Long chapter for y'all. I think it's a good one though. :) Also, I've never been to Vegas so the details are a bit muted but it doesn't affect the plot at all.
January 6th, 2016
Finn couldn't believe he was standing next to Puck in a wedding chapel in Vegas right now. It was pretty surreal and something he certainly never expected. The creepy looking organist started playing and Rachel walked down the aisle, flowers in hand toward them. Finn smiled at her and she returned it before taking her place at the altar. Then the ceremony really started.
January 5th, 2016
The plan was to go to Vegas for four days over their last winter break of college to celebrate Rachel's 21st birthday as she was the last one to turn twenty one and to celebrate the end of their four years of college. They were a semester early but they were all on track to graduate on time so, they figured they'd kill two birds with one stone. The trip was open to any of their friends who wanted to go but not many of them could afford it so it was only Finn, Rachel, Puck, Anjali, Kurt, his new beau Kevin, Nick and his latest girlfriend Jill as they all had been saving for months.
Puck and Finn had an hour to kill before needing to meet Rachel to head to the airport. As it was winter break and no one but Puck had a permanent residence in Manhattan or full time job yet, everyone was scattered about the country visiting their families. Kurt and Kevin were in Phoenix visiting Kevin's parents while Nick and Jill visited his family in Jersey City while Anjali went home to her mother in Dallas. Since Anjali's mother detested Puck he had opted out of visiting the widow Jeeri with his girlfriend of over two years when she asked if he wanted to spend part of his week of vacation in Dallas with them so he went back to Lima to visit Finn, Rachel and his own mother instead.
When Puck called Finn to ask if he wanted to get a beer or something before getting Rachel, he said sure. Finn thought it was kind of weird that he was asking to go for a beer at ten am but Finn didn't protest. He just wanted to get out of his house. Carole was going through menopause and she was honestly scaring Finn with her level of crazy. Puck picked him up and instead of turning into the driveway of the bar Puck usually like to patron while in town he continued onward toward the mall.
"Dude, you passed the bar. Where are you going?" Finn asked in confusion.
"I gotta buy something," was all Puck said. He seemed really tense and uneasy as he drove. This wasn't like Puck. He could run into burning buildings and stay completely calm and collected but he couldn't drive to the mall without sweating?
"Puck, what's going on? Are you in trouble or something?" Finn was really concerned. Puck hadn't performed any criminal acts in years but the way he was acting seemed like he had done something even bigger than driving his mom's SUV into a store and stealing the ATM.
Puck wiped his forehead and glanced over at Finn. "How do you know when you really love someone? Like really love them? I always thought I loved Quinn when she was with Beth and all but that fizzled out when she became an even bigger bitch after having her. With Lauren, I liked her but I could never see myself ending up with her."
Finn laughed internally. Puck was in genuine love and it was literally overwhelming him. "It's different for everyone I suppose. With Rachel it's like I'm tethered to her. I can feel her even when she isn't there; I know when something is up with her, I can deal with her drama, I accept her for everything she is and when I picture my life, she's in every moment of it. I can see our wedding, having kids, growing old together and it's not in a cheesy way."
"Sounds cheesy." Puck stared at the road. "I can't stop thinking about Anjali. When she's not around it's like there's a gaping hole in my chest and the only thing that can fill it back up is seeing her again." Puck looked at Finn. "You know the night before she left for Texas all we did was cuddle on the couch and watch chick flicks? I didn't even complain when she said she wasn't feeling well and wasn't in the mood for sex. I even enjoyed sitting on the couch just holding her."
Finn smirked at his friend. "That sounds like love to me, man."
"Good because I'm going to ask Anjali to marry me." If Finn had been drinking something it would have been sprayed all over Puck's dashboard.
"You're…you're going to ask her to marry you?"
"That's what I said isn't it?" Puck sneered.
"Puck that's a huge commitment; marriage isn't a joke."
"I know. That's why I'm freaking out! I've only ever had one other long term relationship. I'm not good at them, but with Anjali, I don't want anyone else to be with her. I don't want to be with anyone else. Yeah she's annoying as fuck sometimes and gets on my case all the time about stuff but that doesn't really bother me. Like you said, I can just picture my entire life with her in it and I want to start now. I don't want to wait anymore."
Finn clapped Puck on the back. "I'm happy for you dude. I never would have thought you of all people would want to get married but I'm glad to see you've changed your mind. Anjali's a great girl, woman, lady, whatever she is."
They finally made it to the mall and found the lone jewelry store in the place. As they browsed the selection Finn made mental notes about which types of ring he thought Rachel might like. If he'd had his way they'd have been married a long time ago but Rachel was insistent on waiting until they were twenty five. She had read somewhere that most marriages before twenty five had a lower success rate of lasting beyond ten years. Finn thought that was crap as he and Rachel were going to last until they died but he went along with her. He would have at least proposed by now too but Rachel had mentioned how she didn't like those couples that were engaged for years but never actually got married. So Finn would wait patiently. He already knew exactly how and where he was going to propose but he never mentioned anything to Rachel about it. Finn wanted her to be surprised.
He and Puck stared into the glass case looking at all the sparkly diamonds when a familiar voice sounded behind them. "Finn Hudson and Noah Puckerman, is that you?" the female said aloud. They both turned around and came face to face with little freshman Marie from glee club, except she wasn't exactly little anymore.
The girl, no, woman, who stood before them looked almost nothing like herself. The only reason either of them recognized her was because of her voice. Marie's hair was quite long and had soft curls that framed her face which was flawless. She was a few inches taller than she had been in high school and her boobs had to be at least three cup sizes larger but Finn figured it had something to do with the massive baby belly protruding out from under them. She kinda looked like a pregnant super model.
"Marie!" Finn said brightly. "Wow, you look…different." She shrugged then rubbed her swollen belly.
"Yeah that can happen when you let your stupid boyfriend talk you into having sex without a condom," she said bitterly. "Ten minutes of fun for a lifetime of responsibility. Oh well, I've always wanted kids. I just wish I had waited until after college to start having them." Marie laughed. Puck nodded at her and Finn just stood there awkwardly. "Anyway, Finn, are you ring shopping? Are you finally going to pop the question?" she asked him excitedly.
"Actually, Puck is," Finn put his hands on Puck's shoulders proudly. "His girlfriend is Rachel's best friend."
Marie looked shocked but happy for him all the same. "I never expected you to be one to settle down. What's her name?" Marie waddled over to the counter next to Puck and started looking at rings with them.
"Anjali," Puck replied somewhat dreamily. "We've been together over two years."
"Oh congratulations! So which kind of cut were you looking for?"
"Cut? Don't I just put a rock on a band?" Puck looked at Finn who shrugged. He had about as much experience ring shopping as Puck did.
Marie snorted. "No. You need to pick something out that will really say 'Anjali' so that way it really suits her." Marie started explaining different cuts and carats and colors and clarities. Puck was getting very confused and even more overwhelmed.
"How do you know all this stuff?" he asked Marie.
"I work here. My dad owns this business. He's been a jeweler for over twenty years and he's been teaching me the trade since I was sixteen. I help out when I'm not at school. Someday I'll probably take over for him. As they say, diamonds are a girl's best friend!" Marie walked around behind the counter and pulled out some rings that Puck had pointed out while Marie was explaining everything to them.
One of the rings on the tray instantly caught Puck's eye. It was a white gold band with a diamond heart flanked by two smaller emeralds in a diamond shape on either side. He asked Marie if he could get a closer look at it and she handed it to him and explained all the information about it. Puck loved it. In a conversation once that Puck had actually been paying attention to Anjali had told him she loved emeralds because they really popped on her darker skin. Since it had the diamond it still retained the characteristics of the usual engagement ring but the cut plus the emeralds made it rather unique. The ring screamed 'Anjali'.
"This one, I'm gonna go with this one," Puck smiled at Marie as he handed the ring back to her.
"That's a great choice Puck. Do you know what size ring she wears so we can make it perfect?" Marie looked at him expectantly. His face fell.
"I'm not sure. I didn't exactly research before deciding to come here."
Marie shrugged. "That's okay. Most women are between a six and an eight. This one is a seven. If it's too big or too small you can take it to any jewelers and have it adjusted. I'll just polish this one up for you and get it into a box. I'll be right back." She put the other rings back into the case then waddled into the backroom.
"Dude, this is insane! Marie's pregnant, you're getting engaged, if Anjali says yes-"
"You don't think she'll say yes?" Puck cut in worriedly. "What if she says no? I'll be humiliated and heartbroken." He looked at the ground in defeat. Finn had never seen Puck like this.
"I'm sure she'll say yes," Finn assured his friend. "Anjali loves you and I know she's told Rachel that she could see being with you, like, married to you, I just meant it might be a little unexpected but some girls like that."
Marie came back out and her and Puck discussed payment options. Puck had saved up a few grand for Vegas so he used that toward the ring and was able to pay for it in full. He might not be able to gamble now but the way he saw it, it was an even trade.
As soon as Puck had the ring in a little box tucked away in his shirt pocket, he and Finn said goodbye to Marie and wished her luck with her baby then left the mall. They stopped at Finn's so he could grab his stuff and say goodbye to his parents then went to get Rachel. Neither told her about Puck's plan.
Puck, Finn and Rachel had flown out of Columbus together and checked into their rooms, each couple had their own, at the Mirage Resort & Casino then waited not so patiently for their friends to arrive. Rachel had made all the travel arrangements for everyone through a travel agency in Manhattan and had gotten them a great deal on their flights and rooms there. She was surprised that most of the hotels on The Strip were pretty moderately priced all things considered. As for their flights, as long as they weren't delayed, everyone would be in Vegas by eleven pm PST. It was only seven.
While Puck went downstairs to check out the casino and see what interesting things they could do while in town, Finn and Rachel broke in their very comfortable bed with a frenzied romp. It was like having sex on a cloud with how soft and billowy the mattress and comforter was. Rachel had never felt so relaxed after climaxing.
They spent the next few hours breaking in multiple other surfaces of their room as well until finally all in their party had arrived. Everyone met up in the bar and they ordered drinks and some food.
"Is anyone else dead on their feet?" Anjali said dryly to the rest of the group. Everyone raised their hand except Jill who looked confused by the question. "I can't wait to eat and just go to sleep. I spent nearly the entire flight in the bathroom upchucking. The flight attendants kept checking on me every ten minutes." Rachel looked surprised by this info. Usually Anjali had a stomach of steel. She could stare at every disgusting substance on the planet and not even cringe and she could drink everyone under the table and never barf. Maybe flying was her kryptonite.
"I'm just so excited to be in the state of Las Vegas! I've always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower," Jill commented then took a sip of her cosmo. Everyone just stared at her.
"Is she serious?" Kurt leaned over and whispered to Rachel who chuckled.
"Uh, Jill, hun, Las Vegas is a city, in the state of Nevada. And I know there's an Eiffel Tower replica but the real one is in Paris, France," Nick explained to his girlfriend.
She laughed stupidly then swished her hair. Rachel couldn't believe that Nick was dating a walking cliché. "Oh right. Sorry, I'm not the sharpest cookie in the drawer," Jill explained apologizing for her stupidity. She really gave Brittany a run for her money. All anyone could do was laugh. Jill looked mildly offended but Nick consoled her and just told her they were laughing with her and not at her to which she brightened and laughed too.
Their food finally came and they downed it like hungry hungry hippos, especially Anjali who Rachel swore tried biting Puck's hand when he tried taking one of her mozzarella sticks. When they were all stuffed and sleepy, they agreed to meet at the pool between nine and ten the next morning to do breakfast and discuss their plans for the day then bid each other goodnight and went up to bed.
January 6th, 2016
When they woke that morning it was a gorgeous sunny day outside Finn and Rachel's window. Rachel lay on her side with her back to Finn who wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. He kissed her neck and worked his way down and across her shoulder then lifted her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers to kiss down her arm as if he were Gomez Addams to her Morticia.
They fooled around a bit before getting ready to meet everyone at the pool then headed downstairs. They couldn't believe how nice it was outside. In Ohio it was dreary and cold and in New York there was a snow storm but in Vegas, it was practically summer. Finn spotted everyone sitting at a table on the other end of the pool and he and Rachel maneuvered over to them.
"Where's Anjali?" Rachel asked noticing she was the only one missing from their group.
"She was up all night barfing. I think it was the mozzarella sticks," Puck said. "She only fell asleep about two hours ago."
"Maybe I should go up and check on her," Rachel said worriedly. It would suck if her best friend spent their whole trip sick in bed.
Puck waved Rachel off. "Just let her sleep. She'll feel better after she rests." Rachel conceded then looked at her menu.
"So what's on the agenda for today?" Kurt asked excitedly.
"Well there's the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat here at the Mirage. I'd like to check that out. Jill said she wanted to see the Eiffel Tower and we have to see the Chippendales before we leave. But we have to take Anjali. She's wanted to see them for years!" Rachel offered. Kurt and Kevin looked just as excited at the thought of men dancing around mostly naked as Rachel and Jill did.
"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Puck cut in. "You're going to pay to watch a bunch of guys dance around in only bowties and booty shorts?"
Rachel, Kurt, Kevin and Jill all shook their heads. "You realize us guys would do it for free."
"Speak for yourself. I ain't dancing for anyone…except Rachel," Finn added as she glared at him. Puck started laughing at Finn.
"You actually do that? I was only kidding!" He was dying.
"Shut up Puckerman, I've seen that video you made for Anjali," Rachel shot back at him. Puck shut up immediately and mashed his lips together. Rachel looked at Finn who was confused. "He recorded himself in his fireman's gear stripping for her. She made me watch it because he trips on his pants and falls into the coffee table and breaks it. It was hilarious!" Puck went red in embarrassment as the whole table burst into fits of laughter. It wasn't so much from the actual video of him stripping; he was the Puckasaurus, what woman wouldn't want to watch that? It was the fact that he made a huge jackass of himself in it by tripping on his damn suspenders.
After that they settled on an itinerary for the day. They lounged at the pool for a bit then went back up to their rooms to get ready. When they met back downstairs Anjali was sitting with Puck. She looked awful but when Rachel told her she should just take the day to relax she protested.
"I didn't come all this way to sleep in my room. I want to do stuff. Puck said we were going to see some dolphins or something?" she replied with slight attitude to Rachel's idea.
Rachel looked at Finn as an idea popped in her head. "I have an idea. Why don't us girls and Kurt have a nice relaxing spa day today instead and you guys can do something else? Maybe go over to Circus Circus and do the rides or you could take a cab and go to that race car place Puck found. I know you seemed interested in it." She looked around at everyone for confirmation on whether her idea was good or not.
"I vote spa day!" Kurt said raising his hand high in the air and waving it rapidly. Jill clapped excitedly in agreement.
"That's fine with me if you guys wanna do that," Finn said looking at the three other guys. They all shrugged in indifference.
Rachel pulled Anjali up off the couch. "It's settled then. You four go have fun being boys and Kurt and us girls will enjoy some quality girl time. We can still meet up later to go to some of the clubs. We'll just do the other attractions we wanted to do tomorrow."
The group split up and Kurt, Rachel, Anjali and Jill headed to the spa. When they got there and saw the prices their eyes bugged but Kurt claimed it was vacation and splurging a bit wouldn't kill them.
"When's the next time we will be in Las Vegas at a fancy resort? Let's live a little!" he stated. As they didn't have a reservation the four of them had to wait for a little while before getting their massages.
Kurt was loving his spa day. Having a hot strong man rub his hands all over him was making mini-Kurt very happy and he found that he needed an extra minute to recover from his deep tissue massage. Anjali on the other hand couldn't lie on her stomach without feeling like she were about to throw up so her masseuse refused to give her a full body massage. The woman put her in a massage chair instead and just worked on her upper back which still felt pretty amazing. Jill spent most of her massage flirting with the built masseuse she had and as for Rachel, she imagined that Finn was the man running his hands all over her and felt so relaxed that she zonked out for the remainder of her session.
After their massages the four of them had deep cleansing facials. They chatted about their trip and how excited they were for the Chippendales as they sat there with cucumbers on their eyes.
"Oh God this stuff smells. How much longer do we have to keep it on?" Anjali asked about the gook on her face.
"They just put it on. We still have a while yet," Kurt said but Anjali didn't hear him as she had bolted from her chair over to the trashcan. The other three pulled their cucumbers off when they heard her retching into the small can. Rachel got up to pull Anjali's hair back and rub her back soothingly.
"Anj, how long have you been feeling sick? Did it just start on the plane?" Rachel asked with concern when Anjali had finished. She had never been this sick in the entire time Rachel had known her. Something could be seriously wrong.
"I don't know, a week and a half, maybe two weeks. It's been getting worse though," she replied groggily before putting her head back into the can to vomit some more. Rachel looked at Kurt who just shook his head and raised his hands.
When the attendants came back and saw the girls on the floor they asked if they should call for medical assistance but Anjali said no. Rachel thought Anjali should see a doctor but she insisted she was fine and that she just needed to get away from the smells. Anjali cleaned herself off and put her own clothes back on. She told Kurt, Rachel and Jill to enjoy the rest of their spa day then went up to her room to lie down.
Their facials didn't last much longer after then the three of them went to get manicures and pedicures. As they sat in the massage chairs with their feet soaking in the warm water, Kurt said something that caught Rachel's attention.
"I've never seen someone barf so much at once, well, except Quinn. She was like freaking Linda Blair in The Exorcist," he said nonchalantly.
Jill lit up at this. "Oh, I have an exorcist. He really helps work my butt and thighs."
Kurt narrowed his eyes at her. "You were in the special classes growing up weren't you?" She nodded proudly. "I thought so."
Before Jill or Kurt knew what was happening, Rachel jumped out of her chair, splashing water all over in the process, put on her flip flops then started to leave the area. "Rachel! Where are you going?" Kurt squawked at her back.
"Pay for me and I'll pay you back later," was all Rachel said as she exited the spa. She walked to the lobby and asked the person at the front desk where the closest pharmacy was. Rachel ran to the Walgreens in the direction the woman told her to go and bought five of what she was looking for. Fifteen minutes later she was knocking on Anjali's door.
"What are you doing? You have a mani/pedi you shou-" Anjali started before Rachel thrust the bag she was carrying at Anjali.
"Go in the bathroom and take all five of those," Rachel commanded. Anjali looked in the bag curiously then all the color drained from her face.
"Rachel, you can't seriously think that I-there's no way…"
Rachel looked at her sternly. "Just do it," Rachel told her quietly.
Five minutes later Anjali came out of the bathroom crying hysterically. "They're all…positive," she sobbed into Rachel's shoulder as she hugged her. Rachel took the pregnancy test Anjali was gripping in her hand and sure enough there was a little positive sign on it.
"Shh, it's okay Anjali. It's okay," Rachel soothed, stroking Anjali's hair. She moved her over to the bed and sat her down. All Anjali could do was sob. "Anj, are you on birth control?"
She shook her head. "I don't understand. I…I always take m-my pill." She cried harder.
"Are you sure you didn't miss a day and didn't realize it? Or maybe you changed prescriptions or something?" Though it didn't really matter how it happened as Anjali would still be pregnant either way, they were both curious as to how she got pregnant.
"I always take my pill at the same time every…day…" she paused remembering, "except for the week I couldn't get around to refilling my prescription. Oh crap. Puck and I had sex at Kurt's Halloween party. We must have forgotten the condom. How could I let this happen?" Anjali looked at Rachel and more tears poured from her eyes.
"Anjali, don't beat yourself up over this. Things happen." Rachel stroked her hair gently. "You just need to focus on the future now and what you and Puck are going to do."
"Oh God, Puck's going to dump me! He's going to leave me." She cried harder and Rachel pulled her in for a hug.
"He's not going to leave you. He loves you Anj and I know he will be there for you and your baby the whole way," Rachel said trying to cheer her best friend up.
"Then why does he have another kid no one knows the whereabouts of with a girl he hasn't seen since high school?" Anjali asked bitterly.
Rachel wasn't sure how to respond. It was true that no one knew where Shelby and Beth had ended up and none of them had seen Quinn since the summer before college but Rachel knew that what Puck and Anjali had was stronger than what Puck and Quinn had had. For one Anjali wasn't a raging bitch who only cared about popularity and using people as accessories. She actually loved Puck and wanted to be with him, even in public to Rachel's astonishment.
"Anj, I don't know what the future holds but I do know the past. The only reason Puck isn't taking care of Beth is because of Quinn. Puck wanted to be a father to that baby but she wouldn't let him. She wanted to give Beth up and Puck didn't get a say. And as for his relationship with Quinn, it was very superficial. Sometimes I think it only lasted as long as it did because they were having a baby together." Wrong thing to say! Anjali started crying harder and put her head in her hands as her body convulsed with sobs. "I mean, Anj, that won't happen with you and Puck. You two have been together for over two years already! That's the longest Puck's ever been with anyone! I see the way he looks at you and I know that he really loves you because it's the same way that Finn looks at me, like I'm the only girl in the room. He wants you for you."
"But what if he doesn't want to have a baby with me?" Anjali asked.
Rachel smiled at her. "I'd be willing to bet that you're the only woman Puck would want to have kids with." Anjali smiled back at her then put her hand over her mouth and rushed to the bathroom to vomit again. Rachel followed her to make sure she'd be okay.
A few hours later Puck arrived back at his room to discover Rachel and Anjali asleep on the bed. He woke Rachel up and asked what was going on.
"You and Anjali really need to talk. The sooner the better," was all Rachel said to him before squeezing his arm reassuringly then leaving for her own room. When she got there she found Finn in the shower. Rachel got undressed and joined him.
"Hey there Moan Man," she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his back. He turned in her arms and wrapped his around her shoulders. "How was your day?"
"Fun. We went to that race track and I came in second. Nick won both times but I think it's just because the dude is a twig. Did you know there's indoor skydiving? We did that too. It was awesome." Finn kissed Rachel. "How was your day?"
"Well my massage was relaxing. That man really knew how to use his hands," Rachel recalled fondly with a small smile playing at her lips.
"A man gave you a massage?" Finn was not pleased.
"I imagined it was you. If the music teacher thing doesn't work out you should totally become a masseuse. I'll let you practice on me all you want." She ran her hands up his back and placed her lips against his. When she pulled away she debated whether to tell Finn about the rest of her day. It wasn't really his business but she told Finn everything. How could she keep something this big from him?
"So I have something to tell you," Finn started before Rachel could tell him her news. "Yesterday before Puck and I came to pick you up we went to the jewelry store in the mall and checked out engagement rings." Rachel's face brightened a little. Even though she was adamant about waiting what girl wouldn't get excited hearing 'engagement ring' come out of their boyfriend's mouth? "Puck is going to ask Anjali to marry him, tonight." Rachel absorbed this information then hugged Finn tighter jumping up and down a little. As she came down from her mini-high she could feel something poking into her stomach.
"Really Finn?" she said un-amused at his erection.
"What? It's a natural reaction to my girlfriend rubbing herself up and down on me," he defended before smirking playfully and turning to lean Rachel against the wall. "Now how about you help me take care of it?" He hovered over her then attached his lips to Rachel's and picked her up.
"I have…I have to tell you…something," Rachel said breathily between Finn's caresses and open mouthed kisses to her neck and collarbone.
"Hmm?" he said but didn't stop what he was doing.
"A-An…pregnant," Rachel breathed out before Finn nearly dropped her as he lost his grip. He stared at Rachel, terror on his face.
"You're pregnant?" he yelled out a few octaves higher than usual. "But…but…"
"Not me, Anjali. Anjali is pregnant. We just found out today," Rachel explained. She then launched into the rest of her day after her massage. Finn listened intently.
"So you're not pregnant?" he asked just to clarify. It's not that he didn't want kids he just wanted to be married first. He'd already been through two pregnancy scares, he didn't need a third.
Rachel laughed. "No. I'm still very much on my birth control." She turned to show him the patch on her backside. "We won't be having children for a very long time." Rachel kissed Finn reassuringly. "This is kind of perfect. Anjali was so worried that Puck would break up with her because she's pregnant but here he is getting ready to ask her to marry him! I hope it's not all too much at once."
"They're a weird couple but I think they'll make it," Finn said with a chuckle. "The sex must have improved since they met." They both laughed at the memory. "Now, where were we…?" Finn picked a giggling Rachel up and they picked up where they had left off.
About an hour later, they were finishing getting ready for the evening when there was a loud banging on the door. Rachel walked over to answer it and had to fight to keep upright as Anjali launched herself at her. The two girls bounced up and down, well Anjali bounced and the force just made Rachel do the same, while Anjali squealed into Rachel's ear. Finally she released her friend and gave her the biggest grin ever. Then Anjali showed Rachel her ring finger. On it was a beautiful diamond and emerald engagement ring. Puck walked into the room behind Anjali.
"Puck proposed!" Anjali squealed.
"I can see that!" Rachel said back. "Congratulations! So did you tell him your news?" Anjali's eyes widened at Rachel as she tried to tell her to shut up silently.
"What news?" Puck asked as he wrapped his arm around Anjali's waist.
"Oh just…it's nothing really," Anjali said before giving Puck a big kiss to distract him. "We should get ready to go out to celebrate tonight! Why don't you head back upstairs and shower and I'll meet you there?" she said suggestively. Anjali pushed Puck toward the door. "I just need some girl talk with Rachel for a minute." Puck did as she said and practically started undressing himself as he walked down the hall. Anjali turned back to Rachel. "I can't tell him."
Rachel crossed her arms in disappointment. "Anj, you have to tell him. He needs to know. You're going to start showing soon."
"But I don't want him to think I'm trapping him or something, like he has to marry me because I'm pregnant," Anjali whined.
"Anj, Puck bought that ring for you yesterday before even coming to Vegas. He was always going to ask you to marry him, obviously since he just did without even knowing you're pregnant. I don't think it's going to make a difference in how he feels about marrying you if you tell him but if you keep it from him that might." Rachel placed a comforting hand on her friend's arm. "He loves you. He's not going to up and leave you because you're pregnant."
Anjali shook her head softly. "You're right. I need to tell him. He needs to know." She smiled uneasily at Rachel then hugged her. "Thank you Rachel. You're a great friend." Rachel smiled. Just then Finn exited the bathroom to see the girls hugging. He walked over and wrapped his own arms around them.
"Finn, what are you doing?" Rachel said from her place sandwiched between Finn and Anjali.
"I thought the moment called for a group hug." He released the girls. "Or a threesome," he joked. They both smacked Finn.
"I'm almost a married woman Finn. If you had asked before I met Puck, then we could have talked."
Finn looked shocked. "I was only kidding."
Anjali looked at the floor sheepishly. "I should, uh, should go. I'll see you later. Bye!" Anjali rushed from the room and Finn and Rachel looked at each other stunned.
It was about nine when everyone met up downstairs again dressed to impress. Most clubs on The Strip didn't even open until then or even later so they were making good time.
"Rachel, you look stunning in that," Kurt said as she walked up to the rest of the group in a custom made black cocktail dress that looked like it was practically painted on her body. "I wonder who the designer is." Kurt winked at her.
"Oh just this really awesome new guy I've heard of. Kirk, Kent, something with a K." Rachel laughed as she and Kurt hugged. "Thank you for designing this for me. I look like a million bucks."
"Of course. Just remember when you're famous and going to the Tony's and Grammy's you are mine to dress exclusively," Kurt reminded seriously. Rachel had promised him the rights to her award show attire. She knew he'd always make her look fabulous and he knew if Rachel became a huge influential star and was seen wearing his stuff it would be very good for business.
Rachel rolled her eyes. "I remember Kurt. Now if everyone is ready let's party!" The group cheered and started heading for the door. Rachel had researched all the nightclubs on The Strip and chosen some which would appeal to everyone in the group. Though there was an infinite amount of clubs that were much closer to the Mirage they could have gone to, Rachel really wanted to go to the Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Saloon at the Planet Hollywood Resort so they piled into some cabs and made their way down The Strip.
They were in awe as they stared out the windows of the cab at the neon lights. It may not have been as loud but it was brighter than New York. Everywhere you looked there was a neon sign for something whether it be for a resort, a casino, a restaurant, a nightclub, a strip club; everything had a sign. Five minutes later they were at their destination.
They had to wait in line for a bit but as they got closer to the entrance the excitement built. Kurt commented that it wasn't fair that the men had to pay ten dollars more to get into the club and the women got free drinks. Rachel reminded him that this particular place catered to women which explained why they got the better deal. She told him they'd only spend an hour or so there then head to their next destination. It was going to be a little expensive, but they were going to be club hopping all night.
Finally they made it into the club and their mouths dropped. The saying 'What happens in Vegas...' was quite accurate. They searched through the drunk and dancing patrons to find a booth big enough to fit them all but it was proving difficult. They ended up having to sit at two smaller tables near each other. Almost immediately some dancers came over to them and asked Rachel, Anjali and Jill if they wanted to dance on stage with them. The girls excitedly followed them on stage and started to dance rather provocatively. All the guys in the audience were watching them which made it really embarrassing for Anjali when she ran off stage, hand over mouth, toward the bathroom to vomit. Dancing on stage had been a bad idea.
Rachel followed Anjali to make sure she was okay and not two seconds after she entered the bathroom Puck entered behind her startling all the other women in the bathroom. Anjali walked out of the stall after puking loudly and balked when she saw Puck standing there. "Puck you can't be in here," she said as she washed her hands then popped a breath mint.
"You've been spewing your guts out the entire time we've been here. Don't tell me I can't be in here. I want to know what's wrong with you. I think we should go to a hospital or something." He was really worried. Anjali never got sick and now she was like a vomit fountain.
Anjali looked at Rachel who gave her a 'tell-him-you're-pregnant-or-I-will' kind of stare. "Puck, we don't need to go to a hospital. I know what's wrong with me."
"Well what is it? Food poisoning, the flu?"
"Puck, I'm pregnant." Puck's hardened concern fell off his face.
"You're pregnant?" was all he said.
Anjali chuckled without humor. "Is there an echo in here?" She stopped joking. "I just found out this afternoon after Rachel bought me some pregnancy tests. All five were positive and considering all my other symptoms, I'm pretty certain I'm pregnant." Anjali sniffled and a single tear ran down her cheek.
Puck moved closer to her and wiped her tear away. "Why are you crying?" he asked her softly. Rachel couldn't believe how gentle he was being with her. Usually they bickered or flirted or sarcastically insulted each other, they weren't really a touchy-feely-let-me-tell-you-my-feelings kind of couple.
"Because I'm afraid you won't want me anymore. I just love you so much and I want to marry you but I'm scared you won't want me now. I mean things didn't work out with you and that Quinn girl after she got pregna-"
"Anjali, our relationship is nothing like mine was with Quinn. We were high school idiots who made a mistake. I may still be an idiot but I'm an idiot who loves you and is lucky enough to have you love me back and I want to marry you and I'm not leaving you for anything. You'll have to off me if you want to get rid of me." Rachel was about to cry. Puck was assuaging all of Anjali's fears and it was beautiful to watch him do it. When Puck showed his softer side, Rachel really understood how Anjali could put up with him all the time. "And as for this little guy or girl," he placed his hand on her lower abdomen, "I'm going to be there for him or her from now until we have to kick their lazy ass out of the house and tell them to find a job and stop sucking on our teats." Anjali chuckled at him.
"So you'll still want to be with me when I'm nine months pregnant and can't see my feet and look like a blimp?" Anjali wrapped her arms around Puck's neck.
"I'll especially want you then. Surprisingly enough, I've never had sex with a pregnant chick but I hear they get really horny." And tender moment ruined. "Plus your tits are gonna get huge," he said, placing his hands directly on her breasts. While Anjali thought Puck's statements were sentimental and sweet, Rachel shook her head at them. They were the weirdest couple.
Just as she was about to exit the bathroom so Puck and Anjali could continue what they considered sweet talk, Puck said something that caught her attention. "Why don't we get married right now?" Rachel turned around. She had to stay for this.
"You mean like, right now? Tonight?" Anjali asked skeptically.
"Yeah! We're in Vegas! We could be man and wife in the next hour." Puck looked excited at the prospect.
Anjali was a bit more reserved. "But what about our families, our friends? My mother would kill me!"
"What do you think she'd be madder about? Finding out your premarital eggo is preggo or that you got hitched to 'randy hot-pants' without her?" Puck asked her using the name her mother reserved for him.
"You're right. We have to get married now!" she gripped his hand and pulled him toward the door.
Rachel was a bit dumbfounded. "Wait, are you guys really going to go through with this right now?" she asked following them out of the bathroom. Neither answered her.
"Guys we gotta go. Come on," Puck said pulling Finn up out of his chair.
"Why what's going on?" he asked as he caught his balance.
"Anj and I are getting married…tonight." He looked at the group with a huge smile on his face.
Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you for real right now? You just got engaged!"
"Yeah and I'm already pregnant. We're not exactly doing things the conventional way so come on! We need to get a marriage license and find a chapel!" Anjali said in rush. She was ready to be Mrs. Noah Puckerman already.
Everyone but Rachel and Finn gasped at Anjali's news. "Way to go Puckerman. You managed to knock up another one before marriage. Do you really not know how to use contraception?" Kurt jibed.
"Shut it Hummel. Now let's go!" Finally everyone moved and exited the club. Puck and Anjali headed to the courthouse while Rachel and Finn took care of finding the chapel. About an hour later they met up at one not too far from their hotel.
Rachel and Finn weren't exactly sure what Puck and Anjali were looking for as far as the actual ceremony went. Rachel thought Anjali would be more for a straightforward traditional wedding, minus the fact is was a quickie in Vegas, but as soon as Finn saw that they had themed weddings, he had a feeling Puck was going to want to have one.
"Babe, we could have a Super Mario Bros. theme!" Puck gushed when he looked through the book upon arriving.
Anjali sighed. "I realize we're getting married in Vegas but I'm not marrying you with you looking like Luigi."
Puck looked affronted. "I wouldn't be Luigi, Finn would. I'd be Mario and you'd be Princess Peach and Berry would be Yoshi."
"Hey!" Rachel whined.
Anjali was not amused. "No Puck. The only theme I'd go along with would be the Rocky Horror one."
"You'd marry me dressed like Frank-N-Furter but not dressed like Mario?" Puck looked at Finn like all women were crazy.
"I'd pay to see that," Kurt mumbled to Kevin who nodded in agreement.
Puck turned to the guy behind the counter. "Yeah, we'll take the garden package."
Their ceremony was scheduled for eleven thirty which gave them about forty five minutes to find Anjali a wedding dress. Kurt was put in charge because they knew he'd have the best chance of finding something flattering and affordable as their funds were now running very low with all the last minute big purchases. They stopped at three dress places along the strip before landing on one that had the perfect dress and it was even under the amount Anjali was willing to spend on it.
They made it back to the chapel with only minutes to spare. Puck was already waiting at the large garden trellis, pacing to calm himself down. Though he was ready and knew what he was doing was right, he was nervous too. He was getting a fiancé, a kid and a wife all within a few hours.
Kurt ushered the other three into the seating area while Finn took his spot as best man next to Puck who finally stood where he needed to be. Since they had all been dressed nicely anyway, they only had to worry about Anjali.
Rachel stood with Anjali off to the side where no one could see them before the turn to walk toward the altar. "I can't believe you're getting married in Vegas…to Puck! This is insane!"
"I know! I always thought I'd have a big Texan wedding with all my friends and family and the big dress and fancy reception and without a bun in my oven, but I'm not sad I'm not getting that. This feels right. I know it's corny but that's kinda how Puck and I are all the time. It's fitting."
Rachel smiled at her friend then hugged her tightly. "As long as you're happy that's all that matters. I love you Anjali, you're my best friend. I just want you to be happy."
Anjali wiped a tear from her eye. "I am happy and I love you too." The officiator of the wedding walked up to Rachel and Anjali to make sure they were ready then made his way to the altar. Rachel walked to where she was supposed to stand then when the music started she walked down the aisle. A minute later Anjali followed.
Rachel thought she looked absolutely stunning in her ivory strapless tea-length gown. It had an embellished bodice that hugged her curves perfectly down to where the tulle skirt fanned out starting at her hips. It was the perfect dress as it showed off some of Anjali's favorite parts of her body, her toned calves and her toned arms. Her hair was done up in a low side bun and she had a bejeweled headband in her hair. She looked like an old Hollywood movie starlet.
Puck's breath hitched as he watched his very soon-to-be wife walk down the aisle toward him. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. After all the crap he had gone through in his life and all the stupid things he'd done and all the poor choices it seemed he had finally done something right in choosing to ask Anjali to be his forever. Everything in the past was irrelevant; all that mattered now was Anjali and the little baby in her belly.
The ceremony didn't last long as there was another couple scheduled for about twenty minutes after them but Puck and Anjali didn't care. All they wanted out of it was to be pronounced man and wife and finally they were. They kissed when told to do so then practically ran down the aisle. They took pictures with everyone and did all the post-ceremony type things quickly then booked it back to the Mirage. Now it was time for the honeymoon phase.
Finn, Rachel, Kurt, Kevin, Nick, and Jill took their time getting back to the Mirage. They were still young and unwed couples who just wanted to have a good time. The group continued on the nightclub track Rachel had planned out prior to the Panjali wedding and didn't arrive back at the hotel until around the time the sun came up.
Though they still had two and a half days left in their trip they weren't sure anything else they would do would even come close to the eventfulness of their first full day in Vegas. It was unplanned and unconventional but watching Puck and Anjali get married at that chapel in Vegas had to be one of the most romantic things Rachel had ever seen. She was so happy for her friends' happiness. When they first met no one would have ever thought they'd fall in love and get married but having watched their relationship grow from the beginning to then, Rachel honestly couldn't picture Puck and Anjali any other way.