A/N: New chapter! This includes some of your favorite New Directions members. Hope you enjoy this!
Cat Out of The Bag
"They know."
Jesse looks over at her on the couch, not understanding why her face was screwed up in worry. "Who knows?"
"They know," she enthuses. "New Directions!"
It happened at her locker. She had been putting away a few books when Mercedes and Kurt flanked her on either side.
"Who is he?" Kurt demanded.
Rachel looked over at him calmly and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't start with us, girl," Mercedes said. "We see you checking your phone all the time. What's his name?"
When she hesitated Kurt reminded her, "If you don't tell us, we'll just find out on our own."
Rachel imagined the two of them catching her and Jesse at her house. She wouldn't put it past them to do a stake-out and witness Jesse driving up to her house. No doubt the confrontation after that would be legendary.
"Fine," Rachel sighed. "It's Jesse."
"You better not be talking about Jesse St James," Mercedes huffed. "I know trouble, and that boy is trouble."
"He's home for Spring Break," Rachel explained. "And we've been spending some time together."
Kurt's face looked as if he had seen someone wearing last year's Marc Jacobs and he cried out, "Are you really this stupid?"
"I'm not stupid."
"Oh, then did everything last year just not happen, suddenly?"
"He apologized and I forgave him, "Rachel said stoutly.
"Okay," Kurt chimed in. "It's official. You are stupid."
"Look, he came and talked to me and I believe that he is truly sorry." She looked between them. "And if you don't believe that, well, too bad."
"Let me guess, he pulled some Mean Girl line on you," Kurt sniffed. "Tell you he was sucking out all the poison?"
Rachel closed her locker firmly. "Possibly, but it was completely sincere."
"Typical," Kurt answered. Mercedes shot him a look and turned her attention back to Rachel as she said, "Look, Rachel, we get that Finn played you. And that ain't right. But you can't just go running back to Jesse. You're asking to get yourself hurt."
"He has changed," Rachel said resolutely. "See for yourself. He stops by my house after school nearly every day, come and observe our behavior. You will see that he is as good as lamb now."
"You basically invited them over," Jesse repeats, shaking his head slowly. "So, that probably means-"
A knock on the door silences them and Rachel shoots him an apologetic look before rising from the couch and opening the door. Kurt and Mercedes hardly look at her as they take in the sight of Jesse, who has risen from the couch and is standing comfortably behind her. Rachel can see that Kurt and Mercedes are not moved by her previous overtures as Kurt snipes, "St James."
"Come in," Rachel says quickly, stepping to the side. "Do you want anything? Drinks? Snacks?"
"Save it, Rachel," Mercedes says, glaring openly at Jesse. "You know the only reason we're here is to sniff out this one."
"Hello to you, too, Mercedes," he answers easily. "And you, of course, Kurt."
"Spout out all the pleasantries you want, St James," Kurt shoots back. "We're still going to find you out."
"Find out what exactly?" Jesse asks casually. He can see Rachel giving him a look and he moves a placating hand in her direction as he says, "I really am just curious. I have no nefarious plans, no master scheme. I'm just here to visit an old friend."
"Rachel was never a friend," Kurt sniffs. "She was a plot device for you, some catalyst in your dramatic rendering of Regionals. It wouldn't have been as sweet of a win if you hadn't taunted her with Another One Bites The Dust in her own auditorium, would it?"
"Enough," Rachel says forcefully, crossing her arms over her chest. "I said you could come here but you cannot attack him like this. If you want to question him, you will do it civilly."
Jesse glances over at Rachel, both surprised and impressed by her outburst. Rachel gives him a curt nod and Mercedes goes, "I'm first. But I'd like to have a little time alone with him." She narrows her eyes toward Jesse and says, "Need to have your full attention."
Rachel is going to protest but then Jesse says, "That's fine."
"It is?" Rachel asks nervously. She knows how opinionated Mercedes is and can only imagine the things the girl has planned.
"Completely," he answers. He knows that Mercedes runs a hard bargain, but if it took winning over the fierce girl to not have to sneak around with Rachel, that is what he will do.
"Come on then," Rachel says, nodding her head toward the front door. "We'll go outside. I could use some fresh air."
"I get him after," Kurt says, as him and Rachel leave the house.
Alone, Mercedes and Jesse stand off, neither of them making the first move as both considers what the other will say. Jesse has his entire speech prepared in his mind, knowing that it can be tailored for pretty much any accusations or insults that she throws at him. He wants her to speak first, though.
"Alright, choir boy, let's talk," Mercedes says, setting Jesse with her most intimidating no-nonsense look. "I think you're going to hurt my girl, Rachel. You need to prove me wrong."
"It's good to see Rachel isn't the only dramatic one," Jesse says with a slight grin. "And I am not going to hurt her."
"You really messed her up after Regionals. It's a miracle she got over you at all. There really is only Finn to thank for that, but now even he has screwed up so if you do something to her, there is no one for her to turn to."
"I know I hurt her last year," Jesse admits. "But things are different now."
"How is that? You still seem as stuck-up and self-centered as before?"
"Oh, I am," he answers easily.
"What are you talking about, St James?"
His tailored speech goes on about making amends and regaining her trust. It is flowery and well-thought out, no doubt perfectly suitable to quiet Mercedes' fears about him and Rachel, but he finds himself considering going another direction. What he had planned to say was mostly theatrics but standing before Mercedes, who is as immovable as a mountain, he feels a strange need to prove to her that his intentions are pure.
"I'm a driven person," he begins. "And last year I was determined to win Regionals. Kurt was right in what he said before. Winning was my life and Rachel was just a subscript. She was an added bonus, sort of, and one that I figured would always be there, regardless of how I treated her. I mean, I was Jesse St James, former lead vocalist of Vocal Adrenaline. I thought I could do no wrong." He catches a look from her and says, "I didn't know about the eggs and once it was all happening I couldn't turn back, not without jeapordizing the win. So, I went through with it. All the while, though, I really thought I could get her back."
"Fat chance," Mercedes spits.
"But then I saw her and Finn perform Faithfully. I knew I lost her, then. I realized that night, winning meant nothing if I didn't have her. In a way, it was my greatest victory that night, four straight consecutive titles, but it was a hollow win."
"So, you here to make amends?" Mercedes asks, crossing her arms over her chest. "Because you have a lot of work to do."
"Partially," he answers. "But mostly, I'm here to get her back and I will do whatever it takes to convince her that she wants me, too."
Mercedes stares at him for a moment, her lips pursed into a frown. He doesn't know if she believes him and he wouldn't exactly blame her for not. He knows he made a lot of mistakes and not everyone understands him like Rachel. Mercedes surprises him by sighing audibly and then saying, "I still don't like you, St James, but I can tell you care about Rachel."
"I do," he assures her. "I hate myself for hurting her. It was the biggest mistake of my life and I am willing to do just about anything to make it up to her."
"There better be no sexual healing in that equation," Mercedes warns.
Jesse chuckles and tells her, "I think I will leave the sexual healing to Marvin."
"Because the last thing Rachel needs right now is to get all messy and involved with some dude with an expiration date." He lowers his gaze, knowing that she is right. "You leave in less than two weeks and then she will be all alone again. Don't do anything to make her even more miserable over that."
"I won't," he promises her.
"Alright," Mercedes says, nodding her head. "You want to get them now? I'm done with you."
He chuckles slightly at that last line and says, "Yeah, I'll tell them to come in."
He goes to the door and as he moves to open the door he notices that his hand is trembling. It wasn't until then that he realized he had been nervous. He pulls the door open and finds Rachel and Kurt sitting on the front step. Although he is moderately sure they could hear the door open Kurt still lets out some negative remark regarding him. His own snark shows as Jesse says, "Thank you for that, Kurt."
"Jesse," Rachel says loudly, turning around. "Are you and Mercedes done?"
"Completely," he says with a nod. "You two can come in now."
"My turn," Kurt says, stepping past Jesse into the house. Rachel looks up at Jesse as she goes past him and he gently touches her arm. Behind them Mercedes and Kurt are in a sort of conference and they hear Mercedes tell Kurt, "I grilled him and everything checks out."
"Really?" Kurt says warily, turning to look at Jesse. He notes the way that Jesse is standing protectively beside Rachel, and the angle of her body. It's clear that both are in deep, possibly deeper than they even realize. "Well did you get the talk?"
"Yes, from my father at a disturbingly young age," Jesse retorts.
"No, I mean the talk for if you ever hurt Rachel again." Jesse is silent. "Well, then let me. Here is how it goes, St James. You hurt her and we send Puck after you. You'll want to watch yourself, he has a record."
"Guys, I think we've had enough grilling and threats for one day," Rachel sighs, but she can't help but feel a bit of delight at the way they stare Jesse down. She's touched by how protective they have proven.
"Alright, I guess we'll call it a day," Kurt says. They move to leave but as they get to the door, Mercedes turns back and reminds Jesse, "We're watching you, St James."
"I would expect nothing else."
"See you, girl," Mercedes says to Rachel, and then the mismatched friends leave, Rachel closing the door firmly behind them. She turns to Jesse, smiling sheepishly.
"I'm sorry about them," Rachel says. "They, well, they overreact sometimes."
He steps forward and lays his hands on the sides of her arms. He can feel her tremble slightly and he drops his hands as he says, "They care about you, Rachel. You deserve friends like that, so I will take the grilling and the threats. I don't mind."
She smiles slightly and then takes him by surprise when she moves forward and wraps her arms around him. Slowly he puts his around her, resting his chin on the top of her head. Something stirs in his stomach and he thinks to himself that he could stay this way forever. In fact, he wants to stay this way, her in his arms and nothing else. She pulls away first and looks up at him with glassy eyes. Every instinct tells him to kiss her. The way she is looking at him, her tongue darting out to moisten her lips, it all points to one thing, but he drops his arms and steps away.
He can't do it.
He can't, because Mercedes is right. It will be hard enough for Rachel when he leaves and it would be selfish of him to push things, only to leave in twelve days. To be honest, it would only make things harder for him, too. He had returned to gain her forgiveness and that is all he will seek. His mind is completely set until she looks up at him and murmurs, "I'm really glad you came back, Jesse."
A/N: Next chapter, Finn confronts Rachel about Jesse. I am SUPER excited to write that :D PLEASE LEAVE FEEDBACK.