Disclaimer - I don't own Glee, yada yada.
A/N -Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!
Chapter 25 – New York
The flight to New York was long. And the minute the band stepped off the plane and into the airport, groves of fans and paparazzi were there to meet them. Quinn was overwhelmed by the amount of people and noise and flashes of cameras.
"Just keep ahold of my hand," Rachel told her as they followed closely behind Matt and a couple of the band's other security guards.
The blonde squeezed her girlfriend's hand tighter as she slipped on her sunglasses and a hat. It wasn't that she was afraid of the concourse of people, she just didn't feel like getting her picture taken after hours and hours on an airplane.
Eventually the band made it outside and piled into several limousines that were waiting for them at the curb. They quickly arrived at the hotel and checked into their rooms – actually, Holly had booked the entire floor for their group. After being on tour before, Holly and Tina found that it was so much easier for their security guards to keep everything under control if everyone was on the same floor and no one else had access to it.
It was dinner time, so everyone decided to just lounge around in Rachel's room, since it was the biggest – something the other band members playfully grumbled about – and order pizza and beer and watch movies. It was low key and just what they all needed after a long day.
Before crashing into bed, Quinn called Shelby again to make sure Jaxon was okay. The doctor patiently informed the anxious mother that the little boy was already asleep after a busy day of parks and sno cones and a trip to the movie theater to see the latest Disney movie.
Quinn slept more comfortably than she had in a long time as she was curled up next to Rachel, tucked into her side like a spoon. In the morning when Quinn woke up, she watched as Rachel was just coming out of the bathroom, towel drying her wet hair from her shower after her early morning exercise routine. The singer slid back into bed under the soft sheets and wrapped her arms around her blonde girlfriend.
"Do we have to get up?" Quinn mumbled against the singer's shoulder, her nose pushing the strap of Rachel's tank top off her tan shoulder.
Rachel giggled a little and pulled her tighter against her, letting Quinn lay on her chest.
"No, we still have a couple hours before the band needs to be down at the stadium. But you are more than welcome to stay here or go shopping and then meet up with us later at the stadium," Rachel said.
They stayed cuddled up in their own little cocoon for a long time, sometimes dozing, sometimes talking about anything and everything.
"What are the plans for the next few days?" Quinn asked, gliding her fingers down Rachel's arm, feeling the smooth skin.
"Well, we'll be hanging around the New York City area for three more days to shoot our music video. Tina and Holly have already scouted out the sites and made all the arrangements for everything we need."
"How do they do all that?" Quinn asked, truly amazed by the two women.
Rachel chuckled. "Beats me. The band and some of the crew members think Tina and Holly are witches with magic powers."
Quinn giggled and playfully smacked her girlfriend's stomach.
A few hours later, after Rachel and the rest of the band members left to go over to the venue, Quinn decided to take a long hot bath in the huge jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. It was heavenly. She just relaxed in the bubbles and let the jets massage her body as she read one of her favorite books.
Matt, head of their security and Rachel's personal bodyguard, came to pick Quinn up two hours before the start of the concert.
Getting to the limo and to the stadium wasn't too much trouble, but once they arrived, it was like walking through the gauntlet to get to the doors. There were so many fans waiting in line, some were screaming, some were jumping around like they had drunk a gallon of caffeine, and some of them were even crying.
When they tried to touch Quinn, recognizing her as the blonde in the tabloids with Rachel, the bodyguards tightened around her, pushing hands away from the blonde.
"What the freaking hell, I'm not even the famous one!" she muttered under her breath as they finally reached the doors.
Once inside, she was hustled backstage to the makeshift green room. Kurt, the band's stylist, was flitting around and throwing clothes into different rooms, ignoring the band members' protests if he caught them in the middle of changing. Tina was tense, standing near the doorway and tapping away like a mad-woman on her phone. Holly was nowhere in sight.
Kurt looked up when Quinn was ushered in and hurried over to the blonde to give her a hug. "Hey, Quinn! So glad you made it! Did you survive the mass of hysteria outside?"
She rolled her eyes. "Barely. Those fans are insane!"
"Tell me about it! I've caught fans groping my man more times than I care to remember," Kurt exclaimed, then pointed to a changing room off to the left. "I know you're not going to be up on stage, but I put together a smashing outfit for you so you can dazzle everyone. Your amazing figure needs to be showed off."
Quinn just blushed and headed over to the door the wardrobe king and stylist had pointed to. When she entered, she was overjoyed to see Rachel in there changing into her first outfit she would be wearing for the concert.
Rachel grinned widely when she saw her girlfriend enter her changing room. "Hey baby! I'm so glad you made it okay. I was getting worried."
Quinn wrapped her arms around the brunette, giving her a kiss in greeting. "I admit there were a few moments I was a little skeptical that I would actually make it here in one piece. But your bodyguards are superb."
"Good to know. I'll give them a raise," Rachel said with a wink.
Knowing Kurt would soon barge into the room, Rachel and Quinn quickly finished changing. Rachel smiled when she saw that her girlfriend was wearing the diamond bracelet she had given her.
Quinn was surprised that Kurt actually got her sizes right for her outfit. He was the Wardrobe King after all.
Stepping back out into the main room, the couple watched as Kurt moved around the area faster than was humanly possible, checking everyone's wardrobe and accessories. Quinn found herself liking his brusque, no-nonsense nature. He definitely needed it when working with these grown up little boys. Kurt told her once that his official title should be 'Wardrobe King… and frequent babysitter'.
Kurt suddenly turned and let out a loud groan, slapping his head in exasperation. "Puck, for the love of all that is holy! What the hell are you doing!?"
Quinn peered over Kurt's shoulder and tried to hide a laugh.
Puck was dressed in a pair of loose fitting jeans and a blue button up shirt. The only problem was that he had buttoned the shirt the wrong way and tucked it in without a belt. He looked like an absolute mess.
Kurt flitted over to Puck and proceeded to smack his hands away so the stylist could fix the shirt. Kurt found a belt, tucked Puck's shirt in and adjusted the collar so the guitarist didn't look like an idiot.
Blaine came out of his dressing area, dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a white button up shirt. Kurt turned to his boyfriend and let out a loud exclamation of, "Praise Buddha, at least one of you can dress yourselves correctly. Sam, get your ass out here! Let me make sure you didn't screw up all my hard work."
Sam stomped out of the room, trying furiously to fix his vest and shirt so they laid flat. Kurt groaned, but reached over with quick, nimble fingers and untwisted some of the straps. He took a step back and then leaned forward to unbutton Sam's shirt a little and then rolled up the sleeves.
Kurt definitely knew style. The members of New Directions looked like a band without looking like cheesy matching siblings. Each of their outfits fit their body types perfectly and they all looked amazing.
"Okay you guys!" Kurt called out to the band. "Head next door and Mercedes and her crew will get your makeup on! Hurry! Time's ticking!"
In less than thirty minutes, the band members were all ready and the stage crew had the backstage all prepped and ready. Honestly, it surprised Quinn how many people were needed to make sure the performance went smoothly. She had to admit, it made her respect Tina and Holly a lot more now, knowing the thousands of things that they had to coordinate all the time.
"Okay everyone, gather around!" Holly called out after everyone had arrived for their family huddle. "I just got off a conference call with TicketMaster and the Gardens owner. Apparently tickets to our concert was so hot, they asked if we would put on another show before heading back to California."
All eyes widened at the news.
"Seriously?" Blaine asked.
Holly nodded. "Yep. There has been so much interest and fans are petitioning for another concert. You guys are just that popular."
Laughs were heard all over the hallway.
"If they really want it," Rachel began, "we'll give it to them."
~~~~~QR~~~~~
"Hello, New York!" Rachel yelled into the microphone.
The stadium went crazy! The noise was so loud, Quinn swore the building shook. But what did she expect? This was a New Directions concert after all. And New Directions was the hottest band in the entire country, if not the world.
Quinn was tucked away in the wings of the stage, watching silently as her girlfriend rocked the crowd. The brunette was incredible! She was giving it her all and commanding the full attention of the thousands of fans. And one thing was for sure – the girl never disappoints. New Directions' concerts were amazing.
Quinn was staring, completely mesmerized by Rachel as the singer strut around the stage in quite revealing outfits. She couldn't take her eyes off the brunette, even for a split second. Rachel had a certain air to her, a confidence that shined through and radiated through every fiber of the blonde's being, making her heart beat faster and her knees go weak.
Watching the band perform on television was one thing, but watching them perform live was something else entirely.
They gave themselves completely over to their music, the intense energy thrumming from the audience propelling them to give their all. They interacted with their fans, bantered and teased back and forth with each other and gave the audience a great show.
Quinn had always wondered about Rachel's on-stage style. Most of the times when Quinn had ever seen Rachel doing music industry stuff, the brunette was dressed professionally for interviews and talk shows, or elegant for award shows. But she had never seen Rachel in her perfect element - on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans.
Rachel had changed into a different outfit, and still looked absolutely amazing in a cropped black leather vest over a white sleeveless t-shirt, the hem showing just a bit of the singer's stomach as it molded to her ample chest and slender torso. An interesting array of studded leather belts wove around Rachel's waist, artfully threaded along the band of tight black pants, and black heeled combat boots were on her feet. A fedora was artfully perched on top of her mussed hair, completing the look.
Rachel's voice rang out, powerful and resonant, she bent over as she poured emotion through her microphone and out to the audience, captivating them with every melodic word.
A standing ovation greeted the band as Rachel let the last note resonate, dropping the hand gripping the microphone to her side, her other hand lifted above her head, her eyes tightly shut with the emotion and exertion of her performance. Quinn could see the smile playing at the corners of Rachel's mouth. There was no doubt Rachel could hear and feel the roars of approval deep in her bones.
Quinn let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She gazed at her girlfriend with new respect and admiration.
"You guys are wonderful!" Rachel yelled, turning back to the audience. "The guys and I…" she said, sweeping her arm behind her to indicate the members of the band. The crowd screamed and declared their undying love to the group. "We want to thank each and every one of you for being here and enjoying the music with us. Music has a way of connecting lives, it brings people closer. Next we're going to play our current number 1 hit-" The crowd went insane. Rachel chuckled and looked back at the guys in the band, seeing them all laughing too. "Let's do this! Let's get Louderrrrrrr!" she screamed into the microphone as the opening notes of 'Louder' rang through the sound system.
As the concert went on, Quinn's eyes rarely left her girlfriend. And the longer she watched Rachel work the crowd and command their undying loyalty, the hotter and wetter Quinn became. Shit, she had no idea just watching Rachel in her element could get her off.
Rachel looked like pure sex as she rocked her hips to the music and sang her heart out. Quinn wanted so badly to run onto the stage and claim her lover in front of all these fans. She didn't care if everyone saw them, she just wanted to have Rachel and to show the world that the diva was hers.
Luckily for her, the final song ended and the band gave their final bows. The noise was deafening and energy radiated throughout the entire stadium.
Rachel jogged over to Quinn with a huge Berry mega watt smile on her face. "What did you think, babe?" she asked Quinn, gripping her hips and pulling her forward into her body.
Quinn didn't say anything. And at first, Rachel was worried that something bad had happened, then she saw the lust and need in her girlfriend's dark eyes. The need for sex was coming off Quinn in waves. Rachel almost came on the spot, but with her last thread of control, she grabbed Quinn's hand, lacing their fingers together, and pulled her down the hallway around a corner and into an empty dressing room, ignoring all the people calling out her name.
Once in the room and the door locked, Quinn shoved Rachel onto the couch and straddled her hips, pushing strands of long brunette hair out of Rachel's face. "You are so fucking hot, Rach," she said, her voice low and filled with arousal.
Rachel smirked. "Oh yeah?"
Quinn nodded, running her hands up the singer's body, over her shoulders and down to cup her breasts. "Yeah," she breathed out.
Rachel moaned when her girlfriend squeezed her breasts. "What… What are you going to do about it then?" she challenged.
The blonde got a mischievous look in her eyes. She leaned in closer so her lips were barely brushing Rachel's ear and whispered, "I'm going to rock your world, Rachel Berry."
And she did. And it was hot. So very very hot.
~~~~~QR~~~~~
Rachel slipped out of bed early in the next morning, pressing a kiss to Quinn's cheek. Quinn curled up in the warm spot her lover had left behind and was lulled back to sleep.
Over breakfast, Tina and Holly announced to the group what the filming schedule would be for the day.
"Am I going with you guys?" Quinn asked Rachel as they followed the rest of their party out of the hotel restaurant. "What are we going to do about the paparazzi?"
Rachel shrugged, totally unconcerned. Quinn had to admit that she was a little annoyed at the singer's blasé attitude, but had to remind herself that this was Rachel's job, something she was used to. This was normal in the world of New Directions.
For the next two days, New Directions traveled all around the city and over to Brooklyn shooting scenes for their music video "On My Way". There were shots of the band on the subway, walking the streets, on rooftops, in Central Park, and several other places; all backdrops beautiful and amazing. Tina admitted that Rachel had been right, and the real ambiance of New York was so much better than a sound stage.
They even filmed shots of Quinn and Rachel doing couply things, like eating at a restaurant, walking hand in hand, dancing at a club, etc. Basically the story Rachel wrote in the song was about a relationship between a couple where one of them travels a lot and all that person can think about while they are away is just getting back to their lover. So the scenes with the two women together were like flashbacks to the traveler as she makes her way home.
The shoots were a huge success. Holly and Tina gave the band the following day off so they could rest in order to be ready for their second concert the following evening.
~~~~~QR~~~~~
Quinn loved Central Park.
When she was up at Yale, her art professor frequently brought his classes down to New York on field trips. The museums in the city were the best in the world and they had deepened Quinn love of art. But her favorite place had always been Central Park.
It was such an amazing place. A person would think that since it is in the middle of a huge, loud city that it wouldn't be peaceful and relaxing, but Quinn found the exact opposite to be true. It was always so peaceful to sit by a tree and watch the joggers run by or friends playing frisbee. She loved the amount of artists that found a spot in the large park and would paint or draw. The musicians were always the best. They played song after song, just because they loved it and wanted to share their talents with the world.
It was so inspiring to Quinn.
So for their free day, she insisted on taking her girlfriend to Central Park and sharing the experience.
They found a semi secluded spot on the north end of the park where they hoped to be hidden enough from view as not to attract any attention. Rachel was sitting on the grass and leaning against a tree. Quinn was straddling her lap, her arms hung loosely around the brunette's shoulders.
They had been there for a while, just talking and enjoying the beautiful day outside.
Quinn caressed Rachel's cheek, gazing deeply into those pools of dark chocolate and falling head over heels again. She couldn't believe Rachel was in her life. Her hands trailed down the singer's body and stopped on one of her favorite body parts and squeezed.
Rachel squeaked. "Um… Your hand is on my boob."
Quinn smiled cheekily, gently groping the soft mound in her hand. It took everything in Rachel not to verbally respond. Her grip tightened, tangling itself in the back of Quinn's light blue t-shirt.
"Have you ever gotten a boob job?" the blonde said out of the blue.
"Seriously, woman?!" Rachel squawked with indignation. She looked into Quinn's dancing green eyes and saw her trying really hard to keep a straight face.
Rachel's gaze narrowed. Then a scandalous smirk crossed her face and Quinn knew she was in trouble. There was a beat before the brunette pounced, spilling Quinn onto the grass squealing and laughing as Rachel's fingers searching out all her sensitive ticklish spots.
"Say uncle!" Rachel called out, barely able to resist her own giggling. "Say uncle, Fabray!"
"Never!" Quinn retorted, determined to outlast the singer.
"You're not getting out of this," Rachel laughed as her fingers kept moving. But then, surprisingly, a rush of breath flew from her lungs in the form of a surprised squeak as her world inverted.
With a twist of her hips, Quinn had deftly flipped them over, sending the singer careening onto her back with Quinn laying on top of her.
Quinn smirked down at Rachel's shocked face. "Santana taught me some moves years ago," she said with a smug look on her face.
Rachel just looked up at the beaming face hovering over her, blonde hair falling over Quinn's face, not quite long enough to draw a curtain around them. Tenderly, Rachel reached up, running her fingers through the soft strands. She smiled, tugging teasingly at the ends.
Quinn leaned down closer, her nose nudging Rachel's. "Say uncle," she commanded breathlessly.
Rachel softly chuckled. "I should have known I can't win against you." She brought her hand up to touch the gold necklace Quinn was wearing. She held the pendant with the three hearts between her fingers. "You've never told me about this necklace. I've rarely seen you without it."
Slightly startled by the change in topic, Quinn sat back on her haunches as Rachel sat up, keeping one around around the blonde's waist. Quinn tucked her hair behind her ears, her thighs straddling Rachel's hips. "Well… after my parents kicked me out and Charlie and I had made it to New Haven, I fell into a mild depression. It felt like my world had come crashing down around me and I was just a little girl lost in a big scary world. Not only did I have to take care of myself, I also had to take care of and be strong for Charlie. But how was I supposed to be strong for her if I could barely get out of bed in the morning?"
Rachel listened silently, drawing soft circles against her girlfriend's lower back, wanting Quinn to know she was there for her.
"One day I was heading to one of my classes and it had been a particularly hard week. Midterms were coming up and I knew I hadn't studied enough since I had to work full time plus school. Not only that, Charlie had been being overly stubborn, no doubt from feeling the immense stress rolling off me. We were constantly fighting and it was… I was just so hard."
Rachel brushed a falling tear off Quinn's cheek with her finger.
"So on my way to class that day, I decided to sit down next to one of the trees on campus and relax since I still had some time before my class started. Anyway, I was just sitting there, pondering about my life and what the hell I should do. My mind began to wander and the image of three hearts interwoven together filled my mind. The rest of the day the image stayed and I kept doodling it over and over in all my notebooks. And I'm sure it sounds crazy and stupid, but for some reason, those interwoven hearts symbolized strength and unity to me. It gave me the strength to keep going." She smiled, her thoughts back in the past. "That following Christmas, I opened my present from Charlie and it was this necklace," she said, touching the gold pendant. "I was beyond shocked because I had never even mentioned it to her. But she told me she had seen me drawing it several times and decided to get the design made into a pendant so I would always have it with me." She brushed away a stray tear, embarrassed she was feeling so strongly about a necklace.
Rachel tilting Quinn's chin up so she could look into her misty eyes. "I think that's a beautiful story, Quinn. I think anything that touches our heart and helps us to be better is special. And a physical reminder, like your necklace, is even better since every time we look at it, it reminds us to be stronger, to be better."
Quinn looked down at Rachel's forearm and traced the gold tattoo of her pendant.
Rachel smiled. "And now, since I know the story behind this incredible work of art, I am so proud to have it as a reminder of you and your strength. You give me strength, Quinn. And it is so precious to me."
Her heart soared in her chest and she lunged forward, crashing her lips against Rachel's.
~~~~~QR~~~~~