A/N: So, as most of you are aware, this was originally just a one-shot story...and then I couldn't stop writing more St. Berry "fixes", so I've decided to sort of do an ongoing compliation of them. I haven't watched an entire episode of Glee since before the hiatus, only some of the performances and the parts with Jesse in them, so I have no idea how close any of this is to canon (I doubt very much of it is). I prefer to not watch RIB destroy both Rachel and Jesse even more than they already have. Also, Quinn can still walk (her accident never happened) and Jesse didn't flunk out of UCLA, he just decided to take a year off :)

I usually don't write angst (at least not much), I prefer happy St. Berry, but the (sort of) angry!Jesse in this story sort of reflects a lot of the things I think could be going through his head given everything that has happened. There's also more of a mother/daughter relationship between Shelby and Rachel in this too. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and don't forget to review :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I wish I did, though.

Jesse was standing with his team at Nationals, in Chicago this year, and wishing he were anywhere but here. She was here. The one who, for lack of a better word, haunted him. Did he really mess up so badly that the only girl who could possibly be his soul mate would fall for a talentless beanstalk? He wasn't even 100% sure why he had gone back to Ohio in the first place. It's not like he really expected her to come running back to him, saying she'd made a mistake last year. He'd gotten information on her through Wade, who was friendly with Kurt and Mercedes. He knows she's engaged to, almost married, the kid who cost her team a higher placing at Nationals last year (the one they received was generous as it was, but he'd never tell any of them that).

"Jesse."

It was her voice that broke him out of his thoughts. With his show-face still intact, Jesse turned to her.

"What do you want, Rachel? Come to rub your relationship, your engagement in my face?" he bit out.

Rachel looked taken aback at the cold tone to his voice. Really, though, what did she expect? If she expected him to be all sweet and kind with her again, she was in for a rude awakening.

"No, I-I just wanted to wish you luck," she said softly. "And….to see how you were doing."

"What does it matter to you? You made it very clear who you wanted and didn't want in your life last year. Finn won't like New York, he barely made it through two days last year, how do you expect him to make it through forever?"

"He's going to be an actor, while I go to school. We'll make it work, he'll understand."

"I don't even know you anymore, Rachel. The Rachel I knew, the Rachel that I loved, she never would have put her dreams aside for someone else's. Especially when that so-called dream was just an idea Puckerman threw out there because he doesn't have any idea what he wants to do either. Hudson should never have asked you to even consider California. I know everything, Rachel. Sometimes I think you forget that. You can drop the innocent act, it may have worked when you were sixteen, but you're not sixteen anymore. You're eighteen. An adult. Start taking responsibility for your own actions and grow up."

"Why are you being so mean to me?" Rachel asked, tears forming in her eyes.

Jesse had to fight the urge to wrap his arms around her and tell her he just wanted her, he didn't care about anything else. He knew the beanstalk was glaring at him, knew he and Rachel had gotten into an argument about her coming over to talk to him. He still had no idea what Rachel saw in the kid.

"Life isn't always sweet and kind, Rachel. When you get your heart broken not once, not twice, but three times, it tends to take a toll on you. I know I broke your heart last year, too, and if I could go back and do things differently, I would. But I can't. I have to live with the consequences. I came back, I apologized. I was even foolish enough to believe we had a second chance. I foolishly had my hopes up when you accepted my offer to take you to prom. I kept trying to tell myself I wasn't being used to make Hudson jealous again, but that's clearly what you used me for once again. You didn't even try to find me after he got us both kicked out. You ignored my texts, deliberately misled me until you were sure you had Hudson exactly where you wanted him."

"That's not true," Rachel said, tears now flowing down her face.

"Yes, it is, and don't you dare lie to me and tell me it's not. Life's a bitch, Rachel. You go through things that physically hurt sometimes. It's not all sunshine and rainbows like your dads would like to make it out to be. It's not like my consulting did any bit of good, either, which I'm sure you knew as well. Schuester doesn't like to listen to anyone other than himself. I stupidly thought I was showing you that I cared about you by helping your team, helping you. Then, to top it all off, not only do you kiss him on stage in front of the entire Nationals audience, I find out you spent an evening out with him as well. You told me not to come to New York, and now I know why. It wasn't because you needed to concentrate, it was so you could be alone with him. No boys my ass, Rachel. You let him walk all over you like you're some kind of doormat. It's absolutely fucking sickening to watch. I don't even recognize you anymore. You're not the Rachel Berry that I fell in love with. I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life than end up being someone else's doormat."

Before Rachel could say anything else, Jesse turned and walked towards the doors, barking out an order to his team to stay put. With tears still streaming down her face, Rachel made her way to the nearest bathroom. She didn't see Kurt, Tina, and Quinn rush after her, didn't see the way Puck, Santana, and Sam went after Jesse, didn't see the way the rest of the team kept Finn occupied.

Bursting into the nearest bathroom, Rachel didn't even make it to the first stall before she collapsed on the floor, tears running down her face and her heart feeling like it was being ripped out of her chest. She'd only felt this way once before-the first time Jesse had left. She figured that probably meant something, but right now all she could think about was making the pain go away.

"Rachel?" Kurt asked as he and the other girls rushed into the room, locking the door behind them.

"You can tell Mr. Schuester I'm not going on stage when they announce the results. I just want to go back to the hotel, and then go home," Rachel said as calmly as she could manage.

Kurt and Quinn knelt on either side of Rachel while Tina knelt in front of her.

"What did he say to you?" Quinn asked.

"It doesn't matter," Rachel said, brushing at her face.

"It obviously does, or we wouldn't be sitting here right now," Kurt pointed out.

"You're still in love with him, aren't you?" Tina asked.

"No," Rachel insisted. "I love Finn. We're going to New York together and everything will be perfect."

"I think you love who you want Finn to be, not who he really is," Quinn whispered.

"He accused me of the same thing not that long ago," Rachel admitted.

"You can't keep stringing either of them along," Tina spoke softly. "It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to them. If you think you still have feelings for Jesse, then you need to take a break from your relationship with Finn."

"Jesse hates me, he won't even talk to me," Rachel pointed out.

"He hates who you have become," Kurt corrected. "You know I love you like a sister, but you really have changed. You changed who you are, everything that made you Rachel Berry, to be the perfect girlfriend Finn wants you to be. You value his word above all others, and that's really not a very wise thing to do in most cases."

Once again overcome with emotion, Rachel simply leaned against Kurt and cried, with Quinn rubbing her back and Tina holding her hands.

Jesse felt like he wanted to punch something. No, not something, someone. Particularly the freakishly tall teenage boy who had turned Rachel into a shadow of her former self. It was one thing to grow up, to mature, it was another thing completely to change everything about yourself for someone who should love you for exactly who you are but doesn't. He'd been a stupid teenage boy who let peer pressure get the best of him. Shelby had danged his scholarship, his supposed future in front of him like bait. Then she plays like she did nothing wrong and gets herself a job at McKinley to get to know Rachel better. He wouldn't mind giving her another piece of his mind, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. When he heard footsteps approaching, he was unsurprised to find three members of New Directions approaching him. They never could mind their own business.

"Can I help you all with something?" he snapped irritably.

"You can drop the act for starters," Santana bit back.

"Oh, this is no act. I knew I'd see her here, and him, too, but I didn't expect her to try and talk to me. I figured he wouldn't let her anywhere near me. I'd like to punch him, make him feel the pain I've felt for the last two years. To know that the only girl you're ever going to love doesn't love you back, that she'll always choose someone else over you, it's just fucking awesome. I'd rather be the heartless bastard I was before than be the person I am today."

"I have no idea what's going through Rachel's head when she thinks Finn is the one for her, I really don't," Puck admitted, "but she's my friend and she's a fellow Jew. She won't listen to reason where Finn is concerned, though I have yet to figure out why."

"She's always wanted to be popular, to be liked. It's not hard to figure out, Puckerman," Jesse snapped. "I tried to convince her to join me at Carmel, but she insisted she felt like she belonged at McKinley. Now I know it's because she could never quite let go of that hold that he has on her. He's not as stupid as you think. He plays the innocent and stupid card to get you to trust him, and then he plays mind games with you. He's had her on some kind of leash since before we met. I thought she was happy with me, but I guess she was just biding her time until he came around, until he was just jealous enough to give her what she wanted."

"That's not it," Sam insisted.

"Then, pre tell, what is it, then?" Jesse asked.

"She's scared, and she's insecure. She knows Finn would never find anyone better than her. You, on the other hand, she thinks you could. She doesn't think someone who looks like you do, who has so much confidence, so much talent, could ever want her over every other girl," he answered.

"That's bullshit."

"That's Rachel, though," Santana added. "Ever since she let Finnbecile into her life, let her stupid schoolgirl crush cloud her judgment, she hasn't been able to stand on her own two feet. One of the main reasons he doesn't like you is because you gave her the confidence to do that. You believed in her when no one else did. When you left, something inside of her broke and she was never quite able to fix it. She clung to the first secure thing she had, which happened to be someone who knew exactly what kind of state she was in, yet decided to pursue a relationship with her anyway."

Puck nodded in agreement. "He got so far into her head that he's convinced her that she'll be nothing without him. I suggested the Cali idea as a way to put distance between them. He has no idea what he wants to do, and he's dragging Rachel down because of it. He's no actor, yet he suddenly decides that's what he wants to do and he instantly becomes Rachel's hero."

"Look, it's not like she's just going to come running back into my arms, begging for my forgiveness. At this point, I'm not sure I can forgive her. I gave her my heart, and because of my own stupid mistakes, I broke both hers and mine. She'll always have my heart. If that means I'm destined to live a loveless life, then I guess that's what fate has in store for me. Regardless of what happens here, I'm leaving Ohio. I haven't decided if I'll go back to California or go to New York, maybe even stay here in Chicago. All I know is that I need to get out of Ohio once and for all."

"I still don't understand why you were so harsh with her," Sam said.

"She needed to hear it. Her dads love her, but they spoil her rotten. She's not prepared for the real world, where life doesn't always go the way you planned. Life just fucking sucks sometimes honestly."

"We'll go let your team know you'll be back in soon, then," Santana said after a few moments of silence.

Jesse nodded and watched as the three members of New Directions retreated. He wasn't surprised to find another figure walking towards him a few moments later, this one taller and older than the previous ones.

"Can I help you, Shelby?" Jesse asked icily.

"That was quite the scene you caused," Shelby began.

"Yeah, well, it's not like I plan on staying a show choir coach for the rest of my life."

"What is the team going to think?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Stop being childish, Jesse."

Jesse laughed bitterly. "I'm being childish? That's the pot calling the kettle black if I've ever heard it. All you cared about was the fact that you and Rachel didn't connect the way you thought you magically should. You didn't care about anyone's feelings but your own. That is being childish, I'm just being realistic. Someone needed to give her a reality check."

Shelby studied her former student carefully before she spoke again. "If you want to leave, I'll accompany Vocal Adrenaline to the stage for the announcement, and make sure they get back to their hotel."

Before Jesse could accept or decline Shelby's offer, he heard a commotion behind Shelby.

"Looks like Finnbecile found out what I said affected Rachel," Jesse said with a sigh.

"Jesse…" Shelby warned, though she already knew it wouldn't do any good.

"What the hell did you say to her? She won't even talk to me!" Finn exploded.

Jesse smirked. "I just gave her a bit of a rude awakening. You know, doing my part to make sure she stays the little puppet of a girlfriend you want her to be. Wouldn't want you to do any work in the relationship or anything."

"She's actually normal now!"

"Rachel will never be normal," Jesse said icily, stepping closer to Finn with each word. "Rachel is meant to be a star. Normal people don't become stars. They become nobodies. Just. Like. You."

"Jesse…" Shelby tried again.

"I picked up the pieces that you broke! I helped her heal! I helped her become a better person!" Finn insisted.

"Better person my ass! She's become a weak, scared little girl. Exactly the way you like her to be. You're right, you are the reason she's changed, but I never said that was a good thing."

Instead of shouting, this time Finn shoved at Jesse's shoulder, the same way he had that night at prom.

"I told you the first time not to start a fight with me," Jesse grit out, his voice low and menacing.

"You can't hurt me," Finn insisted.

"Want to bet? Winner gets Rachel," Jesse taunted.

"Fine!" Finn shouted, aiming a punch in Jesse's direction.

Similar to the way he had at prom, Jesse easily ducked the not at all accurately aimed punch. Only this time, instead of simply ducking out of the way, he got in a punch to Finn's stomach, causing the older boy to double over and glare at him.

"I win," Jesse said to Finn before he turned to Shelby. "I'm taking you up on that offer, Shelby. In fact, you can have the entire job, I don't want it anymore. I'm leaving."

Shelby sighed as she watched her former student call for a cab before she turned to Finn.

"Come on, let's get you inside," she said. "The pain will wear off soon enough. You shouldn't have pushed him that way, though."

Finn didn't say anything, simply glared at her as he let her lead him inside.

"Finn!" Will called as he saw his male lead walk back into the lobby of the Chicago auditorium with Shelby by his side.

"I'll let him explain to you exactly what happened. I need to go check on Rachel, and then I told Jesse I would take care of Vocal Adrenaline," Shelby stated.

"She's still locked in the bathroom with Hummel, Fabray, and Cohen-Chang," Puck told her as he walked up to them.

Shelby sighed. "I need to try, but I guess it will have to wait until after the announcement."

"Are you okay, Finn?" Will asked.

Finn winced as he tried to straighten, still unable to speak. Will turned to Shelby again.

"What happened?" he asked.

"He made Jesse angry," Shelby said in explanation before walking over to her former team.

Will sighed as he led Finn over to a nearby chair.

"Puck! Stay with him, will you?" he asked.

"Sure," Puck agreed, standing near the chair Finn was now seated in.

"I feel so stupid," Rachel admitted after she'd basically cried her heart out to her friends.

"You're human," Quinn assured her. "At least you don't have to watch Jesse with another girl. I think I understand how he feels watching you with Finn."

Rachel knew the boy Quinn was talking about, but she kept her comments to herself. She didn't think she was in any position to be giving advice right now.

"Jesse left," Kurt said, reading the text message from Puck. "But not before he punched Finn so hard he got the wind knocked out of him and was doubled over in pain."

"I'm going to guess Finn pushed at him like he did last year," Quinn said dryly.

"I think so, but Puck didn't say. It would be a Finn thing to do, though."

"What are you going to do, Rachel?" Tina asked.

"It's the wrong ring," Rachel said softly. "I know that now. I knew it felt…odd. And it shouldn't have. I shouldn't even notice I'm wearing it, it shouldn't feel heavy and awkward."

After seeing all three of her friends nod in agreement, Rachel slid the ring off of her finger and handed it to Kurt. "Will you just hold onto it, until I can give it back to Finn myself?" she asked.

"Sure," Kurt agreed, sticking the ring in his pocket.

"We're still New York-bound, right?" Rachel asked Kurt.

Kurt smiled at her. "Yes, drama queen. You, Blaine, and me. We're all going to New York. Quinn is going to Yale. Tina will visit while she finishes her last year at McKinley. Mike is going to Julliard, so it'll work out perfectly," he answered.

"Mike got into Julliard?" Quinn asked, surprised.

Tina smiled and nodded. "He just got the letter the other day. It was his first choice. We'll make the long distance thing work for a year. I've been looking at their voice program, so maybe I'll apply there next year. I haven't really figured that part out yet."

"You and Mike should have been the ones getting engaged, not Finn and me," Rachel said.

Tina shook her head. "I love Mike, but we're not ready for marriage. I'd accept a promise ring, or something similar to that, but we both need to be sure we can make it through the next year before we think more seriously about marriage."

"How is it you give such good advice for someone younger than me?" Rachel asked with a watery laugh.

Tina smiled. "My older siblings and I have this…journal I guess you'd call it. Any advice we have, or our parents have, gets put in there. Obviously I haven't really added to it, since I'm the youngest, but I've definitely looked at it a lot."

"I wish I had one of those," Rachel muttered.

Before any of the four teens could say anything else, they were started by a knock at the door.

"Rachel?" called the voice, which Rachel recognized as her mother's.

"Go ahead, let her in, I'd like to talk to her alone anyway," Rachel said, standing and brushing her dress off.

Kurt placed the ring he'd been holding onto in Rachel's hand before he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.

"Whatever you decide, I'm here for you," he told her as he walked to open the door to admit Shelby.

After Rachel's friends had left, Shelby re-locked the door to assure she'd be alone with her daughter.

"Are you okay?" Shelby asked.

"I will be, I think," Rachel answered with a shaky laugh. "Is Jesse okay?"

"He will be. He's hurting and Finn didn't help. I've never seen Jesse punch anyone in all the years I've known him. He usually cuts people down with his words instead of resorting to physical altercations."

"Finn's never been known to listen very well. Jesse probably got frustrated, and Finn kept goading him, and Jesse lost his temper."

"Are you sure you weren't there?"

Rachel smiled a little as she shook her head. "No, but I know Finn and I know Jesse. I also know how they act around one another. It was never going to end well."

"I screwed up, Rachel. I've apologized to you…and to Jesse…as much as he will allow me to anyway. I can't change my past actions, but I can try and make up for them. If you try to go after Jesse, he'll just push you away again. That's one thing his parents taught him very well. If I didn't know any better, I would have said Martin St. James had possessed Jesse for a little bit there."

"Jesse's not his father, he's better than that."

Shelby smiled and ran a hand over Rachel's hair. "Yes, he is, but he's also in a lot of pain. He won't admit to it, but he is. You are, too. You both have been since you were forced to part. I really am sorry for my role in all of that, but like I said, there's nothing I can do about that now. You need to learn to stand on your own two feet, baby. You need to know that you are destined to be a Broadway star. You need to be confident in yourself first. If you're not, there's no way you'll convince anyone else to be confident in you. I learned that the hard way, trust me."

Rachel nodded. "I know. I'm going to take some time for myself. Spend some more time with my dads, with my friends. Try to figure out who I've become, what parts of that person are the real me and what parts aren't. Most of all, though, I want to figure out who I want to be, and what it's going to take to become that person."

Shelby smiled. "I think that sounds like a great plan. I'll be here for you as well, if you need anything just let me know."

"A vacation would be nice."

Shelby laughed. "You'll have to talk to your dads about that one. But your team won, so you have some celebrating to do."

"I need to talk to Finn first, and he's not going to like what I have to say. I think it's best for both of us, though."

"I need to see to Vocal Adrenaline, but I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'll be fine, thank you. I'm sure Wade is chatting up Kurt and Mercedes, so I don't think Vocal Adrenaline will be far away."

"I asked Mr. Schuester to keep an eye on them as well. I did see a little interaction with Wade, Kurt, and Mercedes, though. What's the story there?"

Rachel smiled as she and her mother exited the bathroom. "Wade is their biggest fan. He pretty much idolizes them, which Kurt loves."

Shelby laughed. "I'm sure he does, but I'd say Kurt is a pretty good role model to have, as is Mercedes."

"Finn, we need to talk," Rachel said, approaching Finn in the lobby of their hotel.

"About what? The fact that your ex fucking hit me?" Finn all but shouted.

Rachel shoved Finn out the door so they wouldn't disturb the other guests. "Lower your voice!" she demanded. "You shoved Jesse first, and you provoked him, so you only got what you deserved. I don't agree with him hitting you, but you know better than to poke at his temper."

"I don't know what you ever saw in him, Rachel. He wants you to continue to be an outcast; he doesn't want you to be normal."

"I'll never be normal, Finn. That's not who I am. I'm sorry if that doesn't fit with who you think I should be, but it's really not up to you. I'm taking some time for myself, to figure out who I am. I shouldn't have jumped into a relationship with you so soon after Jesse and I broke up. I need to pick up my own pieces I guess you could say. If you still want to go to New York, I'm not going to stop you. I just won't be going with you. We go to the same school, have some of the same friends, so I'm sure we'll see each other, but I can't be marrying anyone when I don't even know who I am anymore. It's just not right," Rachel said before she handed the ring back to Finn.

"You're breaking up with me? After all I've done for you? We're supposed to be together, you're mine!" Finn demanded.

"I don't belong to anyone. I'm not an object to be fought over and won!"

"I never said you were."

"You pretty much did, just not in so many words."

"What? That doesn't make any sense."

Rachel closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she spoke again. "Goodbye, Finn," she said before she turned and grabbed the bag Finn hadn't seen her bring with her.

"Where are you going?" he asked as he saw a cab pull up to the curb of the hotel.

"Home. I'll see you at school on Monday."

Finn watched as his now former fiancée got into the cab. He still didn't fully understand what was going on and he wasn't sure he ever would. All he knew was that he'd lost the only girl to ever believe in him.

After avoiding Jesse for almost the entire year, even though she was well aware they ended up living in the same building, Rachel finally ran into him…literally. She was so deep in thought that she'd forgotten about the little half-step that led into the building. Her hair had been covering her face, so Jesse didn't recognize her at first.

"Are you-," Jesse started, only to have his breath taken away when he locked eyes with the girl he'd saved from a rather nasty fall.

"Sorry," Rachel said softly as Jesse helped her regain her balance.

"Rachel?" Jesse asked, though he already knew the answer.

"I'm sorry, I'll get out of your way," Rachel muttered quickly, unsure if he was happy to see her or not.

"You live here?" he asked.

Rachel nodded. "Up on the 6th floor, with Kurt and Blaine. My mom told me you live here, too, but I didn't know that until after I'd signed the lease."

"I've seen Kurt and Blaine around, but how is it I've never run into you before?"

"I usually either stay at school pretty late, let Kurt and Blaine have the place to themselves for a while, or I'm working," Rachel answered with a shrug, willing the elevator to get here faster and seriously contemplating the stairs.

"Where's the beanstalk?" Jesse asked.

Rachel shrugged. "Probably still in Lima. I haven't spoken to him in over a year."

"Really."

Rachel sighed. "Really. Look, I told Kurt and Blaine I'd cook dinner tonight, so I need to go…"

Jesse ran a hand through his hair before he spoke. "I'm sorry for last year. I let my frustration get the better of me, and I scared you away in the process. I didn't mean to, I…just couldn't stand to be there anymore. I couldn't stand to watch you with him and know that because of my stupid choices, I'd lost you forever."

Rachel closed her eyes and fought back the tears that threatened to spill. "You can't say things like that. Not now. I finally feel like I know who I am, finally able to stand on my own two feet as my mother says. One touch from you and I feel like I'm in high school again. It's not fair."

"I really, truly am sorry for the way I snapped at you. I'd like to get to know you again, catch up I guess. Maybe over coffee or something?"

"Maybe. I need to go, I'm sorry," Rachel said, stepping into the elevator and letting out a breath when Jesse didn't try to follow her. She wasn't ready to let herself fall in love again, which she knew she'd start to do the minute she started spending time with Jesse.

"What took you so long?" Kurt asked, taking the grocery bags from Rachel's hands.

"I ran into Jesse. Literally," Rachel answered with a sigh.

"Did he ask you out?"

"Um, I think so. I'm not really sure. I sort of ran away."

"What do you mean, exactly?"

Rachel sighed as she began to get everything she needed for dinner. "He said he was sorry for last year, he said he let his frustration get to him, that he was mad at himself for making stupid choices and losing me because of them. He asked if we could maybe get coffee or something sometime."

"What did you say?"

"I said maybe, and that I really had to get going. I'm not ready for a relationship."

"Yes, you are," Blaine spoke up as he entered the room. "I know you're scared, Rachel, but Kurt and I agree you're ready. You've been doing great on your own, and you're the best roommate we could ask for, but you deserve your happy ending too."

"I love you both for thinking that, but I don't think I'm ready."

With a sigh, Kurt wrote down a number on a piece of paper before he folded it and stuck it in a pocket of Rachel's purse.

"What is that, Kurt?" Rachel asked, though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

"Jesse's apartment number," Kurt answered.

"How do you know what his apartment number is?" Rachel asked.

"That's a good question," Blaine agreed.

"I may have accidentally bumped into him and made him drop his mail, therefore getting a look at the apartment number," Kurt answered.

"You're horrible," Rachel said with a laugh.

"Just clever. You'll thank me later," Kurt replied.

Over the next few months, Rachel only saw Jesse a handful of times. It was usually from afar, but she hadn't quite worked up the courage to face him again yet. She was pretty sure he knew her apartment number as well, but he never used that to his advantage. The day she finally worked up the courage to go see him, she'd checked her outfit at least ten times, her hair at least twenty. Grabbing the slip of paper from her purse and her keys, Rachel locked the door to her apartment before she walked to the elevator. Jesse was only two floors above them, but she felt too nervous to trust her legs on the stairs. When the elevator opened to reveal Jesse himself, she audibly gasped, immediately getting his attention.

"Rachel, are you okay?" Jesse asked.

"You startled me; I wasn't expecting to see anyone, let alone you, in the elevator."

Jesse chuckled. "You don't have your purse, where are you going?" he asked.

Rachel sighed. "To see you," she said quietly, turning back towards the hall that would lead to her apartment.

Jesse stepped off of the elevator and grabbed Rachel's hand, effectively stopping her. "I'm sorry, did I just hear you say you were on your way to see me?" he asked.

Rachel turned around to face Jesse before she nodded. "I've been stupid, too, and I'm sorry, too. For everything I did to mislead you, to hurt you. I was a stupid, insecure girl. Looking back on it, I'd really like to slap some sense into my past self."

Jesse smiled at her and Rachel felt herself melt. "I know the feeling," he replied.

"I guess we both had some growing up to do," Rachel said softly.

"I was about to make something to eat, would you like to join me for dinner?" Jesse asked.

Rachel smiled. "I'd like that. I need to just get my phone, though, so I can let Kurt and Blaine know I might not be there when they get home."

"Sure. I'll wait here."

"Do you…want to see the apartment? It's probably similar to yours, but…"

"I'd love to," Jesse interrupted.

Rachel smiled and found herself slipping easily into conversation with Jesse, as if they'd never been apart.

After grabbing her phone and firing off a quick text to Kurt, Rachel followed Jesse back down the hall to the elevator. When they reached his floor, Jesse grabbed Rachel's hand and led her to his apartment.

"You have a two bedroom apartment to yourself?" Rachel asked once she'd gotten the chance to look around.

Jesse's laughter floated down the hall to her, making her smile. "Yes. I like having a lot of space."

"I remember," Rachel said as she walked back into the kitchen.

"So you've been single all this time?" Jesse asked cautiously.

Rachel nodded as she watched Jesse prepare their meal. She'd forgotten how much he enjoyed cooking, especially for her. "Yes. I broke up with Finn after Nationals, went home a day early. I spent a lot of time with my dads, with my friends, and getting to know my mom. I spent a lot of time alone too, reflecting on things."

"I never stopped thinking about you. I was bitter, and angry. I needed to just leave Ohio behind and not look back. Get a fresh start, I guess. I feel stupid leaving Vocal Adrenaline the way I did, but they wouldn't have asked me back even if I'd wanted the job so I kind of figured what the hell. I went home, packed my things and came here. Shelby pulled a few strings, got me into Tisch."

"So it was you I saw around campus all of the time. I didn't think you wanted to go back to school, so I was sure it couldn't possibly be you."

Jesse laughed. "I thought about it, and decided to take Shelby up on the offer. I guess she saw it as sort of a penance for what she'd done before."

"Mm. She still apologizes to me for everything. I guess that means she really does feel bad about it."

"It's not the greatest, but I'm afraid I don't have any vegan items regularly stocked," Jesse said, setting the veggie pizza on the table, along with two tall classes of water.

"It's okay. It's not like you were expecting me to say yes to your offer or anything," Rachel assured him as she took a seat next to him at the table.

"Do you want to watch a movie or something?" Jesse asked once they'd finished their dinner, not wanting to relinquish Rachel's company just yet.

"Sure," Rachel agreed, as eager as Jesse to continue their time together.

"You go ahead and pick, I'll clean up."

Rachel nodded and then wandered over to Jesse's diverse movie collection. She had to smile when she saw Funny Girl among the movies. Finally finding the one she wanted, she pulled it off of the shelf just as Jesse came up behind her.

"Find one?" he asked.

Rachel nodded, handing him the DVD. When his fingers brushed hers as he took the DVD from her, Rachel felt a shock run through her. As she locked eyes with Jesse, she knew he felt it too. Fighting the urge to lean over and kiss him, Rachel busied herself getting comfortable on the couch while Jesse started the movie. When he joined her on the couch, Jesse had to resist the urge to put his arm around Rachel and pull her close, the way they'd always watched movies together when they were dating.

Sometime during the movie, Rachel and Jesse had switched positions so they were nearly in the same position that had been so natural to them when they'd been dating. They were sitting close and Rachel had head resting on Jesse's shoulder. As the ending credits rolled, Rachel reluctantly sat up so Jesse could turn it off. When he came back to the couch, she could tell he seemed a bit apprehensive about something.

"Jesse, what's wrong?"

"I want to kiss you," he told her honestly. "At the same time, I don't want to make you go running out of here because I moved too fast. I want this to work, I want us again. I'm willing to be patient, but I just need to know there's no one else."

Rachel raised her hand and cupped Jesse's cheek as she smiled at him. "There never was, no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise," she said softly.

"You know you've always been the only one for me," Jesse told her, echoing her use of a softer tone, before he leaned over and captured her lips with his.

Rachel's hand moved from Jesse's cheek to the back of his neck as she let him deepen the kiss and pull her closer.

Later that night, when she walked into her apartment, Rachel couldn't stop smiling. She and Jesse were on the path to getting back together, they'd work their way there eventually. She'd had a wonderful night with him, and they'd made plans for a real date. Tomorrow.

"You're getting in rather late, don't you think?" Kurt said from the living room, making Rachel jump.

"Kurt! You scared me!" she replied, setting her keys down on the table.

"How's Jesse?"

"How do you know I was with Jesse?"

"Rachel, we've been best friends for how long now? It's written all over your love-struck face."

Rachel sighed. "Yes, I was with Jesse, and it was wonderful. We're going out tomorrow night."

"A real date?" Kurt wanted to know.

"A real date," Rachel replied with a smile.

"Where are you going?"

Rachel's lips twitched in silent laughter as she told Kurt the answer to his question. "Sardi's."

Kurt grinned. "I'm helping you this time."

"Please do. I knew I didn't have to try very hard for Finn to think I looked nice, but Jesse is…well, Jesse. He's going to be immaculately dressed."

"If we can't find something, we'll just go raid Santana's closet," Kurt assured her.

Rachel laughed. "She and Noah are going to have a field day with this once they find out. I'm happy, Kurt. For the first time since I can remember, I truly feel happy. Jesse and I aren't officially back together yet, but I know it's heading in that direction."

Kurt shared a smile with his best friend. "You were happy before, but you feel complete now that you've let Jesse back into your life."

"He was the missing piece, all along," Rachel said softly.

"I know exactly what you mean."

Part 2 anyone?