Chapter One

All Over Again

The sight of red and white decorated walls assaulted Ray's eyes as he walked through the halls of William McKinley High School. The posters proudly sported the Titans and he appreciated the ominous symbolism. The fearful terrorizers of the Ancient Greek world coupled with one of America's worst presidents.

It wasn't just the walls that foreshadowed danger.

It was the disgusting smell of public school… or was it something that permeated from the boy's locker room. Either way, it couldn't be sanitary.

It was the sheer terror instilled in every four-eyed, pimpled 'loser' as Ray passed them by.

All signs told Ray that the building may have changed but this was going to be middle school all over again.

He barely survived the first time.

Everything about McKinley High School was making Ray Redford Berry's hair stand on end. It was the only time he doubted his choice to transfer here for sophomore year and the bravery that helped him get out of bed that morning was fading. It was middle school all over again. Ray visibly shuddered at the memories that flooded his mind.

His fathers and mother thought he was crazy for transferring to the school that most of his middle school tormenters attended. Why wouldn't they?

At Carmel, Ray Corcoran was the freshman prodigy of Vocal Adrenaline. With his best friend and mentor, Jesse St. James, they were revered and respected for their sheer talent and that was all that Ray thought he ever wanted.

Now he was starting all over again. Again. He was at the bottom of the school food chain and Ray could only hope for the chance get through the next three years without incurring the wrath of the McKinley hierarchy. Would kids remember him? He rid himself of the brightly coloured sweaters with animals that he loved so much just to stay off the radar. He looked at his scarf and sighed. Maybe asking Jesse for discreet fashion tips was a mistake. What did he know though? He let his mother shop for him after burning the polar bear sweater he wore one day.

No more bright animal sweaters or argyle at Carmel High after the burning. That was the first rule when Ray lived with Shelby.

Fortunately Shelby didn't know that he hid the rest of them at the Berry household. What she didn't know couldn't hurt her or his precious animal sweaters and argyle socks.

The members of Vocal Adrenaline were sad to see him go. Most didn't truly understand his reasons. They didn't even know the true reasons of why he was at Carmel for freshman year besides his biological connection with their coach. Even Jesse was less than understanding for he knew what the others didn't. How close Ray was to-

he always believed that such things were the stuff of the weak. that he was above all the degradation, rising up. he wasn't a star. no gold. just red.

It didn't matter.

This time would be different. He couldn't rely on Shelby's or Jesse's protection any longer. Ray had to learn to stand on his own feet again. Find the future star that he was before.

blood. red. he couldn't stop staring at the laceration. too entranced by its morbidity to care to clean up the mess at the moment. was he hurting? all the time. what was another to add to the pile?

Where was the boy who boldly declared at the tender age of three, that he would take Broadway by 'stowm?'

beautiful in it's gentle flow from his wrist to the sink.

Ray missed him. He could tell that his dads missed that boy too.

The silver blade glinted in the light. It was the first time he saw any light in his life

They first noticed a change in their boy a few months into Ray's first year at middle school. Ray became quieter at dinner. He didn't want to talk about school. He never spoke about friends. Soon the bright boy who talked a million miles a minute couldn't be coerced to say two words.

They had no clue that their precious son was teased mercilessly everyday. They didn't know that Ray had a daily appointment with the school dumpster. Hiram and Leroy Berry had no idea that their little boy was called "Gay Berry" or "Fairy Berry" until he cried.

No, they certainly had no idea… until they caught Ray cutting himself with a razorblade.

they looked at him in horror. tears. they were crying. was he crying? tears and blood. he couldn't look at them anymore. the sink was decorated; tears and blood.

they knew

Ray wasn't as strong as they all thought.

It was a wake up call for all of them. They pulled him out of school as soon as Ray told them the truth. Several family-therapy sessions were called where each had cried for hours. It was then that Hiram and Leroy decided it was time to tell their son about Shelby. Their son needed all the supporters that he could get.

They got in touch with her first to get the okay. As soon as she heard the summarized version of events she rushed into the picture.

Ray couldn't believe that he had a mother. Until he was ten, he had always believed his mom was a turkey baster. Of course now he got the joke and he hadn't been able to so much as look at a turkey baster again without feeling the need to throw-up.

Their relationship was tentative at first, both not knowing exactly how to connect with the other. But they bonded over music. Broadway, the arts, New York. Shelby knew how to coax some part of the old Ray Redford Berry out of his shell and she convinced Hiram and Leroy to let him attend Carmel High School to get back the rest.

It worked out for the most part. He went by Ray Corcoran and everybody instantly knew not to mess with Corcoran's son. Shelby had Jesse watch over him and eventually the two became friends instead of rivals. Ray got to experience the joy of joining a club and a team without being ostracized for having two gay fathers.

Vocal Adrenaline welcomed him with open arms and those who knew of his parentage never made a fuss about it. (It may have been Ohio but it was still a show choir after all.)

So what in the world could have convinced Ray Redford Berry-Corcoran to leave all that behind?

He guessed it was the day he found out about the ritual psyching out the competition before Nationals. It was the first year that they would compete against another Ohio show choir at the national level. Jesse kept him away from that aspect of Vocal Adrenaline at Shelby's request, but a trip to the Bahamas with his parents caused him to miss out on telling the others not to let Ray in on their prank. At least they thought it was a prank. Ray only saw it as bullying.

Cruelty. Senseless. Degrading.

The kind of cruelty that almost cost him his life.

The experience gave him a panic attack and almost cost the rest of the team their lead singer. The realization that Ray had become what he had feared for years was shocking to say the least. His mother thankfully convinced him to stay on Vocal Adrenaline so that he could help the team take the National title and he did. Trust that his bio-mother would appeal to the true traits that linked them together. Their extreme self-driven ambition and single-minded ruthlessness when it came to blowing away the competition. Ray did it all without having to resort to the silly 'time-honoured' tradition of bullying others.

For once in a very long time, he had complete faith in who he was and that led them to their landslide victory. Legendary, even now, on the show choir forums.

But the panic attack proved he still wasn't over what had happened to him. These kids, now at McKinley High, still had him trapped in the lockers, the dumpsters, locked in the janitor's closets.

And now he was here.

He breathed in and puffed out his chest, rubbing his wrist unconsciously before adjusting his messenger bag and making his way in this new, scary environment. Striding along the halls, he repeated his mantra.

Ray Redford Berry was a star in the making.

In ten years, this would just be a sad chapter in his best-selling autobiography. (Title still a work in progress).

He could do this.

A giant of a jock clad in the Letterman uniform of terror, almost bowled him over. The kids laughed as the new transfer was thrown to the floor by the impact.

Ray gulped in fear, this was a familiar scene.

He would get through this. Head high and talent intact.

He hoped.

Anyone would think that the blonde-haired beauty that was looking at her reflection in the mirror was nothing less than a goddess. Many had fawned over the ethereal beauty that Quinn Fabray exuded; some even thought with bitterness that it must have been effortless. If it were anybody else, they would have been satisfied with the reflection. Not a hair out of place. Not a shade out of style.

The only thought Quinn had running through her mind was, "Oh God, I got fatter."

Quinn Fabray did not just look at her own reflection. She scrutinized it with a more critical eye than a surgeon. Every flaw, every hair out of place had to be fixed or hidden before she walked out of that room. Because outside of that safe place was a world of critics just waiting for her slip up and turn back into Lucy Caboosey. Starting with her biggest critic after herself: her father.

She could almost hear the slight jabs her father often made when they ate together.

"Are you sure you want to have another potato Sweetie?"

"No, our little Lucy Q wouldn't want another chubby baby face now would she?"

"You know how easy it is to get back to your weight, Quinn. At least your nose will stay the same no matter what you eat. It better have with the money we invested in it."

So much said in remarks as cutting as those. It was maddening. Like puppet strings that latched onto her with a vice-like control.

Even her life outside the household was moulded by the Fabray standard. Since Frannie set the precedent, it was more than an expectation… it was the only option. President of the Celibacy Club, captain of the Cheerios, honour roll student; Frannie was all of that in addition to Prom and Homecoming queen.

Lucy Q. Fabray wasn't enough.

Quinn had to be.

Whatever hidden resentment for the weight of the Heavens on her shoulders was ignored for the most part. There really was no other option.

But she never questioned the power that powerlessness brought. She revelled in it.

The pressures that put her at the top ironically granted her control of an aspect of her life that she never had before. It was the only power that mattered to a sixteen-year-old girl. People who would have mocked Lucy Caboosey now bowed before the Head Cheerio. For once she had BFFs. Girls who would have her back. All the boys wanted her. She had a quarterback boyfriend who would do whatever she said. It was perfect. He was all that her parent- all that she ever wanted.

It was all about control in the Fabray household. And at McKinley, Quinn had lots of it.

A frenzied honk pierced the air and Quinn rolled her eyes. Santana was never one to be patient. She gave a final once-over before deeming her appearance worthy of making it out of the house.

This was to be her first full year as Captain of the Cheerios. Quinn was the first freshman to get the title after dethroning the senior with a ruthlessness that impressed the likes of one Sue Sylvester.

Everything was going to go Quinn's way this year. She could just feel it.

Santana fixed her make-up in the mirror, eyes sweeping her neck for any signs of hickeys left behind by the bubbly blonde in the passenger seat.

It wasn't wrong. She told herself, assurance both fake and fleeting.

It was hot. They were hot cheerleaders. It was practically expected of them to make out.

And Santana sure as hell wasn't going to mack on Quinn.

Sharing a secret smile with Brittany as they waited for their Captain, Santana tried to still the skipping heartbeats that appeared whenever she looked into her bestie's eyes.

It was just her indigestion, ignoring the fact that cheerleading required them to skip meals before practice.

The butterflies settled once the Captain entered the car, barking out orders as soon as she got in.

"Calm your tits Fabray. You're the one who kept us waiting." Santana really didn't want to listen to the Head Cheerio crap before school even started.

Quinn arched her condescending brow in return, "Uh huh, like you weren't keeping yourselves busy, Lopez?"

Bitch didn't just say that.

Cardinal rule of the Unholy Trinity. Do NOT imply anything about Brittany and Santana. Not one word.

And Santana couldn't let such a thing go on without dishing out a little old Lopez revenge. She knew exactly how to hit Lucy Q under the belt.

"Looking a little chubby there, Fatty McFatAss?" she bit back with enough acid to melt a hole to hell.

They glared at each other in another intense Alpha pissing contest and Brittany sighed at the thought of another long year with the feuding Pack Leaders. Why couldn't they just get along?

"Hey Q, do penguins wear tuxes all the time? Or do the girl penguins get to wear dresses?"

As always, Brittany's well-timed defusing comment of confusion was enough to simmer her best friends so that they could get on with their day.

First day of school bitches.

"Have you checked if they still have a glee club, Ray? I heard that back in the day, McKinley show choir was legendary."

Ray knew that he had to join the school's glee club; his future career in Broadway depended on it. That fact still didn't stop the hesitancy that bubbled up at the sheer thought of being apart of a show choir that wasn't his mom's Vocal Adrenaline. A family that he shared the outpour of blood, sweat and tears (the good kind) with, every single practice. One that helped him come back from the darkest place in his life. Sure, they were completely comprised of soulless automatons but they treated him equally; with a show face smile and a knife hidden behind their backs. They were his people.

"I don't know, Jesse. I passed by the choir room at least three times. The only two people in there are somebody named Ryerson and a single male student."

It was a disturbing display of outright molestation disguised as a vocal practice. Ray may require more therapy if he witnessed anymore of it.

"Besides even if I join I don't think it'll be good enough to go against Vocal Adrenaline."

"Oh I see, you're afraid to go up against me in competition. That's cute."

Ray bristled at the condescension in his best friend's tone. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, now that you don't have Mommy's show choir power backing your sub-par performance abilities, you know you're going to lose. It's understandable really. The pressure of a winner is really a burden that only true stars would be able to carry."

"Hey I'm more than half the reason we won at National's last year. Who covered up Adrienne's tumble and turned it into the intricate dance move that wowed the judges? Me. Who went on emergency Honey tea runs to keep Gabby from going hoarse? Me. I'm not afraid of a little competition because even with one other member and a slightly perverted, handsy pedophiliac as the coach I will beat you. That is a Ray Redford Berry Guarantee! Good day, Sir!"

Ray hung up as soon as he was finished and wasn't able to hear the victorious laughter on the other end of the phone. He was however rather breathless after his longwinded speech and saw that students looked at him with an eye of caution. Great first impression there, Ray.

Nevertheless… sub-par? Jesse St. James calling him, 'sub-par?'

Hmph. Ray Redford Berry's performance abilities were nothing short of brilliant. He had enough talent in his pinky finger to make the lights of Broadway shine in blinding luminance. He set off once more towards the choir room, too focused and single-minded in his divo-like strut that he wasn't able to see what was coming until it was too late.

"Ooof!"

Thankfully the figure he collided with was not a hulking brute several feet taller.

"Watch where you're going, Midget!"

The snark in the figure's voice didn't do a thing for Ray's ego. However, the feeling of having soft, pert breasts flush against him as he tried to keep the girl steady from their collision? Now that was doing something to him and it had nothing to do with ego or dignity.

"You can let go of me now." The voice spoke again and while it was deadpanned and irate in tone, Ray could not seem comprehend the looming threat underlining it.

No, once he got a grasp on the hormones and looked up at the mysterious, annoyed figure, Ray wasn't able to hold a single thought in his mind. She was an angel. Simple and clichéd in the best way possible.

Blonde trusses tightly held in a high ponytail, typical red and white cheerleading uniform and a face that transported you to a time of classic Hollywood, where Grace Kelly herself would be jealous of this girl's visage. A Greek goddess, a princess from fairy tales… was she even human?

And those eyes. Those deep, turbulent eyes that Ray wasn't certain he could have noticed before his… troubling years. The hazel storms hidden beneath showed everything that this girl could be hiding, a world of hurt, of fear… something that Ray was quite familiar with. After all he faced that storm in the mirror everyday. His inherent sixth-sense was telling him that there was a lot more depth than the hardened scowl that almost marred her beauteous visage.

And beyond the seemingly inhuman aesthetics this girl was graced with, those eyes made her ten times more blinding than his… dare he even think it?

Even when she looked like she could tear him apart, this stranger was more blinding than his talent.

For her own part, Quinn was deeply disturbed by both this boy's nerve and intense stare. It wasn't everyday that a hormonally charged teenage boy looked into a girl's eyes as intently as he would her breasts or her ass. It was a pleasant change, Quinn supposed but more unnerving still was the way in which this boy's eyes seemed to see past Quinn's wall and to Lu-

"Hey, freak! I said hands OFF!" She pushed him away. She had no choice. There was no more Lucy. There couldn't be.

"I-I'm so sorry. It's just I- this is my first day here at McKinley and-"

"And you thought it was a good day to get fresh with the Head Cheerleader, Freshman Freak?" She accused incredulously. Ugh this perv was almost as bad as Jewfro. At least he doesn't look as creepy. Kind of cute actually, in a little creature kind of way.

'Gosh she's pretty…' was the only thought running in Ray's mind. Shaking his head in an effort to clear it while also trying to maintain eye contact with the cheerleader angel in front of him was a difficult task but he managed to succeed and regained more function in his brain.

He extended his hand in order to properly introduce himself and relieve some of the awkward tension, "Um-no it's never a good day for sexual harassment, which I assure you wasn't my intent. I mean it was an accident. It's not everyday that I run into someone as resplendent as yourself and I was simply caught off guard-"

An involuntary and small laugh erupted from Quinn at the boy's rambling, making his face descend into deeper levels of red. She abruptly halted her giggling once his face set into that familiar adoring look. It was good to see that, as unnerving as his soul-searing stares were, she still had an affect on him. What wasn't so comfortable was the unfamiliar butterflies that crept into her stomach at the compliment she received. 'Resplendent' was definitely not something that Finn called her. He never really got past 'you look hot' before having to chant 'MAILMAN.'

He coughed, hand still held out in front of him, "Um-I'm Ray. Ray Redford Berry and I'm not a Freshman. I'm a transfer student. I'm starting my sophomore year here."

An awkward silence filled the air, making both uncomfortable. Quinn sighed once she realized the boy wasn't taking the hint and looked around to find the hallway relatively empty. She grasping his hand reluctantly, she gave her own introduction, "Quinn, Quinn Fabray."

There, short and simple. Now kindly let go of this Head Cheerio's han-

Quinn let out a small squeak of surprise as Ray turned their joined hands over and applied a light kiss on her the back of her hand. Ray could have been happily delusional but he swore he heard another light giggle emanate from the girl's lips. He held onto that sound as if it was as precious as Idina's last "Defying Gravity" on Broadway.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Quinn. I hope I at least have one class with a familiar face."

Their moment was interrupted by the booming footsteps of a large tree of a boy approaching the lovely vision in front of Ray. Bernadette, Patti and Barbara… did this guy fail high school so much that he was still here in his thirties?

"Quinn!"

With the puppy dog tone and the way his smile turned up in the boyish charm that most All-American jocks pulled off, Ray quickly decided that he did not like the intruder. Especially since Quinn snapped out of their moment as if she were electrocuted and stepped away from him with a plastered scowl. Spell broken.

The walls rose up again and Quinn let the larger boy give her a chaste kiss on the lips in greeting as was expected with the Quarterback and Head Cheerleader coupling. A quick glance over to Ray unintentionally made her push her boyfriend lightly before he could deepen the kiss. It wasn't like she felt bad for him, she tried to convince herself, it was just that Finn was too slobbery and she wasn't quite that into that at the moment.

"Hey, Quinn, who's the kid?" the giant asked as he slinked his clumsy arms around his girlfriend. The child-likened moniker and possessiveness belied the cheery tone but Ray figured that conflict with a thirty-foot tall human-pole wasn't the most practical thing to do so early in the semester. He also noticed Quinn's slight grimace at the obvious territorial claim in her boyfriend's voice. She wasn't so happy with it either.

"He's no one just-"

The boy stood to his full, yet still short, height to introduce himself to the hulking brute, "Ray Redford Berry, I'm McKinley's newest transfer student and I was just asking Quinn if she could direct me towards the location of the choir room. I wanted to inquire as to when auditions would be held for glee club."

Two sets of eyes narrowed, Quinn's looking at the meticulously set scarf around Ray's shoulders. She sighed internally; of course the rare, complimentary gentleman would be gay. Not that she was disappointed. He was shorter than her for God's sake. There's no way that that would work out aesthetically… no matter how adorable he was.

"Dude, you shouldn't go near that place. Ryerson turned that place into, like, gay central. If you don't get molested, you'll get the rumours."

Ray kept his mouth shut, but barely. He grew up with his dads. Dads who happened to be gay but that fact shouldn't have defined them completely. To many people, it did and that was why he understood the warning. He hated it, but he understood.

"Although I don't quite like the negative connotation to something you label as 'gay central,' I will take your advice to some consideration. Perhaps I'll venture towards another arts extra-curricular."

He saw that that his audience was less than intrigued in the conversation. Finn actually looked kind of lost. Ray looked at Quinn hopefully, for what he didn't know. "Well, it was really nice meeting you… Both of you! I really should find my way to my next class though. Wouldn't want to be tardy on my first day."

Finn and Quinn watched as Ray walked away.

"You know he's probably gonna get a slushie shower by the end of the day right?" he noted, not really caring to see if the aforementioned boy was within earshot.

Quinn let out a breath of annoyance before looking up at her dim-witted boyfriend. "He's a nobody. JewFro would be a better target for your starter slushie. I swear I caught that freak trying to get his stupid camera up the back of my skirt… Let's just go. And carry my books."

She dragged the lumbering quarterback to her next class, trying not to pay too much attention to Ray, frozen at the end of the hall from her careless dismissal.

There was no such thing as love at first sight to Quinn. At McKinley, there were just people that she could control and people that refused and regretted it. This wasn't a place to show weakness and for a moment Ray made her feel… Made her feel.

She had to put a stop to that.

AN: Hello dear readers. It's been a while but life does tend to get in the way. For TWSBOY and Heavily Broken, the next chapters are half-way finished and I'm still mapping out the rest of the season. I refuse to give up on them though. Gotham City Secret Origins should be updated within the next couple of weeks.

Also in the next few days I will post another fic that has boy!Quinn instead of boy! Rachel. It's up to you to decide which you like better.

P.S. I noticed the review system is a lot more noticeable... seeing as it's right under this note. If you don't mind please let me know what you think of this :)