Chapter One

Germany-1941

Eighteen year old, American born Finn Hudson walked down the cobblestone street. It was pretty much empty, except for a few Nazi German soldiers. He nodded his head to them, mainly just to be nice, because he really hated the Nazis and Hitler. He had to move to Germany seven years ago with his parents. His father was in the Army and they had to move every so often. He had been there since he was eleven, and he had quickly made friends with a young girl named Rachel Berry. They were in the same grade, and even though they didn't have much in common, they had become friends really quickly. The only problem was is that Rachel was Jewish. Finn wasn't. When she wasn't allowed to attend their old school anymore, Finn was outraged. He loved seeing her every day, and now he wasn't able to.

Until Rachel snuck over to his house one night and the two made arrangements to meet in a dark part of town so that they weren't caught.

The street was dark, save for a few streetlights, and Finn made his way to the alleyway. He sat down next to the trashcan and waited. Footsteps shuffled in the darkness and Finn held his breath.

"It's fine." A voice said. "You can breathe now."

Finn let his breath out and looked up. There stood young Miss Rachel Berry. She wore her calf-length red dress with the stereotypical yellow Star of David sewn onto it. She smiled and sat down next to him.

"How've you been?" she drew her knees to her chest and looked at him.

"Well... I'm better now. I'm glad I got to see you today."

"I'm glad too."

"How are things at your school?"

"I don't like it. It's not fair. I hate it."

"I know." Finn looked at the ground.

"I mean, some of my friends that were Jewish, like me, went to the school with me-like Noah-but they've all been disappearing. I feel alone."

"You're not."

"I don't have you or Noah to hang around with at school." Rachel looked Finn in the eyes. "It's like I don't have anyone." Her chocolate brown eyes met his brown ones and Finn suddenly felt nervous. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about Rachel. Something different about her. In a good way. She wasn't like the other girls.

"You've got me. No matter what." He told her.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

A soft smile etched on the Jewish girl's face. "Thank you."

Finn smiled. "It's nothing, trust me."

Footsteps started to come around the corner where they were at. Rachel's heart began to pound. She was out past the Jewish curfew that had been enforced. Gripping Finn's arm, she timidly looked around the trashcan and watched as two German soldiers made their way past them. She slumped with relief and Finn let his breath out-he hadn't realized he had been holding it.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" he asked her quietly.

"You don't have to." Rachel shook slightly.

"I don't mind."

"Okay." Rachel stood slowly and Finn followed suit. The two walked out of the alleyway, staying away from streetlights. They made it to Rachel's house and Rachel stood on the steps. She looked at Finn. "Thank you." She kissed his cheek softly, making the young man blush lightly. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You bet." Finn smiled his famous half smile. Rachel smiled back and went inside. He waited until the lights went off until he left and made his way home. He put his hands in his pockets and sung quietly to himself. A German soldier walked past him.

"Heil Hitler!" he said, sticking his arm out at a forty-five degree angle. Finn looked at him, blinked, and nodded.

"Uh, yeah... Heil, uh...Hitler..." he hurried home. He felt like shit after doing that and after he walked into his house, he scoffed quietly. "So stupid..."

\/\/\/\/

The next day was the same as the day before. Finn got up, he went to school, he made his way home, he did his homework, and he helped his mother with dinner.

"So." Carole started as she peeled a potato. "Any girls you have your eye on?"

"Mom..." Finn groaned.

"It's okay, you can tell me. I'm your mother," she lowered her voice. "I'm not the Green Police."

"I know. The only girl I sort of like I can't see anyway, so it doesn't matter." Finn shrugged and continued with chopping the onions. He blinked the tears away from his eyes and shook his head. A soft knock was heard on the door. Carole put the knife down and went to answer it but Finn shook his head. "Don't worry about it, I'll get it." He told her. Carol picked the knife back up and Finn walked over to the door. He opened it and there stood a blubbering Rachel. Finn furrowed his eyebrows.

"My dads. They're gone. I can't find them anywhere." She hyperventilated a bit.

"Just...come inside." Finn lightly pulled her into the house. Rachel was raised by two men, her dads who lived their love life in secrecy, and had been adopted into the Berry family at the age of two. They moved to the country when she was four, since Leroy had always wanted to live in Germany. The eighteen year old man shut the door and Rachel flopped into a chair and sobbed. Carole stopped what she was doing.

"Rachel?" she asked, worried. Finn took a seat next to his childhood friend and rubbed her back.

"Maybe they're taking a walk." He suggested.

"No, they're not. I know they've been taken away. It's happening everywhere." She sobbed. "I don't want to go. I don't want to die. If they take me, I'll die. I want to live. I'm eighteen. I want a family."

"You're not going anywhere." Finn looked at his mother. Carole walked over and sat on the other side of Rachel.

"You're staying with us." She said with finality.

"I can't. I'll get you guys in trouble, you know I will."

"So what?" Finn shook his head. Rachel looked at him. "If it saves you, even for like...a month, it's worth it to me."

"You're absolutely sure?" Rachel looked at the mother and son multiple times.

"Yes." Carole nodded.

"Where will I sleep?"

"You can have my room." Finn suggested.

"No. Don't you guys have a basement or a spare room or something?"

"Yeah, there's a spare room next to Finn's." Carole answered.

"I'll stay in there." Rachel stood. "Where is it?"

"Right up here. I'll show you." Carole stood up and walked upstairs, Rachel behind her. She walked over to the spare room and opened the door. "Make sure you keep these closed." She walked over to the shutters and closed them softly. "Can't risk anyone seeing you."

"I understand." Rachel nodded. Carole hugged her.

"I'm so sorry about what happened." She rubbed the young girl's back. Rachel began to cry a little more. "It'll all be over soon, I promise."

"Okay..." Rachel shook slightly. Carole pulled away from the hug and fixed the young girl's hair.

"Now stop crying." She spoke softly, like the loving mother she was to Finn. "You're too beautiful for that."

"Yes, Mrs. Hudson." Rachel sniffled a little.

"Don't worry about anything. You'll see your dads again. I promise."

"Okay." Rachel nodded. Carole kissed the side of her head like a mother would a daughter.

"We'll be having dinner in about forty-five minutes. I'll have Finn bring you up a plate."

"Thank you. So much." Rachel nodded.

"It's my pleasure." Carole smiled softly and left the room. Rachel sat on the bed and stared at the wall.

\/\/\/\/

There was a soft knock on the white wooden door.

"Come in." Rachel said. The door opened and Finn walked in with a plate with food on it, and a wrapped up napkin in his other hand.

"Here." Finn handed it to her. "Strictly vegetarian, just like you like it." He smiled his half smile and Rachel gingerly took the plate and the napkin. It unwrapped itself just a bit and there was a silver glisten from the light bouncing off the silverware. Finn looked at the yellow star on Rachel's blouse. "If you wanted to, you could take that off your clothes."

"I can't..." Rachel shook her head.

"You're technically in hiding. No one will see it."

"It doesn't matter. You never know what could happen."

Finn nodded. "Hey...just...stomp if you need anything."

"I will."

"Good." Finn went towards the door.

"Finn?"

"What?" Finn looked at her.

"Thank you. Really."

"It's not a problem." Finn smiled his half smile again and then left the room, shutting the door softly behind him. Rachel's heart about melted at the sight of that smile. She knew, even though it was going to hard, she would be happy where she was at.