Author's Note: AU from "The Rhodes Not Taken" and a bunch of spoilers from there. This is one of quite a few Glee fic WIPs I have, but I can't really take writing about them with the current plotlines. So I picked this back up, which I began right after the break up occured and I immediately went to my happy place, haha. This is sort of me mashing together different storylines to make myself feel better.

Finn couldn't understand what was happening. He knew he wasn't the smartest person in the world, but he thought he knew certain unchangable facts; the sky was blue, Mr. Shue would try every few weeks to get them to perform an old, outdated song, and Rachel Berry was totally into him.

He figured that her feelings for him were as permanent as the sun rising in the east (see, he paid attention in some classes) no matter how crappy he acted towards her, because it was just the way things were supposed to be. He'd began to count on it, and before he even knew it he'd started looking forward to, even craving, those adoring looks and bright smiles she sent his way. Even after the slap, even after he knew he'd been a downright douchebag in using her feelings, she'd agreed to come back to glee. He thought that that meant things would go back to the way they were. The way they were SUPPOSED to be.

But the first day of her return she avoided him like the plague. She avoided looking at him, she sat as far away from him as possible, and then she did something he'd never expected her to do.

"Alright guys, I have a new number that can have four different duets. The first duet will be Quinn and Artie, the second will be Brittany and Puck, the third, Kurt and Mercedes, and then we'll end the number with Rachel and Finn."

Finn smiled brightly at Rachel, because singing with her may or may not have been the main reason behind him wanting her to return to the club. Hey, he was human. A TEENAGE human, at that. He never claimed to be selfless! There was just something about singing with her... But Rachel was staring resolutely towards Mr. Shue, her lips pursed into a thin line.

"Mr. Shuester, I believe this type of the song calls for a certain blending of styles, and for that I think we should avoid pairing me with... Finn." She seemed to have trouble saying his name, and by the time she was done speaking Finn's smile was replaced by his signature beffudled expression, clearly not comprehending that RACHEL was TURNING DOWN a DUET with HIM.

"Um, alright Rachel. Then it'll be you and Artie, and Finn can sing with Quinn," Mr. Shue capitulated, clearly not wanting to ask why or argue the point.

"But," Finn began, only to be cut off by Rachel.

"Thank you, Mr. Shue," she spoke quickly and in a clipped tone, heading towards Artie while the other assigned pairs shuffled towards each other. Quinn smiled at Finn, linking their arms. But he felt deflated and heavy, giving her no reaction.

"Alright, everyone should practice together today and tomorrow, and by Wednesday we'll blend the parts together."

As Mr. Shuester went on to explain the reason for this selection, and the importance of putting passion behind it because their biggest assests were their souls, Finn stared at Rachel. She had a slight frown on her face while listening intently to Mr. Shue, but he had a feeling it wasn't an intense look of concentration that was marring her features. It was in the moment that he realized just how collassally he'd screwed up with her.

Sure he had a pregnant girlfriend who was Ms. Popular cheerlead slash eventual Prom Queen, and sure Rachel was one of the biggest outcasts in the school, but she was... he didn't even know if words could describe how he saw Rachel. She scared the hell out of him in more ways than one, and not just her passion and her vocabulary and her intensity. It was these weird feelings in his chest and his gut (let's not mention his groin, eh?) that he got when she was around him that made him want to run and hide, and at the same time clutch her to him like a lifeline to a drowning man. He'd hoped that she'd be by his side, strictly as a friend of course, while he figured out a way to handle this whole teen dad thing.

The thought that he'd totally ruined things between them made him feel a little nauseous. He didn't even notice that glee club had ended until Quinn pinched his arm.

"Ow, what the hell?" he almost yelled. Quinn gave him a scathing look.

She stood up and scoffed. "If you think you can stop pouting about not singing with Man Hands, I figured you could come over so we could practice our duet."

Finn wanted to respond in so many ways. He wanted to tell her to stop insulting Rachel, especially since she'd rejoined glee to help THEIR unborn child. He wanted to run after Rachel and find out why she didn't want to sing with him, even though he was pretty sure WHY she didn't want to sing with him. And he mostly wanted to tell Quinn that singing with her was too hard because it just reminded him how different he felt when he sang with Rachel. But instead he nodded dumbly and followed her out of the practice room, glancing down the halls for a glimpse of Rachel. But he didn't see her, and resigned himself to what his life was; Quinn, the baby, and doing as well as he could in glee so he could make something of his life for his daughter's sake.

For the next week and a half Rachel continued ignoring Finn, and Finn in turn felt more and more defeated. She just looked so... not like her usual shining self lately, and he couldn't have hated himself more for it. But through it all he understood what was happening and why, even if it had so affected his appetite that his mom was habitually pressing the back of her hand to his forehead and throwing him worry-filled glances.

All he could think about was the spectacular gap left by her absence. It amazed him because she'd only been a part of his life for such a short time, and at the beginning of their little tango he was kind of creeped out by her. But then everything got all warped and screwy and flip flopped and he was staring at his closed locker, thinking in circles about her. Rachel Berry.

Just as he was focusing on how much he missed her smile, especially the soft one reserved for him, she came into school her eyes sparkling and her smile beaming, practically bouncing as she walked... right past him as if he wasn't even there. He was so blown away by the ray of sunshine that seemed to have replaced the gloomy cloud she'd had hovering over her, that by the time he had the thought to turn towards her she had disappeared from the hall. He was painfully reminded of that gaping emptiness as she once again left him behind. All he could hear was her voice, filled with hurt, anger, and betrayel; "But my dreams are bigger than that- and they're bigger than you."

When she came into glee club and immediately began rambling on about song ideas she had, and how she'd already come up with part of the choreagraphy, he pushed away the reminder that she WAS going to be something bigger than he could imagine, and he grasped at the hope that there might once again be room for him to talk to her now that she seemed to be feeling better. She let out a frustrated sigh, one of her many noises that causes Finn to smirk (what? he can't help it, it's so...cute, especially when she's not making it because of him), and says she left her iPod in her locker. As she sprinted out of the choir room, Finn prepared to follow her to really apologize and solidify that she doesn't hate him. But then he heard Kurt and Mercedes talking, and caught the words, "Rachel" and "boyfriend" and "really happy" and all of a sudden he had that same rushing in his head he got when Quinn said she was pregnant. Rachel had a boyfriend? A BOYFRIEND? And she's 'really happy'? That doesn't make any sense, because she's not dating Finn, and he's supposed to be who she's totally into, and if he's the guy making her happy then who is? Was he from this school? Was he bigger than Finn? Cuter? A better singer? (Probably a better dancer, but then again who wasn't?) While all of these questions were floating around in his brain, Rachel walked, no floated, back into the choir room.

"Alright everyone, I've got the version with the lyrics, and then just the instrumental. Shall we begin?" She's all smiles and bubbling energy and for a second Finn almost smiled because THIS is the Rachel that he wanted back in glee. But then Kurt's voice cut through the spell that Rachel always managed to create around Finn.

"Spill it Berry, who has you walking around like you just scored the spring line of Marc Jacob for free?"

Rachel's smile became coy, and she said softly, "His name is Jesse." Everyone waited for her to go on, because Rachel Berry never left any detail unmentioned. But when she doesn't seem inclined to continue, a barrage of questions was hurled at her.

"Does he go here?"

"What's he look like?"

"Can he sing? Wait, stupid question. What I meant was, can he sing better than you?" Kurt's question is the only one she deemed to answer.

"Yes he can sing, and while he may have more practice than me being a senior, I wouldn't go as far as to say that he is either more or less talented than I."

Mercedes and Kurt looked even more intrigued, the damn gossip queens.

"You didn't tell us if he went here? I'm assuming he doesn't, since he isn't in glee club. PLEASE don't tell me he's from a rival school."

Finn perked up at this, because if he was from a rival school then breaking them up would become like, his JOB. In order to protect the glee club of course. But then again, he doubted that Rachel would date someone who they'd be competing against. She was like, the most competitor he'd ever encountered.

"Um," she looked uncomfortable, and that's all the confirmation the club needed.

"Look girl, it's good to see you so happy, and I never thought I'd say this but I kind of missed all your long winded contributions to the discussions. But if there's any chance this could be some funny business," Mercedes began. Rachel quickly cut her off, looking kind of scary.

"We met at a music store. He didn't know who I was, I didn't know who he was. He heard me practicing a harmony, we started talking, and he ended up asking me on a date. It wasn't until we were on said date that we even began speaking of our glee clubs. So while I appreciate the 'concern' which I'm sure is just thinly vieled disbelief that any male would be interested in me with an agenda," at that she shot Finn a look that made him even more worried and anxious, " But I can handle it on my own. And if any loyalties come into question, I am more than a little insulted that you would think that I would ever put ANYTHING above this club. This club is all I have, even if it is filled with people who would sooner have me legally banned from doing anything besides SING." She stopped talking, and everyone assumed she was done, though no one made a move to respond. But then this overwhelmingly sad look crossed her face, which made Finn kind of feel like he'd eaten one too many school tacos, and she spoke softly but clearly. "Thank you for once again proving that I really have no one who cares about me."

And then she was walking out of glee club, and everyone was still stuck on mute.