DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

Chapter Ten: Fluency

"So, Rachel, have you thought of any song choices for Regionals, yet?" Mr. Schuester asked amicably during the next glee rehearsal. Finn peeked down at her from his seat, sitting in the row in front of him next to Kurt as she nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Oui!" She said brightly, jumping up from her chair and joining Mr. Schue up front to address the rest of the group. Finn could see Santana rolling her eyes liberally from across the room. "I think we should sing a song by ma chanteuse favorite!" Her grin was infectious as she held up some sheet music. "Céline Dion!" A loud groan could be heard throughout the group as Rachel frowned.

"I should have guessed," Santana moaned under her breath.

"Is there une problème?" She asked, confused. "She is an international superstar! She is my idol, even though she is Canadienne."

"Yeah, and her songs are notoriously difficult to sing," Kurt said sympathetically. "We refer to those kinds of songs as diva songs, since only one person is usually showcased. We try and stay away from those kinds of songs for the competitions."

"Mais non," she insisted. "We can. . ." she struggled with finding the right words to say and Finn was watching her become visibly upset in front of the group. Her face turned crimson as a deep blush erupted over her cheeks and Finn felt bad that she couldn't get her point across. Eventually she turned to Kurt and asked him to translate.

"She says that she has a medley of Céline songs that we can split up amongst the group. She already broke down some of the songs into parts that we can all sing, and then she and Finn will take the lead solos." Kurt explained.

Mr. Schuester took the sheet music from Rachel, who still looked embarrassed and upset at her lack of communication. It was one thing to make mistakes in front of him and his family, but when she messed up in front of her friends she took it very personally. Finn wanted nothing more than to go to her and console her in some way, but he knew he couldn't as she quietly returned to her seat. Mr. Schuester looked through the sheet music, impressed, as he smiled at Rachel. "This looks great, Rachel. I think we can actually make this work. We'll talk about solos during the next rehearsal. Have a great day everyone."

With a wave and a smile he dismissed the group, and Finn stayed behind with Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine as everybody else left for the day. Santana and Brittany snickered quietly toward one another as they passed them by, catching Rachel's eye and making her even more uncomfortable as he reached out for her hand. Squeezing it softly, she finally looked up at him and he could see the emotions playing out on her face. Embarrassment, frustration, anger; her entire demeanor was sullen and sad.

"Hey, are you alright?" Now that the rest of the team was gone he was able to show some affection as he pulled her close to his side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She sunk into his embrace, sniffling lightly as she grasped onto his shirt.

"It makes me so angry," she said, her accent as strong as her frustration. "I cannot say 'ze things I want to say."

"Rachel, you've barely been here for three weeks. You've been studying English non-stop. You'll get better."

"When?" She asked, sadness permeating her gaze. "By 'ze time I learn to speak English I will be back home in France."

"Don't say things like that," he scolded, her simple statement making his heart pound in anxiety. "When we get home I'll help you study, okay?" She nodded her head sadly and followed the boys out to the car. She was quiet during the ride home, even thought Kurt was trying his best to cheer her up.

"You know, it took me three years to get to be this fluent in French," he said from the front seat as her spirits sunk further than ever.

"Three years?" She repeated sadly.

"Dude, you're so not helping," Finn whispered angrily.

"Ah, but I was never fully immersed in the language like you are, Rachel. One day, it will just make sense to you. Like that!" He snapped his fingers as he turned down Blaine's street. "A light switch will flip on in your head and then the English will just flow a lot easier. You'll see."

She didn't look convinced as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I hope so."

When they arrived home the house was empty and Rachel went upstairs immediately to grab her books. Finn sat at the table patiently, waiting for Rachel to arrive so they could work. She spread her books across the table and grabbed the daily newspaper off of the counter-top so she could use it to study.

They worked together into the early evening. Finn would correct her pronunciation and Rachel continued to write new definitions into her pink notebook. After a while they began a new exercise where Rachel would read an article in the paper, then describe the summary to Finn using her own words.

To say that she was struggling would be a huge understatement. She looked so frustrated he thought she might cry.

"Over the weekend, in California, about four h-hu. . ."

"Hundred," Finn corrected politely.

"Four hundred protesters are arrested. . ."

"Were arrested."

"Were arrested," she continued with her eyes narrowed in frustration. "After breaking into. . ." she trailed off, her face scrunched up in concentration as she searched her brain for the word. "'Ze City. . ." shaking her head, she slammed her fist down on the table with a loud sigh. "Merde!" She spit under her breath. "C'est impossible."

"No it's not, Rachel. Come on, you've been doing so well."

"Do not lie to me!" She said angrily. "I know 'ze words, I study 'ze conjugations, but when I speak it does not make sense."

"You just need more time," he said, trying to be supportive.

"I do not have time, Finn!" She caught him in her gaze and he saw desperation there. "I work so hard and nothing improves." Her voice was cracking and he saw tears gather in her eyes. He reached for her and she stood up from her seat to sit on his lap. She curled her body into his as he held her tightly, rocking her back and forth.

"Come on, let's take a break. You've been working really hard today." She nodded into his chest and slowly got up, pulling him by the hand as he followed her upstairs. Leaving the books on the kitchen table, they retreated to his room and laid on the bed together, their faces mere inches away as he placed a tender kiss on her lips in support. She reciprocated more forcefully, her kisses urgent as he felt a drop of moisture fall on his skin.

Rachel was crying.

"Hey," he cooed, cupping her cheek in his hand and brushing away the errant tears. "Please don't cry." She looked at him with desperation in her gaze and started to speak at a mile a minute. Normally when this happened she spoke in French, or a strange hybrid of French and English, but she shocked him when she opened her mouth and perfect English fell from her lips without error.

"You don't know how embarrassing it is for me," she said, her eyes watery and red. "I try so hard to speak and no one understands me." She began to sniffle as Finn watched her vent. "All I want to do is tell you how I feel about you. How I stay up at night because every second spent sleeping is another second I could be with you."

"Um, Rachel?"

"I want to tell you about my plans after school, and how badly I wish I could stay in the United States with you and your amazing family."

"Rachel."

"And most of all, I want to tell you how much I want to be with you and how special you make me feel. But I can't and it's driving me crazy."

"Um, Rachel?" He finally caught her attention as a grin spread across his face. Her words made him estatic as he replayed them over in his head. "You just did."

"What?" She said, completely unaware of what had just happened.

"You were speaking English!" He said, propping himself up on his elbow and looking down at her. "I understood everything you just said!" She was disbelieving for a moment before she realized what she had done.

"I was?" She asked, shaking her head. "I am! I'm speaking English!" She shot up in bed, her eyes dancing with excitement as she took a deep breath. "Over the weekend in California, over four hundred protesters were arrested after breaking into City Hall." Looking into Finn's eyes, he could see the happiness radiating out of every pore. She was thrilled and her excitement was infectious. "Kurt was right! 'Ze switch was flipped in my head!"

"Your accent sounds pretty awesome," he said genuinely. As she became more confident her accent softened until it was barely even there. Falling forward into his arms, she pulled him back down onto the bed in a tight hug, squeezing him fiercely as laughter bubbled out of the two of them.

"You helped me, Finn!" She peppered his face in kisses. "Merci!"

"I didn't do anything, Rachel. You did this yourself. You earned this." He kissed her forehead tenderly as they relaxed into the pillows. He held her there for what felt like a long time as the sunlight began to wane from his bedroom.

"Finn?" She called to him from across the pillows.

"Yes, Rachel?"

"I am ready to tell you my secrets now." That got his attention super quick as he sat up in bed, making himself comfortable while she did the same.

"Are you sure?"

"Oui," she said with a nod of her head. "I promised you that I would tell you when my English got better and it has." She took a deep breath and gave Finn a small smile before elaborating. "My first dream. . ."

"You have more than one?" He interrupted rudely as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Mais oui! I have many dreams and they will all come true!" She said in all seriousness. Nodding, he urged her to continue. "I want to visit all 50 states."

"Seriously?" He asked as she nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Oui! And I will collect something from every state to prove that I have seen them all." Smiling, he nodded at her enthusiasm.

"So I guess that's where I come in?" He questioned, remembering their conversation from a few weeks ago. "You want me to come along, too?"

"Bien sur! We will travel together." She sounded so sure of her plans that he had to agree to them, even though he doubted that it would ever happen. It was a beautiful dream, however, and he allowed himself to fall into the fantasy for a split second before returning to the conversation.

"Well that doesn't seem so difficult," he reasoned.

"There is something else," she said, trailing off as a kind of fear entered her gaze. "I want to be a star." He was waiting for her to continue, but she seemed to be waiting for his reaction to her big news. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Is that it?"

Her eyes narrowed as she placed her hands on her hips. "Oui! I want to be a famous celebrity."

"Cool," was his genuine response. This was America; everyone wanted to be a star, so why did she make it sound like her dreams were so unattainable?

"Cool?" She repeated, her good mood quickly being replaced by something dark. "Are you teasing me?"

"No," was his quick and adamant response. "I'm serious, Rachel. You're definitely talented enough to make it, I don't see what the big deal is."

She shook her head, frustrated at his answer. "You do not understand life in France."

"No, I don't," he agreed. "So why don't you explain it to me?"

She shot him a hard glare before elaborating. "How many famous French actors do you know?"

"Um?" He scanned his brain for a name but couldn't think of one. "I don't really know any French actors."

"How many French singers do you know?"

"Besides the one we're singing for glee club? None," he admitted.

"That is because it's almost impossible to become a star in the United States when you are from another country. To be able to crossover into 'ze American culture is an accomplishment I have always dreamed of." Wow, her English really was getting better by the second. "Celine Dion, Marion Cotillard, Audrey Tautou; they are my idols. They were able to break away from the French language and make a real impact on American culture."

"So that's why you want to learn English," he said, putting the pieces together in his mind. "So you can be a big star in the United States."

"Exactement," she said brightly. "I know I can make it in France, but being a star here is my true dream." He reached over and held her hand in his.

"That's awesome, Rachel," he said. "So what do you have to do in order to become a French actress in the US?"

She shook her head sadly. "Speak perfect English," she said bitterly. "First I have to make it big in France and then find a way to be involved in the American film industry." She sighed heavily. "No one at home thinks I can do it. 'Zey think I am a joke."

"Well you're not," he said adamantly.

"I do not have many friends in Paris," she admitted shyly. "'Zey think I am too ambitious and obsessed with America." She looked up into his eyes and her pain was almost palpable to him. "But here I have friends and people who support me." She grabbed his hand in hers. "I have you." He lifted up their entwined hands and kissed the back of hers softly.

"You're a real star, Rachel. Whether you're in France or the United States, you're going to make it big."

"Do you really believe in me that much?" She asked, her accent becoming thicker when she was upset.

"More," he urged with a squeeze of his hand. "I care about you too, you know?" A small blush spread across her cheeks as they sat on his bed together and the last bit of sun darkened into twilight. "Are those all of your secrets? Conquering America in every way possible?"

"Oui," she said, sounding satisfied with her confession. "You do not think they are stupid?"

"No way!" He said. "It's better than the half-assed plans I have for next year. America is your passion and you're going for it. I think it's awesome."

"Merci bien, Finn," she said softly as a voice called to them from downstairs.

"Finn? Kurt? Rachel? Come clean off the table for dinner, guys!" Carole's command snapped Finn back to reality as Rachel quickly exited her room. He heaved a heavy sigh before following her downstairs and helping his mother set up for dinner.

About halfway through the meal, Rachel stood up from her seat and demanded everyone's attention. She raised her glass in the air and looked around at her American family with a smile.

"I have been here for almost three weeks and I have never properly said thank you before now, for all the hospitality you have shown to me since I arrived." Carole, Burt and Kurt stared at her in awe as she executed her English to perfection.

"Rachel, when did your English get so good?" Carole asked as a light blush spread across her features.

"Finn and Kurt helped me a lot," she raised her glass in the air. "But I would like to thank everyone for their kindness. You are wonderful people and I love you all." She looked right into Finn's eyes as she spoke and he could feel his heart spasming in his chest. She raised her glass in the air and his family did the same, toasting to her success in America and the progress she'd made so far. He took a deep sip of his soda while his eyes never left her frame.

The rest of the meal was uneventful. Rachel was exhausted from speaking English all evening long, and by the time the meal was over she had used up all of her speaking skills and whispered a tired "bonne soirée" to the family before bed. Sure her English had been perfect for a little while, but it didn't last long before she went back to her broken way of speaking French and English as fatigue crept up on her.

However, now that they knew that it was possible for her to speak fluently, Finn had high hopes for the rest of her time in America. All she had to do was keep up the practice and she would get better in time. She had already made so much progress; he couldn't wait to see how much she would improve with more effort.

A random thought entered his mind as he listened to her speak English during dinner. She had been working so hard to try and communicate with him while he just sat around and tried to interpret her broken way of speaking. Maybe if he knew some expressions in French, it would make communication much easier between them. It couldn't be so hard, could it?

He got his answer after dinner when he cornered Kurt upstairs. He scribbled out some phrases on a sheet of paper and passed it to his brother, trying desperately to hide his embarrassment as Kurt read over the paper.

His brother looked at him like he had an extra nose on his face. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"Kurt," Finn warned with his voice low. "I'm trying to do something special for my girlfriend."

"You can barely speak English, Finn. You're never going to be able to pull this off."

"I can if you help me!" Finn said, adamant about his request. "Just write out the words the way they're supposed to be pronounced."

"Whatever you say, brother," Kurt snickered under his breath. "I would pay money to see you speak French."

"Just translate the damn words!" He said, his embarrassment getting the best of him. He had to admit that it was an ambitious endeavor, but he wanted to do this for her. Plus, he figured it would be practice for when he eventually visited her in Paris.

Before Finn left the room, however, Kurt pulled him back with a suspicious look on his face. He pointed at something on the paper and Finn smiled when he realized what he was pointing to. "What about this one?"

"Translate it," he said, shrugging his shoulders as Kurt's eyes widened from shock.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Kurt questioned.

"Nope," he said evenly. "I'm serious, and you better not tell me the wrong phrase or else you're going to mess up everything."

Kurt shook his head as Finn walked out of the room. "This is a disaster waiting to happen. I shouldn't be helping you with this farce at all."

He turned to face his brother with a conspiring smile before retreating to his room for the night. "Well Kurt, if I'm going to tell a girl that I love her, I want to do it in a language she'll understand."

Merci mille fois, mes amis!

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