CHAPTER 16
"Bella? Bella? BELLA?" Kurt shouted, repeatedly, and Bella eventually snapped out of her trance. She was lucky that they had arrived in their seats, as she felt her legs to give out.
"Bella? How do you know my brother?" Kurt asked. He was worried about his friend. She had turned a deathly pale color and looked like she was about to be sick. After a long silence, she finally responded.
"I'll tell you after, I swear." Bella whispered. The performance was about to start, so Bella sat back in her seat and looked at the stage. They had shrouded the stage in a thin mist, and only 4 spotlights managed to cut through the fog. Suddenly, four guys walked through the mist and under the spotlight. Ella's suspicions were confirmed. It was definitely Finn right in the center of the group. They all stood before four microphones and waited for the music to start to play.
[Blaine]
You tell all the boys no
Makes you feel good, yeah
[Hunter and Sebastian]
I know you're out of my league
But that won't scare me way out no
[Finn]
You've built your wall so high
That no one could climb it
But i'm gonna try
The New Directions' jaws dropped. This was not the Warblers. This was a completely different band. And to their disappointment, a much better one.
[Finn]
Would you let me see beneath your beautiful
Would you let me see beneath your perfect
[All]
Take it off now girl, take it off now girl
I wanna see inside
Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight
O-o-oo-oh. O-o-oo-oh
O-o-oo-oh. O-o-oo-oh
[Hunter]
I'm gonna climb on top your every top
I'll hold your hand and you'll, you'll jump right out
[Finn]
We'll be falling, falling
But that's okay
Cause I'll be right here
I just wanna know
The crowd were on their feet now, clapping along to the gentle melody and the smooth harmonization of District4. Rachel and Mr. Schue exchanged a look. There was no way that New Directions would be able to beat this group, especially with Finn on the other side.
[All]
Would you let me see beneath your beautiful
Would you let me see beneath your perfect
Take it off now girl, take it off now girl
I wanna see inside
Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight
[Finn]
See beneath your beautiful toniiiiiight
At the end of the song, the audience, especially the females, were cheering at the top of their lungs. Bella was speechless. So not only was Hudson - well, Finn - a kick ass Army soldier, he also had a voice of gold. He was the person that she heard singing in the bathroom in Kurt's house a couple of weeks ago. As soon as the song was over, the guys got in position for the next song. The music started playing shortly after.
[All]
Turn around
[Sebastian]
Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming round
[All]
Turn around
[Sebastian]
Every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears
[All]
Turn around
[Sebastian]
Every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by
[All]
Turn around
[Sebastian]
Every now and then I get a little bit terrified and then I see the look in your eyes
[All]
Turn around bright eyes
[Hunter]
Every now and then I fall apart
[All]
Turn around bright eyes
[Hunter]
Every now and then I fall apart
[All]
And I need you now tonight and I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right 'cause we'll never be wrong
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight, forever's gonna start tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
[Finn and Hunter]
Once upon a time I was falling in love, but now I'm only falling apart
[Finn]
There's nothing I can do... a total eclipse of the heart
The four guys had just taken one of the most popular songs of all time, and had made their own cover of it. It was a unique, gothic cover of the song, and it was out of this world. Everyone in the New Directions but Rachel were even clapping along. The boy band had generated a lot of attention from everyone in the room. Every girl in the room wanted to be with them, and every guy wanted to be them. Little did they know that 2/4 members of the group were gay - Blaine and Sebastian. After the song was over, the whole stage changed completely. The mist dissipated and the previously dark lighting turned to light. They prepared for their 3rd performance of the night. They were almost halfway done, and the crowd were loving it. The music started playing for their next song.
[Blaine]
Thought I saw a girl brought to life
She was warm, she came around, she was dignified
Showed me what it was to cry
You couldn't be that girl I adore
You don't seem to know or seem to care what your heart is for
But I don't know her anymore
[Finn]
There's nothing left I used to cry
My conversation has run dry
That's what's going on, nothing's fine I'm torn
[All]
I'm all out of faith, this is how I feel
I'm cold and I am shamed lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed into something real
I'm wide awake, I can see the perfect sky is torn
You're a little late and I'm already torn
[Hunter]
I'm already torn
[Finn]
There's nothing left I used to cry
My inspiration has run dry
That's what's going on, nothing's fine I'm tooooooooorn
I am torn
Nothing's fine. I'm torn
[Blaine]
You're a little late and I'm already torn
I'm already, I'm already torn, torn, oh torn…
At the end of the song, the applause was deafening. Carole and Burt watched their son/step-son performing on stage. He was incredible. But Carole knew her boy better than anyone, and knew that deep down, he wasn't happy at Dalton. She knew that he was on the brink of transferring back to McKinley. He just needed a push. The guys were preparing for their penultimate song now. It was an upbeat song that Blaine had chosen. As Finn prepared to start singing again, he looked out into the audience. For a moment, he thought he saw Bella near the back, but thought it was just his mind playing tricks on him. He squinted towards the back for a couple of seconds, before the music started and he had to tear his eyes away again.
[Finn]
Guess this means you're sorry, you're standing at my door
Guess this means you take back all you said before
Like how much you wanted anyone but me
Said you'd never come back but here you are again
[All]
'Cause we belong together now, yeah
Forever united here somehow, yeah
You got a piece of me and honestly
My life
[Sebastian]
My life
[All]
Would suck
[Sebastian]
Would suck
[All]
Without you
[Hunter]
Maybe I was stupid for telling you goodbye
Maybe I was wrong for trying to pick a fight
[All]
'Cause we belong together now, yeah
Forever united here somehow, yeah
You got a piece of me and honestly
My life
[Sebastian]
My life
[All]
Would suck
[Sebastian]
Would suck
[All]
Without you
[Sebastian]
Without you
This song was a lot shorter than any of their other songs, but it was their favourite to arrange. It was a lot of fun, but at the same time, showcased their immense vocal talent. Bella smiled from her seat and Kurt noticed. Seriously, what's going on between Finn and Bella, he thought. He knew he would ask her about it later though. The four guys got ready for their final performance. They could literally sing the alphabet song and the audience wouldn't care at this point. They were all hooked on the boy band's majestic vocals, and their physical attractiveness definitely helped score points with the ladies. Finally, the backing track for the last song started playing. Finn took a deep breath. He knew his friends from Glee would be somewhere in the audience.
[Finn]
We were both young when I first saw you
I close my eyes and the flashback starts
I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air
[Sebastian and Hunter]
See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns
See you make your way through the crowd
And say hello
Little did I know
[Blaine]
I was Romeo, I was throwing pebbles
Your daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"
You were crying on the staircase
Begging me please don't go
[Finn]
And I said…
[All]
Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run"
I'll be the prince and you'll be the princess
It's a love story, baby just say yes
[Finn]
I get tired of waiting
Wondering if you were ever coming around
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town
[Sebastian and Hunter]
I will save you, you've been feeling so alone
I've been waiting for you but you never come
Is this in my head?
I don't know what to think
I knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said
[All]
"Marry me Juliet, you'll never have to be alone
I love you and, that's all I really know
I talked to you dad, go pick out a white dress
It's a love story, baby just say.
[Finn]
Ye-s
Oooooooh
Ye-e-s
For the last line, they all put their arms around each other.
[All]
We were both young when I first saw you
At the end of the performance, the four guys stayed on stage and accepted thunderous applause and screaming from the audience. The girls in the audience were practically drooling over the 4 performers. New Directions snuck out of the auditorium a few minutes after, and met up outside the Dalton Academy campus. Kurt was dying to ask Bella questions about Finn, and she noticed.
"Later," She muttered and Kurt nodded.
The next morning, the Glee club gathered in the choir room. Nobody spoke. They were all still in shock about the epic performance the night before. 5 minutes later, Puck broke the silence.
"OK, guys. I'm just gonna say it. If we want to stand a chance at beating them, we NEED Finn back. They're gonna kick our asses otherwise."
Mr. Schue nodded. "I know I shouldn't be saying this, but you're right. Without a strong male lead, we're gonna get cooked."
Everyone laughed.
"Wow, Mr. Schue, your motivational speeches are getting worse." Santana remarked. He rolled his eyes.
"Let's try and bring Finn back! If we can't, then we'll think about a plan B. We still have 3 months until Sectionals." Mr. Schue exclaimed. Everyone cheered, and Bella smiled.
"OK, let's think about this logically. Only people who Finn doesn't have anything against should go. And not more than like 3 people so it isn't too obvious." Tina said. Everyone agreed.
"Well, Puck, Sam, Santana, Rachel and I definitely shouldn't be going." Quinn pointed out. Everyone nodded, and Rachel scowled at her. Rachel was clearly not yet over Finn, but there wasn't much she could do with Finn in a different school.
"I mean, Mercedes, Brittany and I don't really know him well enough to make that much of an impact." Tina pointed out.
"In my opinion, Kurt and Mr. Schue should definitely go. They're probably the people Finn's closest to in the Glee club, and the people who haven't yet screwed him over." Puck said. Everyone nodded.
"OK, so, tomorrow night, Kurt and I will go to Dalton and try to convince him to come back. Does anyone else want to come? We have space for one more." Mr. Schue asked. Nobody spoke. Kurt and Mr. Schue were by far the best options as they were the people Finn knew the most. Suddenly, a voice came from the corner of the table.
"Can I come? I feel like I'll be able to convince him." Bella said. Everyone turned towards her in surprise, and Santana raised an eyebrow.
"And how the hell do you know Hudson?" She asked. Bella took a deep breath.
"We… We met over the summer." She said. Everyone was extremely confused.
"Well, that's impossible. Finn was in the army, and got deployed for a month." Mercedes said. Bella shook her head.
"Yeah, I met him while he was deployed. He spent the month saving my life. He almost died to save me." Bella said. Everyone was even more confused. Suddenly, Kurt realised something.
"Bella? About a month ago, the military released a statement to the press about someone getting kidnapped in Bangladesh, and an anonymous soldier spent the whole month managing to get her out. That was you and Finn, wasn't it?" Kurt asked, gently. Hesitantly, she nodded.
"I… I got kidnapped by some really bad guys in Bangladesh. Like drug cartel guys or something. Finn got me out of their capture, but then shortly after, we realised that the whole country was after us: both the Bangla government and the underworld. Finn had the option of safe passage out of the country, but he'd have to leave me behind. He refused. Somehow, he managed to get me out of the country with one of his soldiers, but he sacrificed himself by staying behind. I saw him get shot, and I saw him fall off the bridge. I see it every time I close my eyes. I didn't even know his first name, but he died to save me. Or so I thought."
Everyone was speechless. Obviously, none of them knew anything about what happened to Finn in the military; nobody really wanted to know - all they cared about was that he was safe. Kurt put his arm around Bella.
"I'm so sorry. I had no idea." Kurt said, and he hugged her.
"It's fine. But can I please come? I feel like he might actually listen to me. We went through a lot together."
Mr. Schue nodded.
"OK, Kurt, Bella, let's go this afternoon. Hopefully he'll listen to us. If not, we're gonna have to seriously consider a plan B guys."
They nodded and Bella took a deep breath. She was going to see Finn for the first time since the summer. It was the first time she would be seeing him outside of a military situation. What if he was a complete jackass? She had made him out to be some kind of saint in her mind, and she didn't want her hopes to be crushed.
"You'll never know if you don't try." She told herself, and calmed her nerves.
A couple of hours later, Finn was sitting in the Dalton Academy recording studio, recording one of his original songs. He was extremely surprised to learn that Dalton Academy had their own recording studio, and Finn could use it for free, whenever he wanted. He had pretty much finished creating a backing track to his song, and was recording the vocals.
But I dance through the blisters at night
And I laughed 'til I cried and cried and
I ran 'til my feet couldn't run no more (no more, no more)
And I sang 'til my lungs were burnin'
'Til I know I'm alive, alive, yeah
I'll sit 'til I can't hear words no more
Suddenly the sun comes up
And I feel my love floodin' back again, yeah
Until the sun goes up
And I feel my love comin' up again
Mr. Schuester, Kurt and Bella walked into Dalton Academy together.
"So, did Blaine say where Finn would be?" Mr. Schue asked Kurt. Kurt nodded.
"Yeah, he said that Finn's in the recording studio. Apparently, he spends a lot of time there."
Mr. Schue's eyes widened.
"They have a recording studio?" Mr. Schue asked in amazement. "You know, maybe we should leave Finn be. He might be happier here."
Kurt shook his head.
"Trust me, he isn't. I can tell that he knows he made a mistake leaving, but he doesn't have a valid reason to come back yet."
"Well, that's where you come in, Bella. What are you gonna say to him?" Mr. Schue asked the girl curiously. Bella shrugged.
"I have no idea. It's not like we know much about each other. Everything Finn knows about me, he learnt from a government file, and I know very little about him too. It's not like we had time to just sit and make small talk."
Mr. Schue laughed and nodded. "That's true. But I feel like just seeing you will be enough."
Bella shrugged again, but on the inside, she was extremely nervous, but she didn't know why. Kurt led them through the school, and finally they made it to the music complex. They could faintly hear a singing that they instantly recognized as Finn. They followed the sound.
And the dark is gone
We made it to the dawn and I don't miss you anymore
When the sun comes up
I can feel my love comin' back again
"He's very good." Bella commented as they walked. Mr. Schue nodded.
"Yeah, he's probably the most talented male vocalist I've ever coached. No offense, Kurt." Mr. Schue said. Kurt laughed.
"None, taken," He replied. "Finn is like the only person in the Glee club who would stand a chance in getting a record deal. He has the flair, creativity, maturity…" Kurt started, but Bella cut him off.
"He's also hot enough." She pointed out. They looked at her strangely and she sighed. "Oh come on, you both know that being attractive really helps."
They reluctantly nodded. They knew, deep down, that Bella was right. The music industry was an absolute bitch. They were finally right outside the studio. Finn was recording, so the red light was on and the door was locked. This meant that all Mr. Schue, Bella and Kurt could do was wait outside and watch Finn's performance. They couldn't hear the backing track as it was coming through Finn's headphones, but they could hear is mesmerizing vocals, clear as day.
Oh, dance through the blisters at night
I laughed 'til I cried and cried and
I ran 'til my feet couldn't run no more (no more, no more)
I sang 'til my lungs were burnin'
I'm alive, alive
I can't hear words no more
"This is incredible. Did he write this song himself?" Mr. Schue asked Kurt. Kurt nodded.
"Yeah, it's called Sun Comes Up. He's been working on it for the past few weeks." Kurt replied.
Suddenly the sun comes up
And I feel my love
Sun comes up again, my love
Until the sun comes up
And I feel my love comin' up again (I feel my love)
I can feel my love, I can feel my love
Sun comes up
I can feel my love comin' back again
At the end of the song, Finn stopped the recording, and saved it to his computer. He had pretty much finished the song: he just needed to iron out a few last kinks. He wasn't earning any money from this, it was literally just for his enjoyment. And who knows, maybe if he somehow made it as a musician, he could record it professionally.
"Hey, Finn!" A voice came from behind him. Finn jumped a couple of feet in the air. He was so absorbed in the music, he hadn't noticed them walk in. Eventually, when he got over his shock, he turned around and saw Kurt and Mr. Schue smiling at him.
"Hey, guys. You scared the crap out of me!" Finn remarked. They laughed.
"Sorry about that," Kurt said. "We didn't want to disturb you while you were recording." Finn nodded.
"Thanks. What can I do for you guys? How are New Directions?" He asked. He was genuinely interested in how his old Glee club was doing. Perhaps too interested. Mr. Schue sighed and shook his head.
"Not good, to be honest. We lost our male lead. If you find him, let us know. He's brunette, 6'4, well built, tattooed hands." Mr. Schue joked and Finn laughed.
"Look, I'm sorry guys. I don't think there's anything you guys could say that would make me want to come back." He told them, truthfully. Kurt nodded.
"That's why we're not here to convince you. She is." Kurt said, pointing at the door. Finn turned, and when he saw who was standing there, his mouth dropped to the floor…
It was Bella. There. In the flesh. He hadn't seen her since that day. Finn rubbed his eyes.
"I'm sorry. I've got to be seeing things." He said. She giggled.
"Hey, Finn." She smiled. "Long time no see."
Finn chuckled and stood up. He walked over to her, and he pulled her into a huge hug. Tears came to Bella's eyes.
"I thought you were…" She said. Finn shook his head. Kurt and Mr. Schue quietly snuck out of the room, so that the two teenagers could talk.
"I mean I was, for like a minute. I was also in a coma for close to a month."
"Finn, I'm so sorry." She cried. Finn looked at her, strangely.
"For what?" He asked, confused.
"For getting you into that mess. You had the option to leave me on the street several times but you didn't. If it weren't for me, you would be unharmed."
"Ummm… how is that your fault? Did you shoot me?"
"No, but…"
"Did you stab me?"
"No, but Finn…"
"So how is it your fault? I made the choice to join the military. I made the choice to stick with you rather than aborting the mission. So nothing that happened was your fault."
Tears streamed down Bella's face. He wasn't dead. He was standing right there, smiling at her. She held him so tightly; she didn't want to let go. Soon, Finn gently pried himself out of her arms.
"So what are you doing here?"
"I live here. My dad's job transferred us back to the States."
Finn smiled widely.
"That's awesome! So do you go to McKinley?"
"Yeah, and I'm in New Directions. Everyone really misses you." She said. Finn sighed.
"You know, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss them too, but it's just…"
"You're too much of a coward to come back." Bella remarked, cutting Finn off. Finn raised an eyebrow at her and smiled.
"I'm sorry. You're calling me a coward? After everything that we went through this summer?" Finn commented. Bella laughed.
"Look, don't get me wrong, you are literally my hero. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for you. But you shouldn't let a few fallouts dictate your happiness."
"Who says I was happier back then?" Finn asked. She smirked at him.
"Well, if that's not the case, I want you to look me in the eye and tell me that you are happier now than you were before."
Finn looked at her and sighed. He looked down and she smiled.
"Thought so. Look, I know from the summer that nobody can force you to do anything you don't want to do. But Finn, do you remember what I told you that night in the safehouse.
Finn nodded. "Yeah, you said that I drown, not by falling into the river, but by staying submerged in it."
She smiled faintly. "Exactly." She said. Finn thought for a moment.
"Look, I'm gonna need a bit of time to make this decision. You can tell the Glee club that if I'm there on Monday, then I'm coming back. But if not, I'm sorry but I'm staying. You've given me a lot to think about though."
She nodded. "It was really amazing to see you again. I still can't believe you're alive. And you're my best friend's brother. How have we not bumped into each other sometime in the past couple of weeks?"
Finn shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a busy man! You have to book an appointment to see me." He remarked. She giggled.
"Well, I'll have my people call your people." She replied. Finn rolled his eyes. She stood up, and a sheet of paper fell out of her pocket.
"Um… Bella, you dropped something." Finn called. She turned to him from the doorway.
"No I didn't." She responded, and walked out the room. Finn picked up the small piece of paper. It had been folded several times. Finn hesitantly opened it, and when he saw what it was, he couldn't help but smile. It was the Glee club picture from Sophomore year, right before Sectionals. He sighed. He had no idea what to do. His mind was ripped in two - half of him wanted to avoid the drama and stay at Dalton, but the other half wanted to transfer back to McKinley, despite the massive drama that always came with it. After all, high risk leads to high reward, doesn't it?
Finn was deep in thought, and didn't even notice someone else walk up behind him.
"You're gonna go, aren't you?" The person said. Finn spun around and saw Blaine smiling kindly at him.
"I mean would you guys be pissed if I did? The Warblers are the only reason I'm hesitating."
Blaine shook his head.
"Finn, we want you to be happy. Sure, we'd miss you, and we'll probably not make it to Nationals without you, but if you're unhappy, it's not worth it."
"Thanks, man. I honestly don't know what I'm gonna do… "