Disclaimer: Ryan Murphy owns everything Glee. I just like to mess around with his characters and turn them into lesbians.
Chapter 4 – Welcome to the World
"Cut! Stop! Stop!" Rachel yelled into the microphone. She turned around and glared at her bandmates. "What was that?! You all sound like crap today!"
She stared at each member of the band in turn. Sam slouched as he stood a few feet behind Rachel on the stage. He was resting his hands on his guitar and looking around the room like nothing was wrong. Puck laid his guitar against a speaker and watched Rachel warily. Blaine stood in front of his keyboard with his hands behind his back. And Jake sat behind the drums, twirling his drumsticks. Everyone was silent and just waited for the inevitable lecture from the brunette diva.
"What is wrong with everyone?!" she exclaimed, waiting for someone, anyone, to answer her. She folded her arms across her chest and continued glaring at the band.
"Well, um, Rach," Sam said, clearing his throat. "You've been making us practice the same song over and over for the past 3 hours."
"Yeah," Puck cut in. "We're exhausted and hungry. Cut us a little slack, JewBabe."
Rachel looked at her friends and could see the tiredness in their eyes and the droop in their shoulders. She had been pretty hard on them this past week. But she couldn't help it! Their performances had to be perfect! She wouldn't settle for anything less, and she expected her bandmates to want the same.
"Cut you some slack?! Seriously?! Guys, we have a sold out concert in L.A. next week! We need to be ready for it! Our fans expect a fantastic show and we are obligated to give them one!"
"We know, Rachel," Blaine said as he walked over to her. "We have great fans and we do owe them for all the support they've given us, but in order for us to be able to give them that fantastic show, we need to be at our best. We need rest and food. And we need breaks more often than every six hours."
The diva took a deep breath, then replaced her microphone to the stand and conceded. "Fine. You guys are right. I'm sorry. I just want us to be perfect."
"We know. And we will be, but Rachel, you have to remember the number one rule we set as a band before we even started this crazy journey," Blaine said.
"'If it's not fun, it's not worth doing.' I know." Rachel ran her hands through her long dark brown hair. "You guys are right. I'm sorry. Let's take an hour break and grab some food."
The four guys gratefully left the stage and headed straight for the food table.
Rachel jumped off the stage and after grabbing an apple, wandered outside to get some fresh air. It had been a long day. Actually, it had been a long month. This was New Directions' second tour since they were discovered. On the first tour, they had traveled to 15 of the major cities in Europe, and this time, they planned on hitting 25 cities all across the United States. It was going to be a long several months, but she was excited for it.
Always an overachiever, Rachel just wanted everything to go smoothly. She didn't want guitars left behind, dancers coming down with the flu, venues that were only one-fourth of the way full of fans, and all the other problems they had last time.
She was leaning against the building, eating her apple and watching the sunset, when Tina found her.
"Hey, Rachel, I need to talk to you."
Drawing in a deep breath, she turned and looked at their manager. "I know what you're going to say, Tina. I know I've been a complete diva lately and have exhausted the band. I know. But I just want everything to go perfectly."
"We all want the tour to be successful, Rach, but you need to try and relax." She wrapped her arms around the singer, giving her a hug. "I don't want you to be overly stressed. Holly and I have everything under control, I promise."
The diva held tightly to Tina, who was more than just their manager, she'd become like a sister to all of them. "I'm sorry, Tina. You're right. I just need to let go of the control and believe that everything will go smoothly with the tour and to trust everyone to do their part."
"Exactly. And remember that music is your first love, Rachel. You were born to be on that stage. God gave you the voice of an angel and you have always wanted to share it with the world. So, relax and let me deal with any issues that arise and you just enjoy your success. You've worked so hard over the last few years, now is the time for you to enjoy the way your music touches the lives of your fans." She smiled and continued, "One difference this tour has from our last one, is that I've scheduled for you and the band to have more time between shows to meet and talk with your fans. I know they are important to you guys and give you the extra inspiration you need."
The singer nodded, looking down at her feet.
Tina watched her friend for a few moments. Rachel had been acting a little off for the past couple months. Granted, the band was crazy busy and their popularity was skyrocketing, but she'd known Rachel since they were little and knew what constituted as 'normal' Rachel Berry behavior - and this wasn't it. But Tina had a pretty good idea what was going on.
"You still think about her, don't you?" Tina asked softly.
Rachel took a deep breath, gazing out at the beautiful sunset and nodded. She wasn't surprised that Tina mentioned Quinn. She always seemed to know what the diva was thinking. "I don't know what it was about her, but Quinn just… she seemed to be perfect for me. I know it sounds stupid, Tina, and I know that I totally screwed it up, but…" She didn't know how to finish the sentence. How do you express an emotion that was impossible to put into words? "I have been trying to forget her, I really have, but it isn't working. No matter what I try… it's just pointless."
"You'll find her again someday, Rachel," Tina told her. She was turning to look out at the sunset when something caught her eye. She gazed down at the inside of Rachel's left forearm and saw that the singer had gotten a new tattoo. It was three golden hearts all entwined together. And it was absolutely gorgeous. "Great tattoo. When did you get it?"
"A week ago. I just… it was the pendant on the necklace Quinn was wearing that night and… I don't know. I just thought it was beautiful," the singer said, keeping her eyes on the sky.
"Just don't give up," Tina said. She turned toward the doorway. "Oh, and before I forget, Kurt wants to talk to you about your wardrobe for the tour."
"Okay, I'll go see him in a few minutes. Will you do me a favor and tell the band that rehearsal is over for today? They can go and enjoy their evening and we'll resume tomorrow morning."
"You bet," she said as she left the diva and walked back into the building.
~~~~~QR~~~~~
The wardrobe room was located on the other side of the building. Rachel walked in to see the bustling of Kurt as he fluttered from one mannequin to another, adjusting and tweaking each outfit.
She leaned against the wall and watched him for a few minutes. She had known Kurt for years. They actually went to high school together six years ago. They hadn't participated in the same activities or belonged to any of the same group of friends, but they knew of each other. Rachel had seen several of the finished products that Kurt had created with just his imagination and a sewing machine. So when New Directions began to become popular a couple years ago and Tina had told her that they needed to hire someone to help with the band's wardrobe, Rachel immediately thought of the boy from high school with a flamboyant sense of style.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw Rachel leaning against the wall, just inside the door. He stopped moving and held a hand to his heart. "Look at the dazzling diva in my doorway!"
Rachel rolled her eyes at her friend's extravagant greeting. "Hello, Kurt. I was informed that you would like to speak with me." She embraced him.
"Yes, I do." He went over to a mannequin that was covered by several pieces of black leather. "I am designing all of yours and the band's outfits for the tour and I wanted to run a few ideas by you."
"Okay. What have you got?"
Kurt pointed to the leather. "Your current album has a more rock 'n' roll feel to it than your previous one, so I wanted to incorporate that into what you will wear. Leather screams 'Rock on!' and I think it will be a perfect base for the outfits."
Rachel walked over and felt the texture of the leather. She thought for a moment, then nodded her head. "I think that is a great idea, Kurt. The songs I wrote for this album are definitely more edgy. What are you thinking about the ballad? Tina and I decided that I will be playing the grand piano for the performance."
"Oh…" Kurt said, "That information changes what I had planned, but that's okay. Just give me a few days to reassess and design something."
Rachel hugged her friend again. "Thank you so much, Kurt! I'll be excited to see it!"
"Now…" Kurt sat at his drawing table. "… are you wanting any of the outfits to have a hat? Or any type of headpiece?"
"I personally don't want anything on my head, but talk to Blaine and Noah. Both of them like to wear hats during some of the numbers."
"Will do. I think that was all I had to ask you for now. How is rehearsal going?"
Rachel sat in the chair across from Kurt. "It's going well. Tina has to keep reminding me to relax and enjoy my success, but that's hard for me to do. I'm too much of a perfectionist and I like to be in control."
Kurt laughed. "Yes you do. Rachel Berry and control go hand in hand. But Tina is right. Enjoy! Why don't you go out and find some sweet little arm candy? I'm sure a beautiful woman could definitely help you relax." He winked at her.
She took a deep breath, a small smile appearing. "Maybe you're right. I haven't been out on the town for a while and appreciated the company of a lady." Quinn was never far from Rachel's thoughts, but she doubted that she would ever be lucky enough to find the blonde goddess again. She decided she just needed to move on.
~~~~~QR~~~~~
Walking into her living room, Quinn stopped when and saw Rachel standing across the room holding a newborn child in her arms. The blonde gazed at the beautiful brunette as she cuddled the baby, smiling and making cooing sounds down at the bundle. It was the perfect picture of motherhood.
It made Quinn feel happy and warm all over, until she heard…
"I don't want this," Rachel muttered.
Quinn's eyebrow arched, shaking her head in confusion at the statement. "What? I don't understand, Rachel," she said as she walked closer to the singer.
"I never signed up for this," Rachel said a little louder, looking down at the child in her arms. "I don't want this," she repeated, a look of disgust in her eyes as she thrust the child in Quinn's direction.
Quinn automatically reached out and cradled the precious bundle to her chest. The look of pure hatred in the brunette's eyes hit Quinn to her very core. "But, Rachel... What about-"
"I have my own life and it doesn't include a kid!" Rachel interrupted as she turned around and headed toward the door.
Quinn reached out to stop her, but Rachel shook off the blonde's hand. "Rachel, please... I want to be with you... I want us to be a family."
"A family?" The singer asked incredulously. "Why would I want to be responsible for a family? I'm an international star. Don't you understand? I could have any woman in the world. Why would I want to be tied down when I can go anywhere and do anything I wanted?" Rachel left the room, slamming the door behind her. Quinn knew she would never see her again.
"Quinn… Quinn, are you okay?!" Brittany called out anxiously. She'd been walking down the hall toward the bedroom when she heard Quinn crying. She walked into the blonde's bedroom and found her sobbing in her sleep.
Quinn was pulled from her nightmare, and when she saw Brittany sitting next to her, comforting her, she threw herself into Brittany's embrace and wept.
It was then that she decided to never tell Rachel about the baby.
~~~~~QR~~~~~
Rachel posed for pictures and signed autographs for several fans just outside of the lavish nightclub. The band had a night off and they were taking full advantage of it. She waved to a few more fans before entering the club. The loud music hit her full force, but she loved the way it settled into her bones. The multiple floors of the club were filled with beautiful men and women dancing and drinking; everyone having a great time.
The singer made her way to the VIP lounge and her drink order was quickly filled. She smiled and hugged a few other celebrities who were there. In the last couple years, she had made friends with many other artists and several stars that were currently on the 100 Most Beautiful list.
She grinned as Puck waved her over to a table with a couple movie stars and models.
Rachel knew she needed to move on and break out of this funk she seemed to be stuck in. As she walked toward the table, she smirked when she saw several Victoria's Secret models sitting in the booth next to Puck. A couple of the drop dead gorgeous women seductively waved their fingers in her direction.
Huh…
Well, that could definitely do it…
Rachel gravitated toward the models. She called a waiter over, ordering a round for the table as she seated herself amongst the women. A twinkle in her eye as she turned up the Berry charm and easily entranced the group. It might have been subconscious, but she was well aware of the cameras subtly pointed in her direction as those in the club took notice of her presence. The singer didn't even bat an eye when flashes caught shots of one brunette supermodel draped across her lap and more shots of the redhead model pressing a kiss to her neck as her hand slid down to cup Rachel's quickly hardening member.
Never let it be said that Rachel Berry would allow one particular blonde to overshadow everything in her life… or so she kept trying to convince herself.
~~~~~QR~~~~~
Six months later …
"Push, Quinn!"
Quinn latched onto her best friend's arm and dug her nails into the skin, causing the Latina to gasp out in pain. "Shut. Up. Santana!" the blonde growled, her eyes clinched shut from the unbearable pain shooting through her body.
'Shit! I didn't know Q even had that much strength!' Santana thought as she was literally brought down to her knees beside the hospital bed from Quinn squeezing her arm so hard. Months ago, she had agreed to be Quinn's labor coach, but now she wished she could just run away and leave the she-devil to deliver her own spawn and to bitch at the nurses instead of at her.
"It's almost over, Quinn," the doctor said as she monitored the progress of the labor. "I see his head! Oh my… he has a head full of dark curly hair!"
Quinn barely had a moment to smile at the revelation before pain shot through her again and she cried out, "I can't… I can't do it anymore," she whimpered, tears flowing down her cheeks. "It's too hard."
Santana stood back up and wrenched her arm away from the sobbing blonde. "'It's too hard?'" she asked, disbelief heavy in her voice and expression. "You are Quinn fucking Fabray, the Head Bitch of our high school, plus our entire university! I don't think I've ever heard you say that something was too hard for you to do."
"Shut up, Santana!" Quinn cried. "You get on this bed and push a bowling ball out of your vagina!"
Santana shook her head. "Coach Sylvester would be so disappointed in you, Q. She always said you reminded her of a younger Sue Sylvester, but I don't think you will ever have the strength and willpower that she does. You are weak, Fabray!"
The shocked doctor and delivery nurses all looked wide eyed at the Latina. That girl definitely had some balls to purposely antagonize a woman in labor.
Quinn gritted her teeth tightly and turned to look at Santana. "If you want strength, I'll give you strength, bitch! I'd just love to see Sue do this! Hell… I don't think anyone in their right mind would even have sex with her to get her in this position in the first place!"
And with that, Quinn bared down and pushed with all of her might. Moments later she heard a loud wail coming from under the cloth that was draped over her legs. She fell back onto the bed, completely exhausted, panting and trying to catch her breath.
Santana grinned. She leaned down and kissed her best friend's forehead. "Great job, Quinn. Great job. You're my hero."
Quinn huffed, then smiled. "Thank you, San. Thank you for being here for me."
Santana held Quinn's hand as the doctor brought the wailing infant, bundled tightly in a blue blanket, over to the new mother and laid him gently in her arms.
Quinn looked down into the precious face of her son. Her son. She grinned. It felt so good to say that. "Hi, sweetheart," she cooed. The baby immediately stopped crying and opened his scrunched up eyes. Quinn instantly fell deeply in love with her sweet little boy as she gazed down into large chocolate brown eyes.
"He's beautiful, Q," Santana said in awe, gently stroking the baby's soft cheek.
Quinn was so overcome with emotions she couldn't even speak.
After making sure Quinn was all stitched up and everything was well, the brown haired woman doctor walked to the side of the bed. "Congratulations, Quinn. You did an outstanding job. I will leave you in the nurses' capable hands. They will finish everything up and take you and this handsome little boy to your room. I'll be by tomorrow morning to check in on you two. Sound good?"
Quinn smiled, holding her son to her chest. She looked up at the doctor with grateful eyes. "That sounds great. Thank you for everything, Dr. Corcoran."
~~~~~QR~~~~~