A/N: I actually started writing this towards August of last year, because of reasons you will soon find out and only just now got around to finishing it. I hope this okay instead of an update on my other stories. I'm kind of at a wall. Which, should be gone soon. Promise.

Anywho, there is also a story that I have wrote with aprettyfacelies (shumchele on tumblr) that you should sheck out on out collab account choshinsung.

As always, thanks for feedback provided and check out cherryforthesoul on tumblr. :)

WARNING: This might be one of the hardest things I've ever had to write. Because of the topic.

Mike was...her best friend. The only person that had been there for her through everything. Maybe in the background, but he was an unspoken support. She knew that he would be there. There were many days when she would be in the auditorium late, singing to nobody or to him and he would watch her. He never spoke of his presence and she never questioned it. It was suprisingly comforting although they never talked about anything, she knew he was there if she needed him. He would congratulate her after performances and this wasn't a habit that stopped. Through high school and then afterwards. Through college and broadway. He was eventually her boyfriend, fiance, and then husband. He loved her in a way that she never thought was possible. Despite her flaws and her hiccups he was still there.

Now, as she walked through their apartment, holding this small bundle in her arms, she couldn't imagine a different outcome to her life. Not one with Finn, or Puck, or Jesse, or the numerous guys she ran into through her life. This precious child that had its little hand gripping on to her finger was one of the most joyful things she'd ever experienced. This was a product of them. Of their lives together. Of their happiness. Sure, they had their fallouts, there were tears and screams, but he was the only stable thing she felt the need to go back to. Other things in her life pulled her from where she wanted to be. He was the only thing that made sense. Everything seemed to confuse her but with him, no matter what was happening, it felt right if they were together on it.

She bounced the little boy slightly, keeping him content as she walked to check her phone, hoping for a call or text from her husband stating when he would return. With their jobs, they had flexible schedules, and with him having opened his own dance studio he could dictate his own hours. She was still on maternity leave, taking a break from her usual position as a teacher of song and dance. So, because he could, he took this Tuesday off, to spend his time enjoying their almost two week old child, his birthday being the first. He'd left the apartment early though, kissing her on the forehead before he did. He scribbled down a note about how he had to run an errand. His last words to her before he departed being a murmured, "I love you." He picked up his son carefully so he wouldn't wake him, whispering soft things about how much he loved his boy, all with the idea that his wife hadn't woke up when his lips pressed to her skin, though she definitely had. He whispered things about how he would be back soon, and how they would play, and eat, and laugh and then with another declaration of love, laid him back in his crib.

To her joy, there was a blinking light indicating she had indeed received a message from Mike.

Just got to WTC. Busy. Be back soon. You should see this view, Rae. Love you.

It was simple, stated his business and maybe not an exact time, but a generalization and that was good enough for her. She couldn't help but smile. He always noticed things that she never took the time to. When they would go to Central Park he would see a flower, picking it and pushing it into her hair. Declaring her even more beautiful than she already was. His eyes always seemed to catch the blush on her cheeks, teasing her about it. He pointed out clouds in the sky and people that would walk by them in the streets. He would pick up pennies for good luck and flip over the ones not laying on the correct side. Always noticing the little things.

Today, he was turning in some budget something or other that his financial advisor needed. She scolded him about not giving it over sooner, so he must have just realized he needed to get it out of the way as much as she had. She continued her now adjusted routine that involved feeding, changing and just simply holding her beautiful baby. Rachel said that although he was still young, his personality was developing. She believed he resembled Mike more, staying calm (as calm as a newborn can be) and being far from dramatic. He would disagree, claiming that his eyes were almost a perfect match of Rachel's big, brown, warm and innocent. And that the way his little hand held their fingers in a vice grip was similar to how she always did when she was nervous. The little things.

It had been almost hour now, between changing the squirming child and her wasted attempts to get him to latch on to a bottle, and the time went by rather quickly. She had no idea what was taking him so long, they didn't live too far from the buildings, and he had left a while ago. She lay their child in his swinging chair, pacifier in mouth and eyes drooping lazily. She sat down on the couch quietly, pulling her knees up to her chest. She grabbed the remote and aimlessly flipped through the channels, past infomercials and talk shows. She didn't really process what was on the screen for a while, and checked her clock occasionally and noticing the time.

8:46 AM.

She had definitely expected him back sooner. She rose in impatience, going to make herself a cup of coffee, the small child's eyes now closed, him in a distant world of sleep.

When she came back to the television she was horrified at what her eyes saw.

Smoke. Billowing out of a skyscraper. Filling the streets of New York. Her pulse elevated immediately.

Dear god, what building was that?

What the hell was the name of the building?

"The World Trade Center has just been hit. We believe by a small commuter plane that was directed wrongly by air traffic control." The live streaming of the two tall thin towers continued and she picked up the remote, seeing the same earth shattering images on every channel. It wasn't a dream or a mistake.

The water in her ears was sloshing around, making her next step a dizzying one, her hands trembling were no longer able to hold her cup. It dropped out of her fingers easily, hitting the ground with a numb cracking that seemed like an explosion to the baby. It spurred tears and whines and squirms from the baby. Rachel just moved forward to the TV trying to make sure that they were right in saying the World Trade Center, but there was no mistaking the one tall tower that now stood alone.

WTC.

That's where Mike was. Right now.

She whispered softly to herself as she sat barely inches from the screen, eyes fixated on the images before her. "Please be in the other tower, please be in the other tower." She repeated as a chant. A mantra to keep her calm. She practically ran to her phone, not making any attempts to pick up the crying baby as she was now crying herself, hot tears running on her cheeks. "Please be in the other tower." She continued as her shaking fingers pressed the number for his speed dial, the baby's cries not helping her stability much either.

"Answer your phone, Mike." She commanded. Listening to the monotous sound of ringing. No change. No picking up. No voice mail. "Michael Chang, you answer your damn phone, right now." She said angrily into the phone after ending the call and trying again, her voice was shaking more with each time she repeated the same words.

Still no reply.

Her tone, now instead of control, was desperate. "Please pick up," she whispered to herself, trying two more times a phrase coming out each time, encouraging him to pick up. Though, she knew he couldn't hear her. She didn't know how long it was she tried calling, but she couldn't take the monotonous sound in her ear again. And she tried to comfort herself. He would be walking in that door any minute. She just knew it. He had to. She threw her phone to the ground, running an anxious hand through her hair before leaning down to pick up her baby, his piercing cry forcing her out of her shock. She had to comfort him now, she couldn't be the most concerned about herself anymore. "It's going to be okay," she cooed, more to herself than him. Apparently she'd taken long enough because she checked the clock again.

9:03 AM

She turned back to the television for an update, but all she saw was destruction. Another plane. Flying. Right towards the...and then it was gone. It seemed like it disappeared One second you could see the plane and the next it was gone. Inside the building, causing destruction she had never seen before. She was shaking her head desperately, falling to her knees and clutching her baby.

"No!" She cried out and held the small life close to her chest. Keeping him safe. She screamed and broke down, sobbing violently and the only thing keeping her attached to life right now was the small fragile bundle she held in her arms that also held a part of him. A part of Mike.

Apparently the neighbors heard, because, without even knocking they came into the apartment. Seeing her kneeling on the floor. A complete wreck. She looked up and the woman who walked in, an older woman looked at her with an understanding, a warmth, even when she didn't know what was going on.

"Mike," Rachel managed to choke out hoarsely and the woman nodded in reply, having seen the young man numerous times before. "He's in one of the buildings." She said, her neighbors eyes flickering to the screen before back to the younger woman, her own composure almost melted, but she held a firm face, seeing the small child in Rachel's arms. "Oh god, he's really in one of the buildings."

The woman knelt down and placed a hand on her back, speaking softly. "Here, let me hold him and you try and call." Again. Rachel tacked on, feeling like it wouldn't do any good. Rachel held her shaking arms out, the baby being taken from her desperate grasp and her gaping hole doubled in size.

She walked across the room to pick up her phone and fumbled with it once more, scrolling to his name and pressing call. The phone rang again, the sound amplified in her ears and when she heard something on the line, her breath hitched.

It was laughing and then his voice, clear and clean, speaking fluidly, without a care.

"Hi, it's Mike."

She let a breath of relief and spoke, her tears ceasing for the time being.

"Oh, baby, I'm so glad you're okay," She murmured only to hear more giggling and then her own voice speaking back to her.

"And Rachel," was what it stated and her heart wrenched, remembering that day. She'd called the wrong number, the home number that had been put on silent due to that baby and she'd been too overwhelmed to see it lighting up in the couch this very moment.

She rememered when they recorded that message, she was six months pregnant and he kept trying to kiss her stomach and they were just laughing. They tried so hard to keep it serious, but decided the message she was hearing now was more real. She had pulled at his hair and their message came out breathless, their diaphragms weak and the only consistent part of the script was that they were alternating words that she was hearing at this moment. Real it was. She had been convinced it was her living breathing husband on the other end. Instead, it was just a recording.

She hung up And clutched the phone to her chest, eyes dropping closed and her lips murmured a silent prayer.

She tried to calm her breathing and she took just a moment longer to dial the correct number. Her breath was held and she waited. And waited.

And waited.

They approached Mike, a soft smile on her face, only because she was holding the now ten year old boy's hand. She squat down in front of her child. Their child. She brushed some of the hair that was remarkably similar to Mike's out of his face and straightened his small tie.

"You want to give Daddy your letter, baby?" She said gently to which her son nodded silently, much in a way Mike would have. Everything he did reminded her of Mike. That's what made this so much harder. She could see Mike in almost everything he did, and she knew it would just get harder as he grew older, and the resemblance would grow stronger. He walked to the slab of concrete that lay in the grass. On it engraved the name of the man she loved more than anybody.

He dropped the letter on the head stone, only Rachel and him knowing what lay inside.

Dear Daddy,

I never knew you, but Mommy talks about you all the time. She says I look like you. And dance like you. And sing like you. And laugh like you. She says that I will get to meet you one day when are both in heaven. I can't wait to meet you. Will you wait for me, Daddy? She says you were funny and that you loved me a lot. I love you too. I never knew you, but you look nice from the pictures Mommy always shows me. Daddy, I think planes are scary. Is that okay? Mommy tells me that I shouldn't be scared, but I don't want her to miss me like she misses you. She helped me write this, I hope that's okay. Mommy says there are a lot of questions she can't answer about what happened. Do you think you could tell me one day?

Lots of hugs and kisses! From Mommy, too!

Mike Chang Jr.

P.S. Mommy says I should put my full name. She thinks you would like that.

Rachel had straightened up and crossed her arms over her, similar tears running down her cheeks as the day she'd lost her husband. Her son turned and looked up at her. He saw the red eyes and walked over, hugging her leg.

"Mommy, are you okay?" He murmured against the cloth of her black skirt and she placed a hand on his hair, patting gently.

"I will be," she murmured in reply. When? She had no clue. It had been ten years and the pain still wasn't any easier.

He grabbed her hand, and they walked back to the car in silence, him getting into the back seat and she just gave him a small warning.

"I need to make a phone call, I'll be back in just a minute." She stated and only walked around to the end of the car, out of her son's view and pulled her phone out. Her fingers shook and she closed her eyes, hearing the ringing that always ended with the same thing.

"Hi, it's Mike."