Under The Sycamore Tree

Chapter 3

The sun was beginning to set over Ohio as Rachel stood before her wardrobe pondering what 'casual' meant in the context and pretence of tonight and how to dress for it. She wasn't going to pull out the tiny red dress that hugged her figure in all the right places, but she couldn't go in her current attire either. Her long, soft brunette hair confined within a towel balancing precariously on her head, an old grey hoodie, some brightly coloured yoga pants and a pair of fluffy pink thermal socks.

"Oh God!" Rachel exclaimed. "This was such a bad idea! Why did I agree to do this?" She asked herself upon looking back at the pile of clothes on her bed that had been rejected as suitable for whatever this was. Finn had insisted that it wasn't a date so she couldn't understand why she was so nervous to go over there and talk to him? She had legitimate reasons for being so angry after all! Except she couldn't remember them. It was so clear to her before, but now if pressed to give a reason, she wouldn't able to answer the question without sounding pathetically petty.

Rachel released a breath of frustration as she moved towards the foot of her bed, seeking refuge from her thoughts.

So much time had passed since their fight, but Rachel still saw Finn now and then, on account of them still living opposite each other, and other than the usual pleasantries, they didn't speak to each other. By all accounts, they lived two very different lives. Rachel had dreams and aspirations beyond Lima, hell even beyond Ohio. As for Finn, she had no idea what his hopes and dreams were, not that she was desperate to know either.

With her forehead firmly planted into the palm of her hands, Rachel began contemplating if talking to Finn would accomplish anything.

Allowing herself to think out the possible scenarios, her mind went into overdrive as she started overthinking the smallest detail.

Before her thoughts could give her a headache, Rachel was drawn away from her thoughts at the sudden sound of vibrations on a solid surface. Moving towards the noise emanating from on her desk, she took a moment to look out onto the street below. Gazing up towards the Heavens, Rachel was held in a temporary suspense as she was mesmerised by the night's sky. A mixture of orange, yellow, pink and blue seamlessly blended into one another like a masterpiece you would find hanging on the wall of an art museum. Her trance was once again broken by the persistent vibrations coming from within the chaos of homework and sheet music sprawled over her desk. Shifting through the papers, Rachel was able to locate and retrieve her phone just in time to answer the video call before it was too late. Acting quickly to accept, she had a quick glance at the screen to find out who was calling her. Loretta Steinholm. A smile immediately posted onto Rachel's face at the sight of the name.

Loretta Steinholm, or Lottie as she insisted her friends call her, was Rachel's best friend of a decade. They met during a performing arts summer camp when they were eight years old and have actively been a part of each other's lives ever since, something that Rachel was incredibly grateful for. Lottie wasn't a native to America if fact she was born and raised in London, and her family name was connected to English Royalty. However, she didn't like to talk about that because once people knew, they treated her differently and all she longed for was a sense of normality. Rachel understood this completely and would never mention it unless Lottie had brought it up first.

"Rachel!" a chirpy voice greeted her ears as her friend began to speak. "Oh my gosh, I've been trying to get a hold of you for days! Where have you been? How are you? What's the latest twist in the extraordinary tale of Rachel Barbra Berry and her quest for Broadway stardom?"

Taken aback by the influx of questions, Rachel took a moment to process and formulate a response, also noticing that she had no picture on her screen.

"Hey, Lottie! I'm doing fine, but I can't see you on my screen."

"Oh sorry! I forgot to turn on my camera." Suddenly, a cheery face appeared to match the chirpy voice. As Rachel looked down at her screen, she took in her friend's features admiring her long, frizzy Auburn hair pulled away from her face by a ponytail. A pair of thick, black-framed glasses perched atop of her nose, marring the freckles that graced her nose and cheeks. "Ah, that's better. Anyway, how are you darling?" Lottie put on her best 'posh' accent for the last word, making both girls burst into laughter.

"It's been too long since you last called me Lottie! What's going on with that huh?" Rachel asked with a mock tone of disappointment.

"I've been all over the place Rach! Besides, I called you like a week ago!" Again, both girls laughed as they began to slip into comfortable conversation. "But seriously Rach, I had to go back to London, and it was awful." Lottie nudged her glasses off her face and onto the top of her head so she could place a hand on her face to convey her disdain.

"Oh no! What for? I thought you were free for the summer?" Rachel asked sympathetically, knowing that Lottie hated going back to the house where she was raised.

"Oh, you know, the usual! A fundraiser here, a party there and a dinner with mandatory attendance but that's not even the half of it! I was ambushed, Rachel." Readjusting her glasses back onto her end of her nose, Lottie continued. "My mother is trying to play matchmaker and she is terrible at it."

"Oh, you're so dramatic, Lottie. It can't have been that bad, surely?" Rachel asked in response.

"Okay, maybe I was being a little dramatic but it really was bad. The guy she introduced to me was nice but that was it. He was just so average… just so dull. I mean, don't get me wrong, he was hot and he's got money and that blah, blah, blah stuff but nothing about him as a person excited me." Lottie let out a small sigh before appearing to squint.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked slightly bemused.

"Are you trying to build a scale replica of Mount Everest back there?" The Auburn haired girl asked while motioning past Rachel's shoulder to the large pile of clothes on her bed.

Having been distracted by Lottie's stories, Rachel was momentarily confused as she looked behind her. Upon seeing the aforementioned mound, she rolled her eyes and let out a groan of frustration before she looked back towards her friend to explain.

"I saw Finn last night." Rachel watched as her friend's facial expression changed from one of concern to excitement in a blink of an eye.

"The one and onlyFinn Hudson? The man, the myth, the legend himself? The man we love to hate?" Lottie's mouth curled up on one side as she attempted to stifle the smile breaking out onto her face.

Over the years Rachel casually mentioned Finn a few times but never went into much detail when Lottie asked who he was.

"Yes Lottie, the legendary Finn Hudson." Rachel replied in a sarcastic tone, rolling her eyes as she did, displaying that she was not impressed with her friends teasing remarks.

"Ah!" Moving closer to her screen, Lottie pushed her glasses further up her nose as she did. "Remind me, why is it we hate Hudson so much again?"

"Ugh! Because he's an ass, among many other things."

"Right, yeah, I got that bit. Just wondering what it is he did to gain the wrath of Rachel Barbra Berry, soon to be Broadway's hottest new talent? You know, so the rest of us mere mortals don't make the same mistakes."

"I thought we were friends but I guessed wrong. I don't really want to talk about it Lottie okay? He's an ass, end of story."

"Okay Rach." Deciding to drop this line of questioning, Lottie moved on to why he'd even been brought up. Usually, when the girls discussed Finn Hudson, he's done something that had spited Rachel in someone way, intentional or not. "What did he do this time?" She paused for a moment. "Your hair is wet… did you get slushied again?"

"No! I didn't get slushied, or anything like that. I was just in the shower." She reassured her friend. "No, he had a party last night and some of his extremely drunk guests trashed my tree swing," A small pout appeared on her face at the recollection of the broken seat the night prior. "Anyway," She said snapping herself back into the conversation. "He asked me to come over tonight for dinner and to talk but honestly, I don't know if I even want to go." Lottie was about to speak when Rachel cut her off. "Now hang on! Before you get all excited, It is not a date or anything like that." Rachel watched slightly bemused as Lottie removed her glasses completely and positioned her arm in a manner that allowed her to rest her chin on top of her fist.

"Okay, firstly, you have to go, that isn't even up for debate," Lottie said with a firm tone of finality in her voice as she waved her other hand holding her glasses, gesturing that more was to come. "And secondly, it's not a date but you're getting all dressed up to go over to his house for dinner and a 'chat'? I don't buy what you're selling over there Berry."

Rachel sighed and resigned herself to thought for a moment. Was this meant to be a date? If so, why after all this time? She continued to think about her recent encounters with Finn until she remembered a crucial piece of information.

Quinn Fabray, the blonde bombshell and head cheerleader for the Cheerios, who just last night, was wrapped up with Finn in his bed.

Rachel, for the most part, flew under the social radar at McKinley High School which meant that she had little to no interactions with the cheerleader. That is until she'd walked into Finn's room to find the pair of them in the dark. The 'relationship' between Finn and Quinn was very bizarre from the outside looking in. They were constantly on and off again but when they were together, they were the ultimate power couple ruling over the school's social ladder. However, it appeared to be Quinn who cherished this aspect of the relationship most with Finn preferring to hang out with his actual friends rather than throwing these huge parties he'd become known for, barely knowing a hand full of the people who would turn up.

"It can't be a date, Lottie! This is the first substantial interaction we've had in years! And I think he's with Quinn Fabray so that's, that." Rachel nodded as she finished her sentence. Almost as though trying to reassure herself that what she'd said was truthful.

"Okay… For argument's sake then, it's not a date." Rachel nodded as she listened to her friend. "But you're going over to his house in the late hours to do what?" Still watching the screen, she observed as Lottie used raised her hands to utilize her fingers for air quoting what she was saying next. "Just to talk? I don't think so Rachel." Resting her arms on her chest, Lottie waited for a reply from Rachel, satisfied she had made her point.

"It's not a date." Rachel stared down her friend through the device.

"Okay, okay! You can put the daggers away!" Lottie conceded to her friend, realising that she was in no mood to debate the matter any further. "I'll leave you to it and call you later after your 'non-date' with the absolute dreamboat, Finn Hudson. Bye, Rach!" Before Rachel could even utter a response, the phone when black indicating the connection had been severed. A moment passed before realising her friend had hung up on her to have the last word. Rachel merely rolled her eyes and shook her head as a small smile began to form on her face following the conversation.

Before Rachel put her phone down to continue getting ready, she decided she would play some music to help her relax. Opening the app, she immediately turned on the shuffle feature. The room was flooded with a jazzy beat that no one could resist and before she knew it, Rachel was on her feet dancing to the captivating tune. As she danced, the anxiety dissipated with each hop to the beat as she put her thoughts and problems on the backburner, instead choosing to focus on the music.

As the song came to an ending, Rachel was feeling much better as she left all her negative thoughts behind. Removing the towel, which had mostly given up trying to stay on her head, she moved towards the bathroom to dry her hair. Emerging a few moments later with dry hair, Rachel pulled at one of the black hair bands wrapped around her wrist, and in one slick motion had her hair behind her in a neat ponytail.

"Okay Hudson, you want casual?" She stated to herself aloud. "I can do casual."

Picking out a pair of faded blue skinny jeans and a cream V-neck t-shirt that hinted at what was below without giving up the prize. Lastly, a pair of white flats to complete the look. Rachel was all but ready to head across the road. A small grumble from her stomach also indicated that she was ready to eat.

Grabbing her phone, keys and purse, she headed down the stairs towards the front door. She swung the door open and took in the last of the evening before darkness would descend upon them and the street lamps dotted along the road would instead light the street artificially.

Stepping into the breach, she pulled the door closed behind her as she travelled forward, moving down the stone path leading to the street, she took a moment to observe the new setup over at her swinging tree. In the place of the old wooden plank was an elaborate amalgamation of freshly painted white planks. Gazing upon the aesthetically pleasing object, Rachel was genuinely pleased with the work her neighbour had done. A small and brief smile graced her face, soon dissipating as she had made it to the large rectangular black door, the numbers 5532 engraved on to placard attached to the door. Reaching out, she places a hand around the large metal knocker.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

Delivering three blows to the door that she was sure would be heard, Rachel patiently waited for an answer. A few moments passed and nothing happened.

Moving her arm, she looked down to her right wrist, at the stylish black watched strapped to it and saw that it read 18:03. A perplexed look took over her facial features

"I'm only a few minutes late, surely he's in there!" Rachel thought to herself.

Looking around, she spotted his truck, a beat-up, old pickup truck sitting on the driveway in front of the garage. A few bumps and dings adorned the truck in various places, telling its story of use over the years. The paint nowhere near as bright as it once was, being faded by the harsh sun over the years.

Turn her attention back to the house she grabbed the knocker again and pounded the door once more.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

Waiting once more, still, nothing came.

A sense of fury came over her as she waited at the door she was invited to. Had he really stood her up? Was this all just a joke?

With a sudden sense of insecurity about her situation, Rachel turned on her heel and made it two paces away from the door when her senses were assaulted by the smell of meat cooking and a sound she couldn't put her finger on.

Stopped in her tracks, she turned around and began to cautiously move back towards the door. Straining to hear, Rachel deducted that it was coming from the backyard. Stepping to the left of the house, she came across a wooden gate. Giving it a light push, the gate swung open without a fight. Moving forward the sound became clearer… singing. Someone was singing in the backyard and it only made her more curious.

Rounding the corner of the house to the yard, Rachel was taken aback by the sight in front of her.

Finn Hudson was stood at a grill, headphones on dancing and singing away to what sounded a lot like the 'In the Navy' by the Village People.

A small giggle escaped her lips before her hands rushed to her mouth to silence any further outbursts. Watching him closely, she observed as he danced, clearly unaware of her presence. Mostly moving his upper body, she could tell he was deeply embedded into the beat.

"They. Want. You! They. Want. You! In the Navy!" His voice went lower than it already was for the last part. Obviously, on the chorus, he continued to repeat this. Taken away by the music, he turned around with a spatula in hand.

"They. Want. You!" Waving the spatula around, he continued. "They. Want. You!-" Suddenly he stopped, eyes wide he quickly removed the headphones from his head and spoke. "-Are here! In my backyard… and you've just seen me dance." His face began to redden. "How long were you there?" he asked sheepishly, flashing her an awkward grin.

Rachel was struggling to wipe the smile from her face. With one leg in front of the other and her hands placed behind her back, she studied his facial expression, sensing he was genuinely embarrassed that she'd seen that.

"Oh," she began, revelling in his pain. "Long enough." She playfully teased. "Sweet moves by the way!" Sending him a full-toothed smile and a wink.

She watched as he placed his hand over his face to try to cover his own embarrassment.

"Well," He began as he wiped his hand down his face, moving towards the back of his neck. "That was embarrassing! If you tell anyone, I'll have to deny your existence." He joked, letting out a small chuckle, as half smile briefly flashed across his face.

An awkward silence fell over them. Not sure what to do with herself, Rachel began nervously playing with her fingers behind her back while inspecting the ground. Sensing the awkwardness, Finn spoke up.

Clearing his throat before speaking, he began. "Uh," he stammered, causing her to look up towards him. Studying his face, she thought she saw a hint of nervousness. Why is he so nervous? This was his idea! She thought to herself. Finally composing himself, he continued. "Why don't you take a seat Rach?" Arching a brow in his direction, Rachel felt a shiver down her spine at the casual use of his old nickname for her. "I know I promised takeout but it's such a beautiful night, I thought it might be nice to fire up the grill and put some burgers on." Pausing for a moment, he looked towards her with a look that could only be described as pure panic. "Are you still a vegan?"

"Oh no! I dropped that ages ago! I'll die for a good piece of bacon." She stated as her face turned into a small smile as his expression changed to that of relief.

"Thank Grilled Cheesus! I thought I'd royally stuffed up and was about to give a beef burger to a vegan!" The pair shared a moment of laughter at the thought. Remembering back to their childhood days when Finn had come running over to Rachel's house with a grilled cheese sandwich.

"Rachel! Look! It's Jesus on my grilled cheese! It's… Cheesus!" Finn proudly proclaimed.

Snapped back into the moment by Finn's voice, Rachel listens to him as he tended to the grill.

"You're looking really good Rach." She felt a warmth with her cheeks as a small smile crept onto her face. "Totally rocking the casual vibe." He added turning back to the grill.

"Thank you, Finn." She paused, biting her lip before continuing. "You don't look so bad yourself…" Immediately looking down to her shoes, she didn't look to see if he had any reaction.

After a brief moment, a plate appeared in front of her. The big fluffy bun hiding away the juicy meat within.

"Ketchup?" He asked, causing her to refocus her attention. She simply nodded as he reached over towards her, bottle in hand. Doing the same, she met him halfway. During the transfer of the bottle from his hands to her own, they made contact, lightly grazing their fingers against one another. The brief contact was enough to cause a static charge between the two.

Flinching away from the contact, the two locked eyes. Staring deep into his hazel eyes, Rachel began to feel a strange and foreign feeling build within her. He was also trying to read her face, to see if he could deceiver any emotions she was feeling. Continuing with her examination, she took in his face. Obviously, it looked nothing like the young boy she remembers, having not been this close to him in several years. His face, cleanly shaven, still had a darker patch where there had been hair before. He had some dark circles under his eyes, figuring it was probably all the late night parties, she didn't think any more of it.

After what felt like several hours of holding his gaze, with was in fact only a second or so, she broke the contact, choosing to instead look at her hands to avoid the intrusive gaze of the man before her.

Letting out another cough, Finn attempted to clear the air that had now turned decidedly awkward and uncomfortable. But, before he could speak, Rachel interrupted him.

"Why am I here Finn? Why after all this time did you reach out to me? I feel like this is some cruel prank and someone is going to jump out of a bush with a bucket of slime or something and drench me." Crossing her arms over her chest to emphasise the point, she observed his face fall slightly. He looked slightly wounded by her words.

"There is no one the bushes Rachel. I'm sorry that you think so low of me." He sat back in the wooden deck chair, with a look that had a hint of sadness to it.

Feeling regretful for a moment, she recalled a time that he had been involved in one of the many high school slushie incidents she was subjected to.

The regret no longer present in her system, she decided that since she was here and may not be in this situation again, she would give him both barrels.

"It's not as if it would be the first time though, would it?" Arms still crossed, she raised a brow in his direction.

Sensing a shift in his demeanour, he became slightly defensive. Watching as his shift in his chair, no doubt formulating a response to her accusation.

"Hold on for a second there Rachel," She noticed that he had dropped the nickname, instead referring to her by her full name. After having been initially caught off guard by it, she was now missing it and the sense of familiarity that came attached to it. "It's not like I ever threw a slushie towards you is it?" He was now mimicking her posture, firing back towards her.

"No, I'll admit that you've never personally throw anything at me and for that, I'll thank you." A triumphant look appeared on his face until she continued her utterings. "However, you haven't exactly been my knight in shining armour and prevented it in the first place." She said, with a find of poison in her tone.

Reading his face, she could see he was about to speak when she intervened again.

"And," she continued, enjoying the relief of letting go of her pent-up frustration. "I'm sure I've seen you once or twice standing in a corner laughing once the deed was done. So, innocent? I think not."

Looking at his face, she could see that he was deep in thought. Glancing towards her untouched food, she made a move to get up, breaking Finn from his trance.

"Perhaps this wasn't the best idea Finn. Thank you for the burger but I think it would be a good idea if I just left." Standing up, she brushed out the front of her t-shirt and turned on her heel. Before she could take a step though, his voice cut through the quiet nights' air.

"No!" Rachel, taken off guard by his strong objection to her departure, turned around to face him. "I mean, I would like for you stay Rach. Yes, I've been less than a gentleman to you for a while and I'm truly sorry," Standing to meet her, he reached out to place a hand on her arm, eventually finding her forearm. Placing a firm but gentle grip on her arm caused her to break away from his face and down to the sudden and unanticipated contact. "But, I would like to turn a new leaf on our past and start again." He paused momentarily as if he were weighing up his next words. "Maybe even, heaven forbid, we could be friends again?"

Her gaze still focused on his hand on her arm, she felt her stomach tighten. Swallowing a thick gulp, she released the breath she did not know she was holding.

After realising the distraction the contact had caused, he removed his had from her arm. The trance was broken, Rachel looked up to Finn. His soft facial expressions show a look of confusion towards her strange behaviour.

Checking herself, she began to think. What the hell am I doing? Since when do you get all gooey over a guy Rachel? She asked herself, not sure about the answer she might get back.

Suddenly shivering, Rachel looked around. The once inviting evening's sky had since been replaced by darkness. Looking skyward, she observed the stars shining brightly in the clear sky.

For what seemed like the millionth time, Rachel was caught up in her own thoughts, oblivious to her surroundings, as Finn sat with a quizzical look painted over his soft complexion. Seemingly spotting her shivers, Finn whipped off his hoodie and handed it to her, the action bringing her rushing back to earth.

"Here, put this on and come inside Rach. It's getting cold out here and I wouldn't want to be responsible for getting you sick! I'd probably never hear the end of it."

Looking down at his outreached hand, she studied the piece of worn clothing. Maroon in colour, it was obviously several sizes larger than herself. Taking the object from him, she positioned it above herself, enabling her to slide into it. Guiding the oversized hoodie to her head with ease, the feeling of the fabric as it made contact with her skin reminded her of her favourite Mulberry silk scarf she'd gotten for Christmas a few years ago. With her face no longer in view, she closed her eyes to revel in the softness of the fabric, if only for a second. Continuing, she pulled at the hoodie in a downwards fashion over her slim frame, until gravity took over and the forces completed the job. Now adorned in an item of clothing too big for her, she instantly felt warmer as the residual heat from Finn's body began to merge with her own. Reaching behind her, she moved her hand to grab her hair and in one, swift motion, had it gently resting on her back.

"What?" She asked incredulously, noticing that he was staring at her. "Finn, It's rude to stare…" She said, moving her gaze to the ground, trying to escape from the brown eyes piercing into her very being. Her cheeks began to fill, and her skin warm.

"Now that I'm standing here, with you," He said as he moved towards her, closing the already small distance between the pair. "I've just noticed how incredibly beautiful you are Rachel."

Her head snapped back up, needing to see his face. The distance between the pair was almost non-existent as their bodies pressed against one another.

"What?" She asked again, this time bearly audibly. Their eyes locked onto one another, she was completely paralysed in the moment. The space between them began to shrink yet again as if they had their own gravitational pull towards each other. He reached out and placed a hand on her cheek.

"What are you doing Finn?" Just managing to finish what she was saying before she was silenced by his lips crashing into hers.

The soft rise and fall of the body next to her began to pull her back to sleep. But just before she could be taken to the depths of sleep, her eyes shot open. Taking in the surroundings, she could see that she was in Finn's bedroom. The sound of the TV playing softly in front of her. Blinking a few more times, she thought she might have still been asleep as she realised that next to her lay Finn, fast asleep with his legs stretched out on the sofa they were occupying. Looking down, she saw a blanket covered the pair and a large hand lay atop her stomach. Looking back up towards his face, she discovered that she was buried into his side. How the hell did this happen? She asked herself, having no recollection of how the pair had arrived at this position. A sense of security came over her as she felt the warmth emanating from the body next to her. She felt the strong, muscular arm around her tense for a few seconds before relaxing again. With her hand placed on his abdomen, she gently moved it across his chest. Feeling the rise and fall as he took his breathes. Through the thin fabric of his t-shirt, she could feel the defined muscles etched into his chest.

Rachel, what the fuck are you doing right now? She asked herself. Her internal questioning brought her crashing back into reality. She was laying on a sofa curled up next to Finn… sleeping. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the sofa as he turned on the TV, opening a streaming service on the device. A thought popped into the forefront of her mind.

Rachel Barbra Berry, you did not! She screamed internally. Quickly lifting the blanket she saw that they were both still fully clothed. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips.

The sound caused the body beneath her to shift. Her eyes widened at the thought of him waking up and discovering this scene, their bodies entangled within one another. She had to get out and back into her own bed. After a moment of panic, the movements ceased.

Gently, she lifted the blanket, desperate not disturb him in any way. Thankful that she took ballet classes, she was able to wriggle her way out from under his gentle grasp without waking him. Now free, she looked down at him from her position. The peaceful look on his face brought a smile to her features, followed by that strange feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

Leaning down, she grabbed the blanket and pulled it up to cover Finn's unconscious body. Pulling it all the way up to his chest, she found herself a hairs length from his face. Taking in all that had happened tonight, she bit her lower lip before placing a soft and gentle kiss on his cheek. Moving back a little, she again observed his face. With no sign of movement, she began to retreat into the darkness of his room, the only light source being the TV.

Placing a foot on the bottom step, she winced at the sound of the floorboards moving below her. Frozen still, she was sure she'd been discovered. After what felt like a lifetime, she heard no movement behind her so she elected to push forward, finally reaching the top of the stairs she made for the front door, grabbing her bag she'd left there previously.

Flinging the door open, she was about to step out of the house when she noticed someone standing in front of her.

"Kurt, I promise you that this is not what you think it is." Her face pleading with him to believe her.

"It looks like you're sneaking out of my house after my dear step-brother had the place to himself for the weekend." Giving her a look that demanded shame, he continued with the tone similar to a parent scolding a child. "Tell me, where am I wrong with my assessment?"

"Okay, not that it's actually any of your business, nothing happening between Finn and me." Placing her arms across her chest, she continued. "He invited me over for dinner and then we sat down to watch a movie. He fell asleep so I didn't want to wake him as I left." She finished, the irritation in her voice audible.

"Woah," Put his hands up in the air, he continued. "Put the claws away Rachel! I was only joking!" He began to awkwardly laugh.

Rolling her eyes, Rachel eased up in front of her friend. "Ugh, I'm sorry Kurt. It's your broth-"

"Step-brother, Rachel. It's an important distinction." Kurt interrupted her.

"I'm trying to apologise to you here!" She only received a look and conceded to it, not willing to fight. "Step-brother." Letting out an exasperated sigh, she eyed her friend. "Anyway, he winds me up and you caught me in the aftermath."

"What did he do this time? I'm telling you, he's an idiot… a lovable idiot! But still an idiot none the less.

"He's not an idiot Kurt, that's not fair." The comment garnered a questioning brow from Kurt.

"Since when do you defend my step-brother's honour?"

"I'm not!" She protested. "I'm just saying, he's not an idiot."

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

"Ugh, whatever Kurt." Rolling her eyes again, she began to move past her friend.

"I'm on to you Berry!" He began to sing in a mocking tone. "Rachel and Finn, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

With a fake smile plastered over her face, she turned to Kurt and raised her right hand to give him the middle finger. This only caused him to laugh again.

"Good night Rachel." He called out to her before crossing the threshold to the house she'd just fled from. Closing the door, Rachel was alone in the darkness.

Making it to her front door, she put the key in the door and was about to turn it when noticed the lights inside come on. Crap. She thought to herself. Without another moment, the door flew open.

"Daddy!" She called, trying to put on the biggest smile she could.

"Don't 'Daddy' me Rachel Barbra Berry! Where have you been, young lady?"