Title: Heaven
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?
Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
Chapter 8
"Rachel, baby girl, you haven't really told us what happened between you and the girls," Leroy asked as the three of them eat dinner, one of the rare moments that their family were in complete attendance.
And it's just tough luck that they decided to talk about the girls. Of all the things they could talk about as a family.
Rachel did her best not to roll her eyes at the random question. She never told her dads the real story behind the reason why she and the girls didn't hang out anymore. She just couldn't. It's different talking about it with Puck or Alex. These were her fathers, who treated the three girls like their own daughter.
For almost two years, she had lost count on how many times her dads would ask her about them. It was easy at first. School was a good excuse. But then it got harder as time passed by so she told them they just fell apart. They were living in two different worlds now. Her dads were horrified—talk about being dramatic.
"But you girls were inseparable!" Hiram exclaimed and looked at her in disbelief.
"That's just it. We were. Things happen Daddy. People in our lives come and go," Rachel replied and shrugged, doing her best to play it cool, "I guess they were one of those who were never really meant to stay," the diva said the last statement with a faraway look, her eyes dimming for a second before shaking her head and turning to her fathers with a wide forced smile.
"I really don't want to talk about it, Dad," Rachel said, shaking herself from thoughts, "Besides, it's not that big of a deal anymore. It's a long time ago. I got over it. It's time that you do too," she teased but her smile didn't reach her eyes. How she wished her statements were true. She tried hard to convince herself for so long. But who was she kidding, right? How could she get over them when she spent three-fourths of her life growing up with them and spent the remaining one-fourth struggling with her feelings while they crash her heart every single day?
She should just hate them. That would make everything so easy for her. But no. Her stubborn and idiot self just couldn't seem grasp that fact. And she just gave up trying when she found herself staring at a scrapbook she made, filled with pictures of them since they were kids, a few hours after she attempted to tuck it far away—just under her bed actually—in the midst of her anger during freshmen year.
It's hopeless. She was hopeless. But she still had one option.
To move on.
Because, really. She didn't have much of a choice.
And she was doing well. She met new people. New friends. Then there's Alexandra. Well, she had already known Alex even before things with the girls got all screwed up. She met her at a summer camp before freshman year. That crazy, smartass, short-tempered barista turned her life around. Her fiery temper and cocky remarks when she's pissed reminded her of Santana, her carefree attitude made her think of Brittany and the coolness and confidence in her aura were very Quinn-like. She was like the Unholy Trinity rolled in to one but still had the uniqueness in her that made her Alex in Rachel's eyes, not just a shadow of the three.
She was pretty positive the girls had met Alex once when things were still good between them. Now that she thought of it, they were never really fond of the tall barista. Alex was her first not-girlfriend but they fooled around. It was the tall barista that made her realize the reason why she never found boys attractive, or why she wouldn't stop gawking at her best friends—that time—just appreciating their beauty, or why she felt her skin crawl with the softest of touch from any of the trio.
Alex was the first person she's ever been with. She was upset that time and she had no one else to go to. The girls broke her heart for the first time. And not just into two, but into tiny little pieces. She had cried while she picked up the pieces of her broken heart one by one on the floor as the girls repeatedly stomped on it. And Alex was just there. She stayed by her side as she bawled her eyes out. She patiently rubbed her back, offering comforting words and then...she felt soft lips against hers…and then one thing led to another…and the next thing she knew…well, it already happened.
It wasn't her ideal first time and she kind of felt a little disappointed about it—not because it was bad, but because it happened for the wrong reasons. But she didn't regret it. How could you regret something that made you feel amazing? Not that she had any reference for comparison because she only did it once. It never happened again. They agreed on it.
Yes. They were attracted to each other, but both knew it couldn't go beyond that. Both of their hearts were already occupied by someone else—or on her part, by some people. They were just unfortunate their hearts were stolen from them right under their noses. And like her, Alex was hopelessly in love with her best friend. They were so much alike, the two of them. That's why they hit it off right away.
It was just too bad that Alex had a habit of disappearing from the face of the earth every now and then without telling anyone where she would be. Not even Rachel. Another reason why they would never work out. As responsible as Rachel was, Alex was too laidback. She just dropped out of high school just because she could. She was rich and spoiled. But after neglecting her studies, her parents stopped supporting her to teach her a lesson.
But that didn't seem to work on Alex since she's still the same happy-go-luck girl she met two years ago, which was why she was surprised when Alex arrived at Lima Bean last summer, went behind the counter, wore the LB apron and then gave her an unnecessary peck on the cheek.
That Alexandra. She would always be a flirt. But unlike what most people think of the tall brunette, she never whored around. Except maybe make out with anyone wearing a skirt.
And Rachel was no exception. But she's used to it. Alex was one of the few people she trusted with her life. Though they had been friends for only two years, their connection was strong. And the girl would always be special to Rachel—which was why the diva never doubted to finally admit that she, in fact, had feelings for her best friends. All three of them. That was the first time she cried in Alex's arms. It was funny that the second time she did, it was still about the girls with her heart was damaged beyond repair. Since then, Alex hated them. She hated the girls enough for the both of them since Rachel couldn't seem to do it herself.
Despite the short span of time that Alex's and the Unholy Trinity's worlds collided, Alex already felt the jealousy seeping through the girls' veins. And if she knew Alex as well as she thought she did, what happened at the today was no coincidence.
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Rachel slammed her locker shut. She was angry. No. She was furious. Like don't-fuck-with-me-right-now furious. The oh so might Unholy Trinity ditched Glee. Again. What the hell was that? After the confirmation the other day, she was proud to announce to the club that she had convinced the three Cheerios to join and they were supposed to audition that today.
Finn Hudson, unsurprisingly clueless of his own girlfriend's decision to join Glee, accused her of bluffing. She was appalled. Rachel Berry never bluffed! So she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin in confidence and told them 'You'll see' with a huff.
Lo and behold. It was another no show.
Rachel had never been as embarrassed as she was that day, not even a slushie shower in front of the student body could compare—especially when Hudson smirked at her as if saying 'told you so, loser'. It was infuriating and humiliating and disappointing. Really. All the negative emotions were just there! And she was dying to throw the chair in Finn's face and then kick him repeatedly in the gut until he stopped breathing.
The rest of the club was just sympathetic which only made her feel even worse.
And that was why she found herself outside the school. With quick strides, she moved towards a familiar, silver Audi with a purpose, the three girls in red skirt unaware of the storm coming their way.
Quinn yelped in surprise when the door of her car slammed shut just as she was about to get inside, "Hey!" She turned and wasn't really that surprise to see the raging diva.
"You! How dare you!" Rachel exploded as she pointed a finger on Quinn's face. On her peripheral vision, she could see Santana and Brittany got out of the car.
"Berry—"
"No! Don't Berry me! I am so mad at all of you right now! How could you ditch Glee? Again! You said you would audition today! I've never been this humiliated before! And that's saying something from a girl who had been the receiving end of slushie for two years!"
The trio winced at that but Rachel didn't notice, too occupied at letting her anger out.
"I—we waited! We were expecting you! Why are you being like this? You're nice one minute and then you bitch around the next and then you ignore everyone as if you're the only people that exist! And then you'd go back to being nice again and that's just confusing! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Rachel was breathing hard, her face flustered from her outburst. She glared at the three girls one by one as she crossed her arms in annoyance, waiting for any kind of reaction from them.
Seconds passed and the Cheerios remained silent. Brittany was frowning. Santana's eyes were moving everywhere. And Quinn was staring at her with a hard look on her face. They had thought about the audition but the unpleasant incident yesterday had caused them to reconsider joining. Not because they didn't want to. But they were dreadful that they would receive a cold shoulder once they stepped in to the choir room. They usually didn't give a damn about it. But it's Rachel...and after getting a long Berry-like rant from Brittany, Quinn and Santana just felt awful and guilty for being a bitch. Again.
"Well?" Rachel asked impatiently, stomping her foot on the ground.
But then again, they should have known better. This was Rachel Berry. And she would do anything for Glee club—even welcome her best tormentors with open arms.
"Are you still joining or not? Because if you're not—"
"We are," Brittany said quickly. Two pairs of eyes looked at her confused while the third pair lit up, "In one condition," she added.
Rachel pursed her lips, her eyebrows knitting together, "What condition?" she asked hesitantly.
There was a pause as Brittany contemplated on the next words that would come out of her mouth. Rachel was on edge as she dreaded what the tall blonde would say. She had a feeling she wouldn't like it.
"Drop Alex."
Rachel knew it. And yet, couldn't control when her jaw dropped, and apparently her loud outburst, "What?!"
"You heard me, Rachel."
Quinn stared at the other blonde with wide eyes while Santana smirked, her eyes filled with pride for her girl.
Rachel rubbed her face hard in frustration. What the hell?
"Brittany, you can't be serious," the diva said as she met the blonde's blue eyes.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Brittany asked calmly.
Rachel shook her head in disbelief. This time, Brittany was in no doubt channeling the Head Cheerio, "And if I don't do it?"
Brittany shrugged, "Then you can say goodbye to Nationals. We are aware of the rules. You need people, Rachel. And let's face it. It's not like there's a line waiting to be a member of your club."
Definitely channeling Quinn Fabray.
At this, Rachel's face hardened and her eyes narrowed, "You're right. Because if that's the case, I wouldn't even be here in front of you, wasting my time convincing the mighty princesses of McKinley's hierarchy to join our loser of a club. If only I had a choice, I wouldn't even be here having this conversation with you, of all people."
Quinn, being the closest to Rachel, stepped back at the diva's outburst. Rachel's emphasis on the last few words didn't go unnoticed by any of the girls and it felt like a punch in the gut. The proud smirk on the Latina's face had long been gone as soon as the small brunette started talking. Brittany had a look of indifference in her face but she felt like every word was a blow on her face.
But Rachel wasn't done yet.
"If you think you're getting your way like you usually do, I'm sorry but you're going to be disappointed. Not everyone is willing to bow down on your every wish. I'm not dropping Alex. I'm not dropping anyone just because you said so," the starlet continued. She met each of the girls' eyes and stared at them intently, making sure that the next words that she would say would get through them, "Because unlike some people, I know how to value friendship. I don't just throw it away for selfish reasons."
With that, Rachel turned her back and walked away without looking back.
Ouch.
The Unholy Trinity looked at each other with matching defeat and pain and sadness on their faces.
"Look what you made do."
The two cheerleaders looked at Brittany.
"B, what ar—"
"If you would have just stopped bitching about Alex, none of this would have happened!"
Quinn frowned, "But it was you who gave her that ultimatum!"
"Because I'm tired of hearing you bitch about her! This wasn't the first time! And we went as far as getting Alex fired at the café last summer just because we were jealous bitches who don't even have the balls to admit our feelings and yet, we act like this! Why don't we all grow a backbone and just accept the fact that there are people out there who deserve Rachel more than we ever could!" Brittany said, her voice was low but her tone was firm and full of pent up anger, frustrations and guilt. She took a deep breath and began to walk away from the car.
"Britt, where are you going?" Quinn called after the tall Cheerio once she got over Brittany's sudden release.
"I'm walking home. And don't follow me. I want to be alone."
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Later that night, Quinn found herself walking in the park. It was late but she needed a breath of fresh. After Brittany walked out, neither she nor Santana talk throughout the ride, both of them lost in their own thoughts. She dropped the Latina in her own house and they separated with just a quick peck on the cheek and then she was on her way home.
Brittany texted that she got home safely as well. But other than that, the three of them hadn't spoken since that afternoon. Britt was right. Everything was all screwed up. They knew it was going to be difficult but this...this was something. It was even harder compared to what they went through when the three of them got together. At least that time, all they needed to get over was her gay panic. Not that it was easy to handle a freaked out Quinn Fabray.
Quinn found herself standing in front of the park's playground. She stared at it for a while, reminiscing the times when the four of them were still young. They didn't care about the world then. It was just her and the girls. She remembered how the other kids would make fun of them for their flaws. Rachel and Santana would jump in front of her and Britt to defend them. While Rachel would talk their ears off, Santana would curse and threaten the bullies to drive them away.
A ghost of a smile appeared on the Head Cheerio's face. Slowly, she moved towards the swing and sat on it. It was her favorite spot. She would spend most of her afternoon sitting there, letting herself get lost in her own world. Then Rachel would stand behind her and gently push the swing. They would stay like that, enjoying the comfortable silence and each other's presence, until Brittany and Santana would come running and pull them away from the swing to play.
They were so carefree then. Life wasn't easy because of the constant bullying, but they were happy. They had each other. It didn't matter that Quinn was fat and ugly, or that Santana was teased as a tomboy because of her violent nature, or that Brittany liked to say random things that made people think she's dumb and weird, or that Rachel had gay dads and no mother. They all had their imperfections but they learned to accept them.
Or so they thought.
They grew up. They got tired of the continuous teasing. All their flaws were superficial so they did their best to 'erase' them. She spent months losing weight and mold her body to perfection. Santana, though still as violent if not more, became more feminine on the outside—wearing the skimpiest clothes and wearing makeup. Brittany would always find herself buried in a book, reading and learning new things.
And then there's Rachel. She was fit and healthy. She was warm and kind-hearted and only resorted to violence if needed. She was also smart with a wide vocabulary for someone so young and quite mature for her age. Not to mention her immense talent in the arts of performing. Other than being vertically challenged, there was nothing that needed to be changed.
Because the reason for Rachel's bullying wasn't something superficial. Quinn had always been fond of the Berry men—they all were, even her parents. And despite of the situation, she wouldn't go as far as seeing them as a flaw in Rachel's life. Out of all of them, Rachel had the best and warmest family. It was really no wonder Rachel was the kindest and forgiving person she had ever met. Rachel loved her dads so much that Quinn had lost count on how many times she had seen the tiny brunette exchanged fists and rolled to the ground just because somebody had said something offensive about her fathers.
It was funny how the diva could be quick to defend the people she loves, and then suck badly at protecting herself—especially against her former best friends turned bullies.
Quinn shook her head and let out a humorless chuckle. Things were really all fucked up. It's fucked up so bad and there's no one to blame but themselves.
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Brittany was sure she would have burned a hole in her ceiling if she had super powers. When she got home, she went straight to her room, threw herself on her bed and proceeded to stare at her white ceiling. She only got up to use the restroom, change to her night clothes and ignored all her homework.
"I can't believe I said that," she murmured to herself for the hundredth time since she got home, "What was I thinking? It was so stupid and immature and just...stupid."
She groaned and suffocated herself with her pillow until her lungs burn. She really wanted to kill herself right now. She couldn't even start to describe how embarrassed she was of herself for going that low. Was she that fucking desperate? And then she had gone she-Hulk on her girlfriends and blame them for her own stupidity. Just as she was making progress, she had to fuck up and open her stupid mouth.
'Drop Alex? Seriously, Britt? Seriously?!'
One step forward, a million steps back.
God. She was really an idiot! No books had taught her that!
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
Frustrated, she threw the pillow across the room with a growl, causing Lord Tubbington to stare at her weirdly. Brittany's face softened at the sight of the cat—a constant reminder of Rachel.
Despite Rachel telling her that she had randomly picked up Lord Tee along the streets of Lima because she was awed at his cuteness and felt sorry for him for being abandoned and all that drama, Brittany still found out that he was from Rachel's neighbor whose cat gave birth. Rachel got him in exchange for running errands for them. It was sweet and thoughtful that Brittany cried and buried her face in Rachel's chest. When she asked the tiny starlet about it, Rachel just shrugged.
"I would have opted to adopt one, but then they'd all be grown up and grumpy and baby kittens are just so cute, don't you think?"
Rachel's voice echoed on the tall blonde's mind, and a smile made its way on her lips. She picked up Lord Tubbington, placed him on her lap and began scratching his head.
How could she let this happen to them? Quinn, Santana and her transformation from being flawed to perfection was abrupt and their haste to finally belong got onto them. They spent their childhood being taunted and they just had enough of it. They were caught up in getting their revenge and tell the world to fuck themselves because now, it was their turn to rule. They worked so hard for that purpose and they didn't want to go back to being the victim again—especially her who had always been the weakest among the four of them.
But Rachel saw things differently. And yet, the three of them persuaded her to see things their way. She knew Rachel understood which was why the starlet tried to keep up with them. Things didn't work out the way they expected though because Rachel couldn't just go and change everything about her.
Rachel was gay. Her dads too. It was enough to be hated by the narrow-minded people of Lima. And McKinley was no different.
But it wasn't Rachel that failed them. It was the other way around. They became greedy and hungry for power. They got blinded and they just lost it.
And through their high for power, they lost Rachel.
Now, it's probably too late to get her back. How she wished she could turn back time and just stay as the dumb blonde that everybody knew. At least then, life would still be simple in her eyes and Rachel would still be there for her.
Brittany sighed. It was just frustrating how much they suck at redeeming themselves.
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Santana sat silently in their living room couch while she played with a tennis ball. She would throw it against the wall, catch it once it bounced back and then throw it again. It was one of her habits when she was stressed. She realized that she preferred this method than gripping on a stress ball—which she would end up throwing against the wall only to get annoyed when it didn't bounce back the way she wanted it.
She stopped her movements once she caught the ball. She gripped it tightly and stared at it intently. Tennis had always reminded her of a certain brunette diva. She had always loved the sport and when she told Rachel about wanting to learn how to play it when they were ten, the starlet bounced her way towards her dads and asked them to bring them to a tennis court which was located half an hour away from their place—because her own parents were too busy killing each other at that time.
The fiery Latina tried to politely decline since it would be too much of a bother. However, Rachel simply laughed it off and dismissed her.
"Don't be silly, San. This is going to be fun and I'm actually excited about it! We should call Lucy and Britt."
In the end, all Rachel did was shriek, run away from the ball and plainly freak out and decided to just sit around in fear that the ball might hit her nose and ruin her chance of being a Broadway star, while her, Quinn and Brittany learned to play tennis.
Santana laughed lightly at the memory. Rachel was never really the sporty type. She could hardly lift the racket due to her small stature. She was more of a performer and she was damn amazing at it. In spite of her dislike—though Rachel would never admit it—she still accompanied Santana to her tennis lessons. Sometimes Quinn and Britt would come too but it was mostly the small brunette. Rachel and her dads supported her when her own parents didn't even have a clue on what was going on with their daughter and never bothered to ask her about the money she asked from them to pay for her tennis lessons.
She turned the ball in her hand, and there it was—a small drawing of a star and one of Rachel's signatures which she had already perfected at a young age as preparation to her future fame.
"You're lucky to have this. Because someday, this wouldn't be just an ordinary tennis ball with a doodle. Someday, this would cost a fortune you can buy a whole tennis court!"
She held the ball near her chest. Rachel didn't know, but the moment she had given this ball to her, it had already became one of her most treasured possessions. This ball was priceless and Rachel didn't need to be a famous Broadway star for it to be valuable.
Brittany's voice echoed in her mind. She was right. None of them deserved Rachel. Not even her forgiveness. They ruined everything. Their ties were severely damaged and it was beyond repair. She knew that. Brittany and Quinn knew that. So what were they bitching about? It was their fault in the first place. No matter how much they tried, they would always end up back to zero. And if there's anything lower than zero, then that's where they were now when it came to Rachel.
They were too insecure and selfish and guilty that they tend to let it out on the wrong person. Rachel would forever be a reminder of how fucked up they were and their monstrous ways that hurt the small brunette.
Santana couldn't help it when her vision turned blurry and tears began to stream down her cheeks. She wiped it harshly with the back of her hands. Santana Lopez was no crybaby! And yet, the salty liquid just continued to flow endlessly and she couldn't deny the soft sob that came out of her lips.
They were right. Karma was a fucking bitch.
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Quinn was surprised when she looked at her wrist watch and realized just how late it was. She had tuned out the world again and it still amazed her how time would just fly when she did it. A cool breeze passed by her and she tightened her Cheerio jacket around herself. She was just about to stand up to go home when she felt another presence who took the swing just beside her. She looked at her side and was astonished to see the same person that had been occupying her mind for the last hour she was seated there.
"Rachel..."
"Hello Quinn, fancy meeting you here," Rachel responded with a light smile on her lips.
The Cheerio captain's shoulder dropped in relief. She didn't quite understand why she felt that way but the small smile that graced on the brunette's lips made her heavy heart feel lighter.
"It sure is. What are you doing here? It's late and it's a school night," Quinn said softly, her whole being getting lost at the warm brown eyes that was staring back at her.
"I should say the same thing for you, Ms. Fabray. And if my speculations are correct, you've been out here for much longer."
"Well, unlike someone I know, I'm not really that worried in not getting an eight hour of sleep every day."
Rachel giggled, "That is true. But there are a few occasions that sleep wouldn't come to me no matter how what I do. So here I am."
Quinn continued staring at the girl beside her, the light of the moon shining on her features, making her breathtakingly beautiful. She had seen it before when they were still children. But now, she was looking at Rachel in a different angle. She had grown—her features more mature and feminine. Rachel was gorgeous. The realization made her stomach flutter and her heart to ache.
Because looking at Rachel right now only made her grasped the fact of just how much she had lost.
The cheerleader broke the eye contact and looked up at the sky, a poor attempt to stop the warm liquid that had formed in her eyes to fall. She stiffened when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Quinn, are you okay?"
And it was all it took for the dam to break. She choked a sob as she slowly turned her head to the diva's direction, her hazel eyes meeting concerned brown ones. Quinn shook her head as if denying what she was seeing.
"How do you do it, Rachel?" she choked, wiping her tears with her palm.
Rachel burrowed her eyebrows. She was surprised and worried when Quinn just broke down and started crying. And now the random question just made her confused, "Do what Quinn?"
"That!" Quinn snapped, flailing her arm on Rachel's direction, a sudden feeling of annoyance surging through her, "Why are you being nice after what happened this afternoon? After everything that happened! After what we did to you! How can you continue and act that way as if it's nothing!" Quinn was now sobbing uncontrollably, not even bothering to wipe the tears this time, "We were terrible to you Rach! We still are! Things would have been easier if you just hate us!"
"Do you really think I never thought of that?" Rachel retorted, her voice controlled but full of emotion, "I tried to hate you, Quinn. So as Brittany and Santana. But for the life of me, I don't know why I just couldn't! You have no idea how hurt I was. How I'm still hurting until now. You abandoned me. You left me without even looking back."
Rachel turned away from the crying blonde, her gaze fixed on the slide in the middle of the playground. She could feel her eyes burning as tears began to build on her eyes as well. From her peripheral vision, she could see Quinn covering her face with her hands as she weep. A sudden urge to comfort the blonde ran through her body but she ignored it.
"Alex..."
Quinn stiffened and looked up at the mention of the barista's name.
"She was the only one there for me, you know. She fixed me. Well, not completely but it was enough for me to just...suck it up and move on, as she put eloquently put it," Rachel chuckled humorlessly at that, "Noah was there too. But Alex played a big part on my recovery. I don't know what I'd do then if it wasn't for her. And Brittany telling me to just drop her off...it was just so wrong. And I'm not sorry about what I said this afternoon, but I do feel bad about it. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings...but...you hurt mine first."
Quinn was just now sitting numbly on the swing, her tears stopped coming as soon as Rachel mentioned Alex. It was so painful that she just felt numb and sick to her stomach.
Alex had hit them straight to the core of their being—where it hurt the most—though the barista wasn't aware of it. She was everything that the three of them should have been to Rachel. She would always be a somber reminder of how much of a failure and worthless and awful people they were.
"I'm sorry, Rachel. You have no idea just how much I regret everything that happened to us. Santana and Brittany regret it too," Quinn's solemn, husky voice broke the silence that engulfed them, "I know sorry isn't even near enough to cover everything and I won't ask for forgiveness because I know it's too much to ask. But...we will do our best to be better. For you."
Rachel shook her head, "No, Quinn. Don't do it for me. Do it for yourself. Because I've always believed that the three of you are worth more than all of this. You don't need to be popular to be amazing people, Lucy," Rachel let the old nickname flow freely on her lips and she couldn't deny the warmth she felt at hearing her own voice saying it, "You three are born to be something great. And I will continue to believe that."
The smile that lit up Quinn's face wasn't forced. It was genuine and sincere and this time, the tears that flowed down her cheeks were a mere sign of joy when the old name rolled off Rachel's tongue easily. She should be pissed about it since she hadn't allowed anyone to call her that since high school started...but hearing it from Rachel only made her feel warm and happy and just...free.
"Thank you, Rach. Until now, you still know how to make me feel better."
"Yeah. Well, I'm amazing like that," Rachel said nonchalantly, a hint of playfulness in her eyes.
"Oh. You have no idea."
Rachel was caught off guard at the softness of Quinn's voice that it sent shivers down her spine. She looked at the blonde and her heart stopped beating at the intensity she saw on her hazel eyes. They held each other's gaze as they share a comfortable silence. Her breath hitched as a hand reached out to her and tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear.
"You are amazing Rachel. You're making me feel better now and I don't even deserve it."
"Quinn..."
"No, Rachel. Hear me out," Quinn said as she reached out for Rachel's hands and held on it tightly, "I want this out in the open now before I lose the nerve to do this...We are idiots for ever letting you go. For being horrible to you. I have so many regrets in my life but hurting you is the biggest mistake I've ever done, and I would continue to repent on it for the rest of my life," she paused and stared in to space, "I just wish I could just take it all back, Rach. And I'm sure Britt and San share the same sentiment as I am," she turned her eyes back on Rachel and looked straight in her eyes, "I missed you, Rae. We missed you. And we will do everything we can to fix this. We'd do anything to make it up to you."
"Quinn, I—" Rachel started, but the movement in the dark caught her attention and she looked at the source, her heart beating for a different reason this time.
"Rachel?" Quinn called, sensing the sudden tension on the diva's body.
The small brunette looked at Quinn and offered her a tight smile that didn't reach her eyes. There was a sound behind the shadows and the two girls both stood up and looked around. One of them looked alarm and guarded, the other was nervous and frightened.
"We should go," Rachel said calmly while her eyes were trained at the dark where she thought she saw a shadow looming around it. Without second thoughts, she grabbed Quinn's hand and led her out of the playground. Once they stepped on the concrete ground, Rachel didn't waste time and half dragged Quinn towards the exit.
However, they weren't able to get far when three men stepped out of the shadows and encircled them
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
Rachel narrowed her eyes and pulled Quinn closer to her. She could feel the blonde gripping on her arms really tight, her nails digging on her skin against the jacket and she fought the urge to wince in pain.
"R-Rach..."
"It's going to be alright, Quinn. I promise," Rachel assured her and smiled, "This is just like old times," she continued, pertaining to the days when she would kick anyone's ass for bullying the blonde. She winked at her in attempt to placate the already hyperventilating cheerleader.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!"
Rachel glared at what's-his-name, her blood boiling at the mere sight of him, "I'm not really interested in what you have to say."
"Huh. Acting tough now, aren't we?"
"Shut your face and let us pass."
"Rach...I-I don't think this is the right time to make him angry," the blonde whispered on the diva's ear.
Rachel felt her heart dropped at how scared and weak and shaky the girl sounded, reminding her of the little girl that used to cry on her shoulder whenever their classmates teased her. As much as she loved Lucy back then, she hated her insecurity and how she would belittle herself. Quinn was the opposite of that. And no matter the circumstances were regarding their not-so-existing relationship towards each other, she like the confident Quinn. And she was certain that somewhere deep inside Quinn, the sweet girl Lucy was still living there.
And she felt anger rush through on the three men for causing Quinn to regress to that—the same anger she would feel every time the other kids would bully them.
Yep. This was just like old times. Except these men could cause them harm.
Rachel didn't respond but squeezed Quinn's hand that was gripping her arm.
"We'll let you pass. But the blondie stays."
Despite the situation, Rachel placed her hands on her hips, feeling just a tad bit insulted at that. What? She wasn't pretty enough? Fuck you!
"And what makes you think I'll let that happen?"
What's-his-face shook his head, "I knew you wouldn't see things my way," he looked at his companions and gave them a nod.
Rachel stiffened and before she knew it, one of the guys who she would call Sasquatch—because he was big and kind of hairy—grabbed Quinn, "Let her go you piece of crap!"
As she was about to grab Quinn, she felt a blow land on her jaw. She was caught off guard and her mind was in a panic knowing Quinn was in danger. It took her a few seconds and another punch on her gut before she could recover and concentrate on the man that had successfully hit her twice. That was going to bruise her ego more than her face. This guy hit like a girl.
Rachel was able to block the next punch that was coming and with a growl, she delivered an uppercut, making sure that she put her all on that single punch. She watched as Teenie Weeinie went flying to the ground, unconscious. She smirked in victory.
However, it was short lived when she felt a kick on her lower back. It was Sasquatch. She stumbled forward but she surprised him when she turned with a roundhouse kick, hitting the side of his head. He fell tp the ground, barely conscious.
Rachel was about to deliver the final blow when what's-his-name's voice echoed on the empty park.
"Stop! Or I'll slit her throat."
A shiver ran through Rachel's spine when she saw Quinn with a knife on her throat. She felt her jaw tensed as she contemplated on a strategy to save them both. Her stomach dropped at the sight of the terrified blonde who was staring at her with pleading eyes.
Fuck.
"Please, don't hurt her."
"Rachel, look out!"
Quinn's shaking voice and the sudden pain that shot through Rachel's body woke her senses. She was too caught up that she didn't notice Sasquatch pick up some sort of thick branch and hit her face with it. She fell to the ground, holding her cheek and spitting out blood.
"Oh god, Rachel..."
Sasquatch grabbed the front of Rachel's jacket, lifting her up on her feet then punched her straight on the face. Followed by another one on her stomach. Then to her jaw. On her peripheral vision, she could see Quinn crying and shaking, struggling on the strong arm that was holding her despite the knife that was pointed on her throat. She cursed inwardly for being helpless. Her Dad never taught her what to do during this kind of situation!
That fucking coward, hiding behind a girl!
Rachel fell to the ground after the third time Sasquatch's fist made contact on her face. She was really pissed now. Maybe she could pretend to be unconscious? Then they would leave her alone and then she could jump on them when they weren't looking. But what if they stabbed her to death? What if they stabbed Quinn? Or rape her? Or...Oh god. She had to do something!
Rachel winced when a large hand grabbed her throat while she was still lying on the ground. Was she going to die now? What about Quinn? She had to save her, damn it!
"Bitch!"
Rachel and Sasquatch both turned on Quinn's direction. The tiny diva watched wide-eyed as Quinn bit on her captor's arm, stomped on his foot, kicked his shin and then proceeded to deliver a punch on his nose, sending him to stumble backward clutching on his probably broken nose.
'Wow. Who's saving who? This is definitely not how I pictured this,' Rachel thought.
She felt the hand on her throat loosened and she took it as an opportunity to grab the back of his head and head butt him. He winced in pain and backed away from her. Rachel got on her feet, Quinn jogging towards her.
"Oh my god, Rachel! You're bleeding!" Quinn cried out, reaching out to touch the brunette's face.
Rachel smiled warmly at the Head Cheerio's concern towards her well-being.
"I can't believe you waited that long to kick his butt," Rachel mumbled half-heartedly.
"Uhh…Yeah. Sorry. I was in shock. And when I saw you getting beat up, I just...lost it," Quinn looked at the ground and smiled sheepishly.
Rachel then noticed the fine red line on the blonde's throat. Her knees wobbled at the horrible possibilities that flashed in her mid. It was close. Too close. Who knows what could have happened to Quinn if Rachel didn't come to the park tonight?
That girl! She wasn't even supposed to be out this late! She's too pretty and gorgeous to be walking in the park alone!
"Bitch! This isn't over!"
The tiny diva snapped her head on the men's direction, fire in her eyes, "You're right. It isn't."
Quinn watched in awe as Rachel gracefully beat the two men single handedly. It was as if Rachel wasn't injured at all. It only took a few strikes and kicks from the diva before the men hit the ground—beat up, unconscious and, Quinn hoped, with broken bones. They called the cops but left the scene before police arrived.
They were silently walking towards the exit when Quinn grabbed Rachel's arm and dragged her towards a bench, forcefully sitting the tiny brunette down.
"Rachel, are you okay? How are you feeling? We should get you to a hospital," the blonde Cheerio gushed, wincing at Rachel's injuries.
"No hospitals, Quinn," Rachel groaned. The blonde had been insisting for the nth time that they go to a hospital when all she really needed was a warm bath, an aspirin, and a good sleep, "I'm fine. Really."
"Rachel. You're. bleeding. How is that fine?"
Rachel shrugged, "I've had worse," Really. She did.
But the cheerleader was having none of that. Shaking her head, she pulled out her phone and pressed one on speed dial, "I'm calling Santana."
Rachel straightened her body at the mention of the fiery Latina, "What? Why?"
"Because we need a ride. You are in no condition to walk and it's late. I'm not having a repeat of what happened tonight."
Rachel would have argued more but other than the fact that she was exhausted and lightheaded, Quinn's HBIC tone had always scared the hell out of her. She simply shrugged and leaned her head on the back rest of the bench. She couldn't comprehend Quinn's conversation with Santana as she felt her eyes grew heavy.
She was just drifting off to slumber when she thought she felt a ghostly kiss on the corner of her lips.
Author's Note:
Take that writer's block, you! Eff you! :p
I'm not sure if I'm finally free from it but I hope this is a start. A day of relaxation helped and here it s—a new chapter for the readers. Yay for some Faberry moments! =) Although I think Rachel went easy on Quinn again.
Anyway, I didn't reread this chapter because…well…I'm lazy. :p I didn't really plan this out. It was a spur of the moment thing. I just thought, 'Hey! What if I do this in this chapter?' :p If you see any flaws, kindly inform me.
Thank you for the reviews and the continued support. You guys rock! I'll see you on the next chapter! Hopefully sooner than later.