Notes: Totally AU. It's ultimately going to be Rachel/Jesse. It just takes him a bit to show up. Also no beta, all mistakes are my own. Sorry.
He shows up at her door four weeks into her exile. She knows it's not really banishment but leaving the tour to take care of her sick aunt is harder then she thought it would be. She loves her aunt but there's not much she can do for her that her full time nursing staff isn't already. She mostly hangs out by the pool. She reads to her aunt when she's feeling well enough but that isn't very often lately.
Noah tells her he's met someone else. It happened fast but they're in love. He still cares for Rachel and didn't want her to find out from anyone but him. He then mentions the story's going to break in tomorrow's entertainment news. They have pictures and a quote from someone close to the source. When she asks who it is he tells her it's a girl he met at a show three weeks ago in Miami. She's been traveling with them ever since. It's a cold truth but Rachel takes comfort in knowing Noah lasted three weeks without her before finding another girl.
The other girls name is Quinn. She's the opposite of Rachel. The pictures show her as a groupie cliché, long blonde hair, short skirts, tight tops and high heels. Rachel's know for her fashion- simplistic or bohemian, edgy or classic she always looks remarkable. Quinn looks about 25, older then Rachel's 20, close to Pucks 27. She wonders if they have a lot in common. If Quinn gets along with the band? Obviously they all knew and no one told her. She thinks that might hurt the most. They are supposed to be a family. They're the only real family she has left.
Her parents were part of a famous hippy band. Rock star royalty. Their most famous song is a duet, a love song sung by her mom and dad. It was released directly after their death in a plane crash. It's still ranked top five songs of the century and gets more play than the Beatles. Rachel grew up on the road. They toured constantly and her real home was a tour bus for the first 15 years of her life. After her parents death she lived with her aunt. She had a hard time adjusting. High school was hard; she'd always had a tutor on tour. She didn't know how to relate to her peers; she was used to being the youngest but treated as an adult for better or for worse.
Her best memory is dancing on a deserted stadium floor after a show. It's a mess, trash and debris are scattered everywhere but the music is still playing the cleanup crews favorite songs. A reporter snaps a picture. She's about 12, in a blue dress, her eyes are closed and she's got a soft expression on her face. She looks like she's floating. You can see her parents in the background sitting on the stage sharing a beer. They look at her like she's the best thing they've ever created. But she remembers thinking at the time that music was her parent's true selves and the songs they made were let into the world to show what can happen when you transcend reality and leap into fate.
Music was in her blood even though her life had changed and her first week living in Seattle she met a group of boys with a garage band. Noah, Finn, Matt and Mike live in a house together a few streets over from her. She spends the next three years of her life in their pockets. They were awestruck of her famous name. They idolized her parents but ended up loving Rachel for herself. She made them food during practice, got them to their gigs, promoted their shows and everything in between. They teased her, calling her their mascot but she was really their muse. She believed in them so much they believed in themselves as a result. Her love of music fueled theirs. Her devotion to the band was absolute. They became a family and when they went on tour three years later when she was 18, there was no question about leaving her behind. The label said she'd have to have a function, a job. She became their assistant, everything she already did for them she now got paid for.
When they were younger they were wary of her money. They didn't want to be a charity case. She explained to them to think of it as her philanthropy. She didn't value money in the same way other rich people did. It was her parent's wealth not hers. They worked hard to earn it so she appreciated in the sense it was their way of taking care of her even after death but she would give all the money away if she could have one more day with her parents. When they understood she shared out of her love for them it made things a bit easier. A struggling band has to make hard choices but she always wanted the best for them. The best equipment and instruments rewarded the world with their music.
She's basically the bands aide. It's her job to make the bands tour as smooth as possible. She's traveled with them for the past two years and knows them for three years before that. She makes sure everything in the dressing rooms is exactly the way they would want it, lighting, food, amenities, her boys have gotten pickier over time. She takes care of the amenities on the tour bus and hotels as well. While she's taking care of her aunt the label hires a temp worker for her position. She talks to her temporary replacement frequently. When Puck tells her he's found someone else it doesn't occur to her she might also be fired. She shows up at the appointed time and place to take her job back and has some big news to share with Noah and the band.
Next part soon!