Hey! Thanks so much for the reviews on the last chapter. I appreciate them. Neither Finn nor Rachel had much of a part in this episode, but I decided to add in some scenes since I love writing Finchel at Christmas. Plus, there were some parts I think we needed to see Finn experiencing. The duet, Christmas Lights by Coldplay, was rumored to be a Finchel duet on the Season 4 Christmas CD, so I decided to put it in here. I did think it would be good for them! Enjoy and review if I should keep going!
Chapter 80: Glee Actually
Finn sat in his room, playing a game on his xbox when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in," he said.
He looked up and saw his mom and Burt. Both of them were looking upset. "Hey, what's going on?"
"Finn, can you please turn off your xbox?" Burt asked. "We have something we need to talk to you about."
The tone in Burt's voice let Finn know that this was something serious. He tried to think. Had he done something lately that he shouldn't have done? He didn't think he had... then he remembered that Kurt was in New York. New York had a much higher crime rate than Lima. Was Kurt okay? Was Rachel?
Finn turned off his xbox and looked at Burt and Carole. "Whatever I did, I'm sorry."
"You didn't do anything, honey," Carole said. "We just... we got some news today... news we didn't want to get..."
Now Finn was sure something had happened to Kurt and Rachel in New York. Just when he'd started talking to Rachel again, she and Kurt were in trouble. He didn't know what to say, so he just nodded.
"I have cancer," Burt told Finn.
Finn felt like he'd been hit in the stomach. "What?" Burt had already had a heart attack. His health was fragile enough already. "Have you been sick lately?"
"Ever since my heart attack, I've been going to the doctor more regularly," Burt said. "I had a routine scan at my appointment last week, and they found cancer in my prostate."
Finn felt like he was going to throw up. "No."
"Finn..." Carole began.
"You can't," Finn said. He'd been missing a father figure for 16 years. Now he finally had one, and he might lose him.
"It's early stage," Burt continued. "Very treatable."
Finn knew his parents were trying to reassure him, but he also knew that there was always that chance. "Yeah, but there's always that small percentage..."
"Honey, we know you're upset," Carole said.
"Of course I'm upset!" Finn said.
"Hey, I managed to overcome a heart attack, didn't I?" Burt asked.
"Well... yes," Finn admitted. "But cancer's a bit more than a heart attack."
"And I'm going to be okay," Burt said. "Finn, please don't say anything to Kurt yet."
"Kurt doesn't know?" Finn asked.
"He doesn't," Burt repeated. "I'm going to try to visit him at Christmas to tell him."
"But..." Finn began. "Weren't we all going to go to my mom's sister's house for Christmas?"
"Kurt doesn't want to come home for Christmas," Burt said. "I talked to him on the phone last night and he said he wants to stay in New York.
So on what could be the last Christmas their family had together, Kurt wanted to stay in New York? "Then maybe we should all go," Finn said.
"It's really hard to get plane tickets to New York at this time of year," Burt said. "I'll be lucky if I get one."
This was even worse now. Their family would be spending what could be their last Christmas together apart? "No. He can't stay there. He needs to come here! I want us to all be together!"
"Don't act like this is the be all and end all," Burt said.
Finn groaned. "People die of cancer." He might as well say it, since his mom and Burt didn't want to.
"But I'm not going to," Burt said.
Finn sighed. There was no guarantee, but it was obvious his parents were trying to shield him.
"Is there anything else you want to ask us?" Carole asked.
"Well... when do you start treatment?" Finn asked Burt. He didn't know what to say.
"In January," Burt said. "They're doing six rounds of chemo, since it's early stage, and then seeing what needs to happen next."
"We're going to get through this," Carole said. "His benefits from Congress get him the best health care possible."
"Okay," Finn sighed. He didn't know what else to say.
"Hey, I'm going to be fine," Burt repeated.
"You said that," Finn reminded Burt.
"Well, I'm not sure if you believed it," Burt said.
Finn wasn't sure if he believed it either. "Can I have some time to myself?"
"Of course," Carole said. "We'll be downstairs if you need us."
"Finn, this is the type of thing you're going to want to talk to friends about, I know," Burt said. "If you do tell any of your friends, I want you to tell them that I need to be the one who tells Kurt."
"Okay," Finn sighed.
After Burt and Carole left, Finn didn't feel like finishing his xbox game. He knew who he needed to talk to now. He needed to talk to Rachel. Luckily, they were talking again, so he picked up his phone and dialed her number.
Rachel picked up the phone after the first ring. "Did you butt dial this time?" she teased.
Finn managed to smile. "Rachel, I really need to talk to you."
"What's wrong?" Rachel asked. Finn knew she could tell by the tone of his voice that things weren't right. That was the thing about Rachel. She knew Finn better than he knew himself.
"Is Kurt there?" Finn asked.
"No, he's at Vogue," Rachel said. "Finn, what's going on?"
"I need to tell you something," Finn said. "But you have to promise me you won't tell Kurt."
"Finn, you're making me nervous," Rachel said. "What's going on?"
Finn figured he'd just come out and say it. "Burt has cancer."
"Oh my God," Rachel said. "When did you find out?"
"Just now," Finn said. "I just... I had to tell someone."
"Are you okay?" Rachel asked. "Well, as okay as you can be?"
"As okay as I can is accurate," Finn said. "I'm just... I'm worried about him."
"Of course you are," Rachel said. "How's he seem?"
"He and my mom were making it seem like I shouldn't be worried, but I know better," Finn admitted. "It's cancer, Rachel!"
"Have they told Kurt yet?" Rachel asked.
"Burt's trying to get a flight to New York so he can be with Kurt for Christmas and tell him then," Finn said. "I just... it might be our last Christmas altogether and we're spending it apart."
"He's staying in New York?" Rachel asked.
"That's what he told Burt," Finn said.
"I'll try to talk him into going to Lima," Rachel said. "You should all be together."
"Just don't tell him that I told you," Finn told Rachel. "Burt wants to be the one to tell him."
"I won't, I promise," Rachel said softly. "I'm so sorry for your family."
"Are you coming here at Christmas at all?" Finn asked. He hoped she was.
"My dads and I are going on a cruise for two weeks," Rachel said.
Finn couldn't help but be disappointed. "It would have been nice to see you."
"It would have been nice to see you, too," Rachel said. "I'll see you at Mr. Schue's wedding, though."
That was something to look forward to. Hopefully Rachel's +1 at the wedding wouldn't be that Brody guy... "Yeah, maybe we could sing together."
"I'd love that," Rachel said. "Seriously though Finn, if your family needs me to do anything, just let me know."
"Keep an eye on Kurt for me when he finds out, okay?" Finn asked. "Just be there for him."
"I will, I promise," Rachel said. "I'm so sorry. I've always loved Burt. I consider him my third father."
Finn had to smile. That was a Rachel like comment. "Can we maybe skype on Christmas, since you won't have phone access on the cruise?"
"I'd love that," Rachel said.
"Thanks for talking to me," Finn said.
"I'm always here for you," Rachel said.
x
After hearing the news about Burt, Rachel became more and more concerned about Kurt. She wanted him to have a good Christmas, so as she packed her bag, she looked at Kurt. "If you're not going to come to Lima, then my dads and I insist you come with us to the Rosie O'Donnell Gay Holiday Cruise. It's going to be so much fun. There's even going to be a Jessie Tyler Ferguson look-alike contest."
"Well, in that case, I'm definitely gonna have to pass," Kurt grumbled. "And besides, there's really no reason to go to Lima, anyway. My dad and Finn and Carole are visiting Carole's sister in Zanesville, and she always has too much eggnog and blacks out. Happy holidays!"
Rachel wondered if this had to do with something else. "Well, what about Blaine?"
"I talk to him," Kurt said. "But, you know, he knows that I'm saving my money for NYADA now. And it'll be good to just have some time for myself, you know, and think about things and..."
Rachel and Kurt heard a knock on the door. There was a tree, and Burt peeked out from behind it. Rachel knew what this probably was. Burt was probably here to tell Kurt. "Season's Greetings!" Burt declared. "I got a tree you need one?"
Kurt seemed so happy to see his dad again, and Rachel couldn't help but feel bad for him as they set up the tree. He was about to get some news that would turn his world upside down. "Yeah, well, I couldn't imagine you guys celebrating Christmas without a real tree," Burt said when the tree was up. "You know, his mom used to always buy the tree. I'd always tell her to wait till I got home from work, but she never could. And then, the first Christmas after his mom died, I totally forgot about it. That is, until I saw little Kurt hanging his own special version of a Christmas ornament on his window shade Christmas Eve."
"My mom's perfume bottle," Kurt said. "Oh, I always loved the way she smelled."
"So I pull him out of bed, I throw a coat on him, I drive straight through a snowstorm, right down to the Christmas tree sale," Burt continued. "It was the first time he smiled since his mom died."
Oh no. This was too much. Was this how Kurt was going to find out? "Okay, no tears on Christmas Eve," Kurt said, going through the ornament box. "This box is full of happy memories, as well. Like our Christmas trip to Dollywood."
Rachel remembered that trip. "Oh, yeah. That one I like."
"That trip was for me," Kurt said as he got another ornament. "Oh, and this redneck NASCAR trip, that was for you."
With everything that was going on, Rachel wished that she could stay, but her flight was leaving soon. "All right, well, I wish I could stay, but can't really be late for a cruise..."
"Hold on," Burt interrupted, handing Rachel a box. "You got to open this before you go. Happy Hanukkah, merry Christmas. It's for your first New York holiday season."
Rachel opened the box to see a big apple ornament.
"Hang it together, and then you can go," Burt said.
Rachel hung the ornament with Kurt. "Kurt, to our very first New York Christmas."
x
Christmas on the cruise was fun, but Rachel did prefer spending Christmas at home. It was nice to not be cold all the time, and the ship was well decorated, but she missed the comfort of her own home. On the plus side, she and Finn had plans to skype at five in the afternoon. She and her dads would be going to the Christmas dinner soon, but she and Finn did have time to skype. She turned on her computer and saw that Finn was online and dialed his skype number.
Finn answered the call almost right away. "Hey! Merry Christmas!"
Rachel had to smile. She just realized now that this was the first time she and Finn were seeing each other face to face since that bad conversation at the school musical. "Merry Christmas to you, too!"
"How are you?" Finn asked. "How's the cruise?"
"It's been fun," Rachel said. "It is nice to not be in the cold."
"I bet," Finn said.
"So, what about you?" Rachel asked. "How's visiting your mom's sister?"
"It's fine," Finn said. "Just me and my mom. Burt ended up getting a ticket to New York to go be with Kurt. Blaine went with him, too."
"Oh," Rachel said. She was glad Kurt was on good enough terms with Blaine for them to spend Christmas together, but at the same time, she was a bit worried about Kurt. "How'd he take it?"
"He's upset," Finn said. "My mom told me not to think about it today, but I can't help but think about it."
"Of course you're thinking about it," Rachel said. She couldn't imagine what Finn was going through. She tried to lighten things up. "So, any cool Christmas gifts?"
"My mom and Burt gave me a new iPad," Finn said.
"That's awesome," Rachel said. "My dads gave me tickets to some Broadway shows for once I get back to New York. Two for each one, so I can take Kurt with me."
"I bet he'll like that," Finn said.
"I'm sorry I didn't get you anything," Rachel admitted. "With everything that's been going on... I didn't know if you'd want a present from me."
"Being friends with you again is my present from you," Finn said.
Rachel smiled. "That's my present from you, too. Finn - before you go, want to sing together?" It had been too long since they'd sang together, and singing Christmas songs together was something they'd done in glee club.
"I'd love to," Finn said. "What song?"
"You pick," Rachel said.
"Okay," Finn agreed. Rachel knew the song and she had to admit, this was a good choice for them now.
Finn: Christmas night, another fight
Tears we cried, a flood
Got all kinds of poison in, poison in my blood
Took my feet to Oxford Street, trying to right a wrong
Rachel: Just walk away those windows sing
But I can't believe she's gone
When you're still waiting for the snow to fall
It doesn't really feel like Christmas at all
Finn: Up above candles on air flicker
Oh they flicker and they flow
And I am up here holding on to all those chandeliers of hope
And like some drunken in this city
Rachel: I go singing out of tune
Singing how I've always loved you, darling
And I always will
Finn and Rachel: Oh when you're still waiting for the snow to fall
It doesn't really feel like Christmas at all
Still waiting for the snow to fall
It doesn't really feel like Christmas at all
Finn: Those Christmas lights
Light up the streets
Down where the sea and city meet
May all your troubles soon be gone
Oh Christmas lights, keep shining on
Rachel: Those Christmas lights
Light up the streets
Maybe they'll bring her back to me
Then all my troubles will be gone
Oh Christmas lights, keep shining on
Finn and Rachel: Oowwwhhhohooooowohohohoooo
Oh Christmas lights
Light up the streets
Light up the fireworks in me
May all your troubles soon be gone
Those Christmas lights keep shining on
"What do you know?" Finn said at the end of the song. "We still sound amazing together."
"Did you expect anything less?" Rachel asked.
"Well, no," Finn admitted.
"Me either," Rachel said. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to you, too," Finn said.
10 reviews unlock Chapter 81!