Chibi-Kari: Sorry for the long wait! The differences in reviews between chapter one and two were a bit disheartening, but as long as one person is still with me I'm happy! I've already got a start to a story for after this...and it should be good!

But lately I've been wanting to read some good fics...I've actually got one worked out in my head that I would love to read. Shelby shows up at Rachel's apartment in New York to reconnect with her daughter and who answers the door? Jesse St. James, Rachel's husband. Thing is Shelby had no idea! Ahhh, I wish someone would write it! And if anyone is looking for some song inspiration on any stories: Sympathy by Goo Goo Dolls (for Jesse) or How to Call a Bluff by My Favorite Highway (Rachel).

But without further ado! I don't own!

Changes

They sat on the sofa just staring at each other. They had only been there for about five minutes, but it dragged on to the point that even a younger Rachel would have had issue with the silence. Jesse had to resist the urge to think of old western movies. He could imagine Beth pulling a gun out of a holster and shooting him dead. Not that her stare was that much different.

She looked disgusted with him and it killed him. Beth had always greeted him with a smile and a hug. Her face would light up. She adored him and he adored her. It didn't hurt that he had always loved admiration. Now on her dainty face was a scowl that would have put Shelby's, back in the old Vocal Adrenaline days, to shame.

"Are you going to start telling me about my sister or am I going to have to ask questions?" Beth crossed her arms and looked at her uncle expectantly. He had never been this withdrawn and it was unnerving to the young girl.

He tried to shrug noncommittally still hoping that she would let it die. Jesse St. James was always good with vain hopes. Hell, he had hoped that Shelby would be there for Rachel when he broke her heart. That worked out just beautifully just like he was sure this would, but he could still hope.

Beth raised an eyebrow and Jesse knew his hopes were once again unfounded and he couldn't procrastinate any longer. "Rachel's birthday is December 18, 1994. She has two gay dads. It's an interracial marriage, not that I've met them. I've only seen pictures. She was co-captain of her Glee Club in High School. She's vegan, motivated, and beautiful." He paused a little, closing his eyes. He could still picture her standing in front of him. She was beautiful and he had regretted everything he did to her for years. Her smiling face morphed into the devastation from that fateful day. It was as painful to see as that day. He could still remember how disgusted he felt with himself the moment he did it, "She loved animal sweaters and plaid skirts. It was her thing back then. That and gold stars. She knew who she was and what it would take to get there, but she got hurt easily. She believed too much in others."

Beth rolled her eyes, "I feel like I'm getting her Wikipedia article not a description from someone that knew her. I know all this. I've read everything I could find on her. I visited her old myspace that she hasn't touched since high school. I've read the webpage dedicated to her by that sketchy guy named after a place…China or Israel. Whatever. She's a member of PETA. She moved out to New York after her senior year of high school. She was, miraculously, cast just weeks after she made it to New York as Wendla in the revival of Spring Awakening. She hasn't spoken to her fathers since they voiced their disapproval of the musical and informed her that they wouldn't support her if she took part in it. She likes to remind people that she made it herself and that with hard work and determination you can make it anywhere and do anything." Beth sighed wistfully, "She's a great role model."

"She hasn't spoken with her fathers? That's not very Rachel-esque. She was always afraid of hurting them." It blindsided him. He had never expected that. The Rachel he knew wouldn't have done that. It just beat into him more that he didn't really know her. He only knew who he thought she was. He paused for a moment looking at Beth, "And just to clarify that does not make a good role model."

Beth rolled her eyes again and chose to ignore his last statement, "Uncle Jesse, people do change. You said yourself she was determined and she did what it took to get her there. Mom always said you have to leave people behind to get what you want. That's all she did."

Jesse narrowed his eyes and he felt himself saying something he knew he would regret, but this late at night his brain filter had decided to switch into the off position, "And the person Shelby left behind was Rachel." He felt the sneer rip out of him bring back that resentment he silently held in every time he saw Shelby. The look on Beth's face brought him back to the reality of the situation quickly. He shook his head trying to distance himself from the feelings still coursing under his skin. He didn't want to start resenting Beth, too. It really wasn't her fault. "I shouldn't have said that, Bethy. Come on. I'm tired. We'll talk more about this tomorrow."

Beth's watery eyes made contact with his, "Are." She swallowed harshly. "Are you saying that my mom just tossed my sister to the side? Are you saying that that's why they don't talk?"

"Bethy." He sighed. He didn't know what to say anymore and he was too tired to come up with a lie. A lie was something that Beth didn't deserve to hear anyway. "Yeah. Shelby asked me to find Rachel and get them in touch and then decided she didn't want a relationship with her." He didn't want to go into detail and he hoped that Beth would just let it go. That she would go back home and forget this whole thing even happened. Just leave Rachel alone.

"Why?" Her voice was soft.

Jesse wasn't quite sure what she was asking. Why did he do it? Why had he fallen in love with Rachel? Why had he left her? Why had Shelby wanted to see her then? Why couldn't she have waited a few years? Why did she leave Rachel like that especially after what had gone on between the two of them? Why had she always chosen everyone else before Rachel? Why did she adopt Beth instead of trying? "Why what?"

Beth was quiet for a full minute before she shifted slightly, "Why didn't she want a relationship with her?"

Oh. Jesse knew the answer to that. Or he knew what Shelby told him. He had actually asked that same question right after his first year at UCLA. He had thought that over that year Shelby or Rachel would reach out to one another. When he came back and found out that hadn't been the case he had been beside himself, but unable to do anything except ask that simple question. And the answer he got he didn't even like to consider it an answer, "Your mom thought of Rachel as this little baby that needed her. When she found her again…well Rachel was older and could do some things herself. Shelby wanted someone to take care of."

"Control is more like it." Beth mumbled to herself.

He sighed again. He really didn't want to be dragged into that situation, "She only has your best interests at heart, Beth."

When the young girl in front of him looked up he wasn't sure what to do. Her eyes were filled with a fire he hadn't seen in anyone, but Rachel. "Just like she had Rachel's best interests at heart? A daughter always needs her mother! Always! She dangled that in front of my sister and then took it away! And how could you let her do that? You were there! You said so yourself that you were there! How could you not care? How could you be so cruel?"

"Don't tell me what happened, Beth! Don't tell me I didn't care! I loved her. I thought I was doing what was best! I thought she'd always be there and I'd be able to say sorry after." He shook his head slightly, "I didn't realize what I did would change my life. I didn't think I wouldn't get another chance." He looked blankly at his hands. Jesse St. James suddenly found himself more exhausted than he ever had before.

He really hadn't thought of it as the end. It was intermission to their story. He had actually had it all planned out. He would go away to UCLA and the next summer come home and woo the girl of his future. He would get her back the same way he got her in the first place. Jesse St. James was charming and he would charm her right back into his arms and then he wouldn't let her go. And by then she would have had her fill of the idiot giant leaving her heart open and whole for him. The plan was simple and yet perfect in that simplicity. He would stop by and visit Shelby. Then he would find out when Rachel would be over to play with her little sister. That day he would mysteriously show up. She would storm out of the house in her diva fashion and he would follow after her. Spin her around. Kiss her on the street. He had always imagined it would be raining, but instead he found out that Shelby had completely dismissed her other daughter.

Shelby hadn't just taken Rachel's future happiness, but his also. It was infuriating, but he could never tell her. She had been his coach for years, another mother of sorts. He was angry, but loyal to the end. Plus, she wouldn't be exactly excited when she found out the game he had been planning on playing. He wasn't supposed to fall in love with Rachel. Hell, he had been told not to date her, but to befriend her. Incurring her wrath hadn't been on his things to do, but maybe he should have said something. If he had that year maybe Shelby would have contacted Rachel. Maybe Beth would be visiting her sister and him in the city. But he was through with maybes. He tried to force himself to go back in time many times, but it was useless. He made a slew of mistakes and now the one person he didn't want to let down was finding them all out.

Beth stood abruptly signifying the end of their conversation. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or bad. She started to make her way to the guest bedroom before stopping at the edge of the doorway and glancing over her shoulder, "You're just lucky you're getting another chance."

The door slammed and Jesse flinched slightly. Beth still seemed to think it would be easier than it was. Rachel wouldn't listen to Beth if she wasn't even listening to her fathers. And she wouldn't want to see him after everything he did. There was no way she would forgive him now. She was alone in the world and he was partially to blame. He would give anything to take it all back. To change things. He grasped on to the vain hope that maybe she would listen to Beth. Maybe she would let him back in her life. Jesse St. James was always the eternal optimist and maybe for the first time in years his hope would be realized.