Rachel has grown up.

Shelby's POV:

Rachel was gonna find out.

Even thinking of it made me nervous.

I felt like I was going to make the biggest fault of my life !

I loved Jesse, I wanted him to stay with Elphie and me, but Rachel was going to be so upset.

I would never be able to get her back !

Rachel's POV:

Finding out about Jesse and Shelby had already been rough the first time.

It was hard for me, to think about trusting Jesse again.

I didn't want to loose him. I knew, if I bitched out he would be gone.

That thought stopped me from shouting at him, throwing things after him, saying things to him, that aren't really my thing.

I knew, if I ever gave him a chance to, he would leave me.

He would just stay with her.

I needed some weeks to trust him again, but it really seemed like he was over it and didn't want to loose it.

One thing, that helped me get through this time, was that they had told me.

They had assured me, that it wouldn't happen again. EVER !

I believed them.

In the beginning, Jesse went to see his daughter every weekend.

As time went by, I sometimes asked him if he could stay at home for the weekend.

He always did what I wanted.

Maybe because he didn't want to loose me, maybe because he could still visit his daughter the following week and maybe he didn't care about Shelby that much anymore.

One Sunday evening, he drove home from Lima. He called and asked me, if I was at home.

I told him yes and he said he would be home right away, telling me to stay awake and wait for him.

I did and when he came home, he seemed totally different.

Usually he was very quiet, not wanting to say something wrong, never making a fast decision.

But that day, he was exactly like he had been in high school.

He was strong, dramatic, talking like a boy again, yet he seemed more mature than ever.

"I'm still in love with Shelby !"

Still ? He had never told me he was in LOVE with her, I always thought it was just a one-time-thing.

"I want a divorce, Rachel !"

It seemed like he was very sure of what he did. Like he really meant what he said.

I reacted perfectly calm. When I was younger, this would never have been possible.

I had always been a drama queen, but in that moment I was too shocked to really argue.

I even was to shocked to make a scene.

I should have expected it. And maybe I did, deep down in the darkest corners of my soul.

I never did expect it, not consciously !

He had been the love of my life, but I let him go in that very moment.

I had grown up. I didn't need him anyway.

I knew he would never be happy with me again, I had seen it in his eyes.

Eventually, I let go, giving him the chance to live with his daughter, … and Shelby.

I was hurt, but what was I supposed to do ? Lock him in somewhere ?

When he left, I cried for two days, not really leaving the room. He had called Quinn, to help me get over this. The three of us had become friends some time ago.

She was really helpful, telling me I didn't deserve him, telling me I did the right thing by remaining strong, letting him go.

It wouldn't have done me any good to walk after him.

For him it was over and I would just have to live with that.

Shelby's POV:

When Jesse left, I didn't expect he would ever come back.

I really thought Rachel wouldn't let him go that fast.

I thought, by the time he got to New York, he wouldn't want to leave her anymore.

Thinking of how hurt Rachel would be, I thought it would be better if he stayed with her.

That thought stuck into my mind, making me happy and sad at the same time.

Happy for her and sad for me and my daughter.

When he got back, I was in Elphie's room, singing to her.

I didn't hear him get in, but he suddenly stood behind me, pulling me into his arms.

I cried then, all the tension leaving my body.

Jesse's POV:

I had seen her cry before, but in that moment it was really bad.

Her sobs scared me.

She had never been crying that hard, at least not while I was there.

While she calmed down, we went to the living room.

Sitting on the couch, we talked for almost an hour.

She hadn't thought I would come back. She would have understood, if I was going to stay with Rachel.

But I had to !

I needed Shelby more than I ever thought possible.

Though she was way older than me, I always saw her as more than a friend.

Deep inside ! I kept these feelings locked away, not wanting to ruin our friendship, later not wanting to ruin my marriage.

But I had put an end to this that night.

I had left Rachel and came back to my family, where I knew I belonged.

Today is our third real anniversary.

We also have an almost four year old daughter, who gets more beautiful every day.

How else could it be, her mother is just the same.

After Rachel and I finalized the divorce, we broke every contact.

That was her only wish. She didn't want to see us ever again.

Considering the fact, that we had hurt her pretty much, we understood.

I'm on my way home from the theater I work in.

When I come home I'm going to ask Shelby to marry me.

I want to spend the rest of my life with her.

I know she's the one !

I just know.

o.o.o.o.o

"Shelby Corcoran, will you marry me ?"

"Hell yeah ! … "

"Mummy, I heard you scream something ! Is everything alright ?"

"Sure sweetie, your Mummy was just a little happy !" , and he smiled at his wife-to-be.

"Why was she happy Daddy ? Please tell me it will make me happy two !"

"Sure it will ! Daddy asked me, if I wanted to marry him !..."

"...?"

"That means you can wear a cute pink dress and sing at our wedding !", Jesse said, replying to his daughters unasked question.

"And we will have a huge stage just for you !", Shelby continued, seeing that Elphie needed more to be really happy.

"Yeah !"

"Jup, I guess that's the reaction we aimed for, right Shells ?"

"Yeah, now go to bed sweetie and give mummy and daddy some privacy."

As the girl went back to her room, Shelby turned to Jesse.

"She really is our daughter !"

"Yeah, well as long as she gets your voice and looks, she wont get any problems in showbiz ! Did I tell you how beautiful you look today ?",with that he carried her to the bedroom, kissing her deeply on the way there.

The End ^^

A/N: I hope you liked it ! … I could never write the two of them breaking up or anything, so this will end here, maybe I will do a sequel someday, but I don't think you will ever read a real Jesse/Shelby-breakup-scene from me ^^

They are just perfect together... 3