the star

two

"What is going on, Jesse?"

Jesse heard the question as soon as he walked back in the Adrenaline Room. Turning around, he came face-to-face with Santana Lopez, owner of one of the most respected blogs about TV shows. Santana was smart as a fox and sharp as a knife when it came to sniff stories out, but she was also honest and blunt and always gave the subjects of her stories the opportunity to come clean before she ran a story. A beautiful Latina with a slim face, curvaceous body, witty tongue and sparkling eyes, she was one of the few bloggers who always had an open invitation to his station's parties. He liked her and respected her work ethic, and, had her question been about anyone else, he would have answered her truthfully.

But, because it was about Rachel, he just lifted an eyebrow inquiringly. "I'm sorry?"

"About fifteen minutes ago you led Rachel Berry away from this party, and she was white as a sheet," she told him quietly, looking around to make sure they weren't being overheard. "Now you're back, but she's nowhere to be seen. What's going on?"

"She was feeling slightly ill, so I took her away to rest for a little while," he replied calmly.

"Ill?" Santana frowned. "What does she have?"

"Nothing big, I promise," Jesse reassured her. "She was simply exhausted. It's been quite a few hectic days with the promotional tour for the show, and we're still shooting. She was feeling slightly dizzy since she didn't have the time to eat or drink something, so I took her away to eat and drink something," he explained with a slight frown.

Santana seemed slightly disappointed. "Well, I hope she feels better soon," she said, concealing her disappointment. "I was looking forward talking to her about the show and her character," she added.

Jesse smiled. "I'll ask for her PA to schedule an interview for her with you, how does that sound?"

Santana smiled back. "Sounds great."

"Then it's a deal. Now, if you excuse me, I have to find Rachel's mother to inform her of her condition."

Santana wrinkled her nose in slight distaste. "She's that way somewhere," she swept her hand towards the refreshment table. He looked at the direction she pointed, but Shelby was nowhere to be seen. "Will her condition be an issue to the show?"

"No, of course not," Jesse replied. "She only needs to be better taken care of. And I'll personally make sure of that. Now, if you excuse me… I'll have my people call you next week for that interview," he added and walked away, his eyes scanning the crowd for Shelby.

Eventually, he found her in a corner of the room, far away from the press and the TV executives that she loved to mingle with, obviously wrapped up in a very fiery argument with her son-in-law and his mistress. The three of them most likely were the only ones not to notice his return, despite the clamor of voices calling his name once his presence had been noticed. He ignored all the demands for his attention, however, instead making his way straight to the arguing trio and stopping close to them, but without being seen at first.

Quinn Fabray could be considered a beautiful woman. A tall, with slightly wavy blonde hair that she wore tied up, fair skin and honey-hazel eyes that sparkled with envy and jealousy when she looked at Rachel (as if she thought Rachel was stupid, undeserving of her star status), she now stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest and such a scowl on her face that no one would consider her beautiful. Jesse knew why Quinn's behavior that evening had been such a shock to Rachel: until that night, when she had shown her true colors, Quinn had been sweetly helpful, diligent and dedicated, happy to do everything Rachel asked of her. Now that Quinn's real face was out, Jesse burned with the urge to kick her out of Rachel's life, permanently.

The same applied to Finn Hudson. He maybe ached even more to kick the lowlife out of the tiny brunette's life, for lying and cheating on the woman who had selflessly given him everything – if it weren't for Rachel, the good-for-nothing asshole wouldn't even have his career. He now looked at the floor, apparently pouting and scowling as Shelby yelled at him and Quinn. He was an extremely tall man, with black, spiky hair and black eyes, and some would call him good-looking. However, his only talents lay in keeping in good shape and convincing Rachel of his supposed writing skills. Jesse felt a stab of satisfaction at knowing that he could now fire the bastard without worrying if that dismissal would lead to Rachel's departure of the show. Kiss that good life bye-bye, asshole, Jesse thought, and cleared his throat quite loudly.

Finn looked up, his dark eyes widening as he noticed Jesse's looming presence nearby. He quickly warned the women of his proximity, and Shelby looked back at Jesse, an indecipherable expression in her face as she stepped aside and opened space for him to join them. The tension on the other adults was palpable.

Quinn's expression, so defiant just a second before, was now a mixture of fear and belligerence. She evidently was aware that her time as Rachel's personal assistant had come to an end, but she would fight tooth and nail to walk away from the situation with a generous slice of the actress' hard-earned money – all thanks to stupid Hudson who couldn't keep it in his pants and had gotten her pregnant (supposedly). Jesse was certain she would live off that money, combined with the alimony she hoped Hudson would pay her – or off the divorce settlement Hudson would get from Rachel, if he chose to stick with her. For Quinn, the supposed pregnancy hadn't been a mistake. Quite the opposite: it had been the jackpot.

Shelby's lips with pressed tightly together, her face full of burning fury. She had been obviously calculating the damages this problem would bring along, and the results evidently hadn't been pleasant. Jesse hid a smirk. She would be even less pleased once she found out her free access to Rachel and to Rachel's funds were to be definitely cut off.

Hudson was watching him with a look that was more cautious than defiant. Stupid as he was, he wasn't dumb enough to believe he could fight Jesse and end up winning. Jesse made sure his eyes were blank as he looked at each member of the tiny group, not wanting to spoil the news he had to share with them. But not there. He wouldn't say a word there, not with so many people close.

"I'm sure you're all very concerned with Rachel," Jesse said calmly – no one would ever know how hard it had been to keep his voice neutral. "I took her to a private suite I had booked, so she could rest and recover. I suggest you come with me so we can sort out this… situation… in private. I also ask that you keep your mouths shut and don't say anything to the press. I assure you, you won't like the consequences if you do."

"You can't do anything to me, I'm not your employee," Quinn mocked.

"Quinn, shut up!" Finn snapped.

Jesse ignored the blonde and her lover, turning to Shelby. "Give me your arm, Shelby," he told her quietly. The smarter of the trio, she didn't hesitate and linked her arm in his. Jesse looked up, glaring icily at Rachel's conman husband. "Follow us, Hudson, and bring your slut with you."

Hudson's deadly paleness was ruined by the ugly, splotchy blush in his cheek, but Jesse didn't have the time to revel on the look of shame in his ugly face. He led the way back through the room, towards the exit, with Shelby on his arm and his head turned towards her as they pretended to have a quiet conversation and he mumbled several shallow assurances about Rachel's health and reprimanding her about taking a better care of Rachel.

Less then five minutes later, the group was out of the party and into an elevator that led them to the confrontation with Rachel. Or so Shelby, Quinn and Finn thought. In truth, Jesse led them to a conference room where a butler promptly let them in and gave Jesse the keycard. Jesse had booked the conference room after leaving Rachel at the penthouse suite but before going back to the party.

Shelby was the first to react to Rachel's absence.

"Where's my daughter?" She demanded. She couldn't let Rachel away from her, not at such a delicate moment. If she allowed Rachel any leeway, everything she had worked so hard for would be ruined. She had to convince Rachel she was as unaware as her daughter of Finn's affair with Quinn, even though she had noticed the signs months earlier.

"Where she chose to be – and that is not here, Shelby," Jesse replied coldly. His icy eyes locked at Quinn. "Considering the… situation, it'll be best for all the involved if Miss Fabray is fired from her job as Rachel's personal assistant, effective now. Don't you agree, Shelby?"

"I don't even want to work for that spoiled little bitch anyway," Quinn muttered, but Jesse ignored her. Shelby, smart enough to know arguing wouldn't be beneficial to her.

"Of course, I'll file all the due papers in the morning," Shelby assured him.

Jesse turned to look at Finn. "As for you, you're fired from my screenwriting team. Also effective now."

"You can't do that!" Finn yelled in outrage. "I have a contract, it's valid until the end of the season!"

"I honestly don't give a fuck about your contract. I'll pay to let you go if necessary, but I doubt it will. You were only hired as part of Rachel's conditions to sign with me. Since she doesn't want your ass anywhere near her, consider the contract null and void. Oh, and Rachel's also filing for divorce."

"I'll sue you for illegal release of contract," Finn threatened. Jesse narrowed his eyes at him.

"Go ahead," he said silkily, "and I'll make sure you won't find work in this city, not even gathering trash. Do not mess with me, Hudson."

"For fuck's sake!" Finn threw his hands up in the air. "Yes, I've fucked up in my private life! It does not affect my professional life! It doesn't concern you!"

"Oh, but it does," Jesse replied, calmly, "when your private life affects my business. Besides, you have no fucking talent to write. All of your inputs have been reworked by the other writers. I'll say again: do not mess with me, Hudson. You won't like the consequences. Not even your 'aw-shucks' face will get you anywhere if you fuck with me."

Finn slumped on the nearest chair, stunned that his fling with his wife's assistant had brought such a quick and sharp backlash: banished from the A-list rich and famous lifestyle he had been used to leading since the start of his relationship with Rachel, under the risk of being summarily exiled from the celebrity world he had until them lived in thanks to his marriage and without the protection of his wife by his side, he had no weapon to threaten Jesse with. No fuck, no matter how hot, was worth all that!

Satisfied that Finn was at last completely aware of the consequences of dipping his dick in Quinn's pool, Jesse focused his attention on Rachel's mother. He had to thread very carefully when it came to her. Although Rachel had been vehement in her claim that she didn't want to see or talk to Shelby ever again, the bonds of affection that tied mother and child together ran deep. Rachel was hurting now, but she could later reconsider and want to allow her mother back into her life. Jesse couldn't do anything dramatic until Rachel cooled down and they spoke again.

"I don't think you acted with your daughter's best interests in mind when you allowed these two parasites into her life, Shelby. And you should have, both as her mother and as her manager," he said calmly.

Shelby squawked in protest. "This," she yelled, pointing at Finn and Quinn, "is not my fault!"

"Their sleeping together isn't," Jesse conceded, "but you hired Quinn as Rachel's PA. You allowed Finn to tie his non-existent career to Rachel's. Certainly you're not unaware that Finn's hiring as a screenwriter to any production is a condition to Rachel signing on?" He asked coolly. Shelby opened her mouth, but no reply came out. "And those are the only two bad calls you've made as Rachel's manager. I don't even want to think of the bad calls you've made as her mother." He fell silent for a moment, then added, "We'll meet tomorrow at eleven at my office to discuss if you must go on acting as Rachel's manager."

"If Rachel ever decides to let me go as her manager, that's between my daughter and me," Shelby hissed.

"Not anymore," Jesse told her. "As of tonight, Rachel gave me power of attorney to act in her name when it concerns her career and my TV show. That's what I'll do, Shelby. Trust me on that." He made another pause and then tacked on. "Bring a lawyer with you tomorrow, because mine will surely be there."

Shelby felt a shiver of fear skitter in her blood. "Let me speak to her, Jesse," she pleaded. "You can't do that, you can't interfere in the relationship between a mother and her child!"

"I can, when the child is Rachel. I can, when she tells me she doesn't want to talk to you, to see you, to have you anywhere near her," Jesse replied confidently. "I suggest accepting that your domination over her is over. Focus on doing damage control to your own career if word comes out of the conditions involving Finn and Rachel. Do not come after me. I'm a great adversary and I don't hold back when it comes down to protecting what's mine, Shelby."

The threat hung heavily in the air for a few moments. Jesse broke the silence by pushing away of the ample table. "I'm going back to the ballroom. None of you will be allowed back in there tonight. The butler will be back shortly to escort you. It will be best if you leave the hotel immediately."

He then walked away from them and went back to the party. Once again, Santana was the first to spot him and made a beeline for him, with his own personal assistant, Marley Rose, in tow. "I hope you won't be upset with me, Jesse, but I took the liberty of talking to your PA about that interview with Rachel," the Latina told him. Marley looked questioningly at her boss, who nodded.

"It's no problem, Santana. Marley, please talk to Rachel in the next days about sitting down for an interview with Santana, will you? And set up an appointment tomorrow with Matt at nine," he instructed his young PA, who nodded and made a note at her phone.

"No problem, boss," she replied cheerfully, then walking away to join Ryder Lynn, another employee of his. Santana then turned back to Jesse.

"Rachel's family is with her now?"

"They won't be back tonight," he told her calmly. "Meanwhile, why don't you talk to the rest of the cast about the show, Santana? I'm sure they'll be more than happy to talk to you and answer any question you have about our new release." He smiled at her and led her towards Blaine Anderson, Rachel's love interest of the show. She smiled at the young actor and soon they were engaged in animated conversation about his character.

Forty minutes later, he discretely snuck out of the party, this time for good. Matt had sent him a text confirming the meeting for the next morning, and asking what it was about. Jesse succinctly explained what had happened that evening, and Matt assured him he'd give his best to get Shelby, Quinn and Finn permanently out of Rachel's life – and to help the young actress keep all her assets. The hotel security also approached him and told him Rachel's mother, husband and former PA had left the hotel, which was obviously a relief.

Thinking of the next steps he had to take to protect Rachel of the leeches she had attached to her, he reached the penthouse suite. He hoped she remained firm in her decision to break free from Shelby and Hudson. He didn't want to have to persuade her to keep on the path she had just taken tonight. She couldn't go back to her life how it had been until Quinn had dropped her little bomb on her. Actions to change that had been taken. She had a new place in life now.

And that place was right next to him.

The idea popped out of nowhere, bringing with it a deep satisfaction. He felt so possessive towards Rachel that it was almost weird for him. In order to ensure his own freedom, he had always been deeply respectful of women's freedom and choices. But, as an actress, Rachel Berry belonged to him, at least until she wanted out of the show – and if it were up to him her leaving the show would come only when the show itself ended.

Now, as a person, she was free of everyone that had previously tied her back. If not legally, at least factually she was a single woman. That gave Jesse a window of opportunity to decide what to do when it came to his personal interest towards her. And that, he admitted if only to himself, was something very exciting.

Rachel was the most interesting woman he had ever met, and she was no longer being dragged down by her stupid husband. If he played his cards right, he could claim her, have her for himself, uncover her layers for as long as he wanted.

But that, of course, would not happen tonight. Jesse wasn't stupid. Rachel held fidelity in high regard, and was now hurting. It would only cause damage to their relationship if he made a pass on her now, when she was in such a delicate emotional state. His desire for her could – and would – wait.

With that in mind, he slid the keycard in the lock and opened the door.

. . . .

She was still curled up on the armchair he had left her sitting in. Looking back at her life, she had been left with a terrible feeling of emptiness, the awareness that, for her mother, she mattered most as a perfect image on a TV screen than as a person who had real needs, which were sorely ignored and/or dismissed as unimportant.

The fact that Finn seemed more interested in Rachel as a woman than as a famous actress had been what led her to fall for him. His focus on her as a person made her feel truly loved and cared for, for the first time in years, since her father had passed away. She now believed his interest in her interests had been false. After they were married, he often took her mother's side over hers, adding to the pressure of her keeping her image as a squeaky-clean young woman, justifying the sudden change in behavior by claiming she was one in a million as an actress, that she had a duty towards her young fans as a role model.

Day by day, the passion between them vanished as disappointment after disappointment piled up. Still, it was easier to share a house and a life with him than to have her mother breathing down her neck every single day; so, she did everything he asked in order to keep the relationship going smoothly. That included conditioning her signing deals for movies and TV shows to his hiring as a screenwriter for the producing company or the TV station. She had tried to take that clause out of the contract with Jesse, but Finn had claimed that, as a screenwriter of the show, he could defend her interests and ensure she had creative control over the direction the show could take.

But that, like everything else that came out of her mother's and Finn's mouths, was a lie.

It had been all a lie.

Instead of protecting her career, of ensuring her creative control over her career as he had claimed he was doing, he was making one of her dreams come true with Quinn. He had slept with Quinn, had gotten Quinn pregnant behind her back, while to her face he pretended to be a loving, concerned husband. She now knew the truth. He loved the advantages of her carreer: the money, the connections, the fame. For Finn, she was nothing more than the means to the life that he wanted… the life her mother wanted.

If she was honest with herself, she had been unhappy with her marriage for a while now. They had been married for five years now, and the feelings weren't there anymore, and she felt like she had wasted five years of a life in a sham. That was one of the reasons she wanted to have a baby. She believed having a child would mean her marriage hadn't been a waste of her time, and that her child would be someone who would really love her – who she would love back so very much. For her child, she'd do everything, be the mother her own mother hadn't been for her.

Rachel had put a second shot of cognac of herself and now sipped it, enjoying the fire it lit inside her. The warmth down her throat made her feel alive, cemented her decision to take charge of her own life as soon as she had Finn and her mother out of her path. It felt great to have Jesse as an ally, knowing that he would help her go through so many sudden changes, a rock for her to briefly lean on while learning to navigate these strange new tides. It felt even better to know that Jesse did not see her as a prize, as means to an end. His interest in her rested only in her work as an actress for his show. He wanted her trouble-free so she could focus on giving her best at work. A man like him, she thought, wanted the project to reach its potential on its entirety. She could understand that. She was crucial for it to happen, and Jesse was working to make sure it happened the way he had envisioned it.

A man like him…

The words kept echoing in her mind, and Rachel tried to analyze what they meant. Jesse's actions towards her were surprisingly unexpected. He was famous for being demanding, tough and extremely picky. Many media outlets presented Jesse as someone blunt and short-tempered, who spoke the truth as he saw it, not caring about how other people would feel. That was not the Jesse she saw. He had spoken to her with kindness, calm in front of her turbulent emotions, and very clear on her options. He was very confident too, speaking in a very assured way. He knew who he was and what he could do. And that…

… was that what gave him the sexual magnetism that always left her shivering? It probably was… and she also probably wasn't the only one who felt so deeply affected by it. It was very likely that any woman in his presence felt the same way she did.

Rachel was so absorbed by her thoughts that time passed by her and she was unaware. It was the soft click of the door opening that brought her out of her reverie, causing her to startle and turn in her seat, coming face to face with the man who did everything in his power to ensure her peace.

It was so much easier to keep her thoughts in order when he wasn't present. The moment Jesse appeared, smiling softly at her, her heart both raced and clenched with apprehension. She looked at him fearfully, and he smiled comfortingly at her.

"Everything's alright," he assured her. "You won't have to see any of them unless you choose to." His eyes went to the half-full glass she had in her hands, then to the other empty tables on the room. "Did you choose to not eat anything? Aren't you hungry?"

"Ah, I…" She blushed slightly, looking down shyly as she recalled how he had suggested she order some room service before he left. "It didn't even… it didn't even cross my mind. I'm sorry."

He smiled softly at her. "It was a suggestion only, Rachel. You didn't have to order if you didn't want to." He picked up the cordless phone from its base. "But I am a little hungry. I'm going to order a few sandwiches. This way, you can eat if you choose to."

Rachel smiled and nodded as she watched him move through the room, dialing then talking to room service. Flipping through the menu, he added an order of fries to the sandwiches, then turned to her. "Tea, coffee, juice or cocoa?"

"Orange juice, please, with sweetener. And ketchup," she added. He frowned at her, confused, and she blushed deeper. "I like my fries with ketchup," she explained slightly defensively, not caring for a second if it made her look childish. She suddenly felt ravenous.

He grinned at her, and doubled the order of fries. Rachel pondered that, while his grin made him look youthful, it didn't make him look any less threatening. His grin made her think he was always one step ahead of her, carefully planning that so she felt better about having him as an ally. Rachel shook herself up, quickly discarding the thought. Jesse wasn't the awful guy people portrayed him as. At least not to her.

She wondered how things went down with her mother, her former husband and former PA. And decided she'd ask him as soon as he was off the phone.

After he wrapped his order up and hung the phone, he picked up a notepad by the phone's cradle and wrote something on a sheet. He then retook the seat he had occupied earlier that evening. "I've reserved another suite for me and asked that reception blocked all the calls to this one. This way you won't be bothered during the night. Tomorrow, you can have breakfast and once you're ready you can call me on this number," he showed her the notepad, "and we'll meet to go over the next steps, okay?"

She nodded, both relieved and disappointed that it hadn't even crossed his mind to spend the night in the same suite as her. Not that she wanted him to. After all, it was public knowledge that Jesse was in an unlabeled relationship with Andrea Cohen, a breathtaking, very classy model. Although Andrea hadn't accompanied Jesse to the party (Rachel guessed it had been because of previous engagements of hers), Rachel didn't think her absence immediately meant Jesse would jump in bed with some other woman. He didn't look the type of man who did that.

Besides, she was no homewrecker. She was a firm believer of the 'don't-do-to-others-what-you-don't-want-to-have-done-to-you' policy.

For Jesse, Rachel was only business. Even if he considered best to spend the night in her suite to keep her company, it was awesome that he had decided not to. She could not relax when he was present. His magnetism drew her in, and she didn't know what it could lead her to do. Her eyes went to the bed. It made her feel good, to know she'd be sleeping on a bed that she knew Finn hadn't slept with Quinn in. A shiver ran down her spine and she decided she'd get rid of the bed she had at her house. Probably it would be best to list up the house. It was full of bad memories anyway.

"Hudson is no longer part of the show's crew," he told her conversationally. "I fired him from the writing team. And Quinn Fabray is also gone. They're both out of your professional life, and I've revoked their set pass."

He's cleaned up the set so the show can go on and I can focus on my work, Rachel thought. Finn's and Quinn's banishment from her workplace made her feel both avenged and satisfied. "Great," she smiled, looking at the man who was using the power he had to give her peace on her working environment. "Thank you," she added, gratefully.

He nodded slightly at her, his face growing serious. "Room service will take a few moments to deliver our order, and we need to discuss what to do about your mother."

Rachel felt her heart clench again, anger reigniting against her mother for everything she did and didn't do for her, and deciding right there and then to be against anything she had suggested to Jesse. The blue eyes didn't leave her, adding to her tension.

"I have revoked her set access pass as well," he told her calmly, "but it won't matter if you choose to keep her as your manager."

"NO!" The word came out in a wave of hurt. A flood of doubts came shortly after. She had no idea if she was legally obligated to keep her mother as her manager. "Do I have to keep her?"

He made a humming noise. "I thought you wouldn't want to, so I took the liberty to set up a business meeting with her tomorrow at my office to wrap up the business relationship between you and her."

He had been paying attention to her. She blinked at him, perplexed.

"However, you still have to sign the documents that will end the relationship. I've made the first move, but in the end the decision is still yours."

"I do not want her responsible to anything that relates to me," Rachel declared, vehemently.

Jesse nodded slightly. "Then we'll give my lawyer carte blanche to do what is necessary to fire her as your manager."

That easily? Rachel shook her head in amazement, barely able to believe that the chains that had held her back her entire life could be broken so easily. "She'll try to fight you – fight us. What did you say when you set up the meeting?"

Jesse shrugged, stretching his back to get the kinks in his muscles out. "She wanted to see you. Said I couldn't interfere in a mother's relationship with her child. I didn't let her, of course."

"Good," she nodded. "I don't want to listen to what she has to say anyway."

"I told her that," he told her with a grin. She grinned back.

Of course. It's easy for him because he's not emotionally invested, she thought. For him, everything he had done tonight was only a matter of business. It was easy for him to fire her mother, because it was the end of a relationship between an actress and her (bad) manager.

"Do I need to be at the meeting?" She asked quietly.

"Do you want to be?" Jesse seemed relaxed, at ease. Once again, the decision was hers: did she want to be a part of the procedures or not?

She only needed two minutes to come to her choice. "No," she said. In her mind she could already see the fit her mother would throw, the emotional blackmail she'd attempt, the fake tears she would shed, the list of all the things Shelby had (supposedly) done for Rachel.

But it hadn't been for Rachel.

It had never been.

Jesse watched her for a minute, then asked quietly, "Are you afraid she'll manage to talk you into keeping her as your manager?"

"No!" Rachel exclaimed, stunned. "She'll make this whole dramatic scene about how I'm being the worst daughter, how I owe her my career. I don't want that. If you can solve everything without me…"

"Well, I can ask my lawyer to bring papers for you to sign giving him power of attorney to act in your behalf. He can represent you in the procedures." He picked up his phone, tapped at the screen and, after a few minutes, nodded and put his phone aside. "Matt will bring the papers for you to sign tomorrow morning when he joins us for breakfast. You'll also be able to instruct him further. He'll act accordingly."

"Thank you," she said again.

More decisions made… by her… for her.

"There's no need to thank me," he told her, and his phone beeped. He picked it up, unblocked it and read the message, looking up back to her. "Is eight okay for you?"

"Yes, but…" She bit her lower lip and looked down at the luxurious, deep blue silk gown she was wearing. "I only have this to wear."

"A bathrobe will work to sleep and have breakfast tomorrow morning," he assured her. "I'll ask my PA, Marley, to bring clothes for you. She has a network of contacts that can help her with that, having worked for a fashion magazine before she moved on to work for me. So don't worry with that. Just try to rest, relax and think of what you want to do about the situation as whole."

Think of you want to do about the situation. Those words made her feel good. It was awesome to see that neither her mother nor Finn had a hand on what would be of her life from now on. What happened to her life and her career would be up to her – and to her only. Jesse, although he was helping her, wasn't making any decisions in her place. She watched as he picked his phone up and sent a voice message to his PA to "work your magic with Kitty and find some clothes for Rachel to wear for the next few days."

A pleasant warmth filled her chest as she watched him. Suddenly, the power he wielded didn't seem so intimidating and scary. He was using it in her name, as her fearless knight, slaying her dragons.

Rachel couldn't help but like him a little bit for that.