Disclaimer: If I had owned Glee, its characters or the used songs I wouldn't be still living in the Netherlands and Glee wouldn't have ended.
Summary: After a horrible tragedy Rachel and her family are forced into Witness Protection for their safety. Will they be able to be kept safe or will they be found before the perpetrators have been stopped?
The idea for this story comes from a story named 'Of Poker Faces and Dreaming Dreams'. I've tried to contact the writer to adopt the story since it hasn't been updated in six years with no luck. I was already planning to go a whole different direction with it so here it is with my own twist.
Special thanks to all of you who are still following this story for your patience.
English still isn't my native language. For that and to kick my ass every once in a while to get it into gear and update I have jenmer61977 as my amazing beta.
This story is AU where they all joined Glee freshman year. Everything happened as it did on the show only a year earlier and except for Shelby walking away and being single. She's been in Rachel's life since the girl was born and is married to a woman. And she never was the loud, annoying know it all like in everything she does she is on the show.
A.N.: I'm changing things up a bit to make it fit better for what I have in mind later on in the story.
That week, during the day there isn't a minute that Rachel is alone. Noah, Rebeccah and Santana are over at her house all the time. Doing the homework assignments coach Beiste, who has become a very close friend of her mothers' since she joined the McKinley teaching staff last December simply because she, just like Sue, doesn't take the crap from her students and she knows what it takes to win, brings over after school and football practice and jamming in the studio. While Noah plays guitar, piano and drums, Santana plays bass, guitar, banjo and piano and Rachel herself also plays piano and a mean guitar. So when they're done with their homework they go to the studio and jam after they take care of their horses. When the Berry men saw how much Noah and Santana loved working in the stables with the animals as much as Rachel did, they bought them each their own foal to take care of and train when the kids were around eleven. Wicked is a beautiful dark brown, almost black, stallion. Noah's horse Star is a white with brown stallion and Amy a light brown mare. While Star and Amy grew into relatively calm horses Wicked was very passionate from the start who only let Rachel ride or care for him.
But mostly they just sit and talk about their plans after high school and everything else that comes to mind, just like they did while they were in Texas over the summer. They're also considering quitting the New Directions and starting their own glee club, asking Shelby to be their faculty adviser/Director, but seeing she couldn't due to conflict of interest with her job at the board of show choir and advised them to ask Sue. Doubting they would ever need it she did however promise them to help them away from prying eyes in the background. Sue, always ready to screw one William Shuester, immediately agreed. She even went as far as offering them a portion of her Cheerios budget if they were able to find outside funding also. Which was an easy task after both Shelby and Sue gave them a list with local businesses willing to support local arts programs. It didn't take them long, together with Sue's offer and an anonymous donation from Rachel's private money, to raise a budget Mr. Shue could only dream of to have for his glee club. Now all that was left to do for their new club was to find the right time to tell the New Directions.
With the new threats and an exit strategy in place Rachel uses the nights she's holed up in the storm cellar with her mothers to write some letters in case they do have to leave. When the other three go home at night and her moms' and her retreat to the storm cellar she writes letters to say goodbye for now. Letters to Noah and Santana. Those two have always been at her side, in Noah's case, since they were babies. She forgoes writing something to the New Directions simply because of the way Mercedes, Quinn, Kurt and Mr. Shuester have treated her. She doesn't feel the need to explain anything to them.
While she talks about it with her friends during the day, she does some serious thinking about her own future as well. Now that all her dads' possessions are falling to her, she has numerous options. She could become a lawyer and eventually take over their firm in Columbus. She'd probably be a kick ass lawyer like her dads were, but she doesn't want that. She decides to keep the firm, simply because it is an easy and steady income. She will appoint Maribel Lopez as managing partner of the firm, leaving it up to her what to do with the name of the firm. She has been with the firm since the day the Lopez family arrived in Lima and named partner for about five years now and has become not only one of her parent's best friends but also, together with Deborah Puckerman, as another mother to her. Not afraid to dish out punishments or lend a listening ear about things she couldn't discuss with her parents when needed.
Although music has always been and always will be an important part of her life, Broadway has really always been more her daddy's dream than it was hers. She can sing and act with the best of them but her dancing, although she is a relatively good dancer, has always been her weakest point. Since she'd only started sophomore year, she thought she had enough time to talk to her parents about what she wanted for her future. Together with Noah and Santana, she wants to do something completely different and has already researched what electives she will need and what college she needs to go to. If she has to leave due to the recent events, she hopes that Noah and Santana follow through with the plans they discussed over the summer and last week. She can always keep her music on the side and sell the songs she writes later if she wishes.
As discussed for their exit strategy, the Sunday before she's supposed to be going back to school Rachel takes her dirt bike into the tree line that serves as boundary between them and the neighbor and calls the house ten minutes later that she has fallen off her bike. Also, as discussed Shelby takes the ATV into the tree line. The irony of the situation is that she has really fallen off and hurt her leg so Shelby calls for Sue to come with the Range Rover to the end of the fence so they can get Rachel to the hospital to check if the leg is broken. Upon arrival at the ER they are told it is luckily only badly bruised. With crutches and instructions to stay off that leg for two weeks, they're sent home. Although slightly altered, phase one of their exit strategy is complete. That night they complete phase two, packing bags with the first necessities. The expectation is that everything will go up in smoke so they fill one duffel bag with personal stuff that can't be replaced, the other two are filled with clothes for the first few days and toiletries.
Since she can't drive herself Noah picks her up to drive her to school Monday morning. She called him as soon as she came home from the hospital yesterday. When they arrive at the school Santana and Brittany are waiting for them at the parking lot. As soon as Rachel exits the car she has Britt hanging around her neck.
"I missed you Rachie," she whispers.
"What the hell Rae? What happened?" Santana scolds her friend seeing her crutches.
"I went out riding my bike, wasn't paying attention enough, made a steering error and fell." The smaller brunette shrugs. "It isn't broken though, just badly bruised but I have to stay off my foot for a week or two."
"Well, watch what you're doing next time." Santana scolds her.
"Yes ma'am," Rachel obliges, starting to make her way to the entrance of the school. As she expected everybody looks at her when she enters the school. She ignores the stares and wobbles to her locker.
At the end of the day she has had it with the staring, her leg hurts and her shoulders are sore from walking around on crutches. All she wants to do is go home and soak her sore muscles in a hot bath. Standing at her locker, putting her books away she feels someone hovering behind her. Knowing Noah would just wrap his arms around her, and Santana would have said something she turns around slowly, cocking her eyebrow when it's Finn standing there.
"Hey Rach," he tries to smile sexy but to her it just seems he's constipated.
"Hello Finn," she smiles politely. "What can I help you with?"
"You really look good today." 'Is he trying to flirt with me? Seriously?' "I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me tonight."
"I'm sorry Finn, but I'm busy." She tries to turn him down gently.
"Tomorrow then?" He asks hopefully.
She shakes her head as she starts to make her way to the choir room. "Sorry, tomorrow isn't a good time either." Having no desire to sit in her usual spot in the front she chooses the top riser where she turns a chair so she can put her leg on the one beside it and sits down rolling her eyes when she notices he followed her up the risers and sits down in the chair she wanted to put her leg on.
"Okay, you pick. Any day is good for me," he starts to sound desperate.
"No Finn. How many times do I have to decline your request to date you before you finally understand that I don't want to date you?" She's really starting to feel annoyed. "Now if you please would be so kind as to vacant the chair so I can put my leg up."
"But Rach we would be great together," he begs.
"Again Finn, NO. Just because Mr. Shue thinks we sound good together and pairs us for duets doesn't automatically mean we actually do sound good together or would be a great couple. I don't need a boyfriend who's constantly waiting for something better to come along. Remember Quinn, your girlfriend?" She snaps at him. "I already have a boyfriend."
"You're with Puck?'' He looks disgusted. "You do know if anyone is waiting for something better to come along it would be him, don't you?"
"No, I'm with Noah and as you very well know Puck and Noah are two completely different people. If there would be anyone that isn't looking for something better, it would be him." Rachel defends her best friend and boyfriend who happens to walk in the room with Santana and Britt just before she says the words.
"You really need to stop taking your cues from that sad excuse of a teacher and learn that no means no Hudson," Santana jibes at him, hinting at the fact that Mr. Shuester keeps following and pining after Ms. Pillsbury even though she is now dating that hot dentist Mr. Howell and he is married to that crazy woman. "Now I believe the lady asked you to take another seat so she can put her leg up so move." With that she tips the chair forward, making Finn land on his butt. Making room for Noah, who immediately takes his place and places Rachel's leg on his lap.
"I thought I told you to leave my boyfriend alone, Man Hands," Quinn stands in front of Rachel with her hands on her hips.
"And I told you that I have absolutely no interest in him so maybe you could remind him to leave me alone," the singer retorts.
"Since when is the coach of Vocal Adrenaline your mother?" Mercedes comes storming into the room yelling at her with Kurt hot on her heels.
"Uhm, since the day I was born?" Rachel is a little confused at the question while Noah and Santana burst in laughing from her answer. "If you had listened to what I said last week you would have known that she isn't their coach anymore. But then again, why should you. You never did before even if I know what I'm talking about most of the time. And before you ask, she's been with Sue as my mama since I was about four or five."
"And you didn't bother to tell us because…" Kurt asks accusingly.
"It's none of your business," she finishes the sentence shrugging.
"Oh but it is when it's affecting the club and this is." Kurt puts in his two cents.
Before things can escalate Mr. Shue walks in, late and totally missing the tension in the room as usual, clapping in his hands. "Rachel, it's good to see you back." He goes over to the whiteboard and writes down 'Grease'. "It's been a rough week for you, so I thought of something to cheer you up and to raise some extra money for this year. We're doing a live performance of the musical Grease this weekend here in our own auditorium. You're playing Sandy, Finn will be Danny."
"You have to be fucking kidding me," looking at the shocked faces around her she assumes she said that out loud. "Oops, I didn't mean to say that out loud and I apologize for my language but as captain I have to ask you to rethink this stupid idea. Besides the fact that if we want it at least to be a mediocre performance, everybody needs to memorize lines, lyrics and choreography, we need to build sets for which we don't have the budget. It will take weeks to put together a play worthy enough to perform for a paying audience. If we even want to think about making it to Nationals this year we need to make setlists for Sectionals, Regionals and Nationals and start perfecting them."
"We have more than enough time. Sectionals is four months away," Mr. Shue waves it off.
"Yes, sectionals are four months away." she looks at Santana, "San? No sorry, wrong person. Quinn, when do you start practicing for your competitions?"
"We already did," the cheerleader says, looking bored at her nails.
Rachel nods. "Azimio, Dave, can you come in for a moment?" she calls out to the boys who just happen to walk by the choir room at that moment. When they come in with confused looks on their faces, she asks them "How many times does coach Beiste make you practice a play?"
"Until we have it perfect," Dave answers.
"And if you don't have it perfect, like if one person keeps screwing up?"
"She doesn't call the play in a game," Azimio shrugs.
"Thank you. That's all I wanted to know," she dismisses the boys looking back at Quinn.
"And why is that Quinn?" The glee captain asks.
"If coach Sylvester is your mama for as long as you claim she is, you already know the answer," Quinn answers, rolling her eyes.
"Oh trust me, I know the answer," Rachel confirms. "And I have trophy's won in various types of competitions at home to prove it. But apparently Mr. Shuester here needs a little guidance about what it takes to show up at a competition with a winning routine, so why don't you answer for him."
The blonde stays silent "No? that's what I thought." Rachel turns to her teammates. "I grew up around Vocal Adrenaline and you can bet your asses that they already have their setlists finalized for Sectionals, Regionals and Nationals and are working their butts off perfecting them. They'll even have backup songs in case a school does the same numbers. If we want to beat them we should do the same." Looking around she noticing everyone gaping at her, she shrugs her shoulders and turns her attention to Mr. Shuester. "Mr. Shue, as captain of this 'team' I highly advise against doing a musical and start making setlists for our competitions and perfect them instead."
"But you're not the one in charge, I am. And I'm saying we're doing the play. With or without you," The teacher ends the discussion.
"Then it has to be without me. I'm not even allowed to put any pressure on my leg for two weeks." She reaches for her crutches to walk out and go home but Mercedes' voice stops her.
"Speaking of co-captains and being in charge. I think Rachel should step down as co-captain." Mercedes pipes up. Two heads go up and down in agreement.
"And why would she do that?" Santana spats. "There isn't anyone I know who knows more about music than Rachel does except for her mom. She is our only chance to make it all the way to Nationals if all of you, including Weepy The Vest Clown over here, get their head out of their asses and start listening to what she has to say."
"That might be true, but she's also the biggest risk for our set list to be leaked in favor of one mother or being destroyed from the inside to please the other," The black diva defends her suggestion.
"Rachel? Leaking our set list to Vocal Adrenaline, destroying glee to please mama Sue?" Santana bursts in laughter, quickly joined by Noah. "Pu-lease. Besides the fact that there is nothing to leak until a week before the competition, she just told you that mama Shelby isn't the coach of Vocal Adrenaline anymore. Vocal Adrenaline doesn't need our set lists to beat our asses to Tokyo and back. Every time mama Sue pulled a stunt, we handled it as a team and came out stronger. For those short periods of time mama Sue managed to do from the outside what our own 'coach' couldn't even do once. That's why she did what she did. To make a team of this club, but every time that was shot to shreds the next day by that sad excuse that calls himself our teacher."
She is stopped in her rant by Rachel putting her hand on her arm. "San stop, it's no use. I have enough to deal with at the moment." She looks sadly around. "If they don't trust me there's nothing you can say to change that and I don't have the time to be around people that don't trust me or ridicule me for everything I have to say or when I only want to help this team become better and win something for once." She turns to their 'teacher/director'. "Good luck winning without me. I quit." Then she picks up her crutches and stands up.
"Me too," Santana, Brittany and Noah say at the same time, also standing up to leave.
Almost at the door Rachel turns to Mr. Shue, smirking evilly. "Don't bother coming to us when you need your asses saved because we'll be busy with the setlists for our own glee club." With that being said the four of them exit the room.
You know the drill, reviews are the fuel to my imagination.