Jesse wasn't exactly sure just how they had gotten to where they were now, but as he gently pushed Rachel down onto his bed he found that he barely cared. And as he fell down on top her her and continued his ministrations to her neck and cheek he found that he really didn't care at all.

But then their lips met again, and Jesse's heart leapt in that way that had now become almost second nature whenever he was around Rachel. It serve as a sudden reminder of exactly what had been the reason for this in the first place.

He had sang to - Nay, he had basically serenaded Rachel Berry not even ten minutes ago. So, when he broke his lips from Rachel's for a very necessary breath he couldn't help the somewhat breathless chuckle that slipped from his mouth.

He felt Rachel push lightly on his shoulders and with a barely muted grin she asked, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Jesse replied, rather unconvincingly for an actor.

"Tell me," Rachel frowned and tried to ignore the lips that had found their way back to her neck. She pushed his shoulder, more firmly this time. "Tell me." She repeated.

Jesse sighed with a playful smile, "Who knew that all this time the only thing I needed to do to win you over was sing?"

"What can I say?" Rachel said with a light laugh. "I love a good musical arrangement."

By now they were sitting up next to each other, both had their backs leaned against the headrest. Jesse's arm was thrown lightly across her shoulders.

"You're in luck, because I love arranging music."

"I love 'Ain't No Sunshine.'"

"I love Bill Withers for writing it."

"I love you for singing it to me."

"I love you."

"For?"

Jesse took a deep breath and looked Rachel straight in the eyes, "For being you."

"I love you for being you, too."

The end of the week approached faster than either of the two new lovers hoped. Having spent their remaining six days in a flurry of heated kisses, roaming hands, and proclamations of "I love you," neither was sure just how they were going to spend the next month apart.

And the date of Rachel's departure approached came upon them with neither anymore prepared for it than they had been six days prior.

Jesse's lips stayed fused to Rachel's almost the entire limo ride to LAX, which was an impressive feat in oxygen preservation alone. But, too Jesse, it was more surprising that all of this was actually happening. Before Rachel, Jesse could have had any girl that he wanted without any troubles. But, then, he hadn't wanted any of them. Sure, he took the occasional date with a costar, or the mandatory dinner with the producer's daughter, but he had never felt a real connection with any of those girls.

Then, Rachel had happened. And, Jesse was suddenly reminded of why everyone has a soft spot for a romantic comedy because, honestly, nothing had ever made him feel so... alive.

And, Rachel had similar thoughts running through her own mind.

This kind of stuff just didn't happen. It was like a cosmic rule of the universe. Celebrities end up with other celebrities/movie producers/directors/multi-millionaires. Girls from Lima were lucky to end up with a somewhat good looking guy who had a somewhat promising career as a school teacher in his future.

Sure, Rachel might have been determined to break the norm, she still had that tiny voice in the back of her mind telling her how much her life was going to suck if she never got there.

So, as her mouth pressed persistently to Jesse's own, she couldn't help but disentangle one of hands from his hair and quickly pinch her thigh to make sure she wasn't in the middle of what was sure to be the best dream she had ever had.

A knock on the window adverted their attention, finally causing them to break apart in a more permanent fashion. Jesse offered Rachel a genuinely happy smile and brushed back a few astray pieces of hair from her face that were in no doubt a result of their rendezvous.

"I probably look like a train wreck," Rachel whined trying desperately to smooth down her dress and hair. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"Please," Jesse laughed. "You enjoyed every minute of it."

"No comment," Rachel shrugged.

"I should have never taught you that phrase," Jesse shook his head.

Rachel just smiled.

"But on a more serious note," Jesse stilled Rachel's hands for a moment to pull her closer to him. "I love you, and I'm going to miss you like crazy."

"I love you, too," Rachel reciprocated. "And I'll miss you more than like crazy. But, a month isn't too terribly long."

"Maybe I can try and get a weekend off. I'll fly out and help you pack," Jesse suggested hopefully.

"That would be a good idea," Rachel began, "but I'm beginning to think you're going to get a reputation as difficult to work with if you keep on making your film crew rework their schedules to fit your constantly changing one."

"I'm worth it," Jesse replied. He allowed his smile to fall into his default, cocky smirk.

"You're ridiculous," Rachel said.

"I'm ridiculous because I'm going to miss my girlfriend when she leaves for an entire month?" Jesse questioned. "There are plenty of girls who would kill to have a boyfriend as ridiculous as me."

"Yeah, well they can't have you," Rachel replied.

"I wouldn't want them anyway," Jesse shrugged. He kissed Rachel again. "As much as I hate to say it, you should probably get going. You're flight leaves in forty-five minutes." He checked the custom Rolex on his wrist. "Make that forty."

"Fine," Rachel sighed sadly.

"Call me when you land?" Jesse proposed with a kiss to Rachel's cheek.

"Of course," Rachel answered with a kiss of her own. "Are you sure you can't go in with me?"

"If I go in with you there are no guarantees that you will get on that plane, or that I won't get on with you. Besides, it's better if I release a statement about us before we're all over each other in public. It'll decrease the obscurity of the rumors."

"I understand," Rachel assured.

"I love you," Jesse said in way of goodbye.

"I love you too." Rachel opened the door and exited the limo, leaving a somewhat lonely superstar behind.

That following Monday, Rachel walked through the hallways of McKinely High like she had many times before – only this time, it was different.

When she had first entered the school, she looked up to see that she was being approached by two familiar Cheerios – both of which were walking with slushies in hand. Rachel braced herself for what was sure to be an onslaught of frozen beverage and artificial flavoring and was thankful for the extra set of clothes she was carrying in her bag. But, when the two girls came to a stop in front of her, they simply smiled.

"Oh my God! Rachel Berry! It's been so long!" the blonde one gushed. Rachel didn't have time to say that "so long" was more than ten years ago.

"Do you remember Quinn Fabray's eighth birthday party? The one where we all went on a scavenger hunt in the mall? Gosh, those were such great times!" the red headed girl cut in. "I cannot believe how we just seemed to lose touch with you."

Rachel didn't bother telling the girl that she hadn't been invited to Quinn's eighth birthday party. What she was really concerned about was why exactly the two had stopped to talk to her.

Before she really had a chance to respond, a much more welcome, blonde cheerleader appeared at her side.

"Kristen, Maddie, your ponytails are loose. You should go fix them. Now."

Rachel watched as the other two girls obeyed immediately, both heading off to the nearest bathroom.

"Thank you," Rachel said sincerely. She shifted her attention away from the retreating figures and to the girl next to her.

"It's nothing," Quinn said with a role of her eyes. "Besides, their sloppy hair was an embarrassment. What exactly were they saying to you?"

"They were insisting themselves and I used to be best friends. Then, they started talking about your eighth birthday party that I wasn't invited to."

"I knew something like this was going to happen."

"How?" Rachel asked curiously.

"How would it not? After that article –"

"Article? What article?"

"What do you mean 'what article'? Don't tell me that your dads don't get the paper."

"The paper?" Rachel asked, even more confused than before.

"The Lima Gazette," Quinn clarified. "Gosh, do I have to explain everything to you? They had an article on you in the paper this morning. You know, about the TV show?"

"My dads don't get the Lima paper. They say that the writing is contrived and insignificant to needed knowledge."

Quinn walked a little down the hall and stopped at a trashcan positioned near a row of lockers. Rachel watched Quinn take a quick survey of the hall then stick her hand into the open-topped can to retrieve the very newspaper in question.

"Well, I guess that makes you as insignificant as I thought you were freshman year," Quinn remarked as she handed Rachel the paper. "Because you made the front page."

Chapter 19:)

Confession time... I have no idea what the newspaper in Lima is called, and – to be quite honest – I didn't feel like googling it. So I named it The Lima Gazette because Gazette reminds me of the times of Newsies.

Anyways... Thoughts?