A/N: Thank you for reading my story and the response. This is Rachel's story, not Finchel story unfortunately. The story will tell how Rachel is growing up not only as a woman (or a person) but also career wise, which the people around/close to Rachel are important and Finn's character is inevitable. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy my story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee/Character (other than David, Morgan, Macy, et al.).

The Nationals was coming. The team number was ready. New Directions started to practice the song with choreography. All the remaining was a song for a solo or a duet. But the members of ND except for Finn were too busy with the team number to come up with another song.

David managed to make time to help Finn finishing his original song. Finn already had written a general idea with lyrics and chord progression, although Finn and he had a ton of things to do: polishing lyrics, composing a specific melody, a band accompaniment, and establishing a chorus part. So, Finn focused on the former two while David did the latter two.

Having said that, David couldn't work on his part unless Finn would complete the melody. Considering the time left, David had to spend time with Finn more which meant there was less tutoring session with Rachel, which made him slightly feel guilty. Rachel, however, didn't seem to be minding. She got to spend time with Macy instead of having tutoring session with him. She also seemed to be distracted from her plan in this summer.

Morgan's outburst still echoed in David's ears. He was definitely not going to be a saint or something. Morgan was right about what he said that David didn't have enough time, but keeping busy other than his songwriting for a demo was rather welcomed to push his negative thoughts away. Rachel's original song grabbed his eagerness out of his closed mind to resume songwriting, and his panic to let his guilty and emotion all hang out on the other hand.

Anyway, Finn and David were in the final phase now, preparing for the score sheets in order for the Jazz Band to play along. David could see that Finn got more and more confident and zealous in his songwriting, off his own bat to ask for advice, which gave David a different impression compared to the Finn who stepped into his office for the first time or was at the party at Bredstix.

All the members and Mr. Schue gave a round of applause when Finn finished singing his original song by himself at the choir room. Mr. Schue said that it would be better to be a duet with Rachel and the team except for a few people affirmed.

Quinn was uncomfortable and felt betrayal even though she applauded, averting her eyes from Finn standing with Mr. Schue in front of the team.

"Wow, I didn't know you have some nerve, Frankenteen." Santana folded her arms across her chest. "You didn't write a duet for Regionals and now you did?" She snorted. "And you are bothering to relapse into the bottom riding on that midget's coattails again soon after the prom queen dumped you because you were terrible in the sack?"

Dumbfounded, everyone in the choir room sifted their eyes from Santana to Finn, then from Finn to Quinn.

Embarrassed, or rather blood boiling, Finn felt himself go red. Enough was enough. First, Santana dropped the bomb on Rachel to destroy their relationship, and now what? Was she trying to demolish his life? He'd been managing to tolerate her insult after insult. Seriously, what was her problem? Oh, yeah, he knew. Finn couldn't help erupting with anger.

"I think I know what you're so good at tearing everybody else down, Santana. It's because you're constantly tearing yourself down, because you can't admit to everybody that you're in lo…"

Rachel widened her eyes, assuming that he also knew what she knew, Santana's statement all forgotten.

"Finn!" She cried out, springing on her feet out of the chair. "I want to practice your song at the auditorium." Her high-pitched voice was higher than usual. "Is that okay, Mr. Schue?" She grabbed her and Finn's backpacks and dragged Finn out of the choir room as soon as she received her teacher's approval.

Even though she was a tiny person, Rachel could literally drag a 6'3" guy towering over her when it was necessary. Finn, his embarrassment and anger forgotten, looked down at her hand holding his, chewing his cheeks, trying to hide his smile.

Rachel let go her hand's hold and put down their backpacks on the ground as they walked into the backstage before she turned around to face Finn. "Why are you smiling?" She narrowed her eyes, putting her hands on her hips.

Finn made a straight face quickly. "Um, nothing."

Rachel shook her head. "Finn, you don't have a right to out the other people's orientation. It's nobody's place to tell." She warned. Rachel had been given so many lectures by her dads since she was old enough to understand homosexuality. She couldn't help stopping Finn from offending Santana publicly (or stopping Santana from gossiping about Finn and insulting him more).

"But…" Finn tried to defend himself.

Rachel held up her hand to stop him. "I know. I was insulted too in the same context. I've been insulted by her for a long time, might I add." Rachel saw Finn running his fingers through his hair with a frustration. "Finn, homosexuality is a very sensitive matter."

"But she can't keep tearing everyone down whenever, however, whatever she wants only because she can't come out of the closet." Finn said with his anger, pacing around.

"No, she can't. But you can remonstrate about her behavior without outing. Or you can talk to her about her anger issue in private if you want." Rachel followed his move with her eyes. "Please, Finn, understand." She touched his arm with her hand for stopping him from pacing. "You've been witnessing enough people bullying Kurt, right?"

Finn stopped pacing and stared at her hand on his arm for a while before looked into her eyes. "Okay."

Rachel tore her hand away as if she touched a hot stove when she found his gaze at her hand. She cleared her throat. "Good." She picked up their backpacks from the ground and held out Finn's to him. "So, um, shall we practice your song?" She turned around and walked over to piano on the stage.

"You'll go main vocal in the first verse while I'll be in harmony. In the second verse, I'll go main you'll go harmony. Okay?" Finn showed her a music sheet and explained.

Rachel sat in front of piano as Finn leaned on the top of piano. She warmed up a little before she checked the piano part in the music sheet.

When they finished singing, she opened her mouth first, clapping her hands, looked up at Finn. "Finn, it's a great song. I didn't know you had it in you."

"Um, thanks, I can't take credit for this though. David helped me a lot." Finn rubbed the back side of his neck. Rachel just nodded. Finn looked at Rachel after an awkward silence enveloped them. He took a deep breath and decided to just go for it. "Rachel, I have something to tell you."

"Rachel."

He had no such luck.

Jesse St. James in the name of intruder walked over to them, slicking down his hair. He nodded to Finn greeting and Finn did the same narrowing his eyes.

"Hello Jesse." Embarrassed, Rachel received a kiss on her cheek from Jesse before she pushed him away softly. She cleared her throat. "What brought you here?"

"For Artie, remember?" Jesse smirked, seeing Finn's face from the corner of his eyes. "I just wanted to see you before heading to A/V club." He draped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her into his side. "Would you like to grab a bite after your rehearsal?"

"Um…" Rachel got uncomfortable more and more, peeking Finn's expression under her eyelashes. "I don't know how long our rehearsal would go."

"Text me after you finish here." Jesse didn't bother to wait for her answer kissing her cheek again before he left the auditorium.

"Sorry." Rachel didn't know why she apologized. She saw Finn shrug. "So, you had something to tell me, didn't you?"

"Um, no. It's not important. Let's start again from the top." Finn looked down the music sheet and sighed, his shoulders dropped.

Damn it, Jesse St. Jackass.

A/N: I know Finn's outing Santana was at the episode 6 "Mash Off" in season 3. And he actually did that in Glee but I forced Rachel to stop him here. :P

Any thoughts?