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goldstarlet,
psl

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Jesse St. James

Rachel Berry

WHERE New York City, NY • Broadhurst Theater
Some kind of Into the Woods related shenanigans. WARNINGS None

The theater was bustling with excitement and last minute arrangements that needed to be made before curtain call. There were technical issues to correct, costumes that needed last minute adjustments, and an entire cast of actors that needed to prepare for showtime. While theater had the added benefit of repeat performances that could be adjusted as needed, the first show was often the one that drew in reporters and critics to review and critique. It tended to add an extra layer of urgency to making sure everything was as perfect as it could be. Then in the days and weeks that followed, everyone would settle into a well established and comfortable pattern.

For Rachel, the preshow chaos was something she was used to. What she really treasured though, was the quiet moments alone in her dressing room before a performance. It was a sacred time and as with every opening night, she treated it with care. She and Jesse were sharing a dressing room for the duration of the show, but he’d gone off a little bit ago to speak to the director. It gave her the time she needed to think, process, and imprint the moment and everything that had led up to it, into her mind.

When Jesse had been approached by a good friend and colleague, someone who had helped him with Jane Austen, about it being too long since Broadway had seen a run of the famous Sondheim musical: Into the Woods, he’d eagerly agreed. Though he’d always been a fan of Jack, he’d readily accepted the role of the Baker, under one stipulation; Rachel would be cast as his wife. Her credibility, having won a Tony the previous year made her desirable, and she was more than willing to take on such a challenging and well loved role. It had been awhile since she and Jesse had been on stage together and they always worked off the other flawlessly, making them perfect for any romantic lead.

She was excited to work off her husband again, and the show came at a much needed time. The last year had been spent mostly fulfilling the role of a dutiful surrogate to two of her best friends as well as recovering from the pregnancy. For the most part she was grateful for the opportunity, but it had not come without its challenges. For one, Rachel had not expected how attached she could grow to a life that was not in any way her own. By Jesse’s encouragement and well thought out arguments, she’d agreed it was best that they use a donor egg. Despite that, after the baby was born, her body had been flooded by hormones that only knew it was supposed to be caring for a child. It had left her with an ache she couldn’t understand and emotions that had been difficult to navigate.

Despite all the joy in her life, and how happy she was for Kurt and Blaine, it had been a struggle. Not even the reassurance that they could try for a child of their own soon had been enough to soothe the ache of what her body saw as a loss. It had felt raw every time the baby would seek to nurse or calm only to Jesse’s singing. It made a certain amount of sense. She and her husband had handled all the highs and lows of her pregnancy and its more intimate details together. When she was uncomfortable and the baby was keeping her awake, Jesse would sing to her stomach. It was no wonder by the time she was ready to pop, he was raring for her to carry theirs.

Between hormones and the perceived physical loss, her role in the baby’s life and her best friends lives had been complicated. Not unpleasant, just complicated. A month-long vacation in a small villa in Europe with just her husband had proven to give her the distance she needed to recover. By the time she returned the breast milk had finally dried up, her figure was returning and she was eager to get back to her work while her body fully recovered and she and Jesse could start trying for their own.

The whole situation allowed her to bring an authenticity to the role of the Baker’s Wife that pre-show reviews had called alluring and believable”. Though perhaps ready to start her life as a real mother, the show and everything it entailed had proven to be everything she needed to move forward. It wasn’t always easy, but her hormones were under control, her sex life was back on track and things were really good.

Sitting in front of the mirror, she puts a couple more pins into the wig and smooths her hands over her head to make sure it’s completely in place. She glances over at the clock, and her heart skips a beat, not too long now. They’d been doing dress rehearsals for a week now, but there was nothing like performing in front of a live audience. Glancing at the photos on the vanity, an old picture from Glee Club, a favorite picture of she and Jesse, and pictures of both of them with their Tony awards, she feels a calm wash over her. She was really doing well, and with her hair and make up done, and her costume on, it was only a matter of waiting until showtime.

CODING

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There had been something bittersweet about getting to be in Into the Woods but not as Jack; the Baker was certainly a challenging role and, arguably, a far more important one, but he had lost his chance to stick it to Carmen Tibado by being a few years too old to realistically be cast in such a childish character. He could have pulled it off, of course, if he'd grown out his curls he easily looked ten years younger than he was, but the idea of being the Baker off of Rachel was far more alluring in the end.

Everything had been a little crazy over the last couple of years. Between directing, and the surrogacy, and the aftermath of all of it, a trip away had been exactly what they needed, he'd thought. He felt slightly more refreshed than he had before it and being brought back to the stage afterward had been exactly the right call. It felt great to be in the position of actor again and the performance kept his mind off of other things; things like the eagerness he had to start a family of his own.

The pregnancy had woken up a fatherly instinct in him he hadn't even been aware he had. Sure, he'd known he wanted kids, but the actual act of taking care of Rachel while she'd carried one, the feeling of the baby kicking in her stomach, the soothing that had been offered just by his own voice, and everything else that came with it had been a surprise. The fact that Kurt and Blaine's daughter had still reacted to his voice when she heard it and would often calm when she heard him start to sing had tugged at his insides in a way he had never expected it to. He'd been able to rationalize that it wasn't his child far more easily than Rachel had with all the pregnancy hormones influencing her thoughts, but now that they were both more settled and moved on from it all, that itch to hold his own child was suddenly stronger than ever.

Ironically, the Baker was also a man desperate for a family, willing to do anything to help his wife get pregnant with the baby they'd always wanted. It had given him direction for his own emotions, an outlet that he wouldn't have otherwise had, and it helped him keep himself in check about the whole thing. But it didn't quiet those urges enough for him to not think about it entirely. The rare moments he got alone with Rachel seemed to be when it was the loudest.

Moments like now. He'd quietly closed the dressing room door behind him, watching her as she put the last of the pins into her wig, and he couldn't help but smile. All these years and his heart still felt like it swelled with love when he looked at her. How could he not want to have a child with someone who made him feel that complete? He swallowed roughly, trying to push down those thoughts as he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and going to place a careful kiss against her neck, doing his best to not get any of his own stage makeup onto any piece of her costume.

"Excited?"

When Jesse had entered the room, she'd glanced up at him in the mirror, catching his smile and returning it warmly. She didn't say anything, but continued to finalize tiny hairs in the wig that didn't really need fixing. She notices when he walks over to her and she smiles again, closing her eyes as he wraps his arms around her. A sigh escapes her as he carefully kisses her neck. As with other shows, she was feeling particularly nostalgic in the moment and she savors the closeness.

"Very," she agrees reaching back with one hand to run her fingers through his hair. Men had to deal with wigs far less than women did in theater, but she doesn't mind because she likes to run her fingers through the short wavy texture of his hair. After a moment, she lets go and turns around in her chair to look up at him. "How could I not be? It's Sondheim. The irony of melancholy isn't lost on me," she teased him, reaching up to pat his chest.

Turning back to her table, she focused on taking off her own wedding and engagement, putting it into a little box and locking it. Then she took the costume jewelry and replaced it on her ring finger. "Did you get the mic fixed?" She asked, standing up to brush off her dress and giving herself another look over in the mirror. She looked better than even rehearsals, but she could be so self critical.

His forehead had wrinkled for a moment at the common on melancholia, before he connects it to the distant memory of when he’d apologized for not handling her pulling back on sex in the best of fashions. He lets out a low chuckle, ducking his head so that his forehead rests against her shoulder, before he pulls back and stands up straight. He straightens out his costume, the amused smirk still in place as he looks at her reflection in the mirror.

“Maybe I was a little bit on the dramatic side in my youth, but you can’t say I didn’t make an impact.”

Jesse watches as she takes off her own rings and he goes to place his hands on her shoulders once she’s standing to try and make her stop fidgeting so much. “I did. And I made sure to have them redo the markers on the left side of the stage so we don’t end up having any near collision issues due to faded tape.” He puts the tip of his finger under her chin so he could guide her eyes to look at him. “You look amazing, by the way.”

She couldn't help but laugh at his reaction, she'd honestly been waiting for a moment to bring up the old dramatic moment. There had been plenty of other times when they'd bonded over Sondheim, whether it be discussion or attending a performance, but that moment often made her laugh.

"It's okay," she offers as she undoes the top button of the dress before buttoning it again to see which way she likes better. "It was just a sign we were meant to end up here. Two dramatic theater freaks, ready to bring Sondheim to life."

Her fidgeting is stopped as he turns her around and places his hands on her shoulders. She breathes a sigh of relief when he notes that the tape has been replaced because that issue had been catching up several of the actors during the larger song numbers including the opening number. "Oh good, that's going to help a lot. The last thing we need is Little Red Riding Hood, skipping into a tree again."

When he places his finger underneath her chin and draws her attention up to him, she can feel the authenticity of his words, and any thoughts about the stage or potential issues leave her mind. The love she feels from him is reflected in her own eyes. "Thank you." Reaching out she rests her hands on his chest and smooths out her palms against his shirt. "So do you. Handsome as always."

He moves to unbutton the top button of the dress again for her, clearly deciding that that looked better, and he figures she trusts his opinion enough for it to stay that way. He loves that they’ve ended up here, in a play that they’ve both talked endlessly about, filling roles they would’ve only dreamed of as teenagers. Sure, they’d had the confidence to brag that they’d end up here, but the reality of it always hits harder than the dreams ever could. It’s like a bright, neon glowing sign flashing You’ve Made It.

Jesse feels a sense of warmth and comfort at her touch, watching as her hands smooth out the slight wrinkles in his shirt as they move. He knows she needed the reassurance more than he did, but it’s always nice to have right before going on stage all the same. Especially from the one person who mattered most to him and who he knew would always be honest, even if she was biased towards believing he could never look bad.

“Thank you,” he mutters. “I’d hate to disappoint all those young female fans out in the audience by looking a mess.” It’s said teasingly, though there was probably a grain of truth to it, given his ego and his love of attention.

The roles she'd envisioned herself playing had changed over the years, but she's felt very happy in her role. It's well suited and well timed and even if it filled her with her own sense of melancholy, even wearing the fake belly reminded her of where she and Jesse would be someday. Someday soon, she was sure of that.

She rolled her eyes, though the smile showed she was just playing with him. "You aren't supposed to look drop dead gorgeous to the female audience. You are supposed to look tired and poor." The linen fabric of his shirt and the carefully worn edges that hinted at poverty were examples of that. Truth be told though, she still found him devilishly handsome. She remembered joking with him back in high school as they watched the 90s film of the musical, that she could see him up on stage singing "Agony" like one of the princes.

He'd humbled since then, but he was still plenty attractive to have played one of the princes. The Baker was a far better role in the end, and it allowed her to play off of him romantically, even if she did end up making out with one of the princes in the second act.

"We must be getting close to showtime. I'm glad we're back on stage together. Right where you belong. Where we both belong." She squeezed his hand. "Thanks for talking me into this."

Jesse raises his brows like his offended, though the playfulness is still clear in his eyes. “Excuse you, I can look poor, tired, and drop dead gorgeous all at once. The three are not mutually exclusive.” He’d always been arrogant about his looks, whether he’s grown in his humility or not, and he wasn’t about to change now. Maybe he would have been physically better suited for a prince, but the joy of being a good actor in Broadway meant getting to fill roles based on his talent instead of just a pretty face. It was one of the many things he knew they both appreciated about the career.

He takes a deep breath, nodding in agreement. He leans in, going to give her a quick kiss, before he starts to drag her towards the dressing room door.

“I should be thanking you for agreeing. I’ve missed making music with you.” There were times he had wished he’d tried to act and direct in Jane Austen Sings just so he could have been on stage with her then, too, but he had known it had been a bad decision for his first attempt at directing. Now that he was a little more comfortable, and not the only one in charge of making decisions, the assistant role and the lead had been a lot easier to fill.

“I bet the critics are elated by our reunion as well. They seem pretty pleased so far.”

It was true, he could. Rachel had always been in awe of not only vocal range, but the emotional talent that he was capable of bringing to everything he did. No matter what role he played he could draw in anyone with his voice and depth. "Fair enough," she concedes. "No one is ever going to understand my cheating on you. It's going to be more like," she begins to play with his collar, "well you might have a prince, but have you seen my baker?" Might as well feed into his ego.

Then he leans in and he's kissing her, albite briefly, but it sends a shudder down her spine, especially when he brings back the timeless comment about how well they make music together. It's always been suggestive between them and it never fails to excite her just a little.

"The critics have always been pleased by our joint performances, so they do seem to enjoy us making music together. They really appreciated that interview we gave."

She takes his hand as he leads her from the room and down the hall of dressing rooms where several of the actors are finishing their preparations. Rachel stops briefly to help another actress with a button, sharing a laugh over an inside joke. They are stopped several times to catch up with people who were either new friends or friends from previous performances. The cast had gotten very close during rehearsals and Rachel had found it a great escape from any of her home worries.

As they approach backstage she looks over at Jesse. "Do we have plans after the show?" Which basically meant, were they celebrating jointly with everyone, or privately? Though, with friends and family in from out of town, she was guessing that anything private was going to have to wait. She was glad without rehearsals they'd been able to sleep in.

Jesse grins as she feeds his ego, shrugging his shoulders in a show of mock-humility. “The money is always a draw. Fancy velvet is definitely more becoming than torn up linen.” He knew full well that she would do a perfectly fine job selling it and that she was just being humorous, of course. He had never doubted for an instance that she could make anything authentic.

Catching up with some of the other actors was always a nightly ritual he enjoyed, the excited chatter backstage feeding into the energy they’d all soon bring to the characters. There were a few actors he’d been close to in other performance and it had been easy to fall into the same carefree, friendly conversations that they had previously. It was almost like being back in high school, the excitement before a musical performance, or a Glee competition, but less of the petty competition between one another to drag it all down like there had been at Carmel High.

“Cast party, likely,” he said with only the slightest hint of disappointment. Jesse had always preferred to celebrate with Rachel alone, but he knew that a small cast like this made parties important, especially when their families were all there. “My mom’s real set on making sure that she gets to talk to Prince Charming. She’s a big fan.”

She'd been expecting that to be his answer, but she still felt a pull of disappointment that they weren't likely to really get a moment alone until whenever they finally crashed in bed exhausted. Probably too tired to even have sex. Such was the chaos of opening week, but thankfully she knew that it would calm down and they'd get into a pattern.

"We should have just invited Adrien and Annie to dinner then." His parents had arrived a couple of days prior so that his mother could get her shopping in. They'd all gone out to a late dinner last night after the final rehearsal. Adrien, who was playing Prince Charming was one of Jesse's closest friends and Rachel was good friends with his wife, Annie, who was in the orchestra. "But your mother will love to see him in his costume. I just hope she doesn't ask any embarrassing questions about the make out scene."

Rachel could just picture his mother asking Adrien what it was like kissing his best friend's wife, and right in front of Annie too. Not that Annie didn't get it, but it wouldn't be ideal. "Your sister drove down too, right? Maybe she can tame her a bit."

He couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped him when she mentions his mother and her tendency for embarrassing the hell out of everyone around her, before he realizes that she may be asking in all seriousness about whether or not his sister could manage to reign in the eccentricities of Mrs. St. James. He sobers a little, clearing his throat, before giving her a quick shake of his head.

“Nothing is going to tame my mother if she decides she wants to know the details of it,” he says simply, because he knows she is well aware of the truth of it. “A dinner wouldn’t have been enough for her. She would’ve felt like she hadn’t had the opportunity to take in his performance before meeting him, and that would clearly be a travesty. She can’t critique him if she doesn’t see his scenes first.” He was sure, after all, that his mother was going to make sure her opinion on everyone’s performances was more than well known, even if she’d ultimately get particularly focused on what Jesse could and couldn’t improve as the nights wore on.

“Sometimes I wonder why she didn’t just become a director when she failed on stage.”

Rachel had gotten plenty of chances by now to get to know her mother in law, even before she was her mother in law. She was by no means an easy woman. "Because she had to have children in order to vicariously live through them, so in some ways...she has been a director." She teased, poking him in the ribs.

She took a step back as one of the backstage staff moved to get past her with some of the set furniture. Which reminded her, they should double check their props. Tugging on Jesse's shoulder she pulled him into the area behind the curtain and over to the pieces of furniture for their little cottage. It wasn't technically their job to look that over, but she'd learned from one performance where she hadn't had what she needed and needed to improvise, it was best to double check.

"Okay. It's all here, wait..." She looked around. "They put Red's basket over there. Can you grab it for me?" She pointed to the table where it had been left with a few of the following scenes props. Meanwhile, she spotted the younger boy who was playing Jack in tonight's performance, pulling in the cow and across the stage, she saw Audrey, the woman playing Cinderella stretching.

With the actors making sure their scenes were in place, that meant that it was almost showtime. One of the crew members came over to her to let her know it was almost time to go. It made her heart flutter. There was always a bit of nerves just before the curtain raised, but it would leave as soon as the show started.

Jesse let out a sarcastic laugh, wrinkling his nose as he playfully glared at her. She wasn’t entirely wrong, even if the remark had been teasing, and so he didn’t bother thinking of a comeback for it, instead following her towards their places on stage as she gave the set a once over. Her meticulous nature was always adorable to watch and he nods as she asks him to grab the basket, pulling it off the table and handing it to her.

“Your compulsive nature always comes in handy somewhere,” he says with his own teasing tone this time. It was true, really, and it was one reason why he never tried to actually make her work on those parts of herself. She was as good and as prepared as she was on stage because of it and he wouldn’t change that for the world.

Taking a deep breath, he goes to put a hand around her waist, pulling her in close before the curtain can rise, so he can give her another kiss before the performance begins. “Break a leg,” he mutters when he breaks away, his lips still hovering close enough to hers for the air to tickle against skin.

"I'm not compulsive," she argued, though it was still in the same playfulness. "I'm meticulous." For some reason that sounded better to her, when really she could be pretty compulsive. She dropped the argument quickly though as he wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her.

"You too," she whispered, pulling him close again for another kiss, which she only breaks because the lights flash signaling the performance would start in a few short minutes.

She felt overwhelmed by how blessed she felt. The fact that she was literally standing behind the curtain on a Broadway stage, ready to perform alongside the man she loved was everything she had ever wanted from life. It wasn't even her first show and yet the excitement of it all never seemed to stop. Sure, there were times where she was tired and needed a break, but she was so lucky to get to work in a job that allowed her to use her talents while giving her plenty of time with her husband. Few couples were ever allotted such a thing in their relationships.

The orchestra starts up and she squeezes his hand before letting go. She gets into position ready for the curtain to rise and counts the beats of music while silently going over the first song.

Jesse could feel his own excitement buzzing around inside of him as the lights flickered, making sure to get into position for when the curtain actually rose. He can see everyone else starting to make their way into their own spots and the chattering in the audience starting to die down. There’s the usual announcements starting, the requests for silencing phones, and he returns the squeeze when the music starts to swell.

It’s funny how it never stops being a rush. No matter how many shows, how many performances of those shows, or even the number of people who are watching, Jesse always finds the theater exhilarating. It’s what allows him to deliver the music and his lines with the same energy each night, and it’s no different now. The first I wish comes out with the same emotion that he’s given it every practice and every preview and would continue to give it each night. Performing was in his blood and it’s all made that much better knowing that it’s in Rachel’s, too. That they’re able to give that same passion together for an entire audience to enjoy.

He’s always admired how good she is with her comedic timing, how well she puts her whole body into the humor. It’s perfect for the Baker’s Wife and the interactions with Little Red Riding Hood, and he’s not surprised when he can hear the swell of laughter from the audience during the dialogue. It’s so often hard to hold back his own humor, and sometimes he doesn’t know how he’s actually manages.

Rachel can tell that they have a full house, and knowing that part of that reason is because people want to see the Tony award winning St. James couple. It does wonders for her ego. It's a far cry from performing at McKinley to an empty audience and feeling under-appreciated. Jesse had never had that problem with Vocal Adrenaline, but it hadn't really been until senior year and the performance of "West Side Story" that she'd actually really gotten a taste of true audience engagement.

The audience is engaged from the start, and whatever hint of stage fright she'd had before the curtain rose is gone. She feels comfortable, like she belongs there, and she knows she does. So she gives them the performance she knows they had paid top dollar for, drawing up from her own vast emotional experiences to bring the Baker's Wife to life. She pays some homage to its original actress, but she makes it her own as well.

It's easy to act in love with the Baker, since she is in love with his actor, and she enjoys every natural touch of a doting or protective husband. The laughter from the audience as they playfully try to figure out how to stop Red from taking everything they've worked hard to bake echoes around the theater. Then as the Witch comes on, the audience goes wild with appreciation. Far less appreciative are their characters and she reaches out to Jesse for protection as the Witch makes threats, and he holds her as she cries out in agony at the realization that they've been cursed. Her eyes are filled with something, that's a little too real, but perfect for the scene.

Rachel shuts it off as quickly when it's an emotion that's no longer needed, as her character focuses on the new goal of retrieving objects from the woods to break the curse. The humor returns quickly, as she and Jesse bicker over whose house it is. There is more depth to that too, because she's had so many arguments with him over silly things, and she's forever reminding him to do something with a roll of her eyes. A roll of her eyes that kept putting him into fits of laughter during the first days of rehearsals, which had only irritated her more.

"You don't remember?" She sighs heavily. "The cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, the slipper as pure as gold!" He takes over the lyrics and she throws her hands up in the air, giving a stubborn glare, before walking to the other side of the stage as choreographed to finished up the rest of the choral part of the song. The number wraps in a big group chorus before everyone pauses and the stage goes dark. Then it's just a quiet exit of the larger cast, herself included, to the backstage.

While Jesse had had a hard time during rehearsal controlling his giggles as Rachel had lectured him, he managed to pull out the perfect amount of annoyance for the performance. People clearly found the exhausted sighs and the huffs relatable, given the way they reacted to the interactions between he and Rachel on stage. The laughter was good to hear and it meant that they were headed on the right path. With an equally talented cast to play off of, the interactions with the Witch went just as humorously, and by the time they ended up backstage while Cinderella’s scene began, he was having to stifle his own chuckles over it all.

“Seems like people are really enjoying themselves,” he muttered to her after he’d shut off his mic. They had a few scenes to sit backstage during, the Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood the ones who had to worry about not missing their cues next. He gave her a grin. “You’re as amazing as always,” he complimented her, reaching up to gently smooth a few stray hairs from the wig. “I bet the reviews from this are going to be just as strong as the ones from previews were.”

He leaned over to watch Red Riding Hood skip on stage, before going to do the few things he needed to before he was back on stage. Some water for his throat, a quick wipe of sweat away from his skin (he hated how sweaty he got, he’ll forever be envious of everyone who somehow manages to not dump out their body weight in water every night on stage) and before he knew it, the wolf was howling and it was his turn to run to the edge of the stage.

Anyone who had known the more dramatic side of Jesse would likely have never really guessed his natural inclination for humor. It was clear he had it in him the moment that the Witch snuck up behind him to yell for him to get the cape and Jesse let out a small, high-pitched scream in reaction. The two bickered about the cape before she ran off on the cue of Rapunzel’s singing and he lets out a low, tired sigh as he starts to pace.

“This is ridiculous! I'll never get that red cape! Or find a golden cow or a yellow slipper. Or... was it a golden slipper... and a yellow cow? Oh no... I...”

The scenes backstage never felt like that much of a break, especially not with the characters they were playing and how often they had to be on stage. Still, it was always nice to get a drink of water, or adjust, or just breathe. Or in Jesse's case, apparently remind her that she was wonderful, as always. "You too," she whispered. "I hope you're right about those reviews, but the reaction so far is what we want. The energy is there."

It wasn't long after he went onto the stage that it was her time to join him again. She draws up all the exhaustion of a wife whose husband has once again forgot something she'd told him, but isn't letting her help. But she pushes out on stage, ready to force him to accept her help. "The cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, the slipper as pure as gold...."

He turns to her in surprise and asks her what she's doing there, before she promptly, and extremely innocently, offers him out his scarf, because of course that was why she was following him. So begins another banter of him telling her that it's on his house and her trying to beg him to let her help by reminding him that the spell in on their house. She's slow and carefully with her words, first begging, but growing more annoyed until she sees Jack pulling the cow onto stage and she quickly slaps her hand over Jesse's mouth, and tilts his head. "The cow as white as..." he joins her on the final word; milk.

Somehow the way that Rachel covers his mouth and forces him to turn his head is that much funnier with him being so much taller than her. It’s not nearly as easy and it sold her being the one in charge of the relationship a bit more solidly, if you’d asked his opinion on it. The director had agreed and it was clear the audience found it humorous given the chuckles that immediately followed the action, even before they spoke in sync.

He clears his throat as he approaches Jack, twisting his hat in his hands nervously. Greeting him and, with a little prompting from his wife, managing to get to the point of the matter, which was how much he wanted to sell his cow for. “Five pounds?” The words come out high pitched with disbelief, before he turns back to wards Rachel, hissing out, “Where am I going to get five pounds?” He digs into his pocket, pulling out the imaginary beans as Rachel talks to Jack, going through her lines, and he rubs his forehead as she comes back, before letting out a very tired laugh and informs her that all he has are beans. Rachel’s particularly good at going from distress to overly dramatic as she tries to pretend they can’t part with their magic beans, and Jesse gives her a look of irritation that he’s clearly done a thousand times when she forces him to join in on the lie by trying to define the magic.

Eventually, they’re given the cow, and Jack’s performance as he sings goodbye to his friend is actually fairly heart wrenching, even with the humor played in near the end. Jesse closes his eyes once he’s left the stage, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a long sigh. “Quickly, take the cow and go home.” He scoffs as she mentions being helpful, shaking his head and pointing in the direction Jack left the stage. “Magic beans?! We’ve no reason to believe they’re magic! Are we to dispel this curse through deceit?!”

One of the things that Rachel loves about Jesse's acting is the way he can turn off that arrogance, which to be fair in some ways was always an act, and showcase the Baker with his compassion. Meanwhile, Rachel draws from understanding that when you want something there are certain costs and sometimes they come at the expense of others. For better or worse, she had certainly stepped on some toes before to get what she wanted.

"If you know what you want, then you go and your find it and you take it." The desperation of wanting a child, and knowing that sacrifices must be made to get that, ring strong as she combines the Baker's wife desire to have a child and the excuses it takes to resign herself to do whatever it takes to get that child, comes through as she belts out the words. Jesse points off stage ordering her home, but she ignores it and rushes forward to take his hands, focusing the next words specifically at him. "Do we want a child or not?"

Immediately she releases him and turns to the audience, continuing. "And you give and you take, and you bid and you bargain." Rachel has always sung with her entire body and she reaches out with one hand in an offer to the audience, before pulling it back in, and turning partially towards her husband. "Or you live to regret it!" The hint of fear she adds to those words, makes clear the desperation she feels.

Justifying her actions to herself, at least, is a well rehearsed action of hers. It's not hard to draw from the countless times she's done it, despite that it seems to always bite her in the ass. "There are rights and wrongs and in-betweens - no one waits when fortune intervenes!" Despite that she knows Jesse believes most of this is true, he does a good job playing the role of concerned partner as he bends down to check on the cow in concern. "And maybe their really magic! Who knows!? Why you do what you do, that's the point, all the rest of it is chatter!"

As Jesse tells her in a guilt stricken voice that the cow is crying Rachel hears the audience laugh. But at this point the Baker's wife is resigned and the guilt is gone from her voice. She wants the baby and if that means lying to get an old cow to have one, well than she'll be damned if she lets the lie stop them.

She bends over to place a hand under Jesse's chin to get him to listen to her again and reassure him that they are doing the right thing, never losing the beat of the song. "If the thing you do is -pure- in intent, if it's just a little bent, does it matter?"

"YES!" He pulls his head back from her hold and Rachel looks at him with an annoyance that quickly fades as she stands up to strongly belt out, "NO!"

She stands up again, what guilt she had felt is gone as if she's convinced herself what she's done is right, and she's solid in her convictions as she sings both to Jesse and the audience. "No, what really matters is that everyone tells tiny lies, what's important really is the size! She holds up her hand when he starts to interject, done with trying to be told otherwise. She holds up three fingers to him. "Only three more tries and we'll have our prize."

She places her hands on her belly for emphasis, and the desire in her own heart to have her own belly filled with his child, gives a strength to her words that has the audience on the edge of their seats. "When the ends in sight you'll realize, if the end is right, it justifies...", Rachel takes a deep breath to hit the high note of the last word, drawing it out for emphasis, power, and depth, "the beans....!" She has a voice that's powerful and can go even higher than the original actress and she utilizes that, and clearly it's a big hit, because when she sharply cuts off the note at the end the audience erupts in cheers and applause. The look of joy on her face isn't even acting at that point.

An elongated moment is taken as the audience begins to calm. Jesse holds off on his line, giving her that moment, and finally when it's quiet enough, he tells her to take the cow and just go home. The Baker is not as impressed as she's sure Jesse is. She lets her shoulders fall from the emotional distance between the two characters, but she nods and goes to take the cow off stage, stopping to give her husband one last look as he heads off stage, before she exits herself.

Then overwhelmed and thrilled by the response she'd gotten, she makes her way around back to meet up with Jesse. By the time she gets to him she's practically jumping up and down she's so excited by the audience reaction.

Jesse constantly was in awe of Rachel’s talent and watching as she belts out her final note is no different. It takes a great deal of strength to watch her with agitation instead of admiration as the audience cheers, continuing to carry on his tired annoyance while she beams in the aftermath of her solo. Watching her sing always filled him with such a pure, raw love that he had often been overwhelmed by it. It was hard to not to have it come through in his acting. When the audience finally calms, he directs for her to go home, before exiting in the opposite direction of the stage on his own cue.

He wraps his arms tightly around her when she gets to him, knowing he didn’t have a very long time before the Witch, the Prince, and Rapunzel would be done their short scene and he’d be expected back on the stage. He puts all the love and pride he feels for into the hug, burying his face against her neck and breathing in deeply. “I think that was your best delivery yet,” he mutters as he pulls back. He doesn’t get much more of a chance to delve into compliments before he hears Rapunzel’s Prince boom out his line in his deep bass voice and he gives her a quick kiss before he’s rushing on stage after Little Red Riding Hood.

“Hello there, little one,” he gets out in an awkward and totally not creepy voice. Was there a way to greet a random girl in the woods without sounding a little weird? He’s not sure there is. Jesse goes back and forth with the girl about her cloak, letting his fingers trail over the edges as he admires it, before the witch’s voice booms across the stage like it’s echoing in his head. Forget the little girl and get the cape! He snatches it off her shoulders, dashing off the stage quickly before Red Riding Hood starts to scream and stomp her feet, sobbing over her lost cape, and he comes running in from off stage just as quickly as he’d left, throwing the cape back around her shoulders, and pausing as the audience laughs.

“Shhhh, there, there. I uh... I just wanted to make sure you, uh, really loved this cape! Now, you, uh—you go to your Granny’s, haha, and be careful no wolf comes your way!” He pats her back awkwardly before Red stomps on his feet, insulting him before she runs away as he hops up and down like he’s trying to make his toe stop hurting. He gives a small growl of frustration as he tosses his hat on the ground.

“If you know what you need then you go and you find it and you take it.” He sighs, rubbing his forehead, as he speaks; “Do I want a child or not?” in frustration, drawing on his own desires for a child to emphasize the struggle and pain that the Baker is feeling in that moment when he has to choose between hurting the feelings of a girl who he’s helped in the past over his own future family. He scoffs, rolling his eyes as he strengthens his resolve. “It's a cloak, what's a cloak? It's a joke. It's a stupid little cloak. And a cloak is what you make it.” He bends down to pick up his hat, gripping it tightly in his fist. “So you take it. Things are only what you need them for. What's important is who needs them more!” He gives a nod to assure himself, before he goes to run off stage after Red Riding Hood.

He has enough time to give Rachel another grin as he grabs some water, wishing he could dump it over his head instead of just drink it at the moment. Even if it was made of linen, with the jacket and the hat, it was hard not to feel hot on the stage in al the layers. It’s only a minute or so before the Narrator’s lines cue him back on stage and he comes running up to the cottage, leaning in to listen to the snoring wolf inside. “That Grandmother has a mighty snore,” he says with an impressed tone. “Odd.” But no matter. “Now where is the little one?” He snorts. “Eating no doubt...” And as the belch echoes through the theater, he freezes, turning back towards the cabin and placing a hand on his head. “Or eaten!” He digs the knife out of its sheath, running in and announcing the sign of the red cape before he goes to cut the child and grandmother out of the wolf’s belly. He steps aside as they yell and threaten, and when the Granny starts to talk about filling him with stones, he gags and starts to try and walk away.

“I’ll just... leave you to your task.”

“No, no, no! Wait, wait! Don’t you want the skins?!” The Granny asks as she grabs his arm.

He lets out an awkward laugh, trying to pull free. “Oh... No... Please, keep them!”

“What kind of hunter are you?!”

He yelps as she tightens her grip on his arm and starts to drag him back inside the cottage, loudly objecting; “I’m a baker!” He waits behind the cabin with Granny as Red goes through her own revelation, the two of them shutting off their mics as they quietly chuckle over the whole scene. He switches his mic back on as he comes stumbling out of the cabin, doubling over for a moment like he might get sick, resting his hands on his knees, and only looking up when he hears her shout, “Oh, mister Baker!”

As she hands over the hood, Jesse’s face turns struck with awe and uncertainty, emotion filling his features as he holds it delicately in his hands. “Are you certain...?” Her confirmation that she is makes him swell with joy and he holds it close to his chest. “Oh, thank you. Thank you!” He quickly leans in to kiss her cheek, hugging her tightly, before he goes to run off with his newly claimed prize and to the backstage.

What the audience often didn't know was that the flow of the backstage was often as rehearsed as what was going on stage. Actors had to be in certain places at certain times to make sure they could smoothly transition past each other as one scene ended and the next began. That was especially true with a cast like the one needed for Into the Woods, where the characters were constantly coming and going. It was less rigid, but when Rachel watched Jesse from backstage, she had to make sure she allowed plenty of room for the necessary actors to get by.

Both Rachel and Jesse played characters that were almost continually on stage, so they had to be ready to go almost as soon as they got off. She still appreciates that she can use that excuse to watch him and enjoy his performance, as well as the fact that she can get a quick kiss between takes if he's feeling so inclined. Other actors often noted that the two of them seemed to be tethered in one way or another, and they looked for excuses to touch in any small way.

She particularly loved the scene with the Grandmother and Little Red for its humor. She's also been quite impressed with the teen who was playing the role tonight, and she can see a strong future for her. She's the stronger of the actresses playing the part, but that was why she was chosen for opening night. Same with the Jack. Tom, the director had chosen to go with casting more than one for the part so that he could use an overall younger cast for his vision of the play.

She nearly laughs at the way the girl responds to Jesse, acting disgusted, when in fact she was completely attached to him backstage and during rehearsals. Jesse just had a way with kids, she'd come to see. It's a funny contrast when she knows that Carrie has no issue with hugs or cheek kisses from him.

Soon enough it's back on stage for her scene with Cinderella, who was played by a woman her own age, Audrey. Audrey had been in Jesse's play Jane Austen Sings and they'd become great friends, so they work perfectly off each other as Rachel goes to help her from the fall. They sit on the set together, Rachel pulling out the hints of envy over the dress and the ball, and the prince. They flawlessly transition from song to speaking throughout their scene. Then in a moment of desperation and dramatics, Rachel realizes that the shoe is made of gold and she has to have it. But Audrey is already focused on other things and rambling on about beanstalks.

"I need your shoe!" She calls out after Audrey as she dashes off needing to return home as midnight begins to strike. She goes to chase after her, but at the point the cow moos and starts to wander off and it becomes a choice of which to go after, but she chooses the cow desperately calling for it to come back, as she moves off the opposite side of the stage.

The scene transitions quickly into the actors giving moral lessons on what they've learned through the course of one day, as they perform One Midnight Gone. Her own defeat is shown as she comes back from chasing the cow, having given up the chase. "You may know what you need, But to get what you want, Better see that you keep what you have." The group wraps up the scene with another chorus of Into the Woods, which she harmonizes on. Then they are all quickly off stage so that the boy playing Jack can sing, Giants, In The Sky, which she knows Jesse has a love/hate relationship with, and as she catches his eye backstage she gives him a humored smile.

Even if the brief moments backstage only allowed for him to quickly squeeze her hand as she passed, Jesse would always take it. Ever since they were teenagers, he'd always felt the need to be in constant contact with her. He wasn't sure what it was about, but it was like they had a gravitational pull to one another that neither had ever been able to resist. Something as simple as walking down the street usually had his arm around her or her hand in his pocket and he remembers sitting in the choir room with her fingers gently rubbing his thigh. It had been extremely hard to concentrate, but he wouldn't have pulled away if someone had paid him.

He kept himself out of the way as watched Rachel's performance with Cinderella. She and Audrey had been an amazing duo when he'd directed them as well and it's impossible to take his eyes off of either of them as they go back and forth through their scene. He manages to stifle his chuckles as Rachel shouts for her shoe and goes to run after her, and then he's running out on stage, repeating the song's title, "One midnight gone..." each time his character is in the forefront.

As they rush off stage in time for Jack's solo, Jesse's jaw clenches slightly as he watches the boy belt out the notes he had always dreamed of getting to do in front of an audience. Much as he'd desperately wanted to talk Tom into letting him play Jack after all, he was willing to admit defeat in being too old for the part, particularly when they could cast such talented youth and make the Baker and his wife a more relatable set by placing them in the age most were starting to have children. He rolls his eyes when he sees Rachel's smile, though the amusement is pretty clear on his face to anyone who knew him well enough. Most of his jealousy these days is just for show and he's relatively sure the Baker actually shows more of his talent than Jack ever would have. If only he'd thought of that when he'd auditioned for NYADA all those years ago.

As the boy finished, Jesse walked back on stage, and the two began to bicker back and forth about whether or not he'd really meant it when he said he could buy back his cow. He feels the bag of coins thrust into his hands, and then Jack is running off for more money, as Jesse shouts after him; "Oh no, no, no! Wait! Wait! I didn't say that I would..." He trails off, staring at the bag in his hands, before he gives a little dance of victory, tossing the coins into the air and catching them again with a grin.

Jesse had never been poor, but he certainly knew what it was like to daydream about something you've always wanted but only just now realistically thought you could have. It makes it easy to relate in the moment, even more so when the mysterious man jumps in to try and take it away. While the Baker may not know yet, the knowledge that it's his father running up and taking the five gold pieces away is something that Jesse has had an easy enough time playing up. His parents had often praised his successes, but there were also plenty of times that they had decided something Jesse loved wasn't worthwhile or wasn't what he needed to make it to his ultimately goals, and so they'd snatched it away from him quickly so he would keep his eye on the prize. It had always been hard to go through and the disappointment and anger is easily pulled up on his face as he watched the man run off, and he quickly goes to take it out on Rachel as she walks onto stage, as he had many times before with his own misplaced anger in their relationship.

"What are you doing here now?" he snaps, but he relaxes as she points out his successes in getting the cape. Grinning, he holds it up victoriously. "Yes! Yes, I've the cape! I've only two items left to locate!"

"Three."

"Two! I've the cow and the cape!" He continues to beam, even as Rachel delivers her line flawlessly saying he only has the cape. He holds it for a moment as the audience laughs before he deflates and looks at her accusingly. "What have you done with the cow?"

"She ran away," Rachels all but sobs out, "I have been looking for her all night."

The exhaustion that both the Baker and his wife must have felt by then was easily touched on. There had been so many arguments that she and Jesse had had when they were both exhausted from endless hours of rehearsals and performances. As much as they loved the theater and the work they did, it could easily become grueling. When it took over every aspect of their lives and they were tired and especially when it got in the way of making love, they often were reduced to petty arguments that left hurt feelings.

The bickering that ensues after he tells her that he never should have entrusted the cow to her isn't dramatized certainly, but for the audience it's a small window into the relationship she shares with Jesse. Rachel drew from a more recent argument the defensiveness she'd felt and utilizes it for the rising banter as they waste precious time fighting over something rather than solving the problem.

Still, when the booming voice of the woman playing the Witch rings out. "Whooooo caaaares! The cow is goooooone, get it back!"

Rachel immediately hurries to the protective comfort of her husband. It's just as it should be. The two characters love each other so much that as soon as there is a bigger issue, they need the other for safety. It shows that their love is stronger than the exhaustion and the fight.

Edited 2021-03-17 01:06 (UTC)

Jesse is quick to put himself in front of Rachel as she hurries behind him, both turned towards the balcony as the Witch makes her entrance. Despite the nerves he shows in his speech, he is sure to keep his body strong and still, showing the loving nature that the Baker was always meant to have for his wife. No matter how deeply they may have argued, he would do anything to keep her safe, even at the cost of his own well being. It was an easy emotion to capture for him.

Stammering out apologies, he offers the cape up to placate her, only for the witch to magically toss it away before she can touch it, yelling at him for his ignorance. Her voice changes as Rapunzel sings and she coos about her to one of the audience members before she turns back on them telling them to get the cow back and deliver the items by the third minute. The magic she tosses at them is meant to hit low and Jesse doubles over, giving out a low groan of pain to emphasize it. He waits a moment after she leaves, before he gets out in a breathy, rough voice that only someone who has absolutely been kicked in the balls would be able to nail;

"I don't like that woman."