December 28

“Blaine, you seriously only have the pickles, cheese, carrots and granola bars, right?”

“Yeah.  You want a granola bar?”

“Sure, I guess I’ll try one for breakfast.  Hopefully I don’t get sick.”

“Why don’t we share one?  I’m not really hungry, but I need to eat something.”

“No, I can eat a whole one.  And you need a whole one.”

“I told you, I’m not that hungry.”

“Eat.  The.  Whole.  Granola.  Bar.  It’s good for you.”

“Okay.  Fine.  Here.”

Blaine takes two bars from the box and hands one to Rachel.

“Good.  Thank you.  I’m interested in trying this.”

“I’m telling you, it’s just like an oatmeal raisin cookie.  So good.”

“Okay...”

Rachel takes a small bite, chewing slowly and swallowing.

“Hm...”

“It’s good, right?”

“Still trying to decide that.”

Rachel takes another bite, chewing thoughtfully.

Blaine doesn’t open his granola bar just yet, but gets a glass of water and drinks that, waiting for Rachel’s decision.

“I’m sorry, Blaine, I don’t like it.  You eat yours, though.  And I’ll grab a pickle.”

“You don’t know what’s good.  Sweet pickles for breakfast?”

“I’m craving them right now, so meh.”

Rachel sticks her tongue out at Blaine as she reaches into the fridge for the pickle jar.  After a moment’s hesitation, she grabs the cheese whiz as well.

“Ew, Rach, that’s so disgusting.  I lost what little appetite I had in the first place.”

“Eat.”

“I’m trying not to gag.”

Blaine smirks, obviously picking on Rachel.

“Seriously, it isn’t good for you to not be eating.  I’ll even go somewhere so you can’t see me eating this, but I really want you to eat that granola bar!”

Blaine narrows his eyes a bit.

“Why is it so important that I eat this granola bar?”

“Because you don’t eat when you’re upset but you need something in you!”

“Who told you that?”

“... Kurt.”

Blaine purses his lips and looks away from Rachel for a second.

“I’m fine.  I’m eating.  Stop worrying.”

“I can’t stop worrying.  I care too much about you.”

“Seriously.  I’m eating.  See?”

He opens the granola bar and takes a bite of it, chewing and swallowing it.”

“Happy?”

“Very.  Just a few more bites to go.”

Rachel turns, using her body as a shield so Blaine doesn’t see her scoop some cheese whiz onto a pickle and take a bite.

Blaine ignores Rachel and eats the rest of his granola bar, disliking having been forced to eat it.  Suddenly feeling vindictive, Blaine glances up.

“So, you’re going to talk to Brody today, right?  Cause he needs to know.”

Rachel pauses and slowly turns around to face Blaine.

“If I can reach him, then yes.”

“Tell you what.  I’ll let him think he’s getting together with me.  And then you can be there.”

“O-okay...”

“When?”

“I guess this afternoon...”

Brody?

Hey, Blaine, what’s up?

I haven’t gotten out in a while.  You wanna get together this afternoon?

Oh, sure.  When and where?

I was thinking about going to the park for a walk.  Just to get out.  There’s a fountain right in the middle.  Wanna meet me there around 3?

Sure, sounds great.  See you then

Thanks.

“Okay,  He’s meeting me by the fountain in the middle of Madison Square Park at three.”

“Alright.  Could you maybe... stay while I tell him?”

“Of... course.  Sure.”

“Thanks.  You’re probably one of my closest friends right now and I’d really like to have you there for support.”

“Rachel, you’ve been my voice of reason, and I am perfectly happy to be there for you when you need me.  Meet me back here at two thirty?”

“Great, I’m glad.  Alright.  I should go before Kurt freaks out...”

Suddenly, ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ starts playing from the counter.

Rach, are you okay?  You weren’t home when I got home, you hadn’t come home by the time I went to bed, and you’re not home now.  I’m a little worried about you.  Okay, I’m a lot worried about you.  Please just let me know you’re safe.  I’m really worried.  Love you Rachie <3

Ohmigosh I’m so sorry, Kurt.  I spent the night at a friend’s house.  I’ll be home right away.  And I’m meeting Brody later this afternoon, mkay?

Okay... I’m glad you’re safe.  Why didn’t you text me last night?

I got busy :(

Okay.  <3

<3

“I never called or texted Kurt.  He was worried about me...”

“Oh, yeah.  I should have told you to do that, with how he worries.”

“It’s not your fault.  I should have remembered.”

“Okay, well, I’m going to shower.  I’ll see you in a couple of hours?”

“See you!”

Rachel grabs her purse and coat and leaves the apartment, heading back home.

Blaine sighs and tosses the wrapper from the granola bar into the trash can and puts away Rachel’s snacks as well.  It feels like no time at all passes and suddenly, it’s time for Rachel to show up again.

After apologizing extensively to Kurt, showering and changing, and rehearsing what she wants to say to Brody, Rachel leaves home and walks back to Blaine’s apartment.  Once she arrives, she knocks on the door.

Blaine is fresh and showered and watching Friends again when he hears the knock on the door.  He gets up, slightly anxious about this whole meeting thing, and answers the door.

“Hey Rach.  You look nice.”

“Thanks.  And it’s nice to see you looking nice again too.”

“Oh, thanks.  I put on a bowtie today.”

“Aww, I love seeing you in a bowtie again!”
“I like bowties.  They’re like, the perfect accessory.”

“They look good on you!”

“Thank you.  ...Are you ready to do this?”

“Not really, but it has to be done.”

“Come on.  I’ll be there for you.  You know, not listening or anything, but like... actually, I’ll be there exactly the same way you were there before I passed out that time.”

“Sounds like a great plan.  Let’s go!”

“Let’s.”

Blaine grabs his coat and holds his arm for Rachel to take as he shuts the door of his apartment.

Rachel takes Blaine’s arm, smiling brightly at him.  As they walk, her smile fades, though.

“What if he sees me and leaves?”

“I’ll take care of him if he does that.  I’m pretty fast.”

“O...kay... what if he doesn’t show up?”

“He will.  He doesn’t have a reason not to.”

“Sorry I’m being so devil’s advocate about this... I’m just nervous.”

Rachel subconsciously puts her free hand on her stomach.

“No, it’s okay.  You’re worried.  I do the same thing.  It’s okay to be nervous.  I mean, this is a huge thing.  You’ll be fine.”

“You’re the best, Blaine.”

“I’m not really the best.  I’m alright though.”

“You kinda are.  For doing this.”

“I’m just being a good friend.”

“Stop walking for a moment.”

Blaine stops and looks at Rachel questioningly.

Rachel turns and hugs Blaine tightly for a moment.

Surprised, Blaine hugs Rachel in return, a smile stretching across his face.

“You’re the best.”

“I’m just pretty okay.  Thank you, Rach.”

“Don’t make me resort to other ways of showing you how much I appreciate you.”

“I’m actually scared.  But I’ll go ahead and agree if you tell me what those ways are.  Because I’m curious now.”

“I can’t reveal all my secrets now, can I?”

“Oh, fine.  You’re no fun.”

“I am plenty of fun.”

“You’re kind of fun.”

“Oh, you.  Come on, we’re going to be late.”

“Right, right.”

Blaine starts walking again, spotting the fountain up the walkway a little bit.

Rachel clings more tightly to Blaine’s arm, tensing as they come closer to the fountain.

“It’s gonna be okay.”

“I don’t see him.  He’s not here yet.  He’s not coming.  We should go.”

“Rachel.  Stop.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  In through your nose, out through your mouth.”

Rachel does so.

“You are fantastic.  Just because he’s not here yet doesn’t mean we should leave.  Treat this like a performance.  Just breathe.  You’re a wonderful person.  You’re probably my very best friend.  Everything will be okay in the end.  If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

“Did you really mean that?”

“Of course you’re a wonderful person.”

“No.  Did you mean it, that I’m your best friend?”

“Oh, that...  Yes, I meant it.”

“Oh, Blaine... that means a lot, coming from you.”

“I wouldn’t make something like that up.  You’ve been there for me, and I’m want to be there for you.  You know, I haven’t left my apartment at all, except with you?  At least, since I got back to New York.”

“Oh, wow.  I’m honoured.  Why are all the sweetest guys I know gay?”

“...I’m sorry...”

“Don’t be.”

“Okay.  I’ll try.  For the record, if I weren’t gay, I’d so go after you.”

“The feeling is one hundred percent mutual.”

“I’m flattered.”

“As am I.”

“Blaine? …Rachel...?”

Blaine looks up, clearing his throat.

“Brody, hey.”

Rachel stares at Brody, unable to speak.

“You... didn’t tell me Rachel was going to be here too, Blaine...”

“Yeah, uh, that sort of happened.  And, as it turns out, she needs to talk to you.  So you should probably listen.”

Blaine’s voice is totally serious as he looks at Brody.

“Oh?  What’s up, Rach?”

“Now you’re going to listen to me... I’ve been trying to contact you!  But you never answer...”

“Do we have to talk about that around other people?”

Brody glances over at Blaine.

“Oh, hey, guys I’m going to go over there and sit for a while.  Yell if you need me.”

Blaine heads over to a bench a short distance away and sits down.

“Alright, Blaine.  Look, Brody.  I can look past you not answering me, I guess.  But I’ve been trying to get a hold of you so I can tell you something really important.”

“What’s that?”

“Do you remember that time back at the end of October, but before Kurt and Blaine met?  We had had a fight and were just making up?”

“Yeah, I think so.  Was that the fight where Kurt sent a message to Blaine instead of me?”

“No, the one before that.  Where we made up... at your apartment.  We... we didn’t use protection that night.”

“Oh my god... Rachel, you’re not...?”

“I’m pregnant, Brody.  With your child.”

“I... I don’t know what to say...”

“Say you’ll be there for me?  Say it’s going to be okay?  Say you love me?”

“Of course I’ll be there for you.  Everything’s going to be okay.  I love you.”

“I love you too, Brody.”

Rachel and Brody hug and kiss each other, both smiling.

“You’re sure?”

“Completely sure.”

“I’d never walk out on you, Rach...”

“I’m glad, Brody.”

“So, was this the only reason Blaine invited me out?”

“Possibly.  I don’t know everything that’s going through his head.  Hey, Blaine!”

Blaine is watching a couple of kids play nearby when he hears Rachel calling him.

“Are you guys done?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you have anything you wanted to talk about or do or was this just for Rachel?”

Getting up, Blaine heads back over to the pair.

“Actually, it was mostly about Rachel.  I just got to leave the apartment for a little while.”

“Oh.  Okay.  Well, then, it was nice seeing the two of you.”

“You too.”

“I’ll text you later, Brody.”

“Yeah, alright.  Love you Rach.  See you Blaine.”

“See you, Brody.”

Blaine watches Brody curiously.

Brody walks away, leaving the two standing there.

“Well, that was awkward.”

“Yeah, slightly.  What happened?”

“He was... okay with it.  But he seemed almost indifferent...”

Blaine nods, staring in the direction that Brody had gone off in.

“Yeah, I can’t see that being a thing to react like that to.  I was expecting to have to stop him from freaking out.”

“Maybe he’s just in shock?”

“Maybe.  Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.  It’s weird.  He knows now, so it feels like the hardest part is over.”

“I’m glad you’re alright.  You wanna get some ice cream?”

“Sure!”