Respect

Chapter 9

I OWN Nothing!


Sue looked up at the house she found herself outside of. Something didn't look right, but she couldn't place it. She'd been informed that the Berry men were out of town on business, but that knowledge felt off to her. Yet something else to figure out about the enigma one Rachel Berry was proving to be.

"Hey Coach," Santana opened the door, "we're all gathered in the backyard." Her eyes were gleaming.

Sue nodded, following her head Cheerio through a hallway and a kitchen/dining room where backpacks were stacked on the table out through a sliding glass door. She stopped, taking in the backyard through the windows of the enclosed back porch. She could hold Cheerios practice here, she realized, including adding in water training by the size of the pool.

Looking around, Sue spotted the girls gathered around an extended picnic table. One end of the table was covered in a variety of healthy snacks. Literally, Sue didn't think she'd ever seen a wider variety of fruits and vegetables outside of a super market. There wasn't a single thing there that she could fault the girls for eating, aside from the mess Quinn was consuming but Sue wasn't going to take on a pregnant woman, even one who was sixteen.

"Berry, where did you get the football field?" Sue demanded to know.

"My family has always been very well off," Rachel explained. "When my fathers' decided to move to Lima, they bought this house and the land surrounding it that had yet to be developed. We have an acre and a half, not including where the house and pool sit."

Sue stared at her. "You're the Ricco heir?"

If this was the land she thought it was, then it was no wonder she'd been told that there'd been no way she'd be able to beat the offer of the competitive buyer. Sue had wanted the land to start her own cheer-camp, first for her Cheerios and Cheerios-in-training then moving it to the national level.

Rachel blushed, but answered. "On my father Leroy's side of the family, yes, and, if you must know, I'm the Tajiri heir on my father Hiram's side."

Everyone was staring at her. Heir? Rachel Berry was the heir of something?

"What the hell are you still doing in Lima if you're loaded?" Santana asked, stunned.

Rachel sighed. "Because not very many people know my family lineage. My fathers' made their own money in their professions and I plan on doing the same. Family money comes in handy only because it allows me to concentrate on my dreams without having to worry about being able to afford day-to-day items. I refuse to buy my way to popularity and fame. I will get those because I earned it, not because of my bank account."

Sue nodded in agreement. It was an admirable plan, one she would endorse full heartedly. After all, she'd had to work for everything she had and everything she was able to provide for her sister. It was why she made her Cheerios work so hard and one reason why she hated William Schuester so much.

"Alright, let's get this plan of yours over with so I can revel in Schuester's defeat and humiliation." Sue brought them to order, taking the offered protein shake Rachel had for her.

"Alright, here are our final set list selections and parts." Rachel handed over the papers. "Brittany has already begun working on the choreography, Becky has agreed to run messenger between us and the band." No one messed with Becky because they didn't want to run the risk of pissing off Sue. "She has also agreed to spy on the boys for us when possible." Rachel beamed at the girl sitting between Brittany and Santana. "Mercedes and Tina are working on costumes, Quinn and Santana are going to be running interference with you."


"We need to find Rachel her own Santana," Brittany told the girl lying beside her later that night.

"We have to what?" Santana turned to look at her blonde friend. "Why would we do that?"

"Because she needs somebody to protect her," Brittany replied, "like you protect me. She's so sad all the time S, I don't like it when R's sad."

Santana really didn't know how to reply. She knew, deep down, that she loved the girl beside her and would do absolutely anything for her. She also knew she was terrified of showing that love in public. Santana knew she could, maybe, handle what people would say about her should she leave the proverbial closet. She did not want people saying those kinds of things, throwing words like 'dyke' at Brittany. Not her innocent blonde dancer, not her girl.

"I don't think that's something you can just find B," she finally replied.

"We have to convince Q to come out to R," Brittany said in reply.

"What?" Santana was officially confused.

"Quinn likes Rachel, it's why she was always so mean to her." Brittany explained. "Rachel likes Quinn to." She frowned in confusion. "I don't think they know that though…can we help them figure it out?"

Santana let what her friend said process for a few minutes. Quinn Fabray was gay for Rachel Berry? She'd known the girl almost as long as she'd known Brittany. How had she missed the signs? Santana didn't doubt Brittany, the blonde was always right when it came to who was crushing on who. It was just…Quinn? She'd always suspected Berry wasn't completely straight, but Quinn? The girl couldn't get any…oh.

Suddenly, a lot of Quinn's actions made a lot of sense. Rachel Berry was a prime target, but only Quinn and Santana were allowed, on Quinn's command, to actively do anything to the girl. At least on the Cheerios' end. Hiding behind Chastity Club, requiring being drunk in order to let a boy touch her, making Finn pray whenever he got to hands-on with her. The constant looks at the brunette that the blonde swore was her 'gauging the enemy's state of mind'.

"I don't think it's going to be that easy B," Santana told her. "We're talking about Quinn fucking Fabray." Then she began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Brittany asked. She knew who they were talking about. She thought they'd be cute together. Plus, if they began going out, she'd have the perfect example with which to convince Santana that they could turn sex into dating. Then, they could all go out on double dates and make the boys really salivate because they would know that they were all untouchable.

"I'm just imaging the reaction to the student body in general and Finneptitude especially." Santana clarified. "He did date both of them."

"He also went on a date with us," Brittany reminded her, not knowing how Santana was going to react to the reminder when they were in her bed after sexy-times.

Santana smirked. "That just makes me question their sanity."

"Finn's easy," Brittany replied. "He's dumber than I am."

"You're not dumb," Santana said sharply. "You're anything and everything but dumb." She kissed her. "Allow me to show you…" They didn't speak for the rest of the night.