Don't Stop Believing - Chapter Two - Finn/Rachel
Title: Don't Stop Believing
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Finn Hudson/Rachel Berry
Summary: Starting from within the second episode, "Showmance", this story focuses on Finn and Rachel as they just can't stay away from each other and how it affects those around them.
Rating: R/NC-17
Full Word Count: 36 560
Spoilers: 1x06 - "Vitamin D".
Author's Note: Thanks to my wonderful beta shag_me_draco for everything.
Please note that the time line within the story does not follow the time line set in canon.
Credit: The story and chapter titles are taken from the song "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey (1x01 - "Pilot"). The song quotes at the start of each chapter are taken from "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne (1x07 - "Throwdown").
Dialogue from the show has been used, either directly or paraphrased, from episodes 2-6.
Distribution: Link only please.
Written: February & March, 2010.
Chapter Two - Their Shadows Searching
"so far away"
"Do you think Mr. Schuester's dance moves are unoriginal and bad?"
"What do you mean?" Finn asked confused, both at the question and the fact that she’d asked him. Closing his locker, he turned to look at Rachel, glad that she was meeting his eyes; the first time she’d done so in a week. Since their kiss, the only time she’d spoken to him had been to yell at him during Glee.
"He's not a trained choreographer and he hasn't performed since high school. If we want to be serious and compete against the likes of Vocal Adrenaline, we need the best to train us. Right?" The last word belayed her hesitance.
Finn nodded, leaning against the row of lockers. "I guess we do, yes."
At his words, Rachel squared her shoulders. "Then we are in agreement. We need Dakota Stanley."
"Who's that?" Finn asked.
"He's the choreographer for Vocal Adrenaline and Quinn said-"
"Wait, Quinn said?" he interrupted.
"Yes, Finn," Rachel said, exasperated. "She wants us to win too and like me doesn't believe we will if Mr. Schuester continues to come up with the choreography himself either."
"Right." Finn frowned.
"It's important that we present a united front when we tell Mr. Schuester of our decision." With a sharp nod, Rachel turned and walked off down the hallway, away from him.
"Wait, what?" Finn followed. "Rachel, you can't be serious!"
Several students turned their heads and looked at him. He caught up to Rachel and reached out a hand to stop her. She turned just then and he pulled his arm back as if burned before he accidentally touched her left boob. His eyes strayed, before her voice brought him back to their conversation.
"Of course I'm serious, Finn. I never joke about show choir."
"Yeah, but, Rach, you can't just tell Mr. Schue he's no good. I'm sure he's trying and you can't just do that to him. He'll lose all of his confidence and want nothing to do with us!"
"You're overreacting. Besides, what else are we suppose to do, Finn? You saw Vocal Adrenaline. Our vocals are good, but there's no way we'll be able to compete against them without better choreography."
"Maybe you have a point, but-"
"You just don't get it. I want to win. You may have your popular clique and your football and clichéd blond girlfriend, but Glee is my one shot. If this doesn't work out, my whole high school life will be nothing but an embarrassment."
"Wait, what's a cliché?"
Rachel's eyes hardened.
"Finn, we need to get Mr. Schuester to hire a real choreographer. Unless you suggest we go behind his back again? Since it worked out so well the last time we tried that." Her tone was derisive and she was clearly still hurt over the punishment she'd received.
Mr. Schuester had stood by his decision to have Quinn sing the solo, despite her voice not holding up as well as Rachel's. His decision had created unnecessary friction between him and the members of the club, as both Mercedes and Tina had felt slighted at being passed over for the part without a thought, despite having better vocals and having been a part of the group for far longer than Quinn.
Artie had theorised that Mr. Schuester had given Quinn the solo because on her popularity, in the hopes of attracting more students to the club. True or not, it'd given the three girls something to be unhappy about together - however, their displeasure with Mr. Schuester hadn't transformed into anything resembling a real friendship, much to Rachel's disappointment.
"No, but I'm just saying we shouldn't kick him in the nads like he's doing something wrong. Guys can be really sensitive when it comes to stuff like this."
Rachel frowned in thought. "I hear what you're saying and you are probably correct. However, we need to do something."
"Maybe if we just suggested this Daphne-"
"Dakota Stanley," Rachel corrected. "He's a famed choreographer in these parts - he was an understudy to the Chandelier from the Beauty and the Beast on Broadway."
"Riiight,” Finn nodded along. “Well, if we just suggest to Mr. Schue that we need help and not tell him that it's because he's not good enough, he might be more willing."
"I suppose he might react badly if the whole group confronts him about it."
Finn smiled, glad he’d been able to reel Rachel in. "Have you told anyone else about your idea to hire Dakota?"
"No. And it wasn't my idea. Quinn and Santana told me about him, he's the-"
"So, it was their idea to hire him?"
Rachel nodded.
"Then why are you the one about to tell Mr. Schue off?" he asked, frowning in confusion.
"They thought he might take it better coming from me, since they are new and I am not," Rachel frowned in reaction to Finn's tone and doubtful words.
"Hmm."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Okay.” Rachel made a move as if to leave. “Well, I guess I'll see you at Glee later."
"Oh, right."
They looked at each other for a moment, until Rachel, sighing, turned and began walking away from him again.
Finn cast a look around, but though the hallway wasn't empty, no one was close enough to hear them speaking. "So we're just not going to talk about what happened?"
Rachel turned back to him. "What's there to say?" Finn opened his mouth to reply, but Rachel continued before he had a chance. "Because while I have the confidence to say out loud that what happened between us was real, you obviously don't have the guts to admit that you have feelings for me. So really, Finn, what is there to talk about?"
She gave him one last long look before she walked off down the hallway.
Finn stood frozen, watching her go. She turned a corner, he sighed, and she was gone.
- - -
"Don't say it, Finn," Rachel said, not even looking at him as she spoke.
He closed his mouth, the words on his tongue dying out. He locked eyes with Artie from across the room and the other boy motioned towards Rachel, as if Finn knew how to stop her. The girl was stalking back and forth, her hands flying about her as she ranted and raved.
"I can't believe he's not coming. This is the third consecutive practise he's missed in a week! How dare he try and revive his failed attempt at a career at our expense? He’s far too old to be in some stupid boy band!”
Mercedes exaggerated a sigh. "I'm so sick of hearing you squawk, Eva Peron."
Rachel turned towards her to argue, but Finn beat her to it.
"Hey, you were the reason he left in the first place," Finn said. "Leave off."
"It wasn't even my idea!" Mercedes tried to defend herself. She stood from the chair beside Kurt. "How were we supposed to know he'd take it so badly?"
"How would you take it if someone told you you weren't good enough after all the hard work you'd put into practising?" Finn retorted.
"As a matter of fact, I would handle it-"
"Enough." Tina stood. "There is no po-po-point in us arguing."
"She's right." Kurt crossed his arms over his chest. "We just need to find a way to get him back." The others nodded, in full agreement. "We may need Dakota Stanley's help in winning, but we need Mr. Schuester even more."
"Maybe if we told Mr. Schuester we were really sorry," Artie suggested. "You know, again."
"I could bake him some of my famous sugar cookies," Rachel said, smiling.
"Cookies? You think cookies are gonna make up for what we said?" Kurt's tone was mocking.
"You have a better suggestion then?" Finn asked, turning towards Kurt.
"No," the boy admitted. He looked away, sullenly.
"So we have cookies and another, better, apology," Artie summarised. "How are we going to apologise for saying that we need Dakota, get Mr. Schuester to come back and still have him agreeing to hiring Dakota?"
There was a pause as the six teenagers looked at each other. Half an hour earlier there’d been nine of them, but when Mr. Schuester hadn’t showed, Quinn and her friends had left while the original six decided to hold an impromptu meeting on how to get their teacher back.
"We'll cross that bridge later. Now, if we're not going to practise, we should all go home. I have a lot of cookies to bake tonight, two MySpace videos to record and some homework for next week I haven't finished yet," Rachel said.
Finn saw Mercedes share an eye roll with Kurt and shot them both an annoyed look. Kurt managed to look properly chastised, but Mercedes merely raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a challenging look in return.
"I suggest Mercedes take some extra time out of her busy schedule tonight and comes up with a good apology," Finn said to the room at large, eyes trained on Mercedes. "She should be the one asking him to come back, given that she was the one who drove Mr. Schue away in the first place."
"Hey, he thanked me for-"
"All right," Rachel stepped in between them. "Enough of that. I suggest we go home and all of us think of things to say to Mr. Schuester. Since he doesn't have a morning class tomorrow, we should meet by his classroom after third period."
"Ma-ma-maybe the others should be th-there too?" Tina asked, looking at Finn.
He nodded, distracted. "I'll try." Getting Quinn and the other Cheerios to help out would probably be difficult, but if he got his girlfriend to agree, Finn was certain the others would follow.
Minutes later, Finn walked over to Rachel as she picked up her bag and shouldered it. He coughed to get her attention and when she looked up, he smiled.
"You want some baking help?" Rachel didn't answer, so Finn continued, a little hesitatingly. "I'm actually very good at it, raised by a single mother and all." He smiled nervously.
"Why?" Rachel asked after a few moments.
"Well, you know, I uh..." he trailed off.
"I don't know or I wouldn't have asked." She turned to him and crossed her arms.
Finn’s eyes flitted down to ogle her chest, pushed up slightly by her arms. "You shouldn't have to do all that baking on your own?" He'd meant it as a statement, but the look in her eyes made him feeling more and more uncertain. "I should've tried harder to stop the Mercedes train once I realised what she was on about. And I should've gone directly to Quinn after you told me what she'd said to you. I should've known she wouldn't have just let it go because you came to your senses."
"That's it?"
"You want more?" The second Finn let the words out; he'd known they were a mistake. The question had been far too loaded for him to ask her. He hoped she'd say no. He wanted her to say yes.
She flashed him a sad smile and looked away.
"So… do you want some help?" he asked after a moment of silence.
"Sure, I wouldn't mind. I hope you’re not lying about your skills in the kitchen.”
"Oh, I'm not. My chocolate-chip cookies are a dream - just ask Puck."
Rachel laughed, just as he’d intended and Finn's heart jumped.
They exited the practise room together and walked down the empty hallway to their lockers side by side. Earlier in the year, he'd not even noticed that Rachel Berry's locker was right by his and now the fact that it was made him happy - for it meant that he was able to see her several times a day without needing an excuse.
"You think Mr. Schue is going to agree to hire Dakota?" Finn asked, hating the silence stretching between them.
Rachel took a moment to think her answer over before she replied. "I think that if he wants what's best for Glee - and though there is some evidence to the contrary, I believe he does - he'll see that our lack of a professionally choreographed number might hinder our chances at winning and he'll want to help rectify the situation. Hiring Dakota Stanley will be beneficiary to the Club and once Mr. Schuester gets over his self-doubt regarding his worth as our teacher, he'll come to see that too."
"So… that's a yes?" Finn asked, frowning slightly.
"I think so, yes."
Jackets in hands, they walked out of the school doors right in time to see Kurt's car disappear from the parking lot.
"I live this way," Rachel said, motioning in the opposite direction of Finn's house. "It shouldn't take us more than twenty minutes."
"One of your dads' aren't here to pick you up?" Finn asked as they walked.
"They're both at work."
"You don't have a car?"
Rachel was quiet beside him and Finn couldn't help out look at her. She was blushing slightly.
"No, no car. Actually, I kind of didn't pass my drivers test," she admitted.
"You're allowed to take them more than once," Finn said. He'd taken it two times himself.
"I kind of didn't pass it four times."
Finn nearly stumbled on the pavement.
"I know!" Rachel threw a hand up in the air, frustrated. "I really thought I had it the last time, but then a car just jumped out at me from absolutely nowhere and it was suggested to me that I wait a year and practise a lot more during that time before I try again."
"But if the other car caused the crash...?"
Rachel's blush deepened. "It was kind of... parked."
Finn laughed loudly, startling a bird.
"It's not funny!" Rachel fumed at him and began to walk faster.
"It so totally is! You can't drive."
Rachel looked about them, but saw no one. Still, she shot him a brief frosty look. "Keep your voice down," she warned. "It's embarrassing enough without everyone knowing."
"Rach, come on." Finn placed a hand on her arm, but she refused to look at him. "I actually almost didn't get my license either."
"Almost as in you still did?" She kept on walking, her eyes focused on a tree further down the street.
"Well yes eventually, but…" He paused, deliberating. "I hit a mail man."
His words stopped Rachel in her tracks and she turned to look at him.
"He's fine, now, and I was still allowed to get my license, but every time I get behind the wheel of a car, I sort of..."
"Think about it?" Rachel's voice was compassionate and kind now was she looked up at him with her big dark eyes.
"Yes. I was out practising with my mom and neither of us saw him coming. It's taken me some time to be able to drive without completely freaking out."
"I never would've guessed. I just thought you were a very careful driver, which I must say made me feel safe." Rachel smiled up at him as they resumed walking.
"I’ve not really told many people." Only Puck, he didn't add. "And anyway, what about you?"
"What do you mean?" Rachel looked away evasively.
"I never would've thought you of all people would be unable to get your license."
"Driving is not for everyone and I am mature enough to come to terms with the fact that I am simply not ready for it at this point in my life."
"What does that even mean?" Finn asked as they turned a corner and spotted her house.
Rachel began walking faster. "I hope we have all the ingredients we need for the cookies at home, but if we don't, I'll just make something else," she said, ignoring his question. "I am sure Mr. Schuester will like what we make him regardless, but I do so want to bake him my famous sugar cookies. I make them every year at Christmas for the homeless." As they approached the door, she fished her keys out of her bag.
"Aren't you Jewish?" Finn asked, following close behind.
"We celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah in our family."
"Oh."
The door opened, the light flared to life and for the first time, Finn had a look inside Rachel Berry's home. And he realised that she was probably very spoiled indeed.
"The kitchen is this way."
Rachel had walked right in, so Finn did also, even though part of him had wanted to leave his dirty shoes by the door.
If the entryway had been bright and clean, it was nothing to the Berry's kitchen. It was a large area, with a kitchen island surrounded by two walls of cabinets which opened up into a dining area complete with walls of glass through which the afternoon sun streamed. Finn put his bag down next to Rachel's and watched as she began gathering ingredients and equipment from around the room, placing them all on the island.
The only thing she'd needed Finn's help with had been to reach the extra large mixing bowl standing on a high shelf. Finn had fetched it down for her and Rachel had thanked him with a smile as he handed it to her. With the light framing her from behind, her face turned up towards him and her dark eyes locked on his, Finn had had to physically move away to the other side of the room before he grabbed her and kissed her senseless.
"Do you um, have a recipe?" he asked, looking everywhere but at her.
"I have it memorised."
Finn smiled at that. "Of course you do," he mumbled. He shot a quick look in her direction, relieved that Rachel hadn't appeared to have heard him.
"All right, let's get started." Rachel clapped her hands together, catching his attention. She walked over to the sink and began washing her hands meticulously and, once finished, Finn followed her example.
He washed his hands more carefully than he usually did, fearing Rachel's wrath. She wasn't yelling at him for the first time in a week and he wasn't going to mess that up by not cleaning up properly.
"Will you watch the butter while I mix together the dry ingredients?" she asked as he dried his hands.
"Sure," he said. She'd already put the butter on the stove so all he had to do was watch it melt. His eyes strayed from his appointed task every so often to watch Rachel as she measured and mixed. There was a smile on her face and as she'd put her hair up, his eyes were able to follow the graceful slope of her neck for the first time.
The butter melted, and Finn watched as Rachel completed the necessary steps with sure hands. They laughed and talked about unimportant things as they spooned the dough out on cookie sheets, telling each other stories about former baking mishaps.
Once she'd placed the first baking tray in the oven, Rachel began cleaning up. Finn joined her at the sink and they worked in silence, throwing looks at one another until the egg timer dinged.
"I'll get them," Finn said, reaching for the pot holders on the counters.
"Put it here, I'll get the next tray in."
Once the first set of cookies had cooled somewhat, Finn and Rachel worked side by side getting the cookies off the sheet and placed on a cooling rack so they could use the tray again. Rachel had made a double batch and they didn't have enough trays for all of the cookies.
Finn snatched up a cookie and bit into it, regretting it as soon as it hit his tongue. "Hot," he gasped out, waving a hand in front of his open mouth. He swallowed gingerly, placing the rest of the cookie back on the rack. "I'll get that in a bit."
Rachel smiled. "Good though?"
"It was too hot to tell," Finn admitted. "Water?"
"Oh yes, sure." Rachel handed him a bottle of water from the fridge, watching as he unscrewed the cap and gulped down mouthfuls of the cool water.
A few droplets escaped, sliding down Finn's chin and neck. Rachel followed the trail with her eyes and the stray thought that she wanted to follow it with her tongue instead floated through her mind.
She blushed and looked away. But only for a brief moment; then her eyes were once again watching his throat work as he swallowed the cool liquid.
"Thanks."
Rachel's eyes snapped back to meet his. "No problem."
Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes dark as she looked up at him. Butterflies flitted about Finn's stomach and he swallowed thickly at the look in her eyes. He put the bottle down on the counter beside him without taking his eyes off of hers - it could’ve fallen to the floor and he wasn’t sure he would’ve noticed.
He took a step closer to her and her eyes widened. As she made no move away, Finn took another step, this one bringing him so close that when he breathed, his chest brushed against hers.
Rachel swallowed.
"If you don't stop me right now I'm going to kiss you," Finn said, proud that his voice didn't betray his nervousness.
"Okay," Rachel breathed.
He hesitated. "Wait, is that okay to the kiss or-"
"Yes," she interrupted.
"Okay good."
Their eyes were locked for a breath longer, and then Finn leaned down and kissed her. He didn't hesitate before he deepened it, stealing her breath and tangling her tongue with his. His hands caressed her exposed neck while her hands rested against his chest. He was sure she could feel the rapid beatings of his heart.
Their lips meshed and battled for dominance until the need to breathe became to pressing. Finn looked down at Rachel, her eyes still closed as they both breathed harder than normal. He leaned down to press his lips back against hers when the egg timer dinged again.
Rachel's eyes flew open and she moved her head away, watching him with hooded eyes as his lips came closer to hers. He hadn’t noticed she was pulling away from him.
"We shouldn't," she said thickly, backing away. The timer dinged again and with the sound, Rachel turned from him and removed the second tray from the oven.
Finn came up behind her. "Rachel..."
She ignored him. "Can you put the next tray in please?"
He did as she asked quickly, set the time without thinking about it, before he turned back towards her. He stood close behind her and as he placed a hand on her shoulder, she whirled around.
"We really shouldn't," she said, placing a hand on his chest to stop him. "You have a girlfriend."
Finn had been on his way to lean down and kiss her again, but her words brought him back to the reality of the situation. As much as he wanted to kiss Rachel, in doing so he was cheating on his girlfriend. The girlfriend who'd joined Glee for his sake, even though she hadn't approved of his joining in the first place.
"You're right," he said, wishing he could argue. "I should go."
She didn't try to get him to stay, so Finn left, his head down and his lips still tingling from her touch.
- - -
"Hey Rachel, wait up," Finn called after her. He ran up the hallway to catch up with her, falling into step with her shorter strides. "Are we really going to go through with hiring Dakota?"
"Of course we are, Finn. You heard Mr. Schuester." She continued walking, her arms crossed. "And if he's going to be focusing more on his little boy band, then we need Dakota even more."
"I still don't think it's a good idea."
Rachel shot him a look. "It's not up to you. The rest of us are all in agreement."
"But he's a complete ass," Finn complained.
Earlier in the week, they'd gone to Carmel High School to meet with Dakota. Finn didn't know what'd been worse, meeting Dakota Stanley or sitting pressed up against Rachel in the back of Kurt's car on the ride over, her scented hair so close he could touch it and the sharp turns pressing them closer to each other every so often.
He'd hoped that by meeting Dakota, the Glee Club would've decided they didn't want him. But, despite the warnings from Vocal Adrenaline members, Rachel and the others had continued to steadfastly insist on hiring him and not even the large amount of money they would need to raise to pay him had deterred their decision.
"We need him to win," Rachel argued.
Finn stopped her. "It's not all about winning, Rach."
"It is, actually." She glared at him. "And haven't we already had this conversation?"
He frowned. "What conversation?"
"The one where I tell you I only have Glee while you have all your football friends and cheerleaders? Look, I don't like the guy either, but let's face it; we're not going to win without him."
"Wait, is this one of those chick things when you're mad at something but you pretend you're mad at something else?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Finn sighed. Just the way she'd said it made him sure she knew exactly what he meant. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"
"No, and neither do you." She started walking again and he hurried to follow.
"But, Rach-" he tried.
"We're hiring Dakota Stanley," she said. "With or without your approval." Her tone was firm.
Finn stopped in his tracks and watched her go. "Even if it means me quitting?" he called after her.
Rachel's steps faltered, but they didn't stop. "Yes," she told him over her shoulder.
He took a few steps after her. "You don't actually mean that," he stated.
She never turned her head to look at him as she spoke. "I do, actually."
Finn watched her go, making no move to follow. His heart felt heavy and disappointed.
He'd thought he meant more to Rachel than Glee, but apparently he'd been wrong. His worst fear had been confirmed, in that she'd only liked him because she thought she should. Not because of his status in the school as the quarterback, but because, as she herself had once told him, the rest of the team expected them to become an item.
Finn joining Glee had fallen right into Rachel’s high school plan.
He could've been anyone and Rachel would probably still have acted the same. Would've shared kisses with him regardless.
The thought hurt.
- - -
"We were starting to think you weren't gonna show," Mercedes called out as Finn exited his mother's car and joined the rest of the teens gathered.
"It's for Glee," he said and moved over to help Artie wash the car in front of him. Truthfully, he was there for Rachel.
His threat to leave the Club had been empty, but that wasn't something Rachel could've known. To have her say that Glee was more important to her than he was had hurt deeply. For several hours.
But later that night, as he laid alone in his bed, listening once more to her sing on his iPod, he realised just how selfish he was being. Of course Glee was more important to her than he was; Glee was her chance at fame, to gain all that she wanted out of life, while he was just the teenage boy who’d kissed her behind everyone's backs and pretended her mere presence didn't make his heart leap and his palms clammy.
He washed cars for half an hour, trying all the while to ignore Rachel one car over. His eyes strayed in her direction more often that not and he knew he should feel bad about watching her - and doing so unguardedly in front of so many people - but he didn’t. For as often as he looked at her, she looked back at him.
A new car pulled up in front of Rachel and the woman driving stepped out with a smile before she moved off to pay for her car to be washed. Tina, who'd been working with Rachel, stood off to the side, talking on the phone, leaving Rachel to clean the dark vehicle on her own. The car Finn and Artie had washed pulled away just then, and as no other car was waiting in line for them, Finn walked over to Rachel and, without saying a word, started to help her.
They cleaned in silence. Finn wanted to joke about her rain coat and matching gumboots, especially as they bumped into each other going for the hose to wash off the suds on the car and his shirt became wet, but he didn't.
At the end of the day, thanks to the Cheerios, they had raised enough money to hire Dakota. Finn hadn't thought it possible, but he'd underestimated the lure half naked cheerleaders had on the male population. More than one car, filled with teenage boys, had driven through their car wash more than once.
The only hiccup of the day had been when Mercedes had thrown a rock at Kurt's car, smashing the front window, before storming off. Rachel and Finn had shared a confused look at that. The look had been the opening Finn had waited for, and he'd just been about to comment on the success of the car wash, just for something to say to start a conversation, when Rachel turned from him, effectively shutting him out again. Finn had sighed before resuming his scrubbing, putting a little more force than necessary into it.
- - -
Rachel was glorious. Finn couldn't help but smile as he heard her defend herself and their whole group to Dakota Stanley. Next to him, the other Glee kids got their strength and determination back, just from her words, and his smile widened as one by one, they joined Rachel by her side.
"Okay so, misfits and spazheads and cripples can make it too. That's great," Dakota's tone was mocking. “What’s your point?”
"Our point is that, you're fired. And I'm taller than you." Rachel looked at Finn and they shared a smile - of amusement, of agreement and of friendship.
Finn felt incredibly proud of her. By the looks on the other's faces, they were proud of her too - and given all that she'd done for them, for the group, he really hoped they were.
"Barely," Dakota grumbled, unhappy.
As soon as Rachel turned her back to him, dismissing him, Dakota left the room in a storm of resentment. Neither Rachel nor Finn watched him go - Rachel was too busy accepting smiles and thankful words from the rest of the group; Finn was too busy watching Rachel's happy face.
"Finn," Quinn's voice broke though his thoughts and he turned, his smile shrinking. "We're leaving."
"All right," he said, glancing at the two Cheerios behind her. "I'll talk to you later?"
Quinn frowned as her eyes hardened. "I meant we’re leaving, as in you too," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Behind him, Rachel laughed at something Artie said and the sound drew his focus.
"Actually, I'm going to stay here for a while," Finn told Quinn. "But I'll call you later."
Quinn's eyes narrowed. "Fine," she said. Without another word to him or the rest of the group, she turned and left with her friends.
Finn watched her go and wondered at the repercussions of his choice.
"Hey, you in?" Rachel asked him, touching his arm briefly to catch his attention.
He turned towards her. "In on what?" he asked, happy she was smiling at him.
"We're celebrating with the best pizza in town," Mercedes answered.
"Isn't there only one pizza place left around here?" Artie asked. "Except for that creepy little hole-in-the-wall next to the library."
"I th-th-think they sell Chinese food there now actually," Tina said.
"I thought it was Mexican food," Rachel said. "At least they had that there two months ago."
"Oh I remember that," Kurt agreed. "Dad went there for lunch a while back. He didn't like it though and I think they shut down shortly after."
The six teens exited the school and saw Dakota's red car leave the parking lot.
"Hey, you think we'll get our money back?" Mercedes asked as they watched him drive off.
"I doubt it," Artie said. "He'll probably come up with some reason why he doesn't have to return it."
They began walking in the direction of the pizza place. As the side walk wasn't wide enough to fit all of them side-by-side, they split up into pairs. Rachel and Finn lead the way with Mercedes and Kurt walking right behind them. Following last were Tina and Artie, who'd fallen slightly behind as they talked about nothing in particular, both happy to just be with the other.
"I could sick my dads on him," Rachel suggested.
Kurt scoffed at Rachel's words. "What's your dad going to do? Talk to him nicely?"
Mercedes snorted at his words and mocking tone.
Rachel shot him a look over her shoulder. "Both of my dads' are lawyers. I'm sure Dakota rather give us back our money up front than pay a lawyer and then still have to give us our money back."
"Wait," Kurt voice was now hesitant. "You have… two dads?"
"Yes," Rachel replied matter-of-factly. "I thought you knew."
"Why would you think I knew?" Kurt asked. He laughed nervously.
Mercedes frowned at him.
"It's not exactly a secret. I just assumed everyone in town knew. And we've gone to the same school for years," Rachel twisted to look at him more fully over her shoulder. "I just thought you'd seen them at school functions."
"Oh right," Kurt seemed oddly relieved.
Finn shot him a look.
"I just… didn't think about it," Kurt continued.
"Kurt," Mercedes said, hooking her arm through his. "What are you going to get on your pizza?"
"Are you going to ask one of your dads to help out?" Finn asked Rachel quietly. It was obvious to him that Mercedes didn't want Kurt to pay more attention to Rachel. It baffled him how the two other teens could be so friendly and act as if nothing had happened when just days before Mercedes had smashed Kurt's window with a rock for seemingly no reason.
"Yes. We could use that money for Glee, to pay for travel or costumes," she said. "You should've seen some of the outfits Mr. Schuester wanted us to wear because Principal Figgins didn't think Glee was worth spending money on. There were yellow leotards."
Finn laughed. "You think that's bad? I agreed to help Mr. Schue and now I have to perform with the Acafellas during the PTA meeting."
Rachel's eyes were large as they stared up at him. "Please tell me you are joking."
"I tell no lie. We have to wear suits and everything."
"What are you guys going to sing?" Her merriment was clear in her tone, but she held it in as she waited for his reply.
Finn blushed slightly. "I Wanna Sex You Up," he admitted quietly.
Rachel laughed so hard she had to lean on him for support. Finn smiled down at her, placing a hand on her back to steady her, his heart tightening in his chest at her happiness.
- - -
"Hi honey, you're home later than usual."
Rachel smiled at her father, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek in greeting. "I was having pizza with some of the members of the Glee Club."
"That sounds like fun." Mr. Berry smiled warmly at Rachel as she danced around the kitchen island where he sat, reading the paper.
"It was so much fun, dad. I hope we'll do it again." She noticed the pot on the stove. "I know I should've called or sent a text and I'm sorry I didn't, but I forgot. I'm afraid I'm completely stuffed, so no dinner for me."
"That's all right my dear," he said. “I can take the leftovers to Mrs. Collins down the street.”
Rachel snatched up a cookie from the tin and bit into it just as her other father joined them. Rachel leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips against his cheek in a quick greeting, a large smile on her face.
"You look happy," he said, returning the greeting with a kiss of his own. He sat down next to his partner and together they watched their daughter's happiness with matching smiles on their faces.
"I am," Rachel replied. "Oh, before I forget, I was wondering if either of you would be able to help us out. You know that choreographer we wanted to hire?"
"Dakota Stanley?"
"Yes, that's him. Well, it turns out we had to fire him and now we're worried we’re not going to get our money back." Rachel looked between her fathers. "We could really use the money for the club and-"
"You want to make sure he returns it?"
"Exactly." Rachel smiled.
Her fathers looked at each other, slight frowns on both of their brows as they silently went over the next day's schedule.
"I should be able to look into it tomorrow morning. I'll contact Mr. Schuester once I know where we stand. You have a number for this Dakota?"
"I have it in my room," she answered. "Thanks dad." Rachel leaned over and kissed his cheek before she turned to kiss her other dad's cheek as well. "And thank you."
As Rachel danced, humming, out the room, a large smile on her face, her two fathers' looked at each other.
"I don't think I've seen her so happy since we took her to see Wicked."
They shared a smile at the memory of their trip to New York and Rachel's surprise and immediate exaltation when she opened her eyes and realised they were on Broadway.
"I really hope it lasts."
-
Chapter Three
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Finn Hudson/Rachel Berry
Summary: Starting from within the second episode, "Showmance", this story focuses on Finn and Rachel as they just can't stay away from each other and how it affects those around them.
Rating: R/NC-17
Full Word Count: 36 560
Spoilers: 1x06 - "Vitamin D".
Author's Note: Thanks to my wonderful beta shag_me_draco for everything.
Please note that the time line within the story does not follow the time line set in canon.
Credit: The story and chapter titles are taken from the song "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey (1x01 - "Pilot"). The song quotes at the start of each chapter are taken from "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne (1x07 - "Throwdown").
Dialogue from the show has been used, either directly or paraphrased, from episodes 2-6.
Distribution: Link only please.
Written: February & March, 2010.
Chapter Two - Their Shadows Searching
"so far away"
"Do you think Mr. Schuester's dance moves are unoriginal and bad?"
"What do you mean?" Finn asked confused, both at the question and the fact that she’d asked him. Closing his locker, he turned to look at Rachel, glad that she was meeting his eyes; the first time she’d done so in a week. Since their kiss, the only time she’d spoken to him had been to yell at him during Glee.
"He's not a trained choreographer and he hasn't performed since high school. If we want to be serious and compete against the likes of Vocal Adrenaline, we need the best to train us. Right?" The last word belayed her hesitance.
Finn nodded, leaning against the row of lockers. "I guess we do, yes."
At his words, Rachel squared her shoulders. "Then we are in agreement. We need Dakota Stanley."
"Who's that?" Finn asked.
"He's the choreographer for Vocal Adrenaline and Quinn said-"
"Wait, Quinn said?" he interrupted.
"Yes, Finn," Rachel said, exasperated. "She wants us to win too and like me doesn't believe we will if Mr. Schuester continues to come up with the choreography himself either."
"Right." Finn frowned.
"It's important that we present a united front when we tell Mr. Schuester of our decision." With a sharp nod, Rachel turned and walked off down the hallway, away from him.
"Wait, what?" Finn followed. "Rachel, you can't be serious!"
Several students turned their heads and looked at him. He caught up to Rachel and reached out a hand to stop her. She turned just then and he pulled his arm back as if burned before he accidentally touched her left boob. His eyes strayed, before her voice brought him back to their conversation.
"Of course I'm serious, Finn. I never joke about show choir."
"Yeah, but, Rach, you can't just tell Mr. Schue he's no good. I'm sure he's trying and you can't just do that to him. He'll lose all of his confidence and want nothing to do with us!"
"You're overreacting. Besides, what else are we suppose to do, Finn? You saw Vocal Adrenaline. Our vocals are good, but there's no way we'll be able to compete against them without better choreography."
"Maybe you have a point, but-"
"You just don't get it. I want to win. You may have your popular clique and your football and clichéd blond girlfriend, but Glee is my one shot. If this doesn't work out, my whole high school life will be nothing but an embarrassment."
"Wait, what's a cliché?"
Rachel's eyes hardened.
"Finn, we need to get Mr. Schuester to hire a real choreographer. Unless you suggest we go behind his back again? Since it worked out so well the last time we tried that." Her tone was derisive and she was clearly still hurt over the punishment she'd received.
Mr. Schuester had stood by his decision to have Quinn sing the solo, despite her voice not holding up as well as Rachel's. His decision had created unnecessary friction between him and the members of the club, as both Mercedes and Tina had felt slighted at being passed over for the part without a thought, despite having better vocals and having been a part of the group for far longer than Quinn.
Artie had theorised that Mr. Schuester had given Quinn the solo because on her popularity, in the hopes of attracting more students to the club. True or not, it'd given the three girls something to be unhappy about together - however, their displeasure with Mr. Schuester hadn't transformed into anything resembling a real friendship, much to Rachel's disappointment.
"No, but I'm just saying we shouldn't kick him in the nads like he's doing something wrong. Guys can be really sensitive when it comes to stuff like this."
Rachel frowned in thought. "I hear what you're saying and you are probably correct. However, we need to do something."
"Maybe if we just suggested this Daphne-"
"Dakota Stanley," Rachel corrected. "He's a famed choreographer in these parts - he was an understudy to the Chandelier from the Beauty and the Beast on Broadway."
"Riiight,” Finn nodded along. “Well, if we just suggest to Mr. Schue that we need help and not tell him that it's because he's not good enough, he might be more willing."
"I suppose he might react badly if the whole group confronts him about it."
Finn smiled, glad he’d been able to reel Rachel in. "Have you told anyone else about your idea to hire Dakota?"
"No. And it wasn't my idea. Quinn and Santana told me about him, he's the-"
"So, it was their idea to hire him?"
Rachel nodded.
"Then why are you the one about to tell Mr. Schue off?" he asked, frowning in confusion.
"They thought he might take it better coming from me, since they are new and I am not," Rachel frowned in reaction to Finn's tone and doubtful words.
"Hmm."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Okay.” Rachel made a move as if to leave. “Well, I guess I'll see you at Glee later."
"Oh, right."
They looked at each other for a moment, until Rachel, sighing, turned and began walking away from him again.
Finn cast a look around, but though the hallway wasn't empty, no one was close enough to hear them speaking. "So we're just not going to talk about what happened?"
Rachel turned back to him. "What's there to say?" Finn opened his mouth to reply, but Rachel continued before he had a chance. "Because while I have the confidence to say out loud that what happened between us was real, you obviously don't have the guts to admit that you have feelings for me. So really, Finn, what is there to talk about?"
She gave him one last long look before she walked off down the hallway.
Finn stood frozen, watching her go. She turned a corner, he sighed, and she was gone.
- - -
"Don't say it, Finn," Rachel said, not even looking at him as she spoke.
He closed his mouth, the words on his tongue dying out. He locked eyes with Artie from across the room and the other boy motioned towards Rachel, as if Finn knew how to stop her. The girl was stalking back and forth, her hands flying about her as she ranted and raved.
"I can't believe he's not coming. This is the third consecutive practise he's missed in a week! How dare he try and revive his failed attempt at a career at our expense? He’s far too old to be in some stupid boy band!”
Mercedes exaggerated a sigh. "I'm so sick of hearing you squawk, Eva Peron."
Rachel turned towards her to argue, but Finn beat her to it.
"Hey, you were the reason he left in the first place," Finn said. "Leave off."
"It wasn't even my idea!" Mercedes tried to defend herself. She stood from the chair beside Kurt. "How were we supposed to know he'd take it so badly?"
"How would you take it if someone told you you weren't good enough after all the hard work you'd put into practising?" Finn retorted.
"As a matter of fact, I would handle it-"
"Enough." Tina stood. "There is no po-po-point in us arguing."
"She's right." Kurt crossed his arms over his chest. "We just need to find a way to get him back." The others nodded, in full agreement. "We may need Dakota Stanley's help in winning, but we need Mr. Schuester even more."
"Maybe if we told Mr. Schuester we were really sorry," Artie suggested. "You know, again."
"I could bake him some of my famous sugar cookies," Rachel said, smiling.
"Cookies? You think cookies are gonna make up for what we said?" Kurt's tone was mocking.
"You have a better suggestion then?" Finn asked, turning towards Kurt.
"No," the boy admitted. He looked away, sullenly.
"So we have cookies and another, better, apology," Artie summarised. "How are we going to apologise for saying that we need Dakota, get Mr. Schuester to come back and still have him agreeing to hiring Dakota?"
There was a pause as the six teenagers looked at each other. Half an hour earlier there’d been nine of them, but when Mr. Schuester hadn’t showed, Quinn and her friends had left while the original six decided to hold an impromptu meeting on how to get their teacher back.
"We'll cross that bridge later. Now, if we're not going to practise, we should all go home. I have a lot of cookies to bake tonight, two MySpace videos to record and some homework for next week I haven't finished yet," Rachel said.
Finn saw Mercedes share an eye roll with Kurt and shot them both an annoyed look. Kurt managed to look properly chastised, but Mercedes merely raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a challenging look in return.
"I suggest Mercedes take some extra time out of her busy schedule tonight and comes up with a good apology," Finn said to the room at large, eyes trained on Mercedes. "She should be the one asking him to come back, given that she was the one who drove Mr. Schue away in the first place."
"Hey, he thanked me for-"
"All right," Rachel stepped in between them. "Enough of that. I suggest we go home and all of us think of things to say to Mr. Schuester. Since he doesn't have a morning class tomorrow, we should meet by his classroom after third period."
"Ma-ma-maybe the others should be th-there too?" Tina asked, looking at Finn.
He nodded, distracted. "I'll try." Getting Quinn and the other Cheerios to help out would probably be difficult, but if he got his girlfriend to agree, Finn was certain the others would follow.
Minutes later, Finn walked over to Rachel as she picked up her bag and shouldered it. He coughed to get her attention and when she looked up, he smiled.
"You want some baking help?" Rachel didn't answer, so Finn continued, a little hesitatingly. "I'm actually very good at it, raised by a single mother and all." He smiled nervously.
"Why?" Rachel asked after a few moments.
"Well, you know, I uh..." he trailed off.
"I don't know or I wouldn't have asked." She turned to him and crossed her arms.
Finn’s eyes flitted down to ogle her chest, pushed up slightly by her arms. "You shouldn't have to do all that baking on your own?" He'd meant it as a statement, but the look in her eyes made him feeling more and more uncertain. "I should've tried harder to stop the Mercedes train once I realised what she was on about. And I should've gone directly to Quinn after you told me what she'd said to you. I should've known she wouldn't have just let it go because you came to your senses."
"That's it?"
"You want more?" The second Finn let the words out; he'd known they were a mistake. The question had been far too loaded for him to ask her. He hoped she'd say no. He wanted her to say yes.
She flashed him a sad smile and looked away.
"So… do you want some help?" he asked after a moment of silence.
"Sure, I wouldn't mind. I hope you’re not lying about your skills in the kitchen.”
"Oh, I'm not. My chocolate-chip cookies are a dream - just ask Puck."
Rachel laughed, just as he’d intended and Finn's heart jumped.
They exited the practise room together and walked down the empty hallway to their lockers side by side. Earlier in the year, he'd not even noticed that Rachel Berry's locker was right by his and now the fact that it was made him happy - for it meant that he was able to see her several times a day without needing an excuse.
"You think Mr. Schue is going to agree to hire Dakota?" Finn asked, hating the silence stretching between them.
Rachel took a moment to think her answer over before she replied. "I think that if he wants what's best for Glee - and though there is some evidence to the contrary, I believe he does - he'll see that our lack of a professionally choreographed number might hinder our chances at winning and he'll want to help rectify the situation. Hiring Dakota Stanley will be beneficiary to the Club and once Mr. Schuester gets over his self-doubt regarding his worth as our teacher, he'll come to see that too."
"So… that's a yes?" Finn asked, frowning slightly.
"I think so, yes."
Jackets in hands, they walked out of the school doors right in time to see Kurt's car disappear from the parking lot.
"I live this way," Rachel said, motioning in the opposite direction of Finn's house. "It shouldn't take us more than twenty minutes."
"One of your dads' aren't here to pick you up?" Finn asked as they walked.
"They're both at work."
"You don't have a car?"
Rachel was quiet beside him and Finn couldn't help out look at her. She was blushing slightly.
"No, no car. Actually, I kind of didn't pass my drivers test," she admitted.
"You're allowed to take them more than once," Finn said. He'd taken it two times himself.
"I kind of didn't pass it four times."
Finn nearly stumbled on the pavement.
"I know!" Rachel threw a hand up in the air, frustrated. "I really thought I had it the last time, but then a car just jumped out at me from absolutely nowhere and it was suggested to me that I wait a year and practise a lot more during that time before I try again."
"But if the other car caused the crash...?"
Rachel's blush deepened. "It was kind of... parked."
Finn laughed loudly, startling a bird.
"It's not funny!" Rachel fumed at him and began to walk faster.
"It so totally is! You can't drive."
Rachel looked about them, but saw no one. Still, she shot him a brief frosty look. "Keep your voice down," she warned. "It's embarrassing enough without everyone knowing."
"Rach, come on." Finn placed a hand on her arm, but she refused to look at him. "I actually almost didn't get my license either."
"Almost as in you still did?" She kept on walking, her eyes focused on a tree further down the street.
"Well yes eventually, but…" He paused, deliberating. "I hit a mail man."
His words stopped Rachel in her tracks and she turned to look at him.
"He's fine, now, and I was still allowed to get my license, but every time I get behind the wheel of a car, I sort of..."
"Think about it?" Rachel's voice was compassionate and kind now was she looked up at him with her big dark eyes.
"Yes. I was out practising with my mom and neither of us saw him coming. It's taken me some time to be able to drive without completely freaking out."
"I never would've guessed. I just thought you were a very careful driver, which I must say made me feel safe." Rachel smiled up at him as they resumed walking.
"I’ve not really told many people." Only Puck, he didn't add. "And anyway, what about you?"
"What do you mean?" Rachel looked away evasively.
"I never would've thought you of all people would be unable to get your license."
"Driving is not for everyone and I am mature enough to come to terms with the fact that I am simply not ready for it at this point in my life."
"What does that even mean?" Finn asked as they turned a corner and spotted her house.
Rachel began walking faster. "I hope we have all the ingredients we need for the cookies at home, but if we don't, I'll just make something else," she said, ignoring his question. "I am sure Mr. Schuester will like what we make him regardless, but I do so want to bake him my famous sugar cookies. I make them every year at Christmas for the homeless." As they approached the door, she fished her keys out of her bag.
"Aren't you Jewish?" Finn asked, following close behind.
"We celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah in our family."
"Oh."
The door opened, the light flared to life and for the first time, Finn had a look inside Rachel Berry's home. And he realised that she was probably very spoiled indeed.
"The kitchen is this way."
Rachel had walked right in, so Finn did also, even though part of him had wanted to leave his dirty shoes by the door.
If the entryway had been bright and clean, it was nothing to the Berry's kitchen. It was a large area, with a kitchen island surrounded by two walls of cabinets which opened up into a dining area complete with walls of glass through which the afternoon sun streamed. Finn put his bag down next to Rachel's and watched as she began gathering ingredients and equipment from around the room, placing them all on the island.
The only thing she'd needed Finn's help with had been to reach the extra large mixing bowl standing on a high shelf. Finn had fetched it down for her and Rachel had thanked him with a smile as he handed it to her. With the light framing her from behind, her face turned up towards him and her dark eyes locked on his, Finn had had to physically move away to the other side of the room before he grabbed her and kissed her senseless.
"Do you um, have a recipe?" he asked, looking everywhere but at her.
"I have it memorised."
Finn smiled at that. "Of course you do," he mumbled. He shot a quick look in her direction, relieved that Rachel hadn't appeared to have heard him.
"All right, let's get started." Rachel clapped her hands together, catching his attention. She walked over to the sink and began washing her hands meticulously and, once finished, Finn followed her example.
He washed his hands more carefully than he usually did, fearing Rachel's wrath. She wasn't yelling at him for the first time in a week and he wasn't going to mess that up by not cleaning up properly.
"Will you watch the butter while I mix together the dry ingredients?" she asked as he dried his hands.
"Sure," he said. She'd already put the butter on the stove so all he had to do was watch it melt. His eyes strayed from his appointed task every so often to watch Rachel as she measured and mixed. There was a smile on her face and as she'd put her hair up, his eyes were able to follow the graceful slope of her neck for the first time.
The butter melted, and Finn watched as Rachel completed the necessary steps with sure hands. They laughed and talked about unimportant things as they spooned the dough out on cookie sheets, telling each other stories about former baking mishaps.
Once she'd placed the first baking tray in the oven, Rachel began cleaning up. Finn joined her at the sink and they worked in silence, throwing looks at one another until the egg timer dinged.
"I'll get them," Finn said, reaching for the pot holders on the counters.
"Put it here, I'll get the next tray in."
Once the first set of cookies had cooled somewhat, Finn and Rachel worked side by side getting the cookies off the sheet and placed on a cooling rack so they could use the tray again. Rachel had made a double batch and they didn't have enough trays for all of the cookies.
Finn snatched up a cookie and bit into it, regretting it as soon as it hit his tongue. "Hot," he gasped out, waving a hand in front of his open mouth. He swallowed gingerly, placing the rest of the cookie back on the rack. "I'll get that in a bit."
Rachel smiled. "Good though?"
"It was too hot to tell," Finn admitted. "Water?"
"Oh yes, sure." Rachel handed him a bottle of water from the fridge, watching as he unscrewed the cap and gulped down mouthfuls of the cool water.
A few droplets escaped, sliding down Finn's chin and neck. Rachel followed the trail with her eyes and the stray thought that she wanted to follow it with her tongue instead floated through her mind.
She blushed and looked away. But only for a brief moment; then her eyes were once again watching his throat work as he swallowed the cool liquid.
"Thanks."
Rachel's eyes snapped back to meet his. "No problem."
Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes dark as she looked up at him. Butterflies flitted about Finn's stomach and he swallowed thickly at the look in her eyes. He put the bottle down on the counter beside him without taking his eyes off of hers - it could’ve fallen to the floor and he wasn’t sure he would’ve noticed.
He took a step closer to her and her eyes widened. As she made no move away, Finn took another step, this one bringing him so close that when he breathed, his chest brushed against hers.
Rachel swallowed.
"If you don't stop me right now I'm going to kiss you," Finn said, proud that his voice didn't betray his nervousness.
"Okay," Rachel breathed.
He hesitated. "Wait, is that okay to the kiss or-"
"Yes," she interrupted.
"Okay good."
Their eyes were locked for a breath longer, and then Finn leaned down and kissed her. He didn't hesitate before he deepened it, stealing her breath and tangling her tongue with his. His hands caressed her exposed neck while her hands rested against his chest. He was sure she could feel the rapid beatings of his heart.
Their lips meshed and battled for dominance until the need to breathe became to pressing. Finn looked down at Rachel, her eyes still closed as they both breathed harder than normal. He leaned down to press his lips back against hers when the egg timer dinged again.
Rachel's eyes flew open and she moved her head away, watching him with hooded eyes as his lips came closer to hers. He hadn’t noticed she was pulling away from him.
"We shouldn't," she said thickly, backing away. The timer dinged again and with the sound, Rachel turned from him and removed the second tray from the oven.
Finn came up behind her. "Rachel..."
She ignored him. "Can you put the next tray in please?"
He did as she asked quickly, set the time without thinking about it, before he turned back towards her. He stood close behind her and as he placed a hand on her shoulder, she whirled around.
"We really shouldn't," she said, placing a hand on his chest to stop him. "You have a girlfriend."
Finn had been on his way to lean down and kiss her again, but her words brought him back to the reality of the situation. As much as he wanted to kiss Rachel, in doing so he was cheating on his girlfriend. The girlfriend who'd joined Glee for his sake, even though she hadn't approved of his joining in the first place.
"You're right," he said, wishing he could argue. "I should go."
She didn't try to get him to stay, so Finn left, his head down and his lips still tingling from her touch.
- - -
"Hey Rachel, wait up," Finn called after her. He ran up the hallway to catch up with her, falling into step with her shorter strides. "Are we really going to go through with hiring Dakota?"
"Of course we are, Finn. You heard Mr. Schuester." She continued walking, her arms crossed. "And if he's going to be focusing more on his little boy band, then we need Dakota even more."
"I still don't think it's a good idea."
Rachel shot him a look. "It's not up to you. The rest of us are all in agreement."
"But he's a complete ass," Finn complained.
Earlier in the week, they'd gone to Carmel High School to meet with Dakota. Finn didn't know what'd been worse, meeting Dakota Stanley or sitting pressed up against Rachel in the back of Kurt's car on the ride over, her scented hair so close he could touch it and the sharp turns pressing them closer to each other every so often.
He'd hoped that by meeting Dakota, the Glee Club would've decided they didn't want him. But, despite the warnings from Vocal Adrenaline members, Rachel and the others had continued to steadfastly insist on hiring him and not even the large amount of money they would need to raise to pay him had deterred their decision.
"We need him to win," Rachel argued.
Finn stopped her. "It's not all about winning, Rach."
"It is, actually." She glared at him. "And haven't we already had this conversation?"
He frowned. "What conversation?"
"The one where I tell you I only have Glee while you have all your football friends and cheerleaders? Look, I don't like the guy either, but let's face it; we're not going to win without him."
"Wait, is this one of those chick things when you're mad at something but you pretend you're mad at something else?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Finn sighed. Just the way she'd said it made him sure she knew exactly what he meant. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"
"No, and neither do you." She started walking again and he hurried to follow.
"But, Rach-" he tried.
"We're hiring Dakota Stanley," she said. "With or without your approval." Her tone was firm.
Finn stopped in his tracks and watched her go. "Even if it means me quitting?" he called after her.
Rachel's steps faltered, but they didn't stop. "Yes," she told him over her shoulder.
He took a few steps after her. "You don't actually mean that," he stated.
She never turned her head to look at him as she spoke. "I do, actually."
Finn watched her go, making no move to follow. His heart felt heavy and disappointed.
He'd thought he meant more to Rachel than Glee, but apparently he'd been wrong. His worst fear had been confirmed, in that she'd only liked him because she thought she should. Not because of his status in the school as the quarterback, but because, as she herself had once told him, the rest of the team expected them to become an item.
Finn joining Glee had fallen right into Rachel’s high school plan.
He could've been anyone and Rachel would probably still have acted the same. Would've shared kisses with him regardless.
The thought hurt.
- - -
"We were starting to think you weren't gonna show," Mercedes called out as Finn exited his mother's car and joined the rest of the teens gathered.
"It's for Glee," he said and moved over to help Artie wash the car in front of him. Truthfully, he was there for Rachel.
His threat to leave the Club had been empty, but that wasn't something Rachel could've known. To have her say that Glee was more important to her than he was had hurt deeply. For several hours.
But later that night, as he laid alone in his bed, listening once more to her sing on his iPod, he realised just how selfish he was being. Of course Glee was more important to her than he was; Glee was her chance at fame, to gain all that she wanted out of life, while he was just the teenage boy who’d kissed her behind everyone's backs and pretended her mere presence didn't make his heart leap and his palms clammy.
He washed cars for half an hour, trying all the while to ignore Rachel one car over. His eyes strayed in her direction more often that not and he knew he should feel bad about watching her - and doing so unguardedly in front of so many people - but he didn’t. For as often as he looked at her, she looked back at him.
A new car pulled up in front of Rachel and the woman driving stepped out with a smile before she moved off to pay for her car to be washed. Tina, who'd been working with Rachel, stood off to the side, talking on the phone, leaving Rachel to clean the dark vehicle on her own. The car Finn and Artie had washed pulled away just then, and as no other car was waiting in line for them, Finn walked over to Rachel and, without saying a word, started to help her.
They cleaned in silence. Finn wanted to joke about her rain coat and matching gumboots, especially as they bumped into each other going for the hose to wash off the suds on the car and his shirt became wet, but he didn't.
At the end of the day, thanks to the Cheerios, they had raised enough money to hire Dakota. Finn hadn't thought it possible, but he'd underestimated the lure half naked cheerleaders had on the male population. More than one car, filled with teenage boys, had driven through their car wash more than once.
The only hiccup of the day had been when Mercedes had thrown a rock at Kurt's car, smashing the front window, before storming off. Rachel and Finn had shared a confused look at that. The look had been the opening Finn had waited for, and he'd just been about to comment on the success of the car wash, just for something to say to start a conversation, when Rachel turned from him, effectively shutting him out again. Finn had sighed before resuming his scrubbing, putting a little more force than necessary into it.
- - -
Rachel was glorious. Finn couldn't help but smile as he heard her defend herself and their whole group to Dakota Stanley. Next to him, the other Glee kids got their strength and determination back, just from her words, and his smile widened as one by one, they joined Rachel by her side.
"Okay so, misfits and spazheads and cripples can make it too. That's great," Dakota's tone was mocking. “What’s your point?”
"Our point is that, you're fired. And I'm taller than you." Rachel looked at Finn and they shared a smile - of amusement, of agreement and of friendship.
Finn felt incredibly proud of her. By the looks on the other's faces, they were proud of her too - and given all that she'd done for them, for the group, he really hoped they were.
"Barely," Dakota grumbled, unhappy.
As soon as Rachel turned her back to him, dismissing him, Dakota left the room in a storm of resentment. Neither Rachel nor Finn watched him go - Rachel was too busy accepting smiles and thankful words from the rest of the group; Finn was too busy watching Rachel's happy face.
"Finn," Quinn's voice broke though his thoughts and he turned, his smile shrinking. "We're leaving."
"All right," he said, glancing at the two Cheerios behind her. "I'll talk to you later?"
Quinn frowned as her eyes hardened. "I meant we’re leaving, as in you too," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Behind him, Rachel laughed at something Artie said and the sound drew his focus.
"Actually, I'm going to stay here for a while," Finn told Quinn. "But I'll call you later."
Quinn's eyes narrowed. "Fine," she said. Without another word to him or the rest of the group, she turned and left with her friends.
Finn watched her go and wondered at the repercussions of his choice.
"Hey, you in?" Rachel asked him, touching his arm briefly to catch his attention.
He turned towards her. "In on what?" he asked, happy she was smiling at him.
"We're celebrating with the best pizza in town," Mercedes answered.
"Isn't there only one pizza place left around here?" Artie asked. "Except for that creepy little hole-in-the-wall next to the library."
"I th-th-think they sell Chinese food there now actually," Tina said.
"I thought it was Mexican food," Rachel said. "At least they had that there two months ago."
"Oh I remember that," Kurt agreed. "Dad went there for lunch a while back. He didn't like it though and I think they shut down shortly after."
The six teens exited the school and saw Dakota's red car leave the parking lot.
"Hey, you think we'll get our money back?" Mercedes asked as they watched him drive off.
"I doubt it," Artie said. "He'll probably come up with some reason why he doesn't have to return it."
They began walking in the direction of the pizza place. As the side walk wasn't wide enough to fit all of them side-by-side, they split up into pairs. Rachel and Finn lead the way with Mercedes and Kurt walking right behind them. Following last were Tina and Artie, who'd fallen slightly behind as they talked about nothing in particular, both happy to just be with the other.
"I could sick my dads on him," Rachel suggested.
Kurt scoffed at Rachel's words. "What's your dad going to do? Talk to him nicely?"
Mercedes snorted at his words and mocking tone.
Rachel shot him a look over her shoulder. "Both of my dads' are lawyers. I'm sure Dakota rather give us back our money up front than pay a lawyer and then still have to give us our money back."
"Wait," Kurt voice was now hesitant. "You have… two dads?"
"Yes," Rachel replied matter-of-factly. "I thought you knew."
"Why would you think I knew?" Kurt asked. He laughed nervously.
Mercedes frowned at him.
"It's not exactly a secret. I just assumed everyone in town knew. And we've gone to the same school for years," Rachel twisted to look at him more fully over her shoulder. "I just thought you'd seen them at school functions."
"Oh right," Kurt seemed oddly relieved.
Finn shot him a look.
"I just… didn't think about it," Kurt continued.
"Kurt," Mercedes said, hooking her arm through his. "What are you going to get on your pizza?"
"Are you going to ask one of your dads to help out?" Finn asked Rachel quietly. It was obvious to him that Mercedes didn't want Kurt to pay more attention to Rachel. It baffled him how the two other teens could be so friendly and act as if nothing had happened when just days before Mercedes had smashed Kurt's window with a rock for seemingly no reason.
"Yes. We could use that money for Glee, to pay for travel or costumes," she said. "You should've seen some of the outfits Mr. Schuester wanted us to wear because Principal Figgins didn't think Glee was worth spending money on. There were yellow leotards."
Finn laughed. "You think that's bad? I agreed to help Mr. Schue and now I have to perform with the Acafellas during the PTA meeting."
Rachel's eyes were large as they stared up at him. "Please tell me you are joking."
"I tell no lie. We have to wear suits and everything."
"What are you guys going to sing?" Her merriment was clear in her tone, but she held it in as she waited for his reply.
Finn blushed slightly. "I Wanna Sex You Up," he admitted quietly.
Rachel laughed so hard she had to lean on him for support. Finn smiled down at her, placing a hand on her back to steady her, his heart tightening in his chest at her happiness.
- - -
"Hi honey, you're home later than usual."
Rachel smiled at her father, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek in greeting. "I was having pizza with some of the members of the Glee Club."
"That sounds like fun." Mr. Berry smiled warmly at Rachel as she danced around the kitchen island where he sat, reading the paper.
"It was so much fun, dad. I hope we'll do it again." She noticed the pot on the stove. "I know I should've called or sent a text and I'm sorry I didn't, but I forgot. I'm afraid I'm completely stuffed, so no dinner for me."
"That's all right my dear," he said. “I can take the leftovers to Mrs. Collins down the street.”
Rachel snatched up a cookie from the tin and bit into it just as her other father joined them. Rachel leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips against his cheek in a quick greeting, a large smile on her face.
"You look happy," he said, returning the greeting with a kiss of his own. He sat down next to his partner and together they watched their daughter's happiness with matching smiles on their faces.
"I am," Rachel replied. "Oh, before I forget, I was wondering if either of you would be able to help us out. You know that choreographer we wanted to hire?"
"Dakota Stanley?"
"Yes, that's him. Well, it turns out we had to fire him and now we're worried we’re not going to get our money back." Rachel looked between her fathers. "We could really use the money for the club and-"
"You want to make sure he returns it?"
"Exactly." Rachel smiled.
Her fathers looked at each other, slight frowns on both of their brows as they silently went over the next day's schedule.
"I should be able to look into it tomorrow morning. I'll contact Mr. Schuester once I know where we stand. You have a number for this Dakota?"
"I have it in my room," she answered. "Thanks dad." Rachel leaned over and kissed his cheek before she turned to kiss her other dad's cheek as well. "And thank you."
As Rachel danced, humming, out the room, a large smile on her face, her two fathers' looked at each other.
"I don't think I've seen her so happy since we took her to see Wicked."
They shared a smile at the memory of their trip to New York and Rachel's surprise and immediate exaltation when she opened her eyes and realised they were on Broadway.
"I really hope it lasts."
-
Chapter Three