A/N: New chapter! This is the first part of the new York portion. I have to say, I LOVED plugging Jesse into this. I really think they should have used him more in that finale. But-even though Finchel reunited I still feel that things were left unfinished. Particularly the fact that Jesse and Rachel were an item and that was never resolved. Plus, Jonathan Groff has been doing a whole lot of press lately. Am I too hopeful in thinking that perhaps he will become a Season 3 regular?

New York, New York: Part I

Rachel Berry was not amused. New Directions had landed in the Big Apple and while they were supposed to be finishing up their set list, they were instead gallivanting about the city as if they didn't have a single care in the world. She had a care, in fact, two of them. Mr. Schue had specifically told them to write songs and she would not go down with the rest of them when they were invariably found out.

A knock sounded on the hotel room and she rose from her seat, padding over as she tried to guess which New Directions member had returned without their key. When she opened the door, however, she found someone entirely bereft of any key, forgotten or not. In fact, he wasn't even staying in the room.

Jesse smiled wide at her from his relaxed stance just outside the door frame, but his smile dimmed when he saw the tight furrow of her eyebrows. He was adept at tracking her poor moods and could easily detect the oncoming storm.

"What's wrong?" he asked, stepping past her as she moved aside to let him in. She closed the door and spun toward him, her tiny body rearing with frustration as she spat, "They're moonlighting! All of them!"

She looked so agitated that he half expected her to stomp and throw things. "I'm guessing your teammates are not meeting your strict rehearsal regulations?"

"We have nothing to rehearse."

"Oh, well that's good," Jesse said, shoving his hands in his pockets. Although, he had to admit he found it a bit odd that they would be beyond rehearsal. In his rarely humble opinion, there was always work to be done. This was particularly true for New Directions.

"No," she said, stepping forward. "I don't think you get it. We have nothing to rehearse. We have no songs."

"What? But-"

"I was all for the switch to original songs," Rachel said, beginning to pace. Jesse knew from experience that this was never good. She was at her most volatile when she paced. "It worked remarkably well at Regionals but we had weeks to write those. There were edits, rewrites. The competition is tomorrow, Jesse, and we have nothing!"

"You guys will get it done," Jesse said calmly, not wanting to add anything more to her near hysterics. "I'm sure that once they get back they will all be ready to work."

"When they come back," Rachel huffed, shaking her head as she dropped down onto the bed. "They're going to be all keyed up from exploring the city and be entirely unable to work." Rachel laid back onto the bed, resting a hand on her forehead. "Face it Jesse, we messed up."

He laid beside her, turning his head to look over at her. "Well, maybe we can come up with something. Here and now."

"You shouldn't have to," Rachel said immediately. "This isn't your competition anymore."

"No but it's yours," he pressed. "This is important to you, so it's important to me."

"You really want to help?"

He rested a hand on his stomach and said, "I like rhyming."

She smirked. "Is that so?"

"I'm good at it, too."

"A poet who does, indeed, know it," she mused. He chuckled, turning on his side and gently brushing her cheek with the back of his hand. He kissed her softly, thinking of a way he would much rather be spending their time than writing songs. Still, there was work to be done. He pulled away before they could forget themselves in the moment and sat up.

"Alright, time to put some words to paper," he said. He gestured over to the nightstand on her side of the bed where a notebook and several pens laid. "So, pen and paper please?"

Mr. Schuester was rather surprised to enter the boy's hotel room and find Rachel and Jesse sitting on the bed, scraps of paper strewn around them. Rachel had her hair piled in a high bun, hands seemingly painting some shape in the air as she spewed out words.

"Fight…right…" Rachel was saying, body pitched forward while she worked through something that seemed exceedingly difficult. "Alright!" she announced. "Alright!"

"Uh Rachel," Jesse said, pointing over her shoulder toward Mr. Schuester. "We have some company."

"About time!" she huffed, looking over her shoulder. Her eyes widened when she saw it was Schue and not her wayward team. "Oh, Mr. Schue! I-I was expecting someone else."

"Where's everyone else?" Schue asked. He didn't even begin to work through the ramifications of Rachel and Jesse alone in a hotel room that he had paid for. No, he would leave that one alone.

"Out exploring the city," Rachel said crisply. "I chose to remain here to ensure that at least some progress was made on our set list."

"And I am giving assistance," Jesse added.

"Wait, you guys haven't finished the set list yet?" Schue managed, beginning to feel like there was an elephant on his chest. The competition was tomorrow. How could they not have completed the set list?

"Not to worry Mr. Schue," Rachel said. "Jesse and I have just completed one of the songs. The group number, actually. Would you like to hear it?"

Schue was so taken aback by everything that had just been presented to him that he merely nodded, leaning against the wall as Rachel told him, "The song is called Light Up The World." She looked to Jesse and nodded slightly. Both seemed to breathe in synch before beginning the song.

Whatever daze Schue was in found itself effectively broken by the catchy melody that Rachel and Jesse had created. His foot tapped on the floor along with the beat and by the time the song ended, he had nearly forgotten all the vexation of his team moonlighting their duties and Rachel entertaining a boy in the hotel room alone. Nearly.

"It's good guys," Schue said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's really good."

"We still have one more to write but-"

She was interrupted by the door opening and the rest of New Directions piling into the room. Puck glowered toward Jesse but was positively pleasant as he looked down at Rachel and said, "Hey there, my little Jewish princess."

"Noah, you have to stop calling me that."

"Not a chance," he said.

"Guys, where were you all?" Schue asked heatedly. "Rachel here told me that you have no songs written!"

"Actually we have one," Rachel interjected, gesturing between her and Jesse. "We wrote one, remember?"

"Wait-Jesse helped out?" Finn asked immediately, disapproval evident in his voice. Rachel frowned and returned, "Yes, Finn, just like he has this entire time."

"Down Hudson," Santana said tiredly. "Your non-chivalrous behavior is even starting to annoy me."

"You guys are not allowed to leave this room until you've finished that last song."

"Don't worry Mr. Schue," Finn supplied, chest puffing out as he assumed the role of leader for once. Apparently Jesse's having a hand in the last song kicked him into high gear because he assured them all, "We can get this next song done in no time."

"That's the spirit," Schue said, although his voice held none of its typical optimism. "So, let's get serious about tomorrow!"

Rachel turned to Jesse and said, "I think it's be best if we did this just as a team."

"Are you saying you don't want me here?" Jesse asked lightly.

"No," she said with a slight eye roll. "Always with the drama."

"Touche, Ms. Berry."

"We'll work better if you and Finn aren't bumping egos."

"I don't need to bump anything," Jesse said quietly. "He's the one with the problem."

"Yes, I know. But still…it's for the win."

Jesse sighed, nodding his head in agreement. He knew him being there wasn't the best idea, not at the moment. While him helping with the song did light a much needed fire under one Finn Hudson's bottom, his prolonged presence would only be destructive.

"Can I take you out for dinner?" he asked.

"If we're done."

"Hey, you wrote the first one," Jesse said. "That warrants you a dinner pass."

She grinned. "Fine, you can take me out for dinner."

"Fine," he mimicked. "You make it sound like such a chore."

Laughing she pushed him toward the door and said, "Lobby at seven. No earlier."

"Yes, Ms. Berry. Seven o'clock on the dot."

She gave him a quick kiss and then ushered him from the room, closing the door behind him. She took her spot in the front of the room and planted her hands firmly on her waist. "Alright people, let's do this!"

Finn did succeed in heading up the new song. He wrote most of it, planting him and Rachel as the leads. It turned out to be a duet, in fact. The words illustrated what was undoubtedly a love song.

She would be strategically leaving this out at dinner with Jesse.

"Rachel," Finn said, pulling her from her thoughts as she waited for seven o'clock to arrive. She looked up at him, gleaning from the careful expression on his face that he was going to play nice.

"Yes Finn?"

"I was going to grab some dinner," he said. "Want to come with?"

"I already have plans," she said crisply. "Jesse is taking me out for dinner."

"Oh right," he said a bit dejectedly. "I should have figured."

"Yes," she said distractedly. The numbers on the electronic clock had just changed from 6:54 to 6:55 and she was ready to leave. "Well, I should head to the lobby."

"Rachel," he said again, stepping toward her as she grabbed her coat. "I don't want things to be awkward between us."

"Well, your overt disapproval of my boyfriend makes that a bit difficult, no?"

"I want us to be friends again," Finn held. "We were friends before."

"A lot has changed."

"Look, I'm sorry about my stuff with Jesse," Finn said. "I just really don't like that kid but-"

"Is this supposed to make me want to be friends with you again?" she asked heatedly. "You know, the more you attack my boyfriend the less-"

"Would you let me finish?" She hesitated for a moment but then crossed her arms over her chest and nodded for him to continue. "I may not like Jesse, but you clearly do. And from what I've seen, I have to admit that he seems like he's good to you."

"He is," she said firmly.

"So, I'll back off."

"Really?" she asked cautiously, not fully believing that he was sincere.

"Yes really," he said. "I'm backing off."

"Okay," she said slowly, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "You're backing off."

"I won't try to get in the way."

She nodded, unsure how she felt about this whole declaration based on the fact that she didn't know if she could trust it. "Well," she started. "I should get downstairs."

"Right, um, I'll see you later."

She nodded and then left the room. Finn's words played repeatedly in her head as she took the elevator down. The more she thought about them, the more sincere they became. Could it really be that Finn was gracefully bowing out? Was he even capable of that?

By the time she reached the lobby she decided that he could, indeed, not draw the contrite triangle out any longer and found herself with an almost giddy exuberance. She smiled wide when she saw Jesse and surprised him by throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him full on the mouth.

"Well, that's one way to say hello," he said after theirs lips parted. "I'm guessing the song went well?"

Her happiness had nothing to do with the song but she nodded anyway, "Yes, exactly."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and they walked out of the hotel. Her stomach shifted uncomfortably from hunger and she asked, "Where are we going, by the way? I'm starving."

"Are you really?" Jesse asked, looking down at her. "Distended tummy and all?"

"I can't take your humor right now," she told him with a good natured grin. "My very vocal stomach won't allow it."

"I am taking you somewhere you will love," Jesse told her. "Past that, well, you will just have to wait and see."

"A surprise," she cooed. "I love surprises."

"Exactly," he returned, squeezing her side.

"You know the best thing about surprises?" The question was clearly rhetorical in nature as she immediately answered, "Clues. Give me one."

"I can't," Jesse said. "Any clue will give it away."

"Really," she said slowly. "You know Jesse, that in itself is a clue."

He grinned down at her and said, "Yes, I know."

"Okay," he said decisively. "A place so wonderful that even the slightest clue would give it away..." She thought hard, face screwing into a look of deep concentration. Jesse laughed at her expression and said, "Don't over exert yourself, Rach. We'll be there in minutes."

"Ah, location!" she trilled. "I may be from Lima but I do know my New York streets! Considering where we are and the places nearby that…" she trailed off, stopping in her tracks as her mind no doubt landed on their destination. He turned toward her, grinning as he took a firm hold of her hand and tugged her forward.

She barely breathed as they approached Sardi's. She didn't fully believe they were truly going there-she couldn't-until he held the door open for her and said, "After you, Ms. Berry."

She walked in, grabbing onto Jesse's hand the moment he returned to her side. She squeezed his hand tightly and said, "Jesse, this is Broadway legend!"

"Which is exactly why we are here," he told her. He leaned down and kissed her cheek and then whispered, "Might as well scope out our future haunt."

The host led them to their table, a nice two seater nestled in the corner of the restaurant. It was the perfect spot to scope out the rest of the restaurant and Rachel did just that. Her eyes widened when she saw a familiar female rise from a table in the back, pulling her coat over her shoulders.

"Oh my God," Rachel breathed out, hands beginning to tremble. "Jesse, it's Patti Lupone!"

"You mean your mother?" he asked with a small grin, referring to her extraordinary story of Lupone being her mother from the year before. She ignored him completely, conducting a one sided conversation as she weighed whether or not she should approach her. "Oh, Kurt would kill me if I didn't!" she exclaimed. "I-I'm going to do it!"

She shot out from the table, stepping in front of Lupone before she passed. The woman smiled kindly Rachel, no doubt accustomed to being approached as such. "Ms. Lupone," Rachel began demurely. "I just want to tell you that I am such a fan."

Jesse rose beside Rachel and added, "You were flawless in Gypsy."

"Oh, well thank you," Lupone said, her eyes roving over Jesse's form. Rachel noticed and didn't know whether to laugh or frown. Jesse clearly was leaning toward the former, his lips pressing into a tight smirk.

"So, are you two visiting the city?" she asked.

"Yes, I have a show choir competition," Rachel told her politely.

"You're a singer then," Lupone gleaned.

"A wonderful singer," Jesse supplied. "Her Don't Cry For Me Argentina nearly rivals your own."

"Jesse," Rachel admonished quickly, shooting him a look. She told the older woman, "Mine is nowhere as accomplished as yours, Ms. Lupone."

She merely smiled at that and said, "Well, I wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors, Ms…"

"Berry," Rachel stammered. "Rachel Berry."

"Well Ms. Rachel Berry," she said with a small grin. "Good luck at your competition." She glanced over at Jesse through thick eye lashes and offered him a sly smirk before maneuvering around Rachel and exiting the restaurant. Rachel sat down shakily and said, "Did Patti Lupone really just wish me good luck for Nationals?"

Jesse took his seat and said, "Yes, she did. I also believe she gave me the once over. You know, it's a good thing she wasn't your mother. Considering what just transpired, that had the potential to be very uncomfortable."

"I can't believe that just happened," Rachel said.

"You're in New York," he answered with a grin. He loved seeing her so clearly happy. "Anything can happen."

She grinned, reaching across the table for his hand. "So," he said. "Tell me about the song."

"Oh, the song," she said, her eyes losing a bit of their brightness. "It's, um, pretty good."

Jesse picked up on the elusiveness easily and said, "What are you not telling me?"

"Nothing," she said innocently. "It's a good song."

"Who's singing it?"

She looked casually to the side as she quickly said, "Finn and I."

"A duet," he filled in.

"Yes," she said. "A duet."

"What's the song's name?"

She swallowed hard, the name seeming to get lodged in her throat. She finally managed to get out, "Pretending."

Jesse knew that Rachel had only one reason to be hesitant in relaying facts on the song. If it were bad, she would simply say so. If it were unabashadly good, she wouldn't be able to stop talking about it. This coyness could only be attributed to one thing. "He wrote you two a love song, didn't he?"

"Not exactly," she returned, trying to think of a different way to describe the song. "It's, uh, sentimental."

"It's a love song," he held. She could see that he was irritated. He even pulled his hand away.

"Look, it's just one song." He didn't seem convinced. He looked away from her, jaw tightening. "And you trust me, right?"

This caught his attention and he held her gaze and he said, "Of course I do."

"Then trust me on this," she told him. "It may be a love song for him, but for me it is nothing but words. Meaningless words. And besides, before I met you tonight Finn said he was going to lay off us."

"Really?" Jesse asked with disbelief.

"I was suspicious at first too," she said. "But he said he could see that we cared about each other. You don't have to worry about Finn, Jesse."

"I know," Jesse said, reclaiming her hand. "I know."

"We're arguing at Sardi's," she said with a frown. "I don't think this is allowed."

He laughed a bit and agreed, "No, I don't think it is."

"No more talk of Finn tonight," she decreed. "No New Directions, either."

"You're right." He looked around at the restaurant and said, "We'll talk about our future here. I wonder which one will become our table."

"Definitely not a booth," she said confidently. "I hate booths."

The discomfort of their minor argument forgotten, they passed the rest of dinner discussing their future New York endeavors.

A/N: I feel like this ended a bit abruptly but I had to cut it off somewhere. Next chapter will have the actual competition and then a bit back at McKinley. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this! I definitely had fun putting Jesse into the episode and I hope you enjoyed reading it, too!