A/N: Jesse goes through a lot in this chapter. Let's just say he gets a talking to. From many, many people :) Hope you enjoy!
Meet the Parents (sort of)
Rachel knew it was only a matter of time before the rest of Glee found out that she was involved with Jesse again. While Mercedes and Kurt had proven to be decent friends, they also had rather large mouths. Sure enough, not two days after the odd duo had learned about her and Jesse, she is approached by Finn who has a look on his face that is a cross between confusion and agitation. She waits patiently, knowing that it is time for her to figuratively face the music.
It was only a matter of time, anyway.
"Is it true?" Finn demands somewhat awkwardly, not able to look her completely in the eye. "I've heard things but I want to hear it from you."
"Yes, it's true," she tells him calmly. "Jesse and I have been talking."
"You two aren't dating, though, right?"
She frowns. Of course, her and Jesse dating would be the only thing that Finn cares about. It is evident that he still harbors some hope for the future of their prematurely destroyed relationship. "Jesse and I are only friends."
"Good," he breathes out. "But, um, I still don't trust him. You shouldn't be seeing him, Rach."
"I don't see how who I see is any of your business," she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'm your friend," he explains. "I don't want to see you get hurt."
She chooses her words carefully before telling him, "While I appreciate your concern, Finn, there is absolutely nothing for you to worry about. Jesse and I are keeping things entirely platonic. And if you must know, he is only here for two weeks, so it won't be long before you won't have to worry about the two of us at all."
"So, you won't be talking to him when he goes back to UCLA?" Finn presses, his face broadcasting what he wants to hear from her loud and clear. She sets him with her most withering look and tells him, "Finn, once again, who I talk to and when I do so is absolutely none of your business. If I talk to him, that is for me to decide and not you."
"He'll only hurt you," Finn says. She turns away from him in irritation but he proves uncharacteristically persistent and moves in front of her again. "I know he might seem like a good rebound, and he'll tell you things to make you think he cares. He'll never care about you like I do, though. He'll never love you like I do and he'll never understand you-"
"Like you do?" she finishes, feeling her stomach curl uncomfortably. "You know me so well, Finn? You know me so well that you didn't even try to fight for our relationship? You know me so well that you slept with Santana and kept it from me? No, Finn, you don't know me at all. If you did, you would have known that I wanted to be fought for. I wanted to mean enough for you to actually come after me and I wanted to know the truth."
"I love you."
Rachel shakes her head sadly and tells him, "And I loved the Finn that would have fought for me. You aren't him anymore, though, and maybe you never were. All I know is that I need to move on because it hurts to want something that you can't have. You don't know what that's like because you've gotten everything you've wanted, Finn, but take it from someone who knows. It hurts too much and I can't do it anymore."
"I can be that guy," Finn says softly, stepping forward and taking her hands. She doesn't pull away. "Just give me another chance, Rachel, and I can be the guy who runs after you. I'll listen to you and I'll never lie. I love you and I will do whatever it takes to make this right."
"That's just it, Finn," she says sadly, slipping her hands from his. "You can't make this right. Our being together in the first place was a mistake. We're too differerent-"
"No, we're not. We have Glee and-" he sputters for a moment, and she sees that he has come to the same realization that she had. He looks to her helplessly and she smiles sadly.
"See?"
"I still love you," he says firmly. "I don't care if we really don't share that much besides Glee. It's enough for me."
"Just stop," she says, her voice dropping when the other Glee clubbers begin to filter into the choir room. Quietly she says, "I've let us go. It's time that you do, too."
She walks away before he can say anything else and takes a seat beside Mercedes. The girl glances over at Finn, who still has not moved, and she asks Rachel, "What did you two talk about?"
"Jesse," Rachel says.
Mercedes sucks in air sharply. "That look on his face makes sense now."
"I hear you're seeing St. Douche again," Puck says from behind Rachel, leaning forward. "If that kid messes up our chance at Sectionals I'm gonna mess up his face."
Rachel turns back toward Puck and tells him levelly, "Relax, Noah, we all have nothing to worry about. Jesse will not be creating any problems for New Directions."
"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" Artie asks, looking around at the rest of the club for their reactions. "I mean, he really screwed us over last year."
"He's changed," Rachel says stoutly.
"Did he tell you this?" Quinn snips. "Because men always tell you they change. And, news flash, they never do."
She looks pointedly at Puck and he retorts, "I told you I was trouble from the start, babe. A badass like me can't be tamed."
"How do you know he isn't playing you again?" Artie presses.
"Hey guys, back off," Mercedes booms, looking around at all the other members. "Kurt and I talked with him earlier this week and the dude is legit. He isn't here to start trouble."
"See," Rachel says, lifting her chin. "You all have nothing to worry about."
"I want to talk to him myself," Puck says, puffing out his chest "Talk to him man-to-man."
"He's at Rachel's house after Glee practice usually," Kurt offers. Rachel shoots him a look and he says, "If they don't see for themselves that he is up to nothing, they'll only keep badgering you."
"This is ridiculous," Rachel huffs.
Mr. Schuester walks in with a stack of sheet music under his arm, and he stops short of the piano when he sees the decidedly morose make-up of his Glee Club. He looks at them oddly and Puck supplies, "Rachel is shacking up with that Jesse St. James kid again."
Summing up her sentiments on the whole subject, she snaps, "Shut it, Puckerman!"
ST BERRY-ST BERRY-ST BERRY
Jesse pulls up to Rachel's house and parks in his usual spot. He notices a few more cars out in front of her house but thinks nothing of it. He hops out of the car and makes his way up to the front door. He senses something is remiss when Rachel answers the door before he knocks and immediately mutters, "I am very, very sorry for what you are about to encounter."
He glances over her shoulder and sees the entirety of New Directions in the living room. He looks back to Rachel and says softly, "They didn't take Mercedes and Kurt's word, did they?"
She shakes her head quickly.
"Well, showtime, I guess."
He steps in and Rachel closes the door. The team is looking at him warily, Puck openly glaring. He notices that Finn is absent and is relieved that he at least does not have to contend with that blockhead.
"Hello everyone," he says smoothly. "If I would have known I was coming to such a reception I would have worn a button-up."
Santana scoffs while Brittany quietly murmurs, "Your jokes suck."
"There is one rule before you start interrogating him," Rachel says loudly, stepping in front of him. Jesse thinks it ironic that she is in protective mode. "You all must be nice. And Puckerman, that means you."
"Whatever," he tosses off.
"We hear that you are wooing Rachel again," Artie begins, folding his hands onto his lap. "We want to be sure your intentions are pure."
"Meaning you aren't screwing us over again," Puck supplies loudly. Rachel shoots him a look and he dishes it right back.
Jesse gives them an easy grin and says, "First off, I am not wooing anyone. Rachel and I are strictly friends." He glances over at Rachel who nods in affirmation. "And my intentions are completely pure. I don't intend on hurting anyone or ruining your chances at Sectionals."
"Your words mean nothing," Santana says, leaning forward in her seat. "When Brittany and I were a spies for the Cheerios we said all the right things. And we were still bitches. You need to prove to us that you aren't still a spy."
"I was never a spy," Jesse says. "I was helping to reunite Rachel and her mother."
Rachel looks down at her hands, remembering just how terribly that had all panned out. She still couldn't listen to I Dreamed a Dream without crying.
"If you want me to prove that I am not sending secrets to Vocal Adrenaline, I can tell you all that I no longer speak to the team members. If you look through my phone, I have deleted all of their numbers." Santana holds up a hand for his phone and he gives it over. "Yes, I still speak to Shelby," he glances at Rachel whose eyes have snapped to his, "but she is no longer working with Vocal Adrenaline, either."
"It checks out," Santana says, tossing him back his phone. "I don't recognize any Vocal Adrenaline members."
"I know you probably still don't believe me," Jesse says. "But I really am only interested in getting to know a friend again. I am here for Rachel and nothing else."
The room is silent until Brittany murmurs, "You talk well."
Jesse nods his head and says, "Thank you."
"So, are you guys satisfied?" Rachel asks, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do you see that I am not some silly girl running back to the big bad wolf?"
"I'm as convinced as I will be," Artie says. "But we'll all be watching."
"Bet we will," Santana says, rising from the couch. "Watch yourself, St James."
The other Glee clubbers nod their agreement and begin to rise from their seats, slowly filing out of the living room. Puck stops in front of Jesse and says, "If you mess with Rachel, I will come after you. We're Jews, you know. And Jews stick together." Jesse nods. "So, don't mess with my fellow Jew."
"I won't."
Puck sets him with one last glare and then stalks out. When they have all left, Rachel closes the door and turns back to Jesse. "You still talk to my mother?"
He nods.
"How-how is she?"
"She's good," he tells her. "Dealing with Beth, of course. She told me she didn't realize how hard it was having a baby."
"She's happy, though?"
"Yeah, she's happy."
"Have you seen her?" she asks gingerly. "Since you've been home, I mean."
He knows where she is heading and nods. "Yeah, I saw her." She doesn't say anything, her eyes going off-focus. "She hasn't asked about you because she doesn't know we're talking again."
"I didn't expect her to ask about me," Rachel says immediately, but he can tell by the way her shoulders droop that she was hoping for a different admission.
They are both silent for a moment and he casually says, "Well, I think we've made some progress with New Directions. I don't think they'll slash my tires."
She smiles slightly. "Yeah, probably not." A beat of silence. "Are you seeing Shelby again?"
"I can."
"Will you take me with you?"
"Rachel, I…"
She shakes her head then, turning away from him slightly. "I'm sorry, that was silly of me to ask. She probably wouldn't want to see me and I shouldn't put tha ton you."
She looks so small again, the forced smile on her face not reaching her eyes. Without another thought he tells her, "We'll go tomorrow."
Her eyes brighten. "Really?"
"Yeah, we'll go tomorrow."
"You don't mind?"
He steps forward. "Will it make you happy?"
She pauses, considering his question for a moment. She remembered how she had first felt when she discovered that Shelby was her mother. For the first time in her life, she had felt complete. That bit of her that was never satisfied finally found relief when she stood in front of Shelby Corcoran and clearly saw herself reflected in the older woman. It had hurt when Shelby ultimately rejected her. It hurt because she needed a mother. She needed someone who understood what she was going through as a sixteen year old girl. There were things her fathers couldn't contend with. She needed a mother.
And she still does.
"It's what I want," Rachel finally says.
Without hesitation Jesse says, "Then we'll go."
A/N: And this is the end of the New Directions interrogation. I know this is somewhat similar to last chapter but I just couldn't resist the entire club ganging up on Jesse. It was too fun of a scene to pass up! Next chapter will deal with Rachel encountering her mother again.
I've noticed reviews have been really down for the last two chapters. If you like this-PLEASE REVIEW. I need to know what you guys are thinking. Keep the St Berry love alive and REVIEW!