After the worst class in history, Mr. Schue dismissed everyone but the Glee members, and when Santana, Quinn, Sam, and Mike tried to leave with Rachel and Bella, he cleared his throat and told them that included former and present members. Rachel pursed her lips but stayed behind, and Bella glanced at her sister, eyebrow raised. Rachel shook her head, and Bella gave a salute. Once she was gone, Mr. Schue clapped his hands - an action Rachel didn't miss in the least - and he smiled.
"So. All together again, huh?"
"Oh, my God," Santana muttered.
"Mr. Schue," Quinn started, "I don't think this is a good idea."
"It really isn't," Artie chimed in.
"Guys, come on. I know things have been tense, but -
"Okay, I am going to stop you right there," Rachel said carefully. "Because it sounds like you are about to try and put the club together again, and I want nothing to do with that."
"But why? We were so good together."
"It was our first year. Everything was new and fancy, and we were excited. But so much has changed."
"Yes, but that's the whole point of the club, right? People with differences coming together and creating something beautiful from it?"
"That goes for things like religion, sexuality, and race," Rachel argued. "Our differences go beyond that. I know you were hesitant to acknowledge it the first time around, but in case you have forgotten, I was tormented for almost three months. And Glee stopped being a safe space for me because of you. Not Finn, not Kurt, not Mercedes, and not anyone else. It was you. You did not defend me. You were not the one who went to Figgins and kept me from being expelled. The only teachers at the school who gave a damn about me, my feelings, my emotions, and my mental state were Emma and Coach Sylvester, and they almost lost their jobs because of it."
Mr. Schue made a face at the mention of their names, and that put the final piece together for Rachel. She had wondered about Emma and Coach Sylvester's relationship, and his reaction made a lot of sense. She made a mental note to tell Bella that later. But when she noticed he was gearing up for a response, Rachel held up her hand.
"I cannot and will not put aside what happened to me for the sake of a trophy. And not that it matters, but I stopped singing several months ago." Santana and Quinn's head snapped toward her, and Mike frowned, but Rachel ignored them. "I want the club to succeed, I always have, but it will be without me," she said.
Rachel turned to exit, and Mercedes stared at her before stepping to the side, and Rachel nodded as she slipped past her. She walked out into the hallway and released a long breath, already dreading the conversation she knew was coming. She headed toward the front door to the parking lot, wondering where her sister was, and she felt a hand gently grip her arm. Rachel let Quinn pull her in the opposite direction to that same conference room from that morning. Santana came in with them and shut the door. Rachel made the mistake of taking a deep breath, and she tensed when she realized she was in a windowless, closed room with them. Their scents were the only thing she could smell, and Rachel clenched her fists to keep from grabbing them and sinking her teeth into-
"Hello? Earth to Kujo!"
Rachel blinked at Santana, and she asked, "What did you just call me?"
"You're the one growling and - are your eyes orange?"
"No," she lied.
"I'm looking right at you!"
"Why did you bring me in here?"
"Because you said you don't sing anymore," Quinn said, covering Santana's mouth.
"Okay, and?"
"You said it was your passion!"
"Passions change."
Santana dropped Quinn's hand and said, "Not yours. Especially not that."
"Once upon a time my passion was dancing, and that changed too, remember?"
"That's not fair."
"Neither was acting like it never happened."
"And I have regretted it every single day, but-
"There is no but. And if you say another damn thing about it, I am walking out of here."
Santana ground her teeth and glared at the wall, and Quinn held out her hands between them.
"Disregarding what happened between you two for now, Rachel, we're not trying to overstep. We were just surprised."
"I know," Rachel said.
"Alright, so what happened? Why did you stop?" she asked.
Rachel wanted so desperately to lie but she couldn't, and she said, "My vocal chords were slightly damaged, and I got accustomed to not using them. It took me three months for me to speak again."
"Oh, that would explain why you sound so," Santana made a weird gesture and huffed, "raspy."
"Raspy?" she repeated.
"Yeah. It has a bit of grit to it now. It isn't so airy when you talk."
"That makes sense," Rachel said, scratching at her nose. "I have some scarring on my throat."
Quinn wanted to ask, Rachel could tell, and she gave her a slight smile.
"I inhaled fire, technically."
"Did that also happen in the weird factory accident that also turned your eyes orange and caused your body to grow like five inches? Plus, like the muscles. Jesus, when did you even get a six pack?"
"Santana, for the last time, I was not in a factory accident, and I have always had muscles. I have a very rigorous workout routine, and my diet is quite important to me." Rachel winced a little and added, "Well, I had to make some adjustments, but still, this is nothing new."
"Then what happened to you?" Quinn challenged.
Rachel groaned and fought her reaction to tell the truth. She leaned on the table and took deep breaths, only she made it worse. She glanced up, already knowing her eyes were darker and more orange than before, and she grimaced.
"Please, stop asking," she said. "I am not ready to talk about it. Not yet. So, please, stop."
"On one condition, are you in danger?" Santana asked.
"No."
"Are you dying?"
"No."
Santana folded her arms and said, "Then fine. But you know you can't hide it from us forever."
"Nor do I plan to, thank you. Trust me when I say it is complicated. I am not trying to be antagonistic."
"Yeah, well, you wouldn't be our Rachel if you weren't anything but," Santana murmured.
Quinn nodded in agreement, and Rachel couldn't stop herself even if she tried. Quinn and Santana sucked in sharp breaths when Rachel suddenly appeared in front of them. Rachel reached up and put her hands on both sides of their heads, pinning them in that spot. She hadn't really appreciated her height until that moment, and she listened as their hearts raced in their chests.
"Your Rachel?" she repeated.
Santana (despite her lies about not being able to blush) flushed the same color as Quinn, and Rachel leaned in closer. She eyed them both and hummed under her breath.
"Interesting. I guess I am looking forward to seeing just how much of yours that I am." Rachel moved back and winked. "Until then, enjoy being mine," she said.
By the time that registered in their minds, Rachel was gone and out into the parking lot. She found Bella reclined against the car with Emma and Coach Sylvester, and Rachel winced. She stopped in front of the trio, and Coach Sylvester narrowed her eyes.
"You broke my Cheerio's nose," she said. "And while that Cheerio is a pain in my ass, I would have liked to get through one day without having to defend you to Figgins."
"She threw a slushy in my face and pushed me into the lockers. It was reactionary."
"Which is what the cameras proved, hence why you are not suspended."
Rachel shrugged, indifferent, and she asked, "Is that why you came all the way out here? I know you park in that new fancy garage by the stadium."
"Considering that I'm the one who built it, yes. But we came out here to tell you that we might be a little late for dinner," she said.
"What dinner?"
"Your Dad called while you were with Santana and Quinn. We're having a family dinner at like 7 or something," Bella said.
"Family?"
"Meet your new godmother," Bella snarked.
"Wait, what?"
Coach Sylvester rolled her eyes and said, "She's joking. We do it every first day of the new semester. Just because you're back doesn't mean we'll stop."
"Oh." Rachel scrunched her face and turned to Bella. "Who says I was with Santana and Quinn anyway?" she asked defensively.
"Who else would you be with?" she deadpanned.
"I could have been with Mike."
"He left with Sam and Coach Beiste like five minutes ago."
Rachel clamped her mouth shut and turned when she heard the door open, and she saw Santana and Quinn come out of the school. They scanned the lot before they saw her, and Rachel motioned at Bella. She heard her sister snort and unlock the truck.
"And that's our cue," Bella said, opening the driver's side.
"What did you do?" Emma asked Rachel.
Rachel smiled tightly and hurried to the other side of the truck. She hopped in, catching Santana and Quinn running toward her, and Bella laughed as she peeled out of the lot. Rachel barely managed to put on her seatbelt, and she watched Santana and Quinn through the side mirror. She sunk down in her seat and groaned, and Bella poked her in the head.
"You're so screwed. What did you do, by the way?"
"My wolf decided to make itself known," she said.
"You'll have to tell them soon. The imprint bond gets stronger over time, not weaker." Bella patted her on the shoulder. "You should bring something for them to wear tomorrow," she said.
"What? Why?"
"Trust me, okay? Like a hoodie or one of your beanies. With them being so close in proximity, you three having different classes and being separated will become uncomfortable. Giving them clothes or something with your scent will soothe them. They may not be wolves, but they are yours, and it will help subconsciously."
"How do you know so much more about Shifters than I do?"
"Jacob talked a lot before I started hanging with Edward. And when I was there, I heard their stories and pieces of their legends. I was basically family."
Rachel watched muted pain cross Bella's face, and she tugged at her hair.
"Hey, fuck them, okay? Fuck Jacob and Sam. Fuck Leah. Fuck, well, not Seth. We love Seth. But fuck all the rest. We're family now. You have me, Dad, and Charlie. You even have Mike. We're not the type to give up on one another. And I'm never going to abandon you."
"Promise?"
"No matter what."
Bella came into the kitchen and whistled when she saw how much Leroy had cooked. Roast, bread, mashed potatoes, salad, and some kind of vegan crap that Bella wasn't sure passed as food. Still, she nodded and stole a piece of bread.
"Holy shit, Mr. B. This is a fuck ton of food."
"Language."
"My bad. Holy sheet, this is a lot of food."
Leroy rolled his eyes and passed Rachel a rag to wipe down the counter. "I may have panic-cooked," he said.
"Clearly."
"Go away," he said.
Bella gasped, and Rachel bit her lip to hide her smile. She put the rag in the sink and glanced between them, and Leroy turned down the sauce on the stove. He twisted so that he was half-facing Bella and feigned an apologetic grimace.
"Forgive me, but I am under a little bit of stress-
"And I am your adopted daughter," she hissed. "Try and treat me with some kindness."
"Yes, of course."
"Good, now I'm going to pretend this never happened. And maybe while I'm gone, you'll consider my feelings on the matter and give me a more appropriate apology."
Bella spun on her heels and left, and Rachel snickered at the exasperated look on Leroy's face.
"Your sister is a nightmare," he said. "Charlie warned me, but this is unheard of foolishness."
"Maybe you should've been nicer," Rachel teased.
"Oh, shut up."
Rachel giggled and grabbed her phone off the counter when it started vibrating. It was an unknown number, but it was a Lima area code so she answered warily.
"Hello?"
"Yeah, hi. It's me." There was a huff and a muffled curse before the person added, "Quinn. It's Quinn."
"I can tell," Rachel said, ignoring the sheer happiness she felt at hearing her voice. "Here to yell at me? Wait, scratch that, how did you get my number?"
"Mike gave it to me, and no, I'm not going to yell at you. Not right now, at least. Maybe tomorrow. Look, Santana and I got into a bit of an argument, and she stormed off about forty minutes ago. Sam is at work, and Mike is in his meditation chamber or whatever the fuck it is. I just – I usually give her time to calm down before I go after her."
"Hold on, she does this often?"
"It's a very shit coping method that her Dad taught her, something about leaving before she says or does something that she doesn't mean or might regret. But she's never left the apartment complex before, and she always had her phone. She left her car, her phone, her wallet, and her keys. She's just gone, and I'm really worried because it's never been this long before. Please, have you heard from her?"
"No, I have not."
"Damnit," Quinn whined.
Rachel hunched forward and turned away from her father. She inhaled quickly and said, "Do you need my help to find her?"
"No," she sighed. "I- no. I feel like she's just being a brat and hiding out until she thinks I'm going to sleep. I'm going to check a few more places. Can I call you back later?"
"Please? No matter what time it is." Rachel rubbed her eyebrow. "I need to know she's safe," she said.
"Need?"
"Falls under that conversation we had earlier."
"Ah. Well, I promise to make her call you."
"Thank you."
Quinn hung up, and Rachel put the phone back on the counter and stared off into space for a moment.
"Everything okay?" Leroy asked.
Rachel faced her Dad and said, "I am in love with two people."
"I know that already, Rachel," he snorted. "I meant the phone call. Who was it?"
"Quinn. Santana ran off after an argument, and she has yet to come back."
"That sounds familiar." Rachel shot him a look, and he held up his hands. "I'm just saying. You're the one who got up and drove to Washington after a breakup."
"It was more than – ugh, when did Coach Sylvester and Miss Pillsbury say they were coming over?"
"Smooth," Leroy teased. "But Emma and Sue were down the street five minutes ago."
"I cannot call her Sue."
"You need to learn because she actually prefers it."
No sooner than he said that, the doorbell rang, and Leroy poked her in the cheek.
"Don't run away while I'm gone."
"I hate you."
Leroy grinned and walked off to open the door. Bella passed by him, sticking out her tongue, and Rachel giggled when Leroy hissed at her.
"Stop antagonizing him," Rachel said.
"Never." Bella slid next to Rachel and folded her arms. "So, girlfriend 1A can't find girlfriend 1B?" she asked.
"Do not call them that. Were you listening the entire time?"
"Obviously. Are you okay? That rag is getting strangled to death."
Rachel dropped the rag, she didn't even remember picking it back up, and she said, "I feel twitchy. Like I need to go and drag Santana back myself."
"Kinky."
"Stop. I feel as if I am going to burst from my skin."
"Hey, if that feeling gets worse, go outside. That means you are seconds away from shifting, and-
Bella's cut off when Leroy, Sue, and Emma walked into the kitchen. Sue removed Emma's coat and hung it up on the rack, and Rachel whistled, happy for the distraction.
"That was not on your hand at school," she said.
Emma grinned and said, "I rarely wear it on school property. Our engagement is not public knowledge, and we want to keep it that way. Wearing this will prompt questions, and I would hate to lie about it."
"Hold on, you two are - no way!" Bella exclaimed.
"I knew I was forgetting to tell you something," Rachel said.
"When did you put it together?" Emma asked.
"Today in Mr. Schue's class." Emma's face fell, and Rachel clarified, "He had a reaction to your names that spoke volumes. He didn't mention anything specifically," she said.
"I see. Well, I no longer associate with William," Emma said. "I found the love of my life, and I am happier than I have ever been."
"As am I," Sue added.
"That is disgustingly sweet," Bella said.
"Don't tell me you haven't felt this way before?" Emma asked, slightly teasing.
Bella's smile was a little sad as she said, "Yeah, but she was out of my league, and I wasn't on her radar."
"Did she tell you that?" Bella faltered as she thought about it, and Emma hummed. "Sometimes when we look at the dynamic from another perspective, we can see the things we missed on our own," she said.
Rachel saw the anguish creeping in, but before she could save her sister, the timer went off on the stove. Leroy clapped his hands and gestured towards the table, and Bella shook off whatever creeped over her. Emma glanced at Rachel, who shook her head, and the counselor got the hint.
"You all sit while I get the roast from the oven," Leroy said.
"He only acts this nice around our company," Rachel said.
"You're being dramatic, dear.."
"Turning into the old Rachel Berry," Bella teased, back to her old self in no time.
"Speaking of," Sue began, "how was your first day back as the 'new' Rachel Berry? Officially?"
Rachel shrugged and sat down at the table, the others following suit, and she said, "It went about as well as you said it would. It was fine at first, but once the news spread, people made comments here and there. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't the warmest welcome."
"Not to mention the fucking slushy bath she got at school," Bella said.
"Language," Leroy warned.
"I thought I had free passes."
"Who told you that?"
"I was hoping you would roll with it."
Leroy gave her a look, and Bella pouted. Rachel shook her head and leaned forward on the table.
"Yes, that was annoying. But on top of it all, Mr. Schue tried to put together the Glee club again."
"How did that go?" Leroy asked.
"I told them that I was not interested in coming back. Sure, I loved the club once upon a time, and I enjoyed being around the people in it, but things often come to an end and that, unfortunately, was one of those things. And there is too much tension between us, more than usual, and I do not want to be involved with it. Not anymore."
"Yeah, speaking of that, what happened while Rachel was gone?" Bella asked. "Like I know the barest of details, but they came from biased parties. What's the truth?"
Rachel conceded that was a good point, and Sue and Emma shared a look. Bella noticed and propped her chin, leaning slightly to the side as Rachel dumped an unhealthy amount of mashed potatoes and gravy on her plate.
"Where do we even begin?" Sue sighed. "So much happened over the last two years."
"Brittany first," Bella jumped in. "My issues with her aside, there seems to be something else at play."
"Your issues?" Emma asked.
"I didn't know you knew her," Sue said.
"She has them because of me," Rachel said.
"Wait, why don't you like Brittany?"
Rachel twirled her fork on the table and said, "Honestly, she and I have been on the outs since the end of eighth grade."
"They were best friends," Leroy added, stabbing his salad. "Brittany was over our house every weekend. And then one day, she just stopped coming over."
"She was jealous of my friendship with Mike and became very toxic. I stopped talking to her that summer before our freshman year, and she just…turned into someone I no longer recognized."
"And?" Bella pressed.
Rachel scowled and said, "Brittany also had a habit of sleeping with my boyfriend."
"Who? Finn?" Emma asked.
"Yes. Twice, actually."
"When was this?" Sue asked.
Rachel put down her fork and said, "Coach- Sue, you asked me a long time ago why I slept with Finn how I did, and I told you I loved him. That was not the whole truth, or even half of it. Brittany," she paused, "slept with Finn a week before I did. I caught them in the locker room after practice. Finn and I were supposed to be going on a date, but he was taking too long. I walked in on them, Finn saw me, and he spent the entire week apologizing. I admit now that it was mostly pressure that put me in that dressing room.
"And of course, you know what happened after that. Finn bragged about it to his friends, then it got to the rest of the school, and in a matter of days, my life was ruined. My first Homecoming was a disaster. And I was so hurt and angry. Embarrassed. Guilty. I mean, everyone here had some idea of how bad it was after the fact. But at that moment, I felt as if I was drowning. And despite all of that, despite how angry I was, I stayed with him.
"I hung off his arm and pretended like I was okay until one night I saw him and Brittany at the park. After everything that happened, that was my breaking point. So I left. I ran to Washington, and the rest is…history, I guess."
Silence fell at the table. Leroy drained his glass of wine and poured another. Emma rubbed her forehead and sighed.
"The issue with Brittany, so to speak, is that she's been in the middle of far too many fights and situations," she said.
"And contrary to what they've told people, Santana and Brittany started dating at the end of last year," Sue said. "Santana lied about the relationship because of her father, but I know they were dating because Santana told me. She knew I had rules about it, and she came clean. They broke up in late-January. Believe it or not, it wasn't the cheating that caused Santana to snap. I can't tell you much, but Santana had a very bad situation go down during that time, and she was emotionally-
"Unstable," Emma finished. "She was a mess."
"Right. So when Santana found out about the cheating, it was a catalyst, and that's what triggered everything. And when it came out that Brittany had been sleeping with Finn even before she'd gotten together with Santana, that was when Quinn got involved. It went from bad to worse in a matter of seconds. I came in at the end, and I found Mike holding Quinn, Sam holding Santana, and Finn bleeding all over the floor. Brittany had her hand over her face, and William was nowhere to be found. That entire club was there, and Quinn just…"
Sue leaned back in her chair and frowned.
"I had never seen her so angry, and while I knew she and Santana were close, I hadn't seen how much until that day," she finished.
"Quinn has always been protective of Santana," Emma sighed, poking at her food. "And Brittany was not her favorite person. I have many memories of Quinn venting in my office. I guess I should've seen it then that they loved one another, but I don't think they knew it either."
There was a vibrating sound that echoed in the room. All eyes fell to Rachel as she picked up her phone.
"Quinn?" Bella guessed.
Rachel nodded and answered, "Hey, have you found her?"
There was a slight pause before -
"Um. Yes?"
Some deeper part of Rachel relaxed when she heard Santana's voice, but she was mildly annoyed that she ran off in the first place. She excused herself from the table and went into the living room.
"You have ten seconds to explain to me what the fuck you were thinking," she hissed.
"Okay, look, it wasn't intentional. I genuinely thought I had my phone and keys with me, but I got locked out. And without my wallet, I couldn't catch the bus or a cab. So I kind of walked to the new construction site where Sam works and hung out until he was done."
"And did you not think to call Quinn from his phone? Any phone? Hell, even the landline at the damn coffee shop two blocks away?"
"The whole point was to not talk to her. Plus, Sam sent her a text when he saw me."
Rachel growled low in her throat and said, "You go and run out without a phone, wallet, and keys, and instead of going to fix whatever the fuck happened between you two, you let her worry for almost forty minutes with no communication? You chose that route as your best option in handling the situation? You scared the shit out of Quinn, and in turn, me."
"Rachel-
"Be quiet." There was the audible sound of Santana's jaw clicking shut, and Rachel took a deep breath, saying in a softer tone, "Let me be clear, Santana, I cannot and will not get a call like that again. You need to find a healthier method of conflict resolution because the next time, it will not be Quinn or Sam or Mike who comes to find you. It will be me, and I promise you will not like that outcome. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," Santana whispered.
"Good."
Rachel hung up and turned off her phone. She put it in her pocket and pinched the bridge of her nose. She took time to calm down before she went back into the kitchen.
"Everything okay?" Leroy asked.
"Yep."
"Found her?"
"Yep."
"Did you express how upset you were in a healthy way?"
"Something like that."
Leroy inclined his head, and Emma cleared her throat.
"Question." Rachel turned to Emma, who smiled and picked up her wine. "When did you discover you were in love with Quinn and Santana? Was it simultaneous or gradual?" she asked.
"I - what?"
"Honey, we agreed not to mention that," Sue said.
"What?!" Rachel exclaimed. "You know too?"
"I may have let it slip during one of our dinners," Leroy said.
"Dad!"
"In his defense, I kind of already knew? In our meetings, you spoke about them the most," Emma said. "Even during the…rougher weeks, it was always Quinn did this or Santana didn't do that."
"How does that translate to love? You only met with me for two months!"
"In my line of work, you notice these things. Plus, you just confirmed it."
"She's really good at her job," Sue added.
Bella burst out into laughter, and Rachel groaned and dropped her head on the table. Leroy reached over, patting her on the shoulder.
"It's okay, sweetie. No judgment here. And to answer your question, Emma, it was simultaneous. She's been smitten since she saw Santana in the dance class, and Quinn after their little art competition."
"What art competition?" Sue asked.
"Rachel had an art phase where she would go and participate in these little competitions with local students. She met Quinn, I think, when she was twelve? She used to always gush about how pretty she was and how smart. It was cute. And then one day, it became how beautiful Quinn was, how talented and ambitious she was. Her crush grew overnight it seemed."
"So, Quinn was first?" Bella asked.
Rachel lifted her head and said, "I already told you I met her first, but my friendship with Santana was a little different…"
"One was physical, and the other was emotional and mental."
"What?" Rachel asked, looking at Emma.
"Oh, you spoke of Santana's physical attributes more than you did with Quinn, and with Quinn, you mentioned intangible qualities. Not to say neither have incredible traits all around, but your focus was very specific."
"I love them both for everything."
"Especially the physical part. She stared at Quinn's ass like three times at lunch, and she wouldn't stop looking at Santana's chest all day."
"I did not need to hear that," Leroy muttered.
Rachel slowly looked at her sister and said, "I hate you."
"I know."