Chapter One.
Rachel woke to the quiet buzzing of her alarm. Oh, no, she thought. How late am I this time? She sprang from her bed quickly, switching the alarm off and dashing toward the door. She could already hear the clanging in the kitchen, and she silently cursed herself before creeping the door open and moving herself to the next room.
"Good morning," he said in a frosty tone. She lowered her gaze to the floor and prepared for the worst. She nodded when he began taking long strides toward her, and braced herself for the impact. When there wasn't one, she looked up into his chilly blue eyes and for a moment, said a prayer for her reprieve.
It didn't last long.
With a quick blow, she was on the floor, warm liquid oozing from her lip. She didn't cry out, no, she learned her lesson last time. Her eyes widened when she saw the blood dripping onto the hardwood floors, however, and she swiftly wiped them with her shirtsleeve before he caught a glimpse.
"Get up," he commanded, towering over her, his eyes hard. She took his hand and rose up off the ground, touching his face.
"I'm sorry, I don't know how I-" she pleaded, but he had already turned away from her touch. He shook his head, sliding on his jacket.
"I don't care. Make sure it doesn't happen again. You were lucky today."
She chuckled silently. Lucky, she thought. Not quite the word I'd use. As he slammed the door on his way out, she sat back on the floor, melting into a puddle of tears. She sobbed for countless minutes, holding her torso tightly and praying for rescue.
A knock at the door pulled her from her state. She quickly composed herself, as she'd been trained to do. She fixed her appearance, glancing quickly into the hallway mirror before responding to the caller.
When she opened the door, she came face to face with…a chest. She gazed upward, meeting warm, loving eyes and for a moment, found herself speechless. The slight grin he'd been wearing wore off quickly as he took an inventory of her appearance, including the split, swollen lip she was sporting.
"Are you okay?" he asked in a soft voice, looking over his shoulder and then back at her.
She waited a beat, and then gave him her thousand-watt smile. "Absolutely!" she said cheerily. "What can I help you with?"
He was unsure, but her nonchalant attitude allowed him to brush it aside. He still examined her lip, wondering how such an ugly mark could end up on such a beautiful woman.
She waited for his response, and prodded him when he continued to take inventory of the short girl standing in front of him.
"Uh, yeah," he cleared his throat. "I just moved up the road, in that green house with the white shutters."
She nodded, sticking her hand out. "I'm Rachel Berry-Karofsky."
He took her hand, entranced by her beautiful smile and even more charming eyes. "I'm Finn Hudson."