In ten hours, they would be in New York. Finn was driving the first leg so that Rachel, who knew the streets, could get them home. She idly watched the fields as they left Lima, and thought about the day before.
Her dads, of course, were glad to see her, and wanted to talk about who they met at the Tony Awards (Neil Patrick Harris! Nathan Lane!). They saved the best for last.
"We met Patty Lupone!" her Daddy said, his eyes wide. "I mentioned that you had met her at Sardi's when you were in high school, and she actually remembered!"
Rachel was in shock.
"And what did she say?"
Hiram looked like he could burst.
"She first asked me if the man you mentioned in your acceptance speech was the same young man that was with you at Sardi's. When I said yes, she replied, 'Well then, tell Rachel I'm glad that she took my advice.' Then she winked and said she'd seen your show three times."
Rachel loved how the Broadway community treated her parents. They deserved all of it, she thought. They were eccentric, sweet and she adored them. She reminded them to consider retiring early and moving to New York, so they could all live the dream together, just as they had chased it together. Her Dad gave her an enigmatic smile, and said they were "thinking about it."
They told her how happy they were for her and Finn (even though she knew how much they had loved Tom), and that they were looking forward to the party that night.
She spent some time alone in her room to get ready. In her closet, the white garment box was still there on the shelf, patiently waiting. She ran her fingers over it, remembering how the dress felt, and the look it garnered from him. But there were other memories too, of wanting to destroy it-and the ring- after the breakup. They made her wince. She was glad something prevented her from going ahead with it. At the time she cursed herself for being weak, for not having the strength to finally burn that last bridge to him, and make the pain stop. But magic must have been afoot, even then. A smile came over her face. The dress and ring were still a bridge, yes, but not just to him. They were also a bridge to that time, to their innocence. A reminder of how it was almost ripped from them. In Casablanca, Ilse Lund put her blue dress away when the Germans marched into Paris, vowing to take it out again only when they marched out. Rachel would take her wedding gown out again, but not before she and Finn were fully settled in their life together in New York. It would be the perfect metaphor for their reunion. And metaphors were important.
She laid out a simple blue dress on her bed, in Ilse Lund's honor, and, before taking her shower, looked again into the closet.
"Hang in there," she murmured, and closed the door.
The party was a low-key affair, with Rachel's dads, Will and Emma Schuester, and Puck and his wife Sarah joining them. Finn looked somewhat uncomfortable at first, but warmed up after a couple of glasses of champagne. Burt gave a speech, saying how this was the happiest speech he had given as a US Congressman, welcoming his stepson back, and toasting his health. Rachel had insisted to Carole that any celebration of her award come last, and her request was honored. Will stood and toasted her Tony award, saying she had made them all proud, and then everyone simply enjoyed each other's company.
"What about Kurt?" Will asked, and Rachel explained the New York contingent was planning further celebrations when they got there. Will took Rachel aside at one point and hugged her.
"I felt so bad for you at the train platform," he said, "But Finn's decision was the right one I think. Emma and I are overjoyed that Finn is back intact, that you have achieved so much, and most of all…" He kissed her on the forehead, "…We are so happy for you and Finn reuniting." He called Finn over and asked them if they would be interested in in giving a master class in show choir to New Directions when school started. Rachel's heart warmed to see Finn nod enthusiastically, then get into a deep conversation about using Dylan.
Puck and Sarah came over to her.
"Berry! Congrats on the Tony, and for dragging Finn's sorry ass back to us."
Rachel laughed. He owned a hardware (and pool supply) store in Lima, but visited New York regularly with Sarah, a teacher. She bore a remarkable resemblance to Quinn.
"Thanks, Noah. I'm glad I found him, too."
Sarah hugged her tightly.
"Good luck, Rachel," she whispered, "Both of you deserve to be together, after all of this."
As she stared out the car window, Rachel thought about Sarah's remark, and karma.
"Do we deserve to be this happy?" she asked Finn.
His response was immediate, and wise.
"Why wouldn't we deserve it?"
That, of course, was the more pertinent question. She couldn't think of a single reason.
"Why did you bring that up?" Finn gave her a curious glance. She didn't know, really. Perhaps, in the back of her mind, she was afraid there was something that would tear them apart again.
"Well, we've almost been married twice. Most people would take that as a sign."
Finn snorted.
"Most people wouldn't have come searching for me after winning a Tony. You know, Rachel, most people would have called that an act of epic love."
He smiled, knowing what that term meant to her, and how it must have hurt to use it after what he did, but he wanted his Rachel to understand that her love for him had always been epic, and that, most likely when they got to New York and the press welcomed her back, it had the potential for becoming a legend. To be part of her legend didn't bother him in the least; he had been to hell, the hell of loving her so much that he had to let her go, the hell of watching comrades die to save him, and had dwelt in its awful twilight for far too long to be frightened by something like the showbiz press. He wanted the world to fall at her feet, to be as mind-spinningly in love with her talent as he was, and had been, since the moment he first heard her sing. He wanted to spend the rest of his life loving Rachel's soul, which had believed in him, with unswerving conviction, from the very beginning.
"Jesse was right about something, baby," he said with a wink, "You deserve epic romance in return."
"I'd settle for just being able to sleep with you for the rest of my life," she replied, happily.
"Done," he said, then suddenly had an incredible idea.
"What are you thinking?" Rachel asked, seeing his visage split suddenly by a goofy grin.
He gave her a mysterious look.
"You'll have to wait and see," he said, then laughed as she pouted.
They stopped for coffee in Pennsylvania, three hours outside of New York City. They drank it outside, sitting together on a bench, leaning into each other. A few years later, a photographer for the New York Post would capture them sitting like that, on a bench in Battery Park one stunningly beautiful autumn afternoon, and make it the iconic photograph of their legend.