"Okay, we're going to mix it up some today," Mr. Shuester said, walking into the choir room. It was a couple of days after Sam had joined the glee club and he wanted to see if the blonde could handle singing a lead. Clapping his hands together, her continued, "Rachel and Sam, front and center."
Rachel and Sam both got up and walked to the center of the room. Sam knew how he would sound with Rachel, she just hadn't realized it yet. He and Rachel had sung together loads of times, back when his hair was brown and so were his eyes. When his family moved here, he wanted to change his image a little. It wasn't surprising that Rachel hadn't realized who he was yet. After all, he hardly recognized her when he saw her for the first time at the beginning of the school year. It probably helped that she still went by the same name and that, with all the pointing and insults, he easily spotted her.
"After some searching, I found the perfect song for the two of you."
Shuester handed them the sheet music and Rachel paled visibly. Her bottom lip quivered ever so slightly and she began to take deeper breaths.
"Are you okay, Rachel?" Sam asked, being the first to notice the change. Tina stood up and walked over to Rachel.
"Total Eclipse of… Oh, Rachel," Tina said, reading the song name over the shorter girl's shoulder.
"You don't have to sing this, Rach. Someone else can take it." Puck added, his voice filled with concern.
"No, I got this. Like on Broadway, the show must go on," Rachel said, shaking off the concern.
During the performance, Sam watched Rachel closely. Her eyes betrayed her, like they always did. They were filling with tears and as she belted out her last line, one tear escaped.
"Turn around, bright eyes,"
After Sam finished the song, Rachel ran out of the room.
"Was I that bad?" Sam asked, his eyes glued to the door, concern filling his, now, blue eyes.
"No, it wasn't you." Kurt said, making his appearance, Blaine following behind him.
"I'll go after her," Puck said, getting up and walking out the door.
"What was that all about?" Mr. Shuester asked, thinking one of the Cheerios said something to her before rehearsal.
"The last person she sang that song with was Jesse, Mr. Shue. I'm sure you remember it. It was the first time any of us had seen Rachel cry." Tina said.
"How could I have forgotten?" Shuester said, feeling horrible.
"It's not your fault Mr. Shue." Kurt said, leaning against the piano he continued, "Anyway, everybody, this is Blaine. Blaine, this is everybody. Well, not Rachel and Puck, obviously."
"Who's this Jesse guy?" Sam asked, the jealous ex-boyfriend in him coming out, "And why does he make Rachel so upset?"
"Why does it matter who he is? She was in love with me the whole time she was with him." Finn scoffed.
"Jesse St. James. Rachel fell hard and he broke her heart." Mike informed Sam, sending a glare to Finn.
"Jesse was the first guy to treat Rachel how she should be treated and actually liked her. He told her he loved her right before he smashed the egg on her. That's what she keeps holding onto. The fact that he said that. She thinks that he'll come back. She doesn't want to give that up." Tina said, watching Puck walk through the door without Rachel.
"Why did she agree to be my girlfriend, then, if she's still in love with Jesse?" Finn asked, crossing his arms, a smug look on his face.
"It called a rebound, Finnessa." Puck said, making the rest of the club aware of his reappearance, "You were convenient and you wanted her. She couldn't have who she wanted so she took the next best thing. Well, not the best, but good enough."
"Where's Rachel?" Tina asked, cutting off Finn's response.
"She's not doing too well. And by too well, I mean she's not letting me in," Puck replied, shaking his head.
"Maybe I could try?" Sam suggested but quickly added on, "I mean, I obviously don't know her that well, but maybe that's what she needs. Kind of like an objective third party?"
"Maybe. Let me try, first." Kurt said, standing up. Seeing the looks he was getting from the rest of the club, he continued, "I know me and Rachel don't have the best relationship, but something happened recently that might make her open up to me easier."
"Give it a try, I guess." Tina said, "I'll go with you."
The two got up and left the room only to return five minutes later.
"That little diva is so stubborn!" Kurt exclaimed, sitting down in his chair.
"She won't let him in. Let us in." Tina clarified.
"I guess I'll give it a try…" Sam trailed off, walking out the door. He poked his head back in, "Where is she?"
"She's in the 'dressing room'. It's the second door on the left after you turn right down this hallway." Tina responded while Puck began laughing.
Sam walked down the hallway and stopped when he reached the door Tina had told him about.
"Rachel?" Sam asked, knocking on the door.
"Go away!" was her muffled replied.
"You won't get rid of me that easily, Legs."
Hearing her old nickname, she yanked the door open.
"Where did you hear that name?" She asked suspiciously.
"Let me in and I'll tell you."
She sighed, feeling too defeated to fight anyone else, and stepped away from the door. Sam entered and closed it behind him.
"Now, where did you hear it?" Rachel demanded, placing her hands on her hips. If he didn't know her better, he would say she was back to normal but there was still that hint of pain in her eyes.
"It hasn't been that long, Rachel. I remember it like it was yesterday. Back when my hair was brown, my eyes were brown, and I went by a different name. When my family was still a family. When you're dads gave a shit about you."
"Oh my God! Shawn!" Rachel flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back tightly, never wanting to let go. This was the girl he let get away. This was his dream girl, the one he had fallen for a long time ago. He had wanted so many times to book a flight and follow her here and, seeing how she was treated, he really wished he had. Hearing that she had fallen in love with that Jesse kid made him wish it even more. After all, they only ended it because she was moving. He was sure that if he had followed her they would still be together.
"Yeah. I was wondering how long it would take you to catch on. Only a week, I'm kinda disappointed, Berry." Sam leaned against the wall.
"Well, I've been busy giving Finn my undivided attention since he won't settle for less. And people think I'm a diva. And it might have helped if you hadn't changed the way you look. I liked you original hair and eye color better. You look like the stereotypical guy from California, now. And that definitely isn't you." Rachel rolled her eyes. Sam opened his arms and she stepped into them. Hugging each other tightly, they relished in the feel of the other, something they both missed very much.
"I missed you, so much. You don't know how many times I thought of following, but things kept preventing me from doing it." Sam whispered after a few minutes of silence.
"I missed you too." Rachel replied, pulling back and looking him in the eye.
"I still love you," Sam blurted out. He inwardly cursed her ability to always make him tell her exactly what was on his mind.
"I still love you, too." Rachel replied, a small smile on her lips, happy she still had that effect on him.
"What about that Jesse guy?"
"He made me feel like I was with you. He treated me like I wasn't a freak. He treated me the way everyone used to treat me back in California. That's why I keep holding onto the hope that he'll come back. In a way, it's like hoping that my California life would, figuratively speaking, manifest itself here. That I would have some semblance of you in my life here. It sounds crazy, I know. But you see the way people treat me here. When I first started seeing Jesse, the group gave me an ultimatum and I lied to them, saying I broke up with Jesse, because for the first time someone in this Godforsaken town treated me like I was a normal human being. I fell in love with that. I've only ever loved you, that's why I wouldn't sleep with him."
"I understand." Sam said, his spirits lifting when he saw that flicker of pain vanish.
"I knew you would. I wish you had been here. I wouldn't have had to go through all that and I wouldn't be with Finn."
"Why are you with Finn?"
"I kinda liked him because he was my first friend here and he used that. When he told me he loved me, it was convenient. I could use him until I was complete over the shock of what Jesse did."
"So all Finn is to you is a rebound?" hope filling Sam voice as her looked into her eyes.
"Yeah." Rachel responded, looking right back into Sam's eyes.
"Where do I stand with you? Like, if I had followed you, would we still be together?"
"I would like to think so. Sam, you are the only guy I have ever felt real romantic feeling for."
"Good. Because you're the only girl I think I could ever love."
Then Sam did what he wanted to do since he first saw her again. He kissed her, pouring all the love and affection he could into the kiss. She returned it with just as much love and affection.
"I love you, Rachel Berry." Sam whispered, resting his forehead against hers.
"I know. I love you, too, Shawn Evens." Rachel responded.
"I know. Now go break up with your giant of a boyfriend and then I'll taking you out tonight."
"Will you go back to the way you were before?"
"Well, I can stop wearing the contacts and start going by Shawn. But, unfortunately, the blond is here until it comes out on its own. And I'll start being Shawn if you help with the key component."
"And what would that be?"
"Well, everyone who knows Shawn Evens knows that Rachel Berry is his girl."
"I'd be more than happy to comply with that." Rachel responded, kissing him lightly and heading out of the room to break up with Finn.