AN: This is for a prompt over on the finchel-prompts tumblr, but that doesn't really have anything to do with the story itself. Finchel. Multi-chap. Get ready for a ride.

Rachel Barbra Berry, daughter of business moguls Leroy and Hiram Berry, sat in her usual front row seat taking diligent notes about history in the 100 level class she was in. American history, while mildly interesting, held very little of her interest—she was just taking the class because she had a little free time in her schedule and still needed the required history course. The only problem with taking this class was the boy who sat two desks back and one row over. The boy who had just spent the last fifteen minutes lobbing tiny balls of paper at her head. "Berry," he finally whispered, his sharp tone cutting through the professor's drab one. She steadfastly ignored him instead scribbling down something about railroads. Rachel swore that was the answer to everything in American history—always about railroads.

The professor dismissed them soon after with promises of a quiz during the next class. Rachel was busy trying to gather her things up and make it to her dorm so that she could catch up on studying for the advanced music theory test she had next Tuesday, and she didn't even notice as Finn approached her. A player if she'd ever met one he hadn't been actively pursuing her since their freshman year when one drunken night had ended in a hopeful Finn and a regretful Rachel.

Until this class, she'd actually managed a pretty nice job of avoiding him for most of their respective college careers. "Look, I'm not any more happy about this than you are but that doesn't mean you have to act like an ice queen all of a sudde—" She cut him off unwilling to sit there and just listen to him babble. Finn had a propensity for babbling that she couldn't stand. He somehow always managed to talk his way out of things like work and into things like bars and parties. It was absolutely maddening.

"I have no idea what you're blabbering on about, and I would appreciate if you would just Let. Go." She tugged her arm from his gentle grasp before adjusting the straps of her backpack and going for a classic storm-off, but his words stopped her in her tracks. Rachel was too nosey not to stay.

The look on Finn's face was pure confusion, if felt strange to see him caught unaware. The Finn that she knew always wore his game face. He was the son of Burt Hummel after all. Always the pragmatic business man. "They haven't told you yet?" his voice finally rang out, a little weaker than usual.

The classroom was now empty save for the two of them locked in a stare down. "Told me what, exactly?"

"Oh… Rachel… I'm so sorry. I really thought your dads would have talked to you by now and…" He was back-tracking now, his eyes wide with something that she couldn't quite place.

She tried again her voice clipped because she really just needed to know what the hell was going on, "What? What haven't they told me yet?"

"The merger. They want us… it looks bad if… they really haven't said anything?" Finn's tone went quickly from explanatory to incredulous.

Rachel did her best to try to put together his words, but they left some pretty big blanks in her head. "Just say it. What?"

"Because of the merger your dads and Burt… they want us to be a thing. To date so it looks better for the companies." And then her life just kind of imploded.

She stood there for a few moments completely in shock and when she finally came back around Finn was staring at her waving his large hand in front of her face. "Earth to Rachel, you're acting like a freak!"

"Acting like a freak!" She nearly shrieked, "Acting like freak! I just found out that… you're coming with me!" Her brain was racing, and her disjointed thoughts didn't really make sense as some of them made it out of her mouth and others didn't. Regardless she grabbed Finn's arm dragging him after her.

"What the fuck are you doing? You're like… an Oompa Loompa guard or something. Are you kidnapping me?" She rolled her eyes at him as she continued to drag him down the steps and out to her car.

Unlocking the blue Mini from a few feet away she shoved him towards the passenger door. "God, you're stupid. Not kidnapping. We're going to see my dads. They'll sort all of this—this—this crap out." Rachel was two seconds away from swearing, but she didn't want to give Finn the satisfaction of hearing her cuss. There was more fun in annoying him by refusing to swear.

"Oh hell no, I already talked to your dads, and no offense but your black dad scares the shit out of me. We already had a heart to heart about all of this business—it' not my fault that they forget to inform Princess Berry." Finn lifted his hands up in mock surrender before starting to slowly back away from her.

Rachel had started gritting her teeth as soon as he opened his mouth and as he continued to talk she repeatedly rolled her eyes at him, "My Papa is one of the nicest people in the world—and this entire idea of them wanting us to date so that the companies can look better is completely ludicrous! You're coming with me so that you can explain that this is all some kind of elaborate practical joke." Her face started to get brilliantly red as Finn had the audacity to stand there and laugh at her.

"No joke. This is real, and like it or not, your daddies want you to date me. Sorry sweetie, but you can't keep avoiding the Studson." Rachel stared at Finn in open mouthed loathing.

She finally managed to open her door before getting in the car and speeding off leaving Finn standing in the parking lot. She didn't need him to get her daddies to confirm that everything he was saying was utter shit. They wouldn't do this to her.

Parking in front of the large Berry Industries building Rachel stormed out of her car and inside quickly bypassing security, as she'd been doing for most of her life. She even refused to wait outside of their offices instead barging straight into the conference room. "Daddy, Papa! Finn Hudson came up to me after class today and started say the stupidest thing—oh," It was like confirming her worst nightmares. Burt Hummel sat at the large, shiny table opposite her fathers.

Her fathers remained silent until Burt finally spoke up, "… You hadn't told her yet?"

It was Hiram who spoke in almost a whisper as he leaned closer to Burt, "We hadn't worked up to it quiet yet, and it appears as if your son has jumped the gun a little." Turning to Rachel he raised his voice, "Baby girl, if you just want to have a seat, we can talk about all of this."

She refused, shaking her head, and pressing her lips together. She couldn't believe it. Of all the things that could go wrong, of all of the stupid awful things her dads could do, it was this. "Rachel, with the Duluth Corporation coming into direct competition with us… Hummel and Berry Industries can't keep competing. We need to merge if we're even going to have a chance at making it."

"I know that. I don't understand the part where I have to fucking date Finn Hudson!" Her Papa winced at her use of profanity and made some futile gestures in the direction of Burt Hummel. She was beyond caring what kind of impression she was making.

Her Papa, Leroy, rose from his seat walking around the table and putting a gentle arm around her shoulders, "We know you don't want to baby doll, but this is the only solution we can think of that makes this look better to the competition. Finn's really not a bad boy, and your Papa and I already talked to him… who knows maybe you two will hit it off?"

Rachel wanted to start screaming. Or crying. Or throwing some giant hissy fit because, you didn't "hit it off" with someone who you had a drunken one night stand with. And you didn't learn to like a jackass who had been hitting on you to no avail for the better part of four years. She and Finn were like water and oil. They had completely different views, and he was a chauvinist pig, and she absolutely refused to go out with him. "No. I refuse to do any of this. This is such bullshit!"

"Rachel, we're trying to be nice about this. You two have a date Friday night, and we expect you to show up, and at least, act like you're having a good time." Her jaw dropped at her Papa's tone. He was almost never cross with her, but something about this situation seemed to be making him incredibly unreasonable. Rachel turned her head and pouted at her daddy trying to garner his support, but he simply shook his head.

"Your Papa is right Rachel. We're sorry, but it has to happen. You and Finn need to seem like a couple for a t least six months while we're working out this merge—it's best for all of us sweetie. Only six months." She was about to refuse again but sensed that it would be futile. There was no explanation for this kind of barbaric arrangement. It almost felt like she was entering into some kind of horrible arranged marriage or being given into slavery of some kind.

Stamping her foot a little in frustration Rachel looked between her fathers trying to see if she could even think of a way out of this horrible situation. Seeing none she finally sighed, "Fine. But I'm not happy about any of this."

"You could at least try and see the good in him…" Her papa started, but Rachel put her hand up effectively cutting him off.

"Don't even start with me right now, please." If there was one thing she was good at, it was ruling her fathers' lives. The only child of two wealthy business men she never really wanted for anything, and she'd actually had a pretty perfect life—until right about half an hour ago when Finn Hudson had told her the news that had led to her life spiraling dramatically out of her control.

AN: And thus the start of my first multi-chapter Glee fic. Reviews are love, and more to come soon :).