Chapter One:

Barely Breathing (Part 1)

Rachel straightened her shorts and pulled her knee socks up to make them even, slipping on her new pair of high-heeled boots and fixing her hair in the floor length mirror that was placed against the wall in the bedroom of her small New York apartment that she shared with Kurt. Little did she know, a little, lost, distraught Finn Hudson was on his way to finding her all over again.

Kurt sat on the edge of his bed, tying his combat boots neatly, nice and tight to make sure they stayed in place. He shoves a handkerchief into his dress shirt pocket, standing up and pacing back and forth across his room, debating whether he should call Blaine before he was off to work at Vogue.

He shook his head, deciding against it. He could call Blaine later on, it was early, especially in Ohio. He sighed, picking up his jacket off the coat hook by the door, putting it on and walking back to the kitchen to start making some coffee. Despite the fact he wasn't leaving just yet, their apartment was always freezing in the mornings.

He heard Rachel's shoes coming before he saw her, and he looked up to see her, her black, fluffy robe wrapped tightly around her as she hugged herself for more warmth. Her hair and make-up fresh and done perfectly. She smiled at him as she pulled two mugs down from the cupboard and set them on the counter.

"Off to another hard day at NYADA, Rach?" he chuckled as she sat down at the table, taking out her phone and furiously texting someone. Kurt rolled his eyes as he took the pitcher from the coffee maker and poured it into the two mugs evenly. "Please tell me you're not texting Brody." He spat his name, slamming the drinks on the table and sitting down, crossing his arms over his chest, clearly annoyed.

She bit her lip, hitting the lock button on her phone and setting it on the table face down as she wrapped her small hands around her mug of coffee. "As a matter of fact, that wasn't Brody I was texting, it was Santana. I wish it had been Brody. What's your problem with him, anyway?" she asked, pointedly.

Kurt practically spit out his coffee all over the table. "What's my problem with him? Everything Rachel. He's totally playing you, even though you've refused to date him, if you continue to be friends with him, he's just going to seduce you and you know it. Run while you still can." He shook his head. She cringed and held her breath as he said the last sentence. "What? Wait. No. Rachel, you didn't!" Kurt screeched, his mouthing forming into an o. She gritted her teeth awkwardly, leaning down to check the zippers on the sides of her boots. "I did." She answered, guiltily. "When is this date?" Kurt fumed.

"Tonight." She said hesitantly, making it sound more like a question than an answer. "Wait, wait, is he hot?" Kurt asked seriously. Rachel glared at him questioningly. "What? I've never met him but from what I've heard he's the model type. Is that true or not?" he continued. Rachel nodded stiffly. "Go get some man candy then babe." Kurt finished, setting his empty mug in the sink and buttoning his coat.

Rachel snorted, happy to hear that Kurt was more accepting then Santana was, even if it did take a little persuasion. Though Santana was back in Kentucky and Rachel was determined to make sure she didn't find out about Brody too soon, Kurt had called her as soon as he knew about him, ruining what was Rachel's feeble plan to not cause anymore drama.

Rachel threw her shoulders back, setting her mug in the sink next to Kurt's as she skipped towards the door, took off her robe, threw it on the couch, put on her jacket, and followed him out the door, locking it behind her, her bag of dance clothes, accessories and other school supplies over her shoulder.

• • • • •

Rachel and Brody sat in Rachel and Kurt's small but cozy shared apartment, on a laid out picnic table with strawberries and champagne and other sorts of romantic things. They told each other secrets that they had never told anyone else. "Not even Finn." Rachel said to herself, the realization hitting her like a ton of bricks. Where was Finn? she thought to herself.

Oh, that's right, he left you, you and your lonely, lonely freedom. Rachel ran a hand through her hair nervously as she laughed at all of Brody's jokes as they fed each other. "I was attracted to you before, but may I just say, I'm really digging this new look Rachel. You look amazing." He grinned, his face inching closer to hers.

"Thank you." She choked out, leaning towards him at a rate that made her heart beat rapidly. There lips met somewhere in the middle, the kissing seeming gentle, yet urgent. They laid down on the picnic blanket, and practically as soon as they started kissing, just as quickly it was over when Rachel heard a knock on the door. She got up and fixed her hair, looking over her shoulder and telling Brody it was probably just Kurt with the cake he had promised to get. She opened the door to one of the biggest shocks of her life. Finn. Her Finn. Her person. The love of her life. Her world. Her home. Her soul mate. She scrunched her eyebrows together disbelievingly as she thought of just how much she hated him, for the longest time. But all that faded away when she realized he was really here. He had came back for her.

She didn't know how he had, but there he was, as amazing looking as ever. "Finn." she whispered, looking up to gaze into his distraught eyes, but deep inside them, she saw that glimmer of hope, that happiness, that sparkle in his eye he always had when he was with her, and only her. Despite the situation she was in, thinking of how guilty she should feel, she smiles up at him and gestures him to come in.

Brody had already put away the picnic and everything that had went with it. "See you at school tomorrow Rachel. Nice to meet you Finn, but I should get going." Brody said, extending his hand to shake hands with Finn before he found his way out of the apartment. Rachel closed the door behind him and turned to face Finn, leaning against the door, speechless.

Before she could decide what to do, there was another soft knock on the door. She took a deep breath, turning and unlocking the door, pulling it open to see it was Kurt this time, a look of surprise on his face as he stepped inside and saw Finn, his brother. "Hey, Finn, it's good to see you." He smiled. "You too little brother." Finn chuckled, patting Kurt on the back as he walked by and headed towards his room.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked, as politely as she possibly could. He nodded his head towards the couch. "Let's sit. Then I'll tell you everything."