A/N: I don't own Glee. I don't own the characters. But I have had this story idea in my head for months. Before continuing my other stories I had to get this one on paper for my own sanity.
Chapter 1: Sunday
Rachel Berry glanced at the shampoo and conditioner in the shower provided by the NYADA. She had left the loft in such a hurry she forgot to pack her own, and the decision of whether to trust that the conditioner wouldn't damage her hair or just use dry shampoo weighed heavily on her mind. She couldn't chance it. She would just use some dry shampoo.
Toweling off she overheard the group of girls heading into the steam room.
"I heard she had a complete mental break down."
"I wonder why she came back if she was doing so well in London?"
"She's getting kind of old to be hanging out here."
Rachel wrapped the towel around her but waited until she couldn't hear them anymore before she stepped out of the shower stall.
She had been doing well in London. But no matter how hard she tried, it wasn't Broadway and it wasn't home.
Rachel had obtained her Tony she wanted at the age of twenty-four. Now four years later she felt as though she had little direction as to what she wanted to do. Her heart just wasn't in it anymore. Performing would always be in her core; she loved the feeling that she received applause for doing something well. But the politics and growing older made her question if she really wanted to put in the effort. That's how she knew it was time to come home. She missed her friends. She missed New York.
She wondered what life would be like if she had a relationship. Not some guy that her publicist had set her up with; but her own guy who would love her. When she was eighteen she fell for Jesse St. James. He was a lead on Broadway already and she was quickly becoming the new it girl. It had gone so well until mid-way through the production of Beauty and the Beast when she discovered he was curious about Gaston.
She had been his cover. Perhaps he was confused at the time. They never really spoke about it. She walked in to costumes and saw them in an embrace. Jesse pulled back, face red and flushed and refused to meet her eyes. Lunch was cancelled that day and he never called again. He just sent a text two weeks later saying he would be busy for a while.
Kurt told her not to worry about it. That she may have been chosen to be Jesse's safe place and she had done such an excellent job making him feel comfortable that he could explore those feelings. Rachel couldn't help the stabbing sensation to her heart and to be truthful her self-esteem took a hit.
Rachel brushed out her hair and applied the dry shampoo with a smile on her face.
Kurt.
Kurt had been on Broadway for a while until he decided he wanted to go to Fashion School. He was the first best friend she ever had and even though right now she wasn't happy with him, she felt as though he knew her secrets as his own.
Rachel's face fell as she thought about the current issues they were having.
Rachel had won a Tony and had the offer from London immediately afterwards. She had decided to take it. Kurt was always with Blaine, his fantastic boyfriend, and she had begun to feel like the third wheel. She thought it was selfish when Kurt got angry about her leaving. The four bedroom they shared still housed Santana and Mercedes when she left. He had Blaine. Rachel had no one.
What she hadn't expected was to come home and find that Kurt had allowed new tenants and had failed to mention it.
Mercedes had become engaged and moved in with Sam. Santana was now single and their high school friend Quinn had moved in.
Quinn Fabray.
Quinn was a YouTube star. Rachel had met her years ago backstage while she visited Kurt. Rachel really didn't give her a chance. She just knew her type. Blonde, big eyed. Soft spoken. Pretty. Charming. Fake.
Unlike Rachel, Quinn had a soft spoken way of pretending to be graceful. Rachel recognized the act immediately and saw her for the pariah she was. She was a part of the group, and Santana seemed to worship her. Apparently now all of the world worshiped her as well.
Kurt had grown up with the group of friends in Ohio. They had only accepted Rachel because of their relationship with Kurt.
Rachel had grown up in Greenwich, Connecticut. Her two dads were kind of a big deal. Hiram Berry was a Senator and knew everything about everyone. If he didn't know, he could find out. Her dad LeRoy was a famous attorney known in New York City as the most ruthless man in the courtroom. Little did the public know that he was a teddy bear when he was at home with his family. They fostered and supported all of Rachel's dreams as a child. As she grew she thought their careers would slow down. That hadn't been the case. She wondered how they made it work with Hiram always in D.C. She also wondered if they were truly happy.
Rachel turned on her phone as she exited the locker room. The four hours of dance made her stop thinking for a while, which is what she wanted, but now she had no idea what she would do the rest of the day.
Rachel's phone began making pinging sounds repeatedly. She thought it may shut off from all of the notifications. It hadn't been this way since she won the Tony. Before she could check to see what they said her phone blared with Kurt's ringtone.
She hadn't spoken to Kurt since their massive argument about him not telling her Quinn was a new roommate. Truth be told it had nothing to do with Quinn. Rachel missed seeing Kurt and he was still in Paris when she was home.
Suddenly the ringing stopped. Rachel looked down only to see Blaine's name appear. Rachel had a funny feeling in her stomach and accepted the call immediately.
"Rachel, thank God."
"Blaine, what's wrong?"
"We've been trying to call you."
"Sorry. I was in dance and just turned my phone on. Is everything alright?"
Rachel heard Blaine's long sigh and knew that something was not right.
"Blaine? What is it?"
There was a long pause.
"Rachel, it's Finn. He's been hurt in a football game and is alone at the hospital. They won't tell us how bad it is and Kurt is going crazy. His family isn't there. They're flying out now."
Rachel stopped breathing as she felt the tears pool in her eyes.
"Rachel?"
"Yes. I'm here. What hospital?"
"I'll text you the specifics. Can you go check on him for us?"
"Of course. Tell Kurt I will see what I can find out."
"His dad is calling the hospital now to let them know you are coming."
"Okay."
"Thanks Rachel."
"Blaine? Can you tell Kurt it will be okay and that I love him?"
Rachel's voice cracked at the last statement. Kurt meant so much to her. Finn meant so much to Kurt.
Who was she kidding? Finn meant so much to Rachel as well. He just didn't know it.
Finn.
Finn Hudson was the man of Rachel's dreams. Literally. She heard Kurt go on and on about his brother the quarterback for years. He was a legend. While they were on Broadway he was the football star at OSU. He had led Ohio to two championships and was drafted to the Chicago Bears.
Rachel didn't meet Finn until after she won her Tony and he had signed his NFL contract. He came in town once before to see Kurt, but she didn't get to speak to him then because of the short amount of time he stayed in the city. She spotted him in the crowd next to Kurt's dad.
Finn Hudson was gorgeous. Rachel had studied press photos through the years and every time she saw him her stomach would flip and her smile would appear. He wasn't "movie star" beautiful according to her acquaintances on Broadway, but Rachel thought he was the sexiest man she had ever seen.
Finn came to New York for a long weekend; her last weekend before she moved away. Kurt and his family had spent every night together and did touristy things while Rachel packed her belongings. They all met up for dinner on Sunday and for once Rachel Barbra Berry was stunned silent.
He was so tall.
His eyes were like cinnamon and Rachel thought she would never see another pair like them. He was a work of art. Her tiny hand was in his as they shook hands upon meeting and Rachel was reduced to boneless goo. Wanting to melt in a puddle under his gaze, Kurt finally cleared his throat and Rachel looked away.
Kurt's dad was also in Washington a lot in Congress; although his claim to fame was a chain of car maintenance and part stores around the Midwest. Finn's mom was nurse and she was so very kind that it made Rachel wonder what it would be like to have her own mother. Rachel shook the emotions away at dinner but not before Finn caught the look in her eye. The rest of the people faded away when he looked at her. She felt him in her soul more than any number she would ever perform on Broadway.
Later that night they played darts at a local bar. Finn had gawkers and fans that he casually ignored while they stalked. Rachel silently thanked them for posting photos of their night together. Finn's smile on his face while Rachel's head was thrown back while laughing at something he had said. The difference in height and size made Rachel pause, but it also was the safest feeling she had known. It was the one night Rachel felt young. He was so carefree. So attentive. He made Rachel nervous and stutter over words at times but he would just smile in response.
They both didn't want the night to end. They didn't say much, but it was such a comfortable silence that Rachel didn't feel the need to talk incessantly. There were hugs but no kissing. He held her hand as they rode the elevator to her and Kurt's condo, but as soon as the Ohio gang spotted him their bubble had popped. Rachel fell asleep on the couch listening to Santana and Finn playing quarters, and when she woke up she was in her bed with her clothes still on. Rachel tried to stay angry about the fact that he hadn't tried to kiss her or that he didn't wake her up before leaving, but eventually she remembered how far out of her league he was and she pushed those feelings under the rug.
While in London Kurt had called her to tell her that Finn was signing with the Giants. Finn was in New York. Her New York. Her Finn.
And now her Finn was in the hospital.
Who was she kidding? They led very different lives. So much so that she doubted they would ever become anything more than family acquaintances.
He may not know it, but Rachel would always hope and dream about the tall guy with the perfect hands. And she would do whatever she could to make sure he was okay right now.
