A/N: I should probably be working on Underground, however, I'm just stuck with that story. I don't know what I'm doing with it at this point, but hopefully I'll get past the writer's block it's given me and continue it someday soon. I'm also in the process of writing BLS: Part II and I hope to start posting that soon as well. I hope you all like this new story I've been working on though as well.
Chapter One:
Leroy's Daughter
It was dark in the alley next to Don's Bar. The late-teen aged girl hugged her knees to her chest and attempted to block out all the noise coming from the party inside. Don always held huge parties at his home/workplace during the holidays. It was the place for everyone without family to drink, talk, drink, exchange gifts with friends who also had mutual family status, drink, dance, drink, hook up, and most of all, Drink! The girl in the alley hated the drinking. Her 'father' didn't particularly like the holidays and always ordered her to leave the house for the two-week vacation. The only problem was she had nowhere else to go.
Don was always more than welcoming. He was like a third father to her. One who was just as alive as he was loving, but he had a business to run. So she would sit in the alley for hours on end, to avoid the noise and drinking, every year. Every year Don had insisted he could send guests home early, but she refused to be a burden. Especially after last year, her tongue slipped and she accidentally called him Dad. For two months she avoided him out of fear that he would leave. She was wrong of course. Don would never leave and he started to think of her as a daughter.
So out in the cold, grey slush she sat on a crate in the alley. She sat thinking of her mother, who was once beautiful and knew how to pick a man. Who had once married a handsome man who was only a few years older, but was already gathering grey hairs atop his head. That man had been a real father. He had been a loving, doting, and best of all, very much alive father.
It didn't last more than a few years though. An accident on his way home from work stalled him from making it home on time. When he did finally pull into the driveway, thirty-eight minutes late, Rachel was watching out the window, waiting for him to come back inside. Shots were fired and her mother rushed out and called an ambulance. Some gang member needed cash and decided that this guy just had to be the victim. He was announced dead before the ambulance arrived at the hospital. They never caught the gang banger.
After the funeral, her mother became heavily involved in drugs. Methamphetamine to be specific. Her mother just couldn't get enough ice in her system. The guy her mother bought the terrible glass from quickly became her lover.
He got her pregnant in less than a month. The knee-hugging girl was so excited. She thought maybe her mother would get better, the drug-man, as she like to call him in her head, would be nicer, and she would receive a little brother or sister. Maybe both, but it wasn't meant to be. The baby died soon enough from complications due to the earlier and current drug abuse.
The incident, as she often called it, caused her mother to fall deeper into the world of meth and sex. The drug-man, her 'father', became violent and abusive. Not just towards her mother either. He would order the girl, who at the time was a few years younger, only thirteen, to stand with her hands on the wall and her legs apart. She did so out of fear and received far too many scars on her back with the nearest objects. Belts, fireplace pokers, and the drug-man's favorite, his own hand.
His abuse was never sexual though. The girl was quite thankful for that. It had always been emotional and physical. At least he had some morals. The drug-man knew it would be too far if he were to force himself onto the girl. He had kissed her once though, but that was only because he thought she was her mother. How wrong he had been. The girl immediately bit his tongue when it slithered into her mouth. He pulled back and noticed that the face was not the one of her mother, Miss Shelby Corcoran. It's the first, last, and only time he ever apologized to the girl.
Even when Shelby dies from contracting AIDs and leaves the girl to the drug-man, he shows no sympathy. He's just as terrible as before if not worse. Before the girl could think anymore of her horrible living situation, the back door to Don's opened and a group of three girls stepped out and into the alley way. There was a blond with short, choppy hair holding onto the hand of a Latina girl who really wasn't much taller than the girl herself. Behind them was a taller blonde who had longer hair.
The girl looked up, tired and lazily, at the interruption of her trip down memory (nightmare) lane. The three stared back at her with wide eyes. The girl couldn't tell what they were looking at until she realized the bruises across her cheeks from two days ago are most likely still visible. The girl moved to get up and away from the intruders, but the tall blonde moved from behind her friends and stood in front of the girl.
"Are you okay?" It was a simple question the tall blonde had asked, but the girl just couldn't answer. She wouldn't answer. Not to some stranger, no matter how familiar the stranger looked. "I'm sorry. That was a stupid question. You're obviously not. I'm so stupid sometimes. Let me take you to the hospital to make sure you're not too badly injured."
"Britts, you're not stupid. Everyone asks that question. Now grabs the midget so I can get on with my life." The Latina one said. The girl's eyes rose slightly to the taller blonde at the mention of a name. Suddenly she recognized the tall blonde.
"Bri-Brittany P-pierce?" The girl sitting on the crate asked in a chilled voice.
"Yep! C'mon Rach. You need to have your face checked out. It kind of looks like the inside of an apple that got thrown around. No offense! Oh My God I'm so stupid."
"Heh, you're not stu-upid. I don't wanna go to the ho-hospital. I'm just waiting for D-don."
The shorter blonde with the choppy hair started to move her hands in odd ways very rapidly and the girl, Rachel, got quite confused. "Q! Slow down. I can't understand you when you talk that fast." The blonde slowed her movements, but not without rolling her eyes first. "Oh! Hey Crate-Girl, Q here wants to know why you stutter like Tina when she gets picked on in class." The shorter blonde, apparently known as Q, slapped the Latina on the arm swiftly. "Fine, she just wants ya to know you don't need to be scared or some shit like that."
"I-I know. I...Um…Can you guys leave? I'm f-fine. I just wanted to w-wait for the noise to die down."
"Ya know Rach, I know for a fact you're lying. Or just not telling the whole truth. The Rachel Berry I once knew loved noise. You used to sing all the time and you were always the loudest at my birthday parties. You so have to come with me. Nobody has seen you in years. I'm about to meet up with Mike, Puck, Mercedes, and Kurt. I'm sure they'll love to see you. Plus there's a whole bunch of new people who joined the group since you left."
"My n-name isn't Rachel B-berry." Rachel started coughing violently due to the weather, but continued quickly. "It's James. R-rachel James. And I don't know who those people are. So p-please leave now."
'Q' started moving her hands around again. And once again the Latina translated, wrongly of course. "She says she's sorry that B is being a nosy bitch." So once again the Latina got smacked on the arm. "Fineeeeee! She really said sorry to bother you. We'll leave you alone if you want."
"Th-thank you. It was nice to meet a-all of you." Rachel's stuttering had been at first, out of fear and being nervous, but it was now due to the increasing cold and biting wind. It nipped at her nose, hands, and neck, but she refused to show anymore weakness. Rachel has definitely had much worse and was not going to give up now. Not when she only had one more year of torture to go. "Y-you can leave n-now."
The Latina and 'Q' began to walk away with a slight nod of the head. Brittany on the other hand had no intention of leaving. Instead she moved Rachel, sat down on the crate, and pulled Rachel into her lap. "You are not going to freeze out here by yourself. Besides, we need to catch up. You need to tell me where you went. None of us could get a hold of you for a few years now. Kurt and Finn said you probably went to New York to get on Broadway like you always wanted, but we never heard anything. So, where'd you go for so long?"
Rachel looked to her partly, frost-bitten hands for the answers. How was she supposed to tell a girl she used to know so long ago that she never left Lima? How could she ruin the light in Brittany's eyes by telling her what her father did daily? Simple, she couldn't and wouldn't. She was not going to burden one of the sweetest girls she had ever know with her horror story of a past.
"Umm…I-I-uh went t-to…" She found it hard to make up a lie so she decided to use the truth in hopes of throwing the girl off. "…nowhere. I've been here in Lima this whole time." Brittany just furrowed her brow in confusion and looked to her two friends, whom had stopped at Brittany sitting down, for answers they obviously couldn't give.
"But that doesn't make any sense. You haven't been in school and I never see you around town. San, you haven't seen Rach around right?"
"Nah B. Besides I don't even really know this girl. Who the hell is she?" Rachel looked at this 'San' girl like she was stupid. Did she not tell them her name just minutes ago!?
"She's Rachel Berry. She's my best friend, or was until she disappeared. Seriously Rach, where did you go?"
"My name is not Berry. It's James. Rachel James. I think you have me confused with someone else. P-please leave now." Rachel got up and walked inside despite all the drunks and noise. She found Don fairly quickly and told him if anyone came looking for her to send them away before she made her way to bathroom to try to cover up her face. He nodded and sat waiting for said 'anyone' to appear. Sure enough three girls came asking, well one asked, one complained that she wanted go home and get her 'mack on,' and the other just signed words that Don couldn't understand.
"Have you seen Rach? She's like this tall and has pretty eyes, but they're hidden by bruises and I really need to talk to her." He stared at the three girls and they actually took one step back, but that was it.
"Look, I don't know who you are or what you want, but leave my daughter alone. She obviously doesn't want to talk to you so please leave." He gently pushed past them and entered the bathroom reserved for employees. He leaned against a wall and watched as Rachel put cover up all over her face. "Ya know, there's a really pretty blondie out there askin' for ya. I think you should go for it. She looked worried about ya too. Just sayin'."
"Dad, I really don't want to talk to her. She knows me from before. She thought I left town. I can't deal with her or drag her into that fucking glass house. There are more druggies and criminals going in and out of that house than in a prison. Plus she's trying to take me to a hospital. You know how much my 'father' hates hospitals."
Don placed a hand on her shoulder softly. "Look kiddo, I'm going to tell you what to do, but you need to have a better support system than just me. I'm not sayin' that I won't be here, but what if something were to happen to me? What would you do? You can't keep going back to that house. It's not healthy."
"I know." And she did, but she felt that she could survive one last year." I have a little less than a year before I can leave. I will get out of here."
"How are you gonna do that, huh? You have no high school education or GED or job or whatever it is you need and we both know I don't have enough money to send you anywhere else. You need friends who can help you with all that. And I think those girls out there are exactly the kind of friends you need."
"I get what you're saying, but I just don't think that it's right. There's too much I would have to explain that I really don't want to nor do I want to use any friends I make for my own personal gain. Plus I'll just hold them back. Thanks for the concern, but I'm better off by myself."
"Alright Rachel. I'm just go-" Don was cut off and Rachel gasped at the sudden banging on the door.
"Where the hell is that little brat? I know you're in there!" The drug-man was pounding on the employee bathroom door. "Get your ass out here you useless little girl!" Rachel made a move to walk out the door, but Don stopped her. He locked the door just as the drug-man tried to open it. "Open the fucking door or I'll break it down!" This time Rachel side stepped Don this time and opened the door. "About damn time!"
Don wasn't in the best shape and was easily thrown sideways to the ground. He backed Rachel towards the wall and with a push she hit her head against the wall. It may not have been hard enough to make her bleed, but it did hurt a lot. "S-stop. I'll d-do anyth-thing. Please."
He stopped quite suddenly. At that moment she had just looked so much like Shelby he couldn't hurt her. Instead he leaned in a little like a lover might do before he jumped back in surprise of what he was about to do. His head was still fuzzy from the not-so-little amount of coke he snorted earlier. "They aren't the same. They aren't the same. They aren't the same." He left the bathroom repeating it over and over as Rachel watched him retreat.
She helped Don up and they made their way back to the bar counter. Don knew of course that Rachel was under age, but he knew she could use a drink after the little fiasco in the bathroom, so he handed her a beer. What he didn't know was that the three girls from earlier were waiting in a corner for them to appear again. So when they did, the girls quickly made their way to the bar to talk to the older man and his supposed daughter.
"Rachel? Can I please talk to you?" Rachel and Don both lifted their heads at the voice. When she noticed it was Brittany she shot a glare at Don that said 'I thought I told you to send them away.' Don shrugged his shoulders and went to serve another customer. "Why don't you want to talk to me? I thought we were friends."
"Look blondie, I don't know you or your stupid little friends so stop stalking me and get the hell outta here. I'm trying to enjoy my night and beer and you are currently ruining it for me." Rachel spat out maliciously. Why couldn't these girls understand she just wanted to be left alone?
"Britts, let's just go. She obviously is not who you thought she was and I really wants to get my mack on." 'San' whined. 'Q' started moving her hands in motions that Rachel couldn't understand again. "Oh shit, you're right Q! You do know Britts. You recognized her and addressed her by her full name without any of us telling you it."
Rachel suddenly hated the weird blonde with choppy hair and rolled her eyes at the not-so-insignificant fact. 'Q' crossed her arms over her chest and started tapping her foot. "Look other blondie, if you're waiting for something I suggest you go somewhere else. I obviously have nothing for you so leave and you three all need to stop following me like the lost puppies you are."
"Wow. You're more of a bitch than I am. All my friend Britts here wanted to do was make sure you were okay. I hope who ever beat the fuck outta you earlier finishes you off."
Something snapped in Rachel and she couldn't hold back her anger any longer. Her fist swung and connected with the Latina's jaw. Another punch was thrown at the Latina's eye and it was a direct hit. In mere seconds the stupid 'San' chick was on the ground and Rachel was looking down on her with pure satisfaction covering her face. "You're the lucky I don't finish you off. Now get outta here!"
Instead of leaving with her tail tucked between her legs like Rachel had hoped 'San' would, she got and started it back up again. "Back up bitch! I'm from Lima Heights Adjacent. You know what happens in The Heights? Cosas malas!" Surprisingly enough, there wasn't a crowd forming, but the music was loud and everybody was probably too drunk to care.
"Really? You're from The Heights? Please, you smell like a rich bitch's daughter and I ain't ever seen you around our neighborhood before. Now get your pretty face outta mine and don't come back or I'll pound you right back to ground."
"I am from The Heights! You are looking at Leroy's daughter right now." Rachel stiffened at the name she had come to despise so much. "Yeah, not so tough now are ya?"
"I really hate it when people who don't know me judge me, I hate it so much when people like you don't know how to leave me alone, but you know what I hate the most? I absolutely loathe when dumb bitches like you pretend you're me!" Rachel went to finish her off, but was held back by Don and…Brittany?
"Rachel, I said I wasn't going to tell you what to do, but I am gonna tell ya what not to do. Do not kill this girl. She's stupid and not worth your time" He tapped Brittany's arm and they both let go of me. "You don't wanna kill her. Remember that. You don't want to go to jail. You are not gonna be a low life like him. You will make it outta here and make Hiram proud."
With that Don retreated back behind the bar counter to continue serving everyone. Rachel put her hand to her temple and began rubbing. She was starting to get a headache and seeing the bitch in front of her was making it so much worse.
"Look, just walk away because I can't afford to go to prison for murder and I'm sure weird, choppy haired, blondie doesn't want you dead. And don't go around telling people you're Leroy's daughter it'll get you into a lot of trouble and you'll wind up dead." Rachel said through clenched teeth trying to stay calm.
'San' narrowed her eyes at Rachel. "Why in the hell would I listen to you?"
"Because Leroy doesn't quite like his daughter, in fact he hates her so much he blackens up her face every couple of days." Rachel began to rub the make-up off her face revealing the bruises they saw earlier. "Leroy also hates to pay his debts so when it's time to pay up and he doesn't have the money, the drug dealers come looking for his daughter with knife and she gets roughed up pretty bad." Rachel took off her jacket and lifted her shirt to show all the scars and cuts left on her abdomen and back.
"Leroy's daughter almost died once too, but Don over there found her and started to let her stay during any breaks or holidays when Leroy kicked her out since he hates the holidays. I think I know what I'm talking about so I would shut up and stop talking shit before you end up like her. And watch your back. Leroy's daughter hates it when people try and pretend to be her and if I know her at all, I'd say she won't hesitate to kill the next person that does."
Rachel pulled her shirt back down, put her jacket on, and went to bathroom to reapply her make-up all over again, leaving the three girls until they finally gave up and left.
"What the hell was I thinking?! No B! What the hell was she thinking? I would of killed her if there weren't so many witnesses!"
"Sanny, you wouldn't of killed her. You're not that mean. Besides, Rachie was really sad and upset. Killing people is just wrong, especially when you kill sad people."
Quinn started signing quickly and then doubled over in her strangely silent laughter. "Really Q, really? I would've so kicked that midget's ass." Quinn signed again while tears streamed down her face from how hard she was laughing. "Bullshit! She so did not beat me down! I let her do that. I could have kicked her ass if I wanted to." Quinn continued to silently laugh at Santana while Brittany tended to Santana's wounds and bruises.
