A/N: I apologize for the delay. I had some uncertainty over how exactly I wanted this chapter to go. Then I had crazy, annoying, normal life get in the way of my writing time.
Chapter 30: Royalty
Her second treatment of the week, at full dose, pushed her numbers up over the cusp and fully into stage two. Scott decided they should celebrate by crossing off one of Rachel's bucket list items. He takes them to Columbus to see an opera. He'd had the tickets for a while and sheepishly admitted that he thought they'd be good either way; as a celebration or as a comforting distraction. Her grandparents and Scott's parents joined them. The seven of them had an early dinner at a fancy restaurant that had items on the menu that Rachel couldn't even pronounce, but the adults seemed to enjoy. Scott's parents are nice, but a little standoffish. They're not as warm as her grandparents, but Rachel wonders if part of it is because of her and her health issues. She's been lucky. Other than her father, the people around her drew in closer to support her. Her declining health didn't push anyone away.
When she gets bored at dinner she daydreams what it might have been like if her mom and Scott had met and married before she met them. Would his parents have accepted her as their grandchild as easily and completely as her mom's parents did? It's a nice daydream. Sure, she's not blood related to them, but she'd like to think they would have welcomed her and gotten to know her just as the Corcoran's did. Having two sets of grandparents would be pretty cool. She'd never really had any grandparents before meeting Nana and Grandpa and they're awesome. Two sets of loving grandparents sounds like a dream….probably because it's literally her daydream at the moment. She shakes it off and refocuses on the moment. The adults are in various conversations, leaving Rachel a little bored. She looks down at Yero. The restaurant hadn't wanted to let him in, even with his service animal vest on. Grandpa had had some stern words with the maitre de until the manager himself arrived and smoothed everything over. They were even comped a free dessert as an apology. After a covert glance around, Rachel slips her pup a piece of steak.
Even though she's been taking Fiyero everywhere she goes for months now, taking him to the opera feels different. She wonders if its because it's packed with people, making Yero more obvious for being the only dog, or because it's a performance and she worries about Yero interrupting it. Not that he would for no reason, but to alert everyone about an incoming medical emergency. He'd just be doing his job, but it kind of makes Rachel uncomfortable. She shakes it off and ignores the looks she gets while walking with her family to their seats. They saw Puccini's "Tosca" and Rachel loved it, even if she spent part of the second act feeling dizzy. The music was beautiful. She gripped her mom's hand and rested her head against her arm, breathing through the slowly spinning room and focusing on the beautiful music.
"Let me know if you need to leave." Her mom murmured to her. "It's okay if you have to or even if you just want to."
"I'll be fine when it passes."
On her other side, Nana patted her leg then rests her hand there. Between the two of them, it helped Rachel feel grounded. Thankfully the dizziness didn't last too long and she went back to enjoying the show. After the show, she happily rambled on about her favorite parts. The adults listened with happy smiles of their own. Even the mild attack mid-ramble didn't diminish her enthusiasm. It did tire her, though. It's been a fun but long day. She stumbles slightly, her steps slowing down as they head down the sidewalk to the parking garage.
Scott leans down to whisper to her. "I can carry you."
"It's not too much further, but thanks." He has carried her a bunch of times, but only when necessary and never really in public. She doesn't think it's necessary now. Now, in such a public setting, it would just be embarrassing.
Grandpa steps up, placing a hand on her back. "You can sit here on that bench and rest while I go get the car."
"It's—" Rachel stops.
She was going to repeat what she said about it not being much further, but hesitates. Everyone is looking at her expectantly. She's clearly tiring, after all. There's no point denying it. With a reluctant sigh, she nods. Her mom and Nana smile, then drag her over to the bench. Since Scott's parents are heading home now, they say goodbye. Scott and Grandpa go to get their respective cars while Rachel listens to her mom and grandmother gush over the evening they've had so far. It was a lot of fun. Still, Rachel is a little relieved it's over. She's glad it happened and glad it's done. She got to see an opera and eat at a fancy restaurant and she didn't have a medical emergency. She's glad they'll be spending tomorrow with her grandparents. Not only will she get to spend more time with them, but Yero will get to run around and get his energy out. The poor pup was kept indoors and forced to stay still and quiet for long hours today. First the car ride, then at the restaurant, then at the opera. Even at school he gets to move more (on top of her making a point of taking him outside to run around). Her mom and grandmother will be heading into Columbus to shop for her prom dress. Rachel had completely forgotten about prom, what with everything going on. Now, though, it'll be coming up very soon and she needs a dress. Grandpa and Scott pull their cars up in front of them and the ladies stand. She giggles when Nana leads her over to Grandpa's car without a word or even a glance at her mother. Her mom throws her hands up in amused exasperation.
"I guess she'll ride with you, then. Scott and I will follow behind."
"That sounds lovely, darling." Nana says with a wink.
Rachel gives her mom a cheery wave, then urges Yero to hop in the back of the car before following. She's asleep in the first couple minutes of the drive. She becomes vaguely aware of being carried and murmuring voices around her, but ignores them in favor of drifting back to sleep. When she's laid on a bed and her shoes are removed, she jumps slightly. Her mother shushes her.
"You're alright. I'm just taking off your shoes. Do you want to change into pajamas or sleep like this?" She whispers.
"Pajamas." Rachel mumbles back.
"You'll need to help at least a little, alright?"
Rachel nods and pushes herself into a sitting position. Her mom helps her change quickly and she immediately curls back up on her side. She's asleep before her mom can say 'goodnight'.
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Being back to stage two is a relief, and yet, she's realizing not much has changed. The only major difference is they've tentatively called off the plans to start her bone marrow transplant. They'll keep a close watch on her numbers, but for now they'll just continue on as normal. She overheard her mom and grandparents discussing it. They're worried that she'll suddenly drop too quickly, like last time. Her mom is worried yet hopeful. The relief of being in stage two is counter balanced by still struggling with fatigue and other symptoms that she thought would be lightening up already.
Rachel is also back to going to school more often, which is a good thing. Rachel still struggles to wake up most mornings. It's not often she gets to school on time, though how late she is varies. Full school days are hard for her, but she does her absolute best to at least be there for Glee; whether it's the class during school or rehearsal afterward. Now that they're rehearsing a song that she is in, she needs to be present as much as possible to be able to participate and hold her own. She's thrilled to be a part of it and she refuses to let her team down. The group has chosen an a cappella song and are working out who exactly will sing it. Everyone already agreed that Rachel and Blaine should be in it. Mercedes agreed to stay out of it since she has her solo number. Sugar knows she can't get a solo this year, so she's out as well. The rest are hard at work determining who would be best to put together. Arguments even broke out about just how many people should be in the number. Knowing they're short on time, they finally agreed to keep it a small group and that, other than Blaine, priority should go to the seniors.
The other thing on her mind is prom. Her senior prom. Finn had asked her to go, of course. She'd instantly said yes and was happy about it. A small part of her was jealous when she heard stories of her friends being asked to prom in cute ways. Kurt sang Blaine a song and asked him to go with him. Sam brought in cupcakes that spelled out prom to ask Mercedes to go with him. Mike had prepared a cute and romantic dance to ask Tina. Santana and Brittany are the only couple besides Rachel and Finn that didn't do anything big to ask the other to prom. Sugar went to junior prom with a boy she's dating but insisting is not her boyfriend. Artie had wanted to go with Sugar but didn't ask her in time, so he went to junior prom solo. The big surprise was not only that Puck asked Quinn to go with him, but that she agreed.
It's next Friday. The week before Nationals. Rachel had gone on one shopping trip with her friends before everything went to hell with her health. She didn't find a dress that day, then she was too sick to go again, then forgot about it. It was only after her NYADA audition, and after returning to school and seeing posters about prom that she remembered. She's glad she remembered in time to get her mom and grandmother to help her find a dress last weekend while they were in Columbus. Finn had shrugged when she brought it up. He admitted that he didn't care what dress she wore or if she went in a plaid skirt and animal shirt. He even didn't mind if they didn't go at all. He's not much of a dancer and they tend to have more fun with just their large group of friends. When she questioned Kurt on why he didn't make sure she had an appropriate dress already, her brother had given her an incredulous look.
"Just checking, should I have asked you about your prom dress when you were in the hospital after your heart nearly stopped? When you weren't allowed to have any visitors because they were worried your heart would go too fast again? When you were home but on bed rest and connected to a portable heart monitor? After you had that moderate attack? After your bedrest ended but you still struggled to walk around? During that procedure to lower your white blood cell count? After the procedure when you were horribly sick and very susceptible to germs? When you were stressing about your NYADA audition? When you had that massive nosebleed? When you were upset after your audition? When you had two treatments in a week that left you feeling awful? Or should I have asked when you said you were celebrating being back in stage two by going to see an opera in Columbus?"
"Fair point." Rachel had grumbled.
Regardless, she now has a dress. Three generations of Corcoran's, her grandmother, mother, and herself, all enjoyed spending the day dress shopping. They'd started with brunch at a cute cafe, shopped, stopped for a light snack and break (Rachel hadn't wanted to admit she was tiring from all the walking around, but knew better than to hide it), then shopped some more before finding the perfect dress for prom. She'd been so excited that she'd begged her mom to stop at Kurt's house on their way home so she could show him right away. He'd gushed over it and gave it his own seal of approval.
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The clock ticks away the seconds. Rachel tries not to count how many have passed in silence. She looks down at the hem of her shirt and cringes lightly at how wrinkled and stretched out it is now. She sighs and releases the fabric.
"You haven't answered my question."
Rachel looks up at Renee. The woman is waiting patiently but obviously expects an answer of some sort. "I don't know what else to say."
"You said you're 'fine' and yet you can't define what 'fine' is to you."
It's a struggle to not roll her eyes in exasperation. "What else does 'fine' mean? It means not great but not bad. Fine. I'm fine."
"Your mom thinks you're depressed."
"Isn't confirming that your job, not mine?" Rachel sasses before she can stop herself.
Renee smirks slightly. "True. But I want your feedback. You say you're fine but your mom says you're depressed."
"What do you think?"
"I think I'm not around you often enough to know. That's why I need you to tell me."
"I think I'm seventeen, days away from going to my senior prom and it's not a guarantee that I'll be up to going. I auditioned for a spot at a prestigious university and was told I was 'phenomenal' and yet they can't guarantee me a spot at their school because of my health, which is out of my control. I think I'm like a month away from graduating high school but my future is up in the air. I think I'm tired of being sick but can't do anything about it and the last time I did try to do something to feel better, it backfired spectacularly."
Renee's foot bounces slowly as she takes in everything Rachel said and everything she didn't say. She's annoyingly good at that.
"It sounds to me like a major stress for you is not having control and many major aspects of your life being uncertain at the moment."
"Yeah, I guess."
"I think that's a big part of what led you to choose to stop taking your medicine, as well."
Rachel shrugs.
"It is understandable, Rachel. Loss of control and uncertainty are stressful for many people, even for those of us who don't have to deal with a serious illness. What can you control?"
Knowing where this is going, Rachel obediently responds. "How I handle it all."
Renee smiles. "That is true and I'm glad you said it. But that's not what I meant. In this situation, I'd like you to literally think about the things you can control in your life right now. I think realizing how much control you do still have may help offset some of the stress over what you can't control."
"I can control….." Rachel trails off when nothing comes to mind.
"You can start small."
"I can choose my own outfits every day."
"Good start."
"I can control what I eat….to an extent. Sometimes I'm too nauseous to eat or just not hungry and at dinner I kind of have to eat what my mom makes." Renee nods. "I can control…..how focused I am in class. Doing my schoolwork. I can control what I say. I can control who I talk to. I can control what songs I sing for fun. I have some control over what we watch on tv, but it'd be rude to demand we only watch what I want, so that's limited."
"That's a good list, Rachel."
"It's a stupid list. I'm sorry, but nothing on that list is important. Nothing on it really matters."
"But it does." Renee insists. "You may not be able to control the major things, but you do have some control in your life. Often times, becoming aware of just how much control you do still have, even little things, helps you feel a little better. I noticed you left a couple things off your list. Was it intentional or did you not think of them?"
"What?"
"You can control how much you let people in. You control if you ask for help…..and how much help you ask for. Things like comfort are also in your control. All you have to do is ask and you'll get whatever you need, even if it's just a hug. You control that." Rachel looks away. Renee sighs. "You're still trying to minimize how much stress you put on them. Rachel, I think that's another thing that's adding to your depression. You're going through a lot. It's easier to deal with if you're not doing it alone. You have a large, wonderful support system of people who love you. Lean on them. I think everyone would feel better if you did. You and them."
"Okay." Sometimes it's easier to just agree.
Renee gives her a look like she knows exactly what she's doing. Instead of challenging her, she moves on. "Your mom says you have expressed that everything is 'too much' on more than one occasion and that it leads to you feeling the need to get away from it in some way."
"Sometimes. Not always." She admits with a shrug.
"What do you mean by 'too much'? What becomes too much?"
"Everything. Being sick, feeling sick, missing out on doing the things I want to do because I'm sick, and that my future is uncertain."
"Are any of those more pressing than the others?"
"Well it'd all go away if I stopped being sick."
"True."
"But I guess…..I think…my future being uncertain is the most upsetting thing. I hate missing out on stuff now, but if I knew I'd get better and be able to enjoy my life in the future, it wouldn't be so bad. If I knew I wasn't going to survive, I'd…..I don't know, find a way to do what I want to do now anyway and like…..make peace with it all, I guess. But I'm living like I'll have a normal future, but at the same time I know I might not. I applied to NYADA. I auditioned. I rocked my audition but I might not get in just because I have aplastic anemia. So that's uncertain. Nationals is coming up. I love that they let me be in it, but that's still uncertain. So is prom and the benefit and graduation. I used to have a plan for everything. Everything. I've known since I was little that I wanted to be on Broadway and planned everything around that. Dance classes, acting classes, voice lessons, summer musicals, everything I could think of. I practiced on my own. I've worked so hard and I feel like I'm getting closer to my dream but it's still just a dream. It may never happen and the reason why is out of my control. It's all uncertain and I hate it. I can't make plans. Or, I can, but then I might not get to see them through. I don't know which would hurt more."
Renee nudges the box of tissues closer to her. Rachel takes one and dries her eyes.
"How would you feel about making a back up plan? Something more likely to happen? In a previous session you mentioned your mom suggesting attending a local community college until you're in remission again."
"I'd feel like I'm giving up on my dreams. I'd feel like a failure." She says bluntly.
"You're not giving up and you're certainly not a failure. You're planning for all possible contingencies."
"I get it, but I don't think that'll change how I feel."
"Okay. Let's discuss how to handle feeling like things become 'too much'."
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In the end, Renee agreed that Rachel has depression. Rachel turned down the medication she was offered. Renee reminded her that there's nothing wrong with taking an anti-depressant, a sentiment that her mother backed up, but Rachel worries about having too many chemicals in her system. The adults reluctantly backed off with the warning that if they start feeling that medication is the best route, then they'll insist she try it. Instead of meds, Rachel agreed to go back to journaling like she did when she was younger and try the new techniques she learned today. She also agreed to talk to her mom more than she already does. She wasn't thrilled but agreed to use the anxiety meds if needed.
On the drive home, Rachel leans against the car door and watches the scenery going by. Her mom reaches over and squeezes her hand. "I know that wasn't easy for you. I'm proud of you for working so hard at it."
"At being depressed?" She snarks, too tired physically and emotionally to catch the words before they slipped out.
Her mom's supportive look becomes mildly annoyed. "At improving your emotional health, Ms. Smarty-skirts."
"Sorry." She mumbles while rubbing her eyes. "Thanks."
"Tired?"
"Yeah."
"You can nap before dinner."
She ended up napping through dinner. Her mom woke her, but she'd been so tired that tears sprung to her eyes at the thought of having to get up. Her mother had immediately wrapped her arms around her and cuddled her back to sleep.
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The room swims around her. Closing her eyes makes the feeling worse. Her fingers grip the edge of the bathtub and she takes deep breaths. The knock on the door sounds distant.
"Rach?"
"In a minute." She calls back, relieved she spoke clearly.
Prom. Prom is starting very soon. Her dress is on, her hair is done, her nails are done, she just needs her mom to help her with her makeup. More importantly, she needs to feel like she can stand without toppling over. Worried that she'll be forced to stay home and miss out, Rachel does her best to hide it. She won't be able to hide out in the bathroom much longer, though. Her mother will know something is up. Her session with Renee springs to mind and she sighs. Ask for help.
Reluctantly, Rachel calls out. "Mom?"
Her mother peers into the bathroom and smiles. "Are you ready for me to do your makeup?"
"In a minute? Um…." Her courage fails and she trails off. Smile dimming, her mom kneels before her and rests her hands on hers. She doesn't talk, she just waits, her warm green eyes trained on hers. "I'm not feeling great. But I don't want to miss out on prom."
Her mom nods slowly. "What isn't feeling well?"
"I'm lightheaded and tired. And I don't have a headache, but I have that pressure that sometimes leads to a migraine."
"I can give you medicine for your head, in case it becomes a migraine. Or you can bring a pill with you in case it starts hurting. Up to you. But the only thing to do for the lightheadedness and tiredness is rest."
Rachel looks at her mom pleadingly. "I don't want to miss my senior prom."
"But if you don't feel up to it—"
"This isn't something I can reschedule!"
"It's also not the end of the world to miss it."
"Maybe not for you! You got to go to yours! You showed me the pictures." Rachel huffs. "And you're an adult. Right now, I'm 17 and it's my senior prom. My boyfriend asked me to go with him. My friends will be there. So missing it feels like the end of the world to me." Her mom opens her mouth to reply but Rachel holds up a hand, stopping her. "Please don't say my health is more important. I know it is! I just want to be normal for one night. I want to live like a normal teenage girl tonight. I told you I don't feel well because I promised to be honest and I was hoping you'd help me, not stop me from going."
She watches as various emotions battle in her mother's eyes before settling on acceptance. "Thank you for telling me how you're feeling. Of course I want you to get to enjoy your prom, princess. But I need you to be okay and if that means resting instead of going to a dance, then that's what it means. However, if you agree to a few rules, you can still go."
"What rules?"
"If you get a moderate attack, you come right home."
"Obviously."
"If you faint, you come home."
"Fine. But can I make a stipulation?"
"Depends on the stipulation."
"If I faint but wake up in under an hour, I get to decide if I stay or come home."
"Fine. If you get a migraine, you come home."
"Since I doubt I'll feel up to staying if that happens, fine."
Her mom hesitates. "If you get too tired or too dizzy, I need you to promise you'll tell someone and at least sit out for a while, if not come home."
Knowing there's really nothing to argue with, she agrees. "Okay."
"I'm trusting you not just to be honest, but to be up front about how you're feeling."
"I will, I promise." Rachel bites her lip. "What if I only get to go for a few minutes?"
"Then at least you got to go to your senior prom, even if it wasn't for long. I'm sorry, honey. I wish things were better for you." They sit in silence for a moment. "Has the dizziness passed yet?"
"Yeah."
"Ready for me to do your makeup?"
A small smile. "Yeah."
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Scott stuffs his hands in his pockets and leans against the door jam, looking in on his girls. His fiancé, soon to be wife, and soon to be stepdaughter, look so happy right now. He wants to capture this moment of the two of them. Shelby is taking her time putting Rachel's makeup on for her. She's explaining her technique to her daughter, teaching her how to get the desired effect. He may not actually be the husband and father just yet, but he feels like he is. With a small smirk, he heads downstairs to complete his 'fatherly' duties. He's already spoken to Andy about the best way to scare his daughter's date when he arrives. Even though Abby's date had been a boy she'd been casually dating at the time and Rachel's date is her long term boyfriend whom she hopes to marry one day (and they trust him), Andy and Scott agreed that some good natured scaring/threatening is still called for. He decided to go with a classic; be 'busy' cleaning his rifle when the boy arrives. Scott eagerly takes his rifle from the safe and lays it on a towel on the coffee table. Then he lays out the supplies he'll need to clean it and arranges them for best convenience. Deciding not to actually start cleaning it yet, he sits back and snaps a picture of it to send to Andy.
"Oh, Scott. Seriously?" Shelby groans. Scott looks up at his fiancé coming down the stairs and frowning at his presentation. "Finn knows you won't actually hurt him. And we trust Finn! We love him!"
The army veteran decides it's best that no one knows about the time he beat up Rick Nelson and threatened to do worse. He absolutely would hurt any guy who hurts Rachel. Even Finn. He chooses the cavalier approach instead. "It's a time honored tradition! And I already told Rachel back before I proposed to you that I wanted to threaten Finn a little when he comes to pick her up for prom. She laughed!"
"She probably didn't think you'd go this far." Shelby retorts.
"It's not like I'm going to point it at him." Scott frowns. "Should I go with Andy's chainsaw idea instead?"
Shelby laughs. "No. And of course you planned this with Andy. I should have known. I still remember Kelly calling me up on Abby's prom night, half laughing and half angry that he was sitting there sharpening a huge knife when the boy came to poor pick Abby up."
"I can do it jokingly and still make a point." Scott defends himself.
His beautiful fiancé kisses him. "Fine. But if he gets upset, you're the one who'll have to explain it to Rachel."
"How is Rachel? Is she ready for a night out?"
Shelby sighs and leans into him. "Mostly. She's not feeling great, but not so badly that I need to keep her home. I'm worried it'll get worse, but I'm trusting her and her friends to do what's best for her."
"Are you still letting her spend the night at the hotel afterwards?"
"Yes. As much as I hate the idea of her spending the night in a hotel with none of us around to help her, I like the idea of her being so close to a bed if she needs to rest."
"I offered to get us a room in the same hotel." He reminds her.
"I know, but she's looking forward to a night away from all of us. She deserves a little freedom. Besides, Sue, Will, Emma, and Shannon will be there. They'll keep a close eye on her and still let her have fun. Her friends will, too."
Scott shakes his head. "I didn't have friends and teachers who were as close as Rachel has."
"I like to think of it as God's way of making amends for her shitty life. He has dealt her rough hand after rough hand, but at least makes sure she has a large and loving support system to help her through it."
"I like that thought, too."
The doorbell ringing has Scott grinning in anticipation. Shelby rolls her eyes. "Fine. Have your fun but don't traumatize the boy. He keeps insisting he'll be our future son-in-law one day."
He waits until she gets upstairs and out of sight before opening the door. Finn is standing in a handsome tux, holding a corsage and wearing a big smile. "Hi!"
Scott struggles to keep a serious look on his face. He really does like the kid and he treats Rachel well. "Come on in, Finn. Rachel isn't quite ready yet, so we can sit in the living room for a minute."
"Alright, cool." He bobs his head in easy agreement.
Scott almost feels bad for what he's about to do. He leads the teen into the living room but keeps an eye on the boy's face. At first he looks excited when he sees the gun. Then his eyes jump from he gun to Scott's stoic expression and his excitement fades to a wary confusion.
"I haven't cleaned my rifle in a while, so I figured now is as good a time as any."
"Uh, yeah, sure."
"You know, when I was in the army, I carried this thing with me constantly. I know it like I know my own arm. Not just this one, either. My pistol was attached to my leg at all times. These weapons became an extension of me for years. I won a few awards in the military for being an expert shot, you know."
Finn is only slightly pale. Scott isn't sure if he's relieved he hasn't scared him off or disappointed he hasn't freaked him out enough yet.
"That's really neat."
"I've never had to use a weapon to protect my family before. I've never had to use one to exact revenge for someone being hurt before. But I could if I needed to."
Finn's eyes are jumping between the gun, Scott, and the empty stairs. Good. "Tha—" he clears his throat "that's good."
Scott sidles up next to the tall teenager. "But you know I work as a physical therapist now. I know every bone, muscle, tendon, and nerve. You've seen me workout. You've seen me help you strengthen certain muscle groups. So you know better than most that I don't need a gun to cause serious damage to someone that I feel is a threat. I just need to hit a few pressure points or pull a limb back a certain way and they'll drop. Neat, huh?"
Finn is taking deeper breaths, his fists clenched. "Y-yeah. Neat." Then he swallows hard, squares his shoulders, and faces Scott eye to eye. "I love Rachel. I want to make her my wife one day. I would never hurt her. It'd be really great if you could teach me those things you just talked about so that I can better protect her without needing to use a weapon. Might come in handy one day, living in the big city and all."
Well damn. Brave kid. Scott breaks character and grins widely. "Absolutely. Maybe this summer? After you graduate?"
Finn heaves a sigh of relief and smiles back. "Yeah, that'd be cool. Thanks, man."
"Did you seriously try to scare Finn off?"
Both men spin around to face the stairs. Rachel and Shelby are watching them. Rachel looks annoyed. Scott gulps. Thankfully, he's saved from answering by Finn. The boy is staring at her slack jawed.
"Wow. You look stunning."
Rachel's annoyance is gone in a flash, replaced with a wide, proud smile. "You clean up pretty good yourself. You look very handsome."
Shelby snaps a few pictures of Finn putting the corsage on Rachel and then of them posing. Since Yero will be going as well, Rachel had insisted he wear a tux as well. Shelby had rolled her eyes, but Scott had thought it was a fantastic idea and helped Rachel find a doggy suit jacket. He still has to wear his service dog vest over it, but Rachel was fine with that. All three, two teens and a dog, pose for various pictures until Rachel's face suddenly loses all color.
"Rachel?"
Finn's arm is already around her, which is a good thing. Rachel's eyes roll back and her knees buckle. Finn easily catches her.
"Shit. Lay her on the couch."
Scott quickly drags the coffee table out of the way and Finn lays Rachel down. The men stand back and watch as Shelby deftly checks Rachel over. After a minute, she straightens with a sigh. She runs her hand through her hair in agitation.
"She's fine, she just fainted. Finn, you should head on to prom without her. You don't have to miss out."
"What?" The boy looks flabbergasted. "I'm not going to prom without my girlfriend."
"Finn," Scott tries to reason with him, "she's out cold. She's clearly not up to going."
Finn shakes his head. "You do know how much she was looking forward to this, right?"
"But she's unconscious."
"Right now. She could wake up in a couple minutes!"
"Or a couple hours." Shelby argues.
Finn plops down on the recliner. "Then I'll wait. I'm not going without her. If that means I spend prom night sitting here beside her, then fine."
Scott looks to Shelby helplessly. His fiancé shrugs. "As long as you know you don't have to, it's fine."
"I know I don't have to. I want to. I really don't like dancing or wearing a tux." As he speaks, he removes his tie and jacket, then unbuttons the top couple buttons of his shirt. He kicks off his dress shoes as well. "And these were already hurting my feet. Seriously, I was only going because Rachel wanted to and all my friends will be there." Then he grins slightly. "Besides, even though she'd understand it and wouldn't hold it against me, she'd still be a little pissed that I went to prom without her."
Scott and Shelby chuckle in agreement. Finn takes out his phone to update the others. Scott puts on an old war movie and he and Finn chat while watching it. Around 40 minutes after she fainted, Rachel finally stirs. Scott pauses the movie.
"Shel."
Shelby hurries into the living room and sits on the edge of the couch. Scott and Finn watch on worriedly.
"Ugh." Rachel groans. The others smile sympathetically. "What'd I do?"
"You fainted."
She tries to push herself up but Shelby stops her, gently urging her to lie back down. "Did I miss prom?"
"No. You were out for just under an hour."
"So we're late!"
"Rachel, I need you to take a moment and just relax. How are you feeling? Be completely honest and upfront."
The girl sighs and moves her hand like she's going to rub her eyes, but stops at the last moment. Scott realizes she probably doesn't want to mess up her makeup. "Kind of tired. Not like I need to sleep more, but…..a little drained."
"And your head?"
"Not dizzy and not hurting." She responds obediently.
"Alright, let's try sitting up slowly."
Scott hands her a glass of water, which she drinks down. Rachel sees Finn and smiles. "You stayed?"
"Of course."
Rachel's smile widens. It almost makes Scott feel guilty for threatening Finn earlier. Almost. Shelby helps Rachel stand (sans heels) and test how she is on her own two feet. Then they have her walk around the room to prove she's steady and truly recovered.
"I'd still feel better if you waited a little longer before leaving." Shelby says anxiously, twisting her hands.
"Mom, we have a 15 minute drive to the hotel. That'll be a good rest. I can sit as soon as we get inside if we need to. Plus we have a room reserved. I promise I'll get all the rest I need, if I need it. I've already missed an hour of prom. Please can I go now?"
Shelby turns to Finn. "You'll—"
"I'll toss her over my shoulder and carry her up to the room if I have to." He promises with a grin.
"You mean her and Kurt's room. You are not staying in the same room as my daughter." Shelby glares at him. Scott catches the boy's eye and makes a pointed look at the rifle still sitting on the coffee table.
Finn nods. "Yup. That's absolutely what I meant. I will not be spending the night in the same room as Rachel. Scout's honor."
Shelby's glare darkens. "You were never a Boy Scout."
"But I wanted to be! Doesn't that count?"
"No." Shelby's lips twitch.
"Mom." Rachel begs.
"Fine. Drive safe, Finn."
"I will." He promises.
"Have fun!"
"We will."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Senior prom. It's a step up from junior prom, which had been held in the gym. Senior prom is held at a hotel in the nicer part of town. They rented out the event room on the main floor and a bunch of the kids (and several chaperones) rented hotel rooms for the night. Rachel loved walking in on Finn's arm, with Yero trailing behind, and her dress swirling around her legs as she walked. The room was decorated very nicely and music was playing loud with people on the dance floor. It makes sense, since prom is already more than half over. It looks like everyone is having fun, but the music really is loud. She's glad she took a mild pain pill before coming and that she has more pain meds in her purse. In order to get her mom to agree to her spending the night at the hotel, she had to concede to a few things. Such as, dropping a bag off in the hotel room with anything she could possibly end up needing; oxygen tank, meds, first aid kit, toiletries, as well as pajamas and a change of clothes. She also agreed to staying in the room with Kurt, Tina and Mercedes while Finn, Blaine, Mike, and Sam shared a different room. Santana, Quinn, and Brittany are sharing another room. Their parents were hesitant, but Quinn insisted she wouldn't let the other girls 'sleep together' so the parents reluctantly agreed.
Everyone looks amazing and tons of pictures are taken. Rachel dances with her entire group of friends as well as friends and classmates she's not quite as close to. When she tires, she sits out and talks to whoever is around. Everyone is having fun. They also love how cute Yero looks and they all want photos with him as well. Rachel even danced a song with him, making everyone around her smile and giggle at the cute scene. The naming of prom king and queen began. Rachel smiles at her friends up on the stage, yet again nominated for the role. Last year she was surprised to be nominated. This year, she is doubly surprised when they call her name to join the other potential queens. At least last year her nomination came not long after nearly dying, so she sort of understood it, even if she saw it as a pity nomination. Confused, Rachel joins her friends on stage. Quinn and Santana hug her and make her stand between them. Megan, the other girl nominated, waves and smiles warmly at her. Rachel is still at a loss. She feels better when Finn is also a last minute addition to the king nominations. Looking bewildered, her boyfriend joins them all on stage. Standing across from one another, they share a grin.
"This year's king is a natural leader. He is popular, hard working, loyal, kind, and strong. He stands up for his friends and girlfriend. He has lead two teams to championships in the past year. And he has done all of this while being a strong support system for his friends and girlfriend. This year's king is Finn Hudson."
The applause is loud and enthusiastic. Rachel cheers and claps for her boyfriend, truly happy for him. He accepts his crown with a proud grin, then immediately turns to look at Rachel and winks at her.
"This year's queen won by a fairly wide margin. She is an excellent student and friend, participates in extra curricular activities, lead her team to a national championship last year, dealt with a serious case of harassment by a classmate with maturity, and on top of all of that has shown real strength, determination, and courage." Heat flares on Rachel's cheeks as she realizes they're talking about her. All eyes have already swung to her. On either side of her, Quinn and Santana are squeezing her hands. Finn is smiling widely. "She spent over a year fighting a life threatening illness, then this year has been dealing with the relapse and is sick again. Despite this, she has kept her head up, done her best to attend school as much as possible, has kept her GPA up, starred in the school musical, continues to lead her team to victory, and continues to be a wonderful friend. This year's queen is Rachel Berry."
Proud but also slightly embarrassed, Rachel smiles and walks forward. She accepts her crown, then takes the hand Finn offers to her. He guides her down to the dance floor where they have their first dance as king and queen. After a few bars, the rest of their classmates join them. Their friends force them to take a bunch of photos. Rachel quickly sends one off to her mom, who immediately responds happily. Unfortunately, Rachel can feel herself tiring faster as the night wears on. She sits out more. Sue notices and joins her at her table.
"Hey, mini-Streisand. You've been dancing for a while. You can go upstairs and rest, you know. Some people have already left and I'm sure that crown is getting heavy." She teases lightly.
"I want to stay." She insists. "I already missed the first half."
"But if you're tired—"
"I'm usually tired. I just need to sit out a little longer."
"You don't have to stay the whole time. Hell, you can go take a nap, then go hang out in the pool or hot tub with your friends. I'm sure they'd be happy to join you."
Rachel bites her lip. "Maybe. I'll think about it."
"Think about what?" Finn asks, bringing a fresh cup of punch to Rachel. She takes it gratefully and drinks it down while Sue explains her suggestion. Finn nods. "Actually, I'd love to go rest for a bit. My feet are hurting in these shoes and I'm not much of a dancer."
"You wouldn't mind? Prom isn't over yet and we came late."
Finn shakes his head with a smile. "I don't mind."
"Can we have one last slow dance as king and queen?"
"Sure."
"Maybe one last fast dance, too?"
Finn chuckles while Sue rolls her eyes. Finn goes to tell their friends what their plan is. A couple others agree it's a good idea and decide to do the same. It helps Rachel feel better about it. Once she feels a little steadier and hears a song she likes, she joins her friends on the dance floor for a fun last fast dance. She rests afterwards, mostly because she's pretty sure Sue is reporting back to her mother and the last thing she wants is for her mom to come up here and drag her home. A slow song starts up and Finn leads Rachel out onto the dance floor. She curls against his chest and sways slowly, knowing his arms are around her to keep her up if her legs give out. She hates how tired she is. She hates that her head is starting to hurt. She hates knowing she missed the first half of prom. But she's been here for a while already, which is more than she'd hoped for based on how she'd been feeling earlier and the fact that she fainted. When the song ends, she lets Finn lead her to the elevator. Several friends join them and they all chat happily. Rachel stays quiet, too tired to join in the conversations, and focuses on staying awake and upright. They step off the elevator and onto their floor.
"So," Kurt begins, looking between all of them, "um, I know we promised no couples would sleep in the same room tonight, but nothing was said about if we're just taking a rest before the night is over. We're going to the pool or hot tub after we nap a bit, right? So if we go 'rest' right now, with the intention of hanging out more later, we're not really breaking our promise, right?"
Blaine grins. "I'd really like to spend a little quality time with my boyfriend tonight. Alone. Are you guys okay with that?"
Smirking and giggling, the others all agree. Key cards are exchanged so that each couple gets a room to themselves. They also all set alarms on their phones so they can meet up at the pool later. Luckily the hotel agreed to keep the pool open all night for them. She overhead Sue and Mr. Schue talking about how they think the hotel agreed so that the kids have a safe place to congregate after prom officially ends. Less chance of them getting drunk or into trouble if they're just hanging out at the hotel pool. Rachel snags Kurt's arm. He immediately halts and turns to her expectantly. She kisses his cheek.
"Have fun." She winks.
"You, too." She gives him a look. She doubts she has the energy for anything too fun. Her brother rolls his eyes. "You know what I mean. Enjoy cuddling with your boyfriend."
Finn sweeps Rachel into his arms and carries her bridal style into the room while she giggles. Once alone in the room, they both pause awkwardly. They love one another. They hope to get married one day. They've done everything except sex. They've spent many occasions, even nights, cuddling. But they've never been completely alone and unchaperoned (unless Yero counts). They laugh when they realize they're feeling the same way. Finn walks up to her and slowly unzips her dress.
"Finn, I'm—"
"Ssshhh. I know." He says softly. "I just figure we'll be more comfortable not in these clothes. Besides, if they get wrinkled, people will jump to conclusions."
"Good point."
They won't be seen in these clothes again. They'll be putting on bathing suits later tonight, then normal clothes tomorrow. Still, she likes his suggestion and decides not to correct him. He continues to pull her zipper down. His fingers graze her bare back and she shivers. Not wanting to be the only one undressing, she undoes his tie for him, then starts unbuttoning his shirt. Finn slips the dress off her shoulders and it falls to the floor. Rachel takes his shirt off, taking a moment to admire his muscles. When her eyes move back up to his, he's gazing down at her body like she's the most gorgeous girl in the world. Warmth floods her body. Finn backs up and takes a breath, literally shaking off whatever thoughts had been running through his mind. He sits on the edge of the bed and removes his shoes, then slowly reaches for his belt.
"Are you okay if I take these off?"
She nods, not trusting her voice. But she trusts him. She takes her own shoes off and climbs on the bed. She debates taking off her makeup and taking down her hair now, but decides she can't be bothered to right now. When Finn is in just his boxers, he slides into the bed with her. For several minutes, they lay there together, just enjoying the feel of skin on skin. Rachel smiles, hoping she gets to experience this many more times with him in the future. His one hand moves to rest on her stomach and gently strokes the soft skin. Butterflies erupt in her stomach. Slowly, his hand moves upwards and cups her breast.
"How are you feeling? How tired?"
With the hint of what may be coming, some of her tiredness vanishes. She does not want to miss this. She would roll over to look him in the eye, but frankly she doesn't want to break contact. Instead, she grins. "As long as I don't have to move, I'm not too tired."
He lets out a soft groan and she feels something behind her stiffen, making her heart race pleasantly. She's disappointed when he moves his hand until she realizes he's moving it further south. Her eyes widen but she doesn't stop him. She's only let him do this a couple times and rarely when she was sick. But she's tired of feeling bad. She wants to feel good. And he makes her feel so good. Rachel closes her eyes and enjoys the slow build up growing within her. It helps drown out her headache and tiredness, leaving only good feelings. Finn, it seems, had this exact goal in mind. He presses his lips against her ear.
"I hate that you feel bad so often. I can't make you better, but I can help your body feel better. Tell me to stop and I will. I just want you to feel good, the way you make me feel good."
"But it's been a while since I—"
He kisses her, cutting off her argument. "So? Just being with you makes me feel good. I want you to feel the same."
"I do!" Then she smirks. "This certainly helps." She adds in a breathy whisper.
His pupils dilate and his mouth opens slightly. After taking a moment to compose himself, he removes his hand and lays her on her back. He leans over her.
"Then let me make you feel really good. Please. It's been months since I've gotten to do this for you."
Realizing what he means, her eyes widen and her heart rate skyrockets. Thank God she's not wearing the monitor anymore, it'd be blaring right now. "Are you sure you want to?"
"Yes, my queen." His tone has her melting.
"Then go ahe-" She sucks in a breath, her face pinching. From the floor, Yero whines and jumps up so he can see her. Her hands clench the sheets beneath her. The pain may technically be mild, but her entire body is tensed up. And since she was already tired, it's harder for her to simply breath through it like she normally does.
Finn grabs Yero and closes him in the bathroom with a treat and toy to keep him occupied. Then he hurries back to the bed and kisses Rachel all over. Her face, her chest, her stomach, and then works his way further down. He reaches his final destination and she gasps again; this time from pleasure. She releases the sheets and runs her fingers through his hair. He drags her panties down her legs, hooks her legs over his shoulder, and gets to work making her feel good.
Her king makes her forget all about the pain.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Warm. Comfortable. Relaxed. She feels so very good that she doesn't want to move. Finn is curled behind her, her back against his chest. Yero is curled against her stomach. With a smile, she scratches behind Yero's ears. Behind her, she can tell that Finn is either having a very good dream or still affected by their actions earlier. She's both amused and embarrassed that she fell asleep right after. Rachel leans over and checks her phone. Their alarm is going to go off in just a few minutes. She grabs a dog treat and tosses it into the bathroom. Yero scampers after it. With him occupied, she decides to return the gift that Finn so lovingly gave to her. With a smirk, she slides down his body. He wakes up instantly, his eyes snapping open when her mouth wraps around him.
"Holy shi—"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I wasn't sure you two would be joining us." Santana admits. "Berry, you'd seemed pretty tired earlier but now, you seem….." Her eyes narrow in contemplation and she leaves her sentence unfinished.
Rachel does her best not to blush but doesn't think smiling will give anything away. "We are rested and ready to have fun hanging out."
Kurt and Blaine are smiling widely and giving each other moon eyes. She doesn't have to guess what went on in their room tonight. A bunch of seniors and their dates gather together at the hotel pool. Rachel enjoys talking to a lot of friends and not just her closest friends, either. She jumps in the pool but doesn't stay in it for very long. Even though she feels better than she did earlier, she's still tired. She'd love to join in on the races or splash war going on, but knows she's not physically up to any of it. She's already pushing herself just swimming casually as she is. She's not surprised to find that someone is always near her. Getting an attack while swimming would be very dangerous. Alone, she'd drown. Yero is clearly having fun jumping in and out of the pool. Some of the kids toss things for him to fetch in the water, making Rachel smile. Her head is starting to hurt again. It faded while she and Finn were…..occupied…but it's returning now. With a reluctant sigh, she swims to the stairs and makes her way out. Hoping the pain will ease if she relaxes in warm water, she heads to the hot tub. Mercedes and Sam are already there with a few other people. The hot water feels amazing, but it's not helping her head. Not wanting to miss out, she focuses on the conversation and ignores the ache. Yero pads over and lays down behind her. He rests his head on her shoulder and she in turn rests her head on his. Mercedes grabs her phone from the dry ground behind her and snaps a picture, cooing over how adorable it is.
"Do me a favor and send that to me. I want to forward it to my mom so she can relax."
Mercedes hesitates. "I'll send it to you, but are you sure you want to send it to your mom tonight?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're pretty pale. Paler than when you first arrived at prom earlier, even."
"I don't really think seeing how pale you are will help her relax." Sam points out. Rachel sighs, knowing they're right.
Mercedes scoots closer. "You feeling okay?"
"Just a headache. I'll be fine."
"Maybe you should head to bed?" Her friend suggests gently.
Rachel swallows down the bitterness and irritation that are suddenly threatening to choke her and gives a minute nod. She knows they're right, she just hates it. One night. She just wanted one night to be normal. She supposes she should feel lucky that she got to come at all. Not trusting herself to speak without releasing her negative emotions on her undeserving friends, she remains silent as she climbs out of the hot tub. Her mother made her promise she wouldn't wander the hotel alone or head up to her room alone or even stay in the room alone. Finn is hanging out with some of his football friends and she decides to let him be. Technically, she's sharing a room with Mercedes tonight. But her fellow diva is staying put in the hot tub, clearly not intending to follow her and Rachel doesn't want to interrupt their fun night by asking her to leave her boyfriend to go upstairs with her. Tina is her other bunkmate for the night, but she's laughing with Brittany while the two attempt to perform some sort of water dance. That leaves Kurt. Her brother is chatting happily with a group of people. She doesn't want to disturb him, but he's family. She should be able to ask him for help, right? But he's having fun, just like they all are. Just like she wants to be. She doesn't want to ruin their night just because she's unwell. Maybe she should just call her mom and ask to be picked up. She shakes her head. No. She's not missing out on even more. Reluctantly, with Yero trailing along beside her, she joins her brother. He continues talking and wraps an arm around her waist without actually looking at her. She waits patiently. When he's done talking, she leans closer to him to avoid being overheard. Almost everyone here knows she's sick, but she doesn't like advertising her symptoms.
"I don't want to interrupt, but can you walk upstairs with me? I promised Mom I wouldn't go alone." There. She's not asking him to stay with her. She should, but she'll leave that to him. If he wants to come back down and rejoin the others, she won't say a word. Chances are she'll just sleep, anyway.
"Of course." He kisses her cheek. "Let's go."
With a cheery wave to the others, her brother walks with her back to their room. Kurt rambles excitedly while the elevator brings them up to their floor. He talks about the best and worst prom outfits that he'd seen, the best dance, the classmate who was clearly drunk (and got kicked out), and gushes about how much fun he's been having tonight. Rachel stays quiet. She'll blame the tiredness and headache if he asks, but mostly she doesn't want to risk upsetting Kurt and ruining his night. He's had such a fun time. He doesn't need to hear her whine about how unfair it is that she fainted and missed the first half of prom. Or that she was too tired to dance the entire time she was actually at prom. Or having to leave a little early to nap. Not that she'll ever complain about how she and Finn spent their time instead of dancing, but they could have held off until prom was over if she had been feeling better. She could also complain about having to leave while her friends are still hanging out having fun at the pool. And here she is heading to bed earlier than everyone else because she's sick. She hates it. At the same time, she doesn't want to ruin anyone else's fun, so she stays quiet. When the elevator reaches their floor, it dips slightly as it settles into the correct position. While it's a minor motion, it's enough to throw off Rachel's equilibrium. Kurt starts to step out of the elevator, but quickly spins back to face her when he realizes she's not moving. With a frown, he carefully observes her. She's still standing, but gripping the handrail for dear life.
"What's wrong?"
"Lightheaded." Face clearing, he hits the button to keep the doors open and steps closer to her. He slips an arm around her waist to help her walk. Rachel tenses up. "Not yet." She mutters quietly.
Kurt nods. "Take your time. But we might have to ride the elevator again if someone calls for it before we get off."
Trusting her brother to support her, Rachel releases the rail. Her legs feel like jelly. She stumbles slightly, but Kurt is there to keep her steady. Further up the hall, an elderly couple is struggling to use the key card to get into their room. As they near them, Rachel tugs Kurt to a halt and silently indicates that he should help them. Kurt is reluctant to delay getting her to their room, but Rachel knows he'll go along with it if she nudges him. She can wait another minute to sit down.
"Would you like a hand?" She asks them.
Startled, the couple turns to face them. They look exhausted. Rachel wonders how long they drove for before finally stopping. Once Rachel's offer sinks into their tired minds, they smile in relief. "Thank you. That'd be very much appreciated."
"Sure. Um…" Kurt looks at Rachel, still leaning on him, then at the couple. Rachel steps away and leans against the wall, making the elderly couple frown. Kurt takes the keycard from the woman and wipes it on his towel. "Sometimes they get dusty and it messes with the scanner. And sometimes you need to do it at just the right speed."
It takes two attempts, but Kurt manages to get the door open. Rachel's glad they were able to help but also glad it didn't take long. She's not 100% certain, but she thinks she's starting to slide along the wall slightly.
"Thank you." The woman grabs Kurt's hand in both of hers and squeezes.
He nods. "You're welcome. Here's your keycard back."
Yup. She's sliding. "Kurt."
Her brother is at her side in seconds and wraps his arm around her waist. "Are you going to faint again?"
"No."
The elderly couple share a look. "Is she drunk? No judgement, you're clearly kind kids to help us out, but we also heard the party going on downstairs."
Rachel giggles. "I wish I was drunk. Then I could just sleep this off."
"She's….not feeling well." Kurt starts leading them to their own room.
"Do you two need a hand? I'm old but steady." The man offers.
Kurt shakes his head. "Thanks, but I've got her."
With a final "thank you again" they part ways. Rachel stumbles slightly, but Kurt holds her steady. They're almost to their room when they pass another hotel guest carrying a suitcase. This man gives them a dark look and shakes his head.
"You're too young to be getting drunk." He lectures as he passes them.
The teens share a look and laugh. Apparently stumbling around a hotel as a teenager means she's drunk. The loud party still going on downstairs doesn't help her case, she realizes. By the time they get to their room she's more stable and doesn't have to lean so much of her weight on Kurt. She's exhausted and her head is pounding. She immediately curls up on the bed and covers her eyes.
"You can't go to bed in a wet bathing suit."
"I'll change in a couple minutes."
"Okay." Kurt sits on a towel and pets Yero. After a moment of silence, he shuts off the main light and turns on one small lamp.
Rachel can tell he wants to return to the party downstairs and she doesn't want him to miss out just because she has to. "You can go back now. No reason for both of us to miss out."
"It's fine. Do you mind if I turn on the tv? I'll keep the volume low."
He's trying hard to sound like it's really no big deal, but she can tell he's disappointed. "Sure. I think I'm going to ask my mom to pick me up."
"Why?" She hears him come closer and then the edge of the bed dips. "What's wrong? I mean I can tell you have a headache and I know you're a little unsteady, but…."
She gives a small shrug. "Yeah. But you shouldn't have to miss out, too. If my mom comes to pick me up then you can go back to the party and have fun. This isn't fun."
Kurt's fingers brush the back of her hand. "If you want to go home then absolutely call or text her. But if you don't really want to go and don't feel like you absolutely have to, then don't."
"But you—"
"You have your medicine, right? The stronger stuff? Take it. We can do something fun but calm until you go to sleep."
Rachel lowers her hand, revealing her watering eyes. "It's our senior prom, Kurt. We shouldn't be doing something calm. We should be partying like everyone else. I hate that I can't, but you still can. Go spend time with your boyfriend."
Kurt lays down on his side so that they're face to face. "I want you to listen to me, Tink. Is this the most fun way to enjoy our prom night? No, it's not." He swipes under her eye, catching a tear. "But it's not your fault. And I'd rather be here, with you, doing something calm, than be partying downstairs without you."
"Really?"
"Really. I know we haven't exactly talked about it in a while, but I nearly lost you last year. It was just over a year ago. I said goodbye to you, thinking you were going to die and I'd never see you again. I truly cannot express my joy and relief at your miraculous recovery. So does sitting around a hotel room staying quiet kind of suck? Yes, yes it does." They chuckle. "But it is so much drastically better than you not being here at all that it's actually kind of amazing. I get to spend prom night hanging out with my sister. I really and truly do not think I would have handled your death well. And I am incredibly grateful that I didn't have to face that. I'm not taking your presence for granted ever again."
Rachel shuffles closer so that she can rest her head on his shoulder. "You are amazing and I love you."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Kurt stares at the hotel room ceiling and bites his lip. He didn't lie to Rachel. He's thrilled she's here and is happy to be spending time with her. And it really does suck for both of them that this is how they have to spend part of their prom night. He would rather be downstairs partying with the others, but he won't tell her that. He glances at the closed bathroom door where Rachel is changing into her pajamas. He checks his phone again. Still no response. He'd sent a message to Tina and Mercedes earlier, asking them if they'd join them upstairs. They'd have to stay quiet until Rachel's headache goes away, but they'd have more fun with more people around. Neither girl has responded which either means they haven't noticed the new message yet or they did but don't want to come upstairs and don't want to admit it so they're ignoring it. It's not fair. Rachel did get to come to prom, but she missed the first half and left early. She was only at prom for maybe an hour and a half and she spent about half that time sitting out. A small selfish part of him wishes he'd let her ask Aunt Shelby to come pick her up. Then Rachel would be resting and he could go back to partying and he wouldn't have to worry about her. He brushes those thoughts away. Getting irritated, he texts Mercedes.
"Y havent u answrd"
The little message on his screen changes from 'delivered' to 'read'. He waits. And waits. There's no response. Kurt sits up and tosses his phone onto the other bed. He understands and yet he doesn't. He doesn't want to spend his prom night up here either, but Rachel isn't up for doing anything else and he refuses to leave her out. Last year everyone was really good about doing their best to accommodate Rachel. They'd do something quieter or calmer or change a date or time or location or whatever to make sure she'd get to participate in some way. He feels like they haven't been doing that as much this time around. They do spend time with her and help her out and visit her, but not as much as with her first diagnosis. Why? Are they bored of having a very sick and potentially dying friend? Did it get old? Did they run out of sympathy? Agitated, Kurt stands and paces the room. No. He knows they still love her and are still sympathetic. But it seems they have limits for what they're willing to sacrifice for her. It's interesting that most of them were happy to risk sacrificing winning at Nationals but aren't willing to give up an hour or two of fun by leaving a party early. He sighs, realizing that even though his friends are more mature than their classmates (caused by dealing with Rachel's illness for so long), they are still teenagers. Still kids. Still somewhat selfish. Rachel exits the bathroom and rejoins him on the bed.
"Did you take your medicine?"
"Yes."
"Good. We could put on a movie or play a card game." He offers.
The look she gives him makes his stomach twist. He knows she feels guilty that he's stuck in here with her, but it's not her fault. He doesn't want to be up here, but he doesn't want her to have to be either.
"We can play a card game."
That's what they do. They try to make the whole thing more fun by creating a fort out of the furniture, sheets, and pillows first. They sit inside their comfortable fort, with Yero resting his head on Rachel's lap, and play a card game while listening to quiet music and talking. Calm and quiet but still fun. She's still tired but the medicine has gotten rid of her headache, so she wants to try to stay awake longer. Eventually Kurt claims to be tired as well and suggests they go to bed. She's disappointed her friends haven't joined them yet, but brushes it off. She focuses on enjoying curling up with her boyfriend and her dog. She's asleep moments after closing her eyes.