!
Practice went fine, though it ran a little late and he had Rachel text her dads to let them know. Hey, he was responsible for her, he promised her dads she'd be home at a certain time, he definitely wasn't going to catch shit for them being a few minutes late. And he was pretty sure he saw Tina whip out her phone and text her mom too.
He helped her up into the truck this time, and she seemed grateful. He's noticed as the day wore on she held her arm closer and closer to her body and he made a note to stash some aspirin in his locker for her. Shut up, he wasn't whipped, just concerned.
He took the long way home, but he didn't think she'd noticed. They'd been chatting and she'd seemed caught up in it and hadn't asked. He couldn't help it. The normal way home was down the main road, the road Rachel and Tina had walked down. The road where their backpacks had been found. The road where they'd been taken. He drove down it once while they were gone and he'd almost thrown up on the spot. He couldn't stand driving down that road so soon and he was pretty sure she wouldn't want to either.
He pulled up in front of her house and he saw the curtains moving in the front window and her Dad waved at them before disappearing. She laughed and turned to him.
"Thanks for everything today," she said softly. "I really do appreciate not getting the third degree from everyone."
"No problem."
They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes and he found himself wondering why she hadn't gotten out of the truck when she spoke again.
"I, uh, I think I'm ready," she said hesitantly.
And being a guy, he can't deny his mind went somewhere extreme when she said that. "Ready for what?" he choked, trying to clamp down on his active imagination.
She smirked at him. "Our date. Really, Noah, you're absolutely filthy."
He sent her a wink. "Thank you."
She rolled her eyes. "Anyway," she said, "I don't know what your plans are for this weekend, but I was thinking maybe we could go out Friday night. I've decided I'm going to the Cheerio competition Saturday morning to support our teammates, and as I don't know how long they usually take, I didn't want to plan anything for Saturday," she rambled.
He chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Friday's good. You sure you're ready?"
She smiled her gorgeous smile at him and he swore he felt his heart skip a beat. "Absolutely."
He smiled back at her. "It's a date."
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thanks again for the ride, Noah," she said, sliding slowly out of his truck. He watched her walk into the house, turning to wave one last time before she closed the front door. He waited until he was sure she was inside before he pressed his fingers to the side of his face, still feeling her lips on his skin.
!
The rest of the week went by quickly for Rachel, and she was glad. The stares at school had mostly stopped and she was quickly becoming old news. She was slowly getting caught up on her schoolwork and learning all the footwork for glee club.
Noah had picked her up and dropped her off every day and she found herself looking forward to Friday night alone with him a little more each day. Looking back at the boy he was, she could hardly reconcile that with the man he was becoming. It was a startling, but welcome, transformation.
The District Attorney had contacted her fathers and they had set up a meeting for the four of them Friday morning. She rode downtown with her fathers to meet the woman.
Clare Scott was a thirty something woman with an intelligent look and a no nonsense attitude and Rachel could tell immediately that she would do her best to put her abductor in jail.
Clare ushered them to her office and gestured for them to take a seat. They spent two hours going over Rachel's statement of what had happened and she instructed Rachel to leave nothing out. After Rachel had given her statement, the next hour was spent with Clare asking questions.
"The case seems pretty open and shut," Clare informed them. "Preliminary talks with the defendant's attorney indicate he's going to plead guilty anyway, so we may not even need you to testify at a trial. But even if he does plead guilty, there's always the sentencing phase of the proceedings, and that's usually when a victim's statement makes the most difference."
"So we will have to testify?" Rachel asked.
"I would strongly advise it," Clare said. "The judge is the one who hands down the sentence and judges are people too. If the judge sees the victims up on the stand, talking about how they were emotionally damaged and he can see the physical wounds…well, sympathy can do a lot in these cases."
"It's the same as we were talking about before, honey," Dad cut in. "With the parole hearings. But instead of going and saying why he shouldn't be let out of jail, you'd be going and saying why he should be in jail for a very long time."
"Is there any way only one of the girls would have to testify?" Daddy asked.
Rachel shook her head. "No, Daddy, I won't do that to Tina."
"It's better if both victims tell their own story, anyway," Clare put in. "It makes the degree of horror that much more if the judge sees that it affected two people and not just one."
"When do you see all of this happening?" Dad asked.
"No date has been set yet, but within the next two weeks, if not sooner," Clare said. "There's not a lot to get done in terms of gathering evidence and if he settles on a guilty plea the proceedings should go fairly quickly."
"Do you know for sure he's going to plead guilty?" Daddy asked, laying a hand on Rachel's shoulder.
"He'd be an idiot not to, as would his lawyer," Clare said bluntly. "The police found him in the shack and he was injured, as Rachel says she injured him. Also, Rachel's blood was found on the scene and I'm certain when the fingerprints on the knife come back we will find both Mr. Ford's and Tina's prints." She took a breath, looking them each in the eye. "There is no doubt this man did what you say he did," she said to Rachel. "Court is just a formality at this point. The sentencing is what we have to worry about. And you won't be under cross-examination by his attorney so you won't have to worry about that."
Rachel took a deep breath. "I just want it to be over," she said.
Clare nodded briskly. "I understand. I'll do what I can to speed this along, there shouldn't be any problem. Once we get a tentative date set, we'll meet again and prepare your statement for the sentencing. We want a statement that evokes the most emotion from the judge. That's the most important thing."
Her dads nodded in agreement and they all shook hands, agreeing to meet at a later date. Daddy said that since it was so late there was no point in going back to school, so they all had a late lunch and she went home to get ready for her date with Noah.
She was still staring at her closet at 4:00. She was starting to panic. She had showered and dried her hair, but she needed to know what she was wearing before she did her hair and makeup. Noah was picking her up at 7:00 and she was starting to worry she wasn't going to have enough time. She glanced at her phone for the hundredth time. She heaved a sigh and picked it up, dialing quickly before she could change her mind.
When the phone was picked up, she said, "I don't know what to wear."
There was a long pause and the other person finally spoke. "I'll be right there."
Ten minutes later Kurt was tapping on her bedroom door, Mercedes in tow. "Where do we start?" he asked.
Rachel shrugged helplessly. "I don't know."
His gaze alternated between her and her closet. "What's the occasion?"
She felt her cheeks get warm. "I, uh, have a date."
Kurt and Mercedes turned to her and she had their full attention. Kurt tugged her to the bed, seating himself on it gracefully. "Spill," he commanded.
She tucked a piece of hair behind her ears, grimacing as Kurt smacked her hand away. "Ow!"
"You'll make my job harder by doing that," he insisted. "Now spill!"
"Noah and I are going on a date."
There was silence as the two best friends exchanged glances. "Noah as in Puck?" Mercedes asked slowly.
Rachel rolled her eyes. "No, Noah as in the ark."
"I always pictured you with an older man," Kurt quipped. "Seriously, though, Puck? Are you sure?"
Rachel nodded firmly. "Yes. He has changed greatly since he first joined glee club and he's very sweet to me."
Kurt grinned. "We noticed."
"You did?"
"Honey, everyone has. He dotes on you and follows you around like a lovesick puppy."
"He does not."
"He was always at your dads' house when you were gone. He went with your dads to the hospital to see you. He's smitten."
"For what it's worth, I think he's serious," Mercedes put in. "I don't think he's just looking for a hookup or anything."
Rachel smiled and Kurt pounced on her immediately. "I know that look, girlfriend, you have dirt! Out with it!"
"We almost kissed once before I was taken," she confessed. "And then we had a moment in the hospital."
"He kissed you!" Kurt gushed.
Rachel shook her head, eyes shining. "Nope. He didn't kiss me."
Mercedes furrowed her brow. "I don't get it. How is that important?"
"He said he wasn't going to kiss me," Rachel explained. "He said we got a second chance and we were going to do it right this time, with a date and everything."
"Awww," Kurt and Mercedes cooed.
Rachel glared at them. "This better not get back to anyone else," she said. "I only called because I have absolutely no idea how to dress for this."
Kurt stood, all business again. "Where is he taking you?"
Rachel shrugged. "No idea. He wouldn't tell me."
Kurt nodded distractedly, pawing through her closet. He made small tutting sounds as he came across various articles of clothing he found displeasing. "You and I are so going shopping soon," he told her over his shoulder.
Rachel cringed. "I figured."
Mercedes was looking her over. "How were you planning on doing your hair?"
"I don't know. Probably just leaving it down since I can't really life my arm enough to put it up."
Mercedes nodded, still eyeing her. "We'll see," she said. She pulled out Rachel's makeup bag and started rummaging through it. "Kurt, what color are you thinking?"
"Blue," came the muffled response. Rachel turned to look and saw he was half buried in her closet, searching for the perfect outfit hidden away in there somewhere.
"Whatever you're looking for isn't magically going to appear, Kurt," Rachel told him. "I just don't have anything to wear."
"You'll see, darling," he called out. "You shall see."
When he emerged from the closet five minutes later, he looked triumphant. "You will love me," he said, and then winked at her. "Puck might, too." He handed her a pair of dark wash jeans. "Put these on first while Mercedes and I color coordinate your makeup."
She did as she asked and when she returned the makeup was laid out across her vanity and her curling iron was plugged in. Mercedes gestured to the chair in front of the mirror. "Sit," she commanded.
Rachel did as she was told and Mercedes went to work on her makeup. Rachel just sat back and let herself be pampered. She had never done this before, she realized, shared something like this with friends and let them help her. She kind of liked it.
After Mercedes was done with the makeup she started on Rachel's hair. She pulled the top back with a silver clip and curled the sides, making them look wavy and sensual. She stood back and Rachel met her eyes in the mirror. "Good?"
Rachel nodded, admiring her handiwork. "Perfect," she admitted. "What am I wearing?"
Kurt held up a short sleeved blue button up shirt and a white camisole. "I went casual because we don't know what you're doing, but the dark wash of the jeans dresses it up," he said. "As do the shoes." He gestured to a pair of silver open toed high heels. "We'll do a quick pedi after you get dressed."
"Oh, you don't have to," Rachel said.
Kurt glared at her, hands on his hips. "Oh, yes we do," he said firmly. "If the toes show, the toes need prettying too."
Rachel nodded uncertainly, slipping into the bathroom to change her shirt. She eased herself into the button up, stepping back to admire herself in the mirror. They had really done a good job, she decided. The shirt was fitted and showed off her trim figure and the dark jeans really did make it look less casual. She stepped out of the bathroom and her friends gave their approval.
"Nice job, Kurt," Mercedes said approvingly. "Very nice."
"Thank you," Kurt said haughtily, coming towards Rachel. "But it's not supposed to be buttoned up all the way, hence the camisole," he told her. He unbuttoned the top few buttons so her white shirt was visible, as was a hint of cleavage. "Nice job with the hair too," Kurt told Mercedes, circling Rachel. "It compliments the look perfectly."
"We did good," Mercedes said, looking her up and down. "Grab the nail polish."
Half an hour later Rachel was ready. She kept glancing in the mirror, unsure if it was her staring back. She looked so…normal. She turned back to her friends. "Thank you so much," she said. "You guys really did a great job."
"It wasn't that hard," Kurt admitted grudgingly. "The raw material didn't completely suck."
Mercedes smacked him in the arm. "You can repay us with details," she said. "We'll be at the Cheerio competition tomorrow and we want to know everything."
Rachel sighed, knowing they would hound her until she told them what they wanted to know. "Ok," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow. And thanks again."
After they left, she puttered around her room, unable to sit still. She thought Noah would probably be a few minutes later, but at 7:00 on the dot the doorbell rang. She felt her heart thudding in her chest as she made her way to the door. She pulled it open and smiled at him. "Noah."
He grinned back. "Rachel." He thrust something at her. "This is for you."
It was a yellow daffodil, her favorite spring flower. "Oh, Noah, thank you," she said.
He shrugged uncomfortably. "It's nothing major. I picked it from my mom's garden before I left, so…"
"It is something," she argued. "And it's beautiful. Let me put it in some water."
"Rachel, it's just a daffodil," he said.
She glared at him. "But it's my daffodil and I say it needs put in water."
He heard chuckling and as he followed her into the house he saw her dads sitting in the living room. "Uh, hi, Mr. Berry. And Mr. Berry."
They raised their hands in greeting. "Good evening, Noah," her Daddy said, grinning at him.
Rachel came back into the living room without the flower. "I'm ready to go now," she said happily.
"Did you use the vase under the sink, honey?" her Dad asked, trying to contain his smile.
"Yes, I did," Rachel said happily.
Puck rolled his eyes. "It's just a daffodil," he said again. "It will probably be dead in two days."
"It's the thought that counts, Noah," Rachel said sternly.
He didn't even have to glance over to know her dads were laughing again. "I guess. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes. Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," he said guiding her to the door. He turned back to her fathers. "I know her curfew is midnight, I'll have her home by then. And I have my cell phone, on and charged."
Her Daddy nodded. "That's fine, Noah. You two have a good time."
He opened her door for her and helped her up into the truck. She was still wearing her sling and he knew her arm probably hurt a little. He rounded the truck and started it, noticing how she instantly turned his radio.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you the driver picks the music?" he asked her teasingly.
"That's doesn't apply if there's no music on," she told him.
He grinned, keeping his eyes on the road. "You look nice tonight," he said. He could see her smile out of the corner of his eye.
"You look nice too," she said.
He snorted. "It's just jeans and a nice shirt, Berry."
"That doesn't change the fact that you wear it well," she informed him. "So, where are we going?"
He glanced at her, smirking. "How much is it killing you not to know?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Not at all. I don't need to know everything, you know." She was quiet for a few minutes before she spoke again. "But seriously, where are you taking me?"
He laughed. "You'll see," he promised her. "You'll like it, trust me."
The restaurant turned out to be an Italian restaurant the next town over. He helped her out of the truck and inside. He spoke to the hostess and they were led right to a table. He held her chair for her until she was seated and then he took the seat across from her.
She smiled at him from across the table as the waitress placed their menus in front of them. "You had a reservation," she said.
He nodded. "Well, yeah. Isn't that what you do on a date?"
She smiled again, nodding and picking up her menu. They perused for a few minutes and placed their order when their waitress came back. When they were alone again Rachel took a moment to study the restaurant. It was beautiful, decorated in dark, rich colors with low lighting to create an intimate atmosphere.
"This place is amazing," she told him. "How did you even find it?"
He looked sheepish. "My mom suggested it, actually," he said. "She'd been here before and she thought you'd like it."
Rachel nodded her approval. "So far so good," she said. "So how was school today?"
"Boring," he retorted. "How was your meeting?
"Well, it doesn't look like we'll have to testify at a trial," she told him. "But probably at a sentencing hearing." She told him of her conversation with Clare.
"At least you won't have to deal with his lawyer," Puck said. "That's the worst part. Or at least it seems like it on TV."
Rachel smiled. "Yeah, my dads were happy about that too. I'm just ready to be done with the whole thing, you know? I don't like it hanging over my head."
He nodded and reached across the table to take her hand in his. "Are you still having the nightmares?"
"Sometimes," she said. She'd been having nightmares of being in the shack, or of being stabbed, or of being thrown in the back of the van since she'd been home. "I had one last night but when I went back to sleep I didn't have another one."
He squeezed her hand gently. "That's good," he told her. "Really good."
Her eyes met his and the candlelight from the table gave him a heavenly glow. She felt a warm feeling spreading through her. "I'm really glad we got to do this," she said, gazing into the hazel depths.
He smiled softly, a smile she hadn't seen before. "Me too."
She lost herself in his gaze for a moment and caught herself, clearing her throat slightly. "So what are we doing after this?"
He cringed slightly. "Well, it's not very original," he warned. "I was going to get creative but your shoulder makes it hard. I figured a movie."
"That sounds wonderful."
"It's overdone," he said simply. "Everyone does dinner and a movie."
"But you're right," she told him. "My shoulder makes it hard to do anything else. It's good, Noah, it's perfect."
He grinned at her suddenly. "You're really going to the Cheerio competition tomorrow?"
"Noah, two of our teammates are competing in a very important event, held at our school, of all places. What kind of team captain would I be if I didn't go and support them?"
He shook his head lightly. "Never thought I'd see the day you wanted to support Santana."
Rachel shrugged one shoulder. "She's not horrible," she said. "Not anymore, anyway."
He laughed again. "She's a bitch," he said.
"Noah!"
"Hey, she'd be the first one to tell you that," he said. "It's not like it's a big secret."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "I hope they do well. Brittany was so excited when I told her I was coming. You're coming, right?"
He winked at her. "I could be persuaded."
"Swine."
He laughed again as their food arrived and he reluctantly let go of her hand. They ate their food in relative silence, punctuated only by Rachel's small sounds of approval. He grinned. Apparently her food was very good.
She declined dessert after dinner and he paid the bill, holding the door open for her as they left the restaurant. He reached down and took her hand on the walk to the car.
He had picked a chick flick, something he knew she'd like, and he wasn't disappointed. Her eyes lit up when he told her what they were seeing.
"Wow, How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, Sweet Home Alabama and now this? I'm starting to think you're a closet chick flick junkie," she teased.
"I am 100% badass," he informed her sternly. "And don't you forget it." She laughed lightly and followed him into the theater.
The movie didn't totally suck, he decided, but he didn't really spend that much time looking at the screen anyway. He watched Rachel as she watched the movie, her big expressive eyes giving away her emotions. She was beautiful in the glow of the movie theater and her fingers felt perfect threaded through his. And he knew he sounded like the biggest prick, but he couldn't help it. He was sitting here with Rachel in the darkness, her skin warm against his, and he was feeling things he'd never felt before. He promised himself he'd never make fun of Finn for being like this over a girl again. Well, maybe sometimes was ok.
Rachel turned, as if sensing his stare, and smiled at him and he was absolutely positive his heart skipped a beat this time. God, she was beautiful. But the thing is, that wasn't just it. He'd been with plenty of women before, gorgeous knock out women. And none of them had ever made his heart do that before, or put that warm feeling in his stomach. They were just sex, just for physical pleasure. With Rachel it was different. He loved being with her, being around her. She had this way of lighting up an entire room, even if she was being loud and obnoxious. He'd seen that while she had been gone. Everything was darker without her.
As they exited the theater, hand in hand, she prattled on about the movie. "What did you think, Noah?"
He glanced over at her and he knew he'd been caught not paying attention. "I'm sorry, what?"
She grinned. "I don't think you were paying much attention to the movie," she scolded.
He paused at the truck, not reaching for the door handle, but for her instead. "How could I pay attention to the movie when you were sitting there looking so amazing?" he murmured.
Rachel felt her breath catch in her chest as he pulled her closer. "Noah," she said breathlessly, her eyes drifting closed. She felt his lips touch hers, gently, and his arm went around her waist. She put her hand on his chest, feeling his beating heart, his lips over hers. He pulled her closer and her hand slipped to the back of his neck as he deepened the kiss. She felt his tongue sweep against her bottom lip and she parted them easily for him. His tongue caressed hers and she pulled him closer.
He broke the kiss first, pulling away slightly to lean his forehead against hers. "I didn't think your dads would appreciate seeing that," he said in a husky tone.
She tried in vain to catch her breath. "Pr-probably not."
He let out a deep chuckle and leaned down to peck her lips gently again. "See, wasn't that better than a kiss in a hospital bed?"
She blinked, still feeling off center from the kiss. "I suppose."
He laughed again, louder, and stepped away from her, opening her door. He helped her into the truck and leaned in for another kiss before he shut the door and rounded the truck. When he slipped behind the wheel, she grabbed his sleeve, pulling him over and kissing him again.