I'm baaaaaack! And guess what's back also? A sequel!-well a prologue of the sequel. I hope you guys enjoy this sneak peek and tell me what you think!
~Vikki3775
The Man who can't be moved: Prologue
Fpov
If there's one thing in my lifetime I will absolutely never get used to, it's being discharged.
I mean, you spend so long in a conserved establishment, depending on people who've seen the best and the worst of you, all the while meeting amazing people along the way...
...Only to be told that you can leave two years later.
I mean, yeah, it's kind of nice to think that I'll be out of this place; back to the real life that is New York City, but...I can't help but think about missing them, you know?
I expressed this to Emma last week at my private therapy session and she said that one of the hardest things one can ever do after discharging from rehab is lose contact from the ones you've left behind, to try to forget that the last two years you experienced didn't even happen.
I'll never lose contact with these people. They've taught me so much about life, and about their own struggles they've had to face. People like Ester, the pharmacist, Parker, my next door neighbor, and Demetria, the thirty year old kleptomaniac who lives in condo three down the road taught me what it was like to be a man, and how lucky I am to have such an available life, to have people who care.
I miss my mom, though. And Burt.
And Kurt. And Puck. I wonder if they're as excited to see me as I am of them. Well, in about twelve hours all of my questions will be answered, along with my question about what the hell I'm going to do with my life after I get out of here.
"Finn?...Finn."
Looking up from a nearby dining room table, I made eye contact with the psychotherapist.
"Huh?"
"I asked you if you had all of your stuff packed." When she saw the countenance on my face, Dr. Pillsbury smiled softly and sat down next to me.
"It's surreal, isn't it?" She asked after awhile.
Grinning slightly, I nodded, "Yeah." I looked at her. "Was I really here for two years?"
"I know, right?" She agreed with me. "From the beginning it seemed like you were going to be here for a millennium, and now...it must almost seem too short, huh?"
"What if I don't make it?" I asked abruptly, my emotions boiling over. "Wh-What if I relapse agai-"
"You're not going to relapse again." She shook her head slowly, but her voice was as affirmative as ever. I wrung my hands in my lap and sighed. After a quiet moment she placed one of hers over mine.
"Finn? Finn, look at me." I did as she asked, and met the same soft brown eyes I've stared into for the whole twenty-four months I've stayed here.
"Finn, when you were first brought in here, you were recalcitrant, despondent, depressed, and lost," she explained. "Life was not in your favor. And even though you agreed to come here, a part of your brain still tried to convince you that the help you were about to receive would only make things more difficult for you." Suddenly, she smiled softly and pulled her phone out of her jean pocket. "Can I show you something?"
Hesitantly, I nodded, unsure of what the hell she was about to show me and if it was either going to creep me out or actually help with the idea of discharging from this rehabilitation center.
She showed me an image, one I've never seen before.
It was of me...but it wasn't me.
Instead of seeing a normal twenty-seven hear old guy, I saw a distressed monster.
Bags hung under my eyes, a pale skin color adorned on my face, with just a hint of pink on my cheeks. My eyes were bloodshot, probably teary due to the activities and treatments I obviously disagreed to. It looked like I was in the middle of a pointless outburst, and to be honest...it was kind of funny.
"Oh, God..." I groaned, rubbing a hand over my face in embarrassment. Dr. Pillsbury laughed and shook her head at my now red face.
"I know, not one your best days, huh?
"Nope. Not at all."
She then bit her lip and scrolled to the next image. "But then I saw this..." Another picture popped up. It was of me. Actually it was of me in the same place. I looked better, healthier...happier.
"Woah..." I gently took the cellular device from her and examined it. And you know, maybe it's because the picture before of me was so terrible, and horrid, but I couldn't help but think that I looked so much better. There was no wrinkles in my face, nor rings or any bloodshot eyes that make me look like I could shoot lasers at the next person who personified me. Or is it objectify? Anyways, I looked pretty happy, and I was actually smiling. I can't remember that last time I actually gave a smile to someone that wasn't forced or given in a sarcastic way.
"Listen Finn, I don't really need to give you a whole explanation here," she said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "These pictures? They're all the reassurance you need." Signing, I looked back up at her.
"Ca-Can you send these pictures to me?" I asked, running a hand through my hair. "I-I just-"
"Sure, Finn." She smiled warmly at me in which I grinned back to. If there's one thing that'll go through my mind when I'm on the airplane to New York in a few hours, it's the thought of how much I'll miss her.
A clearing of the throat from behind us cut our eye contact off and we turned around in our seats, only to face a sheepish looking Ester, Parker and Demetria.
"So, uh...I guess this is it, huh?" The Hispanic girl eyed my stack of suitcases beside me. Sighing, I stood up and walked towards them.
"Yeah," I shrugged. I could already see the girl's green eyes start to tear up.
"Aww...D, don't cry..." I reached out and hugged her, me having to lean down really low since she's only five two.
"I'm gonna miss you so much..." She choked out as she gripped on me tighter. "I mean, who's gonna watch all of the Law and Order d.v.d's I have with me, huh? It's the fist thing I've actually bought myself."
"I thought I told you I would do it, Dem," Parker sighed from behind us as we released from our hug. She turned sharply towards him and glared.
"You don't even watch the episodes! All you do is talk through the trials and you never want to sit with me for a half an hour after to discuss all of the drama!" I chuckled at her over exaggerated exclamation before sighing. I almost forgot how dramatic she could get...it reminds me of one petite brunette in particular, the one who's probably waiting for me to come home right now.
"Look, it's not my problem that the only thing you didn't smuggle past the police was a terrible season set of the absolute worst show in history. Honestly, I don't even know how that show is still standing-"
"It's the best show that ever lived!"
Parker scoffed, "Oh please-"
"Guys, guys, come on." I grinned slightly at the two. "Can you just get along with each other enough to tell me goodbye?" That snapped them out of it and they smiled at me sadly.
"But don't give me those looks, you hear?" I pointed at them accusingly, yet playfully. "This isn't the end."
"Well I hope it is," Ester retorted with a smirk. "I'm tired of hearing you go on and on about the girl you left at home." Ouch. I grinned regardless and hugged her.
"I'll miss you too, Ester." I swear I think I heard her sniffle a little bit and when I pulled away from her they all still looked at me with sad faces.
"I have all of your numbers, okay? So it's not actually the end... okay?"
"Yeah and I'm getting out of this place in three months, so we can totally hang when I make it back to Connecticut." The blond twenty three year old added to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, but I have like a whole year left!" Demetria groaned. "And I live in California, that's so far from where you live, Finn!"
"And I'm stuck here," my temporary pharmacist added. She took a glance around the current room we were in and sighed. "Yep...this is the life..."
"Come on, Ester." Dr. Pillsbury walked away from one of her patients and made her way towards us. "You love your job. If you didn't you wouldn't even be here."
"Easy for you to say, Ms. Clean freak..."
"Okay..." I interrupted the conversation before it got out of hand. I walked towards Parker and gave him a bro hug. "Bye, dude. Stay clean for me."
He scoffed, "How can I not in this hell hole? Oh, and tell your boy Puckerman that I'll be waiting to meet him and kick his ass at C.O.D." I chuckled at his competitive comment.
"Sure, man." I then walked to Ester who tried to look straight with no emotion. But I knew her.
"Bye, Ester." When she didn't respond I smirked and said, "Is there anything you would like to tell me before I ship off?"
"Just don't forget to eat your vitamins," she huffed weakly. When I rose a brow she finally relented and pulled me into a bone crushing hug. Wow, this woman was strong.
"Go get that girl you've been talking about, alright?" I nodded as we pulled apart.
"I will, Es."
"What about me!" Demetria jumped twice eagerly with an arm up waving around.
I laughed and approached her, "Alright, Dem. "I reached down to hug her. When we pulled apart, I said firmly, "No stealing, alright? I don't want to hear about any drama going on in Oakland once you leave here, okay?" She nodded.
"And please, give your daughter the teddy bear I got her."
"I will, I will, gosh!" She smiled watery at me. "I'll miss you, Finn." I hugged her again.
"You too, Dem." I whispered. If there were anyone that I would probably miss the most, it'll have to be Demetria. And no, it's not because I like her, not like that. It's just...she reminds me of the little sister I never had. I mean, even though she's thirty two and older than me by a few years, her skinny form and short height cancels all of that out. I most definitely will be keeping in contact with her now.
"Alright guys..." Emma's soft voice disrupted my thoughts as she spoke again. "I'll be back in two hours and if I don't see you guys in a chair circle for group discussion, curfew ends early tonight." Groans of protest were given in response as both patients rolled their eyes in exasperation and retreated back to their rooms.
"I swear, she treats us like we're babies..." I heard Parker mutter.
"Tell me about it..." Demetria agreed.
As soon as the three of them left, Emma sighed snd looked at me.
"Well...you ready?" Sucking in a deep breath, I mustered out the only thing I could think of as I looked around 12 keys rehab one last time.
"Yeah."
So it turns out I won't be missing Dr. Pillsbury as much as I thought. Right before I got on the plane, she told me that she was making a transfer to one of the best rehabilitation centers in the westchester county. Demetria and Parker are her last patients, so after that, she'll start packing too. I promised that we could meet up sometime when she comes back upstate, because let's be honest, she's gonna need some friends once she gets used to the New Yorkers here.
As I looked out my window, I couldn't help but let the questions I suppressed in my head come to surface. What was Rachel doing right now? Was she missing me as much as I miss her? Has she found someone new? No, there's no way that could happen. She promised she'd wait for me. And Rachel Berry does not break promises.
I can't wait to see her. And hold her in my arms and never let her go...except for food, water and a bathroom break, of course. There were other girls at 12 step, but none of them could compare to my best friend. It took two years in rehab to truly realize how much I miss my family...and Rachel...hell Rachel is apart of my family. She's all I need...
'Attention all passengers, we will be descending towards La Guardia airport in two minutes. Please buckle your seat-belts and prepare for landing.'
Oh great. We're finally getting off of this thing. I get the heebie jeebies on planes ever since I was five when my mom and I were going on vacation and the plane had to land early because of some technical problems. Digging into my pocket, I pulled my phone out and put my headphones in. Almost instantly a song blasted into my ear that kept me in ease. And I couldn't help but hum along
Don't throw stones at me
Don't tell anybody
Trouble finds me
All the noise of this
Has made me lose my belief
I'm going back to my roots
Another day, another door
Another high, another low
Rock bottom, rock bottom, rock bottom
I'm going back to my roots
Another day, another door
Another high, another low
Rock bottom, rock bottom, rock bottom
I'm going back to my roots
As the song continued, the pilot announced that we landed and nothing could make me more eager to leave the plane than that announcement.
Had to lose my way
To know which road to pave
Trouble found me
All I looked for was
Washed away by a wave
As I carried my bags and suitcases with from the bag pick up area, I couldn't help but think how true those lines were. If I hadn't lost my way, hadn't gone a little bit crazy, I probably wouldn't be where I am now, ready to seize the world in a new light...clean.
I'm going back to my roots
Another day, another door
Another high, another low
Rock bottom, rock bottom, rock bottom
I'm going back to my roots
Another day, another door
Another high, another low
Rock bottom, rock bottom, rock bottom
I'm going back to my roots
I know it's gotta go like this, I know
Hell will always come before you grow
Trouble found me, trouble found me
I know it's gotta go like this, I know
Hell will always come before you grow
Trouble found me, trouble found me
I'm going back to my roots
Another day, another door
Another high, another low
Rock bottom, rock bottom, rock bottom
I'm going back to my roots
Another day, another door
Another high, another low
Rock bottom, rock bottom, rock bottom
I'm going back to my roots
As soon as the song ended I took the headphones out of my ears, only to hear the one voice I've been wait to hear for what seemed like forever.
"Finn! Finn!"
"I don't understand this. Explain it to me again?"
"Explain what? It's as simple as pie-"
"Oh, like you eat pie-"
"-Guys, come on." Rachel looked at her friends Kurt and Santana exasperatedly as they sat here bickering over valet parking. Sighing, she turned to her. "Santana, valet parking is when you arrive at an establishment and two hired people take your car and park it for you. It can either be free of charge or costly. It's always nice to tip them though."
"I just don't understand the point of it." The Latina girl took a sip of her coffee. "Like, don't you find it a little strange when a man approaches your car, claiming to work as a valet parker, takes your car and gets paid for it? A random person can just approach your car then and steal it!"
Kurt rolled his eyes. "They don't steal your car, Santana. They'd get fired for that."
"But that doesn't mean they won't steal something inside of your car! I swear, the last time I went to one of Berry's shows I arrived with two lipsticks and a flask full of vodka. Next thing I know, I'm leaving the fucking place with one lipstick and a half full flask of my drug of choice. It can't get any more sketchy than it is!"
"Alright, what's the problem..." A pregnant Tina waddled to the café table, alongside her husband Artie and Blaine who followed not too far behind them.
"Valet parking is the problem!"
Rachel sighed and turned towards the couple as they took their seats. "Santana's claiming that valet parking is just some scheme that people get paid for to take your car and your belongings."
Artie rose a brow, "
Really, Santana? Out of all of the people I'd expect would be uneasy about trusting people with their belongings, I never thought it was you. I actually thought it would be more like Kurt...or Quinn." The four-eyed man cowered slightly at the glare given from the Vogue editor.
Frowning, Blaine wrapped an arm over his husband's shoulder and said, "Hey, speaking of Quinn, aren't they supposed to meet us-"
"-We're here!" Everyone turned to look over at the couple who looked quite disheveled as they walked quickly towards the table.
Santana gazed at them in awe, "Damn, Puckerman you finally convinced her to do it with you in the back of a taxi cab?"
Puck scoffed, "No, but I did steal a little make out and groping session." Smiling, they reached each other for a high-five before straightening up at the icy glare given from the blond.
Puck cleared his throat and pulled a seat out for her, "Sorry babe."
Kurt cleared his throat, "Okay, I'm just gonna cut to the chase here, because as much as this is a wonderful brunch, I have an emergency at vogue to attend to...why did you tell us to meet here exactly?" Everyone's gaze turned towards the couple as they smiled sheepishly and blushed.
Quinn started, "Well, you guys know how we went to the Hamptons..."
"Oh, gosh, please tell me we're not gonna have yet another Puckerman coming soon. I can only take so much stupid." Puck glared at Santana.
"No. What we we're trying by to say is-"
"We're engaged!" Quinn beamed and flashed her hand to everyone across from them who still seemed a bit surprised at the abrupt outburst. After a moment of silence, they finally came around and threw out their congratulations along with hugs and handshakes.
"Well, when is this momentous occasion?" Blaine asked once he sat back down.
Quinn bit her lip. "Well, we haven't really thought of a date yet."
"But we are thinking of getting married in the summertime. August probably," Puck
added.
The blonde rolled her green eyes with a smile before saying, "And yes, Kurt you will be allowed to orchestrate our weddin-"
"Yes!" Half of the cafe grew quiet as nearby customers looked his way. Blushing, he leaned in and and said quietly, "I've been listing venues for weeks and I really think you guys would do great at a vineyard, or-or a nice castle-"
"We want to get married in L.A.," the mohawked man replied bluntly. Kurt made an 'oh' face before slowly reclining back in his seat.
"Okay, that's fine..." He muttered sarcastically, pulling his phone out. "I guess I'll just delete it all and start over again. No problem at all..." His husband patted his back comfortingly.
After about a half an hour of explaining Puck's surprisingly elaborate proposal to Quinn (which got all the girls awing and Puck blushing) and the couple announcing their decisions for bridesmaids and grooms. Everyone got prepared to leave.
"Hey, Rachel can I talk to you for a second?" The brunette turned around and nodded.
"Sure, Quinn. What is it?"
She sighed and looked around the coffee shop. "I didn't want to ask you this in front of the girls and Kurt because I didn't want them to have hurt feelings, but..." She suddenly smiled. "I would really like it if you would be my maid of honor."
Rachel smiled and gushed, "Well, of course I'd do it! I'd be honored to!"
She smiled, "Good. Because I don't have a lot of girlfriends that actually know how to plan events. But don't worry, Kurt will be help and he'll be choosing deciding the bridesmaids dresses, so..." Quinn eyed her dress up and down. The brunette nodded as she pondered in her head whether she was just insulted about her fashion or not.
She smiled regardless. "Thank you, Quinn. Th-This truly is an honor. Has Puck decided on a best man?"
Quinn rolled her eyes. "No, he still hasn't. He was going to ask Finn, but…he doesn't know when he'll be let out, so…" Her voice faltered and Rachel tried her best not to be so affected by the mention of her best friend's name. For so long she's been avoiding any mention of him or photograph. She just can't handle it. She's cried for too long. As soon as everyone left the cafe, Rachel sighed. Maybe this is the distraction she needs. Too bad she was so wrong.
There's the sneak guys! Tell me what you think! I have a really good feeling about this!The song was "Roots" by Imagine Dragons. I just love them. Bye!
~Vikki3775