Rachel Berry was back, back in Ohio, back in Lima. After the glee club had lost Nationals Rachel left with her mother and Beth and went to California, but it turned out life with her mother was not what she thought it would be and after a year she had returned to her personal hell on earth. However this time it was going to be different, Rachel had really changed in California. Gone were the polyester skirts and animal sweaters, now she wore denim shorts and singlet tops. Her long curly hair was now permanently straightened and she had a thick front fringe. So in exactly an hour when Rachel Berry walked back into William McKinley high school there was no way anyone was going to throw a slushie at her or call her man hands. She grabbed her stylish handbag (goodbye pink trolley bag hello friends?) she got into her car and drove back to school.

***

Noah Puckerman stood at his locker looking at photos of his baby girl when the hallway went quiet. He turned around to see the whole male part of the student body staring into Principal Figgins office.
"What in the world are you fags looking at Karofsky?" he snarled at the hockey player.
"G-G-Girl." The boy stuttered. Noah shook his head and walked away.
"Bunch of queers." He said walking into the music room. Quinn and Finn already sat there.
"What's up bro, baby mama?" he said giving Finn a high five and Quinn a kiss on the cheek. Since he and Quinn had given Beth to Miss Corcoran they had repaired their relationships with Finn. Quinn and Finn were dating again and Noah and Finn were back to playing Call of Duty every Friday like normal.
"Don't call me that you enormous oaf" Quinn said smiling. "Did you get the photos from Shelby? Rachel wasn't in them this time." It was funny you would think that Quinn would have a problem with Rachel being around her baby when she wasn't but it actually made sleeping easier at night. Now she knew Rachel wasn't there it worried her.
"Yeah I saw them. I wonder where Berry is then?"
"Listen up guys I have a surprise for you all." Mr Shuester announced as the rest of the club filed in and took their seats.
"Not another assignment Mr Shue the last one sucked." Santana said.
"What's wrong with country?"
"Did you even this to yourself just now?" Kurt asked. Mr Shuester shook his head.
"OK regardless of our thoughts on country music this surprise is even better and should definitely be here by now." There was a soft knock on the door and Mr Shuester jumped up.
"I bet it's a duck." Britt whispered. Mike laughed and Mr Shuester quietened them down.
"OK DRUMROLL PLEASE….. Everyone RACHEL'S BACK!" he pulled the door opened and the gleek's mouths dropped open. Rachel wore a pair of short denim pants, with a white singlet and a white button up t-shirt open over the top. On her feet was a pair of black converse hi-tops. Mercedes and Brittany jumped out of their seats squealing. While Santana waved from the back, Kurt who was sitting next to her just glared. Mike, Matt and Finn strolled from their spots and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Quinn and Noah approached her unsure of what to say. Rachel could feel the awkward moment beginning to settle in and propelled herself at the blonde wrapping her arms around her neck. Quinn hugged her back thanking her softly.
"Why are you back? What happened to California?" Santana asked.
"I got in a fight with Shelby." Rachel answered.
"What she wasn't paying all her attention to you?" Kurt said, his voice laced with venom.

The rest of the glee club turned on Kurt ready to defend Rachel but she beat them to it.
"Kurt, seeing as though you're sitting up the back being the backstabber that you are I don't remember inviting you into this conversation. So you can just shut your mouth and go back to texting Jesse, yeah that's right Kurt I know exactly what went down between the two of you at Nationals." Everyone was shocked and Kurt's faced turned red.
"Now, the reason why Shelby and I fought was in regards to Beth. I was putting a photo of you and Noah up in her room when Shelby told me to take it down saying she didn't need to know the two of you. I told her as a child who never knew what her mother looked like I thought it would be beneficial if Shelby knew where she came from and how beautiful her parents are. Shelby said how she didn't willingly give me up and it wasn't the same and how Quinn was a tramp and she didn't want Beth to know anything about you so I slapped her and she kicked me out."
"You gave up your mother defending me after I was so horrible to you. Why?"
"I would like to think if the situation was reversed you would do the same, besides maybe this time we can be friends." Quinn nodded and hugged the brunette girl; Noah grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "So enough about me, surely Mr Shuester has a glee assignment for us." The club groaned and Rachel looked around confused.
"Shuester's been off his game since you left." Mercedes explained. Rachel cocked her perfectly waxed eyebrow at Mr Shuester.
"It's true, apparently country isn't a good genre for this club."
"Not right for any club" Matt muttered under his breath.
"OK, OK, just sing anything you want this week. A welcome back to Rachel. Go all out, costumes, makeup, backup vocals, choreography. Have it ready for Friday." The bell rang and everyone filed out hugging Rachel. Soon it was just Finn, Noah, Quinn and Rachel left.
"Thank you again. I would like to be friends with you. I don't really have any good girl friends anymore and even though we have had a pretty bad past maybe you could be it?"
"I would love to be your friend. Almost as much as I would love some lunch right now. Anyone else coming." Quinn grabbed Finn's hand and the two ran out together.
"They always like that now?" She asked Noah.
"Always it sickens me. Maybe you can be my friend to Berry? Take away some of the awkwardness of Saturdays nights at Quinn's mums?" Rachel nodded and laughed before punching him on the arm.
"Like what you have done with the hair Puckerman. Heaps better than the gay Mohawk you were sporting, or the shaved head." Noah had grown his hair out so it was short and cropped.
"I like your hair to. California was good to you Berry." She smiled and twirled around.
"I know."

The group of four sat down at a table for lunch when Finn and Noah asked what they wanted. Quinn and Rachel wanted a salad and a bottle of apple juice each.
"Rabbit's" Noah muttered as he walked off with Finn to get it. Matt, Mike and Artie joined them in line and the girls from Glee sat down with Quinn and Rachel. It was all going great until they heard a squeal.
"Get your hands off me KAROFSKY!" Rachel screamed. Puck and the rest of the boys dumped their trays and jumped over the barriers. They really didn't need to worry because by the time they reached the girls, Santana had hold of Karofsky while Rachel punched him. When Matt and Mike pulled the two girls away Noah made sure that Karofsky would never have children in his lifetime.
"You don't touch her? Understand me. If I so much as have the idea you are thinking about Rachel Berry I will cut your weak ass attempt of a penis off got it?" Karofsky nodded wincing. Noah put his arm around Rachel and they whole group walked out of the Café.
"You cool Rach?" Santana asked rubbing the smaller girls arm.
"Yeah I'm fine, it wasn't that he was touching me so much, it was that Karofsky was touching me. Guys in California were heaps worse than that" she said shaking.
"So Rachel, I hear you had a run in with my buddy Karofsky" Kurt said.
"Buddy? Kurt what the hell are you talking about?" Rachel said back.
"Well my boyfriend, Jesse, you know him anyway his mother owns the company Karofsky's father works for so now Karofsky does what I want when I want. Don't think by coming back Rachel that you are going to be the star again. I run this school now." The Gleeks just stood there unphased by the new attitude Kurt had taken on. Suddenly Rachel lunged at the well dressed boy and Noah and Matt barley managed to grab her in time.
"Breathe" Noah whispered in her ear and he felt her relax. It didn't go unnoticed to the rest of the club who smiled to each other.
"OK well I am out, I have a hot date with my boyfriend." Kurt said laughing.
"Oh god. I need to go shopping. You girls in?" The rest of the girls nodded. "I will see you later Matt." The girls walked out and Noah looked at Matt.
"What?"
"What did Berry mean she will see you later."
"We dance together. They started a hip hop class at the local dance school. She can pop and lock better than anyone."
"Better than me?" Finn said. The boys laughed.
"You can even walk. Can she dance better than you?" Noah asked Matt.
"Yeah she can. Dude I can't even pop and lock people just assume, you know the skin colour."
"Is she better than Mike?" Noah asked.
"NO ONE IS BETTER THAN THE CHANGSTER" Mike yelled out popping and locking as they walked along.
"I would say he is right except Rachel wears these tiny assed pants and she looks so hot. So she is totally better than the Chang."
"Dude, I got to come to these classes." Noah muttered and the boys laughed.