Rachel hadn't been this scared since her NYADA audition; all she could hope for was that she didn't choke this time. She was finally getting her shot, she was finally going to be able to crack her way into the industry. It was an open audition so the theatre was open to the public and a lot of people who wanted the part, but she was confident that she could outshine them. Rachel Berry always had that little something more. Picking up an information leaflet about the play she started to browse through it, scanning the names to see if there was anybody she recognised. Her eyes rolled over the next name and her heart jumped out of her chest; Bryan Adams had not only written the play, but he was producing it as well. She thought about how excited Noah would be if he knew, if he knew that his one and only idol was producing the play his girlfriend was about to audition for. She started to get butterflies in her stomach, she knew this feeling; it was love, when you felt everything that your other half would feel. She almost didn't hear the casting director call her name.

She was panicking now as she stepped out onto center stage. All the girls who had gone before her was extremely talented, there were hundreds of girls there but she wasn't expecting the calibre of talent to be this high. She stopped and thought about it for a second, of course the talent level was going to be high. They were in New York City, the place where all the dreamers came to make it. Some of the girls who had auditioned for her part where the same age as her, obviously they; like her hadn't cracked their way into show business just yet and then some of them were like she was 7 years ago... fresh from high school with nothing but a one way ticket and a suitcase to see them through.

"Hi my name is Rachel Berry and I'll be auditioning for the role of Melissa"

She was confident, confident in how she spoke, confident in how she stood and most importantly, confident in the way she was about to perform. The intro to the music track began to play and she opened her mouth ready to belt her first note when the director, Bryan Adams himself raised his hand for the music to stop. Her heart dropped from her chest, she felt like she was going to throw up; was this the first of many more rejections to come?

"How old are you Miss Berry?"

She took a deep breath before replying to the slightly scary looking man sat in front of her. He reminded her of a teacher she used to have at NYADA. His name was Ryan Murphy and he was terrifying, he was her acting instructor and he had these eyes that could stare through you and eat your soul. He was frightening but he was smart, he knew everything about the business and by the end of the year he and Rachel became great friends. That reminded her; she really needed to meet him for coffee sometime. It was then that she realised, nothing is ever as scary as it seems.

"I'm 27 Mr Adams."

"You know who I am?"

"...Yes. Well I didn't know you were going to be here until I read the leaflet. Sorry why did you need to know my age?"

"Well you don't look a day over 23 Miss Rachel, but there was something wise about the way you looked. I knew you couldn't be that young. Sorry to interrupt your audition, go ahead."

She knew nothing was ever as bad as it seemed. She smiled and nodded at the man in front of her who now had a slight smile on his face, just like the kind of look that Mr Murphy used to give her back in college. The music intro began to play again and finally, she was ready to audition.

Your everything I thought you never were
And nothing like I thought you could of been
But still you live inside of me, so tell me how it's that...
You're the only one I wish I could forget
The only one I love to not forgive
And though you break my heart...
You're the only one I know
There are times when I hate you cos I can't erase...
The times that you hurt me and put tears on my face
and even now while I hate you it pains me to say

I know I'll be there at the end of the day!

I don't wanna be without you baby.

I don't want a broken heart.

Don't wanna take a breath without you babe

I don't wanna play that part...

I know that I love you and let me just say
I don't wanna love you in no kinda way, no no...
I don't want a broken heart
and I don't wanna play the broken hearted girl.

No, no, no broken hearted girl.

Just like every ballad that Rachel ever sung, she finished her song with tears set in her eyes. There were several claps from the audience and then some outraged jealousy eyes coming from some of the girls in front of her. The only face that Rachel was really focusing on was that of Bryan Adams. He was nonplussed, his facial expression had only changed slightly and that was from the half smile to a blank stare. She couldn't read him, she couldn't understand his perception and honestly she couldn't work out whether it was a good audition or not.

"Thank you Miss Berry that will be all"

She took a deep breath and headed off of the stage, at least he didn't say anything bad. She would rather him say nothing than give her an insult... or would she? The truth was she couldn't handle not knowing how her performance went so she stuck around. She sat through every other audition that was to come, good and bad. She waited and watched every girl go by until the last girl sung, she was good; really good. In fact her audition made Rachel see why she wanted to be in musical theatre in the first place, it was the same girlish charm that she had 7 years ago. The girl left the theatre and Rachel watched as the casting director and the others left too... the only person who hadn't moved from his seat yet was Bryan. He was sat still looking down at the papers in front of him. Circling faces and crossing out others. Rachel gulped up the confidence to walk back onto the stage, his head shot up at he heard her tap shoes steppedy step across the floor.

"Miss Berry am I correct?"

"Yes."

"Did you forget something?"

"No. Mr Adams I wanted to know how my audition was, you see I'm very high maintenance and you didn't give me any feedback, or even a hint to if it went well or not... I need to know."

He leant back in his chair and stroked his chin with his hand, he looked tired. Looking into the face of the woman standing in front of him he giggled a little before speaking.

"You were incredible Miss Berry. In fact, you see this circle right here?"

He held up a piece of paper with several black and white faces on. In the middle of the page he had drawn a larger red circle around one face, the face she couldn't see exactly so she squinted a little harder.

"...Well I see the circle, I can't make out the face..."

"I would have thought it was obvious by the way I said it... it's your face Miss Berry."

Rachel smiled and clapped her hands excitedly together, he was cocky; A perfect musical director.

"I was going to call you tonight Miss Berry, we want you in for the call backs. How is your dancing?"

Rachel thought back again to her times at NYADA, she didn't get off to the best start in her dance classes due to the fact that her dance teacher hated her. But after an emotional heart to heart one day after class, the relationship grew and Cassandra July taught Rachel everything there was to know about dance.

"I'm pretty confident with my dance. If you check my portfolio you'll see that I studied for a year and a half with Cassie July."

Bryan laughed yet again, Rachel couldn't quite figure out why.

"Cassie was a great friend of mine back in school... I'm very impressed you survived her class"

"I very nearly didn't."

"Impressive portfolio Miss Berry"

"Thank you... you can call me Rachel though"

He didn't take his head up from the portfolio sat in front of him, it was a gorgeous photo. Her smile was basic and not too much but judging from the way she reacted when he announced her call back he knew that she had a beautiful toothy smile to match. Not that he felt that way about her, she was much younger than him and she was a client as far as he was concerned.

"Well thank you... Rachel. Anyway I should really be going; I have lots of phone calls to make tonight."

"Thank you so much for the call back Mr Adams I won't let you down."

"I'm sure you won't Rachel"

He stood up from behind the desk and placed all of the portfolios and different pieces of paper into his bag. Just as he began to walk from the theatre Rachel remembered something. Her amazing boyfriend who she hadn't even thought about since she realised Bryan was part of the musical. He would kill her and she would never forgive herself if she didn't at least get an autograph for Noah.

"WAIT! MR ADAMS, PLEASE WAIT."

He spun around on his feet to face Rachel, looking slightly more confused this time.

"Yes?"

Running up behind him she knew exactly what she had to say.

"I'm so sorry Mr Adams but I completely forgot. You see my boyfriend, Noah... he's been in complete awe of you since he was a boy. I mean the other night he hired a club, filled it with candles for me and requested that they play your song...ok too much information for you. But anyway, it's Christmas coming up and I have been looking EVERYWHERE for the song on vinyl, he loves vinyl records and I was thinking, maybe could I possibly get an autograph?"

He couldn't help but smile. This woman was clearly in love and they man in which she spoke of was obviously a hopeless romantic; just like Bryan was at that age.

"I'm really sorry Rachel but that single isn't out on Vinyl... there was only ever one copy made and that's my personal one."

Her face dropped. Typical, the only thing that she knew would make her boyfriend happy this Christmas and it wasn't available in the world. He noticed her face turn from excited and determined to sad, the disappointed look on her face was almost too much to take.

"Ok Rachel I'll have it for you by the call back's now can I please go home?"

Another facial expression switch, she turned from disappointed to truly ecstatic.

"Yes! Yes you can go home, thank you so much Mr Adams."

He smiled and walked out of the door with a wave, but not before shouting at the words...

"You can call me Bryan"