All For The Love of Beth, Part Two- A Sequel
(A/N If you hadn't read For the Love of Beth, Part ONE, please do. It will make this story make a lot more sense.)
(Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of the characters. I do not own Skype.)
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It was graduation day for the McKinley class of 2012. Finn had looked forward to this day since he first stepped foot into McKinley High in the fall of 2008 as a freshman. He was dressed in his cap and gown along with the other seniors. They were waiting in line in the hall outside the auditorium for the graduation march to begin playing. Miss Pillsbury had shushed them to be quiet for about the twentieth time as dignitaries were being introduced inside the auditorium to the anxiously awaiting parents and guests.
Finn looked down beside him to the woman who was holding his hand tightly as they stood in line alphabetically. It was his wife of six months, Rachel Berry Hudson. She smiled at him with those enormous brown eyes and placed a finger over her lips reminding him to be quiet. All he wanted to do was to bend down and kiss her, but Miss P. had already warned the line of cap and gowned seniors that the sooner everyone cooperated, the sooner they could march into the auditorium.
Four years ago Finn had sat in this auditorium that looked so huge for the first time. He remembered it like it was yesterday. He and his mom were there for freshman orientation. She was listening closely to Principal Figgins, but he couldn't sit still. He was stretching his neck looking for friends that he had known in middle school. Near the front sat his old buddy Puck with his mother, but Puck had a new haircut. The sides were buzzed leaving a Mohawk down the middle. Carole looked at Finn and gave him the, "Don't you even think about a haircut like that" look. Dave Karofsky had also been there with his parents along with other students that he had gone to middle school with.
That August day four years ago seemed like yesterday, but now Finn was preparing to cross that stage for the last time. So much had happened in those four short years. As he stood there in line tightly holding onto Rachel's hand trying to be still and quiet, the last four years suddenly began playing out in his head.
He entered high school that August four years ago feeling like a small fish in a big pond. He tired out for junior varsity football, and because of his height and throwing arm, he made quarterback. When his sophomore year came along he was bumped up to the varsity squad because they didn't have a quarterback that could hit the broad side of a barn. Puck had always been Finn's receiver so he was bumped up with him to the varsity squad.
Finn remembered feeling like the BMOC quarterbacking the varsity team as a sophomore. It was during this time that a female blond transfer student introduced herself to him. She also felt like a BMOC since she had made head cheerleader as a sophomore. Her name was Quinn and she informed him that it written in the stars that the starting quarterback and the head cheerleader were destined to date each other. Finn wasn't so sure about that, but it sounded like a good idea to him. She was easy on the eyes, and she could only help his rep.
It was during that fall that his Spanish teacher found some weed stashed in his locker. Mr. Schuster offered to let Finn join the Glee club instead of being expelled and losing a possible football scholarship. During his very first Glee rehearsal Finn met Rachel. His first impressions were of a short, overachieving girl who talked way too much, used very big words, and clearly had a crush on him.
Now, standing in the graduating line waiting for commencement to begin Finn looked back on his sophomore year with bittersweet memories. His perfect girlfriend had cheated on him with his best friend and Beth had been the result. Beth was his little girl now, his and Rachel's. No matter how badly Quinn and Puck's betrayal had hurt him, Beth had made it better.
It was still unbelievable that Shelby had died in a plane crash during their junior year. Beth could have ended up in the foster care system, but he and Rachel had gotten married last Thanksgiving to keep that from happening. Beth's adoption had been finalized right after Valentine's Day. Finn now stood here waiting to graduate as husband and a father. He was husband to the most awesome woman in the whole world and daddy to the most perfect little girl. No, he had not envisioned that he would graduate with a wife and a daughter when he entered McKinley High four years ago. Most high school guys don't graduate with an instant family, but Rachel and Beth had made his life complete. He had also gained a step father and brother along the way, so life was just about perfect. Perfect except Rachel was leaving to start her college education in less than two weeks.
Snapping him out of his reminiscing and day dreaming, Miss Pillsbury made her way down the long line of red robed seniors telling them that it was time. The opening strands of the graduation march could be heard playing in the auditorium and everyone was standing waiting for their arrival.
Finn quickly turned behind him and gave Rachel a quick peck on the lips and a smile. "Break a leg," he whispered to Rachel. Rachel answered back, "I love you."
The line of graduating seniors finally moved forward, Artie Abrams lead the way followed alphabetically by Blaine Anderson. When Finn's turn came to enter the auditorium doors, Miss P. made him drop Rachel's hand as Rachel followed him alphabetically in line.
Immediately they spotted the Hummel/Hudson/Berry clans in the crowd. Beth was holding tightly to Carole's neck as she waved and shouted "Daddy, Mommy" to Finn and Rachel. Rachel had worked hard to get Beth to drop the two part of Mommietwo. The endearment had been too painful for Quinn. Kurt was lined up immediately behind Rachel and whispered to her, "Did you bring your own cheering section?"
The class of 2012 entered and when they were all at their seats, Miss P. motioned for them to sit down. To the side the McKinley faculty was seated with Mr. Schue seated on the end. He had saved a seat for Miss. Pillsbury. Finn could have sworn that he saw a tear slowly making its way down Mr. Schue's cheek as they marched in.
Principal Figgins addressed the audience and then introduced someone from the school board and then someone else important who gave the commencement speech followed by the valedictorian and the salutatorian speeches.
Finn really didn't hear any of it. He was holding Rachel's hand and rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. Kurt was on her other side holding Rachel's other hand. Funny, those two were bitter rivals three years ago. Now Kurt was Rachel's best friend and his step brother. Finn felt a hint of jealous wash over him as he remember that Rachel would be leaving for New York in tens days and Kurt and Blaine would be starting college with her.
Finn was staying behind in Lima to attend the local community college and take care of Beth. Rachel would be home twice a month for the first year, as the judge had requested at Beth's adoption hearing. Finn still dreaded saying goodbye to her.
He knew in his heart that it was best for Beth. He and Beth would be joining her when Rachel graduated, but that seemed like a life time away. Rachel was going to take a full load of courses and attend the summer theater sessions to try and graduate from Juilliard in three years instead of four. It would be grueling. A musical, theater-arts degree demanded many long hours after classes ended. Finn had offered to join her in New York, but they had family and friends to help with Beth here in Lima and Finn could attend the community college and pull his grades up. Kurt and Blaine would be there to look after Rachel, but still he knew that he had many lonely days and nights ahead of him.
Finally it was Finn's turn to cross the stage and accept his diploma. It was music to his ears when he heard; "Rachel Berry Hudson" called out immediately after his name was called. He waited for Rachel and Kurt at the end of the stage behind the open curtains. "Congratulations, Mrs. Hudson," Finn whispered as he twirled her around out of sight of the audience.
"Please, no PDA's" Kurt said as he pretended to cover his eyes and ushered the couple back to their seats.
Soon, tassels were turned and mortar boards were thrown high into the air in jubilation. Finn pulled Rachel along as they made their way back out of the auditorium.
Later that afternoon, a celebratory graduation party was held in the Berry's backyard. All of the Berrys, Hudsons, and Hummels were there. The adults sat in the shade enjoying the cook-out while all of the teenagers played in the swimming pool. Everyone took turns playing with Beth and letting her enjoy the water.
"It's going to be lonely here without you this summer," Finn said softly to Rachel as they played under the diving board together.
"I know, I'm already missing you, but we'll see each other twice a month. At least you have Beth and this swimming pool; it's going to be as hot as hell in New York this summer. I expect you'll have Beth swimming like a fish by September. And we still have her second birthday party before I have to leave," Rachel smiled as she tried to dunk Finn in the water.
"Silly girl," Finn teased back. "Don't you know it useless to try and dunk me? My name is Finn for a reason."
On June 8th everyone gathered again in the Berry's backyard for Beth's second birthday party. Everyone from New Directions came including Quinn and Puck. Beth hadn't been told who they were, but Finn and Rachel wanted them to be part of her life and for Beth to know them.
"You're a better man than I am, and you're doing a great job with Beth," Puck said to Finn as the two turned hamburgers on the grill.
"I'm trying," Finn answered with a smile. "It's going to be tough without Rachel here 24/7, but Beth and I have the grandparents to help and Sam's mom is a great nanny. At least this year, I managed to come up with a better birthday gift than I did last year."
"What did you give her last year?" Puck asked.
"A football," Finn cringed.
"You're starting your football team out young?" Puck said with a smirk.
"You need eleven players to make a team, and one little girl doesn't make a team," Finn said as he shook his head.
"Knowing you and Rachel, you'll have a complete starting line-up and a second string by the time you're thirty," Puck teased his old quarterback.
"Whoa, you're getting ahead of yourself," Finn laughed. "I don't think I could talk Rachel into popping out ten kids. I don't know how I would feed ten more kids either."
"You've got a point, considering how much food that just you can put away," Puck laughed as he added cheese to the burgers.
Beth's second birthday party continued until dark when the little girl started getting sleepy. Rachel went to get Beth ready for bed, but Carole interrupted her.
"Sweetie, you stay here and spend some extra time with Finn and your friends. Nana can handle this." Carole said as she took Beth from Rachel's arms and headed into the Berry house.
Rachel thanked Carole and returned to her previous spot in the hammock with Finn. The rest of the evening was spent listening to their friends retelling stories from the last three years in New Directions. The two continued to swing slowly back and forth in the hammock with Rachel tucked under Finn's arm. Finn would kiss the top of Rachel's head ever so often, and each time he did, she tried to snuggle just a little bit closer to his tanned chest.
Two days later Finn woke up before dawn on June 10th with a feeling of deep dread in his stomach. He would be saying goodbye to Rachel at the airport today. He rolled over and listened to Rachel's rhythmic breathing in the dark. Without even thinking about it he began to kiss the back of her neck and her shoulder. Slowly she stirred and turned in his arms to face him.
"What time is it?" she asked never opening her eyes.
"It's a little after four," Finn whispered back as he kissed her face and neck.
"Aren't you tired from last night?" Rachel asked yawning. "We did the deed twice before we went to sleep."
"I'll never get tired of loving you," Finn said as he pulled back a little.
"I'm just going to miss you so much when I go to bed tonight without you," Finn confessed.
"You're only going to miss me half as much as I will be missing you tonight," Rachel whispered back in the dark.
The two inched closer and Finn totally enveloped her in his embrace before he kissed her forehead and said softly in her ear, "Rach, make love to me."
Rachel pulled back from the embrace and pushed Finn onto his back in the pillows. She would be back home in two weeks, but she wanted him to know just how much she loved him until she was back to remind him.
At the airport later that day, the Hummels, Hudsons and Berrys were assembled to say their goodbyes. Blaine said goodbye to his parents while Kurt said goodbye to his dad and Carole.
Finn carried Beth with one arm and wrapped the other around Rachel's shoulders. When the moment came, Finn kissed her one final time, and said "I love you, break a leg." Rachel smiled and said, "And I love you, so much." Kissing Finn and Beth goodbye again, Rachel along with Kurt and Blaine soon disappeared into one of the lines for the security checks.
Finn turning to leave when he could no longer see Rachel in line, Beth patted Finn face and asked, "Mommy be back?"
"Yes, Mommy will be back in two weeks," Finn answered holding up two fingers.
"Beth held up two little fingers and repeated, "two veks."
Finn was heading for the parking lot when Burt caught up with him.
"Mine if I carry her?" Burt asked Finn.
"Sure," Finn answered as the families made their way back out to their cars that were parked so far away.
Later that evening Rachel called and Finn almost dropped his phone trying to get it open so fast.
"Hi Baby," Rachel gushed into her phone. "We made it to the Big Apple. The painters haven't finished painting our apartment yet so we're staying in a hotel tonight. How are you and Beth doing?"
"We're doing okay," Finn beamed. "Beth's still up; would you like to talk to her for a minute?"
"Why's she still up?" Rachel asked concerned.
"She and I took a long nap together in the hammock outback this afternoon. I also wanted her to talk to you before she went to bed," Finn confessed.
"Okay, just don't make a habit of letting her stay up late. If we get into the apartment tomorrow, I'll set up my web cam and we can Skype."
"She going to love that," Finn smiled. "She's already asking for you. She wants to know how long 'two veks' are."
"Oh I miss you two so much already. Please ask Daddy if you can borrow his video camera, I don't want to miss a single one of her mile stones," Rachel sobbed softly.
"Don't cry Babe; the four of us have got you covered. You're going to be watching videos of Beth for days on end," Finn chuckled.
Handing his cell phone to Beth, Beth almost shouted, "Hi Mommy! Mommy come back in two veks! Me and Daddy swepted in the hammock! Daddy snores!"
"Does Daddy snore?" Rachel asked Beth
"Yep, he snores big," Beth answered.
Handing the phone back to Finn, Finn asked Rachel, "Are my two best girls plotting against me?"
"It's no secret that you snore, Finn. But it's a soft sexy kind of snore. It lets me know that you're there in the dark," Rachel answered. "I hope that I can get to sleep tonight without you being here beside me."
"Me too," Finn answered softly. "I'm going to snuggle up with your pillow and pretend. The sheets still smell like you so I may not change them until you come back home."
"Oh Finn, that's just gross," Rachel laughed.
"Well how about it if I don't change your pillow case?" Will that do?" Finn asked.
"Yes, but when you go to bed tonight you're going to need to get a new pillow case out of the linen closet for yourself. I stole yours when you weren't looking this morning," Rachel confessed.
Finn and Rachel talked for a few more minutes before he handed his phone to Hiram and Leroy so they could visit with their daughter.
Finn headed up the stairs carrying Beth with a new story book that Rachel had left for her.
Beth and Finn snuggled into the big rocking chair, and he opened the book to read the bedtime story. Inside the book, Finn discovered that it was an audio book. Rachel had recorded herself reading the story for Beth. As the sound of Rachel's voice filled the room Finn knew that this was a book that he and Beth would both have to share every night while Rachel was away at Juilliard.
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And now begins the story of Finn, Rachel, and Beth. I hope that you have enjoyed the opening chapter of All For the Love of Beth, Part Two, A Sequel.
BMOC means Big Man On Campus
Reviews are pure inspiration. Until next time, Whistler Nights.