Wow! 16 reviews for one chapter! That's incredible. Thank you all so so so much :) This chapter is dedicated to you!

chocolatefan929 brought up a valid point about how Jacob was able to do everything he has done while drunk. I just wanted to clarify this because since I know what the storyline will be, I sometimes don't make it clear enough to my readers. I apologize. Jacob isn't tipsy like you would assume a drunk to act like. The alcohol is only there as something that's clouding his judgment. Jacob knows that he shouldn't being doing all of this but the alcohol is making him act on his emotions and not to think things through. I hope that clears up some confusion!

Disclaimer: I'm only a fan, not a producer of Glee.

Chapter 5

Finn cringed with his eyes closed shut, squeezing Rachel tighter than ever, waiting for the bullet to come and hit him. He felt his muscles tense and clenched his fists, anticipating the impact.

Then he heard the loud crack, breaking the silence.

But the bullet never came. At least he never felt it.

Instead what happened was worst.

He heard Rachel gasp out in pain. He quickly opened his eyes as terror flooded through him.

Blood. Rachel's blood. Everywhere: over his hands, his clothes, the ground.

Jacob never exactly had the best aim. He had closed his eyes blindly and thought he had nailed Finn. Instead Rachel, breaking from Finn's grasp, had thrust her body forward with arms spread out wide in order to save him from the incoming bullet. As a result, the bullet pierced her abdomen, causing Rachel to scream in agony.

She fell backwards into Finn from the force of the blow. Luckily, Finn caught her in his outstretched arms. He cradled the wounded Rachel in his lap, supporting her head with his hand. She was frantic and breathing hard, wide-eyed at the wound she was carrying. Finn's eyes traveled to Rachel's stomach. He normally wasn't a squeamish kind of guy but he did flinch at the sight of the hole in her abdomen, bright red crimson blood pouring out of it profusely. Finn immediately tore off his vest and pressed it down onto Rachel's stomach, hoping to stop the flow of blood. He could see that she was scared; she was close to tears and taking short, sudden breaths. Instead of feeling nauseated and throwing up (like he wanted to), Finn just leaned over close to her face. He whispered gently, "Rach, you're going to be alright, okay? Just hang on tight."

She nodded ever so slightly. He could tell that she was fading fast.

Jacob, overwhelmed by the mess he caused, eyed the gun in his hand. In one swift moment, he raised the gun to the right side of his head, jabbing it into his temple.

He proclaimed darkly yet deliberately, "She won't live much longer."

Finn tried to hold back his tears that he felt were coming on. He had to be strong. He had to be a man.

Jacob continued, "She's my soul mate. It's my calling. Now we'll be together…in the afterlife."

With that, he pulled the trigger. A loud bang rang throughout the house and a moment later, Jacob fell limp onto the blood stained ground. The gun rolled out of his lifeless hands. To think how such a small instrument could cause so much damage and grief-it was mind blowing. Finn turned his head away. He didn't want to see Jacob's glazed eyes staring back at him; it would be too much for him to handle all at once. Rather, Finn turned his attention to Rachel once more. She was starting to close her eyes.

"Rach, Rach, look at me," he pleaded desperately. "Look at me." He grew more demanding and urgent, "Rachel, you can't give up on me now."

Rachel weakly gazed back at him.

"Promise, you'll stay with me?" Finn asked.

She gave a tiny nod before sinking her head into Finn's arms. Now it was all up to him. Her life was in his hands.

Finn lifted the tiny brunette in his arms with ease. She seemed so pale and fragile lying there, so still. Finn made sure he had a firm grip on Rachel before he began to exit the room. He shuddered when he saw how much blood the carpet had soaked up from underneath her.

Dashing downstairs with Rachel still warm in his arms, Finn tried to find his phone. Damn it, he thought, Where the hell did I leave my phone? Giving up on locating his cell, he spotted what must have been the Berrys' home phone. Finn gently laid Rachel down on the couch nearby and made sure she was as comfortable as she could be. Then he seized the phone and dialed 911.

"Hello, this is 911. What's your emergency?"

"Please, you have to come quick. This guy came and shot my friend. She really needs help. Please hurry," Finn said, starting to grow more frantic.

"Okay, calm down. Now, where are you at?"

Finn told the operator where Rachel lived and what had happened with Jacob. After informing the operator of the events that had led up to this point, Finn listened intently to the instructions relayed to him.

"The paramedics will be there shortly. Is she still breathing?" the operator asked.

Finn crawled over to check on Rachel. He leaned over and placed two fingers on the side of her neck. He could feel a pulse and saw Rachel's chest rise and fall a few times. Finn put his arm under her neck so that her head fit snuggly in the crease of his elbow.

"Hey Rach," he murmured, "Hold on. Help is on its way."

"Remember to keep pressure on her wound," the voice from the phone reminded him.

Finn pressed down on the bloody vest that covered the entry wound; he wasn't sure how much help that would be. She had already lost so much blood. He started to hyperventilate; this was all too much. This wasn't happening. Finn moved to get up and leave but he was interrupted by a small voice.

Rachel spoke so softly that Finn could barely hear her, but he could clearly sense her apprehension. "Finn, don't go." She looked up at him with her big, brown eyes, brimming with tears. She was scared. Plain and simple.

Finn saw the fear in her eyes and mentally reprimanded himself for even thinking of deserting Rachel. She had it much worse than him.

"Never," he replied, placing the phone down and taking her tiny, pale hand in his large one.

Soon after, they heard shrill, blaring sirens which signaled the arrival of the paramedics. Finn momentarily pulled away from Rachel to open the door and returned to his spot just as quickly right by her side. He put his hand on her forehead and noticed that she was sweating; she was deteriorating right in front of his eyes.

"Don't worry Rachel. They're here. You're going to be just fine." Finn bit his lip. Was she really going to be alright? Had he been lying to her all day? What if she didn't make it? No, he was confident she would pull through. She was a fighter; he had known that since the first day they met.

Men and women in navy blue uniforms suddenly rushed into the house. One was carrying a stretcher; others were clutching first aid bags. Two medical assistants ran up the stairs; Finn assumed that the operator had informed them of Jacob.

When he saw the paramedics run towards Rachel, Finn stood up, backing away from her so the trained professionals could help her. With one great heave, two men lifted Rachel onto the gurney.

Everything was a blur for Rachel; so many people, so much pain and dizziness. She was a little disoriented; however, she was sure of one thing. She needed Finn. Throughout this whole day, Finn had been her rock, her source of security. Now that he was not by her side, Rachel began to panic, her anxiety kicking in.

"Finn? Finn!" she hollered, as the paramedics began strapping her onto the stretcher. She already had an oxygen mask over her mouth, and the vest that Finn had used to stop the bleeding was replaced with gauze. Everything was moving so fast. She wanted a familiar face nearby. "Finn!" she cried again, fighting the paramedic who was pinning her down with the oxygen mask.

Finn lifted his head when he heard his name being called…or more like shrieked. He ran over to her side, weaving through paramedics, and grabbed her hand.

"Everything's going to be okay," he said in a soothing tone, "You're going to be okay."

Rachel was rolled out of the door, with Finn running to catch up, and loaded into the back of the ambulance. Finn motioned to get in the vehicle with her but was stopped by an EMT.

"Excuse me young man," he said, holding a hand out in order to block Finn from coming along, "There's not enough room for you to accompany her. You can meet up with us at the hospital a couple blocks west from here."

Finn tried to protest but he knew it would end up going nowhere; it would only lengthen the time it would take for Rachel to get the help she so desperately needed. He reluctantly agreed and stepped back, but not before calling out to Rachel one last time.

"I'll see you soon, okay? Please Rach, just hang on…" he trailed off. He felt like there was a lump in his throat, constricting it.

Finn caught a glimpse of a bunch of medical professionals connecting some weird tubes to Rachel before the doors of the back of the ambulance closed. The ambulance drove away, following a police car, as Finn sank to the ground, his back leaning against the front tire of his truck that was parked on Rachel's driveway. He began to sob quietly with his head down, silently praying that Rachel would be safe, as the loud, ringing sirens and bright, flashing lights of the emergency vehicles faded away in the distance.

Dun, dun, duunnn! This chapter was a lot harder to write than I had anticipated. I wanted to mix in suspense, drama, some fluff, and emotion. At the same time, I had to research and make some sense medically (especially for the next chapter). I hope I didn't fail to disappoint!

Oh, can you believe that I had a dream about this fanfic last night? Kind of creepy... O.O

As always, please review so I know what I can improve or keep doing! :)