A/N:: I've been dying to have New Directions perform this song for a while. Jesse St James allowed me to write it out. I know I should be working on my multi-chapter fictions, but with AP Exams and finals coming up, my brain is being very stubborn. I'm sorry for making you wait!
The song is "El Tango De Roxanne" from Moulin Rouge! I combined the movie version with the soundtrack version, for they are different (I really just added Satine's solo and the Duke's part and took out the Spanish dialogue). I recomend you watch the scene from the movie, because it is AMAZING.
I really hope you like it. Please tell me what you think!
~Destiny
Will Schuster walked into the choir room with a mission. It wasn't everyday when he came into rehearsal without having a song worked out. Clarification: Will had a number, but he had no clue how the Glee kids were going to pull it off. It was all about giving the right person the right part…
He assessed the scene as he stood by the piano. Rachel and Jesse were sitting together even though their relationship was over. Puck was ignoring Quinn, which was nothing new, and… Staring at Rachel? Now that was different. Maybe something happened during the "Run Joey Run" video. Tina, Artie, Kurt, and Mercedes were laughing together, and Mike, Brittany, and Matt were deep in conversation (Brittany looked confused). Finn seemed disgusted as Santana tried to, apparently, seduce him. Within a few seconds, Will's problem was solved.
"All right, guys, I think it's time to change it up a bit." He sat on the piano bench, "Now, we've been doing a lot of mainstream songs with Madonna and our Hello assignment, but I know that we've done extremely well with musicals, and I think we should do another one."
Puck groaned, "Seriously, Mr. Schue? We get slushied when we sing songs by Queen and Journey. You're killing us here!"
"I, for one, think that this is a lovely idea. It will allow us to really get into the music as our own character. I have a few ideas Mr. Schue-" Rachel beamed.
"That's quite all right. I already picked the number. We are doing "El Tango De Roxanne"."
Kurt grinned, "From Moulin Rouge? That movie was genius."
Will laughed, "Yes. Now, this piece has two male leads, something we haven't done before." He stood and started to pass out the sheet music, "Now, to get into the song, you must know what's going on. Christian-"
"A super hot penniless writer." Kurt swooned.
"-is in love with a courtesan, Satine. However, Satine is supposed to sleep with the Duke in order for the Moulin Rouge to produce a play."
Rachel broke in, "Satine loves Christian as well and doesn't want to have anything with the Duke, but she has no choice."
Will rolled his eyes, "Yes, well, it is the night when Satine is supposed to do her job, and the cast of the play, including Christian, is waiting in the club. Christian is a nervous wreck, and his friend sings this song to tell him to pretty much get over it. He uses a cancan dancer as his partner."
"This scene is sexy. I'll be the dancer. I already know how to tango." Santana smirked at Finn.
Will sighed in a silent relief. He had been dreading how to tell Santana that the role of Nini was perfect for her, "Okay, Santana. Puck and Finn have the two main leads, and Rachel and Jesse will play the roles of Satine and the Duke."
"The Argentinean has a rough voice, Mr. Schue. I would think that Artie-"
"Finn will do just as well. Enough talking; take us through it."
Kurt raised a finger, "I suggest we find more appropriate costumes before we do anything. The elegance of Satine and the humbleness of Christian must be emphasized."
Rachel nodded, "We should really just do this on the stage."
"Sing through it a couple of times, and we will." Will sighed, "Just begin. From the top, Finn!"
Rachel was nervous as she slipped into the red gown Kurt has chosen for her. It was similar to Nicole Kidman's one early in the movie, with a few adjustments that would make dancing easier. They were performing for a full house in a warm up display before regionals. It had gone incredibly well so far, but this was the finale: the most important number.
It was also the number that scared her. She had never seen Puck get so into the music, even when he sang "Sweet Caroline". The emotion that was always present in his voice made her think, but she dared not hope. He had let her walk away before sectionals, and now she was recovering from her relationship with Jesse.
"Show time, hot momma!" Mercedes grinned and fixed the skirt of her costume. All of the girls (besides Rachel) were wearing dresses with a black corset and different dark colored skirts. They looked beautiful in the tango.
Rachel smiled and rushed out onto the stage. She nodded at "the duke" as she sat across from him at a table set up stage right.
There was a brief pause, and a spotlight fell on the table as the guitar and violins began to play. Rachel could feel Puck's stare as she obviously flirted with Jesse. At one point she stood, looking at the audience with disgust, and spun into Jesse's lap.
Finn's voice echoed from the dark stage left, "Will drive you… Mad!" The stage was flooded in light to reveal Santana, in black and burgundy, caressing Finn's cheek, "Roxanne!" He grabbed her wrist and spun her around sharply, "You don't have to put on that red light." Santana smirked and turned her back on him. She sauntered over to Matt, and he dipped her, "Walk the streets for money. You don't care if it's wrong or if it is right." She rubbed Matt's chest, staring at Mike. He grinned and pulled her away from Matt. Finn narrowed his eyes, "Roxanne!" He watched them dance as he walked over to stand next to Puck, "You don't have to wear that dress tonight. Roxanne!" Kurt joined Santana and spun her across the stage until she fell into Artie's lap gracefully. Artie caressed her cheek and leaned down as if to kiss her, "You don't have to sell your body to the night!" Santana leapt out of the wheelchair and right into Finn's arms. She looked startled and the scene froze.
Rachel, still in Jesse's lap, slowly stood and swayed her hips as she walked away. Puck watched with jealousy, "His eyes upon your face." Jesse jumped up and grabbed her hand in order to spin her into his chest. "His hand upon your hand," Puck's eyes blazed as Jesse kissed her cheek, "His lips caress your skin. It's more than I can stand!"
Brittany and Mike, Quinn and Matt, and Mercedes and Kurt began to tango; their moves were sharp and seductive, almost professional looking. Finn rushed back Santana's hair, "Roxanne!"
"Why does my heart cry?" Rachel twirled around Jesse, her hand teasingly trailing behind her and caressing his body.
Santana broke away, smirking, and went to Puck to absent mindedly dipped her before spinning her into the midst of dancers. Tina danced around Artie as Finn sang, "Roxanne!"
Jesse caught Rachel and kissed her. Puck took a step towards them, "Feelings I can't fight!" Rachel abruptly broke away, playing it off with a smirk as she sat at the table, "You're free to leave me, but just don't deceive me." Puck now stood a few feet to the left of Rachel as she moved to stand on top of the table, "And, please, believe me when I say I love you!"
Jesse's hands grabbed her waist as Rachel's head snapped to the side to look at Puck. Everything froze. She smiled and reached out to him, "Come what may… I will love you… Till my dying... Day." Her eyes widened as the scene restarted. She jumped off of the table, and Jesse realized she was backing out.
An expression of pure rage shadowed his features. He would no longer be fooled. Jesse grabbed her wrist, and they started a violent dance.
Rachel whimpered and muttered, "Jess, too hard! It hurts!"
The other scene started up once more. Santana wrenched away from Finn and moved to dance in the middle of the four pairs. Her eyes never left Finn's as he belted, "Roxanne!"
"Why does my heart cry?" Puck watched Rachel's dance with narrowed eyes. She winced whenever Jesse grabbed her, whether it be hand, waist, or thigh. Something wasn't right.
"You don't have to put on that red light."
"Feelings I can't fight!" Rachel yelped, causing Puck to start forward. Screw choreography. He's hurting her.
Finn watched Puck, confused, but walked through the dancing couples as he was supposed to , "You don't have to wear that dress tonight. Roxanne!"
The dancers sang together as Puck wrapped an arm around Rachel's waist and spun her away from Jesse, "Why does my heart cry?"
Puck dipped her, making up new choreography as he went, "Are you okay?" It was then that he saw the tears in her eyes.
"You don't have to put on that red light." Finn walked up behind Santana and caught her mid-spin, "Roxanne!" Her traced her arm with his finger tips.
The rest of the dancers dipped the female partner in a slow circle, "Feelings I can't fight!"
Finn made Santana face him, "You don't have to wear that dress tonight." He began to spin her quickly around him, "Roxanne!"
Jesse tore Rachel away from Puck and lifted her into the air as he sang darkly, "Why does my heart cry?"
The dancers began to close in around Finn and Santana, "Why does my heart…"
"Roxanne!"
Jesse snarled, "Feelings I can't fight!"
"Roxanne…" Finn glanced at the other side of the stage to see Puck get behind Jesse, "Roxanne!"
The violins started to crescendo as Puck tapped Jesse on the shoulder. He let go of Rachel and turned. His nose met Puck's fist. As Jesse staggered, Puck quickly wrapped his arms around Rachel's waist, and he brought her into his chest. Dipping her, he pressed his lips against hers.
At the same time, Santana dropped into Finn's arms in a fake faint, and the music ended.
Rachel heard the applause in a daze. She gently broke the kiss and whispered, "Bow, Noah. Show's over." He stood her up with a tight smile, and he threaded his fingers through hers as they joined the rest of the club. She couldn't help but blush and grin as her mind whirled. Finn had been a fling; Jesse was an infatuation who had just hurt her, but Noah… He was the one who sent shivers down her spine and made her feel alive. She had fallen for him when he had scorned her. That was what had scared her away. Maybe he had been hiding as she hid behind Finn and Jesse. Maybe…
The curtain closed, and he let go of her hand. Stunned, she watched him walk over to Quinn and kiss her cheek. Defeated once again by the blonde, she went to the dressing room with tears in her eyes.
She changed out of her dress absentmindedly. She just had to go through the motions until she was composed once more. Quinn's gasp made her jump back into reality, "Rachel, what the hell is all over your body?"
Rachel rushed to the full length mirror in the room. Her reflection was covered in dark marks were bruises were already forming. They were in places where Jesse had touched her. The marks were all over her wrists, arms, legs and sides, even her neck. Tears sprang into her eyes, "Jesse…"
"He did this? Why didn't you- It was during the tango, wasn't it?" Rachel nodded, "What a jerk."
"Why are you being nice to me?" It was barely a whisper.
Quinn blinked, "Ah… Well… Puck asked me to check on you."
Rachel scoffed and walked back to her clothes. She pulled on her skirt, "Why would he do that? He's your boyfriend."
Quinn rolled her eyes, "Our relationship is for show. Think about it. Would Puck really commit to me, when we both want someone else?"
The conversation ended as the rest of the girls walked in. Rachel quickly put on her sweater and fixed her hair so that the bruises wouldn't show. After flashing Quinn and smile, she walked out of the room. Her mind whirled with what the blonde girl had said. Puck asked her to look after me? Why would he do that? She thought of that day in her room when she had approached him with the "Run Joey Run" idea. We almost kissed…
"Hey, Berry, watch out!"
The warning came too late, and she walked right into the badass of McKinley High School. She grabbed his arms to keep herself from falling, "Oh! I'm sorry." She saw who it was and blushed, "Noah."
His smirk was sexier than usual, "Can't get enough of me, Berry?"
"Not at all." She rolled her eyes, "Thanks for getting Quinn to check up on me, though."
Puck's eyes narrowed, "No problem. Are you all right? Did he hurt you?"
She bit her lip, "I have bruises forming everywhere."
"Damn it! I should have noticed-"
"Stop it, Noah. You did all that you could." She smiled slightly, "But why do you care so much?"
He rolled his eyes, "We're a couple of good looking Jews. We look after one another. Of course…" Noah took a deep breath, knowing that his badass ways had scared her away and he was about to do something he hoped he never had to do ever again, "You could always be the courtesan, and I'll be your penniless writer."
Rachel giggled and kissed hi,. After a moment or two, she whispered huskily in his ear, "You are learning how to pay attention to what different women respond to. Yet, I must admit that was still badass, Noah."
"Shut up, Berry. You're ruining the moment." He grinned and kissed her again.
