Two months later, Rachel is getting along pretty well at McKinley; all the students seem to love her class. She gets greeted by students in the hallways, and they all tell her they are looking forward to their next lesson with her. She puts massive amount of effort into each lesson she teaches, but admittedly she put the most effort into Zack and Becca's class. Following Zack's suggestion Rachel did not allow them to pick groups after the first lesson. She did however pair the students with people they liked. But one day she had an idea.

"Right class, today you are going to be working in partners and preparing a ballad. Now does anybody know what a ballad is?" Rachel asked the class.

"Not a male duck." She inwardly thought to herself, seeing as this lesson practically mirrored Mr Schue's lesson all that time ago. A couple of hands in the class went up, obviously Becca's did, but no-one in the class was surprised by that. They had all gotten used to the fact that she was the talented one in the room, but neither the less Rachel asked her.

"A ballad is a story set to music," Becca told the class.

"Exactly, now I'm going to set this for homework and I expect you to prepare this to do next lesson, you can ask me for help if you would wish. For this I am going to divide you into pairs, and I want you to sing it as a duet." Rachel informed them, she had no worries everyone in the class would get up and sing, she convinced them of not being self conscious many lessons ago, and even the football players take part in the lessons now.

"Now, if Alex you go with Jessica, Ben goes with Georgina." Rachel paired the entire class up and eventually the only two that where left unpaired where Zack and Becca.

"And if Zack and Becca go together that would be great." Rachel said smiling, this was the entire reason she was doing this task she wanted to see how they worked together. They occasionally talked and she could tell they got along, so this may have also been a little match-making but she did really want to hear them together.

"Ok, get into your pairs and start working, our next lesson isn't until Tuesday so you should have plenty of time to prepare, you can have this lesson to work together, and if you really want to impress you could work on it after school, because you will be getting graded on this, I will come round and help you if you get stuck," Rachel said. The class all got up and divided into their pairs, no complaints or mumbling. She really had trained them to respect each other whilst in her class. They all didn't get along outside of the class, as Becca was still being bullied, but it was a start.

For the next ten minutes the class got on with their work without any problems, they all seemed to be getting away, choosing their song. From what she could here most people were just choosing modern top 40 ballads, but that was ok, she couldn't expect the whole class to have a vast knowledge of music. She kept an eye on Becca and Zack, hoping her plan wouldn't backfire, and that they would get along. So far everything seemed ok; they seemed to have picked their song. She couldn't handle not knowing much longer so she went over to a few other students to see how they were doing, and then to them, just so it didn't look like she was being to nosey.

"How's it going guys?" She asked them, taking a seat opposite the pair.

"Good, we have picked our song, where just trying to work out who's singing what and stuff," Zack said.

"What are you singing?" Rachel asked.

"Hello, by Lionel Richie." Becca said, immediately Rachel mind flashed to the time when she sang it with Jessie St. James, remembering how he broke her heart all for the sake of winning a singing competition. She was totally over that now, but she still remembered how good she had felt singing that song then.

"That's a good song choice; I think it would fit both of your ranges quite well. It's also good because its original no-one else will be singing it." She told them; admittedly she was pretty excited to hear them sing it.

"Miss, we were also wondering, my lesson after school today, could Zack come and we could work on our ballad?" Becca asked, nervously.

"Of course, that would be a great idea. I'll see you after school then," Rachel said.

BREAK!

After school Rachel was waiting in the choir room for Zack and Becca. She was surprised the glee club hear still didn't run, she had talked to Mr Schue about it and he had given her some reason about no one caring anymore, she would restart it again if she had anytime. But she spent all her time putting working into planning her lessons. She really had no life, she spend all night planning the lessons and making them perfect, she couldn't even remember the last time she went out of rang someone. At least she was having fun with it.

"Hey miss, Zack said he will be a few minutes I ran into him in the hall." Becca said announcing her arrival.

"Ohh hey Becca, how are you?" Rachel asked.

"Pretty nervous to be honest with you Miss," Becca admitted.

"Why are you nervous?" Rachel said.

"Because I don't want to mess this up," Becca told her.

"You mean Zack don't you?" Rachel asked.

"How did you know," Becca said.

"Because I was just like you in high school, and I'll tell you what, if a bit of hard work and persuasion, I got the guy I wanted," Rachel told her.

"Really miss, so do you have a chance, I mean he's a football player as well, he's really popular and I'm just a big geek."

"Becca, let me tell you about someone called Finn Hudson," Rachel said.

And with that Rachel burst into the story of how she was madly in love with Finn but he didn't notice her at all because he was going out with Quinn, and finished the story on how they were happily together.

"Really Miss that all happened? Do you still go out with him now?" Becca asked amazed.

"Unfortunately no, I haven't seen him in many years, but I think I still love him. I know that sad but I do. I haven't been with a guy since him, and there's never been anybody I've felt so much compassion for." Rachel admitted. "Anyway I shouldn't be telling you all this, I'm a teacher its wrong."

"I won't tell anyone Miss" Becca assured her.
"Anyway, let's talk about this another time." Rachel said, and just as she said that Zack walked into the room.

"Shall we get started then," Rachel said, getting up to sit by the piano. After a very long vocal warm up Rachel told them to sing the song to her, it seemed like their voices fit perfectly together, just like hers and Finns had, but there was something missing, they weren't putting the emotion into it like she used to.

"That was really good guys, it sounded amazing, there's just one thing I would like you to do. Try and feel everything you sing, you need to put emotion in, that's the idea of a ballad to tell a story, you need to tell the audience a story with you voice." Rachel told them.

"What do you mean miss?" Zack asked confused.

"Here I'll show you," Rachel said. She got up and stood in the middle of the room.

"Becca could you please play track five on the CD player please" Rachel asked.

Becca went over to the CD player and put on track five, the opening lines to a song started playing from the speakers. Becca went and sat on the piano stool, and motioned to Zack to sit down too. Zack went and sat on the piano stool also, waiting for Rachel to sing.

"Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!"

Rachel belted out the song as best she could, putting in as much emotion as she possibly could, she thought of the time that she had to battle Kurt in the diva off singing this. She was so much better than him singing this even if he did throw the competition. She remembered how she felt back then.

"I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you won't bring me down!
bring me down!
ohh ohhh ohhhh!"

Closing her eyes to reach those high notes, she knew she had nailed it, she opened her eyes took a deep breath and looked at Zack and Becca. They were both looking at her with mesmerised eyes, they both burst into applause, and Rachel took a pretend bow and laughed.

"How can you sing like that miss, you're amazing?" Zack complimented.

"I know but thank you, but do you understand what I mean now, you really have to feel what you're singing," she told them.

"Yes, I think I understand what you mean now, should we try again?" Zack asked her.

This time they both tried to put as much emotion into the song as possible, and it almost worked, they both looked like they really meant what they were singing, for Becca that would have been easy because she did. After the lesson was over Rachel and both teenagers went home feeling very happy about the song, ready to show the class on Tuesday. By the time Tuesday's music lesson came around they were both as prepared as they would ever be.

BREAK!

"Wow, Josh and Alice, that was really good, I'm impressed. I like the song choice, I didn't know 'Starry Eyed' by Ellie Goulding was a ballad, but I guess it could be." It so couldn't, not in the context they were singing it, anyway it as a good effort.

"And next we have Danny Perkins and Zoe Welch, lets she what you guys have got."

Danny and Zoe stood up, all the footballers cheered for him as they took centre stage.

Danny turned on the music and Rachel did not recognise the song,

"You get the limo out front
Hottest styles, every shoe, every colour

Yea when you're famous it can be kinda fun
Its really you but no one ever discovers"

Danny danced around the front of the class, not taking the assignment at all seriously. Zoe stood there behind him, trying to try her best to do what she could with the song.

"YOU GET THE EBST OF BOTH WORLDS" Danny shouted. Everyone in the class laughed.

"ALRIGHT STOP!" Rachel shouted, Zoe immediately turned of the music, and Danny stopped dancing. "How dare you not take this seriously, what make you think you can come in here and prat about!" Rachel shouted at him, she had not shouted at a student before, but this boy deserved it. Everyone in the class took it seriously, and he had to be the only on to try and be funny.

"Because it's only music," Danny said.

"Right well if that's how you feel how about we talk about it after school on tomorrow. See me after lesson Danny. Anyway let's get on with our last performance Zack and Becca." Rachel said, giving Danny her sternest look, making sure he knew she wasn't joking, but then turning to Zack and Becca and smiling. Zack and Becca both got up and stood in front of the class. Rachel sat down next to the piano.

"Erm miss could you please play it for us, the CD version doesn't really fit out harmonies" Becca asked.

"Sure, tell me when to start" Rachel agreed.

Becca and Zack both looked at each other making sure they were both ready and Zack signalled to Rachel to start playing. Zack sang first, unsurprisingly Rachel and arranged this song so it sounded exactly like the version her and Jessie sang. Zack's voice was very like Jessie's, but Becca's wasn't as good as hers, but it was pretty close. She was just as talented as Rachel, she just sounded different.

"I've been alone with you inside my mind

And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times

I sometimes see you pass outside my door

Hello, is it me you're looking for?" Zack sang, never taking his eyes of Becca, he really did now understand what she had meant about feeling the emotions. Next Becca joined in.

"I can see it in your eyes

I can see it in your smile

You're all I've ever wanted, and my arms are open wide

'Cause you know just what to say

And you know just what to do

And I want to tell you so much, I love you ..."

As they got more and more into the song, they really did look like they meant it. As they finished they turned to the class to sing it. When they finished, everyone clapped.

"Perfect," Rachel said. "That was exactly what I wanted, well done guys," Rachel congratulated them.

The bell went signalling the end of school, the class got up to go get their bags.

"Well done guys, that was great except for our exception, Danny remember stay behind." Rachel said.

After the rest of the class had gone, except Becca who was waiting for Rachel for their lesson after school, Danny walked over to Rachel.

"You're not going to shout are you miss, you were scary when you did." He asked.

"You deserved it, but know I'm not, i would just like an explanation." Rachel said.

"I don't know, I just guess I thought it would be funny," Danny said.

"Well, next time I'd appreciate it if you would try harder and not attempt to impress your friends." She told him, "I'm not going to have problems with you am I?"

"No, miss sorry." Danny apologised.

"Glad to hear it, I will see you hear after school tomorrow."

"Becca I'm really sorry, I'm going to have to go to the main office to post this detention slip, I will meet you in the choir room in ten minutes.

BREAK!

After going to the main office Rachel made her way to the choir room, she could hear Becca's voice coming from inside and another one, a man's voice.

"That's weird," Rachel thought to herself. Rachel walked in the room, looking at the song sheets they would use that lesson,

"Becca I'm sorry I'm late, I had to sort out that detention." She apologised, when she looked up she saw Becca stood there with a man that was about six feet tall. He had Short brown hair and he was wearing a tracksuit.

"Rachel?" Finn said.

"Finn!" Rachel almost shouted, she couldn't believe it, why was he here. What? Why? How?

Before she could say anything else he ran out the room.

"What was that miss, do you know Mr Hudson?" Becca asked.

"Yes Becca I know him, that's Finn Hudson, the man I told you about." Rachel said.