I stepped off of the train and headed at the hotel he said my parents would be at. I can't even say his name. Just seeing his face in my head makes tears well up in my eyes but I force them back. I'm in New York I have to focus on my future now and there's a large chance that he won't be. I just can't think about that. I'm getting more and more mad that he and my parents went behind my back to get me here and I storm up to the hotel and spot them. I walk up to them ready to scream and shout but what comes out of my mouth is a heartbroken sob and I just collapse onto the floor crying and clutching onto my chest. My dads arms are around me in an instant whispering comforting words of "Shhh, its all going to be okay" and "You'll see eachother again and have that wedding you wanted I promise". That's when I seemed to find my voice and did what Rachel Berry does best.
"You promise? YOU PROMISE? SO YOU DON'T KNOW HE'S GOING TO JOIN THE ARMY IN GEORGIA AND THAT HE PROBABLY WON'T MAKE IT OUT ALIVE? YOU CAN'T PROMISE ANYTHING! ALL YOU DID IS MANAGE TO BREAK ME! I DON'T EVEN WANT TO BE HERE ANYMORE! I HATE NEW YORK, NYADA, BUT YOU KNOW WHO I HATE THE MOST?" I pull away from them roughly and stand up. "YOU! BOTH OF YOU!" I storm into the bathroom there and just sit on a chair curling into myself and heaving songs out to where I can hardly breath. I just want to go back before graduation stay in the gym at prom and enjoy our slow dance together. I don't want this life. After I'm done crying I see my parents are not in the lobby anymore and go up to the front desk to ask for the room number.
I take a slow walk up there and as soon as I open the door they are standing in front of me both talking at the same time near tears. But I'm emotionally exhausted and honestly wish they could cry half as much as I did. I raise a hand up to silence them and whisper a tired
"You know..for two people who love me so much you just couldn't let me make my own choices in life could you? Not if you thought it was a mistake. I want to go back to Ohio if you will let me that is. I meant it when I said I couldn't do this without him. This isn't my dream anymore." I slid into one of the beds in the room and fell asleep right away my back turned to my shocked and heartbroken parents. Through the night they hear me sob and cry out for my ex-fiance.
/The next day/
I barely got any sleep that night. What sleep I did get were nightmares replaying the break-up over and over in my head but also scenes of him dying in a war. I was awake when the sun came up that morning shining through the window. It woke one of my dads up and he came to lay by me. He whispered in my ear.
"Rachel sweetheart. I'm so sorry. We wanted you to be happy and honestly with the past between you and Finn we didn't think you would be this heartbroken. We are so very sorry. We want what's best for you." I didn't say anything. I felt like I would throw up if I ever had to hear his voice and I scooted as far away from him as possible not wanting him to touch me.
"J-just take me h-home Leroy." I said in the most bitter voice I could muster trying not to cry. I couldn't see it but he looked so broken and he got out of the hotel room as fast as he could so as not to cry in front of me.
I slid down the wall outside of the room and hid my face in my knees crying my eyes out and muffling my sobs. She never calls me Leroy. Before I could continue my sad inner thoughts Hiram rushed out of the room looking for me when he saw me on the ground crying.
"Oh sweetheart.." He knelt down next to me and wrapped his arms around me. I fell into his embrace and sobbed my heart out knowing Rachel could hear inside the room but I couldn't bring myself to care.
"S-s-she called me.." I couldn't bring myself to say it. I felt his arms hold me tighter.
"I know honey..I know..It'll be okay..She won't be mad forever. I promise. I love you so much." I cried harder than ever.
"I-It's not okay! I-I know I'm not her biological father b-but I n-never thought s-she w-w-would c-call me a-anything b-but d-dad! I-It hurts Hiram! I-I'm losing m-my baby girl!" We were so focused on eachother that we didn't hear the door close and Rachel walk up to us.
"D-dads?" She said in a small voice. It still caused us to jump. We looked up to her and she was crying and looked guilty. She knelt next to me and reached for a hug.
"D-daddy.. I—"I didn't let her finish before pulling her to me and crying into her shoulder. We were crying into eachothers. Rachel continued to babble.
"I-I'm sorry! I'm so s-s-sorry da-ddy! I love you s-so much!" I closed my eyes at the pain in her voice and pulled her into my lap shushing her and rubbing circles into her back.
"Shhh sweet-pea it's okay. I know you didn't mean it honey. I love you too. We love you. We should have respected what you wanted but honey even if we did Finn wanted something else. We couldn't stop him. I'm so so sorry sweet-pea. If you want to go back to Ohio we won't stop you. But we want you to realize just how much you are giving up." She lifted her head up from my chest a look of determination on her face. I was so relieved to hear the next words that she said.
"I'm staying here. Who needs Finn Hudson? I don't need ANYONE to make my dreams come true." That's the moment I was sure everything will be okay and I couldn't have been more relieved and happy for our little girl.
"Dads? I really am sorry for how I acted. A-And I heard you just now, daddy. I am your daughter as much as Papa's. Biological or not. You won't ever lose me I promise. I love you both so much. I couldn't have asked for better parents and it's not fair that I took out my heartbreak on you."
"Well..It's good that you decided to stay because..We decided to move here as well..In fact we already have our apartment and all you have to do is sign for one we think is perfect for you. And no it is not close to ours. Your on your own not princess. We just want to be here for any and all of your performances in college and on Broadway." I was shocked but happy and got tears in my eyes.
"You..Your moving to New York? With me?" I threw myself into their arms and cried tears of joy.
"Thank you SO much! I really regretted leaving you two in Lima to take on homophobic jerks alone." I squealed happily causing my parents to laugh at my reaction.
"Well we couldn't possibly leave you all alone in this big state and risk missing any of your amazing female lead roles! What kind of parents would we be if we did that?" All of a sudden my parents were kissing me over and over again on both cheeks like they used to do when I was little. It still made me giggle and squirm for them to stop.
Life without Finnegan Hudson will be just fine. Is what I thought as we walked to look at our apartments and get me all set up for NYADA singing Broadway tunes the whole way.
