Hello everyone! There's a shoutout to Rainedrops in this chapter. ;) Disclaimer on the first.
Two Hearts Beat As One: Chapter 3
The sweet sound of silence was broken in the Schuester household on a calm and sunny Friday morning.
"It's back!" Emma cried out in horror as she frantically made her way to the bathroom, reaching the toilet bowl just in time. Will was with her in a second, rubbing her back soothingly as she emptied the contents of her stomach.
"I thought those crackers worked. It was too good to last," she whimpered when she was done.
"Hey, Em, I don't think it's as bad as before!" Will said while peering over the toilet bowl, "It's probably just nerves because of the doctor's appointment later today. Or, maybe the cheese on the pizza last night!" he added jokingly, raising his eyebrows as he put down the cover of the toilet bowl and flushed the unsightly mess away.
"Maybe you're right. I hope you're right!" she grimaced. "This pregnancy thing is doing crazy things to me! I never liked dairy before because of you-know-what," she said, rolling her eyes, "but I crave it now. I can't explain why!"
"Not all things need to have an explanation," he said, trying to be supportive, "Hey, you're craving cheese! How ironic! At least you'll get plenty of calcium. I think that's good. Are you feeling better now?"
"Yup," Emma said while reaching for her toothbrush. "I think I'll be ready to have some breakfast in a few minutes as well. Do we still have cream cheese? I'd like some on my bagel."
"I think so," said Will, chuckling. "I'll make it for you now. Would you like some strawberries today, or the usual green grapes?"
"I think I'll have blueberries. Thanks, baby! I'll meet you in a while for breakfast. I need to brush my teeth first."
"See you in a few, honey. And hey," he added, crossing the room, jogging back to her, and gently waving the ladybug onesie in front of her, "I hope you think all the discomfort is worth it," he said with a smile.
"Of course I do!" she returned with a smile of her own.
xxxxx
Breakfast was pleasant, with Emma's morning sickness not making another appearance. After cleaning up in the kitchen, the couple decided to relax in the living room, debating whether they will have a boy or a girl. Will said they were having a girl, because Emma is glowing. She begged to differ, saying she was having a boy, because she was tired most of the time, and carrying a boy can do that to you. They were having such a good time bantering that before they knew it, it was lunchtime.
"We're having a girl, because you like cheese so much!" Will joked, stabbing a cherry tomato on his salad.
Emma almost choked on her broccoli with cheese. "That doesn't even make any sense, Will!" she laughed.
xxxxx
They continued with their light mood as they got ready to go to the hospital. In the car on the way, however, they were at a loss for words. Will was concentrating so hard on the road, barely able to contain his excitement. He was smiling all the time he was driving, the thought of seeing his child utmost in his mind. Emma was trying not to freak out. She was mostly concerned about the internal examination she was sure to have, she always hated those. She was looking distractedly outside the window, thinking she'll have to do the relaxation exercises she learned when she was in therapy. She convinced herself that she'll do fine, and that the last part of the examination would be most rewarding. Stealing a glance at Will, she realized how happy he was, and it was infectious. In next to no time, she forgot her troubles and was smiling herself.
They arrived at the hospital at a quarter to two. After Will parked the car and cut the engine, they stared at each other, smiling brightly, love shining in their eyes.
"Here we are!" Will declared, leaning over to give her a loving kiss. "Let's go!"
He opened the car door for her and took her hand as they made their way to Dr. Raine Anderberry's office. Emma was squeezing his hand so tightly, her nerves returning. Will gave her hand a little squeeze and placed a kiss on her knuckles.
"Don't be scared, Em. The messy stuff will be over in no time, and afterwards, we get to see our baby for the first time!" he reassured her.
"Thank you, Will, I don't know what I would do without you."
At his words, Emma was emboldened, and she felt ready to go through whatever awaited her, her motivation getting to see their child, however small and indistinct he or she may be at the moment.
They arrived at the OB-GYN's office at this point, and the assistant escorted them to the examination room. The room looked pleasant enough, with light pastel orange wallpaper, and pictures of mothers and their adorable babies on the wall. In less than a year, I will be like these women! It's a scary but exciting thought!
The arrival of the doctor cut through Emma's musings.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Schuester," greeted Dr. Anderberry, "I have heard of the exciting news a couple of days ago. Congratulations!" she said warmly.
"Thanks, Dr. Anderberry!" Will and Emma said at the same time, beaming at her, and then at each other.
"Let's start, shall we? You may remain here, Mr. Schuester, if you wish."
"Would you like me to stay with you, sweetie?"
"Yes, honey," Emma answered, giving Will a small smile.
The check up went surprisingly smoothly, even the pelvic examination, although Emma did grip Will's hand very tightly during that so he couldn't help but yell. She was astonished that she had it in her not to panic. Having a baby really changes everything, she thought, I'm surprised at how much mess I can endure now just by thinking that whatever needs to be done is for my baby's own good.
"Everything looks good," said Dr. Anderberry.
Will flashed Emma an encouraging smile from his place beside her by the examination table then gave her a small kiss on the lips.
"Judging from the examination I have performed and the lab results you had last Wednesday, I'd say you're around six weeks into your pregnancy, Emma."
"Six weeks? That's more than a month!" Emma was shocked. Will tried to calm her down by gently caressing the back of her hand with his thumb.
"It's not uncommon to find out someone is pregnant at this stage for the first time, a lot of women do. I have one more test to perform, and it's invasive. Of course, Mr. Schuester can remain here with you if you decide to go through with it."
"Wait, Dr. Anderberry, I thought prenatal visits usually ended with an ultrasound scan? That's not invasive." It was Will who spoke this time.
"This early in the pregnancy, we can't really see much using an abdominal approach. That's why most scans during this time are done transvaginally. You know what that entails, right? I needed to check with both of you first whether you decide to go through with it, knowing Emma's situation. It's going to take longer than the pelvic exam. You can always wait two weeks more, by that time, we can better visualize the baby by the abdominal ultrasound."
After a few moments of silence, Emma spoke. "I'll go through with it," she said softly, in almost a whisper.
"Are you sure, honey? You don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable, we can wait two more weeks, it's no big deal," Will said soothingly.
"I'm quite sure," Emma said in a stronger voice, full of determination. "I really want to see our baby, Will, I can't wait another two weeks. I can do this!"
"Well, if you're sure . . . Em, I really want to see our baby, too, even if he or she will just be a blot on the screen!" Will said with a widening smile, barely containing his glee.
"Great! I'll prepare the equipment." said Dr. Anderberry. She explained the whole procedure to Will and Emma in the least graphic way possible. In the end, Emma still decided to go through with it.
"Are you ready to meet your little one, Mom and Dad?" the doctor asked as she put some lubricant on the probe.
"We're ready as we can ever be!" Will spoke for both of them.
"Okay! This may feel a bit cold, Emma. Just take a deep breath."
She started manipulating the probe, looking for a position that will give them the best view of the baby. Emma didn't even think about how the procedure was done, her and Will's attention were completely fixed on the screen, even though they couldn't make out what they were seeing. It was mostly black and white patches, but they were captivated by it, trying to decipher the image.
The doctor raised her eyebrows as she watched the screen with a small smile. "I don't know how to say this," she paused, "but, are you ready for another surprise?"
"What is it, doctor?" Emma said in alarm while Will's eyes widened. They gripped each other's hands tighter.
"You're having twins!"
AN: Thanks to all of you who continue to read my fic! Any thoughts on where this should go? Feel free to review or PM me.