Seeing them together made her stomach ache. She did everything to never cross their path, but sometimes luck just wasn't on her side.

She walked down the street to her favorite coffee shop, thinking about yesterdays rehearsals and how fucked up her team was without Jesse. She desperately needed coffee. Sometimes she thought she needed Jesse just to make her team win, to have a star that can blow the audiences minds. He had always been able to blow her mind, when he sang and she was sure her team was better when he was with them. Not only because he was the star, but because they tried harder when he was around. On the other hand, he was the only person she really trusted, so her decision to send him to Rachel was the best she could make. Noone else on her team would ever do that for her.

Knowing her coffee shop was right around the corner, she smiled to herself. Jesse would be back soon. He would find a way to make Rachel search her mother and then he would come back to Carmel, where he belonged.

Walking around the corner, she noticed a couple on the other side of the street. They were on their way to the coffee shop too and as soon as they came closer, Shelby recognized them.

She walked a little slower and was glad there were other people on the street so he wouldn't see her. She had never seen Jesse with his daughter before, at least not hand in hand, flirting like a couple in their honeymoon. When she saw them enter the coffee shop, she decided to stay outside and watch them for a second.

They waited in line and Jesse started looking around, while Rachel tried to decide what to drink. Jesse knew this was Shelby's favorite coffee shop and although he knew they wouldn't even be able to talk freely while Rachel was there, he felt the need to see her. He wanted to talk to her again, even if it was just smalltalk, because he hadn't seen her in what felt like ages.

Standing outside, watching him scanning the room, having one arm around her daughter, Shelby couldn't help but be a little jealous. She missed him more than she had ever thought possible.

She remembered the time where Jesse stayed longer after rehearsals, where they used to have private meetings now and then. The meeting where they had kissed came back to her mind. The day after she had told him that they should stop meeting in private and that there would never be more to their relationship. He had understood.

They had stayed some kind of friends, although without much talking, but when Shelby needed someone to get the tape to Rachel he had been there. He had never doubted her in any way and even in the situation where she had told him to go to McKinley High he hadn't objected. His reasons were simple. She had always helped him with his problems, she had always listened to him and he knew she would be there for him everytime he needed her.

In the coffee shop they were slowly coming closer to the counter, while there were still three people in front of them. Rachel seemed to have made a decision on what coffee she wanted and stood on her toes, telling Jesse what she wanted and then kissed him slightly.
Outside, Shelby's heart began racing. She had kissed these lips before, she had a clear memory of it stored somewhere in the back of her head. It felt weird, seeing her daughter kiss the guy she would love to be with, if it wasn't so damn wrong. She knew she shouldn't be jealous, but she couldn't help it.

Lost in her thoughts she almost didn't see them buy their coffee and make their way to the door. She turned on her heels and started walking away from the coffee shop.

As Jesse and Rachel closed the door behind them, he saw his mentor walking down the street, her steps faster than usual and her head down. He missed her like hell and he couldn't help but think about how she must have felt. I should stop taking Rachel here! It's Shelby's favorite coffee shop. It must hurt to see your daughter and not be able to talk to her the way you want!

With that he put an arm around Rachel and they started walking home. He needed to find a way to make the reunion take place as fast as he could. Because Shelby needed her daughter and Jesse needed Shelby, even if he would never have her the way he wanted to.

…

TBC

A/N: when I started writing this, I thought it would be a separate fic, but it turned out to be a chapter of this one, because I felt like putting them together. That thought came to me, while I was about halfway through^^

REVIEW … and tell me if you want to see them together in the end, or if you want them to life separate lives.