A/N: Your response to this story was completely unexpected and overwhelming! I am so glad that all of you are enjoying yourselves! I was asked by a reader when and if Finn and Rachel would fall in love and if Rachel would have any competition. I can tell you that there aren't any romantic interests for Finn at the current time (which will be explained in this chapter), so Rachel doesn't have any competition. However, things aren't going to be easy for Finchel. When and if they fall in love will take some time to figure out. And there will be difficulties along the road. This isn't just a love story – there will be hurt and heartache as well. I hope you're ready!

I still own nothing.

Barbra: Chapter Two

A sudden banging on the door scared Rachel out of her slumber and sent her flying off of the bed, landing with a dull thud on the floor. She groaned, already having been totally sore from yesterday's work on the ranch. Her arms felt like jell-o from helping Finn move barrels of hay. Her back was sore, making her feel older than she was. Her eyes could barely stay open from being thoroughly exhausted.

She lifted her head up, realizing why she was still so tired.

It was still dark outside.

And yet, someone was still banging on her door.

"Rachel, breakfast's ready," she heard Finn's voice call through the door. "After we eat, we've gotta start chores."

Rachel groaned again and deeply considered ignoring Finn and just falling back asleep on the floor. She then remembered that Carole could tell Janice that Rachel was slacking during their mandatory weekly calls, which Janice would have to tell to Rachel's probation officer. That would certainly send Rachel back to Denver with a one way ticket to jail.

Her arms shook as she pushed herself up from the floor. Once she was standing, she realized that her feet were also aching from having worked so much in boots that weren't quite broken in yet.

She shuffled into her bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked half dead.

"Fantastic," she grumbled.

Ten minutes later, Rachel was regretfully ready for the day. She walked toward the house, almost tripping over something that she didn't see because of the dark.

Carole had made dinner last night, which Rachel thought was delicious despite the fact that it was far from vegan. But it wasn't the first time that Rachel had to eat a cheeseburger, so it didn't bother her that badly. Due to dinner being so excellent, Rachel was expecting a superb breakfast.

Carole didn't let her down.

In true country fashion, the spread for breakfast was rather large. Carole had made biscuits and gravy, sausage, bacon, eggs, toast… Every breakfast food that Rachel had ever eaten was on that table.

"Good morning, sweetie," Carole said, completely chipper this early. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Rachel replied before sitting in a chair at the table. Finn chuckled at Rachel's confession. He and Carole were already seated, enjoying their breakfast.

"Well, this work takes some getting used to," Carole said. "Help yourself to anything," Carole said, motioning to the food on the table.

Rachel poured herself some homemade orange juice, smiling at how amazingly perfect it tasted. Remembering the poor little pigs that were sitting outside, Rachel ignored the bacon. Once her stomach was full, making her feel even more tired, she offered to help Carole with the dishes.

"No housework for you," Finn chuckled. "You'll be helping me outside."

"Great," Rachel said to Finn, faking enthusiasm. He chuckled again, sensing her sarcasm.

"On the bright side, I think you'll be able to ride Barbra today," Finn said with a smile before walking out of the room. Rachel perked up instantly. Since yesterday was Barbra's first day at a new place, Finn didn't want to overwhelm the mare by making someone ride her, so she sat in the stable while Finn and Rachel took the other horses out.

It turned out that Rachel was actually a natural at riding horses, too.

But, of course, her butt was sore from sitting in the saddle for so long and her legs were sore from holding onto the horse. Despite all of that, she couldn't help but be excited at the thought of riding Barbra. For some reason, Rachel felt a connection to that horse – after one day, Rachel already loved her.

After stopping at her trailer to brush her teeth and grab her work gloves, Rachel wandered around, looking for Finn. She eventually found him in the stables outside of Barbra's stall.

"Is she doing alright?" Rachel asked quietly as she walked toward Finn, not wanting to startle the horses.

"She seems fine to me," Finn replied. "She's resting. I'm not noticing any nerves or anything. This is the smoothest transition I've ever seen a horse make."

Rachel came to a stop outside of Barbra's stall. Barbra instantly straightened up and walked over toward Rachel. She lifted her head over the short stall door and nudged Rachel gently.

"Good morning, Barbra," Rachel said with a wide smile. She ran her hand down the side of Barbra's face gently and the horse closed her eyes a bit.

"Why didn't she come say hi to me?" Finn grumbled.

Rachel laughed lightly. "Oh, don't be jealous, Finn," Rachel replied. "You've got Travis and I've got Barbra."

Finn chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said. "So, are you ready to start?"

"Start what?" Rachel asked.

"Well, we've got to get the chickens' eggs and then scatter some hay over the fields. Then, mom wants some manure placed on the outside of the pigs' pen," Finn replied.

"What's that for?" Rachel asked, still stroking the horse.

"She wants to plant flowers there so it doesn't look so gross," Finn said with a smirk. "And then we've got to do a lot of what we did yesterday again. We're gonna give Barbra a bath since we don't know when's the last time she had one. And the rest of the horses need to be brushed before we clean their stalls again."

"Wow. Sounds like a lot," Rachel said, her body already aching at just the description of what they had to do.

Finn shrugged. "Like mom said, you'll get used to it," Finn said. "Oh, and you're gonna have to feed the pigs again."

She looked up at him and saw that he was trying to hide a smile. She glared at him and then turned back to the horse.

"Well, now that I know how, I'm sure I'll be fine," Rachel replied.

"I hope so," Finn snickered. "I told mom about it this morning. She thought it was pretty funny."

"And yet she didn't find it necessary to bring it up and humiliate me," Rachel pointed out, turning to shoot him another glare.

Finn shrugged. "My mom's nice and sometimes I'm a…"

"Jerk," Rachel supplied.

"Guess so," he said with a smirk.

-GLEE-GLEE-GLEE-

Rachel didn't quite understand why farmers or ranchers got up at before the sun even rose to start their day. In Rachel's opinion, it made more sense to start later in the day and work a bit later so that you could sleep in.

But then she kind of understood the reason why a little later. She was grabbing eggs from under the chickens in the chicken coop while the sun was rising. Part of Rachel feared that the chickens would peck at her hands for stealing the eggs, so she was incredibly excited when she walked away from the experience with all ten fingers still intact.

Then, as she walked toward a small barn with the eggs, she noticed the sunrise. The sky was pink, yellow, and orange all at the same time, reminding her of ice cream for some reason. It was truly beautiful. The colors all swirled together seamlessly as the sun rose higher.

She broke out of her reverie when the pigs started snorting from behind her, startling her. It wasn't until the sun was in the middle of the sky and after they ate sandwiches for lunch that Finn and Rachel started working with the horses.

Finn and Rachel each tied a horse to a post and started to brushed them thoroughly. Rachel smiled each time the horses made that vibrating sound that meant they were happy and comfortable.

"So how long are you gonna be here?" Finn asked. They hadn't exactly been keeping up conversation, lost in their own thoughts as they finished the day's chores.

"A couple of months," Rachel replied. She didn't really feel comfortable with going too much deeper into the topic, but she understood that Finn must have been curious. It's not every day that a stranger comes to live on your ranch to work off the time they would have spent in jail.

"What'd you do?" Finn asked awkwardly. "My mom said it had to do with theft, but she didn't say what it was…"

"Look, Finn," Rachel began. She stopped brushing the horse and looked at Finn, who was looking at her curiously. "The whole thing's just a long and messed up story that I'd rather not talk about. I got involved with things that I shouldn't have gotten involved with. Just know that I'm not a bad person and I didn't even want to do what I did in the first place. I just want to leave it all behind me and move on, okay?"

Finn nodded. "Okay," he agreed. "And I can tell you're not a bad person, Rachel." Rachel smiled widely, flashing that smile that had been on his mind since yesterday.

"You know, I don't even know how old you are," Rachel laughed, continuing brushing the horse's mane.

"Nineteen," Finn replied.

"So you graduated last year?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah. How about you?"

"Eighteen. I just graduated in May," she said. "I was set up to go to college and then everything happened."
"College where?" he asked.

"New York," Rachel replied. "It's a performing arts school. I got a full ride but then… you know."

"Yeah," Finn said. "Sorry about that."

"Well, it's certainly not your fault," Rachel said.

"Let's grab the next two horses," Finn said moments later. Rachel nodded and untied a young dark brown stallion from the post. She followed Finn and they led them to the large fenced-in field so that the horses could run around while they cleaned out the stalls.

"Did you have any plans after high school?" Rachel asked as they walked into the stables together.

"Nah," Finn replied. "After my dad died, my mom needed help around here since Kurt was going to college."

"But don't you feel a little… jealous that Kurt got to get out of here and see the world and you didn't?" Rachel asked.

Finn thought a moment. "Not really," he decided. "I love it here. What I get to do everyday makes me happy."

Rachel looked up and smiled at him. "As long as you're happy, that's all that matters," Rachel said. Finn looked down at her and returned her smile.

Rachel was excited to give Barbra her first bath. The entire time, the mare made affectionate noises as Rachel scrubbed her clean. Finn cleaned out her hooves since Rachel didn't know how to do that yet.

"You know, I'm kinda nervous to try and ride Barbra," Finn chuckled.

"Why?" Rachel asked. She was currently petting Barbra again, the both of them loving each other's company.

"I don't think she'd let anyone but you ride her," Finn replied.

Rachel laughed. "Well, it's obvious that I'm her favorite, but she's a sweetheart," Rachel said. "She'd be gentle with you."
"I hope so," Finn chuckled.

They both looked up at the same time when they heard a car coming down the driveway. Rachel's eyes widened after seeing the cherry red Mustang with black racing stripes.

"Who's that?" Rachel asked.

"That's Noah Puckerman," Finn said. "We've been friends since high school."

"Oh," Rachel said. "That's a nice car."

"Yeah," Finn chuckled. "He comes from money. That brown stallion you were brushing earlier, Collin, is his."

The car pulled up close to the stables and Puck climbed out quickly.

"Hey, Hudson," Puck called. "Who's this?" he asked, looking Rachel up and down appreciatively.

"This is Rachel," Finn said. "She's helping out around here." Rachel smiled politely at him and he smirked back.

"So this is the chick that had to work here or go to jail?" Puck asked. "She's hotter than I expected."

"How'd you know about that?" Finn asked the same time that Rachel's smile fell off of her face.

"Dude, your mom is best friends with my mom," Puck chuckled. "I'm sure the whole damn town knows by now." Rachel looked away awkwardly and returned her attention to Barbra, brushing her gently. "I'll be sure to keep my keys in my pocket. Wouldn't want her stealing my ride," Puck chuckled.

Rachel straightened up and dropped the brush. She turned and glared at Puck.

"Dude, that's not funny," Finn said, looking at his friend like he was disgusted.

Puck opened his mouth to speak, but Rachel interrupted him.

"Finn, I'm going to start on the stables," she said, her voice rough. "Can you finish with Barbra?"

"Yeah, Rach," he said, still glaring at Puck. Rachel then stomped off toward the stables, embarrassed and angry at the same time. She knows that it was just a joke and that Puck didn't really know the truth, but he was so close to the truth that it made her uneasy. And since when was it okay to rub someone's mistakes in their face? She didn't like Puck very much.

She was cleaning the second stall with a frown on her face when she heard Puck start his car and drive up the driveway. She breathed a sigh of relief, not really wanting to be the butt of his stupid and offensive jokes.

She was about to walk into the third stall when Finn walked into the stables.

"He's gone," Finn said, sounding relieved. Rachel nodded but didn't say anything, stepping into the third stall. "I'm sorry for what he said. I told him not to make anymore jokes like that."

"Thank you," Rachel said quietly.

"Don't mention it," Finn said. He walked over to the wall and grabbed another horse pooper scooper, starting on the stall next to Rachel.

-GLEE-GLEE-GLEE-

Finn checked the saddle after Rachel strapped it to Barbra. The mare stood still, not bothered by the saddle. He only had to tighten a few straps, but Rachel put everything on correctly.

"Nice job," Finn said with a smirk. "It took me a while to figure out how to put a saddle on right."

"Well, I am a quick study," Rachel said. "I wanted to be a performer, so I'm quite good at listening to directions and remembering them."

"Cool," Finn said. "What kind of performer?"

"Broadway," Rachel said. "Hence the school in New York."

"Right," Finn chuckled. "You'll have to show me what you've got some time."

"I'd love to," Rachel said with a smile. She then climbed up the saddle and onto Barbra. It was pretty funny to watch someone short like Rachel climb on a large horse, but somehow she managed by incorporating a small hop into her method of climbing onto to the horse's back.

She then waited patiently, murmuring to Barbra and petting her while Finn got his horse, Travis, ready for the ride. Once he was climbed on the tall stallion, he turned to Rachel.

"You wanna go on a trail today?" he asked. "I know a place we can stop and swim." It was really hot outside and Finn's dark shirt was sticking to his skin. Taking a swim would be perfect on a June day like this.

"Sounds great," Rachel replied. "Lead the way."

Finn and Rachel both gently nudged their horses with their heels, signaling them to start walking. Rachel clicked her tongue and Barbra picked up the pace a bit.

"How do you know how to do that?" Finn asked. "It's like you were raised around horses or something."

Rachel shrugged. "It's just coming naturally," she said with a smile.

"Well, Travis hasn't had a good gallop in a while. You ready to go faster?" Finn asked.

"I think Barbra's up for it," Rachel replied.

"Try and keep up," Finn teased. He then said something to Travis and dug in his heels again, making Travis take off. Rachel gently nudged Barbra again.

"Go, girl!" Rachel shouted. Barbra somehow knew what she wanted to do and started galloping. Finn, who had quite the head start, was still in Rachel's line of vision. Rachel leaned forward and called for Barbra to go faster. Pretty soon, they were right up next to Finn, both of the horses galloping along the wide path.

Rachel suddenly laughed, enjoying the feeling of the wind whipping against her face. Finn looked over at her and smiled, liking the sound of her laugh.

Ten minutes later, they came to a stop at a small pond.

"It's actually deeper than it looks," Finn said after dismounting Travis. He led his horse over to the pond and let Travis drink and refuel. Rachel threw her leg over and slid off of Barbra gracefully. She walked to the front of Barbra and stroked the area under her eye.

"You're such a good girl," Rachel crooned. She then kissed Barbra's face before grabbing her reins and leading her over to the pond. Barbra bent down to drink and Rachel turned to see that Finn had already taken his shirt off. He was facing away from her and was unbuttoning his pants. Rachel blushed while staring at his broad back, which was tan due to him working outside every day. Of course, he wasn't as dark as her naturally tanned skinned.

She watched as he stepped out of his boots and took of his socks with his back still facing her. Then, his jeans fell to the ground and she could see his sensible blue boxers. He then turned to face Rachel and she looked away quickly, trying to make it like she wasn't staring.

"You coming in?" Finn asked.

"Yeah," Rachel replied. She bent down to untie her boots before pulling those and her socks off of her feet. She jumped a little when he heard a splash, turning to see the water sloshing around like someone had just jumped in. Finn then popped up to the surface, his hair more messy than usual. He ran his hand through it, pushing it back.

"The water feels awesome," he called before starting to float on his back.

"Turn around so I can undress," Rachel said. Finn chuckled and rolled his eyes but turned away from Rachel. She pulled her t-shirt off before unbuttoning her jeans and sliding them down her legs. She put her clothes on a rock and stood there in only her bra and underwear. It covered just as much as a bathing suit, right?

Rachel took her long hair out of its ponytail and put the ponytail holder on her wrist. She then climbed up on another rock and smiled before jumping in the air and pulling her legs in tight, doing a cannonball dive. She landed right next to Finn and her feet touched the bottom of the pond before she pushed off of it, swimming back to the surface.

She pushed her hair out of her face and saw that Finn was laughing.

"What?" she asked.

"That was a terrible cannonball," he mocked.

Rachel glared at him. "It's not my fault that I'm tiny," she replied.

"I'll show you how it's done," he said with a smirk. He swam to the edge of the pond and climbed out. Rachel's eyes were glued to his ass, made visible thanks to his boxers sticking to his body. He then turned around while standing on a rock and Rachel looked away again.

She turned back around just in time to see him land in the water, splashing more than her tiny body ever could. Hell, if Barbra jumped in, she wouldn't make that big of a splash.

Rachel giggled as Finn surfaced again.

"How was it?" he asked.

"Very impressive," Rachel said. "But I do think you have an unfair size advantage."
"Not my fault," he chuckled.

When Barbra started making impatient sounds a little while later, Rachel laughed.

"Sounds like she's bored to me," Finn chuckled.

"It is close to dinner time, isn't it?" Rachel asked. Finn looked up and noticed that the sun was getting kind of low.

"You're right," he said. "Let's head back. " Rachel swam to the edge and climbed out first. Finn's eyes widened at seeing her in such a state of undress. He knew she was tiny, but her body was absolutely smokin'. Her underwear stuck to her ass, which was insane, and her legs were perfect and looked impossibly long. She bent over to pick up her jeans and Finn felt his dick twitch. He quickly looked away, realizing that he had to climb out of the pond and that a boner would be painfully obvious right now.

So, while Rachel was getting dressed, he climbed out in a hurry and pulled his jeans on, exhaling in relief that Rachel hadn't seen his excitement. She'd probably get pissed or something and then the two of them working together would be totally and completely awkward.

When he was fully dressed, he turned and saw that Rachel was dressed as well. She pulled her hair into another ponytail before adjusting her shirt. Since her bra was still wet, her t-shirt was starting to get water marks on it. Finn looked away before his body could get excited again.

"Ready to go?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Finn replied, still looking away. Rachel was confused, but she didn't say anything. She walked over to Barbra and patted her side gently.

Once she was at the horse's side, Rachel reached up and grabbed the saddle before putting her foot in the holster. It was pretty high up, so she thanked her years of dance training for helping her become so flexible. Then, she hopped and pulled herself up before swinging her leg over Barbra's back.

She turned and saw that Finn was already mounted on Travis's back. She was jealous that he could climb onto horses more easily than she could. That was one of the downsides to being short.

Still without looking at her, Finn brought Travis to a trot and started up the trail. Rachel shook her head, wondering what was wrong with Finn. She let out a breath before gently nudging Barbra with her heels to follow Finn and Travis.

During dinner, which was lasagna that tasted delicious, Finn avoided Rachel's gaze, looking down at his plate when speaking to her. Rachel looked at Carole questioningly, who noticed Finn's strange behavior, but Carole just shrugged.

As Rachel fell asleep that night, all she could think about was what she could have done wrong.

TBC

-GLEE-GLEE-GLEE-

A/N: Please keep reading and reviewing! And thanks for giving this story a chance. There's plenty more to come!