DISCLAIMER: I do not own glee.
So you guys really like badass Rachel huh? I promise I'll put more of her in at some point. I always have a certain dislike of the fact that most fics with badass Rachel portray her as a female Puck working her way through the female population. You can be badass without being a jackass. HadenOliver9 brilliantly described her as a 'respectful badass".
The pair were sitting in Rachel's truck, waiting for the school to open. Dave turned to his housemate. "Rachel, don't you think you should put something on that?" He asked, staring at the bruise covering the majority of her cheek and eye. His father had clearly put his weight behind the blow and Dave was blown away at how little the brunette had stumbled upon the impact, he was certain that he would have been floored.
The singer sighed and gingerly poked at her cheek, wincing as the slightest amount of pressure caused the injury to throb. "I don't like wearing make up Dave. It feels like it's suffocating my skin. Plus do you know how hard it is to find competitively priced vegan cosmetic products?"
"Well no, but people are going to ask questions. I don't really want everyone to know my father is so fond of using his fists. Or that I've been kicked out." Rachel frowned, she hadn't actually considered that. In all honesty, it was blatantly obvious that people would be curious as to how her injury occurred, at the very least to give her some stick for it...
"I could say I got it from an unfortunate encounter with a cupboard door?"
"That's like… the stereotypical answer of a domestically abused housewife."
"Fine, how about I apprehended a felon?" Dave just gave her a pointed look," Okay, so I admit that's unlikely. I could do it though." Another look. "Right, that's besides the point."
"Why not just say you got it from self-defence class?"
"Then people will think I suck at it if I got a black eye!"
"So?" He didn't see any issue with it.
"I'm Rachel Barbara Berry- future EGOT winner- I do not suck at things I put my mind to!" Did she actually stomp her foot? In a car? It's official, he is living with a nut job…
"Jeez fine. Um... Got it! How about this…"
-/-
Rachel didn't see any of her glee club members through Homeroom and first period. It was only when she was in Spanish with Mr Schue that she encountered her first gleek. Thankfully said gleek was also a certain Jew. Unfortunately, that Jew was displaying his side that was slightly protective of her.
Mr Schuester didn't even bat an eyelid as she walked in the door with the huge bruise on her face but it did draw several gasps and commenced whispered conversations.
Rachel swiftly took the seat beside Noah and waited for him to start speaking. She didn't have to wait very long.
"Did Karofsky do that?" He whispered, and she could hear the anger in his voice as well as traces of worry.
"Well, not the one you're thinking of. We went to Dave's house to get his stuff and bumped into his father."
"What? You mean your face just' bumped' into his fist?" Rachel glanced around to make sure no one was listening as Noah's voice rose in volume slightly.
"Look, I'll speak to you at my house if you want to know everything that transpired, but not here. I kicked his butt anyway."
"Of course you did. Did you bite his knee caps?" Puck scoffed.
"No! I broke his nose." Puck stared at her. "What? He was lunging for me! That was after I sprained his wrist though." She added as an afterthought.
"Jesus Rach." He let out under his breath. He knew she could be bat shit insane but seriously? Fighting a grown man? That was badass and stupid. He seriously wished she'd show off her awesome side around the gleeks because then they'd back the hell off.
"Just don't tell anyone I got this from David's father okay? He doesn't really want everyone to know of his situation."
"No probs Jew Babe but what are you going to tell people?"
"That I was in the park and got hit with a rogue football."
"Seriously?" That was about as believable as Brittany getting 4.0.
"It was Dave's idea. Do you have a better one?" She asked, scribbling down some notes. Well, she was actually using that fancy joint shit, whilst his page looked as if it was covered with chicken scratches.
Puck grunted. He wasn't about to admit that he couldn't think of anything better.
-/-
Lunch
"What do you usually do at lunch anyway?" Rachel queried as she intently chewed away at her PB&J sandwich. She did recognise that this wasn't proper behaviour befitting of a young lady but sod it, there was only her and Dave there and that boy ate like a bear. It was both fascinating and repulsive… kind of like a large spot ready to pop. Okay now she just grossed herself out. She regrettably put the sandwich back in its' bag.
"Sit at the table with the other guys on the team, fleece JBI for lunch money…stuff like that."
"Well, I disagree with shaking JBI down purely on principal, but as a frequent subject of his attention I am rather amused." Rachel glanced at the packet of chips he was munching on and he tilted the bag for her to grab some. "On another note, have you given any thought to coming to the martial arts
-/-
By the time Glee club had rolled round, Rachel just wanted the day to end.
Apparently, for some reason the teachers had decided to take an interest in her well bring for once- where were they when she was getting daily slushy baths? Rachel was fed up with all the inquisitions and just wanted to get through the next hour and go home.
Maybe they'd all ignore her as usual...
"Holy shit midget what happened to your face?" Then again...
"Nice to see you too Santana. How are you today?"
"Fuck that shit, did someone finally punch you for opening your massive trap?"
"No, I had an unfortunate collision with some pigskin." The Latina didn't need to know that was almost exactly what had happened.
Rachel noticed that during their conversation a certain blonde cheerleader had been gazing intently at her. She shrugged it off as wishful thinking.
Rachel went and sat next to Noah, who was playing his part of the disinterested badass. Finn turned to glare at her with a betrayed expression. Well that is what she assumed it to be, it kind of resembled a baby realising they'd filled their diaper. Why on earth would Quinn have ever chosen to be with that?
Late as usual, Mr Schue strolled into the room. "Okay guys, let's do some hip songs." Kill me now…
"Gramps, I'm gonna make you pop a hip." Rachel smirked, that was admittedly rather clever, even if it did come from Satan herself.
Mr Schue, frowned at the comment but picked himself up, and walked over to the whiteboard. "We, are going to do…" He furiously scrawled the name up,"…the Darkness!" And underline. Rachel rolled her eyes and the other members of New Directions groaned and began to complain. Let the torture commence….
Thankfully, they spent most of the period doing anything but The Darkness as most of the group couldn't reach the high notes so they didn't bother trying. Instead they gossip amongst themselves and Puck and Rachel watched as Mr Schue attempted and epically failed in teaching Finn to sing higher. It was a pitiful display to watch and the slaughtering of the musically notes drove Rachel to distraction. She ended up playing Lyric Legend, (on Noah's iPhone), trying to best his scores.
Rachel went to leave the choir room, only to be held back by a firm hand on her arm. She slowly turned to see who it was and jumped slightly at how close the person was standing.
"Did someone hurt you Rachel?" The tremulous alto was incredibly gentle. Rachel took a few moments to remember how to speak; this was the friendliest conversation she had had with Quinn since that day freshman year.
It was confusing to her as to why Quinn was standing no less than a foot away with a clearly concerned expression on her face, she never usually let anyone see her unguarded and Rachel was mainly the only one her saw her this way often by chance- be it crying in the bathrooms or secretly reading old romantic literature with rapt attention. (Rachel had to say she was more of a Darren Shan kind of gal, he really got that not everyone has a happy ending).
"Since when does it bother you if someone hurts me Quinn? I've been shoved into lockers often enough this past month and you never blinked, and let's not even get started on what you've done to me." Rachel may have a huge crush on the girl, but like Dave, that didn't mean she would just forget everything.
Quinn visibly paled and Rachel had a momentary concern that the girl was about to throw up whatever was in Sue's atrocious Master Cleanse, but she quickly swallowed hard and straightened her back. Rachel waited for the inevitable insults to start but was once again blindsided by the blonde; she wondered if a time would come when these moments would cease and she simultaneously looked forward to the idea and dreaded it.
"I- I didn't know it had gotten that far. I'll make them stop. I'm sorry Rachel. I'm so sorry for everything, my dad he… I'm just so sorry. If someone… did that to you Rachel, I'll make sure they pay." Rachel blinked owlishly at the Cheerio Captain.
"Um, thank you for your apology Quinn. It means a lot. Uh, but like I said, stray football." That was elegant…
"You weren't at the park though." Rachel froze, uh oh.
"Yes I was. I resent the implication that you think I'm fabricat-"
"I was at the park all day Saturday working out. What really happened?" Rachel floundered for a minute before grinning internally.
"I never said I was there on Saturday Quinn. That's when I go to the synagogue obviously, because I'm jewish. Like Noah."
"Well, like Noah, I would have assumed that you would go to the 'synagogue' on Friday night considering the community centre is busy on Saturday. So I'll ask you again, what really happened Rachel?" Rachel gulped as Quinn took a step forward.
"I-I uh…it may have been Sunday?" Quinn arched her eyebrow.
"Yo Rach what's taking you so- Fabray?" Rachel had never been more relieved to see the footballer. She was slightly worried when Quinn narrowed her eyes though. Not a good sign, she recognised it from when she had first hung around Finn. (It was a misguided plot to gain her attention, which unfortunately lead to Finn actually falling for her and Quinn increasing her torture.) The narrowed eyes meant she was suspicious.
"Karofsky what are you doing here? I thought you got the hint to leave the gleeks alone after Kurt." The level of contempt was almost palpable. Rachel was also fairly certain that if Quinn was able, she would have reduced the boy to a pile of ashes with the intensity of the glare that she was directing his way.
"Dave is my friend Quinn." Great, now the glare was directed at her.
"How can you say that? After what he did to Kurt, he's our friend not him."
"Kurt is most certainly no friend of mine, he's made that perfectly clear. Dave is actually a good guy, he was just a little….misguided." Rachel smiled at him.
Dave cringed at the description. It was easier to say that he had been a grade A asshole and was about as mature as a three year old when he was dealing with his feelings.
"I did apologise for that by the way. I really regret how I acted, no one deserved that." He added.
"So just because you said sorry, that's supposed to make it all okay?" The Cheerio scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Quinn, I just accepted your apology mere minutes ago, or did it really mean so little to you that you have you already forgotten it?" The cheerleader at least had the decency to look embarrassed.
"I know that it's not much, but it's a start. I'm trying to change Fabray. Rachel's helping out." Dave and Rachel shared a smile, and Quinn's gaze flicked between the two.
"Did he do that to your face?" The pair shouted 'no!' at the same time.
"I would never lay a hand on a girl Fabray. I may be a jerk Fabray but I'm not that low." Quinn studied him for a moment before nodding in acceptance. She could actually feel waves of anger flowing from Rachel and winced.
"I will see you tomorrow Quinn. C'mon Dave."
The duo walked out of the choir room, leaving a very bewildered Quinn Fabray behind to contemplate whether or not she had stepped into a parallel universe.
-/-
Don't forget to drop a review! I really appreciate all the feedback : )
I'm also hashing out the plot for the superman!Rachel but I probably won't post any of it until I've finished this fic. How do you want this to end anyway? Any specific things you want to see? And I never know what to write about when they are at school, does anybody care about what happens in a class or should it just focus around the club?