A/N: This is an one-shot that I had in mind a while ago but I'm only posting it now. This fic is set during/after the Funk episode. Thanks roguegambit for beta-ing thos fic.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. I do own Becky and Owen characters. I know there's a Becky in Glee but there wasn't one at the time I thought of this fic so I kept the character's name.
Please read and review! :)
Moving On
After the break up with Jesse, Rachel had been in a funk for days. Even the members of the glee club had noticed the change of her behavior during class.
Finn couldn't deny he was thrilled to hear the news of the break up, but seeing Rachel like that was making him feel bad about it. He missed her old self and he didn't know how, but he wanted to cheer her up. He only needed to think of a way to approach her. After all, when he had found out she was seeing Jesse, he did tell her to not expect any more friendship from him if things ended up bad. And she didn't.
He didn't really mean that though.
The bell rang and everyone in the glee club was leaving the room; Rachel was still sitting on her chair looking distracted when he heard his friend call her name.
"Hey Rachel," Puck waited till he got her attention before he continued. "You haven't said one word during class, it's starting to freak me out."
"Leave me alone, Puckerman," she grumped as she started gathering her things.
"No, seriously, you have to get out of this funk and get over that douchebag so that we can kick their asses at Nationals."
"What do you want me to do?" she asked exasperatedly.
"Let's go out tonight and I'm gonna show you how to have fun," Finn's ear peaked up at Puck's invitation.
Rachel looked thoughtful as if she was having a dialogue with her inner self. A couple of minutes later she turned to Puck and gave him a response.
"Deal!" she said, shaking his hands before she left the choir room.
Finn almost gasped out loud at her answer. He had stayed listening to their conversation hardly believing what he was hearing. He waited till Rachel was out of sight and then punched his friend in the arm.
"Dude, what the hell?" Puck yelped, rubbing his arm.
"I should ask you the same question! What the hell do you think you're you doing asking her out?" Finn questioned almost shouting at his friend.
"Relax bro. Since you still haven't done anything, I just had to give a little push and do something to make her get over that St. Jackass. Besides, you're coming with us. I'm actually doing you a favor," Puck said, poking his finger on Finn's chest.
"How's that?" Finn asked confused.
"If you haven't realized yet, you're the one who's gonna help Rachel get over that dude," Puck explained.
"Right. And where are we going?"
"To my cousin's bar." Puck's cousin Owen worked in a bar and once in a while he'd let Puck go there, but only because Puck was careful enough and had never let his mom found out he went there.
"Puck, we're not allowed to drink."
"So what? It's just one night. Relax."
"My mom is gonna kill me if she finds out," Finn groaned at the thought.
"Then don't tell her," Puck replied simply.
"And how are you gonna convince Rachel?"
"Dude, she already said yes without saying anything, she's in no matter what."
It turned out that Puck was right. In the same day he had called Rachel to tell her that Finn was going and also told her the time they were going to pick her up. She didn't even argue when he told her they were going to a bar.
Finn was nothing but shocked when Puck had told him that.
Rachel had no idea what she should wear. She looked at her closet and didn't see any outfit appropriate for going out at night, probably because she never did go out at night.
"You're lucky I'm here to help you dress up," Becky stated matter of factly. She was Rachel's cousin, only three years older than Rachel. who was staying over the weekend at her uncle's house. "If I knew you were in a funk, I wouldn't have agreed to hang out with my friends tonight."
It's okay; you haven't seen them since you went to college. Besides, I'm going out with my friends too."
"Okay, try this one," Becky said handing Rachel one of her dresses. Since her older cousin was a few inches taller than Rachel, the black dress didn't look so short on her, it actually stopped mid-thigh.
"Isn't it too tight?" Rachel wondered as she looked at herself in the mirror.
"Nonsense. It looks perfect on you." It was true. The dress hugged Rachel's body, showcasing her curves.
"If you say so," Rachel conceded. She trusted her cousin and her taste in fashion. She actually felt more comfortable in that dress than the outfit Kurt told her to wear to impress Finn some time ago.
"Now the heels," Becky pondered. Looking at the options she found the perfect pair. "You should totally wear these."
"Ugh, it's too high," Rachel complained but her cousin quickly dismissed it.
"You have gorgeous legs, Rachel. And you're always on the tip of your toes at the ballet class so you're used to it."
"Alright then, but if I twist my ankle it will totally be your fault," Rachel warned, pointing her finger to her cousin.
"Fine, fine," Becky said rolling her eyes, "Always being dramatic, just like uncle Hiram."
"Let me get ready then," Rachel announced before closing the door of her bathroom.
Half hour later she was finishing blow-drying her hair when her cousin walked back into the room only in a towel.
"No straight hair today. Let's add some waves there," Becky stated, grabbing the roller.
Forty minutes later and Rachel had her hair done, her make up on and already dressed up, the high heels were the last thing she put on herself.
"You look hot!" Becky exclaimed.
"I look old," Rachel said, looking at her image in the mirror.
"You can't look like you're underage," Becky pointed out. "You look gorgeous Rach. Trust me." She was right. Although the look was totally different from what Rachel usually wore, she didn't look slutty either. Her make up was minimal, only a dark foggy eyeshadow and the dress wasn't too short on her so she'd be able to move without feeling awkward.
She just needed to own that look, even if it was just for one night.
Her cell phone rang and she pick it up, it was Finn saying they were in front of her house. She laughed and said they could get inside since her dads weren't at home and asked them to wait for her in the living room.
"Go have fun girl. If you need me just give me a call, okay," Becky said.
"Okay. Thanks Becky," Rachel said hugging her cousin.
"Anytime."
She walked down the stairs carefully, still getting used to those high heels that her cousin made her wear. She saw the boys were sitting on the couch waiting for her and when they noticed she was coming, they both looked at her with a surprised expression on their faces.
"Damn Berry, you look hot!" Puck said with a whistle, checking her out from head to toe.
"Thanks Noah," she replied as she pushed the hem of her dress down, feeling a little self conscious under his gaze.
"Now let's get out of here." The mohawked boy announced as he headed to the door and left the house.
Rachel observed as Finn kept standing on the same place, just watching her in awe. She tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.
"You look stunning Rach," Finn finally spoke, dumbfounded. His compliment made her blush lightly.
"Thank you Finn," she said with a timid smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
He couldn't help but feel proud at himself for making her smile, even if it was just a tiny, timid one. It was a start.
"Shall we?" he offered his arm to her and she gladly accepted.
"Let's go."
They walked to Finn's truck that was parked in front of her house. Puck was leaned against the vehicle waiting for them.
"Okay, here's your fake IDs," Puck said, handing the piece of paper to each of them.
"How did you get those?" Finn asked, looking at his picture.
"I have my ways," Puck answered shortly with a smirk.
"I-isn't that illegal?" Rachel stammered, reality hitting her.
"Don't worry. I had talked to my cousin and he's got our back. He owes me big time."
Finn observed Rachel's expression, she seemed to have second thoughts. "Are you sure about this?" he asked her.
"Come on, Berry. You're not backing down, right?" Puck challenged.
"Not at all," she said surely.
"Great." Puck clapped his hand and went to open the passenger seat.
Finn sighed to himself, opening the door in the backseat for her who thanked him in return.
Rachel had to admit she was surprised by how easy it was for them to get into the bar and order drinks. They did get help from Puck's cousin who warned them to be careful and not exaggerate on the alcohol. Well, that was not really a strong advice when you let under aged people have access to drinks.
Puck handed a bottle of beer to Rachel who looked at him puzzled.
"What?" she asked.
"Drink it up."
"From the bottle?" she made a disgusted face.
"You don't have to if you don't want Rach," Finn told her.
"Come on, you come to a bar to stay sober all night?" Puck probed again.
"Give it to me," Rachel ordered and Puck happily handed the bottle to her.
Rachel drank half of the beer straight from the bottle and the boys watched it with shocked faces.
"Way to go, Berry!" Puck cheered, giving her a high five.
Rachel sat back on the stool, leaning against the counter and took a deep breath.
"Are you okay?" Finn asked.
"I feel great!" she answered excitedly.
It was karaoke night at the bar and a bunch of drunk dudes were singing terribly on the stage.
"You suck!" Rachel screamed at the beard man who had just finished his song and was leaving the stage.
"Can you do better little one?" the man challenged her.
Rachel stood up too fast, holding Finn's arm to not fall and put her other hand on her hips. "You bet your ass I can," she replied defiantly. Yes, it seemed like drunk Rachel had a potty mouth.
"Shows us what you got then," he said, pointing to the direction of the stage.
"You asked for it," she retorted.
The people around made space for her to walk and Finn and Puck were hot in her heels, Finn was making sure for her not to fall or trip on anything while Puck, who was already wasted, cheered on her.
"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Finn asked in her ear.
"Absolutely," she replied, nodding her head.
He helped her go up on to the stage - it wasn't really a big stage like the one at school of course, it was a modest one - and hoped she didn't fall or anything while up there.
Rachel picked her song quickly before going to the center of the stage and grabbed the mic. She'd have preferred her pink bedazzled mic, but this one will had to do it.
The song she had picked was totally different from her Broadway repertory that she usually sang in the glee club. It was a song she'd only sang alone in her bedroom in front of the mirror, but she felt a little daring tonight.
"Hit it!"
Let's go girls! Come on.
I'm going out tonight-I'm feelin' alright
Gonna let it all hang out
Wanna make some noise-really raise my voice
Yeah, I wanna scream and shout
No inhibitions-make no conditions
Get a little outta line
I ain't gonna act politically correct
I only wanna have a good time
Rachel worked the stage like a pro, her powerful voice filling the room and the way she moved to the song didn't even seem like she was drunk. And the cheer from the people in the bar made her more confident.
The best thing about being a woman
Is the prerogative to have a little fun
Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy-forget I'm a lady
Men's shirts-short skirts
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin' it in style
Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction
Color my hair-do what I dare
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel
Man! I feel like a woman!
Finn was completely and utterly speechless. His jaw was dropped on the floor and all he could do was stand still watching her perform. He had never seen anything more sexier than what he was watching in front of him.
Beside him, Puck was enjoying her performance just like everyone else and he heard his friend scream "GO Berry!" a couple of times.
The girls need a break-tonight we're gonna take
The chance to get out on the town
We don't need romance-we only wanna dance
We're gonna let our hair hang down
The best thing about being a woman
Is the prerogative to have a little fun
Rachel let loose and sang freely, throwing her hair back and forth and swaying her hips to the beat. She had to admit that it was very exciting for her to have such a different audience from her usual ones. Till now she had only performed at competitions, at the glee club and at home, so singing in a bar was definitely new to her.
Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy-forget I'm a lady
Men's shirts-short skirts
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin' it in style
Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction
Color my hair-do what I dare
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel
Man! I feel like a woman!
The best thing about being a woman
Is the prerogative to have a little fun (fun, fun)
Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy-forget I'm a lady
Men's shirts-short skirts
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin' it in style
Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction
Color my hair-do what I dare
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel
Man! I feel like a woman!
I get totally crazy
Can you feel it
Come, come, come on baby
I feel like a woman
When Rachel finished the song, everyone in the bar screamed and cheered her even more than before, she did a little curtsy and handed the mic to some guy before getting off the stage. Finn quickly went to help her take the couple of steps.
"You were incredible up there," he whispered in her ear and she instantly shivered at the contact.
"Thanks," she beamed.
Instead of returning to their places by the counter, the three of them decided to sit in one of the high-topped wooden tables that was empty. There were only two empty stools so Puck sat in one, Finn sat on the other with Rachel between Finn's legs; her back pressed against his chest. He could tell Rachel was getting a little bit tired after her performance but she kept moving her body as another person started singing.
The movements Rachel was doing with her backside against Finn's crotch was driving him crazy, especially because she had no idea what kind of effect she was causing to his body.
They stayed like that for several songs, most of them sucked but everyone were too drunk to care, they were just having fun. Finn noticed when Rachel started getting quiet and yawned a couple of times. He asked her if she wanted to leave and she nodded her head. Puck was already passed out on the table. He had been gone for a while and was even snoring. Finn asked Puck's cousin his help to take his friend to the car. Owen took Puck by himself as Finn and Rachel left the bar following them, Finn had his arm around her to help her walk with her heels.
Owen put Puck in the backseat as he continued in his deep slumber. Rachel sat in the passenger seat this time and Finn had to make a big effort to look straight ahead instead of staring at her legs that were full on his view.
The ride was quiet, after the first five minutes driving, Finn looked to his side and saw Rachel was fast sleep. He took a quick look down and saw she had taken off her shoes and placed her legs under her.
He was tempted to touch her soft and delicate skin and had to refrain himself and turned his attention back to the road.
Finn decided to take Rachel home first. He parked the car in front of the house and put out his seat belt. He turned to Rachel and nudged her slightly.
"Rach, we're here," he whispered but only received an incoherent mumble in response.
Then he got out of the car and walked to the other side and opened the passenger seat, he took out her seat belt and grabbed her body, taking her out of the car. He noticed her trying to wake up but since she was still feeling groggy, she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned into his shoulder, her hot breath tickling his skin there.
Luckily for him, the door was open since Becky had came back from her night with friends and had forgotten to lock the door, so he was able to get into the house even thought he had a little difficulty in doing so while he had a sleepy Rachel in his arms.
He placed her gently on her bed and saw her move her body. "Hmm, Finn?" she called out his name and he sat on the edge of the bed beside her.
"I'm here," he responded.
She slowly opened her eyes, still tired, but looked at him with a lazy smile. "Thank Puck for tonight. I had fun," she said, closing her eyes again.
"Will do," he told her, with a sad smile.
Rachel opened her eyes once more to look at him. "And thank you for watching after me," she spoke, smiling at him sweetly.
"You're welcome," he responded, with a lopsided grin.
"Can you stay for a little while?" she asked softly.
"Of course."
They stayed laying beside each other for almost an hour till Finn woke up from his nap. He turned to her and watched her sleep. Reluctantly, he got up from the bed and covered her with a blanket. He went to her bathroom and splashed some water on his face, after all he still had to drive Puck and himself home. He dried his face with a towel and walked back to the bedroom, observing Rachel's beautiful face as she slept peacefully. He kissed her forehead carefully to not wake her and headed to the door. He glanced at her one last time before turning off the lights and closing the door behind him.
He locked the door of the house, using the spare key that was hide still in the secret place he knew and walked over to his car.
Puck was still sleeping, his snoring was quite loud.
As Finn drove home, a thought appeared in his mind as he remembered the night.
She was going to be okay. They were going to be okay.
His new found hope made him smile.
Song: Man! I Feel Like A Woman (Shania Twain)
If you like my fics, please check it out the latest chapter of Try Something New. :)
