This is basically all AU other than the fact that Rachel and Puck both come from Ohio and went to high school together. All other relationships are fabricated by moi! Will follow roughly the plot of 'Much Ado About Nothing', but certain differences have to be made to the Hero/Claudio storyline to make it workable in a modern context.

A NOTE FOR THOSE PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH BRITTANA: I added Santana and Brittany to the character listings after much debating, because, as the Hero/Claudio storyline, they really will play a large part in the fic, however Faberry will probably take up more of my time.

In Five Years Time

In five years time I might not know you
In five years time we might not speak
In five years time we might not get along
In five years time you might just prove me wrongOh there'll be love love love
Wherever you go
There'll be love

Quinn grinned and pulled Rachel behind her as they stumbled into the blonde's apartment.

Rachel giggled and then sighed breathily as the blonde pushed her gently against the door and kissed her plump lips.

Quinn paused to meet her eyes with an impossibly tender look.

Rachel allowed a lazy smirk to tip her moth up and Quinn immediately dipped to catch those lips with hers once more.

'This isn't the last time?'

Quinn kissed the tip of Rachel's nose, making the brunette go cross-eyed as she watched. She chuckled softly. 'Not with you, Rach', she promised.

Satisfied, the girl arched back into the door as Quinn's kisses gained purpose and the cool moon shone softly through the window to tease their glowing skin.

Five Years Later

It was a disgustingly hot summer. Rachel had spent weeks in a stupefied languor by the pool, hating to move even to lift an icy glass of lemonade to her parched lips.

She had been back at her father's house all summer, taking a well-deserved break from Broadway. After all, she'd got what she wanted, at 28 she drew with Barbara as the youngest EGOT winners ever, and she had worked damn hard to get there.

It was in fact at the insistence of her parents, manager and best friends that she had returned home for a break. She had to admit she'd been driving them all crazy with her high stress levels and had even been developing OCD about some of her pre-show superstitions – something she swore would never happen.

She was surprised by how content she was to be back in Ohio for a while. Now that there wasn't the overwhelming need to get out and make something of her life she could appreciate its slow-pace, and easily settled into these sleepy afternoons. She couldn't remember a time in her life when she'd ever done so little for so long.

A shadow fell across her face, and, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the glare, she looked up to see a tall blonde grinning widely down at her, waving a mobile phone with obvious excitement.

'Guess what?'

Rachel sighed and tried to force her brain into gear for one of Brittany's guessing games. Usually she quite enjoyed playing along, but today the amount of energy required seemed extraordinary. She squinted a little, buying herself time and confirming her impression that the girl was indeed bouncing on the balls of her feet. They'd met when Rachel had got a chorus part in 'Sweet Charity' her first summer of college and Brittany had been dancing in the show. The blonde had amazed her by having an even more continuous supply of energy than she herself did, and, as soon as they had clarified that Rachel was not in fact a dwarf, thank you very much, they had got on very well. Sometimes though, even Rachel couldn't keep up.

'Puck called?' she guessed, recalling vaguely that he had said he would.

'Yes! They're coming this afternoon and your dads said…'

Rachel had slumped back into her chair in relief at having guessed correctly first time, but now sat up sharply.

'They're?'

'Yes, he's bringing this girl called Santana who he says is super-sexy and just my type!'

Rachel saw the blonde's expression falter slightly as she opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again.

Rachel pulled her eyes closed and touched her temples, trying not to feel stressed. 'She's coming'.

It wasn't a question and yet still, 'til Brittany nodded there was a sliver of hope.

Rachel did not open her eyes for a moment, and then, lifting her head, forced a smile. 'Well, it'll be nice to see Noah again'.

'Rachel, I-'

'Not now, Brittany'.

The blonde nodded her acquiescence and then settled herself on the sun-lounger next to her friend. 'They're doing very well, you know. Both of them. Puck's getting promoted in the fall and Quinn's a D.C now'.

Rachel laughed. 'Yes, how is Inspector Clueso these days? Filed the victim's name as a murder suspect again?'

'To be fair, Rachel, that was one time!', Tina reminded as she approached.

'One time as her first case in her D.C rank! I could conduct a less shambolic investigation!'

'I imagine you heard the news then?'

Brittany nodded frantically and Tina smirked. 'Oh dear'.

'Oh, don't be so melodramatic. I'm fine. It's her you ought to worry about. She's going to be in the same house as my fathers for the rest of the summer and you know how they feel about her!'

Tina and Brittany looked in each other at alarm. They hadn't thought of that. Tina made a mental note to prepare the men before the blonde arrived, all blasé charm and nonchalant mocking.

'She's not that bad, really. And Puck says she's grown up a lot, what with her new responsibilities and everything. Helping out the new girl, Santana a lot as well', Tina tried.

'Yes, I'm sure. That girl must be her current project. She always seems to have the need to devote her life's work to some young ingénue or other until she gets bored and moves on'.

'If Kurt could hear you now' Tina prodded. 'He would make a sarcastic remark about how very not-bitter that sounded'. Rachel glared fiercely at the Asian girl 'But he's not, and I most certainly won't do that', she amended hastily.

Brittany laughed and leaned up from her lounger to survey the pool speculatively.

'Fancy a swim before they get here?' she asked.

Rachel struggled upright and heaved Tina with her. 'Yes, alright then. I'm so sticky it might be nice to cool off'.

Tina wrinkled her nose 'Eww, I don't want to swim in your sweat!'

Rachel scoffed. 'My pool, my sweat. You don't like it, then you stay out here and bake like a Christmas Turkey'.

The brunette ran and bombed into the pool with a sudden burst of energy, shortly followed by Brittany and Tina, who smiled in relief that Rachel was reacting so well.

The first step of their plan was in place.