A/N- Welcome to Telluride, my newest Finchel story. It is AU future told in 3 parts. A super special thanks to Mel for being the very best beta a girl could have. She really is the best. Please note that I have never actually been to Telluride, though I would love to go! Flashbacks are in italics.

Music used: The title and overall story concept is from "Telluride" by Tim McGraw and is written by Troy Verges & Brett James. I do not own them.

Disclaimer- I do not own Glee or its characters. I do not own the music used (except on my well used iPod), nor do I own the movie Grease or its characters (unless you count the DVD). No infringement or harm is intended this is only for fun.

Telluride -Part 1

Finn threw his duffle bag into the back of his pickup truck and turned to say his goodbyes "Well, That's all of it!"

"Oh Finny. We are sure going to miss you." Carol said with tears in her eyes before bringing her son into a tight hug.

Pulling back slightly Finn grabbed his mother's shoulders and smiled "It's ok mom, I'll be back in April. It will go quick. Promise."

Sensing that his wife was about to burst into tears (again), Burt stepped in "Carol, leave the boy alone. This is good for him." He stepped over to his step son and offered Finn his hand. "Did you check the fluid and the tires in the truck, the spare too? Do you have the directions?" Finn nodded "Your cell phone and charger? Finn nodded again.

"You guys, he's only going to be gone for six months." Kurt interrupted with an eye roll before stepping in for his own hug. "And we are going to visit the lodge for Christmas." Releasing Finn from the hug, he continued "Make sure you call and let us know when you get there."

Pulling the keys from his pocket, Finn opened the driver's side door. "I will, Kurt. Love you Mom, Burt."

"Drive safe, son." Burt put his arm around Carol to comfort her as Finn drove away from their home.

"Mr. Hudson?" The young girl questioned.

Snapping his attention back to the girl, Finn continued "Oh sorry about that, like I was saying, it can be difficult being away from home for the first time. Just remember that college is an awesome way to meet new people, and now that you work here, you'll get the chance to meet even more people. You won't be alone in the city for long, Megan." He said confidently.

Megan looked at her new boss "Thanks Mr. Hudson. Did you move far from home when you went to college?"

He held up his hand "Please, just call me Finn. Actually, I lived in Colorado my first winter out of high school, worked at a ski lodge. It was cool, there weren't many people to make friends with, you know since most everybody was there on vacation. I managed though; I met some people that are real important to me. After that I went to college at Ohio State. You will make friends. Just give it time." Finn led the girl out of his office "Let's go get you started."

"Thanks Mr. Hud… I mean, Finn. I think I'll like working here." Megan followed him out of the office ready to start work for the first time.

Walking down the hallway of the school she currently taught at, Rachel noticed Sam sitting hunched over the desk in his classroom. She had met Sam and his wife Mercedes when she started teaching at the elementary school, and made fast friends in the couple. They all shared a common love of music, and between the three there was a wide range of genres to explore. "Hey Sam, don't forget the staff meeting, five minutes." Rachel could hear music coming from Sam's computer so she stepped inside the classroom to listen.

It was a dream we were living in, I was the happiest I'd ever been in, Telluride, the snow falling down

She only heard a few words of the song, before Sam turned it off and stood up. "Oh I almost forgot. Thanks Ray. I was grading essays and kinda got sucked in. It's amazing how many fifth graders are into the zombie apocalypse thing. They were quite entertaining." He chuckled as he made his way out of the classroom.

Rachel shook her head as she fell in step next to her friend "You had them write an essay about zombies?"

He shrugs "It is so much easier for them to write about it if they are interested in it, plus it makes it way easier for me to grade them all."

"I suppose it would be. We don't have many essays in first grade." Now in the teacher's lounge, they took their seats as Principal Schuester began the meeting.

The curly haired principal had been droning on about district testing, safety, policy's, and impending parent teacher conferences for half an hour when Rachel's mind travelled back to Finn and that week so many years ago.

"What are we doing out here Finn? It's snowing."

Finn, who was trudging through a snowy field with Rachel following close behind "It's only light snow, and we are going to play in it." The excitement was clear in his voice. "Let's make a snowman!"

"A snowman?" Rachel was hesitant.

"Yeah, a snowman." Finn had begun pulling items out of the backpack he had brought with him "I brought hats, carrots, scarfs, sunglasses, and some stones, don't tell anybody but I borrowed the stones from that little rock patch out in front of the lodge."

A small giggle escaped before Rachel spoke "Your secret is safe with me. You seem pretty excited."

Finn smiled from ear to ear "I am excited. It's not every day I get to make a snow man with a pretty girl, and besides, when we are done, we can go in for hot chocolate."

"We better get started then."

The couple each began rolling small snowballs on the snow covered ground, leaving snow trails in their wake, until they each had a good size ball for the base of the snowmen. Finn lifted one of the large snow balls onto the other while Rachel began making a third snow ball for the head. When she finished, Finn hoisted it onto the other two. Rachel was waiting behind Finn having already selected several items from the contents of Finn's backpack. They carefully constructed the features of the snowman, and quickly began to make another. Even snowmen need friends, right?

They were finishing the third snowman, when Finn felt the ping of a cold hard object on his back. He turned to see Rachel looking back at him with a mischievous grin. "Oh, It's on now." With a squeal, Rachel took off running. Finn reached down to gather some snow then ran after her. They chased each other around throwing snowballs for a few minutes until Finn gently tackled a laughing Rachel, both of them landing in the snow, both laughing. From his position above her, he kissed her lips softly "Ohh, your cold. Are you ready to go inside for some hot chocolate?"

She lifted her head up and kissed him this time "Sounds lovely."

Finn climbed off her and helped her up before leading them into the lodge's main area. There was a large stone fireplace, flanked by a couple of couches, and a hot beverage center set up in the corner of the room so that guests could warm up after a day on the slopes, or in this case, snowman making.

Finn made two mugs of hot chocolate, his complete with a heaping tower of whipped cream. He handed the other to Rachel and sat next her on the couch "Here you go."

"Thank you." She wrapped both of her hands around warm mug and blew softly "I had a great time today."

"Me too Rach." Finn smiled and took a cautious sip from his mug.

Rachel sipped from her own mug, peering at Finn over the rim. She giggled when he lowered his mug. "You have some whipped cream," she reached her hand to his face, gently brushing her thumb over his top lip "right there."

Before she was able to move her hand away he took it gently and kissed her thumb, effectively removing the small dollop of whipped cream. She smiled and they both lowered their now entwined hands to rest between them. They finished the hot chocolate in a comfortable silence, never letting go of each other's hand. Finn looked up at the clock above the fireplace and groaned when he realized he would have to be going soon.

"What?" she asked him.

Surprised that his internal grumblings were heard by someone other than himself he looked at her "Oh. Sorry. I just realized I have to get ready for work soon."

"Oh. I almost forgot about that." Sadness evident in her tone.

Finn stood and led Rachel to the small gift shop. He walked over to a spinning rack in the middle of the room and removed a small heart shaped keychain. The pink heart had 'Telluride' written in bold lettering across the middle, with smaller letters above and below; indicating 'Colorado' and 'est 1972'. Finn paid for the keychain and turned to Rachel. He took the hand he was holding and gently turned it so that it was now palm up. He placed the keychain in her open hand and spoke "Now you will have something to remember today by." He closed her small fingers around it and placed a lingering kiss to her knuckles.

She placed her closed fist to her heart and leaned up to kiss Finn tenderly "I love it, Finn. I'll cherish it forever. Thank you."

"Thanks! That's it everybody! See you tomorrow."

Rachel snapped out of her memories quickly as the principal adjourned the meeting and the other teachers began to leave the room. It's crazy how some things can bring back those beloved memories so vividly. She sighed and pulled a set of keys from her purse, holding them tightly, as she stood to leave the meeting.

"Girl, you zoned out about twenty minutes ago and it looks like you are about to squeeze your keychain into dust. You okay?" Mercedes asked while nudging the smaller girl with her hip.

Blushing and slightly embarrassed that someone noticed, Rachel replied "Yes, I'm quite alright Mer, just lost in old memories."

"Those must be some memories." Mercedes chuckled shaking her head.

Rachel looked at the heart shaped keychain still clutched in her hand and smiled "They are."

Finn pulled into the small town of Telluride, Colorado ready for his winter job at McKinley's resort. Finn loved to ski and snowboard and this seemed like the perfect way for a kid right out of high school to earn money? He could work at the restaurant in the lodge and on his days off, he could hit the slopes. Unsure what he wanted to do with his life, he decided to take the opportunity and work at the ski resort for the winter; his promise to his mother to go to college when he returned from Telluride, not forgotten.

Finn quickly decided that working at a resort was pretty sweet. He got a place to live, he got to ski, meet new people, and the money wasn't too bad either. He worked waiting tables at the lodge's restaurant, which was usually busy, but now that it was the week of Thanksgiving, the lodge was pretty deserted.

Finn only had a couple hours left on his shift when he saw her. She was breathtaking; her frame was small and her long brown hair was falling past her shoulders. She was dressed in a short skirt, tights and shoes that were definitely not meant for the snow. She didn't seem to be dressed for a ski trip at all. Captivated, he watched the girl, about his age, stroll through the nearly empty restaurant and sit alone, in the corner booth. Once seated, she pulled a book from her bag and began to read.

Finn nervously approached her table and cleared his throat, alerting her to his presence. When she looked up, Finn was only more dumbfounded. He didn't know what it was about her brown eyes that had sucked him in so deep, but in that moment, he wasn't asking. "H-Hey. I'm Finn, c-can I get you something to drink while you look at the menu?"

Rachel's first day at the resort had been spent unpacking and getting settled. Brittany had invited her to go skiing with her on the second day, but Rachel was far too nervous to try that today. Instead, she spent the morning taking advantage of the lodge's facilities. She knew Brittany planned to be on the slopes most of the day, so after working out in the gym, she found the spa, and then decided to find a place to eat a late lunch.

She walked into the restaurant and spotted a secluded booth near the back where she would be able to read. She sat the booth and pulled a book out of her bag and began reading. After only a minute, she could hear what she assumed was her waiter clearing his throat at the table. Rachel looked up to find a tall, handsome, man with thick brown hair place a menu on the table. He was holding a notepad and looking in her eyes like he was trying to look into her soul. She was lost in his deep brown eyes for a moment before he spoke.

"H-Hey. C-can I get you something to drink while you look at the menu?"

Rachel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and picked up the menu "I'll have water with lemon, please." She looked at his nametag before adding "Finn Hudson; Lima, Ohio." She watched his lips curl into a half smile that melted her insides.

The sound of her voice made Finn's heart thump wildly in his chest as he tried to scribble on his notepad as calmly as he could "Great. I'll get that for you why you look at the menu." He smiled again then turned to go get her water.

She watched him disappear completely from her sight before realizing that she was supposed to be perusing the menu. She had just decided what to order when he returned with her water. "Thank you."

Rachel had quickly decided that the attractive waiter was more interesting than the book she was reading and put the book back in her bag. She watched Finn while she ate, stealing glances whenever she could.

Rachel was finishing the salad she had ordered when Finn approached her again, "Can I get you anything else?"

Rachel looked up at the handsome waiter and decided to prolong their interaction "Is there anything to do in this town besides ski?"

Finn was feeling bold after catching the small girl staring at him while she ate so he decided to try his luck, maybe he could spend more time with her "Well, the town is pretty small, so there isn't a lot. My, uhh shift is up in about a half hour, I could show you around."

"That is very chivalrous of you, Finn. I won't be keeping you from anything, will I?" Rachel said trying to contain her excitement about being able to spend time with him.

"Chivalrous? That's a good thing right?" when she smiles and nods at him he continues "Cool. I usually just head back to my room or go snowboarding after work, but this sounds like a lot more fun."

She placed cash on the table to pay for her meal and placed her small hand on his forearm "I'll meet you back here then. Forty-five minutes?" He smiled and nodded before she turned to walk away. She almost made it out the door before she heard him calling after her.

"Wait! You didn't tell me your name."

She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him "Rachel."

"Rachel" he breathed out her name as she left the restaurant. This job just keeps getting better.

"Yes Daddy… I know Daddy… I will daddy… Love you too. Bye" Rachel hung up her phone just as she reached the platform. She was on her way home after school and her train was the next to arrive. She waited out of the way while the train boarded. Just then a woman wearing head phones in her ears walked past Rachel, singing loudly as she boarded the train. Singing people were nothing new, but there was something about the words of that song that triggered Rachel's memory.

We spent that whole winter tangled up by a fire; Casting shadows on the cabin wall, drowning in desire

"Hey Rach! Come in." Finn stepped out of the doorway, allowing Rachel to enter his apartment. "I thought maybe we could try to finish watching Grease, and I brought us some food from the restaurant." He closed the door and helped Rachel remove her coat.

"Thank you, Finn, for everything."

He smiled at her and led her to the counter where he had the food laid out. They ate in relative silence, both of them knowing this was the last night they had together. Moments went by where the sounds of utensils scraping plates were the only sounds that could be heard. "Rach?"

"Yes, Finn?"

"Do you think that when you go back home tomorrow, back to school and your life, that this will be… that this week will mean anything?"

She turned on the stool to face him "Finn, this week has been amazing. You took me around and showed me this beautiful town when you didn't have to. You sacrificed your free time making sure I wasn't lonely."

"I didn't sacrifice anything, I wanted to do it. I wanted to spend as much time with you as I could." He stood and pulled her into a hug. "Rachel, I want you to know that this week meant something to me. I don't want you to think that I do this all the time. I don't. You are amazing."

"I never thought that, not once. You are a really great guy and I know that you will find out who you are and the man that you want to be and when you do figure out what you want to do with yourself, Finn Hudson, you are going to be great at it. I know it."

"Do you really believe in me that much?" he asked hesitantly.

Her answer was immediate and confident "More." She said before she reached up and kissed him softly "Let's not focus on what's happening tomorrow. Right now, it's just you, me, a fire, and a movie let's enjoy the time we have left."

Hours later, Rachel was curled up next to Finn on the couch as the fire crackled in the corner of the room and the TV played in front of them. Finn was watching the light dance on Rachel's face when she looked up "What?"

"Nothing, you're just really beautiful."

Rachel reached her arm around his neck and pulled him into a kiss filled with longing and passion. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him and her arms moved around his neck as she continued kissing him. Soon Finn was resting on top of her, still lying on the couch, the movie long since forgotten and she moved her hands to his chest and began to unbutton his shirt. She had unbuttoned the first button and was working on the second when he shifted his weight and placed his hand over hers, stopping her.

"Rachel, we can't. You're leaving tomorrow. I-I don't want you to regret anything."

"I won't regret anything, Finn, I want to do this. I want to be with you. I-I want to remember this moment for the rest of my life."

Finn asked her once again if she was sure and when she nodded in affirmation he brushed the hair from her forehead gently and kissed her. Rachel continued unbuttoning his shirt they both sat up so she could push it off his shoulders, her fingers lingering on his now exposed shoulders. Finn took hold of the hem of her shirt and with surprising ease lifted it over her head, exposing her pink bra. Finn's took in a sharp breath "You are so beautiful." Rachel's only reply was to kiss him passionately. When they broke apart, Finn stood and led them both to where his bed was and they continued to slowly shedding each other's clothing.

Later that night, they lay under the blanket as Finn softly traced his fingers along her bare arm "Do you think we will ever see each other again?" he heard her ask quietly.

He kissed her shoulder "I hope so."

Rachel was smiling at the memory when she noticed her train had pulled in. She boarded the train and headed home, remembering what she hoped the universe hadn't forgotten.

It was a Friday afternoon when Rachel was sitting at her desk grading the homework her first graders had turned in while her Pandora station played on her computer.

Sam poked his head into her classroom "Hey Ray. Are you still going out with me and Mer tonight?"

Rachel looked up from her papers "Oh, hi Sam. Yes I'll see you guys there. Is it just us?"

Sam wiggled his eyebrows at her "Not unless you want to bring a date."

"Very funny. I'll see you guys later." Rachel scoffed.

Sam left and Rachel went back to her papers. She had just started to grade Sophia's homework when she heard the beginning of a new song start up. She continued grading papers as she listened to the lyrics.

When I was nineteen, I threw my stuff in the car
I headed up to the Rockies, got a job at this bar
Selling beer to the locals, just barely getting by
On the tips from the rich kids, there on daddy's dime

She wondered if Finn felt the same way all those years ago.

But when I saw her walk in one night
I knew that I'd be all right

In Telluride, the snow falling down
I was waking up in that sleepy little town
In her eyes my world came so alive
I never will forget the moment she arrived
In Telluride

Rachel smiled and stopped working to listen to the words closer.

We spent that whole winter tangled up by a fire
Casting shadows on the cabin wall, drowning in desire
Confessing all our secrets and laughing out loud
So high up on that mountain, I thought we'd never come down

It was a dream we were living in
I was the happiest I'd ever been in

Could it be?

Telluride, the snow falling down
Waking up with her in that sleepy little town
In her eyes, my world came so alive
I never will forget all those sleepless nights
In Telluride

Telluride, whoa oh oh

It ended just like a movie scene
And I had to play the part
Of the lover who stood there and watched her leave
And me with the frozen heart

In Telluride, the snow falling down
Standing there alone in that sleepy little town
In her eyes, my world came so alive
I never will forget the day she said goodbye

Her heart rate quickened unexpectedly. Could this song be about her? Could it be describing that amazing week she spent with Finn all those years ago? Did it mean as much to him as it did to her?

In Telluride, the snow falling down
Waking up with her in that sleepy little town
In her eyes, my world came so alive
I never will forget all those sleepless nights

Rachel wasn't sure of what she had just heard. She had to know who wrote it. Forgetting all about the papers she was supposed to be grading, she typed the title of the song into the Google search bar and pressed enter. Navigating through the information, she quickly found what she was looking for. Her breathing was shallow and she was feeling faint when it was confirmed that Finn Hudson had written the song. She hoped Google could help her again, so she typed in his name and hit enter. She let out a long breath as she clicked on the first search result.

"Songwriter Finn Hudson is currently living in New York City, NY where he owns and operates a music store."

He's here. He's in NYC.

A/N- There you have part 1. Part two is ready when you are. Thank you for reading.