Alright, this is another short one. I am sorry about that, I'm just trying to avoid writing the angsty Finchel, especially because they are so perfect on the show right now. But alas, that is what I have to do. So enjoy this fluffly loving Carole/Finchel chapter. I just finished it, so it's hot off the keyboard!
*** Also, someone had asked me in the questions a while back what Rachel's tattoo says, it says "Now's your moment." from "Kiss The Girl" (not mine!)
Finn and Rachel got off of their plane in Dayton. She had thought they could take a plane right to Lima, but Finn informed her that since Lima was so small, they didn't have an airport they could go to, instead, they were to fly to Dayton, and Carole would pick them up.
As they made their way to baggage claim, Rachel felt a surge of nervousness in her stomach. She was actually here, meeting Finn's mom. She had never met another man's family before. Well, she had met Kurt's dad, Burt, but that was different, because for one, Kurt was gay, so she knew nothing was going to come of that relationship, but reason two made her even more nervous. She loved Finn with everything that she had, and reason number two for being nervous was, what if Carole didn't like her.
She had talked to Carole many times on the phone before, casually speaking about anything and everything to do with their relationship. Finn had even sent his mother a picture of the two of them from Halloween. Carole had called immediately after laughing asking about how she had convinced Finn to wear matching costumes with her. Of course, Rachel had persuaded him with a special little black thing from Victoria's Secret, but she couldn't tell Carole that. Instead, Rachel just laughed, saying that she had no idea how se got so lucky to have a guy like Finn. Finn broke her from her brief flashback, nudging her as her bright pink bag came around the luggage carousel.
As they made their way to the front of the airport, they heard someone calling Finn's name. Rachel turned to see a small woman in her early forties, running towards Finn, with a huge smile plastered on her face. As she reached them, Finn reached down to envelop her in his arms, smiling. "Oh, Finny! It's so good to see you!" Carole Hudson said, taking her son's face in her hands and kissing his cheeks. I'm so happy you're here!" Rachel giggled at the blush that spread across Finn's cheeks, as Carole turned to face her. "And this beautiful little lady must be the one and only Rachel Berry." She said, reaching for Rachel, pulling her into a hug.
"It's so lovely to finally meet you Mrs. Hudson!" Rachel said, Finn couldn't help but to smile at the sight of his mother and his girlfriend hugging. His two favorite girls in the world finally met.
"Oh please! Mrs. Hudson is my mother in law, call me Carole!" She laughed, grabbing Rachel's arm and looping it with hers. "Finny, grab the bags, me and Rachel have so much to talk about!" Finn opened his mouth to protest, but stopped as Carole gave him a 'you better do what I say' look and walked with Rachel towards the door.
"Carole, this dinner was amazing!" Rachel said as she wiped her face with a napkin. Rachel had felt so welcomed into the Hudson household, she could barely keep a smile off of her face.
As they got to the house after the airport, Carole immediately took her for a tour of the house. She showed Rachel every inch of it, and it seemed, that every inch Carole had a different Finn story to go along with it.
When they got to the living room, Carole grew quiet. She went over to an old recliner that was sitting in the corner of the room. She opened her mouth to speak, but Finn beat her to it. "That was my Dad's favorite chair." He said quietly. "And this," he said, reaching for the picture that sat on the table next to the chair. "Is the only picture that we have of me and my dad. And it was taken in that chair." Rachel grabbed Finn's hand as he spoke of his father. "Mom wanted to throw it out one day," She looked at Carole who had placed her hand on the arm of the chair. "But we never could, it hurt too much."
"Do you want to meet him?" Carole spoke up. Rachel looked at her confused, as Carole made her way to the fireplace, grabbing a silver urn in her hands. Rachel looked at Finn who nodded at her.
"You don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable or anything, Rach." Finn said, squeezing Rachel's hand.
Rachel let go of his hand, and went towards Carole, reaching her hands out for the urn. Carole gave it to her, and Rachel moved to sit on the couch, placing the urn on the table in front of her. Finn and his mother watched Rachel from where they were standing.
"Hello, Mr. Hudson." She began, looking at nothing else but the urn that sat in front of her. "My name is Rachel Berry, sir. And I'm dating your son." She smiled at her own words, and looked at Finn. He returned her smile as she continued, looking back at the urn. "Now, you may think that it's silly of me to be doing this, but I don't. I know that Finn doesn't really talk about you, because he misses you, and it hurts too much. But I also know how much he loves you, and how much he wants to make you proud. And I want to tell you something, Mr. Hudson. If you were still here, your son would have made you very proud." She said, her eyes still in front of her. "He has been the most supportive person for me, he even took care of me when I had food poisoning." She blushed to herself at the memory. "And I just wanted you to know, that I love him, very much, more than I've ever loved anybody, sir. And I hope that you approve of us, because I know that that would mean the world to me. And that I will be here for him, for the rest of my life, if he'd let me." She stood up, grabbing the urn from the table, bringing it back to the fireplace, placing it on the mantle where it previously stood. "It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Hudson." She whispered, turning back to Finn and Carole.
Carole who had been crying, walked over to Rachel and gave her a huge hug. "Rachel…" she said, tears sliding down her cheek. As their hug broke, Finn grabbed her, pulling her in for a hug as well.
"I love you, so much Rachel, never forget that." He said, as she wiped a stray tear from his cheek with her thumb.
"I love you too." She smiled.
"Well, I'm going to go put dinner on, Finny, do you wanna finish the tour?" Carole asked, still dabbing her eyes with her sleeve.
"Actually, Carole, I would love to cook with you." Rachel smiled, walking in the direction of the kitchen.
"Well that would be lovely, Rachel." Carole smiled. When she knew Rachel was out of hearing distance, she walked to her son. "Do not let this one go, Finny. She is a keeper." She said, grabbing Finn's face and kissing him on the cheek. He knew that his mom would love Rachel.
"You are very welcome, Rachel, though I do have to admit, without you checking on it, I probably would have burned the whole thing." Carole said, unable to keep her eyes off of Rachel and Finn holding hands on top of the table. Finn had told Rachel that he had never brought home a girl before, and when he told Carole he was bringing Rachel home, needless to say she was more then excited. Rachel shared in her excitement, feeling as though she had finally found a mother figure in Carole.
"So Finn, are you ready to go Christmas tree shopping with Rachel?" She said as she took a sip of her apple cider.
"What?" Finn asked. "We always go together, I thought we could just bring Rachel with us and make it be something for the three of us."
"I noticed that you still didn't have a tree, Carole." Rachel said curiously. "I thought that the tree at your house was his favorite thing about Christmas." She smiled remembering how Finn's eyes lit up when the talked about Christmas at the Hudson household on the plane ride to Ohio.
"Oh, it is," Carole smiled. "I always wait until Finn comes home from New York to get our tree so that he and I can decorate it together and sing carols."
"That's so sweet!" Rachel gushed as she squeezed Finn's hand. "But Carole, I could never intrude on you and Finn's tradition. It's important to spend time with your family on the holidays."
"Don't be silly Rachel, you already feel like part of the family to me!" Carole said, and Rachel blushed. Carole made her way from the dining room to the kitchen. "Besides, Finn will be spending a lot of time working on my list."
Finn groaned beside her as Rachel looked at Carole in confusion.
"Every year, I compile a list of things for Finny to do for me when he comes home for Christmas." Carole smirked at her son, who rolled his eyes.
"That's so sweet Finn!" Rachel gazed at her boyfriend. "Now I know what to do when I get home." She sent a wink in Carole's direction, who giggled.
"What she's not telling you is that this list consists of things that don't even really need to be done. One time, she made me change the molding in the hallway because she didn't really like the color of it." Both Rachel and Carole laughed, but Finn looked serious.
"Now Finny, do not tell Rachel that the things you do are pointless, you love doing them." Carole said, shaking her pointer finger in his direction.
"I love doing them so I can get food after. I wouldn't do it for free." He chuckled.
"Oh, you." She turned to Rachel, so how about you two go get the tree tomorrow night?" Carole smiled. "You guys probably wanna go get some sleep tonight, long flight and everything."
"Sure," Finn said. "But I'll probably have to run to the store for some things that you're gonna have me do this week." Finn said, tolling his eyes.
"Well, then if you're taking your truck out, I'll drive Rachel to the lot, and then you two can drive the tree home, and we'll set it all up." Rachel nodded at Carole.
"That makes sense. Then Carole and I can get in some girl time before I meet you." Rachel said, smiling widely.
"Okay, then you guys can have your girl time." Finn said standing up, bringing some of the dishes from the table into the kitchen. "Just," Finn sighed. "Promise me mom, no baby pictures." Finn grimaced as he kissed his mother's cheek. When Carole knew Finn had left the room, Carole turned to Rachel.
"Oh, you are seeing every baby picture that I have of him." She giggled, and Rachel smiled brightly. Oh yes, Carole was the mother that she had never had.
I know, terribly short, and I'm sorry, I threw my back out and it hurts to type, so you guys might not get another one til I'm fully healed, but I hope this one satisfied you, like a Snicker's bar. (cause you know, Snicker's satisfies hunger? xD)
So, as always, Taylor Swift's lyrics are what the title is. "Ours" is the song this time.
My lovely beta Finchelislove is lovely. :)
And review, comment, suggest, whatever you want, it's you who reads this story, so it's you who gets to comment!
