Love Is Strange Chapter 3: Leavin, a glee fanfic

A/N: You guys are wonderful! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. It really means a lot to me. As I write this, this story is about to get 300 hits! WOO HOO! Your reviews make my day!

For this chapter I kinda used someone else's idea of how Finn could cause trouble, but I did it a different way. I don't remember who's idea it was but you'll know it when you see it. Thank you whoever.

Northstar61, yes Jesse knocked on the door. He is a gentleman after all. ;) And no her dads didn't see him, I thought it was too soon to bring them into this, but it should happen in the next few chapters... or this one...who knows.

Anyway, here is chapter three!

Rachel and Jesse had been hanging out for the past week and a half. Everyday they did something together. Everyday they almost crossed that line between friendship and lovers. However, they were happy. At least when they were together.

When Rachel was with Jesse, she forgot about how Finn was mad at her, and how all her dreams depended on Nationals-at least her dreams for the near future. She didn't have a care in the world, when she was with Jesse, just joy.

Jesse felt the same way when he was with Rachel. It didn't matter that he had parents that he never saw and that they seemed to not want him. It didn't matter that they had never been to a performance or even told him they were proud of him. Rachel did everyday. She didn't even have to sometimes, she showed him, in her soft caresses and reassuring touches.

He was going to miss that when he went back to LA. Which was tomorrow. He wished he didn't have to go back, but he still had school. Rachel had already been back in school for a couple of days, but she still made time for him. She even made time to spend with Finn, which was less than she spent with Jesse. He took refuge in this fact.

Even though she's still with him, she likes me better, he thought, as he leaned against his car, waiting outside McKinley high for Rachel. He mentally stuck his tongue out at the freakishly tall boy, who had just stepped outside. Finn spotted Jesse, and stalked toward him. Jesse rolled his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he spat. Jesse's fist clenched.

"Picking Rachel up, I thought I would surprise her. Take her to the music store." he replied coolly.

"Dude. I'm her boyfriend, if anyone takes picks her up from school, it will be me, and I'll take her to the music store. She doesn't need you to take her anywhere!" he was stepping closer to Jesse, who in return stood up to face him, letting him know he was not backing down. "Why don't you just go back to LA, and get some other guys chick? You've turned her into a bitch!" Fire flashed in Jesse's eyes, as he drew his fist back. How dare he refer to Rachel as a bitch.

"FINN!" a beautiful, furious voice, stopped Jesse in his tracks. "What did you just say?" Finn flushed red as he turned to confront Rachel, who was now standing, arms folded across her chest, behind him.

"I...umm..just...he..." Finn rambled. Jesse was still struggling to control his anger.

" I, umm, he, SHUTUP!" she mocked. Finn hung his head. "You called me a bitch." she spat the words in his face. "You know, you say you love me, and that you only want to make me happy, but calling someone a bitch is a funny way of showing that. He didn't turn me into anything. You did."

Finn went into defense mode. "Well you haven't shown that you love me! Gallivanting around with a guy who isn't me, that's embarrassing. Unless he's gay, its not cool! But you don't care cause you're a selfish bitch." he shot back. Rachel was just about to slap the taste right out of his mouth, when suddenly he was jerked around and then landed on the ground, wiping his mouth.

"If you ever disrespect her like that again," he paused to squat down, face to face with Finn, "I'll break something." Rachel climbed into his car, and they left. Rachel didn't even look back at the boy who she was, somehow, still dating.

Rachel riffled through the stacks of sheet music not really searching for anything, just looking. Jesse doing the same, but with stacks of CD's. He smiled when he came across one. Strutting over to a CD player, he popped the CD in, and returned to Rachel's side.

Hey baby girl
I've been watching you all day
Man that thing you got behind you is amazing
You make me want to take you out and let it rain
I know you got a man but this is what you should say

Rachel couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

Why don't you tell him that I'm leavin' never looking back again
You found somebody who does it better than he can
No more making you cry
No more them gray skies
Girl we flying on a g-5, g-5
And we're leavin' never looking back again
So call your shawty you tell him you found a new man
The one who's so so fly
The one to keep you high
Have you singing all night, like that

Jesse danced around the shelves of the store dragging Rachel behind him.

Now if I talk it girl, you know that I will walk it out
Man I'll put my money money where my mouth is
Cause you're the baddest little thing that I've ever seen
So I'm gonna ask you one time if you got a man

She laughed and sang with him.

Don't stress, don't stress, don't stress
Just tell him to the left left left
Don't stress, don't stress, don't stress
Cause we gone & we gone & we gone
No stress, no stress, no stress
Girl you deserve nothing but the best
No stress, no stress, no stress
Girl you need to tell him...

Jesse wrapped his arms around her, continuing to sing from behind her with his head over her shoulder.

"Are you asking me to leave Finn?" she asked. Jesse just shot her a look that said What do you think? She nodded and said "I know."

Rachel was laying on her bed, thinking about her situation with Finn and Jesse, when her dad, Hiram, peeked his head through her door, knocking lightly. "Can I come in, sweetheart?"

"Of course Daddy" Rachel sat up. "What's up?"

"Well, I noticed the other day, that you haven't really been here much, and you haven't really talked about Finn, which is unlike you. Is everything ok?" He held her hand, patting it affectionately. Rachel warred with herself about whether to tell him about Jesse or not. Hiram was the more understanding of her two fathers. Leroy was more headstrong, and testosterone driven. Hiram was timid, in a way. More loving, compassionate, and caring. She thought if her parents were going to find out about him, she hoped it would be Hiram.

"Everything is fine Daddy, but I do need to talk to you." He nodded for her to continue.

"Daddy, do you remember Jesse St. James?" she began. He hugged her and said "Oh baby. That's what this is about? It's in the past sweetheart, and he lost out on such a good thing." She gained hope when she heard 'it's in the past'. Maybe he wouldn't be upset.

"No Daddy, that's not what this is about." He released her and listened intently. "Well, almost 2 weeks ago, Jesse came back to see me. He is on spring break you see, and well, he apologized, and we have been hanging out since then. He's changed so much Daddy. He even stood up for me when Finn was a jerk. He's held me while I cried, and made me so happy. He's my bestfriend."

Hiram stood up and began to pace. He wasn't angry, just over whelmed by all the information that was swirling around in his head. Rachel looked at him for a moment. "So are you ok with this?" she asked. He sat beside her again.

"Rachel. I'm ok with you being friends with him. However, I will never forget the way he left you. But I guess if he makes you happy, then I'm ok with it. I"m still going to be keeping an eye on him, and you." he said with a pint of his finger. "I'll talk to your father, try to get him to be as accepting, but it will be hard."

"Thank you Daddy!" she kissed his cheek and hugged him.

"So Finn was a jerk, huh?" he asked. They continued talking about her life and such, for well over an hour, and Hiram expresses his disappointment at Finn. However he was proud of Jesse, and Rachel.

Rachel thought about Jesse more and more every day. It was this day that she had been dreading. The day he would fly back to LA. She had never wanted spring break to end. As she prepared to meet him at the airport to see him off, she reminisced about their previous non-dates. The more she thought about the way he looked at her, the way he held her and always made her feel better not only about herself, but about everything, the more she realized, she was in love with him. She decided to try out saying the words, to see if they felt weird coming out of her mouth.

"I love Jesse St. James." she pursed her lips. "I love Jesse St. James." A small smile broke out on her face as she realized the words were true. She felt giddy. That is until she realized. What if he didn't love her back? What about Finn? She wasn't a cheater; she had already established that. And she really did still have feelings for Finn. Besides, Jesse was going to be on the complete opposite side of the country for at least three more months. She thought it best to just try and ignore the truth she had just stumbled upon.

"I'll see him off, and he'll never know. Until he gets back. Just until he gets back." Just until he gets back. She applied this to more than just not telling Jesse she was in love with him, but also how long she would endure her relationship with Finn. Maybe giving them a second chance. Maybe Jesse was just blocking her emotions for Finn. Only time would tell how she truly felt about them both.

Jesse was depressed in a way. He had been trying to ignore the fact that he had just barely gotten Rachel back in his life, and now he was leaving...again. He felt knots in the pit of his stomach at the memory. God, how he hated to leave her. He had to admit, he was falling for her. Heck, if he didn't want her to say it first, he would have already said 'I love you'. But he was stubborn like that.

He pulled into her driveway, and braved the looks that Leroy shot out the window at him. Jesse just shook his head and exited the car. He walked up to the door, full of melancholia. He was just about to knock when Leroy opened the door, a look of calm violence in his eyes.

"Good afternoon, sir. Is Rachel ready to go?" Jesse said, surprising himself at how sad he sounded.

"Jesse." Leroy acknowledged him. "She's upstairs getting ready. She'll be down in a minute. Come in." he demanded, rather than asked.

"Thank you, sir."

"Look, Jesse. Rachel may have forgiven you, but I remember how broken you left her. If it happens again it won't be pretty." Leroy shot daggers at him. Then walked into the kitchen.

"Hello, Jesse." Hiram said from behind him, his arms crossed on his chest. Hiram shifted uncomfortably. "Ditto." then he, too, stalked into the kitchen. At this Jesse had to snicker. He didn't expect that.

"JESSE!" Rachel exclaimed in delight. "And inside my house!" she laughed, standing in front of him. "Hope they didn't make you uncomfortable."

Jesse shook his head. "Never".

Then they walked out and got into his car. Jesse had a surprise pit-stop in store for Rachel, before they headed to the airport, where her dad's would meet them to pick her up. She was going to love what he had in mind.

A/N: So there it is. Chapter three. This one was hard to pull out of my big head (lol sad but true). But it was a nice one, I think.

I put a link to a playlist with the songs I plan to use, and have used on my profile, if anyone wants to take a look. Some of them probably won't make it into the story but, meh.

song used: Jesse McCartney- Leavin'

Reviews make it harder for Jesse to leave!