AN: Hellooooo, happy day three of Faberry Week!
Just to let you know, this will be linked with the last day of Faberry Week :)
For a bit of background info.. This is based very much on a plotline from Malory Towers, a series of books written by Enid Blyton that I read over and over and over during my childhood. So, unfortunately, I can't take credit for the main plot of this chapter. But this came from the second book in the series. I've altered it a bit to match the characters and changed the dialogue and bits and bobs. I've also changed the ages. This is originally about two twelve/thirteen year olds but Faberry are sixteen/seventeen here.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own Malory Towers. I don't own glee either.
"Oh bother. I can't seem to find any string!" Quinn threw down her parcel in exasperation. "This needs to be sent tonight or it won't get to my father in time!" Quinn searched her desk once more. "Rachel, do you have any string?" She snapped.
"No. But I can try and find some!" And with that Rachel scuttled out of the room in search for some string for Quinn's parcel. A few minutes later she came back empty handed. "I'm sorry but I couldn't find any."
Quinn sighed. "Not to worry, Berry. I'll take it tomorrow morning. It'll just have to be late."
"I could take it after hours if you'd like-"
"No, Berry. We both know you wouldn't go out past curfew. And besides, you'd never make it there and back in time. It's too long by the inland road and no-one should walk the coastal road in a gale like this. You're so small you'll get blown off the cliffs. I'll just take it tomorrow morning. It'll be a bit late but I'm sure my father will understand." With that Quinn just turned and walked out of the room towards the kitchens.
Rachel couldn't help but think about it all, though. It would be easy enough for her to do it at seven, after study. She'd have half an hour before tea. The coastal road may not be that bad, she thought. Besides, she really wanted to be friends with Quinn and that's what friends did. People don't mind what they do for their friends. They dare anything. It made Rachel smile just thinking about how happy it'd make Quinn if she took her parcel for her. Rachel had decided. She was taking Quinn's parcel if it killed her.
XoxoXoxoX
After prep, Rachel entered the sixth form common room which was completely empty save for Santana. She walked towards Quinn's desk.
"Oi, Hobbit. What do you want in Quinn's desk?" Santana snapped.
"I'm just going to post this parcel for Quinn. Just don't snitch on me, Santana. I'm perfectly aware it's against the rules." Rachel said.
Santana stared at Rachel in surprise for a moment before returning to her usual bitchy self. "The day RuPaul breaks the rules is the day I'm straight. You're crazier than I gave you credit for, Berry. No-one can get to the post and back in time for supper."
"You can if you take the coastal road." Rachel retorted. "It's only ten minutes there and back then."
"There's a wild gale going on! You'll get blown off the cliff, Hobbit. For sure." Santana leant against the wall smirking and crossing her arms.
"I shan't." Rachel replied stoutly. "Besides, it's what a friend would do. I know that Quinn wants this posting today."
"Quinn isn't your friend, short stack. And she never will be. Just forget this whole thing or you'll get yourself killed. She only pretends to like you because you help her in English."
"You're lying. Quinn would never do that."
"It is true. I'd know. Quinn tells me everything. We're best friends."
Deciding to ignore what Santana said, Rachel picked up the parcel and turned to leave anyway.
"You can't be serious. Surely you're not going after I've told you all that." Santana was shocked. She really couldn't believe it.
"I'm taking it for Quinn because I'm her friend." Rachel replied with a slightly shaky voice. "She may not be mine but if I'm hers, I'm willing to do things for her."
Santana stood and watched as Rachel stormed out of the room. She shook her head. Rachel Berry was a stubborn, determined midget and it was going to get her killed.
XoxoXoxoX
Dinner came and each year was sat on their own table. The sixth form all helped themselves to their meal of jacket potatoes and baked beans. Mr Schue looked around the table. "There's an empty chair! Does anyone know who it belongs to?"
"I think it's Rachel, Mr Schue. I saw her just before study. I'm sure she'll be here in a moment." Tina spoke up.
"Surely she must have heard the bell. Go and see if you can find her, Tina."
Tina sped off to look for Rachel and returned to report that their little diva was nowhere to be found. By this time Santana was beginning to worry. She may dislike Rachel. A lot. But she really didn't want anything to happen to her. Santana was the only one who knew where Rachel was. If she told Mr Schue where Rachel was, she'd get the small brunette into trouble. Surely she'd be back soon. Santana could wait a while.
Then she remembered.
The post office shut at seven. Rachel wouldn't be able to post the parcel anyway. What had happened to her?
A cold feeling embraced Santana's heart and she almost stopped breathing. What if Rachel had been blown off the cliff and onto the rocks below? Maybe dead or seriously injured. Santana tried to swallow her mouthful but choked on it, too worried about Rachel.
Quinn was sat next to the brunette and thumped her back.
Santana spoke to her in a low, urgent voice. "Look, Q. We need to speak. ASAP. Come to the music room after dinner. We'll be alone there."
Once tea was over, the pair met in the choir room. Quinn looked worried. "What is it, S?"
"It's Rachel. I know where she went." Santana gulped.
"Why didn't you tell Mr Schue, then?" said Quinn crossly. "Really San. What's crawled up your backside and died?"
"She went to take your parcel, Q. She took the coastal road."
"What on earth did she do that for?!"
Santana looked down in shame. "She knew how much you wanted it being posted and she wants to be your friend so she took it for you. She left after study period."
"Why didn't you stop her, Lopez?" Quinn gritted her teeth. She was beyond angry.
"I did try!" Santana couldn't meet Quinn's eyes. "I told her you didn't actually like her but she went anyway talking about some soppy shit about how she'll be your friend even if you're not hers."
"Why on earth would you say that, Lopez?! We both know that that's far less than true. Now she's gone out there hating you and being sad with me!"
"I know, Q. I messed up."
"Damn straight you messed up, S. I'm going to fix this now. I'm going out to find her."
"But the storm-"
"Fuck the storm. If Rachel can go out to post a stupid parcel for me in this weather, the least I can do is go and help her." Quinn seethed. "Sit tight, San. This conversation will be continued when I get back." Then, rather like Rachel had done earlier that day, Quinn stormed out of the room and into the endless night.
The wind was fierce and it whipped around Quinn, almost blowing her over when the stronger gusts came. She was glad she had put on her jumper, coat and wellies.
As she started up the coastal path, Quinn called out Rachel's name, the wind carrying it inland. Quinn could only hope that she was being loud enough for Rachel to hear her, even just slightly.
A few hundred yards further and Quinn was still shouting for the tiny brunette with the wind throwing her words away.
Then Quinn found a faint sound. Surely that was Rachel calling back. "Help! Help!"
Quinn stood still and quietly listened. "Here! Here!" It sounded like Rachel's voice was a little further along the coastal road. Quinn wandered up slowly, keeping her ears open. She suddenly heard Rachel's voice much more clearly. "Help me! Please!"
Quinn was afraid of being thrown off the cliff if she stood too close to the edge. But the voice seemed to be coming from below the edge somewhere. Quinn sat down on the wet ground to get a lower centre of gravity.
She reached a part where the cliff was beginning to crumble away and the crumbling had made a series of ledges down the cliff face. She laid down at the edge and shone her torch down to see Rachel hanging on to a ledge a few feet down.
"Help!" came a feeble call from Rachel as she saw the torch. "I don't- I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold on for.
Quinn was horrified. "Hold on, Rachel! I'm here! I'll get help."
"No! Please don't-" Rachel sniffed. "I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold on for. Isn't there something that you can do?"
Quinn looked at Rachel. There was no use in getting help. It would be too late. Rachel could fall at any moment. She must think of something else.
Then she thought of her belt on her trousers and the belt around her coat. Perhaps if she tied them together, Rachel could hold onto them and be pulled up or pull herself up. Quinn really hoped that they would reach. Fumbling with numb fingers from the cold, Quinn did her best to tie them together, keeping up a comforting flow of words for Rachel.
"You'll be okay, Rach. I'll save you, it'll be okay. I'm tying my belts together. I'll hand them down to you when they're secure."
Rachel was comforted and held on tightly, slightly worried about how long it would be until her ledge crumbled. She had been terrified when she'd been blown over and rolled off the cliff by the howling gale. The brunette had no idea how she'd managed to hold onto the edge. It had been ages before she heard a voice. But now Quinn was there, thank god. Maybe they were friends after all. Santana may have been mistaken.
Once again, Quinn lay down on the ground. She'd found a gorse bush that she could wrap her feet around to keep them steady and safe. The blonde barely noticed the scratches and pricks, she was too busy focusing on making sure that Rachel would be saved.
Quinn heard a frantic voice. "Quinn! I think I'm going to fall! The ledge is crumbling! Quick!"
With haste, Quinn lowered her makeshift rope to Rachel. The brunette wrapped the loop around her wrists. Quinn felt a pull almost immediately.
"Are you alright now?" Quinn called down anxiously. "You won't fall?"
"I don't think I'll fall now." Replied Rachel. "I think my feet have got a firm hold. I won't pull you down, will I?"
"No, don't worry about it. I wrapped my feet around a bush. We aren't going anywhere." Came Quinn's firm response. Then her voice softened. "I just don't think I'll be able to pull you up. We'll have to wait until someone finds us and we'll just have to hope my belts don't break."
"This must be awful for you." Came back Rachel's timid voice. "I wish I'd never thought of taking that parcel."
"It was lovely of you." Said Quinn, not entirely sure how to get her words out. "But you're always kind, Rachel. I'm your friend, you know that, right? Santana told me what she said. It's the opposite of the truth, I swear. Despite what I say and do.." Quinn took a shaky breath. "I really do care about you, Rachel. More than you know."
"I knew it wasn't true as soon as I heard your voice." Rachel spoke into the darkness. "You're really brave, Quinn. A heroine."
Quinn denied it immediately. "No I'm not. I'm a coward."
"I don't think you are. I've always wanted to be more like you." Rachel shyly admitted.
"Why?" Quinn choked.
"You're a good person. You may not always do things in the right way but it's clear you have a good heart. And you're the prettiest girl I've ever met, Quinn. But you're a lot more than that." The way Rachel said it almost made Quinn believe her.
"But I've been awful to you. You're a far better person than I am, Rach."
"I know you have a kind heart, though, Quinn. And though that may be what you think, it doesn't make it true." Rachel tried to change the topic. "This is a funny conversation to be having on top of a cliff on a stormy night isn't it? Does anyone know you came out here?"
"Yes. Santana's the only one I've come out to-" Quinn cleared her throat. "I mean, Santana's the only one who knows I've come out." The blonde hoped the brunette missed her slip up.
Rachel had noticed but decided not to push it. Not now, anyway. "I do hope Santana's had the sense to tell Mr Schue by now."
Santana had. She'd felt incredibly worried about the whole thing and so told Mr Schue the outline of what had happened up and until Quinn left. Mr Schue was shocked but ran to see Mrs Sylvester, the head teacher, at once.
Not even five minutes later, a search party was out with torches, ropes and flasks of hot chocolate. Thankfully it wasn't too long until the girls were found.
Quinn's arms were almost numb with strain when the search party found them. They saw her lying on her front, her legs tightly wrapped around a thorned bush, holding the belts down the Cliffside. Rachel was seen at the other end of the belts, holding on for dear life with the sea pounding far below her.
A rope was let down to Rachel, slipped over her head, and tightened over her arms and shoulders. Another was tightened around her waist. Quinn got up, thanking people for their help but stumbled as her legs were half asleep. Miss Pillsbury stepped in to support her.
Rachel was pulled to safety by coach Beiste. She lay on the ground, sobbing in relief. The ropes were removed and Beiste offered to carry her once she'd been given some hot chocolate. She was freezing and needed all the warmth she could get.
Both girls were happy about the warm drink. Then, holding onto Miss Pillsbury, Quinn stumbled back to school, constantly looking back to see if Rachel was okay being carried by Beiste.
"Put both of the girls to bed." Ordered Sue to the school nurse. "They should rest. They've had an awful night." Sue nodded to the girls but just before leaving, looked at Quinn. "You did well, Q. You saved Rachel. You remind me of a young Sue Sylvester." And with that the head teacher left for her office.
Quinn said nothing but returned to her bed, head hanging low. She watched, warm in bed, as the nurse got Rachel ready for bed.
Once the pair were settled in bed, the nurse left. Rachel wanted to ask about what Quinn meant earlier on the cliff. The things she was saying should have linked together somehow but she just couldn't work out how. She'd ask in a while when the two of them were comfortable in bed. Rachel doubted they'd get much sleep that night anyway.
Thank youuu :) I hope you liked it! :3