Author's Note: Birthday gift for my BFF Ash. Happy b-day, baby! May this be the first of many, many one-shots I'll write as your present. One-shot inspired by the awesome, awesome rendition of 'Take Me and Leave Me' by Lea and Amber. No spoiler to any season 2 episode.
And yes, I do know some of the lyrics are not like they sing it, but this is my story and I needed it to fit my plot.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
this diva needs her stage
Rachel stood in the middle of the backup dancers, swaying along with her friends, voice meshing with theirs as she watched Quinn and Sam try to tackle yet another duet while onstage of April Rhodes Theatre. She had considered the idea to volunteer for it – it was 'Come What May' from 'Moulin Rouge' and, despite never making to Broadway, it was a musical after all – but she had allowed Finn, who was as always trying to get her to share even more of her spotlight with the other girls, to convince her not to.
She managed to keep up with the others while in autopilot, brain heavy with the implications of her attitudes. Ever since they started dating, she had been changing slowly, ditching her lacy, vibrantly colored lingerie for the sensible (and boring) white cotton panties and bras that Finn would blushingly hand her.
Her animal sweaters, her borderline indecent short skirts, her diva behavior demanding solos to be given to her… All that made her who she was she had been ditching in order to make Finn more comfortable with being the boyfriend of the gleek queen.
And, if she was honest with herself, all her adaptations were making her dull. If Finn liked her, he had to like her, flaws and all. And, now that she was facing the harsh truths about her boyfriend, she had to admit that he didn't. He didn't like her flaws. He didn't like her eccentricities.
She sighed quietly as Mr. Schue gave them five. Sitting down next to Mercedes, the tiny brunette smiled slightly at her friend, who smiled quickly back, humming to her iPod. Rachel's sensitive hearing recognized the song, and a plan quickly formed in her mind. Hand shooting up in the air, she smiled excitedly to her glee coach. "Mr. Schuester?"
The curly-haired man sighed. "Yes, Rachel?"
"Can I sing something? It's not a suggestion to replace any song we're doing as a group this week… Think of this as an exercise to express my inner feelings. Please?"
She could tell the other man was intrigued. She never presented anything that didn't have a hidden agenda. And this had as well, he only didn't know. "Go ahead, show us what you got". As she rose from her seat, Finn frowned at her and tried to grasp her hand, but she quickly managed to dodge him and stood next to the piano, leaning in to whisper to Brad what she would be performing that afternoon. He smiled at her and nodded before kicking it up.
Eyes glued to her boyfriend – who after that song she would consider her ex – she began singing.
Every single day, I walk down the street
I hear people say, 'Baby so sweet'
Ever since puberty, everybody stares at me
Boys, girls, I can't, can't help it baby
Mercedes and Tina grinned and stood up, coming to stop behind her, offering her backup. Mr. Schue was smiling, obviously pleased with her unexpected choice of song. Her eyes zeroed in Finn, who was once again frowning, but with the look in her face that she came to recognize as the one he wore when he was trying to understand something (sadly, that was one she saw quite frequently).
So be kind and don't lose your mind
Just remember that I'm your baby
Mercedes and Tina joined her for the chorus, and she grinned at Noah, who was strangely holding his phone up, smirking with pride and mirth. She knew he was violently against her being with Finn, frequently telling her that the girl who was Finn's girlfriend was not the Rachel Berry she truly was deep down. She used to scoff at him, pretending his words slid down her back easily. No more, she promised him and herself.
Take me for what I am
Who I was meant to be
And if you give a damn
Take me baby or leave me
Take me baby or leave me
Finn's eyes suddenly widened up in shock and she grinned. That's right, baby. Her mind spat the endearment and she bit down her lip not to giggle midway through the song. Twirling happily and coming to stop directly under the center spotlight, she winked at Artie, who seemed surprised but grinned easily back.
A tiger in a cage can never see the sun
This diva needs her stage – baby, let's have fun!
You are the one I chose
Jesse would kill to be in your shoes!
You love the limelight too, baby?
Everyone gasped at the tiny adaptations she made to the lyrics, inserting the name of her ex-beau in the song. But it was true. Jesse had been the one to embrace her fully, her qualities and her flaws, her eccentricities and quirks. He was the one Mr. Schue had talked to her about a year and a half ago, the one who loved even what she didn't love in herself.
Noah smirked and stood up, leaving the audience with phone pressed against his ear, and she frowned fleetingly before immersing herself fully in her performance. The thrill of it warmed her heart, bringing back with her the real Rachel, the one who had been for so long buried underneath the shell of a girl she had been trying to put forward for the sake of a boy who wasn't worth it.
No way can I be what I am not
But hey, don't you want your girl hot?
Don't fight – don't lose your head
Cause every night, who's in your bed?
Who's in your bed baby?
She stared at Quinn as she sang this part, and reveled in the satisfaction of seeing Finn and her flush with embarrassment and shame. Her heart broke for Sam, who put the pieces together and sat next to his cheating girlfriend looking at the blonde like she had pulled the rug from underneath his feet. Santana, who had told her everything – from her part in taking Finn's virginity to Finn's secret rendezvous with Quinn –, nodded with a proud smirk.
That's it – the straw that breaks my back
I quit – unless you take it back
Women, what's it about them?
Can't live with them or without them!
Noah came back, accompanied by a tall, lean shadow whose head full of curls she'd recognize until the day she died. A brilliant grin curved her lips and she turned to Finn, who shrunk even more in his seat. Mercedes and Tina gasped, but Rachel didn't care, belting out the lyrics with all the star power she had been locking within her. This was her – Rachel Berry, flaws, qualities, loser and Broadway star-to-be – breaking free of the boy that wanted to hold her back.
And straight into the arms of the one who has always seen the inevitability of her future stardom.
Take me for what I am
Who I was meant to be
If you give a damn
Take me baby, or leave me
Walking briskly down the few steps that connected the stage to the audience, she turned her back to where Noah and Jesse stood, grinning when Finn turned around and glared at Jesse (who she knew was smirking, triumph and pride for her in his face).
Guess I'm leaving.
I'm gone!
With that, she took Jesse's hand and bolted out, tugging him behind her. "Kiss pookie!" She called cheekily. Noah and Santana lauhed and high-fived each other, proud of their best friend.