Author's Note: Here, we go...the big Finn/Rachel moment. Thank you to my reviewers! The support truly meant so much to me and keeps me writing. Thanks to alifab for being an amazing beta! This is the last chapter, so let me know what you think.

Chapter Four: Stay

As he turned his car onto Rachel's street, Finn knew that he was probably grinning like an idiot. He'd spent the past hour trying to find the perfect way to tell Rachel how he felt, but he'd still come up short. Somehow, even that couldn't quite wipe the smile from his face. Rachel had been right; talking to Quinn had been freed him, once and for all. He no longer had any lingering questions or feelings of bitterness. His only thoughts were of Rachel and getting to her as quickly as possible.

He jogged to Rachel's front door and rang the bell. Huh. They'd changed the bell since last week. Was that Rachel singing "No Air?" What the...that was him singing with her! He could almost feel his jaw hit the floor. The music stopped as the door opened.

"Finn!" Mr. Berry took Finn's shoulder and ushered him inside.

"Oh, um, hey Mr. Berry," Finn responded slowly, still confused by the fact that he'd just been serenaded by his own voice.

"Finn, I've told you that you can call me Jay." Finn smiled in return. Rachel's dads always made him feel so comfortable, like he was part of the family.

"Who is it?" Rachel's other dad, Michael, came in. "Finn, good to see you." He paused, clearly noting Finn's expression. "So you've heard the new doorbell." he rolled his eyes. "Jay, I told you that it was a ridiculous idea."

Jay took off his glasses and cleaned them using the edge of his shirt. "What? I'm a proud father! The doorbell is the very first impression we make, and what better way to welcome our guests than with Rachel's voice? And Finn's, too, of course!" Jay turned and beamed at Finn, fully expecting Finn to agree.

"How...?" Finn asked instead, pointing to the door.

"Oh, Rachel records all of her glee club rehearsals to study later," Michael added.

Finn was not at all surprised, but why hadn't he known about it? "Of course she does." Finn shook his head. "Is she home?"

"She's in her room," Michael replied, waving Finn up the stairs. "You know the way."

Finn took the stairs two at a time. He slowed as he heard her voice floating down the hall. A live performance, he thought with an inward smile. He listened, trying to identify the song, but this was new. It was slow and soft, and definitely not one of Rachel's typical show-tunes or power ballads.

He leaned against her doorway and just watched. He'd seen Rachel sing before...many, many times. Every time she sang, he felt it--like she was singing for him, about him. He guessed maybe she was. It was almost like when he sometimes watched her MySpace videos alone in his own room at night. Still, this was different. It was more personal, private. He was standing outside of her bedroom watching her sing, and she had no idea that she had an audience.

Standing there, Finn knew that if he could spend the rest of his life doing absolutely anything, he'd chose this. Watching Rachel sing was magic. It wasn't just about her voice, even though it was totally awesome. No, when Rachel sang, he could see, feel, everything she held inside. Her kindness, passion, fear of failure, desperate loneliness...it was all there, out in the open. All you had to do was look. Most people didn't bother to pay attention, but he did. He saw Rachel.

Okay, so it had taken time for him to understand. Too long. Finn had known that his heart clenched each time she sang the first notes to any song, but he hadn't wondered why. He'd never really thought about feelings much--his own, or anyone else's, really. Instead, he'd asked her to help him become good like she was. He had wanted to be close to her, for Rachel to teach him her secret. Instead, his heart had begun to knock against his chest while they had talked, and she'd told him that he could kiss her if he wanted to. He now knew that's when it started.

So I turned the radio on, I turned the radio up,

And this woman was singing my song:

The lover's in love, and the other's run away,

The lover is crying 'cause the other won't stay.

Finn could actually feel her heart break as she sang. He glanced down and realized that his hand had somehow come to rest over his own heart. It was on the left side of his chest and everything. Finn could tell that she wondered if she was wasting her time or if she just hang on a little longer. It was amazing and also terrifying that he could see all of this so clearly. It was like suddenly being able to read someone's mind or something. He wanted to stop her, to hold her, and let her know that everything, everything, had changed. It had only been four hours since he'd seen her, but it seemed like four years.

And you say "stay"

And you say I only hear what I want to...

As she held the final note, her eyes slid closed. Automatically, Finn began to clap. Rachel spun around, eyes wide as she spotted him. "Sorry," he began, lip curving upward. "I totally didn't mean to scare you."

Rachel just blinked up at him, several times, as if trying to make sure that he wouldn't suddenly vanish. "Can I...?" Finn gestured. Rachel jerked her head up and down, like a puppet on a string. He looked around, awkwardly. Finn had been in her room before. They'd spent a lot of time together following his breakup. In the beginning, it had been clear, even to him, that Rachel had been trying to get his mind off of Quinn's betrayal and the baby. They'd rehearsed new songs or just hung out and watched movies. There had been musicals. Many, many musicals.

Still, this was different somehow. He'd never questioned if he should sit on the bed or the chair before. Now, for some reason, the question seemed important. Thankfully, Rachel made his mind up for him, sitting down on the bed and patting the spot next to her.

"I didn't know you were coming over. Is everything okay?" She seemed nervous, which struck Finn as odd. Rachel always seemed so strong. The only time he'd known her to feel anxious had been when she'd had to face Kurt in the Diva-Off for the "Defying Gravity" solo. He'd known was because she'd come right out and told him.

"Oh, yeah. Everything's fine. I guess maybe I should have called first..."

"No, no," Rachel jumped in. "I'm glad that you're here. You can come over whenever you want." She looked him in the eye then, and he knew then that she really was nervous. Did she sense that something had changed? Could she tell?

"I wanted to come over because, well, I did what you asked. I went to see Quinn."

Rachel's eyes widened. "H-how did it go?" Her gaze wandered, fixing on a point on the wall, no longer meeting his.

"It was...um...interesting," Finn replied. "I think that's the best way to describe it. It wasn't what I was expecting, that's for sure."

"What happened?" Rachel asked, her eyes shifted back, searching his.

"We talked. She told me why she did what she did." Finn took a breath. "I can't really understand it all, even now, but at least I know why. That was the part that bugged me most, you know? What did I do to deserve it?"

Rachel's eyes flashed. He loved it when they did that. "Nothing, Finn!" She grabbed his hands, as if touching him would make him believe every word she said. Not a bad plan, really. "This was not your fault, any of it! You certainly did not deserve to be lied to about something so huge."

"No, I wouldn't wish that on anyone." Finn glanced down at their joined hands before looking back at her. "She said that it takes more than one person to destroy a relationship, and that part is probably true."

"I don't understand. What could she possibly blame you for?" Rachel shook her head, obviously thinking that Finn was the victim in this whole mess.

"Things started to change for me and Quinn a while ago, you know?" Rachel tilted her head to the side, silently asking for more of an explanation. Finn paused, wondering how best to say it. "I mean, I changed, I guess. When we started dating, she was the head cheerleader and I was the captain of the football team. I was popular and kind of a jerk."

"Finn--" She interrupted, prepared to defend him, even when he was the one doing the attacking. Finn had smile at that.

"I was, and you know it, even if you won't let me say it. But I joined glee and things started to change. I didn't want to be the guy that left flaming bags of dog crap on people's porches."

Her eyes narrowed. "That was you?"

Uh, oh. Retreat, retreat! "Um..well, I didn't do it, exactly." She stared him down and her hands tightened, painfully, around his own. "Maybe I drove the car? It was only once," He rushed to add, offering her a rather pathetic look. "I felt awful after, but that's what I mean. I didn't want to just be that dumb jock that did mean stuff to be popular anymore. Other things mattered, too. They mattered more. You know that, right?" Finn wanted her to understand. He needed her to understand.

"I think I do." For once, he had to struggle to actually hear her. She cleared her throat. "So, Quinn didn't understand that you had started to want different things. Is that what you mean?"

His face lit. She always understood. "Exactly." Here came the tough part. "But it was more than wanting to be in glee. She felt like I didn't pay enough attention to her because I paid too much to someone else."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Did she...did she find out that we'd kissed?"

"No, but she figured out that I liked you. I guess I'm not real good at hiding how I feel, huh?" He smiled briefly and shrugged. "She even joined glee to watch us because she thought something was going on. I mean, she told me when she joined it was 'cause she wanted to spend more time together and support me, but...yeah. Not really true."

"Wow. I mean, I know that she saw me as a threat, but--"

"Wait, did Quinn talk to you about me?" Finn shook his head. This was certainly new information.

"Well, I don't know it I would call it talking so much as warning me away from you," she replied, lifting her brows. "Several times."

Finn was stunned. "I can't believe you never said anything." He wasn't surprised by Quinn's behavior, but by Rachel's silence. The thought of Rachel being harassed in any way made him furious. Even more upsetting was the thought that Rachel could have listened to Quinn. He couldn't imagine if Rachel had suddenly stopped being a part of his life.

"What was I supposed to say? ' Finn, your girlfriend doesn't want me anywhere around you because she knows that I want you for myself?' You would have run away screaming." Rachel seemed to be torn between frustration and sadness.

"I would not!" She gave him the I-Know-You-Better-Than-You-Know-Yourself look. "Okay, maybe that would have totally freaked me out," he admitted. Her lips twitched. Ah, good sign. "But the idea that she could have scared you away...that freaks me out way more."

A real smile this time, Finn thought. He was getting somewhere! "I'm still here, Finn. No matter what happens or--or doesn't happen--I care too much to walk away." She stared into his eyes, showing him that she meant it. "So, let's just get everything out in the open, once and for all."

Finn blinked in surprise. Okay, then. Another conversation today was taking an unexpected turn. Finn had planned to tell Rachel all about his talk with Quinn and then confess his feelings for her. His lips twitched. He should have expected Rachel to automatically take the lead. "You're right. The truth is--"

"Wait!" She plastered both palms over his mouth. Well, Rachel was nothing if not dramatic. "Just...just let me say what I need to say first, okay?" Him nodded, her arms moving up and down since her hands were still covering his mouth. She dropped her hands, stood, and began to pace the length of the room. Finn followed her movements, hoping he wouldn't get dizzy.

"I think I've been pretty blunt about how I feel. I think that you have feelings for me, too, and have for a while." Rachel paused and glanced down at Finn. Then, she began pacing again, faster now. "But, you and Quinn broke up a while ago and nothing has changed. I hoped that if you got closure, that you'd realize that we could have a future." He opened his mouth to respond, but she kept going. "Since I asked you to talk to Quinn, I've been wondering what would happen afterward. As much as I want for us to be together, I had to consider the possibility that you don't." At this, she seemed to run out of steam and moved over to the bed and sat down across from him. "The thing is, I never expected for us to become friends. I feel like you're the one person who gets me. I don't want to lose that. So, if you don't want to be with me, I'll have to find a way to deal with it. I don't want to lose you altogether."

He kissed her. All of his carefully thought-out words went right out the window, and he just went for it. Finn still wanted to tell her that...that...wow, she tasted good. Oh God, here came the tongue. Was that vanilla? Had she been baking again?

Finn wasn't sure how he'd gotten there, but suddenly, Rachel was under him with her hands in his hair and his hands were sliding under her sweater. If he moved his hand just a little bit, then...yes! Her bra...that was her bra...and he was touching it. And it was lacy.

She tasted amazing, and felt so amazing, and...oh no. Things were definately on the rise. One thing in particular. He jumped off the bed and, misjudging his position, fell over the side. He landed with an impressive thump and reached for his head, which he'd bumped against Rachel's nightstand. "Ow!" Wait, that was actually helping. Focus on the pain, Hudson, and not, well, other things.

"Finn!" Suddenly, he saw Rachel's head above him, the upper half of her body hanging over the side of the bed. "Are you okay?"

He nodded and then flinched at the pain that moving his head had caused. He chanced a look at Rachel an saw her shoulders shaking, clearly trying not to laugh. At least not out loud. "Thanks," he muttered pathetically. Suddenly she was shaking so hard with the effort of holding in her laughter, that tears were gathering in her eyes.

"F-Finn...I'm sorry, but..." Rachel clapped her hands over face, clearly trying to pull it together. He remained on the floor, totally embarrassed, watching her struggle not to lose control. "I've just n-never seen anyone fling themselves through midair like that unless they were in the circus." She took several steadying breaths. "You really shouldn't work without a net." With that, she reached out to him and, with several grunts, helped drag him back onto the bed. He didn't really need the help, but Finn liked watching her try to heave him off the ground.

She plopped down on her back, releasing a deep breath, and Finn spread out beside her. "What brought on that surprising display of acrobatics, anyway?" She asked, suddenly quiet, uncertain. "Did--did I do something wrong? You can tell me, you know." How could she possibly think that?

Finn turned and took her face in his hands, forcing her eyes to meet his. "No. You were doing everything right and that was the problem." He waited until her eyes grew wide with understanding. "I mean, we're in your parents' house, with your bedroom door open."

She jolted up, nearly throwing him off balance again. "We'll close the door."

Finn blinked. Thoughts of doing just that flooded his mind, until Rachel actually rose and pranced over to the door. Finn caught up with her before she could reach it and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He was absolutely crazy about her. But...someone had to be the reasonable one. He guessed it would have to be him. Boy, were they in trouble.

"Rachel, I guess I haven't, you know, said what I want to say, yet." He turned her around so that they were facing each other. "I want to be with you. You're totally amazing and I am so into you. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to tell you that, but you were right. Doing that closure thing really helped." He wished that he had better words, more important words, to let her know how he felt. "After I talked with Quinn, I wanted to come straight here and tell you, but I wanted to find the right way. So, I talked to my mom--"

Her lips curved. "You talked to your mom about this?"

He hadn't really meant to tell her that. "Well, yeah. It's just I promised to make it all up to you, and I wanted to do that. I really wanted it to, you know, be special." God, I sound like such a girl!

Rachel stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. "It feels pretty special right now."

Her lips found his again. "I brought some sheet music." She kissed him harder. "F-for some new duets for us." He lowered his lips to meet hers when Rachel pulled on the back of his head. "Songs that remind me of you." Apparently tired of straining her neck, Rachel jumped up and wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, sealing her lips over his yet again. She was so good at solving problems, he thought, unable to wipe the grin from his lips even as she continued to attack them. She always thought of everything.

"Close the door." Finn could just make out her words, since she refused to pull her lips from his. Bad idea, he thought. Her parents were still downstairs, and...oh God, she was hanging on him like one of those tree monkeys. Her mouth was now making a trail down his neck. He knew he needed to stop this now. Then Rachel raised her head, their eyes locking.

Maybe, he'd better close the door...just for a minute.

THE END

Author's Note: The song Rachel sang is called "Stay" by Lisa Loeb. I hope that the big Finn/Rachel moment was worth the wait! Thanks again for reading and reviewing.