Hi! I expected to update a bit sooner than this but I got an idea for an other story I wrote "The First Time" and my brain wouldn't let me work on this story until I wrote the other one. Because of that and the fact that this episode doesn't really have a lot of focus on Rachel, the chapter is going to be shorter than the others. There will probably be one more chapter involving this chapter after this. I hope you enjoy this and review are appreciated.
He doesn't get an opportunity to talk to Unique again after the choir performance. However, her last words have been haunting him since then.
Would you have preferred that she hadn't?
He really doesn't understand why those words have bugged him so much. He knows his answer and doesn't doubt it, at least he believes so.
But he's trying to push those words away as he walks into the choir room and sees all the girls huddled around the piano, with a bunch of little chairs on top of it.
"Am I interrupting?" Jesse asks.
"Hey!" Rachel says happily making her way over to him and giving him a kiss.
"Hey," he says happily back. "What's going on?"
"We're trying to figure out the seating arrangements for Brittany and Santana's wedding," Rachel explains, pulling him towards the piano.
"And with you being here maybe you can help us figure out where to seat you and Berry," Santana says.
"Um, thanks for considering me but I'm not sure if me and Rachel sitting together is a good idea," Jesse says to them.
"Why? You two are together, it's perfectly normal for you two to sit next to each other," Mercedes points out.
"I had actually talked to Jesse about this and I wasn't sure if it would be okay given the fact that Burt and Carole are going to be there," Rachel explains.
"Burt and Carole both lost someone they loved and have moved on. It was only natural for you to do the same thing," Mercedes tells them.
"I get what you're saying Mercedes, but I'm not sure if either of them were imagining Rachel moving on with the guy their son absolutely hated. Seeing me there might already be an issue and me sitting with her may be pushing it," Jesse points out. He risks a glance towards Rachel and notices that she's pensive. "What do you think?" he asks. He feels her take his hand in both of hers and look at him with conviction.
"I think that Mercedes might be right," she admits causing a look of shock to form on everyone's face, including Jesse's. "By us not sitting next to each other, we're making it seem like it's a bad thing that we're together and it's not," she explains and she watches a smile form on his face. "So unfortunately for you St. James," she moves to get the chair with his name and places it next to hers, "you're stuck with my company for the whole night."
"Well Miss Berry there's no other company I'd rather keep than yours that night," Jesse answers back, leaning in to kiss her.
"Okay, okay break it up you two," Santana interrupts. "Cut it out with all the lovey dovey stuff, you two aren't the ones getting married, Brittany and I are so stop it, and help us figure out these seating arrangements."
Rachel and Jesse pull apart and help them with the seating arrangements.
When Santana notices Sue's name as a guest she storms out of the room and is followed by Brittany. Mercedes excuses herself and goes looking for Sam, leaving Rachel and Jesse alone.
"Are you sure about this, Rachel? I don't want you to make this hard on you," Jesse asks, noticing that something is bugging her.
"I'm sure Jess, that's not what's bugging me," she says, walking away to sit down. Jesse follows and sits next to her.
"Then what is it?" he asks.
"Are you sure you want to be with me?"
"What?! Of course I do, why are you doubting that?" he asks.
"I'm not. It's just that…" she takes a deep breath before continuing. "Just now I realized how messed up I am. How much baggage I'm carrying and that you're going to have to deal with it. I'm not sure if I want you dealing with all that," she admits. "It seems unfair to me to even ask that of you."
"Then it's a good thing you're not asking," he says with a slight chuckle. "Look Rachel, no one's making me do anything. When I decided to come back, I kind of had an idea as to what I was stepping into," he assures her.
"I know but still," she starts.
"I love you Rachel," he interrupts, causing her to stop at hearing those exact words come out of him for the first time.
"You…" she tries to say.
"Shh. I know you're nowhere near that point and I don't expect you to say anything back. But because I feel that way I'm willing to go through this. And, as corny as it might sound, as your boyfriend I'm here to help carry that burden," he explains.
She can't help but hug him.
"Thank you so much for understanding," she says to him.
"I promise to keep doing so for as long as you need me to," he vows.