Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Chapter 20
"It's your choice, Finn.", James' voice repeated in Finn's head while he was driving. "It's your choice."
If it really was his choice – why didn't it feel like that? Why was the world turning so fast, why was there this pressure on his chest that kept on getting bigger?
Finn's vision got blurry, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hands, but it was not helping at all. So he decided to pull over and stop the vehicle. He leaned his head against the steering wheel, concentrating on his breathing.
He hated losing the control, he hated that grandfather made him leave Rachel and her family.
He hated that he didn't hear from his mother and his stepfather for weeks.
Angry and frustrated, Finn hit the steering wheel in front of him. He was so sick of this.
So freaking sick.
Trying to even out his breathing, Finn closed his eyes, and after some time, the world stopped spinning, and the tears disappeared as well. Turning on the engine again, Finn drove back to the road, but everything inside him didn't want to drive to his home.
Not yet. He just couldn't.
Like on autopilot, Finn turned to the other direction and drove to the only other place that came to his mind.
He parked his car behind Sam's, got out and went towards the porch of the Evans. Without thinking, he rang the doorbell.
After one minute, Sam opened the door – and his eyes widened. But then, he frowned.
"Are you here to call me out because of Mercedes?"
Confused, Finn looked at him. "Why should I call you out because of Mercedes?"
"Because she is the girl I told you about. I…I thought Rachel sent you. She was pissed after she has seen us together."
Finn had no idea what to answer now. Sam and Mercedes? And why was Rachel so pissed? When he thought about Rachel, Finn's body started aching, reminding him why he was here in the first place.
"I'm not here because of Mercedes."
Sam nodded slowly. "Because of your grandfather?"
This time, it was Finn's turn to nod. "He expects me at home, but I just can't return at the moment."
"Do you want to talk about it?", Sam asked quietly. He stepped aside. "Enter."
The boys went up to his room, and being at Sam's new home was less awkward to Finn every time. Sam's old house had been like his second home, and he wondered whether it will feel like that with his new home one day as well.
"Sit down", Sam said, pointing at his bed while he sat down on the chef chair of his desk. Finn looked at the display of his laptop – and recognized the design of the website he was just looking at.
Quick, Sam closed his laptop, but it was already too late – Finn already recognized Mercedes' blog.
"Sam?", he asked while he sat down.
"Yes?", his friend answered innocently.
"In the last weeks, Mercedes became something like a sister to me. If you hurt her, I'm gonna hurt you. Okay, man?"
Sam's corners of his mouth twitched, but his glance stayed serious. "Alright. Even though that's not my plan, just sayin."
Finn looked down his hands, concentrating on his nails. "Sometimes, you have no other choice. Sometimes, you are forced to hurt the people you love even though that's the last thing you want to do."
Both of them stayed silent for a while. Finn needed to think about Rachel, his grandfather, his grandmother and his parents. He wondered what they would do if they were still alive.
Would they understand that he didn't want to work at Hummel-Hudson's? Would they allow that James ruined the family? Finn didn't think so. But unfortunately, none of them were present right now.
Sam pulled him out of his thoughts when he sat down next to him with two whiskey glasses in his hands. Grateful, Finn accepted the second glass, staring down the brown liquid.
"No matter what your grandfather planned – you will somehow find a solution. We will."
Finn just nodded numbly while he clinked his glass against Sam's.
Mercedes had no idea how much time passed when she let go of Rachel and they both went back into the house.
Rachel avoided the questions of her dads, mumbling that she was tired and wanted to go up to her room. Upstairs, she slumped down her bed without saying anything while Mercedes took a seat on her chair. For a while, they were just staring at each other, and Mercedes waited until Rachel said anything.
To be honest, the way Rachel acted at Kurt's aunt still hurt, and even though Mercedes was worried about her friend, she couldn't just forget it.
"I'm sorry I just flipped out before", Rachel started. Her eyes were red and her voice was still hoarse even though she stopped crying a couple of minutes ago.
"Seeing the two of you was the last thing I expected. I thought we told each other everything."
Mercedes took a deep breath. "I just wanted to figure out what was going on between me and Sam before I told another person about it. And besides, I knew exactly how you would react."
"Did I really give you the feeling that you cannot trust me anymore? I just want to protect you, that's all."
"I know", Mercedes said quietly, playing with the bracelet on her right wrist.
"I'm sorry I gave you the feeling that I act selfish. I…", Rachel shrugged. "That's my way to protect the people I care about."
Mercedes gulped and nodded slowly.
"It's just…" Rachel hesitated before she went on. "I don't know what kind of person Sam is now, but back then…I hated him and the way he acted."
"I totally get that", Mercedes answered. "I really do. But he really regrets his behavior. If you don't believe him, please believe me."
Rachel took a deep breath and nodded shortly.
"I really do like him, Rachel. I have a feeling that he understands me. And…it just made click."
"Maybe, he changed", Rachel said thoughtfully, looking down her hands.
"Do you want to tell me what happened between you and Finn?", Mercedes asked carefully.
Rachel visibly gulped, and she looked to the ceiling. "He returns to his grandfather. And to the firm."
"What?", Mercedes gasped, holding her breath. Rachel didn't say anything anymore. Minutes passed where she just stared to the ceiling. Her face expression was blank as if she was a zombie, and that sight gave Mercedes goosebumps.
"Sam told me on the was back to Lima that he wouldn't be surprised if James Hudson brought Finn home by playing dirty.", Mercedes whispered. "Do you think that happened today?"
That sentence pulled Rachel out of her state of trance. Her glance was angry when she looked back to her friend. "That douchebag blackmails Finn."
Mercedes exhaled. So Sam really was right. In the car, she didn't believe him.
"Hell to the no", she mumbled, ruffling her hair. "How does he blackmail him?"
Rachel opened her mouth just to close it again. Finally, she cleared her throat. "He…he told him that he would destroy my family."
Mercedes' eyes widened. "Wait…what?"
"That's all Finn told me, but he didn't need to tell me more. We all know that James Hudson stays true to his words." She rubbed her tear-filled eyes again.
Mercedes thought about what Rachel just told her, trying to think of a reason that justified James' behavior. But she just couldn't think of something.
Her grandfather would never act like that towards her. Hell, grandparents were supposed to buy their grandchildren ice cream and to spoil them endlessly.
"I don't get how he could do that to his grandsons", she said, shaking her head.
Rachel hugged her pillow next to her, looking sad and troubled. "He is determined to keep up the perfect façade of Hummel-Hudson's. And he needs Finn for that, no matter how bad he needs to hurt and manipulate him. I feel nauseous if I think about how Finn needs to do whatever he wants him to. I would like to help him, but I just don't know how." Rachel's voice broke again, and she needed to clear her throat.
Mercedes leaned forward, squeezing her hand. "But you are helping him."
"How? By sitting here and allowing that he leaves?"
She shook her head. "You are there for him. And I think that's what he needs right now."
Rachel gulped again and sniffed, blowing her nose for the hundredth time this day. Mercedes got up. "How about we distract ourselves? We could make popcorn and watch a musical or something. Even if we have to watch Funny Girl for the millionth time", Mercedes suggested carefully.
"Sounds good", Rachel admitted, rubbing her eyes again and smiling slightly. "Thanks that you are there for me, Mercedes."
She waved it off. "No biggie, white girl."
It was hard concentrating on the brainstorming for the new Hummel-Hudson's catalogues if Rachel didn't want to get out of Finn's mind.
"Finn?", Jacob Hopper just asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.
Just like all the others in this room, he was calling him by his forename, because there couldn't be two Mr. Hudsons. They all seemed to be skeptical towards Finn, even though he didn't even know half of the employees – James must have replaced them all during Finn's absence.
"Yes?", Finn answered, looking up and feigning interest.
"I just asked whether you have something to add."
Finn just stared at him. His throat was dry, and he realized how quiet it was all of a sudden. He looked in the eyes of the critical employees around him, and he was sure that they thought he had no idea what they were talking about.
But James had told him about everything since he had been a toddler. Finn knew exactly how this firm worked, even though some things had changed after Elaine's death.
"Yes. I want us to evaluate the management ratios monthly from now on, not every six months. This way, we could react faster if the development turns out disadvantageous. And in my opinion, the entire head should be present, not only the department heads."
Hopper's mouth opened, and then, he nodded and took notes in his iPad. In the next forty-five minutes, Finn pretended to take notes and to listen to the others talk, even though he was just drawing circles. The pen in his hand felt like it weighed tons whenever he tried writing down what his grandfather or his colleagues said.
The longest one and a half hours in his life ended eventually. Two head members went to James, talking to him while Finn got up and stretched his arms. James threw him a stern glance, and Finn slumped them down again.
So he just waited for his grandfather, notebook in hand. After a while, James motioned his employees to wait and went over to him.
"You are driving home with Andino. I have a business dinner with Hopper and Tanners. I won't come home today, I will stay overnight at Columbus.", he said, nodding shortly.
Now, Finn was allowed to leave. He quickly left the room and took the elevator. He had never felt more relieved when he left the building, breathing in the fresh air.
Andy was already waiting, leaning against the limousine and straightening up when he spotted Finn. He opened the door for him, and Finn got in, leaning his head against the seat. Now, behind the darkened windows, he could finally undo his dumb tie of his suit.
"Everything all right, Sir?", Andy asked him, looking at him on the rearview.
He just shrugged. He had no idea what to answer to this question, to be honest. It felt like he returned from a long vacation to a depressing life.
Finn leaned back and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, they felt dry. He must have fallen asleep or something, because it already got darker outside.
When he looked out of the window, he didn't recognize the surroundings.
"You missed the exit to Lima, Andy", Finn commented hoarsely.
But the chauffeur ignored him. Instead, he parked the car at the parking of a small bar. Finn was about to ask him what the hell they were doing there, but Andy was faster.
"We need to talk, Mr. Hudson."
…
The bar was not so small than it looked from the outside. Apart from Finn and Andy, there were only two other guys present who were watching the football game of a small TV in the corner.
They sat down at a small table in the back, and the waitress gave the menu to them.
"What I'm about to do will possibly cost me my job", Andy said after some minutes. His voice was calm, as if he was okay with it.
Finn looked at him, waiting.
The chauffeur cleared his throat, and opened his mouth when the waitress reappeared, asking them what they wanted to drink. Without looking away from Andy, Finn ordered two glasses of water. After she left, they were alone again.
"Half a year ago…", he finally started. "…I eavesdropped to a phone call of your grandfather."
Finn opened his mouth, but Andy already seemed to know what he wanted to ask. "The intercom was turned on." He hesitated. "I didn't think about it that much – James Hudson always has conversations while I'm present. But I couldn't stop thinking about that one."
Andy took deep breath before he went on. "He said: 'Elaine is dead. I need your help.'"
Finn paled. "How did that conversation continue?"
"He said that he would be there in twenty minutes, and he told his conversation partner to come alone."
All of a sudden, Finn's heartbeat quickened.
"Where did you drive grandfather?", he croaked.
"To Maximus Blood."
"Why should grandfather secretly meet our attorney?"
Andy opened his mouth, looking down his glass.
"When was that conversation?", Finn wanted to know, curious.
"The night after your grandmother died."
Finn's heart skipped a beat. What if Elaine's death was no coincidence? What if James had something to do with it? But then, he quickly shook his head.
James really loved Elaine; everyone could see that. He adored her with every fiber of his heart. He would never to that to her.
"Back then, I was too…distracted to think about it. But that conversation is still haunting me. And after I talked to Mildred this weekend, I knew that I needed to tell you about it."
"What did Mildred say?"
"She told me that there had been alarming developments at Hummel-Hudson's. Your grandfather fired a large part of the head."
"He didn't fire them, they left voluntarily. That's what we talked about at the meeting today", Finn said, realizing how wrong it sounded. He felt sick right now.
"Mildred said that she wasn't really happy with the way her mother led the firm, but at least, the fundamental values would stay the same. But this seems to change now as well."
Finn thought the same when he was at the meeting. When he and Kurt accompanied their grandmother as kids, he always felt the passion Elaine and her colleagues were radiating.
Hummel-Hudson's used to have a heart.
Other than today were the atmosphere was tensed up and uncomfortable.
"I know what she means", Finn admitted quietly.
"Mildred doesn't think that Elaine would have the same visions as Mr. Hudson."
Finn frowned. "My grandparents always worked as a team."
"It only worked because Elaine always had the last word. She could control his actions because technically speaking, he was just her employee." Andy cleared his throat. "I think Elaine knew that something like that might happen, if …if something happened to her."
"Andy", Finn said slowly. "What do you want to say by that?"
Andy exhaled audibly. He took off the necklace with a small pendant he had been wearing, holding it in the air. Now that Finn looked at it closer, he realized that it was no pendant – it was a small key which he gave to Finn.
"A couple of years ago, Elaine gave that key to me. She said I should protect it with my life."
Finn turned the key in his hand. "Why did she give it to you?", he asked hoarsely.
The chauffeur gulped again. "We have been something like friends."
His grandmother had a secret. A secret she couldn't entrust Kurt or him or Mildred with. A secret he just got the key to.
"She never told me what the key is for", Andy muttered, thoughtful. "But I think you should get it."
Finn looked up, looking at Andy and realizing how sad he looked. He remembered what Rachel had told him about him. Everything that had happened – Elaine's death, and Kurt's and his move out. Even though he was just an employee – he was a part of their family. And his grandmother must have cared about him a lot so that she trusted him unconditionally.
"Do you think the key and grandfather's weird phone call have a connection?"
Andy shrugged. "I don't know. But I do know that your grandfather does keep a secret."
Finn retrieved his wallet, putting the key inside it, next to Rachel's list. Determined, he looked Andy in the eyes.
"I will find out what it is."
"I hoped that you would say that, Mr. Hudson."
A/N: Yup, the High School Society series is slowly coming to an end, and I promise, you won't be disappointed...
I still remember when I wrote down the first chapters of the first part, feels like yesterday to me *_*
Thank you guys for still reading this, you rock!*blinking back tears*