The Berry Wars
Chapter Fourteen
Rachel checked her bag once again as she went over her check list. It was a nervous trait one that she'd had for years. One that she hadn't been able to kick.
She didn't know why having all the cheerios at the competition bothered her . Why it put her on edge, in the back other mind she knew that it was another plot to get her on the cheerios. Which ewww! Wasn't happening. The three of them made her collectively nervous and she didn't know why.
She didn't trust any of them, including Brittany who apparently wasn't as she appeared to the rest of the world. At least with Santana and Quinn she knew where they stood. Even if it was shaky ground.
Rachel stopped when Alura pounced into the room . She felt guilty for leaving the puppy all day again so soon. Her young neighbor was watching over her and taking carte of her. But she wasn't comfortable leaving her so soon.
"Come on girl lets go for a run." she ribbed the excited boxers ears and led the way to the front door. She grabbed the leash and out they went. She ignored the truck that was parked across her house it had been for the last few nights.
She ignored it because she wasn't worried about the teenage boy who tried to hide inside. When he was ready he would approach her and at that time they would work out whatever it was out.
She didn't have time for the drama. She didn't want to have time for it either. Life was too short. She was too short. She smirked at her thoughts as she made her way to the park. She felt more then heard the person come up behind her. She ignored them and released the leash from Alura and let her run.
"I wanted to come and see if you were alright."
"You haven't cared for years, why would you start now?"
"Rachel, it was a mistake to leave you. I know that. We know that." Rachel turned to look at the man that use to be her Daddy.
"I'm in a much better place then I have been in years. I don't need to make you feel better about being a failure in a role that you chose to have and then chose to abandon. That's on you and Dad. Nothing that you can say, or do is going to make the past mysteriously disappear. I've come to terms with who you are, who I am, and who we aren't."
She looked around watching Alura who was chasing the ducks. "I know that your guilt is the reason that you're here. It isn't necessary. I'm good, I can do this. I don't want you showing up here when you want. You're not part of my life anymore." she looked up at him. "You're not welcome here, but I've no hard feelings, mater of fact I have no feelings."
"Rachel, wait."
"No. You need to leave." Rachel turned to leave and recoiled when her father placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her from walking away. "Get your hands off me."
"Young lady."
"She asked you to take your hands off her."
"I've got this Karofsky."
"Never a doubt in my mind, but I don't think you want to do physical damage to your own parent."
"I won't lose sleep over it, if that's what you mean." she shrugged her shoulders and effectively removed the older man's hand and was three feet away in an blink of an eye. "Go away, go back to your husband and enjoy your early retirement."
"Rachel this isn't over."
"Clearly it is unless you would like to involve law enforcement." Dave said standing between Rachel and the tall man that use to be Rachel's daddy.
"Don't threaten me boy."
"I'm not. I fully intend to call the police and have you arrested for harassment." Dave pulled out his cell phone and glared at the man clearly wanting him to push him to follow through.
"Rachel we'll talk about this later."
"I'd rather not. We're done here, go back where you belong." she turned her back and headed off to the pond. She heard Karofsky approach, a few moments later. They stood not talking looking out over the water.
"I get that you don't want to talk about this, especially to me of all people, but you shouldn't be doing this on your own."
"Have been for years, I got this. I appreciate what you're doing, but I've got this and everything else under control." she said shrugging her shoulders. "You could be a decent guy, if you stopped worrying about being who you are all the time."
"You're probably right, but we can't all be the incredible fearless Rachel Berry." Dave laughed.
Rachel laughed too and nodded. "It takes practice." she admitted. "Thanks again, I've got to get back, I'll see you at school."
"Right in the halls right?"
She nodded with a slight smile on her lips, called to Alura and headed back in the direction of her house. Deep in though of recent events of the day. By the time she made it back to the house she was deep in her head and in a bad place, she let herself back into the house and leaned heavily on the door, letting her breath out loudly.
"That good of a run huh?"
"Oh yeah." she shot Hector a grin and pushed away from the door. "We about ready to head out?"
"We can talk about whatever it is."
"Nothing to talk about, and why waste time on things or people that you can't change?"
"Rachel." Hector frowned and followed her as she made her way to the kitchen.
"Honestly I'm fine and I don't want to talk about it. Listen this competition is there amateur events?"
"You're thinking about enrolling?"
"Yeah I feel like pounding something."
"Right." Hector rolled his eyes. "Nothing."
"Exactly, glad we've had this chat."
Quinn rolled her eyes for the tenth time as Santana checked over the directions while checking out her makeup in the rearview mirror. "Lopez same face as 5 minutes ago, are we on the right road or not."
"Fuck you Preggers, I'm multi tasking." Santana snapped the visor shut slipped her sunglasses back in place and looked at the GPS. "We're on track, keep straight."
"No fighting." Brittany said from the back of the Suv where she was painting her nails.
"Don't get any of that polish on my seats Britt." Quinn muttered glancing at her in the rearview mirror.
"No worries, being extra careful. Watch the road, Quinnie."
Quinn bit her tongue to refrain from saying anything else and gaining the Snix wrath. They'd been on the road for two hours and she and Santana had been civil with one another, which was mostly Quinn's fault as she didn't like getting up early in the morning, and she didn't want to be stuck in a car with the two of them.
Quinn was honestly beside herself on how they were going to get Berry on their side. Coach wasn't going to be happy until she was on the team, and Rachel was being impossible. Who doesn't want to be on the Cheerios? What was wrong with the midget freak? And why all of a sudden was she so damn popular?
The unholy trinity arrived at the arena with thirty minutes to spare. Two other cars pulled in behind them, part of the Cheerio's caravan. Brittany pointed out Rachel's classic car right away, and Becky ignored them both and headed in that direction. Quinn still didn't understand the bond that Becky and Berry had. It was honestly baffling. "So what's the plan?"
"The plan is to go in there and cheer for Rachel's boyfriend and his cousin and try to convince Berry that being on the Cheerios is the best and only option."
"Yes it will be so ever easy." Quinn rolled her eyes and followed a bouncing and overly excited Brittany into the run down building. Had it not been well labeled as the place where the tournament was, Quinn would have been much more nervous then she was.
Brittany smiled widely looking around the venue. She had never been to an AMA fight and the thought of getting closer to Rachie, while seeing something new really excited her. Plus she was with her two best friends. Best Day Ever!
"Britt's you've got to calm down." Santana laughed one arm hugging her, but Brittany wasn't fooled Santana was excited too and her eyes were all over the place.
"Where do you think Rachel and Raul are ?" She said instead as she looked around for them she waved at Katie and the rest of the cheerios as they arrived following behind Quinn.
"No idea, they've got to be here somewhere." Santana muttered.
"Over there" Katie said excitedly pointing over to a large crowd that was formed in the middle of the arena.
Brittany followed Katie's extended hand and finger and sure enough she could make out Raul and the tall man from Breadstick the other night. They were in a crowd of people who where all talking loudly and passionately.
Brittany wasn't sure why she had a bad feeling as to what was being argued about. She made her way over quickly to the crowd to see what exactly was going on.
Rachel leaned back against the cement poll and watched the men around her argue, she was going to fight and there wasn't a damn thing that anyone of them could do or say to stop her. She really saw no reason to get involved.
"A little girl like that." the older man that she didn't know pointed to her in disgust. "She can't fight, I don't care what you too say about her fighting skills. Just because you're family doesn't make it okay."
"We're not her family. I'm her trainer and I'm telling you that she is a fighter, she can take anyone of your guys I'd bet my own current title on it." Hector said with a firm stance that had Rachel feeling warm all over.
"Anyone?" the older man questioned with a scoff.
"Anyone." he stated firmly, and Rachel found herself grinning.
"How about me?" a thin tall man came out of the crowd and gave her the once over. "I might let her pin me just for the fun of it."
Rachel rolled her eyes and gave the man a once over, she nodded to Hector.
"She says that she can."
"NO Gerry is one of our prized fighters, there is no way."
"Don't worry Paul, I'll go easy on the little lady." he winked and patted the old man on the shoulder as he passed him to the ring.
"I wouldn't if I were you." warned Raul with a grin as he pulled Rachel from the poll and rubbed her shoulders. "You're sure this is what you want?"
"Yes, I need to disintegrate something." Rachel grinned, glanced over in time to catch the cheerios heading their way and her grin faltered a bit. "Damn it I was really holding out a hope that they wouldn't show."
"They seem pretty persistent." he muttered.
"No kidding." Rachel grabbed her bag at her feet and headed away from the fast approaching girls, her arm around Becky as the girl came into sight.
Brittany, Santana and Quinn stopped in their tracks as they watched Rachel walk off with the other cheerio all with a matching face of hurt, which only two of them quickly hid.
"Why does Rachie hate me?" Brittany whispered her voice trembling, and her eyes filling with unshed tears.
"She doesn't B! You know that, its Q and I that she dislikes." Santana said with a arm around her pulling her in for a quick hug. "I'll talk to her and set her straight."
Quinn rolled her eyes. "Yeah cause that worked so well last time."
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~ Taylor's notes: ~
I know its short, I'm trying to get back on the wagon of writing now that my writers block is starting to fade away. Hope you guys like it! Coming up next we'll get some Unholy Trinity and Rachel !
Btw: reviews are always welcome!
Love Taylor
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Thanks for reading
Please review
This story isn't written in stone and I haven't decided on who
Rachel will end up with yet. I haven't gotten to that yet.
She still too closed off. I'd love to hear your idea of
what should happen.
Thanks
Taylor
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