Before you start reading, let me say that you all continue to amaze me. It's because of your support and dedication that I enjoy posting my stories instead of keeping them for my own viewing. So thank you so very very much. And thanks for not minding my extremely long author's notes :)

On another topic, think we can make it to 200 reviews with this chapter? I'd be absolutely positively over the moon and back! You know what? I will write a real fluffy one shot if 200 is met, but if we can get it to 210 (or more), I'll personally dedicate the one shot to everyone who reviews this chapter. :) Trust me, it will be VERY Finchel-ly and hopefully worth reviewing for! Just my tiny way of saying thanks.

Disclaimer: Glee is still not mine. Bummer.

Chapter 15

"Oh honey," Carole cooed from above Rachel's slumbering figure, "You poor thing."

"Moooooom," Finn groaned in embarrassment, "Can't you give us a few seconds alone?" The last word was emphasized strongly and held out to stress the meaning.

"Oh Finn, it's not like she can hear us," she scoffed, "Very well, I'll go call her dads and tell them she's all right."

A shuffling of feet slowly skittered away as Finn stared back at Rachel's slumbering figure sprawled on his couch. Touching her head with his palm, he rubbed his thumb caressingly over her forehead, giving her a small smile as he did so. He leaned over to place a little peck on her forehead, loving the touch of his lips on her olive skin. Slowly rising to his feet, Finn was beginning to walk away so Rachel could sleep in peace but he immediately froze when he heard a moan escape Rachel's lips.

"Rachel?" he asked timidly, wondering if it was just his imagination or if he really did hear her say something.

Rachel unconsciously raised her arm and flung it over her head, tossing and turning in her sleep. She whimpered in her sleep, "Finnnnnn."

Finn stopped for a second, and upon realizing that Rachel had called out to him in her sleep, automatically bent down closer to her. Rachel writhed uncontrollably on the small couch, her movements growing more frantic and jagged as the seconds passed.

"No, no, please don't," she cried out softly, her head snapping back and forth from side to side, her trembling voice laced with fear.

Then it all hit Finn, as clear as day. She was having a nightmare. And an awfully dark one by the looks of things. Tightly grabbing her by the shoulders, Finn shook Rachel firmly, attempting to break her connection to her dream. But snapping her out of her unconscious state proved more difficult than Finn thought.

"No! I don't want to—let go of me!" she protested again, this time louder than before. Taking decisive action, Finn began to handle Rachel a little bit more roughly, now seizing her upper arms and shaking them as well.

Rachel awoke with a loud gasp as she sprang up into a sitting position, panting heavily, her panic clearly evident in her owl wide eyes. Beads of cool sweat covered her forehead and goosebumps rose on her usually smooth skin. Even though she was no longer asleep, Finn didn't relinquish his tense grip on her arms but instead, squeezed them even tighter to get her attention.

"Rachel!" he shouted, "Rachel, you're okay."

Rachel frantically turned her head to face the voice yelling her name. Once she saw that it was Finn, she instantly thrust her body towards his, colliding with his chest, and threw her arms around his neck, squeezing him so hard that he was finding it difficult to breathe.

"It's all right," he comforted, "You're all right."

Finn absentmindedly ran his fingers through her damp hair as Rachel snuggled her head into the crook of his neck, still breathing heavily. Finn could feel the water from her clothes slowly permeating through his shirt, completely dampening it, but he didn't care one bit. Her clammy skin was cool to the touch so Finn enveloped Rachel in an even more crushing embrace in hopes of bringing her body temperature up.

Soon Rachel's heart began to return to its normal pace and she stopped heaving in short, breathy gasps, feeling more at ease in Finn's arms. It just felt so right as she breathed in his scent and relished the moment of having his body so close to hers. She let out a relief filled "Mmmm" with her eyes closed and her head lying sideways on Finn's shoulder.

Finn, likewise, cherished the golden moment of having Rachel snuggling in his hold. But he knew something was wrong.

And so did Rachel. But as much as she wanted to deny it, she knew that her life was going to take a turn for the worse. She knew that everything wouldn't be the same anymore. She knew that there was someone out there who wanted her dead for reasons she could not explain. It was all too much to absorb.

Feeling rather uneasy, Rachel apprehensively parted away from the hug. But once she distanced herself from Finn, however, she suddenly realized how dreadfully cold she was. Even with Finn radiating warmth a mere five inches from her, she still felt the sting of the bitter cold river crawling up her arms, prickling like tiny little needles jabbing at her flesh.

Finn must have realized that she wanted to dry off as he immediately stood up without a word and, smiling, offered his hand towards Rachel. She graciously accepted it, the corners of her mouth tugging into a small grin. Walking in silence with their hands tightly interlocked, Finn guided Rachel to the bathroom on the first floor. She murmured a tiny "thanks" before shutting the door behind her, Finn waiting outside in the hallway.

Finally by herself with no one there to distract her, Rachel came to the unexpected realization that her body ached terribly. She carefully removed her clothing, starting with her shirt, and gasped when she saw the large purple bruise covering her ribs. She automatically clutched at her wound, wincing in pain as she applied the softest of pressure onto it. Now, slowly moving her hands around her body, Rachel discovered numerous bruises covering her arms and back as well as little cuts here and there. She hadn't felt their presence before but once she stared back at the many abrasions on her skin, it all became so much more painful. Nevertheless, in typical Rachel Berry manner, she brushed off any dull pain she was experiencing, not wanting to seem weak by any means. Staring back at her reflection in the mirror, Rachel was alarmed to see a gaunt, fatigued version of who she once was. And, even though she was desperately trying to revert to her usual perky self, something was dying within her.

Her spirit.

Meanwhile outside of the room, Finn paced back and forth down the hallway, his hands holding his head. He had so many questions running through his brain but he bit back the temptation to shout them out through the crack under the door. He knew Rachel was going through a lot and he understood her fragile state. Rachel would have denied it right in front of him but over the past couple of days, Finn knew she was human. She was just as vulnerable as anyone. And she deserved someone there to comfort her during her more difficult times.

Finn heard the rushing of water come from inside the bathroom, deducing that Rachel must have gotten into the shower to warm up a bit. She had looked so pale and so broken before. And, though he'd never admit it to anyone, her nightmare fit scared the living daylights out of him. He cared about her too much to let anything terrible happen to her but he failed miserably. Seeing that terrified look on her face killed him inside. He couldn't stand knowing that Rachel Berry, the confident and proud star to be, looked so afraid, so desperate for a safety net to catch her as she fell. Finn re-evaluated his role in Rachel's life, pondering if he could be that safety net, that source of comfort and security. He knew he cared about her deeply and respected her for who she was—did that make him her boyfriend? Or was it too soon for something as trivial as titles? But then again, he did kiss her. And inside, he felt something for her. Did that mean they were officially a couple?

Finn's attention was suddenly diverted when Rachel meekly stepped out of the bathroom—wearing one of Finn's old t-shirts and a pair of his sweats so large for her petite body that it was folded at least six times around her waist in order for it to fit snuggly around her form without falling down. But she looked as beautiful as ever. Her hair was messily tied up into a bun with loose strands tucked sloppily behind her ears.

"Lookin' good Rachel," he said, trying to get a smile from the girl now walking towards him.

"I, uh, hope you don't mind," she said in a quiet voice, "It was the only thing I could find…" She trailed off softly.

"No, not at all. In fact, I think this new look suits you," he smiled again, but with barely a reaction from Rachel. It was worse than he thought.

"Come here." Finn grabbed Rachel's hand and dragged her into his room right across the hall. The western movie inspired wallpaper furnished his tiny alcove of a bedroom as football related trinkets lay scattered on top of cabinets and tables. There he sat Rachel on his blue and white plaid bedspread while he plopped down right beside her.

"Rachel," Finn started, making sure he had complete eye contact with her, "You know you can tell me anything."

"I know," she murmured quiety.

"Do you trust me?"

"What?" Rachel asked, taken aback. Where did that question come from?

"Do you trust me?" Finn pressed again.

"I…I suppose I do," she said.

"Well, I won't judge you. If you ever want to talk." Finn hesitated, unsure how to bring up the question squirming on the tip of his tongue, but decided to ask tentatively, "Um, Rach?"

Rachel looked at him warily, almost as if she knew what he was going to say.

"Rachel, c-can you, uh, do you remember h-how-how—"

"You want to know what happened before I took a nosedive into the river," she stated glumly yet plainly, knowing that Finn must have been wondering about it the moment she arrived.

"Um, yeah," was all he could utter.

Rachel took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a lasting second, before starting her story. "I was so naïve and dumb," she criticized herself, disapproving of her grave mistakes. "I believed his lies."

"Whose lies?" Finn asked concerned as he placed a comforting hand on Rachel's wrist, egging her to continue.

"I'm really not sure Finn, I swear. He pulled up to my house and said he was going to drive me to you. I was so excited; I thought it was going to be our first real date." With her head bent down, she chuckled softly at her stupidity and wishful thinking, bitterness seeping through her voice.

"But he tricked me. And I fell for it. I've never felt more stupid before in my life. "

She turned to Finn, tears beginning to well up in her eyes, "How could I have been such an idiot!"

"You're not an idiot, Rach—"

"Why did I follow him!"

"You didn't do anything wron—"

"I shouldn't have trusted him!"

"No Rachel—"

"I was so stupid and moronic and—"

"RACHEL!" Finn shouted above her five octave higher voice which had been steadily increasing, "Would you please let me finish?"

Rachel finally grew quiet, but her tears were ready to spill at any second, acting as a warning to Finn that he didn't have much time until she officially broke down.

"Rachel," he repeated, taking both of her hands in his, "You're not dumb or stupid or moronimous…whatever you just said. You're amazing. You have an incredible talent, and people who love you. Hell, if you're dumb, what does that make me?" Finn lifted Rachel's chin so that they were sitting face to face, their eyes meeting each other's gaze.

"Seriously Rachel, you're too awesome to be angry at yourself for something you did in the past. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. You can overcome this. You're, like, the strongest person I know. Nothing stops Rachel Berry right?"

Rachel paused for a second, letting out a small, soft laugh.

"Right, Finn," she said as she gave him a small peck on the cheek. It was simple and sweet, everything that Finn could ever ask for and more.

"Thanks for reminding me."

Okay, I know I'm such a hypocrite for making you all wait so much longer than three weeks but I apologize. Yeah, school sucks. But hey, at least I updated? :p I know you've heard that excuse more than once! Seriously, I went to bed at four in the morning one day. So teachers? That's a clue that we have way too much homework! I could go into a huge rant about this but I'll spare you the time. ;)

So review instead? :3 For the one shot or just to make me feel good even with a large load of homework? ;)

Oh, and since I feel like shouting, THE PREMIERE IS IN TWO DAYS! :D