So, I know it's been a long time and I hope you guys still like this story. I really worked hard to get this finished. writer's block is a bitch but I seem to be getting over it.
As for my Pitch Perfect Fic 'Always' I am going to finish it. I actually have two chapters for it. I just have to get them up.
Disclaimer can be found in previous chapters.
I am introducing an OC in this chapter who is going to attempt to help Rachel realize some things.
Hope you enjoy! :D
CHAPTER 14
Ruth goes to McKinley Monday morning to speak to Figgins telling him that Rachel has come down with something and won't be attending school for a while. She also speaks to Bieste who accepts it and tells them to tell Rachel she hopes she feels better. But deep down Bieste really doesn't want to use her substitute for Rachel's position. But she really does hope Rachel feels better soon.
"Where's Rachel?" Quinn asks Puck and Brittany when they finish football practice that morning.
"She isn't feeling well." Puck answers and Brittany frowns.
"Can I see her after school?" Quinn asks and Brittany shakes her head.
"Rachel doesn't want anyone to catch what she has so she quarterd…quarentered…" She looks at Puck. She gets big words, but sometimes she mixes up the ones she wishes to use.
"Quarantined."
"Right, she locked herself in her room so we won't catch what she has." Brittany says and Quinn frowns.
"She won't pick up her phone."
They exchange glances. Should they tell Quinn? They shake their heads. It's not their place.
"Yeah, she's probably sleeping." Puck says as the warning bell rings.
"We gotta go." Brittany says as she and Puck rush off.
Quinn watches them go with pursed lips and narrowed eyes. Something is up and she is going to find out. She turns on her heel and heads to class with determination burning in her eyes.
A stinging cold hits her shoulder causing her to hiss in pain.
"Sorry." A soft voice says as the cold, damp cloth is removed from her shoulder. "You really got it handed to you huh?"
She opens her eyes and comes face to face with a blue eyed brunette with pale skin and a kind smile on her face.
"Yea, but you should see the other guy." She replies with a cocky grin.
Blue eyes smiles. "I have, I just finished splinting his arm, you didn't have to break it you know." She places the damp cloth back on the scrapes on her shoulder.
She scoffs. "He tried to break my nose. I take any attack towards my nose seriously." She huffs defensively.
"Yeah, your eye not so much huh?" Blue eyes asks as she takes the girl's hand and placing a cold pack in it and bringing her hand up to her swollen left eye. "Hold it there." She orders.
"I like them bossy." She smirks and blue eyes rolls her eyes.
"Already hitting on me and we haven't even known each other five minutes."
"I'm Rachel." Rachel sticks out her free hand.
"Jack." Blue eyes takes Rachel's hand and inspects her purple wrist. "It's not broken." She presses her thumb down onto the purple skin and Rachel hisses. "Yep, just bruised, you don't want to be punching anyone till it gets better."
"Who are you a doctor?" Rachel asks and Jack smiles.
"No, I'm an EMT, my dad is a doctor though, I played a lot of sports growing up, kick boxing was one of them. My coaches taught me how to take care of my injuries on my own." Jack answers lifting the rag on Rachel's shoulder. "They aren't that bad, you'll be sore for a bit but they'll be gone in a few days."
"How'd you land this job?" Rachel asks looking around the crowded room.
Jack watches as one of the fighters in the ring slams the other to the concrete. She winces when she hears him make contact. "The man running this fight club pays me twenty percent every night. He's also my cousin so someone has to watch out for him." Jack says as she wraps Rachel's wrist with an Ace bandage.
"And your boss is ok with that?" Rachel asks and Jack smiles.
"I don't work for an ambulance company." Jack inspects Rachel's legs. "I'm not hitting on you, but you have some really nice legs." She palpates them and when Rachel hisses when Jack applies pressure to her right knee Jack stops palpating and lifts Rachel's leg bending it at the knee. "Does that hurt?" Rachel shakes her head.
"Only when you touch it."
"You got that when he tried to knock you down but you saw it and anticipated the kick only to leap up and clock him with an amazing uppercut right?" Jack asks and Rachel stares at her eyes wide and nods.
"Yeah."
"I do notice when newcomers come in. I usually have to call an ambulance to come get him a block away." Jack says referring to the times she helps them change into civilian clothes and drops them in an alley and takes their money and valuables making it look like a mugging. She always shows up at their door a day later to return their driver's license, money and things. If it were anyone else, they'd only get their driver's license back. "So who hurt you so much that you're a walking ball of rage?" Jack asks handing Rachel two Tylenol and a bottle of water.
Rachel takes the pills and chugs the water. "What makes you think that?" Rachel asks.
"Most guys here have daddy or mommy issues, have debts they need to pay off or feel like this is the only thing they can do. Which one is it for you?" Jack asks and Rachel narrows her eyes.
"Maybe I just enjoy hitting people." Rachel says and Jack laughs.
"Everyone here likes winning Rachel. But they don't come here just to hit people." Jack says as the man in charge walks up to her.
"You did great tonight. You took out two of our biggest guys. Got me a lot of money." He looks like Jack, blue yes, dark hair. "Here's your winnings." He hands Rachel a large stack of money. "Everyone was betting against you." He says handing Jack a small stack. "Everyone but my cousin who put faith in you." Jack takes the money and quickly pockets it.
"People underestimate the small ones." Jack says.
"Oh they do. When are you going to get in there again?"
Jack shakes her head. "I'm done with that Eric. You know that." Jack says with a smile. Rachel looks at her surprised.
"Well, when you decide to drop out of high school to join the club for good let me know." Eric smiles walking off.
"How old are you?" Rachel asks. "You used to fight here?"
Jack nods. "I'm nineteen and yes, I used to fight here. Eric owns the gym above us, I work there as an EMT to tend to athletes and others who hurt themselves training or working out." Jack explains.
"Why'd you fight? Why'd you stop?" Rachel asks quickly.
"I fought because I was pissed off that my dad was trying to move on from my mom right after her death, instead of one parent I lost both. I stopped because I beat a guy so bad he ended up in a coma for two days." Jack says taking the cold pack from Rachel. "Your eye isn't so bad anymore." Jack says. "I gotta go check on that guy." Jack points to the guy being helped out of the ring. "See you around Rachel." Jack says walking off.
Rachel watches her go with interest.
Rachel is sleeping in her car when Jack walks out of the gym. She I ready to just go home but the sight pulls at her heart. Jack walks over and knocks on Rachel's window startling the young girl awake. Rachel opens her door.
"What?"
"Are you living in your car?" Jack asks and Rachel nods.
"I didn't really plan the whole thing out when I left home." Rachel says and Jack rolls her eyes.
"Obviously. Move over." Jack says motioning for Rachel to move into the passenger seat.
"Are you kidnapping me?" Rachel asks slightly panicked.
Jack laughs. "No, my place isn't that far, I was going to walk, but you need a place to stay so until you can get back on your feet you'll stay with me." Jack says as Rachel moves over.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" Rachel asks as Jack climbs in tossing her duffel bag to the backseat.
"Because you look as I did when I realized I was alone." Jack answers starting the car.
"How do you know I'm alone?" Rachel asks.
"You're living in your car, the fight club is probably your only source of income and I'm pretty sure you're not from here." Jack says. "Who'd you run away from?"
"They have to be around for you to run away from them." Rachel says and Jack nods.
"Absent parents. Got it." Jack says pulling up to a nice looking apartment complex. She drives around to the parking garage and parks the car in an empty spot with J. Vincent on the wall in front of them.
Rachel notices the parking is right next to the side entrance to the lobby. As they step in Rachel stares at the expensiveness of it all.
"You live here?" Rachel asks as Jack shoulders both their bags.
"Yep, I have the penthouse on the thirty-sixth floor." Jack says leading Rachel to the elevators.
"So you're rich?" Rachel asks.
"It's old money, my grandmother passed away shortly after my mother, both left me everything. So when I turned eighteen I got grandma's penthouse that overlooks the city and the building." Jack says as the elevator doors close and she hits the button for the thirty-sixth floor.
"So you're rich. Only rich people say stuff like that." Rachel says and Jack chuckles.
"I guess they do." She says as the elevator opens and Jack places her bag down pulling out her keys as they come to a stop in front of a door. Jack opens the door and leads Rachel in.
"Wow." Rachel gasps taking in the large penthouse.
A kitchen is too her left a small closet to her right where Jack is hanging up her jacket. The sink and bar counter face the living room where a large 'L' shaped couch and a recliner are positioned in front of a 60" flat screen TV. The dining table in a small four by four table in the middle of the kitchen and one of the walls opposite the TV is nothing but glass allowing an amazing view. A pool table is in front of it and an elegant chandelier hangs in the middle of the room illuminating the whole apartment.
"So this place was designed for my grandmother to have loud parties and get together's. My room is right there, the door adjacent to it is the music room. My grandmother loved music." Jack says showing Rachel around.
"This is all yours?" Rachel asks and Jack chuckles.
"Yep." Jack smiles. Showing Rachel to her room. "The bathroom is right there so go ahead and do whatever it is you do before sleep, Towels are in the cupboard by the sink, I'm gonna make dinner." Jack says walking out of the room and to the kitchen.
Rachel isn't all that certain still. Jack could very well be a serial killer waiting for her to get comfortable. Who would want her around? Her father's didn't, he mother doesn't want her and everyone else will eventually leave her so why would Jack want her around?
Rachel sighs and goes into the bathroom and takes a shower.
Rachel steps out of the shower and the amazing smell of dinner wafts through the room. She gets dressed and goes to the kitchen where Jack is pulling a pizza out of the oven.
"That smells delicious." Rachel says and Jack smiles.
"Thanks. My mom and grandma were famous for their pizzas. Secret recipe though." Jack winks as she places the pizza and pan on the stove.
"That's homemade? How long was I in the shower?" Rachel asks perplexed.
"About an hour." Jack answers getting out a pizza cutter.
Rachel's stomach growls and she blushes. "Sorry."
Jack chuckles. "Don't be." She hands Rachel a plate with two slices on it.
"I'm vegan." Rachel frown and Jack smiles.
"I'm lactose intolerant, the cheese is soy." Jack says. "And you can pick off the sausage and pepperoni." Jack says dishing her up some and taking a seat at the table. "What brings you to New York?" Jack asks. "Other than the running part?" She gets up and grabs two water bottles from the fridge. She sits back down and hands one to Rachel.
"I always wanted to perform." Rachel says with a smile. "I'm destined for Broadway."
Jack smiles. "Grandma would have loved you."
"She a supporter of the arts?" Rachel asks and Jack nods.
"She loved Broadway, she has a booth in three theatres. I use it every now and then." Jack says.
"Really?" Rachel's eyes light up.
"Yep. But that's enough about me. What about you?" Jack asks taking a bite out of her pizza.
Rachel picks the meat off her pizza. "My dads left me." Rachel answers and Jack raises a brow. "They had some important job with work and it involved leaving but I had school so they left me with a family friend. They weren't home enough to begin with but it still hurt. I don't think they even wanted me. MY birth mother thinks I don't need her so she left and adopted a baby girl." Rachel says and Jack flinches.
"Ouch."
"Yeah, my dad's called Ruth, the woman who was looking after me, to ask if she'll take full custody over me until I'm eighteen because they don't know when they'll be back. I just feel like I've been tossed aside." Rachel says sniffling and Jack nods.
"I understand. After mom died, dad threw himself into work, I'd see him a day or two a month but that was it. My grandmother visited a lot after that. Then she passed away six months ago." Jack says. "But what about Ruth?"
"Ruth has been there for me for as long as I can remember. She's like my mother and her kids are my best friends and like my siblings." Rachel smiles.
"Then why'd you leave?" Jack asks.
"Because in the end they'll leave me just like my fathers." Rachel says picking off the last piece of meat and taking a bite out of her pizza.
"You can't possibly know that." Jack says.
Rachel shrugs. "I guess I'll never find out."
"Because you left them before they could leave you." Jack states and Rachel nods. "I hate to burst your bubble but since you said Ruth was to take custody of you, I'm assuming you aren't that close to eighteen. Which means that if they want to they can call the cops who will drag you back home." Jack says wiping her mouth with a napkin.
"Why would they want me back though?" Rachel asks and Jack wants to slap her or herself.
"They obviously care about you Rachel otherwise Ruth would have left you a long time ago. She wouldn't have stuck around as long as you say she has. If Ruth has been there then you have someone who loves you." Jack says taking a bite out of her pizza.
"I can't handle being left abandoned again." Rachel says and Jack sighs.
"Look, tomorrow after we are all rested we are going to drive you home and you are going to talk to your friends and family." Jack says.
"I don't have a family." Rachel huffs and Jacks groans.
"You have Ruth and her kids. I'll give you till the weekend, but come Saturday morning if you haven't made up your mind we are going anyway." Jack says going to the closet where she hung her coat and pulls out two pillows and some blankets. "You can stay on the couch till then."
"Why are you doing this?" Rachel asks sounding very small.
"Because I care. I don't know why, I just do, maybe it's because you and me are a lot alike. You have this Ruth lady and I have Eric." Jack says putting her plate in the sink.
"He's your cousin."
"Not by blood. He and I grew up together, we're practically family, so we call each other cousin." Jack says and Rachel is surprised at this. "Get some sleep and try not to hurt yourself alright?" Jack asks heading into her room shutting the door with a slam. She hadn't meant to but even after hearing what little of Rachel's story she could tell this Ruth person cared about Rachel.
Jack shakes Rachel awake Wednesday morning.
"What?" Rachel grumbles as Jack puts her phone in her face. Rachel flinches at the light of her phone screen.
"Quinn is calling." Jack says as Rachel takes her phone. "She's really pretty." Jack says going to the kitchen to make coffee and breakfast.
Rachel lets the phone ring and waits for the ding signaling another voicemail to the other dozen already in her phone. She gets up and joins Jack in the kitchen.
"Is Jack short for anything?" Rachel asks pulling the soy milk from the fridge.
"You've been here for almost two days and now you ask that?" Jack asks with a raised eyebrow. She's actually amused by it. Most people bluntly state Jack is a boy's name when she introduces herself.
Rachel shrugs. "I wasn't really curious at the time. Now I'm wondering."
Jack places the two mugs of coffee on the table and pulls out two bowls while Rachel grabs the cereal. "It's short for Jacqueline." Jack says as they take a seat at the table. "My dad wanted a boy so he started calling me Jack, it annoyed my mother to no end but it grew on her. Back then everything was sunshine and rainbows." Jack smiles grabbing the cereal and pouring it in her bowl. "Who's Quinn? She's called so many times since you turned your phone back on."
"She's just a girl." The words taste horrible on tongue. Quinn is more than just some girl. She is pretty kind, her eyes shine like the night sky, her smile could be the sun with the way it lights up a room and her voice…
"Rachel! Rach!" Jack snaps her fingers in front of Rachel's face snapping her out of whatever reverie she was in. "By the dopey look I'm gonna guess she's more than just a girl." Jack smiles.
"She is so much more." Rachel murmurs shoving a spoonful of cereal in her mouth. "But she'd never feel the same."
"You never know if you don't try. But like I said, come Saturday morning, if you haven't made a decision I'm hauling your ass back home." Jack says and Rachel huffs. "Now hurry up and eat, Eric wants us to help clean up the mess from last night." Jack says referring to the mess that was the end result of a fight that broke out outside of the ring between a few guys who exchanged insults that turned to throwing punches.
Rachel laughs. "I couldn't imagine you fighting there. I mean just looking at you and your personality." Rachel says and Jack laughs with her.
Jack stepped in to break it up and just barely ducked under a flying fist. Jack linked her arm around the big guy's jabbed his ribs with her left as hard as she could and kicked the guy in the back of his knee making him lose balance and with the help of gravity and the momentum of the big guy's fall Jack managed to slam him onto his back. Eric shoved people to the ground in an attempt to get to Jack in hopes she wasn't hurt and the relief shone on his face when he saw that Jack was unharmed.
"I could say the same for you." Jack says.
As they help clean up Rachel's phone rings at least four times all from the same person.
"Does Quinn know about your parents?" Jack asks as they haul heavy duty trash bags out to the dumpster in the alley.
Rachel shakes her head. "I don't want her to know."
"Why?" Jack asks heaving the trash bag into the dumpster.
"I don't want her pity."
"You just want her love." Jack quips and Rachel stops lifting the garbage bag to glare at her. "She obviously cares a lot for you if she calls you at least twenty times an hour." Jack rolls her eyes grabbing the trash bag from Rachel and tossing it in the dumpster.
"She does not call twenty times an hour. She calls eight at the most." Rachel huffs and Jack rolls her eyes.
"My bad, twenty texts and eight calls, all of which go unanswered. She cares about you Rach and it's obvious that she is worried." Jack says.
"You've known me two days. I find it hard to believe you have this much of my life figured out." Rachel says and Jack sighs.
"You have people who care, more people than I did. You have it better. When I lost my parents all I had was Eric and he couldn't always be there. You have friends. Ruth, her kids, this Quinn girl and that Brittany girl who calls every night before you go to bed and sometimes at midnight."
"How do you know that?" Rachel asks.
"I couldn't sleep last night and she called."
"Did you answer it?" Rachel asks and Jack shakes her head. "Good."
They don't talk about it the rest of the day. That doesn't mean Jack's left it alone.
Rachel is passed out asleep around ten. Fight club is closed for the rest of the week because of the fight last night. Jack steps out of her room and tip toes over to the coffee table in between the TV and couch. She swipes Rachel's phone from it and goes to the soundproof music room. Guitars, bass guitars and electric guitars line the padded walls, a grand piano rest in one corner, a drum set in the other and a couch is pressed against the back wall.
Jack sits on the couch and unlocks Rachel's phone having gotten the password from her when she wanted to play angry birds earlier that day. She didn't really, but Rachel didn't need to know that. She scrolls through and finds Ruth's number. Jack dials the number in her cell phone and presses it to her ear.
The phone is answered after the third ring.
"Hello?"
The woman on the other line is surprisingly awake.
"Hi, is this Ruth Puckerman?" Jack asks.
"Yes this is, may I ask who is calling?"
"My name's Jack, I'm a friend of Rachel's, I was…"
"Is she ok? Where is she?" Jack gets cut off by Ruth's frantic questions.
Jack smiles. "Rachel is fine, she's here in New York."
"Is she coming home?"
Jack chuckles. This woman sound so worried. How can Rachel think she's going to leave her? "I have given Rachel till Saturday to make a decision about that, but if she still hasn't Saturday morning I will be bringing her home. I think she just needs time, she thinks you and everyone else will leave her like her dads and birth mother."
Ruth gasps. "That's absurd! I would never and her friends would never. Is that why she left?" Ruth asks. "She left us before we could leave her?"
"That's what it sounds like. Rachel is sleeping right now and has no idea I'm doing this." Jack chuckles.
She can practically hear Ruth smiling through the phone. "Thank you for looking after Rachel. If you don't mind me asking, how did you two meet?" Ruth asks.
"Uhh, Rachel was at my cousin's gym, where I work, hitting the bag and she hit it the wrong way. I'm the EMT there so I bandaged her wrist. I found her sleeping in her car after my shift Monday night and since then she has been staying with me." Jack explains.
"That's very nice of you. I have to get back to work, if it's not too much could you call again tomorrow. It would be very appreciated."
"Yeah, of course. I'll call again tomorrow when Rachel's asleep."
"Thank you dear."
"It is no problem. Have a nice night."
"You too."
Jack hangs up and searches for Quinn's number contemplating calling her. If she did and told her everything Rachel would kill her. Jack shakes her head. She's done enough meddling for one night. She returned Rachel's phone to the coffee table and goes to bed.
Quinn is giving Sam, Puck and Brittany the silent treatment. She refuses to talk to either of them until they tell her what's going on with Rachel. Her resolve falters when Brittany pouts but she is going to stay strong. She is not going to fall for that damn pout that could make even Santana bend to the blonde's will.
Then as she is heading to homeroom she passes the choir room where she hears an excited squeal from Brittany. She pauses and steps closer to hear.
"She's coming home?!" Brittany squeals.
"Yeah, my mom got a call from the chick she's staying with in New York. Rachel will be home Saturday." Puck exclaims.
New York? I thought she was sick? Realization hits Quinn and her eyes widen. They lied to me! To the school, to the others! To me!
Quinn looks through the open door to see Puck, Sam, Brittany and Mike engaged in a group hug.
Mike? He knew about this too?
Quinn anger boiled and she couldn't do it. She was pissed. They lie to her and there's this big secret that no one is telling her and she is sick of being left in the dark!
"I thought Rachel was sick?" Quinn smirks stepping into the choir room.
The eyes of the four are opened wide and jaws slacked in shock.
How much had she heard?
OH SNAP!
So...what do you think? You know what Rachel's father's did. But should they tell Quinn? Will Rachel decide on her own or will Jack end up hauling her ass back to Lima. Also, what did you think of Jack? And the next chapter will tell how Mike knows.
Until next time. :)