Thank you for all your reviews of the first chapter :) This chapter focuses a lot on the Jesse/ Quinn relationship, but I want to build that up, as well as Rachel's trust of Jesse. This will be set in Auditions and include bits from there. R&R please!
"Cousin!" Jesse called down the corridor, laughing when Quinn span round so fast that her pony tail was just a blur. She stormed up to him.
"Do not call me that why we are at school." She hissed, causing Jesse to just laugh at her even more.
"We're in an empty corridor Quinn, calm down. Anyway, I'd be lying if I said you weren't my cousin." His grin widening when Quinn just rolled her eyes.
"We're good at lying, genetics, remember?" Quinn shook her head and began to walk on. "What did you want anyway?"
"Thought we could walk to this emergency glee meeting together." Jesse told her as they rounded the corner, entering the corridor where the choir room was. "So, I see your back on the Cheerios. Trying to regain the popularity that you lost when you let the mohawked 'sex shark' knock you up?" He smirked, looking up and down her Cheerios uniform.
"Oh shut up." Quinn glared. "Don't you have some poor, heartbroken girl to throw eggs at?" She countered.
"Egging the girl I love isn't exactly one of my fondest memories thanks Quinn." Jesse replied.
Quinn stopped walking, raising one eyebrow at Jesse.
"What?" He asked, self consciously, which was unusual for him.
"You realise you just expressed your love for Rachel Berry. As in, you just said you loved her." Quinn frowned at him, not sure what to make of her cousins new emotional capabilities.
"And?" Jesse asked, before sighing. "Yes, I love her. I'm not afraid to admit it, because I'm going to need that, and you, to help me to get her back. I admit, my original intention was not to fall for her, and I was hoping the summer would right that, but I can't change how I feel." Jesse said honestly.
"Tell me, when did you develop the ability to love?" Quinn shook her head in bewilderment.
"Look, if it wasn't for the fact that I love and want Rachel, I'd have packed my bags and run of to New York by now, in the hope that I can make it on Broadway. You should be pleased your favourite cousin is still here." Jesse began to move towards the door again. "But between her and my education, I feel like I have a reason to stay."
Quinn caught up with Jesse. "Aw how sweet. Jesse's in looooove." She teased in a sing- song voice.
"What are you, five? Get over it." Jesse said, pushing the door to the choir room open.
He walked in to the silent room, Quinn on his heels. They both stopped and frowned. Rachel was in the middle, with Mr Schuester, Tina and Mike standing over her, the rest of the club sitting in their usual seats. Finn was looking nervously at the ground, Santana looked amused and Puck looked kind of impressed. The rest of the club looked angry, except for Brittany who was smiling and muttering to herself.
"What's going on?" Quinn asked no one in particular, and was surprised when it was Tina to reply angrily.
"Little miss bitch- face here sent the poor exchange student to a crack house, because she wanted to audition for glee and Rachel didn't want anyone to steal her limelight." She said, with venom in her voice.
Quinn looked surprised and Jesse choked.
"A crack house?" He asked, looking impressed. "Very inventive." Everyone frowned at him.
"Wait." Kurt said. "You're complimenting her?"
"Well, it's a good idea." Jesse replied.
"That's awful." Mike looked appalled.
Rachel just looked at him. "You don't think I was a mean bitch for doing it?" She asked.
"No." Jesse looked back at her, wondering why everyone was having a go at her. He hated to see her sad. "Show business is harsh. You have to find a way to get rid of rivals, and that was your way. Not as good as one of mine, but still, on the level of a star in the making, I get it on that level."
Both Rachel and Jesse were suddenly cast back to when Jesse had used that phrasing before. The words 'one and only' echoed around Rachel's head, and she looked down with more tears in her eyes. Jesse just stood there with a wounded look on his face, before he was brought back to reality by Santana.
"Well, if your way to diss your rivals were so much better, how bout you share them, St James." The Latina challenged.
"Okay then." Jesse said, grabbing a seat and sitting down near to the centre of the room. "There was this one guy I remember, complete douche, beat up kids, especially the musical theatre ones, just because he thought it was funny. He wanted to audition just to show he could, not because he loved what he was doing, so I felt he was a bit of a jerk, and needed slapping down."
Rachel was watching Jesse with confused eyes. She was conflicted. The sound of his voice was making her heart flutter, and the fact that he was the only one to defend her made her feel as if he cared. Rachel saw Quinn with her shoulders shaking in the corner, and wondered why. Jesse's story wasn't funny so far, why was she laughing? Did she fancy Jesse? Rachel was surprised when she felt jealousy at this idea, especially while she was finally dating Finn. She looked back at Finn, who gave her a side smile, making her feel better. She couldn't help but smile back.
"So, I tell him that at Vocal Adrenaline we chauffeur people to events. So, I got my driver to pick him up, drove him round town for about two hours until he was desperate for the toilet, and drop him off at the local gay bar." Jesse grinned. "Stupid little homophobe got what was coming to him. He went in, unsuspecting, and now every time the YMCA plays, he flinches. So, I now know my rivals weakness, and gave a complete jerk a lesson."
Everyone was processing the information, except for Quinn who had heard the story before and was remembering the punishment Jesse had got for it. Then Kurt spoke up.
"That was a very chivalrous thing for you to do, Jesse." He said. "Even if it was also for your own benefit."
"It was even more ingenious than the crack house." Rachel said, looking at him in awe.
Jesse just smirked at the club. "I do my best."
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Jesse sat in the auditorium, listening to the foreign exchange student sing. He could see why Rachel had done what she had. She had a good voice, although Jesse thought she was more of a rival for Mercedes. He didn't think she was anywhere near as good as Rachel. But, considering he felt strongly for Rachel, he felt he was biased.
Rachel was watching Sunshine perform, thinking about Jesse. He'd come back, and he hadn't been overly jerky in the past few days. He'd defended her in front of everyone. She was confused, because she knew she loved Finn, but they why did her heart flutter for Jesse. Rachel shook her head. What was she on about? She hated Jesse St. James, and everything he'd ever done to her. That was obviously why she felt like she did whenever he did something. She sighed, and clapped along with everyone else for Sunshine.
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Jesse wandered into the dark auditorium, only to be struck by a voice echoing around the room. His heart stopped. It was Rachel. A strong feeling built up in his chest. The things this voice could do to him. Jesse wanted to call out. He wanted to walk up and wrap his arms around her, to hold her and kiss her. He wanted to bury his face into her hair, to smell her strawberry shampoo, and to tell her he loved her. But he couldn't, not yet. Instead, he just walked up towards the stage.
Rachel finished her song, suddenly noticing a figure in the shadows.
"Hello?" She called out, peering into the darkness.
Jesse stepped out, an unreadable expression on his face. Rachel wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling alone on the huge stage, vulnerable, something she had never felt while standing in an auditorium before. She just looked at Jesse, the emotion of the song still visible on her face.
"Oh." She said finally. "It's you."
Jesse gave her a small smile. "Yep. Just me."
They stared at each other in silence for a moment, before Rachel slowly lowered herself off the stage and walked over to Jesse. He looked at her with smouldering eyes.
"That was beautiful." He told her seriously and quietly, reaching out to touch her cheek. "You lacked no emotion in that song."
Rachel smiled slightly, remembering their first meeting, but as his hand came in contact with her skin, she flinched. Suddenly, more tears welled up in her eyes, and she turned away. Jesse being back was so confusing, being forced to relive moment of their relationship through small phrases was making her doubt herself, and also making her hurt. She hated him. She couldn't hate and despise him more. That's what she told herself.
Jesse had seen the flash of panic and pain in her eyes, as well as the doubt and the confusion. He hated hurting and confusing her like he was, and the effect one small touch from him had on her. He basically hated himself.
"Wait." Jesse called to her as she began to scurry away. Rachel paused for a second, her back still turned. "I'm sorry Rachel. For everything." He said, not able to see what her reaction to his words was. Rachel stood still for a moment, before running off.
"I'm sorry." Jesse whispered, slumping into one of the chairs. "I'm so sorry."
I hope you enjoyed that, quite intense. Next chapter will contain a bit more Finn, and another look at Quinn and Jesse's home life and family, which I find really fun to write. Please review. Pretty please with a show- stopper on top?