A/N: Sorry it's so late. And shorter than usual. I've been insanely busy with barely a moment's peace. I've never been so busy in my life! And I don't see that changing any time in the next month or so. Both work and life things are taking up all my time. On the bright side, the next chapter is half written. I don't think the next chapter will take quite as long to be posted, but I can't promise for the following one.
Chapter 18
Finn meant what he said to Brody. He's working on being a better man for Rachel. However, he's keeping Rachel's words in mind. He needs to grow up and be a confident man, not just for her but for himself. They haven't spoken in depth anymore, fearing they'd end up in another yelling match, but they've each spoken to others about their situation. Finn was hesitant to talk to Burt about it. As he'd feared, the man wasn't too happy with him at first. He may be his stepson, but Rachel is his daughter. Burt is a good, compassionate man, however. Understanding. He was able to set aside his feelings about Rachel's broken heart to help Finn get some perspective. He understands now that he can't let his doubts and fears control him. He needs to do better for himself, be stronger and let himself be happier.
"Son, you've been her anchor for years. Strong, steady, loving, and comforting. You were exactly what she needed. But it's not what she needs anymore. She needs something different now. She needs you to be you, on your own. Stop defining yourself by your relationship with her. Be you. Be happy with who you are. Only then will you be able to be what Rachel needs."
"But what does she need now?"
"You'll have to ask her that."
He had to really think about whether or not he is happy with who he is. He decided he is. He is a good person. He is kind to others. He is supportive of his loved ones. He puts others first. He's athletic and a good singer. He's good looking, which he half attributes to genetics and half to his hard work at the gym. He's not particularly smart, but he's good with people. He has let himself be happy with his decision to be a gym teacher and stop doubting it. As Rachel has said many times, he can always switch his career later if he wants to. So now, there are only two things he needs to change. He needs to work harder in school and he needs to be more confident in himself. For now, he's hoping that he can show his newfound confidence to Rachel and get her to take him back. Then all will be right in his world. He'll deal with New York. With everything else going well, he's positive he can handle the stress of living in the city. His mom pointed that out and he agrees with her.
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Brody kept his distance from Rachel at the end of year party at Callbacks. Rachel did feel a little bad when she saw his black eye and other bruises, but that feeling didn't last long. Mostly she's upset that she lost a friend. After seeing the bruises, Artie made a comment about knowing better than to get between Finn and Rachel. Blaine tacked on, adding that he should have known not to hurt Rachel. If Finn hadn't stepped up, the others would have come for him. Lydia felt bad that she can't attend the benefit this year because her family is going on vacation, but Rachel assured her that she's not upset. Elliott is thrilled to be participating this year. It's a little odd for Rachel that she has a friend who never knew her when she was sick. He has no idea what it was like, but he's heard enough from hanging out with them to form a basic picture. The first time he was told about it was when Kurt was showing him a picture from high school that Rachel was in and she looked really bad. Startled and concerned, Elliott had asked about it. That's how they realized he'd never been told and had brushed off the rumors on campus. He'd hugged her tight. Once he heard about the benefit they hold every year, he jumped at the opportunity. Not just to perform, but to help with a good cause.
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Sam finishes reciting the definition. Rachel smiles and puts the flash card in the correct pile, which is much bigger than the incorrect pile. There are only twelve cards in the incorrect pile and over fifty in the correct pile. She holds up the next card and Sam diligently lists the necessary steps for the procedure named. She places it in the correct pile.
"Last one." She holds up the final card. Over the next couple seconds, Sam's face goes from determined to frustrated to defeated.
"I don't—I don't remember." He grunts between clenched teeth.
"It's alright, Sam." She soothes.
He stands so abruptly that his chair falls over. "No it's not!"
"Sam, it's not—"
"Life or death?! Yes it is!" He runs a hand through his hair in agitation. "I need to know all of it. All of it. No mistakes!"
"Sam—"
"I appreciate that you're trying to comfort me, but the truth is—it's not enough." He grabs the incorrect pile of cards. "If I don't know this and someone is put in more danger or dies because of it, it's on me. And I don't know if I can live with that."
She watches him sympathetically. This isn't the first time he's expressed a similar sentiment, but it is the first time he did so with so much emotion. They've all been helping him prepare for his final test. The framily has taken turns going through flash cards with him, reading out scenarios to assess how he'd respond (pulled from his textbooks or stuff they find online), or help him study other ways. They've all been guinea pigs, letting him practice wrapping bandages around different parts of their bodies, applying splints, and other things. There were even two days in the past couple months where his class asked for volunteers to let them practice inserting needles into. They all volunteered, though they all tried to tell Rachel that she's had enough needles stabbing her that they'd understand her not participating. However, she likes being helpful. She even gave tips to the people poking her, based on personal experience as a patient. Now, days before his final exam, he's freaking out.
"Sam, you need to remember why you chose this career."
"That's why I'm so passionate about this! I remember running through McKinley's hallways with you in my arms, struggling to breath and on the edge of consciousness. I remember all the times I helped you breathe, did CPR, or turned on your oxygen. I wanna help people. Not make things worse because I don't know what the fuck I'm doing!"
She stands behind him and rubs his back. "Take some deep breaths. You're useless like that." It sounds mean, but he needs it to get through the emotional outburst and pull himself back together. She waits a few moments, allowing him to breathe and calm himself down. "You calm?"
He turns to face her, his blond hair falling into his eyes as he looks down at her. "Yeah. Thanks."
"You are good at this, Sam. Really good at it. You know what you're doing. And those thirteen cards you're struggling with? Don't let them stress you out. Study two at a time until you feel confident. You still have a couple days to get this down. We'll help you. You know that."
His face relaxes and he smiles at her softly. "Thanks, Rach. I couldn't do this without you. All of you."
She hugs him reassuringly. "You'll get the final few. I know it. I have faith in you."
He lights up at that.
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Despite freaking out over his test for months, terrified he'd fail, it was the drive he'd needed to push himself. With help from everyone in the house, Sam has studied, reviewed, and practiced everything multiple times. A week later he came home with the results. Rachel was walking towards the living room with a glass of water. Sam ran into her, lifting her off her feet and twirling her around. Water sloshed out of the glass and onto both of them and the floor. Hearing her shocked gasp, Yero comes running up to them. The dog quickly realizes his girl isn't in danger and settles down.
"Sam!" She chides before realizing what it might mean. "Wait, did you—"
He sets her down and shows off his huge smile brimming with pride. "I passed! I passed my paramedic test!"
Rachel sets her water down on the coffee table and jumps up to hug him again. He laughs and she squeals. "I knew you could do it! Congratulations Sam!"
"Thank you." He whispers in her ear.
He sets her down and grabs Santana, swinging her around and repeating his thanks. He does the same to Brittany, then goes to each of the guys and hugs them in thanks. He tells them he has a job lined up, but will be starting with hands on training. He's both excited and nervous. The group of friends had their own party, with Quinn and Artie, to celebrate the end of the school year. Between the stress of the school year suddenly gone from their shoulders and the fact that they're all healthy and happy (despite Rachel and Finn still being split), made for a very cheerful gathering.
All of the original New Directions gathered at their spot in the woods in Ohio within days of being home. They wanted everyone to be together to celebrate Rachel being in remission for one year, the start of summer, and just being back together again finally. They spent the whole night at their spot talking, laughing, singing, dancing, playing games, and just being kids. There were a few moments of tension, however. Rachel and Finn, while broken up, are still friendly with one another. However, the fact that they're not a couple means they still kept their distance for the most part and did not dance together. That upset both of them, but not enough to ruin the night. It added a strain to the whole group since none of them are used to them not being together. It doesn't matter that everyone assumes they'll get back together at some point. There's still the fact that they have a lot to work through first and no one knows when they'll be a couple again. Which begs another question; will they try dating other people first or just get back together? Despite Finn insisting that they're endgame, does that mean they're the only ones for one another? That also throws their wedding into question. It was always assumed, by everyone, that they'd get married right out of college. Now that's up in the air. Will they? Won't they? Do they need more time? It's that more than anything else that stresses Rachel out. She still feels she was right in breaking up with Finn. Even he agrees at this point. But now not knowing if they'll ever get married weighs heavy on her heart. What if breaking up with him is making him doubt their future? It heartens her to know that Finn is displaying zero doubts about that. He just keeps repeating that they're endgame and it'll all work out. Still, that niggling thought keeps her on edge.
They weren't the only cause of tension. Mike and Tina had a fight over whether or not to get back together now. Artie had some comments about that because apparently he has feelings for Tina. That also put a bit of tension between the two guys. Noah unexpectedly threw a hissy fit over Quinn dating some guy, making Rachel wonder if he has feelings for the blonde. Sam and Mercedes hooked up but are tense because they live on opposite coasts so they don't want to be a serious couple. But they want to be together. Still, everyone put their romantic issues aside to enjoy themselves.
It's also weird for all of them that they're getting older and going in different directions. None of them know for sure where they'll be in the future, but they know it won't be all together. That's hard for them. But exciting, too. They're excited for themselves and for each other. They stay in touch through texting, phone calls, video calls, and social media. Some of them visit occasionally. Some, like Mercedes, find it too difficult. So getting together in person is always wonderful. They vow to keep this tradition of meeting up here, at their spot, as their personal start to summer. Having that plan in place makes them all very happy. Rachel especially, since she's been in remission for a year now and knows she'll get to be with them every year when they get together. That wasn't always a definite and was hard on her. Now she gets to happily plan far into her future and not fear that she'll be missing out.
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"One year. I have been in remission for one entire year. 12 months." Rachel announces proudly. The crowd applauds and roars. "I know! I'm happy. Last time it only lasted five months and I spent every month this time anxiously waiting for the doctor to confirm that my numbers were still good. I kept fearing that they'd say 'sorry, you relapsed again'. Especially after I neared the fifth month. But now it's been a year and I'm learning to relax and let my guard down. I'm healthy. And it's been…..it's been an awesome year except for one thing not health related that I hope will be rectified soon. With that in mind, I have a song to sing. This song is dedicated to someone I love with all my heart. Someone who has been by my side through good times and bad. And while we're not currently dating, I still see him as my future. So this is for Finn."
"I can't win, I can't reign
I will never win this game
Without you, without you
I am lost, I am vain
I will never be the same
Without you without you
I won't run
I won't fly
I will never make it by
Without you, without you
I can't rest
I can't fight
All I need is you and I
Without you, without you
I can't erase
so I'll take blame
But I can't accept
That we're estranged
Without you, without you
I can't quit now
This can't be right
I can't take one more sleepless night
Without you, without you
I won't surf
I won't climb
If you're not here
I'm paralyzed
Without you, without you
I can't look
I'm so blind
I lost my heart
I lost my mind
Without you, without you
I am lost
I am vain
I will never be the same
Without you, without you
Without you"
She walks off stage with tears in her eyes but applause in her ears. Finn is standing side stage waiting for her. Unable to help herself, she walks straight into him. He wraps his arms around her and holds her. She hears Santana scoff something about 'like they'll be apart for long' but she ignores it. No one expected them to break up. No one expected them to stay broken up. Even Rachel. But until they work things out, and until Finn is able to gain some more confidence, they can't. And she doesn't know how long it'll take. She'll wait, though. However long it takes. She will wait for him.
"We'll talk soon, okay?" Finn whispers in her ear.
She nods and pulls away, sniffling but not looking at him for fear she'll start crying again. She grabs Tina's hand and the girls join the others in the choir room while Mr. Schuester starts off the performances. Their NY "band" led by Kurt performed "Roar" and a few other numbers, which were a lot of fun. Rachel, Santana, and Elliott performed "Gloria", which was a highlight of the day. Their voices harmonized beautifully. Rachel performed a slowed down version of "Wake Me Up". Finn and Mr. Schuester performed a boy band battle: N'Sync vs Backstreet Boys. That was fun and amusing for everyone. Rachel and Blaine sang "Suddenly Seymour" which was another highlight. They performed their hearts out and really raised the bar for the others. Elliott and Rachel sang a rock duet of "Barracuda" that was fun. They had more group numbers throughout the day like "What Does the Fox Say" and "Downtown" that included both new and old members of the New Directions.
"Earlier in the day, Rachel sang a song for me. Now it's my turn. This is for her." Finn announces before nodding to Kurt. Kurt nods back and begins playing the piano to accompany him. Standing side stage, Rachel clings to Blaine's hand and waits anxiously.
"While you were sleeping
I decided to lay it out
Every bad reason
All of my pointless doubts
Where I went wrong
I whispered the ways that I am ashamed of myself
While you were dreaming
I handed you all my fears
My thoughtless decisions
Turned into thoughtless tears
What have I done
For the first time I blame myself
But you get my love, baby
You get my love
If there's only one thing about me
That you can trust
You get my love, baby
You get my love
Don't let my mistakes
Take that away from us
You get my love
I'm no longer hiding
Though you're not awake to leave
I can tell by your breathing
It's no longer a fantasy
I'm still not prepared
For when you wake up
And turn to me
But you get my love, baby
You get my love
If there's only one thing about me
That you can trust
You get my love, baby
You get my love
Don't let my mistakes
Take that away from us
You get my love
The light comes in
The dawn is rising now
You opened up your eyes
Once again I have to risk it all
The time is now
But you get my love, baby
You get my love
If there's only one thing about me
That you can trust
You get my love, baby
You get my love
Don't let my mistakes
Take that away from us
You get my love, baby
You get my love"
The emotion behind his belts had each hit Rachel, flowing over her and through her. She allowed her tears to flow freely and clung to Blaine's hand. With the song finished, Finn turns to her. The emotion in his eyes has her stepping towards him unconsciously. The hold of Blaine's hand on hers keeps her from going far. The corner of Finn's lips lift and his eyes lighten.
They'll be alright. In time.
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Rachel and her parents went on vacation in Florida. They celebrated her being in remission for one year with the whole extended family, but this vacation is just for them to relax and have fun on. Rachel enjoyed snorkeling, parasailing, and riding a jet ski. Mostly she enjoyed not running out of energy or worrying about getting an attack. Still, despite how wonderful this vacation was, it sucked not having Yero with her. Her parents convinced her to leave him with Sam's family since he's not needed. It sucked to be away from him for so long, but she knew they were right. After returning from Florida, they spent more time with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. They went to water parks, hung around the house, and even played a family game of paintball that was a lot of fun. Rachel was on her Nana's team and had a blast using Nana as bait then taking out anyone who dared shoot at her precious grandmother. They made a great duo. It especially amused everyone when Nana would pretend to be clueless and weak, then when the other person let their guard down, whip her paintball gun up and shoot them while laughing sweetly. Tyler was rolling on the ground laughing after being taken down by her.
After returning home, Rachel went straight to Sam's house (thrilled that she could finally drive herself) to pick up Yero. The pup knocked her down and licked her nonstop when she stepped through the door.
"I missed you too, Yero." She laughed, petting him and trying to keep his tongue away from her face.
Sam helped her up and she spent a while talking with his family before she left with Yero. The only other thing on her mind was Finn. They've been broken up for loner than expected. They are now able to be friendly and relaxed around one another, but it's not the same. It's not good enough. Even knowing it'll all work out in the future doesn't make their current relationship any easier.
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Clink. "Damnit."
Finn sighs and picks up the socket wrench. He usually enjoys working in Burt's shop. It's pretty easy work and he's good at it. But these days he's having a hard time truly enjoying much of anything. Rachel's words from each of their fights and arguments keep swirling through his mind. He knows that some of what she said was just her lashing out in anger, just as he had done. They each let their hurt twist their words into harmful attacks. Still, knowing she thinks for even a moment that he would prefer that she had died makes him feel sick. It also makes him wonder if he somehow gave off that vibe to her. Did he say or do anything that made her think that? He frowns heavily, wracking his brain.
"Hi."
He spins around. Rachel is standing in the garage a few feet away, wearing a cute dress and looking beautiful, yet out of place. He's standing there in a jumpsuit and covered in grease, probably looking gross, and she's standing there like a freaking angel.
"Hi."
She looks him over and frowns. "I thought you enjoyed working here. Is that tire giving you a hard time?"
He grins slightly. "Nah."
She raises an eyebrow. "You seemed pretty frustrated."
"Not with this." He waves a hand at the tire behind him.
"Oh." She comes closer. "Can I ask what had you so upset?"
"You." At her hurt expression, he quickly goes on. "Just….thinking about everything we said and everything we….screamed….at one another."
Her expression settles into one of understanding. "Yeah. I've been doing that a lot, too. I started crying on the beach in Florida because I felt guilty over what I said to you."
He hesitates, but has to ask. "What part?"
She laughs humorlessly. "Practically all of it. Not what I said about you being more confident. Or loving you and needing you. But the rest. Like about wishing I had died."
A bit of the fear he'd been carrying in him deflates. "So…..you don't actually think I wanted you to die?"
She sighs, looking sad. "No, Finn. I know you never wanted me to die. I know you stayed with me because you love me. But I do think that you got used to that being our dynamic. Me sick, you the provider taking care of me and supporting me. You were really good at it and you seemed comfortable with it. Now that I'm in remission and healthy, it's like you don't know how to be with me."
Finn shifts on his feet. "I guess that's true. I still worry about you. I don't think that'll ever completely go away."
Rachel sighs. "I get it. My mom basically said the same thing to me."
"I also realized I don't know what you need from me now. I knew what you needed before. Now I don't."
"Finn, I just need you! To be you! With me. The only thing that has changed is I don't need you to physically take care of me anymore. I need the man I love to continue being my boyfriend and best friend."
He nods slowly. "I think I get it. I was just so used to be—"
"Kids, as sweet as this is, this isn't the time or place." Burt is wiping his hands on a rag and looking at them in exasperation. "Save it for when he's not working, princess."
"Fine." Rachel rolls her eyes. Burt kisses her head as he passes her. She looks to Finn. "We'll talk later?"
"Yeah. Wanna come by tonight?" He asks with a grin, knowing that she's been trying to get as much driving in as possible now that she's healthy and not in a city.
She smiles happily, clearly pleased. "Yes. I'll meet you at your house after dinner."
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They end up not staying at the house, but taking a walk outside while talking. They begin their conversation by rehashing what they said in the shop.
"I just need you to be you, Finn. I love you."
"I know."
"Do you? Because it hasn't seemed like you know just how much I love you."
Finn shrugs his shoulders awkwardly. "That was kind of because you weren't spending much time at home. But mostly because I felt like….I didn't know how to be with you anymore. So much of our relationship was based on me helping you through being sick. With that gone, I was at a loss. Especially with you not really around much."
"I'm sorry, Finn. I was just so excited to finally get to live. Do you understand that? I fell ill as a young teen. At an age when I should have been testing the limits, hanging out with friends outside of the house, going to malls and parties, staying out all night, and learning to drive, I couldn't. I had to stay home, in a small cubicle connected to an IV, or in the hospital. I couldn't often go places and when I did I was never alone. Ever. I couldn't be. As time went on I had less and less energy and couldn't leave the house. I hated knowing I was stuck home resting while my friends were out having fun, being normal teenagers. Even our first year in New York, I couldn't go anywhere alone and I tired easily. I needed rest, so I didn't go out as much as I wanted. Then, finally, I was in remission. I could go places alone. Do things for myself. Not worry about attacks or dizziness or tiredness. I had freedom. I had more options and a world to roam. Do you know how exciting it was to realize I could just…go? Anywhere? Whenever? You guys have no idea."
"I didn't realize. I mean I knew you were, you know, kinda trapped inside and missing out. But I think I mostly kept thinking about how we'd hang out with you at your house or in your hospital room. So that you weren't alone."
"I loved that. I really did. But now we're all healthy and we can choose to be together or choose to go do our own things."
"And…..your thing was staying away?"
Rachel steps closer, taking his arms. "No. I was running out into the world having fun, knowing I had you to return to. And wishing you were beside me."
He nods slowly. "I get it. I'm sorry I thought you were running away from me."
"I'm sorry I made you feel like I was. Finn, this is me. I'm healthy and intend to stay that way. I am ambitious. I'm also healthy enough to do things on my own, so I will. You have to decide if you want me like this. You said you liked me better when I was sick."
"I didn't mean that." He responds quickly before shrugging awkwardly. "I just…..I liked how simple my role was then. Take care of you. And I liked that I always got to spend time with you."
"Your role is still to take care of me. Just in different ways. I'm sorry I didn't spend more time with you."
"Do you think you could spend a little more time at home with me?"
"Yes. Do you think you could join me out of the house more?"
"Yeah. Do you think you could be more specific about what you need?"
"Yeah. I need you to be my best friend and lover. Treat me the same way you did before, but trust that I can take care of myself. I need us to support each other equally."
"Alright. I can do that." Then he smiles. "I'm your anchor and you're my guiding star. We balance each other out. We're each what the other needs."
She smiles back. "We are."
They stand there smiling at one another for a moment before continuing on. They switch to lighter topics and just enjoy one another's company. They don't touch on getting back together just yet. They hug tightly before Rachel heads home.
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A few days later Finn formally asked her out on a date and she accepted. They talked seriously. She promised to spend more time with him and more time at home. He promised to spend time with her out of the house and to focus on himself a little more. They both promised to talk more openly with one another about how they're feeling. They even came up with a cue word to use when they think their meaning isn't getting across. So if one of them doesn't feel like the other is understanding what they're saying/feeling, they can use the cue word and everything will stop while they sit down and talk through it more clearly and calmly. That way they can be sure they're on the same page with no miscommunication.
All Rachel really needs now is for Finn to continue to prove that he is confident in himself and in them as a couple. And that will take time. They agreed that they don't want to spend that time apart, so Finn asks her to be his girlfriend again. She agrees and pulls him into a deep kiss. It got a little heated and their waitress had to bashfully ask them to tone it down. Blushing but laughing, the newly repaired couple left a large tip and booked it out of there. Finn drove them to a secluded spot and they quickly climbed in the back of the car. When it was over, they lay on the back seat in the hot car, sweaty and trying to catch their breaths.
"God I've missed this." Finn groans.
Rachel laughs. "Me, too. But as much as I've missed the sex, I've just missed you. Having you always by my side. It's felt weird and…..lonely….knowing you weren't my partner anymore. Cold."
"Are you cold now?"
They both look around at the fogged up windows of the car and start laughing. "Nope."
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Finn pulls up to Rachel's house but doesn't let her out of the car until she straightens up and doesn't look like…well, like she had her world rocked in the back of a car. She smirks but pulls her hair up into a ponytail without complaint, then cleans up her makeup and straightens her clothes.
"Better?"
"You do realize that your stepdad can kill me….easily. With his hands, his guns…and that's just him! Your mother is even scarier!"
Laughing, Rachel gets out of the car.
"Wait, that's it? No goodbye kiss?" Finn calls out the window.
"Oh, we're not done. Shut off the car and join me."
"Your wish is my command, princess."
She leads him into the house. "Mom! Scott! I'm home!"
Scott comes out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of popcorn and her mother is behind him carrying drinks.
"Hey, you two! How'd the date go?" Scott asks while they set their stuff down on the coffee table.
"Great! We're officially a couple again." Rachel announces happily.
"I'm very happy to hear that." Her mom kisses her cheek before standing before Finn. The tall young man stands there warily, waiting. "And you…"
Rachel's mom hugs Finn warmly. However, she can hear whispering. Over her mom's shoulder, Finn's eyes widen and his face pales. When his eyes meet Rachel's, he sends her a pleading look.
"Mom—" Scott slaps a hand over her mouth, cutting off her protest.
"Nope. Mama Bear's talking now." He whispers to her.
Her mom backs up with a big smile. She gently pats Finn's cheek. "We clear?"
"Y-yes, ma'am." Finn stammers out.
"Good."
Huffing, Rachel grabs Finn's hand. "We're going out back!"
The teens quickly escape to the back patio. Rachel calls to Yero and lets him out. The golden dog climbs up on their padded bench and lays down while keeping his eyes on them. Rachel stops Finn from sitting.
"Are we leaving?" Then a nervous look spreads on his face. "Or dancing? You know I can't dance."
"No. Though I wouldn't mind dancing with you, that's not what I had in mind."
Rachel steps up to him so they're chest to chest and wraps her arms around him. Finn does the same. But Rachel wasn't looking for a hug. She slides her hands into his back pocket and removes his wallet.
"You robbing me?" He asks in amusement. "You don't have to. What's mine is yours."
"Hmm. That's nice." She opens the wallet and searches through it. A frown forms on her face and she looks up at Finn. "Where is it?"
"Where's what?"
"My promise ring. You kept it in your wallet ever since we broke up."
"I did." Finn shifts awkwardly on his feet.
Rachel hands his wallet back, her brow still furrowed. "You stopped carrying it?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
He hesitates to answer. "Be—because…..because I'm not giving it back to you."
Her heart drops into her stomach and her throat closes up. "What?"
"Because I broke that promise." At Rachel's flabbergasted look, he goes on. "I promised to always be your anchor and always be what you needed and—and I wasn't. I stopped. I failed."
Rachel shakes her head. "Finn, you didn't—"
"I did. I know it."
"But we made up! I understand what you were going through and you now understand what I was going through. We worked it out and we're together again."
"I know."
"Finn, I love that ring. I want it back."
"No."
"But—"
Finn gently presses a finger to her lips, halting her arguments. He makes sure she's looking into his eyes and speaks lowly. "The next ring I give you will be your engagement ring."
She sucks in a breath and tears spring to her eyes. "Really?" It comes out a breathy whisper.
"Really. We're endgame, babe. I'm in this for life."
"Me, too."
He catches her lips with his and they kiss for several minutes. However, when Rachel pulls back, she places her hands on his chest.
"I love you. I look forward to marrying you. But I want that anchor ring back."
He grins. "Nope."
"Finn!" She adds a foot stomp for good measure.
"Nope."
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Two days later, Carole hugs Rachel when she swings by the Hummel-Hudson residence. "I'm so glad you two are back together."
"Me, too."
"But he's not here now, honey. He's out with his friends."
"Oh, I know." Rachel says with a smirk.
"Well….neither is Kurt. Or Burt."
"Yup. Finn has something of mine and I don't want to wait for him to find it and return it to me."
"Oh. Alright. Do you know where it is?"
"I know it's in his room, I'm just not entirely sure where."
"Well let me know if you need a hand."
Carole stays downstairs enjoying her day off and trying to decide what to make for dinner. Whatever she makes, she has to make a lot of it whenever Finn's home. After a while, Rachel comes bouncing down the stairs with a big grin.
"Find what you were looking for?"
"Yup! Bye, Carole! See you soon!"
Bemused, she accepts the kiss on her cheek. "Bye, honey!"
Later in the day, she's chopping an onion when Finn comes home. "Mom! When's dinner?"
Carole rolls her eyes. "In about twenty minutes. Can you survive that long?"
"Yeah." Her son enters the room. "I was just asking."
"Rachel swung by earlier today."
"Yeah?" He swings the refrigerator door open and pulls out a bottle of soda.
"Yeah. Apparently you took something of hers? And she didn't want to wait to get it back? What'd you take?" It'd been bugging Carole all day. She's curious.
Finn abruptly goes still, his hand still holding the cap to the bottle. His eyes widen. "She didn't."
"What—"
Finn drops the cap and bolts out of the kitchen. His feet pound up the stairs. Carole's eyebrows shot up, her curiosity eating at her. What is going on? After a minute, she hears Finn's indignant shout.
"She did!"
He thunders down the stairs and hurries to put on his shoes.
"Finn, what's going on? Was it something that belongs to her?"
"I mean….sort of. Yeah. It's hers. I gave it to her, then I took it back, and now she took it back, and—never mind. I gotta go."
"What about dinner?"
"This is more important! I'll be back later!"
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"Hi, Mrs. Matthews!" Finn says brightly.
"Hi, honey. Rachel isn't here."
"Good."
Mrs. Matthews is so startled she steps back. "What?"
"Uh—can I come in and explain? Please?"
"Alright."
Finn tells his girlfriend's mother about the promise ring and Rachel throwing it at him and how much it hurt and how he kept it in his wallet before deciding not to give it back to her, and their discussion about it the other night and her demanding it back and him refusing.
"I told her the next ring I give her will be her engagement ring. But she really wants the promise ring back. So she went to my house while I was out today and stole it back from me." He ends with a grin.
Mrs. Matthew's is eying him. "You don't seem upset by this."
"I mean, kind of. But not really. I guess I'm more…amused. But I had this whole plan of returning the promise ring to her after we get married. Like maybe on our one year anniversary or something."
"She really does love that ring. But more than that, she loves what it represented. It made her feel secure to wear it while knowing what it meant."
"I know. I felt the same whenever I'd see her wearing it. Which was every day until she pulled it off and threw it at me. That hurt both of us."
"I'm sorry, Finn."
"Well can I go up to her room and take it back?"
"How do you know she's not wearing it?"
"Because then I'd see it and take it right back."
She chuckles. "Good point. Alright. I'll be your partner in crime. Go on up."
"Thanks!"
Finn hurries up to Rachel's room and rummages around. It doesn't take long to find it. It was in her nightstand drawer. He slips it back into his wallet and heads downstairs.
"Find it?"
"Yup."
"You do know this means war, right? This is Rachel we're talking about. She won't stop until she gets what she wants."
Finn laughs. "I'm prepared."
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The war began in earnest. They began sneaking into one another's houses and stealing the ring back (with parental assistance—all the parents found it amusing and were impartial, helping both sides). They started finding more and more difficult places to hide it, to the point that sometimes it'd remain hidden for days before being found. If the seeker was caught in the act, a tickle fight or wrestling match would commence until they'd get distracted by making out.
Rachel, Finn, and their friends and families found the whole thing a lot of fun and it continued for the rest of the summer.
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As she did last summer, Rachel visited with the people she doesn't get to see through most of the year. She spent time with Sue, Uncle Burt and Carole, the friends that don't live in New York with her, her parents, all of her extended family, and even spent a little time with her neighbors. She can't believe how much older Max looks every time she sees him. He blushes whenever she points it out.
Her grandfather made sure to take her to the gun range a couple times to keep her skills sharp. She went on a short spa trip with her mother, grandmother, Abby, and her aunts. She spent time with her cousins. She helped her grandparents clear out their garage. Dylan joined a soccer team and she helped out at their car wash to raise money for new uniforms. In fact, Rachel invited all of her female friends and they had a long line of customers looking to get their cars washed by college girls in bikini tops. Santana and Brittany especially ate up all the attention they were getting. Still self-conscious of her scars, and because her two young cousins and uncle were watching, Rachel kept a shirt on. But she can't help that it got wet and became see-through. She still felt less exposed this way. Even when Quinn came up behind her, pulled her shirt up to under her bikini top, and knotted it in the back.
"You finally have some curves. Show them off!"
Rachel bit back a comment about how it's not her fault that her curves are recent. She went from being a skinny young teen with literally nothing to "show", to being very ill for years and being sickly skinny, to finally being healthy. In the past year, she has been eating more and exercising more (dance class and actual exercises directed by Scott). The result is a lean, fit, healthy, somewhat curvy body. She shrugs and figures showing her stomach is nothing compared to how much the other girls have on display. When the car wash was officially over, the girls and the soccer team ran around the parking lot chasing each other with hoses and buckets of soapy water. They didn't stop until everyone was soaked. Then they took a group photo. Rachel made sure to have her arms around both her cousins in the picture. The girls had lunch at Rachel's aunt and uncle's house, dried out in the sun, then made their drive back home.
While Carole took Finn to visit a distant relative for two days, Uncle Burt asked Rachel to stay with him and Kurt. The three enjoyed the time together, just like it was in the beginning. It started with the three of them and it'll always be the three of them at the core of it. Rachel teared up and started to cry, insisting to Uncle Burt that he's her dad and she loves him even if she doesn't get to visit with him often. He'd hugged her tight and gruffly told her he knows. Then Kurt had joined their hug with his own tears, swearing he'll talk to his dad more often this year. Uncle Burt had laughed, saying that was unlikely but it's okay.
"I get it. You two are growing up, living your own lives. And now that you're both healthy, you don't need me or Shelby to help out as much. We want to be in constant contact with you two, but we understand it's no longer necessary. Just…..just don't forget about us entirely, alright?"
The two teens had nodded vigorously. "We won't! We might not visit or talk as often as we used to, but we still love you just as much!"
"Good. Now….go put on your skates and skate around the kitchen so I can yell at you."
The teens had laughed and, despite not knowing if he was joking or not, did in fact put on their skates and skate around the kitchen table. And Uncle Burt yelled at them with shining eyes. The next day he took them to the lake where they spent the day alternating between sunbathing, swimming, and making sandcastles. Uncle Burt took tons of photos, but luckily both kids enjoyed it.
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Shelby smiles at her husband and daughter as she walks through the room. They're playfully arguing about something or other. She gave up trying to figure it out once she realized they're having fun. She loves having Rachel home. She loves when Kurt and the others come to visit. That, and having a break from work, is why she loves the summer so much. Shelby knows that once the kids graduate college things will be different. They'll be starting their careers and probably won't have as much time to visit over the summer. Finn will because he'll be a teacher. But the others won't. Rachel will surely be busy with whatever show she's in. She'll have to come visit between shows or Shelby will have to go to New York. Her smile fades. Next summer is the last summer they'll all have together like this. After that, everything changes. She looks down at the pile of laundry in the basket she's carrying. She can do laundry later. She drops the basket and goes back into the living room to spend time with her kid.
Time is running out, just in a different way than it was a few years ago. Still, despite the joy and excitement it brings, it's still distressing to Shelby. Her time with her baby girl is becoming more and more limited and she's having a hard time accepting that.
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Rachel is leaning into her side and Shelby uses her foot to push the swing. Yero runs around the backyard with Scott while the women watch. It's been a great summer full of time with family and friends, trips, and lazy days at home. She spent plenty of time singing with Rachel (and the others when they'd come over) and praising her for how amazing she sounds. She's always sounded good, but now her voice is maturing and her techniques have improved. Scott is always thrilled to listen to the two of them sing together and very often records them.
Even days spent like this were thoroughly enjoyed. She misses lazy days like this once the school year starts up. She misses her daughter when she returns to New York. They talk a lot, but she's not an idiot. She knows as the girl grows up and gets busier with her own life, there'll be less frequent phone calls. She doesn't begrudge Rachel this. She's learning to make her peace with it.
And making mental plans to visit New York more often in the future. After graduation, most likely.
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Burt looks at the pile of suitcases growing by the door and turns away with a sigh. Taking his kids to the airport is always hard. He misses all three of them. He wanders over to the wall where he and Carole just rearranged the photos. She moved them so that the photo of Rachel and Kurt on the beach in New York years ago is side by side with the photo of the two of them at the lake two weeks ago, which is side by side with the photo of Rachel, Kurt, and Finn in the backyard last week. He smiles, knowing they had a fun summer and the kids will have plenty of fun together in New York. That doesn't change the fact that he'll miss them. The house is too quiet without them. Shelby agrees with him. It's even harder for her when the kids return to New York at the end of the summer. It doesn't matter that she spends almost every day with Rachel and spends a lot of time with Kurt and Finn, she misses them once they're gone. That's why Burt and Carole frequently get together with Shelby and Scott. Not just to hang out because they're all friends, but because they'll watch videos of the kids together. They especially enjoy when the kids send them videos from New York that they can add to the mix. Seeing the growth of the kids (and Rachel's improved health) makes all the parents happy.
He's glad the two families (and sometimes Blaine and his family) could get together so frequently this summer. Many dinners or entire days were spent together. Kurt and Rachel always get really happy (and a tad childish) when they all get together like that. He's also glad they got to spend Finn's 20th birthday together. He can't believe the guy will be 21, of legal age to drink, in a year. They all will. It's both thrilling and frightening. He and Carole made a trip up to New York for Kurt's 20th birthday because Kurt was too busy to come to Ohio, but it was a short trip. Rachel's 20th birthday is still months away. He hopes to get to spend their 21st birthdays with them, but doubts it. He sighs, knowing it's unlikely. Who wants to spend their 21st birthday with their parents when they could be in New York City with close friends their own age? Still. It'd be nice. If nothing else, he gets to see them for Christmas every year. Hopefully that tradition continues.
"Dad! We're ready to go."
Burt turns. Kurt is standing by the pile of suitcases looking at him expectantly. For a split second, Kurt is five years old and looking up at him with his big eyes. His little boy. He blinks and he's staring at his 20 year old son.
"Dad?"
Burt clears his throat. "Yeah. Coming."
Many times in the past two years Burt has prayed to the spirit of his first wife, asking the woman to look after their son while he's so far from him. Now, even though they're used to the distance and things are going really well, he still sends up a quick prayer.
Watch over him, Mary. Watch over all of them.
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The New York group returned to their townhome in staggered arrivals. Sam was first since his job started. Rachel was last. Everyone else arrived sometime between them. When the school year began, they were all rested and ready. Rachel and Finn sat down with their schedules and calendars and schedule dates, trips, and times they'll spend home together. Finn had tried to convince her it wasn't necessary, but Rachel isn't taking any risks. So they endured the teasing from the others and hung their matching calendars in their rooms. When Finn had grumbled about Sam teasing him, Rachel had starchily pointed that she could have gotten them matching his and hers cat calendars. He'd immediately backed down and thanked her for the classic cars calendar she got him instead.
They still play hide and seek with the ring. That hasn't stopped, but it did slow down once classes began. At one point, Finn mailed it to his mother. But all it took was a phone call from Rachel and Burt mailed it right back.
All in all, things are going well.
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A/N: Wait, things are going well? **checks notes** Huh. That's new.
