I'd like to start by saying that this story was written several months ago and forgotten about. Given recent events I've been struggling over whether or not I should post it to the site. It's more than likely that some of the ideas in this fic will offend readers and if that's the case I'll gladly remove it. I decided to post it because to be honest it's one of my favourites, borne from my joint love of Glee and dance. Please let me know if you're offended by this story. I really hope that people enjoy this because I feel like under other circumstances, people would. This story is in no way a slight to Finn, or Cory. I just never really believed Finchel as a couple.

I own nothing.


Cassandra tapped her dancing stick in time with the music and studied the dancers in front of her very carefully. Technically speaking, many of them were almost perfect. Rachel Berry's lines were incredible yet she always seemed to lack something. It frustrated her to no end to see such talent just wasted.

"Schwimmer!" She growled above the music and the class stilled as one. They'd been in this class for over six months and they had come to expect her harsh words and criticisms of the tiny brunette. She'd bet her beautiful loft in Soho that none of them knew why she was so hard on the girl.

"Yes Miss July?" Rachel asked patiently, her hands fisted behind her back.

"Not good enough. Not nearly good enough. Tell me what you did wrong." Cassie demanded, circling her student.

Rachel bit her lip to keep from uttering the words that matched the fire in her eyes.

That was more like it. Rachel was silent as she considered what she might have done wrong. Cassandra sighed and signalled for her assistant to start the music once more. She tossed her stick aside and began to move through the choreography herself. The class watched as she twisted and threw herself through the air, spinning gracefully to a stop in front of Rachel.

Cassie regarded the girl in front of her as she caught her breath. The class was applauding her performance but she ignored them as Rachel withstood her scrutiny.

"What was different about my performance?" She asked her student.

Rachel raised her chin. "I don't know."

Cassie ground her teeth in frustration and she heard the class gasp in sync. She turned her back on the girl and faced the rest of the class.

"You've all been working on the contemporary duet I've given you. Two pairs at a time. Now! Schwimmer you're last."

She stood back and leaned against the wall as her students performed the dance she'd set them a week before. The piece was easily one of her best and it certainly meant a lot to her. When people heard her name they instantly thought that her Broadway failure was the worst thing that had ever happened to her. Perhaps the only secret ever kept on Broadway was the reason behind her disaster of a career ending show. Her high school sweetheart of seven years had died suddenly the day of her big performance. She'd been numb as she dropped the phone and rushed out to the stage. The feelings of a thousand eyes on her had snapped her out of her shock and she'd had a very public meltdown as the grief wrecked her.

Tears threatened as she watched her dancers perform a piece of her story; the first dance she'd ever been able to base around the moment she'd gotten the call. The couple closest to her had certainly tapped into the emotion of the piece. The girl was openly crying as she clutched after the boy who was floating away from her.

She watched on a loop, numbness overtaking her as her students relived a story they didn't know was her own. She'd simply told them a story of young lovers who were torn apart too soon, a tragedy that she expected them to connect with in some way. They'd been told that their success in this class depended on how well they performed this piece. The music started one last time and Rachel and her partner Alex stepped to the middle of the room alone. They moved together as all the others had. They had clearly worked very hard on the piece together as their movements were effortless. Alex lifted her with great strength and Rachel's body was beautiful as it twisted in the air. Cassie's numbness gave way to a fury that crawled through her veins as she watched the performance.

She'd heard this stupid little girl speak about 'true love' more times than she could count. Cassie had handed her the perfect dance to display her phenomenal talent, a dance so personal that it felt like little knives were stabbing Cassie's heart; and Rachel was fucking it up.

The room was quiet and the dancers had gone still. Cassie bit back a furious retort and took a breath. "Mediocre. You have one week to improve before I decide on your final mark. Schwimmer, stay behind. Class is dismissed."

Cassie turned her back on the group and walked towards the window. Her temper was sizzling beneath her skin and she was feeling out of control. Her students, she was sure would say that they'd seen her lose her temper. What they had seen over the years was a practiced cruelty that was coolly delivered. Rachel Berry was threatening that.

"Miss July?" Her voice was timid as she interrupted Cassie's musings.

Cassie turned around and glanced around the room, ensuring it was empty. They were alone when she finally glared at the girl before her. It was moments like this where she wondered just why the hell she thought that Rachel Berry could be a star.

"Why are you at NYADA Schwimmer?" She asked with no small amount of sarcasm.

"I'm here to learn from the best. To do everything I can to make it to Broadway." Rachel announced.

Cassie bit back a laugh of derision at the well-practiced line.

"You'll never make it to Broadway when you dance like that." Cassie shot back and Rachel winced before raising her chin.

"I can out-sing any one of my classmates. I won the Winter Showcase!" She argued and this time Cassie did laugh.

"I don't care if you can outsing Barbra and Idina themselves. You dance like that in an audition and you'll get laughed off the stage."

Rachel huffed and Cassie bit back a smile. She liked the girl despite herself sometimes.

"I'm a fantastic dancer! How can I get better if you won't tell me what you think I'm doing wrong?"

Cassie felt her good humour vanish. "What I think you're doing wrong?" She growled and Rachel took a step back. "I never said you weren't a good dancer technically. Your lines have improved but you lack the most important facet of performance."

Rachel's face was a mask of confusion and Cassandra finally had her attention.

"Where's the emotion?" She raised a hand as Rachel rushed to defend herself. "I'm not talking about crocodile tears when you sing Berry. I'm not interested in how great you are at singing. I'm a dance instructor."

Rachel nodded, properly chastised.

"You can cry all you want during a dance routine and it won't mean shit. When you move I need to feel what you are dancing about. You know what I feel when you dance Schwimmer? Literally nothing." She snapped.

Rachel's face was thoughtful and Cassie sighed. "I just gave you choreography that you can more than handle. I gave you enough of a back story that you should have been able to emote." She stopped and took a deep breath as sorrow raged and twisted in her belly. "Your body is a tool for storytelling. I want to feel every emotion and cry every tear that inspired the dance you're dancing when I see it. Do you understand Rachel? Do you finally get it?"

Rachel's eyes were wide and Cassie caught her slip up too late. She'd never called the girl by her first name but it seemed to have the desired effect.

"You said the dance was about two lovers who had to part ways too soon. You talked about love, heartbreak, longing and death." Rachel told her.

Cassie sighed and sat on the bench by the window. She wasn't sure why she felt compelled to fix this girl's mistakes. Any other student would have been out of her class. She was an instructor at fucking NYADA for God's sake. If they weren't perfect when they got here she had every right to fail them right off the bat.

"You've been in love Berry? Had a few boyfriends?"

Rachel nodded and smoothed down her dance skirt.

"Dancers draw on their own experience to tell other people's stories through dance. You need to find a way to connect with what this dance is expressing. You need to think about one of these guys and draw on that. Draw on how losing that person would feel." Cassandra found herself almost pleading with the girl.

"I have been doing that!" Rachel snapped, stomping her foot in frustration.

"Who have you been thinking about?" Cassie wondered, ignoring the mini tantrum.

"My ex-boyfriend Finn Hudson." Rachel breathed out dreamily and Cassie rolled her eyes.

"You think of this boy whenever you're dancing in my class?" Cassie clarified.

"Yes! For all of the pieces that concern love and happiness." Rachel explained happily.

Cassie smirked, happy to funny understand the problem. "Rachel, I don't care if you sing about this guy and picture him when you're acting in your theatre classes. I'm also not interested in helping you out with your love life. But from now on, in my class?" Cassie raised an eyebrow to make sure the girl was paying attention. "You need to draw on something stronger. If thinking about losing Finn isn't enough to get you through a dance like this than you need to think about something else, someone else. I don't care who it is."

"But, I love him! He's the love of my life!" Rachel declared sternly.

Cassie laughed. "You're 19 Schwimmer. Maybe you've met your "Soulmate" but I can assure you that this Finn guy is not it."

Rachel's eyes were popping in anger so Cassie decided to cut this conversation short.

"You have one week to figure this out Berry. There's gotta be somebody, a friend, another ex maybe. But there's gotta be somebody that you can't live without. Can you live without Finn Hudson? Yes, obviously."

Rachel turned on her heel and headed to the corner for her things. She reached the door before Cassie called after her. "Figure out who that person is Rachel or you're out. This piece means too much to me to watch you fucking butcher it again. And there are dancers who aren't as good as you who nailed the piece. Earn your spot here or pack your bags."

Rachel nodded primly and stomped out of the studio.


A week later Cassandra July was torn between smiling and crying as Rachel finally connected with the dance and with her partner. She actually believed the love between Rachel and Alex. She felt the anguish and the despondence as Rachel's body crumpled in on itself as Alex lay still on the floor in her arms.

She didn't say a word as the class talked for a few moments before leaving for the afternoon. She watched as Rachel slowly gathered her things, hesitating by the door as if unsure whether to leave or not.

"Who is he?" Cassie asked gently as she carried her own things toward the door.

Rachel glanced at her over her shoulder. "Someone that I can't live without. I just forgot."

Cassandra felt a genuine smile overtaking her face and Rachel smiled back. "Well done Schwimmer."

"Thank you Miss July." Rachel whispered as she left. Cassie had the impression that Rachel was thanking her for much more than her words of acceptance.