So this is a chapter that I've been excited about for so long. Hope you guys like it!

Thank you to Gillian Deverone for beta'ing :)

Enjoy!


She lets out a small groan when she's woken up by the sound of the bedroom door opening not so quietly, and she spins round in Finn's grasp, blinking a few times before she makes out Kurt's figure. His eyes bulge, hands flying to cover them as he says, "Oh my God!" Still a little groggy, she tries to work out what's wrong, until she realizes that the cover is barely over them both, revealing her breasts, and Finn's butt.

In an instant, she's tugging it up, holding it against her chest. "What do you want Kurt?" she asks, a little agitated at being broken from her peaceful and comfortable slumber, wanting to just go back to snuggling into Finn.

"You told me to wake you up early so that we can go and find your dress, so here I am." Kurt tilts his head to the side, "Does Finn have a tattoo?"

"Well, yes, but it uh – it doesn't matter," she rubs her sleepy eyes. With Kurt's gaze still on her, she reaches for her pajamas, which have been carelessly discarded last night, and slips them on. Finn shifts a little in his sleep, arms clutching in the space where she'd just been. A tiny smile playing on her lips, she watches him for a few seconds more before following Kurt out of the bedroom. "Before I shower," she says, "I need coffee." Her eyes move to the clock, where she sees it's almost eight, and she sighs, though her mood is lifted when Kurt thrusts a cup of coffee into her hands.

"Quinn is bringing Carole around at nine, and then we'll go. So you've got until then to get ready. Ooh! You should let me do you hair."

Rachel sips at her coffee, gaze rising to meet Kurt's. "What exactly do you want to do with it?" Her fingers run through her messy bed hair, straightening out the knots, while he's looking at her like he's itching to get on with it already.

She hesitates. "Don't worry, I'm amazing at this sort of stuff. I used to style Finn's…" He trails off, realizing that Finn probably doesn't want anybody to know that.

"You what?"

"Forget about that," he waves her off, "I'll make you look great. I know that this is only a dress fitting, but you're a star, you should always look your best. Not to mention that I've been dying to try a few things out with you." His eyes plead with her, hands cupping together hopefully over his chest. "Pleeeeease?" he tries when her hesitance remains.

She slowly drinks another sip of her coffee, watching him over the top of the mug. "Is it really necessary? And won't I just mess it up when I'm changing into the different dresses? The most practical thing is to just tie my hair up in something neat, like a bun."

Kurt rolls his eyes, "Come on! You're trying on your wedding dress. You don't want it to be practical. You want to feel like a million dollars." He speaks dramatically, wanting her to be as enthusiastic as he is and, so far, it isn't working. "And you'll only ever get to do this once," he adds. "Well, assuming that you and Finn last…"

Her eyebrows rise.

"Which of course you will!" he says quickly. "So again, you want to look your best."

"I have a feeling that you're not going to stop trying to convince me…" she laughs, before taking a large gulp of her coffee. Kurt nods seriously. "Fine, fine."

Stifling a "yes!", he grins toward her, and she just sits down on the couch, the coffee beginning to give her some energy for the long day ahead. Kurt drops down beside her, an herbal tea in his own mug, and she realizes that this is the first time they've really spent any time together, just the two of them. And, seeing as he's going to be her brother in law very soon, they should change that. Finn's probably closer to Kurt than he is to a lot of people, so naturally it only makes sense that she make an effort to become close to him too. And besides, she likes Kurt, a lot. He's similar to her, in terms of being ambitious and determined to get what he wants – and if his love of musicals is anything to go by, then he has good taste.

Shifting on the couch, she turns to face him with a smile.

"Yes?" he raises an eyebrow.

"So," Rachel brings her knees up to her chest, speaking excitedly. "How are things going with you and Blaine?" It's a sure way to spark a conversation with him, knowing that there's a blossoming romance between the two men, and personally she's curious as to how things are going too. The blush that rises on his cheeks says it all, and makes her smile increase. "It's going well, I see."

"Blaine… well, he's just really sweet and funny." A glazy, lovesick expression floods over his face, and she can't help wondering if that's what she's like when she talks about Finn.

Rachel beams. "Hmm, so when are you going to make it official?" She tries to be nonchalant, but it isn't exactly successful; her words gain a sigh from Kurt.

He stares down at his tea rather than at her. "We're making sure that we're both serious about this before we do any of that. And he's got to prepare himself for an interrogation from my dad the first time he meets him." She giggles, knowing of Burt's overprotectiveness from Finn – it's sweet, that he cares so much for his son, and that they've got such a special bond. "Hey, it's not funny. My dad can be scary when he meets boyfriends, which is why I don't date a lot."

"That's dads for you. When Finn met mine, it was a disaster. First, they walked in on us after we'd… you know."

His mouth falls open, "No!"

"Yes," she insists, shaking her head at the memory, "and then we went for dinner and it was practically an interrogation. In the end, it was fine, but at one point Finn thought that I was going to break up with him over it. I could never do that." Eventually, she sighs. "And at least now my dads are accepting of us, even if they're not particularly fond of Finn."

"Well, I guess they're going to have to get used to him if he's going to be your husband," Kurt points out. At that, she nods and smiles. He eyes her slowly, making it obvious that there's something on his mind. When she quirks her eyebrow at him, he decides to just blurt it out, "So, I've been meaning to ask… I'm just curious, but how long have you and Finn actually been together?"

Her mouth slowly opens, poised to speak, and she slowly places down her drink before turning to him again. "Well, do you remember that weekend when we went to your parents' hou – "

"Then?" he gapes at her. "I still can't believe that I didn't realize. I mean, neither of you are exactly subtle."

She gasps in offense, "Excuse me, I am an actress of the highest caliber."

Kurt purses his lips. "Yes, but around Finn you turn into this smitten schoolgirl." At that, she feels a blush tint her cheeks. With a laugh, he adds, "Don't worry, he's much the same - apart from the girl part. I don't ever remember seeing him this happy."

"Really?"

He nods. "I don't know how you did it, but thank you. We were all worried about him and his past problems – we were scared that history would repeat itself, you know? But you somehow brought out the real Finn," he reaches forward, gently taking her hand in his, "and I want you to know how much we appreciate it. Before that weekend at our parent's house he barely even spoke to Carole, and now he calls her every other night. He just… he's changed for the better. And it's because he fell in love with you."

She hadn't noticed but, as Kurt spoke, tears slowly began to form in her eyes - happy tears, happy from knowing that she had a positive influence on Finn, and his family noticed that. He's done the same, making her a stronger and more willing to think about others rather than herself. They've just balanced each other out – he's been the yin to her yang, and apparently other people see that too.

Kurt is still smiling at her, tears in his own eyes. "I shouldn't be getting emotional," he says, wiping at them quickly, "but it's just nice, you know? After everything he's been through. He deserves to be happy." He suddenly pulls her into a tight hug, making his gratitude known, and Rachel quickly embraces him back, her own smile irreplaceable.


The dress shopping takes practically all day – it wouldn't have been so long if Kurt hadn't insisted that she try on practically everything he could find – but eventually she finds it: the perfect dress. She knows from the moment she sees it that it's the one for her, and that's before she's even worn it.

Slipping into the dressing room, she smiles widely at the gorgeous dress, hands ghosting over the soft, white material, while she's unable to tear her gaze from it - even when Kurt calls out to her. "Hmm?" She replies distractedly.

"Have you got it on yet? I want to see!" The excitement in his voice is clear. While Carole and Quinn's enthusiasm has started to decline after the first ten dresses, Kurt remains full of energy.

"Give me a minute," she calls out to him, her grin widening as she begins to slide on the dress, caressing the material in awe. Looking at herself in the mirror, she feels beautiful and so, so happy. This is the dress that she's going to get married in. The overwhelming feeling of excitement bubbles away in her stomach, and all she wants is for it to be the day of the wedding. She brushes back her perfectly curled hair, wondering what Finn will think when he sees her in the dress – that's what she's looking forward to the most.

With a deep breath, she opens the door of the dressing room, and takes slow steps into the larger, more open room. All eyes are on her as she reaches the center, her hands clasped together nervously while she waits for a reaction.

Carole is smiling up at her, her eyes shining with unshed tears, a happy glow about her. "Oh Rachel," she says, similarly to the way that she had with the last God knows however many dresses, but this time it sounds different, to her anyway.

"This is the one," she announces, so sure of herself. "I have to get this."

"You look beautiful," Kurt stands, placing his hands lightly on her shoulders, being extra careful with the dress.

"Finn won't know what hit him," comments Carole, earning nods from the other two.

She turns to look at them over her shoulder, eyes shining. "You think so?" Her eyes are drawn to the floor length mirror standing before her. Behind her, she can see the smiling faces of her friends and future family, and she's never felt happier.

Kurt's hand moves to wrap around hers, squeezing it tightly. He returns her smile. "Now that you have the dress, the next big thing is walking down the aisle and saying, 'I do'. Are you ready?"

Rachel smiles brightly, nodding her head with eagerness. "More ready than I've been for anything." She bites her lip, eyes lowering to the floor, "I'm nervous too though…"

Now it's Carole who takes her hand, having moved closer behind her, and she finds herself staring into the woman's soft, brown eyes, much like Finn's. "Rachel, sweetheart, everybody gets nervous. I've been through this twice, and both times I was so nervous I could hardly speak." She smiles gently, "I think you're doing just fine though." Carole gently rubs Rachel's shoulder. "And you're going to be a wonderful daughter in law."

She places her hand over Carole's, her cheeks hurting from smiling so much. A part of being married that she's looking forward to the most is having Carole there as a female role model, as the mother that Rachel never had; she thinks that the woman will fit the bill perfectly.

Everything is just falling into place perfectly.

The meal with her dads wasn't completely terrible – she supposes that they realized that she and Finn are serious about their relationship, and they just knew that they'd just have to accept his presence in her life because he's there to stay. Then even asked him a few things about his band (and she'd stifled a laugh at her dad's expression while Finn recalled the chaos that ensued at their last concert) and he'd nodded and made appropriate noises of interest while they talked about work. Maybe one day they'll all learn to like each other.


And so, time seems to slip by without them even realizing. With Kurt – and his exceptional planning skills – neither Finn nor Rachel have too much stress about their impending nuptials, and it leaves them more time to just relax with one another, to tighten the bond that's grown between them. Kurt says that they're 'sickly sweet' and, a few months ago, Finn would never be caught dead with that description to his name, but right now, he doesn't mind so much.

Soon enough, the big day arrives, the pair drowning in nerves and excitement from the moment they wake up, Finn at Kurt's apartment, while Rachel wakes in theirs. Though their wedding isn't the most traditional (they're having it in a lighthouse for one), his mom insisted on them spending the final night of their engagement away from each other, as to make the anticipation even more, and then Finn won't be tempted to see the bride before the wedding too.

He rolls in bed, his face pressed to the pillow, another pillow tucked tightly in his arms from where he'd been hugging it in the middle of the night, due to the absence of a particular brunette. In his sleepy state, he stares at it in confusion, questioning, "Rachel?" only to realize that no one is there other than him. And then it dawns on him.

He's getting married. Today. Like, real wedding, to the most amazing girl in the world.

Suddenly more awake, he practically jumps from bed and pads out into the spacious living room of Kurt's apartment, finding his brother already awake and dashing about the room. He stops the minute he sees Finn. "You are actually up! I thought I was going to have to drag you out of bed to get you ready."

Finn chuckles, smiling when he sees some freshly brewed coffee, which he then pours into a mug. "Well, today is my wedding day."

Joining him in the kitchen, Kurt asks, "You nervous?"

"I haven't be this nervous my whole life. But, it's like, good nerves. Or that's what Rachel says anyway." He drinks the coffee, closing his eyes for a second and letting out a satisfied, "Mmmm."

"Glad you like it," Kurt pats his shoulder, "now let me make you something to eat before you shower, okay? You can't have anything once you're in your suit." Finn pulls a face. "Don't look at me like that, Finn Hudson. We don't want something wrong to happen before the wedding even starts."

With a roll of the eyes, he starts to go into the living room, dropping himself on the couch. He wonders what Rachel's feeling – whether she's nervous too – and then his mind begins to question what she'll look like, what her dress will be like. No doubt it'll be beautiful, especially if Kurt had anything to do with the decision, but he wants so much to see it on her.

Not soon after Kurt drops a plate of food in front of him, and Finn wolfs it down in an instant, earning a glare from his brother, who continues to explain the plans for the day. Since the ceremony starts at two, they still have a lot of time to make sure that everything's perfect, but Finn just wants it to be time already.

He's just about to go for a shower when the phone rings, and Kurt dives for it before he gets the chance. "Hello? Rachel?" Finn perks up at this, starting to demand that the phone is given to him. "No, you can't talk to Finn before the wedding… I don't care how much you want to." He rolls his eyes a few times, walking around the apartment with Finn shadowing him, trying to reach for the phone at every available opportunity.

"Dude, let me talk to her," he frowns, swooping for it again, but Kurt ducks out of the way.

"You should be getting ready Rac – " He lets out a squeak as Finn practically pushes him against the couch, using his large body to his advantage as he holds Kurt down before snatching the phone away. "Finn Hudson, you –"

"Shhh! I wanna talk to Rach." He presses the phone against his ear, where a confused Rachel is calling out Kurt's name. "Hey, babe."

He imagines her smile, making him smile too. "Finn! I miss you." She's probably pouting right now, he thinks with a chuckle.

Feeling Kurt's glare boring into the back of his head, he starts to move away from him, to a more private area. "I miss you too. My bed was pretty lonely without you last night."

"I almost snuck out in the middle of the night to see you," she admits quietly, most likely so that no one around her can hear.

"I wouldn't have minded," he flirts, a smirk sliding on his lips. "Why're you calling anyway? Do you need something?"

She pauses, "I just wanted to hear your voice… I won't see you until we're actually at the ceremony, and I'm walking down the aisle –"

"And I won't be able to keep my eyes off of you." That excitement steadily bubbles within him once more. On the other end, he can hear the distant sound of voices. "Do you have to go?"

Rachel sighs. "Hmm, yes. I need to go shower. And then start on my hair and makeup. But I'll be thinking of you," she adds, happily. "And I'm sure Kurt is going to make you get ready too."

He turns, finding Kurt looking at him impatiently. "Yeah, probably."

Giggling to herself, she says, "Well, goodbye then. I'll see you later." An excited squeal carries down the phone, "I love you!"

"Love you too. Bye Rach." Finn grins to himself, though he instantly misses the sound of her voice the minute she hangs up. He spins on his heel to Kurt, not allowing him any time to speak. "I'll go shower then." With a spring to his step, he heads to the bathroom.

In their apartment not ten minutes away, Rachel smiles down at her phone, feeling like she's on cloud nine. This is already shaping up to be one of the best days of her life. Everything is in its place and there's no need for worry or stress – all she has to do is keep her nerves under control. And that'll be easy since she's had years of practice from being on the stage. Quinn and Carole had spent the night at the apartment, and had been woken up by her announcing, rather loudly, that she is getting married that day. Then she'd needed to call Finn, just to hear his voice again, and now she is even happier than before.

Quinn has everything set up already; all the dresses, the bouquet and veil; and Rachel's makeup team will be here soon to get her looking at her best. She doesn't think the excitement is going to wear off at all. After her usual morning shower, she puts on her soft, white dressing gown and moves out into the living room. At the sight of Sugar and Mercedes, she smiles, and allows herself to be hugged by the two, though Sugar is practically unable to stay on the spot, bouncing with giddiness. Apparently she loves weddings, and being able to help the Rachel Berry get ready of her wedding day is a dream come true.

She sits, keeping still as her makeup is done first, and all the time listens to Carole telling her about a time when Finn had put on her high heels as a kid, before he'd hit his growth spurt, because he was one of the smallest in the class and wanted to be taller. Apparently she even has pictures too, which Rachel needs to see, just so she can tease Finn about it later.

After makeup, it's time for the hair, which ends up causing a small dispute between the ladies. While Mercedes thinks her hair should all be down and in soft waves, Quinn thinks that it should be placed in a low bun. And Rachel isn't too sure which one she'd prefer, knowing that whatever style it were Mercedes could make it look amazing.

"I think it will just look more sophisticated when it's up," Quinn argues, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"I know," the other woman counters, "but her hair always looks stunning when it's down."

Rachel shakes her head when the two begin to glare at each other – as if that's going to miraculously solve the problem. "I'll wear it up," she eventually decides to settle everything. She doesn't often have her hair up like that, and she thinks it'll make a nice change.

Smirking triumphantly, Quinn sits down beside Rachel. She quickly calls Kurt, ensuring that everything is going to plan, as he's been calling the caterers and photographer and such that morning.

"In a couple of hours," Sugar starts with a wide grin, "you're going to be Mrs. Finn Hudson. You're so lucky; Finn is pretty easy on the eyes, huh?"

"It's not just that," she laughs, "he's so sweet and funny." She doesn't mention the other things, like how great in bed he is, because that's for only her to know, thank you very much. Besides, Carole is in the room with them and she probably won't appreciate that sentiment. A small blush colors her cheeks at the thought of his mom hearing it from her, and she's glad when her phone starts to ring.

She beams widely. "That's probably Finn again," she assumes, distractedly pressing the accept button and pressing the phone to her ear. "Hi," Rachel greets him happily, not having have expected another call.

"You're in a good mood," Jesse's voice in low, and she can practically hear him smirking. Her mood instantly plummets. "Am I the cause of that?" For a moment, she feels her blood boil, anger soaring through her. How dare he call her, especially after what he'd said all those weeks ago and knowing how much it had hurt her to hear it. It's all lies, of course, but the very idea of it… it makes her so angry that he would even try to do that.

"What to do want?" she asks, straight to the point. Lately, she's made it clear that she wants nothing to do with him anymore. He stopped being her true friend a long time ago, and everything seemed so simple with the strings attaching them cut off. She just hadn't expected him to call after making it abundantly clear that she didn't want to see him again. At the tone of her voice, empty and cold, the others all look to her in confusion. She'd said that it was Finn, so they don't understand why she's all of a sudden changed her mood.

"I want," he starts, "to give you one last chance."

She frowns. "One last chance to what?"

Jesse waits, giving a dramatic pause. He does so to build the tension; he loves to create drama, evidently. "A chance to drop Hudson." A loud gasp escapes her mouth – he certainly got a reaction from her, although he was probably expecting something else by the way he adds, "I know that you didn't believe me before, but I'm telling the truth." He emphasizes his words slowly. "And you deserve better than that, Rachel."

She can feel her head shaking, despite the fact that he can't see it, and Mercedes stops trying to style her hair while she does so, a not so pleased look on her face. But Rachel ignores it and replies to Jesse. "Why should I believe you? After…" she closes her eyes, "everything you've put me through." Her frown deepens forehead creasing. "You only ever act like this when you want something from me, or when you want me."

There's silence on the other end, and she waits wait baited breath to hear what he has to say next. Why can't he just get it through his head that everything between them is over? She doesn't want him to play any role in her life other than ex-boyfriend who she never has the misfortune of seeing again.

Jesse doesn't seem to share the same opinion. "We belong together. We have an epic romance Rachel. All that past between us…"

"And that's all it's ever going to be," she sighs, "past. And our relationship was never an epic romance, Jesse." At the mention of Jesse's name, Quinn's head perks up, a look of distaste about her features. Rachel tries to hide her smile at that, continuing to speak. "And…whatever we had, it's over, forever. Can't you just let me get on with my life?"

All movement around her has stopped, everyone intent on the one sided conversation that they're hearing. With a frown, she stands, starting to go somewhere so she can at least have a little privacy. "But I want us to be together," Jesse says, a slight whine to his voice.

She groans in frustration. "That's never go to happen. I love Finn. I'm marrying him."

"You're making a mistake!"

"The only mistake I ever made was allowing you into my life. You've done nothing but manipulate and control me, and I'm not letting it happen anymore. I'm better than that." For as long as she can remember, it's been Jesse telling her what to do, how to act, and she just doesn't need – or want – that in her life. She deserves much more than Jesse, and she's found exactly what she deserves in Finn. He always tells her that he's lucky that this whole arrangement occurred ("It must have been fate," she'd joked with a teasing smile) but she's the lucky one in all of this.

And Jesse, he's really the loser in all of this. He's lost her, to Finn – who he most likely despises – and he still has his overbearing, narcissistic and horrible personality.

There's silence on the other end of the phone. The longer it becomes, the more her anxieties build up. What is he waiting for?

"Jesse?"

"I know you don't believe me," he suddenly says, causing her eyebrows to furrow, "about Finn."

She rolls her eyes "Of course not. He sto – "

"I can prove it to you. I will prove it to you."

A bad feeling begins in the pit of her stomach, then washes over her whole body. "What? You can't possibly… You're bluffing."

"Goodbye, Rachel."

"Where are you going? What are you going to do?" She cries down the phone. More silence.

"… have a good day."

And then the call ends, leaving her baffled and worried, unsure of what to do. He may just be trying to scare her; it wouldn't be the first time. Yet, what if he actually does have something planned? She can't even possibly begin to fathom what proof he has over Finn, seeing as she practically knows everything about him, and his past. In a much more somber mood, she walks back into the room, where all eyes are immediately on her.

She takes a deep breath. "So, where were we?" Quinn hesitates to answer, most likely wanting to know what'd been said, but Rachel lightly shakes her head; she'd rather not mention it again.

Hopefully she can get the day back on track and restore her excitement.

Soon enough the ceremony is almost upon them. Guests slowly begin to arrive, while Finn and Rachel stay in their respective rooms, each surrounded by their friends and family. Rachel's dads cry when they see her, which almost sets her off too, but they're soon escorted to their seats, along with Burt, so that she can have a few moments to herself.

It's all silent, except for the sound of sirens in the background, seeing as the road near them is so busy, and they are in the city. Besides, they won't be able to hear them in the ceremony room.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she smiles, adjusting the veil slightly so it's straight on her head.

The sound of the door opening startles her, but she soon relaxes when she sees Kurt and Blaine advancing her way, a small, handheld camera in Blaine's hands.

"He's insisting on filming everything," Kurt rolls his eyes. "I hope you don't mind. He just wanted a couple of seconds of you before the ceremony."

At the sight of the camera, she pushes her usual show face forward. "Not at all!"

"You look amazing," Blaine says, taking a step back so that he can have all her body in the shot. "I'm so happy that I got to come, even if it's just as Kurt's plus one."

"I did suggest that Kurt invite you," she corrects.

"Pfft, you just agreed with me when I said I might."

"Anyway," she says, "I – well, we – wanted you here. You have known Finn for years, and any friend of Finn's is a friend of mine."

Blaine almost drops the camera in shock. "Did Rachel Berry just call me her friend?" he asks Kurt, eyes wide with excitement. Kurt just smiles and gently pats his shoulder.

Before anything else can be said, a commotion arises outside somewhere, leaving the three to look at each other in confusion. It sounds like yelling and fighting, and that should not be happening today. She opens to mouth, to say anything, but no words come out. All she can do is look at them, speechless and worried. Kurt steps to the door, frowning as he does so. "I'm going to see what's going on, you stay here Rachel."

She nods, letting out a shaky, "Okay." Kurt will sort it out; he's good at that.

Putting down the camera on the table in the room, Blaine jogs after Kurt, leaving her in the room by herself. She has half a mind to go after them, to find what the hell is going on, but a part of her wants to ignore it. If she does, then there's nothing wrong.

But when she hears a voice – that is unmistakably Finn's – call a loud, desperate, "Rachel!" she's practically running toward the door.

That is, until she hits another barrier. Momentarily confused, she shakes her head, frowning. Then she lifts her eyes and finds herself staring straight up at Jesse.


Uh oh.

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