You've always been more!

A Glee fan fiction

Carole Hudson, recently widowed with a baby son to care for, takes a position as a nanny/housekeeper for Hiram & Leroy Berry and their newborn daughter Rachel. This is my take on Finn and Rachel growing up as best friends but discovering there is something more between them.

A/U, T- M rating, drama/friendship/romance

A/N: I own nothing except the plot and OC's, as per usual any songs or brand names used belong to their rightful owners, I will take responsibility for any mistakes that manage to slip through though. Please enjoy and leave me your thoughts via lots of reviews, they are food for the fan fiction writers' moose.

A big thankyou to every one who has read, reviewed followed or favourited my work, I'm so very thankful for all the wonderful support.

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OOOOOOOOOOOxxxxxxOOOOOOOOOOO

Chapter 1: Onwards and Upwards.

"Hello Carole?"

"Yes this is she, who is this please?"

"Carole this is Steve Kirkwood.

"Oh sorry I didn't recognise your voice, hi Steve, what's wrong… Oh my god… it's Chris isn't it…? Where is he...?"

Carole I'm so sorry, I am calling from the Columbus County Hospital. But Chris was shot today while undertaking his duties and I think you and little Finn need to be here ASAP…

OOOOOxxxxxOOOOO

Six months later

Carole Hudson is sitting on a blanket in the park reading the help wanted ads in the Lima Times newspaper, while her seven month old son Finn sits quietly next to her, happily watching the trees dancing in the early Fall breeze and giggling every time he reaches out a pudgy little hand to try and catch the falling red and gold leaves and dandelions floating to the green grass.

Carol looks up from the paper to see the joy on her baby's face as he continues with his 'game'. She suddenly bursts in to tears at the nearly carbon copy of her late husband, right down to the dimpled lopsided smile, the only thing Finn inherited from her were his caramel colored eyes and the soft light brown hair, though the way it sticks up all over the place is the same way his dad's did. Finn crawls over to Carole's lap and climbs up, using her shirt to pull himself up into a standing position patting her cheeks with his tiny dimpled hands and pressing his tiny face against hers then 'kissing' her cheek. As he hasn't quiet mastered the kissing action yet though, it is more like a slobbery wet sucking action, which makes Carole giggle despite her sadness at the ticklish feeling against her skin.

"Momma" Finn says, his little face frowning at the sad look on his momma's face. Carole is just about to say something to him when he suddenly gives her a big smile his four little white teeth peaking up through his pink gums and showing his adorable dimples off to their full glory.

All Carole can do is hug her precious boy and sob gently into his tiny shoulder. Thankful she has him as her last link to her beloved husband and vows to herself to make the best life possible for him, which is the reason she is searching the classifieds. Even though she was given support and financial compensation from the police department and his life insurance payout when Chris died, she knows it won't last forever and anyway the mortgage on the house will use most of it. So she is looking for a housekeeper's type of job and if there is one that will allow her to live in, so she can keep Finn with her during the day, at least until he starts kindergarten then that's even better. She figures she can save money on day care fees and can always rent out her house and that will help cover the payments and council rates and such.

So with a renewed positive approach to life Carole continues to read the paper while Finn has curled up in her lap snuggled against her breast, his bottle teat hanging from his mouth. She smiles when trying to remove it he starts to suck again, then after a couple more half hearted attempts allows Carole to remove the bottle and drape his soft blue gee-ge around his tiny body with one hand, wiping the tears from her face with her other. As she clearly remembers when Chris came to take his family home from the hospital, the day she and Finn were released, the soft blue baby blanket tucked under his arm and when he proudly presented it to her.

With the words, "Carole honey, I'm gonna do everything I can to be a good father. Because I love you both so very much and, I-I can't describe how excited I am to take this wonderful but scary journey along the road to parenthood with the love of my life, I'm just so happy and proud of our baby boy I can't wait to teach him how to be a good man and … and hey maybe oneday he'll be the QB for the Buckeye's and later down the track he will make a freaking fantastic big brother."

Poor Carole again burst into tears, thinking about that dream she and Chris had to raise Finn, and a couple of years later give him a little sister or brother. But the future didn't pan out that way, as it was snuffed out when Finn was just a month old, by a single gunshot to Chris's chest. Delivered by a 13 year old boy who was having a hard time adjusting to the loss of his dad from illness, and the poor boy was trying to deal with his grief. But holding up a supermarket with a gun in hindsight was not the best way to deal. Which made Carole so very angry because her son will never know his father and will forever miss out on the wonderful caring, loving man that was Christopher Patrick Hudson. She is brought back to the present when she feels Finn squirming in her arms and gripping the edge of his gee-ge tightly in his little fist and pressing it against his cheek a dimple forming on his right cheek as he smiles in his sleep burying himself further into her protective and warm embrace.

Using her free hand Carole wipes her eyes and face, then taking a deep breath, focus's her mind back on the newspaper on the rug infront of her, her caramel eyes immediately zeroing in on a bolded paragraph with a bright yellow star at the top that reads.

Nanny/Housekeeper urgently required help a businessmen couple, care for their newborn daughter and household.

Live in is preferable, a 3 bedroom self contained semi detached unit is available.

Above award wage and bonus's for the right person, if you think that is you please call

Hiram Berry- 03555-321-987

Leroy Berry – 03555-123-789

Or email berrysstar lima wire

Carole thinks that maybe this is perfect and she knows how small minded this town is when it comes to people being different; she has never had any problems with gay people either and thinks that everyone should be allowed to love whom they want and anyway there is nothing wrong with two men having a baby, as long as the child is loved, what does it matter whether its parents are a heterosexual or a gay couple, all children need love. Checking that Finn is still sleeping she digs in her purse for her cell phone and dials the number for Mr Hiram Berry and arranges to meet him and his husband at their home at 2:pm that afternoon. After inquiring if she could bring her baby son with her as she had no one to leave him with, Hiram was more than agreeable and said happily he was looking forward to meeting her, and her son. Hanging up Carole beamed with happiness at the prospect of a new page in her's and Finn's book of life, maybe this is a chance to put her sadness and grief away and make sure the future she makes for Finn is as bright and happy and fulfilled as it can be.

She carefully stands up without disturbing a still sleeping Finn, giggling at the series of little snuffly snores and more dimple producing lopsided smiles he makes, she lays him in his pram and tucks his blanket around him, then adjusts the sun canopy of the pram and bends down to collect the picnic rug shaking the loose grass from it before folding it and placing it in the carry basket underneath the pram, grabbing her purse and Finn's blue baby bag covered in footballs and golden stars. Before making her way home to change and dig out her CV, ahead of meeting the Berry's.

The minute Carole is welcomed into the Berry home at 155 Starbird Close, in the classier part of town, by a short bespeckled man who introduces himself as Hiram Berry she felt at home. Then after meeting Leroy who is an imposing (Carole estimated he must have been close to 6'- 4 or 5" he was even taller than her Chris at 6'3) solidly built African American man it was as though the three adults had been friends for years instead of just meeting as potential employer and employee.

Carole introduced little Finn to the two men and smiled widely at the beaming toothy smile Finn offered the men in return for their gentle hand shake. She beamed with pride when they told her he was a very handsome baby. The prospective employers invited Carole to sit on the sofa, she settled Finn on the floor next to her feet with a small bag of his favorite toys, and after offering her refreshments. Hiram and Leroy asked Carole a few questions as to the reason she wanted the position and experience and general interview questions, once she explained that she was recently widowed and wanted to ensure a stable future for herself and Finn, she needed to work, as the compensation and insurance payouts she received wouldn't last long and anyway she didn't want Finn to grow up thinking that it was good or healthy to rely on handouts without doing something to earn them. She was so very surprised when both men hugged her tightly and gave their condolences for her loss and completely understood the dilemma she was in.

They were discussing the requirements of the position, stating that one or the other of them were often required to be away from home due to their occupations as a lawyer (Leroy) and Consultant Architect (Hiram) and as such they would prefer a live in nanny/housekeeper to ensure a stable environment for their Rachel. Carole said she was happy to live in, hoping they understood that she still needed to look after her Finn, but assured Hiram and Leroy that Rachel would not miss out on her attentions and the children would be company for each other. Hiram and Leroy agreed and shook hands to finalize Carole's appointment as the new nanny/housekeeper for the Berry family. Whilst conversation centred on babies, well Rachel in particular, over a cup of very enjoyable café style coffee, before the new Nanny's attentions were drawn to a familiar yet different sound.

Speaking of Rachel, over the baby monitor Carole heard the baby crying … well it wasn't crying in the same way Finn cries, it was more like a tune, a gentle musical sound. But what surprised both Carole and the Mister's Berry, was the way Finn suddenly stopped playing with his foam alphabet bocks and began his funny crab crawl towards the sound. Leroy jumped up from the sofa and left the room, returning a few minutes later carrying a tiny brunette bundle of pink, which he proudly placed in Carole's open arms, when she looked down at the beautiful baby girl whose big eyes Carole noticed where of the deepest chocolate brown and edged in the longest dark brown lashes she had ever seen on a new born, big glistening tears dripping down her tiny honey colored cheeks, Carol's breath caught in her throat for a minute.

In a soft voice that belied his formidable business persona "This is our pride and joy, our little star Rachel Barbra Berry"

"Oh my, she is just beautiful and so tiny, was she premature?" Carole asked a concerned tone seeping into her voice

"Both Hiram and Leroy shake their heads, identical emotional but worried looks on both their faces, at Rachel's continuous crying

"No she was full term, her birth mother had a perfectly normal pregnancy and Rachel was within all the normal healthy test scores done after her birth." Hiram added softly.

While the adults where marvelling over the tiny baby girl and trying to shush her crying. Finn had crawled back to Carole and pulled himself up against her legs his caramel eyes locked onto Rachel's dark brown ones, he reached out a tiny hand just as Rachel did the same and the instant their hands touched Rachel instantly stopped crying and her face changed from a pout to a smile.

"Mamma baba?"

Carole looks down at her son who is still 'holding' hands with the baby and just nods her head, saying softly "Yes baby this is Rachel we have to be very gentle because she is brand new and so very tiny"

Finn looks from Rachel to his mom and then to the Mr Berry's then back to Rachel, reaches a small hand towards her little face, Carole is ready to move his hand away but knows deep down he wouldn't hurt Rachel but he is only a baby himself still. But the adults' fears were dispelled when he very gently pressed his hand against Rachel's tiny cheek wiping away the tears and said "baba Chel."

"Oh my goodness I've never seen anything like this in all my years… Carole please say you will accept the position because I have a feeling there is magic at work here, Rachel hasn't been that easy to calm before, and I'm positive we can help each other, so what do you say hmm? Why don't we have a little tour of the apartment then we will sit and have some afternoon tea and you can take some time to think it over ok?" Leroy asks and leans down to scoop up Finn as Hiram disappears to the kitchen to grab the key.

Finn giggles as he is lifted into the strong arms of Leroy and when the man makes airplanes motions with him his giggles become louder, which as unbelievable as it sounds Carole hears little cooing and gurgling noises coming from the baby cuddled in her safe embrace.

Carole's first thought as she walks into the foyer of the apartment was, if she turns down this opportunity she would be crazy, her second one is one of wonder and amazement, because the apartment is a modern open plan, sunny space with a fresh pastel blue and yellow color scheme, and as she walks further into the rooms she sees there is a full kitchen with all the mod cons. And she immediately falls in love with it.

The living space is partly furnished but as she is looking around Hiram says, "If you want you are more than welcome to bring your own things, we can store this stuff, the only rooms not furnished are the bedrooms, but they do have rather large walk in closets, and there is also a utility room off the garage, that houses a washer and dryer."

Both men are smiling widely at the excited look on Carole's face and hope she accepts the job as the way Rachel took to her straight away was an excellent indication in their book that the woman was just what their little family needed and they knew they could all help each other.

Small congratulatory glasses of sparkling white and canapés were indulged in a little later as an agreement was signed between Hiram, Leroy and Carole. Carole was also given a set of keys for her new home as well as the main house and Leroy said he would speak to their bank manager and organise an account for her wages as well as a separate housekeeping account with her own credit/ cash card for the household groceries, daily expenses ect, and added that any utility or other bills that arrived would be seen to by either himself or Hiram so she didn't need to worry about that. Hiram even offered to buy a double twin pram so it would be easier for her to take the children out.

Carole thanked both men, with a tight hug and promptly burst into tears as the kindness and understanding the two men were showing her, made her emotions tip over the edge.

2 weeks later Carole with the help of Hiram and Leroy and a couple of Chris's buddies from the station including Steve Kirkwood, unloaded the last of the Hudson family's boxes in the garage and put the few pieces of furniture in place. Carole was feeling bad that she was not doing the job she was being paid for due to being busy with packing and moving her excess belongings into storage and organising a real estate agent to let her house and said as much to Hiram and Leroy, they both told her not to worry too much about anything for the time being as Hiram can to work from home and Leroy was in-between cases at the minute so to take as much time as she needed to sort her self out and organise her and Finn's new home. They even offered to watch Finn at their place so she could get done, and Finn was more than happy to spend time just watching Rachel as she lay on her fluffy rug on the floor. Finn was always very gentle around the tiny baby, Carole was amazed by his behaviour, and it was almost like he could somehow sense he needed to protect her which was very unusual as he was only a baby himself.

The night before Carole was to officially start her duties, she had given Finn his bath and dressed him in his warm, blue footed sleeper ready for bed, and was sitting in her rocking chair his little body smelling of baby powder and his own beautiful baby smell, reading him a story as he fought sleep, his pudgy thumb in his mouth, his gee-ge clasped tightly in his other hand. A few minutes into the story he was out like a light. Carole raised herself gently from the chair and laid him in his crib, before tucking his blankets snugly around him. She bent down to press a soft kiss on his little forehead before whispering

"Onward and upward, I love you baby."

A/N: Thoughts? Should I continue?

I am still trying to find someway of getting hold of the TV series 'Kaya' that Cory Monteith was in, it is apparently available to buy on I-tunes but as I don't have an address in America, seeing as I live in Australia, I'm unable to get it if anyone can help please PM me (it is the only main TV appearance of Cory's I don't have, and would dearly love to have my own copy).

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