Filled for the "Runaway" prompt on finchel-prompts on tumblr.
He's pretty sure he's just lost ten years of his life. He'd actually been having a pretty good day. It's Saturday, the second week of summer, and he got to sleep in… sort of. If sleeping in until 9:30 counts (It does to him, anyways. Being a teacher causes you to wake up far too early for his liking, but he's getting used to it). So, getting to sleep in and then waking up to the smell of Rachel making waffles? Kinda the best morning ever. Sure, he got up and did some yard work, like finally putting in the stones around the edge of their mini garden, just the way Rachel had instructed. But he didn't mind. He liked getting to do things like that for her, plus, it gave him a bit of accomplishment for the day (not to mention, a big wet-one on the lips from the, "ever-so-grateful of my always chivalrous husband",Rachel). Minus the minor setback of the lawn mower breaking down, only being halfway done with mowing the yard, his day hasn't been so bad.
"Hey Finn, have you seen Abigail?"
Rachel's peeking out the back door in her bare feet and jean shorts, her eyes scanning the yard for their young daughter. Finn looks up from the lawn mower he's been trying to fix for the last fifteen minutes to see a slight concern on Rachel's face.
"I thought she was in the house with you? Didn't she say something this morning about wanting to play with her new tea party set from Kurt?"
"I've checked all over the house and I can't find her. I was just on the phone with my dad. I haven't seen her for a while now, actually."
He sees the panic begin to set in at her realization, as her eyes get glassy and her voice rises in pitch.
"Oh God, oh God!"
She's shaking her head now, her hand over her mouth, eyes wide and suddenly filling with tears. Finn quickly shoots up from his spot on the lawn to make his way over to her, grasping her face between his hands.
"Rach, take a deep breath. Breathe. Did you check to make sure she's not playing hide-and-seek in the house? You know how she loves to do that."
Rachel shakes her head, her lips pursed tight to try and prevent from crying.
"I'll go take a quick look, too, kay?"
She nods her head quickly, following him back into the house.
"Abby? Where are you?"
He takes the time to check all her usual hiding places, finding them all empty. Then he begins to panic.
"Where could she be? She's only five! Oh my God, what if she's lost? She's probably terrified! She could be anywhere!"
He finds himself full out pacing, his voice getting high and tight, freaking out at all the possibilities. Rachel only stands there, her nails digging into the skin of her own hands, taking deep, shuddering breaths.
"Okay, okay, now is the time to think. Be cool, be cool. Rachel, you take the right side of the block, I'll take the left."
She quietly nods her head vigorously, attempting to stem her flow of tears, taking a minute to compose herself and head down the right side of the street, while Finn heads to the left.
The further he walks down the street, no sign of their daughter, the tighter the knot in his stomach gets. Just when he thinks he might have a slight breakdown, he sees her tiny, light-up sneakers playing with the rocks as she sits on the sidewalk, head hung down. Finn sprints.
"Abby! Abby, are you okay?"
He reaches her, crouches down, and immediately checks her over for any damage or harm, but she looks okay, physically. He gives her a tight hug, pulling back holding onto her little hands and looking straight at her.
"What are you doing way over here? What happened?"
Her big, brown eyes (definitely inherited from her mother) are sad and brimming with tears, as her lower lip begins to wobble. Finn feels his stomach drop.
"Daddy, I broke mommy's trophy. Her star one. The one she said was her favorite 'cause her friends gave it to her. I don't want her to be mad."
Finn instantly feels a relief at his daughter's simple confession.
"But I didn't mean to!" she cuts in quickly, "I just wanted to practice my speech and be like mommy."
Her eyes turn downward, but Finn quickly lifts her chin up with his finger.
"Hey, hey, mommy won't be mad, Abby, I promise."
She looks curiously at him, a little hope in her eyes.
"She won't?"
Finn shakes his head.
"You know why?"
"Why?"
"Cause as much as mommy loves her trophies, she loves you so much more."
Her big eyes gaze up at him in wonder, a small smile tugging on her lips.
"And I love you, too. To the moon and back."
Her face then breaks out into a full-fledged grin, dimples and all, as she throws her tiny arms around his neck.
"I love you, too, daddy. To Jupiter and back."
"You're a pretty smart kid, Abbers, you know that? Just like your mommy."
She keeps on looking at him with that toothy, little smile.
"But no more running away, okay? It really scared your mommy and me when we couldn't find you. Mommy and daddy will always love you more than we'll ever be mad, got it?"
She nods her head obediently as Finn picks her up, leaning her head on his shoulder as her little legs wrap around his middle.
"We better get back home to mommy so she knows you're okay. You better prepare though, she's probably going to give you the biggest bear hug in history."