A/N: So excited about this story! Let me know what you think!
April 2022
Rachel stepped off the plane in New York and let her eyes scan the landscape, taking in her surroundings. It had been a decade since she had been back in the States; 10 years, 3650 days. It felt like only yesterday that she left everything behind to follow her dreams. Dreams that took her all the way to London, England. Her time on the London stage was supposed to be short lived, 1 year and then back to the States, to New York more specifically. But when her contract was up after that first year the opportunity to return to the US didn't present itself and the role she felt she was born to play was given to someone else. So she renewed her contract for two more years. At the end of those two years Rachel Berry had become a bonified celebrity in the UK. She was 21 years old and had the world at her fingers. Rachel did not know where the years went, when did a decade pass?
She had become an official Londoner, complete with her own slight British accent. She wasn't sure what had kept her away for so long, she just knew she never made the leap. She was a star in London and each year the idea of heading to NY, of starting over scared her more. She had nothing to pull her back to the US, her Dad's visited her in London whenever they could. All she had back home in the US, tucked away in the Midwestern town of Lima, Ohio was a past filled with shattered dreams and broken promises. And the only person she had to blame was herself.
Finn Hudson looked at the clock in his modest kitchen. It was 6:30 am and he was already running late. He put the coffee on and then bolted up the stairs to awaken his sleeping son. He had 30 minutes to get him up, dressed and ready to catch the preschool bus that always arrived promptly at 7 am. At 4 years old Jackson Hudson was already a spitting image of his father and the pride of his life. Jackson was one of the few things about the past decade he was proud of. After high school Finn moved to New York City following a ghost, hoping being in "their" city would make things better. Boy had he been wrong. Within 6 months he had dropped out of school, distanced his friends back home and developed quite a nasty drinking habit. Finn spent his early 20s living in a crappy apartment in Queens with two douche bag roommates, working in a record store and playing in various bands. Shortly after his 22nd birthday he met Gretchen. She was no Rachel Berry but she was a pretty, young talented girl who sung lead for the band he had started playing for. Gretchen was the first girl he had found himself interested in since high school and while she would never live up to the ghost in his past, he knew it had to move on with his life. 6 months after they began dating he married her much to the distain of his mother. To this day Finn could not pinpoint what his rush had been. He blamed it mostly on fear, he would never let love get away from him again.
9 months later they welcomed Jackson Christopher Hudson to the world on August 14, 2017. With the birth of baby Jackson the couple moved to New Jersey and got mediocre jobs. Really they were both playing house and as mom's usually are, Finn's mom had been correct. It didn't take long for things to fall apart. Just after Jackson turned 6 months old Gretchen left, saying she wasn't made for domestically. She moved back to the city, joined a new band and filed for divorce. Suddenly Finn was 24, divorced, a single father and completely in over his head. So he moved back to Lima and go this life under control, went to college and dedicated his life to raising the son his ex-wife had willingly given him full custody of. He didn't get how she could just sign over all parental right but he was glad she did nonetheless.
Finn's phone rang as he watched his son get onto the bus. He flipped it open as he walked inside to get ready for his day. He worked in Columbus as a Sport's Broadcaster and Adjunct Communications Professor at the University of Ohio. It wasn't as glamorous as the future he had once dreamed of but it paid well. Plus Finn loved sports and he got paid to talk and write about them all day. Plus the University had a place in his heart, he was an alumni.
"Hello"
"Hey it's me" he heard the familiar voice of his best friend.
He found it funny that after all the shit that went down in HS, with both Quinn and later Rachel, that Puck was the one who still had his back after all this time. When Finn moved back to Ohio, baby in tow, he was a complete wreak. He had not even been home for a full day when Puck came to visit him. They had not spoken since HS but it had been like old times. Shockingly Puck was a great support, he even watched Jack few times while Finn was in class. They joked about how two of the most popular guys in high school, "fucking talented dudes" nonetheless, had become Lima Losers. Puck's life was not all sugarplums and roses either. His failure helped Finn realize that you get what life gives you but you get to decide what to do with it.
"What's up?" Finn asked.
"Our 10 year HS reunion is next month and I think we should make an appearance" Puck said into his ear.
Finn grumbled, the last thing he wanted to do was go back to McKinley and make sure everyone saw he was a loser. He had so much ambition all those years ago and yet he didn't manage to get out and stay out, he came crawling back, tail between his legs.
Rachel had kept in touch with only one person from her past. When she got back to NY it only made sense for her to look Kurt up. After he had switched schools junior year they had become good friends. They had run into each other 3 years ago in Milan, Italy at a Fashion Show. She had been shocked to get to the show and see the man behind the House of Hummell. She had always thought it was just a coincidence, a long ago memory to a life she no longer lived. Kurt literally almost fell over when he saw her. He was white and it took a few moments for him to finally speak. "Well if it isn't the Ghost of Glee Clubs Past" he finally choked out and she knew at that minute that they would be okay. They talked for hours that night and came to one agreement to their new friendship, no talk of the Lima or the past. Only talk of their new fabulous lives and the wonderful future before them. Rachel wasn't even sure Kurt would be home but she traveled to his loft in the village anyway. He lived in a trendy neighborhood that fit in with who Kurt Hummell was much better than Lima, Ohio ever could. As Rachel climbed the stairs to her destination she felt her stomach grumble with nerves. She wasn't even sure why she was nervous, this was Kurt after all. So she took a deep breath and knocked lightly on the door. Inside she heard a soft crash and a swear, the door was jerked open and the eyes staring back at her were nto familiar.
"Yes" the man said abruptly
"I was looking for Kurt Hummell" she said timidly.
"And you are?" he was staring her down.
"Rachel Berry" she said more boldly "he will know who I am"
"Kurt" he yelled loudly
She heard some shuffling from deep inside the apartment as Kurt emerged from a room on the left.
"Well if it isn't my past in her all her glory" he joked pulling her into a hug.
"You are hilarious" she said sarcastically.
"To what does the great city of New York owe the visit?" he moved aside letting her into the vast space.
In NY space was a commodity and the size of Kurt's spoke volumes of the success he had achieved in life, well that and the beautiful trophy boyfriend he dragged around the world with him. Rachel would never admit it to Kurt, but she sort of missed Blaine. Rachel had never met Nathan before now but she had heard stories.
"Nate, this is Rachel Berry" Kurt said as they passed him in the hallway.
"Fabulous to meet you" he held a hand in her direction "It's nice to have a face to put with the name and stories".
She took his hand in a solid handshake as his finished his statement. He seemed a bit cocky to her and defiantly diva-like but who was she to judge, she'd been called worse than a diva in her time.
"Stories" she gasped at Kurt who just shrugged in her direction
"What? You had quite the impact on life in high school. You are truly a force to be recond with" Kurt smiled as he led her into his large living room.
"Was" she said sullenly.
"What?" Kurt said turning in her direction his silk robe billowing out around him as he clicked a button on a remote, the fireplace roaring to life.
"I was a force to be recend with, in high school, but that was a long time ago Kurt"
"Rachel you are one of the most God givenly talented people I have ever met." Kurt turned to Nathan "She made it easy to hate her in high school, but her talent was undeniable"
"The distant past" she said sitting on the suede sofa
"Not that long ago Rachel dear. Plus I refuse to accept that we are pushing 30"
She laughed "You Kurt Hummell have not aged a day"
"Are you saying I still look awkwardly 16?" he sat across from her
"Maybe" she smirked at him.
"So, tell me, Rachel why are you here?"
"It's a long and boring story" she lied to her friend, realizing that he was the only one she had in the world right now.
She had her reasons for the deceit, the reasoning behind leaving London was not something she wanted to get into.
"I have time" Kurt smiled
"Honestly, it's nothing special. It just wasn't fun anymore" she sighed and that was the complete truth.
