Sorry all for the late update! Super busy during this time of the year and then on top of that, internet has been out in our place for about 13 days now.

Thanks for reading! Hope you had a glee filled Holiday Season!

The sun peaked from behind the trees as Will Schuester walked with Shelby Corchrin in the park on the lazy Sunday afternoon. He was explaining that Jesse had joined their club last week. The chilly January air lingered, so they walked quickly as Shelby pushed the stroller with Beth in front of her.

"I can't continue" Shu finished, clearly outraged. "He was really upset about it. I mean it's not right" Shu repeated.

"I hadn't known about it" Shelby confessed "I should have, but I didn't. We could have fixed it so much quicker" Shelby answered.

"There is no way a school can take away someone's future like that. You should have seen him, I'm not his biggest fan, but he was a like a zombie" Shu protested.

"An emotionless wreck, I know. We can't do anything now though. At least he's inspired" Shelby wasn't helping and Shu was seeking other sources. Without Emma to constantly consult with the glee club, he was looking for other outlets. The problem was, he saw the whole drama with Jesse as Shelby's fault. She had reached out to Rachel through Jesse and then mom and boyfriend had both deserted Rachel, showing where their true loyalties lay. Will made up an excuse to leave and bid her farewell. Expressing that they would see each other again soon, but he doubted he would initiate the contact. After all, he needed Emma and it was clear that Shelby was in no way an apt replacement.

Jesse had figured out how to contact Rachel Berry. He was also surprised that Puck, who he acknowledged to be a great singer though still terrifying, was still her bodyguard. Also the rumors that Puckerman had also just got out of prison did not help. He hoped they would stop spending time together and didn't revive 'puckleberry' as he had heard them referred to. He wasn't scared of competition, just of Noah Puckerman. He slipped an envelope into Rachel's locker and contacted the band department. He had sold his Vocal Adrenaline car before they could claim it back, so he had enough money to decorate and buy lavish performance materials for what would be his 'way back into love' song and hopefully win the hearts of the glee club. As well as that of one Rachel Berry.

The bell rang for lunch on Monday and Rachel dreaded another week. Another one of trying to helplessly contact Finn, walk around with Puck getting hateful looks and comments from Santana and hurtful glances from Finn, who still believed they had done more than 'just kiss'. Worst of all, she dreaded waking up into the nightmare of glee club that somehow included Jesse St James, whom she swore to hate. Forever.

Rachel passed Finn in the hall, but he barely said three words to her. Puck was away doing his community service and Rachel decided she would practice her glee piece in the classroom for that week instead of eating lunch, alone (for the third time that week). She went to her locker and a note slipped out. It was on lined paper, folded over once. She opened it and gasped, dropping it dramatically, even though no one was watching. She slammed her locker shut and headed towards the auditorium in a fury.

Below people's feet, no one noticed the small piece of paper on which it was written

"Emmy Rossum better than Sarah Brightman. Auditorium to discuss"

Rachel hadn't even thought of who it could have been, she just powered on to the auditorium.

She opened the door, shouting the second she got one foot in.

"There is no way that that movie film version is better than the original phantom of the oper-" she stopped suddenly, her mouth hanging open at the sight at her. The door slammed loudly behind her. She started heading towards the magnificent stage. The stage looked as if she had never seen it before, as if taken straight from My Fair Lady, a lavish set backdrop stared back at her. A orange hue illuminated the stage, gold light bouncing off the background. A gigantic arm chair sat center stage and to the left was shelving, filled with books. Stairs winded to a balcony hanging above the set, also adorned with what looked like a million books on shelves. She gaped open mouthed. She stepped forward slowly, beyond confused. She climbed the stairs to the stage and the light illuminated her instantly, throwing her shadow onto the backdrop of what easily have been Henry Higgen's Room. She came forward to a table on the right of the stage. A top it was a pile of 10 books of sheet music. She picked up the top one, examining it.

"Pick anything" a voice spoke behind her, she dropped the sheet music she had been holding with a small (dramatic) scream. She turned around. Jesse came out of the left wing of the stage, dressed sharply with a red and black striped bowtie, and a black collared dress shirt to match his black pants.

Rachel picked the book up quickly from the floor. She placed it on the table and starting heading towards the stairs, ready to exit as quickly as soon as she could and get as far away as possible.

"Please don't" Jesse asked and she turned around.

"Why the hell not?" she asked and he couldn't think of a reason.

"I want to show you something, just postpone your storm out for ten minutes?" he asked gently.

"What did you want to show me?" she snapped, albeit she was kind of curious.

"Ill sing anything you pick. And I wanted to explain things to you. I knew I had to get you to the auditorium alone, I mean Puck's pretty freaking scary..." his voice trailed off and she noted his tone was sympathetic. She didn't know what to trust.

"You honestly expect me to forgive you?" she demanded.

"No" he responded simply and she nodded.

"Then what is your intention?"

"Well we're on the same team, we might as well get along...and you have the best voice. I want to make sure practicing together isn't out of the question" he responded and she nodded.

"Well if you think that's going to happen, you're stupider than I thought, no wonder you failed math" she attacked.

"I deserved that"

"You deserve a lot more than that" she snapped back.

He nodded instead of a response. He had a thousand words to say sorry with, but knew she wouldn't want to hear any of them in her anger now.

"Fine, you were tolerable" she lied "at your Beatles song last week, but you've got to improve" she turned her back on him. "and if we're going to beat Vocal Adrenaline we need to shape up and practice. You also need to prove your allegiance"

"I need a chance to explain myself and what happened" he began.

"Absolutely not." She snapped, though she wanted nothing more than an explanation. At least he knew she deserved one. "I'm over it." she lied effortlessly. But his reappearance had brought on tumbling memories into her mind, every night was replaying the memories that were so long ago, she was sure they had morphed and decayed over time. She wanted and needed and explanation, but didn't want to indulge him. If he wanted to give one, she wouldn't stop him, but he shouldn't be asking to explain. He should be on his knees begging her forgiveness. Then, she presumed, perhaps it had all been an act and he liked her even less than she had believed.

"We're just in the same club" she kept talking "I don't want to talk to you otherwise. Stay away when Puck's around" she responded, wondering if he knew it was a lie. She leaned over the table and wrote a quick list of songs. This was a start, he had to sing these. These 8 that had burned into her mind after he had left her with a mess and pieces of her heart to clean up. She still knew them from memory, but hadn't she been happy with Finn since then? She was sure she had, and yet she assured herself that she hated Jesse, especially the fact that she was feeling something other than hate for him at all.

"Look I know I was a jerk, a soulless auto-" he began but she shoved the list into his hand.

"Sing these" she cut off and left the stage to sit in the audience.

"I sold my Vocal Adrenaline car before they took it back and bought all these supplies for Glee" he responded.

"Its a start" she replied, hardly able to believe him. Tears burned in her eyes but she forced them down at the memories of last year.

He hid his skepticism for the first one and sang If I Only Had a Heart. She had only written 8 songs for him to sing, all about him being emotionless, him being a fool, an ass. A list she had thought of ages ago. One that complimented her, ones she knew would humiliate him. By the last one he was near exhausted.

He finished with a broad forced smile.

"I have one more, If you'll indulge me" he asked and she nodded from the front row, feeling as if she was a master controlling a Jesse puppet.

"Fine" she murmured, not letting on that she was enjoying his performances. He seemed exhausted, and she wondered if he had another song in him. But he powered on, pasted a smile on and gave his best performance yet.

He sang Sorryby Buckcherry.

Rachel could almost feel her heart going out to him at the chorus, but checked herself. If anything, she was pinning over Finn and if not that, enjoying Noah as her body guard. There were too many men in her life and she knew Jesse would not be an improvement. But another part of her was thinking...maybe his voice would be.

I'm sorry I'm bad, I'm sorry you're blue, I'm sorry about all things I said to you

And I know I can't take it back

I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds, and baby the way you make my world go round

And I just wanted to say I'm sorry:

This time I think I'm to blame it's harder to get through the days

You get older and blame turns to shame

She reminded herself she had to be angry. He was presuming they would be friends again, or something more. She forced emotion that agreed with his lyrics down and hid it away. She came onto the stage.

"Decent" she spoke the lie easily. She came towards him and he let himself wish for a moment she would kiss him or touch him or something.

She touched him all right, her palm flew across his fist in rapid speed.

"It's a start but we're not even" she repeated. He touched his hand to the place where he had been slapped. How had he expected anything else? He opened and closed his mouth to readjust to the pain surging through his jaw.

"Of course not" he answered in reply.

"See you in glee" she added, almost nicely, he noted and he followed her with his eyes as she floated down the stairs, down the aisle and the heavy theatre door slammed shut behind her. It was a start at least. He was getting one step closer to getting Rachel back, he could feel it.

Jesse was a distraction she told herself. Nothing more. The rebound song if anything. She was hopeful for interaction with Finn and was missing all that they had. She wanted to blame the reappearance of Jesse for her and Finn, but she knew she couldn't. She hated that it had been her own fault. It all came down to Jesse anyway. If she hadn't been with Jesse, would Finn have been with Santana? If he hadn't been with Santana, wouldn't they still be walking down the halls laughing and not caring about anything but love and each other? She tried to convince herself they wouldn't, but had a sickening feeling that she could blame Jesse for her breakup. That made her want to blame him for everything. Even though the egg incident, the vocal adrenaline win, the betrayal had been so painful, she had almost forgotten about it. All she seemed to have cared about was Finn. Jesse had been right, her heart had barely been his.

She walked into glee that day and half smiled at Jesse, who was already seated at the back. She took a seat at the front, but unfortunately for her, Finn passed her and sat in the second row. Puck took his spot beside her and she smiled to him, instantly starting up a conversation, trying not to wonder whether or not Jesse St James was watching her. And more, if she wanted him to.

Mr Shu came to the front of the class, giving a broad smile. Perhaps he talked to Emma that day, Rachel thought. She realized she was still linked with Noah and pulled her arm out of his and folded her hands in her lap. She loves the idea of the attention of Jesse and Puck. She loves the drama it could cause and the diva inside of her, wants to edge Jesse on, if not to strip him and laugh at him. If not to get guys fighting over her to prove to Finn that he's missing out, that he misses her. So that somehow he'll forgive her and fall back in love with her. But she doubts it'll happen. She tunes back into Mr Shu's speech just in time to hear the announcement. She forced herself to suspend her comment, clenching her teeth to keep in the criticism, they should be practicing for regionals, but she swallows the idea. It could prove to be interesting after all.

"You're all going to sing a song to someone in the club. Someone that had had an impact on your life" Shu continued and Rachel is sure it's all for Jesse. She's catches herself wondering if he'll sing her a confession song, something like Jesse's Girl but to get her back. Her mind flashes to a million songs she can sing to Finn. She wants to, wants to dedicate ballad after ballad to him, cry in his arms. Promise she's nothing like the beautiful Quinn, full of cheer. She probably shouldn't, she reflects and steps away from her thoughts again as Jesse leapt past her onto the stage. He snatched a large cardboard box from under the piano.

"I know you all still hate me" no one denied the comment and he kept talking. "So I sold my Vocal Adrenaline car and got us these" he opened the box and pulled out black sweatshirts with gold writing on the back. In Italic font it read "New Directions" and on the front, it said the year and the name of the school. He smiled and a few mimicked him. Some of them appreciated the gesture, and more than that, they could tell that the sweaters were amazing. The lettering was brilliant and the colors vibrant. Shu smiled broadly on the side for the gesture.

"That's so like you" Finn accused "I mean, we want to make our own sweatshirts, You're not exactly part of the team, you can't just come in with these. We could have decided on a design together" he attacked and Jesse nodded.

"We have our Cherrios ones" Santana responded and Jesse forced a smile.

"Well, whoever wants one" Jesse added meekly.

"And!" Shu tried in a loud voice "Jesse has donated tons of set materials and sheet music to New Directions!" he tried to pump them up.

"Isn't that big of him?" Puck glared back and Jesse could feel his smile weaken. Puck did scare the hell out of him.

"What the hell did you do anyway?" Sunshine asked Jesse that night after he recounted the glee club to her. He snatched his bubble tea and sucked through the straw, savoring the mango sweetness before speaking. They walked around the mall, annoyed that already half way through January, the town seemed to be gearing towards Valentines day.

"I had to prove my allegiance to VA by egging Rachel as we defunked them" he finished his tale and she gaped at him open mouthed and repeated part of the story to understand the sheer grandiosity of it.

"This was after you dated her and got her to meet Shelby?" Sunshine asked, sipping her drink. Jesse nodded.

"I get that they'd be pissed, but I'm a big star and they don't see that I'm helping them out!" Jesse complained and Sunshine laughed at his ego.

"The last time someone really appreciated your talent, you failed math" she commented and he grumbled affirmatively that she was right. She loved that feeling and loved him saying it. She could swear she spotted Tina and Mike at the sushi place ahead of them with their families and she turned to the left, passing towards other stores.

"Well you do seem to have joined for revenge"

"Well It's not like I can win Rachel back" Jesse added, wishing he hadn't said it. "She hates me"

"Have you explained everything?" Sunshine prompted him and he shook his head.

"She won't listen" he sympathized.

"And you're the type to give up, right?" Sunshine asked with sarcasm, inspiring Jesse. He smiled brilliantly to her and she felt her insides melt.

"Let's grab dinner" he said casually and she knew he was too dramatic. Had he been asking her out, it would have been a grand gesture. She hated Rachel Berry in that instant and wondered what his grand gesture to her would be.

Sam brushed his hair out of his face as he stood in the front of the class with a guitar, he strummed the last chord of Abba's Thank You For the Music, which he had performed at a quicker and much manlier pace. He had just finished his dedication to Finn. "Thanks for getting me into the club" he had said before he began. Finn had thought he wanted to mention something about helping him get Quinn too, but had refrained. Applause still resounded in the classroom and Sam beamed.

"Thanks guys" he flashed his giant (almost Julia Roberts' sized, Jesse thought) smile and took his seat beside Quinn in the second row. Quinn had dedicated a song to Mercedes and it was clear they were recently reconnecting since the holiday season.

Jesse popped up to the stage before anyone could beat him. He didn't want to go after Finn again, or last. He wanted to take control. He was here to beat Vocal Adrenaline after all and the sooner he made friends with the club, the sooner he could get his sweet revenge and maybe the sweet lips of Rachel Berry.

"I'd like to dedicate this song, which is very dear to me...to Mr Shu" he beamed towards the class.

"Are you kidding?" Rachel burst out, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. She had not meant to say that. She turned bright red.

"You expect it to be to you?" Jesse asked and if possible, the red in her cheeks multiplied ten fold. He smiled at her reaction, loving every moment. Relishing in it. So she did have feelings for him, but he stopped his roller-coaster track of thoughts about her quickly. He was on stage, after all.

"We're a glee club" Puck prompted him to start, taking the pressure off Rachel. She turned to Puck, returning to her normal color and smiled to him in thanks. He smirked back before turning his attention back to Jesse.

"Ya, start already" Mike chimed in from the back and Jesse nodded to the band that sat beside them. He had never gotten an explanation for the band after all. He didn't think he knew a single musicans name. either. But he hoped they all knew his.

He began singing Our time from the Broadway hit Merrilly We Roll Along. Will joined into the duet effortlessly as the secondary character as Jesse had intended and knew he would. They finished the song with a laugh, the music ending and leaving them in silence.

"Suck up" Finn said from the back row, but no one mimicked his concern. Rachel was too busy denying her feelings, Puck was thinking about dinner. The bell rang and that was glee for the day. Jesse started to regret his decision to sing to/with Shu. Perhaps he should have thought about the outcome, but all that had been on his mind was not singing to Rachel. That wouldn't be enough. He would have to work hard to be liked this term, even if he was aceing math.