DISCLAIMER: Neither Rachel Berry or Jesse St. James belongs to me.

Forever Has to Start Somewhere

Chapter 1: Bad Reputation

She watched him as she sung.

Even as the others filed out of the room, she kept her gaze on him.

He stared back at her.

Their eyes stayed locked as the rest of the glee club walked between them.

When he stood up and started to follow, she felt her heart shatter.

"Turn around, bright eyes," he sung, his voice soft.

The lyrics were his goodbye and they sounded every bit as hurt as she felt.

She could admit that she'd been harboring doubts about their relationship. She knew how badly he wanted that fourth national title and she worried about what he would do if New Directions didn't make it past regionals.

But hearing how hurt he had been by her stunt, knowing that he felt the same way she did, settled something in her.

"Jesse," she choked out.

He stopped in the doorway, but didn't turn around.

Rachel swallowed hard before saying, "I'm so sorry, Jesse. You said you should have been enough for me and you are. The truth is I've never been sure I'm enough for you. Your reputation is so much better then mine. So is Finn's and you've seen how that has turned out."

Silence settled.

After a moment, he said, "The coach of Vocal Adrenaline is your birth mother and she told me to get close to you. She's not allowed to talk to you until you turn eighteen. I'm supposed to get you to talk to her first." He turned around now. "She's expecting me to go back to Vocal Adrenaline before regionals."

"You've been lying to me?" Rachel said. She didn't think she could feel worse then she when he'd confronted her at her locker the day before, but this moment was proving her wrong.

"Yes, but no." He took a step towards her. "Our first meeting was a complete coincidence and she didn't approach me until after our first date. I love you, Rachel, and I swear to you that that's not a lie."

Rachel's tongue darted along her bottom lip. "I suppose you'll be transferring back to Carmel then?"

His eyes darted across her face. His voice was low as he said, "I was going to get on spring break with them to start learning their regionals numbers. When I came back, I was going to find a way to get things settled between you and Shelby then leave."

This time, it was her that took the step forward. "You were going to?"

"I could be convinced to stay."

"For the week?" she questioned.

Jesse took another step. It brought him close enough that when he reached out for her, he was cradling her jaw in his palm. He spoke softly, swiping his thumb against her cheek, "For as long as you want me too."

"Do you promise?"

"Absolutely." He leaned down to press their foreheads together afterwards. His eyes drifted shut and he sung quietly, "I'll send you all my love every day in a letter, sealed with a kiss."

They were silent for a moment before she murmured, "I'd like that."

He pulled far enough away that they were staring each other in the eye. "You're sure?"

"Yes. I know we still have to talk about everything and that a kiss won't fix that," Rachel said. "But, I still want to."

He stared at her for a moment, before nodding slightly.

He leaned down at the same time that she stretched upwards.

It was nothing more then a soft touch of their lips, but it made Rachel feel like everything would work out.

E/n: I've always kinda wondered how things would have gone if Jesse and Rachel had fixed things during Bad Reputation, so here we are...

Right now I'm planning on doing a chapter per season for the first three seasons. I'm planning on doing more then one scene per episode, but since this is only the beginning and it takes place pretty much at the end of the episode I decided just this would be enough. I may go farther and do the other seasons, but I'm not sure yet? I'd like to get that far before I really consider it.

I'm not sure about quite a lot of this fic, tbh, but I think I'll enjoy writing it and I hope you'll enjoy reading it!