Thank you for the reviews:)

I'm missing 'Night of Neglect' and going to go straight to the prom themed episode now. Just to let you know, this is a heavy St Berry chapter.

Mandy-twinkletoes: Om my gosh, it's like you can read my mind, I really do think she's a bitch with stretch marks ;) Quinn hating reviews are just epic :)

laylita83: Haha, you have with Quinn, but nice to know you hate Jesse too :)

"Can you believe that? We won regionals!" Mercedes screamed as she ran into the green room with the rest of the group, and their director, following close behind.

"Mer-Mercedes is this real? Are we seriously here? Because we just kicked some ass!" Artie joked as he, Mike and Tina moved towards the sofas.

"That was EPIC!" Finn called as he rushed to join the other four in celebration of their achievement. "Nationals guys. Were going to nationals!" Finn reminded the rest of the group as wide smiles spread on each student's face.

Rachel smiled at Finn's excitement as she patted Brittany's shoulder. "Great work Brit."

"You too Rachel."

The brunette grinned at her ex boyfriend as he approached her. No matter what she did, there was no cure for her breathing when Finn was around her. Even if it wasn't as bad as it was when the two were dating, she still lost her breath when he was near.

"Hey." Finn gave his signature lopsided grin as his hands fell into his pockets.

"Hi. You were great out there."

"Not compared to you. You killed it out there."

"Well killed it wouldn't be the exact term I would use-"

"I would. You were great out there. That first song was just…" Finn lightly chuckled to himself as he realized he had no idea how that sentence ended. "You were just epic Rachel. That song was epic. You could tell it meant something to you."

"Of course it meant something to me. I couldn't just make that up. Granted I'm talented but not to that scale, Finn. In time I will be, but not now. Give it 2 years."

Finn laughed at Rachel's self-confidence. Not in a mocking way, more like an I-Aspire-To-Be-Like-You-Rachel way. The fact that she was so sure that she was going somewhere, going to be someone, made Finn realize why he was so interested in Rachel the first time he met her. That and her voice.

"Listen I wanted to talk about that actual-"

"Nationals." Quinn interrupted as she swung her left arm around Finn's shoulders. "Were we come baby."

Rachel automatically averted her attention away from Finn and his new girlfriend, towards the floor. A safe place, where the only thing she could see were feet. Finn focused on the blonde attached to the right side of his body, smiling at an excited Quinn.

"Yeah. Nationals. Can you believe it?"

"I know right?" Quinn asked before realizing that there was someone else near them. A certain brunette that she pretended to be friend with. Her boyfriends ex girlfriend. Rachel freaking Berry. "Rachel." Quinn started, facing her.

The brunette shot her head up at the mention of her name, seeing a blonde staring at her, finn staring at Quinn, in shock that she actually said her name instead of one of the nicknames she made up for her.

"Look, this wouldn't happen on normally nor will it happen again, but you did well, out there singing."

"Thank you Quinn." Rachel genuinely smiled at the blonde, instead of a forced smile she usually wears in front of her. "That was really sweet of y-"

"Yeah I know but don't expect me to say that again."

Rachel nodded slightly, understanding that this was a one off and nothing more.

Quinn spun her head back towards her boyfriend as she wrapped the other arm around his neck and hugged him tightly, letting out excited screams. Rachel gazed at the sight of the two hugging, remembering what it used to be like when she and Finn embraced each other. His chest, which was a support for Rachel, she could lean into him, knowing that no matter what happened she still had him. That didn't seem to be the case anymore. She didn't have him no more. It was now Quinn's turn. Quinn had him. Finn gave his girlfriend a little squeezed in return as he gazed up at Rachel to see her staring back at him with a light smile planted on her face.

"Ok, I think we should get going Mr Schue." Santana suggested to her director as she noticed the rest of the audience filing out of the seats.

"Alright everyone line up outside by our bus. Rachel that means you too." Mr Schuester reminded the brunette as he noticed her poking her head through the curtain.

"Huh?" Rachel spun around to see the rest of the group exiting the room. "Oh Mr Schue I'll be one sec."

Will sighed in frustration, deciding whether he should let her stay for a bit or for her to be like the others and get on the bus. Mr Schue rolled his eyes before giving into the brunette. "One minute."

"Thank you Mr Schue." Rachel flashed Will a smile before disappearing into the red curtain.

As the last member of the audience left, Rachel was now the only person in the room. She walked across the stage, until she reached the centre point. There, she turned around and faced the empty chairs. Reminiscing on the first time, she was there. Looking out into the audience. How frightened she was. That split second before she spun around and sang with the rest of the group. The last time she was on this stage, Rachel was holding hands with Finn. She poured her heart out into that duet last year. She poured her heart out into her solo this year. The only difference was that she had Finn the first time. Seen as Quinn now has Finn, it's her time to sing Journey duets with him while Rachel sings solos about being alone. No, why should she be the one singing about loneliness while Finn sings love songs with Quinn? She has just as much right as Finn does to sing duets. The thing was, now Rachel had to find a duet partner.

"Hey what are you still doing here?" Jesse asked the brunette as he emerged from the curtains at the side. "Aren't you supposed to be going back to your school?"

Rachel snapped her head towards the source of the sound. "And what about you? Don't you have a school to get to?" she replied, defensively.

"I do, just I don't really have to go back anytime soon." Jesse was a meter away from his ex girlfriend, gazing out into the empty crowd. "Last time I was here, I won."

"Yeah after you left our team. Leaving me heartbroken." Rachel muttered as she turned back to her original position. "Funny how this shouldn't have been the first time we would be on this stage together."

"Rachel, I'm sorry. You know that. I regret every moment of that. Leaving the school, New Directions. You. If I could go back and-"

"Stop myself from doing it, I would." Rachel finished his sentence, reminding him that she had already heard his apology once before. "I know." the brunette sighed as she spun around to face her ex boyfriend fully. "Last time you won. This time we did. Were going nationals and we are going to beat Vocal Adrenaline. We will win and your old team will lose."

"I'm not stating in anyway that you won't."

"I never said you were. I was simply pointing out the obvious. I was distracted, not that I'm blaming last year's failure on this, but I don't have you playing in my head anymore. My goal is to win nationals and the path leading towards it is now clear, from you."

"Great. That is good news. I do hope the very best for you and New Directions. Not that it's any of my business but do you have a ride to get back home? I was just asking because I drove here and so I could drive you back to your school quicker than the bus could. I'm merely suggesting that you could come with me. To drop you off at your school that is"

Rachel raised one eyebrow at her ex boyfriend's suggestion. "Why, so you can ambush me again and throw beef at me this time?"

"Rachel don-"

"Thank you for the offer but I do have a ride."

"Oh, well it was more of a peace offering than anything. More of a Would-You-Forgive-Me ride."

Rachel sighed at Jesse. He was obviously trying to get Rachel to forgive him. Though there is a slight possibility that she could never get over the cruel thing he did to her, if Finn could forgive Quinn for getting pregnant by his best friend and then trying to pass the baby off as Finn's, then surely Rachel could at least be on friend terms with Jesse?

"Fine. I'll go with you. I just need to text someone to tell them not I'm not getting on the bus." Rachel told her ex boyfriend as she whipped out her pone from out of her bag.

Finn I'm not getting on the bus. Tell Mr Schue. - R

"Ok, let's go." Rachel weakly smiled at Jesse as they both walked off the stage, together.

"And so how are you getting on there?" Rachel asked as the both exited the building through the back door.

"It's great I guess, very different from Carmel but y-"

"I'm sorry." Rachel interrupted as she pulled out her vibrating phone.

Why? - F x

"Sorry, it's just Finn. Continue." Rachel told Jesse as the two kept on walking towards his car.

I'm getting a ride back to the school by someone. - R

Who? - F x

Rachel hesitated for a second. Jesse kept on babbling about his new school, which she really should have been listening to but she couldn't because she kept on texting Finn. Should she tell Finn that she is going to get a ride with Jesse? Well, if Finn can stroll around school with Quinn on his arm then why can't Rachel get a ride from Jesse?

Jesse - R

Haha good one Rach but seriously who? - F x

I am being serious Finn. I'm getting a ride with Jesse. - R

What? No. - F x

Rachel deleted Finn's last text as she smiled at her other ex boyfriend.

"Here we are." Jesse stopped in front of his dolphin gray convertible.

"It's lovel- sorry." Rachel, yet again, apologized as she was interrupted mid-sentence by her phone vibrating.

Don't move. I'll be there in a sec - F x

R-r-review:) Good, bad? Questions, suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome.