No Day But Today

I.

Will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare?

It was a cold day in New York today November was ending, the bitter breeze made Finn's pale face burn and eyes water. He was walking to his apartment that rests on the corner of 54th and 55th street just like he did everyday but today he was cursing his stupidity of not bringing his knit hat or his scarf. He figured he probably looked like Rudolf or something like that. Finn looked up at the street signs; he was on 50th street and then sighed. He couldn't wait to get to his warm apartment. Usually Finn would take his time walking home and admire New York at Christmas time, he had been living here since he was 14 and it never got old to him. But this walk home was different from the others because when he passed by the ally on 52nd street he heard coughing and saw a single flickering candle. New York was overly flooded with homeless but this cough sounded as the feminine type of cough and Finn now had two voices in his head, one that sounded like his mom, telling him to help whoever was in that ally and the other belonging to his brother Kurt telling him not to…Well Finn was a mama's boy so he listened to the voice of reason.

Needless to say, he was happy that he did for in that ally was a girl, about 19 by the looks of her, With very long and tangled brow hair, olive skin and thin as a rail. She was shaking like a skittish dog and her teeth chattered. He looked down at the candle that was placed in front of her and was suddenly reminded about the story that his mom told him that used to make him cry. The Little Match Girl, Finn would beg his mom to jump into the book and bring the little girl home but she would smile at him and tell him that it was just a story. But the girl huddled before him, between the dumpsters and covered and dirt and grime was not a fairy tale. She looked so close to death that it scared him, so he carefully made his way over to him and squatted down next to her to feel her plus point. Her heart was beating but so faintly and when he touched her she opened her eyes to reveal a beautiful brown color that reminded him of hot chocolate. Finn didn't know what made him do this, but he ended up scooping her small body in his big arms. She didn't seem to care that she was being carried off by some stranger, it was like she was set on dying. But Finn was not going to allow that to happen, not on his watch.

II.

Forget regret, for life is yours to miss

He must have scared the woman that was waiting for the elevator on his floor, actually he was pretty sure he scared the people in the lobby, the door man, and the person who was about to get into the elevator with him. Rich people where not used to seeing a dirty and smelly girl in the arms of New York's most eligible bachelor. That was mostly his brothers fault that he got that name, Kurt had mentioned him in an interview and next thing to know, people magazine was calling him for an interview. But whatever, he was too focused on keeping this girl alive. He thought about taking her to a hospital but it was so obvious that she was homeless, the would most likely through her out because she wouldn't be able to pay. He held onto her with one arm as he dog for his keys and 'ah-ha'd' when he found them. Finn quickly unlocked the apartment door and busted in, he wished someone had been there to see it but he was 21 and living alone so the only one that saw it was his reuse dog Tate, who was currently barking up a storm.

He sighed, told the dog to hush and then set the girl on the sofa. He ran to his bedroom to get his super warm comforter and then wrapped her up in it. She whimpered a bit, he guessed that she was scared or something so he cleared his throat.

"L-look, you don't have to be scared, I'm not some kind of pervert or anything. I just wanted to make sure that you are ok." He told her and she weakly nodded, trying to form words on her dry lips. "I'm Finn by the way, Finn Hudson."

She then looked at him and then gave him a weak smile. "Thank you Finn Hudson."

Finn nodded and watched as she closed her eyes again, he shot up, making sure she was still alive and she was. He took a deep breath and picked the house phone up, calling his best friend. At least she could help him get this girl cleaned off.

III.

Will I lose my dignity? Will someone care?

The knock at his door was clear and loud, it even made this mystery girl look up from the water she was sipping. She had recovered at little but her eyes were still so glassy and Finn didn't even know her name up. But she was holding onto the glass of water and sipping it on her own so he thought it was some kind of improvement. Finn looked at her, and then got up from his place next to the sofa. He walked over to the door, opened it and the pretty yet very pregnant Latina walked in, looking very pissed off.

"So Finnocence, what's the huge emergency…" She trailed off, looking at the girl on the sofa. She turned to her best friend, raised an eyebrow and then pointed to her. "So you are bringing home strays now? Oh the landlord will love you."

Finn rolled his eyes and walked back over to the girl, Santana stood behind him with folded arms. "Do you even know her name?"

"No," Finn answered as he brushed some hair out of the girls face. She flinched a little, probably a little scared because she was in a strange home with complete strangers. "Look Santana, I was hoping that maybe you could help her get cleaned up…cause you're a girl and all."

Now Santana rolled her eyes and scoffed until she caught sight of the girl's eyes. "She looks like she's sixteen…Finn do you even know how old she is?"

He shook his head no and Santana sighed. "Fine, run the bath and I'll help her with her clothes. But once she is on her feet she is going to a homeless shelter."

Finn got up to do as Santana said but the girl stopped him by grabbing onto his hand and not letting go. He was pleasantly shocked that she was not that scared of him. "Look, everything is ok." He looked over at Santana. "Santana is going to help you with a bath. No offense but you kind of smell…bad." That earned a hard slap on the shoulder from Santana. "I'll be right back."

Once he disappeared into the bathroom, Santana knelt down the best she could next to the girl and began to remove the blankets Finn wrapped her up in. She actually felt so much pity for this girl, she was obviously cautious because she watched every move that Santana made but for some reason very trusting. Santana just shrugged, this would definitely get her a spot in heaven. She carefully helped the girl out of her worn leather jacket and then sweat shirt. Then when she got to her regular clothes, a worn white floral dress with red roses she smiled. Because on her neck rested a necklace with her name, Santana raised her eyebrows and smiled. "So your name is Rachel huh?" The girl, Rachel, nodded her head and Santana helped her out of her dress. "I'm Santana Lopez, I'm married to my wife Brittany and expecting my first child. Hence the whale like stomach," She said as she pointed down to her swollen belly. "I just thought I would let you know something about me since I will be bathing you," This made Rachel smile. "How old are you Rachel...? I mean if you don't mind me asking."

Rachel looked down at her dirty hands. "I'm nineteen" She told her and Santana felt her heart drop. This girl was so small, so thin, that she could pass for fourteen. "Well don't worry Rachel, your safe here."

Finn comes out of the bathroom seconds later with his eyes closed and hand covering them. "Ok, it's already for you!"

Rachel smiled and Santana started laughing. "You're so damn awkward Hudson." She said as she wrapped the blanket around Rachel and helped her up. "C'mon, let's get that ass smell off of you." Santana said as she helped her to the bathroom and the shut the door. The girls laughed again when they heard a huge bang and then Finn's voice yelling. "God Damnit Tate!"

Santana helped her into the warm bubble filled tube. Rachel groaned as she sank into the water, the dirt and grime coming off of her skin. Santana handed her a wash cloth and together they both began scrubbing. "So Rachel," Santana said as she but shampoo in the girls hair. "What's your story?"

Rachel didn't answer at first, but didn't want to be rude. "It's not something I like sharing" She told her and Santana nodded and sadly frowned when she saw the fresh bruises and old scaring on Rachel's skin. She was just skin and bones, nothing else to her but skin, bone, scars, and fresh wounds.

"I get it," Santana said. "And I respect that."

III.

I trust my soul, my only goal

Santana handed a bag to Rachel, and told her that it was full of clothes she had before she was the size of a whole city block and then left the bathroom. Rachel just stood there, completely taken a back at what was happing now. She was in some upscale apartment with two complete strangers, well one complete stranger because Santana explained herself a little and she barely knew this Finn guy and for some strange and out of this world reason, she felt like she could trust him. She walked over to the mirror and took a good look at herself as she put on the black leggings and white tunic that Santana had given her along with some leg warmers. She went to turn the knob of the bathroom when she heard the voices of Santana and Finn talking outside the door.

"Look Finn," She said. "That girl in there is very fragile. She wouldn't tell me what happened to her or why she was living on the streets. But her name is Rachel and she's nineteen…"

"I knew it!" Finn said and Santana just made an annoyed sound.

"Just keep an eye on her, I don't know why you took her off the streets but she is a human being, not a dog or a tool to help you get over your whore of an ex-girlfriend." Santana said. "Just call me in the morning."

She heard the door open and then shut and then Finn groan. She carefully walked out of the bathroom and his eyes shot up to look at her. She heard him suck in a breath and his face just turned red, she seriously wondered why because a guy never reacted that way when they looked at her. She almost wanted to run back into the bathroom and see if she had something on her face but he stopped her.

"Um, I'm ordering pizza…what kind of toppings do you like?" Finn asked her and Rachel felt her nervousness ease and she gave him a half of a smile.

"Pepperoni?" She timidly said and he clapped his hands together.

"Awesome, that's my favorite! Just uh…make yourself comfortable and I'll call for the pizza." He said as he left to go into the kitchen. Rachel just smiled as the little grey mutt jumped up onto the sofa next to her and she began scratching his ears. The dog lay down in her lap and panted happily and when Finn came back into the living room she laughed and said.

"I guess you have a thing for strays?"

Finn just gave her a warm smile and handed her a coke, they both sat silently and watched tv, a warm feeling spreading in the room.

IV.

There is no future, there is no past, I live this moment as my last.

When the pizza comes, they talk a little. He tells her a little about himself and how he is starting quarterback for New York Jets and she smiles and tells him that she knows. He gives her a smile and tells her about his family, about how they came to New York when he was only five so Kurt could have his Broadway debut as the kid from the fiddler on the roof. He tells her that his stepbrother is gay and that he is going to be his best man at his wedding. He tells her that he loves Christmas and she just sits and listens as she eats her fifth slice of pizza. But then she asks him the question he had been waiting for her to ask since she started to talk.

"Why did you rescue me?" It comes out of nowhere really but he is ready for it because he doesn't frown but looks kind of sad when he answers.

"I didn't want you to end up like the little match girl." He tells her, waiting for her to start laughing. But she seemed to understand as she sits back into.

She looks at him full of curiosity; he is like a child on the inside because he has so much innocence. If he only knew what she had been through. She began to panic, what if he didn't except her past or were she came from. Her look of concern caused him to look at her in the same way. She finally looked up and then said. "I didn't want to end up like the little match girl either."

She stands at the doorway as he gets the guest room bed open, she can't help but smile. It was a pale pink color and warmly lite by a pretty lamp that looked like it could break at the touch. She remembered that he said he had a gay stepbrother and assumed that this must have been his room. "This is Kurt's old room?"

This made Finn give her a dry laugh. "Nah, Kurt hates pink" He looked down at the comforter that he was putting on the bed. His mom had made it for him. "This was the baby's room."

Now Rachel was curious. "Baby? Who's baby?"

Finn sighed, this was still a sore subject and maybe if he let her open windows into his own life she would let him open up the sealed windows in hers. "Well, mine…well at least that's what I thought and that's what my girlfriend told me." He looked up at her, keeping eye contact with those big brown eyes that stared into his soul. "My girlfriend cheated on me with my best friend and then got pregnant. She told me the baby was mine and I believed it until the 8th month. Puck, my best friend drunkenly confessed that it was his." His fist balled up in the comforter. "I beat the shit out of him after that."

Rachel carefully walked over to him and sat down next to him on the bed. Her hand rubbing circles on his back. "I'm sorry Finn." She said. "You don't deserve that kind of shit."

He just nodded and then got up off the bed. "It's in the past…" he took a deep breath. "Just get some sleep ok?"

Rachel nodded and then said. "You're a very trusting person Finn, I know a good soul when I see it." She smiled. "Good night"

V.

There's only now, there's only here

He wakes up in the morning to the smell of pancakes, pancakes coffee and cinnamon. It was a super nice smell, like so much better than the smell of Tate's morning gift. So he got up off of his comfy warm bed and shuffled into the kitchen to see the brown haired girl, Rachel still here making breakfast, in his kitchen. He thought she would take off during the night and he would never see her again. That scared him for some strange reason. But he stayed quite as he watched her dance around his kitchen with Tate running between her legs yapping as she sung a Christmas song. He had never heard anyone ever sing like that. She was ten times better thing Kurt, actually she was a hundred times better then Kurt and she didn't do that weird dance move that he always did. Her voice did something to him, it like slowly soaked into his skin, into his blood and right into his heart that was beating really fast. She spun around again and stopped singing when she saw Finn and blushed a little. "I wanted to do something for you, I feel much better now so after breakfast I could go…" she said getting nervous at his silence. "Or I could go now."

"No!" Finn yelled making them both jump. "I mean uh," He looked at his sock clad feet. "I have never heard anyone sing like that. I was in shock; I don't want you to leave until you're ready so I mean if you're ready now…" He stopped. "Uh but you can stay," He began as he sat down. "As long as you want."

Rachel gave him a warm smile and then giggled. "You're a very awkward guy." She said as she put the pancakes down in front of him and he took a bite. She gave him a laugh. "Good huh? They're my dad's recipe, he taught me how to cook."

"vbery fvood" he said and then swallowed. "I mean very good, look if you keep cooking like this, you can stay as long as you want."

Rachel just smiled again and then sat down across from him. They both ate in silence, Finn mostly just ate and moaned making Rachel giggle a little at his goofiness and then watched him carefully. No one had ever told her that she sounded amazing. "Finn?"

He looked up at her, some crumbs falling off his five o'clock shadow. "Yeah."

She looked down again and then looked back at him. "Um well, you already told me a lot about you so I um can I tell you about myself."

Finn put down his fork and then cleared his throat. "Yeah , go ahead."

She took a deep breath and then looked down at her food. "I was raised with the life as a squatter." She noticed his confusion and she explained. "They are people who living in old buildings, with no running water or heat and never pay any kind of rent. Once the building gets full you just move again, it's the bohemian life." She said with a smile. "Anyway, my dads gave me the best life I could have." And she was surprised when he didn't have a look of disgust on his face. "Yeah, two dads, they found me abandoned in a dumpster and always wanted a baby so they raised me. Everything was perfect until one night on my 16th birthday. We were leaving La'café and walking back to the warehouse where we lived when a few men stopped us on the street." Finn watched as Rachel's eyes began to tear up. "They beat my dads half to death and just kept calling them fags. And then they raped me, right in front of my dads." She began to weep and Finn got up from his chair. It was a gang rape, they had a gun in my mouth the entire time and then, when they were done, they shot my dad in the head and spared me…telling me that a pretty thing like me can be used for good. They tried to take me Finn but I just ran…"

She was in his arms now. "I just left their bodies there; our neighbors; Ditto and Laurie found me and filed a police report. They told me I could stay with them but I didn't, I had to be away from everything about that warehouse."

Finn had begun rocking her back and forth as she cried in his arms. "I just want them back Finn and when the hospital did the rape kit they said I was lucky because I didn't catch anything." Finn new exactly what she was talking about. "My dads just wanted to live the rest of their years peacefully, they were both HIV positive and they were not given the easy way out."

He nodded against her nice smelling hair, she felt warmer in his arms this time. "Rachel, your dads have always been watching out for you."

"I've been living on the street for three years now." Rachel said and Finn nodded. "I thought I was going to die last night."

"I wasn't going to let that happen" Finn said

Rachel sobbed even harder. "I'm going through withdraw Finn and I understand if you don't want me here."

"Withdraw, from herion?" Finn asked dreading the worst.

"No, I hate needles. Meth Finn, I'm withdrawing from Meth." She told him

He stroked her hair. "Then I'll stand by you, that's what friends are for right?" He felt her nod against his chest. "I'll take care of you Rachel."

VI.

There's only us, there's only this

Finn didn't think that helping someone going through withdraw would be hard. Rachel had her good days where she would be dancing around the kitchen singing to Christmas music as Tate ran at her heels, begging for food. She would give him a dazzling smile when he would catch her and keep going. She was only 19, so free spirited; it was awful to see her on her bad days. She would shiver on the sofa and be curled up into a ball and he would wipe the sweat off her head and hold back her long hair as she would throw up. She would beg with him, plead, to let her live back on the streets and when he would say no, like he always did she would freak out at him! Telling him that he was either dumb or naïve to let a homeless meth head into his home. Then she would just break down crying and he would pull her into his lap and just let her cry. She would fall asleep like that and Finn would never tell her that he was falling for her and hard.

But today he knew she was having a good day, so he left the apartment for a while as she slept and went to the most expensive dress boutique and got her this beautiful dress that Santana told him to buy. But as the sales clerk rang the dress up, a gold star pendant caught his eye. "Can I also have that to, with those diamond earrings?"

The lady smiled and then said. "Your girlfriend is one lucky lady."

Finn nodded and took the bags from the lady, leaving the store and calling a cab, excited to get home.

When he got there, he saw Rachel, sitting on the sofa with a blanket around her small form. Finn smiled when she turned to look at him. "Hey" she whispered and he just grinned

"I uh, figured we could do something today, you and me…So my brother Kurt who is in RENT got me two seats to see his show…you wanna go?" Finn asked as Rachel stood up from the sofa.

"I would love to but I have nothing to wear" Rachel said and Finn just smiled, opening the door a little wider and Santana and Brittany came through

"But you do have two fairy godmothers." Finn said and Rachel blushed as Santana dragged her off

"C'mon Cinderella, we have work to do." Santana said as she dragged her into the bathroom. Brittany smiled at Finn and gave him a friendly nudge with a wink before walking into the guest room where Rachel was getting ready.

She came out a about twenty minutes later looking just beautiful in a black dress with her hair loosely curled and the diamond earring shining brightly along with that golden star pendant he got her. She didn't just look beautiful, she looked elegant, the way a girl like her should look like. She gave him a shy smile as Santana and Brittany came out of the guest room. "Well, you two have reservations at Sarties after the show so have fun."

Finn gave Santana a grateful smile and extended his arm out and Rachel took it as Brittany smiled from ear to ear. "Now don't you two have too much fun!"

Since Finn lived in Times Square it wasn't a far walk to the theater and when they got there they took their seats and Finn could see Rachel's eyes light up when the first major song came on, he was staring at her more than the show because he had at least seen it about one hundred times and he couldn't help but to think that Rachel belonged on that stage. Finally Finn's favorite part came on, Maureen's strange speech. He watched as Shelby Corcoran took the stage and began to start her strange speech about the cow and jumping over the moon, he couldn't help but laugh and he looked over at Rachel who was hysterical at the woman's facial expressions. Then the part in the act came when she requested people to moo with her. She lent down to the people in the front row and yelled "Moo with me," She looked at Rachel and Shelby froze and the music kept going as Shelby stared at Rachel. The other cast members on stage where nervously looking at the frozen starlet and it wasn't until the girl that played Mimi began to Moo is when Shelby got back into character and began doing the speech. Finn looked strangely at the woman and then to Rachel…suddenly seeing the strange resemblance that both women shared.

The play ended with a bang, people stood and clapped and Shelby's eyes stayed on Rachel the whole time, the woman didn't even bow like she usually did. When people began to leave the theater Finn turned to Rachel. "Are you ready to meet the cast."

Rachel just beamed at him. "Of course I am!"

He smiled and took her hand, leading her up onto stage and through one of the doors, showing his ID to the man who stopped them. He nodded and let them go and Kurt jumped him with a hug, questions and gossip.

"Finn, now who is this little lady?" He asked, referring to Rachel.

"Oh this is Rachel Berry, my friend" He said as he tried to figure out what they were exactly. "Rachel this is my brother Kurt, well step brother."

Kurt, who was still in Angel's costume, shook Rachel's hand. "It's great to meet the girl who my brother says is a better singer then me…I'm just kidding, I would love to hear you sing though Rachel. Finny here has never talked about a girl like how he talks about you."

Rachel just laughed and Finn turned a deep red as Kurt just kept going. "And what was with Shelby tonight, she froze when she saw you Rachel…did you jump her or something?"

She just shook her head no. "Yeah, her staring at me was kind of creepy."

Shelby's dressing room door flew open and the diva flew from her room about to yell at Kurt when she caught Rachel's eye again. Finn watched her expression change from anger to pure sadness, Shelby's eyes filled with tears and she fled again. Leaving the rest of the cast and Rachel confused but for once in his life Finn wasn't. Shelby had talked to him a few times when she was wasted and said that she had her wild teenage years she even said, in her state of drunken sorrowness that she have had a child but gave it up for adoption. But as Finn looked at Shelby and then Rachel, he figured it out, Rachel had to be Shelby's daughter. He frowned at Shelby's dressing room door and then turned back to Rachel, wondering why anyone would have given her up and worse, threw her into a dumpster. He rubbed Rachel's back and then gave her a smile. "Are you ready for dinner?"

She gave him a warm smile, a nod and then they said bye to Kurt and told him he would call. With that they left to the restaurant where Rachel was vividly talking about the show. He wasn't really listening to her, he was watching the way her eyes would light up every time she came across one of the cartoon drawings of her idol, that and he still had Shelby on his mind he wasn't sure if he could tell Rachel or not. But then, she reached across the table and caressed his knuckles, giving him the most heartwarming smile he had ever seen. "Thanks for taking me Finn."

VII.

The pain will ease, if I can learn.

Because the both of them were so tired they opted for the elevator instead of the stairs. Rachel was quite now and the air around them was full of peace and happiness. Rachel stopped him when they got to his door. "You have no idea how much this means to me Finn, I mean, not just the show but everything Finn…You have done something that most people now a days would never do, you have a diffident place in heaven Finn Hudson and you have been just so amazing…I've never met anyone like you."

Finn gave her a smirk and stepped closer to her, moving some hair out of her face. "You're the amazing one Rachel, you deserve so much more then you have. You need to have your name up in lights; you need to be on that stage." Rachel just blushed and shook her head no and Finn frowned. "Rachel listen to me, you are so much more than a recovering meth addict, you're a star and you deserve to shine."

What Rachel did next is something that to this day Finn would never forget because it was just so right. She stood up on her tippy toes and kissed him softly. She was about to pull away when Finn didn't respond but he grabbed a hold of her and crushed his lips against hers. Finn was on fire, it was never like this with Quinn her lips always felt like ice but Rachel's full lips felt like fire. Eventfully they pulled away and took a quick glance into each other's eyes, shared a quick smile and then latched onto each other again. Everything was getting heated fast and Finn was surprised that he wasn't cuming in his pants when Rachel pulled his bottom lip between her lips and sucked on it. She could tell that he was getting tired of leaning down so she jumped up a little without breaking contact and wrapped her legs around his waist as Finn grabbed they house key out of his pocket. He fumbled with the lock and he gave a loud yes when it opened, making Rachel giggle against his neck. Finn moaned at the contact and kicked the door shut as they got into the apartment.

And what happened next would make Finn think if maybe he was pushing their relationship but it was too late because clothes where being thrown around the apartment and in the process of getting Rachel to his room he stepped on poor Tate's tail and the medium sized mutt tried to bite at his ankles. He had finally gotten them both to his room and pressed Rachel down on his bed, nipping and sucking on her neck as he traveled to the valley of her breasts. She drew in a sharp breath and Finn looked up at her, her eyes where wide on him. "Are you sure Rachel?"

The worry in her eyes disappeared and Finn moved back to her face and kissed her softy when she said. "I'm sure, cause it's you."

And with that, her bra was unclipped and her panties where pulled down, joining his boxers on the floor. Finn's mouth had found a dark nipple and he sucked on it eagerly, making Rachel moan and keen from under him. He traveled his hand down her taught stomach and to her most private area and looked at Rachel who gave him a nod and his thumb brushed over the wet heat, making him harder than he was before. So he spread her legs and moved up to kiss her as he pushed into her wet heat moaning at the feeling of someone knew. She wrapped her legs around his torso and dug her nails into her shoulders, lying still for a moment. He stopped moving and looked at her and she just smiled, "its ok," She told him. "Keep going"

VII. Give into Love, or live in Fear.

They both were lying in his bed afterwards, his arms where safely wrapped around Rachel's waist and his gentle snore in her ear. He was happy, content, she could tell because she understood emotions. But right now, Rachel wasn't sure what she was feeling. She was ok with everything until the moment he came inside of her and whispered 'I love you' into her ear. Truth be told, Rachel was scared…the only person to ever love her was her dads and look what happened to them. Tears began to form in her eyes and she sniffed a little. She couldn't do this, not with him…she couldn't lose him to. So she gentle removed his arms and stood up, trying not to bother Finn as she quickly dressed. She was a nineteen year old girl and scared of the world. So she did the only thing she knew, she ran away from him, from his love.

IX.

Without you, the hand gropes, the ears hear, the heart beats, life goes on, but I'm gone….

He called Santana the morning after that night, panic in his tone, and fear in his heart. It was a week and a half before Christmas and she was gone, the holiday spirit was drained from his body and Santana had yelled at him for sleeping with her, telling him the honest truth, which she probably left because it scared her. On the third day of her absence, Finn was just flat out depressed, wanting to hear her singing in the kitchen when she made breakfast. Santana and Brittany had gone out to find her everyday, ever having any luck. "Running is just her thing" Santana told Finn as she rubbed his back for comfort. Kurt had suggested posters over the phone when he talked to him, telling him Rachel's full story.

Then on the fifth day of her absence, a knock was heard on his door. Finn, who had his hopes up ran over to it as Santana sat on the sofa with a smile on her face. But when Finn opened the door all feelings of hope and happiness turned to anger and resentment because standing in his doorway was Shelby and she was actually crying. "Is that girl actually gone?" she asked

"Yeah she ran away, what do you want?" Finn growled, wanting to blame the whole thing on her.

"Well are you looking for her?" She asked as Santana joined Finn at the door.

Finn clenched his teeth. "Yeah, we are doing everything we can."

"Well you not are trying hard enough!" Shelby hysterically yelled. "You need to get the police involved"

"What do you care?" Finn yelled. "Shouldn't she be just some filthy homeless girl to you?"

Shelby was red in the face. "I do care!"

"Why?" Finn asked. "You don't even know her!"

"Finn," Santana interrupted but Shelby spoke over her.

"Because," She said. "That girl is my daughter."

Santana jaw just dropped and Finn was seething in anger, he was so angry he started to laugh. Santana was sure he lost it. "Yeah, you care so much about her?" He questioned. "Then why the hell did you leave her in a fucking dumpster, yeah you cared…you tried to kill her."

Shelby just stood there shocked and Santana was now sending her daggers.

"Now get the hell off my welcome mat." Finn said as he slammed the door, turning to Santana. "I'm getting a beer."

X.

Cause I'd die without you

I was Christmas Eve and Finn was sitting on his sofa, nursing a beer and watching Elf and for the first time it was not making him laugh. It just made him think of Rachel, everything in this god damn apartment made him think of Rachel. He sighed as he sat back in his sofa, with Tate whimpering next to him. "Yeah buddy, I miss her to."

Finn fell asleep thirty minutes into the movie, his mind completely on Rachel. He dreamt about her, her smile, her laugh, her eyes…he was completely in love with her. To the point when it made his heart ache when he thought about her…it was never like this with Quinn.

The phone ringing is what took him from his sleep, he jumped from his sleep, the credits from the movie rolling on the screen. He began to stumble in the dark, searching for his phone. He had finally found it under a pile of clothes and pressed the ok button as Santana's name flashed across the
screen.

"Yeah?" He answered.

Her voice was panicked, scared, and sad. "Finn…let us in the building…we, we found Rachel Finn!"

He ran over to the window and Saw Brittany standing in the cold with a grimy Rachel in her arms with Santana who was now arguing with the door man. "Alright, I'm buzzing you in."

He watched as the door flew open and Santana flip off the door man. He stood and waited in the open door way and Jumped when the elevator dinged and Santana and Brittany flew out the doors. Finn went over to Brittany and took the small shivering girl from her arms. "Her pulse is faint." Santana said as they went into his apartment, clearing off the sofa. "She wanted to see you Finn."

"She had been living on the streets Finn." Brittany said as she watched him sit next to the girl. "She was passed out over a small fire."

Finn moved his hand over to her neck and felt her pulse point where sure enough there was a faint beat. He looked at her when she took a deep breath and she opened her brown eyes. "Finn?"

He grabbed her two small hands into his own as Santana and Brittany moved back a little. "It's ok baby I'm here."

She sniffed. "I'm so sorry Finn…"

"No you didn't do anything…" He began but she coughed.

"Let me finish, I should have told you….after, after you told me…I should have stayed but I was so scared Finn so scared." She took a deep shuddering breath as Kurt slowly came through the door after getting Santana's call. He joined them on them by the window. "I should have told you…" She said as she went into another coughing fit. "That I love you to."

The tears where freely falling from Finn's face and he gently kissed her cold, chapped lips. "Rachel, don't you leave me."

"I'm calling 911!" Kurt said as he opened his phone up.

Rachel just smiled. "Finn, you saved me…I was going to die that night."

"I know baby." He said as he held her, his tears dropping on her head.

"I think I'm dying now." She told him, her voice cracking a little.

Finn shook his head no as Rachel just smiled, her hand cupping his cheeks. "I'm so sorry Finn, I love you so much."

She gave him one more last smile as the light in her eyes began to fade out and her hand slowly dropped from his cheek. "Rachel?" He asked as he grabbed her hand again. "Rachel?"

He heard a sob from Santana and Kurt yelling at the 911 operator.

"Rachel, you need to come back." He told her as he cried uncontrollably "I need you back here, with me and Tate…Rachel," He said as he gathered her up in his arms. "Come back…I need you more then you need me. Please," He was now begging with any forces above. "Please give her back," he whispered in her ear. "I think I would die without you here."

Kurt was still yelling over the phone, Brittany was cradling Santana in her arms, tears spilling over her own blue eyes. "She's so young." Santana whispered

"Dying is not the answer Finn."

Finn jumped at the hot breath in his ear and Brittany shot her head up as Santana quickly looked up. Finn moved back and a little, with Rachel still in his arms. Her eyes where open, her body was filling with warmth and her smile lighting up her dirt covered face. "Oh God Rachel" Finn said as he touched his forehead with hers. "You came back."

She nodded against him. "There was…this tunnel and I was walking through it, I could feel paradise Finn it was so warm. I was almost at the end when my dads Finn…my dads where there and they stopped me and told me to go back, that it is not my time." She gave him a laugh. "I didn't want to at first but then I heard you and I knew…I had to go back to the people that love me, to the man I love."

Their tears where mixing now and Kurt's voice was calming down considerably. "She's alive," He told the operater. "But we will still need that ambulance…yeah I know it's a Christmas miracle…and the ending of RENT."

That made them all giggle.

Finn brushed some hair from her face. "I love you so much Rachel…don't you ever do that to me again."

She gently nuzzled him. "I love you to and don't worry; I plan to stick around for a little longer. His lips met her in a gentle kiss and Finn knew that everything would be ok.

One Year Later

No other road, no other way, no day but today

"Finn, did you baby proof the apartment?" Rachel asked as she walked out of the kitchen, her hair thrown up in a pony tail meaning that she was getting ready to do it. "You know that Grant gets into everything!" she said referring to Santana and Brittany's bundle of joy that was born a day after Christmas last year.

Fin nodded as he finished putting on the last rubber corner on the coffee table. He stood up, banged his head and smiled when it didn't hurt. Rachel was just beaming at him, "Guess it works?" she asked and he nodded. "Looks like we are going to have to keep those up to huh?" she asked, referring to her five month old baby belly. "I do think Rosario will be a little better on her feet then Grant is."

Finn laughed as he kissed her pregnant belly, everything was perfect. They married in April and Kurt planned the entire thing, saying that he was a pro after his own wedding in February. It was a small ceremony and his mom did nothing but cry and hold Rachel like she was an angel or something But little did Carol Hummel know. Then they found out that they were expecting in July and would be having the baby in April and just last week, they found out the sex and Finn went through the roof as Rachel decided on a name. Santana claimed that Rosario would be Grant's future wife and Rachel would just laugh as Finn thought about preparing his shot gun, that child was Santana's son after all. But as Finn smiled to himself and stood up onto his feet and kissed Rachel he thanked her dads for giving her the second chance that she so desperately needed, the second chance that he needed.

-The End