Walking down the hall's of McKinley with his bag slung over his shoulder, Finn perked up at the sound of music coming from the auditorium. Being as it was after school hours and the glee club had gone home, he found it strange to be hearing not only just music but soulfilling the halls.
Curious, he walked down the hall and pushed the door to the auditorium open only to see absolutely nothing. Everything was pristine and in place, and the piano didn't look touched at all. Shaking his head at his own stupidity he turned to walk out thinking this was just stress taking over and making him delirious, he stopped once he heard a clink of the piano.
Spinning around to catch the culprit, he widened his eyes to see a soft floating figure behind the curtains. It was a girl. A rather beautiful girl from where he'd been standing, finding himself walk closer towards the siren in front of him. He smiled and tilted his head, licking his lips nervously. "Excuse me? Are you allowed to be in here?" he asked the girl who looked up to see someone gazing at her, automatically making her drift up to the ceiling for protection.
Finn shook his head as he saw the figure float away, taking his last step onto the stage walking towards the small spotlight. "Y-you don't need to run away….I'm not gonna hurt you.." he said scanning the stage thinking that she was just hiding behind something. Pushing away a curtain slowly he jumped when he saw nothing but his own shadow. He was starting to think that he really was delirious that was until she slowly lowered herself to the ground in front of him thinking that he couldn't possibly see her.
To make matters stranger, Finn widened his eyes at the sight in front of him. She had long brunette hair and dark brown eyes, silhouetted in a short white dress. "Can you see me?" the figure asked incredulously, stepping back in fear. Finn stepped forward to show good faith and nodded his head understanding her, even though she wasn't exactly a student here. "Yeah..yeah I can see you. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked and furrowed his brows wondering why she looked as pale as a ghost,if only he knew.
The curvy yet beautiful figure found herself clasping her mouth in both fear and relief as she jumped up and did a flip in the air above him, squealing at the fact that she was stillhere.Even if she wasn't herself, He could still see her.
Finn found himself falling back on his heels as he looked straight up into the stage lights seeing the figure flip and squeal like he'd just won the lottery. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, yet alone process what this meant exactly. Shaking his head as he stepped back he watched her float back down effortlessly, only making it harder to put the puzzle pieces together. "Wait..wait…y-you're a ghost? H-how can I see you?"
The small girl sighed at the tall boy before her and floated over to the piano bench sitting down and clinking key after key, music being her solace and her relaxation tool. Turning her head she looked up at him sweetly and smiled. "I don't know how you can see me, But you're the first person who's been able too.." She spun around quickly and patted the seat next to her. "By the way, you're not crazy…this is as real as your beating heart.." Blushing brightly, the girl looked up catching his eyes wondering when he wouldremember.
Finn licked his lips like he always did when he was thinking or trying to think too hard, following her hand and sitting beside her with a little bit of fear in his eyes. "So what you're saying is that I'm notcrazy, and you are actually a ghost living in an auditorium?" he asked cluelessly, still not letting his memory click back into place.
Brushing her hair from her face she reached out and tried to grasp his hand, frowning when she wasn't able to touch him. "I don't livehere, I just….." she slumped slightly and looked down at her untouched hands and twiddled her thumbs. "Im stuck here…I haven't been able to leave or even make it to heaven…" Closing her eyes to shield the tears he let her continue to talk, pursing his lips. "Well how can I help you….uh..well get back to heaven?" he asked unsure what he was doing or who he was talking too, he just knew that he had to help her.
Before she could respond she thought of a way to jog his memory and turned back to the piano, placing her hands delicately on the keys and started to play 'Faithfully'.
"Highway run
Into the midnight sun
Wheels go round and round
You're on my mind"
She looked over her shoulder to catch his eye, smiling as she saw him scoot closer entranced at the sound of her voice.
"Restless hearts
Sleep alone tonight
Sending all my love
Along the wire
They say that the road
Ain't no place to start a family
Right down the line
It's been you and me
And lovin' a music man
Ain't always what it's supposed to be
Oh, girl, you stand by me
I'm forever yours
Faithfully..."
As she plucked the last key she let her voice and the single sound fill the room, pulling her hand away slowly and floating to look up into his eyes waiting for the realization to hit.
Finn couldn't even speak. His heart was thumping hard against his chest and his palms were sweaty along with his lips parted in surprise. Who wasthis girl? How did she know that this was 'their' song, even though she probably had no idea whoRachelwas…
"W-wow…that was…" He found himself smiling, scooting close enough to feel the breeze of her ghostlike cloak, tilting his head as his hand drifted closer to hers. Once his hand felt warmth, he quickly grabbed her hand and puffed out a relieved breath "Woah! woah I can feel you! I-I can….I can touch you!" he felt like he'd just experienced a revelation, squeezing her hand like clay feeling her knuckles and the ring around her finger. And not justanyfinger.
Finn pulled her closer as he sucked in a heavy breath, looking into her dark brown orb's trying to act natural at what they'd both just realized. "H-how can I touch you now and I couldn't before?" he scrunched his brows together confusedly as he looked to her for explanation.
"It must be because of my voice…Maybe that's my connection to you Finn.." she smiled shyly before she held his hand, looking up to still see the confusion on his face.
After a moment, she tried reasoning with what she knew about her 'new' life and the restrictions it caused. She had no idea how he was able to touch her, completely thrilled with the feel of his rough yet protective hands holding hers. Catching his gaze she let a tear fall, shaking her head hating that he still didn't see it. "You..you still don't remember do you?" Sucking in a breath she floated back up to the ceiling and sat on the grid allowing her legs to dangle.
He had no idea what was going on, not to mention that she was waiting for him to remember. 'Remember what?' he thought to himself as he stepped off the bench and looked up. "What do you mean remember you? I don't even kno-" Before Finn could utter another word, his mind was being torn apart by the memories plaguing him with bad memories filled with images ofRachel. His Rachel.
"W-wait…" he saw her start to float back down, as if by magic. Watching Finn remember and hold his head trying to make the flashbacks slow down, he felt tears drip down his cheeks slowly finally remembering who she was. "R-Rachel? Rachel baby is that you?" he asked through soft sobs, reaching out to touch her again. Rachel instantly smiled as he reached to hold her, her dreams coming true within seconds. Letting him pull her close, she buried herself into his chest and breathed him in missing howherFinn used to smell.
"I-I cant believe you remember! Finn it's me! I haven't been able to leave! I've been s-stuck here all alone!" Rachel clutched at his shirt protectively and shook her head smiling happily. "B-but you're here…you're here."
Finn's eyes were coated in tears as his nightmares faded away, the image of seeing her laying in a coffin just months ago only to be back in his arms. He wasn't going to let her go,not again. Gripping her hard to his chest he pressed lazy kisses to her head and her cheeks, oh god her cheeks still tasted the same. Wiping away his tears he tilted her chin to look up at him and smiled innocently down at the girl who got away. "Rachel…baby I'm here…I'm here…" he stroked her cheek and sniffled trying to compose himself "I'm here and i'm never gonna let you go….I cant watch you go again Rach, I cant…" his eyes filled with fear once again mixed in with the heartbreak he'd already been forced to feel.
"Y-you know I never fell out of love with you…" he let himself start to really remember that day, the months he'd spent in bed with nothing but their prom picture glued to his hand. "I-I spent over 4 months crying in bed when you died…I even spoke at your funeral.." He pulled away slightly and inhaled a breath while he continued, looking desperately in her eyes. "I said that i'd lost my best friend that day..and that my heart would always be broken…" He sucked in his lower lip, tears pooling back in his eyes once more "B-but you're back…a-and I'm scared that you're going to leave me again and its fucking tearing me apart." Finn felt himself yell, the anger funneling out of him like soft puffs of smoke leaving his system. It was both relieving and tiring at the same time, you think after all those months of crying that their'd be nothing left…but here he was blubbering like a lovesick idiot.
Rachel clasped her hand over her mouth as she watched him break apart, reaching out to cup his cheeks in her tiny hands staring back up into his matching brown eyes. "Finn…Shhh calm down, its going to be okay. I promise.." she childishly lied to him and curled a smile, pressing her palm to his chest. "I'll always be here with you baby..all you have to do is find me in your heart.." she emphasized and pressed his hand to her chest letting him feel the mimic of her heartbeat, which to her was just a gust of air pulsing through her, smiling back up at him as she cried in return. "And sing…." she nodded still stroking his cheek with her thumb, brushing his tears away. "I'll always be here….but for now, you have to say goodbye…."
Finn didn't want to say goodbye. He didn't want this to just be over. How could it be over when it'd barely begun. Shaking away his tears as she held his hand to her chest, he stuttered and blinked quickly. "B-but I don't want to say goodbye…I didn't even get to marry you Rachel…I didn't get to see you in your perfect white dress.." Tears clouded his line of vision as he pressed his hand on top of hers, feeling his own heartbeat, which was beating really hard.
"I'm here now….and I'm in white. Maybe we could have our dance after all?" Rachel smiled and stood them both up, feeling his arms wrap comfortably around her waist. Finn smiled as he buried himself in her neck and whispered one last thing before she disappeared."I will always love you…"
Finn stood alone in the middle of the stage, a single spotlight on him while he turned around to face the empty audience and smiled when he saw Rachel in the front row blowing him a kiss and fading away for the last time…
