Chibi-Kari: Sorry for the long wait. I moved out of my parents' and started a new job. I didn't have internet for awhile and was all stressed out. Thanks for the amazing reviews...they really give me faith in my writing! I don't own anything except Beth's personality...and really she owns that...lol.

Wishes

All's Fair

Beth spun around quickly, wincing slightly as the sole of her shoe tore on the New York pavement. She really loved those Doc Marten Diva Marlena Mary Janes...it took forever for her to convince her mom to buy them because of their price. Shelby had stood firm that a 10 year old didn't need shoes that were more than 100 dollars. Luckily, Beth was able to convince her otherwise. She shook off the thought of her shoes. "You know my sister?"

Beth's mind raced with the idea. This was perfect. He could help her get to know Rachel. Help her be part of her sister's life. The pictures in her mind flashed from just her and her sister standing in the kitchen making a salad to the three of them laughing and joking. Then it morphed into just Rachel and Jesse, arms around each other smiling. Beth knew right then that they would be perfect for each other. They would look better together than her sister and Mr. Debonair. She could imagine coming out to visit them every summer. Hearing them sing together. Being at their wedding or better yet in their wedding. Now not only did she have to get into her sister's life she, also, had to get Jesse and Rachel together.

She looked closely at her uncle. He was looking back at the building with a look of disbelief and possibly guilt on his face. Beth couldn't be sure. He opened his mouth before shutting it firmly. He shook his head a bit before his eyes met Beth's, "Was that her boyfriend?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly. Something was off…if he didn't have that look on his face she would have been ecstatic that he asked that, but instead her intuition was flaring. "I don't know. He didn't introduce himself."

Jesse nodded slightly before placing a hand on Beth's back, "Let's get going and then you're calling your mother and telling her where you are. I'm sure she's worried sick and I'm guessing since you were at Rachel's that she has no idea you're here. I'll probably have to send you off on the first plane."

He was trying to change the subject and Beth didn't like that. She didn't like being played for a fool. If anyone was going to be playing anything it was her. She was badass and her uncle seemed to be forgetting that. His thoughts on getting her on the first plane out would have to wait for a few months, "You know my sister." Her statement was simple. Jesse stiffened slightly as she continued, "So you can help me get to know her. I want to be a part of her life. No, I need to be a part of her life. I won't go back until I am."

"Beth." Jesse sounded tired suddenly and it reminded her that it was almost two in the morning. She tried to stuff the bubbling guilt farther down. Her agenda came first. "You need to respect her wishes. If she doesn't want you in her life you can't just force your way in."

"And what about my wishes? She doesn't know me! She doesn't know anything about me! I want her to know me! I want her to be a part of my life! Why does she get to dictate this?" Beth tried to regain her breathing, but she couldn't help the feeling that it was more than unfair…it was unbelievable that no one would take her into account.

Jesse flinched and closed his eyes tightly as they pulled up to a red light, "I know it doesn't seem fair, Beth, but do you think her life has been fair? Do you think that she's never had to go along with other people's wishes? And now you're running into her life and expecting her to love you without knowing her. That's not fair either."

Beth was silent for a moment. She hadn't thought of it that way…she decided the only perfect solution would be if they could know eachother, "You can tell me about her. Then I will know her." She stared at her uncle closely. He looked uncomfortable. "You do know her, right?" It was blatent fishing, but she wasn't above that.

"Knew as in the past." His voice was low and she almost missed the statement.

"How long ago?" She was curious now. Why wouldn't Rachel want to be friends with her uncle? He was awesome. Everything you could want in someone…and she would show that to her sister. Everything would be perfect.

"A little over 10 years ago." He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel distractedly.

Beth did the math. That meant they were in high school. That was around the time she was born, "Is it because of me? Is that why she doesn't talk to mom or you?" Her eyes widened, "Did she think I was replacing her?" Beth could understand that...she would feel that way if their roles had been reversed.

Jesse pulled the car over quickly and put it in park before turning to Beth. "What happened had nothing to do with you. I want you to know that right now. It had nothing to do with you. If anything your mom adopted you because Rachel told her about you." He immediately wanted to take it back after the words came out of his mouth. Beth's real parents weren't a part of her life and Shelby didn't talk about them. It had been decided after a particularly bad falling out before a visit that it just wouldn't work between the three of them. Shelby hadn't gone so far as to get a contract like Rachel's parents did, but there were some unspoken rules. Now, both Quinn and Puck were out of Ohio so it didn't even matter.

"She knew my birth parents?" Beth was astounded. Now, she wanted to know her sister even more. Everything about her. She could help her fill that missing piece that seemed to become bigger every time she looked in the mirror.

"Beth, don't bother Rachel. Ask Shelby anything you want to know. She'll tell you." Jesse ran his hand over his forehead. He couldn't deal with this...he hadn't ever even tried. He packed away everything that happened that year in a tiny box in his mind and he didn't look forward or plan on opening it.

"I'm not talking to her." Beth's voice was firm and she crossed her arms. They were silent for a minute and Beth shifted slightly as her uncle pulled back on the road. "Go with me to Rachel's tomorrow."

"Beth." His voice was exasperated. He had said her name so many times in the past few minutes that it didn't even sound like a word anymore. "I can't just show up there. I won't be welcome."

"Why wouldn't you be welcome? Uncle Jesse, you are the best person that I know. And she's an old high school friend. It's the perfect way for me to get in her life. But first you have to tell me everything you know about her! Then I can win her over!"

"We weren't exactly friends and we didn't end on a good note." Jesse murmured it to himself, but Beth caught it easily.

She shook her head slightly. Leave it to her uncle to throw in a music metaphor. "Didn't end on a good note? What's that supposed to mean? Were you together or something? What happened?" She was curious. Her uncle hadn't ever been anything but wonderful to everyone around him. She couldn't imagine him being the one in the wrong, but Beth didn't want to think it was her sister. She already idolized her.

Jesse sighed heavily as he pulled into his parking garage, "I wasn't always the best person as you say. I did some really stupid things when I was younger. The biggest to her."

Beth was really confused now. Normally if anyone was upfront with her it was her uncle. He didn't believe in sugar coating or hiding the truth from her. What was it that he didn't even want to claim he did? What was so bad that he wanted to hide it from her and avoid Rachel?

"Kids are stupid and I gave into peer pressure…no, that's not right. I was simply an ass. Vocal Adrenaline egged her. I egged her and that was the last time I talked to her." He tried to shrug off the comment, but couldn't seem to move properly.

Beth sat wide eyed. Her uncle egged her sister. Her mother's glee club egged her sister, "What?" She hissed. She was insulted for her. That was low. Then a fact that she read online floated through her mind and made the situation worse, "She's vegan!"

"Yeah." Jesse sighed and quickly got out of the car leaving Beth to follow him up. It was a low point in his life, not something he exactly liked to remember. And then he had made that stupid comment about having loved her. He was acting juvenile and threw something amazing away. Sometimes he had nightmares about it. About how different things could have gone, but didn't.

He stood for a moment in front of the elevators waiting to hear Beth's car door slam. When it did he flinched. She slammed it much harder than necessary and he was certain he was going to have to bring it to the car dealer to get checked out. He could hear her feet stomp against the cement and felt relief rush through him when the elevator doors opened in front of him. It was the first time he had ever wanted to run away from Beth. She really was like her parents…a little more of Puck than he would have liked, but a mix none the less.

They stood silently for a few seconds before Beth took a deep breath, "Now you are going to help me. And you are going to get her to let me in her life. And then you will make it up to her. The egging and whatever else you did to her. I don't care how. I don't care if it is even possible. You will."

Jesse knew her well enough to know that wasn't an idle threat. She was the daughter of one Noah Puckerman and Quinn Fabray and she was raised by Shelby. Beth would find a way to follow through on that threat.

"Beth." He tried to start one more time, but she held up her hand.

"I want to know everything you know about her. And then I want to know about your relationship with her. Then you can tell me about our mother's. Don't spare anything."

The girl was barely 4 ft 9 and she was able scare the crap out of him. "Everything I know is over ten years old. I'm sure she's not the same. I don't see how any of this would help you." He was grasping at straws and he knew it. The look on her face said it all. She was determined and there would be no stopping her.

"Yeah well mom always says our past shapes our future." She stepped out of the elevator and quickly turned down the hallway. Jesse could tell this wasn't going to go well. Not at all.