Disclaimer: Nope I do not own Glee
A.N. Inspired in part by the Season 6 promo and stills, as well as a conversation with Amy on Twitter, I hope this is the just the start of my return to writing. My thanks as always to Mel and Mona for their encouragement.
Rachel always knew that returning to William McKinley High was never going to be easy. Each visit was a bittersweet trip down memory lane but she was determined that nothing would stand in her way. She knew that Sue was never going to welcome her back with open arms, especially once Rachel's plans to revive the Glee club became public. Having faced the critics of Broadway, not to mention surviving the harsh reviews and comments of the online bloggers that surrounded her failed tv pilot, Rachel was certain that she could deal with anything Sue could throw at her. As it turned out it was something that Becky threw at her that caught her unawares.
Rachel had been confident that she could handle returning to Lima, to the school corridors that she'd once dreaded walking down. Yet here she was, frozen in place, as red dyed ice dripped on to her face and clothes. The unexpected cold and sticky feeling of the ice sparked a rush of memories, leaving Rachel unable to move. She didn't hear Becky's "Welcome back loser" taunt, or the gasps of the students who were there to witness the return of the slushie facials, which had gain the status of urban legend in the time since the last original members of New Directions had graduated.
Lost in her memories, Rachel remained unmoving, almost as if the ice from the sneak attack by Sue's minion had soaked into her very being, freezing her in place. For a second Rachel thought that she'd heard someone call her name, touch her skin, but she just couldn't seem to focus on anything other than the bitter chill of the ice and the overwhelming sounds of Becky's words repeating on a loop in her head.
Ever so slowly Rachel became aware of her surroundings, as a gentle heat began to swirl around her. It was still some time before she realised that she was no longer standing in the busy hallway, but was in fact sitting at a sink in the faculty bathroom. Blinking furiously to try clear her vision, she was momentarily distracted when a warm face flannel was placed over her eyes, taking away the last of the icy residue from her eyes. Not able to muster the energy to move or speak she allowed her unknown companion to rinse her hair, the warm water a balm to her cold body. With that task complete, a strong hand helped her sit up straight, before towel drying her hair. Every touch was gentle, giving Rachel the time she needed to compose herself.
"There you are, I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever defrost fully!"
"Noah? What are you doing here?" Rachel couldn't help but wonder if she was dreaming. She had spoken with his mother at Temple not long after her return to Lima, when Mrs Puckerman had proudly told Rachel that Noah was being fast tracked in his unit, having impressed his superiors in his first year in the Air Force.
"Try not to look so happy to see me here, Berry."
"I'm just surprised, your mother told me you were in the middle of some intense, high clearance project. " She watched as he good-naturedly rolled his eyes at the mention of his mother's words.
"You know Ma, she always gets things mixed up. As it happens I was off site for a time, didn't get to take all of my leave, then I heard the craziest rumours about the Glee Club starting up again, so I figured I'd check things out. Maybe lend a hand?"
"Some how I doubt this is what you had in mind," Rachel replied with more than a hint of sarcasm in her voice, before shivering slightly.
"Not going to lie, I've had many a dream about undressing you..."
"Wait a minute, undressing me?" Shivering again Rachel noticed that instead of her ruined outfit she was now wearing yoga pants and a heavy sweater with 'Air Force' emblazoned on the front.
"I remembered that you always keep a change of clothes with you, so I figured a few extra layers would help get rid of the chill."
"Tell me you didn't break into my car Noah," Rachel pleaded.
"You going to have me arrested Rae?" Noah teased. "I couldn't very well let you go in to shock on me, not when we have a revenge to plan!"
"Noah!" Rachel couldn't help but look in wonder at the boy in front of her. Even though they had rarely been in the same place at the same time since graduation, they had somehow managed to stay in touch with letters and the occasional Skype chat. At first they had kept the letters short and relatively impersonal, but inevitably more difficult subjects had been raised. There was a special bond between them that few knew about and even fewer would ever fully understand. The friendship that Puck had once denied existed had become a source of comfort to both, that neither could imagine living without.
Rachel was glad to see that Noah still had the cheeky "Puck" twinkle in his eyes, a warning to all that he could still get up to devilment, but there was something new in the way he carried himself, a confidence that all his 'B.A.M.F.' bravado had never shown.
"Are you happy Noah?" she asked him quietly, wondering if she'd spoken out of turn.
There was silence for a few minutes as he considered his answer, his eyes never leaving hers. Catching her hand in his, Noah gently pulled Rachel to her feet, wrapping her up in his arms. Almost without thinking he leaned forward, tenderly kissing Rachel's forehead.
"I'm getting there Rae, and so will you."
Again they exchanged looks, leaving so much unsaid, but gaining strength from what they saw reflected in each other's eyes. Snuggling into Noah's embrace for a few more minutes, Rachel realised that not only was she no longer cold, Noah had helped remind her of the reasons she had returned home. They had both gained so much from belonging to the Glee club and although there had been difficult times, there was no denying how their lives had been influenced by being a part of New Directions. If they could help just one student to see their potential then she would be happy. If they were able to take teach Sue a lesson in humility at the same time she's be ecstatic.
"Are you ready for this?" Noah asked, with just the slightest hint of a smirk. Placing another kiss on Rachel's forehead, he gathered up their belongings, before offering his arm to her.
"Let's kick some ass!"
A.N. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Remember reviews are love ;) Happy Holidays