They have dinner reservations at Breadstix later and then the glee club New Year's Eve party at Mercedes' house, and maybe...maybe something more after that, something really really special, if she can safely sneak him into her bedroom later without alerting her fathers.
He's still got that condom in his wallet and he thinks they might be ready to use it.
But right now they're on their way to the cemetery. Real festive.
Rachel clutches a handful of white daisies on her lap and gives him a brave smile. He forces one back but the truth is he's kind of freaking out right now. This is the same cemetery where Rachel, that other Rachel, was buried. He can't shake that memory, much as he'd like to.
He told her about it, that other place, told her everything he dreamed about – or lived through. He thought she'd call him totally fucking nuts and laugh at him. But she didn't. She cried. She cried because she was sad for him, sad that he was so scared and alone there. Sometimes he dreams about it – her grave - and then he has to call her when he wakes up to make sure she's still alive, to make sure he's still in the right place. And now, she reaches out and rests her hand on his leg, reminding him again that she's here, right here.
Their first visit at the cemetery is to a spot he knows well - his father's grave. He kneels down in the snow and clears off his headstone, running his fingers over the name - Christopher Hudson. Rachel kneels down beside him, getting the knees of her tights wet, but she doesn't seem to mind. She places half of the white daisies on the stone and then takes his hand.
"Dad? This is Rachel. Rachel Berry. I thought you two should finally get to meet."
"Hi, Mr. Hudson," she says, clutching his hand tighter, her eyes leaking tears but her smile warm for the cold grave. "I'm in love with your son. He's a remarkable person and I know you'd be very proud of him."
Their second visit requires a map, hand-drawn and approximate, and a fair bit of searching. By the time they find it and clear all the snow off, the sky is a sea of red, orange, pink and purple, the sun setting over the woods to the west. And it's so quiet, he can hear the bells tolling in the bell tower at St. Monica's church, all the way across town. The sky and the bells cast a peaceful spell over this lonely place and it doesn't seem so scary, not with Rachel's hand gripping his, but at the same time it doesn't feel like that other place is very far away right now. If he glances over his shoulder, will he see a little white mail truck idling nearby? He thinks that other place will never really leave him.
Rachel places the rest of the white daisies on the stone and they stand there quietly, looking at the grave, listening to the bells.
"Rachel, this is Clarence."
THE END.
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