Chapter 7: Why did we ever leave Ohio?

Sunday came as a punch in the stomach for the four friends and Beth. Beth was horribly depressed about having Brittany and Santana leave, and judging on the faces of the two girls, they were just as depressed about having to leave. After a group hug, they'd finally left.

"I'm really going to miss them" said Rachel unhappily when they reached the car outside the airport. "Even Santana…"

"I know. I'm going to miss them too. But I think it might've been a good thing that they left. I mean, now we can get back to finding Puck, right?" said Kurt.

Blaine and Quinn looked at each other, and then on Beth, who clung onto Quinn.

"Rachel, we need to talk" said Quinn looking firstly at Rachel then at Blaine and Kurt.

Kurt looked half-scared and half-admiring, when he realized the subject they were about to talk about.

They walked to a bench and sat down. Rachel looked worried, as Beth crawled onto her lap. What was all of this about? A sudden thought made Rachel blush, but then shot it out of her head. Quinn would never talk about that with Beth, Kurt and Blaine present.

"Rachel, we know how to find Puck. But I don't think you're going to like it" Quinn said. Her voice shook as she leaned over to take Rachel's hand. This sent shivers down Rachel's spine, and she immediately forgot about her worries. When Rachel didn't answer, but just stared into Quinn's hazel eyes, she went on.

"We contacted Finn. He knows where Puck is, but he won't tell us. He says that it's none of our business."

Rachel looked at Quinn, shocked. Not at the fact that they'd contacted Finn - she already knew this - but about his response.

"I kind of got on his bad side at Christmas. I wouldn't tell him how you were, and he got really mad, saying that he… well it doesn't matter. But the fact is that Finn is back in Ohio, and every time we call him he just hangs up. Kid's really good at holding a grudge." Kurt said with a grim smile.

"Then let's go home." Rachel said in a firm voice. "Let's go to Ohio"

They all looked at her with wide eyes.

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked.

"We'll just have to confront him, won't we? If we hurry, we can be back here in two hours and on a plane back to Ohio tonight." She lifted Beth and got up herself, staring decisively at them. A burning feeling of fury towards Finn filled Rachel. How could he deny Quinn this knowledge? They still stared at her.

"But Rachel, we can't go. You and Quinn can, but not Kurt and I, we have school tomorrow." Blaine said with a frown.

"Then it's just going to be us girls. We'll manage. I do know my way around Ohio, and besides, if he tries anything, I'll just pull Quinn in front of me and have her give him the bitchy scary Quinn attitude, she does so well. It works, trust me." Rachel grinned widely.

"That settles it then" said Quinn, feeling the butterflies in her stomach fluster nervously around.

Xx

"Allyson, get back here!" said a doll-like voice from a bench in a local park in Lima, Ohio.

"Don't bother, she's halfway to China by now" said Will Schuester calmingly to his wife.

"I know, we really have to get her a leash. She'll get hurt one day." Emma said, keeping an eye on her ginger daughter who ran around the trees laughing loudly.

"Allyson! Come on, we've got to go!" she said again. Allyson answered by taunting them to try and catch her. Will got up, shot a grin at his wife and leapt towards his daughter, trying to catch her. Gently, he scooped her up and swung her onto his back like a sack of potatoes. Allyson laughed loudly and protested in between her gasping breaths.

"Dad, let me down!" she exclaimed.

Will let go for the shorter of a second causing Allyson to gasp with shock.

"Hah, got you there!" Will said laughing loudly.

"Daaad…!" Allyson complained and started bumping her fists into Will's back.

"Okay, okay, little monkey!" Will said, and finally lifted Allyson to her feet.

As they walked back to the bench, they suddenly saw someone they recognized.

Standing with his back to a tree, watching his surroundings carefully was Finn Hudson. Will noticed the depressed look on his face. Without a word, but after a silent conversation with Emma, Will got up and walked towards his best man, and former student.

"Finn" he said calmly. Finn spun to face Will, chock and surprise in his face. "Mr. Schue" he said instinctively. He had not yet gotten used to address his former teacher by his first name. Will smiled and leaned against the tree next to Finn, who immediately sunk back onto the trunk of the tree.

"How've you been?" Will asked curiously still eyeing his daughter carefully.

Finn didn't answer, but looked instead at Emma, and the red-haired girl in her arms.

"Is she yours?" Finn asked. Will nodded proudly.

"She's beautiful"

"Yeah, she is" Will said, noticing Emma smiling at them. "How's Rachel?"

"I don't know" Finn said matter-of-factly. "Haven't talked to her since Kurt's show on Broadway"

"What?" Will asked confused. The last he heard, they were still together.

"We broke up before she went to New York"

"But, you went with her, didn't you?" Will looked quite confused, and was now concentration on Finn's tormented face.

"I-I didn't get in. So instead, I went with Puck to LA, and started working there for a year. I applied to several colleges, but... nothing. So a few months ago, I went back to Ohio, to take over Burt's shop." He looked deeply plagued.

"You- you left her?"

"Yes... It just wasn't the same. I miss her though… Last I saw her, I freaked out. I missed her so much and I just panicked. I said that I wasn't there for her." Finn smiled morosely.

Xx

In Toledo Express Airport, the plane from JFK had just landed, and its passengers were exiting, in a slow sloppy march. Amongst these passengers was a tall blonde woman, holding a five-year-old replica of the tall woman. They were followed by a short woman with long brown hair. They stared into the sun-set as the pulled their scarves tighter around their necks.

"Home" Rachel whispered into Quinn's ear. Quinn nodded and tried to prevent the huge grin on her face, but without success. There was a feeling of comfort in knowing that they were home.

A/N

Okay, I know this is a REALLY short chapter! It's like a transition chapter for the next seven. Just, bare with me?

Thank you a million for the reviews! you guys keep me going! :')! R&R 3

I will be posting chapter 8 later today or maybe tomorrow, depending on how much response i get. :) Tomorrow at the latest!