LAST CHAPTER! (besides the epilogue, of course)! I am sorry to keep writing these ANs but I just like doing them, sorry! If you want, just ignore these, read, and review! Anyway, I just wanted to thank everyone who has been reading my story and reviewing, alerting, or favorite-ing; it really does make my day when I see I have a new email and it is because of one of them that I listed above. So, thank you! Read, review, and, most importantly, enjoy!
9) Rachel's Choice
Finn's body froze, his mind whirling at the sudden image of a gun staring down at him. Its end was glittering coldly in the radiance of the street light and the tall boy had a sudden flash of his life. His father's picture of him holding him; his mother's shining and bright face as he learned to ride a bike without training wheels; the ire of him being made fun of for being taller than everyone else in their grade; playing football; kissing a girl for the first time; joining glee and learning the relief of singing; the betrayal of Quinn and Puck; Rachel.
Rachel.
Every moment, every second, every sound of them two together raced upon each other as the gun stared ever on. Finn could taste her lip gloss in his mouth, the sweet fruit that he loved ever so much. The way her smile brightened up his day and how her voice entrapped him so easily. The touch of his skin against her skin as he held her in his arms, the sweet contact of their lips meeting in need of the other. It was just so easy to be with her, he didn't have to fake anything or act like someone he wasn't, like he had to do with Quinn.
All of these thoughts pounded into his head in less than a few seconds, and he wobbled slightly. His head was aching and his mouth tasted like blood, but he never felt more alive. The insight he had just experienced proved that he didn't want to die...he wanted to live! He wanted to see his mom again, he wished to throw a football around with Puck again, he needed to love Rachel.
Something he couldn't do if he was dead.
"Deon, you don't need to do this," Finn said, wincing slightly at the crack of his voice. The same feeling of dread washed over him as when Puck and other members of the football team cornered him and struck him with paint balls after they found out he joined glee club. Though, the cost of messing this up was far greater than ruining his favorite jacket. "Just put down the gun, we can talk-"
"Talk? We have talked, quite frequently." returned Deon, his hand on the gun being terribly still and steady. It was obvious by his stance and apparent ease that he knew how to use it. "I warned you so many times...and I let it slide. I knew you weren't the sharpest tool in the shed, but really, Hudson? This is all your fault!"
He was screaming the last words and they rang throughout the street, echoing off the small houses. Finn hoped to God, Grill Cheesus, and anyone else who would listen that someone would peek out of their windows and call the police. He did, however, notice a slim black shadow appear in the window of Rachel's house.
Finn knew it had to be Rachel, and his stomach dropped at the thought of her witnessing this. He hoped that she would be smart and just call the police, but he knew deep inside that she wouldn't do that. Rachel would come out, by herself, and demand what was going on and try to sooth the issue without violence. It was something that she would do, jump into the fray without a thought of what may happen later.
"My fault? What did I do?" Finn asked, trying to stall as he slowly walked back to his truck. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could get close enough to his vehicle to jump behind it.
"Stop," commanded Deon and he flicked the tip of his gun to a spot near him, in the middle of the lawn; signaling for him to move to that spot. "Don't even try to hide from me. You lost that right when you came here today against my orders. Do you not understand!"
He didn't allow Finn to answer and cut him off with a cold laugh, the same mocking tone he always used with Finn. "I shouldn't of asked that question, I know too well of your stupidity. I will have to spell it out for you it seems."
Deon's face flickered through emotions: happiness; anger; sadness; and lust. His hand twitched slightly. "I can't believe how gullible you Lima kids are...do you honestly believe my parents, wealthy lawyers, would have came here because they wanted to? To Lima?" He scoffed and spat at the ground. "Pathetic. There is nothing in this town that is worth their or my talent..."
A crazy grin came across his face making his face distorted in the shadows of Rachel's doorway. "Except for Rachel. But where is my manners? I am skipping ahead of the story, aren't I? I apologize, I think this town is starting to get to me...Do you know that, at Dale, I was the walk-of-walk. It was like here, I was the center of everyone's attention and respect. No one dared to go against me. I'm afraid I'd became a little cocky and overstepped my bounds, which led to my expulsion from Dale."
Finn's eyes were trained on Deon, but he was aware of the window that was still a bright spot in the dark night. Rachel's form was still there, and Finn realized that from her position she wouldn't be able to see Deon...but she had to be able to hear his voice; the boy wasn't exactly keeping his voice quiet. Please, Rach, Finn begged to himself, call the police and hide.
"Let's say that I didn't take it very lightly," Deon continued, a pained smirk playing across his face now as he looked at the gun in his hand with pleasure. "The teacher who expelled me was found dead with a bullet in his throat, ironic as he was always singing and being boisterous. Rumors flew around that I killed him." Deon shook his head, flinging his arm with a fit of rage and smashing his foot down upon a flower that somehow was managing the cold October weather. "There was no proof, but the damage was done. My parents weren't getting hired by anyone as they pretty much bought my way out of all the lies, putting the stake of their reputation and power on the line for me.
"It proved disastrous though," Deon's smile faded slowly, and a quick spasm of realization passed across his handsome face. Then it was gone, clouded by intense hatred, and he aimed again at Finn's broad chest. The tall boy started, watching his finger warily and trying not to scream. "We had to move away to get away from all the rumors, and my parents decided on Lima. Mostly because they never heard of it before and expected no one else to either. I would be lying if I said that I was excited about coming here; expecting my talents to be considered useless among such pitiful peasant people, and it was true. But I found that there was at least one who shared my same ambition: Rachel."
Finn, whose attention was wavering between Deon and Rachel's figure, snapped on Deon at the mention of his girlfriend. "Why her? Why Rachel? All the other girls in glee club are talented-"
"But not as talented as she is," Deon interrupted him. "Rachel Berry is a star, shiny and bright. She is the only one screaming in this quiet town; wishing - begging - for someone to hear her plea of help. I am that one."
"Rachel will do fine, no matter if she is with you or not!" Finn bristled in anger and took a step forward, but was stopped by Deon taking a step, emerging into the light, and the sharp click of turning the safety off. It hit him hard as he realized that he was only one pull of a trigger away from being dead.
Finn was scared, he didn't want to die. He wasn't even eighteen yet and it was true, he didn't like the prospect of the future and moving on; but he still wanted to stay alive, to continue on and at least have the chance to make a better life for himself. He wanted to stay alive for Rachel. He realized that none of it mattered: money, popularity, fancy cars and phones. Love mattered - Rachel mattered, and he wanted her to be with him forever. He wanted a family with her, he wanted kids with her, he wanted to grow old with her.
It was a pity that this all came to him when he was about to be shot, Finn thought to himself.
Rachel disappeared from the window suddenly and Finn felt a small surge of hope, maybe she was finally calling the police? When Deon had taken that step forward he had placed himself in sight of Rachel's window, so she could of seen him easily...and the gun easily. Finn knew he had to stall.
"Please, you don't want to do this," Finn echoed, holding his hands up again in front of his chest. It was a pitiful effort when he got paint balled and, he knew, that it was an even more futile attempt now. "I don't care if you screwed up before at Dale - no one would even know; most people don't know even know what Dale is, let alone where it is. I won't tell, just don't shoot me and leave Rachel alone."
Deon paused, his face crumbling as he hesitated and his gun hand lowered slightly. Finn allowed himself to breath for a moment, then Deon straightened up and brought the gun back up, pointing directly at Finn's heart.
Please...no.
"You don't get it," Deon said, his eyes burning with madness. "Rachel is my way back to the top! I love her, I need her. All you two share is a pathetic school crush, and somehow that is the only thing standing between me and her. It will be so easy..."
Finn couldn't speak, his heart was beating rapidly in his chest. Tears appeared in his eyes, wondering why no one was coming. Rachel had to have done something, she had to have called the police.
Deon waited for a response to his comment but when Finn didn't give any, he continued on and took a step back into the shadows of the doorway. "People will come at the noise, of course. But I can declare that it was simply self-defense. You have been acting very depressed of late, Finn; you know with your break-up with Rachel, your status in school dropping well beyond that of nerd, and then being denied a football scholarship?"
He smiled. "It would make anyone go mad, and everyone could believe that you wanted to take the easy way out. I heard from a certain somebody that you weren't too fond of the future. If that isn't enough to make anyone believe completely in what happened, my parents' money will solve the rest of the issues."
Deon put another hand on the gun and pointed it directly at Finn's head. "Goodbye, Finn Hudson. At least have some comfort that no one will know your name five years from now."
Deon's finger tightened over the trigger...
And the world exploded.
A rush of things happened all at once and Finn was barely able to collect them all. Right as Deon was about to pull the trigger, the Berry's door was thrown open and Rachel jumped out. In her hand she was holding a trophy with a golden star on the top and with a lunge brought it down up Deon's head, hard. He cried out and his aim was veered down and to the side, but his finger pulled down upon the trigger; an explosion of sound filled the silent Lima night.
Silence followed.
A sob.
Horrible, agonizing pain.
Finn fell to his knees and clutched at his side, barely coherent of himself falling and ripping his pants. Pain, raging and horrible, poured into his senses; flooding away all his rational thoughts as wave after wave of agony pulsed through his body. His vision flickered, but he managed to bring himself to look at his side. Blood, red and thick, was welling up from his large hands and the anguish increased as he saw that the bullet had tore off a slab of his side.
"No," He heard himself croak and his eyes brimmed with tears. They weren't of sadness - they were of anger. He was just fucking shot and he possibly could be bleeding to death. There was so many things he hadn't done: win Nationals for the glee club, make love with his true love, Rachel, experienced the joys and difficulties of making his first decision on his own. "No!"
"Finn?"
Finn looked up and stared directly into Rachel's eyes. They were so bright, so beautiful, he noticed as she hurried over to him. She cried out when she was exposed to the blood that was slowly pooling on the pavement before him. He didn't care that he was growing lightheaded and that he was losing so much blood; his whole attention was upon Rachel.
He examined her face, noting every little detail and speck on it. He loved her, loved everything about her - even her annoying habit to talk a lot. He had to know. "Rach, I love you."
"Don't speak," Rachel cried, throwing her trophy aside as she pressed her own dainty hands onto his side. The contact was another ripple of agony, but he ignored it and kept his brown eyes trained upon Rachel's, who wouldn't change her gaze from his either. She sobbed, "Don't speak, you are losing too much blood."
"I love you, Rach," Finn repeated, feeling sweat run down his face from the heat that was coursing through his body. So much pain, he began to think but pushed all thoughts aside except for the thoughts of Rachel. "I love you and I can not imagine my life without you. Please, tell me that you love me too?"
"Finn," Rachel cried, resting her forehead against his as they sat together, trying to stop the flood of blood pouring out of his chest. "I will always love you."
She leaned and brushed her lips against his own at once, pressing pleadingly into them as she cupped his side even tighter. The pain was suddenly gone as a feeling of euphoria beamed from their contact to his whole body, leaving him tingling and wanting for more. It cleared his vision and he felt himself come out of a drowsy state that he never knew he was in, and with it came the pain.
Breaking apart from Rachel, he bent over and screamed as the pain in his side reached a climax point. He could barely hear Rachel's plea of him to stay with her over the sound of blood rushing in his ears and his own cries. It was so hard not to sink back into the dark arms of sleep and freedom, but he wasn't going to let Rachel down.
He would never leave her again.
Breathing hard, Finn managed to say, "I'm fine, but calling 911 would be nice right about now..." He attempted a smile at Rachel, but he knew it had to be some hideous caricature of one. "I-Is Deon...d-dead?"
Rachel glanced over her shoulder to where the boy's body lay hidden among the flower bed. Finn could only see one of the boy's sneakers and it wasn't even moving, though Rachel shook her head. "I doubt it...I think I just knocked him out..."
"Rachel Barbra Berry," Finn scolded. "What happened to violence is never the answer?"
"That died the night I saw another boy pointing a gun at the chest of the man I love," Rachel answered, removing the jacket she was wearing to press it around Finn's chest and side. "I called 911 as soon as I saw it. I was so scared for you, Finn."
"I'm surprised," Finn said, his words slurring as he felt himself slump against the pavement; too exhausted to keep the effort of keeping himself upright for any longer. The darkness was seeping around him again. "I thought you would of ran out here, screaming and waving some peace flags."
"I couldn't find them," Rachel joked, sobbing as a small smile appeared along her tear-stained face. "No, I just asked myself: what would you do?"
"Good girl," Finn choked out, moving his hand away from his side and clenching it tightly in Rachel's. Her hands were so small compared to his, just like her frame; but his talent and confidence was smaller in comparison to hers. They were so different, they were total opposites...but they were perfect for each other. "I love you, Rach."
"I love you. I love you so much, Finn." Tears fell down from her face and fell onto his own. They were cool and soothing against his feverish skin, and his vision darkened further. He tried fighting but his body was shutting down, sirens echoing distantly in the back of his mind as he fell further into the darkness.
"Will you stay with me?" He struggled to ask the question and it barely came out as a whisper, but Rachel heard it.
"I will never leave you again, Finn Hudson. I will never leave you."
"Good, I like that..."
Then he slipped into the darkness and all the pain was gone; his last thought was of Rachel and her love for him.
Oooooo, another cliffy? I will just tell you one little hint: I love Finn. I wouldn't let him die! OK! Review, alert, favorite, hope you enjoyed, and review!