"Finn's not coming?" She turns away from the window to see Andrea smiling at her knowingly as she leans against the wall. Rachel smiles.

"No, I told him to wait at home today. He's been working like a dog lately, and I'd feel awful if he has to wait for me too, especially during late runs like this. Why?" She walks closer towards the older woman, plopping herself down on the stool next to her. It's already eight thirty, and this is their fifth break today. She just wants it to be over because she wants to go home, nownownow.

Patience, Rachel. Only five days until opening night of the most important show of your life and the first day of the world knowing you as Rachel Hudson. Or Rachel Berry Hudson. Hudson nee Berry? You'll figure it out.

"Oh you've only been staring at that window every fifteen minutes. When you're not staring at the exit, that is."

"Is it that obvious?" she asks, smiling guiltily at her friend. Andrea laughs and rolls her eyes.

"When have you ever not been?"

She smiles quietly to herself, the hand she had kept discreetly on her lap itching to just make that white gold band on her finger known. She can't help the grin growing on her face. She thinks she hasn't stopped smiling in two days. Not even once. Not even in her sleep. It's so perfect.

Life is perfect.

"What are you not telling me?"

"Wha-?" She snaps out of her reverie to find Andrea looking at her inquisitively as she comes closer, her expression full of curiosity. She bites the insides of her cheeks to keep the perpetual smile away and shakes her head.

"Nothing."

"Liar. You've been acting and smiling like you just won a Tony for best actress for the past two days now. What happened-" Andrea gasps dramatically, one hand clamped over her mouth, eyes wide.

"Are you pregnant?" she asks in a loud whisper.

"No!" Rachel exclaims, appalled. How absurd is that? Not that having a baby with Finn is absurd, not at all. She does want babies with him. She wants lots and lots of babies with him. Little Finns and Little Rachels, running around in their imaginary house with their imaginary lawn and their imaginary stoop. Does Finn want Little Finns and Little Rachels? Of course he does. They've never really discussed it before -unless she counts that time when they were sixteen, and she does-, but she sees the way he is with Bobby's beautiful daughter and oh, sometimes it could melt her heart, the way he is with that child- but now is simply not the time. They've both got too much to work for, too much that needs to be done before that can happen. But someday. One day, she wants those Little Finns and Little Rachels.

"There she goes again," Andrea says, her voice laced with amusement, and she snaps out of it again, this time to find not only Andrea, but also Mandy and Marty and Tom, the lead, all stooping down in front of her, right up to her face, smiling cheekily. She blushes scarlet.

"There's something she's not telling us," Andrea tells them.

"Yeah, and I'll bet it's something huge, 'cause this little girl never shuts up," Marty replies knowingly.

"I'm right here," she says, attempting to be nonchalant.

"Oh we didn't notice from all this quiet," Mandy answers sarcastically.

"'Fess up little lady," Marty demands, straightening up.

She can't hold it in any longer. Shecan'tshecan'tshecan't. They're all staring at her encouragingly, and she promised Finn- well they promised each other- she won't tell, not yet, but she can't. Before she knows what she's doing, the hand goes up. She barely hears the slow whistle over the huge beaming grin on her face as she tries not to squeal.

"Holy fucking hell. Is that-"

"I'm married!" she yells, shooting out of her seat to do a little jump and almost knocking the rest of them over.

"You're married?"

"When the hell did that happen?"

"Does Finn know about this?"

"Yes, two days ago, and I resent that Tom. Of course, he knows. He was there."

They stare at her, still surprised for a few seconds, while she vibrates quietly with excitement until Mandy opens her mouth.

"She's married!" the woman yells and the flurry of activity returns as Andrea pulls her into a hug to congratulate her and simultaneously berate her for not inviting them and Marty's still confused as to how it happened and Tom overlooks them all, smiling in amusement.

"We eloped," she confessed.

"Oh that is so romantic!"

"What, did you twist the boy's arm to get your way Berry?"

"You are infuriating Tom," she answers sourly, glaring at the man, guffawing against the wall. "But, even your ill sense of humor is not going to ruin my mood today."

"Oh," Andrea says in a teasing manner, "Got a special newlyweds night planned out?"

Rachel sighs, and shakes her head.

"No. He has work tomorrow and who knows when this rehearsal is going to end?"

"You try'na worm your way out of rehearsal?" Marty asks gruffly.

"Of course not. But can I?"

"No. But if you're lucky, we might end this thing early. So get your asses moving people! On stage in five!"

"Just let me call Finn first," she says, feeling the guilt sink in because she broke her promise. No one was supposed to know.

"Tell him, I'm sorry for me," Tom quips.

"I most certainly will not! Now go away. I want to speak to my husband."

"Oh he's her husband now! Poor guy."

"Piss off Tom," she answers, feeling her blood boiling. That man just loves running her down to her very last nerve.

"Oh now you've gone and done it. She's breaking out the curses. C'mon Tom, before she kills you with her eyes." Mandy says, pushing the man away from the wall.

"What I want to know is," Andrea says as the three of them walk up the stage, "Is what the hell am I supposed to do with that way-in-advance wedding invitation now?"

"The wedding's still on!" she yells at their retreating figures as she holds the phone up to her ear. She listens impatiently to the dial tone, waiting anxiously for him to pick up.

"Hey there stranger." She grins momentarily at the sound of his lazy drawl before her focus returns.

"Oh Finn, I am so sorry!"

"Why? What happened? Rachel, are you okay?"

"Oh I'm fine," she answers flippantly, getting it out of the way. "But they know Finn! They know!"

"Know what?" he asks, his voice filled with confusion.

"About us! They know we're married! I tried not to tell Finn. I really did, I swear. But-"

"Rachel, babe. Chill. It's okay."

"But we promised-"

"So what? You think I don't want the whole world to know that you're mine now?" he asks jokingly, and she feels herself relaxing.

"I wasn't before?"

"Well now it's official. Don't worry about it. I didn't count on you lasting for long anyway."

"Hey!"

"Next thing I know, I'll get a call from mom demanding to know why she had to hear the news from Kurt through his Facebook or something-"

"I keep secrets!"

"Yeah. Just not when it's yours."

"Finn Hudson!"

"Rachel Hudson!"

"Okay fine, I can't help it when I'm excited okay? I mean, we're married Finn. We're married!"

"You've been yelling that in my ear for two straight days. I know Rach. I was there." he teases. She rolls her eyes and grins anyway. Fine. If he doesn't want to be completely over the moon about it, then she'll just have to be that for the both of them. And then some.

"Where are you?" she asks, hearing his labored breathing.

"Home. I'm walking up the stairs."

"How was work?"

"Exhausting. You coming home anytime soon?"

"No," she answers apologetically. "We've still got one run through left."

"It's almost nine thirty Rachel. You sure you don't want me to go over there and wait for you?"

"It's fine. It's just ten minutes away. I can handle myself."

"Fifteen. And I know. But-"

"I'll be fine Finn. I'll be home before you know it. Get some rest okay? I plan on ravishing you tonight," she teases.

"Oh you do, do you?"

"Mmhmm."

"You mean like you planned to last night, and then fell asleep with your coat on?"

"I'll be home by eleven, 'kay?" she answers, ignoring his teasing tone as her face burns up at the thought of falling asleep while he was still talking the night before. She had woken up at three in the morning in yesterday's clothes and her red coat thrown carelessly over the chair. And Finn's heavy snores in her ear.

"Be careful, alright? Don't be late."

"I promise," she answers, smiling.

"I love you Rachel Hudson."

"I love you too. And Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"Never stop calling me that," she says in a soft voice, smiling at the thought of him doing the very same thing on the other end.

"I won't," he promises.

Xxx

Rehearsal lasts longer than she expected and after the first hour or two, she barely realizes it. Next thing she knows, the clock on the wall is saying that it's ten minutes past twelve, and she's running down the stage, ignoring Marty's indignant cries.

"Oh I am so late!" she wails, reaching the front row and frantically stuffing her things into her purse. "Finn is going to kill me. Marty, how could you just let us carry on like that, when you know it was supposed to end an hour ago-"

"Since when did I hand over my directing duties to you?" he answers gruffly. She straightens up and glares at him, crossing her arms over her chest, and at least he has the decency to look halfway guilty.

"Fine, fine. Ya'll get off early tomorrow-"

"By eight-"

"What am I-"

"I will not stop pushing for this-"

"Fine! By eight. Happy now?"

"Yes," she beams. Finally, a night out with Finn since they got married. Their first date as a newlywed. She's just going to have to convince Finn to pass over the overtime tomorrow, is all. "Yes I am happy now. And if you'll excuse me, I'll be going home now."

"Do you want us to walk you home?" Andrea asks, as she and Mandy shrug their coats on. Rachel shakes her head.

"Your apartment is on the opposite side of the theatre."

"We don't mind," Mandy answers.

"Thanks, but I don't want to bother you. The two of you must be so exhausted with rehearsal running so late," she says, staring pointedly at Marty who rolls his eyes. She reaches blindly for her phone and swears softly when she sees her call log. Finn had called more than a dozen times. She feels her heart drop at the amount. He's going to be so upset. She opens her message box and finds about half a dozen messages with various paraphrasing of where are you? and call me!

She bids an absent-minded good bye to her friends as she waits for him to pick up the phone. He doesn't. She's not sure if it's because he's upset or because he's asleep. Four more tries and she decides with a wry smile on her face that it's the latter. He'd never be able to ignore her when he's this worried otherwise. She sighs at the thought of coming home late once again and not being able to talk or even just lie on bed to cuddle together. Well, she could force her way into his arms, but he'd still be asleep and it just won't be the same.

Tomorrow, she tells herself. You'll have a whole night of nothing but just the two of you tomorrow.

She's going to make it up to him. Maybe she'll surprise him with a romantic dinner. Take-out, of course. He stopped trusting her with the stove ever since the smoke detector went off that one time. It strikes her again how much she misses him. It's kind of ridiculous, really since she comes home to him every day. But it feels like ever since they got married, work has been completely successful at keeping them from one another. And yes, it has just been two days, but she can't help it. She misses him. Suddenly, she wishes she'd told him yes when he asked to come by. At least then they'll have an extra fifteen minutes together. But she did the right thing. He must be completely exhausted if he could fall asleep before she's home. He never does that.

Come on Rachel. Why the melancholy? You'll be home in no time.

She reaches the exit door and there it is again. That feeling comes back to her in full force, like something's about to happen. She's been feeling it for days now. She even told him so on their wedding night, with photos of their childhood memories scattered all around them on the floor. She'd been so happy, she didn't even bother getting upset at the thought of them ruining those photos. She told him it's this role, this play. She told him it might be Broadway calling. Maybe it's just them, being together this way, being each other's husband and wife. Something's coming. She just feels it in her bones. She smiles, pushing the door open.

She's hoping for good things.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading/re-reading, reviewing and favorite-ing/re-favorite-ing this story! I hope that it was a good read.