Hey, sorry I haven't update in a while. Winter holidays are a difficult time but thanks for sticking with me through the wait and coming back to read the next chapter! Also thank you all for the kind reviews of chapter 9, I'm excited to hear what you think of how this chapter went. I'm pretty pleased with it and would love any input you might have.
Oh- yes I totally agree with some of the reviews I have gotten about the kiss sucking (I still feel like it was necessary) and the two reconciling too quickly, but not to worry; Rachel is by no means off the hook yet!
I hope you will enjoy!
* It was pointed out to me that I already used Emma earlier in this story so for all of you who already read this chapter I just changed who is the lawyer.
Quinn awoke the next morning and for one glorious moment thought that everything that had happened the night before was a dream. That Rachel's Dad really didn't need surgery, she had never gone to Ohio, never left Quinn behind, never kissed Jessie, and never came back to fight it out in her living room in the middle of the night. At any moment the brunette would show up, tell her 'Good morning' and make some snarky comment about Quinn's morning breath.
Slowly she realized that wasn't going to happen. The crick in her neck served as a painful reminder she spent the night on the couch and her t-shirt was smeared with dark splotches of eyeliner from Rachel's tears.
The blonde's stomach dropped at the memory of their argument, Rachel bursting into the apartment livid at her when really the brunette was in the wrong. Their yelling match, Rachel's confession, and finally the breakdown when the damn broke and tears rushed forwards from both of them.
She wasn't quite sure if she was happy or sad at Rachel's apparent absence this morning and decided upon relieved that they would not be having part two of the argument this soon. When she rolled off the couch, however, that thought was dispelled when she discovered a note addressed to her in Rachel's swoopy hand writing. It was short and quickly written, the words slanting sideways with blatant disregard for the lines on the page-
Quinn,
I apologize but I had to go meet with Cassandra early this morning so I could not be there for you when you woke up. I will still be at the theater for rehearsal later today. Though I am nowhere near full forgiveness, as I shouldn't be, but I hope you will accept the gift I left on your kitchen table as the first step.
-Rach.
She arched her eyebrow at the last line of the letter and turned to peer into the kitchen for a glimpse of the 'gift'. Hazel eyes widened when they landed on a bouquet of one dozen yellow roses already in a vase. Quinn's favorite color. Heaving herself to her feet with a sigh she padded across the apartment to retrieve the card attached to the flowers. It was even shorter than the letter but only served to make Quinn's smile grow.
Quinn,
Your outward protection is like that of a rose, concealed yet sharp. While your beauty is unafraid to flaunt itself like the delicate petals of the flower. Such sweet contradiction.
Quinn carefully placed the card back among the roses and went to begin her morning routine. The brunette may have a long way to go to redemption but she was one the right track.
Cassandra July lounged back in her chair. She had been seated at an outside table at her favorite little restaurant in the city for the last ten minutes waiting Rachel to show up. She had seen the publicity centered around the trip to Ohio and more importantly the kiss so she had decided she needed an emergency meeting with the brunette. More like an emergency 'coming to Jesus' talk. She was still deep in thought trying to prepare her speech to Rachel when a young waiter lead the singer over to Cassie's table, "What the actual hell were you thinking Rachel?" the blonde asked before she even had a chance to sit down.
"So nice to see you Cassandra." Rachel said with a sarcastic politeness while she gingerly perched herself on the edge of her seat.
The manager rolled her eyes, she was so past common courtesies by now, "Answer the question Rachel. I mean were you even thinking at all when you did it? Probably not, you never really are! I thought you liked this Quinn girl."
The waiter arrived at their table once again, placing a steaming cup off coffee in front of Rachel that matched the one Cassie already had. Rachel thanked him while Cassie just stared intently at the brunette, waiting for her answer.
"I do like Quinn, very much. And I don't know what I was thinking really. I guess my fathers just got into my head and I was thinking; why can't I just do this one thing right, why can't I like the right person? And according to Schue and my entire viewership Jesse was the right person and he was just there so I tried to be what they all wanted me to be but I just couldn't."
Throughout the whole speech Cassie was silently fuming. Fuming at Rachel for her colossal fuck up, fuming at Schue for forcing Rachel into the closet and stealing any chance she had at happiness, fuming at the theater company for putting those clauses in actors contracts to cover their own asses. Someone was going to have to pay. She would make sure of that.
Rachel's face twisted in pain when she continued on in her soliloquy, "It was the worst mistake I have ever made and now I don't know if I will be able to make it up to Quinn. She just deserves so much more than me but I can't let her go that easy. I just want to shout from the rooftops that I love her. Oh my God, I think I lover her, what should I do Cassie?"
The blonde was too lost in her own thought to bear witness to the latest Berry revelation. Her mind was on overdrive and operating at least twenty steps ahead of her body as she finally convinced her limbs to start moving. The manager brokenly stood up without even touching the fresh coffee in front of her, "Just focus on Quinn. I'll take care of everything else." And with that she was gone.
The blonde swept from the coffee shop, hailed a cab and disappeared from Rachel's view as quickly as if she were never there. She peered through the grate separating the front and back seats of the cab, after a quick inspection to make sure she wasn't being driven by a crazy person she said, "Law Office of Sue Sylvester please." If anyone was tough enough to take on New York's biggest and most powerful theater company it was Sue.
Cassie and her had met years back when Cassie was still young and went to an audition for what she thought was a legitimate musical but ended up being a front for the Italian mob in New York. Sue was on the team prosecuting the mob and she questioned Cassie. Their abrasive personalities instantly clicked and they became fast friends.-
"So blondie, I'm supposed to believe that you didn't know that you were shaking your money maker for the Italian mob? How dense are you?" a young Sue asked. She was sitting across a mahogany table in the firm Sue worked at from a blonde dancer, scantily dressed in spanx and a pink sports bra.
"Yeah you are! Maybe if you weren't a dinosaur you wouldn't have this much trouble understanding!" Cassie shot back.
When Rachel arrived at the theater later it was as if she never left. Rehearsal went on as normal and if anyone heard about the kiss- more than likely everyone heard about it- they didn't bring it up. It was as if everyone was walking on egg shells, trying not to fall through with one misplaced comment.
She saw Quinn running around, headset askew on top of her pulled back blonde hair, and shot her a shy smile which Quinn responded to with a curt nod. It hurt a bit that she was just passed off like that but at least the ASM didn't ignore her completely.
Throughout the day whenever she would pass Quinn while moving about the theater she would whisper random 'You're beautiful's and 'I missed you's and 'I'm so sorry's into Quinn's ear. Maybe if she repeated it enough Quinn would finally believe it. If she repeated it enough it just might would come true. She was like a worshipper repeating the same prayer over and over. Begging for forgiveness of trespasses, deliverance from sins, cleansing of her soul. But God knows no wrath like a scorned woman.
The couple continued on like that for nearly a week. Each morning Rachel would somehow get in to Quinn's apartment to leave a bouquet of a different type of flower (Monday was the yellow roses, Tuesday was pink and red amaryllises, Wednesday was white and purple orchids, Thursday was vibrant orange chrysanthemums, and Friday was pink and white winter lilies.) and during work at the theater every chance Rachel got she would whisper reassurances and apologies to Quinn. She even wrote a few horribly corny poems she would slip into the blonde's clipboard when she wasn't paying attention.
Finally on Friday Quinn cracked. She had been at the theater for over 24 hours, trying to ready the set for their final run throughs, opening night which was in just a couple of weeks.
When Rachel entered the theater she saw Quinn standing on the stage eyes half closed, a paintbrush hanging limply in her hand, her hair a blonde mane, it was a good thing Rachel had thought to bring her a coffee. As she approached the stage a red headed dancer stormed out of the wings with a piece of sequined material clutched in her hand. She advanced on Quinn.
"What the hell is this!?" she threw the garment at the blonde.
Quinn's eyes focused on the thing at her feet and recognition flashed across her face, "That seems to be a costume." Rachel knew the combination of Quinn's sleep deprived state, her trademark sarcasm, and an angry dancer could not be a good thing but she hung back to give the blonde a chance to fix the situation on her own.
"No shit its a costume, where is my costume?" The dancer was a good head taller than Quinn and in her heels she towered threateningly over Quinn.
"That is your costume, or it's your new one. You see your seams were ripping on your last costume and the last thing we need is you flashing the audience on opening night so I took the liberty of getting you the next size up. You know, to save you the embarrassment." She explained patronizingly.
The redhead's eyes hardened, "Are you calling me fat blondie?!"
"Truth hurts."
What the hell is Quinn doing?! Rachel thought, the dancer suddenly brought a threatening hand back as if to slap the ASM and Rachel surged forwards, jumping onto the stage and sprinting to the pair. Her body was firing on all cylinders but her mind just hardly cleared the gate so she just stood there a moment before she remembered how to speak.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Rachel didn't need to raise her voice to make it clear it was a threat, not a friendly suggestion, "Now why don't you walk away and find yourself a nice celery stick to chew on?"
The red head knew better than to mess with the lead so she relented and with one last glare at Quinn she left through the wings. She didn't even bother to retrieve her new costume so Quinn bent down and grabbed it, depositing her paintbrush in its respective bucket at the same time. For a moment the blonde just held the garment in her blistered and painted hands and stared at it. A small smile crept onto her face. It wasn't so much a smile but a quirk up of the corner of her lips like she had just made a joke in her head.
After a bit of Quinn just staring at the costume and smirking with Rachel watching her with a concerned expression the blonde broke the silence, "I've been here for over twenty-four freaking hours, I have paint dried on places paint should not dry on, I can't remember the last time I had something besides coffee in my system, and now I've been told off by a fat ginger." her voice was hoarse and tired. It reflected her lack of sleep and dehydration, "A couple of weeks ago I could have gone home and complained to my girlfriend who would have told me 'screw them. You are cut out for so much more than that.' but no! Not anymore."
"Are you alright Quinn?" she reached out and placed a reassuring hand on the blonde's shoulder. But it was quickly shrugged off. The hurt from the action and Quinn's previous words were clear on Rachel's face.
Quinn turned and walked quickly away from Rachel, shying away from the concerned hands of coworkers and heading straight for the back door so she could get fresh air. She felt like her lungs were closing up and she was drowning in exhaustion and emotion. The brunette was struck frozen to her spot still holding the coffee she had picked up for Quinn.
"Well are you gonna go after her or just stand there?" Tina asked, alerting Rachel to the fact that the entire crew working in the area had just heard the outburst and was staring at her with hard faces. Of course they all side with Quinn… She strode as purposefully as possible out to find the blonde.
When Rachel did locate her in the back alley she was hit with the sudden memory of their last alleyway encounter. It had been right after Rachel's public statement and Quinn had attacked her neck, leaving a mark that would be present for the next few days. She just wanted to see the blonde as happy and carefree as she had been in that moment.
"Quinn-"
"No. You do not get to try to comfort me right now." Quinn began pacing, her eyes on the ground in front of her and her hair falling forward to curtain her face from Rachel. But she seemed to think better of dropping her rant, "You made this mess and you don't get to show up and try to be my knight in shining armor when something goes wrong." She whirled around and shook the sequined costume she was still holding at Rachel, "Do I look like a fucking damsel in distress? I could have handled myself just fine in there without you hopping in!"
"Really!? Because it looked like you were about to get your ass handed to you by her!" Rachel couldn't believe Quinn was really mad at her for this, "If you don't want me trying to defend you maybe you should stop doing stupid shit that puts you in harms way!"
The blonde smirked and shook her head. "Like you even care, you put me 'in harms way' in the first place."
At this point the singer was enraged, even if they put this argument past them she realized that Quinn would always have it in her back pocket to pull out in an argument. She threw the coffee she had bought for Quinn against the alley wall beside her, "Of course I care Quinn! You're all I care about. You're all I think about. Damn it Quinn I don't see why it's so hard for you to understand that."
That action only served to bring the blonde up to an equal level of anger, "Maybe I can't understand it because for those days when you were in Ohio you treated me like I was worthless. Like I only mattered to you if I was right next to you for you to take advantage of!"Rachel was stunned silent and she resolutely fixed her eyes on the wall of the theater, watching the dark coffee run down the bricks. She couldn't bring herself to meet Quinn's hazel glare, "It's nothing I'm not used to. For years I was told I was worthless. By my mother, she only care how pretty I was so every pimple or imperfection was like I had failed her. My father told me I was worthless for as long as I can remember. I was never enough for him."
Quinn had kept herself from crying this entire time but tears threatened the corners of her eyes as she pressed on, "I thought you were different Rachel. For a while whenever I looked at you I could see that I meant something to you, but I guess I was mistaken. I trusted you and you betrayed me."
"I am different, I don't think you're worthless Quinn, exactly the opposite. I was afraid Quinn. Afraid because I have never felt like this before. I thought I could talk to my fathers about it but they were so caught up in you being a girl they didn't listen and just freaked me out even more."
The blonde focused intently as Rachel finished her explanation and followed it with a solitary question, "Felt like what? You said you have never felt this way before, what did you mean?"
"I don't know." Now Rachel's attitude took a 180 degree turn and she avoid eye contact to scramble for a response. When she was not able to think of a way to cover her lapse she just spoke from her heart and hoped for the best, "It's like- like I've been a performer since I was a little kid. And never once have I ever had stage fright. But then when you are around I'm so afraid of messing up. My pulse speeds up and I can't think straight. It's like you give me stage fright."
When Quinn's face betrayed no emotion, good or bad Rachel just soildered on, "Years of performing in front of crowds of hundred of people, live television interviews, and all it takes to render me speechless is you. It's like nothing I've ever felt and I'm not sure if I hate it or love it yet. It's the weirdest combination I've ever felt; totally freaked out and completely at ease at the same time. It's like I love being around you but so afraid of messing up I can't focus."
Quinn stayed silent until a a sudden realization dawned on her face when she reached the same conclusion Rachel had weeks ago that had driven her to kiss Jessie, "I think I love you Quinn." Rachel said. Somehow the act of saying it and putting it out in the thin air solidifyed the feeling.
The blonde's mouth just gaped open and she floundered for a reply that wasn't 'thank you' and she knew what she wanted to say but she couldn't bring herself to drag the words out. She was scared they would scald her throat like hot water, "Rachel, I really like you. I like you so much it hurts. And I know that it's said if you love so much it hurts there can be no more hurt, just love. But I'm not sure if I believe it. I think I feel the same Rach but I can't say it right now. Not till everything is clear between us. It wouldn't be right."
Rachel just nodded, slowly digesting that answer. "I'm going to make this right Quinn, I promise you that."
"Please don't. Don't promise me things now. You're promises aren't exactly worth a ton right now." with that the blonde retreated, left the alleyway and began the trek back to her apartment.
Right after rehearsal ended Rachel had to talk to someone about the fight. Kurt was unavailable so that left one person. She normally wouldn't go to her for such petty things unless they were related to her work but she needed to get it out of her mind and out in the open.
"So I know you said you would handle it but come on Cassie, I need you to figure something out quickly. I can't lose Quinn and she clearly can't keep this up." Rachel was trailing Cassandra around the middle of a dance studio during one of her classes.
"Straighten you leg muffin top!" the teacher yelled, swinging her cane towards to offending dancer, "You look like a beached whale!"
The dancers were doing turns in rows around the women and Rachel, completely ignoring the students was unfazed by the blonde's yelling, "Cassie! Please, Quinn and I just had this huge fight at the theater and-"
She finally snapped her head around to glare a Rachel, "Relax Schwimmer, I went over you contract with a fine toothed comb and a certain red headed nut and we found some interesting things. I have a solution and by Monday everything will be fine, but nothing will be the same. As for Quinn, just let her cool off. She's been through a lot recently, you put her through a lot recently. "
Rachel just stared at her dumbfounded, "What the hell does that mean?"
"It means that you and your girl will be just fine and you will totally owe me a big one. Now get out of my studio, I'm trying to teach here and muffin top is going to make me hurl with her bent legs!" Cassie was back to brandishing her cane like a weapon at the dancers and the brunette finally relented to leaving, she knew there was no use now that Cassie was back in 'teaching bitch mode'
Fine, Monday is just two days away. I can do this.
Rachel spent the most of the day Saturday skulking around in her apartment watching old musicals featuring her idol- Barbra Streisand- not wanting to face the real world on her last weekend off before opening night in a couple of weeks. However when she woke up on Sunday she was greeted with an empty fruit bowl and nothing to eat for breakfast, when was the last time I went grocery shopping? Oh yeah, I'm never home so I don't have food… Shit.
Reluctantly she pulled on some clean sweats and a baggy jacket, threw her hair up in a messy bun and checked her face in the mirror, deeming it acceptable to be seen in public. She made her way out of her apartment building and took the familiar three block walk to her neighborhood natural food store.
Upon arrival she made a beeline for the aisles she had practically memorized repeating her shopping list over in her head and humming a song from the musical. Rachel was so focused on getting through the excursion so she could return to her Barbra Streisand watching binge, she almost walked into a woman standing in front of a display of hemp seeds. Damn hippies, they're freaking everywhere in this store! The woman was wearing a pair of bleached jeans along with a peculiar rainbow poncho, her hair looked like it was on the verge of dreds, just about to form.
"Sorry." Rachel said, trying to continue on with her day.
"It's fine. Wait, are you Rachel Berry?"
Oh joy, I guess hippies watch musicals too. "Yeah, I am." she replied, surrendering herself to a conversation with the odd woman.
"You are like totally awesome! I didn't really know about you until the whole news thing but now I totally support you! We all support you."
"Thank you." Rachel said, moving to continue on to her quest for fruit, "Have a good day."
"You too !"
The brunette was halfway to selecting an apple when she finally processed the other woman's words, wait who is we? Why does she support me now? Oh well, crazy rainbow bleach brained hippies…
She would find the answer to both questions soon enough.
Monday morning came quickly and it began routine as always. Rachel woke early to show tunes and hopped on her elliptical to begin her morning ritual of getting ready for her day. She decided to cut short her workout to try to get to the theater early, opening night was just two weeks away and she wanted to get in some extra rehearsal. Plus Cassie said whatever she did would take action today and she didn't want to be caught by surprise.
Her arrival at the theater was ordinary as was her vocal warm-up routine in her dressing room. Rachel almost completely forgot about the promise Cassandra had made until Tina burst into her dressing room, face flushed and hair a mess.
"Good, you made it through the gauntlet, have you seen Kurt yet?" the Stage Manager asked after surveying the room.
"No I haven't. What are you talking about? Gauntlet?"
"You didn't see? It's a mad house out there, picket line, camera crews, cop cars. Most people haven't crossed the line but I had to come and see who made it in to get a head count for the police." Tina was babbling but Rachel's face had drained of all color.
"Who's picketing?" There hadn't been a protest at the theater ever since the writer strike a few years back.
"Everyone, theater employees, random citizens. I've never seen anything like it. I have to get back out there with a head count. Just stay put and don't go outside, the police are afraid it might get violent."
Tina was already leaving to go check the other dressing rooms but Rachel was right on her heels, "Where's Quinn? Did she cross the line? She can't be out there if it's going to get violent!"
"Just stay here Rach and I'll look out for her but she hasn't crossed the line."
"Ok, fine." Rachel waited until Tina had rounded the corner before whipping out her cell phone and running up the steps to the main floor of the theater where a small gaggle of employees were standing in low conversation. Once they noticed the brunette they all fell silent.
This is weird… She dialed Kurt's number first seeing as the boy had left her 3 voicemails, he answered on the second ring. "Are you inside?"
"Yeah Kurt, I'm inside and just peachy. What's going on out there? Do you see Quinn?"
On the other end of the phone she could hear the roar of dozens of voices rushing forth at once and she swore she could make out some sort of chanting but couldn't discern the words. The contrast against the quiet theater was deafening.
"I haven't seen Quinn but Rachel this is about you. Somehow people found out about your contract and Jesse and now every freakin gay person in New York is standing out here with a sign! They are threatening to stay out there till opening night unless the theater admits how they have been 'oppressing the gay actors.' Nobody can find Schue."
Kurt's words hit her like a ton of bricks and she wanted to cry for anger, for joy, for relief, for fear. But all she could do was think of Quinn.
"I'm coming out. I have to find Quinn."
On the other end of the phone there was a scuffle and Rachel heard a distinct, "Hand over the phone lady hands!" and then a familiar voice greeted her, "Berry you will not leave the theater. You will stay in there and let Schue crucify himself when he tries to fix this situation. I did not do all of this work for you to come out here and mess it all up!"
The brunette was already ignoring her instructions and heading for the main entrance of the theater, the roar of voices outside growing louder, "I will do whatever I damn well want Cassie! I can't believe you did this!"
"Fine, just wait for me to come get you. You should not be trail blazing on your own right now." Outside Cassie hung up the phone and shoved it back into Kurt's hands. "If that girl would listen to me for two freaking seconds!" she mumbled to herself and bravely shoved her way through the crowd to walk through the gauntlet to the front door. There were so many people the protest stretched for blocks from the theater, police had set up a barrier so people could still get into the theater. Not that anyone was trying.
When Cassie set foot into the blocked off area to get Rachel the jeering reved up again, chants of 'You can't silence equality!', 'No more Mr. Nice Gay', and 'Gay, Straight, Black, White, marriage is a civil right!' hit her from all sides and the noise engulfed her.
She put on her game face, straightening her shoulders and striding as purposefully as she could to get Rachel, Shwimmer better be ready for this.
Reaching the door she took a breath and yanked it open to reveal Rachel, nervously playing with a ring between her fingers, "Buck up Berry, it's going to be a long walk."
The brunette nodded, she was overwhelmed by how many and how loud the people were out there. Cassie stepped back to let Rachel exit and once the crowd caught sight of her the noise reached a new decible.
The chanting stopped and was replaced by cheers and shouts of 'We support you!' Rachel was frozen in place as reporters held microphones over the police barrier in attempt to get a sound bite. Cassie put an arm around Rachel's shoulders and guided her over to the side of the barrier, might as well make the most of the situation, since Schue isn't here to make a statement I guess we will have to. She smiled evily to herself.
Scanning the crowd Cassie spotted a friend of hers who worked for one of the staple news stations. He reported on serious stories and when Cassandra had told him of the contract he made it a serious news story. She waved him over to the edge of the blockade with his camera man.
"Listen Rachel," she had to prep the brunette for the ordeal yet to come, when Rachel wouldn't meet her eyes she grabbed her chin, locking her in an intense gaze, "All of these people, they are here for you. They support you, now just let me talk and stand here and look like you aren't about to vomit and everything will be fine. Can you do that?"
Rachel nodded and tried to compose herself, well she's still pale as a sheet but at least her eyes aren't bugging out anymore, Cassie thought, quickly fixing her own hair and bringing Rachel over to her friend.
"Cassandra July, any insight on the ordeal at the theater today?" the man asked.
"Yes, Jonathan. As many of you well know the theater has long since been putting clauses in their contracts that limit the relationship expressions of their gay employees to avoid scandal however it seems to have blown up in their faces recently."
"Indeed it does Cassandra. Oh my look who decided to join us!"
That smile dropped quickly from Cassie's face when a curly haired man roughly pushed himself through the crowd. Schuester! Once into the clear area of the police blockade Schue set his face in a grim scowl and shot angry looks at all of the protesters who simply grew louder as chants of 'Screw Schue!' joined the near deafening chorus. Speak to the devil. Cassie thought.
Other reporters surged closer, trying to get footage of the coming confrontation and the crowd quieted a bit to try to hear the interview.
He made his way over to the two women and was prepared to go off on them in full view of all the protesters and reporters but before he could get one word out Jonathan was on him, "William Schuester, you are in charge of this show are you not?"
Will kept his grey eyes locked on Cassie's in a deathly stare down but bit out, "Yes I am."
"What do you have to say to these accusations?"
The director ground his teeth and settled his glare on Rachel when he answered the question, "I say that these accusations are outrageous and this whole situation violates Rachel's contract and she will be penalized accordingly at the theater's discretion."
The crowd was in uproar again at that comment, "That doesn't seem to please your viewership."
"My viewership needs to mind their own damn business right now while we figure this all out. Contracts are meant to be confidential and when we find out how this leak happened there will be consequences." he shot back.
At this point Cassandra decided to step back in, "Actually the contracts prohibit theater employees from publicizing their dating habits without approval but it says nothing about other consultants disclosing stipulations in the contracts."
Schue's mouth floundered open, "Do you want a lawsuit July?"
"Oh please. I would love to get a pay check large enough to buy a summer home with! Rachel has the law firm of Sylvestr and Miller backing her on this issue and we are ready to go to court." that was news to Rachel but she tried to not let that show. The other two just glared daggers at each other and when Schue flicked his cold gaze to her for a moment, Rachel looked away and slipped back into her shocked silent state.
She thought about Quinn, she was the reason the brunette came outside in the first place and she was nowhere to be seen. Maybe I should call Kurt again..
Jonathan interjected himself back into the interview to try to regain his status as the reporter who was actually getting the story, "How does our dear Rachel tie into this whole plot?" The brunette was snapped out of her dreamy state at hearing her name and looked to Cassie to hear her explanation.
"Rachel is one of those silenced actors who has suffered the theater's oppression since she graduated NYADA. She is the most recent victim and the public won't stand for the continued abuse."
"Cassandra, do you mean to tell us those rumors from earlier this year are true, Rachel Berry is gay?"
The accused singer flushed bright red, when she imagined how her coming out to the world would be she never even considered she would be outed by Cassie on national news in the middle of a protest. Schue raised his eyebrows at the manager, daring her to confirm the suspicion.
However, before the blonde had a chance to respond the yells of the crowd rose again as another person stumbled across the picket line. She was tall and thin with her blonde hair in disarray from the struggle through the crowd.
"Quinn!" Rachel yelled, breaking from Cassie's grasp and sprinting towards the other blonde.
She was upon Quinn before she had regained her bearing and she engulfed the taller woman in a desperate hug.
"Thank God you are here." for a minute Quinn just stood there, before she responded and clung tightly to Rachel.
"Of course I'm here Rach. How could I not come?" Everything seemed to melt away, the protest, the drama, the kiss, the noise, and all that existed was the two of them. I feel so perfect right now. It was small and she felt like a kid but that was all Quinn could think until she realized that the noise had melted away.
The crowd was quietly watching the two women curiously. So Rachel took things into her own hands, with the eyes of her fans, enemies, friends, and family on her she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against Quinn's in a solid kiss.
Quinn wasted no time in responding and threaded her fingers through Rachel's hair. Rachel knew there would be consequences later, she would have Schue to answer to, the theater, her parents. But none of that mattered in that moment because she was kissing Quinn and Quinn was kissing her back. Everything was right in the world. Schue and his stupid contract be damned.
"I think that answers your question Jonathan." Cassie said, smiling to herself.
What did you think? Is Rachel ready to be forgiven? On a scale of 1 to 10 how bad was that love poem? Did you like Momma Bear protective Cassie?
Thanks for reading, please leave a review. Even if it is just a 'that chapter was weird' it's nice to know people out there care enough to review. Hope you all have a lovely week!
- Ms. Informed 13