-1AUTHOR'S NOTE: THIS WASN'T EASY TO WRITE. I TRIED TO DO IT AND HONESTLY SUCKED AT IT. I TOTALLY HOPE YOU AT LEAST KIND OF LIKE THIS. I WILL ADMIT NOW IT ISN'T MY BEST CHAPTER. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YA'LL SOMETHING THOUGH. ANYWAY YA'LL ARE GREAT FOR JUST TUNING BACK IN.

RATING: PG-13

DISCLAIMER: YEAH, RIGHT. HAHA.

CHAPTER TEN: JOHN HUGHES MOVIES

- - -

There were few things in this world that could make Abby feel 13 years old again like sitting in this small recording studio where Rachel and Noah had recorded their first two albums. She could still remember watching her brother chuck his head phones on the floor in frustration when after days of singing he couldn't get his voice to hit a note just the way he wanted. She could remember the way all too often Rachel and Noah would go at it about something idiotic like the pronunciation of a word but just as quickly turn their rage into music magic. It was those random rarely seen private moments that always came to mind when she heard one of their songs. She'd read hundreds of books on this worn leather couch. In fact there was still a stain from where she had once spilled metallic silver nail polish. When asked to list places that reminded her of her childhood she'd always list recording studios. While most kids would have found all of this to be dreadfully boring she'd loved every minute of it.

When Rachel and Noah had packed up their lives and moved to New York City she had been heartbroken. She hadn't been able to fathom living in Lima without the two of them. They were the two people in the world who made her feel really special. If she was being honest she'd hoped and prayed that Noah would change his mind at the last minute. Years later she felt guilty for ever wanting to hold her brother back. But at 8 years old all she could think was that it wasn't fair of them to leave her behind.

Songs for Abigail had made it all a little easier to cope with. When they'd given her the first copy of the CD that would go on to make them household names she'd been ecstatic. She'd listened to it so many times that she'd eventually end up owning close to thirteen before she finally got her first iPOD. It had been the first thing she listened to each morning and the last thing each night. It was almost like they were there with her.

When they had broken up she had been so angry at the two of them. Just like everyone other than Matt and Sylvie she hadn't been able to pick a side. Instead she had precariously walked a tight rope hoping that something like this would happen. That they'd wake up and realize that they needed each other. That they loved each other. Because if there was one thing that Abby was absolutely certain of it was that they were meant for each other in that happily ever after kind of way.

She could still remember the way Noah's voice had cracked when he told her that Rachel had quit. Without even seeing his face she'd been able to imagine the pained and embarrassed look that had graced his masculine features when his voice betrayed him. He hadn't wanted to admit that her leaving had broken him. She could picture him silently telling himself not to be a bitch. She'd known from a very young age that her brother was madly in love with Rachel Berry. She'd seen the menacing looks he shot guys who looked Rachel's way. She'd been able to see the real reason her brother hated Finn even when he hadn't.

She jumped ever so slightly when she felt a gentle hand being placed on her shoulder. She realized that she had zoned out and had somehow missed the fact that she was no longer alone. She gave Sylvie a quick hug.

"Sorry about startling you," Sylvie replied as she flopped down on the couch beside her.

"It's no big I was kind of in my own world."

"Thinking about Alfie," Sylvie guessed with a sly smile.

Abby wished she had been shocked that Sylvie somehow already knew about Alfie but she wasn't even the slightest bit. Rachel probably called Sylvie the moment that they had left last night. "Did she tell you that Noah wasn't a fan of the news?"

"Duh," Sylvie hadn't been the least bit surprised. "She also mentioned that he was coming for the first night of Chanukah. At least we know he's not a total mama's boy like that last night one you were dating. What was his name? Carl? Cal?"

"Saul," Abby groaned at the sheer thought of Saul. He had been a very good looking very talented tennis player who had his pick of colleges. He had also been so attached to his mother she was absolutely amazed he wasn't home schooled. The relationship lasted a whole fifteen minutes before she got tired of his inability to go through an entire date without texting his mom.

"Close enough," Sylvie shrugged as if to say he's lucky I even remembered his existence. "So you love him?"

"Love is a bit strong of a word don't you think?"

"Nah," Sylvie assured her. "I knew I loved Matt the first time he made me French toast. Rachel and Noah had gone to some awards show in Los Angeles and I went out with an old friend from boarding school. I got smashed and met this guy who seemed amazing and well one thing lead to another you know my reputation so you know what happened. We were literally standing just outside his building when he got a phone call from his wife. I flipped because I may have had the reputation of a home wrecker but I wasn't actually one. I realized I was like a block from their old apartment. I called Matt on the way and he told me that he was on a date, but would be there right away. The doorman let me in. I fell asleep in one of his old shirts telling him the story. I woke up to him cooking me French toast. And then I knew. He was it for me."

"It's official you guys are all absolutely ridiculous." Abby declared the moment Sylvie finished her story.

"What? It was totally romantic." Sylvie protested. "A guy making breakfast for you is one of the most romantic things in the world if you ask me."

"I agree it's romantic." Abby assured her. "But I also agree that you guys all have issues."

Sylvie looked at her still confused as to what she meant.

"You should be together. You and Matt should be together. And yet you're not. You're married to some guy you can barely tolerate who never seems to be around. Matt is married to a model that he lets treat him like complete and utter shit. Why is that?"

"Because life is a bit like a romantic comedy. You have to jump over some hurdles before you can actually be together. What's the fun in just getting together with no stress at all?"

"You are so out of your mind."

Sylvie grinned and shrugged. "But aren't we all."

Abby started to disagree but knew that in the end Sylvie was right. They were all at least a little bit deranged.

"How's it coming?" Sylvie asked in reference to the single that was supposed to blow anything Finn and Quinn could come up with out of the water.

"Slowly," Abby sighed, "Very slowly".

Sylvie nodded and watched them for a minute. Whatever Rachel had said Noah seemed to passionately disagree with. They couldn't hear anything. The man Ari had hired to produce the album could though and he didn't seem to be a big fan of that fact. "You want to go shopping?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Abby replied as she quickly collected her things.

- - -

"You guys I don't understand why you keep arguing and having to stop." Scott Evans told the duo on the other side of the glance. He had never seen two people fight more than they had in the four hours they had been in the studio. It seemed they couldn't agree on much other than that they weren't a fan of the track they were putting down. Everyone had said that they would be a pleasure to work with, but he was pretty sure that everyone had lied.

"Don't you hear how forced it sounds?" Rachel asked him incredulously.

Scott resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I think you guys are laying down a great track. How bought I play back some of it for you?"

"There isn't anytime for us to listen to what we already know is substandard." Rachel shook her head vehemently. "We already had to take off an entire day of shooting to sit here and listen to you keep coddling us like children. We're professionals Scott. We've been doing this a long time. We know when it is working and it clearly isn't right now. Please stop kissing our ass every ten seconds."

"Rach-" Noah said quietly. "Stop biting his head off."

Scott watched the entire scene without even so much as blinking.

"I think it's the song. It isn't working." Noah replied as he placed his headphones on the stool that he hadn't sat on once since arriving.

"We don't have time," Scott started to explain that they were on a tight schedule and the last thing they had time for was to start completely from scratch. He stopped the moment Rachel's head whipped in his direction and she practically snarled at him.

"Listen I've got something I was working on," Noah replied as he pulled out his guitar case and some sheet music that was underneath his guitar. "It's not done yet, but I think between the two of us it'll be better than this sheet." He motioned to the sheet music that had been given to them when they walked in this morning.

Rachel waved her hand as if to say let's hear what you've got. By the end she was struggling to keep the tears that were desperately determined to pour from her eyes contained.

"I know it's a little rough," Noah replied as he set his guitar down. He'd written it right often they had gotten off the phone after she said that they were back on. "But I think that with a little polish."

"Noah stop," Rachel held up her hand.

Scott almost wanted to turn around because he felt like he was sitting in on this personal moment. He could tell by the way Noah was staring at the wall that he'd been singing about Rachel and he could tell by the way she was looking at him that she'd loved it.

"That was amazing Noah," Rachel replied softly.

Noah shrugged and waved off her compliment. "It's rough and we both know it, but it's better than what we're working with right now."

"If you have plans tonight Scott I'd suggest you cancel them." Rachel called over her shoulder.

- - -

Noah and Rachel shared a quick smile when they walked into Noah's apartment and found Abby fast asleep on the couch with Pretty in Pink playing in the background. It was her favorite John Hughes movie by far. He motioned for Rachel to make herself comfortable as he picked her small frame up and carried her into her room. He gently placed her on the bed and placed a soft kiss on her forehead just like he had when she was little.

"Noah…" she murmured as she opened her eyes ever so slightly.

"Yeah Abs?"

"Did you guys finish?"

Noah smiled. This is why she would always be a child in his eyes. Little moments like this made it nearly impossible for him to view her as an adult. "Yeah we did."

"Did you play her the song?"

"Yep."

"Good."

"Night Abby. I love you."

"I love you too Noah."

Noah returned to his living to find that Rachel had poured each of them a glass of wine. She was sitting on the end of the couch staring out at the New York City night. He sat down on the other end of the couch and relished the silence that surrounded them.

"I thought he was going to propose to me. I thought by our third year together he would propose to me and then by now we'd have started a family." Rachel mused without ever taking her eyes off of the street below. "I was okay being a mom first and a performer second."

Noah sat there, frozen, not quite sure what to say to her admission.

"Why didn't he want to start a family with me? I know I'm neurotic, but I could be a good mom." Rachel turned and faced him. Tears were pouring down her face. She wasn't sure what had made her think about one of her biggest insecurities. It was probably the family shuffling into the building across the street.

Noah reached out and wiped away her tears. "You're going to be a great Mom Rach and we both know I wouldn't lie to you."

"I think you were right." Rachel admitted softly.

"Of course I'm right. Don't you remember I'm always right?" Noah joked.

Rachel shook her head no. "I'm talking about when you said that he was only with me because I was one half of Ezra and Aliza."

"Listen to me Rachel if I didn't know that weasel would have me arrested for it I would kick his ass just like I did Robbie Parker when we were in sixth grade and he made fun of you for having breasts. I'd smash his fucking nose in. Hell I'd probably be doing him a favor because he is one ugly motherfucker."

Rachel couldn't help but start to laugh.

"Seriously Rachel I get being with a talented ugly guy, but an untalented ugly guy? What were you thinking?"

"I obviously wasn't."

"What did the Dads think?"

Rachel groaned at the memory. "They just kept looking at me like is he really this dense? And then later that night Daddy said Rachel please tell me he was just nervous."

It didn't take much on Noah's part for him to imagine her Dads reactions.

"They've been upset with me for quitting Ezra and Aliza."

"My Mom has been furious at me for pushing you away."

"And Abby was basically caught in the middle."

Noah sighed and ran his fingers through his short hair. "It was like we got a divorce, but nobody wanted to try and understand it."

"That song was beautiful." Rachel had been surprised to say the least. Noah was good at writing songs, but rarely did he write something that could get her choked up like he had.

"I don't have any idea where it came from."

Rachel understood exactly what he meant. Some of the best songs seemed to come from a place you couldn't even begin to describe. "Want to watch Sixteen Candles?"

"Only if you promise not to talk along with the movie."

"I'll try my best." Rachel promised.

Noah got up and changed out the DVDs before returning to the couch. Once he was settled Rachel grabbed the blanket Abby had been using and snuggled up beside him.

- - -

Abby emerged from the guest bedroom the next morning and smiled when she walked into the living room. There she found her brother with his arm wrapped around Rachel's petite shoulders. She glanced at the television and found the menu for Sixteen Candles playing. Now things were really liked they used to be. She glanced down and made sure she still had breasts.

- - -

AUTHOR'S NOTE: SO THIS TOOK FOREVER TO BECOME A REALITY. I TOTALLY APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. I DON'T EVEN THINK THIS WAS GREAT. I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. NEXT CHAPTER YOU'LL MEET ALFIE. I HOPE YOU LIKE HIM. ANYWAY IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND LETTING ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK I'D APPRECIATE THAT. OH AND I WORKED HARD TO GIVE YOU A GENIUINE NOAH AND RACHEL SEEN. LOVE YA'LL. - KRISTINE.