Finn didn't get a wink of sleep on the plane, he'd gone over what he was going to say to her over and over in his head, and still wasn't sure if it was exactly right. He remembered what Burt had said, about being over the moon about someone. That's how he felt about Rachel, the girl who never failed to excite him, to surprise him, the girl who understood him better than anyone and made him feel like so much more than he was. If only it hadn't taken him six goddamn years to realize it.

He stood at her door, anxious and scared, but absolutely certain that there was nowhere else he wanted to be.

With one stroke of sheer nerve he pushed her buzzer.

"Rachel!" He cried.

"Shouldn't you be on your honeymoon about now?" She answered back coldly.

"Please let me in, I have to talk to you. I called off the wedding."

"Finn, just go away, you're too late." He didn't know whether she had tears in her throat or if the bad reception on the intercom just made her sound that way.

"No, it's not. But I can't say what I need to say like this. You have to let me in."

"I can't I'm sorry. It just hurts too much Finn." Intercom or none she was definitely crying.

"I know I hurt you and I'm sorry I left but I'm here now. And I'll be here until you let me in."

This time she didn't answer at all. But he refused to let her blow him off that easily. With his height he didn't have to jump very high to reach the fire escape ladder. He climbed as fast as he could without falling, determined to get her to hear him out.

"Rachel!" he yelled, knocking on her window. "Rachel! Come on!" He knocked even louder.

"What?" she said, finally opening it.

"Hi" He said out of breath. "You're up high."

"Is that what you came to tell me?" She said sarcastically.

"No," she backed up as he climbed through the window. "I came to say you were right, I never stopped loving you Rachel. I never stopped thinking about you. But you know it was different when you were here and I was in Lima, and I didn't have to see you every day. I was fine, I was alright. I mean I wasn't happy but I was alright. And then I came here and I saw you and that was it, I was done, there was no going back after that."

"But you did go back."

"I know, because I was scared, and confused. But I'm not anymore. For the first time in 24 years I know exactly what I want."

"Well, I'm happy that you finally figured yourself out but I really don't see how any of this is my problem." Her arms were crossed and her stance was cold and confident but Finn could tell by the way her lips quivered that he was getting to her.

"Because it's you, it's always been you Rachel. When it was Quinn it was you, when it was Marcy it was you."

"Because you always want me when you can't have me Finn," she said, starting to break down.

"No, it's because I always want you. And Rachel I'll do whatever it takes to make this work, I'll wait tables, I'll sing on the street, I'll even strip if it means staying here and being with you."

"Finn I—

"Look if you won't take me back I'll understand. But I just want you to know that I'm not going anywhere. That plane ticket was one way, you were strong enough to survive here with nothing, and I'm just going to have to be too. I'm done being fine Rachel, I don't want to go back to the way things were, and I don't think you do either."

She just stood there for a moment, looking down and trying to hold back tears. Finally she opened her mouth to speak.

"I'm sorry Finn, but I can't do this. I appreciate everything you're saying. But it's just, it's all too much. I just really need you to go right now."

"Rachel, I meant every word I just said."

"I know, I know you did. And it was all very sweet it's just a lot to think about."

Now Finn was the one who was trying not to cry. "Tell me what I have to do to change your mind."

"Finn! Just stop okay."

"I can't do that."

"You said you'd understand if I didn't want to take you back."

"I do understand, but that doesn't mean I can just accept it. I love you Rachel."

"Then let me go," She went to her door and held it open for Finn, who reluctantly walked through it.

"Remember what I said. I'm not going anywhere. If you do change your mind, come and find me."

Without a word she closed the door leaving him alone in the hall.

Finn sat in his hotel room that night, contemplating his next move. Out of all the ways he pictured trying to get Rachel back he never imagined it would end this way. He knew that Rachel loved him, he just needed a way to make her see it too. Just as he was considering all of the grand romantic gestures he could make starting with serenading her in public and ending with vandalizing the Empire State Building with a 100 story mural of her, he heard a knock at the door. He rolled out of bed to answer it, certain it was housekeeping or some other annoyance, instead it was…

"Rachel?" He said, surprised.

"I found you like you said. I figured you'd be staying at the dolphin because I know how much you like Dolphins. And the front desk told me which room you were in, and let me just say next time, I would consider selecting a hotel that exercises tighter security policies."

"You're here," Were the only words he could manage.

"I'm here, and I have something I wanted to tell you."

He gestured for her to come in, still unable to speak. She walked in and he closed the door behind her.

"I got the part Finn, the casting director called me after you left. I'm their Maria."

"Oh my god, that's amazing Rachel. That's so great, congratulations," he said, giving her a hug that he wasn't entirely sure was welcome.

"Yeah, as it turns out Mrs. Higgenbottom on the fifth floor really knows her craft. But the thing is, I'm going to need all the help I can get if I want to avoid another Maureen debacle, and she sleeps a lot during the day, so I figured since you're going to be here for a while that maybe you would want to come and run lines with me sometime?"

"Of course, I'd be honored," he said, still not entirely sure where this was headed.

"Great, Well, I have to go. I have to deliver my letter of resignation to The Sex Cauldron. But I'll see you tomorrow?" she said, opening his door to leave.

"Yeah, definitely." As she made her way down the hall he poked his head out of the door to call out to her. "So, does this mean you love me again?"

She turned and smiled. "It means I never stopped."

The End