"My mother wants a family." She said this so quietly that for a moment he thought he was just imagining it. He looked down at the girl in his arms. All he could see was the top of her head that seemed determined not to look up.

"Shelby Corcoran?" Almost imperceptibly, he could feel her nod against his chest. They were sprawled together on the couch in her living room, watching the television screen aimlessly. In reality, he was just reveling in the fact that finally, finally, they got to this point, where he could hold her, just like that.

"At regionals, while you were at the hospital, I went see her. She told me."

"That's a good thing, right?" She was silent. "It's not a good thing?" he tried again.

"She doesn't want me." Oh. His hold on her tightened deliberately.

"Rach..." he found he had nothing to say. He desperately wished he was better at this. At all these feelings, at expressing them or at least at knowing the right thing to say. But he was always awkward and clumsy, forever just fumbling through his words. His shirt felt wet and he knew she was crying. Her face was practically smushed into his chest by now and her hands were gripping the back of his shirt like a lifeline. Her body felt tense, like a string pulled to its limit. She was holding back the shudders and the sobs and the hiccups and was just like a stone in his arms, her tears the only sign of life. That, he understood all too perfectly. The tight reign on emotion, the restraint from completely breaking down. He understood that all too well.

"Sometimes people just suck," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Sometimes you give them everything you got, and all they do is let you down. Like they don't even notice you there, putting everything on the line." Guilt was enormous. He was 'people'. He did this to her too. Numerous times. Over and over. And he couldn't help but wonder how many times she had done this, this restraining and reigning herself in, because of him.

"You're better than all of us. Fuck us all. I'm sorry, Rachel." He said this last line as a whisper, the guilt almost choking him.

He heard, before he felt her start to unravel. The loud intake of breath that seemed to rip through her whole body as she started to shake profusely in his arms.

"I- I- .." She was gasping, tying to fill her lungs with air as he held her tighter, trying to subdue her. "I can't- why? Why doesn't she want me?" He felt her pain rip through his chest.

"She doesn't deserve you." He pulled back and brought a hand to her jaw, guiding her face to him. Her eyes were puffy, her gaze directed to somewhere on his left. "Look at me," he said softly. She met his gaze. "You don't need her, Rachel. You've never needed her." He saw the slight tremble of her lips as she furiously wiped her tears away with her fist.

"I just want to know her. I want her to know me." She sighed and laid her head back on his chest.

"Maybe it's for the best. Maybe if she knew me she wouldn't like me. Maybe-"

"Maybe she's just a bitch," he offered nonchalantly. Her head snapped up immediately.

"Finn! You called my mother a bitch!"

"Am I wrong?" He saw the left side of her lips pull slightly into an almost smile.

"Probably not," she answered, barely contained spite lacing her words. She sounded so unlike Rachel at that moment, it almost alarmed him. Her words were never filled with venom, not even when he had hurt her. He couldn't comprehend the amount of hurt she went through, couldn't possibly know what it was like to be rejected by your own flesh and blood.

Sometimes it was just better to just give in to your basic emotions. Get angry. Screw reason.

"Say it."

"What?"

"Shelby Corcoran is a bitch!"

"I can't say that!" she gasped. They were both upright by now, and Rachel was looking at him, appalled.

"Say it Rachel. Shelby Corcoran is a fucking bitch. Come on, you know you want to." She shook her head empathically, but she was smiling. It was odd, telling her to cuss out the woman who gave birth to her. But Finn thought calling Shelby a bitch was nothing if you take into account the horrible way she had roped Rachel in, only to throw her away once she was hooked.

"Resorting to degrading slurs is not a healthy way to express one's emotion," she replied primly. Aaand she's back! He grinned.

"Sure it is. Shelby Corcoran is a fucking bitch. It expressed my emotion perfectly." She was giggling. "Please Rachel? For me?". Rachel looked at him hesitantly. He gave her an encouraging smile.

"Shelby- I can't!"

"Yes you can! Ra-chel! Ra-chel! Ra-chel!" He completed his chant with fist-pumps, hollering her name at the top of his lungs.

"Shelbycorcoranisabitch!" she whispered furiously, her face red. Finn cupped his ear and leaned closer.

"What?"

"You heard me!"

"No I didn't." She stamped her foot, and he laughed out loud. Rachel jumped to her feet, her eyes flashing.

"Shelby. Corcoran. Is. A. Bitch." she whipered the words slowly, staring him dead in the eyes.

"Louder."

"Shelby Corcoran is a bitch."

"Are you kidding me? With your set of lungs? C 'mon Rachel!"

"Shelby Corcoran is a bitch!" she shouted, her eyes closed.

"Once more with feeling!"

"SHELBY CORCORAN IS A FUCKING BITCH!" Her face was red and her eyes were scrunched closed tightly as she yelled at the top of her lungs. He wondered what she would do if he pulled her to him at that very moment and kissed her senseless. He opted for a loud whoop instead, as he stood up and twirled her around, barely missing the coffee table.

"That's my girl!" She was laughing and he was laughing too, and they were both so ridiculously filled with joy and he didn't even know why.

"That was awesome!" she squealed once he put her down.

"You're awesome," he replied, not caring that it was probably the cheesiest thing that ever came out of his mouth. Judging from the look she was giving him, she didn't care either. They settled back on the couch, back to their prior position and returned their attention to the television screen and watched in contented silence.

Five minutes later, he heard her sniffle. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and kissed her temple, his hands rubbing her back in slow, gentle circles.

That week at school, Kurt told him that Shelby Corcoran was now Drizzle's mom. He felt her tense beside him and he tightened his hold on her hand. It seemed from Kurt's expression, he realized his insensitive mistake because he refrained from insulting her for the rest of the school day. Finn felt his heart constrict at the thought of Drizzle with a woman who had no qualms in severing ties with her actual daughter.