I realize that Ryan Murphy and Co. have turned me into a bit of angstaholic lately, but the last couple of episodes plus the promo for the next one have put me in a better mood, so I think I'm ready to tackle my first humor-oriented story since Rock and Roll Hall of Shame. This will be more romantic than that one, and a bit more Finchel centered, although it's still largely an ensemble. Enjoy!

Rachel's Story

Rachel nervously clutched her phone in her clammy hand, trying to force the urge to call him away. She knew she should want him to get the part. It was his dream after all, but she also knew that getting it would mean moving ten hours away. She wasn't sure if she could handle a long distance relationship, especially since her and Jesse had just managed to work things out. All she wanted was to be one half of a normal couple for once.

She wasn't perfect, far from it, but she knew that she deserved to be happy, yet something always seemed to get in the way of that. This time it was Jesse's career, less than a month after their reconciliation Jesse sprung the news on her. He landed an audition for the role of Link in the Broadway production of Hairspray, a role she knew right away that he would be perfect for. She wanted him to get it, she really did, or at least that's what she told herself, even if in the back of her mind she knew that him getting that part would just be the end all over again. She tried to shake the negative thoughts away. Even if he did get the part it didn't mean they were breaking up, it just meant that they would be separated for a while. She had planned to make the move to New York in a little over a year anyway, once she graduated from McKinley, so why couldn't they make it work? She smiled at her own reassurance and took a deep breath, the last thing she wanted to do was sound like a total spaz when he finally showed up at the Waffle house.

Finally She saw her handsome, curly haired, leather jacketed paramour. As she scrambled up to greet him she nearly tripped over her own feet. So much for not spazzing, she thought to herself as she hugged him tightly around the neck.

"Jesse," she said brightly.

"Hello Lovely," he said "It's so great to see you, a week is far too long,"

"How was your flight?" she said, hoping to get past the first question to the big question.

"Mercifully brief."

"So, is it good news or bad news," She said, trying not to sound too tense.

"Let's sit," he said cryptically.

"So…" Rachel said as they sat across from each other. "Good news or bad news?" she repeated.

He played with the rim of his coffee mug, a sly smile reaching his lips, "Fanstastic news," He finally said.

"You got the part?" Rachel said, less excitedly than she had meant to.

"Oh you should have been there. I was fantastic, I was beyond fantastic I was Link Larkin," he said.

"Of course you were," she said. "That's great Jesse, I'm so proud of you."

"I'm proud of me too, but you must know how much I'm going to miss you," he said as sincerely as he could manage. "I know how difficult it was for you to take me back, and now I'm leaving to start rehearsal in less than a week, it must be hard."

Rachel shrugged and forced a smile, "It is, but you know, it's okay."

"Oh, don't be sad my love," he said dramatically as he reached for her hand. "Don't think of this as the end, think of it as a new beginning."

"Of course, this is your dream Jesse, how could I be sad about that. I'm just going to miss you."

"And I'm going to miss you as well."

But you know, we'll still see each other right?" She said. "Long distance relationships are hard but they're not impossible."

"Rachel…"

"And we can talk on the phone and email every day, and I can come see your show and you can come visit me here."

"Rachel…"

"It will be great, and when I go to Julliard we'll see each other all of the time."

"Rachel," he said a bit more firmly.

"Is there something wrong Jesse?" she said, somehow knowing exactly what was coming.

"Rachel," he said, a sad look on his face. "This is going to be the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

Finn's Story

He packed the last of his bags, ready to hit the open road with Quinn and her parents, he had to admit that he wasn't looking forward to it. Their family therapist suggested they take a trip together, Quinn's Mom and Dad and even her dad's new girlfriend as a way of reclaiming a bit of normalcy in their family dynamic, whatever that meant. Finn didn't see anything normal about any of it, and he knew that him being there would just make things even more awkward, considering his rocky history with Quinn, but somehow she talked him into it anyway. Quinn could sell shoes to snakes if she wanted, but it wasn't just her charm that coerced him into going. Finn knew how things were with her family and he knew that in a lot of ways they were the reason she was so screwed up. As much as he dreaded it, he wanted to be there for her. He would just have to suck it up for one weekend.

"Hey you," she said from behind. He turned toward her and smiled.

"Hey yourself," he said, greeting his girlfriend with a kiss. "I'm all set to go I guess."

"Don't sound so excited," she teased.

"I'm sorry, it's just… this whole thing's kind of weird.

"I know, it's insane," Quinn said. "And you're such a sweet guy to do this."

"It's nothing," he said humbly.

"No, it really is something," Quinn said. "You really are something." Suddenly her expression darkened, and she almost looked close to tears.

"Are you okay Quinn?" he said worriedly.

"Um, no, actually I'm not," she said as if the words she had to say were nearly choking her. "Finn, I think you need to sit down."

Their story

Rachel nursed her cherry coke as she waited for him. She didn't know what had come over her. She literally could have called anyone, Kurt, Mercedes, even Puck would have been a smarter choice. She told herself that it was because his name came before there's on her contact list, but who was she fooling?

"Hey," Finn said, entering the nearly empty waffle house and sitting across from her.

"Hey," she said quietly. "I bought you a root beer float," She continued, sliding it over to him.

"So, what happened?" Finn said.

"You were right, that's what happened," she answered bitterly.

"I didn't want to be right," He said, shrugging one shoulder. "I wanted you to be happy, you deserve it Rachel."

She smiled weakly. "He said he would always love me, but he had to think about his career first."

"Ass," he said under his breath.

"Tell me about it," she said. "It completely took me by surprise."

Finn raised his eyebrows at her, as if to say "really?"

"I just heard it," Rachel said bashfully.

"Hey, it's okay. It's not like you're the first person to be burned twice."

"What do you mean?" she said, knitting her brow.

"The night of Prom, Santana's Party, you know the one I didn't go to because of the fight with Jesse?"

"Go on," Rachel said.

"Quinn slept with Puck."

"Again? Oh my god I'm so sorry. And what about poor Lauren?"

"Well, let's just say Mike had to help him walk home at the end of the night. After she beat him to a pulp and stole his car."

"Pretty harsh," Rachel said, sipping her coke.

"I can't believe she would do this to me," Finn said causing Rachel to give him the same look he had just given her a second ago. "Yeah, I just heard it."

"What's wrong with us? Why do we keep falling for the same tricks every time?" Rachel said.

"Because," Finn said, "Because we both just want to be loved."

"Well, I love you," she said hesistantly, reaching for his hand. "I mean, we're friends right?"

"Of course," Finn said. "And I love you too… you know, as a friend."

"Right," Rachel said, pulling her hand away and starting to nervously fuss with her straw.

"So, what should we do now?"

"I don't know," She said, shrugging. "I feel like such an idiot."

"You're not, he is."

"Maybe, even still I wish I could just disappear. Just be free all of this heartache and drama. I feel like I'm being crushed under the weight of my own emotions and there's no escape."

"Yeah, I feel pretty crappy too."

"Wouldn't that be nice though. To just fall off of the face of the earth for awhile."

Finn knitted his brow in contemplation as if he were seriously considering what she had just said. She couldn't quite make out what he'd said next. But it almost sounded like "why don't we?"

"What did you say?"

Finn's expression was suddenly vibrant, manic even for someone who was supposed to be in a major funk. It would have freaked her out a little if she weren't so weirdly intrigued. "Rachel," Finn finally said after a seemingly endless silence. "If I asked you to run away with me tonight, what would you say?"

Based on spoilers I know that Jesse is only going to be returning for one episode or so, and Quinn and Finn will probably be broken up before the summer when this story takes place. But I thought I'd take some liberties for the sake of the plot. Just play along