Chapter 36

Rachel groaned as she collapsed backwards on her bed, feeling her eyes close instinctively as her head rested against the comfortable, soft mattress beneath her. A smile crossed her face as she heard a light laugh from somewhere in her room, opening her eyes again and turning to lie on her side as she saw James sat at her desk wearing an amused expression.

"You look tired babe" He remarked, his expression shifting to concern.

"That's not very charming" She replied, biting her lip as he rolled his eyes at her. "In fact, I'm pretty sure you just insulted my appearance"

"Rach" He moaned, rolling his eyes at her before he stood up from her chair and made his way over to her bed, sitting down next to her. Rachel smiled as he moved a hand to push her hair out of her face. "You always look beautiful, but you've looked exhausted the last week"

She nodded at him, sighing; the last two weeks had been among the busiest of her entire life. She'd always known that senior year was going to be a lot of work, but it was also incredibly stressful when you add on the fact that she'd rehearsed every school night for the past two weeks for West Side Story since she'd been given the role of Maria, along with the intense schedule of Glee Club rehearsals and managing her campaign to become Senior Class President; Rachel had found her energy reserves to be running out. She could tell that James had been watching and taking care of her, making sure that she always had water as well as insisting on carrying her books for her every day. She'd appreciated it, her stubbornness not wanting to admit that she might have taken too much on.

"I am tired, rehearsals for the musical, Glee. They are all wearing me out" She admitted.

"I know baby" He said in a soft understanding tone. His hand paused as it rubbed her neck softly as a smirk came across his face "Come and sit between my legs, I'll give you a massage if you want"

"I'd love that" Rachel beamed back at him, nodding as she did what he said.

As soon as she felt his fingers moving, gently squeezing in the right places that made her groan in pleasure as she felt the knots undo themselves. In a soft voice, she moaned; "You're good at this"

"I know" He said and Rachel smiled as she heard the smirk in his voice. "I'm worried about you Rach, you need to take it a bit easier"

"I can't" Rachel replied, her head tilting to the side as he touched a spot that felt particularly good. "I need to practise for the musical, advertise it as well as keeping up with Glee club and my campaign for president"

"Rach, trust me I know; I'm just worried" James said and she felt him press a tender kiss against her neck. "I don't want you to collapse from exhaustion"

"You'll be there to catch me" She teased moving a hand to lie on his thigh next to hers. She didn't want him to be so worried, she knew what she was doing and it'd all be worth it when they were in New York together the following year. James being so concerned was amazing, and she really did appreciate that he was watching over her.

"I will" He said in a voice that was filled with promise, causing her to smile as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "But what I meant was; you've got to take it a bit easier; let me help you"

"What do you mean; you've already been helping me?" She asked frowning slightly.

"Let me handle your campaign for a couple of weeks; at least until the musical opens" He replied, his hands rubbing her shoulders again.

"You've already been doing that" She noted with a smile. Rachel had told her Dads about winning the role of Maria two weeks earlier, their reaction had been incredibly enthusiastically as they scooped her up into a Berry family hug before insisting that they take her, Andrea and James out to dinner to celebrate; since then, James had said he would be her campaign manager and had taken a great deal of interest in helping her create and put up posters around school.

"I mean, if you leave it to me; I'll do it all for you until while you're rehearsing to be the best Maria ever" He replied, kissing her cheek before gently pulling her backwards until she was resting her back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Rachel smiled and titled her head to look up at him, resting her own hands over his as they rested on her stomach.

"What do you have planned?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked up into his smiling face.

"Puck and I have thought of the best way to drill up some support for your campaign" He smirked, raising his eyebrows at her playfully.

"Normally I'd trust you….but considering Noah is involved, you can't blame me for being a little suspicious" Rachel said giggling at him.

"True…" He replied, nodding his head at her; "But Rach; honestly, trust me. Let me take some of the pressure of you alright? I won't let him do anything to ruin your campaign"

Rachel chewed her bottom lip, considering his offer for a moment as she gazed into his eyes. James had been incredibly supportive of her campaign so far; his ideas had been amazing, she couldn't help but trust him to keep Noah in line. "Alright"

"What. Really?" He asked sceptically.

"Yes…I trust you" She replied, giggling as he pumped his fist.

"Sweet" He said, leaning forward to kiss her softly. "Don't worry, your campaign is going to be so awesome; just like you"

"I can't wait to see what you've got planned" Rachel said smiling at him again before he kissed her softly once more. When he looked her in the eyes again, she raised an eyebrow at the sly smirk he had on his face. "What's that look for?"

"I was wondering…Are my special privileges still active?" He replied adding a wiggle of his eyebrows that made her giggle.

Rachel bit her lip, unable to stop herself from smiling at him. James loved the fact that she'd given him special privileges for his hands to touch her chest two weeks earlier. She thought it was sweet the fact that at first he'd asked her twice in one day to "check" it was working, but ever since had only asked it once. Even though she was practically giving him permission to feel her up, most guys would love that ability; James was still the sweet, kind guy that she fell in love with who never pressured her into doing anything beyond kissing.

"Sure" She replied, lying down the bed. James smirked at her before moving to lying next to her, his body hovering slightly over hers as he leaned down to join their lips. Rachel eyes shut at that familiar sensation that she loved as their lips moved perfectly against each other; the most amazing feeling she'd ever felt. They stayed there, kissing for several moments before she moved her hand to move one of his to touch her breasts. That was something else that she loved about James, when they were being intimate he let her dictate the pace, even since she'd given him permission to touch her he would still wait for her to move his hand. She felt him smirk against her lips and she moaned into his mouth as he palmed her breast gently, his thumb brushing across the centre touching her nipple.

"Mhmmmm" She moaned, arching into his touch as James lips left hers to move and kiss her neck. Rachel gripped the back of his head holding him there as he gently nipped at the skin at her pulse point before kissing it softly. Her eyes half closed as he continued his work at her neck, enjoying the sensation of his lips against her skin. When his thumb moved over her nipple again, she gasped out; "I love you"

"love you" was the faint murmur she heard against her neck before she felt him start to kiss his way back up her jaw, finally taking her lips again as he wasted no time in putting his tongue back into her mouth, gently massaging hers.

Rachel moaned again draping one of her legs over his waist, pulling him close. She smirked against his lips as the movement elicited a groan from his throat as his arousal was pressed flush against her.

His breathy "God Rach" was enough for her to feel emboldened to flip them over, adjusting herself so that she was straddling him as he led back against her bed; Trapping his body beneath her knees, Rachel giggled as he moved forwards, propping himself up on his elbows to connect their lips again. She cupped his face with one hand, gently pushing him backwards, smiling as she felt his hands rest and knead her bum softly. Her free hand was at the bottom of his shirt, starting to snake its way under to feel his chest when….

"Rachel Sweetheart" The sound of her Dad's voice outside her room, along with the creak of her door acted as a quick mood kill as she practically jumped off James to sit on the end of her bed. Glancing at James, she bit her lip as she watched him wipe his lips with his thumb before turning her attention back to the doorway where her Daddy was stood with an amused look on his face.

"Dinner is ready sweetheart" Leroy said, resting against her Dad. "Hello Son, I didn't know you were over"

"Evening sir" James voice was unlike his normal confident voice; Rachel could hear the embarrassment in his voice as he spoke quietly. "My mom's going to Oregon in the morning"

"Oh" Leroy replied, nodding his head. Rachel smiled, bowing her head as she pulled the bottom of her blouse down, knowing her cheeks were rosy red. "I'm assuming that you're staying here tonight?"

"If you don't mind Sir" James said, shifting to sit next to her on the edge of her bed. Rachel looked up at saw his cheeks were also red with embarrassment, smiling at him she took his hand in hers.

"Of course not, Son" Leroy replied with a wink. "It's a good job Hiram made more than enough; I'll set another place"

"Thank you Daddy" Rachel said as her Dad turned to head out of the door. She let out a sigh and squeezed James' hand before she heard her Daddy speak again.

"Oh, by the way; you might want to stop wearing button up shirts around Rachel, apparently her fingers have a mind of their own"

Rachel mouth dropped as her Dad smiled at them before walking out her room; with wide eyes she turned and looked James who was looking down with a smirk at the five or six buttons that were undone at the bottom of his shirt where her hand had started to explore.

"Wipe that look of your face, it's not funny" She chastised him as he smirked at her.

"Come on Rach, it is a little bit" He replied, shifting closer to her on the bed and wrapping an arm around her shoulder

"It's embarrassing" She said, cuddling into his side as she rested her head on his shoulder. "My Daddy knows what we were doing"

James laughed lightly before pressing a kiss against her cheek. "Rach, you've got a hickey on your neck and your cheeks are bright red; They're gonna know what we were doing anyway"

"I don't need him to see us like that though!" Rachel groaned throwing herself backwards onto her bed so that she was lying on her back. A smile grew on her face when she felt the bed shift as James led next to her, his hand gently stroking her stomach.

"Baby, I think your Dads and my Mom know I can't keep my hands off you by now" He said and she grinned back up at his smirking face. It wasn't the first time that they had been caught making out; while they tried to only get into their heavier make out sessions when they were sure to be alone in one of their houses, there had been a couple of times when she had managed to get James' topless as her hands wordlessly admired his fine form only for one of their parents to walk in or knock on the door and interrupt them; leaving them both breathless and incredibly embarrassed.

"Well, you are very distracting" She shrugged, a playful smile on her lips.

"Mhmm" He replied with a smirk before moving to meet their lips. Rachel grinned against the contact, although she kept her mouth closed to him, giggling as he groaned when she refused to let him deepen the kiss. "Tease"

"You love me" She shrugged again, pecking him once before pushing him off her and standing up from her bed.

"Yes I do" He replied and Rachel couldn't help but smile as she heard the amusement in his voice while she stood adjusting her hair in the mirror. "I'll go help your Dads set the table, don't be long"

"Okay" She smiled as he pressed a tender kiss against her cheek before disappearing through the door and out of her room. After a few minutes, she was happy that she looked presentable enough so that her Daddy wouldn't feel the need to bring up what he'd caught them doing; Rachel happily skipped out of her room and down the stairs towards the kitchen.

Rachel smile grew as she saw her three men sat at the table already, touching her boyfriend's shoulder as she moved to sit opposite him, next to Hiram. Dinner was always lovely with the three of them, she loved listening to the friendly banter that continued between her fathers and James; even after the few months she'd been with him, it never ceased to touch her heart how well he got on with them, even after they'd finished eating they would happily sit there talking for a little while longer.

"When is Andrea coming back from Oregon?" Hiram asked before sipping from his glass of wine.

"Sunday" James replied, Rachel was happily running her fingers over their joined hands as they sat across from each other. "Mom's staying for a few days to help my Dad with some stuff for the restaurant; I'm picking her up Sunday afternoon"

"We are" Rachel corrected with a smile; James winked at her.

"I assume you're staying here until she gets back?" Hiram spoke again, Rachel blushed at the smile he had on his face; a look of pride in her daughter for her choice of boyfriend.

"I was hoping I could tonight, tomorrow and Saturday" James said,

"What about Friday night?" Rachel asked, raising a an eyebrow curiously.

"Puck's" He replied and Rachel nodded after a second, remembering that Noah had invited James to join his weekly halo night. On one hand she was a little sad that he wasn't going to be spending his time with her; since she'd fallen out with Kurt and Mercedes, her own Friday nights went without the normal movie marathons but she couldn't and wouldn't prevent James from doing things without her; she was glad that he had become such good friends with Noah and the other guys, except Finn, in the weeks he had been in Ohio. "Him and some of the guys from Glee are having a monster Halo marathon"

"It's good to see you're making friends" Leroy said with a warm smile. "Although I suppose I don't need to warn you about the dangers of being friends with a certain Noah Puckerman; he's a good boy but with a reckless side"

Rachel giggled, and saw James smirking before he responded; "Yeah…don't worry I'll be careful"

Leroy laughed at that, patting him on the back. "Don't worry about it son; we trust you"

After helping her Dads clean up after dinner, as had become a standard routine where James and her would wash the dishes while her Dads dried them, Rachel led him upstairs back to her room where after changing into their more comfortable pyjamas, they settled down in her bed and cuddled up close together. Since she was performing in the school musical as well as Glee club and her vocal lessons, James had insisted that until she had finished playing Maria they weren't going to watch any musicals; citing that she needed to take a break from music at one point during the day and had decided (after kissing her until she agreed) that would be their nightly film. Rachel had complained, half-heartedly because she knew that he was right, when he'd taken it upon himself to decide that no musicals would mean they watched through his collection of action films, laughing when he explained that it was to let her experience other cultures.

They were watching through the second Bourne film, well rather watching in between picking up where they left off when her Dad interrupted them earlier as well as talking about random nothings before lying down in her bed, a smile on each of their faces as they drifted off to sleep.

…

The next day, Rachel was with Blaine, as they stood outside McKinley high together enjoying one of the last sunny days they were sure to get as they headed into November. James had told her that he was going to spend that lunch break with Puck, since they were putting the final touches to their idea of how to drum up support for Rachel's presidential campaign. Honestly, she had realised that she didn't mind not spending every lunch period with him, although if you'd told her after losing Kurt's friendship that she would be stood talking to his boyfriend then she would have laughed; a part of imagining that losing Kurt would mean losing Blaine too.

Much to her surprise she'd been wrong, Blaine wasn't angry nor upset with her about the presidential election; he admitted that he didn't like seeing Kurt upset but he wasn't going to fall out with her over it, just like how she knew James still talked to Kurt despite the fact the two were in a state of "war". Blaine had been the one to come to her, after them getting the leads in West Side Story; saying that they needed to get more comfortable around each other to make sure that their portrayal of the roles for the play was as close to perfect as possible.

The fallout from her joining the presidential race hadn't been nearly as huge as she'd imagined; when she'd said this to James he'd laughed and called it her overthinking drama queen brain. Brittany and Santana had joined Mercedes in Shelby's new show choir the week before, but no one could blame that on her; Rachel thought the whole saga had been extremely bizarre, thanks to the exploitation of the "Leprechaun" Rory Flanagan, an exchange student from Ireland, who had turned out to actually have a really good voice and joined New Directions thanks to Finn's encouragement. Aside from Kurt, no-one had really been upset at her and even Finn had apologised for how he reacted, apologising to her in front of James that she couldn't help but say it was okay and that she forgave him.

Finn had impressed her in the last few weeks, ever since James had transferred he had taken a more active role in the Glee club; acting like the co-captain that he was. Rachel noted with a sad smile that this was probably due to him being threatened by the arrival by Blaine and James (particularly her boyfriend), both whom were very talented young men but she couldn't help but admire how Finn had pushed himself to try harder for the club.

Truth be told, while she loved him, she had expected James to come to McKinley and be a disturbance to how things in the New Directions had normally been; after all he was an incredibly talented performer who had led his former team to the national title, but she'd been surprised by how easy going and laid back he was in rehearsals. While surprised she was also thankful, taking many opportunities to kiss and tell him how proud she was at how he had worked to fit seamlessly into the Glee Club; aside from offering helpful advice to the others he was a quiet presence in the choir room, silently dancing away and happily singing his parts without a complaint when Mr Schuster continued to pick Finn as the male lead on songs.

Rachel knew that he missed performing as a lead, she knew him too well but the way he went without a single complaint during rehearsals made her heart swell with pride and love. Of course, in private she happily sung duets with him as much as possible; watching the smile on his face as he played the lead role in her heart.

She liked talked with Blaine, it was similar to speaking with James; the two boys sharing a similar kind-natured spirit and calm speaking voice. They made idle chat about a film they'd both seen recently, each sipping from the warm drink they held in their hands as they sat atop a bench seat in the court yard. As the end of their lunch period came to an end, Rachel had a happy smile on her face as they started to talk towards the school again to head to their classes. Blaine walked her to her class, saying he'd see her at the rehearsal for West Side Story that evening before he departed.

Waving at him, Rachel turned and walked into the classroom; her smile growing as she saw James already seated with an open chair for her. She always looked forward to one of the four classes they shared more than any other; because it meant that she got the opportunity to sit next to her handsome boyfriend and revel in that calming relaxed presence that only he could bring. Settling down in the chair next to him, Rachel leaned in and pressed a quick kiss against his lips not wanting their teacher to catch them.

"Hey beautiful, I missed you this lunch" He remarked, moving his hand to rest on her knee palm upwards; an invitation for her to link their fingers together. Rachel smiled, happily taking his hand in hers; she'd missed that feel since the last time she'd held his hand this morning as they walked into school. "Sorry for not spending lunch with you"

"Its okay" She replied reassuringly squeezing his hand at the same moment. "I spent it talking with Blaine"

"That sounds good" James said, smiling at her.

"Yeah it was, ever since we got cast in the musical its been nice to talk with him" Rachel nodded her head as she spoke. With a smile, she added; "I did miss you though"

"I'm all yours tomorrow" He promised, kissing her cheek that earned a stern "If you are ready Mr Agrisino" from their teacher at the front of the class that had a few laughs erupting as well as Rachel biting her lip to stop herself from giggling as James apologised, settling in his seat with a smirk on his face.

After class, James walked her to her calculus class that she shared with Mike, kissing her softly before heading off to his own. The rest of the afternoon passed by and before she knew it, Rachel was walking laughing with Tina and Quinn as the three of them headed the choir room for Glee Rehearsal. They were caught up talking about how the musical was only a few weeks away that not one of them noticed the three jocks walking towards them until it was too late.

Rachel squealed as she felt the familiar cold blast on her face, a few moments passing as she stood there in shock before she registered that she'd been slushied. Raising her hands to her face she wiped the cold blue mess off her face and turned to look at the girls walking next to her. she noted that Tina was also stood in a similar position of shock while Quinn stood looking at them with her hands covering her mouth but unlike the two of them, she was slushy free; apparently still hot enough to avoid the treatment off the jocks.

"Oh my god" Quinn exclaimed before turning and shouting at the retreating form of the jocks; "ASSHOLES"

Rachel let tears run down her cheeks; she hated this feeling, of being embarrassed and having her favourite clothes ruined. She was wearing her prettiest clothing on a regular basis these days, thanks to great she felt about her life with the musical and presidential election; as well as of course, the fact that her handsome boyfriend who made her feel like a million dollars.

"Rachel, Do you have some spare clothes" Quinn asked in a soft voice, taking her hand. Rachel shook her head, lip quivering; James had driven her to school and she always left her spare clothes in her own car. She didn't see how it could get any worse, here she was dripping in slushy without anything dry to change into.

"Okay go with Tina to the bathroom, I'll go get James" Quinn spoke again, and Rachel nodded as reached for Tina and the two girls walked towards the girls bathroom. She hadn't heard Quinn properly about getting James; if she had, she would have insisted that Quinn not bring him; her boyfriend would be furious that someone had done this to her and she really didn't want him to get in trouble, but in a stressful situation like this the first thing that came to her mind was that she wanted him to just hug her and make her feel better.

"I can't believe this still happens to us" Tina murmured as they were cleaning their faces in the sink. While the slushing of the glee club didn't happen as much as it did last year or the year before, it hadn't stopped completely. Rachel had been lulled into a false sense of security the last few weeks, as she'd escaped the jocks merciless taunting and had stopped ensuring she had a change of clothes ready in her locker; groaning Rachel realised she should have known better.

There was a minute or so of silence as the two girls attempted to wash their faces clear of the sticky drink before the door of the girls bathroom slammed open, causing both of them to jump and look towards the door. Rachel smiled as she caught a glimpse of James before she was scooped up in his arms; letting out a soft giggle as she felt all the tension drain from her body as she closed her eyes and enjoyed his touch. There was just something about his touch and being in his presence that soothed her completely.

After a few moments, James pulled away and moved to cup her face in his hands. Rachel sniffed as she looked up at him and saw sympathy, love but also a look of anger and hurt in his eyes about what had happened to her.

"You okay?" He asked in an extremely soft voice. Rachel sniffed again, nodding her head at him as he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. She noted that Mike was helping Tina get her clothes out of the bag to her side of them.

"Apart from looking like an absolute mess, yes I'm okay" She replied sadly, trying to offer him a weak smile. "I feel so embarrassed that you have to see me like this"

"You look beautiful" He insisted, the seriousness of his voice causing her to truly smile.

"Liar" She replied, lips curling into an either wider smile. "Although it's very sweet of you to try and cheer me up"

He nodded, a small smile present on his face. His hand came up to brush her bangs out of her face as he spoke again; "Quinn says you don't have a change of clothes?"

Rachel shook her head, brushing her hair off her neck before it stuck there thanks to the slushy in it. James nodded at her, before releasing his hold on her and before she could ask what he was doing, he had lifted his jumper over his head and was doing the same with his white tshirt.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked, eyes widening slightly.

"Take my t-shirt" He insisted, putting the white t-shirt on the rail next to the sink. Rachel eyes lingered on his abs and well toned upper body for a second before he was tugging his maroon jumper back over his head. "Get cleaned up put it on and I'll go get my hoodie from my locker"

"What about you?" She asked

"I'll be fine in just a jumper; come on, before you get a cold from that crap" He replied, smiling warmly at her as he leaned forward to kiss her forehead again gently.

"Okay" Rachel said, a beaming smile on her face as he turned around and left the room. She was touched by his concern, marvelling at how in the space of only a few short minutes she had gone from feeling embarrassed to feeling amazing just by having James there. Turning to the sink, she kept the smile on her face as she tended to cleaning herself before lifting the slushy covered blouse over her head, wiping the top of her chest before pulling James plain white shirt over herself; letting a little giggle at how big it was on her as she straightened it.

"James is a real sweetheart" Tina remarked with a smile. Rachel felt her own widen again as she nodded in response.

"Yeah he is"

"Nice body too" Quinn said softly and Rachel couldn't help but giggle at her as Quinns eyes widened as if she couldn't believe she'd said it aloud. "Not that I was looking"

"Mhmm" Rachel said rolling her eyes; in the past Quinn's comment would have bothered her but not right now, she was to caught up in the moment of wearing James' shirt, hugging herself and revelling in the smell of him.

James returned a couple of minutes after that, a smile crossing her face as she saw him holding his Scale Blazers hoodie in his grasp. Thanking him she pulled it over her head, biting her lip as she saw him stood behind her, pulling her hair gently out of her face before she tied it into a ponytail. Turning around, Rachel moved her hands to his neck and pulled him down for a kiss, smiling against his lips as she felt his hands rest on her waist softly.

"I love you" She murmured when they separated after sharing a short kiss.

"love you too" He replied, stroking her cheek with his knuckles. "You okay?"

"Yeah" She confirmed, nodding her head with a smile.

"Who did this to you guys?" Mike asked a glare on his face that caused Rachel to look at Tina, both of them showing worry in their eyes.

"I'd definitely like to know who I need to kick the shit out of" James murmured in a low voice that caused Rachel eyes to spring to him.

"No" She pleaded, moving her hands to cup his cheeks and force him to look at her. "You're not going after who did this"

He frowned at her for a moment before he spoke; "Rach, you better be kidding right now; I'm not letting anyone get away with doing this to you"

"Please" She said softly, looking at him with begging eyes. "Just let it go; I don't want you to get into trouble for –"

"Then they shouldn't have slushied you" He replied firmly. "Babe,"

"No" She insisted, glaring at him. "Just stop; let it go. For me, please"

He looked at her serious for a long few moments, and Rachel could have sworn that no-one breathed in the bathroom; all of them watching James to see what he'd say next. She knew what she was asking him to do was hard, of course he would want to defend his girlfriend but she didn't need him to get in trouble over her, because she knew he would end up hitting those idiot Neanderthal jocks. After what felt like ten minutes, James sighed and nodded at her before uttering a single word. "Okay"

"Okay?" She asked clarifying. "You're not going to go after them?"

"Considering you won't tell me who it is, no I wont" He replied, giving her a small smile. "For you"

"Thank you baby" She said, giving him a soft kiss. "I love you"

"love you too" He replied, sighing before he looked at her seriously. "If it happens again, I'm not going to let it go"

"Yeah me neither" Mike added his agreement. Rachel looked to him and then back at her boyfriend a sad smile forming on her lips.

"Okay" She replies, gripping his hand tightly "Let's go to glee"

The rest of the week went by without anyone in the Glee club getting slushied, nor did any of the jocks get beat up by James and Mike. Rachel trusted James when he told her that he was going to let it go this time; but she had the sneaking suspicion that he'd talked to Noah about it because if she wasn't with her boyfriend then Noah would be walking with her at school, a firm glare on his face if any of the jocks even considered getting close to her.

Rachel was a little annoyed that James hadn't let it go completely as he had promised, but she couldn't really get upset with him about the added protection of Noah. He cared about her and hated seeing her subjected to this sort of abuse; in fact, she felt touched that he was trying to protect her considering how Finn had never done anything like this in the past when she'd been slushied.

This, combined with the Musical rehearsals going incredibly well; Rachel was in a fantastic mood by the time Friday night swung around and having driven James to Noah's, kissing him and telling him not to do anything stupid, Rachel was sat in her lounge along with her Dads as they watched a film.

Her Dads were happy to have their daughter to themselves again, despite how much they loved James; Rachel knew that although they would never say it, her Dads missed the quality alone time that they always used to have. Sure they still had weekends where James would normally stay at his house with his mom, but with the couple splitting their time between the two house; they rarely saw their daughter without her boyfriend. Rachel was happy for the chance to spend some alone time with her Dads as well, although tonight, it was her Daddy's turn to pick what film they watched.

Leroy always used it as an opportunity to force her and Hiram to watch one of his action films that he knew that his daughter and husband hated. Rachel knowing that they were glad simply to have her alone, even if her attention wasn't on the film for the most part focused on her phone, chatting on Facebook to several of her friends.

Berry!

Rachel smiled as a message popped up from Matt, quickly typing a response as she was eager to talk to him for the first time since she'd been given the role in the musical. Matt! How are you? X

I'm good, munchkin ;) Rachel giggled at the nickname, embarrassedly mouthing sorry to her Dads as they both raised eyebrows at her in an amused manner. Lucy is here and says Hi too :-) Congratulations on Maria! Jimmy filled me in; me n Lucy so proud of you 3!

Thank you so much :DDDD I'm so happy :-)

Rachel spent the best part of the next hour talking to him and Lucy, who was at Matts house for dinner he explained, catching up with them. They chatted about all sorts of things, and Rachel was intrigued when they told her about the Scale Blazer's rehearsals; considering James had mentioned his old team very little outside of telling her he had spoken to his friends. Apparently they had been adapting well to losing their star performer and Matt gave her the links to a few videos of their recent performances at school for her to watch.

A smile covered her face as she recognized Matt's baritone as lead male voice as he sang along with Heather. Matt told her that their new director Mrs Contrase was featuring more group numbers rather than giving solo performances to individuals; the woman had been a coach of a four time top five placing team in the past five years, Throat explosion, including a second place finish last year ahead of Vocal Adrenaline before she had been offered the job at Stanley High; apparently Vocal Adrenaline weren't the only show choir that were able to steal away coaches, although Rachel reminded herself that she probably shouldn't think like that considering New Directions had stolen away James from the Scale Blazers.

You guys are so good! You should be proud ! x

Thanks Berry, We'll beat you guys at Nationals ! easy!

Rachel smiled, she loved how cocky Matt was and competitive. I don't think so, you might be good but you don't have Rachel Berry !

That's a bad thing?

Rude! Rachel giggled. Just you wait until Chicago!

Can't wait :-) g2g, dinner with the family; be good!

I will, have fun!

Rachel smiled and closed the app, noting the time as it drew closer to midnight; it was a Friday night so she didn't have to be up in the morning for anything, considering she had decided to skip her elliptical routine at the weekends now with all the extra work out she was getting at rehearsal. Standing from the armchair, Rachel pressed a kiss to each of her Dad's cheeks wishing them good night before heading up the staircase towards her room.

After completing her nightly routine Rachel, after sending him a goodnight text with a kiss, snuggled into her warm winter duvet clutching Fluffy close to her chest as she led on her side facing "James' side" of her bed a content smile on her face as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

….

Rachel wasn't going to see James until later on that day, he had spent the last few Saturday afternoons with Finn, Noah, Mike and Blaine as well as a few of their other friends playing football in the park; giving her the perfect opportunity to spend some with some of the other girls in Glee. Ever since Quinn had returned to New Directions, she had been making a real effort to be friendly towards her, Tina and Kurt. The four of them had made plans to go to the mall together and she was glad to be able to spend the time with them; part of Rachel's dream high school life was to friends with Quinn and apparently that was something that was actually coming true.

She was also glad that Kurt actually came with them, along with Brittany and Santana; apparently the two cheerleaders didn't see the point in having this "feud" that was going on between the other female members of the Troubletones and the New Directions.

Kurt had greeted her politely, as had become their ritual; despite the fact they had fallen out, they would still smile and talk to one another. After grabbing a small bite to eat, the seven of them spent several hours browsing through clothes, makeup and music stores in the mall and Rachel couldn't help but smile at the normalcy that had taken over her life; she was in a essentially drama less relationship with a boy that she was beyond happy with, and she actually had girl friends who wanted to spend time with her. Yes, even Santana and Quinn the two girls who had made the last three years of her life a living hell. Rachel Berry's life was going pretty amazingly.

After leaving them to climb into her car and head home; Rachel let herself into the house carrying a couple of bags filled with some clothes and other things she had treated herself to, being met by the sound of laughter from the kitchen. Dropping her bags onto the couch Rachel walked into the room, smiling as she saw her Dad cooking with James. This had become another part of James living in Ohio that Rachel was eternally thankful for; at least once a week, he would help her Dad with dinner. Hiram was the only member of the Berry family that could actually cook a real meal, with Leroy being "cooking illiterate" as he laugh as well as Rachel's obvious lack of talent in the kitchen aside from baking cookies and cakes. As the obvious sweetheart that she loved James, thanks to his mom, was a talented cook and was more than happy to help her father.

"Sweet pea, you're home" Hiram greeted her warmly. "Have a good time with your friends?"

"Yeah I did Dad" She said softly as she made her way over to them, pressing a kiss against his cheek before turning and cuddling into James side. "Hey baby, how was football?"

James put down the spoon he was stirring the pot with and placed his hands on her neck as he leaned down to kiss her softly. Rachel couldn't help but smile against his lips as they shared several chaste kisses. "It was fun, you should have seen Puck's face when I scored more than him"

Rachel beamed up at him as he resumed stirring the pot; the aroma of herbs used in Italian cooking reaching her nose. "I'm proud of you; What's for dinner it smells amazing?"

"It's a recipe Andrea is planning on trying out at the restaurant when it opens; a vegan meat substitute of bolognaise" Hiram supplied smiling. "James is helping me with the recipe"

"Well it smells delicious and I can't wait to try it" Rachel replied, squeezing James side as he winked at her. "Where's Daddy?"

"He had go into the office until later tonight; so it's just the three of us this afternoon" Hiram said softly as he turned around and headed to the cupboard, returning with a container. "So we put this in now, right James?"

"Yeah, in the next couple of minutes" He replied. Rachel settled down on one of the stools a couple of metres away from them, resting her elbow on the side to support her head as she watched the two of them cooking. She loved seeing James around her Dads, he was always so polite and wore a genuine happy smile as he spent time with them bonding. Quite happy to just watch two of her men cooking, Rachel simply sat here watching them for a good half hour as they put the finishing touches to dinner.

As she had though, dinner was perfect and absolutely delicious; Rachel had loved the way both her Dad and James had smirked as she rang their compliments. They shared some ice cream together before Hiram had asked if they wanted to watch TV with him in the lounge. Rachel had agreed, knowing her Dad didn't like to sit alone when Leroy was working and James had replied with a "sure" before insisting that Hiram let him clean up. Rachel smiled as the two of them stood together washing and drying the dishes.

"Thank you for dinner, I'm really glad you like spending time with my Dads" Rachel said softly. Leroy had been working a lot more the past month or so and she knew it was getting her Dad down. The two men were deeply in love and she could tell that they hated not seeing each other as much as their schedules got busier. Normally, Rachel would make sure to spend time with them when they other was working, but with obviously with James around she had been just a little neglectful to them recently; still she appreciated that James was amazingly and didn't mind giving up their evening to keep her Dad company.

"It's no big deal" He smiled back, shrugging nonchalantly.

Rachel paused, leaning up to kiss him sweetly; letting her lips linger over his for a few seconds as a silent thank you. "It is a big deal; I love you for how you are with my Dads"

"love you too" He replied, winking at her before resuming the washing up so they could sit with her Dad.

Without Leroy around, and obviously James would agree considering how she had him around her little finger, the three of them watched a musical; Rachel giggling as she sang along with her Dad, while James wore a smirk as he watched the two of them before he was forced to join in by Hiram.

When her Daddy had come home, she had greeted him with a kiss before leading James upstairs so that they could have some alone time.

…

Rachel enjoyed taking the opportunity to sleep in late. Normally she would get up early during the week to do her morning elliptical routine before school, just as James would do to go for a run a few times a week; but on Sunday, neither of them did that instead simply lying in bed cuddling for an extra couple of hours as they talked a little bit but mainly just enjoying being together.

James was going to pick his mom up from the airport in the afternoon, her flight getting into Ohio around 2:30pm, so they couldn't stay in bed too late; in the past they had only bothered to get up around midday. Around that time today, they were sat outside in her back garden on a couple of deck chairs, enjoying the surprisingly warm sun with her Dads. Rachel loved this time were she could just sit quietly with her three most important men and enjoy the relaxation their love provided.

Over a couple of hours later and she was stood holding James hand as they waited in the terminal for his mom to arrive. It was almost ten minutes after it was due to land, and they had been there for half an hour as she stood there blushing, giggling gently about how amazing she looked in that short skirt. They'd become a lot more comfortable around each other in voicing how much they were attracted to one another, and James had been taking the opportunity over the last couple weeks to tell her how great she looked.

The sound of people walking through the terminal from the corridor from arrivals broke them apart from the kiss they had been sharing and Rachel squeezed his hand as she noticed him biting his lip nervously; he hated planes and she knew he was currently worrying if his mom was okay. When he glanced at her with a slight smile, she leaned up and pressed a kiss against his cheek, lingering there for a moment before she moved away whispering; "She'll be fine"

He nodded at her, and returned his gaze to the corridor. Rachel rested her head against his shoulder and followed his gaze, waiting for a few more minutes before she spotted Andrea walking down with a bag on her arm. Rachel frowned a little bit as she noticed his mom talking to a man with short black hair. There was something about him that seemed familiar, almost as if she had seen his face before; as the thought passed through her mind, she felt James stiffen as his hand tightened around hers; suddenly alarmed she moved her head and gazed up at him seeing a look of shock on his face as his chest rose as he took quicker breathes. Alarmed, she moved in front of him and placed a hand on his cheek to get him to look at her; his eyes wide with surprise.

"James, baby, what is it; talk to me" She asked worried, squeezing his hand tightly as it clenched at hers.

"It's…it's my Dad" He replied quietly, his eyes moving to look at his approaching parents as her own widened. It made sense, she remember seeing his face from the picture James kept next to his bed, the one with his Dad stood behind him two hands on his sons shoulders. Rachel gulped as she put her arm around his waist and turned to face the direction he was looking in; she was going to get to meet James' father for the first time and all she could think about was that James look absolutely horrified.

…..

A/ N : !

Next chapter; James and Noah do something really sweet for Rachel as the Agrisino's and Berry's meet for the very first time :P

We get to meet James' Dad, What will it be like for James