Iron Bars - T - Puck/Rachel - Part Three
Title: These iron bars can't hold my soul in (all I need is you)
Category: Glee
Genre: Drama/Romance/Humor
Ship: Rachel/Puck
Rating: PG-13 (subject to change)
Prompt: [AU] Rachel's the daughter of the warden at the juvie center Puck's in and falls for the misguided teen. - puckrachel drabble meme
Warning(s): Coarse Language, Violent Situations
Word Count: 4,953
Summary: [AU] Rachel Berry, daughter to Warden Berry of the Lima Juvenile Center, dashes her daddy's dreams when she falls for first time offender Noah Puckerman, but it might just be the second chance he needs to finally rehabilitate his otherwise hopeless life.
Previous: Part One, Part Two,
stacylk
These Iron Bars Can't Hold My Soul In (All I Need Is You)
-Novel-
III. Romantic Rachel
Rachel Berry was a master of subtlety. She imagined she was simply born with it, much like her incredible singing, dancing and acting skills. Sure, she did spend an abundance of time perfecting it, but that didn't mean that she hadn't come out of her surrogate mother's womb with an insane amount of talent that surely deafened and blinded the very doctors who delivered her. Just as it did every audience that bore witness to her amazing vocal range and acting chops. So when she sat down to dinner that night with her dad, Leroy, and her daddy, Hiram, she was certain that neither of them suspected a thing.
"I had a lovely afternoon visiting with you, daddy," she said, smiling at him brightly as she handed him the mashed potatoes.
"I remember, dear… You spent almost an hour asking if you could see Noah's record and when I stepped out for a moment to deal with something, I returned to find you'd picked the lock on my filing cabinet."
Her lips pursed. "I don't believe you can fault me for attributes you've helped to encourage, like my tenacity and determination."
Her dad snorted. "Honey, we encouraged you to believe in yourself and never wilt in the face of adversity… I don't remember ever getting you lessons on lock picking and invading people's privacy."
She lifted her nose into the air and sighed, long and loud. "The internet is a vast space full of useful information… And I believe I was only looking at his record out of curiosity and interest in his well-being."
"Oh, there was an interest there, I just don't think it was in his well-being," Hiram murmured, slightly amused.
"Daddy!" she cried, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, I may be sixteen years old but I am in no way boy crazy…" She shook her head. "I happened to think Noah was a very kind and humorous person that I only wanted to help out of the kindness of my very large and caring heart… And also," she brightened, "He'd been rather flustered when I was speaking to him, so I had to be sure that when he said he had no allergies, he was being honest…" She shook her head, staring at them sincerely, "How awful would it have been if I'd made him a delicious batch of cookies only for him to die to an unforeseen allergy to the ingredients?" She reached out and patted her daddy's hand. "I wouldn't want to bring that kind of negative attention to your Center daddy. Just as much as I wouldn't want a poor, innocent boy's soul resting on my shoulders."
Leroy frowned. "If he's in juvie, I can pretty much guarantee he's far from innocent…"
"I meant in a much broader sense of the word," she explained, exasperated. "While yes, I'm sure he's made some mistakes-"
"A week ago!" Hiram reminded.
"I also believe in the correctional system and the guidance of both daddy and his team of counselors and officers. So really, I'm investing in the idea that daddy will encourage Noah along on the right path, thus discouraging him from his former delinquency…" She smiled. "So if I happen to bring him cookies and ask after his health, I'm only letting him know that we care and we're confident he will be rehabilitated."
"We?" her dad asked, raising a brow.
"Well he needs a team of support behind him," she reminded, sitting up a little straighter. "I would think you, of all people, would have faith in the work that daddy is doing…" Her brows furrowed. "Don't you believe in his ability to mold the young minds of juvenile delinquents?" She pursed her lips. "I think it's time to take a look at the awards wall again… Perhaps you've forgotten the very esteemed medals and plaques he's received for just this kind of work." She rose from her seat with a long, suffering sigh.
"Rachel, sit down," her daddy said, shaking his head. "Honey, don't take this the wrong way, because I'm sure that you're trying really hard to convince us of your… intentions, but…" He stared at her squarely, lifting his dark brows high. "Noah's very attractive. He's also funny and, despite his nearly non-existent attendance to math class, fairly smart, but… He's also going to spend the next month in a guarded facility because he made some very poor decisions without thinking through the consequences." He shook his head. "Now, does that mean I don't think he can be saved or helped? No. I believe in every boy that walks through those doors. But I also don't think that what he needs in his life right now is a girlfriend. Especially one as… goal oriented as you." He licked his lips, clasping his hands on the table in front of him. "You live very different lives, Rachel… Despite your similarities in your love of glee and music, there is still a lot about him that you don't know and probably won't like…" He stared at her searchingly. "I know that a part of you wants to be his saving grace, but Bunny… He has to save himself before you can be anything to him."
Her eyes narrowed. "But you'll give us permission to engage in a relationship if he 'saves' himself," she said, even using finger-quotes.
He sighed, turning to look at his husband exasperatedly.
Leroy held up his hands. "Hey, you walked into that. I thought you learned years ago that she'll use everything you say against you."
Rachel hopped up, leaned over, and kissed her daddy's cheek. "I appreciate your honesty, daddy." She picked up her plate. "I hope neither of you will be offended, but I've decided to eat in my bedroom. I'm going to be doing a lot of research on how to help troubled teens to reach their full potential." She shrugged her shoulders and grinned at them. "Just because he's saving himself doesn't mean I can't point him in the right direction…"
With that, she turned on her heel and hurried upstairs.
Behind her, she could hear her dads still talking.
"Just how good looking is this boy?" Leroy wondered.
Hiram sighed. "I'm not sure if the Mohawk helps or hurts his case, but the boy's face is incredibly distracting… Add that to the fact that he's a football player and he's obviously worked hard at it and that boy's going to deflower our daughter faster than we can say Barbra Streisand."
"I told you not to let her get her license."
He snorted. "Please, she'd have ridden the bus out there every Friday if she had too… If she didn't go and find herself the exact wrong boy, I'd have thought the gesture itself was sweet…"
"And if she does fall for him?"
"Then he better fall right back for her… Or he's going to spend the rest of his teenage life in Isolation."
"You're so handsome when you're angry."
Rolling her eyes, Rachel hurried the rest of the way up the stairs and into her bedroom.
She would spend the next two hours searching for self-help tips and guidance books that would help in encouraging the proverbial 'bad boy' to make better life choices. Sure, some would say she was getting ahead of herself, but she had always been a planner. And really, she was just investing in the future. Both in Noah's and her own. Because yes, there was a chance that she had simply set her sights on the wrong sort of boy, but she'd read somewhere that it was the boys who were damaged and who had to drag themselves up from the hardest of situations, that made for the best husbands and fathers. She couldn't say where for sure she'd gained that insight - it may well have been from a Cosmopolitan magazine - but she wanted strongly to believe that it could be the case for Noah. He was handsome, yes - almost distractingly so - and he was funny and sweet - hadn't he warned her to be careful around the other boys for fear of her safety? - and indelibly masculine and strong, which were both features she could admit to being attracted to. So while it could possibly blow up in her face, she was almost certain it was worth the risk.
Which was why she didn't feel bad, not one bit, when she used her daddy's credit card to buy all the books she'd need from online. Really, he would thank her one day when it became obvious that she had found the man of her dreams in a misguided boy under his care. What a story that would be for the grandchildren… She was sure her parents would tell it over and over at Temple. Oh the pride that would spill from their voices as they explained that their little girl who claimed such a kind and forgiving heart had found her perfect suitor and never gave up on him. She read too in his record, of which she did not steal so much as curiously peruse for his benefit, that he was Jewish. So really, it was practically a sign from God… And who was she to defy God?
…
Life as the star of Vocal Adrenaline, especially now that Jesse had moved on to UCLA after graduating last year, had lost some of its previous shine. Sure, she was toted as the prized gem of the glee club, her vocal intensity unmatched by all she sang with, but there was something missing… And she thought it may be friendship. Of course, her glee-mates were her companions in the arts and they sang back-up to her, and previously Jesse, with all the support any truly incredible singer could ask for. But when the curtain fell and the clapping faded, she found herself standing alone. There were bouquets of roses and well wishes and pats on the back for blowing the audience away - Every. Single. Time. - but in the end, she drove home to a quiet house where her parents were oftentimes already in bed. She'd turned down the offered Range Rover in favor of a Prius, paid for by the boosters that appreciated their win at Sectionals, as she didn't feel it was eco-friendly enough. Which ultimately led to her being the only Vocal Adrenaline singer who didn't have slashed tires after Jesse's reprehensible actions toward New Directions.
Late, lonely nights were a regular occurrence, especially since Vocal Adrenaline practiced every day from 2:30 in the afternoon until midnight, which, in all honesty, was a grueling pace to keep up. Especially with homework to finish, Templeto attend, cookies to bake, and her Friday drop-in at the LJC. And yes, Mr. Goolsby, their director and glee coach, did not appreciate that she demanded Friday afternoons off, but he couldn't very well kick her out; not when she was the shining star of the club! In fact, he let her get away with a number of things none of the other students could even suggest. Like the lack of water, breaks, or excuses rule. She frequently needed to drink to keep her vocal chords properly hydrated and it was not something she took lightly. And because she did some of the dancing, she was supposed to take human growth hormones, but she absolutely refused and was currently in a very tense debate with both her fellow glee-mates and her director over the safety of just such drugs. Lastly, when it was even suggested that she might be held back a year or two so she could stay in glee, much like the boy who was failed six years in a row just because of his proficiency at triple back-flips, she made it very clear that if anybody even so much as tried to lower her grades, she would bring down the wrath of the LGBT Alliance on their collective heads.
She loved Vocal Adrenaline, she did. But they were merely a tool along the highway to her destiny. Perhaps if she had created a bond with them, it would be different. Too often, however, she felt like the only animated character amongst a group of thirty or so robots! She wouldn't put it past Mr. Goolsby either, to have created a show choir made entirely of unfeeling, easily manipulated, talent infused droids. Obviously though, they needed someone with far more talent than what could be manufactured, which was why they needed her. And she'd used that to her advantage the entire time she'd attendedCarmel high.
After a nice weekend spent mostly at home with her dads, at least outside of the usual daily practice spent with Vocal Adrenaline, she was feeling more rested. True, she'd spent a significant amount of time testing new cookie recipes and whipping up batch after batch of baked good, but they weren't all for Noah… She let her fathers enjoy a few snacks before packing up the best of each into its own container. Perhaps an earlier visit to the LJC was in order; after all, Friday seemed like such a long wait. Maybe Wednesday, or even Tuesday would be an appropriate time to visit. She was a little excited even, because she'd never been to the visitation room.
On Monday morning, she walked into her school, equipped with state of the art, well, everything, and she felt the rewards reaped for their talent more than satisfactory. Stopping at her locker, which was a vivid shade of pink that she'd had commissioned rather than the usual drab grey or blue exterior that most of the other students suffered, she put away her trolley bag, went through each of her books, checked her appearance in the small mirror pinned up by magnets, went through her To-Do List - adding Visit Noah at the bottom with an xo and a gold star - and blew a kiss to the photo booth strip that boasted her and her fathers. As the bell rang shrilly, she took out her books and was quick to attend her classes on time. Efficiency and intelligence were important to an ingénue such as herself. Not only because she wanted to represent herself as a strong supporter of education when she inevitably became a huge star and was asked hard-hitting questions, but because she believed in being the best her she possibly could.
As she sat in her Math class, she found her mind wandering. It was a perfectly adequate time seeing as she had already studied ahead and finished the day's assignments, but she had to admit that even if she hadn't there was no stopping her mind from getting away from itself. It was a condition of her vast imagination, she supposed. Not unlike the rest of the weekend, her thoughts were centered on one person in particular. Now, Rachel could fully admit that when she became enamored with someone, she tended to put all of herself into that particular person. It was the misfortune of being a romantic; one brought up on cinematic classics where, more often than not, the girl gets the boy.
Last year, her leading man had been Jesse. They'd had a passionate love affair based on their mutual dreams and endless supply of talent. And he wasn't hard on the eyes, either. But their relationship had been a quick build-up with an even quicker expiry date. Like many performers that fall for their musical or acting counterpart, they'd fallen more for the idealistic romance of it all than the real person standing before them. Truth be told, she and Jesse were too much alike and it made for a somewhat self-involved relationship in which neither of them had anybody to ground the other. And honestly, they both needed that. An anchor to tell them when they were being blind to others or reality; to bring them back down to Earth before their divatude eclipsed all else. They parted on good terms, however, deciding that a friendship would surely benefit them both. And he called regularly from college, when he wasn't working hard at his studies or broadening his artistic horizons. Thankfully, it had all happened before he'd come up with the truly inane idea to spy on New Directions. She could admit without shame that she wanted to win, at all costs, and she would do anything to get another shining trophy to show off her many achievements. But one thing Rachel Berry would not do was cheat. Not only because that could come back on her later on in her life and she refused to have any skeletons in her closet, but because if she was going to win it was going to be because she was the very best and nobody else could compare.
She told herself that this time, with Noah, it would all be different. If there was anybody who seemed her complete opposite, aside from an appreciation for music, it was him. She practically embodied the altruism of a good girl, aside from her scheming and manipulations, all of which were so carefully thought out that nobody was ever able to finger her as the culprit. While he was more carefree and laid back, looking the perfect image of a bad boy who wanted it known but apparently didn't have the forethought to make sure his acts of rebellion wouldn't be found out. She imagined if they were ever to come together to execute a plan of deceit that they would be masters of it. Taking his obvious talent for mischief and her vast knowledge, they would be unstoppable.
But, of course, she didn't want to base their inevitable relationship on wrongdoings. She was sure they could enjoy a more law-abiding outlook on things. And avoiding a repeat of his previous attempts at robbery seemed like a good start. She hadn't had time to read much in his file, though she did know why he was in juvenile detention. Stealing an ATM was hardly the most thought out crime and she had a feeling he hadn't given it much thought at all. Impulsive. It was what made for a bad criminal, really. So if he didn't get that under control or have a voice of reason to harness those less than scrupulous indulgences, he could possibly wind up in an even larger and far less supportive jail system.
She didn't want that.
She didn't know him well, though she planned to change that, and soon, but she really didn't want the boy who had smiled at her so warmly and laughed at her off-handed humor and who ate her cookies like they were the most delicious thing he'd ever had the pleasure of consuming to spend his life rotting away in a prison cell. And, of course, it was a little arrogant to think that she could be his saving grace. But who was better suited for the job? Honestly. Even if he had a girlfriend, and though the idea was disappointing she couldn't say she was truly discouraged regardless, whoever she was she wasn't doing what she needed to if he was still involved in his criminal activities. Or at the very least she wasn't helping to cover them up well enough. Rachel was a wonderful girlfriend. Attentive and thoughtful and especially good at setting boundaries.
She was just what Noah Puckerman needed. And she couldn't wait to prove that to him and her parents. Because they might not be supportive just yet, but they would come around. She just knew it. She was a very convincing person, after all.
…
As usual, Rachel was early for glee practice. But she knew the others weren't far behind her. They were robotic in their timing and would get to work as soon as their feet hit the stage, which was why she needed to speak to her coach immediately.
Mr. Goolsby was standing off to the side, a clipboard in hand and his Bluetooth attached to his ear. He was barking orders out to seemingly nobody, but she was aware that he had somebody on the line; he always seemed to have somebody calling him and more often than not he was not pleased with whatever answers they had for him.
"Uno momento, Rachel," he told her, lifting a finger to keep her from speaking.
She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. She didn't know how many times that she had to tell him that she was not Hispanic; just because she had a tanned complexion he jumped to conclusions. As if her nose didn't further dispute his assumption!
"I don't care what it takes; I need the strongest batteries you can get me! This isn't a negotiation, Hank! Do you have any idea how many other people would be happy to get my kind of business?" He nodded. "Uh-huh… Mm-hmm… Okay, you know where you can take your triple-A's, Hank?" He frowned. "Hello? H-Hello?" He frowned, turned to look at Rachel and shrugged. "Bad connection. What can I do for you, Selena?"
"How are you this afternoon, Mr. Goolsby? I hope I haven't interrupted anything important." Not waiting for him to reply, she held out a small container. "Here. Have some pinwheel cookies, I know they're your favorite." She leaned in a little as if to share a secret, "These ones are raspberry."
His eyes widened a little and he took the container eagerly. "Not that I'm not appreciative, especially since I'll have to work these puppies off later." He smirked handsomely. "This figure isn't all paid for, you know, I do have to put in an hour or two at the gym each week…" He popped the cap off and took one out. Raising a brow at her, he asked, "But what is it my little star needs that she's trying to buy me off this early into practice?"
She grinned brightly. "Tuesday." Clasping her hands in front of her, she informed him, "It's come to my attention that there's a very important matter I need to tend to and I'll have to leave practice early this Tuesday. I understand that it's terribly last minute, but I hope you'll understand and please, know that I will, of course, take the time to practice at home as soon as I'm finished. I wouldn't dare risk my vocal intensity or our group and their certain win at Sectionals this year."
He blinked at her, chewing his cookie thoughtfully, and then he looked her up and down. "You're not preggo, are you?" He glanced around to make sure nobody else was listening. "'Cause I know a guy..." He nodded. "We can have that fetus outta there before you can say MTV's Teen Mom."
Surprised, she blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to grasp the insinuation and what his idea of 'fixing it' was. She felt a little sick to her stomach and wondered, briefly, if New Directions' coach had offered the same to the girl who had appeared quite pregnant last year at competition. Or had he been more understanding than Coach Goolsby? Regardless, she had to nip this very disturbing thought process in the bud. "Firstly, no, I am not pregnant! And secondly, I'm thoroughly appalled at your suggestion… If I were pregnant and felt abortion was an option, then I would go through the proper and far more sanitary channels."
He held his hands up, not even slightly upset about his actions. "Hey, I was just offering you a clean slate; no chance of that little mistake you made with a boy in high school coming back to haunt you when you hit it big in Broadway, okay?" He shrugged. "Now… If it's not unexpected spawn, what's so important that you can't be here to rehearse?"
"I'm afraid it's not something I feel comfortable sharing," she told him pointedly. "But I would really appreciate it if you could allow me this one extra day off." She held up her hands in a plaintive gesture. "I assure you that I will regret missing rehearsal very much, but this is something that I feel strongly about and…" She stared up at with determined eyes, "I'm sure that when I return Wednesday I will be feeling far more focused and will show it in every perfectly pitched tune I sing."
He stared at her, eyes narrowed. "Fine. But you owe me." He pointed at her flat waist. "And don't get pregnant. I've only got one more freebie to cash in with my guy and I have a feeling Larissa doesn't have the stomach flu."
She blinked, frowning. "All right, I'll do my best."
He nodded shortly and then rolled his eyes, reaching for his Bluetooth before motioning for her to go away. "Frank! I knew you'd call back." He turned on his heel. "Let's talk batteries…"
Smiling to herself, Rachel moved toward the stage, hopping to and fro on her feet and giving herself a full body shake to get ready for the mechanical dance routines they were about to practice.
"You are asking for tomorrow off, yes?" a voice asked.
Rachel's lips pursed suddenly and she turned, looking down to see none other than Sunshine Corazon, their recent transfer from McKinley, a stolen talent from New Directions. "You were eavesdropping?"
"I am small and easily unnoticed. If I was sitting in the chairs and you did not see me that is your own fault for not looking," she said, her accent thick but not enough to hide her smug attitude.
She just didn't know why she was the only one to see that this petite Philippine powerhouse was trying to steal her spotlight. And nobody stole Rachel's Berry's fame from under her! "Yes, well, since you were listening you'll know that I have important business to tend to and therefore cannot attend practice tomorrow." Hand on her hip, she cocked her head. "But Wednesday will see me back and better than ever, so don't get comfortable."
She stared up, brows furrowed in feigned innocence. "You mistake friendly interest as competition. I was only looking out for you, as a fellow glee-mate would."
"Don't play games with me!" she warned. "I may look sweet and innocent, but I carry a wrath inside me that you would never recover from."
Sunshine blinked. "You are a strange girl, Rachel."
She smoothed out her plaid skirt and lifted her nose in the air. "I'm unique and with my career path that's an attractive quality."
She shook her head. "I am here to make music and that is all I care about."
She scoffed. "Right, and I'm sure the condo and green card you and your mother received had no bearing on anything."
"All right, everybody on stage, front and center," Mr. Goolsby yelled, waving his hands. She lost track of Sunshine as everybody took their positions. "Did everybody put on their sunblock?" He didn't wait for an answer before pointing behind him. "Spotlights, hit it!"
The lights were nearly blinding and Rachel nearly stumbled at their intensity. She wondered if perhaps it might cause future retinal damage.
"Show me you're talented enough for me to care!" he yelled again.
And just like that, Rachel put aside all else and focused on being the best performer on stage. If she occasionally glanced around to find Sunshine Corazon, it was only because she was small and could easily be crushed in way of Rachel's marching dancing steps. It had nothing to do with the possibility of her outshining her. Really, she was only looking out for her, as any good glee-mate would.
…
When Rachel returned home that night, she was exhausted. She climbed the stairs to her bedroom, every muscle aching from head to toe, shoved her door open and bee-lined it for her bed, disposing of her trolley bag and flats as she went.
"Broadway Star, New York, Barbra Streisand," she repeated over and over. "It's worth it! It is!"
But as she rolled over and stared at the glow-in-the-dark stars pasted to her ceiling, all she could think was the heart and soul of music, of show choir, felt amiss each time she took the stage. And even though her trophy case was padded with so many wins that they had another one currently being commissioned, she worried that Vocal Adrenaline was sucking the passion she'd once had for glee right out of her soul.
She wondered if Noah ever felt that way. If the coach leading New Directions was as focused and one-minded as Mr. Goolsby. Or if, perhaps, they were less structured and more feeling oriented. Rachel had always felt as though she were different from her fellow glee-mates as she was in tune with her theatrics and emotional outbursts. She knew that she was a dramatic person and that she wore her feelings on her face, but those around her were the opposite. Truly, aside from her parents, in the last few years, the only person she'd witnessed acting true to character had been Noah that afternoon, when he'd stumbled over his words and laughed freely. She wanted that. She wanted honesty, even if it wasn't flattering, and she thought she might find it in a boy locked away behind brick walls, chain-link fence, and 24/7 guard.
It was foolhardy, perhaps, but Rachel did love a good plot twist. And her life was in dire need of one right then. Who better than Noah Puckerman to fill her quotient for passion?
Tomorrow, she would bridge the gap and see just what the possibilities were for them. Closing her eyes and burying her face in her pink pillows, she hoped neither of them was disappointed with their second encounter.
[Next: Part IV - Promising Puck.]