Glee 1. Putting Santana In Her Place

Title: Medal Of Honor

Author: Debra

Rating: Teen

Summary: Rachel's grandfather James, a General in the United States army, comes to visit his son's family and spends time with his granddaughter and the kids of New Directions. He tells them stories of his time in Vietnam and Iraq, finding he has a tie to two of New Directions members.

Disclaimer: The characters, except for James, all belong to Ryan Murphy Productions and Fox Television.

* * *

Three months had passed since Sectionals and Rachel was sitting in the choir room beside Mercedes, with whom she had struck up a friendship with. Kurt had brought them together and the three of them had become inseparable, well as much as they could with Kurt two hours away at Dalton Academy.

It was everything she could do not to stare longingly at Finn, who was sitting with Quinn, holding her hand the way they used to. It had hurt so much when the news of him renewing his relationship with ex had reached her. The knowledge that he could forgive Quinn for having sex with Puck because she felt fat and was drunk, while she had only kissed Puckin a moment of stupidity caused by Santana's taunts in the hallway broke her heart. Sometimes it was everything she could do not to march over to him, slap his face and call him a hypocrite. It was only her friendship with Mercedes that kept her from completely losing it.

A noise at the door caused everybody to look up at it and Mr. Schuester to stop speaking about this week's assignment to see a handsome six foot tall African American male in his mid sixties, wearing the uniform of an General in the Army step into the room. He glanced around the room until a brilliant smile came across his handsome face as Rachel jumped up out of her chair and rushed to his now open arms.

"Grandpa!"

There were tears and laughter coming from them both as grandfather and granddaughter talked to each other and ignored everybody else in the room. Her teammates and teacher watched in awe as Rachel and her grandfather had their reunion.

Finn couldn't stop staring at her as he noticed that the traces of sadness his ex girlfriend had been carrying around with her was now gone. He could feel Quinn stiffen beside him and her gaze burn into his skin but he didn't care. The only reason he had jumped into a relationship with her again was to hurt Rachel after her duet with Puck before the championship game for the football team a month and a half ago. He still couldn't listen to Lady Antebellum's 'Need You Now', without wanting to throw something in anger or beat the hell out of her former best friend.

"Huh, who would thought the dwarf tranny actually has a family member that loves her. I thought they hated her as much as the rest of us do," Santana said, hatefully. She didn't realize what a mistake that was until it was way too late to save her.

Rachel pulled away from her grandfather a look of raw pain in her dark eyes as she turned to face Santana. Before she could open her mouth to say anything, her grandfather stepped away from her and marched over to where Mr. Schuester was standing by the piano, not saying a word to reprimand Santana.

"Son, are you the teacher of this classroom?"

Will stood up straight, instantly intimidated by the presence of the man standing before him. He started to stammer and stutter as the man then gave him a look of pure disgust before waking over to face Santana, who was sitting in her usual spot in the back row.

"You are useless! What's your name?"

"W...Will...William S...Schuester, sir.

"James Berry, retired General of the United States Army. If you can't enforce some discipline then let me show you how it's done, young man." James stormed over to face the seat where Santana was sitting in the back row. His face was set in a stern manner that made Santana's classmates actually feel sorry for what was about to happen. "Young lady, what's your name?" His stance was one he had used over the years when addressing his troops and even bitchy Santana Lopez wasn't immune to it.

"S..San..Santana L..Lopez."

"Oh, I've heard of you." His voice dripping with disdain. "Carlos and Marcela's daughter, the one who can't tell the boys no and sleeps with everybody in town. The one who caused my granddaughter to lose her boyfriend by taunting her to the point she gave into a moment of pure idiocy that caused him to break up with her."

A look of shock came over Santana's face at General Berry's words. She could feel Finn glaring at her after he had realized that it had been her who had pushed Rachel into Puck's arms.

"I wonder what your parent's would say if I informed them of what you just said about my granddaughter in front of me. They know my reputation and would believe every word I told them" Icy anger came into his dark eyes as he continued his lecture, pointing over at Rachel, who was being comforted by Mercedes at the door. "I'll have you know, that child is a little girl because I changed her diapers when she was a baby. I also don't know where you get off putting my grandchild down when it is fairly obvious that you have had some work done to your chest. I don't know what Carlos was thinking but if his father, your grandfather, was here and seen how you were acting, Hector would be very disappointed in your behavior. If Rachel acted like that, she would be in so much trouble with me but my angel girl knows I don't tolerate disrespect and you are a rude, disrespectful disgrace."

James marched back over to Rachel, smiled gently at Mercedes and held his sobbing granddaughter in his arms. He glared at everybody in the room before leading Rachel out, cradling her to his chest.

* * *

It was now after school and Finn was leaving, trying to avoid Quinn and the other members of New Directions. Anger filled him as he thought about what General Berry had said about Santana taunting Rachel to make her do what she did with Puck. So he had talked to his former best friend, who had told him about the incident in the hallway where Santana had walked past him and was flirting. He had glanced at her but hadn't thought much about it and to know that Rachel had seen it and that Lopez had taunted her as she went by her, telling her some bullshit about taking her to dinner after having sex with her. Leaving his self conscious then girlfriend vulnerable to Puck and his games. It pissed him off to know that other people had been so bored with their own miserable lives that they had taken pleasure in destroying him and Rachel.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as the voice of James Berry carried over to him, calling his name.. The man didn't sound happy and right now, Finn didn't blame him. After hearing the whole story about how Rachel had actually ended up kissing Puck, he was pissed off.

Finn stopped and turned to face the man walking up to him. He might have been taller but the older man was scary and looked ready to kill him.

"You and I need to talk. My son's house, six thirty. Be there or I inform your mother that you ignored the request of the man who held your father as he lay dying in the desert. Am I understood?"

Finn gaped at Mr. Berry before slowly nodding his head to say yes.

"Don't nod at me, boy. I don't respond to nods, use the voice God gave you."

"Yes sir."

"Good. Rachel is going out with your step brother and their friend Mercedes so she won't be there and my son and his partner are going out of town on business, so there will be no one else there to interrupt our conversation."

James Berry stalked off, marching down the hall as Finn shook in fear at the meeting that was to come. His night was going to be pure hell.

* * *

AN: Rachel's grandfather is in town for a reason and the title of the story will play into the story as well.


	2. A Changing Of The Guard

AN: I want to thank irshgirl, Charity, for all of her assistance with fleshing out this story and for the amazing ideas. This story wouldn't be possible without your invaluable help. I great appreciate it. Thank you.

This will be a long story and even though it will end Finchel, it will be long road getting them to where they are finally back together. More of both Rachel and Finn's family will be introduced as the story goes on and a person from Rachel's past will come back into her life.

Quinn and Finn will be over by chapter 20 at the latest, it could be before then, you never know. There are reason why they are together and it isn't romantic, that is the only hint I will give you. This chapter introduces a growing triangle between Puck, Quinn and Sam, who still wants her back after their breakup. Who will she choose in the end? I usually lean towards Quick but I haven't really made up my mind yet.

* * *

James had just turned away from Finn and was walking down the hall to where Rachel was waiting for him at her locker. His angel girl was getting a ride home from him because Hiram and Leroy had already left for a trip to Washington DC where they were going to spend the weekend and wait for the rest of the family to arrive. It wasn't everyday a man received the Medal Of Honor, even if it was forty years after the event that it was for, well and another twenty for the second event.

Rachel's car, a classic 65 mustang he had rebuilt from the frame up, needed some work done to it and he wasn't going to let her drive it until it was fixed. That was the only reason he was taking her home.

He was stopped in his tracks by the sight of two huge teenage boys standing in front of his Rachel with two cups in each of their hands, getting ready to toss their contents in her face. They were both tall and big around the middle and wearing Letterman's jackets. One was white, the other was black and they both had the same viscous smirks on their faces.

In a swift move that showed just well he kept up with training, James walked up and put each hand on the boy's neck at a pressure point and gently pressed down. The cups in their hands instantly hit the floor and the both of them dropped to their knees, crying out in pain.

"Names, now!"

"David Karofsky." His voice was full of pain at the pressure being put on his neck.

"Azimio Adams."

"Well David, Azimio, this is your warning. If I get word that even one of those slushees you and your fellow classmates like to throw at my granddaughter and her fellow glee club members, I will have a conversation with both of your fathers. Then you will get to experience the same boot camp I put my soldiers through in Vietnam and during Desert Storm." James' voice was clam but had a menace to it. "Do I make myself clear or do you boys want to test me? Better men than you have tried it and failed. Picking on the Glee Club is over."

He released them and walked around the puddle of grape slushee that was lying on the floor to Rachel. The second James had grabbed both boys she had ran over to where her fellow Glee club members were standing, including Finn who had heard the commotion and came back. James saw him there and turned to face him, a stern look on his face.

"Hudson, take me daughter home and stay with her until I get there." His voice sounded like an order he would give one of his soldiers before James turned and walked towards Mr. Figgins office.

Rachel gave Mercedes a pleading look, who returned it with one of sympathy before she walked over to where Finn was having a quiet conversation with Quinn, who wasn't angry the way Rachel thought she would be.

"Come on, Rach," he said to her. "I'll call you later, Quinn."

Finn and Rachel walked down the hall, leaving their fellow New Directions behind. They all noticed the tension between them and gave each other apprehensive looks before walking to their own cars. The only ones left standing in the hallway was Puck, Quinn and Sam.

Puck turned to Quinn, who had a look of indifference on her face. He had noticed over the past two weeks that she and Finn had renewed their relationship that they never looked at each other like boyfriend and girlfriend. It was more like how best friends regarded each other. Something was going on with them and he was going to find out what it was, even if he had to be an ass about it. Finn had been too quick to give into Mr. Berry's request to take Rachel home.

"You really don't care that your boyfriend has just walked down the hall with his ex and is planning on staying with her until her grandfather gets back, do you? What the hell is going on with you?"

"Nothing." Her voice was flat as she looked up at him.

"It's not nothing, Quinn. What is going on with you and Finn? If this would have happened a year and a half ago, you would be having a complete shit fit over Finn walking off with Rachel. You have only been back together since Valentine's day, that was two weeks ago and you are letting him walk off with Rachel. Something is wrong with you and I'm not backing off until I found out what it is. Why are you back together with Finn but not having a fit when he walks of with Rachel?"

"Leave her alone, man." Sam stepped over to where they were at, irritated at Puck for being confrontational with Quinn. "She just watched Rachel's grandfather order him to take Rachel home after Karofsky and Azimio almost hit her with four slushees. He was just doing what he was asked to do."

"Are you stupid, or something? You weren't here when Quinn and Finn were a couple the first time around. She went ballistic when Finn started showing an attraction to Rachel and now he is showing some kind of interest in her again and Quinn is acting all calm about it. There is something going on her, Quinn. I'm going to find out what it is, trust me."

Puck stalked off leaving Sam and Quinn alone in the hallway. He reached out to touch his ex girlfriend on the shoulder to comfort her and she stepped back before it could happen, a hurt and devastated look on her face. She rushed down the hall towards the parking lot, leaving Sam to guess that she was more upset about Finn and Rachel then she had let on.

* * *

Finn parked his truck in front of Rachel's house and looked over at Rachel, who hadn't said a word since they had left the school. She was withdrawn and didn't seem to want to talk to him. She had been this way towards him for the past two weeks after he got back together with Quinn. Part of him wished he could tell her the truth of why he had reconciled with and forgiven his ex girlfriend when he had been unable to do the same thing with her.

"You can wait downstairs in the living room for my grandfather to arrive. I'm sure you remember where the remote is, I will be in my room getting ready for Kurt to pick me up," she said to him before getting out of the truck and walking up to the house. He quickly followed her and stepped inside the house, closing the door behind him as she rushed up the stairs.

He walked into the living room and tried to watch a movie for about thirty minutes but all he could think about was Rachel. How hurt she had been the past two weeks and the only thing that had brought any semblance of a smile to her face had been her friendship with Mercedes and Kurt as well as her grandfather's arrival. It was only the sound of Rachel crying from her bedroom that made him get up from the couch and walk up the stairs to her room.

"Rachel?"

"Leave me alone, Finn." Her voice was full of pain and it broke him to hear it.

"Let me in. We need to talk about this."

"No, we don't. You said all you needed to say when you dumped me and started to date Quinn again."

"Rach, it isn't what you think it is. Quinn and I..."

Before he could finish what he was about to say, the front door opened and James' voice drifted up the stairs.

"Finn, Rachel, I'm back."

Finn walked back downstairs, knowing that Rachel wouldn't want her grandfather to overhear what the conversation that they need to have. There was something she needed to know about his 'relationship' with Quinn.

"Where's Rachel, son?" James asked from his seat in the living room.

"She went to her room as soon as we got here and has been there ever since."

Before James could respond, Rachel came rushing down the stairs wearing a new outfit than the one she had worn to school. It was a pair of jeans, a black cashmere sweater and a pair of leather boots. She went over, gave her grandfather a kiss on the cheek.

"Mercedes is outside waiting on me. We are going to meet Kurt and Blaine for dinner and to see a movie."

"Be home at eleven, angel girl."

"Yes sir."

Rachel gave her grandfather a hug before leaving the house without even looking at Finn. James gave him a stern look before starting to speak.

"Do you want to explain to me how you and my granddaughter went from being so in love this summer to you dating your ex again and Rachel treating you the way she did just now?"

"Mr Berry..."

"I'm not telling you a thing about your dad until I hear the full story of why you and my angel girl broke up. Now start talking."

Finn sat there and told James the entire story from when he first joined Glee club until his supposed reconciliation with Quinn. By the time he was finished speaking James had a strange mix of anger and shock on his face.

"Are you trying to tell me that you broke up with my Rachel for kissing your former best friend who got the girl that everybody thinks you are dating again pregnant and you are guilty of the same thing. You cheated on Quinn with Rachel and lied to my granddaughter to get her come back to the Glee club. Then you accept a date with the two biggest tramps in your school before dumping Rachel to find your inner rock star. Then you are a coward and let that brat treat my angel girl like crap and that Mr. Schuester fellow to scream in her face. Finn, my boy, you are a hypocrite and I don't think your dad, may he rest in peace, would be very proud of you right now."

Sadness came into Finn's eyes at the thought of disappointed the dad he had never known. He thought about Mr. Berry's words and realized that Rachel hadn't been the only one who had been wrong in that entire situation. He had contributed to events that led to their breakup just as much as she had. They had both been to blame for what had gone wrong.

"What was my dad like, Mr. Berry?" Finn asked quietly.

"Christopher Hudson was the most courageous man I have ever had serve under me. He faced any challenge head on and didn't care if it made him unpopular with the rest of his unit. He stood up for what he thought was right, no matter what the personal cost. He was also the most forgiving and least judgmental person I have ever had to pleasure of meeting. Now he wasn't a pushover but he didn't hold a grudge and was willing to work things out with whoever had hurt him. He told me he had to learn that lesson the hard way with your mom when he almost lost her because of wounded pride and anger and a vicious teenage tramp who caused pain and misery just for the sheer hell of doing it."

"My dad and mom had the same type of problem Rachel and I did?"

"You'll have to ask your mom to tell you the story but yes. He told me about it one night when I was telling him about my Camilla, may she rest in peace."

"Mr. Berry, I have gotten myself into a situation with Quinn and I agreed to help her because she's my friend but now I am having second thoughts."

"What's the situation and maybe I can help you out?"

"Quinn has not had it very easy since the birth of her daughter and giving the baby up for adoption. She pushed herself back into Cheerleading and trying to get her old life back. She pushed the father of her child, Puck away and started to date Sam, my backup quarterback. A month ago, Puck decided that he wanted Quinn back and both he and Sam started to fight over her. Quinn freaked out and broke up with Sam. I was trying to get over Rachel and not succeeding very well when Quinn came up to me with a proposition."

"What was this proposition of Quinn's?"

"She wanted us to make everybody think we were dating again so she could get some peace and quiet from Sam and Puck while Rachel would back off from trying to win me back. How was I supposed to forgive her and have the space I needed if she wouldn't back off. Now Rachel thinks I am dating Quinn again and won't give me a chance to explain that I mainly agreed to this to help Quinn. She is falling apart over giving up her baby and her feelings for Puck, and he and Sam aren't helping. She is about to go crazy. My mom would kill me if she knew the truth and given her dislike of Quinn, she isn't very happy with me right now. She and my stepbrother, Kurt are both very pissed off at me."

"I will help you with this mess you have gotten yourself in but you have to do something for me." James paused, taking in the teenage boy in front of him and knowing that his angel girl might hate him for what he was about to set into motion. "You have to take Rachel to the reception tomorrow night, the one that the town is having to celebrate me being awarded the Medal Of Honor. Since you and your mother will have to be there anyway, you might as well escort Rachel to the reception as her friend."

"How do I ask her when she wants nothing to do with me?"

Finn listened carefully as James detailed his plan and shook his head at how sneaky the whole thing sounded.

* * *

AN: The next chapter will start the next day at school when James' plan goes into action. He will also show the members of New Directions that it wasn't just Shelby that Rachel got her musical talent.


	3. Explanations

AN: I will be adding elements from the previous six episodes into this while maintaining the storyline I have came up with for this story. I have made some changes to where Puck was the one who got upset at Quinn quitting New Directions and the one who convinced them to come back while Finn talked to the football players.

I received a couple of reviews accusing James of being a bully and this chapter will soften him up a bit. Making him seem that way wasn't my intention. I was writing him as the stern former drill Sergeant and General that is used to his orders being followed. That the sight of someone talking out in class the way Santana does or the slushy facials and other incidents of bullying that happen at McKinley would set that type of person off to want to fix the problem. The next chapter, you will see more of his softer side that his granddaughter and the women in his family bring out in him when James hangs out with the students of New Directions.

There will be a lot of romantic tension between Finn and Rachel in this story, more than what we have seen on the show since it came back in February. They will not be getting back together for awhile but there will be a lot of moments where they come close to giving in to their feelings but something happens to stop them.

I will be including more of the events from Comeback til the season finale as the story goes on while keeping to the storyline I have come up, assisted by Irshgirl. Talking over this storyline with her and throwing ideas back and forth on all of my stories has been amazing. I am very deeply in her debt for everything she has contributed to this story.

I like Puck and Lauren as friends and that is all they will be in this story. There will be more interaction between him and Quinn than what is happening on the show.

This was originally going to include the events that will take place in the next chapter but it was getting very long. So I decided to break them into two. There will be more Finchel interaction in the next one. This more of an explanation of how he got involved with Quinn again and how it affected his relationships with both Puck and Rachel.

* * *

It was dark outside and Finn was still at the Berry's with a scrapbook open in his lap. He was transfixed at the pictures of his dad, shocked at how much he resembled him in height, pale skin and the freckles that ran along his face. He was so wrapped up in the pictures that Finn didn't notice General Berry sit down beside him until he started to speak.

"Son, why don't you tell me some more details about how you got involved with Quinn Fabray again? What led to you pretending that you were a couple again? I can see that, despite her attempts to pretend otherwise, my angel girl isn't dealing with this very well and neither are you or Quinn. That girl is acting like she is on auto pilot. I expected her to put up a fuss when I ordered you to take Rachel home and she just stood there with a lifeless look on her face. Something is wrong with that girl and you know exactly what it is," James said gently, pushing aside the part of him that expected his orders to be followed long enough to get to the heart of what is wrong here.

"Sir, I promised her that I would keep this a secret. She begged me to and I can't break that promise or she might hurt herself more than she has. I might not be in love with Quinn the way I am with Rachel but I care about her too much to let her cause anymore harm to her..."

Finn stopped short as he realized that he had revealed too much. He stared at James and before starting to talk again, knowing deep down that he needed to tell someone exactly what was going on here and the man sitting beside him was gong to have to be it.

"It started a month ago, the Monday after we won the District Championship. I had just finished talking to Dave Karofsky in the hall when I found Quinn leaning up against the locker. She started talking about how seeing me be the leader and winning the football game made her realize why she had loved me. The next thing I know she is kissing me and walking away. I hadn't had any encounters with her, she had been arguing with Puck the entire week over her quitting the Glee Club to stay with the Cheerios so her declaration had confused me. I was too busy trying to help Coach Beiste figure out how to replace the football players that weren't in the Glee Club so we could actually play the game. I was also pissed at Rachel and trying not to argue with her over an attempt at making me jealous by singing Need You Now with Puck."

"It sounds to me like my angel girl's attempt worked, son," James said, smiling at the young quarterback.

"Fine, I'll admit it. Her little scheme worked, all I wanted to do was kick his ass and drag her out of the classroom to find somewhere private to kiss the hell out of her. But that wouldn't solve the problems we still have between us."

"No it wouldn't but it would have showed Rachel that you still wanted her and had feelings for her. She doesn't give up that easy as I am sure that you are aware of by now but something in you dating Quinn again has made her lose her spark and her ability to fight back. You agreed to this scheme to help a girl that you care about and ended up hurting the one that you are in love with. It sounds like you can't win for losing, son. So what happened next."

"I let Puck deal with the Cheerios quitting and leaving us short three members for Regionals because I had too much going to deal with Quinn, Santana and Brittany letting Coach Sylvester control them. So he ended up arguing with Sam all week and almost got into a fight that Mr. Schue had to stop. I also had to keep them from killing each other while trying to practice for the game that was looking like we weren't going to be able to play."

"Is that when my granddaughter got the idea for her and the other girls in Glee to play in the game?"

Finn, in the same move that resembled the one he did when Rachel suggested it during Glee club that day, placed his palm on his forehead, wondering what the hell they had been thinking. Tina had been tackled but luckily she hadn't been hurt and was able to walk off of the field on her own two feet.

"Yes, it was. I should have went with my gut when it told me to put my foot down and tell her it wasn't happening. That it would be over my dead body before she went out onto that field to play even one second of that football game. I may have been pissed at her but I didn't want her hurt and it just as easily could have been Rachel instead of Tina that was tackled. I know people think that I am an ass because I never thanked her for doing that. That I'm too dumb to admit that she did that for me but at the time I was still messed over the thought of her kissing Puck."

James put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, fighting not to grin as he started to speak.

"Son, I don't know how the women are in Rachel's mothers family but my Camilla was a feisty woman. Rachel is a lot like her being that she was a petite brunette that could storm out of a room when you crossed her. My Camilla was a diva so Rachel gets it honest on both sides of her family."

"According to Rachel, they don't know who her biological father is, so how can you be sure she is like your late wife?"

"I am not my son and his partner. I had a DNA test done on me and Rachel to see if she was a blood relative and it proved that Leroy is her biological father."

"So you are saying the Rachel is a lot like your late wife?"

"Yes and I could never win a fight with Cammie. One time she got so mad at me, I ended up getting a plate of spaghetti thrown at my head."

Finn grinned at the older man's words before remembering an encounter that Rachel had gotten into with both Puck and Santana right before Christmas. She had brought a plate of her sugar cookies to him, in an effort to apologize. He had turned them down as gently as possible and started to walk away when he had heard Quinn call out and a crash behind him. He had turned around to find Puck and Santana lying on the floor in the hall, before sitting up to sweep away bits of broken glass and shattered cookies off of themselves as Rachel stormed down the hall. The door to the auditorium had slammed so hard the walls had shaken and he remembered fighting not to grin at the stunned looks his fellow Glee Club members and other classmates had exchanged with each other.

"What's the grin for, son?"

"Rachel threw a plate of sugar cookies at Santana and Puck right before Christmas. They were for me and I turned them down which wasn't an easy thing to do because I love anything she bakes. But if I would have taken them, it would have encouraged her to keep coming after me. But from what Mercedes told me, Santana called her manhands and a pathetic bitch while Puck stole a cookie off of the plate then they took off down the hall at the same time. If they hadn't of heard Quinn screaming for them to duck, Rachel would have hit them both when the plate came flying out of her hands before she turned around and walked off. Santana mainly sticks to insults now and has figured out when to quit. I think she realized that Rachel had a pretty good aim and the next time Rachel gets that mad, it might be something that would hurt a lot worse than a plate of cookies."

"Oh really then why did she call her that horrible name when I came into the classroom today?"

"I think Santana thought that Rachel wouldn't throw something at her in front of her grandfather and could get away with it."

"Understood. Now let's get back to Quinn. What happened after she kissed you that day at school?"

_**Flashback**_

_**Finn had pulled his truck up to the curb outside of Quinn's house and parked it. He quickly got out of his truck and made his way onto the front porch. He wanted to know what she had hoped to accomplish by kissing him earlier that day when from what he had seen the previous week, she had to deal with Puck and Sam fighting over her. He enough of his own problems with Rachel and school to deal with an ex that he had forgiven but not forgotten the things she had done to him.**_

_**He rung the doorbell and after a few moments, tried to front door, which came open at just a touch. Everything inside of Finn had told him to search for Quinn and make sure she was okay, so he had stepped inside of the house. He didn't see anybody on the first floor or any kind of clue that Quinn or her mom were there, so he made his way up the stairs. He walked over the room that he knew was Quinn's and stepped into the bedroom, the sight of Quinn, sitting on the foot of her bed, holding a box cutter over her thigh, getting ready to cut herself wasn't what he had been expecting.**_

_**"What the hell are you doing, Quinn!" Finn exclaimed harshly as he marched over and snatched the box cutter out of her hand.**_

_**"Finn! How did you get in here?" Her voice had been angry but full of fear as well.  
**_

_**"The way you left the front door when you came home, I thought somebody had broke in. I was making sure everything was okay."**_

_**"Why are you here?"**_

_**He had placed the box cutter out of sight on the top of her dresser before moving to sit beside her on the bed. He hadn't known what to say to his ex girlfriend. But what do you say to someone you just caught trying to harm herself. He had finally decided to ask the questions that were flying through his head.**_

_**"I want to know why the hell you kissed me like that! We haven't really talked to each other since you came onto me at my locker when school started back up again. Now all of sudden, after having Puck and Sam fighting over you all damn week, you are kissing me and telling me that you are starting to remember why you fell in love with me. What the fuck is going on, Quinn. I can be slow but not that damn slow. You know I have enough going on with Rachel to have deal with you pulling shit like this, so why did you do that?"**_

_**"They won't stop, Finn! Ever since Puck confronted me over quitting the Glee club, he and Sam have been fighting over me. He wants me back and I can't deal with him and Sam right now. There is only one way that they will both back off and let me think about which one I want to be with," she had cried desperately.**_

_**"Oh and what is that?" His eyebrow raised, unsure if he wanted to hear this idea she had.**_

_**"Pretend to be my boyfriend again. We won't hug or kiss or anything like that. We can just hold hands at all of the right times and sit beside each other in Glee club."  
**_

_**"No!" Had been his first reaction before noticing her starting to cry and Finn had felt like an ass before starting to explain his reaction. "Quinn, you are talking crazy. I might not be with Rachel right now but there is still something there with us and after some time has passed, I will want to be with her again. If I agree to what you want, it will hurt her and I can't do it. No matter how much she hurt me, I won't do the same thing to her."**_

_**"You love her that much, don't you?"**_

_**"Yes, I do. But she pisses me off worse than anybody ever has and I can't be with her right now."**_

_**"Please do this for me, Finn. We'll break up after the Prom is over."**_

_**"It isn't Sam that you are running from? It's Puck."**_

_**"Yes. He won't let me forget Beth and how I gave up my baby, to get the life I had before my pregnancy back."**_

_**"Quinn...," he had started before trying to stand up and walk out of the room. She had stopped him by grabbing his arm, a wild and desperate look in her hazel eyes.**_

_**"Please, Finn. We both win with this. Sam and Puck will leave me alone to give me time to think and Rachel will back off. She put herself in the middle of that football game, all just to impress you. Does that give you a clue as to how much she wants you back. Do you think about how it could have been her that got tackled instead of Tina? Just how much danger she put herself in just so you could play in that game because it means so much to you? I'm not the only one who needs someone they love to back off. You do too and we can help each other do that."**_

_**"If I agree to help you with his, there will be no kissing or making out at all. We hold hands in the halls just long enough for Rachel, Puck and Sam to see us. After Prom it's over."**_

_**Finn had felt like an idiot for agreeing to help her with this plan but he couldn't let her try to cut herself again. He just hoped that Rachel would let him explain what was going on when the time was right. That she wouldn't completely turn her back on him for 'forgiving' Quinn over her.**_

Finn could feel General Berry staring at him and knew that a lecture was coming. One that he wouldn't forget for a long time.

"What the hell were you thinking? You should have told her mother what was going on instead of giving into that little scheme of hers," James paused, shaking his head in dismay before continuing to speak. "Why does she want to continue this until after the Prom."

"She has her heart set on being Prom Queen and I'm the only one who can help her do it. I'm the most popular guy in school again after being named the MVP of the Championship game and she thinks we can use that to win. If I wasn't afraid of the fact that she would really hurt herself, I would have told her no."

"So you have fooled everybody at school with this fake relationship and broken the heart of the girl you still love? All for a girl that needs more help than you can give her?"

"I'm afraid of what she will do to herself if the truth comes out about what I caught her trying to do to herself."

"Why don't you tell me how the two of you made everybody think that the two of you were back together?"

"Quinn told me to act like an arrogant jerk after winning the football game. Then to talk to Mr. Schue in front of the class about having a kissing booth since," Finn grimaced when he was about to say this next part. "all of the girls in school would want to kiss the winning quarterback. She would act like it was beyond her but still act interested enough to arouse Sam's suspicions. He played right into her hands and made her kiss me. I told Rachel some nonsense about seeing fireworks but all I felt was pity for her and disgust. She broke up with Sam right after that kiss. But the worst was yet to come."

"Let me guess, my angel girl came up to the booth."

"Yes. Rachel came up to the booth, like Quinn and I had both suspected that she would. I knew she was trying to get me to kiss her and that I would come back to her when our lips met. That was what I was afraid of, so I kissed her on the cheek. She got angry at me and told me she still loved me, that I was the only one she cared about, not Puck or anybody else. It was everything I could do not to kiss her right then and there. To close that damn thing and tell Quinn to find a new way to keep Puck and Sam at a distance. Then my brain took over instead of my heart. I gave her the Christmas present I had ordered for her and told her that I believed in her and that she should shine like that star she is."

"Finn, she threw that necklace and the one with your name on it straight in the garbage when she got home from Kurt's gathering at Breadstix. The one where you and Quinn attended together as a couple. Hiram got them out of there, hoping that once Rachel calmed down, she would want them back. From what I have seen earlier today and when she left this house just now, Rachel hasn't forgiven you and it might be awhile before that happens."

"I worked my ass off at Burt's shop and at Sheet's and Things to pay for both of those necklaces! Why the hell would she do that!"

"Maybe she didn't want anything that you had ever given her after seeing you forgive and go back to a girl that had actually had sex with your best friend and let you think the baby was yours for months. While you won't forgive her for a kiss that happened out of hurt, anger and the Lopez girl taunting her over having sex with you. I am curious as to how your family reacted to you seemingly going back to a relationship with Quinn."

Finn grimaced as he remembered Kurt's reaction to him showing up with Quinn at Breadstix. His stepbrother had been pissed off, to put it very mildly and when he had gotten home that night, Finn had found out that his mother now knew. Carole Hummel's reaction to her son going back to the girl who had lied to and deceived him so horribly hadn't been pretty. She had forbidden him to even bring Quinn over to the house. Which he really didn't have a problem with that because to him it wasn't a real relationship.

"Son, sometimes the consequences are just as harsh even when you are pretending to act like a jerk? You have to get out of this little pattern you have of judging people harshly for their mistakes while others forgive you for the ones you make over and over again. From what I have heard, you have made some pretty big ones, particularly with Rachel and she forgives you everytime." James paused, wanting to ease up a bit before Finn walked out. There was a few more things he wanted to know about. "Now if you and Quinn aren't making out, how did she end up with this hickey that Rachel told me about? The one Quinn walked into the choir room wearing the day after Valentine's Day?"

"I sat on her bed and watched her do that to herself with her mom's vacuum cleaner. She said that we had to make everybody think that we had really gotten back together."

"Of all the stupid and dangerous things to do." James shook his head in dismay before continuing to speak. "I have heard from Rachel that there was a confrontation between you and Puck over this whole thing. That he is the only one who is suspicious of you and Quinn, well along with Rachel but unlike him, she doesn't seem to care anymore." James commented.

"Yes, he is and Quinn is freaking out. He is the main one that she wanted to fool with this scheme and to back off," Finn said, remembering the conversation that had taken place outside the choir room between him and his best friend.

_**Flashback**_

_**The Day After Valentine's Day**_

_**In front of Finn's locker.**_

_**Finn had stopped in front of his locker to grab his books for the day, ignoring the looks of anger that Mercedes was giving him. She had been sitting with Rachel at Breadstix last night and had been the one to comfort his ex when he and Quinn had shown up at the restaurant, holding hands.**_

_**The glare that Kurt had given him had felt like it was going to burn a hole in him. But if he wanted to keep Quinn from doing something to hurt herself, he had to do to this. At least long enough to get Quinn to realize she needed help that he couldn't provide for her.**_

_**There had been one other person whose anger had made him uncomfortable and that was Puck. His best friend had shot angry and suspicious looks in his and Quinn's direction the entire night, when he wasn't talking to Lauren, who had become his friend since she had saved him. He had known they were talking about him and Quinn because of the glances and glares of her own the girl had given him. He had known it was a bad idea to show up there with Quinn, especially after she had used the vacuum cleaner to make it look like he had given her a hickey.**_

_**It had killed him to see the pain in Rachel's eyes when she had seen them together. He had noticed her get Mercedes help in taking off the star necklace he had given her earlier that week and knew that she wouldn't forgive him that easily. That even when the truth came about why he started up with Quinn again, the girl he still loved could never come back to him.**_

_**At that moment, Finn's focus had been pulled away from his thoughts of Rachel to the sight of his very angry best friend stalking towards him. Puck looked mad enough to kill someone and Finn had really didn't want to get into a physical fight with him.**_

_**"What the fuck, dude! You tell me to stay away from Rachel, which made me think that you still had some feelings for her and then you pull the shit you did last night! Why the fuck would you do that?"**_

_**"Puck..."**_

_**"There had better be a very good explanation for why you betrayed not only Rachel but Sam too! Winning that damn game has turned you into an asshole, Hudson!"**_

_**Finn had noticed the rest of the school watching them, well except for a distraught Rachel. She had stormed down the hall to her first class, ignoring him and refusing to even look in his direction. His heart had sunk at the fact that Rachel hadn't calmed down from the night before.**_

_**"It isn't what you think it is dude. That is all I will tell you," Finn had harshly whispered.**_

_**"What the fuck does that mean? Why the hell are you whispering?"**_

_**"Maybe because I don't want the whole fucking school to hear what I am saying."**_

_**Finn had then grabbed the last of the things he needed from his locker before slamming the door and walking away. He could feel Puck following him and that his friend wasn't going to back off. So when he had seen an empty classroom, Finn had stepped inside of it and closed the door behind Puck, shutting out the crowd that had decided to follow them.**_

_**"Now that we are somewhere where the fucking gossips can't overhear everything, we can talk about this. I won't tell you everything because I made a promise to Quinn."**_

_**"What the fuck is going on here, Hudson?"**_

_**Puck's stance had been angry and he looked ready to strangle Finn with his bare hands. The sight of Rachel's tears and Puck's anger had filled Finn with doubt about going along with Quinn's plans. That he wasn't the one to help her and that he should have went to Mrs. Fabray or another adult who could get her the help she needs.**_

_**"All I can tell you is that it isn't what it looks like. There is more to why Quinn and I are back together right now."**_

_**"You are going to have to tell me more than that, asshole."**_

_**"That is all I can tell you, Puck. The rest is up to Quinn and what she chooses to tell you."**_

_**Finn had then turned around and walked out of the room, ignoring the voice that was screaming at him to go back and tell Puck the truth.**_

"He knows that something is wrong with Quinn. That is why he reacted that way when you told me to take Rachel home. But I made a promise to Quinn and I won't break my word like that. It is up to her when she wants to tell her mom or anybody else about what ever is wrong with her, not mine. All I want to do is keep my friend from causing harm to herself."

James placed a comforting hand on Finn's shoulder before starting to speak.

"Son, you can't be with her every minute of the day. If Quinn really wants to hurt herself then she will find a way to do it. She needs more help than you can give her."

Before Finn could respond, his cellphone beeped, showing that he had a text message. He pulled it out and found that the message was from his mother.

_**'Finn, you better be home in twenty minutes or you are grounded!'**_

_**'Over at Rach's, talking to General Berry about dad. I'll be home soon.'**_

_**'You have plenty of time to talk about your father. You have school tomorrow.'**_

_**'Yes, ma'am.'**_

Finn put his phone up and turned to look at James, who had been looking at some of the pictures in the scrapbooks that were lying on the coffee table.

"I need to get home or I will be grounded. Thank you sir for listening to me and telling me about my dad."

"You're welcome, son. You don't have to take Rachel to that reception if you don't want to."

"That's okay. I will ask her tomorrow, we need to talk anyway."

James watched Finn leaving, trying to hide the smirk that was wanting to come over his face because he knew from conversations with his co-conspirators that Finn wasn't over Rachel and vice versa. His granddaughter and the boy she loved were going to be a challenge but James had never failed at any task he had started and two stubborn, lovesick teenagers weren't going to be his first.

Finn stepped out onto the porch and was walking towards his truck when the sight of Kurt's navigator pulled up to the curb. He watched as Rachel got out and starting to walk towards the house, stopping short at the sight of him standing there.

A look of longing passed between them and the tension grew strong enough that they both felt like they were going to choke. At least until Rachel shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, walked right past him without saying a word and into the house.

He stood there for a few moments watching her bedroom window, hoping as the lights turned on that she would look out the window. But she never did. It was enough to make him feel like first class jackass. Yes she had hurt him by kissing Puck but after talking to General Berry, he hadn't helped by ignoring her all week. By letting Santana talk to her anyway she pleased and not once told the girl to shut up when it counted. Well except for his mom's wedding and Santana had tried hitting on him. He had his moments when he had been a good boyfriend to her but others where he had failed. It was moments like this that he wished Quinn had never kissed him that day and that he had never been pulled into her plans for keeping Puck and Sam away from her. Finn was beginning to realize that General Berry was right, even pretending to be a jerk had it's consequences. He just hoped that by taking Rachel to the reception tomorrow night, some of the tension and anger that was still there between them would start to get better.


	4. Confessions

AN: There is going to be a crossover with NCIS that will be mentioned in this chapter but will come into play later on in the story.

* * *

Rachel stood against the door, her eyes closed, fighting to control the rush of emotions that were flowing inside of her. It was everything she could do not to look out the window and watch him leave. Given that she hadn't heard the door to his truck close, the engine start and it leaving her driveway, Rachel knew he was still watching the house. Like he was hoping she would look out the window at him.

She was so wrapped up in her own turbulent emotions, Rachel didn't noticed her grandfather walk past, carrying empty pizza boxes to the garbage can. A look of worry came over James' face and he watched her for a few moments. He could also see out the window that Finn was still standing by his truck, looking up at Rachel's bedroom window.

"I'll be right back down, Grandpa. Let me just put my things in my bedroom," Rachel quickly said before running up the stairs.

'These two lovesick idiots are going to drive everyone around them crazy!' he thought to himself as he walked into Hiram's study. As he made his way to the desk, James heard the sound of Finn's truck starting and finally leaving the driveway.

'I guess he figured out that she wasn't going to look out the window at him.'

Luckily his son's partner kept his desk very organized and James knew exactly where to go to find what he was looking for. He smiled softly at the picture that was sitting on the desk. It was of Rachel at five years old being held on Camilla's lap and Leroy standing behind them with his hands on his mother's shoulders. The smiles on all three of their faces were bright enough to light up the entire room.

Hiram had adored his partner's mother and mourned her death as deeply as Rachel and Leroy continued to do. She had been more of a mother to him than his own, who had disapproved of her only son being gay. His Camilla had been so many wonderful things to a lot of people and he missed her with everything inside of him. His hatred for the drunk driver that had taken her from all of them before Rachel's Sophomore year grew with every day that he had to live without her.

James put aside the anger and sorrow burning inside of him and opened the right side drawer that held what he was looking for. He picked up each jewelery box, opened them and saw that the items in them were both intact. He closed them and held them in his hands before closing the drawer and leaving the room.

The sight of Rachel sitting on the couch, staring at the scrapbook that had been left on the coffee table, greeted him as he walked into the living room. She was staring at one picture in particular and James knew exactly which one it was without even walking over there to where she was sitting. It was the one of him, Nathan McKenzie, a sniper named Jethro Gibbs that had been sent from the Marines for a joint mission with his unit, and Christopher Hudson. They had been heading out of Kuwait and into Iraq on an undercover mission that would end in the death of Chris and Nathan dishonorably discharged for his part in it.

"He really does look like his father," Rachel quietly said, tears filling her brown eyes.

James walked over and sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and hugging his sobbing granddaughter tightly to him. Her body shook with the force of her sobs and it broke him because his one weakness had always been when the women in his life were upset. All it had taken was either Camilla, their daughter Lacy or Rachel and his other granddaughter Marnie crying to make the tough drill sergeant stand down and the concerned husband, father and grandfather take over.

"I love him, Grandpa but I'm so angry, I could slap him. Why would he go back to her after what she did to him but he can't forgive me?"

"Angel girl, sometimes things aren't always what they seem," he said gently, kissing her on the top of the head.

At his words, Rachel sat up and looked over at her grandfather, determination growing in her dark eyes.

"He told you something about why he is with Quinn again, didn't he?"

"Yes he did and it isn't my story to tell so no I am not telling you what it is," he said sternly.

"Grandpa..." She stuck out her lower lip in a pout that was another way both she and Marnie got over on their grandfather.

"Don't give me that look, Rachel Barbra. That pout of yours isn't going to work this time. Finn will tell you what is going on with him and Quinn when he is ready to."

"Grandpa..."

"No, Rachel. I have already told you that I am not telling you what is going on and you need to respect that," he stated before handing her the jewelry boxes that were in his hands. "Your dad pulled them out of the garbage can because he knew you would regret throwing them away."

Rachel glanced down at the beautiful star necklace that Finn had bought her for Christmas and the one that had his name on it, before closing both boxes. She handed them both to her grandfather, who took them without saying a word.

"I'm not ready to take them back, grandpa. I know I hurt him by kissing Puck and I understand why he broke up with me. I just can't forgive his hypcritical behavior in the fact that he can forgive Quinn, who slept with Puck because she felt fat that day. It makes angry enough to slap him and I die inside a little more everyday when I see them walking down the hall together."

"Angel girl, all I will tell is that there is more to the story about why he is with Quinn and that Finn will tell you when he is ready to."

"I'll leave it alone, for now," Rachel firmly stated before sitting the scrapbook on the table, kissing her grandfather on the cheek before getting up from the couch. "I'm going to go to bed. Good night, Grandpa."

"Goodnight, angel girl."

Rachel leaned over and hugged James before leaving the room and going up stairs. He waited until her bedroom door closed before getting up to take the boxes containing the necklaces back to Hiram's study. He stared at the picture of Camilla and sighed to himself before leaving the room.

* * *

The next morning Rachel was sitting in the choir room, talking to Mercedes and Tina while glancing over at her grandfather. He was visiting with the Glee Club today and had been sitting with the boys around him; all of them were fascinated with the stories that James had been telling of the battles he had been apart of. His usually stern manner was gone as he got into the descriptions of the heat of the deserts in the Middle east and the jungles that he fought in during the Vietnam war. Even Mr. Schuester seemed to be interested in the stories that her grandpa was telling.

Rachel was avoiding making eye contact with Finn, whom she could feel staring at her. Besides something else was bothering her at the moment that was more important then her and Finn pining over each other..

She had been watching Quinn since arriving in the choir room that morning. Something wasn't right with her; it was almost like she didn't care about anything anymore. There wasn't any life in her eyes and she wasn't clinging to Finn the way a girlfriend would. In fact, it seemed that there was more going on between Puck and Quinn than there was with her boyfriend.

The ringing of her cellphone pulled Rachel's focus away from watching Quinn and she groaned in irritation at the text that was on the screen. She looked up at everybody else in the classroom, who had all turned to glance at her.

"Mr. Schue, I need to go to the office and pick up a package that got sent here instead of my home."

Before Will could respond, James looked at the teacher and started to speak.

"If it's what I think it is, you won't be able to carry that by yourself, angel girl," James turned to Finn with a twinkle in his eye, ignoring the glare that his granddaughter was giving him. "How about you go and help her, Finn?"

"Yes sir," Finn replied, standing up and walking over to where Rachel had went over to the door. He knew that Quinn was going to be angry at him for being so willing to go with Rachel but Finn was getting tired of the charade. He knew that their 'relationship' wasn't going to last until the prom.

James smirked to himself as he watched Rachel and Finn leave the room before turning to face the rest of the class; he continued to tell some more stories for the boys and ignoring the fear that Quinn had in her eyes. He had a strong feeling that despite the fact the girl obviously needed help, she was taking advantage of Finn's naivete to get what she wanted; Prom Queen.

* * *

Not a word was said between Finn and Rachel as they walked down the hall towards the main office. When they got there, Finn held the door open for her and picked up the wrapped portrait that was waiting for Rachel. He waited patiently as she signed for the delivery before following her out of the office.

Before they could get to the choir room, Finn walked into an empty classroom and sat the painting down on top of a desk. He watched as Rachel entered the room before going over to close the door behind her.

"Finn, what are you doing? We need to get back to the choir room," Rachel commented, her hands on her hips.

"We need to talk."

"No, we don't. I think you said everything when you broke up with me for kissing Puck and then going back to Quinn after she actually screwed him, got pregnant and tried to pass the baby off as yours with a weak and stupid lie that came back to haunt her," she said, her chocolate colored eyes alight with irritation.

"Rachel, Quinn and aren't really back together!"

His declamation stopped her from continuing her rant and for the first time ever Rachel Berry was stunned into silence. When she finally was able to speak, only one word came out of her mouth."

"What?"

"Quinn and I aren't really back together. We have been pretending in order to keep both Sam and Puck away from her because she is really starting to lose it."

"What about the hickey?"

"She did it with a vacumn cleaner before we went to Breadstix that day."

"What is wrong with Quinn and why is my grandfather keeping it quiet because I know that you told him what is going on."

"It all started the week before the District championship game. Quinn, Puck and Sam had been arguing all week over her quitting Glee for the cheerios and she was starting to get stressed out because of it. The Monday after the game, Quinn came up to me in the hall right and then started saying that how I brought the team back together made her remember why she had fallen for me. The next thing I know she is kissing me and I am wondering what the hell has gotten into her because we haven't really talked since the beginning of the school year. After school, I went over to her house to confront her and the front door was standing open. So I went into the house to make sure everything was okay and when I got to her bedroom, I found Quinn getting ready to cut herself on the thigh with a razor blade."

"Oh my God!"

"Let me tell tell you the rest of what happened before you freak out on me, Rach," Finn stated. "I went across the room and took it out of her hand before she could cut herself. I placed it up on top of her dresser to make sure she couldn't get it and she told me off for coming into her house like that. Quinn then came up with this insane plan where we would pretend to date to keep Puck away from her. I told her no at first but then I let her talk me into it. I wanted to help her and prevent her from hurting herself but I think she is still doing it and that I should have told her mom what was going on."

"Finn Hudson, have you lost your damn mind! She needs more help than you pretending to be her boyfriend again. What are you going to do if she slits her wrists one night when you aren't there to stop her," Rachel exclaims before going to leave the room. "I am going to tell Miss Pillsbury and Mr. Schue!"

Finn quickly rushed over to the door and stopped her from leaving. He held her against him, ignoring the parts of him that were very happy to have Rachel in his arms again.

"Let me go, Finn!"

"Rach, let me tell Puck first and see if he can get through to her. Give me the time to do that before telling anybody else."

"You have until Regionals, Finn or I am telling somebody what is going on."

"Thank you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Finn realized that he was holding his ex closer than he had in months. She was looking up into his eyes and he started to lower his head down to kiss her when Rachel pushed away from him. He let her go and watched as she walked to the center of the room, take a deep breath as if to calm herself and then turned to face him.

"This isn't happening, Finn. I won't let what happened at the first of last year happen again where you kiss me but then go running back to Quinn. I won't become that desperate girl again. If you think you want to get back together with me and think that you can finally forgive me, when you end this charade you have going on with Quinn and after we give ourselves time to get over what happened before Christmas I might consider it but until then you aren't to try to kiss me again."

"I agree. But I want you to go with me to the reception tomorrow night because my mom has said that Quinn isn't to be there or she will ground my ass and we both need a date."

"Fine. But we are going as friends and nothing more. Now let's get back to the choir room before Mr. Schue and my grandfather start to search for us."

Rachel left the room without looking at Finn, who picked up the painting from the desk and followed her down the hall and into the choir room.


	5. Unforgettable

An: This chapter will start a storyline that will play out through a majority of what I have planned for this story so far. Also given that Rachel's grandmother in this story died because of a drunk driver, it will bring about some changes when I get to the events of Blame It On The Alcohol. I will get into the events of Comeback here soon when Sue faces off with the General. Three OC's will be introduced in this chapter as more of Rachel's family comes to Lima to celebrate James being awarded the Medal of Honor. Another character from Rachel's past will be returning and will have a tie to one of the OC's.

This story was written before Yes/No aired and while I had been thinking of changing the storyline to fit the new direction that canon had taken it, I have decided to continue with the original story that I have planned where Finn's dad died in the Middle East.

* * *

Rage was only one of the emotions Nathan McKenzie felt as he watched General James Berry through the monitor that showed him what was going on in McKinley High's choir room. He placed them there at the beginning of the year when he realized Berry's granddaughter Rachel was a student there and a member of the school's show choir.

As much as he hated James Berry, Nathan had developed a soft spot for the very talented teenager and the fact that his late friend's son was in love with her, despite his stupidity in allowing that little Latina whore to treat Rachel how she does. As much as it had pained him to admit it, Nathan had enjoyed watching the General rip Santana and that teacher a new one yesterday for how the former treats Rachel and the latter does nothing to stop it.

He watched as Rachel and Finn walked back into the classroom with the boy holding a large picture frame in his hands and Nathan felt guilt overtake him. He had been responsible for Finn Hudson growing up without his father and James Berry had never let him forget the mistake he had made on the mission where Chris had died. Neither did Leroy Jethro Gibbs, that damn Marine who had been sent to be the sniper on that joint mission with the Marines. He hated both of those men with everything inside of him but it was James Berry that Nathan despised with a loathing that would never stop until the day he died.

As much as he hated the pain it would cause Chris Hudson's son, Rachel Berry and the rest of her family would have to pay for her grandfather's sins. That drunk driver who had killed Camilla Berry had prevented him from taking the man's wife away from him but Nathan had enjoyed seeing the pain it had caused James at the loss of his beloved Camilla.

* * *

Rachel and Finn walked into the classroom and over to where James was sitting. The older man took the picture out of Finn's hands and placed it on the easel that Mr. Schuester had sent Puck to find while Finn and Rachel were gone.

Tears filled his eyes as he removed the brown paper that surrounded the frame and stared at the face of his beloved Camilla on their wedding day. He could feel Rachel touch him on the shoulder and knew that his angel girl was crying. She had taken Camilla's death very badly and it was only her love of Broadway and the dreams of being a star that had gotten his granddaughter through her grandmother's death.

Mr. Schuester and the other members of New Directions could feel the strong emotions that Rachel and her grandfather were feeling and it was all Finn could do not to get up and hold her. It was only Quinn putting her hand on his arm that made him stop. He had to put an end to this charade with her very soon or he would lose any chance he had to get Rachel back.

"Do you remember the song me and your grandmother would always dance to?" James asked Rachel.

Rachel smiled softly as she remembered as a little girl watching her grandparents dance to the song they had danced to the first night they had met.

"Sing it with me, Grandpa."

James smiled at his granddaughter before walking over to the Jazz band and telling them what song to play. He ignored the pain of missing his wife as the familiar music started. Will smiled as memories of his own grandparents dancing to this song came to mind.

James (Bold) Rachel (Italics) Together (Bold, Italics)

**Unforgettable  
that's what you are,**  
_Unforgettable  
Tho near or far__._

**Like a song of love that clings to me,  
how the thought of you does things to me.  
Never before  
has someone been more...**

_Unforgettable_  
_In every way,_  
**and forever more** (_and forever more_)  
**that's how you'll stay (**_that's how you'll stay_)

_**That's why, darling, it's incredible  
that someone so unforgettable  
thinks that I am  
Unforgettable, too.**_

Finn watched in awe as Rachel sang and danced with her grandfather, singing an obviously old song that had a very special meaning to them. He felt the words of the song wash over him as he realized that to him Rachel was unforgettable and that he had been fooling himself when he thought that he could stay away from her. They had a connection that he would never have with anybody else, even the girl sitting beside him. It was time to tell Puck and Mrs. Fabray what was going on with Quinn and get her the help she needs because what they were doing wasn't going to help anybody. It was going to cause more harm than good because Rachel was right, he couldn't watch her every minute of every day.

_No never before has someone been more_

_Unforgettable_ (**Unforgettable**)  
_In every way_, **(In every way**)  
_And forever more_ (**And forever more**)  
_That's how you'll stay._ (**That's how you'll stay.)**

_**That's why, darling, it's incredible  
That someone so unforgettable  
Thinks that I am  
Unforgettable, too.**_

The members of New Directions, even Santana, applauded as the song came to an end as Rachel and her grandfather hugged, their eyes wet with tears.

"Mom would have loved hearing the two of you singing together," a voice said from the doorway.

Every eye in the room turned to face a petite woman with a slender frame and an olive skin tone that was darker than Rachel's. Behind her was a six foot African American male with the same color skin as James, standing with them was a young woman that shared some of the same features as Rachel but with a caramel color to her skin. She also had a slightly taller build and more curvy frame.

"Aunt Lacy!"

Rachel ran into the arms of the woman who had spoken, who returned to hug before letting the other people with her hug Rachel while moving over to where James was standing.

"Hi Daddy."

James pulled his youngest child into his embrace, hugging her tightly before letting her move over to the picture that was still sitting on the easel.

It was then that Rachel realized the other members of New Direction were all staring at the family reunion taking place in front of them.

"This is my Aunt Lacy, Uncle Charlie and my cousin Marnie."

"What kind of person names their child that?"

Lacy turned fury filled eyes over to Santana, the one who had just made that comment about her daughter's name.

"Someone who loves Alfred Hitchcock movies," she snapped back. "Let me guess. You must be Santana, the little loudmouth who can't mind her own business and takes pleasure out of destroying other people's relationships."

James pulled his daughter out into the hall before she threw something at Santana, His little girl not only resembled her mother but had her temper as well.

Nathan McKenzie watched the pair sing together and the family reunion that had just taken place and hatred filled him. Why did James Berry get the happy family while his had been torn apart after his dishonorable discharge. At least Jethro Gibbs had suffered at losing his family when they had been murdered by a Mexican drug dealer.

General Berry losing his wife wasn't enough for Nathan. He needed to lose his entire family to suffer the same pain that Nathan had.

* * *

AN: The next chapter will deal more with Rachel and her growing family while she prepares for the reception for her grandfather.

The song that Rachel and her grandfather performed was 'Unforgettable' by Nat King Cole. The version used was the one from 1991 that was created as duet with his daughter, Natalie Cole.


	6. An End To The Charade

Later that night, Rachel was in her bedroom putting on her dress for the reception being held in her grandfather's honor. It wasn't going to be long before Finn got there to escort her to the event being held in the ballroom at one of Lima's more expensive hotels.

She stared in the mirror at the pink chiffon one shoulder gown that she was wearing. It had an embellished empire waistline that was covered in silver beads before flowing over her hips and down to her ankles. It was completed with a pair of sliver Christian Louboutin five inch sandals.

"My brother will wish he had never started to date Quinn again when he sees you in that dress."

Rachel turned to face the boy she had become friends with after her break up with Finn, her voice was soft and unlike how Rachel usually was.

"There is more to his relationship with Quinn than you know about, Kurt."

"I know, Rachel. I overheard him explaining to his mother what was really going on after she told him off for going back to Quinn. She has never forgiven her for lying about Beth being Finn's child and making up that story about the hot tub."

"Why has she forgiven me and Puck because the both of us have hurt Finn too?"

"The both of you apologized to Finn and have both admitted you were wrong. There is also the fact that there was extenuating circumstances in regards to why you did what you did and she knows that Finn wasn't completely blameless in what happened between the two of you. Carole is more angry at Santana for stirring shit up and purposely causing trouble between you and Finn."

"My aunt Lacy definitely doesn't like Santana. I thought she was going to go for her throat after Santana made a hateful comment about Marnie's name."

Before Kurt could respond, Marnie walked into her cousin's room wearing a pale blue strapless dress that hugged her curves. Her long dark hair was pulled up into a sleek ponytail that hung down to her waist. It was one of the traits that both she and her mother had received from her maternal grandmother.

"Mom has been dying to have it out with Santana since last Christmas and she found out why Finn wasn't with Rachel during our family dinner. She blames Santana for being a 'nosy bitch' that uses her 'keeping it real' argument as an excuse to be one. So Finn's mom isn't the only one who blames her and until Grandpa told her something about that Quinn girl, she wanted to go after her with both barrels as well. Now that she and Dad are moving to Lima and she has taken a job at McKinley being in charge of not only the drama department but McKinley's entire Arts Department, Mom has said that open season on Rachel is over."

"I don't see Coach Sylvester allowing that to happen."

"After the multimillion dollar donation that both Daddy and Grandpa have just made to the school system, a substantial amount going to the Arts department in all of the district's schools, there isn't much she can do. The school board and McKinley's Principal are worshiping at Mom's feet."

Kurt's mouth was open in shock while he stared at Marnie before turning to face Rachel.

"Just how wealthy is your family?"

"Vera Wang is designing Marnie's wedding dress," Rachel commented with an uncharacteristic smirk on her face.

Kurt turned to Marnie, still in shock while continuing to fix Rachel's hair, who was putting her makeup on in the mirror.

"You're getting married? To who?"

Marnie smirked at her cousin before responding to Kurt's question.

"Let's just say that when your stepbrother sees him at tonight's reception, jealousy will kick in."

"You are marrying Jesse St. James!"

"Yes and just to be a bitch, I don't plan on telling Finn that he is my fiance. I want him jealous of the fact that he might be coming back into Rachel's life."

"I don't like this, Marnie. It isn't right to deceive Finn like this, " Rachel determinedly. "He doesn't deserve it, I cheated on him."

"Yes, you did and are now paying for it by having to see him with the blond nightmare," Marnie commented to her cousin. "The reason I am doing this is because Finn Hudson needs a reality check. He needs to realize that if he doesn't cut out whatever it is he is doing right now with Quinn, you will one day move on to somebody else."

Rachel kept quiet, choosing not to tell Kurt and Marnie about the fact that he was already starting to come to his senses. That she and Finn had almost kissed earlier that day. She would have to tell them about Quinn and the fact that she is cutting herself and until Mrs. Fabray was told about what was going on, that had to stay a secret between the four people that knew about it.

* * *

At the same time, Finn was grimacing as he held his cellphone up to his ear. Quinn was ranting about Finn taking Rachel to the reception and was making her displeasure very well known.

"_Everything we have planned will be jeopardized because you can't seem to say no to Rachel or her grandfather!"_

"He was with my dad before he died and he is telling me a lot about who my dad was . Besides, we aren't really a couple, Quinn, so I don't what the hell your problem is."

"_Everybody else thinks that we are, Finn! What do you think will happen to our chances for Prom King and Queen if everybody finds out that we faked getting back together?"_

"Prom Queen? That's all you seem to fucking care about and I am sick of it. You have until the Monday after Regionals to tell your mom about the fact that you are cutting or I will tell Puck what is going on with you."

"_Finn….."_

"I am tired of the games, Quinn. I want Rachel back. I should be going to this reception with her as her boyfriend but you and Santana can't seem to leave shit alone and have to cause trouble for whoever you please."

'_Santana didn't have a damn thing to do with Rachel kissing Puck!"_

"Not according to Puck. It seems that right before Rachel went off with Puck, Santana was stirring shit up, the way she always does. All to cause trouble between me and Rachel. I don't know why she set out to do that but she might want to cut that shit out, given that Rachel's aunt will be working at McKinley as the head of the Arts department."

"_What?"_

"Rachel's Aunt Lacy is going to be Mr. Schue's boss and what she said to Santana today is nothing compared to how she can be when you cross her."

"_How do you know all of this?"_

"I met her this past summer and watched her tell off Marnie's ex-boyfriend to the point she made him cry after he called her daughter a bitch."

"_I don't want you going with manhands to that reception and if you do, Finn Hudson, you will be sorry."_

"Bring it on, Quinn."

He hung up the phone while his now ex-girlfriend was protesting and grabbed the jacket to the tuxedo that his mother had rented for him. He left the room, ignoring the cellphone that was constantly ringing in his pocket.

* * *

AN: When I originally started to write this story over a year and a half ago, I decided to keep Finn in a relationship with Quinn for a little while longer but my muse changed my mind. That doesn't mean that Finn and Rachel will automatically get back together because there is some jealously coming for Finn in the form of Marnie's fiance: Jesse St. James. I will give detail on how they met and became engaged in a later chapter.

Sparks will also fly when Lacy starts to work at McKinley and has more of a backbone than Mr. Schue and Mr. Figgins. Let's just say that Santana's mouth will get her in more trouble than she is used to and that the bullies of McKinley will have formidable enemy.


	7. A Gift From The Past

AN: This chapter was originally going to be Finn picking up Rachel to take her to the party but this idea came to me and I had to write it down. It was a modification of an idea that me and my friend Charity had originally had for this story. What is introduced in this chapter will play a role in a future chapter.

* * *

Kurt had just left and Rachel was sitting on her bed, waiting for Finn to arrive. Her door opened and in walked Marnie, holding a dress bag.

"Marnie, I am already dressed for the reception. Why are you bringing me another dress?"

"This isn't for the reception," Marnie replied, starting to open the bag she was carrying.

"Then what…"

Rachel stopped speaking when she recognized the bag in her cousin's hand. It had been one she and Marnie had seen in their grandmother's closet growing up. One they had both opened and admired the contents for years.

"Why are you bringing that to me?"

Rachel's voice was full of emotion, almost to the point of trembling as she watched her cousin pull out a tea length strapless wedding dress. It had a sweetheart neckline and had tiny pearls embroidered on the bodice and skirt.

"Mom didn't wear this because it wouldn't fit her and I decided to buy mine instead of using this because something didn't feel right about me wearing it, " she turned to face Rachel, tears filling her eyes. "Somehow I have always known that this dress was meant for you, Rae, not me."

"Marnie…."

"Let's hang it up in your closet and then sometime this week, we can take it over to the Hummel's and you can try it on for me and Kurt. He has agreed to help me with my wedding while I am back at school so everything for my wedding is in his basement."

"Marnie, there is too many chances that Finn will see the dress if it is over there."

"Rae, he has a girlfriend and until Finn breaks up with her, getting your hopes up when it comes to Finn Hudson is only going to cause you more pain then you have already been through because of him," Marnie said softly, her heart breaking for her cousin.

Rachel doesn't say a word to Marnie about why Finn is really with Quinn because it isn't her secret to tell. Despite how much the former Cheerio has hurt others and taken great pleasure in doing it, Rachel doesn't want anything bad to happen to Quinn Fabray.

Marnie finished putting the bag into the closet and then walked over to sit down on Rachel's bed, glancing at her watch impatiently.

"I swear if Jesse is keeping me waiting because of the fact he is fixing his hair, I am going to tell him off!"

Rachel giggled at the thought of her no nonsense, feisty and sensible cousin being involved with a male diva like Jesse.

"I never understood how the two of you got together. He is only a freshman and you are a senior. How did that happen? Why are your parents letting you two get married without freaking out?"

"Mom and dad aren't happy that I am planning on getting married before I graduate from college but I am over eighteen and supporting myself with the money Grandma left me in her will. Jesse's parents let him do what he pleases and his uncle is in charge of the family and he likes me. He thinks I help Jesse control some of his more vain tendencies. I love him and we want to get married. Are you okay with that, Rachel? I know you had feelings for him."

"I am fine with it. Jesse and I are too ambitious to ever work as a couple and I used him to stop thinking about Finn. Although I hope you got him back for him egging me."

Marnie grinned at Rachel before smirking mischievously at her cousin. The latter of which knew that her cousin had indeed done something to Jesse and couldn't wait to hear this.

"Yes, I did. My roommate's boyfriend assists with both the football and basketball teams and one night, Jesse found himself hanging by his underwear on one of the goalposts in the football stadium. He knew that I was responsible but was so eager to get me to go out with him at that point, that he figured that he deserved it."

"Isn't that a bit hypocritical on their parts because I have heard that members of sports teams have a tendency to haze each other?"

"It is but according to my roommate, the ones that helped do that to him all believe stuff like that shouldn't be done to a female and that Jesse deserved to have his ass stomped into the middle of next week. "

Before Rachel could respond, there is a knock on the door and James opened the door, wearing his uniform; the sight of which left Rachel and Marnie speechless and in tears. They could both see why their grandmother had fallen in love at first sight.

"Finn is downstairs waiting for you, Rachel."

"Thank you, Grandpa," Rachel said as she stood up from where she had been sitting on her bed. She grabbed her dress coat and purse and stopped to kiss her grandpa on the cheek before leaving the room.

"That boy called, Marnie. He will be here in five minutes."

Panic came over Marnie's face as she rushed to the bedroom door to go downstairs. James gently grabbed her arm and stopped his oldest granddaughter from leaving.

"Marnie, what are you up to," James inquired, sternly.

"Finn and Rachel need to leave because I don't want him to see Jesse yet."

"Why?"

"Finn knows that I am engaged but doesn't know that it is Jesse. I want him to be jealous at the sight of him being at the party tonight so he can get his head out of his ass and dump the prom queen wannabe."

James smiled because he already knew that Finn had broken up with Quinn that night but he also knew that Rachel wasn't ready to date Finn again. They both needed to heal a bit from the damage that they had done to each other because of the events that had caused their breakup.

James followed his granddaughter out of the room and both he and Marnie stopped short at the sight of Finn and Rachel standing close together and they were just about to share a kiss.

* * *

AN: The next chapter will start with where Rachel left the room and how she and Finn ended up in the position that Marnie and James found them in.


End file.
