Author's Note: So I don't really know how this is going to turn out, because I'm completely winging this. But The Princess Bride happens to be my favorite movie of all time, and Finchel is one of my favorite ships, so I figured… why not? I am just going to go for it and base this Finchel fic off of The Princess Bride. It's not exactly the same, because I tweaked it a little bit. And there's a light smut scene in this. Nothing too intense. Anyway, this story title is actually a line from the movie itself. Enjoy!
Please don't judge me for what you're about to read, lol. This is my first crack at fantasy/fairytale Finchel, so... yeah. I really hope it turns out well.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or The Princess Bride.
one.
Once upon a time, there was a girl and a boy.
The girl lived on a farm and fancied herself as a bit of a princess. And to the boy's misfortune, she constantly bossed him around. She only called him Farm Boy, and she never said please or thank you.
The Farm Boy's name was Finn Hudson, and he did everything the girl—Rachel Berry—asked him to do without complaint. He always did it in a timely manner, and his work was always impeccable.
Finn worked on the farm for a full year before Rachel began to truly notice him. She had just come into the stables and had gotten off her horse as Finn came in, carrying two buckets of water. His sleeves were pushed up and his shirt was gaping open, and Rachel paused to stare at him.
When he noticed her watching him, Rachel got off her horse and swept past Finn, tightening her riding cloak around her body. She pushed the strange feeling growing her chest away. "Farm Boy, polish my horse's saddle," she ordered.
He looked up at her, his amber eyes warm as he nodded his head. "As you wish."
And that was all that Finn ever really said. Rachel never heard him speak any other words. And she didn't realize their significance until she approached him later in the day.
"Farm Boy, I need more wood for the fire." When Finn looked up, his amber eyes connected with hers and Rachel felt those feelings come up again. Without realizing it, another word slipped from her lips. "…Please."
His mouth lifted into a wonderful half smile she had never seen before. It was probably because she had never once said the word 'please.' Until now, that is. "As you wish."
It was then that Rachel realized when Finn said "as you wish," what he really meant was "I love you."
two.
And then Rachel realized that she loved him in return.
She loved his cinnamon-colored eyes. She loved the freckles sprinkled across his cheeks. She loved the way his hair refused to behave. She loved his strong hands, the way he diligently did his work. She loved the way his lips curved in a smile, and the little dimple that appeared in his cheek. She loved how patient and kind he was with her, no matter how rude she had been. She loved the way he was with her horse. She loved the way he would secretly listen to her sing. And she loved how he loved her, just the way she was.
One day, she was preparing some dough to bake when Finn came into the room, ready to stoke the fire. Rachel watched him move, her heart thudding hard in her chest. He turned to leave, his eyes locking briefly with hers. He gave her that smile again, and Rachel tried desperately to figure out a way to make him stay.
"Farm Boy!" she called, causing Finn to pause. He turned to look at her, still not saying anything.
Rachel slowly stepped forward until she was standing right in front of him. She reached a hand up and gently pressed her fingers to his chest, over his heart. Looking up into Finn's eyes, Rachel could see all the love he had for her. She smiled brightly at him.
"You know, you can kiss me if you want to," she whispered.
Finn's hands came up to gently cup her face. His thumb stroked over her cheek, Rachel curled her fingers into his shirt.
"As you wish," he said before his lips came down over hers.
three.
They spent a wonderful summer together. But the time came when Finn knew that he had to leave in order to make his fortune so that he could take care of Rachel and make her his wife.
Rachel hugged him tightly, refusing to let go as they stood in front of the farm. "What if I never see you again?" she murmured into his chest. Her fear and worry were evident in her voice, and Finn smoothed a calming hand over her back.
"Of course you will," he said. There wasn't a single note of doubt in his voice.
"But what if something happens to you?" Rachel asked. Finn was crossing the sea to try and make a living for himself. The seas between the kingdoms were dangerous, as everyone knew.
Finn pulled back and cupped her cheek, stroking his fingers over her soft skin. "Listen to me," he said gently, turning her face that her eyes were looking into his. "I will always come for you."
"You will?" Rachel whispered. She loved Finn with all her heart and soul, but she didn't know how long he would be gone.
Finn smiled at her. "I love you, Rachel. We're tethered. Do you think something like this happens every day?"
And with Finn's reassurance, Rachel finally gave him a smile. She reached up and kissed him deeply, pressing herself as close to him as she possibly could. His arms remained wrapped around her for one last hug. And then he left.
four.
Finn never made it.
His ship was attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts, and he never left any prisoners alive. When Rachel received word of Finn's death, she was distraught. She locked herself in her room and refused to come out for days.
Every time she thought about Finn's amber eyes, or his half smile, or the way he would hold her, she wanted to cry. She wished that she had never let him go. She didn't need the fortune, and she didn't need Finn to have some grand job. All she needed was him. And now she would never get to see him again.
In that moment, Rachel knew that she would never love again. Finn Hudson had her heart, and he always would.
five.
Five years later, the people of Carmel gathered in the town square to hear the announcement from their prince. He had finally picked his bride-to-be, and the people eagerly waited to see who would be their new princess—and later, their queen.
Prince Jesse stepped forward on the balcony as the trumpets announced his presence. Once he had the attention of everyone in the square, he said, "My good people! On the night of country's five hundredth anniversary, I will marry a woman who was once a commoner, as you all are. But she is no longer common anymore." Holding up his hand and pointing to the entrance of the square, Jesse exclaimed, "I present to you Princess Rachel!"
The trumpets sounded again as Rachel stepped forward. She was wearing a beautiful, flowing pink gown, and there was a tiara perched on her head. She looked every bit a princess, but she certainly didn't feel like one.
The law of the land decreed that Jesse could marry whomever he chose. After hearing her sing, he had declared that Rachel would be his wife. And really, she couldn't say no to the future king. She worried about what it would have happened to her poor father had she refused, so she went along with the prince's demand.
Rachel didn't love him. Her heart had never recovered from the loss she had suffered five years ago, and it never would. So she agreed to play Jesse's princess. But all the while, she wished for her Finn.
six.
Though Rachel loved to sing, she had to be in the palace to do that. And frankly, that was one of the last places she wanted to be. She loved riding her horses equally as much, so she took a daily ride through the country side.
Rachel pulled her horse to a stop as she came upon three men standing in the middle of the path. One was tall and blonde. The one in the middle had a strange hairstyle, with only a strip of hair running down the middle of his head. The third was shorter than either of the other men, and he was the only one to speak.
"My lady," he said. "My name is Sebastian. This is Puck and Sam, and we are circus performers who happened to be lost. Is there a village nearby where we may rest?"
This had been one of Rachel's longer rides. She knew the area quiet well, and she knew that the closest town was miles away. "There is nothing nearby," she sympathetically. She was trying to remember if she had a lunch packed with her, because she would give it to the men if they needed it. "Not for miles."
Sebastian's lips suddenly curled into a cruel smirk. "Good. Then there will be no one to hear you scream."
Rachel's hands tightened on the reins as she sucked in a lungful of air. Before she could start screaming or get her horse to move, Puck quickly moved forward and grabbed the back of her neck, squeezing on a weak point.
Rachel instantly fainted.
seven.
When Rachel woke, she found herself sitting on a boat. The sea air was cold on her face as she came to, and she was instantly reminded of her Finn and how he must have felt. She remained silent for most of the trip and didn't ask any questions, really.
When Sebastian announced that they were nearing their destination, Rachel tilted her head and watched the other two men he was with. Her brow furrowed in interest, as they didn't seem like quite like their leader.
Rachel wasn't foolish—well, at least she wasn't being foolish right now. She knew exactly what Sebastian had planned for her. But she felt so empty inside that it didn't really scare her.
Her eyes fell to the blonde man. "Your name is Sam," she stated.
He nodded his head. "Yes." He had a kind face, and he smiled at her.
And then she noticed the two scars on either of his cheeks. "How did you get those scars?"
"From a six-fingered man," Sam said.
Rachel could only guess that there was quite a story behind that, and then she turned to the man with the strange haircut. He was large, larger than most men.
"You're name isn't really Puck, is it?" Rachel asked curiously.
He shook his head. "It's Noah, actually."
"Oh."
Sam laughed. "Noah," he repeated.
He glared at his friend. "Stop laughing." Rachel could only let out a small laugh at their interaction.
Before Sam could retaliate, Sebastian came running between them. "Stop talking to the prisoner! Have I taught you nothing?"
Puck just rolled his eyes and shook his head. He turned to look over his shoulder and then looked back at Sebastian. "Are you sure that no one is following us?"
"Of course I'm sure that no one is following us," Sebastian snapped. "That's inconceivable."
Ten minutes later, Puck was looking behind them once again. "Would you stop doing that?" Sebastian said with a scowl.
"I just think that someone might be following us," Puck said. When Rachel turned, she saw that there was another ship that was indeed gaining on them. "There is another ship there."
Sebastian ran towards the side of the ship. "Inconceivable!" he exclaimed. With a determined look on his face, he declared, "It doesn't matter anyway. We've arrived at the Cliffs of Insanity!"
eight.
They stared over the edge of the cliff as a man dressed in all black climbed up the rope they had traveled up. Rachel wondered why someone was so intent on following Sebastian and the people working with him, but she wasn't going to question it.
Sebastian pulled a dagger from his belt and immediately began to saw at the thick rope. Rachel peered over the edge of the cliff once again, her brow pinching in concern. The man was too far away for her to see him properly, but there was something… familiar about him. Looking back to Sebastian, she saw that he was almost through with cutting the rope. Unexpectedly, she felt a pang of sadness course through her. She didn't want this man to die.
But before she could say anything, the rope was completely cut and it slipped forward. They all immediately looked over the cliff again… but the man hadn't fallen. Now he was clinging to the rock, and Rachel felt a small smile touch her lips.
"This guy just won't give up. Puckerman, take the girl. Sam, stay here and dispose of the masked man," Sebastian ordered. He shoved Rachel towards the giant man and pointed at Sam. "Use your right hand."
"No way," Sam said. "I'm using my left hand." He smiled and wiggled his fingers. "If the poor guy makes it up the cliff, he should at least feel like he has a chance of winning."
"We're in a hurry!" Sebastian exclaimed. The comment caused Rachel to roll her eyes, and it didn't escape Sebastian's notice. He glared at her, and she just gave him a cool look in return.
"If I use my right hand, it'll be over too quickly."
"Fine. Have it your way." Sebastian turned back to Puck. "Let's go."
As Puck towed her away, Rachel looked over her shoulder, towards the edge of the cliff once again. She wondered if she would ever see that masked man again.
Something told her she might.
nine.
Sam looked over the edge of the cliff. "Hello!" The masked man looked up in acknowledgement but continued to try and scale the face of the cliff. Sam, quickly growing bored, couldn't stop himself from speaking again. "How's it going?"
"You know, this isn't easy." The masked man grunted as he pulled himself up. "So if you don't mind…"
"Oh. Right. Sorry." Sam paced back and forth for another few moments, but it wasn't long before he started losing patience. "I don't suppose you could move a little faster?"
The masked man lifted himself up a few inches. "You could do something useful, then. Maybe lower a rope or a tree branch or something."
"Good idea!" Sam exclaimed. He went to get the rope but stopped and turned around. "I don't think that you really want to accept my help, since I'm only waiting around to kill you."
"Oh. That's not really a great way to introduce yourself, you know. But I guess you'll just have to wait until I get up there."
"I hate waiting."
Sam continued to pace and watched the masked man as he continued to try and climb up the rocks. He briefly wondered why he was so insistent on chasing after the princess, but he was too impatient to think about it for very long.
"What if I gave you my word that you would reach the top safely?" Sam tried.
"No offense, but I don't think I've ever trusted anyone with lips as large as yours."
Sam shrugged his shoulders, since no offense was taken. He was almost sad that he had been ordered to kill this man, since he seemed like a decent guy. Still, he didn't want to wait for very much longer.
"I swear on the soul of my father, you will reach the top alive," Sam said instead.
Without hesitation, the masked man responded, "Throw me the rope."
So Sam dragged the rope over to the edge of the cliff and dropped it over. The masked man quickly climbed up and went to unsheathe his sword, but Sam held his hands up.
"I'll let you rest for a moment," he said.
"Thank you," the man responded. He sat down on the ground, stretching lightly. He was dressed in all black, from his boots to the cloth covering his head. He was even wearing gloves, and Sam stared at his right hand.
"This may seem like an odd question," Sam began. "But I was wondering if you had a sixth finger on your right hand."
The man stared at him. Half of his face was hidden by a black mask, but Sam could tell that he wasn't being judged by the stranger. "You're right. That is a strange question."
"I'm sorry. It's just that the man that killed my father had six fingers on his right hand."
The masked man held up both of his hands, displaying five fingers on each. Sam nodded his head and sighed, sitting on the ground across from him. He unsheathed his sword and spun it by his handle, which was a habit he had developed when he was still a boy.
"That sword is truly a masterpiece," the masked man said.
Sam held it out for him to inspect. "My father made it," he revealed. "The six-fingered man wanted him to make it, but tried to pay much less than originally promised. When my father refused, he six-fingered man killed him. I challenged him to avenge my father."
"How old were you?" the masked man questioned. He seemed as if he truly wanted to know the answer.
"Eleven," Sam answered. "And I failed. He left me with these." Sam turned his cheeks, showing the twin scars on his face. "But I've spent the past fifteen years studying swordplay. And when I meet the six-fingered man again, I will say: Hello. My name is Samuel Evans. You killed my father. Prepared to die."
The masked man nodded his head and handed Sam's sword back to him. He stood up and took a proper dueling stance across from him.
"You're ready then?"
He nodded his head. "You've been more than fair."
Sam smiled. "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you."
The masked man smiled in return. "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die."
ten.
"I think you might be better than me!" Sam exclaimed. He dodged a swipe of the masked man's sword and turned.
"Oh really?" he asked. "Then why are you smiling, then?"
"Because I know something that you don't know."
"What's that?"
"I'm not left-handed."
Sam switched his sword to his right hand and started dueling in earnest." They moved over the rocky terrain, and eventually, Sam pinned the masked man to the rock wall and tried to knock his sword out of the way.
"I think it's time that I tell you something, then," the masked man said.
"Really?"
The masked man pushed Sam back and switched his sword to his right hand. "I'm not left handed, either."
Sam stared at him. He was so screwed.
eleven.
"He beat Sam! Inconceivable!"
Sebastian let out a noise of anger as he watched the masked man run across the field they had just crossed. He yanked Rachel away from Puck, holding on to the rope that was keeping her wrists tied together.
"Take care of him," he ordered Puck.
Puck rubbed his hands together. "I wonder how I should do it," he muttered to himself. "Should I—"
Sebastian cut him off. "Pick up a rock. When he rounds the corner, throw the rock at him and bash his skull in!"
Puck's eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare at the smaller man. He bent to pick up a rock, and Rachel seriously thought that he was going to throw it at Sebastian. But he didn't. Instead, he just turned to hide behind a large boulder. And Sebastian began to tow Rachel to yet another destination.
twelve.
The masked man jumped in surprise when a large rock shattered next to his head. He turned to find a giant of man hulking towards him. The masked man was just as tall as the man with the Mohawk, but he wasn't as muscled.
"Just thought I'd give you a warning," Puck said as he shrugged his shoulders. "I could have killed you, you know."
"I know," the masked man repeated. "So… why didn't you?"
"That moron Smythe told me to do that way. I don't like being told what to do," Puck grumbled. That caused a small smile to come to the masked man's lips before Puck continued. "And I figured that this should be a fair fight."
"You mean, you're not going to pick up another rock and I'm going to put my sword down and we'll fight this out like normal human beings?"
Puck smirked and cracked his knuckles. This guy seemed pretty decent, but he always loved a good fight. And if he beat Sam, then that meant Puck was definitely up for one. "That's exactly what I mean."
thirteen.
"It's much harder fighting one person, you know." Puck grunted as the masked man cut off more of his airflow by tightening his arms around his neck.
"Why—" The masked man let out a pained noise when Puck slammed him into a boulder. "—would that make a difference?"
"You use difference moves." Puck wheezed and sank to his knees. "And it's actually kind of… easier…" He trailed off as he passed out.
The masked man made sure that he was still breathing before he patted his chest. "You'll have a large headache when you wake up," he said. "But I hope that you take this time to dream about women."
fourteen.
Rachel was blindfolded when the masked man finally reached her and Sebastian. She let out a noise of annoyance and shifted on the hard rock she was sitting on. She really wished that she could see what was happening, but Sebastian wouldn't let her.
She froze when she felt the sharp tip of a knife being pressed to her neck. She heard Sebastian speak then. "Come any closer, and the princess dies," he said.
Rachel didn't hear anything from the other man. She did, however, hear the sound of booted feet pressing into soft earth. The knife pressed harder into her neck, and Rachel let out a quiet whimper when she felt the skin break.
"I'm serious. I'll kill her if you come any closer," Sebastian said. "You can't take her. I've put too much work into kidnapping her."
Rachel let out an indignant noise. Really. She was terribly annoyed with her captor at this point. Frankly, she didn't care who the masked man was anymore. She only wanted to be away from Sebastian.
"Maybe we can come to an agreement, then," the masked man said.
It was the first time Rachel had heard him speak. His voice was husky, gritty, manly—and Rachel felt a shiver run down her spine in response. She stiffened in surprise, as she had not expected such a reaction.
"I'm obviously no match for you physically, as you have bested my swordsman and my giant," Sebastian said. "But I know that you're no match for my wits."
The masked man was silent for a long moment, and Rachel really wished that she could see him. "Maybe not," he said quietly. "But can you be sure?"
Even though Rachel hadn't known Sebastian for that long, she knew that he couldn't resist being challenged. The masked man was doing exactly that, and she could tell that he was about to take the bait.
"What do you mean?" Sebastian demanded. "Of course I'm sure!"
"In that case, I challenge you to a battle of wits."
"For the princess?"
"Yes."
"To the death?"
"Yes."
"I accept."
Rachel sighed. Men. Really.
fifteen.
Rachel knew that the masked man was now much closer than he had been before. She could sense his eyes on her, even though Sebastian had yet to remove the blindfold. It was almost as if he had forgotten that she was there.
She heard the sound of wine being poured, and she wondered what was going to happen next. She heard the rustling of fabric and then felt the masked man's arm in front of her as he passed something to Sebastian.
"Smell, but do not touch," the masked man said.
Sebastian was quiet as he smelled whatever it was the masked man had handed to him. "I smell nothing," he said.
"What you do not smell is Iocane Powder. It has no smell or taste and happens to be one of the more deadly poisons."
There was some more rustling, some more movement, and then the masked man spoke once again. "The battle of wits has begun. You have to figure out which cup has the poison."
Sebastian began to talk rapidly, trying to twist the masked man's challenge around. Rachel, for her part, just sighed again and rolled her eyes, even though no one could see her. She heard the masked man let out a quiet chuckle, and she wondered if it was in response to her.
All of the sudden, Sebastian shouted, "What's that?"
"What? Where?"
Rachel could feel Sebastian moving next to her, and then he was laughing. The masked man asked, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing." Sebastian let out another chuckle. "Nothing at all. I've decided, however. You drink from your cup, and I'll drink from mine."
The masked man made a noise of agreement, and then there was another moment of silence as both men lifted their cups and prepared to drink. It was then that Rachel suddenly realized what Sebastian had done—he had switched the cups! She opened her mouth, prepared to warn the masked man, when she felt him fall over.
Then the blindfold was removed from her eyes, and she got a close up of the masked man for the very first time.
He didn't look her in the eye as he untied the rope binding her wrists together. She stared at Sebastian's unmoving body before she said, "So the poison was in your cup the entire time?"
"It was in both cups," the man in the mask revealed. "I've spent the past several years building up an immunity to Iocane Powder." He stood and took Rachel's hands in his, helping her to stand as well. "Come. We don't have much time."
Rachel had a sinking feeling in her gut as she realized who her rescuer (or new captor, depending on how you looked at it) might be. But she didn't have time to think, as the masked man started to run, pulling her along with him.
sixteen.
Rachel lost track of how long they had been running. But mercifully, the masked man stopped and let go of Rachel's wrist, allowing her to stop as well.
"Rest," he ordered. His voice was much gruffer than it had been before, and he wouldn't look at her at all. "You need to catch your breath."
"You'll get whatever you want for ransom if you just release me," Rachel pleaded. She was getting tired of being passed around from person to person, and she just wanted to be let go. Honestly, though, Jesse's castle was just as much of a prison—if not more.
The masked man let out a chuckle. "It's not ransom that I seek, your highness," he said.
"Then what is it?" When he didn't answer, Rachel decided to switch tactics. It was a long shot, but she might be able to scare him with threats of what the prince would do to him. "Prince Jesse happens to be an excellent hunter. He'll be able to track you easily."
The masked man snorted. "I doubt it." He looked at her then, but he was standing too far from her for her to see the look in his eyes. "You think that your dear love will save you?"
"I never said he was my love!" Rachel said immediately. How dare he assume things that he knew nothing about?
He tilted his head. "So you admit that you don't love the prince?"
"He knows that I don't love him," Rachel said quietly. But he still insisted on being engaged to her. All Rachel wanted was to be free. There was one thing that she wanted more than that, but she couldn't have that anymore.
The masked man stepped closer to her, his face suddenly hard. "Not capable of love, is what you mean."
White-hot anger suddenly coursed through Rachel. All the years of loss and pain she had endured bubbled up as she stood straight, her fists clenched at her sides. "I have loved more deeply than you could ever imagine!" she nearly shouted. She could feel tears of anger and heartbreak burning in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She wouldn't allow this man to see her pain.
The masked man gave her another hard look before he grabbed her arm and started running again. Rachel had no choice but to follow him.
seventeen.
Another indiscernible amount of time passed before the masked man came to a stop again. He ordered Rachel to rest, and she turned to look up at him. She knew exactly who he was now.
"You're the Dread Pirate Roberts. Admit it!" Rachel accused.
The masked man bowed dramatically. "At your service. What can I do for you?"
The anger that Rachel had felt before came back in full force. She had never harbored such hatred for someone in her entire life. This was the man that had killed her love.
"You can die slowly," Rachel said darkly. "Preferably in the most painful way possible."
He chuckled again. "Now now, your highness. What did I do to deserve such hatred?"
"You killed my love," Rachel whispered. She turned to level him with a dark glare, throwing all of her hurt and anger behind it. He remained unmoved.
"Really? Your love? There was someone before the prince, then." When Rachel didn't answer, he asked, "Was it another rich boy? Someone with power?"
"No," Rachel snapped. "He was a farm boy, and he was wonderful." Her voice grew quiet once again as she got lost in her memories of Finn. "Wonderful and perfect. He had a beautiful voice and eyes like warm cinnamon." She bit her lip, holding back the sudden surge of heartache she felt. Steeling herself, she continued.
"You attacked his ship when he left. And you killed him."
"Farm boy, you say?" the masked man asked. "I think I remember him. This would have been about five years ago, correct?" Rachel's silence was his answer, and he went on with his story. "He died well. He didn't plead to be spared, as the others had. He said please, he had to live. When I asked why, he responded that there was a young woman that he was tethered to. He went on to describe this woman, who I could only assume is you. You should thank me for killing him before he found out what you're really like."
Rachel stalked forward until she was standing right in front of him. The height difference between her and the man in black was astounding, but she refused to be intimidated by him. "What am I, then?" she demanded.
"He talked of how he could feel you wherever, of how his love for you knew no bounds and went beyond anything and everything. Tell me, princess: did you get engaged to your prince right away, or did you at least wait out of respect for the dead?"
Rachel gasped and shoved at his chest as hard as she could. He hadn't been expecting the move, so he stumbled back in surprise. Rachel stomped forward until she could shove him again.
"Do not mock me!" she shouted, her voice shooting up in her anger. "I died that day! I die every day when I realize that I will never get to see him again!" And unbidden, tears began to roll down her cheeks. Her breath caught on a sob, and she curled into herself.
The masked man's jaw went slack, his face softening as he watched for a long moment. He lifted a gloved hand slowly, as if he was going to reach towards her. Rachel saw the movement, and the outrage came back full force.
"And you can die too!" She pushed him again, as hard as she possibly could. This time, he slipped and fell, rolling down the hill and towards the valley at the bottom.
As he tumbled head over heels, his voice reached Rachel one last time.
"As you wish."
Rachel felt as if her heart had been ripped out for the past five years. Now, it was as if it had been restored, returned to its rightful place. She never thought that she would hear those words ever again. So she did the only thing she could think of.
She threw herself down the hill, right after Finn Hudson.
eighteen.
Rachel could only stare up at the sky in a dazed trance. She was unbelievably dizzy from her tumble down the hill, and her mind was still spinning with the fact that Finn was alive. He was alive. And he was here, with her.
And then he was there, right in front of her. She saw his warm, cinnamon eyes and the freckles scattered across his cheeks and the messy mop of thick hair on his head. He looked older, but still the same—very much her Finn Hudson, her farm boy.
His lips lifted into that wonderful half smile as he slid a hand up, cupping her cheek and stroking his thumb over it. She shivered at the feel of his calloused fingers touching her for the first time in five years.
"You're alive," Rachel whispered.
"Of course I am." Finn's body covered hers, protecting her and loving her just as he had five years ago. "I told you that I would always come for you, Rachel." His eyes still held all the love and happiness he felt as he spoke his next words softly—he wasn't angry. "Why didn't you wait for me?"
"You were dead," Rachel said, her lips barely moving. "At least, I thought you were. And I… I felt as if a part of me had been ripped away."
"You still had to live, Rachel," Finn said. He brushed his lips over her forehead, and Rachel sighed happily.
"I did live," she responded. "But not all the way." Reaching up, she placed both of her small hands on either side of Finn's face. "Nothing feels real unless you're here."
"I love you," Finn breathed.
Rachel beamed at him and then pulled his lips down to hers. And for the first time in five very long years, Finn and Rachel kissed.
Hands and lips were everywhere. Rachel slipped her hands under Finn's shirt, feeling the his muscles moving under her fingertips. His large hands gently pulled the fabric of her purple dress away, his lips skimming over each new patch of skin revealed. Their quiet moans and cries of pleasure filled the air around them.
Soon, there were no barriers in between them. Finn laced their fingers together as he pushed into her for the first time, and whispers and declarations of love were passed between them as they moved together. Their bodies and souls became one, and Rachel knew in that moment that their love was greater than anything.
nineteen.
Afterwards, Rachel lay wrapped in Finn's arms, pressed skin to skin. Her dress was draped across them, covering them only a little. His fingers trailed gently up and down her back, and Rachel hummed a quiet song in appreciation.
"I missed that," Finn murmured. She could feel his voice vibrating in his chest, and then she concentrated on the strong thrumming of his heartbeat underneath her ear.
"Missed what?" Rachel asked.
"Your singing," Finn said in response. "Your eyes, your smile… everything, really." Tucking two fingers under her chin, he tilted her head up and gave her a gentle kiss. "I missed you."
"I love you so much," Rachel whispered. "And I can't believe that you're here with me right now."
Finn brushed her hair back. "Death can't stop true love," he told her. "Nothing can. All it can do is delay it for a while. We're tethered, remember?"
Rachel smiled and pressed up to kiss him deeply. The couple laid in bliss for several long moments, lips movingly languidly together. Minutes passed before the sound of approaching horses reached their ears.
Finn lifted his head and looked to the top of the hill. A smirk touched his lips as he saw the flag flapping in the wind. "Ah. Your fiancé has arrived."
Rachel looked at him with narrowed eyes and pushed against his chest. He chuckled and kissed her again before he stood and handed her dress, helping her to pull it on. He quickly got dressed as well before he took Rachel's hand.
"We'll head into the Fire Swamp. He won't be able to find us in there," Finn declared.
Rachel's hand tightened around his. "Are you insane?" she demanded. "We'll never survive in there."
"Nonsense." Finn gave her that smile once again. "You're only saying that because no one ever has."
twenty.
Even though it was the middle of the day and the sky had been a bright blue with the sun shining brightly, inside the Fire Swamp it was dark as night. There was something inherently evil about the place, and Rachel looked around in distaste.
"You know," Finn began. He was trying to make light of the situation, as he knew that Rachel detested dark places such as this. "This place really isn't so bad."
Rachel turned to stare at him. She didn't even have to say anything; Finn could read everything that she was thinking in her expressive doe eyes, and he smiled at her again, sheepishly shrugging his shoulders. She gave him a look that clearly stated she wasn't buying it.
They moved slowly through the forest of dark trees. As children, they had heard all about the stories from the Fire Swamp, but no one ever really knew what was truly in there. Rachel took comfort in the fact that there were any stories at all. There wouldn't be any stories without survivors, right?
Finn led the way, holding on to Rachel's hand tightly as he went. Rachel stepped carefully as she followed. Despite the fact that they were in the most dangerous place in all of the kingdom, she felt safe knowing that she was with Finn.
A loud popping noise disrupted her thoughts. Both Finn and Rachel stopped as they tried to figure out what it was and where it was coming from. They didn't have to wait very long to find out, however.
A burst of flame shot up from the ground and caught the skirt of Rachel's dress on fire. She shrieked and immediately started trying to pat it out.
Finn reacted quickly. He took Rachel by the arms and spun her so that she was sitting on the root of one of the trees. Without any water, he used the excess fabric from her skirt to smother the flames. Luckily, not much damage was done. Only the very edge of Rachel's dress was burnt.
Finn cupped her cheek. "Are you alright?" he asked.
Rachel nodded her head and slid her hand over his. "You?"
"Fine." They shared a brief and loving kiss before they both stood and began to walk again. Rachel could hear the faint popping noise that preceded each burst of fire. It wasn't long before she heard it again, this time coming from directly in front of Finn. She yanked on his hand, pulling him to a stop just as fire shot up from the ground once again.
Finn turned towards Rachel with wide eyes. "Thank you."
Rachel smiled in return and walked around him, letting go of his hand to inspect a strange plant she saw by a tree. But she stepped in exactly the wrong place; her foot sank right into a pit of soft sand. Rachel's entire body quickly followed, her scream getting cut off.
Finn spun, unsheathing his sword and using it to cut one of the long vines hanging from one of the trees. Holding on to it tightly, he dove into the sand pit without hesitation and desperately began to search for Rachel.
He couldn't see anything and the lightning sand was suffocating, but he managed to find one of Rachel's small hands. She had been struggling to reach the surface as well, and Finn held on to her tightly as he pulled them up by the vine.
They both sucked in a lungful of air as they resurfaced. Finn and Rachel crawled from the lightning sand pit slowly, trying to recover from the shock. Finn pulled Rachel into his arms, holding her tightly and pressing his face to her hair. He had never been as afraid as he had been in that moment, and he was so thankful that they had been able to pull themselves from the lightning sand.
"Oh my God," Rachel breathed. "Finn, I… I just…"
"Shh…" Finn smoothed her hair back and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I know. It's okay. We're okay now."
"Are we?" Rachel pulled away enough to look in Finn's eyes. "Are we truly going to be okay?"
Finn kissed Rachel slowly, keeping his lips pressed against hers until she relaxed. When she finally did, he pulled away and said, "I really think we will be." Standing, he offered her his hands and helped her to stand as well.
They began to make their way through the Fire Swamp once again. "The Swamp gives us many clues," Finn pointed out. "There's a popping sound before each fire spout goes off, so we can avoid that. And you found out what the lightning sand looks like, so we can avoid that as well!" As if to prove his point, Finn easily side stepped another pit of the sand.
Rachel's eyes scanned the dark forest. "What about the ROUS's?"
Finn certainly wasn't about to tell Rachel that he had just spotted one in the trees to their left. "Rodents of unusual size? I don't believe they exist."
twenty-one.
They had been walking through the forest for almost an hour now, and Rachel was really beginning to believe that they might actually make it out of the Fire Swamp alive. And once they did that, Finn and Rachel would be free to live their lives together.
"Finn?" Rachel called as they walked.
He smiled down at her. "Yes, Rach?"
"How did you end up becoming the Dread Pirate Roberts?"
"Ah." His smile broadened. "That is an interesting story. What I told you about telling Roberts that we were tethered was true. I really did say that. And for some reason, on that day, he decided to spare me. That night, he locked me up in the brig and said, "Good night, Finn. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." It went on like that for days. Eventually, I started doing work on the ship. And every night, he would say, "Good night, Finn, good work today. I'll most likely kill you in the morning."
"But he never did?"
"Never." Finn pushed aside some vines and allowed Rachel to step through. She kissed his cheek in thanks, and Finn took her hand again. He smiled when Rachel laced their fingers together. "As time passed, I started to learn swordplay and fighting and all sorts of other things. About a year later, Roberts pulled me aside and told me a secret: he wasn't actually the Dread Pirate Roberts."
Rachel couldn't help the little gasp that escaped her. She certainly hadn't been expecting that. "Really?"
"Really. His name was actually Will Schuester, and he wasn't the original Dread Pirate Roberts, either. It turns out that the original had retired thirty years earlier and was living quiet happily. And that's when Will told me that he wanted to pass the name down to me. So we docked and hired an entirely new crew, and Will stayed on for the first few months as first mate. He called me Roberts the entire time. Once the crew believed him, it was actually pretty easy from there."
"Finn." Rachel stared at him with wide eyes. "That is quite the story."
"You're telling me," he said. "I'm the one that it happened to, and I don't believe it most of the time." He pulled Rachel to a stop and turned her to face him. "But now that we're together again, I'm going to name someone else Roberts and retire. We can anywhere we want and do anything."
Beaming, Rachel stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
twenty-two.
"I think we're almost there," Finn said. He climbed over a fallen tree and then held his hand out to help Rachel over. "We just have to—"
He didn't get to finish his sentence as a large animal suddenly slammed into him. With a grunt of surprise, Finn was knocked to the ground. Rachel scrambled over the log as quickly as she could. When she saw what it was that had attacked Finn, she let out another shriek.
It was an ROUS. It was large, larger than Rachel had ever imagined. It had Finn pinned to the ground and it bit his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain. Rachel finally managed to make it over the fallen tree and grabbed the first thing she could reach—a large stick.
Her only thought was to help Finn. Putting as much strength behind it as she could, she swung the stick like a bat and hit the ROUS in the side. It fell off of Finn but was quickly back on its feet, heading towards Rachel. She prepared to swing the stick again, but Finn tackled the ROUS before it could get to her.
He struggled with it, dodging another attempt to bite him. Rachel found Finn's sword and scabbard lying close to her. It must have come loose during the ROUS's first attack. She dove for it just as Finn rolled the large rodent into a fire spout. The ROUS caught fire immediately, and Rachel finished by running it through with Finn's sword.
He stared at her in amazement, and she returned the sword to its scabbard and smiled as she handed it back to him. Finn wrapped his hands around Rachel's waist and hauled her against him, kissing her deeply.
twenty-three.
It didn't take long for the couple to make it out of the forest after that. The skies became lighter and the air was fresher as they stepped into another valley. They both took a moment to appreciate the view of the rolling hills before turning to each other.
"We did it!" Rachel exclaimed. She could barely contain her excitement and began to jump up and down in place, holding onto Finn's hands tightly. He grinned at her enthusiasm and pulled her close to kiss her once again.
Just as they broke apart, a horse neighed loudly. Several riders appeared almost out of nowhere, surrounding them quickly. Rachel's heart dropped when she realized that it was Jesse sitting astride the horse in front of her.
"Let her go now!" Jesse demanded as he brandished his sword. Finn drew his as well, blocking Jesse's swipes easily. "Let her go, and you may just be able to escape with your life."
"Don't!" Rachel exclaimed, jumping in front of Finn. He grabbed on to her waist immediately, but she wouldn't let him pull her back. "You can't hurt him!"
"Rachel, dear." Jesse held out his hand. "Just get on the horse. Don't make this difficult."
Rachel opened her mouth to do the least princess-like thing she could think of. She wanted to tell Jesse that he could stick it where the sun doesn't shine, and then she wanted to run off with Finn. But the longer she looked, the more she realized that they were completely surrounded on all sides by Jesse's knights. There was no way that they could possibly make it out of this.
Rachel's shoulders dropped, and Finn's grip tightened on her waist. She looked over her shoulder and gave him a sad smile before she turned back to Jesse.
"Do you promise not to hurt him?" she asked quietly, in resigned voice.
"Wait. What?" Finn immediately demanded.
Jesse ignored him. "Of course, my dear. I swear it."
Rachel turned in Finn's arms. "I almost lost you once. I thought you were dead, Finn." Reaching up, she stroked his cheek and tried not to break down when she saw the pain in his eyes. "I couldn't bear it if it happened again. This is the only way. I can't lose you."
She stretched up, intent on giving him a kiss. This wasn't good bye, as Rachel intended on finding Finn as soon as she could. Looking into his eyes, she made sure that he knew that. He finally nodded his head slightly and bent to kiss her as well. Just as their lips touched, Jesse swept Rachel up onto his horse and rode off.
Finn watched them go before he turned to look up at the balding man in front of him. It was Count Sandy Ryerson, Jesse's right hand man. Finn knew that Jesse had lied to Rachel; they were going to kidnap him and take him somewhere.
Before they could, Finn noticed an interesting detail about Ryerson. Pointing to the hand holding onto the horse's rein, he said, "You have six fingers on your right hand."
Ryerson glared at him. "So?"
Finn smirked. "Someone was looking for you."
And then something hit him on the back of the head, and Finn's world went dark.
twenty-four.
"Well, well. How is my favorite prisoner today?"
Finn just gave Jesse an annoyed look as he entered the Pit of Despair. They currently had Finn stretched out on a long table, tied by both his ankles and wrists. They also had him hooked up to some odd kind of machine that was attached to water wheel.
It had been three days since they had locked Finn up. He had yet to find a way to escape, but he was certain that he was going to be able to. Jesse, for his part, just looked smug as he walked over to Ryerson.
"Are you ready to test the machine out?" he asked.
"I am," Ryerson said. Turning towards Finn, he explained, "I have quite the fascination with medical science, the human body, and pain. I'm going to run a little experiment, if you don't mind."
Going over to the machine, he turned it up to just the first notch. And when the machine started up, Finn felt a pain unlike anything he had ever experienced before. His body shook on the table and he tried to keep his jaw clenched tightly shut in order to keep from crying out.
Ryerson turned the machine off. "There you have it. I've just sucked one year of your life away."
Jesse clapped. "Excellent! Simply excellent."
Ryerson made several notes in his journal before turning towards Jesse. "And how are you today, your highness? All is well, I hope?"
Jesse sighed dramatically. "You know, the people are quite taken with Rachel. I thought that it was brilliant on my part to have Sebastian Smythe abduct her and kill her on our engagement day. But it will be so much more when I kill her on our wedding night."
Finn couldn't believe what he was hearing. Even in his weakened state, he struggled against his restraints. When he got out of there, he was going to tear Jesse St. James apart, limb from limb.
Jesse simply turned to smirk at him. "Once the kingdom of McKinley is blamed, we'll have to go to war." Patting Ryerson on the shoulder, he said, "I do love watching you work, Sandy. But I have much work to do, what with planning to frame a country for murdering my wife on our wedding night."
Nodding sympathetically, Ryerson said, "Go and get some rest. You need to keep your strength up."
Finn began to curse Jesse loudly, but all the prince did was laugh as he left the pit.
twenty-five.
Rachel stormed into Jesse's study. It had been five days since she had been separated from Finn once again. Despite her best efforts, she had not been able to leave the castle. Jesse had made sure to barricade every possible way out, and it was infuriating her to no end. Jesse was insane if he thought she was still marrying him.
"Ah, my dear! What brings you to my study at this hour?" Jesse asked as he stood to greet her.
Rachel ignored him and put her hands on her hips. "I'm not marrying you," she stated.
She saw Jesse's smile falter slightly, but it was quickly back in place. "Whatever do you mean?"
"I'm not marrying you," Rachel repeated. "And I'd like to leave."
Jesse sighed and sat back down once again. "Rachel, my dear, I thought we talked about this."
"We never talked about this," Rachel interjected.
Jesse went on as if he hadn't heard her. "That's why you came back with me. So you could marry me."
Rachel shook her head. "The only reason I came back with you is because I knew you would have killed Finn on the spot had I not agreed. And you need to understand something, Jesse: I never wanted to marry you in the first place. You coerced and threatened me into agreeing, and I only did it to protect my family and my farm."
Jesse's eyes narrowed into a dangerous look. "I would not say such things if I were you."
But Rachel continued to speak. It felt so good to get all of this off her chest. "And I would never marry you, anyway! I wouldn't have gone through with it. My love for Finn is too strong. We're tethered. Even when I thought he was dead, I could still feel him, though I didn't want to admit it. I will never stop loving Finn, and there is nothing you can do to change that."
"I would not say such things if I were you," Jesse repeated with snarl.
It still didn't deter Rachel. "And no matter what happens, Finn and I will always find each other. I'll find a way to get out of this castle. And when I do, I'll find Finn. And we will get the ending that we were meant for."
Jesse jumped up from behind his desk and grabbed Rachel's arm. She winced in pain, but he ignored her as he dragged her down the hall and into her room. With a roar of anger, he shoved Rachel in and locked the door before he turned and stalked away. He had one destination in mind: the Pit of Despair.
twenty-six.
Ryerson had just conducted another test by the time Jesse had arrived at the Pit. He ignored the greeting from his right-hand man and stalked over to the table Finn was still tied to.
"You truly love each other," Jesse snarled at Finn. "And so you might have been truly happy. But not one couple in the century has that chance, no matter what the storybooks say. And so I think no man in this century has suffered as greatly as you will."
And without another word, Jesse reached over and turned the notch on Ryerson's machine all the way up to fifty.
Finn felt like he was being torn apart from the inside out. He couldn't stop the unearthly roar of pain that ripped from his throat. It continued, unending, and could be heard nearly across the kingdom.
In the castle, Rachel felt her heart seize. Something had happened to Finn.
twenty-seven.
Puck ran into the cabin he shared with Sam. "Man, guess what I just found out!"
Sam looked up from sharpening his sword. "What?"
"The six-fingered man is Count Ryerson!"
Sam responded by getting as drunk as he possibly could. Puck rolled his eyes and let him have his way for a good two hours before he began the job of nursing him back to health. When that didn't work, Puck simply got a bucket of hot water and a bucket of cold water and dunked Sam's head in both until he regained consciousness.
"That's enough!" Sam exclaimed. "Where is this Ryerson now?"
"In the castle, with the prince, dumbass," Puck answered. When Sam opened his mouth, Puck held his hand up. "But the castle is also guarded by thirty men."
Sam cursed. "How many could you handle?"
Shrugging, Puck said, "Not more than ten at once."
"I couldn't take twenty men on by myself. We need a plan. I have no gift for strategy." Sam thought for a long moment, mentally flipping through everyone he knew before the idea suddenly struck him. "The man in black!"
Puck's eyes widened. "You're brilliant! He beat me—which I'm still pissed about, by the way—he beat you, and he beat Smythe! He would be perfect!"
"Well let's go, then!" Sam declared.
As they ran out of the cabin, Sam and Puck heard the endless scream of pain that was coming from the Pit of Despair. They stopped to listen, and Sam suddenly knew that they wouldn't have to look very hard to find the man in black.
"Do you hear that, Puck?" he asked. "That is the sound of ultimate suffering. My heart made that sound when my father died, and the masked man makes it now because his true love is supposed to be marrying another."
"Not willingly," Puck pointed out. "According to the guards, she is being quite the trouble maker. She doesn't want to marry the prince."
"All the more reason for the masked man to struggle. We need to get to him." Sam tried to push his way through the crowd of people in the market, but they weren't moving fast enough for him. "Puck? A little help?"
Puck sighed before his cupped his hands around his mouth. "EVERYBODY MOVE!"
The crowd parted, and Sam and Puck easily made their way through.
twenty-eight.
Sam let out an annoyed grunt. "Why did you have to knock out the assistant? He could have told us where the Pit is!"
Puck flexed his muscles and smirked. "Sorry. I guess I just don't know my own strength."
Sam rolled his eyes and punched Puck's shoulder. Puck immediately punched him in response, sending Sam flying into a tree. His back hit a knot that gave way under his weight, and a secret passage opened.
"Oh, I'm good," Puck muttered.
Sam gave him an exasperated look before they made their way into the Pit. They found that it was empty, and the man in black was laying on the table. Puck reached over to check his pulse. After a long moment, he gave his friend a sad look.
"He's dead," he said.
Sam looked down at the man and sighed. He had been trying to seek revenge on the six-fingered man for fifteen years. He wasn't about to back down now.
"Bring the body. Do you have any money on you?" he asked.
Puck gave him a suspicious look. He liked his money, and he liked keeping it. But seeing the look on Sam's face, he knew that he was going to use it to help him. And Puck had respected the masked man, so he would use it to help him if he could, as well. "Maybe. Why?"
"I hope it's enough to buy a miracle."
twenty-nine.
"GO AWAY!"
Puck and Sam shared a look before Sam reached forward and knocked on the door once again. He kept knocking until it swung open, revealing a tall woman with dark hair.
Puck let out a low whistle. "Well hello there."
She made a face at him. "Dream on." Turning to Sam, she snapped, "God, you're annoying. What do you want?"
"Are you Miracle Santana?" Sam asked. "The one that worked for the royal family?"
She glared at him. "Yes, and that ass of a prince fired me. Thank you so much for bringing those memories up. Goodbye."
She went to swing the door shut, but Puck put out a hand to stop her. She glared at him and pushed on the door, but he was too strong. She finally relented, and Sam took it as his cue to speak.
"We need a miracle," he stated.
Santana stared at him critically. "Obviously. I don't think I've ever seen lips that big on anyone. And you." She turned to Puck. "You have the worst haircut in the history of forever. Is that a dead animal on your head?"
"I'm serious," Sam said. "We need help." He pointed to where Puck had settled the masked man. "He's dead."
Santana studied the still form for a moment before she stepped aside. "Fine. I'll take a look."
Puck carried him in and set him on the table that Santana directed him too. She poked and prodded at his chest a little, and lifted a wrist to check for his pulse.
"I've seen worse," she declared. "Do you have money?"
"Seventy," Puck answered grudgingly.
She made another face. "That's nothing. I've never worked for so little. Except for one time, and that was a noble cause." When Sam opened his mouth, Santana pointed a threatening finger at him. "Don't even think about lying to me. I can tell."
Puck rolled his eyes and Sam said, "I need him to help get revenge on the man that killed my father."
"Eh." Santana shrugged her shoulders and opened the man in black's airway. "I guess I'll ask him what his noble cause is, since the two of you aren't any help."
"I hate to point out the obvious, but he's already dead," Puck said.
"Wrong," Santana snapped. "He's mostly dead. There's a difference between all dead and mostly dead." She tapped the man's face before she leaned over. "Hey, Lurch! What do you have that's so important that's still making you hang around?"
Stepping back, she pressed on his chest to get him to exhale air. Somewhere from deep inside him, his voice rose: "True… love…"
"There you go! True love! There is no cause more noble than that," Sam said.
"He's a sap, that's for sure," Santana grumbled. "But I suppose that there is no greater cause than that."
It was then that a blonde woman danced into the room. She smiled at Santana and touched her shoulder. "Come on, Santana. True love is a noble cause." Turning towards Puck and Sam, she said, "Santana doesn't like working ever since Jesse fired her."
"Ah! Brittany!" Santana groaned. "You know I can't stand that name! Why did you have to say it?"
"You can do this, San! You can perform this miracle!" Brittany encouraged. Santana, however, was still grumbling darkly over Jesse and how angry she was that she had been fired.
"Yo!" Puck yelled, getting the attention of everyone in the room. "If you heal this man, he'll stop St. James's wedding."
"Really?" Santana brightened at that prospect. "I help him, and St. James suffers?"
Puck nodded his head. "We'll make sure of it."
Santana clapped her hands together. "Then I'll do it!"
thirty.
"Are you seriously putting chocolate on that?"
Santana glared at Puck. "It helps the pill go down easier. And don't question my methods." She bundled up the medication and handed it to Sam. "Wait at least fifteen minutes before you give it to him."
"For potency!" Brittany added as she danced by.
Sam and Puck left the hut that Santana and Brittany resided in. They watched them go, waving goodbye.
"Have fun storming the castle!" Brittany called after them.
Santana shook her head. "Holy crap," she muttered. "It'll take a miracle for any of that to work."
thirty-one.
Sam and Puck dragged Finn as close to the castle as they could possibly get without being noticed. Sam took the magic pill out of the bag and looked at Puck.
"Has it been fifteen minutes yet?"
"You still have two more minutes!" Puck exclaimed. "Would you just relax?"
"Sorry! We're in a bit of a hurry, you know?"
Sam waited impatiently for the two minutes to pass. When it finally did, he shoved the pill into the man in black's mouth and made sure that he swallowed it. Both Puck and Sam watched him for several long moments.
"This is boring," Puck declared. "When do we know if it worked?"
As soon as Puck finished speaking, the man in black's eyes opened. "Where am I?" he immediately demanded. "Who are you? Where's Rachel?"
"Relax, man," Sam said. "I'm Sam, and this is Puck."
"I'm Finn," he said in return before repeating his earlier question. "Where's Rachel?"
"In the castle, about to marry prince ass hat," Puck supplied. "We have a few hours until the ceremony."
"The wedding is still going to happen?" Finn asked.
"Rachel doesn't want to marry St. James," Puck said. "She's been trying to escape the castle all week."
A smile touched Finn's lips. "That's my girl." He looked down at his arms and legs, his brow furrowed. "Guys… I can't move."
Sam and Puck made a face. Well, that was a problem.
thirty-two.
Rachel couldn't believe that she was being forced into this marriage. She had no choice but to be dressed in an extravagant gown, as Jesse had sent handmaidens to dress her. She stared dejectedly at her reflection in the mirror.
She hoped beyond hope that Finn would somehow come for her. Jesse now had her family in the castle with them (under the pretense of attending the wedding) and had been threatening to kill them and burn down the farm should she try to escape again. Rachel had yet to come up with another idea, but she could only hope that Finn was trying as well.
There was a knock at the door. "Rachel, my dear, are you ready yet?" Before Rachel could answer Jesse, he said, "Remember, you family is just down the hall."
She rolled her eyes, but she refused to give him the answer that he wanted to hear. Instead, she just stood up and opened the door. Even if she had to marry Jesse, she was going to figure out a way to get out of this. There was no way that she was going to stay here for long.
thirty-three.
By some miracle, the ceremony had been interrupted.
The priest hadn't even gotten halfway through the introduction when they could hear yells coming from the front gate. Rachel couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. She had some respite for the time being, and she planned on taking full advantage of it.
"Don't even think about trying to escape," Jesse said. "I'm going to lock you back in your room."
Rachel didn't miss the way that all of the guards in the vicinity had been running towards the front of the castle. That had to mean that most, if not all, of the guards were heading that way as well. Rachel was already concocting her escape plan. Luckily, she was able to get ahold of her father and tell him to get the family out of the castle before Jesse dragged her off.
Jesse handed her off to another one of his counts, ordering him to take her back to her chambers. And it was with yet another miracle that said count ended up getting lost, giving Rachel more time to concoct her plan of escape.
thirty-four.
By the time night had fallen, Finn could walk with the support of someone else. He couldn't move very quickly at all, and he couldn't even hold a sword, but at least he could move somewhat.
He, Sam, and Puck had successfully stormed the castle. They were running down the halls (with Puck dragging a half-walking Finn) when they suddenly encountered Count Ryerson and several guards.
Sam removed his sword from its scabbard and quickly disposed of the guards. He turned towards Ryerson and looked the man directly in the eye. Finally, after fifteen years, he got the chance to speak the words he had been rehearsing.
"Hello. My name is Samuel Evans. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
Ryerson turned and ran, and Sam immediately took off after him. He followed Ryerson down a long hallway but wasn't fast enough to catch him before he disappeared behind a door and locked it. Sam immediately began to throw himself against the door in hopes of knocking it down himself.
"Puck!" he yelled down the hall. "Puck, I need your help! Ryerson is getting away!"
Puck rolled his eyes when the sound of Sam repeatedly slamming himself against the door reached him. "Dumbass." He leaned Finn against the wall. "Stay there."
Puck made his way to Sam and caught him before he could run into the door again. With one blow from the flat of his palm, Puck slammed the door open. Sam offered him a quick "thank you" before he continued running.
When Puck returned to where he had left Finn, he found that he was gone.
thirty-five.
Eventually, Rachel managed to end up back in her room. The first thing she had to do was get out of her ridiculous dress. She shut the door behind her and stripped down to her shift.
"Hmm. Do you plan on putting on a show for me?"
Rachel jumped at the unexpected (but extremely familiar) voice and turned to find Finn laying on her bed. She let out a shriek of surprise and ran towards him, jumping on the bed. Finn let out a laugh as his eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Finn! Oh my God, Finn! I knew that you would come!" She threw a leg over his hips, straddling him as she bent to kiss him. Finn slowly lifted a hand and pressed it to her cheek, pulling her closer as he returned the kiss.
"Sorry it took me so long," he said when they broke apart. "I had a bit of a hold up."
Rachel smoothed her hands down his chest and noticed that the bite mark from the ROUS was nearly healed. But she could tell that there was something else wrong. "Are you okay? You look like you're in pain."
"Not much," Finn told her in as nonchalant a voice as he could manage. "It's just going to take me a little time to heal. That's all."
Rachel sat back and gave him a critical look. "Can you stand?"
Finn returned her look with a sheepish smile. "Mostly."
"Oh, Finn." Rachel was definitely going to have to change her plan of escaping by climbing out the window if Finn couldn't even stand properly. But she leaned over and kissed him anyway. "I love you so much."
He cupped her cheek again, grinning at her. "I love you, too."
"I'm not married," Rachel told him eagerly.
"I know you're not," Finn said as he kissed her cheek. His eyes then moved towards the door. "But I'm sure you have something to say about that, don't you Jesse?"
"Of course I do!" Jesse responded. He stalked into the room and pulled his sword. "I challenge you to a duel!"
"No you don't," Finn said simply.
Jesse blinked at him. "Excuse me?"
"You don't," Finn repeated.
"But I think that I do! And I know that I'll win this one for sure, because you can't even stand. I heard you talking to Rachel."
Rachel opened her mouth to speak. She was two seconds from grabbing Finn's sword and pointing it at Jesse herself, but Finn put his hands over hers. He smiled and winked at her before turning back to Jesse.
"You're scared," Finn stated. "You're scared, because you know that I would definitely beat you."
"But you can't stand!" Jesse repeated. "I think your bluffing."
"Am I?" And then to Rachel's amazement and Jesse's disbelief, Finn stood and lifted his sword, pointing it directly at Jesse.
"Drop your sword."
thirty-six.
"Very nice tying job, sweetheart," Finn complimented.
For good measure, Rachel tightened the knots she had made around Jesse's wrists. Then she turned to Finn and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him deeply. She heard Jesse complaining about their display of affection when they heard a knock on the doorframe.
"Sam!" Finn greeted. "Did you get your revenge?"
Sam was sporting a few new cuts and bruises, but he looked truly at peace for the first time in fifteen years. "I did," he said. "Hello, princess," he added.
Rachel grinned at him and rested her head against Finn's chest. "Hello, Sam."
"I'm glad to see that you're doing better," Sam said. "You look like you might actually be able to start walking on your own."
"I knew you were bluffing!" Jesse yelled from the chair that he was tied to. "You were bluffing, weren't you?"
Finn smirked at him. "Oh, I was definitely bluffing."
Sam laughed before looked around the room. "Where's Puck?"
Right on cue, Puck ran into the room. "Can we hurry it up?" he demanded. "I met the princess's family out front. We have a wagon all set up and ready to go, when you're all done gossiping here."
Finn paused to kiss Rachel one more time before they made their way out of the castle.
thirty-seven.
The country manor where the Hudsons resided was never quiet for too long.
Their oldest son, Tyler, jumped up onto a chair and pointed it at his younger brother. "Surrender!" he yelled. "The Dread Pirate Roberts takes no prisoners!"
Logan threw one of his wooden toys at his older brother in response. "I wanted to be Dread Pirate Roberts! Momma, tell Tyler that it's my turn to be Roberts!"
Rachel came into the boys' room, gently patting the back of the napping baby on her shoulder. She felt Finn's hand press between her shoulders, and she smiled.
"Boys, if you're going to play pirates, you have to play on the lawn. You know the rules," Finn said.
Logan pouted at him. "But dad, I wanted to be Dread Pirate Roberts!"
Finn knelt down in front of his four year old son. Tyler, being three years older than Logan, wanted to do everything first and have it his way (but that didn't mean that he didn't stop to hug his mother and father before he went outside.) "Do you want to know what I think?" Logan nodded his head, and Finn tapped his nose. "I think that Dread Pirate Logan is just as good as Dread Pirate Roberts."
"Really?"
"Really. Now go on outside."
Logan beamed at his parents before he ran outside. Finn chuckled as he stood up and looked at the baby girl that was just waking up in Rachel's arms as they made their way into the nursery.
"My little Elizabeth isn't going to want to play pirates when she's older, right?" Finn asked as he tickled under her chin lightly. She giggled and clapped her hands, and Rachel laughed.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Finn," she said. "I'm sure that Elizabeth will be able to keep up with her brothers just fine."
Finn smiled at his wife and watched as she set the baby in her bassinette. Finn took her hand and led her out into the hallway, stopping to kiss her deeply.
"I love you," he murmured when they pulled apart.
Rachel pressed her hand over Finn's heart. Sometimes, she wondered if this was all a dream. But every morning she woke up and knew that she and Finn had a wonderful life with their beautiful family.
"I'm forever yours," Rachel told Finn. He smiled at her and she beamed back at him.
And they lived happily ever after.
Author's Note: I finally finished this just after five o'clock in the morning. So if it's jumbled… that's why. I honestly don't even know where this came from, but I hope that it was enjoyable nonetheless. Thanks for reading!