Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.
Soooo, we've reached the end of We Found Love. It's been one heck of a journey, guys. Be warned, this is the longest chapter in the entire story and yes, maybe it'll break your heart a bit, maybe it'll cause you to want to throw stuff at me...that's okay. But as always, remember to review and enjoy!
"I made it," Rachel squealed as she did a 360 of Times Square. The hustle and bustle of the city was inspiring and real. It made her want to get started on making music. She had to admit that she was wary that they'd gotten to New York without having a song yet—yes, it was crazy—but she had faith that they would do okay.
After the funeral they had pretty much showed Giselle that they and Mr. Schuester were going to make all the calls and all she had to do was say if it was Nationals worthy.
"Rachel!" Finn called.
Her red ballet flats contrasted the grey pavement as she speed walked to catch up with the rest of the group.
"I can't believe this. Just a year ago we were a bunch of misfits singing 'Sit Down You're Rocking The Boat' and now look at us. Here we are at the top of the show choir food chain…Nationals!" Kurt practically squeaked as he waved his half-eaten burger in the air.
Tina nodded. "I want to hit up Central Park and get my frolic on," she winked at Mike.
"I want to throw stuff off of the Brooklyn Bridge," Puck interjected. Quinn rolled her eyes, annoyed both by Puck's comment and by how he didn't seem the least bit upset that they weren't together anymore.
He should be grateful that she hadn't punched him yet, thanks to Beth. Her daughter was the only person keeping her sane—unfortunately the thing keeping her together was still in Ohio.
"Guys, we still have two songs to write," Finn said seriously.
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Okay Mr. Bossy Pants."
Finn rolled his eyes. The two boys had reached a mutual understanding of their newfound brotherhood—one understanding that had been solidified when Finn had stood up for Kurt before.
Artie held up tickets. "Guess who got us all a ticket to see a musical, ya'll!"
Quinn peeked at the tickets. "These expired ten years ago."
Artie's smile fell flat. "Guess that explains why I got them for fifty bucks."
"That's okay Artie," Jesse said. "How about we take a vote to see a musical currently playing? Then we can buy tickets. My treat."
"Are you sure?" Tina asked. "Tickets are crazy expensive at the last minute."
Jesse shrugged. "Rich kid, remember?"
Rachel smiled, intertwining her hand with Jesse's. They'd been pretty much inseparable since the day of the funeral. Together they had talked Anne into getting help—professional help.
She smiled at the girl and Anne smiled back. They had reached a new level of understanding every since Rachel had practically hog-tied her up and dragged her to a family intervention (give or take a few glee members).
Sam still hadn't talked to Anne, though, and it was beginning to worry Rachel. Yet Jesse insisted that it was fine—he chose to stay on a highly optimistic note, saying constantly that Sam would "come around."
They eventually made it to the hotel, its fancy and modern look causing multiple "oohs" and "awes" to pass through the group.
"Did you know New York was built on top of Old York?" Mercedes asked.
Tina gave her a weird look. "Um, I don't think that's accurate…"
"Oh, I guess I'm just pretty then," Mercedes joked.
Quinn sighed. "Did that lady seriously just suggest we split up by sexual orientation?"
"Hey," Finn greeted cheekily.
"Hi!" Rachel exclaimed enthusiastically as chatter filled the air. She watched as Quinn laughed about something and she sighed.
"Quinn seems totally fine about the breakup," Rachel observed as Finn walked alongside her.
"Maybe she just had to accept the inevitable," Finn said.
"Maybe she's distracted by the amazingness that is New York," she squeaked in delight.
Finn shoved his hands into his pockets. "So, what's happening with you and Jesse?"
"What do you mean? He's here with me and I thought you two were beginning to be friends," Rachel said as she grabbed a hold of her suitcase. Finn swiped his up and he sighed.
"He seems a bit uptight lately."
"He's just worried about his sister," Rachel said, eyeing Anne from a distance. The younger girl had been quieter and more distant the last few days—not saying much other than her therapy sessions and while Rachel was glad Anne was getting help, she couldn't help but feel a bit shut out by the girl. She had thought they were becoming close.
Well you snitched on her. You kind of shot that horse in the face, she mused, pressing the number seven on the elevator panel.
"I would be too if I found out some asshole molested my sibling."
Rachel gave him a look. "Karofsky?"
Finn scoffed. "Karofsky kissed Kurt and bullied him. I think that's a bit different considering A) he confronted his actions and B) he stopped. Reynolds on the other hand is a total asshole."
"I suppose," she said.
Jesse gave the barista a ten-dollar bill and grabbed his coffee, telling him to keep the change. He'd been eager to do some sightseeing with Rachel, but she'd told him earlier that she would be stuck all day long in the hotel with the rest of the club so that they could write their songs.
He had to admit, what kind of idiot waits until three days before the competition to write two songs and choreograph them?
Leave it to Schuester.
"Jesse!"
He looked up and smiled in surprise. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked as he took her in, smiling.
She pulled back. "I've been trying to catch you guys forever."
"Jesus Andrea, you look like crap," he joked and pulled off her beanie. "I mean, beanies? Really? You hated them."
"I know, I know. College changes people, you know," she said, smiling as she snatched her beanie back. "How's Rachel doing?"
Jesse shrugged. "Okay I guess. We're good. It's just Anne I'm worried about."
"Is she depressed again?" Andrea asked as she sat down at her table. Her mug was half empty already but she figured there was enough in there to keep the conversation going.
"No, not necessarily. She's spooked and traumatized."
"I can't even imagine," Andrea mumbled, sipping her hot chocolate. "And the devil's spawn?"
Jesse shook his head and ran a hand through his curly hair. "Giselle's awful. I have no idea why she even decided to be a show choir consultant. She hated show choir."
"Yeah, well, Shelby did drop her scholarship."
"Yeah. I still don't know what she's doing, though," he remarked. Andrea's face fell for a split second before she put on a smile. Unfortunately he caught it and frowned.
"What's up with you?"
"Nothing," she said unconvincingly.
Jesse made a face and waited patiently. It was just something they did as friends—they knew each other well enough to know if something was wrong.
"Giselle is no coincidence," she spilled, clutching her mug.
"What?"
"Giselle. She isn't just at McKinley out of coincidence. She has this stupid vendetta to ruin your life."
"Tell me something I don't know," Jesse said, confused. "What aren't you telling me?"
Andrea bit her lip.
"Andrea."
She huffed. "Earlier in the year I found out that Santana had sent those weird texts to you so you'd break up with Rachel. Then I later found out that your mom had Giselle's and Santana's numbers on her desk and I found that to be really suspicious so I snooped but I didn't want to stir the pot because of what was happening with Anne and Rachel," she gasped for air after her speed rant, her face a bit flushed as Jesse blinked, processing the influx of information.
"WHAT?" he yelled, causing the entire personnel in the cafe to turn and stare. He cleared his throat. "What?" he said lowly.
"I'm sorry—it's just what I managed to snoop. I'm not sure what your mom would get out of meddling in your love life, or why she'd even go to such extreme measures-"
"She's paranoid," he hissed, sitting back. His coffee was long forgotten, his only scalding thoughts were of how messed up his mother was for doing that. Why, though? What was in it for her?
"Perhaps I shouldn't have said anything," Andrea suggested, pushing her mug away from herself. Jesse's phone buzzed and she stood up.
"Rachel's probably looking for you."
Jesse blinked, checking his phone. "She's in Central Park. Come on, you can tag along."
"Please," Andrea said, smiling. "This is New York, the city of love!"
"Uh, Andrea…that's Paris, actually."
"Pish posh! Go out and snog your girlfriend—I'll keep an eye on Giselle."
"You sure?"
"Absolutely. Tell Rachel I said hello."
"Okay," Jesse said, gathering his coat. "And about this, don't tell Rachel. I want to do that after I speak to my mom."
Andrea puffed her cheeks. She pretty much resembled a squirrel whenever she did that. "Okay."
"We've got to get out of here," Quinn said immediately after Brittany finished her song.
"But Mr. Schue said we needed to stay here and write the songs," Rachel said.
"Rachel, Brittany just sang about a cup," Quinn countered as she tugged her coat on. "He wants us to be inspired but our only inspiration here are mattresses and bathroom cups."
"Quinn's right," Puck voiced in as he placed away his guitar. The blonde looked away from him, feeling a slight sting. She knew she was probably being unreasonable but how dare he agree with her?
"Are we really going to be stuck in a hotel room when inspiration is across the city?" Puck questioned hotly as he used his hands to enhance his point.
Rachel looked at all of the faces on her peers. They were just itching to get out and explore New York and frankly, so was she. Mr. Schuester wanted two kickass songs…well, what better way to think of things to sing about than to go out and live a little?
She smiled and stood up, grabbing her coat in one movement and looking at Finn. She waited until he stood up as well and soon the rest followed suit.
"Open your eyes, Finn! It's New York! Anything is possible!" Rachel boasted as she took a big breath of the fresh, crisp air. It was a bit chilly but it wasn't too bad. Beside her Kurt kept snapping pictures.
"I am so coming here after graduation," Kurt said, snapping another picture.
Finn shrugged. "It's okay."
Both Rachel and Kurt gasped.
"What?" Finn asked, looking at both of them. "Look guys, I'm sorry. I get it: New York is the place to be if you want to be a star. I'm just… I'm not exactly sure about my future right now."
"Finn," Rachel started. "You're a star, too. You should come with Kurt and me after graduation."
"Isn't it a bit early to think of graduation?" Finn asked nervously as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
"It's a year away—it's pretty near in the future," Kurt offered. He smiled sadly as he saw Finn's overwhelmed facial expression. "How about Finn and I go get some coffee?" he looked at Rachel. "You okay staying behind?"
Rachel nodded. "Yeah, Jesse's meeting me here in a few, anyway."
"Good. Come now, Finn," Kurt said, offering his arm.
Finn sighed and took it. "This is so weird," he said.
Rachel laughed a little as she watched Finn and Kurt walk away.
"Rach," Jesse shouted from her left.
She smiled and met him halfway, scaring a few pigeons.
"Isn't this beautiful?"
"It's the second most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
She gave him a look and swatted his arm. "That was lame."
He shrugged. "I had to give it a try, right?" His lips pressed against her forehead. "Now, how about we sightsee so you can gather some inspiration?"
"What's wrong?" Kurt asked as they finished paying for their coffees.
Finn tried to deflect Kurt's question by sipping his coffee.
"Stop playing around. I'm gay, remember? I can pretty much sense when somebody is lying."
Finn rolled his eyes. "It's the whole graduation talk. Everybody looks like they know what they're doing."
"Except you?" Kurt inquired. He watched Finn's eyes drop slightly.
"Except me," Finn agreed, taking another sip.
Kurt huffed. "Did you at least take your SATs or ACTs?"
Finn nodded. "I did craptastic."
His brother put his face in his hands. "Finn…"
"I didn't think they really mattered! It was around Valentines Day… I was distracted."
"You need to get this together, Hudson!" Kurt exclaimed. "We have exactly one year from now until we have to have everything figured out. Please, at least tell me you wanted to get into college."
Finn stayed silent and Kurt swatted him with a bakery menu.
"Finn!"
"Stop hitting me!" Finn said, flailing his arms a bit to ward off Kurt. "College just wasn't the plan, okay?"
"What was the plan, then?"
He shrugged. "I'd take over Burt's tire shop."
"A tire SHOP? FINN HUDSON!"
"Shhh!" Finn demanded, flailing again.
"Finn Hudson?" a female voice asked from behind Kurt.
Both boys turned to look at the girl wearing a beanie. She had a playful smile on her lips and her eyes shined.
She looks like trouble, Finn thought.
"And you are?" Kurt asked.
She held out her hand. "Andrea Cohen. Ex-Vocal Adrenaline member. Best friend of Jesse St. James. Aspiring lawyer."
"A lawyer? Really?" Kurt asked, remembering long ago when they'd briefly seen her puking her guts out in a trash can outside of Vocal Adrenaline rehearsals. That Dakota Stanley really was a monster.
She raised a brow. "My dad's a lawyer—it runs in the family. Performing is a nice creative outlet." She looked straight at Finn. "Wow. Nice to finally talk to the Finn Hudson."
Kurt turned to look at him, his eyes surprised. Finn gulped.
Yeah. Definitely trouble.
"Mrs. St. James, I'm all for ruining somebody's life, but I'm not sure what you're getting out of all this," Giselle spoke as she stirred her tea.
The older woman in front of her smiled, flashing her perfected teeth. They had cost her more than Jesse's first year college tuition.
"That's personal, Giselle. All you need to know is that I want Jesse away from that girl."
"Don't worry about it. I've got a plan for that."
"Good, good. I just can't stand to see my son parading around with a girl who's…dirty. Two fathers! Ha! And her mother," she spat. "Don't get me started on her biological mother, Shelby."
"Please go ahead and say whatever you want. She ruined my life," Giselle said bitterly.
"I hated her ever since college. Who did she think she was? Some special goddess? She sold her own child to a pair of homosexuals—not to mention she dropped out her last semester to go into show business."
"That didn't work out, did it?"
"Of course not. She became a show choir director," she tightened her scarf around her head. She wanted to keep low in case Jesse was around—he'd unfortunately tagged along with the Berry girl. "Just make sure that by the end of this trip, Jesse is no longer with her."
"Aye aye captain," Giselle said, saluting the woman.
"This is useless," Quinn complained as she tossed her notepad onto the bed. Her, Santana, Puck, and Brittany had all gone back to the hotel to try to work on a song after they'd done a bit of exploring. However it looked like songwriting was not her forte.
"We'll get this," Puck said, leaning his guitar against the wall. Brittany and Santana had gone across the street for some souvenirs, leaving Puck and Quinn all alone in the room.
"I suck at this kind of stuff," Quinn mumbled, rubbing her face roughly.
"Don't do that, your face gets all red and puffy afterward," he commented instinctively, only realizing what he said after the words had already come out of his mouth.
She stopped and stared at him. "I'm sorry," she said.
Puck's eyebrows shot up. "For what?"
"For breaking up with you. You've been nothing but good to me."
"It-It wasn't working out, you had a point," he supplied bitterly.
She bit her lip. "Beth misses you."
He made eye contact with her, a pained look plastered on his face. "Is she the only one?"
Quinn sighed. "Puck…" She saw him edge closer to her; she felt his hand touch her cheek as he leaned his forehead against hers. "Don't."
"Tell me you don't want this," he demanded lowly.
Quinn remained silent as she debated her options. Yes, they'd been having a rough time connecting and communicating, but Puck had been trying and she'd been rash to break it off with him over one hiccup. She had a daughter to think about—Quinn wasn't supposed to be selfish, she was supposed to think of how her actions affected her baby.
And what she and her baby needed was someone to rely on; to lean on…She needed Puck despite how immature and irrational he could be.
"I can't," she said finally. "I miss you."
She kissed him and sighed in content as he returned the gesture, both of them getting lost in the touches and sweet kisses. She felt her back hit the bed slowly and the rest was lost.
"Well, this has been absolutely amazing," Rachel said, sighing as they walked inside the hotel elevator. The fourth wall was made out of glass and they could oversee the movement of people in the lobby. It was already dark out and they'd just had dinner at some fancy restaurant Jesse had wanted to try.
Rachel let out a content noise as Jesse wrapped his arms around her from behind. She relaxed and let her head rest against his shoulder.
"Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips, we should just kiss like real people do," Jesse sang softly into her ear, causing her to laugh lightly.
"Jesse…" she said, her smile growing wider as he kept humming the tune. "Stop, people are going to think we're weird."
"Let them," he said, pressing his face into the crook of her neck. "Why should we pretend to be dull and boring?"
Rachel opened her mouth to say something else but stopped short, her smile fading quickly and her back stiffening.
"Rach?" Jesse asked, worried as he pulled back to look at her face.
"That's it!" she squeaked, turning and pecking his lips lightly as the elevator door opened. She practically ran out on him as she shouted a thank you. Seconds later he heard a door shut.
"Glad to know I helped," he said to himself, pressing the number 6 on the elevator panel.
"You've never had pineapple pizza?" Andrea asked, baffled at Finn's confession. Beside them Kurt smiled unamused by their subtle flirtation. They'd gone and done a bit of sightseeing before catching some dinner in the hotel's restaurant.
Finn nodded as his hands nervously turned the glass of water, the piece of pizza on his plate forgotten. He hadn't been able to stop fidgeting for the past couple of hours. He wasn't sure what it was about Andrea that made him incredibly nervous.
Maybe it's because she's super smart and way out of your league? Just like Rachel?
"So why are you in New York?" Kurt asked abruptly.
Andrea blinked, her laughter dying down. "I would never miss Nationals. Besides, Rachel's my friend I want to support her and your team," she said, flashing her teeth.
"Well I have to visit the little boy's room," Kurt excused himself from the table and Andrea took a deep breath before sipping her drink.
Finn shifted next to her. "How-How's college like?"
"Different," Andrea said emptily before blinking and smiling. "It's the real world out there. High school drama just fades away…people you used to like aren't even relevant anymore."
He raised a brow. She sounded…incredibly sad when she said that. It made him wonder if real life was even worth looking forward to. They said that high school was the easiest four years of anybody's educational career, which made Finn nervous. He'd already messed up high school, what would that entail for his future?
"What about you? Have you figured out what college you want to apply to?"
"Well, I'm not going to college," he stated.
Andrea's jaw dropped. "Not even a music school? Finn, I've seen how you perform…you've got talent. You're going to just throw that away?"
Finn shrugged, looking around the restaurant. "Look at this place. I don't belong here…I'm a small-town kind of guy, you know? I'm good with cars so I just figured I could take over Burt's tire shop."
She gave him a disappointed look. "You can't do that."
He laughed slightly as he watched her jut her bottom lip out. "What do you mean?"
"You've got a voice and it would be a shame to waste it, Hudson," she bumped her shoulder against his rather affectionately.
Finn smiled small and bumped his shoulder against hers in return. He couldn't remember the last time he had a conversation about his future with another person. He'd actually given up on the topic until now. To have somebody tell him he wasn't an entire waste of space was a nice feeling.
"Thank you," he said lowly. He watched her eyes go serious and her playful smile melted. He saw her eyes shift between his mouth and eyes, the air between them becoming thick with tension. It wasn't necessarily a bad tension, but it was palpable.
Then something strange happened.
Finn vaguely felt himself lean in to close the small gap between them, his lips capturing hers in a quick tender kiss before pulling away. When he pulled back to look at her, her eyes were wide.
"What were you guys chatting about?"
Both of them flinched at Kurt's question as if it were a wake-up call and Finn slid further away from her, not even daring to look. How could he just do that? He'd barely met her and he was still trying to get over Rachel.
"Just how much of a loser Finn is for never trying pineapple pizza," Andrea rushed, adjusting her napkin on the table.
Kurt nodded, his eyes drifting towards the back of the restaurant as he caught a familiar face in his line of vision. "Who the heck is Giselle eating with?"
Finn craned his neck. "I'm not sure, I've never seen her before. Maybe she's just a friend or something."
Andrea looked behind her and frowned. She knew that woman—that woman was the mother of her best friend. She was the one responsible for Jesse and Rachel's breakup.
"That's Jesse's mom," she provided softly.
"Jesse St. James' mother? Why would she be here in New York?"
Andrea ignored Kurt's question altogether.
What is she doing?
"I need you to tell me how you felt when you and Puck broke up," Rachel demanded rapidly as she scribbled stuff down on her notepad. Quinn shifted, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
"Why?"
"Because this is songwriting gold!" Rachel exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Okay…" Quinn said, taking her own notepad and writing down words to describe how lost she'd felt. After a few moments, she handed it to Rachel.
"Whoa there," Rachel said.
"What?" Quinn asked annoyed.
"You've got song worthy material, Quinn Fabray."
A million emotions coursed through Sam's body as Anne stood in front of him, her tiny hands clutching the jacket. He'd been distant with her; avoiding her gaze every time they made eye contact, his body inching away from her skin every time their arms brushed up against each other when they rehearsed choreography.
"Please talk to me," she asked softly, her grey eyes unwavering.
Sam sighed, his hand holding onto the hotel bedroom door for dear life. He was afraid that if it let the object go, they might tumble off the deep end.
But he also understood that he needed to confront her about the issue. Reynolds had touched her—she was unwilling and he was thankful that she was so faithful to him—but the thought of another guy's hands touching her made him sick. He wanted to hurt the other football player—any angrier and Sam could see himself killing him.
"Please Sam," she asked again.
He looked down for a moment before looking over his shoulder. He saw Puck playing cards against himself, Artie was tapping his pencil against a pad of paper, and Mike was probably texting Tina.
"Hey I'll be back in a few minutes," Sam called out before shutting the door behind him, his chest bumping up against Anne. "Oh—sorry," he apologized, grinning slightly.
Anne waved a hand in the air. "It's fine. Can we take a walk? I think the hotel has a little garden on the roof."
Sam shrugged and motioned for her to lead. They stepped into the elevator—their shoulders once again brushing up against each other. Sam stepped to the side, opening his mouth then shutting it again.
Anne looked uncomfortable—should he say something?
What do I even say to her?he thought quickly. What can you say to someone who's been harassed? 'I'm sorry'?
The elevator dinged.
"Thank God," he exclaimed. Anne's eyes widened and he shook his head, his words jumbling before they left his mouth.
"It's fine," she repeated. "I hate awkward elevator rides."
"Glad I'm not the only one," he said absentmindedly as they walked up a small flight of stairs before reaching the roof.
Anne pushed the door open and gasped slightly at the sight. The garden was simple yet beautiful. Elegant flowers adorned the green bushes, a trickle of a small Zen pond being the only noise of nature. It was a miracle the water wasn't drowned out by the honking of horns and chatter from the streets.
"It's beautiful," she said running her hand across a bundle of roses. The stark white of the flower almost made her skin look a bit tan.
Like you,Sam almost said before catching himself. He clutched his hands by his side nervously as he followed her around.
"You can talk about it," Anne said softly. "I have. Well, I've started to talk about it with Miss Pillsbury."
"I wish I could," he rasped. Sam cleared his throat—it felt as dry as the Sahara.
"I wish you could, too."
"He's a sick monster. He shouldn't have done that."
"I know," Anne said, staring at him intently. "But it happened and now he's suspended from school—indefinitely. He's not coming back for a while, Sam."
"That's not enough," he almost growled. "He deserves so much worse for that. And who is to say he hasn't done that to other girls? Younger girls? Girls with brown hair like yours and grey eyes. Who could know?"
"I'm pretty sure brown hair and grey eyes aren't that common," Anne said, trying to lighten up the mood. Instead her comment fell flat and she hugged herself as her eyes scanned the roof. They were high enough that she could make out a star or two—the city lights further to the left as a more prominent night sky faded into the right.
"I can't let it go," Sam added.
"I know you can't. But if I have to move on from this, so do you. Do you get it? We can't be stuckbecause of this. Yes, it happened," Anne said, frowning as the emotions came rushing back the more she thought about it.
"Yes, he harassed me. Yes, I still think about how scary that was and yes, I sometimes I still feel dirty and isolated, but if I have to fight this, so do you."
"Anne-"
"And-And if you don't want this," she motioned between them. "Then it's perfectly fine. You're such a great guy, Sam. You're so nice and you've been nothing but amazing and you deserve a girl who isn't as messed up as me. It's okay. It's okay."
She looked up at him for the first time since beginning her tirade. His blue eyes were darker than usual, his mouth set in a firm line. Then he moved and she felt both of his hands caress her face.
"I do want this," he said boldly. "I want this. I want you. I want to work through this. I want a future together—whatever kind of future there is for us. I want this more than some stupid show choir competition or a dumb record deal-" he stopped short. "Okay, a record deal isn't dumb but you get the idea."
She laughed dryly at his sore attempt at making a joke, but there was a spark of warmth within her. She shut her eyes.
"Show choir isn't that stupid," she whispered.
Sam let out a choked laugh before placing his forehead against hers. He shut his eyes and he felt her soft lips on his for a moment before she pulled away.
"We should get back," she said, pulling away from his embrace.
Sam nodded. "We need to be thinking of song material."
"Oh, I have plenty of material, although I'm not sure if it's appropriate."
He chuckled lightly, his left hand intertwined with her right. The metal band of her promise ring was cold against his finger but he smiled at the fact that she still wore it despite everything that had happened.
Kurt almost wanted to giggle—yeah, giggle—as he snuck into the girls' hotel room. They were scattered here and there and he had to ninja his way past Tina and Anne to get to the sleeping Rachel, fully adorned in her heart printed pajamas.
"Rachel," Kurt whispered quickly into her ear. "Rachel!"
Rachel stirred and wiped the corner of her mouth. "What? Why?"
"Because we are having breakfast at Tiffany's."
The girl quickly shot up, careful not to disturb a snoozing Quinn.
"Okay, okay just let me get dressed," Rachel whispered as she ushered Kurt out into the hall. "Wait five minutes."
Sure enough, five and a half minutes later Rachel was dressed and ready to go. They made their way to the breakfast area and grabbed two small coffees and two bagels to go.
They hailed a taxi, their faces eager to get to Tiffany's. When they arrived, Rachel let out a squeal as she came face to face with the iconic window, and although the security gate was still in place, she couldn't help but feel extra special to be standing where Audrey Hepburn had stood.
She nibbled on her bagel, her eyes shimmering at the sights and sounds of the city. There really was no other feeling quite like this.
"This is amazing," Kurt murmured. "And these bagels—!"
"It's the water they make them with," Rachel said as she sipped her coffee. Even the coffee seemed to taste better in New York.
"Kurt, you're pretty much the only other person who understand what an amazing place this is…. Which is why I have a secret to tell you," she said.
Kurt's eyes widened a bit as he looked at her curiously.
"After graduation I'm coming to college here. There is nothing I want more than to live my Manhattan dream."
He nodded, chewing faster. "Me too. I've already talked to Blaine about it and he's so on board with the decision."
"Oh good," Rachel said, smiling then letting it slip. "Oh, but what am I going to do about Jesse? He's literally across the country in Los Angeles."
"Convince him to come here," Kurt said.
Rachel shook her head slightly. "He loves LA and the school there. I can't take him away from that…but I also don't want to be so far away from him for so long, you know?"
"Maybe you just need to talk to him about it, Rachel," Kurt advised. "Maybe he'll understand that your destiny is here in New York and his is in LA. After you both graduate college, maybe he can come here and you two can live out a Broadway life."
"That would be so amazing," Rachel agreed. She could almost see it—her and Jesse living together in New York, both working in productions and taking Broadway by storm. She could almost see her kids growing up in the city as sharp, witty and extremely talented children.
"We're not going to let something like a relationship keep us from this," Kurt said wispily.
"You ready for this?" Rachel asked Finn nervously as she adjusted his tie. The taller teen shrugged.
"Ready as I'll ever be for Nationals," he joked. She laughed slightly and shook her head.
"Break a leg, Hudson," she said before walking to her place. Giselle appeared moments after, dusting Finn's shoulder off.
"Remember that there's a staged kiss at the end of the duet between you and Rachel," Giselle reminded.
Finn looked at her in unbelief. "What? That's weird, Rachel didn't mention anything about a kiss…"
"Oh, she's fine with it as long as it's fitting for the song. Intense choreography will definitely get you a winning slot."
"You're sure?" Finn asked again, unsure of her instructions.
"Who is your show choir consultant? That's right, it's me. It'll be fine, she's in on it."
Both looked at Rachel who was fixing her hairband and breathing deeply.
Finn blinked again. "Okay…"
Face to face and heart to heart
We're so close yet so far apart
Rachel honestly couldn't believe that they had managed to write and choreograph two songs in such a short time—she was immensely thankful that Quinn had opened up her emotions to let Rachel write the duet, although Rachel herself was a bit surprised when Giselle had practically demanded that she sing it instead of Quinn.
I close my eyes I look away
That's just because I'm not okay
But I hold on, I stay strong
Wondering if we still belong…
Finn wondered why Rachel had agreed to do a staged kiss with him. Wasn't Jesse somewhere in the crowd watching the performance? And wasn't Rachel supposed to be in love with Jesse?
He blinked as he followed Rachel's choreographed lead, the gears in his head still churning.
Will we ever say the words we're feeling…
Reach down underneath and tear down all the walls?
Quinn harmonized with the rest of the group as they stood in the back as Finn and Rachel did their thing. She found it weird that Giselle had insisted that Rachel and Finn sing the duet instead of Quinn and Puck—it was their song; basically…Puck just didn't know that.
Will we ever have our happy ending?
Or will we forever only be pretending?
Jesse smiled as he watched Rachel sing onstage. No matter how many times he'd seen her perform, he was always taken aback by her presence and talent. Beside him he saw Giselle smirking and he shifted uncomfortably, his eyes squinting in suspicion.
"Will we always be…Pretending…"
They were in close proximity that all Finn had to do was grab her shoulder lightly and press his lips against hers. Rachel's eyes widened in surprise and she backed up instinctively, almost stumbling as the crowd remained silent…that wasn't a good sign. Her brown eyes were wide open and staring at Finn in unbelief.
Finn looked at her confused as to why she looked so surprised. She'd agreed to do the stage kiss, so he wasn't sure why she was making a big deal out of it. He looked at the silent crowd and cleared his throat before seeing Mr. Schuester start to clap, leading the rest of the audience to do the courtesy clapping. He also caught sight of Jesse's shocked expression.
Oh crap, he thought quickly as he motioned for Rachel to get in place for the second number.
"Was that staged?" Jesse asked Mr. Schuester.
The director grimaced. "No."
"Why did you kiss me?!" Rachel demanded, swatting at Finn with her hands rapidly as the rest of the team filed offstage.
"Excuse me, it was supposed to be staged—you're the one who agreed to it and then acted all surprised!"
"What are you talking about? Why would I stage a kiss during a show choir competition?" Rachel questioned.
Finn shook his head. "Wait, are you saying you didn't have a clue about the kiss?"
"I didn't want there to be any kind of kissing!"
Jesse appeared behind them, his eyes wary. "Finn," he greeted stoutly.
"Look, there's been a misunderstanding here-" Finn began before being interrupted by Jesse.
"It was Giselle. She convinced you there was supposed to be a kiss, didn't she?" he asked.
Finn nodded. "How'd you know?"
"She was smirking in plain sight, duh," Jesse answered, shaking his head as he looked at Rachel. "Unfortunately you did kiss onstage during a performance and the judges aren't going to like that. It looks unprofessional."
"Oh God," Rachel mumbled, hiding her face in her hands.
"Look guys, I don't want to speak about what happened in there—let's just try to focus on the results," Mr. Schuester said in an attempt to comfort the rest of the group. He looked at Finn and Rachel. "Who's idea was it to do that?"
"Giselle's," Finn said bitterly. "She's pure evil, Mr. Schue."
"I second that," Jesse said, raising his hand.
There was a commotion between more show choir groups and Jesse gulped.
"Looks like the list is posted," he said.
"I can't even go look," Rachel exclaimed, wringing her hands.
Mr. Schuester looked at all of them and volunteered to go, but Jesse knew it was bad news the moment Mr. Schuester's face fell.
"We didn't place," Schuester said emptily. "I'm so sorry guys."
Behind him Santana screeched. "I'm going to kill her!"
~FOUR WEEKS LATER~
So New Directions had lost Nationals because of Giselle. Despite this, Jesse was surprised to see that Rachel hadn't stopped talking about how she wanted to move to New York after she graduated high school, and while he was happy that she was making plans, a small part of him had hoped that she would have picked a school closer to where he was.
But relationships were about trust and compromise and he wanted her to succeed in everything she tried for. So he'd kept his desires hidden and instead focused on supporting her with her plans, helping his little sister, and trying to build up the courage to confront his mother over the Giselle/Santana business. Andrea had told him everything after New York and he was, to be frank, pissed off.
He rang the doorbell to his former house, his hands cold.
His mother opened the door and was about to say something when he stopped her, his eyes dark.
"How did it feel?" he asked.
His mother looked at him as if he was five. "What are you saying?"
"How did it feel to play the victim all these years?"
She stayed silent.
"You know, I actually felt bad for you. Dad was…he was a jerk. He was such a monster and I hated him for all of the crap he did. He lied, he cheated, he was a scum who in the end meant absolutely nothing to me."
He shuffled forward. "But you, I fell for your act. You made it look like you were so innocent and all you wanted was what was best for me. But you're just as bad. Hiring Giselle and Santana to mess with my life? Getting joy out of stealing half of dad's money? Being a pretentious spoiled douche bag?"
"Jesse-"
"NO! You're nothing but a liar and I'm through with you. I'm done. I don't need you in my life anymore, mother," he spat.
"And what? You're going to say that you'll be living with your uncle and having an affair with that girl?"
"Rachel might not be some socialite like you were, but she's ten times the woman you'll ever be. And you know what? When we have kids, I'm sure as hell not going to treat them the way I was treated. I won't manipulate them or lie to them."
He spat out the last sentence and shook his head, turning around swiftly as he stormed out.
Behind him there was the clattering of heels against tile as his mother followed.
"Jesse St. James! Stop right there!" she shouted.
"I can't even look at it," Rachel said nervously as she wrung her hands out. Beside her Quinn sighed in frustration.
"Just… Look at the damn thing."
"I don't think I can."
Quinn groaned. "Just do it."
Rachel nodded, reaching her hand out for the object before recoiling just before she made contact with it. "Are we sure this is even necessary?"
The blonde gave her a weird look. "Well, we don't have any other choice now, do we?"
"If this… If this is, you know, he needs to know."
"God just look at it!" Quinn screeched, picking up the object from the counter. She held it up to Rachel's face as the brunette tried to make out the results.
"Well?"
Rachel pulled back slightly, a confused expression plastered on her face.
"Well, what does it say?" Quinn badgered on.
Rachel swallowed. "Maybe… Maybe this wasn't what we thought it was—"
"Stop the BS!"
"Are we sure this is even right? I mean, it could have gotten messed up somehow-"
"Rachel, I've gone through this before, I'm pretty sure I know how this works," Quinn said.
Rachel sighed, taking the object in question. Both girls stared at it, neither being brave enough to speak.
"What are you going to tell him?"
Silence.
"Quinn, what are you going to tell Puck?" Rachel asked worriedly. She placed the pregnancy test on the counter by the sink.
The blonde blinked. "I-I don't know. I mean, I can't be pregnant! Beth just turned one!" Quinn said.
"Hey, it'll be okay," Rachel said. "Noah loves you."
"That's not what I'm worried about," Quinn said. "I'm worried about how my mom will take it. I'm scared about my reputation—being pregnant in high school isn't a good thing, Rachel. And my body—God, I can't sacrifice my body again so soon."
"That's why you have to be careful," Rachel commented as she threw the pregnancy test into the trash bin. She covertly stuck some toilet paper on top of the test just in case any of her dads might come across it. She frowned at Quinn's broken expression. Her green eyes were watering and Rachel wasn't sure what she needed to do.
Do I give her a hug? Do I give her food? she pondered. Nonsense, Berry. She isn't a dog.
"Hey, everything is going to be fine, trust me," Rachel said finally as she outstretched her hand and grabbed Quinn's shoulder lightly. "It'll be fine."
Quinn shook her head, her nose feeling cold but her cheeks extremely warm.
"God, I'm such an idiot."
"No you aren't, Quinn. These things happen. It's just life."
The blonde looked up at her, her eyes squinting. "When did Rachel Berry become an expert on life?"
Rachel shrugged and Quinn scoffed slightly.
"Look who I'm talking to. Rachel Berry who's probably still a virgin. Hey, at least you don't have to worry about this."
Despite Quinn's comment coming out a little harsh, Rachel felt her cheeks flush slightly in embarrassment.
"Not that it's any of your business but I'm not a virgin," she retorted as she quickly handed Quinn a tissue.
Quinn took the offering carefully as her lips twitched. "That's what's different about you lately. You're having sex."
She rolled her eyes. "Yes. I am. Not that you needed to know that." She placed her hands down to her hips, a slight cramping sensation distracting her slightly. She'd been feeling under the weather for the past couple of days and she could only assume it was because she was probably getting her monthly gift from mother nature.
"I hope you're being careful," Quinn said as she wiped her eyes. "Wouldn't want our lead to be prancing around onstage with a pregnant stomach."
Rachel bit her lip, thinking back a month to when she had finally given in to her body's needs. She and Jesse hadn't used protection—a fact that had made her panic as soon as the act in question was over—but he'd reassured her that nothing bad was going to happen and that he would be thrilled to have a little Rachel running around—in a few more years—he had pointed out clearly.
"If it makes you feel any better, I can go to the pharmacy and get a morning-after pill?" Jesse offered as he tried to soothe a panicked Rachel.
She nodded. "You would do that? Really?"
Jesse smiled and placed a quick kiss on her temple, his laughter soft. "Yes. If you were to get pregnant, it'd kind of be because of me, right? This is the least I could do after I practically dived in without any precautions."
"First of all, that expression is gross," Rachel said, laughing slightly. "And second of all, that's incredibly sweet."
"I'm always incredibly sweet. Now, the pill?" he asked again.
"Yes. As much as I love you, I don't want a baby yet. I was thinking about waiting until I'm at least 25—and I want to raise them in the Jewish faith," she said, pecking his lips before getting up and putting on her robe, not noticing his incredibly amused expression. He found it insanely cute of her to already sort of be thinking about their kids. Jesse could wait that long, he wasn't in any rush to take another major leap so quickly. She tossed him his clothes. "Now how about I make some food while you go out and get it?"
"That sounds like a plan."
"We don't have to worry about that," Rachel said as Quinn got up slowly. She winced slightly as a sharp dull pain shot up her back. She must of made a bigger deal because Quinn grabbed Rachel's arm lightly.
"Whoa, Rachel. You okay?"
Rachel blinked and frowned as she began to feel some cramping. Of course I'd get my period right now, she thought bitterly. She felt the sharp pain again and breathed in and out deeply.
"Whoa, okay. Am I the pregnant one here or are you?" Quinn said lightly as Rachel leaned against the doorframe. "Hey, are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I just… I think I'm coming down with something," she said, trying her best to smile. The cramps increased and she shook her head, trying her best to push the pain to the back of her brain. She wanted to ignore it until Quinn left.
"Okay," Quinn said, unconvinced. "Well, I guess I should get going. I think I'm going to give this a day before I make an appointment with my doctor, just to see how far along I am and all that jazz."
"I'm sure Puck is going to understand," Rachel said as she led Quinn down the stairs. They reached the front door and Rachel pulled it open, the motion only making the cramping worse. "So I guess you can call me later if you need anything," she said rapidly.
Sunlight comes creeping in
Illuminates our skin
Quinn looked at her strangely as she slowly walked out and waved goodbye.
Rachel waited until she was out of the driveway before shutting the door and practically running up the stairs and into her bathroom. She mindlessly searched her cabinet for some Midol and took another deep breath, her hands grasping onto the edge of the sink.
We watch the day go by
Stories of all we did
It made me think of you
It made me think of you
"Get it together, Berry. They're just cramps," she said to her reflection before frowning as she felt something drip down her leg. She opened her mouth in shock.
Did I just pee myself?
Rachel looked down, the pain only getting worse. Her mind stopped thinking completely as she saw red drops collecting onto her tile floor too quickly to be considered normal.
Her vision blurred slightly as she reached for something to clean herself with, the pain only getting worse the more she moved. She needed to stop moving around—her legs began to feel heavy and she inhaled sharply as she sunk to the floor, feeling more liquid. She shut her eyes.
Under a trillion stars
We danced on top of cars
What the heck is happening to me?! she freaked out as she pushed herself to reach for her cell on the counter. She found it and silently thanked the universe as she dialed Quinn's number.
"What is it? I literally left your house ten minutes ago, Berry-"
"Something's wrong with me," Rachel rasped, her eyes shut. "I need your help."
Took pictures of the stage
So far from where we are
They made me think of you
There was a rustle in the background. "I knew something was wrong when I left. I'm on my way, just hold on."
They made me think of you
Quinn practically ran up the stairs and into Rachel's bedroom, her heart panicking further as she saw the brunette on the tile floor of her bathroom, blood gathering between her legs. Rachel had already fainted and Quinn wanted to scream out in fear as her trembling hands dialed 911.
Oh lights go down
In the moment we're lost and found
I just wanna be by your side
If these wings could fly
Quinn watched as the paramedics took Rachel into the ambulance, her hands cramping as she dialed Jesse's number.
"Hello?"
"Jesse-"
"Quinn?" he asked. "How'd you get my number?"
"Rachel's being taken to the hospital," she rushed as she climbed into her car.
There was a rustling in the background. "What? What happened?"
"She was bleeding—God there was so much blood—I don't know what's wrong with her."
"I'm on my way," he said quickly.
Oh damn these walls
In the moment we're ten feet tall
And how you told me after it all
We'd remember tonight
For the rest of our lives
"Where is she?" Shelby demanded as Rachel's dads tried to calm her down.
"The doctors won't tell us anything yet," Hiram said hurt.
"Shelby just calm down-"
"Calm down? My only child is in danger!"
I'm in a foreign state
My thoughts they slip away
My words are leaving me
They caught an aeroplane
Rachel's thoughts were clouded as she seemed to be floating among absolute nothingness. There were white clouds and she was wearing a white dress, the rushed voices of doctors and nurses muffled. She squinted.
"What's happening?" she asked, feeling a pressure in her abdomen. She blinked again, looking around her as the white emptiness faded to black.
Because I thought of you
Just from the thought of you
"Jesse—thank God you're here," Leroy sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"What's wrong with her?" Jesse asked, his eyes looking at Shelby's panicked face.
If these wings could fly
"Why are you even here?" Hiram asked Shelby.
She crossed her arms. "I came down because I wanted to speak to the two of you… I want to be a permanent part of Rachel's life."
Hiram stiffened. "What are you saying?"
"Hiram," Leroy softened, trying to calm his husband down, but Hiram wasn't having any of it.
"No, Leroy. What do you mean, Shelby?"
Shelby sighed as she pulled back a loose strand of her dark hair, her brown eyes—Rachel's eyes—looking at them intently. "I want to file for joint custody…or adoption. That's why I've been gone. I've been trying to find a good lawyer."
"Excuse you?" Hiram raged. "We had an agreement…it's been sixteen years!"
"She's my only kid," Shelby reasoned. "And-And I think she should live with me…Part time if it's better for you."
"The hell it is!"
Oh lights go down
In the moment we're lost and found
I just wanna be by your side
If these wings could fly
"Berry, Rachel?" a doctor called out to the waiting room. Hiram glared at Shelby as Leroy and Jesse walked up to the doctor.
"What is it? What's wrong with her?"
The doctor sighed. "Rachel suffered an intense miscarriage that led to a hernia. Luckily we've stopped the bleeding and she's in recovery now."
Hiram and Leroy looked at Jesse, his own mouth open wide. He blinked rapidly, trying to process the information. He didn't exactly understand how that could've happened considering they'd taken precautions.
"How?" Jesse mumbled before swallowing the lump in his throat. "How did this happen?"
"Has she been under a lot of stress?" the doctor asked.
"She just did a local ballet production, could that have been it?" Leroy asked.
The doctor nodded. "Possibly."
Oh damn these walls
In the moment we're ten feet tall
And how you told me after it all
We'd remember tonight
Quinn entered Rachel's hospital room, her eyes taking a while to adjust to the dim lighting. On the bed was a curled up Rachel. Quinn could tell that she was awake and had been crying because her eyes were extremely puffy.
"Rachel?" she said softly, moving closer.
Rachel looked up at her, her bottom lip trembling. "I didn't even know. God, Quinn. I didn't even know…" she sobbed, her eyes shutting.
Quinn moved towards the bed and leaned down, wrapping her arms around Rachel. Quinn shut her eyes. She couldn't even imagine what Rachel must be feeling like—the girl hadn't planned for something this serious to happen to her.
"I thought you said you took care of it?"
"I took the morning-after pill…that was the only time we did it without taking precautions."
"One time is all it takes, Rachel," Quinn murmured. "Trust me, I know."
"Then how come it didn't work?" Rachel asked.
"Sometimes things don't work. But when stuff like that happens we just have to pick ourselves back up and keep moving along."
Rachel rolled her eyes.
"It's true. At least you don't have to worry about giving up your dreams of New York now."
"That doesn't mean that if I had known then I would've wanted to get rid of it. No…No I probably would've tried to make my dreams work at the same time."
"Jesse's worried about you. The poor boy, your dads have been hounding him all day about his priorities."
"This isn't his fault," Rachel said. "It takes two to tango."
"Oh I know," Quinn said. "And your mother—Shelby—is here too."
There was a faint knock on the door and Jesse appeared. Quinn nodded, letting go of Rachel.
"You'll be okay," she said before walking out. Jesse walked toward Rachel, taking her hand gently.
"What a mess, huh?" he asked, smiling slightly.
Rachel sighed. "How do I come back from this? I don't feel the same, you know?"
"Oh, I know," he said, squeezing her hand lightly. "But we'll get through this. We always come out winning."
"Except Nationals. That… That was a total bust," she joked, smiling.
Jesse let out a chuckle and leaned forward, pressing a kiss against her forehead. He shut his eyes tight, relishing in the feeling of being with her—here and now, safe and sound. Despite all of the crazy events they'd gone through over the past year, they still came out stronger than ever.
"I love you," he whispered.
Rachel smiled. "Thank you," she replied.
He pulled back a bit in surprise.
"For loving me. It's all I pretty much wanted for the longest time ever. For somebody to understand me—for somebody to share my dreams with."
Jesse nodded. "I'll always be here. Always."
For the rest of our lives
The end. Well, now I'm just not sure what to do with myself.
-Fanatic4Fiction