Chapter 8, folks! I have figured out that there will be one more chapter then an epilogue. Thank you, everyone, for your reviews, alerts, and favorites! They make my day, and I hope you enjoy my story as much as I enjoy writing them. Thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee/Fox/Ryan Murphy/So many other things...*sigh*

8) True Intentions

"Finn? Can you hear me, Finn?" A voice pleaded through the darkness, reaching down into the depths to his conscious state. It was feminine, caring, and worried; a tone of pleading was there and Finn's first thought was of a girl in an animal sweater, a pink skirt, and wearing gleaming-white knee socks. Thoughts and thoughts of that girl rushed into his head, images and sounds erupting in the darkness and lighting everything up.

"Rachel?" His voice croaked, sounding harsh, as he weakly opened his eyes. Though instead of a small face outlined by black tresses, he was awoken by a tanned and athletic face, her blond curls barely a few inches away from his face as she leaned over him. Blue eyes meet brown ones, and he blinked in confusion. Rachel's eyes weren't blue...and her hair wasn't blond.

"No, it's Quinn." The Cheerio said, brushing a stray strand of hair out of his face as she gave him a wan smile. "Are you okay, Finn? What happened?"

"Where is Rachel? I have to speak with Rachel, where is Rachel?" He asked, moving his body into an upright position. He shouldn't have, and not as quickly. The hallway, now dark with only the safety lights giving off light as someone must have turned off the main lights, spun in front of him and Quinn's face was distorted into seven; all of them gazing at him with sympathy and worry. Finn didn't care about her, he needed to find Rachel. It somehow made sense to him now; the kiss and her cheering only for him were obvious signs.

Rachel was ready, ready for him to return to her life.

Pushing away his muddled thoughts and Quinn's questions, he tried to focus his vision. After a moment it became easier and he attempted to get onto his feet, pulling himself by the handles of the lockers by him. Pain and agony ripped through his head and back as he did, but he ignored the protests from his body. He had to find Rachel, she would be the only one able to help ease his pain. As he did, his mind cleared and he truly started to think.

Finn realized now that he had been the most complete moron in the world. He had forgotten about his reason to bring Rachel back to him in the first place: he simply loved her. He was obsessed with everything about her: her personality; her looks; the way her singing brought emotions he never felt were possible to feel; how she helped him overcome the status quo and pave a path for himself; the feeling of her lips against his own...she was his everything. If it had taken a month of plagued thoughts and suffering to reach that point in his thoughts, then he was going to make sure that he didn't waste another moment.

He grinned fiercely, feeling his lips crack and blood well-up. Deon must have split his lip when the boy punched him, but he merely ignored it. He had more important events to do than worry about the state of his lips. With determination he took a step forward, and almost crashed to the ground as his body screamed, again, in protest of the quick movements.

A small body was suddenly supporting him up, Quinn's shoulder against his own as she tried to make him sit down again. "Finn, you have to sit down. You must of hit that locker pretty hard; there is a dent. Sit down, please."

"Can't...have to speak with Rachel," muttered Finn, trying to push the cheerleader away but found his waning strength was nothing compared to hers. She had to know that he needed to speak with Rachel, he might be running out of time! "I need Rach, I love her."

He didn't notice, as a roll of nausea forced him to close his eyes and keep the bile in his stomach, but Quinn paled slightly. Her eyes blazed with jealousy for a second, then regret, and, finally, acceptance. "I know you do, just sit down here and I'll call her for you. Come on, sit. Rachel will be here in a moment, and she won't want to see you like this."

Finn, after a moment, saw the wisdom in her words and sat down on a red bench. His large frame slumped back and let his head rest against the wall, wincing at the sharp jab that the contact caused. Sitting down, he felt his body slowly relax and he didn't like it; he couldn't sleep! He needed to speak with Rachel.

Closing his eyes, he could picture Rachel as perfectly as if she was standing right before him. She was giving him a crooked smile and eyes, shining a pure brown, peered right into his. She was perfect to him, she could do no wrong when he looked at her at the moment. Rach slowly approached, her eyes glowing even brighter as the distance between them decreased.

Finn's breath got caught in his throat as her warm eyes enveloped him, losing himself in the color and love. He was falling into their depths, sinking slowly into them and the bliss of sleep.

"Finn! Wake up!" Quinn's voice pierced the dream and Finn woke up with a start. He blinked and everything came crashing down upon him: Rachel's kiss; the football game; Cooter's refusal; the punch. He had no idea how long he slept, but he was quickly regaining the ability to manage his thoughts. Three things hit him hard as he sorted through what just happened.

Deon was crazy.

He would do anything to get what he wanted.

Rachel was in danger.

Finn immediately tried to get to his feet but Quinn, who was looking scared and standing over him, pushed him back into the chair. "No, don't get up. You may have a concussion, so don't fall back asleep again. Can you hear me? Finn?" Her voice was pleading and scared; scared for him.

Finn looked up at her and nodded his head slowly, examining her as he did. Her hair was still not as long as it used to be, her eyes had dull bags under them, and her usual lustrous skin was paler than normal. She may have been trying to return back to the top-of-the-food-chain Quinn, but she was never going to be. Her past was too haunting and she clearly was still broken about something. It was in her gaze to him that he realized what it was.

Deep inside she still had feelings for him. Being with Quinn would be so easy; she didn't mind that he may be a Lima Loser forever and only find work at Burt's shop for the rest of his life. Deon would be off his back and he wouldn't have to worry about the future, which now, with the denial of any type of football scholarship, was staring back at him with deadly eyes. It would be so easy...

But he didn't love Quinn, he loved Rachel Berry.

And he would let Kurt take him to Victoria's Secret to buy clothing before he allowed Deon to be with Rachel.

He needed to speak with Rachel, right now. He looked away from Quinn, who had blushed under his intense gaze but never moved away from it, and searched his pockets for his phone. Then he remembered that he had only changed into gym shorts and a loose shirt; his phone, wallet, and keys for his truck were still in his locker. The prospect of walking that far made his head spin, so he turned to Quinn.

"I need to use your phone, please." Finn said, not caring that his voice broke and sounded like he hadn't spoken for day straight. Quinn eyes immediately brightened.

"Of course, I'll call 911. You need help-"

"No!" Finn yelled, he didn't have time for this. He had to speak with Rachel; he had barely spoken to her in the last month and he wasn't going to allow it to last longer than it had to. "I must speak with Rachel, Quinn. Please, if our relationship has meant anything to you these last couple of years than give me your phone."

Quinn's eyes brightened with tears and the truth of forever, that they could never be together. She pulled her sleek phone from a brown bag on her belt, "Her contact is under 'Thing."

Finn ignored that comment and seized the phone; he knew Rachel's number by heart. His large digits had a hard time putting in the numbers correctly but he managed and cursed every ring on the phone. Rachel has to be home, where else would she be...she has to be home!

"Quinn?" Rachel's voice came from the small device, sounding surprised and hesitant. "What do you need?"

Finn's mind whirled for something to say, but there was just so much that he wanted to say. To tell her that he was a moron and would never think of breaking up with her again, and to express his deepest apology. He never wanted it to be this way when they broke-up, not the silent treatment and the hurtful looks. He didn't know how to exactly put that into his words so he simply said:

"I love you, Rachel."

"What-" Her voice exclaimed, then paused, and asked incredulously, "Finn?"

"It is me," Finn answered, filling tears rise up into his eyes and he sobbed, loud enough for Rachel to hear it over the phone.

"Finn, are you okay? Where are you? What happened? Why do you have Quinn's phone? Are you hurt?" asked Rachel, her words blurring into one as she spoke quickly.

"I'm okay, I'm at the school, I'm borrowing Quinn's phone because mine is locked in my locker," Finn said, rushing the answer as fast as she gave them. Tears were slowly dripping down the sides and bridge of his nose, and he knew he must of looked like a wreck. But truthfully, he didn't fucking care. And before he knew it, he was telling Rachel everything.

"I'm so sorry, Rachel," he started through the block in his throat. "I'm sorry for breaking up with you, I'm sorry for pushing you against the wall, I'm sorry for hurting you so badly, I'm so freaking sorry. I never meant it to be this way, I thought it would be better for both of us - for you - if we went our own ways and made our own futures. I thought I would drag you down if you stayed with me, a Lima Loser.

"But, then I realized that I was hurting us so much worse than if we were together. I couldn't stand myself when I looked into your eyes and only saw betrayal and pain reflected back in them. It was then that I knew: I loved you too much, no matter the pain. I had to have you back...you are me, Rachel. The me that I want be. I am so sorry for it taking us breaking apart to realize it. I never wanted this, I never wanted to hurt you. I love you, Rach-" His voice broke and he couldn't speak anymore; his heart beating rather painfully and loudly as he waited for Rachel's response.

Silence.

Please, Finn begged silently.

"You had me at the first sorry," Rachel's voice came again, thick with her own emotion. Finn gave a laugh of relief, which sounded more like a sob, but he didn't care.

Rachel forgave him and that is all he cared about.

"I love you, Rachel Berry," Finn said through a watery smile. He couldn't remove it from his face; he was, simply, too happy. All the pressure of the last month seemed to drop right off, and knowing Rachel still believed in him made it all the better.

"And don't you forget it, Finn Hudson," Rachel teased, paused for a moment. "Do you want to come over?"

"Yes," Finn's heart ached to see Rachel and for him to be with her. The pain in his head and body was whisked away as pump after pump of adrenaline rushed into his body, excited for the prospect of seeing Rachel again. To hold her, to speak with her without hesitancy, and kiss her with her power of his love behind it; he wanted to do them all again and he wasn't going to waste anymore time. "I'll be over in a second."

"Okay...see you then." Finn practically could hear the smile upon her face as she ended the call. He stood up and handed the phone to Quinn, who had tears streaming down her face.

"I guess this proves it," Quinn smiled, her face still pretty even when marred with tears and puffy eyes. "She will always have you around her little finger..."

Finn paused, still slightly wobbly from his wounded head but not as terrible as it was before. He looked at her, really looked at her, and realized that those tear weren't for him; they were for herself. "No, Quinn. She doesn't have me around her little finger, she has me surrounded in her love. You were always the one who manipulated me, not Rachel. When we were together it was never about you loving me, it was about you."

Quinn sobbed, her eyes sparkling with tears and disbelief. "The first time we were a couple, you used me for so many things: popularity status; reputation; a father, even when I was not the father. You called me an idiot and a moron at least twice a day to make yourself feel better and put all the blame on me, but it was yours and Puck's fault!"

Finn couldn't stop the words from coming out as he spoke; he was tired of keeping things inside just to prevent other people's feelings from getting hurt. "And then we dated again...I don't know what I was thinking! I guess just everything with Rachel and Puck just hurt me so badly, I wanted somebody to hold. And the next moment, I found myself in your arms.

"I thought things would be different, but they weren't. You used me again so you could be Prom Queen. But guess what? I never fucking cared about that shit, because none of it ever matters a couple of years down the road," Finn said, his voice calm even as he saw the breakdown of his ex-girlfriend. Her usual nonchalant face with an air of superiority was gone, and in its place was a mask of a little girl who fully realized her own woes. Finn stared at her for a moment, "Goodbye, Quinn Fabray."

Then he turned away from the cheerleader and faced the direction in which Rachel's house sat. A half-smile crept upon his face and he said, "I'm coming Rachel."

The ride to the Berry's was short and quick; Finn ignoring most stop signs and red lights as he drove way past the speed limit. Maybe it was coincidence or fate, but wherever he went the streets were empty and there was no one in sight. His head was still aching and at time his vision went slightly blurry but he ignored them both.

He had to get Rachel.

Finn parked alongside the curb as he finally reached Rachel's house. Her dads' vehicles were both missing from the driveway (Rachel's car always got the garage spot), and Finn felt another surge of adrenaline. It was perfect; they were going to be home alone and he wouldn't have to be conscious of his love. Finn couldn't help but to grin as he took a step out of his battered truck and towards the house, a single window blazed with light.

"Hold it, Hudson."

Finn's heart dropped as fast as his feet stopped, and he looked away from the window to the doorway of the house. Stepping away from the shadows of the dark entryway, Deon Werner came into the light that was streaming across the lawn from a light post. His eyes were cold as ice as he glared at Finn.

"I told you to stay away, Hudson," said Deon, one hand in the pocket of his jacket. "And you didn't listen."

"Go fuck yourself!" Finn growled and prepared to throw the kid into a next century of pain.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Deon, still looking serious. "I can't believe you broke my orders, Hudson. And for that you sadly must pay."

Deon pulled his hand out of his pocket, and Finn saw the gleaming end of a gun staring back at him.

"The ultimate price..."

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