DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen: Rachel's Choice

The next 72 hours proved to be the most stressful three days of Finn's life. The anxiety plagued him like a virus, with doubt constantly creeping around his periphery. Rachel was detached, distracted and distant while Finn tried desperately to read into her behavior. Was she going to accept his proposal or rip his heart right out of his chest? He couldn't be sure as the hours crept on like eons.

She was barely speaking to him or anyone else, and the rest of the family noticed her behavior. Kurt had no idea that he had gone through with his idea to propose to Rachel, so he was unaware of the reasons behind her downtrodden mood. His parents attributed her melancholy to the fact that her departure date was still looming on the horizon, and thankfully no one asked him any questions pertaining to the matter.

What worried Finn the most was the fact that Rachel had stopped attending glee club meetings. He had shown up after school today to the choir room eager to see her and she wasn't even there. Kurt had dropped her off at the house before showing up to rehearsal and his report was grim.

"She started to cry after lunch today and she said she wanted to go home. She mentioned quitting glee club."

His mood only grew worse from that point on. Glee club felt empty without her, practically meaningless. For a while the glee club was the only thing he could look forward to in his life and now without her there it just didn't feel the same. It felt like she was meant to be there with them; like in another life she would have been the star of New Directions and have a life that was bound for Broadway.

But that wasn't their life and unless Rachel agreed to marry him, she had mere weeks left in the states. What would his life be like then? She was the light, the energy that rejuvenated him. She was the inspiration to be better, to do more important things than resign himself to a life of changing tires and oil and lube.

He was hasty in his return home. The house was still empty, save for a light singing that he could hear bleeding through the walls from upstairs. Kurt had gone to Blaine's house for dinner and his parent's wouldn't be home for another hour or so. He and Rachel were the only ones home, and from the melancholy tone of the song she was singing, she was also quite sad.

He checked his watch before heading upstairs. It had been exactly three days to the minute since he had proposed and she still hadn't given him an answer. The anxiety was building and he needed to know her feelings about this. It was killing him inside.

Heading for her door, he raised his hand to knock but then paused before his fist hit the door. Should he really be pressuring her like this about something so important? What if he pushed her too far and she said no?

So instead of pounding on her door like a barbarian and demanding an answer from her, he retreated into the safety and solitude of his bedroom, practicing his drums and trying not to focus on Rachel and his proposal. He contemplated the comments that Kurt had made to him a few days ago as he banged on his drums. If Finn had gotten accepted to UAkron for music, would he still be pursuing a permanent relationship with Rachel? College did seem exciting and fun, and studying would be a welcome distraction to missing Rachel. . .

His thoughts were interrupted when his door started to open and Rachel peeked inside of his bedroom with a shy smile. "You were playing and you did not hear me. I was knocking."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said as he put down his drumsticks and lifted himself from the kit. "I was just practicing." She nodded her head as she shut the door behind her and he moved forward towards her with yearning in his tone. "You weren't at glee practice today."

"I do not think I will be going anymore," she said politely, her eyes sad. "There is no reason for me to be there." Her words were like daggers piercing into his heart, confirming her rejection. She wasn't planning on staying here for much longer, why should she bother showing up to rehearsals?

"So you've made up your mind, then?" He said, feeling utterly and completely dejected. He had been dumped before, by some of the prettiest and most popular girls he had ever known, but it was nothing compared to the misery he now felt as his heart ripped in half. "You don't want to marry me?"

"Non, c'est pas ca," she said emphatically. "It would be a dream to marry you, Finn. A true dream." Her statements renewed some of the hope in his heart as he struggled to understand her logic.

"But you can't say yes?" She shook her head.

"I am sorry, Finn, but I cannot. My life right now is in France. I have responsibilities there and my family. Until I can be free of those things I cannot promise my life to you. It would be unfair. I love you too much to hurt you."

Her words were hard for Finn to hear, but it was the truth. She wasn't his to keep, like some kind of prize; she had to return to the life she had before she had met Finn and accomplish the goals she had been working towards. For him to keep her away from that would be the most selfish thing in the world, and here she was apologizing to him.

Kurt had been right all along. Maybe they weren't ready for this yet.

"I am so sorry, Finn. Please don't hate me. I want. . ." he cut her off with a desperate kiss, filled with love and longing and apologies for trying to push them into something they weren't ready for.

"Don't apologize to me, Rachel. There's nothing to apologize for." He choked through the emotion clogging his throat to continue. "I just love you so much that I'm scared to lose you. But you're a real star, Rachel. Brighter than any star in the sky and I would be an idiot to try and keep you from that." There were tears in her eyes as she nodded her head, and she pressed her lips against his in another kiss that sent his heart racing. Her lips were soft and sweet under his as he parted her lips with his tongue, gently caressing hers as he deepened the kiss.

When they broke apart Rachel sucked in a sharp breath of air, looking up at him with hooded eyes and and a shy smile. "Do we have to get married right away?" She whispered so softly he could barely hear her.

"What?"

"I know it will be hard, but we can promise to stay together when I go back to France." Wrapping her arms around his neck, he would have promised her anything in the world in that one moment. "I do not want other boys. You are the only one for me."

"Do you mean it?" He asked, clearly torn. "Do you think we can handle a long-distance relationship?"

She giggled at the foreign term. "Long-distance relationship," she repeated. "I like that. I think we can do it."

Grinning like an idiot, he detached himself from her grip and went over to his bedside table, where the ring was hidden away safely in the top drawer. He took it out and got down on one knee again in front of her, beaming with pride as she stuck out her left hand for him to hold.

"Rachel, this is no longer just an engagement ring, this is a promise. A promise to love you for the rest of my life, no matter how far away you are from me. One day we will get married, but for right now we have to work towards making a future where we both fit in. Je t'aime, Rachel, and one day we will get married."

"Je t'aime aussi, Finn!" She squealed brightly as he secured the ring on her finger. His heart was pounding, practically bursting with love for this petite femme fatale that had completely stolen his heart. They didn't have to get married in two weeks, two months, not even two years, but the only thing that mattered was that they were in love, and that they had time.

Kissing each one of the knuckles on her left hand, and lingering the longest on her ring finger, Rachel practically fell into his embrace and knocked Finn to the floor as the two lovers hugged and kissed and reveled in their happiness.

"I was thinking," Rachel said as they laid together on Finn's carpet, staring up at the ceiling. He was hypnotized by her light accent, still after all these weeks. Her English was getting so good that he almost forgot that she was a foreigner sometimes. "About applying to schools in New York when I return to France." She was thoughtful as she contemplated her options. "Kurt says that colleges here love International students."

"New York?" He repeated, his mind racing at the thought.

"Oui," she replied. "It is where Kurt is going to be and I will still be here in the country." His heart swelled at the thought of her staying in the US. "You can apply to schools there, too."

"I think that's a totally awesome idea," he agreed, kissing her forehead.

"Formidable!" She said brightly, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder. "I know you will get in somewhere. Your applications will be very late, but they will see how great you are."

"I hope so," he replied bitterly. "I could always transfer after a semester at UA if I get in there. Without you here my life is going to be depressing enough already, if I have to stay here in Lima I might put a bullet in my head."

"Finn!" she scolded angrily, poking him in the shoulder with her finger. "Never talk that way again! We are going to succeed, mon amour," she cooed, gently cupping his cheek with her palm. "Nothing can stop us."

"I love you," he said, the truth of his statement filling up every fiber of his being. "We can make this relationship work, right?"

"Bien sur," she said, staring into his eyes and holding him there in a kind of trance. "Because we will fight for the things we love," she said, repeating her personal motto, the one that had inspired him to begin planning his future in the first place. "And I love you, so I will wait until we are ready."

"Rachel," he breathed, pulling her face up by the chin so he could press his lips against hers once more. He moaned into the kiss as her lips melded against his and he dragged his hands over her body, letting them roam underneath her clothes.

They were still lying down on the carpet of Finn's floor, so in a fluid motion he sat up, wrapped his arms around her back and thighs and lifted her up off the floor, dropping her onto the bed with a soft bounce and a bubbling laugh. She giggled as he joined her on the sheets, pulling him close to her before teasing him with her lips. She peppered kisses all over his face, his neck, even lightly nibbling his ear lobe. He shivered in delight as his eyes were transfixed on the dazzling ring on her finger. It looked perfect there and his heart swelled with joy to know that Rachel would always be his, even if there was an ocean between them.

Her hands dragged lower down his torso as she continued her assault on his neck and face. Hooking her fingers around the belt loops of his pants, she tugged at them playfully while he reached down to unbutton them. He was already painfully hard, and every time her hands grazed over his erection he sucked in a sharp breath of air.

Her hand slid inside of his pants, grabbing hold of his cock while she pumped it slowly and looking up into his eyes with a teasing smile. His hands skimmed around her back and quickly undid her bra as she ran her thumb over the tip. He thought he was going to burst right then and there as stars flashed in his vision, but he gently removed her hand and steadied out his breathing.

"Not so fast," he whispered huskily. "Or else we won't have any time to enjoy this." She nodded her head in agreement and they decided to take things slow. She was wearing far too many clothes for his taste, so he removed both her shirt and bra in one swift motion, leaving her topless and straddling his lap. Looking up at her was like staring at a work of art as she reached for his own shirt. He obliged, pulling it up and over his head while the two lovers sat bare-chested in Finn's bedroom.

Sitting up, he pulled her face towards his, kissing her and wrapping his arms around her so tightly that he could feel her breasts rubbing against him. He cupped her lightly from the sides, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples as the rosy skin puckered under his touch.

She moaned into his mouth, making his already painful erection ache even harder as she continued to rub her breasts against his chest, grinding his lap as well. His hips bucked involuntarily, the friction making his body blaze with need as they deepened the kiss even further.

Reaching for her skirt, he caressed her ass once from underneath the fabric before pulling it down along with her panties. She maneuvered herself around until the clothing was removed and returned to grinding herself into Finn's crotch. His dick was throbbing and he was desperate to remove the final barrier of clothing between them as she continued her torturous assault.

Flipping them both over quickly, he placed Rachel softly down onto the covers, kissing her forehead once before slipping his pants off and resting between her legs. Opening them slowly by nudging his knees between them, he looked down at the beautiful vision below him and brought his hands up to hers, grasping them and intertwining their fingers together.

"I love you," he said genuinely, seeing nothing but the deepest love shining back up at him.

"I love you too, Finn," she brought up one of their joined hands and kissed it with a shy smile, and he saw his ring twinkling on her finger in the waning sunlight. "A toujours," she whispered. "Forever."

"Rachel," his voice was tight with emotion as he thought about the obstacles that they were going to have to face. Long-distance relationships were notorious for messy break-ups and scandalous affairs. "I want you to be happy, and if you find someone else who makes you happy in Paris then I think you should be with them. . ." He was cut off by a sharp gasp, and Rachel had something akin to betrayal shining in her eyes as she looked up at him in their intimate positions.

"Jamais! I would never be with another boy." Her grip on his hands tightened and there was fear in her eyes. "You are the only person I love. You are the only person I will ever love."

"I think," he said out loud, "that we're soul mates, you know? Like we were meant to be together," he felt like an idiot for mentioning it out loud, but instead of laughing at him, a beaming smile erupted on her face. "Kurt's application was meant to be processed wrong. You being here was no accident."

He could see tears glistening in the corners of her eyes as she smiled up at him. With their bodies nestled close together the only thing keeping them from having sex was the intimacy of the moment and the need for a condom, which Finn quickly reached over to grab.

"Soul mates," she repeated, liking the way the foreign phrase rolled off of her tongue. "I like that."

"Are you sure that you're going to want to be with me when you go back to France?" He asked, his voice shaky from stress.

"Bien sur!" She said emphatically, holding onto him even tighter. She took their entwined hands and placed them in-between her breasts. "My heart is yours."

"So is mine," he confessed. "It's beating really fast."

"Tu peux m'embrasser, si tu veux," she said softly, and he crinkled his brow in confusion. "You can kiss me if you want to."

"I want to," he said, before pressing his lips to hers. Her breath was cool and sweet against his hips as his hips shifted into hers, his cock aching to be touched. He fumbled for a condom while trying not to break their connection as her hands roamed everywhere. He pulled away from her for a split second so he could secure the condom on his member before kissing her once more, stealing away the breath she was trying to catch and swallowing it in his kiss.

She mewled in pleasure as his hips shifted forward, slipping into her slick and silky body. His eyes rolled back in his head from the pleasure as he filled her to the brim, eliciting a deep moan from his lover. Her nails scratched his back as she arched into him, meeting his thrusts as he began to slowly slide out of her. With a grunt he began his steady rhythm, rocking their bodies together as the blissful pleasure began to build.

Peeking down at his lover, his fiancée, he saw nothing but love and pure bliss radiating from her body as he picked up speed, reaching down to rub her clit as he continued to pound into her. Massaging the bundle of nerves slowly, he could feel her muscles clamping down on him in the most torturous way as he felt his own climax approaching. He was so lost in his own pleasure that he barely heard a loud banging noise coming from downstairs.

"Ah!" She screamed suddenly, throwing her head back in pleasure and letting out a cry that signaled her climax. Her body was tight, and pulsing around him as he continue to reach for his own release. Something was bothering him; he couldn't be sure if he had heard a noise or not as Rachel continued to moan.

"Finn?" A loud, masculine yell echoed throughout the house as Finn's heart stopped beating in his chest. Rachel was still coming down from her high, her breasts bouncing to the beat of her heaving breaths as he placed a hand over her mouth so he could hear better. "Finn, what was that noise? Is Rachel hurt?"

The sound of Burt's voice permeating through the walls made him feel like he had been kicked right in the chest.

A panic like nothing he had ever felt before blazed through his system as he gently pulled out of Rachel. He wasn't finished yet but he had more problems to worry about as he heard hard footsteps pounding up the stairs. There was a blatant, all-encompassing fear in both of the lovers' eyes as they scrambled to make it look like they hadn't been in the middle of fucking one another senseless. Rachel didn't even bother to get dressed; she just picked up her clothes, gathered them in her arms and ran straight into Finn's closet slamming the door behind her. He was scrambling with his boxers and accidentally put his arm through the neck hole of his t-shirt when Burt started pounding at the door.

"Finn?" He called, reaching for the door and finding it locked. "Finn, where is Rachel? Kurt texted me to say that she was home and I just heard a girl screaming. She's not in her room."

"Um, I don't know, Burt!" He called, the panic clear in his tone.

"Finn, is she in there with you?" He roared, jiggling the locked doorknob once more as the panic made Finn feel nauseous. "Open this door right this second!"

"OK, give me a minute!" He finally put his shirt on correctly and looked at the closet door once before sucking in a deep breath and opening the door. Burt entered immediately, a fire in his eyes as he stared around the room.

"Where is she, Finn?" He said evenly, but with a warning in his voice that Finn noticed immediately. He was practically frozen with fear, but choked out a response anyway.

"I don't know," he lied. "I haven't seen her since lunch."

"I heard a girl screaming," Burt said, his nostrils flaring. "A girl that sounded suspiciously like Rachel. She's been singing around this house for weeks, I know what her voice sounds like." He looked under Finn's bed and Finn couldn't keep his eyes off of the closet door. "I knew you two had been getting closer, I should have realized that you two couldn't be trusted alone together."

"I was watching porn!" He blurted out to both his and his step-father's surprise. Burt's eyebrows disappeared into the rim of his trademark baseball cap as he stared at Finn in shock. "Yeah, I was, um, watching porn. That was the noise you heard."

Burt looked like he didn't want to beleive him, but he also looked very awkward after Finn's confession and Finn had the impression that he wanted nothing more than to escape his step-son's room. He started to back out of it slowly, seemingly forgetting that Rachel was still nowhere to be found.

His mother chose that moment to come home and head upstairs, and she stood outside of Finn's room while Burt was trying to back out of it. She looked at her son and husband with questions dancing in her eyes.

"What's going on here, guys? Where is Rachel?" Oh no, not his mother too! How was he going to get Rachel dressed and out of his room now that his parents were home? Burt had bought his lie but his mother wasn't so easy to trick.

"Oomph!" A loud bang could be heard from inside of the closet as Finn's heart plummeted right into his stomach. Burt instantly went from looking awkward to furiously angry as he approached the closet and ripped the door open, revealing a half-naked Rachel clad in nothing but his letterman's jacket that was wrapped tightly around her midriff. Her creamy legs were naked and clearly visible as she struggled to remain balanced in the tight and crowded closet.

"Um," she said shyly as Finn, Burt and Carole stared at her. "Salut," she said with a little wave.

There was complete silence in the bedroom for a few short beats as Burt's face morphed from the palest white to the deepest of reds. There was an angry vein that was pulsing in his neck and for a second, Finn feared for his step-dad's heart.

"Carole!" He roared as Finn's world came crashing down around him. "Get me my shotgun!"

Merci mille fois, mes amis!

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