Collecting Moments

A Finn/Rachel Story

By Brown Eyes Parker

Summary:

Little one-shots that revolve around an AU where Rachel decides to go to Georgia with Finn instead of New York to become a star. Title taken from "Mushaboom" by Feist.

Disclaimer:

I own almost every single album that Glee has ever made, all three seasons of the Mentalist (season 4 isn't out yet), the (500) Days of Summer soundtrack, and tons of ideas for Finn/Rachel or Jane/Lisbon fan fictions, but I don't own the rights to Glee. . . I'm just playing in Ryan Murphy's sandbox, and having a fun time doing it too.

Author's Notes:

If you're reading "I Hear You're Fine", don't worry! I'm still writing it; actually I know exactly where I'm going with it. This story came to me when I was in bed last Friday night. . . it's definitely another "what if" story. This time my "what if" Rachel and Finn got married, and she followed him to Georgia. I'm really fond of this idea as a multi-chapter, but we'll see what happens after I finish the Finchel story that I'm working on right now. For now, these are just seven or eight scenarios that have struck my fancy these past couple of days.

Also this story was partly inspired by this terrible viewer's note in my TV Guide about Rachel getting everything she wanted, and how Kurt deserved to go to NAYDIA more than Rachel did. So, I decided (because I LOVE Rachel) that she was going to do something wicked unselfish. . . you'll see. I hope you don't mind it too much.

Please, enjoy.

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I. Rachel has doubts about choices that she made but decides to make the best of it.

She had made her bed and now it was time for her to sleep in it, she told herself as she observed the tiny little house that her and Finn would be calling home for the foreseeable future. She had had the opportunity to go to New York, to have gold stars, bright lights, and Playbills. But she couldn't imagine a life without Finn nor did she want to imagine a life without Finn.

So, she had given up her dreams about life in the big city, had given her slot at NAYDIA to Kurt, and then told Finn that she was going to marry him and follow him wherever he was going to go, and there was nothing he could do about it. There was nothing he could say to convince her to do otherwise. They were in this together, he wasn't going to leave her behind and go a new place all by himself. Besides, he was going to need her for moral support on the days clearing his father's name seemed impossible.

Up until now, she hadn't regretted her decision. But taking another look at the house, with the dingy white shutters and the picket fence that was falling apart, doubt began to sink in. She could have been a star, she could have been a household name, she could have been idolized by millions of little girls all over the world. . . the next Barbara, and she had given it all up for this?

She had given up her dreams of stardom and a Broadway stage for a little house on an army base in the middle of nowhere, Georgia?

She shook her head, trying to push the thoughts far away. She wouldn't allow herself to be miserable; she just couldn't do that to herself or to Finn. She would make the best of this situation; she would make this house into a home.

Starting with the shutters, by the end of the week they would be forest green. Because that was the color people with any sense at all painted their shutters.

And she would learn to be happy here, because she was with Finn and he was her true home now.

II. Rachel has singing classes with the kids on their base.

Finn came home one evening to find Rachel sitting cross-legged in the grass with a bunch of kids from the base gathered around her. She was smiling and laughing as she led them in a rousing version of a song from Sound of Music. She sang the lyric first and they followed along, each trying to sing a little louder than the other, trying to outdo each other and prove they knew the song. It sounded more like a loud party that had gotten out of hand instead of a song, but Rachel looked completely in her element and for the first time in a while she was genuinely smiling.

He watched her, leaning against the worn out picket fence as she waved for everybody to stop what they were doing.

The kids stopped right away and looked at her with rapt attention.

"We weren't doing it right Miss Rachel?" A little boy with red hair, freckles and a lisp asked, his face falling slightly.

"It was beautiful," Rachel assured him sweetly. "But let's try to sing it a little more quietly this time. Okay?"

"Okay," they chorused together.

"Okay," she said, catching Finn's eye and smiling as she stood up. "Let's show Mr. Finn what we learned today. Everybody stand up, and on my cue. . ."

They did as she said, looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to nod and start singing, joining in almost as soon as she started to sing the first notes of the song.

And Finn imagined a future with road trips to Ohio and children of their own, singing girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes in the back of the family mini-van, each one singing louder than the other as they tried to be the best. He smiled at the picture in his head and then caught Rachel looking at him signaling him that the song was over and that he should clap for a job well done.

He did just that and told them what an excellent job each of them had done, while Rachel chimed in her own enthusiastic applause while the kids flushed with pleasure.

After he and Rachel had finished praising them profusely, she went inside to get a bag of Dum-Dums which she disturbed among the kids before sending them off with the time for the next singing lesson.

III. Rachel gets a part in a production of Hello Dolly! at the little theater in GA.

"You'll be there, right?" Rachel asked as she rushed around, gathering up her things for her premier performance in Hello Dolly.

"Of course I'll be there," Finn replied, snapping a picture of her from his spot on the couch. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. You were born to play Dolly Levi."

"You're just saying that," Rachel said, flushing with pleasure.

"No I'm not," Finn told her sincerely as he got up and pushed her towards the door while he snapped another picture. "Now go before you're late for the dress rehearsal."

"I'm going, I'm going. . ." she trailed off and smiled at him, leaning up to give him a kiss on the lips. "I'll see you later, love you."

"Love you too," Finn replied, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her nose with his. "Now go and break a leg."

"Thanks," Rachel whispered, pulling away reluctantly and rushing to her car to make the final dress rehearsal on time.

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"I told you that you were born to play Dolly Levi," Finn said later that week as he and Rachel poured over a review for Hello Dolly! laRater that week. "I feel so validated."

Rachel smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling. "Well, thanks for never doubting me. You don't know how much I appreciate it."

But Finn knew he did, because he felt the same appreciation towards her for never doubting him.

IV. Rachel fails at making dessert.

"I wrecked it!" Rachel said, moaning and cursing under her breath as she came into the living room with a distraught look on her face, holding a cake pan.

"It's okay," Finn soothed. "It's just cake. I'll run to Publix, their bakery cakes are pretty good."

"You don't understand!" She wailed. "All the other women on base can make suburb cakes. I just want to hold my own against them."

"A lot of the women on base have been making cakes longer than you," Finn said. "Don't worry about it—"

"They talk about me, you know!" Rachel interjected, looking like she was about to throw the pans she was holding. "They talk about how I'm not cut out to be an army wife, and that I should have gone to New York to pursue my dreams of becoming an actress. They talk about that the only thing I'm good for is babysitting their kids. I want to prove that I'm as good as them, that I'm worth of you—"

"They're just jealous Rache," Finn told her. "You're amazing. . . every day I can't believe that you gave up New York to be with me. Every day I'm struck by how you've adapted to this situation, because you don't deserve to be here, not for a second. You deserve playbills and gold stars, and your name in lights. Who cares if you can't make a chocolate cake like some of the other women on base can? You're one in a million."

"Do you really think so?" Rachel asked.

"No," Finn answered, standing up to come and give her a hug. "I know so."

Rachel let out a breath. "If you're sure—"

"I am," he affirmed.

"Then I guess you can go and get a cake from Publix," Rachel said. "I'll make it so that nobody knows it's store bought."

V. Rachel finds out that she's pregnant.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked, looking at the doctor with wide eyes.

"Almost one hundred percent," he answered in his honey sweet, southern drawl.

Rachel sighed, resting her forehead in her hand. "I wanted to wait until I was twenty-six to have a baby. But then again, nothing has gone the way I planned. I married my high school sweetheart right out of high school, I gave up my NADYIA slot to my brother-in-law and moved here to Georgia instead of going to New York. I could have been a star, you know?"

"You could have been a star," the doctor replied, nodding. "I went to the production of Hello Dolly! that you were in at the little theater."

"And-and!" Rachel said, looking up at him. "Because I gave up my dreams of stardom to marry my high school sweetheart, I'm no longer on speaking terms with either of my fathers, or my birth mother."

"You don't want the baby?"

Rachel's hand flew to her stomach protectively as she got to her feet and grabbed for her clothes. "What are you saying? Of course I want my child! I just wish. . . you know what, never mind. Doris Day always said what will be will be, it's time to actually start believing it. Have a good day Dr. Richards."

"I'll send the nurse in so she can set you up on pre-natal care," he said, standing and leaving her so she could get dressed.

Rachel dressed frantically, all the while trying to formulate a plan in her mind on how to tell Finn and the rest of their friends and family that they were having a child.

VI. Finn finds Rachel singing to her stomach.

Three months later, Finn came in from work to find Rachel sitting at her keyboard plunking out the notes of a song while rubbing her stomach with her free hand. She took a deep breath and then closed her eyes, starting to sing the words of a long forgotten show tune.

"You will be who you want to be, you can choose whatever heaven grants, as long as you can have your chance, I swear I'll give my life for you. . ."

He felt a sprinkling of goose bumps rise on his skin, and suddenly he realized how real this situation was. He and Rachel were really married, they were really going to have a child. . . they were really starting to become a family.

Tears welled in his eyes and he took a few more steps into the living room, wanting to be closer to his wife, wanting to be closer to his child. He took a seat next to her on the bench and placed his hand over Rachel's, stroking her knuckles gently. She turned to him and stopped singing, offering him a smile.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi," she replied, her eyes sparkling.

"You sounded beautiful."

"Thank you," Rachel said, slipping her hand through his and clasping them tightly against her stomach.

"Don't stop on my account," Finn said, smiling at her.

"Oh. . ." she trailed off, her smile widening a little bit. "Actually, I was just finishing up. Dinner's almost done, and I'm sure that you're starving."

"Just a little bit," Finn admitted.

Rachel stood, bringing her with him. "Come on then, I made your favorite dinner."

VII. Rachel cries over a television show.

"He said that he loves her," Rachel said as Finn came into their living room late one night. She was sitting on the living room floor, her white nightgown no longer able to hide the swell of her stomach, her tears clinging to her dark lashes, a large bowl of pickles and chocolate ice cream resting in her lap. "He finally said it Finn!"

"Who loves who?" Finn asked, joining her on the floor and stealing a bite of her ice cream, being careful to avoid the dill pickle chips.

"Jane!" Rachel enunciated, a fresh batch of tears coursing down her cheeks. "Jane loves Lisbon, he told her so right after he gave her one of the most passionate hugs that I've ever seen on television."

Finn laughed, one of the girls on base had gotten Rachel into a show called the Mentalist and she had watched all four seasons straight through. He had watched her try not to scream while sighing dreamily over every single scene where the two main characters exchanged soulful looks or shared a tender moment.

"I told you that it was bound to happen sometime," he finally said. "You don't have the kind of relationship they have without falling for each other eventually."

Rachel sighed happily and wiped away her tears. "He finally said it!" She repeated getting to her feet and jumping up and down, letting out a silent scream. "And then there was this part in the desert. . . her hand was right there, and he reached out for it. . ."

Finn grinned at her enthusiasm, and he wanted to capture the moment forever, he wanted to share in her excitement, even if it was just something petty like a television show.

VIII. Rachel and Finn say goodbye to Georgia.

Three years later

"I can't believe we actually have to go," Rachel said as they packed the last of their belongings into the moving van, she stood back to look at the house that she had come to love. "I feel like we just got here. . . this is where we actually became a family."

"I know," Finn replied, resting his hand on her growing stomach for a moment before catching their daughter Barbra and playfully tossing her into their car. "But we'll still be a family in California."

Rachel sighed. "I know."

"And who knows. . . you might actually get to see Jane and Lisbon."

Rachel rolled her eyes and laughed a little bit. "It's Robin Tunney and Simon Baker, and I highly doubt we'll get to see them. We're going to be in the complete opposite direction of where they film the Mentalist."

"Well. . . I was just trying to make you feel better," Finn said.

"I know, I know," she replied, smiling wanly before her bottom lip started to quiver dangerously. "Thank you for that."

"Awww, Rache. . . don't cry!" Finn pleaded. "We're going to be together, so that's all that's important."

"I know," Rachel whispered, wiping her tears. "But I've come to love it here, what if I don't love it in California?"

"You'll love California," Finn promised. "We're going to be together, and there's so much more to do there than here. The theater is better in California, so more people might see you perform. And you'll have a bunch of new kids to teach how to sing—"

She laughed lamely and stood on tip-toe to breach the distance between them, brushing her lips gently with his. "I love you Finn Hudson."

"I love you too," he replied, pulling her as close as he could without her stomach coming between them.

"We better get going," she said, pulling away reluctantly. "It's a long way to California."

Finn nodded and took her hand as they glanced behind at their first home together one more time, whispering goodbyes in their heads before starting off on their next adventure.

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Author's Note II:

Please tell me what you thought of this, because I'm not sure about it. It was mostly little snippets that I couldn't get out of my mind and would like to put into a future story one day.

Until next time!

Holly, 6/22/2012_