Glee 1. There's a Fire

_..._

_There's a fire starting in my heart_

_Reaching a fever pitch_

_And it's bringing me out the dark_

* * *

><p>Rachel Barbra Berry was on a mission.<p>

She was going to lose her virginity. And fast.

Usually when girls are this determined to lose their virginity, it's because of the pressure to be "cool" but Rachel Berry was not one of those girls.

She needed to lose it as a stepping stone to stardom.

She'd been thinking about it ever since the last rehearsal of West Side Story.

"_Can I be honest?" Artie had said after Rachel and Blaine's performance of 'Tonight'. "The song is about sexual awakening, as is the entire musical. You two lack passion. Have either of you two actually...?"_

"_Wow, OK, I have to go." Ms. Pillsbury got up from her seat._

"_Those footballs aren't going to inflate themselves." Coach Beiste got up just a second later._

"_Look, I remember my first time with Brittany; the excitement, the way it made me feel like a man...even though she called me the wrong name like four times...during and after...What was it like for you guys?" Artie looked up at them expectantly._

"_Well, um..." Rachel flustered._

"_Um, I'm waiting for the right time." Blaine said._

"_Yeah! Yeah. Yeah, me too." Breathing a sigh in relief, she turned to Blaine. "I'm so glad that you're my Tony."_

"_Look, as your friend, I support your strange aversion to fun but as your director, I'm concerned." Artie said in a completely serious tone._

"_I'm..." She was floored. "I'm sorry. What do you mean?"_

"_Well, how are you going to convey the human experience to an audience when you haven't even opened yourself up to one of humanity's most basic and primal ones?" He asked pointedly._

Your average girl would have died of embarrassment on the spot but Rachel Berry's only thought was that she needed to lose her virginity before Opening Night.

This takes us back into the school hallways, where she was marching furiously to the football locker rooms.

As she walked in the doors, she could hear someone turning on shower taps.

_Excellent._ She thought as she rounded the corner. _They could get this over and done with right there and then._

The school was almost deserted as classes ended five minutes ago and she was already dressed for the occasion in a pretty, pink, spaghetti strap floral dress and matching stilettos. OK, so maybe it wasn't your typical sexy dress but she had made sure it was short and tight, accentuating her curves.

Those little walls, which reached just above a guy's waist separating each shower, came into view.

"Finn." She said. "We need to ta–"

The boy took his face out of his hands and turned to face her.

"Holy Moses..." Rachel breathed as she took in the sight of the wet, half-naked boy before her standing in the shower, uncomfortably aware that he was completely naked behind that wall.

"Well, hey..." His lips twitched into a smile.

"Sorry." Rachel quickly spun around to go.

"Hey, no, wait, you don't have to go...it's okay." He chuckled. "I mean...you can't actually see anything."

"Right." She stopped but refused to turn around, still mortified. "I just, um, I was just looking for someone else."

She closed her eyes as she heard the taps being turned off.

"In the showers?"

There was a weird muffling sound as Rachel tried to come up with a response.

"A quickie in the showers." He said before she could think of anything. "Naughty."

His suggestive tone hit a nerve.

"I'll have you know I am not usually like this." She spat out.

"What? Naughty?"

"In fact I'm not like this at all." She carried on, ignoring him. "I have never done this before. But lately I've decided that I need to."

"You've never had sex in the school showers but lately you've decided you need to?" She could hear the incredulousness in his voice.

Silence.

"You've never had sex but lately you've decided you need to?" His voice changed. Then before she could respond, he added "You can turn around now, you know. I'm fully clothed."

She slowly turned back around and peeked open an eye to see him smiling and shaking his head at her but he was true to his word. She breathed a sigh of disappointment. Wait, what? Sorry, she breathed a sigh of relief. _Relief._

Now that she could think clearly, she curiously studied the man. He seemed to be around her age, maybe a bit older. His blonde hair was still wet and dripping over the white suit shirt, dark blue denim skinny jeans and white sneakers he was now wearing. He was tall but not as tall as Finn. If it was a competition however, this guy would clearly win due to the glorious body underneath his clothes...

Rachel dragged herself back to reality in time to see his blue-green eyes laughing at her.

"So you're a virgin?" He continued as if this wasn't a totally inappropriate thing to ask a stranger.

"I –" She shut her mouth. "Why am I even having this conversation with you?"

"No, you misunderstand me. So you're a virgin. It's cool. It's sweet." He shrugged. "I'm just a bit surprised...I mean, you're an attractive woman...and you seem old enough..."

He called her a woman.

He called her attractive.

He called her an attractive woman.

"Anyway, I'm sorry." He shook his head. "I'm being rude. I haven't even introduced myself yet." He held out his hand. "I'm Sam."

"Rachel." She slipped her hand into his easily and held it for a moment. It was a weird moment. Sparks didn't exactly fly at the touch but all of a sudden she felt really warm. Like really pleasantly toasty warm. "Are you new here? Because I haven't seen you around before."

"Yeah, actually, I am." He glanced around and picked up his sports bag. "Uh, do you think maybe we could continue talking over coffee? I don't think we're allowed to be in here."

"Okay." She agreed before she could really think about it.

They walked out of the school in companionable silence until they reached a nearby cafe where they sat opposite each other at an intimate table in the corner and ordered. Wait..._intimate?_ Small. She meant small.

Rachel didn't know what was wrong with her. She loved Finn, she was going to lose her virginity to Finn and now here she was with a guy she just met._But it's not a date...so I guess it's okay_, she reasoned with herself. Sure, she found herself attracted to him but that was probably just because she walked in on him in the showers when she was planning on having sex for the first time. It was just her body getting confused and running away with her. There was no reason to let that get in the way of her relationship or making friends with the new kid.

_Kid._ Looking over at Sam, Rachel decided that kid was definitely not the right word to describe him.

"So you were going to have sex for the first time...in the school showers?" He frowned in a disapproving manner but his eyes were smiling at her. "Scandalous."

"I..." Her mouth gaped open as she blushed furiously. "Oh, no, yeah, okay, we are not talking about this."

"Why not?" He teased but then part of him turned serious. "Sometimes it's easier to talk to a stranger about your problems."

"But I'm going to have to see you every day at school and then you won't be a stranger."

"So it's better to talk to me now. While I'm still a stranger."

"How does that even make sense?" She said as the waitress came over with their banana splits.

She clapped her hands giddily and immediately dug in, conversation momentarily forgotten. "Ugh, this so unhealthy but I don't even care. I feel like a little kid again."

It wasn't until the fifth or sixth bite that she realised he was staring at her with a look she couldn't understand.

"What?" She said, putting the spoon down and wiping her mouth self-consciously.

"Nothing." He half-smiled at her then quickly looked down and started eating his. "It's just...I've never seen a girl be so enthusiastic about food before. Actually I've never seen _anyone_ be so enthusiastic about _anything_ before."

"Oh." She bit back a smile. "Well, you'll just have to get used to it. What's the point of life if you're not enthusiastic about it?"

His smiled widened. "Okay, well, what's the point in life if you can't talk about it to other people? So talk."

"Is this about the whole sex thing again?" She asked uncertainly.

"It doesn't have to be." He shrugged. "Just tell me about your life."

She hesitated for a moment – just a moment and then it was gone. "As I think you've already figured out...I was planning on losing my virginity to my boyfriend...and I didn't care if it was in the school showers..."

Rachel didn't know why she was telling him this but once she got past the awkwardness, it felt good to get it out.

"Why haven't you already had sex?" He asked curiously.

"Um..." She thought about it for a minute. "I don't know. I guess I was waiting for the right person and then once I found him...I was waiting for the right time."

"How long have you two been together?"

"Well...it's been four months of no fighting or...threats of us breaking up...but it's difficult to say how long we've actually been together. We've always been quite on and off and the lines were always kind of blurred."

"So why now?"

She bit her lip. "This is going to sound really bad but I need the experience to help my acting. I'm playing a character who finds her sexual awakening."

"I see." He said flatly but raised his eyebrow.

"Look, a part of me has always wanted to lose my virginity to him but...this is just...simply what is pushing me." She said defensively.

"Okay, look, honestly...I lost my virginity a long time ago. At the time, I felt pretty damn good about it." He smirked briefly but then turned serious. "But after the glory wore off, it was really stupid and then I really regretted it. And now...not so much because it was a mistake I had to learn from in order to grow as a person. But I wouldn't want anyone to make my mistakes. You can make your own mistakes. So _this?_I know a lot of people think you're a better actor if you're similar to the character but I always thought the opposite. I mean, it's called _acting_for a reason, right? I'm not trying to tell you what to do or not to do...just know that doing this because you feel like you have to? Bad idea. I can say that from personal experience. You don't have to do this. You don't have to rush this. If something's meant to be, it's going to happen. With the right person, at the right time and for all the right reasons."

There was silence for a while.

"Wow." Rachel said finally. "Just...just wow. Really, Sam, I have no idea what to say...that was really sweet...I mean...you've given me a lot to think about. So...um...thank you?" She said uncertainly.

"You're...welcome." Sam said just as uncertainly.

She met his eyes curiously for a moment and when she saw the openness in them, she smiled shyly. "Okay, now it's your turn."

He laughed. "What do you want to know?"

"Well..." She tilted her head suddenly and narrowed her eyes at him. "You're new?"

"Yes..."

"Was today your first day?"

"More of an orientation really."

"Why were you using the showers in the football locker rooms?"

His smile faded. Just the tiniest bit. "It's kind of personal..."

"You wanted me to talk about personal things." She pointed out as she scooped up the last of her ice cream.

He studied her for a moment then, as if coming to a decision, he sighed and reached his hand across the table to hers. "My house...was kind of foreclosed on recently. I've been living in a motel room...it's so cheap there aren't even showers...not functioning and clean ones that I can use anyway...I know you're only supposed to shower in there if you're on the football team...but I just saw an opportunity and I took it...you don't even want to know long I went for without a shower until today. Hopefully I can get in there early every day and shower before school. Don't tell anyone." He added the last part in a teasing tone but there was an undercurrent of seriousness to it.

"I won't." She said softly.

They shared a look for a long moment until the ice cream that she had been holding in mid-air melted off the spoon and landed with a splat on his hand.

"Oh dear god, I am so sorry." She gasped, mortified for what seemed to be the third time in half an hour in the presence of the gorgeous man.

"Oh, no, it's fine." He said and then abruptly flicked some of his ice-cream at her. "Now we're even."

"Hey! No!" She cried. "No, we're not. So you got ice-cream on your hand. I've got ice-cream in my hair!"

"If it will make you feel any better, you can chuck some ice-cream in _my_ hair." Sam grinned.

"Oh no." Rachel cried dramatically. "I wouldn't want to do that; wouldn't want to ruin those beautiful bottle blonde locks you got going there."

His lips twitched and then suddenly he burst into laughter. "You think I dye my hair?"

"I don't know. It is a very pretty blonde."

"This," He grabbed one of her hands and ran it through his hair, "is my natural hair color. As you can see, it is blonde. But I used to dye it even blonder with lemon juice. Not only that but I actually used to have a full-on Justin Bieber fringe. But as you can see, now it is just a side fringe."

"Justin Bieber doesn't have a full fringe now either." She pulled her hand back.

"No offence but I don't really care." Sam laughed.

Rachel pouted and aimed her own spoonful of ice-cream at him. The glob landed on the wall behind him.

"Horrible aim." He hurled the cherry from the top of his split at her. It flew to the other side of the cafe and hit the huge window at the front and slid slowly down to the floor.

"You can talk." She snorted and threw another spoonful of ice-cream at him. It hit his side fringe and some dripped onto his cheek.

"Hey!" Their waitress from before came running to their table. "I think you two should leave. I'm going to have to clean this up now!"

"Sorry." They mumbled their apologies and as soon as they left, they burst into laughter.

"Ohmygod..."

"That was..."

"Did you..."

"Oh god..." Sam wiped a tear from his eye.

They continued walking – it was a short walk – and occasionally bursting into laughter again and didn't even realise where they were going until Rachel had led Sam to her house.

"Well this is – Ahh!" She squealed as he shook his hair like a dog and purposefully landed the melting ice-cream on her nose. "No – Stop it –"

He laughed and bumped his nose onto hers to wipe it off while putting his hands on her waist and pulling her close for balance. She in turn put her hands on his chest.

Once he smudged the ice-cream on both their noses, their laughter slowly subsided and both slowly became aware of the position they were in.

"Um." Rachel said, breaking the moment of silence. "This is my house."

She felt strangely calm. Even though she should've been freaking out over how she was practically in the arms of this stranger, she wasn't. It felt natural.

"I know this is wildly inappropriate because you have a boyfriend." Sam breathed. "But I'm dying to kiss you right now."

"Um." Was her intelligent response then before she could say anything else, he closed the last inch between them with his lips.

It wasn't fireworks like she expected. It was weird. It was a weird feeling starting in her heart. The feeling was warm. Like fire. It wasn't a hugely passionate kiss in the sense of attacking each other with their mouths and yet, in a way, it was more passionate _because_they weren't. It was sensual. It was sweet and slow and soft, their lips meeting at the lightest of touches, his tongue gently caressing hers almost as if trying to savour the taste and feel of her, she; breathing in the smell of him which was just this indescribable essence of fresh and soap and _clean_, no sounds except the beating of her heart and she could feel his beating in his chest gently against hers.

And just like that, it was over. The moment seemed to last forever but that was all it was – a moment. It couldn't have lasted for more than five seconds.

Breathing unsteadily, their eyes both still closed, he leant in again.

As if sensing it, Rachel's eyes snapped open and she quickly stepped back before he could kiss her again.

"I'm sorry. I..." She struggled to find the words. "My boyfriend broke up with me before because I cheated on him by making out with another guy. He went back to his ex and it was horrible and it took a long time for us to get back to where we are now. I just...I can't let that happen again. I'm sorry."

Something flashed across his face for a moment, too fast for her to catch and then it was gone – replaced by blank coolness.

"It's cool. It's fine." He said. "At least we can be friends, right?"

"Right." She laughed a little, nervous because she wasn't sure if she could be friends with him.

"Alright. Well, I guess, I'll, uh." He took a deep breath. "I'll see you at school."

She said nothing but took deep breaths, trying to calm herself until he had walked out of her sight.

_That's better,_ she thought. _You did the right thing. Don't you feel all better now?_

She didn't. Not by a long shot. It wasn't until the next morning that she felt better. She woke up able to see things clearly now.

_Clearly_ she doesn't have to lose her virginity to Finn. I mean, she expects she eventually will but key word being _eventually._

_Clearly_the only reason she was attracted to Sam was because he was the one meant to make her _realise_ that she doesn't have to lose her virginity to Finn. And now that he has made her realise this, she can go on being in a happy relationship that doesn't need sex with _Finn._

_Clearly_ she is meant to be with Finn and friends with Sam. Hallelujah. Rachel Berry has seen the light.

It was with this set clear in mind that she arrived at McKinley High this morning, wearing a short sleeve red-pink buttoned shirt with ribbons tied up in a bow knot at the collar, black ruffled miniskirt and black flats.

"Mr. Schue?" She said uncertainly as she walked into her usual room for English.

"Rachel." He turned around from the Spanish he was writing on the blackboard and smiled at her.

"This is Ms Robinson's English classroom." Rachel pronounced each word slowly as if pointing out something very obvious to a small child.

A flicker of irritation came across Will's face but then he regained his composure. "Yes, I know that, Rachel." He said almost as slowly. "There's been a room change. The English classroom is now E17. What are you doing here so early anyway? The first bell hasn't even gone yet and you have English at the end of the day, not the start."

"I wanted to ask if she's marked my language analysis essay yet."

"Uh, I doubt that she has. She left for personal leave yesterday. Won't be back until next year by which then you will already have graduated anyway. Your new teacher should be grading those essays tonight, though."

"New teacher?" Rachel's voice raised several octaves. "But she promised me an A Plus!"

Will sighed, sensing Rachel's dramatics. "Your new teacher is Mr. Evans." He said, hoping to hurry her out of the room before she caused a scene. "I suggest you go find him and talk to him about it."

"Fine." She sniffed and quickly made her way down the hallway, only slowing down when E17 came into her sight.

She looked through the window on the door and saw the back of a blonde man wiping something off the blackboard.

Curiously, she knocked on the door and she heard a muffled "Come in."

Rachel gently opened the door, taking a tentative step inside the classroom. "Mr. Evans? I'm here to talk about my..._Sam?_" She finished incredulously as he put the blackboard wiper down and turned around.

"Hello, Rachel." He smiled and proudly stood up straight.

"Well..." Her eyebrows furrowed and she bit her lip as she looked him up and down.

He was wearing a grey cardigan unbuttoned, a red and black striped tie with silver lining, over a long sleeve white buttoned shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, tucked into black skinny jeans with a black belt and matched with a classic black pair of white-soled, white-laced high-top sneakers.

"How do I look for my first day of school?" He beamed.

Rachel held back a laugh. "You look so nerdy. But it's cute."

He just smiled even wider, if that was even possible. Looking buzzed and unable to stay still, he shifted from foot to foot and fidgeted with his cardigan.

"Ohmygod, you are such a nerd." Rachel couldn't help but smile. There was such a feverish excited light in his eyes; it was infectious. "Look at you all excited for your first day of school like a little boy on Christmas morning! Why, you even –"

The bell rang, signalling students to get their books from their lockers for their first period.

"Oops," He grinned. "Better get going now or you'll be late to class and make a bad impression."

"Unlike you, Mr. Punctual." She raised her eyebrow and grinned then quickly walked off to find her locker.

She didn't seem to have any of the same classes as him that day and she couldn't find him during lunch. At one point, Finn asked why she kept looking over her shoulder and she simply answered with "nothing". It's not like she had anything to hide. Rachel totally planned on telling Finn all about what happened between her and Sam. She just wanted them to meet first – totally by accident – and have Finn see for himself that he had nothing to be worried about.

The problem was the "getting them to meet by accident" part. She had simply hoped that sometime throughout the day, she and Finn would bump into Sam. Sadly, she hadn't seen Sam since this morning and she couldn't help but be disappointed.

_Disappointed because you couldn't get your chance to clear the air_, Rachel told herself. _Not disappointed because, say, you didn't get to see a certain pair of gorgeous blue-green eyes since this morning._

She sighed as she sat down for her last class of the day and then caught herself. She wasn't supposed to be sighing at the mere thought of anyone's eyes except her boyfriend's!

She was one of the first people to sit down as usual. The first bell had already rung, signalling for people to get to class and now the second bell was ringing to signal that class should be starting.

Rachel was already setting out her books on her desk as other people were only just arriving. Namely, Quinn Fabray, Santana Lopez and Brittany S. Pierce.

"If you're asking me, Rachel did you a favour." Santana said, unabashedly loud. "Speaking from experience, Finn is terrible in bed."

"San, that is not cool." Brittany said.

"Britt, if Quinn insists on wanting Rachel's sloppy seconds, she should at least know the truth."

"They're still together." Quinn said, irritated. "And if they weren't, he would hardly be her sloppy seconds. If anything, he's mine. I was his first girlfriend." She looked pointedly at Rachel as she said this.

Rachel quickly ducked her head, letting her hair fall like a curtain blocking her face from the rest of the class and flipped open her notebook, trying to look like she was intensely writing notes when really she was just doodling gold stars.

"Whatever." Santana flipped her ponytail as she slipped into a seat at the back. "What you need is to stop pining after Frankenteen and find yourself a rebound guy. I hear our new English teacher is really hot."

"Santana." Quinn shook her head but she was smiling as she slipped into the seat next to Santana and Brittany took her seat next to Quinn.

Rachel rolled her eyes, still keeping her head down and drawing. Honestly, how could you talk about your teacher like that?

"Alright." A male voice broke out, silencing the class until all you could hear was the scrape of chalk on the blackboard. "I am Mr. Evans and I am your new English teacher."

Rachel's hand froze. _That almost sounded like...no, it couldn't be..._

She looked up to find him standing in front of a blackboard with _Mr. Evans_written on it, calmly gazing around the room as if trying to get to know the students' faces.

Then his gaze landed on her face and his expression went from calm to recognition to joy to confusion to realisation to horror all in a matter of seconds. It was comical to watch really and difficult for anyone in the class to miss.

"Holy shit." Sam breathed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>_I'd like to think of this as my first fanfiction. I started to write a multiple chapter Gossip Girl songfiction a few years ago but that was quickly abandoned and has since been deleted._

_I would like to acknowledge that this story is partly based on two different gif sets I found on Tumblr (I'll put the links up on my profile) and Pretty Little Liars._

_Lyrics at the beginning are from Rolling In The Deep by Adele._

_Title of the story comes from a song by Taylor Swift._

_Apart from that, I own this story but not Glee._

_P.S. What on earth is the category "World: Concerts, Books or Movies"?_


	2. A Simple Complication

…

_Oh, a simple complication, miscommunications_

_Lead to fall out_

* * *

><p><strong>Sam Evans List of Do's and Don'ts on Your First Teaching Job<strong>

**DO **get excited because you made it.

**DON'T **think about a certain pretty brunette teacher.

**DO **arrive early and prepare.

**DON'T **think about a certain pretty brunette teacher.

**DON'T **get too excited when she goes out of her way to visit you in your classroom.

**DON'T **be disappointed when you didn't have long to talk to her before the bell rang.

**DON'T **start classes with getting-to-know-you activities because even though you used to like them, they are apparently not fun for the students.

**DON'T **think about a certain pretty brunette teacher.

**DON'T **go looking for her in the main staffroom during lunch.

**DO **sit next to Will Schuester, Emma Pillsbury and Shannon Beiste when you can't find her. Not that you were looking.

**DON'T **ask about her.

**DO **try to act casual when you're asking about her.

**DO **change the subject when your vague description only serves to confuse your three colleagues.

**DON'T **bring it up again.

Until tomorrow.

**DON'T **linger and stay behind when lunch ends, in the hope that there's still time for you to find her.

**NO SERIOUSLY DON'T OR ELSE YOU'LL BE LATE TO CLASS.**

**DON'T **smile when the first thing you hear when you walk into the class is "I hear our new English teacher is really hot."

**DON'T **think about a certain pretty brunette teacher.

**DO **remember to write your name on that blackboard and introduce yourself first this time so that students in this class won't have any excuse to call out to you names such as "Blondie", "Trouty Mouth", "Smurf Eyes" (Really, what is that even supposed to mean?) or "Sexy" like the students from previous classes did.

**DON'T **be flattered next time a student calls you "Sexy". Instead, try to act offended. Or something.

**DO **try to get a general idea of students' faces first this time to avoid cases of mistaken identities like in previous classes.

**DON'T **swear in front of your class next time you find a certain pretty brunette teacher sitting in your class among the students.

**DO **try to stop staring at a certain pretty brunette **student** when everyone tries to follow the direction of your gaze to see what you're holy shitting about.

"I..." Sam tore his gaze away, "...am so excited for this class!" He smiled a little too brightly. "Excuse my colorful language but today is my first day as a teacher. I mean, technically yesterday was but I didn't actually get to _teach._ Today is my first day as a teacher...teaching…"

**DO **stop talking. Anytime now.

He cleared his throat. "So, err, I guess I'll take the roll now." _So much for making a good first impression on each of his classes. _"Please raise your hand as I call out your name so I can see who you are. Artie Abrams?"

"Here."

"Blaine Anderson?"

"Here."

"…Rachel Berry." He tried not to pause before he read the name out loud.

"Her –" She hesitated and tentatively raised her hand. "Here."

Sam kept his expression smooth as he checked off her name and went on to the next one.

The rest of the class went better than he expected. He thought he had screwed up by swearing but it turns out it worked to his advantage. Now not only was he considered a hot teacher but he was considered a cool one; a young and relatable one.

Girls loved him and guys respected him. He felt euphoric as he explained their next unit of study – poetry – and watched their faces watching him with rapt attention. He knows it wasn't usually like this. He knows that sometimes it's difficult to get students to listen. But for today, he was lapping it up.

They had told him that it wouldn't be possible. The educational psychologists, that is. _A dyslexic English teacher?_ They had looked at him with pity. He was just starting high school at the time. _I know you love English, Sammy, but why don't you try some more…reachable goals? I hear you love music just as well; you can sing and play the guitar. Maybe you'd like to become a singer instead? _The fact that they seemed to think he had more of a chance of becoming a famous singer than becoming an English teacher really spoke volumes to him. But he didn't give up. Infact, it was the push he needed.

Although he was only fourteen, he knew he had to start early in order to get ahead, especially since he was disadvantaged the way he was compared to his peers. So he saw seven different tutors seven days a week each covering a different area in English. Not the tutors specialized in helping dyslexic students or the ones that helped failing students but the ones that helped you excel past the school curricular. He's not going to lie. To say that it was difficult was an understatement. He was barely scraping a C and he was trying push himself to A Plus and beyond. Every day after school, he would study with the tutor assigned for that day for hours. Then when they left, he would eat dinner at his desk and try to tackle it by himself until 3AM in the morning when he would go to sleep. He studied on weekends as well; during the day with the tutors and during the night by himself, always eating his meals at his desk and occasionally pulling all-nighters. He never went online unless it was to study, never texted his friends or called them. When they did, he would tell them that he couldn't talk. He never went out with his friends. He rarely showed up to football practice and when he did, he was always distracted, going over his English in his head. Finally, he was kicked off the team. And that was the last straw to his popularity. His friends stopped talking to him. His girlfriend dumped him. That was when he halted and hit a slump. As badly as Sam wanted to be an English teacher, his shallowness got the better of him.

He lost his virginity to his ex in a desperate attempt to win back her and his popularity. It half worked. He didn't win her back but he was back on top of the world, popularity-wise. For a little while. Until he realized that in order to keep his popularity going, he needed to keep his sex life going. So he kept going until he had slept with every passably attractive girl in school. And then, when there was no one left, what he had done sank in. And he felt _dirty. _He had accomplished basically what any guy would love to do, at the mere age of fifteen and he felt nothing but _dirty_ and _empty_.

So he went back to pushing himself, this time even more so than last time if that was even possible. He didn't relent until finally, _finally,_ he remembered that day when he got back an English test. And he got an A Plus. It was glorious. That was when he loosened up a little. He saw less tutors. He allowed himself to talk to people online, through text or phone. He allowed himself to go out with them during weekends. He allowed himself to go to sleep at midnight, instead of staying up until 3AM. He even took up football again. He still pushed himself but now he was playing football, slowly getting back a social life and he even got a job at the local Dairy Queen. He was learning to balance between English/School, football, his social life and his job, rather than the two extremes he had gone to before. His ex finally wanted to get back together with him now that he had gotten his shit together at sixteen but he turned her down. He didn't need people who only wanted to be with him when it was easy.

By the time Sam was eighteen, he had graduated from high school and gotten into college and earned and saved enough money to mortgage a small house and move out of his parents' home. Which he did. And when he was twenty, his dad got promoted to a head position in Nashville, Tennessee meaning his whole family moved there. He hasn't seen them since, except for when they come down to visit for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Graduating from college was a huge milestone for more than the obvious reason. Over the years when Sam had been busy concentrating on his major, it had become increasingly difficult to pay his mortgage. Working at DQ just wasn't cutting it anymore after Sam had slowly used up all the money he had saved over the years. Especially when he couldn't work too many hours because half of those hours were needed for studying. Graduation not only meant that he had a degree to get a real job but that he actually had _time_ to get a real job.

He had landed the job as the new English teacher at McKinley High a little too late – just as his house was foreclosed on due to him not paying his mortgage for months. Now he was stuck living in a motel room and working three jobs in order to make ends meet at twenty-two.

Yet Sam couldn't find it in himself to be bitter about how things worked out. Because one of those jobs was teaching English at such a level he was willing to bet that none of his students could ever guess he has dyslexia.

That was why he was so excited today. I mean, he's sure a lot of teachers are excited about their first day and all but for Sam, it was bigger. Through his learning disability, everyone's doubts, his social reject phase, his man whore – err, that is – his sleeping around phase, his family moving away and his house being foreclosed on, he had made it.

And now he was already screwing it up because of a girl.

But, I mean, if you think about it, he really hadn't done anything wrong.

Okay, well, he did know she had a boyfriend when he kissed her. But he swears he didn't plan it. As soon as he knew for sure that she had a boyfriend, Sam had to keep telling himself that it wasn't a date. No matter how much he might have wanted to free her from that dress that hugged her body in _all _the right places. No matter how easy it was just to get lost in conversation with her; natural. Like breathing. No matter how her dark hair reflected the sunlight, how warmly her eyes shined, how achingly close her lips were and…_fuck it_, he thought as he gave in.

Then of course she stepped back before they could kiss again and made it clear that nothing could happen between them. Maybe it was a good thing because at least it showed that she didn't want to cheat on her boyfriend and that showed integrity but it still fucking _hurt_. Sam didn't want her to see how much though so he acted like it was fine to be just friends and left.

_Well._ Sam thought. _Once you put it into perspective, it doesn't seem so bad. _

It's not like they were going to have a relationship anyway because she was already in one and she wanted to be just friends. Now this…new development was just another reason why they couldn't have a relationship, which was never going to happen anyway.

Once Sam figured this all out in his head, he gave himself completely to teaching. This was, after all, what he came here to do. Not to stare at the pretty brunette student, sitting in his front row, every five seconds.

_Rachel Berry._

He forced his head up like a swimmer coming up for air and vowed not to look at her for the rest of the period.

* * *

><p>When the class ended, he tried to look busy studying his papers as he noticed that she stayed behind in her seat.<p>

"When you saw me this morning…" Sam said when they were the only ones left in the classroom, "…you weren't there to welcome me on my first day as a teacher, were you?"

"I was looking for my teacher," Rachel said calmly as she went over to close the classroom door, "which as it turns out…is you."

"Look, Rachel, it's not that you're not…" _amazing, _ He finished in his head, "…you're just…not my type." _Better not to give her any ideas._

"Is that why you kissed me?" She asked sarcastically as she walked over to his desk.

"Okay, look, I am sorry if I have given you the wrong impression. You're young and you're naïve and…" He tried to keep his expression neutral, "just because I kissed you doesn't mean I wanted to date you."

"Oh." She said flatly. "Well then…I guess there isn't a problem here, is there? We can just…carry on being friends."

"No." Sam said quickly.

"No?" Rachel spluttered. "N-no as in…"

"As in we can't be friends."

"Are you worried that my boyfriend will be jealous?" She asked confusedly. "His name is Finn, by the way. You might have him as one of your students."

"Finn Hudson?" Sam said incredulously. "That idiot is your boyfriend?"

"Hey, you can't talk about your students like that." Rachel said defensively.

"No, you're right." He said. "You're right. And I also can't be friends with my students. Especially one I've kissed."

"But…nothing's changed."

"Everything's changed." He held back a laugh although he didn't find anything funny.

"What am I supposed to tell Finn?" She asked. "I have to tell him what happened between us."

"No." He struggled to keep his voice at a calm volume. "You can't. I'll get in trouble."

"I have to tell him that I cheated on him." She insisted. "He deserves to know."

"You didn't cheat." He said softly. "_I_ kissed _you_, remember? I'm sure Finn will understand. Tell him what happened but don't tell him it was me. Make up a random name or something."

"Also, you better give me an A Plus on my language analysis essay when you mark it tonight."

This time he did laugh. "Actually, I can't tonight. But maybe tomorrow. I'm sure if it was written by you, it will be A Plus worthy."

She smiled at him then reached out and laid her hand over his. "Sam…"

"It's Mr. Evans to you." He moved his hand like he was burned. "Now is there anything else you need to talk to me about? Or is that all?"

Rachel scoffed in disbelief. She shook her head and slowly walked to the door.

"You know," She turned to face Sam as she was halfway out the door, "I feel like you just broke up with me but I have a boyfriend and you were never him."

That stung but he supposed he deserved that.

* * *

><p>Rachel Berry was fuming.<p>

_Young and naïve._ She focused on that part of the conversation to save getting even angrier over the more important parts. He had called her young and naïve. Just yesterday he was calling her an attractive woman and today he was calling her young and naïve. Nothing changed except her being his student but apparently that suddenly made her _young and naïve._

"Kurt," She marched to his locker. "Am I young and naïve?"

Kurt Hummel, Rachel's best friend, paused in putting his books in his bag and looked at Rachel disbelievingly. "Is this a trick question?"

"Kurt." She cried, aghast. "This is the part where you say 'No, of course not, Rachel! How could anyone ever say so?'"

Kurt resumed putting his books in his bag.

"Kurt!"

"You are a little…young and naïve." He admitted gently. "Nothing wrong with the first part."

"What?" Rachel's mouth dropped open. "HOW? How? You are going to make a list and then we are going to go through it point by point!"

"Rachel." He sighed. "You've never drunk except at that one party you had. And you're still a virgin even though you've been on and off with Finn for what, a year? I mean _I'm_ not even a virgin anymore and I'm the silly romantic gay guy who never had a boyfriend until Blaine Anderson."

"I don't have to lose my virginity to be…worldly…whatever the opposite of naïve is." She sniffed.

"No but you might want to open yourself up to more things." Kurt pulled out his bag and closed his locker. "Blaine and I went to a gay bar recently. It wasn't that great but…it was something."

Rachel nodded slowly, an idea already forming in her head. "Okay. Thanks, Kurt."

* * *

><p>As soon as Rachel walked through those black curtains, she knew she had to try again.<p>

Wearing a strapless little black dress, with ruffles down the front skirt, reaching almost to her knees and matching black stilettos, she stood there and sighed.

The first place she went to saw right through her poorly homemade fake I.D. And this place was nothing exciting; just a dinner theatre full of elderly women.

_I guess I better try another place, _Rachel thought. _Third time's the charm, right?_

"I hope you've been having a good night so far, ladies." A male voice suddenly boomed out through the speakers as she was turning to leave. "Because, no matter how good it was, it's about to get a whole lot better."

Party Rock Anthem started playing and Rachel, curious, decided she wanted to stay after all and followed as everyone was gathering around what seemed to be the stage with a curtain of gold streamers hanging at the back.

"Are you ready to meet the male stallions?" The voice continued as the women screamed. "Then please welcome to the stage…Cobra."

A man wearing a fireman costume jumped through the streamers onto the stage and started thrusting.

Rachel's mouth dropped open and she walked closer, as if in a trance.

"Someone get the door because here comes Mr. Package…" Another man in a policeman uniform burst onto the stage and propped his leg up, suggestively revealing his crotch.

"And ladies, let's give a warm welcome to…White Chocolate…"

First, it was the showers.

Then, it was the classroom.

And now, Rachel Berry was going to get her third shock within two days as the last man stepped onto the stage.

"Oh…my…god…" She whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_Rachel's reaction at the end was basically mine to the response I got for the first chapter. My sad little abandoned-before-it-even-took-off Gossip Girl songfiction from a few years ago only ever got up to four reviews and one story alert…and that story consisted of four chapters. So thank you so much everyone, including Kai and another anonymous reviewer I couldn't reply to!_

_Lyrics at the beginning are from The Story Of Us by Taylor Swift, the song this fic is named after._

_I don't even have enough money to own the DVDs so I definitely don't own Glee._


	3. Party Rock

_Let's go._

Sam Evans stepped onto the stage in a construction worker outfit.

_Party rock is in the house tonight._

He took off his vest and flung it to the floor.

_We just wanna see ya have a good time._

He took off his yellow hard hat and laid it down then grabbed a random woman's hand and swung his hips around in circles.

_We just wanna see ya...shake that._

With one fluid movement, he tore off his overalls and stood in nothing but a tiny pair of white-lined, red shorts.

With her eyes wide and mouth hanging open, head tilted to the side, Rachel watched as her English teacher rolled his body to the music.

_Dear god, he could move._ Realizing that she was perving – even if the aim of his job is to be perved on – she quickly closed her mouth, got a dollar from her purse and made her way to the front. Averting her eyes, she held it out to him.

Sam grabbed some notes from the women next to her then turned.

"Rache –" He smiled and took her note, holding onto her hand, then his eyes widened. "Rachel!"

* * *

><p>They sat there in awkward silence where Sam had excused himself (to the utter disappointment of the other women) and, still holding onto her hand, led Rachel through the crowd to the dressing room in the back wordlessly, where only the staff was supposed to be allowed in. It was then he let go of her hand and took a seat as Rachel did the same across from him.<p>

Now they were both sitting there looking around the room at anything but each other.

Realizing that he was still almost naked, he quickly threw on a grey hooded jacket, some white socks and black sneakers, not that it made much difference.

"What are you doing here?" Sam sighed. As soon as he had realised it was Rachel, _Rachel_, he had felt a bubble of panicked hysteria waiting to burst but he kept it together. Someone needed to be the adult in this situation and although she looked like an adult in that outfit, he knew he had to be the one. "_How _did you get in here? You have to be over twenty-one."

"Fake I.D." She pulled it out and handed it to him.

Sam looked over the dodgy piece of plastic and raised his eyebrow. "And they bought this?"

She shrugged. "I guess I make a very convincing twenty-one year old." Rachel said innocently.

He narrowed his eyes at that. "You can say that again." Sam mumbled under his breath as he handed it back to her.

Rachel pretended not to hear as she reached for the card, slightly brushing her fingers against his, and put it back in her purse.

"So why are you here?" Sam asked. "I didn't really think this was your kind of scene."

She blushed. "I, err, I didn't know this was a strip club when I came in here. I just...thought I'd go bar-hopping."

Silence.

"_Bar-hopping?_" The way he said it made Rachel smile sheepishly. "That still doesn't seem like your kind of scene."

"Well, I was just...opening myself up to more things," Rachel said, then before she could think about it, "Actually; you were kind of the reason...when you called me young and naive...I wanted to prove you wrong. It was stupid." She babbled.

"Right." What he had said to repel Rachel has instead led her to seeing him like this. Sam did not miss the irony.

"So, um," Rachel pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh or cry at the situation, "now that we've established how I've ended up here...would you mind explaining how you..." _became a stripper _"...ended up here?"

"Uh..." Sam cringed. "Not much to say really. You know that I've been having some...money problems. This is just another job for me. You know how much I made this afternoon?" He looked at her earnestly. "_Sixty bucks._" He got out the dollar Rachel gave to him and put it down on the table. "Sixty-one. In _fifteen_ minutes. Am I ashamed I work here? Yeah, I'm ashamed. More than you can ever know due to my...past mistakes. But these abs," He gestured to himself, "are going to help me get back on my feet again. Along with teaching and the DQ."

"Who else knows you're…working here?" Rachel asked.

"No one except Principal Figgins." Sam assured her. "He told me he could overlook it as long as I was only...working at places where students couldn't find me...so don't tell anyone, okay?"

She nodded. "What about Finn? He won't know it's you but...shouldn't I mention that the guy who kissed me is a stripper? I want to be completely honest with him...well, as honest as I can be."

"If you have to." He sighed. "But try to change more details; not just my name, age and job as a teacher obviously but maybe what I look like too."

"Sure." Rachel agreed then hesitated. "But…uh, how old _are_ you exactly?" She asked awkwardly. "If...I'm allowed to ask?"

"Twenty-two." He answered carefully. "My birthday's on the second of May though so I actually turn twenty-three next month. You?"

"Seventeen." She answered just as carefully. "I'll turn eighteen at the end of the year – on the eighteenth of December."

They smiled awkwardly at each other then Rachel suddenly got a weird look on her face and couldn't even look at him; she quickly looked down at her feet instead.

"Look, I understand why you might judge," Sam said harshly, but then his voice turned pleading, "but please understand...I need this...and I'm good at this."

"You're not good at this." Rachel said quietly then slowly looked up to meet his eyes. "You're _great_ at this. And it's not just because of your body or your...dancing. It's because you have this boy-next-door innocence that makes you approachable." She put her hands over his and squeezed. "I understand that you need this, okay? I understand how difficult it must be for you, working multiple jobs in order to get back on your financial feet again. I understand...what I mean is...I could never judge you..." She struggled to find the right words, "...What you interpret as disappointment is just...embarrassment...not for you," Rachel added hastily, "but for me...I mean...for us...at this...situation we've found ourselves in." She gave him a small smile which he returned.

"Well, now I don't know what I feel worse about; having to stay away from you or being a jerk about it." Sam shook his head and looked down for a moment then back up. "I'm sorry."

"Well, thank you." Rachel said, gently. "But I'm sorry too." She sighed. "I would never…want to do anything to get you in trouble." Rachel looked at Sam as he smiled sadly at her. Then, she tentatively leaned forward and kissed him softy on the cheek. "Goodbye, Sam." She whispered.

He couldn't help but close his eyes at what felt like the most intimate of touches, every bit as intimate as their first kiss.

Then he opened his eyes.

And she was gone.

* * *

><p>Early next morning, before the start of first period, Sam was sitting in his classroom, marking the language analysis essays and trying to forget about last night when he heard the creak of the door being opened.<p>

"Can I talk to you?" Rachel asked as she walked in and closed the door.

_So much for forgetting about last night._

Today her hair was in waves with a full fringe and she was wearing a white dress reaching almost to her knees, with sleeves reaching her elbows, a black belt at her waist and black flats.

Last night, she looked so classically beautiful, he was reminded of how much he didn't see her as a child when he really, _really_ should. Today, she looked so simply pretty, he was reminded of how much he wanted to die.

_Now look who's being overdramatic,_ he scolded, annoyed at himself.

Outwardly, Sam smiled. "Yeah, of course. You can always talk to me."

Rachel took a deep breath. "I'd like to transfer out of your class."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> _I know this chapter is considerably shorter than the last two but I felt like this was good place to leave it since what happens next needs a new chapter. Thanks for everyone's responses to the story!_

_Just a note; an anonymous reviewer I can't reply to mentioned that Sam's back story from the previous chapter was a little over the top and I have to agree so I just want to explain myself. It was mentioned on the show once that Sam has dyslexia and I wanted to include as much of Sam from the show as possible, into the Sam in this alternate universe story. So I tried to make it believable – as a dyslexic student, it doesn't make sense that he could become an English teacher that easily. And I know someone who used to study as much as Sam did as well as someone else who had slept with every passably attractive girl at his school by the time he was fifteen (and then hated himself for it). So, considering how I know two people in real life who have done it, I don't think it's that unrealistic. Over the top, definitely but not completely out of the realm of possibility._

_To another anonymous reviewer I can't reply to: __**LastToFirst**__, Thank you so much for your amazing review! And yes, I definitely plan on writing that into the story later. :)_

_Lyrics at the beginning are from Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO (nah, really?)._

_I am not a man therefore I cannot be Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk or Ian Brennan therefore I have no claim to Glee or anything associated._


	4. There For You

_..._

_And plus he's there for you_

_When he shouldn't be_

_But he stays all the same_

_Waits for you_

_Then sees you through_

* * *

><p>His smile faded and for a long beat, his heart was in his throat. Then he swallowed. "I understand where you're coming from. I just...wish that you could stay in the class."<p>

Rachel sighed. "This isn't an easy decision. But...I feel like it's the right thing to do."

"I can act like nothing's happened." Sam tried to convince her and himself.

"I can't." She looked at him. "And even if I could, I don't want to. It's too hard to sit in this room every day and call you Mr. Evans. Okay? I can't pretend like I don't know you. So...will you sign it?" Rachel handed him the request form.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yeah..." She said uncertainly then her voice was more firm, "Yeah, I'm sure."

"I marked your essay." Sam said, signing the form then finding her essay and handing both back to her.

She glanced at her essay and saw the A then raised her eyebrow. "It's a good thing I'm transferring class so this will have to be re-marked by my new teacher. Where's the Plus?"

"What you wrote on the first half of the text was definitely A Plus worthy. But you didn't write much for the second half..."

"I ran out of time." Rachel protested.

"That's not an excuse," Then seeing that she was about to protest again, "Look, arguing about this is pointless. Like you said, you can just ask your new teacher to re-mark it."

She pressed her lips together. "Well…it should take a day or so for my request to be reviewed. So I'll see you in second period today. And, um, thank you. For signing the form." Rachel walked away and for the second time in two days, she left him confused and alone with his own thoughts.

* * *

><p>"Finn, we need to talk." Rachel mentally cringed as she remembered what happened last time she said those words.<p>

It was lunchtime that day and they were sitting on a table, just the two of them, in the cafeteria. She wished she could have picked a more private place to have the talk but they didn't share any of the same classes that day and they had Glee after school, so she thought it best to get it over with. She had already gotten through one difficult conversation today, might as well get through another.

"Isn't that what we were doing?" Finn asked, confused.

"No, I mean...I need to tell you something." Rachel sighed and took a deep breath. "The day before yesterday, I was looking for you after school and I walked into...a guy in the showers." Then quickly thinking, she added, "Uh, the showers at the local pool."

She immediately wished she could start again. It's just that she couldn't say it was the school showers – he would figure out that the only person new to the school was a teacher.

Finn got a look on his face which, unbeknownst to him, the rest of the school had labeled as 'Finnfused'. "But...why would you be looking for me at the local pool? And why would you just randomly walk into the male showers?"

"W – Well." Rachel stuttered. "I'm glad you asked." She wasn't. "When I say I went looking for you, I meant I was…waiting for you so that I could, uh...take the next step with you."

"Wait, slow down." Finn said. "What do you mean...take the next step?"

"Havesex." She said, so quickly that it blurred into one word.

"What?"

"Have sex." She said, a little more slowly but still very fast. "In the schoo – pool showers. I was going to text you and then, uh, wait there."

Finn's lips twitched at the mention of sex.

_Boys_, Rachel refrained from rolling her eyes. _Total one-track mind._

"But, uh," She continued. "Instead, I walked in on a guy showering...I couldn't see anything," Rachel hastily added, "Uh, I mean I could see his...chest...but I couldn't see his...um, anyway, we started talking and went out...after he put on some clothes," She quickly added, "It wasn't a date or anything...I mean, I told him I had a boyfriend...but then, uh, when he was walking me home, um, he kissed me but – "

"You cheated on me?" Finn burst out. "_Again?_"

"N – No!" Rachel whispered fiercely and immediately glanced at the nearby table to see if they overheard only to find Puck playing the guitar for Lauren Zizes. _Probably trying to get into her pants..._Then her mind snapped to the current issue. "Would you please keep your voice down? And weren't you listening? _He_ kissed _me_, not the other way around. I didn't do anything."

"Exactly." He pointed out. "You didn't do anything. You just let him kiss you?"

"No!" She immediately said, then as an afterthought, "Yes. Yes, okay, I did. But it's not like I had any warning!" _That's a lie._ "Okay, wait, that's not true, either. He did...tell me beforehand, but he already had his arms around me and I had like two seconds to step away which wasn't enough time and I wasn't sure if he was being serious..." She finished lamely.

"Why didn't you step away as soon as he put his arms around you?"

"Because...he was getting ice-cream off my nose."

"...Why was there ice-cream on your nose?"

"Okay, look, that's not important." Rachel said. "What's important is that I stopped it before it could happen again and told him that I couldn't cheat on my boyfriend and he said we could just stay friends and left."

"He knew you had a boyfriend and tried something anyway. Do you really want to be friends with someone like that?"

"There's more." She continued, ignoring his question. "Um...I went to a strip club yesterday –"

"What –"

"–it wasn't one of those strip clubs with almost naked girls..." Rachel quickly went on. "It was one with, uh...almost naked guys. I didn't know it was a strip club at the time. I just wanted to go bar-hopping –"

"Why –"

"– Someone called me young and naive and then Kurt said I should open myself up to more things so I just thought –"

"Who called you young and naive?" Finn asked, finally getting a question in.

"No one –"

"But you just said –"

"Quinn." Rachel held back a strangled noise. She wasn't even thinking; she just said the first name that came to mind.

First the location of the showers and now this. She really should have planned what she was going to say beforehand.

"Quinn said that?" Finn looked at her, concerned.

"Mm..." She gave a noncommittal reply as she glanced to the right and out the window overlooking the school gates and the streets below. _And I thought the conversation with Sam would be more difficult._ "But, uh, anyway, I was, um, so I was at the strip club...and that guy who kissed me? Um, so it turns out that he's a...um, he works there. And, uh, not as a bartender."

"...Well...that makes sense."

"What?" Rachel was not expecting that reaction.

"Just that...if he had no problems going after other guys' girlfriends, of course he'd have no problems putting himself up for sale."

Rachel blinked. And blinked again. "I'm sorry...what?"

"I said –"

"No, I know what you said." She closed her eyes and then looked at him. "I just don't understand how you could say it. I mean...you don't – we don't know his back story...who are we to judge?"

"It sounds like you like him."

"No. Not like that."

"Well then you liked what you saw."

"I –" Rachel shut her mouth and blushed. "He's good at his job. That's all. I mean...I wouldn't get upset if you like what you see when Quinn, Santana or Brittany are dancing...suggestively." Actually, she would, _she really would, _but Rachel felt like she had to give him something.

"Well..." Finn hesitated. "So what happened? At the strip club?"

"Um," She thought about her answer, "nothing really. I walked up and he saw me and was really shocked to see me, as I was to see him, and then we talked and I kissed him on the cheek then left."

"Why'd you kiss him on the cheek?"

"Be – because...he apologized...for being a jerk...for, um, kissing me when he knew I had a boyfriend." It was kind of true, she reasoned.

"So...you kissed him for apologizing for kissing you?"

"On the cheek." Rachel said defensively.

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Nothing else is going on?"

"We're going to stay away from each other." She said truthfully.

Finn looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Where's the strip club?"

"I don't know the exact address. I was just going around to different bars." _This was true._ "If you asked me to take you there, I probably wouldn't be able to remember how to get there." _This was not true._

"What's his name? What does he look like? What school does he go to? How old is he?"

"His name is..." Rachel glanced to the left at Puck playing the guitar. "...Chord..." She glanced to the right out the window. "...Over...street..."

Finn's eyebrows furrowed. "Chord Overstreet?"

"Uh, yeah." Rachel nodded, noting the musical name. "Yeah." She laughed. "And, um, he has, uh, light brown hair and blue eyes. He's, you know, I mean I guess he kind of has to be attractive because of his...job, but I don't really think he's all that...and he goes to Carmel High...a senior like us."

"...He sounds like Jesse."

Rachel gulped. "Well, um, Sa – Chord's natural hair color is, um, light brown but it's currently, uh, like a white blonde...in a...full-on Justin Bieber fringe...so he's nothing like Jesse who doesn't even go to Carmel anymore. Why all the questions? This feels like an interrogation." She laughed, nervously because she wasn't joking – it actually did feel like an interrogation.

"I just want to know about who I'm competing with." Finn said, completely serious.

"You don't have to compete with him." Rachel looked down at the table. "From now on, we are going to stay as far away from each other as possible." She said honestly.

"Well...okay then." He said reluctantly.

"Wait, really?" Rachel looked up in surprise. "You're not...mad? You're not...going to break up with me? Just like that, it's...okay?"

"You stopped it before it turned into anything." He smiled.

"Ohmygod."

Rachel turned to see Quinn standing up from the table behind her.

"How much did you hear?" Rachel panicked.

"All of it! I've been sitting here the whole time, genius." Quinn snapped. "That was the most ridiculously fake story I've ever heard! Nothing adds up. It doesn't make sense. You don't really believe her, do you?" She turned to Finn.

"Well, I..." He tilted his head. "If it's so ridiculous, why would she make all of it up?"

"Oh, I'm sure she didn't make _all_ of it up." Quinn said scathingly. "Some of it is probably true. But the local pool? I was there and she wasn't."

"Maybe you missed her."

"No, I would not have missed RuPaul leaving with some hot guy that wasn't you. And as if she forgot to mention that his hair was actually bleached blonde. And what kind of a name is Chord Overstreet?" Quinn was so loud that everyone in the cafeteria was starting to look now. "I never called her young and naive. And even if I did, what, it just made her randomly bump into him again to find out he's a stripper? If that's true, she's seen this guy almost naked and stripping and you're not worried that might have given her some..._feelings?_" She looked meaningfully at Rachel. "I mean, wasn't it you two years ago that said girls want sex just as much as guys?"

Rachel's cheeks turned red, whether from embarrassment, anger or what Quinn just implied about how Rachel must've felt watching Sam strip, she didn't know. "Quinn –"

"No." Quinn said, getting emotional now and pointing at Finn. "You're cheating on him."

"I..." Rachel stood up. "No I'm not."

"Quinn..." Finn spoke up.

"No, you're lying." Quinn ignored him, shaking her head.

"Why would you even _care?_"

"You idiot, maybe because you've stolen my boyfriend for the second time now and you don't deserve him."

"Oh and you do?" Rachel said disbelievingly. "The girl who cheated on him by having sex with his best friend and getting pregnant and then lying about the father of the baby?"

"Hey." Puck stood up. "I'm all for siding with your fellow Jew but that's not fair. You're not completely innocent in all of this, Rach."

"You're defending her?" She turned to him. "After she denied you as the father of her baby and strung both of you along? And then when she finally got her act together last year and started dating you, she didn't change! She dumped you for the hot new Irish guy just for popularity! No offence, Rory." Rachel turned to face Rory Flanagan who was watching with his mouth open, as was the rest of the cafeteria. "And _then_ she cheated _again_, this time _with_ Finn and lied _again_!" She felt horrible. She wanted to stop. But it was like everything just came spilling out. "And then she gets back together with Finn just to get Prom Queen! Now _she_ expects _me_ to apologize when Finn eventually comes running back to me again?"

"_Running back?_" Finn stood up. "I'm not some lost puppy dog, Rach. I came back because I wanted to be with you. And what about all of those times when you came running back to me?"

"You have no idea what it was like for me." Quinn snapped. "You have no idea what it was like with the pregnancy and everything that went with that. You don't know how much it messed me up during and afterwards. And when it was over, I just wanted things to go back to the way they were so, yeah, I dated Rory for popularity because _I_ didn't want to steal _your_ boyfriend! Even though you had no problems stealing him away from me! And Rory was dating me for popularity too!"

"Wait..." Puck looked at Quinn. "_That's_ why you dumped me? Why didn't you tell me any of this? I would've listened."

"Oh, okay, my mistake. Why didn't I think to tell you any of this when you were in a juvenile detention center?" Quinn turned to face him.

"Okay, you can lay off the sarcasm –" Puck put up his hands.

At the same time, Rachel turned to her, "Quinn, you need to calm down –"

"It was your fault." She hissed. "I lost my boyfriend because of you. I lost Prom Queen because of _you_; because you weren't happy enough to just have Jesse."

"That's not true and you know it." Rachel protested. "You know you didn't lose because of that. And even if you did, it wasn't my fault that your boyfriend at the time started a fight –"

It was incidentally, as she said this that a fight started.

Everything went in a blur. One second, she was there and the next she was rolling around on the floor with Quinn, struggling to get up.

_Fight! Fight! Fight_! Almost everyone in the cafeteria started chanting and got up to watch the show; some even got out their cell phones to record.

After what seemed like an eternity of struggling but probably lasted less than a minute, voices of teachers broke through the chant.

"Okay, what's going on here?"

"What's going on?"

"Break it off, people."

"It's over."

The next thing Rachel knew, Quinn was being picked up by Puck and she was being picked up by…_Finn?_ No. _Mr. Schue? _No. _Sam._

Groans of disappointment resonated across the cafeteria.

"Rachel. Quinn. In my office right now." Principal Figgins ordered.

Rachel looked at Sam.

"You have to." He sighed, letting go of her.

* * *

><p>"Hey." Sam walked in to find Rachel sobbing outside the principal's office. "Are you okay? Stupid question but…simple manners say I should ask anyway."<p>

That got a small laugh out of her. "Never better." She sniffed. "I'm spending my lunchtime waiting outside the principal's office because Quinn told Principal Figgins that I started the fight and now she's in there with him trying to confirm it with other people."

"For what it's worth, I know what it's like." He sat down in the seat across from her. "There was a time when the most popular guy at my high school hated me because I was dating a girl he thought he should've been dating. He tried to fight me and parents' got called but after a week, it blew over. I can barely remember it; it was such a small insignificant event in my life. And of course, in the end? It turns out she wasn't worth it anyway."

Rachel stopped crying for the moment. "Were you ever the school loser trying to hang onto the most popular guy in school while constantly having to compete with the prettiest, most popular girl in school?"

"Well, no." Sam admitted, then with a completely straight face, "Mostly because I like girls."

"Sam." Rachel slapped his arm, doubling over with laughter.

He laughed with her then quickly jumped up when he heard the door being opened.

"Principal Figgins." Sam said as he walked out with Quinn. "I think there's been some sort of mistake made in regard to Ms. Berry here."

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Evans?" Figgins asked.

"Well, she's just explained to me that she's being reprimanded for the fight that broke out in the cafeteria a few minutes ago." Sam put his hands on his hips. "But the truth is, she's not the one who started it."

Principal Figgins looked at Sam in surprise. As did Rachel and Quinn.

"You know this for a fact?" Figgins asked.

He nodded. "I was there. I saw the whole thing."

"Well then, who started the fight?" Figgins looked over at Quinn accusingly.

"No one did," Rachel quickly stepped up. "It wasn't a real fight. I know it looked and sounded like it was but, um, it was a stage fight. A rehearsal for West Side Story."

Figgins turned to look at Sam.

"She's telling the truth." He said.

Figgins turned to look at Quinn.

"Wasn't…blaming Rachel part of it?" She quickly played along.

"No, you're thinking about a part we rehearsed last week." Rachel said.

"Well then…I guess no one can get in trouble." Figgins said hesitantly. "But, uh, next time Mr. Evans, please inform me beforehand when you need to…stage something."

"Of course." Sam said as the principal walked back into his office and closed the door behind him.

"Thanks, Sa – Mr. Evans." Rachel smiled at him.

"Yeah, thanks, Mr. Evans." Quinn also smiled at him.

"You're welcome." Sam smiled back. "I'll, uh, just leave you guys to it. I think you two have some things to sort out." He raised his eyebrow as he turned and made his way out the door.

"That was really cool of Mr. Evans to cover up for us." Quinn said as soon as he was out of sight. "But why did you cover up for me?"

"Because even though it was the wrong place and time and the things we said in there came out as an attack against each other, I think we both had some valid points." Rachel sighed. "I think neither of us have ever been right or wrong in regards to Finn or anything else. Aren't you tired of hating each other all the time?"

"It does get exhausting." Quinn admitted. "But at least you don't have to be terrified all the time."

"What are you so scared of?" Rachel asked softly.

"The future." Her voice quivered. "When all this is gone."

"Look, you have nothing to be scared of." Rachel said gently. "You're a very pretty girl, Quinn; prettiest girl I've ever met but you're a lot more than that."

"Thank you." Quinn whispered. "And I am so sorry."

"I'm sorry too." She smiled sadly.

"You know you're actually not that bad." Quinn sniffed. "I mean, you're prettier than you think you are. And you're just as talented as you think you are. And you're smart and nice and funny in a way that I don't really get but other people seem to."

Rachel laughed. "So what are we; friends now?"

"Kind of." She smiled sadly. "If I can just get over Finn."

Rachel wanted to say something about Puck but decided not to. _It will be better if they figure it out for themselves,_ She thought.

Instead, she tentatively reached out to hug Quinn.

At first, Quinn froze. But then, after a moment, she relaxed and hesitantly hugged back.

* * *

><p>"Okay, everyone, let's take our seats." Sam said the next morning, as the second bell rang for the start of first period. "I've finished marking everyone's language analysis essays and so for today's class, I'm going to be going through it with all of you." He said, walking around the class and handing the essays back to each student.<p>

In less than a minute, he was back at the front of the class. "Now I'll give you all a few minutes to read the comments I've written on your essays and then we'll start the discussion…" Sam's voice trailed off as Rachel walked into the class.

Wordlessly, she put a paper on his desk and took her seat. Glancing down, he could see that it was the class transfer request and it had been denied. When he looked up, everyone else was looking at their essays and Rachel was looking at him.

And then, ever so slowly, they shared a small, secret smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> _I hope everyone understands now why I had to leave the last chapter the way I did. Thanks for sticking with me._

_Haha, get it? Chord Overstreet? HAHAHAHA...ah, I'm so lame._

_Lyrics at the beginning are from Daydreamer by Adele._

_I love Glee but I don't own it. *sigh* We love what we can't have._


	5. Seems Like I Love The Things You Do

_..._

_But despite the truth I know_

_I find it hard to let go_

_And give up on you_

_Seems like I love the things you do_

* * *

><p>"Don't you need to be going to your second class?" Sam didn't even look up from his papers, knowing Rachel had stayed behind when first period ended.<p>

"You know it's funny." She said carefully as she walked up to his desk. "I could've sworn you weren't in the cafeteria at the time the fight broke out."

His lips twitched. "I'm thinking you need to go to your second class now."

"You didn't really see who started it, did you?" Rachel crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly.

He sighed and looked up at her. "If you say you didn't start the fight then I believe you. I..." He hesitated. "I trust you."

Rachel couldn't help the smile that crept on her face as she laid her hand on his desk, next to his, their pinkies slightly entwined. "Well...thanks. For having my back."

Sam stared at their hands then looked up. "Anytime." He smiled softy.

"So then he was like running and he fakes left." Finn said as he walked into the classroom with Puck, causing Rachel and Sam to spring apart their hands. "I faked left." He said proudly then broke off. "Rach." He walked up to her and put his arm around her waist, giving her a light peck on the lips which Sam rolled his eyes at. "What are you doing here? Are you okay? Puck and Quinn told me what happened." He turned to face Sam. "Thanks, dude."

"Dude. Don't call me 'dude'." Sam said coolly.

"Uh, sorry...Mr. Evans." Finn said, taken aback.

"I – I just had a few questions about the new homework assignment so I stayed behind." Rachel said quickly.

"Oh, okay…I'll see you at lunch." Finn smiled and walked to the back with Puck. "So then he faked right and I faked right and then WHAM! I just laid him out. Talk about tank!" They double high fived and chest bumped.

Sam tried not to laugh. "He plays football, right?"

"Okay, he is not just some dumb jock, okay?" Rachel whispered defensively. "He's actually really smart and...he's funny and...nice and forgiving and...he's just a really easy-going guy –"

"You don't owe me an explanation, Rach." The endearing nickname slipped out. "You're entitled to be with whoever you want to be with. Plus, I played football too."

"You did?" Rachel asked stupidly.

"At Carmel High." He nodded.

"_That's_ the school you went to?" Rachel's voice was incredulous and amused at the same time. "That's the school I told Finn you – I mean, Chord Overstreet – goes to."

"Chord Overstreet?" Sam's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"White Chocolate." Rachel leant in and whispered, laughing.

Sam lips curved up, his eyes widened and his eyebrows rose very, _very_ high.

"Rachel." Mike Chang walked into the room. "Are you going to be in our class?" He asked, confused.

"Just asking Mr. E some stuff." She said, casually leaning back. "So, uh, thanks for your help but I should get to class now." Rachel made a show of smiling politely at Sam and walking away.

* * *

><p>"Is anyone else surprised that Yentl and Barbie are still friends?" Santana raised her hand, a month later in English class. "I thought it was just a spur of the moment truce thing. I'm shocked they've lasted this long. Anyone else?"<p>

As everyone in the class raised their hands, Sam sighed. "I mean, does anyone have anything to say so far regarding _the movie?_"

Everyone's hands went down except for Brittany's. "I don't get it." She said. "It's called 'Dead Poets Society' but...no one's died yet."

"No, honey, it's called 'Dead Poets Society' because a bunch of losers meet up to read poems by dead people." Santana explained kindly, putting her hand on Brittany's arm.

"Oh…" Brittany turned to look at her. "I thought it was, like, supposed to be a horror movie."

"Simple mistake." Santana smiled affectionately.

Sam raised his eyebrows. He had heard about Santana and Brittany being a couple but he wasn't sure if it was just a rumor.

"They are not losers." Rachel spoke up defensively. "Maybe by your standards, Santana, but I think it's very sweet for guys to have such an appreciation for poetry."

Sam raised one of his eyebrows even further. _Your boyfriend certainly doesn't_, he wanted to point out but then caught himself – that was a very childish and inappropriate thing to say to one of your students, especially in front of the rest of your class.

"Whatever." Santana rolled her eyes.

Rachel smiled – she had come to realize that this was Santana being nice to anyone who wasn't Brittany.

"Apparently 'Overstreet' isn't such a rare name after all – although I still say 'Chord' is." Quinn raised her hand. "And isn't he on The Good Wife now? The actor who plays Knox Overstreet, that is."

Sam could see Rachel in the next seat trying not to laugh. "Yes, I believe he is." He coughed and cleared his throat. "Anyone else have any comments on the movie so far?"

The class discussed for a few more minutes until the bell rang.

"Some great insights today." Sam said as people packed up their things. "We'll finish watching last period tomorrow."

As soon as they walked out the classroom, Quinn turned to face them – them being Rachel, Santana and Brittany. "Is everything all set for tomorrow?"

Santana nodded. "I've asked around and everyone's agreed to bring some food and drinks." When she saw Quinn about to protest, "Not the fun kind. And…Brittany and I are going to bring the decorations and the plastic cups and stuff." She turned to face Rachel. "If we all give you some money, can you pick out a present?"

Rachel froze. "Why me?"

"Well, you talk to him all the time."

Her eyes widened.

"Because you have this weird need to suck up to, like, every teacher?" Santana raised her eyebrow.

"Right." Rachel relaxed. "Uh…sure. I'll…I'll pick something up."

"God, can you believe how young he is?" Quinn said as they continued walking. "Only twenty-three tomorrow." She sighed, dreamily. "_Oh,_ _Mr. Evans_. Thank _you_ for helping me get over Finn."

"Quinn, he's your teacher." Rachel snapped.

Quinn looked taken aback at her angry tone.

"You know," Santana gave her an annoyed look. "I've been tolerating you for the past month because for some reason, Quinn and you are kind of like weird friends now. But you need to get off your high horse every time we talk about Trouty Mouth. I mean, even I feel something in my lady loins when those huge lips of his does that boyish smile and I'm in love with Brittany here." She turned to smile and hold hands with Brittany.

Rachel was about to snap back at her when common sense kicked in upon seeing Santana smiling at Brittany like that. _I'm being irrational. I have no right to be angry or jea – or anything else. _"No, you're right. I'm sorry…Santana…Quinn."

Santana's smile froze. "What was that?"

"I said I'm sorry." Rachel repeated.

"What did you just say?"

"I'm sorry." Rachel said louder.

"Hold on, I have to record this." Santana made a show of getting out her phone.

"San." Quinn laughed, shaking her head as Rachel rolled her eyes and smiled.

* * *

><p>The next day, Sam walked into his last class and froze.<p>

"Surprise!" Everyone jumped up and cried. "Happy Birthday, Mr. Evans!"

"How…" He looked at the streamers hanging around the room, the helium balloons floating up to the ceiling, the food, drinks, plastic plates, cutlery and cups on every second table, "…did you get in here without the key?"

"Mr. Schue let us in during lunch." Quinn stepped forward.

"…Is this why there were all those questions last week about when my birthday was?"

"Not originally." Santana said. "At first I just wanted to know how old you are because you look, like, really young and hot and stuff. But when you told me your birthday was so soon, Quinn thought we should throw you a class party."

Sam's lips almost widened into a smile but then he remembered.

**DON'T** be flattered next time a student calls you "Sexy". Instead, try to act offended. Or something. **This applies to any compliments with a sexual connotation.**

"Uh." He cleared his throat. "That's…you think I'm…attractive…that's really not appropriate, Santana."

She rolled her eyes.

"So…" He continued awkwardly. "Do you throw birthday parties for all your teachers?"

"Only the hot ones." Santana reassured him then when he was about to protest, "No but in all seriousness, I think I speak for everyone when I say that you are like…the most awesomest teacher ever –"

"'Awesomest' isn't a word –"

"Shut up, I'm trying to be nice…you actually make me want to learn." She paused. Then shuddered. "Now there's a sentence I never thought I'd say."

Sam shut his mouth.

"You don't seem very surprised." Quinn noted. "Or happy."

"N – No, it's not that, I just…" Sam ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know what to say."

"You can start with 'thank you'." Rachel said. "But you don't have to say anything. This is your day."

Sam smiled. "Well, thank you. You guys are definitely the best first class any teacher could ever ask for –"

"Okay, enough of all the sappy stuff." Santana waved her hand. "It's a party. Lighten up."

The period passed quickly enough with Sam mostly surrounded by Quinn, Santana and Brittany while looking over at Rachel across the room every minute or so.

"Okay, I think it's time for your present." Quinn said finally, when there were five minutes left of the period.

"There's a present?" Sam almost choked. He had been told the party was Quinn's idea and she had been very touchy-feely with him the whole time. Now she was giving him presents? He had to stop this before it crossed a line. "Really, Quinn, this is too much, I can't…"

"We all gave Rachel some money and she picked something out." Quinn explained then in a very loud voice, added, "At least I hope she did."

"I've got it right here, don't worry." Rachel pulled it out from behind a table.

Sam inhaled sharply.

Rachel had thought all day yesterday about what to get Sam. Finally, she remembered a conversation they had two weeks ago when he told her that when he lost his house and was forced to live in a motel room, he had to sell most of his possessions including his car, laptop, iPod, phone and his acoustic guitar.

"I just bought it yesterday." She said, handing the guitar to him. "It's completely brand new."

"Rachel." Sam breathed, handling the strap. "This is…amazing. You're…amazing." Then, without even thinking, he pulled her in for a hug to the raised eyebrows of Quinn, the innocent smile of Brittany and the smirk of Santana.

Nobody else thought much of it. Mr. Schue hugged them all the time, didn't he?

_Her hair smells like strawberries, like her name Berry and – _Sam pulled himself away before he could finish that thought.

"Thank you." He smiled then quickly turned to face the rest of the class. "Uh, thank all of you…for this."

"Yeah, I didn't even know you played the guitar." Quinn looked questioningly at Rachel. "Or that you were in need of one."

"Oh, well, even if he already had one, you can never have too many guitars." Rachel said breezily. "And if he doesn't know how to play, he can always learn."

"Actually," Sam smiled at Rachel, "as a matter of fact, I don't have a guitar right now so this is exactly what I need. And I do know how to play."

"Can you sing?" Quinn smiled at him. "Why you don't you perform something for us?"

"Uh," He stared at the guitar dumbly. "I've played but I've never sung in front of anybody before."

"Come on, Mr. Evans." Artie rolled his wheelchair forward. "We'll back you up."

"What song have you got in your back pocket?" Blaine asked.

"Um…" He hesitated. "Billionaire?"

"Cool." Artie nodded. "I think we all know that song. Why don't you start us off?"

Sam looked around the classroom at everyone's expectant faces. Rachel smiled encouragingly at him.

"Okay." He finally said, swinging the guitar strap around his shoulders and started playing.

_I wanna be a billionaire so freaking bad_

_And buy all of the things I never had_

_He's really good_, Rachel noted, almost with surprise, as did everyone else.

_I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine_

_Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen_

_Oh every time I close my eyes_

_I see my name in shining lights_

_Yeah, a different city every night_

_Oh, I swear the world better prepare_

_For when I'm a billionaire_

Artie started rapping.

_Yeah I would have a show like Oprah_

_I would be the host of_

_Everyday Christmas_

_Give Artie a wish list_

_I'd probably pull an Angelina and Brad Pitt_

_And adopt a bunch of babies that ain't never had it_

_Give away a few Mercedes like, here lady have this_

_And last but not least grant somebody their last wish_

_It's been a couple months since I've been single so_

_You can call me Artie Claus minus the Ho Ho_

_Haha, get it?_

_I'd probably visit where Katrina hit_

_And darn sure do a lot more than FEMA did_

_Yeah, can't forget about me stupid_

_Everywhere I go, Imma have my own theme music_

Blaine started singing along with Sam.

_Oh every time I close my eyes_

_(Uh whatcha see, whatcha see bro?)_

_I see my name in shining lights_

_(Uh huh, uh huh yeah)_

_Yeah, a different city every night_

_(Uh, yeah yeah yeah)_

_Oh, I swear the world better prepare_

_(For what?)_

_For when I'm a billionaire_

_Oh, oooh oh oooh_

_Oh, when I'm a Billionaire_

_Oh oooh oh oooh_

_For when I'm a Billionaire_

_Oh oooh oh oooh_

_(Oh)_

_I wanna be a billionaire so freaking bad…_

Sam finished strumming the last chord as everybody clapped and whooped.

He laughed. "That was really cool."

"Cool?" Rachel looked at him. "That was…amazing. You are…amazing." She laughed as she returned his compliments from before.

"You should help Mr. Schue with Glee club." Santana said.

"West Side Story." Artie added.

"Sure." Sam grinned. "I'll get back to you guys on that."

* * *

><p>"You know, I think quite a few girls swooned." Rachel said, as she helped Sam clean up in the otherwise empty classroom.<p>

He laughed, embarrassed. "Yeah well…thanks. For the guitar and for staying behind to help me clean."

"You know I think everyone would've wanted to stay and help but, uh, they all have lives." Rachel continued as they cleaned. "Believe me when I say, Quinn would've _loved_ to help but Cheerios practice are on now and Coach Sylvester makes them do like a hundred star jumps for every minute that they're late."

"You don't have to make excuses for them, Rach. This party…was more than enough."

She smiled. "So what has your family planned for your birthday?"

"Oh…" Sam bit his lip. "They're in Nashville actually. I usually don't expect anything more than a phone call but that won't be happening this year since I don't have a phone anymore…"

"So who are you spending your birthday with?" Rachel asked, confusedly.

"No one." He sighed. "It's just me. I'm going to be very busy writing…playing my new guitar…" He shot her a smile, "…watching a special 3D screening of Avatar at the cinemas…"

Rachel froze. "_I'm_ seeing that movie tonight."

Sam paused. "…You like that movie?"

She shrugged. "I've never seen it in 3D before."

"Oh, you're in for a real treat." He grinned. "I walk away mind blown every time."

"_Every time?_ How many times have you seen it?"

He hesitated. Women have always made fun of him for liking the movie so much. But then, with a flicker of irritation, he reminded himself that Rachel was a _girl_ and _his_ _student_ with a _boyfriend_ and he wasn't supposed to be trying to impress her. "Like…six times. Maybe. And that's only in 3D."

Rachel laughed but it was a kind laugh, not the malicious kind he was used to getting from women.

He smiled shyly. _She had a nice laugh,_ he decided. _Contagious. _Then he snapped himself out of it and his smile disappeared. "Do you think this is wise, though? Going to see the same movie?"

"Well, we wouldn't be going together." Rachel said uncertainly. "…If we happen to run into each other, just don't sit next to me."

"I wouldn't think of it." Sam said coolly and then an hour later, they were sitting next to each other and watching Avatar in 3D.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> _She had a nice laugh, _he decided. _Contagious._ _There's a video on YouTube (not mine) of Lea Michele's "contagious laughs" if anyone's interested._

_To __**Kai**__, Haha, thank you :) Did you read my author's note in chapter three about why I wrote Sam's back story the way I did?_

_Also thanks to another anonymous reviewer I can't reply to, __**Mlalvares**_.

_Lyrics are from Best For Last by Adele and Billionaire by Glee._

_Let us just pretend that everyone __**doesn't**__ already know that I don't own Glee and let me just clarify once again that I really don't._


	6. Tonight

_..._

_Tonight_

_Tonight_

_There's only you tonight_

_What you are_

_What you do_

_What you say_

* * *

><p>"And then he whispered something to me in Na'vi – you know, the Avatar language – which...I couldn't understand but –"<p>

"It sounds like it was a date –"

"No, it wasn't! I mean, I think he _might_ have tried to hold my hand at one point but he was probably just reaching for the popcorn. It was dark and –"

"If it wasn't a date, why are you telling me this?" Finn asked.

"Be – because..." Rachel stopped pacing around Finn's living room and knelt down to hold his hands. "I just want you to know everything...so you know there's nothing to be worried about."

"Well..." His eyebrows furrowed. "Rach...maybe I should be worried –"

"I told you it wasn't a date –"

"Not about what you're saying." He continued. "Although...yeah, I'm kind of worried about that too. But I'm more worried...that you feel the need to say it at all."

"What...do you mean?" Now it was Rachel's turn to be confused.

"Well..." Finn hesitated, unsure how to explain. "Um...if I give you an example...like...just say you and Puck hang out –"

"Oh, we do." Rachel nodded.

"You do?" Finn asked, then, "You do. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it doesn't mean anything." Rachel said, her voice implying the _duh_.

"Yeah!" Finn smiled. "See, you're allowed to be friends with other guys."

"But that's different." Rachel shook her head.

"Why?"

"Because Puck never kissed –" She froze. "_Oh._"

Finn held out his hands as if to say, _what can I say?_ "I mean, if something _does_ happen or if I ask you, I'd want you to be honest with me obviously. But if there really is nothing going on like you keep insisting...you don't have to keep me up to date on every detail of your friendships with other guys."

"Oh...oh." Rachel breathed. "No, of course not."

* * *

><p>There are some things about Rachel Berry that are just true. She's talented, her idols include Barbra Streisand and Patti LuPone, she is what her peers refer to as "sneaky hot" if that quality wasn't cancelled out by a compulsive need to wear animal sweaters and she would never, <em>ever <em>have an affair with a teacher especially behind her boyfriend's back.

Well...there was that whole crush on Mr. Schue but let's face it, that was never going to go anywhere. Not that her developing friendship with Sam was going to go anywhere either. Because she would never go there. And neither would he, for that matter. And that was a good thing; that was the point. Everything was as it should be.

She couldn't avoid him. For a start, he was her teacher and her attempt at transferring class didn't change the fact that she had to sit in his class almost every day and call him Mr. Evans. And anyway, she shouldn't need to avoid him as if she couldn't control herself around him. She can be around him, see him outside of school, allow their friendship to deepen and accept it for just that. In time she's sure he'll reveal himself to be quite ordinary and her silly, inappropriate feelings will doubtless fade. Definitely. Surely. Maybe.

Maybe not.

The problem is the more time she spends with him; the more she realizes he's far from ordinary. He seems deep. Unexpected. Complex. Real. It's dawning on her that her attraction to him is possibly more than just physical (which is bad enough); more is bad indeed. The truth is that in some way or other, her time is taken up with him. They see each other not just every day at school but outside of it too, mostly cooped up in his motel room because they couldn't be caught in public.

Not that they were having an affair but even just a friendship with one of his students would look bad for Sam.

The first time was pretty awkward.

"So this is, um, where I'm staying right now." He had stood there in the middle of the room, with his hands in his pockets and his head down. "It's not much but, um, it's not much."

"This is everything you own?" She looked around, although there wasn't much to look around at.

"You know when the bank takes your house, they literally...take it." Sam said, indirectly ignoring the question. "They come by one morning and...kick you out of your own house...just lock you out."

They had looked at each other sadly until he broke the moment and asked her if she had her phone on her and they ordered takeout. Rachel had insisted on paying due to much protest from Sam.

"This is no time for out-dated rules about gentlemen paying for the first date." Rachel blathered on.

He froze in the middle of looking through his wallet and for a nanosecond the room was full of tension.

She felt the need to rephrase her argument as she fought a blush. "What I mean is...you don't have to feel some gentlemanly duty towards me. Women should be able to pay for a man without it being a big deal. It's called feminism. Embrace it." She finished dramatically, pumping her little fist in the air.

Sam snorted with laughter. "Fair enough."

They didn't mention Rachel's slip up again nor did they mention the obvious; that he couldn't spend his money because he was trying to save up enough to get out of the motel room.

She looked forward to their nights or days together with exactly the same level of anticipation as Kurt Hummel looked forward to a sale at the mall. Rachel always took a bus after school and walked the rest of the short way to the motel he was staying at. She relished those moments after she knocks on his door and she's waiting for him, all alone with her expectancy. She guessed at what he might be wearing or how he might greet her. Just thinking about him, without keeping the guard up she had to in school or around Finn, provided her with private feelings of pure joy. Seeing Sam became the highlight of her days. It was like he radiated goodness and the first moment she rests her eyes on him is one of immense, intense pleasure.

When he opened the door, he usually broke out in a grin upon seeing Rachel, takes her bag off her and briefly kisses her on the cheek. It's natural. It's scary.

Sam always made a small comment on the way she looked; nothing full-on or creepy or anything, just something to let her know he paid attention; "Have you done something different with your hair? It's cool." or "Is that a new skirt? It looks, um, good and, um, short."

Invariably, Rachel blushes and mutters, "What; this old thing? No, no, not new, I've had it for years." – which, of course, is a total lie. Getting ready in the morning is no longer a hit or miss affair. She started to understand girls like Quinn who spent ages in the morning making themselves look good – that is, even better than they already did. Okay, so she was never going to get mistaken for a beauty queen but she really liked the results of occasionally slapping on a bit of make-up and wearing a pretty dress without the shape of an animal on it; making the effort doesn't seem such an effort when Sam notices even the smallest thing.

The takeout dinners were a joy. Food is a wonderful ice-breaker; it's almost impossible to be shy after you've seen each other with noodles dripping down your chin or a sesame seed stuck between your two front teeth.

They questioned each other continuously, as days flew past and weeks seamlessly ran away too until almost another month had gone past, discovering the big things as well as the little things that made the other person who they were. They wanted to know everything about each other. She wanted to know his values, dreams, family, friends, past, present and future.

"Wait." Rachel put down her plastic fork. "You don't believe in marriage?"

"I used to." Sam sighed. "I even proposed to my ex girlfriend, Millie – I was fourteen at the time." He paused for a laugh but when she just kept on looking at him expectantly, he continued. "It was stupid; it was really just a promise ring. But then...well I told you about how things didn't work out...and how that affected me afterwards." Rachel tried to keep her expression neutral as she remembered them discussing his 'sleeping around' phase. "And then after that...I was so focused on my dreams that I never really had time for a serious relationship."

"So...what are you saying?" She asked carefully. "That you never really moved on from your...ahem," She coughed, "casual dating phase?"

"No." He said thoughtfully. "If by casual dating you mean...after I had...slept with every girl there was to sleep with in high school at fifteen," He cringed, "...that was it for me when it came to girls. Then, in college, I had like, one one-night-stand."

"_That's it?_" Rachel said in disbelief. "All that sleeping around and not _one_ serious relationship? _Ever?_"

"Well, I did propose to my high school girlfriend." Sam said mockingly serious then turned serious for real. "I guess I was just always too focused on my dreams to think about dating. Surely you can understand that? You don't seem like the type of person who would give up their dreams just to settle down with someone."

"Of course not." Rachel dismissed. "My dreams always have and always will come first. But...after I achieve my dreams and lived them for a reasonable amount of time...I'd want to get married. Eventually. By the time I'm thirty maybe. Wouldn't you? It wouldn't be like giving up. Why can't you have a dream career and a dream marriage at the same time?"

"It's not about my career." He sighed.

"Then what is it about?" She asked, frustrated only more so because she couldn't understand why she was so frustrated.

"I just...I don't know." Sam shrugged. "I guess I kind of got turned off marriage when Millie dumped me and then...all the stuff that happened afterwards didn't help anything."

"But what about kids?" Rachel asked quickly. "You like kids right? You said you have a little brother and sister that you adore."

"And I do." He assured her. "But to have kids of my own? I've never understood the longing some people have to reproduce. Aren't there enough homeless and parentless kids out there already?"

"So you would adopt." Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. "That's actually really great, Sam. I was adopted and I couldn't have asked for a better family."

"Uh..." Sam hesitated. "I doubt it. I just don't see myself settling down with anyone, you know? And why does it matter anyway?"

"It – it doesn't." She felt an irrational disappointment grip her. "I'm not Quinn Fabray. I don't daydream about finding the perfect husband. I'm Rachel Berry and my dreams are bigger than that." Then she felt a twinge of guilt making comparisons like that. Quinn was her friend now. Sort of.

"Hmm..." Sam forked a large amount of pasta into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.

"It's just..." Rachel struggled with the unreasonably gutted feeling she suddenly got in her stomach. "I thought you were the perfect man." She finished in one quick, soft breath.

He stopped chewing and they stared at each other. The silence between them was tense to say the least. Neither knew what to say.

"I think we should talk about something else now." Rachel finally said quietly.

Sam nodded. "So tell me how West Side Story is going."

Glad for the change of topic, she went on to describe the growing intensity of rehearsals now that opening night was just a week or so away and he offered to help. Rachel agreed, delighted that he wanted to.

* * *

><p>The next day, Sam heard Rachel sing for the first time as he sat with Emma, Shannon, Will, Artie and Finn watching a run-through.<p>

And well...let's just say that _holy shit_ didn't even begin to cover it.

He tore his gaze away long enough to look at Finn look at Rachel with such admiration in his eyes and really, how could he _not?_

He smiled sadly and looked down, letting her voice consume him and distract him away from that train of thought.

And when opening night finally came, Sam sat in the audience to watch, trying to ignore his irritation as he noticed Finn a few rows away. This became easier to do whenever Rachel was on stage.

He went to see every performance and at the end of the very last one, he was left sitting in the now emptied auditorium, alone with his own thoughts about the next day.

* * *

><p>Quinn Fabray sighed as she went through her wardrobe of everything girly, sugary and sweet. "No, no, no, <em>no.<em>" Finally she spotted the box at the bottom and picked it out.

"I thought I was here to help you, um," Rachel furrowed her eyebrows as she sat on Quinn's bed, "um, 'make your voice smoky'?" She air quoted.

"Oh, you are." Quinn said, placing the box on the bed next to where Rachel was sitting. "But it's not just my voice...it's my whole look, you know? It just doesn't really suit what I want to perform in Glee club tomorrow."

"Which is a completely inappropriate song intended for seducing Puck?" Rachel paraphrased what Quinn told her earlier.

Quinn hesitated. "Yes." She said, then quickly started unpacking the box.

"What is this?" Rachel asked, as she eyed the assortment of rock and roll garments.

"It's the clothes from my punk phase at the beginning of this year." Quinn explained. "I'm thinking we can wear some of this tomorrow."

"_We?_" She spluttered. "You're going to make me perform this with you tomorrow?"

"Only if you see people getting suspicious." Quinn shrugged. "I at least want to start by myself first, though if you don't mind."

"I don't understand." The brunette put up her hands. "Why can't you just...tell Puck you want him?"

"I did. I even went so far as to offer him sex." Her eyes darkened. "But he said I was nuts, more high maintenance than _you_, pretty much the most selfish person he has ever met and that he would rather raw dog a bee hive."

"Oh..." Rachel was unsure what to say now that they were in an unsure friendship. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. Because all it made me realize was that I just need to show him what he's missing." Quinn said simply. "So will you help me or not?"

"Sur – sure." Rachel smiled. "I'll think of this as a challenge."

Quinn smiled back. She felt guilty about lying to her friend but the part about Puck rejecting her was – unfortunately – true. It was just the second part she had to keep to herself.

After all, what was she going to say? That as soon as Puck walked away, she saw Mr. Evans walk out a class and wondered if all hope was not lost as she remembered that he was supposed to be helping Mr. Schue with Glee club tomorrow?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_To __**Kai**__, thank you. Hmm...by interesting do you mean that you don't like teacher/student stories when they date each other but this story is different because they met before they realized they were teacher/student?_

_I'd like to acknowledge that this was partly based on the book, 'Tell Me Something' by Adele Parks._

_Lyrics at the beginning are from Tonight covered by Glee._

_Guys, just __incase__ you didn't get the memo, I don't own Glee._


	7. Do You Wanna

As soon as Quinn walked into the choir room, everyone knew that something was up. It was odd enough that Berry was sitting in a black lace singlet, blue denim short shorts and black ankle boots. Now here was Quinn standing in front of them, hair straightened, wearing a leather jacket, tight leather pants and black stilettos.

"Okay, why did no one tell me it was Dress-In-Skanky-Black Day?" Santana raised her hand. "I would've picked the perfect outfit and upstaged both of you."

Quinn looked at Mr. Evans standing in the corner with Mr. Schue. "I'd like to perform something I've been working on." Her voice came out very low and raspy, reminding everyone of Punk Quinn.

"Uh," Will tried to cover his surprise. "Sure."

"And before anyone says I'm encouraging a child molester...I'm singing Joan Jett's version." Quinn said coolly.

"Oh sweet baby Jesus." Puck breathed as he realized what song she was going to sing.

Quinn nodded at the guy at the drums to start playing then started singing.

_We've been here too long_

_Trying to get along_

_Pretending that you're oh so shy_

"I always wondered what it would be like hearing Punk Quinn sing." Kurt whispered to Rachel. "She sounds good; completely different from her usual sound. You helped her, didn't you?"

"A little." Rachel whispered back.

_I'm a natural mam_

_Doing all I can_

_My temperature is running high_

After getting over the initial shock, the Glee club started grinning – mostly the guys – and started clapping their hands to the music.

_Friday night_

_No one in sight_

_And we got so much to share_

Sam's eyes widened to the point where he thought they were going to pop out of his eye sockets, as Quinn seemingly started to walk towards him.

_Talking's fine if you got the time_

_But I ain't got the time to spare, yeah_

Quinn zipped open her jacket to reveal the black singlet underneath.

_Do you wanna touch?_

All the guys of the Glee club clapped and pumped their fists in the air and sang.

_Yeah_

_Do you wanna touch? (Yeah)_

_Do you wanna touch me there? Where?_

Quinn took Sam's hand and spun him around, cornering him into the piano.

_Do you wanna touch? (Yeah)_

_Do you wanna touch? (Yeah)_

_Do you wanna touch me there? _

_Where? There, yeah, oh_

Sam quickly spun around Quinn, getting away from her as fast as he could.

The rest of the Glee club continued singing along, although they all seemed to have a _What the hell did you think you were doing, Quinn? _expression on their faces now.

Quinn stood there by herself, singing and trying not to feel the humiliation threatening to spill over in the form of tears.

_Yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah_

_Yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah_

Seeing Quinn's humiliated face and everyone else's confused faces, Rachel quickly jumped up and started singing.

_Every girl and boy_

_Needs a little joy_

_All you do is sit and stare_

Trying to get the suspicion off Quinn, Rachel casually took Sam's hands and pulled him across the floor, trying to look as nonchalant as possible which wasn't easy because he was staring at her with a peculiar mix of curiosity and challenge. It's uncomfortable under his gaze; a little like being in too hot sunlight. She suddenly wished her outfit was less revealing and the song was less sexual but all she could do was quickly let go of him.

_Begging on my knees_

_Baby won't you please_

_Run your fingers through my hair_

Rachel turned to Finn and pulled him up from his seat.

_My my my _

_Whiskey and rye_

_Don't it make you feel so fine?_

Quinn pulled Puck up from his seat and shot Rachel a grateful smile as they sang together.

_Right or wrong_

_Don't it turn you on?_

_Can't you see we're wasting time? Yeah_

Now everybody was getting up, dancing and singing.

_Do you wanna touch? (Yeah)_

_Do you wanna touch? (Yeah)_

_Do you wanna touch me there? Where?_

_Do you wanna touch? (Yeah)_

_Do you wanna touch? (Yeah)_

_Do you wanna touch me there? _

_Where? There, yeah_

_(Yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah)_

_Do ya? Do ya?_

_(Yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah)_

_Do ya? Do ya?_

_(Yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah)_

_Touch me there_

_You know where_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah_

_(Yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah)_

Rachel spun herself into Finn's arms.

_Do ya? Do ya?_

Everyone watched as she finished singing and kissed Finn.

Sam stood just a metre behind them, feeling like he was intruding on a private moment yet couldn't look away for some reason.

After five seconds had passed and they still hadn't broken apart, Sam snapped, "That song was totally inappropriate."

Once the silence had been interrupted, Rachel and Finn quickly broke apart with sheepish smiles, reminiscent of the time they kissed after "Pretending".

"Well..." Will hesitated and turned to Quinn. "I think that depends on what Quinn was thinking when she picked it to perform for Glee club."

Quinn avoided Mr. Evan's gaze. "I guess I just really like Joan Jett."

* * *

><p>"What were you thinking?" Rachel cried when practice was over and they stood outside the school; Quinn was waiting for her mom to pick her up. "You told me you wanted to perform it for Puck, not <em>Mr. Evans!<em>"

"I know!" Quinn cried miserably. "I know and I'm sorry I lied to you. It's just...he had overheard the whole conversation between Puck and I and he was so understanding about it and I just thought...you wouldn't understand."

"Quinn..." Rachel sighed. "He was just being a concerned teacher. Emphasis on the _teacher_ part."

"I know." Quinn's voice cracked. "I know that now. I just..." Her bottom lip trembled and tears fell as she tried to hide her face from Rachel. "I just want somebody to love me."

"Hey." Rachel said softly as she wrapped her arms around her. Hesitantly, she decided she needed to say something about Puck this time. "You know...I think Puck really liked your performance. I don't think he really meant all those things he said." She said, trying to be carefully subtle.

But it was like Quinn couldn't even hear her as she sniffled in the brunette's arms.

* * *

><p>"I still say she shouldn't have done it." Sam said as Rachel and him had their usual takeout in his room that night.<p>

"No one's saying she should've." Rachel explained patiently. "But you have to understand where she's coming from."

"Tomorrow I'm going to sit her down and have a lecture." He said, shaking his head.

"You don't have to do that." She said, thinking of how distressed Quinn was earlier. "She got the message loud and clear when you practically ran away and hid from her like a scared little boy."

Sam's face turned red with embarrassment at the memory; Rachel was exaggerating but not by much. He cleared his throat. "I shouldn't have encouraged her."

"You were just comforting her." Rachel said, assuringly. "Who says that was encouraging her? Unless..." She hesitated. "What exactly did you say to her?"

"Oh, well, um." Sam's lips pressed together in thought. "I just told her that she reminded me of my high school girlfriend with what I like to call 'The Three Bs; blonde, blue-eyed and beautiful', not to mention the head cheerleader and the Queen Bee and takes nice guys for granted but unlike Millie, it's not too late for her to change that last part and find a guy who would never make her want to do that." He said earnestly.

Rachel didn't respond at first. When she finally did, her voice was small. "Oh."

Realizing his mistake, Sam tried to add more casually, "But you know her reminding me of Millie isn't a good thing – or maybe it is, depending on how you looked at it. I mean, things didn't work out between Millie and I for a reason."

"No, no, I get it." She didn't. She really didn't. "It makes sense that Quinn would've been your type in high school. You're both so...perfect." Her voice cracked a little and seeing Sam about to say something, she went on, "You both...you both have 'The Three Bs'. You two would've made a very picture-perfect...aesthetically pleasing couple. Like Barbie and Ken."

"Doesn't Ken have black hair and brown eyes?" Sam's eyebrows furrowed in confusion then he shook the thought away. "But, Rachel, seriously, the whole 'Three Bs' thing...I just called it that because of the alliteration. It's not like my type or anything. I never really had one. Actually, I always thought the whole 'dating type' thing was stupid. It's trying to put chemistry and compatability into a box and labeling it and saying that you can't possibly have that with anyone else who doesn't fit a certain stereotype. You have to know –"

"You shouldn't have encouraged her." For some reason, Rachel just didn't want to hear it.

"I wasn't trying to." He protested.

"Well...you need to turn her off you. But you know, subtly."

"I thought you said there was no need to do that." Sam looked at her.

"You can never be too safe." She forced to make her voice light and carefree. "You know what you should do? You should perform a song in front of Glee club just like Quinn. But make it something totally uncool; something that will make everyone laugh at you and think you're lame, including – _especially _Quinn."

"I..." Sam raised his eyebrow, taken aback. "I guess I could do that." He hesitated then with more certainty, nodded. "Yeah, okay."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: <strong>__I just want to mention something not necessarily for the upcoming chapter but for the story in general, I may include Rachel/Finn songs from the show and apply them to Rachel/Sam in this story instead. Hope everyone's okay with that._

_Lyrics are from Do You Wanna Touch Me covered by Glee (song suggestion from __**The Wonderful Mistique**__)._

_Glee belongs to RIB, not me._


	8. Baby

After Rachel had left, Sam had thought about what song to sing. It had to be stupid but not obviously so like Friday by Rebecca Black. That way he could pretend he had made an honest mistake in thinking it was cool. But what to sing?

It wasn't until he had overheard a conversation in class the next day that he figured out what song he should sing. _Of course._ What singer and song did everyone hate?

"He is so gay."

"Selena what's-her-face is totally his beard."

"He sounds like a girl."

"_She_ is a girl."

"Who names their daughter Justine?"

"Justine's a slut – she sings about a different girl every song."

"And a lesbian – she always sings about girls."

"_It's_ a hermaphrodite."

"Like Lady GaGa."

"Lady GaGa should give _it's_ balls to Justine."

"Like baby, baby, baby, oh – just fucking kill me."

Sam tried to keep his cool as the guys snickered. Only in high school would you hear so much hate and ignorance in one casual conversation...he settled for glaring at them until they got the message and shut up.

Nevertheless, Sam had found his answer. Justin Bieber was, like, _so uncool_.

* * *

><p>"Will." Sam walked into the choir room after school that day, with his guitar, where everybody was already sitting. "There's a number I've been working on that I've been wanting to show off."<p>

He could see Rachel beaming at him and subtly giving him the thumbs-up.

"Sure." Will grinned. "Wow, it seems like everybody wants to perform something these days."

Sam smiled weakly at him as he pulled a chair up and sat down with his guitar. Facing everyone, he strummed a chord and started singing softly.

_Oh whoa..._

Immediately recognizing the song, Quinn raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding me." She whispered in horror as Finn laughed.

_This is good_, Sam thought.

_Oh whoa_

_Oh whoa..._

_You know you love me_

_I know you care_

And then the girls looked around at each other, surprised in an impressed way.

_Just shout whenever_

_And I'll be there_

And then the guys were looking around at the girls like _What's with all the impressed looks? You can't honestly be eating this shit up._

_You are my love_

_You are my heart_

And then Quinn seemed to be getting into it and smiling at him.

And then he decided he needed to change tactics.

_And we will never, ever, ever be apart..._

"This is actually a really good song." Tina breathed.

Sam put down his guitar as the music went from acoustic to pop.

_"Are we an item?"_

The girls cheered.

_Girl, quit playing_

He moves his hands like he's pushing someone in front of him – surely they would laugh at such a classically cheesy boy band move?

_"We're just friends."_

He pulls up the chair and sits on it backwards.

_What are you saying?_

_This is really bad_, he thought as he watched Quinn enjoying the song.

_Said "There's another."_

_And looked right in my eyes_

Still looking to see how Quinn was reacting, he saw her looking down and laughing but somehow, Sam didn't think she was laughing _at_ him like she was supposed to be. Like all the girls in Glee club were supposed to be.

_My first love broke my heart for the first time_

He stood up and tried to pull the dorkiest dance moves imaginable.

_And I was like baby, baby, baby, oh_

_Like baby, baby, baby, no_

_Like baby, baby, baby, oh_

The girls seemed to love his dance moves – he might as well have been stripping, for all he knew.

_I thought you'd always be mine...mine_

They started clapping and he knew he was supposed to be seeing how Quinn was reacting but his eyes were now drawn to Finn who was watching Rachel bobbing her head to the music and mouthing the words.

_Oh...for you, I would have done whatever_

The truth was, he was kind of getting into it now.

_And I just can't believe we're here together_

And it had nothing to do with how Rachel was enjoying it or how Finn didn't seem to enjoy Rachel enjoying it.

_And I wanna play it cool_

_But I'm losing you_

_I'll buy you anything_

He jumped up and sat on the piano, sliding across it.

_I'll buy you any ring_

He hoped off the piano and walked back up.

_And I'm in pieces_

_Baby, fix me_

_And just shake me 'til you wake me from this bad dream_

He shook his purple hoodie then put his hand on his shoulders, pushing his torso left and right and down to the floor.

_I'm going down, down, down...down_

He spun himself back up.

_And I just can't believe my first love won't be around_

_And I'm like baby, baby, baby, oh_

He started shuffling.

_Like baby, baby, baby, no_

He made heart hands on his chest and pumped it out several times.

_Like baby, baby, baby, oh_

_I thought you'd always be mine, mine_

He almost walked right up to Rachel but then caught himself and walked along the rows, tugging at his hoodie.

_I'm gone_

_(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)_

He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to make a mock Bieber fringe like his old haircut but...kind of..just...failed...

_Now I'm all gone_

Instead, he let the other girls feel his hair in fun as he walked down.

_Now I'm all gone_

They waved their hands in the air.

_Now I'm all gone_

He pulled his hoodie up as Rachel smiled at him while Finn stared.

_Gone, gone, gone..._

_I'm gone..._

As Sam finished the last note, he smiled at Rachel. In the back of his mind, he knew he should be worried about Santana fanning herself or Quinn smiling but in that moment, he couldn't bring himself to care. He pulled down his hoodie as the girls clapped and cheered.

"Well." Will cleared his throat. "Will you look at that? First Quinn performs something for the guys and now Mr. Evans here as performed a song for the...err, girls. Everybody gets some!"

Santana chocked on her own spit and snorted with laughter. "Wanky. Just...wanky."

"Uh." Sam cleared his throat. "I think what Mr. Schue was trying to say there was that there's a number for everyone to enjoy."

* * *

><p>"<em>What<em> were you thinking?" Apparently lecturing her friends on their inappropriate performances was going to become a regular thing for Rachel now. "I said a song that will turn her _off_ you, not one that will turn her _on_, along with _every girl_ in Glee club and even _Kurt and Blaine_."

Sam watched she paced back and forth around his room that night. "I thought you liked it."

"I did." She stopped pacing and sat down next to him. "But I wasn't the only one who melted." Sam tried not to grin at her slip up. "You know Quinn is now convinced that you sang that song as a message to her that you're interested and the only reason you ran away before was because you didn't want the Glee club to get suspicious? I tried convincing her otherwise but she's too far gone."

"I still don't get it though." He shook his head. "I thought Bieber was supposed to be a turn off."

"You should've come to me first." She sighed. "I could've told you that despite the absurdity of Bieber Fever, you would've still somehow managed to be cute and a lot of girls wouldn't be immune to that kind of charm."

Sam's lips widened into a smile before he could stop himself.

* * *

><p>The next day, Sam was bombarded with questions from Quinn in class, which he tried to answer as kindly as possible while hinting that he was uninterested.<p>

"What school did you go to?"

"Carmel High."

"What year was that?"

"I graduated in 2007."

"Were you in the Glee club?"

"No but I was in a school musical during Senior Year."

"Oh really? What was the musical?"

"The Rocky Horror Show."

"And who did you play?"

"Rocky."

"That suits you."

"Oh really."

"He's cute, just like you."

"Mm..."

"I'll bet you had to have your shirt off the whole time and slip into those tiny gold shorts."

"That's really not appropriate."

"Oops. Sorry, _Mr. Evans._" *wink*

The class watched the exchange with raised eyebrows and he could see Rachel throwing him a look like _There, you see? You see what you've done?_

Sam pressed his lips together and moved on but as time passed, it became clear that Quinn was not letting go.

* * *

><p>"We have to do something." Two months later on a Friday night, Sam had opened up the door to find Rachel marching right past him and straight into his room. "It's been two months since you sang 'Baby' and Quinn's whole schoolgirl crush thing is still getting out of hand and – why is there glitter on your face?" She stopped and stared at him.<p>

"Uh." Sam blushed. "I'm...working tonight."

"Oh." Rachel immediately understood. "I should go."

"No, wait." He put a hand out to stop her. "Tonight's going to be my last night...working."

"What do you mean?" She asked, then confusion turned to concern, "You weren't fired, were you?"

"No, no." Sam hurriedly reassured her. "I just...don't need the money that much anymore. I've saved enough money to get myself a small apartment."

"Already?" Rachel blurted out. "I mean congratulations!" She pulled him in for a hug then forced herself to let go before five seconds could pass. "But, um, are you sure?"

"Rachel." Sam laughed. "I've already paid for everything. I'm moving in tomorrow. So _not only_ is tonight my last night working but my last night in this dinghy motel room." He finished excitedly.

"That's fantastic!" She cried. "I just mean...you could wait and save a bit more money for other things as well."

"Those other things can wait." Sam smiled. "As long as I can have my own apartment with a bed and _actual _showers, I'm good. I've been working at the club for almost a year now and as well as it pays, I think it's time to move on. Plus there's still teaching and the DQ. Not to mention all the money I've saved from all the free dinners you've been giving me. I've really been meaning to make it up to you actually. Let me take you out tonight. My treat."

"We can't be seen in public together." Rachel reminded him.

"I meant take you out to, um, work. We wouldn't run into any students and, um, we can celebrate my last...night." Sam suddenly seemed less confident than he usually was when they were together; almost shy. "Or you know...not. In fact we probably shouldn't. It's not really appropriate." He quickly added, taking away the offer just moments after he'd made it.

Rachel just looked at him and smiled. "I'd love to."

About an hour later, Sam was on stage and Rachel was standing in the audience, beaming up at him and clapping like a proud girlf – friend. Friend. Like a proud friend.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:<strong>__ Okay, another short chapter but I always leave my chapters the way they are for a reason._

_**This is kind of a reply to an anonymous review and kind of a message to readers in general:**__ I'm afraid the Quinn/Finn drama is not going to end anytime soon. It would be easy to just make them the villains and hate on them and be done with it but I thought it would interesting to write them as friend and boyfriend who genuinely does love Rachel and are obstacles between Rachel/Sam without trying, meaning to or even knowing it. I'm surprised that some people don't seem to like this...I mean; it's not a story without drama, right? And Rachel and Quinn are kind of friends on the show now anyway (just not as close as in this story). Plus there is a purpose for every Faberry/Finchel interaction. __**Also,**__ I felt really creepy about this but I spent a few minutes looking up both 'Quinn Fabray' and 'Dianna Agron' on both Google Web and Google Images and like stared really close-up at the photos and looked up the information and I'm pretty sure she has green eyes. Sometimes they look blue or hazel under certain lights but they're really green. I think it's safe to say that Sam and Quinn are both blonde and blue-green eyed. __**But**__ thank you to everyone who reviewed._

_Just a heads up that the next chapter will be partly based on Pretty Little Liars again but probably not in the way that you might expect._

_Lyrics are from Baby covered by Glee._

_This story is merely for my enjoyment and yours (hopefully). The only thing I get from this is the joy I get when people __**review *hint hint***__. I do not own Glee._


	9. Working Up An Appetite

_..._

_I met him out for dinner on a Friday night_

_He really had me working up an appetite_

* * *

><p>They were quiet as they were lying in bed together, wearing very little clothing, their bodies tangled up in each other.<p>

"I have protection." The dark-haired man whispered against her lips. "It's on the nightstand."

She smiled and turned around to grab the condom then turned back.

"So where were we?" Now the man had blonde hair and blue-green eyes as he put his hand on her cheek and leant in to kiss her and she put her hand on his chest, feeling the muscles there that were almost non-existent before...

Rachel Berry's alarm went off and her eyes flew open as she immediately sat up.

_Not again._

* * *

><p>As soon as Rachel arrived at school, she marched over to Quinn's locker.<p>

"I'm in the middle of the most overwhelming infatuation and I don't know how to stop it." She blurted out.

"Whoa, slow down." The blonde girl turned to her. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm falling for Sa – Chord."

Quinn squinted at her. "Just to clarify, are we talking about that bleached blonde, Bieber fringed, blue-eyed stripper who goes to Carmel High?"

"It's not bleached, it's dyed with lemo – yeah, that's him."

"What's he like?"

"Clever. Kind. Sexy."

"What fun!" Quinn laughed, either unwilling or unable to get the seriousness of the situation.

"Not really. I think I'm actually falling for him." She whisper-hissed this confession as they walked down the hallway.

"You can't be." Quinn said simply. "You're in love with Finn. Maybe you've just never been such close friends with a guy before and you're getting confused? I mean, you've been hanging out with this guy all year, all the time, right?"

"I can be just friends with a guy. I'm best friends with Kurt." Rachel pointed out defensively.

Quinn just looked at her. "He's gay, he's happily taken and you're not physically attracted to him."

"I know...the whole thing with Chord...I think it's been creeping up on me for a while now." The brunette confessed.

"So why are you only saying all this now?"

"Because..." She sighed, exasperated. "He took me out last week and I saw his whole..._stripping act_ and then he bought me dinner and the whole thing just felt very..._intimate. _Especially when he took me to see his new apartment and the only place to sit was on his bed. I mean, nothing happened but it was pretty awkward and he's been asking for me to come over again but I've been brushing him off."

Quinn paused and took out her phone. "Before you continue, I'm calling in back-up. This is way outside my expertise. Meet me in G08 after school. We'll talk then."

* * *

><p>Quinn slammed the gavel down. "This emergency meeting is now in session. Now, Rachel, I realize that you might not trust Santana but I've made her swear to secrecy and take this seriously." Quinn watched as Santana filed her nails. "As seriously as she can anyway. The floor is all yours."<p>

Rachel took a deep breath. "I've been having dreams where Finn and I get...almost intimate."

"Almost?" Brittany tilted her head curiously.

"But every time we're just about to...he get's replaced by this other guy."

"What other guy?" Santana stopped filing her nails and actually seemed intrigued now.

"This guy that I know...that I've been friends with for a while now."

"How long have you been having these dreams for?"

"Every night, sometimes more than one per night...for the past week. Ever since I watched him perform his whole stripper routine."

"He stripped for you?" Santana looked at her incredulously.

"He's a professional stripper." Rachel looked down. "I was there for his last night...working."

"Man Hands is friends with a stripper." She snorted. "Oh, I can't wait to hear how this plays out."

"_Ex _stripper." Rachel emphasised. "And you were right, Quinn. It does...tend to give you some _feelings_." She paused. "God, what I wouldn't give for just a nice simple nightmare; something about not getting a solo for Nationals."

Quinn and Santana gave her weird looks while Brittany just nodded sympathetically.

"I don't think I can ignore these feelings anymore..." She continued. "I think I like him...like _really _like him...a lot more than I should."

Santana rolled her eyes. "Listen, virgin, I think you're getting love and sex confused."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about this guy showing up in your dreams. You're dreaming about what you want and it's not him declaring his undying love for you; it's called having an itch you want scratched and not necessarily by him. I mean, you dream about Finn first, right? Maybe you just want a happy moment and right now your body doesn't care who gives it to you."

"So...you're saying I'm – I'm..."

"Horny? Pretty much, yeah." Then seeing Rachel's red face, she added, "God, what are you so embarrassed about? You said it yourself that girls want sex just as much as boys. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Rachel sank a little lower in her seat.

"Look, you want my advice?" Santana sighed. "Just do it with Finn already. Although I'm warning you that it's like being smothered by a sweaty, out of breath sack of potatoes that someone soaked in body spray. But you're a horny virgin so I'm sure anyone will do."

"I wouldn't put it exactly like that but I agree." Quinn put her hand on Rachel's arm while Brittany nodded.

"_You're_ encouraging Midget to scan her V card at your ex boyfriend's register?" Santana raised her eyebrow.

Quinn just rolled her eyes. "I'm over Finn. I think it's about time we can all put our differences aside now that Senior year is upon us."

* * *

><p>Finn held Rachel in his arms as they were lying in bed together.<p>

"This was so worth the wait." She turned to face him.

"I wish you could stay over every night." Finn smiled at her and watched as she got out of bed naked.

Walking across to the mirror sitting on his desk facing his bed, Rachel stared at her reflection thoughtfully then looked down to pick up her hair tie.

When she looked back up to tie her hair, she could see the top half of his body exposed in the reflection of the mirror, standing beside her.

"You can't stop thinking about me, can you?" Sam whispered in her ear.

His breath tickled her neck and she could barely control a shiver as she smiled and the alarm went off.

_Why is the alarm going off at night? _Rachel thought then opened her eyes and found herself lying in bed. _Because it's the morning and it's time for school._ She answered her own question miserably as she threw off the blanket and got out of bed.

Rachel Barbra Berry was on a mission.

She was going to lose her virginity. And fast.

The truth was, when Santana first suggested it yesterday, she was sceptical. She remembered what Sam said about doing it for the wrong reasons but now Sam _was _the reason.

_No, wait, no he's not,_ Rachel reminded herself. _Remember what Santana said; it's not him, it's you. You don't want him, you just want **someone** and he got into your head but you have Finn._

* * *

><p>"Hey." Rachel walked right up to Finn at his locker and kissed him. I'm sorry, <em>kissed<em> him? Rachel Berry was performing mouth-on-mouth _resuscitation_ on him.

"Whoa." He smiled as they broke apart then his eyes widened. "We're not celebrating something, are we?"

"No." Rachel laughed. "I'm just really – " _horny,_ she could hear Santana's voice saying in her head, " – happy and I don't want to keep that to myself."

"Oh." Finn smiled. "Okay."

"And hey, I was thinking, um," Rachel looked nervously up at him. "I'm going to have the house to myself tonight so...maybe you could come over."

"You mean...to your house?" Finn said and she could see the wheels turning in his mind. "...I'll be there at six."

Rachel smiled and kissed him again.

"Oh man." Finn breathed as he watched her walk away.

* * *

><p>That night, they were quiet as they were lying in Rachel's bed together, their bodies tangled up in each other.<p>

"I have protection." Finn whispered against her lips.

"Me too." Rachel smiled. "It's on my nightstand." She turned around to grab the condom then turned back.

"So where were we?" Sam smirked.

"Not another dream!" Rachel cried as she quickly untangled her legs from his.

"What?" Finn asked, confused as he put his hand on her arm.

Rachel froze for a minute, squinting her eyes at him. She didn't know why but this felt weirdly familiar somehow and not just because of the dreams...then it dawned on her. She remembered when she dated Puck briefly in sophomore year; they were making out when she suddenly saw Finn's face instead of Puck's. Ironically, it just happened to her again but this time it was with Finn/Sam.

Rachel's head hurt. "This is starting to feel like Inception." She mumbled.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"Nothing." Rachel shook her head and pulled him in for another kiss.

"Mm...wait, wait." He pulled back. "Before we do this, I need to know...why now? The last time we talked about this, you said you wanted to wait until you won a Tony."

"Any major award." Rachel corrected. "Or a Golden Globe. People's Choice would have gotten you to third base. I don't know...all I know is that we spend entirely too much time thinking...don't you think?" She whispered as she pulled him in again.

"Mm..." He mumbled as they kissed.

Rachel closed her eyes and tried to give in to her other senses as his lips moved to her neck.

"Sam." She breathed.

He froze and a second later, she froze as well.

"What did you just say?" Finn sat up.

"I didn't say anything." Rachel hurriedly sat up as well and tried to pull him back down to the bed again but he gently brushed her off.

"You said 'Sam'." He turned over so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No, no, I didn't. I – I said 'Finn'."

"Who's Sam?"

"Nobody!" Rachel cried.

"Who. Is. Sam." Finn said, more slowly now as if each word was a sentence.

She did some quick thinking. "Chord."

"Chord...?"

"...is his middle name. His first name is Sam but...but that's also his dad's name and you know how confusing that would get, so everybody just knows him as his middle name...except for his family and closest friends." Despite the circumstances, Rachel was proud of herself for thinking up an explanation on the spot that almost kind of made sense.

"And you're one of his closest friends now." Finn said it quietly like a statement rather than a question.

"Look, I'm sorry. Can we just...forget it happened and pick up where we left off?" Rachel pleaded softly.

"Why do you want to do this?" He asked.

"Be – because I want this."

"_This._" Finn noted. "Not 'I _love you_' or hell, I would've settled for 'I _want_ you' but instead I get 'I _want this'_." He laughed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"No, _no_, I love you, I do. I just really want to do this with you and...no, wait, where are you going?" Rachel was holding back tears now as he stood up. "No...no. I'm...I'm...I'm ready. Please come back."

"I...I think I need some space." Finn shook his head as he walked to the door.

"Are we...breaking up?" She whispered.

For a long time, Finn didn't say anything. Finally, he turned to face Rachel. "I think we need to go on a break."

And then he left her there; hurt, alone...and more than a little confused.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> **I DON'T CARE IF YOU NEVER READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE, YOU NEED TO READ THIS ONE! **_**Before you read the next chapter, you need to watch Julia Sheer and Tyler Ward's acoustic cover of Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift. I KNOW YOU'RE PROBABLY NOW THINKING "THAT'S IT?" BUT I DON'T CARE IF YOU HATE TAYLOR SWIFT OR ARE A FAN AND HAS ALREADY HEARD SPARKS FLY, THIS ACOUSTIC COVER IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO TAYLOR'S VERSION. I will put a link up on my profile and you need to watch it and listen to the lyrics and review with your thoughts. You'll find the next chapter difficult to imagine if you don't so just...just watch it.**_

_**Also, just so everyone knows, after a lot of deliberation, I've decided that although the story is becoming less innocent, it still only merits a PG-13 rating.**_

_**I know I've probably put some expectations in everyone's heads now for the next few chapters but please try to dispel them as you may find yourself disappointed.**_

_Lyrics at the beginning are from Candyman covered by Glee._

_I don't claim Glee in any way, shape or form._


	10. Sparks Fly

**AN: You didn't have to watch the video but I think you might find this chapter a little difficult to imagine if you didn't.**

* * *

><p>"What are you doing here?" Sam opened the door to find Rachel standing on his doorstep with some sheets of paper in her hand.<p>

It had been two weeks since they last talked outside of class.

"I need you to teach me how to play the guitar." She sighed and walked past him and into his apartment.

"And you couldn't ask Puck to do this?" He turned to face her.

Rachel paused. "Huh. I didn't think of that." She lied. In truth, she needed Sam to teach her in order to knock over two birds with one stone; she needed to get Finn back and she needed to redraw the blurred lines between her and Sam. Surely Finn will realize that nothing's going on if he helped her perform a song for Finn?

"Rachel." Sam sighed, still holding the door open. "What are you really doing here?"

"What do you mean?" She blinked.

"I mean you haven't talked to me for two weeks and now you show up at my apartment suddenly and randomly wanting me to teach you guitar?" He cried, frustrated. "I don't have time for games."

"Um." Rachel's voice shook. "I'm sorry. I thought that, um, whatever happens, I can always count on you. But I guess I was wrong." She started walking towards the open door.

"Wait." Sam put out his hand and sighed. "I'm sorry. You're right." He closed the door. "You can count on me...always." He tried to smile and didn't do a half bad job at it.

* * *

><p>"So tell me what happened." Sam asked as they sat on his bed.<p>

"You may have already heard that Finn and I broke up last week." Rachel said carefully.

"I may have heard something about that." His lips twitched in amusement.

"Well, I want to play a song for him to win him back and show him that I really am ready for sex." She explained, trying not to feel awkward. Friends talked about these kinds of things, didn't they?

"I see." Sam's face seemed like he didn't know how to react.

"I tried 'Teenage Dream' by Katy Perry but I felt like the song was too...considering that Finn and I aren't actually together right now, it was..." Rachel shook her head, unable to find the words to explain.

Sam just nodded his head neutrally.

"So then I tried 'Sparks Fly' by Taylor Swift but it still felt..." Rachel bit her lip. "Anyway, so finally I found this acoustic cover on YouTube and I just...I mean, the subtlety of the singing and the music..." She left that train of thought hanging. "The only problem is I don't know how to play guitar. I mean, in the video there's a girl singing and a guy playing the guitar but I figure I should perform the song by myself. Plus, I think Finn will like the effort I made to learn a musical instrument basically for him. And he'll like that you were the one who taught me."

Sam's eyebrows furrowed. "Why would he like me teaching you?"

"Because...you can't like me as more than just a friend if you're going to help me get back together with another guy, right?" Rachel forced a laugh and Sam forced himself to laugh with her.

After their ridiculously fake laughs subsided, they both unconsciously sighed sadly.

The silence that followed was brief but wistful.

"So anyway, I've already memorized the lyrics but I've printed out the music for you and I was hoping we could make a start on it today." She handed the papers to him.

"Oh, sure." Sam studied the papers for a minute then nodded. "Okay, I think I can work with this."

He stood up and grabbed his guitar sitting in the corner then sat back down.

"Before we can even look at this though," Sam pushed the papers aside, "let me teach you some basic chords first."

The next hour passed like a dream. He showed her some chords on the guitar then handed it to her and told her to copy. He kept showing her the hand position but she couldn't get it exactly right until finally he just laughed and went, "Here," and gently laid his hand over hers, moving her fingers to the right strings. Slowly, he did the same with the other chords until she started getting the hang of it. Then he tried to teach her small parts of the song which she could play well enough individually but failed dismally when it came to pulling the parts together.

"You know what," Sam said after her thirtieth try, "how about I play the song first and you just sing so you can hear how it's supposed to sound all together?"

"Okay." Rachel nodded and handed the guitar to him.

He strummed a chord and she started singing, soft and slow.

_The way you move is like a full on rainstorm_

_And I'm a house of cards_

She could feel his eyes on her but decidedly looked straight at the wall.

_You're the kind of reckless_

_That should send me running_

_But I kinda know that I won't get far_

_And you stood there in front of me_

_Just__**...close enough to touch**_

Sam joined in singing.

_Close enough to hope you couldn't see_

_What I was thinking of_

_**Drop everything now**_

_**Meet me in the pouring rain**_

_**Kiss me on the sidewalk**_

_**Take away the pain**_

_**'Cause I see sparks fly**_

_**Whenever you smile**_

_Get me with those green eyes, baby_

_**As the lights go down**_

_**Give me something that'll haunt me**_

_**When you're not around**_

_**'Cause I see sparks fly**_

_**Whenever you...smile**_

_This feels weird, _Rachel thought. Sam wasn't supposed to be singing with her. And she meant to replace 'green eyes' with 'brown'.

_My mind forgets to remind me_

_**You're a bad idea**_

_You touch me once and it's really something_

_You find I'm __**even better than you imagined I would be**_

_I'm on my guard for the rest of the world_

_But with you...__**I know it's no good**_

_And I could wait patiently_

_But...__**I really wish you would...**_

_**Drop everything now**_

_**Meet me in the pouring rain**_

_**Kiss me on the sidewalk**_

_**Take away the pain**_

_**'Cause I see sparks fly**_

_**Whenever you smile**_

_Get me with those green eyes, baby_

_**As the lights go down**_

_**Give me something that'll haunt me**_

_**When you're not around**_

_**'Cause I see sparks fly**_

_**Whenever you...**_

_I'll run my fingers through your hair_

_And watch the lights go wild..._

_Just keep on keeping your eyes on me_

Sam had kept his eyes on her the whole song.

_It's just__** wrong enough to make it feel right**_

_And lead me up the staircase_

_Won't you whisper,__** soft and slow?**_

_**I'm captivated by you, baby**_

_**Like a firework show...**_

_God, she's beautiful._

_**Drop everything now**_

_**Meet me in the pouring rain**_

_**Kiss me on the sidewalk**_

_**Take away the pain**_

_**'Cause I see sparks fly**_

_Whenever you smile_

_Get me with those __**brown eyes, baby**_

She looked at him in surprise as he sang 'brown eyes'.

_**As the lights go down**_

_**Give me something that'll haunt me**_

_**When you're not around**_

_**'Cause I see sparks fly**_

_**Whenever you...**__smile_

The last note played with an ominous echo as they stared at each other.

And in that moment, she could see it.

In another life.

In an alternate universe.

In a different world.

She would be with him.

In a heartbeat.

If she hadn't fallen in love with Finn first.

If he wasn't her teacher.

If things were different.

But they weren't.

Suddenly afraid that he could see what she was thinking of, she tried to hold onto reason but any kind of reason that was still left inside of her flew out the window as he put down the guitar.

And kissed her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:<strong>__ Just to clear up any confusion about the timeline, it's over half-way through Senior Year by now._

_To **MixedChick1998**, your private messaging is disabled? So I'm replying here. Thank you for that wonderful review! Haha, I love their cover so much! :)_

_Lyrics are from Sparks Fly written and originally performed by Taylor Swift, covered by Julia Sheer and Tyler Ward._

_What's mine is mine, what's not mine is probably RIB's or Taylor Swift's or Julia Sheer's or Tyler Ward's._


	11. Just Tonight

...

_ Just tonight, I will stay _

_And we'll throw it all away _

_When the light hits your eyes _

_It's telling me I'm right _

_And if I...I am through _

_Then it's all because of you _

_Just tonight..._

* * *

><p>Softly and slowly at first but as she kissed him back, he quickly upped the tempo and starts to kiss her long and hard. His kiss is passionate and dark and overwhelming; deeper and more adult than she was anticipating. His kisses feel as surprising and exotic as a stranger's kiss but as sexy and confident as a familiar lover's. They kiss forever. He kisses her lips and her jaw, her cheeks, her eyelids, her ears, her neck. They lose track of time and just roam. The kissing is all-consuming; she stops thinking about the loneliness, the frustration, the desperation yet the feelings still cling to her body somehow as she gives herself in to Sam's lips. Until he eventually yanks his T-shirt over his head in one rapid, impressive movement and she's captivated by his body. His torso is beautiful. She had already seen it of course but now it was hers to touch; not a dream but <em>real <em>and _warm_ beneath her fingers.

It was like her brain shut down and her body took over. The Rachel that was capable of rational thinking was not here, replaced instead by a girl in desperate need of a last hurrah before she committed herself to the inevitable; that they were never going to be together, not in this lifetime. But at least she could have him right here, right now in this one way out of all the many other ways she could not have him. This was her consolation; the small part of each other that they could have.

And all the words they've failed to articulate seem unessential. They were left in an open silence as they stripped off their clothing, exposed by their want and need of each other. Embarrassingly, she felt dizzy at the enormity of what was going to happen next between them but she did not want to stop it or even delay it a moment longer as she lay herself on the bed and he immediately followed.

The air around them feels warm as Sam's lips tangled into hers and they're kissing so deeply, she couldn't tell them apart; it was frenzied and fast and startling and didn't slow down until he positioned himself and then almost instantly sinks into her. There's no uncomfortable pain; no shock, nor did she expect there to be any.

Her body accepts him as though it's been waiting for him. And maybe it has. She stares at him and he stares back. They hold each other in that look and never lose sight of what they were doing and who they were doing it with. Not for a second. It feels astonishing. It feels crucial. It feels true. They're both breathing unsteadily, almost moaning, and she feels whole.

Slowly and gently, it was over in what felt like forever but was still too short. Nevertheless, she felt released and fulfilled in more ways than one as she quickly got dressed.

Sam was lying on the bed, staring at her. "You don't have to go –"

"That was perfect." Rachel whispered as she gently laid her hand on his cheek. "Thank you."

He suddenly got the strange feeling that she was saying goodbye. "Rach –"

"I'll always remember this." Her voice cracked and she quickly got out of there before the tears started falling.

* * *

><p>"I thought you said his name was Chord." Quinn had her arms wrapped around the brunette as she cried. "And you never said he could play the guitar."<p>

As soon as Rachel got home that night, she had called the blonde girl and filled her in on everything – well, not _everything _– but the dreams, why Finn and her broke up and what just happened between her and Sam. Quinn had listened without uttering a word until finally she just simply said, "I'll be right there." and now here she was.

This time last year if you told Rachel Berry that Quinn Fabray would be comforting her on her bedroom floor, she would have laughed in your face. Both girls would have. Funny how things work out.

"Chord is his middle name. His first name is Sam but that's also his dad's name and that would get really confusing, so everybody just mostly knows him as his middle name." Rachel said, giving her the same explanation she had given Finn. "And I didn't think his guitar playing skills was something I needed to mention."

They didn't say anything for a long time; it was quiet as Rachel's sobs eventually subsided into the occasional sniffle.

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, remember the same thing happened to me." Quinn said. "When I lost my virginity to Puck...I lost something that I could never get back. It changed me and it made _everything_ more complicated. The difference is that you and Finn weren't actually together at the time; and now that you've gotten Sam out of your system, you can make things right with Finn – don't make the same mistakes that I did."

Rachel just nodded and wiped away the last of her tears. Then her arms tightened around Quinn and she closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>"I hope I see everyone making some progress on the assignment next lesson." Sam said as the bell rang for the end of school the next day. "Rachel, can you please stay behind?"<p>

Santana gasped dramatically. "Uh oh, Berry's in trouble."

Rachel kept her head down as everyone left.

"I think we need to talk about last night." Sam said, closing the door.

"There's nothing to talk about." She stayed in her seat.

"No – _nothing to talk about?_" Sam spluttered. "Rach." He walked over to her and knelt down, taking her hands in his. "What we did was...not smart. I mean..." He glanced back at the closed door then whispered, "_I didn't even use protection."_ He couldn't even look at her as he said this. "And I'm sorry for that. I should've taken responsibility. I mean...I have slept with..._a lot _of girls in the past but _never_, have I _ever _been so reckless about it."

"I took the morning after pill." Rachel said tonelessly.

"Well that's...good." Sam finished lamely. "But I'm not just talking about protection. I'm talking about..._do you know how much trouble I could get into?_"

"No one knows that you're Sam." She whispered defensively. "And even if they do, they can't know you're _that _Sam."

"And you and Finn only broke up a week ago –"

'Okay, I get it." Rachel closed her eyes. "You regret it."

"I _should_ but that's the thing, Rach; that's what scares me. I actually –"

"It actually makes things a lot easier." She didn't want to hear about all the many reasons why he regretted it. "I can go back to Finn and we can...I think we shouldn't see each other anymore. Not as friends or...not as friends."

Rachel opened her eyes to see Sam staring at her with several different emotions; confusion, frustration and – she must've been imagining this last one – hurt. "Is that really what you want?"

She nodded and he let go of her hands as she got up and left.

* * *

><p>The next few days passed like a blur. Rachel and Finn still weren't speaking and neither was she and Sam, except for the occasional awkward hello in class or when walking past each other in the hallways.<p>

She had gotten Puck to teach her the rest of the song on the guitar and remembered to replace 'green eyes' this time with 'brown'. Finally, she had learned the whole song and Noah had kindly let her borrow his guitar after she promised to return it in the exactly the same condition it was given to her in.

"Hey." Rachel smiled tentatively as Finn opened the door to his house. "Can I come in?"

He hesitated, eyeing the guitar case she was holding.

"Please?" She said softly. "I think it's time we talked."

Finn sighed, holding the door wide open. "Fine."

She walked in and he closed the door behind her.

"Where is everybody?" Rachel asked as she set down the guitar case on the living room floor and sat down on the couch.

"Burt and Carole are upstairs watching TV." Finn explained, sitting down with her. "Kurt's in his room doing his homework I guess. I can call him down if you want. What's with the guitar case?

"Never mind that now. I'm here to talk to you." She said, taking his hands into hers and taking a deep breath. "I want to be with you. And because of that, I want to be as honest with you as I can. A week before we tried to sleep together, I went out with Sam – as a friend – to see him on his last night as a stripper –"

"You –"

"I thought I could handle it but as it turns out, I couldn't. Nothing happened but...I started getting confused about my feelings. But I'm clearheaded now. Quinn pointed out that I've never been such close friends with a guy before and the lines were just getting blurred. Santana pointed out that I was just, um, horny." Her face flushed as Finn looked at her with raised eyebrows. "And Brittany pointed out just yesterday that it's always been you so why should that change now?"

"I still find it kind of weird that you're friends with them now."

"Me too." Rachel laughed. "But it's Senior Year; a time for some things to change and for others to remain exactly the way they've always been...like us."

Finn softened at that and smiled, squeezing her hand. She smiled back – sadly because of what she was going to say next.

"I wanted to perform a song for you and I found one on YouTube but I needed to learn how to play the guitar so I went to Sam –"

"You never told me that he played the guitar –"

"– I didn't realize it was important." Rachel said coolly then sighed. "He taught me some basic chords and then we decided to go through the song with just him playing and me singing and then...he kissed me –"

"Again?"

"– and one thing lead to another and we slept together." She closed her eyes, waiting for his reaction. When there was nothing but silence, she peeked open an eye to see him staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "Uh...I did say that last part out loud, right?"

"You..." Finn seemed to struggle with what to say, "...cheated on me...again..."

"This is completely different to last time –"

He stood up. "Yeah because _this_ time, you _slept _with another guy _and _you have feelings for him –"

"No, it's different because we weren't together at the time! Neither are we now but – but I'm trying to fix that."

"We never broke up! We were on a break!"

"That, for all I knew, could last forever. That, to me, is a break _up_."

"You think you're going to get out of this on a _technicality?_"

"Look, I'm not trying to get out of anything, okay? I thought our relationship was dead and I was trying to revive it."

"Well you sure as hell have a funny way of doing that by _sleeping with another guy!_"

"What's going on here?" Kurt walked into the room. "Burt and Carole can't hear the TV over the two of you shouting and I can't concentrate on my homework."

"Kurt, this –"

"Nothing." Finn said loudly. "Absolutely _nothing _is going on here."

"Finn –"

"Just go." He said, suddenly quiet.

Rachel looked to Kurt for help but he just gave her a sad smile.

Dejected, she picked up the guitar case and kept her head down.

"Call me when you get home." Kurt whispered, gently squeezing her arm as she walked past him.

She nodded and kept walking until she was out on the front steps and Finn slammed the door closed; leaving her alone with her tears.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:<strong>__ I'm so glad most of you liked the song choice and how I incorporated it into the last chapter! Although, I'm surprised that only one of my reviewers guessed what was going to happen after Sam kissed Rachel._

_I hope no one thinks the sex is out of character for Rachel; remember the Rachel in Season 1? You know, the one who wasn't so high-maintenance about sex? And plus, the Rachel in this story is very confused. During the last chapter, she accepted that she could never have Sam in the relationship sense so this was her way of having him before giving herself into what she believes is the inevitability that she belongs with Finn. And she really thought that Finn and her were broken up at the time._

_I know I said previously that I was going to keep my rating the same but now I've decided to change it to M just to be safe with this chapter._

_I would like to acknowledge that bits and pieces of this chapter (namely most of the sex scene), I had based on other people's writing. (Anyone recognize the "Break vs. Break Up" fight from Ross and Rachel in Friends?)_

_I deleted the tampon comment and decided just to leave the **"no uncomfortable pain"** part. I'm just so irritated with people who write smut and mentions how much it hurts for the girl. That, to me, is an out-dated concept because nowadays most girls' hymens break before their first sexual encounter (due to tampons or vigorous exercise)._

_To **Kai**, thank you for the review! Happy New Year to you as well! **Infact, Happy New Year to everyone! **Lyrics at the beginning and chapter title is from Just Tonight by The Pretty Reckless._

_As everyone knows, Glee belongs to RIB and I am just playing with their characters and building ideas off their ideas._


	12. On A Mission

**...**

**The Finchel Reunion Plan**

**Written by: **Rachel Berry

**The Operative: **Rachel Berry (hereafter referred to as "R")

**The Subject: **Finn Hudson (hereafter referred to as "F")

**Summary: **After R got home and cried for hours on the phone with one Kurt Hummel, she decided that she was on a mission. Again.

**Mission: **To reconcile the romantic relationship between R and F.

* * *

><p><strong>Mission Log:<strong>

**Day 1. (Monday)**

R corners F at his locker.

**R: **I slept with Sam again.

**F: **You what? You cheated on me again?

**R: **I wasn't aware that we're still together.

**F: **We're not.

**R: **Then why did you just say I was cheating?

F stares at R's cool and calculating expression.

**F: **Oh, haha, I get it now. You didn't really sleep with Sam again, did you? You were just saying that to make a point.

**R: **How can you blame for thinking we were broken up when you can't even say for sure whether or not we're together right now?

R leaves F to ponder this question.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 2. (Tuesday)<strong>

R convinces Algebra teacher to pair her with F, despite F's protests.

**R: **You lost your virginity to Santana and never told me.

**F: **That was different.

**R: **How?

**F: **We weren't together at the time.

**R: **And neither were we when I slept with Sam.

F stays silent for the rest of the lesson.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 3. (Wednesday)<strong>

R corners F into the male B Block toilets at lunch.

**F: **Hey, what the – this is the guy's toilets...isn't it?

**R: **You forgave Quinn. She slept with your best friend – fully knowing you two were together at the time – and then made you believe that you were the father of her baby.

**F: **I thought you and Quinn were friends now.

**R: **We are. I am a very forgiving person.

R gives F a meaningful look as she walks away.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 4. (Thursday)<strong>

F finds R in his car when he gets in to drive home from school.

**F: **Ohmygod, Rachel, what the –

F proceeds to use severe coarse language.

**R: **Kurt let me in.

**F: **He told me he left his phone in the car.

**R: **Obviously he lied to get the keys off you. But let's get straight to it: you let Quinn cheat on Rory with you.

**F: **I didn't _let _her do anything. It takes two to mango.

**R: **Tango.

**F: **Same thing.

R gets out of F's car without a word.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 5. (Friday)<strong>

F walks into the choir room for Glee practice, to see only R there.

**F: **Is this another ambush?

**R: **I've asked everyone to arrive a little later today.

**F: **So this is another ambush?

**R: **Puck was your best friend and he slept with your girlfriend and went along with the all the lies while trying to steal her away from you. You forgave him.

Everyone else started arriving for Glee practice before F could answer.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 6. (Saturday)<strong>

F is listening to music in his room when suddenly the door bursts open and R is seemingly pushed in by somebody's hand.

**F: **Kurt, you traitor! We're supposed to be brothers!

**Kurt Hummel: **Sorry but my loyalty lies with Rachel on this one.

Kurt closes the door.

**R: **Even if the combination of what you did to me, what you did to Rory, and what Quinn and Puck did to you is not as bad as what I did to you...at least I was honest about it.

**F: **So you're saying you did nothing wrong?

**R: **No. All I'm saying is that none of us have ever been perfect – you, me, Quinn, Santana, Puck...but you forgive everyone except for me.

**F: **Okay, Rachel, I get the idea. Can you please go now?

**R: **No. I want to stay. I want to talk about this.

**F: **Okay. Alright. What was it like?

**R: **What?

**F: **Was it like having sex with Sam?

**R: **...

**F: **Come on, Rachel, you said you want to talk about it. Let's talk about it. What was it like?

**R: **It was like...something I needed to do before I could come back to you.

**F: **What is that even supposed to mean?

**R: **It means that...I thought I had feelings for him. But I've always been in love with you.

F seems to soften just the tiniest bit.

**F: **I don't know, Rach. I think I still need some time.

**R: **I understand.

R leaves.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 8. (Monday)<strong>

F walks into the choir room for Glee practice, to see only R there sitting with a guitar.

**F: **Where is everyone?

**R: **I, um, I asked everyone to arrive a little later today...again.

R proceeds to perform the song for F, remembering to replace 'green eyes' with 'brown' this time.

**F: **This is the song you sang with Sam right before you two slept together right?

Silence.

F walks out.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 9. (Tuesday)<strong>

R catches F before he enters the cafeteria for lunch.

**R: **I really thought we were over. If you had started seeing someone else, I wouldn't have thought you were cheating.

**F: **Alright, let's say that I had slept with somebody else. Would you be able to forgive me?

**R: **Well, it wouldn't have been cheating.

**F: **But you would be upset right?

**R: **Well...yes, it would hurt. But I'd still want to be with you.

R walks away before she can get too emotional.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 10. (Wednesday)<strong>

R sits in bleachers and watches football practice. When it's over, F walks over and sits next to her.

**R: **I'm sorry, okay? I thought I'd lost you and I didn't know what to do.

**F: **So you slept with someone else.

**R: **I've already explained that.

**F: **Well, I still don't get it.

**R: **Finn –

**F: **So explain again.

**R: **What's the point?

**F: **Make me understand. Because I'm...I'm trying to but I just can't –

**R: **The moment Sam and I finished singing that song...was the moment that I realized I would be with him...if it weren't for a lot of things...if it weren't for you. And then he kissed me and it was selfish of me but it was then I realized that I could still have him...in some way...before I let him go.

**F: **But why did you have to have him in some way before coming back to me? Is being with me so horrible that you need to sleep with someone else before you can do it?

**R: **No, it had nothing to do with you. He was something different. Something I couldn't have. Like I said, I was just being selfish because I couldn't have both of you. But I'm here now because I want you.

R kisses him on the cheek then leaves.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 11. (Thursday)<strong>

R sits next to F in Algebra.

**R: **I wouldn't be making this much of an effort if I didn't want to be with you. Even the reason I went to Sam in the first place was only because I was making an effort to get you back. You're the one who gave up on us – or at least acted like you did which is actually worse and then you wonder how I could think we were over?

**F: **That's...

**R: **That's what?

**F: **I just needed some space.

**R: **Well space was the last thing I needed. You should never have walked out. You should have stayed and we should have talked about it. A good relationship should be based on honesty and communication right? You can't just run away when things get difficult. And now...it's difficult right now. And what are you going to do about it? How are you going to handle it? You want to fight for us this time or do you want to give up again?

F stays silent for the rest of the lesson.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 12. (Friday)<strong>

R barges into F's room, having been let in by Kurt.

**R: **So this is it, huh? This is how it's going to end? Even though there's got to be way we can work past this. After everything we've been through together, you're just going to throw it all away?

**F: **Don't act like I'm the bad guy here.

**R: **You're not but neither am I.

**F:** Can you please just go?

**R:** No. I want to stay. I want to talk about this.

**F:** Okay. Alright. Fine. I admit that what Quinn did was much worse and I forgave her for it. And so what if you technically didn't cheat on me? In that case, I admit that the whole me and Santana thing was much worse because I never told you about it. But what you did with Sam...hurt more. Because you have feelings for him.

**R:** You of all people should know that losing your virginity to someone doesn't necessarily mean you're in love with them.

**F:** ...I'm going to ask you a question.

**R:** Okay.

**F:** And I want you to answer honestly.

**R:** I've been honest with you. I told you about what happened with Sam when I could have just as easily never told you!

**F:** Do you have feelings for him?

**R:** ...I'm right here, right now, trying to get back together with you, just like how I've been trying for the past...god, I don't even know long. If I wanted to be with him, what's stopping me?

When F doesn't say anything, R just sighs and leaves.

* * *

><p><strong>Day 13. (Saturday)<strong>

F texts R, asking her to come over to his house.

**R:** Where is everybody?

**F:** Kurt's out with Blaine. Burt and Carole have some kind of meet and great –

**R: **Meet and greet?

**F: **Yeah, they've been getting those a lot lately ever since Burt won the election – and are spending the night elsewhere.

**R: **You know I really am sorry...about –

**F: **Yeah, I know. I thought a lot about everything you've said and...I want to make this work.

R smiles and kisses him with an unspoken question.

**F: **I'm not sure...I mean, after you and –

**R: **Look, I'm not going to say that it was a mistake. Because it lead me to where I am now. Right here with you. Where I belong.

F smiles and they kiss and go up to F's bedroom and do acts that R refuses to record down on paper.

**Mission Status: **Accomplished.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_To anyone (namely __**theluckyclover**__?) who may recognize the significance of 13 in relation to Taylor Swift: I didn't do it on purpose. I swear. It just kind of came up to 13 days and…well. I also hope you don't feel cheated this chapter because although there's lots of Finchel (which you like?), I think maybe my author's note is going to take up half of it._

_**This is kind of a reply to AugustineEmmeline and a message to readers in general**__: Normally I'd reply to reviews just before I update but I feel like I need to explain myself in regards to the previous chapter. Yes, she is 17 and I don't know how it works in the US but in Australia, when you turn 16, you can pretty much have sex with anyone over 16. Besides, I would've thought that the bigger issue here was the teacher - student thing but you guys would've known this was coming, right? Maybe not in the previous chapter but eventually? _

_Although he has an apartment now, there's not much in there and he still doesn't have a lot of money. Why would he spend money on protection when he wasn't having sex with anyone and wasn't planning to? And even if he did have protection, the point was that the whole thing was very spur of the moment and reckless. _

**_Now this is something another person has mentioned_**_**;** the whole Rachel being honest with Finn thing. I'm very surprised that people don't like this? People would rather she lie to Finn and get back together with him and make him believe she lost her virginity to him? But…that's kind of a horrible thing to do…_

_It's not that Rachel thinks she "has" to be with Finn. She's accepted that she loves them both but she belongs with Finn. She knows she would be with Sam if she hadn't met Finn first. But since that's not the case, she wants to be honest with Finn because she loves him. _

_They really were broken up at the time even though Finn insisted in the previous chapter that they were "on a break". _

_She didn't think Finn would be okay with what she did but she needed to tell him anyway before trying to get back together. Otherwise if they got back together without her telling him first, when he eventually finds out, he would never forgive her. At least this way, she has a chance. _

_I don't know the first names of any of my teachers. And a lot of people just aren't that observant. If it doesn't directly affect them, they usually won't remember the details and if they do, they almost never put two and two together because as far as they know, there isn't anything to actually __**put**__ together._

_**Thanks anyway for reviewing. Even if it's to bombard me with questions, it at least lets me know that you're taking an active interest in the story.**_

_I am required to repeatedly remind everyone that I am not a man and therefore can't be RIB and therefore can't own the rights to Glee._


	13. Been Waiting

...

_So I say to you..._

_Come home_

_Come home_

_Cause I've been waiting for you_

_For so long_

_For so long_

_And right now there's a war between the vanities_

_But all I see is you and me_

_The fight for you is all I've ever known..._

_So come home_

* * *

><p>"I love you." Finn whispered, wrapping his arms around Rachel as they were lying in bed.<p>

"I love you too." She buried her head in his chest and closed her eyes.

They were quiet for a long moment.

Finally Finn tentatively leant down and whispered in her ear. "So who's better?"

"Hmm...?"

"Who's better at it? Me or Sam?"

Rachel's eyes shot open and she pulled back. "Finn..." She said wearily. "I wasn't thinking about other guys when we were having sex...were you?"

Finn's eyebrows furrowed. "No..."

"Okay then." She snuggled back into his arms.

* * *

><p>Everything was perfect. Sure, Rachel found herself occasionally thinking about Sam; what he was doing, who he was seeing but that was only to be expected. He had been her best friend for quite some time and to feel a loss was quite normal. Yet even as two to three months went by, it was still awkward as they stared at each other warily whenever they saw each other at school.<p>

Today was no exception as Finn walked her to her last period English class.

"Hey." Rachel stopped to kiss Finn before they could reach the last few metres to Sam standing in the doorway and talking to Quinn.

She knew Quinn was flirting with Sam – yet again – and she did not want to bear witness to it. Nor did she want Finn to walk up to them and stick her in the middle of a conversation between her, Finn, Quinn and Sam.

"Hey." Finn smiled when they broke apart. "What was that for?"

"I'm just happy with the confidence of success." Rachel could see Sam staring at them and wondered if he was close enough to hear their conversation. "I mean, Kurt and I got into NYADA, the New Directions and the Troubletones joined together and won at Regionals and I have the hottest guy in school. I hope my radiance isn't too much for you."

Finn's smile widened. "It won't be after Friday."

"What's Friday?"

"That is the day the recruiter from Ohio state is coming and they're looking for a new quarterback."

"Really?" Rachel's mouth dropped open. "That's amazing."

"Yeah, I know. You're not..." Finn looked at her in surprise. "You're not pissed."

"No, no, of course not. It's not like NYADA has a football team." She smiled then turned serious. "It's really happening, you know? Our dreams are coming true and we're growing up."

"I know." He grinned. "And hey, I was thinking...after the game on Friday, we could go out for dinner, see a movie and then maybe come back to my place...we'll have the house to ourselves."

"I'll be there at seven." Rachel leant in for another kiss. "I'll see you later, okay?"

She watched as Finn walked away then glanced at Sam who quickly looked back at Quinn before she could catch his expression.

* * *

><p>"So who can tell me what persuasive language techniques have been used in the first paragraph of this article?" Sam asked as he walked around the classroom.<p>

Rachel, of course, immediately raised her hand as everyone sat there with bored expressions on their faces.

"Yes?" He walked over to her.

"Sarcasm." She lowered her hand. "When the writer states 'good luck'."

"How so?"

"Well, I think the writer is more trying to imply that luck is needed, rather than genuinely wishing 'good luck'."

"Really? I think the writer was genuinely wishing 'good luck' to show the reader that he's a fair person and that you can trust him to be unbiased."

"But the whole article goes on to say about how difficult it must be so the writer was definitely being sarcastic when he said 'good luck' –"

"I don't think you understand this article at all."

It was at this point that everyone was sitting up and paying attention now, exchanging looks with each other.

Seeing Rachel look down at her desk snapped Sam out of it. "I'm...sorry, what...are you trying to say?"

"Well...just that I interpret his wish of 'good luck' to be sarcastic." Her voice was small.

Sam nodded, resisted the urge to put his hand on her arm then walked to the front of the class.

* * *

><p>"What was that?" Rachel marched up to his desk as soon as everybody left at the end of class. "Attacking me in front of everyone? I mean, <em>everyone<em> knew that something was up. I mean, god...what was that? What? What, were you trying to teach me some kind of lesson or something? Because I just really don't need that from you."

Sam sighed. "I'm sorry."

She stared at him for a moment then sighed as well, her anger defused at the look on his face. "Look, I get that you hate me but can we try to be civil in class?"

"I could never hate you." He looked down at his desk. "I just hate myself. Seeing you and Finn able to be together so freely without...without all the complications. If I even just ask for us to be friends, it would be asking too much of you; asking you to sneak around and hole up with me in my motel room or apartment...to eat take-out you pay for both of us...but I can't take you out to a nice restaurant. And I can't see a movie with you unless I count to sixty before I enter the cinema after you."

Rachel listened without a word then slowly shook her head. "You really are an idiot. God, you really think I care about any of that stuff? None of what you just said changes the fact that...I miss you...I miss my best friend..." She sighed. "You know what I said a few months ago? Just...forget it, okay? I mean...why _can't_ we be friends?" She paused then suddenly laughed.

"Rachel –"

"Why can't we be friends?" She started singing and smiling winningly at him. "Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends?"

Sam just stared at her. Then he did a face palm but she could see a smile threatening to break out. "Rachel." He tried to stop himself by coughing. "Ohmygod, Rachel..." Finally he just couldn't stop laughing.

And after a while, she couldn't either.

* * *

><p>"But I thought you were coming over tonight!" Quinn protested when Rachel called from Sam's apartment to tell her that she was hanging out with Sam tonight. "Remember the recycling drive the church is holding? You promised you'd help me sort out all the things people donated!"<p>

"I know. I know." Rachel said, her voice implying the _Sorry._ "It's just that I haven't talked to Sam for so long and..." She trailed off guiltily. "Look, I'll help you on...Monday?"

Quinn sighed. "Fine but it better be nothing more two _friends_ catching up."

"Just because you and Puck can't be mature about the fact that you two slept together doesn't mean that Sam and I can't." Rachel snapped, annoyed at what Quinn was hinting at.

There was silence on the other end and she suddenly wondered if she had crossed a line. "Wait." Rachel sighed. "Quinn, I –"

"Nah, it's fine, I get it." She said shortly then hung up.

Rachel bit her lip and then tried to put it out of her mind as Sam came back from answering the door with a box of vegetarian pizza. _I'll make it up to her later._

* * *

><p>"Hey, Sam." Rachel beamed as she walked in the classroom the next morning before first period. "Last night was amazing! Just like old times, eh? So I was thinking I could come over again tomorrow night..." Her voice trailed off at his lack of response. "What's wrong?"<p>

Sam walked over to her and leant forward. For a second, she thought he was going to kiss her and her heart started beating really fast until she noticed he was just locking the door. It wasn't until Rachel let out a breath she hadn't even known she'd been holding that she realized she wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed.

"Why did you really come to see me yesterday?" Sam stepped back and looked at her.

Rachel couldn't decide whether or not she liked the way that he was looking at her; like he knew something she wasn't willing to admit. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I don't know what's going on here. You're my student, you're my best friend, we slept together and then you stop talking to me and then you're back again like nothing ever happened!" He ran his fingers through his hair. "It's...confusing, to say the least. I just want to know where I stand with you."

She looked at him for a moment then looked down. "I just want us to be friends like we were before. I threw away our friendship before because I wanted to respect my relationship with Finn but now I –"

"Regret it?" Sam walked back over to his desk.

"Exactly." Rachel smiled, so glad he understood.

"Because you want to be friends with me or is there something more?" He casually leaned back on his desk. Or at least he tried to appear casual which kind of failed since he miscalculated the distance and lost his balance momentarily.

Rachel was too busy choking – with tears or laughter she wasn't sure or maybe it was a weird combination of both – to notice his embarrassing misstep. "I'm sorry – what?"

Sam cleared his throat and stood up straight, giving up the plan to act casual. "Do you think that maybe the real reason you came to me yesterday was because...on a subconscious level...you wanted me to give you a reason not to spend the rest of your life with Finn Hudson?"

"Sam." She sighed and thought about what to say. "Last night...and all the time I've spent with you this year has been..."

"Has been what?"

Rachel didn't answer; just looked at him wishing she wasn't having this conversation.

"You can't even say it, can you?" He didn't say it in an accusing tone; just a sad one as he took a few steps closer to her. "Look, I don't know exactly...what it would even mean for us to be together but can you honestly look at me and tell me you're not the least bit curious?"

She didn't dare move as he reached out a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. They both seemed frozen and she didn't dare move in case it broke the spell. She thought about it for a heartbeat. Just one and then she'd made her decision. "Let's do it." Rachel breathed.

He looked at her quizzically and she elaborated. "Let's figure this out, just the two of us; figure out how we feel about each other and then we can go from there."

Sam laughed, more relieved than he could ever imagine. "That's great. This is great. Do you have any idea how great this is?"

"Well yes." She laughed. "I mean, I think so. I mean, I hope so."

"Let's leave tonight and go away for the weekend." Sam rushed, getting carried away now. "Let's pack a bag. Let's get away from everything and everyone and just figure it out."

Rachel smiled shyly at him. His enthusiasm was contagious. "But where would we go?"

"Who knows? Who cares?" He laughed. "We can go someplace far away where no one knows who we are. Just meet me at the bus stop on Manor Road...you know where that is, right?"

She quickly nodded. "Tonight...seven o' clock?"

"Sounds like a plan." Sam smiled and never in her entire life has she ever seen so much joy on somebody's face. Rachel wondered if her own smile was reflecting the same amount of joy as the bell rang.

She jumped as he leaned forward to unlock the door.

"Sam." Rachel whispered, her hand on the doorknob, not quite ready to say good-bye yet.

He looked at her.

"I'm scared." She admitted in a rush. "In a good way."

"Me too." Sam whispered then quickly stepped away as she opened the door and left.

* * *

><p>Rachel was in a state of dreamy bliss for the rest of the day. It wasn't until around six o'clock when she was at home packing a bag to meet Sam that she realized she had plans with Finn tonight.<p>

_Finn, your boyfriend, remember him?_

_Oh yeah..._

She froze, unsure what to do.

Even as she stood on Finn's doorstep twenty minutes later, she still wasn't sure what she was doing.

"Rachel." Finn looked surprised as he opened the door. "I thought we said seven, not..." He glanced at his watch, "twenty past six?"

"I, um, I wanted to talk to you beforehand." Rachel walked in and set her bag down on the living room floor. "Is anybody else home or...?"

"No, it's just us." Finn sighed and wearily sat down on the couch.

Rachel stared at him, taken aback at his depressed demeanour. "What's wrong?"

"He didn't like me." He said quietly.

"What?" Rachel asked, confused. "Who?"

"The recruiter. He watched the game and then I waited like an idiot for twenty minutes while he talked to Shane. I didn't even shower or change out of my uniform because I was afraid I'd miss him but they're going after Shane."

"Wait, I don't...I don't understand what any of this means –"

"It means I suck!" Finn stood up and she flinched at the volume of his outburst. "It means I'm gonna be stuck here forever! Cooter's not gonna recruit me. He said I...I reached my ceiling."

"There are other colleges." Rachel tried to reassure him.

"Like you applied to other schools besides NYADA?" Finn cried. "But you actually got in whereas I'm not good enough! I'm not a good...good enough quarterback to get a scholarship. I'm not a good enough singer to get into NYADA. It's all over for me." He sat back down on the couch burying his face in his hands.

"Stop it. Finn, look at me." Rachel gently pried Finn's hands from his face. "Your dreams are not dead, okay? You've just grown out of them. You have to find new ones now."

"I don't know how." He mumbled.

"Then we'll figure it out together." She paused. "In fact, I have to go."

"Wait, where are you going?" Finn turned to look at her as she stood up.

"There's something I have to do." Rachel said as she walked to the door. "I'm leaving my bag here so you know I'll be back."

* * *

><p>She came knocking to his apartment at forty past six, praying that he hadn't already left.<p>

Sam opened the door with a sports bag in his hand. "Hey." His eyes lit up and she hated it. "You're early. And you're here – I thought we agreed to meet on Manor Road? Oh well, it doesn't matter." He walked out and closed the door behind him. "Come on. Where's your bag?"

Sam turned to look at her and it was only then that he noticed the expression on her face.

"Please try to understand." She whispered.

He paused for a long moment. Then slowly, Sam nodded. "I think I do." He said quietly. "I'm just sorry."

"So am I." Rachel said and he looked down at his feet. "Wait, where are you going?" She broke off as he started to walk away.

Sam sighed and turned to face her. "I had my heart set out on this trip. Even if it's by myself now, I'm still going."

With that, he walked in one direction and, after staring at his retreating back for a minute, she walked in another.

* * *

><p>Rachel stared at the clock as the little hand reached seven and the big hand reached twelve.<p>

"What's wrong?" Finn asked as he held her in his arms.

"It's nothing." She mumbled as he leant over to kiss her.

After a minute of her kissing back with less enthusiasm than he could've hoped for, he pulled back. "No, seriously, what's wrong? You listened to me talk about the recruiter before. You can talk to me."

Rachel looked at him and almost smiled but then shook her head. "No. No, I can't. Maybe this time you're better off not knowing."

"This time?" Finn pulled back a little more. "Come on, remember what we said about no more secrets; no more lying? There is nothing so big that we can't work past it together."

Rachel sighed. "Fine. But you're not going to like it." And then she told him about hanging out with Sam again and their spontaneous plan to go on a trip together. She told him about remembering her original plans with him, coming over unsure what to do and realizing that she needed to be with him and not Sam. And lastly, she told him about how she went to see Sam to cancel and what he said about going anyway. "But I'm right here now with you okay? It doesn't matter and I am so sorry."

Finn listened to everything without a word then closed his eyes and sighed. "Go."

"What?"

"Go with Sam."

"...What?" Rachel said again, not sure if she heard right.

"You know in ninth grade, my English teacher had a poster hanging up in her classroom and it was this picture of the ocean –"

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"And it said 'If you love something, let it go. If it was meant to be, it will come back to you.'"

Rachel slumped in her seat. She could see where this was going. "Finn –"

"I never understood what that meant until now."

"Finn –"

"I'm officially breaking up with you."

"But –"

"What times does the bus come?" He jumped up and looked at the clock. "It's five past seven. He's there right now isn't he? Do you have his number?"

"I don't know." Rachel stood up. "He doesn't have a phone. Look, I've already had one crazy conversation today – planning to go away with him was crazy, I'll admit it – so can we please just sit back down and talk about this rationally? I'm sorry, okay? I was out of my mind. Come on, come on." She tried to put her hand on his arm as he paced around the room. "How insane must I have been to do something like this? Huh? Come on. I don't even know what bus we were going to take, let alone what time it comes. We didn't have a plan or a map, a when or a where; we didn't even know if we were going anywhere! Come on, this is _insane. _He's probably already on the bus right now halfway to god knows where and – what are you doing?"

Finn grabbed his car keys. "I'm driving you to Manor Road."

"What?" Rachel tried to grab the keys from him but he held it out of her reach. "No! Why?"

"Because it's faster than walking." He made his way over to the door and turned to look at her.

Rachel stared at him for a long moment. "Finn." She hesitated. "If you're letting me go because you think I'll come back to you...you have to know that I can't promise –"

"We should go." It was like he wasn't even listening. Or maybe he was and he didn't believe it or care. "Grab your bag. We're wasting time."

"Finn –"

"Actually I'll grab it for you." In a few quick strides, he picked up her bag and started pushing her out the door.

"Finn –"

"We both need you to do this." Finn said and finally, all the fight went out of her body and she followed him out the door.

* * *

><p>Rachel Berry has done a lot of stupid things. It wasn't until they were one street corner away from Manor Road that she realized her mistake.<p>

"STOP!" She screeched. "STOP! STOP THE CAR! FINN! STOP THE CAR RIGHT NOW!"

She was very lucky that the street was deserted as he harshly braked.

"What the hell!" Finn turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry." She rushed out of the car with her bag. "I can't explain. But if you love me, you will turn around _right now _and promise you won't drive around that corner."

Finn just threw her an incredulous look but nonetheless turned the car around.

Rachel shouldered her bag and started running. She probably should've been more concerned about the turn things had suddenly taken but for some reason she could not summon the required hysteria. Oddly, she felt that everything was as it should be; which is impossible. Finn just broke up with her in the hopes that she'll go back to him and she was chasing after her English teacher. How could this be the way things should be? And yet, she couldn't help but feel like it was as she ran around the corner.

And stopped.

He wasn't there.

* * *

><p>An irrational part of her feared she'd never see him again.<p>

So she almost cried with relief when she walked in the classroom on Monday morning.

Rachel saw something flash across his face as soon as he saw that it was her but one second and it was gone; replaced by a suspiciously neutral expression. "Rachel...are you here to talk about the new homework assignment?"

Her smile faded. _Okay, I should've been expecting this. _"No, _Sam._" Rachel emphasised as she closed the door and walked over to his desk. "I'm here to ask you out on a date."

Sam looked at her in disbelief. "What game are you playing at?"

"What? No, no, I'm not playing anything –"

"You made it perfectly clear that you couldn't see me –"

"Yes but then I chased after you, although I was...it was too late. I was running and everything but by the time I got there, you were gone."

"Really?" His lips twitched. "That's...I'm touched."

"And then it started raining and I was just standing there, screaming 'Sam! Sam!'"

"Okay, now I know you're making that last part up." He said and they both laughed.

When their laugher subsided, Rachel asked, "So how was your trip?"

Sam suddenly turned an interesting shade of red. "It was alright."

She raised an eyebrow. "What happened?

"Not much...that's the thing." He confessed shamefacedly. "I took several buses until I ended up at Dayton, stayed at a motel for one night and came back. It just...it all seemed pretty pointless without you."

"Oh." Rachel's face softened. "Well...I'll make it up to you. We can go to Dayton for our first real date. I promise I will actually show up this time and not to cancel. It will be amazing! We can have dinner at a nice restaurant and when it's over, we can come back." Her smile wavered and she added nervously, "That way, nobody we know will see us together."

Sam opened his mouth to say something but then closed it. And then he opened it again. "What about...Finn?"

"He broke up with me to let me go out with you." She hesitated. "But I think he only did that because he thinks I have grass-is-greener syndrome and that once I get over it, I'll go back to him."

"Oh." Sam's voice raised a few octaves.

"But that's his reasons and not mine." Rachel said quickly.

He looked at her for moment then nodded and frowned. "This...is a really weird situation we've found ourselves in. You know that, right?"

"Well, 'weird' is just another word for 'not normal'...and since when has our situation ever been normal?"

"Good point." He laughed. "So I'll meet you at Manor Road again? Tonight at six?"

"It's a date." Rachel smiled and turned around to leave, almost missing the wide grin that had spread across his face. Almost.

* * *

><p>Quinn frowned. "You already cancelled on me once to hang out with Sam and you said you'd make it up to me tonight with the recycling drive, remember?"<p>

"This is different." Rachel pleaded over the throng of chatter in the cafeteria.

"How?"

"Because...I've finally been offered the chance to be with someone I thought I never had a chance with...if it were you, I'd want you to take that chance." She hesitated. "And if you haven't already been offered with the chance, I'd want you to take your own."

The blonde narrowed her eyes as the conversation turned to her love life. "I thought you didn't approve of my feelings for him?"

"I'm sorry I judged before." Rachel said, honestly regretting the comment she had made about Quinn and Puck. "But you know what, you really should tell him how you feel."

"You really think that will work?" Quinn asked, doubtfully.

"I can see it now." Rachel put her hands up dramatically. "Declarations of love and then a passionate kiss." She laughed.

Quinn bit her lip then finally nodded. "I guess I could start sorting through some of the donations tonight by myself. But I fully expect you to report back to me tomorrow with details about your date."

"You too." Rachel beamed. "I want to know all about how your confession goes."

* * *

><p>As soon as school ended, Quinn made a beeline for E17. "Mr. Evans?" She knocked gently and opened the door.<p>

The class was empty and he was quickly packing up his things on his desk when he turned to look at her. "Quinn?" He hesitated and almost seemed to look over her shoulder, distracted. "Can I help you?"

She took a deep breath and walked up to him. "There really isn't any way to build this up with small talk first so I'm just going to say it. I'm very...attracted to you."

He froze and glanced at the open doorway. "Quinn – "

He didn't get to say another word however as she pulled him in and kissed him.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: <strong>_I'm so glad people liked the format I wrote the previous chapter in!__

_Dayton is a city about an hours' drive from Lima._

_To __**Amelia**__, I hope you mean that in a good way! Thanks for reviewing! :)_

__Thanks to everyone who reviewed, including **Kai**.__

_Updates may be slowing down now._

_Lyrics at the beginning are from Come Home by One Republic._

__Say it with me: I do not own Glee.__


	14. The Date Must Go On

_..._

_Everybody has their ups and downs_

_You just gotta let it go_

_We're right here, right now_

_Don't let it stop your show_

* * *

><p>Will stopped. And stared.<p>

All his years of teaching did not prepare him for the sight in front of him.

Unsure what to do, he debated for a few seconds about barging in there and yelling at them both but, with a resignated sigh, decided against it.

_If it was anyone but them, _he thought as he walked away, pondering what to do about what he'd just seen.

* * *

><p>Sam gently pushed Quinn off him. "This can't happen."<p>

"Why not?" She asked and _good lord, _the amount of kicked puppy on her face made Sam cringe away from looking at her.

_Because I'm your teacher, _he wanted to say but then realized the hypocrisy and irony of the words. Besides, she clearly already knew that and didn't care. "Because I'm in love with someone else." He settled on saying instead and as soon as the words left his mouth, he knew that they were true.

Quinn stared at him for a long moment. Finally she blinked away the tears brimming from her eyes. "Fine! You don't want this?" She gestured to her chest. "There's twenty other guys at this school who would kill to give me what I want; they would _kill_ to love me."

And with that, she stormed out as he stared at her dumbly.

* * *

><p>Rachel was glad that Sam had already seen her in animal sweaters with no make-up on; otherwise she'd have been in serious danger of spending absolutely hours deciding what to wear. As a result, she only had to try on ten different outfits before she settled on one, deciding that it was always better to be dressed too formally then dressed too casually, dabbing on a bit of lip gloss and mascara and dug out some heels and a purse with a reasonable amount of glittery bits.<p>

"Wow." Sam's voice cracked as he was already waiting at the bus stop (thank god for punctuality) and saw Rachel walking towards him, dressed in a midnight blue mini-dress (emphasis on _mini_) with sleeveless one-shouldered top and feather-esque skirt, and matching stilettos with a matching purse in her hand.

Rachel saw with some satisfaction that she made the right decision by dressing up when she saw what Sam was wearing. It suddenly occurred to her that they probably should have discussed this beforehand but she instantly dismissed the thought. There was no turning back now and it had worked out; maybe fate was finally giving them a break.

Sam's face as she approached immediately soothed her already sore feet. Kurt had bought her the strappy shoes although at the time she had insisted she was never going to wear them. As they are breathtakingly pretty and the same color as her dress, she thought they were perfect for tonight, despite the fact that wearing them is a little like balancing on stilts and it was beyond impractical. How do other girls like Quinn do it? This glamour thing takes such effort and commitment.

But Sam made choosing between ten different outfits, dabbing on a bit of make-up and wearing shoes that were so sexy they were literally painful, worth it.

"Emerson once said that 'The creation of beauty is art.'" Sam whispered as she stopped in front of him. "That's what you are." He stammered.

"I bet you say that to all the girls." Rachel smacked him playfully on the arm.

"No but I may have practiced saying that in the mirror a few times." Sam put his hand on the back of his head and smiled, embarrassed.

Rache laughed then bit her lip in thought. "Emerson...as in Ralph Waldo Emerson? The poet?"

"Oh, you have been paying attention in class." Sam grinned, thrilled she recognized the name.

"Well, it's easy to when I have such a good teacher." Rachel smiled. "Now I don't have a quote prepared so I'm just going to say you look very handsome." She gestured to the classic black suit he was wearing. "Do I want to know how you got your hands on it? Since I'm pretty sure it's out of your price league?" She added, not unkindly.

"I may have borrowed it from a friend." Sam shrugged, unperturbed. "And, um, this is for you." He shyly handed her a single red rose.

"Thank you." She held it delicately. "It's beautiful."

"Not nearly as beautiful as you."

"Are you just going to keep saying these cheesy lines all night?" Rachel asked as she gently placed it so that it was sticking out of her purse.

"It's on my first date checklist." He grinned.

She raised her eyebrow at this.

"I just want tonight to be perfect." Sam explained. "Let's do it right; take it slow."

"I'd love that." She entwined their arms together as they waited for the bus to come.

The conversation flows freely entirely devoid of tension; which, if Rachel's female peers were anything to go by, is not how conversations are conducted on a first date. First dates are supposed to be punctuated with awkward silences and maladroit hints at whether or not the evening promised any action between the sheets.

Honestly, she was starting to wonder that herself, although she had just agreed to take it slow.

But Sam with his friendly and calm drawl and blondness and blue-green eyes is really stirring her up. Everything she thinks was inappropriate. Like, she's impressed with the way he slides his ticket into the scanner as they board the bus and she actually hears herself say, "I love your wrist action. You have very talented fingers."

Rachel wanted to slap herself except that would draw more attention to her stupidity. She's seen plenty of people scan their bus tickets and she's never felt the need to compliment anyone on it before! She hoped he didn't think of the possible sexual connotations of the compliment – god knows she just did and so did the bus driver if his snort of laughter followed by a cough was anything to go by.

"What I mean is, because you play guitar, you know, your – your hands must be very good at handling things..." She stammered as a train suddenly crashed into her.

No, wait, that just a part of her imagination. Shame.

However, Sam was the epitome of good manners; he smiles and thanks her for the compliments, giving no indication that he had any dirty thoughts about them.

Rachel smiles sheepishly as they find some seats.

They take several buses until they arrived at Dayton.

"So where are we going?" She asked as they boarded off the bus.

"I've made some reservations." Sam said. "Just walk with me."

As he took her hand in his, Rachel's protest died on her lips.

They walked and talked and at one point, he stopped to give her his jacket.

"I'm not cold!" She protested.

"Even if you're not, it's on my first date checklist." Sam said seriously.

Rachel just rolled her eyes.

A short time later, he let go of her hand and walked to the door of a restaurant, holding it open. "We're here." Sam said as she walked in and he followed.

It was full, smoky and noisy although not unpleasantly so and everyone seemed to be buzzing with high spirits as Sam says a few words to the host and they weave their way to a table for two in the corner.

As the evening wears on, Rachel starts to forget about everything and everyone else that was waiting for them back at Lima.

As they've already known each other for a long time, she doesn't even try to be attractive for him. Instead, she tries to sponge up her knowledge and sit in the warm glow of his confidence. She doesn't worry about what might be the wrong thing to say. As a result, everything she says seems to be something he wants to hear. And he seems to know exactly what to say to make her blush and smile and, okay, simper.

Then he says a trivial comment about something or other, she can't even remember what, but they both dissolve in peals of laughter once again and don't stop chatting all night.

She felt like she was in a completely different world, as she excused herself after they finished eating dessert and went up to the front desk to pay for their meal then made her way to the restroom.

It was empty except for a waitress walking out of a stall – at least Rachel assumes the woman's a waitress from the uniform she's wearing. The blonde woman narrows her eyes for a split second when she spots Rachel walking in but then smiles brightly.

Smiling back, Rachel locked herself in the stall and went to the toilet. When she came back out, she was startled to find the woman still standing there, washing her hands slowly.

"How's your night been so far?" She smiled.

Rachel paused and glanced around to see who the woman was talking to until she realized it was just the two of them. "Oh, um, it's been wonderful." She answered honestly then, taking a guess at why the woman was talking to her, she added "This place is amazing. You must feel very luck working here."

"Not really." The woman surprised Rachel by answering. "Waitressing isn't exactly a dream job. But then, I don't think anyone really ends up doing their dream job. I mean, what do you do for a living?"

"Oh, I don't…I'm still in school." Rachel admitted sheepishly.

"Really?" She supposed she should take it as a compliment that the woman was so surprised. "What school?"

"McKinley High." Then seeing the woman's confused expression, Rachel added, "It's not in Dayton. It's in Lima."

The woman just nodded and smiled. "Well, I hope your night continues to be wonderful."

"You too." Rachel smiled and walked out. _What a nice lady._

She felt as if she was on cloud nine as she made her way back to the table. "The people here so nice." Rachel sighed as she sat down.

Sam just gave her a curious look and she shook her head. "Don't worry."

He eyed her empty plate. "Okay, well, do you want anything else?"

"I'm ready to get out of here." Rachel smiled.

"Okay, then I'll guess we'll just have the bill." Sam put up his hand to call the waiter.

"Oh, I already took care of it." She said.

He turned to look at her questioningly. "Are you sure? Because I swear I have enough money."

"Yeah, I'm sure you do." Rachel said kindly. "You just shouldn't have to spend it here."

Sam stared at her then shook his head in disbelief. "You're amazing." He smiled. "Shall we go?"

Rachel nodded and they got up to leave.

It wasn't until they had walked all the way to the bus stop that he realized they had forgotten something.

"Rachel…where's my jacket?"

She stopped. Then groaned. "I took it off and left it hanging on the back of my chair." Rachel said. "I'm sorry. I know you wanted tonight to be perfect."

"No, it's okay." Sam laughed. "We'll just go back and get it and ten years later, it will be a funny story to tell our friends."

"You think we're going to last ten years?"

He paused and she could literally see him play back what he said. "I really didn't think that comment through, did I? God, I'm going to scare you away now."

Rachel bit her lip to keep from smiling.

"Come on, let's go back." He started walking back then turned when she didn't follow.

Rachel sat down on the bench and took off her shoes.

"Rach, are you coming?"

"Are you kidding me? These shoes are killing me. I'm not…you can go. Hurry back, okay?"

Sam held out his hands in what Rachel recognized as the universal gesture for _the fuck, bro?_ At least that's what Noah had always told Rachel it was.

"Fine." Sam sighed. "I will go by myself." He shook his head. "Only for you."

Rachel beamed and that was Rachel's second mistake of the night.

Ten minutes later, Sam arrived back at the restaurant and explained what happened to the hostess.

Her face lit up in comprehension. "Oh, of course. One of our waitresses picked it up. Just wait right here."

Less than a minute later, Sam got the shock of his life.

It took all his self-control not to run out right there and then. "Millie." He choked. "Millie Grant?"

His high school past was coming back to haunt him and it was in the form of an ex-girlfriend squealing and hugging him

"Mmph." Sam awkwardly patted one hand on her back as she smothered him with kisses dangerously close to his lips. "I didn't know you worked here."

"Well that's probably because we stopped talking after you rejected my offer for us to get back together." A hint of bitterness crept in her voice for a few seconds. "If you had bothered to keep up in touch, you would know that I moved here after graduation; skipped college and decided to jump right into the work force!"

"Wow, that's um…that's…small world." He finished lamely as she let him go.

"You're telling me." Millie said, handing him his jacket back. "Imagine my surprise when you walked in here – almost didn't recognize you without that ridiculously pale blonde fringe of yours – and with a date! I was going to go over and say hi – in fact, you two sat at the table in the area I was supposed to be waitressing but I thought how awkward that must be, you know? Bumping into your ex? So I thought I'd do you both a favor and swapped areas with someone else."

"Really?" Sam was surprised. The Millie he knew would've loved to rub it in Rachel's face and ruin their night. "Um…thanks?"

"Oh hush." She waved her hand. "So tell me how've you been? Are you finally an English teacher?"

"Yeah…" He glanced at the door, wanting to leave now that he had his jacket but not wanting to seem rude.

"Oh really? What school do you teach at?"

"McKinley – "

"I knew it!" She snapped. Sam looked back at her, startled by her sudden outburst. "I mean, I suspected when she told me she was a student but I hoped to God I was wrong – "

"What are you – " Sam glanced around and lowered his voice. "You talked to her? My date?"

"I was just making friendly conversation." She hissed then shook her head. "You're making a big mistake."

"It's…it's not what you think it is."

Millie just looked at him like _really?_

"Don't give me that look." Sam said defensively. "I didn't pursue this. It just happened."

"And that makes it okay?"

"Millie – "

"No, Sam, I get it, she's beautiful – there's no argument – but she's your _student_."

"That's not how we met."

"It doesn't matter. When this is all over, she's going to go to college and you're going to go to _jail_. You've wanted to be an English teacher your whole life. Are you really going to jeopardize that for _a_ _girl?_"

"I'm in love with her."

Millie stared at him with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Look, I have to go." Sam pleaded. "Just _please _don't tell anyone."

She pressed her lips together and may have nodded slightly but he wasn't sure.

Either way, he got the hell out of there telling himself that she definitely nodded.

_Who would've thought? _Sam sighed as he walked back to the bus stop.

It suddenly occurred to him that he probably should've stayed longer at Dayton when he was here by himself. He should've seen some sights and maybe bump into Millie. That way, he could've known and prevented this.

As it was, it seemed like fate was determined to rip him and Rachel apart.

Nonetheless, the date must go on and he'll be damned if he let this ruin their night.

* * *

><p>Quinn sat on her bedroom floor and flicked through the last pages of an old issue of <em>Cosmo. <em>

When she was done, she put it in a pile with the other old magazines.

Honestly, sorting through some of the donations people had made to the church's recycling drive had become tedious about an hour ago and the more she kept going, the more she got annoyed.

Rachel was supposed to be helping her with this. But no. She was off on her date. Isn't it just so great that Rachel's love life was working out so well while she had to stay here and try not to think about the failure that was her own love life?

It was like she kept leaping from life raft to life raft, trying to stay afloat. And failing miserably.

At least this time she wasn't rejected by someone pining after Rachel.

It's like no matter where she goes, she can't seem to escape comparisons to Rachel, whether it was back when she was with Finn, or with Shelby and Beth, and then from Puck. _More high-maintenance than Berry, _she thought bitterly as she sorted the old magazines and newspapers into separate piles. Sure it was probably a light joke, but she was starting to get a Jan Brady complex… 'RACHEL, RACHEL, RACHEL!'

Quinn paused as she sorted through the last of the donations and the only thing left was an old yearbook.

There was only one other yearbook that had been donated and it was an old McKinley High one. She had flipped through it about ten minutes ago and laughed at Mr. Schue's hair back then.

This one was a Carmel High one.

Anyway, Quinn's thoughts continued as she distractedly flipped through it, it's not like she hadn't come to appreciate Rachel's friendship this past year. It's just that their friendship felt like Blair and Serena's from Gossip Girl – with _Rachel _as Serena of all people, where everything just comes so easily to her and _Quinn _was the one who had to stand in the back and get outshined and overlooked all the time.

But it wasn't just Rachel. She remembered how when Santana first came out as a lesbian and how supportive the whole Glee club was. They spent a whole week helping Santana with a secret that everyone already knew. But no one even thought about her after she gave birth. Now graduation was in just a few months and it was like Senior Year had just passed on by. Not one person has taken ten seconds to help her – not even Rachel who was supposed to be her friend now but has ditched her for some stupid boy – and she was a mess.

She has been for three years. Ever since Puck knocked her up. Ever since –

Quinn's morbid thoughts froze as she stumbled across a picture of Mr. Evans in nothing but tiny gold shorts and laughed as she read the caption _Students in The Rocky Horror Show._

Her eyes were immediately drawn to his abs and she smiled – she knew Mr. Evans would have a good body but then her smile became sad as she remembered how he rejected her this morning. And Rachel had given her hope that it would go so well.

Her eyes lifted up to his face and she raised her eyebrow.

Looks like Mr. Schue isn't the only teacher who had a ridiculous haircut in high school.

Something was tapping at her memory but she couldn't quite put her finger on it….

Quinn furrowed her eyebrows and she flipped to see the student profiles.

She stopped when she found Mr. Evans. Her eyes widened and things began clicking together like ticking things off on a mental checklist.

_Dyed blonde hair._

_Bieber-esque fringe._

_Blue-ish eyes._

_Carmel High._

_Sam Evans._

* * *

><p>When Sam arrives back at the bus stop almost twenty minutes later, Rachel breathes a sigh of relief. She doesn't think she could have borne waiting for him a minute longer than necessary. It's not that she's totally desperate and dying to have him by her side all the time (although she was getting a little anxious there without him, she will admit); it's more a question of not wanting to be alone in a city where she knows no one. Sure, it's convenient because she can be herself with Sam and no one will blink an eye because no one knows them here. But it's a little scary when you're waiting alone at a bus stop at night.<p>

"Hey." Rachel smiles and puts her shoes back on then stands up and greets him.

"Hey!" Sam's face breaks out in a grin and he envelops her in an enormous hug. He picks her up into the air and shakes her around a little before he carefully lowers her back down to the ground.

"Wow, you are really big, aren't you?" As she said this, she wanted to swallow her own tongue.

Sam raised his eyebrow and she wondered if he also heard the sexual connotation.

"I mean, you give…really big hugs." Rachel stammered, feeling like a loser who literally pants with excitement when a hot guy hugs her. The shame. The accuracy. She feels the imprint of his arms wrapped around her body way after he's let go. Maybe she should feel bad about that but it's actually difficult to dislike.

Sam grins. "Here." He put his jacket on her then seemed to hesitate. "Rach..."

"What?"

"Nothing." He smiles and squeezes her hand.

Without thinking much more about it, she laces her fingers into his and they hold hands as they wait for the bus to come.

Despite the slight hiccup at the restaurant, Sam feels a strange calm now that he's with Rachel and rest of the night passes in a heartbeat as they make their way back to Lima.

"Do you realize how backwards this date has been?" He asked as they arrived at his apartment. "I mean, first you pay and now you're walking me back to my place."

"What did I tell you about feminism?" Rachel playfully smacked him in the arm.

Sam just laughs as they stop at his door. "So…" Rachel's sexual comments during the night suddenly went through his mind and he tried to dispel them. "Um, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yes." Rachel said and they stood there awkwardly for a minute. "Well, I should go then." She said finally and started walking away but then turned back. "Oh, um, your jacket…"

She fumbled as she took it off and handed it to him and their hands brushed and then they were kissing.

There is not a fraction of second when this kiss was soft and slow. As soon as their lips met, it was fast and hard as they tangled their bodies together. Sam fumbled for his keys and shakily unlocked the door and they almost fell inside. He closed the door and threw away the keys and his jacket, not even seeing where they landed and she did the same with her purse.

"What happened to taking it slow?" Rachel asked as soon as she had a moment to breathe.

"Did I say that?" Sam pretended to think about it. "I don't recall."

"Neither." She said and their lips quickly collided again.

He undid his tie while kissing her and leading her to the bedroom at the same time then suddenly stopped. "I don't have protection."

"I've been on the pill ever since I got back together with Finn."

"Hmm." They started kissing again and fell on the bed together.

There was a knock on the door.

"Just ignore it." Rachel whispered and they resumed kissing.

The knocking persisted.

"Maybe I should get it." Sam broke apart from her.

"Fine." Rachel sighed and sat up on the bed.

He got up and gave her an apologetic smile as he closed the bedroom door.

Sam sighed as he walked through the living room and opened the front door.

He froze as he took in the man in uniform standing in front of him.

"Mr. Evans?" The man eyed Sam's disarrayed appearance. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I'm James Phillips with the Lima Police Department located on E. Market Street? You got a minute?"

"Um…" Sam tried to subtly do up his tie. "Sure. What can I do for you?"

"May I come in?"

"It's really messy..."

"I don't mind." He stepped through and looked around at the jacket, keys and glittery blue purse strewn across the floor. He raised his eyebrow but didn't comment.

Sam closed the door. "What is this regarding?"

"I'd like to talk to you about one of your students."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: <strong>__I felt like the story would work better if I combined the previous two chapters together. Thanks to everyone who reviewed anyway!_

_There actually is a Lima Police Department located on E. Market Street._

_Lyrics at the beginning are from Up Down by Jessica Mauboy._

_It means the same thing no matter how I word it: I do not own Glee._


	15. No One Keeps a Secret

_..._

_Now you're telling lies 'cause you have sworn to keep it_

_But no one keeps a secret_

* * *

><p>"You kissed Quinn?" Rachel screeched, marching out of the bedroom as soon as the cop was gone.<p>

"No, she kissed me." Sam glanced at the door, worried Rachel's loud voice could be heard outside the apartment.

"And you didn't think..." She picked up her purse and turned to look at him, "...to tell me?"

"I didn't want anything to get in the way of tonight." His face turned apologetic.

"I just don't understand..." Rachel cupped her forehead in her hand. "If you rejected Quinn's...advances –"

"I did –"

"Then who called?"

"Well, the door was open. Anyone could've seen us." Sam sighed. "Honestly, it was what I deserved for being so stupid; what I needed. Millie was right. What am I doing?"

"Sam." Rachel said softly. "Why are you talking like this?" She put her hands on his arms. "Who's Millie? Millie as in your ex-girlfriend, Millie or...?"

Expressionlessly, Sam told her what happened when he went back to get his jacket.

"So she was the blonde lady from the restroom?" Rachel asked, more to herself than to Sam.

"_Does it matter?_" Sam said incredulously and stepped away. He turned his back on her and ran his fingers through his hair. "The end result is the same." He muttered.

"Sam, you're scaring me." Rachel walked around to see his face and then almost wished she didn't. He looked so..._hopeless_. "Sam..."

"I don't think this is going to work." He brushed her off.

"What?" She smiled but it felt forced. "No, you don't mean that...so we were almost caught; so what? It's only been one night –"

"Yeah, it's only been night and I have cops knocking on my door!" Sam whisper-shouted. "Rachel, do you have any idea..." He sighed and his voice went back to normal. "I just got a glimpse of what it would mean for us to be together. All the sneaking around...it's all fun and games but then you realize what the consequences are if you lose; if you get caught. What kind of a relationship is that? I can't ask you to do that and neither can you; it's not fair to either of us."

"It won't be for forever." Rachel's voice turned pleading. "I'm graduating in just a few months."

"And then what?" Sam asked, expectantly. "You'll be off to New York and where will I fit into any of this?"

"Well...I –" Rachel's mouth closed. And then opened. And then closed again. "...You're only teaching at McKinley for a year, right? So you could come with me?"

"And where would I live? What would I do?" Sam waited for her to answer.

Rachel couldn't think of a good reply. Where _does _Sam fit into her future? Neither of them have talked about it.

"Be with me?" She meant to sound determined but it came out weak.

"Is that really what you want to do?" The conversation suddenly turned quiet. "Pack up your high school English teacher and bring him with you?"

"You are not just my _high school English teacher._" She looked at him in disbelief. "_Is that really how you see yourself?_"

"It's not." Sam said simply. "But it's how you will see me. When you're older...and you're this big Broadway star..." He trailed off. He's staring at her but she doesn't say a word. "Well, I didn't tell you about Quinn and Millie." He suddenly said, grasping at straws. "Aren't you...mad?" Sam asked, frustrated.

"Um." Rachel blinked at the abrupt subject change. "It's..." She struggled to find the words. "I really wish you would've told me but...I still want to be with you...because it's...well, it's... y –"

"Why don't you get it?" Sam took a few steps back. "You and I have less of a future than you and Finn do. Okay? And that's saying something, Rach, that's..." He laughed bitterly. "That says _a lot_."

_You and I have a less of a future than you and Finn do. _The words hang in the air and she knows they're logical yet her brain refuses to make sense of them.

"So what are you saying?" Rachel stared at him.

"I'm saying I can't be with you."

The revelation sinks in and thumps her in the gut. Rachel aches to sit down, genuinely believing she might actually collapse under the weight of his words. Instead, she struggles to hold her head up high. "I'm not letting you throw us away just because you wrongly think we don't have a future –"

"No, no, it's not..." Sam closed his eyes as if he was suddenly in pain. "It's just..." He did some quick thinking, knowing that the next words to come out of his mouth was going to save them both a lot of heartache in the long run. "I've never really been a serious-relationship kind of person and...would you understand what I meant if I said, 'it's not you, it's me'?"

"No, I understand." Rachel's voice raised quite a few octaves and irritatingly she tried to keep it from quavering. "I should go." She walked over to the door. "Thank you for tonight. It was um..." She furrowed her eyebrows as she couldn't think of what else to say and even if she could, she didn't think she could get the words out; she could hardly breathe as the despair chokes her and she knew she just had to get out of there. If she didn't, she would howl, and snot and saliva and stuff just aren't attractive. Without another word, she left.

There is not a fraction of a second where she doubts where she needs to go now. Her only concern is that he won't be home or that someone else will be.

About twenty minutes later, she was on his doorstep, furiously hammering on the door.

When no one answered immediately, Rachel almost screamed from frustration as she was cold and tired and her feet ached and –

She took her shoes off.

Praying that he would answer, she pounds her fists with an unseemly desperation against the dark wood. It occured to her in the back of her mind that she must've looked like some kind of life-threatening lunatic but at that moment, she didn't care.

Finally, Finn opened the door and took in her dress, bare feet, heels in her hands, and the mascara smudged around her eyes. "Things didn't work out with Sam?"

"Do _not _say 'I told you so' or – or 'I knew it' or –"

Wordlessly, he took her into his arms as she broke down crying.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Mr. Evans." Quinn said brightly as she walked in the classroom before the first bell. "So I heard you had to answer a few questions from the police?"<p>

"Nice to see you too, Quinn." Sam said sarcastically.

"Oh no, I didn't call them." She waved her hand dismissively.

"Then who did?" He smiled although he wasn't amused.

"Who knows?" She said breezily. "I know I thought about calling but then I realized that if I got you into trouble, you and I will never happen."

"You and I _will_ never happen." Sam emphasized.

"But we'd be _perfect _together." Quinn protested. "If and whenever I get Beth back, you'd be perfect to help raise her. You're so good with being a teacher, you must be good with kids and – what is so funny?"

"Quinn –" It seemed like all he could do lately was laugh bitterly. "You think I'm going to be with you when you called the cops to get back at me for rejecting you?"

She smiled and all of a sudden, he stopped laughing. "I didn't call them and tell them about our kiss. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind."

"But..." Sam suddenly got a sinking feeling. "You just said you thought about calling?"

"Oh and I did." Quinn said simply. "Just not about our kiss."

"Then...what were you thinking about...calling them...about?"

"I know about you and Rachel, _Sam._" She saw him opening his mouth to say something and cut him off. "Look, do you want to know how this story plays out?" She leaned forward. "Rachel's gone back to Finn where she belongs and then she's going to go to New York where she belongs and then you and I can –"

"Quinn." Sam said abruptly. "You and I aren't going to do anything."

"Sam –"

"And please refer to me as 'Mr. Evans'."

"But –"

"It's a tough world out there, I know, I've been through it." _Especially last night, _Sam sighed. "You've only got a few more months left of Senior Year. _Enjoy it._" He said gently. "Okay? What you feel for me is just a crush; it's sweet, it's normal and you're going to get over it. Focus on Nationals. Focus on – on college. Focus on a guy who feels the same way about you. Focus on being friends with Rachel and _not _telling anyone about her and I especially since there's nothing to tell now, anyway?"

Sam looked at her expectantly and she looked down, not saying anything for a few seconds.

"What's going on here?" Will walked in.

"I was just handing Mr. Evans a book I borrowed." Quinn said quickly.

Will raised his eyebrow sceptically. "Well, you need to be going off to class now."

"The first bell hasn't even gone yet –"

"Quinn. Go off to class now."

She looked at Sam who shrugged helplessly and then she left.

"Mate, I really hope you've got a more plausible excuse." Will said once she was gone.

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked.

"I saw you and Quinn kissing."

"Oh." He sighed then froze. "You were the one who called the cops?"

"Actually I told Principal Figgins who called and muttered something about strippers?" Will looked at him quizzically.

"Huh." Sam laughed nervously. "Yeah, well, _she _kissed _me_ and I made it very clear to her that she shouldn't have."

"Is that really all that happened?" Will crossed his arms.

"Will –"

"Having a teacher-student affair is a serious matter."

"I know that..." _now, _Sam added silently. "And it's nothing like that."

"Then what is it like?

"Didn't Rachel used to have a crush on you?" Sam said, deciding to change tactics. "You know what it's like..."

Will uncrossed his arms in surprise. "How did you know about that?"

_She told me._ "Word gets around."

Will nodded. "Okay, well, the next time a student kisses you...you need to report it."

_Fat chance of Rachel kissing me ever again. _"Of course."

Will walked out of the classroom as the first bell rang.

* * *

><p>"Quinn." Rachel said awkwardly as she sat down at the lunch table.<p>

"Rachel." Quinn said just as awkwardly. "Is there anything you need to talk to me about?"

"Is there anything _you _need to talk to me about?" The brunette chewed delicately on a celery stick, eyeing the blonde warily.

A silence fell upon them until finally Rachel sighed and put down her celery stick.

"I know you kissed Mr. Evans –"

"I know about you and Sam." Quinn said at the same time. As Rachel stared at her, she continued, "Who is Mr. Evans, I believe? Sam Evans?"

"How did you know?" Rachel spluttered.

"The recycling drive? Someone donated an old yearbook?" Quinn waved her hand. "If you had helped me like you originally promised to, you would've seen it for yourself."

Rachel's eyes widened in horror. "Please don't tell anyone." She pleaded then a thought occurred to her. "Have you already told someone?"

"I thought about it." Quinn admitted. "But then I realized if I did, nothing could ever happen between him and I."

"Quinn –"

"Yeah, I know." She rolled her eyes. "Nothing _can _ever happen between him and I. Although I don't know how you can still sit there and act all morally righteous about him being my teacher now that I know you –"

"It's nothing like that." Rachel glanced around to see if anyone overheard but they were all blissfully ignorant in their own conversations.

Quinn stared at her for a long moment. Finally, she sighed. "You are telling me _everything._"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:<strong>__ By combining the last two chapters together, I kind of stuffed up the reviews so if you're going to review this chapter, would you **mind telling me your thoughts on the last chapter as well as this one in the one review? Since last chapter was a pretty important one and I'd really like to know people's thoughts on it** (if you haven't already told me via private message, much thanks to __**The Wonderful Mistique**__ and __**xoxomusicnwritingxoxo **__for doing that!)_

_Lyrics at the beginning are from Secret by The Pierces._

_I am not the creator of nor the owner of any of the rights to anything associated with Glee and its franchise._


	16. Like There Was Nothing Wrong

_..._

_He put it on me, I put it on_

_Like there was nothing wrong_

_It didn't fit, it wasn't right_

_Wasn't just the size_

_They say you know when you know_

_I don't know..._

* * *

><p>After The Date (in Rachel's head, it had ominous capital letters), all she wanted was to forget and get through the last of Senior Year and start over in New York.<p>

But forgetting was proving to be a little bit more difficult than Rachel had planned.

Like a lot more difficult.

Like she-had-to-cross-audition-for-Avatar-On-Ice-off-her-to-do-list-forever difficult.

Like word-had-somehow-gotten-around-and-before-she-knew-it-the-whole-school-knew-that-"trouty-mouth-was-getting-wanky-with-a-student"-as-Santana-had-so-eloquently-put-it difficult.

Like all-of-a-sudden-she-had-to-question-her-friendship-with-Quinn difficult.

"Have you told someone?" Rachel asked the question that had been burning in her mind ever since the rumours broke out a few days ago. "Or are you..._going_ to tell someone?"

Quinn looked affronted. "I admit I've been having some dark thoughts these past few weeks but I wouldn't do that."

"Really?" She was afraid to breathe out in relief just yet. "Because...you really liked Sam and – "

"Please." Quinn waved her hand and rolled her eyes. "What I felt for Sam was nothing more but a little crush; it was sweet and normal and I'm over it. Besides, I..." She hesitated. "I get it now."

"Get what?" Rachel asked, quizzically.

Quinn seemed to stare at her calculatingly for a few moments then hesitated. "Just...the whole story now between you and Sam." It was almost as if she was going to say something else but then changed her mind and it was because of that Rachel didn't completely trust Quinn in a pitiless, vicious moment.

* * *

><p>During the next few weeks, she couldn't walk around a corner without hearing students gossiping about it.<p>

"I bet it's with Slut-Face on the Cheerios." Santana was the worst gossip of them all.

Brittany tilted her head as she tried to remember who Santana had given the nickname for. "You mean Jess?"

Rachel sighed. "Can we not talk about this?"

The subject was quickly changed but as they walked into Glee club, it was like Rachel couldn't catch a break.

"I always knew there was something off about him." Finn was talking to Puck. "The guy can't get a girl his own age so he has to – "

"Can we stop talking about this?" Quinn said loudly to the whole group. "It's a really dangerous rumour and it's slandering people's names."

"What names?" Puck asked sceptically. "We don't have any except Evans."

"I mean it." Quinn's voice had a quiet authority to it. "I want everyone in Glee club to stop talking about it and if you hear someone outside of Glee club talking about it, I want you guys to stop them any non-violent way you can."

Santana immediately understood that when Quinn was talking like this, she meant business. "Do thinly veiled death threats count as violence?"

"Technically no..."

"Then this time tomorrow, nobody will utter a single word about it." Santana said confidently.

Santana was true to her word and Rachel never doubted Quinn's loyalty again.

* * *

><p>Rachel and Sam maintained a façade of teacher and student but there was a subtle undercurrent of tension between them.<p>

Neither of them realized, however, that the other felt it.

Sam thought that the slight awkwardness between them was because of Rachel hating him and trying to act like she didn't. He had no idea that Rachel felt exactly the same way about him.

A perplexed Quinn watched as they tiptoed around each other during the last few months of Senior Year.

_They're supposed to be the smart ones,_ she thought, _So if I can see that they both clearly have feelings for each other, why can't they?_

_Sometimes,_ she reflected, _intelligent people just over think it_. _Over thinking confuses things._

Quinn walked with Rachel around the corner when they bumped into someone.

Or more specifically, Rachel bumped into Sam.

She eyed them warily as they both blushed and stammered out an apology.

Rachel stepped to the left just as Sam stepped the same way and then Sam stepped the other way just as Rachel stepped the same way and they both collided with each other again.

_It's like watching two thirteen year olds secretly crushing on each other and are both too stupid to see that the other feels the same way, _Quinn restrained from rolling her eyes.

She felt tempted to just knock both their heads together and be done with it but Quinn was not the type to intrude in such a delicate area.

Or maybe she was.

"What on earth – " Sam spluttered and tried to gain his composure as Quinn's other hand hesitated and she only ended up slapping Sam in the back of his head, instead of both of them together.

"My hand slipped." Quinn said innocently then as they both gave her incredulous looks, she added sarcastically, "Oh, I'm sorry, have I made things awkward?"

It wasn't until later when Quinn reflected on how good the slap felt that she realized she intended to only slap Sam for rejecting her.

After some more thinking, Quinn decided she wasn't completely sure about her own motivation. Recently, she had been seeing more of Finn, even though he was back together with Rachel now. In fact, he seemed to be seeking Quinn out more often as a companion than he was his own girlfriend.

It was almost as if, on a subconscious level, he sensed Rachel's heart was not completely with him and so he was lining up someone else before he could admit to himself that it was over. Quinn suspects that Rachel also knows on a subconscious level that it was really over between her and Finn this time but the girl insisted on acting like there was nothing wrong.

Much as Quinn enjoyed making peace with everything that happened with Finn and coming to enjoy his company as a friend, she couldn't help feeling a little guilty about it — as if she were somehow taking advantage of the situation to go behind Rachel's back.

She knew that Rachel and Finn would be one of those high school sweethearts that would always have a special relationship and regard for each other but they had slowly fallen out of love this year and neither would admit it.

Even as graduation neared and it became clear that Finn would not be going to New York, they insisted they could make a long-distance relationship work.

Quinn did not have the heart to tell them that yes, sometimes long-distance relationships worked but only when the two people are madly in love with each other and that sadly, they were not in that place anymore.

Sometimes she suspected that Finn might enjoy spending time with her not just to feel better about Rachel's distance but because Puck had also tended to tag along and they had become somewhat of a threesome – not the dirty kind, Quinn frowned.

In fact, when she wasn't being best friends with Rachel, she was being best friends with Finn and Puck which wasn't awkward at all because she was pretty sure Finn was subconsciously trying to save her for when he and Rachel finally end but she wasn't so sure she wanted to go down that road.

Quinn wondered if Rachel was feeling the same confusion she was feeling.

If Rachel were to develop a strong relationship with someone else – Sam, for example – it might well clarify Quinn's own love life. As a consequence, Quinn couldn't be sure that she wouldn't be serving her own interests by intervening between Rachel and Sam.

So instead of meddling with the messy situation, Quinn kept silent even though she was dying to share her underappreciated pearls of wisdom with someone else.

I mean, _wow, _she could be a psychologist with all the analysing she just did on the subject of the undying love that Rachel and Sam have for each other that they both stubbornly refused to admit.

_Undying love? _Quinn frowned. _Berry's flair for dramatics is contagious._

* * *

><p>It's a Friday night and Rachel's eyes are wide open as she lay frozen in the bed doing some post-coital spooning with Finn. His slow, even breaths tickled the back of her neck and she knew he was asleep. His arms wrapped around her felt foreign somehow and she settled the uneasy feeling that brewed in her stomach; the one that she pushes aside when she's having sex with Finn yet always comes clawing its way back in when they were snuggling like this.<p>

She had been getting the feeling a lot lately and she developed a routine to ignore it. _Think Finn Hudson, Rachel. Finn Hudson._ This was the mantra that she had gotten into the habit of repeating to herself and after swirling around in her head for an hour or two, it usually managed to lull her enough to at least close her eyes.

Rachel knew that Quinn knew she hasn't been happy since The Date and hasn't said anything about it but she doubted her friend knew just how miserable she really was. Or, well, maybe 'miserable' was not the right word for it. Being 'miserable' required too much effort. Being 'miserable' required crying and she hasn't cried since that night she came running back to Finn.

No, what Rachel felt was...nothing. She didn't feel anything anymore. Okay, that's not completely true. She felt a buzz of excitement whenever she thought about New York. But spending time with Finn had become a complete drain on her emotions, leaving her feeling quite empty at times such as now when she was trying to fall asleep in his arms. Rachel decided she would rather cry herself to sleep.

_Wow, that's your idea of fun now, _She thought sullenly to herself, _And you wonder why you don't get invited to all the parties._

At that thought, there was silence in her head and she could hear the ticking of the clock that suddenly seemed to have a morose echo to it.

_Think Finn Hudson, Rachel. Finn Hudson._

Think about his endearing optimism about the future.

No. No, wait, don't think about that. Don't think about how you'll both be graduating in a week and then be forced to part ways and have a long-distance relationship.

_Think happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts._

Think about going to New York and NYADA.

Images of the beautiful dramatic arts academy flash into her mind. The stunning building was strangely peaceful despite being rammed full with garrulous students. She imagines the towering ceilings, the walls painted in warm terracotta and the mahogany carpeted spiral staircases...okay, so maybe it won't look _quite _like that but a girl can dream, right? She tries to imagine attending the classes with Kurt but suddenly she's gripped with panic. It seizes her with a death clasp around her throat. What if all the students are Gerber Baby clones? What if they are all just as talented as her and Kurt and she becomes – god forbid – _average_? Rachel cringed away from the dirty word. Or worse, what if they are more talented than her and instead of being a big fish in a small pond she becomes a small fish in a big pond? Or what if they are less talented than her and just like the rest of the Glee club, they won't appreciate just how much more talented she is than all of them?

_What if? What if? What if?_

_She can't win. She can't win. She can't win._

The irrational thoughts scream at her and she decides she needs to think about something else.

_Sam._

His beaming face pops into her head and the very image seems to massage the tension in her lower back.

_No._

She pushes the image away even though this requires a superhuman effort.

A second later, Rachel's reminiscing about some of the dorky impressions that Sam used to do when they hung out and she's giggling to herself.

_No!_

It won't do. Sam cannot be the nice thing she thinks of to lull herself to sleep. It's inappropriate. She's in the arms of Finn at this very second! He's her teacher!

Oh...that's never stopped her before.

And then suddenly Rachel is thinking about his eyes that were sometimes blue, sometimes green and sometimes searing into her soul...

_Just kidding, _Rachel giggled. _Kind of..._ She frowned. _Am I drunk?_ She closed her eyes. _What is wrong with me?_

_Sam is an entirely prohibited delight._

_Remember what he smells like..._

It's been a while since Rachel's been in close encounters with Sam so she's almost forgotten the spicy, fresh smell of his cologne but then she remembers that he actually smells better without the cologne.

Images of his broad chest and strong forearms fill her head.

And then images of him with his shirt off.

A vision of Rachel nuzzling under Sam's arm fights its way into her consciousness and before she knows it, she's imagining pushing her face into his groin.

_**No!**_

Rachel almost sat up in bed.

Instead her eyes flew open, her whole body tensed up and she tries to muffle what she isn't sure is choking, laughter or tears. It seemed to be a weird combination of all three. _I've really lost it now._

_That was an entirely unacceptable thought. I am shocked and disappointed with myself._

Rachel gasps but the air in Finn's bedroom is stale. Tears squeeze out of her eyes. She's tired. She's finally crying again because she's exhausted. She presses her eyes shut but it seems as though Sam is engraved onto her inner eyelids. He's there, in all his glory; tall, strong and pleasant. Rachel's too tired to fight it as she closes her eyes.

And actually ends up sleeping better than she has in months.

* * *

><p>The more Rachel thought about it that weekend, the more certain she became that she needed to make things right with Sam when Monday came calling.<p>

"Sam?" She said tentatively as she stayed behind after the last period ended.

He looked up from his desk in surprise as Rachel called him by his first name for the first time in months.

"I'm sorry." Rachel whispered as she walked up to his desk.

"For what?" Sam asked in surprise.

"For..." She frowned in thought. "I don't know, I feel like I need to apologize...aren't you mad at me?"

"I thought you were mad at me." He said, taken aback.

"For...?"

Sam furrowed his eyebrows. _For kind of breaking up with you, _seemed like a stupid answer all of a sudden from the look on Rachel's face.

She didn't seem to take much notice of Sam's reaction however as her voice suddenly turned bright. "Hey, what do you say we just fast forward past all this awkwardness and be friends again?"

"Uh..." Sam stared at her doubtfully. "Rach...you're leaving in a week."

"Exactly!" Rachel's voice turned pleading. "I don't want to waste it by fighting with or ignoring each other, do you?"

"No but...I've already had a few cops come and go and you know the rumours that were at this school a few months ago...I can't be seen with you." He protested half-heartedly.

"Then you won't be seen with me." Rachel said simply.

Sam stared at her for a long moment. Finally, he sighed. "I have missed my best friend."

Rachel smiled at that and he smiled back.

* * *

><p>The next few days passes in a blur. Rachel finds herself at Sam's apartment every day after school.<p>

They talked, until the sun disappeared and the sky was coal-black, about trivial things – he asked her about her eighteenth birthday, when she passed her driving test and that time she 'played' for the McKinley High football team – yet he showed such an interest in them that made her feel like whatever she was talking about was of the upmost importance.

He laughs at her in a kind way and with her in a familiar way; when he does so, his entire face explodes with a life-seizing guffaw that she adores. He contradicts her and agrees with her. He informs and makes mistakes. He's astoundingly authentic and Rachel finds it very easy to fall back into their old friendship.

And then, all too soon, it was getting late on a Thursday night and they were standing at the doorway, unsure what to do.

"Is this the last time we'll see each other?" Sam finally broke the silence.

"Well, there's tomorrow at school and then graduation and then..." Rachel's voice trailed off as she crossed her arms. "So this may very well be the last time we see each other alone."

He nodded dumbly. "Listen, Rach..." Sam hesitated. "About what I said...about me not being a serious relationship kind of person? I lied." When she didn't say anything, he blathered on. "I –I mean, I've never been in a serious relationship before; that much is true but...I would've wanted to be in one with you. I just...I got scared about our future and –"

"It's okay." Rachel waved it away. "It worked out for the best."

"Yeah." Sam said doubtfully.

And then all of a sudden she couldn't seem to look him in the eye. "So I guess this is goodbye."

"Yeah." He said again then cleared his throat. "Do you, uh, want to say anything? Or should I say something? I mean, I don't know what...what happens now?"

She could feel her eyes brimming with tears as she tried to keep her voice steady. "I don't really feel like talking."

He gave her a half-hearted smile. "Me neither..." Sam admitted, gazing at her sadly, "..so..."

"So." Rachel slowly uncrossed her arms and pulled Sam in for a hug.

He tentatively wrapped his arms around her and they both closed their eyes; not talking, just holding each other as time became meaningless and they stood there, frozen in their own piece of forever.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: <strong>__Chapter fourteen was pretty unbelievable, huh?_

_Lyrics at the beginning are from Not Like The Movies by Katy Perry._

_All I claim to be is a fan of Glee._


	17. Unforgettable

Rachel sat in the middle row of class with Quinn, Santana and Brittany. She had English first period and she had not been looking forward to seeing Sam. The Goodbye Hug (yes, it deserves capital letters) left her shaken more than she would've liked to admit and she still feels the imprint of his arms wrapped around her. She wasn't sure if she could handle seeing him and having to act like he was just another teacher she was saying goodbye to.

As it was, it wasn't that bad. The period passed with a bit of a class party and as long as Rachel avoided eye contact with Sam, she _could_ act like he was just another teacher she was saying goodbye to.

Until the song. The fucking song. Rachel was never much of a swearer but this time it felt appropriate.

"I just want to say, that high school was never going to be your whole life and now you're all going to find that out for yourselves." Sam sighed, standing at the front of the classroom around ten minutes until the bell, his guitar case at his feet. "You will all move on from this...from here...from me." Now his gaze landed on Rachel. "I'm not going to forget you. And I just want you to know that I love you...all." He cleared his throat and got his guitar out. "I, um, but rather than making some maudlin speech, I thought I could show you through music how much you mean to me. After all the helping out with Glee club, I figured the best goodbye would be through music. Um." He swung the guitar strap around himself and held the guitar in his hands. "So, um, this is a song I found that I think describes how I feel better than I ever could."

Sam looked down as he started strumming. Rachel didn't recognize the song but a knot in her stomach tightened as she listened to the words that he was singing.

_You were always there_

_Why did they take you away?_

_I was never scared_

_In your arms, I felt invincible_

_Wanted you to see_

_The world beneath my feet_

_I wish that you could stay_

_I would tell you; you're unbelievable_

**_And I want you to know_**

**_You're who I wanna be_**

**_And I'll sing with everything_**

**_I have inside of me_**

**_You're always in my heart_**

**_There's no letting go_**

**_You gotta know_**

**_You're unforgettable_**

_Still it's so much to see_

_I couldn't even say goodbye_

_'Cause you were taken without_

_Even letting go_

_This crimson runs through my veins_

_It's your life_

_You're the energy_

**_And I want you to know_**

**_You're who I wanna be_**

**_And I'll sing with everything_**

**_I have inside of me_**

**_You're always in my heart_**

**_There's no letting go_**

**_You gotta know..._**

_I just need to hear you speak_

_Hold onto my hand_

_There's nothing in between us_

_I know you're thinking of me_

_Will you be there if I reach?_

Throughout the whole song, Sam looked everywhere except at Rachel but despite that or maybe because of it, she knew he was singing to her. She was glad he wasn't looking at her because she was on the verge of tears and if he were to look at her, it just might push her over the edge.

His strumming became quieter so that all that could be heard was his voice softly singing.

**_And I want you to know_**

**_You're who I wanna be_**

**_And I'll sing with everything_**

**_I have inside of me_**

**_You're always in my heart_**

**_There's no letting go_**

**_You gotta know_**

**_You gotta know_**

**_To know..._**

Sam held a long note as his strumming returned with renewed vigor.

**_And I want you to know_**

**_You're who I wanna be_**

**_And I'll sing with everything_**

**_I have inside of me_**

**_You're always in my heart_**

**_There's no letting go_**

**_You gotta know_**

**_You're unforgettable_**

**_You're unforgettable_**

**_You're unforgettable..._**

Rachel sat there blinking away tears as the last note echoed around the room and everyone clapped.

Quinn elbowed her and when Rachel turned to look at her friend, startled, Quinn just kept on clapping and looking at her meaningfully.

Rachel got the message and clapped along with everyone else.

"That was the sappiest thing I've ever heard." Santana piped up from beside her but Rachel knew from her teary eyes and sincere smile that it was just a sweet, snarky cover for the fact that she'd been_moved._

* * *

><p>It's lunchtime and Rachel can't bring herself to eat as she sits in the cafeteria and everyone is reminiscing out loud about their time at McKinley High.<p>

She thinks she might throw up as she hasn't been able to take her mind off first period all day. How insensitive. How cruel. What the hell did Sam think he was doing? He knew that they weren't going to see each other again and he was just making it harder than it already was.

She doesn't want him to sing a song about how he won't forget her. She wants him to gather her up in his muscular arms and hold her tight. Rachel realized it might be unrealistic to expect him to charter a G5 and follow her to New York but she can't kid herself; a part of her wished he would.

However, he has made it clear that he has no intention of doing that; not now, not ever. The revelation sends shaft of fury through her already horribly tense body. At the first sign of difficulty, he's given up. Deserted her. At least Finn stuck around through _years _of problems before he gave up on them briefly when she slept with Sam. It is all too much. Her despair instantly morphs into rage.

How stupid was she? How could she have ever imagined that things would work out with Sam? Shame sluices over her. What made her think, for even one second, that he might've made her happier than Finn ever could? She was blind. Obviously, she knows nothing about relationships and has lousy judgements. First with Jesse and now with Sam, she just didn't want to see the glaringly obvious signs. Maybe it was all just a big game to all of them.

But he seemed to actually love her.

Rachel fights a flashback. She tries not to remember the long nights they spent together talking about anything and everything and sometimes nothing at all. She tries not to think about how his arms held her in such a way that made her think she'd found home. Twice in twenty-four hours, she finds herself feeling an unbearable sense of loss.

He _seemed _to actually love her but if he was, he would be making phone calls, hunting for the best chance for them to be together while she had to go to New York. If he really loved her, he wouldn't be letting her go so easily; being sure of that is what hurt the most.

* * *

><p>"Hey." Quinn said, walking into E17 to find only Rachel there at the end of school. "I've been looking all over for you. Everyone's getting ready for graduation. What are you doing here? Where's – " She faltered. "Should you be in here without teacher supervision?"<p>

Rachel just shrugged, not answering any of Quinn's questions.

Quinn waited for a further moment and when Rachel didn't deign to say anything, she sat down next to her. "That song Sam sang was really sweet." She said carefully.

No response.

"You think he was singing it to you?"

"He was singing it to everyone."

"Right."

They were silent for a while as Quinn stared down at Rachel and Rachel looked straight ahead. Finally, Quinn sighed. "Rachel, I'm just going to say it; you're in love with Sam and he's in love with you so why don't you both stop being so stubborn and just be together already?"

"He's not in love with me." Rachel said tonelessly.

"Why?" Quinn asked. "You are so frustrating, Rachel, why can't he be in love with you?"

"Because if he was, he would be coming with me to New York."

"Do you think that's realistic?"

"I think it's romantic." Rachel sniffed.

"Then why aren't you mad at Finn for not coming with you?"

Rachel didn't know what to say to that for a moment until finally she settled on, "Because I'm in love with Finn."

"Are you now?" Quinn said in a knowing voice.

Again, Rachel didn't know what to say for moment until, "Well, yeah, why wouldn't I be? It's always been him, he's not my teacher, he's my age, it makes sense."

"Love isn't supposed to make sense."

"And I suppose you're the expert?"

This time it was Quinn who was silent for a moment. "Look, whether you like it or not, you are in love with Sam."

"You think I don't know that?" Rachel's voice cracked, showing the first sign of emotion during the whole conversation. Her hands bunched into tiny fists.

"What?" Quinn said, bewildered. "Then why are you – "

"Because I fell in love with Finn first." Rachel said quickly. "And that's what you do when you fall in love with two people at once. You stay with the first."

Quinn stared at her friend, shocked at the stupidity of what she was hearing. "What?" She said again in the same bewildered voice. "No...no, that's not – that's not what you do. You be with the second one because if you were completely happy with the first one, you wouldn't have fallen in love with the second one!"

Quinn ended up shouting the last part and as she finished, the silence that followed was deafening. She stared at Rachel and as the brunette continued to refuse to acknowledge the blonde's presence, she just shook her head and left.

What felt like an eternity but was really only five minutes later, Finn walked into the classroom. "Hey, are you okay? Quinn said to find you here."

"I'm fine." Rachel blinked and turned to smile at him.

He smiled back and sat down in the seat that Quinn had vacated from. "Listen, I know that you've been worried that we won't be able to work a long-distance relationship so I kind of got you something to hopefully convince you we can."

"Finn – "

"Just open it and see first." He said gently but firmly as he pulled out an envelope and handed it to her.

Curiously, she opened it and took out the paper that was inside. She didn't read more than the first sentence before her head snapped up. "You named a star after me?"

"Well, no." Finn sheepishly had to correct her. "I, uh, I thought about that, but then I named it 'Finn Hudson'." At her questioning look, he added, "Because there's already a star named Rachel Berry. And she's right here on earth and she's brighter than any of those stars up there. So I just wanted to make sure that whenever she feels lonely, she can look up in the sky and no matter where I am, she can know that I'm looking down on her." He paused. "When it's night time."

"Finn – "

"And, uh, just in case it's – it's cloudy or, uh, the middle of the daytime or the star explodes in some massive supernova…there's something else." Finn took a deep breath. "Um, I just feel like all my life I've been, you know, wondering if I was going to be as much of a man as my father was. Now all of a sudden, I'm up at night worried that I'm going to _become _the man he – he was."

"Finn – "

"Let's face it, I've got 'high school hero, life zero' written all over me. Except for one thing. You. You're like a – a beacon of light guiding me through the darkness. You're like this – this big gold star and for some bizarre reason, you chose to let me love you. And...I feel like if I can just convince you to let me keep doing that...we'll be okay. Everything's going to be okay. Uh, I opened up my first credit card to get this." He pulled out a black ring box.

"Finn – "

"It's not very big but it's a promise." He said, getting down on one knee. "A promise to keep loving you for the rest of my life. All you've gotta do is say yes. Rachel Berry, will you marry me?"

Now that Finn was letting her say something, she wasn't sure if she wanted to.

"Finn..." She hesitated. "While some of the things you've said are very sweet...some of the other things make me think...I think you may be doing this for the wrong reasons. I'm leaving for New York and you're scared and I get that and you want something to hold on to. You're trying to find yourself by marrying me and that's not...I mean...the right reason to get married is when you're in love."

There was silence for a long moment.

"And we're not?" He said it quietly like a question although he got the feeling he already knew the answer.

Rachel just smiled apologetically at him.

"We're really over now, aren't we?" Finn sighed.

"I think we were already." Rachel whispered. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine actually." He gave her a half-smile that was sincere but tinged with sadness. "I've had months to emotionally prepare for this."

* * *

><p>There <em>is<em> maybe a fraction of a second where she doubts where she needs to go now.

On the one hand, she's free to be with Sam now.

On the other, he clearly didn't want to be with her.

"You're an idiot." Quinn rolled her eyes when Rachel said this out loud. After Finn had left, Rachel had texted Quinn to meet her outside the classroom. "He wants to be with you."

"Then why isn't he fighting for me?" Rachel frowned.

"Because he thinks you're better off with Finn. But if you want to be with him, why wait for him to come to you? Aren't you all about feminism?"

"But what's the point?" Rachel said, exasperated. "I'm going to New York and he's staying in Lima."

"Long-distance relationship." Quinn said simply. "At least until Sam figures something out and moves to New York."

"I thought you thought that was never going to work?" Rachel said quizzically.

"Well, no." Quinn rolled her eyes. "Not with Finn."

"Do you really think a long-distance relationship is realistic?" Rachel asked quietly, reaching for her last excuse.

Quinn gave her a knowing smile. "I think it's romantic."

* * *

><p>As soon as Sam opened the door of his apartment, Rachel leapt into his arms and kissed him. He didn't respond at first but when he did, it was very enthusiastically. Suddenly though, he pulled away.<p>

"What are you doing?" He gasped slightly out of breath. "Don't you have a graduation to prepare for?"

"Finn and I broke up." Rachel panted.

"Right..." Sam said hesitantly. "What happened?"

"He proposed." She said bluntly. "And I said no."

"What?" Sam's eyes widened. "Are you sure? Rach, if you said no because of me..."

Rachel held his face in between her hands, looked him in the eye and said, "When he proposed, the thought of you did cross my mind. But I said no for a million other reasons that have nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. It wasn't a bad break-up; there was no cheating, no fighting and a part of me was sad but I was surprised to find that a bigger part of me felt relieved. I've known that I'm in love with you for months now but I thought I could be with Finn. I'm actually grateful to Finn for proposing because it made me realize that I can't; I get it now. And I'm sorry I had to leave him like this but this is the first time I've been sure of what I want for a long time and it's you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: AND THAT'S THE END OF THE STORY...KIND OF.<strong>

_A few things; first, I originally was just going to have Finn give her the earrings from the Christmas episode but then in the last episode when Finn proposed...I decided to have that instead._

_Second, I understand I've left it pretty open-ended and there are still questions like how is Rachel and Sam's long-distance relationship going to work exactly? When will they start telling people (now that he's not her teacher anymore) and how will they react? When will Sam be able to go to New York with Rachel and how will that happen? Those questions will be answered in the sequel but I have to warn you, the purpose of the sequel is not to answer those questions or to write Rachel/Sam fluff now that they're (finally!) together. Some seemingly insignificant details in this story will become big storylines in the sequel._

_Which brings me to the third thing; the reason I took a while to put this up is because I've started on another story. I haven't posted it yet but I should have the first chapter up within twenty-four hours after this. It's Rachel and Sam (of course). The story will be different from this one because the storyline won't really pick up until about the fifth chapter (should I mention the chapters are in general shorter than the chapters in this story?), mostly because chapters' two to five mostly consist of flashbacks but it is going somewhere, I promise. At least, it was when I finished writing chapter five. It's also different from this one because with this one, I was writing as I went with the whole storyline already mapped out in my head. Whereas with this new story, I've obviously already written the first five chapters and I have a few ideas of what I want to happen next but not the storyline mapped out. Also, the premise may push believability (even more so than this story) depending on how talented you think Sam is. If the answer is, not enough to do something big outside of high school, then...well, the Sam in the story is a more talented version of Sam then...And you may think Rachel is a little OOC but please keep in mind Season 1 Rachel, also that it's an older version of her and I'd also wait until you see how Rachel and Sam got to where they are now. Oh and maybe you can get a hint of what the next story's about from a seemingly insignificant thing mentioned in the last chapter of this story (although the new story is in a completely different universe to this one). And now I think I've already said too much. No matter, if you've read this far, my ramblings have probably only served to confuse you. Also, no song lyrics at the beginning. I did them for this story because I was writing as I go so the lyrics helped me to write but since I've already written five chapters for the new story..._

_Anyway, the fourth thing is that I really want to focus on this new story which is partly why I'm putting the sequel on hold. Other reasons are that, I don't know about you, but this story has left me emotionally drained so I thought I'd let Rachel and Sam – at least in this universe – have some peace before throwing them into drama again. I'm marking this story as complete for now but if for whatever reason the sequel never gets written, I will just add an epilogue to this story typing up the loose ends._

_**So yeah, this has been a massively long author's note from yours truly and incase you still don't get it yet, I don't own Glee or the song Sam sang (I'd be very surprised if someone recognized it).**_


	18. A Little Taste

_..._

_You're so bad but I want a taste  
>A little taste you have, come on over<br>Right now, take me down  
>I want your poison<em>

_I thought this was just a phase,_  
><em>but everyday I slip, starting over<em>  
><em>You crawl through my skin,<em>  
><em>and I let you in<em>

_A little taste..._

* * *

><p>It only lasted for a second. Okay, maybe two.<p>

Rachel wasn't sure who broke away first but when they did, she could hear Sam mutter under his breath,"Oh, damn it."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no." Each 'no' came as a wave of water splashing onto her face, waking her from her dream and into her senses. She didn't look to see what Sam was doing, she simply picked up her things and left. Refusing to look back despite every urge in her body screaming at her to, Rachel couldn't let herself breathe until she had stepped outside his apartment and closed the door behind her.  
>Leaning heavily on the door, she let out a huge sigh. "What are you thinking? You don't do that. What's wrong with you? Oh, my God." Berating herself the entire time, she picked up what was left of her dignity and forced her legs to move. "Come on. Oh...idiot!"<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_So I was in hibernation, err, I mean hiatus for a while but now I'm back! Sort of. I know most Samchel shippers are happy with the recent development but I'm not. I hate what they've done to Sam and Rachel's characters post season 3 so I was pushed back to this fic. I will not be finishing my other Samchel fic, I had some grand ideas I promise that were going to break all the cliche of the premise but I just don't feel like writing it anymore, I'm sorry. But for the sake of closure, I'm offering an alternate version of this story. Instead of Sam and Rachel having sex after Chapter Ten, the above is a snippet of what could've happened instead. If enough people want me to, I'll continue writing this fic with this alternate turn of events. Also, if you do support this idea, please specify whether you think I should add onto the chapters of this fic or create a new story, thanks! (Song is "A Little Taste" by Skylar Stonestreet, I do not own it and please tell me if the song lyrics I put at the start of every chapter are annoying and/or pretentious)_


End file.

Glee, Drama, Romance