A/N: Hey guys! Here's the epilogue you've been waiting for! I hope you like it! If do, let me know! If you don't, let me know! Either way, please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome :)
Epilogue
Okay, so Finn freaked out a little the next night after Rachel had woken up. He found American Idol again while flipping through the channels.
"Your favorite show's on, Rach," Finn said with a small smile. "But this one's a rerun too."
Rachel looked up at the television and then looked back at Finn. "I don't like this show," Rachel said nonchalantly.
"Yes, you do. You make me watch it every week. I can probably even tell you these people's names!" Finn said.
Rachel looked back up at the television for a few seconds but then looked back at him. "For one, I've never seen this episode and secondly, I don't even like this show," she insisted.
"That's not funny, Rach," Finn said, getting impatient.
"What's not funny?" she asked in total confusion.
"You trying to pull the whole 'I have a head injury so now I have amnesia' thing. This isn't a soap opera and it's not funny," Finn said firmly.
Rachel looked at Finn right in the eyes. "I am not joking around, Finn. I do not like this show. Now please change the channel," she said. Finn looked at her and could tell that she was totally being serious.
"Okay. Sorry," he said quickly. He then changed the channel and found a football game. Instead of complaining like she usually did, Rachel just sat there and watched it. This scared the crap out of him so much that he ushered the doctor outside after he came to check on Rachel.
"This is very common, Finn," the doctor said patiently. "Her head injury was pretty extensive. I would have been shocked if she didn't have some memory problems."
"But she loves that show! And now she's swearing she doesn't! That doesn't freak you out a little?" Finn asked with a frown.
"Not really. As long as she remembers who she is and who everyone else is, I think we should be grateful and not worry quite so much," the doctor said. Finn nodded slowly and the doctor patted his hand on Finn's shoulder. "I'll have a nurse check on her a little bit later," the doctor said.
"Thanks," Finn said. He watched the doctor walk away and couldn't quite stop feeling just a little worried.
Later that night, while still freaking out, Finn just had to check to make sure she remembered one more thing.
"You're sure you love me, right Rach?" he asked from the chair next to her bed.
Rachel looked over at him and smiled widely. "Of course, Finn," she said. "I love you more than anything."
"Same here," Finn said with a grin.
-glee-glee-glee-
"I swear, I love her more than anything, but I can't stand a Rachel Berry on painkillers," Finn complained from his seat in the hallway. The nurse was in Rachel's room, giving her some more memory tests to see the extent of the damage.
Puck laughed from the seat next to Finn. He had just showed up while Finn was in the hallway. "Is she really that bad?" Puck asked with a smirk.
"Dude, you thought she talked a lot before. That's nothing compared to now," Finn said firmly.
"Well, I won't stay long then," Puck replied, chuckling. "Any luck getting a hold of her dads?"
"Nope," Finn said. He had to take a deep breath before his anger got the best of him. "My mom's already filled up their voicemail. She's pissed, dude. I've never seen her this mad. It's worse than that time we set off the fireworks in the house."
"When we were eleven or freshman year?" Puck asked.
"Freshman year," Finn said with his eyebrows raised.
"Damn. That one was worse than when we were eleven," Puck said, shaking his head slowly.
"I know," Finn said.
"She gets to go home tomorrow, right?" Puck asked.
"Yup. As long as her tests are still good," Finn said. "They said she can go to Sectionals to watch us perform but that's it."
"Who sits up here with her when you're practicing with us?" Puck asked.
"My mom," Finn answered. "Burt comes sometimes if he's not working late. She's usually alone when I'm at school or something, but I bring her work to her, so she stays busy."
"That's cool. Has she forgotten about anything else?" Puck asked. Finn had (of course) told him about the whole American Idol situation.
"Just little things here and there. The nurse says she's shaky with like historical facts and stuff like that, but even I don't know any of that crap," Finn said, making Puck laugh. "Aside from that, she's the same Rachel."
"We got lucky there," Puck said solemnly.
"Hell yeah we did," Finn agreed fervently.
Just then the door to Rachel's room opened and the nurse came out.
"She's all yours," the nurse said with a pleasant smile.
Finn and Puck both walked in the room to see an alert Rachel sitting up straight with a smile on her face. "Noah! It's so good to see you! How's practice been going? I can't wait to see you guys perform! I am still a little upset that I won't be able to participate, but you know I've got a broken leg and some stress factors in my knee, so dancing wouldn't really be possible. And I think it's a little late to have Artie teach me how to successfully maneuver a wheelchair. I mean, that one performance last year was difficult enough!" Rachel said at top speed.
Finn chuckled and looked over at Puck, whose jaw was ajar. How the hell could someone talk so fast?
"Told you so," Finn said with a smile.
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Finn was going to drive Rachel to her house, but his mom was off work and insisted on helping Rachel settle in. Finn had to wait in the hallway while his mom helped Rachel to get dressed in some clothes that she had picked up earlier. Then, he had to wait even longer for the nurse to explain all the memory tests that Rachel would need and the warning signs for all the things that could go wrong. Finn was kind of glad that he didn't get to listen to that, 'cause he knew he would totally become paranoid.
He had been waiting for a total of twenty three minutes according to the clock in the hallway when the door to Rachel's room opened back up. The nurse walked away and Finn walked back inside. His mom was sitting in his usual seat and Rachel was on the edge of her bed, holding two crutches.
"I have a feeling it won't be too easy getting around on these things," Rachel said worriedly.
"I'll help you figure it out, Rach. I've been on crutches plenty of times. It just takes some practice," Finn said.
Rachel smiled at him before jumping a little as her cell phone started ringing. She went to stand up to grab it off the side table, but Finn beat her to it.
"I've got it, babe," he said, grabbing the phone and handing it to her.
"Thanks, Finn," she said with a dazzling smile. She looked down at the phone and looked back up at Finn. "It's my dad," she said with a frown.
"It's about time!" Carole said from the recliner.
Rachel opened her phone and hit the green button. "Hello daddy," she said happily. "I'm doing alright… What took you so long to call?... We tried to get a hold of you… It's been more than a week, daddy… I'm coming home today, actually… No, Carole and Finn are taking me… I know I'm your daughter but we've already made plans… Well, you should have tried checking on me a week ago and you would have known… I'm not arguing right now, daddy… I'll see you when I get home… Love you," she said before frowning.
"He hung up without even saying 'I love you'," she said, pouting.
"I'm sorry, Rach," Finn said, taking a seat next to her. "Is he mad or something?"
"I think mad is an understatement. He's very upset that he's just now finding out about this," Rachel said, playing with her phone awkwardly.
"Really?" Finn said, getting angry. "We've been trying to call them since the accident and couldn't get a hold of them! And they want to blame us on not getting a hold of them?"
"Finn, calm down, honey," Carole said quietly. "Let's not upset Rachel."
"It's fine, Carole. Finn's right," Rachel said. "It's no one's fault but their own that they didn't know about it. Or didn't seem to care, really…"
"Sweetie, I'm sure they care," Carole said, only to be interrupted by Finn.
"Are you sure about that, mom?" Finn asked angrily. "Have you ever ran into them at one of our Glee club performances? Or how about Rachel's recitals? Hell, I barely even see them at her house!"
"Finn," Carole said warningly.
"Once again, Finn's right," Rachel said from the bed. "At least I have the two of you with me here today. And Burt and Kurt and Noah and the rest of the Glee club. I might not have a mother or the most attentive fathers in the world, but at least I have all of you."
Finn reached over and kissed Rachel on the top of her head, being careful not to hit her stitches. Her head was no longer wrapped in gauze, which Rachel was glad for, but it was rather difficult to brush her hair and not hit the stitches.
-glee-glee-glee-
The ride back to Rachel's house was slightly awkward. But that was because Finn and Rachel were both nervous as to how Rachel's fathers would react. One of her dads was very upset and she was a little worried about him yelling and Finn losing his temper.
Carole was following behind them in her car. Rachel asked her to come to try and calm everyone down in case they got upset. Finn referred to her as the "referee" which made Rachel giggle.
Her fathers' cars were in the driveway when they pulled up. Rachel was a little nervous; she could tell that things weren't going to go well.
"I'll get your crutches," Finn said before climbing out of the driver's seat. He went around to Rachel's side and grabbed the crutches out of the back of the truck before opening Rachel's door and holding them out for her.
"Thanks, Finn," Rachel said with a smile. "You're the sweetest."
"Anytime, babe," he said, returning the smile. By the time Rachel was steady on the crutches, Carole was already behind them and ready to follow them inside.
"Let's get this over with," Rachel said, sounding worried. Finn put a hand on her lower back to steady her as she walked toward the door. Her bright pink cast was already filled with signatures, but it was times like this that she was annoyed by it. Walking on crutches was not fun or easy.
Her armpits were already aching by the time Finn opened the front door and ushered her inside. She almost tripped over the threshold, but Finn was there to keep her from falling. She looked up at him gratefully before the sound of footsteps caught her attention.
She looked up just as her fathers came running into the living room.
"Rachel! Baby girl!" they both shouted at the same time.
"Hi dads," Rachel said quietly.
"Tell us exactly what happened, sweetie," Hiram said, leading her to the couch.
"You would know if you answered your phones," Finn said, glaring at them.
"Excuse me?" LeRoy (the angrier of the two) shouted.
"I would really appreciate it if you didn't shout at my son," Carole said calmly from the front door.
"Plus, he's right, daddy," Rachel said.
"What do you mean, young lady?" LeRoy shouted at her.
"They've been trying to get a hold of you for over a week, daddy. You rarely call to check up on me and when you are home, you're working," Rachel explained evenly.
"If you're trying to imply something…" Hiram said, sounding like was getting angry too.
"We definitely are," Finn said. "You're not good parents. My mom's been to more of Rachel's performances than either of you two have!"
LeRoy stomped over to Finn and put a finger in his face. "You will watch your tone in my house," he said angrily.
"Step away from my son, LeRoy," Carole said firmly.
"You need to tell him to stay out of this!" LeRoy said to Carole.
"No, I won't. This is about Rachel and as far as I'm concerned, Finn shows that he cares more about Rachel than either of you do!" Carole shouted.
"Get out!" LeRoy shouted. "Both of you! Leave!"
"You're not kicking them out daddy! They're right and if you make them leave, I'm going with them," Rachel said, standing up to her full height (which wasn't much).
"Fine then! If you think we don't care about you then go! Pack your things and get out you ungrateful little brat!" LeRoy shouted. Rachel's face crumpled and she started crying. If LeRoy was some random football player, Finn would have totally punched him in the face for making Rachel cry.
"I don't have anything to be grateful for," Rachel said quietly. "I don't have a mother and my dads aren't there for me even after I almost died. I'll come back and get my things tomorrow or the next day when the two of you are at work."
Rachel carefully turned and faced Finn and Carole. "Can we go now?" she asked with the saddest expression both Finn and Carole had ever seen.
"Of course, sweetie," Carole said sweetly.
Finn walked up to Rachel and put his hand on her lower back again before leading her to the door. Rachel didn't look back.
"I think it goes without saying that you'll be staying with us now," Carole said. "We have a spare bedroom that you're more than welcome to have."
"Thank you," Rachel said quietly as they all walked to Finn's truck.
"And Sectionals is tomorrow night," Finn said. "Maybe Burt can come with us to get your stuff afterwards. And Puck, too."
"That would be lovely," Rachel said quietly. Finn helped her get into the truck and put the crutches in the back. He met his mom at the back of his truck.
"You were pretty badass in there, mom," Finn said with a smirk, making Carole laugh.
"I'm very proud of you for sticking up for Rachel like that," Carole said. Finn shrugged.
"I promised her I'd stick up for her more. Why not start with doing it to her scary dads?" Carole laughed again.
"Let's hurry up and get her settled. She's probably upset," Carole said. Finn nodded before heading around to the driver's side door.
Rachel was quiet most of the way to his (or was it their?) house. Finn didn't really want to bring up the argument again even though he knew his mom would have to tell Burt what was going on. She couldn't just have Rachel move in with them and not explain anything.
"I lied in there, you know," Rachel said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Finn asked.
"I said that I didn't have anything to be grateful for, but that isn't true. I'm so grateful for you and your family. I only said that to have a dramatic exit," Rachel said, shrugging.
"I know what you meant," Finn said with a smile. "And don't worry. Everything will work out."
"It will be kind of fun living together, won't it?" Rachel said with a small smile.
"Totally," Finn said enthusiastically.
-glee-glee-glee-
Finn and Rachel sat on the couch awkwardly as Carole and Burt sat in the kitchen, talking about the situation.
"Do you think they know we can hear everything?" Finn whispered to Rachel, making her giggle. It's true, though. Finn and Rachel could hear everything Burt and Carole were saying. Burt was pretty pissed at Rachel's dads too and was glad that Carole and Finn had said what they did.
Finn watched as Rachel leaned her head against the back of the couch. "You okay, Rach?" Finn asked.
"I have a headache," Rachel said, sounding tired. Without even thinking, Finn jumped up off the couch and ran into the kitchen to get his mom. Rachel stared after him in confusion.
"Mom, Rachel has a headache!" Finn said, sounding panicked. Carole looked up at him in confusion.
"And since when is a headache an emergency, sweetie?" Carole asked.
"I didn't know if that meant her brain was swelling again or something," Finn said quietly, sounding embarrassed. Carole and Burt laughed as Carole got up from the table. She walked over to Finn and placed a hand gently on his cheek.
"You're the sweetest," she said with a smile. "I'll give Rachel one of her pain pills and I'm sure she'll be fine. And don't worry, they lowered her dosage so she won't be quite as loopy this time around," his mom said with a wink, making Finn smile. She then walked into the living room with Rachel.
"Are you okay with Rachel moving in?" Finn asked Burt.
"Of course," Burt said. "She needs someone to keep an eye on her anyway. She can't just be home alone all the time."
Finn smiled at Burt. "Thanks," he said firmly.
"No problem, kid," Burt said. "But this doesn't give you a free pass to fool around or anything!"
"I don't mean to sound, like, perverted or anything, but it would be kind of hard to do stuff while she's got a huge cast on her leg," Finn said quietly, looking at the ground. "Plus the doctor said something about staying away from vigorous activity for a few weeks."
Finn looked up in time to see Burt smile widely. "Guess there's nothing to worry about," Burt said with a chuckle.
Kurt got home a little while later and was ecstatic that Rachel was moving in with them. He was really sorry to hear about her dads, but agreed that she shouldn't be living on her own, especially at a time like this.
-glee-glee-glee-
Rachel went with the rest of the Glee club on the bus to Sectionals the next day. She couldn't climb on the bus with her crutches, so Finn had to carry her piggyback, which made her laugh pretty hard.
She then sat next to Mr. Schu backstage and watched them perform. She was in tears while Quinn and Sam led "I've Had the Time of My Life". Finn looked at her throughout the performance and sang to her, making her smile. And Rachel couldn't help but wiggle a little in her chair while Santana led "Valerie". It literally hurt that she wasn't performing with them, but Rachel was so proud of how hard they worked.
She stood on stage with them while the winners were announced. Finn was next to her with his hand on her lower back. When they announced that New Directions had won, Rachel jumped up and down as best as she could with one functioning leg.
"I am so proud of you," Rachel gushed when a super excited Finn pulled her in for a hug. He let go of her before bringing his lips to hers.
"I love you so much," he said when they pulled apart. Rachel had tears of happiness in her eyes when she said "I love you too".
-glee-glee-glee-
Rachel's dad's weren't home when her, Finn, Puck, Burt, and Carole went to her house to pack her things, but none of them were surprised. Her fathers hadn't even called or anything since their argument yesterday.
Finn carried her upstairs while Burt and Puck carried in the empty boxes with Carole following behind. They made her sit on the bed while they packed up everything, leaving Rachel to just shout to them what she wanted and what could be left behind.
An hour and a half later, all of Rachel's things were packed away. Finn carried her downstairs before helping Burt and Puck carry down the boxes.
Rachel felt a few tears fall down her cheeks as she walked out of her home for the last time.
Finn and Carole helped her to put her things away in her new room while Puck and Burt sat in the living room watching ESPN. Once again, Carole and Finn wouldn't let her do anything "too physical", so Rachel mostly sat there bored the entire time. Rachel was entertained by Finn's reaction to his mother putting away Rachel's underwear. Rachel could tell that he wanted to look but was afraid of his mom catching him looking. She was both embarrassed and a little flattered.
Around nine o'clock, Rachel's things were all in their new spots. She fervently thanked Carole and Finn for their help and even talked Finn into carrying her back down the stairs to thank Burt and Puck again.
Kurt was out with Mercedes, but Rachel knew that when he got back he would be in her closet, scolding her for her lack of fashion sense.
After a dinner that mostly consisted of fruit (the Hudson-Hummels didn't have many vegan friendly options), Finn helped Rachel back upstairs.
"Are you going to sneak in like you did last night?" Rachel asked Finn as she sat down on her bed.
"As long as you wake me up at five again so that my mom and Burt don't catch me in here," Finn said with a smirk.
"Sounds like a plan," Rachel said with a smile.
Finn grabbed some pajamas for her and left her to get dressed. After she was done, he helped her into the bathroom so that she could complete her daily nighttime regimen.
"You almost take as long as Kurt," Finn complained with a smile as he helped her back into her room.
"Beauty takes time, Finn," Rachel said serenely. "Clear skin like I have is quite the chore."
"I believe you," Finn said, chuckling.
Rachel climbed into bed and Finn kissed her goodnight.
"See you in an hour or two," Rachel said with a smile.
"I'm looking forward to it," Finn replied. "Love you."
"I love you, too," Rachel said happily.
Sure enough, an hour and twenty six minutes later, Finn quietly snuck into Rachel's room.
"Hey, baby," Finn said as he climbed into the bed.
"Hi," Rachel said sleepily. Finn laid on his back and Rachel laid on his chest. She felt his arm wrap around her midsection, making her smile. "My alarm's already set for five."
Finn chuckled quietly before kissing her on the head. "Perfect," he said quietly.
-glee-glee-glee-
Rachel was pretty happy when she returned to school the following Monday. For one, Finn was right at her side, helping her get from class to class. He also stood up for her when Santana called her "RuPaul", which made Rachel feel so loved. The most touching part of all was when he stepped in the way and took a slushie for Rachel.
"You really didn't have to do that, Finn," Rachel said as she tried to balance on one leg and clean Finn's hair in the sink at the same time.
"Of course I did," Finn said. "You're my girlfriend and I love you. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you."
Rachel smiled widely before surprising him with a kiss. "I love you, too," she said firmly. "And when this cast is off, I'll be sure to show you how grateful I am for everything you've done for me."
Finn's eyes popped open again. "Really?"
"Really," Rachel said. "There's has to be a reason why I survived that accident, Finn. I'm starting to think the universe was telling me to stop being stupid and just love you as much as I can."
"The universe isn't very subtle," Finn said with a smirk.
Rachel laughed before reaching back down and kissing Finn again.
THE END
-glee-glee-glee-
A/N: Thanks for reading, guys. I really hope this epilogue is everything you were hoping for! If it wasn't, let me know what I should have done differently! But I really hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.