Fic: The Fast and the Gleeful (1/7)
Title: The Fast and the Gleeful
Author: cranberry_pi
Rating: R for language.
Spoilers: Absolutely none.
Summary: An attempt at this prompt.
Rachel hadn’t slept a wink the night before, and she did her best to cover up the dark circles under her eyes with makeup. She was utterly torn about the file she’d seen on her kitchen table - was Quinn a criminal? Should she tell her father that she had met the girl? Quinn had saved her, though - kept her from being arrested, driven her home safely when she had no reason to. Plus - Rachel admitted to herself - no matter how selfish a motivation it was, she was incredibly hot, and she really wanted to spend more time with her.
She nearly jumped for joy, then, when she spotted Quinn’s black motorcycle in the school parking lot - parked, in fact, in the principal’s spot. And she did literally jump for joy - a little skip, at least - when she entered her first class of the day and saw Quinn sitting in the back of the room, staring airily out the window. Defying the school’s dress code, she’d foregone her uniform and instead wore black leather pants paired with a white wife-beater and a leather vest. Her mirrored sunglasses reflected Rachel’s curious glance back at her.
“Take a seat, new girl,” Quinn teased, and she was about to when the teacher spoke from the front of the room. “Miss Berry,” her voice was stern. “There’s nothing you could gain by associating with the likes of Miss Fabray. Please come up here and sit next to Miss Cohen-Chang.” Tina blushed, but didn’t protest. When the teacher turned away, Quinn flipped her off with both hands and the class burst out laughing.
“Go on,” Quinn nodded. “Don’t want to get a rep. Here, though,” she scribbled quickly on a piece of paper and stuck it in Rachel’s hand. “If you want to come and hang out after school, feel free.”
Rachel clutched the page tightly in her hand and walked to the front of the classroom, dropping into the seat next to Tina, who leaned over to whisper to her. “Glad to see you got away last night.”
“Yeah, Quinn gave me a ride.”
“No kidding?” Tina raised an eyebrow. “I think I’ve heard her say five words since I met her. She must really have taken a liking to you.”
“Now,” the teacher cleared her throat, “let’s talk about the Missouri Compromise.”
“Jesus Christ,” Rachel heard Quinn say at the back of the room, “again? Every year, we cover this same shit.”
“Miss Fabray, I’m astonished that you could claim to know what’s taught in classes that you never attend. Principal’s office, now.”
“Whatev,” Quinn shrugged, grabbing a satchel bag from beside her seat. She stood and slowly left the room, taking just long enough that the teacher opened her mouth at least twice to tell her to hurry up and leave. Rachel hid an amused grin behind her hand as Quinn checked the door closed with her hip, letting it shut with a loud bang.
“Where was I?” the teacher asked, flustered. “Oh, yes - the Missouri Compromise.”
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“How has she not been expelled?” Rachel wondered aloud as she and Tina left the classroom. “She doesn’t wear her uniform, and she parks in the principal’s spot, and talks back to the teachers - and they let her get away with it.”
“Don’t forget,” Quinn’s voice made her jump, “that I look so fucking hot - there must be a rule against that too.”
“Quinn!” Rachel tried to slow her heart. “You scared me.”
“Good,” Quinn’s brow furrowed, her eyes hidden by her glasses. “I’m very scary.” She looked at Tina. “Tell her, Seoul Sister - why don’t they expel me?”
“They wouldn’t dare,” Tina looked uncomfortable talking to her, but soldiered on anyway. “You donate so much money to this school that if they expelled you they’d go bankrupt.”
“Fuckin’ a. Tell you what, Rachel - I’m taking off for the day. Want to come with?” she held out an enticing hand, and she was sorely tempted. She shook her head, though, in the end.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Quinn. If I am to be accepted to Julliard, I’ll need to pay the utmost attention to my academics.”
“Good answer. I’ll be at the garage - the address I gave you? - when you’re done. It’ll be fun, trust me.” With that she sauntered away, and Rachel couldn’t help but follow the sway of her hips, only looking away when Tina cleared her throat.
“We’re going to be late. What’s with you, anyway?” She studied Rachel’s face. “OMG - you totally have a crush on Quinn Fabray.”
“What?” Rachel shook her head. “I do not.”
“Don’t lie,” Tina said excitedly, “you’re so perving on her!”
“Okay, fine,” Rachel hissed, “lower your voice. Yes, I think she’s reasonably attractive. I admire her, uh, attitude. But she’s also a,” she bit off the last word, realising she’d nearly revealed the contents of a federal case file to her new friend.
“She’s what?”
“Well, she participates in illegal activity, is what I meant.”
“Yeah, but that turns you on, doesn’t it?” Tina raised an eyebrow. “Thinking of her in that car?”
“Yes,” Rachel admitted, giggling.
“Well, I think it’s great,” Tina admitted. “If you get in tight with her, you can get me a date with Artie. He’s one of her crew.” She grabbed Rachel’s hand, hard. “Promise you’ll try and get me a date?”
“I promise,” Rachel agreed with a laugh.
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Rachel heard Quinn’s voice from the garage as she approached. “What do you mean, half?” she was screaming at someone. “Who the fuck promised him half?”
“Calm down, Quinn,” a voice answered, one she didn’t know. “Half still gets us more than what we need.”
There was the sound of something breaking. “Are you out of your fucking mind, S? Do you not want to get paid for this job? Because with half, I’ll be lucky if I can afford to pay any of you morons.”
Rachel knocked softly at the door, and the voices inside went silent. Quinn opened the door, and Rachel felt a rush of heat between her legs. Quinn was stripped down to her wife beater and a pair of cut-off jeans, and she was covered in oil and grime, but she’d never looked any better, especially when she smiled.
“Hey, Rach - come on in. You can help me with the car - after all, since I was saving you last night, you owe me a bit of help,” she teased. “Let’s introduce you to the crew, too,” she escorted her in, closing the door behind her. “Santana you met last night,” she gestured, and Rachel recognised her as the girl who’d started the race, dressed in an impossibly short skirt and a button-up shirt with - at most - two buttons done up. Santana gave her a half-hearted wave, but she looked angry. “Over there is Artie, our resident geek,” the young man, dressed smartly in slacks and a polo shirt, manoeuvred his wheelchair out from behind a computer desk, and Rachel did her best not to let her surprise show. He shook her hand, giving Quinn a mock glare.
“You know I prefer nerd, Quinn.”
“My mistake, geek, you’ll have to forgive me,” she winked, leading Rachel across the garage. “This big ox here,” she pointed to a man seated on a bench, contemplating a socket wrench, “is Finn. Not so bright, but he’s handy for lifting things.”
Finn stood up and got in Rachel’s face. “What is she here for? You don’t just jump in the ring with Ali because you think you can wrestle.”
“That’s ‘box’, Finn. Because you think you can box. She’s not here to race me - just go sit down before you hurt yourself, you ape,” he did, and Quinn looked apologetically at Rachel. “Sorry. He’s Artie’s adopted brother, and we try to humour him if we can. And last, there’s-“ she looked around, confused. “Santana, where’s Brittany?”
“She left - said you told her to go get a muffin.”
“What? I never - oh, for the love of god. I said a muffler. I asked her to pass me a muffler. I wondered why she never gave it to me. How long has she been gone?”
“’bout a half hour. She’ll be back when she figures out she left her purse in her car.”
“Anyway,” Quinn rolled her eyes. “Brittany’s the last of the group. She’s Santana’s girlfriend. She’s a bit wacky sometimes, but we all love her anyway.”
“And just in case you didn’t get that, man hands,” Santana barked, “Britt is off the market.”
“Be nice, S. Come on, Rach - let’s get you some coveralls. Don’t want you getting oil all over that cute sweater,” Rachel looked down at herself and suddenly felt completely out of place in her argyle sweater and tailored slacks. Quinn’s smile wasn’t mocking, though, and she followed her as she looked for a pair that would fit.
“There you go,” Quinn handed her some. “There’s an office over there if you want some privacy - come meet me over by Beth when you’re changed.”
“Who’s Beth? I don’t think you introduced me to her.”
“Are you kidding? You know Beth intimately, Rachel - you were inside her last night,” she waggled her eyebrows.
“I’m pretty certain I’d remember that if it had occurred,” Rachel protested, blushing brightly.
“The car, Rach. Beth is my car.”
“Oh,” she flushed, “I see.” She made her way to the office and closed the door behind her, although it wasn’t enough to drown out the voices in the garage.
“And you think I’m out of my mind?” she heard Santana hiss. “I don’t see anyone else bringing their booty calls to our home!”
“That’s because your booty call lives here anyway!” Quinn shot back. “Lower your voice.” The conversation became inaudible at that point, but Rachel could still tell by the tone that the conversation was far from friendly. She made sure to open the office door loudly, so everyone knew she was coming back into the main part of the garage. She found Quinn waiting next to Beth, smirking.
“That’s a good look for you, Rachel - want a job?”
“As a mechanic? I’ll pass, thank you,” she smiled.
“That’s too bad,” Quinn mused. “You’d make a sexy grease monkey. Anyway,” she went on, ignoring Rachel’s blush, “that bounce we took last night fucked up my shocks. Want to help me change them?”
“I’d love to,” Rachel agreed.
“Artie!” Quinn shouted. “Some car-fixing music, if you please!”
“Your wish is my command, boss,” he called back, and music filled the garage. Rachel was stunned by the selection - she’d expected a thumping metal or hip-hop beat, and what was playing instead was the original cast recording of Evita. Her surprise must have showed in her face, because Quinn laughed.
“I know - everybody expects the same thing they hear at the races when they come in here, but I only like that shit when I’m driving. I prefer this kind of stuff when I’m repairing.” She signalled Artie, who triggered the hydraulic lift to raise Beth. “Open the big door, too,” she called, and he did, letting the afternoon’s cool breeze into the garage. “Okay, Rachel. Ever worked on a car before?”
“I changed the oil on my dad’s truck once,” she blushed. “That’s about it.”
“Relax - it wasn’t a pop quiz. I’ll talk you through it - I promise I’ll be gentle,” she winked.
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With all four shocks changed, Quinn had Artie lower Beth back to the floor and bounced her a few times. “Nice,” she grinned. “Thanks for the help, Rach - and the accompaniment.” Halfway through the Evita recording, Quinn had stopped it and asked Rachel, who’d been singing along, to sing for them. Blushing furiously, Rachel had performed selections from it and from Les Miz while she helped change the shocks. “You were awesome.”
“Thank you,” she replied shyly. “Do you need any more help?”
“Well, there’s a ton to do, but you should probably get home.”
“Why?”
“Uh, because it’s six thirty, and I don’t want your folks coming after me with a gun,” she said it jokingly, but the very real possibility that her father might do just that for a whole other reason made Rachel’s heart skip a beat.
“Yes, yes you’re right,” Rachel admitted. “I really should.”
“Want a ride? The bike’s out back.”
“No!” Rachel insisted a bit too loudly, and she lowered her voice, aware she was talking too fast. “I mean - I know you’ve got a great deal of work to do on the car yet, and I don’t want to take you away from that. There’s a bus stop just down the road, I can get myself home, I assure you.”
“O-kay,” Quinn said slowly. “Don’t forget to go and change first, alright?” She did, quickly, and let herself out the side door.
“Will you be at school tomorrow?” Rachel asked shyly as she left.
“I think so,” Quinn shrugged. “Depends how much work I get done on Beth.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” she closed the door behind her, and heard Santana’s mocking laugh.
“Q - you seriously have a crazy magnet in your vag or something. If there’s a crazy chick out there, she’ll want to put her face between your legs.”
“Says the girl dating Brittany.”
That was the last she heard as she crossed the street to the bus stop.
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“How was your day, dear?” Leroy Berry asked as they sat around the dinner table.
“It was fine, dad,” Rachel looked everywhere but at him. “I thought you were going to be away a lot more with this assignment.”
“Oh, I will,” he assured her. “We’re just trying to get someone on the inside of this smuggling ring, and then I’ll be out in the field a lot to act as their contact.”
“How long do you think that’ll take?” she studiously pushed the food around on her plate. “To get someone on the inside, I mean?”
“Could be a while,” he admitted. “We only know of the one major players in the ring so far, and she’s very tight with her inner circle. It’s going to be awfully difficult to get someone close to her. But anyway,” he cleared his throat, “I’ve probably violated enough federal laws by telling you all that. Tell me, how’s your school?”
“It’s nice,” she shrugged.
“And what do they have in terms of a Glee Club?”
“Honestly, dad, I haven’t checked yet.”
“Really?” exclaimed Hiram. “I can’t believe that wasn’t the first thing you did - it always has been before!”
“I’ve just been distracted,” Rachel said defensively. “It’s a lot of work getting established at an entirely new school, and I’m just attempting to form bonds with some of my fellow students before I do anything else.”
“I’m sorry,” Hiram said, “I was only asking, sweetheart. You can do things in whatever order you like, of course.”
“May I be excused?” she asked suddenly.
“Of course, Rachel,” Leroy answered, exchanging worried glances with his husband.
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Rachel sat in her room that night, ignoring her homework. She wished that she had a photo of Quinn to look at, but quickly realised what a potential risk that would be. From her bag, she could hear her phone ringing, and she retrieved it. The call display read “Beth,” and Rachel grinned.
“How did you get this number?”
“I, uh, got it from Tina.”
“Tina doesn’t have it.”
“Okay, you caught me,” Quinn laughed. “I had Artie hack the school’s records and grab me your number. Sorry for calling you so late, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed kinda weird earlier.”
“Oh - yes, I’m sorry about that. I was just concerned that it had gotten so late without my being aware.”
“Gotcha. Hope everything was okay with your folks, though?”
“Oh, absolutely - they were very understanding.”
“What are you doing right now?”
“Homework, why?”
“Well, I’m parked about a block from your house, and I was wondering if you wanted to go for a ride. Beth is almost in tip-top shape again, and I’d like to take her for a spin.” Rachel was silent for a long moment, weighing the risk of Quinn being caught against her desire to sit in the blonde’s passenger seat, watching her drive.
“I’ll come meet you,” she said finally. “Which way are you?”
“Parked outside Unity Church, it’s out your front door and to the left.”
“You’re parked outside a church?” Rachel asked incredulously.
“I know, right? Irony is wicked. God’s aiming a thunderbolt at me right now, I’m sure of it.”
“I’ll be right there,” Rachel hung up, bolting downstairs. “Dad? Daddy? I’m going to go out for a bit, if that’s okay?”
“Just be home by midnight, sweetheart,” Hiram called from the living room. She pulled on a pair of running shoes, shrugged on a jacket, and she was out the door in a flash. When she reached the church parking lot, Quinn was waiting, leaning languorously against the hood of her car.
“’sup, Berry?”
“You must be freezing to death,” Rachel could only barely keep from drooling. Quinn was wearing even less than she had to the race - a pink bikini top and low-cut jeans.
“I’m always hot, Rach - you haven’t cottoned to that yet? Come on, get in. I’ve got something I want to show you.”
She climbed in the passenger side, nearly tripping on something that hadn’t been there before - a silver seat belt.
“I had Britt put in for me,” Quinn admitted, biting her lip. “Thought you’d like it.”
“Thank you,” Rachel said softly, putting a hand on her leg. “It means a great deal to me.”
“Don’t mention it. You buckled up and ready?” Rachel clicked the belt into place.
“Ready.”
“Here we go,” Quinn dropped the car into gear, peeling away from the church at full speed, ducking through oncoming traffic. As much as she wanted to close her eyes while Quinn drove, terrified by the speed, Rachel was exhilarated at the same time, and forced herself to alternate between watching the road and watching Quinn. She drove like she was a part of the car, guiding it with fluid motion and absolute grace. They whipped through traffic, ignoring the honks and protests of the other drivers, and finally stopped in an old industrial area, putting the car in park.
“What’s this?” Rachel looked around, but didn’t see anything noteworthy.
“This was my first quarter-mile,” Quinn smiled, but Rachel could see sadness in her eyes. “First race I ever won. First time Beth made me a winner.” She looked like there was something else she wanted to say, but she shook her head instead and looked out the windshield. “I thought, since I can’t bring you along in a real race, I’d show you what it feels like. If you’re game?”
“Absolutely,” Rachel furiously tugged at her seat belt, making sure it was tightened, and Quinn chuckled. The sound of her throaty laugh was nearly enough to undo Rachel, and she wriggled in her seat.
“Three,” Quinn intoned, stepping on the gas and starting the wheels spinning under them, “two, one, go,” she dropped Beth into first, and the car exploded forward. Rachel was driven against her seat, and she grinned. They rocketed forward, Quinn double-shifting as she drove, and then she looked over and winked. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” She pressed a red button on the steering wheel, and their speed increased impossibly. The gravity pinning Rachel to the seat seemed to increase exponentially, and she struggled to breathe.
“What’d you do?” she managed to shout.
“NOS!” Quinn shouted back. Then Rachel screamed, pointing at a homeless man who’d stumbled out from between two buildings and stopped directly in front of them. Time seemed to slow down as Quinn calculated her options - Rachel knew there was no way they could stop in time. So, rather than stop, Quinn repeated a trick from the previous night - she waited for exactly the right moment, then spun the wheel hard to her right and threw the emergency brake. The car spun, and Rachel, thrown against the passenger door, closed her eyes anticipating a sickening thud - it never happened, though, and suddenly the car had straightened out and was running straight and fast again. Quinn was breathing hard, and as soon as she was clear she pulled over and stopped, letting out an excited whoop.
“Wow, was that close!” she grinned, breathing hard. “Never tried that with someone in the way before! Did you see that?”
“I sort of closed my eyes,” Rachel admitted.
“Well, trust me - it was awesome. That’s what a race feels like, except we usually have a few guys blocking the side roads and alleys so shit like that doesn’t happen.” She was silent for a minute, and when she spoke again her voice was quiet. “I’m not dumb, you know.”
“I don’t understand what you mean, Quinn.” Inside, Rachel was panicking - did she know who her father was? Did she think she was spying on her?
“I mean, I know what people at school think of me. They see this girl who gets kicked out of more classes than she stays in, and they think I’m stupid. Truth is, I know all the material, I could pass any exam they put in front of me. I just get bored, and tired of the lessons that are aimed at the dumbest people.”
Rachel shook her head. “Why are you telling me this?”
“I just - I want you to know that if you get involved with me, you won’t have to dumb yourself down. That’s all,” Quinn chewed her lip.
“I never thought I would,” Rachel assured her. “Can I ask, though - if you hate the school so much, why do you-”
“Donate money to them? Because of my sister. That’s a story for another day, though.”
The conversation was cut short when three cars suddenly appeared from the shadows, headlights off, boxing them in. The drivers’ side door of the closest one opened, and Puck stepped out with a shit-eating grin on his face. He rapped on Beth’s window. “Hey, cutie. We need to talk. Bring the freak out with you.”
Author: cranberry_pi
Rating: R for language.
Spoilers: Absolutely none.
Summary: An attempt at this prompt.
Rachel hadn’t slept a wink the night before, and she did her best to cover up the dark circles under her eyes with makeup. She was utterly torn about the file she’d seen on her kitchen table - was Quinn a criminal? Should she tell her father that she had met the girl? Quinn had saved her, though - kept her from being arrested, driven her home safely when she had no reason to. Plus - Rachel admitted to herself - no matter how selfish a motivation it was, she was incredibly hot, and she really wanted to spend more time with her.
She nearly jumped for joy, then, when she spotted Quinn’s black motorcycle in the school parking lot - parked, in fact, in the principal’s spot. And she did literally jump for joy - a little skip, at least - when she entered her first class of the day and saw Quinn sitting in the back of the room, staring airily out the window. Defying the school’s dress code, she’d foregone her uniform and instead wore black leather pants paired with a white wife-beater and a leather vest. Her mirrored sunglasses reflected Rachel’s curious glance back at her.
“Take a seat, new girl,” Quinn teased, and she was about to when the teacher spoke from the front of the room. “Miss Berry,” her voice was stern. “There’s nothing you could gain by associating with the likes of Miss Fabray. Please come up here and sit next to Miss Cohen-Chang.” Tina blushed, but didn’t protest. When the teacher turned away, Quinn flipped her off with both hands and the class burst out laughing.
“Go on,” Quinn nodded. “Don’t want to get a rep. Here, though,” she scribbled quickly on a piece of paper and stuck it in Rachel’s hand. “If you want to come and hang out after school, feel free.”
Rachel clutched the page tightly in her hand and walked to the front of the classroom, dropping into the seat next to Tina, who leaned over to whisper to her. “Glad to see you got away last night.”
“Yeah, Quinn gave me a ride.”
“No kidding?” Tina raised an eyebrow. “I think I’ve heard her say five words since I met her. She must really have taken a liking to you.”
“Now,” the teacher cleared her throat, “let’s talk about the Missouri Compromise.”
“Jesus Christ,” Rachel heard Quinn say at the back of the room, “again? Every year, we cover this same shit.”
“Miss Fabray, I’m astonished that you could claim to know what’s taught in classes that you never attend. Principal’s office, now.”
“Whatev,” Quinn shrugged, grabbing a satchel bag from beside her seat. She stood and slowly left the room, taking just long enough that the teacher opened her mouth at least twice to tell her to hurry up and leave. Rachel hid an amused grin behind her hand as Quinn checked the door closed with her hip, letting it shut with a loud bang.
“Where was I?” the teacher asked, flustered. “Oh, yes - the Missouri Compromise.”
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“How has she not been expelled?” Rachel wondered aloud as she and Tina left the classroom. “She doesn’t wear her uniform, and she parks in the principal’s spot, and talks back to the teachers - and they let her get away with it.”
“Don’t forget,” Quinn’s voice made her jump, “that I look so fucking hot - there must be a rule against that too.”
“Quinn!” Rachel tried to slow her heart. “You scared me.”
“Good,” Quinn’s brow furrowed, her eyes hidden by her glasses. “I’m very scary.” She looked at Tina. “Tell her, Seoul Sister - why don’t they expel me?”
“They wouldn’t dare,” Tina looked uncomfortable talking to her, but soldiered on anyway. “You donate so much money to this school that if they expelled you they’d go bankrupt.”
“Fuckin’ a. Tell you what, Rachel - I’m taking off for the day. Want to come with?” she held out an enticing hand, and she was sorely tempted. She shook her head, though, in the end.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Quinn. If I am to be accepted to Julliard, I’ll need to pay the utmost attention to my academics.”
“Good answer. I’ll be at the garage - the address I gave you? - when you’re done. It’ll be fun, trust me.” With that she sauntered away, and Rachel couldn’t help but follow the sway of her hips, only looking away when Tina cleared her throat.
“We’re going to be late. What’s with you, anyway?” She studied Rachel’s face. “OMG - you totally have a crush on Quinn Fabray.”
“What?” Rachel shook her head. “I do not.”
“Don’t lie,” Tina said excitedly, “you’re so perving on her!”
“Okay, fine,” Rachel hissed, “lower your voice. Yes, I think she’s reasonably attractive. I admire her, uh, attitude. But she’s also a,” she bit off the last word, realising she’d nearly revealed the contents of a federal case file to her new friend.
“She’s what?”
“Well, she participates in illegal activity, is what I meant.”
“Yeah, but that turns you on, doesn’t it?” Tina raised an eyebrow. “Thinking of her in that car?”
“Yes,” Rachel admitted, giggling.
“Well, I think it’s great,” Tina admitted. “If you get in tight with her, you can get me a date with Artie. He’s one of her crew.” She grabbed Rachel’s hand, hard. “Promise you’ll try and get me a date?”
“I promise,” Rachel agreed with a laugh.
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Rachel heard Quinn’s voice from the garage as she approached. “What do you mean, half?” she was screaming at someone. “Who the fuck promised him half?”
“Calm down, Quinn,” a voice answered, one she didn’t know. “Half still gets us more than what we need.”
There was the sound of something breaking. “Are you out of your fucking mind, S? Do you not want to get paid for this job? Because with half, I’ll be lucky if I can afford to pay any of you morons.”
Rachel knocked softly at the door, and the voices inside went silent. Quinn opened the door, and Rachel felt a rush of heat between her legs. Quinn was stripped down to her wife beater and a pair of cut-off jeans, and she was covered in oil and grime, but she’d never looked any better, especially when she smiled.
“Hey, Rach - come on in. You can help me with the car - after all, since I was saving you last night, you owe me a bit of help,” she teased. “Let’s introduce you to the crew, too,” she escorted her in, closing the door behind her. “Santana you met last night,” she gestured, and Rachel recognised her as the girl who’d started the race, dressed in an impossibly short skirt and a button-up shirt with - at most - two buttons done up. Santana gave her a half-hearted wave, but she looked angry. “Over there is Artie, our resident geek,” the young man, dressed smartly in slacks and a polo shirt, manoeuvred his wheelchair out from behind a computer desk, and Rachel did her best not to let her surprise show. He shook her hand, giving Quinn a mock glare.
“You know I prefer nerd, Quinn.”
“My mistake, geek, you’ll have to forgive me,” she winked, leading Rachel across the garage. “This big ox here,” she pointed to a man seated on a bench, contemplating a socket wrench, “is Finn. Not so bright, but he’s handy for lifting things.”
Finn stood up and got in Rachel’s face. “What is she here for? You don’t just jump in the ring with Ali because you think you can wrestle.”
“That’s ‘box’, Finn. Because you think you can box. She’s not here to race me - just go sit down before you hurt yourself, you ape,” he did, and Quinn looked apologetically at Rachel. “Sorry. He’s Artie’s adopted brother, and we try to humour him if we can. And last, there’s-“ she looked around, confused. “Santana, where’s Brittany?”
“She left - said you told her to go get a muffin.”
“What? I never - oh, for the love of god. I said a muffler. I asked her to pass me a muffler. I wondered why she never gave it to me. How long has she been gone?”
“’bout a half hour. She’ll be back when she figures out she left her purse in her car.”
“Anyway,” Quinn rolled her eyes. “Brittany’s the last of the group. She’s Santana’s girlfriend. She’s a bit wacky sometimes, but we all love her anyway.”
“And just in case you didn’t get that, man hands,” Santana barked, “Britt is off the market.”
“Be nice, S. Come on, Rach - let’s get you some coveralls. Don’t want you getting oil all over that cute sweater,” Rachel looked down at herself and suddenly felt completely out of place in her argyle sweater and tailored slacks. Quinn’s smile wasn’t mocking, though, and she followed her as she looked for a pair that would fit.
“There you go,” Quinn handed her some. “There’s an office over there if you want some privacy - come meet me over by Beth when you’re changed.”
“Who’s Beth? I don’t think you introduced me to her.”
“Are you kidding? You know Beth intimately, Rachel - you were inside her last night,” she waggled her eyebrows.
“I’m pretty certain I’d remember that if it had occurred,” Rachel protested, blushing brightly.
“The car, Rach. Beth is my car.”
“Oh,” she flushed, “I see.” She made her way to the office and closed the door behind her, although it wasn’t enough to drown out the voices in the garage.
“And you think I’m out of my mind?” she heard Santana hiss. “I don’t see anyone else bringing their booty calls to our home!”
“That’s because your booty call lives here anyway!” Quinn shot back. “Lower your voice.” The conversation became inaudible at that point, but Rachel could still tell by the tone that the conversation was far from friendly. She made sure to open the office door loudly, so everyone knew she was coming back into the main part of the garage. She found Quinn waiting next to Beth, smirking.
“That’s a good look for you, Rachel - want a job?”
“As a mechanic? I’ll pass, thank you,” she smiled.
“That’s too bad,” Quinn mused. “You’d make a sexy grease monkey. Anyway,” she went on, ignoring Rachel’s blush, “that bounce we took last night fucked up my shocks. Want to help me change them?”
“I’d love to,” Rachel agreed.
“Artie!” Quinn shouted. “Some car-fixing music, if you please!”
“Your wish is my command, boss,” he called back, and music filled the garage. Rachel was stunned by the selection - she’d expected a thumping metal or hip-hop beat, and what was playing instead was the original cast recording of Evita. Her surprise must have showed in her face, because Quinn laughed.
“I know - everybody expects the same thing they hear at the races when they come in here, but I only like that shit when I’m driving. I prefer this kind of stuff when I’m repairing.” She signalled Artie, who triggered the hydraulic lift to raise Beth. “Open the big door, too,” she called, and he did, letting the afternoon’s cool breeze into the garage. “Okay, Rachel. Ever worked on a car before?”
“I changed the oil on my dad’s truck once,” she blushed. “That’s about it.”
“Relax - it wasn’t a pop quiz. I’ll talk you through it - I promise I’ll be gentle,” she winked.
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With all four shocks changed, Quinn had Artie lower Beth back to the floor and bounced her a few times. “Nice,” she grinned. “Thanks for the help, Rach - and the accompaniment.” Halfway through the Evita recording, Quinn had stopped it and asked Rachel, who’d been singing along, to sing for them. Blushing furiously, Rachel had performed selections from it and from Les Miz while she helped change the shocks. “You were awesome.”
“Thank you,” she replied shyly. “Do you need any more help?”
“Well, there’s a ton to do, but you should probably get home.”
“Why?”
“Uh, because it’s six thirty, and I don’t want your folks coming after me with a gun,” she said it jokingly, but the very real possibility that her father might do just that for a whole other reason made Rachel’s heart skip a beat.
“Yes, yes you’re right,” Rachel admitted. “I really should.”
“Want a ride? The bike’s out back.”
“No!” Rachel insisted a bit too loudly, and she lowered her voice, aware she was talking too fast. “I mean - I know you’ve got a great deal of work to do on the car yet, and I don’t want to take you away from that. There’s a bus stop just down the road, I can get myself home, I assure you.”
“O-kay,” Quinn said slowly. “Don’t forget to go and change first, alright?” She did, quickly, and let herself out the side door.
“Will you be at school tomorrow?” Rachel asked shyly as she left.
“I think so,” Quinn shrugged. “Depends how much work I get done on Beth.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” she closed the door behind her, and heard Santana’s mocking laugh.
“Q - you seriously have a crazy magnet in your vag or something. If there’s a crazy chick out there, she’ll want to put her face between your legs.”
“Says the girl dating Brittany.”
That was the last she heard as she crossed the street to the bus stop.
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“How was your day, dear?” Leroy Berry asked as they sat around the dinner table.
“It was fine, dad,” Rachel looked everywhere but at him. “I thought you were going to be away a lot more with this assignment.”
“Oh, I will,” he assured her. “We’re just trying to get someone on the inside of this smuggling ring, and then I’ll be out in the field a lot to act as their contact.”
“How long do you think that’ll take?” she studiously pushed the food around on her plate. “To get someone on the inside, I mean?”
“Could be a while,” he admitted. “We only know of the one major players in the ring so far, and she’s very tight with her inner circle. It’s going to be awfully difficult to get someone close to her. But anyway,” he cleared his throat, “I’ve probably violated enough federal laws by telling you all that. Tell me, how’s your school?”
“It’s nice,” she shrugged.
“And what do they have in terms of a Glee Club?”
“Honestly, dad, I haven’t checked yet.”
“Really?” exclaimed Hiram. “I can’t believe that wasn’t the first thing you did - it always has been before!”
“I’ve just been distracted,” Rachel said defensively. “It’s a lot of work getting established at an entirely new school, and I’m just attempting to form bonds with some of my fellow students before I do anything else.”
“I’m sorry,” Hiram said, “I was only asking, sweetheart. You can do things in whatever order you like, of course.”
“May I be excused?” she asked suddenly.
“Of course, Rachel,” Leroy answered, exchanging worried glances with his husband.
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Rachel sat in her room that night, ignoring her homework. She wished that she had a photo of Quinn to look at, but quickly realised what a potential risk that would be. From her bag, she could hear her phone ringing, and she retrieved it. The call display read “Beth,” and Rachel grinned.
“How did you get this number?”
“I, uh, got it from Tina.”
“Tina doesn’t have it.”
“Okay, you caught me,” Quinn laughed. “I had Artie hack the school’s records and grab me your number. Sorry for calling you so late, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed kinda weird earlier.”
“Oh - yes, I’m sorry about that. I was just concerned that it had gotten so late without my being aware.”
“Gotcha. Hope everything was okay with your folks, though?”
“Oh, absolutely - they were very understanding.”
“What are you doing right now?”
“Homework, why?”
“Well, I’m parked about a block from your house, and I was wondering if you wanted to go for a ride. Beth is almost in tip-top shape again, and I’d like to take her for a spin.” Rachel was silent for a long moment, weighing the risk of Quinn being caught against her desire to sit in the blonde’s passenger seat, watching her drive.
“I’ll come meet you,” she said finally. “Which way are you?”
“Parked outside Unity Church, it’s out your front door and to the left.”
“You’re parked outside a church?” Rachel asked incredulously.
“I know, right? Irony is wicked. God’s aiming a thunderbolt at me right now, I’m sure of it.”
“I’ll be right there,” Rachel hung up, bolting downstairs. “Dad? Daddy? I’m going to go out for a bit, if that’s okay?”
“Just be home by midnight, sweetheart,” Hiram called from the living room. She pulled on a pair of running shoes, shrugged on a jacket, and she was out the door in a flash. When she reached the church parking lot, Quinn was waiting, leaning languorously against the hood of her car.
“’sup, Berry?”
“You must be freezing to death,” Rachel could only barely keep from drooling. Quinn was wearing even less than she had to the race - a pink bikini top and low-cut jeans.
“I’m always hot, Rach - you haven’t cottoned to that yet? Come on, get in. I’ve got something I want to show you.”
She climbed in the passenger side, nearly tripping on something that hadn’t been there before - a silver seat belt.
“I had Britt put in for me,” Quinn admitted, biting her lip. “Thought you’d like it.”
“Thank you,” Rachel said softly, putting a hand on her leg. “It means a great deal to me.”
“Don’t mention it. You buckled up and ready?” Rachel clicked the belt into place.
“Ready.”
“Here we go,” Quinn dropped the car into gear, peeling away from the church at full speed, ducking through oncoming traffic. As much as she wanted to close her eyes while Quinn drove, terrified by the speed, Rachel was exhilarated at the same time, and forced herself to alternate between watching the road and watching Quinn. She drove like she was a part of the car, guiding it with fluid motion and absolute grace. They whipped through traffic, ignoring the honks and protests of the other drivers, and finally stopped in an old industrial area, putting the car in park.
“What’s this?” Rachel looked around, but didn’t see anything noteworthy.
“This was my first quarter-mile,” Quinn smiled, but Rachel could see sadness in her eyes. “First race I ever won. First time Beth made me a winner.” She looked like there was something else she wanted to say, but she shook her head instead and looked out the windshield. “I thought, since I can’t bring you along in a real race, I’d show you what it feels like. If you’re game?”
“Absolutely,” Rachel furiously tugged at her seat belt, making sure it was tightened, and Quinn chuckled. The sound of her throaty laugh was nearly enough to undo Rachel, and she wriggled in her seat.
“Three,” Quinn intoned, stepping on the gas and starting the wheels spinning under them, “two, one, go,” she dropped Beth into first, and the car exploded forward. Rachel was driven against her seat, and she grinned. They rocketed forward, Quinn double-shifting as she drove, and then she looked over and winked. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” She pressed a red button on the steering wheel, and their speed increased impossibly. The gravity pinning Rachel to the seat seemed to increase exponentially, and she struggled to breathe.
“What’d you do?” she managed to shout.
“NOS!” Quinn shouted back. Then Rachel screamed, pointing at a homeless man who’d stumbled out from between two buildings and stopped directly in front of them. Time seemed to slow down as Quinn calculated her options - Rachel knew there was no way they could stop in time. So, rather than stop, Quinn repeated a trick from the previous night - she waited for exactly the right moment, then spun the wheel hard to her right and threw the emergency brake. The car spun, and Rachel, thrown against the passenger door, closed her eyes anticipating a sickening thud - it never happened, though, and suddenly the car had straightened out and was running straight and fast again. Quinn was breathing hard, and as soon as she was clear she pulled over and stopped, letting out an excited whoop.
“Wow, was that close!” she grinned, breathing hard. “Never tried that with someone in the way before! Did you see that?”
“I sort of closed my eyes,” Rachel admitted.
“Well, trust me - it was awesome. That’s what a race feels like, except we usually have a few guys blocking the side roads and alleys so shit like that doesn’t happen.” She was silent for a minute, and when she spoke again her voice was quiet. “I’m not dumb, you know.”
“I don’t understand what you mean, Quinn.” Inside, Rachel was panicking - did she know who her father was? Did she think she was spying on her?
“I mean, I know what people at school think of me. They see this girl who gets kicked out of more classes than she stays in, and they think I’m stupid. Truth is, I know all the material, I could pass any exam they put in front of me. I just get bored, and tired of the lessons that are aimed at the dumbest people.”
Rachel shook her head. “Why are you telling me this?”
“I just - I want you to know that if you get involved with me, you won’t have to dumb yourself down. That’s all,” Quinn chewed her lip.
“I never thought I would,” Rachel assured her. “Can I ask, though - if you hate the school so much, why do you-”
“Donate money to them? Because of my sister. That’s a story for another day, though.”
The conversation was cut short when three cars suddenly appeared from the shadows, headlights off, boxing them in. The drivers’ side door of the closest one opened, and Puck stepped out with a shit-eating grin on his face. He rapped on Beth’s window. “Hey, cutie. We need to talk. Bring the freak out with you.”