much."

"Where are you guys staying?" Sam asked.

"We're staying at the InterContinental," Carole said. "So, are did you have fun at the parade?"

"Yeah, so much fun," Tina said.

"Good," Burt said. "You guys have made your apartments really nice."

"Well, that's mostly thanks to Kurt and the girls," Blaine admitted.

"Yeah, Finn and Blaine are always leaving their dirty dishes in the sink, or their clothes on the floor..." Rachel began.

Carole looked at Finn. "Finn!"

"I guess some things never change?" Rachel asked Carole. "Although he can do his own laundry now."

"Aren't you proud of me?" Finn teased his mom.

"Very proud," Carole said.

The doorbell rang, and Rachel went to the door. Finn turned and saw Shelby and Beth. "Thanks for having us over," Shelby said.

"Of course!" Finn said.

"We brought pie!" Beth declared.

"Yay!" Sam cheered. "I love pies."

Shelby looked and saw Burt and Carole. "I wasn't expecting you guys."

"Well, we thought we'd come and surprise them," Carole said. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing great," Shelby said. "We're still waiting for final test results, but the doctors think I'm in remission."

"And I am so happy!" Rachel declared. Finn smiled at his wife, knowing that this year, there was a lot to be thankful for.

"Well, now that everyone's here, let's eat!" Finn declared.

x

Thanksgiving dinner had been great, and Finn was glad to have his parents there. But tonight was another tradition that he was now taking part in - going to a Thanksgiving football game with Blaine, Sam and Artie. As the four boys rode the bus together, thoughts about Rachel came back to Finn. He'd tried not to think about her pregnancy today, and dinner and the parade had served as a nice distraction. But being on a crowded bus... well, that wasn't a very good distraction.

"Hello? Earth to Finn?" Sam said, waving his hand in front of Finn's face. "We're at the stadium."

"Isn't this exciting?" Artie asked. "A real Thanksgiving football game!"

"Yeah," Finn said. Maybe the game could take his mind off things. "This is great."

"Are you okay, Finn?" Blaine asked. "You've been kind of withdrawn lately."

"What do you mean?" Finn asked.

"You've been quiet and in your room a lot," Sam pointed out. "You won Sectionals, so..."

"I think I'm just stressed about finals coming up," Finn said. That wasn't a complete lie.

"Yeah, we all are," Artie said. "At least this year you have a secure place to live."

"That's true," Finn said.

"It just seemed like something was upsetting you," Blaine admitted.

"Well, if you need us, we are here," Sam said.

"Just like you've always been here for us," Artie added.

Finn almost told the boys about Rachel's pregnancy. Then he remembered that they'd decided not to tell anyone until after the holidays. "Let's go watch the game," Finn said.

And luckily, Finn was able to enjoy the game - and the Jets' victory - like it was any other day.

x

The Saturday after Thanksgiving would be Sectionals for New Directions. Since the alumni who lived in New York were staying in New York, they'd be watching the livestream on the school district's website. Rachel knew that this was big for them, especially since it was their first competition after Mr. Schue had left. As the group sat around the living room, Rachel sent a quick text to Kylie. "How are you guys doing?"

Kylie texted back. "Well, we've been doing these songs for weeks, so I hope we'll be okay. We did them in the performances of the musical, right?"

Rachel texted back. "Yeah, you did, and you guys were great."

"Thanks," Kylie texted. "At least April and Holly showed up on time. April said she'll buy us sparkling cider if we win..."

"At least it's not real alcohol," Rachel texted back.

"How are the New Directions?" Tina asked Rachel.

"Well, Kylie said that they're doing songs from Fiddler On The Roof, and they know those songs and have done them well in the past, so that's something," Rachel said.

"Yeah, they were really good in the musical, even though I didn't direct it," Artie joked. "Especially Kitty."

"I just hope they win," Finn said. "I know the transition to new directors isn't always easy, but I think winning could really bring their confidence up."

"Yeah, me too," Rachel agreed. The group watched the Unitards perform, and they were pretty good, so they knew that New Directions would have some tough competition. Then the next group performed, from a high school New Directions hadn't competed against before. Then the MC announced New Directions, and the alumni felt just as nervous for their former teammates as they did for themselves when they were the ones competing as the group took the stage.

New Directions: Tradition, tradition! Tradition!
Tradition, tradition! Tradition!
Boys: Who, day and night, must scramble for a living,
Feed a wife and children, say his daily prayers?
And who has the right, as master of the house,
To have the final word at home?
New Directions: The Papa, the Papa! Tradition.
The Papa, the Papa! Tradition.
Girls: Who must know the way to make a proper home,
A quiet home, a kosher home?
Who must raise the family and run the home,
So Papa's free to read the holy books?
New Directions: The Mama, the Mama! Tradition!
The Mama, the Mama! Tradition!
Boys: At three, I started Hebrew school. At ten, I learned a trade.
I hear they've picked a bride for me. I hope she's pretty.
New Directions: The son, the son! Tradition!
The son, the son! Tradition!
Girls: And who does Mama teach to mend and tend and fix,
Preparing me to marry whoever Papa picks?
New Directions:
The daughter, the daughter! Tradition!
The daughter, the daughter! Tradition!
Tradition, tradition... tradition!
Tradition, tradition... tradition!

The first number had gone well, which was a good thing. The rest of the group left the stage for the duet, leaving just Ryder and Marley on the stage.

Ryder: Do you love me?
Marley: Do I what?
Ryder: Do you love me?
Marley: Do I love you?
For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes
Cooked your meals, cleaned your house
Given you children, milked the cow
After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?
Ryder: Golde, The first time I met you
Was on our wedding day
I was scared
Marley: I was shy
Ryder: I was nervous
Marley: So was I
Ryder: But my father and my mother
Said we'd learn to love each other
And now I'm asking, Golde
Do you love me?
Marley: I'm your wife
Ryder: I know...
But do you love me?
Marley: Do I love him?
For twenty-five years I've lived with him
Fought him, starved with him
Twenty-five years my bed is his
If that's not love, what is?
Ryder: Then you love me?
Marley: I suppose I do
Ryder: And I suppose I love you too
Ryder and Marley: It doesn't change a thing
But even so
After twenty-five years
It's nice to know

"Well, how do they sound in comparison to when you saw them live?" Kurt asked Finn and Rachel.

"They sound even better," Rachel said. But there was still one number left, and the rest of the glee club came on stage for it.

Ryder: Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?
Marley: I don't remember growing older, when did they?
Ryder: When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be so tall?
Marley: Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?
Boys: Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze
Girls: Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears
Ryder: What words of wisdom can I give them?
How can I help to ease their way?
Marley: Now they must learn from one another day by day
Jack: They look so natural together
Kylie: Just like two newlyweds should be
Jack and Kylie: Is there a canopy in store for me?
New Directions: Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

At the end of the final number, the alumni couldn't help but cheer for their friends in their apartment, and they could hear the audience cheering as well. Looking at the screen, Rachel saw that the New Directions members looked relieved and happy. She was sure they deserved to win.

A little while later, the three glee clubs were on stage, and the MC came on stage. The Unitards were announced as the runner up, and then Nw Directions were announced as the winner. Just as they had when they themselves won, the alumni jumped around the living room cheering and hugging each other. Their younger counterparts had done it. And maybe, just maybe, if both teams were lucky, they'd be seeing them in Seattle for Nationals if Finn's glee club made it too.

Then Rachel remembered. She'd been so busy these past few days if she'd forgotten. She'd be pretty far along in her pregnancy by Nationals. She probably wouldn't be able to fly to Seattle. There were so many changes now...

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked Rachel. "You look upset. They won, Rachel!"

Rachel forced a smile. They HAD won. She'd been pretty good at distracting herself, maybe she could keep doing that. "Yeah, just a little tired."

SONGS: Tradition, Do You Love Me and Sunrise Sunset from Fiddler On The Roof

Chapter 13 preview: The semester is winding down and the New Yorkers work hard to do well on their finals. Finn's glee club gets invited to perform at a special event, and the NYADA students hope to be invited to perform at the winter showcase. Someone becomes suspicious about Rachel's condition.

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