CHAPTER 43

There was an uproar as soon as the words left Martin's mouth. The New Directions started screaming in joy, diving on top of each other and cheering as loud as they possibly could. Even the audience was delighted that they made it: the group's performance of Burn was still fresh in their minds. The New Directions were so relieved, and were over the moon. Finn was caught in the middle of a frenzy of high fives, fist bumps and hugs. Will accepted the colossal Nationals trophy from Martin and he lifted it triumphantly into the air. Finn watched Vocal Adrenaline storm out of the auditorium and he smiled. They had been working their asses off all year for this moment, and some of them had been waiting for three whole years. After everything that he had been through in the past year and everything he was about to go through next year, Finn truly deserved the win.

That night, they ended up eating at one of the local pizza joints - all of them pigged out on massive slices of pizza and sublime milkshakes. Finn sat sandwiched between Bella and Puck, and opposite Tina. The whole table was chatting about their next year's plans. By this point, they had all finalised where they were going next year, and it spanned across the whole country. Rachel and Kurt were going to NYADA in New York; Mike was going to Joffrey Ballet Academy of Dance in Chicago; Sam was going to Ohio State; Artie was going to the Brooklyn Film Academy to study movie direction; Tina was studying mathematics at Brown University; Santana was studying business at UPENN; Brittany wasn't going to college - she was instead going to live in Pennsylvania with Santana and become a dance coach for young children, a job she would be absolutely perfect for; Mercedes was studying at UCLA whilst trying to get herself a record deal; Bella and Quinn were studying at Yale in New Haven; Puck was studying at LSU; and finally, Finn, of course, had no idea where he was going. It was, quite frankly, very disheartening for him to listen to all of his friends talking about their future plans and have nothing in mind for himself. He had the faint idea that he was going to travel abroad for a little while but he had no hard plans yet. As they were eating, Mr. Schue turned to him.

"So, Finn, any idea what you want to do next year?" Mr. Schue asked. Finn sighed and shook his head.

"Honestly, I have no clue." Finn replied.

"You should try to get a record deal." Mercedes suggested. Finn raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Huh?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"She's got a point." Tina agreed. "I mean, that song you sang today… It was like professional quality."

"Yeah, you could record that." Mike chimed in. Finn thought for a moment and shook his head.

"Nah, nah, I'm not going to do that." Finn murmured.

"Why?!" Sam exclaimed. Everyone at the table seemed to be listening into the conversation at this point.

"Well, writing songs and stuff, it's very… lonely. Look, odds are if I try the music thing, it isn't going to work."

"But what if it does, Finn?" Mr. Schue asked. "You're good. Very good. Possibly good enough to make it very big."

"Okay, say the impossible comes true and I make it big…" Finn responded. "I'd have to write songs… alone. I'd go on interviews and radio segments… alone. I'd go on tour… alone. That's a pretty lonely life if you ask me. And that's why I wouldn't become a singer. Honestly, in a way, I'm excited about my future. My life could take me anywhere and I hope it does."

"Well, as long as you're happy, we're happy." Mr. Schue said. He then clapped his hand together and turned to the rest of the group. "Now… who fancies catching a late night movie in the cinema before we have to head for the airport?"

They all cheered and headed out of the restaurant.

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The following afternoon, the New Directions flew back to Lima, triumphant. They were National Show Choir Champions and nothing could bring down their mood. Not the fact that their flight was delayed 3 hours, or that the plane was smelly, noisy and turbulent, or that Mercedes' luggage was lost along the way. They all went home that night with huge smiles on their faces, greeting their friends and family as victors.

After Nationals, they only had one more week before they graduated, and it was a bitter-sweet time for all of them. Although they were all excited for the future, they were sad to be moving on from Lima and McKinley - home to so many great memories and fun times. Mr. Schue was just as sad as the rest of the group. The Glee club had become like his family, and it was sad to see them move on, but he was happy to see their ambitions for a bright future.

The Saturday night before the final week of school, the New Directions decided to go out and party. They all had fake at this point so could get into any bar or club.

"Let's go to Night Beats." Mercedes suggested. Night Beats was the name of the only night club in Lima.

"Yeah, let's go to Night Beats!" Santana exclaimed. Everyone agreed but Finn tensed up. Ever since he got back from Bangladesh, he hated clubs. The loud music and crowded places weren't for him, not to mention the fact that the night in the Red Circle in Dhaka was burnt into his mind for all of eternity. The Glee club agreed to meet at the club at 8.

As Finn and Bella drove back to Finn's house to change, Bella noticed how tense Finn was acting.

Babe, is everything all right?" She asked. Finn looked at her and saw the concerned expression on her face. He took a deep breath.

"Yeah, um… I don't think I'd do too well in a loud, boisterous club setting after what happened." Finn replied. He didn't want to worry her with the details of everything that had happened in Bangladesh. After all, they were breaking up in one week and Finn didn't want to tarnish the remaining memories he had left with her. She smiled faintly at him.

"Well, I'll tell you what… Let's just try it out, and if you end up having a lousy time then we can go back to my place and I'll let you do things to me." She suggested. Finn chuckled and looked into her piercing blue eyes.

"You don't have to use sex to persuade me. We've only got a week until we all graduate. I'm going to go." Finn said. Bella ran her finger through his hair and she kissed his cheek.

"Either way, I still want you to have your way with me." Bella stated. Finn laughed.

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Later that afternoon, Finn was ready for the club and Bella was just getting changed. FInn walked downstairs and saw Burt sipping a mug of coffee in the kitchen. Burt smiled at him as Finn walked downstairs.

"Hey, Finn. You look like you had a fun afternoon with blondie." Burt remarked. Finn rolled his eyes and didn't respond. He was nervous about the upcoming outing and Burt could sense that.

"You okay?" Burt asked. Finn sighed.

"The Glee want to go to a club tonight with the others." Finn said.

"Yeah, Kurt was talking about that he even got a new outfit for it. Do you not wanna go?" Burt asked.

"Um… last time I was in a club, it didn't go great." Finn murmured. Burt raised an eyebrow.

"What happened? You puke on a bartender?"

Finn chuckled and shook his head. He took a deep breath.

"No, um… last time I was in a club, it was in Bangladesh two months ago. I had tracked the son of the cartel leader to a club in downtown Dhaka. Little did I know that his dad had put out an open contract on me so half the assassins in the continent were in the club. I had to wipe through them to get to the son. I killed 49 people that night." Finn whispered, quietly. "49 lives ended, and I didn't even get the son."

Burt's eyes widened. Finn never talked about Bangladesh with anyone other than his therapist and hearing about it was terrifying.

"Finn, PTSD is common, you know?" Burt remarked. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, but know that you have a hell of a support system."

Finn nodded.

"Thanks, Burt." He replied. "But you know what? I think I'm going to go tonight. Only one way to reintegrate, right?"

Burt nodded.

"Good luck. Have fun. Make good choices…"

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"Who would have thought Ohio had a kick ass club." Puck remarked. Around half the New Directions had already arrived and they were hanging out in the club.

"Alright, I paid for one Long island ice tea. And Santana, that Guy on the left in the Yellow polo bought you girls a round of tequila." Mike said as he sat in a booth with them. Santana smirked. One of the upsides of being an attractive girl.

"Free liquor, don't mind if I do." Santana grinned. She faced the guy in the shirt and fake winked at him. Quinn laughed and high fived her.

"So where's your boyfriend?" Rachel asked Bella, rather bitterly. Since Rachel and Jessie's abrupt break up, Rachel was back on her Finn trail. Finn was the only other person she thought she had a shot with. Bella glared at Rachel.

"He's on the way and can you please not be a prick to him tonight?" Bella asked.

"Yeah, Rach, like I said to your ex-boyfriend Jessie, he's trained to make you his bitch." Puck remarked, downing a shot.

"I'm not afraid of you, Bella, or him." Rachel muttered, downing a shot and grimacing. "Wow that tasted horrible! Can someone get us something more fruity?"

"Oh, I got this one." Brittany laughed, walking over to the bar and leaning on it. Two men instantly walked over to her and Brittany talked to them and pointed to her friends. The guys gladly bought a tray of drinks. Santana laughed at her girlfriend's actions.

"Guys are so stupid and easy." Santana giggled, holding a shot for Quinn to take and they downed them.

"Hello Handsome." Rachel murmured under her breath, but loud enough for Bella to hear. Bella turned her head and saw Kurt and Finn walking in together, Finn shoving his hands in his pockets and looking very uneasy. They spotted the group and walked over.

"Hey Finn." Mike exclaimed, bro-shaking his hand and Put patted him on the back. Bella then walked over to Finn and whispered in his ear.

"I'm glad you're here. Come dance with me?" She asked. Finn nodded as she pulled him onto the dance floor. Bella wrapped her arms around Finn as they swayed to the rhythm. Finn kissed the top of Bella's head and they felt like they were the only two in the world. Rachel saw them dancing and she scowled. Suddenly, she had an idea. She smirked and walked over to the DJ booth and tipped the guy a $5 bill, requesting a song. The song came on moments later, a song called Luv Dem Gun Sounds by Waka Flocka Flame.

As soon as the song started playing, Finn heard the gunshots and he immediately tensed up. Finn was dragged back into the Red Circle and he could almost imagine the gunmen around him. As an 'episode' was about to begin, he took deep breaths and attempted to calm himself down.

You're home. You're safe. You're okay.

Finn somehow managed to nip the episode in the bud but he had started sweating slightly.

"Finn, are you okay." Bella asked, feeling Finn squeezing her hand tightly.

"This was a mistake. I'm gonna go now." Finn murmured.

"Why? What happened?" Bella asked, worried. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. See you on Monday." Finn said and he quickly walked out of the bar, a few steps away from running. Once he was gone, Bella walked back to her friends. Kurt had a confused expression on his face.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I don't know." Bella responded, confused. Puck looked over at Rachel and saw her smirking as she sipped her martini. Puck snatched the drink and slammed it on the table.

"What?" Rachel snapped. Puck finally understood what had just happened.

"You paid the DJ to play that song with the guns!" Puck shouted. Rachel shrugged.

"I love Waka Flocka." Rachel lied.

'You are such a bitch, Rachel." Tina snapped.

"What? He's a grown ass man, right? Can't handle a little gun shot sound? He's not brave at all." Rachel remarked. That's not at all what she thought. She just wanted Bella and Finn to stop kissing. Bella glared furiously at her and Santana held her hand to calm her down.

"Why don't you just get the hell out of here, Man hands? No one wants you here!" Santana exclaimed. Rachel scoffed.

"Whatever." She spat and then walked out of the bar.

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Finn needed to clear his head and get some air. He walked down the road and was in deep, deep thought. So deep that he ended up getting extremely lost somewhere along the way to his house. When he pulled himself out of his train of thought, he had absolutely no idea where he was. The alcohol he had consumed didn't help at all. Suddenly, the eerily silent night air was ripped apart with the shouts of a man. It was coming from a nearby narrow alley. Finn walked over to the alley to see a hooded mugger towering over a younger man.

Your money or your life." Finn heard the mugger say. Finn's eyes widened.

"HEY!" Finn shouted, jogging over to them. The mugger saw him and his jaw clenched. The mugger, who had pinned the younger man to the wall, stabbed the younger guy 12 times with his knife before taking off, the knife still inside the innocent man's stomach. Finn sprinted and finally made it to the wounded guy. When Finn saw who it was, his jaw dropped.

"J-j-jessie." Finn stammered.

"Hudson." Jessie mumbled, coughing up blood. Finn's Army medical training immediately kicked in. First things first, Finn needed to stabilize the wound. He pulled the knife out of Jessie's abdomen, gritting his teeth at Jessie's cry of pain, and Finn quickly stripped off his jacket, putting pressure on the wound.

"Jessie! Jessie! Stay with me!" Finn shouted, desperately, as he felt Jessie start to fade. Finn needed to call an ambulance, but he knew that the moment he let go of Jessie, Jessie would die.

"Hudson. Hudson." Jessie stuttered. "I'm… I'm so sorry about the prom."

"Dude, it's fine. Stay alive and we'll consider it even." Finn murmured. Jessie's next words were deathly quiet as he coughed up yet more blood.

"Tell Rachel… tell Rachel I'm sorry." He murmured.

"Tell her yourself!" Finn demanded. Jessie then slumped to the ground, motionless and clearly on death's door. Finn then scrambled for his phone but before he could do so, blue and red beams lit up the air and Finn immediately felt his face because shoved into the ground and his body was pinned down by a heavy force. He could vaguely see one police officer walking over to Jessie's body and putting his fingers to Jessie's neck. He then shook his head.

"No pulse." He murmured to his partner. The grip on Finn tightened. The officer dragged Finn to his feet and looked him in the eye.

"No! No! You don't understand! I didn't do this! I didn't kill him!" Finn stammered. The officers ignored him.

"You're under arrest for murder. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you…"