Well, I said I'd update more. I think this is one of my favorite chapters of this story so far. I speak about Rachel's attack in this chapter, but it is not covered in this story because it is the focus of "The Future." Please comment if you want me to continue.
Chapter 8: Home Again
OSU's winter break had not come soon enough.
Finn's first semester at college had been absolutely miserable. Sure, he'd managed to finish with two A's, two B's and one C, but probably because he often had nothing better to do than study. He still didn't have a single friend on campus. His roommate got on his last nerve and often came back to the room drunk, making messes for Finn to clean up. Next semester he was rooming with a quiet boy from the football team whose roommate hadn't worked out either, so hopefully that would make things better. Football hadn't been fun at all. He'd quit about a month into the season because the workouts were so hard and they didn't even let him play. His parents were less than thrilled because this meant they now had to pay more tuition, but they understood.
Of course, Rachel's attack in October had scared the bajesus out of Finn. Rachel had slowly begun recovering from the surgery to her spine to repair the injuries from the attack, but she was still in a wheelchair and had bruises and scars. Finn had gone home every weekend to see her and was now seriously considering proposing during the holidays.
As he drove home, Finn was most impatient to see Rachel. The six weeks he had off were theirs and he wanted to spend every second possible with her. Finally, he arrived at his house, planning only to drop off his luggage. "Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad! Hi, Ally!" Finn called as he went inside.
"Finn!" Finn looked up to see his mom and stepfather coming in as Ally crawled in. "We missed you!" Carole cried.
Finn picked up Ally and began rocking her. "I missed you guys more." Ally looked up at Finn and smiled.
"Ally missed her brothers," Burt said.
"I bet," Finn said. "I missed you all so, so much. I'll hang out later. I'm going to see Rachel."
"Bring Rachel here," Carole said. "I want to see my other daughter."
"I will," Finn said. "We're going to the Sectionals, but after that we'll stop by." Finn drove to Rachel's house and just walked in. Her mom said he was part of the family so he never had to ring the bell. Her dads said the same thing about their house, but Rachel would just live with her mom until she was out of the wheelchair. Finn went to the living room, where Rachel was sitting on the couch. She was still in her pajamas, but perked up at the sight of Finn. "Finny!" Rachel cried.
"Rach!" Finn ran over to Rachel and threw his arms around her. "I missed you so much!"
"I'd be thinking you'd be heading to Sectionals," Rachel said.
"They don't start till four, and anyway, I came to pick you up," Finn laguhed.
Rachel giggled. "But Finn, I'm still in my pajamas."
"Get changed and let's go then!" Finn said.
"Can you help?" Rachel asked.
Finn nodded. "Of course." He knew getting dressed was hard for Rachel because of her injuries. He pulled on a dress and tights and pulled her hair into a tiny ponytail before helping her back into the wheelchair and to his car. They then drove to McKinley where Sectionals were being held this year. Finn helped Rachel out of the chair before he wheeled her into the choir room, where the 16 members of New Directions and Mr. Schue were waiting. Jake and Kylie ran over to Finn and Rachel, hand in hand, and hugged them.
"Looks like you two are back together!" Finn said. With all the stress about Rachel, he'd forgotten that they'd been having problems.
"Yeah, for a couple weeks now," Jake said. "And it's thanks to you two."
"You knew all the right things to do and say," Kylie said. "And to thank you two and show how happy we are that Rachel's okay, we asked Mr. Schue if we could use some of the best Finchel numbers for Sectionals this year."
Finn smiled. "I feel so honored."
"What songs are you doing?" Rachel asked.
"Kylie and I are doing 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' for the duet and then all of us are doing 'Somebody to Love' and 'Don't Stop Believing,'" Jake said.
Finn remembered those songs. Three of his favorite songs they did.
Mr. Schue came over. "Jake, Kylie, you'd better go give the captains pep talk." Then he noticed Finn and Rachel. "Rachel! You're okay!"
"I'm getting better," Rachel said.
"I've missed you and all the seniors," Mr. Schue said. "You guys should come to our party after the competition. That way you can meet the four new freshmen and we can all catch up."
"That would be amazing," Rachel said. "Good luck in the competition."
Finn wheeled Rachel out of the choir room and into the auditorium. In the front row were Kurt, Blaine, Sam, Quinn, Puck, Artie, Brittany, Santana, Mercedes, Mike and Tina. It was the first time everyone had been together since Rachel's attack. Everyone chatted casually while the first two choirs performed before the New Directions were announced. It was weird seeing Jake and Kylie doing what Finn and Rachel had done so many times - the duet, complete with entering from opposite sides of the stage, circling each other and having eye sex - but they were good at it.
Jake: Don't go breaking my heart.
Kylie: I couldn't if I tried
Jake: Oh, honey if I get restless
Kylie: mmm, baby you're not that kind.
Jake: Don't go breaking my heart
Kylie: You take the weight off of me
Jake: Oh, Honey when you knock on my door
Kylie: Ooh I gave you my key
Both: Ooh Ohh
Nobody knows it.
When I was down
I was your clown
Ooh ooh
Nobody knows it.
Right from the start
I gave you my heart.
Ohhhhhhh oh
I gave you my heart
Jake: So don't go breaking my heart
Kylie: I won't go breaking your heart
Both: Don't go breaking my heart
Jake: And nobody told us
Kylie: 'Cause nobody showed us
Jake: And now it's up to us babe
Kylie: Ooh,I think we can make it
Jake: So don't misunderstand me
Kylie: You put the light in my life
Jake: You put the sparks to the flame
Kylie: I've got your heart in my sights
Both: Ohh Ohh
Nobody knows it
But,
When I was down
ooh
Ohh
I was your clown.
Nobody knows it,
right from the start
I gave you my heart.
Ohhhhh oh
I gave you my heart
Jake: Don't go breaking my heart
Kylie: I won't go breaking your heart
Jake: Don't go breaking my heart
Kylie: Oooh Ohh
I give you my heart
Jake: Don't go breaking my heart
Kylie (Jake): Won't go breaking your heart (don't go breaking my,don't go breaking my)
Jake (Kylie): Don't go breaking my heart (don't go breaking my,don't go breaking my)
Kylie (Jake): I won't go breaking your heart (don't go breaking my,don't go breaking my)
Jake (Kylie): Don't go breaking my heart (don't go breaking my,don't go breaking my)
Kylie: I won't go breaking your heart
Both: Oooh Ooooh
Yeah
Rachel poked Finn. "That was pretty good!"
Finn nodded, remembering that he and Rachel were originally going to use that song for the duets competition their junior year. They ended up doing an offensive song instead so that Sam could win and feel part of the group. The duet ended, the rest of the group entered the stage and the second song began.
Jake: Can
New Directions: Anybody find me somebody to love?
Kylie: Ooohoooo NOOOO
Each morning I get up I die a little
Can barely stand on my feet
New Directions: Take a look at yourself
Jake: Take a look in the mirror and cry
New Directions: In the mirror and cry
Lord what you're doing to me
Kylie (with New Directions):
I have spent all my years in believing you
But I just can't get no relief, Lord!
Jake: Somebody
New Directions: Somebody
Ooh somebody
New Directions: Somebody
Kylie, Jake and New Directions: Can anybody find me
Jake: Somebody to love
Jake: I work hard
New Directions: He works hard
Every day of my life
I work till I ache my bones
At the end
New Directions: At the end of the day
I take home my hard earned pay all on my own
Kylie: I get down on my knees
And I start to pray
Till the tears run down from my eyes
Lord
Jake: Somebody
New Directions: Somebody
Jake and Kylie: Ooh somebody
New Directions: Somebody
Jake, Kylie and New Directions: Can anybody find me
Kylie: Somebody to love
New Directions: He works hard
Jake: Everyday
I try and I try and I try
Kylie: But everybody wants to put me down
They say I'm goin' crazy
Jake: They say I got a lot of water in my brain
I got no common sense
I got nobody left to believe
New Directions:Yeah - yeah yeah yeah
No oh oh oh oh
Ooooooohooo
Jake: Lord somebody
Jake and Kylie: Ooh somebody
New Directions: Can anybody find me
Kylie: Somebody to looooveee?
Jake: Got no feel, I got no rhythm
I just keep losing my beat
New Directions: You just keep losing your beat
Kylie: I'm ok, I'm alright
New Directions: She's alright, she's alright
Ain't gonna face no defeat
Jake and Kylie with New Directions: I just gotta get out of this prison cell
Someday I'm gonna be free, Lord!
New Directions: Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Jake: Ooooohhooo
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Kylie: Heeeee...Aaaahh..Ooohhh
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Jake: Somebody
Find me somebody to love
Love, love, love find
Find me somebody to love
Jake: Oooohhooo
Find me somebody to love
Kylie: Ooooooohh
Somebody, somebody, somebody, Somebody (x2)
Somebody find me somebody to love
Can anybody find me
Somebody to...
..Lovee...
Find me, somebody to love, find me somebody to love
*New Directions keep repeating until the end of the song:
Find me, somebody to
Love, find me somebody to love
Kylie: Somebody find me
Jake: Find me
Kylie: Somebody find me
Somebody to love
Jake: Somebody
Somebody
Somebody
Kylie: Somebody to love
Somebody to love
Jake: Somebody to love
Kylie: Find me somebody
Toooo
New Directions: Loveeee
The crowd was on its feet, with the loudest cheers coming from the alumni, as the song came to a close and the final song, the New Directions' adopted anthem began.
Jake: Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere
Kylie: Just a city boy
Born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere
Johnny: A singer in a smoky room
Hannah: A smell of wine and cheap perfume
Johnny and Hannah: For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
New Directions: Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Livin' just to find emotion,
Hiding somewhere in the night
Natalie: Workin' hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Will: Payin' anything to roll the dice just one more time
Erin and Andrew: Some will win
Some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Natalie and Will: And now the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
Carly and Alex: Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Zach and Kayla: Streetlight people
Livin' just to find emotion
New Directions: Hiding somewhere in the night
Don't stop!
Don't stop believin'
Jake and Kylie: Hold on to that feelin'
New Directions: Street lights people Yeah!
Don't stop beleivin'
Jake and Kylie: Hold on to that feelin'
New Directions: Street lights people
Don't stop!
The New Directions were announced as the winner, and in Finn's opinion, a second National title was doable. After the competition, the alumni joined the current members of New Directions at a party. After a rocky semester at college it felt so good to be home again. As Finn drove Rachel home he watched her sleep in the passenger seat. He hoped that soon she would be his wife.