5YL the Adventure Begins

Part 21

With how she was feeling after the show, Rachel decided to crash at Thad's as she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could before he left. She'd just adjusted her bag on her shoulder when Derek came waking around the corner. "Nice job tonight Rachel." Derek said to her, much as he would've any other night.

"Thank you." Rachel replied as she looked at him. "Did Michael happen to speak to you?"

"He did, and if he overstepped, I'm sorry." Derek told her.

"You have no reason to apologize as he didn't overstep. He only did what any of my friends would've done." Rachel said. "It's a…strange situation."

"It certainly is. How are you doing?'

"Better than I initially was." Rachel replied. "Thankfully Thad's been a sweetheart about things, and well, Santana's being her."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Derek responded with a laugh.

"A good thing actually, unless you're the one her anger is focused on. Yet at the same time, she's quite observant and isn't afraid to say things she feels you need to hear."

"Should I be worried?"

"No, as she has no qualms with you." Rachel then adjusted her bag once again. "While I wouldn't mind continuing this, I need to get going."

"Home?"

"Thad's actually as I want to spend time with him before he leaves."

"Mind if I ask where he's going?" Derek asked as the halls were relatively empty.

"Not at all." Rachel told him. "He's actually going to Maryland on Friday with friends from high school to see Blaine perform."

"That's right, they went to school together."

"They most certainly did, as well as performed together. And while he was going to change his plans, I told him he should go."

"He was going to stay?" Derek replied, clearly caught off-guard to hear that Thad was going to put off a trip with his friends, to stay with Rachel.

"Yes. While I appreciate the gesture, I want him to go and see Blaine with the rest of the guys. Except for Sebastian and Jeff, no one else has seen him since he left."

"Who is Jeff?"

"He's part of the Dalton crew as well, and also happens to be dating Blaine's bass player."

"Got it. Well, you better get going then. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll see you tomorrow Derek. Good night!"

"Good night Rachel!" After he spoke, Rachel waved before heading down the hall. With as nervous as he'd been about talking to her, it was good to do so as it showed nothing had really changed between them. Even though he knew things were different, it was good to know they could still have a casual conversation such as the one they just had.

While Rachel was heading for Thad's, Sebastian was stretched out in bed talking with Blaine. "You can breathe easy Killer. Brad went and saw the show tonight with his girlfriend and was blown away by Rachel's performance. So what's happening, hasn't affected her to the point where she can't perform."

"I'm happy to hear that as her voice was a bit rough this morning when we spoke." Blaine said before pulling a t-shirt on over his head. "Though, that could've been from the early hour as well."

"Speaking of, you were looking rather incredible today." Sebastian told him. "Even early in the morning."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, as the station has a live feed so I was able to watch your first interview before I went to work. It certainly helped start my day off on the right foot." Sebastian said. "I can't wait to see you B."

"Nor I, you." Blaine replied before stretching. "Are you sure you're going to be able to put up with me again after just seeing me?"

"Are you really asking me that?"

"Well, we have been apart Bas."

"You're not being funny Killer." When Blaine laughed softly, Sebastian sat up a bit. "Just for that, maybe I should stay home and wait for you to come to me." That additional response had Blaine's eyes go wide. "Not to funny when things get turned around, are they?"

"No, not at all." Blaine responded. "Did I happen to tell you I got a gift from Morgan on Sunday?"

"No, you did not." Sebastian told him before removing his shirt. "And what did she get you?"

"It's actually for us, condoms."

"Excuse me?"

"She picked up condoms for me in anticipation of your visit."

"Continue." Sebastian said seeing the glimmer in Blaine's eyes letting him know there was more to the story.

"She got them so I didn't have to worry about running into a fan while buying them. She said she could easily picture me getting embarrassed in that situation."

"She's right, you would. Do I want to know how she knew what to buy?"

"She emptied the trash while you were here and saw the wrappers." When Sebastian laughed, Blaine smiled. "I told her that you'd approve."

"I do. I guess I should go out and buy a little present for Jeff then. I mean, if she bought some for us, the least I can do is buy some for them."

"I doubt Jeff would complain, though she did pick up some for them as well."

"Considering how he's been feeling, he'll be quite happy."

"Are you implying we might not see them for a bit?"

"Not much different than us." Sebastian told him. "I'm pretty sure our friends all know to give us some time to ourselves once we see each other. That is, if that's what you'd like."

"I'd like that very much." Blaine replied. "As much as I want to see them, I need my time with you too."

"The feeling is mutual Killer. Back to what we were talking about earlier, are you sure there isn't a chance of me seeing you midday on Tuesday once you're in town?"

"As of the current schedule, no, but should an opportunity present itself, I'll see what I can do." After he spoke, Blaine saw Sebastian glance down. In that moment, Blaine's resolve was starting to bend about surprising Sebastian. Even knowing they were going to be seeing one another that weekend and that their friends would give them space, it wouldn't be enough and they both knew it. Just as Sebastian knew he couldn't monopolize Blaine's time as he knew how much their friends missed him as well.

With everything that was going on, Rachel didn't take a good look around Thad's apartment till she woke the next morning. When she made her way into the living room, he was studying which wasn't anything new. But she then glanced towards the door and saw the bags sitting there, and wondered if they were there the night before. Once she walked over to the couch, Thad glanced up from his laptop. "How'd you sleep?" He asked as she sat down.

"Really well actually." Rachel replied while tucking her feet beneath her. "You?"

"The same. I didn't wake you, did I when I turned the stereo on?"

"No. Honestly, I hadn't really noticed it till you said something. Have you been up long?"

"A couple of hours." Thad told her. "I actually wasn't expecting you up for another hour or so."

"It's Wednesday, I have a matinee." He then laughed softly before wrapping an arm around her. "It's okay to lose track of what day it is. Did you pack those bags this morning or yesterday?" She asked before motioning towards the door.

"One yesterday and the other, this morning." Thad said in response. "I wanted to make sure I wasn't rushing at the last moment, otherwise I'd forget things."

"Understandable. Is your offer still on the table while you're gone?"

"Yes, you can stay here if you like."

"Thank you."

"I'm assuming it's so you don't have as far to travel when Quinn's in town."

"So neither of us has to go as far." Rachel then rested her head on his shoulder. "She and I are going to have plenty to talk about."

"Have you mentioned what has happened to her yet?"

"Not directly, but she knows there is something important I want to talk to her about." While she spoke, Rachel felt Thad shift beside her. "What is it?"

"While I know Quinn is Beth's birth mother, why do I feel as though I don't know the whole story?"

"Because you don't know it." Rachel told him. "And while Quinn has a certain aura around her, when she was pregnant she made some questionable decisions."

"So that's why Santana, as well as Blaine, feel you should talk with her to get an idea of what Shelby might've been thinking at the time."

"Yes. Santana flat out told me nothing is simple, and referenced a few things that happened with Quinn. While she's not happy with Shelby either, nothing is black and white."

"She's right you know. While I know you don't really want to talk with Shelby at the moment, she's the only one that can give you answers, answers you need."

"I'm well aware of that." Rachel said to him, her voice soft, not defensive as it would've been even a day prior. "I will talk with her, but I need to have a better grasp on the situation before I do. If I try and talk to her right now, it wouldn't work because of how angry I am."

"Fair enough." Thad then pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Just remember Rach, should you need me while I'm visiting Blaine, don't hesitate to call me."

"Don't worry, I won't. Hopefully it won't be necessary to bother you while you're enjoying your time away."

With Rachel at Thad's place, Jordan had stayed over with Santana as they rarely had the loft to themselves anymore with their new schedules. When Santana came walking out after her shower, she saw Jordan sitting on her bed with her laptop in front of her. "I thought we said no work till after lunch." Santana said as she secured her towel around her before joining her. "And that look on your face screams work."

"Sorry." Jordan said before kissing her on the cheek. "I had every intention of joining you but I got this call and…"

"Things happened." Santana stated. "So, what stopped you from joining me?"

"I needed to book a hotel for Labor Day weekend in Columbus." After saying Columbus, Jordan saw Santana's expression change. "Yes, that Columbus. They are sending me to Ohio."

"Why?" Santana's response caused Jordan to giggle before looking at her. "What?"

"Think Santana, why could I possibly be going to Ohio that particular weekend." It only took a moment before a smile crept to Santana's face. "You figure it out?"

"Are you going to cover Blaine?"

"I am." Jordan replied. "It seems the station is quite interested in his every growing presence in the charts. And since I've been covering him from the beginning, they felt who better to talk to him at the end of his first mini-tour. By the time I do this, he'll album will have been out for over a month so it'll give us plenty to talk about. Think about it Santana, his first two singles are still on the charts and that's not easy to do. Many artists with bigger reputations have issues keeping songs there. While they debut big, they don't stay."

"The difference is Blaine's first two singles are incredible and are showing people what he's capable of."

"You really do have complete faith in him, don't you?"

"I do. When he first transferred to McKinley, he made quite the entrance." Once she giggled, Jordan looked at her. "It's a long story, but let's just say I took advantage of it."

"Well, you've never denied that you were a bitch in high school."

"No reason to, I was and those in my life that were there, know it and would call me out on it. The only thing I never really understood was Blaine's relationship with Kurt. They were so different and during their time together, even I could see Blaine change." Santana told her.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"It wasn't my place, not to mention, hindsight is always twenty-twenty."

"That's very true." Jordan then leaned back against the headboard. "Now that you know, I have something to ask you."

"What would that be?"

"Would you care to join me for this trip, that is if you don't have anything scheduled for that weekend?" The look of surprise that crept to Santana's face wasn't necessarily what Jordan expected to see. "Santana."

"Are you serious?"

"I am. It should be a fun weekend since I'll be covering the festival, plus it'll give you a chance to see your parents if you want."

"They want to meet you."

"I'd like to meet them, but they'd have to come to Columbus as my schedule will be pretty full since I'll be working."

"That's fine, as I'd be sure to tell them this is a business trip for you. So, they'd understand that driving to Lima wouldn't be practical. Also, asking them to go to Columbus isn't hard to do either." Santana then leaned over and gave her a kiss. "I can't believe you're going to meet my parents."

"It's quite a step, isn't it?"

"It is, but doesn't feel forced if you know what I mean."

"I do. The parent thing is never easy, but when it happens naturally it makes it all the easier." Jordan said before watching Santana get up so she could get dressed. "Do you still want to go out for brunch?"

"I do, so get your ass in the shower so it's not lunch by the time we get there."

With everything that had been going on, the last thing Rachel expected when she finished the matinee performance that day was to find Jesse backstage waiting for her. After giving him a big hug which he gave in returning not caring that she was in full make-up, the two slowly broke apart. "What brings you by?" Rachel asked as they headed towards her dressing room. "Last time you came, you let me know ahead of time." When he simple looked at her, Rachel shook her head. "We'll finish this inside." Jesse nodded, and felt her take his hand and make their way through the cast to her dressing room. Once inside, Rachel closed the door before saying a word.

"Before you get mad, she didn't send me." Jesse told her. "In fact, she'd be pretty pissed if she found out I was here."

"Then what are you doing here?" Rachel asked before taking a seat before her dressing table to begin returning to her usual self.

"I was worried about you. Shelby called me as she was worried about how you left and didn't know who else to contact to find out how you were doing." Jesse said to her. "Yet, I think she believed I would've reached out to someone instead of contacting you directly."

"Well, not many people know what happened as I'm not quite ready to talk about it." Rachel told him while setting her wig on the mannequin. "And those that do know wouldn't have discussed it with you."

"May I ask who knows, besides Thad since he was there?"

"Santana knows, as does Blaine, Sebastian, and Hunter."

"Sebastian clearly knows because he's Blaine's boyfriend, but who is Hunter?"

"He's a close friend of Thad's, as well as Sebastian and Blaine." Rachel replied. "You see, Thad couldn't shake a feeling that something was off between Shelby and Derek considering how they reacted around one another. So, he voiced his concerns to Sebastian and Hunter who started to do a bit of investigating."

"Thad and his friends did research into Shelby and Derek?"

"Yes, but Thad didn't tell me at first as he didn't see the point of mentioning something that could amount to nothing." Rachel said. "For all he knew, they just really didn't like one another from a past meeting. Little did they realize their feeling that I was involved in their issues, was correct."

"Wait, they thought there was a chance Derek was your Dad but didn't tell you?"

"Yes, and while I was confused and upset at first…it was the right thing as Thad knows how emotional I am. He knows very well I would've confronted Shelby and that could've gotten ugly."

"Since I've seen you riled up, you're right, it would've been." Jesse told her. "You two are very much alike Rachel."

"I'm well aware of that. You realize I haven't even told my Dads yet."

"Do you mind me asking you why?"

"I don't have all the answers yet, and I know they'll have plenty of questions." Rachel replied. "I have plenty of questions as well, yet I'm not ready to get all the answers."

"Because you'll have to talk with Shelby."

"Yes."

"Do you mind me asking if you're going to let Derek into your life?"

"I don't mind, but he deserves to get my answer before you." Rachel told him earning her quite the look. "That's not going to work Jesse, he finds out before you."

"With that sort of response, I'm guessing someone already knows…Thad, maybe?"

"Perceptive, yes Thad knows what I plan on doing. Now, what do you plan on telling Shelby about how I'm doing?"

"That while you're still clearly upset with her, that you're functioning." Jesse said and this time he's the one that got the look. "Come on Rach, I know well enough that when you get upset there is a strong chance of you shutting down completely."

"True, goes to show they were smart in telling me on a Monday since the show is dark."

"I'd say they took that into consideration as telling you when you had to perform that evening, wouldn't have been right."

"I honestly wouldn't have been able to do it. I spent most of Monday either yelling, crying, or sleeping." Rachel then turned to face him as she'd removed the last of her facial make-up. "Thankfully, Thad let me vent and didn't try and calm me down, that is except the one time I began to hyperventilate. He knew I needed to voice my frustrations."

"Not many people would've let you do that, they would've tried to calm you down."

"I know. Do me a favor Jesse, tell Shelby that when I'm ready to talk with her, I'll call her."

"So, you plan on talking to her."

"Of course I do, I just need some time. As Thad and others have pointed out, she's the only person with certain answers that I need." Rachel told him. "Yet talking to her, when I'm still quite angry with her, won't be productive."

"That's true. She's really sorry Rachel, I hope you believe that."

"Easy as it would be to say that I don't, I can't as a part of me knows she is. I could see it when we all spoke. While she's sorry, that doesn't change the fact that she lied to me Jesse."

"She knows that, but she has her reasons."

"I don't doubt that. That is why I have to be in the right frame of mind when I talk with her."

"Alright, I just wanted you to know this isn't easy on her either." Jesse said as he took Rachel's hand. "I care about you both and don't want to see this to destroy all that the two of you built."

"I appreciate that Jesse, I really do. Yet that ball is in Shelby's hands as when we talk, I expect the complete story."

"Fair enough. What do you say we go and grab a bite to eat before our shows tonight? That is, unless you already have plans."

"I'd like that. Just give me about twenty minutes and I'll be good to go."

Once the two headed out, Rachel was happy that the conversation stayed away from what had happened on Monday. Instead Jesse had plenty of questions about Rachel's relationship with Thad which seemed to be getting more serious, and Blaine's rising career. While they were talking, Rachel told him about the question Jean-Baptiste's girlfriend had about Blaine's covers. Not surprisingly, Jesse was curious as well as he'd heard plenty about Blaine's choices. Rachel told him, it shouldn't surprise people that Blaine picks each song for a specific reason as it has meaning behind it. When Rachel pointed out, Glad You Came, was about Sebastian, Jesse looked at her. Rachel proceeded to tell him that it happened to be one of the songs Blaine first heard Sebastian sing in competition.

That little tidbit clearly caught Jesse's attention, so Rachel told him that Sebastian was actually a Warbler as well. Just as Dark Side, was a song Blaine sang with the Warblers after splitting with Kurt and then contemplated going back to Dalton. When Jesse laughed, Rachel couldn't help but wonder what brought it on. "Why is it that most of Blaine's covers relate back to the Warblers?"

"Probably, because those were some of his happier memories." Rachel told him. "If you see him around the guys Jesse, you'd see the bond they have. While Blaine was/is friends with people he went to McKinley with, it's not the same."

"Do you think part of it stemmed from the fact that he's more like the Dalton boys, I mean, he comes from money and that makes a bit of a difference." Jesse said. "From the brief time I was at McKinley, I saw how some saw those of privilege. Hell, his own ex had some issues with them."

"That was a bone of contention at times for them as Blaine has a trust fund, yet didn't dip into it. Mind you, Blaine didn't have access to it, heck I'm not sure if he does yet."

"So, it was controlled."

"Yes." When Jesse leaned back in his seat, Rachel leaned forward. "What are you thinking Jesse?"

"Considering Kurt was never my biggest fan, do you think he had other motives for marrying Blaine?"

"Are you implying he married him for money?"

"He won't be the first person to do so. And even back in high school, he had expensive taste. Always wanting what he couldn't afford." Once Rachel tilted her head, Jesse smirked. "It's not that far-fetched, is it?"

"Not really. Do you mind if we talk about something more pleasant as everything that happened between the two of them, still bothers me?"

"Not at all. What would you like to talk about?"

"The picture of the blonde that I saw in your apartment."

"You saw that?"

"I did. Care to tell me about her, I mean, you've asked what seems like hundreds of questions about Thad." Jesse nodded and soon he began filling her in all about his girlfriend which made Rachel happy. There was something to be said about having those you care about, being as happy as you are.