Life As We Know It

Chapter 19: Taking A Bite

It's been two days since Rachel revealed her news about the Funny Girl offer and things between Finn and Rachel were still uncomfortable and unresolved. Neither dared to bring that conversation up again and neither acted like it was forgotten. The atmosphere in the house was icy and cold. They only spoke to each other when needed and only tried to act normal around Cassie or others, especially when they were at Sweet Notes.

Their change in moods and demeanour hadn't gone unnoticed. When Puck and Quinn picked up on it both Finn and Rachel made up some excuse about it being stress related and too tired; this didn't explain why the usual happy go lucky and very affectionate couple now acted like standing beside each other would cause some sort of bad chemical reaction, forcing them to be apart for most times.

Santana and Kurt, the two friends who have known Rachel and Finn for years, were only worried about what this was doing to them and needed them to make things right. In the six years they had known the duo, neither had seen them act this away around each other and this began to make it feel like the damage caused may be irreversible.

Rachel's recent behaviour was beginning to confuse both Kurt and Santana. Sure, they had seen her at her most stressed moments during College and the beginning of her brief Broadway career but it was nothing like this. Rachel was being moody with everyone and the mood swings were almost like she had a hormone switch that turned on and off, on its own, quite often. The wondered if Finn had noticed, because if he had, and given the recent changes in their relationship, then maybe their suspicions would stand corrected and Finn would take it easier on his better half.

Finn tried to forget the resounding voice in his head telling him that Rachel would leave him and Cassie behind for a stupid Broadway show; no matter how much his heart told him that that was unlike his Rachel, his head won the argument and it didn't help that Rachel hadn't tried to correct it. He didn't like how this was going. For the last few months, Finn began to believe that nothing could tear him and Rachel apart or break this family he had with Cassie but it seems that the stress of the 'wedding' and business was taking its toll and proving that maybe, just maybe, he and Rachel weren't as strong as they thought they were. Just as well, for six years or more, even with brief periods apart, their silly banter and nonsensical arguments, they were unbreakable and now, it starts to fall to pieces.

One thing was for sure though, Finn loves Rachel. He has never loved anyone like he does Rachel; he doesn't know when but she became a part of him and without her it was like a part of his soul had been torn. The last two days had been killing him. It's not easy to see the person you love but not find the right words to say for fear of it becoming ten times worse or want to hold them but keep away because you know that she is leaving soon, leaving you and your family behind. He hoped that this would blow over, resolve itself easily. He needed his girl back, and he needed her to stay with him for good.

Rachel didn't quite understand what was going on with her lately. For a few weeks she'd been feeling very lethargic and faint every now and then, she had even noticed she was having mood swings and for the last two days she had been suffering from nausea and vomiting but did it all discreetly. With her fears about what was happening with her relationship with Finn, she had no time to mull over the possibilities, she hadn't even noticed that Mother Nature hadn't given her her monthly gift and was overdue by a few weeks.

Every time she tried to tell him that she wasn't leaving, it was like he didn't want to hear it, making up some excuse to get away from her as quickly as possible. She'd given up after the first few hours and in the last 24 hours just tried getting on with things for Cassie's sake. Thankfully the little girl hadn't sensed the tense atmosphere yet and it was best to get on with it for her. They made a promise to themselves and to Cassie that they would stick together for her. She was always their priority and anything else between them came second.