Hey everyone. Thanks a lot for all your reviews for the last chapter. I really appreciate them. I would have liked Finn to help Rachel, but I can see why he didn't. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and review if I should keep going!

Chapter 82: Naked

Finn couldn't believe it. He'd just gotten a call from the Ohio Show Choir Governing Board that the Warblers had been disqualified from Regionals, and the New Directions were moving on. But before Glee club's meeting today, Finn wanted to call Rachel and tell her the good news. After all, what was the point of good news if you didn't have anyone to share it with.

Finn didn't even need to call Rachel. He saw that he was calling her, and he picked up the phone right away. "Hey!"

"Hey!" Rachel said. "How are you?"

"I'm great," Finn said. "I just got the call. We're going to Regionals!"

"You are?" Rachel asked. "That's amazing."

"Yeah," Finn said. "They're in Indianapolis this year, so it's the first time they're out of state. This is so exciting."

"Wow," Rachel said. "So the Warblers really were using drugs?"

"Yeah," Finn said. "I just - I didn't think it was true, but one of them admitted to it. Their new captain was apparently lying about his age, too."

"Wow," Rachel said. "That's crazy."

"Yeah," Finn said. "Other than Sebastian and that new guy, I always thought they were good guys."

"Well, hopefully this will give the others a chance to redeem themselves," Rachel said.

"Yeah, hopefully," Finn agreed. "So, what's new with you?"

"Well, I had an audition for a student film," Rachel said. "One of the girls is making a film for her senior thesis and I tried out."

"Wow, that's great," Finn said.

"Yeah, hopefully it'll work out," Rachel said.

"Well I would love to see the film if you're in it," Finn said. "I have to get to glee now, but I'll call you later."

"Okay," Rachel said. As Finn hung up the phone, the glee clubbers started to arrive, and Finn wrote "Regionals" on the board.

"We all heard the good news!" Blaine said. "The Warblers were out!"

"All right, people, we are back!" Finn declared. "First of all, big props to Sam and Blaine for all their hard work to make this happen." Everyone cheered. "But there's no time to celebrate. We just lost three weeks of prep time for Regionals, and we still have to raise $400 to pay for the bus to get to the competition in Indianapolis." Finn tried to think of ideas to get money. "I propose a bake sale. I mean it worked last time."

"Well, that's because Puck spiked the cupcakes with Mary Jane," Artie pointed out.

"I'd be willing to cut off my hair to sell it for extra cash," Joe offered.

"To who?" Kitty asked. "Jamaican kids with Rastafarian cancer? Or as rigging on a haunted pirate ship?"

"I could sell more of my semen," Sam said.

Tina stood up. "This is silly. I know exactly how we're gonna get the money. The Men of McKinley calendar. Let's face it this is the cutest crop of Glee boys we've ever had, and it's January, so it's the perfect time to sell them. There are six guys, so each one can take two months. I think Blaine should definitely be December. You could do a Santa thing, but sexy. Sexy Claus."

"I'm in as long as I can take my shirt off," Sam said.

"Wait, why does it have to be just the men? Why can't we objectify the girls, too?" Artie asked.

"Cause girls are the ones that buy stuff," Kitty declared. "We're responsible for the consumer- driven economy. Those Twilight books are poop on paper, and we've turned them into a billion-dollar industry."

"Team Jacob!" Unique announced.

Of course, calendars made Finn think of the cat calendars from Rachel. "This could actually work. Tina, you're in charge. You can set up the photo shoots. Everybody else, pick your months and work on your concepts. Good job, Tina!"

x

Shortly after Rachel got off the phone with Finn, she ran into Electra, the girl who'd asked Rachel to try out. "Your audition was great, Rachel," Electra told her. "I don't need to hear you read it again. Look, this film is my senior thesis, and I'd like you to be a part of it. Any questions?"

Rachel had been chosen? This may just be a student film, but it was something. "Your script, Electra, it's so raw and personal. I just was wondering, A Journey into Alzheimer's, is that you and your grandmother? The grandmother slipping into dementia is an allegory."

"Obviously. Of the end of the world," Electra said. "You would be playing both me and, in the black-and-white flashbacks, my grandmother. If you're willing to go on this adventure with me."

Rachel had to tell Finn she'd been chosen. "I would be honored."

"Great," Electra said. "There is one thing: You will have to be topless in the ballroom scene with Titus. That's not going to be a problem, is it?"

Topless? Rachel had never let anyone other than Finn see her topless before. "Can I have a few minutes?"

"Yeah," Electra said. "I need to go pick some things up."

After Electra left, Rachel began passing around the room. She wasn't sure if this was something she was comfortable with. "I'm a strong and confident woman," she tried to encourage herself. "I'm the one who asked Brody to move in. I'm the one who almost made it out of Agent Provocateur without giggling. And let's face it, my breasts are my prizewinners."

But then it was as if Rachel was being told other things by a past version of herself. "You almost made it out, but you didn't. Let's face it. You're also the girl who makes Brody turn the lights off when you're cuddling. You have a beautiful body, but are you really ready to expose yourself to the world?"

Those were good points. But how many females had been naked on screen? "That's what all great artists do. They expose themselves."

The past version of herself was sending another message, though: "Expose their souls, not their flesh. But it's all part of the same package."

"Am I really expected to be able to bare my soul if I'm ashamed of the body that holds it?" Rachel asked herself, looking in the mirror. It was as if her past self was sending messages, and she realized this look wasn't her.

"I think a little shame is a good thing," the past self seemed to be saying. "You're not a porn star, even though your hair and your makeup makes you look like one."

Had Rachel (well, some version of her, really said that about herself? She thought about the one thing that helped her make decisions. "Well, I guess there's only one way to resolve this. Sing about it." She tried to think of a song that summed up her feelings before she began singing.

I thought I saw a man brought to life
He was warm he came around
Like he was dignified
He showed me what it was to cry
Well you couldn't be that man I adored
You don't seem to know or seem to care
What your heart is for
Well I don't know him anymore
There's nothing where he used to lie
My conversation has run dry
That's what's going on
Nothing's fine
I'm torn
I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed
Into something real
I'm wide awake and I can see
The perfect sky is torn
You're a little late
I'm already torn
So I guess the fortune teller's right
I should have seen just what was there
And not some Holy light
But you crawled beneath my veins
And now I don't care, I have no luck
I don't miss it all that much
There's just so many things
That I can't touch
I'm torn
I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed
Into something real
I'm wide awake and I can see
The perfect sky is torn
You're a little late
I'm already torn
Torn
Ohh (Hey), Ooo (Hey, yeah)
There's nothing where he used to lie
My inspiration has run dry
That's what's goin' on
Nothing's right I'm torn
I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed
Into something real
I'm wide awake and I can see
The perfect sky is torn
I'm all out of faith (I'm all out of faith)
This is how I feel (How I feel)
I'm cold and I am shamed
bound and broken on the floor
You're a little late
I'm already torn
I'm already torn
I'm torn
I'm torn
Oh, Oh whoa! (Oh!)
Oh yeah, oh yeah (Oh whoa!)
I'm already torn

At the end of the song, Rachel was still unsure. Maybe a talk with one of her friends would help...

Electra came back. "Rachel have you made up your mind yet? I need to know right away, so we can get you fitted for clown shoes for the End of Times dream sequence."

Well, if this girl had confidence in her, Rachel couldn't let her down. "I'll do it."

x

Rachel arrived home, where Kurt was watching TV. "Is Brody going to be home anytime soon?" Kurt asked.

"I don't know," Rachel said. "Guess what!"

"What?" Kurt asked.

"I got a part in a student film," Rachel said.

"Wow, that's amazing," Kurt said. "What film?"

"This girl's senior thesis," Rachel explained. "I'm excited, but there is one thing I'm a little nervous about..."

"What?" Kurt asked.

"A topless scene," Rachel said.

Kurt looked disgusted. "What?"

"You heard me," Rachel said.

"Rachel, you can't do that!" Kurt said.

Kurt was confirming what Rachel had thought all along: this was a bad idea. But before Rachel had a chance to respond, Brody came in. "She can't do what?"

"Rachel got a part in a student film and the girl wants her to take off her shirt," Kurt said.

"What's wrong with that?" Brody asked. "Rachel's got a hot body."

"That's a private aspect of you, Rachel," Kurt said.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Brody repeated.

"That's what you think," Kurt snapped. "I have to get to Vogue."

Now Rachel was even more sure this was a bad idea.

x

Things weren't any better the next morning.

When Rachel went to breakfast, Brody was sitting naked in a chair, and Kurt was looking disgusted. Rachel looked at Kurt. "What?"

"Your boyfriend's bare ass is on one of my vintage flea market chairs!" Kurt snapped.

"Hey, I'm not ashamed of my body," Brody said. "And I wanted to show Rachel that I support her choice completely."

Rachel looked at Brody, then reminded Kurt. "Thank you. I was cast in a student art film, and I'm going to be doing a topless scene in it."

"No, you're not," Kurt demanded.

"Rachel looks smoking," Brody said.

"Rachel is a serious actress, Brody," Kurt lectured. "She doesn't do nudity."

"Look, as performers, that's a question that we're all gonna have to face," Brody said. "If you want to win an Oscar, you have to show your boobs. Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates..."

Kurt looked at Rachel. "I don't get it. A year ago, you were all plaid skirts, and 'do you think Finn likes me?' And now, you're Slutty Barbie, asking Misogynist Ken to move in with you and doing pornos. What's happening to you?"

Rachel had to admit that Kurt had a point. But she had a feeling that no one would see the film. It was just for a project. "I'm growing up, Kurt. Maybe you should try it, too. And it's not a porno. It's a good movie. I'm gonna do it, with or without your support."

x

Finn was sitting in the choir room when his phone rang. He looked at the Caller ID and saw that it was Kurt. "Hey, what's up?"

"Finn, I need your help!" Kurt said.

"What's wrong?" Finn asked.

"Rachel..." Kurt began.

Oh no. Was Rachel okay? "What's going on?"

"She wants to do a topless scene in some film that a girl at NYADA is making!" Kurt said.

"What?" Finn asked. That didn't sound like Rachel.

"That's what I said," Kurt complained. "I tried to talk to her, Finn. But that Brody guy... he acts like it's a good thing and I don't know what to do."

Brody. Finn groaned at hearing that name. He liked Brody even less now. "That's not Rachel. She has more self respect than that."

"I know she does," Kurt said. "But Finn, I need your help."

"Me?" Finn asked. "She won't listen to me..." As much as Finn loved Rachel, she'd probably just accuse him of not wanting anyone but him to see her topless. Which was true, but...

"Who should I ask then?" Kurt asked.

"Maybe get some of the girls," Finn suggested. "She might take it differently coming from another girl."

"I'll see what I can do," Kurt said. "Thanks Finn."

"No problem," Finn said. "Let me know if she does it." His thoughts were interrupted when Artie came in, reminding him why he was here. "What's going on?" Artie asked.

"Sue Sylvester's coming down super hard on the calendar," Finn told Artie. "She's saying it's pornography."

"Wait, isn't she the one that posed for Playboy?" Artie asked.

"Penthouse, and I need you to track it down," Finn confirmed.

Artie looked intrigued. "Hold up. You want me to spend the next few days carefully paging through decades and decades of vintage pornography? You've come to the right place."

"Thank you, and the Men of McKinley thank you," Finn said. Once Sue's pictures were uncovered, she wouldn't be able to be opposed to the calendar.

"Finn about that," Artie said. "I'm not sure I want to pose for the calendar. My body is sort of broken and I'm not really eager to start showing it off."

Finn tried to think of a solution. "Okay, well, uh, we'll get you in some sweats and a kick-ass muscle shirt."

"Look, I really want to help out, but I just think a photo of me is going to end up being a photo of my chair," Artie admitted.

They could help Artie out of his chair. "Then forget the chair. You can lay on a bed or something and pose with, like, a bunch of sexy pillows."

"Finn, you're not hearing me," Artie interrupted. "I don't want to pose for the calendar, and that whole pillow scenario you just described sounds deeply emasculating. It's not just girls who have body issues. Sometimes guys aren't cool with showing off their bodies, either."

Finn wished Rachel had this sort of self respect. "Then don't. I don't want to make you do anything you don't feel comfortable doing. Thanks for telling me. And you know what? That was really brave of you, saying no just then." He hoped Rachel could say no to the girl making the film. "And I think it's totally cool that there's a part of yourself you want to keep private."

x

The film would be shot tomorrow.

Rachel was still having doubts, but who could she talk to? Kurt was mad at her, and Brody would just try to pressure her into doing it. As Rachel went into the apartment, she saw that it wasn't Kurt or Brody there. It was Quinn and Santana. "Oh, my God! What are you doing here?"

"Lady Hummel called, begging us to do an emergency intervention," Santana said.

"On who?" Rachel asked.

"You," Quinn said.

Rachel had a feeling what this was about. "You guys came all the way to New York just to talk to me because Kurt called you?"

"We're also here to shop," Santana said.

Quinn looked at Santana. "And we're here to apologize to Quinn for slapping her across the face very, very hard."

"In theory. We'll just see if that happens," Santana said before looking at Rachel. "Rachel, you cannot do a nude scene."

"It's not a nude scene, it's just a topless scene," Rachel admitted.

"Same thing," Santana said. "Topless is as nude as anyone is ever gonna want to see you."

"Let's say you do it," Quinn said. "Think about the 2-2-2 rule. In two weeks, how are you gonna feel about the nude scene? You'd probably feel pretty great."

"You'll get to feel a nice, cool breeze on them skeeter bites, you'll feel refreshed, even," Santana said.

"Then, how are you gonna feel about it two months from now?" Quinn asked.

Rachel tried to think. "I don't know. Nervous? Worried it may not even be good?"

"Rachel, it's a student film," Santana said. "It's not gonna be good."

"And two years from now? How you gonna feel about it then?" Quinn asked.

Rachel remembered that part of the reason why she'd agreed: she didn't think anyone would see it. "Guilty. Just hoping my kids won't ever see it online."

"Oh, they'll see it," Santana assured Rachel. "And they will never be the same."

Then Rachel remembered what happened to Santana last year. "Okay, wait. Why am I even taking advice from you, okay? Didn't you have a sex tape that leaked online?"

"Yes, I did," Santana said. "A sex tape that follows me around to this very day. Look my name up on the Internet right now."

Rachel googled Santana's name. "Santana Lopez, nude, lez, boobies, sex tape, Mexican or Dominican, question mark."

"Booyah," Santana declared. "That will exist forever."

"But Santana, some women find it empowering to be naked on film," Rachel complained.

"Yes, but not in a student film that is probably about someone's grandma with Alzheimer's," Santana said. "Look we care about you. And for once, Rachel, we actually have your best interests in mind. Please don't do it."

x

Rachel had been thinking a lot about what the girls had told her. She'd already shot the other parts of the movie, and all that was left was the topless scene. "You are lost," Electra said as the scene was filmed. "Is this real? You've been here before, but nothing looks familiar. And that smell, you recognize that smell. Titus. You want him. And deep breath drop the robe."

Rachel frozed. "Rachel, drop the robe," Electra repeated.

"Cut," Rachel said. "I'm sorry, can we can we just cut?"

"Only I'm allowed to say cut," Electra said. "Cut."

Rachel tried to think of something to say. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a diva or anything, but, um, there's just there's so many people here right now. Do you think we can..."

Electra interrupted her. "They're here for you. My DP literally sculpts with light. Now, he can't do that without his crew. He's promised me this would be sweeping.

Would you like me to tell him that you don't want it to be sweeping?"

Rachel tried to think of something. "I need all the crew to to take off their clothes.

Yeah, it'll help, it'll, um, you know, just distract, and, and, and take the attention off of me."

Electra didn't look impressed. "Everybody, take your shirts off. Okay, back to one. Roll sound. Scene ten, take two. And action. Okay, you're lost. Are you awake, is this a dream? Perhaps a life lived long ago, and now you see him: Titus. You're filled with a carnal hunger. You need to be naked now. And drop the robe. Rachel, drop the robe."

Rachel couldn't do it. "I'm sorry. Cut."

"Stop saying cut," Electra demanded.

"I'm sorry; I can't do this," Rachel admitted. "I respect you and I respect your movie, but I just I'm not ready."

"Then you should have told me that when I asked you," Electra said.

"I was telling you the truth when I said yes and I'm telling you the truth now," Rachel said. "I think it's okay for actresses to be naked, and and maybe someday I'll be ready, but I just realized that I'm not ready to be naked now."

"Well, then, what you can do now is get the hell off my grandmother's dreamscape," Electra snapped as Rachel left the room. Rachel went to join Quinn and Santana in the room next door, giving them a big hug. "Thank you, guys, so much. It's like my dads say you can't make new old friends."

"No regrets?" Quinn asked.

"None," Rachel admitted. "But do you guys have to go? Can you stay a little bit longer? 'Cause I would love to buy you dinner."

"I'm in," Santana blurted out.

"Sure," Quinn agreed.

Rachel was thrilled. "Good, okay."

"I'm in no rush to get back to Kentucky," Santana said. "I think I could get used to it here in New York. It's more my speed."

Rachel was now sure she'd made the right choice. She now knew that even if she did the right thing. And being with her girls definitely made her happy. "Before we go though, how about we sing together, like old times?" Rachel suggested.

Quinn and Santana agreed to it, and Rachel was so happy to be singing with some girls she rarely got to sing with anymore again.

Rachel: Head under water and they tell me,
To breathe easy for a while
Breathing gets harder even I know that
I made room for me, it's too soon to see,
If I'm happy in your hands
I'm unusually hard to hold on to
Blank stares at blank pages
No easy way to say this
You mean well but you make this hard on me
Rachel, Quinn and Santana:
I'm not gonna write you a love song,
'Cause you asked for it cause you need one
You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song,
'Cause you tell me it's make or break in this
If you're on your way, I'm not gonna write you to stay
If all you have is leaving, I'm a need a better reason
To write you a love song today
Rachel: Convinced me to please you
Rachel and Santana: Made me think that I need this too
I'm trying to let you hear me
Quinn, Rachel, and Santana:As I am!
Santana: I'm not gonna write you a love song
Rachel and Santana: 'Cause you asked for it, 'cause you need one
Quinn, Rachel, and Santana: You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song
Rachel and Santana: 'Cause you tell me it's,
Quinn, Rachel, and Santana: Make or break in this
If you're on your way,
Rachel and Santana: I'm not gonna write you (and Quinn: to stay)
Rachel, Quinn and Santana: If all you have is leaving, I'm a need a better reason
To write you a love song today
Quinn: Promise me,
That you'll leave the light on,
To help me see,
The daylight, my guide, gone
Santana: 'Cause I believe there's a way,
You can love me because I say,
Rachel: I won't write you a love song,
'Cause you asked for it, 'cause you need one
Quinn: You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song,
'Cause you tell me it's make or break in this
Quinn, Rachel, and Santana: Is that why you wanted a love song?
'Cause you asked for it,
'Cause you need one
You see, I'm not gonna write you a love song
Cause you tell me it's,
Make or break in this
If you're on your way,
I'm not gonna write you
To stay
If your heart is nowhere in it,
I don't want it (with Quinn: for a minute, babe)
I'll walk the seven seas, (Santana: Walk the seven seas)
When I believe that there's a reason to write you (Santana: Write you)
A love song
Today
Quinn: Today (Rachel: Hey, today!)
I won't write you a love song (Santana: Ee-yeah, hey!)
Today
Rachel: I won't write you a love song
Quinn, Rachel, and Santana: Today

x

Finn and Artie had found it. Coach Sylvester's photos were on the internet. On an unknown site, but they were still there. And Finn was going to go out there and get her to admit to it - while embarrassing her in the process. He showed up in the teacher's lounge, handing her an envelope. "And what, may I ask, is this?" Coach Sylvester asked.

"Turns out it wasn't too hard to track down, after all," Finn sneered.
"Well I'm impressed; I'm not gonna lie," Coach Sylvester said. "I thought I'd purchased every last issue from eBay. I'm not ashamed of this centerfold. In fact, I feel like taking a gander at that glorious taco right now." She opened the envelope, revealing some children's magazines. "You idiot. You had me skewered. Why on Earth would you let me open that?"

Finn held up the tape Artie had given him. "Because now I have your confession on tape. Checkmate. Guess you can't prevent us from doing our calendar, because if you do, maybe I can share what you did with people.

Feeling his confidence growing, Finn left the room. As he was leaving, he saw a text from Kurt: "she didn't do it."

Finn sighed with relief. He was just glad that Rachel had made the right choice. He'd have to tell her about what happened with Sue, too.

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