Chapter 18

As a child, Rachel had never really given much thought as to how she would die. She never thought she needed to. The situation had never presented itself in front of her. All she thought was that she would die peacefully as an old woman in her sleep. But this wasn't anything like that. She was far from peaceful. The only thing that held her in this moment was absolute and utter fear. Darkness had been enveloped around her for a long time now. How long? She had no idea. All she knew that if this was what death was like, she understood why people dreaded it.

Holding her hands out, she started to slowly walk forward. She squinted her eyes as hard as she could to try and see through the strong darkness. Nothing. After walking, what Rachel thought was in a straight direction, for an hour, something came to Rachel's attention. There was a bright light ahead. It was like a giant spotlight gazing over her. She smiled in awe as she took a few more steps forward.

Suddenly, she stopped. She remembered from previous shows and movies that she watched in the past presented this same scene. When you walked into the light, you died. Maybe this was a decision factor for her, she thought. Maybe if she turned around and walked in the opposite direction, she would be able to live. Turning lightly on her heel, she started walking in the opposite of the intense yellow light.

Taken by surprise, the same light presented itself again in front of her. Turning around, she gasped as the lightly was projecting from both sides. Maybe she didn't have a choice, she thought. She must be meant to die. After about 5 more minutes of standing still, Rachel was enveloped with the light all around her. Closing her eyes she fell to the floor and covered her head with her hands. She wasn't ready to die. She just wasn't ready. Her heart pounded fast and her head was spinning. Tears burned in her eyes as she held on to her head for protection from a light that should be perceived as welcoming and warm. She didn't want to go into it. She didn't want to give up.

"Rachel?" a soft voice asked, which to Rachel was surprisingly familiar. She wanted to see who it was, but she was scared to lift her head from the ground.

"Rachel?" the voice called again. "It's okay. Don't be frightened."

Taking a quick and deep breath, she slowly removed her arms from the top of her head and rose from the ground with her eyes closed. She was still scared to look even with the bright light shining her closed eyelids. Slowly, she opened eye and the other followed. Once she saw the man in front of her, she instantly knew who it was. The voice belonged to Kurt.

Looking around, she gasped in amazement. The scenery was beautiful. They were standing in a grass meadow surrounded by white and purple flowers. There was a forest surrounding the small meadow and beyond that stood huge, beautiful mountains. The sky was as blue as she's ever seen it without a cloud in sight. The bright light was the sun all along. She was stunned at how much beauty this place projected. It was what she imagined Heaven to look like.

As she took a step forward to look around more, she noticed that something was brushing against her foot. Looking down, she realized that she had a change of wardrobe. She was wearing a long white dress with diamonds surrounding the two straps and waistline at the top. She also noticed that she was barefoot and her long brown locks were formed into huge tight curls. She smiled as she closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh scent of nature. This was all to good to be true.

Keeping her glance on her surroundings, she spoke. "It's beautiful..."

"I'm glad you like it." he smiled, looking at her. "It definitely is."

"Why am I here? Am I dead?" she asked.

"Not exactly. More like a very lucid dream." he answered.

"That's impossible. I've never thought of this place in my life. How could I dream of it if I've never even thought of it?" she said.

"I guess your brain can surprise you sometimes." he replied. "Do you remember what happened before things went dark, Rachel?"

"Yes, but I don't want to speak about it. All I want is to see Finn. When can I see him again?" she asked.

"That's all up to you." he told her.

"Am I in a coma?" she asked, worry sitting in her chest.

"I don't know." he replied. "All I know is that I have to guide you through your time here. Sort of like a mentor." he slowly said.

"I'm confused. A mentor? For what? Why do I need a mentor?" she asked.

"To help you make the choice to stay in this place forever or go back to what you know." he answered.

"I don't understand." she whispered, feeling tears run down her eyes. Although this place was pretty she wanted to be home.

"You will. Just follow me." he said as he turned and began walking. Picking up the sides of her long dress with her hands, she began to follow in a quick pace. When they stopped walking, they were a little ways into the forest. In front of them were many trees and a small creek that ran along them. This place reminded her of Terabithia, minus the creatures of the forest and sad death of the best friend.

"Choose." he said firmly.

"What?" she asked confused. Turning around to face forward again, she noticed the two objects in front of her. There was a small white flower and a small leaf. Without thinking, she grabbed the leaf.

"Good choice. The choosing of the leaf shows that you hold no emotional thought to the meadow. Although you find it beautiful and breathtaking, you hold no desire to stay there the rest of your life." he explains. Being a bit confused, she followed closely behind him as he walked away. Stopping, he quickly turned to her and spoke again.

"Choose one and pet it."

Looking past Kurt, two animals sat calmly in front of them. A mountain lion and a wolf. Rachel's breath began to slow down as her heart sped up in her chest. He wasn't being serious, was he? Who knew? She was beginning to hate this dream, or whatever this was. Inhaling deeply, she began walking forward. Closing her eyes, she slowly placed her hand forward until soft fur met her hand. Gently, she rubbed her hand back and forth with hopes that the animal wouldn't bite her. When she got no hint of ferociousness, she opened her eyes to find the wolf in front of her with its eyes closed. The pure grey wolf was enjoying the petting like a dog. She smiled as she continued to move her hand back and forth. After a few minutes, the wolf and the mountain lion disappeared, leaving Rachel's hand in mid air. Turning to Kurt, she listened as he spoke.

"The choosing of the wolf over the mountain lion shows that you lack bravery. You most likely chose the wolf because it looked less harmful. Am I right?" he asked.

"Yes." she replied defeated.

"Now, to the third and final choice..." he began as he continued walking. Once they got to the final spot, Rachel stopped abruptly. There were to scenes in front of her. One showed herself on a big stage thanking her fans on Broadway. Then, on the second one stood Finn, holding a red rose with a big smile on his face. He was smiling at her. She hated to say it, but this was the most difficult choice yet. Two of them her biggest dreams, both within the grasp of her hands. All she had to do now was reach out and choose one.

As she walked forward, she looked in the direction of her on Broadway. Smiling, she continued to walk. Once she stopped in front of the chosen scene, she acted. Taking the rose in her hand, she got on her tippy toes and kissed him. Yes, she chose Finn. It would always be Finn over any other dream she may have had in the past. The kiss felt so real. It was like any other kiss that they'd shared in the past. She just wished that he was really there and not some fake figure in whatever coma or dream she was caught in.

"Was that your final choice?" Kurt asked, no emotion on his face. This version of Kurt was no where near the one she knew. He seemed more civilized and wise.

"Yes. With all of my heart." she answered without thinking about it. She didn't have to.

"Well then, that concludes our final stage. By choosing Finn, it proved that you're still linked to your life on earth. Rachel, you do not belong here." he said.

"Then why can't I leave this dream?" she asked him as she stood next to Finn.

"It's up to you." he said as he started walking away.

"What do I do? How do I get out of here? Kurt! Help me." he continued walking forward, Finn following behind him.

"Finn!" he didn't turn around.

"Kurt!" she called, and within seconds they both disappeared. Fear crept over her body at the realization that she was all alone again. As if on cue, complete and utter darkness fell over her again and she was left exactly where she began. She fell into a ball on the ground and began sobbing.

While sobbing, she stopped when she heard weird noises. It was a loud beeping sound. She recognized the rhythm of the sound, but she just couldn't wrap her fingers around it. Just then, light shown from the far corner of the darkness. Realizing that this might be a second chance, she swallowed her fear and began running as fast as her feet permitted.

Once she reached the light, Rachel's eyes fluttered open and she was in an entirely different environment. The loud beeping noise that she heard before was still playing, making her ears hurt. She didn't try to move because the moment she did shift, her entire body screamed with agony. Something was under her nose blowing air into it; a nasal cannula if she had to guess.

Looking around the room, she realized she was in the hospital she worked at. The only thing that was different was that she was in a different wing. The room was dim, the only light being projected was the small lamp on the other side of the room and the small TV hanging on the wall. ESPN was playing from what she could tell. The TV was muted. She assumed it was night time, since the window wasn't projecting any light. She wondered what time it was; what day it was.

Looking down, she saw that all of the cuts and brush burns on her wrists were covered up and an IV was plugged into her skin. Must've been for the morphine, she thought. There were also many bruises running up and down her arms. Sighing, she looked away. Looking to the side of her, she saw a chair on the side of the hospital bed. She then noticed that she wasn't alone. Finn sat next to her, resting his head in his hand. He was fast asleep.

The morphine or whatever pain medicine they used seemed to be doing her a little justice, but no matter how hard she tried, she felt pain and discomfort. She didn't even want to know what she would feel like if the medicine wore off. She didn't care. The only thing that mattered to her now was that she was safe.

Safe. The word sounded so foreign to her over the past few days. Mandy's in jail, she told herself as the fear and worry crept to her throat. If there was anything that she learned over the past few days, it would be that she's never gonna be the same after all of this. The only thing was that she didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad. Maybe the bad outcome of this would be the constant fear of being snatched and tortured all over again. The good, she realized that she was a fighter and she beat the bad guy. She was a warrior. She vowed to never let Mandy win, and that's exactly what she did. She carried out her vow.

The only thing that she hated so much was that Mandy made her emotionally insecure and vulnerable. The events that took place in those few days would forever scar her. She knew that she would probably have to go to a life's worth of therapy. She'd have forever lasting trust issues, and she'd have trouble living her day to day life. She'd be too busy fearing the release or escape of Mandy.

All negative thoughts rushed to her head, causing her to place her hand on her forehead and close her eyes. Instead of trying to block them, she began sobbing. She held her body as she felt the pain rise through her ribs, but the sobs didn't stop. If anything, they became stronger. She was 27. She was too young for this. For the emotional disruption, and the near death experience.

Maybe this was a sign. A sign that she needed to live her life out to the greatest and fullest. Take every moment, good or bad, and make them count. The first thing she could do was make things right again, with everyone who she disappointed. But first, all she could do was sit there and let every single feeling of terror and agony out. Huffing for breath, she wiped a few strays away. She made it. She was a survivor; a fighting warrior.

Two hours ago~

Once Finn arrived to the hospital, his heart was pounding hard against his chest. When he'd gotten that call, every ounce of fear, sadness, and depression left like a gust of wind. Every feeling of worry and terror faded when the detective told him that she was found. That's all he's been wanting for all of those days that he cried, screamed, and broke glass in pure anger. She was finally okay. The real obstacle now was recovery and facing her. She was in the hospital, so he knew that she wasn't going to be in the best shape.

Walking to the nurse's station, he asked one of the nurses where he could find her.

"She's on the next floor. Room 322 to be exact. Just take that elevator right there and then walk towards the left when you get up there." she directed.

"Okay. Thanks...Tammy." he said looking at her name tag. Turning on his heel, he took off running like his life depended on it.

He felt like the elevator took too long, which in reality was a matter of seconds. He didn't care. Anything that kept him from Rachel took too long. By the time the elevator dinged, signaling that it was stopping, Finn was ready to take off. When the doors closed, he hurried down the long hall, occasionally looking in the hospital rooms that were wide open. Most were opened by nurses and doctors and some family members greeting the patient or saying goodbye. Once he got to the room 322, there was a short blonde nurse leaving the room.

"Is this Rachel Berry's room?" he asked the girl.

"Yes. Are you family?" she asked smiling up at him.

"Yes." he replied.

"You can go in. She's still out from the surgery, but you can sit with her until she wakes up." she said.

"Okay. Thanks." he replied, walking past her to be directly in front of the door. He didn't know what he was about to see, but he needed to see her. Awake or asleep. Taking a breath, he turned the door knob and stepped into the dark room. The only light was the tall lamp in the corner of the room and the TV that hung from the wall. Then, he looked at the bed and all breath he had before was lost. He would remember this moment for the rest of his life. It would go down in history as the worst memory he ever had.

Her small and fragile frame layed still on the bed. Her leg was held up by a sling, which he assumed was broken since it was wrapped thickly with some kind of white wrap. He didn't know the right term for it and seeing her, it didn't even matter to him. Her stomach and above was wrapped above her hospital gown. Bruises made their way up and down her arms and legs and on her face. Her face.

Tears swelled in Finn's eyes once he saw her face. The beautiful face he remembered was replaced with swollen black eyes, a purple and blue nose covered with a bandage, and cuts and inflammation on her cheeks and forehead. Expression wasn't present in her broken face, but he knew that if there was, he would break. Pulling a chair next to the bed, he grabbed her small hand in his larger hand. He sighed as the small hand had an IV on it.

"Oh Rach, i'm so sorry..." he whispered. Tears sprung from his eyes and he knew in that moment that he couldn't hold it in. Every single form of bad emotions flew around in his mind. The main two stayed right in the front of his brain. Sadness and anger. Anger being the one that he was feeling over sadness. He wanted to beat the living daylights out of Mandy, who ruined his precious Rachel, but he knew that hitting and fighting girls was not right and he wasn't raised that way. The only thing he could do was hope that the government gave her a gallon of her own medicine and maybe even worse.

He spent the next few hours watching her until he couldn't anymore. Turning the channels on the TV, he found the sports channel and tried to concentrate on that. He couldn't though, because his eyes kept wandering right back to her. By the time visiting hours came to an end, he completely begged them to let him stay with her and the doctor finally gave in, saying only him. He watched her for another 45 minutes or so to see if she would wake up, and once he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore, Finn fell asleep in the chair next to Rachel.

Holding her stomach, Rachel tried to calm down her loud cries. She didn't want to be crying. She wanted to be smiling and joyful. She was finally free and safe from that monster of a girl. She just couldn't help it. Wiping the tears away from her pain-filled eyes yet again, Rachel was taken by surprise when a pair of arms gently wrapped themselves around her. Turning, she came face to face with Finn, who had a sympathetic look on his face.

"Hey princess.." he whispered, moving a strand of loose hair behind Rachel's ear.

"Finn.." she smiled as her lips quivered. Tears began to flow from her eyes as she looked at him. "I-I-I thought I'd never be able t-to see you again." she said before she began to sob.

"Me too." he sadly admitted, looking at the floor for a moment. "But, you fought back, Rach and that's the most heroic thing that you've ever done. You're a fighter and i'm proud that you did. You're so strong.." Finn explained.

"I fought for you; to get home to you." she replied, as she let Finn wipe the tears from her eyes.

"I'm glad you did, because without you I was falling apart. You can totally tell by my appearance that I've been a mess. Kurt would not be too happy with me right now." he smiled, pointing to his clothes.

He was right, he did look a mess. He was wearing a white button-up shirt covered in stains, black pants, and his work shoes. His face also looked exhausted and his eyes were a little red from sleep-withdrawal. Smiling, she took to mind what he just said about Kurt. Leave it to Finn to cheer her up even when she was at her worst. Maybe now she could be happy and joyful like she wanted earlier. Maybe Finn could put her in that state again like he did before all of this.

"You do look pretty bad.." she lightly smiled. She had to take it easy since she had a broken nose to consider.

"Oh, wait until you see the house." he chuckled.

"Oh boy, i'm scared to even ask." she replied. Yep, she was right. She was feeling much better in the presence of Finn.

"How are you feeling, baby?" he asked, running a hand slowly and gently along her cheek. Raising her hand, Rachel placed it over Finn's and closed her eyes for a moment.

"You're here, so way better than before." she smiled.

"I love you, Rach." he whispered into her ear as he leaned his head against hers.

"I love you way more, Finny." she replied.

"That's not even possible." he answered.

"Whatever you say." she smiled as she rested her head against his.

"I should've convinced you to ride the taxi a little more.." he began, guilt present in his voice.

"Finn, look at me." she said, slowly turning to look at him. "I hope you don't think that this is you're fault. Because it's far from it. This is not your fault. This is Mandy's fault. It would've happened either way. You couldn't have know, neither I." she explained.

"I just feel responsible; guilty." he replied.

"Well, don't. This has nothing to do with you. You should feel happy. You're the one who's helping me. You being here is making me feel a lot better." she smiled. "Let's just drop it okay? I'm here, you're here. I want to saver this moment. All the negative stuff doesn't matter." she said, placing a soft kiss to Finn's lips.

"God, I've missed that." he whispered.

When Rachel didn't reply, Finn quickly looked at her. Her facial expression suggest complete pain.

"What's wrong, Rach?" he asked, fear rising through him.

"My leg hurts really bad and my ribs too." she said, sighing as she spoke.

"I'll go get the nurse, okay?" he replied as he got up.

"Okay." she replied.

When Finn came back, the short blonde nurse from before followed behind him. She gave Rachel a sympathetic look as she got closer to the bed.

"The pain medication's seemed to wear off. I'll refill your dosage." she replied.

"Morphine?" Rachel asked.

"Yes." she replied.

"Just please make sure to be careful. I don't want to end up dead." Rachel warned her.

"I've only been doing this for about 10 years now. I'm pretty sure you're safe with me ma'am." she smiled.

"I'm sorry, i'm just so used to working on patients. I guess I'm not used to be a patient myself." she lightly chuckled. She instantly regretted as the pain from her ribs screamed at her.

"You're a doctor?" she asked.

"Pediatric surgeon." Rachel replied.

"Oh, that's nice. The pressure's on me then. Working on a surgeon and all." she laughed.

Rachel laughed back before the room fell silent and the nurse began working with the IV on Rachel's hand. Finn watched her as the pain was evident on her face. He wished there was something that he could do. He wished that he could make all of her pain go away and make everything go away. He knew that he couldn't. He would just make her feel safe and loved and hope that she would trust him like she did before all of this mess began.

"Okay. You should be good. Whenever you feel pain again, just hit that little button on the side of the bed. Someone will come. Hope you feel better." she smiled as she walked out of the door.

"She was nice." Finn said as he looked at Rachel.

"Yeah." she agreed.

"Did anyone say when I can go home?" Rachel asked. "I really just want to go to sleep in my bed. I'm tired and i'm in pain and-" she couldn't finish before she started crying again.

"I'm gonna find out and as soon as we can, I promise I will get you home as fast as I can. I'll be like you're little doctor at home." he said, pushing her hair from her face.

"I have a question." she said as tears fell from her eyes.

"What?" he asked, wiping away the tears.

"Where did she take me? Where are we right now?"

"New Jersey. We're an hour from New York and as soon as we can leave, you'll never have to come here again. I promise." he assured her.

"Good," she said through tears. "Because I don't know how much longer I can take being in this hospital."

"I love you so much if I didn't already tell you." he said, grabbing her hand in his.

"I love you, Finn and I've been waiting forever to say it to you again. I don't know what I would've done if I wouldn't have gotten the chance to say that to you again." she sobbed.

"It's okay. I'm here now and i'm never gonna let anything happen to you again, baby. You're my life now and ill never leave your side." he told her. With that, Rachel fell asleep and Finn followed.

Three days later they told Rachel that she could go home and then she was discharged. She now had a cast on her legs and a pair of crutches to travel on. They told her to make appointments with her nearest hospital to check her leg in the appropriate time. They also told her to be extra careful with her ribs and that she should probably stay on bed rest for the first week at home.

Once they arrived home, Finn helped Rachel get out of the cab and helped her get inside of the house. The first thing she did when she walked through the door was gasp. The house was the exact way it was before he left. Glass on the floor, a hole in the wall, and chairs on the ground.

"I guess you weren't really kidding when you said the house was a mess." she said chuckling.

"Sorry." he sighed. "I'll clean it up in a bit." he smiled.

"I'd help but-" she said pointing to her crutches.

"It's fine. I'm happy to clean it up. I was in a dark place when I did this and now you're standing here with me so I don't have to be in that dark place anymore. I'll also call someone to come fix that." he replied, pointing to the hole in the wall.

"Okay." she smiled.

"Is there anything I can get you?" he asked. "I don't want you to be standing for this long. You just got out of the hospital, babe." he said walking over to her.

"I'll be okay, Finn. I actually really just wanted to take a shower or a bath. I feel gross." she told him. "I also want to wear something other than a hospital gown and what was left of my scrubs."

"Okay." he replied as he guided her to the bathroom. He gently helped her sit on the toilet seat as he went into their room to get a fresh pair of clothes and under garments for her to change into. Starting the water, he helped her get undressed and into the shower. He knew she was very uncomfortable and embarrassed when he saw how red her face was. For this, he tried to look away but the bruises going down her stomach and back caught his attention. Gritting his teeth, he tried to calm his anger down. She was here with him and that was all that mattered.

Since she was wearing a waterproof cast, she was able to get into the water without worry. So, when the water was warm enough, she got in. Finn didn't close the door to the shower just incase she needed him to hold her, but he looked away as much as he could. Not everyday were you keeping your girlfriend in assistance with her showering. But then again, not everyday was your girlfriend almost killed by a psycho bitch.

He waited outside of the shower while she washed her hair and bathed with body wash. Once she got out, he wrapped the towel around her and stood beside her for support. As she quickly put her change of clothes on, the red faded from her face and she was reaching for the crutches that Finn held in his hands. Giving them to her, he slowly guided her out of the bathroom, making sure that she didn't slip and hurt herself anymore.

Once they got back into the living room, Finn set up a bed for her on the couch with pillows and blankets and handed her the remote to the TV as he began cleaning up the glass and chairs from the floor. Once he was done, he began doing chores around the house as Rachel stayed on the couch.

"You know, I could fold some clothes if you want me to. I feel like you're doing all the work while i'm sitting here doing nothing." she called to Finn who was in the kitchen placing dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

"Don't be silly, Rach. I got this. Plus, you're not doing nothing. You're resting and getting better and that's all that matters to me." he called back from the kitchen.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I'm absolutely, one-hundred percent, positively sure." he replied.

"Okay." she smiled as she rested against the pillow. After about another few minutes of flipping through channels on the TV, she settled on one and fell asleep.

Once Finn was finished cleaning and doing all of the chores from his stage of darkness, the house looked like it did before the incident. The only thing that looked out of place was the fist-sized hole in the wall. Other than that, it looked the same. Going into the living room, he smiled when he heard small snores coming from the couch. Rachel was passed out with the remote in her hand. In moments like these, he didn't care if she was all beaten up and broken, she still looked as cute as she was before. Going into the bathroom, he figured he would shower and put on his pajamas. It was already 4:15 in the afternoon and he decided to throw in the towel and call it a night early.

Once he got out of the shower, he walked back into the living room to find Rachel in the same position she was before he went to shower. Smiling, he gently grabbed the remote from her hand and placed it on the recliner. Walking into the kitchen, he decided that he would make some of the cans of the soup they had in the pantry. Before he could go retrieve them, he jumped when loud screaming erupted from the living room. As his heart dropped, he ran to the living room as fast as his feet allowed him. When he got there, Rachel was tossing and turning. Shaking her gently, she flew up, grabbing her sides in pain. Laying back down, she sobbed as Finn wrapped his arms around her.

"She was going to hit me. I wasn't crawling fast enough. She was going to k-k-kill me.." she sobbed.

"Shhh, It was just a dream. I'm right here and I won't let anything happen to you." he said as he placed a kiss on her head.

"I'm so sorry." she whispered.

"There's nothing to apologize about baby." she replied.

Catching her breath, she looked around and gently rubbed her purple and blue eyes. "What time is it?" she asked.

"It's almost 5:00." he replied. "Are you hungry? I'm making soup." he said. He smiled when her eyes lit up.

"Sounds amazing." she said.

"Good. I'll bring it to you when i'm done." he replied, beginning to walk into the kitchen.

"No." she said grabbing his arm. "Please don't leave me. Can I come in the kitchen with you?" she asked.

"Rach, you heard what the doctor said. You need your bed rest." he told her.

"I know, I just don't want to be alone right now." she replied.

"Fine. Just this one time. But, after we're done, you're laying right back down. I can't let anything else bad happen to you." he sighed.

"I know, Finn. I know." she said, as Finn helped her get up and get her crutches.

As they got into the kitchen, Finn helped Rachel sit on the counter and placed a pillow on the other stool so he could put her leg on it. Going into the kitchen, he grabbed the cans of soup, placed the contents into a pot, and placed it over the stove to cook. While he was waiting, he looked up at Rachel who was smiling at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Finn Hudson, the only boy who would put a whole pantry of cans of soup in a pot over the stove instead of just putting in the microwave. Makes me glad to know that my guy still likes to impress me with his imaginary cooking skills." she laughed.

"I helped you bath and now you're going to make fun of me?" he grinned.

"I know, I know. I guess I have the best boyfriend in the whole entire world." she smiled reaching her arms out for him to hug her. Walking over to her, he took her in and sighed with relief when the familiar smell of strawberries filled his nose. All of his longings were fulfilled and tears ran down his cheeks. Kissing the top of her head, he pulled away. He tried to turn away before she could see him, but she caught him just before he could.

"Hey, why are you crying?" she asked, concern washed over her face.

"I just really missed you.." he admitted defeated.

"Oh Finny, I missed you too. More than you know." she replied, tears building up in her eyes as well. Reaching out again, she grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to her. "I've missed this." Her bruised arms wrapped around her neck and showed him just what she meant. When they both pulled away, they were out of breath. Smiling, she looked up into his eyes and spoke. "I think your soup is ready."

Laughing, she watched him grin as he ran to the pot. Turning off the stove, he poured the contents into two bowls and placed one in front of Rachel and the other in front of her. Walking to the fridge, he pulled out a can of Dr. Pepper and Coke. Going to the cabinet, he grabbed one of the colorful straws and placed in the can of coke.

"Here," he smiled.

"You remembered." she grinned.

"Like I could forget." he replied. "Tell me how it is so I can make sure to make revisions to my next recipe." he said.

She started laughing hard enough that she had to hold her sides from the pain.

"Okay, Mr. empty the cans into a pot to make it look like you cooked it." she smiled.

After they finished, the returned to the living room and watched a movie. By the time the 3rd movie was halfway through, it was 10:35 and Rachel and Finn were both exhausted. Hitting stop on the movie Finn got up and placed the CD back in its case. Locking the door and turning off the light, Finn helped Rachel make her way to their room. Once they were in bed, Rachel placed a kiss on Finn's cheek and smiled.

"I forgot how comfortable this bed actually was." she whispered.

"Me too. I've been sleeping on the couch." she said.

"Well, then I guess we're both going to sleep good tonight." she smiled.

"I know I will." he smiled back, wrapping his arm around her as she cuddled into his side.

"Goodnight, Rach. I love you." he said.

"Goodnight, Finny. I love you more." she replied.

"If you say so." he added.

Turning off the lights, Finn closed his eyes and hugged Rachel close to him. The smell of her shampoo was the only thing filling his nose and he had no protest inside of him.

In that moment, the world that Finn thought completely stopped and froze started spinning again. He could actually admit for the first time in days one thing. He was happy again.

She was back.

That's a wrap on chapter 18! Finally! :) I hope you are all very pleased with this chapter. Especially all of the finchel lovers. I know it took a long time, but they are finally back to the lovey dovey finchel we know they are! I also want to apologize about the beginning if anyone gets confused. To clear things up if you don't understand, it was the dream she was having the hospital and then she woke up. Sorry, I was trying to use my imagination lol.. Anyways, I'm on Thanksgiving break right now, so I will try and upload the next chapter soon. Thank you guys for being so faithful to my story and I really hope that you enjoyed. Okay, I'm out! :) Reviews are always appreciated.