Finn found himself outside on the plaza of McKinley's auditorium. The last thing he remembered was Thanksgiving and being inside Rachel and getting to touch his mom and being pulled and pushed out of Rachel's body and her holding him and crying and him knowing she was taking his place in his mom's life and, and… All the thoughts flying through his mind was making him dizzy, so he sat down on one of the concrete benches that were scattered around the plaza.
He placed his head in his hands to center himself and get calm. He needed to follow his routine, even though there was no Rachel around at the moment. As he looked at the trees around him, he saw the buds, and the yellow buttercups popping up at the base of the trees. That meant it was March or April, right? So it had been about five months since the last time he was here. What happened over that time? Was his mom better? What about Rachel, would she still remember him? Finn stood up, and felt dizzy again and sat back down, but instead of stopping at the seat, he went right through and hit the sidewalk.
Now that both his head and his ass hurt, he slowly got up again, grabbing onto the bench to steady himself and stood still until he felt his balance come back. He needed to find out what was going on, and the only way was to go into McKinley and find Rachel. The parking lot was empty except for a few cars, one of which had to be Rachel's. Who else would drive a red Volkswagen bug with a gold star on the back? As he started to walk toward the auditorium's doors, he saw Rachel, balled up into the corner of hallway next to the auditorium whimpering, surrounded by Karofsky, Azimio and Rick the Stick; the biggest goons of McKinley. Not knowing what he would do, he took off in a dead sprint, a feeling of terror coursed through him as he went through doors and walls until he placed himself in between a cowering Rachel and the three bullies. He didn't know how he would protect her since he was in his ghostly state, but he would do whatever he was in his power to protect her.
"Come on Berry. Just take this like the hobbit you are. Your gay boyfriend pissed us off, and so he's gonna pay. Through you." Finn grimaced as Azimio talked. They were going after Rachel because of her boyfriend? That was just being a dumbass, but even dumbasses make people angry and Finn could feel his anger rise as he felt his body want to contract into a ball, like Rachel's was, but instead he sent cold blasts of air out from him and towards the three goons.
"Is it getting colder in here? Nah." Finn heard Karofsky ask as the cold hit him, but shook his head in denial.
"Yea, what makes him think he has the right to call us out in lunch and try to get us to join Homo Explosion, huh? I think he wears his girlie scarves a little too tight to be into you midget. Of course you do have the man hands and big nose, maybe he thinks you're a dude," Finn watched as Rick laughed cruelly as he advanced on Rachel, and Finn instinctually put his hands up to stop him, his anger moving like waves from him, causing the locker doors to start to shake and rattle violently.
"Dude, the lockers are shaking. Is there an earthquake or something?" Finn noticed the worry in Azimio's voice and saw it in his eyes, but Karofsky, the one he was truly worried about, was coming closer to Rachel, leering at her, while she tried to make herself even smaller, her arms encircling her protectively.
"Something tells me, that he hasn't even tapped you yet, has he Berry? I don't know why, since you're always wearing those short skirts that don't leave anything to the imagination. Why don't I help him out and break you in for him, hmmmmm?" Finn could see the vileness come off of Karofsky in waves as a wave of nausea overtook him at Karofsky's words. Why was he getting these double feelings? He was madder than hell, he shouldn't feel sad or sick to his stomach, what was going on?
He didn't have time to dwell on it though since Karofsky was right in front of him, his evil stench filling Finn's nose, the animalistic way he looked at Rachel, Finn snapped. Not knowing what would happen, Finn focused all his energy onto Karofsky and moving him away from Rachel, and shoved with all of his strength, and watched in shock as the teen went flying backwards through the air and hit a rattling locker with a thud.
Finn stood there for a second in shock, since he had expected to go right through Karofsky, but instead, it was like he was solid when he shoved him. Unfortunately, despite something unknown flinging him across the room, Karofsky stood up and started after Rachel again, incensing Finn even more. As the offensive lineman again stood in front of Finn, he heard a sudden gasp as he sent left jab directly at the teen's face, sending him reeling, this time unconscious to the floor. Finn looked up to see the other two tormentors scattering, with looks of horror on their faces, and as he looked down, Finn saw his solid jeans.
He had materialized. Without Rachel even touching him.
A soft whimper forced Finn to turn and see Rachel still curled up into a ball, clutching onto a pink microphone like it was her lifeline, tears streaking her cheeks and his heart clenched. Finn got down on his knees and was shocked when he lightly touched her arm and she recoiled even more from him and he felt self-doubt and terror enveloped him. "Rach. Rachel, it's me Finn. I'm not going to hurt you. You know that. Calm down, Karofsky is out cold and the other two are gone, but I need to get out of here before he wakes up. Come on Rachel, just take my hand. I won't hurt you." Finn stroked her knuckles, white with fear, until he felt her slowly relax and open her fingers up to place in his. When he felt her relax enough, he relaxed too and picked her up bridal style. He stood up and moved through the arts wing looking for some place to go that was private. He finally found a deserted practice room that was now used for storage, and carried her in, locking the door behind them, not wanting anyone barging in on them.
As he touched her, he could feel the humiliation, shock and horror that encompassed her thoughts. The tears that fell were hers, since the only emotion he had towards those assholes was pure rage. He knew that they bullied, but generally it was slushies, not terrorizing. Finn turned and grabbed Rachel to him, and held onto her tight as she struggled against him, still in shock. Finn wasn't going to let her go. He'd been gone for too long and now she was hurt and scared, and he wasn't going to let that happen again, so the more she struggled and pulled away, the tighter he embraced her, softly rubbing her shoulder and laying kisses on her head. He didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything but hoped that she could feel how much he cared for her, like he could.
When her sobs stopped and she started to embrace him, he pulled away and looked at her, pulling her chin up so that they were looking eye to eye, "Is there anything I can do Rach? Just tell me and I'll do it." He was answered with a shake of her head as she buried it into his chest and after a minute or two heard her soft snores as her muscles relaxed against him. Sliding down the wall until he was sitting on the floor, he guided Rachel with him until she was lying on his lap, her head resting against him. He wasn't going to wake her, she needed to relax and calm down from what had just happened.
While she slept Finn had time to process everything that had just happened; he had turned solid without Rachel touching him, he had physically affected things and people, and he could touch things without going through them if he wanted to. This was all just very weird and new, but it wasn't as important as Rachel and her safety. What was it those goons said, they were coming after her because of what her boyfriend said or did? Rachel had a boyfriend? Just yesterday, for him, they were making out in her bed before Thanksgiving and he'd even slept with her, platonically, but still, and now she had a boyfriend? That just wasn't fair.
Of course he knew it wasn't fair for him to think she would have a relationship with a ghost. It wasn't like he could take her out on dates or anything. There was no future because Finn would forever be stuck as a sixteen year old and Rachel would grow up and move on, but still. There was something about her that brought him to her, which allowed only her to see him. He just wish he knew what it was and why. It would make things so much easier. Finn felt Rachel adjust herself in his lap and he rested his cheek against her soft, fragrant hair and then kissed her as she whimpered in her sleep. That just made him hold onto her more tightly, giving her some security.
He had so many questions floating around in his head, especially dealing with Rachel, he decided to do something he had never done before, and he was talk to God. Finn looked up at the spit wad covered ceiling and let out a shuddering breath as he whispered, "Hey God, it's me, Finn. Finn Hudson? I'm the guy that died on my way home from school a while ago, and for some reason you've made me a ghost. The thing is the only person that can see me is this really sweet girl who I didn't even know when I was alive, Rachel Berry. She's asleep on my lap right now because some goons were trying to hurt her and I stopped them. For some reason I'm always around when something bad might happen to her and seem to prevent it. Did you, like, make me her guardian angel? I wasn't much of an angel when I was alive. I mean I was nice and all, but I wasn't an angel. Why can Rachel turn me solid when she touches me? What is this connection between us? I think I'm starting to have these really intense feelings for her but now she has a boyfriend, that has to be a douche if he gets the goons mad at him and try to take it out on her, I mean how messed up is that? Can you like give me a hint as to why I'm not in heaven and am haunting Rachel? Please God; I think I deserve an answer." Finn sat back and relaxed as he ended his ramble, allowing Rachel to curl into him more as he just sat there rubbing her back and placing intermittent kisses on the top of her head.
Finn wasn't sure how long he had held Rachel as he listened to the silence of the outside hallway, but he suddenly sat up hearing two familiar voices. "Coach Sylvester, Karofsky is knocked out and he was cold cocked by this nasty, huge monster thing. It just appeared out of nowhere, standing in front of that Berry girl." Finn felt his ire rise as he listened to Rick.
"Yea coach, we were just seeing what was wrong with the hobbit Berry and this thing just appeared and threw us back and hurt Karofsky. We have to see if he's okay!" Finn heard the lies come from Azimio's mouth and started to feel an incensed flame start in his stomach.
"Well boys, here's the hallway and there's no Karofsky and no Berry. Now I can probably guess why that theatre loving singer would be in the wing, but not you three. The only art appreciation you three have is for the lighting of the Playboy centerfold. Now come on, let's check these rooms to see if either one is in them." Finn tensed at that and moved away from the door, making sure he had it bolted. His movement woke Rachel up and as she looked at him and started to say something, Finn saw the knob rattle as someone outside tried it. Covering her mouth with his hand, he shushed her quietly as heard talking just outside the door and then the people talking leave.
When he was sure that he and Rachel were safe, he looked at her as she stayed in his lap, her head resting on his shoulder, warm breath tickling his neck. He felt her lips move against his neck and heard a soft, "Thank you Finn." Finn didn't say anything, but used his finger to position her head and leaned down, capturing her lips in a hungry, longing kiss. This was so different from the kisses before, if was exploring and capturing of each other's essence.
Kissing Rachel Berry was heaven for Finn, and since he wasn't in heaven, he could at least feel like he was as he kissed her, tasting citrus on her tongue as she explored his mouth. He let out a less than manly whimper when she nipped at his lips and then sucked on his tongue, the suction on his mouth going straight below his belt. She was his heaven, that he was sure, and as he moved over top of her to change the angle and deepen the kiss, his erection must have poked her, because she suddenly stopped and pulled out from under him, sitting up against a stack of chairs as far away from him. Finn was confused, because they were just making out, hot and heavy and now Rachel had pulled away and looked like she was Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter. Finn reached out to touch her softly, but saw Rachel visibly shrink back from him, confusing him even more. "Rachel, what's wrong? What have I done? Please tell me. I thought you were enjoying what we were doing as much as I was."
He watched as Rachel brought her yellow cardigan closer around her, like a shield. "Finn, I- I have a boyfriend now. I just cheated on him…with a ghost. I'm an adulterer, a cheater. I'm a horrible girlfriend to Jesse!" Finn's eyes widened as Rachel's voice rose the more she talked, tears threatening to start again.
Scooting next to her, but not touching, Finn looked at Rachel, hurt evident in his voice, "But we made out and slept together. Not sleep together but sleep together ya know. I even possessed you! How can you have a boyfriend? Don't I mean something to you?" He wanted to grab onto her, but refrained, and noticed that he started feeling lighter than before.
"It's been five months Finn! I haven't seen you for five months and I can't really have a relationship with a ghost. It's not practical and downright creepy! I have to live a normal life, while I appreciated the experience, drama and irony of being in a relationship with a ghost, it's not practical. Jesse, he's been there for me, is sweet and has the same goals that I have. He appreciates my talents and ideas. And he's alive. He breathes! You don't. Your chest doesn't move, but you still have breath, which is really weird." Finn watched as Rachel shook her head at her own thought and continued, "Anyway, Jesse is my boyfriend and I need you to respect that and me, please." Finn just stared at Rachel while she talked, never looking at him but at a loose thread on the hem of her cardigan, until she asked him to respect him, looking him directly in the eye.
Finn didn't know what was going on, and the thought of Rachel having a boyfriend created a heavy feeling in his stomach. It wasn't right. He liked Rachel, like a lot, but of course it could be due to the fact that she was the only one that was able to see him, so that could have something to do with it too. But there was just something about Rachel, that even if he hadn't died, he thinks he would have gravitated towards her; there was just something special about her.
"Rachel, the last thing I want to do is hurt you, surely you know that. I just, I just don't know. All I can say is Jesse is one lucky s.o.b. to have you as a girlfriend then. But I have to ask, does that mean I can't be around you anymore? Not like I ever have a choice in the matter, but still?" He tried to hide the disappointment in his voice, but didn't do a very good job when he saw tears come to her eyes again.
"Of course I'll help you Finn. I would never abandon someone in need." Finn felt her hand on his already solid arm, "Finn! You were solid before I touched you. You were solid when Karofsky and his Neanderthals terrorized me! Finn, they saw you." All he could do was nod his head.
"I don't know why I became solid, Rach. And I've been solid this entire time, that's how I was able to move you in here. I wish I knew what the hell was going on with me." Finn saw Rachel open her mouth to respond, but the sounds of people calling Rachel's name, put a stop to her saying anything. As she went to the door to open it, he felt himself become light again as she walked through the door.
Rachel looked back as she left the storage room, and Finn was his ghostly-self, a forlorn look on his face as he eventually disappeared to wherever he goes. Turning her attentions to her "rescuers" Rachel called out, "I'm here!" She watched as Mr. Schue and Artie came up, her teacher hugging her and Artie checking her over for injuries.
"Rachel! Where in the hell have you been? You were just going to the auditorium to get your microphone!" Rachel smiled a little at the concern in her mentor's voice.
Despite her teacher's concern, she wanted to know why her boyfriend wasn't looking for her, but her teacher and friend were, "Where's Jesse, why isn't he with you?" Rachel kept looking around Mr. Schue, trying to see if Jesse was behind him.
"He's trying your cell phone and he went to go get Figgins. I'm sure he'll be here soon. So, are you going to tell us what happened and why you were in a practice room?"
Rachel gulped, because Mr. Schue knew this wing like the back of his hand and knew all the doors were always kept locked, so explaining how she got into a locked practice room was going to be tough. "Can I sit down for a second? I'm a little woozy from my attack." Rachel watched Artie pat his lap as she sat down carefully and leaned her head on his shoulder. His shoulder was much more boney than Finn's that was for sure. This gave her a few seconds to come up with an answer that would satisfy Mr. Schue, "Well, I retrieved my bedazzled microphone from the auditorium and I heard voices calling after me, those Neanderthals, Karofsky, Azimio and Rick the Stick. I took off to get away from them but in my haste got confused and trapped in a dead end hall. The three advanced on me, threatening me, and I believe I passed out in fear. Anyway, I woke up in the practice room. I don't know how I got in there. I just remember those three advancing on me and making lewd, disgusting threats and that's it. I'm sorry Mr. Schue." Rachel watched for his reaction and saw his jaw clench when she talked about being threatened, so she knew he believed her. It was technically true, she just didn't include the part about a Finn protecting her and beating the crap out of Karofsky.
Rachel allowed Artie to wheel her to the nurse's office, where she met with Jesse, as he squeezed her to death. "My tiny songbird! I've been so worried about you." She tried to smile, but she couldn't help but compare his hug to Finn's, and Finn's was much warmer and loving, despite being a ghost. She felt Jesse place her on the bed and sit beside her as the nurse came over and took her vitals and asked questions about what had happened and such.
Rachel stiffened when she heard all three goons voices as well as Coach Sylvester's. They were in the other room with Mr. Figgins. Rachel peered over the metal and glass partition and saw Karofsky with an ice pack on his head and Azimio and Rick both sitting beside him arguing, holding a piece of paper between them. She heard Figgins tell the boys to go to his office because their parents were there, and watched as he followed them, the paper left on the bed they had been sitting at. She needed to see that paper before the nurse got ahold of it, but it was obvious Jesse wasn't going to leave her alone, since he kept ahold of her hand. She needed to get rid of him. She cared for her boyfriend, but right now, she needed to protect Finn.
Grabbing Jesse's hand, she brought it up to her chest and rubbed his knuckles, "Jesse, when Karofsky and his goons came after me, they said it was retribution against something you did to them at lunch. What did you do to upset them up so much that they wanted to get to you, by coming after me?"
Rachel watched Jesse's blue eyes turn slightly fearful and he seemed to think carefully before he spoke, "At lunch today, those three uncultured buffoons decided to accost me about the "gayness" of show choir and regionals. I simply asked rather loudly if they were so threatened by show choir because they secretly wanted to join and if they kept referring to the "gayness" because they were secretly homosexual. They shut up and left us alone. I put them in their place by being smarter than their single celled brains." Rachel watched Jesse shrug and then pull her to him in a comforting gesture, but it just creeped her out. He called, out loud in front of the school, three big time athletes' sexuality and didn't think it was a big deal. No wonder Karofsky looked like he wanted to rape her in the hall. He was going to prove his manhood. If it hadn't been for Finn, she would probably be bloodied and defiled in that hallway right now.
Putting a forced smile on her face, she turned to Jesse and gave him her best pouty face, "Jesse, could you get my things out of my locker and then call my fathers to see when they're going to be here. Please?" She watched as he nodded and kissed her forehead before getting up and leaving the office, giving her a few moments alone.
Rachel stood and looked around to make sure no one was around and snuck over to where the goons had been and snatched the drawing paper that was sitting there. She quickly went back to her side and lay down on the bed and looked at the paper and had to swallow the laugh that threatened to escape. This is was how they saw Finn? It was ridiculous. They obviously trashed their minds with watching too many horror movies. They must have had someone in the art department draw it, because it was a rather good drawing despite its funny subject. She could tell it was supposed to be Finn by the red number five jersey, that was shredded, the same with the jeans, his skin was a rather a mottled grey and yellow, with deep scarlet scars marring his face, neck and scalp. His hair was matted down with red, and a large, deep gash ran from his left eye clear past his ear, the skin pulled away showing this muscle underneath. His lips were snarled upward with his teeth, some missing, some chipped and she could almost feel his ice cold breath coming from it. His body was larger, taller and more built. He seemed much more muscular, almost like the Incredible Hulk, but even more menacing with the way his waxy skin was stretched over his muscles, like his skin was too small for his body. There were deep, jagged red cuts were exposed where his clothes were shredded, and to her horror, his right hand was missing, just tissue and muscle in place of a hand. Rachel covered her mouth to keep the nausea that rapidly formed down as she continued to look. His right arm hung disjointedly from his body. His femur was roughly broken and sticking out of his leg. Despite how grotesque this picture looked, it was his eyes that drew her in; they looked like whiskey on fire. They were drawn in the same amber that looked at her, but there was a flame added, making them glow in a very menacing manner. Something seen in nightmares. This wasn't her Finn, not at all.
When she heard footsteps, she quickly folded the drawing and stuffed it in her bra so no one would see, and laid back down looking shaky and weak. Jesse and both of her fathers hurried in, clucking over her like mother hens, asking her how she was and Papa even inquired into suing the boys. Rachel hugged them and told them it would only make things worse and that all she wanted to do was go home.
"Well, we are going to go home and get your favorite Italian and let you rest. Jesse, why don't you let Rachel rest tonight after this huge ordeal, okay? You need her ready for Saturday and the Regionals, don't you?" Rachel had never been so grateful for her daddy and his logical thinking then right then. If Jesse didn't come over, maybe she could summon Finn and talk to him.
She allowed her fathers to lead her out of the school while Jesse held her hand and kissed her cheek when they were at the car. When they got home, Rachel fought the urge run upstairs to her room, but instead took each stair slowly as her fathers watched, turning and giving them a weak smile before she entered her room, latching the door behind her. She didn't need interruptions.
Changing into pink yoga pants and a black t-shirt, she pulled her hair into a pony tail and pulled the drawing out of her bra and flattened it on her bed. Sitting cross-legged on her comforter, closing her eyes and taking a meditative frame of mind, she called out, "Finn. I need to talk to you. I need to show you something. Please come Finn. Whoever oversees him, or takes care of him, please let him come see me. This is important and I need to talk to him." Rachel tried to keep her voice low and calm, but she could hear the panic in it. She needed Finn, like now. She just kept quietly chanting Finn's name over and over until she felt a cold breeze surround her, making her smile, because she knew Finn was hugging her.
As she opened her eyes, she saw his sweet whiskey eyes looking at her, full of concern, his strong arms surrounding her protectively. "What's wrong my wee star?"
"Wee star?"
She watched Finn shrug, "Yea, means little star. You're little right? And wee means little, plus you want to be a star and get out of Lima, so wee star." Rachel couldn't hide her smile at her nickname Finn had given her. "So tell me why you called for me? It must have been urgent for the power to be to let me come. So what?" All she wanted to do was snuggle into his hand that was holding her cheek, but she needed to show him.
She pulled back from his touch and pointed to the paper on her bed, simply stating, "This." She watched as he focused and actually picked up the paper, something he hadn't been able to do before, and study it, his brow creasing in thought.
"Is this supposed to be me?" She could hear the bewilderment in his voice.
Nodding, Rachel touched the paper and told him the story of it was a composite that the goons had created of what they had seen when he had protected her. "Wow. This is weird, because I think I know why they saw me like this. Ever since I've met you, I'm starting to remember things from right before my accident to when I died. Do you want to hear?"
All she could do was nod her head in encouragement and reached out and touched him, making him solid, and moved to sit his lap, so she could feel as close to him as possible while he told his story.
She watched as he dragged his hand over his face, steeling himself to tell his story, "I remember high fiving Puck and getting into my truck and pulling out of the parking lot. Before I did, I remember something made me look over at the football field and saw a girl standing in the middle of it doing something. Even though she was far away, she was pretty, wearing a big bright pink hat and a light pink sleeveless dress. Even though that's all I could see in that glimpse, it stuck with me, but anyway I wanted to stop and get a shake before heading home, so I turned to go to Dairy Queen, and stopped at that light at Sherman and Main. Anyway, the light turned green and I started to go straight, and a semi plowed through his red light and hit me. He had laid his horn, but my radio was turned up so loud I didn't hear it. He hit me broadside on the passenger side, but it was a fully loaded semi, so it went right through my truck like it was soft butter. I know I died on impact. I could feel the metal and glass just rip through me. It literally pushed me out of my truck so that I was on the pavement. When I died, I looked down at my body and this is what I looked like, except for the skin. It was still normal looking. So Karofsky and idiots saw me as how I died, wow."
Rachel was speechless as she listened, but she could feel him fading, this keeper pulling him away, and she needed to tell him something she realized from his story. "Finn. Finn before you leave, I have to tell you something."
"What Rach?"
"The girl you saw on the football field when you left. That was me. I was practicing the national anthem for that night's game."
"So you were the last person I saw and thought of before I died," and he was gone.