Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. Not even a little bit. And the title/lyrics are from a song in Cry Baby, which I also don't own.
He don't belong in prison, though he's guilty as can be,
But the only crime he's guilty of is simply loving me.
Please Mr. Jailer, won't you let my man go free?
She smiled sweetly at the guard, settling into the uncomfortable plastic chair. The counter was grimy, the light blue phone on her left chipped from overuse... everything about this place still brought her an overwhelming sense of unease. Quinn leaned forward as the loud buzz sounded throughout the room, her breath catching in her throat as she watched the men moving past. After what felt like hours, Finn was sitting in front of her, so close yet so terribly far. His lips curved into a warm smile, his hand pressing against the plexiglass. She swallowed the lump in her throat, her palm pressing against the same spot, both wishing they could feel each other's warm skin against their own. They simultaneously picked up their phones, breathing a bit easier.
"Hi baby." he whispered, his voice thick with exhaustion. She had finally gotten used to seeing the scruff along his chin and above his upper lip.
"Hi…god, I miss you." It wasn't easy, not being able to hear his voice on a regular basis, having to fall asleep without the safety of his hold every night.
"I miss you too. I'll be out before you know it." Every single visit he filled her with this false hope that he'd get out early. And she was starting to feel like the only time people got let out early for good behavior was on television shows.
"You've been saying that for weeks…if you just cooperate then they won't keep you here!" He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head firmly.
"You know I can't do that, Quinn. I won't."
"If you told them what really happened they'd have to let you go! You shouldn't be taking the fall for this…"
"Can we please not argue right now? I just want my girlfriend to make me feel okay for five minutes, to make me feel like I'm not stuck in the middle of absolute hell."A sarcastic retort danced on her tongue, but the look in his eyes kept her from saying the words aloud.
"Okay…I love you." she reminded him gently.
"I love you too." The tears welled up in her eyes, and she blinked them away furiously. "Have you heard from my mom?"
"Yeah…Burt took her to some tropical island for their wedding anniversary. She sends her love, and wanted me to make sure you were doing okay." He chuckled bitterly, shaking his head, an exaggerated smile on his face.
"I'm just wonderful. I haven't eaten for two days, and I haven't had a proper shower in weeks. I haven't gotten my ass kicked today but it's still early." And the tears finally fell, leaving a wet trail down her cheeks. Her Finn was slowly being replaced by this bitter, angry man. He didn't do anything wrong, yet here he was, serving time for a crime he didn't commit. "I'm sorry…Quinn, I'm so sorry." He leaned forward in his seat, wanting to burst through the barrier separating them and pull her into his arms. "I didn't mean it, this place is just getting to me I guess."
"Don't. You don't have to apologize I just…I really wish you weren't in here."
"You and me both…" There was no changing this now; he had made his decision and wasn't about to change his mind.
"Two minutes!" The guard's voice broke through the silence, their eye contact breaking as she tried not to cry.
"Promise me you'll be careful? When you finally get out of here I…I want you to come home in one piece." Generally, he never made her promises he couldn't keep. But she looked so heartbroken, so afraid for him…he couldn't help himself.
"I promise."
"I love you, Finn Hudson. No matter how long you're in here, that's never going to change." It was tough, never in her life had she thought he would wind up in jail…but it was happening, and she was trying to deal with it as best she could. This was definitely the last thing he had expected to happen to him. But what's done was done, and he was going to hold his ground until they released him.
"I love you too, Quinn Fabray." He took a deep breath, his chest tightening with all the words left unspoken. "I would understand, you know? If you moved on, or whatever." he mumbled, the false sincerity giving him away.
"Never. Don't, don't say things like that. I'm yours, always." He smiled weakly at her, and her stomach twisted in knots as she looked into his eyes. She lifted her hand to her lips, pressing a soft kiss to her fingertips and pressing it against the glass. Finn mimicked her action, his steady breaths faltering. Within moments the guards were walking in, urging the inmates out of their seats. "I'll be back next week…I love you." He smiled sadly, hanging up the phone and mouthing those three words once more. She watched him walk away, running her hands over her face, slamming her fists on the counter. She couldn't take this anymore, she had to get him out…one way or another, he deserved to be a free man...
A/N: Well? What did you think? This didn't turn out exactly the way I had seen it in my head, but I'm pretty satisfied with the result…very AU. Incredibly. But that's the way I like to write. Reviews are wonderful!