Status: Workin' on gettin' the 13th chapter out there.
Changed Directions
Desperation
“What happened to Broadway, Rachel?”
The short brunette stiffened slightly; eyes glazing over with a faraway look. “I was wondering when one of you was going to ask that. It’s a bit of a long story, but I’ll give you the over-view. It started off as a money situation.” She shook her head. “It may have seemed like I thought Broadway was a surety; but I knew that I needed a degree as a back-up. Not just an arts degree either, something to fall back on. But I also wanted to pursue my dream, so a New York school was a must. But money was tight.” The ex-diva tilted her head, piercing the other three women with mocha eyes. “Remember when those recruiters came during senior year?” She was met with confused frowns, and sighed. “The military recruiters.” The frowns soon morphed into wide-eyed shock. “Remember what they said as a main convincer?”
“Enlist and you’d basically get a free ride into college.” Quinn whispered.
“Exactly.”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
“I got a scholarship to NYU, dad!”
“How much, sweetie?”
“A halfway ride.” She heard the sigh and hurried to continue. “I can get student loans! And work a couple jobs to pay them off.”
“Honey, I just don’t think we can afford it.” The tall African-American man placed a gentle hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Why not check out other schools in less expensive areas? Broadway can wait a few years.”
She looked away. “Yeah.”
The next day the signs were up: Serve Your Country AND Pay For College.
Military recruiters stood in the cafeteria giving out pamphlets and talking to students. The brunette watched Dave Karofsky talking with a Navy officer, and another member of the football team was listening to an Army sergeant. The woman wearing an Air Force uniform stood, unoccupied, near the wall. Rachel crossed quietly over to lean against the wall next to her.
She didn’t want anyone to notice her interest in the recruiter, especially any Glee clubers. The last thing she needed was to be cornered and questioned during rehearsal. But, the posters words wouldn’t leave her head. ‘…Pay For College’ . It’s a solution, and she’s desperate enough to consider it.
“You’d rather not draw attention to your interest in the military, wouldn’t you?”
Rachel jumped slightly at the words suddenly spoken casually by the woman next to her. Keeping her eyes straight ahead, she nodded.
“How old are you?”
“Eighteen.”
“Okay. Take my card, and call me afterschool. We can meet up for coffee and talk.”
Rachel stared at the rectangle of paper being held out to her. She could refuse, search for another school, try for other scholarships, even skip out on college and work for a while. Or she could take the card. Taking it wouldn’t necessarily mean she was making a definite decision, right?
Except she knew herself. She knew that if she took that card she was more than likely going to call; more than likely going to talk to this woman, and more than likely going to enlist. Because she was desperate; and a desperate Rachel Berry would do anything to achieve her goals.
Her hand enclosed around the card of the Air Force recruiter.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
“You joined the Air Force?” The question brought Rachel back from her thoughts.
“Yes, Santana. Not exactly my most well thought out decision. But, I told you already I was a teenager. A desperate teenager. Scratch that. A desperate, impulsive, independent and stupid teenager, with a family with money issues. I found the first out I could and latched onto it. And in doing so I lost the chance at my dreams.”
“What do you mean?” Brittany asked.
Rachel sighed.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
“Hey, I’m Alexis Davenbrook. Call me Alex.”
The girl was about half a foot taller than Rachel, with a lanky build and caramel colored skin. Short raven black hair with blonde highlights flopped over one of her emerald green eyes. Toned muscles showed through the tight black t-shirt and cargo pants that were the casual uniform for the new Air Force recruits.
“Rachel Berry.”
“How did you get pulled into this, short-stuff?”
The diva frowned slightly, before she saw the teasing smirk on the other girl’s face. Smacking her, Rachel shrugged.
“Money issues.”
Alex nodded. “Same.”
……………………………………………………………………………………….
“You’re fuckin’ crazy, Davenport!” Rachel was near tears. “You could die out there!”
Alex nodded. “I know that. But I am going to serve my goddamn country alongside my family, Rach. I may have enlisted because I was poor as shit, but I found more acceptance here than with my own flesh and blood; I’m comfortable here with my brothers and sisters. I feel like I actually belong.”
Rachel grabbed her best friend’s wrist as the woman tried to continue to the offices.
“I’m going with you.”
Alex whirled around. “What?! No! Rachel, you can’t do that!” She latched onto Rachel’s shoulders, shaking her slightly. “You have dreams. Broadway, remember? You can’t just give that up.”
“Broadway can wait.” Rachel said, echoing the words her father spoke a year and a half ago. “I’m coming with you.” Alex shook her head. “No, Alex, you don’t get a say in this. If you’re going, then so am I.” She smiled, trying to lighten the mood slightly. “You know how stubborn I can be, Davenport. I won’t change my mind. Besides, someone has to keep your ass from being kicked.”
Sighing, Alexis pulled away, knowing she wouldn’t be able to change the other girl’s mind.
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Rachel didn’t realize she was screaming as she saw Alex fall. Ignoring the pain of several bullet holes in her body, the brunette dragged herself towards her best friend. Collapsing at her side, she saw the huge, red wet patch on the other woman’s chest. Alex’s glassy empty eyes were the last thing she saw before blackness enveloped her.
“ALEXIS!” Rachel shot up, nearly ripping several IVs from her body.
“Berry, calm down.” Rachel’s head jerked to the side, hoping to see the mischievous smile of her best friend. Instead she was met with the pitying gaze of her old recruiting officer, Miranda Smith.
“Alex. Is she…” She couldn’t choke out the rest of the question. Miranda looked down. A animalistic cry of grief tore from Rachel’s throat.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Placing her uniform jacket, now adorned with a Purple Heart, on the ground next to the grave, Rachel stood staring at the limestone marker.
Alexis Trix Davenport
October 3rd, 1993 – October 4th, 2014
‘Forever remembered among her brother and sister fliers’
Tears fell in a steady stream down her cheeks.
“I’m so sorry, Alexis.” She gripped the black rose tightly in her hand, ignoring the pain of the thorns digging into her palms. “I promised to keep you alive. It should’ve been me. It should’ve been me.” The words became a whispered mantra as she sunk to her knees, gripping the headstone tightly, sobs wracking her body.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
“One of the bullets hit my lung, another nearly shattered my knee. I can still sing, but Broadway length notes aren’t possible any more. As for dancing, nothing extraneous. My Broadway dream died before I could begin it. And my best friend died along with it.”
Brittany slid around the table, pulling Rachel into a tight hug.
The short brunette stiffened slightly; eyes glazing over with a faraway look. “I was wondering when one of you was going to ask that. It’s a bit of a long story, but I’ll give you the over-view. It started off as a money situation.” She shook her head. “It may have seemed like I thought Broadway was a surety; but I knew that I needed a degree as a back-up. Not just an arts degree either, something to fall back on. But I also wanted to pursue my dream, so a New York school was a must. But money was tight.” The ex-diva tilted her head, piercing the other three women with mocha eyes. “Remember when those recruiters came during senior year?” She was met with confused frowns, and sighed. “The military recruiters.” The frowns soon morphed into wide-eyed shock. “Remember what they said as a main convincer?”
“Enlist and you’d basically get a free ride into college.” Quinn whispered.
“Exactly.”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
“I got a scholarship to NYU, dad!”
“How much, sweetie?”
“A halfway ride.” She heard the sigh and hurried to continue. “I can get student loans! And work a couple jobs to pay them off.”
“Honey, I just don’t think we can afford it.” The tall African-American man placed a gentle hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Why not check out other schools in less expensive areas? Broadway can wait a few years.”
She looked away. “Yeah.”
The next day the signs were up: Serve Your Country AND Pay For College.
Military recruiters stood in the cafeteria giving out pamphlets and talking to students. The brunette watched Dave Karofsky talking with a Navy officer, and another member of the football team was listening to an Army sergeant. The woman wearing an Air Force uniform stood, unoccupied, near the wall. Rachel crossed quietly over to lean against the wall next to her.
She didn’t want anyone to notice her interest in the recruiter, especially any Glee clubers. The last thing she needed was to be cornered and questioned during rehearsal. But, the posters words wouldn’t leave her head. ‘…Pay For College’ . It’s a solution, and she’s desperate enough to consider it.
“You’d rather not draw attention to your interest in the military, wouldn’t you?”
Rachel jumped slightly at the words suddenly spoken casually by the woman next to her. Keeping her eyes straight ahead, she nodded.
“How old are you?”
“Eighteen.”
“Okay. Take my card, and call me afterschool. We can meet up for coffee and talk.”
Rachel stared at the rectangle of paper being held out to her. She could refuse, search for another school, try for other scholarships, even skip out on college and work for a while. Or she could take the card. Taking it wouldn’t necessarily mean she was making a definite decision, right?
Except she knew herself. She knew that if she took that card she was more than likely going to call; more than likely going to talk to this woman, and more than likely going to enlist. Because she was desperate; and a desperate Rachel Berry would do anything to achieve her goals.
Her hand enclosed around the card of the Air Force recruiter.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
“You joined the Air Force?” The question brought Rachel back from her thoughts.
“Yes, Santana. Not exactly my most well thought out decision. But, I told you already I was a teenager. A desperate teenager. Scratch that. A desperate, impulsive, independent and stupid teenager, with a family with money issues. I found the first out I could and latched onto it. And in doing so I lost the chance at my dreams.”
“What do you mean?” Brittany asked.
Rachel sighed.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
“Hey, I’m Alexis Davenbrook. Call me Alex.”
The girl was about half a foot taller than Rachel, with a lanky build and caramel colored skin. Short raven black hair with blonde highlights flopped over one of her emerald green eyes. Toned muscles showed through the tight black t-shirt and cargo pants that were the casual uniform for the new Air Force recruits.
“Rachel Berry.”
“How did you get pulled into this, short-stuff?”
The diva frowned slightly, before she saw the teasing smirk on the other girl’s face. Smacking her, Rachel shrugged.
“Money issues.”
Alex nodded. “Same.”
……………………………………………………………………………………….
“You’re fuckin’ crazy, Davenport!” Rachel was near tears. “You could die out there!”
Alex nodded. “I know that. But I am going to serve my goddamn country alongside my family, Rach. I may have enlisted because I was poor as shit, but I found more acceptance here than with my own flesh and blood; I’m comfortable here with my brothers and sisters. I feel like I actually belong.”
Rachel grabbed her best friend’s wrist as the woman tried to continue to the offices.
“I’m going with you.”
Alex whirled around. “What?! No! Rachel, you can’t do that!” She latched onto Rachel’s shoulders, shaking her slightly. “You have dreams. Broadway, remember? You can’t just give that up.”
“Broadway can wait.” Rachel said, echoing the words her father spoke a year and a half ago. “I’m coming with you.” Alex shook her head. “No, Alex, you don’t get a say in this. If you’re going, then so am I.” She smiled, trying to lighten the mood slightly. “You know how stubborn I can be, Davenport. I won’t change my mind. Besides, someone has to keep your ass from being kicked.”
Sighing, Alexis pulled away, knowing she wouldn’t be able to change the other girl’s mind.
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Rachel didn’t realize she was screaming as she saw Alex fall. Ignoring the pain of several bullet holes in her body, the brunette dragged herself towards her best friend. Collapsing at her side, she saw the huge, red wet patch on the other woman’s chest. Alex’s glassy empty eyes were the last thing she saw before blackness enveloped her.
“ALEXIS!” Rachel shot up, nearly ripping several IVs from her body.
“Berry, calm down.” Rachel’s head jerked to the side, hoping to see the mischievous smile of her best friend. Instead she was met with the pitying gaze of her old recruiting officer, Miranda Smith.
“Alex. Is she…” She couldn’t choke out the rest of the question. Miranda looked down. A animalistic cry of grief tore from Rachel’s throat.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Placing her uniform jacket, now adorned with a Purple Heart, on the ground next to the grave, Rachel stood staring at the limestone marker.
Alexis Trix Davenport
October 3rd, 1993 – October 4th, 2014
‘Forever remembered among her brother and sister fliers’
Tears fell in a steady stream down her cheeks.
“I’m so sorry, Alexis.” She gripped the black rose tightly in her hand, ignoring the pain of the thorns digging into her palms. “I promised to keep you alive. It should’ve been me. It should’ve been me.” The words became a whispered mantra as she sunk to her knees, gripping the headstone tightly, sobs wracking her body.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
“One of the bullets hit my lung, another nearly shattered my knee. I can still sing, but Broadway length notes aren’t possible any more. As for dancing, nothing extraneous. My Broadway dream died before I could begin it. And my best friend died along with it.”
Brittany slid around the table, pulling Rachel into a tight hug.
♠ ♠ ♠
Author’s Note 1: Dunno why this one was such a bitch to start. But once I got going it flowed pretty smoothly. This is definitely a more angst ridden one, just so you know.Author’s Note 2: Thank you to those who are reading and subscribing, and my one commenter :)
Author’s Note 3: I have a cousin in the Navy, but I do not know a lot about the military process, so please, if it’s really inaccurate just go with it.
Author’s Note 4: I do not own Glee, or anything to do with the Military. Please don’t sue. I have nothing.
So you now know why Rachel isn’t on Broadway, and got a bit of a glimpse at her past.
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