I do not own Glee. Lyrics belong to Adele. Enjoy. :)
Rachel gets the phone call that breaks her heart. Kurt's beside her squeezing her hand the whole time she's on the phone. He knows. He's known for weeks. He remembers when he got the phone call. Don't tell Rachel. Simple enough instructions and Kurt's stuck to them. Rachel's got tears running down her face now and she's nodded her head.
"No Daddy, I'm fine," she's saying. She's clearly not. "Yes Daddy, I'll call in the morning." Rachel hangs up the phone and looks over at Kurt. He knows what's coming. Rachel opens her mouth to yell at him but she closes it again and sobs in his chest. Blaine's gone out. He left as soon as the call came through. Rachel stands and trails over to her room. Kurt hears the door slam shut and he knows she'll be like this for weeks.
I heard that you're settled down
That you found a girl and you're married now.
I heard that your dreams came true.
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you.
Old friend, why are you so shy?
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light.
Rachel knocks on the door of the house and waits. She doesn't know what she's doing and why she's doing it. She listens as she hears footsteps come towards the door. Soft footsteps. Female footsteps. She listens to the bolts on the door as they get unlocked one by one. She listens to the creak as the door swings open. She isn't surprised at the pretty woman behind the door. However, the pretty woman is surprised to see her.
"Rachel," the icy voice rings out. Then it turns back and she yells down the hall. "Finn! Visitor!"
"Is it important baby? Cause I really need – Rachel," Finn says. "Quinn, baby, can you leave us please?"
"Yes, Finny," Quinn gives Rachel and ice cold stare and then blows a kiss to Finn as she walks away. Rachel cringes. She can feel the sting of tears in her eyes. She doesn't let them fall. She refuses to let them fall.
"What are you doing her Rachel?" he asks. Rachel shakes her head as if to say it's completely obvious.
"I was in the neighbourhood visiting my dads,"
"Of course you were," Finn replies. He can hear Quinn screaming at him about how she wants chocolate and Finn's gotta run to the shop to get it if he wants this baby. Rachel hides the tears that rush to her eyes.
"I'll go," she says. "I'll see you around then,"
"Yeah, bye,"
I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over.
Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don't forget me, I beg
I remember you said,
"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,"
Yeah.
Rachel sits and flicks through the old pictures. Every second picture seems to be a picture of Rachel and Finn and it makes her eyes get teary. Then there are pictures of Kurt and Blaine and Mercedes and Tina. Mike and Sam and Artie and Puck. Brittany and Santana and Quinn and Lauren. It makes her teary eyed. It seems like only yesterday these people were her best friends and now they're only distant memories. Five years is too long to go without contact.
You know how the time flies
Only yesterday was the time of our lives
We were born and raised
In a summer haze
Bound by the surprise of our glory days
They're sitting in a coffee shop because Finn doesn't want Rachel to be around when Quinn gets home. They talk about life. They talk about Rachel's Broadway ambitions and about Finn's job working in Burt's tyre shop. He discloses to Rachel that it isn't what he wants. He wants bigger and better. He wants music. Quinn wants nothing but Lima, Lima, Lima.
"Why don't you try to get a music job?" Rachel asks.
"Quinn won't let me," he replies. "She says that with the baby on the way we need a steady income and she's already bringing in the most money as it is. She doesn't want me to have dreams,"
"You should have dreams,"
"I miss you Rachel," Finn says suddenly. Rachel's eyes tear up because she misses him too.
"I miss you too,"
"I'm sorry. I should never have let you go. Every minute of every day I regret letting you go,"
"Finn," Rachel starts. She knows what she must do. As much as it hurts she knows. "You have Quinn. You're having a baby. You love Quinn now. I was just a high school love,"
"Rach-"
"No, I should go. I shouldn't have come,"
I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over.
Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don't forget me, I beg
I remember you said,
"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."
Rachel doesn't regret anything. She doesn't regret letting him let her go. She doesn't regret not attending the wedding. She doesn't regret not staying in contact. She gave him a chance to move on and be happy. She doesn't expect the memory to leave such a bittersweet taste.
Nothing compares
No worries or cares
Regrets and mistakes
They are memories made.
Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste?
She will find someone, Rachel vows. She won't let this hurt and pain bring her down. She starts to pack her bags. Rachel throws in the old picture albums and frames. She pauses at her senior year yearbook. She slowly turns the pages, stopping at Finn's messy scrawl.
Dear Rach,
I love you, baby! Don't forget that! You'll make it to Broadway, I promise! I'll be at your first show with flowers for you after. I love, Rach.
Love Finn,
Rachel's eyes tear up. He broke his promise, she realises. He wasn't at her first show with flowers. He left her before he could be there. She zips her yearbook into her suitcase and carries it downstairs. Her dads left the day before to go house hunting in Chicago. Soon she wouldn't have to visit Ohio anymore.
Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you
Don't forget me, I beg
I remember you said,
"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."
Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don't forget me, I beg
I remember you said,
"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,
Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."
There's a knocking at the door. Rachel isn't expecting anyone but she drops her suitcase anyway and answers the door. Her jaw drops when she sees the dripping wet figure at the door.
"I couldn't let you leave," Finn tells her, "without letting you know how I feel,"
"Finn-"
"No Rachel," he cuts her off. "You need to hear this." Rachel gives in and lets Finn in the house. He stands in the hall awkwardly.
"Well?" Rachel prompts.
"I love you. I always have. Quinn was just a distraction. To help me forget you and then you show up here and I remember again. The baby wasn't mine. She did it again Rachel. She cheated on me again. Once a cheater always a cheater." Finn heads for the door. He doesn't want to hear Rachel's expected rejection. Rachel stands by and watches him go.
The rain pours down heavily on Finn's head. Rachel wants to be out there with him in the pouring rain. She wants to be kissing him and hugging. "Finn!" she calls out. Finn spins around. His face is streaked with tears again. Rachel remembers the last time Quinn cheated on him. He needs her, she realises. She runs out into the rain and jumps on him. She kisses him and knots her hands in his hair as he lifts her up and returns the kiss passionately. They break apart for air.
"I was convinced I'd find some like you," Rachel says, "I was a fool."
They kiss again. There they are standing in the rain kissing. They don't care that it's raining. They just care that they're finally with each other. No one cares about them anymore because they know their happy. That's all that matters.
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