"And you believed her?" Rachel shot Finn a wide-eyed look. It was a week later and the two were in Finn's family room, waiting for Mrs. Hudson to return home from work so that they could interview her for their project. They had interviewed Rachel's dads two days before. Finn had been anxious and not sure what to call them (Mr. and Mr. Berry? Their first names? The latter didn't seem right). Rachel noticed his nervousness on the walk home and Finn finally admitted that he had never been in the company of two gay men before and what should he call them and what if he did something wrong? Rachel giggled (Finn was beginning to love the sound of her musical laugh) and did her best to calm his nerves.

"Call them Mr. and Mr. Berry, Finn," she had said. "Just treat them how you would treat your girlfriend's parents. But just so you know, I've told them everything about you… your jock friends…" At the alarmed look in his eyes, her eyes had sparkled as she told him that she was "just kidding" and that "everything would be just fine."

And everything was just fine. Rachel's dads had greeted Finn with a firm handshake, which he returned a bit uneasily (what if Rachel really had told her parents about how his friends threw slushies on her and he didn't do anything to stop it? Didn't that put him just as much at fault as his dumbass friends?). Finn warmed up quickly, though, especially when Mr. Berry (the short one Rachel called "daddy") asked him about football and if he thought McKinley could win this Friday (not likely, they were playing Carmel). The interview flew by, and soon enough he was saying goodbye to Rachel's dads and Rachel was walking him to the door, after making plans to interview Finn's mother later that week.

Which is where they were now.

Finn had just finished telling Rachel about Quinn, who had had a pregnancy scare a few weeks ago and had told Finn that it was his baby because they had been kissing fully-clothed in the hot tub. Finn had believed her until his mother, who had noticed his strange behavior, cornered him one evening after football practice and Finn let out the whole sordid tale. His mother did not laugh. She told Finn that that was not possible, rented a book about conception for Finn to read (that was embarrassing), and then Quinn turned out not to be pregnant anyway.

Rachel didn't laugh when he admitted that yes, he had believed that he could get his girlfriend pregnant in that way. That was one of the (many) traits Finn was becoming to appreciate about Rachel. Unlike his girlfriend who constantly insulted him, Rachel did nothing of the sort. Rather, she encouraged him; when Finn threw down his pencil in disgust one afternoon earlier that week because he didn't understand how to conjugate a verb in Spanish (they were taking a break from their project to finish the Spanish homework, another class they shared), Rachel had patiently explained the process to him, high fiving him when he finally understood. She had the ability to make him feel good, like he was something more than just a too-tall football player with a pea-sized brain.

In the middle of their conversation, the door opened and Finn jumped off the couch to greet his mother.

"Mom!" Finn gave his mother a hug as she set her purse on the kitchen table.

"And who is this?" Carole Hudson asked her son, peering around him to see a brunette girl enter the kitchen, a slight smile on her face.

"Oh! Mom, this is Rachel Berry, my partner for the project," Finn introduced, stepping back to allow Rachel further into the room.

"Rachel! I do remember you! You were so young the last time I saw you…" Finn's mother smiled at Rachel, who extended her hand for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hudson." Rachel said promptly, as if she had practiced (she probably had, Finn thought).

"Please, call me Carole," Mrs. Hudson corrected, ignoring the handshake and instead embracing Rachel, who seemed a bit caught off guard but returned the warm hug.

She's pretty, Mrs. Hudson mouthed to her son, who stifled a laugh. His mother had never much liked Quinn. Finn managed to corral the two women into the living room, where his mother sat in his father's recliner and Rachel took a seat on the couch next to Finn, opening her notebook to the predetermined questions. For the next half hour they alternated asking questions. After the final question had been asked and Rachel had thanked Mrs. Hudson for her time, Finn's mother invited Rachel to stay for dinner. Rachel accepted, as her dads were out of town on a business trip. As Mrs. Hudson bustled around the kitchen, Finn and Rachel retreated to Finn's room to put together their presentation.

Rachel really liked Finn's mother. For as long as she could remember, Rachel had always wondered what having a mother would be like. Though her two fathers supplied her with all the love and support she could ever need and Rachel had never wished for anything more, she thought about her mother quite frequently, especially as she grew older. There were some things you just couldn't talk to your dads about.

Meeting Finn's mother, who was warm and open and treated Rachel like a real person and not as a nuisance (even Rachel had to admit that her personality could be grating), gave Rachel a sense of comfort. Mrs. Hudson cared about her son, that much was evident.

Watching Finn meet her dads earlier that week had been hilarious. He had been so nervous, Rachel had almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

She told him that she had told her dads about the slushies, but in reality her dads didn't have a clue about what went on at school. It was funny to see him sweat, though.

Her dads had liked him. They found his demeanor amusing (he really had been nervous), but they told her after that he was a nice guy, and she should bring him around more often.

"It's only for a project, daddy," Rachel had told the shorter man when he had mentioned that he would like to see Finn more often. "In a week it will be over."

She couldn't help the way her chest constricted when she stated that aloud, as if saying it made it a finality that they only had one more week to spend together on this project.

Rachel brought herself back to the present as she and Finn entered his bedroom. Cowboy wallpaper covered the walls and video games littered the floor. The cowboy wallpaper lended some boyish immaturity to the room, Rachel thought, thinking about Finn as a child playing in this room. She stopped in front of his bed as he plopped down on it with no preamble; she wasn't quite sure what to do, so she stood in front of him.

"I think we've got something good here." Rachel stated, tapping the notebook with her pencil importantly. She had been pleasantly surprised with Finn's ambition throughout the project.

(She also liked spending time with him, though she would never admit that).

Slowly, Finn was breaking down her walls. Earning her trust. Becoming a friend. (A friend).

Rachel had never had a friend before.

Finn sat on his bed and pulled the brunette down next to him. She opened the notebook to cover both their laps and together they pored over the pages, picking out bits and pieces that they wanted to emphasize in their presentation.

"Your mom is really nice, " Rachel announced, tearing her focus from the notebook to address Finn. Finn smiled as he met her eyes.

"My mom is the most important person in my life." Finn stated, rather simply. It was the truth, after all.

"And," he grinned, "I can tell she really likes you. She never asks Quinn to stay for dinner."

He didn't miss the slight flush that colored Rachel's cheeks. Rachel was fast becoming a friend, and Finn knew that though she played the part of the indestructible girl on the outside, she was terribly insecure and had probably never had a real friend in her life.

Finn knew he had a lot of work to do. He was earning her trust, and in the process, learning a lot about the elusive Rachel Berry.

And what he was seeing, he liked.

Maybe a bit too much.

And that scared him.

Rachel couldn't believe she was sitting on a boy's bed. Finn's bed. Where he slept. Opening the notebook, she placed it over both their laps (she couldn't help noticing that it covered both, a testament to how close they were sitting). After a bout of silence, Rachel felt as if she needed to say something to clear the air. Talking about Mrs. Hudson was easy, and Finn was receptive. She blushed when Finn told her that his mother liked her and hoped he didn't notice.

Ten minutes later, Mrs. Hudson called the two teenagers to dinner. Finn's mother had made a wonderful meal and Rachel had taken care to thank her profusely, offering to help with the dishes, which she refused with a "oh no, dear, you're our guest! Next time, though, I'll take you up on the offer."

Next time. Mrs. Hudson (Carole?) wanted her to come back again. Rachel really liked Mrs. Hudson. She was warm, inviting, and was everything Rachel envisioned her own mother as, Minus the performing ability. Rachel didn't know if Mrs. Hudson could sing, but in her mind her own mother was a top notch performer on Broadway, the epitome of what Rachel herself would become.

Mrs. Hudson gave Rachel another hug before she left, whispering in Rachel's ear that she was welcome to come back anytime.

After the door closed behind Rachel, Finn's mother turned to her son and gave him a knowing look.

"Such a sweet girl!" She proclaimed, as Finn attempted to make a hasty exit from the kitchen.

"You know, she's the type of girl I always wished you would date," Mrs. Hudson continued, earning a pointed look from her son.

"I have a girlfriend, mom," Finn said plainly. It was no secret that his mother was not fully supportive of the relationship between Finn and his girlfriend.

"And Quinn is perfectly fine." His mother gave Finn a half smile.

"I just want you to be happy, Finn. If Quinn makes you happy, then that's okay with me." She gave her son a pat on the arm before exiting the kitchen, leaving Finn alone with his thoughts.

Quinn is always putting me down.

I can never do anything right around her.

Rachel makes me feel like I can do anything.

…Do I like Rachel?

Oh shit.

Halfway done!

Next chapter: Finn has to make A Big Decision regarding his girlfriend; Rachel and Finn's shared passion for music is revealed.

I love hearing your feedback! Please keep it coming!