This idea has been stuck in my head for months so I eventually cracked and had to write it. It's a little longer than I anticipated but it's finally finished! I'm posting it in two halves, the second of which will be posted in a few days.
Enjoy!
Ellie Hudson sits in her usual spot at the top of the stairs as she listens to her father and Uncle Kurt talk in the living room. This is something that she's done for a while now, well over a year - it was how she discovers what's going on in her father's life, or the things that he wouldn't tell her about.
It's actually how she found out that the tooth fairy isn't real, but that is irrelevant.
She's a smart girl for a six year old; especially considering who her father is (She's heard a lot of stories about him in High school from her Uncle Kurt) and she likes to be fully up to date on her father's life because, well, he is all she has. She's never met her mother, nor does she have any siblings, so Finn Hudson is really her best friend as well as her dad, and she wants to know that he's happy.
The conversations usually vary but stay around a main point. Tonight that point is a girl.
"You know Puckerman?" he asks Uncle Kurt, who no doubt is pulling a face at the mention of the man's name (Ellie is very aware of their mutual dislike of each other).
"That delinquent that you call a friend?" he scoffs back.
"Yeah," Finn says back quickly, "well, he's got this cousin, Rachel. I met her at his birthday party and she gave me her number. We're going out tomorrow night."
She sighs quietly to herself as she listens to the news. It doesn't matter when he has dates during the afternoon because she usually stays with their neighbors, the Scheuster's, who keep an eye on her for the few hours, but with dates at night, she has to stay over at her Uncle Kurt's house. Now, she loves her Uncle Kurt with all her heart, but there is only so much time a six year old can listen to him talking about the right moisturizers.
"So I'm guessing that Ellie is sleeping in my guest room then?" Her suspicions are confirmed.
"Would you mind…?"
She can imagine Uncle Kurt waving his hand casually, "no of course not. Just maybe tell me a week before next time. Blaine was going to come over."
Ellie finds herself smiling at this news since Blaine is just another big kid, and he plays with her and takes her to the park and everything. She doesn't know how he and Uncle Kurt know each other, but they are very close. Blaine adores her and she knows it.
"Dude, he won't mind. He loves Ellie."
"I know," Uncle Kurt sighs, "but we just had…other plans."
She frowns, confused, as she crosses her legs and gets more comfortable. When the floorboards creek, she freezes instantly in hope that no one can hear her and clutches her Cinderella story book to her chest tightly. It's always been her favorite and she feels safe when she has her old, tattered copy in her arms.
Thankfully, she isn't heard and the conversation flows without hesitation.
"So, where are you taking this girl then…this…?"
"Rachel," Finn repeats, "we're just going to get a coffee together. You know, get to know each other a little bit more."
"Oh, so this isn't going to be another one night stand?"
Finn sounds offended, "no!"
From the top of the stairs, Ellie wonders what her Uncle Kurt means by 'one night stand' but shrugs it off as her daddy talks about the lady that he will be taking out.
She's used to this by now; her father dating. It never amounts to anything. The longest one she can remember is a blonde girl called Quinn who he was with for just over a month. Apparently she didn't like that he had a daughter because she once had a baby girl that she gave up and it was too painful.
Though, after every girl, he knows that he can depend on Ellie at the end of the day.
They depend on each other, they always have.
And she knows that this girl is just going to be one in a long line.
She returns to their conversation, placing her head against the banister as she lets out a long yawn.
"Well," Uncle Kurt begins, "I should get going. I have work in the morning."
"Sure. It is getting pretty late," Finn agrees. She hears their movement and panics, beginning to stand up when she hears her father's booming voice in the hallway, "Ellie Grace Hudson, what are you doing up so late?"
"Daddy, I…" she looks down the stairs to see Uncle Kurt and Finn staring up at her, trying to hide their amused expressions.
He holds up a hand to silence her, "I don't want to hear your excuses. Just come down and say goodbye to Uncle Kurt before I put you back to bed."
Putting the book down on the top step, she rushes down and catches her Uncle in a tight hug. "Bye Uncle Kurt."
He kisses her cheek. "Goodbye sweetie. Be good for your father," he points his finger at her, "he's got a few more gray hairs since the last time I saw him and I suspect that's down to you."
She giggles as Finn throws his brother a look before running his hand through his hair. "Bye Kurt," he says grumpily, leading the man to the door. With a wave toward Ellie and a hug to Finn, he exits swiftly. Finn swirls around, eyeing his daughter, "you, little missy, were eavesdropping again."
"No I wasn't," she shakes her head as he gestures her up the stairs. Yawning once more, she asks, "Will you read me a story?"
Finn looks at his watch and sighs, "one story, then straight to sleep." She nods eagerly, reaching for Cinderella. He reads it to her at least once a week and this week is no different.
As he carries her to her room, she leans into his neck. "Am I sleeping at Uncle Kurt's house tomorrow?" she mumbles.
"So you were eavesdropping?" he laughs when she looks sheepish. "Yeah, you're staying there. I'll pick you up after school though and hey, maybe we can go get some ice cream before we go to Kurt's house."
"Can I have a chocolate sundae?" Her eyes light up.
"I'll see," he smiles.
She doesn't think much about her father's date for a while because, well, she's never really had to before.
But then she finds herself packing her overnight bag to go over to Uncle Kurt's house again within the same week. She packs her coloring book and her favorite dolls before skipping downstairs to meet her father at the door.
"You ready?" he holds out a hand for her, "Uncle Kurt is waiting for us."
She notices that he's a little more dressed up than usual. "Where are you going?" she questions, clinging onto her bag tightly as they walk to the car. Kurt beeps at them, a look on annoyance plastered across his face.
"I've got a date, Ellie," he tells her.
"With the same lady as before?" she peers up at him.
He smiles, "yup."
"Oh," her head drops down.
Finn picks up on this, stopping her in her tracks and kneeling down so that they are face to face. With her deep brown eyes trained on him, he starts, "hey, Ellie, it's just a date. You know that you're still my favorite girl, right?"
Her eyes meet his and she tries to judge the look in his face. His eyes are honest and his smile is genuine, the dimples appearing as usual. With a smile in return, she nods.
"Good," he ruffles her mousy brown hair and leads her to the car again. She climbs into the back seat while he gets in the passenger seat, next to his irritated brother, "hey Kurt."
"Hey Uncle Kurt!" she grins, buckling on her seatbelt.
"You seriously need to get a car, Finn," he frowns back, beginning down the road.
She leans forward to talk to him. "But me and daddy like walking to places. He says that cars are expensive," she says, adding, "And we've got you to drive us around."
"I feel so honoured to be the Hudson's chauffeur," he says sarcastically, turning to Finn, "you're dressed up."
Finn sends him a look, "Well, yeah. I am going on a date."
"You've never made this much of an effort before," he comments.
Ellie notices how Finn's cheeks blush slightly and he is nervously wringing his hands together. He'd never been like this before a date before and she certainly doesn't like it. Still, she knows that it's only a matter of time until he stops seeing this girl.
Ten minutes later and the car slows in front of a foreign house. It looks like every other house on the street, just ordinary.
Finn spins around in his seat, leaning forward to kiss her forehead, "goodbye sweetheart. I'll pick you up tomorrow, okay? Behave for your Uncle." To Uncle Kurt, he says, "thanks man, for everything."
"Bye daddy," she mumbles, a little sadly.
"Have fun," Uncle Kurt tells him, the hint of a smirk on his face.
And then Finn is out of the car, hurrying up the small path to the front door. She watches as he knocks and a woman answers, but Uncle Kurt is already driving away and she only catches a glimpse of her dark brown hair and blinding smile before they step into the house.
"Happy birthday!" she wakes up to see her father sitting on her bed, a huge grin dominating his face. Sitting up, she rubs her eyes before being hugged by Finn. "Seven years old already," he smiles, "it feels like only yesterday you were a little baby."
She beams up at him, "but now I'm all grown up!"
"Well," he laughs, "more grown up than you were this time last year. You've still got a while to go before you're a woman." He then adds under his breath, "thank God."
"Did you get me a present?" she leans nearer him, looking for any evidence of a gift.
Finn chuckles, an affectionate smile crossing his face, "you've got lots of presents, but you've got to wait until the rest of the family is here." He starts to whisper, "there is one present that you can open now. A special one from me."
Her eyes sparkle with excitement as he puts a hand inside his breast pocket and pulls out a package, messily wrapped in bright pink and white striped paper. He hands it over quickly, wanting to see her reaction.
Within a few seconds, she's ripped off the paper and is holding a tiny gold locket. It is heart shaped, the curves soft and feminine, and the metal shines brightly in her hand.
"Daddy," she breathes, "it's so pretty. Thank you." Her arms fling around him as she hugs the man tightly, "will you put it on me? Then I can show it to Grammy and Grandpa and Uncle Kurt, and they'll all think that it's beautiful."
"It is beautiful," he agrees, "but not as much as you." His large fingers reach for the locket which he handles with great care as he clasps it around her neck. He presses a kiss to her hairline, "We should go out for breakfast. Then maybe it'll be edible."
She giggles, nodding to his plan. "This is the best birthday by far!"
Well, she thought it was going to be the best birthday. Maybe it still was, but she managed to forget that her daddy is still seeing that woman…
"Daddy, you cheated!" she tells him as he steals the basketball from her after slyly ticking her belly. He shakes his head and aims for the hoop, though slightly missing. "See," she smiles smugly, "Karma. That's for cheating."
Now back with the ball, she dribbles it along the driveway, jumping a little as she throws it toward the basket herself. Due to her inferior height, it's hard to really beat her dad at basketball, but she's getting better every day and today, she manages to score.
"Yay!" she grins, bouncing up and down giddily while Finn reaches for the ball again.
"I'm gonna beat you," he says surely, trying to get past her. She uses her agility to her advantage and manages to steal the ball. "Oh, what!" he tries to act annoyed but just ends up laughing loudly, while she grins.
His phone starts to ring and she rolls her eyes, expecting it to be another call from work. She doesn't expect it to be her.
"Hello," he says quickly and she watches as a broad smile breaks onto his face, "oh hi Rach, how are you?" He begins to retreat into the kitchen before she can even react.
"So much for playing with me," she mutters, kicking the ball away.
She sees him through the window, talking animatedly on the phone to this 'Rach' Was that her real name or just a nickname? She sighs and sits down on the doorstep, kicking a bit of dirt around idly. She's always been used to having her daddy just for herself and that it how it's always going to be, or so she hopes.
It's a few days before Halloween and Uncle Kurt has just dropped her off back home when she finds her daddy in the kitchen munching on a cookie. She finds it strange because her daddy cannot cook or bake. And her Grammy would throw a fit if she knew that he were eating unhealthily again, or passing bad habits down to her.
So she frowns upon seeing his basically stuffing his face with the treats.
"Where'd you get cookies from daddy?" she questions, sitting on one of the window ledges.
He smiles, offering her one, "Rachel baked them. And she said that they're healthier than normal cookies and stuff."
Ellie cautiously takes a cookie, wanting to not like it because of who made it but, as she takes a bite into it, she can't not like it. She instantly reaches for more before heading into the garden to play. Her father chuckles behind her, watching with amusement.
"There's banana bread too!" he shouts and she licks her lips in anticipation. She hopes that Rachel isn't good at anything else because her daddy might like her even more, and that thought is scary.
She notices that Finn is nervous as they sit eating their take out and watching the TV. "What's wrong daddy?" she probes as he pushes the food around his plate.
His eyes catch hers for a moment and she frowns at him. "Nothing Ellie." He rubs his chin idly for a second, "well, not nothing, but…never mind." He quickly returns to his food, staring at the TV with a strange intensity.
After dinner, she goes to play outside on the tree swing that she and Finn made, seeing how high she can go. Her hair blows wildly in the wind but she doesn't mind. She's never been one of those girls who care about how her hair looks or how anything looks. She much prefers getting dirty in the garden than doing "girly" things.
She ends up lying on the ground, staring up at the clouds.
The back door opens and she hears Finn calling her. In a few seconds, she's in the kitchen, "yes daddy?"
"I'm going out for a few hours," he tells her, "I've talked to Mr Schuester and he said that you can stay over there until I come back."
"Where are you going?" she asks curiously, following him to the lounge where he puts on his jacket and hands over hers.
He doesn't answer her question, instead says, "it's cold Ellie, put this on if you're playing out."
He gives her a hug before he swats her backside, pushing her in the direction of the back door, "now go on, go play. Love you. I'll be back to put you to bed."
Nodding, she puts on her jacket and runs over to the fence that separates her garden from Mr Schuester's. Hoisting herself up, she throws her legs over and drops down onto their well-kept lawn when she sees their son, George, running out of the back door. He's a year older than her, but they still get along pretty well.
"Hi Ellie," he grins when he finally gets over to her, "Do you wanna play cowboys and Indians?"
"Only if I can be the cowboy," she shoots back, beginning to chase him. It's pretty easy to catch up to him. She knows that she can run fast, a trait which her daddy says she gets from her mother, but she doesn't expect to gain on him so easily.
Or maybe it's because he slows down as they reach the front yard, his eyes trained on something in the distance.
"Who's that with your dad? I thought that you didn't have a mom," he frowns, turning back to her with a look of confusion on his freckled face.
"I don't," she says a little annoyed before looking to where he is pointing. Her dad is in the distance; walking with the same brown haired woman whose house he went to – Rachel. Their backs are turned to the kids, but she hears them both laughing and she can see their hands intertwined as they disappear down the street.
Rachel is small, much smaller than her dad and she's wearing a skirt despite how cold it is. Ellie frowns when she leans closer to Finn, almost leaning against him.
Once they're gone, she returns to playing, though the image of the two together is still on her mind.
Finn picks her up from the Schuester's at a little past nine when she's curled up in the sofa, half asleep as Mr and Mrs Schuester watch the news.
He carries her back to the house, holding her against him safely from the wind and cold. When they get inside, she can hear soft singing from the kitchen and looks up at her father, "who's that?"
She knows who that is. She just wants him to tell her.
He begins to stride upstairs and the voice become quieter and quieter. "That's the girl that I've been seeing." He slowly helps her change into her pyjamas before tucking her into bed.
"Will you read to me?" she asks.
Finn looks unsure, "I really should be getting back to Rachel." He tucks her hair behind her ear, "and you have school tomorrow. It's already past your bedtime."
She nods, trying to hide the disappointment in her face. He places a kiss to her forehead before reaching over and turning off her bedside lamp. She listens as his footsteps retreat down the hall and stairs.
She wishes that she wasn't tired so that she could go and sit at the top of the stairs and listen in on their conversation but, as soon as he head hits the pillow, she falls asleep.
Ellie wakes up a little before seven and she sleepily makes her way down the stairs when she smells pancakes. She doesn't remember ever having pancakes for breakfast. As she steps into the kitchen, she freezes.
It's not her dad who's cooking.
The woman must have heard the door opening because she spins around with a smile on her face, "Finn, I –" She realizes who it is and her smile grows bigger, "hi, you must be Ellie. I've heard so much about you. I'm Rachel."
The little girls nods hesitantly, looking around for her dad. "Where's daddy?"
"He went for a shower," Rachel explains, eyeing her with interest. She takes the moment to observe the woman in return. She's pretty enough, though her nose is kinda big, but she has large brown eyes, much like her own. And her smile is almost blinding. Ellie watches as hesitation flashes in her eyes, "d-do you want some pancakes?"
She wants to say no, but her stomach instantly growls at the mention of food and she blushes, "yes please."
If possible, Rachel's smile gets even larger and she returns to the cooking.
Ellie narrows her eyes at the woman behind her back. What is she doing here so early? Especially when her daddy has to go to work soon anyway.
"What time did you get here?" she asks curiously, her voice perhaps a little too sweet while she sits at the table.
Rachel doesn't seem to notice, "um, last night at about six."
"No, I mean this morning," she explains.
The brunette frowns, "I didn't leave."
There's a long pause with the only sound being that of the pancakes frying.
"So where did you sleep? Daddy says that the couch is too uncomfortable to sleep on."
She sees panic flash across Rachel's face and her mouth hangs open uncertainly before the door opens and Finn walks in. Rachel breathes out a long sigh of relief, her eyes set on the man.
"Morning!" he smiles, arriving at Rachel first. As if he doesn't know that his daughter's in the room, he catches her in a deep kiss, distracting her from the cooking. When he pulls away, they both smile at each other in a way that makes Ellie feel sick. She can't wait until this particular relationship ends.
Finn's eyes finally land on her, "oh, hey Ellie. Did you sleep okay?"
"Yes," she says a little grumpily, resting her chin on her cross arms as she leans across the table.
He laughs, "you still look a little tired."
"I'm fine," she mumbles, while still trying to figure out why Rachel is there. When her dad had been dating Quinn, she'd come over to the house once and that was for a grand total of five minutes.
This woman has stayed the entire night.
Ellie can never remember that happening.
Maybe she should have expected it because, well, it's well over two months since her daddy went for that first date and he brought Quinn home after just a month.
Still, it gives her an unsettling feeling.
She clings onto the cart as Finn pushes it along the aisle. The contents of the it are mainly packet meals and she's managed to convince Finn to get her a few things, but it's really their usual weekly groceries.
"Ellie, can you go and get some milk?" he asks, pointing toward the end of the aisle. She nods and jumps from the trolley before manoeuvring herself through the sea of adults to get to it.
When she returns, she almost drops the two cartons of milk from shock of seeing Rachel next to her dad. They're talking and laughing and, at one point, she reaches out and holds onto his arm longer than Ellie thinks necessary.
After placing the milk into her cart, she curiously peers into the basket that Rachel has hanging off her arm and frowns at the sight of lots of fruit and vegetables. They aren't exactly her favorite foods.
Rachel finally notices her and does that creepy adult smiling once more. "Hey Ellie, how are you?"
"Good," she replies primly, "my daddy took me to his work today because my school was closed." She emphasises the 'my daddy' in hope that Rachel will get the hint.
"Oh," she frowns, "what happened at your school?"
"Most of the teachers got the flu," Finn explains, "but we had fun, didn't we squirt?" He ruffles Ellie's hair and she grins, nodding quickly.
"Well I'm glad," Rachel smiles, "I should get going. Let you two get on with your shopping."
Finn smiles, leaning in for a kiss, "Are we still on for tomorrow night?"
With her own shy smile, Rachel nods, "I can't wait to see what you're going to surprise me with."
He grins, "You'll love it."
They go in for another kiss and Ellie turns away with a disgusted look on her face. She does not want to get used to seeing her daddy doing that.
Rachel waves goodbye and begins to leave, all the time Finn's eyes on her. Ellie frowns at the goofy look on his face and, when he doesn't stop staring at the retreating girl, she pushes him in the opposite direction. "Come on daddy," she says. Being half his size, it's difficult to push him but she manages.
It starts to become a normal occurrence that she goes to her Uncle Kurt's or stays over at the Schuester's for the day.
And each time, Finn returns with that same smile. She's used to her father having dates at least three times a week. And then there are the phone calls. It seems that Rachel only ever calls when she and her daddy are doing something together and he always answers without fail. As soon as he hears the familiar ringing, he hurries over to the phone.
Like today for instance…
Finn sits with her at the dining room table, helping with her math homework. Having a teacher as a dad helps a lot, especially since it's not her best subject. She much prefers English and sometimes even writes her own stories.
But, half way through explaining the fractions, the house phone rings and she knows that it's Rachel because nobody else would be calling them on a Saturday afternoon. Well, maybe Uncle Kurt but he's away on vacation with Blaine.
"Hey Rach," Finn says as soon as he picks up the phone.
Ellie sighs loudly and goes back to staring at her homework blankly.
"Yeah, I'm great," he goes on, "no I'm not doing anything."
He leans against the counter and she rolls her eyes as that smile begins to creep onto his face. "Ellie's here," he explains and she wonders what Rachel had said to him, "no, come on over. We love having you here."
You love having her here, she corrects in her mind.
"Right, see you soon," he ends the conversation and then turns to Ellie, "Rachel's coming over."
"I know," she says dryly, "you just told her to." Her eyes never meet his and she pretends to be interested in her work.
Finn doesn't notice this. To be honest, she doesn't think he'd notice a fire if Rachel were in the same room.
She has no idea how that woman has cast such a spell over her daddy, but she's determined to stop it. After all, it's only been three months and they talk to each other at least once every day.
Ellie doesn't know how you sabotage a relationship, but she can always ask an adult, a trustworthy adult.
Uncle Kurt laughs as she tell him her worries, "Ellie, sweetie, let me explain." He sits down beside her on the bed in his guest room. Finn is on yet another date and she'd found herself at her Uncle's for the second night in a row, "your dad is in what is called the 'honeymoon stage' of dating. That's why he's so smitten. In a few weeks, everything will start to calm down and, knowing your father, he'll probably break up with her. He's never really been one for long relationships."
"But you should see them together Uncle Kurt," she cries out, seriously on the verge of tears, "they're always kissing and touching and it's gross."
"Well, yes," he smiles, "that's what you do in a relationship."
She shakes her head, "they act as if I'm not even there."
"You know that your dad has trouble concentration on more than one thing," he pats her shoulder sympathetically. "He loves you more than anyone else."
"Then why is he spending so much time with her?" she questions through tearful eyes.
Uncle Kurt sighs, "Ellie, I think that you're a little too young to understand but you're dad does get lonely. And, other than you, he doesn't really have anyone else."
"But why can't he just have me?" she folds her arms. She knows that it's selfish, but she doesn't care. He's her daddy.
"Because," Uncle Kurt wraps his arm around her, "one day when you're all grown up, then who's going to be there for your daddy?" She stay silent and Uncle Kurt carries on, "and I'm not saying that this woman is right for him, but he'll eventually find the right person."
She lets the tears flow now, leaning against Uncle Kurt sadly.
Uncle Kurt peers down at her and then gives her shoulder a soft squeeze before rubbing her arm in a comforting manner, "oh Ellie, sweetie, everything will be fine. And, in the meantime, I'm sure that you can deal with Rachel. She can't be all that bad, right?"
She sighs, "She's not bad. She's just…strange."
"How so?" he smirks.
"Well," she says, unable to think of anything to back up her statement, "she…ermm, I- she…oh, she doesn't eat meat and she talks to me about animals rights all the time!"
Uncle Kurt laughs, "That's not strange. Lots of people don't eat meat."
"No, but she eats vegetables, like, all the time and nobody likes vegetables."
He shakes his head as he chuckles, tapping her nose affectionately, "no, you don't like them. I've experienced your tantrums."
"How can daddy like her if she doesn't even eat meat? He loves meat."
"You know, relationships sometimes work better if you don't like the same things," Uncle Kurt says, "ever heard of the saying opposites attract?"
She frowns and shakes her head no.
"Well, you have now," he smiles, "and maybe that's why your dad has kept Rachel around for longer than usual."
"It's almost been four months," she says. "How much longer do you think it'll last?"
"Don't worry," Uncle Kurt replies, "honeymoon phase, remember? I bet that it'll be over before Christmas and then everything will be back to normal."
"You think so?"
"I know so," he says, "now come on. I've kept you up way past your bedtime." He places a kiss to her forehead, "goodnight Ellie."
"Night Uncle Kurt and thank you. You won't tell daddy what I said, right?"
"Of course not," Uncle Kurt tells her, "it's our little secret." He winks at her before slowly leaving the room.
She sighs, turning over in bed. At least if her daddy is acting different, she knows that she can count on Uncle Kurt to take her side.
"We should make some cookies," she tells her daddy that morning as she eats her bowl of cheerios. He sips at her coffee, but smiles down toward her when she suggests it. "Christmas cookies," she adds, "We can decorate them with snowflakes and reindeer and stuff."
"Later," he says, "we've got to go and get the tree first. Then we can come back and decorate it."
"Ooh," she grins. Christmas has always been her and her daddy's favorite holiday, and decorating the tree is one of their many cherished activities. "Can we go now?" she squeals.
He laughs, "Finish your breakfast first." He takes a bite of his own toast before adding, "oh, Rachel's coming with us, too."
Ellie's face falls and she holds back a groan, remembering Uncle Kurt's advice. It is only a matter of time until she can say goodbye to Rachel forever.
So an hour later, she finds herself trailing behind Finn and Rachel at the tree lot. Rachel is talking about one of her friends, waving her arms about animatedly while Finn's laughs along at every chance he gets. They haven't even looked at a tree yet.
She takes it upon herself to find the perfect one, slowly walking away from the couple when she spies some large Christmas trees. She has always liked the tall one because she can get more decorations on.
As she continues down the row, the two adults move completely out of her sight. Not that she minds, she actually prefers this. She runs her fingers across the thick branches of a particular tree, deciding that it isn't good enough for her daddy.
The icy winds blow through her hair and she pulls her scarf tighter around her neck before continuing to check each tree. It's so cold that she can see her breath blowing in front of her. She looks the next tree up and down, knowing that it just isn't perfect enough to be in their house.
Her tiny feet plough on through the light sprinkling of snow as she turns down more and more trees.
Then she spots it.
But there's already a family close to it. Only a few trees away. With a boost of sudden energy, she runs as fast as her small legs will carry her to the tree where she wraps her arms around it tightly. "It's perfect!" she says to herself, though loud enough for the family to hear. She isn't going to tell them to back off, but she can hint at it.
Though, they don't appear to be concerned about the tree.
"Are you lost?" the blonde mother asks with concern.
She frowns at her for a response, looking around the lot for her daddy and her stomach sinks when she realizes that he's nowhere to be found. She can't lose her daddy! Her breathing slowly becomes more erratic as she realizes that she stupidly walked away from him, without even bothering to tell him.
She doesn't even know why she couldn't have just said a few words. It's not like Rachel being there would have made a difference. He may have even started looking himself.
"I-I don't know," she tells the woman, searching all around in hope that she'll see her daddy. He's six foot three. How can she not see him?
"What do your mommy and daddy look like?" the father questions, leaning down so that he's facing her, "we'll help you to find them."
Ellie is at a complete loss for words. She's never done this before because, well, her daddy's always been by her side. Not by another girl's. But today he's been by Rachel's…
Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she becomes more scared than ever before.
"Ellie!"
Her ears prick up at the sound of her name being called and she doesn't care less that it's her who's saying it because at least Rachel knows where her daddy is.
"Ellie, where are you?"
"Is that your mommy?" the mother looks at her again, glancing around for the source of the voice. She doesn't have time to reply as she sees a slightly crazy looking Rachel appear round the corner. Despite herself, she hurries toward the woman, letting herself fall into her outstretched arms.
Rachel clings onto her tightly lifting her up, "are you okay?" She keeps asking her questions, "we were so worried about you. Don't ever run off again." As the older woman hugs her tightly to her chest, Ellie can't help but think how nice it feels. She quickly wipes the thought from her head. This is Rachel. She'll be gone in a few weeks: her Uncle Kurt had said so.
But still, she does almost enjoy it.
"Where's daddy?" she asks desperately, sniffling quietly.
"Looking for you," Rachel replies, looking close to tears herself. Ellie quickly feels guilty at the fact that she's worried her father.
She notices the family slowly returning to their activities before she'd caught their attention. "Thank you!" she calls after them.
"That's quite alright," the woman smiles, "just try not to go running from your mom and dad again, okay sweetie?" And, with a smile, she turns in the opposite direction.
Ellie takes a moment to absorb what she had said. Her mom and dad. That woman thought that Rachel was her mom. Rachel, of course, had missed it as she was fussing over her, but now it just keeps replaying through her mind.
Rachel is not her mom. She wants to go and tell the woman exactly that, but she is still locked in Rachel's death grip. And she's sort of pressed up against her chest. The only woman she remembers getting a hug like this from is her Grammy and yet it's still different.
She lets Rachel carry her because she assumes that they're going in the direction toward her daddy. "Finn!" she hears the woman call and looks up instantly with frantic eyes before they stop on Finn in the far distance. He runs over in long strides and catches both Ellie and Rachel in his embrace.
"I thought that someone had taken you," he confesses, peppering her face with kisses. He looks her dead in the eye and says, "Don't you ever, ever scare me like that again."
"I'm sorry," she mumbles into his chest, "I was just looking for the perfect tree."
She feels him laugh into his hair and she's suddenly in his arms again. That is where she belongs. "Did you find it?" he asks, his eyes watery.
A smile appears on her face and she nods. "It's right over there," she points in the direction where she's just came from.
"Come on then," Finn hoists her up a little more, refusing to put her on the floor as if scared that she'll run off again.
She couldn't be happier until she sees Finn slip his other arm around Rachel's shoulders, pulling her against his side. For now, she can just hope that it all ends soon.
Finn carries the tree home over his shoulder while she skips ahead, contemplating whether to put a star or angel on the top of the tree this year.
When they get into the warmth of the house, Finn sets up the tree while Rachel and Ellie go to get the decorations from the basement. "What does your Christmas tree look like?" she asks Rachel, who has just finish a ten minute rant on the benefits of organic to regular food.
The brunette smiles softly, "I don't have a Christmas tree."
"Why?" she frowns, "do you not like Christmas? Because it's my favorite holiday. And daddy's!"
"Well," Rachel begins, "I'm Jewish so I don't celebrate it. I celebrate Hanukkah instead."
Ellie stares at her like she had three heads, "so you've never decorated a Christmas tree before?" She shakes her head as an answer, her lips pursed tightly together. "And Santa Clause has never brought you presents?" Hiding a grin, she again shakes her head no. Ellie feels sorry for her because Christmas is awesome and Rachel's never had one before. It still doesn't take away from the fact that she doesn't like her, but she can still pity her.
"Anyway," the woman picks up the boxes that they've gathered, "why don't we go and liven this house up a little bit?"
Ellie can't exactly say no to that and follows her eagerly.
"Maybe we can bake some cookies afterwards," Rachel adds and it takes every ounce of power in Ellie not to smile at her. How did she know what she likes to do at Christmas? Her daddy must have told her. That's the only possible reason.
This can't be happening! No way! Does he just want to make her upset? She's convinced that the whole world is conspiring against her.
Rachel is spending Christmas with them.
Well, she hadn't been there for the opening of presents in the morning but, at around one when she's sitting with her Grampa and watching The lion king, she hears the doorbell go and she just knows that it's Rachel. She always comes at the worst times. Is she even aware that it's Christmas today?
So when her daddy answers and she hears her high voice, she slumps down in her seat. What could she possibly want now?
"Thanks for coming," Finn says and Ellie wonders why her dad would possibly invite her over. The kitchen door is open and she can make out her Uncle Kurt, watching Finn and Rachel from where he stands. For a moment, his eyes fall down to Ellie, who pulls a face.
"I'm happy to come," Rachel replies, "any chance to spend time with you and Ellie. I brought some of my vegan casserole. The one that you liked."
As she turns to look at the pair, she sees Finn take the casserole from her, then take hold of Rachel's hand, "come on, I want you to meet my mom." They disappear into the kitchen a few seconds later and, just as quickly, Uncle Kurt walks out, a thoughtful expression on his face.
She goes to help him set the table, watching him carefully. "What are you thinking about?" she frowns.
He shakes his head slightly, before smiling down at her, "it's just…she looks very familiar. I don't know where I recognize her from." Ellie hears laughing from the kitchen and her frown only deepens. "Cheer up," Uncle Kurt pats her head.
"But you're still on my side about the whole thing right?"
"What?" he chuckles.
She leans closer, whispering, "About the Rachel thing. You're still on my side?"
"I wasn't aware that we had sides," he says, straightening out the place mats.
"Uncle Kurt!" she stomps her foot.
"You have my unwavering support," he replies, not even casting a glance in her direction.
Finn walks out of the kitchen, holding a bowl of vegetables, with Rachel and Carole in tow, the two already in a conversation. Meanwhile, Uncle Kurt is staring at Rachel with a blank expression.
She doesn't notice at first though her eyes slowly fall on him. "You must be Finn's brother," she smiles.
"Kurt," he holds out his hand.
She shakes it quickly, "Rachel."
"Rachel? I feel like I've seen you before…" he says, raising an eyebrow curiously and she cautiously nods at the tone of his voice. "Where do I know you from?" he says more to himself before shaking the thought from his mind and finishing the table. Rachel doesn't hear him as she's now being introduced to Burt, who merely winks at Finn.
"Ellie darling," her Grammy takes hold of her hand, "come and help me bring the food onto the table."
Soon enough, the small family is sat around the dining table, which is brimming with lots of delicious food courtesy of her Grammy and Uncle Kurt. They do this every year. Finn offers the space while the other two offer the food. And normally it's Burt who gets hold of the alcohol, but that doesn't affect Ellie at all.
She's sat in between Uncle Kurt and Finn, again as usual. Just as the last bowl of food hits the table, she and Finn dive in, filling their plates with whatever they can get their hands on. She hears Rachel laughing softly to herself at the sight and blushes, as does Finn. "That was cute," she whispers to the man, her eyes trained on him.
"So Rachel, what do you do for a living?" her Grampa asks through a mouthful of ham.
Rachel smiles up at him. "Well," she starts, "I'm an actress."
"An actress?" he seems sceptical, but she doesn't really appear to notice.
"I don't remember seeing you in anything," Uncle Kurt says, his voice a little harsh.
She quickly backpedals. "Oh, not a television actress. I'm on Broadway."
Ellie watches as Uncle Kurt's eyes grow wide with excitement and she doesn't quite understand. "Broadway?" he breathes.
"What's Broadway?" Ellie questions.
"It's like heaven!" he says dramatically and Rachel stifles a giggle.
"I'm guessing that you're a fan?" she grins when he nods vigorously.
"I've been a huge fan since as long as I could remember," he explains, "though unfortunately the last thing I saw was a revival of Beauty and the beast."
Rachel stops, an eager smile on her face, "was a year ago?"
"Yes," he says, "did you see it too?"
She grins, wiggling in her seat as if about to explode from excitement. "I was Belle in that!"
Kurt's mouth drops open. "Oh my God! I remember now! That's where I know you from. You're Rachel Berry, aren't you?" She nods, clearly happy at being finally recognized, "oh, you were absolutely magnificent in that. You made me cry multiple times."
"Thank you," she says graciously, but it's clearly that she's loving the compliments. "What other shows have you seen?"
"I've seen practically every show there is to see. Sadly, I haven't been for a while… I'd love to go again, but it's hard to find volunteers to go with me. My boyfriend Blaine has put up with more than his fair share of shows and Finn fell asleep through one so."
At this, Finn blushes an even deeper shade than before, "shut up man."
Rachel peers at Kurt curiously, "you have a boyfriend?"
The whole table freezes, even Ellie. If she knows anything about her family, it's that they will not let anyone upset Uncle Kurt about his sexuality. She sees her Grampa's stony expression and has a feeling that this may be the end of Rachel for good. Even Finn will stand up for Kurt and she's heard all of the stories of how he was in High School.
"Yes," Uncle Kurt frowns, "is that a problem?"
All eyes are on Rachel now, but as an actress, she can handle the attention. "Certainly not," she replies honest;y, "I was raised by my two gay fathers."
The tension suddenly disappears, replaced by surprise. "Really?" Uncle Kurt asks.
Rachel finishes a spoonful of the vegetable soup she's eating. "Oh yes," her eyes light up, "they're my first and biggest fans. I honestly don't know where I'd be without them. They've been so supportive of my dream even when I doubted it."
"They sound like good men," Carole smiles.
"They are," Rachel agrees proudly, "they're amazing fathers." She glances to Kurt again, "anyway, you were talking about how you'd like to go through more shows?"
After he's over the initial shock of learning of her upbringing, he nods, "yes, I don't really have anyone to go with and then there's finding time off work and the money."
Rachel nods along with him. "Well," she tries to act casual though it doesn't work, "I could always get you tickets to see my latest show. We don't open until next month but I'm sure it'll be spectacular when we do perform."
"Oh, what show is it?"
"Wicked!" she claps her hands together excitedly. Kurt joins in almost instantly.
"What part do you play?" he asks quickly, unable to hide his grin. Ellie watches the scene of bonding in defeat.
Finn answers before Rachel can. "She's playing that green girl. That… that Elf- what's her name, Rach?"
"Elphaba?" Uncle Kurt asks, looking on the verge of passing out. "That's amazing! You must be very talented.
"Well, I can't argue with that," Rachel agrees.
Rachel and Uncle Kurt share a friendly smile, and Ellie knows that he is no longer on her side. In fact, her side is feeling pretty lonely right now.
That night when her Uncle Kurt has left, along with her Grammy and Grampa, she sits at the top of the stairs listening to Finn and Rachel.
"Did you have a good Christmas?" he asks her.
"For my first Christmas, I think it went beyond expectations," she replies, "do you think that your family liked me?" She can hear the insecurities in Rachel's voice.
"Are you kidding me?" he sounds shocked, "they seriously loved you. You and Kurt were acting like best friends."
She giggles, "I like Kurt. Actually, I really like him. He's very much like me." She yawns a few seconds later, "thank you for today, Finn."
There's a pause and Ellie wonders what they're doing. Eventually, Finn speaks again, "I should thank you. Today was probably my favorite Christmas ever. I mean, I have you, right? How can that not be anything less than perfect?"
She sighs contently, "I love you Finn." Her voice is quiet, but Ellie manages to hear it.
"I love you too."
Her breath hitches when she hears him say it back. This isn't right. Uncle Kurt said that it would be over by Christmas. If anything, they're better than before.
She stands up slowly, tiptoeing down the hallway to her room where she doesn't have to listen to them anymore. Just as she gets back into the bed, she hears the two making their way up the stairs. Of course Rachel is staying tonight.
They stop outside her room. "Let me just make sure that Ellie's asleep," he tells her, "and then I'll come and join you."
When the door clicks open, she instantly closes her eyes and pretends to be asleep. The floorboards creak beneath his weight as he arrives at her bed. She feels him gently stroke her cheek before placing a kiss to her forehead.
"Merry Christmas darling," he whispers, "I love you."
His words don't feel as special as before.
This idea has been stuck in my head for months so I eventually cracked and had to write it. It's a little longer than I anticipated but it's finally finished! I'm posting it in two halves, the second of which will be posted in a few days.
Enjoy!