A/N - * * * S.A./NON-CON TRIGGER WARNING FOR THE OPENING OF THIS CHAPTER * * *
And while I might insert a 'this is only fiction' reminder here, I also know there's a lot i DON'T know on this topic. I did do some research on sexual assault in writing this story and I'll just leave this final thought before you dive into the chapter:
HELP IS AVAILABLE...VISIT RAINN dot ORG OR CALL THE NATIONAL S/A HOTLINE 24x7 (in the USA) AT 800 656 4673
CHAPTER 7 :: COLLIDE
Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the back you fall in time
I somehow find you and I collide
She'd only gotten her shirt on and was about to pull on the gray yoga pants she'd laid out on the bench before she became aware of his presence. He approached her without words, silently stalking, danger reflected in the blackness of his cold dead eyes. Turning to face him, uneasy chills ran down her spine; the intense look on his face made her feel completely vulnerable standing before him in her sky blue panties. It didn't matter that he'd seen her far less clothed than this before, or that just a week ago they were completely naked in her bed together. Everything was different now – she was different – and him seeing her like this now was not okay.
"What are you doing in here? You need to leave, now!"
That was the only complete thought she managed to express before he lunged and all the air left her lungs. The slam that flung her against the wall was bad enough, but when she tried to fight back in further protest, the sharp sting of the punch to her left eye as her head thwacked backward hard against that same wall was the worst pain she'd ever felt in her life. She thinks she must've blacked out for a moment, since one minute she was still standing and the next she was slumped on the floor with no idea how she'd gotten there.
He had her pinned under him now, and she could feel his punishing hands and snarling mouth all over her body in places she never wanted them to be again. If she was honest with herself (including hindsight and all) she never wanted them in those places to begin with. Foreign hands grabbing and squeezing and scraping in secret places felt wrong before, but now they felt like hell. The burn from the elastic of her panties cutting into her skin was proof of that as they were torn off her. A rough beard like sandpaper cut across her delicate skin, fiery and burning like road rash. She felt brutish fingers jam themselves inside her repeatedly with force and she tried to scream but just nothing would come out.
The tiniest girl with the biggest voice was rendered completely silent and helpless. Hopeless.
Her head was spinning and her eye was throbbing and she sort of knew what was happening to her, but her body just couldn't move to make it stop. Maybe it was shock, she wasn't sure but she'd read about it once. Maybe she had a concussion. Finn was mute like this after a seriously hard tackle on the football field once and it scared the shit out of her.
Finn. She pictured his face clear as day and wished he was there, wished someone, anyone would interrupt this madness. If she couldn't stop it and he couldn't be there to take her away, then she would just let the memory of his face and his voice shield her, deny her mind from noticing what was actually happening.
It worked a while, until fingernails cut into her hips and her protective Finn cloud morphed back to reality. She prayed that anyone would hear her silent screams and that help would come, but it never did. At least not in time before she felt the full weight of his torment thrusting into her still form, feeling like a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire, clubbing her over and over with each angry stab of his pelvis.
Hot breath hit her ear and his mouth was moving but she couldn't hear through the buzzing, although she thought 'fucking slut' was included in whatever he was ranting. He should just shut up and stop wasting his time. Didn't he know she was already gone? But he continued slamming against her until she felt hot ripples gush into her, and at the same time she felt the bile rise in her throat. She couldn't turn her head fast enough before she was choking on it, drowning in it. He was gone by then and she was left there, alone. Half naked, cold and motionless lying on her back and couldn't move and couldn't breathe. She figured maybe she was actually gone too. Surely this was what death felt like, right?
"NOOO!" She sat up choking and gasping, tears and sweat dripping from her as Finn shot up like a bullet from his sleep and wrapped his arms around her protectively.
"Hey Rach, baby, it's Finn, I'm here babe... shh, it was a dream honey, just a dream. I'm here baby... I've got you, you're safe... Breathe baby..."
Her rapidly beating pulse and ragged breathing began to calm a little as the fog of sleep lifted and the darkness of her nightmare receded. Finn's voice finally reached her and she let his words ground her. "Finn? Oh god... oh Finn..." she wilted into sobs against his chest as he continued to cocoon her in his arms, shushing her quietly and softly chanting reassurances of love and safety to her. He even tried Santana's suggestion about the Lamaze breathing thing – she was right, it helped, but not as well as it had earlier.
After a while her sobs faded to sniffles and her tears started to dry. He just held onto her, waiting it out until he felt her press the smallest kiss against his chest.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" His hoarse voice broke through the silence surrounding them and his hands gripped her delicately like she was made of glass that could shatter from the slightest movement without warning.
She shook her head softly. "I just wanna forget... I'm sorry Finn, I'm so sorry for worrying you."
"Hey, don't do that. You don't need to say sorry or to try to take care of me. But Rach, you... you really shouldn't bottle this up."
"I'm not... I just. . . I don't want you to know. Because if you know, I think it'll kill you. I can't do that to you."
He shifted their position laying them down on their sides facing one another and looked deep into her eyes. There was just enough streetlight streaming into the room that he could study her beautiful face. Wrapping his hand around hers he sighed as he placed it against his chest. "My beautiful, beautiful girl... don't you understand that your pain is my pain, whether you tell me with words or not. I can still feel it; I can feel you." With his free hand he stroked the pad of his thumb gently over her cheekbone. "Stop trying to protect me babe, I can handle it, okay?" He forced a small smile and added, "Just think of me like your own personal shock absorber."
She sniffed a humorless laugh and after a few beats said "I hoped these dreams were done. I guess they're not. Maybe they never will be."
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and brushed his nose against hers. "Maybe. But... I think dreams are sort of your brain's way of listening to your subconscious, y'know, the thoughts you don't let your conscious mind think about. When your mind gets too full, they come out in your sleep. So, maybe if you talk about them, they'll have less power over you?"
She shrugged a little. "You've been paying pretty close attention to Dr Reyes, haven't you."
A half-smile appeared and he kissed the tip of her nose. "Um, that's sorta the point of therapy isn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess," she sighed and snuggled closer to him causing him to roll onto his back. Tucking her head under his chin, she swallowed hard and cleared her throat. What felt like minutes passed before she interrupted the silence again. "It's always the same. . . I remember everything from when he came into the room. That look in his eyes, the way his jaw clenched. He had so much... rage? Or I don't know maybe it was hate, or contempt? It was ugly. HE was ugly. I remember the pain, the fear, the helplessness. I felt paralyzed." He stroked her arm and pressed lingering kisses into her hair as she talked, her lips brushing his neck every so often.
"It sort of felt like I was dying and maybe it was like what they say, how your life flashes before your eyes? Except all I saw was you. I saw your face so clear in my mind, so vivid, like, if I concentrated enough I could reach out and touch you. I wished so hard that you'd just magically appear and take me away from there, make it stop."
He felt his own muscles tensing and swallowed thickly, trying to force the lump down in his throat. He refused to cry in front of her about this and it was hard to keep the tears at bay. He tightened his hold on her and rasped out, "I wish I could have. I wish I could take all this away from you now."
She balled his shirt up tighter in her fist and pressed her lips to the salty skin of his neck. "I know you do... but Finn, it's not your fault."
He sharply inhaled through his nostrils and his hand rested on her cheek. "I know." He was still working on convincing himself. "It's not yours either."
"I know," she answered after a long pause.
The feel of him softly stroking her hair calmed her, and she knew it calmed him too. She closed her eyes enjoying the feel of his gentle touch, forcing the ugly demons away until the next time. Silence filled the room again except for their breathing and the reliable thumps of Finn's heartbeat against her ear. After a while she glanced over at the clock. When she saw it was after 10 PM a fresh wave of panic washed over her. "Oh, Cam?! Is he–"
"Cam's with Mom for the night at her hotel. He's fine baby, I promise. I talked to her about an hour ago. She called to check on you after she got him down for the night."
The tension in her muscles uncoiled knowing her son was safe with Carole. She felt little kisses sprinkle over the top of her head and pulled herself up to look into his eyes. She palmed his cheek with one hand and whispered "I love you."
Pulling her hand to his lips, he kissed each knuckle, murmuring "I love you, I love you, I love you."
Her lips attached to his after that. At first they sought his calm, reassuring comfort, but the kiss quickly built up momentum driven by a surge of desire and determination. "Finn... I don't want to remember him. I want to remember you... touch me, please."
He held her jaw at an angle to deepen the kiss, the heat rapidly building between them. "Show me baby... show me where to touch you," he muttered against her lips.
This was becoming their new foreplay. He found he enjoyed her moving his hands over her body. He liked her being in control; he liked knowing that she trusted him to take her to those heights, to catch her time and again. So when she took his hand and detoured her chest pushing it roughly inside her panties, he went instantly hard.
"I want you Finn, I want to feel you..." she breathed as his digits slipped between her wet folds. When he began curling and pumping two fingers against her velvety walls, she moaned and rolled over on top of him, grabbing hold of his boxers and tugging them down.
"Babe?" Finn quickly realized what she was doing and gently caught her wrist, "Hey, slow down baby... what are you–"
"It's not enough Finn. I need more, I want you. All of you. I need you."
"Are you... is this a good idea? I mean, you just had a really bad dream and... maybe we should talk to doc–"
"Shut up Finn. I'm sorry baby, I-I don't mean to sound like a bitch, but I don't need to talk. I need to fuck. And I need to fuck you, now. Please..."
Whoa... this was a new development. A couple of years ago this would be SO hot and like one of his wet dreams coming to life right in front of him, but right now her behavior sorta terrified him. "Rach, I don't know if... should you, should we do this right now? I don't want you to regret it or–"
Her lips crashed onto his, her demanding tongue forced into his mouth, her teeth catching his bottom lip and biting almost hard enough to draw blood while one hand snaked down and gripped his stiff length. His hands automatically wrapped around her back, splayed fingers pulling her impossibly closer to him as he conveyed his passion in their kiss.
Finn slid his hands up and let them get lost in her hair as he finally tugged her face back long enough for his eyes to meet hers. "I love you baby, I do, with all my heart. And I'll give you anything you need... but, but I don't think I can just fuck you right now, because I don't think that's what you really need." Rachel was about to protest but he silenced her with a soft kiss. "What I can do is make love to you, if that's what you want. So tell me baby, tell me if that's what you want."
Her lips were on his in a kiss that never broke as she rolled them over and allowed him to be on top. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes as she gazed into his loving amber ones in the dimly lit room. She yanked at his shirt and he swiftly pulled it off, tossing it to the floor, followed by his boxers and her clothes. As he slowly moved back between her thighs her legs laced tightly around him, heels pushing into his backside lining his erection up with her. She nipped at his bare shoulder and clawed at his back pleadingly. "I need you Finn. I need you to love me... please, just... just love me."
With his weight balanced on his elbows, he held her head in his hands, eyes locked on hers. He dipped down for a whisper-soft lingering kiss and breathed out "I do baby, I already do..." then he pushed inside her for the first time in a year and a half. They both groaned and stilled at the sensation, settling back into that familiar connection with one another. He felt a bolt of electricity course through him as her tight walls enrapt his length and his hot breath fanned over her face. She stayed so still it scared him but then she pulled his lips to hers and he knew she was okay. She could feel his thundering heartbeat pound against her chest and he could feel hers. Their eyes conveyed so much from one to the other without a word. Home. They were finally home again.
He kissed her languorously, swirling his tongue over hers at the same pace as her hips rose up to meet his, his strokes deep and methodical. "I love you, Rach... with everything I am... always."
They continued their slow, tender love making for hours. A couple times she got aggressive and tried to make him be more forceful with her, but he wasn't having it. Maybe it was partly selfish, but he'd waited so long for their full reunion and it was something he felt they should both savor. But he also worried about the source of her bursts of aggression and hoped he could keep her grounded in the moment with him.
So he slowed her down, reinforcing with actions not words, showing her that he wasn't gonna treat her like a piece of meat or cheapen this experience. He hoped he was proving that she meant that much to him and she was worth more that just a quick fuck. He wanted nothing but to worship her and take care of her, make sure she felt safe and loved. He expected her to protest more but was pleasantly surprised when she resigned to keeping his pace easily.
Once they'd fallen over the edge and were both spent, they remained tangled around one another much like the damp sheets that clung to their sated bodies. Lying in their quietude, she sighed contently against the sweaty skin of his naked chest while his fingers dragged along the ridges of her spine, stopping to play with the ends of her hair every so often.
After a while, his unsettled thoughts broke through. "You feel okay, babe?"
She couldn't lie to him. "Not really, but I'm trying to..." he could feel her drawing hearts on his stomach with her fingertips. "I'm better when you're with me though."
He pulled her chin up to see her face. "Are you upset because I wouldn't get rough?"
"No, baby no. I'm not in the least. You were perfect. It's not you at all, okay? And anyway, I-I know you were right to keep me in check. I just thought..."
When her words trailed off and she fell silent he got worried. "What'd you think, baby? Talk to me, Rach... you can say anything to me." Part of their therapy plan was to keep the lines of communication open, even when it was difficult – but especially about their intimacy; now would be a really bad time for her to shut down.
He felt her arm tighten around his middle and warm tears pooling around her cheek against his chest. "I don't know. I just thought, m-maybe I can finally stop feeling him or thinking about him if all I can remember is you. . . so I guess I-I had this crazy notion that if you did sort of what he did– Oh god. That sounds so completely twisted and dirty and ugly. I'm sorry."
"Rach, no, don't be sorry. It's how you feel. I'll never be mad at you for sharing yourself with me, especially those parts you think are messed up or that you think nobody else should ever know about. And I love you anyway, either way. In fact I love you more for trusting me that much to open up to me like that. I do think we need to talk to Dr Reyes about this though, about what happened here tonight and your feelings right now." She nodded against his chest and her tears intensified. He just held her tighter and let her cry it out until she quieted down again.
"Your nightmare and all these bad thoughts, do you think it's because you saw him again? Because you're so worried about Cam and the court case?"
She shrugged and laced her fingers with his. "I'm sure that's not helping – on either point. But these bad dreams, they've been with me ever since that night. It took a while for them to manifest into what they are now. The choking on my own vomit thing is new though. I don't know if that's a real memory or just part of the dream."
"We can find out I'm sure, there'd be something in your hospital records, or, maybe Miss July could tell you. You scared me a little when you woke up like that tonight. You were actually choking I think. It took a minute til I realized you were just dreaming."
"I'm sorry. I hate worrying you like that."
"Don't be. It's why I wanna be here, to do whatever I can to help you through this. But it doesn't feel like I'm doing much good sometimes."
She sat up to look him in the eye. "That's not at all true. You do more for me than I can explain, Finn. If you weren't around, if we weren't together and this shit with Brody and the paternity case came up, who knows, I might've wound up back in the hospital. Sanny would be losing her mind again, too. I do feel so much better just because you're here with me, Finn. So please don't ever think you're not helping, because I promise, you are." He leaned up to kiss her softly. "But even you can't make the nightmares go away – not that I expect you to."
"You said back in the hospital. If it's okay for me to ask, how long were you in there before?"
She sort of snorts. "Which time?" She paused a while then sighed, "The night of, I was released the next day. They just kept me for concussion observation. But... about a month later San took me in. I wasn't doing so well back in those days. I was there for... a few weeks."
"WEEKS? Baby–"
"It's okay FInn. It was a really dark time. It was once the dreams started and the full memories of that night hit me, plus, I knew I was pregnant and it was just really... look, I'm better now. I know these dreams are still a problem but even they've nearly gone away."
He nodded a silent understanding to her. He still has so many questions and feels like he's still missing so many details from her past year and a half, but he doesn't want to push. And as much as she says he's helping, inside he was swimming with so many feelings of regret and inadequacy. He fought himself on how much to ask or say out loud. He knows from their therapy sessions so far that he needs to let her tell him things on her timeline, and that his own self-doubt is of no use to this relationship; it won't help her in the least.
"I love you, Rach. God, I just want... I want to kill that son of a bitch, that's what I really want. I know it wouldn't change a goddamn thing but I'd sure feel a lot better knowing he was wiped off the face of the earth." He sighed, wishing like hell he could make her pain go away, wishing like hell he could make Brody Weston go away – for good. "I'm sorry hun. I know I shouldn't say things like that, I just–"
"You just need to vent sometimes too. You're human. It's okay, Finn, I understand. And I love you, so much."
He kissed the top of her head and asked "Do you need anything, like, can I do anything at all right now to help you feel any better?"
She pressed a kiss to his chest over his heart and ran her hand over his ribs. "You're already doing it."
He held her closer and said nothing more because there was nothing more to say tonight. She'd finally given him all the most vulnerable parts of herself again – not just physically but emotionally, and he knew that had to be so hard for her. Yes there were probably still stories left for her to tell, but he knew she'd tell him eventually. He knew it was all a good sign of how much she really trusted him, but he also knew their next therapy session was gonna be a doozy after tonight.
. . . . .
It was nearly 2:00 AM when her movements stirred him awake. She was already out of bed and slipping into his undershirt when he realized she wasn't next to him. "Hey... where're you sneaking away to? Come back to bed, babe."
"Sorry I woke you, but I have to pee. Then I realized I'm starving, so I was thinking of ordering some food. You want anything?" He chuckled. This was definitely a perk of being in NYC – the place literally never slept and you can get just about any kind of food delivery any hour, day or night.
By now he was pulling on his boxers and stood up to stretch before following her to the bathroom. He waited in the hall leaning by the door frame, even though she left the door open and yawned loudly as he spoke. "Well now I have to pee too, thank you very much, so make it snappy in there," he teased. "Hey, how do you feel about that Greek place we liked? A gyro sounds mighty damn good right now."
She beamed a smile at him. Of course he wants something to eat – he never turns down food. Maybe San wasn't too far off in her ideas about him eating them out of house and home.
"Mmm. Lamb for you and a spinach pie for me... and baklava for after?"
"Ahh, always baklava," he called back as if to say duh. She brushed past him and placed a quick kiss to his jaw as they traded places in the bathroom. While he finished his business (remembering at the last damn minute to PUT THE FUCKING SEAT DOWN) and washed his hands, he heard her shuffling around in the other room looking for her phone.
"You wanna share an olive feta platter?"
"Share?" he called back from the bathroom sink with a pout.
"Fine, I guess two platters it is," he heard her giggling.
She was sitting in the middle of the bed with the phone to her ear as he dove in beside her, making her bounce and pulled her up against him. He wrapped himself around her while she tried her best not to giggle and squeal at the guy taking her order on the other end of the phone.
Just as she finished up the call, Finn ran a teasing finger over her nipple through his undershirt, and sat up confused when he realized it was wet. "Uh, babe?" he gestured toward her chest.
She looked down and groaned. "Damn it. I guess I need to pump." She pulled the contraption off the bedside table and pulled off her shirt. "I usually do this a few nights a week right before I go to bed once Cam goes down for the night, but I guess I'm off schedule now." She was quietly making busy work of preparing the pump and cleaning off it and her breasts with some kind of wet wipes and added "I hope everything's okay at the hotel."
He pulled her hair out of the way and kissed down the back of her bare neck across her shoulder as she connected the pump to her breasts and turned on the machine. "I'm sure everything is just fine baby, Mom would call if it wasn't. They're both probably sound asleep." He watched over her shoulder in awe as the pump started working and couldn't pull his eyes away.
Rachel noticed him entranced and suddenly felt a little self-conscious. "What? Oh, sorry, is this too weird? I can cover up if–"
"No, don't you dare," he assured. "You're just so damn beautiful, Rachel. I mean it, every little thing about you." Sitting up next to her on the bed, he gently turned her head to face him, pressing his lips to hers. "And no, it's not weird, it's just, I never really thought about how this works before. It's new to me, that's all. . . Gotta say, it's kinda cool, though. And I'm a little jealous of Cam. He doesn't have to wait forty minutes for his dinner to get here."
She giggled and slapped his leg as he pulled her back for another kiss.
. . . . .
The next morning (or well, mid-morning, since Greek food and another round of love making kept them up until sunrise) Finn checked his email as he sipped his coffee and waited for his toaster waffles to pop.
Thankfully, Santana had taken mercy on the exhausted couple. Her shift at the bar ended at 3 AM closing time, but she'd stayed a little later to help with inventory. She had come home to the sounds of Finchel in the throws of passion at nearly 5 AM. Realizing what a holy shit big deal step this was for Rachel, she decided not to be her usual bitch self by interrupting or teasing them, cutting them some slack instead (at least for now).
San also knew Carole had an 11 AM flight home, and Finn was supposed to pick up Cam at the hotel early that morning. So Santana did what any good Auntie would do and just handled it. She left a note stuck to the coffee pot explaining how she 'took the chicken wing to Dani's so you two can get some needed shut-eye after all the Finchel-fucking I walked in on at the crack of dawn. Congrats, BTW. ❤️ San'. (Finn had decided it was best that Rachel did NOT see the note; he opted for paraphrasing instead.)
As Finn grabbed the blueberry syrup out of the cabinet, a new email notification chimed with an official looking message hitting his inbox. After reading through it three times to be sure he wasn't imagining anything, he scrambled to find Rachel.
She was soaking in a bubble bath and nearly had a heart attack when Finn burst through the door wearing the widest smile she'd ever seen. He held his phone up shaking it in the air wildly while shouting "Rach! I can't... Oh my god Rach!"
"Finn what the hell's going on?"
"I just, I can't believe it! He's mine, baby! I mean, he's yours and he's ours, but, but he's MINE!"
Her breath caught and tears immediately flooded her eyes. "A-are you... is this real Finn?"
He slid down to his knees next to the tub and thrust the phone with the open email message in front of her. "It's really really real baby... Camden Isaac Berry is my son!"
He was blinded by his own tears of joy but he could still see her glowing pearly smile. She gripped his wrist to hold the screen steady with her soap-bubble covered hand, trying to read the blurry words through her own tears that were now spilling down her cheeks.
Rachel read aloud the summary results from the bottom of the screen. "The Alleged Father tested (Finn C Hudson) is the biological father of the child (Infant Male, ID# cb-6174). The probability of paternity in this case is 99.99%. . . FINN! Oh my god Finn! It's true! It's really true! Thank god, I knew you were his father, I just knew yo–"
His lips crashed onto hers without further delay. "Rachel, I love you, I love you so much more than I ever thought possible, and we have a son, A SON, Rach! We made a perfect, beautiful baby boy together, half you and half me! God I love you, I love you both so much..." He continued his assault on her lips, dropping his phone to the floor and falling into the tub with her, fully clothed.
A giant wave of bath water flooded out onto the floor and she giggle-squealed "Ahh! Finn! You're soaking the whole bathroom!"
"Don't care, we made a baby BOY, Rach! I'm a real father – WE are Cam's PARENTS, you and me!"
In between giggly kisses she warned "I know honey, but your phone's gonna get wet and ruined!"
"You have like a Chinese restaurant's worth of rice in the cupboard out there. I'll stick it in a baggie, or else I'll buy a new one. Now shut up and kiss me woman, WE HAVE A BOY!"
She laughed as he peppered her with kisses and allowed their soapy wet celebration to continue a few minutes more before she suddenly jumped up and out of the tub, leaving behind a very confused Finn soaking in his clothes like a giant tea bag. "Baabe?! Where you going?"
"To call Mr Munoz! We need this court thing stopped NOW and I want the birth certificate updated immediately!"
"Oh. Yeah, good thinking." While Rachel toweled herself off, he pulled himself out of the tub and stripped off his sopping clothes that now clung to him like a second skin, tossing them into the shower stall. "Uh. Shoot! Mom's probably still on the plane home right now. I'm gonna call your dads and Burt... and Puck, is that okay?"
She flashed him a brilliant smile as she traded her bath towel for a fluffy pink terry cloth robe. "Of course it is, baby, I know you're excited and want to shout it from the rooftops; so do I. In fact, let's invite Noah and Dani over too for a little celebration dinner tonight. I'll call Sanny after I talk to the lawyer."
"Yeah yeah, great idea! Tell her to bring OUR son home ASAP too! And by the way, you get the pleasure of telling Kurt," he chuckled with a wink. She laughed and placed a sweet kiss on his jaw.
. . . . .
"So this is what a baby Finchel looks like, huh? You sure he's a Hudson? All I can see is Berry's nose," Puck said as he held up the now 24 lb infant in his lap on the sofa, closely examining his features. Rachel scoffed and Santana slapped him on the back of the head.
"¡Cállate, jodito cavernícola!"
"Damn, after all these years it's still hot when you cuss at me in Spanish. You know, now that Huddy flew the coop, I have a pretty hot bachelor pad situation going on if you ever wanna take a ride down memory lane and jump on the Puckzilla Express for old times sake," he waggled his eyebrows suggestively at the Latina, who was now standing with her hands on her hips and scowling at him.
"Ew. You forget I gave up penis for lent, permanently. Plus I have Dani now."
"So bring her along. There's always room for one more at Chez Puck's Love Palladium."
"I'd sooner revisit Lumps the Clown over there." Finn frowned and Rachel was about to say something, but then Tana decided that Puck's allotted 90 seconds were up. She'd predicted that's all the time he could manage to hold a baby without something going wrong. "Okay enough's enough, Puckerman, time's up. Give him back right now. You're manhandling the chicken wing too much," she barked as she reached for the baby who was being bounced a little roughly on Puck's lap.
"Buzz off, Lopez, he likes me!" Puck continued bouncing Cam up and down lifting him a little higher in the air each time, causing the baby to squeal and giggle. "Looky, see, we're bros now, he likes it! He's blowing bubbles and shit. Yeah Cam, tell that chick-batty Spanish menace the truth – you like you're Uncle Puck, doncha?" Puck cooed in his best baby-talk voice as Finn snickered quietly in the corner. Dani laughed quietly while sipping on her bottle of beer and waited for Santana to take Puck on a trip to Lima Heights.
Turns out no trip was necessary. On the last bounce that lifted him high over Puck's head, Camden promptly spit up without warning, raining a waterfall of tutti frutti and breast milk down on Puck's face.
Everyone in the room collapsed into hysterical laughter as Puck held the baby at arm's length and began shouting, "TAKE IT AWAY, TAKE IT AWAY NOW! Must be a Hudson, the damn thing's defective!"
Finn sobered his hysterics just long enough to collect his son (his SON!) while the girls all wiped their tears of laughter away. He also noticed Dani snapping photos of Puck with her phone, so he made sure to get himself and Cam in one of the pictures while giving a thumbs up and a big goofy smile.
"Warned you about manhandling el pequeño pepita de pollo, Puckerman," San finally spat out at him as she gasped for air still laughing, "But thanks for providing the entertainment for the day."
. . . . .
Two days later, Finn came home from work to find Rachel crumbled in a ball on the sofa in tears. "Baby girl, what's going on? Is Cam okay, are you? Did something happen?"
"No, Cam's fine, Sanny has him in the nursery getting him ready for a bath. Oh Finn, it's just, this damn nightmare won't go away!"
"Which nightmare exactly, do you mean the paternity court thing?" She nodded through sobs as he climbed behind her on the couch and pulled her to his chest, wrapping her in his protective embrace. "But I thought Munoz was getting that dropped..."
"He is, but we still have to appear at the next scheduled court date NEXT WEEK before that happens. Next WEEK Finn! I'll have to see HIM again! Also in the meantime there's this standing court ordered visitation date with Cam and Blanche Weston... Finn, I don't want him to go! I don't want her near my baby!"
Finn's mouth was pressed into a hard thin line. He struggled to contain his own outrage over the matter while attempting to soothe his distraught girlfriend. "Baby I.. I don't really want anyone connected to that piece of shit anywhere near our son either, but... I guess we don't have a lot of choices, do we? Can't Munoz at least get the visitation order canceled before that next court date?"
"He said he would if it weren't for tomorrow; it takes too long to process. There's nothing we can do I guess. If I don't take him, I'll be held in contempt of court and I could be arrested and fined. I can't take any chances of having something like that end up on my record – and before you even suggest it, I will absolutely NOT allow you to do it either. I'm just terrified that... what if Brody shows up? I don't want him anywhere near Cam, and I certainly don't want to see him!"
"Babe the visitation is scheduled AT the courthouse in the family visiting lounge, right? There will be armed security guards and security cameras. And there's only one way in and out of that room. So... everything will be fine, I'm sure. The guards will know about the restraining order AND the court order. Brody won't be allowed in there. It's only thirty minutes which is no time at all. You'll be right there with him, plus your lawyer will be with you. You know I would be there too if I could, but..."
"But we didn't have your test results yet and your name was not on the court order because you're not technically a legal guardian yet. I know. Dammit Finn, I just hate this! I just... I want to SCREAM at the injustice of our ridiculously SLOW legal system! As it is, that bastard should NOT even be out on bail! He should have had his trial date by now and hopefully be locked up, but NOOO, the courts are just too backlogged and it took forever for the assault case to get a court date. We still have another three weeks before THAT hell begins! I just feel like I'm never going to escape him, Finn... I'm so STUPID for ever trusting him in the first place!"
"Rachel, babe stop it now. Look at me. You're not stupid. He's a fucking predator who took advantage of your huge trusting heart. But it doesn't matter Rach, you WILL be free of him soon. And then we can finally try to find some kind of normal that doesn't involve courts and lawyers and scumbags like Brody Douchebag Weston."
. . . . .
The time for visitation with Brody's mother had arrived, and Finn and Puck went with Rachel and Cam to the court house. Once they met up with Mr Munoz and were certain Rachel was safe with him, the guys agreed they would wait across the street at a coffee shop and she would come over to meet them there when it was over.
Rachel was feeling extremely anxious and unsettled about the whole ordeal as she entered the family lounge with her attorney at her side. "Please don't leave me alone with that woman, and don't take your eyes off her for one second. I don't trust her," Rachel whispered.
"Everything will be fine Rachel, she can't possibly do anything without being tackled by the three large security guards standing there. Okay I see her and Mr Tanner at that table over by the window. Thirty minutes starts right now. I've set a timer, we'll be out of here before you know it."
Rachel nodded as they walked to the far side of the room to meet with the monster's maker.
Mr Tanner stood to greet Mr Munoz and Rachel, extending a handshake to each of them before speaking. "Miss Berry, right on time. I'm sure this is an uncomfortable circumstance for you to be in, but I just want to reassure you that your son is not in any danger. My client's mother in fact only kept this visitation appointment more for the sake of meeting with YOU than with your child. She'd like to speak to you for a moment, I hope you'll just hear her out."
Rachel looked nervously to Mr Munoz who nodded to her encouragingly, telling her he would intercede and end the visitation if anything got out of hand.
At that point the black-haired, medium height, middle-aged woman stood to greet Rachel. "Hello Rachel, I'm Blanche Weston." She tentatively leaned to look closer at Camden and smiled softly. "He's very handsome, I can see the resemblance to you; he certainly favors his mother."
"Yes, he does." Rachel said curtly.
"Listen dear, I won't keep you long I just wanted to meet you in person and.. And, and apologize to you. I feel like I failed as a parent, as a mother, to think of the horrible things my son has put you through... I can assure you I didn't raise him to behave the way he apparently has."
Her apology nearly knocked all the wind out of Rachel's lungs, but the older woman continued. "Listen, I love my son with every fiber of my being; as a mother yourself, I'm sure you understand what I mean. But I also know when he's made mistakes and, as much as I love him, I just can't protect him from whatever punishment lies ahead for him – and I think he deserves punishment if he actually did the things to you that you say he did. I'm not here to upset you though, and I wanted to tell you personally that I'm very ashamed and so sorry for what my son has put you and your son through. I hope you and the baby's father will have a wonderful life together."
"The baby's father? You mean you know it's not–"
"Yes dear. Mr Tanner received a copy of Mr Hudson's test results; though, we'd already gotten my son's results back before that and they were negative, with a zero percent chance of him being the child's father. I'd asked Mr Tanner if there was any way to make this whole sham of a court debacle go away but he said we just have to adhere to the court calendar and attend the hearing as scheduled."
"Oh, I see... I um. Well, thank you, I suppose. Thank you, for being so... civil and human about this. You know, he wasn't this horrible person when I first met him, or at least I didn't think he was. Maybe I misjudged him and thought he was someone who he turned out NOT to be, or maybe his acting skills are that good... but, I do hope he gets some sort of help and rehabilitation. I just hope you understand, I never want to see him again."
"Certainly I do, and I don't blame you for how you feel. He once was a respectable young man, I just don't know what could have possessed him to... t-to hurt you the way he must have. It sickens me, because that is NOT how I raised my son. Anyway, I-I don't want to keep you. Mr Tanner and I agreed the visit would end after I got to speak my peace, and I have now."
Rachel reached a hand out to touch the arm of the woman before she turned to walk away. "Mrs Weston? Would you... w-would you like to hold Camden?"
"Oh! Are you sure? I mean I don't want to upset you any further..."
"No, it's fine. I appreciate your kind words and I accept your apology, from one mother to another."
. . . . .
Meanwhile at the coffee shop...
"This sucks dude. Maybe you guys coulda gotten a doctor's note or something to say Cam was sick and can't do this."
"I wish, but nah, we had to just let this shit play out. Hopefully that final court date is the last we have to deal with that asshole until the criminal trial starts, and then let's hope he gets locked up for good after that. But um, thanks for coming today though, Puck, it means a lot to me, and to Rach."
"Hey, I always got your back, and Berry's too. That means having that little munchkin's back too now. Uncle Puck isn't taking any chances – if anything goes wrong I want to be here to help."
"Thanks man, I appreciate it. Hey, sit tight here for a minute, I'll be right back."
"Um, okay... but where the fuck are you going?"
"I saw a flower shop two doors over and wanna get a little something for Rach."
Puck made a whip cracking sound and rolled his eyes. Finn just laughed "And proud to be... just wait here, I shouldn't be five minutes."
As soon as Finn exited the coffee shop and turned left to head for the flower shop, he noticed a familiar but extremely unwelcomed face walking straight toward him.
"So you're back in town. Staying long? Did they kick you out of your stall in the barn back on the farm?"
"What the fuck are you doing here?!" Finn practically growled through his clenched jaw.
Brody smirked and put on a mask of calm and innocence. "It's a free country and a public sidewalk, so I guess that makes it none of your business, right?"
"Right, just like my being in New York is none of yours. Enjoy that freedom while it lasts, considering you're on borrowed time right now, you RAPIST piece of shit."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. And you should be extra thankful, too. If it weren't for the fact that my fiancée and MY SON need me, I'd take great pleasure in removing that smug look from your face, permanently. Especially since you were clearly too STUPID to get the message last time."
"Fiancée? Wow she really gets around fast doesn't she."
Finn wished for just a moment they were back in that hotel room last year so he could finish that beatdown with more finality. "Listen asshole. You need to steer the fuck clear of my family and NEVER speak a word to or about either of them ever again."
"Fuck you, farm boy. You just can't handle the fact that your little whore enjoyed her time with me. You know, I was able to show her things your loser ass couldn't even imagine."
Finn's fists were clenching at his sides and it took every ounce of his self-restraint not to tear all four limbs off this smarmy little bastard, but he knew Brody was just trying to get a rise out of him. There was too much on the line right now with Cam and Rachel and the court cases. He had to keep reminding himself of the big picture - the one that included a beautiful brunette and their beautiful baby boy at his side, forever. He was a father now so had to think more practically.
"Go to hell Weston. And when you get there I hope they treat you as well as you treated Rachel. Y'know, I hear prison inmates really have a special way of treating assholes like you who abuse women. So when you get there, be sure to tell your new boyfriend – or boyfriends – I said congrats," Finn spat back and turned to walk away, but once again, this idiot dancer boy just couldn't let it drop. And obviously he'd forgotten what happened the last time he grabbed Finn...
But this time it was Brody throwing the first punch. Finn saw it coming and could've dodged it with ease, but he readied himself and let him land the slug in his gut; he just wanted a good excuse to be able to what he did next, which was to shove the fucker back against the brick wall behind them and smash his fist into his left eye socket, exactly the same way Brody had done to Rachel.
"I see you like learning your lessons the hard way," Finn hissed in a dangerously low voice. "Maybe third time will be the charm? Better hope you don't see me again, you scumbag," Finn snarled. He was still holding Brody up, propped against the wall by the clutched shirt in his large fist. "I won't be so hospitable next time."
Puck had come out of the coffee shop as soon as saw a swing being taken at Finn. By the time he got out the door and onto the sidewalk, Finn was releasing Brody, who immediately bolted down the busy sidewalk and turned the corner, disappearing out of sight.
"Huddy, you okay? Was that the son of a bitch?"
"Yep, that was him. And I'm fine. My knuckles might disagree later, but for now I'm good."
"That was the asshole? And he's still walking and breathing right now? Damn Finnessa, are you losing your touch?"
"No, I'm trying to be a responsible adult. Anyway, he threw the first swing. I was just defending myself."
"Yeah I saw that much. You sure you're okay dude?"
"Azimio's tackles were worse than anything that little pansy can dish out. Dude he sure doesn't know shit about fighting. I'm physically okay; mentally and emotionally I wanna go all Braveheart on that douche."
. . . . .
Later that evening Finn, Rachel and Cam were enjoying a quiet meal at home together when Rachel's phone rang. Based on her million dollar smile, Finn assumed it was good news.
"Oh my god Finn it's finally over! That was Mr Munoz, he just got word from the judge our next court date was canceled and Brody's paternity case was dropped! I don't know how he did it, but he said we don't have to appear there again!"
"Wow babe, that's amazing news!" He kissed Rachel then turned to scoop up Camden from his walker. "You hear that Cam? Mommy and daddy are free of all that nasty business! We can finally just be a family together!" Finn gave his son a kiss on the cheek which turned into raspberries, making the child squeal with delight.
Rachel watched on as the love of her life bonded with the other love of her life. Her chest bubbled with emotions and she was so grateful that Finn had come back to her world. Everything in their little universe was almost perfect now. She swallowed down the sudden surge of dread she felt over the upcoming criminal proceedings and forced herself to focus on the scene in front of her.
"Did he say anything more about updating the birth certificate, babe?"
"Not during this call, no, but earlier when we were at the court ordered visitation, he mentioned he had the paperwork all put together. The corrected Birth Certificate is already done and just needs to be filed with the city. He said since you have the positive DNA test and I'm not contesting anything, we just need to stop by his office to sign an Acknowledgement of Parentage form and he will handle the rest."
"So does that make it official like, right away?"
Rachel nodded and explained, "As soon as it is recorded with the city clerk, yes baby, it will be legal and official. Not getting cold feet I hope?"
"Hell no! I'm just anxious to get it done and over with. Let's stop down there tomorrow first thing before my shift at Ralph's. And then we should celebrate."
"Baby, we already celebrated here with our friends, what else did you have in mind?"
"Well, I really really want to have something with our parents too, but that might have to wait a while. How would you feel if we had Cam's first birthday in Lima? We could invite Mr Schue and everyone else from Glee too."
"I think that's an amazing idea, Finn, but you know that's still a few months away yet. And the criminal trial will be starting soon."
"Yeah. And hopefully it will be OVER before Cam's birthday."
Rachel sighed and felt the nervous knots return to her stomach. "I hope so too."
Finn wrapped his arms around her in a soothing hug. "Babe I know you're nervous, but don't be. Remember, I'm here with you and for you; you're not alone. And everything will work out, I just know it." He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead and she pulled him down for a proper kiss on the lips. When the kiss broke, Finn smiled excitedly. "I'm gonna call Mom and see if she has any ideas on where to hold the party. Then we're gonna put this little man down to sleep for the night, then daddy is gonna take good care of mommy. Sound good?"
"That sounds perfect," she whispered with a beguiling smile.
. . . . .
After they left Mr Munoz's office, Finn and Rachel parted ways. Rachel had a short lunch shift to get ready for at the diner and needed to drop Cam at daycare since Santana would still be sleeping.
Finn had to be at the autobody shop to start his shift by 10 AM. He'd started taking on additional hours and had suggested to Rachel that she considered not working as much (or at all) at the diner. He was hopeful that she'd start to get back to her Broadway dreams someday soon. To help stir her inner diva, he planned to surprise her for their one month 'reunited' anniversary with tickets to a play.
As he arrived at Ralph's, he went in through the employee's entrance and headed to the employee's 'break room' (it was really just a dirty space with a bench, a coffee maker, a card table with three chairs, and a bank of lockers) to throw on his coveralls. He passed Puck on his way into the small room and greeted him with a fist bump when his boss caught sight of him and called him to his office.
Finn noticed two men in ratty looking suits and a NYPD officer in uniform lingering nearby. "Yeah Ralph, what's going on?"
"Finn, uh, I'm sorry buddy, but these fellas over here are insisting they need to see you immediately on some official police business. Two of them introduced themselves as detectives, and the other one looks like a beat cop. I hope this has something to do with your girlfriend's situation and nothing new... You're not in any trouble, are ya kid?"
"No, none that I'm aware of. Don't see how I could be either, considering I'm only ever here or home with Rachel. Her asshole attacker's trial starts in a couple weeks, maybe that's what this is about?"
"Well, go find out and see if you can clear them outta here ASAP. I don't much care for the smell of PORK so early in the morning," Ralph chortled.
Finn chuckled uneasily, "Yeah sure, I'll try to do that."
He left from Ralph's office and walked over to the officers, one of whom greeted him rather sternly.
"Are you Finn Hudson?"
"Uh, yeah, I am... what can I do for you this morning?"
"This is Officer Edwards, my partner, Detective White, and I'm Detective Brown."
Finn couldn't help the snigger that escaped him. "Brown and White huh? Like The Reservoir Dogs? Is there a Mr Pink hanging around somewhere too?"
The officers all looked to one another humorlessly, except for the uniformed cop who rolled his eyes and seemed to be fighting a grin. "Look sir, I like Tarantino as much as the next guy, but we're here on official business and it's really no joking matter."
"Oh sorry. Uh... hey, if this is about the criminal case against Brody Weston, I'm happy to help in any way possible."
"As a matter of fact, we are here on a matter related to Mr Weston, but I'm afraid this is a separate matter. Mr Hudson–"
"Finn. Call me Finn."
Grumpy detective number one pulled a face and flipped through his small notepad. "Mr Hudson, can you tell us about an incident involving yourself and Mr Weston that occurred three days ago on the sidewalk outside a Starbucks on Jay Street?"
Oh shit. "Uh, yeah... well. How much do you know about Mr Weston's situation?" Finn noticed Puck watching the four men congregate in conversation and looked as though he wanted to join the pow-wow. Finn shook him off at that point as the gruffer looking detective (Brown) answered.
"We're well aware of Weston's pending trial and felony charges pertaining to an incident involving a Miss Rachel Berry early last year."
"Yeah, that's right. So then you know he's an abusive asshole who sexually assaulted my girlfriend and is currently out on bail. Does that mean you also know about the restraining order?"
"We do, Mr Hudson, but the matter we're here to discuss – from what we've been advised – only involves you. Our understanding is that Miss Berry was not anywhere in the vicinity of Mr Weston at the time he'd run into you near the Starbucks. Can you confirm that as true?"
"Well no, she wasn't around, I mean not within 100 feet anyway. She was across the street at the courthouse in a court ordered visitation with Weston's mother. What does... what's this all about exactly?" Finn had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was about to be terribly terribly wrong.
Grumpy detective number two (White) spoke up. "Mr Weston alleges you attacked him on the sidewalk, leaving him with a mild concussion and a broken eye socket."
"Whoa! He said I attacked him? Oh man, you got this all wrong, HE attacked me! He ran his mouth trying to get a rise outta me and then the fucker took a swing at me, punched me in the gut. So yeah I may have punched back but it was in self defense I swear!"
"So you admit you DID attack Mr Weston?"
"I admit I reacted in self defense, which as far as I know is well within my rights to protect myself!"
"I see. It seems however, Mr Weston also alleges you ambushed him in a hotel room in February of last year, leaving him with a severe eye injury at that time as well. In other words, there seems to be a pattern forming which always ends with your fist in Mr Weston's face."
Puck had migrated himself just close enough to eavesdrop on the conversation and immediately inserted himself into it. "Hey, you dudes got this shit ALL wrong! Huddy is usually a total marshmallow and only fights when he's attacked first! And that ASSHAT Weston was slutting himself around like a walking STD and–"
"PUCK, shut it please, you're NOT helping! Look, officers, detectives, whatever, do I need a lawyer or something?"
"Well Mr Hudson, based on your corroborating statements confirming you indeed have punched Mr Weston, I'd say you do. Turn and place your hands behind your back. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you—" the uniformed police officer turned Finn around to pat him down and put handcuffs on him.
"What the fuck! Are you arresting him?" Puck shouted "THAT'S TOTAL BULLSHIT! You can't do that!"
Grumpy detective number one turned and spoke sternly to Puck. "Son, Puck, is it? I assure you that we CAN and we ARE; and I'm advising you to back away right now before we charge you with obstruction of justice and interference in an official police matter."
"Listen to the man Puck, running your mouth right now is NOT HELPING! Just... Call Rach, call my mom, let them know what's going on okay?"
Puck's jaw clenched but he knew he'd be on the losing (shitty) end of this stick. "Fine, yeah sure I will." He turned back to the detectives and asked "Can you donut chasers at least tell me what the hell precinct you're taking him to?"
As the uniformed officer held Finn in custody, grumpy detective one finished Mirandizing Finn while grumpy detective two handed Puck a business card with his contact info and precinct details.
"Don't worry Huddy, I'm on this. You won't be there for long, I swear it man! Just keep your trap shut, don't tell these pigs SHIT until you have a lawyer there!"
As Finn was carted off to the back of the waiting police car, Puck followed and Finn barked out his final orders. "Seriously Puck get the fuck moving before they stuff you in this squad car with me! Go find Rach, tell her I love her and PLEASE keep watch over her and Cam!"
Puck nodded and immediately ran back to his apartment behind the shop to change and start making calls. How the hell could this happen? And how the hell was Rachel ever gonna handle hearing this news? Puck knew exactly who his first call had to be.
"Tana. . . TANA shut the hell up a minute, I don't care if I woke you up! Look, drop whatever and whoever the fuck you're doing. We gotta HUGE fucking problem and Finn needs our help; so does Rachel. Where are you right now?"
. . . . .
TBC...🌈❤️🌺
A/N – OOOO that was an unexpected curve ball! Sorry my Finchelings, but you know, that Evil Brody, he's clearly up to no good again! :-O the good news is, we're very close to the end! Only about two chapters left to wrap this up. Hang tight my friends!
Some thoughts about Finn and Rachel n this chapter. First, I LOVE this chapter, a lot. Not (just) because of their FULL reunification but in the way their relationship is playing out - as well as a lot of the other stuff that ended up in here this chap (not the least of which was Puck getting a baby puke facial)!
I'm aware S/A is difficult subject matter but this is where Rachel took me on her journey. Her relationship with Finn is deep rooted and complicated, and while she may still be suffering some PTSD affects, her love and trust in Finn runs much deeper than anything anyone else could do to her. They've been rebuilding things over a few months now AND been in therapy together for several weeks. The timeline might seem fast, but I think it fits THEM because of their history. Their tether always brings them back together and they've always learned and grown from each other; this situation is just a different set of challenges for both of them to learn and grow from. This is chapter I think reflects how she's healing now that Finn is back in her life and how he's becoming a more responsible, compassionate partner.
At least I HOPE it's reading that way... ;)
Ok - funfact... Cam's ID# on the paternity test is a sort of metaphorical easter egg. If you don't know the importance of the number, do some research on the topic of Kaprekar's Constants and you might make the same (sort of long way to get there) connection I did, feeling it's sort of the same thing as the universe putting finchel thru any possible kind of makeup/breakup routines but once they work through it, they always get their HEA; 6174 represents a finchel happily ever after in my view. (Then again, I have a slightly warped view of the world sometimes, so maybe I'm over analyzing things LOL.)
SONG CREDIT:
'Collide' by Howie Day