I didn't want to lose you, leave you with a broken heart,
But wherever we are, we're miles apart,
I know that we tried, but this is the last goodbye.
After a few phone calls and lots of begging, Quinn, Angelina, Judy, Hiram, and Leroy were on their way to Dayton.
"JUDY!" Leroy screamed from the passenger's seat, "Slow down before you kill us all!"
"I'm only going 65!" Judy screamed back.
"This is a school zone!" Leroy retorted.
"Can everyone just PLEASE calm down?" Quinn yelled over them all.
The car was silent for a moment before Hiram began to hum and sing.
"We're, gooooooing to the chapel and we're gooooooonna get Rachel.
We're gooooooing to the chapel and we're goooooooona get our daughter!
Gee, she really loves him but she needs to marry Quinn,
Going to the chapel of gays!"
"Hiram," Leroy said as he turned around to face his husband sitting in the back seat, "if you do not stop singing I will take the loafer off of my foot and promptly shove it into your mouth."
Angelina burst into laughter and looked at Quinn seriously. "This family is amazing." She said, "When you and Rachel get married, can you please adopt me."
Quinn shook her head and laughed, but she couldn't deny it- she loved the family too.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Berry. There are no more tickets left on the next flight, and the soonest available flight we have is set to take off at 8 am." The woman at the airport counter said.
Hiram slammed his fist on the table. "God damn it!" he said in frustration, "Are you sure that there are absolutely no seats on the flight that leaves in twenty minutes?" Quinn anxiously looked at her phone; it was already 1:10, and she was hoping Rachel and Jason still hadn't left yet.
"Look, I'm very sorry but there is no way I can help you." The woman said, "If you'd like to purchase tickets for the next flight, feel free; but I can guarantee you aren't getting on that 1:30 flight.
Hiram slammed his fist on the counter once again, hoping to intimidate the woman. "I don't think you understand," he said, "Three and a half of the five of us are gay. Not providing us with the tickets would be considered a hate-crime, and you would have a law suit on your hands then ma'am!"
"Hiram," Leroy said and grabbed his husband by the arm, "calm down. Let's go sit and figure this out."
Their rag-tag group sat down and contemplated. "How are we going to get on a flight this late in the game?" Judy thought.
Leroy began to cry. "Oh, Hiram." He said, "Our baby is about to get married to a bad man in Las Vegas. Where did we go wrong?"
"Hiram, we brought our daughter up right. She's just being a stupid kid." Hiram said.
An elderly couple at the end of the row of seats they were sitting in glanced down at the sobbing man. "Excuse me," the old gentleman said, "did you just say your daughter is going off to Vegas to get married?"
"Yes," Hiram said ashamedly, "you heard right."
The elderly woman looked at crying Leroy sympathetically. "I know how you're feeling." She said to him, "Our daughter did the same thing when she turned twenty one years old. She ran off with her boyfriend James, and never came back. One day ten years later, we got a call from her; she was married to her boyfriend, they had four kids, she was a stripper, and he was a clown at Circus Circus." The woman shook her head. "It's a shame," she said, "our Regina was a beautiful dancer without the pole. She even danced in New York."
The Berry men looked at each other with desperation. "Sounds a lot like our Rachel." Hiram said.
The elderly man and woman looked at each other as if silently discussing something. The old woman nodded to the old man, who turned back to the sullen group. "We were actually on our way to visit Regina," the old man said, "we have two tickets for the next flight at 1:30, but we could wait until the flight after that if you wanted to take the tickets."
Quinn's face lit up and her spirits lifted. It felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest. Could the plan really be back in action?
"Really?" Hiram asked in awe as the older gentleman stood and handed the tickets to him.
"It'd be wrong if I didn't." the man said, "We couldn't save our daughter, but you can save yours."
Hiram stood up and shook the man's hand. "I can't thank you enough." He said as he shed a tear.
Quinn stood and stared at the tickets, she couldn't believe that they were real. Hiram handed the tickets to her and smiled. "It's up to you now, Ms. Fabray." Hiram said, "This is your destiny as well as it is Rachel's, who would you like to accompany you?"
Quinn looked around their small, tired group. Leroy and Judy were emotional messes, and Angelina was googling the location of the closest McDonalds in the airport. Then Quinn looked at strong Hiram, still full of fight just like her. "Mr. Berry," she asked, "would you go with me?"
He smiled at her sweetly. "Let's go get our girl."
Rachel and Jason waded through the crowds of the Dayton International Airport at one in the morning. Rachel almost lost him a few times because they weren't holding hands or even speaking for that matter. They entered the terminal and Jason offered to carry her carry-on bag for her. Rachel smiled and let him.
They took their seats on the plane a few minutes later, and Rachel was tired. It had been a long day and it was almost midnight now. She rested her head up against Jason's shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Rachel's mind eased at his touch, and she felt more secure about her decision.
She closed her eyes and let her mind wander. Rachel thought about white dresses, flowers, and veils. All the wedding things she'd thought about in high school were coming back to her now, only this time she was missing a few key ingredients in the wedding formula. She had no bridesmaids, her fathers were home with no knowledge of her nuptials, and she had never even met Jason's parents. Most importantly, her best friend wasn't even there to kick her in the ass and tell her what she was doing was wrong.
Rachel clenched her eyes shut and hoped that she could push all the negative thoughts out of her head. Instead she thought about her new last name, and how it would look in lights. Rachel Howe. Rachel cringed; it didn't even have a ring to it. Rachel Barbra Howe. Ugh, Rachel thought, that's even worse. Her mind drifted elsewhere, to a part of her brain she liked to refer to as Quinnland. Rachel Berry-Fabray. Now that sounds right, Rachel thought and smiled. Or even Rachel Barbra Fabray.
Rachel drifted off into a peaceful sleep filled with dreams of weddings in beautiful places; sandy beaches, green vineyards, and ancient chapels with girls wearing white and men wearing black. All of the dreams had the same factor- Quinn.
Rachel woke the next day as the plane landed on the Las Vegas airstrip, her head still on Jason's shoulder. She quickly adjusted herself and pulled herself away from him. Her head still spun with visions of Quinn's perfect face and rung with wedding bells. Oh my god, Rachel thought, what the hell am I doing.
The two exited the plane and entered the airport, and even the airport screamed Vegas. Even under the current conflicting circumstances, Rachel couldn't contain her excitement. She'd never been to Vegas before, and neither had Jason. They both acted like children running around the airport with their few belongings, admiring the slot machines and bright flashing lights.
Jason finally grabbed Rachel's hands and looked her seriously in the eye. "Let's get married right now." He said, "I've never been so in love in my life."
Rachel floundered, looking for any excuse to stall another hour. "And I've never been so hungry in my life!" Rachel said and chuckled nervously, "Can we go get something to eat and maybe see the strip first? It's only six thirty in the morning now! We have plenty of time!"
Jason nodded. "Okay," he agreed, "I guess we do have time."
Quinn and Hiram ran out of the terminal and sped through the airport. They needed to get to the strip as quickly as possible to make sure that everything was perfectly in place. Quinn called Kurt, who answered after only a few moments.
"You rang, Ms. Fabray?" he answered sassily.
"Kurt!" she said anxiously, "Is everything set up? Is you-know-who on board?"
"Yes, dear. Do me a favor and take a deep breath." He said and Quinn did as she was told. "Good." Kurt said, "Now, you-know-who is most certainly willing to help; in fact she's more than happy to, she loves the drama of it all. She says she's interested in the saga of Quinn and Rachel and after all this is over she says you must tell her all about it."
"Good!" Quinn said, "Exceptional! Great! Is everything else set up?"
"I talked to my guys, and they talked to their guys, and those guys talked to the guys at the Stardust! They told me that everything is set up and boy does it look spectacular! Rachel isn't going to know what hit her!"
Quinn thanked him quickly and hung up. "Okay," she said to Hiram, "everything is ready. As long as Rachel heads to the Stardust, everything is going to work out."
"Trust me," Hiram said, "I know my daughter. She won't be able to resist seeing her name up in lights."
"This has to be a mistake." Rachel said as she stood outside the Stardust hotel and casino with Jason.
"If it's a mistake, then that's a pretty cool misprint." He said.
Rachel's heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. She didn't know whether she was going to scream in joy or terror. She didn't know if she would faint from happiness or faint out of anxiety. But most of all, she just couldn't believe her eyes. She rubbed her tired eyes and looked up at the flashing lights of the monitor once again, just to make sure it was real.
Stardust Hotel and Casino presents…
Barbra Streisand
and
Rachel Berry
One night only! Tickets available online or at the box office.
"I have to go inside and see what is going on." Rachel said frantically as she walked towards the main entrance of the Stardust. Jason trailed behind like a lost puppy; unsure what to do or where he should go, because he surely wasn't wanted at Rachel's side.
Rachel shyly walked up to the front desk, intimidated by the buildings grandeur. "Hello," she said to the clean cut gentleman behind the desk, "I'm Rachel Berry and I believe that your sign outside is malfunctioning. My name is up there next to Barbra's"
"No," he said and smiled, "it's not malfunctioning. You are performing with Barbra tonight, right?"
Rachel's eyes widened and she stuttered. "Yes, she is." A voice came from behind Rachel and answered for her.
"Kurt?" Rachel said in disbelief.
"Come here, you stubborn little thing, you!" the boy said. Rachel ran to her friend and embraced him.
"Look at you!" she said in awe, "You look amazing!"
"And YOU look like crap!" he replied. Rachel frowned and looked down at her mismatched outfit. "Of course, it might just be the hideous accessory you brought with you." Kurt said and gave Jason a dirty look.
"I don't understand," Jason said angrily and confused, "what's going on Rachel."
Kurt clapped twice. "Oh boys!" he said. About ten security guards dressed in Stardust attire lurked towards Jason.
"You'll be coming with us now sir." One of the security guards said in an eerily deep voice.
"Hell no!" Jason said, his stature looking unimpressive compared to the hulking men around him. "I'm not going with you, I didn't do anything!"
"We received a tip from some of our gambling staff that a man, who they described to look exactly like you, was counting cards."
"WHAT?" Jason said, appalled and frightened at the same time, "But I haven't even gambled yet!"
The guards got a grip of his shoulders and walked him off to a room marked "PRIVATE."
Rachel watched the scene fold out before her and she felt like she felt like everything was falling into place and none of it made sense.
"Kurt, what is going on?" she asked, "This can't be real. Seriously, where is Ashton Kutcher? Am I being Punk'd?"
"No, sweetie," Kurt said kindly and took Rachel's hand, "you're being saved. Let's go."
He began dragging her off towards elevators, and Rachel dragged her feet. "Wait," she said, "I still have questions!"
"Which will be answered as soon as we get you to my make-up artists!" he said impatiently, "Do you really think I'm letting you go on stage or meet Barbra looking like this?"
Rachel stopped dead in her tracks. "Am I really going to sing with Barbra tonight?"
Kurt smiled. "Yep," he said, "just like when she sang with Judy Garland."
Rachel stuttered. "You mean…I'm going to be Barbra's Judy?" She asked breathlessly, and Kurt nodded. "Mr. Hummel," she said trying to compose herself, "escort me to make-up please."
The burly security guards pushed Jason into the private room and sat him down at a steel chair in front of a steel table, both bolted to the floor. One of the security guards pulled out a pair of handcuffs and braced Jason's right hand to the table.
"What the hell?" He said, "Are you high, I haven't done shit!"
The men laughed at him. "We know you haven't." One of the men said.
"Then why am I here?" Jason asked, terrified. The men didn't reply, they simply walked out of the room leaving him alone and fretting. They all let him sit and sweat for ten minutes before the door slowly opened again.
Jason laughed as Quinn walked in the room followed by Hiram. "Seriously?" he asked, "a little girl and an old man? This is a joke, right? Send back in the security guards if you want me to be intimidated!"
Quinn walked up to the table calmly and sat on the edge, and Hiram stood by her side. Hiram crossed his arms across his chest and smiled at the boy. "What's wrong, son?" he asked, "Are you projecting your anger because you're little plans to marry my daughter fell through?"
"I-" Jason started, but Quinn cut him off quickly by punching him right in his square jaw. He screamed, and Quinn shook her fist in pain as she spoke to him.
"No." She said sharply, "You only speak when I tell you to speak, and if you speak without me telling you that you can speak then I will punctually kick you in your baby making parts; got it?"
Jason gawked at Quinn and held his chin, but nodded in agreement.
"Good." Quinn said as she stood and began pacing the small dark room. She pulled a small folded up piece of paper out of her pocket. "So," she said as she unfolded the paper, "on the plane ride I was thinking about all the different ways I could torture you when I got to this stage of my plan. Unfortunately most of my ideas were either illegal or just inhumane; but, I did have one great idea! I made a list of all the things you've done wrong to Rachel, I'm going to read them off one by one and you are going to apologize for each thing. And also, Hiram and I are each going to punch you as hard as we can for every single one of these things. I have a list of 32 things. So 32 times two, that's 64, isn't it Hiram?"
"Why yes," Hiram agreed, "I believe it is! Actually, he got a little bonus before we even started so he gets 65!"
"Well then," Quinn said and took a step closer to the boy, "I hope you don't have any plans for the next hour or so, Jason. Because I don't think you're going to be going anywhere for a while."
Kurt smacked Rachel's hand away from the curlers in her hair as she tried to fidget with them. She sighed and blew the few stray strands of hair out of her eyes in frustration.
"Kurt, can you explain to me what exactly is going on now?" Rachel pleaded.
Kurt glanced around at all of the other staff of Barbra's who was perfecting Rachel's skin. "Can you guys give us a moment to talk?" he asked them and they cleared out of the room quickly. The boy sat on the plush sofa next to Rachel's arm chair in the suit. Her skin glowed a beautiful bronze, her lips were stained red, and her eyes were framed flawlessly by classic black eyeliner. Her eyelashes seemed to reach out forever and never stop, and her cheeks blushed a perfect pink color. Rachel's eyes seemed to glow in the vanity lights from the mirror in front of her, and even with her hair in curlers she looked like a perfected piece of art.
"You are so beautiful, you know that?" Kurt said dreamily, "I may have a bit of a girl-crush on you right now. It's no wonder Quinn loves you so much."
Rachel blushed and glanced down at her feet, gold nail polish on her toes still drying. "Do you mean that?" she asked sheepishly, "Sometimes I don't feel beautiful; but ever since I got here I've felt special, and different, and pretty."
"And you could feel that way all the time," Kurt said, "if you were with Quinn."
"But Quinn's not even here." Rachel said sadly.
"Well who do you think put all this together?" Kurt asked her.
Rachel's eyes shot up. "She did this?" she asked in amazement.
"Absolutely!" Kurt said, "Do you know what happened to me last night? I got a call from a hysterical Quinn Fabray at midnight telling me that you were on a plane here to get married to someone that wasn't her, and she was NOT okay with that. She told me that you are the love of her life, and she said that if she lost you she would have nothing to live for because you are her life. She begged me to talk to Barbra, to make her let you sing with her. It didn't take much convincing, Babs is a sap for romance. I told her all that you and Quinn had been through and how much you loved each other and she agreed to sing with you right then and there. She's got big plans too, big!"
Rachel smiled and shook her head. "I can't believe Quinn did all this just for me."
"Well believe it, sister." Kurt said, "You've got a good girl, don't let her slip away from you."
"Never again." Rachel said, "I'll never let her go again."
"Good." Kurt said, "I think it's time to get those curlers out of there. Sit still."
Kurt stood and began unraveling the loose brown curls. They fell around Rachel's face perfectly, and she gasped at her reflection when Kurt was finished.
"She looks like an angel." A voice said from behind them both.
"Oh!" Kurt said and hopped to the woman, "There you are Madame! Barbra, this is Ms. Rachel Berry. Rachel, you know who this is."
Rachel's heart felt like it was going to simply explode. She was face to face with her idol, the woman who'd been her inspiration since she was conceived, and she had just compared her to an angel. "B-b-b…Barbra?" Rachel stuttered. Rachel stood up out of respect for the woman. She didn't know what to do; should she curtsy? Bow? Get down on her knees and kiss Barbra's feet? Those all seemed too over the top, so Rachel just professionally shook the woman's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Rachel said, making quite an understatement of the current situation.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too," Barbra said and took Rachel's hand, "I've heard so much about you from young Kurt over here. He says you're quite the fan."
"I am." Rachel agreed.
"I also hear you have quite the pipes."
"So I have been told." Rachel said and blushed.
"Well," Barbra said, "I'm sure it will be an absolute pleasure to share the stage with you, my dear. I've got to say toodles for now, though. My make-up team beckons for me."
"Alright," Rachel said, "see you soon, Barbra."
"See you, Rachel." Barbra said and waved a quick goodbye. As soon as the door shut behind her, Barbra could hear the squealing coming from the room.
"That. Was. Amazing!" Rachel squealed as she jumped up and down.
"Oh! Rachel, don't jump too much! You're hair!" Kurt reminded her.
"Oops!" Rachel said and sat back down again, kicking her legs spastically. "I just can't contain myself! I just met Barbra FREAKING Streisand! I'm going to sing with her in a few hours!" Rachel glanced at the clock across the room and groaned. "It's only three in the afternoon! What time does the show start?"
"Eight o'clock tonight." Kurt replied as he sprayed and squirted all kinds of products into Rachel's hair to make it maintain it's perfection.
"That's five hours too long!" Rachel whined, "Can we at least go see the casinos or walk the strip? I've never been in Vegas until now and I only saw the strip for like twenty minutes!"
"Nope," Kurt denied her, "you aren't getting off that easily. We're not done here yet because you have a dress fitting to do!"
"Wait," Rachel said, "dress fitting? Why don't I just wear a dress that already fits?"
Kurt gasped. "For an occasion like this?" He asked, appalled. "No way. On top of calling me at the last minute to talk to Barbra, Quinn also requested that I give you the full celebrity treatment; and that means you get a custom made dress." The boy skipped to the closet excitedly. "I stayed up all night making this," he said proudly, "I legitimately haven't slept in over twenty four hours, but it's okay because there is a coffee pot in this hotel room!"
He held the dress behind his back, hiding it from Rachel as he walked back to her. "Are you ready?" He asked.
Rachel nodded excitedly and smiled. Her jaw dropped as Kurt held up the most gorgeous dress she'd ever seen in her entire life. It was strapless, floor-length dress with a simple design, but it was covered entirely in gold sequins.
"It's spectacular." Rachel said as she got choked up and started to cry.
"Rachel Berry don't you dare cry!" Kurt demanded, "Not after all the time we spent perfecting your make up today!"
Rachel's waterworks stopped in their tracks and she composed herself. "Thank you so much Kurt."
"Don't thank me, Rachel." He said. "Thank Quinn."
Rachel stood in the dark backstage as she listened to the crowd grow louder and larger. She took three deep breaths, as she always did before a performance to ensure she wouldn't faint on stage. Barbra walked up beside her, wearing an equally stunning dress. Hers was silver and knee length with long sleeves.
"You look fantastic." Rachel said, still quite star-struck by the woman.
Barbra smiled. "Thanks sweetie." She said, "You look absolutely stunning. I'm sure Quinn will be proud."
Rachel shook her head. "She's not here."
"Oh I wouldn't be so sure of that." Barbra said. Rachel looked through the curtains and all around for the blonde girl. "Don't worry Rachel," she said, "She's here."
A whole new layer of nerves layered over Rachel's anxiety. "I'm so nervous."
"Don't be!" Barbra said, "You said you've performed both songs before?"
"Only a thousand times," Rachel said. "I've been singing Don't Rain on My Parade and Happy since I was able to speak."
Barbra laughed. "You're so ambitious. I adore it." She said, "No wonder she loves you. Do you love her?"
Rachel smiled and blushed. "More than I've ever loved anyone else in my entire life. Probably more than anyone has ever loved anyone else in the history of love, actually. I'm just scared that I'll disappoint her, she's way out of my league as it is. She's much too good for someone like me."
Barbra scoffed at that. "Nobody is ever too good for anyone else," she said, "people are just people, babe. Deal with it."
Rachel nodded, she finally understood. "Thank you." She said to Barbra.
"No time to thank me." Barbra said as the lights in the theater dimmed, "It's show time."
Rachel took another three deep breaths as Barbra took the stage. The crowd went wild as the simple spotlight lit Barbra in the gorgeous dress that Kurt designed. The orchestra began playing My Man, and Rachel mouthed the words from her place backstage in the wing. Barbra's glorious belting out of the notes gave Rachel the chills, and her eyes began to water. She couldn't believe where she was and who she was with. She couldn't believe that Quinn had put all this together for her. She didn't know where Quinn was at or what she was doing; but Rachel only hoped that she was in the building somewhere, anxiously anticipating her performance.
Barbra belted out the last few words of the song and the crowd went crazy. The woman looked off the stage to Rachel and smiled. The crowd quieted down as Barbra began to speak.
"Hello Vegas!" She said to the crowd, "I hope you all don't mind, I'm doing things a little bit differently tonight. You see, I have a special guest tonight; a very talented, beautiful, special young lady. Her name is Rachel Berry; let's give her a loud Vegas welcome!" The crowd cheered, and Rachel knew that was her cue. She stepped out onto the stage and into the spotlight and the audience automatically cheered louder. Rachel blushed and looked around humbly, but confidently. The familiar intro of Happy days Are Here Again/Get Happy began, and Rachel stood beside Barbra who grabbed her hand. Rachel looked at the two of their hands together and her eyes lit up. Barbra smiled at the girl and looked out at the crowd as she began singing.
"Forget your troubles."
"Happy days."
"Come on get happy."
"Are here again."
"You'd better chase all your cares away."
"The skies above are clear."
"Shout hallelujah."
"So let's sing a song."
"Come on get happy."
"Of cheer again."
"Get ready for the judgment day."
"Happy days are here again."
Barbra nudged Rachel, and then nodded off stage. Rachel followed her glance and saw a face in the wing and she couldn't believe her eyes. Quinn stood in front of Hiram holding a bouquet of roses with tears in her eyes, but Rachel had never seen the girl look so happy.
"The sun is shining, come on get happy."
"Shout it now."
"The lord is waiting to take your hand."
"There is no one who can doubt it now."
"Shout hallelujah."
"So let's tell the world."
"Come on get happy."
"About it now. Happy days are here again."
Rachel caught out of the corner of her eye, her father taking a video from back stage on his cell phone, and she couldn't help but smile. She couldn't help but think that the song was perfect for how she was feeling at the moment. Rachel and Barbra finished off the song, and they killed it. The audience roared and begged for more, and they got exactly what they wanted. The orchestra began playing Don't Rain on My Parade and Rachel's adrenaline was pumping.
"I'm gonna let you take this one, kiddo!" Barbra said and Rachel's eyes protruded, but she smiled and took a breath. She knew this song like the back of her hand, and she was about to own it in front of the woman herself. Rachel strutted around the stage, like she did in class that first day she sang Dance 10, Looks 3. The audience loved it.
"Don't tell me not to live just sit and putter!
Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter!
Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade!
Don't tell me not to fly, I've simply got to!
If someone takes a spill it's me and not you!
Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade!"
Rachel looked furiously around the audience, then ran up to the band.
"I'll march my band out, I'll beat my drum!
And if I'm fanned out,
You'll turn at bat sir,
At least I didn't fake it, hat sir,
I guess I didn't make it
But whether I'm the rose
Of sheer perfection,
Or freckle on the nose
Of life's complexion,
The cinder or the shiny apple of its eye,
I gotta fly once,
I gotta try once,
Only can die once, right, sir?
Ooh, life is juicy,
Juicy, and you see
I gotta have my bite, sir!"
Rachel glanced off the stage into the wing to see Quinn's bright smile practically lighting up the dark. Rachel smiled back and winked at her with the next line.
"Get ready for me, love,
cause I'm a commer,
I simply gotta march,
My heart's a drummer.
Don't bring around a cloud
To rain on my parade!"
Rachel hopped off the stage, and the spotlight followed her; she ran around the isles in front of the audience and sang right to them, and they just ate it up.
"I'm gonna live and live now,
Get what I want-I know how,
One roll for the whole show bang,
One throw, that bell will go clang,
Eye on the target and wham
One shot, one gun shot, and BAM
Hey, Mister Arnstein,
Here I am!"
The crowd went crazy as Rachel held the note and ran up to the conductor and grabbed his baton. She continued singing as she waved the thing around crazily, luckily the band knew the song well enough to not need constant conduction.
"I'll march my band out,
I will beat my drum,
And if I'm fanned out,
Your turn at bat, sir,
At least I didn't fake it.
Hat, sir, I guess I didn't make it."
She tossed the baton back to the conductor and ran up to the stage once again as the crowd cheered.
"Get ready for me, love,
'cause I'm a commer,
I simply gotta march,
My heart's a drummer.
Nobody, no, nobody
Is gonna rain on my parade!"
Rachel took a deep breath, and smiled widely at the audience. "Thank you, Las Vegas!" she said breathlessly, and the audience went insane. Every person in the room was on their feet applauding Rachel, including Barbra. It was the standing ovation she only thought she would have dreams about. Screw Kurt, Rachel thought as she let the tears stream down her face finally. She couldn't contain her joy. Barbra stepped to her side on the stage and smiled.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she said, "Ms. Rachel Berry!" The crowd roared again. "Do you hear that?" Barbra whispered to Rachel, "They aren't cheering for me, they're cheering for you."
Rachel threw her arms around the woman and hugged her hero. Barbra smiled and gladly accepted the embrace. The crowd roared even louder in anticipation of what would happen next. Barbra looked over Rachel's shoulder and chuckled. "It looks like someone else is dying to hug you." She said.
Rachel broke away from Barbra and turned around to see Quinn clutching the roses, cheering louder than anyone else, tears also streaming down her face in joy. Rachel looked back to Barbra, then back at Quinn, then back to Barbra again. "Go to her." Barbra said and nudged her towards Quinn.
Rachel gladly did so. She ran off stage and into Quinn's arms, not caring what flowers she squished or ribs she cracked in the process; she just wanted to be back in Quinn's arms. "I'm sorry I've been so stupid!' She cried.
"No," Quinn said as she held Rachel, "I'm sorry I've been so stupid."
"No," Hiram interrupted, "no more sorry's. You've both been stupid."
Rachel reluctantly broke the embrace with Quinn and went to her father. "Dad," she said, "I'm so sor-"
"Rachel Barbra Berry," he stopped her, "I just said no more sorry's." Hiram held his arms open and his daughter threw herself around him.
"I love you dad." She said as she held him.
"I love you too, dear." He said. Quinn just watched as two of her favorite people in the whole world shared this special moment. She couldn't help but smile at them and join in on the hug. "Aw, get in here Quinn!" Hiram said as he pulled her into the hug too.
"I love you, Quinn Fabray." Rachel whispered to the girl of her dreams.
"I love you more, Rachel Berry." Quinn said back as the three broke their embrace.
"I highly doubt that." Rachel teased and wrapped her arms around the girl's neck.
Quinn smiled back and kissed her on the cheek. Rachel shook her head. "No," she said, "this is one of those times where I wish you'd kiss me on the lips." Quinn smiled widely and pressed her lips to Rachel's. Just then as if they were cheering for the kiss, the crowd went crazy.
"I could get used to this." Rachel said as she pulled away from Quinn's lips just barely so she could look into her favorite hazel eyes.
"Get used to what?" Quinn asked as she got lost in Rachel's beautiful brown eyes, "The applause or kissing me?"
Rachel smiled and gave Quinn another quick kiss. "Both."