A/N: hi, sorry for the slightly belated update everyone but halloween pretty much left me for dead. The song in this chapter is the mashup "How six songs collide" by Norwegian Recycling.
Also this is the chapter that earns the story its M rating (just about), and it isn't very long and it isn't very good but I'm still going to go and hide forever after this. Thanks for reviews, hope you enjoy this one :)
Birds were singing, the sun was shining, and Rachel had found out the identity of the anonymous online friend she'd been talking to for the past month. And not only had she found out, but it had turned out to be the best possible outcome. There was absolutely no way today wouldn't be a good day. She bounced through the corridors searching for the blonde cheerleader, who was proving to be surprisingly elusive, considering normally finding her was just a case of looking out for crowds parting like the red sea. She sidestepped Finn (who was smiling more stupidly than usual) and Puck and Mr Schue (who apparently had some big important thing he wanted to tell her about), and really, most mornings she'd be happy to stop and talk to them (it was important practice for interacting with fans after all) but this morning she was really, really intent on just finding Quinn, and telling her that she knew. As she danced around Santana with an apologetic shrug, she couldn't help grinning to herself, she knew. It was Quinn. And she probably wouldn't have stopped grinning if she hadn't been unceremoniously hauled into an empty classroom.
Spinning round to give the perpetrator a piece of her mind (not to mention a lesson in politeness), she was stopped immediately by their hand on her mouth.
"You've been looking really cheerful this morning and I really don't want to hear why, what, when or any of that crap so shut up and listen."
Slowly, Santana withdrew her hand. Rachel opened her mouth to argue again though and it was quickly replaced.
"No. What did I say? Shut up. Sit there."
Rachel narrowed her eyes but sat down slowly, and the cheerleader crossed her arms in front of her.
"Okay, good. Now this whole thing with Brittany is pissing me off and I want to like, win her back and stuff, and because we're in Glee club and because Brittany likes that kind of crap that means I'm going to sing to her, and you're going to help me choose the song because if you don't - "
"Hold on a second, Santana, I'm quite - "
"Berry, I know you learned about taking turns in kindergarten. Right now it is my turn to speak and it will be your turn when I've left the room and I'm very far away from you. Like I was saying, if you don't - "
"I'll help you, Santana, there's no need to resort to threats."
Santana narrowed her eyes. "Well. Good. But let's stop calling it you "helping me" right now, and maybe call it, I don't know, you working for me without any pay?"
"So essentially, I'm your slave?" Rachel couldn't stop herself from smirking a little, Santana could say what she liked, she was still asking for her help.
"No, that sounds kind of sexual. Unpaid employee will be fine."
Rachel beamed, already beginning to compile a list of potential song choices in her head. "Excellent. Although I have to say Santana, while I clearly am the most qualified for the role of your unpaid employee, I'm a little surprised you came to me. You've never expressed anything more cordial than aloof indifference towards me in the past."
The other girl shrugged, "Yeah, well, your dumb MySpace stalker or whatever made me do it."
"What? Quinn made you? Do you know where she is?"
"Wait. You know it's her?" Santana gave what most people would think of as a genuine smile, "No, but hey, why don't you hold off on telling her for a little while? I mean, she has this grand reveal planned for you...you don't want to spoil her big gesture, do you?"
Rachel chewed her lip contemplatively, "No I suppose not. That would be rude, not to mention I always enjoy grand romantic gestures. No you're right, I'll allow her to believe I'm in the dark for a little longer."
"Awesome. I'll meet you back here at lunch anyway, so we can get this over with."
As she left the room, Santana smirked to herself, this was gonna be fun.
xxx
When the lunch period came, Rachel was surprised to see Quinn sitting in the empty classroom where she'd agreed to meet Santana. It was the first time she'd actually seen the girl since finding out it was her behind the complimentary MySpace comments (which was a little ironic, she considered, given the awful comments she used to leave - but the thought was with amusement more than bitterness). While she had to admit that Santana's idea was sound, she was going to find it difficult to hide the knowledge from her, but she supposed Quinn probably really did have a grand reveal of some sort planned, and she wouldn't be surprised if that was the purpose behind the karaoke night she'd invited her to.
"Hi, Quinn," she said with a bright smile as she sat down next to her, "Are you looking forward to karaoke this weekend?"
Keeping this a secret might be more difficult than she thought, she considered, she wasn't exactly well versed in the art of subtlety.
"Huh?" Quinn looked distracted, "I guess. I'm not sure I can make it. Maybe you should take someone else, like, I don't know, Artie."
Rachel frowned. "Why would I want to go with Artie?" her eyes widened when realisation dawned on her suddenly, "Wait, is that what you meant when you said...Quinn, I don't have a crush on - "
"Okay then, two blind mice." Santana breezed in with her usual air of arrogance and bad timing, "Let's hurry this up so I don't have to suffer either of you for very long."
Quinn raised an eyebrow, "Two blind mice? Do these nicknames have any basis in anything, or do you just put random words together?"
Santana gave a condescending smile, "Two blind mice, because neither of you can see what's right in front of you. Now, Berry, tell me what I'm singing."
Rachel was already removing a neatly typed list from her bag, "Well, Santana, while I came up with a number of possibilities, my own personal favourite was one of Taylor Swift's - "
"Absolutely not. Next suggestion."
Quinn rolled her eyes, "What's wrong with Taylor Swift?"
"Wasn't it you who said she was a blonde haired succubus only interested in money and fame and that she didn't have a creative bone in her body?"
"Actually, I think Brittany said that, I just agreed with her. I've changed my mind since then."
Rachel looked between the two cheerleaders, unsure whether to question Santana's hatred of Taylor Swift, Quinn's apparently new found liking of her, or the fact that Brittany knew what a succubus was. Deciding that none of these avenues of conversation would be particularly fruitful, she turned back to her sheet of paper, "Very well, there is a Kelly Clarkson song - "
"No."
"Nickelback?"
Santana looked at Quinn, "Are you kidding me here? Her?"
Quinn glared, "Santana, if you keep talking someone might start to guess something I don't want someone to know and then I'd have to tell everyone what age you stopped sleeping with a teddy bear."
Rachel pretended to be reading her paper diligently - had Quinn always been this unsubtle? Finally she interrupted a lengthy glaring contest between the two other girls, "Clearly then, my pop choices are not to your taste. Although I have to say, I think Brittany would have enjoyed them."
"Yes, but Brittany loves me for being me, not because of my ability to choose the worst songs that have sold the most copies."
Quinn leaned back in her chair, "Does she also love the part of you that's an asshole?"
"Clearly not, that's why I have to win her back."
"I have to say, Santana, I hope your treatment of Brittany will improve following this endeavour."
"Well, duh - "
Quinn grinned, "I don't know, Rachel. Maybe we shouldn't even bother helping her."
Santana's eyes narrowed, "You're right, maybe I'll ask Artie instead."
Rachel though, barely picked up on this as a sudden idea occurred to her, "So if you and Brittany have different tastes in music, perhaps there is a way we could incorporate them both. I think this situation definitely calls for a - "
"If you say mashup I'm going to hit you."
Rachel smiled, "Just leave it to me."
xxx
Mr Schue sighed as he paced the halls. He had to hand it to them, for people who got up on stage and sang, danced and generally made themselves very noticeable, the Glee club were incredibly good at making themselves scarce when they wanted to. The only member he'd been able to track down was Brittany, and she'd been too busy trying to explain to another Cheerio the basic ideas behind string theory ("everything is hanging from the sky on an invisible string, like puppets") that she hadn't listened to him at all. After pacing the corridors for half of his lunch break, he finally gave in and decided he may as well enjoy a cup of coffee in the teacher's lounge and feel sorry for himself about Emma. As he turned to make his way there however, he nearly walked into Rachel, grinned manically up at him.
He should have known, really, she was always there right when you kind of wished she wasn't.
"Hello, Mr Schue." she began, at full speed as always, "If you have some time I have a favour I'd like to ask you - "
"Uh, yeah, sure, Rachel. But first you have to help me out a little, Coach Sylvester wants the Glee club to perform something for her tomorrow afternoon - to prove we're not plotting something...I don't know...after the whole thing with Mike, and American Idol...she seems to think... Okay, to be honest, I don't really know what she thinks, but we still have to sing for her. So can you let everybody else know? We can just pull out "Don't Stop Believing" or something, that song never gets old."
Rachel smiled, "That actually works out perfectly. After we've done that, perhaps we can perform the number I'd like you to help us with..."
xxx
MySpace Fan: I've decided I don't care if you like someone else and we should still talk to each other.
Rachel: Are you still planning on pursuing me?
MySpace Fan: Yes.
Rachel: That's very courageous of you.
MySpace Fan: Not really, Santana seems to think I still have a shot.
Rachel: That seems brave to me.
MySpace Fan: I'm not.
In her bedroom, Rachel frowned. She wasn't sure there were many people who would argue Quinn wasn't brave, except, apparently, Quinn herself. She didn't have much time to disagree though, before another message came.
MySpace Fan: If I was brave I would just kiss you how I want to.
She was about to question the grammar of "how I want to" when she realised.
Rachel: You want to kiss me?
Quinn had said things like this to her before, but somehow, it was different when she knew who it was. Different when she knew it was Quinn sitting behind a keyboard somewhere, thinking about kissing her. God, Quinn Fabray wanted to kiss her.
MySpace Fan: It's pretty much all I think about.
Rachel bit her lip, she could relate to that.
MySpace Fan: Well, not quite all.
She frowned, wondering if that clarification was really needed. After all, kissing her couldn't take up the entirety of Quinn's thoughts, she still had to think about Glee, homework, as well as trivialities like eating and sleeping. Even Rachel, whose mind tended to become incredibly focused when she particularly wanted something, couldn't think about Quinn constantly, so of course - wait.
Rachel: Um, what else do you think about?
It wasn't like she hadn't thought about Quinn like that before, because she had (she really had) but it was different, knowing Quinn might want her in the same way. It was Quinn Fabray and she could have anyone but (Rachel clenched her bedsheets underneath her fingers) she might want her.
MySpace Fan: I can't tell you that, I told you I'm not brave.
Rachel: Tell me. Be brave.
MySpace Fan: I don't know, what do you want me to say? That I watch you in Glee club and it drives me insane seeing you dancing the way you do? That I used to watch you while you were with Finn and it drove me insane knowing that he got to hold you and touch you and I could never touch you like that?
Rachel gulped, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip. She was pretty sure that she would never be able to sing in Glee again without feeling Quinn's eyes on her, and knowing what she was thinking, knowing that she was thinking about...
It wasn't as if Rachel hadn't been in this very bed, imagining Quinn was there with her, imagining Quinn out of her Cheerios uniform and both of them stripped down so it was just Quinn and Rachel, and Quinn's hair loose across the pillow and Quinn smiling up at her while Rachel -
Rachel: How do you want to touch me?
MySpace Fan: I just really...I don't know...I really want to hear you breathing in my ear, and gasping like you want me.
In her room, Rachel gasped too, in her mind all she could see was Quinn above her, and Quinn's hair loose around her and Quinn smiling down at her while Rachel ran her fingers over her stomach and Quinn's hands on her -
Rachel: What else?
MySpace Fan: I guess I see you in those short skirts and all I can think about is what's underneath, and imagine you in my bed and you're naked and asking me to touch you there and I do it because you're beautiful and you're mine.
Rachel's eyes were half closed and in her head her fingertips were digging into Quinn's bare back and Quinn was grinning at her because she knew just how badly Rachel wanted her because Rachel was whispering "please" and then Quinn's fingers were moving down to -
Rachel: What then?
MySpace Fan: You'd be wet for me, and it'd be different to anything ever before, because Rachel Berry would be underneath me and it would be me making her tremble and moan, and my name she'd be saying and God, you'd feel so good.
It would be Quinn's name on her lips and Quinn's lips on her breast and Quinn's fingers moving inside her until -
MySpace Fan: Was that what you wanted me to say?
Rachel: Yeah. Exactly that.
xxx
"Hi, Rachel." Finn grinned down at her, "Guess what?"
She craned her neck back to look up at him, "I don't know, Finn."
"Maybe he's finally stopped growing,"
"The Jolly Green Giant stop growing? No, it'll never happen."
Rachel looked in surprise at Santana and Quinn, they seemed to have a skill for appearing suddenly. Finn looked a little alarmed too, "I know I'm kinda happy, and I'm tall, but how am I green?"
"Your mom recycles doesn't she?" Santana said, crossing her arms over her chest.
This seems to satisfy him, "I guess she does. Anyway, like I was saying Rachel, Amy's back!"
"Is that the girl who tried to punch us? Are we supposed to be happy about this?" Quinn looked at Finn incredulously.
"Apparently it's kind of implausible for her to just get shipped off to military school because her parents felt like it." he said cheerfully.
Santana rolled her eyes, looking at Rachel, "You dated this guy all summer? Really?"
Rachel huffed indignantly, "Yes, but as I recall you slept with him, Santana, and you," she pointed at Quinn, "Dated him for far longer than me."
Santana sighed, "This conversation is dumb. Finn, no one cares about your psycho girlfriend, now run along, I think I heard an ice cream truck."
He lumbered off, with a mutter of "ooh, really?", and Rachel was treated to the eyes of the two most intimidating girls in school turning on her at the same time. Not that Rachel Berry could be intimidated, especially not when she saw Quinn glancing very quickly at what happened to be Rachel's shortest skirt (which after the night before, was a complete coincidence). And after last night, Rachel was maybe a little more appreciative than usual of the Cheerios uniform...
"Okay," Santana said, looking between them, "Let's hurry this up before I throw up on both of you. Berry, what am I singing and when?"
"I took the liberty of emailing the sheet music to you last night, we'll practice at lunch and perform it this afternoon after we've finished Coach Sylvester's performance."
"Woah," Santana held up a hand, "That won't work, Sylvester's still on this big kick to make us good, Jesus-abiding teenagers because of the crappy church that's sponsoring us. No way will she go for the second row of her pyramid coming out of the closet hand in hand."
Quinn shrugged, "So we'll wait until she's left."
Rachel beamed, and Santana allowed herself a small smile before she realised, " - wait, Berry, how did you get my email address?"
xxx
As the Glee club stood panting on the stage after (yet another) heartfelt rendition of "Don't Stop Believing", Mr Schue looked at Sue with a smile. "There," he said, "Are you satisfied we're not engaged in anything sinister?"
Sue grimaced, "After watching that crime against nature, I'd never say I was "satisfied". But I at least believe you won't be usurping my American Idol glory any time soon."
Will looked confused, "You're entering American Idol, Sue?"
"That's none of your business, William. Thank you for your time, and please be aware it could take up to forty-eight hours to call off my court-appointed hit man."
Will stared at her retreating back, Becky in tow, until the doors to the auditorium slammed shut behind them.
"Okay!" he said, clapping his hands brightly as he turned back around, "Great job you guys, I guess you can grab your stuff - "
"Actually, Mr Schuester," Rachel said, approaching the front of the stage, "As you know Santana has a special performance she'd like to give to a particularly special person, if you would all like to stay and watch. It's a mashup that Mr Schue kindly helped us with."
The Glee club glanced around at each other, and seemed to reach a general consensus of "my mom isn't picking me up for another twenty minutes anyway, we might as well watch", a few of them nudging and winking at Brittany, who mostly just seemed a little confused. In a slow shuffle though, they made their way off the stage and settled themselves in the seats in front of it, aside from Quinn and Rachel, who stayed for backing vocals purposes.
"Uh," Santana looked nervous, "So, um..."
Rachel took over for her, and gestured at Brad and Puck who had been commandeered for their instrumental usefulness (both Puck and Sam seemed relieved to be released from the duty of getting between Brittany and Santana).
Santana, faced with most of the Glee club in front of her, as well as, of course, Brittany, seemed to freeze. Apparently it was one thing to perform in front of hundreds of people at a national cheerleading competition, but quite another to sing your feelings to the girl everyone knew you were in love with (everyone except her, that is).
Quinn came to stand next to her and put a hand on her shoulder, "Take a deep breath," she murmured, quietly enough that no one except Santana and Rachel could hear, "Be brave."
Rachel smiled a little, and gestured at Puck and Brad to start playing over again, as Santana took a deep breath and nodded.
"I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted,
I fell right through the cracks, but I'm trying to get back."
Quietly, Amy slid into the seat next to Finn, and he grinned and put his arm around her.
"I worry I won't see your face light up again,
Even the best fall down sometimes,
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme."
Brittany stared up at Santana with a small smile on her face, even as Santana seemed utterly unable to look directly at her.
"There you were, standing in front of my eyes,
How could I be such a fool,
To let go of love and break all the rules."
Mercedes turned, confused as Brittany nudged her, "She said this was for someone special," the blonde girl whispered, "Who is she singing to?"
"I'm here without you baby,
But you're still with me in my dreams,
And tonight I'm yours."
Laughing a little, Mercedes said, "You, you idiot. This is for you."
"I was lost and alone but you're still on my lonely mind,
It cannot wait I'm yours,
I can't stand to fly,
You finally find, you and I collide."
As the song finished, Brittany stood up and approached the stage slowly. "That was for me?" she asked.
Gulping, Santana nodded mutely.
Brittany bit her lip, "Colliding sounds like it would hurt."
Santana laughed breathlessly, "I don't want to hurt you any more."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Rachel turned her head just in time to catch Quinn's eye, and in her seat, Amy was smiling.