AN: Frenemies ended, and this just ran out of my finger tips. I hated Rachel and Santana ending the episode as enemies, and I have developed this absolutely consuming adoration for Peter Facinelli, so this happened. (I know my other Glee fanfic remains incomplete, but this is just a one shot, and the first thing I've felt like writing in the Glee universe since Cory died.) Also, I can't believe there isn't another fanfic on here with Rupert! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it :)
Time To Let Me Go
Rachel walked out of her Brooklyn apartment, or rather, her old Brooklyn apartment. Her pink suitcase clutched firmly in one of her small hands, her knuckles whitened by the tight grip she had on the handle. The suitcase was not heavy, she was only holding on tightly as she tried to stay strong to keep it together.
It was no use though, the minute she was walking down the pavement, looking for a cab, the tears started to stream down her face.
She was so angry, so hurt, so shattered. Her emotions had gone into overdrive the moment Santana started singing Don't Rain On My Parade in her audition.
When Rachel had told Rupert that she and Santana had history, she had really meant it. In her mind, Santana's audition, without telling Rachel first, was a slap in the face, a direct threat to Rachel's dream.
Fanny, Funny Girl, had always been Rachel's dream, never Santana's. Rachel had worked every day of her life towards her Broadway dream, and then one day, out of nowhere, Santana was walking all over that dream.
The real reason behind Rachel's strong reaction and emotion was jealousy. Jealousy and insecurity. Santana had always been popular, had always been successful, had even had Finn, and now, just because she wanted it, she had Fanny as well.
Rachel and Santana had formed a friendship, but the events of high school had always played in the back of Rachel's mind. Deep down, she thought Santana wasn't really her friend, that they were just 'friends' due to their current circumstances.
Rachel's tears continued and she realised that she had stopped walking and was just crying.
She tried to calm herself, and even tried to think over the reasonable words Kurt had said to her in defence of Santana.
It was no use though, Rachel wanted to be angry, and being angry was easier than being hurt. She had had enough pain over the last few months, with the loss of Finn. Funny Girl was supposed to be a dream come true, and it had been helping her cope with her loss, and now it too was tainted by anger and sadness. By Santana.
"I have no idea where I'm going or what I should do now," Rachel said forlornly aloud.
She pulled out her cell and scrolled through her contacts, trying to decide who would be the best person to call.
Rupert.
Her director probably would not be impressed that she had moved out of the apartment to get away from Santana, what with the fact that their 'friendship' was supposed to be great publicity. Still, he would probably have the best suggestion for where Rachel should stay, and he would probably even have some connections for his rising star. She could explain her way out of moving out of the apartment anyway. If she had to pretend to be friends with Santana for the sake of Funny Girl, there was no way she could live with her anymore, not with the state of their relationship.
Rachel dialled his number and waited for him to answer.
"Rachel, what can I do for you?" Rupert asked briskly, answering after a few rings.
"I need somewhere to stay tonight, and thought you would have somewhere to recommend," Rachel answered.
"What's wrong with your apartment? Don't you have place in Brooklyn?" Rupert asked forthrightly.
"It's not my apartment anymore," Rachel said as firmly as she could, trying in vain to keep her lip from quivering.
"Did you move out Rachel?" Rupert asked hotly. "I thought I told you that you and Santana need to get over whatever has happened between you, and maintain a friendship, a very close friendship!"
"I just couldn't Rupert, you don't understand!" Rachel exclaimed, her voice cracking. "I didn't call for a lecture, I thought that could at least wait until rehearsal tomorrow. If you don't have any suggestions for where I should stay tonight, I'll just go."
"Look, just come over to my place, we'll talk this through, and I'll call around and get you a room somewhere nice for the night, okay?" Rupert said in frustration. Rachel was proving to be high maintenance at times, but he knew it would pay off in the end. It was just a matter of riding out her diva moments. He knew temperament was the price you often had to pay at times for world class talent. And Rachel was world class.
"Fine," Rachel agreed. "I'll get a cab and be there soon."
He gave her his address, and before long she was heading over the bridge and into Manhattan.
She did not have much intention of talking anything out with Rupert, but at least she'd hopefully be able to explain her situation well enough for him to accept it, and for it not to be a problem come rehearsal the next day.
When Rupert let Rachel inside some forty minutes later, he looked critically at her and said, "So, you've been crying. You divas, you never think first. You always react and implode first, with a few gallons of tears as an accompaniment. Then comes regret and repairing whatever you ruined in your explosion."
"I won't be repairing anything in Brooklyn. All I want repaired in Brooklyn are the potholes," Rachel said grimly, no trace of humour in her words. "I will be 'friends' with Santana for the publicity of Funny Girl, but I simply cannot live with her anymore. I hate her, she's always hated me, so we might as well face facts. I will work with her, but so long as she is continuously looking to outdo me, we can't be friends. Friends are happy for the other's success, they don't look to steal it, and behind their back at that!"
"Rachel, did you ever consider that maybe Santana auditioned because she thought that her talent could bring something to Funny Girl? She auditioned, knowing the role was as your understudy. I think it takes a lot for someone to audition for a part of the understudy, when their friend is playing the lead, and is guaranteed most or nearly all of the spotlight," Rupert pointed out evenly. "Maybe she thought this was something you two could do together? I mean, you said it yourself, you two have a past. Maybe this was supposed to be a positive memory for your future."
"Kurt said something like that," Rachel admitted softly.
"Kurt?" Rupert asked, not having a clue who Kurt was.
"My best friend, we lived together, until about an hour ago," Rachel answered.
"So the three of you live, lived, together, and went to school together," Rupert surmised.
"Yes," Rachel answered.
"Then if Kurt thinks what I think, about Santana's motives, and your friendship, then I think there's a pretty good chance we're right," Rupert told her firmly, yet kindly. "I think it might be worth you having a good think about why you reacted the way you did. Maybe this is something you can work through, with Santana."
"You just want me to because it will make such a great news story," Rachel protested with a roll of her eyes.
"I've already got a good news story, you've promised to keep up appearances and maintain your 'friendship' with Santana, and I know your acting skills are more than up to the task," Rupert countered. "I think that this whole experience will be a lot better, and more successful, for everyone, if you and Santana repair your relationship and have a real friendship. It's much more pleasant for me as a director to work with people who like each other, so yes, it is in my interest for you two to sort out your differences."
"Well, maybe, you're right," Rachel allowed. The concession was a big one for her.
"I feel like that's the first and last time I'll be hearing you say those words to me," Rupert said with a rueful chuckle.
Rachel gave him a coy smile, and then sighed.
"I'm not always like this," she said after a moment. "I mean, of course I am sometimes, its part of being a star. I was raised to be one, you know. I guess I've always been jealous of Santana. In high school she was horrible to me, she always everything I wanted to be. When we graduated, we'd sort of called a truce, and I was going to New York, I was going to be the one that succeeded."
"And now she's here, and it was okay, until you thought she was threatening your spotlight," Rupert concluded.
"It brought it all back, Santana backstabbing me, trying to take what's mine," Rachel agreed. "I guess I just went crazy, and didn't even stop to consider the possibility that she was just trying to succeed, without wanting to destroy me. I just decided it was easier to let all my insecurities out, and hate her, than to deal with the hurt I was feeling."
"So do you think you could talk this over with her, I'm sure Kurt would support you, I doubt he wants you two to remain at odds forever," Rupert prompted.
"I think so, but not tonight," Rachel allowed. "I think I need a goodnight's sleep, and something to eat. Plus, Santana probably needs time to cool off. She's usually the one with the claim to the temper."
"I'll keep that in mind," Rupert said dryly. "And I've arranged for a room for you at The Plaza. I told them that you're going to be the next big thing on Broadway, and that when people have heard you've stayed there it will make them even more popular. So there's a room for you at a good price."
"Really?" Rachel asked, eyes shining brightly at the thought.
"Really," Rupert said with a smile, suppressing the desire to shake his head. He was almost awed at the pace in which Rachel switched emotions. "Come on, I'll take you over and make sure they keep up their end of the deal."
They took a taxi to The Plaza, and Rachel's suitcase was installed in her luxurious room.
"How about we grab some dinner?" Rupert suggested. "I think I'd like to hear a little bit more about where you came from, Rachel Berry."
"Do you know any good vegan places? I'm always looking for somewhere new to try in the city," Rachel replied.
"Actually, I just read a rave review about this place called Candle 79. It's not too far from here either," Rupert answered. "Do you need to grab anything before we go?"
Rachel shook her head, secured her purse and said, "Let's go."
They took a cab to the restaurant and were soon seated.
Before long Rachel was sipping a glass of red wine, and eating a plate of squash and wild mushroom spinach ravioli.
Rupert chuckled as she described how earnestly she had pursued Carmen Tibideaux to convince her to let her audition again.
"I certainly know how that feels," he said with a smile.
"Well, you can't survive in this industry without persistence and ambition," Rachel said in defence. "At least I know what I want."
"That you do," Rupert agreed. "It sounds like your glee club was an experience in itself, let alone the rest of high school."
"The New Directions made me who I am today," Rachel allowed. "That's why I auditioned with Don't Stop Believing. That was the first song we sang together, where we sounded good. It was kind of our theme song I guess. Finn told me to sing something that meant something to me, so I chose that song. I couldn't audition with Don't Rain On My Parade, I was sure you would've heard that a million times already."
"And Finn was your boyfriend?" Rupert asked. "The quarterback? What's he doing now? I'm not going to end up with him auditioning for the understudy of Nick, am I?"
A ghost of a smile flickered over Rachel's features, but her eyes saddened momentarily.
"I'm sure that would have been special, but Finn actually passed away a few months ago," Rachel said quietly, looking into her glass of wine.
"I'm so sorry," Rupert said sincerely. "He sounds special."
"He was," Rachel agreed. "Anyway, have you heard enough about my tumultuous high school years?"
"I would like to hear more about the pregnant head cheerleader, who was president of the celibacy club," Peter said with a fiendish grin.
"Maybe another time," Rachel told him, smiling. "I think I should hear a little about you. You're my director, I think it might be nice to know what led you to become a director."
"Well, like yourself, I sang, danced, and acted in high school," Rupert began. "I was the lead in my school productions, I majored in performance when I first started college, here at Tisch. But when I started to get involved in productions here, in the city, I found that I enjoyed production and directing performances as much as I enjoyed acting in them. I kept acting, as well as being a bit involved in directing. I finished with a minor in production. I had a few supporting roles on Broadway, but when an opportunity arose, I decided I would branch in to directing. My first production was a big hit, and now I am very much in demand."
"It sounds simple that way, but I'm sure there's a lot more to it," Rachel replied.
"Of course, there was lots of hard work, heartbreak, and plenty of fun along the way," Rupert agreed. "But that's life."
"That's life," Rachel agreed. "What about your family? Do they live around here? Did you grow up here?"
"I grew up in Queens, my family still live there. My parents emigrated here from Italy. I'm fairly busy, but I try to make time to see them as often as possible," Rupert told her. "They own a small Italian restaurant in Queens, it's always nice to visit it when I go home. It reminds me of growing up there, waiting tables to pay for my music lessons."
"It sounds like a great childhood. I always wished that I'd grown up in New York," Rachel said wistfully.
"Well, I think Ohio served you just fine," Rupert told her, smiling at her, taking a moment to appreciate her finely shaped cheekbones, and her big, expressive eyes. She was something special.
They finished eating, the vegan food thoroughly living up to the rave reviews it had earned.
Rupert paid the bill, at the protest of Rachel, who wanted to pay for her share.
They stepped outside to find that the temperature had dropped quite sharply, and that it was very cold.
Rachel shivered, and pulled her jacket more tightly around her small frame.
"I was going to suggest walking back, but it does seem to be quite cool," Rupert remarked.
"No, let's walk, I'm sure we'll warm up, and it is quite a nice night," Rachel said. "I always love to walk in the city at night."
Rupert slipped an arm around her pulling her to him and said, "Alright, and if you get too cold I'll warm you up, or just hail a cab."
He removed his arm from around her shoulders, but kept her arm tucked in his, and they enjoyed a leisurely stroll back to The Plaza.
He accompanied her up to her room, and they paused outside her room.
"Here, give me your key, and I'll unlock it for you," Rupert offered.
Rachel fished it out of her purse, and he unlocked the room and propped the door open.
"I guess this is goodnight," Rachel said softly. "Thank you for tonight, and for listening to me. I know most people probably wouldn't have bothered to use their own time on my diva dramas."
"I wouldn't usually either, but I'm glad I did," Rupert told her sincerely.
He moved in towards her, as if to kiss her cheek. She looked up and met his eyes, and reading something there, he decided to kiss her.
At first it was gentle, tentative, but before long they had moved into the hotel room, locking the door behind them.
Neither bothered to turn the lights on, relying on the lights of the city, streaming in through a gap in the curtains.
Rachel's jacket was the first item of clothing go be discarded, followed by Rupert's navy, button up shirt, which Rachel's nimble fingers made quick work of.
The old Rachel would never have dreamed of falling into bed with her director, but the new Rachel wasn't so tight laced. New York had taught her a lot, and all she knew was what she was doing felt good. Really good.
Every touch was electric, exciting, and intense. It was good to feel so much, his skin on hers, their lips and tongues meeting, their bodies tangled together, quickly meeting as one in passionate intimacy.
They fell asleep right after, both spent, Rachel especially so, exhausted after her emotional day.
In the morning she awoke, to find herself alone, in a magnificent king sized bed, in luxurious, silky sheets, that she had hardly had time to appreciate the night before.
The events of the night before came flooding back, and she quickly looked around for Rupert.
His clothes weren't anywhere to be seen, but there was a note on the bedside table near her head.
Rachel,
I'm sorry I had to leave while you were still asleep, I have a meeting I can't miss.
I will see you at rehearsal. I'm sure you'll be over thinking everything already, so to save us some trouble later today, please don't start stressing about last night. We can talk about it after rehearsal. I also look forward to hearing about how you made up with Santana.
Rupert.
Well, she definitely needed to make up with Santana now. She needed to talk to Kurt and her before she burst. Rupert had clearly pegged her pretty quickly, she was going to over think everything, regardless of his words.
Rachel took a long, calming bubble bath and ordered room service, taking advantage of the fact that her circumstances had ended up having her spend the night at The Plaza.
Once she was dressed, she went down to check out and pay the bill, but found it had already been taken care of.
"Mr Campion called and took care of everything," the blonde on the front counter told her. "I'm looking forward to seeing you in Funny Girl, Miss Berry."
"Thank you," Rachel said dazedly.
She walked out the front and hailed a cab straight away, and headed for Brooklyn, to make up with Santana. She probably owed Kurt an apology too.
She now was very clear on why she had behaved the way she did, and she knew that she needed to apologise, and was ready to do so. She had been the one to get angry first, to burn all her bridges, to move out in anger, to tear up the photo. She knew why she did it, out of hurt, and insecurity. She had the lead, Santana truly was her friend, particularly if she forgave her, and who better than a friend to be your understudy? Kurt was right, it was a job, a good job, and a good start for Santana in the industry. Rachel new her own star shone brightly enough, she would keep working hard, and she would stand alone. Whatever spotlight Santana got would not matter, because she too would have earned it.
Rupert had been right, and also thanks to him, she really needed her friends to talk to.
Rachel arrived at the familiar building, and headed straight up, walking with purpose, but feeling a little nervous. She was pretty sure both Santana and Kurt would still be at home.
She raised a hand and knocked.
"Rachel!" Kurt exclaimed happily. "I knew you would come back."
Kurt hugged her tightly, relieved that the rough patch seemed to almost be over.
Santana stood across the room, looking uncertain, and a little hostile.
"Santana, I am so sorry," Rachel said immediately, and sincerely. "I was a raging bitch yesterday. You and Kurt were both right. I should be happy for you, I am happy for you, and I really hope we can just move past all this. I'm really looking forward to working with you on Funny Girl. I know it will be something we will remember forever."
"So we're friends again?" Santana asked cautiously.
"We never stopped being friends, we just had a fight, because I was a jealous idiot," Rachel said firmly. "Will you forgive me? I'd really like it if you would, and I'd like to move back in. I never even sent for the rest of my things. I'll even sleep on the couch! I just know that I really need you both in my life, as my friends."
Santana moved across the room, and she and Rachel hugged emotionally.
"I've put up with you for too long to let you go easily, Berry," Santana said, hiding her emotion with her words.
"I'm happy to hear you say that," Rachel said slowly, grinning somewhat guiltily, "because I have something to tell you both."
Kurt and Santana shared a look, rolling their eyes good-naturedly.
"Well, you see, it's this way," Rachel began. "Last night, I spent the night with Rupert…"
The End
AN: Please review, I'd love to know what you think of this pairing. I might do a sequel one shot if there's enough interest :)
