2. We shall touch the happy isles.

.

.

.

September 24, 2009 – Girls' Locker Room – 19:30

.

.

.

Finn Hudson couldn't remember the last time he was this nervous.

Maybe the time his mom found that copy of Busty Asian Beauties under his mattress. Or the time Puck got him drunk and convinced him car-surfing naked past principal Figgins' house would be a bright idea.

No, not even those times compared.

His heart was trying to beat it's way out of his chest. His palms were so sweaty, it took him three tries before he managed to clasp the door handle.

And it wasn't just because he was sneaking into the girls' locker room at night – although, that would be reason enough – it was because of who was waiting for him on the other side.

Quinn Fabray.

Finn thought he had the most awesome girlfriend in the world.

Not only had she defied popular opinion, as well as her teammates on the Cheerios and joined Glee to be close to him, but she was also, like, super hot!

Seriously. That hair, those legs, that mouth…

Oh, God, now his knees were trembling.

Yeah, Quinn had her issues.

She could be self-absorbed.

And a little petty.

And mean.

And the only time Finn ever saw second base was watching baseball on ESPN.

But that was all about to change.

It all started with the note she slipped into his locker. It was just a folded piece of paper, and he wouldn't even have noticed it, except she'd sprayed some of her perfume on it. When he opened it up, his heart started the marathon.

"I loved the song you sang for me in Glee today. Meet me in the girl's locker room after Cheerios practice. 19.30. It'll be empty. Q."

It was finally going to happen. Frikkin' FINALLY!

Finn totally respected Quinn's choices, and was proud that she was an independent woman who decided what to do with her body, and blah blah blah, all that other garbage, but… it had been tough these past almost-six months. Tough to cool his jets whenever they were making out. He hated having to relive that moment when he'd hit the postman with his mom's car, just because that was the only thing that stopped him pulling the trigger.

The last time he had to do that was when he and Rachel were in the auditorium the other day and…

"No," he said, aloud, "No, Finn, you swore you weren't going to think about that. You're here to meet Quinn, not Rachel. Get your head in the game."

He eased the locker room door shut behind him. Most of the lights were off. He stood still. Dead still. Squinting into the gloom, ears straining to pick up any sound.

There was… something. But it was distant, and he couldn't make it out.

He was hesitant to investigate further until he was sure the place was empty. He took a couple of hesitant steps inside. The first thing that struck him was how nice the place smelled. Not like the guys' locker room. At all!

Also, everything was, like, packed away! No dirty towels and spare weights and socks littering the floor like the aftermath of Jockstrap Hiroshima. Instead, spare Cheerios uniforms hung neatly on pegs. Their equipment; batons, pom-poms, those modified confetti canons Coach Sylvester had ordered from the Israeli army, were all stacked according to frequent use in specially designed cabinets.

It was kinda freaking him out.

He didn't even realise he'd entered the room fully, stopping to examine a bucket of soapy water and a mop in the corner like a scientist studying an alien species, until he picked up the noise he'd heard when he first entered.

It was the distinctive hiss of a shower.

Finn stopped dead in his tracks. Why would anyone be in the…?

He almost fainted.

Quinn was in the shower. Quinn was in the shower. Quinn was in the shower!

That meant she was… oh, sweet Jesus… naked!

He realised it must have been her plan all along. Why else would she ask him to meet her here this time of night? Granted, the locker room wasn't the spot he'd imagined for their first time, but who was he to argue?

Quick as a flash he had his shirt off, as he strode through the banks of lockers, headed for the showers in the next room. He tugged off his shoes. The socks went next. He had some difficulty with his pants, because he kept walking while trying to take them off, and almost stumbled head first into a bench. He managed to regain his balance as he reached the doorway.

A rush of steam hit him in the face, and brought with it a hint of apple shampoo. Finn grinned, and yanked off his boxers. He stepped into the room.

She must have been having an epic shower, because the room was so full of steam he couldn't even see what stall she was in. Obviously, she couldn't hear or see him. He padded inside.

He'd just located the running shower, when she started singing.

"Dear diary…

Today I saw that boy.

And I wondered if he noticed me,

He took my breath away…"

Finn's breath stopped too. It seemed like the whole world came to a halt. Because that wasn't Quinn's voice.

"Dear diary…

I can't get him off my mind.

And it scares me, coz

I've never felt this way…"

It was Rachel.

He'd only known her for like a month – through Glee – but he knew, somehow he just knew that he'd recognize her voice if there were canons going off around him.

"No one in this world,

Knows better than you do.

So, diary…

I'll confide in you."

He didn't recognize the song. But then… he didn't have to. The feeling behind it inched into his soul. There was a longing in her voice, laced with unspoken sadness, that actually – against all logic – seemed to slow his heart rate.

Suddenly, all he knew, and all that mattered, was the song.

"Dear diary,

Today I saw that boy.

As he walked by,

I thought he smiled at me."

He could see her now, faintly through the warm mist. She was standing with her back to the gushing jet of water, her head tilted back slightly as she rinsed her raven-kissed hair. Her eyes were closed.

She was as lost in the music as he was.

"And I wondered,

Does he know what's in my heart?

I tried to smile,

But I could hardly breathe."

Little rivulets ran down her cheeks, so it looked like she was crying. From the aching tone of her voice, Finn couldn't be sure there weren't real tears mixed in there as well.

He had the urge to gently wipe them away. Forever.

"Should I tell him how I feel?

Or would that scare him away?

Oh, diary, tell me what to do.

Please tell me what to say."

He was moving closer. He wasn't aware of this. He wasn't aware of anything.

If Finn had ever paid attention in class, he might have been reminded about that story in the Iliad, where the sailors are lured to their doom by a siren's song.

Only this didn't feel like doom.

It felt like… something else.

"Dear diary,

One touch of his hand…

No, I can't wait,

To see that boy again."

Finn opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. It was like a spell. She'd stolen his voice, his reason, his… everything.

"He smiled, and I thought my heart could fly.

Diary, do you think that we'll be more than friends?

I've got a feeling we'll be so much more… than friends…"

She trailed off, humming softly to herself as she finished rinsing her hair. It sounded more like a purr than anything else, and Finn felt something… stirring.

It was a slap back to reality.

Suddenly, he remembered he was very naked, and, at the same time, very… excited.

He choked. It must have come out as a strangled cry, because Rachel opened her eyes. She saw him, and screamed.

Finn screamed back.

Her voice rose to a shriek, and his became a squeal.

He turned to flee, and slipped on the damp floor. He skidded for a few seconds, like the Roadrunner did in those old cartoons; legs pumping furiously, but going nowhere, before he finally gained some purchase and skidded out the door, landing flat on his face.

He was up again in an instant, grabbing his boxers and tugging them on, as Rachel's distressed cries followed him back out into the locker room. He found his pants and his shirt, but for the life of him he couldn't remember where he'd discarded his shoes and socks.

"The hell with it!" Finn swore aloud, and blasted out into the hall barefoot.

He pulled on the shirt as he ran down the darkened hallway. He was still damp from the steam in the shower, and the chill autumn air hit him like a blow when he dashed outside.

But it didn't slow him down.

He spotted his car across the deserted parking lot and hustled toward it, ignoring the tarmac cutting into the soles of his feet.

"Finn?"

For the second time in mere minutes, he squealed. He put on the brakes, sharp stones digging into soft flesh, and squealed again. He whipped his head to the right, where the voice had come from.

"Quinn?"

"Where are you going?"

She was still wearing her Cheerios uniform, but had added a pink sweater in deference to the weather.

"I… I, uh…."

Finn couldn't get his breathing under control. Or his thoughts. All he could see was the outline of Rachel's petite body, being cascaded by the hot water. All he could hear was the pleading in her gorgeous voice as she sang.

"I'm sorry I'm late," said Quinn, "Coach sent me on an errand at the last minute. But you don't have to run away. I thought we were going to talk."

"Talk?"

"Yes, there's… something I need to tell you," she seemed inexplicably nervous all of a sudden, "It's… it's about Puck, and–"

"I'm sorry, Quinn," he cut her off, "But can we do this another time?"

"Why?"

"I just… I have to go, okay?"

"But–"

"See ya!"

He didn't give her a chance to finish. Instead, he dashed the last few yards to his car and wrenched open the door.

"Finn!" she called after him, "Come back here! And why aren't you wearing shoes?"

Ignoring her, Finn jumped in and gunned the engine. He caught a flash of her stunned face in his headlights as he took off, tyres smoking.

On any other day, he wouldn't be able to sleep knowing he'd upset Quinn.

But he knew there'd be something else keeping him from slumber tonight.

And that something, was Rachel Berry.

.

.

.

A/N: For anyone interested, the song Rachel's singing is Dear Diary by Britney Spears, off the Baby, One More Time album. Give it a listen. It's beautiful.