New York City. City where dreams are born or broken. Rachel Berry was rolling single, still angry on her breakup with Finn "I Must Stay In Lima to Receive the Auto Shop" Hudson. Nevertheless, it was okay. It was fine. It was better this way. She could use her pain to improve herself.

It was an offhand comment one day, months after they had arrived, from her roommate Kurt that made her think of him again.

"Hey, speaking of the St. James Theater, what ever happened to Jesse St. James?"

And then she was obsessed with that.

She had seen him briefly during her senior year as he coached their competition. They met as rivals at Nationals, again at New York City. And when the New Directions finally took that National title they wanted, she saw him disappear into thin air. He definitely did not return to Ohio with his team, that much was sure.

Therefore, the logical explanation was that he was in New York.

Big city. Hard to find people.

Kurt watched in disbelief as days passed and Rachel stayed up late, searching the internet, the phone books, making calls, visiting music shops and coffee shops. Her new dream was to find him.

She did not know what the inexplicable pull to find him was, but she was going to find him.

Of course, the one time she was not looking for him would be the moment he appears.

She was searching the music store for an audition piece. Usually she would be good, but this was a groundbreaking rock musical. She did not have anything good enough in her repertoire.

And how cliché could it be that she was holding up a music book? The Queen, classic rock, in front of her face the only thing she was focusing on.

That is, until it was pulled away from her.

"Queen, huh?"

She opened her mouth to chew out whoever would just swipe the book from her hands, but the words died on her lips.

"Jesse." She managed after a few seconds of staring at his smirk.

"Rachel Berry. I saw your audition for Elphaba. Your performance was flawed. You were distracted and the directors could tell….but you're talented." He slipped away from her, and just like three years ago, she followed.

"I've got a full ride scholarship to NYU. I have to make up my work from high school and consequential LA stint, but my voice is worth it." He turned to face her, glancing down at her book, "So, perhaps I can be of service to you? Queen is my forte, after all."

They smiled at each other and everything was fine.

They had hurt each other, but they were even.

The past was the past.

And the future was the future….