The next chapter shall feature some power St. Berry. This is the final chapter where I have to set things up. But as you might expect from the first few chapters, it's not exactly going to be romance when they meet again! Hopefully we'll get there, but it depends on how forgiving Rachel chooses to be, and the on the influences of Tina and Quinn. (And maybe even somebody else…)

P.S. This story is currently taking place a week or two before regionals.

Rachel's POV

"What? Rachel Berry, did you just say that you THINK YOU STILL LOVE JESSE ST. JAMES?" shrieked Quinn; she did not seem happy at all about my confession.

"Oh sorry, Quinn. Forgive me for misspeaking. I KNOW that I still love Jesse St. James," I said, trying to seem causal, yet at the same time not being able to look at Quinn's eyes.

"Rachel," started Tina, before Quinn could continue, "How can you still love him after what he did to you?"

"I-I don't know," I stammered.

Taking a brief moment to taking in my new acquaintances, I noticed that their expressions had changed. Quinn's face had softened, and Tina's seemed sympathetic. I wonder how hysterical I seemed compared to them, when five minutes earlier; it had been Quinn who had seemed to be in frenzy.

"Rachel," murmured Quinn in a sweet tone of voice, "I understand how it's hard to stop caring for someone, even when they treat you badly. I could never trust him again, but at the same time I still worry about my dad. Even though he's technically never cheated on me, I still have to put up with Puck flying from girl to girl, and I still keep… wanting him. Sometimes though, Berry, it goes too far, and I believe that Jesse crossed that line a while ago."

"Yeah. Rachel, we're not exactly friends, but I don't want you to get your heart broken again," said Tina.

I felt touched at that moment. As Tina had said, the three of us weren't exactly friends, but Tina and Quinn were trying to protect me. The rational side of me was agreeing with them and wanting to stand up Jesse this afternoon, but the other part of me happened to disagree.

"Thank you guys. I really love that you're both trying to stick up for me, but I know that I have to at least talk to Jesse. But believe me, IF he's going to be allowed back in my life and in my… I mean our child's life, he's going to have to prove that he belongs there, and that will definitely not be easy."

With that, I walked away, momentarily too scared to look at Quinn and Tina's faces. After walking down the hallway, I turned around and saw Quinn storming up to Puck's locker and then shouting at him.

"SHE STILL LOVES HIM!" she screamed.

Puck immediately stepped forward and tried to embrace Quinn, but she shrugged away his arms.

"Who still loves who?" asked a clearly frantic Puck.

"I CAN'T TELL YOU!" yelled Quinn as she stomped away from Puck's locker. Puck's face was a mixture of confusion, surprise, and to MY surprise, genuine concern for Quinn.

That school day felt like the longest one in my entire life. I kept worrying about what the hell was going to happen with Jesse this afternoon. What was I going to say? What if I cracked and let him back in? What if he didn't want to be involved with me or our baby at all? Finally the final bell rang. I made my way to glee club, not sure if I could make it through practice without having a complete meltdown.

Even though luck had not exactly been on my side earlier that day, it was at glee club practice. Somehow I was able to focus on the music and choreography. I found practice to be flying by very fast. There were only five minutes left until I would be meeting Jesse in the parking lot.

Quinn's POV

I couldn't keep still all glee club practice long. Puck's concern for me continued to grow and I desperately wanted to tell him that he should be worried about Rachel, not me. Mr. Shuester called a five minute break, and Tina motioned for me to come outside of class with her.

"Quinn," she whispered, "I have an idea to make sure Rachel's alright."

Curiously, I whispered back, "What are you thinking of doing?"

"Well, it would involve things that Rachel wouldn't approve of."

"I'm in. I could use a little fun in my life."

Twenty minutes later, Tina showed me to what she called her "secret spot," which was actually just a gargantuan bush. I doubted me and my baby bump could fit, but Tina and I both managed to squeeze in behind the bush and not be seen. This was going to be an interesting afternoon.

Sorry for the short length. I was just trying to put in some suspense.