Title: Better Late Than Never, Chapter One
Ship/Character: Finn, Brittany (appearances and mentions of various characters and pairings)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,199
A/N: Slight AU future fic with few spoilers. / Also available at FF.net here.
“Finn? Finn, are you awake?”
That was the first thing he heard as his eyes slowly opened and he glanced at the alarm clock next to his bed, noting that it was 6:45 in the morning. 6:45. He didn’t even remember the phone ringing, but he woke up with his phone in his hand and Rachel’s voice in his ear. That actually wasn’t anything new.
“Yeah, I am now,” he said as he rolled over onto his side and brought a hand up to wipe lazily at his mouth. “What’s going on? You okay?”
“I was hoping that you could do something for me today,” she said quickly before pausing and adding, “Actually, it’s for Caroline.”
Caroline Puckerman was kind of his niece in a really weird ‘I used to date your mom and your dad had sex with one of my exes but now we’re all totally great friends and kind of like family so I’m your uncle’ kind of way, but she was the most awesome kid ever. And Rachel knew exactly how to get him to do things. If it was for Caroline, it was pretty much guaranteed to be a yes. Like the time he dressed up as the clown for her 5th birthday because Rachel didn’t want to risk any sort of criminal acts going on. But he didn’t even like clowns. He’d kept a baseball bat by his bed until he was in college because of the fear of evil clowns coming out of the closet or the TV or something and trying to eat him. At least he learned how to make a few animal balloons out of that. Those were always cool.
“I have a prenatal appointment this morning and there’s no way I can get Caroline to dance class and then get to the doctor’s office on time. If you could just drop her off and pick her up, then keep her at your place until I’m able to come get her, that would be absolutely wonderful, Finn.” Rachel paused again, probably waiting for a reaction out of him, so he grunted and nodded his head even though she couldn’t see him. “I’ve already told her dance instructor to expect you and not Noah or me and she won’t make any sort of fuss about it.”
“Okay,” he managed after a moment, pushing himself up into a seated position and yawning loudly. “What time?”
=/=
“I’m so happy you’re taking me today, Uncle Finn!” Caroline gripped his hand as they walked to the dance studio and he pushed the door open for them. He had fallen asleep after getting off the phone with Rachel and picked Caroline up 5 minutes late. The glare Rachel sent him when she opened the apartment door told him not to fall asleep again after agreeing to do something for her. Being late, he had been learning since he was 16, was a huge no-no in Rachel Berry-Puckerman’s eyes.
“Mommy told me to make sure you talk to the instructor before you leave," Caroline said, tugging at his hand and causing him to look down at her. "I don’t think she wanted me to tell you that for some reason. But daddy said to make sure you don’t say anything stupid, so I think they probably wanted you to know so you don’t do anything.”
Furrowing his brow, Finn scoffed slightly as she stopped him outside the door of the studio for her level. “My teacher’s really nice.” Nodding excitedly, the girl smiled a smile that reminded him too much of her father before she skipped into the room. He followed after her and pushed his hands into his pockets as he looked around the room full of twirling children and talking dance parents. Dance had never been his strong suit and sometimes being in rooms with people who were good at it made him nervous. It was like they would just know what his dancing was like and make him show them or something.
“Um, which one’s your teacher? I’ll just go tell her I’ll be back for you, I guess.”
Caroline looked up from her bag and glanced around the room before pointing toward the far wall and then immediately disappearing into a group of children. He turned and followed the direction she had pointed and his eyes landed on a tall blonde woman, or the back of her. She was dressed in a bright pink leotard and her legs were super long, making it just a little difficult to look away. Before he could embarrass himself or anything, he made his way over to her before stopping short at the sound of her voice as she spoke to some parent or nanny or someone. Tilting his head, he furrowed his brow as he listened and tried to place it. He knew that voice, but he had never been to Caroline’s dance studio before so it couldn’t have been from that. When she turned around, he looked at her with wide eyes. She matched his expression before suddenly wrapping her arms around his neck and bouncing against him.
“Finn! Hi!”
When she pulled away, he smiled and was face to face with Brittany Pierce for the first time since Puck and Rachel’s wedding like 8 years before.
“Hey, Britt. I didn’t know you were Caroline’s teacher.” Bringing a hand up to scratch at the back of his neck, he added, “I didn’t even know you were in New York now actually.” He felt kind of bad about that, like maybe he hadn’t kept in contact with enough people or seemed like he didn’t care, but he really just didn’t know. If his mom or Rachel didn’t tell him things, he kind of just didn’t find out about much.
“I haven’t been for very long really, but I knew you were here. Rachel has told me tons of times and she told me you were bringing Caroline today, but I totally forgot.” She nodded quickly and bounced excitedly again before hugging him. “This is so exciting."
This time he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. It really was awesome seeing the blonde and lately he had kind of been in this funk or something because he was in New York doing nothing. He had stayed after college because he had actually been employed at the time. Now, though, he didn’t know why he was still there, but her happiness caused him to smile widely.
“It’s awesome,” he responded after a moment. He was suddenly getting really nervous standing there as he noticed that there were a few people watching them curiously. “I guess I’ll just get going and be back after class,” he said slowly, backing up a couple of steps. “It was awesome to see you again, Britt.”
Lifting a hand, Brittany smiled and waved before turning to the group of children. He couldn't help but stand in the doorway for a few minutes as she began the class. He had caught himself staring at her a lot in glee when she danced and it was like he was back there all over again. It wasn't a bad thing.
Ship/Character: Finn, Brittany (appearances and mentions of various characters and pairings)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,199
A/N: Slight AU future fic with few spoilers. / Also available at FF.net here.
“Finn? Finn, are you awake?”
That was the first thing he heard as his eyes slowly opened and he glanced at the alarm clock next to his bed, noting that it was 6:45 in the morning. 6:45. He didn’t even remember the phone ringing, but he woke up with his phone in his hand and Rachel’s voice in his ear. That actually wasn’t anything new.
“Yeah, I am now,” he said as he rolled over onto his side and brought a hand up to wipe lazily at his mouth. “What’s going on? You okay?”
“I was hoping that you could do something for me today,” she said quickly before pausing and adding, “Actually, it’s for Caroline.”
Caroline Puckerman was kind of his niece in a really weird ‘I used to date your mom and your dad had sex with one of my exes but now we’re all totally great friends and kind of like family so I’m your uncle’ kind of way, but she was the most awesome kid ever. And Rachel knew exactly how to get him to do things. If it was for Caroline, it was pretty much guaranteed to be a yes. Like the time he dressed up as the clown for her 5th birthday because Rachel didn’t want to risk any sort of criminal acts going on. But he didn’t even like clowns. He’d kept a baseball bat by his bed until he was in college because of the fear of evil clowns coming out of the closet or the TV or something and trying to eat him. At least he learned how to make a few animal balloons out of that. Those were always cool.
“I have a prenatal appointment this morning and there’s no way I can get Caroline to dance class and then get to the doctor’s office on time. If you could just drop her off and pick her up, then keep her at your place until I’m able to come get her, that would be absolutely wonderful, Finn.” Rachel paused again, probably waiting for a reaction out of him, so he grunted and nodded his head even though she couldn’t see him. “I’ve already told her dance instructor to expect you and not Noah or me and she won’t make any sort of fuss about it.”
“Okay,” he managed after a moment, pushing himself up into a seated position and yawning loudly. “What time?”
“I’m so happy you’re taking me today, Uncle Finn!” Caroline gripped his hand as they walked to the dance studio and he pushed the door open for them. He had fallen asleep after getting off the phone with Rachel and picked Caroline up 5 minutes late. The glare Rachel sent him when she opened the apartment door told him not to fall asleep again after agreeing to do something for her. Being late, he had been learning since he was 16, was a huge no-no in Rachel Berry-Puckerman’s eyes.
“Mommy told me to make sure you talk to the instructor before you leave," Caroline said, tugging at his hand and causing him to look down at her. "I don’t think she wanted me to tell you that for some reason. But daddy said to make sure you don’t say anything stupid, so I think they probably wanted you to know so you don’t do anything.”
Furrowing his brow, Finn scoffed slightly as she stopped him outside the door of the studio for her level. “My teacher’s really nice.” Nodding excitedly, the girl smiled a smile that reminded him too much of her father before she skipped into the room. He followed after her and pushed his hands into his pockets as he looked around the room full of twirling children and talking dance parents. Dance had never been his strong suit and sometimes being in rooms with people who were good at it made him nervous. It was like they would just know what his dancing was like and make him show them or something.
“Um, which one’s your teacher? I’ll just go tell her I’ll be back for you, I guess.”
Caroline looked up from her bag and glanced around the room before pointing toward the far wall and then immediately disappearing into a group of children. He turned and followed the direction she had pointed and his eyes landed on a tall blonde woman, or the back of her. She was dressed in a bright pink leotard and her legs were super long, making it just a little difficult to look away. Before he could embarrass himself or anything, he made his way over to her before stopping short at the sound of her voice as she spoke to some parent or nanny or someone. Tilting his head, he furrowed his brow as he listened and tried to place it. He knew that voice, but he had never been to Caroline’s dance studio before so it couldn’t have been from that. When she turned around, he looked at her with wide eyes. She matched his expression before suddenly wrapping her arms around his neck and bouncing against him.
“Finn! Hi!”
When she pulled away, he smiled and was face to face with Brittany Pierce for the first time since Puck and Rachel’s wedding like 8 years before.
“Hey, Britt. I didn’t know you were Caroline’s teacher.” Bringing a hand up to scratch at the back of his neck, he added, “I didn’t even know you were in New York now actually.” He felt kind of bad about that, like maybe he hadn’t kept in contact with enough people or seemed like he didn’t care, but he really just didn’t know. If his mom or Rachel didn’t tell him things, he kind of just didn’t find out about much.
“I haven’t been for very long really, but I knew you were here. Rachel has told me tons of times and she told me you were bringing Caroline today, but I totally forgot.” She nodded quickly and bounced excitedly again before hugging him. “This is so exciting."
This time he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. It really was awesome seeing the blonde and lately he had kind of been in this funk or something because he was in New York doing nothing. He had stayed after college because he had actually been employed at the time. Now, though, he didn’t know why he was still there, but her happiness caused him to smile widely.
“It’s awesome,” he responded after a moment. He was suddenly getting really nervous standing there as he noticed that there were a few people watching them curiously. “I guess I’ll just get going and be back after class,” he said slowly, backing up a couple of steps. “It was awesome to see you again, Britt.”
Lifting a hand, Brittany smiled and waved before turning to the group of children. He couldn't help but stand in the doorway for a few minutes as she began the class. He had caught himself staring at her a lot in glee when she danced and it was like he was back there all over again. It wasn't a bad thing.