This is the end of this story. I hope that you all like the end. I kind of suck with endings... especially this one because the truth is this story could literally just continue on until the death of the characters... but i didn't want that, so i ended it like i did.
Thanks to everyone who alerted, favourited and reviewed this story. I really means a lot to me to know that i wasn't just writing for no one.
I have a few new ideas for stories: 1 - is centered as a sequel to my St. Berry story Clowns; 2 - involves a darker tone, with some beatings, angst and sadness; 3 - involves a baby... whose i don't know. However all will be St. Berry, so i hope you enjoy those as well.
Cheers FTB
Nationals was not an entire let down for New Directions. Though they didn't topple Vocal Adrenalin from the top of the podium they were once again able to clinch second place, which did cause some of the members of Vocal Adrenalin to fear for the safety of their position as the greatest show choir in the country.
All of New Directions love being in New York for the big competition. Even Quinn, who was still feeling a little melancholy after giving up her baby, was all bubbly and happy. Most of the group suspects that it has to do with her and Finn getting back together. All the members tell Jesse to be expecting them to crash at his place when they come to visit. Jesse laughs at their comments, though he knows that he would let them stay because they all have made him feel welcome. Rachel just listens to the comments with a sad look in her eyes, which she quickly covers when ever Jesse glances her way.
The summer between graduation and first year is hectic, lazy, fun and boring. Jesse on some days has nothing to do, while others he's so busy with school stuff or out with Rachel – including a few double dates with Finn and Quinn – that it feels as if he is going to collapse from exhaustion. Jesse also makes time to visit with Will at least once a week. They get together to watch baseball, talk about New York, just sometimes hanging out and talking, both finding it easy to fall into a routine that makes bonding easy and not at all awkward.
It's the last week of summer that proves to be the worst. Rachel and Jesse are hanging out beside his pool, after his going away party, and looks at him with tears in her eyes and says,
"I think we should take a break."
"What?" Jesse sputters.
"I know that I don't want this to be over and that it is killing me to say this but I think that we should take a break and be friends for a while."
"Why Rachel?" Jesse asks and she can hear the tears in his voice.
"Well you are going off to school and I'm going to be stuck here and I want you to have fun to experience it all and not worry about me here in Lima. So I know that this hurts but I think that we need this, I couldn't live with myself if I knew that I was keeping you from fully experiencing the college life."
"Rachel you wouldn't be…"
"Jesse please I think that we need this. I've thought about it and I am going to stick with that old saying that if you love something you should let it go, and Jesse I love you so much that I am willing to go through this pain for you."
Rachel's voice cracks on the last word and Jesse pulls her into his arms. The two sit by the pool with tears running down their faces.
"I won't give up on us." Jesse whispers as he gives Rachel one last kiss after dropping her off at her home.
That's the last time the two of them see each other before Jesse leaves for NYU. He doesn't leave without saying goodbye. He and Rachel talk well into the early hours of the morning of his flight; they both knew that it would be too hard to see each other after their last face to face conversation. Rachel cries on the phone and Jesse comforts her, Jesse tells her about his nerves and fears and she reminds him that Jesse St. James doesn't get nervous. Before saying goodbye Rachel makes Jesse promise to email at least twice a week and Jesse makes her promise to keep uploading videos of her singing and they both agree that they will talk either through Skype or on the phone at least once a week.
September passes by in a blur for Jesse. He has submerged himself in the New York theatre scene, into his acting classes and even into his regular studies. He also finds himself with a new set of friends and he goes out to party on most weekends. Its fun and it's liberating, and though girls throw themselves at him, Jesse never once gives into the temptation.
October is much the same with the partying and the girls, but school demands also pick up and Jesse finds himself thankful for all the years of VA training to help him power through even though his mind and body scream of exhaustion.
October also brings the family out from Ohio. The first weekend is his parents and they mix visiting their son with a side of business. Jesse is overjoyed at his parents' visit that he doesn't notice over the course of their dinner neither of them has gotten in a word. His parents though are proud of him that they let him carry on talking.
The second family visit is from Will. He comes with news from McKinley. He tells Jesse that all the glee club members say 'hi' and that they demand a visit when he is home for Thanksgiving. Will also thanks Jesse for all the emails.
"I can't express in words how proud I am of you Jesse. I know I can't take credit for most of it, but knowing that my son has become an intelligent and talented young man is more than anything that I could have asked for."
"Thanks Will."
The rest of Will's visit consists of Jesse showing his father the school, going out for dinner and even catching a New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game. Before Will leaves to go back to Lima Jesse invites Will to join him and his family for Thanksgiving weekend. Will says that he would have to check his own family's plans, and if he can't make it the two of them could get together for a small dinner. Jesse hugs Will goodbye before the teacher and father drive off back to Ohio. Only one topic wasn't breached between the two men and that was Rachel.
Both Rachel and Jesse kept their promises of emailing, talking, and posting videos. It was the Saturday before Thanksgiving weekend and Jesse was listening to Rachel talk about the glee club.
"… and then Kurt and Quinn led the group in a great performance." Rachel tells Jesse. "I love it now that I am not the only one completely invested in the group. I know I've said it before but it bears repeating."
"I know Rachel and like I said last time it's because they see now that show choir is more than just a group singing songs, it creates family, it creates belonging and they see it as a way for them to get out of Lima." Jesse responds to the familiar comment. "So how are my kids? Are they treating you as great as they treated me?"
Rachel had taken over Jesse's role as coach, he had set it up for her to share her talent and for something else that looked good on her transcript.
"They are great. They have been performing some exciting numbers and I would have sent you a rehearsal video, but they want to surprise you next time you come to visit."
"That's good. So how are your dads?"
"They are wonderful. They've asked about you and they hope that you come to visit during Thanksgiving, next weekend."
"Tell them I say hi." Jesse says, "Oh hang on."
Rachel hears Jesse's muffled voice and a few cheers. Rachel feels a twinge of jealousy that Jesse is most likely going out tonight. She knows that he has been going out and partying and she wants him to, but she can't help but feel that sadness that when he's out he will forget about her.
"Sorry Rach. I know that we usually talk longer, but would mind if I cut it a little short? The guys are here and they want to go out."
"Yeah it's fine Jesse. Have fun tonight."
"I will. I'll see you next weekend. Love you, bye."
Jesse hangs up the phone and grabs his jacket. Going out on Saturday nights has been fun, but he unlike his friends never finds himself glued to a scantily clad girl or bringing home a tipsy girl for a little fun. He loves Rachel and that's all there is to it, even if they are on a break, Jesse won't and hasn't felt an attraction to any girl that he has met. Mostly because none of them are the obsessive, talkative, petite, beautiful brunette that holds his heart in Lima.
Jesse knows exactly what he's going to do when he's home next weekend.
*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee
"Thanks for having me for dinner. It was great to meet your parents. I guess this was a little awkward for them." Jesse says as he dries the dishes that Will hands to him.
"They understood and my dad was the one that wanted to meet you. He actually wanted to meet you immediately after you told me that I was your father, but I thought that was a little too soon for you." Will responds.
"It probably would have been, but I'm glad to have met them and getting to know a little more about you as a teenager was nice."
Jesse puts away the last of the dishes and sits down at the table in the kitchen and Will turns from the sink and leans against the counter.
"So have you seen Rachel yet?"
"No, I haven't stopped by her place yet. I think I might surprise her tomorrow."
"I think she'll really like that. She really hasn't been the same since you left. I think sometimes she's worried that you won't ever come back." Jesse looks up and gives Will a strange look. "I know she might not sound like that on the phone but I've seen her face and heard her voice, she has this sadness at times."
"She always sounds so happy on the phone? In her emails?"
"Yeah and so do you, but I saw it last time I visited, you had that same sadness. You two want each other to be happy that you cover up what you are really feeling."
"That's not true; we are honest with each other." Jesse says and Will shoots him a questioning look. "Ok I guess we don't necessarily fill each other in on the whole truth, but I didn't want her to worry about me and I mean she was the one that wanted to break it off."
"I figured, but I think you two need to have a talk about your future. Because I think that if the two of you don't you could be losing more than you know."
Jesse smiles, "I think I'll take you up on that advice."
Jesse stays for a while longer before saying goodnight to Will and promising to stop by before going back to school.
Jesse knocks on the Berry's door. He's greeted by Rachel's father and asks to speak to Rachel. He's lets Jesse upstairs, knowing that he will have time to speak to the young boy about school later.
Rachel hears a knock on her door and gets out of bed figuring it's one of her dads saying goodnight. She pulls open the door and lets out a squeal of joy before being wrapped up in Jesse's embrace.
"You're here." She whispers in his ear.
Jesse sets her down, but doesn't let her go. He can't, it's impossible for him to break the connection with her. So he does the only thing that makes sense. He threads his fingers through her hair and leans in a kisses her.
He kisses her with the passion of his love, the sadness that has been part of him since she let him go and the joy at seeing her again after three months. Rachel returns the kiss with all the same sentiments.
It's finally broken off when both require air. Nothing is said as Rachel leads Jesse into the room closing the door behind him. He takes his spot on her bed and she snuggles in beside him.
"Hi," he whispers.
"Hello."
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."
"Three months?" Rachel guesses, "I know I've wanted to do it for that long too."
Jesse drops a kiss to the top of Rachel's head. "Why did you let me know how sad you were?"
"Because you sounded so happy, I didn't want you to think I was holding you back."
"Nothing you would have said would have held me back. And I wasn't always that happy, I was only doing that because I thought that would make you happy."
"We're idiots."
"Yeah we are. And the only thing that will fix that is if we get back together Rach." Jesse says, sitting up and turning Rachel so she is facing him. "I know that you want me to go out and have the college experience Rachel, but I can do that and still have you. And that is all that I really want Rach, you."
Rachel's eyes well with tears. "That's all I want too." Rachel couldn't deny that breaking up with Jesse was that dumbest thing she had ever done and that she should have told Jesse that she wanted to get back together earlier.
Jesse leans in for another kiss, before laying the two of them down on Rachel's bed. The pair talks well into the night and fall asleep in each other's arms, back where they belong.
Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee*Glee
Jesse goes back to Tisch and succeeds in his classes. He makes his name known around the school for his dramatic acting as well as his skills in musical theatre. Going into his third year he has already secured the lead in two shows at the school. He can't wait to finally share his love of the school and the city when Rachel joins him in the fall. Jesse is very excited that Rachel is going to be moving in with him, which took a lot less convincing than he thought it would.
Rachel counts down her time left at McKinley. With the exception of the two national titles that she helps New Directions win in her junior and senior years, Rachel finds no excitement in anything at the school. All her joy comes from coaching the kids' choir, enjoying the friendships she's formed with the members of the glee club and of course any and all time spent with Jesse St. James. Which between the summer of 12th grade and first year is spent partially packing up Rachel's room so she can move in with Jesse.
Will and Jesse's relationship has only grown stronger. Unlike some relationships between parents and children Jesse and Will are lucky that their relationship was built on a foundation of friendship and earned respect, it has made them closer. The pair has become so close that Jesse on occasion refers to Will as 'Dad'.
Though things happened in the way that they did, with searching, spying and falling in love, the truth is Jesse St. James wouldn't have had it any other way.