Cold As Ice – Chapter 12
Carole ended up staying in the hospital for observation for two weeks. Rachel and Puck had been discharged the day after their surgery, but Carole's condition was more intense so her body was taking longer to heal.
Puck and Santana had to return to New York for work while Rachel and Finn remained in Lima. They spent their time during the day at the hospital until visiting hours were over and returned to Carole's house where they cleaned and did odd jobs around the house. Rachel had hired a nurse that would live in the home with Carole for the next 3 months to help her get back on her feet, and although Carole protested at first, she eventually surrendered once she realized how important is was to her son.
When the couple returned to NY, Finn was buried with work and much to his dismay he didn't get much time with Rachel. They had told their friends about their decision to live together and it worked out pretty perfectly because they found out that Puck and Santana had been thinking of living together as well. The only problem was that Finn had been so busy at work that when Rachel left the office at 5pm, he had to stay until sometimes 9 or later. They hadn't had any time to move her things into his apartment and Finn was starting to grow impatient. He buzzed Blaine and he appeared in the office shortly after.
"What can I do for you sir?" Blaine asked and Finn offered a smile.
"How is Kurt? I received his email." Finn said, and Blaine was shocked that this had come up. They had kept their relationship strictly work related and the fact that they were brother in laws had never been revealed at work. The only one knowing their true relationship was Rachel, but she knew not to say anything.
"He is doing good. He is planning to go see Carole next week, check in with her and all that. He is looking forward to your dinner next weekend. I'm glad you though of it. He's nervous, but it will work out. I for one am very happy about the reunion of you two brothers."
"I am as well. Ok, so I called you in here because I need you to make some calls for me. Rachel and I have been so busy since getting back to work and we have yet to find the time to move her things. I need you to find a mover that is trustworthy and reliable. You know how I am, I don't let just anyone come into my home. And I want this done as quickly as possible." Blain nodded and closed the door behind him as he exited Finn's office.
Just before 5pm there was a soft knock on the door, Finn didn't look up from his paperwork as he said, "come in". He didn't see that it was his girlfriend who had came in and she walked around his desk, her hands sliding up his shoulders and hugged him around his neck. Her perfume invading his senses and making his body instantly react. "You are working far too hard Mr. Hudson. What do you say that tonight we get out of here early. I have something at home that I bought yesterday that I want to show you." She said and Finn's jaw dropped.
"Is it something you wear?" He asked, searching for a hint.
"It's something for me to wear and for you to enjoy before you rip it off." She said in a sexy tone.
Finn let out a deep breath, he knew he had a million things to do at work but the thought of Rachel wearing some sexy lingerie and him having his way with her made the decision easy.
"Ready when you are." He said, standing and sipping on his jacket that was sitting on the back of his desk chair. He reached for Rachel's hand but she started to pull away.
"Nah Uh Mr. Hudson, we are still at work." She played.
"Not technically. Look." He said, pointing towards the clock on the wall that read 5:02. "We are no longer on the clock." He told her before reaching down and lacing their fingers together.
"You're such a goof ball." She said before leaning her head against his arm and he released her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulder. "Let's go home."
"You have no idea how much I cannot wait until that phrase is true. When we can both go home to the same place. Hopefully we can get my things moved soon." Rachel said, but Finn just smiled leaving out the part about hiring movers. He wanted to surprise her and he hoped that it wouldn't blow up in his face.
"We will make it happen soon enough babe. Soon enough."
Laying in Finn's bed, trying to catch her breath, Rachel looked around. It was just after 6:30 and the sun was beginning to set.
"that was incredible. The way you turned around like that was new…but I liked it." Finn said, kissing her shoulder.
"I think it's impossible for that to be bad with us." Rachel said with a laugh.
"What can I say, we are just two puzzle pieces that were meant to be put together and fit perfectly."
There was a knock on the door and Finn looked up. "Were you expecting someone?" Rachel asked curiously.
"No, my mistress only comes on Tuesday nights." Finn played and Rachel slapped his arm.
"Keep it up and you'll need her 7 nights a week because all of this" she moved her hand up and down her body, "Will be off limits to you!"
The knock on the door continued as Finn slipped on some boxers and a t-shirt. "COMING!" He yelled out.
He pulled open the door and there stood a man holding a manila envelope. "Mr. Hudson?" The man asked.
"That's me. Who are you?" Finn asked, never having seen this man before.
"My name is Colton Bryan. I am a private investigator. While I cannot disclose who hired me, I can tell you that I was hired to follow your girlfriend, Rachel Berry." Finn's jaw clenched at the man's words.
"Why?" Was all he could say, anger taking over.
"These are for you." He said, handing the envelope to Finn and then he left. Finn stood there, not sure what could possibly be in the envelope. He closed the door and walked over to the kitchen counter and sat the envelope down.
Rachel appeared in the kitchen about the time Finn did and asked, "Who was at the door babe?"
"You'll never believe this." Finn said. "Someone hired a PI to follow you around. The man wouldn't tell me who, but he gave me this." He held up the envelope.
"That's so strange. What's in it?" Rachel asked, coming to sit next to her boyfriend.
"I don't know. Let's open it together." He said. He reached inside the envelope and quickly saw they were photos. The first couple were of Rachel being dropped off at her apartment by Finn's driver, and the next few made Finn want to puke.
"Rachel…. What is this?" He said, flipping through them quicker than before as his anger intensified.
Jesse had been at Rachel's apartment and the photos showed them talking outside the door. Then the last one was of Jesse pressed up against Rachel, lips on hers.
Rachel didn't respond, she just stared at the photo, unable to believe this was happening.
Rachel! What the hell is this? Finn said, raising his voice as he tossed the photos down for her to see.
"Finn..I… I can explain."
"You can explain why your ex boyfriend was at your apartment, or you can explain why your kissing him? How about explaining why I'm finding this out from a complete fucking stranger instead of from my girlfriend."
Rachel tried again. "Finn, it's not what you think—"
"No. I can see just fine. I see that he kissed you and you didn't have enough respect for me to tell me about it. Are you seeing him? Are you really cheating on me? Tell me the truth Rachel, I deserve that much from you."
"No! Finn I would never—"
"I think you should leave. I can't even look at you right now. Please… just leave." He said before walking into his den and shutting the door behind him.
Rachel wanted to chase him. To beg him to talk to her, but she knew she messed up by not telling him about Jesse showing up. Finn was the type to go into a shell when he was upset, so going in there now would do no good for either of them. Instead she gathered her discarded clothes and left his apartment.
Once Finn heard the door close he walked out and looked around his silent apartment. The photos sat on the counter and he couldn't stand the sight of them. He scooped them up and threw them in the garbage. The photo of Jesse kissing Rachel burned into his memory as he poured a glass of brandy.
He sipped his drink and walked into his bedroom. He looked around at the place that an hour ago felt like heaven. The room smelled like Rachel's perfume and he couldn't stand it. He walked out and shut the door behind him. Once he finished his drink he pulled the blanket from the back of the recliner and laid down on the couch. He stretched out and let sleep take over.
Rachel had walked into her apartment where Santana and Puck sat watching tv. "Hey Berry. What brings you home?" Puck asked, but didn't receive an answer. Instead she went into her room and shut the door.
"What was that about?" Puck asked. "I'll go check on her." Santana said.
She knocked on the door, but Rachel ignored her. Knocking again she said, "Come on Rachel, open the door. What happened?"
Rachel finally opened the door and cried hysterically in her best friends arms. When she finished Santana said, "I know you don't want to hear this, but what you did is fucked up. I know you said that he tried kissing you and you pushed him away, but all that is fine. Where you messed up and where I agree with Finn is you should have told him. You could have avoided this whole situation."
Rachel knew her friend was right. She had messed up royally and she prayed that Finn would forgive her. She picked up her phone and called Finn's cell but after only one ring it went straight to voicemail.
"Finn it's me…I know you're upset and you have every right to be, but I am begging you to forgive me. Nothing happened. I'll explain everything and anything to you that you want.. just please, PLEASE don't give up on us. I'll be waiting to hear from you. I love you Finn… don't you ever forget that." And then she hung up.
Rachel cried herself to sleep, hoping that her phone would ring but it never did. The following day she got up and ready for work. She hoped that she would be able to catch Finn alone at some point to talk, but once Blaine informed everyone that Finn would be out of town on an unscheduled business trip, Rachel began to lose all hope. S he had called him numerous times, texts all going unanswered.
The next few days passed in a teary blur. The photos that the P.I. had taken were somehow leaked to the media and Rachel had been labeled a cheater. She felt like anything and everything that could possibly go wrong was.
She text Finn late on the 4th night and put her phone away, not expecting a reply. But just as she lay down in her bed, her phone buzzed to let her know that she had a new text message. She jumped out of bed and ran across her room. Her breath caught when she saw Finns name.
-I will be back in NY tomorrow evening. We need to talk.
That was all it said and it terrified Rachel. Was he telling her this to break up with her? That whatever they had was over? The thought alone made her feel sick. So she replied.
-If you want to meet with me just to break up with me, then please spare me and do it this way.
Rachel wait impatiently, hoping that the next text wouldn't break her.
BUZZ
-This hasn't been easy on me either. But I want to see if this relationship is salvageable. Meet me at the NY penthouse at 7:00 tomorrow.
Rachel felt tears fall. Finn wanted to try and save them. She climbed on her bed and jumped up and down.
-I'll be there. I love you Finn.
-I love you too Rachel. No matter what, that hasn't changed.
The next day at work, the time seemed to drag on. All Rachel could think about was seeing Finn, but now that she stood at his front door, she was taken over by nerves. She wished she would have had time to go home and change but Blaine insisted she help him and by the time they finished she had just enough time to make it to Finns.
She swallowed her nerves and knocked lightly. She heard footsteps walking towards the door and then it opened. Finn stood there wearing slacks, his dress shirt was untucked and his tie loosened.
"Hi. Come in, please." He said, stepping back to allow Rachel to come in.
"You want a drink? I'm fixing to make on for myself." He said, and Rachel could tell he was nervous as well.
"Sure. Whatever you're having is fine." She said. She looked around and noticed there were boxes all around the apartment. She felt her heart sink. He was moving. He was going to drop this bomb on her and then leave. But that didn't make sense… why would he tell her he wanted to fix them and then move?
"Were you planning on telling me goodbye before you move?" Rachel asked, anger lacing her voice.
Finn looked at Rachel, he could see that the last few days she had been crying a lot. Her eyes were puffy, swollen and she looked weak.
"Rachel, listen—"
"No Finn. I will not let you run away from me…. From us." Rachel said. She stood up and ripped open a box to unpack it.
"I'll unpack every one of these myself, because you're NOT leaving." Finn didn't say a word as he watched Rachel reach inside of the first box.
"What the…" Rachel said as she held one of her throw blankets in her hand. She looked at Finn will a puzzled look before reaching into another box to find her books and DVD's.
"Finn, this is all my stuff. How did… When…I thought?" Rachel wasn't able to finish a complete sentence. She was so confused right now that she was speechless and that was a rarity with Rachel Berry.
He came walking up behind her, and she turned around, jumping into his embrace.
"Finn I was so scared that I had lost you. I am so sorry that I didn't tell you but I didn't want to upset you when I had it handled. What the creepy P.I. didn't get was me slapping Jesse and telling him to stay away from me. I don't know why they would leave that out, but—"
"Wait! You slapped him and they didn't photograph that? Don't you find that a little odd?" Finn said, interrupting Rachel.
"It doesn't make sense that they wouldn't take the photos of that. Whoever hired him wanted me to see the ones of him kissing you but nothing else. So that makes me think that the person who hired him was Jesse. I'm gonna kick that mother—"
"Finn! Calm down. If Jesse did this, which this sounds exactly like something he would do, the best way to get him back is to show him that his plan didn't work. To show him that he didn't break us up."
Finn stood there silent for a moment, then he smiled his half grin and Rachel knew something was going through that mind of his.
"Rach… how public are you willing to take this living together thing?" He asked with a smirk.
She knew exactly where he was going with this and she had to admit, it was a great idea.
"I want the whole world to know that you are a taken man. That this is no longer the 'bachelor pad of Finn Hudson, lady charmer'. What do you have in mind?"
"Well, there is this magazine that has been hounding me for a while to take photos of my house. Not this place, but where I took you for our date. What if we take whatever you don't need here and take it there. Then I can schedule the interview so we can both be there to take the photos and answer their questions. Once it's published, Jesse St. Jackass won't know what to do." Finn pulled Rachel towards him by her hips.
"I love the way you think. But you know what I would love more?" She asked, looking up with him with bashful eyes.
"What's that?" he asked.
"For you to kiss me. I have missed your ki—"
Before Rachel could finish her sentence his lips were on hers. He lifted her up with the greatest of ease, and her legs wrapped around his waist. He started to move towards the bedroom but Rachel broke their kiss long enough to say, "Couch." Finn didn't hesitate as the couch was much closer and he had missed Rachel so much he didn't think he could make it to the bedroom either.
They fell onto the couch and Rachel moved to be on top of him. She pulled at his tie and threw it across the room before working on the buttons on his shirt while his hands reached up and unzipped the back of her dress.
"God I missed you." Rachel breathed out while Finn's mouth assaulted her neck.
"I missed you too. Less talking, more stripping." Finn say with a deep voice and Rachel didn't argue.
They discarded their remaining clothes and took no time before they were both screaming out in pleasure. Somehow Finn had sat up and Rachel was straddling his lap, and she felt her head collapse onto his shoulder. She kissed the side of his neck softly as his hands ran up and down her back.
"I can't believe I almost lost the chance to do this. I can't imagine life without you in it." She said, not looking at him and simply enjoying the way it felt to be in his arms.
"I know. I feel the same way. But what is important is that we are here now, and we didn't let go of something so special. I never want to lose you Rachel. You're it for me. I know that now." Finn said, pulling her back to look him in the eyes. "I love you so much, and the thought of you being with someone else killed me. I know I should have listened to you when you said nothing was going on, but those photos felt like someone was stabbing me in the heart. I don't want any man kissing these lips." He said, tracing his finger across her bottom lip.
"I never want anyone else's lips on mine. I mean that. You 're the only man I ever want. I love you too. SO much. Thank you for not giving up on us."
"I'll never give up on us. We are endgame. You and me. And that will never change."
They lay there, snuggling on the couch with the blanket pulled over them for a while and Rachel finally broke the silence.
"Finn?"
"Yeah babe?"
"How did you get all of my things here when I know that nothing was packed last night. I mean the only time they could have been packed was today when…. Wait a minute! Are you the reason Blaine kept me at work late tonight?" She said, turning to face him and raising an eyebrow.
"He was only doing as he was told. I am his boss after all. And I needed to keep you from going home and finding your house full over overly priced movers. I wanted to surprise you. And the sooner your things were here, where they belong, the better."
Rachel couldn't even pretend to be upset. He was too adorable and she was happy that her things were here.
"So does this mean I officially live here?" She asked.
Finn jumped up off the couch, reaching down and slipping on his boxers before heading over to the kitchen counter, opening his briefcase. He pulled something out and walked over towards her.
"Welcome home." He said, handing her a small white box.
She opened the box and gasped. Inside was a key to the apartment and an engraved keychain. She held it up and read it out loud.
"Today begins our journey." And the date was inscribed below it.
"Oh my god Finn. This is beautiful. I love you so much." Rachel kissed him over and over and he smiled.
"I love you too. I love you too."
