A/N: Rachel has always been a difficult character, so I thought it'd be interesting to see her in a new environment, outside of Lima, away from the people she knows. This was originally going to be the first chapter, but I don't feel it's long enough and I think it sits better as a prologue. One last thing: please leave your thoughts! I would love to hear them. They help me keep writing!

Disclaimer: Glee is not mine, sadly. I just play with the characters in the pieces I write.

Starting Anew

Prologue

The early morning was dark, serene. The earliest traces of sunlight peaked over the earth's curve, snuffing the final stars from the previous night. The moon hung faintly in the sky, taunting the morning sun to show its face. Just before 5 o'clock in the morning, few disturbances rocked the dawn. With a rumble and grating of steel, a train shot through the scene like a bullet. The tranquil morning was a jumbled blur to the passengers of the coach.

Rachel Berry lay, curled against her reclining seat. Her eyes fixated on the constant motion outside of her window. Lack of comfort had been something she'd expected from a five hour train ride, but the lack of sleep was catching up with her. Two days earlier, her dads had driven her from their home in Lima to Pittsburg, another five hour trip. Yes, they had stayed over in a hotel, but the bed didn't have the firmness required to send Rachel to slumber. From Pittsburg, Rachel found herself on the train to the city.

The only train option was a trip scheduled to depart just before midnight. Generally exhausted, Rachel did everything she could to try to lull herself to sleep. Unfortunately, nothing could suspend her tense nerves.

Rachel pulled her hands beneath the pillow cradling her head. The pillow was her own, not trusting the train to supply one or the coach seats themselves. She was nervous. This was the first time away from her dads and the first time away from home. To top it all off, she decided to forgo further education. She came to the decision on her own, as Rachel Berry did, and discussed it, in detail, with her fathers. She stood firm in her confidence that her talent could support her in the city. She would find a temporary job, audition in her free time, and make her way.

Sighing in defeat, she flipped her seat back upright and crossed her legs in front of her. The distorted scenes outside of her window were becoming increasingly urbanized. The train had slowed its pace, alerting the passengers to the impending arrival at its destination. Knowing that sleep had been taken off the table, Rachel began to run through the steps she'd take once getting off of the train.

She and her dads had come out to the city earlier in the summer. They had set up a few appointments to check out a few potential apartments, just to make sure they were setting their daughter up in an apartment in a well-lit, safe area. Her first few rental payments were going to be supplied by them and then she would be weaned off, relying solely on herself. They also moved a majority of her belongings out to the city, so on her one-way journey there would be less to carry.

Mingled with her apprehension was pure excitement. After that initial visit, Rachel knew the city had a firm grip on her heart. The people, the smells, the sounds, the excitement; when she and her dads returned home, she found it difficult to fall asleep with the lack of noise outside her window.

Rachel ran her hands along her arms, grinning to herself thinking back on the tears that her dads shed when they left her at the train station. "Call home every day if you need to."

"If you want to."

"You really should."

"Stay in well-lit areas."

"Stick to the roads you know."

Waving to them from her seat on the train, her heart had given a little pang of sadness.

The train came to a halt, jostling the travelers. Uncrossing her legs, running her hands along her thighs, she stood up, gathering her carry-on. Bag slung over her shoulder, Rachel pushed along the mingling passengers and then waited to make her exit. Shifting her weight with a sway of her hips, her mind drifted to her final moments in Lima. A ghost of a smile appeared across her lips for no one but herself. She'd said goodbye to those she'd grown closest to. Though a moment filled with sadness, she knew it had to be done. Cut the strings, start fresh. This trip, this adventure to the big city, was meant specifically for her and her alone. The big city was no match for Rachel Berry. A cough from a passenger behind her jolted her from her thoughts, reminding her to move forward to exit the car.

Rachel stepped into Penn Station and took a moment to take in the rush. Alone, amongst the bustling chaos, her nerves dissipated as they thrived on the pulse of the station. Her flats clicked along the tile, getting lost amongst the footsteps of the pedestrians along side of her. She couldn't help the grin that made its way across her face, noting the abundance of people out already at only half past five. All along, this is what she had waited for, lived for. Everything in her life was going to come to be in these next few months. Her dreams of being a star were so close to fulfillment, she could taste it.

Pushing through the doors to the street, the energy swirled around her, enwrapping her and making her feel at home. The business people rushing to catch morning subways, taxis, and quickly trying to get to work on time made the streets come to life. Though very different from Lima, all she'd known in her 18 years of existence, Rachel Berry had never felt more at home.

Nearly getting swept along with the foot traffic, she stepped out to the curb and held up a hand, "Taxi!"