Hey guys! Thanks so much for all your reviews on the last chapter. I really appreciated them. I know lots of you have been sharing what you think Finn and Rachel should do - and to be honest, I'm not even sure what they'll do yet. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and review if I should keep going. Hope my east coast readers are surviving the blizzard!
Chapter 15: The Reveal
"I can't believe we're doing this," Rachel said to Finn as they sat in the waiting room at the doctor's office. Not just any doctor - the OBGYN. "
Me either," Finn said. "It's crazy."
"I always knew one day we'd be doing this," Rachel said. "I just didn't know it would be this soon."
"Yeah," Finn said. He took Rachel's hand and began rubbing circles in it with his thumb. They still had six or seven months to make this decision, but this would be the most difficult decision they'd ever have to make and it would change both their lives forever.
The doctor came into the waiting room. "Rachel Hudson?" Finn and Rachel looked up and followed the doctor to the examination room. "Hi, I'm Dr. Harris," she said, shaking hands with Finn and Rachel, then glancing at Finn. "Are you the father of the baby?"
The father of the baby... Then Rachel interrupted. "Yes, this is my husband, Finn."
"Nice to meet you," Dr. Harris said, motioning to the table for Rachel to sit on. "So, is this your first pregnancy, Rachel?"
"Yeah," Rachel said. "I had a pregnancy scare once before, but that was a false alarm."
The doctor rolled up Rachel's t-shirt. "Okay." She put gel on Rachel's stomach. "I can see that you two are pretty young. Have you given any thought about what you'll do when the baby gets here?"
Finn sighed. "We don't know yet." They'd been thinking a lot, but they honestly didn't know what they were going to do or what they should do.
"Well, know that you have options," Dr. Harris said. "You may be young, but there are lots of support agencies out there for young parents. And if you decide to give the baby up for adoption, I'm sure adoption services could find a family that could give your child a good home."
"Yeah," Rachel said quietly. She looked at Finn, and he could tell she was thinking the same thing that he was thinking. This wasn't like any other decision. A human life was in the picture. There wasn't going to be an easy decision.
The doctor waved her wand over Rachel's stomach as a blurry moving picture appeared on the screen. The doctor pointed at a small spot on the screen. "See right there? That's your baby."
"Wow," Finn gasped. He couldn't help but smile as he looked at the screen. That was their baby.
"Wow," Rachel echoed, squeezing Finn's hand.
Finn smiled over at Rachel before turning back to the screen. "Hi, baby. It's Mommy and Daddy..." He didn't know what to say next. Would they be mommy and daddy to this baby?
"Hi," Rachel mumbled softly. "Hi. Hi."
Finn leaned his head against Rachel's shoulder as they watched the sonogram for a little more. This was supposed to be a happy time, but instead there was so much uncertainty.
x
"We're really having a baby," Rachel said as she and Finn walked home.
"I know," Finn said. "Seeing our baby... it made it so much more real."
"It did," Rachel agreed. Their baby. Seeing the baby made Rachel love him or her so much more than she thought she could. But this baby might not be hers to love.
"We're going to have to tell our parents eventually," Finn said.
"I know," Rachel admitted. "But... you know what Quinn's parents did to her..."
"You seriously think your dads would do that to you?" Finn asked.
Well, Rachel knew her dads loved her. But she didn't think they'd love that she got pregnant before winning a Tony award. "Finn, I love my dads, but ever since I was little I've been under so much pressure," Rachel sighed. "It was always Broadway or bust... they wanted me to be the best... the best singer, the best actress, the best dancer... every time I lost a lead I felt like I'd disappointed them... what will they think of me being pregnant?"
Finn took Rachel's hands. "Hey, hey. Your dads love you. And they'll always love you, no matter what."
"Well, at least your mom let Quinn stay at your house for a little when she thought Beth was yours," Rachel said.
"Yeah," Finn said. "But now that it's real, and we're adults in the real world... I have no idea what she'll think, or what Burt will think..."
"We won't know until we tell them," Rachel admitted. "Maybe we should skype them tonight... we can't keep putting this off," Rachel admitted. She got out her phone and sent a text to her dads. "Hey, can Finn and I skype with you?"
Rachel got a text back from Hiram almost right away. "Of course you can."
Rachel turned to Finn. "When we get home, my dads can skype with us."
x
Rachel sat next to Finn as she turned on her computer, holding Finn's hand tightly. She'd never been more nervous to tell her dads anything, and this was about the biggest thing she'd ever have to tell anyone. She hit "send" to call her dads as she and Finn waited. Rachel's dads appeared on the screen before long. "Hey!" LeRoy said.
"Hi Dad," Rachel said. "Hi Daddy."
"How are you two?" Hiram asked.
Rachel looked at Finn. "We just have some news for you," Finn said.
"Okay," LeRoy said, as he and Hiram both looked like they didn't know what to expect.
Rachel looked at Finn. She hoped he would say it. What if her dads never wanted to talk to her again after this? "Tell them, Rachel," Finn said. "You should."
"Tell us what?" Hiram asked.
Rachel took a deep breath. She couldn't even look at the screen as she said it. "I'm pregnant." She felt tears coming to her eyes, unable to say anything else.
"What?" Rachel heard Hiram say. Rachel clutched Finn's hand, hoping he would speak. She didn't know what to say. At least her dad didn't sound angry...
"We're so, so sorry if we've disappointed you," Finn said. "I hope you know that we're always very, very careful... we use protection... we just happened to be that one in a million time where it didn't work."
"Are you two okay?" Hiram asked. This didn't sound bad.
"Yeah, we're okay," Rachel sighed. "As okay as we can be. I'm so sorry..."
"What are you going to do?" LeRoy asked.
"I don't know," Rachel sighed. "We've got time to decide. We're weighing all the options."
"Yeah," Finn added. "No decisions have been made. We're just playing it by day. We just had our first doctor's appointment today. The doctor said everything looks okay so far..."
"Can we give you two some advice?" Hiram asked.
"Of course," Rachel said.
"You two are wonderful people, and we know you'll make great parents, one day," Hiram said. "You're loving, you're dedicated, you care about each other and your family and friends, and you work hard at everything you do. But you're also young, and in school, and you still get financial help from your parents."
"What I think your father is saying," LeRoy interrupted, "is that while we know one day you'll be a great mom and dad, now isn't the time."
"I don't want an abortion," Rachel blurted out. She didn't feel ready, that was true. But over the past few weeks, she'd begun to feel a connection to the baby. And seeing the baby solidified that connection.
"Rachel, your mother put you and your sister both up for adoption," LeRoy said. "All these years later, you, Shelby, Beth and Kylie are a family. A different type of family, but still a family."
"Not everyone knows who their babies go to if they put them up for adoption," Finn said.
"That's true, and you don't need to make a decision right now," Hiram said. "We just want you to not put anything off the table."
"Thank you for not disowning me," Rachel said.
"Of course we're upset and disappointed that it happened now rather than later," LeRoy said. "But we aren't going to neglect you."
"If we can do anything, let us know," Hiram added.
"We will," Rachel said. "Thank you." That had gone better than she thought, but it had still taken courage. She and Finn logged off skype and exchanged a look before Finn spoke. "I guess we should tell my parents, too."
x
Finn thought that telling Rachel's dads would make him more nervous. After all, they were the ones more likely to be mad at him, since it was their daughter. But as he and Rachel sent a skype call to his mom and Burt, he felt like he was having a panic attack. Rachel looked up at Finn. "Are you okay?"
"I can't do this," Finn said.
"I did it," Rachel pointed out.
"Yeah, but this hasn't happened to you before," Finn said. "This happened to me once before... and now it's for real."
Rachel gave Finn a kiss. "I'll be right here."
Finn nodded just as Burt and Carole appeared. "Hi, you two," Burt said.
"Hey," Finn said. "Rachel and I just wanted to talk to you."
"Are you okay, Finn?" Carole asked. "You look terrified."
Finn was terrified. He just went ahead and said it. "Rachel's pregnant."
"Oh my God," Burt said.
"Please don't be mad at Finn," Rachel blurted out. "We're always very, very careful. We always use protection."
"I'm just so shocked," Carole said.
"We don't know what we're going to do yet," Rachel said. "We're considering everything. We just need time."
Finn was glad Rachel was talking to his parents. Just like he was the support when they told her dads, now she was the support for him. He looked up at the screen. "We know this isn't the ideal time, which is why we're taking every possible option into consideration."
"We love you both," Carole said. "Whatever decision you make, we'll support you. But like you said - now might not be the best time."
First Rachel's dads, now his parents. It felt like the consensus among the parents was for Finn and Rachel to give the baby up for adoption. "We haven't made any decisions yet," Finn repeated.
"We know," Burt said.
"Does anyone else know?"
"Just my dads," Rachel said.
"If you need us, we'll be on the first train to New York," Burt said.
"Thank you," Finn said. He was glad that both sets of parents, even though they were upset, had overall been supportive.
x
It was the day after Finn and Rachel had told their parents, and as far as they knew, no one else had found out. As they left their shift at the diner, Rachel's phone began ringing. She looked at the Caller ID and saw that it was Rupert. She picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi Rachel," Rupert said.
"Hi Rupert," Rachel said.
"Rachel, we've made a decision regarding the role of Fanny," Rupert said. "As you know, there were many talented actresses trying out for the role, and it was hard to make a decision."
Rachel had a feeling she knew what was coming. She wanted this role so badly. But would they let her play it with a baby bump? Of course, she probably hadn't gotten it... "I will respect whatever decision you've made," Rachel said. "No matter who you've selected, I hope to stay on as the understudy for as long as you'll let me. I had the best time up there when I filled in for Marissa."
"We received lots of praise from the night you filled in," Rupert said. "And we have decided to have both Marissa's understudies share the role of Fanny. You'll each take a week of performances and alternate, like you do with being the understudy."
Rachel couldn't believe it. They wanted her to be one of the two main people playing the role? Would they let her if they found out? "Wow, thank you."
"Thank you," Rupert said.
Rachel hung up the phone and looked at Finn. "They want me to share the role with Taylor."
Finn gave Rachel a big hug. "Rachel, that's amazing!"
"Do you think they'll let me?" Rachel asked.
Finn paused. "I hope they do."
"I can't tell them," Rachel said as they arrived home. "Not yet."
"Well, we did get telling our parents out of the way," Finn said.
"We should also tell Kurt," Rachel said. "I mean, he is your brother."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Finn asked. Of course he loved Kurt, but he knew that Kurt had a special bond with their friends. If they told Kurt, what if he told some other people? Finn and Rachel weren't ready for people to know yet.
"I know it's a good idea, Finn," Rachel said. "Kurt is your brother. He's my best friend. It wouldn't be right to keep this from him."
"If I'm going to tell Kurt, then you're going to tell Kylie," Finn said.
"I can't," Rachel said. "She's in high school, if I tell her she might tell some of the other people in glee club..."
"But she's your sister," Finn countered.
Rachel knew that was what she'd told Finn about Kurt. "Okay, we can tell our siblings," Rachel sighed. "But no one else. Not our other roommates. Not anyone at school. And not our employers."
"You know, we can't keep this a secret forever," Finn said. "Eventually it's going to be visually obvious."
"Keep what a secret?" Finn and Rachel looked up and saw Santana in the doorway. Oh no. How much had she heard?
"Nothing," Rachel said. "Everything's fine."
"Oh really?" Santana asked. "Because you've both been acting really weird lately."
"We have?" Finn asked.
"Yeah," Santana said as Kurt and Blaine came in. She turned to them. "Haven't Finn and Rachel been acting odd?"
"Yeah," Blaine said. "You know, you guys don't have to keep whatever's wrong to yourselves."
"Who said anything was wrong?" Rachel asked.
"They were talking about keeping something a secret," Santana said. Finn and Rachel sighed and looked at each other. This was to be expected from Santana. After all, when Santana suspected something was off about Brody, she hadn't rested until she figured out exactly what his story was.
"Are you okay?" Kurt asked. "Seriously, we're family. You guys can tell us."
"Well, I found out today that I get to share the main part of Fanny," Rachel said, hoping that they'd buy this.
"Seriously?" Kurt asked. "That's great. Were you just worried you weren't going to get it?"
"Yeah," Rachel said. "I don't even know if I can do it though..."
"What?" Blaine asked. "Of course you can."
Rachel tried to think of an excuse. "It might just be too much to deal with school and doing eight shows every other week."
"Oh, you can do it," Santana said. She got out her phone. "I'm calling the others to get them to come over and celebrate. Maybe Rachel can use her ID to get us some celebratory alcohol."
"She doesn't even know if she'll end up doing it!" Finn pointed out.
"Oh, you will," Kurt said. Rachel heard a knock at the door as Blaine went to the door.
"Hey, Santana texted us to come over for a celebration," Sam said as he came in with Artie, Mercedes and Tina. "What's going on?"
"Rachel was offered to share the part of Fanny with the other understudy," Santana announced. "So she's going to go out and get us some alcohol with her ID to celebrate."
Tina ran over to hug Rachel. "That's amazing!"
"I don't know if I'm even going to do it," Rachel said. "And no alcohol."
"Why no alcohol, Rachel?" Sam asked.
Rachel tried to think. "Because the rest of you are under 21."
"You're not enjoying your drinking privileges, Rachel," Santana groaned. "What gives?"
Rachel couldn't hold it in anymore. "You guys have been right when you thought something wasn't right..." She looked at Finn.
"Are you guys okay?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, we're fine," Finn said. "It's just..."
"I'm pregnant," Rachel blurted out.
The group fell silent, and Rachel became as nervous as she was when she told her dads. She didn't want a lecture about how this was going to get in the way of her education and career. "We don't know what we're doing yet," Finn said. "This is something big that neither of us were expecting. Whatever we decide to do, we're not asking you to agree with it, but please respect us and support us."
"Now that you say that, it does make sense," Tina said.
"Yeah, the signs do add up," Artie added.
"Who else knows?" Blaine asked. "Just our parents," Rachel said.
"Well, we're here for you no matter what," Kurt said as the group gave Finn and Rachel a group hug. It was true that the young couple were scared and unsure, but at least their situation was a lot better than it could have been.
Chapter 16 preview: Rachel tells her mom and sister about her pregnancy. Updates on the New Directions. Someone starts causing trouble for Finn with his glee club.
10 reviews unlock Chapter 16!
