Hey guys this is chapter three! and lemme tell you, before you question Rachel's sanity in this chapter, just hold your judgement until the next chapter, when you hear her explanation:) enjoy!
Chapter Three:
Don't You Trust Me
Four Days Later
The clatter of footsteps can be hard from downstairs, and Finn bolts upright from his blanket on the concrete floor. He snaps his head towards Rachel's usual spot beside him, his heart tightening at the sight of empty sheets. A stifled groan sounds again from below him, and he quickly gets to his feet. "Puck? Rachel?" he calls, shivers of fear running down his back when he didn't receive a response.
He quietly walks out of their room, his bare feet slapping against the broken wood of the warehouse. He stalks towards the direction of Puck's occasional sleeping spot. "Puck?" he whispers when he see's him under the thin blanket of wool. He bends down to the sleeping man, shaking his shoulders. Puck moans in his haze, waving his finger towards Finn.
Finn rolls his eyes and shakes him harder. "Puck, get up," he hisses, "I think I heard something."
Shuffles of footsteps echo throughout the room and Puck unexpectedly jumps from his position on the floor. He pushes past Finn as he runs towards the unstable staircase, trembling down them effortlessly. Finn follows behind him, running down the steps just as mindlessly as he was.
"Rachel?" Puck yells, searching through the bareness of the bottom floor. He rummages through the useless objects around him, pausing when a soft squeak can be heard from behind them. Finn whips around, staring in shock at the sight of Rachel, her eyes darkened with makeup, her hair loose and wavy upon her half-exposed body.
Finn looks at her in surprise, her slim form pressing together in an attempt to cover herself. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Puck growls, walking towards her and clutching her tightly by the forearm. "I swear, if you're about to - "
"What do you expect me to do? We're running out of food, there's nothing else we can do," Rachel spits back. She rips her arm out of his grip, backing up into the direction she came from. "I don't care what you think, me and the girls are going to work."
Finn and Puck follow her into the tight room at the back of the small warehouse, makeup and bowls of water scattering across the floor. He stands at the doorframe, his eyes analyzing Quinn and Tina as they pamper cosmetics on their face, dressed in the same clothing. He watches cautiously as Puck's fists clench in frustration, his eyes piercing as Rachel fixes her hair in a smashed mirror.
His suspicions are confirmed as Puck lunges forward, and Finn moves quickly, trapping his body between them. Puck slams into his body but he stays secure, and multiple gasps fill the room. Rachel's hands press against his back in shock, her eyes wide as she stares up at her cousin. "Are you fucking insane? It was dangerous before the military left, you'll get killed!"
Finn carefully places his hands on Puck's shoulders. "Puck, you need to calm down," he breathes. The man in front of him burns with rage, and he slaps his hands off of his body. Finn stands his guard, staying in front of Rachel protectively as Puck stares at her with livid eyes.
"Don't you remember what happened to Mercedes?"
Rachel stiffens at the sudden mention of her name, and she tenses behind Finn. "Mercedes was being reckless," she whispers brokenly, and he wishes he could see her face, what her expression is formed into. She places her hand on top of Finn's as she slides from behind him, standing beside him as she looks up at Puck. "I know better Noah, you know that," she reassures him.
It doesn't work, because Puck snorts in disgust. "He stabbed her Rachel, I am not letting you take that risk."
Finn bulks, his expression growing rigid with coldness as he turns to her. "He stabbed her? Who? What do you work as?" he questions, his words coming out in a mixture of anger and concern. Now he can't really blame Puck that much, because if this 'job' means putting Rachel, or any of the girls in danger, he doesn't know what he'll do.
Rachel turns to look at Quinn and Tina, gulping harshly. "Quinn, Tina and I . . . we, we go to the bar and we . . . benefit the men there. For money of course."
Finn freezes. "You sell yourselves?" he presses, his teeth gritting together. Rachel says nothing, confirming his question and he shakes his head in bewilderment. "I'm with Puck on this one, you're not going."
Quinn steps forward, her hands placed roughly on her bare hips. "I'm sorry Finn, but if you want to eat for the next few weeks, I suggest you let us go. It's how we've been surviving these past few months, the men pay as good as it gets."
Finn looks between the three girls and Puck, watching as each of their expressions harden at the other's arguments. They would sneak out anyways, as soon as they leave them alone, they would run away. He sighs in defeat, turning towards Rachel with concerned filled eyes. "We'll come with you."
"What?" Rachel screeches, her foot stomping against the floor. She narrows her eyes stubbornly, pointing an accusing finger at Puck. "No, when Noah came once, they kicked him out because there wasn't enough for him! We're lucky they just made him leave instead of shooting him right there. You heard what I said last week Finn, Lima is spiraling into hell, and people will die and if they don't get what they want."
Finn shakes her head before she can even finish. He walks closer to her, placing his hands on either side of her flaming face. "You girls are the some of the only people I have left Rachel, I'd be damned if I let you go out and get yourselves killed," he whispers, leaning forwards. By the shock caked on her face, he knows his affection surprised her, and it surprised him too actually. He feels a little bold and drops his forehead against hers, exhaling deeply. "Please, let us come, I won't stand it if I loose anyone else."
Rachel blinks heavily, her eyelashes flapping against the skin of her cheek, and it seems to be working. She gulps harshly, nodding her head against his. "Okay," she agrees, pulling away from him, she looks to Quinn and Tina. "Try to distract the men okay? Don't let them notice Finn and Noah," she instructs. They nod in understanding.
"Come on," she mumbles to Finn, taking his hand in hers, "let's go before the rest of the boys wake up . . . they would never allow us to leave with just you two, especially Mike and Blaine," she explained. Turning to look at Puck, she nods in confidence. "I'll be fine okay Noah? Nothing will happen, and once we get the money, we'll finally get to get new food."
Puck frowns, as he grabs Quinn and Tina's hands, bringing them from the tense atmosphere. Rachel sighs in frustration, as Finn turns towards her. "Don't worry, I'll make sure no one hurts you," he vows. Her lips part slightly at his commitment, as their eyes lock together in a gaze that promised everything. Her brown depths sink into his, and he can't seem to look away even if he wanted to. Still gazing, she simply nods her head. "Thank you Finn," she whispers. Finn forces her a reassuring, tugging on their intertwined hands.
They meet Puck, Quinn and Tina outside of the abandoned warehouse, their expressions set in longing. Puck turns towards them, his arms strongly crossed over his chest. Rachel sighs heavily at him, shaking her head before he can open his mouth to protest. "I'll be fine Noah, you'll thank me once we get the money okay?"
Puck looks away from them, holding Quinn close to him. "Follow behind," he tells them, leading Quinn and Tina in front of him. Rachel sighs heavily, as Finn squeezes her hand in comfort. She smiles weakly at him, letting him pull her forward in Puck's knowing direction.
They set out into the quiet streets of the night, and Finn hasn't been in this part of Lima before. Everything is silent except for the click of shoes, and snickers coming from dirty men. He pulls Rachel closer to him as they pass by a group of bystanders, ducking their heads as they walk. They send out howls of interest, and one man even attempts to lick a horny tongue on Quinn's bare shoulder.
Puck rips her away from the contact, and Rachel notices the distress in her cousins eyes as he stares at the men. "Puck," she pleads when he stops in his tracks, his fist closing in. She steps forward, and touches his hand, smoothing out his fingers. He breathes out heavily, looking down in thought before continuing to walk the rest of the distance towards their destination.
Finn's mind swirls around his surroundings, staring at the tempting men with a glint of fear in his eyes. Is this really what Lima has become?
"Come on," Rachel tugs, bringing him to the small building in front of them. He looks it up and down, arching an eyebrow at the low bass of the music. Rachel eyes his skepticism, distracting his thoughts as she pulls him to the side of the building, where the rest of the group is.
"Alright," Tina whispers, looking at the two boys, "remember, sit in the back, and don't bid on anything, don't even try to look at us that much. If the older men see your wandering eyes, they'd see you as competition for us and we don't need another death." She stares at Puck and Finn, analyzing their solid expressions.
Finn turns to look at Puck, who is rocking back and forth on his heels. "Just letting you know though, we see one fucking thing go wrong, and I don't care who gets shot, we're pulling you out, and I'll never allow you to come back again," he hisses. His eyes set on Finn, who nods his head eagerly in agreement.
"Now come on, I don't want you three to be here that late, that's when the worse men start to come," he tells them, pushing them towards the building. "Go on, we'll be right behind you."
Rachel smiles in reassurance, walking closely beside Tina and Quinn as they strut towards the entrance of the building, their bodies swaying seductively. "I want you to keep an eye on Rachel," Puck mumbles to Finn, who was staring after their retreating forms. "She'll do anything to get money and keep us safe, just make sure she doesn't walk away with anyone suspicious alright?"
Finn nods in understanding. "Yeah, sure, of course," he stammers out. He takes a step forward, following the direction to the front door of the building, Puck brushing by his shoulder. He reaches forward, grabbing the knob of the door and swinging it open, revealing the inside of the mysterious building in front of them.
Men troll past Finn as he steps inside, staring incredulously at the scenery. Lights hang from sides of the bar, giving the room an unfamiliar glow. A bar full with scattered and drunken men were set to the side, sending unwanted chills down Finn's spine. Separate rooms with curtains surrounding them are placed at each corner of the building. Finn gulps harshly as he watches Tina drag a stranger into one of them, closing the curtains around them, disappearing from his sight.
He steps forward, only to be pulled back by Puck. "Stay back here," he warns, leaning against the wooden wall. He nods in understanding, his eyes searching for any hint of Rachel or Quinn in the room.
"Do you see any of them?" Puck asks, who's craning his neck to get a better look. Finn shakes his head, his lips slightly parted in concentration. He scans the back of the building, his blood thickening when he notices a large and stubby man running a slender finger down a girl's leg.
Rachel's leg.
"There," he hisses to Puck, tilting his head to the scene across from them. "Rachel's at the back."
He witnesses Rachel twirl against the man's side, and he smugly grabs her by the arms. She's got her dazzling smile plastered on her face as the man talks to her, his free hand rubbing against the side of her face. He hates how he gets to touch her like that. "Men like Rachel the best here," Puck tells him, "she's got a killer voice, and I'm sure you know why they like that about her." The comment makes him burn with anger, and he continues to watch the scene between them. There is no way he's letting her out of his sight with creeps like him.
"I'm going to look for Quinn, stay here," Puck grumbles lowly in his ear. Finn nods without looking at him, his eyes cast on Rachel and her customer suspiciously. He feels Puck leave his side, and he feels momentarily vulnerable, surrounded by thugs and older men in the club. His personal problems are soon forgotten when he watches Rachel's smile wipe from her face, a frown of fear replacing it.
The man's grip on her tightens, and he see's Rachel nod. Finn leans forward, trying to get a better sense of what's happening, when the man begins to pull Rachel towards the exit doors at the back. He moves on autopilot, brushing by the crowds of men without care. He pushes by some fearlessly, the only thing on his mind Rachel and her safety.
His hands extend to his destination, and he pushes the back doors open lightly, closing it with a small click. He turns around, the exterior of a dark alley in front of him.
"Finn!"
He barely has time to register where Rachel's voice is coming from before he feels an elbow make contact with his neck, and he falls to concrete ground harshly. His skin bubbles with pain, and he cups it, the sound of a sinister laugh faint in the background. "Stupid fuck," the man coughs, and Finn struggles to clear his blurry vision. He turns his head, ignoring the blazing pain that courses through him, and finds himself looking into the eyes of a shivering Rachel, gripped tightly by the man in the bar.
The man who assaulted him.
"You should know now to come to these things," the man slurs, pointing a finger at him, "if you just let me go with this young lady then I wouldn't have to kill you. You see," he crouches down beside him, pushing Rachel to the side. He watches cautiously as she backs away from the scene, hiding in the shadows of the night. "I'm a smart man, and what I do, is that I come to these things, and instead of paying for it, I steal the woman, right? You following me here? And once I have the woman, I'm the one who starts to sell them, and I'm the one who gets the money. Smart right?"
Finn stares at him in pure disgust, and when he doesn't answer, the man simply smiles sweetly, sending his foot into the side of his core. Finn groans out in extreme pain, clutching his stomach and only one thought occurs to him when he realizes he's about to die:
He really hopes Rachel survives this war.
A loud scream echoes throughout the night as a large brick cracks against the man's head above him. Finn gasps in horror as he witnesses air slowly leave him, his eyes rolling back. He stumbles slightly on his feet, and his knees buck together weekly. His smirk disappears, and he collapses forwards, in the direction of Finn's frame below.
Finn bulks, rolling to the side as the man's motionless body crashes beside him, vibrating the silent alley. His eyes trail upwards, focusing on Rachel's shaking form, the brick falling from her clenched hands.
Their eyes lock, and he can see the glint of anxiety piercing through her brown depths. She steps towards him, and bends forward to lend her hand to Finn. He takes it, grunting in displeasure as she helps him up from the concrete. Staring at her, he knows it shouldn't be long before she breaks.
"Is he dead?" she stammers, refusing to look at the body in front of her. Finn analyzes the man's broken form - he was definitely dead.
"No," he lies easily, "he's just unconscious." Rachel nods at the relief of his statement, linking her shaking hands together. Her lips tremble endlessly as he attempts to keep in the sobs threatening to explode from her. He places his hand on her shoulder, and that's when the flood gates open.
A broken cry escapes from her throat and he pulls Rachel into the security of his arms, his hands locking around his waist. Her body immediately melts into, silent tears leaking from her eyes as he refuses to let out another sob of weakness. She presses herself tightly against him, her fingers gripping the hem of his shirt. Finn cooes her softly, running a hand through her tangled hair.
"It's okay, you're safe, it's okay."
He hates the way his heart clenches at the known lie.
I love me some Finchel.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, next one will be up a bit later since I am on vacation. Though I hope this chapter will satisfy you before I update:)
Before I go though, I would like to send my condolences to the victims and their families of the Colorado shooting. Such terrible and heartbreaking news, and I praise God is with them and the community in this difficult time. America is strong, they will get through this.
Please read and review:) Until next time...
