Chapter 35 - The Press Conference

The next morning, Finn woke up at 9 am. When he awoke, he felt some extra weight on top of him, so he looked down and saw Ella sleeping peacefully. He couldn't believe it. He had literally the most perfect girl in the world lying beside him. He brushed a curl out from in front of her face and he slowly rolled off the sofa. It was a miracle. He could walk again. Sure his muscles were killing him, but he could move a lot more than yesterday. He decided to start on breakfast. He knew that Quinn was still asleep in her bedroom and Dalton was probably also still sleeping in his room. Ella, Dalton and Taylor were all pretty late risers. Finn had made a lot of food for them. He hadn't eaten in almost 48 hours so was STARVING! He made fruit, pancakes, bacon, sausages, eggs, hash browns and tater-tots. He made homemade lemonade and orange juice as well. Once he finished cooking, he made a large plate and walked towards the sofa, where Ella was still sleeping. He dangled the plate a couple of inches in front of Ella's nose. She could smell it - even from her deep sleep. Her nose twitched and she breathed in deeply. Eventually she woke up.

"Wow, you're really here," she said, as she gave him a kiss and took the plate. "Yesterday felt like both a dream and a nightmare."

"I'm hoping that the nightmare part wasn't when we got together," Finn laughed. She rolled her eyes. "You know full well it wasn't."

"I mean that's exactly how I would have described it. But it wasn't the swimming that was the bad part. It was actually quite fun. It was the fact that you guys might have thought I was dead that sucked."

"I still can't believe you swam for 16 hours. I would die." She shook her head.

"You're right. You would die!" he remarked, cheekily

"Hey!" she cried, glared at him playfully. He laughed.

"What I mean is you would, because you aren't as used to swimming in the ocean as I am. I spent a year of my life training to swim in the ocean, whilst carrying full equipment and guns. Swimming is easier for me than walking. It's like singing for you. I'm sure you could sing for 16 hours if you tried hard."

"Can't argue with that logic. All I care about is that you're here now. And we're together." She said as she munched at her breakfast and let out a groan of satisfaction. "Finn, this is amazing. You're hands down the best cook I know. You have to make me meals more often."

"You got it," Finn said, winking at her and making himself a plate. They started eating together when Taylor finally emerged from her room, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Mmmm that smells great. Finn, you cooked?" she asked, as she came over to them.

"Why do you assume that? Ella could have cooked!" Finn stated.

"Nah, Ella sucks at cooking." she said as she literally took Finn's plate from him and started eating it. Finn rolled his eyes and made himself another plate. Ella didn't say anything to the jab at her cooking. She just laughed. "Look, she's not even denying it," Taylor cried. "I love you to death Ella, but you're not a good cook. Thank god you're dating master chef here." Taylor pointed at her brother. Finn scowled.

"It's really not that hard," Finn said. "You just throw a bunch of random food on different pots and pans and cook them." Ella laughed and Taylor clapped her hands sarcastically.

"Always so articulate. It's moments like that when you realise that you didn't go to college." Taylor remarked.

"Taylor, I'm smarter than you," he said quietly. "Trust me, I'm smarter than I look. And it's not like you're reaching for the stars either."

"He's right you know," Dalton said as he entered the apartment. "Ooh breakfast," he said and took Finn's plate.

"Seriously? Again?" Finn said and poured himself another plate. They laughed and finished breakfast together. When they finished, Finn stood up. "Given that I cooked, and I had my plate stolen twice, you guys can wash the dishes. I'm not doing it. I'm going to go take a shower. Then I have to go to work for a few hours. I need to make a media announcement that I'm not dead, and give condolences to those who did."

They nodded and Finn left the room. He walked into his apartment and went into the shower. Ella, Dalton and Taylor were left in the big apartment.

"You know, if anyone else said that they swam for 16 hours and 26 miles in the freezing ocean, I wouldn't believe them. But with Finn, I actually believe him." Dalton said as they rinsed the plates and put them in the dishwasher.

"Yeah, Finn doesn't lie. Like ever. So I believe him. Besides, if anyone's in good enough shape to be able to swim that far, it's him." Taylor commented.

"I'm just so happy he's alive. And he actually wants to be with me." Ella said as they put the plates and cutlery in the dishwasher.

"Why wouldn't he? You two are perfect for each other," Taylor said.

"He could probably have any girl in the country. He's ex-military, current singer-songwriter, and he's the nicest person I've ever met. Why would he want to be with me?" Ella stared at the floor. Suddenly a hand was laced in hers. It was Finn, his hair still wet from the shower.

"Ella, you're the most amazing girl in the world. You're funny, you're kind, you're giving. And in case you haven't already noticed, you're really hot! I'm so lucky to be with you."

Ella laughed. Finn had a way of making her feel so much better about herself so quickly. She kissed him and he held her tightly. About 15 minutes later, Finn went to work. He was planning on going to the recording studio for a couple of hours, followed by a press conference. Finn was working on his fourth song of the album. Finn was making great time with the You album. It was the beginning of February and he was producing one song every 2-3 weeks. He was on track to have his album released by the end of the summer. His third song in the album was called I Am and it was a lot heavier than his other songs. He hadn't released it as a single, but released a 10 second clip of the chorus on his social media to generate interest from fans. The fourth song in the album was called Safe Inside. He wasn't planning on making it into a Single just yet, he wanted to wait until the album was released so he could hear what the fans thought. He was putting the finishing touches on it at this point. It was the most complicated song he had written so far - the producers would be in for a lot of hard work. 4 hours flew by, and before Finn knew it, he was leaving the studio to go for a press conference. He had released via social media that he was still alive, but he knew that there were going to be a lot of grueling, possibly insensitive questions about what happened. There were 17 people that died in the shipwreck after all. He entered the small room, where various television and radio crew were waiting. Finn sat down next to his manager and waited for the questions to start. They started to come thick and fast.

"Finn, where were you for 48 hours?"

"What happened?"

"How did you survive while some others didn't?"

"You were seen giving your life jacket to a kid and jumping off the edge of the boat. What was going through your mind?"

"ONE AT A TIME!" Finn's manager, Carl, called to the journalists, TV reporters and Radio presenters. One of the TV reporters started.

"Finn, where were you for 48 hours?" He asked again.

"I was swimming. I swam for 16 hours before making it to Montauk. I then drove 2 and a half hours to Manhattan. I was obviously extremely filthy and was extremely tired so wasn't about to make a media statement. I just took a shower and then slept for the next 24 hours."

"Wait, so you're telling us you swam for 16 hours? The boat went down 26 miles from shore! And how did you even know which way to go?"

"Well, as you guys saw on TV, I was given a life jacket by one of the crew members and I gave it to that little girl. After I did that, I decided that my best chance was to try and swim it. After all, we swam more than 300 miles a month while I was in the Navy." The reporter nodded and another reporter asked their question. Finn knew it was coming but it felt like a sucker punch all the same.

"So, Mr. Hudson, I'm sure you know that there were 17 fatalities from the shipwreck. Why didn't you try to help them?" You were selfish and only thought about saving yourself! How will you live with yourself."

Carl noticed Finn's discomfort and tried to help out his friend. "Finn, you don't have to answer that. SECURITY! Get this man out of here!"

Finn shook his head. "No, I want to answer this question. My good friend, what do you think I should have done in this scenario?"

The brash, young reporter's face turned red. "I… I… "

"Harder than it seems isn't it? I did as much as I could. I calmed down the people, I gave away my life jacket. Notice that none of the people who died, God rest their souls, died from drowning. They died from hypothermia. There's nothing more I could have done. Trust me, swimming away from that ship and taking my chances to swim home was not an easy decision. But as an ex-SEAL, I was trained to make split second choices. And it's not like I climbed into a private jet or something. I literally swam home. I don't think anyone on the ship could have done that, even if I helped them." The reporter shrunk deeper in his seat. He was surely regretting asking the insensitive question now. He was luckily saved by the next person asking a question.

"Mr Hudson, why didn't you die from hypothermia?"

"Ummmm I honestly don't know. I've always been pretty adapted to the cold. I grew up in some pretty cold places, such as Canada, Russia, etc, and then I spent a couple of months in Alaska for SEAL training."

Finn was asked a few more questions about the maritime disaster, before questions moved on to his upcoming album. Finally, after half an hour, Finn left the building and drove him. The reporter's question had affected him more than he let on. Mostly because Finn did feel guilty. Guilty that he swam away rather than stay and help. If an ex-SEAL didn't help them, who would? He trudged into his and Dalton's place and threw his jacket on his barca lounger. He then walked into the apartment, where Ella immediately pulled him into a kiss. Finn then walked over to the fridge, took out a water and sat on the couch. Taylor put a hand in his shoulder, sympathetically. She read his mind.

"That reporter was an asshole, Finn!"

"Yeah, he was way out of line," Dalton added.

"That may be so," Finn replied. "But he wasn't wrong. I could have done more. I mean if someone in the military wasn't willing to help them, who would?"

"Finn, there's nothing you could have done," Ella said, gently.

"I shouldn't have just left. I should have stayed for longer. Helped them find a way to prolong their lives."

Ella shook her head. "No you did the right thing by swimming away. By swimming away, you not just saved yourself, but you also saved us. None of our lives would have been the same without you."

"Thanks guys. I gotta go meet my brother now. I haven't spoken to him since before the ship."

They nodded and Finn left the apartment. He drove to Kurt and Santana's place in Brooklyn. It was obviously not as nice of an area than where Finn and his friends were, as they were in the heart of Manhattan, but Kurt and Santana lived in a decent area. Finn rang the doorbell and was buzzed in by Kurt. He walked up to the apartment and knocked on the door. It swung open and Finn was pulled into a crushing hug.

"God Lord, I swear, with all the people that have hugged me in the past 24 hours, I gotta have a few broken ribs."

Kurt and Santana laughed and Santana gave him a hug. Finn realised something. He had never seen Kurt's apartment before. He had been so busy with the X Factor that he had been no further than the front door. He looked around. It was a two bedroom apartment and they had decorated it in a pretty girly fashion. Finn thanked God that Taylor and Ella hadn't decorated their apartment in that style.

"Jesus Christ, your apartment looks like it was decorated by a Barbie who became an interior designer. I feel like I'm in a Cotton Candy factory!"

They laughed and sat down. Finn had obviously lost his phone and guitar in the shipwreck, so he was planning to buy new ones tomorrow. Kurt and Santana gave him the numbers of his friends from high school so he could add them to his new phone. Kurt made his brother retell the story of the shipwreck and by the end, he was speechless.

"Finn I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I feel kind of bad for you. So much shit has gone down in the past year - between the Navy, this disaster, Quinn. I don't know what I'd do if it was me."

"Well, think about it this way. With all the bad, came a lot of good. I won X Factor, I have the No 1 and No 2 song on the charts right now. I have amazing friends, and yeah the stuff with Quinn was bad, but it led me to meet someone I care about way more."

"Wait, you're dating someone?" Santana asked.

"Yeah," Finn replied. "I mean it has been 6 months since I ended it with Quinn. I think I'm free to see other people, don't you?"

"Well when you put it like that, then yeah. It's just we all thought you and Q were going to end up together." She said.

"That's close to impossible. I don't really want to be with someone who, while I was serving my country, got herself a fuck buddy. I don't deserve that."

"Finn's right, who are you dating? Is it a celebrity?" Kurt jabbered on about planning a celebrity wedding.

"Kurt calm down! We've not been seeing each other very long. It's one of my really close friends. She's also a singer and she lives across the hall from me and my roommate."

"Wait, you have a roommate? Why? You're one of the fastest earning singers this year! You're on track to earn 50 million dollars by the end of the year. I'm sure you have enough pocket money to splurge on your own place."

Finn laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure I do. But my roommate, Dalton, is my best friend. We became really tight during the X Factor, and we decided to share an apartment. And my two other best friends live across the hall."

Kurt, Finn and Santana spent the next few hours catching up. Kurt had gotten a supporting role in an off-broadway performance of Rent, and Santana was in the middle of getting a degree from Columbia Law. They spent a long time quizzing Finn about what it was like to be such a big singer. Soon, it started to get dark and Finn had to leave. He said goodbye to his brother and friend and got in his car. As much as he loved his brother and his friend, he was glad that he was spending less and less time with them. He was finding less and less in common between him and his high school friends, but had more in common with Taylor, Ella and Dalton. He drove home and went back to his apartment. Dalton was watching another hockey game, and Finn sat down next to him. The Oilers got smothered in this game. It was a 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. They both went to sleep after the game. When they had woken up, both Taylor and Ella had both already gone to work. One of the benefits of being a singer-songwriter is that they got very flexible hours, and Finn had taken the day off. When Dalton finally went to work, Finn went to the mall to buy a new phone and guitar.

He went into the electronic store first. Everyone gasped when he walked in. He was now one of the biggest celebrities living in New York, so was instantly spotted by fans. Finn knew what phone he was getting, so he quickly paid for it and left within 5 minutes. He then went into a music store and because everyone there listened to music, they all recognised him immediately. He signed a lot of autographs and was selfied with so many people. He started trying out the different guitars in the store, singing one song with each guitar. The crowd slowly grew. After all, they were pretty much getting a free show. Finally, Finn found the guitar he wanted, so paid and left the store. He was followed by fans, up until he got into his car, when they left him alone. By the time he had gotten home, it was 3 pm, and nobody was home. He decided to practise some ideas for his next song, when Ella walked into their apartment. He stood up and smiled. He walked over and kissed her. She had just finished her second song. Her debut song was not nearly as successful as Finn's. It had peaked at No. 36 in the charts - a great achievement, but not high as Finn's. Taylor arrived shortly after, and then Dalton was last to come. They had a fun night together. They ordered in a pizza and took turns singing each other's songs on the karaoke machine. Taylor did a terrible version of Impossible, and Dalton attempted to sing Ella's debut single - Ghost - and didn't do a great job either. At the end of the night, Dalton and Finn were about to leave, but Finn had one more thing he wanted to do. He asked Ella if they could talk in the hallway.

"Is everything OK, Finn? You're not breaking up with me already, are you?" She asked, worriedly. Finn laughed."

"Why do you assume that?" he asked. "A little bit of trust, please! I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date with me tomorrow night?"

She beamed at him. "I'd love to. What time?"

"Let's say 8?" he asked.

"Sure," she exclaimed. "Where should we meet?"

"Well you know," Finn prepared a sarcastic remark. "I'll have to travel across the whole city to make it all the way to your apartment. I'll have to start the journey at 5 pm."

She giggled. "Haha. Very funny."

"Anyways, seriously, I'll knock on your door at 8. I'll text you details at about midday tomorrow. Just one thing though: the dates that I usually do aren't your typical dinner and a movie."

"Well, I can't wait," she smiled, giving him a quick kiss. Finn smiled back, and then walked to his place. Before he knew it, the next day had flown back. He had planned a great date for the two of them, and had texted Ella to dress relatively casually. At 8 on the dot, he knocked on Taylor and Ella's door. Ella walked out and they kissed. Finn had gotten Ella some flowers and she was pleasantly surprised. Finn was a real gentleman on dates. They left the apartment building a few minutes later, and Finn drove them to a random skyscraper that was mostly abandoned.

"Finn? You didn't drive me down here to kill me, did you?" She asked, nervously.

"Haha, very funny. Just trust me." He replied.

"I'd trust you with my life, Finn. But I am going to hold your hand excruciatingly tightly, in case something happens." Ella grasped his arm like a vice. He kissed her hand gently.

"Don't worry," he said. They walked into the abandoned building and into the elevator. They took an elevator to the terrace, and when they stepped out, Ella gasped. The ground was strewed with pale pink petals and there was a picnic mat in the center of the balcony, looking out onto the beautiful city. They were far enough away that they didn't inhale the fumes from the urban parts of the city, but were close enough to be able to admire the view. Finn had made a whole divine meal and packed it in a picnic basket. Ella was speechless.

"What do you think? If you don't like it, we can go to a restaurant." He said. Ella shook her head furiously.

"NO! This is incredible. It's so romantic!" her eyes filled with tears. "No one has ever done something like this for me before." He kissed her gently, and they sat down on the mat. Finn took out the food from the picnic basket and they started to eat. It was by far the best first date Finn had ever had - provided he had only had three girlfriends before. Ella was such an interesting person. Her childhood, like Finn's, was really rough, but she hadn't let it ruin her life. They were really comfortable with each other, as they were already close friends. At the end of the night, Finn and Ella walked back to their apartments and when they made it, Ella was about to come into Finn's apartment for the night. They were making out in the hallway, leaning against the door of Finn and Dalton's place, when suddenly, the door swung open and Finn fell backwards, with Ella also falling on top of him. It was Dalton and Taylor. They had spent the evening in Finn and Dalton's place and waited for Finn and Ella to get back from their date. When they heard Ella and Finn in the hallway, they decided to mess with their friends. Dalton peeked through the peephole. He saw Ella and Finn in a heavy make out session and whispered for Taylor to join him. They decided to annoy the happy couple by making them fall over. When Finn and Ella both got up, they scowled at their friends, and ended up going to their respective apartments for the night. Finn glared at Dalton when Ella left. His friend was still laughing uproariously. Finn shook his head and chuckled, before heading into his room for the night.

The next few weeks were some of the best of Finn's life. He had his dream girl, and his career was going splendidly. Impossible had stayed top of the charts for a record-breaking 14 weeks, before slipping down to fourth, and slowly descending. He had already earnt more money in 2 months after the X Factor, than he had earnt in 3 years with the SEALs. He was happier than he had been in… well forever. But that all changed on January 30th…

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