AN: Hi everyone! I'm here with a new Fic.
Rating's M because of the language and some hard upcoming scenes. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, not Glee or any character/labels here.


Cabin fever only applies to those who have a life outside the cabin. Cabin fever means you get crazy from being on your own, without anything to do, in a secluded area. For most, we cannot imagine being away of our families, friends, computers or phones for over a day. No communication for days, weeks, months or even years logically sounds like a terrible form of torture. But what if there was no one you wished to communicate with? What if, truly, you had no real life to speak of? What if your head was so messed up, you literally can't handle to even be around others? Then, the logic of cabin fever fails. More so, what was torture before now meant sanity and solitude. Then, Cabin fever didn't apply.

For Finn Hudson, his secluded home in a forgotten wood was his haven. He was one of those few who seek what others deemed as painful. He had literally extracted himself from society into oblivion. Routine had taken over his life and for that, he couldn't be more thankful. Nothing could or would ever disrupt his peace. When he initially sought this refuge, his family thought he needed help. How could he explain the pain he was in? How afraid, broken and damaged he was? Fortunately, his mom knew or at least had known what a pain like that could do to someone. Eventually, his loved ones understood, albeit hesitantly, that he simply needed space. Space from everything and everyone. No-one knew where he was. He would just appear on important days and occasional weekends to see his family; otherwise he'd be completely unreachable. Kurt often went full-on dramatic on this little fact, claiming that he needed to contact his brother. Finn only shook his head sadly whenever his stepbrother brought that up. Only his mom had his emergency phone number, yet she was wise to use it only if there were to be a real problem. Four years came and went, it never rang once.

One chilled October evening, Finn sat on his front porch inhaling the pure scent of the woods. He had built the cabin with his own hands, camping next to it during its construction. Now, a small rustic cabin stood surrounded by countless trees. He had a small living room, a kitchen, a library and his room. It was all he needed. The land had belonged to his grandfather and had been forgotten for decades. It was simple coincidence he found the property title one day whilst scouring through the attic. He never forgot about it and years after finding it, he did all the legal procedures necessary to own it. As he was the only heir of grandpa Hudson, it wasn't a difficult task to accomplish. He had decided to go all natural, he didn't even want electricity because that meant his address would be listed… and Finn Hudson did not want to be found,

He nursed his coffee in his hands, just watching the steam float and blend with the night. He figured this couldn't go on forever but for now he couldn't see why not. Life was so peaceful out here. No one here brought him pain. The downside was that no one brought him happiness but that was something he knew came with the territory. Sure, he was lonelier than that turtle in Galapagos that was the last of his species but, he didn't mind. Honestly, he lost his faith in humanity a long time ago. Here he was content and if he could, he'd spend his last breaths in the cottage he called a home.

He had taken a liking to star watching, often staring as the night sky slowly moved in the skies. From the position of the stars, he realized it was about two in the morning. He had to get up at six to tend to his garden. He didn't want to go to sleep. He liked feeling insignificant under the skies, all his worries inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Sighing, he stood. Quickly, he dressed in his pajamas, turned off the candle and went to sleep. He had not been dreaming for once. His eyes simply saw different colors explode before him over an endless black. Despite being deeply asleep, he felt frantic pounding on his door. At first, he was sure it was a dream. Who could possibly knock on his door? There was nothing but a gas station a few miles back and no one knew where he lived. The next town, if you could even call it that, was forty-five minutes away by car. Fear flooded his body. Robbers? Gang members? He figured that those kind of people wouldn't actually knock, just barge in.

Finn knew he had a rifle by the door – just in case. Logically, he knew whoever had the gut to knock so late would not be a threat. However, he was always afraid and needed the gun even if it just reassured him symbolically. He threw his blanket off him and got up. His big feet moved slowly, as if scared of getting to the door. Unfortunately for him, the cabin wasn't too big so he couldn't delay it any longer. He was in front of the door, so he might as well open it, right? He saw nothing directly in front of him but when his eyes roamed downwards he noticed a crumbled figure on his doorstep. The first thing he saw was long brown hair in tangles, matted with blood. What seemed to be a pink dress was torn in pieces. A face peered under the hair, muddy from dirt and a never-ending stream of tears. It was definitely a girl, though he couldn't tell her age with her looking like that.

"P-please" said a voice, hoarse with exhaustion and pain. "H-he.. Help me."
With that, she fainted right there, on his "Welcome" mat. She wasn't welcome; Finn normally would have just closed the door on a stranger. But, he had sworn once to save people's lives and he had to respect his oath. Not only that, but could he honestly leave a broken girl to her own luck in the woods? Maybe he was a hermit, but he wasn't cold-hearted. He had to help this girl, screw his personal issues. Softly, he carried the girl to his living room. He was surprised how light she was; he could feel her bones on his arms. He sat her on the worn-out couch and put her legs up. When he was sure her pulse was stable, he rushed to the kitchen to get a damp cloth. Maybe a little cold water could wake her up.

He was concerned by her sudden appearance. What if she was followed by whoever did this to her? Is he in danger too? She might seem innocently helpless, but that didn't mean she wasn't part of a prostitution ring or something. What if she was followed? If so, would big men with guns storm into his house? He needed answers, fast. His need for clarification burned a hole through his chest. It didn't mean he had to be rough with her though. Whoever she was, it looked like she had gone through hell and back. With uncharacteristic tenderness, he swatted her face with the damp cloth. The dirt receded to show soft, olive skin. By the time almost all her face was clean, Finn saw her eyelids begin to tremble. Not wanting to scare her, he sat a bit further back from her. Slowly, oh so slowly, the eyelids opened to reveal chocolate frantically moving side to side, attempting to figure out the surroundings. Complete and utter fear distorted what he thought would otherwise be a beautiful face. She looked at him, too scared to even speak. He decided to go first.

"Hey, relax" he said reassuringly, his voice hoarse from not using it much, "you're safe here."
"Where am I?" she whispered shakily

"You're in my cabin. About an hour ago, you knocked, asking for help. You kinda collapsed, so I carried you in." he answered.
"T-thank you, uhm…"
"My name is Finn. Finn Hudson"
"Thank you Finn, that was kind of you. My name is Rachel. Rachel Berry."

He liked her name, it was very unique.
"Well Rachel, how are you feeling? Do you need to go to a hospital or anything like that?"
"NO!" She screamed, taking him by surprise. " I mean, I'm just exhausted but I'm not in pain. There's nothing broken, it appears."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. If you want, I can leave now?"

His insides churned. Yes, he did want to be left alone. But, where would she go? Clearly, she walked or ran here. Unless she felt like walking for about an hour, she had nowhere to go.
"That won't be necessary. You can sleep on the couch, it's huge and you're not. I'll bring a blanket. Tomorrow, you can take a shower and leave. I'll lend you some clothes." He directed her.

He really didn't expect her to burst out crying. Maybe she wanted to leave and his offer insulted her? Maybe she had somewhere to go? Before he could even ask, she started ranting at a speed he didn't think was humanly possible.
"Oh, where am I supposed to go now? Wherever I go, he'll find me. He'll find a way to drag me back… and I don't know if I'll ever be the same again. I'm sorry, you must think I'm a total freak, but I'm so, so scared."

"Look, I don't know what's going on, but for now you're safe, I promise. I don't know how you found my place, but we're alone. For miles around, the only company you'll find is me" He tried to reassure her, but he was freaking out inside. Who was the person she was so afraid of? Maybe his initial worries were right. Maybe she was in some sort of trouble too big to get involved in.

"Really? I can't be found, at all, here?" her eyes twinkled.

"That's what I said."

"Don't make me go, please. I'm really safe here, I need to be safe. Even if it's for a while. I can't go anywhere I know, it won't be secure. Please, please Finn I beg of you, don't make me leave. If you make me, I'm…. I'm not sure how long I'd survive."

Finn was taken aback at her implicit request; she wanted to stay here? For how long? This girl was insane. He didn't even know what or whom she was running from. Then again, she did look completely terrified. His insides started immediately battling each other. On one hand, the thing he needed most for his sanity was solitude. People were overwhelming and he preferred the company of crickets and yes, even mosquitos. Having her here could only mean actually communicating with someone. Living, sharing his life with another. She said it would be a little while, but how could that be defined? Even the longest life could be categorized as a little while. On the other hand, it was obvious this girl was almost out of her mind. She appeared on his doorstep looking as if she just got in a fight with a bear. The knowledge that it wasn't a wild animal, but a human who had done this to her made the pit of his stomach bubble with rage and disbelief. How could he say no, knowing that if anything happened to her, it would be on him? Then again, how could he even know if she was telling the truth? For all he knew, she might be exaggerating or something. Finn Hudson found himself at a huge crossroads not knowing what to do.

"Look Rachel, I'll think about it okay? I... I live here on my own. I love that and I'm not sure how you'd fit in that. I don't want to refuse my help, I just wonder if I'd actually help."
More tears, he was reaching the end of his sanity. He'd rather take a tank than a crying girl.

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down. If I'm going to help you, I need to know what's got you so terrified you're begging a man you don't even know for help. I understand you're upset, so I'm going to let you sleep. Tomorrow, you've got to explain if you really want my help. I need to understand why you need shelter so badly. Then, we'll discuss what to do."
She nodded. He stood up, leaving her because he was afraid. Of what? He couldn't tell. He just couldn't handle it anymore. Her tears were causing him pain. The whole reason he decided to live here was to avoid pain in the first place. He got back to his room, pulled out a couple of blankets, old clothes and returned to the couch to give them to Rachel. She glanced up at him but said nothing. Defeated, he went back to bed. He would only have about two hours of sleep now. He was already out of sight, but did hear the small "Thank you" she sent his way before collapsing on his bed.