Summary: New Directions and Vocal Adrenaline both go to Nationals, what happens when Jesse and Rachel see each other again? And what happens when they both have to open up and admit that they...miss each other?

Rating: K+

*I don't own the characters, or songs used*


AN: New Directions came in 2nd place at Regionals and went to Nationals in St. Louis, along with Vocal Adrenaline. The story begins right before New Directions performance and Rachel and Jesse haven't spoken since "funkification".

Thoughts are italicized along with lyrics, and flashbacks.


"Can you believe we're actually here!" Mercedes yelled as New Directions walked out the airport in late night St. Louis.

"Yes guys we're here! Because of all of you! Now let's hurry and get to the hotel, you all need a good night sleep for tomorrow!" Mr. Shuester said as he got the vans, already arranged by the National Committee, set up and ready to leave.

They arrived at the hotel and checked in, all heading up to their rooms. Most were happy with their roommates, some were not.

"Okay guys, we have you all checked in, here are your room assignments, we blocked off a row of rooms so we're all next to each other." Mr. Shue began. "Okay first, Brittney and Santana, you are in room 300, Mike and Matt in 303, Artie and Kurt in 305, Puck and Finn in 307, Tina and Mercedes in 309, and Rachel and Quinn in 311."

Finn stared at Mr. Shuester with a puzzled look. Puck? I have to share a room with the guy that got my girlfriend pregnant? What is Mr. Shue doing? Why am I still mad at him anyway, I'm in love with Rachel aren't I? Well she sure thinks so…..wait….is that because I told her I loved her...oh crap I did say that.

"Finn? Rachel? Everything okay?" Mr. Shuester asked, seeing the concerned look on each of their faces.

Finn nodded, but Rachel was the one to speak. "Yes Mr. Shuester, but I would like my room key immediately. I have a specific night time schedule that must be kept if you would like me to perform at my best tomorrow." Mr. Shuester rolled his eyes subtly before handing her room key. She smiled and muttered a thank you before walking away and letting her show face slip.

Quinn? She thought. Why Quinn? I would have been happy with Tina, or even Mercedes for that matter. But why Quinn? Why am I rooming with my boyfriend's ex-girlfriend that cheated on him? What is he planning?

Before she knew it, she found herself in the elevator. She got on and pressed the three on the wall and waited to get up to her room. The elevator came to an abrupt stop and she looked up to see the elevator had stopped on second floor. Puzzled, she waited for the doors to open and see who she would be riding up with.

The doors started sliding open and she heard an all to familiar voice.

"Yeah man, this place is so much nicer than the one we stayed at freshman year, they have a- Rachel?" Jesse St James spoke as he walked onto the elevator and saw Rachel Berry standing there, shocked at the sound of his voice.

"Jesse?" She muttered out. What was I thinking, of course they would be here. But Mr. Shue never warned us they'd be at the same hotel!

"Uh, yeah." He said awkwardly, receiving strange looks from his friend, who Rachel remembered to be his best friend Carson. "So….how are you?"

Rachel sent him a harsh look while looking him up and down, he raised his eyebrows at her facial expression. "Fine." She replied, sliding into the corner of the elevator.

He nodded, accepting that she didn't want to talk to him. It felt like hours before the elevator started again.

Jesse chuckled quietly, "Rach you don't have to stand in the corner. I don't bite." He hesitated a moment before speaking, "Except when you want me too." He finished with a sly grin and a short chuckle from Carson, which he quickly covered with a cough, after getting a glimpse of Rachel's piercing eyes, practically murdering him.

The elevator doors opened and Rachel quickly hurried out but was stopped abruptly by the hand of Jesse.

"Rachel wait-" He started staying but Rachel cut him off.

"No Jesse. I'm done waiting.

*Flashback*

"Jesse…wait." Rachel spoke with eggs dripping off of her.

He looked at her, as heartbroken as she was. "I'm sorry Rachel." He turned and started walking away.

"Please…..stay." She whispered only loud enough for him to hear, tears running from her eyes.

He turned back around and gave her one last look before speaking. "Don't look back."

*End*

Rachel walked into her room and slammed the door shut behind her. I waited for him. For weeks I waited for him to show up my window like he had done so many times before, asking for forgiveness. But he never showed up. Never a call. Or text. Nothing. And now he wants to talk? I don't care if he is Jesse St James, he can't get everything he wants.

Rachel took her duffel bag into the bathroom and put her gold starred pajamas on. (She wore them every night before a competition.) She washed her face and put her hair into a loose pony-tail. She brushed her teeth and opened the door to see Quinn sitting on her bed, flipping through a magazine.

"Could you have taken any longer in there?" She snapped. "No matter how big of a star you think you are, you still have a roommate, who has a bladder."

Quinn jumped off the bed and stomped into the bathroom, clearly also unhappy about the rooming situation.

Rachel crawled into her bed and under the covers and started to cry, not being able to help the tears escape from her eyes because of the 'Jesse situation'.

She heard the bathroom door open but didn't turn to look at Quinn. She sniffled and tried to wipe her tears away, but she was not very subtle about it.

"Rachel? Are you okay?" Quinn asked, Oh shit. I may not really like her, but I'm pass the stage of wanting to make her cry. She is our best singer, and we don't need her upset for tomorrow. We may not like it, but we need to keep Rachel happy. But she usually doesn't let stuff like this get to her, I mean Santana and I have said and done much worse and she didn't break. It has to be something else…. "Rachel I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, it was just a tiring day. And I really had to pee and when I got in you were already in here and I was just annoyed and stressed about tomorrow."

Rachel laughed lightly. "Thank you Quinn, but that's not what I'm upset about."

Quinn sat down on her bed and leaned in, intrigued to what could have happened in the few minutes they were separated. "Then what is it?"

Rachel sighed, debating about whether to tell Quinn what was going on. But it was late and it had passed their curfew from the rooms, and Rachel Berry was no rule breaker. But she did need someone to talk to, and at this time, it looks like it was going to be Quinn.

"I saw Jesse." She sighed.

"Oh." Quinn said, I knew it. She wouldn't be this upset because I told her she took too much time in the bathroom. But wait, she's with Finn now. Why is she so upset over Jesse? "What happened? Did you talk?"

"A little. Not much. But enough to do this to me." She chuckled. "But I guess just seeing him since Regionals did that."

"What did he say?"

"He tried making small talk, and joking a little. But it's still to early for that. But then he tried to talk to me seriously, and I just couldn't."

"Why not? I mean you're with Finn right, I thought you were over Jesse?"

"So did I….." Rachel whispered. "I waited for him Quinn. I waited for weeks. Weren't you all wondering why Finn and I didn't get together right away? It was because I was waiting for Jesse to come back. And he didn't."

"Why did you start dating Finn then, if you were still waiting for Jesse. Which it seems like you still are right now."

"This wasn't the first time I've seen him since Regionals….." She whispered. "I saw him in the book store, where we first met. But we didn't speak, and he didn't see me. But I think that's when I realized."

"Realized what?"

"That it wasn't going to happen, he wasn't going to come back."

"Why? What was he doing?"

"He was buying his books for college. He was leaving at the end of the summer no matter what. I had to let him go, and move on. So that next week I started dating Finn."

"Rachel, I know you're hurting right now. But it really isn't fair for you to be dating and leading Finn on when you are obviously still in love with Jesse. And you better hope he doesn't see you two together, because then you won't be able to hide it."

"Rachel? Come on it's time to get up, we're all eating breakfast as a team and then Mr. Shue wants an extra rehearsal." Quinn said quietly, tapping Rachel lightly on the shoulder.

Rachel turned over in her bed and looked at the lock, which read 8:00am. She sighed but got out of bed, it had felt like she slept for twenty minutes.

After getting dressed, doing her hair and makeup, and brushing her teeth she left the room with Quinn and headed downstairs, thankful to see no unexpected visitors in the elevator.

Neither Quinn, nor Rachel spoke. Both confused about the night before. Rachel, confused about what she was going to do about Finn and Jesse. Quinn, confused about how and why she was so nice to Rachel. They were supposed to be arch nemesis.

"Alright guys are you pumped!" Mr. Shuester yelled after New Directions were done eating, that was followed by nods, high fives, yells, and one 'hell yeah!' from Mercedes. "Okay then! Let's go run through it once before the competition starts. We have exactly three hours!"

"Jesse. I want to talk to you." Shelby Corcoran, coach of Vocal Adrenaline, said to the young boy walking off the stage with a somber look.

"What?" He snapped glumly, with an eye roll.

"First off, don't use that tone with me. Second, what is going on?"

"Nothing."

"Don't you dare lie to me. I know you Jesse, I know you're a great actor, you secured the lead spot on Vocal Adrenaline in 7th grade, but you've always had a little trouble hiding your emotions. Now spill."

Jesse didn't speak. Shelby opened her mouth to talk but stopped when she heard familiar voices walk past the door of the auditorium. First she saw the boy in a wheel chair roll by, with the Asian girl pushing him. Next came the sound she couldn't mistake, the distinct sound of her daughter's laugh.

She looked back down at Jesse, who was staring at the floor. She sighed. "You saw Rachel, didn't you?"

He still didn't speak. She sighed again. "Jesse, I know you're hurting. But use this emotion in your performance tonight."

It was 7:30pm and New Directions was about to perform. They were hoping to go earlier, but since this was Nationals, they had schools from all around the country. And they were picked to go second to last, and Vocal Adrenaline was going last. Just like Regionals.

"Alright guys, I just wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you, and how well you have progressed this year. Now let's stop all this mushy stuff and go out there and kick some butt!" Mr. Shue yelled and was followed by agreeing cheers.

Rachel and Finn walked out onto the stage hand-in-hand, with the rest of New Directions lined up behind them.

All:

Oh, oh, never find a love like this
Oh, oh, never find a love like this

Finn:

Well we go back so far swingin' in your backyard
All the things that we used to do
We were cool back in high school, ooh, I really liked you
Must have been your attitude

And that's why you keep on runnin' in and out of my mind
As the years they all roll by, baby, now I know why
I keep comin' back to you

Rachel and Finn:

You're the only one that knows me, love it when you hold me
I'd never find a love like this, let me hear you say
Now I'll never be lonely, look at what you've shown me
I'd never find a love like this

When this life tries to keep us apart
You keep callin' me back to your heart, let me hear you say
I'm so glad you found me, wrap you all around me
I'd never find a love like this

Rachel:

All the guys tried to take me, you're the one who saved me
I feel like I owe you my life
And as strange as it may seem, I'll go if you take me
I'm willing to sacrifice

And that's why you keep on runnin' in and out of my mind
As the years they all roll by, it's not hard to know why
I keep comin' back to you

Rachel and Finn:

You're the only one that knows me, love it when you hold me
I'd never find a love like this, let me hear you say
Now I'll never be lonely, look at what you've shown me
I'd never find a love like this

When this life tries to keep us apart
You keep callin' me back to your heart, let me hear you say
I'm so glad you found me, wrap you all around me
I'd never find a love like this

Puck:

May never find a l-l-love like this
That still make me think about my middle school kiss
I sit here in this chair and I wish for you not to leave me now

My friends they always told me, not to make you my wifey
Man they was puttin' you down
And now they see we rollin', me and you, we strollin'
They don't wanna come around

Mercedes:
Let me hear you say
You're the only one that knows me, love it when you hold me
I'd never find a love like this, let me hear you say
Now I'll never be lonely, look at what you've shown me
I'd never find a love like this

Rachel:
When this life tries to keep us apart
You keep callin' me back to your heart, let me hear you say
I'm so glad you found me, wrap you all around me
I'd never find a love like this

All:
Oh, oh, never find a love like this
Oh, oh, never find a love like this
Oh, oh, never find a love like this
Oh, oh, never find a love like this
Oh, oh, never find a love like this

When this life tries to keep us apart
You keep callin' me back to your heart, let me hear you say
Oh, oh, never find a love like this
Oh, oh, never find a love like this

Rachel smiled at the cheering crowd, but shuddered at the look of Jesse, who was standing in the back of the room, just like she was during his performance.

Before she had time to think the music was starting, cuing her to sing her solo ballad.

I've been down, now I'm blessed
I felt a revelation coming around
I guess it's right, it's so amazing
Every time I see you I'm alive

You're all I've got
You lift me up
The sun and the moonlight
All my dreams are in your eyes

I wanna be inside your heaven
Take me to the place you cry from
Where the storm blows your way
I wanna be the earth that holds you
Every bit of air you're breathing in, a soothin' wind
I wanna be inside your heaven

When we touch
When we love
The stars light up
The wrong becomes undone

Naturally
My soul surrenders
The sun and the moonlight
All my dreams are in your eyes

And I wanna be inside your heaven
Take me to the place you cry from
Where the storm blows your way
And I wanna be the earth that holds you
Every bit of air you're breathing in, a soothin' wind
I wanna be inside your heaven

When minutes turn to days and years
When mountains fall, I'll still be here
Holding you until the day I die

I wanna be inside your heaven
Take me to the place you cry from
Where the storm blows your way
And I wanna be inside in your heaven
I wanna be inside
Where the storm blows your way

And I wanna be inside your heaven
Take me to the place you cry from
Where the storm blows your way
And I wanna be the earth that holds you
Every bit of air you're breathing in, a soothing wind
I wanna be inside your heaven

She breathed a sigh of relief when she finished, what was wrong with her? She never wanted performances to end, she loved the spot light too much. Perhaps it was because Finn was looking at her with a loving smile, thinking she was singing this for him. But in reality, she couldn't take her eyes off of Jesse during this song,

All:

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, a year in the life?

How about love?
How about love?
How about love?
Measure in love

Seasons of love
Seasons of love

Rachel:
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand journeys to plan
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?

Artie:
In truths that she learned
Or in times that he cried
In bridges he burned
Or the way that she died

Quinn:
It's time now, to sing out
Though the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends

All:
Remember the love

Rachel:

Oh, you got to, you got to remember the love

All:
Remember the love

Rachel:
You know that life is a gift from up above

All:
Remember the love

Rachel:
Share love, give love, spread love

All:
Measure in love

Rachel:
Measure, measure your life in love

All:
Seasons of love
Seasons of love

Everyone took their bows and made their way off the stage, all smiling and hugging.

Jesse St James turned and left the auditorium and headed back to the Vocal Adrenaline dressing room,

"Guys we have to be precise with our moves, and voices. They were good. Rachel just belted out Seasons of Love so well that Idina Menzel would be impressed," Jesse said to his team as he walked in.

"Oh please. She's not that good. Why are you worrying so much Jesse? If you perform like you did at Regionals, we have this in the bag." Andrea Cohen said.

It did not calm Jesse's nerves, but he wasn't nervous about if they would win or not, he was worried about what Rachel would think.

Before he knew it they were on stage, waiting to begin. When he finally looked up from staring at his feet, he saw Rachel standing in the same place he was in the back of the auditorium.

He watched my performance, the classy and polite thing to do would be to watch his. At least that's what she told herself.

I feel uptight on a Saturday night
Nine o' clock, the radio's the only light
I hear my song and it pulls me through
Comes on strong, tell me what I got to do
I got to

Get up
Everybody's gonna move their feet
Get down
Everybody's gonna leave their seat

You gotta lose your mind in Detroit Rock City

Get up
Everybody's gonna move their feet
Get down
Everybody's gonna leave their seat

Getting late, I just can't wait
Ten o'clock and I know I gotta hit the road
First I drink, then I smoke
Start up the car, and I try to make the midnight show

Get up
Everybody's gonna move their feet
Get down
Everybody's gonna leave their seat

Movin' fast, doin' 95
Hit top speed but I'm still movin' much too slow
I feel so good, I'm so alive
I hear my song playin' on the radio
It goes

Get up
Everybody's gonna move their feet
Get down
Everybody's gonna leave their seat

You gotta lose your mind in Detroit Rock City

Twelve o'clock, I gotta rock
There's a truck ahead, lights starin' at my eyes
Oh my God, no time to turn
I got to laugh 'cause I know I'm gonna die
Why

Get up
Everybody's gonna move their feet
Get down

Get up
Everybody's gonna leave their seat
Get down

Vocal Adrenaline's amazing choreography ended and the music slowed down, until there was a single spot light on Jesse as he began to sing their required ballad.

When the lights go down in the city
And the sun shines on the bay
Ooh I want to be there in my city, oh oh
Oh, oh, oh oh

So you think you're lonely?
Well my friend I'm lonely too
I want to get back to my city by the bay
Oh, oh, oh oh

It's sad, oh there's been mornings
out on the road without you
Without your charms
Oh ooh oh oh, my my my my my
Oh, oh, oh oh

When the lights go down in the city
And the sun shines on the bay
Ooh I want to be there in my city, oh oh
Oh, oh, oh oh

When the lights go down in the city
And the sun shines on the bay
Ooh I want to be there in my city, oh oh
Oh, oh, oh oh

He finished, trying not to look at Rachel for the risk of a tear escaping his eyes. It was time to show the arrogance of Vocal Adrenaline.

I've paid my dues
Time after time
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face
But I've come through

We are the champions my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions We are the champions
No time for losers 'Cause we are the champions of the world

I've taken my bows
And my curtain calls
You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it
I thank you all

But it's been no bed of roses
No pleasure cruise
I consider it a challenge before the whole human race
And I ain't gonna lose

We are the champions my friend
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'cause we are the champions of the (world)

Jesse just stood there. As everyone else bowed, he, the one who did the most work, just stood there, accepting none of his well deserved glory. All he could do was look at Rachel. He had to talk to her, he had to see her. No, he had to have her.

"Congratulations to all of our show choirs, you were all wonderful, but there can only be one winner!" Michelle Pfeiffer, one of the celebrity judges, said. "And now, your 2010 National Champions are….Vocal Adrenaline!" The room broke out into cheers. Vocal Adrenaline jumped up and down, and the other teams clapped supportively. "And your runners-up are McKinley High's New Directions!"

Mr. Shuester accepted the second place trophy gladly, as did the rest of the group. Not even caring that Vocal Adrenaline had beaten them again, they had come in second in the country, and for now. That was good enough.

"Alright guys, I'm so proud of you. You guys were great up there!" Mr. Shue said smiling and clapping and the rest joined in. "Okay they're having a little party in the bar for the top five teams, so go ahead and eat and have a good time. You deserve it, but remember you have to be up by seven tomorrow because our plane leaves at ten."

Everyone started moving towards the bar in the center of the hotel lobby for a well deserved meal.

"Rach? You okay?" Finn asked his girlfriend, who was staring across the room at the Vocal Adrenaline table at a certain Jesse St James.

"What?" She answered, coming back to reality. "Oh yeah, I'm fine."

"Why are you staring over there?" Finn asked angrily. "At him."

"No! I'm not Finn." Rachel replied quickly, but he still looked uncertain. "I'm staring at the-the-the trophy! Yes, Finn the trophy! It should be ours!" She lied badly, for she was staring at Jesse St James, but Finn believed her just the same and went back to talking to Artie.

A small tear trickled down from Rachel's eye, and Quinn mouthed a "go talk to him" to her.

"Finn, I can't do this. I'm sorry." Rachel said as she got up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up. What do you mean 'you can't do this', you mean…..us?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, but it's not fair to either of us." Rachel said walking away.

"It's him isn't it? It's always going to be him." Finn spat.

"Yes." Rachel whispered, "It is him, it always has been. It always will be."

Rachel walked to the middle of the room onto the stage that the hotel had set up with a microphone especially for them.

The room became quiet and everyone stared up at her. "For those of you who know me, you know I talk. A lot. But when it comes to my feelings, and my heart, I'm not really good at talking about it. So I guess I'll do what I'm best at, singing." She looked at Quinn who pressed play on the CD player. "Jesse St James, this is for you."

"Never look back," we said
How was I to know I'd miss you so?
Loneliness up ahead, emptiness behind
Where do I go?

And you didn't hear all my joy through my tears
All my hopes through my fears
Did you now, still I miss you somehow

From the bottom of my broken heart
There's just a thing or two I'd like you to know
You were my first love, you were my true love
From the first kisses to the very last rose
From the bottom of my broken heart
Even though time may find me somebody new
You were my real love, I never knew love
'Til there was you
From the bottom of my broken heart

"Baby," I said, "please stay." Give our love a chance for one more day
We could have worked things out
Taking time is what my love's all about

But you put a dart
Through my dreams, through my heart
And I'm back where I started again
Never thought it would end

From the bottom of my broken heart
There's just a thing or two I'd like you to know
You were my first love, you were my true love
From the first kisses to the very last rose
From the bottom of my broken heart
Even though time may find me somebody new
You were my real love, I never knew love
'Til there was you
From the bottom of my broken heart

You promised yourself, but to somebody else,
And you made it so perfectly clear
Still I wish you were here

From the bottom of my broken heart
There's just a thing or two I'd like you to know
You were my first love, you were my true love
From the first kisses to the very last rose
From the bottom of my broken heart
Even though time may find me somebody new
You were my real love, I never knew love
'Til there was you
From the bottom of my broken heart

"Never look back," we said
How was I to know I'd miss you so?

Rachel tried to run out of the room but Jesse grabbed her hand and she turned around.

He grabbed her head and pulled her into a passionate kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they broke apart. He pulled her into a tight hug and she sobbed into his chest.

"Shh, don't cry baby. I'm here, and I won't ever leave you again." He whispered in her ear.

She looked up at him and wiped her eyes. He smiled down at her and kissed her on her forehead. The room broke into applause, all of New Directions except Finn, and most of Vocal Adrenaline except for Andrea Cohen and a few of the other girls.

"I love you, present tense." Jesse said with a smile.

"I love you too," Rachel replied. "I never stopped."