DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

A/N: Welcome to the new fic! This one is an A/U and will be very angsty but no worries. This is a Finchel fic, even if the first chapter throws you off. I hope you like it!

Lovesick

Chapter One: Love Hurts

Cleveland, Ohio

She was practically walking on air as she entered the bright, spacious penthouse apartment; smiling happily as she placed her bags down in the foyer and unwrapped a luxurious cashmere scarf from around her neck. The brilliant afternoon sun shone in through the enormous deluxe French windows that adorned the walls, and the pristine white furnishings almost glittered in their perfection as she took off her expensive Ferragamo pumps before entering the space that she shared with her fiancé.

Picking up her bags, she whistled a happy tune as she brought them into the dining room, where the imported crystal chandelier brightened the room and highlighted the enormous oak table that sat in the center. This was the same table where her fiancé had proposed to her last year, in front of their friends and family at New Years. It had only been a few months since he proposed, but she prided herself in their short engagement period as the big day was quickly approaching. She gazed lovingly at the enormous rock of an engagement ring on her finger and collapsed into her favorite chair with a contented sigh. Her fiancé not only had the highest expectations, but the finest taste as well.

It thrilled her to know that everything was falling into place perfectly. The ceremony was barely four weeks away, but so far, everything she had meticulously planned was coming together without a single hitch. It was almost like magic, she thought idly to herself as she whipped out the small white envelope that she had received earlier that morning.

It was an RSVP card from her dear friend Kurt; they had been best friends throughout college and even though he lived pretty far away from Cleveland in his hometown of Lima, Ohio, she had invited him to the wedding anyway in hopes that he would be able to make it. Luckily for her, he had been able to get off of work that weekend and was definitely coming with his boyfriend Blaine. She took the little card into her office and pulled out her official Wedding Planner, to mark Kurt and his plus one in her notes. She listed his name under the brides guests and had to hold back a small frown. She really didn't have as many guests coming as her fiancé in comparison, but it really didn't matter to her. All that she cared about was her man and sharing this day with him and their closest friends and family. Her dads were coming down from Toledo, Kurt was coming from Lima, and the majority of her friends in Cleveland were friends of her fiancé as well.

Flipping through her meticulous wedding guide, she paused at the extra copy of her invitation and gazed adoringly at the names that were written in an elegant loopy gold script. She couldn't believe that in four weeks time, she would no longer be Rachel Berry. She was only 25, but she knew deep down that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her fiancé. She had never loved anyone else more in her entire life.

And in less than a month, she would no longer refer to herself as Rachel Berry, but Rachel St. James instead.

It was like music to her ears.

Her Blackberry started to ring, alerting her of an email from one of her college professors. Her masters thesis was in it's final stages of review, and in less than a week she would be completing her degree in Music Therapy and searching for a real job in the medical field. She had been working at Jesse's hospital as a volunteer for so long; she couldn't wait to start working clinic hours and take on real patients. It was how she had met her fiancé; back when she was still a struggling undergrad who sang in a Capella groups, she had started working at Jesse's hospital as a candy striper, just hoping to get used to working in a hospital and being around patients. He had been an intern then, working towards his doctorate's degree in plastic surgery when they'd met. She had fallen for him instantly, and they had been together ever since. Jesse was almost five years her senior, but that had never bothered her before. In fact, she admired a more mature, level headed guy.

Now, in a few weeks time they were getting married. It was everything that she had ever wished for and more. She couldn't deny that Jesse took very good care of her; he came from a wealthy family and money was never an obstacle for him. He bathed her in gifts and dressed her in the finest clothes, even though the only work she did was pro bono. Many of their friends teased them, saying that Jesse spoiled her, but she definitely wasn't complaining. Jesse was used to a certain lifestyle and he was more than eager to share it with her. She couldn't fault him for that.

All that mattered to her was that all of her dreams were about to come true in a matter of weeks. She was finishing her degree, getting married, and starting a new life with one of the most generous people she had ever known. Life was sweet.

Speaking of her generous fiancé, the jangling of keys could be heard echoing in the spacious hall of their apartment, and Rachel exited her private office to meet him in the hall. He was quiet when he entered, and even though Rachel was ecstatic to see her soon-to-be-husband, Jesse didn't look very happy at all.

"Hello darling!" Rachel exclaimed, chipper as can be. "I just picked up the last of the place-cards from the printers and your tuxedo is ready at the tailor for your final fitting tomorrow."

He ignored her, and she frowned as he hung up his coat and stiffly removed his shoes. He was probably just tired; he worked long shifts at the hospital and he had many clients that he handled on a daily basis. As a plastic surgeon, he not only handled cosmetic surgeries, but important technical medical procedures as well. He was a very important and respected member of the hospital staff, like his parents were before him. Stress was a normal part of their daily lives, and she knew from experience that Jesse didn't react well to stress. She was used to this kind of behavior, even though it had been happening more and more frequently lately. Ignoring his behavior, she continued. "Your mother called me this morning to confirm that the Chief of Staff is attending the ceremony as a personal favor to your parents! It really is quite gracious of him. . ."

"Rachel, please," Jesse interrupted curtly with impatience in his tone. "I'm tired. Just give me a minute of quiet before I have to deal with you." She frowned at his dismissive tone and crossed her hands over her chest in frustration. He always did that to her; brushed her off like she wasn't even there. It drove her crazy, but she never made a big deal out of it, wanting to avoid arguments with her fiancé at all costs. She went to unpack her bags from earlier that day as Jesse changed out of his scrubs and headed into the shower.

She knew that he was just probably exhausted from his job, but sometimes his attitude really upset her. Sure, as a student she definitely didn't have the responsibilities that he had to deal with, but at least she was always positive and happy when they conversed, which was happening less and less as the weeks passed them by. Jesse seemed to grow more and more agitated with Rachel by the day, and seeing as their wedding was coming up soon, she was wondering if he was developing a case of cold feet. Just the thought made her shiver with dread. That would be a nightmare.

She was busy rummaging through take-out menus when he emerged from the shower. She stared at him in appreciation as he ran a towel through his sandy, curly hair, holding another towel around his hip and nodding at Rachel before he entered their spacious master suite. This penthouse apartment had been his parents before they'd moved to another condo, and it was so huge that the both of them had their own private rooms to themselves besides the master suite. It's where they spent most of their free time when they were at home; Jesse valued his personal space. When he emerged in a suit, Rachel was starting to get confused. Where was he heading off to tonight? And why couldn't he have called her earlier to let her know?

"Where are you going, babe?" Rachel asked as she held up the take-out menus. "I was going to order Thai."

"Rachel," he exhaled softly but his voice had a hard edge to it. "We need to talk."

Uh-oh, she did not like the tone of his voice when he said those words. It made her hair stand on end as a creeping sense of unease washed over her.

"About what? You know, you didn't even give me a kiss hello before, and now you're heading out somewhere and you didn't even warn me. Now what am I supposed to do tonight? Order tofu pad Thai for one and watch Funny Girl again? You did that to me last week." She didn't like fighting with Jesse; she knew how important his job was and how much responsibility he had, but couldn't he try to balance her into the equation sometimes? He could be so inconsiderate, but his overwhelming generosity always made up for it.

"I have to meet with my parents tonight. They called me over on my way home from work." He paused, adjusting his cuff-links and straightening his tie.

"Oh, well I'll get my purse. I've been wanting to talk to Vivian about the flower arrangements anyway," Rachel rushed to get her things but Jesse stopped her immediately with stiff hands on her shoulders, holding her firmly in place.

"That won't be necessary, Rachel. She canceled the flower arrangements this afternoon." His words made her pause as she looked up into the icy blue eyes of her fiancé. Right now they looked like a stranger's eyes. "We're no longer getting married."

She blinked a few times in confusion as his statement sunk in. The words were like a thousand knives, stabbing her straight in the chest. "Excuse me?"

"I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I just don't think I'm ready to commit myself to something so concrete and encompassing. I'm the youngest plastic surgeon in the entire hospital and I plan on opening my own practice within the next year. I can't have anything holding me back." His response was wooden, void of emotion. Just like the unfeeling blue eyes that stared down at her.

"But," she gasped, finding it difficult to breathe as her heart clenched painfully in her chest. "We've been together for so long. You said you wanted to be with me."

"I said I wanted to settle down, Rachel. To be honest, I've been supporting you for so long, I'm afraid you're going to become one of those fat housewives that sit around and spend my money all day. You've already refused my offers for a nose job but I refuse to perform liposuction on my own wife; it's degrading." She balked at the nose job reference; he knew how sensitive she was about her nose and it felt like he was being cruel on purpose.

"You know how hard I've been working for my degree!" She yelled, feeling trapped and defensive. "I'll be able to start working soon and then I can support myself!"

"Rachel, darling, you know that my parents have high expectations for me. I have my own expectations for myself, as well. They want me to share my life with someone who is worthy of my talents and wealth. I feel the same."

She let his words sink in, feeling them burn her like acid. "So you're telling me that I'm not good enough for you? Is that it?" She had to fight through the lump in her throat as her perfect life started to crash around her like some horrific accident. "I'm just a music therapist from a middle income home so I couldn't possibly be good enough for the family of surgeons who treat their son like he's the damn crown prince!"

"My parents have always taken care of me. Even when they thought I was wasting my time with you." His words were as cold as ice and they bit at her skin.

"Oh, so now the truth comes out!" Rachel yelled, throwing her hands in the air as her perfect reality started to crash around her. "Tell me to my face that this was all a waste of your time. Tell me to my face that you don't want to marry me anymore."

"I don't want to marry you anymore," was his swift and soul-less response. Her heart felt like it was shattering to pieces as he stood in their living room with the shards of her heart in his hands.

"But," she choked, hot tears filling her eyes. "I love you, Jesse."

"I don't anymore, Rachel. I want you out of the apartment by Monday."

"How?" She cried, the tears spilling over despite her ardent attempts to control her emotions. "How could you do this to me?"

Shaking his head, Jesse grabbed his coat and slipped it on before grabbing his suitcase in the foyer. "Leave the ring as well. It was my mothers' and she wants it back." It was the final nail in the coffin as he left the apartment without another word, the echo of the slam resonating off of the pristine white walls that mocked her with their perfection.

She struggled to think coherently for the next few moments while she tried to steady her stilted breathing. Her tears were hot and salty as they rained down her face and she didn't even try to wipe them away. Over and over again, she repeated the conversation in her head and tried to make sense of it all. Barely an hour ago she was reveling in the perfection of her life. Now she was broke, homeless and single. What was she going to do?

Immediately, she called her fathers in Toledo, hoping against hope that they would be able to help her somehow. She knew that she couldn't move home; her dads had just bought a condo for themselves as part of their retirement plan and there was only one bedroom. It didn't hurt to ask for some much needed assistance however, and she needed the consolation they could provide her.

"Hello, angel!" Her father said, his peppy voice instantly reducing her to tears once again. "Dad and I finished shopping for your registry and we really think you're going to like what we chose for you."

"I hope you can get your money back," she said bitterly as she choked through another round of sobs. She collapsed in on herself in the quiet of the apartment and tried to elaborate. "Jesse just canceled our engagement." She spent the next few minutes explaining what had happened that afternoon and her dads were nothing but sympathetic. They offered to put her up in a motel until she found herself a real, non-volunteering job, and were going to wire money to her account until she could start making her own.

When she finally got off of the phone, she took a look around the perfect white apartment and went into the master suite, going through her drawers and closets and removing her possessions. She was numb as she tried to clean out her closet. Bags from Louis Vuitton, shoes from Louboutin, dresses from Kate Spade; Jesse truly had spoiled her rotten and just the thought of it now made her sick. She took her favorite items and left the rest there; she didn't need any more reminders of how foolish and naïve she had been. He had been buying her affections all along. How could she not see that sooner?

She noticed something else peculiar as she rummaged through the rooms, alerting her to something she had never noticed before; everything in their apartment was separate. They had their own offices where they spent their free time, their own closets to avoid bumping into each other in the morning, they even had their own sinks. Nothing was ever shared between them, there was no collaboration. It left a bitter taste in her mouth when she thought of the implications of that fact.

On her way out of the apartment she placed the engagement ring on the dining room table, already missing the omnipresent weight of the stone. That ring had represented so much, and now it was a bitter reminder of what she will never have.

The liquor cabinet in the corner of the room caught her eye and the pain in her heart was too overwhelming to ignore as she walked towards it in a trance, opening it up and pulling out the bottle of Port that Jesse's father had given them for their engagement. She brought it into the kitchen, opened it up, took a swift swig of wine and proceeded to empty it all over the immaculate white furniture of the apartment. The dining room chairs, the sofa, the armchairs in the parlor. She shook up the bottle and let the wine spray all over the walls, dripping down onto the white carpets as well, staining everything in sight as she sobbed to herself and released her pain. Dropping the empty wine bottle on the ground, she watched it crash onto the wood panel floor and shatter like her broken heart before stepping out of the apartment and trying to deny the cold, hard truth.

They might not be getting married anymore, but she was still desperately in love with Jesse St. James, and despite the pain in her heart, she wanted him back.

Lima, Ohio

Finn Hudson was feeling more than a little nervous as he entered McKinley General Hospital for the first time in his adult life. Sure, he had been in hospitals before; he had broken his collarbone when he was ten and then his arm when he was a freshman in high school, but he had never been at a hospital before when he wasn't sick or visiting someone else. It was kind of weird.

"Don't be nervous," his step brother Kurt nudged him playfully on the side as they made their way towards the elevator. He was dressed in his light green scrubs but had on a silky blue scarf wrapped around his neck to match. Finn looked down at the outfit Kurt had picked for him and sighed. He hadn't worn a tie since his high school graduation and pulled on the tight knot around his neck with dread. He just wanted out of these clothes already but the interview hadn't even started yet. "I already put in a good word for you. This job is easy, and all you have to do is smile and nod and be yourself during the interview. It's in the bag."

"I don't know about this Kurt. Hospitals kind of give me the creeps. I don't know if I can work here."

"Don't think about it too much, you'll get used to it. Besides, you're going to be a porter; all they do is push people around to their appointments and make sure that they get where they need to go on time. All the messy stuff is handled by the nurses, like myself."

He laughed at his step-brother's choice of profession. "Kurt, the male-nurse extraordinaire!"

"Hey, don't knock it! Nursing is one of the most noble and difficult professions in society and we're integral assets to the hospital staff."

He rolled his eyes liberally as they approached the elevator. He respected his step-brother a lot, even though he got teased incessantly for it. At least being a porter was better than working as a part-time mechanic, which Finn had been doing since he'd graduated high school. His entire life, he'd just been waiting for something interesting to fall into his lap but at 28 years old, he was starting to run out of options. He didn't want to be stuck working for his step-dad Burt for the rest of his life, but he'd never had the opportunity to go out into the world and find a profession that he actually liked. After a few months of deep thought and applying to crappy jobs on Craigslist, Kurt offered to hook him up with an opening at the hospital.

They rode the elevator in silence. Kurt got off on the third floor but directed Finn to the fifth floor where his interview was taking place in barely a few minutes time. However, the instructions he had been given were way too convoluted to follow in the large and bustling hospital, and Finn found himself lost on the fifth floor, wandering around like a fool while he tried to find the Administrative Office.

"Dammit!" he cursed as he looked at his watch. His interview was in two minutes and he had no idea where to go on the crowded floor. Maybe trying to find a new job was a bad idea. He liked working at his step-father's garage, but it just didn't seem as fulfilling as it had been out of high school. His goal had been to save up money for college but he'd never even applied; instead falling into comfortable patterns and never quite living up to his potential. This interview was his last chance at a new start in an exciting field.

"Can I help you with something?" A soft, serene voice could be heard behind him, and Finn turned around to come face to face with the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life, staring directly at him. He had to blink a few times to make sure she was real and not a trick of his mind, she was so beautiful. Long blond hair framed a thin, angular face that smiled softly up at him. She had bright hazel eyes, and her smile was soft and comforting while Finn continued to panic about his interview. He read the ID badge on her lab coat and read the name Quinn Fabray, Neurology on the label. He rubbed the back of his neck shyly as he approached her.

"Yeah, I'm looking for the administrative office, I have a job interview and I'm going to miss it if I don't find this room." Her smile only grew wider as she joined him at his side.

"Well, you can follow me. I'm headed there now to hand in some time sheets." Grinning widely, he followed the gorgeous doctor down the hallway, stealing glances at her face and committing her name to memory. "What position are you interviewing for?"

"Um," he hesitated, wanting to impress the doctor in front of him but coming up short; he'd never really been the sharpest tool in the shed. "Porter."

"Ah, well, I hope you get the job." They stopped in front of a small office that Finn hadn't even noticed in his search for the interview. "I'm Quinn by the way." She stuck out her small, dainty hand and he shook it lightly. Just her presence was intoxicating him into silence and part of him wanted to forget the interview altogether and just ask this gorgeous girl out on a date.

"Finn. Finn Hudson," he said, stuttering on his own name as he made a fool of himself in front of the prettiest girl he had ever seen.

"Well Finn, good luck. Maybe I'll see you around." She winked once more before placing her files in a special slot in the wall, and Finn entered the office feeling more energized and enthusiastic about the interview than ever before.

Now he had something to look forward to if he got the job; getting to see doctor Quinn Fabray every day.

She was the only thought on his mind throughout the entire interview. All he kept thinking of was how much he wanted this job, just so he could see Quinn Fabray every day. They hadn't spoken for more than two minutes and already he could feel himself falling for this girl, hard. It had been a while since his last girlfriend, and Finn was just aching to get to know Quinn better even though he didn't work at the hospital yet.

Lucky for him, he was offered the job on the spot after acing the interview. Apparently Kurt was a well-known, respected member of the hospital staff, and Finn was now on the hospital payroll, ready to start on Monday. It was more than he'd ever hoped for.

He stopped by the third floor to report to Kurt about the good news, swinging by the nurses station and trying to avoid Santana, the head nurse and his ex-girlfriend. Sure, she was a lesbian now, but that didn't erase the night of drunken sex they'd shared at Kurt's Christmas party last year. He waved at the icy Latina but she ignored him, calling Kurt out to greet him so they didn't have to talk to one another as she left the nurses station with a roll of her eyes.

"So?" Kurt exclaimed when he came into view; his good friend and fellow nurse Mercedes close behind him. "Did you get the job?"

"Yep!" He beamed, proud of himself for his major accomplishment. He wasn't changing tires anymore or working in crappy retail; this was the kind of profession that he could make a career out of and all he had to do was work his way up. "I start on Monday."

"Congratulations, Finn," said Mercedes while Kurt did a little dance from happiness.

"I told you not to worry!" Kurt said, assuredly.

"Well, actually, I was worried, since you gave me the most confusing directions ever and I almost got lost on the way there. Luckily for me, I came across the most gorgeous girl ever, and she pointed me in the right direction."

"And who was this helpful mystery girl?" Kurt teased.

"Her name badge said Quinn Fabray. From Neurology." All of the nurses stilled at the sound of the name.

"Quinn Fabray?" Kurt repeated, stunned as the other nurses all looked at one another in shock. "Doctor Quinn Fabray?"

"Yeah, she was really nice to me," he sighed dreamily, lost in his fantasies. "I might even ask her out."

"Pfft," Santana scoffed bitterly, reappearing out of thin air and scaring him with her prying eyes. "Like she would date a guy like you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that she doesn't date men without a 401(K) and a BMW," Kurt said dryly. "This guy that we know, Puck, he's a porter too, he tried to ask her out and she basically laughed in his face."

He shook his head against the accusations, even though she was barely an acquaintance to him. "No way. She seems too nice for that."

"Whatever you say porter-boy," Santana smirked as she checked her patients' charts. "Don't say that we didn't warn you." She sauntered off after that, her comment lingering in his mind as he chatted with Kurt and some of the other nurses that he knew. It was comforting to know that he would be starting a new job where he knew most of the other staff already, and started to head out of the hospital a little bit before lunch. He couldn't wait to tell his parents!

On his way out, however, he passed by the pediatric ward where Quinn Fabray was currently checking over a small girl with a good portion of her hair shaved off. Finn could see the scar on the little girls head from his position in the hall, and he stood there like an idiot staring at the doctor as she made the little girl laugh, passing her a lollipop and softly touching her arm. Smiling as he witnessed the tender moment, he knew in his heart that Santana and the other nurses were probably wrong about her.

He was so caught up in his fantasies about the attractive young doctor, that he didn't even notice as she approached him with a soft smile. "Did you get the job?" she asked kindly, balancing her clipboard in her arms.

"Yeah, I did actually," he replied, almost hypnotized by her beauty. "I start on Monday."

"Then I'll be seeing you around, Finn," she said sweetly. He couldn't believe that she'd actually remembered his name!

"See you, Quinn. Thanks for your help this morning." She winked once before turning on the spot, disappearing out of view and leaving Finn alone by the elevator as he wondered how his day had turned around so quickly. Just this morning he was broke, single and job-less. Now he had a new job and maybe a potential new girlfriend.

He couldn't wait to start on Monday.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Merci mille fois, mes amis!