The driver

chapter 14: Breakfast

Finn didn't immediately remember where he was upon waking up. The sleek, modern furniture in his apartment was replaced with an earthier set-up and the usual smell of the designer scented candles that Sandy insisted on sending him every month were replaced with the smell of sausage, cinnamon and coffee. It had also taken him a moment to remember the event that brought him there, and the beautiful girl he had just spent the night next to.

"Rachel?" he said groggily, rubbing his eyes. She wasn't there, but he doubted that she got very far on a wounded ankle in the middle of nowhere, even a cab wouldn't have been able to find Sam's place. He got out of bed and followed the intoxicating smell, hoping to find her at the source of it.

"Rachel?" he said, softly in case Sam was still sleeping.

"I know you're mad at me Mercedes and I'm not saying I blame you but what can I do?" Rachel said, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder as she pulled a pan full of mouthwatering looking muffins from the oven. "I couldn't go back there after what happened, but I promise I'll make this right, the rent isn't due until four, I'm sure I can think of something." Rachel met Finn's glance as he entered the kitchen and gave him a weak smile. "Wait what?" she said looking away from Finn as Mercedes continued to talk. "What do you mean it's taken care of? Well who…" Rachel gave Finn a confused look. "Um, well okay I guess I'll see you later."

"Morning Rachel," he said sheepishly as she snapped the phone shut.

"Finn, did you make a phone call sometime around midnight?" She asked, crossing her arms

"Yeah, I wanted to wait until after you fell asleep, Tina was pretty pissed but if I buy her some shoes she's butter."

"I can't believe you did this, Finn you didn't have to," Rachel said, beaming.

"I know, but I wanted to," he shrugged. "Besides, you cooked me breakfast, consider us even." He said taking a seat at the breakfast table.

"Ah yes, cinnamon apple muffins and turkey sausage, now I am willing to prepare the occasional meat product if I don't have to personally purchase or ingest it but I draw the line at pork," Rachel said.

"Jew thing?" Finn said, taking a big bite of his muffin.

"Mm hmm," Rachel said as she sipped her orange juice.

"Rach, I gotta tell you these have to be the best… anything I've ever tasted" Finn said with his mouth half full. "I wonder where Sam is, he's totally missing out."

"He left a note. 'I'm kicking it in home tree' whatever that means."

"It's his treehouse out in the woods, he goes there to write or look at birds or something." He said polishing off his muffin and beginning to butter a second one.

"How long does that usually take?"

"One time he was out there all day, why?"

"Rachel gave Finn a coy smile and got up from her chair, trying to move as sexily towards him as her injured ankle would allow.

"What are you doing?" He said confusedly as she sat down on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Just giving you a reason to finish that breakfast as quickly as possible."

Finn frantically carried Rachel into the bedroom not removing his lips from hers the whole way there.

"So are you sure this is okay?" Rachel said as he laid her down on the bed.

"Sure, Sam's not a puritan," he said starting to get to work on the oversized pajama shirt that Sam lent her for the night.

"Finn, before we do this there's something I want you to know," she said pushing him away gently.