This Just In

by Firewifesara

"Rachel knew that her job required her to interact with firemen often and naturally, she expected some of them to be attractive; this guy though, he took it to a whole new level." AU Finchel

A/N- Here we go again! This story is AU. I would like to point out that I have taken some liberties within the fire department on this one. And I have no real knowledge of field reporting. Just please go with me on it. Thanks to Mel (Peyton4Life) and RedAmbition for all the proofreading, pep talks, and overall support. Go read their amazing stories. Thank you all so much for the kind words and support on all my other stories! It is nice to see that they are being enjoyed.

As always, I do not own Glee or its characters nor do I own the music used. This is purely for fun.

---

This Just In

"This is Rachel Berry reporting for KSRA news. Back to you Will and Emma." Rachel watched as the red light on the camera flickered off.

"We're out. Good job Rachel."

Rachel handed her microphone to her assistant Brittany Pierce and removed the earpiece from her ear. She was starting to get the hang of this.

After spending the last year as an assistant, Rachel had been promoted to the main field reporter for KSRA. In that year, she was able to get to know her camera man, Ryder and when Brittany joined them, the three had quickly established a working friendship. It was great to be able to be able to work so well together after such a short time.

"Thanks Ryder. You guys want to go grab dinner? There is a new deli that just opened up a few blocks from here?"

Ryder closed the door to the news van and pulled the keys out of his pocket. "Sorry Rachel, I promised Marley we would hit up a RedBox and stay in tonight. Maybe next time?"

"It's okay, Ryder. How about you Brit?"

"I can't. Me and Santana are celebrating naked Friday."

Rachel and Ryder both raised their eyebrows. "I didn't know that was a thing," Rachel said, a little surprised at the casual confession.

"Me neither, but I'm going to see if Marley wants to celebrate too." Ryder said excitedly. "I'll see you two Monday. Have a good weekend."

"You too, Ryder. Tell Marley we say hello." Rachel and Brittany both waved as Ryder drove away. "You and Santana have a good weekend too. I'll see you Monday."

"Bye Rachel."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Captain Finn Hudson sat in the passenger seat of the red fire engine. His engine. Noah "Puck" Puckerman, his engineer and closest friend, was maneuvering the large truck through the city on their way to a single vehicle fire.

Finn loved being a firefighter. When he was asked in fourth grade what he wanted to be when he grew up, he didn't have to think about it, he knew he wanted to be a firefighter. Sure, every boy that age says they want to be a firefighter, but Finn Hudson meant it.

After high school, he enrolled in fire academy. While there, he met Puck and they became fast friends. They were transferred to station 61 after graduation, and they have been there ever since. About six months ago, Sam Evans transferred to station 61 and only a month ago, Mike Chang joined them. He is right out of academy and the crew's rookie. The four of them get along great and together have made a great and efficient crew. Finn doesn't usually like to brag, but his crew is pretty awesome.

They arrive on scene well within their acceptable response time, despite the traffic, and put out the fire with relative ease. Finn was watching Mike and Sam roll up the hoses when Puck approached him, clapping him on the back. "God I love this job."

Finn chuckled, "I know what you mean man." He looked around the scene. "We ready to go?"

"Sure are."

Finn moved to where the other two were standing at the back of the engine, Puck following close behind him, "We good here?"

"Yep. Me and Chang just got the hose loaded." Sam said.

"Alright, the tow truck just got here, let me go get them settled, then we can go. I'll be right back." Finn walked away and the three guys removed the wheel chalks and climbed in the engine. After a brief minute, Finn returned "Okay. They are all set. Let's head back to the station, I'll finish the report while Chang makes us dinner. I'm starving."

"Sounds good." Puck started the engine and headed back to their station.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Rachel tapped on the shoulder of the firefighter who was currently loading equipment into a bin at the side of the engine, "Excuse me?"

The mohawked man turned, his jacket was unbuttoned and his helmet resting on the step of the engine. "What can Puckasauras do for you, sweetheart?" He asked, not so subtly raking his eyes over Rachel's form.

Temporarily taken back by the man's forwardness (and stupid nickname), she squared her shoulders "My name is Rachel Berry and I'm with KRSA news; who may I talk to for an interview?"

Puck scoffed, "Oh, hell no. That's not me. You want the Captain. He's over there; red helmet." He pointed vaguely behind him, closed the bin and put his helmet on, dismissing her completely.

Rachel surveyed the area, immediately finding a tall man in a red helmet with his back to her not too far away. She walked to where he was standing and tapped on his shoulder. The man was easily a foot taller than her and she noticed that when he turned around, his eyes were focused above her head, presumably expecting the person asking for his attention to be taller. "Excuse me. I'm looking for the captain; I was told that was you."

Finn looked down at the short brunette in front of him dumbfounded. The girl was gorgeous. Her hair was long with slight curls and her brown eyes seemed to sparkle along with the lights from the fire trucks. He was blatantly staring and realized he must look like a fool, especially since his mouth was hanging open. He got a grip on himself and found his voice, "Um, yeah. I'm the Captain."

Rachel knew that her job required her to interact with firemen often and naturally, she expected some of them to be attractive; this guy though, he took it to a whole new level. His jacket draped across his broad shoulders perfectly and his deep brown eyes seemed to be sparkling. Since when to men's eyes sparkle? She was silently debating that question when the man spoke. Even his voice was attractive. Rachel shook herself out of her thoughts, remembering that no matter how attractive he was, she had a job to do. "Hello. I'm Rachel Berry with KSRA news. I was wondering if you had a few minutes available so I could interview you about this fire."

Finn rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable, "Uh, yeah, sure. I guess. Can you give me just a minute?" Rachel nodded and took a few steps back while he turned back to talk to the guys that he was speaking with before. After only a moment, he turned back to her, "Okay, I guess I'm ready." Finn knew that since he was the captain, interviews would be part of his job; it just wasn't his favorite part.

"Excellent. My crew is set up right over there." Rachel led him to where Ryder and Brittany were set up. "Ryder, Brittany, this is Captain… um…" She turned to the man next to her "Sorry, I don't believe we were properly introduced before. I apologized for that."

He smiled and held out his hand "Finn Hudson, Captain, station 61."

"Rachel Berry, KRSA News, Field reporter." She took his hand and shook it, ignoring the tingles that flowed through her hand where they touched. She also missed the look Ryder and Brittany shared. She removed her hand from his grasp and tried to take control of her rapidly beating heart. "Okay, well, Captain Hudson let's get started, shall we?" he nodded "Have you done this before?" He nodded again "Great. Ryder? You guys ready?"

"Sure are. We've been waiting for you." He answered, his tone amused.

Rachel's cheeks pinked and she took the microphone and ear piece Brittany was offering. She moved to stand in front of the camera, Finn next to her. She smoothed down the front of her cardigan, inserted the ear piece, ran a hand through her hair, stood tall, and plastered her trademark smile on her face. "You ready, Captain?"

"As I'll ever be," he mused. Finn knew he wasn't the most articulate guy; he also knew that the pretty reporter next to him wasn't helping his nerves. Her close proximity was doing things to him and she wasn't even trying. He heard the camera man and realized he only had a few seconds to get a grip on himself.

"In three, two…" Ryder pointed at Rachel as she lifted the microphone to her lips.

"Good evening. This is Rachel Berry coming to you from the scene of an afternoon structure fire in the Willow Tree Condos. Standing next to me is Captain Finn Hudson. Can you tell us what happened?"

Rachel snapped the microphone in front of Finn's face, "Well, we had a fire in the kitchen that seems to have started when the homeowner left her dinner to cook unattended. The fire was relatively minor and was contained to the kitchen."

"Was anybody injured in the fire?" she asked.

"The homeowner attempted to put out the fire with her kitchen extinguisher and when that ran out, she left the apartment. The entire building was evacuated as a precaution and thankfully, nobody was injured. The ambulance is always dispatched to structure fires as a precaution, but they were not needed today."

Rachel snapped the microphone back to her lips and smiled widely, "Some good news. Thank you Captain Hudson. The Red Cross has said that the homeowners will be staying with family members for now and the other residence should be able to return home tomorrow sometime. Now let's send it to in the studio for the weather; I hear we are in for some rain. Santana?"

"We're out."

Rachel handed her microphone to Brittany, "Thanks Ryder, thanks Brit." She turned to Finn "Thank you too, Captain Hudson."

Finn's lips quirked into a half smile, "Please. Call me Finn."

"Okay. Finn." She was trying desperately to keep the dreamy tone from her voice.

"I better get back to my crew." He placed his large hand on her shoulder "See you next time."

"Next time." Her words were spoken softly as his retreating figure made its way back to the fire engine. She was watching as he turned to look over his shoulder, their eyes locking one last time.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"What are we watching fellas?" Finn sat in the unoccupied recliner next to Puck.

"Sup Huddy. You finally decide to join us up here?"

Finn removed his boots and pulled the lever on the recliner. "I had to work on the training schedule for next month." He turned his attention to Mike, "Dude, share some of that popcorn, would ya."

Mike held the bowl in front of Finn and he took a large handful. He was shoving some of the kernels in his mouth when he heard Rachel's name being announced on the television.

"Isn't that the reporter from earlier today?" Sam asked casually.

Puck looked at the TV and let out a small groan, "That chick was sneaky hot. Did you see her legs?"

Finn sat quietly as the other men discussed the physical attributes of the beautiful reporter. Although he did agree with what the guys were saying, he didn't want them to know that not only did he notice, he had been thinking about them since he met her earlier in the day. The room soon fell silent as they watched the interview recorded earlier.

"Hey! You were just on TV; you know what that means." Mike said teasingly.

Finn ran a hand through his hair "That just isn't right. I get interviewed all the time; it's part of my job."

Puck shrugged, "Hey man, it's tradition."

"It's rigged!" Finn protested.

The men all laughed "You knew the rules when you took the job Cap. If you're on TV or in the paper you buy the crew ice cream." Sam pointed out.

"Get some cookie dough or something good this time." Puck added.

Finn chuckled and threw a few kernels of popcorn Puck, "Ass."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Having finished another interview, Rachel thanked her crew and handed Brittany the microphone before turning to the handsome firefighter to her left. "Thanks again Finn."

"No problem. See you next time." He smiled widely and waved as he turned to walk away.

"Stay safe," she said, watching as he made his way back to where his crew was. When he could no longer be seen, she turned back to see Ryder and Brittany staring at her in amusement. "What?"

Ryder chuckled lightly and held his hands up in defense, "Nothing."

"You like him," Brittany stated. "It's obvious."

Rachel placed her hand on her chest in shock, "What? No I don't."

"This is the third time you have interviewed him-"

"It's my job," Rachel interjected.

"-And whenever you are talking to him, your face turns really red. We have all noticed, even Santana asked when you were going to make a move." Brittany finished winding up the cord on the microphone and placed it in the bag.

Rachel gasped; surprised that Brittany and her girlfriend were discussing her personal life when they were together. "Santana?"

"Yes, my girlfriend, she does the weather."

She let out a frustrated breath, "I know who she is, Brit. Why are you discussing my love life?"

"So you do like him," She mused.

"Duh," Ryder added.

Rachel looked over to where the fire department was cleaning up, easily spotting Finn, and let out a breath before turning her attention back to Ryder and Brittany. "Of course I think he is attractive, I mean, look at him, but he is way out of my league."

"I don't think so. I actually think he likes you a little bit." Ryder turned to Brittany, who nodded.

"Yeah I think so too."

Rachel looked over to where Finn was once again, briefly locking eyes with him. She turned away quickly, embarrassed at being caught and shook her head to rid her mind of the tall firefighter before helping Brittany and Ryder.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"You guys go ahead. We will do a live report in about an hour and a half, so we have about an hour before we need to set up. I'm going to talk to some of the other guests and ask a few questions." Rachel smiled and watched as Ryder and Brittany made their way into the elaborate ball room.

They had been sent to cover the annual Fireman's Ball. The ball was the biggest fundraiser for Fallen Firefighters Fund and when the station had asked for someone to cover it, Rachel immediately volunteered. Even though she would technically be working, it was a chance to dress up and spend a Saturday night out. And if Finn happened to be there, that would be a bonus.

Rachel walked through the space weaving through the other guests as she made her way to the bar at the back of the room. "White wine please." She looked around the room as she waited for the bartender to fill a glass. Her eyes scanned the crowd, taking note of possible interviewees. She turned when she heard the bartender return with her drink and thanked him but just as she was about to make her way into the group, a tall man with perfectly styled hair and an expensive suit stood next to her.

"Hey, you're the reporter from channel seven, right?"

Rachel smiled brightly and held out her hand, "I am. Rachel Berry. Nice to meet you-"

"Kurt Hummel." He shook her hand gingerly, "Pleasure. Are you doing a story on the ball?"

"I am, it is a great cause. Hopefully the report will call attention to it and they will be able to bring in more money."

Kurt took a sip from his wine glass. "I hope so, my brother said this is the biggest fundraiser of the year, so the more money they raise the better."

"Oh, is your brother a firefighter?" She asked, genuinely interested. She didn't know why this man was so interested in talking to her, she clearly wasn't his type, but he seemed nice and you could never have too many friends.

"He is. I think you have interviewed him a couple times, Captain Finn Hudson?" Rachel's eyes went wide and she sputtered into her wine and Kurt was pleased with the pretty reporter's reaction to the information. He had seen her interview his brother a few times and he could almost see the chemistry that the two shared.

Rachel cursed her reaction and tried to compose herself before speaking again. She tried to sound as casual as possible, "Oh. Yeah. I think I remember him. He's your brother?"

"He is." Kurt raised an eyebrow at her obvious attempt to act nonchalant. Just as he was about to call her out, he spotted Finn coming towards him and Rachel. "Here he is now."

"Hey Kurt. What are you… Oh, uh, Rachel. Hey." Finn tried to control himself at the site of the beautiful woman before him. She had on a dark blue floor length strapless dress and her hair was twisted into a messy bun, a few loose curls framing her face. She was gorgeous.

Rachel turned just in time to see Finn in his dress uniform. She was not prepared for him to look that handsome.

Kurt noticed Finn and Rachel's faces were a matching shade of red at the sight of each other. He realized quickly that seeing the chemistry on TV was nothing compared to seeing it in person. He watched as the two awkwardly exchanged greetings, pleasantries, and not-so-subtle glances, neither acknowledging him. After a few moments he cleared his throat, causing the Finn and Rachel to look at him, both seemingly surprised at his presence.

Finn looked between his brother and Rachel, "Oh, right. Rach, this is my brother Kurt. Kurt this is Rachel."

"We've met." Kurt said.

"We met a few minutes before you came over, actually. Kurt had just mentioned to me that you were his brother."

Finn looked over at Kurt suspiciously and he held up his hands in defense. "He did, huh?"

"What? You know channel seven is my favorite."

"Uh huh. Sorry about him."

Rachel giggled quietly at the brothers, "There is nothing to be sorry for. Kurt was perfectly delightful company."

Kurt smiled widely at Finn and took Rachel's hand, "It was wonderful meeting you Rachel. I'm sure I will see you later this evening. Have a wonderful time." He released her hand and turned his attention to Finn, "I'm going to peruse the silent auction. See you back at the table."

"It was lovely meeting you too, Kurt."

Finn rolled his eyes and nodded as Kurt walked away, leaving him and Rachel alone. "So, uh, are you doing a story on the ball?"

"Why? Are you offering to do an interview?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Finn chuckled, "Not if I can help it. I'm already spending a fortune in ice cream for the station."

"I don't quite understand what that has to do with me interviewing you."

Finn casually took her elbow and led her away from the now crowded bar. "Well it's tradition that if you are on the news or in the paper that you buy ice cream for your crew."

"I thought that it was part of the captain's job to do the interviews."

"It is."

Rachel placed her hands on her hips, "That doesn't seem fair."

"That's what I told them. They just told me it was tradition." He shrugged.

Rachel lifted her hand to his shoulder, "Well then, I guess you are off the hook for this evening. I have an idea, I'll see if I can get one of the other guys from your crew to do an interview. Just point me in their direction."

"I like the way you think Miss Berry." Finn laughed looking around the room. He quickly spotted the members of his crew scattered around the ball room and pointed them each out to her.

"Excellent. I'll be sure to talk to them."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"Mmmm. Awesome choice dude. You guys deciding to get the stuff for banana splits was a great idea."

Puck glared at Finn while drizzling chocolate sauce over his heaping banana split, "Shut up man! It's your fault we had to get ice cream at all. We know you sicked that reporter chick on us."

Finn smirked at his friend. Puck was right, he had sicked Rachel on them. When she had mentioned that she was going to see if they would be interested in an interview, Finn underestimated how persuasive she could be. Rachel ended up roping Puck, Sam, and Mike into an interview, resulting in all three men having to provide dessert for the evening, and as a bonus the news story had managed to raise an additional five thousand dollars for the Fallen Firefighter's Fund. Win-win.

He took another spoonful of the frozen treat to his mouth, "I sure did, and her name is Rachel."

"Oh touchy! Does Cap have a little crush?" Finn swirled his spoon into his bowl, avoiding Puck's questioning stare. "Holy shit. You do. You like the reporter."

Finn shrugged. Part of the reason his crew worked so well together was that they could read each other so well. He knew Puck had him. "It's not that big of a deal okay. Let it go."

Puck dropped his spoon into the bowl, "The hell it ain't. You haven't had a girlfriend since what's her face, you know, the chick with the cans." Puck held his hands over his chest, exaggerating the ex-girlfriend's chest size causing Finn to roll his eyes. "And I know you haven't gotten laid in almost a year." Puck stopped and pointed his finger at Finn forcefully. "Don't try to deny it. Why don't you just ask her out? Man up. It's not that difficult. 'Hey, you're hot. Let me show you a good time.' Easy."

Finn ran his hand through his hair in frustration, "First off, I would never say that. Second, I don't know her well enough to ask her out."

Puck looked at him incredulously, "Uh yeah dude. I think that's the point of taking her out, you know, to get to know her."

"Fine. Would it shut you up if I agree to ask her out the next time I see her?"

"Probably not."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"Blaine!" Rachel stood from the small table where she was waiting for her friend to join her. The curly haired man smiled and weaved his way through the small coffee shop to where she was waiting and greeted her with a one armed hug and a kiss on the cheek. She handed him the hot beverage she had already ordered for him and reclaimed her seat at the table. "Here."

"Thanks Ray." He took a cautious sip as he sat down at the table, "It's perfect. So tell me, how is the fabulous Rachel Berry doing?"

Rachel sipped her coffee and smiled at her friend. "She is wonderful. How are you? How is law school?"

"It's kicking my ass, but it's great. I'm passing all my courses and I'm at least holding onto a sliver of a social life."

She giggled, "Why, Blaine Anderson, are you trying to tell me that you have been dating?"

Blaine laughed loudly. "No. A sliver of a social life does not leave me with time for dating. What about you?" He asked.

"What about me?"

"You can't hide from me, Ray, we have been friends far too long. I saw you eyeing up that tall, hunky fireman during interviews."

Rachel sighed, "I'm just doing my job. Do I think he is cute? Of course. That doesn't mean he is interested in me. Besides, I haven't seen him in over a week."

Blaine raised an eyebrow at his friend, "Are you stalking him or what?"

"What? No. Seriously, it's the fire department. How does an entire section of the city go that long without needing help? I covered a bingo tournament at a retirement home yesterday, Blaine. Bingo. How is that the most interesting thing going on?"

Blaine laughed again. "Didn't I see tall, dark, and handsome being interviewed by the weekend girl on Sunday?"

"Okay, fine. What I meant is; why don't they need help when I'm working too? I could be interviewing him instead of blue haired grandma's fighting over who is the more dedicated bingo player."

"Why can't you just go by the station?"

Rachel let out a long, steadying breath, "I'm not desperate, Blaine."

"Sweetie, you are hoping people need to call 911 so that you can interview a fireman in hopes of getting a date. It's a little desperate." He mused.

She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "Oh my God, you're right; I'm a terrible person!"

"Rachel, you're not a bad person, you just haven't had sex in a long time."

When her head snapped up from the table, her mouth was hanging open. She swatted his shoulder lightly while looking around to see if anybody may have heard him. "Blaine!"

"Am I wrong?" he managed to say through his laughter.

Rachel blushed and began to pick at her skirt. "Well, no. But that's not the point."

"I know it's not. If it makes you feel better, he seemed to have a thing for you too. I mean, the interview appeared professional on the outside, but there was definitely something there."

Rachel smiled warmly. "Thank you, even if you're just trying to make me feel better."

"Now that that is settled, why don't you tell me what else has been happening in your life."

The two friends caught up in the coffee shop for a little while longer before saying their goodbyes and promising to get together soon. As Rachel made her way to her apartment, she thought about what her next move would be with Finn.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

The elevator hadn't even made it down two floors before it stalled between the fifth and sixth floors. Rachel frantically pushed the buttons in the stalled elevator hoping that somebody would hear here cries for help. "No, no, no. this can't be happening. Somebody? Anybody? The elevator is stuck." She called out while pacing inside the elevator.

While she wasn't afraid of elevators, she was not thrilled with the idea of being forced to stay in one against her will for who knows how long on a Saturday. Luckily for her, a crackled voice came over the speakers, "Hello? Hello? The fire department is on the way. Hold tight and please stay calm."

"Easy for you to say," she grumbled. Leaning against the cold wall of the elevator she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. After a moment of torturous silence, she pulled her headphones out of her purse and plugged them into her phone, immediately cueing up her favorite playlist and turning up the volume. She had to drown out the voices in her head telling her that she was going to die in that elevator.

Thankfully, the music had done just what she needed it to and she sang along with song after song while she waited to be rescued. Unfortunately, that distraction may have worked too well. She was in the middle of an admittedly intense sing-a-long with Steve Perry and the rest of Journey when she felt the air inside the elevator get noticeably cooler. She opened her eyes slowly, still singing. "Hold on to that feeli- AHHH!" What she wasn't prepared for, was to see the building manager, several onlookers, and four familiar looking firefighters staring at her in amusement. She quickly pulled her headphones from her ears, thoroughly embarrassed.

"Rachel?"

"Oh my god. Finn. This is so embarrassing. I was trying to get my mind off of being trapped inside this death box." She buried her very red face in her hands, mumbling about how embarrassed she was and Finn chuckled lightly.

"Believe me, we have come across worse. You shouldn't be embarrassed anyway, you sounded amazing in here. It was nice to be able to listen to music while we worked. I wouldn't have pegged you for a Journey fan." Finn said, obviously trying to ease her embarrassment.

Again, Rachel groaned in embarrassment. "How much did you hear?" She asked through a sigh.

"It was only a few songs and you're free now."

The crowd had already begun to disperse as she was escorted into the hallway and even though she was still mortified she had been caught singing loudly in a stalled elevator, she was also extremely grateful. "Thank you for that," she paused, getting an idea "In fact, let me cook your crew dinner as my way of thanking you."

"That's not necessary, Rachel, we are just doing our job."

Just then, Puck stepped in front of Finn, "Actually, Chang's cooking has been getting old."

"Puck…" Finn warned.

"No, no, it's no big deal. I want to. It will actually help me feel a lot better about calling you to come rescue me."

"Ra-"

"Great!" Puck said, cutting off Finn.

"I'll be by the station at five o'clock ready to prepare you a delightful meal." She took a few steps towards the stairwell and looked back towards the firemen. "Thank you again."

Puck wiggled his fingers at her as she turned to leave, "See you later." The second the door to the stairwell closed, Puck felt a hard smack to his shoulder. "Ow! Dude, what the hell was that for?"

"What are you doing?" Finn hissed.

"I'm trying to be a good wingman here. Now you have no excuse not to ask her out."

Finn groaned. He knew his friend meant well.

As Rachel made her way down the last few flights of stairs, she mentally prepared the menu for tonight's dinner. Maybe being stuck in an elevator wasn't so bad after all.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"What's cooking Sugar?"

Rachel looked up from where she was preparing dinner to see the mohawked fireman trying to pick at the food she had set aside; she quickly slapped his hand away. "Lasagna, garlic bread, and a fresh salad." She wiped her hands on the pink apron she was wearing and extended her hand to the man. "I don't believe we have been formerly introduced; I'm Rachel Berry."

He took the offered hand and shook it firmly, "Noah Puckerman, but you can call me Puck, sweetheart."

"Puck!" He released Rachel's hand and turned to look see Finn glaring at him. "Leave her alone, you are married and she is already doing us a favor by being here." His expression softened and he turned his attention to Rachel. "Sorry about him. He usually isn't aloud out without a leash."

"Woof woof baby. I'm going to check off the engine, let me know when dinner is ready." Puck sent Finn a conspiratory glance and left the kitchen.

"Can I help with anything?" Finn asked.

Rachel looked around the kitchen. "Actually, if you don't mind," she said, "you can get the salad ready. It's right over there."

"Cool. So, uh, have you always wanted to be a reporter?" He asked while beginning to prepare the salad.

"Not always. I have always been told that I am nosy." They both chuckled and she continued, "And since I also enjoyed the attention that comes with having an audience, I thought this would be the perfect career choice for me. My ultimate goal, though, is to be a head anchor on the morning news. The recognition is great, the hours are perfect, and it's the most watched time slot. How about you? Have you always wanted to be a firefighter?"

"Always." He busied his hands preparing the salad while he answered her question. "I've always known this is what I wanted to do. When I was in high school, I used to hang out at the fire station on the weekends and in the summer. My step dad, Burt, was the chief there; he wasn't my step dad at the time though, that came later. When I turned eighteen, I started volunteering there officially. Shortly after my mom met Burt, they hit it off, got married, now I have a brother and my mom is married to the fire chief. Anyway, I moved here after graduation for the fire academy, made captain almost a year ago." He held out the now prepared salad to her, "Is this okay?"

"It's perfect. The lasagna only has a few more minutes and the bread is ready. Thank you."

"No problem."

"So, where is home, Finn?" She asked, readying the buffet style serving area.

He moved help her place the needed dishes ready. "Home is Lima Ohio. How about you? Are you from New York?"

"All my life." The oven beeped just then and as she bent down to retrieve the pan, she took a deep breath, "So, does your girlfriend get scared when you are on duty?" She sent up a silent prayer that she wasn't being too obvious with her question as she placed the pan on a hot pad near the plates.

Finn laughed, "Um, no. That could be because I don't have one though. How about you? Does your boyfriend worry about your job?" He took a step towards her as he waited for her answer.

"No. I-I don't have a boyfriend." She bit her bottom lip and tucked some hair behind her ear and they stood in the kitchen for a few seconds, the silence washing over them. It wasn't long until the silence was interrupted by the rest of the crew entering the room.

"Damn Berry, that smells good." Puck went straight to where the food had been laid out.

"Yeah" Mike and Sam echoed, following Puck.

She reluctantly turned her focus away from Finn and smiled as she removed her apron. "Thank you. It's ready, go ahead and eat up."

Finn placed his hand on the small of Rachel's back and gestured for him to join him behind the others as they dished up. While Mike placed salad on his plate and held a conversation with the other men ahead of Rachel, Finn leaned down and whispered in Rachel's ear. "Go out with me?"

Rachel felt the tingles radiating from where Finn's hand was resting on her back and leaned into his touch slightly. She watched the firemen dishing up their dinner ahead of her and suddenly felt Finn's hot breath near her ear, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand up. She turned to see the hopeful look in his eyes and smiled at him. "I would love to."

"Awesome." The dimple on his cheek appeared as he smiled at her and gestured for her to dish up.

The group ate, conversation flowing freely, and when it was over, Rachel felt like she had made friends with the entire crew. She was able to thank them for helping her in the elevator, she got to spend time with Finn, and more importantly they had made plans to do so again, just the two of them.

Finn was grateful they were able to get through the dinner without getting a call, allowing him to spend more time with Rachel and when he insisted that Mike, Sam, and Puck clean up, it gave him time to talk to Rachel some more. They exchanged phone numbers and had made plans to go out later in the week. As far as work days go, this one was pretty great.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"Wow, Rachel. You look, wow."

Rachel tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and looked at the floor shyly. "Thank you, Finn. She opened the door to her apartment wider and stepped aside. "Would you like to come in for a moment while I finish getting ready."

"Sure. Uh, these are for you." Finn held out a small bouquet of lilies.

Rachel delicately took the offered flowers and brought them to her nose while Finn entered the apartment. While her nose was still buried in the soft petals, she took note of the way Finn's charcoal grey sweater hugged his chest and highlighted his shoulders. He pushed the long sleeves up his forearms and Rachel shivered. After a second she realized she was staring and closed the door behind Finn. "These are beautiful. I am just going to put them in water. Go ahead and make yourself at home, I should only be a few minutes."

Finn nodded and watched as Rachel made her way into the other room. He noticed the way her short skirt accentuated her long legs and swished as she walked. Soon though, he could no longer see her and began cautiously looking around the main living area of Rachel's apartment. He paused to look at some of the pictures on the wall then made his way to the sofa. He sat down on the edge and almost immediately, he felt something rubbing against his ankle. He looked down to see a small black and grey cat snaking around his ankles. He was just about to nudge the furry pet away when Rachel appeared in the doorway.

"I see you have met Pickles."

Finn looked between Rachel and the cat. "Yeah, I guess I did." Finn bent down and lightly tapped the cat on the head, the cat instinctively pressed itself further into his hand, "Hey there Pickles."

Rachel crossed the room and picked up the kitty, holding it to her chest and petting his head. "I think he likes you." She held the cat out for Finn to take and though he seemed reluctant, Finn obliged, stroking the fur all the way down its back a few times. Rachel stepped closer and also reached out to caress Pickles. Her hand stilled as it passed over Finn's and they both took in a breath. Who knew that electricity could flow between two people like that?

The moment was far too brief, however. Pickles released himself from the pairs grasp and launched himself over Finn's Shoulder and out of the room. Rachel giggled, "I guess he was done getting attention. I'm ready to go now."

"Cool. Let's go." Rachel grabbed her purse and led them out of her apartment and in a brief, but comfortable silence they made their way into the waiting elevator.

He reached out and pressed the button directing them to the lobby and the elevator began moving lower. "I'm surprised you are still riding elevators," he said playfully.

"Unfortunately, in New York, elevators are necessary. Besides, I happen to be riding this elevator with yo- Oh my God, Finn! Your face!" She screeched.

Finn looked at Rachel, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What? " He asked. He thought she liked his face, at least enough to agree to go out with him.

"You are all puffy and red."

"Crap…" he sighed, "The cat."

"What? What do you mean 'the cat'? Are you allergic?" She asked in a panic.

He smiled tentatively and shrugged, "A little?" Finn knew he was allergic and usually avoided cats, but he had been so eager to please Rachel, that he figured it would be okay. Next thing he knew, he was holding the cat and Rachel was getting closer to him and how could he resist?

"Why didn't you say anything? This looks like more that a little allergy. We need to get you some allergy medicine." She looped her arm through his just as the elevator doors opened and quickly led him through the lobby and out to the street.

He shrugged his shoulders, "It's not that big of deal. I can take something when I get home."

She looked up at him and her eyes got wide, "It's getting worse. We need to hurry." Her grip tightened around his arm and she quickened her pace, hoping to reach the corner store faster.

"What about dinner?"

"Dinner can wait, we need to get you an antihistamine." She released her arm and took hold of his hand as she led him into the store, her eyes frantically searching the overhead signs for the right isle. Rachel quickly moved through the store, locating the proper medicine, paying for it, and, once they were out of the store, she tore open the packaging. "Here, drink some," she ordered while handing the bottle to Finn.

"I'm fine, Rach." He attempted a smile, but felt his face restricted by the swelling. "Maybe just a little," he said, foregoing the provided measuring cup and swigging directly from the bottle.

Rachel threaded her arm back through his and began to lead them down the street. "Come on Finn, I help you get back home. Which way?"

"What about our date?" He questioned.

She rubbed her other hand against his arm, "We can just go back to your place and order take out, if that's ok? Do you like Thai food?"

He nodded, sighed and reluctantly gave Rachel his address and she escorted him and his swollen face down towards his apartment. A few blocks (and a few more swigs of allergy medicine) later, Finn was walking slower and he seemed to be leaning further into Rachel as they walked. "You're pretty." He said suddenly.

Rachel giggled at his slightly slurred words. "I think you have probably had too much allergy medicine."

"Maybe. But that doesn't make it less true."

Blushing, she noticed that they were now in front of Finn's building. "Let's get you inside Finn. Is this it?"

"Yup!"

"Come on." Rachel led him through the lobby and into the buildings elevator. "What floor?"

"Eight." He stumbled into the elevator and leaned his back against the wall as the doors closed and they began to ascend. Holding on to the railing, he started to slide down, his eyelids heavy.

Rachel turned to notice him almost down on the floor and rushed to lift him by the arm, "No Finn. You have to stay awake. There is no way I will be able to lift you if you fall asleep." Finn groaned and she lifted his arm around her shoulders, "Here, you can lean on me, we are almost there."

Finn leaned into her, causing Rachel to let out a groan of her own. Finn leaned over her and sniffed her hair loudly. "Your hair smells awesome. Like strawberries and sunshine."

She giggled and the elevator door dinged. "Oh really, Casa Nova?" Now in the hallway, Rachel looked left, then right, before looking to Finn, "Which way?"

He released himself from Rachel's grip and pointed exaggeratedly down the hall. "That way," He declared, taking off down the (thankfully) empty hallway in a gallop. Amused, she followed him to what she hoped was the correct door. He dug around in his pocket for his keys, before finally pulling them out of his pocket and holding them up triumphantly for her to see. "Got 'em!"

He fumbled with the keys before finally opening the door to the apartment and stumbling inside. He made his way to the sofa and plopped himself down unceremoniously, Rachel following behind him. She stood in front of him and looked at his handsome face, "It looks like you are going to make it."

"So can we go out now?"

Laughing, she backed away and placed her purse on his table. "You aren't in any condition to go out, mister. I'll order the food now, okay?"

"Okay." He smiled dopily at her and she laughed, pulling out her phone and ordering them some food.

"You're pretty."

"So you've said."

"Like really pretty."

"Maybe you should lie down until the food gets here. I'll get you some water." She stood to go into the kitchen, but Finn took hold of her hand before she could get far.

"I'm a fireman."

Rachel covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh at how silly Finn was being. Maybe next time, she should use the measuring cup. "I know Finn. Rest for a minute, Thai Gardens will be here soon." She made her way into Finn's kitchen and looked for a glass to get him some water, all the while listening to him ramble.

"Thai. That's a funny word. It's like tie, but it's Thai. Spelling is weird," he laughed. "It's like my name, it's fin, but with an extra nnnn. Rachel is a pretty name and it's spelled just how it sounds. Ra-chel. Rachel. Rachel Rachel. See? Easy." He took the water she held to him and took a big drink then laid back on the couch. "I ruined everything," he said dramatically.

Rachel placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbing softly. "You didn't ruin anything. We just had a change of plans, that's all."

"Promise?"

"Promise." The buzzer rang and Rachel jumper up from the couch, "that's the food; I'll go get it. Be right back."

A few moments later Rachel returned and they ate in a comfortable silence. When they finished, Finn was resting on the sofa, the medicine beginning to wear off, and Rachel cleaned up after their meal. She took the opportunity to look at the pictures he had displayed around his apartment. Most of the photos included Puck or Kurt, but a smaller frame caught her attention. She looked closer at it and figured it must be from Halloween. Finn was dressed in a cowboy hat and bandana with his arm around a woman dressed as Princess Fiona from Shrek. Her teeth were yellowed, her face was green and she had Shrek ears poking out of the top of her head. "A cowboy is the best you could do? The woman dressed as Princess Fiona did a great job with her costume." She observed.

"Hmmhmm. That's my mom, she's awesome. She's totally gonna love you…"

Rachel's eyes widened and she turned to see that Finn had fallen asleep on his couch. She couldn't help the smile that formed at the sight of his large frame sleeping on the sofa. She quietly took the blanket from the back of the couch and covered him with it before lowering herself to softly kiss the side of his head.

As she made her way home that night, she thought that for a date that was basically a disaster, it had been a surprisingly good time.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Finn sat at the table nervously waiting for Rachel to join him for lunch. He had woke up on his couch this morning, still in his clothes from the botched date the night before, to see a text from her asking if he was okay. He had replied with an apology and asked her to meet him for lunch if she could. His fingertips were drumming on the table in anticipation, when he heard her cheery voice.

"Good afternoon, Finn."

He immediately stood to greet her, "Rachel. I'm glad you could make it. Would you like to sit?"

"Of course." She lowered herself onto the chair Finn was holding out for her, "I wanted to see if you were feeling alright today."

Taking his own seat, he groaned and his face turned red. "I'm so sorry about last night, Rach."

Rachel reached across the table and covered his hand with her own. "Don't be. I had fun," she said reassuringly.

"Fun? We didn't even make it to the restaurant."

"True, but we did get to eat and like I said, I had fun."

He turned over his hand over under hers so their palms were touching, lacing his fingers with hers just as the waitress came to take their orders. They both ordered and when the waitress left Finn squeezed Rachel's hand and looked at her imploringly. "Can we try again? I mean, if you're free tonight, I promise to not to swell up and act like a super dork."

Rachel giggled and squeezed his hand, "I would love to. I thought you were adorable last night. You do not need to keep apologizing, seriously."

"I'll stop when I have made it up to you properly. But, thank you for putting up with me last night and helping me get home and basically not running away from me today."

Rachel leaned across the table. "Can I let you in on a little secret, Finn?" He nodded and involuntarily leaned across the table, closing the gap between them to only a few inches. "I'm not going anywhere." With that she sat back in her chair confidently.

Finn looked at the beautiful brunettes blushing cheeks, sure that his own were in a similar state. His lips quirked up into a dimpled smile and he brought their still intertwined fingers to his lips. His eyes locked with hers as he left a soft lingering kiss to her knuckles. "Me either, Rach."

The waitress seemed to appear out of nowhere with their lunch and Finn released Rachel's delicate hand. The waitress smiled at the couple, placed their food in front of them, asked them if it looked okay, and informed them that she would return soon to check on them.

They talked while they ate, each of them learning something from the other. "Broadway?"

"Yes, Broadway. I had my eyes set on the stage at an early age. Then I joined the schools newspaper. We did a report on a teacher who had been fired for blackmailing a student and that was that," she shrugged and took the last bite of her sandwich.

She never stops surprising him. "Do still think about it?"

"I love to go see the shows. I've probably seen Wicked about twenty-five times. And of course I sing still, but it's more of a hobby now. It's a great stress reliever for me. I enjoy it. What about you? Do you have an unlikely hobby?"

His turn to shrug. "Maybe? I mean, I can play the drums pretty well."

Rachel involuntarily licked her lips as she stole a glance at his upper arms while he finished his own sandwich. "Wow. Um, yes. That is quite surprising. I-is it hot in here?"

Finn looked up as her eyes searched the room. "I don't think so. I mean, no more than it was a minute ago."

"Must be me." She got herself under control and tried to recover. "So? Seven?"

"Yeah, seven."

Finn insisted that he pay for lunch as part of his thank you and they parted ways for the afternoon, both of them sure that the other was going to be an important part of their life for the foreseeable future.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"What do you mean she 'carried you home?' She is half your size." Kurt shrieked.

The brothers always met for lunch once a week. Since their parents got married they had been close and they wanted to maintain their close relationship even though they were both busy in their respective careers. Kurt received an internship with Vogue after high school and had been rising through the ranks steadily ever since. Finn still didn't understand what exactly he did there, but he knew his brother was good at it.

This particular lunch was taking place a few days after the make-up date Finn had had with Rachel. He had told Kurt all about the dinner at the firehouse, the embarrassing details of the unfortunate allergy date, the follow-up lunch, and the official make-up date.

Finn exhaled loudly as he ran a hand through his hair. "I mean just what I said, Kurt."

"But how? And why on earth did you pet her cat anyway? You know that you're allergic." Kurt watched as Finn smiled and shrugged. "Never mind," he said, playfully rolling his eyes. "So after the horrific allergy situation, you decided that taking her bowling was the best way to fix it? Honestly Finn, have I taught you nothing?"

"She had never been. We had fun. A lot of fun," he amended.

Kurt held his hand to his chest as he took in a sharp breath. "Finn! I do not want to hear about your sexual exploits, especially when they involve my brother and somebody whom I see on TV every day."

Finn laughed, "Geez dude, calm down. It wasn't like that. We didn't even kiss, not really anyway. We held hands and she kissed me on the cheek that's all."

"Oh," he said, visibly relieved. "I can tell you really like her. I have a marvelous idea. Why don't you invite her to my party next week?"

Finn smiled, "You know what? I think I will."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Finn was sitting in the office he shared with the other captains of station 61 doing his reports for the day. Their shift had been busy so far that day and he was pretty excited that he only had ten hours left before he had four days off in a row. Four days off for himself. Four days to see Rachel, his lips quirked into a small smile at the thought.

They had been texting over the course of the last few days and had plans for brunch the next day. Naturally, their jobs both allowed them to see each other at work, but it was important to both of them to keep it professional. He thought about sending Rachel a text just to say hello, but decided against it. He would see her tomorrow.

"Captain Hudson?"

Unexpectedly pulled from his wandering thoughts, Finn looked up to see the stations receptionist waiting in the doorway. "Hey Nancy, what can I help you with?"

"There is somebody here to see you."

Finn closed the laptop in front of him and stood from his chair, "Thanks Nancy." He smoothed out his shirt as he made his way to the receiving area of the fire station; he was not expecting to see Rachel waiting for him. He greeted her with a hug. "Hey Rach! What brings you by?"

"I wanted to bring this by for you and your crew." She held a bag out to Finn and watched as he peered inside.

"What's this for."

She clasped her hands together in front of her and smiled slightly. "Well, I felt bad for making you buy ice cream for the crew, again, after that fire a couple days ago; so I brought some by. There is also some of my banana bread in there, as a thank you to everybody for being so good about the interviews at the ball."

"Rach, you didn't need to do that, you were just doing your job." He stepped closer and gently placed a hand on her elbow while leaning closer to her. "Don't tell anybody, but I like being interviewed by you." He stood up straight again and winked at her, causing her to blush. "Do you want a tour? I know you have seen the kitchen, but I can show you around the rest of the station."

She bit her lip and nodded. "Sure."

Finn led her through the main part of the station then up the stairs to the living quarters. There were several small bedroom scattered throughout, a pool table, and several recliners positioned in front of a large TV. He took her passed the small gym, complete with weight sets and treadmills, before leading her back to the reception area. "And here we are, back where we started."

"Thank you for the tour, Finn. It is far homier than I imagined it to be."

"Well," he shrugged, "when you spend this much time here, it helps that it feel like home." Rachel turned towards the door and took a couple small steps. "Thank you for the banana bread and ice cream."

"I wanted to. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely. I call you in the morning." She opened the door and took another step. "Hey Rach?"

Her hand still on the door, she turned to face him. "Yes Finn?"

"Would you… I mean, Kurt, my brother, he's having a birthday party this weekend. Knowing him, it's going to be way over the top and maybe a little crazy, but… anyway, I was wondering if maybe you would like to go with me?"

She let go of the door and moved to place her hand on Finn's forearm. "I would love to. You'll fill me in on the details tomorrow?" He nodded and she continued, "Can't wait. See you tomorrow Finn." She rose on her toes and placed a small kiss to Finn's cheek and left the station.

Finn was so mesmerized by the feel of her lips on his cheeks he was startled by Puck's sudden presence. "Was that Berry? What did she want?"

Finn shook his head. "Oh, uh, she just brought by some banana bread and stuff for later."

"Sweet! Where's it at?" He followed Finn out of the reception area.

"The kitchen." Finn took the bread out of the plastic wrap and began to cut a slice for him and Puck.

Puck took the offered slice and took a bite, "Dude, this is great. Did Berry make this?"

Finn shrugged as he took a bite. "I think so," he said, crumbs falling from his lips. "Damn, this is good."

"It is. If you don't marry the girl, I will."

Finn choked, "Dude! We just started dating!"

Puck raised an eyebrow at his friend, "I know you, Hudson. That's where this is headed. I think we both know that. Honestly, I think Berry knows it too." Puck snatched another piece of the bread and walked out of the room before Finn could respond.

Finn leaned against the counter and smiled, the realization the Puck might be on to something.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"Kurt is throwing his own birthday party?"

Finn chuckled as he and Rachel entered the ballroom, her arm looped through his. Usually they held wedding receptions and Bat Mitzvahs in this space, but Kurt spared no expense when it came to his birthday, especially this one. He insisted that since this was his twenty-fifth birthday, they call a caterer and rent the ballroom. At least he didn't insist on the larger ballroom this particular hotel offered.

He did, however, insist that they dress up. Finn was in a simple black suit, complete with a slender black tie and Rachel was wearing a short sleeved bright blue dress that hugged her waist and fell just above her knees; her long hair secured off her shoulders in a messy side bun. Finn was just happy Kurt didn't make this into a costume party.

"That's Kurt. He has always said that a Kurt Hummel birthday should always be celebrated, whatever that means."

One step inside the ballroom, Rachel stopped abruptly. "Wow."

"Yeah. Kurt tends to go all out." Rachel's hand slid down Finn's forearm and he gently took her hand in his, taking a moment to register how perfect her hand fit into his own. "You ready?"

Rachel nodded hesitantly and Finn led her into the elegantly decorated room. There were tables set up on each side of the room and a dance floor in the middle. The DJ was set up on the stage and the room was already starting to fill up with friends and family. They wandered through the space, passing a buffet and a few people that Finn waved at casually, before they stopped at the edge of the dance floor where Kurt was.

"Finn! You made it!" Kurt pulled Finn into a quick hug before hugging Rachel as well. "Rachel, I'm so glad you could be here."

"Thank you for allowing me to come, Kurt. Happy birthday."

"Yeah dude, happy birthday."

Kurt curtsied, "Be sure to get something to eat. And Rachel, don't let him hurt you when, and if, you get him on the dance floor."

Rachel looked up at Finn questioningly, his cheeks red. "Is that a possibility?"

Finn rubbed the back of his neck, "Probably not. I don't dance." He looked pointedly at Kurt. "Kurt knows that."

Rachel smiled widely, "Don't worry, Kurt, I have it under control."

"Marvelous. I must go mingle with some of my other guests; I'll see you kids later."

"Bye, Kurt." They said together.

Rachel turned to face Finn, only standing a few inches away, resting her hands on his chest. "What's this about you not dancing, Finn Hudson?"

Finn rested his hands over Rachel's. "I might be able to make an exception for you, Miss Berry. But Kurt wasn't kidding when he warned you about my dancing skills, or lack of, I really can't dance."

She leaned up on her toes slightly, her eyes never losing the connection with his. "I'll take my chances," she whispered.

Just then, the song changed to a slower song that neither of them could really hear over their own heartbeats and Rachel slid her hands onto Finn's shoulders. His hands rested on her lower back and she pressed against him tightly. They began to sway slightly with the music and Rachel rested her head softly on Finn's chest. He leaned down to where his cheek was resting on her head, at the same time, pulling her body even closer to his own. They swayed together in silence until the song ended; neither off them making a move to leave the other's embrace.

Finn shifted slightly, bringing his lips closer to Rachel's ear. "You look beautiful tonight."

Rachel slowly lifted her head off of Finn's chest and smiled warmly at him and their eyes locked once again. Without realizing it, their lips had become close enough that Finn could feel the tickle of the Rachel's breath on his lips. He closed the gap, touching his lips to hers and heard her take in a sharp breath as her hands tightened at the back of his neck. Their lips fused together and Finn was suddenly sure that he would never be able to feel in a kiss, what he was feeling right now with Rachel.

After a few brief moments, they parted reluctantly and Rachel rested her forehead against Finn's, her eyes still closed. "Wow. That was… wow."

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Should we, um, do you want to get something to eat?" She asked, but made no move to let go of Finn.

"We probably should." Instead of releasing Rachel, he closed the gap between them once again. The kiss didn't last as long as the first, but it certainly wasn't any less passionate. When they broke apart for the second time, Finn smiled. "Now we can go eat." He stepped back and took her hand, leading her to the extravagant buffet Kurt had made available.

After filling a plate, they sat down at a vacant table to eat. "Do you know many people here?"

Finn looked around the room quickly before answering, "Um, it doesn't really look like it. I only know a few of Kurt's friends. I saw a few cousins when we first got here and I know that my mom and Burt were going to try to come."

"Oh. I didn't know your parents were going to be here."

He shrugged, "I'm not sure if they will be. Last time I talked to my mom, she was waiting to see if she could get the time off at the hospital. I never did find out if she worked it out."

"Well, I hope she was able to." She pushed her now empty plate away and looked towards the buffet, "I'm going to get a few of those strawberries, would you like one?"

"Sure, I'm just going to find the restroom. I'll be right back."

They both stood from the table and Finn placed a simple lingering kiss on Rachel's lips before they parted ways. Rachel happily made her way back to the food. Once in front of the bright red strawberries, Rachel reached a hand out to grab the tongs, but was surprised when her hand bumped into another woman's hand, both reaching for the same utensil. "Oh. I'm so sorry, go ahead." Rachel said kindly, moving her hand back out of the way.

The woman shared a small smile, "Are you sure? I don't mind waiting."

"I insist. Please go ahead." Rachel couldn't help but think that the middle aged woman seemed familiar to her, she just couldn't place her face. "Wonderful party, huh? Kurt has done a beautiful job."

The woman looked up and smiled, handing Rachel the tongs. "He always does. Hey, aren't you the reporter for channel five?" She questioned.

"Seven." She corrected, placing the tongs back in their holder. "Rachel." She said, extending her small hand.

The older woman took the offered hand and shook it, "That's right, seven. I'm Carol."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Carol."

They moved away from the table slightly, making room for other party goers. "I saw the report you did on the Fireman's Ball a couple weeks ago. It was very well done."

"Thank you. It is such a great cause. That's where Kurt and I met, actually." Rachel took a delicate bite of one of the berries resting on her plate, waiting for the answer.

"Kurt." Carol shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. "That boy loves a party, especially ones that require everyone to dress up."

Rachel giggled, "I can tell. Finn practically had to pick my jaw up off the floor when we got here."

Carol's eyes went wide and her lips parted in surprise. "Oh! You know my Finny?"

"I do. I am here as his guest." For some unknown reason, Carol's eyes were starting to mist up and to be honest, it was kind of freaking Rachel out. Rachel's was taken aback by the woman's excitement and did she say 'my Finny?' Despite her internal freak out, Rachel kept a smile on her face.

"I see," she said.

"How do you know Finn?" She asked conversationally before taking another bite of the strawberry.

Carol took in a breath, ready to answer the question, but she was interrupted before she could.

"Mom? You made it!"

Rachel watched in surprise as Finn hugged Carol tightly and now it all made sense. She quickly replayed her and Carol's interactions in her head, wondering if she had said something stupid or embarrassing in those few minutes.

Finn stepped back from his mother and placed an arm around Rachel's waist, "I see you have met Rachel."

"I have."

"Cool. Is Burt here?" His eyes were scanning the room, hoping to see his step dad.

"He's over talking to Kurt. Let's go find him; I'm sure he wants to see you." Carol led Finn and Rachel to where Burt was talking with Kurt. Carol didn't waist anytime with introductions. "Burt honey, this is Rachel. She's a reporter with channel seven," She said, sounding impressed. "And she is here with Finn." She added.

Burt raised an eyebrow at his wife then extended a hand to Rachel, who took it shyly. "It is nice to meet you, Rachel."

"You too."

"Come on Carol; let's leave the boy to his evening. Put down your plate and dance with me. We'll talk to you later, Kurt."

Kurt waved at his parents as they made their way to the dance floor and excused himself from Finn and Rachel. Finn looked at the plate Rachel was still holding and smiled, "We should head back to the table before they come back."

Rachel agreed and they sat back at their table ready to eat the strawberries Rachel had got for them. While they ate, Rachel told Finn about how she had inadvertently met his mother at the buffet and he could tell she was slightly embarrassed that she had spoken to her for so long without knowing who she was.

When they had finished, Rachel had somehow managed to convince Finn to dance with her one more time. Rachel was resting her head on Finn's chest as they swayed on the dance floor, pressed close together. Finn looked around at the other couples dancing, spotting his mother and Burt several feet away. He and his mother made eye contact and she smiled warmly at him and nodded slightly. Finn looked down at the tiny brunette in his arms and tightened his grip.

Puck was definitely onto something.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"This is Rachel Berry coming to you live from in front of the Smith building where a group of protesters have gathered seeking to protect this building. The Smith building was built as an office building in 1918, then converted to apartments in 1980. Five years ago, the building was condemned, forcing it's residents into the street. Now, the property has been purchased by Ashman Co. and they have plans to demolish it in the morning."

Though the camera was focused on Rachel there was a good view of the large group of protesters gathered behind her chanting to save the Smith. She had been following the fate of the Smith building since the plans to demolish it were announced last month. The fate of the building was at stake now and the protesters were starting to get antsy.

"Those against tearing the building down are siting it's historical significance and right now the city is holding a hearing to determine if they should delay the demolition that is scheduled for tomorrow. The council is expected to reach a decision soon. Will, Emma."

"We will be checking in with you again soon. Thanks Rachel."

The cameras were now focused on the in studio anchors and Rachel was waiting for her next live report. She kept her earpiece in, ready to report on the volatile situation in a moment's notice. She looked around the area and noticed some police officers close by and Finn's crew waiting in the distance. They were often called just in case they were needed to assist with crowd control. She smiled in their general direction, happy to see him, even at a distance.

The sound of glass breaking brought Rachel's focus back to the group behind her. She whipped around to see that a fight had broken out amongst the group. Quickly she turned to Ryder and Brittany. Brittany walked over to Rachel and handed her the official word from inside the council chambers.

The buildings scheduled demolition was moving forward.

She looked at Ryder and nodded once, letting him know that she was ready to go live with the information. Brittany hung up her phone for the second time and looked between Rachel and Ryder, "We go live in three minutes."

Rachel began her pre broadcast preparations and was suddenly knocked just above her eyebrow with something hard. She fell to the ground, using her hand to break her fall. Unfortunately, when she landed, she felt a stinging in her the palm of her hand.

Brittany and Ryder were by her side in an instant. "Rachel? Are you ok?" They asked in unison.

Rachel was slightly dazed and had a dull ache in her head and her hand was stinging pretty bad. She looked at her hand and then touched the other to her forehead, immediately feeling the warm wet feeling of what she assumed was her own blood. She pulled the hand in front of her to see how bad it was. Thankfully, there was only a small amount of blood present. Her other hand appeared to be cut after landing in a small pile of broken glass. She didn't feel like her injuries were anything that couldn't be handled after her report.

She looked around to see what could have happened and noticed a few policemen now mixed in the crowd. Whatever the situation was, it seems to be under control now.

It was then that she made a decision. "Brit, get me a towel please. And Hurry. Ryder, tell me what you saw, my back was turned. We only have a minute." She extended her arm to him and he helped her up. While Rachel tried to brush the dirt and broken glass of her as best she could, without wiping the blood all over, Ryder explained to her what he saw. Brittany returned quickly with a towel that they use for cleaning the lenses and Rachel wrapped it around her hand and pressed it to her forehead, effectively managing both wounds. "How's this?" She asked Brittany.

"It looks like you got crazy with the finger paint."

"Rachel!" Ryder interrupted, "Fifteen seconds."

Rachel straightened up as best she could, took one last look around, and pulled the microphone to her lips with a smile. "Thank you Will and Emma. Well, as you can see by my disheveled appearance, things are getting quite intense here at the Smith building. Moments ago the council voted to allow the demolition to go forward as scheduled. Moments after the decision was announced, a small fight broke out nearby and only a few minutes before we came on air, one of the men threw a bottle that somehow managed to hit me instead of his opponent. It appears the small fit of violence was an isolated incident in an otherwise peaceful demonstration and the police officers seem have it under control. For now though, these protesters will be spending the night hoping to find a way to save this building. Coming up later, I will have reactions to those affected by the decision. Will, Emma."

"Wow, Rachel, sounds intense. Emotions are obviously running high over there. Get yourself fixed up."

"We are out. Come on Rachel, Sit down. Brittany went to find a paramedic."

Moments later, Rachel was being bandaged up by a paramedic and questioned by the police. Her head was not bad enough to require stitches and she was advised to follow up with a doctor as soon as she could for both her head and hand. The officer had just finished taking her statement and she was now ready to do her last live interview for the night. Brittany and Ryder had found her somebody from the crowd to interview and she was able to interview somebody from the council before talking with the officer.

There was just enough time for Brittany to help her get properly cleaned up.

"Hey Finn, what happened to Rachel's head?" Sam was looking at his phone while he sat on running boards of the fire truck.

Standbys were often just a torturous game of hurry up and wait, the crew often occupied their time alternating between paperwork, observation, and their phones. Sam had decided a while ago, that he was bored of this detail and decided to see if there was any news on what was holding them at the Smith building.

Finn looked over at Sam in confusion. "What do you mean? I saw her yesterday; there was nothing wrong with her head."

"Well, it looks like something happened. She's got a Band-Aid and a good size goose egg on her head in these pictures from earlier. Look"

Finn took large steps and snatched Sam's phone from his fingers, "What the hell?" he asked quietly. His eyes scanned the article quickly and he handed the phone back to Sam. "I'll be right back." Finn handed his radio to Puck and took off in a run to where he saw Rachel's news van set up earlier. He spotted her helping Ryder and Brittany cleaning up as he got closer.

Rachel heard the sound of fast moving heavy footsteps from behind her and turned to see a very concerned Finn within feet of them. "Finn?"

"Rachel." He stopped right in front of her and placed his large hands on either side of her face while his eyes bore into hers. "Are you okay?" His hands were gently moving Rachel's head around as he searched her for further injuries.

She smiled and brought her hands over his, causing his focus to shift to her bandaged hand. "I'm fine, Finn. I just got hit with a bottle by accident. I won't even need stitches."

Finn closed his eyes and took in a deep breath and placed a feather light kiss to the Band-Aid on her head then took her injured hand in his, bringing to his lips. "I'm glad you are okay. Sam said you were hurt, and I-I, God, Rachel." He pulled her in for a long hug. When he pulled back, he rested his hands on her shoulders. "Are you done for the night?" She nodded, her hands resting on his chest. "Good. Call me when you get home okay? Do you need anybody to stay with you tonight? I can call Kurt."

She leaned up and placed a small kiss to his lips. "I'm fine. I promise. I'll call you when I get home."

"Okay." He kissed her again and took a step back taking her uninjured hand in his.

"I can walk with you for a minute." She said with a sweet smile.

He smiled at her and they walked towards where his crew was waiting. After a minute of silence, he squeezed her hand and brought it to his lips for a brief kiss. "Remember when I asked you if your boyfriend worried about your job?" She giggled and nodded, " Well, I think I can answer that now… he does."

She stopped "My boyfriend?"

"Yeah, If that's- I mean, if that's okay?"

"It's definitely okay." She reached up on her toes and pressed her lips to his sweetly, careful not to make a scene, even though the though did cross her mind. They were both technically at work and there were tons of people around. "More than okay." She couldn't resist one more kiss, her eyes never leaving his. "I'll call you when I get home."

"Bye Rach."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"That was so fun, Finn!" Rachel held onto Finn's arm tightly as they walked down the sidewalk after a night of karaoke with their friends.

Finn leaned over and kissed her head. "It was."

"And I think that all our friends were getting along great. I think Blaine and Kurt may even like each other romantically."

Finn laughed, "I know they do. I saw them holding hands under the table while you were on stage. They thought they were being sneaky."

"Really? I'll have to ask Blaine about that." She sighed in contentment, a small smile on her lips.

Finn looked down at her and noticed the smile. "What's got you so happy tonight? Not that I'm complaining."

"What's not to be happy about?" She squeezed his arm and looked up at him. "I had a great night out with my friends," she continued. "I just found out that I am in contention for the in-studio anchor position when Emma leaves."

"You'll get it, Babe."

"I know," she said confidently. "And finally, my amazing boyfriend, who loves me…"

"He does." Finn affirmed before stopping and kissing her lips. Rachel wrapped her arms around him, losing herself in the kiss and when they broke apart, Finn tightened his grip on her and smiled. "You were saying?"

Dazed, Rachel tried to collect the thoughts she had somehow lost. "Oh. My amazing boyfriend, who loves me, is walking me back to his place so that we can continue this night privately."

Finn smiled. "I wanted to talk to you about that, actually. What if we went to our place instead?" He asked, somewhat cryptically.

Rachel's brows furrowed, "I don't understand, Finn. I thought we were going to your place."

"We are, but I was hoping we could make it our place. We have been together for almost six months now and last week when I came home and you were in my kitchen, I realized that that's what I wanted. I want to come home to that all the time. I love you Rach, what do you say? Will you move in with me?"

Rachel's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "Finn," she started, "Are you sure?"

"Extremely sure."

"Finn!" Her lips found his in a heated kiss. She pulled back and took his hand. "Now we have even more to celebrate." She said suggestively. "Let's go home."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"…The City has said that they expect the expansion to be completed in the fall."

"Thank you, Rachel." Will shuffled some papers on his desk and looked back into the camera. "With Valentine's Day coming up this weekend, we here at KSRA have been celebrating what we like to call 'Love Fest.' Each day this week we have highlighted unique stories of love. We have met people who have shared their experiences and advice with us. Today, Jessica Crosby is bringing us the final piece in this special segment. Jessica."

Rachel's focus shifted between the monitor and the papers in front of her. From her seat at the news desk, she prepared for the next news story she was to report on.

Will's wife and former co-anchor had had a baby and when she left to be a full time job, Rachel was offered the position and Jessica had taken Rachel's position as Field Reporter when she was promoted a couple months ago.

She could hear Jessica introducing the Valentine's special through her earpiece as the stations make-up person, Melanie, began to touch up Rachel's face. Melanie brushed a bit of powder on her nose and whispered a quiet "Good luck" before moving to her place behind the camera. Before Rachel could even question what Melanie could possibly be talking about, she heard a very familiar voice coming from her earpiece.

"…asked me for an interview. A few weeks later she was stuck in an elevator and when she came by the fire station to cook dinner, I knew I had to get to know her better, so I asked her out. Our first date was a disaster, but she agreed to give me another chance…"

Rachel watched through misty eyes as Finn laid out their entire romantic history for Jessica and the rest of the viewers. She had no idea he was going to be part of this. From the video feed, it appeared that Finn was being interviewed outside his fire station. Will offered her a tissue, which she took, and she trained her focus back to her sweet boyfriend.

"…moved in together. She has made such an impact on my life. I just wanted to tell her how much I love her." Finn gave a shaky half smile to the camera before it focused back to Jessica.

"What a wonderful story. A firefighter and a news reporter. It's just beautiful. Is there any advice you would like to give those watching at home?"

Finn took in a deep breath and blew it out. "It's important to tell those close to you how much they mean to you whenever you have the chance. Rach, I love you."

Rachel watched as Finn walked away from where he was standing with Jessica and Rachel gasped when the camera followed him, revealing that he wasn't at his fire station at all, he had been in the green room of the KSRA studios, a green screen behind them, making it appear that they were outside. She watched as he made his way through the studio, arriving at her desk to applause. She smiled as he stopped next to her chair behind the anchor's desk. "That was beautiful, Finn. Thank you. I love you so much." She had completely tuned out the dozens of people who were in the room.

"I'm not quite done." He whispered, kissing her cheek. Finn knelt next to Rachel, his hand clasping a small object, as Ryder maneuvered the camera to capture what was happening. "I love you so much. Ever since we met, every hope for my future includes you." Rachel's tears had begun to fall freely down her face. Finn reached a hand up and gently brushed them away then opened the small box he held in his other hand, revealing a delicate diamond ring and he gave her a watery smile. "Rachel, it would make me the happiest man on earth if you would be my wife. Will you marry me?"

Rachel chocked back a sob as she emphatically nodded her head. "Yes." She threw her arms around Finns neck and buried her face in his neck, crying tears of joy, and the studios erupted with the sound of applause.

Will looked into the camera from his spot beside the couple, his smile wide and his eyes slightly misty. "We'll be back after the commercial break." He said simply.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"Can you believe we are here?"

Rachel looked over at her husband. They were both older now. The bits of grey hair running through Finn's hair near his temples coupled with the glasses he now wore made him look more distinguished and somehow even more handsome than he did twenty years ago. She gently ran her hands through his hair, smiling fondly at him. "Of course I can. He is your son. Being a firefighter is something he has always wanted," she whispered.

Finn took hold of his wife's hand and brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss. "It seems like just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital. Now he is graduating from the academy." He looked to the other side of Rachel to steal a glance at their three other children.

Rachel followed his gaze. "We made some pretty great kids." Rachel looked at each of their children and reflected on the amazing things her and Finn's life together had brought them.

Megan was a budding photographer and recent high school graduate. The small girl was taller than her mother, but not by much. She is set to attend The New York Institute of Photography in the fall on a scholarship.

Elisabeth was the editor of her school's newspaper. She was seventeen and ever since she learned how to read, she wanted nothing more than to follow in her mother's journalism footsteps. She had watched her become nationally recognized for her professionalism in reporting; Elisabeth wanted that too.

The baby of the family, Ryan, was also the performer; he had an amazing singing voice and incredible acting skills. Ryan was going to Broadway; there was no question in his mind about that. Even at fifteen, he made it known to everybody that that's where he was headed.

Her eyes welled up as their oldest son Christopher crossed the stage holding a certificate only a few minutes later. He had inherited his father's height, charming half smile, and his love for firefighting. Like his father, Chris had always known that this is what he wanted. He knew every time his dad came home from a shift, he knew every time he visited the fire station, and he knew when his dad was made Battalion Chief a few years ago.

"Yeah we did." He said, kissing her head and bringing her out of her thoughts.

Rachel turned her attention back to her husband and ran a hand over the badge adorning his dress uniform. She leaned up and placed a firm kiss to his lips. "Thank you."

He looked at her, unsure of what she was thanking him for. "What for?"

"Just, for everything. For giving me four wonderful, talented children, for loving me, for just being you. Thank you."

He kissed her this time. "You're welcome. It was easy, you make it easy." He kissed her again. "I love you."

"I love you."

"Gross! Could you guys not? We are in public." The disgusted tone of Ryan caused them both to smile and Finn and Rachel kissed one last time. They turned in their seats and Finn took Rachel's hand in his as they returned their attention to the stage.

---

A/N- Thank you so much for reading! I do plan to write more as the ideas come to me and I can't thank you guys enough for all of the support. Reviews are appreciated.