Title: Winged
Pairings: St. Berry, Hummelberry, Klaine.
Rating: M
Current word count: +80,000
Status: In Progress
Disclaimer: The characters in this work of fiction are not mine, they belong to Fox and Ryan Murphy, however the plotline is my own work.
Synopsis: In the world of Jesse St. James things are never quite as they seem and the rules of morality are faint and blurry. When he gets given an Angel, a beautiful, unearthly creature, by his parents, he thinks nothing of it. Until suddenly he finds himself falling for her and his world and everything he has ever known is turned on its head.
Warnings: Dark themes.
xxx
It wasn't until after breakfast that he finally got up the courage to tell her. She had watched him expectantly throughout breakfast, but he had tried to ignore her expression and talked about other things, getting only nods and smiles in return. Finally, when they were finished and he could put it off no longer, he held out a hand for her and led her into the den, sitting slowly as she lowered herself onto the couch beside him, smoothing out her skirt nervously.
"Please just tell me," her voice was soft. "I'm so fed up of worrying."
"I know," he breathed, shaking his head and sighing. "Just… hear me out okay?"
"Okay," she nodded solemnly. "I promise."
"Thank you," he nodded once and settled further into the couch, reaching out to hold one of her hands. "Quinn isn't my friend. Well, I mean she is my friend but she's more of a… business partner than a friend really."
"I don't understand," she confessed and he nodded once, taking a deep breath and saying.
"Quinn is a rebel Rachel."
She stared at him blankly and he narrowed his eyes curiously, saying.
"You know, like in that book you were reading? Les Miserables?" At her nod he continued. "She's like the Friends of the ABC Café. She wants to overthrow the officials, you know, like the men who came to take you away? And the people who ran the centre? She wants to change the way things work, she doesn't agree with it."
"What does this have to do with us?" Rachel questioned softly, her brows knitting together.
"Please… don't freak out." He shifted nervously and tightened his hold on her hand. "I couldn't stand it Rachel, I couldn't stand seeing you being treated like that! The way that those men treated you… and Julia… and at the centre. I couldn't see the woman I love treated that way, you have to understand that.
"I knew of Quinn and her friends because a man I'd met at the centre had told me about them. He gave me an address but I didn't use it, not at first. Then, after you came back from your… interrogation… I knew I had to act. So the next morning I went to talk to Quinn and she said that she would help me. And we just kept meeting and talking but then Quinn's house was found by the OIA and we had to find somewhere new so we finally just… came here." He finished rather lamely, watching as she looked up at him, her brows still creased.
Slowly, a flicker of understanding began to dawn in her eyes, even as she asked, softly. "Why did you go to her? What are you… planning to do?"
"Rachel," he sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a moment and running a hand through his hair. "It's for your own good."
"No!" She cried, pulling away from him furiously. "No! You can't!"
"Please Rachel, just listen to me." He stood, holding his hands out towards her. "Quinn's got a plan, she knows what she's doing. She's even found your family! You're going to be safe!"
"My family?" Rachel gaped at him. "What do you mean… my-my mother? And San and Puck?"
"Yes!" He smiled at her, relief flushing through him. "I've seen them and they're willing to help, they want you back-"
"You mean they're here?" She stood quickly, her face paling. "In the Area?"
"Yes of course," Jesse stared at her. "They've been here for ages."
"What?" She staggered backwards a step. "What do you mean? E-Ever since they came here?"
"Rachel, I don't understand," he took a step closer to her. "What's the problem?"
"How can you even ask me that?" Tears were filling her eyes. "My family are here."
"I… I thought you'd be happy." He stared at her in surprise.
"Of course I'm not happy!" Her voice rose furiously. "They're in danger! What if they're found? What if they're caught?"
"Rachel they won't be."
"You can't guarantee that! You have to tell them to leave, please Jesse you have to."
"If they leave you're going with them!" He replied furiously. "You have to get out Rachel. You have to."
"This is way too dangerous!" She argued hotly. "I don't… no. I don't want them to be here. Make them go home."
"Rachel-"
Her eyes flashed dangerously, as he had never seen them do before. "Make them go home. This is not a discussion."
Turning on her heel she hurried away and he flinched a little when he heard the library door shut firmly behind her.
Xxx
She sat in the library for at least an hour, not reading just curled up on the chaise, her head buried in her knees. She had cried a lot of tears in her short life time, more so than she probably should have, but in that long hour she felt like she cried more than she had in her whole life. Dried tear tracks made her cheeks stiff and painful and her eyes sting and blur. Her hands were clenched into fists by her sides, anger keeping them tights and tense at her sight.
How dare he? The mantra thrummed through her head over and over again.
How dare he make this decision for her- without her? It was preposterous. The idea of going away, of leaving here… and putting everyone in danger. How could she, with a clean conscience, let people put themselves in danger like that? She was happy here. She felt no need to change her life with Jesse, here in the Area, and yet how could she push her family away again? This time by choice?
A small knock on the door startled her and she looked up, her eyes narrowing.
"I don't want to talk to you." Her voice, though stuffy and dense, with sharp with fury.
"Please," the door swung open just slightly and he peered in at her through the dim light of the library. "Please, I just want to talk to you."
"Did you send my family away yet?" Her voice was soft, her heart leaping with hope until he shook his head negatively and her expression crumpled again, shaking her head.
"Please… Rache… there's some people here who want to talk to you."
"What?" Her question was sharp, her head startling up again to see him, so fast that she felt her neck muscles twinge in protest at the movement. She stood slowly, on shaking legs and took a hesitant step towards him.
His face brightening slightly almost broke her heart and when he held out his hand for her to take she looked at it for a long moment until finally slipping her own into his grip.
Silently, he lead her out of the library, through the corridors and into the hall, pausing outside the shut door of the den when she pulled on his hand to stop him.
"Wait."
He turned and watched as she bent down and scooped up Willow, who had come scampering out of the kitchen, smelling distinctly of her special kitten food. Glancing up, Rachel caught sight of Kurt watching her go, but when she met his gaze he looked away quickly, busying himself at the counter and her brows narrowed in confusion.
"Rachel?"
Looking away, she met Jesse's tender expression and her own softened slightly in response to it.
"Are you ready?" His voice was so soft that she had to strain to hear it, but she nodded after a long second and held the kitten closer to her as he stepped forward and swung the door to the den open.
Slowly, Rachel stepped towards it; her eyes immediately found deeply familiar brown ones and in less than a second all of her resentment melted away as she staggered towards her mother, Willow scrambling from her arms with a frightened mewl at the sight of a stranger, scurrying away to hide behind Jesse's legs. Shelby caught her in her arms, holding her tightly and pressing a kiss to the top of her head as she embraced her daughter, tears running down her cheeks.
"Mama," the strangled word escaped her as she squeezed her mother tightly around the waist. "Mama."
"Baby," Shelby's voice cracked as she wrapped herself around Rachel, running her hand down her back and then down her long wings. "My baby."
"W-What are you doing here?" Rachel pulled away slightly, her eyes landing on Puck, Santana and Finn, moving towards her cousins to embrace them, the two siblings holding her close between them. Shelby followed close behind, one hand still clutching one of Rachel's and Jesse smiled a little sadly at them, looking up to see Quinn eyeing him.
Finally, after a long moment they separated away from each other and Puck said, wiping away a stray tear.
"We came to take you home Rache."
She startled backwards suddenly and her eyes spun around, landing first on Finn and then on Quinn. Eyes widening, she stepped back again, jumping away when Jesse's hand landed softly on her shoulder and spinning around to face him, her expression aghast.
"I thought they might be able to convince you." His voice was soft and she narrowed her eyes slightly until he begged, pleadingly. "Please, just give them a chance. They deserve it."
Her eyes strayed back to her family, huddled together, looking so out of place in their tattered clothes in all of this affluence and wealth. She was suddenly very aware of the flowered dress she was wearing and smoothed down the skirt self consciously as she nodded once and made her way to the couch, sitting slowly, Jesse settling on one side and her mother on the other. Puck sat beside Jesse on the arm of the couch and Finn sunk down in the beanbag, awkwardly. Santana, it seemed, could not stand still, pacing backwards and forwards hurriedly until Quinn shot her a glance and she came to a halt, standing beside Finn.
Rachel held out her hands to Jesse and he passed the kitten over to her immediately, Willow curling into Rachel's lap happily and purring at her.
"Sorry," Rachel murmured softly, cuddling the kitten closer to her. "But I'm here now."
Puck eyed her curiously, laughing softly at her. "You know," he said, his voice gruff. "I could skin and cook that for you. Make a pretty decent meal."
Santana nodded in agreement but Rachel glared at Puck as Jesse's mouth fell open.
"No," she glared at her cousin. "She's not for eating."
"What's she for then?" Santana shot back but as Rachel opened her mouth to respond Quinn coughed loudly and they turned to look at where she was watching them expectantly.
"From what I hear," she addressed Rachel directly, as the other girl flushed and shifted a little uncomfortably under such intense attention. "You got sort of the wrong idea about Jesse and I and you need a little persuading."
"I guess," Rachel murmured, cradling the kitten closer to her. Jesse's hand snaked down to squeeze her knee comfortingly and she looked at him, smiling softly.
"What are you worried about?" Quinn asked, bluntly and Rachel shifted slightly before saying, her voice a little louder.
"What exactly are you planning on doing?"
"Our aim is to get you and your family out of the Area. We have almost completed our plan of action as to how we will do that." Quinn explained concisely.
"Will it be… dangerous?" Her voice was soft, hesitant and her eyes widened when Quinn scoffed slightly.
"Of course it will be." She responded almost immediately.
"But what if someone gets hurt?" Rachel's voice rose slightly.
"They knew the risks," Quinn replied shortly. "That's why they're here."
"No!" Rachel cried out, pushing Willow into Jesse's lap and standing quickly. "No! I won't let you do this!"
"Rachel," Jesse reached for her, urging her back down into the seat again, where she sat with a huff. "Calm down."
"Yeah, come on Rache, we don't care about the danger." Puck grinned at her, his expression almost youthful for a second.
"I care!" Her voice rose hotly and Santana rolled her eyes.
"Please Rachel, we're all big boys and girls, we know what we're doing… and St. Jackass over there is paying Quinn and her guys to do this."
"You are?" Rachel span around to stare at him and he just shrugged.
"Rachel you're family," Shelby's voice was softer. "You're my daughter, my only daughter. You can't expect you to not do anything to get you back."
"No…" Rachel's voice became quieter. "But mama, what if you're hurt, what if something happens?"
"Then we'll live, or die, with the consequences. It'll worth it if it happened trying to get you back."
"You don't have to," Rachel's voice cracked with tears. "It isn't so bad here… I like it. I'm happy."
"I'll bet," Santana's voice was hard and sarcastic and Rachel span around to face her, eyes blazing.
"What are you trying to say?" She demanded and Santana stared at her in surprise for a second before saying.
"You're good here are you? With your bed and your owner and that… creature thing!"
"She's a kitten." Rachel growled, scowling at her. "I can't… you can't expect me to just forget about you! But I am happy here, with Jesse." She spun to face him. "Are you not happy? Is that what this is?"
"Of course not," he shook his head emphatically. "I love you Rachel," her family flinched slightly at his words but he ignored them. "I want what's best for you."
"And you- all of you-" She stood quickly, indicating to them all, practically trembling with rage. "You get to decide what's best for me do you? Plotting and scheming without me, about my future."
"Rachel please," Jesse reached for her again but she stepped away from him, towards the door. "I know you're upset but if you'd just listen you'd understand that-"
"I'm so fed up of being told what I will and will not understand!" Her voice ripped through an octave and Shelby flinched at the sound. "I understand perfectly well! I'm just so angry at all of you! You make these decisions without me, as if don't have any choice, any voice, any opinion."
"Maybe we know best for you Rachel! Maybe we're just doing what's best."
"What…" her voice lowered and there was a distinct tremble to it as she tried to keep her tears at bay. "Like the trainers? Like how the OIA know what best to do with me and my kind?"
A hushed silence followed her accusation and she looked them each carefully and deliberately in the eye. Jesse, Shelby, Puck and Santana all flinched from her gaze, only Quinn could hold her stare, watching her with such a frustratingly imperceptible expression that Rachel had to finally look away, her eyes flitting down to the floor.
"Yes," she remarked quietly. "I thought so."
Turning on her heel there was a scuffle behind her as she fled the room, surely the sound of people attempting to follow her before she heard her mama say softly. "No, let her go."
A flush of relief ran through her, almost immediately replaced by anger as she stumbled from the room, flinching violently when a hand caught hold of her shoulder and span her around.
"Rachel please," Kurt pleaded with her. "Just listen to them."
"You knew?" She demanded, her eyes widening and he shook his head quickly.
"No! I only heard about it now but… Rachel you should really listen to them. They tried so hard to get here and they only want the best for you-"
"You're on their side!" She staggered a step away from him.
"I'm not picking sides!" He exclaimed, furiously. "I'm just trying to help you!"
"You're meant to be my friend and yet you pick them!"
"Of course I'm your friend Rachel." He seemed suddenly weary and she noticed the paleness of his skin and the dark circles under his eyes. Her gaze softened momentarily and she reached for him, placing a gentle hand on his arm.
"Are you alright? You seem… tired… sad…"
"I'm fine." He turned away from her quickly, hiding his face.
"But you've been like this for a while…" her brows creased in concern and she stepped a small pace closer. "I'm worried about you."
"Don't worry about me," he shrugged brusquely and turned back to her. "You need to go back in there Rachel. Your family… they're finally here and you never thought you'd get this opportunity again. Don't you remember it?" His eyes pleaded with her. "Don't you remember how you asked for your mama, for your home? Because I do. I remember."
"Things are different now." She stepped away, tears pooling in her eyes. "I knew you wouldn't understand." Spinning away from him and shaking his grip off when he tried to grab her arm, she made her way hurriedly out of the house and through the grounds towards the rose garden, slipping thankfully through the gate and into the safe compound of flowers, curling up on the bench there and burying her head in her hands, listening to the trickling water. A bird twittered something close, singing a sweet song and she rose her head, watching as it took flight, fluttering away into the sky. It seemed strange that everything should go on as normal while her world crumbled around her.
She didn't know how much time passed before a soft voice interrupted her musings.
"Hey there."
Startling, she looked up to see Blaine stood above her, smiling gently. His hair was mussed and curly and his jeans grass stained and his face was marred by dark bruises over his eye and cheek which made her flinch slightly, but his smile was soft and welcoming and she couldn't help but smile a little in return.
"Hi," she whispered as she adjusted herself, sitting up to make room next to her on the bench.
"You doing okay?" He sat slowly beside her, abandoning his wheelbarrow next to the bench and sitting beside her.
"Better than you." She offered him a wry smile and reached out for him, touching his bruises ever so gently. "Are you alright?"
"Of course," he smiled easily but she could see the uneasy expression in his eyes, the sadness that was so familiar to her.
"Ice helps the swelling," she advised him softly after a long silence.
"I thought you guys heal on your own." His voice was sad then, although his lips twisted into a small, bitter smile.
"Yes but it never hurts to help it along." She smiled slightly, giving a soft shrug and he just shook his head for a moment.
"You want to tell me what's going on?" He motioned to her and she levelled a glance at him.
"Want to tell me what happened to your face?" She challenged him softly.
"Fair enough," he smiled a little.
"Did someone… hit you?" She ventured, after a moment's silence.
"Yeah," he looked at her, unflinching as he spoke. "My father."
"Your father?" She repeated, her mouth dropping open. "But… why?"
"My father he…" Blaine ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it for a moment before looking back to her and saying. "He found out about me and Kurt."
"Found out about you and Kurt?" Her eyes were wide and innocent and he almost laughed at her.
"You know… that we…" he raised his eyebrows slightly in implication but she just responded, blankly.
"That you're in love?"
He blinked at her for a second, surprised before breaking out a small smile and saying, softly. "Yeah… I guess that's what I mean."
"I don't understand," her brows furrowed in confusion. "Why would he hit you for that?"
The look Blaine gave her was so filled with compassion and something that was almost pity that she was forced to look away, averting her gaze until he spoke again.
"Rachel… there are some things you don't understand. Kurt and I… we're both boys." Blaine shifted uncomfortably beside her. "And some people… they don't like that we love each other."
"Why not?" She asked, frowning again. "Love is love. Why should it matter who loves whom? I mean… Jesse loves me."
"That he does." Blaine smiled tenderly down at her. "But some people think that it's… wrong… it's unnatural."
"Like me and Jesse." Rachel murmured softly.
"Yes, like you and Jesse. I wanted to tell our parents but Kurt… Kurt was worried about it."
"You two had been arguing…" She realised the truth of her words as she spoke and she looked up to meet his eyes again. "That's why you've both looked so upset. That's why Kurt was angry the other day."
Blaine smiled again, a little sadly. "You're very perceptive." He observed. "Yes, we have been arguing. I eventually gave in but yesterday my father walked in on Kurt and I… together."
That time Rachel understood what he meant even as she flushed brightly, her cheeks turning a hot red as she looked away hurriedly.
"He got mad." Blaine shrugged. "I got Kurt out before anything could happen and then I faced up to my dad. He wasn't too pleased."
"That's terrible," Rachel murmured, raising her head to look at him again. "When I was younger," she twisted her hands together nervously in her lap. "My uncle hit me. I spat out some of his whisky and he got mad." Her hands ghosted over her cheek, as if feeling for the ghost of a bruise. "That was the first time anyone ever hit me. I know what it's like… to trust someone and have them betray that trust in the worst way."
"Is your uncle here now?" Blaine's voice was soft and Rachel shook her head.
"I don't know where he is."
"Do you care?"
She flushed a little before finally shaking her head very slowly. She met his gaze, her own guilt ridden. "Does that make me a bad person?"
"No." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It makes you human."
She cast him a sad smile and flexed her large wings behind her. "One thing I'm not is human."
"No," he agreed almost immediately. "You're special."
Rachel just scoffed slightly and he shook his head a little at her disbelief.
"One day," he told her softly. "One day you'll understand what I mean. Now," he turned to face her a little more. "Do you want to tell me about what's going on?"
"Not really," she smiled a little wryly over at him. "But a deal's a deal right?"
"Guess so," Blaine smiled back, nodding in agreement and then waiting, patiently as she gathered her courage to continue.
"My family are here." She said finally and saw him nod out of the corner of her eye.
"I know," he replied softly. "I saw them come in and guessed they were your family."
"Oh," she flushed a little, seeming embarrassed and Blaine smiled again at her blush. "Well they've come because… Quinn… that blonde girl… she's part of," here Rachel paused to lick at her dry lips nervously, her gaze flickering up to Blaine uncertainly, "the rebellion."
"Rebellion?" Blaine's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "There's a rebellion?"
"Against the officials." Rachel nodded once. "And Jesse… he's been talking to them. He wants to… wants to… to get me out of the Area." Her voice broke as a tear slipped down her cheek and Blaine squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, pain flickering through his expression.
"Into the outside? With your family?"
Rachel nodded again, her head bowed and Blaine held out his arms, urging her into them. She came easily, burrowing into his chest and sobbing softly, tears soaking through his shirt, her body shaking in his arms.
"Aren't you pleased to see them?" He asked gently.
"Of course!" She pulled away slightly to look at him. "Of course I am! They're my family, my mama… I love them so much… I never thought I would ever see them again."
"So that's something isn't it?" Blaine questioned her, a hand running gently through her hair to soothe her. "You get to see them?"
"But what can I do?" her voice shuddered over the final words as another sob broke through.
"What do you mean?"
"How do I tell them that-" she broke off suddenly, looking up at him in surprise.
"That you don't want to go with them?" He prompted finally, after a long silence.
She gaped at him, her eyes blinking, wide in surprise. "How did you…"
"It's easy to see Rachel." He told her, softly. "I know that you don't want to go with them."
"No," she glanced away from him. "I just… I want them to be safe. Get out of here before the OIA come."
"So what's to stop you from going with them?"He asked and she stared at him again, her hand finally running up to trace at the golden chain around her neck, fingering it gently.
"Jesse." She whispered finally and he nodded.
"You love him."
"I love them too." She implored him, desperately. "They're my family, they're always going to be part of me. I can't just-" her voice cracked once more but she forced through the tears. "I can't just abandon them."
"This is a horrible choice," Blaine comforted her, his arms tightening a little around her. "I understand. But it's one you have to make."
"Jesse doesn't want me!" She cried, her arms wrapping around his neck to hug him closer. "He doesn't want me around any more! He's bored of me! He's trying to get rid of me! He doesn't love me!"
"Do you really believe that?" Blaine gave her a sceptical look and she sighed heavily in his arms before, finally, shaking her head against him.
"I thought not." He smiled a little sadly. "Do you know what I think Rachel? I think that you should tell him. Tell him how you feel about this, tell him that you love him and that you can't leave him. Everyone is in such a frenzy over this that no one is really listening to each other. Just tell him, honestly, what you're so worried about and why you don't want to leave him."
Slowly, she nodded and he smiled again.
"You want to go in?" He started to rise, but she clutched him harder and shook her head.
Please," she looked up at him through damp eyelashes. "Please, can we just stay here for a while? I… just need a little while."
"Of course," he answered easily, settling back into the bench and holding her closer to him, his arms wrapping around her back where they sat, the only sounds the gently trickling of the fountain behind them, the occasional bird and Rachel's broken sobs tapering off into a low sniffle. He didn't know how long they sat here, but the sun was beginning to set, the sky turning a gentle, watered down orange, when he noticed how her grip had gone slack, her head heavy on his shoulder.
Glancing down at her, he smiled a little at the sight of her eyes shut and her mouth slightly open, her breaths steady and easy. Shifting her as gently as possible he moved her into his arms, scooping her up and carrying her easily up towards the house.
Xxx
Wow so um my social life suddenly exploded and I gained a boyfriend and a whole load of new friends who've been taking up a lot of my time. I've also had a lot of school work to be doing but at least it's summer soon!
Thank you so much to those who reviewed last time: st berry lover for life, Achelina, tennis14321432, Vanessa, downwivluv, Ravenna . solo . 408, bueller806 and assgroff.
If you're still with me please leave a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter!
Love as always,
Ray
xxx
