Disclaimer: Glee is not mine. All rights to FOX.

"Oh my God, Rach! It's amazing! I thought you were going to live in one of the dorms at NYADA though, your dads change their minds?"
"I know! I've only been in here for a couple of hours and I already feel like I've lived here for years. It really does feel like home. And yes, or well, I thought I was going to live in the dorms. I have no idea when my dads decided that I wasn't but honestly, I'm really glad they did. Really, Quinn, you have to come down here before all your classes start!"
"Of course I'll come visit. I'm actually leaving Lima in about three days, maybe when I've figured some things out over at Yale I'll give you a call and come down."
"That sounds great!" The two friends continued to talk for a while. When Rachel's dads walked in the door they said their goodbyes and promised to talk soon.
Her dads started to cook dinner while she excused herself for a moment. She went into her bedroom and stood by the window. Once again she picked up her phone and dialed the number she would have dialed many hours ago.

Kurt jumped a little when something or someone mad a loud noise in the next room, Finn. He took a deep breath and continued to surf the web, trying hard to figure out what to do with his life now that NYADA is out of the picture. That's when his phone rang.
"Well, hello New York City!" he said feeling a little warm when he heard her giggle on the other end.
"What am I suppose to say to that? Hello Lima?" she laughed and so did he.
"My God Rachel, how are you doing?" Rachel started telling him about how she thought they were going to go look at dorms and ended up in an apartment her dads had bought her. She promised to show him around later like she had done with Quinn and Kurt grinned when he heard that Rachel and Quinn had talked for a while. Who in their right mind would have thought those two would be friends one day?
They didn't talk for long, Rachel's dads had lunch ready and Kurt was going to have lunch with Blaine. Before they hung up Rachel got serious and asked the one question that had probably been on her mind all too long:
"How's Finn?" Kurt took a deep breath and heard how his stepbrother hit his fist in his desk.
"Ups and downs like everyone else. He doesn't talk much, but he misses you."

This was not working out for him. Finn had woken up at 6 that morning and since then he'd been on the computer, trying desperately to figure out how to clear his father's name and at the same time figure his whole life out. He had several times that morning thrown things on the floor, hit his fist or head on his desk or other furniture or, in some extreme cases gotten up and thrown himself on the bed. He felt done. He didn't want this anymore. About 15 minutes ago he had heard Kurt's phone ringing and him answering something with New York. Realized that he probably was talking to Rachel he had moved to the wall that was separating his and Kurt's room. But Kurt must have moved as well, cause he had a really hard time figuring out what he was saying. He heard small words or names, like Quinn and apartment. Was he suppose to ask Kurt what they had been talking about? No, maybe not, that would make him look like a real jerk for listening to something he wasn't invited to hear. When he didn't hear anything more he went back to his desk. He continued to look up things and all of a sudden he was looking over New York City through Google Maps. He saw Central Park and Broadway and went through so many streets on street view trying to imagine Rachel living in one of the apartments. Maybe she didn't live in that neighborhood at all, but it was Rachel and it was her dads. Maybe he really should visit her.
As it looked right now he was going to Ford Benning next week. He was going to be there until he was fully trained and then be stationed somewhere. If he did something extraordinary his father's name may be cleared. But let's sat he did clear the name, what would he do then? He didn't feel like the military person. Rachel taught him once how to dream, and his dream was acting. His dream was New York. His dream was her. So after the military, acting? Could that be his life? Moving to New York and start acting, or at least, take acting classes. Maybe he could make everything right with Rachel when he was there. He didn't expect her to wait for him. If she found someone she did. And as long as he made her happy and didn't hurt her he would be fine with it. Who is he kidding?! No, he wouldn't be fine with someone else being with Rachel. Just look at how he was acting when Puck and Jesse had had their arms around her. It made him crazy. Gosh, just that night at Rachel's house when spin the bottle had made her and Blaine kiss, that had been awful. He really shouldn't act like this though, and if Rachel did find someone else he just had to accept that.
Was this his plan then? Military, when he was done, he was going to New York. Yes, that's the plan, done! How long would military be though? Until he's done something special? That could take forever.

Rachel walked into the kitchen to eat with his fathers. They ate and talked about what classes she would sign up for. When they were all done they decided to take a walk around the neighborhood.

Time had went by so fast. It was Sunday morning and Rachel was sitting in her apartment drinking tea and watching the news. She had just begun her fourth week in her apartment, in New York City. Her dads had left about two weeks ago to let her get settled for real on her own. It had gone well, once they had left she had gone out to replace some of the decorations that she didn't like, but knew her dads loved. Quinn was coming down to visit this afternoon and Rachel had been up all last night planning three amazing days.
Over all Rachel had been doing really well. She talked to Quinn and Kurt quite often. She had talked a little bit with Tina before she went on a family vacation and had checked in with Mercedes and Santana. Rachel herself hadn't heard anything from the guys, well except for Kurt and in some occasions Blaine, but from what everyone else said they were doing great, or most of them did great, she hadn't heard anything about Finn.
She continued watching the news, nothing was going on. In a city this big with so many international relations, there should be big news all the time, but now. She was almost sure that the Lima news would have more to say than New York, and that was for sure, Lima did not have many interesting news to come with.
She finished her tea and went to put the cup in the dishwasher before she changed into her gym clothes took her bag with change of clothing, a water bottle, wallet, phone and keys and walked out of the door.
There was a gym not far from her apartment. On a normal day like this it would take her only a few minutes getting there. She walked out of the front door out on the path walk. It was typical New York summer weather outside, light grey sky, humid and warm, the sun reaching through the clouds in some spots. Rachel started walking to the gym and when she turned the corner she walked straight into someone. Yeesh! These tourists really need to learn how to walk in New York City. She looked up to say her sorry, but got caught off when she saw the familiar face and the brown hair.
"Jesse?"
"Hi! Going somewhere?" Rachel was still in shock and couldn't say anything. What was he doing here?
"Ehm… yeah. To the gym. Live just around the corner." God, why did she have to tell him where she lived? Change the topic, now! "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be training you Vocal Adrenaline until they puke?" He laughed.
"Why would I do that? My kids are awesome and like the best, but why would I make them puke. That would just mean more work for me."
"Was it because they're so awesome and 'like the best' that we won nationals over you?" she asked now smiling a little feeling the tension drop.
"Very funny Berry. Actually, since you are so interested to know…"
"I'm really not."
"… I finally got in."
"Got in where?"
"NYADA." Rachel's jaw dropped.
"WHAT?!"
"Yes. I got in. I felt like now was the right time for me to take some time a study. Go to a school that may be able to teach me something, I mean, I already know most of what performing is, but a little help may not hurt you. And besides, I may be so great everyone will look up to me and I can help them through this hard thing we call life." Rachel starred at him in disbelief. If Jesse St. James wanted to get into NYADA he would have applied right after he graduated and if he didn't get in he would never try again. Then again, if he did apply and didn't get in, why was he standing here now and telling her he was. "Okay, fine." He said, like he'd been reading her mind. "Can we take it where no one will hear us?" Rachel laughed.
"Really Jesse?"
"Please…" They walked into a small café right where they stood and sat down at one of the tables in the corner. "I didn't get in after senior year. I applied but failed." Rachel looked at him, no surprise at all, which made him come off guard a little. "Madame T was at my audition as well, and well, after that one fail I didn't want to do it all over again, I'm better than that." Rachel rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, I mean. I didn't want to feel the same failure feeling again." She nodded. "So, when I ran into her in Chicago and I knew your audition didn't go the way you wanted it to, I talked to her." He paused and took a deep breath. "I told her what an amazing person and performer you are. And all of a sudden it was like she knew who I was. After a few weeks I got a letter from NYADA asking me to do a second audition to see if I've improved. Obviously I had, because another couple of weeks went by and I got an acceptance letter. Apparently there was someone who dropped off and they went through a list of kids who's been auditioning earlier but didn't get in. Guess I was the lucky one this time." Guess you were was Rachel's only thought, thinking that the lucky one very well could've been Kurt. "Look, Rachel. I know you think I took Kurt's place, but I didn't know anything until I got here and went looking on the dorms, that's when they told me someone had dropped. I know you would rather have him here than me, but right now, I'm the only one you got. I'm going to leave you here now, you go to the gym and whenever you feel like talking to someone, just as friends, call me." And with that he left a small paper with his number on it and left. Rachel picked it up and looked at it, in a short amount of time, she left as well.

It had been so freaking hard to leave everything three weeks ago, but now here he was. First day in three weeks when he didn't have anything planned. They had gotten this one Sunday off, it was the first, and probably the last. The training was so hard. They were woken up at 5 am, and fell asleep the second they were allowed some sleep. Two nights now they had been woken up at different times for drills, not a favorite. He was lying in his bunk bed, top, looking at a picture. It was a bit dirty and folded in some places. Finn didn't know if it was normal for him to act like this, or if it was fair to her, but since he left Lima he's been carrying the same photo that was in his locker his whole senior year at McKinley. The one part of the photo he was keen not to be destroyed in anyway was where the eyes were. Those beautiful eyes he could just drown in, the dark brown eyes that was glimmering in the photo. She didn't know it yet, but the moment he was done with what he had to do he was coming right to her, no matter where she was or what she was doing, and that, the feeling of knowing he was coming to her, was what kept him going when he felt like he couldn't.
Not too many of the guys had seen the photo, but the ones who had congratulated him on getting such a beauty. None of them knew the whole story. None of them knew what was really going on right now. Many of them were talking about why they joined the military and all these things about their personal life. Finn on the other hand had kept everything to himself. He didn't tell anyone why he joined, he didn't tell them where he grew up, he didn't tell them about his family, friends, high school or love life. Cause honestly. If someone made him tell them about his life like all the other guys had done here, he would keep on going for forever. Hell, they could make a TV show about his dramatic life, and God, he couldn't talk about his own life without mentioning things about his friends too, and that, that would make a really long story, a really long drama show. And that, that is why he kept his life to himself. Besides, why do people care?
He jumped off the bed and decided to walk around the camp, or at least, as far as he could come. He needed some fresh air without someone screaming commands at him. He thought about his mom, Burt, Kurt, Puck, Rachel, all these people that meant so much to him. And even though they didn't want to leave his mind, he didn't feel homesick. He missed them, of course he did, but not in that way he had when he went on summer camp when he was eight and cried because he missed his mom and finally got send home. No, that wasn't how he felt now. Maybe it was like this Rory had been feeling, you miss your friends and family like crazy, but you don't want to go back home, cause there's something with the place your in right now that feels like your home as well. Now, Finn didn't really feel like the guys here was his family like Rory had said about Glee Club, but something made him stay. Maybe it was the fact that he knew he had to do this, it was the only way that he could clear his father's name. It was the only way to get back to Rachel.
The day went on and dinner came. He didn't feel like sitting by the guys he usually sat by, most likely because they were talking about all the girls they had met today and everything they had done. He had listened to the "last night" edition during lunch. He sat down by an empty table and started picking his food.
"May I join you?" Finn looked up to see a guy, about his own age, maybe a few years older, standing there with his dinner.
"Sure" he answered and gestured his hand. The guy sat down and reached his right hand over to Finn. He took it.
"Tom"
"Finn" the two young men sat in silent for a while. Tom reached into his front pocket to pick up a napkin he had put there, when he pulled it out something flew down on the table. It was a picture, about the same size as his own of Rachel, and that wasn't the only thing that was similar.

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