Hey guys. Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. I appreciate them. And thank you for your patience during the slow updates. I'm sure this is a hard time for many of you as well, so hopefully you understand, or at least respect it. This chapter is one of my favorites so far. I got to write the Hudson-Hummel family, and some of my favorite friendships to write (Kurt/Santana/Rachel and Finn/Blaine/Sam) I hope you enjoy it and review if I should keep going!
PS: My birthday's coming up on the 28th and if you guys would tweet Lea and ask her to wish me a happy birthday, that would mean so much to me! My twitter is FinchelFan728. Also you can get my Facebook by PM or by Tumblr (finchelfan728 or finchelseason5) so you can ask her on there too! I really want her to wish me a happy birthday!
Chapter 14: Court
The court date was getting closer and closer, and Finn was feeling more and more nervous. With the tabloids finding out, it was definitely public knowledge. Luckily, very few people had said much of anything.
Burt and Carole had come to New York to meet with the attorney before the trial. Burt had told Finn that several congressmen had recommended their attorney and that he was doing everything he could. Finn was trying to keep his mind off things by hanging out with the guys tonight, but at the same time, he couldn't stop thinking about the upcoming trial. What would Christopher do or say?
"Finn, do you even know who's winning the game?" Sam asked.
"Nets?" Finn asked.
"Celtics," Blaine said. "I remember when I first spent Christmas here in New York, Burt and I made a bet as to how long Kurt would watch a game, and the Celtics were winning that one, too."
"Who won the bet?" Sam asked.
"Burt," Blaine admitted.
"Finn, you should just relax with us tonight," Sam said. "I know you've been stressed lately, but too much stress will hurt you."
"I guess," Finn said.
"Yeah," Blaine said.
Finn's phone started ringing. He looked at it and saw that it was Beau. "It's our lawyer."
"Okay, you can take this call, but then we're taking your phone," Blaine said. "If Rachel wants to call you, she can reach one of us."
Finn picked up the phone. "Hi Mr. Hunter."
"Hi Finn," Beau said. "And I've told you to call me Beau. I just wanted to tell you that I've been consulting and things are looking really good."
"What's the worst thing that could happen?" Finn asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.
"Well, if we lose the case, Christopher won't be giving your mom the money, and your parents would need to find a way to get married," Beau said. "But I don't think we'll lose..."
Now Finn really knew he needed to win this case, more for his mom than for him. "What will happen to me if we lose?"
"I don't see your day to day life being changed much if we lose, but of course it will be upsetting," Beau admitted. "You'll still have your job, and school, and I don't think that they can use that against you. Anything else you want to know?"
Finn figured the guys were right. He needed to take his mind off this. "I think that's it for now." He said goodbye to his attorney and hung up the phone, going back to the living room, where he saw that Artie and Ryder had arrived. He handed his phone to Sam. "Hold on to this for me."
"Good choice," Artie said. "And for the record, Finn, the Nets are winning NOW."
"You told them?" Finn asked Blaine and Sam.
"Hey, at least it has you smiling," Ryder said.
"Let's hope the Nets win," Finn said, sitting down on the couch.
x
Rachel was worried about Finn. She knew she couldn't be with him every minute of every day, but this was definitely taking its toll and she could never stop thinking about him.
"Are you okay?" Rachel turned and saw Santana. Last night, Rachel had gotten home from the show late, and she, Kurt and Santana were working the breakfast shift at the diner this morning, so she couldn't see him before she went to work.
"Yeah, just worried about Finn," Rachel said.
"Come on, Finn has all of us on his side," Santana said. "He'll have a courtroom full of people and Burt got a congress endorsed attorney. I don't see how he wouldn't win this..."
"I just hate the way Christopher's been treating him," Rachel sighed. "I know that this case isn't going to be the end of Christopher..."
"It might be," Kurt said, coming over. "Anyway, Rachel, you are clearly upset about this. You haven't even complained about not getting asked to be in the showcase yet."
"Hey, I have Funny Girl," Rachel said. "You and Blaine and Marley are going to be amazing in the showcase. I just want Finn to be okay."
"I'm worried, too," Kurt sighed. "We all are."
"He's wanted his dad his whole life and then this happens," Rachel sighed. "It isn't fair."
"Life can be unfair, can't it?" Santana asked.
"Yes!" Kurt declared.
x
"Thank you for coming for this," Finn told Burt and Carole. It was the night before the trial, and Finn was out to dinner with his parents and brother.
"Of course we're here," Burt said. "We care too much about you to not be here."
"I'm so sorry," Finn said. "It's my fault you have to go through a process to get your marriage legalized."
"Finn, you need to stop apologizing," Kurt said. "You know Rachel's worried like crazy about you."
"Oh, I know," Finn said. "She's always doting on me at home, getting me snacks and drinks."
"She loves you, what can I say?" Carole asked.
"I love her too," Finn said. "I just wish my birth father loved me."
"We all might not be your birth father, but you have a lot of people who love you," Burt said.
"He better not take things too far tomorrow," Finn sighed.
"Just don't kick any chairs tomorrow, Finn," Kurt laughed. "I know that you do that when you're mad, but wait until we get home."
Finn managed to laugh. "Blaine said he was laughing the other night when he was with the guys," Kurt added. "Even if it's in small moments, we're glad to see him happy."
"Good," Carole said. "Because I hate seeing my son unhappy."
x
Rachel rubbed Finn's back as they lay in their bed together. She wanted him to be as relaxed as possible before the trial tomorrow. "That feels really good," Finn said finally.
"Good," Rachel said. "Sorry I haven't been around this week."
"It's your week for Funny Girl," Finn said. "And I'm so proud of you for getting that part."
"I couldn't have done it without you," Rachel said. "You were the one who suggested the song I sing for my first audition."
"Yeah," Finn said softly. "Baby, I don't want to go tomorrow."
"I know you don't," Rachel sighed. "I wish you didn't have to. But the judge does need your statements."
Finn sighed. "I hate this all so much." He gave Rachel a hug. "I love you."
"I love you too," Rachel said, hugging Finn close. "I just wish I could make everything right for you."
"I know you do," Finn said. "And I'm so sorry."
"You don't need to apologize," Rachel said. "Even if he is an ass, he did one thing right: he brought you into the world."
"That's why I could never fully hate him," Finn admitted.
"I get it," Rachel said, kissing Finn.
Finn tugged at Rachel's pajama bottoms, and Rachel tugged at Finn's boxers. Things couldn't be completely right all the time, but there was a way things could be right for them right here, right now.
x
Finn sat nervously in the courtroom, between Rachel and his mom. Burt was on Carole's other side, and on Burt's other side was the family attorney. Kurt sat on Rachel's other side. On the bench behind the family were Blaine, Sam, Artie, Ryder, Marley, Kitty, Santana, Mercedes and Tina.
Finn looked across the room. Christopher wasn't there yet, but a man who Finn assumed was Christopher's attorney was. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a familiar voice and felt a tap on his shoulder. "Hey."
Finn turned and saw Puck and Quinn. "Thanks for coming," Finn said.
"Oh, of course," Puck said. "I'm not letting you go through this without me."
Finn managed to smile. "Well, I need all the support I can get."
"You've got lots of it," Puck said. That was true. All the alumni living in New York had requested off work today so they could come. Finn had gotten texts from Mr. Schue, Mrs. Schuester, Coach Beiste, Mike, Jake, Rory, even some of the current New Directions members.
A little while later, the judge entered the room. Finn looked across the room and saw that Christopher had arrived, along with his wife. The judge stood up. "The trial for the Hudson-Hummel family, represented by Beau Hunter, vs. Christopher Hudson, represented by Jonathan Graffman, is set to begin. Are both parties ready to proceed?"
Finn gulped. This was it. He could barely listen to the testimonies from his family and friends, as well as some of Christopher's family members and friends. Then he felt his mom nudge him. "The court calls Finnegan Hudson," the judge said.
Finn stood up and walked up, his prepared statement in hand. "Your honor, I've spent my whole life wondering about my father. My mom and I believed that he was dead since that was what we had been told. So imagine my shock when a man named Christopher Hudson who looked like my father came into the diner I work at. I couldn't help but wonder. So I tried to look him up online and figure out who he was. I went to the address I found. Maybe that was the wrong thing to do, but I was just wondering... and finding out that he faked his death and never loved me really hurt. Then I talked to my parents and discovered that he'd broken several laws. He owes my mom eighteen years worth of child support. My mom and her husband deserve a legal marriage. All I wanted was my dad, but he didn't want me. I know he was going through a dark time when I was a baby, but he didn't have to completely disappear to get over it. And I didn't have to spend twenty one years living a lie."
"Mr. Graffman, would you or your client like to address the court?" the judge asked.
Christopher's lawyer stood up. "Yes. I would like to make some requests. I know Finnegan is making himself look like the victim, but that's far from the case. Finnegan is the instigator of this. He is the one who showed up on his biological father's porch, demanding a relationship with him when Christopher did not want Finnegan in his life. Although Christopher helped to create Finnegan, he made it clear to Carole that he was not in the right place at the time of Finnegan's birth to have children, nor did he want children. He knew that if Carole believed that he was alive, she would try to get him to be involved in Finnegan's life. Finnegan is not Christopher's son in any way but blood. This trial could have been avoided altogether if Finnegan had never tracked Christopher down."
Finn wanted to throw up. Did Christopher REALLY think that he had done nothing wrong? He wanted to jump up and yell at his biological father for not telling the truth from the beginning and for lying for so many years. He knew not to though. He couldn't make himself look bad.
"Mr. Hunter, your defense?" the judge asked the Hudson-Hummel family's lawyer.
Beau stood up. "Finn said in his statement that he might not have made the best decision by going to Christopher's house, but he didn't have very many options. He'd spent his whole life wondering. Children only get two people to give birth to them. Instead of his father being the role model that Finn deserved, he's unwanted. Despite what Mr. Graffman said, I think it's clear which side has the victims, and which side owes the other side justice. There is no excuse for faking a death, getting in an illegal marriage, failing to pay child support, and rejecting your child."
A few minutes later, the judge spoke. "Having received all the information, I have determined that Christopher Hudson owes Carole Hudson-Hummel eighteen years worth of child support," the judge said. "The money must be sent to her attorney within thirty days, and if it is not, a wage garnishment will be filed. We also must take into consideration the fact that because of Christopher Hudson's lies, he and Carole Hudson-Hummel are both involved in marriages that are currently illegal. Since Carole Hudson-Hummel and Burt Hummel were not aware of any of this, I will be willing to give them paperwork to legalize their marriage. However, Christopher and Amy Hudson will need to go through a legal process to make their marriage legal again. Due to these events, I also must take the three children living with Christopher and Amy into consideration. I am unsure if they are currently in the right type of environment to grow up in, seeing what their father has done in the past. I will be placing the children in a foster home so Christopher and Amy can take time to prove that they are fit parents."
Christopher began charging toward Finn. "You living piece of trash!"
"Mr. Hudson, if you want to keep your children, I would discourage that sort of behavior," the judge said.
Christopher ignored the judge and glared at Finn. "You... this is YOUR fault. You think that if you can't have me as your father, no one can."
"I never intended to have your children taken away," Finn said. It was true. This was about the child support money, the marriages and the lies. It wasn't about Christopher's children.
"The kids don't even know about this!" Amy protested.
"Don't know about what?" a voice asked. Finn turned and saw the boy from the bar from a few weeks ago and the boy and girl he'd seen at Christopher's house when he went. His half siblings.
"What are you three doing here?" Amy asked. "How did you find out about this?"
"Please, we heard all those phone conversations about court," the younger boy said. "We looked it up online. What's going on, and who is this Finnegan Hudson?"
"That's the guy who I saw in New York a few weeks ago," the older boy said, looking at Finn. "I told you I saw a guy who looked like he could be my brother when my friends and I went up to the city... and Dad, you said you had no idea who this man was!"
"Yeah, I think he came to our house once," the girl added.
"You see what you've done?" Christopher asked Finn.
"Order!" the judge said. He turned to Christopher. "So your kids don't know about this?"
"They weren't supposed to!" Christopher said. "Even when it got in the news, we made sure they stayed away from newsstands and talked to their friends' parents..."
"Will you just tell us what's going on?" the older boy asked.
Finn looked directly at Christopher for the first time all day. "Tell them. Tell them or I will."
"Who are you?" the girl asked.
Christopher looked at the kids. "I was married once before I married your mother. I was in a bad place in life, and I managed to get my first wife pregnant. I didn't want to be reminded of that period of my life, so I faked my death and ran away..."
"What?!" the younger boy gasped. "So we have another sibling?"
"Yes," the judge said. "This man right here."
The kids looked stunned as Christopher kept talking. "Over the summer I went to lunch at the restaurant that my first wife's son works at and he checked me out. He thought it would be a good idea to track me down and that's why we're here."
Finn was tempted to say more. The fact that Christopher had broken so many laws.
"And I'm sorry you have to find out about your brother like this," the judge said. "I'm also sorry you have to find out here that due to your father's parenting being brought into question, the three of you are going to be placed in foster care."
"Foster care?" the girl gasped.
"Because of your supposed brother!" Christopher snapped.
"I did not intend to have your kids taken away," Finn said. "The last thing I want is for any kid to go through what I went through..."
The judge banged the gavel. "I have come to a decision. Mr. and Mrs. Hudson, if you want to get your children back, you can arrange for a custody hearing. In the meantime, they will be placed in a foster home, and Mr. Hudson, you do need to get that money to Mrs. Hudson-Hummel."
Finn felt sick to his stomach. His mom was getting her money. His mom and Burt had the judge on their side for making their marriage legal. But he was sure that Christopher hated him more than ever now.
"Let's go," Rachel said quietly, taking Finn's hand.
As Rachel and Finn left the courtroom, Christopher came running over to Finn and slapped him across the face. "I regret that you were ever born," he snapped. "I hate you and you are not my son."
Finn put his hand on his face, not knowing what to say. Christopher's lawyer followed close behind. "That's not the type of thing that you should let the judge see if you want to get the kids back."
"You probably had this planned," Christopher continued. "You and your Democrat congressman father and his expensive government provided attorney..."
Christopher's lawyer looked at Finn. "I'm so, so sorry."
"Please remind your client that he is not to contact my client," Beau told Christopher's attorney. "If he continues to act this way, he may find another case on his hands."
"Let's go," Christopher's attorney said.
"Oh my God," Rachel said, taking Finn's face in her hands. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know," Finn began.
"I just wish I could toss that sperm provider of yours into a dumpster," Puck told Finn.
"I just want to go home," Finn said.
"Let's get you home," Rachel said, taking Finn's hand.
As Burt and Carole talked with Beau and the judge, Finn and Rachel left with their friends. While leaving, Finn saw Christopher's children being led away by a police officer. Finn did feel bad, but he didn't know what to say or do. He didn't want innocent children to get hurt by this. He wanted to apologize to them. But he knew that they'd most likely be on the side of the man who'd raised them and taken care of them instead of a man whose existence they'd been unaware of.
"I didn't want to hurt them," Finn told Rachel quietly.
"I know you didn't," Rachel said. "I hope it works out for them."
"This is my fault," Finn grumbled.
"It's not your fault," Kurt said. "It's that liar's fault."
Chapter 15: It's Christmas time in New York - despite everything, will Finchel have a Merry Christmas?
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