Don't own a thing.
Rachel slowly walked down the stairs of her fathers' home. When Finn had dropped her off after flying back she immediately went to her room and cried herself to sleep. Was it wrong that she half-hoped this handsome stranger who had invited her to come home with him meant that she would stay with him? There was something so easy about him, from the moment on the street when she chased after him the conversation flowed. She wanted to tell him things that she'd never told anyone and she didn't know why. It felt good to be away from the prying eyes of the New York/Broadway gossip crowd but walking around this big house alone with nothing but tainted memories surrounding her was not making the break up easier. She sat down in her father's study typed her search into Google and left the house now knowing where the Hummel garage was located.
Finn was lying underneath a Ford Explorer half fixing it, half just lying there thinking of what his life had become. He was wondering what Rachel was doing, he had really wanted to invite her to stay with him but it was a crappy one-bedroom apartment, how could he bring a Broadway star there? He hadn't missed how she frowned a bit as he pulled up into her dads' driveway. He wanted to spend time with her, but she had just found out her fiancé cheated. Finn didn't want to be the one she cried to, but he also hated the idea of her being alone.
"Excuse me Sir? Can you please tell me if Finn Hudson is working today?"
Burt Hummel looked up from his paperwork to see a small brunette asking about his stepson. He smiled and nodded toward the Explorer behind her, "Hey Finn, you got a visitor."
He slid out from under the car taking in her appearance as he got up. She was wearing jeans and a hoodie. Being lower than her he could see that her eyes were bloodshot and tear-stained and she had her beautiful hair pulled through the back opening of a baseball cap. He wiped his hands free from the grease best he could and approached her noticing how his stepfather had left the two alone in the garage. "Hey Rachel."
She kept wringing her hands together, "Um. Hi Finn. I-I remembered you talking about the garage on the plane ride home." She looked around and sighed, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you at work."
"It's alright" he shrugged, "hey actually, you came at a good time, I was looking to take a lunch break…you in?" He didn't miss the small smile that crept across her face. "Alright Miss Broadway Star how does pizza sound?"
She bit her lip, "I'm a vegan."
"I know. I listened on the plane ride too. This place serves some of that." They sat down together at the table outside and watched the passersby, "Well this is nicer than our first meal together I have to say. You're making eye contact with me at least."
She put her head down so he could only see the emblem on her baseball cap, "I'm sorry about that, I was such a bitch."
He reached across and covered her hand with his own, "Hey, no, man I was just kidding Rachel. No harm done." He noticed a tear hit her paper plate and decided to change the subject, "I've noticed that no one else here has recognized you."
She wiped her tear and laughed slightly, "I didn't expect them to, if you aren't in New York or familiar with Broadway odds are you won't recognize me."
Finn laughed and put his hands up in mock exasperation, "Then why were you so pissed at me at the restaurant!"
She nodded in defeat, "Okay, point taken it was because we were in New York and literally feet from the theater I just left from. I guess I was on a high from the adoring fans."
"Well that makes sense, hey sorry to cut this short but I gotta get back to work."
She threw away her garbage and walked back to the garage with him, "I had a nice lunch Finn, thank you for inviting me." She turned to leave the garage and he noticed how her shoulders fell.
"Rach, wait." He waited until she turned around which was taking longer than he wanted. "Rachel?" She finally turned around but wouldn't look up at him. He didn't force her instead he gently took her hand and sat her down in a seat across from him. "Besides the obvious, are you okay?"
"No." she said it so quietly he had to move closer to listen as he realized she was crying softly, "I thought it was a good idea to come back here, but it's just so lonely. Everywhere I go I see Jesse and my dads. Like I said I didn't have many friends until I moved to New York but where are they now right?" She shook her head and wiped her tears, "I have no where to go that there aren't memories and it's just hard especially during the holidays."
Finn nodded and took a deep sigh, "Wait right here okay? I'll be right back."
He knocked against the door frame as he walked in, "Hey Burt, can I…you got a sec?"
Burt looked up curiously at his stepson, since the news of Quinn's infidelity and Finn's indifference to the situation had come to light he had distanced himself from his family. "Sure Finn, have a seat."
Finn proceeded to tell Burt about the ring, Jesse and Rachel. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "So I have a lot of personal time saved up and I was wondering could I take the next two weeks off?"
Burt placed his hands on his desk pushing himself away as he eyed Finn. "During the holiday season?" Finn simply nodded as Burt smiled, "Alright, on one condition. Two family dinners, come to the house and be with your family." Finn held up his hands to object, "That's my offer Finn take it or leave it."
Finn looked out the door and saw Rachel sitting in the big chair by herself with one of her knees pulled up to her chest with her chin resting on it as she continued to wipe away tears. Finn stood up and extended his hand to his step father, "Fine. I will probably bring Rachel and I don't want a huge deal made. Got it?" Burt nodded, "and I don't want to talk about Quinn, Puck, or the divorce."
She had her head down when he walked up to her, "So I made you a promise. Let's go get that tree and menorah."
He had the tree secured to the bed of his truck and next came the menorah. Rachel looked over at him, "We actually don't need to buy a menorah, there is one at my dads."
Finn pulled up into the driveway and took a deep breath as they both stared straight ahead at the very empty house. "This place is pretty big; I can see how you are feeling lonely." Rachel bit her lip and closed her eyes willing Finn to ask her to come and stay with him. He rubbed the back of his neck, "So I have a one bedroom apartment you can stay in my bed and I'll take the sofa bed it's actually pretty comfy." She remained silent as he went on, "or I could stay here with you if you didn't want to come to my place which I would totally understand."
Rachel smiled and put her hand on Finn's both of them taken aback by the feeling that surged through their bodies at the contact. "I don't want to stay here and I can take the sofa bed."
Finn grinned silently pumping his fist in victory as she hopped out of the car he yelled after her, "Hey! Do you need any help grabbing some things?"
Rachel was packing up some of her clothes when Finn entered her childhood bedroom. He let out a low whistle, "so this is Rachel Berry's bedroom it's quite colorful." She grew quiet turning her back and sitting down on the bed and patted the seat next to her for Finn.
She stared straight ahead as she spoke, "No other boy has ever been in here besides Jesse." She looked into his eyes anticipating his next sentence, "and no I don't want you to leave. It's just weird I had my first kiss on that piano rug over there. We had our first fight and I locked myself in the bathroom as he begged me to come out", she pointed to the bed, "and well you can guess what happened for the first time there."
Finn nodded and gently took his hand in hers, "Well, he's never been to my apartment and come to think of it you will be my first guest."
As she walked through the door she was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't messy although it wasn't quite welcoming either. "It's nice; you haven't lived here very long?"
"Um, I guess about 8 months I've been here."
She sat down primly on the sofa, "Where are all of your pictures, trinkets, things you like. This place doesn't say anything about you."
He shrugged handing her a bottle of water, "Well Quinn was my high school/college sweetheart so she's in nearly every picture and if she's not my ex-best friend is. I have some of my family but," he took a deep sigh "those only remind me of the person I used to be with them not who I am now. This place doesn't say anything about me because there is nothing to say."
Sensing that this wasn't something he wanted to talk about she turned toward the laptop on the coffee table, "Is it alright if I use your laptop?"
He nodded as he grabbed a beer from the fridge, "You want one?" there was silence, "Rach?" He turned around to see her head in her hands shaking it back and forth, he grabbed the other beer. "Rachel?" She pointed to the computer screen and saw the slender red head hanging on to the cocky St. James with the headline, 'Rachel Berry is out Laura Mack is in -more ways than one" The article went on to say how Rachel had left Jesse and Broadway, she was painted as an unfeeling, heartless monster and Jesse of course was the victim of her walkout. To add insult to injury the role of Maria was given to Laura and apparently Jesse had fought for her to land the role. Finn rubbed the back of his neck, "Rachel I am so sorry."
She lifted her head and shook it wordlessly for a few seconds, "I knew. I knew he would ruin me."
"Rachel."
She turned her anger on Finn, "and you, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO TELL ME!" He heard the slam of his bedroom door and the lock click.
He sighed and made himself comfortable by the door, "You know I didn't know who you were when I told you. Really, would you be happy with him right now knowing he was with that woman too? You're better than that Rachel. So you missed out on this part there will be others."
He winced as she opened the door staring down at him, "OTHERS! THIS WAS MARIA, FINN. MA-RI-A!"
Before she could close the door he leaned in, "Okay fine, do you want to go back to New York. I'll get my keys and drive you to the airport myself."
She sat down on the floor and he chuckled as he noticed she didn't sit on his bed, "I don't want to go back. I'm sorry; you're not the one I'm angry with." She took his hand, "I just...I'm sad, I feel like I've lost everything and I'm here in a stranger's apartment and my life is falling apart and no one cares. I am literally yesterday's news. No one cares." Finn stood up and went back to the kitchen. Rachel immediately jumped to her feet, "Finn, I'm sorry I didn't mean it that way please don't kick me out…"
She was stopped by a glass of wine and a beer in her face, "Rach, I'm not going to kick you out. You forget I've been where you are, well not the losing my dream role but my dreams have been crushed. So you get an hour, stay in my room lock the door put on sad music whatever you need to do." She nodded and glanced at the drinks, "oh these, well you're classy so I thought she'd probably like wine, but then I thought she may want a quicker buzz so we can get this tree decorated so I got the beer."
She grabbed both, "See you in an hour."
Before he walked away he laid his hand on her shoulder, "for the record, I care." She smiled sadly as Finn walked away, his heart broke as he listened to the sobbing coming from his bedroom. It was going to be a long hour.