A/N: Thank you for all of your feedback! I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy this :D

Chapter Fourteen

Rachel expected some sort of over-blown reaction from Megan upon seeing her and Jesse emerge from the hallway in each other's arms, but her friend surprised her by settling with, "It's about damn time."

"That's it?" Rachel asked, stealing a glance at Jesse and seeing the smirk on his face. "You badger us for a good two months about this, and that's all we get?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Megan joked. "I didn't have time to choreograph your congratulatory interpretive dance."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Disappointing, Megan. This is very disappointing."

"So, what happened? What'd you two talk about? You leave out any details and I really will choreograph that dance. And believe me, you don't want that. There's a reason I'm not a dance performance major."

"Well, Jesse was being pissy," Rachel began.

"And then Rachel slapped me," Jesse added thoughtfully. "And then…"

He looked down at Rachel and she finished, "And then we kissed. The end."

Megan looked between them and said, "Hold on, why did you slap him?"

"Because he deserved it."

"I kind of did," Jesse admitted. "And besides, those tiny palms don't enact too much damage. The small circumference and all."

"So, you went straight from slap to kiss?"

Jesse shrugged. "There was a bit in between-"

"A bit that will stay between us," Rachel interjected.

"Yeah, other than that though, it pretty much was one after the other."

Megan shook her head. "I really don't understand you guys. But I'm happy you finally bit the bullet and got together. All that sexual tension was starting to get annoying."

"Starting?" Rachel asked with a knowing grin.

"I'm trying to be nice here," Megan returned. Rachel laughed, leaving Jesse's arms to give her friend a quick hug.

"I know. And that is why we love you."

"Alright, you guys go be all gross on the dance floor," Megan said, grinning a bit. "I am already diverting my eyes."

Rachel laughed, giving her a quick wave as Jesse took a hold of her arm and led her out onto the dance floor. She turned into him, sliding her arms around his neck. Close to him again, she caught notes of the familiar cologne he always wore, and she was transported back to that music store two years ago when they met and everything changed.

"I can't believe we're back here again," she murmured, gazing up at him.

"It was an inevitability," he said with his trademark arrogance, but she knew he was just as surprised and delighted by it all as she was. She could feel it in the careful way that he held her, and the tenderness in his gaze.

She rested her cheek against his chest, her thoughts drifting back to the boy in her bedroom. He thought they were an inevitability too, and she hated that in a few hours she would break his heart. Sure, he had done it to her enough over the years, but he had grown up into a good man and she didn't want to see him hurt.

"Are you thinking about him?" Jesse asked.

"Yeah," she admitted. "But not in the way you think."

"What way then?"

His fingers pressed lightly into her sides, as if he were reminding himself that she was his, and she stroked the back of his neck as if to say, yes, I am…this time I truly am.

"I know what it feels like to be turned away by the person you love," she said softly. "And I hate that I'm going to do that to him."

Jesse was silent and she wondered if she made a mistake telling him. Finn Hudson had never been a comfortable topic, and even with her firmly on his side – in his arms.

"You're a better person than me," Jesse said. "After everything he put you through, I wouldn't have the least sympathy. He pushed you away more times than I can even count."

"He did," Rachel agreed, resting her chin on his shoulder. "A lot of times for really stupid reasons, too. But this last time, he did it for me. I would still be in Lima if it weren't for him, Jesse. I wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be here."

"So, you're saying I should thank him?"

"No," she said immediately, glancing up at him. "I'm saying that you shouldn't send the firing squad after him."

Jesse's voice was light as he returned, "Now would I ever do that?"

"Yes, you would."

"What are you going to tell him?"

"The truth." She didn't offer any further explanation, and he didn't ask.

Jesse was quiet when they got back to the dorms, and she found herself with a similar uncharacteristic lack of words. They both knew that Finn Hudson was waiting for her in her dorm room, and although she promised him that she wouldn't change her mind, she knew there was a part of him that didn't believe her. After everything that had happened over the past two years – all the times she didn't choose him – she couldn't blame him.

"You want to watch a movie or something?" Megan asked Jesse. She knew he wouldn't want to go back to his own dorm with Finn there, and Rachel would pitch a fit if he stepped anywhere near her room.

"Yeah," Jesse said, glancing at Rachel. "That sounds fine."

"You going to stop by?" Megan asked Rachel, voice deceivingly casual. Rachel shook her head and said, "Probably not. I'll just see you guys tomorrow morning."

Rachel walked over to Jesse and kissed his cheek, giving him a parting look that she hoped imparted what she had been telling him all night. She was choosing him. After all the times she didn't, she finally was.

He gave her a tight smile and then followed Megan into her room. The door closed and Rachel took a deep breath before going into her own room. Finn was stretched out on her bed, fast asleep. Her traitorous heart sped at the sight of him, but she had enough sense not to act on it. Walking forward tentatively, she cleared her throat, hoping she could wake him without much fanfare.

He woke slowly, blinking groggily as he stretched a bit. He smiled sleepily, and she found herself nostalgic, thinking about the first time they had woken up together. She always liked the messy way his hair poked everywhere in the morning.

"You're back," he said, sitting up. He realized a beat too late that he had sleeping on her bed and began sputtering apologies when she stopped him and said, "It's fine. You were only sleeping."

"Yeah," he said, reaching up and patting his hair back into an organized manner. She was glad he did that. It was easier to focus. "How was the dance?"

Her mind was consumed by memories of Jesse's smile. Jesse's touch. Jesse's kiss.

"Good," she said uncomfortably. "It was really nice."

"I'm glad."

"Finn," she began, clasping her hands behind her back. "We-we need to talk."

He nodded, smiling sadly. "I know."

"You do?"

"You and Jesse, right?"

She looked away, her cheeks flushing.

"You don't have to be embarrassed," Finn said. "We're broken up."

When she looked back at him, her eyes were filled with tears. She didn't think it would be this difficult. He even beat her to the punch by mentioning Jesse, but she still found standing in front of him, undoubtedly facing their definite end, the hardest thing she ever had to do. "I'll always love you."

"I know," he said, moving forward slowly and putting his arms around her. He was hesitant, unsure how she would react, but his body relaxed against hers when she pressed her cheek to his chest.

"You will always be my first love," she mumbled, her voice muffled against his shirt. "And I will always be grateful for what you gave me. But…"

"I'm not what you need anymore," he finished. She was silent, reaching up and wiping her nose. "Just tell me, is he good to you? Because, before-"

"He's wonderful," she interrupted, pulling away from him. She put some distance between them, crossing her arms over her chest. "He's grown up. I guess we all have."

"That's good," Finn said, nodding blankly. "That-that's good. I just want you to be happy, and if he makes you happy…"

"He does," she said softly. "He really does."

Finn nodded, something flashing in his eyes that she couldn't discern. He was quiet for a moment, his eyes trained on the carpet, before he turned his gaze back to her. He smiled sadly and said, "You really do look beautiful, Rachel."

"Thank you."

"Well, I guess I'll just get going," Finn said, reaching for his coat.

"It's late. You should stay. I could show you around campus or something. It's not much, but it's really pretty. Especially when the leaves are changing."

"I'll be fine," Finn said. "The last train's at midnight, so I should be able to catch it."

"Finn-"

"I'll be fine," he repeated, smiling a bit. "I don't belong here, Rachel. We both know that."

She stepped forward and put her arms around him again. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and murmured, "It was really nice seeing you."

She looked up at him and said, "You too, Finn. Be safe getting home."

"I will."

He gave her waist a little squeeze and then he left, the room feeling oddly empty afterwards. She stayed where she was for a moment, her eyes trained on the door, before turning and changing into her pajamas. Her heart was heavy at his leaving, but she thought to herself that at least this time they had a proper ending. She knew he wasn't entirely happy, and if she were being honest neither was she, but she knew without a doubt that it was the right thing.

She walked over to Megan's room where Megan and Jesse were watching some movie playing on MTV. Megan was stretched out on her bed, Jesse sitting on the floor in front of the bed with a pillow propped behind him.

"Hey Rach," Megan said, showing Herculean control in not asking right there about Finn. Jesse lacked such control and asked her point blank, "What happened to Finn?"

She sat down next to him, pulling her knees into her chest. "He went home."

"Home?"

"Back to the army base," she said.

Jesse paused for a moment, his eyes searching hers, before he reached back and centered the pillow behind them. She leaned back and tucked herself into his side, his arm slipping around her waist. She glanced up at him and asked, "Anything else you want to know?"

There was a beat and he said, "Sure. Where in the world did you find Phantom of the Opera flannel pajamas?"

Rachel laughed, poking him in the side. It seemed that aside from the initial questioning, Jesse was willing to let the Finn issue drop, a testament to his change from the boy she met in that music store.

"Daddy had them made special for me," she said.

"You mean, some place actually makes these for profit? I don't know whether to be disturbed or…actually, I'm only coming up with disturbed."

"Oh, pipe down," Megan said. "We all know you have some Prima Donna boxers stashed somewhere."

Rachel laughed, draping her arm across his torso as he twisted back toward Megan and sent her a glare. Megan and Jesse continued with their usual heated repartee as Rachel kept quiet, taking stock of this new life that she somehow found herself in. It wasn't New Directions, but it was still uniquely hers. And she wouldn't change it for the world.

A/N: Sadly, this is the final chapter. I wasn't planning on it, but the ending just sort of came together and I like it. Also, I'm starting law school on Monday anyway, so my updates would be extremely sparse. Thank you to everyone who has stayed with the story and shared their thoughts and concerns. I loved reading all of your feedback and interacting with you all.