DISCLAIMER: - I am so sick of these. But yeah, sure, Glee isn't mine.

AHHH! Chapter 21(: I can't believe how far we've come. ENJOY!(:

Sorry for the wait, loves. I was just finding it hard to write and find inspiration.

-SpringSinger19

PS: Wanna follow my new twitter account for updates/spoilers on upcoming chapters? Please?(:

Rachel Berry had been twelve years old when she first held a newborn in her arms.

Her aunt Abigail was thirty-two at the time, giving birth to the child out of wedlock.

It had actually been quite the scandal in her family. In fact, one of Rachel's most prominent memories of her twelfth year was the disquieting lecture Leroy had given her about how she was never to follow suit.

Obviously, the results of that conversation hadn't been quite what he hoped for.

It had been a quiet, chilly morning in mid-December and the only people present had been Rachel's fathers and herself. The windows of the hospital were all slightly frosted over, reflecting the frigid demeanor of the hospital staff. The floor was ice cold, a perfect likeness to the expression on Leroy's face.

After staying the entire night, Rachel remembered being barely awake when she and her fathers were escorted to the birthing suite. Abigail had gone through labor earlier but it wasn't until four hours later that Rachel and her family had been allowed to visit her.

Abigail's face was still flushed bright red hours later. She didn't seem quite present as Hiram and Leroy made their way to her bedside, making polite small talk. As Rachel observed from the doorway, she noticed an unfamiliar glint in the woman's eye.

For some reason, she almost felt as if she was staring at an entirely different woman.

There was a rough knock from behind Rachel's head that made her jump and move away from the door. Two clean-cut, blank faced nurses came in with a cleaned off and very plump baby boy.

As she made eye-contact with the innocent, blue-eyed creature, an unfamiliar ache shot through her. It was a feeling that she had never experienced before.

She watched the child with great concern, and an overwhelming maternal instinct that she didn't know she had, as the nurses handed the baby to her aunt.

There was just something about the way that the baby was looking at his mother and the way that his mother was looking at him. It was just such a raw love...such a connection. It made Rachel a little jealous.

And then there was the way that the baby was looking about the room with such curiosity and fascination. This was all new to the child, Rachel realized. The naivety and innocence melted her. There was such honesty in the way the baby acted. He didn't hide behind any masks of false emotion. The way he looked and acted was the way he was. Even at the young age of twelve, Rachel couldn't help but wish that she was the same.

As she watched her aunt cooing to the baby, she was surprised to find herself wishing that it was herself instead.

There was an incredible connection between mother and child that the starved young girl couldn't help but long for.

She wanted to be a guide to the child, help him to keep his innocence and his eye on the good in life. She wanted little Charlie Berry to be a good person and she wanted to help him become just that.

And it was this ache, this want to love and be loved that Rachel felt the day she learned the gender of her baby.

She could remember it perfectly.

After being in a rush to get back to the clinic, Sophie calmed her down like she always did with a crooked smile and sunny attitude. She led her into the familiar room accompanied by a constant stream of chatter although Rachel could barely focus, she was so nervous.

She didn't exactly know why...why she was nervous that is. She had done this multiple times before. It wasn't anything new.

Sophie squirted the ultrasonic gel onto Rachel's swelling middle. Taking a deep breath, the pregnant girl shut her eyes tightly and waited.

"Ok," Sophie began, suddenly very businesslike, "let's see here."

Rachel opened an eye and glanced at the monitor, but was unable to determine anything for herself.

"Aha!" Sophie grinned, looking back towards Rachel, "I found it. Are you sure you want to know?"

A surge of nerves coursed through her and Rachel was almost sure that Sophie could hear the pounding of her erratic heartbeat.

This was it.

"Yes."

Sophie took a deep breath, suddenly seeming almost excited as Rachel herself, "You're having a baby girl, love. Want to take a closer look?"

Rachel opened her mouth but nothing came out.

She felt an unbelievable warmth spread across her. The excitement was so intense that all of her worries abruptly vanished. As Rachel gazed at the screen, flashes of room colors and cradles and babies clothes flew her mind.

There were thousands of possibilities. What would this baby girl of hers be? A doctor? A teacher? An actress like her mother?

However, the pregnant girl wasn't quite so sure that she would've cared either way, boy or girl, as she stared up at the monitor. But the identity that had been given to Baby made her seem all that much closer.

Baby? Rachel thought distractedly. I guess I'll have to stop calling her that.

Sophie's eyes as well were fixed on the display. A look of longing flashed across her face, but it was soon covered up with a good-natured smile.

"You and Jesse should start looking for names," she remarked before pausing and giving Rachel a quick wink. "I suggest Sophie."

Rachel smiled but couldn't manage a response.

This was her baby. Her baby girl. She'd dance and sing and play with dolls. She'd believe in fairytales and pretend to be a princess. Which she would be. She'd be Rachel's princess. She'd wear sparkly pink and purple. She'd pretend to cook and grow up to be whatever she wanted to be.

She'd be everything that Rachel could've ever imagined.

And that, was enough.

I'm sorry this is such a short chapter. It was just an event that needed to be alone.

So what did you think? Did you expect Baby to be a girl? Are you excited? Want to leave me some baby names?(;

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it and I'll really try updating soon but I've started another project that I'll be focusing a bit more on. Actually, I'd REALLY appreciate it SO much if you went and checked it out. It's a dramatic Rose/Scorpius romance from the Harry Potter fandom called "Reverse" and it would mean soooo much if you took a look and left me a review(: Love you guys!

-SpringSinger19