A/N: A special thanks to AmyLeigh88, bandtogetherandfight and 1booklover11 for their invaluable suggestions.


Someone to Love You – Chapter 53

Puck breathed a sigh of relief. Having rid himself of Kurt's unwanted attention, he was free to focus on the sexy new girl once more. The curvaceous brunette, who was currently immersed in a texting session with whoever was at the other end of her phone, appeared completely oblivious to the intense gaze he was directing her way. Unaccustomed to being ignored, Puck began to thread his way through the assembled group towards her, when he was stopped short by the buzz of his own cell. Glancing down at the screen, he frowned at the name he saw displayed there. Jesse had to know he was at Rachel's and that she was in no immediate danger, so why on earth would he be calling?

"What's up, St. James?"

"Just checking in to see how the party's going," Jesse replied, his tone light.

"It's good, man. Rachel's having fun."

"Glad to hear it. What about you?"

"I'm in a room full of strangers – well, except for Kurt and Blaine, and Berry, of course. But I'm making my own fun," he assured the older boy, the innuendo in his voice leaving little doubt as to his meaning.

"Is Lauren enjoying herself?" Jesse asked innocently.

"She couldn't make it. Busy with some wrestling team shit."

"That's too bad."

"Yeah. Well, not really. There's a hot babe here, and if Zizes were around, she'd be cramping my style."

"So you and Lauren…" Jesse left the rest of his question unspoken, curious to see how Puck would interpret it.

"We hang together. I like her, but we're not joined at the hip like you and Berry," he snorted.

"What Rachel and I have is special," Jesse agreed, before abruptly changing the topic. "Apart from the girl you've been hitting on…"

"Who said anything about hitting on her?" Puck sputtered.

"Uh, you did. Not in so many words, but I know the way you operate, Puckerman."

"Okay, so I may have turned on the charm. It's a reflex. I can't help myself."

"I'm sure you can't," Jesse chuckled softly. "But have you talked to any of my other friends? I know for a fact that some of them were quite eager to meet you. Vince – the tall guy, with dark hair – was especially keen," Jesse added.

Puck scanned the room, seeking out the boy in question. The latter currently stood in profile, as he chatted with the petite girl Puck assumed was his date for the evening.

"Hey, isn't he one of the guys who came to Sectionals?"

"Yes, he is. And he mentioned something about being impressed by your loyalty to Rachel that day. Why don't you go over and introduce yourself?" Jesse urged.

"Hell, why not? Julie – or is it Julia? Whatever her name is, she's glued to her phone right now, and I could use a distraction. Talk to you later, St. James."

"Later, Puckerman."

Jesse ensured that he'd disconnected the call before allowing the mischievous laughter that he'd been suppressing to bubble up. Vince wouldn't deliberately hurt Puck, but he'd more than likely issue a warning that the younger boy would ignore at his own peril. His friend was nothing if not protective of his sister.

Noting that Nate was still absorbed in his texting session with Julia, Jesse retrieved his suitcase from his closet and swiftly began filling it. A secretive grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as his thoughts drifted to the events he had planned for the following day. In less than twenty-four hours, he'd be reunited with the girl of his dreams – and he looked forward to making several of her dreams come true.


The moment Julia's phone had buzzed, notifying her of an incoming text, she'd blushed guiltily. Without even checking, she'd somehow deduced that it was from Nate - sweet, funny, caring Nate, who made her happier than any boy she'd ever dated. So why on earth had she been flirting with some random guy, just because he happened to be sexy and well built? Nate was both of those things, too, and he wasn't simply looking for his next hook-up. He actually liked her. Sure, the long distance aspect of their relationship sucked, but that was no excuse for the immature behaviour she'd been engaged in with Puck, up until the point when they'd been interrupted.

As a glance at her screen confirmed her suspicions, an unfamiliar warmth spread through her. His timing was so perfect – taking action to save her from herself – that she wondered briefly if he was psychic. After all, given a few more seconds, she might well have dealt a crushing blow to her boyfriend's faith in her, something she wasn't entirely certain their fledgling union could have survived.

Without so much as a word of explanation, Julia walked away from Puck, quickly finding a private corner from which to read whatever message she'd been sent. As the words came into focus, her eyes widened, and she exhaled a shaky breath. Without even pausing to think, she pressed the number that would connect her to Nate, sighing audibly when he didn't pick up. She was about to try again when her phone buzzed anew.

I'm too pissed to talk right now. Let's stick to texting.

After what you wrote? You can't just drop a 'Ti Amo' on me, then shut me out.

I meant it. But I might say some other things that I don't mean just because I'm furious with you, and that wouldn't be good for either of us.

She sighed again. He had every right to be mad. She just hadn't expected him to be so mature about it – or for him to try to keep it in check so as not to utter something he'd regret. All of her previous boyfriends had been perfectly willing to criticize and swear at her in the heat of an argument. To be fair, she'd normally thrown similar insults right back at them. Verbal fights she could handle. This? She had no idea how to deal with it. Thoroughly baffled, she opted to change the subject.

How did you find out?

Rachel called Jesse.

I'm glad.

You are?

Yeah. I was about to mess up in a big way. Your text came at just the right time.

It almost didn't. I was too worried that I'd lash out in anger.

What changed your mind?

Jesse did. He understands the challenges we're facing, and he gives great advice.

Thank goodness for Jesse, then.

You should tell him that the next time you see him.

I will.

It took several seconds for Nate to respond, and Julia began to wonder if he'd opted to end their exchange without telling her. Much to her relief, a new text broke the silence. Her face fell as she read it.

If you care about me as much as you say you do, why did you even give that jerk the time of day?

I don't know.

That's not much of an answer. I'm guessing you were drawn to the bad boy in him.

It had nothing to do with that!

Oh, really? Then, please, enlighten me.

If you must know, it's because I'm here by myself. Everybody else is paired up.

Rachel isn't!

That's different.

Different how?

She and Jesse are destined. Neither of them even looks at anyone else, and they're okay being apart.

Are you saying you're not?

Yes! No! This is so frustrating! Why won't you use the damn phone and talk to me? I don't want to keep hashing this out via text.

You might be prepared to ruin Rachel's party with your fighting, but I'm not about to let you. And, for the record, we're not okay being apart.

Julia blinked as she re-read the newest message. Clearly, she was no longer just talking to Nate.

Jesse? How did you get in on this conversation?

Nate's with me. I happened to glance over his shoulder just in time to discover that you were about to wreck my carefully crafted plans for the evening.

I wouldn't do that.

Good to know. You screwed up tonight, Jules, and you and Nate are going to have to work it out, but do me a favour and wait until the party's over. And remember to apologize. It'll go a long way.

Did he really mean it?

Jesse needed no explanation to know exactly what Julia was referring to.

He said he did, and I believe him. Which makes it especially important that you get your act together where he's concerned. If you can't handle the distance, and if you're not as serious about this as he is, you have to cut him loose before he falls any deeper.

I understand.

After Julia and Jesse had exchanged their goodbyes, she and Nate did the same, and she promised to contact him later. Once she pocketed her phone, she raised her gaze and looked around, attempting to locate Puck. Determined to avoid him as much as possible for the rest of the evening, she was both surprised and relieved to note that he was currently nowhere to be seen. Not sparing his absence any further thought and observing that Grace was sitting alone, Julia made her way over to the other girl's side.

"Where is everybody?" she queried, as she suddenly realized that Vince, Amy and Stefan were also mysteriously MIA.

"Vince is outside with Noah. As for Amy and Stefan, beats me. I haven't seen either of them for a while now."

Julia had stopped listening the instant Grace had disclosed her boyfriend's whereabouts.

"Uh, Vince is with Puck? How long have they been gone?"

"Um, maybe fifteen minutes? Half an hour? I'm not sure. Why?"

"I don't know if you noticed, but Puck was flirting with me earlier, and I… sort of… let him," Julia admitted sheepishly. "I'm worried that Vince has decided to give him the 'leave my sister alone or you'll have to answer to me' speech."

"Ah, that explains it, then," Grace remarked, looking as if she'd just been given the final piece of some particularly vexing puzzle.

"Explains what?"

"The look that flashed across Vince's face just before he made a beeline for Rachel. I could have sworn there was a thundercloud parked above his head, his expression was so dark."

"Oh, my God, he's going to kill Puck," Julia exclaimed nervously.

"No, he won't. Your brother's the calmest guy I've ever met. He may flex a little muscle and make Noah think he'll do some damage, but he wouldn't actually follow through unless your new friend was idiotic enough to keep hitting on you."

"Which he won't, because I won't let him. I'd rather hang out with you and Vince for the rest of the night, if you don't mind."

Grace, catching the hint of desperation in Julia's tone, draped an arm around the latter's shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze.

"Of course, we wouldn't mind. Now, since we seem to have some time on our hands, why don't we go introduce ourselves to Rachel's other friends?"


Amy took a deep breath, attempting to slow the overly rapid beating of her heart as she found herself staring into Stefan's deep blue eyes – eyes that presently sparkled with curiosity. Recovering from her momentary fright, she shot him a quizzical look in return.

"I might ask you the same thing."

"You slipped away from the festivities. I had a feeling that you were plotting something and I wanted to find out what it was, so I followed you up here."

Amy's face fell.

"It would seem that I wasn't nearly as subtle as I'd hoped to be."

"Oh, don't worry. There was nothing overtly suspicious about your actions. I'm positive that Rachel has no idea you're in her bedroom right now. You just forgot that I tend to observe people closely – especially people I'm attracted to," he added, wrapping his arms around her waist and dropping a light kiss on the tip of her nose.

She grinned up at him as the adrenaline rush faded and the tension leeched out of her body.

"If we're both gone, someone may come looking for us."

"Or they'll simply assume we've snuck off for a bit of one-on-one time, and think nothing of it."

"You're a genius," she declared.

"I have my moments," he concurred. "Speaking of which, how much longer are you going to keep me in suspense?"

"About?"

"Whatever it is you're sneaking around Rachel's room for."

"I'm doing Jesse a favour. You remember I told you that he's planning to surprise Rachel in New York tomorrow?" At Stefan's nod, she continued. "He asked me to add a little something to her suitcase."

For the first time, the tall blond cast his gaze downward, finally noticing what his girlfriend was holding in her hand.

"Is that what I think it is?"

She held the garment up against her, and he whistled appreciatively.

"You like it?"

"What's not to like? Did Jesse buy that for her? If so, I'll have to compliment him on his excellent taste in lingerie," Stefan remarked, a note of admiration in his voice.

"No. She bought it herself."

"While they weren't speaking?"

Amy's eyes widened at the accuracy of her boyfriend's guess.

"Uh, yeah. How on earth did you figure that out?"

"Simple. She misjudged him. She felt bad about it, and a gesture like that would go a long way towards making him feel better about the situation. It says 'I was wrong, I still love you, please forgive me' – in a way a guy can relate to."

"I'll keep that in mind for whenever we have our first big fight."

"Careful. With that kind of incentive, I might pick a fight with you just to get to the apology part," he smirked.

"Hold that thought," she murmured, her lips skimming the curve of his jaw. "Right now, I have to pack this, and we should get back downstairs before Rachel sends out a search party for us."

Stefan watched attentively as Amy slipped the lacy undergarments under the neatly folded items that were already in the suitcase. When she was done, he reached out to smooth away a wrinkle, and to reposition the pyjama pants that lay on top.

"Just in case she's as observant as I am," he explained. "This way, not a single thing's out of place."

As they made their way down the hall towards the stairs, Stefan impulsively pulled Amy against him and bent his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply. Once he loosened his hold, she stared at him, a bemused expression on her face.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

"If our cover's going to be even halfway believable, you need to look a little dishevelled," he teased, as he ran his fingers through her short curls.

"What would I do without you?"

"Fail miserably in your quest to become a secret agent," he quipped, earning a hearty laugh from the girl at his side.

Hand in hand, they raced back to join the others.


The din of the party receded as Vince stepped onto the patio and closed the door behind him. Puck shivered involuntarily. The wind had picked up since he'd arrived at Rachel's a couple of hours earlier, and he fervently wished that he'd thought to grab his jacket on his way outside. Then again, when the older boy had suggested they speak privately, Puck hadn't expected they'd be leaving the house to do so. Unwilling to look like a wimp, he crossed his arms in front of his chest in an effort to keep the cold from chilling him any further.

Glancing over at his current companion, Puck found the teen's expression strangely unreadable. Although his instincts urged caution, he reminded himself that Jesse had been the one to propose he approach Vince, so there was no reason not to be friendly.

"How do you know Jesse again?" he asked, eager to break what had become an uncomfortable silence.

"We were classmates at Carmel. Neighbours, too. I assume you met him when he transferred to McKinley last year."

"Yeah. We didn't really hang out, though. He spent most of his time with Berry."

"You seem pretty fit," Vince observed.

If Puck was surprised at the abrupt change in topic, he didn't show it. He unconsciously puffed out his chest and stood a bit straighter, gratified that the quietly powerful boy beside him recognized the effort he made to stay in shape.

"I work out."

"I'll bet you attract a lot of hot babes."

Once again, Puck was flattered, and he responded with his usual cockiness.

"Hell, yeah. They can't keep their hands off of me."

"I imagine it must be a real ego-booster to steal someone else's girl."

Although Vince's tone had remained conversational and light, there was suddenly an underlying hint of menace to his words. The shudder that rippled down Puck's spine had nothing whatsoever to do with the temperature this time, and the flippant retort he'd been about to utter died on his lips.

"What's the matter, Puckerman? Truth hit a little too close to home? Or are you just afraid I'm going to kick your ass for putting the moves on my sister?"

"You don't scare me. I could take you, no sweat," Puck insisted, bravado evident in every syllable.

"My black belt says differently," Vince countered nonchalantly. "Care for a demonstration?"

Puck couldn't help taking an instinctive step back. Vince waited patiently for his answer, nothing in his outwardly calm demeanour even hinting at the potential threat he posed to the mohawked teen.

"No, we're cool. I get it. Your sister's off limits."

"Not just my sister. Every girl in there is spoken for, so don't waste your breath trying to charm the pants off any of them. I know you've been watching out for Rachel on Jesse's behalf, and I'll cut you some slack because of it, but if you try to pull any of this shit again, I won't hesitate to come after you."

"Easy, man. I'm not looking for a fight."

"Good. I'm glad we understand each other. Enjoy the rest of the party," Vince tossed over his shoulder as he re-entered the Berry home, leaving a speechless Puck staring, dumbfounded, at his retreating back.

Puck was about to follow the older boy inside when he was struck by a distasteful thought. Wanting to confirm his suspicion, he yanked his phone out of his pocket and pressed the one number that would ensure he got the answers he was looking for.


Nate tilted the chair he was currently occupying onto its two back legs, a sure sign that he was finally beginning to relax. Jesse, having completed his packing, leaned against his desk and eyed his friend expectantly. When Nate failed to respond to his wordless question, Jesse opted for a more direct approach.

"So? Did she say the words?"

"No. I wasn't expecting her to, St. James. We still haven't fully cleared the air in terms of what happened tonight, and I hardly want her to parrot a declaration like that back to me if she doesn't mean it."

"Then I'll ask you again. Did you mean it? Or was it just a shock tactic to draw her attention away from Puckerman?"

Nate snorted in amazement.

"Shit, can't a guy have any secrets? How is it that you're able to read me so well?"

"I'm brilliant," Jesse retorted matter-of-factly.

"The evidence would seem to support your claim," Nate admitted with a chuckle, before becoming serious once more. "Honestly, it was a bit of both. As I said, I had been thinking about it for a while, but I probably wouldn't have said it tonight if not for the fact that I felt threatened by Puckerman and wanted to remind Jules that what we have is more than just a casual thing – at least, it is for me."

"I'm pretty sure it is for her, too, Steadman. But not everyone copes well with lengthy separations."

"I'm hardly thrilled with them, either, but you don't see me flirting with random girls I meet at parties," Nate huffed.

"First of all, you haven't been to any parties lately," Jesse reminded his friend. "Secondly, this was hardly random. Puckerman is a ladies' man. Trying to get girls to sleep with him appears to be hardwired into his DNA."

"Uh, I'm fairly certain it's hardwired into mine as well, and yours, too. Hazard of carrying the male chromosome."

"Right. But, unlike Puckerman, you and I seem to be able to keep the impulse in check. He's a serial flirt. Although I predict that Jules won't be fending off any more of his advances."

"Tonight?"

"Ever."

"How do you figure that?"

"I suggested he have a chat with Vince."

"You didn't!"

Spying the satisfied smirk on his friend's face, Nate burst out laughing, and it wasn't long before Jesse joined him. They'd barely gotten their mirth under control when Jesse's phone emitted its distinctive ring. At the sight of the name on his screen, he had to swallow the sniggers that were threatening to rob him of the power of speech. With great effort, he greeted the boy at the other end of the line.

"Puckerman! I didn't expect to be talking to you again so soon."

"You set me up," Puck growled angrily.

Jesse didn't bother denying the accusation.

"You went after my best friend's girl. In case I hadn't mentioned it before, I'm big on loyalty. If you hurt someone I care about, I will retaliate, and it won't be pretty."

"Doesn't my keeping an eye on Rachel count for anything?" Puck protested.

"Of course it does. It meant I went easy on you," Jesse declared.

"You sicced a guy with a black belt on me. You call that going easy?"

"Absolutely. He didn't actually touch you, right? You're still in one piece? No blood? Nothing broken?"

"Shit, dude, you're a heartless bastard."

"I've been called worse. When it comes to protecting those close to me, there's no line I wouldn't cross. Remember that."

"As if I could forget." Puck paused a moment before continuing. "You know, I was wrong when I said you might be almost as much of a badass as I am. You've got me beat, man."

There was a note of grudging admiration in Puck's voice that Jesse hadn't expected, considering the tone of outrage the conversation had started on. Clearly, his take no prisoners attitude had impressed the younger boy.

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should. What you did tonight pissed me off, but I respect the fact that you stand up for your friends. I was out of line. I apologize."

"There's someone else who needs to hear that more than I do," Jesse reminded him.

"Okay. Put him on," Puck directed, his tone resigned.

Jesse thrust the phone at Nate, who eyed him quizzically.

"He's got something to say to you," Jesse mouthed quietly in response.

"Puckerman," Nate offered the name in greeting, keeping his tone neutral.

"I'm sorry I hit on your girl," Puck muttered quickly, clearly ill at ease and wanting nothing more than to be done with this particular act of contrition.

"You planning on doing it again?" Nate queried.

"Hell, no! Not with her, anyway," he added under his breath.

Nate caught the words that hadn't been meant for his ears, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hey, at least you're honest about it. More than I can say for myself before I met Jules," he admitted.

"With St. James around, if I'm not, it'll come back to bite me in the ass. By the way, is he still there?"

"Yeah. Hold on," Nate counselled, as he handed the cell to Jesse.

"Are we cool, St. James?" Puck asked without preamble.

"As long as you don't pull any more boneheaded moves like you did tonight, we are."

"Like I told your other friend, I'll stay away from every chick at this party. Even though a couple of them are smokin' hot."

"You know, Puck, if things aren't working out with Lauren, I suspect there are plenty of girls at McKinley who'd be more than happy to take her place."

"I've already had most of them," Puck confessed, without a trace of modesty.

"And none of them deserve a second look?" Jesse queried, his tone laced with amusement.

"Some might. But Zizes gets me. You won't tell her what I did, will you?"

"Not unless you give me a reason to."

"Which I won't." Puck was about to hang up, when something occurred to him. "Hey, since it's the holidays, I don't have to watch out for Berry for a while, right? We're heading out of state to visit relatives next week, so I wanted to be sure."

"Don't sweat it, Puckerman. I've got this covered."

As soon as he'd severed the connection, Jesse turned his attention back to Nate.

"Should I have made him grovel a bit more?"

"Nah. I've been where he's at. I'd be quite the hypocrite if I came down hard on him for behaviour that was second nature to me not so very long ago. And he manned up. I was actually impressed."

"Okay, then. Let's move on to more important matters, shall we? Help me go over this list again, to make sure I've taken care of everything I need to for tomorrow."

"Relax, St. James. You've planned the perfect birthday, and Rachel will absolutely love it."


Kurt and Blaine were in the midst of an animated discussion with Grace and Julia, comparing the extra-curricular activities offered at their respective high schools, when Hiram approached the small group, an apologetic smile on his face.

"I hate to interrupt, but could I have a moment of your time, Kurt?"

"Certainly, Mr. Berry," the teen replied politely.

Hiram led the way to his office, motioned his companion to a seat, and closed the door, before sinking into his own well-worn chair. Kurt remained silent, eyeing Rachel's father with interest. The latter got directly to the point.

"So that's the infamous Blaine."

Kurt nodded in response.

"I can see what drew you to him. He's handsome, a good conversationalist, friendly, smart, and a snazzy dresser."

"And in spite of how I feel for him, he sees me as nothing more than a friend," Kurt sighed.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Hiram argued. "I've been watching the two of you closely since you arrived, and although he might not have admitted it to you – or, maybe even to himself – there's definitely an attraction there."

"Yes, but it's completely one-sided."

"You misunderstand me, son. I meant that he's attracted to you."

Kurt felt a flicker of hope stirring within him, just as his more rational side dismissed the idea as preposterous.

"Are you just telling me what I want to hear?" he quizzed the man before him.

"Not at all. It would be cruel to build up your hopes based on wishful thinking. As I said, I've kept my eye on both you and Blaine, and his reactions when your attention is focused elsewhere are very telling. His eyes follow you everywhere. His face lights up when you're talking to each other. And you must have noticed how often his arm brushes against yours."

"That could be purely accidental," Kurt countered, although his pulse sped up at the mere mention of the frequent touches he had most definitely noticed.

"It could, but I don't believe it is. May I offer you a piece of advice?"

"Yes, please," Kurt accepted eagerly.

"Take a chance. Let him know how you really feel. I firmly believe you'll be happy with the outcome."

"What if you're wrong?" Kurt asked bluntly.

"I'll apologize profusely and try to find a way to make it right," Hiram vowed.

The sound of a delicate beeping from the older man's watch signalled the end of the conversation.

"That means the pizza's ready," Hiram stated, as he ushered Kurt out of the room and headed for the kitchen.


Leroy had been about to spirit Blaine away for a similar discussion when he overheard snatches of conversation between the dark-haired boy and Grace. Stilling his footsteps, he smiled at the realization that the young girl was doing his job for him, and he tiptoed away so as not to interrupt.

"You should ask him out," Grace suggested softly.

"I can't. He doesn't think of me that way," Blaine objected.

"Uh, you need to open your eyes and see what's staring you in the face. He's nuts about you. He'd say yes to a date in a heartbeat."

"What makes you so convinced?"

"I've been where he is. Head over heels for someone who didn't even know I existed. I recognize the signs."

"But I do know he exists! We're good friends."

"Who could be fabulous boyfriends. Take a chance," she urged, unknowingly echoing Hiram's words to Kurt.

"I'll think about it," Blaine murmured hesitantly.

"I hope you go with your heart and not your head on this one," Grace remarked pointedly.

Glancing across the room, Blaine's gaze met Kurt's, and both boys smiled. At this very moment, the Dalton student couldn't imagine doing anything else.


After the assembled guests had devoured the mountain of food Hiram and Leroy had prepared, and Rachel had blown out the candles perched atop the sinfully delicious chocolate cake – her wish being a mere formality at this point, since she already had everything she could possibly want – Grace, Amy, Julia and Kurt crowded around their friend, imploring her to open her presents. As Stefan dragged her into the living room and pushed her gently into her dad's favourite armchair, Blaine, Vince and Puck retrieved the gifts from the foyer and piled them on the coffee table.

Once her fathers and all of her friends had made themselves comfortable around her, Rachel picked up the brightly coloured bag closest to her. When no one immediately claimed ownership, she scanned the tag, instantly recognizing it as Puck's from its complete lack of sentimentality and his use of the telltale nickname. Reaching in, she pulled out something slim and slightly stiff – a laminated mock up of the New York Times front page, with a headline that read Rachel Berry Wins First Tony! Rising to her feet, she gave him a kiss on the cheek in thanks.

"I have just the spot for this, Noah."

"When it comes true, I'll send you a copy of the real thing," he promised.

"It's only a matter of time," Kurt assured her. "Speaking of which, it's time you opened this one," he insisted, as he placed a perfectly wrapped box on her lap. "It's from Blaine and me."

"Can I shake it?" she inquired.

"Gently," Blaine replied.

After a couple of seconds spent holding the gift up to her ear and jiggling it lightly, she shrugged in resignation, clueless as to what it contained. As she carefully removed the beautiful paper, her lips curved upwards at the sight of Kurt, who was practically bouncing with eagerness. A neatly lettered note was nestled on top of a wicker basket, identifying the contents as the makings of a movie night. Rachel's smile grew ever larger as she discovered a bottle of sparkling cider, two large bags of popcorn, and three DVDs. Examining them with interest, she found herself admiring the boys' choices.

"Whose idea was this one?" she wondered aloud, holding up Going the Distance.

"Mine," Blaine admitted. "I thought you could relate to the situation."

"I picked the other two," Kurt chimed in, as Rachel put Charlie St. Cloud and Standing Ovation on display next to the first DVD. "You can't go wrong with Zac Efron, and what could be better for people like us than a movie about kids living out their performing dreams?"

"I'm looking forward to seeing all of them," she declared. "You guys'll have to come over one night during the holidays, and we'll have a marathon."

"Sounds good to me," Blaine responded.

"Me, too," Kurt agreed.

Vince stepped forward next, offering a square package. The moment Rachel had it in her grasp, she grinned.

"It's a book!" she exclaimed triumphantly.

"Correct," Vince acknowledged. "But can you guess the title?"

"Um… no."

Tearing open the wrapping, her eyes widened, and she stared at Vince in amazement.

"I almost bought this just the other day. How did you know?"

"Would you believe that I'm a mind reader?" he teased. At her shake of the head, he shrugged good-naturedly. "It would seem you mentioned it to a certain boyfriend of yours. When I texted him for ideas, it was one of the things he recommended."

"I can't wait to try some of these recipes," she enthused, as she leafed through what was clearly a cookbook.

"Can I see?"

Although Julia was the one Rachel handed Vegan Brunch to, the instant Amy and Hiram caught sight of it, they rushed to peek over Julia's shoulder.

"Do you mind if I borrow that?" they chorused in unison, causing everyone in the room to laugh.

"Uh, before you start drooling all over my new book, how about letting me use it first?" Rachel muttered with feigned annoyance.

"Of course, sweetie," Hiram hastened to appease his daughter. "Perhaps we could prepare something together soon?" he added hopefully.

"I'd like that."

Turning her attention back to her remaining presents, she opted for the smaller of the two. It was a plain white envelope, and not particularly heavy. Slipping a finger under the seal, she extracted a lovely card, with something poking past its edges. Grabbing one corner, she squealed in delight at the discovery of what she now held in her hands.

"I can't believe you did this," she exclaimed, rising from her seat yet again to give Julia, Grace and Amy each a hug.

"Just so you know, you'll have to consult with us before you book a date. The whole idea is for us to go with you, so that we can share a girls' day out," Amy informed her.

"That'll be so great! What made you pick this particular spa?"

"Your guidance counsellor gave it high praise," Grace disclosed.

"Ms. Pillsbury's been there?"

"I think our uncle surprised her with a gift certificate much like the one we just gave you," Amy confessed.

"I'll have to thank her the next time I see her," Rachel stated.

As the four girls began to excitedly plan their day of meditation, massages and manicures, Kurt cleared his throat loudly to regain their attention.

"While all of this sounds utterly fascinating, you still have a present waiting," he reminded the birthday girl.

"Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry, Stefan."

"No worries. It's not as if it'll spoil," he deadpanned.

Much like Kurt and Blaine's package, Stefan's was also impeccably wrapped, and Rachel almost hated to rip apart what he'd obviously taken great care in assembling. As she oh so carefully began to uncover the final gift, she became aware that Amy was staring at her intently.

"You know what this is, don't you?"

"Yes, but he wouldn't let me see it. I think I'm as eager to have it unwrapped as you are."

When the final bit of paper fell away, a lump formed in Rachel's throat and her eyes misted as she beheld what was quite possibly the most beautiful photograph she'd ever seen. Stefan had captured her serenading Jesse, and although they were both completely oblivious to the camera, their love for each other shone from their faces. Accompanying the artistic black and white picture was a small album, filled with candid shots of the entire group. Overcome with emotion, she flung her arms around Stefan, hugging him tightly in gratitude.

"Your work is phenomenal. I had no idea you were taking all of these pictures, and having those memories to look back on… I can hardly find the words to describe how much this means to me. And I know exactly where I'm going to put the framed one. Oh, I can't wait to show these to Jesse!"

"It won't be long now," Leroy reminded her.

Her smile grew ever wider as she contemplated how blessed she was. She had a group of fabulous friends who'd thrown her a surprise party and showered her with thoughtful, meaningful gifts. For the first time ever, she felt accepted. The very next day, she'd be in her favourite city in the world, and just hours after that, she'd be reunited with the best boyfriend a girl could ask for. Sixteen promised to be sweet, indeed.


Next chapter = New York!