.-.
It was only ten in the morning but Puck felt exhausted. They had walked around the city for about an hour, Rachel pulling him in every direction, and then he had been forced to stand there while she paraded a line of clothes in front of him. And okay, maybe forced was little harsh, because he kind of liked seeing all the different clothes on her, but that was probably because she looked hot in everything she tried on. There were a couple of numbers that brought memories of that morning and his embarrassing case of morning wood right to the forefront of his memory.
He had been easy to find clothes for. All he needed was a couple of shirts and jeans and he was good, but Rachel tried on everything from summer dresses to tank tops and short shorts. There was this one dress, bright yellow and perfect, and it seemed to genuinely make her shine, even without the help of her naturally ability. She had done this little twirl when she'd first tried it on and it made him half-hard just looking at her. How could someone so short have such long legs?
Thankfully, they were about to take a break. They walked into a small cafe on their way back to the hotel, and Puck collapsed at the nearest available table, dropping the load of bags he'd been carrying around for Rachel. The word "whirlwind" was an understatement for this girl. She took on every task and challenge with more enthusiasm than he had ever felt towards anything in his life.
He searched around the café, and a cute, young Asian girl around their age walked over, notepad at the ready.
"Hi, what can I get for you?" she asked with a kind smile. It was different from what Puck had expected. Most of the people in the city so far, at least the retail workers, had been either bored or annoyed, or both. It was almost funny how Rachel responded to this girl's polite and inviting attitude.
"What would you recommend for a person who doesn't eat animals?" she asked.
The girl's eyebrow arched questioningly. "Well, we have a very good range of both vegan and vegetarian options on the menu. I personally recommend the tofu scramble. My boyfriend's the chef, and he makes a mean one. It's an old family recipe that he's tweaked here and there."
Rachel looked at her in confusion, and he could see her about to ask what the hell she was talking about. Okay, maybe not in so many words, but Puck figured that the girl wasn't up for explaining the difference between vegans and vegetarians.
"That sounds fine," Puck interjected when Rachel opened her mouth, giving her a glance to tell her that he'd explain later. "I'll have a coffee and a chocolate chip muffin."
The girl smiled at them both while she took down the order before she turned and left.
Puck almost laughed as Rachel opened her mouth to ask him a tirade of questions. He honestly didn't mind answering them as they waited for their food to arrive.
Rachel grinned up at him once he was done. "I think I'm a vegan then," she concluded. "I don't really know what chicks are, or milk or yo-hurt, but it seems hardly fair to simply take these things from animals without their consent. No, unless I could personally ask their opinions in the matter, then I shan't partake in this particular human custom. It just doesn't feel right."
Puck shook his head, amused. "It's not really like that, but, you know, whatever floats your boat," he shrugged.
"Wait," Rachel paused, her head tilting in confusion again. "What boat? There's a boat as well?"
He roared with laughter as she looked at him, bewildered. He found that he quite enjoyed explaining things to her. Her innocence as she learned about the world both awed and amused him. It was definitely different looking at the world through her eyes, maybe because she'd never really seen it before.
"So how do I get onto Broadway?" she asked Puck, waiting expectantly for the answer, like he had all the answers.
Now this was a question Puck had been mulling over all day.
Puck knew how to do many things. He knew how to play the guitar and the piano. He even knew how to play the accordion, which was no simple feat. He could disassemble and reassemble a pool filter in five minutes flat and he knew the engine of his truck like the back of his hand, but getting onto Broadway? Well, that wasn't exactly his area of expertise.
He was saved from answering the question when their waitress walked over with their food. She distributed the plates on their table, and then said, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you asking about Broadway. Are you an aspiring actress?"
Rachel beamed up at the girl like she had made a new best friend and nodded eagerly. "Yes, do you know how?"
The girl laughed and shook her head. "Well, technically yes, but my success rate hasn't exactly been stellar. As a beginner, the best place to start is the probably by finding an agent. The best one in the city is probably Lauren Zizes. She's a bit of a bitch and she's brutal but she's good. If you can get an appointment, that is. She usually ignores you until you make an impression. Here," the girl said, pulling out a newspaper from her apron pocket. "If you want to get anyone's attention and see what it's all about, maybe you should go to a few open calls."
"Oh, thank you so much, um..." Rachel exclaimed excitedly as she introduced herself, trailing off as she realized she hadn't learned the waitress' name.
The girl smiled. "Tina," she supplied helpfully.
"Tina," Rachel replied, smiling back. "It was so nice to meet you, Tina. Thanks for your wonderful advice, but don't you need this for yourself?" she asked, holding out the newspaper.
"No problem," she replied shaking her head. "But all the auditions today aren't really suitable. A lot of brunettes and blondes. It's harder, you know, being Asian; you don't get noticed as much."
Rachel frowned. "That doesn't seem right."
Tina sighed. "It's just the way this town works. Anyway, I better get back to work. Good luck with everything."
Puck took in Tina's words and wondered. Sure, he knew this wasn't going to be easy, but he'd really hate to see Rachel fail. It just didn't seem right, especially with all she'd gone through to get here. He was a little worried with how she would take this, but when he turned his head to look at her, her face was full of enthusiasm.
Her smile stretched widely across her eager face. "This is going to wonderful, Noah. I can feel it!"
.-.
Rachel felt horrible. She was already on the verge of tears, the stress and disappointment of the day finally getting to her.
They had gone to four open casting calls, all of which told her she "didn't have the right look." It seemed ridiculous that a city bursting with talent seemed so focused on "the right look." Shouldn't the ability and capabilities of a performer be more important that the mere physical appearance of a person? She watched as those simple minded fools simpered at the meager squawking of a bottle blonde bimbo that she could literally sing into the ground, while they barely even glanced up from the infernal devices in their hands when it was her turn.
Rachel realized that that wasn't the worst of it when she had finally managed to make it into Lauren Zizes' office. She had stood badgering her secretary for almost two hours, unwilling to miss such an important opportunity, before the disgruntled old lady finally broke down. But to say Ms. Zizes had been brutal was an understatement.
She had yelled at Rachel for almost twenty minutes for wasting her time, reprimanding her for not having a resume or any experience.
"How am I supposed to represent someone with no official training, who doesn't even carry a headshot?" she had yelled loudly, probably loud enough for the whole world to hear.
Rachel had felt like a fraud. This wasn't what she had dreamed New York City to be like.
"Blaine's right," she said as she cried into Puck's shoulder, her words muffled as she pressed her face into the crook of his neck, tears falling to stain his shirt. "I shouldn't have come here. It's hopeless. I can't do this! I should just go back and forget this ever happened!"
"Yeah, you're right," Puck replied sarcastically, and Rachel pushed him away indignantly, glaring down her nose at him. The only thing stopping her from slapping him right now were the soothing circular patterns he was rubbing up and down her back.
He frowned at her and gave her a pointed look before continuing seriously, "Come on, Rachel, don't talk crap." He pulled her forward and moved his head to rest against her temple.
"I'm serious, Noah..." she began, hiccupping slightly.
"And so am I," he pulled back to look her straight in the eye. "Rachel, you knew this was gonna be hard. You think that just because one person–"
"Five!" Rachel tried to correct him.
"– didn't like the way you sang or the way you look, that you should give up? Do you think that Barbra chick you've been going on about non-stop gave up after only one day?" he asked incredulously. "No. She didn't," he said firmly, answering his own question. "And neither will you. I'm not gonna let you give up just because you had a bad day. You're not a Lima Loser, and you never will be!"
Rachel looked at him confused, and Noah's eyes shifted around awkwardly. "What are you –?"
"Nothing." He interrupted quickly. "Come on." He pulled her along by the arm, racing to some unknown destination.
She mulled over his words in her head, wondering what it all meant. Whoever said she was a loser? she wondered a little indignantly. She also wondered if, perhaps, Noah wasn't talking to her; well maybe not only talking to her.
"What in the world...?" she asked, as he pulled her down a mostly empty street and through a back alley way. "Noah, where are you taking me? This is highly suspicious behavior… "
He shushed her and bent down at the back door to a small, run-down old building.
"Noah, what are you doing?" she asked nervously as he fiddled with the lock.
"Something I picked up in juvie." He answered with a smirk.
What? Juvie? She was about to ask again when the door popped open and he grinned from his apparent success.
"After you," he said, pushing her through the door.
Rachel stumbled through, bewildered. "What are we doing here, Noah?" she asked, stamping her foot in impatience. She didn't like not knowing what was going on.
"Just calm down, will ya," he replied calmly. "Have I ever steered you wrong?"
Rachel frowned half-heartedly. "No, I guess not." He left her and stumbled around in the dark for a while, obviously looking for something, but her tolerance was wearing thin. "Noah, I'm tired. I just want to go back to the hotel –"
Suddenly the lights flickered on around her, and Rachel walked in awe towards the open stage. It was amazing. She could see everything from her position. There were rows and rows of empty seats, leading all the way to the back, and also not one, but two, balconies, filled with seats. There was a thick layer of dust coating the floor, and there was slight musty quality in the air. There were piles of furniture around the stage, some covered with large white sheets as well as tools and buckets of paint strewn everywhere. The theatre looked like no one had been inside for a very long time, but Rachel didn't care.
"How did you –?" she asked when Noah appeared on stage. She couldn't take her eyes off her surroundings. She found herself spinning around to try and capture everything within her mind.
He shrugged. "I scouted around while you were auditioning. I'm pretty sure this place is mostly abandoned, but I thought it'd give you a taste what to expect."
"What?" she turned to him, a small enraptured smile on her face.
"Well, I don't know how long this whole auditioning thing is gonna take. I mean, you're a pretty persistent girl, so I wouldn't be surprised if you were doing this for real in, like, a week, but we can just call this a preview. So what do you think, Rachel? Are you ready to make your theatre debut?"
She beamed at him and nodded eagerly. He grinned back at her before leaping off the stage and taking a seat in the center of the front row. Noah whooped and clapped as she took center stage.
"I'll be singing, 'On My Own', from the seminal Broadway classic, Les Mis."
Rachel closed her eyes and imagined the theatre to be completely filled, a quiet hush falling over the crowd. She opened her mouth and sang, letting the lyrics, the melody and the emotions that this song inspired washing over her. She had always imagined a faceless someone when she sang this song, but right now, she could see Noah clear as day as she sang. She wondered if he heard her. Really heard her.
When she let the last note hang heavily in the air, resonating throughout the theatre, she finally opened her eyes, meeting his surprised gaze for the first time.
He looked at her in astonishment for a moment before he started clapping and cheering for her once more. She could feel the blush creeping up her neck as she did a small curtsy. She watched as he hoisted himself up on stage, biting her lip nervously as he approached.
"Woah." He said, speechless. "I mean, woah! I knew you said you could sing, but you can really sing!" He smiled encouragingly. "I can't believe those idiots turned you down. You completely blew me away. I don't know why you're even bothering. You're already a fucking star!" She smiled, ducking her head shyly. For once in her long life, she was completely speechless. She could feel her cheeks heating up once more; the rapid thumping in her chest echoing in her ears. "Hey..." he said, tucking his finger under her chin and tilting her head upwards.
Her breath caught in her throat as she waited in anticipation. This time her eyes remained open as his head lowered to meet her, everything moving in slow motion. It wasn't until the very last moment that his face was mere seconds from hers that she allowed her eyes to flutter close. His lips grazed against hers, an entirely different kind of warmth spreading from the touch and moving rapidly throughout her entire body. Her body seemed to tingle with excitement. He pulled back slightly, his hands moving to cup her face. He looked at her imploringly, silently seeking permission. A small smile graced her lips, and whatever apprehension Noah seemed to be feeling melted away.
His face leaned forward again, quicker this time, and Rachel prepared herself to sink into the kiss when suddenly a loud bang sounded around them. Then the steady clapping of a single person filled the air.
Rachel's body jumped at the sound, and they both turned to see Quinn walking down the large center aisle, her hands pounding together, mockingly.
"Aw, how sweet," she remarked in a sickeningly cheery voice, before her face hardened in a brute glare and she continued coldly. "Not."
In an instant, she was on the stage in front of them. Noah moved protectively between the two, but Quinn merely laughed at the thought. With a flick of her wrist, Noah went toppling backwards, landing harshly on a long forgotten scaffold stand.
Rachel screamed out his name as his back hit the metal bars with a loud thud, his body slumping down as he lay unconscious. She began to run towards him, but Quinn held out her hand threateningly.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you."
"I don't care what you do!" Rachel retorted angrily.
Quinn pushed both hands out towards Rachel, her palms facing outwards. A pulse of energy shot from her hands and pushed Rachel backwards. Somehow, she managed to remain on her feet, only stumbling slightly. When she tried to run forward again, she found her path blocked by another invisible barrier, but this time there were no bright sparks of electricity; it was just her fighting against a wall of nothing but air.
"Leave us alone!" she pleaded with the leader of the Trinity, but Quinn simply sneered in response. "Please, just let us go!"
"Now why would I do that?" she asked, though she took no pleasure in their pain. "When all I need is right here in front of me? And I see Blaine isn't coming to the rescue this time."
Rachel began glowing brightly, trying to summon the energy to escape once again, but her powers fell short. She was simply too drained from the previous day to repeat their miraculous escape.
She heard Noah groan, sitting up in a daze and rubbing the back of his neck.
"Noah!" she cried again, thankful that he was alright. At least for now.
With a snap of her fingers, Quinn instantly summoned Brittany and Santana to his side, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
"Rachel?" he asked confused, looking around as Brittany and Santana stared into his eyes, their bodies pressing against his as they literally began crawling up his chest. "What's going on...?"
"What are you doing?" Rachel asked directing her to Quinn.
Quinn smile was as menacing as ever. "Men, they're so predictable, don't you think?" she asked rhetorically.
Noah shook his head, blinking his eyes as if he was trying to wake up. "Rachel..?" he asked again, turning his head towards her, but Santana gripped his chin and wordlessly commanded him to face her once again. He was forced to look into her eyes, his gaze transfixed, as Rachel watched on in horror.
"Stop it!" Rachel shouted, pounding against the invisible wall. "Whatever you're doing just leave him out of it!"
The Unholy Trinity all laughed mercilessly, and only then did Noah seem to snap out of his daze. He struggled fruitlessly against Brittany and Santana's hold on him, but they just continued to smile, looking up at him seductively through their long eyelashes, coy smiles gracing their lips.
"Oh, he's a fighter this one," Quinn quipped as she watched the scene in front of them. "It's been centuries since anyone's been able to resist Santana's charm." The Latina threw Quinn a dirty look before turning back to the task at hand, but Quinn ignored it.
"Tell me Rachel," she asked, her tone light with pleasure, as if they were having just any ordinary conversation. "Have you ever heard what happens when a man is kissed by one of the Unholy Trinity?"
Rachel shook her head in horror. Actually, she hadn't heard. She had no idea what would happen, but she had a feeling that whatever it was, it couldn't be anything good.
"Don't... " she begged, tears streaming down her face. "Please... don't!"
"They die." Quinn's lip twitched in amusement, her head tilting to the side as she silently gave the command to Santana. "A slow and painful death."
"No, stop!" Rachel screamed, her head shaking vigorously. "Noah!"
She shouted with all her might as she watched, completely helpless, as Santana's face approached Noah's. For a moment, it seemed like all was lost. He seemed to have given in. He stared, bewitched, his eyes wide and pupil dilated. He moved his head in compliance to some unheard command, his face inching forward, when suddenly he snapped out of it.
He looked around stunned, the sound of her desperate shrieking waking him up. He stared in horror at Santana's face, seconds away from his, before he began furiously struggling as hard as he could against the weight of her and Brittany as they held him still.
"What the fuck are you doing?" he yelled, fear evident in his voice. Without thinking, he spat in the girl's ever nearing face and she recoiled in disgust.
In an instant, Santana had him around the throat, squeezing hard on his neck, already marred with bruises. "You're gonna pay for that, you hijo de puta!" she shouted, wiping the saliva off her cheek angrily.
"Enough!" Quinn commanded loudly. Both Brittany and Santana looked at her in surprise. "We can deal with him back at the castle. Just knock him out and we'll deal with him later." She then turned to Rachel, and glared. She moved forward through the invisible barrier and grabbed Rachel around the wrist, while Santana threw a threatening blow at Noah. He slumped forward once more, his completely limp form hanging lifelessly in the girls' arms. "Now, you're coming with us. And you better not fight us, otherwise we'll drop him off a bridge along the way."
They were off like a bullet, running at break neck speed as Rachel stared helplessly at Noah's unconscious form. This was all her fault. She should have just let him leave when he had the chance. She should have demanded he leave her alone. She should have told him she didn't want him there; anything to keep him from their clutches.
She had foolishly ignored the impending threat of the Trinity, even after they had come after her and wreaked havoc in a crowded street. She had desperately believed she could simply be a normal girl.
All because she was selfish. She always had been. She wanted it all. Him. Broadway. Everything. And now she had to pay the unbearable price.
