Don't Miss Your Life
"Don't let such precious moments pass. We all know time goes way too fast. Hold on tight 'cause it don't happen twice
Don't miss your life." Finn Hudson has a successful life as as business man to his father's company a somewhat exhausting demanding job which requires him to be away a lot. One day he gets the chance to realize his job isn't as important as missing on his own life.
A/N: so... last chapter! so sad! Never expected to make it past five when this first came up to me but, well here we are! Chris and Finn kind of took over me with the story... Enjoy!
I don't own Glee. Nor the song!
Chapter 9:
Christmas Day came. And like every Christmas Day, Finn and Rachel woke up at the crack of dawn, in spite of the fact that they had not really gotten any sleep.
"Mommy, daddy wake up!" Matt came bouncing up and down on the bed. Finn groaned. "It's Christmas! It's Christmas!"
"Come on Matty, let's go see what Santa left under the tree." Came Carole's voice. "Mommy and Daddy need a minute."
"Make it two..." Finn rolled to the side to be faced with Rachel. "Hey."
"Good morning." She kissed his jaw softly. "Are you okay?"
"I just have to get trough today, right?" Finn said with a bit of sadness. "I never thought I would hate Christmas."
"You don't hate Christmas Finn, you love it and you never fail to make it special, you need to do that right now, I'll help you."
When Finn and Rachel finally came down, Carole and the kids were gathered around the tree, Chris was nowhere in sight. "Merry Christmas baby." Carole said sweetly kissing both of them. "There's presents for you two, go on."
"Where's dad?" Finn asked picking up Hannah and placing her on his lap.
"I thought I'd let him sleep in." Carole offered them some hot cocoa and cookies they had made the day before. "What have you got there Cory?"
"It's from grandpa to dad but I think he should be here when he opens it."
"That's a great idea honey." Carole said sweetly sharing a look with Rachel as Finn focused on helping the kids open the rest of the presents. The usual energy that enveloped Finn during this time of the year had become dimer, but he would never allow himself to ruin Christmas for the kids.
"Mommy! It's a bike!" Seven year old Matt squealed when he saw his gigantic box, he and Cory had devoured the wrapping paper and were now trying it out. Jack joined on the action soon after.
"I hope this isn't some kind of premonition.." Rachel said rolling her eyes at the present Santa had brought, Finn gave her a genuine smile as the kids continued to delight themselves on the presents.
"Is that for Hannah?" Finn totted his daughter as he sat on the ground. "What's that?" It was a shirt that read. "Daddy''s tomboy was written in camouflage letters, much to Rachel's dismay, she knew that it might be as well be a prediction that her baby girl would end up being one of the guys as well. "Talk about a premonition huh Rach?" Finn smirked.
"Shut up." She hissed, stealing the baby from him and moving to help Carole with breakfast, her dads would soon be coming over. Finn continued to play with the boys for a few minutes until he heard the bell. Hiram and Leroy stood at the doorway, hard to believe they were wearing their pajamas, which they had done for several years now when Finn and Rachel didn't stay with them during the Holidays.
"Good morning Finn!" Leroy said. "What smells so good?"
"Merry Christmas" His husband said with a smile. Finn moved back to let his in laws in as he slipped upstairs to check on his dad, before he could reach the stairs though, Cory caught up with him.
"Dad?" the little boy asked quietly. "I saved grandpa cookies, they'll be gone by the time he comes downstairs." His son's gesture spoke of the sweetness on how he was handling his grandfather's illness, all and all, he and Finn had been really close, unlike him and Chris, but Cory's age also shielded him from a lot, not that he was oblivious to the fact Chris might die soon. Finn didn't know what to do, he didn't know what to say, so he told him they'd wake Chris together.
Finn opened the door slowly, his head peeking in, Cory behind him, they walked inside slowly. "Finn?" Chris's voice spoke slowly.
"Hey." Finn walked closer to the bed, Chris tried to sit up and Finn pulled him a bit up so he could put his oxygen mask on. "Is it Christmas?"
"It is grandpa." Cory said with a smile. "I saved you some cookies."
"My hero, they would never be any left if I kept sleeping huh? and grandma makes the best cookies there are, right?"
"Although mom banana's bread is the best." Cory pointed out as Chris took a cookie from the small plate and smiled.
"Well, we have to make sure she makes some today..." The weight in Chris's words pressed in Finn's chest.
"Honey! Hi! Merry Christmas" Carole said as soon as Finn rolled Chris into the kitchen. She kissed her husband softly. "How are you feeling?"
"Better now that I ate some cookies." Chris winked at Cory. Everyone resumed to working in the kitchen as they wished each other happy holidays.
"Here it is then." Leroy said a moment later when he came carrying a package for Chris. Cigars. Rachel almost chokes up and glares at her daddy but Finn gives a look and she stands down. "I know they are not good for us but, it is Christmas after all."
"You are my now favorite person in the world." Chris smiled at Hiram as he turned to Rachel. "Don't worry sweetie, you can make sure I don't pay my quota just yet." Chris smiled at Rachel, she gave him a look but didn't really understood what it meant.
"Daddy! You are missing a gift under the tree!" Matty said, clearly he was trying to make a point as he took the small box and handed it to Chris. "We can't have breakfast until everyone has opened their presents!"
"Breakfast!" Jack echoed as the others laugh . "Daddy I want breakfast!"
"Go on son." Chris handed Finn the box as he picked up Jack on his lap. "Merry Christmas." Finn smiled as he opened the box, his eyes focused on what was inside. "I remember having it taken to San Francisco on business one day and getting the whole team to sign it for you." Chris spoke.
"Dad, wait... I know this ball." Finn said after a moment. He looked up at Rachel and she mirrored his expression.
"Of course you know it, it was the ball from your first game as Quarterback." Finn's eyes filled with tears as he looked at his Christmas present. Back in High school and before his football career had gone to the drain, he remembered how although he couldn't agree with Chris in a lot of things, he agreed on their love for sports. "I have always been proud of what you did with yourself in school and outside of it, although I was not pleased with the two baby scandals involving you..." Finn rolled his eyes., understanding what he meant, although in his defense, the first one had not been his and the second one, he had actually managed to graduate from High School without, you knowing being anyone's baby daddy, until Valentine's day came the following year. OOPS. His eyes instantly drifted to Cory's. As he caught Rachel blushing.
"I knew it wasn't your place to live up to my dreams. At least I understand that now." Chris said tiredly. "It was your job to go beyond those, and in the process making me as proud as I could ever be." Everyone was quiet as Finn held on to the football. "I'm sorry I didn't really realized that until it was too late. Merry Christmas Finn." Everyone was now in tears, Chris himself was struggling to keep it together as Finn held him. "I love you. And I couldn't be prouder of you."
"So?" Rachel asked later that day as they sat on the couch watching a Christmas movie neither of them were paying attention to anymore. "Was it a good Christmas?"
"Yeah it was." Finn let out. "It was a lot better than I had hoped for, that much I know." Finn said with a smile leaning to kiss his wife. "I, I feel like this is finally goodbye though, like there's nothing more I can do to stop this from happening and that sucks." Rachel smiled, snuggling closer to him.
"But you see? All you needed to do to make this work was, to realize you are not your dad, but as much as you want to fight it, you are your father's son, and that is a blessing Finn, not a punishment."
"You are trying to make me cry again?" He asked Rachel who bit her lip. "You do?!"
"I do not!" Rachel said as Finn picked on her side and she giggled. "I'm simply saying is good for you to be processing all of this, it's good."
"Finn?" His mother came in a moment later. Her face was stoic. "I think something's wrong."
"Dad?" Cory asked as they sat in the hospital room. "Is grandpa going to die?"
Finn ran his fingers trough his face. "I don't know buddy, He's really sick..."
"Like when I'm sick?" Finn's heart jumped out of his chest. "Cause I come to the hospital when I'm really sick.."
"You are fine Cor." Finn said brushing his cheek. "You will be fine."
" Cory sighed. But grandpa won't" It wasn't a question. Finn looked at his child for a second. No. He wouldn't.
"Baby?" It was Rachel. "Your dad is asking for you." Finn let out a breath.
"You want me to come with you?" Cory asked. "When I'm sick, you are always there, maybe if I'm there, you won't be so sad." Cory offered him a smile and he saw Rachel's eyes fill with tears.
"Uh, I'd like that buddy." They walked into Chris's room where Carole was sitting by the bed. "Mom?"
"Oh hi." She said looking up, not releasing Chris's hand. "They gave him something so he could sleep." She informed her son. Cory squeezed Finn's hand as he walked inside. Rachel pulled Cory to the side as Finn stood by Chris's besidde.
"What did the doctor say?"
"Well, he can come home tomorrow. It's not worth it to have him here, it isn't good for his spirits." His mom said. "He needs to be with family."
"He was." And it didn't make him any good. "What good did that make him?"
"He was happy." Carole said. "He was smiling and enjoying his family's joy in Christmas. That's most of what I have seen him for a while Finn. He was making peace with himself and his son. That was something that made him happy too. He forgave himself for all the things he had not done right since we lost your brother." Carole had not mentioned in over ten years since her grandson had been born, his namesake was the boy she had always imagined he would be like, or maybe rebellious like Finn's best friend Puck. Finn didn't have an answer to that.
"Finn?" Chris spoke softly. His eyes opened, amber like his son's. "Hey kiddo."
"You want me to get you something honey?" Carole asked.
"Rachel would you come here?" The little brunette was startled. She took Cory's hand and entered the room, tears were already in her eyes. "What's with all the crying? I'm not done just yet."Rachel giggled. He then turned to his grandson.
"You have to make me a promise kiddo." Cory nodded. "You have to keep figrthing so you get better." He knew it wasn't his fault when he got sick but Chris's eyes were tender and he was scared.
"I will grandpa." Cory's voice broke.
"Good boy." Chris stroked Cory's cheek gently. "You want to know why your dad picked up that name for you Cor?"
"It was because of his brother, right?" The young boy asked. "Because he was sad about not meeting him."
"Yes and no." Chris said. Finn's eyes widened. "When I was in the army I met this guy, he was a couple years younger than me. He didn't have kids or a wife but he planned to marry his girlfriend..." Finn, and by the looks of it, Carole had never heard this story. "But one day, there was an accident and we lost almost all our unit. Only a couple of us were left. Cory wanted to be a doctor so he had enlisted in the Army to help people, given he didn't make it to medical school because he had wanted to be like his dad, and yet there was something in Cory that stopped him from being like his dad, he wanted to help people, by healing them, not being in a war. So he became an Army doctor."
"What happened to him?" the young boy asked. Chris took a deep breath and smiled up at Finn.
"He died, trying to save people's lives. Mine included, but man do I remember his smile and how he used to talk about this girl he was planning to marry, have kids with, be happy." Chris smiled. "I'll never forget that boy and the way he changed my life, if it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't be here and neither would you or your dad." Rachel and Carole were crying.
"Grandpa?"Cory asked after a moment. "If you see your friend in heaven when you go? Will you tell him I said thank you?" Rachel held her breath as she looked at Finn.
"I won't forget." His grandfather said in all honesty. And he meant it.
"Dad?" Chris had finally made it back home by the end of the week, but Finn and Rachel had refused to go back to New York. "What are you doing?" Chris had spent a great amount of time in his room, just like he did back in New York in his man cave.
"Come in." His dad spoke. He was on his wheelchair drinking beer. Oh well, that would be a good one when Rachel and Carole returned from the store with the kids.
"Ah man, I missed beers" His dad said mocking the look on his son's face. "What?"
"Mom does know you keep these in her bedroom?" Finn asked sternly.
"You starting to sound like her. or your wife." Finn glared. "And no. I asked for some help with getting them up without her knowing."
"Ah, and what's the occasion?" Finn asked.
"Mind you knowing but... you didn't inherit your mother's singing voice. Sadly." He mocked. "You came after me on that. Admit it. You might have moved to New York and be all fancy now, even I got caught off guard by the lights of the big city and yet, here we are, in Lima." He remembered when he was younger and having seen his dad with the guitar, yeah, he'd learned to play to, but, he'd fallen in love with music trough drums.
"So now you want to admit you weren't made for the city, like I am?"
"Yes well, you managed to make yourself hard to make up, blended in..."
"And yet, here we are." Finn admitted. There was a long silence between the two. "
I know you and your wife are choir champions and all and I would never get to her Broadway standard but... I was wondering if you'd sing with me?"
Finn smiled brightly. Like he had been told as a child he'd get to go with Chris to work. His dad asked him to get his old guitar from the closet and Finn was shaking when he finally saw his dad grab it, he might have been sick but his hands seemed to be spared the moment he began to play.
FINN:
This old man and me, were at the bar and we...
Were having us some beers and swappin' I-don't-cares
Talking politics, blonde and redhead chicks
CHRIS:
Old dogs and new tricks, and habits we ain't kicked
We talked about God's grace, and all the hell we raised
Then I heard the ol' man say
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy
FINN:
He said I fought two wars, been married and divorced
What brings you to Ohio, he said damned if I know
FINN:
We talked an hour or two, 'bout every girl we knew
What all we put them through, like two old boys will do
We pondered life and death, he lit a cigarette
Said these damn things will kill me yet
But God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy
CHRIS:
Last call was 2 a.m., I said goodbye to him
I never talked to him again
FINN:
Then one sunny day, I saw the old man's face
Front page obituary, he was a millionairee
CHRIS:
He left his fortune to some guy he barely knew
His kids were mad as hell, but me...I'm doing well
FINN:
And I dropped by today, to just say thanks and pray
And I left a six-pack right there on his grave
And I said, God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy
FINN AND CHRIS
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy
FINN AND CHRIS
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy
what did you guys think? An epilougue is coming soon! I just thought it would be sweet for Finn and Chris to sing together! and the song seemed fitting! it's "People are crazy" by Billy Currington which I don'r own.
Thank you for reading! Please review if you can!