A/N: Don't hate me! I'm sooo sorry for taking so long to update. I feel terrible, really. School is just really tough and I've been having issues with balancing my extra curriculars and stuff. But, excuses aside, here it is! Chapter 7! Please read, and if you enjoy, review. :) I really appreciate all of the kind words and all of the people who have subscribed to recieve Story Alerts! It means a lot to me, really. And just wait until you guys read the one shot I'm working on. It's like all my OTPs in one. :') I'm really looking forward to it. Love you guys!


Today is the day: Sectionals. Never have I been so nervous before a competition. I've been up all night, thinking. Partly thinking of my solo, but I couldn't keep my mind off of Ana's probable reactions to our performance. What if she didn't like it? She likes my jock side, you know? She likes it that I'm tall and strong and athletic. What if she sees me on stage and thinks I'm a fruit? That'd suck. Then she'd dump me and I'd be back to square one, all alone. She'd move on to someone better, someone smarter, and it'd be like Rachel, all over again.

She would never do that. She loves me! She said so. And I love her. And our love is one for the ages.

I check my phone, as per usual when I get up, and to my surprise, I have a bunch of new messages.

(3) New Messages from Rachel

(1) New Message from Ana

(1) New Message from Mr. Schue

(1) New Message from Puckerman

4:00am

Rachel: New Directions Members! Remember to be at McKinley at 11am sharp for a last minute rehearsal! Come earlier if you want to hear my outstanding duet with Jesse33333 Rehearsal will end around 1, then we break for lunch and to get ready… the bus will leave McKinley at 3! –RB*

Rachel: Finn, Jesse and I will be there earlier and Mr. Schuester said that you should be too so we can all perfect our solos and duets. –RB*

Rachel: By earlier I mean 10am, more or less. –RB*

6:00am

Ana: Good morning, hon! Just wanted to be the first one to text you this morning. :) I love you so much and I'm so proud of you, no matter what happens today. 3 Call me when you get up!

7:25am

Mr. Schue: Rehearsal 10 30 in the auditorium

7:30am

Puckerman: do we seriously have to wear the neon socks? really? who let jesses st. moron pick our outfits?

Before hopping in the shower, because it's 9am and I, apparently had to be at school in an hour and a half, I pick up my phone and call my girlfriend (that feels so good to say).

"Hey!" She said, excitedly.

"Hey," I said, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"Did you just wake up?" She was eating something. Her mouth was full.

"M-hmm," I mumbled.

"I'm on my way! I can't wait until 3 to see you! What are you going to do?"

"Uh, shower I think."

The line went dead. Maybe the call dropped. My phone's been kind of weird lately, anyways. I went to the kitchen to find a note from my mom on the refrigerator saying she'd be back later that night… weird. I don't even want to know. I unlocked the back door and texted Ana to come through there if she got there when I was in the shower.

As I made my way to the bathroom, I push open Kurt's bedroom door, and he isn't there either. Weird.

Where is everyone?

Whatever.

I took off my jammies and turned on the shower before stepping in. I let the warm water run down my back and wet my hair. I start to think about yesterday, when we were in the car, and we were both wet, and my truck was warm, and god. Suddenly I hear the bathroom door open,

"Helllooo?" She says, and I chuckle. "How's my rockstar doing?"

"Hey," I stuck my head out of the shower curtain and gave her a wet kiss on the lips. After pulling away, her eyes danced with mine, and I cleared my throat.

"Oh my goodness, Finn… you're like, naked right now," she said, turning around, and laughing.

"Would you like to join me?"

She smirked, "No thanks, I showered already."

"Come on!"

"I'll pass," she said, making her way out of the bathroom, her hips swaying from side to side. She's such a tease. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes!"

"Pancakes it is!"

I smile to myself, because when we're married in a few years, I can imagine this same exact scenario.


Finn gets nervous when Ana drops him off at his rehearsal. Well, even more nervous. He walks through the auditorium door and sees Rachel pacing back and forth frantically.

"It'll be fine, Rachel," said Mr. Schue, "I'm sure someone can do Jesse's part… it'll be okay."

"No! It won't be okay! No one else knows his part! What am I supposed to do? I mean, I can sing two part harmonies by myself, because I've done countless duets with myself, but I haven't practiced this one at all! And the shows in just a couple of hours and and – "

"What's all the fuss?" Finn said, climbing the auditorium steps.

"It's Jesse! He's sick and he can't come! He says he can't even get out of bed!" Rachel kept on with her tangent about how they were going to lose, and how everyone was going to blame her (like always).

"She's been at this for hours," whispered Mr. Schue. "But, to be honest, I'm a little nervous, too. We were really counting on Jesse to win."

Finn sighed loudly. How was he going to face Ana if he didn't win that trophy? The New Directions had won Sectionals before. "So what are we gonna do?"

"I don't – wait… wait one second. Finn! You could do Jesse's part. You know the song right? I mean, it's so obvious… Rachel! Finn will do Jesse's part."

Rachel, who threw herself on the ground in a dramatic tantrum, suddenly looked up, "You will?" she shrieked.

Finn was confused. What just happened? He never said yes. He just wanted to focus on his solo. On the solo he had been working on for the past two weeks for his girlfriend. He didn't want to have a whole other performance on his shoulders.

But then again, he was a leader. Even if Jesse did get most of the male lead solos, he was determined to showcase how much of a leader he truly was, even if he was simply the last-minute understudy.

"Yeah – I'll do it. I'll – I'll do it!" He said, and Rachel tackled him before he could finish.

It had been a while since she had hugged him. When she pulled back, she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked to the floor awkwardly. "Let's get practicing then!" She said, and they began rehearsing "A Little Fall of Rain" from Les Miserables. It was obvious that Jesse and Rachel had picked this one for themselves, because if it was for Finn, he would have opted for something a little more rock n' roll, but who was he to judge?

He learned the part, like the good sport he is, and before he knew it, rehearsal was over. He was a little more nervous now, because of the new song, but everyone was super supportive, so he was feeling alright. Plus, he didn't really have to do much because his main job was to make sure that Rachel could shine.

It was 4:30pm and the New Directions were up next.

Finn would go first with his solo, then his duet with Rachel, and then there would be a big group number, where Artie and Mercedes would sing most of it. Two-thirds of their performance depended on Finn, and he couldn't be any more nervous. He just focused on the fact that Ana loved him no matter what happened. This was for her, though, and he wanted to get it perfect.

The announcer called out the Glee Club's name, and Finn stepped out on stage, a single spotlight surrounding him. He gripped the lone microphone and waited for Puckerman and Sam to begin the music on their guitars… "Angel" by Jack Johnson.

"I've got an angel, she doesn't wear any wings. She wears a heart that could melt my own, she wears a smile that could make me wanna sing. She gives me presents with her presence alone…"

And he nailed it.

And the crowd went wild.

And when he looked into the audience there she was, jumping up and down, smiling from ear-to-ear. His tutor. His girlfriend. His angel. Ana.


I don't like to brag, but I totally killed that song. I knew all the practice would turn out for the better. I really hope she liked it. Now, it's time for the duet.

It's funny, 'cause when you're performing, you don't really think of the audience. You just think of doing a good job and – if you're singing to someone – you think of that person, mostly. When I was singing my song, I was just trying to picture Ana and all the times we've spent together. But when I'm singing my duet with Rachel, and she comes out on the stage in her light pink dress that all the other girls had to wear, and with her hair swept away from her face, suddenly I forget about Ana, and I see Rachel.

I don't see anyone else.

I start to miss her again,

To remember how amazing it felt to sing with her,

To remember how she fit perfectly in my arms when we hugged,

To remember I had feelings for her.

She sings the song and I sing with her.

Answering when I'm supposed to. Making sure not to ruin it for her. Her eyes gleam when she's performing.

I had forgotten about that.

We finish the song and the rest of the club joins us on stage for the last number. I try to remember the choreography but I mostly just sway in the back, trying to get my thoughts straight. I had come to this competition thinking of Ana, my one and only. The girl who came into my life, shook me up, and made me a better man. But then I start to think about Rachel. The girl whose ambitions are what attract me the most, whose lips I've longed to kiss for so long, whose voice makes me go weak in the knees.

We win the competition and Ana runs up to me afterwards, when she sees me. She's never looked more beautiful. She hugged me so tightly and I laughed.

"Congratulations!"

"So I'm guessing you liked it?"

"I loved it," she said, standing on her tiptoes, and placing a light kiss on my lips. "You were amazing." She looked at me like I was the King of the World, and I liked it that way. "Finn Hudson, you really are something else."

"Maybe we should get out of here." I said, ready to get away from Rachel for the long weekend.

"But I really want to say hello to the rest of the club! They were all so awesome!"

"Nahh, they know it. Trust me. Come on, I parked out back. We'll go back to my place."

"But, Finn—"

"Ana – "

"Celebratory dinner at Breadstix! On me!" said Mr. Schue.

CRAP.

"Looks like we're headed to Breadstix," Ana said, a defiant smile playing on her lips. I sighed.

Thanks, Mr. Schue. You rock.