A/N: Thanks for the great response. This is my first attempt at a fanfic. Any and all comments would be welcomed. I'm always looking for constructive criticism.
The rest of the auditions went fairly quickly, but Rachel found herself unable to concentrate on any of the competitors except for one. There had been something about the blonde that stuck with her. The eyes, the attitude, the smile, the whole package made her stand out and make Rachel feel something she hadn't in a long time.
"I let it fall, my heart and as it fell you rose to claimed," Rachel sang into her mirror as she finished her makeup and double checked her work.
"Hmmm, singing love songs alone and taking extra care with your makeup even though you will be going in a makeup chair in 3 hours. No you're not trying to impress anyone. No not at all," teased Santana from the doorway.
"I have no idea what you are talking about, Santana. I simply want to look my best for my fans," Rachel corrected.
The beautiful Latina crossed the expansive bathroom and wrapped her arms around the little diva's waist. She bent down to put her chin on Rachel's shoulder meeting her eyes in the mirror. She thought carefully on her words before she spoke.
"For starters, she's probably not like us, and besides, she would be disqualified if she became involved with a judge, Rach. This is her shot. Do you think she would be willing to risk that? Are you willing to take that away from here for something that might be?" Santana asked never taking her eyes off of her friend's in the mirror.
Before she could answer Brittney bounced into the bathroom dancing and singing, "Finally I can see you crystal clean. Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your shit bare."
"Is everyone listening to Adele today?" Santana asked knowing full well that she had been listening to her as she had prepared herself for the day.
Brittney looked at her girlfriend's arms around her best friend. It took only a second for Brittney to run over and through her arms around both girls.1111 Rachel smiled. She knew Santana was right, but she wasn't even sure what she thought of Quinn yet. All she really knew was that she loved having these two women in her life now.
"Rach, your schedule is going to be pretty tight today. If you want to talk to some of the contestants before shooting, we need to get a move on," Brittney said.
"This is not going to go well," Santana said with an evil grin. "If you're going to get kicked off as a judge, does that mean I can scope out some new talent to manage? I'm getting kinda bored with your ass," Santana joked bringing arm slaps from both her girlfriend and bestfriend.
"Do I get to keep one too?" Brittney asked sincerely.
"Sure, why not," Rachel said. "I'm glad that you two find so much hilarity in my predicament."
"Why does she think we find her feet funny?" Brittney whispered to Santana.
"Hey, you wanted this," Santana reminded Rachel while ignoring Brittney.
"I know," Rachel conceded.
Quinn sat in a seat towards the back of the auditorium. She was the first contestant there and the stagehands were finishing the set up for the day. Her Ipod was turned up and she was grooving in her own world to a song she wasn't even planning on singing. She just wanted to relax.
The blonde's thoughts wandered to her audition. She had known who the judges were going to be and had been nervous and excited. Somehow she had made it through, even though she knew she could do better.
There was something that stuck out in her mind. Rachel Berry had been watching her. Yes, she knew as a judge she would be watching her but what she caught in Rachel's eyes was more than professional interest. Well, at least she thought it was. She had been a fan of Rachel's from her first single and in fact had been to a few of her live concerts. She didn't understand why the artist had stepped away from a thriving career to judge basically a talent contest.
Quinn was so involved with her thoughts that she jumped at the hand that touched her shoulder softly. She was out of her seat in a millisecond and turned to see a tall blonde that she had seen at the first audition. She took her headphones out of her ears and began to gather her things.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't sure if I was allowed in here, I will go," Quinn stammered.
"You don't have to go anywhere, besides I'm not with show, well, I think I'm not," Brittney pondered. "If I am, they aren't paying me."
"Oh," Quinn said wondering about the confused look in the girl's eyes.
"Sorry, I'm Brittney and you are Quinn Fabray. You made quite an impression on the judges at your audition," Brittney said.
"Thanks. It's nice to know I'm doing something right," Quinn said extending her hand to shake with the blonde who was a few inches taller than herself and a lot bubblier.
"You are doing a lot of things right. San said if we could bet on the competition she would put her paycheck on you. She said we can't though because it could be considered Neapolitan," Brittney said completely serious.
"You mean nepotism?" Quinn asked.
"Sure," Brittney said with a big smile. "I would still bet on you. Do you know when you will be singing?"
"I will be in the second group after lunch," Quinn informed.
"Would you mind if I watched and cheered you on?" Brittney asked her big blue eyes pleading.
"That would actually be really nice," Quinn said with a smile. "I don't really have anyone her to cheer me on, so it would be great to have at least one face out there that didn't want to either critique me or kill me."
"Oh, there are more than just me. San said that Rae was a really big fan of yours and couldn't get you out of her head," Brittney said as her phone signaled a text.
"Who's Rae?" Quinn asked.
"Sorry I have to go, but I will be back to watch you later," Brittney said as she leaned in and gave Quinn a hug which shocked the shorter blonde. "We are going to be great friends," Brittney added dancing out of the exit.
"Well that was something," Quinn said to herself as she sat back in her seat.
Quinn turned to look back at the door Brittney had gone through and caught sight of an attractive Latina with a glare on her face backing out of the door. This was definitely going to be an experience.
"Brittney has made friends with your little crush," Santana whispered in Rachel's ear as they made their way to the auditorium from her dressing room.
"What?" Rachel asked whipping her head around to look at her bestfriend.
"That's what I said. I even checked to make sure it was the same girl so there would be any confusion and there she was sitting where Brittney had left her," Santana said.
"Brittney didn't say anything embarrassing right?" Rachel asked starting to feel her heart quicken.
"I really don't think she did. I made her swear on her damn cat's life that she hadn't said a word about you or the fact that she worked for you. Rachel, this whole crush thing is not going to work. I know I sound like a broken record here, but I don't want anyone to get hurt, including your career," Santana assured.
"How did she find her? I was looking for her and couldn't find her," Rachel admitted as they walked into the auditorium.
"For the love of anything holy, Rachel. I am the first person that is going to get excited that you have yourself a little crush. It has been far too long since you have had anyone close besides me and Britt, but the timing is not there for this one, Rachel. Let it be," Santana warned
"Six years, Santana. I have been the third wheel for the past six years," Rachel said coming to a stop by the last couple of rows of seats. "I deserve to be happy too."
"Rachel, you are not thinking this through. Your little crush could win it all and Mother Mary herself knows you would never rig anything, but the speculation will be there," Santana rebutted.
"We don't even pick anything after the top twenty," Rachel said throwing her arms up and walking away.
"Don't you get it? If anything were to go public, the press would go nuts saying that you made it happen. I can guarantee you that no matter how good I am at my job, you would never get another one of these cake gigs again," Santana almost spat at Rachel's back.
Santana murmured something obscene in Spanish under her breath and followed her friend. Quinn sat up from her seat she had been slumped in two rows back from where their argument had taken place. She had her music up so didn't catch most of the conversation other than Rachel Berry wanted to get to know someone better which from what she read was unheard of at all.
The contest began again and Rachel found herself being incredibly critical of the contestants. Santana had put her in a mood. She sat back in her seat after lunch and blew out some air.
Santana was being relentless even to the point of having Rachel pulled from the program for her own good if she didn't straighten out. Rachel had a headache and just wanted to go home and sit in her hot tub with a bottle of wine and her ipod. Rachel barely paid attention to the first batch of potential stars. In fact she was more interested in the threatening texts that Santana kept sending her.
PAY ATTENTION FOR FUCK'S SAKE! SAN
Rachel sighed and turned her phone off. She would try to be attentive to this group. She found that really easy since the second person onstage was none other than one Quinn Fabray.
Quinn had watched every single performer and the judges' responses and body language. The thing that was sticking out to her was that Rachel Berry was being brutal. Granted she agreed with everything that the singer was saying, but she was not sugar coating it at all.
When it was her turn, Quinn stepped out onto the stage and looked to the back where she saw a tall blonde waiving from the seats they had occupied earlier. This calmed her down enough to look at the judges. She answered there questions never wavering in her responses and always looking at them.
She found herself being drawn to Rachel and those eyes that were now bright and excited, a far cry from the harsh look they held not even ten minutes before. She was about to begin her song when she looked back at Rachel and the star smiled so sweetly at her.
"I'm a ghost haunting these halls and climbing these walls," Quinn sang.
This wasn't the song she had chosen, but something in her changed at the very last second. Fortunately, she knew every word to the song as it was currently her favorite shower song. She finished and looked down at the floors before an eruption of applause and whistles brought her eyes back up and directly into Rachel's dark chocolate orbs.
Rachel couldn't help herself after the performance Quinn put forth. She waited her turn to give her criticism. She had not been able to take her eyes off the blonde throughout her performance. She had been captivated by those hazel eyes that kept locking with her own.
"That was incredible, Quinn. Honestly, I think you just made yourself the one to beat in this competition," Rachel gushed thankfully with the agreement of her fellow judges.
The judges passed her through again sending Quinn to the round where the public started to vote on who stayed and who left and the judges become more of mentors than anything else. Rachel was thankful for this. She really did want to get to know the story of this beautiful blonde.
Quinn made her way off stage and towards the back of the auditorium where Brittney was jumping up and down cheering. When she reached her, Brittney threw her arms around her new friend and gave her another hug. This time, Quinn returned it whole heartedly.
"You were amazing! Rachel is so right, you are the one to beat," Brittney gushed.
"I don't know about that, but thanks, Brittney. It's nice having someone there to root for you," Quinn said. "I hope you will be around for all the performances."
"Oh, I will be here every show until the end or until I say something I shouldn't and then San said I would be put on a permanent time out," Brittney giggled.
"Wow, this San sounds like a real hard ass," Quinn said.
"She was much worse in high school. Now, she's mostly my little cuddly duck," Brittney said.
"Oh, OH! So she's like your girlfriend?" Quinn asked.
"Yup, for like 7 years now, although we were having sex a lot earlier than that, but San says that doesn't count since we were both dating other people," Brittney babbled.
"Well that's cool, kind of, I guess," Quinn said not quite sure what the most appropriate comment to the over share was. "I take it she is here then? Does she work on the show?"
"Kind of," Brittney said looking around. "There she is dragging Rachel out of the auditorium."
Quinn followed the direction of her new friend's finger until it fell on the beautiful Latina she had seen earlier walking quickly with Rachel Berry. The looks going between them screamed trouble.
"You work for Rachel Berry don't you?" Quinn said.
"Santana said I'm not supposed to say that I am Rachel's assistant or that she thinks you are a hot piece of blonde ass," Brittney said before realizing what she'd done. "Oh my God, please don't say anything, Quinn. Santana already didn't want me talking to anyone around here and Rachel has been one of my best friends since middle school and she would be so hurt and disappointed," Brittney said her big blue eyes starting to fill with tears.
"I have no idea how your girlfriend ever tells you 'no' with eyes like that. Brittney, your secret is safe with me. Besides, I've always thought Rachel Berry was the epitome of hotness," Quinn replied with a slight smile.
"Oh, you're a dolphin too!" Brittney all but squealed.
"A what?" Quinn asked confused.
It was at this point that Santana came through the door closest to them and threw up her hands in the air while spurting expletives in Spanish. She walked up to Brittney and took her hand starting to pull her towards the exit. She took a second glance at Quinn who just had a slight smile on her face. Santana stopped and cocked her head at the girl trying to figure her out. Her impeccable brows furrowed as Brittney whispered in her ear.
"She's a dolphin too, Baby."
"No, shit? It looks like Rachel's gaydar is improving at least," Santana said more to herself than to her girlfriend.
Quinn watched the pair make their way out of the auditorium. She was still smiling a soft smile, but had added a single lifted eyebrow to her appearance. "So Rachel Berry thinks I am a fine piece of blonde ass. This whole competition just got a little more exciting," Quinn thought to herself.
A/N: OK, so that's a wrap on chapter 2. I had originally planned on keeping it as a part of chapter 1, but decided to rework a few things. Let me know what you think. Should I continue or scrap it for another idea that I have rolling around in this mind of mine?