Hey everyone. Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. I REALLY appreciated them. I'm sorry it took so long. Those of you who read my Season 7 know that I was dealing with a tough anniversary earlier this week, and that made things tough. For the record, neither song in this chapter is an original song - I can't right songs, trust me. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and review if I should keep going :) Let me know what you like.

Chapter 7: One Point

Rachel's phone rang as she was getting ready to leave the hotel. She looked at the Caller ID and saw that it was Hiram. Not sure if she wanted to answer it, she picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi Rachel," Hiram said.

"Hi," Rachel said. "Look, we're about to leave, so I don't have much time..."

"Baby, I just want you to know, I'm so sorry this is how you had to find out," Hiram said.

"You could have told me," Rachel said. "Look, we're heading up to Minnesota. It's probably going to be a long plane ride..."

"I just want you to know something," Hiram said. "I didn't want to lie to you about this. I thought you should know the truth. But LeRoy and Shelby insisted that we do things this way."

Was Hiram being honest? Or was this just another way to prove he was a better dad than LeRoy? "Well, do you know my dad's name?"

"I don't," Hiram admitted. "I'm sure he's a good guy though. He did help create you."

Rachel didn't know what to say. "We're leaving for Minnesota soon, Dad. I'll call you later."

"Tell Santos congratulations," Hiram said. "He had a great showing last night."

Rachel managed to smile. "Thanks. I'll tell him." She hung up the phone and went to the plane. She knew Hiram had meant well, but she was still upset about everything.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked Rachel as Rachel sat down next to him.

"I'm holding up," Rachel said. "Finn... please don't tell Matt or Josh or anyone about this. They need us to be at our best..."

"I promise I won't," Finn said. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I can't believe they lied to me like that," Rachel told Finn.

"That wasn't okay," Finn agreed.

"Shelby said he was a good guy, but this almost makes me wonder if something's being hidden," Rachel admitted. "I mean, lots of adopted kids know that the people they're living with didn't give birth to them."

"What do you mean, hiding something?" Finn asked.

"I don't want to think my dad's some gigolo like Brody," Rachel groaned. "Shelby was auditioning for lots of parts - what if he's some famewhore like Jesse who cares about nothing but himself and is obsessed with winning and tears everyone else down to get what he wants?"

"I don't know for sure, but I like to think he's a good person," Finn said. "I mean, he helped to create you, and you have to get your niceness somewhere."

"You think I'm a nice person?" Rachel asked. She knew she hadn't been particularly nice to Finn over the past few years.

"Of course I do," Finn said.

Rachel smiled at Finn. "Thanks. So, Minnesota next." She wanted to get her mind off things.

"Yeah," Finn said. "We've been playing time zone hopscotch these past few days."

"Hey, this is what it might take," Rachel said.

"Are any polls up yet?" Finn asked. "Matt's probably gotten a bit of a boost from the debate... I mean, he owned it up there."

"Let's take a look," Rachel said, smiling at Finn's optimism. She pulled up her iPad and went to CNN's homepage. The page had an article declaring Matt Santos the winner of the debate.

"Guess they're recognizing facts," Finn said, giving Rachel a half smile.

"Let's check on the polls," Rachel said. She clicked on the poll icon to see who was winning for the nomination. There were seven Democratic candidates - and to her disappointment, Russell was still on top. The numbers glared at her: Russell 29, Santos 21. "Ugh."

"Hey, the gap's closed," Finn said. "Burt said he was in the single digits at first, and there's only eight points separating them... this is the first time he's been behind with more than double digits..."

"Yeah," Rachel said. She still couldn't help but feel some disappointment. Her candidate had given the debate performance of a lifetime last night - and he still wasn't leading the polls? Two blows in less than 24 hours...

"Hey, it's one poll," Finn said. "I doubt everyone's even seen the debate yet. And he's only going to get better."

Rachel gave Finn a hug. "So are you excited for Minnesota?"

"Yeah," Finn said. "As long as you don't make me go shopping at the Mall of America."

"Well, you'd better not make me go on any of the big, scary rides at the indoor amusement park there," Rachel said.

"I guess that's fair," Finn admitted.

"Yeah, that's fair," Rachel giggled.

"Are you ready for our speeches?" Finn asked. He and Rachel had offered to be the staffers to speak at today's rally,

x

The plane ride from Texas to Minnesota was one of the longest so far, going from one of the southernmost states in the country to one of the northernmost. The Mall of America was already being set up for the event. Finn handed out signs to the supporters waiting outside, most of whom were talking about the great performance in the debate yesterday. When Finn got done handing out the signs, he went to the room set aside for the staff, where he noticed a group of senior staff members sitting around a computer. Finn was sure that he heard the Vocal Adrenaline Version of Bohemian Rhapsody coming from the computer. What was going on? Why would they be watching a movie from five years ago?

Finn walked over to the computer. "What's going on?"

"We're just checking out the Vinick rally," Bram said.

Finn looked at the computer. There was Jesse St. James himself, singing Bohemian Rhapsody, with Brody and Sebastian as backup. Wait. This didn't make sense. Did the three of them even know each other? What was going on here? "Holy crap," Finn mumbled.

"Don't worry, you and Rachel are more talented than those three," Josh said.

Finn nodded, but he didn't know what to say. For a brief moment, he wondered what was going on, but then the answer came to him. Coach Sylvester. She was the Vinick campaign manager, after all. And after how she acted when she saw Finn and Rachel in California and the things she'd said on TV, it was clear she had it in for them still. But he couldn't talk about this with the other campaign staff. He couldn't let them think he was still stuck in high school mentally.

"If you and Rachel decide to perform again, our opening performances will be better than his," Ronna said. "Just like our ideas are better, our plans are better, and our candidate's better."

"I actually know those three," Finn said. He didn't want to get into too much detail.

"Are they from your high school too?" Josh asked. He turned to the other staff. "Vinick's campaign manager worked at Finn and Rachel's high school. She's a nutcase."

"Yes, she is," Finn said. "And two of them were in rival glee clubs when I was in high school and the third is someone Rachel knew in college."

"Wow," Otto said.

"Yeah, wow," Finn said.

Rachel came in. "What's going on?"

Finn knew Rachel wouldn't be happy when she saw this. "Sue's not the only Vinick staff member we know."

"Don't tell me LeRoy has decided to become a Vinick supporter," Rachel groaned.

"It's not him," Finn said. "Jesse, Brody and Sebastian were performing at the Vinick rally today."

"Why doesn't it surprise me that they're Republicans?" Rachel asked.

"They performed a weak version of Bohemian Rhapsody," Anna said.

"The version of Don't Stop Believing at our rally was better," Josh said.

"We can do it again today if Rachel wants, to show that we have better performers," Finn said, wondering if he'd spoken too soon.

"Yeah, we can," Rachel said. "Everything counts... we're in a good place after the debate and if we can get our supporters energized... and since Finn and I are speaking at today's rally anyway, we'll be on stage... so we can do it."

"I was really hoping we'd be able to take the top spot after the debate," Josh said.

"Matt looked like a president up there, and Russell looked clueless," Finn said.

"You have to remember, Russell was vice president under Bartlet," Josh reminded Finn and Rachel. "Bartlet was the best president in recent times. That alone is going to make us look good."

"But Bartlet hasn't endorsed Russell," Finn pointed out. That fact made Finn think Russell may not be Bartlet's first choice.

"I'm trying to get his endorsement," Josh said. "I've been talking to him, my friends from my days of interning in the White House have been talking to him."

"Well, we've got to have a good rally today," Finn said. "No doubt Russell's trying to make up for last night today." The points hadn't been what he'd hoped, and now some of his rivals were working on the opposing campaign. Now he was more nervous about possibly saying something stupid.

x

The points had been a disappointment, but Rachel didn't want to make it look like it was upsetting her, especially now that some of her rivals were working on Vinick's campaign. She hadn't been too nervous about speaking, but now she was feeling very nervous. She and Finn had just finished singing Don't Stop Believing and now it was time for them to speak. "Thank you, thank you for the warm welcome," Finn said. "How about last night?"

"I think the winner of the debate was pretty clear," Rachel said. "Don't you?"

The crowd cheered again. "Last night made me so proud to be working for Matt Santos," Finn said. "Can I just say - I completely agree with everything Matt said last night? Why have presidential campaigns become about tearing down your opponents? Why can't they be about showing what you CAN do?"

"We're going to tell you about what Matt can do as president," Rachel said. "There's a plan on his website that's expected to create millions of jobs over the next two years. He has a bill drafted to give to congress for health care to become affordable for everyone. He has plans for the public schools of the country that ensure every child will be meeting their grade level for reading and math. And he advocates to the Supreme Court that everyone can marry the person they love."

"His bills in congress have had some of the most support out of any of the bills," Finn said. "Even in Texas, what's known as a conservative state, he was able to win support. He and my stepfather, Burt Hummel, have been the two congressman who've created the most bipartisan bills out of anyone in congress. For him, this isn't just about party labels. He wants to be the president of everyone and let both sides work together. How many candidates out there think like that?"

"The two of us didn't think we would get this job," Rachel said. "But here we are. Going around the country and getting to talk to so many of you has been the experience of the lifetime. And something that stands out to me is how many different people have been at our events - male, female, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, young, not as young, gay, straight, bi, transgender, cisgender, disabled, able bodied, lower class, middle class, upper class - it's so amazing to see so many different people willing to work together."

"Some candidates have their events by invitation only, but not Matt," Finn said. "Look around you. You're all here, not just because you want to be here, but because we want you here. He cares about you. Each and every one of you. He's fought for you in congress and he'll fight for you as president. Please join us in welcoming the next President of the United States, Matt Santos!"

The crowd cheered as the candidate entered the stage. Finn and Rachel had both been nervous - but they had to admit, what they'd said had been pretty good. Was it possible that some of the cheers were for them, too?

"Thank you, Minnesota," Matt said. "Thank you for being here today. And can I first have some applause for Finn and Rachel? You two were talking about how lucky you are to be working for me, but I hope you know that I'm lucky to have you two."

Finn smiled to Rachel as they went to the side, listening to the applause.

x

There was barely time to rest after the Minneapolis rally. The campaign's next stop was Chicago. To Finn's relief, the comments on the campaign blog about him and Rachel had mostly been complimentary. He was afraid that he'd make a gaffe, but that hadn't been the case.

During the flight from Minneapolis to Chicago, Josh came up to Finn and Rachel. "I was just talking to some of the other senior staff members," Josh said. "I was wondering - do either of you two have any experience with writing songs? We kind of want a campaign theme song - something never heard before, something new and different. The songs we play at rallies are great, but we want something special to us."

Did Finn and Rachel have songwriting experience? To some extent, they did. There had been the songs they'd written in high school... for each other... "We could give it a try," Rachel said.

x

The morning in Chicago was spent canvassing, and then Rachel went to Wrigley Field, where the rally would be held. She had to admit, she liked the idea of writing a campaign theme song. She'd been at the field by herself and tried working on a song, but it didn't feel right. This song didn't feel upbeat enough, so she pushed it aside. She started working on another one, and then Finn came up to her. "What are you up to?"

"Oh, I'm trying to come up with a campaign theme song," Rachel said. "I do have one I'm working on if you want to see it."

"You know I like your songs," Finn said. "Let's see it."

Rachel began singing what she'd written to see what Finn would think.

There's a risk worth taking
Dreams awaken
And we'll be making something new
You've got to follow every dream
Know where to hide
In places no one's ever seen
And you will find
Show the world just who you are
A shooting star
Up up and away
Cause who you're meant to be
Is right inside
Yeah you've just got to believe
And you will find
Show the world just who you are
A shooting star
Up up and away...
Everyone will say look at him go
Everyone will say look at him go
Everyone will say look at him go
Up up and away...

"Uh, I don't think that's right," Finn interrupted.

That had been Rachel's fear. "What?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but that song sounds like it came from a movie for young girls about unrealistic dreams," Finn said. "Remember what Mr. Schue told us when we were writing songs?

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.

"The best songs come from a place of pain," Finn said. "Remember? And I think a song that comes from a place of pain might be good for this campaign. Our country is in a place of pain right now, but Matt can help the country come back from that and bring it to a place of hope..."

Now that Rachel thought about it, the first song she'd written might be a good one. She was self-conscious about it. She hadn't just been thinking about everything the country had been through - but what she herself had been through. "Well, there is another song I wrote, but I worried it wasn't a good idea..."

"Can I hear it?" Finn asked.

If Rachel could trust anyone, it was Finn. "Okay." She sang the song to Finn, hoping it wasn't too bad.

Break down

Break down

Break down

I was scared to death I was losing my mind

Break down

I couldn't close my eyes I was pacing all night, oh, no,

I think I found the light at the end of the tunnel (and my doubts)

I couldn't find the truth I was going under

But I won't hide inside

I gotta get out, gotta get out, gotta get out, gotta get out

Lonely inside and light the fuse

Light it now, light it now, light it now

And now I will start living today, today, today

I close the door

I got this new beginning and I will fly

I'll fly like a cannonball, like a cannonball, like a cannonball

I'll fly, I'll fly, I'll fly like a cannonball

Freedom

I let go of fear and the peace came quickly

Freedom

I was in the dark and then it hit me

I chose suffering and pain in the falling rain

I know, I gotta get out into the world again

But I won't hide inside

I gotta get out, gotta get out, gotta get out, gotta get out

Lonely inside and light the fuse

Light it now, light it now, light it now

And now I will start living today, today, today

I close the door

I got this new beginning and I will fly

I'll fly like a cannonball, like a cannonball, like a cannonball

I'll fly, I'll fly, I'll fly like a cannonball

Break down

I was scared to death I was losing my mind

Break down

I gotta get out into the world again

And now I will start living today, today, today

I close the door

I got this new beginning and I will fly

I'll fly like a cannonball, like a cannonball, like a cannonball

I'll fly, I'll fly, I'll fly like a cannonball, like a cannonball, like a cannonball

I'll fly, I'll fly, I'll fly like a cannonball

"Wow," Finn said at the end of the song. "That's amazing."

"You like it?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, it's really good," Finn said. "You have to show it to the senior campaign staff. It's perfect for this campaign. Vinick has us all scared of our country's future... but the light is at the end of the tunnel."

"I don't know," Rachel said. "Thanks for listening though."

x

Finn had loved Rachel's song, but he had some work to do - his usual pre-rally task of handing out Santos signs to the crowd. Wrigley Field was practically filled to capacity. To Finn, there was some significance when it came to Wrigley Field - this was one of the places he'd suggested he and Rachel have their wedding. No matter how much time passed, some things would always remind him of their time together. And Rachel's song hadn't just reminded him of what their country had gone through - it reminded him of what they, Finn and Rachel, Finchel, had gone through.

After handing out the signs, Finn went to the bullpen and looked at the polls. By now, everyone probably had seen the debate, so there was time to catch up. All eight of what were expected to be the reliable poll organizations had updated their results: CNN, CSPAN, ABC, NBC, Fox, Time, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Finn looked through the polls, noticing that while Russell still had a lead, the lead was shrinking. Then he opened the New York Times poll. The name on top shocked him.

Santos 27, Russell 26.

"Rachel!" Finn called out when he saw Rachel coming into the bullpen. "Rachel!"

Rachel came over. "What is it?"

Finn held up his computer to show Rachel. "Look at this!"

Rachel looked at the poll, smiled wide and gave Finn a big hug. "Oh my God! We're on top of a poll!"

"It's only one point, and there's the margin of error - but we're on top!" Finn repeated, hugging Rachel back.

"We've got to go tell him!" Rachel said, grabbing Finn's computer and running to the "candidate bullpen," as it had been designated. "Matt, the New York Times has you up!"

"What?" Matt asked.

"You had 27 percent of the vote in The New York Times' new poll, Russell had 26," Finn announced. "They have you leading a poll for the nomination!"

"Are you two messing with me?" Matt asked.

Rachel handed over the computer. Matt looked at it and then hugged both Finn and Rachel as other campaign members began cheering and hugging as well.

They were leading a poll for the first time. The Santos campaign was making progress. Between the debate, the great rallies and now this poll - there might be a President Santos on January 20, 2017.

And if there was, Finn liked to think he'd had something to do with it.

Chapter 8 preview: Finn shows Rachel's song to the campaign staff. The campaign is also hit with its first smear ad! (Trigger warning: eating disorders will also be mentioned in the next chapter.)

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