Yes, I totally made The X Factor International Australia up but I think The X Factor probably has rules about being the right nationality or whatever and I don't want that. Remeber, reviews are brilliant! Enjoy :)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Glee or the chracters within it.

Seven years. Seven years and one day to be exact. That was how long it'd been since he saw anyone from school. He'd bolted out of there faster than a rabbit bolts away from a fox. So, you could imagine the shock that he got when the mail arrived that morning.

Finn was scanning the envelopes of each letter when one caught his eye. It was different. Its intricate design and gold letters demanded elegance and the white was whiter than white. So white it freaked him out a little. To Mr Finn Hudson, 63 William Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia. The words seemed odd on the paper. Finn had moved to Australia when he was twenty-one, before then he'd been living in San Diego. To say he followed his heart was over doing it because his heart had still been with Rachel at the time. No, he'd been running away from his heart when he moved to Australia. He'd been living in Australia ever since and it surprised him that he'd received such an elegant letter because he wasn't aware that anyone – that wasn't Kurt or his parents – knew of his current location.

Finn ripped the neatly designed envelope open with his thumb and pulled out the intricately designed card inside. It was on simple cream paper with curly, twisty writing in gold, identical to the writing on the envelope. He recognized the design. He'd been invited to at least three of these since he'd been in Australia and he thought it was just another musically challenged colleague that had invited him to their special day. Regardless, Finn read the card.

You are invited to the spentabulous wedding of
Noah Puckerman and Lauren Zizes

Tuesday the twenty-eighth of September
Lima, Ohio

We would be honoured if you could attend this miraculous event
Yes Hudson, we want you there dude, even if you are living Australia!
Why Australia, dude? It's so far away!

It seemed Puck had personalised this just for him. Finn took a glance at the calendar and swore under his breath. He had seven days to book a flight to Ohio if he wanted to actually spend some time back in America. He kinda missed Lima and he thought it would be nice if he just, you know, took a month or so before the wedding and a month or so after the wedding to actually spend some stress free time back home. And anyway, he thought his lovely Australian co-workers wouldn't mind some time out from his heavy American accent. He knew it drove them insane.

Finn jumped straight on to his laptop and brought up a Jetstar Airways web page. He learnt from his time in Australia the Jetstar were cheap and reasonably comfortable. Finn scanned the flights and promptly booked a flight for two days away. That gave him some time to organize his stuff, work, friends and the like. He didn't book a return ticket. Finn toddled over to where his house phone lay in wait.

"Hey Nikki!"

"Hello, is this Daman?"

"No Nikki,"

"Oh hey Finn! Sorry, I'm slightly out of it today. Anyway, are you coming out Friday night?"

"No Nikki, I can't. I'm taking some time off work,"

Finn pulled the phone away from his ear as Nikki all but screamed the question at him. "What? Why? And do you know how long you're gonna be?"

"No Nikki, I don't know how long I'm gonna be. It's been four years since I've been back home, Nikki. It'd be nice to spend some time in America."

"It'd be nice to get you outta here. That bloody American accent is driving me nuts, no offense Finny!

"Yes Nikki. I gathered that you were sick of my 'bloody American accent'," Finn mocked in a rather stupid sounding Australian accent.

"Okay. How much time do you need? I'll take it off right now,"

"Well, it's a bit indefinite Nikki. How about three months? Can we leave it open though so I can shorten or extend the time?"

"Sounds good. No work tomorrow?"

"Nope."

"Oh shit. Now I need a sub. Don't worry mate, I'll find someone for the kids. I hope you enjoy your time away. And Finn?" Nikki questioned.

"Yes?"

"Sort yourself out,"

"Whatever, Nikki! Bye,"

Finn dropped the phone back down into his lap and sighed. Now he had to sort out his Lima accommodation and rides and he had to figure out what season it was. He'd spent too much time in Australia and forgot what season it was where. He was more than a little confused.

Finn spent most of the afternoon avoiding the inevitable. Calling his parents – and Kurt – didn't exactly appeal to him much. He did feel a little bit guilty for leaving Nikki without a teacher for his students for the next day but he couldn't help it. He needed some chill out time. When Finn had first moved to Sydney he'd had no idea what he was going to do with himself in Australia. Hell, he'd had no idea why he was even in Australia. But he'd come across a television ad and decided he might take a deeper look. Three months later Finn was on stage auditioning for the Australian version of The X Factor International. It gave him joy to be on stage singing again. He'd missed it. The next thing he knew he was the competition winner and had walked away with the $250 000, a recording contract with an Australian company and fame across the nation. In between recording and being a mega rock star, Finn spent his free time teaching disadvantaged kids how to sing, play instruments and how to not dance because Finn just can't dance.

Finn jumped up from his thoughts at the sound of his phone ringing through the house. He answered the phone without thinking about who could be on the other end. "Hello?" he asked quietly.

"Hello brother!" Finn recognized the chirpy, American voice on the other end and sighed. He should've checked caller ID.

"Hi Kurt," he sighed back.

"Why so gloomy, brother?"

"I'm not gloomy. Anyway, isn't it like 3am over there or something?"

"I don't care!" Kurt chimed from the phone. "And no, it is not. But that's not the point. I have to ask you a question because Puck just won't leave me alone till he knows and I'm not giving him your number because I promised and I've already given him your address,"

"Just get the point, Kurt!" Finn snapped, exasperated.

"Right, have you received your wedding invitation in the mail yet?"

"Yes."

"Have you booked any flights yet?"

"Yes."

"When? When? When?"

"Two days. Look, I've gotta go work with Nikki today. Tell mum I'll call later,"

"Okay. Bye Finny!"

Okay, so Finn wasn't even working with Nikki but he just didn't want to talk to Kurt right then. For some reason talking to Kurt left a horrible pang in his stomach that he didn't like. Homesickness probably, but he just didn't like home at all. It wasn't that he didn't like the majority of the people in Lima; it was just that there was one particular person he didn't want to see. No Hudson, he thought, you're a grown man, you're past petty avoidance. So, Rachel could be there. No big deal. Right...? Right. Anyway, she might not have even been invited to the wedding. No. It was Puck. He was Jewish. Rachel was Jewish. She'd be there. Man up Hudson! He scolded himself. They were past the teenage feelings of infatuation. That was all it was. Infatuation she'd said.

Finn walked into the coffee shop cheerfully. He looked around the room for Rachel or for an empty seat and spied her sitting by the window. She looked different somehow. Sterner, serious. He waved a giant wave and flashed her that half smile he always does but she didn't wave back. She looked like she'd been...crying?

Finn took his seat across the table from where Rachel was sitting and bent over the table to kiss her. She didn't kiss him back. Something was up. Something bad and Finn wanted to know. "Rach, are you okay?" he asked after Rachel failed to start conversation. Rachel always started conversation.

"Finn," she began. "I need you to know that no matter what happens from here on in we can still be friends. Do you know that?"

"Yeah, of course. But why are you asking me this, Rach?"

"Just because I don't think we can be together anymore,"

"What do you mean Rachel? Are you braking up with me?"

"Yes. I'm so, so sorry,"

"But why?" Finn asked. He had to hold it together. If he could just find out why she didn't want him anymore then he could fix himself so she did. "What? Is it me? Cause I can change Rachel,"

"No. It's not you Finn. I promise. I just think we need to quit while we're ahead, you know?"

"No I don't know, Rachel. I don't understand. You seemed so happy with me,"

"I was, but we have to quit while we're ahead Finn. This...this is just an infatuation. Nothing more, nothing less. This was just a stupid teenage infatuation. I'm so, so sorry," Rachel didn't even give Finn a chance to respond. She just walked out of the coffee shop leaving a broken-hearted Finn behind. He finally let his manly defences down and let himself cry all the way home.

Since that day Finn had spent the past seven years convincing himself that it was just teenage infatuation that had drawn him to Rachel. And he'd been doing really well with that mission. He was afraid that seeing Rachel would undo all his hard work and he really couldn't afford that. Time to RSVP to that wedding.

Finn stood up and thumped over to his coffee table. He pulled open the drawer and rummaged through it. At last he found what he was looking for. He opened the old, worn notebook and searched for the letter he was looking for. He turned to the P section and ineffectively scrolled the names because there was only one name written in the page. Puck. Finn had kept all his old high school contacts. He just hoped Puck was dumb enough to have kept his old mobile number. He dialled the number. It rang twice. This was going to cost him a fortune.

"What the hell do you want? And how the hell did you get this number? And why are you calling at this time of the night?" Puck's feisty voice on the other end of the line sounded.

"You're old high school number? Really, Puck?"

"I have no idea who you are or what you're doing with my number but if you don't tell me what you want I will hunt you down and rip your hands and feet off!"

"Alright dude! Calm down, it's me,"

"Finn Hudson? Could it be...? No, it couldn't be. The arsehole hasn't contacted me for seven years. Why start now?"

"Okay. I get the point dude. Look, I was just calling to let you know that I'll be at the wedding but if you don't want me to come..."

"No dude, dude! I want you to come! When are you flying out here?"

"That would be two days from now,"

"Sweet. You've missed so much when you left America bro! Like seriously-"

"Puck, as much as I am enjoying this chat with you I really need to go. Why aren't you sleeping?" Finn interrupted Puck. It was costing a lot and Puck was too excited for his own good.

"Lauren and I are...planning the wedding. Yeah, that's what we're doing. Anyway, this is costing you a fortune! Bye!"

"Yeah, bye." And then Finn hung up. Now he had one more call to make. But that could at least wait for a while. Now he was hungry. Food was what he needed.

Finn avoided making anymore calls for a while. He made some lunch. A mean sandwich that would have even the world's best sandwich makers jealous because Finn could just make sandwiches, if Grilled Cheesus was any sort of proof. Maybe, if he current financial situation failed, he could turn to sandwich making as a backup. He could see the headlines. The X Factor International Australia winner, Finn Hudson, falls back on sandwich making business. Wow, the media would have a field day with that. Finn snapped himself out of sandwich making business thoughts and back to reality. It was time to make the call.

The phone rang out the first time so Finn tried again. His mother picked up on the third ring.

"Hello, Carole Hummel-Hudson speaking,"

"Hi mum. It's Finn,"

Oh Finny! Hello! I've missed you! How have you been? We have so much to talk about!" Finn's excited mother exclaimed.

"I've been good. Look mum, I can't really talk at the moment cause it's costing me a fortune. I was just calling to let you know that I'm flying to Ohio in a couple of days. Can you pick me up?"

"Oh yes, yes I can. How about I call you tomorrow and we sort it out?"

"Yep. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Love you mum,"

"Love you too hon. Bye,"