[epilogue]
Ain't it just like rain?
And love, love, love
Is only heaven away
One Month Later...
"Babe, mom wants to know if you need her to pick up anything specific at the store. She didn't know if you planned to bake Cam's cake or if we're buying one."
Rachel popped out of the bathroom to answer with "Finn, sweetie, do I look like the store bought cake kind of mother for my only child's first birthday? Of course I'll be baking his birthday cake! But tell her I can shop when we arrive and thank her for offering. As soon as I get dressed we can leave to pick up Cam from San and Britt's, then be on our way."
He only heard 'Finn' and 'cake' once he'd looked up and noticed her state of undress. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun with a few loose strands framing her face and streaming down the back of her neck. She was wearing one of his old well-worn flannels, the black, blue and purple checked one (which she claimed was the softest, most comfortable thing on earth; she claimed it as hers, but only after he'd worn it once after washing so it smelled like him). It was fully unbuttoned, and beneath it was a dark purple lace thong, and nothing else at all. So when she leaned out in the hall to speak, the shirt fell wide open, exposing her perfect round naked breast to him. Which is why all he heard was 'Finn' and 'cake' and then he'd gone completely hard.
He set the phone down, deciding he could text his mom back later once he was again capable of forming complete sentences.
"Okay Finny? Did you hear me?" she called out from the bathroom after a long beat when he hadn't acknowledged her. But he hadn't spoken because he couldn't and was too busy making his way from the livingroom to the bathroom, stripping down to his boxers along the way.
She jumped with a start when she looked up and saw him behind her in the mirror at the bathroom sink, looking at her much the way the Coyote looked at Roadrunner, like a floating roast turkey dinner. His eyes were dark and hooded and his tongue darted out across his bottom lip. She curled her lips into a tiny knowing smile. "Finn... We're supposed to be leaving shortly. It's a long drive to Ohio, especially with a toddler in the car. What are you doing?"
"This," he breathed, as his arms wrapped around her from behind. One hand slid around one of her perfect breasts and the other drifted down her torso and pushed under the elastic band of that sexy purple thong. He leaned down and nibbled her neck while tweaking a nipple between his fingers. She gasped at the contact of his long, thick fingers that explored her folds seeking the knotted bundle of nerves between her legs which was now pulsing for him.
Her back arched and her arm twined up around his neck, fingers twisting into his bristly hair. "Finn," she practically purred, "Oh god, baby... what are you... b'we... we h-have to get re-ready..."
"Oh, I'm ready," he hissed between kisses against her neck and shoulder, pressing his rigid length against her backside as evidence, then slid a finger deep into her core and added, "so are you, based on what I found in here."
A loud moan escaped her lips when he curled his finger inside her and she reached her other hand back to stroke his length. "Babe... Ffffinn, uh... w-we have to get dr-dres– oh to hell with it, Lima will still be there when we get there!" She abruptly turned in his arms and jumped up as he hoisted her off the ground, holding under her thighs for support.
She attacked his lips with hers and knocked the breath out of him. At first he pressed her against the bathroom wall and launched a full out assault on her neck and breasts with his mouth, then he twirled her around and dropped her down on the bathroom counter, knocking several girly beauty product containers askew into the sink basin and onto the floor.
She clawed at his hair and dug into his shoulders while chewing on his earlobe, and he pushed her thighs wide apart as she tugged down on his boxers. She stroked his length a couple times before tugging him toward her center. He swiftly pushed her thong to the side and in one thrust he was buried to the hilt inside of her. It was fast and frenzied and hot and within a few minutes they were moaning each other's names with a light sheen of sweat drenching them and the heady scent of sex hanging in the air.
"Dammit, now I need another shower," she giggled.
"Join you?" he waggled his eyebrows at her, but she knew better.
"Uh-uh mister, you're making us late enough as it is already. You better call San and tell her we're running late," she said as she kissed the tip of his nose then reached in to turn on the shower.
. . . . .
Arriving in Lima always felt good to Rachel. It surprised her, really. Her high school self was always so sure she'd leave this town and never look back. But that was her mindset before Finn. Now she knows, this is where her true roots are. This is where her Finn is from, where they first fell in love, and where their family ties grew together and bonded over the years. As long as both their families were here, they would always come back, and she would always look forward to it.
As expected, Camden's first birthday party was a memory everyone would cherish forever. With Rachel and Finn's blessing, it was held at the bowling alley. Given it was Ohio in November, they didn't want to chance the unpredictable weather outdoors, and other than Chuck E Cheese (which Rachel vehemently vetoed thanks to the giant rodent mascot that used to cause her nightmares as a child), the bowling alley was the only other logical venue.
Rachel thought it was quite humiliating that even her one year old son (with his daddy's help, of course) managed to bowl a better frame than her. It was absurd and she blamed Finn for cheating more than once.
After the bowling pizza party it was cake and ice-cream at Pappy and G-pa Berry's house, a Disney themed sing-along with LeRoy at the piano, and a viewing on the Berry's new 8 foot wide projection screen of Finding Nemo, Cam's (or maybe Finn's) current obsession. "Meeemooooo dada, meeeemoooo!" Cam squealed when he saw the bigger-than-him size image of the little clownfish projected on the wall.
Because Cam's birthday was so close to Mike and Tina's wedding, Rachel suggested they plan his party in the same week as the wedding so they could make the extended trip home for both in one go.
It also meant another Glee-union which took over karaoke night at Clancy's Pub. It served as an impromptu bachelor/bachelorette party, which ended relatively early since Tina was pretty fatigued in her now five months pregnant state, and Finn was actually anxious to get home and check on Cam. He'd been a little fussy since their car trip and he didn't want his mom to suffer too much if he was still unsettled (not that she would mind).
"Hey pretty girl. May I have this dance?" Finn grinned at his beautiful fiance. She was radiant that night in her shimmering gold bridesmaid gown.
"Certainly sir," she batted her thick long lashes coyly. "Thought you'd never ask."
As they circled around the dancefloor to an instrumental version of 'No Air,' they passed Carole and Burt, Will and Emma, Kurt and Blaine, and the newly wed Mr and Mrs Mike Chang.
Puck and Quinn were off at a table lost in conversation while keeping an eye on Camden. Brittany and Santana were simply lost – MIA, having last been seen at the open bar. Artie was in attendance with his new girlfriend Joanna and they were busy raiding the cookie table.
Sam and Mercedes had wanted to be there but Cedes had come down with a bad flu and respiratory infection so they unfortunately opted to stay home in LA. Cedes had wanted Sam to go without her but he refused to leave her home alone to fend for herself.
Finn sighed contently feeling more at peace at this point in his life than any time before. He tightened his hold on his dancing partner then leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "You look amazing, Rach."
"Thank you. You too," she leaned up for a quick peck on his jaw. "Everything was just wonderful tonight, wasn't it?" She asked sweetly.
"Mmm," Finn nodded. "I had a hard time not picturing us at that altar today."
Rachel smiled softly and leaned her head against Finn's shoulder. "One day. I promise."
"No pressure," he said.
"I know. . . You know, it's not because I don't want to marry you. I really do, I just–"
He silenced her with a kiss. "Hey. No pressure. I'm good... I just can't wait to see you in that dress again is all," he flashed her that half-smile with his dimple prominently on display, which she again poked with her index finger.
"What if it wasn't the same dress? What if I chose a new one?"
Finn chuckled, turning his head to kiss the finger she still held against his cheek. "Sweetheart to be honest you could show up in a catsuit or a burlap sack and you'd be stunning."
"Ugh, not the catsuit!" she groaned, laughing through the embarrassing memory.
Finn couldn't help but shoot a look at Kurt just then. "Yeah, maybe Kurt doesn't get to help pick out your wedding attire when it's our turn. I think I still owe him some payback." Her airy giggle made his heart skip a beat and he gazed steadily into her eyes, adding sincerely, "I just love the hell outta you, Rachel. It'll happen when it happens. I'm just happy you've let me stick around."
"Like superglue. I'm never letting go, Hudson."
"Me neither."
Three Years Later...
Turning twenty-four was sort of a blase event for Rachel. As much as she was looking forward to spending a third consecutive birthday with both her boys, in her mind it was just another year older and nothing special (because twenty-four was not a terribly monumental benchmark to hit).
She was far more excited about the fact that it was snowing and the city was blanketed in white, and that this year Cam was at an age where he could really start enjoying the holidays and making lasting memories.
Rachel was so moved by Finn taking what he called 'Jewish class' with Cam and seeing them in their matching father and son yarmulkes. She also couldn't wait to show Finn the new Christmas ornaments she bought for the tree this year. She'd been flea marketing and gone to nearly every craft fair in the city for the last three months searching for exactly the right pieces that included snare drums, music notes, apples for the teacher, and of course gold stars.
She smiled to herself looking over at the mantle in their home and sighed contentedly. Where her teenage self had once envisioned a large display case adorning a row of golden Tony, Grammy and Emmy awards (perhaps even an Oscar) by this stage of her life, she was far more proud of the row of framed photos that lined the live-edge oak shelf instead. Snapshots that froze moments in time of herself, Finn and Cam were far more precious achievements held in much higher regard in her heart than any clunky piece of metal ever could. These images were sacred to her and she wouldn't replace any of them with a hundred Oscars or Tonys.
Seeing Finn's New Teacher of the Year award and his 1st place bowling trophy next to Cam's pre-school award for best Halloween costume (thank you for the custom made designer Simba outfit, Uncle Kurt) reminded her what was most important in life. She was proud of her boys and their achievements and wanted everyone who came into their newly purchased brownstone to know it too.
Besides, just being nominated for three leading role Tony awards at her age at the dawn of her career already was quite an honor and an accomplishment in and of itself, even if she was already starting to feel a little bit like the Susan Lucci of Broadway. (But hey, even Susan won once, so Rachel figured her time would come eventually.)
For now she was proud of the formal nomination announcements that Finn insisted on framing and adding to their 'trophy shelf' as he called it. Just thinking of that sweet man and the wonderful things he'd done for her so far made her insides flutter with delight.
She reached down to run her fingers over the sweet charms that dangled from the bracelet on her wrist. Finn had surprised her with the bracelet on their one year anniversary and had added to it every now and then... a gold star for each Tony nom, of course; a tiny snare drum the year Cam got his very first drum set; a heart charm inscribed with dates on their first reunited anniversary (that alone sparked an ongoing debate as to WHICH dates they should celebrate as anniversaries going forward, considering the plethora of reunions they'd amassed over the years – to the point that Puck actually did make them that special Finchel calendar that marked all their makeup/breakup dates, complete with both a designated Finchelday of the week, and TWO Finchel seasons sandwiched between the other four).
No, her birthday this year was nothing to get too excited over, and she'd made that point clear to everyone. She didn't want a big fussy celebratory party or a night out on the town; she just wanted a quiet night in, spent home alone with Finn this year.
Their lives had become so hectic lately, between her show, Cam's pre-school play, and Finn's glee club competitions that she just wanted the both of them to treat themselves to a night spent home alone with each other.
To that end, Santana's gift was keeping the 'turkey butt' for the weekend (she'd long ago retired 'chicken wing', citing the obvious fact that his 'giant genes' had already kicked in, as well as his father's lack of coordination; ergo, the switch in fowl monikers was deemed more appropriate in her eyes).
Tana and Britt had reunited two years ago and married legally in a joint ceremony with Kurt and Blaine on June 27, 2015 – the day after the Obergefell ruling – and purchased a townhome in New Jersey of all places, where San made sure it had a spare room designated JUST for Camden (which Kurt naturally insisted on decorating, an era that became known fondly as the Great Designer Poultry War of 2015).
. . . . .
Rachel assumed Finn would disregard her comment about not wanting any gifts this year seeing that she already had every gift she could ever want already every night she came home to her boys... but she knew him better than that. He'd finally conceded and promised he wouldn't buy her anything special this year.
She had her doubts that he'd hold up to that promise, especially when after the delicious home-cooked meal he prepared for her, he'd sat her down at the table to enjoy her slice of vegan birthday cheesecake while he cleaned up, but not before fetching a gift wrapped shirt box from the pantry and sliding it in front of her on the table.
"Finn, you promised me no gifts this year!"
"No, I promised I wouldn't BUY you anything this year," he winked slyly as she scowled at his clever technicality. "Just open the damn box. If you don't like it you can throw it out."
As she sat stubbornly pretending she didn't want to open the present (but he knew her much better than that) he got up and set about cleaning up their dinner dishes. He quietly started humming then singing a song he hoped she'd pick up on.
When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love
"Finn, you know I would NEVER discard anything you'd ever give me. And no matter what, it's always the thought that counts – and you sir, are one of the most thoughtful people on the planet. But still, you weren't supposed to get me anything."
"Okay, don't open it then. I'll just toss it for you–"
"You will do no such thing!" she snatched the box out of his reach. "This is MY birthday gift. I'll open it when I'm good and ready!"
He chuckled at her adorable craziness as he loaded the plates and silverware in the dishwasher, continuing his song.
When evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
"Baby I love that song... Sing louder for me, please? Make it part of my present." He smiled a wide full-dimpled grin and did what she asked, because yeah, he couldn't ever deny her. Especially on her birthday.
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love
She decided to have fun tormenting him by opening the box painstakingly slowly while Finn went back to washing the dishes while still serenading her in the background. She knew he acted as impatient as a kid on Christmas morning, always so eager to see her face when she opened his gifts, so it made her giggle listening to his passive-aggressive throat clearing and impatient sighs in between his song while she worked each strip of adhesive tape gently apart.
Once she had the lovely gold star covered wrapping paper neatly removed and folded (for her scrapbooks, you see), she finally lifted the lid off. Inside the box under a layer of tissue paper was an 8x10 envelope labeled 'First, but last' written in what she knew to be Finn's handwriting. She opened it and was baffled to find a name-change application for the state of New York.
I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
"Finn? What does First but last mean? And what is this for? We already updated Cam's name when we corrected his birth certificate..."
"Oh uh, I think you need to dig a little deeper in the box then."
As he finished drying the last pot and placed it back in its rightful spot in the cabinet, she carefully peeled back the next layer of tissue paper to reveal another envelope. 'Second, but first'... since when did Finn Hudson become so cryptic?
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong
Pulling the next document from the second envelope, she gasped. Tears flooded her eyes and when she looked up she found him kneeling beside her now, soft smile and sweet dimples waiting to receive her tear-streaked wide eyes.
"That one sorta goes with the last thing in the box." He reached in and lifted the last piece of tissue paper and she squealed to see the shiny diamond nestled in a bed of pink tissue paper at the bottom of the box. It looked nothing like the original engagement ring which was still perched on her finger; instead, it was a simple band with a strip of small heart shaped rubies encircling it.
"Finn! Oh, it's, it's just beautiful, but honey, you weren't supposed to–"
"I didn't buy anything. It was Grandma Hudson's. I've been hanging onto that thing for YEARS waiting to give it to you and well, this seemed like the right time."
He took both her hands in his and kissed each one tenderly, then kissed the tears streaming down her cheeks and finished his song.
I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
To make you feel my love
He brushed the backs of her knuckles with his thumbs as he spoke. "See, Cam and I had a little discussion about something that's been bugging us both. We, as the two Hudson men of the household, took a vote, and decided it was high time that mommy had the same last name as us."
"You and Cam decided, huh?" she asked with a watery smile and a shine in her eyes.
"We did. See, it's practical, right? 'Cause, y'know, I figured you might not object to adding a third Hudson to our mailbox – way shorter name tag and all. Plus, I know how you like to be organized and efficient, so I took the liberty of printing the name change and marriage license applications for you."
"That's certainly a very well thought out idea there. I see you even started filling these out. Extremely expeditious."
He just beamed at her and already knew what she was gonna say by the look on her face.
"Yes, very expeditious indeed. See, I thought you'd agree. So... Rachel Barbra. Camden Isaac and I were really kinda hoping you were ready to officially, LEGALLY join the Hudson club. So uh, what's your vote?"
Between the giggles and tears, she squared her shoulders and gripped his hands tighter as she sat more upright in her chair. "Hmm. Voting, as you know, is a very serious matter, Finn. I really should probably give some proper consideration to my options before answering a question that bears so much importance."
He smirked and rolled his eyes, then mentally counted down from ten. He got to seven before she screamed YES and launched herself into his arms, throwing him off balance and toppling them both to the floor. She landed on top of him and peppered every square inch of his face with kisses repeating "yes, yes, yes, yes" until he finally caught her lips with his.
As the kiss deepened, he was suddenly way more interested in hearing her say that word for different reasons. He scooped her up and carried her to their bedroom to see if he could make that happen (or well, how many times he could make that happen).
He'd lost count of that number by sunrise.
As they were about to finally drift off to sleep after hours spent celebrating in their favorite way, she suddenly sat up with a gasp.
"Babe what's wrong?"
"Oh Finn, I completely forgot about something... there's a special Christmas card that came for you. I put it in the drawer next to you there so I wouldn't forget. I've been dying to see who it's from. Can we look now?"
He sat up eyeing her suspiciously. She was obviously up to something, but he loved her excitement when she thought she was fooling him (and despite being an excellent Tony-nominated Broadway actress, she never was).
He yawned and scratched his scruffy jaw but decided to play along. "Yeah sure, let's have a look. Wonder who it could be from?" He tried to downplay the sarcasm as she sat grinning like a cat with a freshly caught canary.
The outer envelope was covered in hand drawn holiday themed pictures of Christmas trees, snowflakes, Santa Claus, a menorah and a Star of David. It was addressed simply to 'Finn' and written in nearly illegible block print crayon – clearly the handiwork of a certain four-year-old tadpole co-conspirator.
He flashed his dimples at Rachel as he slowly pulled out the card, which didn't appear to be a Christmas card at all. Instead it contained a handwritten note (in very familiar formal loopy cursive font – complete with gold star stickers) with a date and time of December 21st, 2:00 PM and an address at a medical building – the same building where Dr Reyes had recently relocated.
Finn's face fell, etched with concern. "Rachel, hun is everything okay? I thought the nightmares were long gone and, and we weren't supposed to see Dr Reyes again for another two months."
"I know baby, but we're not going to see Dr Reyes."
"But this is his address, isn't it?"
"Yes sweetie, he is located in that building, along with many other doctors. . . Like Dr. Goldstein."
It took Finn a few moments to remember which doctor she was talking about and suddenly it hit him like a lightning bolt and his eyes grew as wide as his smile. "You want me to come with you to a gynecologist appointment? Rach, does this mean...?"
"Well, see I considered wrapping up the positive pregnancy test for you, but that seemed so cliched, not to mention unhygienic – though I knew you'd want to see it anyway, so I put it in a ziplock bag and stuffed it in your stocking over the mantle instead."
Finn burst into laughter but it all finally sunk in – Finchel baby number two was cooking right next to him. "Babe, we're pregnant? Really? Really really?"
"Yes, it seems we're really really really pregnant, Finn. So says the morning sickness that's just kicked in these past few weeks, along with four positive home tests. Congratulations, daddy. Merry Christmas."
He scooped her back into his arms and laid a scorching kiss on her as he flipped her under him, declaring they could sleep tomorrow.
~ the end. ~
A/N - there you have it, another story in the bag. I hope you enjoyed... and that you didn't mind the repurposed use of TO Make You Feel My Love, but it felt too right for the scene to not use it. Unfortunately FFN and GoDaddy derailed my plans to publish this on the 13th as intended, but I'm sure Cory doesn't mind =) Thank you for following this latest journey. I fell in love with this version of Finchel (and Tana!) and I'm kind of sad that it's over now. Maybe there'll be a sequel for this one someday...
And according to SapplingOfAStar, Hold Onto 16 is long overdue for some heavy TLC so we hope we'll be bringing a new chapter of that soon, and hopefully an update on SIMP. I have a couple other oneshots nearing completion too. Til next time my finchlings... may you have nothing but peace love & glee! ❤️