A/N: Again, thank you for the reviews, alerts and everything – it's keeping me writing even though I'm suffering sever writers block! But I'm hoping that when the Glee box set comes out, I'll get back into it, get my head around the characters again so to speak. Anyway, this chapter is sort of a collection of smaller chapters – or moments – without (hopefully) dragging too much. Anyway, let me know what you think and as always, read and enjoy!

-StB-

How'd it go with your dads?

Getting a text from Shelby will never be normal.

Would I be able to call you? It's not really something that's easily translated over text.

She wonders, as soon as she's sent it, if she's gone too far. These are new boundaries she's pushing, new walls she's got to break down and it feels a little too much too soon.

Sure. Call me around 8.

Rachel gets a jolt of butterflies in her stomach because she will never get used to this. (Or the baby.) She doesn't reply because she wants to save the talking for later and she assumes Shelby's busy with Vocal Adrenaline rehearsals. And that's when the next bombshell hits. They've got regionals coming up and performing with one pregnant member was bad enough but with two? That's not what Rachel saw coming. Especially the fact that the second expectant member was her; the female lead, the star of the show.

It makes her queasy and traumatic and even less inclined to face the wrath of her fathers. So she sits on her front doorstep because she's got nowhere else to go (except Shelby's, but that'll mean more explaining in the long run and she's not sure she can lie to her father's anymore.) She hasn't even told them who the father is, but she's pretty sure they can gather it's Jesse. Though in some respects, it's worse that it's Jesse because in their eyes, they'll see he's a senior and believe he should know better. They'll claim he took advantage of their little girl, that he can't be trusted. But the truth is, she'd trust him with her life and right now, she's trusting him with so much more.

"Rachel, you've been sat there for over an hour. Don't you think it's time you came inside?" One of her father's stands wearily behind her, rubbing his forehead gently. Rachel obliges quietly, running her phone around her hands. She receives a kiss on her forehead as she mounts the stairs, taking a seat on her bed as she finally plucks up the courage to dial Shelby's number.

"Rachel? That you?"

"The one and only," a chuckle transpires into a soft sob even though Rachel's sure she's all cried out. Shelby asks about her fathers and Rachel tells her everything in painful details. Shelby asks about Jesse and regionals and it's like she's inside Rachel's head the way she understands everything. And before long, Rachel's yawning down the phone and Shelby whispers goodnight as Rachel falls asleep with her phone in her hand. She doesn't hear either father enter her room within the next hour, each one kissing her goodnight and tucking her hair behind her ear. They're more alike than they'd like to admit right now and as each one sits with their daughter in turn, they realise that no matter what happens, they love her. And it's not the answer to everything but for now, it's more than enough.

-StB-

"Rachel, may I have a word?" Rachel dares a glance at Quinn, who nods in reassurance. Rachel applies her mega-watt smile but it falls short in front of Mr Schue. Tina raises an eyebrow but is ushered out by Quinn, leaving only Rachel, Puck and Mr Schue.

"If it's alright with you Mr Schue, I'd like to stay." Puck gets that Jesse can't be here but that doesn't mean someone else can't make the effort. Will looks to Rachel who nods her approval and he draws up three chairs, indicating the two of them sit.

"Rachel, is there something you want to tell me?" Will's not quite sure what he expects Rachel to say but it's become crystal clear that something's going on. The others are starting to notice (mainly due to the lack of input on Rachel's behalf) but it's more than that for Will; her eyes don't shine, her smile is muted and just something about her has changed. Rachel flickers her eyes to Puck who places a reassuring hand on Rachel's knee.

"Not really," Rachel chuckles softly and Mr Schue raises a somewhat humorous eyebrow.

"Okay, let me rephrase that," he smiles, rubbing his hands together absently. "Is there something you should be telling me?"

His smile quickly fades as Rachel's bottom lip begins to waver, her eyes darkening with fear and desperation. Puck breathes gingerly and Will's beginning to worry that something really bad is occurring here.

"Rachel, I'm really concerned; this isn't like you at all."

"Er, Mr Schue? The thing is – " Noah begins but Rachel cuts him off.

"It's okay, Noah." Rachel's face tumbles into a watery smile and though she's appreciative of Puck's efforts, she knows she's going to have to start taking responsibility for her life. "This is going to be a bit of a shock, Mr Schue and I'm sorry to be the one putting you through this, especially after all the trouble you went through with your wife."

Rachel inhales slowly and stands up, Puck gently dropping his hand from her knee. "I think these images will be more than conclusive enough for you, Mr Schue." And with that, she lifts the top she's wearing and watches Will's mouth drop as she drops the hem of her top. He exhales in a low whistle and massages the palm of his hand with his other thumb.

"And it's yours, Noah?" Puck quickly shakes his head and clears his throat.

"No, it's not mine Mr Schue, but I'm – "

"Noah's been a real gentleman," Rachel inputs and the earnest look on her face brings a touching smile to both men's faces. "But he's not the father."

She waits and Will leans a little forward, waiting to hear the name Finn fall from her lips. He looks into her eyes with a silent question of 'Well, who is?'

"It's Jesse." The silence that follows this revelation isn't wholly uncomfortable but it's not that welcomed either.

"As in St. James?" Will has to clarify though he's already trying to remember where he put Shelby's number.

"He's not a saint," Puck's quick to input but Rachel quicker to shoot him a warning glance; Mr Schue might well need to know about her pregnancy but he doesn't need to know about the conception, however worryingly it happened. Will picks up on the way Puck scoffs Jesse's participation but puts it down to (an odd form of) jealousy.

"Well, I'm glad you felt you could tell me, Rachel. But as you're probably already aware, I am going to have to tell other members of staff."

"I know, Mr Schue." Rachel can't hide her unease but she always knew this was going happen. He smiles sympathetically and gives her knee a tight squeeze of reassurance.

"Go on kids, get yourselves home." Will stands up and watches the two walk out, tidying the chairs away with a heavy heart; he's like nothing more than a wife and a child but it seems some things just aren't to be. Puck drives Rachel home though she protests she's more than able to walk, he tells her that since he's keeping her secret from Finn, the least she could do is accept his ride home. She doesn't like to listen when he tells her she's going to have to tell Finn soon but that's only because she knows Puck's telling the truth. This will be the second time one of Finn's girlfriend's has got pregnant and once again, the baby isn't his. Puck tells her Finn will be fine with it but given the fact the baby is Jesse's makes Rachel think otherwise. But there's nothing she can do about it now and so she thanks Puck for the ride and goes straight up to bed. Being Rachel Berry is tiring enough without the added aspect of pregnancy. Her fathers (both of them) come up and lie beside her on her bed, and though there is no verbal confirmation, it seems acceptance has finally been granted all around.

-StB-

Jesse's invited Rachel round for dinner because they still need to talk but Rachel insists they will, only after they've eaten. But it's not long before the conversation begins to centre around the baby and Rachel finds herself voicing her thoughts on adoption.

" .. we could find a stable, loving family, with a white picket fence and chandeliers in the living room and horses in the back yard," and as she loses herself in the image, she doesn't realise it's slowly eating away at him. She doesn't notice it and he can't understand it.

"Sounds great," Jesse replies abruptly, clearing the table to give himself any reason to not sit still. "You finished with that?"

He doesn't even wait for Rachel to reply and picks up the bowl, discarding the remains in the bin and slotting each item into the dishwasher. She watches on, deflated by his attitude because everything she does these days seems to upset one person or another.

"Jesse?" She sounds so young, so tentative when she talks and he momentarily stops to look at her, before setting about tidying something else that, quite frankly, doesn't need tidying. "How am I supposed to know what to do if you won't talk to me about this?"

"It sounds to me like you've already made your mind up, Rachel. There's nothing to talk about." Her face falls because if Jesse recalls correctly, it's not exactly her fault they're in this situation.

"It was just a suggestion," she says in return, her voice flat and timid. The vulnerability in her words rip at his ear drums and the hard exterior he's got going on begins to slip. She rubs her eyes quickly because she's worried little tears will start to fall if not and Jesse discovers he still has some heart as he motions around the table to pull the seated Rachel into a warm embrace. She hides her face against his stomach and he brushes her hair down the curve of her neck. She feels his laboured breathing against her cheek and it dawns on her that he's finding this just as hard as she is. And the worst thing is that Jesse has no one to talk to about this. Rachel's got her dads and Quinn and Shelby but Jesse's got no one and that's what scares her more than anything. Because without the baby, Jesse really has got nothing but she's not sure if that's enough of a reason to not give up the baby. Because he'll always be the boy who broke her heart and for once in her life, she's got to think of herself.

"You're right," Jesse admits some minutes later, a voice of reason finding its way into his mind. "We should talk."

And they do and it's not easy or pleasant but it's progress.

-StB-

"And again." Shelby cues the music, her head in her hands and a grimace on her face. The way she sees it is this: her star performer has got her only daughter pregnant and to say neither one is coping is an understatement. And to top it off, they've got to compete against each at regional's and half their respective teammates don't even know the half of the situation. So with all that buzzing around her head at ninety miles per hour, Shelby's less than impressed when her bunch of supposedly talented kids struggle to hold together a two and half minute routine. "Guys, guys, guys, this is poor. What could you possibly be thinking about other than regional's? Because there must be something going on in those tiny minds of yours for you all to keep destroying my choreography."

Her protégés shuffle awkwardly on stage and Shelby sighs heavily, starting the music again and tying her hair off of her face in frustration. Jesse eyes her warily, which earns him a light thump on the shoulder because everyone else has started dancing but Jesse's staying still.

"She means you too, St. James. Move yourself." An exhausted blonde haired boy shoves him again and Jesse finally gets the hint. It's been a good three hours solid and Shelby's still not satisfied and even Jesse's starting to feel the rehearsal taking its toll.

"God, just stop, just stop." Shelby shakes her hands in some sort of muted hysteria and cuts the music altogether. She collects her stuff and shoots Jesse a stern glance, before making her way to the exit. "We are done here, rehearsal's over."

The stage empties with dragging feet and dramatic complaints but Jesse darts up to meet Shelby because he knows by now what Shelby wants with only one look. And it doesn't occur to him that it's odd or unusual because it's all he's ever known. And the way he sees it, he has more respect and admiration for Shelby than he'll ever hold for his own parents.

"This isn't working," she admits upon seeing Jesse, pen lodged between her teeth in thoughtful serenity. He looks at her blankly but she laughs; a sound so akin to Rachel it's odd. "Vocal Adrenaline, regional's. All of it."

It's not defeatist or despairing on Shelby's behalf, it's acceptance. And Jesse seems to understand that, on one level or another.

"I can't think straight, you know?" Jesse knows exactly. Each day he's plagued with thoughts of Rachel and the baby, his future and his parents. "It's too much," she finally confesses, using her hands to animate her speech in a way that is so Rachel Berry. But then, Jesse muses, it's actually so Shelby Corcoran, given that she's Rachel mother. And that's why it's hard, because the lines between friends and lovers, teachers and mothers are all starting to blur and Jesse's not sure on which side he stands.

And then Jesse does something unexpected; he pulls Shelby into his arms and just hugs her because right now, his words are meaningless to them both and sometimes a hug is just easier. And this is why she's pushed him from the start, supported this one boy more than any others, because he still has the ability to surprise her even after all this time.

"Enough of the momma-loving," Shelby laughs, removing herself from Jesse's embrace with a gin which Jesse instantly reciprocates. He opens his mouth to speak but she quickly clamps her hand over his mouth, an eyebrow rising more by the minute. "Don't even try and add in the 'grand' St. James."

She feels Jesse smirk beneath her hand and finally lets go of his mouth, playfully tapping his cheek before running her eyes up and down his appearance. He's always thought of her as family and now, whether she likes or not, she is. And even if they don't keep the baby, Jesse knows that no matter what, the three of them will all have shared something special and for that, he's glad.

"How's Rachel?" Jesse carries Shelby's bags to her car, ignoring the taunts from the last members of Vocal Adrenaline awaiting their rides home. He'll always be her favourite and there's nothing anyone can do about it (not even Jesse; he's tried.)

"You haven't heard from her?" Shelby's a little shocked but she hides it well. The look on Jesse's face confirms her answer and her features soften as she takes the last lot of baggage from his arms.

"We talked," Jesse shrugs, "But that was –"

He trails off because in between singing and dancing and eating and sleeping and thinking, he can't quite place what happened when.

"Well, she's good," Shelby informs him, a warming smile lighting up her eyes. "But you know, you could just pop round and ask her, rather than going to her mother."

Her smile shifts into a smirk and he can't deny she has a point. A well furnished point that is painstakingly obviously but as the days pass by, Jesse finds himself wanting to spend less and less time around Rachel, because every time he does he becomes more aware of the fact that they're going to have to make a decision sooner or later.