Hello! I hope you are all enjoying your Thanksgiving week, and if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving: I hope you have a nice Black Friday weekend! I KNOW I will! Anyway, in HiYA, we are starting to come to close. There is about 3-5 chapters left, as I am still a little shaky on how to end it but it will be settled soon! I have already come up with the idea for another Finchel story and will probably put up the first chapter when this story is on its last chapter. I will try to make it less angst-y as that is how this story seems to be going, which I really did not plan...but I still think it works fine! As always, I hope you read and review! Thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee/Fox/Ryan Murphy/Football (P.S. if I get anything wrong with football terms, don't be too nasty - I'm more of a hockey girl)/So many other things...

7) and The Effect

"I wasn't expecting that," Kurt muttered after glee club, the choir room seeming so quiet and empty now that it was only them two and no one was singing. Finn had fell into a chair and hadn't moved since. He was a hypocrite, he realized with irony; he told Rachel to think about others for once, but all he had been doing was obsessing about getting Rachel back...to him. It had been so easy to just think about his own pain and turmoil, that he completely forgot about how Rachel was dealing with the pain.

He dropped his head into his hands and rubbed his eyes wearily. He thought everything would be soothed out and Rachel would come running back to him, embracing and kissing like they used to before Deon came. Before the Dale student poisoned his thoughts, before he had decided to make the biggest regret in his life. A regret that he would never be able to forgive himself for if he didn't have Rachel back and on her good side. There had to be some sort of plan, some idea, some song, some how... If there was, he couldn't think of anything.

Finn was slightly surprised that he was even still conscious. He was physically and emotionally drained from staying up late and thinking about Rachel. He wanted to sleep, but he knew that Rachel would just haunt his dreams like she did now in his awake. What would be the point of dreaming when I just wake to a nightmare, Finn asked himself inside. He wasn't even sure how to feel anymore, especially when it came to his feelings about Rachel.

There was absolutely no doubt that he loved Rachel, he loved her more than he actually cared about his own self. He would do anything for her if she asked, not caring what may happen to him because of the consequences. But, because he loved her so much, he wanted the very best for her. Finn knew, too-well, that he wouldn't be able to give her the dreams that she sought after and could possibly stop her from doing it. So, he should just let her go...but he loved her to the point where he wouldn't be able to endure life without her by him - in his arms - kissing him...

"Fuck, I feel like a walking ox moron," said Finn, his voice muffled in his hands.

"Oxymoron?" Kurt suggested, a smile tugging slightly at his wan face.

"That is what I said," Finn returned and lifted his head from the comfort of his palms. He looked at Kurt; seeing him as his only savior now. "Please, Kurt. You have to help me, I don't know what to do anymore. None of my ideas have worked and...please, help me! You are friends with Rachel, you could reason with her and tell her-"

"I could, but I'm not." Kurt said, his eyes locked on Finn's. Finn couldn't believe what he was hearing, he always thought that he could trust in Kurt. "It is not like I am trying to be mean, quite the contrary in fact." He reached out and grabbed his step-brother's hand, and squeezed the rough palm with his much softer one. "Anything I would say would just be words; while only you would be able to tell her how you truly feel."

"The last time I did that she slapped me," said Finn, his cheek still smarting from the blow. He cringed from the memory; the pain of his heart was everything compared to the physical pain he felt. He knew that he had screwed up but, until then, it was like he was visioning it through someone's eyes that weren't his own or in a dream. That apologies would be meekly accepted, pain be soothed over time, and that Deon would just disappear. The slap had been a cruel splash of reality in his face, leaving him confused and cold as he awoke. Finn tightened his grasp on Kurt's hand, clenching it hard to relieve some of his emotions. "So, you're not going to help me?"

His voice sounded hollow and deep, a sharp contrast to his usual soft tone and lively attitude. To be truthful, Finn couldn't even remember the last time he was feeling anything like lively. Probably the time at the truck, right before their fight that was the beginning of a path to emotional hell. It seemed like months ago but it was only the week before. Finn's endurance was waning and he didn't know how long he could handle everything before he just snapped.

"What kind of brother would I be if I didn't help you?" Kurt asked, offended. "By GaGa, I'll do everything in my power to help you if I think it is right-"

"Then why don't you speak to Rachel for me!" Finn growled, trying to keep his voice in check; it wasn't working very well. "You say you want to help but here you sit, telling me things that you want me to hear-"

"Finn, shut up!" Kurt's sharp voice cut through his rant, and Finn, surprisingly, found himself stop. "I said I would help with what I think is right and I believe you talking with Rachel is the best thing. Not right now, mind you. She is hurt and confused; two strong feelings that tamper easily with people's thoughts-" Kurt eyed him again "-as you should also know well. The one thing Rachel needs right now is time.

"Time to manage her thoughts and feelings, maybe even figure out why you did the things you did. She will come and talk to you, don't worry about that. Rachel isn't one to let these things go by...lightly." The two step-brothers grimaced slightly at the words; they both knew the ire of getting on Rachel's bad side. "So, my advice: don't give up but wait, she'll come to you when she is ready."

"But...what if I can't wait?" Finn asked, half-pleading his cause to Kurt. "I want her back so badly, it hurts."

Kurt's eyes strayed to his cheek for a moment, the spot where Rachel had hit him. "It will hurt either way, Finn."

Finn slumped back in his chair, and closed his eyes. Was it possible for him to just wait and let Rachel come back to him? No, his mind answered rationally; but he would just have to deal with it. "Okay, I'll wait."

xXx

Waiting did not work for Finn, especially when he couldn't even pull his mind off Rachel as everything reminded him of her. As October was swiftly approaching and football season was coming to a close, he knew that he had to throw himself into it. It was the only thing that he could lose himself in and, for a short time, forget about Rachel. And it was the only way he was ever going to get out of Lima: a football scholarship.

So pushing Rachel to the back of his mind, he practiced, practiced, and practiced. He was always the first to get to the field for practice and was always the last to leave. Coach Beiste was split between annoyance and admiration as he pestered her with questions; asking what he could work on and how he could be better. Finally, after a long practice, she snapped.

"Just throw the damn ball and make sure the receiver catches it," Beiste yelled, her eyes narrowing suddenly. "And, for your life, make sure it is ours." Then she stormed off with a mutter of being hungry again.

Though when he wasn't thinking about football or college, his mind was right back on Rachel. It wasn't like he didn't see her at glee club or in the hallways, but there was an invisible barrier between them. Whenever they spoke they couldn't meet the gaze of the others, too hurt or angry to keep the conversation more than a couple of words. Finn wanted to tell her everything he felt - or to the best of his abilities - but Kurt's advice rang in his head and he kept his feelings to himself. It hurt him, it hurt so freaking bad, but he waited. He would only tell Rachel when she was ready for him.

Finn grew strength to keep on when he noticed that Deon and Rachel hadn't dated. Actually, it seemed, to Finn, that they were separating farther apart. He had the heard the two arguing after glee club when he forgot his bag and had to go back; Rachel was irate with the fact that Deon had lied to her about what Finn said on the phone. Deon was denying it by saying that Finn was the one lying, but Rachel didn't believe him.

The quarterback's spirits rose higher than he could of ever believed. Rachel still had faith in him; even after he broke them apart. There was still hope for them, Finn determined with a smile, and he was going to do anything he could to get his girl back.

It was a day before the state game and Beiste had pulled the whole team in for a quick talk. Her eyes roamed across all the boys before her, looking at them, for once, with a glitter of respect. The whole season they had played well and with no major clashing of the glee club and the football team. Finn saw it as a ray of hope; that glee club was swiftly making a comeback at McKinley High. Finn was rather proud of his team.

"Listen up, guys," Beiste started and everyone grew quiet, knowing too-well what happened when someone disobeyed the coach. "For some of you this is your final year; the last time to prove that you have the right to call yourself champions. So, tomorrow you better give it your all. No. Exceptions." Her eyes narrowed dangerously again and everyone gulped and exchanged glances with another. "Also, for extra...incentive, there will be a scout at tomorrow's game. Play well, and who knows, you may get something."

Finn went home that day with a heavy mind. He had to play well tomorrow or it would be all over for him; no scholarship, no college, no future...no Rachel. No! He screamed at himself. I am going to win that game tomorrow for McKinley, and I am going to get that scholarship and prove to this whole town that I can be someone. Just let someone try and stop me, he thought with a smile.

xXx

"Finn!"

He stopped, his heart missing a beat as he realized whose that voice belonged to. It haunted his dreams and every thought when he wasn't busy; it brought his body to boil in anticipation of seeing the owner's face. Turning around, his eyes fell upon Rachel.

She was wearing a red skirt with a white jacket over her shirt, and knee socks, red as well, rose from her small shoes. Her hair was carefully drawn away from her face and a number 5 was painted on her right cheek. In both gloved hands she carried small flags with the same number on them.

Rachel kept an amicable smile upon her face, but her eyes were glowing with something that Finn could not read. Love? Hate? "I just wanted to say good luck; kill those Patriots. I will be rooting for you."

Then, her blushing slightly, she leaned up on her toes and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. Her hand went to his chest to hold herself up and he felt his skin burn under the touch, even if he was wearing a shirt. From that to the touch of her lips against his cheek, he could barely keep himself contained. He wanted to grab her in his arms and push her against the wall, kissing her until neither of them could breath. But he kept his head, and other parts, in check and just smiled when Rachel moved away, "Thank you, it really means a lot."

Rachel's eyes flashed over his and said, "See you." She waved her flags and put her tongue in her right cheek so the 5 popped out, then she walked away. Finn watched her as she did, appreciating her swinging hips and sexy legs. His body craved for her, but he mastered it and turned away. There was nothing more that he wanted than to think of Rachel at the moment, but he had a game to win.

For both of them.

McKinley dominated. They had been down by fourteen points in the first-half but then with three touchdowns and a field goal they won. Finn's heart was lighter than it had been for the last month and he couldn't help but to smile at everything. He had seen Rachel, a very stark contrast compared to the dark clothing of the crowd, jumping up and down, cheering, as he threw the ball right into the receiver's hands, who then got a touchdown. Her smile had made him want to run off the field, scoop her up, and love her. He didn't; that would be so uncool to the team as there was still time left in the quarter, but he wanted to.

Finn was looking to the future and, for once, it was greeting him with hope. The throw he made was amazing, and he knew that the scout would have no choice but to give him some kind of scholarship. So, when he got into the locker room he showered and changed as fast as possible; hoping that he would get time to speak with Cooter Menkins, the scout at the game.

Finn glanced around the locker room and only spotted a pleased Shane starting to enter into the showers. He quickly came up to the other boy, "Hey, have you seen the scout?"

"Ya, dude. He just left a second ago," Shane was practically shaking with excitement. "He offered me a full-ride? Can you believe that?"

Finn was excited for Shane, but he couldn't help but to wonder: Why not me?

"That is awesome, dude," Finn said, then with a quick pat on the shoulder for his teammate he hurried out of the locker room. He glanced in both directions of the hallway, and spotted a man talking to a student. He hurried up to the scout, eager to hear what he had to say, then he noticed the boy whom he was speaking to.

It was Deon.

The two turned to Finn as they approached, and the quarterback glanced between the two of them. He knew he shouldn't of been worried - they were only talking - but something didn't seem right to Finn. Especially the way Deon was smiling at him, so openly and mockingly, and how Cooter Menkins was eyeing him with...was it guilt?

Finn decided to just ignore Deon and looked directly at Cooter, "Hello, I'm Finn Hudson. I was the quarterback who played for McKinley tonight...I was wondering if you made a mistaken when you didn't speak with me?"

"I know whom you are," Cooter said, quickly as if he was tempted to change them if he spoke slowly. "And there was no mistake. There is a great field between high school and college football, son. Some have the arm to throw across the field, but you are not one of them. You played a good game, but colleges need amazing. I'm sorry, Shane is the one we are going to go with."

Finn felt he had been stabbed in the heart and then, again, forty more times. It couldn't true! He had worked his whole life for this scholarship and now he was being denied it? His mind was a whirlwind as he struggled to bring himself together and when he managed, he wouldn't just go down meekly.

"No! You are lying! I played better than everyone on that field, we both know that! Why-" Finn stopped as he noticed Deon again, who was smiling even broader. "You! You had something to do with this, didn't you! I am going to..." He didn't bother to finish the promise, he just lunged his large frame at Deon.

Finn expected to at least punch him maybe once or twice before the scout did anything; hopefully giving Deon a broken nose in the process. What he didn't expect was for Cooter to grab him by the back of his shirt and toss him into a wall of lockers. His head struck the metal with a loud crash and his body hit a second later. Stars erupted in front of his vision and he felt cries of protest ring throughout his limbs. His body didn't want to support himself any longer and he slumped to the ground, his vision blurry but was still able to make out the forms of Deon and Cooter.

"I could of handled him, but thank you," Deon's voice drawled, a pleased tone purring out of him. "It was nice to see you again, Uncle."

Uncle? Finn thought wearily but it hurt too much to bring his thoughts together.

"No problem, kiddo," Cooter laughed and gave his nephew a small smile, though it looked strained. Maybe it was the blurry state he was in, but Finn swore he could see a strain of fear in the scout's eyes. Deon moved to put a hand on his uncle's shoulder, and Cooter flinched slightly. He was afraid of Deon!

"You kept your part of the bargain so I'll speak to Dad." Finn was not liking the smile upon his face; it was too knowing and smug. "He might somehow find you a way to be a coach for the NFL, so you won't rot your life as a pitiful college coach."

Cooter opened his mouth, paused, then just nodded and hurried away from his nephew and the dazed boy on the ground. Finn hoped that his mind would clear and his legs would move, but they didn't. He didn't know which he wanted more: to punch Deon in the face or run away.

Deon suddenly turned to him and Finn had to control himself from flinching. He was just a boy, like him, what could he possibly do to him. And they were in a school, someone is bound to show up before Deon could do anything. Finn caught his thoughts and grew appalled; Deon may be an ass but he wouldn't ever hurt Finn seriously.

"I warned you, Hudson." Deon's voice was angry and disappointed, like this was all Finn's fault. "If you had just let Rachel alone - with me - then I would of been kind and gave you that scholarship. But no, you just had to ruin everything!" Deon leaned down so his face was leveled with Finns, his eyes beacons of pure anger. "I didn't want to do it, believe me, but what else could I do? You went against my orders and for that you had to be punished."

He smiled suddenly, all his anger vanishing in a second and startling Finn. Deon even put a hand on his Finn's cheek. "But I think now that you see: don't go against me. I am going to tell you for the last time, stay away from Rachel."

Deon looked away for a second and pulled his hand away, then he turned to Finn with savage intent gleaming in his eyes. He struck Finn a blow to the face that brought him into the lockers again. The pain exploded in his head and his vision flickered, and was dimming fast. The last thing he remembered before falling unconscious was Deon's last words.

"Or you will regret it..."

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