The cast of Glee does not belong to me; this story is for entertainment purposes only. Thank you to the Finchel fans who helped me choose the Hudson's daughter's name.

The Rising Star of Natalie Hudson

Chapter One

Natalie Hudson started this morning like every other. She awoke at 6:00 am on the dot. She plodded down to the kitchen to make herself a banana protein shake and then to her bedroom to do a half hour of exercise on her treadmill before school. She had a sign that said Show choir audition taped to her bike today to focus on to give her good energy for the day. She had waited all year to audition for the Show Choir and she was finally getting her chance. Hopefully Mrs. Jenkins would see her for the amazing talent that she was. After all she was the daughter of a Broadway Star, she had good genes.

In the room down the hall her Mother Rachel was on the elliptical machine also getting in her exercise. She had two Broadway shows to do today so she was focused on looking and sounding her best. Her husband, Finn stirred a little in their bed behind her. He sat up slowly and kissed his wife on the top of her head on his way to the bathroom.

Heading into the kitchen he was greeted by the smell of banana and knew that both his wife and daughter had started their morning as usual. His drink of choice in the morning was coffee and he poured himself a huge cup and sat down at the kitchen table to drink it. His wife came in a few moments later, glowing from her workout. She smiled turned at him as she sat down across the table from him. "I hate that I have two shows today. I won't get to see much of you guys today."

Finn reached for her hand and they just sat in their silence for a few minutes holding hands and enjoying being together. Natalie waltzed in singing and her parents smiled. "So your big audition is today!" her father smiled at her. "Are you nervous?"

"All truly great singers get nervous. If you don't you get nervous you just don't love it enough. I've decided to sing Tonight from West Side Story. What better song to showcase my talent than to sing a selection from my namesake. I just hope Mrs. Jenkins sees that I have star potential." Finn and Rachel smiled at each other as Natalie chatted on.

As Natalie walked out the door for school Rachel called after her, "I have two shows tonight honey so text me your audition results. You are a star. Break a leg!"

The apartment grew quiet again with the departure of their only offspring. Finn chuckled. Rachel eyed him across the table, "Finn Hudson what is so funny?"

"I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

"How much that apple did not fall far from the tree." Rachel blushed- it was true her daughter was almost exactly like her. Natalie Maria Bernadette Hudson had her mother's long dark hair and chocolate brown eyes- but she had her father's smile. She could sing like an angel, play the piano, but instead of being heavily involved in dance like her Mother was- she took on some of her father's athleticism. She was on the volleyball team.

Being an only child she was showered with love and attention. She was never intended to be an only child, as both her parents were only children and wanted her to have siblings. However, she was the only child born into their union and they had waited over 6 years for her. They gave her many advantages but were careful not to go too far in spoiling her.

Rachel snapped out of her thoughts when she realized her husband was talking to her. "Rach? What do you think?"

"I'm sorry Finn I was thinking. What were you saying?"

"I was just asking if you would like me to wait up for you tonight and we can order from that Chinese place you like so well. Natalie should be asleep or at least in her room for the night by the time you get home," he smiled a very sexy and suggestive smile. "We could use the time for ourselves."

"I think that is an excellent idea." She walked over to him and gave him a kiss and then whispered in his ear, "I'll try not to tire myself out tonight."

Finn gulped and realized how late it was. "I'm going to be late!" He ran to the closet to throw on his jacket and ran out the door hollering to his wife that he loved her on his way out.

At school Natalie was walking to her first class humming a song and giving herself a positive thinking pep talk. She wasn't ultra popular like her Father had been in High School, but she wasn't a complete geek like her Mother either. Of course she didn't attend High School in some small nothing town like Lima, Ohio. She attended one of the best schools in New York City. She had never known any life outside of the Big Apple and she didn't want to. She loved her parents, her friends, and her life. Natalie Hudson had big dreams- dreams to one day follow in her Mother's footsteps and be a Broadway Star. The Show Choir Audition was the next step in that journey and she couldn't wait to get her moment to shine.

She entered the choir room and took a seat next to a boy with flaming red hair. He smiled kindly at her and then went back to the book she was reading. After a few minutes Mrs. Jenkins came into the room and called Natalie's name.

Natalie went to the piano. "My name is Natalie Hudson and I want to be in the show choir because my talent is ready to be introduced to the world. I love to sing and I want to be a star." With that Natalie Hudson started to sing. Every jaw in the room dropped to the floor and the room was so quiet that you could hear the sound of your own thoughts. When Natalie was finished the room erupted into applause.

Mrs. Jenkins though concerned about Natalie's vanity was certainly impressed with the girls' incredible pipes. She thanked her for coming to audition and told her the list would be posted the next day. Natalie left feeling slightly discouraged about not finding today, but based on the room's reaction feeling pretty good about her chances.

Back in the choir room the teacher wrote some notes about the young singer next to her name. She turned to another teacher in the room and said as low as possible, "that was the most incredible audition I've heard in 14 years of teaching." It wouldn't have mattered if any of the students still in the room heard what she said they were all thinking the same thing- they just witnessed something magical and were in awe of her talent.

Back out in the hallway Natalie sent a quick text to her Mother "audition over- went well- find out tomorrow. Love nat."

Finn Hudson arrived home that night to the sound of the telephone ringing off the hook. "Nat? Can you get that?" When there was no answer from his daughter he picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Hudson. How's life with you and Berry and the kid?"

"Rachel and Natalie are fine Puck how's life with you?"

"Oh you know- same old stuff in Lima. Quinn's still teaching and I work at the auto shop. Levi has taken an interest in cars lately- he is also trying out for the football team next year. "

"And how's Sophie?"

Puck let out a huge sigh on the other end of the phone. "Sophie's why I'm calling. You see, Quinn and I just don't know what to do with her. She dropped out of college so she could go to beauty school. Well then she quit that. Now she just wants to lie around the house all day and sleep and watch TV. We can't seem to get her motivated to do anything with her life."

"Wow, that doesn't sound like Soph at all." Finn replied kind of shocked at the direction the conversation had taken. Sophie Puckerman had always been a driven girl- born to teenage parents she had to work extra hard to carve out a place in life but they all always thought she would.

"So we were wondering how you and Rachel would feel about having Sophie come out to stay with you in New York for awhile? There's some good art schools out there- maybe starting over in a city where she doesn't feel like a loser will help her get motivated to make something more of her life."

"Whoa, Puck that is a pretty big favor you are asking…." Finn and Noah talked a while longer before the conversation came to a close. Finn hung up the phone as Natalie came into the apartment.

"Hi Dad- audition went pretty good- I think I have a good shot. I sang like a star. I think I really impressed the judges."

"That's great honey." Finn stated but made no eye contact with his daughter.

"Humph!" Natalie grunted, "You weren't even listening to me! The most important day of your young daughter's life and you can't even give her more than half your attention." She stormed from the room and slammed her bedroom door loudly.

Finn sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. His daughter could be quite the drama queen sometimes- something she inherited from her Mother. Could their home really take another challenge in the form of one Sophie Puckerman? He really needed Rachel to come home, they needed to talk.