Heeeeeeeey guys! Sorry for the delay but as you can see, this chapter is preeeetty long:p Alright so I won't say much but I hope you guys love this one:D IT'S MY FAVOURITE!

Chapter Eight:

Baby Got Karma

Finn silently steps up the porch steps he just visited yesterday, his hands sweating through his palms. He reaches the door, hesitantly bringing up his hand to knock on the wood twice. Rummage can be heard on the opposite side, signaling footsteps running along the floor. The door swings open as he breathes in deeply, his anxiety rushing at the sight of her.

"Finn?" Rachel sputters, her eyes squinting at the sight of him. Her hand comes up to shield herself from the blinding evening sunset. "What are you doing here?"

Finn sighs heavily. "I wanted to know if you would like to visit Quinn in the hospital, you seemed so worried yesterday, that I thought maybe this could be a reassuring thing." He kind of leaves out the part where he just needs her to get out of the house so she doesn't get kidnapped. "So what do you say?"

Rachel licks her lips in thought, staring up at him questioningly. She disappears from the door momentarily, coming back with a sweater wrapped around her arm. He grins briefly at her as she steps over the threshold, closing her front door behind her.

"Aren't you going to lock it?" he asks, his protective qualities kicking in. Rachel shrugs as she walks to the passenger side of his truck, opening it herself. He follows after her and crawls into the driver's seat, pushing the car keys in the ignition.

"My father is leaving on a business trip for two weeks. He can lock it when he leaves."

Finn freezes.

Well, fuck.

"So you're going to be home alone for two weeks?" he stutters, unable to keep the nerves from his voice. She looks up at him, worried by his troubled tone. Her eyes narrow at him in thought, and she bites on her bottom lip again. He picks up that's what she does whenever she's thinking.

"I'm sure nothing else will happen," she says, and it scares him that she can read his mind like that. "You said there's nothing to worry about right? Besides, my father has left me home alone for a month before and it was no big deal. I'll be okay."

That doesn't give him any reassurance that she will be.

"Aren't your parents worried too? They weren't there when I came over."

His heart burns a little at the title. This girl knows nothing, nothing about what happened in New York. For all she knows, he's just this rebel from New York with a lot of baggage, coming here to start a new life with his lovely parents. Except he didn't come here to have a new beginning, not exactly, he came here because he was running, hiding from the thing that apparently already found him.

Finn shakes his head dully, snapping himself back to reality. "Uhm, no, they just called me today, telling me they're going to stay at their parents house a little longer. It'll probably be just a couple days." He seriously thanked God when he got that phone call; if Will and Emma found out about the stabbing, they would have forced him on a plane in the next hour.

"Are you going to tell them when you get home?" she asks, her voice low and quiet. He pauses, making her think that he's debating about it, though he already knows the answer. "Probably not," he tells her. "Don't want to scare them you know."

Finn pulls the truck into the hospital parking lot, scanning the areas to find any spaces to park in. He stops the truck near the front of the building and crawls out of the driver's seat, waiting for Rachel to meet him at the end of the car.

"Are you sure she's staying here?" she asks him as they walk together to the front doors. He shrugs his shoulders and stops at the door. He opens it towards them, allowing both of them to step through and inside the building. "It's the only in Lima isn't it?"
"Yes, but maybe her wounds are so severe she had to be taken to a medical care in another state." Rachel pauses, her eyes growing wide at the idea she was just thinking. "Like Detroit."

Finn chuckles, though he knows he shouldn't because she's probably being serious right now. "I'll take my chances with this hospital."

The lounge is empty, and it's not hard to believe due to the small population of the city. The front desk appears in the middle of the room, a young receptionist sitting at the edge of her seat. He looks down at Rachel, seeing her uneasy smile, as they walk towards the young woman. She looks up at them before they even reach her, a small grin sketching her features. "Good evening, what can I do for you?" her voice is low, barely audible and he almost has to ask her to repeat herself.

"I was just wondering if you could tell me what room Quinn Fabray is in? She was brought in last night, a stabbing. We're friends from her school and we just wanted to see visit her, see if she was feeling better."

The woman stares at them for a couple seconds, her eyes focusing on the pair harshly. He notices Rachel squirm uncomfortably under her glare, but he's kind of used to it by now, the cops are a lot scarier than this woman. "She's in room seven," she finally breathes, looking away from them, "this floor. Just turn right at the end of the hallway."

"Thank you."

He nods in appreciation, flashing her a brief smile before turning around and heading in the directions she instructed. Rachel follows beside him as they turn at the end of the hallway, scanning the room's numbers for Quinn's.

Room 3, Room 4, Room 5 . . .

Room 7 imprints on a door ahead of them, shinning in silver letters. Finn snaps his head to look at the Rachel, shocked when he sees nothing. He turns around slowly, his eyes finding her a couple inches behind him, her face downcast.

Finn steps forward, and she looks up, startled. He can see the nerves and anxiety start to creep on her, and he rubs a comforting hand on her back. "You okay?"

Rachel puts on her fakest smile. "Yeah just," she hesitates, looking away from him as she whispers the next word, "nervous."

He tilts his head to the side. "About what?"

She turns her head away from him, hiding her tears subconsciously. "Seeing her," she whispers. She looks down again, her hair falling around her like a curtain. "I don't think I should be here." His mouth drops at the saddened tone her voice has. He blinks rapidly, licking his lips in thought.

"Hey," he coos, hooking his finger under her chin to pull her face up. Her eyes are watering with unshed tears, and he leans closer towards her. "She's going to need all the help and support she can find." His free hand trails down to her clamped ones, separating them and intertwining their fingers. "I'll be right beside you the whole time okay? She won't do anything, I promise."

She nods shyly, grinning her best as he pulls her towards the room marking Quinn's number. He brings his hand up to the door, looking at Rachel once more and she nods in encouragement. Knocking twice, the sound of Quinn's croaky voice echoes from the opposite side.

"Come in."

Finn opens the door hesitantly, gawking slightly at the sight of Quinn wrapped up in the hospital bed. Her face and body are covered in harsh bruises and cuts, but he doesn't remember seeing anything but her stab wound. Rachel's small gasp sounds throughout the room, and he squeezes her hand reassuringly, already expecting the tears to fall.

"Hey Quinn," Finn calls out, shutting the door behind them. The blonde closes the book she was currently reading, placing it on her lap. "Finn," she responds, grinning at the tinniest. She turns to the brunette beside him. "Rachel."

Rachel gulps harshly. "Hello," she whispers, and he can hear the despair in her tone. He can't comfort her now though, not yet.

"Thank you for coming," Quinn continues, her eyes glued to Rachels only and he knows she's specifically speaking to her only, "I really appreciate it."

Rachel laughs in relief. "It's really nothing," she squeaks. Her eyes peek up at Finn briefly, and he see's the redness rimming around her irises. Her fingers tighten around his hand, desperately searching the reassurance she needed at the moment.

Quinn stares at their clamped hands momentarily before turning her attention back to the crying girl beside him. "It really is Rachel. I've been awful to you." She breathes out unsteadily, her face crumpling at the next few words. "I am so sorry, to the both of you. It's funny because I was actually on my way to apologize, before, you know . . ."

Rachel's hand suddenly slips from his grasp as she quickly walks towards Quinn, her hands arm outstretched slightly in permission. Quinn giggles lowly, brushing away her tears as she nods her head in acceptance to her invitation. Rachel leans forward, bending to give her the softest, most gentle hug, afraid of hurting her. "I'm just really happy you're alive," she cries, her voice muffled by Quinn's golden hair.

Quinn's swollen eyes meet Finn's from across the room. "Yeah, me too," she replies, and Finn has a feeling it's directed towards him. He swallows thickly, returning the glare without fear.

"You know what they say, the worst times brings old friendships back," Rachel tells her as Finn smiles at her effort. Quinn nods rigidly, grinning slightly at the brunette's words. She coughs lowly, her eyes meeting Finn's once more.

"Hey Rachel, do you mind if I talk to Finn alone for a second?"

Rachel turns around to face Finn, her face falling slightly. She nods slightly as she grips Quinn's hand once more. "Yeah, of course," she replies, walking from Quinn's hospital bed. Her eyes meet Finn's momentarily, as she searches his gaze. "You okay?" he whispers low enough for only the two of them to hear as she passes by him. She nods at him, smiling a little in reassurance before closing the hospital room door behind her. He turns around to face Quinn boldly, sighing when he see's her intense glare.

"So – "

"Why are you still here Finn?"

The question takes him off guard, and he stares at her in question. Her eyes are cold, harsh, and the way her face is unusually rigid face tells him she's not happy. "What do you mean?" he asks, checking behind him to make sure the door is securely closed.

"I warned you, I told you about their threat. Why the hell didn't you leave yet?" she scowls. Finn takes a couple steps towards her, fanning at her to lower her voice so Rachel doesn't hear. He breathes out in defeat, looking away from Quinn's accusing glare. "Because I'm not going to let them scare me from this place."

"You mean from her?"

Finn doesn't respond, doesn't look at her, and the answer is evident in his actions. He hears her sigh heavily, and he swallows thickly at the rant about to come. "You're putting her in danger, Finn," she mumbles, and that's when he snaps his face to her, surprised by the semi understanding in her voice. "I'm protecting her," he retorts.

She suddenly gets impatient. "But how!"

His chest rises strongly in frustration, and he walks the rest of the distance towards her, his voice low and hissing. "For years now, I've been afraid of them, and when I tried telling the only police man I could trust back in New York, they killed him, when I tried running away, they killed any person I cared about. I like it here, I see myself having a future in this place, maybe even with her, not even it gets so bad that I have to leave, than I will, but I will fight for as long as I can to prevent them from taking away the only good thing I have left. I'm capable of a lot more than you think."

"They are very – "

"Listen, I know what they're capable of as well, but if the times come, I know how to defend myself, and Rachel for that matter."

Quinn shakes her head in disapproval, and he knows she'll never fully get how he's handling things. "You're going to get yourself killed if you think that," she whispers brokenly, and he sees the pure concern and worry shine through her hard glare.

Finn narrows her eyes at her. "I hope you get better," he spats, before turning away from her. He doesn't even wait for her reply as he stomps towards the door, slamming it shut behind him. Walking up to the wall opposite of the room, he punches it weakly, releasing his anger and frustration without using an actual person.

"Finn?"

Shit. He turns around hesitantly, watching as Rachel starts to get up from her sitting position against the wall beside the door he just stormed out of. Her face is masked with concern, and he looks away from her, because he can't see those eyes that always weaken him.

"Hey you okay?" she whispers, as her footsteps sound towards him. Her fingers tug at his own, trying to gain his attention. "Finn, what's wrong?"

Finn continues to keep his head down. "Nothing."

"Finn – "

"Just leave it okay?"

Her small gasp sounds out at his unexpected outburst, and he feels her hand slipping from his. He misses the contact immediately, and breathes out in defeat, turning his head to finally face her. He slowly meets her shocked gaze, his anger fading at the saddened expression she gives him.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, his eyes softening as they bore into hers, "I didn't mean it, I'm just . . ." Scared? Frustrated? Worried? Words can't even begin to describe the kind of stress he feels right now.

Finn suddenly feels her hand makes it previous position in his again; the warmth of her skin sending pleasurable shivers down his body. A small smile breaks out on her face, the first, genuine one he's seen in a couple of days.

"I think I have something that might help."

"I really don't think we should be out here," Finn whispers urgently as she drags him out of the driver's seat. It's dark by now, and the risk of them getting seen keeps a growing concern in the pit of his stomach. "With Quinn almost – "

"Sh," she stops them in their tracks momentarily to turn around and press her finger to his lips. "No more talking about Quinn, or worrying about what could happen in the future for the rest of the night okay? I've had a rough couple of days and I need this." She can tell he's not buying it, and she smiles confidently at him. "No one will find us here, it's in the middle of no where."

He purses his lips in thought, debating whether it's safe or not; but the look she's giving him, the desperate look she's wearing kind of caves him in. He says nothing, but nods meekly, smiling at Rachel's excited laughter. She pulls him in the continuing direction of the small forest they're in, stopping right above a large and steady tree.

"This," she gestures at its trunk, "is a tree house."

Finn's eyes widen roundly and she giggles at his surprised expression. He watches her as she begins to climb the trunk, her hands and feet attaching to the ladder helping her up. He sighs, following her climb up the trunk of the tree.

His head peers upwards as he reaches the top of the tree, seeing Rachel's face as she sits on the platform of the tree house. She reaches out a hand, helping him climb the final steps and pulling him onto the deck. It's pretty large, for such a rusty, old thing, and he silently thanks God there's no roof to get his big head stuck in.

Rachel tightens his hand in hers and shuffles them over to the end of the tree house, taking over a view of the lake ahead of them. Their legs hang over the edge of the deck, their fingers intertwining through each other's. She grins as she stares at the dark blue water. "A couple of teenagers built this when I was only six years old. My mom used to bring me up here whenever I felt stressed, or like I had too much on my mind." She pauses momentarily, her forehead creasing as she turns her head towards him. "It makes me feel like a little kid again, the times where you didn't have to worry about anything."

Finn nods in agreement, not seeming to get the right words out. The moonlight lightly illuminates her face, and he can't stop staring at the permanent smile plastered on her face. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she wonders aloud, turning back to the golden lake. "Yeah," he replies, his voice hoarse as he talks, because he isn't really thinking about the lake when he agrees.

He reaches his free hand into his pocket subconsciously, rummaging through the material until he grasps a familiar substance. Pulling it out, he watches as she turns to face him in question, and he silently hands the object to her. She takes it from soundlessly, staring down at it as a small smile illuminates her features.

Her fingers run over the crease in the picture, trying to smooth it out. "Who are they?" she asks as she peers up at him. He breathes out heavily; he knows he has to tell her as cautiously as possible without spilling anything else.

"My parents."

Rachel raises her eyebrow accusingly. "You're really close with your parents aren't you?" she giggles in appreciation.

Finn sighs, trying to drag out her happy mood as long as possible. He knows he's being selfish by ruining the time relaxing her with his depressing past, but he can't hold back his feelings any longer. They're getting too strong too fast and he wants her to know things about him that won't scare her off, that won't get her worried about her future. He opens his mouth to speak, not ready to pop her happy bubble.

"I bring their picture every place I go. You know, for reassurance that they're with me where I am." He takes a staggering breath, not being able to look at her drooping eyes. It's silent, and he knows that Rachel is starting to get it. "They passed away almost a year ago," he tells her, confirming her assumptions.

Her fingernails dig into his skin at his words, and he really, really can't look at her now. "Finn," she whimpers, and he can imagine the tears gathering at her eyes, "I am so sor-"

"No," he interrupts her attempted apology, his head accidently snapping towards and he regrets it immediately but he can't seem to look away. Her eyes are watery, her lips formed in a small pout. "It's okay, I don't need your sympathy. I've been getting a lot of it for eight months now."

She nods silently in understanding. Its quiet now; nothing but the sound of shielded crickets and the crash of the lake's waves. Rachel's hand slips from his grasp as she trails it up his body, resting it on the side of his cheek. She softly rubs her thumb across his skin, giving him all the comfort he could without words.

"Are you living by yourself now?" she asks, her voice so hesitant and he appreciates she hasn't asked what the cause of their death was. He places his hand on hers holding his face, smoothing it gently. "No," he answers, "my adoptive parents, Will and Emma, took me in at the beginning of school. They've been awesome, even with the emotional baggage stuff."

She shakes his head before he can even finish. "It's not baggage Finn," she reassures him, her hand tightening on his face, "it's hard to loose someone."

He chuckles sarcastically, causing Rachel's hand to silently shake off his face. He's heard that plenty of times before and it never seems to help. "It's funny because, they were actually the only people in my life that I loved. The only people that I would trust, that I would . . . feel safe and protected around. I've never cared about anyone as much as I had for them." He pauses, his head blurring at the intensity of his words. He tilts his head towards Rachel, her tears slowly dribbling down her cheek. He captures one with the pad of his thumb, rubbing her skin softly.

"Except for you."

Rachel's mouth slightly drops at his confession, at the sincerity in his tone. Her chest heaves with the shallow breathes she takes, and he watches her reaction silently. She shuffles closer, his hand still in contact with her cheek, and leans forward slowly.

Don't give in, don't give in, don't give in. He tries to listen to his conscious, tries to get enough will power to stop himself from the action he knows is about to happen. He's here to protect her; he can't focus on protecting her if she keeps doing this to him.

And that's when he figures it out.

She's not only his strength, but his weakness too. His kryptonite. The only thing that keeps him grounded in his crappy life. He doesn't think he'll ever be able to resist her, even with the cost of it if he doesn't.

Finn finds himself closing the short distance between them, pulling her face closer to his and their lips meeting in the most sweetest, gentlest kiss he's ever experienced. His hand momentarily falters from her face at the unexpected feeling, and he can't seem to get his mind around it that he's actually kissing the one girl he's ever had genuine feelings for. Her fingers grasp at the back of his hair, though the kiss is yet so soft, so delicate that it's almost torturous.

Too soon, she pulls back, her lips red and her face flustered. Her eyes slowly open, and he soon falls himself falling into the depth of her warm, brown eyes. She's so beautiful and angelic and he can't keep himself away from her now that he knows the amazing feeling he gets by being with her.

Finn leans back in, already getting addicted to her sweet kisses. His other hand comes up to grip her face tightly between his hands, and it feels like he's holding an angel in his arms. Her lips are more forceful against his, much more desperate and passionate than the kiss they just experienced. She locks her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as she deepens the already heating kiss.

His tongue probes at her mouth, asking for entrance and she parts her lips slightly for him to enter. They both sigh at the new contact, and it overwhelms him that she's actually giving him permission to discover the places of her mouth that few people have.

He soon finds himself pouring every feeling he has into the kiss, and she seems to be doing the same due to the heat building between them. His hand moves to cradle the back of the head, trying a more gentle approach from the forceful kisses.

He's falling in love with her, and it's scary but thrilling at the same time.

Rachel pulls away from him before things get too out of hand, and he's glad because he doesn't think he would be able to stop himself. They don't move from their positions as they try to steady their ragged breathing. She looks up at him through bold eyes, her eyelashes flapping against his fingers attached to her skin. He can't help himself as he leans forward, pressing his lips to hers softly once more.

Her eyes burn into his solemnly, and he rubs his thumb continuously against the red skin of her skin. Breathing out heavily once more, she finally gains enough air to talk. "Ever since Puck, I never thought I would be able to open myself up to anyone," she whispers, running her fingers through his thick hair. She shakes her head at him, trying to find the solution she's obviously searching. "Where did you come from?"

Finn kisses her again, but this time to distract her from the question.

He doesn't really want her to find out.

Aweh! How cute are they? I guess he won't be able to keep himself away and what does that mean? MORE FINCHEL KISSES! By the way we have passed the middle mark in this story, which is sad because I love this one:( How did you guys like the chapter though? Love it? Hate it? Comment in the reviews below!

R&R and i'll try to get an update as soon as possible! Love ya!