Title: Barely Breathing
Pairings: Faberrittana.
Summary: When they were still children, it used to be Q, R, S and B. But now that they are in high school, they are known as The Unholy Trinity and Rachel Berry. Rachel, feeling abandoned by her best friends, tried to move on with a positive outlook. The Unholy Trinity, fed up with the guilt and the ache of missing Rachel, finally decided to mend their broken friendship with the girl. Separated by their differences, will they be able to get back how they used to be? What if the Unholy Trinity wanted more than just friendship from Rachel?
I have a feeling that this is going to be a long Author's Note so….. (Please take time to read this. I believe it's important.)
A.N. First of all, THANK YOU for all the reviews and adding this story to your alerts/favorites. It's overwhelming. Honestly, I was quite nervous about this story because, like I said, it's been a while since I've written a fanfiction. And this is kind of a new territory for me and I'm still trying to adjust so please be patient with me.
Now, this is my response to all the reviews. I will try to say this in one go since I can summarize all of the reviews in one sentence.
You want an unpredictable, never heard Faberrittana plot.
Did I get that right?
One thing I'd like my readers to know about me is that I'm not the type of writer who randomly makes a story when an idea suddenly pops up. Because, honestly? I'm a lazy writer. I tend to get distracted easily. If you would look at my profile, the last time I made a NEW story was 2006, and that's a very long time ago.
I have a reason why I write my fanfics. When I get obsessed about a certain pairing, I tend to search for stories that involve said pairing. And I read a LOT but I'm a little picky. Meaning, I don't just read because I'm obsessed with the characters involved. I also make sure that I like the plot and if it's well-written.
Now, with everything I just said above, focus on I'm a lazy writer and I read a LOT. This only means that I am more of a reader than a writer. And I try to avoid writing as much as possible.
BUT!
When my obsession reaches its peak and I couldn't find a certain plot in which I want my favorite characters to be in, that's when I write my own stories. I mean that's the purpose of writing right? To unleash your imagination.
What's my point of saying all these? Because yeah, it didn't really answer all your concerns.
But what I'm trying to say is that…
Why will I need to stress myself over writing a story if I can just read it somewhere else? I mean, really. Where's the fun in that? =/ And I'm pretty sure I've already read most, if not all of Faberrittana fics.
(Whoa…I think I'm gonna go put that on my About Me Section. :p)
Believe me when I say this – I understand what you guys are trying to point out. Most fics are the same, particularly Faberrittana stories.
But I would also like to point out that unlike other Q/R/B/S fics, Rachel in this story already has a connection with the Unholy Trinity before they became her bullies. With that being said, let's consider Rachel's nature for being forgiving and understanding and believing in second chances. And as much as you hate it, those characteristics will show in this story because it HAS to be done. I have reasons but I don't know how to tell you without revealing much of what I have planned for this story. You're just going to have to trust me on this.
But for our peace of mind, here are the things to expect from this:
- Rachel will have friends and they don't have to be from New Directions or McKinley
- Rachel's parents will be very supportive of her and she will have a healthy family relationship
- Rachel will be weak and forgiving….AT THE BEGINNING *hint* She will not be a loser forever who likes to mope around, feeling sorry for herself.
- I will make the Unholy Trinity cry for Rachel! They will suffer! (but not now)
- Rachel will NOT be abused (other than the usual bullying in school), raped or pregnant
- Rachel will be very happy and she will get the chance to rub it on the Unholy Trinity's faces (Yeah!)
- Most importantly, this is a FABERRITTANA fic. I am currently obsessed with this pairing so I'm sorry I can't give Rachel to someone else. Please don't hate me. :( But I promise that I will make the Unholy Trinity jealous until they die.
- I WILL NOT MAKE THIS A WALK IN THE PARK FOR THE UNHOLY TRINITY
- I knew this is going to be a long one….
If you have any more concerns, feel free to PM me. Also, if you have any links to other Faberrittana fics, please send it to me. Thank you!
Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/
Chapter 2
Rachel Berry has always been the biggest loser in school. She's been stuck at the bottom of the food chain since, well, ever. Having gay dads seem to have given her that unfortunate privilege. It was like she was born to be the social outcast. It doesn't really help that people think she was kind of obnoxious and self-centered as well. She can't help it that she was raised to be proud of herself no matter what. Besides, no one can deny how musically talented she was. And she won't deny it to herself either. She may be born a loser, but she will someday live as a star and will take over Broadway.
That is, if she survives.
Okay. So, it's bad enough that she had to tolerate the Neanderthals disguised as teenagers in high school during the day, but she also had to find herself fighting for her life in the middle of the night.
And no. She wasn't fighting any supernatural beings. Thankfully. They may be fictional creatures but it will definitely be the death of her if it comes true. No…she was no Slayer. But her situation right now does involve fighting. A lot.
Unfortunately, her loving but a little idiotic of a father has a hobby of going to fight clubs.
Really? What kind of a hobby was that?
Idiot.
Don't get her wrong. She loves her dads more than anything in this god forsaken world. That's the reason she found herself in this situation in the first place. She'd do anything for them, just as they would do anything for her.
And now, it's her turn to show that love...even in the most absurd and life threatening way.
Her Dad, Leroy, was a strong fighter and very confident of himself. He's been active in fight clubs ever since Rachel could remember. According to Leroy, it's his way of relieving stress. Her Daddy, Hiram, wasn't really fond of this 'hobby'. He was the sane one among their small family of three. But he didn't have a say to it since Leroy had already been a fighter before they even met.
However, Rachel's dads do get old. They're normal human beings after all. And that's the dilemma that had hit their family. Being egoistic (she got that from him), his Dad somehow thought that he could still fight. Unfortunately, he found himself confine in a hospital bed with two broken ribs, his whole face swollen and a blunt trauma on his head. He didn't end up comatose though. Thank God for small miracles.
But that's not all. While Leroy was temporarily bedridden, Rachel and Hiram found themselves indebted with the most powerful man Underground. Somehow, her egotistical, idiotic of a father thought it would be beneficial for the family to gamble with the scheming man who led the Underground, thinking that his years of experience gave him an edge.
Jesus. What was he thinking?
And so, they now face the problem on how to earn $200,000 (she couldn't believe bets could go that high) within a month as payment for Leroy's carelessness. Or else...
Rachel didn't even want to think about it. Whatever it was, she knew it was bad. The Underground people would kill in a heartbeat for the sake of money. She shudder just thinking of it.
Both Rachel and Hiram were furious. But as they look at Leroy's condition, they can't help but feel sympathy for the man who only wanted the best for his family.
No matter how stupid it was.
Being a girl, her Dad had been teaching her self defense since she was able to walk. To say that she was skilled was an understatement. But being idealistic (still an idiot, and yes, she couldn't emphasize that enough), Leroy had always told her that she was not to use her "other" talent to hurt other people unless necessary.
Yeah right. Like his 'hobby' wasn't about hurting people.
"There's a big difference, honey. I don't just beat people in school grounds or any other public place. It's called a fight club for a reason. But you don't just randomly hit a helpless-"
Rachel scoffed at the word.
"-boy and beat him up just because he insulted you. You should resort with your own verbal assault instead."
"Leroy. Way to teach your kid how to behave." Hiram said with a hint of sarcasm.
"I try." Leroy shrugged, purposely ignoring the sarcastic comment.
Rachel snickered but quickly covered it as a cough and changed to serious mode when Hiram gave her a stern look.
Rachel remembered having that argument with her dads during the middle of her freshman year. She finally got tired of all the teasing and insults that she found herself "almost" expelled. She could handle all name callings, the rude comments about her chosen wardrobe, even the slushies, but what she would never tolerate was that when they bad mouth about her fathers. It was simply unacceptable.
That was why one day, she found herself in the principal's office when her fist made contact to a jock's jaw, who insulted her fathers, knocking him out cold. Mr. Schue, their glee club director, intervened and saved her ass. She may not be fond of the man, but she was just as thankful.
And as for that jock, he never bothered her again. Ever.
Except for the everyday slushies. She didn't fail to notice that it had been more frequent ever since that incident. Ugh.
Did she mention that the jock was none other than the boyfriend of one Quinn Fabray? Yeah. It was safe to assume that Rachel had double reason she knocked him out cold. With just one punch by the way. And he was three times her size. What a wimp. That memory makes her want to crack every single time.
Her dads almost grounded her for a whole school year. Almost. But they do have a soft spot for their only daughter and Rachel tends to use it in every chance she gets. That's why she was only grounded for a week. Not that it mattered. She doesn't really go out as much as she used to now that she's in high school. Oh, the irony of it all.
And after that incident, she expected that she was at least able to pass the message and finally get the respect she deserves.
But no. It only made things worse.
Insults and slushies were thrown at her in every direction. Rachel even considered bringing her whole closet just so she can have enough change of clothes.
Was it that bad that he was Quinn's boyfriend? He wasn't even worth it.
And yet, she found herself dealing with two to three slushies a day, with more than just one cup of slushie per attack. Wow. So much money wasted. And to add insult to injury, the HBIC seemed to be giving her more attention than usual. Every time they would cross path, derogatory nicknames were thrown at her from here and there. Santana's snarky remarks pierce through her chest like a knife. And Brittany? Well, she's Brittany. The tall girl never attacked her, but she never defended her either. She wasn't really sure if that was worse.
The Unholy Trinity never looked at her without hate in their eyes, especially Quinn. The blonde's gaze would always made Rachel shudder and frozen in her spot.
Ppfftt. It was just one hit. Quinn didn't have to make a big deal out of it. It wasn't Rachel's fault her giant boyfriend was a wuss. Seriously.
But it pained her. All the vindictive things they were doing to her. It really did. And to think that they used to protect each other. Rachel would always find herself alone in the auditorium playing with the piano or practicing in the choir room just to take her mind off of things. Sometimes she hides under the bleachers and spends her free time reading, closing herself from the cruel world called reality.
But anyway, back to the issue at hand. She got a little off tracked. That wasn't actually the 'dilemma' that they needed to face. The constant bullying was actually part of her ordinary day at school.
What they need to do now was to find a way to get $200,000.
Hiram was a doctor in Lima General Hospital. He has a reputation but his pay wasn't enough to get that much money in 30 days even if he worked his ass off. It was just not possible. The fact that Leroy was still in the hospital only made it difficult for them. They were just thankful that Hiram works there. It lessened the financial burden just a little.
Leroy works as a part time mechanic in the Hummel's garage. He didn't earn much there as compared to fighting. He also trains some of the fighters from the Underground. Unexpectedly, as much as they (Rachel and Hiram) hated to admit it, Leroy earned really well from the fight club. He managed to get Rachel her dream bike, a red Honda CBR500R. In cash.
So they couldn't really complain with his Dad's chosen lifestyle, especially her who was spoiled to death. But they always hoped that it wouldn't end a disaster.
Unfortunately though, it did.
They didn't have a choice. They were really desperate.
One day, when one of the middlemen of the Underground Boss came knocking on their door, Rachel knew it was their only way out. She took the offer without second thoughts. She would do it.
Rachel would fight in place of her father as payment.
Hiram was devastated. Rachel knew he was more than willing to take Leroy's place. However, he couldn't even hurt a fly to save his life. He will die in that ring even before he can lift his fist.
Leroy was broken. He kept blaming himself but it was all forgiven. They were a family. They were all in this together. Rachel will do anything for her parents. Anything.
And once she made a decision, she was determined to make it happen. Her dads knew that. Argument was not an option. It was final.
And so, for a year now, she would always find herself standing in the middle of the ring every Friday night, throwing punches and several kicks against another body. Only this time, she wasn't there to pay debts. She wasn't fighting for her survival anymore. Now she understood why her Dad got so hooked in it. It was overwhelming. She felt more alive with every pain that she received. For every hit she took, the emotional burden she carried felt lighter, enough for her to live another day with her head held high and a smile on her lips.
Like she said, it was better than any therapy.
Rachel used to condone violence. But whenever she's in Underground, she never expected that it would feel more like her second home.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/
Rachel hated it when they call for an "emergency knockdown" during school nights and by emergency knockdown, it only means "we need an extra fighter and you're the only one who can't say no". She despised it for so many reasons.
One, it's a school night.
Two, it was 12 midnight and instead of having her beauty sleep, she found herself acting ninja-ish just to be able to sneak out of her own house since her Daddy is a very light sleeper. Both her fathers don't really agree to this emergency knockdown thing. It wasn't like they can do anything about it. If only things were that simply. Though her parents were aware of this rendezvous, she didn't want them to worry throughout the night so she tries not to tell them as much as possible.
Three, it's a school night.
Four, her Dad trains her every morning at around 5am. So she's pretty sure that even if she was be able to sneak out tonight, she'll get her usual "talk" from her dads once she gets home. It was her typical morning talks with her parents every after emergency knockdown. Her Dad would simply cancel their session so she could get some rest. She usually doesn't get many bruises since most of her opponents were either a newbie, or just plain stupid.
Five, it's a school night. Damn it!
Oh, and she has Calculus exam tomorrow. Damn it more! She was never good at numbers.
Rachel closed their front door as quietly as she could and made her way towards their garage. She inserted the key to her bike and turned it slightly just so she could push the bike until she was out of the street. Once she was there, she mounted the bike, wore her helmet and started the ignition. She closed the zipper on the front of her leather jacket and she rode off towards her destination with a speed that broke a lot of traffic laws.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
"Sorry for the short notice, Berry Jr." a man greeted her at the entrance. He was bald, looks about in his late thirties. He has an average body built but his muscles were firm, his tight black shirt giving his buff chest an emphasis.
Rachel cringed at the nickname. Everybody knew of her dad, Leroy. In his long stay in Underground, he was able to make a name for himself. They respected him. However, it didn't mean that the Underground people treated her gently. As a matter of fact, as an initiation, they greeted her with three fights on her first night, breaking their own rules just to welcome her. But within a year, she began to gain her own reputation. She may not have a lot of experience in fight clubs, but she had been taught to fight since she was a kid. Thus, the name Berry Jr. Because according to them, she was following the steps of her father.
"I know you're not really sorry, Brian. And stop calling me that."
Rachel is proud of her Dad and being a Berry. But the name still sucks.
Brian chuckled as she followed the brunette and sat down on the bench. They watched the current fight before Rachel excused herself to change to her fighting attire.
A few minutes later, Rachel emerged from the locker room wearing black sports bra and a pair of shorts. She walked towards the bench she shared with Brian and dropped her duffel bag. She busied herself on wearing her hand wrap while she waited for her turn. When she was done with her hands, she went on one corner of the room to do some warp up. She did some stretching, pushups and practice punches. Once she felt her blood pumping, she made a beeline to the ring to wait for her name to be called.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
Rachel felt her blood pumping through her veins, adrenaline rushing through her whole body. She could feel her pulse beating faster with excitement as she stepped inside the ring. She stood at one side as she gave her opponent a once over. It was the first time she saw the man standing in front of her. He looked young but not younger than her. His body was lean but unlike the other fighters who looked more like wrestlers. All in all, he looked average. There was no scowl in his face that was supposed to look intimidating slash scary. He looked calm, almost confident, and for some reason, it alarmed the brunette.
The two individuals in the ring stared at each other, planning how to attack. Rachel, growing impatient, threw the first punch, aiming for the jaw. The man quickly dodged her fist and swiftly delivered a blow on Rachel's left side. Rachel was surprised by the pain that shot through her body, the wind getting knocked from her lungs for a moment. Before she could recover, she felt his fist making contact with her right jaw followed by another one on the other side of her face, causing her to step back. Then she felt a kick on her front chest.
Gah! Damn. He hit hard! That's going to leave a bruise.
Rachel fell to her knees, taking a moment to recover from the consecutive attacks. She groaned in pain and held her now painful chest. She glared at the man in front, who was now looking down at her, a smirk on his lips as if taunting her.
Bastard.
The brunette stood up quickly, eyes filled with rage. She took a deep breath, ignoring the pain on her chest and left side. She took up a fighting stance, her eyes meeting with his opponent, sending him a message to make his attack. He didn't fail her.
This time, Rachel was prepared. She ducked the fist that was coming her way the third time that night. As a counter, she gave her opponent an uppercut, hitting him straight under the chin. Hard. Yes! She grabbed the back of his head and smashed it on her right knee. Hard. She saw his eyes widen in shock and he grimaced in pain, covering his face with both of his hands. He stumbled backwards, still clutching his now bleeding nose and lips.
Bet he didn't expect that!
Rachel stepped forward and delivered a roundhouse kick, hitting the side of his head. She watched him fall to the ground, unconscious.
And once again, Rachel Berry owned the ring.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/
"Hey."
Rachel was just about to climb up her bike to go home when she heard someone approaching her, then a voice. She turned around and was surprised to see the same guy she was fighting half an hour ago. He has a tape on his nose bridge and was now nursing a bruise on the side of his head. She tried to control the grin that was threatening to appear on her lips. Instead she faked a cough and cleared her throat.
Fortunately, her attempts didn't go unnoticed by the man.
"I know. You kicked my ass back there," he said trying to smile but came out as a frown due to his bruised lips. "I have to admit, you live up to your name. I'm Jesse St. James," Jesse introduced himself, extending his hand to Rachel.
"Thank you." Rachel said with a confident smile.
What? She is Rachel Berry.
"Rachel Berry. "
"I know." Jesse said as they shook hands.
"Oh really?" Rachel arched a brow, more from curiosity rather than surprise.
"I've already been in a lot of other fight clubs. I've been hearing all about you for quite a while now. I had to see it for myself. And I must say you did not disappoint."
"Thank you. But I must say being the daughter of a legend has its perks."
"Leroy Berry, right?"
"So you've heard of him too?"
"Yeah. Like you said, he is a legend. It's too bad he's retired now."
"True. But it is for the better." Rachel paused in thought. "You seem to know a lot of these facts."
Jesse shrugged. "People talk."
"I thought people weren't supposed to talk about fight clubs?"
Jesse shrugged. "Fight club people talk about fight club related stuff in a fight club. It wasn't like we were talking outside of it."
Rachel nodded. "Of course. I apologize for my assumptions."
Jesses chuckled. "Well, for a badass, you sounded so…formal."
"Yes. I actually get that a lot. Wait until you hear me 'ramble', as they rudely put it." Rachel said, making a quotation on the air. "From what I have been told, I tend to talk too much on which I have to strongly disagree, as I don't see any fault from simply trying to express my thoughts to the best of my ability."
Jesses hummed with a nod, his smile growing wide. "It was nice to finally meet you." He said, beginning to back away from the brunette. "Berry Jr." he finally added with a playful smirk before jogging back to the entrance of the club.
Rachel fought the urge to stomp her foot once the horrible nickname reached her ears. With a huff, she climbed her bike. She didn't bother to put on her helmet, because damn, the bruises on her jaw and cheeks were throbbing in pain.
Jesse didn't hold back, that's for sure.
With the same law-breaking-speed, she drove her way home with hopes of catching at least four more hours of sleep before school starts.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/
A.N. Okay. This is the first time I wrote a fight scene. I don't really have any clue since I don't know anything about fighting even to save my life. I did try to do some research though, specifically about what's going on in a fight club (no, haven't watched the movie yet nor read the novel). Rules of the fight club will be derived from the movie though since, from what I have gathered, it's all the same and that real life fight clubs were inspired by the movie/novel itself.
The fighting scene was short but I hope it was decent enough?
This is probably not much of an update but I did mention that Rachel goes to a fight club, right? I'm just not sure if anyone paid attention to that. But I just wanted to make a story behind it. I don't want to just mention random stuff just so she would look badass, you know?
Anyway, looking forward to know what you think.
Thank you for reading. ^_^
YourInnate/floire – There's your fight club scene. How was it? :)
Whiro – This is going to be a slow development. I find it more thrilling. ;)
ngela - Thanks for the offer. Now if only I have a way to contact you. And I hope you're not so disappointed with the expectations from this story.
Natalia – I promise you, this isn't going to be fairytale story
Carolina – Guess again? ;) I don't like weak Rachel either.
Gleekfan – I haven't seen any other season of Glee…and I'm afraid to watch because I really don't want to change what I think of the characters as of now. . Don't worry. I believe Rachel isn't dumb either.
Pablo – Thank you for your support. I will try to update my other story Maybe but as of now, I'm just going to focus on this one. Sorry.
Prettylittleliar – Her inner Diva will show…probably in the next few chapters. I can't promise though.
Guest – When I'm done, I might try to write a polyamory Sailormoon fic. We'll see. :) But please do read Maybe and tell me what you think.