One week later
"God, would you hold still?" Kurt said, swatting Rachel's hand away.
"Sorry, it tickles," Rachel said as Kurt continued to affix the fake mustache. "Are you sure this will work?"
"I don't know, I'm just a professional make-up artist," he said sarcastically. "Besides you're lucky that I'm doing this at all after everything you put us through last weekend."
"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry? I still have to go incognito just to get out of the apartment. I couldn't just go home after what happened."
"Don't pay him any attention, he's just mad that you stole away the purveyor of his denial," Mercedes said.
"Am not," Kurt said unconvincingly. "So, where's loverboy taking you anyway?"
"It's a surprise, I'm guessing Europe, do you think it's too soon for Europe?"
"A little, yeah," Kurt said. "Okay, all done," he continued, putting the finishing touches on her disguise
"How do I look?" Rachel said.
"Like a tiny, weird little man," Kurt shrugged.
"This is fantastic, thank you Kurt," She said, giving him a not entirely welcome hug.
"I have to tell you Finn, I may have been wrong about this Rachel chick. The rags are obsessed with this girl and by extension obsessed with you," Puck said, finishing the latest in the stack of tabloids he was reading and tossing it on the in-table.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the fact that this whole thing has completely changed your image. Chicks want you more than ever now, probably because for the first time they think it's actually possible. Not to mention the heroics you pulled on Saturday. Slumming it with Rachel has made you look sweet and relatable, which believe it or not I can actually work with."
"I'm not slumming it Puck."
"Whatever, the point is you're all the press can talk about right now. Good job buddy."
"Thanks, I guess."
"So I'm guessing you're off to see the little newsmaker right now." Puck said, noticing Finn's hoodie.
"Not that it's any of your business, but yes."
"Well don't forget the sunglasses, that way you can look like Finn Hudson in a hoodie and sunglasses."
"Do you have a problem with my disguise?" Finn said.
"Hey, if Clark Kent can get away with it…"
"Just give me the glasses," Finn said, snatching them away.
Finn came up to Rachel's door, feeling lucky that no photographers had followed him there. There were a good number outside of her house, but his disguise proved more effective than Puck had anticipated, still the both of them getting past the swarm would be a bit more challenging. He knocked softly, darting his eyes back and forth to make sure that nobody had followed.
"Um, hey, is this the right apartment?' Finn said, confusedly.
"Finn it's me." Rachel said, happy that her disguise was so effective.
"Whoa, you really went all out," he said smiling, "You might be able to pull off this celebrity thing after all."
"I'm glad you appreciate my work," Kurt said, walking up to Rachel and draping his arm around her. "Perhaps you wouldn't mind spreading the word of my stellar aesthetic abilities? I think you owe me the career boost after kidnapping my roommate."
"Kurt," Rachel seethed.
"I'm going," Kurt said throwing his hands up and rejoining Mercedes in the living room.
"Is it weird that I still want to kiss you?" Finn said, grabbing her hand.
"Don't worry I won't tell anyone," she said giving him a tickle with her fake mustache as she kissed him right on the lips.
"Are you going to tell me where you're taking me?" She said as their lips parted.
"All I'm going to say is you may not want to look like a guy when you get there," Finn said.
"Covered, I brought a change of clothes and full make-up kit," she said, patting her messenger bag.
"Alright I'll go out first. Then you follow three minutes later, my car is parked to the left."
"Your Mercedes?"
"No it's a decoy, my Chevy. I've had it since high school, when it came time to buy a new one I guess I just didn't have the heart get rid of it. You never forget your first car."
"Aww I should call you Finny from the block," she said sweetly.
"Please don't."
"Sorry," she said sheepishly.
When Rachel and Finn arrived at their destination she couldn't help but be a little surprised, she expected something hopelessly romantic, not a cold, sterile building identical to every skyscraper in Los Angeles. Still, she was intrigued.
"Okay, you want to go change in that bathroom." He said, pointing across the hall. "Oh and you're gonna need this," he continued, handing her a strip of black fabric.
"A blindfold?" she said skeptically
"Just trust me," he said, smirking, "I'll be right here."
After sloughing the spirit gum off of her face applying her make-up and changing into her favorite dress and cardigan, Rachel looked like the furthest thing from guy, although the wig left her hair a bit frizzier than she would have liked. She took one last approving look in the mirror before applying the blindfold and carefully meeting him outside.
"Alright, follow me," he said taking her hand.
"Are you sure nobody is going to notice me?"
"Oh they're noticing you all right, but don't worry, the paps aren't allowed in here."
"Thank god for that. Is it totally useless for me to ask what you're up to?"
"Yes, just be patient,"
After about five minutes and what fell like two elevator rides they had finally reached their destination.
"Okay, I'm going to take off the blindfold in 3…2…1," Finn said, removing it.
Rachel winced a little as her eyes readjusted to the light. As she recognized where she was she gave Finn a big smile.
"Finn is this a…
"Recording studio, yes. And you my girl have an exculsive meeting with the one and only Dakota Stanley."
"Dakota Stanley? He handles everyone who matters in the music business, are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
"Oh my god!" she squealed, giving Finn a crushing hug. "This is insane, what do I do, what should I sing?"
"How about something short?" said the shrill little man entering the studio alongside an attractive brunette. "I have a meeting with Fergie this afternoon. I'm Dakota Stanley, but of course you know that, and this is my associate producer Shelby, but of course there's no need to know that."
"It'd an honor to meet you both," Rachel said, extending her hand for him to shake, he simply rolled his eyes and cut past her. Rachel shrugged and shook Shelby's hand instead.
"I don't have all day Shelby, get Ms. Berry here set up," Dakota said.
"Right this way," Shelby said with a hint of exasperation in her voice.
Rachel took her place in the studio and put on the set of head phones as Shelby began to adjust the equipment.
"Whenever you're ready sweetie," Shelby said.
"Okay, I'm ready," Rachel said timidly.
"Do you recognize this song?" Shelby said playing a familiar tune into the box.
Rachel smiled and nodded before beginning to follow along with the beat.
Head under water
And they tell me to breathe easy for a while
The breathing gets harder, even I know that
Made room for me but it's too soon to see
If I'm happy in your hands
I'm unusually hard to hold on to
Blank stares at blank pages
No easy way to say this
You mean well, but you make this hard on me
I'm not gonna write you a love song
'cause you asked for it
'cause you need one, you see
I'm not gonna write you a love song
'cause you tell me it's
Make or break in this
If you're on your way
I'm not gonna write you to stay
If all you have is leaving I'm gonna need a better
Reason to write you a love song to—
"Okay, no" Dakota, said shutting her off.
"Um, is there something wrong?" Rachel said.
"Yes, this is all wrong," he said gesturing towards her. "You're all wrong."
"What are you talking about? She was fantastic," Finn protested.
"I'm inclined to agree," Shelby said.
"I'll admit that you have talent, but you look like something out of little house on the prairie. And for god sake, nose job, have you ever heard of one?"
"Hey!" Finn said.
"I'm not finished, your mannerisms, your weird little facial expressions, nothing about you reads star, more like tragic community theatre diva. Now I gave you a shot because I thought your built-in celebrity might make this easy for me but once your fifteen minutes are up selling you to the public is going to be next to impossible,"
"Look you little Jackass," Finn started.
"No it's okay Finn," Rachel interrupted. "Look, I know you think you're special because you stomp all over people's dreams for a living and sleep like a baby at night, but you're not. It's easy to be a total jerk in this city, especially when you have lots of undeserved money and the vague appearance of a hobbit. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to storm out of here now," Rachel said, happy that her sprained ankle was healed enough to march out with aplomb.
"Rachel, wait" Finn said, going after her. The confidence she had shown when telling off Dakota Stanley hade completely fallen away, and she was now walking down the hallway, reduced to bitter tears.
"Rachel, I'm so sorry, I didn't know."
"It's okay Finn, it was really sweet of you to try to help me," she said, wiping her eyes.
"Look, that guy is a jerk, you can't let him get to you," Finn said, rubbing her arms comfortingly.
"I can't believe I wore this outfit."
"Rachel, come on, you look adorable."
She gave him a weak smile, "I guess adorable doesn't sell."
"There'll be other shots, I promise."
"Not like this. Look, I think I'm going to go clear my head. Do you mind driving yourself back home?"
"I don't want to leave you alone."
"It's okay, I'll be fine," she put her hands on his shoulders and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. "I just need to get back to the real world for awhile."
Finn sat at his usual table on the café patio, ignoring his cappuccino and waiting for Rachel to call, it had been nearly 24 hours since he'd heard from her. He tried to resist the urge to call, it was clear that she needed a bit of space, he just wished he knew how long that was going to take.
"Finn?" a familiar voice said. Finn looked up to see Quinn walking towards him, shopping bags in tow.
"Oh, hey Quinn," He said dourly.
"Wow, It's been awhile."
"I know. How are you?"
"Good, I'm actually just getting back from Milan, what about you. How's what's her name?" She said inviting herself to sit across from him.
"Rachel? She's fine, I guess."
"Look, Finn I was thinking about what you said at the party that night and…
"And what?"
"And you were right, this Rachel thing has really got me thinking. You've never been the kind of guy to care about what the right girl could do for your status. And that's such a rare thing in this city and in this business, I guess I just didn't appreciate it. I didn't appreciate you, and I'm sorry."
"It's okay Quinn, I'm over it."
"That's the thing Finn," she said hesitantly. "I'm not."
"What?" he said confusedly.
"I've missed you," she said leaning in to kiss him.
Sorry again for the string of slow updates. I've started writing a graphic novel, which along with school and work takes up a lot of my time. But this story will get finished. It will probably go for about five or six more chapters. BTW just in case you were wondering, Shelby is not Rachel's mother in this universe.