Hey guys. Again, I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I don't have as much time as I did before I started working, and it's definitely a challenge to do lots of things in the midst of my grief. I just miss Cory so much, and to be honest, I'm really dreading Season 5 of Glee. I just hate the idea of Glee without Cory, Finn and Finchel. I don't like the spoilers I've heard about what happens to Finn - can't the writers just say Finn and Rachel got married and moved away, give the Finchel fans a small piece of comfort? I don't think I can stand seeing Rachel with another love interest... On top of that, the Finchel fandom is shrinking slowly - fewer fanfics, fewer forum and Tumblr posts... This is all just so hard, too hard.
On a lighter note, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I try to make my fanfics lighter because I don't know how much angst we can take! I'm a finalist for Finchel writer in the Glee fanfic awards, so I'd appreciate any votes as well. As always, please review if you want me to continue.
Chapter 47: Pillow Fights
Rachel gulped as she paced around backstage. She wasn't sure if this was a good idea. She didn't know if she'd get the part. She'd been rejected before. But she'd always enjoyed Les Miserables, and it had some special connections to her. She'd auditioned for New Directions with a song from Les Miserables and she'd found out who her mother was because of a song from the musical. She'd told Finn that she was meeting some friends for dinner tonight so if she didn't make it, she could keep it to herself.
She wasn't even planning on trying out. She'd seen the ad in the NYADA alumni e-mail she got a few weeks ago and thought that it would be worth a try.
As Rachel heard another girl audition, she felt her phone vibrate. She looked at it to see a text from Finn. "I can't believe you're leaving me alone when I have a house full of girls!"
Rachel giggled to herself and texted Finn back. "I'll be back soon." Tonight, Allie was having Gracie, Abby, Mia and two other girls in their class named Savannah and Theresa over for a slumber party. Finn and Rachel had both been hesitant about having a bunch of second graders at their house, but Allie had really wanted to do this.
"Rachel Hudson, you're up!"
Rachel took a deep breath and stepped on stage. "Hi, I'm Rachel Hudson and I'll be singing 'On My Own.'" This was the same song she'd sang at her New Directions audition. It had been meaningful back then, because she was very much alone. Now, she was far from alone. She also thought it sounded much better than it had when she'd sang it
"Thank you," the producer said. "We'll call you to let you know what happened."
Rachel nodded and left the stage. She sent Finn a text to let her know that she was coming home and got on the bus. Being on that stage reminded her that she did miss performing, but at the same time, she missed being with Finn and the girls at night when she was in shows. Caylie was old enough for Rachel to go back to Broadway, but Finn did want another baby, and so did Rachel. She didn't even know if she'd get the part. She'd just have to wait and see what happened.
When Rachel got home, she saw six giggling girls in the living room. "What are you girls up to?"
"We're playing with Allie's stuffed animals!" Abby announced.
"Allie has some great stuffed animals," Rachel said.
"Yeah, she does," Theresa said.
"Where's your dad?" Rachel asked Allie.
"He's with Caylie," Allie said.
"Okay, I'll go say hi," Rachel said. "You girls have fun."
"Thanks, Rachel!" Gracie said.
Rachel went into Caylie's room and gave Finn and Allie each a kiss. "Hey."
Finn looked up at his wife. "Hey baby!"
"Are the girls being good?" Rachel asked.
Finn smiled. "Yeah, I'm not sure if I like that new girl Theresa though."
"What's wrong with her?" Rachel asked.
"She was just kind of rude to me," Finn said. "I know we encouraged Allie to invite her because she's the new girl, but she gives me a weird feeling."
Rachel sighed. "Hopefully your feeling is wrong."
Caylie giggled when she looked at Rachel. Rachel smiled and picked up Caylie. "Hey little girl!"
"It's hard to believe she's one now, isn't it?" Finn asked.
"Yeah," Rachel said. "Also hard to believe that all six of the original Glee girls are moms now."
"Hey, Santana hasn't given birth yet!" Finn laughed.
"That's true," Rachel said.
Finn and Rachel heard a knock on the door. They saw the girls. "Can we have ice cream sundaes?" Savannah asked.
"It wouldn't be a slumber party without ice cream sundaes!" Rachel said as she went to the kitchen, still carrying Caylie.
"What flavors of ice cream do you have?" Mia asked.
"We have chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, mint chocolate chip and cookie dough," Rachel said. "You girls can have one scoop of each in your sundae." She put Caylie in her high chair and began getting the ice cream out of the freezer.
"Five scoops?" Gracie exclaimed. "Wow, thanks Rachel."
"I'm thirsty," Theresa demanded. "Allie, get me some water."
"You forgot to say please," Finn said.
"I want some water, Mr. Hudson," Theresa demanded.
Finn shook his head in disgust as he got out the water from the refrigerator. Rachel gave her husband a look, but she had a feeling that she didn't like this girl either.
Finn handed the water to Theresa. "What do you say?"
"Thank you?" Theresa said.
"So, what movie are you girls planning on watching tonight?" Rachel asked, trying to take Finn's mind off Theresa.
"The Wizard of Oz!" Allie announced.
"That's a great movie!" Rachel said.
"Will you make popcorn for us for the movie?" Allie asked.
Rachel smiled. "Of course I will."
Caylie giggled. "No, not for you!" Finn said. "You'll go to bed."
"I don't want the baby with us!" Theresa said.
"I love my sister!" Allie said.
Rachel smiled at Allie defending her sister. "Okay girls, go easy on the toppings."
"Let's get Caylie to bed," Finn said after the girls put the toppings on their sundaes.
"Six little girls on a sugar high," Rachel said. "That should be interesting."
"A little too interesting," Finn agreed as they gave Caylie a bath. "On a plus side, we'll get the leftovers."
"That's true," Rachel said as Caylie splashed her and Finn. She touched her younger daughter's nose. "Caylie! Mommy and Daddy need to stay dry."
Caylie giggled. "So, how did things go with your friends? You didn't say," Finn said.
Rachel tried to think of a cover up. "Oh, we had fun. The food that we had at the restaurant wasn't very good though." She needed an excuse for some food at home.
"The girls did manage to leave some pizza," Finn said. "I'm surprised that you guys managed to find a restaurant our family hasn't been to yet."
"We managed," Rachel giggled. She didn't want to tell Finn about her audition, but at the same time, she did.
Finn and Rachel finished bathing Caylie, put her in her pajamas and went to read her a bedtime story. When they finished, they went to find the older girls in the kitchen.
"How were your ice cream sundaes?" Finn asked.
"They were great!" Mia said.
"You girls ready for the movie?" Rachel asked the girls.
"Yes!" the girls cheered in.
"Make us our popcorn," Theresa demanded.
"I already said I would," Rachel said, fighting the urge to point out that this girl hadn't said please again. She noticed the annoyed look on Finn's face and popped the popcorn as she heated up her pizza.
"Now girls, please try to be quiet after the movie," Finn said. "Allie does have a little sister, and she needs a good night's sleep."
"We're always good," Abby giggled.
Rachel had no doubt the girls she knew would be good, but she did have her doubts about the new girl. After she finished her pizza and the girls were watching the movie, she and Finn went to their room, hoping they'd be able to get a decent amount of sleep.
x
Allie was so happy that her parents had let her have her friends sleep over. After the movie, Finn and Rachel had told the girls to go to sleep. They'd whispered for a little, but then they fell asleep. At least, Allie thought she was asleep, but then she felt someone nudging her. She looked up and saw Abby.
"Allie, do you guys have extra blankets?" Abby whispered.
Allie looked at her friend. "I'm sure we do, why?"
Abby leaned in closer. "I wet the bed."
"Let's go get my parents," Allie said.
"You wet the bed?" a voice said. The girls looked and saw Theresa.
Abby looked embarrassed. "Yeah."
"Wow, you're such a baby!" Theresa said. "Do you need a bottle?"
"Theresa, stop!" Allie said as Mia, Gracie and Savannah started waking up.
"Abby wet the bed!" Theresa told the other girls.
Savannah started giggling as Mia turned to Abby. "Are you okay?"
"Come on Abby, let's go get my mom and dad," Allie said, hoping this would stop.
"Maybe they'll give you a diaper," Theresa said as Abby started crying.
"Don't say that!" Gracie said as she picked up her pillow and threw it at Theresa. Theresa hit Gracie with her pillow as Allie hit Theresa with hers. Before anyone knew it, all six girls were yelling at someone.
"What is going on?" a voice said. The girls turned and saw Finn and Rachel.
"Abby wet the bed and Theresa was being mean to her!" Allie told her parents as she put her arm around her friend.
"Only babies wet the bed!" Theresa said.
Allie saw her parents getting those looks they got when they were about to scare her with their anger. Those looks she rarely saw. "Theresa, I'm calling your mom and dad," Rachel said. "You can spend the rest of the night at home."
"But it's four in the morning!" Theresa protested.
"If Rachel and I can wake up at four in the morning, so can your parents," Finn said. "Abby, I'll go get you some extra blankets that we have, unless you want to go home, and then I'll call your parents."
"I'll stay, since she's leaving," Abby said.
"Okay," Finn said as he went to go get the blankets.
"Abby, Allie also has an extra pair of pajamas in her room," Rachel said, picking up the phone as Theresa gave her a look.
"I don't like her," Abby whispered to Allie.
"My parents said to invite her because she's the new girl," Allie whispered back as she went to her room with Abby.
A few minutes later, Theresa's parents arrived, and the girls went to bed. They didn't bother talking again. They didn't want to mess with Finn and Rachel.
x
"Thanks for making blueberry pancakes again, Mommy," Allie said. It was a few days later and Allie was going to try out for the orchestra at school again today. This was the second time recently that Rachel had made blueberry pancakes.
"Well, I was happy to do it when it was only you and your nice friends," Rachel said. "And I'm happy to make them for the newest member of the school orchestra!"
"We don't know if I'll get in," Allie said.
"You'll get in," Finn said. "You have musical talent in your blood."
Caylie giggled. "See, all three of us think you'll get in," Rachel said.
Allie wasn't as nervous this time as she'd been the first time she'd tried out. She'd been practicing her piece a lot, and her parents both told her that it sounded great.
She didn't even feel nervous when she played the piece. At the end of the piece, the music teacher told her that she was in. Unable to contain her excitement, she ran to her dad's classroom and saw her mom having lunch with him. "Mommy!" Allie said. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought I'd come have lunch with your dad," Allie said.
"That's nice!" Allie said. "I got into the orchestra!"
"What did we tell you?" Finn said as he gave Allie a hug.
"We're so proud of you," Rachel added as she gave Allie another hug.
"I'm excited!" Allie said.
"Of course you are," Finn said as Rachel's phone rang. Finn and Allie both stopped talking as Rachel talked on the phone. At the end of the conversation, Rachel gave Finn and Allie a look. "I got another part offer on Broadway!"
"You and I both got in!" Allie said.
"I'm so proud of you both," Finn said.
Chapter 48 preview: Rachel starts in Les Miserables, and some of the Glee alumni come to New York to see her perform. The Hudson family also goes snowboarding in Whistler as a weekend trip.