Part One

Counting sheep hadn't worked. Neither had taking a bath or singing a selections from Funny Girl to herself, (which was very worrisome, because that ALWAYS worked at times like this). Rachel Hudson had been staring up at the ceiling of her new bedroom for several hours, and was still no closer to sleep. Sighing heavily, she turned over and faced her husband's side of the bed. Currently, it was empty.

Sitting up, Rachel ran her fingers through her long brown hair and rubbed her eyes, still puffy from crying. Instead of seeing the colorful and warm space she had envisioned when she first saw this apartment with her husband Finn, it was still an empty shell of a bedroom, filled to the ceiling with boxes yet to be opened and unpacked. According to the clock on the floor, it was 4:15 am.

Twisting her wedding ring around her finger, Rachel replayed that day over and over in her head. Today was supposed to be a celebration- it was the day they finally moved into their first place as a married couple. A place with no Santana screaming curses in Spanish at all hours of the day and night when she tripped over Rachel's elliptical, no crazy pets that Blaine would find and always bring home, and, most importantly, no Kurt barging in at the most inopportune times, (something he said was purely accidental and wouldn't happen so much if they kept their sex life confined behind a locked bedroom door- but really, both of them found that kind of limiting). No, it was finally just them.

It had taken them months to find a place big enough for both of them that they could afford on their own, which in New York City is no easy task. But with Finn's salary as a NYC firefighter and her's as the understudy to the lead in an off-Broadway production, they had found a way to make it work.

It hadn't been easy, but in the end it was well worth it. Both of them instantly fell in love with the shoebox apartment on the Lower Westside the moment they saw it. Though smaller than the place they had previously shared with Kurt, Blaine and Santana, it was an open and welcoming space with wide windows that showcased an amazing view of the city. It might not have been the best apartment in the world, but it was perfect for them.

Rachel didn't know what had happened to their joyous day. The moment Finn found out that the elevator in their building was out of order, everything started going downhill. She closed her eyes, remembering the sweat running down all their backs, Finn, Kurt, Blaine and herself. The apartment was on the 4th floor, so most of the day was spent climbing up and down the stairs with various furniture and boxes. Whether it was the heat or the fatigue, the Hudson's had gone from excited to bickering within a few hours.

It was around 5 was when Kurt and Blaine made a quick exit, making the excuse that they had promised to help Santana get ready for a date. Rachel knew that they most likely were just trying to escape the yelling and arguing that had been going on between the couple for most of the day. As soon as they started arguing about where the couch should go, (again,) Finn had had enough; throwing up his hands in frustration, Finn stormed out of the apartment.

Rachel sighed to herself again. She didn't blame him for leaving- she would have too if he had even tried ignoring her opinions and taking control of everything, as was her tendency. Resting her head on her knee, she thought of how the night was supposed to have gone- the laughing as they unpacked boxes, eating Chinese takeout on the floor, christening their new place by making love in the living room and falling asleep in each other's arms.

She knew Finn had come back- she heard him come in at about 11, but out of stubbornness, she refused to go out and apologize. Rachel Hudson, nee' Berry, was not going to apologize first. Now, after hours of thinking it over, she regretted that decision. Tossing the covers off her body, Rachel slowly opened the door of their room and peeked out.

The living room, bathed in moonlight, looked just like their bedroom did. Towers of boxes took up the space, except for the TV on the floor and the couch that was pushed up against the wall. On it, Rachel spotted the lump that was her husband. Because of his immense height, half of Finn's body was hanging off the side. With his hair disheveled and a little bit of drool on his chin, Rachel softened. She could never stay mad at him for long, and that night was no exception. Especially since, she grudgingly admitted to herself, she had been the unreasonable one this time.

Tip-toeing across the floor, Rachel quickly kneeled down next to Finn's sleeping body, and gently poked him. When he didn't stir, Rachel, known for her lack of patience, poked him harder in the stomach.

Jerking awake, Finn nearly fell off the couch. With sleepy eyes, he looked around until his eyes focused on his exhausted-looking wife, fresh tears coming down her cheeks.

"I'm really sorry." She said in a small, child-like voice, shaking her head to keep from crying more. "I shouldn't hav-"

Before she could finish, Rachel found herself being pulled on top of her husband, who held her tightly.

"Me too. I shouldn't have left." He said, kissing away the tears on her cheeks.

"And I shouldn't have been so demanding," she sighed, cupping his face in her hands. "I know how controlling I can be, and taking that out on you wasn't fair." Looking into his eyes, she continued, "It's not just my home, it's our home- our life."

"I know, baby, it's ok. We're gonna have fights and get mad at each other sometimes, especially now that it's just the two of us." She nodded at his words, "But, I promise I'll love you forever, no matter what- even when you unleash your crazy on me without giving me a heads up."

Rachel could hear the smile in his voice as he pulled her closer. Nestling into his chest, she felt more at home than she had all day.

"I love you, too." She said, yawning.

It wasn't until the sun streamed in through the windows several hours later that Finn and Rachel realized they had spent the first night in their apartment sleeping together on the couch.