I don't own the song in here. It belongs to ABBA. Nor do I own the characters of Glee, if I did then the entire series would be different.
Rachel Berry looked at all the people congratulating that happy couple. She had her show face on and a smile that could fool even the harsh critic into thinking she was as happy as everyone else in attendance to the wedding. She had been running on auto-pilot since she had gotten the invitation to the wedding.
~~~~~~~~~~FlashbacK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rachel had just entered her small one bedroom apartment in New York after an exhausting day of rehearsal for the show she was in. She thought it was a bit hilarious that she was playing Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia!, a young girl about to marry and ends up inviting the three men who could possibly be her father, and yet that is almost exactly what she had gone through as a teenager searching for her mother.
Slipping off her shoes, she collapsed on her sofa and slowly flipped through her mail. Right when she had reached a cream colored envelope that was addressed to her in calligraphy, her phone began ringing.
"Hello?" She asked as she slowly flipped the envelope over to open it.
"Berry…..Rach….I'm sorry." The voice over the phone said.
"What are you talking abo….."She trailed off before the phone slipped from her hand and the envelope and contents fluttered to the floor.
"Rachel? Rachel! RACHEL! Pick up the phone. Come on, please, pick up the phone." The voice over the phone was shouting from the floor.
All Rachel could do was let out a sob as the tears started to fall as she stared at the wedding invitation.
~~~~~~~~~~~END Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That had been six months ago and ever since then she had felt the life go out of her. Not that anyone around her could tell. To the rest of the world something had sparked in her that brought a whole new level to her singing and performing. Critics raved about her performances, her agent has telling her about all sorts of new offers for roles and even a movie casting director who wanted her to audition for the leading role for a film. And all it took was for her heart to break.
She had sent back the invitation with a positive response and had sat in the back of the chapel during the service doing everything in her will power not to speak up when the priest asked if anyone had any objections. She had hid from her from in Glee not wanting to see the pity on their faces, knowing she had been played for a fool again. The only person who had an inclination that she was there was Noah Puckerman, her saving grace since she had first heard about the wedding.
Noah had flown out to New York and spent the week with her while she cried and yelled and just sat quietly in her apartment. Eating food she normally wouldn't touch and watching sappy love story movies and violent action films. He had just sat there and held her while she cried, talking about how the proposal had come out of the blue and nobody even knew that they had been dating. How she was organizing the entire wedding and when the invitation had gone out and she had let slip to Kurt that Rachel was getting one, Kurt had quickly sent and S.O.S to Puck who had tried to stop Rachel before opening the invitation. It was at the end of her week of mopping that Rachel had told Puck that it had been extremely wonderful of him to show up and help her through this, and that she wasn't going to let the selfish cruelty of one person destroy her. She told him that she was going to send back a positive response, go to the wedding and prove that she hadn't destroyed her. Puck had given her a hug and kissed her on her forehead before telling her that he was proud of her. He left to head back to Ohio with a promise to help her out when the time came for the wedding.
So here she was six month letters, at the wedding that elevated her career but destroyed her heart. She rose from her seat, quickly gathering her things, signaling to Puck that she was leaving. He nodded his head and held up a finger to tell her to wait a moment. When she looked up again after gathering her stuff, she had caught his eye. Freaking out, she hurried out of the reception hall barely remembering to grab her purse.
As she pressed the elevator button, when she heard it.
"RACHEL!"
Sighing, she prayed the elevator would hurry up, turning around slowly, she saw him. Out of breath from rushing but still as good looking as ever, his chest heaving from his lungs attempting to get more air in them.
"What…..? Why….?" He looked confused and a little shocked as to be seeing her there.
Taking a deep breath, looked up at him. "I was invited." Before turning back to look at the elevator praying it would hurry.
"Rachel….let me explain." He said from behind her.
"There is nothing to talk about." She told him. She couldn't help but think of how this situation reminded her of a song.
"Yes there is. I need to tell you. I owe you that."
Turning around to face him, she could feel her eyes welling up.
"I don't wanna talk
About the things we've gone through
Though it's hurting me
Now its history
I've played all my cards
and that's what you've done too
Nothing more to say
No more ace to play"
"Rachel…."
"The winner takes it all
The loser standing small
Beside the victory
That's her destiny"
He looked at her with a look of despair in his eyes.
"I was in your arms
Thinking I belonged there
I figured it made sense
Building me a fence
Building me a home
Thinking I'd be strong there
But I was a fool
Playing by the rules
The gods may throw a dice
Their minds as cold as ice
And someone way down here
Loses someone dear
The winner takes it all
The loser has to fall
It's simple and it's plain
Why should I complain"
Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel saw Puck coming up to them, stopping just shy behind him. Behind Puck, even further back, she could see her standing at the doorway with a smug look in her eye.
"But tell me does she kiss
Like I used to kiss you?
Does it feel the same
When she calls your name?
Somewhere deep inside
You must know I miss you
But what can I say
Rules must be obeyed"
Rachel saw that he looked like he was about to say something that resembled the word 'no' but she couldn't be sure so she just kept singing.
"The judges will decide
The likes of me abide
Spectators of the show
Always staying low
The game is on again
A lover or a friend
A big thing or a small
The winner takes it all"
Hearing the ding of the elevator, Rachel had never been more thankful for that sound in all of her life.
"I don't wanna talk
If it makes you feel sad
And I understand
You've come to shake my hand
I apologize
If it makes you feel bad
Seeing me so tense
No self-confidence
But you see
The winner takes it all
The winner takes it all….."
As she finished, she quickly hurried into the elevator and hit the close button. As the doors of the elevator shut, she could see Puck looking like he was going to come chasing after her, she was still staring at her with a smug look in her eyes and on her face, and he. He was standing there looking a bit shell shocked and a bit sad and there was another emotion she couldn't place but she didn't care.
As the elevator's shut and the elevator began its decent down, Rachel could feel the tears begin to fall from her eyes and the sobs start. But she knew that, that chapter of her life was well and truly over.
Authors Note: I just want ppl to know I AM NOT ABANDONING MY HP/DW STORY. I am actually working on the next few chapters. RL has just be a bit too crazy or hectic. This actually came to mind while I was watching Mamma Mia! And I just had to get it out before I forget. You will also be glad to know that someone in RL really inspired me to get out of the writer's block I was suffering from.
One final note, I never name who He or Her are. I kind of leave that open for the reader. Who knows maybe I'll write another one shot picking up after or before or something. I did want Puck to be Rachel's rock though and that is why he is really the only one of the Gleeks mentioned. Hope you enjoyed it.