44A/N: This is based on a spoiler that clearly won't be coming true, but when I read it, I felt compelled to put my particular spin on it. Time frame is after Original Song, with canon pretty much intact, except that Kurt is back at McKinley, and Blaine has transferred there to be with him.
Hope you enjoy my first one-shot. Reviews are like water to my thirsty muse. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, or any of its characters.
The Season of My Best Intentions
I don't belong here.
What the hell was he doing with these people? There was something about them that nauseated him, and the stench of desperation hung in the air. As he sized them up one at a time, he could hardly believe it had come to this. His gut clenched, and he swallowed twice in rapid succession in an effort to keep the contents of his stomach settled.
I should never have agreed to this.
The call had come the previous week, out of the blue. The number had been blocked, offering him no clue as to the identity of the person on the other end of the line. He'd been in the midst of studying for finals, and he'd considered letting it go directly to voicemail, but curiosity had gotten the better of him.
"Hello."
"Jesse St. James?"
"Who's asking?"
"This is Dustin Goolsby. Coach of Vocal Adrenaline."
"Yeah, I know who you are."
"How are things at UCLA?"
What business is it of yours?
"Fine."
"I'll get right to the point. I hear your term is over soon, and I've got a proposition for you…"
He'd been under no obligation. He could have refused. But something in him had wanted to witness this for himself, to see if it truly was the train wreck he expected it to be. And there might ultimately be something in it for him. So he'd decided to join this not-so-merry band of co-conspirators. He'd regretted it the moment he'd set foot back in his former home away from home, the Carmel auditorium.
They'd fallen on him as if he was their saviour, and although that should have been a colossal ego boost, instead, it disgusted him. These were adults. They shouldn't be acting as if their very lives depended on the outcome of a show choir competition.
Then again, considering who's a part of this, maybe they do.
Glancing around the room, his eyes came to rest on the man who had reached out to him just a few short days ago. It was obvious that Dustin Goolsby was no Shelby Corcoran. His former coach had been hard driving, she had an insatiable desire to win, and she pushed almost every member of the team way beyond their breaking point – he'd been the notable exception.
She just found a different way to break you.
He shook his head, refusing to let those memories overtake him. It was clear that Goolsby wasn't nearly as confident as Shelby had been – in himself as a coach, or in his choir's abilities. Shelby would never have stooped to this.
He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of a gavel striking wood, and he shifted his gaze towards the tall, blonde woman who was calling the meeting to order.
"If I could have everyone's attention. I've got a date with my journal later, and I can't possibly reschedule."
He swallowed the laughter that was threatening to escape at the absurdity of her remark. Glancing at the serious faces of the others present, he came to the realization that no one else considered it as amusing as he did. Turning his attention back to the speaker, he was just in time to hear her mention him by name.
"For those of you who don't know him, I'm pleased to introduce the Legion of Doom's newest member – Jesse St. James."
The Legion of Doom? Seriously? That's what they were calling themselves?
Jesse struggled once more to keep his laughter at bay, especially now, as four pairs of eyes surveyed him with varying degrees of interest. He met each gaze levelly, his neutral expression giving nothing away.
"St. James, why don't you tell these fine folk a bit about yourself? Just try to keep that ego of yours in check while you do it, or I'll be forced to hum one of those musical interludes like they do at awards shows to get people to shut up. And do birds nest in that mess on top of your head?"
She has the nerve to call me egotistical?
"Given the fact that you want my help, you might consider easing up on the insults, Sue," he shot back, not the least bit intimidated.
They'd asked him here, after all, not the other way around. He didn't care if their little plan succeeded or failed, and Sue Sylvester was far too arrogant for her own good.
"That's Zod to you, you little punk."
His one raised eyebrow conveyed far more than words.
"We've all taken on code names for this assignment. You'll need to come up with one of your own," Goolsby informed him.
"I should probably find out what each of yours are, just to make sure I don't choose something already in use," he suggested, his tone betraying not a hint of sarcasm.
"I'm Sergeant Handsome," Goolsby stated proudly.
Looks like Sue and I are not the only ones with inflated opinions of ourselves.
"I'm The Pink Dagger," Sandy Ryerson revealed.
Not gonna touch that one.
The fourth member of the group remained oddly silent. Jesse waited patiently, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. Terri Del Monico shot the others an exasperated look.
"It's not as if he'd ever pick it for himself. Hell, it wasn't even my choice."
"I gave you two options. You can still go with Blonde Bimbo, if you prefer," Sue suggested snarkily.
"Fine," Terri conceded through gritted teeth. "My code name is The Shrew."
Jesse bit his tongue, hard, at Terri's grudging admission.
If the shoe fits.
"Okay, enough idle chit chat. If you can't think up a code name by the end of this meeting, I'll assign you one of my choosing. Now, let's get on with it. St. James?"
"Right. I'm the former lead of Vocal Adrenaline. Four time national champion. Also a former member of New Directions. So, as you can see, with ties to both clubs, I'm uniquely qualified to take part in this little operation."
"Direct. To the point. I like it. There's hope for you yet, St. Jerk."
He opted to ignore the insulting nickname. Sue Sylvester wasn't worth the aggravation. Eyeing her calmly, he grinned inwardly at the look of irritation that flashed across her face at his refusal to rise to the bait.
"So, here's the deal, pretty boy. That pathetic bunch of McKinley losers somehow managed to best my clearly superior choir, Aural Intensity. I'm still investigating whether Will Schuester slept with one of the judges. It's really the only possible explanation."
Jesse noticed Terri's eyes darken in anger. If Sue was aware of the reaction her words had provoked, she showed no sign of it.
Of course, she knows. Sue lives to make others miserable.
"Assuming I can't find the proof I need, the next best thing is to make sure that New Directions crash and burn at Nationals. Since I can't stop them myself, I searched out people with an axe to grind against one or more members of that team. Our goal is to weaken McKinley's club, while boosting Vocal Adrenaline's chances."
"We blew New Directions away last year at Regionals. Why does this year's Vocal Adrenaline need extra help doing it?"
The smug superiority of Jesse's tone was not lost on Dustin Goolsby, who understood the former's unspoken taunt all too well.
"You're hardly irreplaceable, Jesse. We're getting along just fine without you. This is merely an insurance policy."
"If you say so."
"Perhaps you two gentlemen could indulge in your pissing contest on your own time," Sue suggested, her voice impatient. "Right now, we need to go over our plans. Pink Dagger, progress report."
Sandy Ryerson cleared his throat, revelling in his chance to be the centre of attention.
"I've devoted a lot of time to this the past few evenings, and I believe I've found the perfect couple to stand in for our horny friends."
Jesse's brow furrowed.
"What is he talking about?"
"The Dagger is going to be producing a sex tape," Sue confessed, as if those few words constituted a full and logical explanation.
"And this relates to New Directions and Nationals how, exactly?" Jesse wondered aloud.
"Try to keep up, Curly Locks. It came to my attention that two of those Glee brats were considering putting their sexual exploits on video. Sadly, they were warned that it would be illegal, so they gave up on the idea. But Sandy, here, is going to make them the stars they so clearly wanted to be."
"By…?"
"Editing them into someone else's existing video, of course."
So he's been trolling the internet for suitable body doubles? Yeah, that's right up Ryerson's alley.
"Which, in case that product-heavy hair has addled your brain, will result in the exhibitionists in question being arrested, leaving New Directions dangerously close to the line in terms of numbers."
Jesse was careful to keep the revulsion he felt from showing.
"Got it."
"Shrew, you're up next."
"I still have a key to my old apartment. I'm going to sneak in the night before Will and the team are due to leave for Nationals, and get him drunk."
"So what?" Jesse dismissed Terri's idea with a shrug.
"He'll pass out. Miss his flight."
"In case you've forgotten, he was barred from accompanying the team to Sectionals last year. They still managed to win," Jesse reminded Will's ex.
"But this is an out of State trip. They need a certain number of chaperones."
"Mop Top is right. Your part of the plan sucks. Put your two puny brain cells to work and think up something better. Moving right along. Handsome, what have you got for us?"
A look resembling panic shot across Dustin Goolsby's face.
"I thought I was just here to gather intel from all of you. No one said I had to actually get mixed up in your malicious plotting. I have a reputation to uphold."
Sue shot Goolsby a death glare, as Jesse snickered openly.
"So you expect us to do all of your dirty work, while you sit on your hands? I don't think so, Private. For this to work, we all need to play our parts."
"And what exactly is your role in all of this, Sue?" Jesse questioned, deliberately ignoring her chosen nickname.
"My focus is to get Rachel Berry disqualified – and that's where you come in."
It took every ounce of acting ability he possessed to maintain his façade of indifference at the mention of her name.
"What did you have in mind?"
"The beauty of the idea is its simplicity. You're to approach Rachel, find out New Directions' set list, and leak Vocal Adrenaline's to her. Now, before you raise any objections, I don't care what pretext you use to approach her, as long as it gets us what we want."
"I can understand you wanting their set list, but what do you have to gain by leaking VA's?"
"Well, we're not going to leak their real set list. It'll be an entirely bogus one, created just for this occasion. Once you give it to Rachel, she'll feel compelled to share it with her team. I will just happen to find out about it, and little Miss Berrycakes will be disqualified for cheating."
Why didn't I see that coming? Of course, they're going to target Rachel. She's the team's star performer. And they obviously figured there'd be no one better qualified to break her, since I did it once before.
"How will you find out about it? You're not exactly welcome at New Directions' rehearsals."
"Oh, Curly Locks, you're slipping. I don't need to be present to get what I want. I merely have to take advantage of a certain rivalry that's recently been re-ignited, and we're off to the races, so to speak."
Sue didn't need to provide all of the details this time around.
"Quinn. They're jockeying for Finn's attention again."
"Hmm… Guess you are smarter than that hair makes you look. Yes, Quinn is ripe for my particular brand of manipulation, given her desire to regain her place at the top of the McKinley hierarchy – and her misguided belief that Finn Hudson is the way to achieve that goal."
"So you figure you can easily convince her to rat Rachel out, leaving the team unable to compete on several fronts – mainly due to insufficient numbers, if all of your schemes come to fruition, but also by depriving New Directions of its heart and soul. Have I got it right?"
"You've summed it up nicely. Are you up to the task? And, if so, how soon can you set your piece of this in motion?"
"You've definitely found your go-to guy, and there's no time like the present. I'll contact Rachel tonight."
"Don't do anything to make her suspicious," Sue warned. "Without her, this all goes to hell in a hand basket."
"She won't suspect a thing. Rachel Berry won't know what hit her."
Jesse had been parked on Rachel's street for quite a while, as he worked out the best way to approach her. Given the nastiness of their breakup, she had no reason at all to want to speak to him. Then again, she'd never been one to back down from a challenge – it was just one of the many traits they shared. He needed to fire her up. To have her emotions overtake her good sense. With a sudden flash of insight, he knew exactly what to do. Retrieving his cell phone from the passenger seat, where he'd tossed it earlier, he scrolled through his contact list until he came to her number. The one that, in spite of how things had ended between them, he'd never seen fit to erase. Choosing his words carefully, he typed out a text, hit Send, and sat back to await her response.
Rachel was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. It had been a couple of weeks since her confrontation with Quinn, and the ex-Cheerio's words still rang in her head. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was starting to believe that her blonde rival just might be right. Finn was not destined for greatness. He was cute, and sweet, but he wasn't ambitious. His goals were small-time, small town – nothing too far-reaching, nothing too intense. A good job, a wife, a couple of kids, a house, a dog… It didn't get more average than that. Whereas her dreams were far too big to ever come to fruition in Lima. The lights of the big city beckoned, and she was bound and determined to answer their call.
Still, despite knowing in her head that giving up on Finn was the right thing to do, she'd spent so much time fantasizing about him, and about how perfect they'd be together, that her heart was having a decidedly difficult time letting go. Not to mention the fact that, if she backed off now, she'd be leaving the field wide open for Quinn…
A buzz from her cell interrupted her musings. As she glanced at the text, she almost dropped the phone in shock.
It's from Jesse! Why is he contacting me? Why does he still have my number? And why does that fact make me feel all fluttery inside?
Curiosity kept her from deleting the message without reading it through.
I'm in town for a few days. Meet me.
Without even pausing to weigh the consequences, she formulated her reply.
Why should I?
His answering response came quickly.
Because you want to.
I do not!
Sure, you do. If only for the chance to tell me to my face how much you hate me.
But I don't hate you. I did, and I still should, but I got over it – and you – a long time ago. And maybe if I keep telling myself that, it'll eventually be true.
That's a tempting offer, but no.
Aw, come on, Rach. What have you got to lose?
My self-respect. I shouldn't want to see you. But I do. And if I see you, I'll want to hold you, and kiss you…
I can't, Jesse.
You can do anything you put your mind to. I'll be at your place in a few.
He's coming here? No! I didn't agree to that!
She shot off another text, insisting he stay away. He ignored it. Desperate, she phoned. The call went straight to voicemail, just as the doorbell rang. With mounting dread, she headed for the door, where one glance through the peephole confirmed that Jesse St. James was, indeed, standing on her front porch. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. He was even more handsome than she remembered, if that was possible. How was she going to resist him?
Get a grip, Rachel! He's not here to have sex with you.
As she stood, rooted to the spot by indecision, Jesse rang the bell again, rousing Rachel from her momentary trance. She opened the door, then stepped aside in a wordless invitation. Moving past her, he headed straight for her bedroom, leaving her no choice but to follow. Plopping himself down on her bed, his eyes locked on hers. She was rendered momentarily speechless, until she forced herself to look away.
"I did not agree to meet you here."
"You didn't disagree."
His grin was as cocky as ever. Her heart flipped in her chest.
"You obviously didn't read my text. Or listen to my last voicemail."
"I turned my phone off. I didn't want our conversation interrupted in any way."
"Where did you get the idea I wanted to talk to you?"
"We need to clear the air, Rach. This seemed like the perfect opportunity."
"I have nothing to say to you."
"That's so patently false, it's laughable. I'm positive you've been cursing me in your head ever since I went back to Vocal Adrenaline. So, here's your chance. Yell. Scream. Call me every name in the book. Get it off your chest. You know you're dying to."
Why is he still able to read me so well?
"Fine. How could you? You… you… insufferable jerk!"
"Is that the best you can do?"
The curve of his lips was taunting.
"You broke my heart, you… pompous ass! You charmed me and wooed me and convinced me you'd never hurt me – and I believed you! Then you took my feelings and you stomped on them as if I'd never meant anything at all to you."
"That's a start, but I don't think you're done."
"You're right. I'm just getting warmed up. You lied to me. Over and over again. I thought I'd found the love of my life. The person who'd be at my side as I took the world by storm. The one who would share in all of my ups and downs, who'd make everything better just by being there. The one who understood all of my hopes and dreams, because they were his, too. The boy who was just like me. But I would never have used you the way you used me. I, at least, have a conscience, and a heart – even if it's shattered into a million pieces because of you."
Rachel's voice had been rising in pitch and intensity as she ranted at Jesse for all of his perceived sins. She'd failed to notice the increasingly angry expression on his face the longer she continued to speak.
"How the hell can you say you would never have used me? You did use me, for the entire time we were together."
"I did not!"
"Really? So your aim wasn't to try to make Finn jealous? You didn't lie to him about sleeping with me, hoping he'd come to his senses, see what he'd been missing, and battle to get you back?"
"No, I…"
He interjected before she could finish.
"Don't make it worse by denying it, Rachel. You were still pining over that bumbling, loser quarterback, even while you pretended that everything was great between us. You put him, and Puckerman, in that damn video, for crying out loud! I was never enough for you, a point you made abundantly clear. Actions really do speak louder than words, and your actions were screaming 'I'm not over Finn Hudson'."
"I explained that to you. I was desperate to be popular."
"Yes, I know. Having three guys fighting over you was your ultimate wet dream. But it was more than that. I was just a means to an end."
"That's not true. You were never just a means to an end. I cared about you."
"Not enough to put me first. To kick Hudson to the curb. Admit it!"
"Okay, yes, I still wanted Finn. Are you happy now?"
"Hardly. I was willing to give up everything for you, and you couldn't get over the idiot you called a boyfriend. The guy you have nothing in common with, but who somehow was the better match for you in your mind."
"You weren't willing to give anything up! It wasn't real! It was all a ruse, initiated by Shelby. You were never really going to forego your shot at a fourth consecutive National title. You were toying with me!"
"Toying with you? Forgive me if I mistakenly thought reuniting a mother and the daughter she gave up for adoption was a noble goal."
"Give me a break! You, noble? The only goal you ever cared about was winning Nationals and maintaining that full ride to UCLA. You're way too self-involved to give a damn about anything or anyone else!"
As the petite brunette continued her tirade, Jesse was rendered momentarily speechless. With her cheeks flushed and her eyes blazing, he found Rachel utterly captivating and incredibly sexy, and he suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her. Before he'd fully thought the impulse through, he was on his feet. Closing the distance between them in two strides, he halted in front of her, their bodies now mere inches apart. She fell silent abruptly, all too aware of the warmth of his breath on her face, and the heat radiating from his every pore. Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly against him. He hesitated for no more than a fraction of a second before sending his lips crashing down onto hers.
I shouldn't let him do this.
Her heart completely overruled her head. Instead of pushing him away, her arms seemed to rise of their own volition, winding around his neck, as her fingers tangled themselves in his all-too-tempting curls. One of his hands slid under her sweater, tracing idle circles on the small of her back, and she sighed contentedly, giving him the opportunity he'd been waiting for to slip his tongue into her mouth. The sensation was heavenly, and she whimpered in protest when he broke from the kiss to whisper in her ear.
"You're hot when you're angry."
Her only response was to reclaim his lips with her own, their mouths moving in tandem as she allowed herself to get lost in the pleasure of his touch. His fingers skimmed her side, before making their way across her stomach and then upwards. She swallowed audibly as those same fingers came to rest on the band of her light cotton bra. She could practically feel his smirk against her collarbone, as he bent his head to lick and nibble at her sensitive skin. His voice, as he broke their contact once more, was taunting.
"You haven't told me you hate me yet. Or that you want me to stop," he murmured.
"I hate you," she proclaimed softly.
He chuckled.
"Say it like you mean it," he challenged her, as his mouth continued its gentle assault on her neck.
"I… hate… you…" she gasped, "and I want… you…"
He cut her off, swallowing her feeble protests with another bruising kiss, and she gave in readily.
God, I've missed this. I've missed him.
His hand ghosted over her breast, and his fingertips grazed her nipple through the thin fabric of her bra. Her own hand had just slipped under his t-shirt when the sound of a door closing downstairs pierced through her consciousness.
"Rachel, honey, I'm home."
Her eyes widened, and she froze. Jesse, meanwhile, took advantage of her shock to plunge his tongue into her mouth one last time, while cupping her breast and giving it a final squeeze.
"Jesse!" she hissed in alarm. "Daddy's in the house."
"Relax. It'll take a minute for him to get up here. Besides, it's not as if he hasn't caught us making out before," Jesse retorted, barely able to contain his amusement.
She swatted him harmlessly on the arm.
"It's not funny," she insisted.
The sparkle in her eyes suggested otherwise. Reluctantly, he released his hold on her and stepped an appropriate distance away. The reality of the situation suddenly occurred to him, and his expression sobered.
"How pissed is your dad at me for how we ended? Am I about to get my ass kicked?"
She offered him an enigmatic smile in response. At that very moment, Hiram Berry tapped gently at his daughter's door, before pushing it open a crack and poking his head in.
"Do you have company, Rachel? There's an SUV in the driveway that looks a lot like…"
The elder man's words trailed off as he caught sight of Jesse leaning casually against Rachel's dresser.
"Jesse. I thought that was your Rover outside. What are you doing here?"
Hiram's voice betrayed no animosity, much to Jesse's amazement.
I'll have to ask her about that later.
"I'm in town for a few days, visiting my relatives. I got in touch with Rachel, in the hopes that we could catch up."
"I see. Well, since we're about to eat dinner, it's probably best that you go."
Jesse recognized a polite dismissal when he heard one. Taking that as his cue, he retrieved his jacket from the foot of the bed and looked at Rachel expectantly.
"I'll walk Jesse out, Daddy."
The two teens made their way down the stairs in silence. Once they reached the foyer, Jesse turned to Rachel and offered her a genuine smile before linking his fingers with hers.
"There's something really important that I need to talk to you about. Can I see you tomorrow?"
She briefly considered refusing, just to see if he'd persist and ask again, but immediately rejected the idea. She wanted to see him again. There was no point in playing coy.
"Yes."
"Yes?" He exhaled a sigh of relief. "Okay. I'll swing by and pick you up after school."
"Uh, I'm not sure that's such a good idea. You're hardly welcome at McKinley."
"I'll wait for you in the parking lot. It'll be fine."
"Okay."
He leaned closer and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek.
"Tomorrow," he whispered.
That one word was filled with promise.
For Rachel, the day's Glee rehearsal seemed to be dragging on forever. After Jesse had left her house the previous evening, she'd been unable to concentrate. Thoughts of him had invaded her remaining waking moments, and had taken over her sleeping ones, too. When she'd awoken, she'd felt such anticipation at being with him again that she wasn't entirely certain how she'd manage to get through the intervening hours. But get through them, she had, and now their reunion was only minutes away. She smiled softly as her finely-tuned hearing caught the faint buzz that signalled she had received an incoming text. Eagerly, she plucked her phone from her bag and quickly read the new message.
Are you nearly done? The car's warm, and I'm waiting.
How could he make such simple words sound so erotic?
Soon. Shouldn't be more than five minutes.
Better not be, or I'll come in and get you. ;)
She was about to dare him to, but quickly came to her senses. He would never turn down a dare, and there was no way she wanted any of her teammates to know she'd resumed contact with Jesse St. James. She chose, wisely, to ignore his playful threat, and focused instead on what she hoped would be Mr. Schue's final words. When he dismissed them, she was out of her seat in a flash and had made it half way to the door when a voice rang out, stopping her in her tracks.
"Hey, Berry, what's your rush?"
Noah. Why has he chosen today, of all days, to pay attention to me?
"My ride's waiting. Gotta go," she tossed over her shoulder, as she practically ran outside.
Once she reached the parking lot, she scanned the area for Jesse's familiar Range Rover, but could see no sign of it. She was about to text him in order to find out where he was, when a sleek silver Ferrari with tinted windows pulled up beside her. As the passenger side window rolled down, a very familiar voice floated through the air.
"Can I give you a lift, little girl?"
She burst out laughing as she opened the door and slipped inside. The car's promised warmth enveloped her, and she settled into the vehicle's luxurious comfort with a contented sigh. As soon as she buckled herself in, Jesse put the sports car in gear and sped off.
From his position on the sidewalk several feet away, Noah Puckerman let out a low whistle. That was one sweet set of wheels Berry had just climbed into. As far as he knew, her dads didn't own anything nearly that exotic. So who, exactly, was she riding off with? With a shrug, Noah headed for his own, far less conspicuous car. Although he was curious, it was really none of his business. But he'd certainly try to get it out of her at school the following day…
As Jesse skilfully manoeuvred the sleek vehicle through the streets of Lima, Rachel closed her eyes. She was entirely at peace. Her hand, which had subconsciously found its way onto the centre console, was currently resting in Jesse's firm grasp.
"It's my uncle's" he stated, in answer to her unspoken question. "A symbol of his recent mid-life crisis."
"And he trusts you to drive it?"
"I'll have you know that my driving record is spotless. Besides, I told him I wanted to impress a girl and maybe get a few tongues wagging in the process. That's all it took to get him on board."
"I don't think I've ever felt anything quite like it."
"Consider it the first of many unforgettable experiences I plan to offer you."
She probably should have reminded him that they weren't a couple, they weren't even dating, and, what with him being in California and her in Ohio, that wasn't going to change any time soon. But she remained silent, content to envision a future where his current promises morphed into a wonderful reality. All too soon, the car's soothing motion came to a halt, and Rachel was jolted back to reality. As she glanced around, it took her a moment to get her bearings.
"You brought me to Lookout Point? I thought you said yesterday that you had something important to talk to me about."
"I did, and I do. But I needed to do this more."
With those words, he unbuckled her seatbelt and opened his arms. She required no further invitation, as she slid smoothly onto his lap. Their lips fused together in a kiss that was slow and tender, unlike the previous afternoon's furious passion. After several minutes, they broke apart, foreheads pressed together as they attempted to slow the rapid beating of both their hearts. Nestled in his embrace, she caught his gaze, bright curiosity evident in her eyes.
"So, what was so important that you had to see me?"
"Have you put together your set list for Nationals, yet?"
She stiffened instantly, her face registering the suspicion that was suddenly spreading icy tendrils of doubt through her renewed faith in the boy who had betrayed her once before.
"What business is that of yours?"
"None, actually. I was just wondering how you were planning to top your original songs from Regionals. Your song was beautiful, by the way, and so heartfelt, although I wish you hadn't experienced all of the pain that so obviously fed your muse. And it was gratifying to see you front and centre again, where you belong."
Her eyes widened in shock.
"You were there?"
"Of course. I'd never miss an opportunity to watch you perform. The trip was actually worth it this time, unlike that fiasco known as Sectionals."
"You were there, too?"
She couldn't seem to pick her jaw up off the floor as she absorbed his stunning revelations.
"It would appear that I did a good job of blending in with the crowd, then. I didn't want to throw you off your game, so I made sure you didn't see me. You have no idea how much I wanted to come and find you after Sectionals, though. Then again, I also wanted to curse Mr. Schue out for his utter stupidity, but I managed to suppress that urge, too."
"Thank you. I appreciate the impulse."
"You're a star, Rach. You deserve every opportunity to shine."
"Not everyone agrees with you."
"That's their mistake."
"Thanks again. But enough stalling. Why were you really asking about the set list?"
He remained silent for several beats, as he marshalled his thoughts. He tightened his grip around her instinctively as he came to the belated realization that, in spite of her resurrected misgivings, she hadn't moved from his lap.
"I didn't just bring you out here to make out with you," he began.
She offered him an encouraging smile. The tightness in his chest lessened.
"I wanted to be sure that we weren't followed – or overheard."
"Jesse, you're freaking me out a bit, here."
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to. It's just that… there might be someone watching me."
"Why?"
"Because I was asked to come back to Ohio to join a group that was created to help Vocal Adrenaline win Nationals."
There. He'd confessed. It was out in the open, and the next move was hers. It took her no more than an instant to make it.
"What's the plan?"
"They're going to come at you on several fronts."
"Who are they?"
"Goolsby, of course, along with Mr. Schue's ex-wife Terri, Sandy Ryerson, and Sue Sylvester."
"Wow. That's a motley crew. I assume that Sue is the ringleader?"
"Yeah. They've even all got stupid code names."
"Really? Like what?"
"Sue's Zod, Sandy's The Pink Dagger, Goolsby is Sergeant Handsome, and Terri's The Shrew – which she hates, by the way. Sue forced it on her."
Rachel didn't even try to stifle her laughter, and soon she and Jesse were overcome by a fit of giggles at the ridiculousness of it all. Once they'd regained their composure, she resumed her questioning.
"Have you got any details to give me?"
"Oh, yeah. First on the agenda is to get Lauren and Puckerman disqualified."
"How?"
"By posting a sex tape of them on the internet."
"I heard they'd been talking about making one. Did they really go through with it? I thought Ms. Holliday had told them it was illegal."
"She did, and they didn't. But that's not going to stop the skeevy, but always enterprising Sandy Ryerson. He's apparently found a video done up by a couple that matches Lauren and Puck's descriptions. He's going to perform a little digital magic and, voila – disqualification by means of arrest."
"That's clearly the brainchild of two sick and twisted minds. But even though I want Noah and Lauren to be with us, we could still compete without them. We've actually got the numbers, now that Kurt's back, and Blaine transferred to McKinley."
"Ah, but you haven't heard the best part. This bit concerns you."
She took a deep breath, as if to steel herself for whatever was coming. Jesse rubbed her back in an effort to calm her.
"They're going to get you accused of cheating, so that you'll be disqualified, too."
"Cheating? Me? How?"
"You're going to leak Vocal Adrenaline's set list."
"But I don't even know what it is. How could I possibly…"
Her words trailed off as understanding dawned.
"Oh, my God. That's where you come in."
"So very smart. Yep, you've got it. Not only was I to persuade you to reveal New Directions' set list – which I would then divulge to Goolsby – but I was also supposed to leak you a bogus one, which Sue believed you would feel compelled to share with your team."
"And how could she prove that I'd done it?"
"Apparently, you're not on the best of terms with one of your teammates right now."
"Quinn?"
"Right again. Sue intended to use Quinn's dislike of you and desire to reclaim Finn as incentives to get her to rat you out."
"Wow. I knew she had a mean streak, but I had no idea she hated us… hated me… that much."
"She's petty and vindictive, and can't stand anything that threatens her position as head bitch in charge."
"Quinn? Or Sue?"
"Hmm… I meant Sue, but my description could apply to either one of them."
They sat in silence for a while, as Rachel tried to absorb all that Jesse had just disclosed to her. Questions continued to swirl in her head, and she looked to him for answers.
"Why did you decide to tell me?"
"I'll be honest . Initially, I wasn't sure I was going to. In fact, I was perfectly willing to let Lauren and Puckerman twist in the wind. But once I found out what they had planned for you, keeping quiet was never an option."
She stared at him intently, uncertainty plainly visible on her expressive features. Finally, after what seemed like ages to them both, she made a choice, and relaxed into his hold. While she was pretty sure she understood his motivation, she sought one final bit of clarification.
"What did you hope to accomplish?"
"It was my act of contrition. A way to make amends for what I'd done before, so that I could win you back."
"You want me back?"
The question was hesitant, a testing of the limits of his declaration.
"I would think that was obvious, after the last couple of days," he replied, an upward curve to his lips as he pointed to their physical proximity. A light blush coloured her cheeks, but she held his gaze firmly.
"Our mutual attraction has never been in doubt, Jesse."
"Neither are my feelings for you. I've missed you. I want – no, I need – you in my life again. I fell in love with you, Rachel Berry, and that hasn't stopped. I still love you. I realize you're hung up on Finn, but I'm going to fight for you. I'm going to prove that I'm a much better boyfriend for you than he could ever be."
His eyes bore into hers with an intensity she found impossible to resist. Not that she wanted to. Her arms encircled his neck, pulling him closer, and her warm breath tickled his ear as she whispered her response.
"Finn who?"
Unable to contain his joy, he threw back his head and laughed, before hugging her tightly and melding his mouth to hers in a fiercely possessive kiss. She returned his passion with her own, eager to lay claim to him once more. When they finally paused to draw breath, they were both positively giddy.
"So, where do we go from here?" Rachel queried, a dazzling smile lighting up her entire face.
Jesse's answering smile was equally bright as he offered his reply.
"We formulate a brilliant plan that ensures Sue's malicious scheme goes down in flames. And we never let anything, or anyone, come between us again."