Rachel squealed with excitement and clapped her petite hands together when she finally finished the process of booking her flight from New York City to Lima, Ohio. It had been nearly a year since she had been home, much to her dismay. But with NYADA keeping her so busy, and financially drained, she just hadn't had the time or the funds to make it home. Sure, she Skyped with her fathers every week, and even Skyped with Kurt at least once a month. But it was nothing like actually being with her fathers and closest friend.
The best part of this little ordeal was that no one knew she was coming. She had thoroughly convinced her fathers that there was no convenient way for her to visit them for the holidays, which had been an excruciating conversation for all parties involved, but they eventually relented with a disappointed sigh.
As Rachel crawled into bed for the night, a content sigh escaped her full lips. She couldn't wait to see the stunned expressions of her fathers' faces when she walked through their front door the next afternoon. She couldn't wait to see Kurt, to hug him tight around his thin waist and share all kinds of gossip with him. But more than anything, Rachel couldn't wait to walk through the halls of McKinley High School and see the new Glee Club. She had already prepared a selection for her to sing for them, with handouts detailing her impending fame on Broadway, of course. And as Rachel allowed sleep to overtake her consciousness, butterflies and hurricanes of excitement flurried through her stomach.
The next day…
Rachel's eyes snapped open with the sound of her alarm clock. Today was the day! She was going home for the first time in a year. She flung herself out of bed and into the foot-holes of her elliptical, blasting Barbara in her ears as her strong legs began moving. Forty-five minutes later, she found herself brushing her teeth and hopping into the shower to begin the journey of her day. Naturally, her bags had been packed for a week, so all she had to do was make herself presentable and hit the road. After applying mascara, and a hint of blush to her soft cheeks, she was ready to go.
Rachel easily hailed a cab and ordered the driver to JFK Airport, to which she received a not-so-friendly eye-roll. But nothing could spoil her mood today, because she was going home, and she was going to see the kind eyes of her fathers, and soak in their comforting scents as she hugged them.
Two hours later, Rachel found herself at her gate, awaiting departure. Her leg jumped up and down in haste, not even trying to hide the excitement she felt. Little did she know, someone was watching her intently from across the terminal: a certain blonde-haired, hazel-eyed girl name Quinn Fabray.