as far as friends go

chapter 25

Rain poured down on the streets of New York City while lightening flashed and thunder rumbled loud enough for the whole entire city to hear it. Some would find it a huge bummer to their daily plans to walk in the park or a huge hassle on their walk home from work that afternoon. But Rachel felt the exact opposite. The sound of the drops falling soothed Rachel, causing her to be able to think clearly.

She had just gotten over the terrible hangover that she was sporting from the night before. She spent most of the morning sitting by the toilet, silently cursing herself for drinking so much, and listening to horrifying stories that Quinn and Santana couldn't wait to share with her about her wasted self. About around 9:15 Rachel finally decided to take the Advil that her glorious maid of honor provided her, prior to the whole hangover situation. After that, Santana basically forced her to go back to bed. She gave reason that if Rachel didn't get the proper rest that she needed, she'd have dark circles under her eyes. She then went on to explain that having dark circles under your eyes in a wedding picture would result in a terrible outcome. Knowing that she was right, Rachel went into Santana and Brittany's guest bedroom and fell into a well needed nap after the night she'd had.

She was just woken up by Quinn two hours ago, much to her protest. Now, she watched the rain fall on the concrete below her as thunder rolled in the background. She was soaked from head to toe by the water falling from the sky as she sat on the fire escape with an empty mug in her hands. She looked out to the buildings across from her, barely visible due to the heavy downfall of rain. Her mind was spinning around like a twister, the many thoughts roaring out at her.

She was nervous, there was no hiding that. Which was totally normal; as was pretty much every bride to be before their wedding. It was a good kind of nervous. In just two short days from now, she'd be called Mrs. Rachel Hudson. She still couldn't get used to that.

It amazed her at how far she had come since that morning that Finn called her all panicked asking her for help getting out of that awkward one night stand. It still absolutely blew her mind that that same girl who used to crush so hard for Finn and trip over her feet when he walked by was walking down the aisle to him in just two days from now.

Looking back, she couldn't believe how stupid she was being in the past. An example would be the time she went over to Santana's after she fell asleep on Finn's couch. She mentally laughed at the past version of herself shedding tears while telling the girls she was in love with him. She also thought of how different things might be now if she wouldn't have been a coward and oblivious, just telling him how she felt right away. Maybe they'd have gotten married sooner? Or would they be married at all?

To be honest with herself, she was glad that she was oblivious and a coward. It got them to where they were now. More in love with each other as time went on. She wouldn't change a single thing about how they got together, even though they both had to go through periods of hurt, heartbreak, and fights to get there. It was the way that fate wanted them to end up.

Holding her hand to the diamond heart locket that Finn bought her for her birthday with the picture of them covered in mud, she smiled to herself as she watched the pavement below flood with small puddles. The rain reminded her of a moment Finn and her shared a few months ago, after he asked her to move in with him.

A bad thunderstorm swept over New York City on a Saturday afternoon. Rachel couldn't really remember what month it was, maybe March or April. The storm was so bad; it knocked out the power leaving the two of them in complete darkness. After lighting candles around the house, Rachel found Finn's disappointment amusing.

There was a baseball game on TV that he had been going on and on about watching, and once the lights went blank he stood by the TV for ten minutes cursing at the lights to come back on. Rachel, who was on the couch with a blanket over her and a Nicholas Sparks book in her hands, tried to muffle her laughs.