Huge thanks to Tay, shinecsc, Felicity Dream, Maiqu, Lauren-Rose90, and whatthepho for your wonderful reviews, you have no idea how much they mean to me. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Taking Chances-Chapter 2

Jesse looked through the pictures Rachel had around her room as she was looking through her music on iTunes.

"So how did your choreography go this weekend?"

"A weekend of hell, as always with Dakota. How was your practice today?"

"OK. I have to get a Madonna song ready to sing for tomorrow."
"What? You're coach gives you guys homework?"

"Yup. Personally I think he should be spending more time cleaning up our routines, but apparently he feels that we need to get into the music icon that is known as Madonna. So he let us split up into groups of two or three and we have to prepare a song of her's to sing tomorrow at practice."

"Who's in your group?"

"Now that is the only good news. I told Mr. Schue that I was extremely busy tonight due to previous engagements and would not have the time to work anything with a partner or group well enough to do one of Madonna's work the justice that it deserves."

"What previous engagements do you have tonight?"
"You."

"Talented and smart. So which song?"

"Haven't completely decided yet. I'm thinking Like a Prayer."

"Really, no inclination to do Like a Virgin? I could help you out with that one." When he noticed the scowl she was sending his way he immediately backpedaled. "Just kidding. You'll kill Like a Prayer. Want to practice now?"

"Now why would I want to waste my time doing that when my dads won't be home for another hour?" Rachel started one of her playlists before making her way over to here Jesse was standing.

"I missed you this weekend." He whispered as he moved her hair away from her neck and places a soft kiss to her shoulder.

Rachel let out a sigh before she could utter an answer. "I missed you too." Rachel tilted her head to grant Jesse access to her neck, which he took without hesitation. As he made his way up her jaw Rachel turned her head and captured his lips with hers. Within second things went from slow and somewhat controlled to frenzied and out of control with passion-and for once Rachel did not mind not being in control. He slowly puller her after him until his knees hit the bed and then tumbled them both down, never breaking contact. It wasn't until his hand had found its way under her shirt moving upwards that she called a stop to it.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not…I really do feel something for you Jesse, a lot, but not yet. I'm just not ready for that yet."

He dropped his head back and took a deep breath before running his hand through her hair and placing a soft kiss on her swollen lips. "It's ok Rach, I understand." He placed another couple of soft kisses on her lips before finally deepening one. It wasn't until she heard a deep moan, which she is pretty sure came from herself, that she pulled away with a question in her eyes. "Just because we aren't going to go any further doesn't mean that we can't kiss."

"Are you sure?" She questioned.

"Am I sure that I am going to have to take a dozen cold showers when I get home? Why not."

Rachel was just about to walk into the bathroom when she heard them talking.

"So how was it? Because Quinn said Finn had some timing issues so they never made it very far." She would recognize Brittany's voice anywhere, but it wasn't until she heard Santana's voice that coldness enveloped her.

"He did have timing issues. But the second time around was better."

"I always thought Quinn would be Finn's first-the whole head cheerleader quarterback thing. Who knew you'd get there first."

"Well I'm head cheerleader now."

Rachel turned around from the door and walked back down the hallway towards the choir room for practice. How could he? And with her? Just yesterday he was chasing after her in the parking lot trying to get her to go out with him. And then, what, he just fucked Santana, the queen of easy. She can't believe that she actually felt a little guilty over telling him no yesterday. She really was gullible when it came to Finn. As she walked into the room she sent a smile in Mr. Schue's direction before taking one of the open seats near Mercedes. She pulled out her sheet music for her song as the rest of the member meandered into the room.

Mr. Schue started off practice by randomly calling people up to perform their song. Finn and Santana were up first with Into the Groove. After the first verse Rachel got lost in her head to prevent some mental images of the two of them burning themselves on her retinas, and for once Rachel was completely spacing out during Glee practice. She wasn't sure how many times Mr. Schue called her name for her to perform, but from the looks on everyone else's faces it must have been a couple of time.

"Sorry Mr. Schue." She apologized as she handed the piano player her sheet music.

As she started Like a Prayer she shut her eyes and thought back to the night before. Jesse had made her sing in a couple of times before he left her house and he pushed her vocal talents to the limits, something that very few have been able to inspire in her. The memory brought a smile to her face and a soul to the music. Thank God for Jesse. She thought, because without him she didn't think she would be able to make it through the song.

Jesse sat on her bed as Rachel paced back and forth in front of her vanity.

"Good job, Rachel. Good fucking job. That's all I get after I completely nailed Like a Prayer. I blew that song out of the water and all I get from Mr. Schue is good job. Not like I was expecting a standing O or anything, but someone, anyone could have complimented it and Mr. Schue could have come up with something more that Good job, Rachel."

"You need to toughen up Rach. The thing is, you've already shown how talented you are so everyone has raised their expectations of you that much more. I wish I could say it gets better, but it doesn't. You just have to grow a thick skin and only listen to the people whose opinion you truly value. Plus, considering how your school treats you-you could probably find the cure to cancer and you would still just get a good job."

"You know how they treat me?"

"After Sectionals I found out everything there is to know about you."

"And you still went out with me? Brave man."

"Want to show me how brave?"Rachel looked up at him to see his smirk firmly in place. She couldn't help but smile-how was she so lucky to get him? His smirk turned into a smile at the sight of hers and he reached out a hand to pull her down on the bed with him. He let out a chuckle at the surprised shriek that she let out. They laid side by side facing each other. He gently swept her hair behind her ear before placing a kiss on her forehead.

"You're amazing Rachel, so don't let what other people say make you think any different."

Rachel turned her gaze from his eyes down to where she was absentmindedly tracing patterns on his chest. "But what if I'm not?"

Jesse tilted her chin up until he was staring straight into her eyes. "No matter what anyone says or what anyone, anyone, does, never let them make you think that you are not amazing. Ever." Rachel was slightly shocked at the conviction that he said it in. No one ever would have said anything like that about her. She felt her chest swell at the emotion that she felt for him. She leaned in and placed her lips gently against his in a soft caress. It was just suppose to be a quick kiss of thanks, but somehow it turned into so much more than that. She couldn't explain it, even with her vast vocabulary, but somehow she just knew, somehow it just felt right.

As he pulled away and rolled onto his back away from her she propped herself up on her elbow to stare down at him. "What's wrong?"

"Just needed a breather." He up at her alarm clock before taking a deep breath and looking back up at her. "What time are dad's back tonight?"

"They aren't. They went out of town to visit Daddy's sister. They'll be gone until Sunday night."

"Oh." She was surprised to hear the disappointment in his voice. What teenage boy in their right mind would reply like that in this kind of situation. "I should go then." He sat up and went to stand up off the bed before her hand snaked out and grabbed his wrist.

"What?! What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just I think it would be best if I left now."

"And if I don't want you to?"

"Rach, I don't want you to regret anything tomorrow." Jesse couldn't believe what was coming out of his mouth. He was supposed to be seducing her, but somewhere along the way things got screwed up. He had heard all the rumors about her, and after taking a look at her MySpace page he thought that what was said about her was true and the thought of seducing her sounded more revolting than giving himself a lobotomy with a rusty ice pick. But when you were the best you had to make some sacrifices, he knew that. What he didn't know was that there really was no sacrifice when it came to Rachel Berry. He was right when he said that her performance at Sectionals was flawed, it was, but when they sang Hello he couldn't find a single thing wrong with her performance.

"I'll never regret it." He silently asked her again, but she just bent forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

He truly hoped that she wouldn't.

Hope you enjoyed-I know love that St. Berry goodness and there is plenty more to come!

And for any of you following my A Few Small Bruises, the next chapter is almost done, so hopefully within the next day or two I can get that up. Thank God tax season is finally over!

Please Review and let me know what you thought!!! Pretty please!