Sorry it took so long. I split this in to two chapters because it was too long:)
The next one should be up in a few days.
I lay watching tv with Finn. We were both sat up with Riley and Jake between us, but when Riley decided to play with his cars in their room whilst Jake watched transformers I moved closer to him. He then heard me yawn and pulled my head on to his lap, toying with my hair. So I'm now lay on my side on the sofa with my head resting on Finn's thighs as he's sat slouched at the end.
"So," I heard him whisper in to my ear, "have you decided about tomorrow?"
I sighed quietly and turned on to my back so I could look up at him. "I don't know, Finn. I mean if I hadn't have seen Mercedes for 6 years then have her crash a tradition with two children, I'd be pretty shocked and just stare all night and probably make her feel extremely uncomfortable."
"Yeah, well that's you. No one's gonna do it, Rach. They'll all fawn over the cuteness of the boys and pet over how sorry they feel about Joe," he replied.
"As if that's any better. I don't want their sympathy."
"Well, you're gonna get it. At least for one night but eventually they'll start treating like a normal human and you'll have more friends. Besides, you're not having my sympathy."
"That's the only reason you're here Finn, to give me sympathy. If it wasn't for that I'm pretty sure you'd be doing 'things' with your plastic girlfriend," I spat out. He calmly chuckled, used to my small digs at Niomi and pulled me over more so I was sat on his lap like a child sat on Santa's lap at Christmas time.
"No, I'm here because I care for you and like you. And even if I wasn't here, I probably wouldn't be with Niomi anyway," he replied.
Since we'd kissed, he told me how he didn't want to hurt her but also didn't want to get too close so just stayed a reasonable distance from her and when he knows whether it's real feelings when he's with Niomi, he'll consider his and her's relationship because he likes her but feels that she doesn't deserve him as he doesn't love her half as much as it seems she loves him. We hadn't kissed since then but I knew we both had a stronger connection to each other now.
I just sighed.
"Go home. You have work tomorrow. Go sleep so you can be the star math, music and sport teacher you are," I replied.
"Kicking me out now?" he answered, chuckling, "You're right. I better go. Hopefully I'll see you at mine tomorrow. Everyone will be there at half 6 but I'll be fashionably late and turn up at about quarter to 7."
"But it's your…" I started but he cut in and finished for me.
"My house, I know, but Kurt has keys and I need to go to this meeting after school and show the principle some of the kid's work. So I'll be there at 6;45ish. Turn up about then if you want me to explain why hidden Rachel Berry made an appearance."
I sighed and smiled slightly, before moving of his lap and pulling him in to an embrace. "Bye Finn," I said in to his shoulder.
"Bye, Rach," he replied, hugging me back.
Then he left.
It was now 3 o'clock and I still had no idea about whether I was going to Finn's apartment tonight. I put it off purposely, just playing with Riley and Jake all day and ignoring the multiple text tones I'd received, probably all of Finn.
I decided this week was my time with the boys.
Next week, I'd be going back to work. I knew I didn't want to work as a teacher anymore, I mean I loved it; I got to work with children who were about Jake's age and try to convince them to love music like Jake, Riley and I do, but I just don't get the buzz of playing tambourines all day and banging on drums. I wanted to do real music, music where I learn and get to sing. If I wasn't a single parent family I'm pretty sure I'd hand in my notice and try out for Broadway again, but I am so sacrifices must be made to ensure my two beautiful sons are happy.
We were colouring on the floor at the moment, as well as singing to the 'Disney' album that softly played in the background.
"Mom, is Finn coming here later?" I heard Jake ask, "He can colour with us. He always chooses me out the best car pictures."
"No Jakey, he isn't," I replied.
"Pleasee, Mom. Finn's fun," he whined.
"What, and I'm not?" I said playfully, leaning over to tickle his sides. He broke in to a fit of laughter, wriggling around like a crazy man.
When I pulled him on to my lap and he finally regained himself, still smiling, he breathed out "you are, but Finn's fun in a cool boy way. I mean, you pretend like you enjoy dinosaurs but I know you're kidding mama," he said, grinning proudly at his come back.
That was when Riley toddled over, his eyes teary again repeating mama to me, not enjoying that fact I was giving Jake more attention again. I pulled him close with my free arm as Jake scrambled of my knee.
"What do you say, Ri. Want to see Finn again?" Jake said to his little brother.
Riley answered by grinning widely, clapping and shouting "Fi, Fi," over and over again.
"Well, Mr Jake if you please to see Finn so much, I did have 3 invitations to join him and some of his friends at his house, what do you say, huh?" I asked.
"Yeah, mama, please can we, please?" he replied, practically begging and putting on his puppy dog eyes.
I chuckled, "Well I suppose we can, if you two boys get in the bath for me?"
"Yes mama we will. Riley, if you get in the bath we can see Finn, say yes Riley," Jake said.
"Yah, yah, bwath now Mama. Fi, Mama, Fi," Riley replied standing up and holding out his chubby arms for me to put him in to the bath.
I chuckled again.
Like I said before, I need to sacrifice things to make my boys happy and if sacrificing a quiet night in to a busy, awkward one at Finn's made them happy then so be it.
It was 6:40. We were outside Finn's. I wore a pair of dark denim skinny jeans with a fitted white blouse and some low heels, not knowing what anyone else would wear but wanting to make a good impression.
I dressed Jake in black jeans, with a white polo shirt with blue collar and rims and a grey jumper to cover it, just leaving the collar exposed, with the same colour blue vans. He had a navy blue coat over him.
Riley, who was seated in his trolley packed full of some comfy pyjama type clothes, blankets and other necessities needed when taking to young boys out, had on some beige chino type jeans, a red and white plaid top covered with a comfy, denim fabric-sleeved jacket and a thick grey coat over it. He wore low top, white converse.
I stood outside Finn's apartment block waiting for him for nearly ten minutes, so when he got out of a cab, I could have cried of happiness.
"Rachel, hey, sorry I'm late. The boss wouldn't shut up," he said jogging over to me.
"Finn!" Jake squealed before I could even talk.
"Hey bud," Finn said scooping him up, "looking great Mr. And hey to you little dude," he said ruffling Riley's thick, brown hair. He put down Jake and turned to me. "Hey Rach, you look gorgeous."
"Thanks, not so bad yourself Hudson," I said, trying to cover my blush.
"Oh well take it in while it lasts, it's being exchanged for jeans and a t-shirt the minute I get in," he answered, stepping back and allowing me to look at his black suit trousers, grey shirt and black skinny tie. "Come on then, lets go upstairs, Lady Berry and boys," he joked slightly.
The inside of his apartment building looked beautiful, a lot more expensive and nicer than mine. I just stared until the elevator dinged and we got in. He pressed the number 8, I remembered so I could come by and wouldn't need to ask for his number. He stepped out and waited as I pushed the trolley out. There was an average space hall yet only one door.
"It's a small building height wise, but huge width wise. Only 9 floors, one room a floor, but the room on the 9th comes with mine. So I have a two-storey apartment, well it's technically sold as a three-story because the people who lived here before us bought I small percentage of downstairs so they could fit an average sized master room down there but I don't include it. It's a bomb to keep but I've been quite lucky with my money. It's huge and I haven't even started sorting out and rooming upstairs," he said.
As he opened the door I understood. It was huge. He had a huge tv and a large sofa, a single chair and a snuggle chair. He had a beautifully made and looked after black and white kitchen with a glass table that seats at least 8 on the opposite side of his kitchen. His living room stretched out round the corner where there was another 2 sofas, and several chairs, a big stereo and a slightly smaller but still big tv. This apartment was like a palace compared to mine.
"Hey guys," Finn said coolly, "I have someone I want you guys to see."
"Who is it, Finn? I don't want to loose to Santana Lopez cause you're introducing me to a girl that won't even last two minutes," I heard Kurt Hummel's voice say.
"Whoa, Lady Hummel, I'm beating you anyway," Santana's still wicked voice replied.
"Ladies break it up, I'm going to win your asses anyway so why does it matter between anyone else," Noah Puckerman's confident loud voice said.
"Who do you want us to meet, Finn?" Blaine replied.
"Well it is a girl but we're just friends and you all know her so I just want to reintroduce her. Miss Rachel Berry," he said throwing his arms out towards me.
All off their heads snapped towards my direction. Everyone was there and for once, in front of these people, I felt shy.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't man hands all grown," Santana said, grinning.
"Hey," I said, timidly. I wasn't scared to meet them; I was scared for them to meet my new, unexpected life.
Kurt got up and ran to me throwing his arms around me, "I've missed you babe! You genuinely disappeared of the face of the Earth for these past 6 years," he said smiling.
Everyone else did the same, each hugging me and smiling, some kissing my cheek and I returned the same actions.
"Yeah, I've missed you too princess, but I still need to win this fucking game so sit your asses back down and get playing guys," Noah shouted from the middle of the large floor space.
"Hey, Puckerman, mind with language dude," I heard Finn say.
"Stop being a pansy peach man, we're all adults here," Noah replied.
"Well, apart from the 2 year old and 5 year old who came with Rachel, man," Finn answered.
Noah eyed me up and then looked to Finn, as did everyone else, where he stood with Riley sat on the floor and Jake stood next to him, looking confused.
"Shit, Berry, thought you'd be the last of us to steal some kids," Noah said, obviously ignoring Finn's comment on his language.
"I didn't steal them," I said, pushing away the scared feeling in my gut and being the same out going Rachel I usually am. "These are my two sons; Jake Christopher and Riley Liam."
Jake flashed his smile as Riley giggled slightly when Finn scooped him up. I looked at Finn and hope he would understand what I wanted. He did.
"Hey boys, how about you get away from all these idiots and colour in my room for a bit when mama catches up with her friends? I got you some cool transformer colouring books," he said.
"Ok," Jake said smiling.
"Ya, plie," Riley said, meaning to say yes please.
Finn took them down to his room and returned childless less then 5 minutes later. No one spoke till he returned.
"I know we've only just saw each other again but please explain, Rachel," Kurt said.
I took in a deep breath then started.
"I got pregnant with Jake just after I left school. I was with this man from college, my first friend in New York, Joseph Lighton. He was a great, really attractive and Mr Popular type guy, and supported me. When I found out I was pregnant I explained how it could be his or Finn's yet he didn't mind. He stood by me and we started a real relationship. We got engaged a year after Jake was born but before we got married, I fell pregnant with Riley who is defiantly his. Then, about a month and a half ago, Joe died in a car crash. I was left with two children alone in New York. The night he died, he was going to a meeting with Finn and other managers to sign Finn and never cam home, I met Finn when he came to make sure I was ok after Joe had given him a contact card with the address on," I spoke quickly trying to finish the explanation as quickly as possible.
Kurt embraced me yet again, "Crap, Rachel, I'm so sorry," he said.
Blaine, Tina, Quinn, Mercedes all hugged me then, whispering how sorry they were, and eventually I'm pretty sure everyone was involved in the hug. They all pulled away, most of them looking at the ground.
Sam looked up, his arm hung loosely around Mercedes shoulders. He looked so different yet so the same just like Finn. His hair was shaven at the sides but long on top, he kept running his hand through it to push it backwards, he had a small light beard and was less in shape; he was still slim and musclely but had seemed to be less body obsessed.
Noticing Sam's change made me look at everyone else. They had all changed too.
Mercedes was stood under Sam's arm, she had lost quite a bit of weight, had allowed her hair to become curly again and heavily coated her face with makeup.
Tina had ombre hair and also were makeup but minimal. Mike stood proudly next to her with his arm slithered around her waist, he looked very alike to 18 year old Mike but had changed his hairstyle slightly so his hair was still high but was pushed to the left more.
Santana was sat on the floor leaning back on to the sofa. Her dark hair was a lighter brown colour and she also had her nose pierced and makeup heavily done. She clung on to Brittany's hand that was sat crossed legged on the floor. Her hair was so long it touched the floor but other than that she was the same.
Kurt sat in front of Santana, his quaffed hair longer and neater than ever but even he had changed. His young baby-like face had matured despite there being know facial hair. It also appeared that he had developed some muscle on his arms as he leant back on them. Blaine sat next to him; his hair not neatly scraped back but now practically shaven at the sides and his natural messy, curly hair on top. He also had a small beard growing.
Arty sat in the corner, in his chair. His hair was now short on the sides and had a side parting at the top, the long, floppy top layer of his hair brushing to the side.
Puck stood up, right near me. His mohawk was gone and his hair was shaven at the sides but all the top was about the same length as his previous mohawk. He had on a tight black top that shown of his even bigger muscles and he also had a small beard on his face.
Then pearched on the edge of the sofa near Puck sat Quinn. Her hair was long but pinned back and she looked the same apart from the obvious more mature look she wore.
"That's why you haven't started the football thing man, it's not happening no more," Sam said.
I was relieved he hadn't carried on talking about me and changed the subject towards Finn for the first time in my life.
"No, it's happening, they just had some time away from it. I'm gonna go to training after the summer to see what it's like and see if I'm up for it. If not I'll pull out and go back to school," Finn replied smiling.
"That's good," Mike said.
I was happy they ignored the fact I was practically widowed with two children. As I told Finn, I didn't want their sympathy.
Finn looked at me, asking me questions with his eyes. I understood and nodded.
"Ok guys," Finn said, "I'd like to introduce you to Riley and Jake."
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Much love.