A/N: Thank you all so much for your increased support of this story. I can't tell you how much it means to me. I really hope this next chapter doesn't disappoint you all! And, for the first time, I have a musical recommendation for you all when reading this! The Jesse and Rachel scene was inspired by their "Hello" duet, so, naturally, I listened to that while writing it. It's a beautiful song for the scene, and then for the Puck and Rachel scene, the second half of this, I highly recommend "She is the Sunlight", by Trading Yesterday. It fits the scene perfectly, I think.
Jsct: Thank you so much! I'm doing my best!
PUCKLEBERRYfan: You'll see, soon enough. It'll come into play later, and when it does, it'll be worth the wait. And again, you'll see ;D
Nosside: *Shrugs* I'm a cliche, what do you expect? :D There's a tad more to it than that, though. I'm so so glad you liked Finn's reaction. I agonized over that. I can't write Finn to save my life, so thank you. And thank you so much for your kind review, lovely :)
alinah100: Stay tuned and find out!
OminousDinosaur: Thank you so much!
LastToFirst: Thank you! Rachel's really struggling with herself now and I can assure you that Noah will do his best to help her the best ways he knows how, as clearly shown in this chapter ;D
Illusion's Dagger: Thanks, Ellie :)
Without further ado, here's the latest chapter. I hope you all enjoy!
"Finn?" Santana asked, shocked, letting the brunette male into the Berry household's kitchen. "What are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be coming in here, this is where I work, and you're part of the upper cl-" She said, and Finn sighed, cutting her off by taking her hand.
"You've been around Rachel too much, Santana." He said with a half smile, and Santana rolled her eyes.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him bluntly, her tone gentle but her words direct. Santana was never one to mince words, and Finn smiled at her again, appreciating her forthrightness.
"I need to talk to you." He told her seriously, his smile disappearing. He backtracked quickly when she looked at him with a flash of fear in her eyes. "It's nothing bad, Santana. At least...not about us...I think...damn it." He said, shaking his head. "This isn't how I wanted to tell you..."
Santana blinked. "Finn, just tell me." She said, squeezing his hand.
Finn hesitated, then pulled her towards the door, opening it quickly. "Take a walk with me, please." He said, his eyes pleading. "Rachel can wait ten minutes. This concerns her, 'Tana." He said softly. The second his special nickname for her, the one he only used in private, left his lips, Santana melted.
"Alright." She said, following him out and lacing her fingers through his. "But no more than ten minutes, Finn. What's wrong?"
They were halfway through the gardens when Finn finally spoke. He made sure Santana was sitting comfortably on a bench and fussed over her for a full minute before she swatted him away and asked him again.
"...We have a problem." He said, and Santana's heart dropped.
OoOoO
"Who is he?" Santana asked Rachel in a hissing whisper. She was lacing up Rachel's corset, and the tiny brunette was struggling to answer and control her breathing at the same time.
"Mr. Jesse St. James," she gasped, her hand flying to her heart as she took deep breaths. Santana tied off the laces, and Rachel stood up straight, smoothing her hands over her corset. "He lives with his uncle...his parents died young."
Santana rolled her eyes at the sympathetic tone in Rachel's voice. The girl had sympathy for everyone, and she trusted easily. Santana was fiercely protective of her, and this new man who was sweeping into Rachel's life worried the Spanish girl. If Finn said there was something off about him, there was something wrong going on. Finn's instincts were never wrong.
"What does he want?" Santana asked brusquely as she laced up Rachel's dress for her. Her friend and employer stiffened, and Santana realized instantly that she had said the wrong thing.
"Is it so hard to believe that someone wants to court me? Is it so hard to believe that someone wants to be around me without an ulterior motive? I'm allowed to have friends other than you, Finn, and Noah." Rachel said angrily, and Santana didn't have time to get excited over the fact that Rachel and Puck were good friends.
Rachel moved away from Santana irritably. "I no longer require your services, Santana. I can dress myself just fine now. You are dismissed for the rest of the day." She said stiffly, tying off the laces on the side of her dress easily.
Santana started to argue. "Rachel, that's not what I meant..." She said, reaching for her friend's arm.
"Go visit Finn, Santana." Rachel said, moving away again and sitting in front of the mirror to fix her hair. "I will see you in the morning." Her tone was icy, and she refused to look at her friend as she pinned her hair up, leaving a few curls loose around her face.
Santana bit her lip, nodding once and sighing softly before leaving. She hadn't meant to upset Rachel, she was just irritated. And knowing her best friend thought that she had meant to be malicious did nothing to improve the Spanish girl's mood. She took Rachel's advice and made straight for the Hudson residence, stopping only once, in the Berry's kitchen. She changed out of her apron and into a slightly nicer dress, pulling the pins out of her hair quickly. Once that was done, Santana headed to Finn's house quickly, shaking her head and cursing herself and her stupidity. Now Rachel would be speaking to that damn St. James gentleman without Santana there to make sure nothing bad happened. This was bad.
OoOoO
"Mr. Berry, Miss Berry, Mr. St James is here." The maid said to Rachel and her father. Daniel Berry glanced at his daughter, who was sitting was a serious expression. He sighed, straightening his jacket, and nodded once at the maid.
"Send him in, Marie." He said, and the maid curtsied, leaving the room quickly. "Rachel, honey, smile." Daniel said, looking at his daughter. "What happened?"
Rachel shook her head, knowing she couldn't get anything past her father, and bit her lip for a moment. "Nothing, Daddy. Just a disagreement." She murmured, brushing some invisible lint off of her dress' skirt.
Daniel looked ready to ask her again, when the door opened and Jesse St. James walked in. The younger man extended his hand, and Daniel shook it quickly. They exchanged pleasantries, and then Rachel extended her own hand to Jesse. He brushed his lips across the back of her knuckles, and Rachel blushed, looking down.
"Mr. St. James...it is a pleasure to meet with you once again." She said demurely, as custom dictated.
"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Berry." He replied smoothly, and took the seat that the maid was offering.
The conversation flowed smoothly between the three, and it was clear that Daniel was impressed with the young man in front of him. Rachel learned that Jesse was 20, and that he was - for his young age - a rather successful entrepreneur. He had taken his parents' wealth and nearly doubled it through some business investment that he explained to Daniel. Rachel didn't quite understand it, but something about it seemed off. She frowned, trying to puzzle out a few things in her head, when a question was directed at her. She promptly forgot about it, pushing the thoughts from her mind as she answered.
Jesse's eyes brightened when Daniel mentioned that Rachel was a talented singer. Rachel blushed slightly, but didn't deny it, which made both men raise an eyebrow. It was bad manners and rather impolite to not be humble, but it made Jesse smirk at the tiny brunette in front of him. It was clear he was impressed with her obvious knowledge and recognition of her talent. "Would you mind?" He asked suddenly, gesturing towards the harpsichord in the corner of the room.
"You play?" Rachel asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Among other things." Jesse replied, inclining his head and smiling at her. "May I?" He asked, turning to Daniel.
Daniel nodded, looking at his daughter for a long moment. "Rachel?" She nodded, standing up with Jesse, and made her way to the harpsichord, pulling out the seat for Jesse.
Jesse sat down, motioning for her to join her on the bench, but she shook her head, murmuring something about impropriety. Jesse shook his head slightly, chuckling out a laugh, and looked at her again.
They decided on a song quickly, and Jesse began to play, his fingers dancing lightly on the ivory keys. Rachel watched him with a captivated expression. Then he began to sing, and it took all Rachel's self control not to let her jaw drop. He was amazing.
He watched her as he sang, never missing a single note with his voice or his hands, and Rachel was so impressed she nearly missed her cue. When he nodded at her, though, she smiled and sang along. He blinked, one hand faltering on the keys. He missed a single note, and Rachel smirked, satisfied with his reaction. Her voice never failed to shock most people, as it was powerful, haunting, and pure.
"A big voice for such a small girl," her mother had always told her, and Rachel smiled to herself.
When they finished the song, Jesse clapped slowly, staring at her again. "Brava, Miss Berry. Brava."
Rachel blushed, inclining her head and smiling again. "Thank you, Mr. St. James." She said, and returned to her seat on the couch.
The rest of the meeting passed in a bit of a blur for Rachel, and before she knew it, it was time for Jesse to leave. He kissed her hand again before shaking her father's, and then turned to her, meeting her gaze.
"Will I see you again?" He asked softly, and Rachel smiled.
"I would love that." She replied, and Jesse grinned before regaining his composure.
"Then I will await your call with bated breath. Mr. Berry, it was a pleasure." He nodded at both of them, then left,leaving Rachel a tad stunned and Daniel grinning.
"He is quite taken with you, Rachel." Daniel told his daughter, patting her shoulder affectionately. "I wish your mother could have been here to hear the two of you sing. She would have loved it." He said suddenly, his eyes sad. "You were phenomenal, Rachel." He murmured, kissing her forehead.
Rachel closed her eyes, smiling softly and sadly. "Thank you, Daddy." She whispered back. "I...I believe I shall take a walk. I require some fresh air." Rachel informed him, taking her leave quickly and making her way into the gardens.
She hated it when her father brought up her mother, simply because she knew how much it pained him to think of her. She had died giving birth to Sarah five years ago, but the pain of her loss hadn't lessened for Daniel, who had never remarried. Rachel missed her mother terribly, and whenever Shelby was mentioned, Rachel's throat closed up and it was hard for her to breathe.
Rachel practically ran to the gazebo, gripping one of the pillars, and pressed her free hand to her chest, taking deep breaths. After a moment, she tried to regain her composure, thankful that she hadn't burst into tears.
"Rachel? Rachel, are you alright?"
Rachel turned, spinning on her heel, and inhaled sharply when she saw Noah. "Noah, you scared me." She gasped, her hand flying to her chest again.
Noah frowned, seeing the distress on her face. "What's wrong?" He asked, moving closer.
"Nothing, Noah, I am...perfectly fine." She said, moving up the steps to the gazebo to give him room to stand.
"Horse shi-" He started to say, stopping quickly and panicking slightly when he realized who he was talking to. "I mean...that's not true, Rachel, and you know it."
Rachel burst into laughter, gripping one of the pillars of the gazebo again, her other hand wrapping around her middle as she laughed. Noah shifted uncomfortably, unable to do more than smile at her laugh and hope she wasn't offended.
"That may be the first time anyone has ever been that worried about swearing around me." She said when her laughter subsided. "Even Santana's reaction wasn't that...well, let's just say Santana really could not have cared any less." Rachel said, laughing again. "She apologized, but she didn't try to shield my ears like you did."
Noah blinked, rubbing the back of his neck and looking over at her worriedly. "Is that a bad thing?"
"Not at all." Rachel said with a smile. Noah couldn't help but smile back and nod at her.
"Good. Now...are you going to tell me what was wrong?" He asked seriously. Rachel hesitated, and then realized that he honestly wanted to know. It wasn't a question to be polite; he was genuinely concerned for her.
"I met with a suitor today." She finally said, scanning the gardens as she spoke. Rachel's gaze was fixed on some flowers, and she missed the way Noah's eyes widened and his face fell for a split second before he schooled his featured back into friendly concern. "And my father spoke of my mother." Rachel continued. "I miss her very much, and I...I'm not usually fond of talking about her." She bit her lip, her back still to Noah. "It...it brings back the painful memories." She finished, wrapping her arms around her waist.
Noah nodded, understanding that. His father had left his family when he was young, and had affected him deeply. He didn't know what it was like to have your mother die young, but he did know what it was like to lose a parent.
"I understand. Would you like me to leave?" He asked, feeling sorry for her but still slightly irritated that she had met with a suitor. Noah wasn't entirely sure why it was getting under his skin, but it was, and he didn't want to take it out on her. 'Since when do you care, Puckerman?' He asked himself bitterly.
"No, no, not at all," Rachel said, turning back to him quickly. "I enjoy your company, Noah, and I would appreciate you staying with me, you if have the time." She said boldly, her eyes trained on the floor of the gazebo.
Noah paused, seriously considering it. "Alright." He finally said, and then walked past her to leave the gazebo. "But I have work to get done, so if you want to talk, you'll have to come with me."
Rachel shook her head, snorting softly at his rudeness, but followed him calmly, used to it by now. She lifted her skirts and stepped down from the gazebo, keeping pace with him quickly and easily, despite her heavy dress. It was much more opulent than the dresses she normally wore when she was in the gardens with him, but she hadn't thought to change before leaving the house, and it was far from the fanciest dress she owned. Once they got to the shed, Noah disappeared inside for a moment to retrieve the tools he needed while Rachel wandered the greenhouse.
When he came back out, he stopped for a moment, looking at her. "You look nice today," he told her suddenly, his voice soft.
It was far from the nicest compliment Rachel had ever received, but something about the way he said it seemed to punch her in the chest. She blushed, looking down, and thanked him softly.
"I think I prefer your hair down, though," Noah told her teasingly, nodding to the loose chignon at the base of her neck. Rachel smiled, still blushing, and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face.
"I do, as well." She told him softly, turning to leave the greenhouse with him. "But it's more proper of a young woman my age to keep her hair pinned back."
Noah rolled his eyes and Rachel smiled again, a little sadly this time. He didn't really get it, and she would always be glad for that and hate it at the same time. It was wonderful to escape the rigors of her social standing with him, but it made coming back to her reality that much harder. She bit her lip, and he blinked, worried that he had offended her in some way. After a moment of silence, he scanned the greenhouse, pulling his knife out of his tool box. Noah made his way over to some rose clippings, pulling a light pink rose from the bunch, and dethorned it with the knife quickly and expertly. Satisfied, he trimmed the stem, then made his way back to Rachel, dropping his knife back in his toolbox before standing in front of her.
"May I?" He asked, gesturing to her hair.
Rachel hesitated for a second, then nodded, looking up at him. He tucked the flower behind her ear, pulling a pin from the top of her bun and using that to pin the rose in place. "Perfect," he murmured, his gaze locking with hers.
She nodded, her mind scrambling to function with his hand still hovering next to her neck and his face just a few inches away from hers. The whole situation was entirely inappropriate, especially given the fact that she had just accepted a new suitor. But Jesse was the last thing on her mind as Noah's thumb lightly brushed along the skin underneath her ear. Rachel scrambled to remember what a light pink rose meant, knowing that he had chosen it for a reason, but her mind kept coming up blank.
Noah, meanwhile, was doing his best to list all the reasons he couldn't kiss her. His mind raced as he rattled them off in his head, but when Rachel's lips parted and she sucked in a barely audible gasp at the way his thumb grazed her skin, the reasons suddenly didn't seem so important anymore. He swore internally, biting his lip for a moment. Noah didn't miss the way Rachel's eyes went to his lips when his teeth sunk into his lower lip, and he continued to war silently with himself. He couldn't just kiss the boss' daughter, not when they had built up a friendship like this. He really liked being around Rachel, he enjoyed talking to her, and he knew Santana would kill him if he screwed this up. And, for the first time in a long time, he didn't want to screw it up.
Careful not to touch her again, Noah stared into her eyes for a long second, Rachel meeting his gaze unblinkingly. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Rachel suddenly remembered what a light pink rose meant.
Desire.
Noah watched the realization dawn in her eyes, and he froze, ready to back away. Rachel didn't move, and when her tongue darted out to lick her lips slightly, he was lost. Any hope he had of backing off, of making sure they kept things simple and clear between them, it was all gone now. His hand gently rested against her neck, and Rachel flushed lightly at the intimate contact. Noah brushed his thumb across her skin again and Rachel swallowed heavily, looking up at him again. Her hand hesitatingly came up and touched his arm, resting lightly on the rough fabric of his shirt.
Taking that as permission, Noah bent down and closed the distance between them. Rachel's eyelids lowered at the same time as his, and then his lips brushed across hers. She gasped softly again, her lips parting, and then his mouth slanted over hers. Noah's free hand went to her lower back, pulling her in closer, and Rachel's free hand went straight to his chest. He moved his lips and she followed the motion, unsure of what to do. He realized in the back of his mind that she had never done this before, and he knew he needed to be slow and gentle. His hand on her neck moved slightly, tipping her head a bit to grant him better access, and Noah ran the tip of his tongue lightly along her lower lip.
Rachel inhaled sharply, and just as she was melting slightly against him and he was inwardly grinning like an idiot, someone knocked on the door to the greenhouse sharply.
Noah and Rachel jumped away from one another guiltily, Rachel flushing bright red and Noah swearing under his breath. The door opened and Finn walked in, smirking slightly at them in a manner so reminiscent of Santana it was almost eerie. Rachel looked away, mortified, but Noah met the taller man's gaze.
"Did you need something?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow.
Finn gave him a half smiled, nodding slowly. "I did, actually. I came looking for Rachel. I hope I didn't...interrupt?" He asked, his tone slightly nervous but his eyes glinting with victory. 'Finally! It took them long enough. I can not wait to see the look on 'Tana's face when she hears about this.'
Rachel blushed even harder, smoothing the skirt of her dress. "No, not at all, Finn. What did you need?"
Noah sighed, moving back to his tool box. Things had just gotten a lot more complicated with Rachel and he was not excited for the backlash. Then his ears perked up when he heard Finn say Santana's name.
"...wanted me to tell you she is really sorry." Finn said quietly to Rachel while Noah strained to hear. "She feels horrible about what she said, Rach...I know she was not trying..." Finn hesitated, looking for the right words.
Noah glanced at Rachel, who was now looking at the floor with hurt in her eyes. "She never should have said that, Finn. It was uncalled for. I get..." She lowered her voice, and Noah unconsciously moved closer to make out her words. "I hear enough of that from other people, Finn. The last person I need to hear it from is her."
Finn rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, sighing. "Santana didn't mean it...you know she says all sorts of evil things when she gets upset."
"There was nothing for her to be upset about!" Rachel exclaimed. "All I was doing was meeting with a suitor! It is what is expected of me, Finn! She cannot fault me for that."
Finn raised his eyebrows at the same time as Noah, both of them staring at the tiny brunette girl. Finally, Finn spoke.
"Rachel, there is something...off...about this man." He said slowly and softly, looking over at Noah as if to make sure he was listening. "It...it does not sit will with me. I d..." He hesitated. "I don't think you should trust him."
Noah blinked, looking from Finn to Rachel. This was interesting...his protective side was flaring up at Finn's words, but the part of him that was trying to remain detached wanted to see where this would go.
"I don't." Rachel said without hesitation. "But I don't know him, Finn, and I need to have that chance to learn who he is. You know as well as I do the pressure on me right now."
Her tone was desperate, and Finn had the decency to look ashamed. "Rachel..." He said, shaking his head and reaching for her.
She shook her head, pulling away quickly and glancing back at Noah. "I...I am sorry." She said to both men. "But I have to go." Without another word, Rachel lifted her skirts and ran from the greenhouse. She pushed the door open and took off across the grass. Finn didn't even try to follow her, and Noah just stared, confused and stunned.
"What the hell was that about?" He finally asked Finn.
Finn rubbed the back of his neck, looking down. "Santana said something to Rachel this morning..." He sighed angrily, kicking the ground suddenly. "You have time? I need to start at the beginning."
Noah nodded slowly, touching his lips before picking up his tool box. "If it concerns her? Yeah, I have time."
OoOoO
Finn sat on the spare ladder while Noah worked, talking to his friend about what happened. He started with the coming out affair, telling Noah how Rachel had danced with Jesse.
"There...there's something not right about him, Puck." Finn said, frustrated. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something just...wrong with what he's doing."
Noah clenched his jaw, jabbing his shovel into the dirt and glowering at the flower bed he was digging in. He grunted an affirmative, not really knowing how to reply. Finn just continued talking, explaining that he had told Santana about his misgivings.
"Well...she spoke to Rachel this morning and they...exchanged words." He said, flushing slightly, as if ashamed. "Santana said something that Rachel...well...Rachel took it to mean that Santana was implying that men are only interested in Rach if they want something."
Noah dropped the shovel, blinking and looking at Finn, a glare forming on his face. "That is a new low, even for San." He said angrily, starting in on a tirade. Finn cut him off with an upraised hand, shaking his head.
"She didn't mean it. Santana meant something else, but the way it came out...and you know how insecure Rachel is..." He said, shrugging lightly and sadly. "It...the whole situation is just one big misunderstanding." Finn shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "And I...I don't know, Puck...I'm worried about this."
Noah shook his head, still frustrated. "I don't understand why though. I mean...she is beautiful. There is absolutely no reason as to why she should ever feel inferior to anyone. If anything, they should feel inferior to her." He muttered darkly, the words leaving his mouth before he even registered he even said them.
Finn looked over at him, smiling slowly. "Puck...you're in love with Rachel...aren't you?" He asked softly.
Noah shook his head again, glaring darkly at Finn and picking up his shovel again. "No, Finn. I am not in love with her. You know I stay away from her kind. They're...nothing but trouble." He said bitterly, thinking about the mess that happened the year before.
It wasn't often that Noah allowed his mind to drift to Quinn, but the longer he was around Rachel, the more he seemed to remember the blonde. Not out of any desire for her, no, that had faded a long time ago. It was more as if his subconsciousness was reminding him that Rachel was nothing like the Fabray's youngest daughter. They were as different as night and day, and though he tried to remember that, Noah couldn't deny that what Quinn had done to him had damaged the way he viewed the upper class.
"You stay away from them?" Finn asked, amused. "Is that why you were kissing her?"
Noah glared at Finn, pushing him lightly. "Shut up." He said seriously. Finn rolled his eyes and shook his head, trying not to laugh, and stood up. He brushed off his jacket, still grinning at Noah.
"Believe what you want to believe, Puck," he said, and then left, making his way to the main house and then into the street, heading home. Noah watched his friend go, still upset and frustrated, and then sighed. There was no way he was falling in love with Rachel. He wasn't going to let that happen. He didn't need to complicate things anymore. There was no way she'd fall in love with someone like him, and he didn't need to get hurt again.
A/N: Thank you all for reading! Please review!
Up next: Santana apologizes to Rachel, Noah meets Jesse, and Finn realizes something big.