The winter was long, but eventually signs of spring started to pop up. It was harder to tell in New York than it would have been in Lima, but the occasional tree was starting to bud, the snow was melting from the parks, and Rachel's new neighbors were often found on the roof planting a garden.

It took time to get used to living on her own, in Brooklyn of all places. It was different than living with Blaine, even different from living alone in what had once been Kurt's apartment as well as Blaine's. It was a place entirely her own. She enjoyed it, yet often felt lonely. She regretted giving Blaine back his shirt almost immediately, but knew that this would help her more in the long run to get over him.

Spring soon faded into a hot summer, and Rachel was faced once more with the process of auditioning for new musicals. The show she had been in for almost a year was coming to a close soon and with a resume like hers she was sure it wouldn't be hard to find a new starring role. Fortunately for her, she was correct.

Her new rehearsals filled her mornings while her nights were filled with the final month of the show. Chris was off with his new boyfriend, trying to keep his summer romance alive as August drew near. Rachel was focused purely on her career, ignoring date offers and often rejecting party invitations. She had grown to become more and more singular as her time away from Blaine expanded.

Her plan to move out and move on was failing miserably. It was as if every day something new would remind her of him, someone would have the same curly hair, or the same laugh, or sing a song they had once sung together in a drunken state. She often fought the urge to call him herself, just to hear his voice. She half hoped every time she answered the phone or her door that he would be there, which was silly since she hadn't given him her new address in a way to keep him out of her life. And yet she couldn't stop herself from wishing he was there when she opened the door, only to find Chris or a neighbor or, one time, even Kurt.

One day, she would think to herself as she lay on her bed, looking out her window at the city outside. One day I'll move on and we can talk again.

She only wished that day would come closer.

"You nervous?" Chris asked, rubbing Rachel's shoulders as she finished fixing herself up. It was the finale-the night had been sold out since April. "It's a full house out there. Hasn't been this packed since we opened," he grinned, clearly ecstatic.

"Of course not, I'm a professional," she smirked, though her stomach was feeling a little-well, floopy. It was almost as if she knew there was something different tonight even when there wasn't.

"It's all over baby, we're moving on to bigger and better things now," Chris joked, poking her softly. Chris had managed to score a gig in the same musical Rachel was moving to. It wasn't often that two stars got to work multiple shows together, but apparently the director had come to see them multiple times before they even auditioned, impressed by their on stage chemistry.

"Bigger and better," Rachel grinned back. She was excited about moving on-how long could she be expected to hold down the same part? Her voice needed a new challenge, and she wasn't going to get that from singing the same songs every night for the rest of her life.

"Rachel! Chris!" their director barged into her dressing room, causing the two to twirl around to face him. "We're on in five, we need you backstage. Go out with a bang," he winked, and Chris fake fainted as soon as he closed the door.

"Still holding out hope?" Rachel asked as they made their way down the hall to the back of the stage.

"Never underestimate the power of a lot of alcohol and an awesome cast party," he whispered, and she stifled a giggle.

"Break a leg," she told him, and he nodded with a smile. It was stupid to still say the same thing after a year, but it was almost a tradition for them now.

Rachel took a deep breath as she found her position as the music started to play outside the curtains. This was easy for her. If nothing else in life was, she always knew her lines and her songs, and that was all she needed.

By the time the end of the show neared, Rachel was starting to get teary. She might have had Chris coming with her, but the rest of the cast was mostly dispersing to other shows if they had even managed to find anything-a few were headed for small spots on TV, but that wasn't Rachel's goal. She hadn't yet conquered Broadway, and that was her first task in her life as a star.

When it came for her emotional scene with Chris, she almost laughed at how weird it was that both their tears were real, for the first time in a long time, and when they came out for their final bows, there was no holding back the tears and laughter that erupted out of her. Everyone was emotional, hugging as they left the stage, Chris holding Rachel's hand and practically pulling her so that she could get to her dressing room to change faster. "The faster we get to the cast party," he was explaining as they rushed through their coworkers, "The faster I can get him really drunk and into bed."

"What about Ryan?" she asked, referencing his current boyfriend.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," he confided, and Rachel fought back an eye roll.

"Of course," she muttered, opening her door, stopping almost immediately in her tracks and causing Chris to stumble into her.

"What the," he started to groan before looking up. A quiet "Oh," was all he could seem to muster after that, while Rachel stood there speechless.

"Hi," Blaine offered, almost awkwardly. Rachel continued to stand there in silence, not sure of what to do or say.

"I'm just-I'm gonna go. Yeah. I think that's best," Chris said, his voice much louder than necessary. He walked out of the room, and Rachel was faintly aware of the door closing but nothing else seemed to be in focus besides Blaine. He's here. Her brain seemed to short circuit as she that thought swirled around her head, over and over.

"Hi," Blaine said again, his voice quieter as he took a step towards her. She tried to smile though it felt like a grimace on her face. She offered a quiet hello of her own, not sure what to say.

"What-" she started, clearing her throat. Well this isn't awkward at all. "What are you doing here?" she finally managed to ask in a tougher voice, trying to sound more in control of herself.

Blaine laughed, though it sounded almost uncomfortable. "Well, actually, I feel really stupid." She raised an eyebrow but didn't speak, waiting for him to elaborate. "I tried calling you after you moved out," he offered, and she nodded. She had ignored his calls until he just stopped making them. "I guess I wanted a real reason for why you were leaving, and no one seemed to be able to give me one."

"No one?" she questioned, and he nodded.

"I saw Finn and Kurt when I was back in Ohio a few months ago. I ran into them and explained what happened, because if anyone knew what you were up to it would have been them. And they just told me I was being completely oblivious." He laughed again, mostly to himself. "Actually, Finn said I was being 'really fucking retarded' if I couldn't figure it out. Kurt was kinder." Rachel grinned despite herself. Finn would be the one to know exactly what Rachel's motives were.

"I see," was all she said instead.

"You were great out there tonight," he offered after a momentary pause. She tilted her head, still unsure of what was going on in Blaine's mind.

"Thanks," she replied.

"I've been to a few more of your shows. I was going to come visit you backstage, but I didn't know what to say."

She nodded and they fell back into a silence. It was comfortably-uncomfortable. Just enough to make her squirm without wanting to fall into a hole and die. "Is there something you really needed Blaine?" she finally asked when he seemed to be out of words.

He looked at her, his eyes locked on hers, and took a step forward. "Yes, actually there is." She bit her lip, the floopy feeling in her stomach back. "You see, I've been wondering for almost nine months why you cut me out, and why you've avoided me at all costs. And then today, I went to put on an old Dalton shirt to go for a run." Rachel felt herself whiten, the color visibly leaving her skin. Oh no, she thought, over and over.

"Oh," she said quietly, trying to remember to breathe.

"And this piece of paper fell out," Blaine continued, taking another step closer to her. "And it was weird, because the paper smelt like you, all floral and wonderful." She looked up at him, he was right in front of her now. "And I read this letter about how a gorgeous woman felt like she wasn't good enough for me, and felt absolutely stupid."

"What?" she asked, her eyes widening. She didn't want to think about all the different ways his words could mean, needing to know their true intentions before letting herself hope they meant what she wanted them to mean.

"When I kissed you on New Year's, it was because I wanted to," he whispered. "It wasn't because of Heath or the alcohol-though those might have pushed me to actually do it. It was because I had wanted to for a while, because I had fallen just as much in love with you as you apparently had with me. And I only apologized because I thought that's what you wanted."

"You love me?" was all Rachel could manage, the thought practically screaming at her inside her own head. Blaine just said he loves me. Me. Rachel Berry.

He laughed again while nodding. "You are quite a force Rachel Berry," he chuckled. "How can anyone not love you?" He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear with one hand, the other grabbing one of her own. "The question now is, do you still love me?"

"How is that even a question Blaine Anderson?' she scolded, and he grinned.

"That's what I was hoping you'd say," he responded before quieting her lips with his own. She kissed him back eagerly, her last coherent thought a quick guess I can't help you seduce our director Chris before Blaine completely took over her mind.

"I love you Rachel," he breathed when they had broken apart.

She smirked and leaned up to kiss him again. "That's what I was hoping you'd say," she retorted before losing herself once more in his mouth.