Rachel heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" she asked.

Her roommate, Kurt, was gone for the evening, and she was lounging on the couch watching Smash and eating popcorn alone. After a minute passed with no response, she uncurled herself and stood, bringing the popcorn bag with her to the door. She opened the door and immediately dropped the bag, spilling little white kernels across the floor.

For a moment, she just stood there with her mouth open.

He was here.

"It can't be."

"Rachel? It's okay."

"How? I don't-" she rushed into his arms and started crying, making what she knew were probably very unflattering noises, but she didn't care. He was here.

"Rachel, it's okay. I'm okay," Rachel heard as his chest vibrated underneath her cheek.

"They said- I don't understand. They were positive," Rachel said as she pulled back to look at him again.

Finn. It really was him.

"I know. I know. One of the guys from the army came to Lima and asked to borrow my car. He got in the accident. It wasn't me."

"But they said-"

Rachel hiccupped. She tried wiping away the tears as they were blurring her view of Finn. He gently reached out to grab her hands, and he pulled her into a hug. When she was securely pressed against him, he began to rub one finger slowly up and down her cheek in the way that always calmed her.

"Rachel, I'm okay. The car- It caught fire. My friend- He was burned very badly. He was beyond identification, but because it was my car and they couldn't contact me, they thought I was the driver. I would have called you or come to you before now, but I didn't know they said I was dead. Remember that time when you thought I was in the army, and I was backpacking through Georgia? Well, that kind of happened again. After all we have been through, I needed some time. I left my phone at home, and I went into the woods with no particular plan – only a map and money. As I was walking, I realized that I don't care if we are thousands of miles apart or if you need some time to pursue a career before we can truly be together again – no matter what, we are meant to be together."

Rachel pulled back and looked up at him. Her cheeks were still slightly wet, but she was smiling.

Finn continued, "I love you, and I'm sure these last couple months have been hell for you. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you. Even when we have been broken up, we have always been soul mates, destined to be together."

With that, he bent down, and kissed Rachel softly at first, then harder. Rachel responded enthusiastically. She pulled him into her apartment without stopping the kiss. The first moment that they had to come up for air, they both threw off their shirts. They stood looking at one another for a moment, rememorizing each other after their time apart.

"I love you so much," Rachel said when Finn brushed his hand against her arm.

"I've missed you so much," Finn responded, taking her mouth in another kiss.

"You have no idea," she said breathily.

"Want to test that theory?" Finn asked with a glint in his eye.

"Of course," Rachel responded while biting her lip.

Finn pulled Rachel towards him, but she stopped him with one hand.

"On one condition," she said, suddenly serious, "You can never leave me again."

"I promise," he said as he pulled her towards the bedroom.