Here we go, chapter two. If you're a Mercedes fan, you'll probably hate it.
I don't own anything you recognise, once again
Rachel headed into Glee Club arm in arm with Puck. He took a seat and watched as Rachel ran to the corner to pull on a pair of tights under her skirt, and sat on the floor and began to stretch. Jet came in soon after and joined her.
"Babe, do you think you could push my leg?" Rachel asked. She was lying on the floor, one leg stretched up and over her head.
"What do you mean?" He asked. She looked over at him.
"The aim is to get my knee next to my ear." She said. He came over and put his foot on her ankle dubiously.
"You won't hurt me. I'll tell you when to stop." Rachel assured him. He nodded and began to push her calf gently.
"Keep your knee straight." Brittany called out as she walked into the room with Santana. Rachel nodded.
"Ok, stop." She said. She breathed deeply.
"When I breathe out, push it again." She instructed. On her exhale; one gentle push got her kneecap to brush her earlobe. Puck let go and she switched legs.
"Again?" she asked. He nodded.
"That is seriously freaky looking." Artie commented as he rolled in.
"And that's why dance is a sport and an art form. We can't cry when it hurts." Jet said primly, as she rolled into a backbend and let her auburn hair touch the ground. Quinn headed in soon after and joined the stretching, and few by few, the Glee club all arrived for rehearsal. Mr. Schue headed in last. The club knew the drill; they all headed over to the piano to do vocal warm ups.
"Ok guys, first I'd like to see the work the girls did to Candyman over the weekend." Mr. Schue directed. The girls nodded, and stood up to perform.
"Wow, it's really shaping up girls." Mr Schue said after the round of applause that followed their performance.
"We'd also like to work in some swing dancing with the rest of the group, if we could." Quinn told Mr. Schue.
"I like the sound of that." Mr. Schue responded.
"Also, I spoke to my mom on Sunday, she said that she'd be happy to whip us up some cute, but still school appropriate costumes, so I'll need to grab your measurements girls." Rachel said.
"Well, let her know that we can reimburse her for the costs of the materials." Mr. Schue assured Rachel.
"I hope you're using Shelby to spy on Vocal Adrenaline." Mercedes said matter-of-factly.
"Excuse me?" Rachel asked, aghast.
"You heard me. You've got the best connections to worm in and spy on them. They won't even see it coming." Mercedes said, her eyes sparkling.
"Allow me to clarify; you're suggesting I manipulate and jeopardise my relationship I have with my mother in order to win a singing competition?" Rachel questioned, her words icy.
"Its not like she's actually your mom. She's just some woman you met by accident." Mercedes quipped. Rachel was actually stunned into silence for a few minutes.
"Can you hear yourself?" She wondered.
"First of all, Mercedes, I'm not like you. I'm not going to use and abuse the people I care about to get ahead. Nor will I make them feel miserable to make myself feel good." Rachel's eyes flashed over to Quinn.
"You have absolutely no right whatsoever to judge my relationship with my mother, and quite frankly, I can't see how it has any impact on you at all." Rachel continued fiercely.
"Oh please, Rachel. Why would she actually care about you? You're an annoying little bitch who is going to end up moping to her junior high music class about how she could have been the next Barbara. She has a daughter; her name is Beth. She's just using you to get the insider info on us, and because you're so desperate for attention, you're falling for the act yet again, just like you did with Jesse St James." Mercedes fired back. Rachel stiffened. She moved to pick up her bag.
"If anyone is at all interested, Shelby took a year's sabbatical from teaching. When she returns to Carmel High, she'll no longer be coach of Vocal Adrenaline." Rachel said in a soft, deliberate tone.
"I'm sorry Mr. Schuester, you're going to have to excuse me." Rachel said thickly, before rushing out of the room. There was an eerie silence in the room. Tina and Quinn slowly stood up; ready to stop Jet attacking Mercedes if necessary.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, you stupid bitch!" Jet growled. Puck stormed out. His footsteps could be heard down the corridor as he ran back into the room.
"Her car's already gone." He announced, his voice tight with tension.
"I swear to Moses Jones, she ends up in a car wreak because you're a bitter fucking hag, I will make your life a living hell." Puck said menacingly.
"Rehearsals are cancelled for the rest of the day. Mercedes, my office, now." Mr Schue ordered.
"I'll go get Shelby." Quinn said.
"Jet and I are heading straight to Rachel's." Puck added. Jet nodded tersely.
"Matt and I will check the music store and her dance studio." Mike said.
"I'll give you a ride home, T." Kurt said shakily.
"I'll see if she's called Jesse. Maybe he knows if there's somewhere she would have gone." Tina suggested.
"What about us?" Santana asked.
"Oh come on! I'm a bitch, but even I know you don't go bringing family into it." Santana snapped.
"Ok then. You, Britt and Finn are on town locations. Just drive around the major parts of town and see if you can find her. If anyone thinks of anywhere else she could be, you call these guys." Jet instructed.
"Keep me posted guys, my dad's waiting. Sorry I can't be more help!" Artie said.
The group nodded and quickly moved their separate ways.
"I'm going to kill the fucking bitch." Jet hissed. Puck shifted into fifth gear abruptly and sped up.
"You and me both." He said brusquely. He turned onto Rachel's street, and parked quickly in her driveway. Jet was out of the car before it had stopped properly, and was pulling the spare key out from underneath the flowerpot next to the front door.
"You take upstairs." Jet ordered. Puck bolted up the stairs and quickly checked each room.
"She's not down here, but her car is in the garage." Jet called out. Puck was about to reply that Rachel wasn't upstairs either, but then he noticed the door of her walk in closet slightly ajar. He slowly opened it to investigate.
Rachel was curled up in a ball on the floor, silent tears flooding down her cheeks.
"I found her." Puck called out softly toward the hallway. He went down on his haunches near the closet door.
"Are you going to come out?" He asked. Rachel shook her head and hiccupped.
"Ok then." Puck said, before removing his shoes and crawling into Rachel's closet. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her shaking frame. He was no good with crying girls (mostly because he was usually the one causing the tears in the first place), but he sucked it up and did his best.
He mumbled comfort to her, and after singing a few phrases of Sweet Caroline to her, managed to coax her out of the closet and onto her bed. He looked up when there was a soft knock on the door.
"Quinn told me everything." Shelby said quietly.
"Mommy?" Rachel whispered croakily.
"I'm right here baby." Shelby answered. Puck started to move off Rachel's bed, but she kept his hand in a death grip.
"Stay." She mouthed. He nodded, and rolled her Swiss ball over to sit on. Shelby took advantage of the sweats she was wearing to crawl onto Rachel's bed and pull her into an embrace from behind. Tears continued to leak silently down Rachel's cheeks and leave salty trails in their wake.
"Why do you want me?" Rachel eventually asked hoarsely. She had twisted so she could see Shelby's face, but grasped Puck's hand tightly.
"Baby, why wouldn't I want you?" Shelby asked.
"You're my crowning glory. My masterpiece. I'm the only person on this earth who can claim with absolute certainty that I made you from scratch. You're so wonderful, Rachel, and I want you because you mean the world to me." Shelby told her daughter gently; in a tone that clearly brooked no argument.
"You're awesome, Rach. I can't believe you let me near you after everything I've done to you." Puck added. He pressed a kiss to the hand that was slowly cutting off his circulation.
"You're still that song I can't get out of my head." He said with a wink. A smile slowly crept onto Rachel's face.
"Ok baby girl. You need to have a hot bath, and I'll see if I can't rustle up some takeout for dinner." Shelby said.
"Your dads are out of town, aren't they?" She asked.
"Yeah. Daddy's in London, at a big Shakespeare conference, and dad had to go to New York for a court case. I'm home along until Thursday next week." Rachel answered.
"Ok then. I'm going to go run you a bath honey." Shelby said. She pressed a kiss to Rachel's forehead and walked to Rachel's bathroom.
"Mercedes in an ass." Puck whispered to Rachel. Rachel rolled over and kissed him.
"Thank you." She whispered. He kissed her again.
"Not a problem. Anything for you, gorgeous." He replied. He climbed back onto the bed and continued to place soft kisses on Rachel's face and play with her hair.
"Your bath's ready." Shelby announced. Rachel rolled off the bed.
"Thank you for coming Shelby." Rachel said.
"No problem." Shelby replied, her hand automatically coming up to rest against Rachel's cheek. Rachel quietly headed into her bathroom.
"I don't want her to be alone tonight." Shelby told Puck.
"I'm sure Jet would be more than happy to stay here." Puck replied.
"Good." Shelby replied. Her ears pricked up when she heard Beth's cries. She headed downstairs to see Jet picking her up.
"Its not her diaper. I just checked." Jet informed Shelby. Shelby took a look at the clock on the Berry's kitchen wall.
"Nope, definitely not her diaper. She needs a feed." Shelby announced. She took Beth off Jet, and moved to the kettle, where she made quick work of preparing a bottle. She sat down at the kitchen table and began to feed the baby.
"What smells good?" Shelby asked.
"I'm Italian. From the age of four I've been taught to stuff my emotions with food. I'm making spaghetti a la Bridget." Jet announced.
"It tastes really good." Quinn added, before hitting send on a text.
"Just letting everyone know that Rachel's fine." She explained. Shelby grabbed a burping cloth from the baby bag, and settled Beth on her shoulder, and began to gently rub her back.
"I'm really glad you guys came through for her today." Shelby said.
"We're a team." Quinn said simply. The doorbell rang. Jet came back to the kitchen, trailed by Santana, Brittany and Finn.
"I panicked and made churros." Santana explained.
"They're the best for when life sucks." Brittany added.
"Doesn't that go against your scary Cheerio diet?" Jet asked.
"I anonymously reported Sue to Child Services. If she wants to keep her job, she has to let her cheerleaders eat normally." Quinn supplied.
"All I have to do is melt chocolate before we eat them." Santana explained.
"Awesome. Well, I'm making pasta for dinner now." Jet said.
"Suppressing your emotions with food?" Santana asked.
"Not just an Italian thing?" Jet pondered. Santana shook her head.
"No way." She replied, before putting the tray of food down. Tina walked into the house unannounced.
"Jesse's freaking livid." She said.
"I had to convince him it wasn't necessary to jump on a plane home." She added.
"He always was a drama queen." Shelby commented, before strapping Beth into her baby seat. Quinn looked at her phone.
"Matt and Mike want to know how Rachel's doing." Quinn said.
"Tell them to stop and buy diet coke and they can find out. I only know how to cook in massive quantities." Jet said.
"Oh my gosh, I'm exactly the same." Santana said.
"It's a European thing." Jet declared. Santana nodded.
"Do you need any help in the kitchen?" Finn asked. Jet pondered.
"No, I think I'm good for the moment. I'll just have to run to my house to go get our pasta machine though. If you come, my mom will probably be less of a psycho though." Jet said. She grabbed Finn and dragged him out of the house. Quinn's phone buzzed again.
"Matt and Mike are on their way." She announced. Puck's phone went off. He walked out of the room to answer. A few minutes later, he walked back in.
"That was my mom." He explained. A nod of understanding went around the room.
"Wow. Now I get why you like, never go home." Finn commented.
"Yeah, my mom's legit in need of medication. Ever since I decided I'd rather act than be a beauty queen I've been dead to her." Jet replied.
"Beauty queen huh? I really can't see you standing on stage telling a bunch of washed up judges that you just want world peace." Shelby joked.
"Oh, my last pageant was so much fun. I told the judges all I wanted in life was to never have to stand on stage near naked underneath their misogynistic scrutiny again. For the talent portion I did a piece from the Vagina Monologues." Jet said.
"Which one?" Shelby asked.
"I reclaimed the c-word. My mom nearly had a fit." Jet said cheerfully, attaching the pasta machine to the bench and beginning to thread the dough through it. There was a knock at the door. Tina went and answered and returned with Matt and Mike.
"Hey guys." Matt said. Mike went to the refrigerator and loaded it with soda.
"Jesse, I'm fine! I promise. Seriously, stop panicking. I know you have a performance in two days, now go rehearse. I'll call you tomorrow. Jesse Timothy St James! If you don't stop obsessing I will put the CDs you leant me through the garbage disposal. Yes, dad, I love you too! Goodbye." Rachel could be heard saying from down the hallway.
She was closing her phone when she walked into the kitchen. Her hair was around her face in natural waves, and she was clad in a press studded black men's shirt, with a pair of short cotton work out shorts and a pair of Uggs.
"Hi, everyone?" She said questioningly.
"We wanted to make sure you were ok." Mike said.
"I cooked." Jet said.
"I've got deep fried dough and chocolate." Santana added.
"Are you wearing the rehearsal shirt?" Tina asked. Rachel nodded. She observed the blank faces in the room.
"I stole this shirt from Jesse. The buttons on it are the same as the ones as on my costume for Spring, so I had to wear this almost every day of rehearsals." She explained.
"Right." Finn said.
"It's a feel good outfit." Rachel elaborated. Jet threw a piece of spaghetti against the wall. She picked up the pot and drained it.
"Well, this is ready. No way are we all going to fit around Rachel's teeny tiny table, so what's the plan Berrycakes?" Jet asked as she began to serve the food.
"Well, our entertainment room has wooden floors, so if there's spills its no big deal." Rachel suggested.
"Ok, grab your plates. Entertainment room is down the hall, third door on the left." Jet directed. There was another knock at the door.
"I'll get it. Its probably Mormons trying to convert me again." Rachel said. She opened the door and froze.
Kurt and Artie were on her doorstep.
"I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here?" Rachel asked.
"Tina's been keeping me posted on what's been happening." Artie explained. Rachel looked at Kurt expectantly.
"Shouldn't you be doing a victory dance or something?" She asked him.
"Mercedes went too far." Kurt said quietly.
"Sometimes when you critique, it can be harsh, and sometimes it hurts." Kurt started.
"But you critique people's performances, and you don't do it just to be a bitch. You do it because you happen to be good at what you do, and you want to share what you've learnt. What Mercedes did was just nasty. I'm not that person." Kurt said.
"Do you guys want to come in?" Rachel asked, moving out of the doorway. She led them to the kitchen where Jet was still doling out food.
"Do you have enough for two more?" She asked. Jet raised her eyebrows.
"I guess." She said.
"Relax Jet." Rachel whispered as she took a bowl.
"If he starts, I won't be responsible for the damage." Jet replied under her breath. They walked into the entertainment room.
"Rachel, this piano is a thing of beauty." Shelby announced. Rachel took a seat on the floor near the coffee table.
"That's why we call it the entertainment room." Rachel replied.
"Do you play?" Quinn asked. Rachel shook her head.
"Very badly. My daddy's a beautiful pianist." She replied. She took a mouthful of pasta.
"Jet, you're an insanely good cook." Puck announced.
"I'm nothing on my nonna." Jet replied modestly.
"Don't tell me that. I'd probably die if I ate food more awesome than this." Finn said.
Dinner plates had been cleared, and everyone had insisted on having a break before moving onto dessert. Shelby eyed the piano longingly.
"Do you guys mind?" Shelby asked. Everyone shook his or her head. Rachel accepted Beth from her mom, and Shelby took a seat and began to play a tune.
"Will you sing for us?" Rachel asked.
"My mom's amazing." Rachel bragged. Shelby looked over at her daughters.
"I won't sing along. Sing with me baby." Shelby replied.
"Are you sure?" Rachel asked.
"Its kind of a dream of mine." Shelby replied. Rachel nodded. Shelby began to play the opening chords of a song. She smiled and began to sing
Come stop your crying
It will be alright
Just take my hand
Hold it tight
I will protect you from, all around you
I will be here don't you cry
For one so small
You seem so strong, now
My arms will hold you
Keep you safe and warm, This
bond between us
Can't be broken
So I'm gonna be here don't you cry
Cuz
Rachel broke into a wide smile and began to harmonise gently with her mom
You'll be in my heart,
You'll be in my heart,
From this day on,
Now and forever more,
Shelby looked over at Rachel. Rachel nodded and took over
Why can't they understand the way we feel,
They just don't trust what they can't explain,
I know we're different,
But deep inside us,
We're not that different at all,
Rachel kept singing the melody, Shelby's more mature voice coming over her daughter's
(You'll) You'll be in my heart,
See you'll be in my heart,
(From this day) From this day on,
(Ohh) Now and forever more (FOREVER MORE)
From this day on forever more, YOU'LL BE
You'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be, you'll be right here in my heart (Always)
Always
"And that was our impromptu jam session." Shelby announced.
"Wow." Jet breathed.
"No wonder Jesse is so good." She added. Shelby raised an eyebrow.
"He had your training. He has no excuse to not be amazing." Jet explained.
"All we have is Mr. Schue, who is more than a little obsessed with white boy rap." Rachel said.
"Whoa. Schuester raps?" Jet asked.
"I don't believe it."
"You can ask him to. He will." Quinn said. Jet nodded.
"Don't think I won't." Jet replied.
"You sound like a Disney princess." Brittany told Shelby.
"Oh yeah. I'm having a Princess party for my birthday. I haven't got invitations yet, but you guys better be there. In costumes." Brittany told the Glee club.
"Cool. I love me some dressups." Jet said. Santana stood up.
"Ok, I think I've finally worked up the effort to melt the chocolate. I don't want to hear a word about voices or calories." Santana said, before getting up and heading to the kitchen. She brought out a steaming bowl of melted chocolate a few minutes later and a tray of churros.
"So just dip and eat. They're the best part of being Spanish." Santana said. Rachel moved in without hesitation.
"Just what I needed." She sighed.
"They are insanely good." Quinn added.
"In short, thanks for going insane with empty calories for us Santana." Kurt said.
"Uh-uh, we're not talking about the fat content." Santana said through a mouthful.
"Fine." Kurt replied. They spent the rest of the night eating churros and chatting. It was about 10pm when people started citing curfews and had to head off.
Eventually, only Jet, Shelby and Beth remained (Puck had offered to give Tina a ride home, and would come back straight afterwards).
"I think she's fallen asleep on me." Rachel said, nodding toward her little sister, who was resting on her chest. Shelby sat down next to Rachel and slid her arm around her lithe frame. Rachel rested her head on Shelby's shoulder.
"She did. But it's ok. She sleeps like the dead. I'll be able to move her no problems." Shelby replied.
"Stay right there." Jet ordered as she re-entered the room from loading the dishwasher. She started to rummage through her handbag. Eventually, she produced her camera.
"Ok, first, look over here. Shelby, your head on Rachel's…Beautiful!" Jet directed. She showed them the screen.
"I like that." Shelby commented approvingly.
"I'll put it on Rachel's computer, and she can email it to you." Jet told her.
"Cool." Shelby said. She slowly stood up.
"I think I better get home." Shelby said. she picked up the baby bag and Beth's baby seat. Rachel stood up and followed Shelby to her car, careful not to jostle Beth. Shelby clipped the baby into her car seat and turned to Rachel.
"You will call me when you get home from school tomorrow." Shelby ordered Rachel.
"I'm serious. If this Mustang girl even looks at you the wrong way, I will be up at the school unleashing hell." Shelby told Rachel seriously.
"Yes mom," Rachel replied meekly. Shelby pulled Rachel into a bone-breaking embrace.
"I love you baby." Shelby whispered. Rachel nodded against her neck, and felt the kiss that Shelby pressed against her hair. Rachel eventually pulled away, and watched until Shelby's taillights disappeared around the corner. Puck pulled up.
"Hey." Rachel said. She grabbed his hand.
"You ok to stay a little longer?" She asked him. He smirked.
"Baby, I'm dating a good Jewish girl. I can do no wrong." He replied cockily. Rachel pulled him into the house.
"We'll see about that." She replied. Jet made a loud noise of disgust.
"Ok. This is awkward for all parties involved. I'm gonna go take the pasta machine home, and when you stop rubbing up against each other, you give me a call and I'll come right back, k? Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Jet instructed them, before running out of the house. Rachel looked up at Puck.
"That actually gives us a decent amount of leeway." Rachel said innocently, before biting her lip. She let out a tiny squeal as Puck picked her up and carried her up to the put her down with a surprising amount of grace, and sat down on the bed next to her. Rachel ran her hand across the closely cropped hair on Puck's head.
"It feels really nice." She told him. His head rolled back slightly as her neatly manicured nails softly scratched his scalp.
"So does that." He replied huskily. He gently grabbed her wrist, and pulled her closer. He pressed a soft kiss against her lips. His kisses were elegant, and gentlemanly. Rachel was happy to take the lead. She snaked her tongue out and ran it against his lower lip. When she felt the arm that rested against her ribcage pull her closer to him, she knew she was on the right track. She pulled his lower lip into her mouth. Rachel began to adjust positions, and twisted herself so that she sat firmly on Puck's lap, her legs twined around his hips. She pulled away from him.
"I won't get upset if you touch my boobs." She whispered to him, before capturing his lips again. Puck put his hands firmly on Rachel's hip and shoulder blade, and maneuvered them so that they were lying side by side on the bed, all the while kissing her. He began to nip kisses along her jaw line and neck. His hand slid underneath her shirt, and caressed the Pilates toned muscles of her stomach.
He pulled away slightly, and looked at Rachel's slightly swollen lips and mussed hair against her flowered bedspread.
"You're beautiful." He said earnestly. Rachel coloured slightly, and looked away.
"Hey. You're stunning, ok?" He repeated firmly. His hands started to slowly tug at the press studs on the bottom of the shirt.
"But I can't help but think you'd be much more gorgeous in a shirt that isn't another guy's. I'll get you one of mine, ok?" Puck asked. Rachel nodded. He maintained his eye contact with her as he took his time pulling each clip open, pressing open mouthed kisses to her belly as he went, smiling against her still tanned flesh as she let out the occasional giggle. He slid his arm under her frame and helped her sit up, before slipping the loose sleeves of the shirt she was wearing down her arms.
"I knew it. Much more gorgeous." He said triumphantly. Rachel raised her eyebrow at him.
"Come on." She said. He cocked his head and looked at her.
"I lost my shirt, now you have to lose yours." She told him firmly.
"Fine." He replied, pulling his shirt over his head in a fluid motion. She eyed his rugged frame appreciatively.
"I guess that proves that the nipple ring isn't just a rumour." She said. She ran her fingers against his stomach, before kissing him again. It wasn't long before he pulled her back onto his lap, her fingers tracing the broad expanse of his back. She let out a gasp when his palm made contact with her breast. She moaned softly when his mouth made contact with her collarbone.
"I feel like I'm getting the raw deal here." Puck said against her skin.
"Oh yeah? And why is that?" Rachel asked, before pulling his face up for a fierce kiss.
"You said I had to lose my shirt because you lost yours. The way I see it, I don't have anything on but my pants." Puck pointed out. Rachel grinned evilly.
"If you can get my bra off, then I'll happily go as free as nature intended me." Rachel replied, before kissing him again. She felt his hands come up and trace the thin material across her back. She giggled and moved to attack the skin of his neck.
"Having trouble?" She asked him innocently. He let out a teasing growl and gently pushed Rachel back against the pillows. She watched his face as he ran his fingers across the underwire of her bra, coming dangerously close to the tiny clasp between the two cups…
Defying Gravity began to play out of Rachel's phone. Rachel groaned.
"Ignore it." Puck suggested. Rachel looked at the caller ID and answered it with a sigh.
"Hi dad. Yeah, my phone was at the bottom of my bag, it took me a while to get to it. Oh, nothing much. I had a bath, ate spaghetti with Jet and a few people from Glee. Oh really? Oh yeah, well, I've just been getting changed, so I haven't set the alarm yet. I'll do it in the next few minutes. Ok. Yep. Love you too. Bye." Rachel said, and closed the phone.
"As much as I'm enjoying this, you're going to have to go. My dad just checked the security system, and he noticed that I haven't set it yet. If I enable the alarm now, and disable it again to let you out, he'll notice. Sorry baby." Rachel said. Puck grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back on top of him, and pressed a kiss to her lips.
"Just getting my Berry fix." He said before settling her on the bed and standing up to reclaim his shirt. Rachel pulled an old tee shirt from her drawer and pulled it over her head, before pranking Jet's phone. She wrapped her arm around Puck's waist and walked downstairs with him to his car.
"I'll see you tomorrow." She told him. He put his hands on her cheeks and kissed her.
"I'll see you then." He replied. He kept his hands on her face and continued to press chaste kisses to her lips.
"Urgh, would you two get a room!" Jet called out as she crossed the street.
"Ok, I better go." Puck said. He kissed Rachel one last time and got into his car and drove off.
"I don't want to know what you got up to, so don't tell me." Jet informed Rachel. Rachel rolled her eyes.
"I'm a lady. I wouldn't kiss and tell anyway. Come on, the guest room is made up for you." She replied.
It was the day before their big performance. Rachel made a mad dash from her car after school to Glee rehearsals; several costume bags in her hands. She was the last one to slide into the auditorium. She tactfully ignored the dirty look Mercedes gave her, and hung the bags on the hooks.
"Ok, now that everyone's here, today is really just going to be final checks that we've got everything." Mr. Schue said, pulling out a list.
"Ok, opening costumes?" He asked. Everybody agreed that they had it sorted out, and they'd been approved by Mr. Schue.
"Ok, Santana, do you have a dress for Fever?" Mr. Schue asked.
"Not exactly…" Santana started. Rachel moved to the collection of bags she had with her. She pulled out a floor length velvet dress.
"I found this on eBay last year. It was an absolute steal, even if it was too big for me." Rachel explained. She handed the dress to Santana.
"It'll fit you perfectly." Rachel said.
"Wow. Its gorgeous." Santana said, her fingers brushing against the fabric softly.
"Ok, Santana, can I get you to try that on please?" Mr. Schue asked. Santana nodded and ran up to the changerooms. She returned, and the black velvet number fit her frame like a glove.
"Its perfect." Quinn said.
"Keep it San. It was made for you." Rachel told her. Santana squealed and thanked Rachel, before running back upstairs to change out of it. Mr. Schue continued to go through a list of costumes.
"And Rachel, have the Candyman costumes been sorted out?" Mr. Schue asked. Rachel grabbed a few of the costume bags, and handed one to Jet and Quinn.
"Mom finished them last night. If they need any last minute alterations, we need to take them over to her tonight." Rachel explained. The girls ran up to get changed. They linked arms and walked down together.
"Wow." Tina breathed. The costumes were amazing. They were a little navy blue dress with a ruffled bottom, a halterneck with the sailor style miniature scarf over their shoulders, and a red bow at the neckline. Each dress had a brass anchor hanging from the bow, and four brass buttons above the ruffled skirt. The girls all had sailor hats on (their hair would be worn out underneath in curls to demonstrate the difference in hair colours), along with black fishnet stockings with a seam running down the back of their leg, and a garter on their right leg. They all wore camel chorus shoes on their feet.
"Are they ok?" Rachel asked.
"Can we hire your mom to do all the costumes?" Mr. Schue asked.
"I don't think so. I have to keep my competitive edge somehow." Rachel teased.
"Ok, I think those are perfect, now change out of them." Mr. Schue directed.
"You're gonna get panty flashing for sure." Mercedes barked. Rachel shook her head.
"Unlikely. The dresses have what is basically a pair of spanky pants sewn into them. If you see anything, it'll be exactly like what you'd see in a Cheerios routine." Rachel explained. The girls headed upstairs to change out of their costumes.
Mr. Schue had managed to pull the Glee club from their last two periods, and had dedicated that time to rehearsing for the big spectacle. They'd rehearsed for a while after school, before breaking for an early dinner. Jet, Rachel, and Tina had already stripped down to their underwear, and were starting their hair and make up.
"Quinn, you're going to have to sit down here straight away after I finish Rachel's hair. We all need to look the same, and I really hate rushing." Jet said. Quinn nodded.
"Is there a reason you're all parading around half naked?" Mercedes asked.
"We're getting ready for tonight, and I'm not risking getting makeup on one of my costumes. Besides, you swear if you wear layers and try and style your hair with heat." Rachel answered primly, as she rubbed her pomegranate and guava moisturiser on her legs.
"Ooh, good. Everyone's here." Brittany said. She started handing out invitiations.
"These are for my party. I'll be very upset if you don't come." Brittany said.
"You're really having a princess party?" Rachel asked. Brittany nodded.
"I'm going as Cinderella. So don't come as her." Brittany told the group firmly. Jet put down the curling wand and attacked Rachel's head with hairspray. She spun Rachel around and glued on her false eyelashes.
"Quinn. Down to your underwear, and sit down, stat." Jet ordered.
The group were all costumed and on stage, doing vocal warm ups. The group all noticed the change in Mr. Schue's body language when Ms. Pillsbury and a well-built man with dark hair walked through the wings.
"Hey everybody. I just wanted to come back here and wish you luck. I'm sure you'll be fantastic tonight." Ms. Pillsbury said to them. They nodded and thanked her. They watched as the adults started to interact.
"Who's the Uncle Jesse lookalike?" Jet whispered.
"His name is Carl Katzopolis. He's my dentist. Rumour has it they've been seeing each other for quite some time." Rachel whispered back.
"Have mercy." Jet sighed.
"Mr. Schue doesn't look happy. I guess I wouldn't be either, if the person I was into moved on with a piece of arm candy like that." Santana added. Mr. Schue walked back, looking more than a little miffed. Jet thought it wise to intervene.
"Look, we all know I'm new here, and I heard a fascinating little rumour." Jet started. Mr. Schue nodded, and motioned for Jet to continue.
"I've been told that you tend to indulge in a little white boy rap from time to time, but I'm just not sure I believe it." Jet said. Mr. Schue shook his head.
"Well believe it." He said. Jet shrugged.
"I think I have to see it first." She challenged him. Mr. Schue gestured to the band, and shucked his tie and jacket. The group let out a collective 'ooooohhhh'
"You'll know when to help me out guys" Schue told them with a wink.
Yo back up now and give a brother room
the fuse is lit and I'm about to go
boom the group cried out
mercy mercy mercy me
my life is a cage but on stage I'm free
hyped up syched up ready for wil'in'
standing in a crowd of girls like an island
I see the one I wanna sic come here cutie
I flip 'em around and then I work that booty
work the body work work the body
slow down girl you're 'bout to hurt somebody
oh and yo let's get just one thing clear
there's only one reason why I came here
ya really done want me to tig-a-tig-a-tig-a tell ya wassup (go)
ya really done want me to tig-a-tig-a-tig-a tell ya wassup (go)
ya really done want me to tig-a-tig-a-tig-a tell ya wassup (go)
I came here tonight to hear the crowd go
The group got up and danced along with Mr. Schue
Boom! shake-shake-shake the room
Boom! shake-shake-shake the room
Boom! shake-shake-shake the room
tic-tic-tic-tic Boom!
Mr. Schue jumped up on a speaker and raised his shoulders in time with the beat
well yo are yall ready for me yet
(pump it up prince)
well yo are yall ready for me yet
(pump it up prince)
well yo are yall ready for me yet
(pump it up prince)
well here I go here I go here I here I go
yo
Mr. Schue jumped down from the speaker
dance in the aisles when the prince steps to it
the rhyme is a football yall and I went and threw it
out in the crowd and yo it was a good throw
how do I know? because the crowd went hoooo
in response to the way that I was kicking it
smooth and individual
rhymes always original
like the Dr. Jekyl man and this is my Hyde side
I am the driver and you're on a rap ride
Mr. Schue stood amongst the guys, who were currently comparing b-boy moves
so fellas (yeah)
are yall wit me (yeah)
I said fellas (yeah)
are yall wit me (yeah)
why don't you tell the girls what yall wanna do
ya wanna ooh-ahh-ahh-ahh-ahh-ooooh
that's right yo and I'm in the flow
so pump up the volume along with the tempo
I want everybody in the house to know
I came here tonight to hear the crowd go
Boom! shake-shake-shake the room
Boom! shake-shake-shake the room
Boom! shake-shake-shake the room
tic-tic-tic-tic Boom!
Mr. Schue gestured to Jet, who was more than happy to take on the next part of the song.
pump it pump it come on now
pump it pump it come on now
pump it pump it come on now
pump it pump it come on now
pump it pump it come on now
yeah, come on now
Boom! shake-shake-shake the room
Boom! shake-shake-shake the room
Boom! shake-shake-shake the room
tic-tic-tic-tic Boom!
"Do you believe me now?" Mr. Schue asked.
"Absolutely." Jet replied, before reaching out to high five him.
"Well, that's good, because I need you to all move backstage and stay quiet. We're going to start letting people in." Mr. Schue said. The group immediately moved backstage and added the final touches to their costumes. They stood in the wings, waiting quietly for Mr. Schue to stop his opening address. Under a blackout, they quietly moved onstage. Artie sat at centre stage, and was slowly lit up by a spotlight. He smiled charmingly, adjusted the lapels of his ringleader costume, and began to sing,
Spectacular, Spectacular
No words in the vernacular
Can't describe this great event
You'll be dumb with wonderment
Returns are fixed at ten percent
You must agree, that's excellent
And on top of your fee
The lights slowly began to come up on the rest of the group
You'll be involved artistically...
the group moved into a clump around Artie
So exciting
The audience will stomp and cheer
So delighting
It will run for fifty years
So exciting
The audience will stomp and cheer
So delighting
It will run for fifty years
the girls began to sing together, checking off an imaginary list
Elephants!
Bohemians!
Indians!
and courtesans!
Acrobats!
and juggling bears!
exotic girls!
fire eaters!
Muscle men, contortionists
Intrigue, danger,
and romance Kurt interjected
The group changed positions as they sang
Electric lights, machinery
Oh, the electricity!
So exciting
The audience will stomp and cheer
So delighting
It will run for fifty years
So exciting
The audience will stomp and cheer
So delighting
It will run for fifty... years...
Spectacular, Spectacular
No words in the vernacular
Can describe this great event
You'll be dumb with wonderment
So exciting
Will make them laugh, will make them cry
So delighting
So exciting
The audience will stomp and cheer
So delighting
It will run for fifty... years...
The group stopped and accepted the cheers. The lights went down again, and the curtain quickly opened for them to run behind.
"Its Brittany Bitch!" Santana called out. The curtains opened to the Glee club positioned as statues as the opening of Circus began to play. It was obvious who they all were. Puck the strong man had lifted Rachel the tightrope up above his head; Jet was dressed all in black holding long strips of black fabric with red and orange sparkly material attached at the end as the fire dancer. Quinn's turban denoted her as the fortuneteller, and Matt's wand and cape made him the magician. Kurt balanced perilously on a unicycle, Mike stood on the edge of the speakers as a trapeze artist. Brittany was contorted into a freaky shape, and Santana held a whip and wore a red blazer. Finn's clown costume was obvious, Tina was miming the box, and Mercedes held two large rubber balls as the juggler.
They all began to move as Brittany took lead vocals
There's only two types of people in the world
The ones that entertain and the ones that observe
Well baby, I'm a put-on-a-show kind of girl
Don't like the backseat, gotta be first
Brittany stood at the front of the clump next to Artie.
I'm a like the ringleader, I call the shots
(Call the shots)
The group pretended to pull guns from invisible holsters
I'm like a firecracker I make it hot
Jet stepped forward and spun in a circle, the coloured fabric glittering under the light
When I put on a show
The girls came forward and lifted Brittany
I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins
Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break
I'm like a performer, the dancefloor is my stage
Better be ready, hope that you feel the same
The group broke into Mike prepared choreography
All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus
When I crack that whip, everybody gon' trip just like a circus
Don't stand there watching me, follow me, show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dancefloor just like a circus
There's only two types of guys out there
Ones that can hang with me and ones that are scared
So baby, I hope that you came prepared
Jet, Rachel, Santana, Tina, Brittany and Quinn all dropped into a split upon the sound of a whip cracking in the next phrase
I run a tight ship so beware
The girls moved to a partner, Jet moving down the line doing perfect pirouettes
I'm a like the ringleader, I call the shots
(Call the shots)
I'm like a firecracker, I make it hot
When I put on a show
The girls broke into choreography in front of the group
I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins
Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break
I'm like a performer, the dancefloor is my stage
Better be ready, hope that you feel the same
All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus
When I crack that whip, everybody gon' trip just like a circus
Don't stand there watching me, follow me, show me what you can do
Everybody let go, we can make a dancefloor just like a circus
The group finished in the same positions they had started in. Jet quickly ran offstage to change her costume, and the night continued as a mixture of solos and group numbers.
Intermission, as usual, was crazy.
"Guys, everything is going brilliantly!" Mr. Schue said as he came into the girls change room, his hand plastered firmly over his eyes.
"Keep it up!" He added.
"You got it dude." Quinn called out, while carefully pinning Jet's sailor cap to her head.
"Ok, we're all ready?" Jet confimed.
"Pictures." She said. Tina snapped several pictures of the girls in costume.
"You guys look fantastic!" Quinn said. Puck, Matt and Mike were all in hired white sailor suits for the number.
"Quick, more photos." They spent the rest of the intermission taking photos.
"I want a copy of this one." Puck said, gesturing to a highly posed shot of Jet's making that was side on, with Rachel leaning over slightly, and Puck going to pinch her butt. Rachel had her mouth open in fake shock.
"Yeah, I can do that for you Puckerman." Jet replied. She stashed the camera in her bag and ran to the wings. The girls quietly stepped onstage and stood on the box that had been placed at centre stage. Rachel felt a thrill of adrenaline as the curtains opened and the lights came up.
Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine
Candyman, candyman
Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine
Each girl turned to face the audience on a word, starting with Jet, then Quinn, and finally Rachel.
Sweet sugar candyman
The girls accepted a hand off each of the boys to get off the box, and then danced forward as the boys ran offstage.
I met him out for dinner on a Friday night
He really got me working up an appetite
They stuck their arms out and ran their hands up and down
He had tattoos up and down his arm
There's nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm
He's a one stop shop, makes my panties drop
He's a sweet talkin' sugar coated candyman
A sweet talkin' sugar coated candyman, ooh, yeah
The girls moved spots on the stage, Quinn and Jet taking turns to vocalise over the medley
He took me to the Spider Club on Hollywood and Vine
We drank champagne and we danced all night
We shook the paparazzi for a big surprise
The gossip tonight will be tomorrow's headline
He's a one stop shop, makes my cherry pop
He's a sweet talkin' sugar coated candyman
A sweet talkin' sugar coated candyman
The boys came back out onstage, and threw the girls into basic but very cool looking swing lifts as the girls scatted along to the music.
He's a one stop shop, makes my cherry pop
He's a sweet talkin' sugar coated candyman
A sweet talkin' sugar coated candyman, ohh yeah
The girls pushed the boys over to a café style table and chairs that had been set up onstage for them, and continued to dance as they sang
Well, by now I'm getting all bothered and hot
When he kissed my mouth it really hit the spot
He had lips like sugarcane
Good things come for boys who wait
They boys started to call out from their seats
Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine
Candyman, candyman
Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine
Candyman, candyman
Sweet sugar candyman
The girls moved to the front of the stage, and started to dance in the style of the Andrews sisters
He's a one stop, gotcha hot, making all the panties drop
Sweet sugar candyman
He's a one stop, got me hot, making my ugh pop
Sweet sugar candyman
He's a one stop, get it while it's hot, baby don't stop
Sweet sugar
He's got those lips like sugarcane
Good things come for boys who wait
He's a one stop shop with a real big ugh
He's a sweet talkin' sugar coated candyman
A sweet talkin' sugar coated candyman
A sweet talkin' sugar coated candyman
A sweet talkin' sugar coated candyman
Rachel stepped forward and proudly took on the huge belting note as Jet and Quinn continued to sing the medley.
Candyman, candyman, candyman, candyman
Candyman, candyman, candyman, candyman
The boys came forward and picked the girls up and sat them on their shoulders.
Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine
Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine
Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine
Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine
The girls were carefully deposited back on the box that they had started on
Jane lost her grip and down she fell
Jane lost her grip and down she fell
Squared herself away as she let out a yell
Squared herself away and let out a yell
On the final beat of the song, the girls put their right hand on their hip and flicked their hair to look back at the audience. The reaction from the audience was huge. Instead of taking a bow, the girls saluted to the audience and ran backstage. They only had two numbers to get into Gaga costumes for Bad Romance.
The final number of the night had the group run onstage in different costumes and reprise Spectacular, Spectacular.
After three curtain calls the audience finally started to clear out of the auditorium. Mr. Schue came backstage.
"I think it's safe to say you rocked it."He told them.
The response to chapter one was just awesome! Please, continue. I love hearing what you think, and I'm so glad you all like Jet.
