Isn't She Lovely?

[acontrollist]

Labor was hard. Probably the longest, hardest process of Rachel's life. She'd opted to do it without medicine for various reasons and honestly considered going back on her word several times over the 20 hours it took Abbi to pass through her small body. But the hospital was nice, doing everything in it's power to keep her company, and Sam. Of course Sam hadn't ever left her side (even when she'd broken the skin on his arm with her nails during a contraction and called him all sorts of names). He'd walked laps with her, swam laps with her (yay Schronized Swim Team of WMHS), rubbed her back, sat in the shower with her, all these really intimate, close things that having an epidural would have prevented her from doing. Even through the pain, she'd been close to Sam, aware of what was happening and the minute they laid Abbi (bright red and pissed) on her belly, Rachel would have done it a million times over. Just for her.

Right on time and perfectly healthy, Abbi doesn't need to stay in the hospital very long. In fact, even though swabs were sent to the lab almost immediately after she was born, they still had yet to receive their DNA test results as they stepped into their new apartment (not that Rachel and Sam really care anymore. Abbi's an Evans, now. Officially). It's spacious, completely unpacked and baby proof, so Rachel's excited to be home. As soon as they enter the living room, she carries the half asleep newborn to the balcony door to show her the view of Central Park. "Look, Abbi! Isn't it pretty? As soon as you're old enough, I'm gonna take you over there for a little picnic..."

Comments

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"Don't be so sure, Daddy. I'm gonna teach her the fine art of moving while you're not looking." Rachel teases. Abbi's just kinda staring at the both of them, trying to make out the blurry shapes that seem to be supplying the muffled sounds she's hearing. "And he's gonna have to catch you in between Mommy showing you off to everyone in New York City."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"I'm wondering how long it'll take until you dress her up in a headband..." Sam muses, nuzzling Rachel's cheek.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Rachel crosses the room to Abbi's armoire, opening it up. On a series of mini coat racks attached to the inside of the door hang at least 15 elastic headbands. With lace and bows and lady bugs and a bunch of other things. "They come with most of her outfits. 'Cause she's bald, so it's like...sticking a big sign that says Girl on her."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"Wow, Rach..." He was actually joking about the headband thing, so when she reveals the collection she's bought for Abbi he looks at Rachel like she's kind of crazy but he loves her anyway. "I like the one with the gold star on it."

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"I do too." To be fair, like she said, she didn't buy most of them. The majority of outfits sold for infant girls came with headbands. "I can't wait until I can start putting barrettes in her hair, though."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"Stacy used to put those in my hair all the time." He remembers letting his sister play with his hair because he was such a good brother who couldn't say no to her.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"And I'm sure Abbi will too." She returns to where he's sitting with Abbi, moving to park herself on one of his thighs. She and Abbi are both tiny enough that they both fit. "And she'll want to paint your nails and make you wear a feather boa while you play tea party..."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

With her sitting on his thigh, he bounces his leg a little. "All of which I've been subjected to before..." Who'd have thought those tea parties with Stacy would serve as practice for the tea parties he'd be having with his own child one day with Rachel Berry.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

She grasps the seat and his thigh and shakes her head. She just gave birth, remember? "Good. Then I won't have to teach her how to stomp out when you hold the teacups wrong."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

It totally slipped Sam's mind about her being sensitive in that area and he stops his leg as soon as he remembers, pressing an apologetic kiss to her shoulder. "But I assume you're going to teach her the correct way to dramatically stomp out of a room?"

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"I should probably still do that, huh? For when you won't let her date or wear short skirts." She turns, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of his nose. "Or in case she has to fight for a solo." Considering who her parents are, Rachel's going to be absolutely shocked if her daughter isn't musically inclined.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"She's not dating until she's at least thirty. And I'll have complete control over her wardrobe." Oh god, he's one of those dads. Overprotective already and she's not even a day old.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Mommy'll talk to him." She smiles, running her knuckle along the edge of Abbi's cheek.

~~~

DNA test results actually take a really long time, though. Of course, Rachel didn't know that. She was starting to settle into her routine of just not thinking about it by the time Abbi was almost 2 weeks old.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

By the time two weeks past Sam's almost forgotten what he's waiting for, although the DNA results are always somewhere at the back of his mind. Luckily he's so preoccupied taking care of a newborn baby that he isn't driven insane by waiting.

When the envelope with the results comes through the door one morning he's too afraid to open it. Whilst Rachel is busy changing Abbi's diaper, Sam goes out onto the balcony and just stares at the unopened envelope in his shaking hands.

OMG BB I MIIIISSED YOU.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"And so I think maybe if I teach you french and Daddy teaches you Na'vi-..." Rachel's talking to Abbi, grinning as she heads out onto the balcony to join Sam. Now that it's warm out, the balcony has definitely become the meeting place for the Evans family.

But Rach notices his shaking hands before she can continue talking and her breath catches in her throat. "What are those?" she manages to choke out.

<3<3<3

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"I-it's here," Sam stammers out. He almost feels like throwing up his breakfast over the side of the balcony, which wouldn't be at all nice for the people down below. "The DNA results... Rach, I don't think I can... Will you open it?" He offers the envelope to her. "Please."

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"I-..." She doesn't want to. She can't. She suddenly feels so sick, and she's sure that if she wasn't holding Abbi she'd be throwing up. But if she opens it and it-...she can't be the one that breaks Sam's heart again. She can't.

"I can't-I-..." Rachel shifts Abbi in her arms a bit, as an excuse.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

Rachel telling him she can't either isn't what he wants to hear. He'd really been hoping she'd open it for him and he almost offers to hold Abbi for her, but it's obvious from the look on her face that it's too much for her. He's going to have to man up and do it himself.

"Okay," he say softly, coming toward her and putting his arms around her and Abbi. He sighs as he rests his forehead against Rachel's, taking deep breaths and encouraging her to do the same. "I'll open it." He kisses Rachel's forehead and Abbi's too, then steps away from them both to open up the envelope, pulling out a sheet of paper.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Rachel doesn't know what to do. What to say. She shifts Abbi up to her shoulder, pressing her face to the baby soft skin of her neck and trying to keep from getting sick or screaming.

Of course, with her eyes closed, she can't see the 99.999999999% Positive Paternity on the printed sheet of paper.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

But Sam can. He stares at the percentage on the paper, that feeling of nausea suddenly replaced with overwhelming happiness. He's Abbi's father, not Bradley. He feels like he's won the lottery, like he could scream from the balcony the good news.

And with Rachel's eyes closed, she can't see the blinding smile on Sam's face. "Rachel... Rach, open your eyes and look." He holds the paper in front of her face.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

She doesn't really need to look at the paper. Seriously. She can hear his grin in his voice, can see it on his face when her eyes finally meet his and the noise she lets out next is kind of a combination of a laugh and a sob and she turns her face back into Abbi's hair to kiss her before leaning up to kiss Sam.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

If Rachel wasn't holding their daughter right now it would probably be one of those moments Sam would pick her up and kiss her like in those cheesy romantic movies Puck says you grow a vagina watching. He smiles against Rachel's lips, giving Abbi a kiss too before he turns around to lean over the balcony, yelling out happily to the people down below, "I have a daughter!" He whoops and raises his arms in the air. A few people give him odd looks, some laugh and he swears he hears someone yell a congratulations back at him, though he's not sure if it's sarcastic or not. "I'm the king of the world!" he can't help but shout out like Jack from Titanic because he's a gigantic dork and he's so, so happy right now.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Rachel laughs, pulling him back off of the balcony by the back of his shirt. "Sam! Sam, come inside!" Even though there are tears in her eyes, she manages to open the sliding door and pull him into the apartment. Once they're there, she passes Abbi into his arms because damn it, if anyone deserves to be holding her right now, it's him. And with both hands free, she can cup his jaw and lean up for another kiss. "I love you so much."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"Sorry," he laughs back an apology in case he embarrassed her with his loud celebrating. Once they're inside and Abbi is in his arms, looking at her knowing for certain that she's his makes tears spring to his eyes. Happy tears, but tears nonetheless. Even though it was a couple of weeks ago Sam took the paternity test, in reality they've been waiting nine months for these results so it's an emotional moment for the both of them. "I love you too... This is exactly how it's meant to be."

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Rachel nods, kissing him again, and one more time before she leans down to press a kiss to Abbi's forehead. She feels like she should say something, but Sam's summed everything up perfectly. This is exactly how things are supposed to be. They're going to be a family for real now. No doubts, no questions, no searching Abbi's face for traces of other men.

Rachel knows she should probably call Bradley and let him know for sure that Abbi isn't his, even if he didn't want to be in her life, but he can wait. She wants to enjoy her family right now.