Hello! So first of it has been a little while since I've been writing so I might be a little rusty. I spent a good few hours on this so I hope you like it! Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of the character that are associated Glee.

The Little Things

Chapter One.

October, 2019.

New York City.

Finn Hudson stood atop the roof of Lincoln Memorial hospital looking out into the rest of New York. From where he stood he could make out a few land marks but the most prominent was Central Park. He loved to come up here when he could thought technically, it was out of bounds but Finn had a good relationship with the maintenance crew at the hospital.

When things got too much, this was a small retreat from it all. He blew out a breath in to the cold night's air and watched as the vapor instantly disappeared.

A woman had just come in with severe injuries to her face, arms and chest. It was clear to everyone what had happened despite hers and her husband's claims that she had tripped over. No doubt she wouldn't press charges and Finn couldn't blame her for that. People stay in abusive relationships because sometimes they really do love that person and can't see past certain aspects while others are just plain scared. It made his blood boil when these sorts of cases came in and nothing was done about it. It was like he was fix her up to get back out there and take another beating.

The sound of the heavy door to the roof being opened distracted him from his thoughts for a brief moment. He looked up to see who had just joined him on the roof, recognizing instantly it was his buddy Noah 'Puck' Puckerman. Puck was a fellow doctor but has also served with Finn during their time in Afghanistan.

"Hey man" He greet his friend with a small nod before returning to look out in to the night's sky. Puck took a place next to him on the roof leaning against the railing.

"How you doing man?" Asking fully aware that these cases got to Finn, they got to everyone. "That woman just left and she isn't going to press charges." This received a sigh from both men respectively.

"Man, I just don't understand it." He remained against the rails as he spoke, occasionally moving his hands to emphasise a point. "How can someone lay a hand in violence on some who they swore to always love and protect? I don't understand it."

Puck shook his head in agreement. "I know pal." He placed a firm had on Finn's should to show him support. They stood in silence for a few moments, soaking in the beauty of the night, trying to put the last hour behind them. "God… It really is beautiful up here isn't it? Especially at night."

"Are you going soft on me Puckerman?" They shared a small laugh before Finn spoke again. "But yeah, it is." As if on cue, a bitter breeze flew across the roof top causing both men to shiver slightly. "It's also suddenly very cold." They again shared a small chuckle before heading towards the roof access door.

Finn had met Puck back in basic training several years ago. The two boys had signed up straight out of high school with the promise of a job for life which, at the time, had an immense appeal to them. Having had a short induction, the day had finally come where Finn was leaving for basic. He was nervous and to say otherwise would have been a lie. Joining the army was a big commitment and Finn wasn't used to commitment… big or small.

June, 2009.

Lima, Ohio.

"Mom, I'll be okay! I promise I'll keep my head down and besides, this is only basic training." Finn said from the depths of a worried mother's hug. He was trying to convince her he would be okay. He had already said goodbye to his step brother Kurt. Kurt had elected to stay in the car because he didn't want to embarrass Finn by crying, despite Finn saying that was nonsense. He had also already said his goodbyes to his step father Burt who was standing slightly behind the pair. He could feel her grip tightening. No mother wanted their child to go to war, it's a natural instinct to try and protect and shelter them from all the bad things in the world and to try and keep the innocence childhood brings but in this day and age, that is a task that is growing ever harder.

With a shaky voice she replied. "I know baby. I just… I don't want to lose you Finn. I can't talk you out of this, heaven knows I've tried! I just… I want you to be safe." She released him from her hold to look him in the eyes. "I am so very proud of you Finn, I honestly am. You mean the world to me. No matter what happens that will never change because I love you so much. Okay?" She placed a hand on his cheek and gently wiped away a stay tear from his eye before it could go any further.

Blowing out a shaky breath, he leaned into kiss his mother's forehead. "I love you too mom." Placing his hands on her arms he looking into her sad eyes. I felt like crap in that moment. Here was his mother practically begging her little boy to stay here, to stay safe.

The moment was interrupted by the drill Sargent telling the new recruits to load up their stuff and board the bus.

"I gotta go mom, but I promise I'll call you when I can." They shared a small nod before she let him go. He turned around and headed towards the bus with his duffle bag thrown over his shoulder. Once he reached the bus he securely stowed his bag in the cargo hold before having his name checked off the left by the Sargent.

He boarded the bus and inspected the other men already on-board. It was almost full, each face different to the last. He slowly moved up the bus looking for a seat. Finn kept moving until he came across a Mohawked kid wearing a black leather jacket and aviator sun glasses. He looked like a classic wanna-be bad-ass. The seat directly next to him was vacant so Finn figured he'd ask.

"Hey man, do you mind if I take this seat?" Finn asked as he looked down at the boy, awaiting a response. He slowly looked up at Finn, taking a moment before answering. He simply shrugged his shoulders and moved over a little in his seat before facing forward once again, indicating he didn't mind. Finn obliged and sat down next to him. Wanting to try and make friends Finn tried to open a line of conversation.

Placing his hand across his body, he pointed his open hand towards the person next to him. "My name is Finn. Finn Hudson." Again, slowly turning his head he looked at Finn before simply turning his head away to look out the window. Having been rejected, Finn withdrew his hand. Things were off to a flying start.

A few hours later they arrived at the camp that they would be calling home for the next six months and for some who went on to specialise, even longer.

Everyone was grateful to be departing from the bus due to the fact that the seats start to become quite uncomfortable after a long period of being seated. Also, it was stuffy as hell.

"Gather around everyone!" The demanding tone of the drill Sargent had everyone listening and moving to form a semi-circle around him. "My name is Sargent Thorn but you will refer to me as 'Sir'. I will be your instructor for the foreseeable future so, has anyone got a problem with that?" He gave no time for anyone to answer before continuing. "No? Excellent!" a small crept on Finn's face at the remark. "Right then ladies, let's get started. I want you got grab your gear of from under the bus and from three lines." Everyone stood still for a moment, unsure if further instructions were coming. "What are you waiting for? Do you think we're going to carry it for you? Get your damn gear and form three lines, NOW!" The group quickly dispersed to grab the gear and line up as told.

An hour later and new recruits and been shown to their barracks, packed away their kit and been issued the uniform. They we're now listening to the final briefing for the night by Sargent Thorn.

"Now, I'd just like to set the record straight. While you are here you are my responsibility and I take that seriously." He made an effort to look around the group as he spoke. "While you are here, I am not your friend. However, I'm also not your enemy. I am not here to make your lives a living hell. I am here to make sure you all really understand what it is you are getting involved in. I want to make sure you have what it takes because if you don't you'll be gone. It is as simple as that lads, if you can't handle it we don't need you." Reality seemed to sink in on the group, along with Finn. There was no turning back now.

October, 2019.

New York City.

Meanwhile, across the other side of Central Park, Rachel Berry was stepping out in to the cool night's air. She stood at the door allowing herself to adjust to the sudden change in temperature before stepping out into the back alley of the rehearsal studio she was just in. The door opened again once behind her to reveal a few of her co-workers that had decided they were going for drinks. She had been invited but declined, claiming she was tired which wasn't a lie but it wasn't the only reason she didn't want to go. Rachel would rather maintain her form than go out and fill it with pollutants such as alcohol. So she politely said good night and they went their separate ways.

After catching a bus and subway train she was finally home. It really wasn't much but to Rachel, it was her world. It was her foot hold in New York that would leader into greater things. The small one bedroom apartment was situated above an old shoe repair shop owned by a delightful elderly gentlemen named Fred. It was actually very useful because Rachel wore out her dance shoes fairly quickly so having Fred around saved her money, plus he was such a nice person to be around.

As she pushed open the door into what would lead to her apartment, she noticed Fred stepping out of the shop to close up for the night.

"Hey Fred!" She said with a small wave. "How are you doing tonight?" she asked with a smile.

"Hello Ms. Rachel. I'm doing just fine thank you. What about yourself? It's awful late out so you must have had another late finish down at the studio." He knew her so well.

"Yes Fred, you know me… Always working!" She said with a small smile.

"Aren't we all Ms Rachel?" He stated.

"I guess." She said quietly before pushing the door open and stepping in. "Good night Fred!" She said as she walked in. She just about heard him wish her a good night as well.

She trudged her way up the flight of stairs to her apartment door. She put the key into the lock and stepped in, closing the door behind her. She let out a breath she didn't even realise she was holding. "Home at last." she quietly announced.

She dropped her bags, kicked off her shoes and went in to the bedroom in search of something a little looser. She changed into a pair of old jogging bottoms and a worn white T-shirt then proceeded towards the kitchen to look for some dinner. She had some left over takeaway from the other night so, being too tired to actually cook, she re heated the food and took to the sofa where she sat and turned on the TV. The box came to life blurting out words as a news reported tried to lighten up a report with comical scenes and bad jokes. She turned off her brain and tried to relax.

Elsewhere, Finn was in the process of treating a man with a rather large nail protruding through his hand.

"Sir, can you please hold your hand still. I understand it may hurt but I can't help you if you keep moving it." He pleaded with the patient. When he was finally still enough Finn placed two pieces of cotton tightly packed around the nail to stop it moving around and cause any more damage.

Once he was finished he addressed the patient. "Okay sir, I'm going to send you to X-Ray to see what you've done to your hand and whether or not it can be removed without surgery but from what I can see, you're probably okay but we'll know more after the X-Ray." The patient nodded so Finn stood up and left the room. Regardless of what comes up on his X-Ray Finn was done with that patient so headed down the hall to the staff break room to get coffee. When he entered the room he found Puck sitting in the corner, coffee in one hand and a comic in the other.

"How did it go?" Noah asked while reading through the comic.

Heading straight for the coffee machine to get himself a cup he replied "Nightmare! The guy kept moving around so I couldn't get the supports on. When I did get them on I told the guy I'd send him to X-Ray so now he's someone else's problem. Having poured himself a cup he brought it to his lips and took a sip, savouring the taste.

From that point on the shift went without incident so when 7AM rolled around Finn was ready to get out of the hospital and take his well-earned week off. Before he went home to catch some sleep and wake up at some point tomorrow morning he went to a nearby food truck and got himself an all-day breakfast baguette to ease the grumble in his stomach. As he turned away from the truck he eyed up his baguette and was about to take a massive bite out of it when he suddenly collided with something. He fell backwards onto the curb and hit his head on the ground below.

"Oh my god! I am so sorry! Are you okay?" Finn could hear the sound of a woman talking incredibly fast as she tried to apologise. He sat up and quickly realised that not only did he have a massive coffee stain on his shirt but he'd dropped his baguette. He looked up and saw a woman standing over him with a worried expression on her face. He long brown locks flowed down towards the ground. He looked into her eyes, getting a little lost. When he realised she was looking at him expectantly waiting for him to respond to her question he began to nod.

"Uh" He patted himself down. "Yeah, I'm fine I guess." He moved to get to his feet when he felt her small hand on his arm trying to assist him getting up. Once he was on his feet he realised she was actually quite a small lady.

"I am so sorry!" she continued to apologise.

"No, it was my fault I wasn't looking where I was going." He shrugged at her as she looked him up and down.

She reached into her small bag and produced her purse. "Here take 20 dollars, I insist." He held it out towards him.

Finn instantly pushed her hand away gently causing him to receive a quizzical look from the brunette. "It's okay, it was my fault! I should be playing you for the spilt coffee." He gestured to his chest where his shirt was damp.

"Oh no please, I feel so bad!" she once again help out her hand with the $20.

Finn being stubborn refused the money, determined to keep his ground.

She eventually realised he wasn't going to take her money so put it away again.

There was a brief moment of silence between the pair as they look at each other before the woman look down to the ground shyly.

Finn couldn't bare the silence, even though it had only been a few seconds it was very awkward. He decided to introduce himself and see where things go from there.

"My name is Finn. Finn Hudson." He placed his hand out in front of him for her to shake and she did so after a brief moment.

"Rachel. My name is Rachel Berry." She said while giving him a shy smile.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Rachel Berry." Finn said while continuing to shake her hand.

"Likewise, although it could have been under better circumstances…" She pointed towards him with a small giggle. They shared a laugh at his expense before exchanging a smile.

"How would you like to get a coffee? You know, make up for the one that is currently on my shirt?" Again, they shared a laugh before she nodded.

"Yeah, that would be nice." She replied trying to hide a small blush.

July, 2009.

Fort Lewis, Ohio.

"Hey Huddie, come over here and take a look at Jackson's girl!" Finn lookup from his bunk to where the voice was coming from. Getting up he walked over to his friend Gonzalez holding out a picture of the aforementioned guy's girlfriend. She was quite a looker with long blonde hair, a relatively small rounded face, brown eyes, small nose and a big smile as she posed for the photograph. Finn made a face that indicated he was impressed.

"Gonzo, you asshole! Give me back that picture or I'll whoop your ass!" Jackson said as he stood up from his bunk. The comment caused the barracks to fill with laughter.

"What, you don't think I could take him?" He asked with venom in his tone. Finn stepped in to defuse the situation.

"Alright ladies, let's not get our knickers in a twist okay?" Pushing the two kids apart as he did so. The two separated after Gonzalez return the photograph to Jackson and the pair went to their respective bunks. The group had 15 minutes before breakfast was called so everyone was just relaxing and doing any small chores they could. Finn was adjusting well to army life after being here for only two weeks. However, for some of the group army life didn't agree with them. The group having lost five guys after about a week.

The day was filled with little training exercises for things life bush craft, cooking, camo and other things like that. At the end of the day they had to clean their weapons that they'd been issued last week.

The recruits sat in the barracks taking their rifles apart and cleaning each piece. Finn was sit across from the guy he sat next to on the bus, He identified him as Noah Puckerman. He was struggling with his weapon, not sure what parts came off first.

"Do you need a hand?" The now shaven boy look up at Finn with a look of surprise that was then surpassed by annoyance.

"No, I don't need your help. I can do it on my own." The venom laced his words.

Finn gave him a look which read: I'm not buying what you're selling. "Dude, I've watch you trying to do the same spot for the last 15 minutes! If you don't know what you're doing just ask and I'll help you out man. It's always better to ask for help when you don't know what you're doing right?"

Puck gave him a look indicating that he was processing what he'd just heard when finally, he caved. "Okay, I don't know what I'm doing… Can you help me please?" He hung his head in defeat.

"Of course man! So which part are you getting stuck on?" Finn placed his weapon down to give his attention to his new friend.

After 10 minutes of tutoring Puck could do it on his own. He thanked Finn before stowing his weapon away and climbing into bed. Finn did the same, feeling good that he had helped someone and also made a friend in the process.

Things were going well.

Well, there we have it. My first new story in about 2 years!

I hope you guys like this story and any comments you might have would be wonderful.