Chibi-Kari: So...I was planning to describe why Beth acts the way she does slower than this, but I was catching a lot of flack for my portrayal of her...so I'm justifying, which I hate doing before I'm ready. I will not justify Rachel's situation with her father's yet, so you'll just have to sit tight on that...and I will get into Beth and Shelby's relationship more later. Everything is the way it is for a reason and I will hold all sarcastic comments about people's childhoods to myself. This is fiction and I created Beth the way I created her and I love her for her. Also, of course everything just falls into place during conversations...once again this is scripted! *hangs her head to go feel frustrated* And to the reviewer that informed me that I don't get reviews (which all I said was the difference in reviews was disheartening...I was not complaining) was because I didn't update quickly between them. I would just like to point out that chapter 1 and 2 were released close together...it was 3 that took me a long time. Everyone just let me take you on a journey. Don't worry about the little things. I don't like to leave things hanging and if you think I won't answer something just remind me and I promise I'll get to it! And I'm sorry about this author's note, but I was actually a little upset by some of the comments (and I don't mind constructive criticism, please please send it my way). So I appologize for anyone that gets upset by my note. I don't own and please enjoy the update!

Knocking

Jesse finally settled down into a hard sleep around five am so when incessant pounding came from the other side of his door at exactly 8:03 am he was less than happy. Rubbing his face harshly with his hand he tried to shake the sleep from his mind and figure out who exactly was pounding on his bedroom door.

It took him almost thirty seconds to remember everything from the night before. He groaned slightly as he threw his feet on the floor. He shuddered slightly; it was colder in his apartment than he normally kept it. Opening the door he pushed past the young blonde that had needlessly started banging with two fists. He quickly started his coffee pot before turning to look at her, "Did you turn the air down?"

She took a seat at the table, swinging her legs slightly, before cocking an eyebrow, "I was hot."

"Damn it, Beth. There's a power restriction currently. You can't just turn it down like that. You could blow out a substation and then I guarantee you that it'll be hot."

She shrugged again, "It isn't this hot in Ohio."

He sighed running his hand through his hair pulling slightly on the ends, "I'm not going to argue childishly with you. You know your mom doesn't allow you to do that and I'm too old to."

Her eyes widened slightly and she crossed her arms, "I'm not being childish and even if I was I'm only 10 years old! I shouldn't be expected to act like a mini-adult all the time. It's unreasonable!"

"And that statement right there shows that you do. Pick a side already. Be a kid or be a little Dakota Fanning." Jesse did not get enough sleep to deal with this. This was already a point of contention between Shelby and him. Shelby never gave Beth a chance to be a child. It was almost like she was ready to take care of someone Rachel's age, but wanted to take care of a baby. Maybe that was what it was. Or maybe it was some type of guilt. He couldn't be sure, but Shelby was definitely as demanding of Beth as she had ever been of the kids in Vocal Adrenaline…probably more. It was like kids of teachers. He had once heard a girl crying in middle school because her father had informed her that a 98 wasn't an A and that she would end up trailer trash if she didn't pull herself together. Kids that grew up in the situation were forced to act differently and it was slightly frightening. He was just glad his parents didn't treat him like that. And luckily Shelby wasn't that bad, but she had never quite treated Beth like a child. If he was honest it was probably the main reason they had been getting into more fights with each other lately.

"Oh and I was allowed to be a child?" Beth sneered at him slightly.

"Beth. I'm not getting into this. It's not my place and frankly I think both of you are acting out the worst aspects of childhood." He turned around and grabbed a mug filling it with coffee before turning to look at her, "And if you cross the line with me I will put you on the first plane back home like I told your mother last night I would. You're lucky I convinced her to let you stay out here for a few weeks and didn't tell her what you tried to do."

Beth looked abashed for a moment before righteous indignation came bubbling forth, "You had no right to call my mother!"

Jesse slammed the mug on the counter, wincing slightly as hot coffee hit his hand, but it was a sacrifice worthy of the situation, "Do I need to go walk over to that computer right now? You know I will Beth."

"And I'll never speak with you again."

"You will." He pulled down two bowls from the cabinet above the counter when she didn't respond and started to fill them with Cheerios.

He turned to grab the milk when Beth spoke again, her voice was small and it was slightly unsettling, "I'll eat mine dry."

Jesse finished closing the fridge before turning around milk in hand, "You hate your cereal crunchy. In all the years I've known you you've waited until it was soggy before even thinking of taking a bite. Hell, you did that as a baby!"

"I'm vegan." She held her head up high and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

Jesse just raised an eyebrow, "Since when? You weren't just a few weeks ago when you came to visit me."

Beth leaned forward slightly, "Does it matter, Uncle Jesse?"

He nodded slowly, "If you don't really know how to eat vegan it does. You can't just do it because you think its cool or the thing to do. You have to get protein in your diet and calcium." He shook the milk container slightly vainly trying to entice her into letting him add it to her bowl.

She rolled her eyes, "Well my sister is just going to have to teach me then."

"Beth." Jesse had never felt this exasperated in his entire life. He hadn't even had a situation close to this before. Beth was being completely unreasonable, but that seemed to be something that ran in her family, biological and adoptive. Shelby was more than unreasonable…Jesse could just point to the mess she made of his senior year to prove that. Rachel was unreasonable, granted she and Beth had never spent any time with each other. And from what he had heard about Babygate from Rachel Quinn took the cake on unreasonable. And Puck…well he was Puck and that was a completely different breed. Basically, he couldn't fault her. She had nature and nurture working against her.

Beth just hopped up from the table and grabbed the bowl of dry cereal before taking her seat again eying him slightly, "So…we're going to see Rachel today."

Jesse almost spit out the coffee he was in the process of drinking, "We can't just show up at her house unannounced. And that guy-"

"Mr. Debonair."

Jesse just raised an eyebrow before ignoring her comment completely, "said that you shouldn't try to come around. How about we go see a play and have a picnic out in Central Park. Maybe we can get a little shopping in. I'm on break for the next two weeks and I told your mom I'd send you back when I started filming again."

She crossed her arms and Jesse was starting to worry about his little Ikea wooden table. If she got a kick in just right the whole thing could fall apart. "I already told you last night you were going to set things right with her and I was going to get my chance at a sister."

Jesse groaned slightly and rubbed his scalp, "How do you know she didn't warn her doorman about you?"

Beth's face broke out into a wide grin and Jesse felt his stomach immediately drop to the floor. Last time she broke out into that smile Andrea Cohen ended up covered in blue paint during one of their Vocal Adrenaline reunions, "That's why we aren't going there. We're going to show up at her theatre."

Jesse's eyes widened, "We are not. That's unprofessional and completely inappropriate not to mention not allowed. No one would let us into the theatre to go talk to her. And I sure as hell am not charming anyone into letting us in so don't even think about that."

Beth waved her hand dismissively, "Oh no no no. We aren't going inside the theatre to talk to her. She'll be outside the stage door. Just go get dressed Uncle Jesse. Leave all the planning to me."

All he could do was nod. Beth would get her way even if he tried to force his plans on her. Of course he had been hoping for a few extra days to think of something to say to Rachel when he actually saw her. But of course Beth had other plans. He just hoped Rachel's reaction wouldn't crush her. He had always done his best to keep her optimistic and something like this could go wrong on so many levels.

Before he knew it they were standing in front of the Broadhurst Theatre and Jesse felt the urge to run away. He had never felt nervous, not even when it came to Rachel. But that all came to a crashing halt almost eleven years ago when he stood on stage about to sing Another One Bites the Dust. Then it had happened again when he called her. Then again when he saw her standing on stage just feet from him at Regionals. Now it was back double time. He remembered dreaming last night that he walked right up to Rachel in a music store and she stared at him blankly. He wasn't sure if he was more nervous that she would remember him or that she forgot him completely.

He held his breath slightly looking at the closed stage doors before glancing to his right where Beth was supposed to be. He panicked slightly when he couldn't see the small blonde anywhere in sight. He felt a jolt in his chest when she ran back around the corner positively beaming.

"She said she would come and meet you back here?" Jesse couldn't stop the slight disbelief coloring his voice.

Beth's smile only widened more, "Nope. Fire alarm."

Jesse was completely flabbergasted, but was quickly brought back to the situation when actors and stagehands started to file out of the building. Once again he held his breath until his eyes landed on the girl that he hadn't seen in ten years. The girl that he had planned on winning back. The girl that had stolen his entire world with one song.