Summary: The five times Rachel thought she was the second choice, and the one time Finn did. And the six times both of them were wrong.

Rated: T

i

The first time Rachel thinks she's Finn's second choice is the summer before their junior year. IT's a lazy Thursday afternoon and Finn and Rachel are hanging out in Rachel's room, legs intertwined as usual, listening to music, when suddenly Rachel has an idea.

"Would you be with me if Quinn hadn't slept with Puck and gotten pregnant?" She asks quietly, her face practically buried in Finn's chest, he can barely hear her, but he does. His previously closed eyes pop open in surprise.

"What?" He asks, unable to process what she was saying. How could she even think that?

"If Quinn hadn't gotten pregnant, and cheated on you, would you be with me anyway?" She asks again, more clearly this time, looking up at him.

"Yes." He says with all honestly. She looks shocked to say the least. "Sooner or later I would have gotten sick of Quinn's obsession with popularity and broken up with her." He says shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Ok. But would you be with me?" She asks. He sighs, she's been trying to get him to explain his feelings for her for days now.

"In all honesty. Yes. Rachel way before Quinn had told me she was pregnant I had feelings for you, ever since I joined glee club I've had feelings for you. I want to be with you. I love you." He says, kissing her quickly.

She smiles, and without saying anything she kisses him deeply before snuggling back into his chest. He knows that her non verbal response means that she's still worried. But he's gonna prove her wrong.

ii

The second time she thinks it, it's a huge surprise to him. It's been about a week and a half since him and Rachel had thrown the duets competition and they're on their way to glee club. She's been quiet the entire time, which is Finn's first hint that something's upsetting her.

"Rachel, are you okay?" He asks, stopping suddenly causing her to stubble. She nods quickly and wordlessly trying to continue forward but he stops her. "No you're not. Something's upsetting you."

"Was a rebound?" She asks, louder then he expected and he's taken aback. A rebound? He loves Rachel and all but sometimes she could be so unobservant.

"A rebound? Are you crazy?" He asks throwing his hands up in frustration, Rachel looks even more upset and she turns on her heels, the tears pooling in her eyes and he realizes that what he said wasn't the smartest.

"Rachel, wait." He grabs her wrist and spins her around on the spot. A couple lingering after school students are watching them, Jacob Ben Israel being one of them, but Finn doesn't care. "I didn't mean it like that." She refuses to look at him, instead focusing on the pattern of her skirt.

"What am I supposed to think Finn? You've been with Quinn the prettiest most popular girl in school and Santana seems to have taken a liking to you recently, and I'm just a glee club loser." She says, a sob escaping her chest and he feels his heart break for her.

"They mean nothing Rachel, half the time I was with Quinn I had feelings for you, I was only with her because I thought she was carrying my baby, and I don't want to be with Santana, I only want you, why can't you see how hopelessly in love with you I am?"

"You really feel that way about me?" She asks, her tears subsiding and a look of curiosity flashing in her eyes.

"Everyday Rach, everyday." He says sincerely and he hopes she gets it. She kisses him, right there in the school hallway.

Oh yeah she totally gets it.

iii

She totally doesn't get it. It's been almost two weeks since their breakup and Finn's still super depressed about it. He hasn't spoken to her in days, since that incident in the Christmas tree lot, he's pretty sure she's ignoring him, which is good because he knows that if they come in contact the wall he's been building will crumble immediately.

But he's luck doesn't last long. On the last day of school before Christmas break she's standing by his locker, looking down at her feet, waiting for him. He wants to turn around, run home and cry, but he can't, he may still be mad at her but they need to talk, even he knows that.

"Can I help you?" He asks, more bitterly then he expected too, but he doesn't care. He too is avoided looking her, knowing if he does he'll have to resist the urge to kiss her.

"I needed to ask you something, and I swear if you answer it, then I won't talk to you unless you talk to me first." She says, rather quickly if he might add. As if she's embarrassed to talk to him now. He sighs loudly, nodding when she finally meets his gaze.

"Last year when you told me you liked me, did you really mean it, or were just saying that because you didn't like Jesse, because obviously you had just slept with Santana and I'm just wondering..." But she gets cut off when Finn sighs loudly yet again.

"I may be pissed off about everything and I don't really want to talk to you right now for obvious reasons, but I meant every word I ever said regarding my feeling for you okay?" He says forcefully, and she just nods.

"Thank you." She says quietly, before nodding in goodbye before stalking off in the opposite direction.

"Rachel, have a nice break." He shouts after her. And she doesn't turn around or respond but he swears her ears turn pink in embarrassment.

Oh yeah he's totally still completely in love with her.

iv

The next time, Finn knows that he should have expected it. It's been about four days since Regionals and Quinn had decided that it would be the day she told everyone they were together. Then Rachel gets this look on her face and Finn knows that he's totally fucked things up.

"Rachel, can you wait a second?" He calls after her once Mr. Shue dismisses them. Quinn glares after him as he takes down the hall after the small brunette but he ignore her. Rachel doesn't turn but she stops in her tracks.

"May I help you Finn?" She asks, bitterly almost and Finn feels a pang in his chest. He wills her to turn around and face him before he talks to her. She finally realizes that he's waiting for her and accepts his silent wishes.

"I really liked the song you wrote and it sounded great at Regionals, I think it was the whole reason we won." He says with a grin. She smiles despite herself, but almost as soon as it appears on her face it disappears again.

"Why thank you Finn, is that all?" He knows what she's thinking and he almost expects her to ask, but he knows that she's not going to. She knows it's not worth it.

"No, I want you to know that no matter what happens in the future, or despite everything that's happened between us, I never lied to you when I told you I loved you. You were never second choice for me." He says and she flicks her eyes up in surprise at his words.

"But Quinn..." Rachel tries to argue his words but she won't let him. He just shakes his head forcefully, and he knows that Rachel's watching Quinn at the other end of the hallway.

"Doesn't matter. I'll see you later Rachel, just remember what I said." He says and before she can argue him he walks back to Quinn who grabs his hand immediately. He knows Rachel's watching and he wants to send her a look to tell him he really did mean it, but he knows Quinn will kill him if he did.

But he'll just have to trust that she knows. She has to know. It's all he has left to hold on to.

v

The next, and final time, she ever asks, he thinks she's serious at first. It's May and graduation is fast approaching. Rachel's going to NYU and Finn to everyone's surprise got into Brooklyn College. They're going to New York and nothing is going to stop them.

They're making out on Rachel's bed and honestly Finn has never been happier. She giggles against his lips when his hand slips under her skirt and he's about to slip his hand further but she pulls away before he can. He groans over dramatically, something he picked up from her. But she slaps his chest to get him to listen to her, something he's quite good at.

"Are you sure I'm not a second choice, I don't want you gallivanting around New York City with some second choice rebound when you could stay here and take over Burt's tire shop." She says a small smile playing on her lips.

"Oh I don't think so, see this second choice, isn't really a second choice at all, she never as been, she's the best thing in my world and I would regret not going to New York City with her for the rest of my life. So yeah, no regrets." He says kissing her deeply, slipping his tongue back into her mouth.

"No regrets?" She whispers, out of breath after a few moments.

"Never baby, never."

Rachel Barbra Berry is never a second choice.

vi

Flash forward ten years and Finn hasn't heard the phrase 'second choice' sense that day in Rachel's bedroom all those years ago. Well until know that is, but know it's him doing the questioning. Rachel has just gotten that part in some off Broadway show that had made her even crazier than usual worrying about. Finn hadn't seen her that crazy since she was pregnant with Chris. The only problem was her co star. Jesse St. Jerkface.

"Finn you have nothing to worry about, he doesn't even play my love interest, I have three scenes with him, you need to stop worrying." She tells him one day when he yet again expresses concerns about Jesse and Rachel working together.

"I know, but I can't help but wonder about all those years ago, he was your boyfriend before I was, you do realize that right?" He questions and she stops suddenly turning to face him, Chris makes a noise from his spot on the floor and both parents get distracted momentarily by their son, but he just grins happily up at them, causing Finn to smile and Rachel to giggle.

"You do realize that the entire time I was with Jesse I had feelings for you right and I had feelings for you long before Jesse even came into the picture right? Finn, I love you and I always have and I always will. Jesse was nothing compared to you. I married you, I had a child with you, Jesse and I have minimal contact outside of running our lines. Yes he tries to sweet talk me, but I push off all his advantages. You are everything to me. You were never a second choice. He was." She says, rather quickly, and while yes they've been together for about twelve years, he still gets lost in her rants sometimes, but he get the general gist of it.

He kisses her cutting her off before she can say anything else. She deepens the kiss grabbing the back of his neck and shoving her tongue into his mouth, almost as to prove a point. Finn would have gladly kept going, taking her right then and there in the living room if it hadn't been for Chris throwing one of his blocks at the back of his head.

"Ow!" He shrieked, jumping back in surprise, rubbing the back of his head. Rachel laughed and got on the floor to smother her son with kisses. Finn just scowled.

"Yeah okay, pick his side. I'm mad at both of you." He says, glaring at Rachel, who just giggles before directing her attention back at Chris. He groans before stalking off to the kitchen.

"I love you!" She screams after him and Chris squeals as well to express his affection for his father, and before Finn can process his actions he's back in the living room Chris in his arms and Rachel's lips on his.

Rachel is his first choice, actually she's everything and always will be.

And Finn's the same for her.

A/N: Ugh the last line bothers me, I couldn't think of a way to end it, but I love it up until then. This is my first piece on this new account so I'm really excited! I hope you all enjoyed this!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, FOX and Ryan Murphy owns everything.

Until next time,

Kate :D