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

Chapter Twenty: A Week in Paris

They spent a long time laying down on the bed together in her pastel colored bedroom on the fourth floor of 47 rue de Rivoli, reconnecting after a whole month of being away from one another. They kissed, they touched; they didn't go too far because of her fathers downstairs in the bakery, but they knew that they would eventually have the time to do that soon. Right now they simply held one another, talking and catching up while Finn apologized profusely. He wasn't going to mess their relationship up again, which he told her so repeatedly.

"I'll do anything, Rachel, just name it. I don't care what I have to do, I'm going to make this up to you somehow, I swear." She gazed at him from across the bed, her fingers reaching out to find his and intertwining them.

"'Ze only thing I want is for you to not give up hope again," she said earnestly. "You're so great, Finn, and all I want is for you to realize 'zat for yourself." He shook his head, squeezing her fingers tighter.

"I'll try, Rachel, but I don't know how," he admitted in a whisper.

"What do you want to do when we get to New York?" She asked sweetly, and he found himself lost in thought as he went through his limited options. Right now, his only solace was the fact that she still wanted him to go to New York with her after how badly he'd messed thing up between them. One thing was certain though; he was going to do everything in his power to keep his latest promise to her. He wasn't going to give up hope again. He wasn't going to let his insecurities rule his life anymore.

"I want to go to school," he said slowly. "And play music, and be with you."

She laughed brightly. "Bonne idée!"

"And I want to start a band," he continued, getting lost in his thoughts. "Maybe, if I have the time."

"That sounds formidable!"

"We're going to need a lot of money though," he admitted. "I should probably get a job until I can start going to school. Fix cars on the side or something."

"Money isn't a problem for ma famille, Feen, so don't worry about 'zat. Whatever you choose, I will be 'zere with you," she said, and he couldn't resist pulling her in for a grateful kiss, her lips both sweet and soft under his light pressure. After all this time and everything he had put her through she was still supporting him and trusting him with their future together. He couldn't mess this up. He had to keep his latest promise to her and not give up on himself again. He owed her that much and more.

"There's only one thing we have to do now," he said, sitting up in bed and pulling her up with him as well.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" She asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"We have to go talk to your dads."

Finn Hudson was used to being in the presence of intimidating fathers. He loved Burt like the dad he'd never had, but he was still a strict authoritarian that Finn respected and slightly feared. That feeling was both intensified and doubled as he stood in front of two intimidating French fathers who couldn't understand him and perceived him as a threat to their precious family. Finn sat on the couch next to Rachel after they'd returned home from a long days work, staring him down before Rachel had them sit opposite of them on their dining room chairs.

It was a tense minute before anyone spoke, but Rachel eventually started the conversation in her native tongue, easing her parents into the situation.

They did not look happy, but they waited for their daughter to finish before turning their attention towards Finn, who had something he needed to say to them. Rachel served as his translator.

"Mr and Mr Beri, your daughter is a star," he said, and Rachel blushed as she translated. "I'm not joking and I'm not just saying it to get on your good sides. She has the best voice I've ever heard in my life. Her skills and talents amaze everyone she meets. She's going to be famous one day, I know it in my heart." His girlfriend looked thrilled as she continued to translate his praise to her fathers, and Finn took a deep breath before continuing

"But she can't be a star here in France. I'm not going to sit here and tell you what your daughter wants because you know her better than anyone. You know that she's amazing, and you know that she has to move to the US in order to pursue her career."

Her fathers continued to glare at him, but a certain softness entered their gaze as Rachel continued to translate his heartfelt and honest words. They knew that he was speaking the truth, and Rachel's talent was something that transcended any language barrier that existed between them.

The shorter, dark-skinned one spoke first, and Finn was shocked when broken English escaped his lips. "Our Rachel, she eez star."

"I know that, sir. But she wants the entire world to know that, too."

"She go to school in New York. Ça suffit." Rachel shook her head.

"He said that school in New York should be enough for me."

"But it's not," was Finn's instant response. "When Rachel lived with us she became an important member of our high school's glee club, and we need her to be with us in order to win Nationals this year." He took a deep breath, hoping they didn't have another shotgun hidden somewhere in the house. "I want her to come back to the United States with me at the end of the week and finish the rest of the school year in Ohio. My parents will let her stay in her old room, and if you don't want her to then I'm sure we can ask one of the girls to let her stay with them." Rachel translated in a rush and there was a harsh outcry from both parents, who didn't look too happy with the idea.

"Mais non!"

"Vous ne pouvez pas voler notre fille!" Finn didn't know what was being said, but Rachel suddenly let out a burst of laughter that made her practically shake from the effort.

"What is it, babe?" Finn asked, worried at her swift change in attitude.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est, ma chérie?" Her fathers were confused too.

"'Zey think you are trying to steal me away from them," she sighed after calming down. "Let me talk to them now. They cannot say no to me." Patting Finn on the knee, he was more than happy to allow Rachel the chance to speak for herself as she faced her fathers and began to defend herself.

The conversation was short, but it involved many tears and hugs and glares shot at Finn from across the room. It was only after Rachel had convinced them that she wasn't being kidnapped by her American boyfriend when they started to soften up towards him. By the time the conversation was over, her parents had opened up a vintage bottle of red wine and even poured Finn a glass as they toasted to Rachel's future in the United States. They were going to call her school and arrange the visa themselves.

She had received her father's blessing. She really was going to come back home with him.

"C'est un pinot noir, un bon age," her father, Hiram, said to Finn after the toast. He must have noticed that Finn didn't actually drink the wine afterwards. He'd never had wine before, but it made his mom go nuts."You taste."

"Um, I'm not allowed to drink until I'm 21." He said shyly, intimidated by the blood red drink in his hands.

"Taste! Taste!" He urged, and Finn shrugged his shoulders before sipping the wine. It had a sharp, bitter flavor that burned on the way down, but it wasn't terrible. It kind of tasted like a glass of spiked grape juice. He forced a smile when the aftertaste made him wince, and that seemed to placate her tall, bespectacled father, who seemed to know less English than his husband did.

"Ma Rachel," he said. "She love you."

"I know," he said genuinely. "I love her too."

"Protect her," he said, his tone serious. "En New York."

"I will," he said just as seriously, the two men connecting on a deeper level than words could describe. Her fathers were trusting him to look after her in New York, but it meant more than just protection. He was being trusted to guide her through a foreign city while helping her achieve all of her goals and dreams. He couldn't fail at this task. Her fathers were telling him to step up and be a man that was worthy of their daughter, and he wanted nothing more than to prove to them that he deserved her.

He wanted to prove to himself that he deserved her.

With a strong pat on the shoulders, her father kissed Finn on the cheek once, and then repeated the action on the other side of his face. Finn froze for a moment at the proximity, but smiled brightly after Hiram loudly proclaimed, "Bienvenue a notre famille!"

Finn was ecstatic that he had her father's approval, but that didn't necessarily mean that he could sleep under the same roof as Rachel like he did back home. He woke up the next morning on a sofa in the living room of Jesse's apartment, which was about four blocks away from Rachel's bakery. The Frenchman was not thrilled that he had to house an American for a week but he grit his teeth and accepted the task of giving Finn lodging for the remainder of his stay. He only spoke a little bit of English and most of it Finn could barely understand. Finn had definitely been taking Rachel's language skills for granted as he struggled to communicate with the Baker's apprentice in his own house.

Jesse just glared at Finn until he shut up and didn't say a single thing to him all night.

Finn kind of preferred it that way.

"Lève ton cul!" Jesse screamed throughout the apartment, throwing a damp towel at Finn's head as he moaned loudly. Finn peeked out of the large double windows and the sun hadn't even risen yet. "Il faut que je travaille aujourd'hui."

"I don't know what you're saying," Finn groaned, placing the pillow over his head while Jesse continued to curse and yell in French. At least, Finn assumed he was cursing.

"Lazy Américain!" He roared, pulling the pillow off of his head and throwing it across the room. Finn sat up and shot Jesse an evil glare.

"I'm not lazy," he grumbled, getting up and slipping on his pants and shirt. Alright, maybe he was kind of lazy, but he didn't need some snotty French guy telling him that.

"Come. I work." Jesse demanded a few minutes later, completely dressed and ready to start his day. Finn could only assume that bakers started working really early as he followed Jesse towards the bakery and Rachel's apartment in the darkness of the early morning.

They walked in silence, Finn distancing himself a few steps behind Jesse as they made their way through the darkened streets. Paris still managed to look pretty in the dark; numerous lights were attached to the sides of the building and lit up the various attractions on the streets, highlighting the intricate architecture without the need for sunlight.

He was so in awe of his surroundings that he didn't even notice Jesse stop at the corner, and he accidentally plowed right into the baker's apprentice, causing them both to stumble as a Parisian bus whizzed by.

"Fait attention quand tu marches! T'es nul."He spit, venom in his tone. Finn didn't know what he was saying but it couldn't have been good.

"I'm sorry," he shrugged, pointing at the buildings. "There's just so much to see. I got distracted."

Jesse shook his head as the two men continued down the road. "Il faut apprendre le français, Mec."

"Huh?"

Jesse sighed, throwing his hands in the air. "Learn French, stupide! You love Rachel? 'Zen learn 'ze language!" Turning around, Jesse continued his trek toward the bakery in silence while Finn contemplated his words. He really should learn French, for real this time. Sure, he knew a couple of choice phrases, but that hadn't gotten him very far in Paris when he'd arrived. In fact, he could barely talk to her fathers, and if he was going to be protecting their daughter from the dangers of America, he might as well learn her language so he could report back to them. Rachel would be thrilled at his effort and it would take some of the burden off of her when it came to communication.

When the two boys arrived at the bakery the smell of pastries were already wafting through the air. They both entered and Finn followed Jesse into the back room, where Rachel and her fathers were slaving over a tray of freshly baked pastries, the heavenly scent making Finn's mouth water.

"Bonjour!" Rachel said brightly to Finn, bypassing Jesse completely and placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. Finn watched Jesse scowl from the corner of his eye and could practically feel the jealousy radiating off of him from across the room. He began to busy himself with a large bowl of melted fudge when Rachel pulled Finn out of the baking area and onto the sales floor.

"Did you have a nice night?" Rachel asked sweetly with half of her body smeared with flour. He brushed some of it off of her shoulder and laughed when it rose off of her in a puff of smoke.

"Yeah, I was kind of scared that Jesse would try to murder me in my sleep, though." They shared a laugh together and he sighed. "He definitely doesn't like me."

"How can you tell?" She asked, mischief in her eyes.

"He yelled at me a lot. Called me a 'lazy American' and some other words in French that I think were curses." He tried his best to repeat what Jesse had said and Rachel looked shocked.

"I cannot believe he said 'zose things to you!" She said, her hands on her hips. "He is just jealous." She dropped her voice down to a whisper. "My fathers know 'zat I don't want to own la pâtisserie.They hired Jesse to take over for 'zem when they retire, but I think Jesse assumed 'zat I would be included in the deal."

His eyebrows raised in shock. "Well, you slept with him, right?" He asked, his heart aching at the thought of Rachel with anyone else, let alone the little French bastard in the kitchen.

"Oui, mais c'etait rien. It meant nothing to me." She reached out her and and clasped it around his. "You do not have to worry. Jesse is nothing but a friend. I will talk to him."

"You really don't have to. I am kind of messing around with his space. He has a right to be angry."

"Oui, but you are my boyfriend. My fathers consider him a part of 'ze family too, just like you are now. It is something he must accept."

Words could never express how grateful he was to have her in his life. She had the magical ability to make everything better, and always knew exactly what to say to him. "I love you so much," he said, shaking his head in wonder.

"I love you too," she said brightly. "And after we eat some of these," she pointed to a large tray of freshly baked pastries that he recognized as the famous hero pastries that he'd loved. "I can show you all that Paris has to offer." He reached over and grabbed a bunch of them in his hands, already stuffing them into his mouth before she could even finish speaking. They melted on his tongue and the buttery flavor made him close his eyes in bliss. In fact, he was so lost in the delicious flavor, he didn't even care that he was talking with his mouth full as he responded.

"Shounds like uh plahn."

She took him everywhere. Street by street Rachel dragged Finn through Paris, stopping at every corner to point out some important fact, or detail or historical account that once took place there. She pointed at the buildings and explained to Finn their significance; what King had it commissioned, who lived there, who died there. She ticked off the names of all the bridges that traversed the Seine and why they were so important. They rode the Metro until Finn could memorize all the stops and lines that could get him back to rue de Rivoli, in case he got lost without her.

But the best part of touring Paris with Rachel was seeing her in her element. Paris was her home, and she knew it's history better than any teacher that he'd ever had at school. The historical facts flew out of her mouth with precision and certainty as they continued their massive tour of the city. It took almost four whole days to see all of the major sites and Finn was beyond exhausted. The only thing keeping him going was Rachel's contagious enthusiasm, which only grew stronger with every landmark they saw. By the end of the week Finn could barely walk on his blistered feet, and he was sure that he could name all the French Impressionist painters featured at the Musée d'Orsay by heart.

"How do you know all of this stuff, anyway?" Finn asked on Friday evening, after a whole day of touring through the Left Bank. They still had some time before her dads closed the shop and joined them for dinner on their last night in Paris, so they were enjoying their time alone on her small but comfortable bed.

"'Zey teach it all in school. I have been going to 'zese museums since I was five years old."

"That's cool. They don't care about history as much in the States as they do here. I guess it's cause France is, like, super old and important and stuff."

"Oui, America is like a baby country compared to France. 'Ze history goes back for thousands of years!" She opened her arms up wide to elaborate, and she laughed as he pulled her on top of him and hugged her, taking advantage of her open arms.

"Can I ask you something?" He said, staring up at her and the perfect white beret that was adorning her head. "Why do you wear that beret everywhere? I've been in France all week and the only people that I see wearing them are tourists."

She was quiet for a moment, nodding her head slightly before she started to explain. "It was my mother's. 'Ze woman who carried me. She was an American, studying theater in Paris when she answered 'ze ad in 'ze paper for mes papas." She sighed deeply. "'Zis is 'ze only souvenir I have of her."

He reached up to cup her face gently, brushing his thumb along the span of her jaw before letting it rest on her lower lip. Slowly, he leaned towards her and replaced his thumb with his lips, kissing her softly as she sighed blissfully against his mouth.

"I had no idea. I'm sorry."

"It is not very important, but it was hers and I like it," she frowned and he wished that he could kiss her sadness away. "Everyone here at school tortures me about it, but everyone in Ohio thought it was cute." She took it off, placing it next to her bed as she continued to talk about it and how the other kids at school used to tease her and call her a tourist, but a random thought suddenly entered Finn's mind and dug itself somewhere deep in his brain. So deep that he was unable to shake it off.

"Rachel, you said your birth mother was an American?"

"Oui, she was born in Kansas, I think."

"Well, doesn't that mean that you can get citizenship in the country if one of your parents is an American?" Her brow furrowed, deep in thought as she contemplated what Finn just said.

"I do not know if it works like 'zat," she said, unsure of herself before she looked up at Finn with determination in her eyes. "But we can always try. Do research when we get back."

"Yeah we can," he encouraged. "And if it doesn't work then you still have your visas for the time being." He dropped the volume of his voice, whispering to her as she straddled his lap "And when those run out after college, we still have the ring."

"Oui," she said, her eyes shining with excitement. "I like this plan."

"Me too," he replied, the urge to close the distance between them and kis her growing too strong to ignore. He pulled her down until she was flush against him and captured her lips in his, her sweet breath caressing his cheek as she pulled back to gasp for air. He took this opportunity to attach his lips to her neck, sucking and nipping at the skin as his hands started to roam over her body. Her skin was smooth like silk and as fragrant as flowers as he dipped his hands below her skirt, cupping her ass lightly and causing her to man and buck up against him. The delicious friction made him tingle as he grew lightheaded; all the blood in his body rushing south to where his need was the strongest.

"Feen," she moaned, dragging her nails down his chest until she hit his belt and the lip of his pants. She curled her fingers into the belt loops and continued to grind against his crotch; he held her steadily by the hips and continued to rock against her until stars entered his vision.

"Rachel," he said, his voice gritty and raw. "What time does the bakery close?"

"Dix-neuf heures," she replied in a daze. "Seven." He checked his watch, grinning when he saw that they had time to spare.

"Come here, baby," he cooed, pulling her off of him and laying her to his side. She curled up against him, their hands still roaming and touching after their lips found one another's once more.

Their clothes came off piece by piece as the sun began to set over the horizon outside of Rachel's large windows, the sunlight draping the young lovers in an incandescent glow as they tried to make up for lost time. Finn took a breast in each hand, feeling their weight and rolling her pert nipple in-between his fingers as she closed her eyes in bliss. When she curled her hand around his length he sucked in a sharp hiss as the pleasure threatened to overwhelm him, and she made stars enter his vision when she started to slowly pump him up and down.

He gently removed her hand, not wanting their time to be over so quickly. He told her to lay back and he shifted his body until he was looking down at the perfection below him. She stared up at him, her eyes glossy and dazed as he pushed apart her knees and cupped her in-between the legs. Her mouth opened in a silent cry when he slowly slipped a digit inside of her, followed by another, and her breathing sped up as he curled his fingers inside of her.

Withing minutes he had her purring under his touch, her body shuddering with release as he pumped his fingers inside of her and felt her slick heat. When her body went limp and boneless underneath him he looked up to see the joy in her gaze and the love that was radiating from her petite frame.

No words needed to be said after she procured a condom from her nightstand. Their eyes were locked together as their bodies became one, and in that one moment their bodies were as connected as their souls were. They were tethered together for life; whether it was 5 miles or 5,000 they would never lose the connection that had brought them together, and Finn knew it in his heart that she felt the same as she held onto his tightly. Her nails were digging into his back as he pumped into her, and he held on as long as he could as they both tried to reach the ecstatic heights together. Her body felt so soft beneath his, so slick and warm and perfect that he lost himself in her. After a few more pumps he was riding the waves of release, and he was thrilled to hear Rachel falling apart beneath him as well.

They were sweaty and spent by the time Finn pulled out and rolled over next to Rachel. Their breathing was deep and heavy and the air in the room was hot and stale. She quickly bounced up out of bed and opened the large windows leading out to the street below quickly hopping back into bed and curling into Finn's side and nuzzling against him.

"I missed that," she said shyly, a light blush highlighting her cheeks.

"Me too," he said, nudging her playfully on the side. "But I missed you more." She cupped his face tenderly, looking into his eyes and keeping him hypnotized in her gaze.

"My sweet American boy," she said, her voice full of affection.

"My beautiful French girl," he repeated, making his own changes.

"Merci, Feen," she said dreamily, still staring into his eyes. He shook his head, confused.

"For what?"

"For coming to Paris to get me," she said. "For believing in me and my talent."

"Of course, baby," he said, kissing her deeply. Her parents had arranged the transfer with her school and her visa was cleared by the government. By tomorrow night they would be back in the States. "Paris is a great city, but New York is our future."

"Oui, I will miss Paris," she admitted, glancing out of he window at the world she knew and loved. When she turned back to look at Finn, however, there was nothing but pure love shining in her eyes. "But wherever I am with you, Feen, 'zat is where I am truly home."

Merci mille fois, mes amis!

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