Thanks a lot for your reviews on Chapter 38. This was one of my favorite Season 2 episodes, so I was really excited to rewatch the episode and write this chapter. And I got to add in a few Finchel moments since it felt like Finn was finally rediscovering his love for Rachel! There was one Finchel moment that I particularly enjoyed writing, and I bet you'll know what it is when you get to it ;) Enjoy and review if you want me to keep going!

Chapter 39: Original Song

Rachel was discovering that writing songs wasn't as easy as she thought it would be.

Her Broadway song was a failure. She knew that lots of good songs out there were about hurt. Yes, she wanted to write a song about her love for Finn, but she'd be too afraid to share that song with everyone. She had always longed for a sibling growing up, because a sibling was like a built in friend. She was starting to bond with Kurt and Mercedes, but she hadn't had friends for most of her life. Maybe this could work. Rachel had come up with a song and found Finn in the hall, leading him into the choir room. "Okay, so, I really took all of your notes from My Headband to heart. And I really tapped into my pain for this song. So come and sit down." She handed Finn a box of tissues. "These are for you. Just in case. It's pretty emotional. Don't be afraid if you need to..." She turned to Brad. "Hit it." Brad began playing the music.

Rachel: You've got just one egg
You're not going to make an omelet
Flying just one way
You're not going to make a jet set
Sister, brother, wherefore are thou?
No need for bunk beds in my bedroom, now
Oh, damn you, dads
Why did you settle for only me?
I'm an only child,
More than enough for them, but not enough for me
An only child
The only Berry on the tree

At the end of the song, Rachel turned to Finn. "It's called Only Child."

Finn nodded. "Yeah, I got that. Uh, it's better than My Headband, that's for sure. But it still feels like you're just playing scared. You're only dealing with the easy pain. You got to get to the hard stuff. That's what's relatable to everybody."

It felt as if he was asking her to write a song about how much she missed him. "I'm perfectly capable of accessing my pain. I cry every time I sing a solo," Rachel protested.

"Exactly," Finn said. "When you sing, I can feel it. I guess you just got to go inside yourself to wherever the singing comes from, and write from there."

"Have you even ever tried to write a song?" Rachel asked. "I thought it was going to be easy, but it's not."

"Are you afraid?" Finn asked. "Afraid to write about what you really want to write about?"

Rachel felt like Finn was pushing her for an answer. "Finn, there are some things that just can't be shared with people. The really hard stuff, I want to keep to myself."

"Like what?" Finn asked.

Like how Finn had lied to her about his virginity? Like how she'd acted on impulse and he hadn't listened to her side of the story? Like how she was sure that he was dating a girl who'd done something much worse to him that she had? "I don't really want to talk about it," Rachel said.

"What's up?" Finn asked. "You've been acting kind of odd lately."

"I'm fine, Finn," Rachel said. She didn't want to ask him if he was with Quinn. Maybe it would be better for her to figure out for herself.

"Didn't you just say recently that you want us to be comfortable around each other?" Finn asked.

"I'm comfortable around you," Rachel said. "I wouldn't have asked you to listen to my song if I wasn't."

"I guess you're right," Finn said. "Well, I'd love to hear more songs from you. You are getting there."

x

The next afternoon in glee club, Mr. Schue was in the front of the choir room, holding up a piece of paper. "Guys, I've got some bad news. You know how we decided on Sing by My Chemical Romance for Regionals? Well, I hold in my hand a cease and desist letter from the band. We can't do it."

"It was the perfect anthem," Puck complained.

"How much do you want to bet Coach Sylvester has something to do with this?" Mercedes asked.

"One step ahead of you," Mr. Schue said. "She's behind it, but we'll have to come up with another plan."

"So what are we going to do now?" Mercedes asked.

Rachel thought maybe it was worth another try. "I think we should write original songs for Regionals." Maybe she couldn't do it by herself, but maybe they could all do it together.

"All those in favor of voting Rachel down a second time?" Santana asked.

Just about everyone raised their hands, and Rachel felt pretty let down. Then Quinn spoke. "No. I think Rachel is right. This team works best when we push ourselves and do something a little different."

Quinn liked Rachel's idea? Why hadn't she said anything earlier?

"That's true, but if all the other teams are doing amazing songs we're not going to be so good," Mercedes said.

"You're right," Quinn said. "We're not going to be as good. We're going to be better. We won't be using other people's words or music. It'll be our own. Our own heart, soul, not just our voices. We have a really talented songwriter in our midst: Rachel. I was thinking maybe you and I could write a song together."

What was going on? Quinn had never been this nice to her before.

"I'm with Quinn and Rachel," Finn said. "I mean, if these two can agree on something, it's probably an idea worth considering."

"Wait, wait, so suddenly, you two are writing the music for Regionals?" Santana asked. "No way. I think that everyone should get a chance to write a song."

"Santana's right. We can do this," Sam said.

"What do you think, Mr. Schue?" Mercedes asked.

"I think we're doing original songs for Regionals," Mr. Schue said.

Rachel was surprised that Quinn thought it was a good idea to write songs, but she wasn't complaining. Maybe someone here had something that could get them a Regionals victory.

x

Finn stood at his locker when he saw Quinn standing there. "What do you want to wear to prom?" Quinn asked.

Finn was so tired of hearing Quinn talk about prom. "What?"

"Look, I know you're excited about Regionals. So am I. Wasn't I the one that supported Rachel's crazy original song idea?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah. That was cool, by the way," Finn admitted.

"But whether we win that or even Nationals, it's not going to put you and I back where we belong," Quinn said.

"Which is where?" Finn asked.

"On top," Quinn said, as if Finn was stupid.

Finn was even more confused now. "On top of what?"

"We need to get elected for prom king and queen," Quinn demanded. "It's the ultimate status symbol. So after Regionals, we'll go public with our relationship, and start the campaign."

Finn was so tired of this. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why? Because of Rachel?" Quinn asked.

Crap. She knew. "She's really fragile right now. I just think we should wait until after Nationals."

"Okay, first, it was after Regionals. Now it's after Nationals? Do you want to be in this relationship or not?" Quinn snapped.

Finn was beginning to get a little overwhelmed. He didn't want to be in this relationship. But he was a bit intimidated by her. "Whoa. Scary Quinn. Okay. Uh... After Regionals."

Quinn gave Finn a weird look. "After Regionals."

x

The glee club was in the middle of their second meeting of songwriting, and the candidates yesterday hadn't been very good. Santana had written a song about Sam's mouth, and Puck had written a song for Lauren called "Big Ass Heart." When Finn got home, he had gotten started on a song, but he wasn't sure if he could finish it, or what the rest of the glee club would think of it. But as Mercedes finished performing a song she'd written called "Hell To The No," Finn was even more tempted to share his song and see if anyone liked it or thought it could be expanded.

"Mercedes, really, really good," Mr. Schue said at the end of the song.

"Thank you," Mercedes said.

"But..." Mr. Schue began.

"But my butt, Mr. Schue. That song was amazing," Mercedes said.

"No, I agree. I'm just not sure that it's Regionals material," Mr. Schue said.

"Mr. Schue, I wrote another verse of Trouty Mouth," Santana said.

"No, guys. Just think about it. What's your favorite song of all time?" Mr. Schue asked.

"My Headband," Brittany said.

"Alanis Morissette's You Oughta Know," Santana said.

"What's Going On, Marvin Gaye," Puck said.

"Puckerman, you're on a roll," Lauren said.

"Okay, and what are all those songs about?" Mr. Schue asked.

"Headbands," Brittany said.

"All these songs come from a place of pain. The greatest songs are about hurt, and that's the side of yourselves I want you to get in touch with," Mr. Schue said.

"That should be easy. Coach Sylvester tortures us for no reason and tries to get the entire school to hate us," Artie said.

"Yesterday, she filled Britt's and my lockers with dirt," Santana said.

"Okay, slow down," Mr. Schue said as he wrote "dirt" on the whiteboard.

"She literally throws sticks at me," Mercedes said.

Mr. Schue added "sticks" on the whiteboard. "Okay, what else? What else?"

"She called the Ohio Secretary of State, saying she was me and that I want to legally change my name to Tina Cohen-Loser," Tina said.

"Okay, and how does that make you feel?" Mr. Schue asked, adding "Loser" to the board.

"Well, at first it hurts, but... Then it mostly makes you want to win," Finn said. This had been a lot of what the song he'd written was about.

Mr. Schue wrote "Like Me" next to "Loser." "Guys... I think you may have just found your song. Now let's get to writing."

"Mr. Schue, I actually started a song that could maybe work for this," Finn said. "Maybe we could finish it as a group?"

"Can we hear what you've come up with so far, Finn?" Mr. Schue asked.

Finn read the beginning of his song. "It's still a little rough, but I think it could work."

"Finn, that's really good," Sam said.

"You've basically done two verses for us," Mike said.

"Let's have it for Finn for giving us a headstart," Mr. Schue said.

Finn smiled to himself. Wouldn't Rachel be happy to hear that he'd come up with a song?

x

Meanwhile, Quinn had asked Rachel to meet her in the auditorium. As Rachel arrived, Quinn coldly said. "You're late."

"We're friends, right?" Rachel asked. Quinn had been so happy about songwriting, but that hadn't been very friendly.

"Yeah, I guess so," Quinn said indifferently.

"I mean, like everything happened last year," Rachel said. "You gave your baby to my mom. We kind of bonded over it, right?"

"What's your point?" Quinn snapped.

"My point is that I know we haven't spent a lot of time together this year, but I thought that we were close enough to be honest with each other," Rachel admitted.

"Go ahead, ask me," Quinn said.

Rachel wasn't going to hold back anymore. Besides, she'd rather ask Quinn than Finn. "Fine. Are you and Finn together?"

"Yes. It's been a couple of weeks. It's like Groundhog's Day with you, Rachel. How many times do you have to make the same mistake to realize it's not going to work out?" Quinn ranted.

Rachel felt like she'd been stabbed in the heart. "Thank you for being honest with me, Quinn, and... And I'm happy for you and Finn, but don't go and try to rewrite history, okay? It was real between us. He chose me over you."

"And how long did that last for?" Quinn asked.

"Why are you being so mean?" Rachel thought out loud.

Quinn began approaching Rachel and giving her threatening looks. "Do you want to know how this story plays out? I get Finn, you get heartbroken, and then Finn and I stay here and start a family. I'll become a successful real estate agent, and Finn will take over Kurt's dad's tire shop. You don't belong here, Rachel, and you can't hate me for helping to send you on your way."

Rachel shook her head, fighting back tears in her eyes. "No. I'm not giving up on Finn. It's not over between us." She didn't care about Broadway anymore. She cared about Finn. She'd rather lose her voice and be with Finn than have a lifetime on the stage without him.

"Yes, it is!" Quinn shouted. "You're so frustrating, and that is why you can't write a good song. Because you live in this little schoolgirl fantasy of life. Rachel, if you keep looking for that happy ending, then you are never going to get it right. So we're done with that, and why don't we just return to our work, okay?"

Rachel now knew exactly who Quinn was. She'd manipulated Rachel only to hurt her. She pretended to be her friend when she knew Rachel needed friends. And Rachel couldn't stand to be in the same room as her anymore. "No, I think I'm gonna write this song on my own."

Rachel went home in tears and decided she was going to do it. She was going to put all her thoughts into a song.

x

By the time Regionals arrived, Rachel hadn't spoken to Finn in over a week. Finn had a feeling she'd figured it out. Finn had been trying to make things up to Rachel. He asked Mr. Schue to give him and Rachel the leads in the group number at Regionals. He'd suggested privately to Mr. Schue that they award an MVP award at Regionals since he knew Rachel would get it. He'd asked if he could see her song before Regionals, but rather than performing it for him, she e-mailed him the lyrics.

She arrived late to glee rehearsals and sat far away from him. Right before they were supposed to go on stage, Finn went up to Rachel at the mirror. "Hey. Break a leg."

Rachel turned to Finn. "Last time we were here, you told me you loved me."

Finn still loved Rachel. He just couldn't say that. Not when he was with Quinn. "I really like your song."

"Listen carefully, because I mean every word of it," Rachel said.

When the announcer announced the New Directions, Rachel went on stage to perform her song, and it was even better when Finn actually heard it.

Rachel: What have I done
I wish I could run
Away from this ship going under
Just trying to help
Hurt everyone else
Now I feel the weight of the world
Is on my shoulders
What can you do when your good isn't good enough
And all that you touch, tumbles down
'Cause my best intentions
Keep making a mess of things
I just wanna fix it somehow
But how many times will it take
Oh, how many times will it take for me
To get it right
To get it right
Can I start again
With my faith shaken
Rachel with Tina and Brittany: 'Cause I can't go back and undo this
Rachel: I just have to stay
And face my mistakes
Rachel with Tina and Brittany: But if I get stronger and wiser
Rachel: I'll get through this
Rachel with Tina and Brittany: What can you do when your good isn't good enough
And all that you touch, tumbles down
'Cause my best intentions
Keep making a mess of things
I just wanna fix it somehow
But how many times will it take?
Oh, how many times will it take for me?
Rachel: To get it right
So I throw up my fist
Throw a punch in the air
And accept the truth
That sometimes life isn't fair
Rachel with New Directions girls: Yeah, I'll send out a wish
Yeah, I'll send up a prayer
Rachel: And finally someone will see
How much I care
Rachel with New Directions girls: What can you do when your good isn't good enough
Rachel with New Directions girls: All that you touch, tumbles down
Oh, my best intentions
Keep making a mess of things
I just wanna fix it somehow
But how many times will it take?
Oh, how many times will it take?
Rachel: To get it right
To get it right

Throughout the song, Rachel kept looking at Finn, and he knew that this was for him. He couldn't help but wish he could help her get everything right. But it was time for the group song now, the one he'd spearheaded.

Rachel: Yeah, you may think that I'm a zero
But hey, everyone you wanna be
Probably started off like me
You may say that I'm a freak show
Santana: I don't care
Rachel: But hey, give it just a little time
I bet you gonna change your mind
All of the dirt you've been throwing my way
It ain't so hard to take
Rachel & Finn: That's right
Rachel: Cause I know one day you'll be screaming my name and I'll just look away
Rachel and Finn: That's right
New Directions: Just go ahead and hate on me run your mouth
So everyone can hear
Hit me with the worst you've got and knock me down
Baby I don't care
Keep it up and soon enough you'll figure out
You wanna be, you wanna be
A loser like me A loser like me
Finn: Push me up against the locker
And hey all I do is shake it off
I'll get you back when I'm your boss
I'm not thinking about you haters
Cause hey I could be a superstar
I'll see you when you wash my car
Rachel: All of the dirt you've been throwing my way It ain't so hard to take
Finn: That's right
Rachel: Cause I know one day you'll be screaming my name And I'll just look away
Finn: That's right
New Directions: Just go ahead and hate on me run your mouth
So everyone can hear
Hit me with the worst you've got and knock me down
Baby I don't care
Keep it up and soon enough you'll figure out
You wanna be, you wanna be
A loser like me A loser like me
Rachel: A loser like me
New Directions: Just go ahead and hate on me run your mouth
So everyone can hear
Hit me with the worst you've got and knock me down
Keep it up and soon enough you'll figure out
You wanna be, you wanna be a loser like me
Rachel: A loser like me
New Directions: A loser like me
Rachel: A loser like me
New Directions: A loser like me

At the end of the song, after the New Directions slushied the audience with confetti, Finn pulled Rachel over for a big hug, and she smiled the biggest he'd seen her smile in weeks. It felt like he was smiling the biggest he'd smiled since their breakup, too.

x

After the performance, while they were waiting for the results, Finn and Rachel went into one of the dressing rooms together. "You were really good," Rachel said.

"Thanks," Finn said. "So were you."

"You did a great job with that song," Rachel said.

"Everyone helped," Finn said.

"Yeah, but that was mostly you, I could tell," Rachel said. "And Kurt told me the confetti slushies at the end was your idea."

"It was," Finn said.

"That was brilliant," Rachel said.

Brilliant? That felt pretty good. "You should be MVP," Rachel said.

"No, you should," Finn said. "Your song was amazing."

"I miss you," Rachel said quietly.

"I miss you too," Finn said.

"Why?" Rachel asked. "Why are you with her?"

Finn didn't know how to answer this question. He'd only gotten with Quinn because he thought that it would help him get over Rachel. But he still loved Rachel. He was only loving her more.

"I'm so sorry," Rachel said again. "I wasn't thinking. I felt so sad and I was wrong and I was stupid and it's my biggest regret. I felt horrible right away and I just miss you and I love you and..."

Finn couldn't stand seeing Rachel so upset. "Rach..." he began, putting his arms around her. Without thinking, he leaned in and kissed her. Rachel returned the kiss before they pulled apart and she was smiling softly at him.

"We should probably keep what just happened between us," Rachel giggled.

"Yeah, we should," Finn agreed.

It was almost time to go hear the winner, so Finn and Rachel went to join the rest of the group on stage. "And now, to announce our winner, Lieutenant Governor Stevens' wife, Carla Turlington-Stevens!" the announcer said.

The lietenant governor's wife came on stage. "My husband is verbally abusive, and I have been drinking since noon," she said. "I'm bored. Let's just see who won, huh?" She opened the envelope. "The New Directions! You're going to Nationals in New York!"

They were going to Nationals? This was amazing! Finn gave Rachel a big hug as he watched Coach Sylvester knock the lieutenant governor's wife over.

Coach Sylvester was escorted off the stage before the announcer announced that the Warblers were second and Aural Intensity was third.

x

A few days after the competition, Mr. Schue arrived for glee practice. Rachel had a feeling today would be the awarding of the MVP award, and she hoped it would go to Finn.

"Ms. Holliday sends her best, and can't wait to congratulate you all in person when she gets back from her meditation retreat," Mr. Schue said. "Now, we all know that winning Regionals was a team effort, and Nationals isn't going to be any different. But like in sports, every winning team has a player that rises above to help carry their teammates to victory... The MVP. And I would like to start a tradition of honoring that player after every one of our competitions. So, per a unanimous vote by all of you, our Regionals MVP is Miss Rachel Berry! Come on up."

Rachel had won? She couldn't believe people had voted for her. The group was cheering as Mr. Schue handed her the trophy. "Congratulations!" Mr. Schue said.

"Thank you. If I could just say a few words?" Rachel asked.

"Sure," Mr. Schue said.

Rachel just wanted everyone to know that she thought they were all special, too. "Well, first of all, I just want to say how amazing the song you guys wrote was. I was so inspired. You know, it's funny. I've won a lot of trophies before for singing competitions and dancing competitions, but I've always felt like the girl who never gets the brass ring. And maybe I never will. But today and at Regionals, the way you guys believed in me and took a chance with me... All I've ever wanted was to feel special and to feel chosen, and I just, um... I wanted to thank you guys so much for giving me that. So... That's all."

The group came over and gave Rachel a big group hug, and she finally felt like she truly belonged.

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